《Surviving as a Broken Hero》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Awakening (1) ¡°Come on. Just give us the money and we can all walk away from this¡­¡± The man before me gestured to my cane. ¡°¡­figuratively speaking, that is.¡± My jaw clenched at the man¡¯s poor joke. I nced around the clearing, my gaze drifting between the three people in front of me. The one trying to take my money was the leader of the party. He was a fighter, dressed in leather armor. His sheathed sword was strapped across his back, while his dagger was sheathed at his waist. The party¡¯s archer stood not far behind the leader, just off to the side. He had his bow at the ready, prepared to fire an arrow at any moment. The final member of the party, the tank, sat nearby. The man was watching the exchange in his full te armor, all while eating the food they had prepared not long ago. My hand gripped the coin pouch at my waist as I observed the trio. I knew I didn¡¯t have much of a chance, but¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll be damned if I lose six years¡¯ worth of work here.¡¯ To Awakeners like the ones trying to rob me, it may not have been much, but to me, it was everything that I had managed to save since humanity had Merged with the new world. I took a few steps forward, using my cane for support. ¡°I thought I was paying you to help me level.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I think you know it by now, kid, but you¡¯re never going to be an Awakener with that leg of yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never know if I don¡¯t try¡­¡± I had heard tales of Awakeners who had gained unique sses or effects from the system. They were said to be able to heal from all manner of injuries. How could I know for sure unless I saw it for myself? Were not most rumors borne from some fragment of truth? ¡°Didn¡¯t you be adventurers to help people? Why do this?¡± I decided to try appealing to their morals. Drag, Drag. I took a few more faltering steps towards the leader. ¡°We are helping you. You just don¡¯t know it yet.¡± The man took a step towards me. My eyes bounced between the party members again. I had heard of such incidents before, of course, but I had thought that I had taken the proper precautions when I chose my seemingly trustworthy party. They were even members of a guild that had signed up with the Association! ¡°You know the Association is going to hear about this, right?¡± The man shook his head and let out a small chuckle. ¡°Sorry to tell you this, kid. You¡¯re probably never going to see the Association again.¡± Due to the Association¡¯s restrictions on harming party members, they were likely trying to get me to hand over the coin pouch willingly. A diviner might not be able to see events that urred clearly, but they could pinpoint targets of hostility and intent. ¡°If you hand it over willingly, we¡¯ll leave you here. Who knows? You might, by some miracle, make it back.¡± My grip tightened around the coin pouch. I knew they were right. From the start, fighting back wasn¡¯t an option for me. ¡®If I hand it over now, I¡¯ll be back to square one¡­ It¡®ll take at least six more years, if not longer, to gather this much again. There has to be something I can do¡­¡¯ No matter which scenario I ran through in my head, they all ended with me losing. However, there was one thing that I was certain of¡­ I wasn¡¯t just going to give them the money that I had spent so much time and effort gathering. Step, Step. The man got within reach of me. I reacted, the cane that had aided my bnce for so long swinging¡ªjust as it had countless times before, all in preparation for a moment like this. My body knew it well, just as if it were an extension of myself. Every knot, every slight deformity in the smooth wood. The way it was slightly heavier towards the top, where that little bump sat. The heavy wood of the cane swished through the air, aimed at the leader¡¯s head. I figured the man couldn¡¯t be more than level 5, at most. There was no way he would have been in such an outskirt city if he were at a higher level. Level 5 was the breaking point for unlocking the abilities of one¡¯s ss. Before that, Awakeners could hardly be called superhuman. Even with that knowledge, my physical fitness was below peak level. I knew that I didn¡¯t really stand much of a chance. Still, I had to try. My arm jolted and the cane stopped as the man caught it mid-swing. Thinking only of the coins still at my waist, of the scrounging I had done in back alleys, and the insults I had taken over the past few years¡­ Thinking of my missing friends, of my family that I had yet to find¡­ I let the cane go and drew the dagger from the man¡¯s waist. In a moment, before I even realized what I was doing¡­ RIP! Blood spurted out as the warm liquid sttered my face. The dagger tore its way down the man¡¯s unarmored thigh as my own leg gave out. Without the support of the cane, I fell. Thwack! There was the sound of an arrow leaving a bowstring, followed quickly by a searing pain in my abdomen. The leader cursed and took a step back, holding his injured leg. Thump. I knelt to the ground, dagger still in my grasp as I grimaced in pain from the arrow embedded in my stomach. ¡°Penalty be damned. You could¡¯ve just gone quietly, kid!¡± The leader drew his sword as the armored tank stood, dropping the food he had been eating. It was toote. I had always heard of people¡¯s lives shing before their eyes in life-threatening situations. ¡­Instead, what shed through my mind at that moment was the people I would be leaving behind. There was the ring of steel as the sword was drawn fully. I briefly tried to stand again, unable to gain my footing without any leverage. The leader¡¯s sword swung down towards my neck. Swoosh My eyes followed the de. ¡®If only I hadn¡¯t run all those years ago¡­¡¯ ¡ªIn what I believed were my final moments, I thought of brilliant golden hair, a soft touch, and lightughter. I thought of Rhil, my neighbor and friend over these long years, and how I would never get to see her shining smile again. My thoughts went to the way her face reddened withughter, of the way she bit her lip when she was nervous. ¡°Why do you fight against them?¡± She had once asked me after a particrly bad run-in with one of the street gangs in the area. ¡°They¡¯d rather just take your money and leave you be.¡± She hadn¡¯t fully understood. I had struggled and fought every day since the Merge. Against my own body, against those who tried to take advantage of me. I wouldn¡¯t let people step on me. I wouldn¡¯t run away ever again. ¡­With that thought in mind, I raised my hands in onest futile effort to ward off the oing de. As I did so, I felt a pulling sensation from deep within. Grasping that lifeline, I pulled back. Something gave. Everything paused. [[¡­System has detected parameters for an ideal host.]] [[Engaging System]] [[!!! Warning !!!]] [[Threat detected.]] [[Warning! Insufficient Energy to Activate System!]] [[Utilizing Emergency Measures.]] * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Before I couldprehend what was going on¡­ In the blink of an eye¡­ Fire burst from my raised hands. It was only a sh of me, a brief moment of intense heat¡­ But it was enough. The three of them were hit by the intense heat andunched backwards, out of the clearing. The heat reached the trees next, igniting them in an instant. I registered all of this as I was sent flying backward from the recoil of whatever had emerged from me. Ding! Crash. I fell against the trunk of one of the trees at the edge of the clearing. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± Slide. I slid into a sitting position at the base of the tree as heat battered my face. Before me, on the opposite end of the clearing, the forest was burning. The smell of smoke was overpowering. The odor of burnt matter and charred meat filled my nostrils. ¡®I never thought my first kill would be a human¡­¡¯ I had ced too much trust in them. I should have known better. Had I not learned that lesson from the gangs in the city? From the adventurers who cast judgmental nces my way whenever I asked for help? From the barkeeps I had helped with various chores to the shopkeepers who had bought whatever I had managed to dig out of the trash? Ding! [[System Awakened]] As it turned out, killing other people also fulfilled the requirements for Awakening. A blue window glowed in front of me. My mind felt fuzzy and my abdomen felt cold. ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was the moment that I had put so much effort into. The one hope I had held onto for the past six years. [[Congrattions on killing your first enemy!]] The text appeared in front of me with a congrattory tone. I let out a pained chuckle at the words. My skin grew colder with each shake of my body. [[Please select your ss: ¡¶Fighter¡· ¡¶Mage¡· ¡¶Ritualist¡·]] Rustle, rustle. I reached out my hand to touch the cold spot on my abdomen and looked down. The arrow had been ripped from my body during the tumble through the air and had left a gaping wound in its absence. A glistening crimson trail trickled down from the wound, covering my hand. Licking my cracked lips, I felt my heart rise to my throat as I looked over my choices. Shift, shift. My eyes drifted over to my right leg, syed out in front of me. I tried to move it, though I expected nothing toe of it. The leg had been useless for six years, after all. Nothing, just like I was ustomed to. [[Fighter ¨C Rarity: F Grants superior self-regenerative traits and allows one to reach the peak of physical fighting ability. Physical buffs to endurance and melee abilities.] [[Mage ¨C Rarity: F Allows one to study and utilize all manner of magical abilities.] Buffs to mana and skill learning speeds.]] [[Ritualist ¨C Rarity: C Allows one to make use ofplex rituals to customize magic to one¡¯s liking. Buffs to learning ability and problem-solving abilities.]] My mind numbed as I looked over my options. I had held some dim hope for a rare ss, but not Ritualist. ¡®I need something I can use now¡­ Ritualist won¡¯t be of much help if I¡¯m dead, the same goes for the Mage ss¡­¡¯ I stared at the Fighter description again. [[Grants superior self-regenerative traits and allows one to reach the peak of physical fighting ability.]] I licked my cracked lips again. ¡®Does that mean it could heal me? Even my leg?¡¯ I cast another nce toward my leg before making my decision. It was a dim hope, but at the moment it was all I had. There would be no going back. ¡°System, select Fighter ss.¡± [[Error!]] [[Syst¡­ A¡­]] [[Your ss is now Level 0 Fighter]] Cascading windows appeared before me as Iy there against the tree, blood pooling below me from the wound in my abdomen that I was doing my best to staunch. ¡°¡­Haaaa.¡± I let out a shaking sigh. The small, cloud-like puffs of vapor faded away in the frigid air towards the raging fire on the opposite end of the clearing. The fire had picked up and was almost deafening. ¡®Level 0? That¡¯s not right¡­¡¯ Everyone was supposed to start at level 1, with the abilities of their ss¡­ I saw no such window. ¡°Abilities, Skills, Stats.¡± Nothing. A cold chill overtook me. Had the System truly glitched? ¡®Why me? Why now?¡¯ A sense of despair flooded through me. It was just my luck that I would get a screwed-up system on top of everything else. The pain in my abdomen persisted. I didn¡¯t feel any different. ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it doesn¡¯t heal new injuries¡­¡¯ I tried to move my bad leg, the one that had disobeyed mymands for the past six years. Had I miscalcted? ¡®I thought the system was supposed to put me in peak fighting condition once it took effect¡­¡¯ My leg remained limp, unmoving. ¡°Shit¡­¡± It was too much to hope for. My curse was lost in the roar of the fire, the heat growing ever more ufortable. I looked down at the wound in my abdomen and let out a pained huff. I tried to stand, using one hand to push against the tree. Thud. Halfway up, I slid back down into a sitting position. It was too difficult. My body wouldn¡¯t listen to me. I looked back toward the raging fire that continued to creep toward me from the edge of the clearing. Ding! {{System Awakened}} {{Please select¡­ Archetype¡­}} A new window appeared: a golden one with broken text. I looked from the system window to the strange golden window. I had never heard of one like it before. ¡°Open Archetypes¡­¡± I grimaced as the pain grew worse. The window expanded. {{Mind, Spirit, World, Body}} ¡®What¡­?¡¯ ____ Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Awakening (2) ¡®Archetype¡¯ was a selection that was unheard of before that moment¡­ I wasn¡¯t even sure what ¡®Archetype¡¯ selection was referring to. {{Mind, Spirit, World, Body}} ¡®I thought that the Fighter ss would be myst chance, but¡­ What is this?¡¯ I nced over the descriptions, all too aware of the creeping fire. ¡®If this is going to get me out of this situation, I need it now.¡¯ {{Mind Epasses mastery of the mind and all things rted to it. When this archetype is selected, the user gains their choice of focus as well as continued rewards. When this archetype is selected, the user¡¯s physical stats are penalized for a better Mind. The user¡¯s knowledge expands, granting them a photographic and instant memory and the ability to learn movements and reproduce sounds/images with perfect uracy.}} {{Spirit Epasses mastery of the spirit and all things rted to it. When this archetype is selected, the user gains their choice of focus as well as continued rewards. When this archetype is, the user is locked out of learning magics that overtly manifest in the outside world. The user bes aware of their spirit and can use it to manifest spiritual abilities.}} {{World Epasses mastery of the World and all things rted to it. When this archetype is selected, the user gains their choice of focus as well as continued rewards. When this archetype is selected, the user is locked out of most Body abilities. The user gains a perfect sense of direction, canmune with nature, and can tap into the energy of nature to fuel special abilities.}} {{Body Epasses mastery of the Body and all things rted to it. When this archetype is selected, the user gains their choice of focus as well as continued rewards. When this archetype is selected, the user is locked out of utilizing mana for external purposes and spells. The user gains an extraordinary physique, superior bodily control, and can instinctually move their body how they wish.}} ¡®What¡­?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve never even heard of abilities like this before¡­ Isn¡¯t the Mind ability the equivalent to that of a Mythic-level Mage ability?¡¯ If that was the case¡­ Then were each of the starting archetypes roughly equivalent to a corresponding mythic ability? ¡®Then¡­ what willter rewards be?¡¯ My mind drew a nk just considering it. My eyes hovered over each description for a moment before they came to a rest on Body. ¡®An extraordinary physique¡­ Does that mean it¡¯ll allow me to walk again?¡¯ It was what I had spent the past six years hoping for. My chance to start over. ¡°Select ¡®Body¡¯ Archetype.¡± The golden window froze for a moment before switching to a new set of options. {{Please select your focus: ¡¶Power-Fire¡· ¡¶Concentration-Water¡· ¡¶Endurance-Earth¡· ¡¶Speed-Air¡·}} That decision didn¡¯t take as much time. My life had been a constant struggle of endurance since I arrived. What good was speed or power if you couldn¡¯t oust your opponent? The victor is thest one standing. ¡°Select ¡®Earth¡¯ focus.¡± The golden window disyed a brief message¡­ {{Initial Body Archetype, Earth, selected. Stand by for initialization.}} ¡®Initialization?¡¯ Suddenly, my body erupted into searing pain. It was a burn worse than any fire could have produced. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * My bones grew denser as my muscles ruptured and thickened. I was blinded as my eyes reshaped themselves. Something in my chest popped, my bones audibly cracking as they broke and expanded. Finally, I felt something I hadn¡¯t in six long years¡­ Snap! Crackle! I felt pain in the lower half of my right leg. Pain though it was, it was more wee than the previous absence of sensation. The deep numbness and dead weight were gone. The pain transformed further. Eventually, it subsided and I was left limp against the side of the tree. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± In the midst of my pain-wracked transformation, the fire had reached me. A pain dull inparison to what I had just undergone reached me through my addled haze. The heat of the fire was close enough to hurt. Clumsily, I half-rolled, half-flopped away as I tried to regain my footing. Unused to the feeling of walking unhindered, I tripped almost immediately after taking a few steps away from the fire and found myself with a mouth full of dirt. I continued to crawl my way forward, away from the heat. The fire licked at my feet as I crashed through the forest, half-crawling, half-stumbling¡ªbut mostly falling the entire way. I recalled the first time that I had been in that forest. I vividly remember the day of the Merge. It was a sudden and catastrophic event, one that changed life as humanity knew it. One moment, I was out on an afternoon jog; the next, I¡¯d been whisked away to an aliennd. There hadn¡¯t been any system messages or introductions to get us started in those days, and a good portion of those who had been transported had been killed in mere moments. Though we didn¡¯t discover it untilter, the System had¡ªfor whatever reason¡ªced people in small groups within range of low-ranked monster threats¡­ Those who were lucky, anyway. As for me, I had been ced with a few others in the initial Merge. We hardly had even a few minutes to ponder our sudden change of scenery before the attack came. That attack was the most shameful moment of my life. I had always considered myself a ¡®good person¡¯, and believed that I would step in to save others. I had seen videos online of people under duress or threat, and I had ridiculed those who stood by and watched while I sat behind the safety of my screen. ¡®Cowards¡¯, I had called them, believing myself to be better. I had told myself that I would act differently than those people, the ones who just stood aside or ran away. Instead, when faced with such an unprecedented event? Where what I could only describe as goblins had assaulted us with their flimsy spears and broken shields, weaponry that could have easily been broken with a single kick? I ran. Indeed, all of us had. We scattered, running in different directions in our panic. Each of us had only been looking out for ourselves, leaving behind the screams of those who were less fortunate. I didn¡¯t run for long before I tripped over a stray log in the forest. It was nothing insidious or malicious, just a log. That log was partially to me for the state I had suffered through for six long years. A single goblin-trained tracking beast, a ¡®Warg¡¯, had found me there not long after. The Warg had grabbed onto my leg, shredding the muscle and delicate tissue as it shook its head and tore its way up through the delicate fibers and cartge beneath the surface. I had screamed for help, for anyone to turn around ande to my aid¡ªaid that I had failed to provide others. Nobody came. Beating on the thing¡¯s snout and iling around in the dirt, I hadtched onto a stone, bringing it to bear in my efforts. It had yelped and run off after a few frantic smashes, injured but alive. And there I hadin until the Orcs found me. Previously, I had always pictured fantasy Orcs as bestial and crude beings of war. Reality was pretty far from the truth. They had taken me in, along with the others that they could find, and healed me as best as they could with their nature magic. I was left with a useless leg but with my life intact. Not long after, humanity began to set up its first viges. They were often aided by the denizens of the Merged world that had been there longer¡ªbeings like Elves, Orcs, and Dwarves. Out of all of the races, humanity was thest to arrive. Since then, I had desperately sought my missing family and friends. I was alone in the new world. Along the way, I had also sought a way to heal my crippling injury. Adventurers were the standard in the world, with most who left the cities and towns having a ss and level of some degree after killing their first monster. I hadn¡¯t seen them myself, but I had heard tales of miraculous feats performed by adventurers. Feats such as taking on entire encampments of enemies, conjuring fireballs that could raze cities to the ground, and outings into unknown territory where the dragons and beings even more fearsome resided. Finally, I saw the end of the forest and made ast, desperate, tumble. Before I could fully appreciate having escaped the fire¡ª Ssh! A wave of water mmed into me. ¡°Someone just came out of there!¡± I heard a woman¡¯s panicked cry as I went tumbling backwards, head-over-heels. I ended up prone in the dirt while the water washed over me. ¡°Drag him out before the next wave! The fire will overtake the road if we let it!¡± A man¡¯s voice. I propped myself up on my forearms, still lying in the dirt, and took a few shallow breaths as I regained my bearings. Rough hands grabbed me. ¡°Urgh¡­ You¡¯re heavy as hell! Help me out a bit here, bud!¡± I let myself be pulled up and stumbled to my feet, reaching out for my cane for support before I realized¡­ ¡®Did I just run through the forest unassisted?¡¯ My eyes glossed over and I was filled with a sense of bewilderment. The man waved my hands in front of my face. ¡°Oi! Hey! Snap out of it!¡± I came back to reality and looked at the man. He was the kind-faced sort with short brown hair. He wore a basic chainmail shirt and protective gear. From therge sword on his back, I guessed he was a fighter ss of some type. Not far away from us stood a woman in the middle of the road channeling a spell, probably another one of the water waves, to douse the fire. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were doing in there, but you¡¯re lucky that we came by when we did. What¡¯s your name?¡± I looked back at the man, catching sight of a small, floating carriage on the road nearby. ¡°Aizen¡­¡± Whoosh! Another wave of water was sent forward, made of water particles from the sky that had been condensed into a wall-like formation in front of the woman. ¡°That¡¯s all I have the mana for right now, Bernard! We should get moving!¡± The man¡ªBernard?¡ªnodded at her and pointed to the carriage. ¡°Hop inside. We¡¯ll get this figured out somewhere safer.¡± A golden window appeared before me. Ding! {{New Quest! Reach safety with the friendly travelers! Reward: 300 XP}} ¡®What a strangely personal way for a System message to be formatted¡­¡¯ ____ Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Awakening (3) The carriage was just that¡ªa typical wooden carriage that you might imagine being led by a horse¡­ save for one feature: the fact that it was horseless. After sitting down inside, the man, Bernard, ducked through to the front of the carriage and rested his hands on a little pedestal with a crystal on top¡ªwhere a steering wheel might usually go. The crystal lit up, and the carriage hovered up into the air smoothly before taking off at a moderate jogging pace. I sat on a bench on one side of the carriage, and the woman sat across from me. There was an awkward silence for a moment as the woman eyed me. Dressed in thick mage robes that covered most of her body, the woman spoke somewhat sheepishly. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry about hitting you with that spell¡­ are you ok?¡± I looked down at the drenched remnants of my clothes, still dripping water onto the wooden floor of the carriage. Plip, Plip. ¡®I¡¯m not too sure¡­¡¯ ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ok. I would have been stranded if not for you guys.¡± ¡°Stranded? You didn¡¯te out here with a mana scooter or anything? ¡°No¡­¡± Bernard nced at me over his shoulder. ¡°Do you know anything about that fire?¡± ¡®Yeah¡­ I probably shouldn¡¯t admit that I was the one who caused it¡­¡¯ ¡°No. One moment I was scouting out monster hideouts; the next, a fire was on top of me.¡± I used the excuse of being a scout. It was hard to disprove, and scouts regrly trekked through the lesser-known paths of the forest in search of rare dungeons or monsters to report back on. It wouldn¡¯t be too suspicious if a scout had managed to get that far on foot rather than with a mana scooter. ¡°Did you find anything interesting out there?¡± The woman asked. ¡°No¡­ At least, nothing that we don¡¯t already know of.¡± ¡®I should change the topic before they dig too far¡­¡¯ ¡°What did you say your name was again?¡± ¡°Oh! My name¡¯s Velle!¡± ¡°What were you guys doing out here?¡± The woman, Velle, perked up at the question, seemingly eager to exin. ¡°We¡¯re on an expedition to the outernds!¡± I took another look at them. No matter how I viewed it, the outernds would eat them alive. From what I had heard, only those at level 10 and above really had any chance there, and even that was lowballing it. ¡°What levels are you guys?¡± Velle gestured towards herself as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m level 5, Bernard is 6.¡± ¡®These two think they can take on the outernds alone?¡¯ They were at quite a high levelpared to most Awakeners I had seen out there in the outskirts, but it wasn¡¯t anything particrly remarkable. Bernard tilted his head to speak over his shoulder before he spoke up. ¡°Now, I know what you¡¯re thinking, but we aren¡¯t going on a monster-hunting expedition. You see, we¡¯re trying to help people find those who have been trapped in the dungeons.¡± It seemed like a nice idea on the surface, but I was all too aware of how daunting the reality of it was. ¡°What level are you?¡± Velle continued speaking, directing the question at me. My mind nked. Telling them I was level 0 wouldn¡¯t exactly work. ¡°Five¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t make much sense for a scout to be going solo before level five, as that would also be a death sentence. ¡°We¡¯re going to be stopping in Karfana before going farther. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s where you¡¯re from?¡± It was an easy enough conclusion toe to. Karfana was an outskirt city that was a fair distance away from other points of civilization. It would have been nearly impossible for a level 5 scout to be from any other city without a better means of transportation. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I appreciate the ride.¡± ¡°Of cour¡ª¡± The carriage came to an abrupt halt and the girl and I nearly fell over. ¡°We¡¯ve got a bit of a problem ahead¡­¡± Bernard spoke up from the driver¡¯s position. I peered out from behind Bernard¡¯s shoulder and saw a group of ragged goblins ahead of us. It couldn¡¯t even be called a tribe, I only saw regr goblins, no signs of a chieftain or shaman. They were likely a group that had escaped from the fire in the forest and been split from the rest of their tribe. That was a good thing. A goblin chieftain usually took a couple of level 5s to take down. Considering there were about eight goblins on the road ahead, and the mage likely hadn¡¯t recovered all of her mana yet¡­ Our chances would have been slim with a chieftain present. ¡°You wanna help me out with this one?¡± Bernard whispered to me over his shoulder. As if to emphasize the point, a System message appeared. Ding! [[New Quest Kill the goblins blocking your path! Reward: 500 XP]] ¡°I¡¯ll take the left side, you take the right. You¡¯re abat ss, yeah?¡± I let a small frown escape. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said I was a level 5¡­¡¯ My experience withbat extended to a few amateur boxing lessons back from before the Merge. I had practiced with the cane, imagining using it to kill some lowly creature to level up, countless times, but that ¡°practice¡± only extended to swinging it at some shadows. I didn¡¯t have much experience with my life on the line. The man took my silence as an affirmative. The goblins cautiously approached the carriage, spears and ramshackle swords held at the ready. I wished that we could have just plowed through them, but I understood that mana carriages had delicate underparts that could be easily damaged by even a light kick, let alone a goblin¡¯s full attack. I would have suggested going around, but System quests were excellent sources of experience. Goblins weren¡¯t very high-level creatures anyway. I figured I could at least hold a few off while Bernard cleared them out. Bernard hopped out of the front of the carriage, and I followed closely behind. The goblins rushed us as soon as we set foot on the ground. Bernard drew his sword and easily parried the goblin¡¯s blows, smashing his way through them with his feet and gigantic sword, breaking their flimsy shields with ability-empowered kicks and strikes, sending goblins flying with each blow. The attacks that did manage to hit him mostly nced off, unable to find much purchase through his chain armor and ability-enhanced toughness. I, on the other hand, struggled a bit more. The goblins charged at me in a simr manner. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t see their attacksing or that I was too slow, but rather that I was struck by indecision. Instead of meeting their charge, I backed away. THUMP! Eventually, my back thumped into the carriage, and I had nowhere left to retreat to. As the first goblin¡¯s spear approached, cheesy martial arts flicks shed through my head, and I attempted the first thing that came to mind¡­ I batted at the spear with the back of my hand, hoping to push it out of the way before the point could reach me. Normally, such a feat would have been nearly impossible for all but the most well-practiced or speed-focused Adventurers to pull off. I, however, performed the move wlessly. The spear¡¯s shaft slid off the back of my hand exactly as I had imagined. Not expecting to get even that far, I froze for another moment as the lead goblin regained its bnce, and the next one came running up, swinging a rusty shortsword at my legs. Again, I reacted on instinct. As I could see the blowing, I imagined lifting my leg and stomping on the de of the weapon. My body moved just the way I envisioned it. The goblin¡¯s de stopped under my boot, and the goblin went tumbling past, its grip on the weapon lost to a sudden halt in momentum. By that time, Bernard had already finished clearing out three of the four goblins on his side. Thest two goblins reinforced their spear ally. The sword, dagger, and spear approached me at the same time. Unarmed as I was, I had no way to physically block three attacks at the same time. It wasn¡¯t like I was made of liquid either; I couldn¡¯t imagine a way in which to parry all three attacks as I had the first two. Swish, swish, swish. I focused on the deadliest attack first; the spear aimed at my torso. Seeding in batting away the spear again, I followed up with a light kick against the sword de at nearly the same time, sending the weapon up into the air. I grabbed thest strike, the dagger aimed at my thigh, with my hand. ¡®I¡¯m not going to let all of that go to waste. Not my legs, not ever again.¡¯ With determination burning in my eyes, I was fully prepared to lose a few fingers as a sacrifice to protect my leg. I felt the burning sensation through my body like a fire was zing through my insides. Pain shot through my arm as I enclosed my hand around the dagger and manifested in a crude stone gauntlet around my hand. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Bernard finished off thest goblin on his side, sweat just starting to bead on his brow. He turned around to see Aizen catch a goblin¡¯s dagger with his bare hand. Scratch that, he seemed to have equipped some sort of gauntlet while fighting the goblins. ¡®Wow¡­ That¡¯s a scout for you, crazy hand-eye coordination.¡¯ He had heard that scouts specialized in forest traversal and dexterous movements before, but it was his first time witnessing it in person. ¡®His offensive skills are kind ofcking, though¡­¡¯ Seeing that all four goblins were still in the fight against Aizen, Bernard made a move to help. But before he could¡­ ¡°AAAARRRGGHH!¡± Aizen leaped at the goblins like a beast. Jumping onto the first one¡ªthe one whose dagger he had grabbed¡ªthe man released the dagger and brought his elbows down on the creature¡¯s head. CRUNCH! At thest moment before impact, Bernard saw the gauntlet deform and sh down Aizen¡¯s arm, shooting out in a spike that embedded itself into the goblin¡¯s head from his elbow. ¡®Is he an Elementalist of some sort?¡¯ The goblin with the sword swung at his back. Like a beast possessed, Aizen somehow predicted the thing¡¯s swing and ducked under it, his head close to the remains of the goblin he had just killed. The sword passed over, and he grabbed onto the spear goblin¡¯s weapon next, redirecting it from his opposite side with a ferocious grab and plunging it into the sword goblin¡¯s chest. The other sword goblin swung down his de; it skipped off of his forearm as the stone fragments weaved around his body to form a protective ting. Aizen¡¯s leg shot out, catching the goblin on the chin. CRACK! The goblin took the hit and went flipping backward before lying limp on the ground. The final goblin, the one now without a spear, turned to run. Before it could get very far, Aizen leaped at it and brought his hand down in an overhead strike, caving the back of its skull in. Like that, they found themselves surrounded by goblin corpses. ¡®¡­Nevermind.¡¯ Aizen took a few deep breaths before his eyes zed over and he fell limp to the dirt. *** I awoke to the muffled sound of people conversing outside of the carriage. DING! [[Quest Complete! Kill the goblins blocking your path! +500XP Received!]] [[Current XP: 575/1000]] [[Level Up!]] [[You have reached level 1 of the Fighter ss. You have gained the ¡®Strike¡¯ ability]] [[Strike Spend mana to empower a blow, increasing the strength and speed of the blow twofold.]] I had leveled up¡­ Finally, I was level 1. The screen faded as I acknowledged my rewards. It looked like the goblins had given me 25 XP each, judging by the fact that I was 75 XP over the quest reward. I saw the woman, the mage, looking at me closely. ¡°How are you feeling? You fainted after the attack¡­¡± A pang of fear went through me and I clenched my hand. I curled all of my fingers and still felt sensation throughout my hand. I didn¡¯t even feel pain. Hadn¡¯t I grabbed onto a dagger with my bare hands? The woman noticed the movement and ced a hand on his own. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anywhere, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering¡­ How are you feeling?¡± Her touch slid off of my hand and I let out a breath of relief. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How long was I out for?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± She put a finger up to her mouth in thought. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that she looked kind of cute, even in the circumstances. With her hood down, her freckled face and dark red hair were in full view. ¡°Six hours? We¡¯re at the gates of Karfana now.¡± I sat up, a dizzying feeling spreading throughout my body. I wasn¡¯t fully prepared to be back yet. {{Quest Complete! Reach safety with the friendly travelers! Reward: 300 XP}} {{Current XP: 300/1000}} ____ Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Before the Storm (1) The carriage lurched forward again. How was I going to exin being the only one to return from the party that had gone out to help me level? The musty smell of unwashed bodies and food stalls wafted through my nostrils as we cleared the city gates. Apanying the familiar assault of odors was the busy sound of mixed chatter intermingling in the afternoon air. I peeked out the window of the carriage as Bernard guided it to one of the carriage parking zones near the gate. Karfana was a primarily human city, but it also had its fair share of other races. Among the throng of city life could be seen the asional elf or orc. Dwarf trading parties even visited from time to time. I kept a lookout for faces that I might recognize. A guard rushed through the crowd to report the fire to the Association, a woman haggled over some bread at the corner baker, and adventurers sold goods and moved about. Most faces in the city were at least somewhat familiar to me, though I didn¡¯t see anyone who might take note of me. I hoped nobody would recognize me without my cane, anyway. The carriage settled in between a few others and Bernard spoke over his shoulder at me again. ¡°You¡¯re from this city, right? Any ideas on a good ce to stay?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± My brain was just barely catching up to the day¡¯s events. Bud¡¯s Inn came to mind. It was in a somewhat shadier area of town, but Bud didn¡¯t take dangers to his patrons too kindly¡­ and an angry orc was thest thing most people wanted to deal with. I gave them directions to the best of my ability, being sure to let them know what to expect. ¡°¡­The ce may seem seedy, but Bud really looks out for his customers and runs a pretty organized operation.¡± Bud had frequently slipped me a meal and let me do menial chores from time to time as the need arose. I exited the carriage with Velle, noticing her flip her hood back up on the way out. ¡°I know you have your duties with the Association to finish up and all¡­ but are you sure you don¡¯t want toe with us? You¡¯re pretty handy in a fight.¡± My mind drew a nk. I stared at him numbly for a few moments, trying my best to remember what had happened. ¡ªnothing. I had bits and pieces of memories, but everything was covered in an odd haze. ¡°I really appreciate the help¡­ but I have stuff I have to attend to here.¡± I might have considered joining them, but their party size and levels just seemed too low to go to the outskirts. I didn¡¯t n on joining a suicide mission so soon after finally gaining hope again. Plus, I still needed to get a proper Adventurer¡¯s license from the Association. Bernard nodded at my words and reached out his hand for a firm handshake as he pped me on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, alright¡­ but if you change your mind, we¡¯ll probably be around for a few days. Stop by for a drink on me, yeah?¡± I let a smile touch my lips. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be sure to stop by. Thanks again for the ride.¡± Velle remained oddly quiet, only giving me a small wave as they turned away and headed toward the inn. I found myself alone on the crowded street. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The first thing I resolved to do was get back home, go over my new abilities, and get some rest. With that in mind, I took the most direct path I could think of back home. I figured taking the most direct path was also the best way to avoid dealing with those I knew for the time being. I knew that most would be happy for me, but I just didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to face them in the condition that I was in. Each step I took was marvelous, and I lost myself in the feeling of being able to navigate freely on my own two legs. While savoring the fact that I could properly walk again, I heard a wet thumping sound followed by a muffled grunt. Thunk, thunk, thunk ¡°Agh!¡± ¡°Give us the money, you stupid drunk!¡± Walking past an intersecting alley, I witnessed the local thugs ganging up on a helpless drunkard, who had likely been attempting to sleep his stupor away in a pile of refuse. They hadn¡¯t noticed me yet. I could have just continued walking as I had always done before¡­ But I didn¡¯t know what excuse I would give myself. Before, I had simply told myself that I would also be helpless, that I couldn¡¯t help people because I couldn¡¯t even help myself. Before, I would have turned a blind eye and told myself, ¡°I¡¯ll stop it when I can do something.¡± I suddenly found myself in a situation where I could do something, and I couldn¡¯t just walk away from the excuses of my past self. ¡°Leave the guy alone, he probably can¡¯t even walk properly, let alone remember where he put his purse.¡± The thugs turned to me. ¡®Stupid.¡¯ I berated myself for my mistake. ¡°I see the cripple finally managed to ditch the cane, congrattions.¡± The one that had been beating the old man spoke, blood still dripping from his knuckles. I already knew who they were, of course. I had experienced my share of run-ins with them over the years. They called themselves the Snake Gang. Thergest gang in Karfana. They also happened to be the gang whose ¡®territory¡¯ I lived in. They only knew me as ¡°the cripple¡±. Likewise, I hadn¡¯t learned their names. Gang members were constantlying and going as they were killed, captured, or left for any other variety of reasons. Why would I learn their names? ¡°I see you¡¯ve got over your ailment.¡± The thug chuckled, followed by his two underlings. He patted the weighted club at his waist. ¡°Think just ¡®cause you can walk you can suddenly fight, yeah?¡± No, I knew I could fight. They didn¡¯t have to know that yet, though. ¡°Havin¡¯ a fancy new leg means you¡¯ll be able to pull in more ie, yeah? I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ we should raise our expectations soon.¡± They were referring to how much they believed they could get off of me. It was standard practice for the gangs to lie in ambush and extort people out of their hard-earned money. My mind went to the coin pouch still at my waist. I didn¡¯t necessarily need it to level up anymore, but it was what would enable me to finally escape from that damned city and meet up with my old friends. I had already been waiting six years to see them; I didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. I knew if those thugs saw the purse, they would take the whole thing¡ªsix years of work, gone in an instant. He walked towards me and held out his hand to stop his two cronies from following. ¡°Get the drunk¡¯s purse, I¡¯ve got this one.¡± The cronies, kids barely at the end of their adolescence, nodded nervously at his words and knelt back down next to the groaning drunkard, not as rough as their leader had been. Most of the gang¡¯s leadership were Awakeners to some degree. I knew that the thug would be no different. He had probably leveled fighter, as I doubted he had a rare ss of any sort, judging by the type of work he had resorted to. He probably only had a few levels at most. The thud of his steps stopped when we were about an arm¡¯s length from each other. I still hadn¡¯t moved. I wasn¡¯t going to just run away again, not when I could be of some help. Crack. He cracked his knuckles, and I readied myself to react, imagining the moves I would make in my head. Whoosh I had overestimated myself. Fighting goblins with their low speed and their unintelligent tactics had granted me some self-confidence. I knew that, because of the strange golden System¡¯s passive, I would be able to move how I imagined. ¡­Thus, the problem I ran into was that I needed to not only perceive what I wanted to move in reaction to, but I also needed to be able to move fast enough to avoid it. The thug had obviously received some boost to his Agility, as his sudden punch struck me square in the nose. I had only seen a blur of motion before I felt a wetness spreading down my nostrils and a dull numbness spreading through my head. The thug grinned at me. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re all bark after all.¡± I nted my foot and feinted a jab at his face before ducking low and punching as hard as I could at his abdomen. It was much too slow. The thug brushed my fist away as if it were an annoying insect and kneed me in the gut. Whoosh! The air was knocked out of me, and I fell backward. Clink! The thug¡¯s eyes shone at the sound of my coins clinking when I fell. ¡°Well, what do you have there?¡± I reached through my mind to find some method to beat him, some resource I could pull from, some technique that might assist me. ¡­Finally, I found it. I faintly recalled the earthen gauntlet that had been pulled from within me, how it had shifted around ording to my will when I was fighting the goblins. I didn¡¯t know how to control it yet or if I could even do it again, but it didn¡¯t hurt to try. Casting my focus inward, I found that sense of strength again deep inside of me and summoned it outward. Krrrrr! The sound of grinding earth could be heard through the dimly lit alley, and a sense of fatigue washed over me as the thug watched me stand again, earthen gauntlet around my right hand. He raised his eyebrow at me and focused his gaze on my hand for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s this? A skill? Looks like you got lucky with a rare ss¡­¡± I felt sweat bead on my brow and licked my lips, the saltiness of the blood still flowing from my nose lingering on my tongue. The thug pulled the club from his waist. ¡°Too bad it won¡¯t be of much use to you.¡± I remembered the feeling from before and how the gauntlet had transformed and moved over my body ording to my will. The thug advanced towards me again. Expecting an attack I wouldn¡¯t be able to react to at any moment, I made the first move. Remembering the way the earth had stabbed through a goblin from my elbow before, I willed it through my body, down my leg, and out of the back of my foot as I leaped forward. RIP! The sole of my left boot was sted out, and I was boosted forward by the earthen spike. The thug¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He moved to counter my sudden charge, but it was toote. Seeing my chance, I used the skill I had recently unlocked, sending the earth back through my body into my hand again¡ª [[?Strike?]] My hand wasunched forward at twice the speed and power of one of my usual punches, and stone erupted from my hand as I made contact with the front of the thug¡¯s skull. Crunch! I had only intended to ward him off and defend myself. The synergy of the earthen spikebined with ?Strike? multiplied the power of the punch manyfold, and the thug¡¯s head gave way with a sickening crunching sound. Inadvertently, I had killed him. ____ Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¨C Before the Storm (2) THUD His body fell to the ground, lifeless. DING [[XP gained: +100]] [[Current XP: 675/1000]] It felt different from when the adventurer party had betrayed me and tried to steal from me; perhaps it was due to the close nature with which I had killed the thug¡ªa gun vs. knife sort of killing. Regardless, the shock of having killed a man, the pain in my body, the blood running down my face, and the great sense of fatigue from having pulled that ability from within me all pooled together to create a single feeling of tired numbness. The underlings stopped trying to rob the man, giving me a dumbfounded expression, simrly having troubleprehending what they had just witnessed. ¡°He killed him!¡± One of them let out a cry and took off down the opposite end of the alley, no doubt intending to spread the news to his higher-ups, which would only create more trouble for me. ¡°Fuck¡­!¡± The other one took off to follow his partner in crime, tripping over himself and bouncing off the wall in the process. The drunk continued to lie on the ground, groaning in his stupor. I turned and left, numb legs carrying me, liquid from puddles of who-knows-what seeping into the hole in my boot. *** It wasn¡¯t muchter that I dragged myself into view of the run-down rectangr building I called home. Wedged near the West-side city outskirts, the building was two stories tall and constructed primarily of shaped foundations with wooden walls. I didn¡¯t know my neighbors too well; people were constantlying and going, and most wanted to keep to themselves. Save for one¡­ ¡°Aizen?¡± A familiar face greeted me after I climbed the steps leading to the walkway around the upper level and moved to unlock my door. Long, smooth blonde hair, rosy skin, and sky-blue eyes. I wouldn¡¯t have admitted it to her, but she was one of the few women who made me feel nervous. Her name was Rhil, and she was my neighbor. I had known her for the past year or so that I had been living there¡ªshe had moved in one day without much fanfare and had mostly kept to herself since. We had talked from time to time and I liked to consider her my friend, though she always seemed to keep some distance. I knew that she was a retired Awakener, though I hadn¡¯t pried into her reasons. Everyone had their demons. ¡°Hey, Rhil¡­¡± It looked like I had arrived just as she was heading out somewhere. She noticed my face first. She took a step forward and tilted her head to peer up at me. ¡°What the hell happened to your face? Another run-in with the Snakes?¡± She had seen me return bruised and battered before, of course, but I suspect that I looked worse than just ¡°bruised and battered¡±. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess you could say that¡­¡± She squinted her eyes. ¡°What happened¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± We fell into an awkward silence for a moment before she noticed. ¡°When were you nning to drop the news that your leg had been healed?¡± I tapped my foot on the ground, showcasing its new usability. ¡°No better time than the present.¡± She let her lips curve up a bit. ¡°Well, congrattions. I hope you gave them worse than they gave you.¡± ¡®You could say that¡­¡¯ ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need anything? That looks like it hurts.¡± I wrinkled my nose a bit, the pain still sending tingles through my face. It was a bit crooked, likely broken. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nothing worse than anything I¡¯ve experienced before. I think I just need some rest.¡± ¡°Well, let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do. We¡¯ll go out for drinks on me after you rest a little, got it?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, thanks, Rhil.¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * I entered my apartment, which was little more than a square room with a bathroom separated by a dividing square that took up about a quarter of the space. The room itself was lit by a single square of illumination on the ceiling powered by ambient mana, which could be turned on and off with a simple touch-activated rune near the doorway. Slipping off my boots, I let them rest next to the door and walked across the rough wood floor to the bathroom. Hssss! I took a long shower, d for the runes that kept the water constantly warm. The grease and grime seemed to slough off of me and drain into the grating on the floor; the water tinged red by the time it drained away. ¡°Haaa.¡± Letting out a deep breath, I turned off the shower and looked at myself in the mirror. Finally seeing myself for the first time since gaining that strange archetype from the gold System, I noticed the changes in my body. I wasn¡¯t taller, per se, but I did notice a definition that hadn¡¯t been there before in my muscles. My body was more toned, and previous areas of softness around my arms and stomach had been hardened as if I were a regr gym rat. My hands rubbed at my eyes, not quite believing what I was seeing. Maybe that had something to do with the unexpectedly explosive power of my punch that had killed the thug. Looking at the description in the golden window again, it made some sense. {{When this archetype is selected, the user gains an extraordinary physique, superior bodily control, and can instinctually move their body how they wish.}} After throwing on some clothes that weren¡¯t in the middle of disintegrating from wear, I copsed into the bed in the corner of the room proper. A hard cotton mattress and rough sheets might as well have been a cloud made of the smoothest silk, as I fell asleep almost as soon as my eyes shut. Disjointed shes of gold and blue permeated a ck night sky. The pping of leathery wings in the distance grew closer with each beat. The roaring of fire apanied the cracking of earth, and the scene shook. Smoke rose into the night sky, glowing with an orange hue. *** The next morning. By the time I woke up, it was alreadyte morning. A pang in my stomach, apanied by a dull growling noise, alerted me to the fact that I hadn¡¯t eaten for almost two days. I exited the apartment with two goals in mind that day: find something to eat and get my adventurer license. One fortunate thing about living away from the main road was that the sounds of the city barely reached there, and the morning air was quiet with anticipation. My eyes briefly lingered on Rhil¡¯s door before I left. I would have to get that drink with her when I came back. A cold dread settled over my heart as I walked through the alleys, expecting at any moment to run into the Snakes again, thinking over what I had done the previous day. I knew that I couldn¡¯t just let things stay as they were. I needed to get out before the Snakes figured out how they would extract payment for their dead member. With that thought in mind, I stopped briefly in the main street to buy a warm pastry from a street vendor, allowing myself to splurge a bit as a sort of self-reward for having finally leveled and for everything that had gone on. It had been so long since I had something so sweet that the sugar was almost sickening. I made sure to eat every bite, suppressing the urge to regurgitate it onto the street. The Association was located not far from the city¡¯s main square on the north side of the city. The main road led through the center of the city to the main square, arge open za surrounded by some of the most central buildings and businesses in the city. Smaller roads branched off the square in each direction to the trade district to the west, the upper district to the north, and the temple district to the east. Luckily, my main goal for the day was located pretty prominently in one of the buildings around the square itself. The Association building. Consisting of three stories, the building somewhat towered over the rest of the city. Adventurers regrly came and went at most hours of the day, receiving tasks, exchanging information, forming parties, getting items appraised, and exchanging materials that they didn¡¯t want to bother with selling elsewhere. I trailed behind a party of three other adventurers as they entered the building, warm air rushing over me from the inside, which was temperature-controlled year-long by a special magical artifact built into the functions of the building. I split off from behind them. It looked like they were going to one of the tables in the Association¡¯srgemon room, which took up most of the third floor. They were likely waiting to meet up with another party. It was a bit of a strange feeling to be back in the Association building after having lingered in thatmon room on an almost daily basis for such a long time before being able to barter with a party to level me up. Though they had tried to kill me in the end, I suppose they had aplished what I was going to pay them to do, even if it had cost them their lives. I approached the counter to speak with a familiar face, Alikr. One of the few elves I had interacted with, Alikr had somewhat of a reputation for being a book that couldn¡¯t be judged by its cover. Though I suppose anyone who knew of the elves¡¯ fabled martial abilities would be cautious around him, that didn¡¯t stop some from trying to intimidate their way into a better bargain or a quest they didn¡¯t meet the prerequisites for. I had seen Alikr in action more than once, and it was always a sight to behold. He seemed to take me in all at once as I approached¡ªmy slightly disjointed nose, the absence of my cane, my ability to walk¡ªand his eyes even shone with some other knowledge, no doubt appraising some difference in my physique that I had thought hidden beneath my fraying clothes. ¡°I¡¯m d to see that things worked out for you, Aizen.¡± He greeted me as I walked up to the counter. ¡°Nose looks broken; you¡¯re probably going to want to visit the Temple district after this if you don¡¯t want it to be permanent.¡± We stared at each other for a moment in silence before I saw the edges of his lips quirk up slightly as if he were happy to see me. ¡°Ahh~ well, what can you do? d to see you¡¯re ok, Aizen.¡± He was one of the ones responsible for helping me find work, even with my previously crippled condition. Usually, the Association strictly handled Awakener business. I couldn¡¯t be more thankful for that. ¡°I take it you¡¯re here for your license? What ss did you get? ¡°It¡¯s a weird variation on the fighter ss with some elemental earth control¡­ Have you ever heard anything about a separate or gold system window?¡± He paused to consider for a moment, flicking his eyes up towards the ceiling. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I have, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist. Can you show me?¡± I pulled up my system windows and made both viewable to him. ____ Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Before the Storm (3) [[System Name: Aizen ss: Fighter Level: 1 XP: 675/1000 Mana: 100/100 STR: 12 END: 12 AGI: 10 PER: 10 MAG: 10 MANA: 10 Innate Skills: ¡¶Fighter¡· Gives the user additional STR and END as they gain levels. Current Bonus: +2 STR, +2 END Active Skills: ?Strike? Allows the user to perform a strike with double the speed and power. Cost: 25 Mana]] {{System Archetype: Body Level: 1 XP: 300/1000 Elements: Earth Innate Skills: ¡¶Body¡· Epasses mastery of the Body and all things rted to it. When this archetype is selected, the user gains their choice of focus as well as continued rewards. When this archetype is selected, the user is locked out of utilizing mana for external purposes and spells. The user gains an extraordinary physique, superior bodily control, and can instinctually move their body how they wish. Active Skills: ?Earth Element?}} He nced between both windows for a moment, pondering the information with his hand held up to his chin. ¡°Huh¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t seen Alikr at such a loss for words before. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen this before. Is this second one the one that healed you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I think.¡± I scratched the back of my head as he waved the windows away. ¡°It says you have an Earth Element of some sort. Could you show me?¡± ¡°I can try¡­¡± I held up my hand so he could see it while tugging on that feeling inside of myself again. Krrrrr! A slow fatigue spread through me as if I were holding myself up in the middle of a push-up, except it was throughout my entire body. It was my first time observing it closely. Bits of stone and dirt materialized in the air and wrapped around my hand, creaking together and forming a tight gauntlet of stone and earth. ¡°How tough is it, do you think?¡± Alikr reached out and ran his hand over the gauntlet. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I was able to block a goblin¡¯s de with it.¡± I moved the earth along the gauntlet and extruded it as far outwards as I could from the end of it, the strain wearing on me even more. The earth extended out in a rough spike for almost half a meter before halting. ¡°I can also move it around my body and extend it outwards like this¡­¡± Alikr raised an eyebrow at my disy. ¡°How do you want me to list your ss?¡± I thought about it for a moment. While it would be easier to find members while being registered under a special ss, I was hesitant to have another party depending upon a manaless ability. ¡°Register me as a fighter.¡± I decided to register as a Fighter until I could figure out more about that other ability. Alikr fiddled with a cube-like device behind the Association¡¯s counter for a moment before it shed and he pushed it forward toward me. ¡°If you could send your mana into the cube for me.¡± I put my hand on the cube, willing my mana into it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± [[Mana: 100/100]] That¡¯s right¡­ I couldn¡¯t use mana externally. Thinking about the implications of that made my head spin. Not only did that mean that I couldn¡¯t use something as simple as a normal adventurer card, but it also meant that it would be impossible for me to utilize standard adventurer gear such as the floating wagon I had taken to the city with Bernard. There was other gear that required mana input as well, such as special equipment and even magical equipment like an enchanted bag. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He retracted the cube. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Pushing the cube to the side, he knelt for a few moments and I heard the sound of shuffling and scratching before he stood back up and handed over a stic-like card. ¡°It won¡¯t be able to update automatically, so you¡¯ll have to return to an Association building to get it reprinted whenever you need to update it.¡± Usually, Awakeners received a card they could just send their mana into to keep it updated. That wouldn¡¯t be possible for me. I took the card he handed to me. It disyed my name, level, and ss. ¡°You should go get that fixed.¡± He gestured to my nose again before he continued speaking. ¡°We can go over some tasks when you get back. I¡¯ll see if I can find any good ones for you.¡± ¡°Thanks again, Alikr.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± I waved to him before heading back out into the street with a new destination in mind. The Temple. Though it was called that, it was more a hospital or healing institution than it was a religious center. Nearing the Temple¡¯s tall, open archway, a group of guardsmen came brushing past me, carrying a body between them. ¡°We¡¯ve got another one!¡± One of the guardsmen yelled. ¡°Bring a healer over!¡± One of the white-robed Temple healers came rushing over to check on the figure as the guardsid it down. ¡°¡­¡± I recognized his face. It was the drunk I had saved in the alley the previous day. The guards stepped back as the healer rested their hand on the drunk¡¯s forehead and shut their eyes¡­ Fwoosh! A golden glow emanated from the healer¡¯s hand. I approached one of the guards, wondering what had happened to the drunk. Had the Snakese back and killed him for some reason? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The guardsman tore his eyes away from the drunk¡¯s pale face as the healer tried to do whatever they could. ¡°We found another victim of the killings that have been going on recently.¡± ¡®The killings?¡¯ It was my first time hearing of it, and I hadn¡¯t even been gone an entire day. ¡°Is he dead?¡± The guard shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re all like this. The healers say they¡¯re technically alive, but¡­¡± The healer withdrew their hand from the drunk¡¯s forehead and stepped back, shaking their head. Upon closer look, I could see that the man was breathing. The healer gestured some helpers over and they took the drunk¡¯s body somewhere out of sight, likely to be tended to, as he was still technically alive. The guard sighed. ¡°It would be a huge help if the Lord had us actively investigating this, but as of now, we¡¯re more on a reactionary status¡­¡± Saying so, the guard regrouped with his other guardsmen before they left the Temple. {{New Quest Solve the mystery of the killer before it¡¯s toote. Quest Reward: 1000 XP}} ¡®Solve the mystery of the killer before it¡¯s toote?¡¯ Not only was the quest specific to the gold system, but it also gave a vague half-warning for the quest. I kept it noted forter. While the regr system had been giving me experience forpleting its quests and killing people, I had thus far only noticed an experience gain in the gold system bypleting the quests it gave. I approached the healer, who was wiping their hands with a cloth. ¡°What ails you today?¡± Their voice was tired and drawn out. ¡°I just need to get this fixed properly.¡± I pointed towards my nose and the healer took a closer look. ¡°Easy enough, that¡¯ll be one gold.¡± Their prices were ridiculous, which was why I usually avoided visiting the Temple if I could. Now that I was an Awakener, though, appearances would be all the more important. I paid out the one gold with some despair in my heart. The healer hovered their hand over my nose, almost but not quite touching it. A golden aura gathered around their hand and settled around my face with a tingling, warm sensation. I started as a sharp pain shot through my face, and I felt rather than heard the cartge in my nose reset themselves. It took but a moment before the healer withdrew their hand again, nodding at me. ¡°It¡¯s done. Is there anything else you need tended to?¡± I stepped back. ¡°No, I appreciate it.¡± I left the Temple in somewhat higher spirits after the dull, persistent pain was gone. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Just outside of the Association headquarters, not long after¡­ I was approaching the Association building again when I noticed a group approaching after speaking briefly with a street urchin, who pointed to me before taking a coin from them and running off. The street urchins of Karfana took every opportunity to observe theings and goings of the parties of the city, as they often received inquiries from guilds and others about whether their group had returned safely or not. I felt my heart drop at the sight of them. The signature roaring lion decal embroidered into their clothing and painted on their armor marked them as members of the Lion Guild, who frequently recruited and nurtured Adventurers from the outskirt cities. They were named after Gregor ¡°The Lion¡±, one of the most infamous adventurers of the time. ¡°Hey! Stop!¡± The group of three approached me, wearing well-worn armor and equipment. Looking at them, I saw two in the somewhat staple leather Awakener armor favored for its mix of protection and mobility, with the third being adorned in mage robes. They intercepted my path in front of the Association building. ¡°Do you know anything about three Lion Guild members who went missing recently?¡± It figured that I would have the Lion Guild and the Snake gang both seek some form of revenge on me in session. ¡°Nope, never seen ¡®em.¡± I moved to brush past them and the leader held out his arm to bar my path. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed at my response and he nced over me, still wearing my old clothes. He turned to his other two party members and motioned them away with his head. ¡°If you see a younger man with a walking disability and a cane, be sure to let someone from the Lion Guild know. You¡¯ll be rewarded.¡± I nodded my head in affirmative, trying to get the conversation over with as soon as possible. ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll keep an eye out.¡± They left and I entered the Association building again, heading for the counter that Alikr was stationed behind. ¡°Why is the Lion Guild looking for you?¡± I sighed at his question. ¡°It¡¯splicated, but¡­ I may have tried paying a few of their members to help me level as they were passing by before they tried to kill me.¡± Tap, tap. Alikr tapped the counter a few times in thought. ¡°Well¡­ something like that isn¡¯t entirely unheard of. As you know, we keep our client¡¯s personal business confidential, so I haven¡¯t told them anything of note. Have you thought of joining a guild?¡± I understood what Alikr was trying to say. As a member of the Association, he couldn¡¯t show favoritism to me no matter how good of a rtionship we may have had. If I joined a guild, the Lion Guild would then be dealing with another guild instead of an unassociated individual. While I wasn¡¯t keen on joining any of the major guilds stationed in Karfana, there was one group that came to mind. I remembered that Bernard and the mage girl, Velle, had said that they would be in town for a few days. ¡°Thanks, Alikr. I think I have an idea. More importantly, do you know anything about the killings that have been going on recently?¡± Alikr frowned at my question. ¡°They¡¯ve mostly been taking ce on the West Side. The killer targets drunks or the defenseless and does something to them that puts them in aa-like state.¡± Having the killer be local to my area was somewhat convenient for what I intended to do. ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t nning on catching them, are you?¡± I grinned at his words. I had a n in mind already. ¡°I¡¯ll do more than catch them.¡± *** I headed back home for some basic preparations. The sky had darkened even further, and the fresh scent in the air apanied by the light chill made theing rain all the more evident. In the alleyways not far from the little rectangle of a room I called home, I had another encounter with the Snakes. It was fairly frequent for them to prowl the alleyways looking for victims, and I had been expecting to run into them again ever since I had identally killed one of their members the previous day. I locked eyes with one of their members briefly as they approached from a side alley and noticed me. ¡°¡­¡± Strangely enough, they didn¡¯t harass me or go for revenge as I was expecting. Instead, the small group whispered something amongst themselves before diverting away from me down a different alleyway. It certainly wasn¡¯t the reaction I was expecting from the gang. Were they nning something else, perhaps? I decided to ept the tentative peace for the time being and continued home, debating on whether or not I should drag Rhil into my plot. I would normally share something so important with her, but I knew that she had somewhat of a past as an Awakener. It was a touchy subject, and she didn¡¯t leave the city anymore, but I knew from what she had shared and from gossip around the city over the years that she had been somewhat renowned. Whatever her reasons were, I thought to myself that it would probably be better to avoid dragging her into the very life she had tried to leave. My n didn¡¯t really require much preparation save for a ragged cloak from among the disused clothes in my room and a heavy dose of luck. ____ Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¨C Investigating a Killer (1) Later that night In hindsight, I had probably chosen the worst night to enact my n. Plip, Plip. The rain drizzled down into the alleyway and dripped around and on me. I had chosen an alleyway near a popr tavern and was sitting against the wall, my heart jumping into my throat with every passerby that might be the killer. Ssh, Ssh A pair walked by, boisterously loud, even above the drizzle of the rain. The water seeped into my boots and I drew my cloak closer, the soaked fabric doing little to warm me. I hadn¡¯t wanted to draw anyone else into this potentially dangerous plot, and it felt kind of good to be able to rely on myself for once. Despite my best efforts, I found myself drifting into my mind as I watched the muddled reflections in the rippling puddles. {{Solve the mystery of the killer before it¡¯s toote. Quest Reward: 1000 XP}} Why did the other system only give XP through quests, and why was the quest so specific at that? The usual quests I¡¯d heard of people receiving were just focused on ¡°defeating¡± whatever the object of the quest might be, as I had done for the goblins not long before. Lost in my thoughts, I was caught unprepared when a hand rested itself atop my head. I felt the sensation of the hand before a numb tingling spread throughout my body and I found that I couldn¡¯t move. The staticky sensation grew ever worse, and I wondered if it was what the others had felt before whatever was done to them had beenpleted. It wasn¡¯t only that I couldn¡¯t move¡ªI couldn¡¯t speak either, which might have stopped anyone else from being able to properly defend themselves if they didn¡¯t have some sort of stun-breaking ability. Luckily, the earth control ability acted on my will. I pulled it from inside of me and sent the earth out in a spike from my head. While the spike wasn¡¯t sharp or fast enough to actually damage the hand, it was enough for whoever it was to shout out in surprise and release their hold on me. Whipping my head to the side, I caught sight of them as they backed away a few steps before taking off running. Pushing myself to my feet, I took off down the hazy alleyway after them. The rain hindered me just as much as it aided me. The figure slipped around the corner and crashed into the opposite wall. All I could see of it was its ck, hooded cloak. As the figure was picking itself back up from the ground, I leaped to tackle it. My arms wrapped around its rough cloak before I felt a strange, smooth sensation from between my arms, and the figure almost seemed to slither out from under my grasp¡ªbut not before my hand had closed around a part of its cloak and tore it away. Holding the ragged section of cloth in my hand, I saw a glint of metal in the shape of a shield glint for a moment from the figure¡¯s disced cloak before it fell back into ce. Just as I was about to catch up to it as it took off again, the figure pointed its hand at the ground behind it and something emerged from the ground, blocking my path and letting the killer escape. Slowly, with an ominous air, a creature somewhat goblinish in appearance pulled itself from the wet stones of the pathway, leaving a dark portal behind on the ground that drew shut and vanished. It had the same goblinoid height and stature, but its skin was red and it had a whiplike, pointed tail. Its eyes disyed a cruel intelligence. Sharp, pointed ws extended from each finger. I hadn¡¯t heard of or seen such a creature before. The previously dark alleyway began to glow with a warm light, and little strings of fire wrapped around the thing¡¯s ws. We watched each other for a moment before it lunged at me. While the thing looked intimidating, I found that its stats could not have been much different from a goblin¡¯s. I easily sidestepped its first lunge and knocked it into the wall with ?Strike?. The thing stted into the wall and I followed up with another ?Strike? from the opposite hand that finished it, whereupon it fell to the ground and burst into fire before the ashes were washed away by the light stream of water on the ground. [[Enemy Defeated! +75 XP! Current XP: 750/1000]] There was that, at least. Chasing after them further would be useless, as they had bought enough time to escape my sight. Letting the drizzle of rain soak into my clothes and running my hand through my wet hair, I let out a sigh as I looked up and let the cool rain drip down my face. That sp¡­ I had seen it for only a moment, but I had recognized it. It was a shield-shaped crest with an engraved fort behind it¡­ The crest of authority in Karfana. The crest that was given to the select few who hadplete reign over the city¡¯s decisions. I could only think of three people who had such a crest: the city lord, the city advisor, and the head guardsman. I had heard of all of them, though I had never seen them in person. They tended to stick to the far northern side of the city where the keep was. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I was beginning to think that the quest that the golden system had given me was going to be deeper than it seemed. However, that only raised further questions: why was one of the city heads preying upon helpless poorer denizens of the city? Which one of them could it be? Why were the people left alive but ¡°empty¡±? I gripped the piece of cloth and slogged back home. The rain only got worse and left me drenched. The next few days would be interesting, at least. I was also worried again about thest part of the quest message¡­ {{¡­before it¡¯s toote.}} There was nothing more that I could do for the night save for rest and think on the next day¡¯s tasks. I felt a regretful tinge along the back of my neck. Whatever it was, it was certainly going to burn through my savings. *** The next day¡­ ¡°You did what?!¡± Rhil was, understandably, upset. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I had already told her about the abilities I had Awakened and the strange other system, so it was understandable that she would probably be upset that I had done something so reckless while relying on an ability we still knew little about. I was leaning on the guard rails of the upper floor outside of our apartment doors, scratching the back of my head. Naturally, she had been curious about what I had done the previous day and what I was asking for her help with. ¡°I guess I wanted to do something for myself¡­¡± She paused for a moment, seeming to mull over what I was saying in her head. ¡°Just because you have the ability to doesn¡¯t mean you should try to do everything on your own. We¡¯re friends, Aizen. You can act like it, you know.¡± She yfully punched my shoulder while I watched a few people trail by the back alleys where we lived. ¡°Now, how about we go out for breakfast on me, and you tell me more about what you¡¯re nning.¡± I nodded at her proposal. I hadn¡¯t eaten dinner the previous day, too anxious about what I had been nning. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°So you think that someone one of those three is responsible for the murders that have been going on?¡± Munch. She took a small bite out of the pastry. She had purchased one for each of us, and we were sitting on a bench, watching the main road of the city. ¡°I managed to tear this off of them in the chase, and I only saw it but for a brief moment, but they were wearing a city crest underneath the robe¡­¡± She leaned over to take a closer look at the piece of cloth, her leg pressed against mine. I was painfully aware of her closeness as the touch sent a light feeling up my body. I knew that she had to have been aware of the touch as well, but she left her leg there. ¡°So you want to find out who¡¯s behind it?¡± she asked, her head tilting up at me, crumbs at the edges of her lips. Taking a bite out of my pastry, I thought for a moment. It was sweet, filled with jelly and coated with a sugary ze. ¡°Well¡­ Yeah. Not only because of this quest thing¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to quite put it into words, but saying something like ¡°But because it¡¯s the right thing to do¡± not only sounded cliche but it also wasn¡¯t entirely urate. It was more a feeling of being able to do something versus being obligated to do something. Either way, she seemed to understand what I was trying to say. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to get into the northern section of the city for that, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I gestured to my general clothing, which wasn¡¯t entirely shabby but also wasn¡¯t on the level of someone who belonged in the northern districts, where upper-level Awakeners and those of more important stature tended to frequent. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± She finished off the pastry and pped her hands together. ¡°Do you know how aura magic works?¡± ¡®Aura magic?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t heard of it before and shook my head at her question. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a tracking-type magic usually used to find a specific person or monster. Investigators use it quite frequently. Basically, if you act fast enough, you can get a mage to collect the lingering mana from that piece of cloth and store it in a device, usually a gemstone, that will react when it gets into close proximity to its owner.¡± I scratched the back of my head. Such matters were still foreign to me. ¡°I can get it done.¡± She took the piece of cloth from me so that she could go to an enchanter she knew with itter. ¡°Also¡­¡± She continued speaking. ¡°What if I could get us an invitation?¡± ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°What do you mean by, ¡°an invitation?¡± ¡°The lord frequently hosts parties for higher-level adventurers in the northern section of the city. He usually invites me on ount of my past, but I haven¡¯t taken him up on the offer before. It just so happens that there¡¯s er tonight¡­ It could be a good excuse to get close to them.¡± She gave me a conspiratorial smile and winked at me. ¡°Just find yourself something nice to wear. It¡¯s going to be a party, after all.¡± I felt a headache slowlying on. I had never even been to an informal party before, let alone a formal one¡­ We finished the remainder of our breakfast in peace, me being painfully aware of our close proximity the entire time. *** Later that day¡­ I sifted through different selections of suits and formal attire, each one stiffer and more ufortable-looking than thest. Tight cors that seemed to be trying to choke me, either too loose or too tight, boring colors like ck and white¡ªclothes more suited for a funeral than anything else. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± I turned at the sound of someone trying to get my attention. One of the assistant storekeepers eyed me up and down, looking at me sifting through the suits. I was only more aware of how painfully obvious it must have looked that I was way out of my league. ¡°What¡¯s the asion, sir?¡± The assistant remained polite, trying to help me find something suitable. ¡°It¡¯s for a party. I¡¯m a bit out of practice here, and while your selection is diverse, it seems¡­¡± ¡®Boring¡¯, was what I wanted to say. The assistant let out a slight grin, the corner of his mouth piquing up ever so slightly. ¡°That¡¯s probably because you¡¯re looking at the funeral attire.¡± I stepped back, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment. ¡°I see¡­¡± He gestured for me to follow him, taking me to a different aisle that was just as confusing in its own way. Gaudy blues and reds, feathery masks, and decorative essories lined the aisle. It made me all the more aware of how society had seemed to regress with the Merge. We still had theforts of modern life through magical devices and constructs that simted artificial lighting, water/waste management, and transportation, but power positions and social gatherings had regressed to something that resembled the Victorian era. After going through and trying a few on. I finally managed to find something that wasn¡¯t gaudy to the point of being unbearable: a simple blue suit/vestbination. I thought itplemented my green eyes nicely¡ªof course, the assistant¡¯s excellent salesperson demeanor may have had something to do with that. The attire ended up costing me more than half of my savings, leaving me with a meager three gold coins. I exited the shop in somewhat higher spirits and headed home to prepare for the uing party. It was a thought in the back of my mind, but I still found it strange that the Snake gang avoided contact with me rather than pursuing me even more doggedly. It was something I would have to figure out sooner orter, but I put it out of my mind for the moment. ____ Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Investigating a Killer (2) ¡°We could have found another way to do this, you know¡­¡± I spoke to Rhil as we headed down the main street towards the gates that led to the north end of town. I knew that she had stopped adventuring for a reason, and likely had wanted nothing to do with their ilk again. However, I had never asked her the reason. Tap, Tap. She wore a simple green dress, unblemished and seeming to flow around her as she walked. She didn¡¯t bother with earrings, bracelets, or any other such unnecessary adornments, instead only conceding to wearing a pair of low heels that tapped along the stone pathway. The sun was setting, leaving an orange glow on the horizon, and I still found the suit¡¯s cor unbearably tight. I reached up to loosen it. ¡°Leave it, you¡¯re going to have to look the part if you want anyone to take you seriously.¡± It appeared that she had noticed my actions out of the corner of her eye. I stopped mid-reach and forced myself to lower my hand again. ¡°Have you ever met them before?¡± I asked her, trying to take my mind off of the stifling suit and the looks from passersby. ¡°Yes. The ¡®Lord¡¯ of the city is so only in title. He¡¯s frequently gone on adventures and can¡¯t put his de down. You¡¯ll be able to recognize him because he carries the thing everywhere and loves to tell others about his adventures.¡± He didn¡¯t seem too bad to me. I wondered how he had be a lord in the first ce. Back in those days, I had only been concentrating on my next source of food. We approached the gates at the end of the main square that would take us farther into the north section. It was guarded at all times, and Rhil presented our invitations to the guards before they let us enter. The guard bowed when he read the invitation. ¡°Lady Rhil, you know where the manor is, correct?¡± She nodded. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be much trouble finding it again.¡± After we were through, she continued speaking to me. ¡°The one who really runs the city is his attendant, a shrewd man recognizable from his hawk-like gaze and off-putting manner. He may seem a bit direct, but he gets things done.¡± We started to see other people walking towards the manor on the road as well. It wasn¡¯t hard to spot our destination¡ªit almost towered over the other buildings in the north district and was located just outside the keep gates themselves. ¡°Finally, there¡¯s the head of the guard. He¡¯s an elf who mostly keeps to himself. From what I hear, he¡¯s a master of most any weapon people have seen him use.¡± It surprised me somewhat to hear that an elf was serving as a guardsman for a human outskirt city. Elves were known for their martial prowess and their disdain towards humans in particr for their reliance on magical technology, which they viewed as a crutch. ¡°How¡¯d he manage that one?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow and ncing towards her again. ¡°No clue, some say that he owes the lord a life debt, some say he¡¯s just bored. Any one of them could be the potential owner of that sp you saw.¡± She turned to me again just before we approached the brightly lit doorway with light that seemed to almost flood out of it. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to say this, but¡­ be careful, Aizen.¡± We stepped up to the doorman and were allowed in after the doorman went over our invitations and announced us properly. ¡°Lady Rhil and herpanion, Sir Aizen.¡± Heads turned towards us as we entered and I heard whispered murmurs at Rhil¡¯s name. She probably hadn¡¯t attended a single one of these parties, if I were to guess, yet they had still invited her every month when they were held. It was called a party, but it was more a gathering for the elite of the city, mostly those adventurers who were approaching or had reached level 5. It wouldn¡¯t have been too much of an exaggeration to say that it was just an excuse for them to get together and drink. The main room itself was lined with tables containing food and drinks in front of pirs that created shadowed hallways and alcoves around the room where people talked and gossiped. Rhil departed from me with her aura device¡ªwe had figured that spreading out was the most inconspicuous way to take reading from the device, which would turn to a bluish color after being near the aura of the person that the cloak section had spent the most time with. I wasn¡¯t quite sure of the magic myself, but Rhil had assured me that it was nearly foolproof. I could only take her at her word for it. The others at the party were quick to greet Rhil, including her in their conversations almost immediately. She put on a smile and yed the part, but I could tell that she was ufortable. I was of the same opinion. The sooner we were out of there, the better. I looked around, trying to find a good subject to approach. It would have been a bit awkward to approach one of the three I was looking for directly, without working my way towards them first. Luckily for me, the lord approached me first. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°They said your name was Aizen, right?¡± I turned as I heard someone speak my name. Approaching me from a group of adventurers was who I could only assume to be the city lord, as he was the only one in the room I noticed with a weapon on him, save for the guards I saw standing inconspicuously in corners throughout the room. He was a tall, roughly shaven man, the stereotypical image of what I would imagine a fighter to look like. ¡°How did you get the Skybreaker toe here¡­ with you?¡± The ¡°with you¡± sounded somewhat derogatory, though his facial expressions and tone disyed nothing of the sort. He sloshed around wine that he held in a ss. ¡°What are you, some sort of mage? Your build is too small to be abat ss¡­¡± It seems he had misunderstood me. Seeing as everyone else in the room was close to or around level 5, he likely assumed I was near that point as well and was trying to guess my ss based on what he could see. I nced down at the ring on my finger, the gem remained inert, a cold ck. It needed more time to read his mana. ¡°I¡¯m just a friend of Rhil¡¯s¡­¡± I thought briefly about how I could turn the conversation to my advantage. ¡°Actually, I had a question I wanted to ask you.¡± I remembered how Rhil had told me that he loved recounting his adventures. Maybe I could use that to get on his good side. ¡°I was wondering about your guardmaster, the elf.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ah, Ervinol? What about him?¡± He nced over towards the elf, who was watching the party from one of the side alcoves. I thought that catching two birds with one stone, so to speak, would be ideal. ¡°I¡¯ve kind of always wanted to hear how you two met. Do you think he¡¯s free?¡± I gestured towards Ervinol, who continued to watch the party. ¡°Ervinol? Well, he doesn¡¯t look too busy.¡± The leader raised his hand at Ervinol and waved, beckoning him over. He didn¡¯t look like he had a weapon on him, but the elf still seemed to exude a calm confidence. I wondered if elves had the same types of sses that humans did. ¡°Ervinol, this is Aizen, the Skybreaker¡¯s guest.¡± Ervinol nodded at me in greeting, holding out his hand. ¡®Do elves traditionally shake hands as well?¡¯ I shook aside the thought and sped his hand. ncing back down at the ring, I saw it was still inactive. That should have been enough time with the lord. I just needed to stall the elf. ¡°I was wondering how you ended up bing the head guardsman.¡± The elf tilted his head at my question, as if it was something that should have been obvious. ¡°¡­because I¡¯m the most qualified? ¡°No, I get that, but how did you end up staying in this city.¡± ¡°I like it here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The leaderughed at my awkward interaction and pped me on the shoulder. ¡°You should just ask him for a duel, I think you¡¯d get more out of it that way¡­¡± His eyes seemed to brighten at that thought. ¡®No¡­ don¡¯t suggest it¡­¡¯ ¡°Say¡­ Why don¡¯t you two have a friendly duel?¡± ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ I nced back down at the ring¡ªstill no reaction. It should have been long enough that it would have picked up anything from either of them, which meant that the culprit was likely the assistant. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± The leader rested his hand on my shoulder again, almost gripping it. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not every day that we get to see a duel between the Skybreaker¡¯s guest and the captain of the guard. I insist.¡± I nced back over towards the elf, who was watching me intently. There wouldn¡¯t be much for me to lose. Rhil would gain more time and be able to more easily move about with such a spectacle either way, and it wasn¡¯t every day that one got to duel with the captain of the guard¡­ ¡°Alright.¡± The leader smiled, patting me on the shoulder again. ¡°Excellent!¡± He raised his voice to a level that seemed to boom throughout the hall. ¡°Everyone, clear the center! I have a spectacle for you tonight! The Skybreaker¡¯s very own guest against my captain of the guard!¡± The leader winked at me. ¡°I would usually take the opportunity myself, but I¡¯ve had a bit much.¡± He raised the ss towards me again. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your usual weapon of choice?¡± As we were walking to the center of the room, the lord continued to speak to me in an excited tone. I hadn¡¯t actually had any experience with other weapons, thoughpletely unarmed fighters were almost unheard of. After all, even a fist weapon would almost always be better than just a in fist. ¡°We can just have an unarmed duel if Ervinol is ok with it.¡± The leader nced towards the elf, who nodded in reply. ¡°Even better! First to fall or give up loses?¡± I nodded my affirmative. The rules seemed simple enough, though there was still the problem of our difference in levels. ¡°I have a request.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± ¡°We both limit our levels to 1.¡± It was a simple enough request, fairlymon in duels or in leveling parties where XP would be shared. The system usually granted the higher level yer the most XP, but also granted yers a way to ¡°lower¡± their level by restricting some of their system-granted stats and abilities. It would also serve as a good excuse to hide that my level was actually 1. The leader nodded again, thinking it over. ¡°Good catch, we wouldn¡¯t want you two to destroy the whole hall, after all.¡± I saw the elf fiddle with something in the system window that only he could see. I mimicked his actions as the leader stepped back near the crowd that had gathered around to watch us. The elf stood squarely across from me and just watched me with his eyes, body rxed. I took a deep breath. ¡®This is going to hurt.¡¯ {{System Archetype: Body Level: 1 XP: 300/1000 Elements: Earth Innate Skills: ¡¶Body¡· Epasses mastery of the Body and all things rted to it. When this archetype is selected, the user gains their choice of focus as well as continued rewards. When this archetype is selected, the user is locked out of utilizing mana for external purposes and spells. When this archetype is selected, the user gains an extraordinary physique, superior bodily control, and can instinctually move their body how they wish.}} [[System Name: Aizen ss: Fighter Level: 1 XP: 750/1000 Mana: 100/100 STR: 12 END: 12 AGI: 10 PER: 10 MAG: 10 MANA: 10 Innate Skills: ¡¶Fighter¡· Gives the user additional STR and END as they gain levels. Current Bonus: +2 STR, +2 END Active Skills: ?Strike? Allows the user to perform a strike with double the speed and power. Cost: 25 Mana]] ____ Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¨C Investigating a Killer (3) Thump, thump. The sound of my own heartbeat drowned out everything else. The whispers from the adventurers watching around the room. The sound of rustling cloth and footsteps as people repositioned themselves to get a better view of the scene. The room itself seemed to dim, shadows elongating and the brilliant light given off by the enchanted chandelier over the hall all drowned out by my focus. {{New Quest! Utilize your skills to the best of your ability against a superior opponent.}} A strange quest floated at the edge of my vision and vanished just as quickly as I acknowledged it. The city lord stepped away. ¡°You may begin when ready.¡± Tak! I took a cautious step towards the elf. He remained still, watching me. We were only about two arms apart. Tak!! I stepped off again, recalling the fights I had seen on television back home. Though it had been years, the images seemed to flow into my head as if I were seeing them for the first time. Was that another effect of the ability? Perfect recollection of movements I wanted to copy? I didn¡¯t have time to think about it. My fistunched forward in a picture-perfect snap punch¡­ Whoosh I only touched air as I felt a hard pressure on the back of my leg, then I felt the sensation of being airborne as the chandelier came into view. Light filled my vision, almost blinding me, and I instinctively moved, intending tond on my feet. Despite my confused vision, my body knew where it was and moved ordingly, pulling my falling motion into a tight backward flip thatnded me in a crouched position. I looked up at the elf who had counterattacked me with such a precise movement, trying to end the fight in a single move. He had retreated out of reach and raised an eyebrow at me, probably surprised at my recovery. I was just as surprised as he was, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡ªp, p, p! Apuse rang around the room at the brief exchange and I approached the elf again, more cautious that time. Thump. I feinted another snap punch before transitioning to a right elbow. He read the feint and ducked under my elbow, already striking towards my sr plexus. Abandoning my attack as he reacted, I managed to twist my own body to the side just enough for his arm to rub past me, following up with a palm strike towards the back of his head. He shifted before my attack couldnd and a blurry afterimage of the elf slid around to my side. I had forgotten that abilities were part of duels. His leg swung through the air in an arc towards my head that was too quick for me to avoid. I only had one option. [[?Strike?]] [[Mana: 75/100]] Empowered by the ability, my arm moved with enhanced speed and redirected his foot, the force of the blow still knocking me off bnce. Capitalizing on the moment, the elf didn¡¯t give me time to regain my footing. He shifted again as I stumbled away and swept my legs out from under me. Before I could maneuver my body tond properly, he shifted a final time, leg already raised in a downward axe kick that caught me and propelled me toward the floor. I reacted again faster than my mind could catch up and felt that energy within me be pulled from my hand in a motion that sent an earthen spike outwards and sent me spinning diagonally upwards again as I instinctively reached towards the floor. I looked back towards the elf again just as I caught my footing and saw a fire seem to ignite within his eyes. The city lord saw it as well. ¡°Stop!¡± Just as I saw the elf¡¯s muscles tensing up¡ªlikely to perform some skill I could only guess at¡ªthe city lord stepped in and ended the fight. ¡°Excellent show! We¡¯ll end it there before things get out of hand! Hahaha!¡± His nervousughter set me on edge. I wondered just what it was that the elf could have been preparing to do that would make him react like that. I hadn¡¯t managed tond a blow on him, but it wasn¡¯t every day that one got to say that they were able to stand on equal footing with one of his kind and walk away intact. {{Calcting rewards¡­}} The system seemed to think so as well, as it recognized that the duel had ended and was busy figuring out how well I had done. ¡°I would expect no less of the Skybreaker¡¯s guest, and a unique ss at that!¡± ¡®So much for passing myself off as a fighter.¡¯ He didn¡¯t ask me what my ss was, though I could tell he was dying to know. The elf and I shook hands before departing, his eyes holding a different glint in them. ¡°I look forward to our next duel.¡± ¡®Right¡­ I hope I never see this ce again.¡¯ I put a forced smile on my face. ¡°Likewise. If you¡¯ll excuse me, it¡¯s about time I found Rh¡­ The Skybreaker.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to best address her in suchpany, so I used what they had called her. I would have to ask her about thatter. {{Reward Calcted: 300 XP}} {{Current XP: 600/1000}} The system finally finished calcting. It appeared like it had found my performance satisfactory. ¡°If you ever n on joining the guard, we would be more than happy to have you. I haven¡¯t seen Ervinol work up a sweat like that in ages.¡± I left them at that and went to find Rhil again. I could see her watching us near one of the balconies that overlooked the lord¡¯s garden. Before I could move to meet up with her, someone stepped in my path. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * It was a face I knew by reputation, if nothing else. The signature tattoo of a snake running above his right brow down to his cor and around his neck was telling enough. The leader of the Snake gang. ¡°Aizen, right?¡± I tensed up at the sight of his face. I had been wondering about theck of retaliation after I killed that gang member after firsting back to the city. Was he going to make a move? ¡°Rx, boy. I told them to leave you alone. I can¡¯t have a potential asset going to waste, now can I?¡± By ¡°them¡±, he probably meant the rest of his underlings. ¡°Quite an impressive talent you¡¯ve got there. Have you ever thought about making an easy living with your skills?¡± The offer wasn¡¯t even tempting. No matter how much he paid me, I couldn¡¯t see myself stooping to his level. Beating up drunks and exploiting the helpless? I might as well just dig my own grave. I let out a strained smile. He was the lord¡¯s guest, for whatever reason. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± He ced a hand on my chest to stop me as I tried to brush past him. Looking into my eyes with a serious expression, he spoke. ¡°You might think I¡¯m just amon thug, but I do more for this city than you realize. Don¡¯t make a decision you¡¯ll regret.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure you do¡­¡¯ Swatting his hand away from me, I spoke. ¡°Again, thanks for the offer, but I won¡¯t be reconsidering.¡± It sickened me that the lord would have someone like that as an invited guest. I left him behind and stepped out into the cool night air. Rhil was still waiting for me on the balcony. She raised an eyebrow at me in a questioning manner as I approached. ¡°I see you met the snake in the grass¡­¡± That was one way of putting it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You tore your shirt.¡± She leaned back against the marble railing in the dim moonlight after pointing that out. I stood next to her and rested my elbows on the railing. The crisp night breeze, the light scent of flowers wafting throughout the lord¡¯s garden, the steady murmur of conversation just inside the hall, and the dim moonlight glowing over the darkness-drenched garden came together to give me a sort of surreal numbness. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit out of my league. ¡°Hey, Aizen, are you ok?¡± I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. I had missed something that Rhil had been saying. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I said that was quite a show you put on there. How did you manage to move like that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I used to watch a lot of cheesy kung fu flicks back home.¡± Sheughed, her green eyes sparkling. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re serious? That¡¯s it?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, my body kind of just instinctively reacts as I imagine myself being in one of those movies.¡± She let out a puff of air, ¡°Huh¡­ most people would kill for an ability like that. And you have the earth thing going on too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the whole Skybreaker thing anyway?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just a stupid nickname they had for me.¡± ¡°Why did you stop?¡± It was a question I had left untouched before, as it had always seemed like some sort of unsaid rule to leave a person¡¯s past in the past in that crumbling section of the city where most just tried to get by. I couldn¡¯t imagine someone just willingly giving up on the sorts of lives that the higher-level Awakeners seemed to live. Haaaa. She let out a sigh. ¡°How did your investigation of the lord and the elf go?¡± ¡­Right. The rush of the duel and my still fading adrenaline had made my mind wander. ¡°Neither of them showed a reaction. You?¡± Her eyes were staring at something on my hand. I looked down at the ring and a pang of excitement ran down my spine. It had changed color to red, which meant that it had gotten a positive signature from someone. Other than Rhil, the elf, and the lord, there was really only one other person I hade into contact with¡­ The snake gang leader himself¡­ ¡®But why would he bother with carrying a sp like that around when he¡¯s justmitting murder? Why would he need it? Unless¡­¡¯ Unless there had been a fourth sp all along. Which raised the question¡­ ¡°Why would the city lord give such authority away to the city¡¯s criminal underbelly?¡± ____ Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¨C When the Party Ends (1) Her mind seemed to catch up easier than mine had. ¡°The Snake?¡± She was referring to their leader. ¡°I think so¡­¡± The next question was, ¡®What can we do about it?¡¯ If the lord was knowingly in cahoots with a murderer, it would be difficult to bring about any form of official justice without also going against the city lord. {{Quest Solve the mystery of the killer before it¡¯s toote. Quest Reward: 1000 experience Status: Complete! +1000 XP}} {{Level Up!}} {{Current Experience: 1600/2000}} {{Skill Tree Unlocked}} {{New Skill Tree Selection Avable}} ¡®New skill tree selection?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t heard of such a thing. Usually, level-ups granted skill points and a skill at certain levels. A soft golden glow pulsed over my skin for a moment before receding. ¡°What was that?¡± Rhil asked. ¡°I received quest XP because we figured out who the killer was¡­ The second system leveled up.¡± ¡°What did it give you?¡± She was curious because she hadn¡¯t heard of such a system before either. ¡°It mentions something about a skill tr¡ª¡± A sort of invisible shockwave passed over us at that moment and we exchanged a look. The best way to describe it was the feeling of a thin barrier of water caressing our skin for but a moment in an outward direction from the hall. An intense feeling of drowsiness overtook me as the shockwave passed. From the way that she held her hand up to her head, I could tell that Rhil was feeling it as well. I nced back through the balcony doorway to catch a glimpse of the hall and saw bodies littered over the floor. Were they sleeping? A figure I recognized crouched next to one of the bodies, hand on the sleeping person¡¯s head. ¡ªThe Snake. The drowsiness only grew worse by the second. {{Your earthen spirit provides support in resisting ?Sleep?}} It hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about being able to resist mental effects before¡­ I didn¡¯t have time to mull it over. Despite her best efforts, Rhil was slumping over towards the ground. Awkwardly catching her before she could fall over, I braced myself and made the quickest escape I could think of¡­ I held onto her tightly and pulled us both over the railing. A falling sensation, something soft against me, a hard impact, and the smell of flowers. All those things registered for but a moment before, despite my best efforts and the assistance of the second system, I fell asleep. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°Ugh¡­¡± When I next awoke, a heavy weight seemed to be draped over my body, making it hard for me to breathe. Something soft brushed past my nose, and I stifled the urge to sneeze as I regained my bearings. The fall hadn¡¯t been too far, only a couple of meters or so down into the bushes that lined the gardens. ¡­But it still hurt like hell. Despite the bushes having softened our fall, their branches had still torn at my skin and Rhil hadnded on top of me, which was the weight I felt. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± She spoke as I felt her clumsily roll off of me into the grass. Still fighting the grogginess of that unnatural sleep, I pulled myself out of the bush to see her adjusting her clothes. I looked away. ¡°I think the Snake initiated some sort of spell. I saw him in the hall kneeling next to a few of the people who fell asleep.¡± She must have noticed I was trying to avert my gaze at that point. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I felt a slow heat rise to my face despite the danger of the situation. Then, I looked back at her. Despite the fall having torn at her clothing and the bits of leaves still in her golden hair, she looked more beautiful than ever as the orange glow of the dawn highlighted her features. ¡°I¡­¡± I found some difficulty speaking. I knew it was dumb to be hung over something so small in that type of situation, but the mind wasn¡¯t always known to be logical. ¡®Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t it just night?¡¯ ¡°How long do you think we were asleep for?¡± I looked up towards the slowly rising sun. ¡°Probably most of the night.¡± She had noticed it as well. Rather than that, we were both looking at something near the edge of the garden square, a man who seemed to be digging at something on the ground just underneath one of the garden hedges. ¡°Hello?!¡± From his garb, the man looked to have been one of the party-goers. He seemed ragged and there was a dark liquid staining his coat, but otherwise looked mostly intact from behind. I tried getting his attention again. ¡°Hey! Do you know what¡¯s going on?! What happened at the party?!¡± Rhil ced a hand on my shoulder as the figure stopped whatever it was doing and I moved to approach. ¡°Aizen¡­¡± She sounded concerned. There was certainly something off about the situation¡­ Then the figure turned to look at us. I could see a body behind it as it stood and turned to face us. While the thing had clearly once been a man, it was something else entirely then. ¡ªCrimson red eyes. ¡ªHeavy, ragged breathing. ¡ªSharp ws that seemed to jut from his fingers. ¡ªPale, dull skin. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it was clearly hostile towards us as itunched its way at us on all fours. It must have used some sort of skill or ability, as it was almost too fast to follow. I caught a glimpse of a blur headed my way like a cannonball and had just enough time to realize it was going to hit me before¡ª BANG! A sh of light went off and a bolt of lightning struck it from the sky, blinding me in the process. A warm, tingly feeling bombarded the front of my face. ¡°Sorry, I should have warned you.¡± At least I knew why they had called Rhil the Skybreaker. Moments after defeating the monster¡ª [[New Quest Escape From the City! Reward: 500 XP]] {{New Quest Save the City! Reward: 500 XP}} I received a quest from both Systems that seemed to contradict each other. ¡°Did you just get a quest?¡± I asked her. ¡°It says to leave the city.¡± She replied. It appeared that, for whatever reason, the original system had given out a quest to Awakeners to flee the city. I wasn¡¯t yet sure if the quest was local to just us or if it was a mass quest. Not only that, but interestingly enough, the body of the thing we had killed soon vanished, a sign of it being a system monster. Before we went any further, while we were still in a moment of safety, I realized it would probably be best to take whatever benefits I could get for what we might face. ¡°Hey, Rhil, could we catch our breath here for a moment? I think I can get something that¡¯ll help us.¡± Rhil acknowledged my request and knelt in the grass, keeping an eye out for anything that might endanger us while also doing her best to rx for the time being. I opened the menu for the second system, looking over what it had described as skill tree unlocks. {{System Archetype: Body Level: 2 XP: 1600/1000 Elements: Earth Skill Tree Selections ¡¶?Way of the Eruption?¡· A skill focus that emphasizes sudden force and bursts of speed and strength. ¡®Harness the force of an active volcano to obliterate those that stand in your way.¡¯ Grants increasing bonuses to STR and AGI. Lockster subss selections. ¡¶?Way of the Standing Stone?¡· A skill focus that emphasizes endurance and toughness above all else. ¡®Harness the force of the standing stone to endure all those who would try to harm you.¡¯ Grants increasing bonuses to END and Mana. Lockster subss selections. ¡¶?Way of the Infinite Cavern?¡· A skill focus that emphasizes analysis and adaptability. ¡®Harness the cunning of the infinite caverns below the earth to stealthily defeat your prey.¡¯ Grants increasing bonuses to PER and MAG. Lockster subss selections.}} None of them seemed like necessarily bad options. My biggest worry when looking over the selections was the brief note, ¡®Lockster subss selections.¡¯ I assumed that meant that the System would grant me further ss selections down the line based on the first ¡°skill tree¡± I picked. I also wondered if that other system had a simr capstone ability unlock at level 5 that the usual system did. The ?Way of the Eruption? would help with speed and the impact of my abilities, while the ?Way of the Standing Stone? would probably increase the amount of damage I could take and expand that earth-like armor I could use. Finally, the ?Way of the Infinite Cavern? seemed more suited to stealth or surprise attacks. I discounted the ?Way of the Infinite Cavern? first. I would need the ability to confront my foes head-on in order to delve throughter dungeons and deal with the threat to the city. I debated the other two selections. Either tankiness or more damage and speed¡­ My biggest problems thus far had been my inability to ount for opponents that were too fast¡ªthe gang member I had ended up killing, the elf that had used a speed-like ability to drift around me, and the thing that had jumped at me faster than I could react only a few moments prior had all evidenced that. With that reasoning in mind, I selected the ?Way of the Eruption? from the menu. ¡¶?Way of the Eruption? Selected. Would you like to confirm your selection? ¡¶Yes¡· ¡¶No¡·}} I hit the yes button. Instantly, my body felt lighter, and I felt a tightening, prickly sensation in my skin as my muscles strengthened. I pulled my main stat window open to take a look. [[Mana: 100/100 STR: 12+4 END: 12 AGI: 10+4 PER: 10 MAG: 10 MANA: 10]] My selection had increased my strength and agility by +4 points each. With the normal stat progression being +2 for each of a ss¡¯s two primary stats plus a free point per level, it was the equivalent of being roughly level 3. ¡°What did you end up with?¡± Rhil asked as she noticed another golden pulse go through my body after I finished my selection. I held out a hand to help her up as I exined it to her. ¡°It¡¯s a subss that granted me four points in STR and AGI. I¡¯m not sure what else it might do yet¡­¡± It could sometimes be a bit awkward how the nature of the earth control ability left things unexined. She wiped off the bottom of her dress, stained with grass, and let out a light chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ll be protecting me soon at this rate.¡± *** After that, we were able to circle back around the manor and reach the open gateway on the side of the structure out towards the main manor unassaulted. The main street made the chaos that had been happening much more evident. Bits of rubble and debris littered the streetway. While we, thankfully, couldn¡¯t see any bodies immediately after leaving the garden, we could still see that a struggle had urred. We had two options at that point. We could either head back down towards the main streetway and work our way into the city proper, which was likely experiencing an attack by more of those things, or we could head up towards the castle gates. Seeming to sense my thoughts, Rhil spoke again as we stood for a brief moment and looked down the street. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of running, right?¡± Though she had only received the quest from the system that entailed doing so, she seemed eager to head deeper toward the castle. We couldn¡¯t be sure yet, but the open gateway towards the castle ahead of us seemed to wait as if it were the maw of some sort of giant beast. I smiled at her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even dream of it.¡± ____ Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¨C When the Party Ends (2) The approach to the castle itself had signs of struggle. Discarded and scorched pieces of armor, warped by heat and ckened by fire,y on the road to the castle. Ashes and bits of ckened bone spread out under the debris were all that remained of the previous wearers of the armor. Ruined weapons and shattered crossbow bolts littered the street as well. Ahead, we saw small, humanoid figures struggling amongst themselves over a bit of metal glinting from in between them. I recognized them as more of those strange goblin-like things I had fought previously underneath the rainstorm. When we approached closer, the figures looked up just in time for Rhil to raise her hand and send a bolt of lightning crashing down on them from the clear, orange sky. BAM! Rhil lowered her hand and we passed by their fried remains, the odor of charred flesh wafting through the air¡­ It smelled almost like a barbecue, now that I think about it. In between their bodies, through the ashes drifting down that had been kicked up by the concussive st of lightning, I caught a glimpse of what they had been fighting over: one of the pendants that the city leaders held, warped by the heat and sttered with a red ichor. Finally, we reached the gaping maw of that castle, the gates that only appeared to grow more ominous the closer we approached. At that point, looking back, we could see fires over the rest of the city, evidence of further struggles that we could only hope went well. Rhil and I shared a look of determination, her still in her soot-stained green dress and me in the suit, before we stepped forward through the gates into the castle square. While I could imagine that the square itself might have once been a lively ce for the changing of the guard, guest entrance, and information exchange, it was empty when we entered. Flickers of red suffused the orange glow of the sun in the sky, the previously chill morning air seeming to weigh heavy on our skin. We stopped when the sound of something scratching steadily over stone echoed from a great distance, ringing louder and louder with each quickening flicker of the sky. Eventually, the flickers picked up in speed, and the castle grounds themselves warped and twisted around us, morphing into something simr but altogether different. The previously smooth stone walls of the castle cracked and bent, the open square leading to the castle doors seemed to ovey with a light, smoky fog that gave reality to a figure sitting before the iron castle doors that had not been there before. Then, when the figure solidified into reality and the red sky remained constant, a system message appeared. [[You have entered the Dungeon of the Snake]] The castle itself had somehow been transformed into a dungeon area. It being a dungeon meant that the rules of reality as I knew it could be broken. Things could seemingly appear from nothing, thews of physics could be broken at will to the dungeon¡¯s whim, and time itself only had whatever meaning the dungeon lent it. The figure before the castle doors stood, its hands closing around the air while the ash-suffused fog swirled around its hands and solidified into a sword in either hand. The figure looked up and I recognized it. It was the elf from the party, the head guardsman of the city. His skin had been warped into a charcoal grey coloration and his eyes bore only the red fire of rage instead of the quiet intelligence I had previously observed. We had enough time to register him as an enemy before he shifted across the square towards us. I had previously seen his shifting as an almost invisible blue hue, but my increased agility became apparent when I could make out his limbs extending towards us as he approached, attempting to target us separately when he arrived in between us. While I still didn¡¯t have the speed to fully dodge the blow, the earth from within me emerged and formed a protective barrier against the de after I instinctively summoned it forward. The earth slowed the de enough for me to fully jump back before it was sliced in two and I found I had to resummon it as a gauntlet around my right hand, the sense of fatigue within me less than normal, perhaps because I had leveled up. Rhil avoided the de heading her way in a sh of light, the air ionizing and exploding when the de reached her skin and hit an invisible barrier she had summoned around herself. While the creature that the elf had be was strong enough to avoid getting sted back by the force of it, Rhil wasunched backward in the direction opposite the de, avoiding the cut. Before he could move properly again, I jumped at him, swinging my fist with the additional power of ?Strike?, more powerful than ever from my increased agility and strength. [[Mana: 75/100]] The elf brought his des together to form a cross and slid back on the stony ground after my fist made a solid impact against his guards. Skkkkkk Before he could recover from the slide, another st of lightning came down from the sky behind him, knocking him off bnce and slowing him enough for me to catch up. Then, right when he shifted in my vision again, moving to the side with his sword raised for a counterattack, I tried something new. [[?Strike?]] [[Mana: 50/100]] Instead of trying to block his de or hit him with my fist, I used a ?Strike? against the ground with my foot, instantly changing direction. His swing narrowly whisked by. Taking advantage of the opening left by his attack, when his other de swung to catch me in the side¡ª [[?Strike?]] [[Mana: 25/50]] ¡ªI used another ?Strike? to counterattack, aiming for his torso. I wasn¡¯t confident enough in my footing tond an attack on his head from my position. I was gambling on being able to hit him before his de reached me. Crack. My hit made a solid impact directly on his sternum and he wasunched backward, his attack canceled. Then, before he could evennd on the ground again¡­ BAM! Rhil sent another bolt of lightning arcing from the sky, mming the elf-thing into the ground, where it remained unmoving for a few moments before dissolving away into nothing, leaving its des behind. Ding! Multiple system messages passed before me with the defeat of the monster. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * [[Dungeon Miniboss Defeated!]] [[XP Gained Based on Contribution: +500]] [[Current XP: 1250/1000]] [[Level Up!]] [[Current XP: 1250/2000]] [[Level 2! Reward: +2 STR, +2 END Skill: ?Walk it Off? 1 Free Skill Point]] I let out a shaky sigh, the adrenaline getting to me all at once after the fight ended. Even a single mistake would have been the death of me. Such worries didn¡¯t go through my head during the fight, I hadn¡¯t felt afraid or petrified, but the aftermath of the battle allowed my mind time to catch up with the reality of what I had been through. Following the defeat of a miniboss in a dungeon, the vicinity was usuallybeled as a temporary safe zone that would allow adventurers to recuperate and divide the loot. I took advantage of the temporary reprieve to catch my breath. The fog around the courtyard gradually dissipated as well, baring the ruined square fully for the eye to witness. Tap, Tap. Light footsteps approached behind me and I felt a slender arm wrap itself around the back of my neck before a softness pressed into me and the light scent of flowers wafted into my nose as Rhil¡¯s hair brushed past my face. She didn¡¯t say anything, and we remained still like that for a time. I stared nkly ahead and catching my breath with her leaning into me, hugging me from behind. Eventually, after I caught my breath, she let me go. ¡°Will you be ok?¡± It was the longest life-or-death battle I had experienced yet. The battles against the goblins had been quick, against enemies that were easily defeated, not anything like the blows I had exchanged with the elf-thing. She probably understood¡ªit was something all adventurers eventually experienced, after all. I nodded my head, standing back up. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She approached the twin swords while I looked at my status screen. ¡°These aren¡¯t too bad.¡± She brought up their information disys to show me. [[des of the Corrupted When wielded together, these des enhance the agility of the user. +2 AGI]] They were a pair of straight swords that were surprisingly light and glinted with specks of dark red infused into the metal of the des. Even without the stat bonus, I suspected that the des would be more durable than usual steel. Weapons that provided more than a +1 stat bonus weren¡¯t necessarily extremely rare, but they were usually found in dungeons experienced by those who were at least level 5. I wasn¡¯t sure how my ability would work with weapons, but it probably wasn¡¯t the best ce to try abat style I waspletely unfamiliar with. We decided it would be better to store them in her item storage box for the time being, as I had yet to acquire a storage box that didn¡¯t require an external mana output to activate. Next, I looked over the new skill I had acquired from reaching level 2 and added the free stat point to agility¡ªspeed was still something I had found myself outmatched in during the battle. [[Mana: 100/100 STR: 14+4 END: 14 AGI: 11+4 PER: 10 MAG: 10 MANA: 10]] Thanks to the level-up, my mana had been restored to the max. Unfortunately the same didn¡¯t apply to the dim sense of fatigue I felt from having used the earth control ability from the second system. [[Walk it Off Hardens the user¡¯s body for the next three seconds, giving a +5 increase to endurance. Scales with level. Cost: 25 Mana]] I could see the uses for the ability immediately. Endurance toughened the body, which could turn a deep cut into a surface wound, prevent a bone from breaking from a hard impact, or allow the user to endure the damage from a spell or elemental attack that would otherwise leave someone incapacitated. My mind went to Rhil again. I knew that she had stopped being an adventurer for a reason, and I was worried that returning to using her abilities inbat again might have been having a negative effect on her. ¡°How are you doing?¡± I asked, still unsure as to why she quit in the first ce. Her lips quirked up a bit at my question. ¡°Good enough to continue. We have a city to save, after all.¡± Our moment of reprieve was short-lived. As we approached the iron doors of the castle, the ash throughout the air swirled upwards into a column above the peak of the castle and a red beam of light emerged from the apex. VWOOM. A dull echo reverberated through the air and the ground of the courtyard cracked further, splitting apart. Hands emerged from the cracks in the earth, pulling behind them withered bodies of skeletal-looking zombies. The dungeon was expanding. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¨C When the Party Ends (3) Dungeon expansion. It was a phenomenon that would usually prompt a quick response from adventurers or a quest from the guild, as a dungeon growing toorge could lead to a monster outbreak or other catastrophic consequences, such as changing thend itself. The sky reddened further with the appearance of the beam of light, and the skeletal-looking zombies increased in number, pulling themselves out of the cracked earth until there were easily dozens of them packed into that courtyard. Evenrge numbers of monsters would be able to eventually overpower the strongest of Awakeners. Either way, they weren¡¯t our target. If we cleared the dungeon, then monsters spawned by the dungeon would also vanish. ¡°We should hurry before they reach the city.¡± Rhil¡¯s voice brought me out of my thoughts. The creatures didn¡¯t seem to care about us. Instead, they plodded towards the city, goaded by orders we could not hear. ¡°How do you think he¡¯s doing this?¡± I asked her, thinking over what I knew of the Snake¡¯s leader. I hadn¡¯t had any personal interactions with the Snake before, though he was well-known to be a ruthless and cold man. I was thinking that Rhil, in her previous experience as an adventurer, might have better insight. ¡°I would guess that it¡¯s something System-rted, judging by how he seems to have some control over the dungeon. I couldn¡¯t guess what it was¡­ An artifact, maybe?¡± It wasn¡¯t unheard of for an artifact to have unique territorial effects or abilities that they could grant to the wielder, so it was possible that the Snake had found something that was empowering him. But what about the people he had attacked? Was there another purpose other than just turning people into those mindless creatures like the elf had been turned into? I pushed on therge iron doors at the entrance to the castle. In contrast to how the rest of the castle would make it appear, the doors swung open effortlessly, revealing a dark interior with flickering candles along the walls that were casting a dim light down the hallways in lieu of the magical lighting that I would usually expect to see. The hallway led deeper into the depths of the castle, into a darkness that we couldn¡¯t see the end of from the doorway. We took our first few steps forward through the doorway, cautious of anything that might be lurking just out of sight past the dim circles of light cast by the candles over the hallway. A tattered, piecemeal, rugged thingy where I might have usually imagined a soft carpet over the stone floor down the hallway, so thin that our footsteps echoed down the hallway even when we did step on the material. Step, Step. The doors swung silently shut behind us when we advanced, dimming the hallway even further by blocking out the natural light that had previously flooded through. The darkened corners and void-like ceiling made the entrance hall seem evenrger than it should have been, tricking my brain into imagining an endless abyss in all directions where I knew there would logically be a solid wall holding up the building¡¯s foundations, blocking in light from the outside. Each step we took down the hallway only sent more cascading echoes through it. The air grew colder until we could see our breaths leaving our mouths in little clouds of white vapor. We passed side passages and offshoot hallways that led into darkness. The candles were leading us somewhere, and despite us knowing that our intended destination had already beenid out by the dungeon, we followed the path anyway. Eventually, a final doorway loomed into view at the end of the hallway. The candles increased in density and lined the floor as well, highlighting the entry portal in soft, flickering orange hues. It was nothing more than another pair of double iron doors leading to, presumably, the main audience hall of the castle itself, yet it seemed almost as if those doors would lead us to an entirely different world altogether. Rhil and I stopped to look at each other again. The flickering light made it difficult to see, but I could see the tension in her jaw, the way her eyes scrunched slightly with some unseen worry. Our eyes locked as she looked at me and nodded, signifying that she was ready for whatevery beyond that doorway. I took a deep breath and we took thosest few steps together, each of us pushing against a half of the doorway until it swung open into the wider chamber beyond. Whatever it was, at least I had someone to face it with me. Rather than more candles, the chamber was lit by a deep crimson light leaking from cracks in the stone along the floor and walls. The chamber was a long, auditorium-like hallway with thick pirs spaced along at regr intervals down to the end. The red light leaking through the cracks contained a bright and vivid energy, making it seem as if the chamber itself was drifting within a phosphorescent red sea. Perhaps it even was¡ªdungeons were often known for how they yed with rules of reality and perception. At the end of the hallway, the man we had been searching for waited. He stood before the lord¡¯s seat of authority on a raised dais at the end of the chamber. At the base of the daisy the still forms of the lord and the lord¡¯s administrator, recognizable by the party attire they still wore as well as the lord¡¯s sword lying next to him on the floor. As the Snake watched us approach, I noticed that his eyes glowed with a different orange luminescencepared to the normal eyes of the human that I had seen at the party. As we got closer, I could better make out a circle on the ground around the bodies of the lord and his administrator, glowing with a darker red light than what leaked from every other surface. We stopped just before the circle around their bodies as if it were an invisible barrier blocking our pathway. We weren¡¯t sure what the purpose of that circle was or if it would be safe to step into it. The Snake finally acknowledged our presence then, and I could better make out the mutations over his skin, where scaly protrusions had begun to grow. It wasn¡¯t enough to say that he waspletely inhuman yet, but it was clear that he was in the process of changing. He raised his arms outwards towards us in a beckoning sort of gesture. ¡°I realized the two of you had escaped after I couldn¡¯t find your bodies at the party, lying with the rest, ripe for the harvest.¡± ¡®Harvest?¡¯ I was curious as to what he had ¡®harvested¡¯ from his victims and simultaneously feared finding out. ¡°¡­But I didn¡¯t really expect you to have the nerve to walk right into my domain, so Imend you for that.¡± Some of it made sense to me. For example, I could understand why the city lord might have viewed it in his best interests to form an uneasy alliance with a powerful leader of the criminal elements of the city. What I had more trouble understanding, however, was the Snake¡¯s motivations. For what purpose had he personally enacted the murders, and why had he given up his already secure position as one of the most powerful figures in the city to overturn everything and make himself an enemy of Awakeners? My hands clenched. I couldn¡¯t imagine how many more lives had already been lost in the city at that point, but I hoped that the things he had turned his victims into would also vanish with the death of their master. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The boy¡¯s fist tightened in what I presume was anger. So quick to judge. We all had our share of hardships and we all had our ways of dealing with them. Money, power, status as an Awakener, none of it mattered in the face of time. I hade to realize that as my body betrayed me in a slow, insidious pull. What had started as a simple bout of forgetfulness that could easily be waved off as fatigue had crept up on me over theing months and years. From forgetting if I had eaten that day to repeating sentences, not recognizing my own advisors, and losing my own sense of being. Brief moments of rity punctuated the hellscape of my mind, the realization of my decline only bringing further suffering. Eventually, I had to recede from the public eyepletely, the Snake had be naught more than the decayed, shed skin of his former self. I had all but given up hope. Healers couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, traditional doctors from the old world suggested it could be a new affliction brought about by the Merge, and other, more esoteric types had called it a curse. In the midst of my desperate attempts to cling to the ever-shortening bouts of rity I had left, a gift was granted to me. Borne on invisible wings, the book had appeared one day, lying on my desk. Though from outward appearances it seemed nothing more than a worn, leather-bound journal, the cool, suffocating aura around it marked it as something else. Who would have done differently in my situation? They could judge me all they liked, but we were all the same. What were the souls of a citypared to the promise of boundless intellect, power, and life? The book promised all that and much more, bestowing upon me a way to manipte the System to my whims. A drunkard in an alley here, a wretch cast out by society there. The cost had steadily increased until the System itself offered me an opportunity. Something I couldn¡¯t pass up. [[im the Castle as Your Dungeon]] With that single quest, but a few words long, endless possibilities opened up. I imagined a dungeon that imed thend, expanding and devouring all in its path into my domain. The simple costs for my empowerment would be trivial in the possession of such power. I could turn the powerful to my whim, control their every action, and be a true lord of lords, never again bowing to the cruelty that was human frailty. I could see the judgment in their eyes, ring at me from the bottom of that dais. The boy, a cripple before the system granted him the boon of health, might have been able to understand me if I exined it to him, but why would I bother when I could show him instead? The old lord and his advisor, their bodies empty of the vital energy that was their essence, would serve as both an experiment and an example. The two were lucky to be able to bear witness to my rise above humanity. Reaching out my arms, I activated the circle. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¨C When the Party Ends (4) The darker red light inside of the circle flowed into the bodies on the floor, suffusing them with luminescent energy before the bodies dissipated into the light, and a column was formed out of the energy in the circle, sinking slowly to reveal the twisted amalgamation of what had once been the lord and his advisor. Humanoid in appearance, the creature¡¯s flesh was warped with unnatural bumps and swollen muscles that looked almost as if they were about to burst from its skin. Mana visibly swirled around it in red and ck hues, and it gripped the lord¡¯s greatsword in a single hand as if the sword were as light as a feather. In its other hand, a swirling dark orb of mana collected above its upward-facing palm. No intelligence lingered behind the thing¡¯s nk eyes. It simply stood and waited, its breathing abored echo that filled the room. [[Amalgamation A creature born of the desperation and hatred of a being who has bound the husks of two skilled adventurers to his bidding. The Amalgamation inherits the skills of both bodies used in its creation.]] In that brief moment of calm, the Snake looked at us again and shook his head with silent judgment. While I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of stats the creature had, I guessed that it would be safe to assume that its stats were higher than the elf monster¡¯s had been. The reddish light from the cracks in the walls brightened and surged towards the Snake, absorbed into his body. [[Dungeon Quest Stop the dungeon boss frompleting his ritual Time Limit: 2:00]] The quest gave no indication as to what would happen if we failed it or what the ritual actually was, but it couldn¡¯t have been good. It was likely the only window of time where the Snake would be vulnerable. Rhil seemed to realize that about the same time I did. She fired a bolt of lightning from her hand toward the Snake, only for the bolt to be redirected into the ominous orb that the creature in front of us held. The timer started to tick down as it nted itself firmly on the ground, lowering itself for a charge beforeunching forward, the stones cracking behind it and leaking more light. The orb that it held seemed to act as a magical shield of sorts, absorbing Rhil¡¯s sts as the creature swung its sword at her in a vertical arc. She used the same shield of energy she had used before in the fight against the elf tounch herself backward with the blow before it could actually reach her. While the elf¡¯s attacks had at least been stopped by the concussive force, the monster before us continued its swing straight through the st, its sheer strength and bulk unfazed by the miniature explosion. ¡ªCRACK The greatsword smashed into the stone where Rhil had been standing, the stones crumbling away to reveal an endless void of energy, still streaming towards the Snake. I hadn¡¯t been wrong in believing that the chamber floated in a sort of sea of the stuff. I took the opportunity to attempt to run towards the Snake, hoping that the creature was distracted by Rhil. Seeming to sense my intentions, the thingunched itself to intercept me, moving faster than I could even if I used the help of the earth skill and ?Strike?. It swung its sword in a wide arc as I arrived, the de booming through the air. It would probably cleave right through me if it touched me, even with the earthen armor. Luckily, it didn¡¯t attempt to feint its attack, allowing me to just barely duck under it and retreat from a potentially lethal follow up. The thing seemed mindless, but if had some innatemand to protect its master above all else, it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as one of us distracting it to run past. [[Time Limit: 1:45]] Only fifteen seconds had passed, and I had already almost been cut in two. Instead of attacking us again, the creature simply watched, its eyes flicking back and forth between us. I thought over my skills and what I had seen the creature do. Defeating it seemed all but impossible, but luckily all we had to do was stop the Snake, which would probably also stop the creature in front of us¡­ At least, I hoped it would. ?Strike?, my earthen control, Rhil¡¯s sts, the creature¡¯s speed¡ªall of it shed through my mind as I desperately attempted to fit the pieces together into a solution that would work. As second ticked down, Rhil was likely thinking in the same way I was. ¡°Do you have any ideas? My mana is running low. I have enough for maybe two or three more skills.¡± Neither of us had been injured yet, but that could change at any time. Then, the pieces clicked together into something that might work. ¡°Yeah, I think I have an idea¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± [[Time Limit: 1:15]] ¡°I¡¯ll need you to distract it again. Do you have anything that could lure it over to attack again?¡± She bit her lip as she considered for a moment, going over her skills in her head. ¡°¡­Yeah, I might have something that it can¡¯t absorb. It¡¯ll have to attack again if it wants to stop the skill.¡± That would be one of her skills used, which meant we had room for her to use about two more before she waspletely out of mana. That was all I needed. ¡°Can you cast that shield on someone else?¡± I asked, referring to the lightning shield that she had used to block the attacks. ¡°Yes, though it will only be good for one attack¡­¡± ¡°I need you to cast it on me before getting its attention.¡± My n clicked into ce in my head. Though it would be risky, it was the best thing I could think of at that moment. ¡°Ready when you are¡­¡± I spoke with trepidation evident in my voice. Zzzzt! Zzzzzt! Blue arcs of lightning began to rise from Rhil, spreading out from her as she concentrated into a brightly luminescent orb hovering in front of her outwardly stretched hands. The hues of blue cast by the ball of lightning mixed with the slow red tendrils of energy still streaming towards the Snake, merging into a hazy magenta light as the energy from the blue orb overpowered the red cast by the tendrils. [[Time: 1:00]] Half of our time had already passed. The Amalgamation that had been standing idly in front of the dais shifted slightly, focusing fully on Rhil¡¯s spell. Spells with cast times were known to be especially powerful. I could only guess what kind of chaos it would unleash if let loose inside that chamber. Luckily, she was using it only to draw the creature¡¯s attention. If a spell that took so long to cast was let loose in such an enclosed space, it would have likely been enough to vaporize all of us. Crack! The floor below the creature erupted as itunched itself at her again. Taking my cue, I sprinted forward, trusting my ears to warn me when it was going to leap again. Boom! Another explosion echoed as the creature¡¯s sword made contact with Rhil¡¯s lightning shield. A separate purple sh visibly brightened the room from behind me. Not being able to turn back, fully focused on my next movement, I could only hope Rhil was okay. Crack! The sound of another leap reached my ears and a blur of movement began to pass above me. Before it could fully pass, I reacted, my movements already nned out. I made a leaping half-turn, using ?Strike? to bring an earthen spike from my hand down onto my sternum. [[Mana: 75/100]] Boom! The lightning shield exploded,unching me toward the Snake even faster, just overtaking the Amalgamation as itnded next to me. We had reached the ce where it had originally been summoned from by then, slightly more than a dozen steps away from the Snake, where he was still standing with arms spread out in his ritual. It swung its sword at me in ast attempt to stop me, a backhand swipe, a glint of steel through the air that I had no chance of evading. I had prepared for that, too. I summoned the earth from my core again, condensing it into the smallest shield I dared, Agility just enough to track where the de would strike. At the same time, I used my next skill¡­ [[?Walk it Off?]] [[Mana: 50/100]] I focused the skill onto that little section of earth that I was attempting to use as a shield, willing the skill to believe that protruding earth was a part of my body. If the skill didn¡¯t work the way I hoped it did, it would likely be the end of me¡­ Whoosh. I didn¡¯t even have the time to register being hit before the impact of the blow elerated me even more. The world blurred past for a moment as I flew. At that point, it was all I could do to throw ast desperate ?Strike? out towards the Snake as he filled my vision. [[Mana: 25/100]] I hadn¡¯t even had the moment necessary to resummon the earth around my hand. My bare fist approached his chest and everything slowed until it ground to a halt. Frozen in the air, first pressed against the Snake¡¯s chest, his eyes focused on something I couldn¡¯t see, a ring sh of light forming in front of where my hand was approaching his body and silhouetting him with a blinding sheen of force as all of the gathered energy in his body formed a sort of natural shield. My attack slowed to a near halt against his chest, powerless. I could feel the fabric of the cloak around his chest, the salty taste in my mouth where I had bitten my tongue somewhere in the blur of motion, and the smell of burning ozone permeating my nostrils¡ªlikely a reaction to the sheer force of the mana being released into the air. Everything was silent in that frozen moment. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¨C When the Party Ends (5) I had already used ?Strike?, my full momentum was aiding the blow, yet it still wasn¡¯t enough to prate through the thick field of energy protecting him. I either had to do something at that moment granted to me or ept defeat. There was still an ability I had yet to use, one I wasn¡¯t even sure how to use. {?Way of the Eruption?} Rather than simply willing more power into my fist, I imagined my body as a volcano, full of pressure waiting to burst, blood flowing with a power that needed a direction¡ªa power that I directed through my body as it seared through my bloodstream, a burning sensation apanying it. I endured the burning sensation, eyes wanting to water from the pain, barely able to do so in that moment of slowed time. Then, when the energy reached my first, I pushed it again, one final time¡­ An intense heat warmed my face, and a sh of searing white light erupted from my fist and bridged thatst small gap through the energy field between my fist and the Snake¡¯s chest. A system message emerged from the chaos. [[Dungeon Cleared Error: Unable to calcte rewards. Error: Unregistered dungeon. Error: Mana interference unreadable.]] The screen flickered for a moment before vanishing again, and then the world blurred back into motion. The Snake wasunched backward, bouncing off of the lord¡¯s seat and tumbling to the floor. My forward momentum was slowed by the impact, causing me to crash unceremoniously to the floor, still disoriented by the strange pause and sliding for a moment across the rough stone. As the dungeon had been cleared, the changes to the castle were undone, the cracks in the walls mended themselves, and the red light suffusing the chamber receded away until there was only darkness¡­ ¡ªA darkness lit by a floating purple orb where I hadst seen the creature attack Rhil before I had turned away. System messages floated at the edges of my vision, However, there were more important matters to attend to first. ¡°Hello?!¡± Rhil¡¯s voice echoed out from the slowly shrinking orb. ¡°Rhil?!¡± I scrambled back up and almost fell over again as I tripped over myself in my frantic run down the dais stairs. ¡°Aizen? Can you hear me?¡± When I reached the orb, by then the size of my upper body and still shrinking, I felt an invisible force that seemed to be pushing me away as if it were a maic field of sorts. ¡°What happened?! Where are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That monster let the thing in its hand loose after I jumped away. I think it transported me somewhere else¡­¡± I reached my hand towards the orb again, trying in vain to somehow push my hand through it. My mind raced. I had no way of knowing where she might be in this huge world¡ªshe could even have been in the far unexplored regions outside of what we knew as civilized territory. ¡°Describe your surroundings for me, where are you? Is there anything that I might be able to use to find you?¡± I heard Rhil¡¯sbored breath through the orb. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m in a cave. It¡¯s cold and hard to breathe, I think I might be somewhere high up?¡± That would make sense. It was probably akin to the feeling one would have after going from sea level to the top of a mountain where the air was less dense, which would exin herbored breathing. The orb had shrunk to the size of my head. ¡°Is there anything else?!¡± The location she was in was probably a mountain range, though it could have also been a magical phenomenon or some other unknown cause. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s this asional shrill cry farther down the tunnel and the sound of something leathery pping. Something with wings?¡± The orb was only going to allow us a few more seconds tomunicate. ¡°Rhil, stay there as long as you can! I¡¯ll find you!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if she had entirely heard me as the orb blipped out of existence and I was left standing in a murky, permeating darkness. ¡ªCough, cough. A series of wet coughs from somewhere behind me brought me out of my stupor. The Snake was still alive. ¡°Fool¡­¡± His voice rasped out from where I hadst seen him, somewhere up near the lord¡¯s seat. Using the sound of his rasping breath and his voice, I stumbled back up the dais through the inky ckness towards him. ¡°Can¡¯t be¡­ stopped¡­¡± It was so dim that I almost thought it a specter of my imagination at first, but a hazy red aura still leaked away from the Snake, thest bits of power that he had been trying to absorb from the dungeon. Tap, Tap. I don¡¯t know if he saw me or guessed at my presence from the slow steps of my boots on the smooth stone floor, but he continued speaking, his form shaking but otherwise unmoving. ¡°You thought¡­ this was¡­ bad?¡± I didn¡¯t pay much mind to what nonsense he was speaking. I only wanted one thing from him. ¡°What did you do to Rhil?¡± I crouched by his side. ¡°Tell me and I¡¯ll send you off quickly.¡± His body shook again as heughed at my question. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I only created it¡­¡± Was he referring to the Amalgamation again? If he had only created it without regard for its abilities, it was believable that he wouldn¡¯t understand what had happened either. If that was the case¡­ He was useless to me. Killing the party that had been trying to rob me initially hadn¡¯t even been intentional¡ªI had felt nothing but panic. Killing the thug when I got back while defending myself from his assault had left me feeling somewhat guilty, it had been another living, breathing person, after all. The thought of killing the Snake, however, left me with naught but a bitter taste in my mouth. I thought of it as a necessity, only regretful that he hadn¡¯t died sooner. ¡°From every city¡­ this was¡­ only a trial run.¡± He coughed out the words. ¡°You¡¯ll join me¡­ soon.¡± The Snake let out ast shuddering breath before going still for good. The hazy aura around him dissipatedpletely, and a final string of shimmering energy shot off from him, headed through the walls of the castle to who knows where. I was once again left in darkness, a resolve building within me. Finally, I opened the system messages that I had been ignoring. [[Dungeon Cleared Reward Calcted¡­ +2500 XP]] [[Current XP: 3750/2000]] [[Level Up!]] The first window was the experience reward for clearing the dungeon, which boosted me to level three. Considering it took most people half a year or longer to reach level three, reaching it so quickly was almost unheard of. [[Level 3! Reward: +2 STR, +2 END Skill: ?Second Wind? 1 Free Skill Point]] The level-up reward itself appeared next. With the additional +2 to STR and +2 to END, that set my STR at 16+4 and END at 16. {{Quest Complete! Save the City! +500 XP}} {{Current XP: 2100/2000}} {{Level Up!}} Finally, two messages appeared from the second system. {{Eruption skill tree selections expanded!}} I put the extra skill point into agility again; speed was still an issue. {{Eruption Options Power seeps through every blow, a steady yet constant pressure. The power of your Eruption will be reduced, but it will be easier and less costly to use. Poweres at a cost, a great blow for great sacrifice. The power of your Eruption will increase dramatically, but your body bes prone to the forces released by the Eruption. Power burns, a painful yet constant reminder. The power of your Eruption can be condensed into a piercing st, but otherwise remains the same.}} An option for increased use, increased attack, or increased¡­ condensation? I wasn¡¯t sure what thest one could entail. I recalled the brief sh of energy I had seen emerge from my fist and I guessed that it would somehow enable me to condense the force of my attacks within a smaller area, like a sort of invisible spike from my knuckle perhaps. The battle with the Snake had proven that I needed something to pierce barriers or armor with, which would likelye from the second or third options. While the option of having a sort of ¡°nuclear¡± fallback as a trump card was appealing, it sounded like it would be able to harm me as well. The third option, however, hinted at a sort of ¡°armor piercing¡± effect to my attacks, which would have been helpful against the Snake. I could only imagine the oue if Eruption by itself hadn¡¯t been enough. {{You have selected ?Piercing Eruption?.}} With that, Ipleted my leveling, still standing alone in the dark room. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Outside the castle¡­ After emerging from the castle, I was d to see that signs of battle further into the city seemed to have ceased. I worked my way through the streets back down to the city central, passing by people frantically putting out fires, resting, or tending to the wounded. The central square of the city in front of the Awakener Association had been turned into a field hospital of sorts, people streaming or being carried in and treated by the healers from the temple. I sat down near the Association building and took a brief but needed rest. Shutting my eyes, I bathed in the moment, taking in the smell of fire and soot, the coughs and cries of pain from the adventurers being treated, and the gentle warmth of the sun again on my face. ¡°Aizen?¡± I was interrupted from my brief moment of peace by a familiar voice. Alikr stood in front of me, still in his Association suit. ¡°Hey, Alikr¡­ You wouldn¡¯t believe the day I¡¯ve had¡­¡± I let out a slight chuckle, thinking back on the events, thinking about where Rhil might be at that moment. He raised an eyebrow at me and looked around the square as if to say that he would believe anything at that point. ¡°One moment I was helping newbies register for quests and the next, the sky darkened and transformed awakeners attacked us along with fiery goblinoids. We¡¯re still not sure what happened, but it all stopped all at once¡­¡± I had a long story to tell him, which could be saved forter. I had something more pressing to ask at that moment. ¡°Have you heard of a fighter by the name of Bernard by any chance? He should be traveling with a mage, Velle.¡± I needed to know if Bernard was still in the city, as I had a proposition for him. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¨C A New Journey (1) Alikr recalled the warrior-mage duo fairly easily. The two had been helpful in fighting off the monsters and had brought a good number of the unawakened citizens to safety. He pointed down towards a section of the city I could see smoke rising over the rooftops from even from the safety of the city square. ¡°Last I saw them, they headed that way in search of more survivors that might need help.¡± That made sense. From what I had recalled, the two had mentioned that they were on a ¡°quest¡± to save people who had been trapped in the dungeons of unexplored territory. I had thought it a foolish mission at the time, especially when considering their level and party size¡­ But they seemed true to their ideals, helping the citizens of a city that they had no allegiance to when they could have just run for the easy XP from the system. ¡­Which brought another question to my mind: Why would the system want people to run from a dungeon break? The system was usually known to have people confront and defeat dungeons, not have them run away at the slightest sign of danger. I shook the question away for the moment. I would need to find the two of them again before the opportunity vanished. *** Following the direction that Alikr had pointed, I was able to witness the destruction firsthand. Many houses and structures that weren¡¯t made of stone had been burned and were still smoldering, letting off lingering smoke. Mages cast water spells to put out still-raging fires, and even sturdier stone foundations had crumpled from the impact of something. If the monsters that had once been awakeners had retained some of their awakener skills, then it wasn¡¯t too hard to imagine them being able to crack stone and set so much of the city aze, especially when aided by those imp-things. I continued to walk towards thergest column of smoke still rising into the sky. As I got closer to the source of the smoke, I could see that it was borne of the ruins of a section of the city that had been constructed mostly of thin wood and untreated earth. The small, square-like building burned and spread the fire easily, yet against the raging fire there was a steady, localized raincloud hovering above that soothed the mes somewhat. ¡ªA water mage. Velle came to my mind again and I remembered seeing her cast a wave of water at the fire of the forest that I had started my idental awakening in. It was likely that she and Bernard were somewhere in that chaos, doing their best to stop the fire from spreading. Before long, a survivor limped out from behind one of the destroyed buildings. I watched the frail, soot-covered man stop against the intact wall of one of the building closer to me. Cough, cough. He supported himself against the wall as a hacking cough went through his body, causing him to double over. I would have liked to help him if I could, but I had no way of fighting against such an affliction or providing any aid, and I didn¡¯t have the time to escort him all the way back to the za. He would have to fend for himself. At least he had provided me with a direction. Around the building that he had turned from, I heard a man¡¯s voice yelling through the steady downpour of the localized raincloud. ¡°Velle! I think we have almost all of them! Just hold it for a little longer!¡± It was a familiar voice¡ªBernard¡¯s. I hurried over to where I heard him yelling, navigating through the broken debris in the narrow street between the crumbled houses towards the raging fire of arger,bined building¡ªa series of square structures that had been put together into arger structure. The artificial rain picked up and soaked me more the closer I got to the fire. Wsshhh. I heard him again. ¡°Damn it!¡± Crash. I saw him as he swung hisrge sword into the side of the building, apanied by the cries of people within, begging to be saved, suffocating in the smoke of the fire. Velle stood next to him, holding a crystal in her hand, eyes shut in concentration. It was a mana crystal. Mages often struggled with mana problems, especially withrger spells that could be channeled for various effects or that grew in strength over time. To ount for that weakness, it wasn¡¯t umon for special crystals to asionally be found within monsters or dungeons that could store mana forter use to be used. They were so prohibitively expensive that they were only usually used forrge-scale warfare spells or in decisive moments to take down a dungeon boss. It at least exined how she was able to keep such a powerful rain spell up over such a wide area. ¡°Bernard?!¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * I approached him still swinging his sword at the side of the building, trying to force a gaprge enough for those inside to escape through. He whipped his head towards me, eyes lighting with recognition despite my mostly ruined andpletely soaked suit. ¡°Kid! Help me out here! There are some people still trapped in the building!¡± It was a good opportunity to try out my new ability, if nothing else. I jogged up to the side of the building where he had been swinging his sword, looking at the splintered wood from sessive sword strikes. It looked like he had hardly made any progress¡ªit would require many more such swings before the gap would be wide enough for someone to just barely crawl through¡­ And at that point, everyone inside would likely be dead. Looking at how the inside of the building and the people moring to be saved could just barely be seen through the small slit created in the wall by the sword thus far, an idea came to my mind. There was only the question of if I had enough stamina to enact my n. I stepped within range of where Bernard had already done damage to the wall. Then, I let the fiery energy surge through my veins from my core, summoning the earth with it and turning it into a gauntlet around my fist again. I mmed my fist into the corner of an imagined square around the gash in the wall. Crack. A sh of white light erupted from my hand at the moment of impact. My hand impacted the wall and left behind a smaller hole, just smaller than the size of my fist itself, that cut clean through to the other side. More smoke leaked from the hole left behind by my attack. I felt the pull of fatigue and concluded that I should have enough within me to repeat the process on the three other corners of the imagined square. Crack, Crack, Crack. Finally, after all four holes had beenpleted, when sweat was running down my back despite the rain, I spoke to Bernard, who had been watching me with a quizzical expression on his face. ¡°I need you to hit the center of this as hard as you can with the t of your sword, use any skills you have that might be able to increase the impact of your attack.¡± He nodded at my words, seeming to catch on to what I was doing. ¡°Hey! I need everyone to step aside for a moment!¡± I yelled towards the building, doing the best I could to make sure they heard me through the holes I had made in the structure of the wall. As we stood on either side of the area on the wall, he held up his sword and took a deep breath¡­ Whoosh. The sword swung through the air, the de directed towards the wall for maximum speed, before Bernard twisted his grip on the weapon and hit it with the t of his de at thest moment. Then, just before his de struck¡­ [[?Strike?]] I used up thest of my energy in a mana-fueled strike on the de, imagining a concussive strike rather than a piercing one, trying to mimic the final blow that I had dealt to the Snake. sh! A blinding sh of white light erupted again when my hand struck the de, sending it thosest few inches into the side of the building with destructive force. The sh was the same as when the Snake had been knocked away from his ritual. Boom! The sword mmed into the building with enough force to cause the air to reverberate around us. For just a moment, the t of the de stopped against the wall¡­ Then it continued through, taking the chunk of the wall with it, the wood ripping roughly away from the holes I had created around the points to weaken the structure¡ªsimr to how poking holes along a paper would make it easier to rip along the holes. Bernard¡¯s sword continued even as it was sent flying out of his hands by the blow, spinning through the air and ttering to the floor inside. ¡°Come on, everyone out!¡± The people inside mored to get out, crawling through the hole we had created in the wall, coughing and taking in the fresh air. After everyone was out, Bernard leaped into the building and grabbed his sword again beforeing back out just as quickly. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. It was just a sword, and the building could have copsed at any moment. It wouldn¡¯t have been too costly to rece. He smirked at me, catching my gaze. ¡°This de and I have a bit of a history¡­¡± ¡ªSentimental value. Seeing that we had seeded in rescuing everyone, Velle let the rain spell go with a loud exhtion of breath. The rain stopped immediately, thest drops of rainfalling down in a single sheet before the clouds simply vanished into thin air as the sun was revealed again, lighting the area that had been darkened by the clouds. Bernard pointed the way to the city square for the survivors and they left along the path I had taken. As they left, Velle dropped the mana crystal to the ground. It was cracked and empty, revealing that she had been on the dregs of her own personal mana before we had rescued the survivors. We left for the square as the fire began to pick up again and the building crumbled behind us. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¨C A New Journey (2) We regroupedter with Alikr and met inside the Association building for some privacy, taking a small table corner to ourselves while we discussed what the next n of action would be. ¡°Thest I heard from her, she said it was cold and hard to breathe¡­¡± I had finished recounting the story of my side of the events for them, leaving out having the second system and instead exining it as a rare elemental hybrid of the fighter ss, which they had likely already guessed at from when we had fought the goblins on the road together. ¡°Are you still nning on heading to the unexplored areas?¡± I asked them, hoping that I could join them and have their assistance in finding Rhil. ¡°I think it¡¯s more vital than ever that we save as many people as possible while we figure out what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Bernard was still resolved to go. I didn¡¯t know if he had a specific person he was trying to find or if he was simply doing it because of his own bleeding heart, but it didn¡¯t matter to me. ¡°But what about what the Snake said?¡± Velle asked, referring to the Snake¡¯sst words. ¡°I already sent word through the Association but I¡¯ll probably be heading to the capital after we clean up here.¡± I hadn¡¯t expected him toe with us, anyway. Alikr had his own duties to the Association that came first. With Alikr going to the capital, any worry I felt about what might happen while I was away was somewhat relieved. It was an irrational fear because I would likely be unable to help either way, but it was still there, especially after seeing the destruction of the city I had called home for so long. ¡°What about supplies?¡± I asked. I had still been unable to find a storage bag that worked properly for me. ¡°We had procured the necessary supplies already and had been preparing to head out before everything broke into chaos. That crystal was one of thest items we had procured¡­¡± Velle¡¯s voice trailed off. Mana crystals ofrge capacity were prohibitively expensive. While the Association had already rewarded those who had stayed behind and helped protect the city, it wouldn¡¯t amount to the cost of a mana crystal. Objectively speaking, they would have been better off time, experience, and money-wise if they had just left. ¡°Well, since it sounds like you¡¯ll be headed that way anyway, do you think I can tag along?¡± I finally spoke about my intentions. I needed to find Rhil before something terrible happened. ¡°It¡¯d be great to have one more member along, kid, especially since I¡¯ve already seen you fight. It sounds like your friend might be in a mountainous area, right?¡± Taking into ount the cold and the difficulty Rhil had experienced in breathing, Bernard and I had bothe to the same conclusion. ¡°I actually have an idea for that.¡± Alikr spoke and rummaged around inside of his bag for a few moments before producing a long canvas scroll and unrolling it on the table, the edges of it dangling out into the air. It was a map that showed the explored areas around the city and included the areas of the unexplored regions that we were thinking about. While the explored areas on the map were marked with terrain features,ndmarks, towns, cities, and outposts, the unexplored regions past and between those were simply left nk. Alikr rested his finger on a section of the map that was far northeast of us, following a faint line that had been explored up to the marking of a mountain. ¡°If we were to assume that the teleport spell she was struck with would follow the path of least resistance to the closest mountain range¡­¡± He tapped on the map to emphasize his point. ¡°¡­Then this should be it.¡± ¡®Why would we assume that the spell deposited her there and not in literally any other mountain range on the?¡¯ I made my concerns known. ¡°Why are you assuming she¡¯s there?¡± Alikr looked at me, seeming to remember that I was fairly new to the adventuring business and didn¡¯t have much practical knowledge. ¡°The longer the distance, the more mana such a spell takes. While it could be possible that she was taken somewhere else, it¡¯s most likely that she¡¯d be in the nearest mountain range, assuming a mountain range is where she actually is, of course.¡± There were too many assumptions and ifs for my liking, but I had nothing else to go on. ¡°We can go for your friend first. From how you described her, she would be of great help going forward.¡± Bernard was under the assumption that she would be joining the group and that I would be staying with him after she was rescued. Of course, I didn¡¯t deign to correct him in his assumptions either. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, if a bit naive. Velle was harder to get a read on. She was soft-spoken and tended to watch. I had no way of knowing what she might be thinking at any given moment. Still, we agreed to venture together for the time being while Alikr headed towards the capital. We said our goodbyes to Alikr and parted ways with him shortly after. There was nothing left for me in the city, and we took the same mana wagon that I had ridden into the city on with them back out, headed towards the mountains on the map¡ªthe distance too great and muddled for us to see the mountains from the city. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * We stopped only a few hours after exiting the city, in a forested section of the road where we could take the wagon not far off the path and hide it from the view of the main road. It was better to be safe than sorry. We had a small meal consisting of dried jerky that could go a long time before spoiling as we discussed our ns. The wagon was big enough for all of us to sleep in safely, and thanks to rm magic that Velle was able to ce within a wide radius of the vehicle, we wouldn¡¯t need to have someone stay up as a guard. The magic would warn us in advance if anythingrge enough to harm us passed over it. Velle pointed to an area on the map not far up the road from where we were. It was a dungeon marked only a short distance from the main road as well. ¡°This is a low-rank goblin dungeon. It should be easy to clear for us and allow us to get used to fighting together as a party.¡± Velle was the one who had made the suggestion and was pointing out the dungeon on the map. The map was marked with various sites that could be dungeons. The markings tallied the dungeons¡¯ estimated ¡°rank¡± or ¡°difficulty¡±, and the enemy type of each dungeon, which was easy enough to figure out without locking oneself into said dungeons. I thought that it was also a good opportunity to gain levels before the mountains. While the goblin dungeon was calcted as something fairly easy, the dungeons tended to get harder the farther out from the city that we looked. It was already dark by then, the forest around us was eerily quiet, not at all filled with the sounds of the forest that I was used to. I wasn¡¯t sure if it had something to do with the magic circle or not, but not even a bug chirped within hearing distance of us that night. *** The entrance to the dungeon was a simple cave mouth set into the side of arge rock, recognizable as a dungeon by the hazy purple aura that hovered at the mouth of it. When we entered that aura, anything and everything inside could be different from how it looked on the outside. After we parked the wagon a short distance away so that any wandering goblins that might emerge from the cave weren¡¯t able to immediately spot it, we approached the entrance. The purple haze in front of the entrance shimmered and twisted as we approached, as if reacting to our presence. I still had yet to receive any more quests at that time, but I expected that to change soon. Bernard stepped into the must first, vanishing into the air as he stepped into whatever world waited inside the mist. Velle followed after Bernard, not even hesitating for a moment. The same couldn¡¯t be said for me. While I was eager to level up and to be able to rescue and see Rhil again, I couldn¡¯t help but think back to my first dungeon experience and the aftermath of it. I logically knew that the goblin dungeon had likely been there for months, undisturbed, and was a dungeon of the static variety, but it was still enough to put some level of fear into my heart. When I mustered up the courage and stepped through that purple boundary, I found myself at the start of a dark, narrow tunnel that led into the earth. [[You have entered a Dungeon!]] [[Dungeon: Spirit Breaker Clear Conditions: Defeat the Dungeon Boss This dungeon holds a powerful hatred within. A species that hates the other intelligent species of the unconditionally and often makes pacts with other, darker beings calls this their home.]] Bernard had already taken out a few Light Stones, which were, as the name implied, stones that were imbued with the Light spell that would keep them emitting a soft, steady light for hours before they needed to be recharged with mana. ¡°Here, we never know what might happen.¡± He handed me one of the stones so that I could light the way for myself in case it was needed. I looked back behind me and saw that the purple haze still lingered at the entrance, which meant that, in the worst-case scenario, we would be able to escape from that ce without having to do something dramatic such as fight to the end or make a valiantst stand. We followed the pathway for some distance, the walls seeming to slope steadily away from us until we were walking through the middle of a cavernous tunnel with still no end in sight. The edges of the circles of light cast by our stones grew dimmer and dimmer until we were sure that the darkness itself was unnatural, pressing down on our light from all sides. A glint of silver light shone for a brief moment in the darkness before the first ambush began. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¨C A New Journey (3) Before I could react, Velle had already effectively stopped the arrow with a pressurized water stream. Bernard tossed his Light Stone towards where the arrow hade from, already running to reach the attacker. I stuck by Velle as more goblins emerged from the darkness as if they had been waiting just out of sight in the murky shadows. The goblins were a bit sturdier and better organized than the ones that I had first encountered on the road. While the ones on the road had worn little more than loincloths and wielded jagged, makeshift weapons, the goblins in the dungeon even had makeshift armor covering vital areas, their weapons were sharp and well-shaped, and their movements were better organized as well. Even still, the goblins were easy enough to take on. At first, I fought them while worrying about Velle¡¯s safety, never straying too far from her and letting the goblins poke at me while I redirected their attacks with the earthen armor. Strained grunts, shing metal, and cries of pain echoed through the cave from where Bernard fought against another group of goblins by himself in the illumination of the Light stone he had thrown at the start of the fight, sticking near the stone and kicking it around for illumination as he closed in on his attackers. Velle seemed to catch onto the fact that I was trying to protect her pretty quickly. ¡°Aizen, what are you doing?!¡± A surge of water erupted from her hands and knocked away a goblin that had been rushing at her. I then understood that, though she was a mage, she didn¡¯t need someone to protect her. Throwing those kinds of thoughts aside, I pursued the goblins more aggressively. I thought that theirbat method was chaotic and disorganized versus what I had imagined fighting in a party would be like. Weren¡¯t we supposed to support each other and take things carefully until the enemies were defeated? Fighting on my own, without worrying about Velle, I was able to make quick work of the goblins attacking me, even with their improved tactics and equipment. ¡­I didn¡¯t even have to use any mana to defeat them, the stone gauntlet being enough to crush them. Their thin armor, more suitable for shes, was useless and crumpled like paper underneath my strikes. I exhaled a deep breath when thest of them was dealt with, looking around with my Light Stone to see if I could spot any more while also ncing over to see how Velle and Bernard were doing. Both had already dealt with their share of enemies. While I only counted three goblin bodies at my feet, Velle was surrounded by at least four bodies, and Bernard even more. [[+25 XP]] [[+25 XP]] [[+25 XP]] [[Current XP: 3825/4000]] I would be at level 4 with seven more goblin kills. We regrouped again before going forward and made sure that nobody had been hurt. I also took a moment to bring up a question that the fight had raised in my mind. ¡°The way you guys fight¡­¡± Velle perked up at my statement. Her red hair bounced, free from her hood. ¡°We¡¯re a small party. It¡¯s more advantageous for us to split up and deal with weaker attackers while staying close enough to help each other if needed. None of us were in any real danger from some dungeon goblins.¡± I was d that she had so much confidence in me. I hadn¡¯t had experience in a party before, so I had always imagined it as something simr to an MMO that I had yed back on earth, with designatedpositions of healers, tanks, etc. In reality, healers were few and far between, and most parties made do with what they could get. A party only ended up being as strong as its weakest member. Strategy and awareness were still important in looking out for enemies that might not be possible to solo, but it wasn¡¯t the cohesive unit I had originally imagined. ¡°Have you two been doing this for a long time?¡± I continued the conversation as we walked farther down the cave, headed to what I assumed was the boss monster. ¡°We¡¯ve been partied up for a bit, with othersing and going along the way. We each have our reasons, but this¡¯ll be our first journey out into the unknown areas. We mostly stuck with Association quests and dungeons within the explored human territory.¡± It didn¡¯t sound like he wanted to delve too far into their reasons at that moment. It was probably a conversation that would best be broached at another time. We were able to continue through the tunnel unosted until we reached a pair of rough stone doors standing in the way of our progress. ¡°Well, this is it. The boss should be behind this door.¡± It seemed to me that we had just barely entered the dungeon. Was a dungeon supposed to be so easy to clear? Velle caught on to my surprise while Bernard looked at the door. ¡°This is only a low-difficulty goblin dungeon. We weren¡¯t really expecting to be here long, it¡¯s a good teamwork exercise.¡± That made sense, but I was worried about if just the three of us could take down a dungeon boss, albeit a low-difficulty dungeon boss. While most parties consisted of 3-4 people for general travel, parties usually banded together in groups of 6-8 for dungeon raids, or so my observations during those long years in the Association had told me. ¡°There should be either an ogre, a goblin war chief, or a shaman behind this door.¡± It sounded like they had previous experience with simr dungeons. Bernard turned around from the door, pping his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking point for this one. Aizen, follow my lead and deal with any additional enemies if there are any, and Velle will provide support.¡± The instructions were simple enough to remember in the midst of battle without being overly convoluted with ns or formations. After making sure we were ready, Bernard pushed the doors open. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Krrrrrrr The doors rumbled as they swung open, revealing a circr arena-like room inside, faintly lit by torches spaced at roughly equal distances around the ce. The arena¡¯s ceiling extended far upwards, out of the range of the torchlight. Waiting for our arrival in the center of the arena stood what I could only assume to be the ogre that Velle had mentioned. The thing was easily twice my size and what could best be described as a thin club in one of its stubby hands. The smell was horrific, a pungent sickly-sweet smell like that of fresh manure and rotten pus. Its body was stout and thick with muscle, and the only sort of equipment it wore was a cloth tied around its waist. It was something straight out of a fantasy movie or video game, but it was very real as it roared at us and charged forward, its footsteps reverberating through the arena and sending bits of debris falling from the high ceiling. Bernard rushed to meet it, and I half-ran after him, slightly hesitant at facing a creature sorge. One blow from that club would probably have been enough to break my bones and shatter any form of protection I tried to conjure. Boom! The ogre swung its club down at Bernard, who used some sort of skill to parry the blow, hisrge sword swinging up and smoothly sending the club crashing into the ground with supernatural ease that couldn¡¯t havee from anything but a system-assisted movement. Before the ogre could recover, Bernard rushed towards its legs and cut a deep gash across the thigh of its leading left leg, causing the ogre to bellow in pain and swing back with its club. Right as the club hit him, a barrier of water slowed it, but it still had enough power to send Bernard flying back. The ogre fully turned toward Bernard and moved to finish him off as he mmed into one of the arena walls and picked himself back up. It had almost seemed to me like he would have been able to take care of it by himself, but I was snapped out of my nd-minded staring when Velle shouted my name. ¡°Aizen!¡± I renewed my speed and kicked off of the ground with a ?Strike? tounch myself at the ogre before it could reach Bernard. [[Mana: 75/100]] [[?Strike?]] I aimed a strike at the side of the knee on the leg that Bernard had cut, the earth forming a gauntlet that shifted forward slightly with my hit to send a bigger impact. CRACK! The Ogre¡¯s leg buckled and it let out another roar of pain, shaking my eardrums. Before I could fully react, it swung its other arm at me in a backhand. Swoosh. As I braced myself for the impact, its hand hit another wall of water and slowed enough so that I could absorb the impact without itpletely smashing me. I was sent tumbling away head over heels, the view swirling and mixing in a kaleidoscope of colors before I hit the floor and the air was knocked out of me as I slid a few feet farther into the wall. Stomp, Stomp. The ogre, frustrated at two of its kills being stolen from it, turned around and started a limp across the arena to Velle, who frantically backed away as Bernard was still trying to stand and I was seeing stars. She nted herself in ce after backing into the wall and threw her hands up in front of her. Water swirled around and out of her, increasing in speed and density until it formed an expanding dome that converged in front of her hands and shot forward in a beam just as the ogre got into range. SKSHHHHHH! The torrent of water caused the ogre to stumble backward onto one knee and sent droplets of water spraying over the rest of the arena, sizzling in the mes and leaving dark spots behind on the dirt floor. I stood again and moved as fast as I was able to towards the ogre, fighting off the dizziness in my head. The ogre¡¯s breathing was strained and it dragged itself back up, ring single-mindedly at Velle. I reached its leg again just as it seemed to notice me and started to shift its gaze my way. [[?Strike?]] {{?Piercing Eruption?}} [[Mana: 50/100]] I used both skills at the same time, channeling my mana and stamina into one blow on its leg and utilizing the piercing option of the Eruption skill to localize the damage as much as I could. CRUNCH! SPKSHH! My blow impacted solidly against the same point on its injured knee, boring a hole through the ogre¡¯s flesh in a sh of intense white light and sending a reverberation up my arm. The ogre fully copsed as its leg becamepletely useless, hanging on from strips of flesh andpletely limp and twisted. ¡°AAAAAAAAAGGGGHH!!!!¡± The ogre let out another reverberating roar and gripped the useless part of its leg below the knee with its free hand, ripping it away from the rest of the flesh and sending blood scattering across my face, the warm droplets interfering briefly with my vision. It iled its leg-club at me in an attempt to ward me off as I leapt away, a wave of magical water assisting with my movements and increasing my distance just enough topletely avoid the earth-shaking blow. Then, as it raised its other arm to bring down its regr club on me, a sh of light streaked across its elbow and the limb was split in two as Bernard skidded past it, having learned better than to stay in one ce. Before the ogre could properly counter, Bernard had already swung back around and used his sword as a sort of pole to redirect his momentum and send himself flying at the ogre¡¯s eyes. His sword pierced the center of the ogre¡¯s head and stopped, the ogre still alive, the sword stopping against its thick skull. Bernard looked at me and we both had the same idea¡­ I rushed forward into the opening he had created and used ?Strike? on the pommel of the sword, driving it through the ogre¡¯s skull. [[Mana: 25/100]] Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¨C Fire and mes (1) [[Enemy Defeated! +150 XP]] [[Current XP: 3975/4000]] Huff, Huff. Save for the sound of us catching our breaths, the arena was silent. ¡°Now what?¡± I asked, looking at Velle. She straightened her robes as Bernard approached us, little puffs of dirt falling from her clothes. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ that should be it.¡± The dungeon hadn¡¯t given us any sort ofpletion message or reward. All we had received was the initial XP reward for killing the ogre. ¡°I was worried there for a second, but nice work there, Aizen.¡± Bernard pped his hand over my shoulder, having picked up his sword that had fallen where the ogre¡¯s head had been. ¡°I think we¡¯ve got a pretty goodposition here.¡± While I didn¡¯t necessarily disagree with him, I was wary about why the dungeon hadn¡¯t given us apletion message yet. ¡°Hey, Bernard, was that it?¡± He scratched his head, his lips forming a slight grimace. ¡°Well, I sure hope it was. It¡¯s only supposed to be a beginner dungeon, after all¡­¡± As if in response to his words, a flickering system message appeared before each of us in a flickering gold and blue box, as if the normal System and the Second System that I had been bing familiar with were warring over the same message box. {{Congrattion on¡­ Cle¡­ Unlocking¡­ the dungeon¡¯s extra level!]] We hadn¡¯t done anything special to warrant such a message, we had only cleared the dungeon in the way that was clearlyid out before us. {{Stand by¡­ Extra level starting!]] KKKKKKKK! The entire arena shook and chunks of debris fell from the ceiling. I stumbled on the floor as it shook below me. KKKKKKKK! I was just in time to see arge stctite falling from the ceiling towards me, stumbling and falling out of the way of it. Bernard and Velle were in a simr state, Velle clinging onto Bernard, who had stabbed his sword into the floor and was using it as a sort of pir for support. Crash! As the stctite mmed into the ground, I felt the floor give way below me and the arena crumble away as we fell into a dark void. I was whisked away from Bernard and Velle in a rush of air as they became dots in the distance and faded away. The air whipped at my hair and clothes, stinging my skin with its coolness. Though all I could see was an inky darkness around me, I was still able to see myself as if I were in a well-lit room. Then, a gray, stony floor rose to meet me, taking up my vision as far as I could see. From a pinprick of gray light to an endless, stone sea, the floor grew closer and closer and I felt the cool rush of air subsiding as some force brought me to a slow halt and deposited me onto the ground. Vwoom. After stepping foot on the hard, cracked stone of the floor, the endless sea of gray rapidly constricted in on itself around me, leaving me on a small, round stone tform in the middle of the inky ck void. {{Error¡­ Dungeon bounds¡­ Extra Level Starting!]] The gold and blue box warred with itself again in a staticky message that faded into view in front of me. ¡®What?¡¯ Extra or hidden rooms inside dungeons were not necessarily unheard of, but I had not heard of one appearing in such a fashion without any sort of special action from the people clearing the dungeon. What was more concerning was that the Second System appeared to have had some sort of hand in whatever was going on. The stone tform elongated on one side into a walkway that extended far ahead into the void, and spots of light cascaded from a point far above, stopping at the level of the tform I stood on and slithering towards me. As the lights met the tform, they pulled themselves out of the darkness as strange, white-silhouetted shadows of goblins and wolves, charging toward me inplete silence. My mana was still low, and goblins and wolves would have normally been easy pickings, but theirpleteck of sounds or reactions was unnerving. Their weapons of light were stopped easily enough by my earthen gauntlet, and they exploded and faded away into the darkness with even my light blows. However, going only by sight, I wasn¡¯t able to watch behind myself at all times, and painshed at my legs and sides as their weapons hit me and left grazing marks against my skin. Haaah¡­ Not longter, my breathing was again the only sound to apany me as I knelt on the floor and supported myself with one hand. I had taken on about ten of the creatures and believed that any more would have been the death of me. It was as if the dungeon knew I was at my limit. ¡®Fuck¡­ Where did the others go?¡¯ * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * I was worried about what might have happened to the other two. Would they be facing the same type of situation that I was or would they have their difficulty scaled ordingly? Seeing as Velle was a mage, I was also worried that she might be nearly out of mana from the ogre encounter. We had fought the monster without any regard for conserving resources, believing it to be the end of the dungeon, after all. There was just that strangely illuminated darkness left. The monsters had given no XP. Approaching the edge of the tform, I reached out my hand tentatively towards the darkness. From the way the stone beneath me seemed to shift and change shapes, I had a theory that the darkness wasn¡¯t a void around me but rather a structure made of an abyss-like material that shifted and moved to reveal passages and routes to progress. Sure enough, my hand made contact with a hard, smooth surface at the edge of the tform. The substance gave a little and had an almost stic-like texture. ¡®Is this a wall of some sort? A shiftingbyrinth? Or just one big, shifting mass?¡¯ I imagined something out of a movie where abyrinth constantly shifted in my mind. If that was the case, could I possibly break down the walls blocking my progress? The earthen gauntlet took very little energy to maintain, to the point that it was almost negligible when I wasn¡¯t summoning or shifting it. It rested around my handfortably, almost like a second skin. I used it to hit the wall, unassisted by any skills from either System, as my resources were already dangerously low. Vwom. My fist impacted the wall almost gently, despite the fact that I had swung at it with all the strength I could muster. The wall depressed slightly and gently bounced back into shape, almost like some sort of memory foam. Even if it was abyrinth, the end result was the same: I wouldn¡¯t be able to break my way through it. I resolved myself to heading down the evident pathway and walked forward with some caution, though I knew it was a tunnel, the void-like walls still made me feel as if I were walking on a tform suspended in space. As I walked down the pathway, faint lights began ying out on the walls, different from the lights that had converged to assault me previously. The lights I saw sparkled and exploded in seemingly distant bursts of blue and gold. It reminded me of the fireworks that used to shoot off around holidays back on Earth. The explosions of gold and blue continued even more chaotically while I continued down the tunnel. An almost sulfur-like smell wafted down the length of the tunnel, increasing with every passing moment. After a few more steps, the explosions lessened, and a streak of golden light shot off down the tunnel, leaving behind a mass of blue light that copsed in on itself with a slow but sure speed until it was almost gonepletely. I followed the gold streak of light down the tunnel, nearing the end of the path. As I approached the darkness at the end of the path, the walls split apart again and revealed another circr room. At the center of the room, a pinprick of blueish-white light floated, the golden light hovering above it on the void-like ceiling. There were a couple of things that were clear to me at that point: First, whatever sort of secret dungeon I was in was highly abnormal and didn¡¯t seem to have been entirely intentional, which brought up the question of how the usually wless System could have intentions or mistakes, or what might be able to interfere with it. Second, the entire dungeon had some meaning behind it that was eluding me. Was it trying to tell me something, or was it something that had been created or triggered based on something else that wasn¡¯t meant to talk to me specifically? Still, the blue and gold lights waited, otherwise inert. They had infinite patience, and I had to go forward at some point unless I wanted to die down there. I stepped into the room with the two lights. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¨C Fire and mes (2) Still the blue and gold lights waited, otherwise inert. They had infinite patience, and I had to go forward at some point unless I wanted to die down there. I stepped into the room with the two lights. The wall silently closed behind me, leaving me in the circr room. I observed the lights with the system to see if they could give me any sort of hint as to what they were. The System returned nonsense. VWOOOoooooo. The lights brightened, the blue and gold colors warring with each other in a collision of illumination that blinded me. Then, after the light became unbearable and the warble in my ears reached its peak, everything stopped. I felt a warmth on my face, and a steady glow lit up the backs of my eyelids. A gentle breeze brushed past my face. I opened my eyes. A barrennd surrounded me atop a hill I stood at the apex of, next to an old, withered tree. Thendscape was ck, and the smell of ash and burnt wood wafted through the air. A steady gray fog of ash covered thendscape, drifting down around the hill. Far above, in a sky of red and ck, a zing rock hung on the horizon, seemingly unmoving. ¡°What do you think?¡± The raspy, echoing voice of a woman sounded out from next to me as I looked out over the horizon. The voice startled me, I would have sworn that I had been alone up there at first. There wouldn¡¯t have been anywhere for someone to hide. I turned. A robed figure stood, leaning against the withered tree. The figure gestured vaguely with one hand, her face hidden within the hood of the robe. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The vige, what do you think of it?¡± ¡®What vige?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t anything that could be described as a vige in the bleakndscape. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡®Is this an apparition of the system?¡¯ The figure wagged a finger at me. ¡°Look.¡± I followed the figure¡¯s pointing finger with my eyes. There, only a short distance from the hill, a semi-translucent image of arge wooden building appeared, other buildings around it even hazier and harder to make out, no more than mere shapes. ¡°The vige, what do you think of it?¡± However I looked at it, it must have been another test from the System, so I decided to y along. It didn¡¯t look like much of a vige, only a building with a few vague shapes at most. ¡°Ah, but imagine what it could be. Tell me, what do you see?¡± The figure spoke as if reading my thoughts. It probably was. I had never interacted with the System in such a way. Monsters and dungeons existed and werergely believed to be creations of the system, yes, but I hadn¡¯t heard of the system creating an ¡°NPC¡± before. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted, tell me what kind of vige you see there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean¡­¡± ¡°Do you see a rigidly structured, organized vige, nned out ahead of time by settlers, or do you see a vige that grew around a singr structure and popped up spontaneously as it grew over time? ¡°¡­¡± I imagined in my head how such a vige might look. I liked the idea of something that grewmunally over time, sudden and spontaneous, a ce that people grew to love and stayed with for the location as much as the people, a ce unlike any I had experienced thus far. ¡°Good, hold that image.¡± As I watched, the blobs of indistinct shape assembled themselves into huts and buildings, arrayed loosely around therge central structure. ¡°And what kind of figure leads this vige?¡± I imagined a leader who put the people first, one who was impossibly selfless and struck strongly to their values. ¡°The vige experiences an attack by monsters, the vigers fight off the monsters and decide to create a better defense for next time. Do they fortify their measly walls and create an organized lookout structure, or do they revel in the feel of crushing those that would wish destruction upon them?¡± The vige I had created in my mind was one ofmunity and selflessness. It didn¡¯t sound right for the vige to revel inbat. They would have found some other way tobat the monsters and focused on their defenses, not sought to destroy them. The vige solidified in front of us. It was surrounded by sturdy, stone walls that seemed to contrast its gentle wooden huts and otherwise somewhat sporadic organization. As we looked over the scene, ming rocks began to rain from the sky, crashing against the ground in a radius around the vige, leaving it untouched. ¡°The vige faces a crisis, you can help them. Depending on the level of the crisis, you will be rewarded ordingly. How bad is their crisis?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± How bad was their crisis? If I had correctly caught what she was saying, then the vigers of the vige that she had conjured through my imagination would suffer from a crisis based on the level of reward I wanted. What would that mean for the vigers? Would they be indistinguishable from real people, as the figure I was speaking with seemed to be? If so, then would my want for a higher reward lead to a higher amount of suffering for otherwise real people? I thought back to what I had experienced for the previous six years, how I had to struggle for every penny earned to have a chance at living the life that everyone else took for granted, all the sideways nces in the street, the pity-filledments and whispered judgments. If someone were in such a position over me, where my entire life and memory were formed in mere moments, what would I think if they decided to make it harder for me and hinder my dreams just so that they could be slightly stronger against some unknown future event? ¡°Make it as easy as possible, even if it makes the reward less.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was silence. The rustle of a brief wind against leaves from above met my ears. I looked above me, leaves jostling against each other in the branches of the tree returned to its former glory. ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t always get to choose what the consequences of our decisions will be.¡± I nced over at the figure again, who had vanished and left me alone at the top of the hill. Thosest words had left an ominous atmosphere behind. ¡®Great¡­¡¯ * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The road to the vige was long disused. As I drew closer to it, patches of grass popped up from the ground and extended towards the vige walls, growing thicker and steadier up to the stone. Chunks of rock continued to fall around the vige, just past the hill I had started on. The road could only be called as such from the slight discoloration where the earth had been long tread in the past, bits of gravel and stone scattered over it to dissuade the growth of the nt life and grass. Tall walls of thick stone rose to meet me at the end of the road, doors that looked to be made of a reinforced wood that seemed small inparison to the towering wall were set at the base of the wall at the end of the road. ¡°A person! I see a person!¡± A mor broke out atop the wall and I saw a head peek out to look at me, yelling at others that I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Get the chief!¡± The figure vanished again, leaving me to watch as various heads peeked over the top of the wall at me intermittently, whispering things I couldn¡¯t hear. After a few minutes of waiting, the upper torso of a withering old man appeared above the walls, his hair long greyed and wrinkles covering his face. ¡°Traveler! You¡¯ll have to excuse my wariness, but where are you from?!¡± He had to almost shout down at me for me to properly hear him, his voice loud and carrying. It made sense that he might be somewhat confused. I judged from the constantly falling meteors around the vige that they probably didn¡¯t get many visitors. Could I just tell him that I was sent from anothernd to help? ¡°I¡¯m an explorer from another world!¡± I knew how unbelievable it sounded, but it was more usible than being vague and saying I was from a nearby city or something when I didn¡¯t even know if such a city existed. The chief was silent for a moment, seeming to contemte something. Finally, he turned and said something to someone beyond the top of the wall. ¡°Very well,e in and we can discuss more in safety.¡± ¡®In safety?¡¯ The meteors themselves were falling what seemed to be a safe distance from the walls, so what other danger could there be? Krrrrrr. The chief went back over the wall. The doors swung open not long after, revealing a gentle earthen path past the doors into a spacious vige with huts spaced here and there in the grass around the intertwining paths connecting them. People watched me from near the huts and structures, still carrying clothes, baskets, and other objects from tasks in their day-to-day business. The chief stood, leaning on a walking stick, at the forefront with a person on either side of him. There was a nervous, slim girl next to him. She had a youthful face and looked to be just old enough to use the System, as it wouldn¡¯t activate for anyone below the hard-set age of twenty for some reason. She was the one who had previously seen me and shouted for someone to get the chief. On the chieftain¡¯s other side was a middle-aged man in sses with a slim face, holding a book under one arm. ¡°Rodrig¡­¡± The chief spoke, ncing at the man in sses, who was watching me carefully and absently thumbing at the book under his arm. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, of course! Ahem¡­¡± The man hurriedly approached me with the book, opening it and flipping through the book to find a certain page. ¡°Sorry¡­ If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± He gave me a nervous smile, his movements somewhat hesitant and clumsy as he reached up to my forehead. He looked down at the book, the script unrecognizable to me, as he held his hand in front of my head and began a stuttering mumble from whatever he was reading. A hazy golden light soon connected the man¡¯s hand to my forehead, and he jumped back in surprise, nearly dropping the book. The girl who stood next to the chief tugged on the chief¡¯s sleeve in excitement as more whispers went around the vigers watching us. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s him! It¡¯s really him!¡± It looked as if they were expecting me somehow, some doing of the System that had created them? ¡°It¡¯s the man who¡¯s going to save us!¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¨C Fire and mes (3) The girl¡¯s face was filled with hope as she eximed in excitement and tugged on the chief, who grimaced slightly in response to her tugging. ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­¡± The bookish man stumbled over his own tongue, fumbling with his words. {{Quest: Save the vige!]] I had figured as much from the mysterious woman¡¯s words from before, but there was still the question of what exactly I had to save them from. ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse me¡­ but what exactly is it that you need my help with?¡± The vigers continued to chatter, their conversations mixing in with each other into a cacophony of indiscernible noise as the girl continued to beam at me and the bookish man flipped through his tome, looking for something. The chief raised his hand, and themotion died down to silence again. ¡°Leave us¡­ Whether he¡¯s the savior or not, overwhelming him here will not help.¡± The chief looked at the girl, a stern glower in his eyes. ¡°That applies to you as well, Mia.¡± ¡°But grand¡ª!¡± ¡°Shush, go back to your post.¡± The chief silenced her with his words and they exchanged res for a few moments before the girl let out a ¡°hmph¡± and gave in, striding away and going back to wherever her ¡°post¡± was. After the vigers dispersed, the chief, the bookish man, and I were left, standing just inside the doors in the vige¡¯s towering walls that had swung shut behind us. ¡°I apologize for their fervor¡­ my granddaughter, in particr. We¡¯ve been waiting for your arrival since before my own father was a child.¡± One of the chief¡¯s hands idly yed with a bead ne draped from his neck, his other hand supporting himself on his walking stick. It was a slender, smooth piece of wood that almost looked like it could have been used as a staff. The chief gestured towards the bookish man, who was looking between me and a page he had found in the tome. ¡°This is Rodrig, the vige¡¯s Lorekeeper.¡± The bookish man, Rodrig, bowed to me, having to reach one hand up to keep his round sses from falling from his face. He wore flowing blue and purple robes that were embroidered with a golden trim around the sleeves and ends. The man¡¯s hair was wild and unkempt, a dull red that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. ¡°At your service.¡± The chief turned from us and motioned for us to follow him, his steps shuffling along the ground as he used the walking stick for support. ¡°First, ask your questions. Rodrig and I will do our best to exin.¡± We followed the chief at a slow pace towards a well-worn staircase leading up the side of the wall. I noticed while looking around the vige that the ash could still be seen falling beyond the walls, but that the ash seemed to swirl around the outside of the walls and fall around them in a sort of dome that left the vige free from the swirling gray. The vige itself was lush with grass and even had a few trees around the huts and swirling pathways. As we climbed up the stone staircase to the wall¡¯s apex, I could see out over the vige. Out over the initial gathering of huts, the winding paths continued over more collections of huts spaced around the inside of the walls at regr intervals. Farnd and fruit trees were interspaced in therger fields between huts, and arge wooden structure stood at the vige¡¯s center. Then we reached the apex of the staircase and followed the chief onto the walkway that stood atop the vige¡¯s walls. Guards walked around the top of the wall, dressed in clothes that weren¡¯t much different from themoner¡¯s clothes, with piecemeal armor made of what looked to be treated wood. They held simple spears as weapons, with a few javelins for each guard as well. The chief shuffled over to one of the parapets around the top of the wall and stopped, leaning against it and looking out into the ash and the small meteors that still swarmed and constantly fell outside of the seemingly invisible barrier around the vige¡¯s walls. We stood there in silence for a few moments, Rodrig awkwardly ncing between me and the vige chief as I thought about the situation at hand. I decided to ask the most important question first, directly rted to the quest that the system(s?) had given me. ¡°What is it that I¡¯m supposed to save you from?¡± ¡°Rodrig¡­¡± Rodrig started. It looked like he had still been reading something in his book. He flipped through it again,ing to a page and looking up at me. ¡°The storm has been going on since before we can remember, but it¡¯s told that swarms of monsters lurk beyond the curtain, waiting for the day our protections fall.¡± He turned his book so that I could see the page. There was a picture that took up the entirety of one of the pages, enchanted in some way so that it showed a scene of monster silhouettes lurking around a circle of falling fire. Any who ventured too close were obliterated. The chief spoke again. ¡°At first, we were thankful for the storm for the protection it provided us, takingfort in our refuge.¡± Rodrig turned the page of the book, showing a scene of the inside of the storm where the vige was located. Monster silhouettes appeared slowly in the image, building up as the image progressed. ¡°But the monsters grew wiser over time.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had a few attacks on our walls, and our scouts see them skulking around from time to time near the border of the storm.¡± Rodrig turned another page of the book. ¡°All of this was foretold in the Lorekeeper¡¯s tome, bestowed upon us by a benevolent spirit long before I was born.¡± It sounded like the monsters had found a way for the smaller species to somehow bypass the storm of meteors that surrounded the vige. ¡°You can see how this is a problem¡­ The storm protects us but also locks us in. The book says that we are thest bastion of civilization in this world and that the storm was summoned by our ancestors to protect us. If the monsters have found a way to bypass the storm¡­¡± That would be the end of them. They would be trapped like fish in a barrel inside of the very thing meant to protect them. ¡°We have stories of great warriors from long ago, warriors that could wield the elements as naturally as they could breathe, great figures encased in armor of stone, those who could glide across ocean seas, beings blessed by the Gold and given dominion over nature¡­¡± The pages in the book showed silhouettes wielding various elements, one of them in particr caught my eye¡­ It stood normally at first before widening its stance and bing encased in gray, stone-like armor that sprouted from itself seemingly naturally. ¡­It reminded me of my own abilities. I was also curious about the blessing that they said the people from the past had received, the mention of being ¡°blessed by the Gold¡±. ¡°Those warriors vanished long ago, and the only sign of the Gold we are left with is the relic that protects this vige.¡± Rodrig turned thest page in the tome. Orange light danced over the pages from the flickering illumination brought by the meteor storms around the vige. The chief took a deep breath and exhaled, shutting his eyes as he continued to speak to me. ¡°The Book foretells the return of one of these warriors who will spell either our salvation or our destruction.¡± There were a few things that piqued my interest. It was clear that the quest had been set up by the initial figure I had met after being transported there, but the mention of the Gold was particrly interesting, as it appeared to be either a link or a direct reference to the Second System I had awakened. Rodrig closed the book and tucked it back under his arm, and we stood in silence for a few moments as I contemted. ¡°Do you know where the monsters areing from?¡± The quest wanted me to save the vige, and the most obvious threat was the constant and building danger that the monsters were learning a way to bypass the storm. ¡°The best we can figure is that they¡¯ve figured out a way to avoid the meteors or a certain pathway that might be safe.¡± ¡°You mentioned there was an artifact that was causing the storm?¡± The chief nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ it has guarded our vige for generations.¡± ¡°Could it be that the artifact is running out of power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Lorekeeper¡¯s job to ensure the artifact remains in pristine condition. By all appearances, it has remained unchanged.¡± Rodrig spoke up again, gripping the Book tightly under his arm, idly rubbing its edges with his other hand. ¡°Previous Lorekeepers had ways to directly interact with the artifact¡­ All I can really do is observe it. Would you like to take a look?¡± * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Rodrig led me through the vige to therge structure at its center. The chief stayed behind on the wall, saying he had more business to attend to in the vige and that he would catch up with uster. The building that the relic was kept in was two or three stories tall, made mostly of stone instead of the wood that most of the other buildings I had seen were made from. More guards stood in front of the building¡¯s sturdy wooden doors, and the area around the building itself consisted of a bare, grass field. When we reached the doors, the guards stood aside for us as Rodrig pushed on them, the reinforced doors hardly moved as he put all of his weight against them and the guards gave him sideways nces. ¡°Shit¡­ I always have the hardest time with this thing¡­ A little help?¡± He looked over at me while pushing against the doors. I wondered why the guards weren¡¯t helping him but stepped forward and pushed on the doors. It only took a little effort and they creaked open, my Strengthing into y and assisting. ¡®How much Strength does he have?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t have been much. Come to think of it¡­ ¡®Do they even have a System?¡¯ When we entered the building, Rodrig had me help shut the doors again. ¡°Sorry¡­ They¡¯re forbidden from looking into the relic building for safety reasons. It makes it almost impossible for them to help in opening the door.¡± That made sense. The floor was bare, with support pirs standing around the room, which was solidly encased in stone. At the center of the room, in a pir of faded golden light, stood the relic. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¨C Fire and mes (4) It was more urate to say that the pir of light itself was the relic. It reached up to the ceiling on the first floor, easily twice as tall as I was. The relic cast faint golden rays of illumination around the room from a pir of some sort of semi-translucent, crystal-like substance. Rodrig motioned at the relic. ¡°Well¡­ There it is. To be honest, there really isn¡¯t much for me to do with it other than observe it. It¡¯s remained constant for as long as I can remember¡­¡± While I was observing the relic, a message popped up on a System menu before me. {{Relic of the Gold The relic was given to the vigers many years ago to protect them in their time of trouble. Though longsting, it was never meant to be a permanent solution. Effects: Holds the impending destruction at bay. Channels the destruction into a protective shield in a certain radius around itself. The power of the Gold can be harnessed for a variety of purposes, though care should be taken not to be consumed by the Gold. Durability: 7/100}} ¡®Hold the destruction at bay?¡¯ I also wasn¡¯t sure what, exactly, the so-called ¡®power of the Gold¡¯ could be used for. It seemed like a bad idea to try to haphazardly mess with something that was keeping the massive meteor that constantly hung overhead at bay and also protecting the vige from monsters. However, the low durability of the relic was also of great concern. I had some role to y in all of it, of that much I was certain. While we waited for the chief to catch up with us, Rodrig informed me some of what he knew as the Lorekeeper. Rodrig himself wasn¡¯t a mage in the sense that I knew from the System, but he did have some limited capacity to perform minor magics like ambiently enhancing nt growth, promoting healing, summoning light, and so on, all granted through texts in the Tome he carried around everywhere with him. He had been born knowing that he would be a Lorekeeper, just as the girl I had seen before, Mia, knew that she was to one day be the chief. It wasn¡¯t long before the doors creaked open again and the chief entered, apanied by Mia, who continued to watch me with a curious gaze. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * After regrouping, we moved up to the second floor of the relic building, where sparse rooms and a kitchen waited. We gathered around a table justrge enough for all of us and had a meal consisting primarily of the fruits that grew on the trees around the vige before the chief showed me to one of the rooms, little more than a cubicle justrge enough for a straw mattress, and we retired for the night while I went over the day¡¯s events in my head. Iy on the hard mattress, contemting. While the outside wall of the building was stone, the room I was in was formed of wood that had been cut to connect and wedge firmly against the ceiling in pirs that were ced directly adjacent to each other to form the rooms, leaving a somewhat dry, wooden scent to the air. The room was fairly warm, as was the temperature there in general. I couldn¡¯t be sure if it was from the ming meteor that constantly hung in the sky or if it was just a warm area or season where the vige was located. I could see by the light of a faint illumination stone attached to the end of a sturdy stick that was ced in a sconce just next to the flimsy wooden door. It was evident that, while the outsides of the relic building had been created to withstand assault, the insides were much less sturdy. As I counted the cracks in the stone ceiling above me, tracing them with my eyes as my mind sorted all of the new information I had learned, a faint knock sounded at my door. Tap, tap, tap. It was a quiet, muffled knock, as if whoever was knocking was trying to be as silent as possible. ¡°Hello?¡± I shifted into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, looking at the door. ¡®Who could be knocking at this hour?¡¯ It was already well into the night. I had simply had trouble sleeping in such a new environment. The door cracked open a bit, absent of any sort of locking mechanism. ¡°Hi¡­ It¡¯s me¡­ Mia.¡± The girl only cracked the door just enough to speak to me in a hushed voice. Neither of us could see each other yet. ¡°Can Ie in for a moment? I wanted to talk to you.¡± I scratched at the back of my head. My interactions with her thus far had been either her talking about me in excitement or her being awkward and avoiding any eye contact or conversation. It had been clear that the chief had spoken to her about something after our initial meeting. ¡°Sure¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t hurt to at least hear what the girl had to say. The door creaked open the rest of the way. She was still dressed in her day clothes, twirling her finger through her raven ck hair. She quickly stepped into the room and eased the door shut behind her, her other hand tightly shut, resting just in front of her thighs as she stood ramrod straight, awkwardly avoiding my gaze. ¡®Oh no¡­¡¯ I imagined a scenario where she would profess her love to me after idolizing me in her mind as a ¡°hero¡± for her entire life. Would she suggest we run away? Would she shed tears? I had vague memories of such situations from the shows and books I had watched back on Earth. ¡°Sir Hero¡­¡± I prepared myself to reject her. It would never work out¡ªher feelings for me weren¡¯t real, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to take her with me when I left. Moreover, even if I could take her, she didn¡¯t have a System to help her and would likely be a liability. ¡°What is it like where youe from?¡± ¡®There it is¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think it would work out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± We had spoken at almost the same time. Luckily, my words had be mixed with hers, so she probably wouldn¡¯t have understood what I said anyway. Ahem. I cleared my throat with a loud sound to interrupt the awkward silence. ¡°Sorry, what were you saying?¡± ¡°Where youe from¡­ what is it like?¡± She was still looking down at the ground, not making eye contact with me. It urred to me then that she might have felt fear or awe rather than what I had initially thought. ¡°Well¡­ It is kind of like your vige, but without the storm to keep people contained. Thend goes on as far as the eye can see, and many simr such viges and muchrger cities are scattered about.¡± A smile crept onto her face, tugging at the edges of her mouth. ¡°So¡­ like the stories we had from before?¡± I was guessing she was referring to the history that the Lorekeeper, Rodrig, had shown me. A world where people could freely shape the elements. ¡°Yes¡­ Somewhat¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was still standing awkwardly in the doorway. ¡°You can sit down, you know¡­¡± Slide. The girl leaned against the door and slid down into a sitting position, knees in front of her face. ¡°¡­Can you show me?¡± ¡°Show you what?¡± ¡°Your powers¡­ The book says one of the warriors blessed with Gold would return to us someday from and far beyond.¡± ¡®Does she mean my earth abilities?¡± I figured that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to show her. It wasn¡¯t like my earth ability was limited by mana or would take much from me. Skrrr. I summoned the earth from my core, making the process as slow as I could so that she could see the stone growing over my skin as if it were flowing from my pores. The tiny stones ground together and cracked against each other into a tight-fitting gauntlet around my hand. It was my first time noticing it, but I also realized that I was able to control the fit of the gauntlet to a much greater extent when I slowed the formation of the stone. It was hard to exin, but I was able to condense the stones more tightly together, and the resulting gauntlet not only fit tighter around my hand as a result but also felt firmer, the resulting material much closer to stone than earth. The cracks between the conjoined stones were thin to the point that it almost looked like one surface. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± She asked me, eyes wide as she leaned close to stare at the stone that had formed around my hand. I shook my head at her question. ¡°Not at all¡­ It actually feels pretty natural, almost like flexing a muscle.¡± After that, she asked me more about how I had gained my power and about the world I hade from. We talked well into the night, until she left the room and I fell into a sound sleep. *** ¡°Wake up!¡± THUD, THUD, THUD! I awoke to a pounding at the door of my room. The door flew open, and Rodrig stuck his head into the room. ¡°Sir Hero! The artifact!¡± His voice was panicked and he gestured with his head, motioning for me to follow him. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had slept, but the foggy haze over my mind told me that it wasn¡¯t enough. I stumbled out of the room, following him down into the artifact room where the chief and Mia were already waiting, anxiously looking at the artifact. {{Relic of the Gold The relic was given to the vigers many years ago to protect them in their time of trouble. Though longsting, it was never meant to be a permanent solution. Effects: Holds the impending destruction at bay. Channels the destruction into a protective shield in a certain radius around itself. The power of the Gold can be harnessed for a variety of purposes, though care should be taken not to be consumed by the Gold. Durability: 6/100}} The artifact¡¯s durability had decreased overnight, meaning the vige likely had less than a week left. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, there was more pounding at the doors of the artifact room from outside along with muffled voices. ¡°The vige is under attack!¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¨C Fire and mes (5) We rushed out of the relic room¡¯s doors as fast as we were able, the ¡®secrecy¡¯ of the relic or whatever traditional security they practiced for it be damned. A guardsman was waiting for us outside, being supported by the other two who usually stood guard next to the relic room¡¯s doors. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± The guardsman was out of breath, clearly disheveled, panting as if he had run a great distance. ¡°What happened?!¡± The chief spoke, and the guardsman did his best to exin the situation while trying to catch his breath. ¡°The western walls¡­ Monsters¡­¡± The guard gestured loosely towards the walls to our west and we followed his gesture with our eyes. It was some distance away, but a rising smoke was visible along with flickers of me. Judging from what I had seen of the others, it would take them at least ten minutes to get there by foot. Ten minutes was a long time for those who had never experiencedbat before to hold out. It was unlikely that many would be alive by the time reinforcements arrived from other areas of the vige. Saving the vige¡­ It was what I had been called there for, after all. I took in a deep breath of air, the warm, humid atmosphere permeating my lungs as I prepared to try something new, a variation of the ?Strike? steps and the earthen spikes I had used to control my movement before. Lowering my bnce, I set myself into a sprinter-like stance and channeled the distinctly different feels of both the eruption and earth through my veins, cycling them until I felt an ufortable warmth build up in my body. Then¡­ I released the energy through my legs and feet, channeling it at a sharp angle into the ground behind me. WHUMP! *** A faint, golden light clung to his skin, a shower of dirt exploded from the ground and he went shing off in a blur of motion. Puffs of more dirt went flying up into the air at irregr intervals, allowing anyone who was watching to track Aizen¡¯s progress somewhat easily. The distance that would have taken an ordinary man ten or so minutes to run through took him less than sixty seconds. He arrived just as a terrible-looking monstrosity that was some demonic mix between a dog and a shark was charging at a woman huddled up against a wooden shack, doing her best to protect her child. Stomp, stomp, stomp. The shark-dog monster loped across the ground towards them, saliva dripping and flying from its mouth in anticipation of its meal. Then, just as it was preparing to make the final lunge, already imagining the tasty meat before it¡­ TSSHHH It vanished into a puff of red mist, its bodypletely gone. The woman looked at the red mist with a puzzled expression for only a brief moment before thanking the Gold and turning back to make sure her child was ok. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Let me tell you that monster guts do not taste good. I had heard adventurers describe them as tasting like chicken before, but that wasn¡¯t a surprise when chicken was the default taste everyone used to describe something that they couldn¡¯t quite ce. Monsters did not, in fact, taste anything like chicken. I became painfully aware of that fact after tumbling straight through some sort of walking shark-thing, bits of its meat and blood bing stuck in my mouth and washing over me. My momentum waspletely out of control at that point. Though I was already slowing, all I could do was try to direct my path of destruction with awkward iling. It was a miracle that I managed to avoid hurting anyone. My tumble continued for a few hundred paces more after I was bathed in the debris left behind by the monster who had never seen iting, finally halting when I crashed through one of the burning huts and came to a rest in a pile of wood debris as the burning structure caved in around me and filled my lungs with smoke. Cough, cough. I quickly got to my feet, pushing aside the burning lumber atop me with little effort, using my earth ability to avoid being burned, though I still received a few light singes. Though the sprint had started with a promising burst of speed and indeed had the intended effect of taking me to the section of the vige that was under attack in record time, I had lost control almost immediately, legs unable to keep up with the speed and momentum of my initial burst. My sprint had be a tumble that took me across thendscape, and it had been more like a rocketunch. The impact of my crash into the hut had caused a plume of wood and sparks tounch into the air. Good news: I had the attention of the monsters in the vige, who viewed me as a threat to be eliminated. Bad news: I had the attention of every monster in the vige. I heard their cries as they flocked to the sound and could see vigers running from where they had been cornered as the monsters forgot about them. It was like they could sense the power within me and wanted it for themselves. Unfortunately, I had not arrived soon enough to save everyone. I had known it was impossible from the start, but I had still held some hope. My eyes caught the signs of blood and destruction left behind by those who were less fortunate. The monsters had eaten them whole. The monsters were mostlyposed of the weird shark-dog things, like the one I hadpletely obliterated in my tumble. They rushed towards me. Some might have called it a pack, but the monsters had no coordination that one would expect of a pack or herd. Instead, drool spewed from their lopsided, toothy mouths as they rushed at me. I had already used one ?Strike? in my run to the vige, which should have left me with seventy-five mana. I said ¡®should¡¯ because no message had appeared with the use of the ?Strike? as I was used to. Perhaps it had something to do with the dungeon. Luckily, the earth was still being channeled through me, almost bing natural at that point¡ªthough, I still had to put a bit of conscious effort into it, as if I were forming my hand into a fist. Boom! Each swing of my gauntleted fist blew the monsters away. My STR and AGI were enough to smash through their flesh with every blow. Crunch! A skull caved in and lifeblood sttered across my face as I crushed one¡¯s skull with a punch and sent it careening away into the ground, having hit it while it was mid-leap. The shark-dogs continued to throw themselves at me with reckless abandon, fear never visible for even a moment. There were probably seven of them in total, all left around me at various distances in a circle of destruction, where my punches had quite literally ripped them apart. *** The boy peeked out from underneath the loose wooden rubble he had hidden himself beneath in the chaos of the monster attack. One moment, he had been returning from picking fruits from some of the trees around the vige, and the next, the monsters had somehowunched themselves over the top of the wall and ovee the few defenders there before attacking the nearest section of the vige. Hardly older than fourteen, he had been on a simple delivery to distribute fruits around the vige. He felt selfish for feeling the way he did, but he was somewhat grateful that he and his family lived in a separate section of the vige. He had hidden himself away beneath the rubble of a shed that had copsed at the start of the attack, slipping under the wooden beams and peeking out at the carnage that urred around him. The boy watched the strange man barrel in out of nowhere in a blur of motion that left one of the buildings copsed in a pile of burning debris before emerging and obliterating the monsters that had already decimated the surroundings and ughtered the guards atop the walls. The man made it look effortless, his hands passing through the monsters as if they were made of paper. Bathed in a subtle golden glow, the man stood alone amidst the corpses of the monsters he had killed. To the boy, the man looked much like one of the figures of old that he had grown up hearing tales about¨Ca warrior of gold. *** It was too easy. I wondered how the vigers could have been so defenseless in the face of those weak monsters. Had I been like that before, not long ago? In fact, I had been worse. I realized that all of the preparation and practice I had undergone with my cane way back then had been useless. I had been disillusioning myself into believing that I would have had some chance against an honest threat, imagining myself oveing it through sheer effort. It hadn¡¯t been effort that saved me but mere chance, or whatever it was that had caused the Second System to awaken within my body. Standing there, I realized that the vige had no hope. The System was the only bnce in ce that allowed humanity and the other races to fight monsters. Without the System, we would have perished long ago. But weren¡¯t most monsters created by that very System? For what purpose? I shook those questions from my mind. There was something I had to do first in order to save the vige. It had been hinted at the other night, but I was sure then. I was only one man. Though I found the monsters easy to defeat, I couldn¡¯t be sure that there wouldn¡¯t be stronger ones, nor could I protect the entire vige at once if theyunched a multi-pronged attack. Indeed, the relic, the very source of the protection of the vige and the thing that was failing them, would be my tool against the monsters and aid me in saving the vige. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¨C Fire and mes (6) After making sure that the monster attack had truly ended and just in time for the others to arrive, I concluded that the quest could only be resolved from the relic room. Trying to endlessly defend the vige until it was overrun would be pointless. I had no clue as to how many monsters there were, and it wasn¡¯t a situation out of a shounen or a generic fantasy story where the vige chief was actually secretly a bad guy. At least, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. I wished that the mysterious woman I had met at the start would have left me with more hints. What was the point in asking how difficult I wanted things to be if everything was going to be nearly impossible regardless? I trekked back across the field to the relic building in the center of the vige, eyes tracing the path I had taken and lingering on the deep scrapes in the ground that my uncontrolled tumble had caused. ¡®What if I ran into a viger and wasn¡¯t able to stop myself in time?¡¯ ¡®What if I ruined an important crop that they needed to survive?¡¯ ¡®What if I ran into the wall and caused it to copse?¡¯ Such thoughts ran through my mind on the way back. I resolved myself to raise my stats to a level where my mind and body could keep up with such explosive speed before attempting something like that again. It was too bad that the monsters in that hidden dungeon area didn¡¯t give experience. Then again, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure that they weren¡¯t giving experience, as I was still cut off from essing the System¡¯s menus¡ªthough, I could still use its skills, as I had used ?Strike? to initiate my tumble across the fields. I passed the two guards at the door still tending to the man who had run across the field and warned us of the attack. After swinging the doors shut behind me, I was alone with the relic. The golden pir of light stood in its ce, unchanged from thest time I had seen it, yet it somehow seemed to be beckoning me towards it as well. I approached the relic and held out my hand, slowly cing my palm against it, ready for anything that it would throw at me. *** ¡®Do I have it wrong?¡¯ The relic didn¡¯t respond, still in its ce. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ I grabbed hold of the energy inside of me that I used to summon my Second System powers, bringing the energy to my hand without materializing it as I usually did. Vwoooo. The relic let out an almost inaudible humming noise, pulsing with energy that reacted to my touch. The pulse of energy spread outward from my hand, rippling along the surface of the relic like a droplet of water in ake. Then, as the energy rippled to the edges of the relic, it contracted inwards, back towards my hand. Warmth¡­ A warm tingle spread across the surface of my hand against the relic, intensifying with each ripple that contracted back to the starting point. Heat built up in my arm to the point that it left sharp pinpricks of pain through me. Still, I didn¡¯t pull my hand away. For all I knew, that was my only chance to gain ess to whatever aid the relic could lend The tingling heat spread through my body, eventually transitioning from pain to a warm and fuzzy numbness until, before I could fully process it, my vision transcended my body and rose upwards. My viewpoint went through the ceiling of the relic room, up past the rooms where I had stayed the previous night, and through the roof of the relic building itself. It continued to rise even higher. Everything below was crystal clear, and I could see it all as if anything I looked at was right in front of me while also allowing me to look at everything else. I imagined it was how someone with an extremely high perception attribute would see things, everything crystal clear, all at once. The chief was speaking to the survivors in the area of the vige I had saved. Rodrig was poking through the bodies of the monsters,paring them to something in his tome. The guards on the opposite end of the vige were pointing out a growing mass of darkness surging through the storm, diminishing with every second but still pushing forward toward the vige. ¡ªMonsters. More than just the shark-dog things that I had encountered, there were also what looked like shorter trolls with long, dragging arms that they used to pull themselves along faster than their legs could carry them. I understood from that how the monsters had gone over the vige walls before¡ªthe long-armed trolls had thrown them. My viewpoint rose even higher still, bing tinted in orange light as it stopped at the surface of the meteor floating high in the sky above the vige. Way up there, above the origin of even the firestorm, which I could see tilted towards the meteor in its entire radius, I could see outwards into thend beyond. ¡ªSwarms of creatures and monsters as far as the eye could see swarmed around and poked at the storm¡¯s perimeter. asionally, some of the monsters would try to fly above or would get too close to the storm and would be reduced to a pile of ash by the searing heat. The images of the trolls and shark-dogs again came to my mind¡ªall had seemed squishy or somewhat bloated, and the shark-dogs had been surprisingly soft and easy to kill. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The monsters were sending highly heat-resistance members of their forces through the storm, bloated with water and moisture that would protect them from the heat in such numbers that, even if 90% of them were killed by the storm, there would still be a significant amount that made it through. I believed then that I had roughly figured out the origin of the big meteor above the vige. When I remembered the tome and what Rodrig had said to me about the vige¡¯s past, it became clear. The relic¡­ the meteor¡­ the storm¡­ theck of anyone with a System. From my understanding, people had been gifted with the power of the Second System rather than the power of the System that permeated the world I was from. Those people, much like people from my world, had used their abilities for conquest and their own self-gain, going out on adventures, conquering dungeons, and clearing areas for their constant expansion and exploration. The dungeon appearances had then probably grown worse, building up in number over time until they were impossible to clear as fast as they showed up. With the buildup of dungeons, dungeon breaks from long uncleared dungeons also became moremon. It had gone on like that until, eventually, humanity was forced to create a final area of refuge for the survival of the race, and thus, the vige had been created. The innumerable monsters were all from dungeon breaks, the relic harnessed power from the Second System to protect the area around it, also severely limiting the ability of others to learn to use the Second System. Finally, the huge meteor itself seemed to be somebination of fire and earth, much like how my Eruption ability was apanied by searing white mes. That was how the vige had continued and survived until then As for what I could actually do with the relic¡¯s power, I could feel the energy within the meteor almost as if it were my own, and I knew that I had the ability to control it. The problem was my mana capacity. To take control of the meteor in any way would require me to utilize a huge amount of mana. Other than that, I instinctively felt that I could release the relic¡¯s energy to empower the vigers, let the meteor fall and remove the spell suspending it in ce, or even use my own power to refill the durability of the relic, which measured the remaining power it had. ¡®Save the vige¡­¡¯ None of those options could really be considered ¡°saving¡± the vige, could they? Empowering the vigers would be useless against the seemingly endless swarm, and letting the meteor fall would only wipe out the vige, though the mana contained within the meteor would also likely wipe out the monsters. While refilling the relic¡¯s durability/power would be the safest bet for keeping the vige safer for a longer time, it would have to be filled again over time, and I would be stuck there forever as the relic charger until the day I died and left the vige againrgely defenseless. So, instead of conforming to the options before me, I created a new one. ¡ªI would wipe out all of the monsters while also ensuring that the vigers survived, nothing less would do. They already regarded me as their hero. I might have denied it, but I had always wanted to be someone that others could look to for help. Maybe it was a desperate dream born of a low self-image, but it was true that I inwardly craved affirmation, to know that I was doing what was right. The others would be able to survive on their own without me. I had only known them for a brief time, anyway. The world would regrow and be a ce the vige could expand out from. I had no way of confirming it, but I suspected that the relic would be inert after the quest, assuming that it wasn¡¯t all just a creation of the System to be discarded after thepletion of the quest, which I doubted due to how borate everything and everyone was. If my mana couldn¡¯t handle the power of the meteor and enable me to do what I wished, then the mana in the relic could. The issue was that such energy couldn¡¯t be channeled by a single human body. At least, not my body. ¡­So I decided to do away with my body. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¨C Fire and mes (7) Merged with the power of the relic as I was, I felt that I could, essentially, be the relic, which would allow me to truly harness its power. That didn¡¯t mean that my original body would vanish or be destroyed or something, of course. I could feel that it was as easy as stepping over from one vessel to another and that stepping back would be just as easy. ¡­Provided that nothing happened to my body in the meantime. Like that, the relic and I merged. Overwhelming mana filled my consciousness, and I felt my control over the meteor widen. Even with my expanded mana control, I was still limited by the mana inside of the relic itself, which had once been a vast repository of mana that was down to barely a measly puddle. I would make it work. It was my chance to actually be a hero, after all, and to act out on my own initiative and solve a problem rather than merely patch one up after the fact as I had done so far. I rapidly drained through the mana that remained within the relic as my expanded sight saw more hordes begin to run through the storm as if they had sensed something. There was no going back from that point. Even if I stopped the meteor, the monsters would ensure the destruction of thatst bastion of humanity in whatever forsaken realm I had found myself in. The sky burned, and the meteor fell. My mana reserves had mostly dried, but there was still one more aspect to put into y if I wanted to protect the vige. ¡ªInstead of using the relic¡¯s powers, I would use my own. Though my body was left behind, the concept and feeling of it were much the same. I reached inward for that sense of foundation that was the earth and brought it forth. Being connected to the relic as I was, I felt as if I had a direct connection to arge bubble-like radius around it where the storm had fallen from the meteor, thest waves of it still crashing through and obliterating monsters as the end of the world came crashing down. I strained my will, wringing out everyst bit of energy within the relic as I pushed the earth up along the vige¡¯s walls into the air. The meteor continued its slow descent. The mana in the relic ran out. With the protective dome I had been attempting to construct only half-finished, I pulled on the only thing I had left. ¡ªmyself. KRRRRRRRR The ground shook and innumerable patches of earth and stone flowed against each other. With my sight dimming, the dome barely reached its apex as the meteor crashed down into it. My vision faded into darkness. *** Not long before, back in the vige¡­ Rodrig and Mia looked over the remains of the battle with the chief, awestruck at theplete destruction that had been wrought. Other guardsmen arrived at around the same time they did and began tending to those who had survived the attack. Rodrig clutched his book and examined what remained of the monster corpses that Aizen had left behind. Mia turned to the chief with a gleam in her eyes. ¡°See?! I knew he was the hero!¡± The chief could only shake his head at his granddaughter¡¯s blind optimism. He knew that their ¡°hero¡± was only a confused man who had been dumped in a new world that he had no knowledge of. The man owed them nothing. How could he expect him to save them? BRRRRRR! Horns sounded in the distance, warnings of an impending attack. Then¡­ BRRRRR! More horns from around the vige¡¯s walls. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Mia turned her head around frantically, looking for Aizen. She recalled that they had seen him briefly headed back to the relic room. She had thought at the time that he was simply going to rest after the fight that must have exhausted him. ¡®What¡¯s he going to do next?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t wait to see the hero¡¯s next course of action, how he would defeat all of the monsters and emerge a shining victor. Mia ran off towards the relic building. ¡°Mia! Wait!¡± The chief held up his hand as if to stop her, but she was already gone. ¡°Rodrig¡­¡± The bookish man looked up from a gouge in the earth he had been examining. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Go after her.¡± The man nodded, seeming to understand the chief¡¯s worries. ¡°Ah¡­ yes, right away.¡± Whether the hero saved them or not, it would be the end of things as they knew them. The chief wanted Rodrig to look after his only granddaughter, as he could no longer keep up with her. Rodrig took off across the field after Mia, tripping over his robes and huffing the whole way. He found her again inside the relic room as the horns red out around the entire vige. ¡°Mia¡­?¡± She had left the door cracked open, exposed for anyone outside to see. Rodrig stepped into the room and found her standing still near the relic, staring at something. He approached her and noticed a gentle humming sound emerging from the relic. There, right next to where Mia was standing, was the hero¡¯s body on the ground. At first, Rodrig worried that he might be dead, but then he saw the thin intecing golden strand of energy that connected the hero to the relic. KRRRR. The earth began to shake as she reached out her hand in awe to touch the golden strand. ¡°Mia! No!¡± He moved to intercept her. She might not have known what it was, but he recognized it as a strand of life itself, his eyes catching but glimpses of the soul within. He batted her hand away just as the earth shook again, and they both fell into the golden strand before all went ck. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± A foggy cloud hung over my mind. Everything seemed muddled and distant, as if from a great distance. Darkness¡­ I felt a hard surface below me and the distant, familiar smell of sulfur. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot¡­¡± Click There was a snapping sound, and the fog slowly receded. I tried to remember what I had been doing. There had been a meteor, monsters, fire¡­ Darkness. ¡°You could have died. You know that, right?¡± It was the woman¡¯s voice again. The woman I had met at the tree. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Messing with the soul is best left to those that know what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡®Messing with the soul? Does she mean that connection I had with the relic at the end?¡¯ It was the only thing I could think of. ¡°And for what? To save some imaginary vige?¡± The woman¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t angry, but inquisitive¡ªchiding, in a way, but gentle. I was awake, my eyes open, but it was still dark¡ªjust an inky void around me. ¡°Not only that, but you also managed to draw some of them back with you.¡± Still focused on her question, I spoke. ¡°Was it really fake?¡± I recalled the children I had seen in the vige. I remembered the looks of hope in the vigers¡¯ eyes when I had first appeared, their fear of the monster attacks, the bookish Rodrig, and the somewhat rebellious but also inquisitive Mia. Had they really all been fake? There was a part of me that didn¡¯t want¡ªno, couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I suppose that depends on how you define the word ¡®fake¡¯¡­¡± She didn¡¯t answer the question. ¡°Regardless, why would you risk everything for those you don¡¯t even know? Do you not have goals left to aplish?¡± She was right. It had been foolish of me. Why risk my life for people I hardly even knew when someone depended on me? I wanted to believe that Rhil needed me to save her, that I was the only one who could do it, that I would be able to find the rest of the people I sorely missed. My father¡­ My mother¡­ But deep down, I knew that my chances of finding them were slim. Why would Rhil need my help when she was stronger than me by far? What could I do? Such thoughts had lurked in the recesses of my mind, taunting me, out of my control. In that vige, I had felt strong. I had been in control, I was able to choose to save others who actually needed me, whereas I was convinced that I was not needed elsewhere. ¡°I think you undervalue yourself. You have something nobody else does.¡± She was referring to the Second System, of course. Also¡­ She had read my thoughts again. ¡°Do you remember the meteor? That feeling you had when you sent it crashing down? As you willed the fire to flow over the barrier of earth you constructed around the vige? I remembered. It had been more of a desperate plea than willing the fire to do anything. ¡°Look¡­¡± I was still alone in the darkness, and a video floated in front of me. The video showed the meteor crashing into a dome of earth over the vige, bursting into a wave of fire that had flowed down the dome, and the meteor breaking apart into huge streams of fire that incinerated monsters by the hundreds just before impact. Fiery waves of destruction spread outwards from the dome, wiping out the monsters as far as I could see, spreading into the distance in an unsatiable force of destruction until naught was left but the ckenedndscape and the dome of earth. Soon after, the earthen dome also dissolved away into nothingness, leaving the vige standing alone on a decimated in. ¡°You did save the vige, but how long until the earth no longer provides and they run out of resources? The relic was doing more than just keeping the monsters at bay, you know.¡± I had suspected it to be the case, but the vigers would have to seek out new earth over time and go back out into whatever was left of their world. I had only been able to do so much. A hero, but not a savior. ¡°What did the fire feel like?¡± She asked me. It was a distant memory, but it had felt hungry. The fire had felt like a hunger for everything that wasn¡¯t it. The warmth of it was a pure gathering of energy. ¡°Remember that feeling, it is your reward.¡± With that, the voice vanished, and I was left inside the arena that I had been in only days before with Bernard and Velle. It seemed that a much longer time had passed. Not only that, but I could also feel a lingering warmth. {{Quest Complete! Save the Vige Rewards: ???}} Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¨C Echo (1) The arena was as I hadst remembered it. Flickering torches stood in their sconces on the walls, and the dirt of the arena floor was scuffed and pitted where we had fought the ogre previously. It was as if the floor falling from under us and the ensuing void had been but a figment of my imagination. The quest reward being all question marks wasn¡¯t helpful, but I did sense a change and had been told that the feeling of it was my reward itself. ¡ªThe feeling of fire. I felt it in the flickering orange and red hues of the torches, a warmth that longed to spread and consume. It prickled at my senses as a new sense that was hard to describe. It was like how you could sense where your limbs were in space, except I felt the heat of the torches in the same way. I couldn¡¯t manipte the fire in the same way that I might be able to manipte a limb, but I felt each and every one of those little fires and where they were in the room around me. Breathing in, the faint, sulfurous smell was gone. Empty¡­ The arena was empty, and there was no sign of the mysterious woman, Velle, or Bernard. Had they alreadye out before me? If so, would they not be waiting there for me? I decided to wait for them. And wait¡­ And wait¡­ As I was unable to use my mana externally, I was unable to use an Item Bag that had arger storage space on the inside that was standard for adventurers. Grrrr. My stomach protested in hunger. ¡®It won¡¯t hurt to at least find some food and wait nearby¡­¡¯ Thinking so, I trekked back through the empty dungeon towards the entrance. *** On the way to the entrance, I contemted what I had seen in that other space. It had been a world that used whatever Second System I was using instead of the System that most used and that I was more ustomed to. The world had fought with monsters as we did and had eventually been overrun after the monsters grew in strength. They becamecent, focusing on gathering their strength and disying their power rather than clearing the monsters. It was very simr to how we were, which gave me an ominous feeling. True, adventurers defeated monsters and cleared dungeons, but as adventurers reached new heights and adventurer ranks, they were often known to settle, create guilds, and grow their wealth,fort, and social power rather than their personal strength. In other words, high-rank adventurers didn¡¯t adventure as much. All of it gave me a strange feeling, like it was some puzzle or that there was some meaning behind it. Most considered the great Merge and the System a natural phenomenon simr to the discovery of fire or electricity, but what if it was something entirely unnatural? Regardless of how many thoughts, theories, and ideas spun through my head, they were only just that. I had no way to definitively prove anything ore to a sure conclusion. Could I really change my entire worldview based on a single dungeon encounter? It would be foolish to do so. Cold air wafted down to meet me as the entrance came into sight. ¡®Cold air?¡¯ From what I remembered, the air had been only mildly cool, not chilly as the air that I was experiencing was. Huff. I breathed out and watched a little puff of breath vapor drift into the air. When I reached the entrance itself, my mind went nk. ¡®¡­snow?¡¯ A thin, white nket of snow covered the trees of the forest around the dungeon entrance, carpeting the ground in the gaps between trees. A continuous, light drift of snow fell from the sky, giving the ce a muffled, lonely atmosphere. It would be harder to find food than I had originally thought. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been. For all I knew, the snow had fallen over the past few nights and it was a simple turn of weather. There was some part of me that was suspicious that the passage of time inside of the dungeon had been altered in some way, but again, there were too many things I didn¡¯t know. What I did know, however, was that I was alone. I was lucky that day. Due to myining stomach, I had still gone searching for food, despite the chances of finding anything promising being low. I did spot the asional rabbit hopping by farther away, scared away by my heavy footfalls or by my scent. p, p. My ears eventually caught the faint sound of pping wings behind a tree, where I found an owl with a twisted wing, likely from a hunt gone wrong, huddling up against a tree and still trying to get up the trunk somehow. If it had been Earth, I might have called an animal hotline and tried to save the owl. If it had been Earth, the owl might have continued to live a long, fulfilling life. It might appear in a news article or have cute pictures online, it might go on to be a local celebrity after recovering or it might form a bond with the people who saved it. It was not Earth, and I was hungry. *** At first, I tried to return with the owl¡¯s body in hand to the dungeon, hoping to use the fire from the torches inside to create my own cooking fire. I found the dungeon entrance sealed, a sign that I had been thest one to leave the dungeon. Eventually, the dungeon would either reform itself or vanish, but there was nobody left inside of it to wait for, which meant that the other two had already departed without me, more evidence that my time there had been longer than it initially seemed. Fortunately, I was lucky to still have basic adventuring gear on me. Bernard and Velle had held the majority of the supplies, but I had still carried a basic knife and a ssic flint and steel instead of a fire-starting artifact because, again, I could not externalize mana into equipment, and water. Making a fire from the cold branches I could break from the trees in reach and from the dry, thawed bark I had to dig into the trees with my earth powers to collect, I eventually had a decent enough fire after clearing some of the snow from a spot on the ground to cook the owl. Removing the feathers was easy enough, but I had no clue as to how to properly gut the bird, so I did my best to cook it over the fire and eat what I cooked. After piling up enough wood and branches to keep the fire going for what I assumed would be a decent amount of time, I fell asleep in its warmth, resolving to figure out what to do next after I got some sleep and had a clear mind. *** That night, I dreamt of the monsters from the city again, the imps and the people who had been turned into monsters. I dreamt that I walked on a bridge of ss over the world, waves of imps and demons marching across thendscape and dancing in the sun¡¯s fading light atop mountains of bones. shes of gold and blue lit up the far distance, and the steady beating of drums echoed out through the world, reverberating through the bridge of ss that ended in a white doorway whose other side could not be made out. Stepping through the portal, I was greeted with bright light and numbness throughout my body. Then, I woke up. *** The numbness remained present. I was cold. At some point during the night, the fire had died out, and I had slept through it still. It was a wonder that I had woken up at all. My hands, feet, and ears were all painfully numb. I was moderately dressed, but I was not at all equipped for the heavy cold, so the leather of my armor was stiff and ufortably rigid. I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if the fire had still been raging, but I sensed smaller sources of fire approaching me in the dim light of the early morning. ¡®Torches?¡¯ That was the only thing that came to mind. I was hoping at first that it was Bernard and Velle, but I sensed three sources of warmth distinctly close and others further out, arge group of some sort. Their lights illuminated the woods when they stepped into view through the snow. I first noticed the uniforms they wore. Heavy overcoats that extended down to their knees covered their bodies, reinforced with what looked to be sections of hardened ting woven into sections of leather in vital areas of the coats, each of which was brightly emzoned with the design of a lion¡¯s head on the chestpiece. Members of the Lion Guild. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¨C Echo (2) My mind went back to myst encounter with members of the Lion Guild, back when I had briefly encountered them in front of the Association building when they had been looking for me. I already knew that they had realized that I was the one who had, albeit inadvertently, killed three of their members. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told them that I had been jumped or that the Lion members had refused to deliver on what I was paying them for. No, in their eyes, I had killed their guild members, and that was that. Although they hadn¡¯t recognized me previously, I could only hope that it would still be the case. I couldn¡¯t think of any other reason there would be so many out there unless they had somehow caught my tail or were after Bernard and Velle for some reason, but¡­ It wouldn¡¯t hurt to at least try. They stopped and we stared at each other through the snowy field for a few moments, light kes of powdery snow still drifting down from the early morning sky. Cold air permeated my nose and made smelling anything difficult through the chilly pain that seemed to burn my mucous membranes and lungs with each breath, and my extremities were still numb from the cold. The three of them were still too far away for a proper conversation. Instead, the leader of the little group examined something set around his wrist before pointing to me. I don¡¯t know what it was that he said, but the person he spoke to knelt and pulled a crossbow out that had been slung over his back before loading a bolt into the string and pulling it back with ease. While that alone didn¡¯t confirm anything, it was enough to cause me to scramble up and half-trip over my numb limbs as I stumbled behind the nearest tree trunk, luckily only a short stride away. ¡­ Silence. I peeked out from behind the tree, only to duck my head back behind cover when the crossbow bolt filled my vision and whizzed by my head. If I hadn¡¯t raised my AGI scores, that bolt would have killed me. Its speed was the product of some skill thatunched it far faster than it should normally have flown. Crunch, Crunch. Footsteps sounded from just on the other side of the tree and slightly to my left, which still left one of them unounted for. They weren¡¯t even allowing me time to negotiate or plead my case, determined to end me based on whatever they had been told, which I could only guess at. Judging from the way the man in the lead had looked down at something on his wrist before they attacked me, I was guessing that he had tracking magic simr to the one I had been using at the party. I could already guess what their n of attack was, as no further bolts came flying my way after that peek that I had made. It was an ambush tactic. Back in the city, I had often heard of simr tactics being used in hunting quests against hard-to-catch targets. An archer or someone with ranged attacks would shoot at something and cause it to go into hiding, someone else would approach, and then the creature in hiding would try to bolt again, only to be struck down by the archer¡¯s readied weapon. It was effective in that there wasn¡¯t much you could really do even if you knew about the attack. At least, that was normally the case. I sensed the heat of their torches, still back where they had dropped them to ambush me, so heat sense wouldn¡¯t help me. Summoning the earth around my fist in a gauntlet again, I waited. Crunch, crunch. The next steps were much closer, probably only a couple of steps past the other side of the wide trunk. HMPH! [[?Strike?!]] I exhaled hard as I used the skill and struck the tree with the earthen gauntlet and the base version of the ?Eruption? skill. CRRRACCKKK! The tree splintered and the base of it exploded outward where I had struck it, showering splinters of wood everywhere. WHISH! The next bolt whished by my ear, not much more than a blur, and the tree continued to fall from the suddenly missing section of it. It would have been fortunate if the trunk had fallen toward the men approaching me, but of course, I was not so lucky. The trunk fell towards me, and I had to scramble through the snow as it fell towards me until it thumped into the snow and sent a powdery cloud up next to me. Taking advantage of the moment, I ran with the snowy cloud between me and the archer as another bolt whizzed past me. It was then that the final member of their party appeared as a blur of motion from the edges of my vision. He was a stealth-type and had been creeping around to ambush me from the other side so that I couldn¡¯t run away. If I hadn¡¯t acted when I had, then it probably would have been toote for me. His dual daggers swung down at me, and I used my gauntlet to deflect one of the daggers, bending at an angle as much as I could to dodge the other one, which still sliced a thin line of crimson down my face. KSSSS! A sound akin to a rising firework pierced through the air as the leader of the little group sent up a re that would alert the others to our location. The stealth-type continued to chase me, though I had lost the other two. Even while being chased down through the woods as I was, I could asionally feel the faint heat of a torch just at the edges of my new heat sense. After running what I felt was a sufficient distance, I turned and blocked another attack from the stealth-type, who had been hot on my tail. KLANG! One of his daggers bounced off of the gauntlet again, and I was fast enough that time to dispel and resummon the earth as rough armor along my neck just as his second dagger was honing in for the kill. KLANG! Before he could recover from the initial surprise of having his second attack¡ªwhich he had likely assumed was going to be a sure kill¡ªblocked so suddenly, I stepped forward with a ?Strike? uppercut to his stomach, recalling the image of a boxer in a close-quarters fight from an old match I had seen on TV back on earth. [[Mana: 50/100]] With the movement mimicked perfectly, I poured my stamina into the blow as well, desperately trying to end it as fast as possible. Even still, I refrained from using the piercing capability of ?Eruption?, still opting for the base concussive enhancement because I had a loose n in mind that required the armor to be left somewhat intact. WHUMP! The resummoning of the earth around my fist just as I made contact, apanied by ?Strike? and ?Eruption?, sent out a small shockwave that sted the drifting snow away from us and kicked up the loose powder on the ground. SNAP! My fist hit his stomach, and the stealth-type attacker¡ªwho had likely neglected attributes that would toughen him up¡ªwas liquified from the inside, blood spurting from his nostrils and ears as he died before he even hit the ground.¡¯ [[+100 XP Current XP: 4075/4000]] [[Level Up!]] [[Level 4! Reward: +2 STR, +2 END 1 Free Skillpoint]] Hesitating just long enough to realize that my attack had actually killed him in one hit and that I had leveled up, I got to work on putting my n into action. A few minutester¡­ Koise, the leader of the Lion Guild expedition to catch the criminal that had previously backstabbed and killed three of their members in a shared party, looked at the scene of the fallen tree and scattered bark while speaking to the scout party leader. ¡°And three of you weren¡¯t enough to take him down because¡­?¡± He was clearly upset. Three Lion Guild scout members¡ªwho were supposed to be known for their tracking and ambush skills¡ªhad failed to catch a single backstabbing adventurer. What¡¯s more, one of their members had gone missing, and they hadn¡¯t even given chase. The party looked fairly nonchnt at Koise¡¯s words. ¡°Gil was after him, he¡¯ll probably be back in a minute or two. He was fast, I¡¯ll give him that.¡± Koise could see the two bolts that the archer¡ªwho was standing by, idly checking his crossbow in an attempt to avoid eye contact with Koise¡ªhad fired at the adventurer as well. ¡°¡­He was a cripple and gained use of the System only a few weeks ago, yet you still couldn¡¯t catch him?¡± The party leader shrugged, still not seeming to realize that anything was wrong as Koise kept himself barely restrained. ¡°He probably sped all into speed or something, I dunno¡­¡± ¡®Idiot¡­¡¯ The guild was filled with ipetency. Koise had beenmenting over the slow downfall of the once prestigious Lion Guild for a while at that point. Everything seemed to go to shit after the guild leader prioritized expansion over actual hunting. Koise stared at the tree that had been blown away during the ambush on the adventurer, something that approached the levels of superhuman and couldn¡¯t have been done by even a level 5, which was known to be at the border of superhuman. ¡°Sped into speed, huh?¡± The party leader wisely remained silent, only scratching at the back of his head in response. ¡°You¡¯re relieved of your scouting duties, go back to the guild for a new assignment.¡± Koise wanted to do more, but his hands were somewhat tied. It wasn¡¯t like he could kill someone for ipetency, even if he wanted to, and the man had to at least be somewhat skilled to be a scout leader, so it would have been a waste to kick him from the guild. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t do that, the guild leader himself put me here.¡± The man finally snapped into a serious attitude at hearing that he was going to be demoted. Koise stared into the man¡¯s eyes as if daring him to challenge his authority again. ¡°I just did. Goin to the guild leader if you have any issues.¡± They both knew he wouldn¡¯t. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¨C Echo (3) Their scouts found evidence of a heated battle a decent distance away from the initial ambush site. Whatever skills that adventurer had, he was certainly fast. ¡°There were no bodies?¡± ¡°No, sir, the ce was found like this. Apparently, they took off again through the trees when the adventurer tried to hide his tracks by going above.¡± Koise looked up at the branches, his sharp sight picking out various points where twigs had been snapped and where the snow had been disturbed on the branches above. He was more worried about the circr depression in the snow with the surrounding blood stter. It was more blood than a normal human would have been able to live without. Either someone had died there, or they had both received grievous wounds. But if someone had died, where was the body? If they had both received grievous wounds, how was there not more blood spread after that point, and how could the two of them continue their chase? The scout he was speaking with had reported finding the area, but he had unfortunately not seen the two, which was to be expected if the chase was still ongoing. ¡®Something¡¯s off about this¡­¡¯ Koise rubbed his chin and let his mind wander as he stared at the blood stters and the depression in the ground. Had it been some sort of skill? He couldn¡¯t think of a skill that would cause such arge radius of effect from someone below level five. ¡°Good work. Head back to the main group for an official debriefing.¡± He ordered the scout back and set another group on tracking where the two had gone through the trees. ¡®But where is he going?¡¯ Koise¡¯s eyes wandered over the drifting snow, over the dimly lit woods, and settled on the great mountains that dominated the near distance. It was the only obvious destination, but why was the man headed to the unexplored mountains where even those approaching level 10 were known to vanish from? It was a question he couldn¡¯t answer with what knowledge he had. As he pondered the question in his mind, he forgot about the scout. *** I let out a deep breath after the encounter with what appeared to be their leader. He had been suspicious, and it would likely only be a short time before they found the corpse that I had hidden in the branches of a tree not far off. I had been careful getting to that tree after creating as obvious a path through the trees as I could in a separate direction. Luckily, the Lion Scout armor was much warmer than my previous outfit had been. The concussive force of my punch hadn¡¯t done much damage to the soft leather of the armor where I had struck the scout, so I had been able to pass as one of their members. Though he hadn¡¯t given me a direction, I made sure to go through the trees towards where I felt thergest concentration of heat in my senses for a short distance, assuming it to be the main group, before I veered off again and used the very tactic I had described to the expedition leader¡ªI took to the trees. While I had never had much experience in practicing my bnce or performing much in the way of acrobatics, I found that it was almost too easy. There were moments when I unexpectedly slipped on a branch that was icier than expected, but I made sure to stick to the thickest offshoots of the trees so that nothing would break under my weight. Not only that, but whatever aid the Second System granted me in fighting also seemed to extend somewhat to general control over my body¡ªas I had the intent in mind. It wasn¡¯t that I could suddenly perform backflips through the trees or perform great feats of acrobatics as I had done in a certain assassin video game back on Earth, but it was closer to having an improved sense of space and depth perception. I instinctively knew which leaps I could make and which ones would be more difficult, and I didn¡¯t hesitate as much as I would have initially imagined. Taking what paths I could through the trees so that I wouldn¡¯t leave obvious tracks behind in the snow on the ground, I eventually dropped back down after a short distance, sacrificing some stealth for speed. I doubted that the group would chase me past the mountain range. It was known for being dangerous, after all. A few spare rations had been stuffed into another pouch at my waist from the man I had killed, enough tost me for a day or two, and I hoped that I would be able to reach the mountains towering in the visible distance by then. Either way, I would be putting my stamina to the test. While the Second System had never stated as much, I guessed that it also granted me an extra stamina reserve that had gone unused so far. Perhaps it was due to how the Second System almost seemed unfinished? I realized my tactic would only work once, so I made the most of it and went as far as I could before stopping for a brief rest. Like that, I continued through the snowy woods. Luckily, the armor that I had taken was much more suited to the cold weather; the thick padding of the coat, the gloves, and the fur boots made it seem almost balmy inparison to what I had worn before. One thing that I hadn¡¯t quite expected before making the journey was the smell. I knew that adventurers often carried magically enchanted devices that could release water with a bit of mana, and it wasn¡¯t unheard of for them to bathe themselves in the water from those devices. However, because I was unable to use such a device due to my issues with externalizing mana, I would have to depend on finding a stream or water source for bathing and refilling my canteens. Even if I did find such a water source, it would have been a death sentence to try bathing myself in the cold. As such, I was stuck with the smell of dried sweat, grease, blood, and smoke that had built up in my hair and on my body. My hair was almost dripping with it, and my skin was so oily that it was moist to the touch, a consequence of how much I had enjoyed regr bathing back in the city. Eventually, my body would grow ustomed to not bathing and wouldn¡¯t secrete as much oil, but the transition was extremely ufortable. It was a lucky thing that their tracking magic (probably) didn¡¯t work by sniffing me out, or else I would have been caught almost immediately. I also had no way of knowing how far behind me the Lion Guild would be, or how fast they were moving to catch me. Had they opted to stick together in a single group, or were they pursuing me in smaller, faster groups? With all of those worries in mind, I abandoned trying to mask my tracks or be stealthy, as they would only be amateur attempts anyway. I went on full speed ahead towards the sheer mountains, drawing on my reserves of stamina. Finally, when my remaining water was running low and the rations had all but been consumed, I reached the cliff face. From a distance, I had seen it more as a mountain. I had hoped that, upon arriving at its base, I would find the side of it angled well enough to traverse without too much difficulty. Unfortunately, that was not the case. ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ The face of it was much closer, in fact, to a cliff face than a mountainside. It was akin to a sheer wall that shot upwards into the distant sky, extending to the sides as far as I could see. It didn¡¯t help, of course, that what steep slopes of rock I could see jutting out from the cliffside were coated inyers of snow and ice, which would make the climb even more difficult. Looking over the side of the cliff¡¯s face, I spotted pieces of metal impaled into the steep rise at regr intervals¡ªsigns of a previous climb. If I were to take a guess, Bernard and Velle had either used or created the handholds or had their own separate way of scaling the mountain. Either way, it was the best chance I had of scaling the cliffside before the Lion Guild could catch up to me. With a cold sweat clinging to my back, I approached the first of the handholds and gripped the metal rod before resting my weight down on it to ensure it could bear me. ¡­It was solid. Huff. I pulled myself up and began using the rods like a sort ofdder to scale the side of the cliff. *** Koise and the Lion Guild saw a figure slowly rising above the trees as they neared the cliff. He was far enough away that he would have likely been slightly difficult to spot with unenhanced sight, but Koise¡¯s eyes picked him out easily. The man was using pitons impaled into the wall to climb the cliff otherwise unaided, and it didn¡¯t appear that he had a skill assisting him, either. Koise contemted for a moment before extracting a weapon from his Item Pouch, a bow almost as tall as he was with a thick string. Along with the bow, Koise pulled out an arrow with a shaft thicker than his thumb, using a specialized hold at the end to rest it against the bowstring as he nted himself and took aim. He could have told his archers to fire at the man, or he could have had the mages fire spells, but magic was known for its inuracy at a distance, which mages usually supplemented by making the areas of effectrger. It wasn¡¯t Koise¡¯s intention to bring down the entire mountainside, and even if he were to take the chance, most of the magic users in the advance party weren¡¯t proficient with such area-affecting magic. Magic spread over an area naturally lost its potency with the wider area, so he couldn¡¯t be sure that arge enough fireball to urately hit the man wouldn¡¯t just leave him singed. As they always said: If you want the job done right, it¡¯s best to do it yourself. Koise breathed in and activated the first part of his multi-chain skill attack. [[?Draw?]] Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¨C Echo (4) The air around Koise grew heavy and darkened as a suffocating strength seeped through the area. [[?Aim?]] Koise¡¯s already falcon-like sight grew even clearer, hyper-focusing on the man climbing the cliff in the distance. Everything else became inconsequential. The path between his arrow and the target¡­ It was as if he could feel every bit of the wind, every change in air pressure, every molecule between them. He could see the individual puffs of vaporing from the adventurer¡¯s mouth, the way the man slipped on a piton and had to regain his grip, the rise and fall of his chest. Whooo. He exhaled a breath, a low whistling sound spreading out. [[?Charge?]] Despite the chilling cold, beads of sweat were dripping down his face. The suffocating aura around him only increased, a palpable thing that would cause anyone inside of it to be pressed into the ground. A deep, scarlet light formed on the arrow¡¯s edge, creeping down the rest of the arrow and twirling in a spiral pattern around it to meet his fingers on its end. He took onest moment to make sure that his shot was perfect before loosing the arrow in a crimson burst of color. Whump. A shockwave spread around Koise, the air visibly rippling as space itself seemed to warp and a supersonic p of sound warbled in the ears of the Lion members nearby. *** {{Behind.}} ¡®Behind?¡¯ Just as soon as the Second System message appeared, I felt something prickle along my neck, a primal instinct warning me of something I could not yet see. I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, but thebination of my instincts and the Second System both warning me at the same time was enough to persuade me to drop my attempt and prepare however I could. It had to have been a projectile attack of some sort, either magic or a long-range attack. If that was truly the case, then moving as fast and unpredictably as possible would be the safest bet. Not willing to let go of my progress and drop back down to the ground where I would set myself up for being caught, I remembered when I hadst needed a strong burst of speed to take me somewhere. I remembered the incident from the vige dungeon, when I had used everything at my disposal andunched myself across thendscape. As much as I hated it, I had to do it again, fast. The warning I had been given didn¡¯t have a time limit, but I could only assume that I had to move immediately if I didn¡¯t want to take my chances with an ability that even the Second System was warning me about. Never mind the fact that the Systems I knew were just that, Systems. ording to everything I knew of it, a System couldn¡¯t be intelligent or show favoritism, but my view had been changing a lot in those times, and things I had previously thought impossible were in fact bing the norm. I surged the earthen energy through my body again, using ?Strike? as I again sent power erupting through my feet. I did my best to pull myself upward as I did so, afraid that the force of my jump would smash through the piton I was leaping upward from. At the same time that I kicked off into the air¡­ Whump. I had enough time to briefly register something hitting the cliffside below me just after performing my leap. The leap itself was much more sessful than my previous attempt. From where I had jumped, about halfway up the cliff face, I guessed that the jump would have taken me up most of the remaining distance. ¡­That would have been under normal circumstances. As whatever it was impacted the side of the cliff, a shockwave spread out from its point of impact and exploded outwards, serving as a sort of booster that aided my jump even further. ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ The sudden surge of power sent me on a straight upward trajectory that made me feel as if I had truly taken flight. The wind whipped at my face, and it became hard to keep my eyes open from the sheer force of it. Before I knew it, I cleared the top of the cliffside and sted past it, rising higher still. Looking down at it after reaching the apex of my eleration high above, a field of jagged crevices, rocky hillsides, and sharp points extended into the distance, blinding me as the sun reflected on the snowy surfaces and shed brightly. I frantically surged energy through my body again and performed a concussive ?Eruption? away from the cliffside. It would be bad enough to fall that distance back down to the top of the cliffside, but if I fell all the way back down the cliffside itself¡­ Forget about the Lion Guild, the sheer force of the fall would likely kill me in itself. The recoil from the st sent me tumbling at a forward angle on a downward arc, and just before hitting the ground, I braced myself with ?Walk it Off?. [[Mana: 50/100]] Thump. I became firmly embedded in a bank of snow, crashing through it and mming into the jutting points of a few sharp protrusions from a rocky hillside. Pain stabbed through me as one of the points pierced just to the side of my abdomen, a slow crimson stain spreading across the snow. It wasn¡¯t enough to be lethal, but it hurt like a bitch. Koise raised his eyebrows in surprise, drained from having used his ultimate skill. It was the first time that anyone had ever dodged that skill. The arrow from the skill hadunched through the air at such a speed that it had seemed to be instantaneous, extending from his bowstring to the distant target in a mere fraction of a second, far faster than any bullet from Earth could have traveled. It was a skill that was impossible to react to and dodge, its primary downfall being the time required to fire it. And yet, that adventurer had somehow realized he was being targeted and leaped at the precise moment when he could no longer adjust his aim. It was truly a masterful dodge, something that required such precise timing that even he, as the user of the skill, couldn¡¯t be sure that he could pull it off¡­ Krrrrr. Rocks fell from the crumbling cliffside, arge crater visible where his arrow had hit it. His mana reserves were dangerously low, but that was what mana potions were for. Though they were usually prohibitively expensive, a perk to being an authority figure in the Lion Guild was ess to an essentially unlimited amount of funds. Tink. After downing the bluish, bitter-tasting liquid, he let the vial drop to the rocks at his feet as he readied his next skill to take chase, determined not to let his target go even while begrudgingly acknowledging his target¡¯s skills. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to have a word with whoever told me he was a pre-5 Awakener¡­¡¯ He drew his next arrow in the bowstring, still utilizing the massive bow, but with a markedly different arrow that time. It was a feathered, blue arrow that was extremely lightweight, with most of the weight being in the arrowhead itself. Koise simply drew the bow using the massive Strength required, not relying on the aid of a skill. He took aim towards the top of the cliffside that the adventurer they were in pursuit of had literally flown over and loosed the arrow at an angle to ount for the light wind. Thwick. The bowstring snapped forward and the arrow flew on a curved path up the cliffside, reaching the top after a few seconds before cresting over the side, just visible still. [[?Transpose?.]] It was an emergency skill that had a cooldown of 24 hours, but while the Awakener he was after had good escape skills, even if the Awakened was above level 5, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Koise¡¯s level of 11. Of that, Koise was certain. The arrow and Koise switched ces, the arrow piercing into the ground where Koise had previously been as Koise plummeted downwards on the arrow¡¯s original trajectory. Boom. Koise mmed into the ground unaided, flexing his legs and leaning forward with hisnding,ing to rest with one hand on the rough, rock-hewn ground beneath him. The force of hisnding sent snow flying. The sharp rocks below simply snapped away and went flying from the force of hisnding, leaving him unharmed, standing on the rough, snowy field. He only needed a moment to spot the adventurer¡¯snding point, a clear indentation in the snow that the adventurer was even then pulling himself out of. Koise¡¯s sharp eyes caught the crimson stain left behind in the adventurer¡¯s struggle and frowned. He enjoyed the climax of the hunt just as much, if not more, than the hunt itself. The moment when the prey had no option but to turn and fight. If he couldn¡¯t or didn¡¯t want to kill the prey outright, he liked to avoid affecting their fighting ability if at all possible for a thrilling conclusion. Fighting against a severely injured target was no fun, after all. *** Tink. A vial of red liquidnded in the snow in front of me as I finished extracting myself from the hole I had created in the snow with mynding. ¡®A health potion?¡¯ It didn¡¯t make sense, but that¡¯s what it looked like. Either that, or it was some twisted attempt to get me to drink poison in front of him. ¡°Drink it.¡± The man stood not far away from me, the snow rising to the middle of his shins. His ck hair was pulled back in a disheveled ponytail, and he had a massive bow in one hand that was almost as big as he was. I recognized him as the leader of the expedition from before, the one I had previously tricked into going down a different path to buy myself time. He didn¡¯t look angry. He could have taken that moment when I was extracting myself from the snow to kill me then and there. Judging by the bow he held, I believed him to be the one that hadunched whatever had caused the shockwave at me¡ªprobably an arrow. ¡°Why¡­?¡± The man stood still. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Aizen¡­¡± I picked up the tincture he had thrown at me and downed it, warmth spreading through my body and focusing on the puncture wound created by my fall. Before long, the bleeding stopped. I didn¡¯t know what game he was ying, but I wasn¡¯t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¨C Echo (5) ¡°Would it be toote to say that I don¡¯t want to fight?¡± ¡°My name is Koise.¡± ¡®Okay¡­ I didn¡¯t ask¡­¡¯ I really didn¡¯t care about whatever he said his name was. All I cared for was finding my friends again and getting away from him alive. ¡°¡­¡± There was an awkward silence as if he was waiting for me to say something else. I took the time to think of ways that I could escape or defeat him. From the massive bow he held, he looked to be an archer ss of some sort. My best bet was to close the distance, especially as such a massive bow would probably be next to impossible to fire at point-nk range. He wasn¡¯t standing too far from me either, close enough that he had been able to toss the health potion to me with a simple, underhanded toss. Not only that, but he had to have known that I specialized in close range by then as well, so he had some hidden trump card that gave him confidence. [[New Quest! Defeat the enemy before you or escape!]] {{New Quest! Peacefully resolve the misunderstanding!}} Two quest windows appeared in my vision briefly before I willed them away. It was clear that the man didn¡¯t want to talk, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to at least try. Whatever skill he had used, it would take the rest of the Lions some time to scale the cliff face. ¡°They attacked me first, you know¡­¡± The man summoned an arrow from thin air, easily as long as my extended arm. ¡°I hired them to help me Awaken, they tried to steal from me and leave me for dead, and things just got out of hand¡­¡± It was pointless. The man simply ced the arrow on the bowstring and began drawing back on it, slowly, as if telling me to get ready. The chilly wind blew intermittently, sending little drifts of snow between us. His ponytail pped in the wind and the cold bit at the exposed flesh where the jutting rocks had pierced me. There wasn¡¯t anywhere to run in the wide, snowy field. Though there were ridges and hills, his bow likely had a frightening range, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to run anywhere. He could just pin me until the rest of his guild arrived and flushed me out. I only had 50 mana remaining, though I still had a few skillpoints from leveling up that I quickly used. [[STR: 18+4 END: 18 AGI: 12+4 PER: 10 MAG: 10 MANA: 10]] I had one free skill point that I put into AGI again. I was pretty sure by then that the other three were going to be my dump stats because I couldn¡¯t afford to lose out on speed, strength, or endurance as a close-range fighter. [[AGI: 13+4]] I wasn¡¯t quite sure where that put me stat-wise, but it should have been at around level 6 or 7. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the extra skills that a higher level would have. My stamina was already low from having run so far and using the base form of Eruption twice while scaling the cliff. I used ?Second Wind? for the first time. The skill surged through my body like a refreshing wind, instantly making me feel like I had experienced a full night¡¯s rest. Unfortunately, it was a skill that could only be used once per day, but it was extremely powerful when considering the fact that stamina was a resource in using my Second System abilities. I lunged forward, trying to close the distance between us as fast as possible. Thwack. His arrow left the string, shing towards me in a blur. [[?Walk it Off?.]] I reinforced my earthen gauntlet as much as I could as I raised it between the projectiles and myself as a shield, not taking any chances after I had previously seen just how destructive his arrows could be. [[Mana: 25/100]] That left me with a single skill use remaining. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The arrow struck the gauntlet, shattering it and knocking me off bnce. It sent me tripping into the snow as I fell to the ground with one hand extended out to catch myself briefly on the snowy rocks before continuing my run. I judged that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get a second arrow out in time and summoned the earth again, drawing slightly on my stamina. I noticed as I approached that the man didn¡¯t seem surprised. He remained in ce with a cool, expressionless look on his face. It was probably a trap of some sort, and I still hadn¡¯t ascertained why he seemed so confident while being so close to me, but I had no choice but to find out. Woosh. My gauntleted hand swung through the air at him, moving as fast as my ?Strike? had back when I had first unlocked it due to the increase in my attributes. With my bonuses to Strength, it probably would have been enough to crack a boulder, let alone a man. Thunk. The man intercepted my fist with the string of his bow with awe-inspiring precision, slowing my punch and allowing him to easily slide my fist to his side. I caught a glint of steel from the corner of my eye as the man smoothly pivoted around me and stabbed something towards my side. Shift. Earth slid down from my hand, leaving the skin bare as it reformed into a protective barrier at my side, sending me sliding through the snow with the impact¡ªthe man had to have had massive amounts of Strength to send me sliding like that. My eyes drifted towards Koise¡¯s other hand, which held another long arrow in it that he had used as a sort of dagger to stab at my side. Unfortunately, the ?Walk it Off? skill only restored my stamina, not my mana. With a single skill usage worth of mana left, I wasn¡¯t sure of how it could be used to get me out of the situation I found myself in. It was apparent from our first exchange that the man, despite being an archer, had a higher Strength and Agility stat than I did. I was unsure as to the rest of his stats, but they were probably simrly high from either a ss boost or item effects, probably both. While I did have the Second System skills to help me, they still required me to actually hit my target. My eyes took the moment to drift over the wide and uneven snowfield again, searching for something that I might have missed the first time, anything. It wasn¡¯t actually my eyes that caught something, but my new sense for heat. Standing there, I felt an unusual warmth that I wouldn¡¯t have otherwise noticed with my enhanced sense wafting from one of the crevices in the snow that I then noticed was unusually absent of ice and snow. Some of the rock itself was revealed around the crevice opening, which was only about as long as my forearm and as wide as a finger¡ªcertainly not big enough for me to run away into. It did give me an idea, though. The idea I had in mind did leave a bit up to chance and luck, but wasn¡¯t that life? I had gotten lucky with the Second System, I had gotten lucky with the anti-sleep effects it gave me, I had gotten lucky with how ?Walk it Off? worked with it¡­ My luck had held out so far, what was one more push? Fwoo¡­ I exhaled a deep breath as I surged the energy through my body again, slowly sliding my feet along towards the crevice, walking in an orbit around Koise while he ced the arrow into his bowstring and waited¡ªas if hoping I would make another move. He frowned. ¡°Is that it?¡± He sounded almost disappointed that I wasn¡¯t going to attack him again. The guy had some sort of lust for battle, the crazy sort that would either die when he bit off more than he could chew or who would shake the foundations of the world. The former was far moremon than thetter. My n formed in my mind, I stopped next to the crevice and waited. ¡®How disappointing.¡¯ Koise held the arrow for a moment and willed the adventurer to make another move towards him. Not only had the man not returned the exchange of names that was customary in honorable duels, but he had also given up after the first exchange. While Koise had been surprised by the man¡¯s reaction speed and resilience in blocking his arrow, the attack itself had been nothing special. The man simply had some sort of rare fighter-type elemental ss that had enabled him to surprise others with new skills, nothing that Koise hadn¡¯t adapted to before. ¡®May you have better luck in the afterlife¡­¡¯ With a twinge of regret that the fight couldn¡¯t havested longer, Koise fully drew the arrow back. [[?Draw?.]] The man simply stood and watched him through thezily drifting flecks of snow. Wearing the outfit of a Lion scout, the man¡¯s coat was torn and already soaked through with snow after havingnded on the bank of it. A fleck of snownded on the arrow¡¯s tip, melting as itnded and bing an almost infinitesimal droplet of water. [[?Draw?.]] He activated the skill again, the arrow pulled back even farther and audibly creaking as the bow lost a few points of durability. He at least nned to do the man the honor of a quick death. [[?Release?.]] Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¨C Echo (6) ?Strike? [[Mana 0/100]] I used myst skill while surging the force of a concussive ?Eruption? through me, striking down the moment my eyes caught the motion of Koise releasing the arrow. Tzzz. The extra force and speed generated by the ?Strike? aimed towards the ground I was standing on near the crevice in the snow sent me downwards at a speed that blurred my vision. Even still, the arrow reached me in what seemed like a fraction of a second, a shot aimed for the center of my chest that ripped along my back as I almost managed to elerate under it. Painnced down my back, followed quickly by the bone-shuddering impact of my fist against the ground, concussive force sting downwards and cracking the earth. I only briefly had time to register the pain along my back, the impact up my arm, and a popping sensation in my shoulder before the weightless feeling of the ground giving way beneath me took over and I fell downwards into the passage below. Thuds registered through my body and the impacts set my head ringing, ones that would have likely left me with a concussion or worse if my Endurance had been any lower. My fall turned into an uncontrolled tumble down whatever passage I had fallen into, a steep incline from the crevice further downwards along a harsh, rocky slope. I dropped until I crashed against the stone floor, bits of rocks and debris continued to fall on top of me for a few moments, followed by a dusting of snow. *** Koise remained in ce after firing the arrow, examining the fine cracks that had appeared in the bow¡¯s wood with its loss of durability for a moment. ¡®I¡¯ll have to get a recement when I return.¡¯ Such weapons weren¡¯t easy to make, and it was next to impossible to find one unless entering a dungeon that tailored the loot to the people clearing it, which was usually reserved for higher-difficulty dungeons that would take days to clear. He cared much less that his prey had escaped, somewhat relieved inside that the hunt had not ended in such an anticlimactic manner. Koise lowered the bow and approached the gaping hole in the ground. The man had proved resourceful, and thatst skill he had used showed a speed and power that would have been difficult for even Koise topletely avoid or dampen. ¡®Was it an ultimate skill or a trump card?¡¯ He believed it to be so. While it was unlikely to be an ultimate skill, as those were harder toe by and were usually only acquired from reaching level 7, it being a costly trump card with either a high cooldown or restrictive usage condition for a rare ss wasn¡¯t that unlikely. The hole was easily asrge as Koise was tall, the stone broken and cracked in arge radius from where the man had struck the ground. It wasn¡¯t the first time that someone had avoided his double ?Draw?, but it was still surprising to see ite from someone that was alleged to be of a significantly lower level. Down in the hole, Koise could only see a slowly widening crevice that angled away out of view to somewhere far down below. Despite wanting to continue the hunt, it would be irresponsible to follow the man down to who-knows-where while leaving the rest of the Lions behind. He wasn¡¯tpletely blinded by the hunt, he only craved it. ¡®Next time¡­¡¯ Already looking forward to their next encounter, Koise strolled through the snow to the edge of the cliff face and sat down, dangling his legs over as he watched the other Lions reaching the base of it. He looked up and watched the delicate kes of snow that melted seemingly before even touching his skin, watching the lightly obscured sun in the distance. Iy at the bottom of the crevice for a while, the sharp pains in my body and the dull ache of bruises from my fall radiating within me and assaulting me all at once. It took a few moments before the pain subsided enough for me to drag myself into a sitting position against the wall, faint light filtering in from where I had fallen high above. At least it was warm. ¡°Shit¡­¡± The arrow had still hit me. I couldn¡¯t see the wound, but it hurt bad enough that I could only imagine how severe it might be if I could. The warmth was almost suffocating. The initial puff of snow from my fall was all that had been able to follow me, and even that had quickly melted into puddles of water, reflecting in the dim light. It was a good opportunity to refill my canteen if nothing else. I was even starting to sweat in the balmy heat. I probably would have even taken the armored coat off if I hadn¡¯t been in such immense pain. Other than the puddles on the stone floor, the wall I was sitting against curved somewhat sharply on either side of me into the darkness. I would need a light source to properly explore the cave. More than that, I had to figure out whether I was even in a good enough condition to explore the cave, cavern, tunnel, or whatever I had found myself in. Drip, drip. Water dripped down from where I had fallen. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± First was my back. I could feel a long, reaching pain across it that started somewhere on the upper back and ended in a diagonal strip of pain near the opposite side of my lower back. I also felt the sting of the air on the wound where the arrow had ripped through the heavy clothing and armor and torn the line across my skin. Other than my back, a sharp ache in my left shoulder apanied by the inability to properly move my arm indicated that I had probably dislocated it in the fall. Even so, I felt the distant presence of heat in the distance, the source of the warmth, and my only clue for escape. I checked the quest log again, hoping that maybe I had fulfilled one of the conditions. [[New Quest! Defeat the enemy before you or escape!]] {{New Quest! Peacefully resolve the misunderstanding!}} No such luck. I guessed that the entire deal with the Lion Guild would have to be resolved for good for the quest toplete. ¡®First¡­ My shoulder.¡¯ It was the easiest problem to address first. Not only would my increased Endurance promote faster healing, but my increased Strength should have made it rtively easy to pull it back into ce. Leaning forward slightly from the damp, stone wall, I recalled old medical advice I had heard or read about in some book long ago. I pulled the arm over my head in a backward motion and tugged it down towards the opposite shoulder, increasing the strength of my pull until I felt a popping sensation and a sharp tinge of feeling when the shoulder moved back into ce. The arm still felt tender to the touch and hurt a bit when I moved it, but at least it was usable again. ¡®Next problem¡­¡¯ Thinking about it, the next problem would be the injury on my back. While having a high Endurance would promote faster healing and tougher bones, ligaments, and overall body, having a high Endurance wouldn¡¯t necessarily stave off infection or poison. In fact, many poisons worked better specifically against high endurance, taking advantage of the increased cirction that those with higher Endurance enjoyed. I didn¡¯t think the arrow had been poisoned, as I wasn¡¯t feeling anything off with the rest of my body¡ªit was only the pain along my back that spiked when I twisted, moved, or bent my back. The only really good news I could pull from the scenario was that I was safe for the moment and that I had to be one step closer to finding Rhil. I still wasn¡¯t sure where Bernard or Velle had gone, but they weren¡¯t my primary concerns. I knew that they could take care of themselves. I stood up, doing my best to keep my back straight. The various bruises left behind on my body from the tumble also ached, but they felt like simple paper cuts inparison to thencing pain in my back. Having no way of seeing ahead into the darkness or properly guiding myself through it, I followed the wall and my recently gained sixth sense, blindly stumbling through the darkness toward the source of the heat. *** Elsewhere, in the same tunnel system as Aizen¡­ A woman¡¯s ears picked out the slow, shuffling steps of someone new, someone different from the pair that hade not long before. The steps moved with a purpose, though a slow, faltering one. ¡®Are they injured?¡¯ Their hobbling gait and long pauses made her think so. However, she was more curious about the path they took. It was a long, mazelike system, after all, yet they moved with a singr purpose towards the secret at its center. A secret she had kept watch over for many years. The woman stepped away from the small, dead-end offshoot in the tunnel that she called home. She couldn¡¯t be seen in the pitch-darkness, but she had arge frame, greyish skin, and easily stood taller than the average human man. An orc. Her hearing had long adapted to the tunnels, and she no longer needed sight to truly ¡°see¡±. Every step lit up the tunnels with a bright sound that allowed her to pick out every detail around her far better than her eyes would ever have been able to do. The woman strode silently through the tunnels, moving to the end of the path to wait for the new stranger. She hadn¡¯t bothered meeting the other two, they had forayed down there but briefly before heading onto the city, naught more than passing travelers. She had a duty to watch over the Relic that had granted her the very senses she used. She had exchanged her sight for the wonders of sound and magic, and she still believed it a worthwhile trade. Her exchange had been innocent, a simple want for escape and knowledge, but she knew just how sinister the wishes of man could be. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time she had to eliminate a would-be evildoer to stop them from using the Relic. Indeed, she would have hidden the Relic away if she could have, but that wasn¡¯t its wish or nature, and she couldn¡¯t go against it, not after what it had done for her. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¨C Echo (7) Finally, after a blind stumble through the warm tunnels towards the source of the heat, I rounded a corner and saw a soft, golden glow emanating from just around one final bend in the tunnel. It was aforting glow that reminded me of campfires and of cold nights spent next to warm fireces. I felt drawn to the glow, relieved at finally being able to see something again. I imagined that if any Lion trackers followed me down there, they would have a difficult time retracing my steps. It was much harder to track someone through a stony cave than it was to track them through snowy woods, after all. It still left my need for medical attention unanswered, but at least I would hopefully have somewhere safe to rest. At least, that was what I hoped as I shuffled along towards the turn in the tunnel and the soft, glowing light. I entered the golden lights, turning the corner to greet the pointed tip of an axe directly under my neck, its point stopping just short of my skin. High endurance or not, it would take much more than whatever I had to create any sort of barrier for that weapon. Its keen edge gave off a murderous aura, so it must have been enchanted in some way. ¡°What is it this time? Power? More levels? The ability to take vengeance on your oppressors?¡± ¡®What?¡¯ An orc was bathed in the blue light, lethal muscles and tall build standing out alongside her pale greyish skin, long, orange pony-tailed hair, and scarce armor. She was d in hardly more than a tough, coarse leather shirt and shorts, and she waspletely barefoot. What¡¯s more, her eyes seemed to gaze right through me¡ªno, past me? ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Her eyes were colorless and pale. ¡®Is she blind¡­?¡¯ If that was the case, then the axe resting just micrometers from my neck made me ever more wary, even an exaggerated gulp or breath could bring my skin into contact with it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± It appeared that we were faced with a misunderstanding of sorts. Did she believe that I was there to take something from her? My eye caught bloodstains dried against the stone walls at the edge of the tunnel where I stood, dark spots stained the ground further into the small stone cavern where the glowing light emerged from a rotating golden cube about the size of my hand in mid-air over a stgmite in the center of the cave at about chest level for me. ¡®Did she do that¡­?¡¯ She had probably killed people who had gone there in search of whatever was emitting the warmth and light and assumed I was just another trespasser. While the cube certainly piqued my interest, I had no intention of trying to fight my way through the orc. Her solid muscture alone looked to be more than enough to outdo just about any human armor I could think of. I could only guess how high her Endurance was. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± We stood still for a few moments in the deafening silence, the sound of my blood rushing and my heartbeat thumping against my chest rushing through my ears. She might have been blind, but I could still see the gears turning in her head as she came to some decision based on factors that I had no knowledge of. ¡° ¡­You¡¯re telling the truth.¡± It was a confident statement, so I guessed that she had some method to separate truth from lies. There were enough varied skills in the world that it wouldn¡¯t surprise me for even a moment. She lowered her axe back to her side, still seeming like a coiled spring, ready to strike me down the second I made a wrong move. ¡°Why are you here, then?¡± I grimaced. It was a long story, but the truth of it came down to this: ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m just looking for somewhere safe.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Does that mean I should expect more guests soon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t think they followed me.¡± ¡°Mhhh¡­ On the run, then.¡± Her guard dropped a bit and she visibly rxed, taking a more casual pose. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± She could somehow tell I was hurt as well. Whatever sense she was using, she had adapted to it well. ¡°My back¡­¡± She turned around, not even facing me anymore. ¡°Follow me. We¡¯ll talk on the way.¡± Saying so, she started walking at a leisurely pace so that I could follow behind her without straining my injured body. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± It was the second time I had been asked that question that day. ¡°Aizen¡­ and yours?¡± At least she was a better conversation partner than the Lion Scout leader had been. ¡°Kry.¡± We had crossed the short cavern in a few strides, taking a roundabout path around the golden cube in the center of the space. As if sensing my gaze, she warned, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. I¡¯d hate to have to kill you now.¡± I tore my gaze away and continued following her. ¡°What are you doing down here anyway? Can you at least tell me what it is that I shouldn¡¯t be looking at?¡± She ignored my question, instead responding with a question of her own. ¡°Why are you here, Aizen?¡± ¡°I told you, I came across this ce while looking for somewhere safe.¡± ¡°No, I mean, why did you run here of all ces? To the high outernds. There should have been easier paths to run through, no?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± I had to stop as she moved into another tunnel receding out of the cube¡¯s light. She halted only a moment after I did. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see¡­¡± It was pitch darkness again, and while I had used my heat sense to navigate a general direction before, I would be hopeless when trying to follow her away from the heat source to who-knows-where. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Her speech was direct. I imagined that she hadn¡¯t had a casual conversation in some time, or maybe that was just her personality. Either way, it seemed that she had forgotten that others couldn¡¯t see with whatever method she used. She fiddled around with something in the pouches at her waist before tossing me a small, ss-like orb. ¡°Imbue that with mana and it should give off light.¡± I didn¡¯t want to know where she had gotten it. Besides¡­ I couldn¡¯t imbue objects with mana due to the externalization restriction from the Second System. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®you can¡¯t¡¯?¡± ¡°I literally can¡¯t¡­ I have a restriction where I can¡¯t use mana outside of my body.¡± Just as all sorts of skills and buffs existed, so too did all sorts of restrictions and limitations. While being unable to externalize mana was something I had never heard of before, I figured it could still be counted as a possible System restriction. ¡°¡­Fine, then give it back.¡± I thought about tossing the sphere back to her for a moment but wasn¡¯t sure how her sight worked or if she would be able to catch it. ¡°Um¡­¡± Haah¡­ I heard her exhale in what was probably exasperation. ¡°Just toss it back to me.¡± After I did so, she caught it perfectly in mid-air and imbued mana into it, causing a cool, blue illumination to spread from it. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We continued down the tunnels. It seemed she moved with purpose, but the offshoots and zigzags along the way just left me confused. I would have had no chance of navigating it correctly to wherever we were headed purposely. ¡°So who are you looking for? I know how it might seem, but I don¡¯t kill every adventurer Ie across, as you can see. Only the ones that make it to the Relic, though you¡¯re the first one to find it by ident.¡± That meant that others knew or had known about whatever that glowing object was. I was, of course, familiar with the existence of Relics¡ªincredibly rare objects of power that could grant incredible boons, abilities, and talents, or serve as items with groundbreaking abilities. It was said, in fact, that what separated a major guild from a minor one was the possession, usually in the guild leader¡¯s hands, of a Relic. To think that I had stumbled across one by ident. I was either incredibly lucky or incredibly unfortunate. ¡°A woman with blonde hair, she uses lightning abilities and went missing a few days ago.¡± ¡°Did you think she might not want to be found?¡± Of course, the orc imagined that I was looking for someone who had run away. ¡°No, you misunderstand. She isn¡¯t running from anything, Rhil wouldn¡¯t do that. It¡¯s more like she identally took a portal that brought her to where I can only guess is somewhere in the north. ¡°And what about your injuries? Another misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Actually, yes¡­ It¡¯s a long story, but a guild thinks I killed some of their members and sent a scouting party after me.¡± We turned through another branch in the tunnel, and the soft sound of sshing water came to my ears. The blue sphere held up by the orc, Kry, revealed a small dead-end passageway that, from the clutter and things lying about, I guessed was where she spent most of her time. Water trickled down from a small crack in the ceiling, which was just high enough for her to not have to crouch slightly as she had to do in a few of the tunnels we passed through. The water led to a small basin set in one corner of the little dead-end, and another crack that led away through the wall stopped with cloth to keep the water from escaping. A few animal furs littered the floor, and what looked like the curved shells of some sort of insect wereid about containing substances I could only guess at that filled the passage with sour, sweet, and pungent smells. Food, maybe? The air was just warm enough to be cozy, and Kry wedged the stone into a small alcove in the wall, where it continued to illuminate the area. ¡°Tell me if it fades and I can restart it.¡± She shuffled through the chitin bowls, stopping to sniff a few before handing one to me. ¡°Rub that on your wound and it should start to heal and prevent infection.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I can¡¯t reach¡­¡± The wound was on my back, so it would be incredibly difficult to reach around with the constant pain and apply the balm to my injury. ¡°Then take whatever you¡¯re wearing over it off and I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Obliging her, I began to slip the overcoat off, muscles protesting with dull aches and pain going through my back as I had to pull the parts of it that had gotten stuck inside of the gaping wound out. When it was done and I was standing bare-chested, the orc prodded around my back for a moment, her rough hands surprisingly gentle to avoid causing me further pain, before she applied whatever was in the chitin bowl to the wound. It was a situation I would have never imagined even a week prior. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¨C Sight (1) I winced at the sharp pain thatnced up my back at first, which was soon followed by a cool sensation, simr to the sensation of burn cream on a heat wound. Whether it was healing me or just serving as a sort of local anesthetic, the end result was the same¡ªI was able to move without pain. ¡°Avoid cing anything over or on the wound until it fully scabs over at least.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure howfortable the torn armor would be anyway. It was about time for me to find new clothing. ¡°Believe it or not, my residence here stems from a simr sort of misunderstanding.¡± The orc spoke again after I turned to face her, head tilted towards the ceiling in contemtion even though she could not see in a habitual gesture. She paused as if she was going to borate further, but the pause continued into a long silence. ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to want to head towards the city when you¡¯ve recovered enough.¡± ¡®The city?¡¯ It was surprising to hear that there was a city out there, especially because, if there was one, it wasn¡¯t one that was verymon knowledge. I also wondered who would inhabit said city and why they had nevere into any or much contact with people before. It sounded like Kry was already trying to get me into the mindset that I would be leaving soon, eager to see me off, but there was still more I was curious about. ¡°Which city?¡± I questioned her, curious to know more about where she was trying to point me toward. ¡°It¡¯s the City on the Edge, up through the northern mountains, though you can take the caverns below instead of attempting that treacherous climb.¡± A city on the edge of what? ¡°Could you tell me more? Who inhabits the city? How big is it? What should I expect? How do I get there?¡± Kry grunted in response, mulling over her words before speaking. ¡°The city is inhabited by those who reach the edge and can¡¯t bear to go back. You¡¯ll see what I mean when you get there. Dragons rule the city, and as a result, it¡¯s probably one of the safest ces you can find out here.¡± I knew that dragons existed from the tales I had heard of them, legendary beings often hunted by humans or told about being defeated by extraordinary adventurers like the Lion. Of course, I had never seen one in person before, as such beings existed far away from the likes of civilization as I knew it. ¡­Or so I had thought. ¡°I can tell you how to get there, the way is pretty clearly marked from a certain point not far from here, though your safety will be up to you.¡± She was saying that she wouldn¡¯t apany me far. She probably didn¡¯t want to leave the Relic too far behind. ¡°Can you tell me more about the Relic?¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Her deep hum echoed through the tunnel, a vibrating tone that seemed to work its way into my bones. I hadn¡¯t previously gotten close enough to properly examine the Relic with the system, so all I had to go by was that Kry insisted on guarding it, the Relic was sought after by people who might use it for bad, and what it looked like. ¡°It¡¯s a Relic that grants abilities based on the wishes of the user. It can give you just about anything, but it asks for things in return as well.¡± She gestured vaguely towards her nk eyes with her hand. The Relic had taken her sight, then? If so, what she had gotten in return was probably whatever sense she used to navigate the tunnels. It could have been something like my recently acquired heat sense. But if she was so worried about other people finding or using the Relic¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t you just destroy the Relic or copse the cave so that nobody can reach it?¡± It was what I would have done. Why bother protecting something you couldn¡¯t use when you could just make it so that others couldn¡¯t reach it? ¡°The Relic knows. It wants people to be able to reach it, it¡¯s why it exists, after all. Copsing the tunnel or trying to destroy the Relic itself would only bring about destruction for the sorry sod who attempted it.¡± Ah, an intelligent Relic, then. Relics could be anything from ces to items to something more. Who was to say they didn¡¯t have minds of their own? It would actually make more sense that way. Just then, new windows popped up in response to the information about the Relic, [[New Quest! Utilize the Relic or destroy it before time runs out! Fail Condition: Relic is used by someone else. Time: 8:00:00]] {{New Quest! Protect the Relic from those who seek its power! Fail Condition: Relic is used by someone else.}} Two quests, each from a different System¡­ The most worrying aspect, of course, was the inclusion of the time limit. From the way the quest also mentioned stopping others from using the Relic, I came to the conclusion that there was probably a group or individual that would reach the relic in the next eight hours. Kry¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. I was apparently the only one who had received the quest. Then again, for all I knew, she had a persistent quest that required her to protect the Relic at all times. ¡°You mentioned people that havee for the Relic before¡­ Was there anyone recent or that might have escaped?¡± Her brows scrunched together and she stared at me with those unseeing eyes. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have to trust me on this one, but I just received a quest to protect the Relic, and ites with an eight-hour timer. ¡°¡­Thest to try was a few days ago, It¡¯s hard to make out details besides the body silhouette, but they were strange in that their skin was scale-like to the touch, they had tails, and there were oddly malformed wings on some of their backs.¡± An image came to my mind of the imps that I had previously fought. They mostly matched the description. ¡°Were they pretty small, about knee height?¡± ¡°No¡­ They were about average height for a human. Do you want to see them? Was she keeping the bodies somewhere or something? I wondered for what purpose, but there were some questions that I really didn¡¯t want the answers to. * * * She ended up taking me back through the caverns again to what she told me was the ¡°feeding storage room¡±. When I asked her if she ate the bodies of those she killed, sheughed and told me that the bodies were kept to feed the things lying outside of her section of the caves that she hade to a sort of mutual understanding with. I was curious to know more, but the sight of the bodies was enough to confirm my suspicion. ¡ªThey were rted to the imps. The creatures looked like strange abominations somewhere between a lizard and a human, with short, malformed wings on their backs. They had a humanoid build and stature and wore gear in the same way humans did, which meant they were intelligent. I should have guessed as much anyway if they had sought the Relic. It was a worrying coincidence that the same types of creatures I had just fought and killed in the city were again causing trouble not far away at a source of incredible power. I could only imagine why they would want a Relic or who they were acquiring it for. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ve fought things like these before where Ie from. The lord of the city was working with them for power, I call them demons.¡± They certainly looked how I would imagine demons to look and had only performed what could be considered evil deeds, to boot. She rubbed her chin, thinking about something else. ¡°Then I guess we should prepare¡­ If it¡¯s a System quest, it¡¯s probably going to be more than just a scout party like these guys appeared to be.¡± There were three of their bodies in the room. I couldn¡¯t imagine what we would be facing for both Systems to react the way that they had. Kry led me back towards her personal offshoot of the cave system before we turned to a rtively t,rge cavern at a separate dead-end tunnel. She held out the blue sphere and focused on it for a few moments as it grew brighter from a higher influx of mana and she strode to the center of the cavern, cing the orb into a small crater on the ground where it wasn¡¯t likely to roll about. ¡°If you¡¯re going to help me, you¡¯re going to have to learn to not be useless.¡± It was a harsh remark, but it was true that I would be useless if I couldn¡¯t see what I was fighting. She stared at me for a few moments and widened her stance, leaving the axe on her back and holding out her arms to make a wide gesture at me. ¡°Attack me.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¨C Sight (2) ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°I said attack me.¡± I was somewhat hesitant, but I figured she knew what she was doing. Besides, as long as I pulled my punches at thest moment, her strong build looked like she could take a few hits without trouble. Thinking so, I rushed forward at her, testing the waters with a normal punch aimed toward her center of mass. As I was punching forward, Kry stepped on the orb on the floor, and the sound of the fragile ss shattering was heard. Ksh! The room was instantly plunged intoplete darkness, and my punch whiffed through the air. As I was catching my bnce, something mmed into my legs and sent me to the floor. I couldn¡¯t react to anything even if I wanted to, and then I received a one-sided beating. Of course, she didn¡¯t actually try to hurt me much. Her rough voice growled out at me through the darkness as she knocked me down again whenever I tried to stand up. ¡°You¡¯ve probably figured this out by now, but I use my ears to ¡®see¡¯. It isn¡¯t as simple as just shutting off the lights and taking some damage, or else everyone would be able to do it.¡± ¡®So what am I supposed to do, then?¡¯ I guessed that she was trying to teach me. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t a skill that was easily learned or taught, especially in the few hours we had. ¡°Focus on my voice. You can hear where I¡¯m speaking from, right?¡± She was somewhere to my left, though the echoes in the cave made it hard to judge distance in any way as I could only judge depth with sight. ¡°Turn to me.¡± I obliged, standing up and turning to her voice. ¡°Good, now rotate to follow the sounds I make.¡± Tap, tap. Her feet made exaggerated sounds as she tapped hard on the floor with each step. We continued in such a manner as the quest time continued to tick down, for hours on end until my mind felt numb and her taps grew softer and softer. Then, just as the timer was about to hit the hour remaining marker, she had me sit still as she ced her hands on my head from behind. ¡°That¡¯ll have to be enough, I want you to focus on your breathing now and ept my mana. I¡¯m going to show you how I see.¡± I still wasn¡¯t sure of her skillset or ss. I had guessed that she was a fighter of some sort when I had seen the axe on her back, but being able to use magic in such a way disproved that. I felt a warmth prate through her hands into the top of my head, seeping into my body and filling me with a sort of half-drowsiness¡ªlike I was falling asleep. ¡°Focus on the sound of your breathing, imagine each breath as a wave of motion, a wave of tactile sensation that amplifies and returns to you through your ears.¡± Her voice sounded as if from a great distance through the murkiness of my mind. Hazy as I felt, I did my best to focus on my breathing. ¡®Each breath as a wave¡­¡¯ I let out a loud breath, testing it. I imagined that the breath was a solid wave of blue water that coursed from my mouth, smashing against surfaces it contacted and receding back to my ears. I wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was my imagination, but I ¡®felt¡¯ the stone I was sitting in and the faint, muddy image of Kry was envisioned in my mind after a moment, a distorted sphere of ¡®sight¡¯ around me. ¡°Can you feel it?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I think so¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to make a motion with my head, tell me which direction I¡¯m looking in.¡± I focused on the hazy image I had in my mind of her figure behind me as she had her hands on my head. Her long braid dangled to the side as she turned her head. ¡°To my left side?¡± Her hands lifted off of my head, and the fuzzy sensation remained in that half-conscious and trance-like state. ¡°Tell me which arm I¡¯m lifting.¡± I waited as her hazy figure lifted one of its limbs. ¡°The right one.¡± ¡°And the fingers I¡¯m holding up?¡± It was too hard to see. I only had a heat-like mirage of a shimmering image in my head, enough to make out rough details and not much more. ¡°I can¡¯t tell¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hard to see¡­¡± Thump. Her foot lifted into the air and came back down on the ground hard enough to create a reverberating echo. If each breath had been a wave before, then her stomp was the flood that epassed the world. Bright, vivid imagery filled my mind for a few seconds before fading back into the haze. ¡°Three.¡± I had gotten a clear image of her fingers in my mind. ¡°Now I¡¯m going to turn on another light and show you something else.¡± As she said so, another orb flickered to life in her hand. I was instantly hit with a wave of vertigo as the images in my head and the images in my sight ovepped. You see, while the heat sense had acted as a sort ofplementary sense to my sight, now sharing the same data points in a way that made touch and sightpletely different, the echo sight that Kry had shown me and my regr sight ovepped and shed, warring in my mind with duplicated and overloads of information until I had to shut my eyes again and wince, fighting back the urge to vomit. ¡°Now you understand why I¡¯m blind.¡± It made sense. In one way, I had almost felt sorry for herck of sight, but the echo sight that she had shown me was perfectly suited to caves, tunnels, and enclosed spaces where sound would quite literally echo around the walls and amplify the return of information. I couldn¡¯t imagine how difficult it would be on the surface, though. ¡°It¡¯s going to take work to get into that state again, and it won¡¯te easily at first, but it should eventuallye to you as a skill.¡± Of course, abilities that could be used easily or at the user¡¯s will were categorized as skills. Some people could perform magic or use other skills that weren¡¯t usually appropriate for their ss without actually getting a skill, but that usually came at the tradeoff of having longer activation times or needing to concentrate for a long time. Such skills might eventually turn into actual System skills over time as the Awakener bes more proficient in using them, but some might also never reach that point. It all depended on the user. It had taken most of our preparation time, and what time was left would give us just long enough to return to the Relic room and ready ourselves for whatever was going to arrive. As we headed back for the Relic room, Kry and I went over what we could do. Kry¡¯s ss was called a ¡®Stone Speaker¡¯, and it worked with and enhanced her echo sight further than I would have ever been able to use it, even if I had gained it as a skill. The ss was based around Strength, Endurance, and Magic, and allowed the Awakener to perform all sorts of stone and resistance-based magics. She exined that she would even be able toter mend the entrance I had created. In turn, I told her about my ss being a sort of elementalist monk ss, which was probably the best way to exin things without saying that I had a Second System. Though she had never heard of one before, there were plenty of sses and elements to the System that were constantly being learned about. Finally, we came back to the Relic room, the golden, soothing light bathing the little cavern from the Relic still sitting calmly at its center. ¡°Here, there should be enough mana in it tost you for a bit.¡± Kry handed me the light sphere after imbuing it with more of her mana. While I had learned the very basics of echo sight, we had bothe to a sort of unspoken understanding that what I had learned wouldn¡¯t be dependable enough to rely on so soon. ¡°Follow that tunnel down, take the first fork to the left, and go until you reach the mushroom cavern. You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡± I wondered why we were going off to intercept the attackers when we could just wait there in the Relic room for them toe to us. ¡°Can¡¯t we just wait here instead of separating?¡± She shook her head in response. ¡°If we do, we run the risk of them overwhelming or bolting past us in the wide space on a beeline straight for the Relic. There are actually only two tunnels that lead to this offshoot of the entire tunnel system, so if we each intercept them at the narrowest points of each one, they have no choice but toe at us one by one or run away.¡± It was a bottleneck strategy simr to stories I had heard on Earth where a man or group would defend a bridge or pass against an overwhelminglyrge number of enemies. There wasn¡¯t anything I could think of in refute to the n, so I took the orb and nced back at the Relic again before heading down the tunnel, again debating the quest options in my mind. If I was ever going to go for the Relic, right then was my chance. I could simply turn around and walk back into the room, gaining whatever ability the Relic would give me while alsopleting my System quest. Alternatively, I could just destroy it if I was afraid of the consequences. I still wonder whether I should have. I was curious about the Second System¡¯s quest to protect the Relic. To that point, the Second System had proven reliable in at least solving things more through peaceful means or protecting as many as possible. Did that mean that the Second System was somehow saying that protecting the Relic was for the greater good? If that was the case, did it also somehow know what the Relic would give me if I used it for myself? In the worst-case scenario, I figured I would at least gain XP from the things going for the Relic, and who was to say that I couldn¡¯t try to use the Relicter anyway? Those thoughts cascaded through my mind as I took one step at a time towards the tunnel where I was to hold off the attackers. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¨C Sight (3) I realized upon reaching the offshoot tunnel why Kry had sent me there when I noticed a few hold points that might have been narrower or easier to fight in from the light of the blue orb. The tunnelway led to a small cavern of glowing mushrooms that shed a sickly green luminescence around the cave, the light leaking into a point I determined would be good to hold out in. If worst came to worst, I could always retreat further down the tunnel to another one of the points that I had noticed along my journey. I looked at the quest timer again. [[00:12:43]] Only twelve minutes¡­ My mind wandered as my gaze swept over the mushroom-filled cavern before me. What did the timer mean, I wondered. It was a countdown to ¡°attack¡±, or so I had assumed, but at what point did the System consider us being under ¡°attack¡±? Did that mean that the demons were creations of the System if it could so urately predict where and when they would do things? If so, then were just those specific demons under System control? The green luminescence was hard to see by, only letting me see faint contours and shapes in the mushroom field throughout the cave. They were all small mushrooms, clumped together in little batches, and thergest of them grew to about ankle height, as wide in diameter as one of my fists, maybe. I closed my eyes, deciding to use the time I had left to practice with the echo sight that Kry had taught me. It was hard, at first. When I shut my eyes, there was only darkness, the faint glow of green leaking into my eyelids. I tried to focus on sounds at first, the sounds of my breathing, of my shuffling as I tried to calm my nerves, of the steady thump of my heart. Still, darkness. I remembered what Kry had said¡­ Each breath a wave¡­ I focused harder, only thinking on each exhtion I sent out, imagining the breaths as little, tactile waves that returned information to me as they collided with the cave. After a few moments more of darkness, I felt the vague sensations of the cavern as I shifted my position again, my leg numb from where I was sitting on the stone ground. It was like a little faint bubble of sensation around me that I could have even been imagining, nothing more than a false image created by my mind as it desperately tried to hunt for some sort of sight. I felt it wasn¡¯t the case, though. I was in that almost trance-like state of half-consciousness from when Kry had imbued me with the feel of the technique. Time passed as I focused on each breath, feeling the bubble of sensation slowly inch outwards as my mind grew ustomed to receiving and interpreting the information in such a way. Then, in a simr vein to the heat sense I had acquired from that secret dungeon, I felt somethinging down the tunnel. Many somethings, to be exact. Where the heat sense felt almost like a dull pinprick in my mind where I might have left my keys or remembered where something was, what returned from the echoes was more a thrumming sensation, a distant sound that I could pinpoint. I opened my eyes again to see the System¡¯s countdown timer. [[00:00:00]] Twelve minutes had passed before I knew it, and whatever I was waiting for was just reaching the opposite end of the cavern, which I still couldn¡¯t see through the dimly lit green mushrooms. I stood fully in ce and pressed myself against the side of the wall, smothering my blue light with my hands, realizing again that I had yet to get a recement for my cloak. The stone wall was cool to the touch against the bare skin of my back. ck, ck, ck. The sound of nking metal drew closer to me, and I made out the faint silhouette of the lizard-like demons. They were the same as the ones in the cave that Kry had shown me not long before, except they were very much alive and were equipped with a variety of weapons and armor. Luckily, at least, they didn¡¯t look to be an organized or uniform unit. They looked more like a mishmash of whatever armor they could find from who-knows-where that had grouped together under amon purpose. As the nking got closer, it stopped suddenly, and the twinge of an arrow being loosed from a bow reached my ears not long after. I couldn¡¯t see it through the darkness, but I could guess what they were shooting at. I moved suddenly, lowering myself into a ducking motion and catching a proper glimpse of them before debating briefly in my mind on my next course of action. The most obvious and safest thing I could have done at that moment was to turn the corner and wait for them to advance. However, I didn¡¯t know if they had any mages among them that could try to strike me with an area spell from around the corner, or if they had any other such tricks up their sleeves like explosives or the trick arrows that weremonly found amongst archer sses. Instead, after making a snap decision, I dashed forward towards them. Kry stood stock-still in the pitch-ck confines of a narrow section of the tunnel system. To reach her, the demons would have to go almost single-file through a section of the passage in front of her. She sensed them nking down the tunnel long before they arrived, her echo sense picking them out one by one. There were over thirty of them at a single nce, and there could have been more behind them as well. Her mind lingered for a moment on Aizen, worried about how he would hold if he was against simr numbers. Her ss was all about mimicking the endurance of the earth and standing in the face of overwhelming numbers, but she wasn¡¯t sure about his. The first of them saw her and said something in their strange, clickingnguage. They stopped before the tunnel became too narrow and shuffled around as one of their number came forward with a bow. It was a poor weapon to use in the tunnels, and she couldn¡¯t imagine why they wasted their time when they could have had a mage be just as effective if not more so than an archer who could only shoot down the straight tunnels that didn¡¯t extend anywhere near a bow¡¯s maximum range. Kry remained standing perfectly still as the archer drew an arrow and aimed it carefully at her, his body twitched and almost seemed to glitch at the moment he fired¡ªthe telltale activation of a skill. Her cornerstone skill, ?Unbreakable Foundation?, came into y. It almost tripled her already high Endurance and gave her damage reduction to ranged attacks on top of that if she remained standing in one ce for a certain amount of time. The arrow flew true, striking her with its full force in the forehead¡­ Snap! The arrow¡¯s shaft snapped with the force of the impact, the razor-sharp arrowhead not even breaking her skin. It was as if it had truly struck nothing more than stone. Click, click, click! More clicking sounds came from the demons as they debated on what to do before they soon reached a conclusion and began filing down the tunnel toward her. ¡­And she ughtered them. One after the other, the almost manlike lizard demons crashed against her. Her axe cleaved through them effortlessly, their armor little better than warm butter against an even warmer knife. They fell before her and died with hardly a sound, each cleave of the axe ending a life as more poured towards her. Their bodies soon clogged the tunnel, making it difficult for their allies to pass over. Eventually, there was a lull in the attack as she sensed more gathering on the other side of the tunnel, past the piled-up bodies of theirrades. A brief sh of heat washed over her before a wave of fire followed, incinerating the bodies that had piled up. [[?Earth¡¯s Wellspring?]] She used a channeled, reactionary skill that instantly chilled her skin and generated a sheen of water around her for as long as she focused on it. Kshhhh. The mes continued for a few seconds, shing against her water shield and producing a hefty amount of steam until the mes ended and she let the skill drop so that she didn¡¯t waste mana. Whatever had cast that spell, its Magic stat must have been high if it could incinerate the bodies like that. It was likely that their leader had arrived. *** My mad dash seemed to have surprised them, at the very least. Mushrooms went flying as my feet plowed through them and sent the still¨Cglowing fungi flying through the air, providing more illumination to the scene. Boom! As if reinforcing my decision, the draft of an explosion wafted through the tunnel behind me and pushed me towards the demons. KRKKR! The earth shook, and the tunnel caved in where I had just been. ¡®Didn¡¯t Kry say something about the Relic always keeping two pathways open?¡¯ I recalled that she had said something of the sort, but I didn¡¯t really have time at that moment to wonder about how or when the Relic would sort that out. At least I didn¡¯t have to worry about one of the demons slipping past me. The archer had just enough time to widen its eyes before my fist and the earth-like gauntlet around it blew through its chest with surprising ease. Not ready for such little resistance, I fell forward with the blow. The soft mushrooms cushioned my roll and squished against my back as I tumbled briefly before righting myself. I still didn¡¯t have much experience in fighting multiple opponents at that point, but one thing I had picked up on from some of the games I had yed all those years ago back on Earth was that the key was to always keep moving. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¨C Sight (4) The demon I punched through copsed quietly to the squishy, glowing mushrooms below it, dead instantly. My attack had nearly blown the creature in half, and the other demons eyed their fallenrade for only a moment before charging me with their weapons as I continued to run through the small cavern, doing my best to stay within therger troops of glowing mushrooms. I wasn¡¯t sure how many of them there were, but more were filing into the cavern by the second, their weapons as mismatched as their uniforms. Some held spears, some swords, some bows. Notably, and thankfully, I didn¡¯t spot any mages at a nce. It was surprisingly easy, at first, to blow through the demons as if I were simply plucking weeds from a garden. I was able to keep my mana at full, as their attacks were easy to read even in the dim, sickly glow of the mushrooms, and their weapons held no notable properties. The most difficult part, of course, was the archers, and even they proved to have shoddy aim as I moved in an erratic zig-zag pattern through the cavern. And the ughter continued, each in demon notably granting me bits of experience that raised some questions in my mind. {{+15 Exp!}} ¡®What?¡¯ I was being given experience for the Second System? Being given experience for killing the demons made sense, although sometimes there were quests that gave a certain amount of experience in one lump sum at the end, but why was it suddenly granting Second System experience instead of experience for the primary System? An arrow scraped past my shoulder as I was lost in thought, still mowing down the demons. I didn¡¯t know how long it was or how many hits it took, but eventually, the enemies began to subside. At that point, the cavern had grown visibly darker because of the mushrooms that had been destroyed and kicked up during the battle, and I was finding my enemies mostly by their faint silhouettes against the glowing mushrooms in the darkness. Thump! As thest of the demons were giving a valiant final effort, the cavern shook momentarily as somethingrge mmed into the passage the demons hade from. Thump! The cavern shook again, and bits of stone shook and shone faintly, dark lines running through the stone visible against the dull lighting from within that almost seemed like a shlight shining through a thin membrane. Thump! Pieces of the wall shook free and flew from the shining wall, the light only growing in intensity as whatever was causing it on the opposite side increased its efforts. By that point, thest demon that I could see had been killed, and I moved to a point distant from the glowing wall, keeping any mushrooms in front of me so as not to give myself away in the darkness. Boom! The stone passage shook and exploded outward, raining fragments of itself across the cavern as the passage increased in size almost fivefold and a hulking figure stepped through. ¡®A minotaur?¡¯ The creature had a bull-like head, a massive set of horns, and hooved feet to match. It was the spitting image of a minotaur from the legends. Behind it, glowing faintly, another demon stood with a magic staff still emanating light from the vestiges of its stone-destroying spell. Kry finally moved. Standing before the passage and ughtering the demons as they came worked well against the archers and fighters, but her strategy was riskier in the face of magic, which could be utilized in all sorts of ways against a stationary target. Of course, running wasn¡¯t an option. The tunnel she had chosen was the narrowest one on the pathway to the Relic, and if she backed away there, it would only get more difficult for her if the demons attacked in great numbers again. The biggest problem for her was the mage, which she made a quick decision to get rid of. Even without her buffs from standing still, she could still deal with standard archers and fighters easily enough, especially those that the demons seemed to have. She rushed through the passageway, her massive figure having to hunch over briefly to make it through as she ran at the demon mage, who stood still in front of her as if waiting for something. ¡®Something feels wrong¡­¡¯ Her mind and experience told her to back away, but she continued her charge anyway, ignoring the faint message her instincts were sending her. The passageway shook for a moment from something far distance, and the mage¡¯s figure blurred and vanished just as she swung her axe through it. With her echo sight, though, the vanishing act didn¡¯t mean much, she sensed him reappear farther back up the tunnel, an echo reverberating from him as something pulled itself from the ground where he had been standing. It was a bull-headed monster with horns, bigger than her, with a red gleam in its eyes and huffs of heated vaporing from its nose. She swung her axe down at it without a second thought and it turned its head in an unnaturally quick motion, catching her axe on the side of one of its horns and deflecting it away even while she was mid-swing. It tried to gore her with another swing of its head while she was off-bnce, but she used her high strength to stop the momentum of the swing, feet skidding on the stone, and pulled back at thest moment. The minotaur had fully emerged by then and lunged at Kry, attempting to wrap her in its huge arms and gore her to death. She stepped back again, bumping into the wall, before using another skill. [[Strength of the Earth Channels the power of the earth for a surge of strength that persists so long as both of the user¡¯s feet remain on the ground. Effects: x2 Strength]] It was a simple buff, but it was enough for her to be able to grab one of the minotaur¡¯s horns with one hand and the minotaur¡¯s shoulder with the other, fingers digging into its muscles as she forcibly heaved it aside and sent it tumbling into the passage wall. Shik! A searing pain pierced through her abdomen as she tried to catch her breath and she looked down to see an icicle impaled through her stomach. The mage had struck her with the spell in the moment that she had let her guard down. Kry made a move to go for the mage but soon had to turn to deal with the minotaur as it charged her again. Her ?Strength of the Earth? skill was still on cooldown, and there wasn¡¯t room to dodge, so she held out her axe across her body to block it. The minotaur barreled into her, and the pain in her stomach only increased when one of its horns dug into her side and wreaked havoc on her organs as the minotaur shook its head rapidly. Still clinging to her strength, Kry let out a scream and brought the axe de over and into the back of the minotaur¡¯s neck while it pinned her to the wall and gored her with its horns. The minotaur copsed, body lifeless, and Kry tossed the axe with thest of her strength as she felt another projectile whizzing towards her in the darkness. ck! The axe cleaved the icicle clean in two in mid-air and continued on to effortlessly bisect the demon mage. ¡­ The tunnel was quiet after that, and it was all Kry could do to hold her stomach in with one hand and brace against the wall for support with the other while she hobbled back to the Relic, hoping that Aizen was faring better than she had. *** The minotaur immediately charged through the field of glowing mushrooms at me. I wasn¡¯t sure how it had seen me, but I guessed that it had some form of low-light vision. Thankfully, it was easy enough to slip to the side the moment before it would have impaled me into the wall. The minotaur mmed into the wall, struggling for a moment before it pulled itself free. I made sure to keep an eye on it as I rushed at the priority target: the mage. The mage lifted its staff and channeled another spell. Just when I thought I had rushed across the cavern and heard the heavy footfalls of the minotaur rushing across at me again, the mage vanished into thin air. With no target left in front of me and the minotaur only a second away from goring me, I used a ?Strike? with my foot against the ground tounch myself up into the air. [[Mana: 75/100]] At the apex of my leap, I searched for the mage again but had no luck in finding them. Inded behind the minotaur as it mmed into the wall again, taking a moment to punch it in where its kidneys should have been with my gauntleted hand, taking a gamble to see if my punches could damage it through its thick muscle and hide. Thud. It felt almost like striking a wall, but it must have caused some pain, as the minotaur let out a bellow of rage and whipped its head around with a speed that caught me off guard. I must have caught some glimpse of it that I didn¡¯t remember because the earth shifted at thest moment from my hand to my head, and the blow that would have killed me instead sent me flipping through the cavern and rolling through a small troop of the mushrooms. The world felt blurry after that, my mind disoriented from what was very likely a concussion. My vision was swimming, and my mind was in a bleary sort of half-conscious state as I reached for my senses, trying to regain my bearings as quickly as possible. What came first was my echo sight. I slipped into the trance-like state required for it surprisingly easily at that moment, probably from the half-conscious state I was already in, and registered a projectile about to hit me just in time to use ?Walk it Off?. [[Mana: 50/100]] A dull pain registered through my bleary world and a shard of something cold splintered off of me. I shut my eyes fully then, feeling the minotaur charging at me again, fully embracing the feel of my echo sight and letting my regr vision go. The mage was standing near the opposite end of the cavern behind me. I could feel him and the sounds he made as he shuffled around to cast another spell¡ªthe minotaur¡¯s steps were causing huge shockwaves of ¡®sight¡¯ through the cavern as well, only aiding me further. I didn¡¯t have the time to endlessly chase the mage while the minotaur charged at me. I would make a mistake or tire at some point against two enemies. I had to end it. Counting down the steps until the minotaur would hit me, I waited, fist clenched and ready. Thump, Thump, Thump! ?Strike?!, ?Strike?! [[Mana: 0/100]] I used ?Strike? simultaneously on my back foot and my fist as I also surged energy through myself, my control over it easier than ever, and blew it through my fist and leg as well, letting the energy blow out through my foot in a general st while I focused on the ?Eruption? on my fist, channeling it into a piercing st. The minotaur¡¯s horn collided with my fist. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¨C Sight (5) Crack! Aizen¡¯s fist shot forward through the minotaur¡¯s horn with little resistance, shattering it and sending bits of the horn flying while his fist continued forward and smashed into the monster¡¯s head. Boom! When their attacks collided, their opposing forces battled for a moment and an ear-splitting explosion rocked the cavern. To an outside observer, it would have appeared to be an almost still image while the world itself calcted who the victor of the struggle would be. The shockwave from their impact nearly atomized every single mushroom¡ªboth still on the ground and already kicked up from the battle¡ªand sent the still-glowing bits of what looked almost like irradiated snowkes exploding violently to the edges of the cavern, swirling around the demon bodies that were sent flying. Bits of stone debris followed, and the still-living demon mage that had been in the middle of casting some spell was caught by surprise, hardly having time to let out a squawk of protest as his body was lifted and smashed against the cavern wall. Then, just a moment after the shockwave and the initial stillness of Aizen and the minotaur, the image of the two of them grew hazy from the power being unleashed and another ripple was sent out through the air, simr to a heat shimmer spreading on a hot summer day. The minotaur¡¯s body shook for a moment¡­ ¡­and then it exploded into a fine red mist, no trace of flesh, muscle, hide, or bone left behind. The minotaur¡¯s body lost the contest of strength and evaporated into the air. *** Huff, huff, huff¡­ My breathing came out in difficult, shallow breaths. I had cracked something in my chest during the sh with the minotaur, and the fuzziness in my head and the shock of us colliding had knocked me out of the trance-like state I had previously been in. I knelt alone in the darkness on the hard stone floor, praying that the demon mage wasn¡¯t still out in the darkness somewhere, preparing to strike me down. {{Quest Update! Return to the Relic to ensure that no one has made it past you!}} The window hovered in front of me, providing me with some reassurance that the mage had perished during the shockwave of when the minotaur and I had collided. My stamina was almostpletely spent, and my mana had bottomed out to 0. Not only that, but I also believed that I had at least cracked a rib, pain erupted outwards with every breath I took. I did have some good news, at least. {{Calcting umted XP¡­}} {{Demons Defeated: 40 (+15 XP each) Demon Mages Defeated: 1 (+100 XP each) Minotaurs Defeated: 1 (+500 XP each) Total XP: +1200 XP}} [[0/8000 XP]] {{3300/4000 XP}} I was grateful for that, at least. Second System XP had proven hard toe by, and if the enemies defeated could count for Second System experience over System experience, I would have probably picked it every time. The Second System had proven far more versatile for me so far, and though I knew how ridiculous some ss options could get from the Systemter on, I still didn¡¯t know whatter options for the Second System would look like. It took a moment for me to concentrate again through the pain, but I was able to enter a hazy version of the echo sight, using it to navigate towards a wall and around the cavern until I reached the tunnel heading back towards the Relic, the one that had caved in during the initial sh with the demons. I wasn¡¯t too surprised to find that, somehow, the tunnel was free from debris again, allowing me to go through it back towards the Relic. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * The Relic¡¯s little central cavern greeted me the same as usual, the golden light spilling around the corner as I turned to glimpse the Relic itself again. There was one difference, though¡­ ¡°Kry!¡± Kry was lying propped up against the stgmite that the Relic floated above, facing in my direction with her eyes half-opened as she held one arm over her stomach, which was bleeding through her grip and creating a small pool of blood below her. There was so much of it that I would guess that a normal human would have died three times over from the amount of it she was losing. I called out her name again, rushing to her side, aware of the Relic floating just an arm¡¯s length away and of a System message that I ignored for the moment. ¡°So you made it¡­¡± Her voice was weak, and her eyes locked onto mine. ¡°You know¡­ I was afraid that a demon was going toe around that bend¡­ I was holding on this entire time just to see if myst sight would be that of my worst fearsing true.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. I hadn¡¯t known her for long, but she didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, I can go get some of that salve you rubbed on my burn wounds and¡ª¡± Her voice interrupted me mid-sentence, and a wet cough came from her mouth. ¡°Save it¡­ cough. We both know I¡¯m going to die here. I have a request.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know that you have somewhere you need to go, to the city past the tunnels¡­ If you can¡¯t stay here with the Relic, I need you to destroy it. Use it first if you want, but be careful¡­¡± She was offering to let me use the Relic that she had been protecting for I could only guess how long. It was a sign of definitive trust. I might have used the Relic either way, but at least I could rest easy with her blessing. But she wanted me to destroy it? Wouldn¡¯t that just be a waste? Relics were extremely rare, to the point where hardly anyone had even seen one and entire guilds would fight over even a hint as to where one might be. Her warning was likely due to the side effects she had experienced from using the Relic for herself. Yes, she had gained a powerful new ability through the echo sight, and I also didn¡¯t doubt that she had probably been granted other traits that I wasn¡¯t aware of, but it had taken her sight in turn. After having used the echo sight for myself, it was superior to regr sight¡ªat least in the tunnels¡ªfor detail, utility, and range, but itcked an important aspect of sight: Color. I took for granted the vibrant colors of reds, blues, greens, and others. I also wondered if it was possible to read anything other than engravings or braille-like writing. She saw the world in stark outlines of ck and white at all times. There wasn¡¯t much I could do for her in that state. We were both hurt, and I didn¡¯t have anything in the way of medicine on me. I stood to face the Relic, reading the System message. {{Wish-granting Relic of Minor Miracles ¨C Make a wish upon the Relic and have ite true. Be aware that the Relic can only grant minor wishes. ¨C Be aware that the Relic can grant each user a single wish. ¨C Bonus Effect: The Relic recognizes you as a protector and will do its best to mitigate any negative side effects from granted wishes.}} ¡®What can I wish for¡­?¡¯ My mind raced with the possibilities. I could wish for Rhil to be with me right then so that I could give up my search and we could¡­ Do what? The Lion Guild would still be after me and we would have to fight them if we went back to Karfana, I still had the goal of rescuing other people I had long been missing, my close friends, and my family. It was getting more difficult to imagine their faces, but I could still hear my sister¡¯sugh echoing in my dreams. I could wish to know where Bernard and Velle had gone, but to what end? It was very likely that they had ended up in the city that Kry had mentioned or that something terrible had happened to them, so did I need a miracle for that? I could wish for levels or XP, but I would get those over time anyway. Yes, the power would have definitely helped me with traveling and in dealing with the Lion Guild, but had I not survived to that point already while relying on what I already had? I would only get more XP and level up as well¡ªI was even close to getting the level 5 ultimate skill. Did I need a miracle for something that everyone else did by themselvesmonly anyway? ¡®If I¡¯m going to use a miracle, I better use it for something miraculous.¡¯ It wasmon sense. I thought about what I could think of that would be miraculous. I could probably do things like make the entire Lion Guild forget about me so I could continue unhindered and unafraid of their pursuit. I could wish for an artifact or equipment of power. I might have been able to wish away the restriction on the Second System for not being able to use my mana externally. I could do something even crazier and wish for another ss from the System. I could change my ss entirely or go for something truly unique. The possibilities were nearly infinite, but my initial motivation for trying to Awaken and my goal remained the same: I wanted to, needed to, protect and help those who couldn¡¯t help themselves. Sometimes, all someone needs is such a helping hand. I had wished for someone to reach out to me and help me for all those six years, but everyone had just passed by while thinking that my fate was unfortunate or that they were lucky that they weren¡¯t me. Nobody had truly cared. And if I wanted to be able to live with myself, in the end, the choice was obvious. Not sure if I needed to verbalize it or just imagine it, I said, ¡°I wish for you to heal Kry and return her sight.¡± It was technically two wishes, but it didn¡¯t hurt to try pushing my luck. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¨C City on the Edge (1) The Relic shed gold, blinking slowly and picking up in pace until each blink of light blended into the other and it became a solid golden-white light as bright as the sun. After it reached its peak, the light suddenly died down again, returning to the Relic¡¯s original, soft golden glow. ¡°What did you do¡­?¡± Kry¡¯s voice, full of curiosity and strength, spoke up behind me. She stood, running her hands over her stomach, looking down at the pool of blood on the ground. ¡°I¡­ I can see?¡± Her voice shook, and drops of liquid plopped down onto the ground from her eyes. ¡°Why¡­?¡± We had just met not long ago, after all. Why did I use the wish on her when I could have used it for anything else? ¡°Because I had to¡­¡± It was hard to exin, and I didn¡¯t really want to exin it. Some ideas and ideals were best left unspoken, shown through action instead of words. She would just have to ept it and understand. ¡°¡­You have to be one of the stupidest adventurers I¡¯ve ever met,¡± she said, a slow smile tugging at the edges of her lips. She looked back up at the Relic, eyes focused on it as she basked in its golden glow. ¡°Mmm¡­ Come on, let¡¯s get you on your way.¡± She turned and walked down the tunnel towards her little home in the offshoot tunnel again. I couldn¡¯t help but notice her wipe her eyes one more time as she tried to hide her tears. *** ¡°Most die to starvation or dehydration, lost in the tunnels before they can find a way out. The Relic passively confuses and mixes up the tunnels in peoples¡¯ minds, making it almost impossible to tell one from the next and erasing markers people try to leave.¡± Having used his heat sense to find the Relic, it made sense to me as to why I was able to find it soparatively easily versus others. Though some had stumbled upon the Relic over time, it was easier to find if you actively searched it out, which was why she had killed most people who arrived. It also eased my mind somewhat that the Lion Guild likely wouldn¡¯t find the Relic in their search for me. Most people did not seek the Relic for good intentions. ¡°You can¡¯t use an Item Bag due to your restriction, right?¡± She was referring to the storage bags most adventurers used that were bigger on the inside. ¡°Yeah, I have to carry everything with me.¡± She fashioned a sling backpack that wouldn¡¯t hinder my mobility and that could easily go around my shoulder out of old animal hides and sinew. I suspected she had a crafting skill of some sort, as it waspleted while we were talking. ¡°Here.¡± She held out the sling backpack to me as she loaded it with dried meats that she had stored for food. ¡°It should be just enough to get you to the city without starving. Fill and take a few canteens with you as well.¡± With all of the demons we had killed, there were plenty of canteens to go around. Filling a few from the water trickle was easy. ¡°You¡¯ll know by the smell when you leave the Relic¡¯s tunnel system. It¡¯ll be best to take a scent vial with you.¡± She spoke with her back to me as she worked on something else in the corner on arge boulder that she used as a table, the clinking of metal and stretching sound of leather just audible beneath our speech. ¡°A scent vial?¡± I thought about how some insects used pheromones to differentiate each other and tell who was part of their colony or not. ¡°I told you I had an agreement with some of the monsters outside of the Relic¡¯s tunnel system, right? I feed them trespassers and they stay out. The scent vial is something they recognize that they shouldn¡¯t attack for moments when I have to venture farther.¡± She held a vial out to the side from where she was continuing to work on something. I gently took the vial in my hand, examining its contents through the cloudy ss. It held a purple, viscous liquid. I didn¡¯t ask what it was¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know. ¡°After you leave the Relic¡¯s territory, the other monsters should leave you alone if you have that. If you use your echo sight, you should be able to follow the faint directional outlines that Iid out a long time ago along the tunnels. They¡¯d be nearly impossible to see if you relied on sight. If you go too far from them, I can¡¯t really tell you what you¡¯ll find.¡± The tunnel system was massive enough that not even she had explored all of it. Then again, she mostly stayed within the Relic¡¯s territory. Thunk. Kry pped the boulder she was using as a table and turned around with the thing she had been working on in her hands. ¡°Here, try this on.¡± She held out a wrist device with a triumphant look on her face. It was a leather glove that looked like it would extend along the forearm with fastening straps along the bottom of it. The top of it had a long metal sheathe with a mechanical device at its base attached to a leather cord that was intended to wrap around the middle finger. ¡°I made it from the fragments of an enchanted de left behind by an Awakener.¡± ¡­Probably an Awakener she had killed. I took the odd device and examined it with the System. [[Wrist-mounted de A wrist-mounted de attached to a spring mechanism so that the user can extend the de by clenching their fist with the cord wrapped around their finger. The de of this device has been enchanted with sharpness and durability spells, making it harder to break and unable to lose its sharp edge.]] I already mostly used the earthen gauntlet from my abilities with my right hand, so I slid the long glove over my left hand and tightened the straps along the bottom of it until it fitfortably. Then, I clenched my fist and felt the cord pull around my finger. Chunk! The de shot forward, nking to a stop as it reached its maximum length. The de was about the length of my forearm, and even when sheathed, would be useful as a piece of armor. I rxed my fist and the de thunked back into the sheathe. It would take some getting used to, and practice so that I didn¡¯t identally impale myself with it, but having an actual weapon that would go with the way I fought was exciting. Before I left, I also made sure to finally get a shirt for myself that one of the less fortunate souls had left behind. ¡°Thanks, Kry, I really appreciate it¡­¡± I had never been good at giving thanks. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, it¡¯s the least I can do.¡± She smiled at me for a moment before her face dropped into a more serious expression. ¡°One thing you should know¡­¡± She paused and took a deep breath. ¡°The city¡­ You¡¯ll see why, but it¡¯s not a ce many leave from. There¡¯s a reason most haven¡¯t heard of it. Just¡­ be careful.¡± ¡®Why is she being so vague?¡¯ I guessed that she had her reasons, but something almost seemed to be stopping her from telling me. ¡°Thanks again, Kry.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be thest time I saw her or the Relic, but that story wouldeter. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Just as Kry had said, I could feel faint scratches along the roof of the tunnel, just at the edge of my echo sight. The winding pathways through the tunnels were dark and lonely, and I asionally passed by the remains of adventurers who had passed away and been worn by the passage of time to piles of bone and scraps of cloth. I didn¡¯t see any signs of anything living until I reached the edge of the Relic¡¯s tunnel system. Shhhh. An underground waterway. It was just as Kry had said, the edge of the tunnel system was clearly defined by a running river that led deep into the mountains. On one side of the river, where I stood, the stone ground was stark and bare, and on the other side, I saw little rat-like creatures about the size of my palm that were squeaking at me from the divide. The river itself was only a few strides long and wasn¡¯t difficult to wade through, though I regretted the sogginess I felt in my boots. At least the temperature was still warm enough that I wasn¡¯t worried about the water freezing over and causing frostbite or anything. I ignored the rat creatures, who eyed me warily, and continued down the tunnels, idly thumbing the scent vial that Kry had given me. If the vial was doing its job, it was likely that I would never even know it. There were more signs of life in the tunnels going forward, namely, the sound of scratches and shuffling that seemed to be just around each corner, gone by the time I arrived. Was the vial working? I stopped at one point to chew on the rough, salty dried meat that was like jerky, taking sips from one of the canteens. After stopping, though, I felt something slithering closer to me along the ground in slow, halting movements. ¡®A snake?¡¯ It stopped and slithered away when I turned my head in its direction. ¡®Are there things following me?¡¯ I had been beginning to think that the faint sounds were just my imagination, but it was possible that things were lurking just outside of my echo sight. I continued moving after that, somewhat wary of stopping to take another break after that brief encounter. I was even more worried about what would happen once I got tired. Kry had been able to put salve on my chest where I had cracked my rib, but it still ached if I moved too much. My echo sight grew more consistent over the journey, and it even felt like it had expanded a bit, though that could have just been wishful thinking. It still didn¡¯t make it to the point where the System would consider it a skill. At some point, the tunnels branched, with Kry¡¯s marking going one way but the peculiar sound of winding from the other tunnel. Curiosity getting the better of me, and somewhat hoping to see the sun again after being in the dark for so long, I noted the path in my mind and followed the sound of the wind. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¨C City on the Edge (2) The offshoot tunnel was shorter than I initially expected, not more than a steep incline leading through the darkness to a little circle of light that steadily expanded into the tunnel¡¯s opening as I walked closer. Fwoooo. A faint howling sound pricked my ears and grew louder with each step towards the tunnel until I stood at the mouth of it and gazed into a seemingly solid white wall of a raging blizzard, kes of snow drifting into the tunnel and settling on its edges, melting quickly from the warmth of the tunnels. While I was happy to see natural light again, there really wasn¡¯t much else to see from there, and it became evident why Kry had mapped out a path through the tunnels rather than the shortest path out. ¡ªWalking through the blizzard would have been tantamount to suicide for me, who had no Item Bag, no true supplies to keep warm, and no shelter. It would have been difficult for even equipped travelers to pass through the raging snowstorm. It made me wonder if the snowstorm was constant. It was at least a regr urrence, seeing as Kry had specifically mapped the route for me to go under it. Fwoooo. I stood and watched the howling storm for a few moments longer before turning around and heading back down the tunnel. *** The rest of the journey through the tunnels was fairly uneventful. It took a few hours, most of which I stayed on the move and continued to hear things moving around me, just outside of my senses. I wandered upon more bones and the dpidated remains of other adventurers, but there was nothing left worth looting on what remained of their corpses, items long ago taken by others passing by or by the creatures of the tunnels. Finally, the faint scratches in the ceiling I had been sensing through my echo sight continued up through a gradual incline, leading to a tunnel exit through which chilly air wafted down. The night sky greeted my emergence, stars twinkling brightly overhead in the clear sky, absent of the light pollutionmon back on Earth. Of course, the stars in the sky werepletely different after the Merge, wherever we had been transported to being very clearly a separate ce, or even time, from the Earth that humanity had known. The world after the Merge even had its own moons, three celestial bodies that orbited far overhead, smaller than what I had been used to on Earth. The ambient light they gave off on a good night was about equivalent to a bright, moonlit night from the world I had grown up in. Notably, the sky was clear of clouds or signs of storms. It was still cold, but the snow had faded, and though a lightyer of snow remained constant from when it hadst fallen there, the mountaintop I emerged from was only lightly powdered in it. From where I stood on a circr, t tform near the mountain¡¯s peak, I saw the city far below me, just a bit past the base of the mountain¡ªthe City on the Edge. Looking at it from up there, it was clear why it had been called that. The city quite literally was situated on the edge of a massive drop-off in the terrain. I could only initially see it as an inky ck void beyond the city and the mountain range it was situated in, almost like the city was on the edge of an abyssal ocean. As for the city itself, the walls of it were irregr, and the city didn¡¯t look very carefully nned. Orange pirs of light that I could see from far above on the mountaintop were erected around the city, seemingly at random, and the city¡¯srgest structure, akin more to a pce than a castle, bnced precariously on the furthest edge of the city itself. The seeping cold snapped me out of my awe, the cold burning my ears and hands. Judging from how high up I was and how far the city still was, it would be another few hours of trekking down the mountain before I reached the gates of the city itself. It was far too cold for such a journey, as ill-equipped for the cold as I was, so I decided to turn back and retreat to the warmth of the tunnels for the night, choosing a ce down the tunnel that wasfortably warm enough so that the cold didn¡¯t bring me pain while also not so far down that I was back in the tunnel system itself with the creatures that had followed me along my journey. I was not eager for theirpany again, the image of the snakelike thing still fresh in my mind. I slept through the rest of the night, waking up at some point when the daylight prated dimly into the tunnel. When I emerged again out onto the mountaintop, the air still bit at me, though not as ferociously as it had during the night. The sun above provided a protective warmth, and the light wind could have been much worse. Looking again at the city in the morning light, I saw the edge for what it truly was¡ªthe edge of the world itself. That was the best way I could describe it. It was a steep drop-off of the terrain that continued far down out of sight, through a hazy covering of¡­ clouds? The climb down the mountain was easier than I had initially imagined it would be, a crude pathway/staircase of sorts winding its way down the mountain and providing foot and handholds on the steepest descents. It still took some time, but it wasn¡¯t like I was trying to free-climb down the mountain as I had originally thought I would be doing. The light powder coating the mountain softened my footfalls, and I eventually found myself looking ahead at the walk across the t, snowy in. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * After the walk, the city gates finally loomed before me. I could see the asional travelering or going, but the size of the gates seemed to contrast the small trickle of travelers. What¡¯s more, on the final section of the ins to the city, bumps that I had originally assumed were rocks or boulders revealed themselves to be the well-preserved corpses of recently killed monsters that looked like something between mutated bison with squidlike faces and tentacles. My eyes traced over the innumerable mounds jutting out of the snow as I approached the bored-looking group of guards at the gate entrance. Surprisingly, the guards were a mix of different races, each wearing a matching red suit of leather armor, equipped with weapons of varying sses, with another human stepping forward to greet me. ¡°Tattoo?¡± ¡®Tattoo?¡¯ He spoke as if I should have already known what he was talking about. I guessed that the city didn¡¯t get many new guests. The guardsman took in my obvious confusion and sighed. ¡°A new one then, huh?¡± The guard shuffled around his belt and reached into his Item Bag for a few moments before pulling out a metal vambrace with leather fastening straps. ¡°Do you already know the protocol?¡± His voice had a somewhat hopeful, questioning tone to it. I could tell it was something he didn¡¯t want to have to repeat. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t. This is my first time here, sorry.¡± It wasn¡¯t quite what I had expected. They weren¡¯t even going to question how I had found them? I had thought that the city was supposed to be a secret of some sort. The man exhaled a long breath. ¡°In order to enter the city, you must swear to a vow of secrecy, stating that you will not tell others about the city. To secure your vow, a seal will be ced on your wrist, which will warn the city and explode if you break said vow. If you refuse the vow of secrecy, because you have already made it to the city, we will have no choice but to execute you. Do you ept?¡± Despite the threat in his message, the man spoke in a bored tone, already knowing what my answer would be. It was more of a formality, it seemed. Who would decline such a contract in front of them, after all? ¡°Sure¡­ I ept.¡± The man held the vambrace up between us. ¡°Hold out your hand for the seal.¡± I reached my hand out, my sleeve reaching down to my wrist. ¡°Pull back your sleeve,¡± the guard said as he rolled his eyes. I pulled back the sleeve and watched as he slid the vambrace over my hand. The vambrace came to a rest on my forearm and he tightened the leather straps before resting his hand on it. The cool metal warmed as it emanated a purple glow for a few moments. Something scratched over my skin, almost giving off a burning sensation. Something about the glow felt wrong to me, familiar. I knew I had felt the sensation before, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to put my finger on it. I even suspected then that the seal wasn¡¯t quite what it seemed, but I had no such actual evidence to back up my suspicion. Then the man unfastened the vambrace and pulled it back. The purple tattoo left behind on my skin looked like a series of ovals spiraling through each other around a set of horns at its center. I examined the tattoo through the System. [[Seal of Secrecy This seal guards a secret kept by a pact. -If the owner of the seal breaks the pact, they will receive punishment.]] {{-This seal has the power to act as a focus for certain spells.}} Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¨C City on the Edge (3) ¡®This seal has the power to act as a focus for certain spells?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t a spellcaster, nor had I really studied magic, so I wasn¡¯t sure of what exactly that was supposed to imply. If the Second System was revealing it, though, and it was a trait that had originally been hidden from the System, I could only guess that it was something not entirely innocent by design. Just how many people had entered the city and received a simr tattoo? The guardsmen waved me through after confirming that the tattoo had been set properly, not really interested in me any further. Past the gates of the city, the immediate entrance was arge, clear circle. While I had expected to see a bustling city with vendors lined up across the streets and around the entrance, I was instead greeted with a firm quietness. That wasn¡¯t to say that it was silent, however. There were normal conversations, groups moving about the streets and resting underneath the warm me emerging as one of the pirs of light I had seen from back on top of the mountain. The pir of me emitted a constant heat that warmed my face immediately and melted any snow long before it could touch the ground. Naturally, melted snow was really just rain, but the builders had ounted for that with whatever enchantments were around the city, and no such raindrops fell from the sky. There were no vendors or haphazard shops set up on the street. Instead, what business people had to conduct was conducted from the storefronts set into many of the buildings I could see in that initial section of the city. Whoever ran the city, despite the disordered way the city had originally been constructed, seemed to have a penchant for keeping the streets as orderly and clean as possible. If those were truly the same mountains Rhil had been transported to, then my best bet in finding her was probably going to be in that city. Before anything else, though, I had a burning curiosity that I needed to satisfy. I took one of the wider main streets leading away from that central circle and followed it through to the sky at the end of the city. I passed by adventurers of a caliber I was not used to seeing along the way. While I was used to adventurers who were over level 5 being rare and those who were level 10 or higher acting like beings that didn¡¯t even interact with others unless they had to, I passed by adventurers casually speaking with each other in well-worn te armor that was glittering with enchantments, adventurers with glowing swords that seemed they would cut me from just looking, adventurers with exotic pets and those with magic passively gathering around them from the sheer energy they could release¡­ All had to have been over level 10, judging from their items alone. It was intimidating, to say the least, but it also gave me a feeling of hope that sources of experience nearby would be abundant. I also saw a few mages cleaning the streets, employing magic to wash, dry, and scrub down any surface they could reach. I wondered how much they were being paid to do so¡ªit wasn¡¯t how I imagined most adventurers wanting to spend their time, after all. Finally, I reached the edge of the city itself. It looked much as it had from the mountain, a jagged tear where the earth suddenly ended and dropped off into the sky. All manner of things could have been possible, and the seemingly infinite drop down into the clouds begat all manner of imagination. Was there another city down there? Could there be another world? I imagined dropping down through the clouds and seeing an infinite expanse of untouchednd, a rainforest jungle that I could explore for the rest of my life and never see even a fraction of. I pictured an endless desert far below, a lifelessnd as far as the eye could see. There could be a roiling ocean, species we had never yet encountered, more humans, cities beyond imagining. The mystery was a perfect canvas for the mind. I found myself standing on the very edge of the earth, feeling beckoned by the clouds to discover what they veiled. Just one step¡­ ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡± A voice startled me out of my imagination, and I realized just how close I was to the edge. I took a step back and looked for the voice I had heard somewhere to my side. There, I saw a man sitting with his legs dangling over the edge, leaning back on his hands for support as he looked at me. I hadn¡¯t noticed him before, somehow. Had he always been there? ¡°The clouds have enticed more than one to take the plunge, but none have ever returned, so I wouldn¡¯t advise it unless you¡¯re sure that there is nothing else here for you.¡± He looked younger than me, maybe in his early twenties, with long, brown hair pulled back in a rough ponytail, smooth, unblemished skin, and tight-fitting clothes that reminded me of something I might have worn to the gym back on Earth. ¡°I take it that you gave others the same warning?¡± Had he seen others drop down through the clouds without so much as a word? ¡°Hmm¡­ No, not everyone.¡± His tone of voice was light and unsure, unbothered by the fact that he had seen othersmit what, for all he knew, was suicide. ¡°It should be obvious, no? Don¡¯t you think you would have heard about it if someone hade back?¡± I guess he was right, such a mystery wouldn¡¯t stay a mystery for long if others had figured it out. It wasn¡¯t like it was a hidden dungeon or anything. It was something in in sight for anyone to see. ¡°Not even the dragons have ever returned from below those clouds¡­¡± ¡®Dragons¡­?¡¯ As if on cue, a winged beastunched itself from the pce that hung out over the edge, soaring into the sky. Its majestic, leathery wings pped through the frigid air as it looped around the city and flew off somewhere into the mountains. While it was an awe-inspiring sight, something about the dragon troubled me greatly. I tried to put my finger on it¡­ Some feeling that the dragon gave off¡­ ¡°Pretty cool, right? It¡¯s not every day you get to see a dragon, after all. Wait until you hear one speak.¡± The man mistook my silence for dumbstruck awe. ¡°Say, did you just get here?¡± I nodded at his question, mind still trying to figure out what was making me feel so off. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m looking for a friend.¡± The man adjusted himself and pulled his legs up as he turned to face me, rocking in a slow back-and-forth motion next to the edge. ¡°Hey, it just so happens that I¡¯m looking for one, too! Are you also here for the quest?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what quest he was talking about, but he had misunderstood me again. The look on my face must have made it apparent. ¡°No? Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­ You haven¡¯t even heard of the quest yet?¡± ¡°What quest?¡± The man was speaking as if it should have been painfully obvious, like there was only one quest worth pursuing in the city. ¡°Oh¡­ This one, of course!¡± Ding! [[Quest Shared ¨C Grand Quest Drive out the steadily increasing cold of the Dragon Mountains and restore the City¡¯s Edge.]] Seeing as the quest had something to do with the city and the mountains, it probably wasn¡¯t a bad bet for finding Rhil. But first¡­ ¡°That¡¯s interesting and all, but have you seen a girl of around level 10 at least who can control lightning? She might be calling herself the Skybreaker or Rhil.¡± Taken aback by how I hadpletely ignored his quest-sharing, the man shook his head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t say it sounds familiar, though there are a ton of adventurers around here calling themselves stupid names¡­¡± ¡®Stupid names?¡¯ I decided to let that one slide for the moment. ¡°But you¡¯re probably thinking that this quest wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± The man leaned forward with an eager gleam in his eyes¡ªclearly, he was trying to get at something. ¡°I guess not¡­¡± My words trailed off and the man pushed himself up to his feet. ¡°Excellent! Did youe here with a party?¡± He looked around as if the answer wasn¡¯t already obvious. I was painfully out of my league there, and no doubt my shabby clothes and appearance weren¡¯t much to look atpared to the other adventurers I had seen. ¡°Never mind that. What do you think of partying up for this quest? ¡°Why?¡± I asked the words I had been thinking. Why was that strange guy speaking with aplete stranger like me, who wore little better than rags and had an unkempt appearance? He could have asked any other random adventurer with a glowing sword or rune armor in the streets. ¡°Because I think you¡¯re interesting. You don¡¯t go around showing off the gear your rich friends probably helped you buy in some store, you don¡¯t seem like one of those idiots to buy brand-new armor and roll around in it for a bit for it to seem worn, and you don¡¯t act too self-important for your own good. I might not look it, but I can afford to be pretty picky when ites to my party, and I think you¡¯re perfect.¡± Well, at least that confirmed something that I had been wondering about the man since he had started speaking to me. ¡®This guy is crazy.¡¯ Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¨C Grand Quest (1) The most probable exnation to a scenario was often the best, and in the case of the stranger who had approached me and asked me to join his party out of nowhere because I was ¡°interesting¡±, the most probable exnation was simply that he was crazy. I brushed the man off and began looking back towards the city, trying to see if I could spot a sign of where the city¡¯s Association building would be. While the strange man had provided some interesting insight into dragons ruling the city and a grand quest they had given out to¡­ restore the city? Drive back the cold? Dragons were cold-blooded, right? It would make sense in that case if they wanted to ¡°return¡± warmth to their city, assuming the city had once been warmer to begin with, that is. Anyway, the man had provided some interesting information, but I couldn¡¯t actually verify how urate anything he said was, especially after he had proven himself to be crazy. What kind of sane person would rest so haphazardly on the edge of certain death and just watch strangers all day? Did he not have anything better to do? ¡°Hello? Hey, I didn¡¯t get your name. Unless you want me to just call you ¡°new guy¡±, which wouldn¡¯t be the strangest nickname someone has asked me to call them, I¡¯d like to know what to call you by.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I tried to brush him off again as he tried to get in my line of sight and started walking back towards the entrance of the city while keeping an eye out on my surroundings. I was also bothered by the aura I had felt emanating from both the tattoo and the dragon that had flown overhead briefly. Something about it felt off to me, to the point where I felt as if something was lurking around the corner waiting for me, a sort of creeping feeling. My somewhat distracted gaze must have lingered on one of the many passersby for a moment too long, as the crazy guy began to exin like he thought I was interested in something I saw. ¡°Look, you need someone to guide you anyway, right? You don¡¯t want to party with that guy, trust me, he goes by ¡°The Pounder¡±. Another crazy nickname, right? He¡¯ll refuse to borate on it and just get angry when people smirk if you ask. Nasty temper, that one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I really didn¡¯t, whatever people wanted to be called was their own business. What¡¯s more, the guy hadn¡¯t even introduced himself to me yet, and he was the one going on about what people wanted to be called. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The man scratched his head for a moment before hurrying to catch up to me, walking backward to face me. ¡°You said you were looking for someone here, right? We can help each other out.¡± Now he wanted me to help him? At least the truth was finallying out¡ªhe wanted something from me. ¡°Yeah¡­ hey, do you know where the Association building is by any chance?¡± ¡°The Association building? It¡¯s that big blocky-looking building in the entrance square. It kind of blends in at first, but it¡¯s kind of just to the left of the main street¡­¡± He paused for a moment as the gears in his mind turned and he reached some sort of conclusion. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re going to the Association anyway, we could form our party while you¡¯re there. Looking for your friend, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in partying up with someone whose name I don¡¯t even know.¡± There was a look of brief surprise on the man¡¯s face, as if he hadn¡¯t even realized that he had yet to introduce himself. ¡°Oh! Sorry about that! I¡¯m Lein!¡± I had half-expected him to introduce himself with some cheesy nickname. Then again, despite the disinterest I had shown, I would be hard-pressed toe up with a worse title than ¡°The Pounder¡­¡± I also couldn¡¯t help but notice the sideways nces a few people gave us as we passed them. They hadn¡¯t been giving me those nces before¡­ I had a somewhat bad feeling about Lein. Why couldn¡¯t he party up with one of the other Awakeners that he apparently knew so much about? He had said that he didn¡¯t like the way they unted their unearned gear or something, but I suspected that there was more at y than just that. We soon emerged into the central circle in front of the entrance gates again and Lein pointed towards a rectangr building not far to our right. ¡°That should be it.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ I should be good now.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was looking at him expectantly, but he still wasn¡¯t taking the hint. What was that guy¡¯s deal? I figured he would get the message if I just ignored him and walked over to the entrance of the Association building. For an Association headquarters, it was surprisingly quiet. I was used to the constant in-and-out stream of Awakeners returning from quests, collecting rewards, picking up new quests, and so on, but that Association building sort of seemed to just be watching over the city entrance. The doors were a pair ofrge, wooden constructs, tall and wide enough for two orcs to pass throughfortably side-by-side, and creaked open loudly as I pushed them aside and entered the building. Just as I had suspected from my initial inspection of the building¡¯s exterior, the traffic inside of the Association building was an almost mirror match. There were a few tables for visitors and small groups of Awakeners huddled together quietly over the tables, but the quest board was free of traffic, and the help desk had a single lonely-looking dwarf who looked to be half-asleep over the other side of the desk. The ce smelled of iron and old wood, flickering gemstones iid against the crossbeams holding the roof up cast a dim light over everything. One thing that I had to give the ce credit for, however, was that it was surprisingly clean. Then again, it didn¡¯t seem like they had many visitors to clean after to begin with. Lein trailed after me as I approached the counter and waited for a moment for the dwarf to respond. ¡°¡­¡± After getting closer, I could see that the dwarf actually was asleep. He had his forehead propped up in his hand with his head pointed downwards. From across the room, it had almost looked like he had been diligently pouring over any number of potentially important documents, but the fact that the ¡°potentially important¡± documents were crumbling pages of what looked to be newspaper paired with the steady, deep breaths of someone fast asleep gave him away. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I spoke calmly at first, hoping that the dwarf was a light sleeper. Of course, dwarves were infamous for their sleeping abilities, and he remained in whatever dream he had found himself in. I debated if it would be rude for me to be louder for a moment before Lein made the decision for me. ¡°Hey! Wake up and do your job,zy-ass!¡± Thump! Lien stepped up next to me and pounded a fist on the desk, sending a few of the random pages flying to the side. I almost thought the dwarf had managed to sleep through that, too, until he slowly shifted his hands and tilted his head up to look at us with an angry stare. ¡°What is it this time, Lein? You im to have lost your sword in a tree again and need another newbie to climb up and get it for you?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what that was about, but at least it confirmed that the guy wasn¡¯t trustworthy. ¡°What? No¡­ I¡¯m different now, new day, new me. Anyway¡­ I was showing this guy¡­ uhh¡­¡± Lein looked at me, a silent, pleading look for some help. He still didn¡¯t know my name. ¡°¡­I was showing the newbie around and he mentioned that he wanted to visit our esteemed Association headquarters. I hadn¡¯t gotten around to telling him that it was fake yet. ¡°What do you mean by fake?¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­ Give and take. First, you¡¯ve got to tell me your name.¡± Lein wagged his finger at me. I wasn¡¯t sure what was up with him and names, but I at least had someone else there I could look to for the answer. I gave the dwarf a pointed stare. ¡°Haah¡­ It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like. This is an Association headquarters, but not the Association most think of. Kind of like¡­ an offshoot branch. We only report to the city lords here and nobody else.¡± ¡®¡­And that exins why most have never heard of this city before.¡¯ Magical tattoos that prevented you from speaking about the City, an offshoot Association that didn¡¯t report to anyone save for the lords¡­ Why were they being so secretive? ¡°I see¡­ Can you still help me find someone?¡± The dwarf scratched his chin. ¡°I guess I can if I¡¯ve seen them. Don¡¯t really get much traffic here, if you couldn¡¯t tell.¡± He waved to indicate the few Awakeners that were hanging around the interior. I leaned forward, aware of Lein giving me a close look from the side. ¡°Great, I¡¯m looking for a girl named Rhil, might be using the nickname ¡°Skybreaker¡±. She uses electricity abilities and might have stopped by any time in the past¡­¡± I really wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed. My bout in that odd dungeon where I had been split up with Velle and Bernard made me think that at least a few days had passed that I wasn¡¯t aware of. ¡°The past week or two?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ No, can¡¯t say that sounds familiar to me.¡± It could also very well have been that she had stopped by at some point and the dwarf had just been asleep. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s at least seen the other two?¡¯ ¡°How about a guy with a big sword on his back apanied by a red-haired mage, they go by Bernard and Velle and probably stopped by within the past week.¡± The dwarf nodded at my words. ¡°I know the pair. Woke me up from my sleep just to ask about nearby dungeons,pletely ignored the grand quest for some reason¡­¡± ¡°Could you tell me what you told them?¡± ¡°I told them that there weren¡¯t any dungeons around here worth exploring. They insisted anyway, so I gave them some info about a few dungeons that were cleared long ago, were deemed to not be worth the time, or haven¡¯t really been explored yet. Hey, while you¡¯re here, at least check out the grand quest on the board, that probably has an interesting dungeon or two attached to it¡­ ¡° I looked over to the quest board where there was a single, lonely paper pinned in the center of the board. Probably the grand quest the dwarf was speaking of. ¡°Sure¡­ Could you share the details of the dungeons you gave those two information on?¡± The dwarf shrugged and shared the dungeon info with me over the System notes function before I left him to his napping and checked out the board. Sure enough, it was the very same grand quest that Lein had mentioned in our initial encounter. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¨C Grand Quest (2) AIEEEEE!!! The creature let out a shriek of rage-filled pain as it iled its snake-like body wildly, the upper half of an unfortunate Awakener enveloped within its jaws. Thwack! The Awakener¡¯s body was sent spiraling through the air and into one of the cave walls as an arrow struck the serpent¡¯s eye and the monster suddenly went limp amongst its brethren¡¯s corpses in the dimly lit cave. Small balls of light floated through the cavern, cast by the mages in the scouting party as the fight had begun. ¡°Haah, shit¡­¡± Koise let out a long breath and looked over the aftermath of the battle within the cave. He had already lost a good quarter of his entire scouting party to the creatures in the tunnels by the time they had stumbled upon a nest of snakelike monsters that had stalked them through the dark and picked off stragglers one by one. Looking at the bodies strewn throughout the cave amidst the monster corpses, Koise estimated that they had maybe half the strength that they had entered the tunnels with. However, it was toote to turn back. If he had wanted to turn back, he had his chance to make the call back on the sheer clifftop where he had briefly fought with his prey. If there was one thing Koise was proud of, it was the fact that he never backed down from a hunt or lost his prey. Those who remained with him knew that, while they might die on their quest, they would definitely die if they tried to trek back through the monster-infested tunnels alone. Strength in numbers, or so they say. Koise idly thumbed over the wood of his bow. He wasn¡¯t sure how the man he was chasing had ovee his injuries and continued unassaulted through monster-infested tunnels so easily, but he at least expected that the man had been given help of some sort. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t sure what could have helped the man. Was there some intelligent entity down in the caves with them that had decided to aid the man for some reason? The thought was somewhat chilling. What could live with monsters besides a worse monster? He debated setting fire to the bodies to dy the monsters that constantly stalked them through the tunnels, but doing so could backfire and the smoke could suffocate them instead. It seemed a waste, but he came to the ultimate decision to leave the bodies behind and continue tracking his prey as quickly as possible. They could move faster now that there were less of them, at least. *** I looked at the single quest page on the board and, sure enough, the quest given to me by Lein was detailed on the board, word for word. It really didn¡¯t give much to go on, but at least I had a fair idea of what the other Awakeners would be doing. I didn¡¯t intend to get in their way, either. Even though I would be heading into the mountains to where everyone seemed to believe the primary quest dungeon was, I intended to stop and see if I could find Bernard and Velle perhaps trying to clear a smaller dungeon that the dwarf had told me about. He seemed puzzled that they would go out of their way for little reward, but I at least already knew what their primary motivation was. They weren¡¯t interested in some grand quest, in restoring the city, or in gaining power from the dragons¡ªnothing like that. Those two were either blindly looking for someone through the dungeons of the world or were truly good people who just wanted to save those who had been trapped by the dungeons in either the initial Merge or through failed dungeon escapades. Either way, the result was the same: they were trying to clear dungeons and rescue people who might be trapped inside. That was what they had told me, anyway. I wasn¡¯t entirely thrilled with the idea of going out alone, but I also suspected that getting one of the many other Awakeners to stop at every minor dungeon that was even somewhat on the path to the main attraction would be a tough sell. ¡°You¡¯re thinking you need a party member, right?¡± Sure enough, Lein guessed what I was thinking. ¡°How about wee to an agreement?¡± ¡®What is it now?¡¯ I turned my head to him and raised an eyebrow expectantly. It was more attention than I had given him so far, and he took it eagerly. ¡°How about I help you find your friends, and in return, you at least attempt the end dungeon with me?¡± An attempt, he said? Then again, it made sense that it was possible to fail or turn back from the main dungeon without having to be trapped, as was the case with some dungeons. It wouldn¡¯t have been such a popr quest and there wouldn¡¯t have been so many Awakeners still around if the thing killed everyone who attempted it. While I certainly didn¡¯t trust the man, I at least knew that I didn¡¯t have much to steal. He seemed mischievous, but if he were the type of Awakener to kill others, it would have probably been found out by then¡ªespecially with how tightly controlled the city seemed to be. Would the city lords really abide letting a murderer walk the streets, killing people who intended to help them with their grand quest? ¡°Alright¡­ But what can you do?¡± I had yet to see any sort of weapon on him. I guessed from his clothes that he wasn¡¯t the type to wield a shield and armor or tank in the front, but that still left a variety of options open. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll have to find out. But first¡­ Since we¡¯re partying together anyway¡­¡± He gave me a wink and a smug little half-grin, one of the corners of his mouth quirking up. ¡°I¡¯ll need to know your name.¡± We made the party official with the dwarf, who had promptly gone back to sleep, and soon left the city. We were heading towards the canyon at the end of the snowfield, near the opposite side of the mountain I had descended from in my initial approach. The snow was well-worn in a fairly clear path through a drift that would have otherwise risen to our knees and significantly slowed our progress. I wasn¡¯t expecting to find Rhil, Bernard, or Velle so easily, of course, but I kept an eye out and examined Awakeners that we passed who were returning anyway. It was after the fifth or so group of Awakeners that I voiced a question that had been bothering me since the Association. ¡°These guys are alling back from defeat, right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lein, who had been absentmindedly kicking at little drifts of snow in the path just ahead of me, gave me a sideways nce over his shoulder. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I¡¯ve had my fair share of defeated returns as well. You get used to it after the first couple of attempts.¡± ¡°Couple of attempts? Is it not dangerous at all?¡± I had been picturing a harrowing dungeon filled with traps and creatures as the end-point, not¡­ well¡­ something that so many people could so casuallye back from. While some of the Awakeners did look a bit tired or worn, I didn¡¯t spot any that appeared to be gravely wounded or that really even looked too upset. ¡°The city pays for every attempt anyway, a few just make the daily trek, enter the dungeon, and turn around again to get paid. The dungeon itself is fairly unique¡ªit would be one thing if it were just something that needed bashing, like a ton of monsters, but it changes¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he recalled a memory. ¡°Changes¡­?¡± I goaded him to continue speaking. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll see. We¡¯re near the first dungeon that the old dwarf mentioned now, right?¡± I checked the notes that the dwarf had given me. Sure enough, we weren¡¯t far from the entrance to the first dungeon¡ªnot far from the narrow opening into the snowy canyon where we were headed, actually. The pathway would be dotted with dungeons here and there, but the dungeon at the end apparently held whatever the city leaders were looking for. That actually brought another question to my mind. The city leaders were dragons, right? Couldn¡¯t they have just cleared the dungeon themselves? Unless they were barred from entry somehow? We entered the small cave that served as the entrance to the first dungeon. It was more of a mini-dungeon if anything, and it became apparent why nobody ever really bothered to clear it. It was a regenerating dungeon, which usually had low-tier rewards, and nobody inside who needed saving. Monsters would simply respawn after some time and the dungeon would reset, ready for someone else toe along and clear it. Nevertheless, I figured it would at least be a good opportunity to see Lein in action. We both kind of stared at each other as we entered the dungeon, the goblin in the entryway sort of just waving its club and snarling at us. I knew that it was a different goblin from the ones that had died to every other Awakener that had cleared the dungeon, of course, but it looked kind of pathetic¡ªlike it knew what was going to happen. I gestured towards the goblin while looking at Lein, as if to say, ¡®All yours.¡¯ ¡°Haah. Okay.¡± He stretched his hands up and approached the goblin. I watched him intently, eager to see what sort of ability or skill he would show. Neither of us had trusted the other enough to admit what our sses were yet, though I guessed he probably assumed me to be a fighter or rogue type by the big metal sheathe on my arm that I had been wearing since the Relic. Paf! Before it could even react, Lein just sort of flicked his fingers and the goblin exploded into charred bits of meat. He could have just told me he was a mage. Why was it always magic users that were the crazy ones, anyway? Chapter 42 Chapter 42 ¨C Grand Quest (3) After the goblin exploded into bits, he turned back toward me, a self-satisfied expression on his face at the disy of ability. I actually felt a bit sorry for a goblin after the pathetic disy it had shown. ¡°Your turn,¡± he said, a smirk evident on his face. ¡°Do you make such a mess every time?¡± It was no wonder nobody wanted to party with him. Who would want monsters exploding all over them every time they fought? What was he anyway, an explosion mage? He frowned. I had apparently hit some sort of tender spot with my remark. We continued into the cave opening. [[Clear the Cave of Goblins to Complete the Dungeon! Goblins Cleared: 1/10]] A System message popped up, indicating the quest. It was almost insultingly easy, so it was no wonder that the dungeon wasn¡¯t of any interest to Awakeners. The arena dungeon that I had done with Bernard and Velle shortly after Awakening had been much more difficult. If the Association were to rank it, I had no doubt that the dungeon would be F-Rank. Lien had shown me some of what he could do, so it was naturally my turn to fight the next goblin. The cave we had entered was really more of a short tunnel. A couple pitiful firepits with flickering mes burned, lighting the interior with shifting orange firelight and creating dry circles of dirt around them. The ce reeked of excrement, piss, and unwashed bodies. There were a few tattered mats of leather or cloth around each fire, strewn with dirt from the floor, and we stood on the packed, wet dirt of the rest of the ground outside of the dry circles of the fires. The goblins all stared at us, weapons raised as they did their best to create a sort of half-circle around us with their makeshift spears and weapons. Feeling bad again, I didn¡¯t even waste the energy to summon the bits of stone from within my body. It was as good an opportunity as any to try out the de gauntlet that Kry had made for me. In fact, I judged that I probably wouldn¡¯t even have to use any System skills. It would be ideal if I could take the group out without using any precious mana or stamina. I stepped forward and to the side, my body guided by the images of countless cheesy martial arts films that I had seen over the years. By stepping to the side and into the goblins there first, the goblins on the opposite side would have to close in to reach me, giving me time to face a few less goblins than if I had stepped into the center. A few extra seconds would make the difference between fighting a 1v9 or a 1v4. I brushed aside the first spear and pirouetted my body around to dodge the others as the goblins tried to stab forward. I wondered if their spears would have been able to pierce my body at that point anyway. Skin became tougher with higher Endurance, after all. Reaching the first goblin, I could have simply crushed its skull with a punch or kick, but opted to send the de of the gauntletunching outward into its extended position. There was a heavy chnk sound as the de slid forward down the length of the sheath along my forearm and stopped suddenly. The enchanted de sliced through the goblin¡¯s head effortlessly, like a hot knife through butter as I swung my arm. It surprised me as it continued through the swing and decapitated the goblin next to it, cutting their weapons apart as well¡ªeven passing through the metal head of a spear as if it were nothing but paper. I heard a faint popping sound and something wet sttered me as I turned. There was hardly enough time for me to register that four of the goblins had been ripped apart from the inside before I parried a stab from another goblin with the t of my de, kicking aside another stab. I grabbed and pulled the third goblin¡¯s spear, sending the creature stumbling towards me. From there, it was only a step forward until they were all in range, and a sliding pivot around my lead foot as I swung the de extending from my arm bisected the remaining monsters. [[+1 XP]] [[+1 XP]] [[+1 XP]] [[+1 XP]] [[+1 XP]] [[Total XP: 15/8000]] Five measly XP. It was better than nothing, at least. I made the unfortunate mistake of taking a deep breath with my mouth, letting a few of the slimy, disgusting bits of goblin on my face drip into my open mouth. ¡°Ack!¡± I coughed, trying to get the taste off my tongue. Lien had blown apart four of the goblins from where he stood behind me in an instant, leaving us both with a kill count of five goblins apiece. ¡°First time tasting goblin? It¡¯s an acquired taste, trust me.¡± He grinned and tossed a water canteen at me that he had pulled from his item pouch. I swished the water around my mouth and spit it out. ¡°Can¡¯t you make them less¡­ Explodey?¡± He shrugged in reply. ¡°Sorry, ¡®explodey¡¯ is kinda what I do.¡± [[Dungeon Cleared! Reward, Party of 2: +10 XP per party member! Total XP: 25/8000]] The goblins didn¡¯t even have any items worth looting, leaving me with a total reward of 15 Experience for my efforts and for getting sttered in goblin remains. ¡®I really need a shower after this.¡¯ The side of the mountain exploded outwards, sending an avnche of snow, dirt, rock, and various other debris cascading down the slope towards the city below. Then, the figure of a man came leaping out of the gaping wound in the mountain¡¯s surface, rapid-firing a hail of silver streaks of light from the bow gripped in his hand as he turned in mid-air and fell from the opening. Koise. A myriad of snake-like monsters fell after him through the gap, screeching in agony and raining blood upon the snow as the arrows rapidly pierced through their bodies. Koise spun around through the air again just before he hit the avnche of snow. [[?Overdraw?]] His bow bent backward and he grimaced as it gave out creaks of protest. ¡®Just hang in there a little longer¡­¡¯ [[?Release?]] The arrow exploded from the bow. It wasn¡¯t aimed anywhere in particr¡ªrather, the arrow was shot from the bow at an angle so that the recoil from the shot wouldunch Koise farther out. The monsters tumbled past him through the air into the avnche and Koise shot out even further over the snow, past the cascading avnche and over the snowy in below that led to the city. He dimly registered the city and the seemingly never-ending fall it stood next to amidst the chaos of his escape from the pursuing monsters. Falling through the sky, the chilly wind bit at the exposed skin of his face and tore at the loose fabric of his clothes. Koise looked down at his cracking bow again and briefly calcted what its durability should be at in his mind. The bow was already on the edge of ruin, splintering around where he held it and bending at a slightly odd angle. Quicklying to a conclusion, Koise¡¯s heart rose into his throat and he clenched the bow. ¡®Farewell, old friend.¡¯ [[?Overdraw?]] He drew back on the bow onest time, reveling in the feel of its draw, the wood that was splintering and piercing into his hand, the final screech of protest it gave as one final arrow was drawn back¡­ He held it, watching the ground rapidly approaching from below. [[?Release?]] An explosion of wood dug into his clothes and armor, the concussive force slowing his fall and ripping apart the skin on his hands. A massive plume of snow shot into the air and drifted over the ins as it was cleared from the explosion created by the exploding bow and the ?Overdraw? skill, leaving Koise catching his breath within a crater of cleared snow on the exposed, icy dirt. Laying prone, he forced himself onto his elbows, hands burning and the flesh torn as if a cheese grater had been run over them. A re of anger lit his eyes and he forced himself forward with sheer will, no longer being driven by the thrill of the hunt but by a burning desire for vengeance. *** Something caused a sudden itch in my nose and I let out a sneeze. We had left the cave behind and were trekking the rest of the way to the end of the canyon. After some discussion, we had bothe to the conclusion that wasting our energy before even getting to the primary dungeon waiting at the end of the canyon was an exercise in futility. After all, if Bernard and Velle were around clearing one of the dungeons along the way, we would run into them when we went back to the city anyway. Also, what if they had gone to the end of the canyon and decided to look for trapped Awakeners within the one dungeon that had yet to be cleared? It made sense that it would have the highest chance for trapped Awakeners. A brief hope shed underneath my desire to find Rhil, Bernard, and Velle. A hope that, maybe, in the act of finding them, I would be led to the rest of my family as well. I hadn¡¯t seen my brother, my father, my little sister, none of them in six long years. I had searched and done the best I could with my crippled leg, but in the end, there had been no news. It was likely that they were also trapped within a dungeon somewhere, just waiting for the day an Awakener woulde along and rescue them. What¡¯s more, I couldn¡¯t deny that I held some curiosity towards the City on the Edge and what ¡®restoring¡¯ it really meant. What kind of power or artifact might have been waiting for us at the end of the dungeon on the edge of the world? Despite Lein¡¯s previously jovial attitude, we both continued together in heavy silence, each lost in our own thoughts as we approached the dungeon that might hold the answers I was looking for. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¨C Legacy Dungeon (1) The entrance to the special dungeon at the end of the canyon was surrounded by a small encirclement of Awakener camps. Those within the camps were either resting before attempting the dungeon, resting after having attempted the dungeon and failed, or preparing to leave. Lien looked somewhat nervous as we approached the camps, visibly seeming to look around for something or someone within the throng of Awakeners as we stepped through the gaps in between camps. Little fires were scattered over thendscape in various camps and the smell of a myriad of different foods being cooked or eaten wafted through my nose. Not only was the smell tickling at my stomach, but the ambient warmth in the air from all of the people and their fires and other magical methods of keeping warm thawed my freezing bones. I unconsciously rubbed my hands as they tingled with the newfound warmth. We drew the gazes of various Awakeners as we passed¡ªme with my torn armor that showed heavy signs of wear and was covered in goblin guts and Lein in stark contrast to me, seemingly untouched in his clean, well-fitted clothes. I kept an eye on Lein¡¯s nervous expression through the corners of my perception. It was just before he reached the gaping tunnel of the dungeon entrance, not so much a cave as a carefully constructed entrance to the mountain itself, that we ran into another group of Awakeners emerging from the dungeon entrance. ¡°Hey, is that the blood showerer himself that I see over there?!¡± A man in thick knight armor followed by his party of two other Awakeners, one who seemed to be a magic type and an orc, and the other an archer,ughed as he and his party approached us, untouched by whatever had made them turn back within the dungeon. ¡°No way¡­ I thought you had given up on the dungeon! Not to mention you somehow roped someone else into following you! It even looks like he received your namesake and still hasn¡¯t run away, hahaha!¡± The man had clearly partied with Lein in the past, as he seemed to find the showers of gore created by Lein¡¯s explosions just as disgusting as I did. ¡°Dn¡­¡± Lein spoke, the words hissing out of his mouth in a low tone. ¡°You have some nerveing back here again, you know that, Lein? After you left us to diest time and we had to beat you half to death as a lesson, I figured you¡¯d have learned that you¡¯re not wee here.¡± The man nced over me briefly, eyes lingering on my shabby armor. ¡°And it looks like yourpanion was recently beat half to death himself. Suicidal lot, the both of you¡­¡± The man smirked at us and gestured to his party members as Lein tensed up. ¡°Rx, I¡¯ll let the dungeon kill you. You¡¯re not worth the time.¡± Lein gritted his teeth, not saying a word as he continued on past them. I followed him in. The dungeon entrance was open and rectangr, a seven-meter-wide by twelve-meter tall construction of brick that jutted a few feet from the mountain itself, its visible interior surprisingly clean. As we walked through the dungeon entrance, I focused on my Echo Sight. As I did, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Dn¡¯s party continued to linger just around the entrance, awaiting our return. *** Koise dragged himself to the city¡¯s entrance, the nonchnt guard that had greeted Aizen again greeting him with the same nonchnt attitude before attempting to put the tattoo device on his arm. Koise pulled his arm away before the device could be slipped over it. ¡°What? It¡¯s just the standard entry process, everyone gets one.¡± The guard slipped his own sleeve up a bit to show the tattoo that was underneath. ¡°I forget it¡¯s even there most of the time, doesn¡¯t feel like anything, really.¡± Koise shook his head. ¡®I¡¯m not stupid enough to let another hunter leave their mark on me¡­¡¯ He was familiar enough with marks to know that he didn¡¯t want to be tracked and monitored everywhere he went. A marked hunter was just prey, after all. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m just looking for someone. He might be in armor somewhat simr to mine, somewhat angr face, no weapons or bags, and he probably let you put that thing on him the moment he got here with no problem.¡± Koise was good at reading his targets, and he had read Aizen as the prey type, not another hunter. The guard raised his eyebrows, looking over Koise¡¯s frame and noting the dried blood around his ears, the cuts on his face, and his hands, which looked almost ruined, with bits of skin hanging off of them and the muscle beneath exposed to the frigid air. The guard¡¯s eyes and nonchnt attitude both froze when they met Koise¡¯s own eyes, which seemed to pierce through his very soul and dig out the answers Koise was looking for. [[?Eyes of the Hunter?]] It was a very specific mental-type skill that allowed him to interrogate others and dig answers from them in the name of his hunts. ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ve seen him. He just left that way, toward the dungeon, not long ago¡­ That way¡­¡± He pointed a finger towards the canyon¡¯s entrance in the distance. ¡°Say¡­ was it you that caused that avnche not long ago¡­?¡± Koise turned on the spot and trudged his way through the snow in the direction the guard had indicated, leaving the guard scratching his head in confusion. He dragged himself onwards, rapidly going through his dwindling supply of warming stones within his magical bag as he went. Food, water, rest, warmth¡ªhe had enough to keep going at the bare minimum, depending on his variety of passive skills that allowed him to continue long after a normal person¡¯s breaking point in the name of the hunt. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°Care to exin what that was about?¡± I asked Lein as I kept a nervous watch on the others waiting at the entrance until we passed the range my Echo Sight could detect them at. ¡°It was a mistake that they brought on themselves. The dungeon at the time was configured as a boss-rush type of scenario, and I had told them that my mana was running low. After I ran out of mana and the situation looked bad, I was no different than an ordinary human. What was I supposed to do except save myself and turn back?¡± ¡®I see¡­ He abandoned his party after they didn¡¯t listen to his concerns. That¡¯s not necessarily bad for me though, is it?¡¯ Yes, it spoke volumes about his character that he would leave his adventuringpanions behind, but it also spoke volumes for hispanions that they had not taken him into consideration. Could they really me him after they had disregarded him and allowed him to follow them as hardly more than an ordinary human? He nced at me out of the sides of his eyes, jaw visibly tensed as he gritted his teeth and prepared for whatever I had to say. It was no secret that those who abandoned their parties mid-dungeon were generally looked upon as the worst of scum, and it also exined why he had trouble finding others to party with. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you whether the decision you made was the right one or the same thing I would have done, but it sounds really shitty that they left you to fend for yourself like that while they continued fighting. Let¡¯s clear this dungeon so that you can redeem yourself, yeah?¡± I gave him a half-smile and raised a thumb with my words. Encouraging others had never been my strong point, but it seemed to work since he rxed. ¡°You don¡¯t really even know me, but thanks¡­¡± Ting! The dungeon notification popped up, alerting us to what the dungeon¡¯s configuration would be. [[Legacy Dungeon: Dungeon of the Edge Dungeon Type: Labyrinth The Dungeon of the Edge holds the secret to restoring an ancient city of dragons to its former glory! A reward awaits at the end of the dungeon with the power to turn back even the ravages of time itself and also give a hint at the secret of the Edge! Dungeon Reward: 50,000 XP split among party members.]] It was a simply insane amount of XP, enough that it would level me up multiple times in one go even considering the fact that the XP would be divided among party members. [[Quest: Relic Don¡¯t let the Relic fall into the wrong hands! Reward: ???]] However, thatst notification instantly dampened my mood. It meant that I had yet another interested party to watch out for. The Relic it was speaking of was no doubt whatever awaited us at the end of the dungeon, though I¡¯d have to actually get to it before I worried about keeping it safe from ¡°the wrong hands¡±, whoever they might belong to. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Lein¡¯s curse echoed down the tunnel. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much utility in abyrinth-type dungeon. I was kind of hoping it would be a boss rush or a clear dungeon.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Well, just save your mana for the boss at the end. I have a few things I can do¡­¡± I shut my eyes and focused on my Echo Sight again, allowing the pathways of the dungeon ahead to flood into my mind. Surprisingly, it worked better than even I had expected. I was able to detect a trap in the dungeon entrance itself almost immediately ahead of us¡ªbefore we even had the option to pick between different pathways within thebyrinth. I put my hand out, stopping Lein in his tracks. ¡°What?¡± He looked at me quizzically. ¡°Do you have anything I can throw?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, I guess?¡± He fished a knife out of his item bag and handed it to me. ¡°Watch this,¡± I said, taking the knife in my hands and throwing it towards where I detected the trap. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¨C Legacy Dungeon (2) The trap sprung and a myriad of spearsunched themselves through the walls, piercing through the empty air. I could feel Lein¡¯s eyebrows raise through my Echo Sight before he spoke. ¡°And here I was wondering how you were nning to see in here. Mind if I take out a light?¡± Ah¡­ I still had to close my eyes to use Echo Sight properly and hadpletely overlooked the fact that he couldn¡¯t see a thing. He had likely just heard the nking of the spears. At least it showed that he had some trust in me from the start. ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah.¡± He reached into his item bag and pulled out one of the light stones that I was used to. The insides of my eyelids gained a reddish hue as the light tried to prate through them. ¡°Judging by how the trap was active after a group just left¡­ It¡¯s probably an instancebyrinth?¡± That meant that we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about running into others, as a sort of separate space was created for each party that entered the dungeon. We continued on through the Labyrinth as I used my Echo Sight to detect the trap triggers we needed to avoid along the corridors. I was leading the way and had taken the ssic tactic of following the left wall, as my Echo Sight was at a range that allowed me to see farther than Lein¡¯s stone could emit by then¡ªespecially in those sound-enhancing corridors. It felt almost too easy until we reached a point that seemed exactly like a point we had already passed. I stopped abruptly as I came to that realization. Lein, stopping with me, spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Another trap ahead?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­ but I think we¡¯re going in circles.¡± *** One foot in front of the other, a step turned into twenty turned into two hundred. Persistence hunting was what made humans strong to begin with, and Koise considered himself one of the strongest hunters there was¡ªsave for, of course, the Lion himself. Whereas Koise pursued his prey relentlessly and doggedly wherever they might run off to, the Lion preferred a hunting method that allowed him toy in wait, his prey never suspecting a thing until it was already toote and he was at their throats. One step after the other, he eventually reached an Awakener camp at the end of the valley where a multitude of people had gathered around their campfires and all sorts of scents wafted through the air¡ªthe smell of unwashed bodies, cooking meat, magical perfumes, and so on. He continued through the campgrounds, keeping a wary lookout for anyone who approached him or even spent too long looking at him¡­ which was, unfortunately, everyone he seemed to pass by. He looked half-dead already, and his hands looked like a zombie¡¯s. Even still, he continued unbothered all the way until he reached the dungeon entrance itself. ¡°Hey, you!¡± A man d in heavy armor called out to him, obviously the party leader from the way he was silently followed by an orc mage and an archer. Koise stopped, staring silently at the group as his hands hovered near his item pouch like he was a gunslinger in the wild, ready to pull an arrow from it at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°You look half-dead already! Usually I¡¯d just let the dungeon do its work, but I think it would be a bit of a mercy if we just killed you here¡­ Unless you want to strip and hand over your item bag.¡± Koise almost wanted tough. He could tell at a nce that the so-called hunters were but merembs attempting to disguise themselves with the skin of ame wolf. The world wouldn¡¯t miss their ilk, and they had likely osted many an Awakener in a simr manner. ¡°And if I say no?¡± Koise asked as his eyes flitted briefly between the three. The mage, an orc whose staff was not even at the ready, smirking as he likely imagined Koise as easy prey. Mages didn¡¯t need staves to cast, but those that relied on them often resorted to using them as a crutch and didn¡¯t even realize they could go back to casting without them. The archer, her bow crying from disrepair and neglect, was clearly the type to use a bow until it was about to break and just pull another from her bag¡ªazymb that had growncent with her own abilities and didn¡¯t realize the value of her tools. The armored man in the lead, standing tall and confident in front of him with a sword and shield sheathed on his back. The man was even so confident as to have his helmet off¡ªstored in his bag maybe? What was the point of walking around in such a heavy suit of armor if you purposely left the most important bit of protection unequipped? Lambs, the lot of them. The man in the armor spread his arms to indicate to his two other party members. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say we¡¯d do you the mercy of killing you ourselves? Your death will be much more sudden than anything thebyrinth might have, at least.¡± ¡®So it¡¯s abyrinth dungeon then¡­ probably an instance one, at that.¡¯ His mind lingered on the word byrinth¡± and how it would likely be an instance dungeon becausebyrinths would otherwise be too easy to clear if Awakeners could just share information or continue from where they left off. Dungeons were hunters and Awakeners were prey, that much had be clear to him over his years of experience. Hunters wouldn¡¯t let their prey go so easily. ¡°Hey! You deaf as well?! It¡¯s a bitte for that act, friend!¡± Koise halted his thoughts for a moment. ¡®I guess I have to take care of thesembs first¡­¡¯ * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°Maybe we should follow the right wall instead¡­?¡± Lein tried to offer a helpful suggestion, but I just shook my head in response. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem. We don¡¯t know enough about how thisbyrinth works to begin with. For all we know, thebyrinth even silently changes itself over time or distance.¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t that make passing through thebyrinth basically impossible?¡± I looked over my shoulder at Lein. ¡°I guess that would exin why nobody haspleted the dungeon yet.¡± It was a difficult situation. ¡®Should we just leave ande back when the dungeon reconfigures itself into something more straightforward like a boss rush type of scenario?¡¯ No, even if we did that, the boss rush would have been just as seemingly impossible, just in a more direct way. The simplicity of it was really a trap, and a boss rush dungeon would likely be even more impossible. One boss was already hard enough, but who knew how many we would have to face in that case? ¡°Can you try exploding one of the walls? Just a small area, even?¡± I had detected with Echo Sight that the walls weren¡¯t really that thick to begin with. We often passed sections that were nothing more than a singleyer of brick thick. Despite that fact, we hadn¡¯t found any sections of the wall that looked decayed in any way. ¡°Yeah¡­ Stand back for a moment.¡± I moved aside and let Lein take up a position near one of the walls in front of me. With how carefully he moved his hands, it almost looked like he could have even been a bomb squad member sweating over which wire to cut when diffusing a bomb. He stepped back again and stared intently at the wall before speaking. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t do it, I don¡¯t know what will. We should stand a bit farther back, though, just in case.¡± Taking his advice, I took us back to what he judged was a safe distance before we turned back around and looked at the space on the wall. No matter which sense I used or how I looked at it, it still just looked like a nk wall. There weren¡¯t any signs of wherever he had done to it but moments before that I could detect. ¡°Here it goes¡­¡± He lifted his hand up and snapped while we watched the wall intently. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nothing happened. ¡°Well, the explosion idea didn¡¯t work, but I got a System notification from it, at least¡­¡± I perked up at that. That meant we could get some more information, if nothing else. ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°It says the walls are immune to anything that an Awakener might be able to use against them.¡± If the System said it was so, there wasn¡¯t reason to doubt it. After all, it made sense that it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as knocking down a few walls to get to the end of thebyrinth. We stood there scratching our heads for a moment before an idea came to mind. *** As the man looked into Koise¡¯s eyes, he must have seen something that he didn¡¯t like, because he began reaching for the weapons he still had sheathed. ¡®And themb atst recognizes the wolf.¡¯ Before the other two could catch on, Koise plucked an arrow from his item bag andunched through the air with the same smooth underhand motion. The orc mage clutched his throat and fell to the ground, gurgling on his own blood as the arrow pierced his skin, all the more impressive because orcs were famous for just how tough their skin and muscles were. A strike that might cut through three normal humans wouldn¡¯t even make it all the way through an orc. With the biggest unknown taken care of, Koise only had the wannabe archer and the overconfident knight left to deal with¡ªboth types that he was already well acquainted with. The archer at least had quick reactions after that, drawing her bowstring and loosing an arrow at him in the blink of an eye as the knight finished grabbing his weapons and charged at him, no doubt confident that Koise would be dead in a close-range fight. For other archer types, that was usually the case¡ªand indeed, Koise¡¯s archer-type ss didn¡¯te with much in the way of close-range abilities, but that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t painstakingly trained to be rid of the weakness that gued other archers. As the knight activated a skill and suddenly sped forward at three times the speed, his shield aglow, Koiseunched an arrow backward and stopped it with a simple skill¡ª?Momentum Halt?, which allowed him to temporarily halt the momentum of his projectiles. In just a brief moment, he had already calcted the end of the battle¡ªthe knight and archer didn¡¯t know that they were already dead. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¨C Interlude ¨C Investigation A dwarf border city on the edge of the Monster Regions¡­ Known as such for its high monster spawn rates and dungeon counts, others had tried to settle within the Monster Regions previously, but every attempt had been met with failure as steadily building monster waves shot such attempts down. However, the small dwarf city had met with some sess. Perfectly situated at the edge of the Monster Regions so that it didn¡¯t trigger monster waves and using the well-known reputation dwarves had for neutrality, the city served as a trading post and stopping-off point for Awakeners heading out on expeditions for fame, items, experience, or simply adventure. The city was also, unfortunately, perfectly located as ¡®its¡¯ target when ¡®it¡¯ first appeared. Though it started in the dwarf city, it actually began with a sickly human Awakener on hisst legs after an encounter gone wrong with an elven Awakener party within the Monster Regions. He was thest surviving member of his party and had made it back to the city, permanently disfigured and mostly blinded, missing his sword arm and his friends. ¡®It¡¯ had found an easy target in the man. The man, on hisst breaths and cursing the elves with all of his heart along with the dwarves who refused to assist him in seeking vengeance for the wrong that had been done to him, had received a simple System message in a staticy window¡ªquite unlike the usual pristine System messages that most received. [[Would you like the power to do something about it?]] Most would have first considered such a message or questioned it. Indeed, it would only make sense to question something so out of the ordinary, especially when it only showed up in an hour of most dire need. The man, though, knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. It might¡¯ve been the case that things that were too good to be true often were, but if he was going to die as a miserable cripple anyway, what harm could it cause? The man, not seeing a yes/no option or anything to interact with from the System past that single, ominous message, had spoken a simple, strained, ¡°yes¡±. And it had turned out that the harm it could cause was exponentially worse than what anyone else could have imagined. He had been healed at once, his former strength returning, even being amplified, and the concept of levels became nearly meaningless to him as he found a new way to both sustain himself and boost his stats and abilities to unknown heights¡ª?Consumption?. A simple ability, ?Consumption? allowed him to consume the souls of recently killed Awakeners and consume a small portion of the power they had held in life. He hadn¡¯t necessarily been a bad person in life and didn¡¯t go around killing people for their power immediately, which would have actually solved the problem before it became too big of an issue, as he would have been discovered as a murderer and likely executed by the dwarves. No, he had started off hungry, stalking Awakeners headed to the Monster Lands and consuming the souls of those that monsters sent to the afterlife. After a dry period where his hunger had gone unsated for too long, he had risked it all and attacked a single, lone Awakener who had, much like him, been the only one in her party to survive. It snowballed from there. He acquired an ability to sense the power of others after only a few kills, letting him better gauge his targets. With it, he had hunted stronger and stronger targets until he had not only amassed an incredible amount of power that even a level 30 Awakener¡ªwhich were incredibly rare to begin with¡ªwould have been an easy enough hunt for him. At that point, with a slew of abilities, including one that allowed him to transform those he consumed into his not-quite-undead underlings, he had assaulted the city itself, hungering for the powerful Awakeners that led it and called it their home. The fighting had been fierce to the point that he had not only lost most of his forces but had even almost lost his life when the city lord, an old dwarf with a level of at least 35, had confronted him head-on with a slew of tank-like abilities that made it a long battle of attrition. Their fight had leveled the entire city, and the shockwaves from their blows were felt thousands of meters away from the copsed city walls by those who were retreating. It could have all ended there, had the dwarf been just a bit stronger, had he continued his explorations and greed for power, had he been as ambitious as a human, as battle-lusting as an elf, as exploratory and magic-loving as an orc, but no¡ªdwarves were known for their love of interactions with the other species and their abilities as peacekeepers and neutral parties. In a way, the man had been lucky that, out of all cities, the one he had truly Awakened in had been a dwarf one. The dwarf was felled atst, and the man¡¯s visage warped into a truly demonic appearance¡ªvisible muscle tearing from skin that couldn¡¯t naturally support all of his stats and unnatural growth, horn-like protrusions extending from his head in a natural crown¡­ A true demon atst¡­ He had consumed the dwarf¡¯s soul, reaching new heights of power and cementing the ruined city as his primary base of operations. The other races had brushed it aside, considering it just another city lost to the Monster Lands. By the time they realized the gravity of their mistake, it was toote. All the while, a glowing, steadily growing bead of abyssal color sat within the first demon¡¯s chest, growing as he grew in power and emitting a faint, dreadful light that sucked in all the warmth and energy around it. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°So what is it we¡¯re doing here, anyway?¡± Ang looked out from above the clouds, gazing at the ruined city in the distance on the edge of the Monster Lands. ¡°We¡¯re here to invest¡ª¡± ¡°No, I know WHY we¡¯re here, but seriously. A scouting mission, us? Come on, we¡¯ve literally fought giants and dragons, Mako, why a scouting mission?¡± Mako, an elf with midnight-ck hair, rough skin crisscrossed with numerous scars, and eyes that glowed an emerald green, stared at Ang, a human who had quickly reached the upper ranks of the Association that she had been partied with for some time. She let out an exasperated sigh and said, ¡°The rewards were high, and the danger seemed low. Besides, we can just stop by one of the many dungeons within the Monster Lands if you want some quick XP on the way back.¡± That seemed to satisfy Ang for the time being as she sat back on the cloud and nodded. ¡°Okay. Well, from what I can see, the city looks pretty destroyed to me. You notice anything different?¡± Mako looked down on the city. From how high up they were in the clouds, a normal human wouldn¡¯t have been able to make out anything but the scar of the city on thendscape. However, both of them had abilities that let them perceive details that normal humans would never be able to pick out. ¡°Right, it does¡ª¡± ¡°Perfect! So let¡¯s just wrap this up, head back, and call it a day! How about we take on another dragon next, yeah?¡± ¡°I was going to say that yes, it does look like any other ruined city within the Monster Lands at first nce, but do you notice anything else?¡± Ang squinted her eyes as if that would help her already perfect view of the city, more a habit that she kept from when she had been a normal human than anything else. ¡°¡­Is it the wind?¡± ¡°Not only that, but the vegetation as well.¡± Taking a closer look, Ang saw that, while the wind was indeed affecting the tattered remnants of cloth and loose debris within the city, it seemed to be affecting it from a slightly different angle than the wind affected the forest around the city. Not only that, but bits of dead and falling leaves drifting into the city even seemed to simply vanish for a moment before blinking back into existence. ¡°Is that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a cloaking spell of some sort, which means¡­?¡± Mako let her words quietly trail off into a question. Ang stood from her cloudy perch and rested her hands on the longsword she kept sheathed at her side. It was always possible to store a weapon within the item bags and unsheathe it quickly like Mako did, but the weight of the weapon at her side brought herfort that she couldn¡¯t quite exin. ¡°It means that something down there has to be pretty strong to be casting an illusion of that magnitude,¡± Ang finished. It looked like she would get her fight after all. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¨C Interlude ¨C A Pair From a Different World (1) A silent hill on a dusty in under the heat of the desert sun¡­ Puff! A swirling orb-like pool of golden energy swished about violently above the hilltop, scaring away the marmoset-like rodents digging around in the dry grass, searching for insects to call a meal. Just as suddenly as the orb-like pool had appeared, it also vanished, leaving behind a man and a woman in a cloud of dust. They were both gasping for air and prone on the ground. The man¡¯s sses had broken in his fall, and his ornate robe collected dust like a towel soaked up water, seeming to even attract the dust¡ªas if it knew that the robe was ¡®forbidden territory¡¯ and, by the nature of forbidden territory, wished to investigate. In front of the many a young woman in what could best be described as piecemeal armor threaded together with bits of leather, wood, and linen cloth. There were no weapons to be seen on either of them, and they were apanied on that dusty hill by only a single book, face-up on the hill between them, untouched by the dust that rapidly settled and permeated everything else. If the robe was a forbiddennd, then the book was a dead man¡¯snd. A forbiddennd, by its nature, attracted curiosity and adventurers, whereas a dead man¡¯snd was just that, and where the dead rested and the living went to die. Dust that tried to stubbornly settle there, not heeding the warnings from the other particles, found itself annihted from existence as simply as that. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The man was the first to move, sliding his limbs around in the loose soil and dried grass as he felt sweat already beginning to build on his lower back from the intense heat. The man pushed himself into a kneeling position and patted around for his sses before he pulled his hands away, cutting himself slightly on the shattered lenses. Giving up on his sses, the man looked at the girl, who was also groaning and pushing herself to her knees. ¡°Mia¡­?¡± The girl, a blur when looking through his terrible eyes and the shimmering heat of the sun, squinted at him and shaded her own eyes. ¡°Rodrig¡­? What in the hells? Where are we? What did you do?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ The same question I had for you. We appear to be lost, then.¡± ¡°Lost where?¡± Rodrig shrugged as the heat built up to an intense difort and he started taking off his huge cloak. ¡°We could be anywhere, really, teleportation magic is kind of finicky like that.¡± ¡°Teleportation magic? Did Aizen teleport us then?¡± ¡°Inadvertently, probably. Whatever he was doing with the Relic affected us when you reached for him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rodrig was waiting for her retort, but no such retort came. He could still see her figure, deathly still in front of him. ¡°Mia¡­?¡± He saw one of her arms raise and point at something that he couldn¡¯t see through the blur that was his world. ¡°Rodrig¡­ What¡¯s that?¡± She was pointing at one of the little marmosets that was curiously watching them from what it judged to be a safe distance. Unfortunately, he still couldn¡¯t see anything past a few arms-lengths in front of his face. ¡°I would tell you if I hadn¡¯t broken my sses in the fall.¡± Mia let out a sigh and reached for the ground, wiping away the broken lens and handing him the broken frame with one good lens over the left eye. He took it silently and held it over his eye, looking at where Mia had been pointing. A small, furry, rat-like mammal watched them from only a few lengths away, head poking up curiously as it eyed them. Birds flew overhead and rested in the distant trees, and he even saw what appeared to be some sort of big, gray creature with a prehensile protrusion for a nose grazing with a few other such creatures in the shade of a copse of trees. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Right?! Does this mean it worked?! The Hero restored life to thends and we¡¯re the first to see?!¡± Mia seemed to have forgotten the heat and the direness of their situation briefly in her excitement at believing herself to be a pioneer of sorts. Rodrig frowned, a possibility that he didn¡¯t want to considering to his mind as he looked down at the book, its pages nk and empty,pletely devoid of the Relic¡¯s magic that had once flowed through it. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * ¡°So you think we might actually be in the Hero¡¯s world?¡± Mia was resting under a tree as Rodrig fiddled with his sses, having found a tough-seeming few strands of grass that he had twined together and was using to tie the sses on his head so he wouldn¡¯t have to hold the frame up like some kind of sailor looking through a telescope out at sea. ¡°There isn¡¯t really a way to tell unless we meet someone, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s the case. For one, the sky and sun here arepletely different, which should be a dead giveaway anyway. But if you assume that maybe the Hero somehow changed the sky when he restored life to our, then it still wouldn¡¯t exin how instantly that life came about. Do you really think that the Hero would be able to restore an entire ecosystem and life to a whole with just the dwindling power left in the Relic? The Relic was powerful enough to protect our vige, yes, but there was a reason it was only protecting a single vige and not more.¡± Mia wasn¡¯t paying attention to his rant. She had found something else of interest within the group of trees they were resting within. ¡°Rodrig! Look at this!¡± She appeared from behind one of the trees, pointing at something out of sight as he finished fastening his makeshift sses headband to his head. Moving around the dried shrubbery in his path to see what had caught her interest so, he was greeted with the sight of arge boulder with a set of what was very clearly stairs descending into a hole in the ground below it. ¡°Mia¡ª¡± ¡°Do you think someone lives here?! Maybe there¡¯s water inside!¡± To her, the entrance probably looked inviting. A reprieve from the sun and heat, maybe water, maybe food, a friendly stranger inside to confirm their questions. What else could she ask for? Rodrig, always the pessimist, felt instead that something was slightly off with the entrance. Why would someone live out there in the middle of nowhere? If someone was living there, were they trying to escape from someone else? Authorities maybe? They could be walking into the den of a killer. It didn¡¯t pass through either of their minds that they could be walking into a dungeon, as neither of them had ever seen anything of the sort before, having been a part of a dungeon themselves. *** [[Dungeon of the Lonely Boulder Clear the Dungeon of the Lonely Boulder by killing the rat-men who have taken residence here! Clear Reward: 100 XP Per Person]] A strange window blinked up in front of each of them, visible to only themselves, with a light Ting! sound. They both paused at that. ¡°Mia¡­¡± ¡°You got that message too? I think we should get out of here, Rodrig¡­¡± Common sense would have had them back out, but unfortunately, the dungeon wasn¡¯t so kind. It was a predator, after all. They tried to turn, only to find that the boulder had sealed the entrance behind them, rolling over to block the exit to the stairway. Light clicks and scratches sounded around them as the rat-men scampered out from the darkness to investigate their visitors, snuffling at the air and reeking of unwashed fur. In his desperation, Rodrig found onest vestige, a gift, perhaps, of the Relic hidden away within him, sending it bursting with a shove of power that cascaded as golden, brightly shining, droplets of liquid that soaked itself into everything it touched¡ªskin, stone, dirt, metal, bone, everything touched by the liquid was stained with brightly illuminating patches of golden light. Having enough light to see by, and upon spotting the three rat-men circling them, Mia made her move. Her body reacted almost on instinct alone as she tore the stone-crafted spear from a rat-man¡¯s grasp and used all of her strength to impale the screeching, blinded rat-man on its own spear, the rat-man scrabbling weakly as it lost strength in its body and went limp. She tried to pull the spear back from the rat-man¡¯s body but ended up only snapping off the end section of the rotting wood. She stumbled back in time to avoid a clumsy swipe by one of the two standing rat-men, which were having trouble seeing in the bright light of the Relic¡¯s power. Rodrig wasn¡¯t typically a fighter, but he did his best to distract thest rat-man, who swung its weapon blindly at the air as Rodrig just sort of kicked at it. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¨C Interlude ¨C A Pair From a Different World (2) Fortunately for Rodrig, the rat-man wasn¡¯t necessarily a peak fighter of any sort either, mostly blinded and iling around as it was. It looked like some of the stains of light had even gotten into its eyes. The thing¡¯s skin was thin, and its bones were light enough to be crushed under his kicks. He felt some twinges around his heart, suppressed twinges of sympathy he felt for the rat-men. After all, they had been the ones to invade the home of the rat-men, had they not? Mia faced off against thest rat-man, which had been sshed with less light than the rest and was pointing its sword at her in a hyper-focused state as they circled each other. With Rodrig¡¯s rat-man lying on the ground, he forced his already strained legs to run over as quickly as possible and did all he had the energy for¡ªhe braced himself and charged into the rat-man shoulder-first, sending its light body tumbling sideways. Its hand let go of its sword as it iled about from the sudden, unexpected attack. Mia, seizing the opportunity, rushed forward. She didn¡¯t even bother with the jagged bone sword the rat-man had held as she jumped up andnded feet-first into its skull, which crunched like a snail shell underneath her boots. ¡°Hah¡­¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± Maybe it was just the stress from the situation, but the two found themselvesughing together, their voices echoing out of the small dungeon as the boulder over the entrance rolled away and another message popped up before them. Ting! [[Dungeon Complete! Reward: 100XP per person]] They each received their own separate System messages shortly after that. [[Engaging System]] [[System Awakened!] [[Congrattions on killing your first enemy!]] [[Please select your ss: ¡¶Ritualist¡· ¡¶KickWizard¡· ¡¶Savior¡·]] Rodrig looked over his messages, trying to dismiss them for the moment, as he first wanted to discuss the matter with Mia. [[Initial ss Selection Cannot be Dismissed! Please select your ss!]] ¡®Strangely insistent¡­ Okay¡­¡¯ ¡°Mia, are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing?¡± ¡°ss selection options? Yeah. Is this like what the Hero had?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we should choose carefully. What do you have?¡± After they found out that they could focus on a ss to expand on it, they shared the details with each other as they thought about what would work best in their situation. [[Ritualist ¨C Rarity: C Allows one to make use ofplex rituals to customize magic to one¡¯s liking. Buffs to learning ability and problem-solving abilities.]] [[KickWizard ¨C Rarity: S A unique ss based on utilizing a series of kicking techniques with unique spellcasting and self-buffing techniques to dance around the battlefield, legs bing instruments to change the world. Buffs to mobility and perception.]] [[Savior ¨C Rarity: A A rare ss based around saving others through sacrifice of self. Pain perception bes greatly reduced and even the mightiest of blows can be withstood without flinching. Buffs to toughness and survival abilities.]] Mia seemed keen that he pick the KickWizard ss, but Rodrig had never really been the super fast or mobile type. He realized that it was perhaps his chance to change things around and be that type, but he decided against it in favor of something he was morefortable with. ¡­Which also ended up ruling out the Savior ss. ¡®What kind of masochist would pick a ss that basically requires them to get hurt?¡¯ The System seemed to be encouraging him to choose all sorts of weird fighting options. Was it perverted somehow? He shook the thought away. It was easy enough after that to select the Ritualist ss, though he felt a tinge of regret that it had the lowest rarity. ¡®Still, it can¡¯t be bad, right?¡¯ Mia watched him light up with a blue pir of light before it faded and he stood there, looking no different. ¡°So¡­?¡± He patted his body and looked at a System window only he could see. ¡°It says I have abilities of some sort now¡­ I think I just have to¡­¡± Rodrig brought his hand up and snapped, squinting at his fingertips as he concentrated and a flickering me appeared. She had to admit that, even though being able to summon fire was impressive, the flickering me didn¡¯t really leave her awestruck. Still, she did her best to cate him. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s like you¡¯re one of the warriors from the tales now! Able to fling fireballs and stuff at the flick of a finger!¡± He grinned and rubbed his head as the fireball vanished. ¡°It looks like my abilities are geared more towards setting things up and preparation anyway, so maybe I¡¯ll be able to do a lot more after some experimentation? What did you decide on?¡± Mia looked back at her own options. [[¡¶Assassin¡· ¡¶Transposition Fighter¡· ¡¶Trickster¡·]] [[Assassin ¨C Rarity: C A rare ss based on ambushing an unaware opponent and killing them before they can even react. Buffs to mobility and perception abilities.]] [[Transposition Fighter ¨C Rarity: A An extremely rare ss based on bing a master of all weapons, freely turning one weapon into another. A simple stick can be a mighty spear or a massive greatsword and wielded with absolute ease with but a thought. Buffs to strength and endurance.]] [[Trickster ¨C Rarity: A An extremely rare ss based on bing a positional master of the battlefield. Freely move without restriction and seemingly be in multiple ces at once as you reposition instantly. Buffs to spellcasting and mental calction abilities.]] Her own options,pared to the ones Rodrig had gotten, were harder for her to pick from. She was able to rule out Assassin fairly easily, as it was both ranked the lowest and seemed kind of like a worse Trickster, but the choice between Transposition Fighter and Trickster was tough. On the one hand, she really enjoyed the idea of never being defenseless and of having an element of surprise as a master of anything she picked up, but on the other hand, being able to move without restriction and be a sort of teleporting assassin was also greatly appealing. In the end, after some thought, she picked the Transposition Fighter ss, realizing that she would probably have to be tough enough to directly face enemies head-on if she and Rodrig were to fight again¡ªespecially seeing that Rodrig¡¯s ss apparently required a long time to properly set up effective spells. Blue light engulfed her, and she was weed with the screen that Rodrig had been looking at, customized for her alone. [[System Name: Mia ss: Transposition Fighter Level: 1 XP: 100/1000 Mana: 300/300 STR: 14 END: 16 AGI: 14 PER: 12 MAG: 4 MANA: 18 Innate Skills: ¡¶Transposition Fighter¡· User gains high starting stats and additional choice of two +2 bonuses per level. Current Bonus: +0 Active Skills: ?Transpose? Allows the user to transpose materials and weapons they pick up into other materials and weapons at the cost of mana, increasing depending on how different the new material and shape is from the current one. Cost: 25 Mana Passive Skills: ?Master of Weapons? Awakener is able to freely wield all weapons instinctively and with great skill.]] Seeing her ?Transpose? skill, Mia¡¯s eyes locked onto the bone sword that had been left by the rat-man that Rodrig had charged into. She picked up the sword and focused on it, willing it to ?Transpose? into a metal sword of the same size with an even, sharp edge and a bnced weight. [[Transposing Weapon¡­ Transpose Cost: 200 Mana Cost of changing material: 100 mana. Cost of changing structure: 50 mana. Cost of changing quality: 50 mana.]] The weapon was encased briefly in a shimmering blue light. The blue light then faded, revealing a dull, iron sword with a sharp edge that swung easily in her hand. It appeared that the ?Transpose? process wasn¡¯t as easy as she had been hoping for. She had originally been imagining wielding a weapon that freely changed forms as she fought, or of changing a stick into a majestic de, but it would do for the moment. Plus, wouldn¡¯t she be able to change the iron sword she had created and upgrade it over time as her mana refilled? Rodrig also had to admit to himself that her ability seemed much cooler than his at a nce. ¡®I wonder what kind of abilities KickWizard would have had¡­¡¯ It was toote to change, and he still didn¡¯t think he would even want to, but it for sure seemed like a shier ss. Though he was loath to admit it, shier did look cooler. [[System Name: Rodrig ss: Ritualist Level: 1 XP: 100/1000 Mana: 100/100 STR: 8 END: 6 AGI: 10 PER: 12 MAG: 20 MANA: 10 Innate Skills: ¡¶Ritualist¡· User gains high starting MAG, able to cast spells from any ss with enough preparation time. User gains +1 bonus per level after 1 to MANA and MAG. Current Bonus: +0 Active Skills: ?Ritual? Allows the user to envision the spell they want, creating a blueprint of the spell shape and chant that the Ritualist will have toplete to cast their spell. Mana costs can vary depending on whether the Ritualist spends longer holding the spell before releasing. Cost: ??? Mana. Passive Skills: ?Master of Mana? Awakener is able to freely shape their mana and elemental attribute.]] It was the opposite of shy, but it at least allowed him an unprecedented level of freedom based on what he wanted to do. If he thought about it, it was basically the ultimate utility ss, was it not? He could heal, do damage, and even help allies and hinder enemies. He looked at Mia, and they both seemed to have a simr thought as they grinned at each other. What would they be able to do as they leveled up? There was only one way to find out¡­ Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¨C Legacy Dungeon (3) It was a long shot, but while we were sitting there in that hallway, ideas of all sorts and varying degrees of possibility sifting through our minds, the idea to use my heat sense ability again urred to me. While a cursory use of the ability didn¡¯t really show anything, I wondered just how specific or sensitive the ability could be. My repeated uses of echo sight had shown that the ability could grow with proficiency and use, even bing more sensitive the harder I focused on using it¡­ Could that same principle not also apply to heat sense? ¡°I need you to be as quiet as possible for a little bit,¡± I said to Lein, not bothering to exin yet. If the ability didn¡¯t work out, what use was exining it? Taking the hint from the seriousness in my tone, Lein, for once,plied without a word. I shut my eyes and brought to my mind the absolute focus that I had learned from Kry when using the echo sight, except, instead of applying it to the ability she had taught me, I instead focused on the heat sense that I had gained from that mysterious secret dungeon. At first, everything was simply dark, but after a few moments of intense focus, I began to feel a pinprick of warmth from my senses, little gouts of further warmth emerging from it. ¡®Lein¡­?¡¯ To describe it, it was simr to viewing myself from the top down, like what you would see on the minimap of a videogame, except everything was pitch ck save for little columns of hazy orange heat focused on the center¡ªme¡ªand on something of a simr heat level beside me¡ªLein. ¡®At least this confirms that it can be used to such a degree¡­¡¯ I could only imagine how useful the ability would be with practice, especially if I honed it to the point where I could keep it going constantly like Kry kept her echo sight up as a sort of second sense. If I did, wouldn¡¯t I be basically immune to surprise attacks from close range? I further focused my mind on the heat sight, brushing aside any curiosity I had about the way Lein or I appeared and ignoring the tingling in my senses that was urging me to reach out to the ambient heat in the air. Pushing all such distractions aside and enduring a steady pressure building within my head, I went even farther. Unlike echo sight, which depended on sound waves that bounced off of walls and other solid surfaces, I found that heat sight seemed to be on a different level entirely. Whereas echo sight was something that could be taught, heat sight was something else beyond human, truly something that was System or Second-System assisted. Heat sense didn¡¯t care about walls, obstructions, or anything else, it simply picked up any heat around me through any barriers that existed. As my sense expanded to cover more and more of thebyrinth, as the pain in my head built to a splitting migraine and I felt hot liquid running down my nose, I felt what I had been searching for¡ªarge heat signature further into thebyrinth, farrger than what either Lein or I gave off, apanied by its own little puffs of heated breath. ¡®Got you¡­¡¯ It had to be none other than the boss monster, waiting for us, its massive figure a focus of heat and contained energy. I opened my eyes and let the heat sense go, the pounding headache causing me to bow my head and press my hands over my eyes for a few moments. ¡°Uh¡­ You alright?¡± Lein¡¯s worried voice broke through the silence. ¡°Yeah. I found where we need to go.¡± I kept the direction of the boss monster in my mind and we began walking again, continuing to lead the way with an actual intended destination this time as I continued to foil the trapsid out with echo sight. We walked for a long time, passing through identical hallway after identical hallway, avoiding trap after trap until we passed by what I felt to be a stone with small gaps around it in the otherwise perfectly constructedbyrinth. A single stone, not even out of ce, just with tiny gaps so that the stone could be depressed, located above us on the ceiling near one corner of the hallway¡­ If the stone was really the way through thebyrinth and into the boss room, it was easy to see why any other adventurer without a sense as specific as echo sight would have passed right by it. It was almost like the dungeon had built itself upon the technicality that it needed to have a way into the boss room, but it didn¡¯t actually want people to ever find it. I could have simply used an enhanced jump, but that would have taken the fun out of it and cost me additional stamina that I might have needed in order to fight the boss, or so I reasoned with myself as I spoke to Lein. ¡°Hey¡­ kneel down so I can stand on your back for a second.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Kneel down so I can stand on your back for a second.¡± ¡°No, I heard you, I was just thinking I had heard wrong¡­ why do you want to stand on my back again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to disable a trap. I need to touch something on the ceiling.¡± He squinted at me as if finding something about my statement suspicious, debating in his head for a moment whether he would actually do it or not before he acquiesced. ¡°Alright¡­ Just¡­ One second.¡± Lein pulled a dirty, well-worn cape from his item bag and flung it over his back, tying it around his neck. ¡°Okay, ready when you are.¡± I wasn¡¯t really sure why I was doing it, but it felt kind of good to mess with him. He knelt down and I stepped onto his back, giving me just enough height to reach the ceiling where the loose stone was. I reached my had out to the smooth stone and pressed it in, having to exert more effort than I was expecting to fully depress it. ¡®Probably so that random adventurers don¡¯t identally depress it with an AOE ability like a water wave or something¡­¡¯ More evidence that the dungeon just in didn¡¯t want people to actually be able to enter the boss room. CLACK, CLACK, CLACK¡­ CLACK-CLACK-CLACK! The wall next to the stone lowered brick by brick, increasing in speed as it went into the floor until it thudded into the ground and revealed a small staircase leading up to a simple pair of wooden doors. It was the most anticlimactic entrance for a boss room I had ever heard of. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Lein let out a short exmation of surprise when he saw that I hadn¡¯t, in fact, just been randomly asking to stand on his back. ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± I said, indicating that I wasn¡¯t able to detect any traps through the staircase up to the boss room. The stairway was even shorter than thebyrinth hallway had been,rge enough for the two of us to squeeze ufortably side-by-side if we really wanted to. Instead, he followed after me, and we stopped at the small square tform at the top of the stairs before the boss door. It urred to me that I hadn¡¯t told Lein that it was the boss door yet, but he had to know anyway, right? ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked. I was still near the top of my game. Lein had used a few spells through thebyrinth to disable traps, so I wasn¡¯t sure how he was doing in terms of mana or if he needed to wait. He had already made it clear from the story earlier about his previous party that he was useless without mana, after all. Lein just nodded at me, a serious light to his eyes. He probably viewed it as his chance to redeem himself. To him, it was more than a boss, and to me, it was my best chance at finding where the others had gone. If I was able to bring it back, I would be able to get closer to the all-powerful dragons, who could probably locate Rhil effortlessly. After we both confirmed we were as ready as we could be for whatevery beyond that doorway, I pushed open the door and we stepped through the dark entrance to the boss room. Fwoosh! Upon entering, braziers of fire set within the floor lit up two-by-two along a pathway headed through the cavernous boss room, sending bright, flickering firelight through the room that was supported byrge stone pirs spaced in pairs at regr intervals down the stone walkway. It led to a raised dais at the end of the long, wide hallway of a boss room, where the boss itself sat on an intricately carved stone throne. More than the distant boss, though, what caught my eye were the rows upon rows of crystal pirs between the edges of the walkway and the walls of the room, which were so high that the firelight didn¡¯t even reach the ceiling. Within each of the translucent, blue crystals, I could see elves, humans, dwarfs, and so on. Each was stuck in a different expression of terror or surprise. I could even see some dressed in the clothing of native earth, people who had been unfortunate enough to have spawned in dungeons or to have been frozen in time when the Merge had happened. My eyes frantically flitted between the dozens of crystallized beings, searching for any sign of Rhil, my brother, my little sister, Bernard, or Velle. It was a few seconds before the braziers finished lighting up towards the end of the throne, revealing a man sitting upon the throne. He was asrge as an orc, with pale blue skin, crackling and glittering with crystals of ice, azure eyes that glowed through the dim firelight, and a spear of jagged ice lying along hisp. ¡ªTing! [[Dungeon Boss Encountered Defeat the Ice King!]] Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¨C Legacy Dungeon (4) Koise simplyunched himself forward with quick steps and slid around the knight with pivoting footwork, his clothes even brushing past the knight as he avoided the ?Charge? by mere centimeters. The archer had already loosed another arrow at him. Even though the archer could fire arrows with much more velocity than he could without his bow, it didn¡¯t matter if he already knew where the arrow was going to be. Koise threw his own arrows with a twisting motion, sending out two at once even as he dropped into a slide across the ground on his knees, the wet slush of the floor soaking his legs. ?Momentum Halt? The arrow he had sent out with a twisting motion stopped in the air. The archer, seeing Koise send an arrow toward the wall and towards her, moved to dodge the arrow that would have pierced her chest¡­ ?Momentum Release? ¡­Just to dodge straight into the trajectory of another arrow, which curved through the hallway and pierced straight through her temple as she repositioned herself after her twirling dodge. The archer¡¯s body dropped, dead before she could even realize what was happening. Finally, the knight, after having finished his missed charge, whipped himself around towards Koise, who leaped into the air as the knight once again gave chase¡­ ?Shift? Just as he charged again and swung his sword at Koise with all of his might, satisfaction filled him¡ªcertain that the man who had killed his party members was about to taste his cold steel¡­ Koise swapped ces mid-air with the arrow he had previously used ?Momentum Halt? on. ?Momentum Release? The arrow continued through the final small gap between itself and the unprotected head of the knight, dropping him to the ground with the ttering of armor. Koisended in a crouch and reached up, catching the arrow in its flight path after it had pierced through the knight¡¯s head. Koise took a few moments after that to recover his arrows and ensure each of his attackers was truly dead¡ªthough the holes through their heads should have been evidence enough, it never hurt to be absolutely certain. Koise gave the knight¡¯s body onest look before he picked up the archer¡¯s bow on his way into the dungeon. It was a shoddy piece of equipment by his standards, and it was uncared for, but it would be better than continuing to throw arrows with his hands. ¡®Idiot¡­¡¯ Even as the leader, he had been the stupidest one of the lot. Why call yourself a knight and wear such heavy armor just to start fights without a helmet on? *** [[Defeat the Ice King!]] With those words, the system message vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me and Lein wondering how we were supposed to fight 2v1 against a monster that was probably meant for an entire party to fight. I didn¡¯t have to wonder long, as the Ice King stood up and initiated the battle by flinging its spear at us. The icy spear flew along the length of the boss room towards us. ¡®It¡¯s just ice. I should be able to block it, right?¡¯ With that thought in mind, I stepped forward and summoned my earth gauntlet around my right arm, focusing on making it as hard as stone as I deemed that it wasn¡¯t the time to care about hiding my abilities from Lein¡ªassuming I didn¡¯t want this to end with us both dead. Concentrating on the trajectory of the spear as it took around a second to cross the room, I lifted my arms, crossed together in an X shape, to block it head-on. Crack! The spear mmed into my gauntlet with a force that defied its speed and size, shattering the stone of the gauntlet and knocking me down onto my butt. I wouldn¡¯t be trying to block the spear head-on again. The Ice King reached up its hand and gripped the air as particles of cold swirled and formed into another spear in its hand. ¡°Get closer!¡± I started a sprint across the room and resummoned the gauntlet around my hand again, not yet feeling any drain on my stamina. If we stayed where we were, not only would I be useless in a ranged fight, but the Ice King would just be able tounch powerful spears at us that would be even harder to dodge than if we were closer. Taking the hint, Lein ran just behind me. The Ice King¡¯s arm pitched forward, in the process of throwing another spear¡­ Boom! Lein threw a hand forward while he ran and an explosion went off next to the Ice King¡¯s elbow, throwing its aim off just enough to cause the ice spear to go wide. I winced inwardly after the spear collided with one of the crystallized people, shattering the crystal and the person within. ¡®Sorry¡­¡¯ The Ice King focused its gaze on Lein as he realized which of us he needed to worry about at range, solidifying another spear in its hands. We had only reached around the halfway point. What we could have¡ªor maybe even should have¡ªdone was use the crystallized people as cover to avoid the Ice King¡¯s spears. It would have been easier than running at him head-on, anyway. The Ice King took a lower stance, heavy crystals of ice forming around his body as he seemed to nearly double in size from the thick carapace of ice. Lein tried the same trick again when the Ice Kingunched his next spear. Boom! The explosion went off, but the Ice King¡¯s bnce wasn¡¯t thrown off in the slightest, he probably weighed more than triple of what he had weighed before, the extra weight allowing him to shrug off the shockwaves from the st. It was up to me to stop or redirect the spear somehow. Along with the Ice King¡¯s extra weight came the ability to put more force behind his throws. The spear came at us even faster than before. If I attempted to block it unassisted again, It would probably just pass straight through my gauntlet and arm. ?Strike? [[Mana: 75/100]] I used the System skill on my swing and threw my entire body at the spear, moving my gauntlet to intercept it at an angle to try to knock it off course rather than block it directly. It was a risky move, but my arm made contact near the head of the spear. It felt like hitting a solid wall, the recoil from the strike knocking me back again. The spear, sessfully redirected by my attempt, skidded past us and continued all the way across the room, impacting the far wall and shaking the room with a crashing sound. A quarter of the way across the room and the Ice King gave up on his ranged attack, taking the time to summon onest spear and jump from the raised tform his throne was on,nding in front of us. The ice carapace around him cracked, reforming with the impact of hisnding as a glittering cloud of ice shards showered from him. Having only three skill uses left, I first attacked with my wrist de,unching my left hand forward in a southpaw stance as I put my entire weight behind it and let the de loose. Thunk! The deunched itself into its fully extended position at the same moment my arm fully extended, the full force of the blow, my body weight, and the powered extension of the enchanted deing to bear squarely on the Ice King¡¯s ice-covered abdomen. The de sank into the ice around him and stopped as it pierced very slightly into the monster¡¯s skin. I was dragged back with the Ice King, desperately trying to pull my de¡ªwhich was stuck within its ice carapace¡ªloose at the same time that it was trying to create distance between us. My de came loose with a cracking sound, bringing a chunk of ice with it. Before the Ice King could reform the carapace around the small gap around its abdomen¡­ BOOOOM! A fiery explosion that seemed to suck the air inwardunched the Ice King back into the stairs,pressing into space just in front of the gap before letting all of thepressed energy loose in a tight cone¡ªstraight into the Ice King¡¯s injured abdomen. Puff! A cloud of icy fog obscured him. There was no way it could be that easy, so we both remained on our guard, waiting for the cloud to subside so we could see what had happened to the Ice King. * * * Reaper Scans [Author ¨C Farlight] [Proofreader ¨C Harley] Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapeics * * * Koise knew his prey was within the dungeon. Others, like thembs from before, would usually wait outside the dungeon for their prey to exit. It wasmon knowledge that it was impossible to enter the same version of an instance dungeon with someone unless you were in their party, after all. However, Koise had surpassed suchmon knowledge. During his ss ascension, he had unlocked a powerful ability that many others might have overlooked in favor of something shy or more direct in application. [[Hunt With something from the target in hand, dere a target for the Hunt. The target will be unable to escape from your chase, even through safe and instanced areas. Cooldown: Target of Hunt dies.]] It made it so that he could go anywhere his hunt target went. Koise reached into his bag and pulled out a vial of water with diluted blood inside, blood he had scooped from the snow after his first encounter with the man he hunted so diligently. ?Hunt? He focused on the vial and it vanished. [[Hunt Target Acquired!]] Koise walked into the dungeon in pursuit, easily following the scent trail that his target had left behind. *** Thanks to echo sight, I could clearly feel the Ice King getting up through the fog, his armor gone. ¡°Be ready¡­¡± Before the fog could fully clear, the Ice King charged back out at us. Neither of us would have been caught by surprise, even without my echo sight. It was expected, really. Who would have believed that the boss of such a major dungeon could be defeated so easily? He moved even faster than before, almost a blur, his unarmored form emerging from the fog and thrusting a spear of ice straight at me. I had had my eyes shut, reading his movements through echo sight¡ªit was better than regr sight at such close range, allowing me to read everything around me and every movement the Ice King made. For a moment, it was almost like I could even read his movements before he made them. I sidestepped the thrust and the Ice King spun around to sweep his spear at my legs, which I leaped over as I felt Lein reach forward to set off another explosion. Reading the trajectory of his hand, which was pointed towards the Ice King¡¯s face, I set myself up to strike the moment his snap finished and the explosion went off. Before I could make my move, I felt something moving towards me at such a speed that I only had time to disperse the earth around my hand into armor over my neck the moment before an arrow hit me with such force that I was knocked to the side. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¨C Legacy Dungeon (5) The fight had been going almost too smoothly, after all. I tumbled with the impact and opened my eyes, letting go of echo sight to see what had fired the arrow at me from the other end of the boss room, which was outside of echo sight¡¯s range. ¡®Is there a secondary boss or minions?¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be out of ce if there were. It was kind of strange for there to only be a single boss without support in the first ce, unless the dungeon was even scaling the difficulty of that encounter to just two party members. Instead of an ice-themed minion or secondary boss as I had been expecting, I was greeted with the sight of a man in tattered remnants of armor that looked worse than my own, dried and caked blood covering him from head to toe. His hands were ragged and zombielike, like they had gone through a cheese grater. Rather than being surprised at the fact that he had continued to chase me, I was surprised that he had managed to chase me into my own dungeon instance, which should have been impossible. I began uttering a curse in surprise at seeing the Lion Guild¡¯s scout leader I had met previously, above Kry¡¯s caves. ¡°What the f¡ª¡± Another arrow loosed at breathtaking speed cut me off mid-curse. I had to raise my hand and move the earth into gauntlet form again to knock away the arrow, which sent my arm reeling back from the recoil even though I had been expecting it that time. Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, as Lein had also stopped his attacks to register the new adversary, the Ice King gathered itself and brought its spear down towards me. I was just barely able to roll to the side, narrowly avoiding another arrow byplete ident in my frantic dodge. The spear mmed into the ground with a cracking sound, sending up bits of stone where it had destroyed the floor. Lein, shocked out of his surprise by the Ice King¡¯s continued action, yelled, ¡°Who the hell is that guy?! Friend of yours?!¡± I grimaced while avoiding another one of the Ice King¡¯s spear swings, registering a brief explosion when Lein knocked another arrow off course. We had barely been standing our ground against the Ice King before being interrupted by Koise, so having our attention split between the two put us on the back foot. We were doing all we could just to hang in. The moment Lein ran out of mana or I got too tired to continue dodging, it would be over for us both. I needed to end the fight with the Ice King immediately. ¡°Forget about the arrows for a second, I need an opening!¡± It was hard for the arrows to reach me after I repositioned myself to have the Ice King between me and the archer who was so hellbent on killing me anyway, so I would just have to take the gamble. ¡°Are you¡ª¡± ¡°Just do it!¡± I shut my eyes, falling into echo sight in between the Ice King¡¯s swings after an arrow aimed at me ended up piercing the Ice King¡¯s back. The Ice King, registering the attack, still didn¡¯t turn its attention from me¡ªdeigning to deal with the closest threat first. As soon as I felt Lein finishing a snap with his fingers toward the Ice King¡¯s head, I nted myself and struck with everything I had¡ªstraight into the Ice King¡¯s chest! [[?Strike?!]] {{?Piercing Eruption?!}} {{?Earth Formation?!}} [[?Strike?!]] Separate strikes, one to kick off the ground while I pivoted my waist and another with my gauntleted hand, which I reformed and hardened mid-swing. A long stone spike jutted from the end of my fist, which was enhanced with the power of another ?Strike? and brimming with the power of a ?Piercing Eruption? that pulled the energy from every corner of my body and exploded outward with a brilliant sh of light and heat. It mmed into the Ice King¡¯s chest with the impact of my fist just after Lein¡¯s explosion went off in the Ice King¡¯s face, blinding him for that critical moment. Boom! The ensuing impact from the blow shook me to my bones, sending sharp pains through my endurance-enhanced arms, which would have likely been liquidized into fine mist and fragments of bone if I had experienced such a thing before my Awakening. The earthen spike I had formed was blown to bits by the attack, and the skin on my knuckles was torn away. I stood still, catching my breath with my hand emerging from the other side of the Ice King¡¯s chest through a perfect hole, just wide enough for my arm. A rippling shockwave from the blow had continued even past the Ice King, knocking another of Koise¡¯s arrows off course and even causing him to have to brace to keep from being blown away by it. Glowing blue eyes looked down on me¡ªthe Ice King, who was just as surprised as I was by the destructive power I had suddenly disyed. The monster stumbled away, somehow still alive despite the hole in its chest, and let out a gurgling, bloody roar of pain and anger. AAAGGGHHHH!!!! We had to cover our ears, the sound warbling our eardrums and shaking the room, which began to crumble from the ceiling. Ding! [[Retrieve the Relic and escape from the Ice King¡¯s dungeon!]] A System message appeared. Judging by the way he suddenly halted firing his arrows, Koise received the same message. We all looked toward the boss¡¯s throne at the same moment as it slid back and revealed another secret passage, where the Relic was likely kept and where the exit to the dungeon could be found. Larger chunks of the ceiling began to fall, and Lein and I, still covering our ears, stumbled toward the secret passageway as the Ice King continued to scream, intent on bringing the dungeon down on our heads. I looked back upon reaching the passageway. Lein stopped with me and gave me a quizzical look, cringing in pain from the screeching of the Ice King, his hands still over his ears. I had stopped to look at Koise, who had begun running towards the exit with us upon seeing the System¡¯s message. The man already looked half-dead when he started attacking us, and a stray piece of falling debris caught his shoulder, knocking him to the floor where a bigger chunk of the crumbling mountain fell on top of him, trapping him beneath it and knocking him out cold. {{Save Koise!}} [[Finish the Ice King!]] More opposing messages. I could theoretically do both, but I wagered that, by defeating the Ice King, the dungeon would crumble even more rapidly. What¡¯s more, I would be out of mana and staminapletely if I did so. It was either a straight shot to the Ice King or a straight shot to Koise, who had fallen trapped beneath the debris close by. ¡°Go on without me! I have to do something!¡± ¡°What?!¡± It was impossible to hear each other over the shrieking chaos. I waved Lein on and stumbled back down the stairs. I had every right to just let Koise die there underneath the rubble, but our conflict had started from a misunderstanding in the first ce. Besides, in his half-dead state, it would be easy enough to defeat him if he tried anything¡ªor so I told myself. It was as if the Second System was telling me that, if I truly wanted to save people, I had to be willing to save my enemies as well. The ceiling still crashing all around us, I used all of the strength I could muster and shoved aside therge piece of stone that had fallen over Koise, revealing his crumpled leg and unconscious form. I picked him up and flung him over my shoulders¡ªhe felt as light as a featherpared to the debris that had been crushing him¡ªand moved as quickly as I could back to the exit, leaving the Ice King screaming behind me. The passageway below the throne was absolutely calm inparison¡ªstill shaking and crumbling, yes, but not nearly as quickly or as dangerously as it had been in the throne room. Carrying Koise, I walked through where the Relic must have been, an empty pedestal set within the center of a room with intricate carvings of dragons along the walls that I could not stop to observe. Eventually, the blissful cold air greeted me, and I slogged out into a wide, empty in of snow. The sky was clear and crisp, the snow crunching up to my mid-shins with each step I took as I tried to distance myself from the dungeon in fear of an impending avnche or further destruction affecting the area around the mountain while the dungeon within crumbled. My worries were for nothing, and silence eventually overtook the in, mybored breathing sending puffs of vapor up with each strenuous step. Having no better option, snow all around, I eventually let Koise down, face-up in the sun to hopefully absorb whatever warmth he could. It would be useless if I saved him just for him to die after all of that effort. Lein, of course, was nowhere to be seen. Wherever he had gone, he had gone with great haste. Could I really me him? I had known the man for not even a full day, after all. Ting! {{Quest Complete: Save Koise! Quest Reward: +700 XP!}} {{Level Up!}} [[Quest Failed: Kill the Ice King!]] [[Dungeon Cleared! Due to the partial clearing of the dungeon, only half of the experience will be given! Reward: +12,500 XP!]] [[Level Up!]] [[Level 5 Ability Options: ¡¶Quick Steps ¡· For a brief moment, move as fast as the wind. Your Agility increases by x3 for 1 second. ¡¶Mighty Shout¡· Let out a roar that shakes the air around you, diverting projectiles and leaving your foes off-bnce. ¡¶Redirection¡· Instantly alter the trajectory of any of your movements, avoiding any bacsh that would otherwise ur to the self.]] [[Level Up¡­]] Atst, I had leveled up in not just one, but both of my systems. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¨C A n in the Making (1) [[Level 5 Ability Options: ¡¶Quick Steps ¡· For a brief moment, move as fast as the wind. Your Agility increases by x3 for 1 second. ¡¶Mighty Shout¡· Let out a roar that shakes the air around you, diverting projectiles and leaving your foes off-bnce. ¡¶Redirection¡· Instantly alter the trajectory of any of your movements, avoiding any bacsh that would otherwise ur to the self.]] Before looking at what I had gotten from the second system, I checked my skill options for reaching level 5. [[STR: 20+4 END: 20 AGI: 13+4 PER: 10 MAG: 10 MANA: 10 Skill Points: 1]] Thanks to the level-up, my Strength and Endurance had each increased by two points each, and I was left with a free point to spend. While my body could finally move properly at the speed I wanted, the problem had been my ability to actually see attacks in time to dodge them. That would be helped by raising my Perception, as it had a sort of time dtion or faster thinking speed effect that would allow me to properly react to situations that would have otherwise been too fast for me to understand. [[PER: 11]] I put the point into Perception and considered my skill options. Every single one of the skills seemed like they would be extremely helpful for covering one of my biggest weaknesses¡ªfighting opponents that used ranged attacks. ?Quick Steps? would not only increase my movement speed for avoiding ranged attacks, but it would also allow me to close the gap. ?Mighty Shout? would help me create openings and was actually better than it let on if I was reading it correctly, as it didn¡¯t give any requirements for the projectiles it could divert from me. Would it be able to theoretically save me from even a massive boulder? Finally, ?Redirection? let me instantly change the direction I was moving with no ill effects, allowing me to break the rules of physics in ways I could only imagine. Falling from a great height at terminal velocity? I could just redirect my movement instantly at a horizontal angle before hitting the ground, stopping all downward momentum andunching forward like an arrow. All of them were good skills, but if I used ?Strike? correctly, I was already basically using ?Quick Steps?. That left ?Mighty Shout? and ?Redirection?. Considering the two skills, ?Redirection? had more utility and could be used in more situations, so I ended up going with it. [[?Redirection? selected.]] With that done, I had reached level 5, crossing into the standard of a true Awakener. The frigid wind was biting at my skin. Koise was likely much colder, but he was still unconscious. I needed to move us out of the cold somehow, and I needed to do it as soon as possible. I looked over the Second System level I had gained in the hopes that whatever rewards I would be given could assist us somehow in the harsh snow. {{Level Up}} {{Options ¡¶Heat Maniption¡· Increased proficiency with heat sense has opened up the way to reach out and manipte heat itself. ¡¶Earth Formation¡· Increased proficiency with earth control has opened up the way to manipte external earth at your touch. ¡¶Earth Armor¡· Increased proficiency with rapidly forming the earth around your body in various ways has opened up the way to increase the amount of earth you can summon.}} The Second System offered me upgrade choices based on how I had been using the skills it had given me. Would it continue to do so every time I gained a level in it? Just how powerful could those little bits of earth I summoned be? I might have considered ?Earth Armor? and ?Earth Formation? in any other circumstance, but the cold wasn¡¯t a foe that could be fought off with armor or earth. I needed something to warm us up as soon as possible, and ?Heat Maniption? was the best choice for that. [[?Heat Maniption? selected.]] The Second System message faded with those words, leaving me feeling no different, still next to Koise¡¯s unconscious form in the middle of the snowfield. ¡®Did it say something about being an upgrade for heat sense?¡¯ It didn¡¯t hurt to try. I reached out with heat sense, shutting my eyes to concentrate on whatever I could feel. The heat sense definitely felt more urate, more¡­ sensitive, somehow. It took less effort, and I was easily able to sense the warmth of my body and Koise¡¯s fading warmth. Reaching out with the sense to try to manipte the faint shimmers of heat I felt from my body, I tried to constrain the warmth, to keep it from dispersing into the cool air like some sort of invisible coat. I might have just imagined it, but while holding that image in my mind, I thought I felt the slightest tingle of warmth through my body. Right then¡­ Boom! The snow exploded in front of us, and Leinnded unceremoniously in the crater in the snow. ¡°Shit¡­¡± I shielded my face from the cold shower of snow. ¡°I thought you had left,¡± I said, relief filling my voice. He looked confused, his outfit much more worn. With dirt and grime caking the folds in his clothes and matted hair, it almost looked like he had been rolling in a swamp somewhere, but we weren¡¯t near anything of the sort¡­ ¡°Hey, Lein, I would love to let you catch your breath and everything, but it¡¯s freezing and Koise is going to die if we don¡¯t do something.¡± ¡°Koise¡­?¡± his eyes wandered over Koise¡¯s form as he seemed to be trying to remember something. ¡°Oh¡­ that guy¡­ Sorry¡­¡± He didn¡¯t even question my intent to save the guy who had attacked us like I thought he would, he just epted my statement, a far-off look in his eyes. ¡°Lein, snap out of it!¡± I waved my hand in front of his face. ¡°Do you have anything in your bag that could help?!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­ I might still have some warming stones.¡± He looked through his bag, taking out five of the stones and imbuing his mana into them one by one to activate their warmth auras. It would onlyst for a small amount of time, but it would be better than nothing. I dragged Koise into the snowless crater that Lein had made with his appearance. ¡®Did he go through a different dungeon instance in that short time?¡¯ I already knew that dungeons could distort time, so it wouldn¡¯t be aplete surprise if the Relic had taken him on an additional quest of some sort shortly after he had exited the dungeon. Ensuring that Koise was in the warmest point of the little area we had set up, I approached Lein, who was just sitting at the crater¡¯s edge, snow melting around the warmth stones and soaking his clothes¡ªthough, he didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Hey, you alright? Where¡¯s the Relic?¡± Lein rummaged around in his item bag before pulling out what looked to be a ss orb that his hand could just barely fit around. The orb shone and seemed to emit a faint aura of cold around it, an innate green energy crackling under the snowstorm raging around the surface of the ss orb. ¡°We can¡¯t give this to the city,¡± he said, his tone an inarguable statement. ¡°What? I thought we came all the way here for the quest.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s hard to exin it all¡­ But we absolutely cannot let the Edge restore contact with what lies below the clouds.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He shuddered and shook his head. Whatever it was that he had seen, wherever he had been, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to describe it to me. ¡°Lein¡­ What did you see?¡± He licked his cracked lips and hesitated, not his usual flippant self. ¡°They city, the dragons¡­ they¡¯re gone, not physically, but mentally¡­ Seeing what happens if we take the orb back to them¡­¡± He shook his head again. If he had the ability to connect mentally like Kry had, I would have just asked to see his memories. However, Kry was actually the only one I had seen with such an ability, and she was much too far away to take Lein to just so I could figure out what he wouldn¡¯t say. ¡°Then what do you want to do with it?¡± He put the orb back into his bag. ¡°Keep it in here and never take it out.¡± It was fairly easy to imbue a bag with your personal mana so that only you could open it, which was what I guessed he had done, as he believed the bag to be the most secure ce for something that could, supposedly, bring about something terrible. ¡°I guess we just go back and say the dungeon copsed?¡± I was already thinking about returning to the city and finding a way to take a warm bath, as it had been ages and I stunk to high heaven. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t go back, either¡­¡± Back was really the only ce we could go¡ªthe warmth stones wouldn¡¯tst forever, and it was the closest point of civilization to us by far. Besides, if the city really harbored something so dangerous, we had to warn people before whatever it was could be let loose some other way. ¡°Come on, Lein. We¡¯re going back, nobody probably even knows we were the ones who did it anyway, there had to have been other instances of Awakeners inside at the same time as us.¡± We could just say we were caught in the avnche and leave it at that. It wasn¡¯t like the city would reward us for a failed quest anyway. Lein nodded. Koise was easy enough to pick up with my enhanced stats, and we started the slow climb back over the mountain towards the City on the Edge before the warmth from our stonespletely faded. Whatever was going to happen, I was just really looking forward to taking that warm bath and cutting the scratchy hair that was starting to grow on my face. ¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve had a proper rest, anyway?¡¯ Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¨C A n in the Making (2) We dragged Koise¡¯s unconscious body over the mountain where the dungeon had copsed within a day, stopping asionally to eat or drink from the food that Lein had in his item bag. The most unfortunate thing about not having an item bag was not being able to carry as much food and water as I wished. I had been lucky in getting help and food from Kry and in finding the City on the Edge, but what if I had been driven into those caves alone? There was always the option of eating monster meat, but it was disgusting even if properly cooked and seasoned¡ªsomething that was probably intended. Otherwise, Awakeners would have infinite food. Anyway, having his food was a godsend. He didn¡¯t reveal any more about what he had seen, but I hoped that woulde in time. I couldn¡¯t deny that I was extremely curious. What¡¯s more, there was a silent, mounting dread about how we would take care of the problem with the dragons when we got back to the city. Cresting the top of the mountain, we could see the Awakener camps on the snowy field below. Those that were closest to the mountain had suffered and been smothered by falling debris and snow from the mountain, but many of the camps remained intact. The dots of Awakeners still searching through the snow could be seen from our lofty perch. I was tired, even with my reserves of stamina granted to me by the Second System, and I could only imagine the fatigue that Lein was feeling¡ªhe already looked half-dead. That being the case, we had to make a decision to either struggle back down the mountain to reach the camps and have time to make it to the city before our warming stones ran out or risk camping for the night and hope that the stonessted just long enough or that we could find spares from another Awakener. Even though the item bag was basically limitless, funds were not, so Lein didn¡¯t have an infinite supply of the things. As we stopped and rested, I made the decision for us. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for a bit¡­¡± We wouldn¡¯t be getting a full sleep, but even a brief nap could do wonders. A grouping ofrge boulders at the top of the mountain provided a perfect shelter from the chilling wind. There would still be the danger of snow, of course, but the sky was clear that night, the stars twinkling in the inky ck sky above like gemstones on a silken ck robe. Of course, saving him as we were, there was still the need to tie Koise up in case he awoke when we were asleep and decided to continue trying to kill me. With rope from Lein¡¯s item bag, it was easy enough to bind his arms, hands, feet, and legs. It may have seemed excessive for someone who was so close to death, but I wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Of course, I also made sure to search him and take his item bag. Somewhatfortable for the time being, we fell asleep in the small huddle of rocks. I awoke a few hourster to the howling of the wind around our little campsite. The boulders were doing their job in protecting us from the gale, the warming stones still going strong. That wasn¡¯t to say that I was actually warm, of course, but we weren¡¯t freezing. I would have liked to wait out the wind, but what were we expecting when camping on the top of a mountain? The wind could have kept going on like that for hours or minutes, and there would be no way to tell when it would let up. The night sky was still above us, which meant it had only been a few hours, not even long enough for the night to pass. However, probably thanks to the Second System, I felt rested enough to go another full day. However, the same probably couldn¡¯t be said for Lein, whose snores mixed with the howling of the wind. He was sound asleep and curled up next to one of the warming stones like some sort of cat. Koise was still unconscious, though he had fallen over at some point while we were sleeping, and he looked as bad as ever. ¡°Hey, Lein, wake up. We have to get moving.¡± I hated to wake him up when he looked to be so deeply asleep, but we needed to move before we lost any chance of the warming stonessting until we reached the City on the Edge. He didn¡¯t wake up from my voice alone, already used to the loud howling of the wind. I lightly ced a hand on his shoulder and shook him. He awoke with a start, jumping at my touch. Lein¡¯s panicked eyes flicked around our small rest site beforeing to rest on me as he calmed, realizing again where he was. ¡°Ah¡­ Shit, time to go already?¡± He rubbed at his eyes, voice groggy. ¡°Hey, just remember that the sooner we get back, the sooner we can get a proper bed.¡± I helped him stand and he stretched, letting out a wide yawn. ¡°Ah¡­ Tell you what, first thing I¡¯m doing is taking a hot bath. It seemed that his thoughts mirrored my own. ¡°Well, let¡¯s make it a reality instead of just a dream.¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­ Easier said than done.¡± He finished his stretch and I picked up Koise again, tossing him over my shoulder. Like that, we continued the rest of the way down the mountain, only having to deal with the harsh winds assailing us for the first quarter of the way down before we were properly shielded by the surrounding terrain. A few of the Awakeners searching through the snow at the bottom and other bystanders watching them gave us quizzical looks, but most seemed shocked at something else. Indeed, following their gazes, most eyes were directed at a well-dressed middle-aged elf overlooking the Awakeners digging in the snow where the dungeon entrance had been, speaking with an Awakener as she watched. It was hard to exin, but the elf exuded a heavy aura that reached us even as we were at least a hundred or so paces away from her. It was like a heavy nket was pressing down upon the atmosphere, not just making the surrounding Awakeners quieter, but also seeming to actually muffle sound. The crunches of my steps in the snow were much quieter in that heavy aura. Also, close as we were, the aura was mixed with something else, another energy lingering just within it that gave a sense of malice and dread¡ªa feeling I was already familiar with from my previous two encounters with it back in Karfana and in the tunnels with Kry¡­ It was, unmistakably, the same energy that demons gave off. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Lein let out a low curse and mumbled to me. I looked over at him. He seemed to have recognized the elf. ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked. Instead of answering, Lein made a quick head-shaking gesture and moved his finger to his lips, indicating I should be quiet. Taking the hint, I shut up and kept the elf in the corner of my eye as we quickly continued on our way back to the city. After a safe distance, he sighed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t an elf.¡± ¡°Then what was it?¡± I asked, but I feared that I already knew the answer. ¡°One of the city leaders, a dragon by the name of Helsa. Dragons are known for their excellent hunting senses that make them the best predators, so it was better not to say anything until we were sure that we were at a range that she couldn¡¯t hear us.¡± That made sense, and I would have believed him under any other circumstance, but the demonic energy lingering underneath the aura made me realize something else as well. It had been too faint to tell before, but I had thought that I¡¯d sense a familiar energy from the tattoo and from the dragon that had flown over the city¡­ demonic energy. Just one more thing I had to worry about. The dragons were corrupted by demonic influence, and Lein and I were the only ones who knew enough to do something about it before it was toote. Even still, we had the advantage in that the dragons didn¡¯t know we knew. Although they knew the dungeon had copsed and might have suspected that someone had the Relic they were looking for, they didn¡¯t know that we were the ones with the Relic. To them, we were just some Awakeners who had gotten injured with the copse of the dungeon like many others. The problem, then, was how we would go from being inconspicuous to defeating the dragons without just getting turned into chow in the process. I was starting to believe in my own power by then, but it would have been foolish to think I could defeat a dragon. The aura they gave off alone was suffocating, yet I was supposed to kill one? Of course, the thought also urred that we could just leave the city be and have that be that, but I had already seen what the demons had tried to do with the expanding dungeon in Karfana and with trying to im the Relic of Minor Miracles. Could I really let them do as they nned with another city? Whatever Lein had seen at least confirmed that something terrible could happen there. We weren¡¯t sure they needed the Relic for whatever their n was either. If we just left, they might find some other way to bring their ns to fruition. Also, where could we possibly run to? We needed to stop back at the city anyway for provisions. Were we just going to run away after that? What would I tell Rhil when I met her again¡ªthat I had been a coward even after Awakening? No. I made the firm determination on our slog back to the city that I would kill the dragons, even if I had to go against the entire city to do it. And so began the n to kill dragons. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¨C A n in the Making (3) We reached the city not long after, the mass of Awakeners returning because the dungeon had been destroyed was enough that we never truly felt alone at any point. Someone was always visible ahead of or behind us in the t, snowy in of the valley. The guards, too flustered by the news of the dungeon having copsed and the mass of Awakeners that kept questioning them, wondering what was going on, didn¡¯t even bother to check peoples¡¯ wrists for the marking tattoos¡ªinstead just ncing over people while trying to calm panicked Awakeners who had seemingly bet their entire life on clearing that dungeon. The city square, which had previously been quiet and surprisingly empty for a city of that size, wasparatively crowded¡ªpeople gossiping, resting, treating their wounded, and meeting up after returning. Thanks to that, we were able to slip in unnoticed amongst the chaos and confusion. I didn¡¯t have much in the way of money, but Lein was able to buy rooms in a nearby inn for us that were ratherfortable. We ended up buying two, a room with two beds and a room with one. Each room was also equipped with a small cubicle that had a toilet and shower. Thanks to magical enchantments, things could be made much morepact without the need for pipes and such. We decided that I would be the one staying with Koise, so we ced him, still unconscious and tied up, in the bed across from where I would be sleeping. After that, we went down, starving and eager to eat some real food. There had been enough food in Lein¡¯s bag, yes, but the bag didn¡¯t preserve things, so we had been left with hard bread and jerky on the way back. The food that Kry had given me was already long eaten by then. The dining area of the inn was subdued, and the empty stage in one corner told me that the crowd was either usually livelier or that the inn had been built with unfulfilled hopes by the innkeeper. Food was standard for everyone. The innkeeper cooked in mass and wasn¡¯t trying to cater to a restaurant, after all, he was just trying to make food that was better than whatever Awakeners could usually stuff into their item bag¡ªwhich, though this might have been the hunger speaking, I believe he seeded at. Because the room came with breakfast as well, we agreed to reconvene for breakfast in the morning before Lein left to his room. The beds weren¡¯t luxurious by any means. There was a rough, brown nket over the hard straw mattresses resting atop the wooden frame of each bed. At the head of each bed was also a straw pillow that was somehow just softer than resting your head on a mound of dirt with coverings just smooth enough to not scratch your face when you moved around. We didn¡¯t care much for Koise¡¯sfort, we only cared that he didn¡¯t die on us. As such, we¡¯d unceremoniously dropped him onto his bed as he was, bound up in the ropes with dried blood caking his skin and clothes. My eyes lingered on his hands for a moment as I stood just in front of the door after ensuring it was locked upon Lein¡¯s leaving. I could only imagine the excruciating pain he must have felt with each waking moment. Wasn¡¯t he worried about losing the ability to use his hands? Of course, there were various healing sses that existed, but healers were always sought after, and those that could heal injuries that left long-term effects or a severed limb were even rarer. I had only ever heard of two after listening to Awakeners gossip in the Association building back in Karfana, and one of those two resided far away, in what was considered humanity¡¯s primary city. Still, it was what he had decided to do to himself. Why was I feeling sorry for someone who had been consistently trying to kill me since Karfana, anyway? It was a bit of a misced worry. Even so, knowing that our dispute came from whatever he had been told I had done to the other members of the Lion Guild, I couldn¡¯t help but feel at least partly responsible. I wanted to copse into my own bed immediately. As I was then, that brown, rough nket looked like the softest silk. However, as I was finally able to take a moment to rest and calm myself, my own stench wafted into my nose, almost making me gag. I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I had showered. Upon entering the little bathroom in the hopes of being able to clean myself up a bit, I was met with a new problem¡­ The shower had a mana activation device. In big cities that could afford it, inns usually had mana crystals that would power everything inside, but smaller inns found it more cost effective to just have Awakeners supply their own mana for anything that needed it. It made upkeep cheaper for them, but it also put a limit to how long one could enjoy the sensation of a hot shower, as the shower couldst only as long as it was constantly supplied with mana. I stared at the empty wall with the mana circle in it. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± A curse escaped my mouth. It didn¡¯t look like I was going to be able to shower right then, either. That didn¡¯t stop me from trying, though. I ced my hand on the wall and willed my mana into the circle, but just as I thought, nothing happened. That was bad enough, but just when I was trying to figure out how I was going to ask the innkeeper for a mana crystal so I could take a shower, I saw Koise again. He was awake. Not only that, but he was also unbound, the ropes around him had been severed by a weapon I apparently had missed on my initial search of his body. ¡­And he was ring at me intently. At least he had waited for me to leave the bathroom, I guess. I froze, and we stared into each other¡¯s eyes for a few seconds. ¡°Sit,¡± he said, gesturing with his chin to the bed across from where he was sitting. I had wanted to avoid getting my bed dirty with everything that was caked on me, but that was the least of my worries at that moment, only a flitting thought as I tentatively sat on the bed. He leaned forward, ignoring the pain he must have been feeling in his hands as he rested them on his thighs. No matter how hard I tried, I still didn¡¯t see a weapon on him. I should have had the advantage¡ªhe looked extremely beaten up and specialized in ranged attacks¡ªbut his tone of voice made me believe he had something up his sleeve that I would have a hard time facing, even in close quarters. So I remained sitting, tense and ready to use my abilities at a moment¡¯s notice. He seemed to notice my tensed muscles and gestured at me vaguely with his hand. ¡°Rx,¡± he said with a tired voice, ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you this second.¡± ¡®That doesn¡¯t leave any promises for the future, though¡­¡¯ Cautious as I was, I still wanted to know why his bloodlust toward me seemed to have ended, if only for a few moments. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want to listen to my exnation now.¡± What other reason could he have for suddenly wanting to talk? ¡°Yes. You killed three Lion members, which would usually be a death warrant, but you also saved my life when I was trying to kill you. I¡¯m notpletely unreasonable. Tell me what happened.¡± So I told him. I left the Second System out of it, of course, but I told him how I had found them after saving up money for six years to Awaken, how they had agreed on a discounted price for helping me kill my first monster, how they had ambushed me and had tried to make me choose between my money or death, even though I would be as good as dead without the money anyway. At that point, I diverged from the truth a bit. Even if I had wanted to bepletely honest, who would believe that I had suddenly Awakened to a separate System nobody had ever heard about that had saved me at thest moment? It sounded too much like something from a poorly written story. Instead, I said a group of monsters had overwhelmed us in the forest and that I had gotten a kill on one of the dying monsters even while I was judged as the least of the threats, allowing me to escape as the Lion members were swarmed and tried to use explosives in ast-ditch effort to escape. ¡®It¡¯s a usible story, if I say so for myself, Awakeners often carry around explosives in case they need to seal a dungeon or break through a part of one, after all.¡¯ As I was mentally patting myself on the back for havinge up with something so believable on the spot, Koise spoke. ¡°Your story is mostly bullshit, but you¡¯re definitely no predator.¡± ¡®Thanks, I think?¡¯ ¡°More importantly, I need something to show for all of this. I lost my entire scout party chasing after you, my favorite bow, got injured, and am in the middle of the snowy wastes. My repayment to you for saving my life is that I¡¯m giving you this chance to tell me why the fuck I shouldn¡¯t finish the job and drag your head back.¡± I opted to tell the truth in that moment. After all, it wasn¡¯t something that concerned the Second System anyway, and I figured that he could actually be of help if he could be convinced. ¡°Have you ever killed a dragon?¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¨C A n in the Making (4) ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± He watched me silently as I waited for my answer, my heart beating against my chest. ¡°Go on¡­¡± That seemed to have gotten his attention, at least. ¡°You know the rulers of this city are dragons, right?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Had he not even been to the city on his chase after me? ¡°Well, it¡¯s prettymon knowledge that they¡¯re dragons, I guess. You can even see them fly overhead from time to time, and I saw one in humanoid form back when we escaped from the dungeon.¡± He leaned forward, eyes glinting in interest as whatever ideas he had were going through his head. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you want to kill the city leaders? Bold. I didn¡¯t have you down as the type to kill someone just for their race, do you have something against dragons? He misunderstood my intent. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to kill them just because they were dragons. I was sure he had heard of the demon attack on Karfana, at least. I didn¡¯t really want to exin to him about Kry or what she was protecting under the surface of the mountains, so I elected to just exin using what had happened back in the city. ¡°You remember Karfana, right?¡± ¡°The monster attack? Yeah, what about it.¡± ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t monsters.¡± ¡°Then what were they?¡± ¡°Demons.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± He let out a low chuckle at my deration like he found the mention of demons funny. ¡°Elves, dwarves, humans, demons, monsters, all the same, really, we just kill what we call monsters because it¡¯s what we¡¯re told and it¡¯s convenient to us. Is not a dragon also a monster?¡± ¡®Is he philosophizing to me right now?¡¯ I guess he had a point of sorts, and it briefly caused the question of why the Second System only seemed to reward XP for killing demons to my mind and how the primary System actually had also awarded me for killing other humans. ¡°Anyway¡­ These demons seem to be wider spread than initially thought and are actively trying to bring this city to ruin.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the dragons are working with them, then? Where¡¯s your proof?¡± Would he believe Lein¡¯s words as evidence enough? I doubted it. Maybe he would be able to sense a strange energy if he encountered a dragon, but had he ever encountered one before? Would he be able to recognize that their aura was off at a nce? After all, if one had never encountered something before, how would they be able to recognize that something was strange when they did encounter that thing? ¡°This.¡± I pulled back my sleeve and held out my arm that had the tattoo on it. When I encountered the dragon in humanoid form back at the dungeon, feeling the strong presence of demonic energy made me recognize what the familiar energying from the tattoo was¡­ Demonic energy. Besides figuring out a way to kill the city leaders, who were either colluding with demons, possessed by demons¡ªwhich I didn¡¯t even know if that was possible¡ªor actually demons, figuring out a way to remove the tattoo was also on my priority list. ¡°The mark that they put on neers to the city?¡± He nced at the shredded skin on his arm as if to check if there was a tattoo there. ¡°They were too busy to bother,¡± I said, answering his question before he could ask. He leaned closer to my extended wrist, taking a close look at the tattoo. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m going to use a skill, stay still.¡± Koise held his hand over the tattoo, concentrating for a few moments before a steady green glow emerged from his hand and covered the tattoo. I saw his eyes flitting over a System message that only he could see, the results of whatever skill he had just used. ¡°Demonic energy¡­ Hmm¡­ It doesn¡¯t really prove anything, but it¡¯s enough to justify a closer look, at least. Do you already have a n?¡± ¡°No, I was just getting to that part.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s the smartest thing you¡¯ve hunted?¡± ¡®Smartest? Why does that matter?¡¯ I thought for a few moments. The smartest thing I had fought had probably been the city lord of Karfana when he was trying to create the expanding dungeon. ¡°The dungeon boss of Karfana.¡± He shook his head and clicked his tongue at my answer. ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t a hunt, that was just a fight. I asked what the smartest thing you¡¯ve hunted was, not killed.¡± When he put it like that, I hadn¡¯t really hunted much of anything. I had only actually gotten my abilities not long before that, after all. The answer must have been in on my face. ¡°And you were nning to take down a dragon? If my goal was for you to die, I guess I could just leave with that already aplished. Do you even know anything about dragons?¡± Of course I knew things about dragons, I had hung around in an Association building for years hearing nothing save for tales from Awakeners about their hunts and the hunts of others. Dragons, of course, had been a huge topic. ¡°They¡¯re weak in human form, their fire can be countered with a good dousing of water, silver weapons cut through their scales like a hot knife through butter, they love to talk about themselves, they never go back on their word, and they love to prolong their battles.¡± Everyone knew that the best party for taking down a dragon consisted of a mage with water spells, a hunter with silver arrows, a fast talker to goad and distract the dragon and maybe even trick it into agreeing to stay in human form so the party could kill it while it was weak, and the ssic hero with a sword tond the final blow if the talker failed. ¡°Hahahahah!¡± He actuallyughed at me, a heartyugh that told me he found something that I had said hrious. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d be dead in moments. You were seriously going to base your n on tall tales you heard in a tavern or something from people who had heard them from other people¡ªwho had heard them from other people and so on? How have you lived this long? Are you just good at fighting or something? I bet your n was just to ambush it in human form or try to appeal to its honor for a human-form duel or something equally stupid.¡± My ns actually had been somewhere along those lines. It made sense to fight it when it was in its weakest form, after all. I was a bit put out and even offended by his words, and my silence must have said everything. ¡°Look, first of all, get all that bullshit out of your head. Dragons aren¡¯t weak in human form at all. In fact, they¡¯re just as strong, if not stronger. You don¡¯t think their human skin is just as tough as their scales? Also, they¡¯re just as strong in any form they take, forget about whether they actually look less intimidating or not.¡± He was looking at me seriously, ticking off the points on his fingers as he spoke. ¡°Second, their fire cannot be countered with a good dousing of water. A dragon¡¯s breath cannot be put out by normal water of any sort¡ªyou could dive to the bottom of ake and be boiled in seconds from a concentrated st of it.¡± He lifted the third finger. ¡°Third, you would just be wasting good silver if you used a silver weapon on one. What the hell do you think dragons are, werewolves or something? Granted, it¡¯s not a bad guess, silver usually works well against beast-like beings¡ªbut no. A dragon is as weak to silver as they are any other metal¡ªwhich is not very.¡± His fourth finger ticked up. He was getting heated as he spoke, and I could see the fire in his eyes igniting. Even while he was telling me everything I had said wrong, he was thinking of what would work. ¡°Fourth, dragons like talking about themselves about as much as they like talking about anything else, which is not very, especially not to beings they deem lower than themselves. A dragon isn¡¯t going to care about honoring their word or anything stupid like that against things it views as no more than we might view a chicken.¡± ¡°Finally, yourst point may have a point in that they like to enjoy the excitement of a fight as much as anyone else, especially against an opponent they already know they have thoroughly beaten.¡± Holding his hand up with all five fingers extended, he lowered them one by one as he began countering with what actually would work against dragons. ¡°One, it¡¯s actually probably best to fight a dragon in its biggest or most natural form. They make a bigger target and are easier to wound that way¡ªit¡¯s much easier to dig at the soft flesh underneath a scale than it is to pierce human flesh that¡¯s as tough as scales.¡± ¡°Two, the biggest problem you face when fighting a dragon in its natural and weakest form is their dragon breath, which you just have to avoid or redirect somehow. Any attempt to take it head-on is a death wish.¡± ¡°Three, while they may not be weak against silver, they are weak against scarlet steel. Unfortunately, everything seems to be weak to scarlet steel, which means everyone wants it when it¡¯s already near-impossible to find and is usually only found in the highest-tier equipment.¡± ¡°Four, a dragon might acknowledge us if it views us on the same field or threat level as it, which isn¡¯t likely unless we do something to impress it. Even then, an ¡®honorable¡¯ duel is dubious at best.¡± Hisst finger slowly curled downward again while he made hisst point. ¡°And five, if a dragon tries to prolong the fight, you¡¯ve already lost.¡± It was all quite informative, and I had no doubt that his sources were more trustworthy than mine. However, all of that left me with a question¡­ ¡°Have you ever hunted a dragon before?¡± His eyes brimming with the fire of determination, he spoke. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve always wanted to.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¨C To Kill a Dragon (1) With those words, our tentative alliance was created. I could at least trust that he wouldn¡¯t stab me in the back for the moment. Also¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ Would you happen to have a mana crystal I could borrow?¡± *** A short showerter, I felt like a new man. The dirt and grime had practically sloughed off of me. Luckily, the drains seemed to have been made for such abuse, and nothing was clogged in the process. After that, Koise took a shower of his own, though I imagine that the water running over the wounds on his arms must have been painful. Before going to sleep, he applied a salve of some sort from his item bag over his arms. The next morning, I awoke to the sound of the door thudding shut as Koise left the room. I didn¡¯t think much of it and was contemting following him to get food in my stomach that wasn¡¯t just the usual item bag rations when distant shouting reached me through the building. Not having anything in the way of extra clothing, I had elected to sleep in nothing while the small cubicle of a cloth cleansing unit had done its work in the night with Koise¡¯s magic crystal powering it. Throwing on my freshly cleaned clothes and realizing how ragged, worn, and full of holes they were as I did so, I stumbled through the doorway and rushed down the stairs toward the source of the shouting. ¡°What the hell did you do?!¡± Lein¡¯s voice? I turned the corner into the inn¡¯s tavern area to find the mostly empty room with Awakeners here or there at tables, all staring over at Lein and Koise, who were standing next to the serving bar. Lein was positioned with his hand out toward Koise, who was only a few feet from hi, like a loaded gun. He shouted, ¡°Answer me or I swear on the System that I¡¯ll do it!¡± Koise had seen what Lein¡¯s abilities were, right? Koise was standing opposite Lein, looking more casual with an arrow held in one hand. ¡°What are you on about?¡± Koise spoke, genuinely confused by the usations. The innkeeper looked about ready to bolt and call the guards, and our n would be ruined before it even began if Lein got himself killed right there. I wasn¡¯t too concerned about Koise¡¯s safety. ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted out and weaved my way around the tables towards them. Lein¡¯s head snapped over at my voice, taking in my cleaned clothes and the fact that I was not, in fact, dead back in the room. ¡°Aizen¡­?¡± ¡°Rx, everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± It was understandable that he was a bit confused. After all, when he had gone to sleep the previous night, Koise had been tied up as our prisoner. I couldn¡¯t just talk about how we were going to kill the city¡¯s leader in earshot of everyone else in the tavern, though. ¡°He¡¯s joining our party for now. It turns out that we have mutual goals.¡± At that, Lein seemed to rx a little bit and lowered his hands, still casting a suspicious look at Koise. ¡°Alright¡­¡± After eating, we left the inn and walked to the edge of the city where I had initially met Lein. Not only did it offer a good view of the castle jutting from the edge that the dragon imed as its home, but it was also sparse in terms of other people who could overhear us. Most seemed to subconsciously avoid the edge of the city, and I could understand why. Looking down into that seemingly bottomless fall with the cloud cover far beneath, who could guess what horrors, wonders, or phenomenony below? People were afraid of the unknown, and keeping it out of sight also helped to keep it out of mind. I also noticed that the wounds on Koise¡¯s arms looked much better. ¡°Alright, someone tell me what¡¯s going on then,¡± Lein said, still not having been properly told about what was happening. ¡°We¡¯re still going after the dragon, but Koise is going to help with creating and executing the n.¡± Lein gave Koise a scrutinizing look. ¡°Alright¡­ So this guy, who wanted to kill you before, suddenly wants to help you kill the city lord?¡± Koise spoke then, saying, ¡°No, I want to help you kill a dragon.¡± Lein nodded as if that exined everything. ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s just crazy.¡± We were hoping to catch some sight of the dragon returning from the dungeon, but we weren¡¯t having much luck. I stepped into the conversation, redirecting it back to how we were actually going to n our dragon-killing endeavor. ¡°Alright, we have to actually be able to reach the dragon in order to kill it. What¡¯s more, we need a way to stop it from just flying away if it deems things too dangerous.¡± Lein sat with his legs dangling precariously over the edge as he thought. ¡°Well, the dragon appeared directly to give the official questst time, so I suspect it¡¯ll appear again this time to give an update or a new quest once it realizes the Relic isn¡¯t obtainable from the ruined dungeon.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying the best chance would be to ambush it in in view of dozens of other Awakeners?¡± I asked. ¡°No, not necessarily. It¡¯s not like the dragon is just going to fly straight to the city square and start its speech. It¡¯ll probably stop by the Association first to ry orders and set up the next task it¡¯s going to ask the Awakeners toplete.¡± Koise stood looking at the dragon¡¯s castle while idly thumbing his chin. The morning was a bit chilly, and a low wind blew our hair and clothes about intermittently while we spoke. ¡°We run the risk of ambushing it when it¡¯s at its most wary, though. It would be ideal if we could get to it in the castle somehow. Everyone always rxes a bit when they believe they¡¯re safe in their den.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Lein waved his hand as if the idea wasn¡¯t even worth considering. ¡°Not only are the entrances kept under strict guard, but there¡¯s a dispelling effect around the castle that blocks flight spells, so flying there, even if we could, wouldn¡¯t be an option.¡± It only blocked flight spells? That seemed like an oversight to me¡­ ¡°If it only blocks flight spells, it should be easy enough to just¡­ jump over there, right?¡± Lein twisted around and looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°What, jump the closest gap where the guards can¡¯t see you? So, basically, from here all the way to the castle? You would have to be able to jump hundreds of meters. Not even a strength-sped Awakener could do something like that¡­¡± I thought of the System and Second System abilities I had. It didn¡¯t seem like jumping that far would be impossible if I went for pure distance and used everything I had. Of course, it was a massive risk, and miscalcting would be the death of me. ¡°Did both of you forget that I¡¯m an archer?¡± Koise looked between the two of us like the path we had to take was obvious. ¡°I¡¯ll just shoot an arrow with a rope over there and we can climb across, no need to jump, fly, or anything stupid like that.¡± He had a point¡­ ¡°And if that works, what are we going to do from there?¡± We had an idea of how we were going to potentially approach the dragon, at least, but that didn¡¯t solve the biggest problem of how we were going to kill it. ¡°Our first attack has to be our best. It¡¯s ok if we don¡¯t kill it in one shot, we just have to mortally wound it. Dragons have to sleep like any other being, and their form naturally reverts to their original one when they do so, which is also when they¡¯re weakest.¡± In other words, Koise was saying we would have to injure it enough to just have to worry aboutnding the final blow and stop it from just flying away. ¡°Do we have anything that can do that?¡± Lein asked. Koise nced around, checking to see who else was in eyesight before he reached into his item bag and produced a single arrow. The shaft of the arrow was of a smooth, brown wood, fine to the point that the grains of it couldn¡¯t be seen. The arrowhead, though, was particrly eye catching. In the ce of where one would normally expect to see a triangle-shaped, grey, metal arrowhead, there shone a thin bodkin-like arrowhead of a scintiting, orange metal that looked like it was on fire beneath the surface. I noticed he took great care to not touch the metal at any point. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Lein¡¯s voice trailed off. I hadn¡¯t ever seen it before, but I had heard of it. What Koise was holding in his hands was likely more valuable than the rest of the items in his and Lein¡¯s item bagsbined¡­ A true scarlet steel arrowhead. Who could say whether it would be enough to kill the dragon? Even if it prated the dragon¡¯s scales, it would still have to get through bone if we wanted to kill the thing or mortally wound it in one strike. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I would use it so soon, but I can¡¯t think of many any that it could find better use on than a dragon.¡± After all, if we killed the dragon, its scales and organs, as gruesome as it sounded, would be ours to harvest¡ªand dragon hearts were even more valuable in weight than scarlet steel. We had an idea of how to get to the dragon and an idea of how to kill it, next was¡­ ¡°But what about its breath?¡± Lein voiced what I had been thinking. We needed a way to neutralize its dragon breath in the case that the first shot didn¡¯t kill it. We would likely be fighting an uphill battle anyway if that were the case, but better to fight an uphill battle than to have no chance at climbing the hill at all. ¡°I think I have something that could work for that.¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¨C To Kill a Dragon (2) I had just received an ability upgrade not long before that would let me exert control over heat, and fire was just an intense heat, right? At least, I was hoping that was how the ability worked. I needed to test it more before we actually put our n into action, and I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much time we had until the demons realized the Relic was gone and went to their n B. I wasn¡¯t even sure what their n B was. For all I knew, they would do something like they had done in Karfana and the circumstances would be immediately dangerous for everyone in the city. What¡¯s more, if they had seeded with what they were trying in Karfana¡ªmaking an expanding dungeon¡ªthere was no way to tell when the expanding dungeon would have actually stopped expanding. ¡°Like I said before, you¡¯re not going to be able to take it head-on. If you¡¯re thinking that the earth armor you can summon will protect you in any way, your brain will probably boil in your skull before you even realize you¡¯re dead.¡± Koise seemed to think that I was referring to my earth armor. It was a good guess, at least, but seriously¡ªit felt a bit insulting that he thought I would do something so reckless. ¡°No, it¡¯s something I still have to confirm, anyway. I¡¯ll let you know if we need to find another method.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± I could tell by the hesitation and the way he squinted his eyes at me that he felt dubious at best that he had to ce his trust in me. ¡°So when are we going to actually do this?¡± Lein asked, gazing over at the dragon¡¯s castle. We had all of the materials we needed already, so the next step was to figure out when we were going to actually enact the n. We could talk about it all day, but that wouldn¡¯t bring results. I woulde to learn that ns went best when you executed them as soon as possible after making them rather than waiting for doubts to settle in or for you to have the time to convince yourself that it was too dangerous. ¡°Well, right now is obviously out. Aizen still needs to confirm whatever he came up with for the dragon fire, and it would be far too visible to the guards to do it in broad daylight, so that leaves going during night hours. It¡¯s cliche, but there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s cliche, after all.¡± Every good ambush seemed to happen at night. ¡°But the dragon isn¡¯t even there yet?¡± Lein asked. I could see what Koise was thinking. Unfortunately, all of the tall tales I had heard from the Awakeners hanging around the Association had been right about one thing: dragons had supernaturally good senses. If we couldn¡¯t enact our infiltration n when the dragon was out of the castle, it would likely be able to hear or otherwise sense our efforts. On the other hand, if we could get in ce and find where it would sleep beforehand, all we would have to worry about was concealing our presence while staying still. It was much easier to be stealthy while staying still than it was to be stealthy while moving around a castle that you didn¡¯t know theyout of. ¡°It¡¯s better for us to get in ce beforehand and wait for the dragon toe to us than it is to try to sneak up on a dragon,¡± I said, voicing my thoughts. ¡°Exactly. I say we should go tonight¡ªit could be back at any moment and we won¡¯t know when it will be gone again. How long will it take you to test your ability?¡± Koise asked me, giving me an intense look. Seeing as our survival would depend on me being able to deal with the dragon¡¯s fire, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that all of our lives were in my hands. ¡°I should be¡ª¡± Roaaar! An echoing screech echoed out through the city, and all of us snapped our heads toward the source of the sound in the distance. The dragon was returning. Rather than fly straight to the castle, it shrieked again before circling over the city once. The dragon was dark green in color, but I could see ck veins spreading over its leathery wings. It was covered in scales that, from the distance I was at, looked like they might have been the size of dinner tes, and the heavy aura from the dungeon seemed to spread out over the city in a huge radius around the dragon, smothering everything in an invisible, weighty nket. Wrapped in its aura again, I sensed the demonic energy as well. Koise looked at me and nodded. He seemed to sense it, too. The dragon then flew towards the city square near the gates. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s going to the Association building. It¡¯ll finish whatever business it has there, make an announcement to the Awakeners, and go back to its castle.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s going to make an announcement?¡± Koise asked, trying to gather as much information as possible. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have bothered catching everyone¡¯s attention with shrieks and circling the city like that if it didn¡¯t have something it needed to make known. It wants as many people as possible to gather in the square and hear what it¡¯s going to say.¡± If that was the case, our window for getting into the castle before the dragon had narrowed drastically. ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± I said, deciding to act while we could. If we dyed, we didn¡¯t know if the opportunity would present itself again. ¡°What?! But what about testing¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time, he¡¯s right. We move now or we might lose our best chance,¡± Koise interrupted Lein, who was voicing his objections about hurrying the n along so suddenly. When I thought about it, he didn¡¯t have any ce in the n, anyway. He would at least be able to distract the dragon if things went wrong, right? Koise quickly drew arge arrow with a strange metal end that resembled a bodkin head but was more cylindrical, with a rounded head that looked unsuitable for actually piercing anything. Noticing my quizzical look as he tied a rope around the end of it, he exined. ¡°Latching head. It¡¯ll naturally enclose itself around the first thing ites into contact with and secure itself. As long as whatever it¡¯s holding can support our weight, it won¡¯te loose.¡± With that, he drew the arrow all the way back with his bow, which was actively falling apart and cracking along the length. Thwoom. The bowstring let out a low hum when he released it,unching the arrow all the way across to the castle, where it struck the bottom of a wall that connected to the edge of the ground where the castle was situated. Next, he cut the rope with a ded arrow before taking anothertching arrow, tying the end of the rope he held around it, and nting it firmly into the ground. Shhhk! The cylindrical arrowhead did exactly as its namesake described¡ªit unfolded itself violently and shot into the stone ground effortlessly, the metal curving around to hold it in ce. I could only hope that the stones of the street would hold our weight. Then, before I could ask anything else, Koise started climbing along the rope as it swayed in the light breeze, small kes of ice battering him lightly while he climbed along, hand over hand. It was quite some distance that we would have to climb, and we had to hurry before the dragon finished its speech and returned to the castle. At least the dragon had drawn other Awakeners and guards to the center of the city. We weren¡¯t at much risk of being spotted with the angle we were at and the light drifts of ice. Next was Lein, who hugged the rope firmly and wrapped his legs around it, shimmying across it while Koise was still only about halfway along. We couldn¡¯t wait for each person to go all the way, and Koise seemed confident enough in his own judgement of his abilities that we had no room to doubt. I took a breath and braced myself, briefly cracking the knuckles in my hands, the pops in each finger sounding through the snow and leaving my hands with that sort of cathartic feeling. Then I gripped the swaying rope and began following Lein¡¯s technique¡ªthere was no way I was going to swing myself along like Koise, fast as it was. After Koise had made it and I was about at the halfway point with Lein only a bit ahead of me, I made the mistake of turning my head, following a strange urge to look down. It was an endless drop as far as I could see. The cliff face was sheer and icy, going down at an angle that would make it nearly impossible to climb¡ªif there was even a bottom to climb from. All the way down to the roiling clouds below, where I could see brief shes of light as a storm raged through them onto whatever was hidden beneath their cover. If Lein¡¯s terror at what he had seen was anything to go by, whatever it was had to be something that I was grateful we couldn¡¯t actually see. I looked away almost as quickly as I had looked in the first ce, a strange thought flitting through my brain that I should just let go. I wondered how long and blissful the fall would be. Then I reached solid ground again, and Koise helped hoist me up. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¨C To Kill a Dragon (3) Once we had all made it across the rope and were standing on solid ground again, Koise gripped the rope with both hands and concentrated for a moment, a thin wave of blue mana rippling along the rope to the end and deactivating the arrow device. The rope slid off the opposite edge and dangled in the air, only anchored by the point where we were. Koise hauled the rope up as we watched, our breaths turning to vapor in the frigid air. We were lucky because of two things that day: 1. By making our infiltration attempt during the middle of the day, as it was around noon by then, we were actually making it when people were on their lowest guard, as nobody would have ever expected something as bold as a daytime break-in. 2. The dragon had called everyone in the city to listen to its announcement, meaning nobody was around to see us in broad daylight through the constantly swirling flecks of ice. The pirs of light throughout the city continued to shine brightly throughout the city in a yellowish orange under the sunlight. Our next step was to scale the stone wall. It was easily three heads taller than us, but Koise still had his arrow and rope, and it took much less effort to throw it over the top of the wall, where ittched into the battlements. The wall was coated in a thinyer of ice and was slippery underfoot. My hands and arms did most of the work that would have been impossible for me to do before Awakening. At the top of the battlements, Koise pulled in his rope again and put it back into the item bag, and we got a good look at what was waiting for us in the dragon¡¯s fortress. Silence. It was eerily quiet. Where one might have usually imagined guards on patrol over a castle¡¯s battlements and watchfires to keep them warm and give them vision over the walls, we instead saw not a single other living being from our view of the entire outside of the castle. The path from the gate entrance to the castle doors was paved with smoothly interlocking stone, and dead bushes along the sides of the stone road in the courtyard indicated where flower bushes might have once been nted. Outside of the straight pathway to the castle doors, hard, frozen dirt packed the ground, and the expansive grounds, easily the size of two professional ser fields, were littered with bits of debris and dead branches. We could see the remnants of wooden targets in what must have been an archery field with old arrows still sticking in the targets, which were falling apart and lopsided on the icy ground. Instead of the normal open windows in old castles or the ss that many such castles had been equipped with in this new world, the castle looked like it had window enchantments ced over small, rectangr openings regrly dotting the castle¡¯s exterior. The enchantments were easy to spot, spells that lightly obfuscated the interior over the window opening while letting physical matter pass through without letting the warmth escape. The only actual window was a huge stained-ss depiction of the sun rising, which was located squarely in the top-middle of the castle¡¯s central square tower, reminiscent of a clock face on a huge clock. Though they didn¡¯t overpower the sunlight, we also saw light stones ced along the central path and around the castle¡¯s main entryway that would shed light over the ce during the darkest hours of the night. Over it all, though, there was something far more foreboding. Scorch marks ran the entirety of the courtyard and stained the castle¡¯s exterior in ces with ck soot. It was evidence that the dragon had not built the castle, maybe not even the city, and had instead liberated it from its previous owners, whoever they might have been. At least it didn¡¯t look like infiltrating or sneaking past that point would pose much of a problem. We hopped down from the wall, easily taking the impact ofnding with our System-strengthened legs, though I barely managed to not slip on the ice-coated dirt, and Lein fell solidly onto his backside. Koise, of course,nded as easily as if he had simply jumped from a small ledge. We elected to run, then, each of us falling into a sprint across the courtyard. It wasn¡¯t like we were truly pressed for time or running from something, but we never knew when the dragon would be back, and if the dragon came back while we were taking our time to walk through the courtyard, there would have been nowhere to hide. Finally, we stood in front of the towering wooden doors, reinforced with bands of iron running horizontally along their surface at regr intervals. Hoping that it wouldn¡¯t be locked, I pushed on the door while Lein caught his breath and Koise looked back over the courtyard, eyes tracking the sky for any sign of the dragon. The side of the door slowly creaked open, having not been used in quite some time. Warmth assaulted us almost immediately, and we slipped into the castle and creaked the door shut behind us again. The castle¡¯s interior was magnificent. Though it was deteriorating and there was a thinyer of dust over everything, the beauty of its construction was clearly evident, and it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how it might have once looked. The plush red carpet covering the entirety of the entry floor, the grand archway leading to other sections of the castle, a white marble floor where the carpet didn¡¯t cover, andstly, a grand tform in the very center of the entryway marked what had to have been elevators of the finest magical making. Numerous circr tforms with waist-high railings that sat within indentations in the tform sat unused, waiting for a mana imbuement that would send them upward, where the ceiling had matching holes for the elevator tforms to pass through. Dust-coated paintings hung along the walls, and the sense of space was immense, each step on the marble floor like a thundering echo in the silent halls. Then there was the lighting¡­ Roughly three body lengths above us, about halfway to the ceiling hanging within some sort of magical suspension, crystals of light shed illumination in just the singr direction of the floor so that the ceiling resembled the pitch ck of the darkest night, the crystals were shining like stars within. I had never seen anything like it. The castle back in Karfana had been impressive, yes, but such intricate enchantments to light a single room alone would have probably cost the entirety of what it would have cost to build a castle like the one in Karfana, let alone the multipleyered enchantments required for each individual elevator tform. Even Koise paused for a moment to take it in, taken aback. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Lein said what we were all thinking. ¡®What a waste¡­¡¯ How many years had it been since anyone other than the dragon had been down there? Did the dragon even go down there itself? I also wondered who had built a castle of such intricacy, it couldn¡¯t have been humans, at least. We had only been on the new world since the Merge had urred six years before that point, after all. I would have liked to have explored the castle and seen what other wonders it had to offer, but we were still pressed for time and had to find the dragon¡¯sir before it returned, which we all came to a unanimous, unspoken agreement would be at the highest point in the castle. That meant we would have to take the elevators. As we approached them, I realized that I would have to depend on Koise or Lein to supply the mana for the elevator¡¯s enchantments, which I imagined couldn¡¯t have taken much. The elevators looked like they had been designed for general use by servants, after all. My worries were unfounded, as the elevator system was even moreplexly designed than I had originally thought. We walked onto one of the tforms through the gaps intended for entry in the railings around the tform with plenty of room to spare, and I saw the buttons inset into the side of the railings, simple up and down arrows indicating their use. Checking to make sure we were all actually on the elevator, I tentatively pressed the ¡®up¡¯ button. ¡®¡­¡¯ I was waiting for some swoosh sound or hum of magic, but the elevator rose so silently that, if I had kept my eyes shut, I wouldn¡¯t have even realized we were moving. Upwards at a steady pace, we eventually passed the star-like lights and ascended through the darkness, the tform still lit by faint illumination stones near its center. We silently passed through the hole in the ceiling into what I would learn was the second of the castle¡¯s four floors. The grand entryway was nearly identical, save for the fact that there was a separateyer of railing around each of the circles the elevators rose through to prevent anyone from falling through. Also, though the construction of the room and the star-like lights illuminating it were the same, there were tables ced at seemingly random intervals throughout the room, with sofas andfortable-looking chairs around them and shelves of books that lined the walls. I could only imagine what the other rooms past the wide archways looked like, but we still didn¡¯t have time, and I almost regretfully pressed the up button again, which continued our smooth ascent. Then, we reached the third floor, which had a wooden enclosure that rose all the way up to the ceiling around the elevators, with a single exit/entry for people to leave and enter the elevator area. If I were to guess, that was probably the area where the royal rooms of the castle were located, and guards would have investigated or questioned anyone going to that floor who didn¡¯t belong. We still weren¡¯t in the castle¡¯s tower yet, but it was pretty clear which elevator would take us there. Ahead of us, through the exit for the general elevator area, we could see an borate tform smaller than the general elevators that looked to have been carved of a single, massive piece of wood. We exited the elevator area andfortably got onto thatst elevator, there being just enough room for three of us. I hit the up button one final time. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¨C To Kill a Dragon (4) The final ascent, other than having to use a smaller and more intricate elevator tform, was not otherwise more notable than the other ascents had been. We rose up through the lights into the darkness and the elevator tform smoothly slotted itself into its tform in the tower. If there was one thing, it was that the ascent had taken longer than the others¡ªI¡¯d guess by ount of us rising through the hollow tower. It seemed to be a massive waste of space to not even have more floors to me, but the interior of the ce was already huge in every aspect¡ªwe hadn¡¯t even seen the rest of the castle. We were greeted by the dragon¡¯s nest, the sky, and strewn debris. I could clearly imagine the magnificent private study that the tower¡¯s room might have once been The big, square-like room would have had a desk firmly in the middle of one side, facing outward toward the huge mosaic window we had seen from the outside. Instead of the mosaic blocking sight, instead there looked to be an enchantment over the entirety of the mosaic, allowing a nearly unobstructed view of the courtyard and the city beyond. There would have been a fine carpet covering the entirety of the floor, warmth supplied by a steady enchantment that heated metal rods in the corners of the room. Bookshelves of all sorts would have lined the walls, housing all sorts of private documents pertaining to the city, the lord, and whatever other manner the city lord had to keep away from prying eyes. The lord¡¯s chair, sturdily constructed and made of the softest leathers and the finest silks. An idle thought passed through my mind of where the lord might entertain guests, but I didn¡¯t have the time to entertain such thoughts. Finally, one corner would have been dedicated to rxing, intricate glowing enchantments that I could only guess the meaning of assisting the lord with who-knows-what while he rxed on the cushy sofa and sipped tea from a fine cup resting on the small table in front of the curving sofa. The room would have had configurable enchanted lightstones along the ceiling that could change colors and luminosity to fit whatever mood the lord wanted to set. I imagined it would have been an extremely rxing ce offort for the lord to retreat to in his daily work. However, what greeted us wasn¡¯t very rxing orfortable in the slightest. Instead, only the remnants of all of that were left behind. The lord¡¯s desk was half-incinerated, a crumbling pile of burnt wood and ash, and the chair behind it was in much a simr state, the leather cracked and torn. As for what must have once been the plush carpet over the room, only bits and pieces of it remained, the rest thoroughly burnt into a fine ash that seemed to coat every surface of the room. The bookshelves were scattered and falling over, some burnt, some decaying, and the books and documents themselves were in all manner of disrepair, from being just piles of damp mush to looking as good as if they were new. The rxation corner with the sofa and intricate enchantments instead sparked with intermittent magic, theplex sigils thatposed the enchantments scratched and faded here and there. We were lit by the suning in from a gaping hole in one side of the ceiling, just to the left side of where we hade up, facing the lord¡¯s desk in the center of the room. That was almost assuredly where the dragon would enter and leave. Finally, there was the dragon¡¯s nest. Skulls and bones littered the ground around it, and the massive nest took up almost the entire back third of the tower. I wasn¡¯t sure what constitutedfort for a dragon, but I wouldn¡¯t have imagined it to be a pile of bones, melted armor and swords, piles of ancient coins, and a thinyer of wrecked books. Cliche or not, it was almost exactly what I would have imagined a dragon¡¯s hoard to look like. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ ¡°Here.¡± Koise lightly tossed some powder from his item bag over us. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, rubbing at the powder with my fingers as it seemed to cling to me and vanish. ¡°It¡¯ll hide our scents, but we need to find a ce to hide ourselves.¡± Hiding in the dark corners of the room would probably be useless. If almost everything else I had known about dragons was false, I was at least sure that they had good low-light vision. While I nced over the room, thinking about the best ce toy in wait for an ambush, I practiced trying to use heat sense to keep my own body heat close to my body like some sort of invisible jacket. I had felt it kind of working before, so I wanted to make sure I hadn¡¯t been imagining it. After all, that ability was what I was holding as my trump card for the dragon¡¯s breath, and I didn¡¯t want to bet everything on an ability that I wasn¡¯t even sure would work. Sure enough, I did feel a rising warmth over my body, proving that the waves of heat I sensed twisting around my body weren¡¯t just my imagination. As for if it could do something simr with a dragon¡¯s fire? I had my guesses that it worked better against more obvious sources of heat, but I couldn¡¯t be sure until I actually tried it. We each chose a different space toy in wait. That way, if the dragon detected or found one of us out, it wouldn¡¯t immediatelypromise the others. Lein hid beneath the crumbling remnants of the desk that was against the mosaic window on the opposite side of the room from the nest. Koise, rather than picking a particr ce to hide, positioned himself against one of the sofas in the rxation corner of the room before slowly fading from sight. It appeared that he had some sort of camouge ability. As for myself, I navigated my way through the dragon¡¯s nest, having spotted a pile of melted armor against the wall of the nest that was farthest from Lein. I did my best to ignore and not disturb any of the bits and baubles, books, and pieces of coin lying on the ground. The stench of iron was strong in the nest, which I hoped would mask my scent even more. The curved lump of metal was heavier than it looked, and I was just able to weasel my way under it, my stomach pressing against the hard floor while something jabbed lightly at my side. With the metal pressing on me from above, it was like a firm hug. I couldn¡¯t see anything, as I had covered myselfpletely, but echo sight would work well enough for that. And so we waited, each of us in position tounch our ambush when the dragon attacked. Koise would fire his arrow first, and we would hope for the instant kill. But if that failed, we would have to either fight or die. There was no running from a dragon, not within its own castle. I nced over at my quest windows again as we waited. [[Bring the Relic to the dragon and fulfill your quest!]] {{Solve the mystery of the City on the Edge.}} Interestingly enough, neither quest had changed since I had first seen them after the copse of the dungeon. No prompts had appeared when we had formed our n or when we had infiltrated the castle. The wait was longer than we had anticipated. I wondered what sort of speech the dragon had to have been giving for it tost for what seemed like hours. Then again, when waiting for something, time always seemed to pass slower. For all I knew, I was under that pile of melted armor for only minutes instead of the hours that it seemed like, sharp pieces of metal poking my side no matter how hard I tried to minutely position myself. It was one of those deep diforts simr to a long ne or car ride that sets in only after you stay in one position for a long time. Then, as I was once again trying to twist my body to one side to stop a piece of metal from digging into my flesh, I heard it¡­ The heavy beat of wings was approaching the tower, signaling the dragon¡¯s return. I held my breath so as to not make a single sound, keeping as still as possible,pletely forgetting about my previous diforts. Thankfully, due to my high Endurance, I could hold my breath for quite some time. Even being as focused on echo sense as I was, I felt more than sensed when the dragon flew through the gaping hole in the roof into the tower itself, pping its wings briefly before it thudded into its nest with the sounds of nking metal. My echo sight showed me the ash that was kicked up from the beating of its wings, as well as the pages and bits of books that went flying throughout the room. The tower shook with itsnding. The dragon must have quite literally weighed tons, with the size to match. ¡®And Koise said that this is its weakest form?¡¯ I had a hard time believing that. Not only that, but its aura was absolutely suffocating, seeming to press down on me with a heavy weight, as if it had even increased the gravity around it. For all I knew, the aura did exactly that. The dragon shuffled around, turning in circles like a dog before thudding onto its stomach and letting out a long sigh. From the sigh, I could imagine someone who had juste home after a long shift at work and flopped onto their couch to rest. Luckily, it didn¡¯t seem that such an image was far from the mark, as the dragon stilled afterward and its breathing evened out. There was no way to tell if it was actually asleep, and Koise seemed to want to wait it out a bit for it to fully rx. Then, while I was wondering when the ambush would start¡ªthough I couldn¡¯t sense that far¡ªmy heightened hearing just caught the muffled Hrmp of someone trying to suppress a sneeze in the direction of the desk Lein had hidden under. The dragon suddenly tensed, and its eyes shot open. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¨C To Kill a Dragon (5) ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ I had just enough time to let out an inward curse before all hell broke loose. The dragon¡¯s eyes snapped open, its body tensing up. At the same time, Koise¡¯s arrow was loosed from across the room at such speed that the dragon started roaring in pain at the same time that the sound of exploding wood, what I assumed to be Koise¡¯s bow, reached me from the other side of the room. From what I saw through echo sight, it was as if the dragon¡¯s head was perfectly intact one moment, and then there was a fine hole through the side of its skull the next. Echo sight also registered a new hole in the wall just behind the dragon¡¯s head, where the arrow had continued unhindered straight through the stone surface and out into the world beyond. Then, before the dragon could register anything other than the pain piercing its head, Lein, who had ruined the ambush with his muffled sneeze, somewhat redeemed himself by enforcing our n B. ¡ªEnsuring that the dragon couldn¡¯t just fly away from us, at least. While the dragon roared in pain and unfurled its wings wide as an instinctive response¡­ Boom! Whatever ability he had used, it looked like he started with his trump card, as the biggest explosion I had seen him muster shook the tower, sending up ash and dust through the room as thick smoke. Crack! The sound of snapping bone filled the air, and the dragon¡¯s left wing bent backward at an awkward angle about a third of the way down. The dragon roared again, setting its eyes straight ahead where Lein would have been against the room¡¯s opposite wall, though I still couldn¡¯t sense him at all. It was my turn to make a move. I pushed myself up and the melted armor slid off of my back and ttered to the floor. If the dragon sensed my presence, it gave no indication. Instead, the dragon pushed itself onto its haunches and a rippling heatwave visibly surged through its scales. Klink! An arrow pierced through the smoke and bounced off of the scales protecting the dragon¡¯s head ineffectually. The dragon¡¯s back was massive ahead of me, and I needed to do something to stop it from incinerating us all, as I wasn¡¯t confident in my ability to manipte heat. [[?Strike?]] I surged the energy of the earth through my body and out through my feet even while I used ?Strike? tounch myself at an angle upward toward the dragon¡¯s head. Launched through the air at lightning speed, I barely had time to react while the world blurred around me and the dragon extended its head forward, surging the built-up me from within its body and down its throat. [[?Redirection?]] At such a speed that would have normally reduced my brain to a pulp from the massive G forces when changing direction at that velocity, I instantly change directions while maintaining the same speed¡­ Straight at the back of the dragon¡¯s head. I tried to surge the earth energy through me again to st another eruption with my attack. [[?Strike?]] [[Mana: 25/100]] Like that, I was instantly reduced to a single ability use. The earth¡¯s energy surged in my body for a moment, but all I managed to do with it with such little time and at such speed was form a rough earth gauntlet around my hand and shift it forward as my ?Strike?-empowered hand mmed into the hard scales of the dragon¡¯s skill with my full velocity behind it. ¡ªCrack! A surging pain went through my arm. The earth evaporated from my hand from the force of the impact, and my skin was shredded before the recoil from the blow surged through my arm, fracturing the bones in multiple ces and roughly dislocating my right shoulder. The dragon¡¯s scale, the size of a dinner te, located over the center of its head actually bent inward with the force of the blow, and the dragon¡¯s partly-opened mouth mmed shut as its head shot downward into the tower¡¯s stone floor. The shockwave from the blow shattered the beautiful mosaic window outward, letting in the frigid cold all at once and sting the dust and ash that was still swirling around the room out of the hole in the roof and the gaping hole where the window had been like a train spouting out gouts of steam. Still, the dragon survived. It had to have at least been concussed, right? I fell through the air, shock freezing my body from the pain permeating through my arm, and thudded into the dragon¡¯s head while it was regaining its bearings. ¡ªROOOOAAARRR! I gripped the bent scale on its head with my good arm, my broken arm flopping uselessly at my side, and held on for dear life as one of Koise¡¯s thrown arrows pierced the dragon¡¯s eye and the creature whipped its head around the air while letting out another cry of pain. From where I was on the dragon¡¯s head, I could see ck blood oozing from the hole in the back of the dragon¡¯s head where the special arrow had gone straight through. ¡ªVwoom Energy surged through the dragon¡¯s body again, and the heat rising from its scales was so hot that it burned my skin dry where I was in contact with the monster¡¯s scales. It was getting ready to breathe fire again¡­ I let go of the dragon¡¯s head, as it was too difficult to concentrate while being whipped around and burned. Falling through the heat-shimmering air to the dragon¡¯s nest, I shut my eyes again and delved into my mind, tuning out my other senses one by one. The first to go was sight, gone the moment I shut my eyes¡ªthe dragon¡¯s towering form, the ruined surroundings of the tower, and the glitter of the falling snow through the gap in the roof all reced by expansive darkness. Next was hearing, fully submerging my mind within my heat sense, my two most obvious and distracting senses sacrificed first. The hum of the dragon¡¯s body as it created more dragon fire deep within itself, the plink-ing of arrows ineffectually bouncing off of the dragon¡¯s scales, miniature explosions that were about as effective as the arrows were that went off all over the dragon¡¯s body, and finally, the low whistling of the wind around the tower. With hearing and sight gone, my sense of smell went next. Away went the stench of old iron, the sulfur-like rotten egg smell of the dragon, the odor of wet parchment and rotting wood. I dully registerednding against something hard, a distant pain going through my back that I ignored while my tongue went numb and the iron taste of blood that mixed with the sooty taste of the ash swirling through the air that had gotten into my mouth faded to nothing. Finally, my sense of touch, which had slowly been fading the entire time, wentpletely numb. There was no pain, no sensation of the clothing against my skin, of the cold nipping through my garments, of anything at all. It was as if I were floating within a deprivation tank, free from all of the worries of the world. Time was a dream-like thing, where each second could be an hour, or each hour could be a second. My heat sense blossomed within that dark space, and I distinctly felt that I was watching the inside of the tower from an omnipresent perspective, not that I was looking at things from a limited view as I would have been if I opened my eyes with normal vision. It was different from echo sight, which was simr to radar and made me aware of everything down to the smallest details within a certain radius of me depending on how well sound bounced around wherever I was. Instead, it was more like I was the heat sense. There was no distinct sense of being at the center of the sense. From that perspective, I saw the lingering heat from our breaths in the air, the shape of Lein¡¯s body as he took cover behind the crumpling desk. I felt the increased heat of Koise¡¯s body¡ªdid he have some skill that enhanced his survivability in harsh environments? The lengths of metal that ran vertically over each corner of the room were suffused with a sputtering, weak heat, still trying to do the job their long-dead creators had enchanted them for. And the wide-spread heat of the dragon, suffusing a huge area around it with a steady, orange glow. The dragon itself emitted such heat that it was impossible to miss¡ªa bright, red suffusion staining thendscape, bathing everything around it in such heat that it looked like a supernova was going off through my senses. Then I felt the dragon me itself spouting out of the dragon¡¯s wide-opened mouth in slow motion. Likely due to my entire concentration being focused within my mind at the expense of every other sense, the world really did look to be moving slower¡ªmy brain¡¯s speed and thought processes had increased to the point that I was able to think at a significantly faster pace than the world moved. The me bursting from the dragon¡¯s mouth was a thick, dark, almost liquid-like substance. I felt every micrometer of it flowing through the air, blindingly hot. Then I reached out and grasped it with my mind. Rather than any sort of effort or searing pain that I had been expecting, the mes felt a bit like wet y, and I could move and shape them at my will. It stood to reason that a dragon¡¯s scales made it immune to its own fire, and it wasn¡¯t like redirecting the mes back into the dragon¡¯s mouth would have much of an effect if that was where the dragon had initially created the mes to begin with. My first thought was, of course, to just redirect the mes out of one of the gaping holes in the tower¡¯s structure, but then we would still likely just be killed by the dragon, as Koise was without a bow, Lein had started the fight with his trump card, and my mana was to the point where I only had a single ability usage left. Instead, I recalled the opening that Koise had created in the dragon¡¯s defenses¡­ And curved the dragon¡¯s mes around in a loop, funneling the dragon¡¯s fire straight through its skull. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¨C Now What? (1) Koise threw another arrow at the dragon. Plink! Most of his arrows were bouncing off of the dragon¡¯s scales harmlessly, but he had managed to nail it in the eye once, which had somewhat renewed his hope that they might be able to get a lucky shot in. Hope wasn¡¯t worth giving up until you had no choice, after all. Plink! And it looked like he would have no choice. Aizen had seeded in stopping the dragon¡¯s fire breath the first time, but after seeing his limp body fall from the dragon¡¯s head as another heatwave surged through the thing¡¯s body, he¡¯d lost all hope. ¡­Even in what he thought were hisst moments, Koiseunched another arrow at the dragon that disintegrated into thin air in the face of the dragon fire. Lein flinched and ducked back under the desk he was behind as if it would somehow block the fire, and Koise stared his death in the face. Then¡­ Kieeeeeeee! The dragon fire somehow curved around when it was heading for him and Lein and funneled straight through the hole that Koise¡¯s first arrow had made. The dragon¡¯s high-pitched whine sounded almost like something a begging dog would make, and then its body started twitching sporadically. mes, left with nowhere to go, shot from the other side of the dragon¡¯s head and died out. The smell of burnt meat wafted through the air, causing Koise to unconsciously lick his lips. Lein peeked his head up over the desk. The dragon¡¯s body finally went limp, and it thudded dully into its nest, its head thumping down dangerously close to Aizen¡¯s body. Like that, they had killed the dragon. Pain. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Upon waking from a dreamless sleep, the first sensation I noticed was pain. From my head, which felt like someone was mming the inside of my skull with a hammer at a rhythmic pace, to my arm, which I found shot searing pain through my entire right side whenever I tried to move it. Then there was the parched stickiness of my throat¡­ ¡°Water¡­¡± I barely managed to croak out a request. Not long after, the rim of a cool sk was pressed against my lips, and I greedily slurped down the liquid that came pouring down my throat¡­ Which was, very decidedly, NOT water. ¡°Ack!¡± It was toote, I had already drunk most of it. ¡°Tastes like shit, right?¡± I forced my eyes open to see Koise holding the container of foul-tasting liquid in the air over my mouth. Next to him, Lein was looking at my arm, frowning. ¡®That¡¯s not good¡­¡¯ To have the first thing someone does when you wake up be staring at your injury in moody silence? Yeah, I could take the hint that it was going to be a bitch to heal, even with my System-enhanced natural toughness and healing. ¡°Yeah¡­ What the hell is in that thing?¡± Koise waggled the container in the air, liquid sloshing against its metal sides. ¡°It¡¯s a healing remedy. You already took up all the healing potions, greedy bastard.¡± Apparently, the two of them had used any healing potions they had left to treat me while I was unconscious. Rather than being some miracle of magic that caused you to instantly heal from any injury like they could do in the video games I had yed back on Earth, the healing potions that Awakeners usually used just greatly enhanced natural healing processes, which were already enhanced by System stats and abilities in the first ce. Of course, I had heard that there were healing potions that could, in fact, heal any injury, but they would be just as hard to get as legendary equipment. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want the ability to instantly heal from mortal wounds? ¡°What about the dragon?¡± Myst memory was of handling the dragon¡¯s fire, so I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened after that¡ªand even that was hazy. The feeling of diving into my mind to manipte the fire had taken its toll on my mental state, and it also probably had something to do with my pounding headache. ¡°Dead, you killed it. Why didn¡¯t you just do that from the start? If you could control fire all along, why do you keep using earth-based abilities that are more suited to defense for attacking?¡± Lein, upon seeing that I wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger of suddenly passing away anytime soon,unched into some questions that it was clear he had been harboring. I could see from the interested glint in Koise¡¯s eyes that he was interested in the same questions. Rather than try toe up with a story then and there, I paid more attention to where I was instead. A soft, cushy bed, smooth silken nkets, a fluffy feather pillow¡­ If I were to guess, I¡¯d say that I had woken up in a noble¡¯s room. It was certainly no back alley inn or haystack. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still in the castle. You¡¯ve been out for a couple of days.¡± We were probably in one of the royal bedrooms on the floor just below the tower, judging by the fine decoration andvish bedsheets. ¡®A couple of days? Wouldn¡¯t the people in the city havee after us for killing the lord by now?¡¯ ¡°What happened afterward?¡± I asked, afraid that they were going to say we were actually imprisoned there or that we were hiding from a mob of angry Awakeners. ¡°Nothing, really. We killed the dragon and brought you down here. We¡¯ve explored this floor of the castle a bit, but we¡¯ve mostly been taking this chance to rest,¡± Koise said. ¡°Also, this castle has absolutely amazing showers that still function. We even found an entire spa room!¡± Lein tore his gaze from my arm and tried to speak enthusiastically. Bracing myself to confront the worst, I looked down at the limb. Besides the searing pain whenever I tried to move it, the limb was swollen all around and an off-purple color, with little bumps jutting up from the skin all the way from shoulder to hand. ¡°What about the people in the city? How did they react to their leader being killed?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡± Koise said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they even know yet. At least, nobody has given any indication of trying to investigate. That didn¡¯t make sense. The tower¡¯s windows had been blown outward in the battle. Maybe people thought it was just the dragon¡¯s way of renovating? ¡°What about this?¡± I said, indicating toward my limp arm with a tilt of my head. ¡°Oh, ah, I think it¡¯s broken,¡± Lein helpfully piped up from the end of the bed as he rummaged around through his item bag for something. ¡°I figured as much. I mean, do we know why it¡¯s like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a multiplepound fracture. Even with the System¡¯s help and guidance, your body is going to have a tough time healing that correctly on its own. It¡¯s likely that your bones will heal incorrectly and the arm will never be the same way it was before if we just let it be.¡± Koise was direct and to the point, not trying to sugarcoat the bad news that I could be a cripple again. At least losing an arm wasn¡¯t as bad as losing a leg, right? People could still fight and move with one arm, whereas having only one leg crippled any sort of ability to engage and disengage frombat. ¡°Getting it fixed at a healer capable of treating an injury like that would take an astronomical amount of coins, even more so if you want a potion with the same effects.¡± Lein finished eating a piece of hard bread from his item bag that he¡¯d begun crunching on, the crumbs falling to the lush, red carpet on the floor. He clearly hadn¡¯t been raised with very good table manners. I understood what Koise was getting at. It may have sounded like he was saying that my situation was hopeless, but he was really saying the opposite. We had just killed a dragon, after all. And the parts from a dragon could be sold for astronomical amounts of money as well, not to even mention what we might be able to find in the dragon¡¯s nest. ¡°What was in its nest?¡± I asked, curious about if they had found any rare trinkets or exotic items. ¡°We haven¡¯t gone through it yet, we were going to split the gear, remember? It wouldn¡¯t exactly be fair if Lein and I scoured the nest while you were asleep and picked the best things for ourselves.¡± It was funny. We had just been enemies not days before, but Koise was suddenly worried about honoring our loot agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then.¡± I couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait for my arm to heal incorrectly on its own. I may have been in pain, but it wasn¡¯t debilitating me. Also, I really wanted to see what the rest of the castle had to offer. Not only that, but we also needed to formte a n for how we were going to confront the people of the city and tell them that their lord was dead. We could have just not told them, of course. The thought did cross my mind, but they would find out sooner orter, and there were no other cities nearby. It was better to face a threat head-on than it was to wait on a ticking time bomb. On the way back to the elevators that would take us up to the dragon¡¯s corpse, I opened my status windows, which had been blinking in the corner of my vision for a while at that point. [[Dragon Lord of the City on the Edge Defeated! Experience Earned: 30,000]] [[Level Up! New Level: 6]] [[STR: 20+4 END: 20 AGI: 13+4 PER: 11 MAG: 10 MANA: 10 Skill Points: 1]] [[Level: 6 XP: 30,000/32,000]] [[Ability Options: ¡¶Scaled Skin¡· The scaled skin of a dragon. Renders immunity to attacks for 1 second. 30 second cooldown. ¡¶Eye of the Dragon¡· The all-seeing eye of a dragon. Perceive the imperceivable and reveal hidden paths. ¡¶Fiery Constitution¡· The fiery vengeance of a dragon. Light parts of your body ame with a fire that grows as you do.]] Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¨C Now What? (2) I was already aware that the System granted unique abilities options to each Awakener based on their ss and abilities. After all, what would be the fun if everyone had the exact same abilities and sses? But my options at least confirmed that the System would reward you with options based on your achievements that you aplished on the way to the next level. As it just so happened, the dragon had given me so much experience that I was boosted from 0 experience to almost at the end of level 6 immediately, which meant that the only contributing factor to how I had leveled up was, in fact, defeating a dragon. [[Ability Options: ¡¶Scaled Skin¡· The scaled skin of a dragon. Renders immunity to attacks for 1 second. 30 second cooldown. ¡¶Eye of the Dragon¡· The all-seeing eye of a dragon. Perceive the imperceivable and reveal hidden paths. ¡¶Fiery Constitution¡· The fiery vengeance of a dragon. Light parts of your body ame with a fire that grows as you do.]] ?Scaled Skin? seemed more than a little broken. Immunity to all attacks for a second? Would that mean I could take a dragon¡¯s breath or a giant¡¯s stomp, or even ¡°true kill¡± abilities with no side effects? One thing I did notice about the wording of the ability was that it only rendered immunity to attacks. I wouldn¡¯t be immune to everything that could cause me damage. For instance, I wouldn¡¯t be immune to fall damage. Luckily, I already had something that effectively made me immune to it: my movement ability. As for ?Eye of the Dragon?, I guessed that, at the very least, it would allow me to see through invisibility as a ¡®true sight¡¯ ability. Maybe it would even grant me more detailed System windows or allow me to detect lies or something? I could really only guess. I already had the Second System that revealed additional details about things that would cause me harm or seemed to have great importance. As for thest ability, ?Fiery Constitution?¡­ It seemed the most useless for utility purposes, but in reality, I already had another ability that I could use to control fire, albeit I hadn¡¯t practiced using it yet. As for my skill point allocation, I decided it was time for me to invest in my mana. Only being able to use four abilities per fight was bing a burden and would be the death of me if I kept on like that. The room we had been in hadn¡¯t even been the lord¡¯s room but just a noble¡¯s room in the guest quarters. The dust-filled immacte stone hallway was as wide as three men side by side, and glowstones along the ceiling at regr intervals kept a steady light throughout the hallway. The plush red carpet that extended down the entirety of the hallway muffled our steps, and I was able to nce outside asionally through window enchantments that we had seen from the castle¡¯s exterior, spying the city beyond the castle¡¯s walls, quiet and oblivious to the lord¡¯s death. On our way through the hallway to the elevators, I checked what the Second System had for me. {{Demonic Entity Exterminated! XP + 15,000}} {{Level Up!}} {{Milestone Level Reached! Ability ss Options: ¡¶Stone Knight¡· ¨C Further embrace the durability of stone. Additional Endurance enhancement, increased area and hardness of summoned earth. Opens up new tree options. ¡¶Shaper¡· ¨C Further enhance the malleability of the earth, shaping it like y in your hands. Additional Magic enhancement, increased ability to shape external earth. Opens up new tree options. ¡¶Seismic Warrior¡· ¨C Embrace the contained fury of the earth. Additional Strength enhancement. Increased ability to use the earth for attacks and explosive power. ¡¶ $%@?S$#%w&$¡· ¨C Detected additional Awakener synergies.}} {{Level 5 XP: 15,000/16,000}} I guess it was too much to hope that I would get the same amount of experience in both Systems. Interestingly enough, the Second System seemed to follow the same power breakpoints that the regr System did, with level 5 having unlocked special ss options. Of course, other than the first three options presented to me, the glitched-looking fourth ss caught my eye. It would be aplete gamble to choose it, of course, but the description of it having detected additional synergies made me think that it would be a ss with the abilities I had from the regr System taken into ount. Generally, the more synergy a ss had, the better. That didn¡¯t stop some from trying to collect as varied abilities as possible, but such people usually never got very far if their abilities couldn¡¯t y off of each other. I had already seen simr options to Stone Knight that would increase the hardness of the earth I could summon and how much I could summon, and it wasn¡¯t really what I was going for. It wasn¡¯t like I had sat down and nned out how I was going to build myself, but in a world where people liked to ssify things as ¡®damage¡¯, ¡®tank¡¯, ¡®healer¡¯, and ¡®utility¡¯, I was clearly more damage-oriented, and trying to veer away from that would only weaken my overall capabilities. As such, Shaper was also easy to ignore. It would allow me to mold and control earth, but I didn¡¯t really have any need for that. Maybe if I had gone into a utility ss¡­ As for Seismic Warrior, though, it was exactly what I was going for. More strength to hit things harder, an increased ability to use the earth for attacks, and an increase in explosive power? My entire kit to that point was pretty much built around explosive high-damage attacks, it would be a perfect synergy. However, thatst option tugged at my mind. It could be broken in the sense that it would drastically increase my power, but it could also be broken in the sense that it would be near-useless and as buggy as the script on the window for the ss was. I didn¡¯t have to decide at that moment, and I had more pressing concerns¡ªsuch as my arm and what the dragon had left behind¡ªso I decided to wait until I had thought about it more. Finally, we finished our ascent up the elevator and the interior of the tower was once again presented to my eyes. It was no different than when I hadst seen it¡ªroof with a gaping hole, the shattered circr window behind the lord¡¯s crumbling desk, papers and books scattered throughout the room¡­ The dragon¡¯s massive bodyy limp within its nest in a final, eternal slumber. I could see the hole in its head where a thick, viscous liquid had dripped down and slid down the dragon¡¯s curved skull, creating a pile of mushy goop below the dragon¡¯s head¡ªwhat was left of its brain, if I had to guess. We would have to extract the dragon¡¯s scales and gut it for all of its materials, but that was a project that would take quite a bit of time, and the dragon wasn¡¯t going anywhere fast. ¡°Damn¡­¡± I held my nose. There was a thick stench of burnt meat and a putrid odor of¡­ blue cheese? That was what it smelled like, kind of simr to the smell of dirty wet socks. The dragon¡¯s crooked wing was half-wrapped around the lower half of its body. ¡°Well, guess there¡¯s nothing to do but see what we can find now, right?¡± At my words, we began scouring the nest for anything of value we could find. A couple of hourster¡­ It took some effort to get under and sort through the distorted and useless lumps of armor and melted weapons, but we had piled up a decently sized treasure heap in front of the dragon¡¯s nest. All in all, there were some pretty extraordinary items¡­ Most of which were useless to us, but at least we could sell them somewhere. [[Chestte of the Protector ¨C Legendary A heavy chest te forged from true adamantite. A gift from races long gone that can withstand any attack. Enhances Endurance of the wearer by +5.]] [[Lord¡¯s Sword ¨C Rare A lord¡¯s electrum sword. More intended as a decoration piece than an actual weapon, worn as a symbol of authority during the lord¡¯s open courts. Enhances the Perception of the wielder by +5.]] [[Crown of the Lord ¨C Rare A heavy crown of gold and valuable gems. Enhances the Mind of the wearer by +5.]] [[Amulet of Protection ¨C Very Rare An amulet enchanted with protective magics. Grants the wearer a weak field of protection that brushes off attacks.]] [[Vambrace of Nimbleness ¨C Rare The vambrace of the lord¡¯s hunter. Worn on the arm to avoid injury from the snapping effect of a bowstring. Enhances the Agility of the wearer by +5.]] The chest te of the protector was heavier armor than any of us were used to wearing, and while adamantite was a legendary material that was nearly imprable, it was also one of the heaviest and densest metals. Even I, with my total of 25 Strength¡ªfar above what Koise and Klein probably had¡ªwould struggle to move about unhindered with the chestpiece on. It was much too valuable to sell, though, as such a good protective item in the wrong hands would make someone extremely difficult to kill. As for the other items, none of us really needed the sword or crown, so we decided we would sell them and split the gold. The Amulet of Protection was given to Klein, as he had the weakest defenses of any of us, and it would ease my worry a bit so that I had that much less to keep in mind during a fight. Koise naturally took the vambrace, though he still needed a new bow. While that left me with nothing in terms of new items that could increase my power, I still had the gauntlet that Kry had made for me, and its enchanted de could cut through most metals and armor, so it was more than sufficient as my offensive weapon. There was still the rest of the castle to scour, but we had something more important to do before that¡­ Chapter 62 Chapter 62 ¨C Now What? (3) There was still a problem¡­ We had killed the dragon, yes, but we hadn¡¯t actually figured anything out. Not to mention that the tattoos were still active on our wrists and were like ticking time bombs that could go off at any moment. {{Quest: Discover what happened to the dragon of the City on the Edge.}} The dragon wasn¡¯t demonic in origin, it had been corrupted by demonic energy. It was just a guess, but I had a feeling that the dragon had made a deal with the demons like the lord of Karfana had. I wasn¡¯t sure what demons could possibly offer a dragon, but that just went to show how strong the demons actually were. Multiple encounters with demons and I was still no closer to finding out information about any of their leadership or ns. I had only encountered byproducts of their deals and their minions. I was hoping that the dragon¡¯s castle would at least have information somewhere so that I could start proactively moving against them. Rhil was still somewhere in the mountains, and the dwarf at the city Association building had seen Bernard and Velle pass through, though I had no clue where they were. Wandering around aimlessly looking for them would be useless, and the demons had proven themselves to be a potentially catastrophic threat, so I could at least be proactive in getting to the center of what they were nning. In the process, I might just find Rhil, Bernard, and Velle as well, not to mention the family that I had long since given up hope on seeing again. The snowy mountains werergely unexplored and could be host to any number of dungeons holding people from the Merge captive still. While we didn¡¯t find anything within the dragon¡¯s nest, the lord¡¯s desk was probably the next best bet. After all, if I were a dragon, wouldn¡¯t I want to keep valuable information easily essible and within eyesight? The crumbling desk had a small slide-out cab under the surface. Upon pulling on the ashy wood of the cab, the hinges of it crumbled under my hands, revealing a ck gem that radiated with hints of demonic energy. Multifaceted, it would have been as beautiful as a ruby or other precious gem. Actually, it was kind of beautiful to look at as it was, as ck as a moonless midnight sky. The gem almost seemed to even suck in the light around it. Koise had to have had a tracking ability of some sort, right? ¡®How else could he have tracked my exact location across the snowy mountains?¡¯ I knew that he had a guild to get back to, but I also knew that he loved a challenge. ¡°Hey, Koise¡­¡± Koise looked over at me from where he was examining the broken enchantments on the wall next to the lord¡¯s lounging area. ¡°You find something?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ You have a tracking ability, right?¡± It was somewhat taboo to talk about the details of ss abilities. After all, if you revealed your abilities to other Awakeners, they would be able to figure out a way to counter you. He thought about it for a moment, his tongue briefly flicking out to lick his lips. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°This crystal¡­ I think it might be the source of the dragon¡¯s demonic energy. If we can track the energy of whoever made the crystal¡­¡± The sentence hung in the air. ¡°Then you think we can find them? Who¡¯s to say that the dragon didn¡¯t just kill someone for the crystal?¡± ¡°Would your ability let you track someone who¡¯s dead?¡± Apparently, it wouldn¡¯t, as Koise had no reply. He strode across the room and took the crystal from my hands, concentrating on it briefly while pulses of mana radiated from him. ¡°¡­¡± His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and the mana pulses increased, bing a palpable energy in the air. Finally, the pulses suddenly died out, and Koise let out a long breath. ¡°It¡¯s old¡­ But I think I can track it.¡± We wouldn¡¯t set out for it directly, but at least we had a next goal in mind. As for what we were going to do about the city¡­ ¡°Why would they believe you?¡± We were back in the castle itself, inside arge conference room with a table in the center that had a map of the region. If I were to hazard a guess, I would guess we had found the war room. ¡°All you have for evidence is an aura that nobody else has sensed, a dark crystal that you could have made yourself, and a dead city lord.¡± Koise didn¡¯t know that we also had the relic, as he had been unconscious during our escape from the dungeon. ¡°I think it could work¡­¡± Lein said, ¡°I mean, we don¡¯t really have much attachment to the lord here, and people have tried to kill him before. It¡¯s a dragon, after all. If anything, I think people might even be grateful to not have to worry about the dragon¡¯s oppressive aura lurking over their shoulders.¡± When given a choice between a leader who could incinerate you at any given moment and a leader who couldn¡¯t, most people would probably pick the one who couldn¡¯t. What we had in our favor was that people had no love for the deceased dragon. ¡°So we tell them we killed the dragon and say that it was corrupted with a strange energy, then what? We just im the city for ourselves? There are only three of us, it¡¯s not like we have the resources to actually do anything.¡± He had a point. Unlike what most might have expected, the System had no means of governing a city. Instead, cities were ruled the old-fashioned by people who had the money to bankroll everything. We wouldn¡¯t actually have any authority over the city if we imed it unless we had a guild to back us up. We could pay people with the items found in the dragon¡¯s nest, but then what was to stop them from just taking it for themselves if they knew it was there? ¡°We could im it for the Lion Guild¡­¡± Koise said, thinking of the guild he was from. I was somewhat hesitant. I hadn¡¯t had the best experience with their members to that point, not to mention I didn¡¯t believe that Koise could havepletely dropped any animosity towards me. I had killed a few members of their scouting party, after all. ¡°Absolutely not. Thest thing anyone here would want is a guild watching over us. Most people dealt with the dragon and the tattoo thing because this city is good for outliers and the unaffiliated. In fact, the tattoo was even viewed as a positive aspect.¡± Lein interjected. ¡°And what would you have? Absolute chaos? Every man for themselves? The city would fall apart in weeks and you¡¯d have a vignte city where crime runs rampant.¡± ¡°And a guild controlling every aspect of the city would be any better? Taxes for anyone that isn¡¯t a guild member, entry restrictions for people of opposing guilds, exclusive housing for guild members¡­¡± Lein went on to list on his fingers how a guild would be oppressive for the city. ¡°What if a neutral party owns it?¡± I asked, joining their conversation as the two started to get heated. ¡°What do you mean ¡®a neutral party¡¯?¡± Lein seemed interested, but the frown on Koise¡¯s face made it evident that he had been hoping to im the city for the Lion Guild. ¡°It sounds like most of the people here want to stay neutral, right?¡± There had beenrge numbers of elves, dwarves, and orcs mixed in with the humans I had seen on the streets. Everyone had amon interest of wanting to be able to go about their own business and explore the snowy mountains while using the city as a base of operations. Granted that many had a goal in the dragon¡¯s quest, what if we had someone to give out quests to keep them busy and to keep their sense of exploration alive? ¡­A neutral party that wouldn¡¯t interfere too much with Awakeners while keeping the city in order and managing guards for those who wanted a quick coin or were down on their luck. ¡°The Association. We could partner with them in running the city. By doing that, we would have arge organization backing us up that¡¯s known to be neutral. What¡¯s more, the Association representative here is a dwarf, whose race is pretty well-known as a neutral party in trading cities.¡± All of my years of listening to Awakeners in the Association building were finally paying off in some way, at least. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I don¡¯t think many wouldin about it if the Association headed by a dwarf was ced in charge of running the city¡­¡± Being ruled over by some Awakeners that had killed the previous lord was one thing, being ruled over by a party that was widely known to be fair and neutral was another. ¡°But the Association here isn¡¯t even real¡­¡± Lein said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s real or not. The fact that it bears the name of the Association and that it was used to hand out neutral quests here is good enough. Lein, did the association here ever take sides? ¡°No, it was really only used for the asional quest¡­¡± I remembered the mostly nk board we had seen upon visiting the Association building there. That would have to change if we wanted to keep people preupied, but it looked like we had a way to make a proper city of it yet. ¡°Okay, then I guess it¡¯s time we paid a certain dwarf a visit¡­¡± Koise¡¯s scowl still stuck in my mind. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¨C Outpost (1) City on the Edge Association Building¡­ ¡°Bullshit.¡± The dwarf cut in as soon as we started talking about how we had killed the dragon. ¡°I just saw it a few days ago, and you expect me to believe the three of you¡­¡± He paused to look us over. I had found better clothes in the castle that fit me, and Koise and Lein had managed to clean themselves up and find clothing in the castle that was an eptable fit and not stained in blood or ripped all over. I wore some piecemeal sections of leather armor we had found in the armory over my vital areas such as my chest and thighs, and I had cut my hair, which had grown to an ufortable length. Koise wore only a leather chestpiece and the vambrace we had looted over a long jacket and pants, a basic longbow that we had found in surprisingly good condition within the armory slung over his shoulder. He hadn¡¯t changed his ponytail at all, and his clothes and gloves covered his still-injured hands. Finally, Lein wore a long winter jacket he had found in the castle, and his hair was pulled back behind his ears. We looked somewhat respectable, but I admit that one probably didn¡¯t see us for dragon yers just by looking at us. ¡°Killed a dragon?¡± Rather than angry, his tone was incredulous and even somewhat mocking. There was no point in arguing with him, it was clear that the dwarf would need proof to be persuaded, and while slipping past the guards watching the entrance to the castle had been fairly easy when the guards had only been looking for intruders and not for people leaving the castle, sneaking back in again would be more difficult. Then again¡­ ¡®Do we even need to sneak back in if he¡¯s with us?¡¯ The dragon usually spoke with the dwarf in private, right? I didn¡¯t think it would be too out of the ordinary if he paid a visit to the castle. I doubted the dwarf would be willing to personally visit the castle and risk the dragon¡¯s wrath without some sort of evidence that we had actually killed the dragon. Luckily, I had already predicted that to be the case. ¡°Koise?¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡± Koise reached into his item bag and pulled out the mushy eye of the dragon, which seemed to still radiate with a bit of the dragon¡¯s pressure and demonic energy. ¡°Is this proof enough for you, or do you need to see more?¡± The dwarf took a step back in shock. ¡°What the hell?! He even stumbled over his own feet and tripped into the wall in his attempt to get away. ¡°You guys are fucking serious? You really killed the dragon?¡± He looked around the empty Association building like there was some risk that we could be overheard. ¡°Well¡­ that changes things. But why are you telling me?¡± He rubbed his bearded chin for a moment in thought. ¡°Ah, you need me for something, right? You can¡¯t just announce that you killed the dragon to the city and try to peacefully take over without someone challenging you. Is it that you want me to exin the situation and that, rather than you killing the dragon, the dragon left and ced you in charge?¡± The dwarf sat on his stool behind the counter again, lost in his thoughts as he reasoned with himself. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be it. People would still question you either way. Then¡­ could it be that you want to hide the dragon¡¯s death and have me give your orders like I usually do for the dragon anyway?¡± It wasn¡¯t really a terrible idea, but even that would have its limits. ¡°Actually, we want you to manage the city for us.¡± The dwarf¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So lord in all but name it is, then? What¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°Rather than that, we have other things to do. We can¡¯t get dragged down with trying to manage a city, and we figured if you ran the city with the Association¡¯s name behind you¡­¡± The dwarf nodded. ¡°Then nobody would dare challenge me for fear of provoking their wrath¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll do it. Mountain knows, I can probably run this city better than that dragon did anyway. What about funding?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± We didn¡¯t really even want our names connected to the dragon¡¯s death at the moment. If demonic agents were still around, announcing that we had killed the dragon would just put the demons on guard against us. They were probably already on guard anyway. Rapid incidents where they were rebuffed in Karfana, the tunnels under the mountain ridge, and at the City on the Edge within a short period of time would look fishy, even to me. One or two incidents could probably just be written off as bad luck, but for three ns to fail in close proximity one after the other? I would probably conclude that someone was purposefully interfering. After that, the next step would be to deal with whoever it was as quickly as possible. If we could track them down and strike before they could fully n out their next moves or figure us out¡­ We left the dwarf to n out the details as we met back up in the inn. There was still one more thing to worry about before we set off for wherever the demonic energy hade from. ¡°I can¡¯t go with you.¡± Lein and I were discussing matters privately in our rooms after he had taken me aside before eating. ¡°What? Why not? You saw what the demons were trying to do, right?¡± I was referring back to when he had taken the Relic and seen what would have happened to the City on the Edge if the demons had gotten their hands on it. ¡°Yes, of course¡­ but I have things to take care of here first, debts to repay, and now that the dragon is dead¡­ Look, we just met a few days before all of this. We may have gone through a lot together, but there are still things I need to do. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we dealt with the threat.¡± I could get his line of reasoning of course, but I couldn¡¯t help but find it a bit disappointing. ¡°And if the threat returns?¡± He punched his fist into his hand as he replied, ¡®Then it can be dealt with. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll be as hard as killing a dragon, right?¡± I was worried that it could actually be worse than that, but it was only a fear. ¡°Okay, fine. You stay and help the dwarf get the city going properly, but what about the Relic?¡± We couldn¡¯t just leave it in his item bag forever. ¡°What about it? It¡¯s perfectly safe, see?¡± He fished it from his item bag and held it up for me to see, its golden radiance illuminating my face and making it hard to look at directly. I reached out to touch it, but he pulled it away. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Remember what it did to me?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± The Relic had taken him to an alternate timeline and shown him what would have happened if the dragon had gotten its hands on the Relic. There was also the quest that I still had to deal with the snowstorms and return the city to its former glory. It hadn¡¯t vanished with the death of the dragon, so it was still possible. ¡°From what I can tell, the Relic will be just fine where I¡¯ve kept it so far.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just leave it in your item bag forever, Lein.¡± ¡°But why not? Nobody knows it¡¯s there, nobody can ess it, nobody can track it. It¡¯s probably the safest ce for it.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know what it does, it could be a ticking time bomb for all we know.¡± He pursed his lips. He knew I had a point, but I could tell he just wanted to leave the Relic out of sight and mind. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate it while you¡¯re gone then.¡± It was better than just leaving it untouched, and it would have to be enough for the moment if I didn¡¯t want to get into a heated argument. We returned to the tables and saw food waiting for us. *** Koise and I left the city after some short preparations and before the dwarf could even finish his ns for how he was going to announce the death of the dragon and continue as the city¡¯s leader. ¡°So he didn¡¯t want toe in the end?¡± ¡°Lein? He said he had some stuff to take care of.¡± We were just outside the city gates, double-checking that we had everything in order before we set out in earnest. ¡°He¡¯s not the type to enjoy a hunt anyway.¡± ¡®Alright¡­¡¯ I already knew he was somewhat crazy as well with the way he constantly went on about hunting, the hunt, hunters, etc. ¡°Your ss is pretty inconvenient, you know.¡± He looked me over. There was arge backpack slung over my shoulder, a waist bag dangling from my belt, and pouches stuffed with food and supplies strapped across my body. He still thought it was a ss limitation that forbade me from using magic-imbued items. ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯ve seen what I can do, right?¡± He didn¡¯t have any counter for that. ¡°What do you feel when you track the demonic energy anyway? Is it just a general direction, or do you have any sense of distance or location?¡± I was wondering if we were starting a trek across the world for all we knew. ¡°It gets stronger depending on the distance, and after a lot of practice, I¡¯ve learned how to use that to judge the general distance.¡± ¡°So how far away do you think we¡¯ll have to go then?¡± He stopped and looked over the snowy in into the mountains for a moment. ¡°If I¡¯m right¡­?¡± He extended his arm and pointed. ¡°Just over those mountains.¡± That would probably take us a week at most, even with us having to scale the cliffs. Not very far at all. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¨C Outpost (2) All we had to go on was Koise¡¯s tracking skill through the snowy mountains of those northern ins. Of course, I didn¡¯t trust the guy. He had only helped with killing the dragon due to his own self-interest, and he had already cut away portions of it that he had put in his item bag as proof of his aplishment. He had something to return to the Lion Guild with to show that everything hadn¡¯t been aplete failure. I held no delusions that he was actually interested in stopping the demons. Rather, he was interested in just how strong the being who had corrupted the dragon with demonic energy was. If it could corrupt a dragon, it had to be at least as strong as one, right? Demons hadn¡¯t really beenbeled or encountered much at that point in time, but what if he went back with not only proof that he had killed a dragon but proof that he had killed a demon lord as well? I didn¡¯t believe that he was so single-minded as to believe that the demons held no threat at all. He was a high-ranking member of the Lion Guild and a scout party leader at that, so he had to realize the threat that the demons held. If he returned with the head of one of the beings that led the demons, though, he would be held in that much higher regard. I was grateful that our interests coincided for the moment, of course, but we were far from friends, and we both knew it. We made camp at the base of the mountain for the night. We weren¡¯t really in any hurry, as we had stocked up on warmth stones and food for the journey before leaving. Having found a small overhang that formed a small cave at the base of the mountain, we set a fire with pre-prepared material from Koise¡¯s item bag and chewed through the tough, salty jerky that was good as traveling food. Koise sat with his back to the cave¡¯s rear wall, facing the entrance as his eyes shut and his breathing steadied. There was no way to tell if he was asleep or just rxed. I watched the lightly drifting snowfall glittering in the moonlight, the white expanse back towards the city like a still ocean. The city¡¯s pirs of light shone up into the sky in the distance. It was almostfortable. The cave contained the warmth from the warmth stones we had scattered about, and when Iy down and shut my eyes, I could almost imagine being back home on Earth during the winter, gentle snowkes drifting outside my window. *** ¡ªThump. Somethingnded roughly on my chest, and I iled briefly before my hand came to rest on it and I recognized what it was¡­ ¡®Jerky?¡¯ It was more of the salty jerky we had eaten the previous night. Koise was snuffing out the fire, pushing as many remnants of it as he could into his item bag to hide that we had ever been there. ¡°Eat and get up, we have to get going.¡± ¡°I thought there wasn¡¯t any hurry?¡± He finished erasing what traces he could and turned his head to look at me. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry in the sense that our prey isn¡¯t running away. However, there¡¯s no telling what they might do next. We don¡¯t know if they¡¯re aware of the dragon¡¯s death or if they know we¡¯reing. The less time they have to make their next move, the better off we¡¯ll be.¡± He was right, of course, but being awoken so suddenly still rubbed on me the wrong way. I took a bite of the jerky, the salt drying my mouth and rubbing down the back of my tongue. If there was one thing I was grateful for in the new world we found ourselves in after the Merge, it was the air. Back on Earth, the air had only been getting worse and worse. It had been so bad that rainwater had been toxic, the particles in the air caked the lungs, light pollution had made it hard to see the stars, and the pollution in the air hadn¡¯t just been strong enough to smell, but also to taste. There, in the world after the Merge, none of that was an issue. I didn¡¯t know how the dwarves, elves, orcs, or other races had been in regard to technology or their own species¡¯ outlook had been on their homes and realms, but humanity had been looking pretty bleak. The new world had changed all of that. Of course, most had vanished mysteriously with the Merge, leaving only the lucky few who had crossed over without being trapped in stasis in dungeons or straight-up vanishing to enjoy the untainted air, the crisp rain, and the clear stars. The journey through the mountains was breathtaking at the same time as it was exhausting, even with my System-enhanced body. There were no pre-paved pathways, old roads, or ruined routes. It was only the two of us wading through waist-deep snow, crossing frozen rivers, and freezing our asses off atop the snowy peaks. We passed a few untouched dungeons along the way, making it all the more clear to me just how much there was still left to explore, even after six years. The other races had been in that new world even longer, and yet they still had much they had left to explore in their own territories, not to mention how much there was still left unknown in the world. Finally, after having crested the top of a mountain that could have been any other, Koise reached out and stopped me while pointing to something on the mountain opposite us, hardly more than an irregr dot on the peak from the distance we were at. ¡°There, do you see it?¡± I squinted my eyes at it, but I didn¡¯t have any method of seeing things that far away. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what we¡¯re looking for. Whatever corrupted the dragon is in there.¡± I stood still for a moment and watched as if doing so would make anything clearer to me. There was something I did see, though, for just a moment¡­ Crackle! Bolts of lightning periodically struck down from the sky on something where Koise was pointing¡­ in their camp. My mind went back to when Rhil had been sucked through the portal. She had been in a cold ce within caves¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a good position. They¡¯ll see us if we just try to go directly across from here.¡± There was no doubt in my mind that what was waiting for us was more demons. Atop the peak as they were, their sentries would be able to easily look down and see us if we continued on as we had been. ¡°So what do you think we should do?¡± We both stood silently before our eyes locked at the same time, the same thoughting to both of us. We spoke at the same time. ¡°Fuck,¡± Koise cursed. ¡°We have to go under,¡± I said. I was assuming that the extensive cave system under the mountains went that far, but if it was like the rest of the mountains, it probably was¡ªespecially if the faint hope I had about Rhil was right. The problem we were faced with, then, was figuring out how to get into the tunnel system again. Not only that, but we would also have to navigate thosebyrinthine tunnels without losing ourselves along the way. *** We went back the other way in search of a way under the mountains. We weren¡¯t so lucky as to spot an immediately obvious opening, but with my heat and echo senses paired with whatever passive or active skills Koise had, as his ss seemed to specialize in tracking and hunting, we were eventually able to find a crevice in the earth buried under the snow. Luckily, my echo sight allowed me to get a decent grasp on how far the crevice extended and whether it widened or shortened, so I was somewhat confident in squeezing myself into it and shuffling along sideways. The stone pressed against my ribcage and back in a suffocating manner. It was only a short distance, but thest few shuffling sidesteps of the constricting opening had me sucking in my ribs and letting my breath out to squeeze through. I had to drag my pack by my side the entire way. Koise unslung his bow and followed me. Even though I had never been the ustrophobic sort, I wasn¡¯t the type that enjoyed squeezing into narrow spaces with literal tons of earth above me. Though we found ourselves facing a long, expanding tunnel, it was like the constant threat of the weight of the earth was always pressing down on us, ready to smother us at a moment¡¯s notice. We wandered and took whichever tunnels we could find going downwards. I wasn¡¯t even sure whether we were going in the right direction, but Koise assured me that we were on the right track. Luckily, we were unassaulted, and the tunnels were warm enough that we were able to get along without freezing and were able to save on warmth stones. Eventually, after traveling through the tunnels for who knows how long and turning back from multiple dead ends along the way, Koise stopped at an intersection of tunnels. ¡°It should be about here,¡± he said, his voice sounding confident at his deration. ¡°What should be about here?¡± I asked, tentatively scouting the tunnels ahead as far as my echo sight could see. We were in a gloomy darkness, only the faint light of a purposely smothered light stone that would have never been enough for the unassisted to see by. I didn¡¯t need anything to see at all, echo sight being perfect for seeing in the darkness of the tunnels, but apparently Koise needed at least a little light, as whatever enhanced sight his ss gave him appeared to work off of enhancing his sight rather than creating a new sense or altering the spectrum of light he saw by. ¡°The enemy camp.¡± He pointed at the ceiling of the tunnel, only an arm span above us, ¡°It should be right above us.¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¨C Outpost (3) They were right underneath the demon camp. From there, it was just a matter of taking upward tunnels that didn¡¯t stray too far from where Koise was sensing the demonic energy. They finally came upon an opening in the stonerge enough for them to crawl through that looked out onto the valley between them and the mountain they had originally seen the demon outpost from. They had emerged underneath a ridge near the peak of the mountain where the fort was located, and they heard more sounds of thunder while the cold renewed its attack on their skin. Koise and Aizen peeked their heads over the ridge to take a look at the camp from up close, of which they could only see the sloppily constructed and splintering wooden palisade walls. The logs the walls were made of weren¡¯t even of the same color or width, indicating that they had just used whatever they could get their hands on. The two of them had seeded in crossing without being spotted by the demons in the outpost, but their next problem was how to actually infiltrate the outpost itself. There were a few options Aizen could think of, such as going back and trying to find an opening that would take them out into the demon camp, which was unlikely, as he didn¡¯t think the demons would be that stupid or unobservant if they had gone through the effort to construct an entire outpost there. That left them with having to get in from outside the camp, which seemed just as suicidal as trying to cross the valley in in view of it. They had no clue how many demons were within the camp, and while Aizen knew he was strong for an Awakener of his level, he wasn¡¯t so confident as to believe that the two of them could take on an entire encampment of demons head-on. ¡®Then what should we do?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t go under or through¡­ and going over would just expose them to every demon that could see. ¡®What can we do¡­?¡¯ They both ducked back down underneath the ridge, not wanting to risk being spotted while they puzzled out what their next moves would be. Aizen absentmindedly scratched his chin as he thought, staring nkly into the thin dusting of snow over the stone beneath his feet. He took in a deep breath of the chilly air, his lungs panging from the frost, as he thought of an idea. ¡®Koise can teleport to arrows he lets loose, right?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t exined the ability in detail, but the question was what the system defined as ¡°letting loose¡±. If he could cause a distraction and conveniently vanish right before they caught him, Aizen believed they could probably sneak through the other side of the camp. It was a gamble, of course, because they weren¡¯t really sure how many of them were in the encampment, but it wasn¡¯t like it was at the level of being a fort or fortress, the walls were too hastily and sloppily constructed for them to have ess to a ton of time or resources. The camp was pretty expansive, yes, but many of the demons they had seen were at least humanlike in build, so Aizen reasoned that he could pass as one if he avoided contact and hid his face. ¡°Do you have an extra cloak by any chance?¡± he asked Koise. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Before I go further, how does that ability of yours work? The teleporting to arrows one.¡± ¡°I shoot an arrow, and as long as it remains in the air, I can teleport to it.¡± ¡®Ok, then the question is how long we can keep an arrow in the air.¡¯ ¡°How long do you think you could keep an arrow in the air?¡± Koise thought on his question. ¡®How long can I keep an arrow in the air¡­?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t ever timed it before or anything, but his ?Momentum Halt? abilitysted for as long as he could channel mana into it, and it didn¡¯t require that much mana to even maintain. He guessed that he could probably keep it up for around ten minutes. ¡°Ten minutes or so if I use another ability on the arrow.¡± Aizen nodded his head, his eyes shining like the gears were starting to click into ce in his head. ¡°Alright, so how about this¡­¡± I waited underneath the ridge as Koise snuck around to the opposite side of the camp. I wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to avoid the eyes of their sentries or patrols, but he assured me that he would have no issues. So I was just waiting, trusting in someone who had been nning to kill me not even a week before. Seconds turned into a minute, a minute turned into ten, ten turned into an hour¡­ I didn¡¯t even have a clock to stare at while each second passed by, and I grew enamored with the patterns that were in the snowkes drifting down from above. ¡®This one has a more hexagonal shape, that one looks more square-ish¡­¡¯ The waiting was always the worst part, especially when I couldn¡¯t do anything to help or make time pass faster. I would have to be ready at any second, and like that, thousands of seconds passed. Then¡­ ¨CBoom! The explosion shook the earth that couldn¡¯t be mistaken for the asional thunder that had died down. I was jolted from my observations of a particrlyrge snowke that hadnded on my boot and moved. A cacophony of yelling wasing from the demon encampment. I peeked my head back over the ridge and saw frantic movement through the small gaps in the wooden palisade. Running up to the palisade, I paused for a moment at the wall, peeking through to make sure nobody was watching. It was the riskiest part of the operation. ¨CBoom! Another explosion shook the mountainside. ¡®What the hell is he doing?¡¯ Whatever he was doing, it was certainly effective. I didn¡¯t see anything nearby. Whatever was going on, they were all flocking to the other side of the camp. I sucked in a breath and jumped, not even having to enhance my leap in any way. My Strength was high enough to allow me to clear the palisade wall without issue. Clearing the top of the wall, I confirmed that nobody was nearby as I self-consciously patted the cloak that Koise had given me to make sure that it was properly in ce. The camp was pretty wide, consisting mostly of tents of various sizes along the snow-packed ground. I didn¡¯t need Koise to tell me where the demon captain was. A strong demonic energy pulled at me constantly in the direction I guessed that the camp leader was. I stood next to one of the tents nearby and waited until I saw an arrow zip overhead from over the tents blocking the way in front of me, stopping above me, just short of the palisade wall. Most of the tents were low enough to the ground for me to peek over if I raised myself up on my toes, and the bigger tents blocked my vision here and there looked to be for activities or gatherings¡ªmaybe for serving food? What stood out above those, though, above even the asional wooden building within the camp, was an expansive circr construction near the center of the camp. It was where I had seen the lightning. Not even a momentter, Koise appeared overhead where the arrow was and dropped down, falling into a crouch next to me. He quickly pulled another cloak from his item bag and threw it over his head, securing the sps around his neck and straightening himself. ¨CBoom! Another explosion went off. ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked. He shook his head at my question and gestured forward with his hand. ¡°Caused a distraction, as you asked. Now let¡¯s move before they have the chance to organize themselves.¡± The next part of the n was to quickly navigate through the camp while the demons were too distracted to question us. If we had managed to make it through the wall and just walked around with the cloaks on, someone was bound to have found us suspicious. I knew I would. We walked past the first line of tents toward the source of demonic energy that had remained still, somewhere near the east side of the camp from us. The first demons came into view, some of them stumbling to put equipment on, having been woken from sleep by the explosions, as they stumbled toward the opposite side of the camp where Koise had been. ¡°Hold on,¡± I said. We were on a path to go diagonally, in a straight line from us to the demonic energy we sensed. ¡°What? We don¡¯t have time to wait, they¡¯ll startbing the camp once they realize it was only me.¡± ¡°The center,¡± I said, indicating with my chin the circr building in the center of the camp. ¡°What about it? We don¡¯t have time to sightsee.¡± ¡°No, we have to at least pass by.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°Is it important enough to risk getting caught?¡± If my suspicions were correct, it was. ¡°Yes. You said we had to move quickly, right? Come on.¡± The fortunate news was that we were able to break out into a jog towards the building in the center without raising suspicion, as others were still moving quickly to react to the perceived threat that Koise had caused. We closed in on the building after going around what I could clearly see was a mess tent¡ªbenches and stones were ced around therge tent, and the faint smell of¡­ soup of some sort¡­ wafted from the tent opening. A very confused-looking demon chef stood in the opening of the tent, gazing toward the other end of the camp with a gray and brown-stained apron over his neck. Cages stood near the structure with all sorts of creatures trapped in various conditions near a wide, gated opening. ¡°It¡¯s an arena,¡± Koise said at the same time that I came to the realization. That could work to our advantage and give us more time if we used it correctly. My eyes flitted over the cages, desperately searching for her¡­ Finally, they came to rest against a woman holding her side. Her clothing was nothing but ragged tatters, and she supported herself against one side of the metal cage, an obsidian-looking cor around her neck. Her golden hair was somehow still as vibrant as ever, though, unmistakable in the light of the sun. ¡°Rhil¡­¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¨C Outpost (4) The demons were likely going to realize that the ¡°attacker¡± was just a single person who had already escaped soon, which meant our time was limited. If we didn¡¯t get out soon, we would probably be found. After all, it was easy enough to walk around with cloaks while the demons were distracted with dealing with a perceived attack, but we would probably fall under suspicion once they actually started searching the camp. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Koise said, ncing anxiously toward where we could feel the demonic energy that still hadn¡¯t moved. Whatever was emitting the demonic energy hadn¡¯t reacted to Koise¡¯s distraction, and that, at least, was good for us. It meant there would be fewer demons in our way. I briefly took in the circr structure in front of the cages, therge gate entrance, and the caged beasts in the area. Rhil was the only humanoid among the caged creatures, which consisted of wolves, goblins, bears, and a few odd monsters that I was guessing came from random dungeons¡ªthere was even a rock troll bound up with chains in one of the cages with hardly enough room to breathe. It was pretty clearly the entrance to a fighting arena. It looked like even demons craved entertainment. ¡°Go on ahead, I¡¯m going to create a distraction.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the n. You can feel the energy that being is radiating, right?¡± I could. The sickly aura pulled at me from across the camp, and if I listened closely, I swore that I could even hear a faint whisper in the back of my head. If the being was really on par with the dragon, I wasn¡¯t confident in our chances of confronting it with just the two of us and no trump card like we had with the dragon. ¡®The more help the better, right?¡¯ ¡°Then help me open up these cages!¡± I said, moving into action and heading straight for Rhil¡¯s cage. She was still slumped against the bars, but she turned her head when she heard me raise my voice. I didn¡¯t leave it up to discussion, and Koise took the hint, heading straight for the troll¡¯s cage. It looked like he wanted to maximize the amount of help we would get from releasing the creatures, as a wolf probably wouldn¡¯t have warranted more than a questioning look before the demons killed it. ¡°Huh¡­? Aizen?¡± She barely had the strength to even turn her head to look at me, and the scratches and bruises on her skin looked fresh. Judging by the lightning we had seen and the thunder we had heard not long beforehand, she had probably just finished fighting something in the arena. ¡°Rhil, let¡¯s get you out of this thing. Sit tight a moment.¡± I pulled on the chained lock around the cage¡¯s door and strained the muscles in my body as I lifted a leg and ced my foot against the cage for support, using all the strength in my body. The chains strained against each other, the links letting out creaks of protest. The metal dug into my hands, pressing against the bones of my fingers and stretching my tendons. ¡®Just a little¡­ more¡­¡¯ I exhaled all of my breath and lifted my other leg up, pulling with everything I had until¡­ ¡ªSnap! The weakest link broke, and metal whipped past my face while I fell to the powdery snow that puffed up on impact. The cage door creaked open and Rhil took a few unsteady steps, her bare feet scuffing against the frozen dirt and through the snow as she took a few unsteady steps and fell onto a knee. I sat up and looked at her. She reached for the cor around her neck, faint lines of electricity crackling over it. ¡°Aizen, the cor¡­¡± She wed at the obsidian-like cor that was chafing the skin around her neck to the point that there was a visible red ring. I couldn¡¯t just break the cor as I had broken the chain unless I wanted to risk seriously injuring her, which was thest thing I wanted to do after seeing her for the first time since she had vanished back in Karfana. I had never seen anything quite like it. The cor looked like it was absorbing her mana whenever she tried to use an ability, making it impossible for her to ess her System powers. ¡®But she should still be enhanced by her attributes, right?¡¯ Even if that was the case, she was closer to a mage-type ss than a fighter one. People usually picked attributes that assisted with their abilities. Whereas Strength increased the damage I would do by making me physically stronger toplement my physically demanding abilities, she had probably focused more on Mana or Magic to enhance her lightning capabilities. If that was the case, she was probably only slightly stronger than a normal human if she couldn¡¯t use her abilities. I knelt next to her and nced at the cor while I heard the sound of roaring as Koise somehow severed the chains around the troll¡¯s cage and let it loose. The troll, despite usually being looked upon as a barbaric species that attacked almost any other non-trolls it saw, ignored us and let out a roar. It charged off into the enemy camp, likely looking to enact revenge against its captors. Koise ran over to us. ¡°Are you finished? We have to move. Now.¡± ¡°Can you get this thing off of her?¡± I asked. He looked down and noticed the cor that Rhil was gripping onto. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, we need the key,¡± Rhil croaked out and grimaced, standing up. I could guess who had the key. ¡°Aizen¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± We began moving toward the demonic energy again on the east side of the camp while the troll wreaked havoc, tossing demons about through the air and wrecking their flimsy tents. The demonic energy still hadn¡¯t moved. With Rhil in tow, it wasn¡¯t about stealth anymore. We just had to move as quickly as we could before the demons dealt with the troll and turned their notice back to us. The building with the demonic energying from turned out to be a single-floor wooden structure in the middle of a clearing of tents. Stealth was long out of the picture by then, and whatever was in the wooden building likely already knew we wereing. The real question was why they hadn¡¯t moved yet. Koise and I looked at each other from either side of the solid-looking wooden door set in the center of the building¡¯s wall. The structure had no windows to speak of. Rhil stood to the side behind us. Koise and I looked at each other and nodded. I ran at the door, pulling my fist back, judging that using the mana for a ?Strike? wouldn¡¯t be necessary. Then, right as I swung my first forward¡­ ¡ªCreak. The door swung open, apanied by the creaking of rusty hinges. I stumbled in and caught my footing before sound warped around me and I felt the stuffy, sick aura of demonic energy pressing down on me thicker than I had ever felt it. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who killed the dragon.¡± What greeted me was the rustic interior of what looked almost like what I would have imagined the interior of a captain¡¯s quarters on a ship to look like. A bear¡¯s pelt was spread along the floor in front of me, two chairs of sturdy wooden build nted before a wide desk that took over arge portion of thest third of the room. Bookshelves against the walls gave the room a quiet, studious air, and maps with various pins and markings covered the walls around the room. Behind the document-strewn desk sat what, at first nce, looked to be an elf with cracked, king skin. ck veins ran underneath skin that was as pale as snow, and his gray hair was visibly brittle, with split ends extending down to his shoulders. Green eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light cast by the candle-lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling watched me, and he sat in a rxed pose, one leg crossed over the other, his chin resting against her hand and his elbow on the armrest of the luxurious-looking red leather chair he sat in. I squinted my eyes, not quite believing what I was seeing in front of me. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ Sitting across from me behind the desk was a familiar face that I hadn¡¯t seen since Karfana. Last I had seen him, in fact, he had been tasked with heading back to the capital to warn them of the demonic invasion. It was Alikr, the elf who I had known for years to be the Association representative of Karfana. I¡¯d frequently shared conversations, thoughts, and information with the elf, and I remembered his calm attitude even when Awakeners pressed him for better quests or tried subtle threats on him. He had never shown any inclination that I could think of toward evil or being a demon infiltrator. Did that mean it was a recent development? If that was the case, how could he have be a captain so soon? No, that didn¡¯t make sense. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to corrupt the dragon in just the short time from Karfana to me seeing him within that building. ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ A numbness overtook me, and I realized that he had to have also been the one in charge of detaining Rhil and making her fight, or he had at least been aware of it. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¨C Interlude A ruined city near an expansive forest¡­ ¡°We lost what?!¡± m! His fist smashed down onto the rough, chipped stone of the throne that looked to have been ripped from the side of a mountain. A palpable ck and green energy emanated from the entity sitting on the throne. The entity leaned forward and clenched one of its mighty hands. Its body was easily three meters tall, and, while it could have passed as a human in figure if it had been scaled down, its skin was swelling with power. ck and green veins within the being¡¯s skin crisscrossed like spiderwebs beneath the surface, and visible energy leaked from swelling scar lines across its bare chest and arms. Bony protrusions poked out from underneath its skull and face, stretching the skin. Dark eyes glowed with malice in the dark throne room, lit only by scattered, fading lightstones over the floors. The gem embedded within the center of the demon lord¡¯s chest glowed with a deep, purple energy, the skin around it reddened and swollen. Other than the demon lord and his visitor, the throne room was empty. The demon lord was far stronger than any of his would-be guards, after all. The being kneeling before the throne flinched away. ¡°W-we lost the Relic. Recent reports also indicate the southern dragon has passed away.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on for you to fail in human cities, of all things?!¡± The smaller demon, only the size of an average orc, stuttered out a reply. ¡°W-we¡¯re not failing, other ns are going awr¡ª¡± Crack! The throne was suddenly empty, the demon lord arriving in front of the smaller demon and lifting him by the throat before the other demon could even realize what was going on. ¡°Keugh!¡± He scrabbled ineffectually at the demon lord¡¯s hand around his throat, his ws ineffectually sliding off the stone-like skin. ¡°Did I mishear you? It sounded like you were disagreeing with me.¡± ¡°Aggk¡ª¡± The smaller demon tried to force out a reply, unable to breathe or speak with the demon lord¡¯s hand crushing his throat. The demon lord narrowed his eyes, seeming to contemte how much trouble it would be if he crushed the life out of the other demon then and there, before he released him and slowly walked back to his throne. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± The other demon fell to the ground in a heap and took in deep, gasping breaths. ¡°No excuses. Exin,¡± the demon lord¡¯s voice rumbled through the throne room. ¡°A-ah¡­ Y-yes¡­ The incidents in the southern human realms¡­¡± The smaller demon dragged himself back into a kneeling position and lowered his head. ¡°The¡­ the city of Karfana¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware. We were going to initiate our first expanding dungeon there, we shared our power with the lord of the city, went through the effort of having an agent infiltrate the Association, and everything should have gone smoothly from the sleep spell. Have you done your job?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ A report from our agent in the city¡­ A novice Awakener unlike any we¡¯ve ever seen¡­¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± the demon lord leaned forward, interested in his subordinate¡¯s words. ¡°Is he stronger than anyone we¡¯ve seen?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ It¡¯s not that¡ª¡± ¡°Then what makes him different? How could a single novice Awakener overturn all of the effort we went through? Was he particrly smart, perhaps? Did he uncover our n?¡± ¡°It appears that he merely reacted, my lord¡­¡± ¡°So if he isn¡¯t stronger than any other or particrly intelligent, what, then, enabled him to defeat the lord of the city as a new Awakener?¡± ¡°He had help from a renowned adventurer, the Skybreaker¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t answering my question.¡± ¡°He has a second system.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell over the throne room, the subordinate¡¯s raspy breathing and the demon lord¡¯s steady, deep breaths intertwined through the air. The demonic energy suffusing the air waned, the demon lord¡¯s rage abating somewhat. The demon lord raised one wed hand and scratched his chin in thought. ¡°A second system, you say?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t too sure of the details, but it saved him from the sleep effect and enabled him to gain the upper hand on the city lord.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s also believed that the same individual may have been involved in both Relic incidents.¡± ¡°You think a novice Awakener managed to stop us three separate times in the course of a couple of weeks, and probably killed the dragon as well?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°HAHAHAHA!¡± Rather than anger, the demon lord¡¯s boomingughter filled the throne room. ¡°A novice Awakener killing a dragon? That must be some second system he has.¡± Just as suddenly as theughter started, it stopped. The heavy atmosphere from before returned. ¡°Regardless of how amusing it may be, ensure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± The demon lord didn¡¯t need to borate any further. The smaller demon hadn¡¯t been the demon lord¡¯s aide for long and likely wouldn¡¯t be hisst. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t a position that could be refused. ¡°You may leave.¡± The aide bowed his head even lower at the demon lord¡¯s words before pushing himself up into a standing position, head still bowed, and turning to shuffle quickly through the throne room¡¯s gaping doors. After the rusted iron doors creaked shut behind him, the aide let out a long,bored breath, rubbing his neck and remembering the demon lord¡¯s iron-like grip around his throat. The demons standing on either side of the doorway stood at full attention, unmoving. It had been a long time since the demon lord had taught his guards to stand at a proper watch, and everyone knew they were receable at a moment¡¯s notice. Despite its appearance, the demon lord¡¯s ¡®crumbling¡¯ castle was anything but. The aide hurried through the bare hallways that were scarcely lit by dying lightstones. It was a bit strange that the demon lord insisted on only lighting his castle with fading lightstones, but extracting the mana from a regr lightstone until it started fading wasn¡¯t too difficult a task, and it was the job of a few unfortunate demons to go around the castle ensuring it was properly lit, but not too lit. As much as being an aide to the demon lord was a job with an early retirement n, it at least did provide some benefits. The aide stopped before a heavy wooden door in one of the castle¡¯s many hallways and fumbled with his item bag for a few moments before producing a key and slotting it into the archaic wooden lock. Creeaaak. He pushed the door open. The aide nced around briefly before hurrying into the room and shutting the door behind him. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± Finally, he was able to rx. Whereas most demons had to make do with sleeping under the night stars or fighting over the ruined houses in the rest of the city, those serving directly under the demon lord were at least afforded a room within the castle. As inviting as the aide found the bed, from which the soft sheets seemed to be calling him across the room, he first focused on and approached themunication orb on the little desk he had in the corner. Not much more than a marble ball justrge enough to palm in his hand that rested on an enchanted, pronged metal stand, the aide rested a hand on the ball and focused his mana into it, willing it to contact a separate orb somewhere else in the world. He waited. And waited¡­ And waited¡­¡­ There was no answer, and the demon gulped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. ¡®It¡¯s not like him to ignore my call¡­¡¯ He knew it was probably just pointless worry born from the fact that so many of their ns in the region had gone wrong recently. After all, there was no way their camp would be discovered, and even if it was, who would be able to stop them with anything short of a small army? Still, the aide couldn¡¯t help but have a bad feeling. If things went wrong again, the demon lord would have his head. ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ The aide shook his head and licked his cracked lips, ncing one more time at the ball before throwing himself into the bed and deciding it was a problem he could leave for the morning. Maybe the forward camp leader was just busy. *** The demon lord watched his aide leave and sat back against his throne, scratching idly at the gem embedded within his chest. ¡®An Awakener with two systems¡­¡¯ Rather than being worried, the demon lord imagined how fun it would be to fight such a being when they reached full strength¡ªnot to mention how delicious their life essence might taste. As much as he didn¡¯t want anyone interfering in their carefullyid ns, there was a part of him that regretted not being able to go out and consume the Awakener for himself. There was a part of him that longed to fight the two-system Awakener when he reached full power, to watch the hope fade from the Awakener¡¯s face. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to find another aide, after all¡­ Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¨C Interlude ¨C Cursed (1) He was perfect. A resplendent figure that glowed with holy radiance bestowed upon him by his ss. She saw symmetrical features and shining te armor that reflected her face back at her, asking her topare her lowly existence to his. Of course, he left his head unprotected. How could he showcase his perfectly proportioned face otherwise, with his shining blonde hair and effervescent emerald eyes, his unmarred golden skin, his perfectly pointed ears? ¡®Disgusting,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Perfection is unnatural and has no ce in a world of mortals.¡¯ She was considered tall for an elf, taller than most other elves, but he looked down on her by at least a full head still. She could see the judgment in his eyes when he regarded her, heavy and unspoken. He would rather have been there without her, and she would have been better off without him, yet they knew they could not abandon the lord¡¯sw. His eyes flitted over her form, focusing briefly on the two absent fingers on her left hand and over the t of her head where her right ear used to be, hidden partially by shoulder-length ck hair. ¡®An elf missing an ear? Disgraceful.¡¯ He rested a hand on the hilt of the sword sheathed at his side and asked, ¡°Will you be fit for the task ahead?¡± In other words, ¡®Do you have any other abnormalities that might hinder you?¡¯ They both knew she would have been long dead if that were the case. The Kingdom didn¡¯t take kindly to those of her ilk who could no longer serve it. Better a death in servitude than death in fear and hiding. The army¡¯s encirclement served no purpose other than containment; the task of entering the vige fell to the two of them¡ªminimal casualties and a minimal chance for a breach. They stepped forward and approached the vige itself, more of a small town. A wooden palisade protected the ce from attack and rose an arm-span¡¯s height over her head. The town was organized haphazardly into areas for living, trade, and local government matters; each area dotted with buildings seemingly tossed into arrangement from a child¡¯s block set. A dark fog nketed the vige, shadowing it from the mid-day sun and growing in density towards the epicenter. Arrows littered the earth, jutting out in ces where they had lodged themselves at the end of their flight. They passed by the bodies of the dead syed out to rot in the sun, where the army¡¯s arrows had in people in their attempts to reach safety. Men, women, minor nobility, beggars, all elves, and all dead. The stench of decay hung over the air¡ªnothing the elf wasn¡¯t already used to. The pdin spared a nce at her while he curled his nose at the stench, noting herck of reaction. ¡°It seems your kind is as soulless as the rumors say. Damned anti-Awakened.¡± They stopped before the palisade. The pdin kept ncing towards the sky. Corruption didn¡¯t usually manifest itself in such a visible form¡ªthen again, corruption of that sort was fairly new. The Kingdom should have sent more than one team to root it out, but who were they to question the king¡¯s orders? The woman held up her good hand to the wooden construction and Pulled from herself. Her hair stood on end; she could feel her pores shrink, and her toes tingled and went numb. Fire leaped from her hand to the wall, spreading over it for its entire height and the length of two men abreast. She clenched her hand, and the fire contracted in on itself and took the section of wall with it with such quickness that the wall appeared to vanish. The pdin mumbled something under his breath and stepped through the breach. They emerged into one of the housing areas. The back side of a stone huty in front of them before they saw a loose cobblestone pathway spaced with simr dwellings along the path for as far as they could see through the ck fog. There were no bodies or signs of struggle. The silence assaulted their ears between the scuffs of their boots over the stones and the pdin¡¯s creaking armor in their journey further into the fog. They witnessed the first signs of struggle when they reached an open square. A short circr fountain, long inactive, stood at the center with a small wooden stage constructed before it. ¡®A town crier¡¯s stand, perhaps?¡¯ the woman wondered. The remains of thest gathering held there continued to inhabit the square. Shattered bones¡ªglistening with crimson vitality¡ªand broken bodies spilled from the fountain. The stagnant waters of the fountain were dyed a deep red, and the remains of what were once elves like them littered the waters of the fountain. The thick odor of iron lurked just behind the ever-present stench of rotting meat and refuse. A muffled retch came from the woman¡¯s side. She grinned and watched the pdin bend over with one hand on his knee and the other over his mouth before he stood straight again and traced a circle over his chest, some ritual of the devout, no doubt. It was meant to guide the dead or bring peace. The woman shed her teeth. ¡®A waste of time and energy. Gratuitous symbolism means nothing to the deceased and their far-off stares.¡¯ She knew his kind worshiped the System and shunned those like her for their inability to ess it. She believed it was just a tool, not some benign god. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Pdin? I thought the clergy prepared your kind tobat all manner of the ult.¡± He looked away from the fountain, doing his best to keep the bodies out of his direct vision. ¡°Are you so devoid of emotion that you hold no respect for the departed? Are all of your kind really so empty inside?¡± ¡®Empty? No, I¡¯m not empty. Respect only matters to the living. I simply know better than to waste my energy on pointless rituals and wasteful thoughts.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t speak for others of her kind; she¡¯d never met them. Everyone had heard the stories, though. Whispers to children to stay in at night, lest the anti-Awakened steal their life force and leave them to die. Naught but fables and warnings from long before their Merge. A shadow flitted through the void between buildings behind the pdin¡¯s head. He still waited for her response. She raised her good hand and pointed towards it; he quirked an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s something there.¡± His gaze followed her finger to the gathering of gloom hanging between the stone walls of the adjacent structures. He moved towards the alleyway and drew his de; the sound of the steel sliding from his scabbard rang into the silence. The woman reached for what warmth she could find still stagnating in the cool air and found the faint heat of maggots burrowing their way through dead flesh to be sufficient. The soft presence of thervae in her mind vanished whilst they went cold and still, one by one, and she felt the tinge of moisture over her skin beneath her robes from their stolen warmth. It was just enough to hold onto without too much effort. She followed him towards the signs of movement she had seen. As they got closer, the dried streaks of dark fluid sttered along the stones became evident¡ªthe bloodied handprints where someone had leaned against the corner. The wet slurping sound of feasting emanated from the inky ckness. The pdin held his sword ahead with one hand, channeling his mana and using a basic skill, ?Light?. Light spread over the de in a deep yellow hue that fought back the darkness. They moved forward until the sounds of feeding grew silent. The pdin¡¯s gauntlets creaked when he adjusted the grip on his de. A slight wideningy ahead, where one of the buildings curved away slightly in an L shape. The pdin took another step. It lurched from the alcove with no more than a whisper, a half-dead, lizard-like elf stood there, no telltale warmth of the living left within its body. Hairless and scaled, its right eye dangled from the socket, and its garments were chewed through in ces to its flesh, where exposed bones gleamed in the light of the pdin¡¯s de through the gaping flesh in its ruined muscles. The pdin¡¯s sword shed, and he tapped the point of it into the thing¡¯s skull, using another skill, ?Smite?. The light transferred from the de into the thing before enveloping it entirely and vanishing to who knows where, leaving only tattered garments to drop with a muted thud to the ground beneath. ¡®This pdin is going to get me killed.¡¯ Just as he could sense their unholy power gathered at the center of the vige, so too could the forces of the ult feel the holy power unleashed from his de, a type of System skill that resonated with its opposite. The pdin no doubt knew that as well. He lowered his weapon and leaned back against the wall opposite the corner where the corpse had attacked him from, looking at something against the wall that she could not see past the bend. She didn¡¯t need to see it to know what he was looking at. The pdin nced towards the sky and traced another circle over his breastte. ¡®We don¡¯t have the time for you to mourn the carcass of every poor soul youe across, fool.¡¯ ¡°Now they know we¡¯re here. I hope you have more mana left in you.¡± He fixated his eyes upon her, then looked downwards at his sword. Whatever insane logic was going through his mind was likely to get them killed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Cursed One.¡± He spat thest words like they were an insult. To him, it probably was. ¡°Worry about doing your job when the timees; you don¡¯t look like you have much more left in you either.¡± She instinctively reached for her missing ear. She wanted to tell him of the things she had seen, the things she had killed with her non-System-blessed body that he could only dream about in his nightmares, but she knew bantering with him there would be a waste of breath. His sword radiated with ?Light? again. ¡°I can feel them closing in.¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¨C Interlude ¨C Cursed (2) She was grateful then that she had pulled the warmth from the maggots earlier. ¡®The pdin is far too confident in the power that his oh-so-worshipped ¡®System¡¯ gives him, but then, all of his ilk are. They believe themselves to be above mortals.¡¯ ¡°No more hiding in the shadows fearing every movement in the Darkness while we wait for evil to strike, Cursed One. We cleanse it all here and have a free walk to the source of it all. Have more faith in the Light.¡± ¡®That¡¯s precisely the problem. Can you not see that Darkness won over Light here long ago? If you were so insistent on the sanctity of the Light, I would have thought that you would want to get to the center as soon as possible, not stop and risk your life for diversions of violence.¡¯ Not to mention that the ¡°Light¡± he spoke of was just a System feature. He was adamant on that path, though, leaving her no choice in the matter. At least he had chosen a fitting ce to make a stand. The scaled demons could onlye at them from either end of the alleyway. She turned her back to the pdin to face the way they hade and waited. The pdin¡¯s sword grew brighter, bright enough to illuminate the alley to either end. Frantic shuffling sounded from not far behind her on the pdin¡¯s side¡ªthe sound of more clothing thudding to the ground. Then she saw movement. Summoned by the call of the pdin¡¯s Light, the demons crashed upon them in earnest. She had naught the time or energy to keep track of the pdin; she could only trust that he could handle whatever came. She was saved by the fact that the demons only fit through three abreast to stumble their way towards her. They jostled against each other in their desperate hunger to reach her. Their rotting, scaled flesh tore from their muscles and dripped along the walls in their passing, where they knocked each other aside. She waited until they were no farther than a double arm span from herself and she could see their dull eyes before she let loose the heat still gathered in her body upon them. The fire shot through the length of the passage and tore through them like a rock through wet paper. After a moment, when her skin cooled and the cold nibbled at her extremities, she released the fire and drew in what residual warmth she could from the me¡¯s path, warming herself again to the point she felt as if she stood below a midsummer sun. That wasn¡¯t the end of it; more already pushed through the ashes of their brethren in their fearless advance. The pdin was more than willing to engage them in melee, tearing apart the majority of the undead that had been but low-level or even Unawakened denizens of the city before. Even if they retained their stats, his stats far surpassed theirs. Almost all of them were fellow kin¡ªelves turned undead, with the asional human or dwarf mixed into the fray. She had no such luxury. She had no stats, no System to rely on. As a ¡®Cursed One¡¯, all she had was her very mortal body and thetent power she carried. She eventually resorted to concentrating her gouts of fire along the heads of the swarming horde. The chill nipped at her again, her remaining ear aching from the cold, but by that point, the demons crawled over their still-smoldering counterparts and freely ignited themselves in the lingering mes. It wasn¡¯t often that her fire had willing fuel to keep itself going. shes of luminosity from the pdin¡¯s fight overpowered the soft orange hues thrown by her waning ze. The horde trickled to a stop. She drew thest heat of the charred husks into herself, enough to reduce the numb cold of winter to the shivering chill of the autumn ocean. The overpowering scent of burnt meat tickled her nostrils, and the smoke irritated her eyes as tears trickled down her face. A metallic nking rang behind her; the pdin backed into her hard enough to send her stumbling forward. She caught herself on the slick wall just after stepping into one of the crumbling bodies. The wetness clung to her fingertips, and she turned to see the pdin struggling against one of the unholy creatures¡ªan orc Awakener with scaly skin tearing over its body, with the stats to back up its huge physique. It wed at the pdin¡¯s face; he held it back with his gauntlets gripped upon its skull. His fingers dug into its bloated cheeks, and one hand found purchase in an eye socket whilst the other held its neck. He strained against it. Light cascaded through his armor as he pushed and pulled against it with a grunt. Its head ripped from its body; the thing went limp and fell. The pdin tore the head from his gauntlet and did his best to shake the clinging gore. He leaned down and picked up his previously discarded de. She wiped her hands on her trousers. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like you had that handled to me.¡± He took another long look down the passage to confirm that the assault was truly over. ¡°I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I?¡± Clothes littered his end of the alleyway where he had struck down the multitude of the creatures. Closer to where he stoody hacked apart and decapitated bodies where his Light had failed him. His cheek dripped from a shallow cut below his eye. She gestured towards the wound. ¡°Did one of them get to you?¡± He wiped the back of his gauntlet along the cut and looked at the blood smeared along the silver metal. ¡°Thatst one must have scratched me at some point. I¡¯ll be fine. What about you? Any more missing body parts I should know about?¡± She ignored the barb, only interested in finishing the mission so she could be done with his foolishness. She hoped that was thest of them; they couldn¡¯t afford a simr confrontation. The pdin sheathed his sword, and she followed behind him towards the center of the vige, wary of whatever might be lurking just out of sight, what things the shadows might harbor. ¡®That pdin has to be the most reckless one I have ever had the displeasure of working with. Overly righteous and self-confident to a fault, traits that the temple found desirable. Luckily, those types of problems are usually self-correcting.¡¯ She caught her reflection in the blood-smeared metal of the pdin¡¯s armored back. Despite her so-called ¡®Curse¡¯, she had far outlived many of the ¡®Blessed¡¯ that took too muchfort in the aid their ¡®System¡¯ gave them. They continued unhindered through the silent streets of the city towards the center. No bodies could be seen, but evidence of struggle and death remained in the blood pooled in the slight depressions between stones, the scattered droplets of ichor that almost sparkled in the faint light diffusing through the fog. It should have dried long ago, but something kept it all fresh¡ªas if the blood had just been spilled. She couldn¡¯t help but notice the pdin continuing to rub at his cheek from time to time. Only a block or two from the center, they found the upper body of one of the demons attempting to drag itself through the empty streets. Separated from the waist down from its absent legs, the thing scraped at the stones beneath it with one hand, skin yed and peeled back until the bones of its fingers scratched softly against the hard surface; its other arm hung limp at its side, twisted and broken from the shoulder. The pdin didn¡¯t even bother to call the Light or unsheathe his de; instead, he walked over and stomped onto its skull with all his weight. A cracking sound followed by a heavy nking as his armored foot hit the ground echoed through the street, and its head popped like a melon. Wetness sttered across her face; she rubbed it away with the hem of her cloak. The pdin continued to stomp into the mush of the thing¡¯s head. She approached and put her hand on his shoulder. He whipped his head to look at her and panted heavily. The cut below his eye festered green pus, and ck tendrils crawled below the surface of his skin in a pulsating web around the wound. His eyes darted back and forth; sweat beaded on his forehead. ¡®At least that answers any questions I might have had about how the creatures infect the living.¡¯ ¡°We need to hurry. It¡¯s starting to affect you too.¡± His eyes calmed, and he stepped away from the ruined carcass. ¡°The Light will protect me.¡± ¡°I thought it was already well established that the Light doesn¡¯t reach here, Pdin.¡± He spared a nce towards the obscured heavens and repeated the circr motion over his chest. ¡°It does through me, and it will protect me as its agent in the Darkness.¡± She wondered if it had ever urred to him that his god might not care. Her only hope was that, by cleansing the source of it, they would also cleanse his wound; otherwise, she knew she would be leaving alone. As much as she might have disliked him, she didn¡¯t wish for her kin to die. The temple was a rtively simple structurepared to the grand templesrger cities were wont to harbor. It stood at the center of arge, circr clearing, and its central spire stuck out only marginally above the buildings around the clearing. Wooden double doors stood out only half her height above her, with more than ample room for a congregation to flood through its doors. A mosaic covered the rest of the entrance wall from the top of the doors to the slightly sloped roof of the single-floor temple. The image of a circr sun on the mosaic marked it as a temple to the Light, not that she expected any other such temple to be the centerpiece of one of the Elven Kingdom¡¯snds. The exposed earth around the temple might have once hosted natural grass. A towering, withered tree stood next to the temple, gnarled and cracked. Thend wasid bare. Fragments of bones were piled atop each other in small mounds. It appeared that the majority of those who hadn¡¯t been corrupted had been brought there and thoroughly consumed, to the point that the undead had sucked even the marrow from their bones. Dark-red strokes of dried gore covered the mosaic over the temple entrance like a painter had decided to just flick a paint-covered brush at it. The smell of wet earth rose to her nostrils. The pdin retched again at her side. ¡°By the Light, what reason is there to do such a thing? Why would the forces of Darkness go to such lengths?¡± ¡°Because they use us as a means to an end. They wouldn¡¯t bother doing such if you didn¡¯t find it disturbing in some way.¡± Though the forces of ¡®Darkness¡¯ as they put it were simply things that the Elven Kingdom deemed taboo or ¡®evil¡¯, she had no arguments overbeling what she was seeing as ¡®Darkness¡¯. She stepped from the stones onto the earth around the temple, and her boot squelched into the moist soil. She raised her foot to look. Fresh blood dripped from her sole. She took another squelching step and walked to the temple entrance. The pdin hesitated before stepping to follow her. They stopped again at the doorway to the temple. She motioned for the pdin to open it and stepped aside. He inhaled a deep breath before letting it out and reaching for the right-hand door. It swung inward almost effortlessly. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¨C Interlude ¨C Cursed (3) The smell hit first. Concentrated rot. Like rotten eggs mixed with manure, left in the hot sun for days on end and multiplied tenfold. It overpowered the soft odor of wet dirt from outside and was enough to make even her reflexively gag. She nced over to check the pdin¡¯s reaction, expecting him to wretch again. Instead¡ªin the flicker of the hundreds of candles lining the temple and the painstakingly lit chandelier casting a radius of firelight over the interior where inky ckness waited just outside the radii of the candles¡ªshe saw the spiderweb of corruption over his face, his nose, and the side of his head. Wooden pews spread the length of the temple from the entrance, split by a blue carpet splotched with red and brown down the center aisle. Dark silhouettes popted the pews. Hunched figures spread over the seating in a haphazard congregation of the dead. Elves were seated and huddled with their families in worship where death had caught them unaware. A raised stage at the far end of the temple with a wooden pulpit decorated the sparse stage where a preacher would bless the masses. She put her hand on the pdin¡¯s back, her three fingers resting against the cold steel of his armor. She gently pushed him forward; it was time for him to do his job so that she could do hers. He took a first, faltering step onto the frayed carpet before gathering some measure of fortitude and taking long strides towards the pulpit, pointedly averting his gaze from the bodies in their deathly reverie. He arrived at the pulpit before she did, his long and purposeful strides carrying him with a speed that she could only match if she ran. The warmth of the candles fluttered at her senses. The pdin leaped onto the stage and stopped, staring at that which she could not see from her angle. She heaved herself onto the stage and arrived just in time to see him squat down, armor nking in the silence and shifting over itself, speaking soft words to an elf curled in the hollow at the base of the pulpit. ¡®A mortal could not have survived for such a time in this ce of the damned. The new demons would have dined on its flesh and spread its bones over the city long ago,¡¯ the woman frowned as she came to her conclusion and kept the warmth ready to call at a moment¡¯s notice. The man, a younger elf with dark hair and orange eyes like the fading sun, sniffled and shied away from the pdin. It didn¡¯t take a pdin to recognize the unholy influence before them. It hung around the elf, a smothering aura simr to the sensation of submerging oneself in water¡ªwhere the senses became muted and far away. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time she had to burn a fellow elf, and it likely wouldn¡¯t be thest. She recalled what she knew of the things called ¡®higher demons¡¯. ¡®They favor the weak, the things that hide just outside of reality and dine on the bitter nightmares and sweet fears of mortals. They whisper sweet nothings to us in dreams and promise us adventure and excitement¡ªto make our fantasiese true. Most are too strong and can ignore the whispers; the unawakened were natural gateways to Them, and this man likely harbors one.¡¯ She prepared herself. Whatever it was, she had yet to find an evil her fire couldn¡¯t burn. She reached out a hand and the pdin swatted it down, aware of what she had resigned herself to. ¡°The Light can still reach him. Step away.¡± ¡°He¡¯s beyond reach now, a higher demon in an elf¡¯s skin. There is no kin here.¡± The pdin leaned towards the elf and extended his hand. ¡°Let me try.¡± ¡®It¡¯s no use. This elf stands at the center of the corruption.¡¯ An inanimate, nonthinking artifact might have been cleansable, but the demons were beings who consumed souls and corrupted all they touched. Even if it were possible to evict the demon from the elf without resorting to lethal methods, the elf¡¯s mind would be long gone. ¡°Are you here to save me?¡± The elf spoke. His voice was quiet yet clear. There was no inflection of fear in his tone, only curiosity. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to save you. What¡¯s your name?¡± The elf¡¯s orange gaze lingered on the pdin, unblinking. ¡°Ali.¡± ¡°Alright, Ali. I just need you to reach out to me. Everything will be ok.¡± ¡®This pdin is mad.¡¯ She knew she should have just ended it all there, damn it all. Instead, some morbid curiosity overpowered her reason, and she allowed herself to watch with bated breath. Ali reached out to the pdin. The pdin enveloped the elf¡¯s frail hand in his and goaded him out from under the pulpit. The Light spread from a concentrated spot on the pdin¡¯s back and grew to cover his entire armor. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be back to normal soon. It¡¯s alright.¡± The pdin drew the elf closer and wrapped him in a firm hug, and shadows undted in the corners of the temple. The pdin¡¯s luminescence behind the pulpit cast a deep wedge of lightlessness over the temple¡¯s entrance and central pathway. Faint candlelight no longer touched the surface of the floor, and the figures on the pews shifted as the bnce of the church changed. Darkness flooded the temple past the pulpit, leaving only their ck outlines. The elf woman¡¯s instincts finally overruled her curiosity. ¡°Let the man go!¡± Her voice was lost to the deafening aura of silence hanging around the man. She couldn¡¯t get to the weak-looking elf without hurting the holy warrior. The pdin attempted to pull back then, likely sensing the wrongness growing in the air rather than fading in the presence of his Light. The elf man¡¯s frail hands stuck to his chestte and his feet remained nted in ce with an unnatural weight. The pdin struggled and abandoned his gentleness, batting at the elf¡¯s face and hands with such fric motion as to make properly aiming at the attacker impossible. The abyss residing over the church crashed upon the two of them and flowed through the man into the pdin. Dim outlines of figures rose in the pews. The shadowy figures on the pews jerked forward and crawled over each other in their masses towards them while a wisp of Light expelled itself from the pdin¡¯s body and flitted towards the temple¡¯s roof before being snuffed by the waiting void. Then, the frail-looking elf¡¯s body fell limp, and the pdin stood from his squatting position, the aura of wrongness amplified, physically weighing the ¡®Cursed¡¯ elf woman down, and the pdin turned to her. An inky green rot pulsated over his exposed skin. His eyes glowed orange, and he bared his glistening white teeth at her. True demons delighted in the hopelessness of others. It would let her suffocate in her despair before dining on her flesh at the peak of her emotion. She pulled as hard as she could. The hundreds of flickering motes of radiance snuffed out, and streaks of fire shed toward her. Warmth enveloped her, from sweating, to light-headedness, to king dry skin in a moment. She pulled harder. The undead spilling over the edges of the stage towards her slowed, and frost formed over the temple. Motes of ice sparkling in thest streaks of firelight¡­ She let the unbearable heat burning the tissues of her skin leak just enough to keep herself from cooking altogether while she pulled it just enough to keep it near her in a bubble of fiery, glowing warmth. The demon wearing the pdin¡¯s body took a step back and continued to watch. The first of the lesser demons reached her¡ªit ignited and burned in her bubble. The true demon raised a hand towards her, and the air around it swirled. She could no longer contain it and pushed outward as violently as she could. The direction didn¡¯t matter; the fire would take it all. Blue fire erupted outward and enveloped the world. She glimpsed the shadows rushing towards the demon before the fire overtook it. When the wooden stage gave out beneath her, she continued her push even whilst she fell until her temperature returned to normal, and she began to take from her own body again. The surging fire died just as suddenly as it had erupted. The heat and intensity had been such that the temple¡¯s stones crumbled and exploded outwards into the city. All that remained was a ckened circle of earth and the ruined stone walls of the church, reaching only a few bricks high at their best. The ground was cool to the touch. She gathered herself and stood on unsteady legs that felt like they had just run the entirety of the vige. The demony not far ahead of her. Its armor was absent, wholly melted into its skin and bones in dull stretches of smooth metal and seared tissue. The sweet scent of roasted meat wafted from it; sinewy patches of its charred muscle and boiling fat dripped to the floor when it stood to regard her. Flimsy tendrils of night flickered through its ghoulish form and began slowly reconstructing the thing¡¯s body. A thought shed through her mind. A brief consideration of what she should do. She clenched the three good fingers on her left hand before extending her fist out towards the thing. Darkness danced in the faint light of the muted sun and swept towards her. ¡°It¡¯s over. You¡¯ll find your skills useless here,¡± the demon said, watching her still. The swirling darkness was a result of a skill it had just cast unique to high-level demons, ?Silence of the Damned?, that prohibited skill usage below a certain level. A certain level that it was positive no Awakener had reached. The elf woman ignored it. She watched her arm and marveled onest time at the feel of it before she pulled everything it was. Skin froze rigid and blue; it didn¡¯t even hurt. The heat surged over her and threatened to overwhelm her. She let it all out and channeled it through the good flesh just below the elbow. Her frozen limb exploded outwards into shards of ice trailed by an all-consuming me that caught and devoured thest remnants of her forearm. She allowed it to linger near her skin for a brief moment when it erupted, cauterizing her arm before she pushed it harder toward the demon until it became a wave of white fire. The demon hardly had time to widen its eyes and let out a final scream of surprise. It realized, in its dying moment, that it had never felt the presence of the System from the woman, the unmistakable stench of it. There were no screams or final words; the demon had naught the time for that, only the deafening crackle of fire and bright white incandescence. She lowered the destroyed limb. The demon was no more. Not even the dull shine of any of its embedded armor survived. She knew it was over then when the dark fog over the city vanished as if it had never existed. If any other undead roamed the vige, they would be no more than the regr dead at that moment. A gleaming metal in the debris caught her eye briefly; the hilt of the pdin¡¯s sword shone in the full day¡¯s luminescence. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 ¨C Old Friends (1) He tried not to let it show, but Alikr¡¯s eyes widened for a moment after he got a good look at my face. He had been expecting someone, but that someone likely hadn¡¯t been me. ¡°Aizen¡­?¡± His words trailed off into a question, and he scratched his chin in thought while he considered me. ¡°I suppose that makes this easier¡­¡± he mumbled to himself. Rhil continued to soundlessly pound on the barrier in the doorway. ¡°Alikr? How long¡­?¡± How long had he been in league with the demons? Was it before or after we hadst seen each other in Karfana? Seeming to correctly understand what I was attempting to ask, he smirked. ¡°How long did I know about the attack on Karfana? How long have I been nning to betray the Association? How long have I known about the demons?¡± He considered me, his eyes glinting with a dark light. ¡°Aizen, do you know how long the elves have been here?¡± By ¡®here¡¯, he was probably referring to the new world. Humans were thest to arrive. The other races had been there before, each arriving at different times. Even with all that time, the world was massive enough for there to still be areasrgely unexplored. I knew that the elves had arrived first, decades before the first humans. It wasn¡¯t really a question to begin with, and he continued speaking before I could reply. ¡°All this time, and I found myself serving humans, of all things, in a backwater city in the middle of nowhere. Do you think that¡¯s where I envisioned myself when I started working for the Association?¡± He said the word ¡®humans¡¯ like it was an insult, something to be disgusted by. ¡°I¡¯ve worked for the Association for even longer than humans have been here, and every request I sent to be stationed elsewhere was ignored. Nobody wants to be in humannds, you see, but someone had to do it, and it was by some cruel twist of fate that it happened to be me.¡± He had sided with the demon because he was tired of serving humans? He had never given any indication of his resentment while I had been hanging around the Association building all of those years. Had he just kept it bottled inside? ¡°So, of course, when the ¡®demons¡¯ came knocking, offering true positions of leadership and showing a power that you cannot even begin toprehend, a power more than capable of bringing every other species to heel, how could I refuse? Would you have refused if the demons had offered to heal you and give you ess to¡ª¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± I said. Alikr¡¯s eyes widened at my sudden interruption. ¡°Of course I would have refused. You know how much I¡¯ve been wanting to find my family, you know about how much I¡¯ve searched and listened for any hints as to where they could be.¡± Alikr¡¯s reasoning for having betrayed Karfana, the Association, and the world atrge was just that: bullshit. He could have left the Association at any moment. It wasn¡¯t like they were keeping him there at knifepoint. He wasn¡¯t being punished. ¡°So, what? You got put somewhere you didn¡¯t want to be, serving a species that looks more like your own than any other? You¡¯re just greedy, Alikr. There are people like you everywhere, among every species, and that can be found at any point in the past. You¡¯re not special, you¡¯re just self-centered.¡± I had thought him to be better than that. In reality, he was no different from those who had stepped over me and mocked me for my disability in the past. He just wanted power to feel superior to those who didn¡¯t have it. ¡°You can still give up.¡± The faint light in his eyes ignited, and he leaned forward in his chair. ¡°Or what? You¡¯re going to stop me? What are you, level four or five at most? Do you even know my level, Aizen? No, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯m not going to kill you, there would be no joy in that. Instead, I¡¯m going to capture you and your friends out there and have you watch as we dismantle the Association and all of the other, inferior, species. Then, I¡¯m going to give you a choice again: Join us or die.¡± I clenched my fists. ¡°You can¡¯t fight me, Aizen, and System abilities are blocked in this room anyway. Even if you could fight me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± He was right. I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him there, not even if I could use both Systems. There was only so much of a gap that could be ovee. Rather than that, I had to escape with what I had learned. I turned and hit the barrier over the door, Rhil¡¯s blurred form on the other side had stopped trying to break through, and I saw chaotic movement. They were probably fighting the demons that had noticed them. If they stayed too long, the entire camp would be upon them before long, and it would be toote to escape then. [?Strike?] Just as Alikr had said, my fist impacted the barrier without the aid of ?Strike?. My System abilities were blocked. Maybe he had forgotten, maybe he discounted it as an offshoot of the regr System, or maybe he just didn¡¯t care, but there was no mention made of my Second System. I could still feel the energy of the earth within my body, waiting to be used. ¡°Give it up, Aizen, even if you maxed Strength, there¡¯s no¡ª¡± I hit the barrier over the door again, unleashing the energy of the earth and channeling it through my fist in a concentrated, armor-piercing ?Eruption?. sh! A spark of light shot out of my fist when my strike made contact with the barrier, and the semi-opaque obstruction warped briefly around my fist, trying to take the impact, before bursting outward. Rather than stay for Alikr¡¯s reaction, I ran out in time to see Rhil and Koise fighting off a few of the demons that had realized something was wrong. The troll was, luckily, still dragging most of their attention elsewhere in the camp, though it could only do so for so long. Even though her stats were focused around her ability use, Rhil had picked up a demon¡¯s spear and was using it to distract and fend a few off while Koise¡¯s arrows pierced their heads with pinpoint uracy. They turned their heads to look at me. The hopeful light in Rhil¡¯s eyes made me shake my head briefly in disappointment. We would have to find another way to remove the cor that was limiting ess to her abilities. Rather than that, though, it was more important for us to escape. It wasn¡¯t aplete bust, at least, we had managed to free Rhil and learn a bit about what the demons were nning. ¡°We have to go, now!¡± I shouted at the two. I trusted Koise to be able to keep up. I gave him a nce as I picked Rhil up in my arms, not giving her time to protest. ¡°Back through the tunnels?¡± he asked. I nodded my head. He took off, not needing to be told twice. Just as I saw Alikr emerging from the building out of the corner of my eye¡­ Iunched myself at a vertical angle using ?Strike? and another ?Eruption?,unching myself over the camp toward the wall at a speed that made the world blur while Rhil¡¯s hair whipped over my face and I felt her grip on me tighten. Luckily, I was able to keep enough control to stop myself from tumbling or crashing into the earth. We soared over the tents of the camp, demons catching sight of us as we flew overhead. It didn¡¯t matter at that point, I could just hope that none would be fast enough to catch us. I couldn¡¯t see him, but I trusted that Koise had his own methods of quick getaway. Wended just before the walls of the camp, my knees bending to take the impact as I had to lean back to stop from falling while my feet slid over the stone and sent pebbles and dirt scattering outward. Then, before my momentum could fully stop, I leaned back forward and jumped again, only aided by my Strength stat, which was enough to send us sailing over the wall. From there, it was only another short leap over the shining, pearlescent snow before we arrived at the cliff¡¯s edge. ¡°Haa¡­¡± I took a moment to catch the breath that I hadn¡¯t even known I was holding and put Rhil back down. She stumbled sideways and leaned against my arm. ¡°Ugh¡­ What the hell was that?¡± Awakener or not, such an unexpected and sudden movement would have been enough to make anyone dizzy. ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell youter. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± I gripped her hand and pulled her forward. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s a tunnel system under the mountains that we can use to escape.¡± It would be too easy for them to chase us over the open, snowy terrain. We crawled down next to the edge of the mountain that hid the opening of the caves. Koise wasn¡¯t there yet. We didn¡¯t have thefort of being able to wait long. It would be easy enough to track us through the snow and find where we had gone. I waited, each pounding of my heartbeat signaling yet another moment of lead we lost on the demons. ¡°Aizen¡­¡± I turned when Rhil spoke to me to see her frown. ¡°You can let go of my hand now.¡± Her hand was still being crushed in my anxiety-fueled grip. ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry.¡± I let her hand go. Koise arrived just then, swinging over the edge of the mountain. Boom! Another explosion shook the ground. It looked like he had left them with a parting gift. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¨C Old Friends (2) Sometimeter, after Koise led us back through the tunnels we had taken to get to the demon encampment, we stopped just short of the exit where Koise and I had originally entered. The wind howled past the opening, and light wisps of snow sailed by. Not a snowstorm, luckily. We weren¡¯t sure if the demons had anything capable of flight amongst their ranks, and we would be out in the open in the snowy ins if we left the cave like that. The tunnels were filled with so many twists and turns that it was unlikely that the demons would chance upon us anyway, so we decided to take a brief rest there, warming our bodies around a small pile of warmth stones that Koise produced from his item pouch. Rhil and I still hadn¡¯t said much to each other yet. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I wanted to say. Should I have said how happy I was to see her? How much I missed her? How I had been looking for her? My indecision caused my silence, and Koise spoke up after ncing between Rhil and me a few times. ¡°¡­I take it you two know each other?¡± Holding my hands cupped over the warmth stones steadily radiating before us, I let out a wispy breath. ¡°Yeah¡­ we¡¯ve known each other for a while now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He waited for more, but it wasn¡¯t my information to share. Rhil had retired for a reason, after all. I was the one who had dragged her out of retirement and caused her to get captured. It would be no wonder if she hated me after all that. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­?¡± Haah¡­ He scoffed into his hand and alternated looking between us again. ¡°Did you¡­ did you know about this beforehand and not tell me? You didn¡¯te here for her, did you?¡± I hadn¡¯t, although I had hoped, but he already had the doubt in his mind. ¡°You risk my life and you won¡¯t even tell¡ª¡± ¡°Leave it,¡± Rhil said, her voice quietly overpowering his. ¡°Oh? And who are you to tell me to leave it? If he won¡¯t tell me, maybe you will,¡± Koise spoke pointedly to Rhil, still trying to figure out what was going on. ¡°A better question would be to ask who you are if this is really to be an exchange of information rather than an interrogation.¡± Koise narrowed his eyes at her question, probably contemting if he wanted to argue further, before giving in with a deep sigh. ¡°Scouting division leader for the Lion Guild, Koise. There you go. And you?¡± ¡°Citizen of Karfana, Rhil.¡± Koise gave her a long look as she toyed with him. ¡°I met Aizen while trying to hunt down who killed a few members of the Lion Guild and found out that they were simply reaping what they sowed rather than being maliciously murdered. He saved my life and asked for my help in hunting a demon.¡± He leaned his head back against the cave wall and gave her a pointed look. ¡°Is that better?¡± ¡°You¡¯re used to others just giving you what you want, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see what that has to do with simply introducing yourself.¡± ¡°Typical, all of you guild bastards are the same,¡± Rhil said, ¡°I used to be called ¡®Skybreaker¡¯.¡± She took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°I retired years ago to the border city of Karfana, Aizen turned out to be my neighbor, we got along over the years, I got dragged into stopping a demonic invasion on my city, got caught in a portal trap at the end, and ended up as you saw me.¡± Koise gave her a long, silent look. ¡°¡­You¡¯re the Skybreaker?¡± he asked, surprise evident in his voice. ¡°Yeah, I used to be, anyway¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± He still got what he wanted, in the end. We rested in the cave for a few hours longer before Koise gave the call that there were no scouts evident nearby, and the rest of the journey back to the City on the Edge went by with a tense atmosphere. It could have been any moment that we saw a demon scouting up behind us, after all, and it became impossible to properly rest. Finally, though, we crossed over thest mountain, and the city came back into our sights, much as I remembered leaving it¡­ Save for one little detail¡­ ¡°Wow, this is the city you mentioned? I thought you said that it was rtively sparse,¡± Rhil said, looking down at the city. There were numerous little dots all around the city, people who couldn¡¯t fit into the gates. The city was only really structured for a few hundred people, after all. It could hardly even be called a city. It was apparent that much of it had fallen with thend when the great Edge had been created, but we still had no way of knowing if it could ever be recovered. We still had the quest to drive away the cold and restore the Edge, so it must have been possible. The bigger problem for the moment, though, was figuring out just what the hell was going on. Why were there so many people without warning? ¡°Well, it was certainly much sparser when we left¡­¡± Koise said. We continued down the slope towards the crowd. Finally, after a few hours more of travel with the distant dots of people growing closer, there was something else we noticed¡­ ¡®They¡¯re all wearing earth clothing¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that they were necessarily wearing drastically different clothing. People enjoyed fashion and feeling like they looked good, and things like jeans and t-shirts were among the first industries to be mass-produced again with the help of the orcs after the Merge. What was telling, though, were the old designs, the old brand names, ssic sneakers that we didn¡¯t quite have exact copies of, bright colors, and theck of any armor or magical gear whatsoever. People watched us as we passed, the chatter of the crowd going strangely silent in our presence. We continued all the way through to the city gates in a simr manner, where the guards greeted us. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked the guard at the gate, who looked over us briefly before allowing us in. ¡°Ahh, a pair of adventurers showed up the other day, leading this crowd behind them. The mages are struggling to make enough food for all of them. None of them are Awakeners as far as I can tell, though there have been quite a few questions about it¡­ Ah¡­ Not that anyone could find a monster around here to Awaken from, anyway.¡± The guard kept going on. Despite having general observations, he wasn¡¯t really able to tell us much, and we nodded and wished him well before entering the city. There would probably be an easy ce to get the answers we wanted. The castle. Traveling through the city wasn¡¯t nearly as packed, as it appeared that most of the non-Awakeners were kept outside of the gates. As cruel as it might have seemed, especially with the insides of the city being warmer due to the proximity of the pirs of me, packing hundreds more non-Awakened into the city would be even more chaotic. More guards stopped us in front of the castle gates. I wasn¡¯t recognized as the city leader, of course, so it was only understandable. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± the guard asked, much more to the point than the guard watching the main gates. What was the fastest way for us to get through the gates in the least conspicuous manner possible? Asking the guard to let us in without an ¡®appointment¡¯ would probably be a waste of time, and forcing our way in could just get people hurt. We really should have set up some sort of code with the dwarf ahead of time. Did we just expect the gates to be open for us all the time without actually telling anyone we would be able to enter? It would be like a king having someone run his castle without having ever told anyone he¡¯s the king. He wouldn¡¯t be a king at all. Then the thought urred to me. Didn¡¯t we have a high-ranking official from the Lion Guild with us? ¡°We don¡¯t have an appointment, but we¡¯re here on guild business.¡± I pointedly looked at Koise, who stared at me for a moment before catching on. ¡°Right¡­ Koise Argeen, leader of the Lion Guild¡¯s scout division,¡± he said, fumbling around in his item bag before pulling out and showing a badge with his guild¡¯s crest to the guard. ¡°May we enter?¡± The guard looked over the crest for a moment, though I doubted he even knew what to look for¡ªI sure as hell didn¡¯t¡ªbefore calling for the gates to open. ¡°Go on through, though the lord might be a bit preupied right now¡­ If you couldn¡¯t tell.¡± The castle courtyard was as empty as we¡¯d left it, though I noticed that someone hade along and cleaned up the discarded armor, scattered weapons, and decaying dummies. It was just a simple, clean courtyard. Nobody was waiting for us within the castle¡¯s main elevator room either, and we had to take the elevators up to the royal quarters before we finally found who we were looking for in the meeting room. Not only that, but there were two other familiar faces there as well¡­ Bernard and Velle. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¨C Old Friends (3) The two of them were in a heated discussion with the dwarf and Lein. ¡°You¡¯re just lucky the dragon isn¡¯t still here! What the hell have I gotten myself into?!¡± the dwarf¡¯s raised voice echoed through the room as he gripped his head and looked at the ceiling in frustration. ¡°Even better, you¡¯re in a position to help these people! You say that we¡¯re lucky the dragon isn¡¯t here, but you leaving them to die is no better than anything the dragon would have done!¡± Velle said. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know. Do you have nopassion for others? We all went through the Merge, albeit at different times. Shouldn¡¯t you lend a hand?¡± Bernard asked, holding a hand to his chin as he looked down at the dwarf. If I didn¡¯t know much better, I would have said that it looked like Bernard was trying to intimidate him. The dwarf red up at Bernard, unfazed. ¡°Help them how? Feed them so they can freeze to death when the storms start again? Provide them with our limited supply of warmth stones so that everyone eventually freezes? Try to jam everyone into the city to the point that we have riots in the streets?¡± The two of them were dressed much the same, though I noticed that Bernard¡¯s leather armor covered his body more thoroughly and was so thick that it looked almost like te armor. Something he had found in a dungeon, maybe? I took that moment to step in, ¡°Don¡¯t we just have to get them to the wider human cities?¡± The dwarf whipped his head around so he could look at me. ¡°And have them tell everyone about our city so we can have Awakeners flooding here from everywhere?¡± The dwarf was just being difficult for the sake of being difficult at that point. There was no way he was actually prepared to let hundreds of people die just to keep the cityfortably hidden away from civilization atrge. Besides, there was no telling how many had perished while exploring the frozen mountains who would have otherwise survived if they had a destination in mind or knew of the city. Having word spread about the city was only a good thing in my eyes. The city could grow and those adventurers who braved the area would have a ce to rest, bringing more business and goods to the city. That way, we could even properly establish ourselves with the Association and have a quest system as well. We still hadn¡¯t found the hinted-at source of the winter¡¯s cold, and the city might have still been restorable as well, so we could kill two birds with one stone by having a steady stream of neers interested inpleting quests. ¡®I need to get back to the central human cities anyway to warn them.¡¯ It had been left to Alikr before, but he had proven to be a traitor to his own species and civilization atrge. ¡°Think about the business a fresh stream of Awakeners could bring. We could even use them to help restore the city, and they would provide a sense of security as well.¡± I hadn¡¯t even told him about the demons in the mountains yet, which I was sure would be a problem in the future. Or maybe the demons would withdraw because they had been discovered? Other than the n to subjugate every city they could find that the demons were attempting as a whole, I still wasn¡¯t sure of the specific motive behind that camp we had found in the mountains. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± The dwarf seemed to think about it for a few moments, scratching his head. While the dwarf was distracted by his thoughts, Bernard looked over at me and gave me a sly thumbs up and a wink, and Velle gave me a short nod. ¡°All you would need to provide us with are some warmth stones and food for the journey. Do you really want to deal with hundreds of corpses when the storms return? Even with warmth stones, they aren¡¯t Awakened. They don¡¯t have stats that can help them endure the storm.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± the dwarf finally let out a short sigh and threw his hands up into the air as he gave in. ¡°Fine. Figure out how much you need and provide me with the list, we¡¯ll get it done.¡± Velle bowed to the dwarf. ¡°On behalf of the hundreds you¡¯ll be saving, thank you.¡± The dwarf looked away, trying to hide the hint of a smile quivering on the edges of his lips. After that, the dwarf left us to our devices in the meeting room, and I had a few questions for the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you two again, but where did all of those peoplee from, anyway?¡± I asked, gesturing over my shoulder to indicate the general area outside the city. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but after we lost you, we continued into the mountains and came upon one of the biggest dungeons we¡¯d ever seen. Thankfully, while the dungeon was massive, it was still a lower-rank one, and we were able to just barely clear it with the two of us,¡± Bernard replied. I nodded my head in understanding. ¡°So I take it that the dungeon had all of those people trapped in stasis since the Merge?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Them and a few other Awakeners,¡± Velle curtly said. ¡®So it was pointless when I was searching for them in the city before¡­¡¯ ¡°What about you, Aizen? How did youe to be here, and who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Koise, Scout divisionmander of the Lion Guild.¡± Bernard furrowed his brow. ¡°How did a ranking member of the Lion guild end up here?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I told them everything that happened from my misunderstanding with the Lion guild, to Koise¡¯s dogged attempt to chase me over the mountains while he lost the rest of his scouting team, to meeting Lein, to the encounter with relic boss and how I saved Koise, and everything up until that moment. It took some time, and we all made ourselvesfortable as I told the story that connected all of them. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Lein finally said during the long silence after my story was done. ¡°And all I ever wanted was toplete a Relic dungeon. You have a way of dragging people into things.¡± ¡°At least we agree on something,¡± Koise said. ¡°Though, this is a good opportunity to finally get back to the Lion Guild. They might assume the worst if too much time passes without contact.¡± It looked like almost all of us, save for Lein, had a reason for going back to the main human cities anyway. I was also looking forward to being able to walk outside and not be cold. Then, as if in answer to using to an agreement¡­ [Quest Guide the unawakened through the mountains to the safety of the inner cities while keeping them safe from monster attacks, the cold, and starvation. Failure Condition: More than half of the unawakened pass away on the journey. Rewards: Rewards are given on a contribution basis.] We all received the same System message, which brought furtherplications to our ns. The cold and hunger were already things we were prepared to discuss, the problem was how we were going to defend so many people from monster attacks with just the few of us. ¡°¡­It looks like we¡¯re going to have to recruit more people,¡± Lein said, reading over the System message. Following that, we discussed the best distribution for food and warmth stones, as we were going to need to cycle the warmth stones as they expired amongst people who wouldn¡¯t be able to use mana to open Inventory Bags. It all depended on how many people we could get to join the quest, but the list of potential rewards looked enticing, and I didn¡¯t see us having much of a problem on that front. [Quest Rewards 1. A rare gift box and 10000 Experience. 2. An umon gift box and 7500 Experience. 3. Amon gift box and 5000 Experience.] After that, the quest looked like it only gave experience rewards that went down every 10 ces until, all the way down at 100, it still gave 1000 Experience. If you included the experience that killing the monsters that would be assaulting us provided, it would be a good boost to anyone who decided to join. Only high-rank Awakeners might find the effort-experience ratiocking. Notably, the gift boxes would lure in even high-rank Awakeners, if any could be found in the city. Rather than being the usual gift boxes you might see in a video game that containedpletely random rewards, the gift boxes presented by the System were guaranteed to provide a piece of equipment that the person who opened the gift box would use. That could be anything from a piece of light armor for a mobile Awakener to a piece of heavy armor for a more durable-type Awakener to a weapon that the Awakener favored. Though the box said mon¡¯, even themon rewards were all enchanted with any number of possibly beneficial effects. It was amon System reward, after all, and not a simplemon item. The only other way to getmon System rewards was throughrger dungeon clears and unique quests, so it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if almost everyone in the city volunteered after seeing the rewards. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¨C Sorry Of course, even with the general n figured out, the logistics of it weren¡¯t that easy. I had no knowledge of those sorts of things because, admittedly, math had never been my forte. So, the details were left to Koise, who¡ªthanks to his role in a leadership position of one of thergest human guilds¡ªhad extensive experience with such matters, and the dwarf, who had naturally been taught the basics of logistics through his role as an Association clerk, albeit not for the actual Association. Still, the dragon had at least proven that it didn¡¯t stand for ipetence, even if the jobs it had people doing were fake in everything but name. Bernard and Velle quickly left to attend to the group outside of the city¡¯s gates as well, which left me with my thoughts and too much time on my hands. Rather than sit and worry about things I had no control over, I wandered the hallways of the castle, exploring it as I had not had the opportunity to do so previously. The first thing that became apparent was just how empty and quiet the hallways were. Each step I took let out a barely perceptible echo, making me feel as if I was being stalked through those lonely corridors and extravagantly empty rooms. I could tell that the castle had once been a lively ce, and it was a bit of a shame that its hallways and rooms had been neglected for so long. ¡®Will the castle hold mass visitors again?¡¯ I wondered, sitting idly on one of the dusty wooden chairs within what must have once been the ballroom. A brilliant, scintiting chandelier cast light and flecks of color around the room, still glowing with the energy supplied to it from the castle¡¯s core, which had been repaired by the dwarf in my absence. Rather than being tall to the point that I could look up and the light would fade into the darkness like in the central elevator rooms, the ballroom was tastefullyrge, the ceiling still low enough that I could see the gentle curves leading from the pirs at the edges of the room that met to form smooth ridges in the ceiling. The floor, which I could imagine had once been polished to the point of gleaming, was a dusty mess, the brown and white marble visible beneath theyer of detritus. Indulging in my fantasies but for a moment, I shut my eyes and imagined it¡­ I saw myself dancing¡ªthough I had never learned to dance¨Cswirling in gentle circles, holding the hand and waist of a woman¡­ Rhil, dressed as beautifully as she had been in Karfana. The music yed at a gentle rhythm from a live band on one end of the ballroom, the acoustics of the room spreading the sound throughout so that each gentle swirl through the length of the room was no quieter than thest. With the beat picking up in speed, our dance became more frantic, faster, we would part ways now and again so that she could twirl or I could swing her in my arms at a rhythmic, fric pace. Sweat would glisten down my brow, and the room would heat up through our efforts. It wasn¡¯t just us I saw¡ªthe room was full of people. I saw Bernard and Velle, chatting over sses of wine in the corner, my mother and father¡ªwho I had not seen since before the Merge¡ªjust as I remembered them, staring into each other¡¯s eyes while they danced more elegantly than I ever could. Kry, towering over everyone else, had been freed from her vigil atst, and she watched over the dance in interest. My mind carried me away, I even saw Rodrig and Mia, whom I hadn¡¯t thought of since that strange, secret dungeon that seemed a lifetime past. I even started humming the song, a simple tune that matched the beat of our steps. People didn¡¯t go to balls for the music, after all. It was more that the music carried the dancing. Then, right when the music¡ª ¡°Having fun?¡± A voice dragged me out of my daydreams, making me feel embarrassed at having been caught in such a moment, though it wasn¡¯t like they could read my thoughts. ¡°Ah¡­ Rhil¡­¡± She stood in the entrance to the ballroom, idly kicking up some of the dust on the floor, her hands behind her back. Wearing new clothes and having showered, she lookedpletely different from the Rhil I had seen in the encampment, almost the Rhil I remembered from Karfana, even¡­ Save for the obsidian cor still around her neck. ¡°You didn¡¯t even check on how I was doing, you know?¡± It was true. I had thought her to be sleeping and trying to recover from her ordeal, and I was uncertain if she med me for everything that had happened to her or not. Coming back as the Skybreaker, being captured, her life as she knew it changing, having to kill who-knows-what at the hands of the demons, losing ess to her powers¡­ I wondered if she would even hate me. Opening my mouth, I intended to use that as an excuse. I wanted to say that I had just been looking out for her health, that I fully intended to check on her afterward¡­ that I had missed her. Instead, what came out was: ¡°Ahhm¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was hardly the picture of confidence I envisioned. ¡°Aizen, speak up. The sound here may be good, but I still can¡¯t hear if you mumble from across the room.¡± She strolled across the ballroom, leaving little tracks in the dust she passed over, her hair swaying gently with each step. When she arrived in front of me, still hunched over and sitting in the wooden chair, she unsped her hands from behind her back and crossed them in front of herself, leaning on one leg as she shifted her bnce. ¡°That should be better. What did you say?¡± I couldn¡¯t meet her eyes. Looking down at the ground below my feet, my eyes focused on the minuscule details of the fraying around the outer edge of my right boot, where the leather had been worn away. ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you sorry for, Aizen?¡± She sounded genuinely confused about why I was apologizing to her. ¡°What don¡¯t I have to be sorry for would be the better questions. Karfana, you getting caught, whatever you went through, your pow¡ª¡± ¡°Shush, Aizen. That¡¯s your problem. You always me yourself for everything. Are you really apologizing for saving a city and saving me? Rather than apologizing, you should be angry at the demons.¡± Most everything would have been the same if not for the demons, after all. Yes, I would have still Awakened, but I would be on the path of a normal adventurer, probably exploring some low-level dungeon with a party of other adventurers. Instead, I had killed a dragon, found two Relics, and was in the process of trying to get a huge number of the unawakened to safety. I looked up at her and my eyes couldn¡¯t help but lock onto the cor at her throat. Things would have been much easier if I were able to rely on her powers. She noticed my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± she said, her voice rising a bit in stress. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity, damn it. Can¡¯t you just say what you¡¯re really thinking for once?¡± Just short of yelling, she turned away. ¡°You may be an Awakener now, Aizen, but don¡¯t think everyone is your responsibility.¡± She had hardly even given me any time to formte my thoughts,ing into the ballroom, saying I didn¡¯t have to apologize for everything, then suddenly blowing up on me with something about saying what I was thinking and leaving. I knew that she had been under a lot of stress, so I wasn¡¯t really upset with her. Rather, I was more confused than anything. ¡®What kind of conversation was that? Say what I¡¯m thinking?¡¯ She didn¡¯t know what I was thinking, so how could she ask me to say it out loud? Nobody really said what they thought, after all. There was always a filter between the mind and the brain, things that we might want to directly say insteading out in a roundabout fashion. It was hardly fitting to just ¡®say what you feel¡¯ in most situations. What if I had said what I was feeling to Rhil? I wasn¡¯t sure if she hated me or not, but I was almost certain that she didn¡¯t return the way I felt toward her. How could she, after all? To her, all of those years in Karfana had been retirement. We had shared a few conversations and meals together, but it had never gone beyond that. I was just her neighbor who aspired to be what she had voluntarily stopped being long before. I looked up to her, grew close to her, and even asionally harbored fantasies such as the ballroom dance that had been going through my mind before she interrupted my thoughts. If I were to be honest with her and just say what I was thinking, things wouldn¡¯t have been the same. I took somefort in the way things were, it was something I was used to, and I was afraid of what coulde next if I spoke the words aloud. ¡®How could I just tell her that I love her?¡¯ Chapter 75 Chapter 75 ¨C With the Crowd Jolted from my daydreams by the encounter, I frowned. An odd, anxious feeling welled up from my heart, constricting my throat like I was about to speak in front of a mass audience, though there was nothing of the sort happening. I still hoped that the castle would be cleaned up and used again someday, but I didn¡¯t see it happening anytime soon. The first step to such a goal would be solidifying our power as the leaders of the city. It would be foolish to just randomly let people go about as they pleased or to try to lighten the mood when we weren¡¯t sure how others would react, after all. I stood and gave the long, dusty hall onest nce before walking out. *** Deciding to see how the nning was going, I found Bernard alone in the meeting room, sitting on one of the chairs and looking over a few pages he had written on, tapping the pen to his mouth in thought before he scribbled something out. ¡°It would be a lot easier if you used an eraser, you know,¡± I said from the entryway. He turned his head and looked at me before he leaned back in his chair, reaching his arms up to stretch. I noticed that he had left his sword leaning against the table next to him. ¡°Mmm¡­ It always feels more satisfying to scratch things out.¡± He lowered his arms and dropped the pen onto the table next to the sheets of paper. ¡°What happened to you, anyway? We thought you were either dead or trapped beyond rescue. We tried to go back, but there was nothing there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin¡­ I was transported to a secret dungeon of sorts where time didn¡¯t pass quite the same, and by the time I came out, you and Velle were long gone.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Aizen. Here we are trying to rescue people and we can¡¯t even wait for one of our own. We can hardly call ourselves rescuers at this rate, huh?¡± He gave me a lopsided half-grin. I could tell he was only partly joking. Leaving me behind hadn¡¯t sat right with him. If I had been in his shoes, I would have felt the same way. He was a good man. ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself with it. It¡¯s not like you and Velle could wait for me forever. You had to leave at some point, right?¡± He shook his head and waved my question away. ¡°Ah, forget it. I¡¯m d you made it out safely.¡± ¡°Thanks, Bernard. How¡¯s the nning going?¡± I used my chin to gesture toward the papers that he had just been scribbling out. ¡°Troublesome at best,¡± he said. ¡°Magic is nice and all, but it still can¡¯t produce something out of nothing. The city, quite frankly, just doesn¡¯t have enough to supply all of the food needed. It doesn¡¯t matter that the item bags give us nearly unlimited space to hold it all.¡± Right, food was rtively easy to grow and produce with magic, eliminating the need for anything but some water when supplied with mana at a steady rate, which made ¡°food warehouses¡± fairlymon in cities. ¡°Exactly how bad does it look?¡± I asked, thinking that humans could actually go quite some time without food. It had only taken me around a week to get to the city from Karfana, how long would it take a group of Unawakened? ¡®They might go a bit hungry, but I don¡¯t think anyone will starve to death.¡¯ Still, there was the chance that I was drastically overestimating the speed at which we would be going. ¡°Anything other than that?¡± He frowned while looking over the papers. ¡°No, not really. The warmth stones will be easy enough to supply and even make if need be.¡± He didn¡¯t want people to go hungry. That was easy enough to understand, but there was only so much we could do in that situation. ¡°If that¡¯s it, then it would be better to leave sooner thanter, no? Where are the others?¡± ¡°Velle is already out distributing the item bags with the warmth stones to those volunteering to go with us at the Association building. The dwarf went with her, and as for the others¡­ I really don¡¯t know. I think Koise is up in the tower. I can¡¯t say I ever imagined I would be working on a rescue quest with the Lion Guild¡¯s leadership. I smiled at that and let out a low chuckle. ¡°Imagine my surprise. They were trying to kill me not too long ago.¡± I left Bernard to finish whatever ns he had before heading to the tower. I wasn¡¯t sure whether Rhil was going to go with us or not, but I could only imagine that she would. Maybe they would have a way to get rid of the cor in the inner cities, after all. As for Lein, his decision was his own, but it didn¡¯t sound like he really had a reason to go with us. He would probably stay behind with the dwarf and help manage the city. The elevator¡¯s silent rise into the tower was just as captivating each time. Rising through the darkness into a world of stars dotting the abyssal void, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder who the original inhabitants of the tower had been. Was it just a structure pulled from another world in the Merge? It couldn¡¯t have been human-built, at least, because we had only been there for a few years. The tower¡¯s apex was much as Ist remembered it, save that the dragon¡¯s corpse had been thoroughly dismantled and removed. Koise sat on the edge of the lopsided, broken desk, looking out of the shattered ss of the tower¡¯s huge window, seemingly unbothered by the cold. I stepped over to him, stopping by his side and looking out the window onto the city below. The howling wind swirled snowkes through the air around the pirs of fire in the city, the fiery pirs melting the snowkes in arge radius around each of them, providing what seemed to be multiple ¡°eyes of the storm¡±. Beyond the pirs of fire and the city¡¯s walls, the numerous Unawakened teemed in camps outside of the city. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for whates next, Aizen.¡± His voice sounded quiet, hollow in the wake of the storm blowing past. ¡°What, the quest to take them to Karfana? It shouldn¡¯t be too bad, Bernar¡ª¡± ¡°No, not the quest,¡± he interrupted me, ¡°I mean whates after, Aizen.¡± He turned his head away from the window to look at me. ¡°We killed the dragon and discovered that demon captain. I still n to kill the demon, but, and I hate to say this, I need to level up first.¡± While he spoke, wisps of air left his mouth. My ears and hands were starting to go numb, but I stayed and listened. ¡°I need to go back to my guild and report everything. I¡¯m thankful that you saved my life, especially while I was trying to kill you, but once we get back to the cities, that¡¯s it for our little partnership.¡± Of course, I knew that he wouldn¡¯t be staying with us forever. He had his own guild to attend to and matters that he had to oversee as a scout leader for said guild. Still, I couldn¡¯t deny that he had been key in killing the dragon and saving Rhil. Things would be more difficult without him. ¡°And once word spreads of this ce, you can bet every big-league guild is going to try to get their own stake in it. A city on the edge of unexplorednds? Who wouldn¡¯t want that? You¡¯re going to have to watch your back, Aizen. I won¡¯t be doing it for you.¡± He turned his head away from me again and looked back over the city. After that, I headed over to the Association to check on how Velle was doing. I could see that she had her hands full from the city¡¯s main square alone, a line of Awakeners spread out from the Association to sign up for the quest, and many were walking away in disappointment after having been turned away. We couldn¡¯t just take every Awakener in the city, after all, and Velle was trying to strike a good bnce between the ss types that we took with us. If we only had Awakeners who were focused on melee, then who would deal with monsters that could fly or target us from a range? On the other hand, if we only had people who could do ranged attacks, who would draw the monsters¡¯ attention and hold them so that they could be finished off? It was a careful bncing act, and monsters were known to be resistant to certain types of damage as well, so she had to take into ount how many physical and magical-type damage dealers we had. I squeezed past the Awakeners crowding the doorway and headed to Velle, who was behind the Association counter with the dwarf, where they were giving out instructions and telling the Awakeners being assigned where they would go and how they would distribute the warmth stones that they were handing out in item bags. ¡°ss and level?¡± she asked as I approached and a few others gave me dirty looks for cutting in line. ¡°Velle, it¡¯s me.¡± It took her a moment to clear her mind from what had be a rote memory. ¡°Oh, Aizen! Perfect. You can help us hand these out.¡± She shoved a handful of the item bags toward me. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 ¨C Before the Throne (1) The elven city of Alfarel was widely considered by many to be a wonder of magical engineering and smooth, seamless construction. White marble streets paved with gold trimmings, archways, and balconies jutted out between the crisscrossing walkways that hung over the city streets. It was, in many ways, a multi-tiered city. Most vehicles came and went below on the wide streets between the carefully constructed and nned city blocks, but it also had its fair share of pedestrian traffic, namely the less fortunate, the lower-leveled, and the other races that had not yet proven themselves. Almost anyone else would have found the city beautiful. They might have stopped at the numerous fountains that took center ce in small, sectioned squares throughout the city. The sound-dampening magic throughout the city made it so that such squares were little zones of peace, and many could be found enjoying an afternoon lunch or quiet conversations in them. Others might have looked at the passing magic carriages in awe and wondered how the stores, packed next to each other in the buildings the sidewalks skirted, seemed to be bigger on the inside than the outside. She hated the ce. It was all a lie to hide what the elves really were. Of all of the races, the elves took more pride in their architecture than anyone else. Of course, believing themselves to be blessed, they couldn¡¯t have it any other way. Each smooth curve, every gaudy golden glint, all of the unnecessarilyplex enchantments along even the sidewalks to clear them of dirt to keep them shining and bright¡­ All of the efforts could have better been spent on their own people, many of whom were corralled away in hidden city blocks, forgotten in corners of the city that were nearly impossible to ess, or even hidden away in the underground service tunnels, a city to themselves. Even as a direct servant to the Emperor, she was ¡®lucky¡¯ to be able to travel the main street. Usually, a Cursed such as her would be constrained to the underground tunnels, away from the eyesight of those she might offend with her nature. She could have hidden it. A long cloak with a raised hood would have made her seem like almost any other adventurer. Any questions she could just deflect away with the sh of the medallion that was the symbol of her station. Instead, she walked through the city streets towards her destination, the Imperial Pce, in a sleeveless ck shirt andfortable, fitted pants. Her boots were well-worn, though also well-maintained, showing signs of their color fading and the leather fraying. A cloak would have made the warm sun shining clearly in the day sky nearly unbearable¡ªthough the city had cooling enchantments if it did get too hot. The boots weren¡¯t what caught people¡¯s attention. Her left arm ended in a stump just below the elbow, and her hair, tied back in a ponytail, revealed the smooth left side of her head where an ear should have been. She was more than happy to reveal what the Emperor had gifted her for her service. The disgusted faces of her kinsmen as they turned their heads from her and the pitying looks of other adventurers meant nothing to her. If anything, it gave her some form of satisfaction that she could upend their perfect little world with her mere presence. She had done more for her race than any of them likely would. She would judge them, not the other way around. Finally, the Imperial Pce loomed in front of her, far taller than the multi-tiered city around it. The circr walls in the city¡¯s center were mirror-like and smooth, and the defensive enchantments around the walls ensured theplete vaporization of anything that tried to cross over them from the outside, extending upward to a height that only the enchanters knew the limits of. Assuming, of course, that anyone found a way to cross the walls that were taller than the tallest building in the city. The cylindrical walls were more of a foundation than actual walls, though they housed all manner of secretboratories and experiments within. At the apex of the cylinder, the Imperial Pce itself jutted out far above the rest of the city¡¯s structures. Rather than take a side entrance, she walked straight down the center of the street, only stopping in front of the gold and iron gates when one of the guardsmen went running up to her, hand near his weapon. ¡°Halt! This entrance is for vehicles only! If you have a permit to enter the pce, please use the entrance to the side of the road!¡± She stopped and looked at the guard, a younger elf who couldn¡¯t have been hired all that long ago. She didn¡¯t recognize him from her previous visits. He waited for her toply with his request, but she stood still, staring him down. His gaze flickered briefly to her ear and the stump of a left arm. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± his voice was wary. It didn¡¯t look like the others had told them about her. Rather than waste words, she tugged on a chain around her neck and pulled a medallion out from where ity under her shirt. The prismatic colors of the medallion caught the sunlight, the unique metal unmistakable. Frozen in ce by the sight he had likely only ever heard of, the guard took a moment to read over a System window that only he could see. A System window that she, of course, had never even seen herself and had only been told of. ¡°Ah¡­ U-uh¡­ I¡­ One moment.¡± The guard stammered over his words and rushed away to find his superior. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± she let out a short sigh and looked over the gate. It was more for show than anything else, though she didn¡¯t doubt it could withstand any sort of siege engine thrown at it. It would probably even be easier to break through the walls than the gate. The doors quietly slid open to either side. Another marvel of engineering. Of course it would have been too mundane to have them open up, down, inward, or outward. The elves, in all their ingenuity, hade to the only conclusion¡ªthat the towering gates needed to slide seamlessly into the wall on either side. She shook her head and smirked. They thought themselves geniuses for having reinvented the perfectly fine wheel. She left the medallion in in sight over her shirt because she didn¡¯t want to deal with being stopped and having to pull it out every dozen or so steps. Others still gave her wary gazes, but the medallion quickly turned those wary gazes into shocked gasps as people quickly looked away and went back to their business. Walking all the way down the wide street in the column-like foundation, she eventually reached the elevator tforms at the foundation¡¯s center that would take her straight into the pce. The guards silently let her pass into the elevators¡ªsquare, enclosed rooms about seven steps across in any direction. ¡°Imperial Pce,¡± she said, giving the guard, who was doing his best to not stare, a pointed look. The guard puzzled over what the words could mean for a moment before she gestured to the elevator runes on one side of the doorway. ¡°I can¡¯t activate them myself¡­¡± She didn¡¯t have mana, after all. The guard grimaced, seeming to dislike the idea of having to get any closer to her, and stepped into the elevator. He imbued his mana into the top-most rune that signified the Imperial Pce before hopping out while the doors slid closed. She¡¯d heard that the humans were also fans of sliding doors in her travels, much to the elves¡¯ dismay. ¡®I wonder what they¡¯re going to think of next since they¡¯re not unique anymore. Doors that fold in on themselves?¡¯ They were probably already working on that somewhere within the foundation of the Pce. Though she had been on the elevator countless times before, she could never really tell if it was moving or not, but the doors silently sliding open to reveal the interior of the Pce¡¯s elevator room reassured her soon enough. It was almost an exact replica of the area where she had initially boarded the elevator. From there, she had to step onto yet another elevator under a guard¡¯s close scrutiny. ¡°Throne room two,¡± she said. It wasn¡¯t the guard¡¯s ce to question her, the elite that kept watch over the Emperor would see to that. He just looked at her medallion and sent the elevator up. At least the throne room elevator could be operated from the outside. After another short journey, the doors slid open to reveal a long, rectangr room. With the elevator on one side and doors that were easily three heads taller than her on the other, anyone foolish enough to be there unattended would have to answer to the dozen elite guardsmen lined up, six on each side. They recognized her, just as she did them. It wasn¡¯t often that the Emperor¡¯s personal guard gained or lost members. She walked down the shining hallway, lit by the bright runes traced around the length of the hallway on the floor, ceiling, and walls, leaving no corner without a near-blinding illumination. They didn¡¯t question her, but their eyes scrutinized her every feature as they activated all manner of observation and divination skills on her passing form to ensure that she really was who she imed to be. She stopped in front of the throne room doors and ced her right hand on one side, having to push with all of her strength against the cold metal of the door. The guards simply watched her struggle against it while she leaned her whole body into it and scrabbled her feet on the blue marble of the floor, her boots squeaking in protest andbored breaths leaving her mouth. Despite all of the effort it took, the door quietly and slowly swung open to reveal the throne room, and in it, the elf sitting ramrod straight in all of his golden luminescent glory on the throne on the far end¡ªthe Elven Emperor himself. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 ¨C Before the Throne (2) The throne room was empty of anyone other than the two of them. He remained still and silent, sitting straight on the throne, head tilted slightly upward from the dais the throne was raised on at the end of the room. He stared down at her, his hands grasping the ends of either armrest of the throne firmly. Golden light, filtered through and¡ªshe was guessing¡ªvery likely enhanced by the enchanted windows serving as skylights in the otherwise windowless room, poured down in rays that illuminated the pathway to the Emperor and the being himself. The rest of the room was left in darkness. Thud, Thud. Her footsteps were audiblypressed by thevish purple carpet leading to the throne. The room was otherwise silent, which made her anxious after the activity of the city streets. There were no guards present, but that was hardly a concern. The Emperor was likely the most ¡®Blessed¡¯ elf in the entire Empire, after all. If a mere Cursed could threaten his life, then he had no business being in his seat of power. She finally stopped where the carpet ended, a few paces away from the dais, and a few more from the throne itself. ¡°Haa¡­¡± she sighed. The Emperor¡¯s eyes silently watched her. She knew what he was waiting for, and she knew him to be far more patient than her. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ She knelt on one knee, her back foot pressed into the soft carpet and her knee into the hard marble floor. He only spoke after she bowed her head and stared down at the steps below the dais. ¡°You could have saved him, Eve,¡± he used hermon name. It wasn¡¯t a question. He had, of course, read the report, and she had never known him to make a statement without knowing it to be true. ¡°Do you know that the temple originally wanted to kill you? ¡®An abomination of nature¡¯, they said.¡± Her eyes traced the swirls of dark color in the marble steps. His firm voice carried on, leaving no room for argument. Not that she would dare. ¡°I see you lost an arm.¡± He left the rest of the words unspoken, though she was able to finish the sentence in her mind. ¡®¡­Lose much more and there won¡¯t be a use for you.¡¯ Naturally, if there wasn¡¯t a use for her, the Emperor¡¯s protection would be withdrawn, and the temple would have her tortured and killed. She waited in silence. The Emperor¡¯s right hand lightly clenched and unclenched the end of the armrest. ¡°The humans call them ¡®demons¡¯, the things you faced in that vige. Tell me, how strong were they?¡± She knew he had read her carefully detailed report, but he wanted to hear the words from her mouth. ¡°Strong enough to corrupt one of the temple¡¯s ¡®Blessed¡¯, Your Majesty.¡± Of course, she meant the Pdins, beings given holy power by the ¡®System¡¯ they worshipped so much. ¡°But not strong enough to corrupt you?¡± ¡°The thing was visibly surprised before I killed it. I believe they somehow corrupt people through the System.¡± The creature¡¯s final surprise had hinted at such, though it was nothing but a theory. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± His deep voice rumbled through the throne room. ¡°The seekers have an idea of what to watch for now. That was thest confirmed sighting of them in the Empire.¡± ¡®But¡­¡¯ She waited for it. There was always a ¡®but¡¯. ¡°¡­I have a new task for you.¡± Her mission was endless, and they would use her until she died. ¡°There have been reports of these¡­ ¡®demons¡¯¡­ in the other realms as well. Though I¡¯m loathed to admit it, the orcs likely have better means of detecting them than we do, and the dwarves have always been solitary enough.¡± The Emperor paused, perhaps thinking of how to phrase his next words. ¡°The humans¡­ need to be watched.¡± Her bowed head hid the irrepressible smirk that crept onto her face. ¡®He can¡¯t say it, not even inplete privacy¡­¡¯ The Emperor couldn¡¯t admit that another race could be a threat to them, especially when that race had been around for the shortest amount of time. ¡°Go to the human realms, sniff out these ¡®demons¡¯, and eliminate them if need be.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Thus, her mission was given. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you that you have no association with us.¡± ¡®¡­Which means I won¡¯t have support if anything happens.¡¯ The humans were notorious for their ¡®need¡¯ to level up at all costs, even if it cost the lives of others. More than a few of them had been known to hunt other sentients for ¡®easy experience¡¯. She kept her head bowed, stood, and turned away, only lifting her gaze once he was clear from her sight while she walked back down the soft, plush carpet. ¡®It¡¯s not like him to be nervous¡­¡¯ She kept seeing his hand clenching and unclenching the throne¡¯s armrest in her mind. ¡°Whew¡­ I think that¡¯s thest of them.¡± Velle wiped the sweat off her brow. The building was usually onlyfortably cool, but the mass of bodies going in and out with the constant work of handing out the pouches and logging Awakeners had warmed them up quite a bit. I sat back on the stool behind the Association counter and thumped my head against the wooden wall as I rxed. ¡°Damn¡­ Almost reminds me of the DMV.¡± The dwarf finished chasing thest Awakener out and firmly locked the door. ¡°Gods be damned, it sounds like a cursed ce if it¡¯s anything like that was,¡± he said as he returned to us and started rooting around under the Association desk for something. Krrr, Ksh, Klunk Velle let out a shortugh, ¡°You¡¯re not too far off.¡± Finally, the dwarf pulled himself back from the desk, triumphantly holding up a bottle and a few wooden cups. ¡°Aha! I knew I had left it in here somewhere. Fancy a drink?¡± He thunked the cups down on the desk and pulled the cork from the bottle. Wine, by the smell and look of it. He sloshed the reddish liquid into the cups and started drinking before Velle or I could even reach out to grab one. ¡°Damn, but you humans can make alcohol.¡± I had dried dwarven alcohol before. Unfortunately, unlike what wasmonly portrayed in fantasy media on Earth, dwarven alcohol tasted like shit. I reached for my cup. ¡°How¡¯s the rest of the nning going?¡± I asked as I took a sip. ¡°You¡¯d have to ask Bernard, he¡¯s doing the actual logistics of it,¡± she said. ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah. I spoke with him beforeing here.¡± ¡°Oh! Then you know more than I do at this point!¡± The dwarf sloshed more wine into his cup, ¡°nning is always easier after a few drinks is what I say.¡± Seeing the dwarf like that, I wasn¡¯t quite as sure in my recement for the city lord anymore. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked Velle, lightly putting the cup back onto the desk. ¡°What, making it so that people don¡¯t starve and freeze to death?¡± I shook my head and gestured vaguely with my hand. ¡°No, I mean¡­ Why are you and Bernard doing all of this? I get that you want to save people and all that, but to what end?¡± ¡°¡­We can save people just to save them, you know.¡± She frowned at me over her cup. It looked like she may have misunderstood my intent. ¡°No, that¡¯s not really how I meant it¡­ I guess I want to know what prompted you into it. Surely you didn¡¯t arrive here after the Merge just wanting to help people, right? From what I¡¯ve gathered, you and Bernard seem fairly new to the whole rescuing thing, but you¡¯re both pretty experienced overall.¡± Her eyes softened in understanding and she gave me a short nod. ¡°Ah¡­ This question.¡± She had evidently been expecting a question of the sort. ¡°You¡¯re right, we didn¡¯t start off like this. Bernard and I met after an¡­ unfortunate dungeon incident.¡± Whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t have been worse than how Koise and I met. ¡°A bunch of Awakeners grouped together toplete a mass dungeon near the capitol and greed took over. Most of them either left the group after getting what they wanted, actively tried to take items from others, and fought over monster kills¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t unheard of. There was a risk to pick-up groups, after all, even in video games back on Earth. Still, a near-death experience didn¡¯t usually prompt someone into suddenly ¡®wanting to save everyone¡¯. She didn¡¯t continue with the story. ¡°And¡­?¡± I said, reaching for my cup again. ¡°And we made it to the end of the dungeon and saw something different.¡± The dwarf looked between us, squinting in interest at whatever Velle was about to say next. ¡°Rather than an item or experience, we were shown just how many people are still in stasis, waiting in the dungeons that nobody wants to visit for rescue.¡± ¡°Aizen¡­ More than half of humanity is still locked up in stasis. When they wake up, theirst memory will have been of the chaos before the Merge.¡± ¡®More than half of humanity¡­?¡¯ If what she said was true, then that also meant that half of all humans that had made it after the Merge were active. There wasn¡¯t really an urate census system in ce, but it was pretty easy to guess that there were less than a billion of us in total. Which raised the question¡­ ¡®Where did the billions of other people vanish to?¡¯ Chapter 78 Chapter 78 ¨C Before the Throne (3) She was ambushed just outside of Elven territory. ¡®Typical.¡¯ Of course they wouldn¡¯t dare try an ambush on elven ground. Rather than risk being caught and outright executed by a well-organized elven patrol, it was much safer to rob people in the much more chaotic human territory. They followed her for a good few hours, ensuring she wasn¡¯t just the scout of an advance party or some secret high-level Awakener before finally getting the courage to move. Systemless as she was, she was still elven-trained, and spotting her trackers through her battle-honed senses and sensing their heat signatures with her cursed ability was child¡¯s y. ¡®Two in the trees to my right, three to the left, four on either side of the road in front of me, and a couple following from behind. All amateurs.¡¯ The birds had stopped chirping in the trees by that point, and the foliage and branches extended above her, leaving little pinpricks of sunlight filtering down and providing a light shade from the sweat-inducing heat. She couldn¡¯t help but let a light smirk out, and the edges of her lips gently curved upward. ¡°Lost in the forest now, are we?¡± Only one stepped out¡ªa bulky man wearing piecemeal metal armor that looked like it had been hammered into shape from the scrap of a waste container. She stopped and let him approach. ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t be frightened, little elf. We won¡¯t hurt you.¡± He emphasized the ¡®we¡¯, not knowing that she was already well aware of their little ambush. ¡®Idiot,¡¯ Eve thought, gathering the ambient heat to her slowly as beads of sweat began to form on her brow. Mistaking her stillness and sweat for fear, he continued approaching. nk, nk¡ª The bits of metal bolted onto strips of hard leather over his body nked and rattled together, and he stopped a few paces in front of her while resting his hand on the rusted hilt of the longsword sheathed to his side. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see an elf without so much as even a dagger. Just hand over whatever you¡¯ve got and you might get to continue on your journey unharmed, yeah?¡± Thankfully, the weather was hot enough that pulling the heat to herself was almost as easy as walking. The man shifted again and scratched at his chin, perhaps feeling the colder temperature near her but not quite being able to understand it. ¡°And if I don¡¯t have anything to give you?¡± she asked. The man¡¯s grip caressed the hilt of his sword. ¡°Well¡­ I supposed we can still find some use for you.¡± The man curled his lips and revealed a toothy smile. ¡®Trash.¡¯ They might as well have been demons. ¡®It would be better if I didn¡¯t start a forest fire on my first few steps into human territory.¡¯ There would certainly be a fair share of firester. ¡°Who¡¯s this ¡®we¡¯ you keep referring to?¡± she asked. Predictably, the man held his hands out wide, indicating the foliage on either side of the dirt road that was just wide enough for a carriage and a half tofortably ride over. ¡°You guys cane out, thedy wants to see you.¡± His tone was light and mocking, and his eyes hovered briefly over the stump of her left arm. ¡®I wonder if he has any grasp of elven society.¡¯ Was there more meaning to the gaze than just a brief look? Following his orders, his men emerged from hiding. Turning her head to take a quick nce over each one, she saw that they didn¡¯t even have their weapons drawn. ¡®Good. They don¡¯t feel threatened in the slightest.¡¯ The next part required a bit of focus, and the men seemed all too willing to give her the time she needed as they casually started chatting with each other. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even have an arm. I thought elves were supposed to be tougher than this. I guess there are always exceptions, eh?¡± ¡°Hahaha, talk about easy pickings. Looks like today¡¯s our lucky day!¡± Their leader seemed to want to know how she would react next, maybe expecting her to cry in fear or beg for her life. Coated in a sheen of sweat from the amount of heat she was holding in, she held their groupposition firmly in her mind. ¡®One mage behind, two archers on the left side, and another mage in front. The rest are melee.¡¯ While pulling ambient heat from the air was great, it was more diluted than when she pulled it directly from something that was a direct generator of heat¡ªsuch as a human body. She also had to be careful of how resistant Awakeners were to fire, as their bodies were far more durable in every sense, and they only tended to get tougher as they increased in level. ¡®Judging by their equipment, they¡¯ve probably gotten most of their experience through Awakener kills or low-level dungeons.¡¯ Fortunately, low-level dungeons could only take you to around level 3 or 4 due to the experience fall-off. ¡®Their leader is probably the only one who has hit level 5.¡¯ He was the closest one to her, anyway. She closed her eyes and gave onest Pull to the ambient heat around her. Then her eyes opened. Their leader sensed that something was wrong in that brief moment and his muscles tensed, reflexes kicking in while he drew his sword. ¡®Toote.¡¯ Her hand shot upward, palm syed out toward him, and a beam of blue fire so condensed that it could have been mistaken for aser pierced through the center of the man¡¯s throat and left a clean, cauterized wound about the size of her fist through his flesh. His head flopped to the side, barely attached to the rest of his body. A rush of cold swept over her, and she leaped toward his copsing body as she turned and shot two rapid beams of red fire, rougher and less condensed, toward the two archers on the left side of the road. They dropped, lifeless, before they could even register what was going on. ¡®Next, the mages.¡¯ It took longer tounch a magic spell than it did an arrow, and spells generally moved slower. She thudded onto the dead leader¡¯s back and Pulled from his warm corpse with the stump of her left arm against the skin of his neck. The heat surged into her far faster, her pores opened up to pour sweat so quickly that it caused a shock of chill to run through her body. She shot a bolt of fire at the mage in front, trusting that he had sped less into physical durability due to his magical talents. Of course, a mage doing so wasn¡¯t anything to fault them for. It just made things easier for her. The bolt took the mage in the face as he finished casting a spell and his body fell limp instantly, the fire burning through his eyes and sh-frying his brain. ¡®Out of time.¡¯ Only a second or two had passed, but it was long enough for the other mage to finish his spell. ¡®Ha!¡¯ The idiot cast a fireball at her while the other bandits were closing in on her. It would have missed anyway, but she pushed herself into the ball of explosive heat. Boom-! She couldn¡¯t absorb it all, of course. That much heat would have fried even her, but as long as she just redirected it, save for some difort, it was harmless. ¡°Kghaaaa!!!¡± She tried to redirect the heat toward the men running at her, all of whom wielded clubs and swords. While some of it did escape into the air and shoot off in random directions, the mes exploded from her body after the fireball made contact with her, aimed mostly toward her assants. Of the four men closing in on her, two fell dead almost instantly, one was set ame and rolled around on the ground, screaming, and the other gritted his teeth and forced his way through, probably having sped into more toughness-rted stats than the others. She took in that his hands were pulled back on his club to his left side. She dropped to the ground, elerating her fall with a st of heat upwards, and just barely dodged the club that was swung faster than her eyes could follow. ¡®Got you.¡¯ She saw the mage through the man¡¯s legs. He was down the road, still trying to get a clear shot, not wanting to incinerate hisst ally. Eve grabbed the man¡¯s bare ankle and Pulled hard on the man¡¯s heat, putting him into shock and then sting the heat through the man¡¯s ankle in a final beam that took the mage in the chest and dropped him to the ground. The big man with the club fell, and she Pulled on his heat again before surging it through his body and directing it into his brain. ¡°Ghaa¡­¡± The man fell on top of her and knocked the breath from her lungs. After struggling for a few moments, she managed to wriggle out from under him and approached thest bandit, the one who had caught on fire but wasn¡¯t outright dead after the fireball. He¡¯d managed to douse the fire by rolling in the dirt, but he just gripped his face and sobbed softly. ¡®Looks like the fire got his eyes.¡¯ She licked her lips and briefly savored the moment. ¡®So much for your System, fucking trash.¡¯ She briefly entertained the thought of leaving him blind there, but the risk of him actually surviving and telling others about her was too great. ¡°You got off lucky this time,¡± she said before cing her hand against his head and surging thest of her extra heat into the lowest form of mes, giving him a few final moments of searing agony. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¨C An Icy Ordeal (1) The next day, after preparations were finished and everyone was given a night¡¯s rest to remember their roles in the uing journey, I found myself exiting the gates with a steady trickle of other Awakeners in the dim yellow glow of the rising morning sun. It was cold enough inside the walls near the pirs of fire, I could only imagine how cold the Unawakened must have felt outside the walls, huddled around fires and warmth stones, guarded by a few Awakeners who drew the short straws that night. By some miracle, nobody perished overnight. If the storms had picked up or it had been any colder, we would have had to cram everyone into the city, which would have made leaving again only take longer. People stood around outside the walls in clear groups of the Awakened and the Unawakened. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯m going to get enough experience from this to level up?¡± ¡°Nah, forget experience. Think about the gold from selling monster parts! I hope there¡¯ll be lots of them to kill.¡± Most of the Awakeners chatted about how much they hoped to gain from the quest in in earshot of the Unawakened, who, only a few days prior from their point of view, had just been going about their lives on Earth. Of course, they weren¡¯t limated yet, and talks of monsters only made them warier. To them, all of the Awakeners probably looked bloodthirsty. They did to me, too. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we got transported into a video game! Levels, sses, stats¡­ Hell, this could pretty much be what I was ying back home before all this!¡± A young Unawakened man in sweats and a hoodie gestured, speaking with enthusiasm to the middle-aged man next to him, who wore a suit and tie and had probably been in the middle of a workday right when the Merge happened. ¡°They say that we just have to kill a monster to Awaken like them. Can you imagine? You could literally have Superman-levels of power! All it probably takes is a good kick to kill a goblin, anyway.¡± He seemed better-limated than the rest. I¡¯d seen his type before, ¡®game-freaks¡¯. Despite the derogatory-sounding name, they tended to fare better than those who tried to see everything with Earth¡¯s logic. Unfortunately, they also tended to get themselves into more dangerous situations. Something about their mindset made them not fully realize that they couldn¡¯t just ¡®respawn¡¯ or ¡®reload¡¯ like in their games on Earth until death stared them right in the face. Passing them by, I found the others near the front of the crowd. Bernard, Velle, Koise, and Rhil were waiting for me, and it looked like I was thest to arrive. The dwarf and Lein were going to continue to look over the city after we left. They would have an easier time managing things with fewer people, but I worried about how well they could defend if the city was attacked. I couldn¡¯t get the image of the demon camp over the mountains out of my head. Were they still there? Had they moved or given up after our little raid? Were they watching the city even then and waiting for us to leave it? Pondering such questions would only make me anxious for no reason, so I decided to keep myself busy. ¡°Perfect timing, Aizen. And here I was worried that we would have to leave without you.¡± Bernard smiled to show that it was just a joke. ¡°You¡¯ll stay behind with me to help deal with any threats that make it through the roving scout party that Koise will be leading to eliminate monsters before they can get close. Velle is going to watch over the food and warmth stone distributions to make sure we don¡¯t have anyone starve or freeze to death, and Rhil will be helping her with that.¡± Rhil still avoided my gaze, angry with me about the thing from the previous day. I would have to ask her about that sooner orter, but there were more pressing matters at that moment. ¡°If everything goes well, Koise and the Awakeners under his charge should be the only ones that have to fight. If not¡­¡± He let his sentence trail off. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing left to do but get going, yeah?¡± I pped my hands together and tried to lighten the mood. When we started off, every Awakener was greeted by another System window. [Quest ¡®Guide the Unawakened to Safety¡¯ is underway. Unawakened: 76/76 Quest Percentage: 1%] ¡®How convenient,¡¯ I thought. The tracker would at least tell us if someone died and give us a hard number of how close we were to the end. It was probably better that the Unawakened couldn¡¯t see it, though, as panic could set in if they thought we were farther than they hoped or if anyone passed away. Koise decided to split his group up and his scouts roamed in small groups, picking off any stray monsters they could find or guiding us aroundrger groups that could cause trouble. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the monsters had ¡®spawned¡¯ specifically for the quest, been guided to their positions from elsewhere, or simply had already been there. I doubted thest option, as there was nothing for monsters out in the frigid wastes. ¡®Do they have quests or a System of their own?¡¯ I wondered. After all, I had already seen a separate type of System from the one most were aware of. Regardless, the scouts did their job well, and my anxiety started to fade as the quest percentage went up and our main group was never attacked. [Quest Percentage: 9%] [Quest Percentage: 12%] [Quest Percentage: 17%] [Quest Percentage: 25%] We experienced our first ¡®true¡¯ wave of monsters exactly when the percentage hit 25. The sun was high overhead, signaling that it was about noon, the light wisps of snowy wind caressing our faces were only slightly chilly, and we found the most difficult aspect to be the snow that reached up to knee height, making every step a struggle. ¡®At least there aren¡¯t any monsters, though,¡¯ was what I thought at the time, perhaps jinxing it. The scouts were visible through the swirling snow on the horizon, and we were traversing over arge, t in, rxed because we would be able to see any monsters long before they reached us. [Monster Wave! A wave of monsters has detected your party and set up an ambush in advance. Do your best to defeat them and defend the Unawakened! Monsters Remaining: 100/100] Then the snow started moving ahead of us. Snow goblins¡­ They muscled their way out of the snow that they had burrowed under to hide, light enough to run along the top whereas we sunk into the snow to our knees. ¡°WAAAAAGGG!!!¡± Letting out battle cries, the massive goblin group split up like a wave and converged around us on either side. Koise¡¯s scouting parties engaged in battle with a few groups of goblins, but there weren¡¯t enough of them to distract them all, and the goblins headed straight for the Unawakened group when they could have overwhelmed Koise¡¯s scouts. ¡°Run to the other side!¡± I shouted to Bernard as I sprinted to the right side, where one of thergest groups of goblins was rushing. ¡°Got it! Velle should provide some cover shortly!¡± He yelled as he gripped his massive sword and took off toward the other group of goblins. Sure enough, a rumbling sound shook the ground, and the sky darkened overhead. A small formation of ck clouds obscured the sun and crackled with electricity¡ªVelle casting arge-scale magic. Other Awakeners gathered at the edges of the group of Unawakened, who shouted and pulled in close to each other, even trampling over each other, trying to frantically get away from the edges where they were most likely to be attacked if goblins made it through. *** He watched, his heart beating rapidly in excitement as the goblins he had in in so many video games emerged from the snow and charged at them. Of course, he was confident that he could just kick one or two of them to death, but even he knew that a horde surrounding him would be his death. Even though they were tiny inparison to what humans wielded, their rusty swords and crooked spears could still tear into flesh and kill him all the same. The other Awakeners nearby gave him some confidence, though, and he edged near the front of the line, waiting for his moment. He only needed to get one good hit in and the ¡®System¡¯ they spoke of would be his. The Awakeners and goblins shed, and many of the goblins were sent ragdolling through the air as the Awakeners used their various skills and overpowered the small creatures. Perhaps the biggest advantage the goblins had was their speed. They could run over the snow far faster than most of the humans could slog through it, though he did notice one person soaring over the battlefield tond amidst the goblins with a wristde on one arm and an earth gauntlet of some sort on the other. The Awakeners started moving forward into the goblin horde, shing through them and sending goblin bits everywhere. Feeling the adrenaline of the battle around him, the young man moved behind a few of the Awakeners who surged into the monsters, trying desperately to keep up with them with his mortal legs. One of the goblins sprinted through the gap left in the Awakeners¡¯ paths, running at him. ¡®Finally! This is my chance.¡¯ Chapter 80 Chapter 80 ¨C An Icy Ordeal (2) The goblin was a puny thing, a near-spitting image of the trash mobs he had mowed through by the dozens in his games before the Merge. It didn¡¯t even wear armor, just patches of thick, rough hide with fur still attached to various bits that stuck off of it in random directions. Boom! A blinding sh lit the snow, nearly blinding them both but painting the goblin in stark contrast to its surroundings. Its weapon wasn¡¯t much more intimidating than its armor, a simple sword that would have been around the size of arge dagger for humans. Of course, he knew that the weapon could still pierce and slice his skin, but as he had envisioned, kicking it would be easy enough. There was only one problem¡­ He didn¡¯t even fully realize it until the creature was charging at him over the snow and he found his legs obstructed by the knee-height powder, but it would be almost impossible to swing his leg at the goblin like he was imagining with the extra hindrance. ¡®Shit!¡¯ The goblin approached him and swung its weapon down. Having to choose between his life or potentially his arm, the man chose his arm and raised it to block the goblin¡¯s sword. ¡°AAAGGGHHH!!!¡± The de didn¡¯t make a sound. There wasn¡¯t an explosion of blood, a flesh-rending ripping sound, or even the thunk of the metal hitting bone. Instead, there was pain. Searing pain shot up his arm and through his body, nking his mind for a moment while the goblin pulled and unsessfully tried to extricate the sword from the bone of his forearm. The goblin let the weapon go, and the young man instinctively drew the injured limb close to his chest, hugging it and falling into a fetal position. His assant didn¡¯t let the opportunity go and jumped on the man, who tried to ineffectually bat it away and roll to the side. The goblin bared its teeth and tried to jump at his throat. Somest-second instinct surged through the man¡¯s body, and he kicked his leg out at the creature that jumped down at him from the snow. His iling foot caught the goblin¡¯s little green head right on the side of its temple, and its skull gave in, crumpling as the goblin went limp and fell next to him. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A little blue screen appeared through his tear-blurred vision. *** The goblins were just that¡­ goblins. Easy enough for even an Unawakened human to kill, the biggest problem was with their numbers. Finished with killing a small group of them that had diverted their attention toward me while their allies surged around me in a frenzy toward the Unawakened, I looked around to get a grasp of how the battle was going. Only a few minutes had passed since the ambush began, and the goblin horde had noticeably thinned. Velle¡¯s storm clouds boomed from time to time and struck goblins dead like some sort of automated turret, creating blinding shes in the snow every few seconds. Boom! I shielded my eyes for a moment, letting them adjust. At a nce, it didn¡¯t look like any Awakeners had fallen. However, many of the Awakeners had surged forward in a contest to try to be the one to get the most participation and leftrge gaps that individual goblins sprinted through at the Unawakened. I already saw a few of the Unawakened lying in the snow, lifeless, while goblins thrust their spears or swung their weapons at them. Faced with fight or flight, the responses varied. A few of the Unawakened took their chances with the individual goblins and grappled with them in the snow, but others sprinted away from the group toward the rtive ¡®safety¡¯ of the Awakeners who were distancing themselves from them. Unfortunately, the Awakeners could move through the snow far faster than the Unawakened, and those that ran just isted themselves more. As if reading my intentions, more goblins streamed toward me from the horde. There weren¡¯t any other Awakeners blocking the way for a good few meters in either direction, and if I left my position, I would leave an even wider gap for all of the goblins to get through. If I wanted to help them, I just had to kill the goblins as quickly as possible. ¡°Come at me then,¡± I said, flicking goblin blood into the pure-white snow from my wristde, leaving behind flecks of ck-red. [System Awakened] [Congrattions on killing your first enemy!] [Please select your ss.] The little blue window hovered just in front of his eyes. Staying huddled down in the little pit in the snow he had fallen into, the man¡¯s eyes glossed over the System message and the following ss options. [Please select your ss: ¡¶Berserker¡· ¡¶yer¡· ¡¶Pugilist¡·] ¡°Fuck¡­¡± His arm hurt far too much to be thinking critically about his next choice. Goblin shouts, Awakener abilities, and the screams of the dying still thundered around him, and he was far enough away from the other Unawakened that it would only be a matter of time until one of the goblins stumbled upon his little hole in the snow. ¡°S-yer.¡± He chose based on name alone and the short time he had to think. His thought process was that a berserker would be pain/injury-oriented, and he wanted to avoid pain and injury as much as possible, while Pugilist would, of course, involve him getting as close to the monsters as possible to strike them with his limbs. yer was the only choice that didn¡¯t seem masochistic. [Your ss is now Level 1 yer!] [You have gained the ?yer¡¯s Fury? ability!] [System Name: Kyle ss: yer Level: 1 XP: 100/1000 Mana: 150/150 STR: 10(+5) END: 12(+6) AGI: 12(+6) PER: 10(+5) MAG: 10(+5) MANA: 10(+5) Innate Skills: ¡¶yer¡· Gives the user additional END and AGI as they gain levels. Current Bonus: +2 END, +2 AGI. Passive Skills: ?yer¡¯s Fury? The more enemies there are to kill, the better you get at killing. Provides percentage stat bonuses based on how many enemies you have recently killed and how many enemies around you still wish to kill you. Current ¡®yer¡¯s Fury¡¯ Bonus: +50% to all stats.] Almost instantly, the pain in his arm faded, he felt lighter, the biting cold turned to a numb chill, every sound seemed to boom in his ears, a new vitality filled his body, and¡ªdespite the sword still stuck in his arm¡ªhe felt better than he ever had. ¡°Ha¡­ hahaha!¡± He stood up from the hole in the snow in time to see another goblin running across the snow at him. Kyle bared his teeth in a smile at the goblin. ¡®Come get me, you bastards,¡¯ he thought as he kicked aside the snow in his path and stomped toward the shrieking goblin. The goblin thrust its little spear at him, which might as well have been moving underwater for how quick it was. He casually batted it away with one hand and grabbed the goblin by the throat. Strength surged through his body and he tightened his grip, crushing the goblin¡¯s windpipe and ending its shrieks. ¡®This could get addicting,¡¯ he thought when ?yer¡¯s Fury? stacked again and he felt another incremental surge in sensation throughout his body. Then he felt a brief moment of surprise as something struck the back of his neck before he felt nothing at all. *** [Monster waveplete! Calcting rewards based on contribution¡­] I didn¡¯t even end up cing in the top three. Surprisingly enough, Velle actually ced first, with Koise a close second and another Awakener I had only met briefly cing third. [Experience: 30,500/32,000] Including the contribution reward, I gained 500 experience from the monster wave. It wasn¡¯t bad, but that wasn¡¯t my primary concern. [Quest ¡®Guide the Unawakened to Safety¡¯ is underway. Unawakened: 65/76 Quest Percentage: 26%] Though there were no Awakener casualties, more than ten of the Unawakened had died during the monster wave. ¡°This can¡¯t happen again,¡± I said, speaking to Koise while Bernard, Velle, and Rhil attended to the others. ¡°I agree,¡± Koise said, ¡°That was a pathetic show of organization.¡± ¡®Of course that¡¯s what he¡¯s worried about.¡¯ ¡°No, I mean we can¡¯t allow any more Unawakened deaths.¡± He paused for a second and looked into my eyes, seeming to mull something over before speaking. ¡°Did you really expect all of them to survive?¡± Of course I had expected them all to survive. What kind of question was that? ¡°You seemed oddly unconcerned,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want potential Awakeners to die unnecessarily, but there¡¯s no use focusing on it now. I¡¯m sure the other Awakened realize their mistake now that they¡¯ve had a chance to look at the deaths.¡± ¡®Live and learn¡¯ he was saying, which was of littlefort to the dead. My eyes focused on one of the corpses being carried past. The ground was frozen solid, so they were piling the bodies to burn them. It was the most we could do for them with time on the line. It was the young man I had seen talking about video games right outside of the city gates¡ªthe one who had seemed excited. They¡¯d found his body alone, far away from the central group of Unawakened, with two dead goblins near him and a spear jutting out of his neck where a goblin had circled around and attacked him from behind. There were multiple circumstances in which he could have lived. He could have stayed with the Unawakened, he could have retreated after killing the first goblin, or he could have kept a better eye on his surroundings, but it was what it was. As I said before, ¡®game freaks¡¯ tended to put themselves into dangerous situations. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¨C An Icy Ordeal (3) We continued the rest of the journey through the frozen north to the edge of a cliffside that extended as far as the eye could see into the forests that I was familiar with. The frozen, snow-covered peaks and drifts were behind us, light gales blowing through the mountains and trailing wisps of snow beneath the setting orange glow of the sun. I looked out over the steep drop ahead of us, the sun painting the forest greenery and the browns of the king trees in oranges and cks. The heat gathered below wafted in an updraft next to the drop, warming the stones next to the cliff enough to melt the ice and make them safe to rest on. Well, as safe as resting next to a steep drop could be. What we were worried about was what would happen when we began descending. [Quest Percentage: 49%] The little blue System window. The System was supposed to be nothing if not consistent, though that was being challenged by my encounters with the demons and Rhil¡¯s cor. It was likely that, as soon as we began descending the steep cliff, the quest would tick over to 50% and we would face our next monster wave or event. The night was cold, though the warm draft from the cliff face was still warmer than what we had been facing until then, so we still needed to burn through warmth stones. The sun rose over the horizon, shining in our faces over the expanse of the forest far below. I briefly looked for the hole I had fallen through into Kry¡¯s cave system, but perhaps she had long since sealed it up already. With a few final words and checks, we began our descent over the edge. Though flight wasn¡¯t unheard of, it was extremely rare and usually reserved for either unique items, high-level abilities, or near-unheard-of sses. Thunk! Not even needing to use ?Strike?, I hammered down on one of the many metal pitons we nted over the top of the ledge, cracking the stone and firmly wedging the rod in ce. It would have been easy enough to just lower the Unawakened over the ledge a few at a time, but we hammered the pitons in pairs so that we could lower Awakened and Unawakened pairs down the cliff together. The going would be slower, but at least we wouldn¡¯t be leaving them defenseless as they were lowered down the cliff. We still weren¡¯t sure how the attack woulde, but we needed to cover the top of the cliff, the Unawakened being lowered, and the bottom of the cliff where they wouldnd all at the same time. Finally, with the sun rising overhead, we made the decision to move. There were enough of us to lower ten people at a time, and it took roughly eight minutes to safely lower the pairs and bring the ropes back up, meaning we would be looking at a little over two hours total before everyone was at the bottom. If we just had to survive a limited monster attack like at the 25% marker, it would be easy enough to just lower one group down and kill the monsters before lowering the rest. The problem, however, was where and when the monsters would appear. [Quest Percentage: 50%] The System ticked over to 50% when we started lowering the first group of people. I helped to lower one of the Unawakened. ¡®He feels surprisingly light.¡¯ I was lowering a man who looked a bit on the pudgy side, but it was no more difficult than, say, carrying a terrier or other smaller dogs back before the Merge. ¡­No, back before I Awakened. The pitons served as uncoiling mechanisms and emergency tie-offs for the rope in case of attack, so all we really had to do was hold the rope and let it out in a controlled slide to lower those on the other end. There was a collective holding of breath until the first group reached the ground safely and we got the next group ready, tying the ropes in makeshift harnesses around their waist and thighs. Then the second group made it down¡­ Then the third¡­ A half-hour passed like that, each group being methodically lowered down while the quest percentage stayed at 51%, and I began to wonder if monsters wouldn¡¯t attack until we all reached the bottom. ¡®The System wouldn¡¯t make it this easy right?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t really a matter of whether we would be attacked or not, it was a matter of when, where, and by what. There was a reason many purposefully either decided to not worry about Awakening or just stayed in or near cities, after all. Quests were seldom easy. Then another half-hour passed. Sure enough, right when around half of the group was at the bottom, half up top, and a few were being lowered¡­ ¡°Something¡¯sing!¡± Koise yelled out and pointed toward the sun over the horizon. They looked like ck dots from the distance we were at, but his PER stat probably allowed him to see them as if he had a telescope. Flying monsters¡­ Depending on whether they primarily attacked with diving attacks or shot fire breath or something of the sort, our melee fighters might end up fairly useless, and the close-ranged fighters descending the cliff face would be doubly so without anything to nt themselves on. ¡°Can you tell what they are?!¡± I yelled to him while still lowering one of the Unawakened on the rope. He shielded his eyes from the sun and squinted out for a few moments while the dots steadily gotrger. ¡°I think they¡¯re¡­ wyrms?¡± ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ A lesser and not as intelligent type of dragon, a wyrm was smaller but still dangerous. I started letting the rope slide out of my hands faster, still at a controlled pace. Rope burn might have been an issue before I Awakened, but even without using the earth abilities given to me by the other System, my END was high enough that my skin wouldn¡¯t be torn so easily. When I estimated that there was only about 30% of the rope left to lower, the wyrms were close enough to make out clearly, and the System popped up with a message when it was sure that we had all seen them clearly. [Monster Wave! A wave of monsters has detected your party and is approaching your group from the sky, do your best to defeat them and defend the Unawakened! Monsters Remaining: 10/10] There were far fewer of them, of course, because wyrms were far stronger than goblins. They might have been lesser dragons, but they were still a type of ¡®dragon¡¯, after all. Maybe a seventh of the size of the City of the Edge¡¯s dragon we had killed, each wyrm had little scales running over the length of its body, simr to a snake¡¯s skin. Thankfully, the scales were just about as tough as well, and though their hides were thick, they didn¡¯t have anything close to the toughness a dragon was granted by its indestructible te-like scales. With retractable ws a few meters long at the end of each of their four legs and heat shimmering from their bodies while they flew at us and prepared to breathe fire, my stomach churned and bile rose to my throat when a few of the wyrms dove down while the rest continued their mad flight at us. ¡®Should I just leap at them now?¡¯ The archers and mages started letting off their attacks at the wyrms, and I debated on whether jumping at the wyrms would be worth it. ¡°KRAAAAGH!¡± The wyrms roared, and a lucky arrow pierced straight into one¡¯s eye and lodged itself firmly in its skull, sending it tumbling from its flight where it crashed into the side of the cliff and fell far to the ground below. I slung the rope around the piton in a quick knot and peered over the ledge while fireballs sshed over the wyrms and bolts of lightning thundered through the sky, sending blinding shes through the air. Four of the wyrms had diverted themselves from the others. Two went for the group on the ground while the others, taking advantage of both the groups above and below being distracted by their allies, had free pickings of the Awakened and Unawakened on the cliffside. They did their best to fire arrows, magic, and whatever else they had at them, but even a ranged Awakener would find it difficult to attack properly while dangling from a rope. It would probably be nearly impossible to properly aim. ¡°Ah¡­ fuck it,¡± I mumbled under my breath. The Awakeners at the top and bottom would just have to be enough to deal with the wyrms. They had Koise, Bernard, and Velle, after all. Not to mention other simrly powerful Awakeners tagging along for the quest rewards. Rather than worry about them, I needed to protect those on the cliffside. One of the Awakeners was already dangling at the end of their rope, limp and charred from a wyrm¡¯s breath. The wyrm circled back around and its gaze locked onto the Unawakened next to the limp Awakener, who shouted and raised his arms as if they would protect her from the miniature dragon. I riled the energy of the earth up within myself and solidified the gauntlet around my right forearm. ¡®This is going to hurt,¡¯ I thought to myself beforeunching myself over the edge of the cliff and falling toward the wyrm. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¨C An Icy Ordeal (4) The warm updraft of wind immediately battered my face, and it was a relief from the biting cold even while it tore at my hair and clothing during my freefall. The wyrm,pletely unaware and likely not expecting someone to freefall from above, continued toward the defenseless Unawakened, its mouth open while it screeched and prepared to devour its prey. ¡®I¡¯m going to miss it¡­¡¯ Of course, I hadn¡¯t really expected to be able tond directly atop it through the updraft that battered me during my fall and the height of the jump itself. I dropped past the wyrm, not even trying to alter my course. Then, having missed the wyrm by a decent margin and falling still¡­ ¡®Now!¡¯ I used the skill I had been waiting for the perfect moment to use. [?Redirection?] My trajectory instantly changed and I soared toward the unsuspecting wyrm from below, only meters away from the Unawakened, who still held her arms up in a warding gesture. [Mana: 100/125] All of my downward momentum turned into upward momentum, and the wyrm never even saw meing. Rather than aiming directly for the wyrm, I aimed slightly to its side and held the de of my gauntlet out to catch its outward-stretched neck on my flyby. Skshh¨C Metal met flesh met bone met air, and the de sliced through the wyrm¡¯s neck more effortlessly than a knife cutting paper. The wyrm¡¯s body, held up by nothing other than its forward momentum, narrowly missed mming into the Unawakened on the cliffside and crashed into the steep surface. Its head flew from its body upon impact, and a spray of purplish blood followed the spiraling body all the way down to the ground. With gravity having not yet fully reimed its hold on me and my momentum still carrying me upwards, my eyes locked onto the other wyrm, battling a mage-type Awakener, who was stationary on his rope and casting barrier spells one after the other to protect himself and the Unawakened next to him. He looked to be almost purely defensive, and the wyrm scratching at the barriers would eventually deplete his mana. [?Redirection?] To others, it would probably even look like I was flying. My trajectory changed again, and the other wyrm saw meing from its periphery. Before I could catch it unawares, the wyrm spun in midair and propelled itself at me with its jaw open to catch me. [Mana: 75/125] If I used ?Redirection? to avoid it, I would have to use it at least one more time to go back toward it, leaving me with only one more skill use. Rather than that, I extended my hands forward and met the screeching wyrm head-on. The wyrm¡¯s jaws closed in around me, and I stabbed my de upward, angled into the creature¡¯s skull while forming bits of earthen armor around where its teeth closed in on me. Its spittle flew out of its mouth and sprayed over my face and skin, and its tongue thrashed about, knocking into my boots and shins. It iled its head for a few moments, and its jaw closed even tighter, sending the de further into its skull, where it must have pierced something vital. The wyrm suddenly went limp and dropped through the air. I retracted the wristde and tried to leave its mouth, but thebined difficulties of it twirling through the air to the ground and the slipperiness of the saliva made it nearly impossible to pull myself to safety before the wyrm mmed into the ground. ¡®Shit, shit, shit shit, SHIT!¡¯ Boom¨C! I woke up a few minutester to the faces of the other Awakeners who had made it to the bottom of the cliff already peering down at me. They¡¯d pulled me from the creature¡¯s mouth, and a line of blood ran along my left arm where I had been pressed against the wyrm¡¯s teeth upon impact. From the looks of the other wyrm corpses around, it seemed that they¡¯d dealt with things on their end already. They had been faced with fewer wyrms than those at the top of the cliff, who I could still see battling a few wyrms with barrages of arrows and gouts of fire. ¡®Fire against wyrms?¡¯ That was all I could think in my semi-conscious delirium while the others spoke to me through my haze and tried to get me to respond. ¡®Everyone knows wyrms are resistant to fire¡­¡¯ Still, whether they were resistant to the damage or not, the fire still served to obscure their eyesight, so maybe that was the intention. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?!¡± Finally, their voices reached me through the haze. An Awakener with a staff on his back hovered a hand over my head and channeled green energy through my body that tingled over my head and passed through to my toes, leaving a rejuvenated just-woke-up feeling behind. The man, a healer, looked back at someone out of sight. ¡°Other than a few cuts along the arm, he doesn¡¯t seem to be injured all that much. Did he hit his head too hard, maybe?¡± Healing magic tended to have difficulty healing the mind and mental ailments, so he¡¯d done the best he could with healing me physically, though I hadn¡¯t been injured all that much to begin with. I raised and half-waved a hand at him. ¡°Ahh¡­ Ish¡¯ll beh gohd¡± My voice slurred out of my mouth, and I cleared my throat for a second try after the man turned to give me a concerned look. ¡°Ahem¡­ Just¡­ need a minute.¡± He stopped channeling the healing spell and looked me over again. ¡°You sure? You fell pretty far¡­ Maybe you should justy down for a bit.¡± It was a tempting offer, but I needed to see how the others were doing. The haze was already fading, anyway, and I pushed myself up into a sitting position and squinted around. ¡°Everyone okay?¡± The man scratched his head, still giving me a concerned look. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be the one asking that¡­ but yeah, everyone down here is fine.¡± Things had gone better than with the goblin attack, at least. If those up top fared as well as the people down there, we were looking at maybe one casualty. Still, it was one too many. The healer looked up at something. ¡°Ah¡­e on, we have to move.¡± He half-dragged me to my feet and helped me stumble over the soft dirt at the foot of the cliffside, a wee relief from the frozen ground above. Then, after being dragged a few meters¡­ Boom¨C! The body of a wyrm fell from the sky, pierced all over by arrows and raining a light shower of blood behind it. Dirt flew up into the air at the impact, and a small cloud of dust slowly settled around the dead monster¡¯s body. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s been about the most dangerous thing so far. Almost had a few get ttened by the falling bodies already. Hell, even had to heal a broken leg.¡± The healer gestured lightly to where another Awakener sat and massaged his leg against a nearby tree. ¡°I think that might be the end of it, though¡­¡± As if confirming his words¡­ Ting! A new System message popped up in a little blue window, signaling the end of the monster attack. [Monster waveplete! Calcting rewards based on contribution¡­] [+1000 Experience] [ Experience: 31,500/32,000] [Quest ¡®Guide the Unawakened to Safety¡¯ is underway. Unawakened: 65/76 Quest Percentage: 51%] ¡®Sixty-five¡­¡¯ That meant that, somehow, none of the Unawakened had died during the monster attack. Not only that, but my experience reward was significantly higher since I had killed a fifth of the monsters alone. After a few moments, the people stuck hanging on the side of the cliff face began moving downward again, and my eyes followed the body of the single, limp Awakener all the way down. Unfortunately, we still lost someone. *** With the quest over halfwayplete and our return to a warmer climate, we were able to conserve the rest of our warmth stones and even have the scouting party hunt for food along the way. The downside to returning to the warmer climate, however, was that we found ourselves surrounded by trees and shrubbery rather than the t ins and expansive wastes of the frozen ins. We ended up divvying the Awakeners up into more scouting parties to properly cover ground in the forest around us, and the scouting parties had to stay closer as well. Fortunately, save for a few one-off attacks by small bands of monsters that thought us to be raiding their territory, we were leftrgely unharmed on our journey, and I was able to shed a fewyers and rx a bit thanks to the warmth. It dawned on me that, even though I had thought myself used to the cold, the return to warmer temperatures made me realize just how much I had actually been suffering. Being able to feel all of my extremities without the chill nipping at me and being able to open my mouth without the cold burning my soft tissue made me want to never return to those frozennds again. Still, I knew I would have to. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¨C Returning (1) Finally, we cleared thest set of trees to see the still-ruined walls of Karfana, the city where my adventure started. An ominous feeling ran up my spine at the sight of the copsing bricks of the outer walls, the single guard at the entrance, and the disturbingck of traffic in and out of the city. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t they have received support from the central cities by now?¡¯ I wondered. Regardless, it wasn¡¯t like we could turn back. Exchanging puzzled looks with Koise, Bernard, Rhil, and Velle, I continued toward the city, leading the group of Unawakened and Awakened alike. Thankfully, most had survived, and some of the Unawakened had even Awakened during the journey. Though they were still Level 1 and weren¡¯t of much use yet, another Awakener was always wee, especially when the demons were a constant, looming threat. The single guard at the gatehouse straightened when he saw us, his eyes widening in surprise. ¡°Ah¡­ Halt! What¡¯s this?¡± he asked us. I gestured back at the others. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? There are people here who need help. Where is everyone, anyway?¡± He leaned to the side to take a look at the Unawakened behind me, who, dressed in their raggedyers of clothes and marveling at every foreign smell and tree of the forest, painted a sight ofplete helplessness. ¡°Huh¡­ I guess you can go in¡­ None of them look very demonic. The temporary lord will probably want to talk to you.¡± ¡°The temporary lord?¡± Koise butted in from behind me, his Lion Guild emblem clearly visible over his chest. ¡°Who might that be?¡± The man bowed in respect, clearly recognizing the emblem. ¡°O-one of the squad leaders from the Lion Guild, Sir.¡± I raised my eyebrow at Koise. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about this?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No¡­ but now we can get that bounty off your head.¡± Right. He¡¯d initially been hunting me down because they¡¯d thought me responsible for the murder of three of their guild members. Of course, the three in question had died, but they¡¯d been the instigators in the situation, not me. Being in a top spot in the guild, I had little doubt they¡¯d take Koise¡¯s retelling of events to heart. ¡°Then let¡¯s get going,¡± I said, already looking forward to a warm bed. The moment we stepped through the city gates¡­ [Quest Complete! Guide the unawakened through the mountains to the safety of the inner cities while keeping them safe from monster attacks, the cold, and starvation. +3500 XP received!] [Level Up!] [5 Free Skill Points] [STR: 20+4 END: 20 AGI: 13+4 PER: 11 MAG: 10 MANA: 10 Skill Points: 6] Power wasn¡¯t an issue, nor was my durability. I paused for a moment as the Unawakened took in the city and curiously chattered on about the mana-infused light poles, some of the carriages on the side of the road, and even the ruined state of many of the houses. Even with all the time I had been gone, the city looked much like how I¡¯d left it after the city lord tried to turn it all into a dungeon. We continued slowly, heading toward the main square. From the looks on their faces, the other Awakened had also received their quest rewards, and many were in the process of leveling up. ¡®I guess there¡¯s no time like the present.¡¯ It was easy enough to do on the winding walk through the city streets. It wasn¡¯t nearly as busy as I remembered it being before the demon attack. Even many of the intact housesy dark, and those who peered out at us or stopped in their daily activities were much fewer than I would¡¯ve otherwise expected. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ My lowest stats were Perception, Magic, and Mana, and the most relevant were probably Perception and Mana. I had put a point into Perception after the ice dungeon so I could better follow how quickly my opponents were bing in fights, but one point was hardly enough to even matter. ¡®I¡¯ll get this out of the way first.¡¯ Already decided, I put half of the points into Perception and half into Mana. I was tired of always running so low after just a few ability uses. [System Name: Aizen ss: Fighter Level: 7 XP: 33,500/64,000 Mana: 175/175 STR: 20+4 END: 20 AGI: 13+4 PER: 14 MAG: 10 MANA: 13 Skill Points: 0] My vision warped for a moment, and time seemed to slow around me. The chatter of the unawakened stretched out into long, monotonous stretches of sound, each thud of boots on stone thundered out, the sun set my skin afire, and a painful itch bored through the back of my neck. That feeling of intense difort onlysted a few moments before it faded just as quickly as it¡¯d overtaken me, leaving me standing in the street as Rhil gave me a curious look. She¡¯d approached me at some point during my stillness. I gave her a small smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a Perception increase to be so¡­ ufortable.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± she let out, nodding in understanding. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why most people say to do it slowly over a few levels. Same with any of the traits except Mana. Too much at once can really screw with your senses for a while.¡± I frowned and asked, ¡°Even the Magic stat?¡± ¡°Yeah. It works the same way as Strength, pretty much, but increases the power of your magic abilities. Something you might try to make nonlethal could end up instantly killing your target.¡± She grimaced, remembering some event from her past. I guessed she¡¯d experienced that firsthand. The main square was only a few blocks farther ahead. There, at least, the city seemed livelier than it had on our trek through the sad streets. Vendors still had shops up there, hawking all sorts of goods from around the world, and the distinct smell of baked sweets wafted over the air. The warmth of the sun felt good, a nice change from the biting cold of the north. ¡°Okay, everyone! Wee to Karfana!¡± Bernard shouted. ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± he nodded to the Awakeners who¡¯d helped guide us from the north. Taking that as their sign, they dispersed. Some would likely venture back north, having only been interested in the quest, but I hoped some would stay a while. ¡°Now, it may not look like much right now, but this will be your home for the time being,¡± Bernard continued. ¡°We¡¯ll talk with the acting lord to get you proper amodations and figure out a meal n. Other than that, my good friend here will be in charge of logistics.¡± He gave Velle a sideways nod, and she started separating them into smaller support groups so they¡¯d be easier to manage and check on at regr intervals. Most were grown adults, and they¡¯d find their way easily enough after some initial support, it seemed. That left the bigger problem to me and Koise¡­ talking to the temporary lord. ¡°Who knows, maybe they also have some way to get that cor off,¡± I said to Rhil, trying to reassure her as she idly tugged at the device around her neck and looked around at some of the ruined buildings around the square. She gave me an awkward half-smile in response. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­ being like an Unawakened again.¡± I could only imagine. How would I feel, if I were to go from cripple, to Awakened, to normal? Not only that, but she¡¯d been widely regarded for her electric abilities as well. Not to mention how useful such abilities would be against the demons. I didn¡¯t know when, but I knew they¡¯de up again. Alikr had been from Karfana as well, after all. Did I seriously think they¡¯d give up after just one attempt? ¡°Where is he anyway?¡± Koise muttered, more to himself than anyone. As if summoned by a very question, arge lizard charged down the central street winding toward the castle. Easily two meters tall while on all fours, the lizard bore a man on its back. SKRRTTT¡ª- The lizard slid to a stop, and a woman in flowing robes fastened with smaller bits of metal armor dismounted, the tassets of her loathing fluttering around her. If looks could kill, then the re she fixed Koise with would¡¯ve been enough to wipe out a small city. ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± she asked. Her eyes briefly darted over to me and back to Koise. ¡°And why are you with a bounty target? Turning him in? What about the rest of your squad?¡± Her barrage of questions took me aback. Wasn¡¯t Koise a leader in the Lion Guild? Yet the woman was berating him as if he were a mere cadet. ¡°Rx, Eileen. It¡¯s a long story,¡± Koise replied, his hands raised in an attempt to cate her. She turned her narrow eyes at me and spoke to Koise again. ¡°Long story or not, why didn¡¯t you contact us sooner? Most of the guild thought you¡¯d died.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have ess to any Association buildings connected to the guild system. I would¡¯ve sent word back if I could. As for the others¡­ Well, the northern caves took them.¡± ¡°The northern caves?¡± Eileen muttered back in confusion. ¡°Is that where this lot is from?¡± She scanned over the overdressed Unawakened in the square. Many had already taken off a fewyers of clothing and were sitting on assortments of jackets and ponchos like they were pic nkets. ¡°Let me exin¡­¡± To her credit, the woman didn¡¯t try to kill me immediately and only interjected with questions a few times before Koise finished the story. Rhil stood and listened in interest while I watched some of those who lived in the city interacting with the Unawakened we¡¯d brought. I made a mental note to make sure no one got exploited for cheap or near-freebor like I sometimes had. The woman ced a hand on her chin in thought and nodded. ¡°I guess that would exin why you¡¯re with a bounty target. We can go clear him and update the guild in the Association building. There¡¯s another problem, though¡­¡± I felt my heart drop into my stomach, already dreading the words that were toe next. Eileen¡¯s eyes darted over the main square for a moment, and then she spoke quietly, ensuring that only we could hear. ¡°We haven¡¯t received supplies from the central cities since shortly after we arrived.¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¨C Returning (2) My eyes briefly flickered over the people waiting in the square. How could there have been no supplies? Karfana was a small outskirt city, sure, but it was still a city. Caravans from the central cities wouldn¡¯t just stop for no reason. ¡°Has there been any news through the Association?¡± Koise asked. Eileen shook her head. ¡°No. Even the guild channels are silent, but we can at least still update bounties.¡± She gave me a pointed nce. I frowned and said, ¡°Surely you¡¯ve sent someone to investigate.¡± ¡°We did¡­ but anyone who gets a bit past the halfway point neveres back.¡± ¡°So you think it¡¯s a coordinated blockade?¡± I asked. Still, that wouldn¡¯t have made sense. Even if whatever it was wanted the city that badly, wouldn¡¯t the central cities just have sent their forces to break through after the first ambush? Eileen shrugged. ¡°Who¡¯s to say? I¡¯ve had enough trouble trying to put this ce back together. We can¡¯t afford to lose anyone else. Not anyone who actually listens to me, anyway.¡± Koise ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°First things first, then. Let¡¯s get that bounty taken off your head and see if I can¡¯t reach anyone in the guild.¡± He headed toward the Association building with Eileen. Notably, nobody brought up Alikr¡¯s betrayal. He was still out there somewhere, perhaps near the City on the Edge. The blockade, or whatever was happening to the supply caravans and scouts, was very unlikely to be his doing, at least. He was a problem for a different time. Left to my own devices while the others continued organizing the refugee Unawakened, I gathered some basic supplies in an old-fashioned pack and headed toward the gates. Enchanted items were of no use to me, after all. I¡¯d gotten used to others being able to use their mana to activate things for me, but it was strange not having basic ess to a magical bag or even being able to turn lights on with a simple influx of mana. It was a disadvantage of the second system I¡¯d almost forgotten about. Thefort of a warm bed would have to wait. The city needed supplies, and a little notification in the corner of my vision only confirmed that something was afoot. ?Clear the road to the central cities.? [Investigate the blockade.] Oddly enough, both systems were giving pretty much the same quest. I walked back down the main road and stopped at the gate to look over the road heading through the forest. ¡°You¡¯re not headed out, are you?¡± the sole guard still stationed at the gate asked. I nodded at him. ¡°Yeah. Someone has to figure out the supply issue, after all.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°Well¡­ good luck with that. I¡¯ve seen a few groups note back over the past few days.¡± Was he talking about those who¡¯d gone farther toward the central cities? ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± I took a deep breath and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my face. A momentter, I took off running, far faster than a carriage would¡¯ve taken me¡ªmaybe as fast as one of the cars we¡¯d left behind on Earth. My hair whipped at my face in the wind. Rather than a blur, the world looked clear around me, even at that speed. The increase in Perception was already paying off. I spotted the odd goblin or two waiting by the road in ambush, but they weren¡¯t worth the effort. Any sort of organized group or caravan would¡¯ve just mowed down a regr goblin ambush. In fact, I doubted the goblins would¡¯ve even tried. They may have been dumb, but they weren¡¯tpletely suicidal. There was a reason monsters didn¡¯t just swarm toward cities all hours of the day. A cool wind chill set in even while one smell after the other assaulted my senses and left just as quickly¡ªsome sort of skunk, fresh grass, dirt and dust, the stink of goblins. There was a long way to go before I even reached the midway point. My mind wandered during the run. The novelty of my new rity onlysted for a while before my brain adapted and I ran almost on autopilot. More specifically, something nagged at my mind. ¡®Why are dungeon appearances coinciding with demon appearances?¡¯ ¡®What are the Relics?¡¯ ¡®Why do I have a second system, and what is it?¡¯ ¡®How does the rest of humanity fare? Are only humans under attack?¡¯ Much had happened since I Awakened, but the scope of my experience was still extremely limited. I¡¯d never even been to a central city, after all. Yet there I was, running to the halfway point between Karfana and the true hallmarks of human settlement in the new world. If things were as bad as I feared, we needed to be more proactive. It was unlikely that the demons were only after Karfana, after all. I¡¯d seen signs of them in the northern caves and outside the City on the Edge. That meant there was some sort of coordinated attack. I hoped it wasn¡¯t the case, but I suspected the demons were at y with thetest supply problem as well. Alikr had been charged with going to the central cities and informing them of the threat, but surely someone else had made it there since then and told them of our situation. What if more external cities were under the same sort of attack? What if the demons had infiltrated the central cities themselves? Even more unimaginable in scope¡­ what if it wasn¡¯t a human-exclusive issue? Just how many of them could there have been, and how long had they been nning their attack? Above it all was a feeling of grim hopelessness. ¡®How can I possibly make a difference?¡¯ I was only a single, new Awakener in a world filled with different species and far more experienced Awakeners. I had something different in the form of the second system, but could I be sure that nobody in the world had the same type of thing? I shook the thoughts from my head as I approached the clearing in the trees I¡¯d been told marked the midway point. I wouldn¡¯t receive answers by specting. It felt like there was arge puzzle before me where some of the pieces were clicking into ce, but I simply didn¡¯t have the other pieces. Therefore, I surmised that there were only a few concrete things I could do. I had to gather more information on the demons, particrly how widespread they were, which meant I needed to visit the central cities. I needed to solve the supply problem so I could go on such a trip in peace. Finally, I needed to figure out the source of theirmand structure. Who was coordinating all of it¡ªand from where? The trees parted before me to reveal arge clearing of packed dirt with a small stone building to the side of the road, intended for people to rest during the journey. Above the trees around the clearing, the sun¡¯s orange luminescence filtered through the leaves, casting its final rays of light over the horizon and taking its warmth with it. It still wasn¡¯t nearly as cold as the north had been, but I felt the chill all the same. Most surprisingly, though, was that there were no signs of violence or people. I entered the small stone building, its ramshackle, rotting wooden door creaking open under my firm push. The interior was no more helpful than the exterior regarding clues on what¡¯d happened to the caravans and scouting parties. A firepit sat at the center, below a small opening in the ceiling for smoke. The mes had long since died, but the ckened remains of charcoal still resided in the pit. Dust and ash nketed the room in a thin coat of gray. There were branches haphazardly piled up in the corner, presumably for the fire, but it didn¡¯t look like anyone had been there in quite some time. I sighed and sat down near the edge of the firepit, thinking. The ckened and gray debris in the pit stared back at me, waiting. ¡®Should I wait until morning or continue on?¡¯ Assuming I made it all the way to the central cities, it¡¯d be deep into the night, even with how fast I could run. That wasn¡¯t even to mention how exhausted I already felt. If I encountered whatever had made the caravans disappear along the way, I wouldn¡¯t be able to put up much of a fight. I thought of myself, exhausted, a few more hours into the night and running across a demon ambush. ¡°I guess that answers the question,¡± I mumbled to the firepit. Unsurprisingly, it didn¡¯t return a reply of its own. Thankfully, a fire-starting kit was in the pack I¡¯d prepared before leaving. It wasn¡¯t much more than a simple flint and steel because, again, I couldn¡¯t use enchanted devices. However, man had used such tools for starting fires since the dawn of civilization. It didn¡¯t disappoint. A fire sputtered to life within a gathering of leaves, branches, and somerger logs someone had roughly cut apart that I piled in the small pit. I reached out with my heat senses and tugged gently at the mes, spreading them through the leaves and dried wood faster than they would¡¯ve gone on their own. Eventually, I was able to coax the fire into a steady crackle and flickering orange me that cast dark shadows over the stone walls. My muscles slowly rxed, and just as I was drifting between sleep and the waking world, the door swung open behind me. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 ¨C An Ember, Alight (1) Pain. Cutting agonynced through her nerves, assaulting her brain in a cacophony of sparkling starbursts and static. ¡°Gghaa!¡± Rhil screamed into the empty cer, her hands gripping the sharp ridges of the metal cor around her neck tightly. Faint light streamed through the cracks in the cer door set into the roof above her. Luckily, where she was, in the storage rooms of the Association building within Karfana, her screams were muted. Even with the disaster that had struck the city, the Association was one of the busiest organizations. Being stuck didn¡¯t dampen ambition, after all. Motes of dust floated through the faint streams of light. Sitting on the creaking wooden stairway leading into the cer, Rhil renewed her effort. ¡°Tssss!¡± She hissed out through her gritted teeth. Plip¡ª Her blood, deep crimson to the point of looking ck in the dimly lit cer, trickled through the deepeningcerations on her fingers where they gripped the metal cor. She felt rivulets of it running down her neck as well, where it seeped into the cor of her shirt. Still, she continued to tug at the cor, determined to remove it, knowing the effort was futile. She¡¯d tried every method she could think of¡ªcutting, bludgeoning, tugging, having someone else use magic¡ªand none of it had shown so much as a dent in the metal. ¡°Worthless¡­¡± she muttered to herself, her voice faintly echoing back at her as if agreeing with her sentiment. She was supposed to be a hero, a renowned Awakener. People knew her name, and Aizen had once looked up to her. She thought back to those days and remembered the pastries they¡¯d leisurely shared by the main street, the cautious way he treated her, as if afraid she¡¯d decide he wasn¡¯t worth her time at a moment¡¯s notice. Really, though, she¡¯d appreciated how much they enjoyed their time together. She¡¯d retired, but that hadn¡¯t stopped guilds from approaching her and the city from trying to involve her in its matters. A part of her had faintly hoped he¡¯d even ask her to help him level, to give her a reason to turn him away like she had the others. She could be justified in her self-imposed ¡®exile¡¯ then, couldn¡¯t she? But no, he¡¯d never asked, as if it were some unspoken agreement between them. A line to not be crossed. Still, his admiration of her had always been evident. To see the way he looked at her, in pity, in concern¡­ She should have been the one giving him such looks. Indeed, she always had been. To be on the receiving end was unbearable. What was she to do? Wait for Aizen to free her for the third time? From loneliness, from the demons, and from the powerlessness such a paltry ne inflicted on her. No, she would free herself. She had to, if not for any other person¡¯s sake than her own. Ignoring the trickling blood, the salty iron taste in her mouth, and the sound of her own sobs, she renewed her efforts on the cor. Humans were refreshing, in a way. Sure, she dealt with far more ambushes deep on the human roads in the short time she traversed them than she ever had to deal with in her own time within elven territory, but at least they were sincere. Even when a human tried to befriend you for their own purposes, they were always terrible with deceit. The way their bodies heated up, the rushing of their heartbeat, the anticipation¡­ Elves could be considered natural liars. Humans, on the other hand, were like an open book in that regard. It was more likely they¡¯d simply outright attack you anyway, with their inborn inaptitude for patience. Eve sighed and rubbed at a bandage on her wrist, where a stray arrow had grazed her a day prior. From elven territory, she¡¯d traveled through the humans¡¯ central cities, keeping a low profile and sticking to the best rumor mills in any empire¡ªtaverns and bars. She¡¯d gone slowly, taking her time to listen to each stray rumor and whisper. In the end, it all painted a grim picture in her head. The officials and rulers seemed to be doing their best to hide it, but just as her emperor suspected, it didn¡¯t look like the humans had long left. Though the demons hadn¡¯t gone so far as to impede upon the central cities in any straightforward way, she¡¯d had enough experience with them to smell their faint scent on the air, ever present in the central cities. ¡®Disgusting,¡¯ she thought to herself. Still, her job wasn¡¯t done. She needed to see for herself. She could have headed toward any of the cities the humans had already lost, but instead, she followed a different rumor: the rumor of a city that somehow fought through the corruption and emerged victorious. It was but a single city, but it couldn¡¯t be discounted, and she heard the rumor from more than one person, drinking their nightmares away in a lonely corner and pouring theirments out to anyone who would listen. So that¡¯s where she headed, to the city of Karfana. From what she¡¯d heard, it was a simple outskirt city, noted only for its closeness to the northern cliffs. The oddest thing, though, was that she couldn¡¯t find anyone who¡¯d been there in the past few days. Even trying to follow news of supply caravans, something that should¡¯ve been frequent to outskirt cities, brought up nothing. More news the human leaders were trying to suppress? To what end? To reduce panic, perhaps? What she would¡¯ve given to pick their brains, but she had her limits, and she was supposed to keep a low profile, after all. Even with the threat looming over the human territories, thest thing she wanted was to cause a war. The emperor would never forgive her for such a mistake. Only stopping for basic necessities such as food and water, she continued on the road toward the cities, ignoring warnings of danger and missing caravans. Both her own species and humans had nifty bags that could hold more inside than they appeared, but she wasn¡¯t an Awakener, and thus, she couldn¡¯t manipte the mana they used to operate such devices. It was hardly a hindrance, considering she¡¯d never had such a luxury to begin with. ¡®Where¡¯s this supposed ambush?¡¯ she wondered, keeping her guard up for surprises at a moment¡¯s notice. On the long, dusty road, she encountered the asional goblin ambush or wolf, but most kept their distance, as if sensing something was wrong with her. Eventually, she spotted a small stone structure in a clearing. The sun had already long gone down, and she walked by the faint light of the half-moon watching from above. The cold was never an issue for her, despite the thinness of her clothes. Only whatever heat she allowed could escape her grasp. Smoke rose from the stone structure¡¯s chimney. ¡®Is someone out here?¡¯ she wondered. Her eyes flickered over the clearing and the surroundings of the building, but she didn¡¯t see any wagons. ¡®A small group, then?¡¯ Even so, when she examined the faint tracks on the ground, only a distinct set of footprints was evident. Could it have been just one person? Or was it something else? Either way, maybe they had some answers. Eve took a breath and ced her hand on the rotting wooden door. She already knew it wouldn¡¯t open silently. Who could look at such a door and think it¡¯d open with anything more than a loudint? ¡®Better to be quick about it.¡¯ She prepared herself for whatever she¡¯d find and swung open the door. *** I turned to the sound of the door opening, snapping out of my half-doze by the fire. Rather than a monster or the sight of a caravan, something my mind faintly hoped for that¡¯d bring some sort of hint or answer to the situation, I saw the slim silhouette of a woman standing in the doorway. She was almost as tall as the entryway itself, and the fire cast flickering orange hues and dark shadows over her elongated face. Save for her arm swinging the doorway open, a deep green cloak enshrouded the rest of her form. Even with the faint light of the fire, I could tell something was off with her. She reminded me of someone I knew, the telling elongated features of her face¡­ I couldn¡¯t see her ears, but I could already imagine what they¡¯d look like. She was an elf. ¡®What¡¯s an elf doing out here?¡¯ I wondered faintly as I stared at her, wide-eyed and waiting to see what she¡¯d do. She, in turn, stared at me without a sound and took a step into the flickering light of the stone hut. The door creaked shut behind her. ¡°Eve,¡± she said shortly, her voice ringing with startling rity in the shadows of the hut. ¡°¡­Aizen,¡± I replied, returning the short greeting. She looked the hut over, taking in the dust, myself, and whatever else her faintly shining eyes saw. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of your group?¡± she asked. ¡®Straight to the point, then¡­¡¯ Ate-night greeting followed by an interrogation. ¡°It¡¯s just me. And you?¡± I needed information of my own. Though I remained sitting, I was ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice. She¡¯d given me a name, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. Could she have been responsible for the caravan disappearances? I¡¯d already met one elf working with the demons, so a second one wouldn¡¯t have been too surprising. Seeing my tenseness, she reached up and flipped back the hood of her cloak. My eyes focused briefly on the one missing ear on the side of her head. ¡°Apologies,¡± she said, ¡°may I join you?¡± I nodded and gestured toward the fire. ¡°Of course¡­ but you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± She approached the fire and knelt, staring into the mes. ¡°It¡¯s just me as well. Tell me, do you know anything of Karfana?¡± Of course I knew of Karfana. The bigger question, I wondered, was why she was interested in such a backwater city. Who had sent her, and why? That fateful meeting set the end in motion. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 86 Chapter 86 ¨C An Ember, Alight (2) ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said, eyeing her as she stared into the mes. ¡°Is that where you¡¯re headed?¡± She nodded. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve heard rumors of a demon attack there.¡± My eyebrow raised in curiosity. ¡°I take it you¡¯re an Awakener, then.¡± Was she just after some experience or quests? ¡°Something of the sort.¡± She shrugged, the cloak around her shoulders subtly shifting. The small stone hut was almost stiflingly warm, yet the skin on her face showed not the slightest bit of perspiration, and she looked almost rxed. Flickering shadows danced over her face. ¡°Then you also must have heard of the missing caravans,¡± I said. ¡°A surprisingly unimportant issue for the central cities,¡± she starkly replied. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± She turned her head from the fire to look into my eyes, her pupils dted, the green irises around them flickering with bits of orange. ¡°Huh.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m wondering that myself. We both made it halfway, so what happened to the caravans?¡± As if in answer, a system message flickered before me. [You¡¯ve entered the ¡®Dungeon of Fallen Travelers¡¯.] Following the blue system message, reality flickered for a moment, and the dusty, rtively bare interior of the hut suddenly filled with dried bloodstains sttered haphazardly along the walls and floor. The remnants of the caravans and travelers attempting to travel between the two cities, if I were to hazard a guess. The elf woman, Eve, sighed. ¡°You were expecting this?¡± I asked, casting nces around the hut, still flickering with the same firelight. ¡°The ce reeks of demons,¡± she replied, leaving it at that. ¡®Demons have a smell?¡¯ I wondered. I certainly hadn¡¯t smelled anything amiss. Maybe it was a ss characteristic? A faint scratching sound echoed from the other side of the rotting wooden door. No doubt, even a somewhat rxed kick could knock the door in, and it wasn¡¯t like it was locked to begin with. ¡°What do you see?¡± Eve asked me. ¡°What do I see?¡± ¡°The system message. What does it say?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve entered a dungeon¡­¡± Surely, she could see the same window. What was the point in asking? ¡°What are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Your ss. Is it close-range, long-range?¡± ¡°Close-range¡­¡± I muttered. She nodded and pointed to the doorway. ¡°Then I suggest we head outside before whatever¡¯s out there decides toe in here. I¡¯ll support you from behind.¡± It was the best course of action, but it felt a bit odd to bemanded around in such a way by someone I¡¯d just met. Finally, she looked toward the fire and reached out her hand. Streaks of red and orange heat wrapped around her hand and sank into her skin. For the first time, I saw her start to sweat. *** Aizen approached the door and cautiously swung it open, ready to confront whatever was making the wing sound outside. With only faint embers left behind them, the moonlight outside cast silvery light over Aizen¡¯s form, and Eve noticed his hands. She¡¯d already seen the rectangr metal device strapped over one of his forearms, but the earth swirling around his other arm was new. ¡®An Awakener ability, then.¡¯ From what she¡¯d seen, it wasn¡¯t too umon for human Awakeners to receive sses themed after a certain element. His must have been earth-based. He stepped through the doorway, and she followed shortly after. More dried blood sttered the dirt-packed ground outside the hut. The moon overhead showed the remains of a grisly scene, but only that. As for the corpses she would¡¯ve expected, they were nowhere to be seen. The scratching on the side of the hut stopped the moment they set foot outside. They had other worries, though. Clearly, they were in a sort of limited dungeon. The faint purple, hazy bubble over the clearing was proof of that. She knew from experience that the bubble wouldn¡¯t let them out until they cleared the dungeon. If she were to guess, it was some variant of ¡®survive¡¯ or ¡®defeat the enemies¡¯. From the look on the Awakener, Aizen¡¯s, face, another system message appeared. She didn¡¯t have to bother asking about it. From the edge of the clearing, at the border of the purple bubble hanging over them, figures lurched forward, pulling themselves from the bushes. The term ¡®undead¡¯ wouldn¡¯t have quite fit what she saw. No, rather than undead, were they possessed? Adventurers d in whatever armor they¡¯d been in at the times of their death approached them in a mad frenzy¡ªmages in flowing robes, archers and assassin-types in form-fitting leather, and hulking brutes in full armor of metal and chain. Odd, purple growths extended from their faces like tumors, and their eyes glinted with madness. There was a silver lining to the attack, at least¡ªthe madmen rushing toward them were heated, sweating with whatever was afflicting their bodies. That meant there would be more heat for her to use. The rectangr device on Aizen¡¯s arm let out a dull ¡®nk¡¯ as a de emerged from the end of it. ¡®Neat trick,¡¯ Eve idly thought to herself. I activated the de on my wrist and felt the recoil of the de¡¯s spring mechanism shoot through my arm. The Awakeners, hopefully maddened beyond saving, rushed toward us from all sides. I could only hope Eve knew how to handle herself. The following res of heat I felt behind me only reassured me more. Rushing forward, I met the first of the corrupted Awakeners¡ªa woman in leather armor wielding a slender longsword. I slipped to the side as she swung her de and countered with a smooth cut into her neck with my gauntlet¡¯s de. Unexpectedly, I met with more resistance than I otherwise would have expected from the soft-looking flesh. ¡®Did the corruption toughen their skin?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t use ?Strike? or ?Eruption? on each of the enemies¡ªI would run out of energy long before the twenty-something corrupted Awakeners were dealt with. I pulled the de back from the thing¡¯s neck and backpedaled away from another sword strike. The sh itself would¡¯ve been easy enough to dodge, but I was more worried about the others quickly catching up and surrounding me. res of heat hit the back of my neck, followed by the crackling of mes. The corrupted attackers might have been toughened, but at least it didn¡¯t seem like they could use their abilities. They werepletely reliant on base stats and their toughened skin. That meant the corrupted mages were pretty much a non-issue. ¡®Should I hit and run?¡¯ I wondered to myself. What would be the best strategy for taking down the corrupted Awakeners? ¡°Gather them together!¡± A shout reached my ears¡ªEve. I nced back briefly to see her standing in front of a few burning corpses. Even their toughened skin stood no match for whatever skills she was using. ¡°Got it!¡± I yelled back, circling around the enemies and doing my best to group them up. Finally, Eve raised her hand and yelled at me again. ¡°Bring them here!¡± I ran toward her. Oddly enough, the closer I ran, the colder the air became. I would¡¯ve thought the air would be warmer near someone using fire. ¡°Move!¡± She yelled when I was only meters away. I dodged to the side. The next moment, a surge of concentrated fire, blue in color, streamed past me in a slowly widening cone. Rolling on the ground, I regained my footing and turned to look. ¡®¡­¡¯ The blue fire streamed through the corrupted Awakeners. Flesh boiled; streams of fat and melted tissue sshed onto the ground. Flesh, muscles, bone, and organs fused together in the melting heat and evaporated altogether. Armor made of cloth, leather, and metal all melted within mere moments, and the corrupted were neatly bisected, falling into two halves beneath the fiery onught. The air chilled even more, and frost built up on the dirt beneath me. Each breath I exhaled created little wisps of vapor. Finally, just as suddenly as it¡¯d started, the fire went out in ast puff of light and sound. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± Eve panted, exhausted by her attack. All of the corrupted Awakeners were dead, though. Still, the dungeon persisted. There was one final question we needed to see the answer to: how had the first Awakener been corrupted anyway? ¡°Hey¡­¡± Eve panted out between breaths, ¡°What¡¯s the quest anyway?¡± I frowned. Again, she was asking about the quest. ¡®Is she worried the window is corrupted somehow?¡¯ I¡¯d never heard of the system giving two Awakeners in the same dungeon a different clear condition before, but that didn¡¯t mean it was impossible. Recalling the window I¡¯d seen at the start of the attack, I said, ¡°We just have to defeat the enemies.¡± She fell to her knees and ced her hands on the ground, looking deathly pale, with a blue hue coloring her lips. ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of.¡± That meant there was one more enemy left. As if on cue, it emerged from the trees at the far end of the clearing, a writhing, worm-like humanoid monstrosity with writhing tentacles. It was easily six meters in height. Despite the fearsome size of the thing, I grinned. Finally, something I could use all of my skills on. The small fry corrupted hadn¡¯t been worth it, but the boss? I wouldn¡¯t have to be concerned about saving my resources anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said as the thing made its approach. ¡°You¡¯ve done your job. Just sit back and enjoy the show.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!