《The Villain's Story》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    *Tik*Tok*


    In a brightly lit hallway resounded the rhythmic footsteps of a man dressed in a full ck suit and dress shoes and carrying a suitcase.


    The man possessed blonde hair that looked more like golden silk than hair, Emerald green eyes, and a good physique to go along with the above-mentioned qualities.


    The only thing unusual about him would be that on his face was a simple metal mask that hid his facial features.


    *Tik*Tok*


    The rhythmic sound of his footsteps was the only sound present in the hallway.


    *Tik*Tok*


    Finally, the sound of the footsteps stopped as the man reached a metal door at the end of the hallway.


    The door was at least 10 inches thick, And it took all of the man''s strength to open it after typing the password on the keypad.


    *Wrhriing*


    The sound of the metal door opening was wretched enough to hurt the ears of anyone else.


    Yet to the man, he had already be ustomed to it.


    Finally, the door hadpletely opened and the man stepped inside the darkness on the other side.


    *Kachich*


    The man closed the metal door and pressed called out.


    "Lights, on."


    His voice was raspy and unpleasant to the ears.


    It was as if vocal cords had been crudely designed by God himself that he produced such a terrifying sound from his mouth.


    Immediately after he said these words, the room illuminated itself and showed an office.


    On the left side of this office was what seemed to be a bar, adorned with all the best and tastiest alcohol one could find on Earth.


    It was probably worth a fortune, and it expressed very clearly that the man was addicted to alcohol.


    On the right side of the office were bookshelves filled to the brim with files and books.


    They were all arranged very neatly and in such a way that one could very easily find whatever they were looking for.


    In the middle was a big ss table surrounded by sofas and beyond that a simple wooden desk with aputer on top.


    There was also a stack of papers on it.


    *Tik*Tok*


    The footsteps of the man responded yet once again as he walked over to therge sofa, he threw his suitcase on the ground andy down on the sofa.


    And finally, he unveiled his mask.


    The metal mask that was on his face was finally lifted and what was underneath...


    was something that would be every child''s nightmare.


    A heavily scalded face that had some patches of white.


    It was disgusting, mortifying, and most importantly...


    ''Terrifying.''


    Any that looked at it would immediately look away, afraid to even see it.


    "Haaahhh.."


    Escaping the man''s mouth was arge sigh, as he felt the cold sensation of the metal mask finally leave his face.


    Or could it even be called a face anymore?


    He ced the metal mask on the table and closed his eyes.


    Even the simple act of closing his eyelids was painful...not to mention breathing or talking.


    *Ring*


    Suddenly, the man''s eyes jolted awake as he felt a vibration in his chest, he immediately took out his phone from his breast pocket and turned on thetest news.


    "Smith Industries stock Prices falling lower and lower."


    "Gentech, is it the new Smith Industries?"


    "Will Gentech finally overtake Smith Industries?"


    As he read the titles, a small smile yet horrific smile appeared on his face.


    However, the smile disappeared very quickly as the man winced in pain from his heavily burnt lips moving.


    His face was simr to that of the Viin, Twoface, except in his case, it was his entire face rather than one-half of it.


    ''Soon, very soon....''


    It will beplete.


    His lifelong revenge...


    It would beplete.


    His lifelong dream would beplete.


    His suffering will end, and theirs will begin.


    His pain...would end, and their pain will start.


    He...would finally aplish it, he would finally aplish what he had set out to do so so many years ago.


    The man got up and was nning to go to his desk until he was met with a piercing headache.


    "Gah!"


    He moved his hand to touch his forehead, however, he stopped at thest second as if it was instinct.


    He knew it would hurt if he touched this damn ursed face of his.


    Ahhh, when had this face be his own?


    His original face, although not as handsome as celebrities, was still thousands, nay, millions of times better than this...scalded, burned face.<sub> </sub>


    It was around...6? or 7 years ago?


    He didn''t know, the day itself he had forgotten as if his brain had automatically removed the trauma that had happened that day.


    What it did not remove was the joyful and ecstatic day that he finally got his revenge on the one person that was responsible for it.


    The person in question? She was already at the bottom of the ocean.


    "James Smith, the business genius hidden behind the metal mask."


    "James Smith, the man who is singlehandedly bringing down the Conglomerate Smith Industries."


    "Is James Smith going to be the richest man in the world soon?"


    As he read the other titles on his phone screen he scoffed at himself.


    Hah, James huh?


    The ursed name he had been given by his parents...no the people who biologically brought him to this world, only to torture himter because he was not as talented as his other siblings.


    "Heh"


    A small and painedugh escaped his mouth.


    Talent, what an unusual thing...


    James, who was ''less'' talented than his others siblings...was the one who had singlehandedly brought down the conglomerate that was his family.


    Talent was an abstract word...yet it was also absolute in most cases.


    However, James had one and only one stroke of luck in his life...that the fact that talent was absolute was not true for him.


    "Lights, Off."


    He shouted aloud, again greeted with pain as he moved and muscle on his face.


    The lights slowly dimmed and the room soon became dark.


    And he painfully and slowly closed his eyes, intending to take a nap.


    His head hurt, and his eyes were tired...


    Yet he still persevered for a long time...long enough to see his enemies fall.


    And they would soon.


    He needed to wait for only a little.


    And he soon fell asleep, for what was only 10 minutes or so.


    *Ring*


    He was woken up again by the ringing of his phone.


    ''What could it be this ti-Oh!''


    He thought in his mind, however in the end he was ecstatic to see that his favorite novel had been updated.


    Who would imagine, that the guy who was soon going to be the world''s richest man liked to read novels in his free time?


    He hurriedly clicked on the notification bar and was soon greeted by the novel''s homepage.


    He admired the cover of the novel for what was probably the millionth time.


    On the cover of the novel was a man heavily adorned with an angelic armor of gold and white around his body, his long orange hair sneaking out of the helmet that covered his face and he was floating high above with the help of his angelic wings while holding a sword d in holy golden mes high up in the sky.


    He swiped downward to see the other pieces of information on the novel''s homepage


    [Name:The Ultimate Sin.]


    [Author:DaddyGhanni]


    [Words:1.57 million]


    [Views:214,098]


    [Chapters:1567.]


    [First][Last]


    He tapped thest option and he was soon greeted by the newest chapter of the novel.


    He began to read...until his fingers, moved to get a better grip...until.


    He identally pressed the Light Mode function on the screen.


    In an instant, his screen, which had dark mode on most of the time, suddenly illuminated in front of his eyes, which had gotten ustomed to the darkness.


    And that bright sh had triggered something in his tired brain and eyes.


    Something that made his body spasm...and eventually the breath that would be hisst left his body.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    There wasplete silence in the dark room lit only by a single screen bright from the phone.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    It was shocking to say the least, That the man who would soon be the most powerful in the world.


    The man who was soon to be the richest in the world.


    The man who had suffered from the abuse his entire life, and not be broken by it...


    had died...due to Light mode.

 Chapter 2 What Happened?

    I was falling. More urately you could say I was submerged in water and going deeper and deeper. I couldn''t see anything around me. Nothing At all, Darkness Shrouded my view. I tried to feel my body but nothing. In this state, I wondered


    ''So this is death, huh kind of dull. ''


    I mean I honestly expected either an angel or devil toe before me and state my virtues and sins but ok this is death I guess. But it was too dull. Too Odd you could say. I felt alive like I was breathing but not at the same time. Curious, I tried touching my face with my hand in this darkness. I thought to myself.


    ''If I can''t see it I should probably be able to feel it, right? ''


    And so I did. I raised my right hand and touched my face.


    ''huh? ''


    I was confused because the hand that was touching my face was considerably small than my original-sized hand when I was alive.


    As I was Touching my face like a pervert. I noticed an ominous purple-colored lighting toward me. I was instantly surprised because purple is not a good color, It is usually used to represent something evil and ominous. To this, I thought.


    ''Wait wait hold on I didn''tmit any grave sins did I? I Don''t remember but please be an illusion I don''t want to go to hell! Please! ''


    I subconsciously associated the purple light with a deviling to take me to hell.


    As the purple light kept getting closer I prayed to every God I could think of.


    ''Ah! Buddha! Jesus! I repent! I repent for all my sins so please please don''t send me to hell. Plea-?! ''


    As I was praying the purple light suddenly became brighter and brighter and before I knew it, That ball of ''light'' Entered me through my stomach. What happened next was Horrendous to tell.


    ''AAAAHHHHHHH! ''


    Pain. A tremendous amount of pain. I think this is my punishment because holy shit I screamed like a little girl.<sub> </sub>


    ''STOP STOP MAKE IT STOP PLEASE! ''


    ''PLEASE OH MY GOD MAKE IT STOP PLEASE. PLEASE! ''


    Suddenly as if my prayers were heard the pain stopped. I immediately sighed in relief that it finally stopped. Before I could even tell a white and chilly light suddenly went into my forehead burning oddly this time there was no pain. Instead, I heard something else.


    [You have obtained the blessing of Supreme Chaos Dragon  Suleras]


    [You have gained a supreme affinity to the Chaos element]


    <o>,m [You have obtained the blessing of the Supreme Ice Dragon Lanesha]</o>


    [ You have gained a Supreme affinity to the Ice element]


    Before I could even process those messages another appeared and clouded my view


    [Your Current Species has been deemed too weak to withstand these elements, Species Change will ur now. ]


    ''Specie change? what? ''


    [Suitable Specie has been selected, Ice and Chaos Draconic Hybrid]


    [Specie change will now ur]


    Before I could even try to understand what the fuck was going on. A tremendous amount of pain assaulted me again. If I had to describe it I would say dying would be better but then I immediately had the thought during the pain somehow.


    ''Aren''t I already dead? ''

 Chapter 3 Greed

    I woke up. I was lying in a bed trying to get used to the blinding lights of the room. Then I heard voices.


    "Congrattions Miss! He''s Awakened his elemental affinity.


    "Yes, But awakening their affinity doesn''t result in them passing out I believe."


    Just then the voice of the man replied to the woman.


    "That is when the awakened affinity grade is not high but this boy managed to awaken his ice affinity to a high level from the start!"


    Hearing his answer, the woman replied in an excited voice.


    "Does that mean the government will provide extra funding for the orphanage?"


    At this I became confused.


    ''Wait? orphanage?''


    The man replied to her question.


    "Well yes, And because his affinity grade is high there is also a high chance that the government will also provide his tuition in one of the best academies in the world. Because of the war, the government is trying to get as many talents on their side as quickly as possible so I can confirm that th-Oh he''s awake"


    I tried to move my body upwards but found myself unable to do so, As I was figuring out what was happening the male said.


    "Woah Woah Kiddo don''t wake up just yet your body currently needs all the rest it can get."


    He said while puncturing my shoulder with a syringe.


    Immediately I felt lethargic and was able to quickly conjure up the identity of the liquid in the syringe. It was a sedative and a very powerful sedative at that.


    I quickly fell asleep.


    __________________________


    Next Day:


    I was discharged from the hospital and was on my way back to the orphanage with Miss Penny, The orphan manager. Who''s eyes were shining like bright dor signs. We were going to the train station. After walking for about half an hour or so we reached the train station


    ''Holy shit. This is a train station?


    I knew from this moment that this world was very very advanced. Why? Because the ''Trains''


    we''re floating behemoths. As I was surprised by how advanced this world waspared to my previous world. I heard Miss Penny''s voice.


    "n wait here until I get the tickets."


    I just sat on a bench while she went away to get tickets. And thought to myself.


    ''Okay this is your second chance at life, By the words of the doctor from before this world is probably A fantasy type of world"


    I believed that thought because I had never seen a doctor spew out bullshit like high elemental affinity in my old world. Upon my Realization, I instantly became very excited<sub> </sub>


    ''Wait if this is a fantasy world then... this should work right? "


    Taking a huge breath to contain my excitement I yelled in my mind.


    ''Status!''


    Just then a Blue window screen materialized


    in front of me. I could barely hold my excitement in check.


    ''Ooohhh!! IT EXISTS IT EXISTS! WOOHOO!''


    I immediately called down and checked my stays screen


    ______________________________________________


    Name:n Pator(14)


    Specie:Ice&Chaos draconian hybrid.


    Strength:E+


    Endurance:E+


    Agility:E


    Mana:D


    Control:D


    Charm:E


    Affinities:Ice(Supreme) Chaos(Supreme)


    Abilities:Dragons Eye, Mana Master, Draconian scales,


    Weapon Art:?


    ______________________________________________


    I was immediately satisfied but also felt familiar with the status screen. It reminded me of the way the author would show status screens in ''The Ultimate Sin'' but I brushed it off because it was just a status screen and that many could be simr. Then I checked my status screen and found myself to be E+ Ranked borderline D- Rank. I didn''t know if this was strong in this world but I think it was a feat worth praising that a fourteen-year-old was this strong. Anyways whilst I was checking my status screen Miss Penny came and I went with her to the train. Upon entering the train I was once again surprised by how advanced it was.


    ''Woah This is cool. ''


    I followed Miss Penny to our seats. The moment I sat on my seat I almost let out a moan due to howfy it was. I felt like I was on a cloud damn it!.


    As I was enjoying thefortable seat the train flew off and we started to go to our next station. As we were flying off to our destination I saw a huge building g that pierced into the clouds. My reaction to it?


    It was Horror as I ''Realized'' what world I was transported into.

 Chapter 4 Realization

    The Strongest Organization, The Awakened Union, That was the name of the towering structure before me. A pure white Building that pierced into the clouds themselves. A building that was depicted in such great detail in the novel that I honestly thought the author was an Architecture Major that was just boasting about his skills. A Structure that was the home to the strongest Awakened in the world.


    That was the structure before me. The Building that held meetings to decide the lives of millions weekly. The shock on my face was so apparent that even Miss Penny noticed it.


    "Hmm? Oi, what''s wrong?"


    "Oh uh nothing, I''m just excited to be an awakened."


    "You should be because you awakened a ridiculously high ice affinity the orphanage is going to get so much funding because of you"


    Hearing this I thought to myself.


    ''Wait but I have two. affinities though. One is ice and the other is chaos.''


    I wasn''t stupid enough to say that I had Chaos As an affinity If my hunch was correct and we were truly in ''The ultimate sin''. Then the moment I revealed my second affinity would be akin to writing a death warrant. But I wasn''t a hundred percent sure if it truly was the world I was thinking of, I needed to do some research but I didn''t have a phone on me, So I asked Miss Penny.


    "Miss Penny, can I y with your phone? "


    I tried to act as childish as possible, expecting her answer to be a yes or ok, I was shocked to see that she refused so easily.


    "No."


    I tried asking again but with the use of the magic word.


    "Please?"


    "No."


    This heartless woman! Does she not know what kind of predicament I''m in?! Wait, Of course, she doesn''t know.


    ''Well guess I gotta have to wait a while to get some info."


    Suddenly A voice was transmitted across the train telling the station that we stopped at.


    Hearing the transmission Miss Penny Got up and held my hand and walked out of the train.


    We were out of the train station but Miss Penny didn''t stop. We kept on walking for I believe fifteen minutes or so and came across a rusted metal gate. There was a sign above the metal gate that said *ck Rock Orphanage*.


    Miss Penny opened the gates and we stepped inside before I could even criticize the Condition of the gate. After entering the gate we came upon a manor. Shabby but big. Outside of the manor was a ck car parked across the grass.


    Seeing the car I thought to myself.


    ''Wait if we have a car why go by train? Have Petrol prices gone up that high? ''


    Entering the Manor I was surprised to see the condition it was in. Cracked tile and walls which weren''t even painted. Inside I could also see 3 Men wearing ck suits and one of them was holding onto a crystal ball. Another was holding onto a suitcase while thest one was holding onto a ck Boss with the insignia of an Eagle soaring high, I instantly recognized the signal to be The awakened Union''s insignia. Seeing us enter the men immediately got Into the business as they approached us. The leading man said.


    "Greetings, Is the young man n Pator?"


    Miss Penny replied to his question.


    "Yes, Are you here for the Official Examination?"


    "Yes we received the report of a child awakening a high-level ice affinity, We''vee here to personally gauge his affinity level, Sid, Bring the orb"<sub> </sub>


    The man carrying the orb stepped forward and put the orb down on the ground in front of me and said.


    "Please put your hand into the orb"


    I listened to his instructions and did as he said.


    I ced my hand on the crystal ball. Immediately after it shined a bright white


    light that quickly consumed all of us standing near. Afterward, the atmosphere started to be chilly and I could even see snow


    forming In the air. On the ground, the floor became covered with ice and engulfed Sid who was the closest to me. I remained untouched by the expanding ice.


    As Sid was surprised about having his feet encased in ice the orb suddenly broke.


    All the 3 Agents looked at me with disbelief In their eyes, The man carrying the suitcase who was also the man who talked first opened his mouth In shock and eximed.


    "A.. a superior grade affinity!"


    His attitude immediately changed as he took the box from the third guy''s hands and gave it to me respectfully.


    Opening the box he said.


    "Inside here is a phone that has been issued to you by the government. And you will also receive a certificateter on when the higher-ups have decided on the academy you will be going to when you turn 16 Sir, If you have any questions please call the guideline number avable on the back of the box''s Cover."


    He then handed me the suitcase he was carrying and said.


    "This suitcase case contains roughly 50,000 Studs. It is a congrattory gift from the Union for bing an awakened"


    Hearing about the name of the currency, I was bing surer and surer about this world. Studs were the global currency used in ''The ultimate sin''


    After saying this he immediately left with his subordinates I presume and soon I heard a car turning on and bolting out of the area.


    I turned around to see miss penny Eyeing the suitcase with greedy eyes.


    She forcefully tried to take it from me but couldn''t because my grip was strong after bing awakened that she couldn''t take it away even when she tried.


    Upon seeing that her method failed she talked to me.


    "n gives me the suitcase the funds inside will be very helpful for raising the orphanage."


    I didn''t want to but my instincts were telling me that something bad was going to happen so I gave her the suitcase.


    She immediately became delighted and told me to go back to my after handing me a key


    Reading the number which was 4 I looked around the manor and found my room and entered it.


    I took out the phone given to me by the government and began my research.


    I needed to confirm my suspicions as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 5 Shit, Im In Hell.

    Turning on the phone given to me by the Awakened Union, I was about to search the Web for the information I needed. I hopped into Sobrer, the mostmonly used browser in the ''The ultimate sin'' world. As I was going to type something I wondered.


    "Wait, Does this have WiFi? "


    ''But there wasn''t any info about the main characters using wifi right? I mean the protagonist could use the web immediately after he got his phone, So..''


    I typed what I wanted to type and tapped the enter button.


    To my slight shock. It worked without WiFi... I think or maybe the phone already had data because it was the phone given to awakened by Union.


    I clicked on the first website and began reading.


    ______________________________________________


    1996, November 2nd, Also known as Doomsday was the cursed day that the apocalypse urred, hundreds of millions of people died, The Earth experienced earthquakes of unseen magnitudes, and the entire shape of thend on earth changed, Continents became closer to each other, Some far from each other and some just stayed where they were. Thankfully there was no collision between continents or else the casualty rate would have gone into the billions. The Entire World went into a state of shock as portals appeared, Dimensional gates to other worlds or fragments of worlds that spewed monsters from it. This caused even greater disaster to the already shocked inhabitants of the world, furthermore, the wildlife started mutating. The cause of this was unknown until humans began to mutate themselves. Research done on these mutated humans provided knowledge of another source of energy to Mankind.


    Mana!


    The dimensional gates that appeared along with monsters also spewed out immense amounts of Mana into the world. This was found to be the cause of mutations, Slowly the mutated humans increased in number and began to fight off the monsters.


    When the monsters that a portal spewed out were killed it was found that the portals could be entered and the monster inside of the portals could Albeit rarely, contain Mana cores as a heart!


    These Mana cores were packed with energy. A core obtained from a rtively weak monster was found to be able to power an entire country for a day.


    An Entire Country! It was able to provide power for hundreds of millions of people for an entire day!


    This discovery urged mankind to explore the portals which wereter named to be dungeons. Upon this discovery, private organizations called Guilds were founded that served one purpose only and that was to farm these portals. When humanityter reimed arge amount of theirnd. The Awakened Union was set up by the World Government which was formed because of the demolition of countries because of the First Apocalypse.


    Slowly the Situation became stable so humans further began their study into Mana they ssified their strengths into different ranks*. The biggest boon from the introduction of mana came to the field of biology as miracle elixirs could be produced with herbs containing Mana.


    These ELIXIRS, Called potions could strengthen awakened and even regenerate lost limbs!


    It was an age of prosperity for humanity until


    February 18, 2010. An enormous ck portal appeared in Australia. At first, it raised some concern since it was enormous and was a different color from the red and blue portals that appeared before but these concerns were immediately overshadowed by the bright gains that could be earned by monopolizing the huge dungeon.


    As Greed took over Australia separated from the world government and began preparations to wait for the dungeon to open as something was only able to enter the dungeon if it had been opened once before.<sub> </sub>


    However, Cmity struck, The dungeon was a gateway to the abyss. Thend of demons and devils immediately flowed out like ants and overwhelmed the entire Australian continent in a week.


    The world government was immediately rmed as demons flocked to their shores and attacked every settlement in sight.


    Thankfully due to thebined efforts of thousands of awakened the demons were repelled back to Australia but never back to the abyss.


    The Demons had made Australia their home and mankind was unable to do anything about it. So they coborated to nuke the continent after seeing it was infested with demons who already posed a threat to mankind.


    The nukes didn''t work at all as the demons set up a barrier of magic that withstood the attacks of hundreds of nukes altogether like it was nothing.


    Humanity could do nothing but watch as an entire continent began to be transformed by Chaos Energy, The signature energy of demons, into a destend where only demons could live.


    ______________________________________________


    My worst fears hade true as I realized I truly was in the world of The Ultimate sin.


    The current year was 2063, two years before the main events of the novel yed out as the protagonist entered Shield, The number one ranked academy in the world.


    I had two years before the start of the novel truly began


    During these years I had to make preparations because the academy was filled with danger ording to the plot.


    I concluded falling the government guidelines number and takingbat sses from them to have a better chance at surviving the Academy, they would probably listen as I awakened a high enough affinity that they will certainly want me to be theirs.


    Thinking things through, I realized that I still hadn''t seen my face at all. Knowing that I probably had a different body I opened the camera of my phone and immediately gasped in shock And said.


    "Is this even. biologically possible??"


    ______________________________________________


    Authors Note:The ranking system will be exinedter although it''s probably going to be pretty original because Ick creativity lol.


    Changed Skyfall academy to shield. it just sounded better in my opinion

 Chapter 6 My Eyes?

    Diamonds, That was what my eyes looked like, Literal Blue diamonds.


    Although my Sclera was a normal white and my pupils were ck, the differencey in the irises, they were a magnificent blue diamond,


    almost white to be honest.


    As I pondered if this was possible, A thought suddenly came into my mind.


    "Wait is my affinity to ice the one responsible for this?.. Or is it my Species? "


    I Didn''t know, There was nothing in the Novel I could remember about your affinity affecting your eyes, Hair yes but never eyes.


    Wait.


    The protagonist had a superior-grade affinity to fire and he also had scarlet irises. It was described the moment he was introduced in the first chapter and I also saw the art of the MC


    on The Ultimate Sin''s fandom page.


    So it could be possible but I wasn''t sure.


    I decided to just let it be, It was gettingte and I was already tired from all this transmigration or reincarnation stuff.


    So I decided to rest, I could think of other ways to have a chance at living tomorrow.


    So I closed my eyes, And I think 4 minutester I Fell Asleep.


    ***


    A boy was crying.


    In front of him were three figures, A male, a female, and a little girl, All of them had ck hair like the boy, But the eyes of the children were different from the adults, Both Children had irises that were like diamonds, The boy possessed light blue diamonds for irises while the girl possessed a darker shade of blue for hers. The girl was also unconscious,


    with her legs seemingly crushed, The male and female were being tortured by a figure veiled in darkness.


    He(?) whipped them with a whip ofplete darkness. As the whipshed against their body their screams rang out.


    "Pl-eas-ee st-stop! "


    The boy cried out. His plea was heard by the duo, who seemingly had strength return in their eyes. They instantly moved their tired bodies which were already battered and tackled the figure veiled in darkness and yell simultaneously." RUN! Take Samantha with you and run n!"


    The little boy did as he was told, He grabbed the girl that was unconscious and bolted, All the while the boy was crying but he didn''t stop.


    Because if he stopped their efforts would all be in vain. So He ran and ran until his legs gave out and he fell, He was crying so much that it was hard for him to breathe now, Hey there with the girl who was significantly young than him, at about two years old while the boy was ten. He then heard the sound of peopleing, Some of them stopped and carried him and the girl away while some just charged in where the veiled figure was.


    That was the Day that n Pator and Samantha Pator escaped with their lives. Just barely due to the efforts of their parents trying their best to hold the veiled figure back as their children ran.


    ***


    At 12:00 AM


    [Happy birthday to the host!]


    [As a gift, the host has unlocked the spatial attribute(High) ]


    ***


    I woke up, not naturally but because I heard knocking on the door, A voice then called out from outside the small room.


    "Happy Birthday Brother! Rise and shine"


    ''Brother?''


    I wondered as the knocking continued. I got up and walked to the door to unlock it


    When I did I was greeted by the sight of a girl who looked deathly pale and was sitting in a wheelchair.<sub> </sub>


    The moment I saw the girl I couldn''t help but notice her eyes, More specifically her irises which were just like mine, looking like diamonds Although they were a darker shade of blue, unlike mine which was light blue like the sea.


    The moment my eyesnded on her intense feelings of joy exploded inside as I subconsciously yelled and then hugged her as best as I could.


    "Samantha!"


    "Happy Fifteenth Birthday!"


    "Thank you!"


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t help with celebrating with a cake but I brought a cupcake!"


    She handed me the cake. As I was about to devour it I thought.


    ''What the heck am I doing?''


    With all that was happening, Even a dumbass could deduce that she was the sister of the original owner of this body.


    So this is that type of reincarnation huh?


    Amon coincidence when a character was reincarnated or transgressed to another body that was already a little old instead of just staring anew as a baby.


    These types usually had unresolved regrets that the new owner had to solve to gainplete control of their new body.


    As I was wondering, the girl or Samantha spoke.


    "Huh? Do you not like it? But it''s chocte! And you love chocte."


    I immediately devoured the cupcake and spoke.


    "Ah nu I wash just admire ng the beauty of the cupcake!"


    I Said while still chewing on the cupcake.


    "That''s great! I want to celebrate but I need to take my medicine so I''ll talk to youter, goodbye!"


    She Said while already moving her wheelchair with the help of a joystick that was on its right handle where the hand used to rest.


    "Okay! Since this is a special asion I''ll take you out for some. treats today!"


    "But it''s snowing outside?"


    Snowing? The weather was totally fine yesterday though. But then I immediately discarded the thought considering that in ultimate sin the mana fluctuations in the atmosphere could cause the weather to be different in different areas.


    "Oh then let''s go tomorrow then!"


    She said while scooting off into the distance with her wheelchair.


    I then shut my door and sat on my bed. I was too confused by what just happened. More so by the fact that my body or my mouth responded without me even doing anything.


    ''Considering the condition she was in my goal is to probably cure her.'' I decided to think about itter and called the guidelines number on my phone.


    [Hello? ]


    it was the voice of a woman, I quickly responded.


    " Hello, I''m someone who is newly awakened and needs some help regarding my training."


    [Ah, May you please tell me your stats and affinity, Please say "Status to check. ]


    I did as she said and opened my status, as I read about my attributes I approached affinities and noticed a change in them


    There was another affinity.

 Chapter 7 Spatial Affinity?

    ***


    Name:n Pator(15) ing


    Species:Ice&Chaos Draconian Hybrid


    Strength:E+


    Endurance:E+


    Agility:E


    Mana:D


    Control:D


    Charm:E


    Affinities:Ice(Supreme), Chaos(Supreme), Space(High)


    Skills*:Dragon eyes, Mana Master, Draconic Scales.


    Weapon Art:?


    ***


    Space? That wasn''t there before.


    ''How the hell did I get Space as an affinity? Was it-''


    [Excuse me are you still there? ]


    Interrupting Me from my thoughts was the female assistant. I hurriedly replied to her.


    "Ah yes, my attributes are."


    I told her my stats as stated but left out my species.


    Can''t have her find I''m not human anymore.


    Suddenly a disappointed voice sounded out from the phone.


    [Ah, Can youe to the Union for further testing? Bye]


    The call ended.


    I stood there absently, still processing the disappointed tone of voice andpleteck of honorifics at the end.


    ''Am I that weak?''


    No that wasn''t right, The protagonist, Elijah Ardor had most of his stats at E+Rank when he joined the Shield but...


    My stats were better than his. And I was sure my affinities and species were responsible for this. Then why that tone?


    Ah.


    She must have thought I was lying, Yeah Elijah had his stats at E and he was considered the best talent humanity had.


    Yeah, She must have thought I was lying.


    Well, need to go to the Union Building to get information about my training I guess.


    I opened my door and walked out. As I was reaching the end of the hallway and down the stairs, Multiple little kids went past me, All of them looking malnourished. Seeing this I had a frown on my face.


    ''Is Miss Penny feeding them well? Wait''


    I looked at myself, my arms were skinny, I pulled up my shirt and looked at my chest,


    To my shock, my ribs were showing.


    ''Okay she has not been feeding us a lot


    It could also be that the orphanage is not getting enough funding.


    Well, my awakened status should get the government to support it more so maybe the children''s condition would improve.


    ''Wait I don''t have any money how am I going to get there.''


    I decided to go to Miss Penny to ask her for some money out of the 50 Thousand studs she took from me yesterday.


    I decided to ask one of the many kids about her location.


    "Hey, you know where Miss Penny is?"


    The kid looked up at me and said.


    "She should be in her office, Al."


    Al? Was that my nickname around here?


    "Where is that?"


    "Umm at the top floor where it is usually at Al."


    "Okay, thanks."


    I went through the stairs up and arrived at the top floor I assumed because there were no more stairs upwards.


    I then went into the only room that I thought she was in.


    The room had a door with the sign ''Manager'' On it.


    I knocked on it.


    "Come in. "


    I went in and was immediately repulsed by the smell of smoked weed in the office.


    ''Holy shit this woman smokes!''


    I struggled to open my mouth when Miss Penny said.


    "What do you want?"<sub> </sub>


    Getting the smoke out of my head I answered


    "I want 3000 Studs out of the 50000 I received as a reward for me bing an awakened.


    " No. "


    "Why? "


    "Because I don''t want to."


    This woman! Now I realized that the reason the kids were malnourished wasn''t because of funding.


    It was because this hog was like this!


    "That is the money I received as a reward for bing awakened, I want it, or else I''ll report it to the authorities."


    "You won''t dare to."


    "What gives you the confidence to say that?"


    She didn''t respond immediately,


    "Fine.... you can take only three thousand."


    "Five thousand now."


    "What?! Why?! "


    She eximed.


    "Because I said so, you can take the remaining 45 thousand I don''t care about that. "


    I remembered in the novel that the main characters had a lot of money, of course, that came from their families but I also had an ace up my sleeves.


    Stocks!


    I knew whatpanies whose stock fell and rose because the author wrote about it as an attempt at world-building I guess but I Knew!


    And Besides, the events that happened after the start of the novel in 2065, So I had plenty of time to make more money if my ns went well.


    Far more than just fifty thousand.


    ".. fine. "


    "Hmm, sorry I didn''t hear you well enough"


    "I said fine!"


    "Then give it to me"


    She, obviously being in a bad mood reached under her desk, opened a drawer and took out a ck card, and gave it to me.


    "Use only five thousand from there. Got it?! "


    "Ok Ok Geez"


    Damn this woman was angry. It''s just five thousand studs.


    I said being oblivious to the fact that I was already used to the fact that the main characters spent millions even billions of studs so easily.


    Nevertheless, I took the card and left.


    I stepped out of the orphanage after walking down those damned stairs.


    It''s 2063 woman Just install a damn elevator!


    I went outside and saw snow covering the entire area


    Oddly I wasn''t cold even though I just had an ordinary T-shirt on me and jeans.


    ''Is this because of my ice affinity? ''


    It was quite amazing that I wasn''t feeling cold despite it snowing outside.


    I shrugged it off and walked outside. Walking in the snow was hard as I only had slippers on me. I Went out of the road and took the path we took yesterday to the orphanage. I quickly reached the train station.


    I went inside and walked to one of the stands where there was a line.


    A lot of people were looking at me with surprise and pity because I was wearing nearly nothing for this type of weather and my skinny arms and my slightly sunken cheeks.


    I stood in line. Waiting for my turn. When it was finally my turn I handed the man behind the counter and told him.


    "I want a single ticket and can you please tell me the station closest to the Union please?"


    The man looked at me and said.


    "That would be Arainu Station, You should get off the train when the conductor announces it."


    I thanked him and took back my card.


    I entered the train and took the seat assigned to me on my ticket. Each seat here was private, which made Sense see the hulking size of the train.


    I went topartment 4 on the train, After scanning my ticket I entered thepartment and took my seat. I then heard my stomach rumbling.


    Checking the time on my phone I found it to be 11:36 Am, Quite early and it was reasonable I was hungry because the only thing I had since I came to this world was a single cupcake.


    I looked around thepartment and found what looked like to be an attached phone.


    Picking it up it automatically dialed itself and I was soon talking to a man.


    I asked him about the breakfast options and after he told me I ordered option two which was Fried eggs, Orange juice, and Along with two pieces of bread with jam.


    I then sat with my eyes waiting for my food toe.


    The train soon started and I was off to the Union, where I seriously needed to get stronger quickly if I had any chance of Surviving the next few years.


    *********


    *=Changed abilities to skills. It sounded better tbh

 Chapter 8 The Union

    I arrived in front of a massive building whose roof I could not even see no matter how I looked up


    Due to it being early in the day it wasn''t as crowded in the streets but holy hell it was bustling inside the building.


    I entered the building and went to the receptionist, well the only one I could find that had a rtively short line.


    After waiting for a while it was finally my turn.


    "Excuse me I came here for a talent evaluation."


    The receptionist replied without taking her eyes off theputer.


    "That will be 1200 Studs. Would you like to pay with credit or ca-"


    She looked up from herputer, presumably to take the payment and assign me a ticket when she paused, looking at me for a while she said.


    ".. Credit or cash?


    She said with a hint of pity in her tone.


    I, who already expected this because of how malnourished I looked, replied.


    " Card"


    I gave her the card, She scanned it, gave it back to me, and also gave me a white card with the number 555 written on it. When I took it she said.


    "Please wait in the lounge, When you hear your  number getting called go to room 17."


    "Okay"


    I then went to the center of this floor where the lounge was supposed to be.


    Honestly, it looked nothing special, the first floor of the Union that is. I was kind of expecting more.


    Anyways, Since I''m a dragon subspecies my talent rank will probably be between S Too SSS, It would cause quite a stir because currently, humanity didn''t have a SSS ranked individual.


    I knew exactly how the talent assessment worked so I should be able to deal with it l.


    It worked by figuring out how much mana the person could absorb. If they could absorb a lot of mana into their bodies then they will naturally be able to grow a lot stronger the more mana they could take into their beings.


    This was exined in chapter 537 When Elijah Ardor trained humanity''s first spatial mage so that he could hide his real talent assessment rank so that big guilds couldn''t go after him and he could easily recruit him. He also gave him an artifact that changed what affinity he showed, so instead of his unique spatial affinity, it showed a low fire affinity.


    Me?


    I was nning on doing the opposite.


    Why? Because although you can live well being a lower rank, you didn''t get as many opportunities to grow, A dragon was the embodiment of the masters of mana, I could already tell that my assessment would be special because of my skill, Mana master was a staple passive skill of the ancient dragons. Hell if I tampered with the assessment I  would probably arouse suspicion.


    And I also wanted to be humanity''s first spatial mage, not because of the fame.


    But because of the money.


    The only reason the protagonist, Elijah Ardor couldpete with his friends who were all from incredibly influential families. They were filthy rich. So Elijah made use of the special spatial attribute to earn a lot of money.


    That was the true reason I was nning to make it clear that I had two affinities, I wanted to do one but my ice affinity had already been revealed, The Union probably had records of it considering I broke the affinity measurement orb.


    As I was deep into thought. A voice sounded out through the speaker.


    "NUMBER 555, COME TO DOOR 17 FOR YOUR TALENT EVALUATION."


    Welp, Time to go make history I guess.


    I walked towards the door that had a huge holographic 17 Above it. Below it was a screen that showed the talent of the individual who was being tested.<sub> </sub>


    Standing in front of it I handed the card the receptionist gave me to the man who was standing in front of the door. Looking at me with eyes full of suspicion he quickly made a call.


    ''Good god people, can you all stop? ''


    Well, I couldn''t do anything about it considering my condition.


    After making the call and confirming it truly was me. He let me in.


    Following him in, He guided me to an orb and told me the instructions.


    "You just have to put your hands on the orb and it will do the rest ok?"


    I nodded, Preparing myself I took a big breath and put only one hand on the orb.


    <o>,m The orb didn''t glow for a while. And then it immediately shined a White light.</o>


    Hulu.


    This was it, My talent as an SS rank.


    Suddenly the orb was beginning to turn ck, the moment I noticed the change I immediately took my hand off the orb.


    Couldn''t have them find out my true talent.


    That would lead to too many problems.


    I immediately used the hand that was on the orb to cover my eyes as a distraction so that the man could deduce that I was shielding my eyes from the bright light.


    When the light eventually faded. All I could see was the look of shock on the man''s face.


    Trying to make myself appear as if I knew nothing I asked the man.


    "Umm is white good?"


    Of course, I knew white was good. it was fantastic even but I needed to put on the act.


    The man who was still in shock fell over on his bum.


    "Uh-Uh S--SS rank... "


    He muttered, Shock still evident on his face.


    Immediately he took on his phone and dialed a number. He was soon finished and said to me.


    "Please follow me, sir."


    I did as he asked. Not even being surprised by the respect he was immediately showing me. He stood in front of the door for a while, then his phone rang and he opened the door.


    What awaited outside the door was a crowd of reporters and ordinary people. All trying to get to me who were luckily being stopped by men in ck suits. If they hadn''t been I honestly think I would have been trampled.


    The man took me to the elevator, The reporters and people especially tried to get a good look at me but they were stopped by the men in ck suits who made a safe road to the elevator with their bodies blocking the reporters.


    They were probably awakened because I didn''t think normal humans could stop so many people at the same time.


    We quickly got in the elevator, the doors closed and the man pressed some buttons.


    I meanwhile tried to keep my head down, Not because of embarrassment but because I was too busy trying to hide the smirk on my face.


    ''Heh, so this is what it feels like to be famous,


    Nice.''

 Chapter 9 Doubt.

    The doors of the elevator opened. I saw a woman standing outside who respectfully said to me in a sweet and gentle tone.


    "Please follow me, sir."


    "OK''''


    I replied with half enthusiasm and other confusion in my voice to appear indifferent to what was happening so they would think I was clueless.


    I followed the woman, the man who took me up here wasn''t with us, I assumed he wasn''t allowed on this level of the Union so he should have gone down.


    Speaking of a higher level, this ce was decked! There were paintings all over the walls. The hallway seemed way too medieval to be in a futuristic society like damn!


    Hell if it wasn''t for the fluorescent lights on the ceiling I probably would have been fooled into thinking we were in a nobles castle or something.


    We quickly reached a wide area ofnd. It looked like a testing field. In the center was an orb that looked to be the same one that my talent was evaluated on, Just with a hell of a lot more decorations.


    "Please put your hands over the orb in the center over there."


    She said with a gentle tone.


    I entered the field and immediately became irritated. Why? Because of the number of eyes staring at me. For god''s sake at least try to hide your presence people.


    I looked up and saw multiple people who were leaning on the balcony above watching me with curious eyes.


    Paying them no mind. I walked over to the orb and put my hand on it.


    It glowed white again, this time with an even brighter light and soon the light slowly was starting to turn ck before I hurriedly took off my hand off the orb.


    "My God he truly has an SS-ranked talent! "


    "Unbelievable... "


    The people on the balcony muttered, with pure shock present on their faces. Seeing them I thought with a bit of pride.


    ''Hah! See the might of a dragon subspecies you lot! ''


    As I was drowning in the shock of the people on the balcony. Two Men rolling a pod came to the field. I was instructed by them to go in the pod and so I did.


    The pod was a stat measurer. Byying inside the pod it would put all sorts of needles and tubes inside me to measure my stats.


    I remember the protagonist Elijah saying that it was painful, So I truly hoped it would go well.


    The pod closed and released a gas which made me drowsy, Pretty soon I began to lose all feeling in my body and quickly fell asleep.


    The people outside waited with anticipation, probably because of how high the talent of the awakened being tested was, they would have assumed his stats were also high for his age.


    Soon the pod began to announce the stats of the one inside of it. And the people?


    Their expectations were well met, some even surpassed.


    [Awakened:n Pator. Age 15, Strength E+


    Agility E Endurance E+ Mana D Intelligence* D


    Recorded affinity Ice (Superior) ]


    BOOM!


    like an explosion just went on inside the heads of the many people inside, all their thoughts became alike.


    ''I need to get him into our guild!''


    That was themon thought they had in their minds but they could only wait until the test was truly over.


    For there was still one more part if it left.<sub> </sub>


    The Second affinity test. The Machine had already informed them of him having a ridiculously high ice affinity then could there be another one?


    This wasn''tmon but it also wasn''t like it had never been seen before. Multiple humans had awakened with two or even more than two affinities, with the drawback of the grade of these affinities being low. But Him?


    There was a good chance that he had another affinity whose grade wouldn''t be so high when his ice affinity had been taken into ount.


    So they could only wait.


    The pod opened up and the youth that was inside sat up. He was still connected to the tubes, which now had the purpose of detecting whether what he said next was true or not.


    The final test was a lie detector test because the orb could only sense the highest grade affinity of the participants and disregard the lower grade ones, they had to do it by this method


    Of course, the dwarves had even better instruments that could urately judge how many affinities a person had, but they were on their. The humans also had no way of contacting the dwarves because thetter much preferred to stay alone and experiment. Unlike the elves who had spatial magicians and could go whenever they wanted to and from the earth at will. Humanity had no spatial mage. And the elves also rarely came to earth because they didn''t have a likeness for humans, A majority of them hated humans who were so prideful and disrespectful to nature.


    s, this was the only way the humans currently had to test if the youth had another affinity or not.


    One of the men who transported the pod inside the field asked the youth.


    "Can you please open your status?"


    The youth, Still clearly drowsy replied.


    "huh What? "


    "Your status, Can you please open it?"


    "Oh okay. "


    The youth repliedzily and then yelled out.


    "Status!"


    And immediately in front of the youth his status screen materialized in, containing all the information the pod had stated prior, with a few being secret of course.


    "Can you check if you have another affinity instead of ice?"


    p "Yes"</anda>


    BOOM!


    Like another bomb had blown up inside their minds the audience quickly became restless.


    Not minding the atmosphere, the man asking the questions soon asked again.


    "Can you tell us what it is and its grade?"


    The youth replied, now with more vigor as the drowsiness he had felt had nearly washed away.


    "It says Space (High) "


    There was utter silence, The only sound present was the sound of the pod glowing green indicating that the youth had spoken the truth.


    Utter shock.


    The audience had expected another affinity, but never had they expected the youth to have an affinity for an element that hadn''t ever been seen in the human race before!


    This was a historical asion because on this day.


    Humanity had acquired its first Spatial Mage.


    _________________________


    *Changed control into intelligence.

 Chapter 10 SS Rank Talent.

    It was 3 years after the second apocalypse that mankind first made contact with other races. The first came the elves who were looking to invite humanity to the Fantasia alliance.


    An Alliance made by Elves, Dwarves, and orcs, these three major races that had a lot of power, Banded together with some of the lesser races to save their races from themon threat of demons and other evil races of the Abyss. Although the demons had a much more powerful enemy the Alliance, which was the Celestials, Theplete opposite of demons. The War the demons had started with these races was just to gather resources to fight against the Celestials.


    They saw how a portal to the Abyss had formed on earth and soon deemed it to be a that would be conquered rtively soon, not expecting that it wouldst for quite a while against the invasion of the Abyss.


    When they visited they were soon disappointed by theck of power humanity had and the only reason the wasn''t taken over was that a rtively weakyer of the abyss had attacked it, coupled with the distance between thend the demons conquered and thend where most


    of the humans existed.


    They were left disappointed but still left a few methods for humanity to contact them for help if they ever needed it.


    The Alliance had hoped for the new race but were quickly disappointed by them, mainly by the fact that the humans had no Noteworthy quality.


    For the Orcs, The frail body of humans was a liability.


    For the elves, The pathetic affinity humans had to the elements was trash.


    For the dwarves, They could not stand the fact that humanity prided itself on its technology when to them it was so primitive.


    All these factors led to the races quickly leaving disappointed.


    However, they still left some techniques and blueprints for the humans to help measure and quantify their newfound powers.


    The Affinity checking and Talent measurement orb were great gifts to humans.


    The talent measurement orb measured the talent ranks of individuals ording to the amount of mana absorbed and showed it in terms of colors, it went as:


    F Rank:Green


    E Rank:Purple


    D Rank:Red


    C Rank:Pink


    B Rank:Blue


    A Rank:Brown


    S Rank:Yellow


    SS Rank:White


    SSS Rank:ck


    The ranks were then further divided into subranks. If your Stat rank showed a - Sing after it then it was in the low tier, No sign Middle tier, and + Sign High tier and you were close to breaking through the - rank of the next tier.


    Affinity measurements went differently. It was mainly dependent on the environment changes when the individual put their hand on the orbs.


    If the environment around the individual started to heat up then they possessed the fire affinity, The grade of the affinity was based upon the magnitude of change to the environment. If there''s a great change, Take for example the surroundings caught on fire then the individual most likely possessed a higher grade affinity.


    ______________________________________________


    I walked out of the Field, Stopping by the door that led to the outside hallway, I found a couch nearby and quickly took a seat.


    Based on my calctions the offers would being in right aboooouuuttt.... now.


    BAM!


    Exactly on time, the door opened with such speed I couldn''t even see and dozens of people who were all wearing nice suits entered, The moment they spotted me sitting on a couch


    they flocked over to me as little birds flocked to their mother who was about to feed them.


    With their thunderous voices, they began to scream.


    "Will you like to join the star fall Guild? We will offer you the best training facilities and even admission into shield!!"<sub> </sub>


    "Please join our Darkness Guild!!"


    I was immediately bombarded with requests to join their guilds when suddenly, A frightening pressure descended upon the area. Causing me to wince in a slight amount of pain.


    Immediately after the pressure bore down the crowd in front of me separated and four figures surrounded me.


    They each were representatives of the Union, And the top three guilds, which were Titan, Behemoth, and Twilight.


    "Pleased to meet you n Pator, I am a representative from the Union and am here to invite you to the Union. "


    "The government can''t raise a talent like him, My name is Samuel Jitt and I would like to invite you to the Number one guild on Earth, Titan."


    "Nonsense, He deserves to be in our behemoth guild!"


    Out of all four figures only the one from twilight remained quiet, seemingly looking resigned to his fate as he would never be able tobat the other representatives because honestly, Twilight was the weakest one here.


    But no matter if he said anything or not I was already going to choose Twilight.


    Not because of the cringe name but because they had no cmity mas within.


    And what did I mean by cmity mas?


    I meant the protagonists of The Ultimate Sin. All three groups had one of the Five protagonists within them, The Union Had two even!


    First of all was Elijah, The Main protagonist who wouldter join the Union and the daughter of the number one ranked Awakened hero and president of the Union Harrison  Soubuelle, Serena Soubuelle.


    Titan Had Elena Parker, Daughter of the guild master of the Titan Guild, James Parker


    Behemoth had Henry Fornum, Grandson of the guild master of the Behemoth Guild Steven Fornum.


    The fifth One was also a girl from a highly influential family, She was Sabrina Wellington,


    The ''Princess of the Wellington''s.


    No way in hell was I going to be involved with any of them. No way, They wereplete danger mas, Every event in the novel was linked to them and they survived against death again and again. The Entirety of the demons and viins were after them.


    So no way In Hell was I ever getting involved with them.


    With my recent performance, there was a very high chance that I would meet them more than preferred if I went to any of the three organizations! My dream to live leisurely andvishly would be destroyed. So I started with pure confidence in my voice.


    "I want to join the twilight guild. "


    The three people that were arguing suddenly looked at me, the twilight guilds recruiter also did as well, with confusion on their faces. The Titan Guild representative asked me.


    "My apologies for asking this but why do you want to go to twilight? We can offer much better services than them!"


    I nonchntly replied.


    "Just because."


    All of them just stared at me, Dumbfounded.


    Before anyone of them could speak I turned to the Twilight guild representative.


    "Can we please discuss the terms of the contract in private?"


    The Twilight guilds representative, having renewed vigor In his eyes, Joyously said to me.


    "Yes! Please follow me we will discuss the details of the contract inside the guild headquarters."


    I followed him and he took me  outside of the Union Building and took me to a ck and Purple Car that looked gorgeous


    Gesturing me to get inside I entered the car and we were soon off to Twilight Guilds Headquarters.

 Chapter 11 Twilight Guild.

    The Twilight guild, although ranked number three amongst all the guilds on the Earth, was rarely mentioned by the author.


    I think it was only mentioned twice by the author.


    The main reason for this I think is that the guild had no main character at all in it.


    It had No one who was pivotal to the main plot of the novel.


    Besides, It was one of the guilds that fell after the Third apocalypse, which happened in 2070.


    And this was also the reason I decided to enter it.


    It Had no Cmity ma(protagonist)


    at all, which was a great blessing. And about its fall, I could probably figure something out during the years I had left.


    And currently, it was still a force to be reckoned with because the two prodigies of Titan and Behemoth who were Elena Parker and Ben Fornum respectively were still unknown.


    Twilight only suffered when these two prodigies were revealed.


    But currently? They were the best option I could choose.


    ''I should probably ask for an apartment and education for Samantha, I don''t think she is getting a proper education in the orphanage.''


    As I was thinking about my terms for the contract we soon stopped.


    Stepping out of the car I was immediately enamored by the building in front of me. It was at least 150 stories tall and looked to be crafted with the finest materials and technology mankind could offer. As I was enjoying the marvelous sight in front of me.


    The twilight guilds recruiter said to me.


    "Please follow me, The guild master is waiting for you. "


    ''Guildmaster?This shouldn''t be so important for the guild master to personallye, should it?


    I mean yeah I was good but I don''t think I''m this good!


    Nevertheless, I followed the man inside the building.


    Everyone currently presents inside the building was looking at us.


    Feeling Nothing from their gazes, I just followed the man until we reached the elevator.


    Entering the elevator he typed some buttons and soon we were at what I assumed to be the top floor of this building.


    He quickly led me to a door and knocked on it.


    "You cane in."


    An Icy voice. One that demanded supremacy rang out.


    The pressure from that sentence alone was making me tremble!


    The Man opened the door and I went inside.


    I was greeted by an entire cohort of people all sitting around a crescent-shaped table.


    There were Thirteen in total. Six sitting on each side and one man sitting in the center.


    Seeing him I knew it was the guildmaster.


    The pressure he was exerting confirmed it.


    ''He''s probably S rank.''


    The guildmaster gestured for me toe forward. I stepped forward and was soon in the middle of the crescent table, free for all eyes to view me.


    "Why do you want to join us and not the other guilds that are above us?"


    The guildmaster asked me.


    It all depended on this answer, if my answer did not meet his expectations I was probably going to die.


    "Because both Titan and behemoth will work me to the bone, Titan will try to keep its first spot while behemoth will try to surpass Titan. The Union would probably be the same. Oh, and as a plus, the name twilight is also cool."


    "Do you take me for a fool? "


    The guild master replied to my answer, disbelief in his tone.


    ... I had to make up something fast, thinking of an answer I confidently voiced it out.


    "Because twilight has the best chances for growth currently. "


    They all looked at me. Every person who was sitting to the side of the guild master looked at me. p


    A Dozen high-ranked Awakened pressures fell upon me.


    My knees trembled and I was covered in sweat.


    Seeing my condition. The guildmaster spoke out.<sub> </sub>


    "Stop it, we are not here to threaten a child."


    Immediately all the terrifying pressures around me disappeared, and I was finally able to stand up.


    "And you, Exin."


    The guildmaster spoke with doubt evident in his voice.


    "It''s because Titan and behemoth will probably fight each other for the top spot. Twilight can stay out of it and strengthen themselves, so when both the top two guilds are weak we can sweep in and take the first spot! "


    They all looked at me with apprehension.


    Then one elder, Who was sitting to the right of the guild master spoke.


    "The moment we do that both of them will team up and destroy us."


    I replied to him.


    "Yes, you all would probably be destroyed it...


    If you didn''t have me."


    Gaining some confidence I voiced out again.


    "Come on, you have the opportunity to get humanity''s first spatial affinity awakened into your guild, one that has a ridiculously high ice affinity and an SS-ranked talent. Do you honestly want to miss this opportunity?"


    They all gazed upon me, trying to understand my intentions.


    Hah fool, I trained my poker face in the business industry for 10 years! There was nothing you could glean from these cold eyes


    After a minute or two of waiting. The guildmaster spoke.


    "Give him the contract we prepared."


    An elder stood up at his request and walked up over to me and handed me a contract.


    Before reading it I realized it was a management contract.


    A contract that if broken, Would destroy the party that went against the terms listed against it.


    Reading through it, I was surprised by how lenient it was towards me and strict towards the guild.


    ording to the contract, The guild would have to provide me with training and will ensure that I get the best facilities for it, I would have specific martial and mana techniques given to me, and my sry would be set up to 500,000 Studs If I did nothing and would increase if I contributed to guild activities, I would also get a personal assistant to do the more boring work, Besides it also listed that the contractor and the contractee would have to work for the best interests of each other.


    Reading it again, It was perfect.


    Honestly, it was seriously good and I was tempted to ept it immediately but I had my own two conditions.


    "I would like to add two more terms to the contract."


    "That is already lenient enough Child. "


    An elder spoke to me, the same one that gave me the contract. To him I replied.


    "Please listen to my terms first Sir. I would first like an apartment, one that is within a building belonging to the twilight guild that had the best security, and would also like the guild to provide my sister with the best education possible for her age."


    "... that''s it?"


    "Yes."


    Honestly, this was pretty possible for a guild of their size. It wasn''t even something to think over for a while.


    "Fine, You need to sign the contract with your mana and all of your terms will be epted. "


    "Thank you but there is a problem."


    "... What is it now? "


    "How do I sign with mana"


    They all looked Stupefied, probably because they thought that I didn''t know how to use mana at all.


    I meane on, I just came to this world, how the hell was I supposed to know how to control mana?


    An elder stood up and ced his hand on my back and asked me.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Yes."


    I replied and then I felt a weird tingle in my back, It was traveling from my back toward my back and into my hands.


    Before I could figure out that it was the mana inside me he was stimting, the contract epted the mana that was within my hands.


    And just like that


    The contract was signed.

 Chapter 12 Richard Thompson

    Number 18 ranked hero and Also the guild master of the third strongest guild on Earth. Richard Thompson.


    With long ck hair, a perfect jawline, obsidian eyes, and skin possessing no w whatsoever. A body that screamed magnificent by just looking at his figure. That was Richard Thompson. The


    He was Currently feeling conflicted.


    Why? Because the youth that was currently all over the news for being the first spatial affinity awakened was standing in front of him and the elders of his guild. Who all were feeling conflicted just like him.


    .. How could they not be suspicious when the youth that was all over the news around earth wanted to join their guild and not the guilds above them?


    Twilight could provide him with resources, But Titan, Behemoth, and The Union could provide him with resources that twilight couldn''t even imagine doing.


    So why them?


    The youth wasn''t brain dead. He could already tell that from his eyes which were beautiful diamonds yet possessed a cold and ruthless look, One that could only be formed when someone had been fucked over majorly in their life.


    If anything, His pretending to be a scared act had already been seen through by everyone present in this room.


    The youth was a terrible actor.


    Which was why he was reluctant and suspicious as to why the youth wanted to join his guild.


    Under normal circumstances, He wouldn''t even need to see him as the registration process would be done by the staff.


    The only reason he was being interviewed was because of his SS rank talent.


    He was someone that would grow to be more powerful than even Richard himself, Who was already an S+ ranked hero whose original talent was only A but had managed to surpass it with his luck in finding a great bloodline and hard work.


    He didn''t want to take him into twilight.


    But he also couldn''t shake off the feeling that this was a great opportunity.


    Especially So because the youth was a one in a million talent. He wanted to take him into his guild. But.


    But then, Why was he fucking feeling afraid of the youth in front of him? Especially when all he needed to do was exert his pressure fully to remove him from existence.


    Why? Was it his eyes?


    Was it the Cold and ruthless look present in his eyes that he tried to hide but miserably couldn''t?


    Richard contemted but ultimately failed to find a reason.


    Little did he know, He was afraid of something else,something the boy in front of him himself was unaware he was exuding.


    And in the end, he trusted his battle-honed instincts and decided to let him into the guild.


    Although he was still suspicious as to why he would join their guild instead of the Titan or Behemoth. He decided to trust his instincts over his mind this time, He decided to trust the instincts that had saved his ass both during battle and during the business.


    Little did Richard know, The moment the youth signed the contract, Was a blessing for twilight. A blessing that would quickly make them the Number one ranked guild In the future.


    Also, If Richard knew that the only reason the youth joined his guild was that he didn''t want to meet certain individuals...


    He would have had no qualms in ripping his hair out.


    And just like that, n Pator had be a member of the Twilight guild.


    ***


    Back at the orphanage, I sat down on my bed.


    ''Ok, Preparations areplete, I just need to pack mine Samantha''s stuff. ''


    We shouldn''t have a lot of stuff I think, I mean we were in an orphanage and guessing from the fact that the orphanage director was a smoking addict and greedy as hell.


    Twilight was going to send a car over here tomorrow to pick me and my sister up


    We should barely have any belongings.


    I walked out of my room and headed to Samantha''s. Oddly enough, I somehow knew where her room was.


    Memories of the previous owner huh?


    Anyways, I went to her room which was on the same floor as mine, just he far from my room.


    Arriving in front of the door, I was about to knock when I heard a girl talking.


    "A, is this a picture of the cripple''s mommy and daddy, What if I rip it? "


    "Olivia... Please stop it..."


    "Don''t want to, I''m gonna rip i-?! "


    The door flew open and The brother of the ''Cripple'' walked in. With a Look on his face that said he was ready to kill whoever messed with the ''Cripple.''<sub> </sub>


    With my enhanced hearing, by bing an awakened I heard everything clearly, and when I did I snapped. An immense amount of rage welled up inside me and I kicked the door open. The poor wooden door couldn''t withstand The strength rank of E+.


    I wanted to kill. To tear apart the bitch who had said those words.


    I walked into the room and found three girls, who looked to be the same age as Samantha surrounding her, Currently they were all looking at the sudden intruder. Fear is apparent on their faces.        Samantha had the same fear on her face seeing her brother look so livid.


    I walked up to the girl that a photo in her hand.


    I grabbed her by the throat and lifted her.


    It was pretty easy because I received a major stat boost from awakening.


    I wanted to strangle her. To choke this little girl to death. I was going to, if not for Samantha.


    "Al! Please stop!!"


    That voice, that voice was the one that seemingly drove all the rage inside me away and brought rationality back to my mind.


    I released my hold on the girl''s neck. She fell and touched her neck while gasping for breath. Her neck was red and she soon began to cry.


    "Hikkk... Hilke *Sniff*"


    "Shut up before I kill you for real."


    I said to the girl who I nearly choked to death.


    She immediately stopped although her face was red and filled with snot and tears.


    I then looked at Samantha who along with all the other girls was on the verge of tears.


    "Samantha, tell me which stuff to pack."


    Samantha did not respond, I repeated my words.


    "Samantha, What stuff of yours do I have to pack? "


    She finally responded, although she stuttered I understood her clearly.


    "Und-er the be-ed over th-here."


    She said while pointing to a bed.


    Without replying, I walked to the bed and looked underneath it, there I found a school bag that looked to be filled to the brim. I picked it up. Then I Held the handles of Samantha''s wheelchair I walked out of the room pushing Samantha into her wheelchair.


    The other girls just looked at me, the one I choked has wet herself.


    Paying them no mind I exited the room and began to walk towards my room. While walking Samantha asked.


    ".. Brother. "


    "Yes? "


    I replied, already knowing what she was going to ask.


    "Thank you"


    Huh? Wasn''t she going to ask me why I did what I just did?


    I was confused, the question I had suspected had not evene up, But I did not say anything else. It was taking my all to suppress my rage.


    Reaching my room I opened the door and went inside with Samantha. Closing the door I said.


    "You can sleep here today. Sis"


    There was no response. Looking over at her, I found out that she was already asleep. Seeing her I thought.


    ''Poor girl, Then shock must have taken a toll on her carried her, andid her down on the bed.


    After confirming that she was fast asleep.


    I recalled the events that had just urred.


    I, A twenty-nine-year-old man who is now in the body of a fifteen-year-old boy.


    Had Nearly choked a six-year-old girl to death. By no means was I a saint but I also wasn''t a deranged psychopath. What I did just there was not me. I was cold and ruthless, yeah but not to children.


    Calming myself down by taking a few huge breaths. I sighed and thought to myself.


    ''I need to fix this body problem quickly.''

 Chapter 13 New Home, And A.... Quest?

    I couldn''t sleep. The moment I closed my eyes for a long period of time ''that'' scene of me choking the little girl kept reying in my mind.


    It was already 2:47 AM. I wanted to sleep.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t because of what I did.


    So I just decided to n my schedule for the following year. Twilight should give me a few skill books rted to my ice affinity. So I didn''t worry about that.


    What I worried about was my spatial and chaos affinity. Space was a subject that humanity had studied for a century now.


    Spatial Magic was something they had no clue about. Only the elves would be able to help me, provided I can somehow meet them.


    No... The odds of that were nonexistent. The elves were already busy conquering others.


    ''Ahhh, Just leave my spatial affinity for now. I should think more about chaos.''


    I just decided to leave my spatial affinity forter. Although I would jump at any chance to learn more about it as a hungry dog would leap at food. I didn''t have any chances. So I just decided to leave it.


    Now about chaos, Although I could get skills rted to chaos magic in the ck market. I couldn''t use them at all considering I was a member of twilight and not a viin.


    *Sigh*


    I sighed. I had too many problems to deal with and I was already tired.


    I wanted to sleep, yet couldn''t.


    ''How vexing''


    I thought. Well, it was ten minutes till three so. I decided to wander in my thoughts to pass the time. Maybe I could fall asleep by doing that.


    ''Come to think of it, Why am I the only one with a personal room?''


    Samantha didn''t have her room. She shared it with those bitches.


    Then why was I alone?


    Is it because I''m the only one at this age?


    I mean I never saw any children my age here, but then again I also didn''t know a lot about how orphanages worked.


    So I stopped thinking about it and thought about how I needed to gain full control of this body.


    So that ''That'' Doesn''t happen again.


    I looked over at Samantha who was sleeping on the bed.


    ''Wait... ''


    I then looked at her wheelchair and then back at her again. Realized what I had forgotten to do.


    I Face palmed myself.


    ''James you stupid son of a bitch. How could forget to ask for her cure?!''


    (Authors note:James is his name when he was alive in his world. He''s Only been as n Pator for a few days, while twenty-nine years as James, Which is why he still refers to himself like that. ''James'' will be exinedter on.)


    How could I forget one of the most important things I wanted to do!


    Ahhhh..... My stupidity knows no fucking bounds...


    ''I''ll just give her a high-tier potionter on...


    ''


    I made up a pitiful excuse to calm myself.


    I was too tired to even think at this point.


    Today was hectic as hell.


    I first got threatened by the guild I wanted to join and nearly choked a little girl to death.


    The guild part was understandable, I would be suspicious too if an SS-ranked talent wanted to join my guild instead of the many better options before him.


    As for the second incident, I didn''t want to recall that. I knew I was cold and a little bit insane, hell I killed a bitch in my previous life by dumping her into the ocean after torturing Her.


    On second thought, She deserved it. She was the reason why I lost my face after all.<sub> </sub>


    (Author s note:More about thister in the story.)


    But I wasn''t ruthless to kids. Even If adults said that I wouldn''t have done anything because my previous family was shit. But never would I go this far.


    ''Sigh. I may need to go see a therapist. ''


    The clock hit 3:00 am. And exactly as it did. A blue screen of the system materialized in front of my eyes.


    ''Hah? ''


    *Ding*


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha Issues a quest to you]


    [Quest:ept the Offer of the Wellington Family and devote yourself to it.


    Difficulty:A


    Reward:Seven star Mana Training technique:Supreme Ice Dragons Breath, Location to the Armour of Lanesha(SSS+), Ice element mastery(35%)]


    What.


    the


    fuck.


    How the fuck did I trigger a quest? These weren''t given to anyone, Even Elijah the main protagonist only got like 4 quests from the system. The system hardly issued quests. Elijah only got his Fifth, sixth, and seventh questions from Agri, The supreme dragon of fire. Only a High ss of existence(such as a fucking supreme dragon) Could tamper with the system...


    A high ss of existence that blessed me with its ice affinity could also definitely tamper with the system...


    Sighing, I read the quest issued to me by the supreme dragon Lanesha. Even if I hated it would have regrets if I didn''tplete it.


    But I was conflicted? the Wellingtons were People that I didn''t want to get involved with,


    Under normal circumstances...


    I wanted to decline but my eyes were focused on the reward, Completely disregarding the difficulty of the quest.


    How could I not? The reward was a seven-star mana training technique.


    Let me enlighten you on its fucking value.


    In the world of the ultimate sin


    There were seven stages to weapon arts and mana training techniques, If the technique or art possessed one star, it was quite literally trash. If it possessed seven stars, People would have no qualms destroyings to obtain it. That was how valuable it was.


    Elijah only got his five-star mana training technique, Breath of fire, when hepleted the system''s first quest. And that technique was what singlehandedly allowed him to remain in his first-ce ranking in Shield even though his opponents were young masters of extremely rich families, although they had the money, they didn''t have the means to obtain a five-star mana training technique. That was how rare just a five-starpatible training technique was.


    And that five-star training technique, paired with his Burning Sword weapon Art, which was four Stars, managed to make him defeat foes that were ranked above him easily.


    Now imagine what a seven-star technique could do.


    That was how valuable it was and I wanted it


    Badly. Very very badly.


    Just when I was going to read through the quest reward again to confirm if my eyes weren''t ying tricks on me. I heard another ding


    *Ding*


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras, Eyeing the Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha, Also issues you a quest.]


    [Quest:Obtain First rank in Shield.


    Difficulty:B


    Rewards:Chaotic Spear Weapon art(*******),


    Location to the Unholy spear of Suleras.(SSS+?). Spatial Magic Guide, Chaotic Steps movement technique (******).]


    My jaw hit the floor.


    __________________________


    Authors note. Forgive me if there were a lot of mistakes, I wrote this chapter in the middle of the night. sorry.

 Chapter 14 Thats Not An Apartment, Thats A Suite.

    My Jaw hit the floor.


    The moment I saw the details of the second quest. My shock had reached up to the sky.


    Nay, it reached up to space.


    ... how could it not have when the reward was a seven-star weapon art AND a guidebook to the type of magic that humanity did not know about.


    *p*


    I pped myself, just to confirm if I wasn''t dreaming of anything. Seeing the screens still in front of me. I pped myself again.


    *p*


    "Okay, they''re real.*


    I said with red cheeks.


    Taking huge breaths topose myself, I started thinking about these Godsen-no dragon-sent quests.


    About the one that the Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha gave me, I was clueless.


    Although I did not want to get involved with the Wellingtons.If the reward was a fucking seven-star mana training technique.


    I''d honestly happily lick their boots if I got the technique.


    But, both quests specified no time limit. I waspletely clueless about the first one. But sort of had an idea about the quest given to me by the Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras.


    That should have a time limit or not. I could deduce that it was a year since the Academy began and before it began Elijah like everyone else took the entrance tests andpletely dominated it. Although my admission was secured through my contract and twilights influence. I still needed to take the entrance exams so they could gauge my strength and give me a rank. To obtain the first rank I needed to dominate the tests.


    Well, it wouldn''t be too hard because my stats were already higher than Elijah''s stats at the beginning of the novel if my memory serves me correctly.


    But the problem was did I have to attain the first rank at the start?


    There were rank tests held every half a year to ensure that students weren''t cking off because of their high ranks.


    If I pummeled Elijah in the half-a-year rank tests, technically I could stillplete the quest.


    But did I want to risk not achieving the first rank at the start and risk failing the quest?


    Fuck no. The reward was a seven-star weapon art and a guide to space magic. There was no way In hell I was risking that.


    No


    way


    So I needed to attain the first rank in shields entrance exams at all costs.


    And for that, I needed to train like hell.


    Although my memory told me I could beat the Beginning of the story Elijah with my current stats.


    My memory was also unreliable.


    So I was not taking any chance, Especially when the reward was so great.


    Thinking about it now. My schedule has got a lot of stuff in it now. I should be fine having all of my focus on training this year and rxing in the next. The demon king only showed when all the protagonists were 25 years old. I had a heck of a lot of time.


    Nobody would fault me for taking a rest.... right?


    I just stopped thinking about it. I was already tired as hell before the quests. Although I had a slight adrenaline rush when they appeared it was long gone and I was already feeling drowsy.


    So I closed my eyes praying that I don''t have visions of ''that'' scene again.


    And it seems God listened.


    Because I quickly fell asleep without having those visions again.


    (Authors note:I''m referring to the choking a little girl incident by ''that''.)


    ****


    9:07 AM.


    *tring**tring*


    I was stirred awake by the constant ringing of my phone.


    Picking it up answeredzily.


    ".. who is it? "


    [Sir n, I''m your assistant from Twilight and havee to pick you up. I am outside the Orphanage gate, sir]


    "Oh, please wait a few minutes, I''ming. "


    [Yes sir]


    Finally, It was time to get out of this ce.


    I woke Samantha up and told her.


    "Samantha, wake up, we''re going to a new home!"


    "... huh? "


    She opened her eyes with a puzzled look. Confused by what I had just said.


    Paying her no need I picked her up and put her in her wheelchair.<sub> </sub>


    ".. Hey! "


    She yelled, totally because I just picked her up quickly without informing her.


    "What is wrong with you??"


    She asked, and I replied to her.


    "Nothing, just excited because we''re moving to a new home."


    Looking at me she asked me again with a hint of excitement in her voice.


    "Did we get adopted? "


    "Kind of.. "


    I replied to her question, Picking up the school bag. I opened the door of the room and went out. Just when we reaches the stairs I thought.


    Wait, how the hell does she go down, she couldn''t go down the stairs in a wheelchair.


    So in a hurry, I carried her again and her wheelchair and just went down the stairs with her in my left arm and the wheelchair in my right.


    It was pretty easy, to be honest. With my strength stat, I could probably lift a Boulder without difficulty.


    Reaching the bottom floor I put her back into her wheelchair and began walking to the orphanage gate. Reaching the lobby. I saw Miss Penny conversing with a gentleman with a face that screamed love at first sight.


    Wait.. that gentleman looks familiar.


    And he was familiar. The ''Gentleman'' was Richard Thompson, Guild master of the twilight guild.


    Seeing him I was confused.


    ''Why is the guild master here???? ''


    Then he noticed me and conversed with miss Penny for a few more minutes and then walked over to me.


    "Hey."


    He said nonchntly,pletely acting unaware of his social status toe here to pick up a newbie guild member of his guild.


    ".. why are you here? "


    I asked him, still doubting my eyes at his beautiful face.


    That face does not belong to a man. Not.


    "I''ll give you the answer in the car. Hurry up. "


    I just followed him and we soon entered a car that looked to be like a ck sedan. Just without wheels and a much more beautiful frame.


    (Authors note:every vehicle that I mention here is a hover vehicle, the types that don''t have wheel and hover over the surface of the ground.)


    I opened the back door and first put Samantha inside. Who was just staring at the Guild master with a red face? Seeing her I thought.


    ''Did this motherfucker just steal my sister in front of me?! ''


    I did not yell those words out, if I did I probably would have been dead.


    cing the bag and wheelchair in the back of the car I entered the car. And soon began to listen to the guild master''s Exnation while the assistant drove.


    "Now to answer your question about why I''m here and not just Billy, Who will be your assistant from now on. Is because of your safety. Your talent is incredible and your affinity is mind-blowing which means you are a  target. A pretty big target. Although the Human guilds won''t do anything, we can''t be too sure. plus now your are officially a member of twilight. They will do anything to weaken us so I had toe for your protection. Besides humans aren''t the only ones we have to worry about. The Demons will do anything to kill you as by killing you they can weaken humanity as a whole. They can remove humanity''s first spatial ranked mage and an SS-ranked talent by killing you all at once. This is why I am here to ensure your safety."He exined to me


    Hearing his exnation it sort of made sense, As I was thinking he spoke again.


    "Oh and about your sister, First of all, my apologies, I can give you a high-rank potion to cure her and have also solved the matter of her education. It''s up to you to decide whether she takes private education at the guild or another school nearby. I rmend y-


    " At the guild, provide her with education at the guild"


    I answered immediately, If I was this big of a target, My sister would also be pretty big because the demons could get to me through her.


    It was better for her to have all her matters solved at the guild. Which had hundreds of Awakened inside to protect her anytime an attack had urred.


    It was much better.


    "Good Choice. "


    Richard said, not being bothered about me interrupting him at all.


    "Besides there''s also another matter of extreme importance that I need to talk to you about. We will discuss it in private. "


    He said and I nodded my head. Then I looked outside the window of the car and began admiring the city.


    Pretty soon we arrived in front of a building that was probably as tall as the Burj Khalifa back in my world. The building was also pretty close to the Twilight guild headquarters.


    Unloading Samantha and the stuff we had. I followed Richard to the elevator while pushing Samantha''s wheelchair. Ben had disappeared with the car.


    Entering the elevator, He pushed a button and we were soon going up.


    The door opened and we walked out. He kept walking toward the right side and I just followed behind him.


    We soon stopped in front of arge door. He took out some keys and opened the door and handed the keys to me saying.


    "This is your Apartment from now on. "


    That was a lie, this was not an apartment.


    It was a damn Suite.

 Chapter 15 The Wellingtons Proposal.

    Entering the suite, I had only two words to describe it.


    Magnificent and big.


    It looked like the suites a billionaire would own.


    Before I could admire the beauty of my new home. The Guild master sat down on a sofa that was massive and lookedfy as hell.


    "Take a seat, we have a few things to talk about. "


    He said while gesturing for me to take a seat.


    I told Samantha to go explore and took a seat on the sofa in front of the sofa he was sitting on. Separating us was a marble table.


    The guild master said to me.


    "First of all, We''ve got you your ice affinity skills and also a three-star ice-rted mana training technique. we wanted to get four stars but we couldn''t find one on the market. Besides that, we''repletely helpless towards your spatial affinity."


    Hearing what he said, I asked him.


    "Can my space affinity issue not be solved?"


    "It can, But you would have to wait a while until we can get in contact with the elves. That''s the first option. The second is trying to find a spatial mana training technique on the market that was sold as a dungeon drop... but I''ll be honest with you. The chances of both are nonexistent. "


    He said while sighing.


    Listening to him, even I could only sigh.


    The quest reward forpleting Super Dragon Suleras''s quest was just a guide to space magic. Not a spatial mana training technique. A training technique increases the rate of your mastery of the element. The guide will just help me be familiar with how to use space magic.


    Sighing at my fate I asked him.


    "So is that it? what about melee and weapon arts?"


    "That depends on your preferences, what type of martial art and weapon art you want to learn, we''ll provide you with it."


    "And?"


    "And nowes the main reason I''m here boy."


    Staring at him with a puzzled look, I asked.


    "Which is? "


    Looking at me with a smirk, he said.


    "You''ve attracted the attention of white a lot of big shots. One such big shot had reached out to us to offer a proposal regarding you."


    ".. which big shot was it? "


    I already had an idea of who it may be but I wanted to confirm it.


    "The Wellington family. "


    Hearing his response, My idea was confirmed to be true. Trying to hide the smirk on my face I quickly asked him.


    "What was their proposal? "


    Suddenly his carefree demeanor changed and he said in a strict voice.


    "They want you to Be the bodyguard of Sabrina Wellington while she''s in Shield. "


    p ... what?</anda>


    Me? An E-ranked dude, to be the bodyguard of the richest family''s heir?


    I was expecting a partnership but not this.


    Her family could provide her with multiple S-ranked bodyguards easily with their assets. So why the fuck me?


    With a questioning look on my face, I asked the guild master.


    "...Why me? I''m just E-ranked and her family could provide her with multiple bodyguards of your level with just their assets. So why an E ranked like me?"<sub> </sub>


    Hearing my question, The guild master answered.


    "Well, there are three reasons. One is that no bodyguards of her''s on my level can be with her while she''s in Shield 24/7. Second, they may want to get in your good books. Hell, they might even want to request you to enter a forced marriage with her."


    "Yo what? "


    "You are seriously underestimating your value. You are the first one among humans to awaken with a spatial affinity. If you can gain a better understanding of it. you can create spatial equipment and also create portals to unimeds."


    Well, that was true. besides all my knowledge of the space attributes importance was based on after the Alliance epted humans. Before Elijah found Humanity''s ''real'' first space affinity awakened, Spatial equipment had already bemon due to trade between the four races.


    So, I was undervaluing myself a fuckton.


    The conclusion was that I was a heck of a lot important to humanity. I asked the guild master about the third reason.


    "And the third reason is? "


    "Infighting within the family. Sabrina''s father is currently outside of the city and off to another continent. It''s been like this for over a year now. Rumors are already circting that he''s gone missing. By having someone as weak as you as a bodyguard. They can kill her quite easily. Her uncle is also the one proposing this. If someone as ''weak'' as you is her bodyguard. Her uncle has multiple chances to kill her off and make his son the official heir"


    He replied in an annoyed tone, especially that ''weak '' part.


    Did he get offended because I said that her family could hire multiply awakened of his level?


    Without even listening to me. He got up and prepared to leave.


    "I''ll let you think about this. You can tell me at the guild. Also, the Skills are in the training room which is in the basement, you can learn them there. I have to go now."


    And immediately after he said. He mmed the door shut.


    ''Dude, are you that prideful?''


    I thought, that man got seriously offended that I said that there were many like him.


    Well, I need to think about this proposal.


    While it was true that Sabrina''s father had disappeared, this becamemon knowledgeter on in the novel. while she was in the third year of Shield.


    So why we''re there rumors of him disappearing now?


    Wait, It was confirmed that her father disappeared, currently, there were only rumors of his disappearance.


    This damn Offer was suspicious. Her uncle had truly wanted to kill her as many assassination attempts had been made at her life in the novel, only to be stopped By Elijah and the other protagonists. So why is he proposing this offer if he can just do it while she''s in the shield? Wouldn''t have any bodyguard not be better?


    Unless Her father''s Faction was keeping a watch on the uncle. Even though her father disappeared, there are bound to be some people that were still loyal to him and would do their best to protect his daughter.


    I didn''t want to ept this suspicious as fuck offer but I had to.


    The reward was too good.


    I needed toplete the quest to get the reward.


    So I decided. I''ll ept it. And I''ll also charge them a fuckton for my protection fees,


    Now being well aware of my importance, I was gonna charge a hell of a lot of money. A spatial mage''s time was precious!


    I decided to ept it.


    And then I immediately diverted my attention to the basement


    Walking down the stairs, I opened therge door and found myself to be in arge white room, The room was filled with top-of-the-line gym equipment.


    In the left corner of the room were a table and a chair.


    On the table were a few books, I immediately knew they were my skills


    and techniques.


    In the right corner was another door made of metal. Completely ignoring the right corner, I Excitedly ran towards the table and found my new skills and the mana training technique. Although it was three stars called [Whiff of frost]


    I was gonna use this technique extensively until I got my true desired technique.


    Looking at the skills they were, they were even more amazing.

 Chapter 16 Skills And Techniques

    [Mana Control(*) ]


    This technique allows the user to control Mana more efficiently and with greater control.


    [Whiff of frost(***) ]


    A Mana training technique geared towards the ice element. It increases control of the ice element and also increases the user''s understanding of the ice element.]


    Both were great techniques that were suited for me. Mana control was essential for me because Icked any control of Mana. People from this world were taught how to control Mana from birth in case they awakened. I, unfortunately, wasn''t of this world.


    Mana Control just increases the rate at which you can efficiently manipte Mana and control it to do whatever you want it to do. Richard probably gave it to me so I could have better control. Completely oblivious to the fact that I desperately needed it.


    Whiff of frost was a Mana training technique. Mana training techniques were essentially techniques that increased the size of your Mana pool, increased the rate at which you can convert normal Mana into elemental mana, And also provide a buff to the spells cast of the same element as the technique. They also raised your understanding of the element. Although the rate at which this technique would do would be abysmal. I could use this for my entire life but still not go above the 20%understanding of the ice element.


    Nevertheless, I still needed it until Ipleted the Ice dragon Lanesha''s quest and got the seven-star training technique.


    Now onto the skills.


    [Mana Conglomeration(E) ]


    This skill allows you to concentrate a specific type of Mana into a single point. Allowing you to release a powerful attack. Attack power depends upon the amount of Mana consumed and affinity to the desired element.


    [Ice Beam(E)]


    By Consuming ice elemental Mana. The user can release a white beam of pure ice energy which can freeze anything thates into contact with it. The power of the beam depends upon the amount of Mana consumed and affinity to the ice element.]


    [Ice Modification (D) ]


    The user can cover their body with pure ice. The ice around the body can be created to suit any shape. The density and toughness of the ice formed depend upon the amount of Mana consumed and affinity to the ice element.


    [Ice Bolt(E) ]


    The user can discharge a bolt of ice energy from their hands. The bolt deals heavy damage and can freeze anything it touches. The power of the bolt depends upon the amount of Mana consumed and affinity to the ice element]


    [Would you like to learn these techniques and skills?


    Yes/No]


    "Yes"


    I voiced out, with obvious excitement in my voice.


    [The Techniques and skills have been learned. ]


    Without even a second of hesitation, I opened my status.


    ----Status----


    Name n Pator.


    Species:Ice&Chaos Draconian Hybrid.


    Rank:E+


    Strength:E+


    Endurance:E+


    Agility:E


    Mana:D


    Control:D


    Charm:E


    Skills:Dragon Eyes(???), Mana Master(???), Draconic Scales(???), Ice Bolt(E), Ice Beam(E), Ice Modification (D), Mana Conglomeration (D).


    Mana Techniques:Mana Control(***) Whiff of frost(***)


    Weapon Techniques:?


    Melee Techniques:?


    --------------


    Looking at my skills bar, My eyes squinted. Seeing my first three skills, I thought.


    ''Oh yeah I also had those''


    Well, I was gonna test everything now.<sub> </sub>


    Moving towards the metal door Excitedly. I opened it and was greeted by a huge white room.


    This was probably the ability testing room.


    Well, I obviously couldn''t test my skills in the previous room that was filled with gym equipment.


    So this empty room had to be the one.


    Without further ado, raising my right hand and pointing it at the wall, I yelled out.


    "Ice Beam!"


    Immediately a ball of white light materialized in the open palm of my hand. This ball then suddenly sent out a rtivelyrge beam that traveled at supersonic speeds and hit the wall of the room I was aiming at. Excited as hell. I moved my hand around and the beam followed the direction of my hand. As it lived I could see the part of the wall where it was covered in ice.


    The skill honestly reminded me of a game where you could do anything you wanted withs. One of the things you could do was shoot the with a continuous beam of ice until it froze over.


    Thought in my mind for it stops. The white ball that was in the open palm of my hand vanished.


    I couldn''t stop grinning. How could I not when I just did something you would probably see in tv shows or games.


    Excitedly, I called out another skill.


    "Ice Bolt! "


    The ball of white light materialized again in my palm, only this time it was growing bigger until I had to stop it with a thought. Thinking of it shooting forward. The ball Immediately shot forward toward the direction of the partially frozen wall.


    *Boom!*


    With a loud bang, the ball collided with the wall leaving white mist covering the entire wall.


    When the mist finally disappeared I was able to see the entire wall covered with thickyers of ice.


    I cried with glee.


    Then without wasting even another second, I yelled out again, thinking of a w for a hand.


    "Ice Modification!"


    This time a white light covered my hand, when it finally faded, I could see my hand encases in ice that was in the form of a w. Thinking of another idea


    I yelled the skill name again.


    "Ice modification! "


    This time, the light covered my entire body. When it faded my entire body was covered in armor that was simr to the armor worn by knights in the medieval era.


    Seeing this, My eight-grade syndrome was starting toe back


    ''Sooo Cool!!


    I thought to myself.


    Then thinking of the armor going away. It went away with a bright light and my body was now bare.


    ''Oooh, four more to go. ''


    "Mana Conglomeration!"


    Raising my hand I clenched it into a fist


    and called out the skill name.


    The ball of white light materialized in front of my clenched fist. But instead of bing bigger, It became smaller instead it kept doing so until it became the size of two nails.


    I ran towards the already frozen wall punched with all my might.


    *BOOM*


    The moment I first reached the wall the ball of light exploded and threw me back.


    Raising myself, I took a look at the wall.


    This time, The entire room was frozen


    Not even the wall behind him which had the door was left unfrozen.


    Seeing the power of the skell I thought


    ''Holy shit that''s powerful''

 Chapter 17 Tecniques

    ''Holy Shit that was powerful.''


    The entire room was frozen and the wall that I punched was actually dented.


    This was way too cool.


    <o>,m The blow was so powerful that the recoil pushed me back by a lot.</o>


    Calming my already excited mind.


    I checked out the remaining three skills that I had when I came to world.


    [Dragon Eyes(???) ]


    [The eyes of a dragon sees through all illusions. The truth of the world isid bare before the Eyes of a mighty dragon.


    This skill is an specie exclusive skill]


    [Draconic Scales(???) ]


    [The imprable scales of a dragon covers your body granting you the strongest defense in the world, only broken by other dragons.


    Scales:Ice dragon Scales, Chaos Dragon Scales(Locked).


    This skill is an specie exclusive skill.]


    [Mana Master(???)]


    [Only a dragon posseses the greatest control over Mana. A thought is all that is needed for Mana to do your bidding.


    This skill is a passive skill exclusive to the Dragon Species.]


    Yeah, This was way too overpowered.


    I couldn''t stop myself from forming a smile.


    I didn''t even want to stop myself.


    Ahhh, the dream of every Otaku, To be isekaid and be blessed with heaven defying skills.


    Truly this is bliss.


    Disregarding the fact they except for Draconic scales, They were mainly support skills but still they were amazingly good.


    Also the (???) sign further increased my excitement. It was a literal indicator that the ranks of these skills was high as fuck.


    Curbing my excited heart. I called out.


    "Dragon Eyes!"


    Instantly my vision changes.


    How should I describe this? It was like I could see everything but also was limited in my vision. I could see the ice that was on the walls was glowing.


    And could also millions of white and blue particles.


    The measurements of the room wereid bare right before my eyes. I could see every nook and cranny without issue.


    ''Noice''


    I thought. Still keeping the skill activated. I yelled out again.


    "Draconic Scales!"


    Nothing happened.I looked at my body expecting to see scales but nothing. Confused I called out again.


    "Draconic Scales! "


    Still nothing. Remembering the skill description I called out again.


    "Ice dragon Scales!"


    Now there was a change. As I could feel scales growing all over my body except my face. The scales were white in colour and exuded a chilly aura.


    As I was admiring the scales in my body.


    I suddenly felt drained off all my energy.


    The scales disappeared and I fell on my knees.<sub> </sub>


    I felt extremely tired.


    Must have exhausted all my Mana. That was the only exnation I coulde up.


    Ignoring my tired body.


    I sat in a meditative position, The type monks did and called out in my mind


    ''Mana Control''


    Thinking with my mind. I imagined the particles the I saw when I had Dragon eyes activated entering my body.


    Immediately I could feel the tiredness go away and it waspletely gone in a few seconds.


    Shocked, I cried out in my mind.


    ''wait wasn''t it supposed to take hours to refill my mana?! ''


    In the novel, Mana could only bepletely replenished after hours had gone by. The protagonists were no exception to this unless they used a potion.


    This had to be the effect of Mana Master.


    Realizing I had another advantage over the normal residents of this world. My excitement went through the roof.


    And Finally I yelled out thest thing I wanted to check.


    "Whiff of frost!"


    The Mana around me trembled. Slowly, The Mana inside of me turned chilly and  I could feel my body absorbing that chilly Mana.I could feel my strength rising,albeit really slowly. This continued for about half an hour until it stopped.


    I ran out of mana.


    Now, an ordinary man would have to wait at least a day before doing the technique, if he didn''t use potions that is. Me?


    I just need to activate Mana control for a few seconds and my Mana would be back to full.


    I then activatee whiff of frost again. When my mana ran out. I acitvated Mana control.


    I then repeated this process until I could hear grumbling noises from my stomach.


    Standing up. I left the basement and went back up the main living area of the Suite. There I found Samantha Watching a show on the humoungus TV.


    Calling out to her I asked.


    "Samantha, You hungry? "


    No response, worried I went up to where she was.. to see she was sleeping on her wheelchair.


    Somewhat dumbfounded, I looked towards a clock in the corner of the room and found the time to be 8:38PM!


    I arrived here at 10 in the morning or something. I was training for that long?!


    Holy damn was I in there for a while.


    Walking up to the table. I found a telephone, the screen on it disyed the hotel helpline number. Calling it I just ordered arge pepperoni pizza.


    Waiting for a few minutes. The pizza arrived and I went to pick it up.


    I Opened the door and received the pizza.


    Here I was, In probably one the fanciest hotels in the city and all I ordered was a damn pepperoni Pizza.


    Putting the Pizza on the table. I woke Samantha up and we both ate it. Surprisingly even after wolfing down six slices I was still hungry, really hungry


    Samantha on the other hand just ate two slices and quickly fell asleep on her wheelchair.I picked her up and just chose a random bedroom andyed her down on the bed. Putting the nket over her. I left the room after putting her wheelchair by the bedside.


    She couldn''t walk after all. And I don''t want to see my six year old sister crawling around the suite searching for her wheelchair.


    Calling the hotel again I ordered another tworge pepperoni pizzas .


    Finishing the pizzas I still felt a little hungry but I ignored it.


    Then wandering around the suite for a while I chose another bedroom as my own room. The room massive, a little bigger than the one I put Samantha in but still luxurious as hell. In the centre was a king sized bed. Laying down on the bed. I quickly felt drowsy. I felt like I wasying on clouds damn it. It was sofortable that I quickly fell asleep


    Tommorow my days at the guild training myself would begin. I needed all the rest I could get.

 Chapter 18 Training.

    Waking up to the sound of the rm.


    I stood up and then walked toward the bathroom to take a shower.


    Thinking about this. This was probably the first shower I took sinceing to this world.


    When I was done. I just wore the same set of clothes I had from the orphanage. Taking a whiff I thought to myself.


    ''..okay need to buy more clothes.''


    Taking another whiff. My nose was instantly repulsed. As for why I took another whiff even though I knew they smelled bad.


    Just had an urge to do it.


    Finally dressed. I checked up on Samantha who was still sleeping.


    Waking her up. I said.


    "Yo sleepy head wake up, the first day of...school?"


    She, with her eyes still closed, muttered.


    "Five more minutes please.."


    "Fine."


    I replied not wanting to deal with her anymore.


    I picked up my phone and called Ben.


    The assistant was given to me by the guild. He answered pretty quickly.


    [Hello?]


    "Hey Ben, Can youe to pick us up and also send me a catalog of all the martial and weapon techniques the guild can give.


    [Yes sir. I''ll be at the door of your room in about ten minutes.]


    " Thanks"


    I then hung up and waited for him to send me the catalog.


    Without even a minute passing, I received the list of all martial techniques I could learn.


    [Fists of Frost(****)]


    [Ice Elemental Battle Technique(***)]


    [Taekwondo:Elemental(***)]


    [Dark leg:Elemental(****)]


    ....


    Those were all techniques that werepatible with my element. Well, only two were the onespatible with my element while the other two were Standard techniques upon which any elemental affinity could be applied to increase attack power.


    Scrolling through the lost a particr name caught my eye.


    [Dark leg(****)]


    Created by Uncle Jeff, who was a famous cook in a restaurant that was made into a ship.


    Unfortunately, He lost a leg of his in an ident. Heter taught his technique to his apprentice. Whoter became the treated cook in the pirate world.]


    ....Someone, literally created a martial technique based on a character from a famous anime.


    Although the name was slightly different I could still recognize the simrities.


    Cook and Pirate world were dead giveaways.


    Thinking about it, I realized I didn''t finish the anime because of my premature death.


    ''Shouldplete it soon, I think only a hundred or so episodes were left.''


    I immediately sent ben a message that this would be my fighting technique.


    I was a major otaku so I was going to choose this one. There was no otherpetition.


    And on my weapon technique k just went with:


    [Basic Spear technique(*)]


    Why basic you ask?


    Well, one I was already going to receive a seven-star weapon technique uponpleting the quest.


    Second of all, I had read far too many novels in which the protagonists learn a high-grade technique and thenter regret not learning the basics.


    No way in hell was I bing like them. I was going to firsty the foundation and then move on to higher graded techniques.


    Now that I decided what type of techniques I was going to use. I decided to wait until Ben came.


    After about five minutes. Samantha finally came outside of her room, I gestured for her toe here. And then we both looked into each other''s diamond eyes for a while.


    It was awkward


    Way too awkward.


    But s our Savior came as we heard a knock on the door.


    Standing up and nearly spending towards the door with Samantha with me.


    I opened it up to find ben. My ''personal assistant carried two books with him.


    "May Ie in?"


    He asked.


    "Umm yeah but aren''t we going to the guild?"


    Seeing my confusion he affirmed.


    "No sir, I''m in charge of your training until your admission into Shield."<sub> </sub>


    "But why here, and not in the guild training area."


    "Well, because of you, the guild is currently being pressured by the other top two guilds. We don''t know who they have bought among our staff so we..have to stay low."


    Huh, wasn''t expecting this but, if it has to be then it has to be.


    "Did you bring the manuals I selected?"


    "Yes, Although I do have to say, your choice is rather.. unexpected."


    He continued by saying.


    "We understand the Melee technique but are confused by your weapon technique choice."


    Hearing his worries, I said to him.


    "Oh, I just want to build a steady foundation and then move on to a higher weapon technique."


    I wasn''t going to tell him about my quest.  The moment the knowledge about my quest rewards became public. Even twilight won''t be able to protect me.


    After all, Humanity still has no seven-star technique avable to them. Even the other races only had a handful of them.  I could expect to see myself getting a massive bounty on my head and every major guild after me trying to get my techniques.


    "So, who''s going to train me?"


    I asked him, With a smile on his face he replied.


    "Me sir, Although I may not look like it, I''m a B Ranked Awakened. I''m in charge of your training until twilight can fight off the other guilds."


    "And my second job is to also convince you to ept the Wellington''s proposal. With them behind us, The other guilds won''t dare to touch us."


    "Tell The guild Master I''m already going to ept their proposal."


    Well, I needed that technique after all.


    Been, with his smile going even deeper, Thanked me.


    "Thank you, sir, now let''s begin training you so that you don''t make us lose face in front of them."


    Bullshit, that wasplete and utter bullshit. My stats were already higher than Humanity''s Greatest Prodigy Elijah and I was even a year younger than him!. And Ben knew this, Although I wonder why he said it. I just let it go.


    This man was gonna be teaching me. Thest thing I  wanted to do was get on his nerves.


    Entering the basement, We went to the right corner and opened the door to the room.


    Seeing the state of it, Being frozen all over ben asked me, with surprise on his face.


    "..you did this sir?


    ''Shit Ipletely forgot  I wrecked the roomst night.''


    Trying my best toe up with an excuse I said.


    " I was testing out the skills given to me."


    "..those skills don''t have enough power to do this much damage."


    He asked again, with disbelief visible on his face.


    "Well, my affinity powered them up a lot."


    "By this much?!"


    "Yes."


    He still does not believe me,  I could see that on his face.


    "Take these two books and learn them, I''ll take care of this."


    Taking the books from him. I went outside the room.


    Opening them, The system once again asked me if I wanted to learn the techniques or not.


    [Would you like to learn the following techniques?


    Yes/No ]


    Saying yes, I then yelled status to see them in my weapon and melee technique areas.


    -----Status-----


    Name:n Pator


    Species:Ice&Chaos Draconian Hybrid.


    Rank:E+


    Strength:E+


    Endurance:E+


    Agility:E


    Charm:E


    Mana:D


    Intelligence*:D


    Skills:Dragon Eyes(???)Draconic Scales(???), Mana Master(???).....


    Techniques:


    Mana Techniques:Mana Control(*), Whiff of frost(***)


    Weapon Techniques:Basic Spear Art(*)


    Melee Techniques:Dark leg(****)]


    ------


    Satisfied, I closed it and began to walk towards the room after hearing bens voice.

 Chapter 19 Training[2]

    Entering the room again, I found it to be in tip-top conditionpletely devoid of the Ice it was covered in. Even the dent I made in the wall.


    Standing in A corner of the room was ben holding a tablet and messing with it.


    ''Oh, so the room had a controller''


    Honestly, I should have known this.


    We were in the damn future where multiple abilities existed.


    If the training room was destroyed just by practicing a few techniques, then this was a wacky futuristic world.


    Nevertheless, I was still surprised by how quickly the room repaired itself.


    It wasn''t even a minute before I left.


    "Now that the training room has been fixed. Let''s talk about your schedule."


    I didn''t reply, I was just waiting for his next words. All I did was nod my head.


    "You''ll be practicing your melee and weapon techniques first for two hours each. Then we will move on to your mana training technique.


    This will go on for the first five months until you have sessfully broken into <D->. You''re already Border ranked <D->


    so five months should be the time required for you to break through.


    Once you have sessfully broken through to <D-> rank.."


    I waited for him to continue his words.


    "You will beginbat training.Understood.?"


    "Yes"


    I replied and got ready to perform the Dark leg to increase its mastery for the next two hours.


    Each Fighting technique when learned by is through the system implemented its variousbat moves directly into our minds. How to. perform the basic movements and the moreplex ones were all etched into our minds.


    The basic movements of the Dark leg were all a mix of Taekwondo and Kickboxing moves, while theplex movements. The ones that would be needed to deal massive blows. Needed to be enhanced with your elemental affinity.


    As for the Basic spear art, All it possessed was how to perform the Basic movements of the spear.No fancy Techniques inside it there.


    I was nning to make both these styles into muscle memory over the next year until I get into Shield.


    And so, Under Ben''s Tutge.  I first began practicing Dark leg.


    My goal was to have both of their masteries reach at least 30% by the end of the year.


    And toplete this,  I was nning on training over time.


    And so I began.


    *****


    It had been two hours. All I did during those two hours was practice kicking. Checking the mastery of dark leg I thought.


    [Dark leg(****)]


    Mastery:0.67%


    ''This may take a long time toplete.''


    Without dwelling on it for too long. I immediately started to practice my first technique.


    ''Wait but I don''t  have a spear.''


    Looking over at Ben, I saw him with a wooden spear in his hand.


    Asking him where he got it he replied by taking out the tablet and tapping on it.


    The sound of metallic doors sounded inside the room. Looking at where it came from, I saw an opening in the left corner, Inside the mini room, were all sorts of weapons, I''m talking wooden swords, more spears, daggers, shields, axes everything!


    "How much about this room do I not know?"


    I asked Ben.


    "Well, There''s not a left, I''ll show you how it workster."


    Grabbing the wooden spear, I began practicing the basic spear technique.


    Without me even noticing, two hours passed by in the blink of an eye.


    I just Thrust the first again and again and again.


    Checking the Techniques mastery. I was ted.


    [Basic Spear Technique(*)]


    Mastery:3.2%


    Well, this one might not take a lot of time.


    And then, I just sat and meditated with Whiff Of frost for two hours.


    This ''routine'' of mine continued for three months.


    Until I finally broke through to <D-><sub> </sub>


    Two months earlier than Ben''s prediction.


    Ahh, How I relished the shock on his face after he found out.


    How I regretted not having my phone with me to take a photo of it.


    Well, the main reason I broke through to <D-> so quickly was that after ben left I also spent the entire day training.


    And As a result, I broke through to <D->


    Earlier than expected.


    But I didn''t just stay cooped up in the suite or anything.


    I also went out and took a stroll.


    I was able to fully admire the city we lived in, Askolt City, Although I still was confused over what the name meant. I didn''t care, It was the city that contained Elijah and the other protagonist''s homes.


    It was mentioned multiple times in the novel due to it being the main city of the world government.


    The world''s Capital.


    Another name for it.


    It was the most secure city in the world. A majority of mankind''s powerhouses stayed here.


    This was probably the most secure ce that was in the world. And also the most dangerous.


    With it being the center of the world.  Arge number of viins were also present here hiding in the shadows. Although they wouldn''t do jackshit in the open.  You could never be more cautious.


    And, The biggest boom from the frequent strolls I did?


    Headphones!


    These babies boosted my training efficiency by a lot as I could just listen to as many songs as I could.


    Wireless earbuds or even wired ones didn''t suit me.


    All I like we''re headphones.


    Sadly they were so rare in this era where everyone had a wireless that I could only find them in an antique shop!


    An Antique shop!


    Even then the bastard that ran it sold it to me for a damn high price.


    5000 Studs!


    That was 1/100 Of my monthly sry damn it!


    But it was necessary. My love for anime openings and endings was limitless.


    This was but a small price to pay.


    Ahh, But I still got weird looks from the people when walked by them.   Although I don''t know if that was the headphones or my charm. Speaking of my charm.


    Well, See for yourself.


    ----Status----


    Name:n Pator


    Species:Ice&Chaos Draconian hybrid.


    Rank:D-


    Strength:D-


    Endurance:D-


    Agility:D-


    Mana:C-


    Intelligence:C-


    Charm:D+


    Skills:Dragon Eyes(???), Draconic Scales(??), Mana Master(???)...


    Techniques :


    Mana Techniques:Whiff of Frost(***)Mana Control(*)


    Melee Techniques:Dark leg(****)


    Weapon Techniques:Basic Spear Technique(*)


    -------


    And yes you saw correctly


    My Charm Was above average after I was well fed and didn''t look malnourished.


    NAY, I could even topple Cities with my looks alone!

 Chapter 20 A Charm That Could Topple Countries!

    Yes, My charm could topple cities!


    Hey, even I was surprised when I looked at my status window after a long time.


    During these three months, I was eating well and also exercising. Previously I had sunken cheeks due to how malnourished I was but now?


    I was healthy!


    Ahhh Being beautiful is such a bliss.


    I get discounts from the local clothing store cuz of it!


    I couldn''t even enjoy my regr face in my previous life for seven years because it got burned.


    So I knew how people treated The ugly.


    I knew very well how much your appearance mattered in life.


    If you were beautiful, you were lucky and praised.


    If you were ugly, you were unlucky and shat on.


    But now I had a good face.  Coupled with my weird blue diamond eyes my charm was unrivaled.


    Ahh, My long lost social self-esteem was returning!


    Anyways, Enough about my charm.


    Today was the Day that my battle training was going to begin.


    As usual Ben came at the exact time hees every day and we both went down into the basement training area.


    "I''ll limit my strength to <D-> rank. The goal here is for you to learn how to implement the techniques you learned inbat. So, are you ready?"


    "Yes."


    The moment those words left my mouth, he disappeared from my view and I mmed into the wall with a striking headache.


    I couldn''t even react to his speed.


    "You''re not limiting yourself to <D-> Rank you liar!"


    "I am sir"


    This man was lying!


    If he was limiting his speed to my rank then I should''ve seen it!


    Fine if that''s how want to y then so be it.!


    ''Dragon Eyes!


    I activated dragon eyes and yelled out.


    "Again!"


    He disappeared from his spot again, But this time I could see where he was, The bastard wasing from above.


    He was going to use the heel of his foot to kick me.


    I could see his footing closer and closer. And I could feel my arms trying to go up to protect my head.


    But s, I was too slow. And in front of my damn eyes, that heel came crashing down onto my beautiful face.


    *Crack*


    The sound of my nose breaking could be heard.


    I fell while grabbing my nose


    Blood wasing out of it repeatedly.


    I wanted to curse this bastard so bad but if I spoke I was afraid that he would be even angrier.


    "Please Take this sir."


    The bastard said in a sweet tone and handed me a healing potion.


    Drinking the potion I said.


    "..why are you doing this?"


    "Doing what sir?"


    ...


    What did I do to make him so angry?


    I recalled whatever I could from our previous training sessions. In every session, he would just stand in a corner watching me train.


    Was the sight of watching me train that infuriating to him?<sub> </sub>


    "Well, I''ll have to go early this time Sir, It seems you''re in no condition to fight."


    Without even waiting for me to reply.


    He bolted outside of the training room and suite.


    I justy there, pondering how I made him mad while my nose healed up.


    ****


    Ben''s Pov:


    I hurriedly left before n Could figure out anything.


    I needed to report his progress to the guild but...


    Damn, it felt good.


    Beating up a prodigy by your hands felt amazing. Although I knew I was far stronger than him.


    I just couldn''t stand it, Him breaking through far before my initial expectations by putting in the least amount of effort.


    I went through hell to reach B rank, Yet I saw someone reach the next rank so easily the entire guild was dumbfounded.


    The location of his suite was hidden. from all eyes. And even still the guild''s Top rank awakened that we''re trusted made shifts to keep him safe?


    And The person in question?


    He was putting in just the required effort while the guild was trying its best to provide time for him to grow.


    If he wasn''t going to put in a lot of effort. Then, Ben, had no qualms beating the shit out of him and nting a seed of revenge inside his heart.


    If he wanted revenge then he would work hard towards it.


    Little did ben know that n did overtime training as well.


    Although n just practiced his mana training technique.


    This was unknown to him because the guild didn''t nt any cameras inside because of the contract they signed.


    Another thing to prove Bens Thinking was that n Shared his mastery ratings every day with him.


    And every day he wouldpletely dry out his mana reserves during the mana training technique.


    So, thinking about it, His mastery rating increase was known to him and he could deduce that He only trained for two hours every day based on their steady increase.


    As for mana, Ben usedmon sense.  The mana of a person took a full day or even weeks to fully replenish without the use of potions. And n used none of the potions given to him by the guild.


    AND YET, he still broke through with minimum effort.


    That was talent. That was true talent That could adapt.


    He knew very well that n could not see his first kick, but see his second.


    And that was made him afraid and Envious


    Jealous of the talent he could never have.


    But s, No God would listen to his woes and give him groundbreaking talent anymore.


    Almost crying inside. Ben Entered his car and drove to the guild.


    Upon entering the guild. He gave a full ount of what happened today to the guild master., Even the use of his strength, and exined why he did so. And also told him that n could react to his speed.


    "Interesting. You say he could see your B rank speed the second time? But wasn''t fast enough to defend against it?"


    "Yes Guild master"


    Been replied with respect in his tone and gaze.


    "And he reached <D->rank this quickly without even putting the least amount of effort...huhu"


    Richard had to agree that Bens''s fury was exinable, Even he was starting to get jealous.


    " Well, I permit you to do so. But don''t take it too far."


    "Yes Guildmaster"


    And this, On that day n''s Brutal training torture would begin.


    And their strategy would work too. Because n Would finally practice his fighting techniques along with Mana''s training technique over time too.


    And He would finally, After six Months, Beat the shit out of Ben.


    That would be a Story that would be told for quite a while in the guild to mock Ben.


    About How a B Rank awakened lost to a D ranked one.

 Chapter 21 Taking Revenge.

    In arge pure white room, two figures were duking it out with each other. One had his limbs covered in ice and the other was wearing a ck suit.


    These were n and Ben going at each other.


    *Bam!Bam!*


    The sound of fists and kick colliding ran out.


    Ben, Who''s attacks were constantly being met with counters for a while finally decided to use a skill.


    [Mana Conglomeration]


    The mana inside of him started to concentrate itself on his fist. This Mana Had A slight green hue. When the mana had concentrated enough, He leaped forward trying to close the distance.


    however During the time, he was concentrating his mana., n was doing the same.


    One fist Covered in a green hue was going to collide with another covered in a white hue.


    However, The moment the two fists were going to collide, The white fist suddenly changed direction towards the ground.


    *Boom!*


    The collision between the white fist and the ground was so strong it sent Ben and n both flying. Before Ben could collect himself.


    *Bam!*


    A kick came straight to his face.


    The force was so strong that Ben fell to the ground.


    "Ice Beam!"


    A beam of ice came out of n''s Palm and was aimed toward Ben''s limbs.


    In a sh, all of Ben''s Limbs were frozen and he was now unable to move.


    Jumping on the immobile Ben, n Continued to pummel his face while saying.


    "This is for all the times you broke my nose bastard!"


    *Bam!Bam!Bam!*


    n kept punching and punching until he was sure Ben had fainted.


    But just for good measure, He still kicked him in the head to confirm.


    "Hah...Hah.Fucking hell, Taking revenge is exhrating!"


    Still gasping for breath I said.


    Sitting down and recovering my mana.


    I raised my hands up in the air like I  was enjoying the cheering of a crowd.


    Relishing my victory. I looked over at the unconscious bastard that tortured me for six months. Just to have this victory I trained like hell.


    Just so I could pummel his face. Day and Night I trained like there was no tomorrow. And the result?


    I, A <D+> ranked Awakened beat a <B> ranked one.


    Granted I studied the major habits of this bastard for six months just for this moment and also knew what he was weak and strong at but hey.


    Let me enjoy my Victory.


    Checking my stats, I couldn''t help but smile.


    ----Status----


    Name:n Pator(15)


    Species:Ice&Chaos Draconian Hybrid


    Rank:D+


    Strength:D+


    Endurance:D+


    Agility:D+


    Mana:C


    Intelligence:C


    Charm:D+


    Skills:Dragon Eyes(??), Draconic Scales(??), Mana master(???)Mana Conglomeration(E).....


    Techniques:


    Mana Techniques:Mana Control(*)


    Whiff of frost(***)


    Melee techniques:Dark leg(****)[28.7%]


    Weapon Techniques:Basic Spear Techniques(*)[99.99%]


    ------


    This was the fruit of mybor. Although I was pretty sure I would have reached this in a month if I had The seven-star training technique.


    "Uhhh..."


    Oh? The bastard was waking up.


    "Wake up loser!"


    I yelled in his ear.<sub> </sub>


    "..."


    He did not respond.


    Did I hit him too hard and make him mute or something?


    Without saying anything, Ben broke the ice around his limbs, stood up, and walked away. Upon reaching the door


    he said to me.


    "...the potion will be delivered shortly, sir."


    "It better be!"


    I said in a smug tone, Obviously trying to infuriate him further.


    Over these few months, We made a bet with each other, The contents of the bet were if I was able to beat him before I entered Shield. He would give me a Superior Tier potion!


    Keep in mind these things cost about 200 million or more studs. The bastard was so confident that I couldn''t do it which is why he proposed it?


    As for that confidence, I shattered it!


    Completely broke it into bits and pieces. Now he had to spend his life savings to get it!


    Did I feel bad for him?


    Fuck No! He proposed the deal.


    And I beat him fair and square.


    That potion was something I needed desperately. It was the only thing that could cure Samantha. If her injury was new then a high-grade potion would have sufficed.


    But unfortunately, her injury was anything but new. It had been four years since it happened. Besides, Her birthday was also near, What better birthday gift to give her other than the ability to walk again? Plus a few teddy bears or something.


    Ahhh, Iid down on the ground of the training room.


    Tomorrow was going to be a big day.


    The Wellington family was finally ready to sign the contract. It was quite funny though.


    They were the ones that first reached out to us, And when weplied they took months to get ready for it.


    Pretty Hrious for the richest family on the earth to be honest.


    Well, there were probably a hundred other things besides me bing Sabrina Wellingtons Body Guard.


    A partnership with them would make me and twilight nearly invincible.


    So, the elders of both parties will probably be discussing the terms of the contract.


    Standing up, I walked out of the room and took a quick shower. I was nning on resting for the entire damn day.l wanted to take Samantha outside today.


    Poor girl had been trapped here for a long time.


    I had already told her this a week before. That we would be going for a stroll around the city once I managed to beat the bastard. Well even if I beat the bastard or not I was still nning on taking her for a stroll.


    Back then she looked at me with eyes filled with excitement.


    Wearing my best clothes, which was just a button shirt and jeans, both of which were ck. Heck, my entire wardrobe was filled with ck clothes.


    Why?


    Because all badass characters wore ck. That was an irond rule.


    And I also looked good in ck.


    Entering the living area, I found her to be waiting by the door dressed in a pink dress.


    "You ready?"


    I asked her.


    "Yes!"


    She replied in an enthusiastic voice.


    Opening the door of the suite I said.


    "Well let''s go then!"


    Pushing her wheelchair, We reached the elevator and went down.


    Taking her out of the building, I asked her.


    "Where do you wanna go first?"


    "The Bookstore!"


    ...bookstore?


    Girls her age should be focused more on sweets and looking cute or something.


    Why a bookstore.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yeah!"


    Well, No helping It I guess. Maybe I''ll buy some books for myself.


    After a while, we reached the local bookshop and went inside. I left Samantha to roam freely around using the joystick that controlled her chair and just followed her. After a while, she picked up some books she liked.Paying for them at the counter we left and went to explore the city more.On the way I.bought her as many sweets as I could.


    Turns out we both liked chocte.


    And we liked it to a very high degree.

 Chapter 22 Sabrina Wellington

    What would you expect when you heard of a mage?


    A frail ss that was capable of dishing out insane levels of damage.


    Truly one of the most coveted sses.


    Mages could dish out insane levels of damage and could even one-shot a majority of their opponents if they yed their cards right.


    They were True sscannons.


    That was the ss of Sabrina Wellington In the novel.


    With her Dark and Thunder Affinities, she gave even Elijah A hard time during the tournament that decided if Humanity was worthy to enter the Fantasia Alliance.


    She made it to the top twelve with her ability to dish out massive spells one after the other.


    Truly a force to be reckoned with?


    But now? Currently, at this time, she was weak. A far cry From the ck Thunder Sabrina from the Novel.


    Weak to the point she needed a bodyguard for herself in Shield.


    In the novel, she didn''t have one, But in the novel, I also wasn''t there.


    The Wellington family''s main purpose would be me. Otherwise, they would have just sneaked one of their many S


    ss Awakened into Shield for guarding her.


    But they made use of the opportunity presented to them.


    Twilight, My guild was under constant pressure from the top two guilds and many guilds under them were just itching to take their ce.


    Now, If they, the almighty Wellington Family Proposed a partnership with twilight. They would gain their Favour, And in turn, Due to the contract I signed with twilight.


    My favor.


    They would gain the favor of the first spatial Awakened of humanity, Would.do their best to provide him with whatever they could, And when he finally had some understanding of the spatial element. Enough to create spatial equipment and even portals to unimeds. They would have the first go at those resources along with twilight due to their partnership with them.


    Honestly, If I was in their position I would have shot myself if I didn''t take advantage of this.


    Being Sabrina''s Bodyguard was probably an excuse.


    Well, Anyways, if I epted their proposal and promise to devote myself to it. I would receive a Seven-star mana training technique as a reward. And also 35% understanding of the ice element.


    The moment I revive the mana training technique I was going to be devoting it entirely to raising the understanding of the ice element.


    If I used it to just increase my rank then my already mind-blowing rank for my age would be even more ridiculous and I would be bombarded with questions left and right and also be met with true dread.


    Expectations.


    Never was I going to make myself a ve to them again.


    Never In My New Fucking Life.


    I would intentionally slow down my progress until I reached C Rank Before Shield.


    Well, I should just get ready.


    Today is the day I''m signing the contract after all.


    Wearing A ck Button shirt with ck jeans(same getup I know) I was just waiting in the lobby of the hotel for Ben.


    After a while, he came.


    With a dejected look on his face. He entered the Lobby.


    Seeing him I chuckled.


    ''Still not over it huh?''


    He came towards me and spoke with a dispirited tone.


    "...please follow me, sir."


    "Why Of course Mr. B Rank."


    hearing my words he froze. Then continued walking as if nothing happened.


    Following him, we entered the car. He git in the driver''s seat and I sat in the front seat And put on my headphones.


    It was a quiet ride. Neither one of us spoke.


    I was lost in my Anime songs while he was too embarrassed to talk to me.


    And Soon We reached the Twilight Guild Headquarters.


    Getting outside of the Car and stretching my body. I followed ben inside the Guild And we soon came to be inside the same room where I signed my contract. But this time, Only Richard Was present along with another man that I don''t know who he was.


    Richard, seeing the stare I was giving the man beside him said.


    "This here is Samuel Wellington n, He''s here to give you the contract."


    " Pleasure to meet you."


    He said with an amiable smile.


    "So, where is it?"


    I asked Richard.


    Instead Of Richard, The man called Samuel Stood Up and Handed me a piece of paper that was glowing Blue.


    ''Damn, As expected of the richest family. To offer it on the highest grade of mana contract.''


    Mana Contracts Were separated by grade. The denser the blue color gave off by it. The Higher rank it. The highest rank contract could restrain even SS Rank Awakened.


    The terms of the contract were quite simple.


    Party B(Me) was to protect Party A(Sabrina) For the time they are both In shield.


    Both Party A and Party B will be connected by the contract allowing them to view each other''s location no matter where they are.


    Party(B) will be given 15,000,000 studs every month for his contribution.


    Party(B) must ensure the safety of Party A During the duration of the contract period. Party B must ensure the safety of Party A no matter the circumstances.


    The Family of Party A will provide their assistance to The Guild Associated with Party B.


    The Family of Party A will Ensure that Party B remains as close to Party A inside Shield.


    Party B must devote itself to the term of the contract.


    Both Party A And B will be able to see certain parts of each other''s status like(Rank, Strength, Endurance, Name, Age, Agility, Mana, Intelligence, Current Mood, and Current Activity)


    Reading the terms of the contract I was satisfied. It was Fair.<sub> </sub>


    Reading it a few more times, I inputted my mana into it the contract burned up in the air in blue mes.


    The contract had been signed.


    *Ding*


    [Quest Completed:ept the offer of the Wellington''s and devote yourself to it.]


    [ You Have received the quest rewards.]


    ****


    Inside a luxurious room, a girly on a massive bed.


    She Had Obsidian ck Hair, the ends of it were a striking gold, Amethyst-like eyes and possessed a striking beauty with skin with no blemishes at all.


    Her figure looked to be like that crafted by Gods.


    Perfect.


    This was Sabrina Wellington.


    Who had just woken up from her nap when she sensed that the mana contract had been signed.


    She Spoke.


    "Show me the status of my new bodyguard."


    Her voice was that of an angel.


    A blue screen materialized in front of her.


    On it, the details of her new bodyguard were disyed.


    ----Status----


    Name An Pator. (15)


    Rank:D+


    Strength:D+


    Endurance:D+


    Agility:D+


    Mana:C


    Intelligence:C


    Current Mood:Happy


    Current Activity:Listening to music.


    ----------


    ?!


    A look of utter surprise was present on her face.


    When she heard that the bodyguard she was getting would be the same age as her. She just expected him to be a little stronger and more of a servant to her.


    But this?


    This was beyond Comprehension!


    He wasn''t just slightly stronger. He was multiple times stronger and was also the same age as her!


    She couldn''t believe it. Smacking herself to confirm if this wasn''t a dream. She looked at it again.


    And it was the same as before.


    "...how?"


    What heavenly talent did this new bodyguard of hers have?


    She had heard he had a space affinity.


    So expected him to be in the same ss as her. A mage.


    But he was an all-rounder!


    Checking her status she had but a single thought in her mind.


    -----Status-----


    Name:Sabrina Wellington


    Species:Homo Sapien(Human)


    Rank:F


    Strength:F-


    Agility:F-


    Endurance:G+


    Mana:F+


    Intelligence:F+


    Charm:A


    Affinities:Dark(Superior)Thunder(High)


    Skills:Mana Conglomeration(E), Dark Arrow(E)Thunderbolt(E)...


    Techniques:


    Mana Training techniques:Mana Control(*), Embrace Of Shadow,(*****)


    Melee techniques:Superior Hand to handbat(****)


    Weapon Techniques:?


    --------


    She was weak. Despite being the same age, She was disgustingly weaker than him.


    She even had more resources to her name but was still Very Weak.


    Weak As a tree branch.

 Chapter 23 Supreme Ice Dragons Breath.

    [You havepleted the Quest given to you by Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha]


    [You have received the following rewards.


    1)Supreme Ice Dragons Breath(*******)


    2)35%Understanding of the ice element.


    3)Location To The Armour of Lanesha.


    :Pruina Mundi. Spatial Coordinates:cial Gxy, sector 4         Sr system 7 world 2, Birthce of Lanesha)]


    I couldn''t stop grinning.


    I finally acquired the seven-star mana technique.


    Oh, just the sight of it makes me ecstatic.


    I couldn''t wait to try it out.


    I immediately went to the training room and sat right down in the middle of it in a meditative position.


    Barely curbing the excitement in my heart I yelled out.


    "Supreme Ice Dragons Breath!"


    My vision went ck.


    I was surrounded by darkness. I could feel myself floating, Not touching the ground at all. Hell I don''t think I was even touching something


    This scene felt a lot familiar.


    It reminded me of what happened before I came to this world.


    Nothing, There was nothing. Before I could say the name of the mana training technique I heard a ding from the system.


    *Ding*


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Tells you to turn around]


    Reading the message, I turned around.


    There I saw a massive ball of ice.


    The ball of ice looked to be the same height as the Burj Khalifa.


    Starting at it in amazement. I cried out loud.


    "Holy shit that''s big!"


    As I was marveling at the big ball of ice in front of me. I heard another message from the system.


    [Supreme Dragon of ice Lanesha Laments at the size of your Frost World]


    Lament?


    Lament?!


    This was nearly 800 meters tall and who knows how many meters wide!


    Who would call this small?


    [Supreme Dragon of ice Lanesha Says that She would call it small, very small]


    [A/N:Please for the love of God do not take this out of context]


    ...


    There was no point to this. Lanesha Was a supreme dragon that had lived for who knows how many millennia


    She was old as heck, so of course, she knew what she was talking about.


    [Supreme Dragon Of ice Lanesha Dares you to make fun of her age again]


    Oof, So no matter what species you are, Age is a still a very unlikable topic among women huh.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Is angry, She sends you A low tier Mana storm as a ''gift'']


    Mana storm?


    What is she talking abo-Oh


    Far in the distance of this ck void, I could see a torrent of blue manaing towards me, it was slightly bigger than the ball of ice, Or frost world behind me.


    Curious, I tried moving towards it.       When I had almost reached it.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Smirks]


    huh?


    Wait, that message alone was a g.


    I was not going to go anymore near that.


    But s, I realized it toote. The torrent of Mana Reached me and Was quickly absorbed by my body.


    Honestly expecting something to happen, I closed my eyes. When after a few seconds had passed, I opened my eyes when nothing happened.


    "Huh? That''s it? Kind of dissap-?!"


    A sudden wave of immense soul-crushing pain assaulted me.<sub> </sub>


    It felt like my entire body was exploding over and over again. Like my blood was boiling. My heart and blood vessels explode. My body spawned in the void.


    The pain was so severe that I couldn''t even let out a scream.


    The pain continued for what seemed like an eternity. Until I could not handle it anymore and fainted.


    [Supreme dragon of ice Lanesha is disappointed you could not even handle a low-tier mana storm]


    [ Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras isughing wildly]


    ****


    I woke up. My Body was releasing steam, No it wasn''t steam, It was mist from the ice that was all around my body.


    Waking up, I was terrified of that pain.


    It was even more excruciating than the pain I felt when I came into this world.


    [Supreme Design Of Ice Lanesha asks if you enjoyed her gift]


    Gift?!


    That was a fucking punishment you Old Hag!


    Is torturing me a gift to you?!


    [Supreme dragon of ice Lanesha Has sent you another low-tier mana storm as a gift.]


    [ Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Urges you to activate Supreme Ice Dragons Breth again]


    I am sorry. My sincerest apologies oh great Supreme Dragon Of Ice. Your beauty is unmatched in this entire universe.


    Plead Forgive me, your excellency.


    [Supreme Dragon of ice Lanesha tells you it will not work.]


    MY HEARTFELT APOLOGIES YOUR EXCELLENCY.


    I promise to never desecrate your name and beauty again!


    Just please don''t make me feel that pain again!


    [Supreme Dragon of ice Lanesha urges you to look at your status]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras Calls you a pussy]


    Completely ignoring the second message, I called out.


    "Status"


    ----Status----


    Name: n Pator(15)


    Species:Ice&Chaos Draconian Hybrid


    Rank:C


    Strength:C


    Endurance:C


    Agility:C


    Mana:C+


    Intelligence:C+


    Charm:D+


    Affinities:Ice(Supreme), Chaos(Supreme), Space(High)


    Skills:Dragon Eyes(???), Draconic scales(??), Mana Master(???)...


    Techniques:


    Mana Techniques:Supreme Ice Dragons Breath(*******), Whiff of frost(***), Mana control(*).


    Melee Techniques:Dark Leg(****)


    Weapon Techniques:Basic Spear Technique(*)


    -------


    ....


    I fucking ranked up twice.


    By experiencing a horrendous amount of pain that is.


    I had ranked up twice.


    I think I may be a masochist at this rate.


    **********************************


    Authors note:Sorry for a short chapter.Kinda busy rn.Also this arc is almost done and we will soon be moving onto academy arc soon.

 Chapter 24 Rank Evaluation.

    ****


    3 monthster,


    ****


    I exited the car.


    "Good luck On your evaluation sir."


    "Thanks"


    Benson Bade me good luck.


    Yep, that''s right, I was standing just outside the gates of Shield


    It was time to get my rank evaluated.


    And also Toplete the second quest.


    During the entire three months, I had left. I didn''t use Supreme Ice Dragons Breath Anymore.


    Mainly there were two reasons, One was the pain, of course, Second was the fact that I needed to stop growing at such a fast rate.


    Even If I endured the pain, considering the results a low-tier mana storm brought to me, I could, No I would have ranked up again.


    Doing so would attract a lot of intention. Not that I hated attracting attention. I just didn''t want to attract the attention of The Obelisk.


    The Anti Union.A group made by the viins who were contracted with demons.


    The Obelisk was currently even stronger than the Union In terms of power.


    I had already made a list of the characters I needed to avoid and if I couldn''t avoid then needed to pummel them so they would avoid me.


    The first five on the list were all the protagonists. Well, I couldn''t avoid one but I would stay clear of the others.


    One was a bastard that I needed to deal with, Lucas Hiddleston.


    He was one of the most hated characters in the entire novel.


    On the first day of Shield, He walked into the ssroom when the homeroom teacher hadn''t arrived and immediately activated a skill that released a humongous pressure on those ranked below him.


    The only ones who weren''t affected by it a lot were Elijah Ardor and Henry* Fornum. The Two male protagonists.


    They were the same rank as him which was why they weren''t affected as much.


    As to why I needed to deal with him?


    I was going to rank first among the First Years of Shield.


    I was naturally going to attract that arrogant son of a bitch.


    And also, He had the hots for Sabrina.


    On top of being arrogant, obsessive, and a literal young master you see from those martial art novels. He had his heart on the heir of the richest family On Earth.


    And He harassed her throughout her time in Shield.


    So now that I was her bodyguard, I had to deal with him one way or another.


    I too was a scum of a person but hey, I wasmitted to my job.


    And So, With my ns all thought of.


    I entered the humongous gates that were the entry point of Shield.


    ****


    She was Irritated.


    She had spent all of her time, resources, and training to finally reach Rank <E> In three months.


    She was proud of herself.


    Her family praised her genius and monstrous talent.


    Saying that no one was her equal. She would be the light to guide the Wellingtons to another Era of prosperity.


    Her Mother boasted about her to the entire family, but she knew.


    She was Nothing in front of his talent.


    ----Status----


    Name:An Pator(15)


    Rank:C


    Strength:C


    Endurance:C<sub> </sub>


    Agility:C


    Mana:C+


    Intelligence:C+


    Current Mood:Bored.


    Current Activity:Listening to music.


    __________


    She didn''t want to see his status until she was confident she had improved.


    She didn''t want to yet she couldn''t resist her curiosity the week before.


    She had ranked up to E in these three months. So what rank was he?


    Was he the same rank? It had to be, The higher your rank was the more difficult it was to break through.


    So, her curiosity got the best of her.


    And she checked.


    And she was utterly shocked. Forget about being in the same rank. He had ranked Up Twice!


    She, who was the same age, was still behind, She had thought she had closed the gap between them, But he had just widened it.


    She was salty.


    Furthermore, The new bodyguard of hers was currently bored. He was taking the Shield rank evaluation test but was bored.


    Being the heir to the richest family ever, She had taken her test early and was currently on her way home.


    "Are you alright miss?"


    "Just drive."


    She replied in an apathetic and angry tone to her Driver, Who was an A-ranked Awakened who was her escort and also her caretaker from a young age.


    Her Caretaker knew she was nervous and slightly angry. So he paid her attitude no heed, She did this from time to time when she was angry. He tried to soothe her.


    "Don''t worry miss, About your evaluation, with your rank currently, you would have no problem ranking within the top ten of shield. You might even rank first!"


    Sabrina didn''t respond. Sensing that her mood was not getting better, her caretaker said.


    "Ahh, It should be about your new bodyguard, Don''t worry, He can''t do anything *Ahem* to you. If he did, I''ll break his jewels."


    "Harry."


    Sabrina looked at her caretaker, Harry with an icy gaze. Harry, Sensing that her mood had only gotten even worse replied.


    "..Yes?"


    "Drive."


    "...yes miss."


    He didn''t want to talk anymore, He could already feel her deadly gaze upon him.


    If looks could kill, Harry would have already been dead three times.


    ****


    The Pod opened and a  figure rose from it.


    The Examiner Of Shields, Looked at this figure with shocked expressions.


    They were shocked at what the machine just told them.


    They Couldn''t believe the results of the youth. His results were on par, Nay a little above the heirs of famous families and guilds!


    And he was from a normal family!


    He Had no powerful background whatsoever.


    The Figure, Rose from the pod. He had a perfect frame with a face that seemed to be carved by the gods.


    He had Bright Orange hair and scarlet eyes.


    This was Elijah Ardor, The Main Protagonist Of ''The Ultimate Sin''


    But, little to the belief of the instructors, who had though he was the best prospect they received this year, Another prospect, One that would give many of them Heart attacks, wasing.


    A prospect that the one in front of them could not evenpare to.


    ______________________________________


    *=Changed Bem fornum into Henry fornum

 Chapter 25 C Rank At 15?!

    I went inside the humongous building that was the Shields Main Building.


    The entire Campus was multiple kilometers.


    It had different sections as well.


    Section A Housed all education-rted facilities.


    Section B Housed the dormitories


    Section C housed all of the Teacher''s offices and also some research-rted buildings. They were together because if anything drastic happened during the experiments. The multiple high-ranked teachers could immediately go and contain it.


    And Finally, There was section D which housed all the entertainment facilities. Being a student of Shield, Your contact with the outside world was very limited. Only under special circumstances could you interact with your family outside.


    Well not that I had any family except for Samantha.


    Speaking of her, I should probably hire a caretaker for her for the time I''m in Shield.


    But for now. I should focus on ranking first.


    ****


    "Shit, Why do they even need to take the written exam so hard?


    We''re gonna learn how to fight, not be schrs God damn it."


    The one exam I was fearful of,


    the written exam.


    Of course to clutch first rank I.studies my arse off toplete the quest.


    I memorized everything, From Mana theory to even the history of this world.


    Well, I think I did quite alright, After all, studying was my strong point in my previous life.


    Unlike my siblings, Who both had an IQ Surpassing 160 and one even had Eidetic(Photographic)Memory.


    I had nothing, No talent at all, Which was the main reason my parents, my family, and my rtives all never contacted me once I moved away.


    Ahh, Let''s just forget those memories,


    It''s a new life now An, Live it to the fullest.


    Making my way towards the area that would show my stats to the examiner.


    I let out a deep sigh.


    ''Well, goodbye to peace a week from now


    And with that, I soon waited until it was my turn and entered the Pod.


    ****


    [Name:An Pator, Rank:C, Strength C Endurance C Agility C Mana C+ Intelligence:C+ recorded affinity.Ice,(Superior)Space(High)


    Recorded potential:SS]


    ...


    There wasplete and utter silence in the area.


    The pod opened and soon I stepped out.


    ''Huh, Well that was expected.''


    I thought whilst everyone in the room was looking at me.


    Every instructor wearing a white coat looked toward me.


    They had even forgotten about the current participants they were testing.


    All eyes were on me whether it was the instructors or the participants.


    Me? I already expected this the moment the machine had finished documenting my results.


    I left.


    ***


    "Thank the gods, We have multiple new talents this year."


    "Well, This hear will be hectic."


    "You''re right about that."


    "So, Which one of us is going to get them in our ss?


    Standing in a room were three figures. The first one was a female while the remaining were males.


    All of them were S-ranked awakened who were the strongest teachers currently in Shield.


    They were currently looking at the start results of the new applicants on their tablets.


    Elijah Ardor, Henry Fornum, Sabrina Wellington, Serena Soubuelle, ine Parker.


    These were currently the top-tier talents whose stats they had been given.


    *Ding*


    Their tablets rang. The ring was a notification bell when the stats of a new participant was added.


    Dous ranked 98 among the hero rankings.


    The me Lord.


    Looking at the notification he first noticed the name.


    An Pator


    The name sounded familiar.


    ''Oh right, that''s the spatial awakened that was on the newsst year.''


    With a hint of excitement in his heart, he tapped on the name.


    " Now let''s see what rank you-?!"<sub> </sub>


    He spat out his coffee. Right onto the tablet, The remaining instructors stared at Dous in confusion.


    He was famous for never losing his cool.


    Yet, He didn''t even look back at them.


    He was constantly refreshing the screen in front of him to confirm whether it was a mistake or not.


    "Hey, Doug, what''s wrong?"


    His female colleague asked of him, She was Emma Wilson, ranked 101 in the heart rankings.


    Nickname:Cmity Witch.


    She was confused at the actions of her colleague, who was always calm.


    But Dous did not answer them with his voice, all he did was show them his tablet.


    And the moment the two read the information on the tablet.


    Their reactions surpassed even that of Dous.


    ...


    "...Is this real?"


    Harrold, The third figure questioned. Rank 100 in the hero rankings.


    The Lightning de.


    "It is."


    Dous confirmed.


    "Well, this year is going to be hectic as fuck."


    said Emma.


    At that moment. They all agreed on one thing.


    That whoever gets him will be lucky or unlucky.


    The poor guy that somehow manages to get all of them in his ss?


    The other two would pray for him.


    ****


    Well, I think that should have been enough to gain the first rank.


    The only thing I was worried about was the written test.


    The stat test I should have destroyed.


    My stats were two major ranks above Elijah, Who was the original first rank


    I should win this, And finallyplete the second quest. And get me an awesome weapon technique.


    With that in mind.


    I wore my headphones and started to walk home.


    Although I could have called Benson to pick me up. I didn''t as the car ride would be too short toplete my music library.


    And I preferred a walk too.


    ****


    Five dayster,


    She had received the report of the rank evaluations and her schedules.


    Sabrina was not surprised at who was the first rank.


    An Pator.


    She was more surprised by her rank. Which was number 5.


    The ranks above her were.


    Elijah Ardor:2nd


    Henry Fornum:3rd


    Lucas Hiddleston:4th


    She grimaced at thest name, She didn''t want to see that lecherous bastard again.


    She would rather die than stay a second in his vicinity.


    ***


    [Ding]


    [You havepleted the quest given to you by Supreme Dragon of chaos Suleras]


    [You Have received the following rewards.


    1)Chaotic Spear Weapon art(*******)


    2)Chaotic Steps Movement Art(******)


    3)Spatial Magic Guide


    4)Location Of the Unholy Spear Of Suleras(SSS+?)


    [Lying in the center of the fourthyer of the Abyss, Is a single spear, Devoid of any rust on its magnificent ck and purple frame.


    It waits for its master, One that it has waited for eons.]


    [Spatial Coordinates  have been sent to the guide of spatial magic]


    Heh. Ahh, this is too fucking good.

 Chapter 26 Cure.

    "Hooh, Hooh, Calm Yourself James, You''re just giving her the ability to walk again."


    I was nervous.


    I was currently outside our Suite. And I was nervous as hell.


    Why?


    I was holding the potion that would cure Samantha And also a cake.


    I was going to celebrate her birthday today.


    5th of January. That was her birth date. Although it was 27th December A day before my birth date. So, Technically I should be celebrating my own was my birthday. But I couldn''t celebrate her birthday when I am in Shield. Which was I was going to celebrate both of ours.


    A day Before my actual birthday, And A few days before hers.


    This was thest day that I could be with her.


    Because tomorrow I had to go to the Shield Campus to my dorm. Official sses would begin On 1st January, And epted students were to be in their dorms a week before to get familiar with the campus. I was already on the verge of getting expelled before sses had even started. I had already received a notice from Shield to Come Or I would be expelled no matter what.


    I opened the door.


    Going inside, I could see that she was watching T.V. The Tv volume was loud so she didn''t notice me.


    I should surprise her.


    Moving Slowly towards her. I stopped.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha tells you to not waste the potion on your sister]


    ''Waste? What are you talking about?''


    I thought.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha tells you to use dragon eyes on Samantha Pator]


    What?


    Why?


    Although I still questioned her. I still did it.


    A Supreme Dragon Has no reason to


    utter bullshit.


    ''Dragon Eyes!''


    And I regretted listening to her.


    Because my sister''s true condition was in front of me.


    ----Status----


    Name:Samantha Pator(7)


    Race:Human(Cursed by A demon)


    Curse:???


    Strength:G


    Endurance:G


    Agility:G


    Mana:B


    Intelligence:C


    Charm:B


    Affinity:Water(Supreme), Light(Superior)


    Skills:None


    Techniques::None


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    St!Bhuk!


    The cake and potion fell to the ground.


    The Cake was utterly ruined but the potion was still fine, A supreme-ranked potion was said to be encased in a bottle made up of ss far stronger than even iron.


    But that was not in my mind right now.


    I fell to my knees.


    Samantha turned around, startled by the sudden noise. She saw me.


    "Al? Are you okay?!"


    She said while moving her wheelchair towards me.


    "What happened?"


    She asked.


    I did not respond. I was too shocked to utter anything back.


    But then Samantha moved. She wrapped her arms around my head and hugged me as best as she could in her wheelchair and said.


    "There there, There''s no need to cry over dropping a cake!"


    ...what?


    Crying?


    Unbeknownst to me. This body was shedding tears at what it saw with Dragon Eyes.


    No.


    ''I'' Was Shedding Tears.


    *******


    I had calmed down. Samantha was still hugging me and was humming.


    Her humming was what calmed my mind.


    "Hey Samantha, Let''s go celebrate our birthdays."


    "But it isn''t today?"


    "I know, the thing is that I have to go tomorrow to shield."


    I said to her, But seeing the look of sadness in her eyes. I immediately said to her.


    "Ahh! But don''t worry, I promise to visit you whenever I get the chance! I''ve even arranged a caretaker for you!"<sub> </sub>


    "...promise?"


    Seeing her, I held my pinky finger out.


    "Pinky promise! Now go wear some nice clothes, We''re having a feast tonight!"


    Our pinky fingers intertwined and she said joyfully.


    "Ok!"


    With that, she scooted off to her room in her wheelchair.


    Starting at her departing figure. I thought.


    ''...Why didn''t you tell me this sooner?''


    [Supreme dragon of Lanesha Apologizes.]


    Sigh.


    Things had just gotten a lotplicated.


    My sister


    was cursed by the infamous Body Destroyer curse of a demon.


    I had seen that symbol multiple times in the novel. It was among the three infamous incurable curses of the demons known to humanity.


    The Body Destroyer Curse


    The Mind Destroyer Curse


    The Soul Breaking curse.


    Among them, The body breaker curse was something a demon used to torture a specific part of the entire body of the victim.


    In Samantha''s case, It was her legs.


    Contrary to what humanity thought. All three curses had been cured, Humanity just couldn''t get them and neither knew about them.


    For the Body breaker curse, Which was the simplest of the three.


    An Elven Tear was required.


    A cure that would rid the physical body of every disease.


    I had no way to get them.


    Whilst I was thinking. Samantha Finally came out of her room wearing a cute white dress.


    Taking the handle of her wheelchair, We went out.


    And I made sure to fulfill her every demand this time.


    Despite her trying to act mature, She was still a child at heart.


    Seeing her eyes that we''re sparkling at various food items, I smiled.


    Yet That Smile disappeared as soon as it came.


    ***


    Laying on my bed, I was lost in my thoughts.


    Mainly on how difficult the task to get full control of this body had gotten.


    That was not me, It should have not been me.


    I would never cry like that.


    Never to someone ''I'' had known for only a year.


    This body...


    This life had already been affecting me.


    Should I Stop? Be an emotionless freak again?


    Or live this new life to the fullest?


    What should I do?


    No matter what I thought, I was afraid.


    Afraid that the moment I began to enjoy this life, it would end.


    What could I do when I woke up in my world from aa?


    What would I do when the crushing pain of realizing the real world will never go the way I want it to?


    I...


    I was afraid.


    Of everything vanishing the moment I started to enjoy myself.


    As I was contemting, The system rang.


    [Happy Birthday To the Host!


    As a gift, You have been given instructions to construct a  spatial Inventory! As a side gift from the dragons, You have been given Armour And a weapon that will be in the inventory the moment you have constructed it!]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Wishes you a Happy Birthday]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras tells you that James Smith is dead]


    ''What do you mean.''


    I said to the air. My mind hadpletely forgotten the first two messages the moment I read my name.


    My original name.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras tells you that you are not James Smith anymore.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha Tells you that ''You'' Are now An Pator.]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha hopes for you to forget about your previous life and enjoy this one.]


    Forget? How could I forget that torture?


    There was nothing good about it.


    Except for my web tendencies, although even they were a detriment.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras tells you to forget James Smith and live as An Pator.Enjoy this life.]


    Enjoy huh. I could never forget that torture, That trauma no matter what you put me through. But this life, To enjoy it?


    ''Guess that''s worth a shot.''

 Chapter 27 Spatial Inventory.

    ''An inventory huh.''


    So I''m finally getting a protagonists gift. Doesn''t feel all that special.


    All through my current state of mind can be at fault.


    ''So how do I make one?''


    [Host Must imagine a separate dimension created by themselves within  themselves through mana.]


    ?


    how the hell...


    ahh, fuck it let''s just try.


    I didn''t imagine separate dimension bullshit or anything inside me.


    What I imagine was the standard inventory that would appear in games.


    It was efficient and easy to ess.


    So I imagined the standard inventory a yer would get in RPG games.


    And lo and behold.


    [Inventory has been created]


    [Completion requires Sufficient Mana to create.]


    [Does the Host want to create a Spatial Inventory.


    Yes/No]


    ''Yes.''


    I answered the system.


    And I Instantly felt all my energy being drained and I soon felt lethargic.


    [Mana Inputted:C Rank]


    [C rank Spatial Inventory has Been created]


    [Size:150 items]


    [Limitations:No living organism(Unless through special Means) can be inputted]


    ...


    Well, Nice!


    I don''t have to worry about getting a suitcase now.


    ''Oh yeah.Open Inventory''


    Remembering that I had something given to me. I opened the inventory.


    [Inventory[2/150]]


    1)Spear Of Frost(C)


    2)Armour Of Bewitchment(C)


    -----


    Oh Yeah, baby!


    Weapon and armor.


    ''System! Take out Both''


    And as soon as I said that.


    A ck Armour Covered my figure and in my hand was A spear that was Almost all white with some blue.


    ''Oh Fuck Yeah!''


    I was excited.


    I then checked the item''s info using the system


    [Spear Of Frost]


    Rank:C


    Forged from the Ice on the top of the highest mountain Of Pruina Mundi.


    It is said to be Unbreakable. And never melts even if thrown into a star.


    *Ice st:When attacking an opponent with the spear. The User can Endow his mana into the first to release a furious st of ice at his enemy.


    *The Ice produced by the first will not melt or break by an ordinary force unless the user will it.


    *This Is A Bound Item[Cannot be used by others without The Permission Of the User


    [Armour Of Bewitchment]


    Rank:C


    Forged by the Subi Of the Fourth Layer of the Abyss For Fun. It Releases A enchanting aura that turns all attention towards the user.


    *Bewitchment:By Supplying mana Into the armor, releases an aura of bewitchment that temporarily stuns the opponent.


    *The Armour has been forged by an extremely durable metal found in the fourthyer of the abyss, It has a few fragments of orichalum inside, Making its mana conductivity and durability very high.]


    Oh yeah, This is the good shit.


    Ahh, The spear looked so cool and the armor looked damn fantastic.


    And furthermore!


    It was ck! My favorite color of mine.


    Thought about how cool I would look when I wore these into battle. My heart fluttered.


    Oh yeah, how would I exin how I got them...


    Ahh, I''ll just think about itter, My savings should be able to buy me a couple of pieces of C rank Equipment.


    Now, In Novels, Spatial Magicians Could turn ordinary items into spatial Equipment. This was also present In The Ultimate Sin when Elijah Monopolized the spatial equipment market when Gary, Humanity''s actual spatial mage that he recruited figured out how to do it.<sub> </sub>


    So, To figure out how to I asked the system.


    ''System how do I create spatial equipment?''


    [Host must first find a medium that has good mana conductivity then repeat the above procedures]


    A smile crept up on my face.


    ''Heh Heh HAHAHA!''


    I''M GONNA BE FILTHY RICH!


    If I Monopolized the market for spatial equipment.Something that was highly desired.


    I could make so much fucking money that wouldst me tons of generations even while I livedvishly.


    Thinking about it no further I picked up my phone and dialed Benson.


    ....


    Oi Bastard pick up.


    This son of a bitch is sleeping during such a precious damn moment.


    Whatever, I''ll just keep calling him.


    And after about five minutes of consistently calling, He picked up.


    [...Hello?]


    He asked with a tired voice.


    "WOULD IT HURT YOU TO PICK UP?!"


    [...My apologies sir, I was Asleep]


    He apologized, although I have to. admit even I was being mean.


    "Whatever, Just get me as many rings you can, They must be made of a metal that has a good mana conductivity. And I need you to bring them to me ASAP!"


    [For what purpose do you need so many rings, sir?]


    "I may have figured out how to create spatial equipment!"


    [What?!].


    "Yeah so get them ASAP!"


    [I''ll contact the guild master right away!]


    And with that, the call ended


    ***


    Benson Pov:


    He couldn''t believe what he was just hearing.


    Spatial equipment?


    That was something that was only gained by A or S-ranked dungeons as a reward!


    It was so precious that not even The Wellingtons could afford something like that easily!


    Well, they could afford it but not babe the source to buy it from.


    And The recorded pieces of spatial equipment had been found to only be able to contain a few dozen items.


    If An Could create spatial equipment that could fit even only a single dozen


    The guild would be rich.


    Filthy Rich!


    Without wasting another second he dialed the guild masters number.


    After a few minutes, the guild master picked up and asked in a groggy voice.


    [...this better be important Benson]


    "Guild master I need to ess the treasury to get rings for Sir An"


    [...why?]


    "Sir An Just called me to bring them. He says he may have found a way to create spatial equipment."


    [What?!]


    And the guild master replied with the same reaction as he had.


    [GET HIM WHATEVER HE NEEDS NOW!]


    ? and with that, the call ended.


    Benson had been yelled at twice today, In the middle of the night.


    He then Got up in his pajamas and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower.


    He immediately wore his work clothes and got inside his car and drove to the guild to pick up what n Said.


    ****


    Finally, That bastard arrived!


    Without even saying hello to him I took the box he had in his hands and closed the door shut.


    Benson Didn''t even minds, He was too tired to give a fuck about it.


    And So, I spent yet another night without sleeping even a second.


    Refueling my mana and doing the same shit I did to create my inventory!


    And the results were well worth it!


    __________________________________


    A/N:Sorry for no chapter yesterday, The weather was terrible which caused a ckout.

 Chapter 28 Spatial Ring

    [Spatial Ring]


    Capacity:0/50


    A spatial Ring created by An Pator, It can store a maximum of fifty items regardless of size.


    The weight of the ring will remain the same as an ordinary ring even if it is full]


    In front of Me, were fifteen of these Bad Boys.


    I pulled an all-nighter trying to do this.


    It was much more difficult than just creating my inventory.


    If I provided too much mana, the metal wouldn''t be able to withstand the huge influx of mana and just shatter like ss.


    So, Of the forty-something rings given to me Ben.


    I was only able to make fifteen or something after figuring out how much mana the rings could hold.


    Just about E rank, if I put in the amount of Mana an E+ had, the ring would shatter.


    Well, These would be the first spatial rings to go on the human market.


    They should fetch quite a price.


    "...They should be about 200 or 250 million studs each."


    I said out loud


    I had to be correct, this wasn''t just an assumption.


    In the Novel, the first rings made by Gary sold for about that much but...


    At that time, spatial rings were rare but notpletely out of ce due to trade between the Alliance.


    Thinking about the Alliance, I probably would have to participate in the tournament.


    Elijah was C+ rank when he participated,


    I was already C, If I didn''t participate for humanity I would probably be deemed a traitor to be honest.


    The Later half of the novel was tense as fuck.


    Betrayal, New Races, and a new threat to the world were introduced.


    Ahh goddamnit, I''ll think about thatter.


    There was still a lot of time left.


    Wait...What''s the time?


    Checking my phone I realized it was 7:58 AM


    An hour and two minutes before I was said to report to Shield.


    Or I would be expelled.


    ''Shit!''


    I hurriedly called Benson to pick me up and started packing.


    I didn''t have a lot of stuff.


    Just the supreme potion and a few clothes I bought here.


    Well, I''ll just buy the clothes at Shield.


    They had an entire fucking mall on a school campus anyway.


    After putting all of my things in the Inventory.


    I went inside the bathroom and took a quick shower.


    If possible before shield Starts.


    I was nning on inserting my ice attribute mana into my hair to dye.


    So after taking a quick shower, I stood in front of the giant mirror and started to channel the mana inside my body towards my head.


    Awakened in this world had all sorts of weird-ass hair colors as a result of their elemental affinity affecting them.


    Besides, Dressed in full ck with hair was just awesome.


    And Bit by bit, My hair began to change to white. Starting from my forehead and then to the tips.


    It was nowpletely white.


    A Pure white.


    Nice.


    I started to get dressed and after I was done, I went inside Samantha''s Room to find out that she was still asleep.


    Her caretaker from the guild will being after I left.<sub> </sub>


    If anyone looked at me at how I was staring at her sleeping figure, They would think I was a creep.


    But that was the least of my concerns.


    ''I promise I''ll find an elven tear, No matter what for you.''


    Damnit, This Life was already starting to get to me.


    But it wasn''t that bad.


    And with that, I left to go to Shield.


    My New home for three years.


    ***


    "...you changed your look sir."


    "I know, How does it look like?"


    "..."


    Oi, you bastard my charm didn''t go down so I know I look the same.


    No need to give me the silent treatment.


    Not paying any more attention to his reaction I handed him the box that held the rings.


    I would''ve stored it in my inventory but unfortunately, the system isn''t letting me.


    Well, It is understandable, Kf I could have spatial equipment within my inventory I could have nearly infinite space.


    I ain''t a protagonist.


    Can''t have too many cheats.


    The saving grace was I could still equip them on my fingers, albeit only two like everyone else.


    A weird restriction the author added without proper exnation but hey anyways.


    The bastard was currently shaken.


    He was looking at a ring from the box in his hand.


    I knew he was checking the information of the ring through his system.


    ''Hehe.''


    Thinking about the money that would soon be in my pockets I let out a grin.


    Well couldn''t stop for a lot of time or I would get expelled.


    "Benson! Hurry up!"


    I yelled at him causing him to wake up from his daze.


    He ran towards the car, got in the driver''s seat, and soon drove away.


    I put my headphones on and was soon engrossed in the music and my thoughts.


    Without knowing it.


    I have arrived in front of those huge Gates Of Shield.


    I entered.


    ****


    "...amazing."


    Richard looked at the ring in his hands with astonishment.


    50 items?!


    The most well-known spatial ring that humanity had acquired from an S-ranked dungeon could only amodate 64 items!


    and yet in front of him were fifteen spatial rings that could house 50 items.


    ...


    He had already made a n for them.


    5 of them will be sold, the other 10 will be used by the guild and given to the best hunting teams they had to increase efficiency.


    Although he would still have to pay n An astronomical amount of money as a creator share when they sold the rings.


    If be could continue to produce them.


    Twilight would have an absolute monopoly over the spatial market.


    The future of twilight was currently very bright.


    He just needed to keep it going on the right path.

 Chapter 29 Shield

    Authors Note:Since no one reads this when it is at the bottom,  I decided to ce it here. what I wanted to say is that this is a bit of an extra-long chapter topensate for the short chapter yesterday.


    also, I started a discord link is https://discord.gg/RwRAYupJ


    ___________________________________


    Established In 2015, It was the first-ever training institute for awakened teenagers.


    It was mainly a school, with some other more interesting subjects about the battle and how to fight dungeon monsters, Normal monsters, Mana Knowledge, Battle Techniques, Virtual Simtions, and the like.


    If we excluded the above, It was a normal school that had its normal events like sports day, culture day, trips, and the like.


    It had a huge number of sponsors from powerful families like the Wellington''s, Powerful S-ss, And An SS ss Hero awakened.


    Many Of the top rankers graduated from this Academy.


    With a Campus around an entirely man-made ind. It had multiple facilities for the best education and stress relief for its students.


    It truly deserved the Number 1 Rank among all Institutes to train awakened.


    The Children of multiple powerful figures and families attended this same school.


    And Just like their backgrounds.


    They were all also arrogant as hell.


    This was also one of the reasons why I didn''t want to rank low.


    With how serious thepetition here was, Those losers would be looking for someone ranked below them to pick on.


    This is why, Aside frompleting the quest, I honestly had no qualms about trying my absolute best to rank high.


    A Student from Shield Could be expelled easily if their rankings or at least their ability would not improve at all.


    Even If they had from powerful backgrounds.


    Well, Although life here wouldn''t go as easy as I had thought.


    Considering the job I had to do here, Life would be hectic.


    Why?


    Because the one I was supposed to protect had undergone a surprising amount of assassination or kidnapping events despite her background.


    No, It would be more appropriate to say because of her background.


    Sabrina Wellington had lived a sheltered life from birth. She had no friends, No Social Life outside of a few family meetings. She had never even tried junk food before. This was why her nervousness when she entered the school was through the roof.


    Although She appeared cold, That was mainly because of what she had gone through since her birth. She didn''t smile a lot and didn''t even talk a lot even if her friends talked to her first. She only talked to them when she had gottenfortable with them. And that took a long time.


    Multiple Kidnappings where her family had to pay a lot of money for her release. Even though she had a shit ton of her own security personnel, The Wellington''s Had a lot of shit ton of enemies as well.


    Her food, Upbringing, and Teaching were all done by her caretaker, whose name was...?


    ...


    Harry?


    I think that was his name, After a hell of a lot of chapters, my memories were hazy.


    Although I remembered every major event.


    I did not remember the names of every character introduced.


    I remembered the main ones, But not the extras.


    The same type of extras that I wanted to be.


    But s, If I want to survive all the shit that would happen in the future, I needed to rank high so the building I will be assigned to would be the best one that provided the best training facilities.


    The room would be the same as the suite that I had lived in.


    There were four grades of student dorm buildings for each year.


    Rabbit


    Snake


    Tiger


    Dragon


    The dragon was the highest tier with the rabbit being the lowest.


    Only the top ten of each year were assigned to the dragon dorm.


    So among like the thousand of the total students.


    Only 30 would be present in the dragon building.


    And I wanted to get to my room fast.


    Why? Because I wanted to study the spatial guide.


    I was so preupied with creating the spatial rings and the minor identity crisis that Ipletely forgot about it.


    So I Hurriedly went to the overcrowded reception area to get my student ID card.


    I received an electronic ID card on my phone. I just needed to show them it to receive my student card.


    Which would be responsible for a lot of things here.


    I walked passed the long queue that was full of people and had a lot of parents with their children carrying their suitcases. I didn''t bother waiting by standing in it.


    The privilege of the first rank.


    I was not the only one who was brave enough toete.


    They were all wearing fancy suits. While I was the country bumpkin wearing just a ck buttoned shirt and ck khaki pants.


    Walking beside the long queue, I received a lot of disdainful stares, But all they could do was stare at me.


    If they caused amotion here, their children would be expelled.


    That''s why they remained standing in their positions and don''t dare toe to stop me.<sub> </sub>


    They were thinking that the boy walking towards the reception was already a student, Given that he had no suitcase, Or was someone high ranked that had the privilege of not waiting.


    Finally reaching the end of the queue, The receptionist looked at me weirdly and I gave her my phone, Completely disregarding the Girl that was in front of me and was about to give the receptionist her Electronic ID.


    She looked at me with hate in her eyes but I didn''t care, The receptionist, seeing my behavior towards her was hesitant but quickly took my phone to not anger thedy in front of her.


    Scanning the phone, She had an expression of utter shock and with trembling hands gave me My student card.


    Taking it from her. I walked away and entered the main campus by showing the card to gate guardians.


    ***


    She was very angry. She had waited in the goddamn line for half an hour before it was her turn but now a Boy about her age didn''t even bother to wait in line and just handed the receptionist his phone when she was just about to.


    The Boys face was barely a little above average. He had Pure white hair and a muscr physique. The most noticeable thing about him was his eyes.


    She was surprised when she looked into his eyes, All she could find were two beautiful bright blue diamonds.


    The boy left as soon as the receptionist gave him his phone and card without even sparing a nce at her.


    He just had an aloof look on his face.


    And On that day, He had also made a slight enemy with ine Parker.


    One of the main Protagonists of The Ultimate Sin.


    With Bright gold hair and A beautiful face, Everybody was looking at her.


    Except for the bastard that just cut in line and didn''t even spare her a nce even though she was right beside him.


    But she did not act.


    For she had caught a glimpse of his student Card and saw the bright No.1 written in gold.


    Only the Top 5 of the students of every


    year had the privilege to cut in line and unfortunately even though she was strong and within the top ten, She was not In the top five.


    So She could only grit her teeth and stare at the bastard that just left with a hateful gaze.


    ***


    Arrived in front of the luxurious dorm area of the Dragon Tier. I stood in front of the gates.


    Two Huge and muscr guards were guarding the insanely good-looking hotel type of building.


    Both Of them were B Rank.


    They looked at me and one of them said.


    "Student Card Please."


    Without Saying anything back to him. I just handed him my card.


    Taking my card, He looked at the rank printed on it with surprise and hurriedly scanned it.


    Once He confirmed the card was legitimate after scanning it.


    He respectfully bowed to me and handed me the card while his colleague opened up the gates.


    Without wasting a second I went inside.


    "So that was the first rank of the first year huh. Damn The rumors about him being C-Rank we''re true."


    One of the guards spoke, The other just nodded at him and began dialing on his phone.


    They had been asked by the School Board as well as a few of the top 10 students of all years to inform them when ''He'' woulde.


    All of them had arrived except for him.


    And a majority didn''t believe what Their sources had told him of his rank.


    So they would confirm it themselves.


    They would confirm the First Year rank First''s ''C Rank'' grade by themselves to confirm.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t arrive as most of them had.


    The third and second years were already in their dorms, While all of the top ten first years except for Rank 1 had arrived.


    Now, that they knew of his Arrival.


    They would visit him themselves.


    To truly Confirm If what was said about him was true or not.


    And to get on Humanity''s First Spatial awakened goods side.


    ***


    I had arrived on my designated floor.


    Yep, that''s right an entire floor was assigned to the students here.


    After arriving at my floor.


    I looked towards the floor.


    Not towards it but the floor below it.


    I could see a bright golden me.


    That was also rooted in the same position just a little bit in front of me.


    That was Sabrina Wellington.


    My floor was directly above hers.


    And due to our contract.


    Just as I could see her location.


    She could also See mine.

 Chapter 30 Spatial Guide.

    The entire floor had only one door and opposite the door was a ss wall.


    The door was quite...


    How do I put this?


    Fancy for a door?Ehh, let''s just go with it.


    It looked to be made out of dark oak and had golden lines making up a Shield that had the globe in its center.


    That was the insignia of Shield.


    Just outside of it was a device that was fixed outside of the wall.


    I Presumed it was the lock of the door.


    My Card should be the one to open this.


    Taking out my card from my pocket. I put it over the device and it scanned it.


    After scanning my card, it emitted a green light and I heard a click sound from the door.


    The lock had been opened.


    Opening the door, I stepped inside and heard the voice of a woman.


    [Wee, First-Year Rank 1 An Pator.]


    Huh.


    I keep forgetting where in the future.


    This stuff should be normal.


    Without even looking at my room.


    I immediately found a white sofa in the middle of this gargantuan living area and sat down on it.


    I then called out


    "System, Give me the spatial guide."


    Without even a reply. A Blue Crystal orb the size of a clenched fist appeared in my hand.


    Then I heard the robotic voice again.


    [Would You like to absorb The Spatial Guide Crystal?


    Yes/No]


    ''Yes.''


    I replied to the system.


    And then, The crystal suddenly melted and was absorbed in my body.


    [Host Has Absorbed the Spatial Guide]


    [Understanding of the spatial Element has increased]


    [New Abilities have Been Unlocked.


    1)Teleportation


    2)Spatial Distortion


    ***


    Sabrina Looked up towards the ceiling of her room, Towards a bright white me.


    She could see that he had finallye.


    She had already felt his presence at the gates of the building and now it was just above her.


    She was flustered at the size of the me.


    It wasrge and was shining brightly.


    Exuding a Cold aura that even she could feel.


    Without paying it any more mind.


    She continued reading her book with a bored look on her face.


    She had wanted to explore the campus from the moment she hade here.


    She had rarely stepped outside of her residence after so many attempts at her life.


    But here, Before she could even think about exploring, The perverted bastard by the name of Lucas always found her.


    This had happened twice and she had to call for security to get back into her room without him disturbing her.


    And whenever she went out, everyone would gaze at her with looks of admiration. She was sick of it. She could handle the gazes she received from everyone but that bastard.


    The school had contacted her family about this and her grandfather had called her to


    She knew him because she had met him at a banquet when she was 14


    And She hated him from that time.


    Just His Creepy gaze sent shivers down her spine.


    And so, She could do nothing but wait. She had already filed aint against him andte at night her grandfather and mother called her tofort her.


    They had told her that her bodyguard would be arriving soon and she could call him if she wanted to go out.


    He had just arrived so she did not want to disturb him.


    It was already her 4th time reading this book.


    But she decided to hold on for a little longer.<sub> </sub>


    Then She would be able to explore the campus to her heart''s content.


    ***


    On a white sofa sat a youth with white hair.


    This was, of course, An.


    Who was currently contemting if what thetter half of the information that he had just received was about teleportation or insanely high degree difficulty math?


    ...


    His mind was nk.


    He understood the first part of the information, One that upied only 10 percent of the total information.


    In it was how to teleport short distances and how to open portals to ces he had been in before.


    It also provided basic information about the space element.


    He barely understood the basic information but the moment he entered the portion about how to set up portals in ces he had never been in. He had to deduce the coordinates first.


    All sorts of forme and Equations appeared before him and he didn''t understand shit.


    His face grimaced and his head was beginning to hurt by just looking at them.


    He hurriedly dismissed the guide from his mind. He could call upon that information at any time.


    ''..fuck my head hurts.''


    Even he, With his vast experience in ounting, was confused about what the hell was in front of him.


    ...


    ''Well, I ain''t looking at that again for a long time.''


    Of course, he would need to but now?


    He was just excited to test out his abilities.


    Mainly short-distance teleportation and Distortion.


    I just needed thought and some mana to teleport there.


    I imagined myself within the corner of the huge room and Vo.


    I instantly felt my entire body being ticklish before I knew it. I was facing a wall.


    ''Hell Yeah!''


    But s, Before I could rejoice I felt my stomach churning and felt the urge to vomit.


    ''Ahh, Of course, something so cool would have a drawback.''


    The feeling of my entire body being ticklish and me just appearing in a new space, My stomach didn''t like it.


    ''Oh, so this is that feeling...''


    I of course was talking about how in a majority of Anime or novels When a character suddenly teleported for the first time they would either feel dizzy or have an urge to vomit.


    Well, I just needed to get used to it!


    I would rather get used to this feeling than never teleport again unlike some protagonists.


    And with that goal in mind.


    I, whileughing like a maniac, Was teleporting all around my room.


    But I couldn''t do it for long as the urge to vomit intensified and I desperately went searching for the bathroom.


    The moment I found it, I couldn''t withstand the urge anymore and just ran to the sink, There I unloaded all of the contents inside my stomach.


    *Blurgh!*


    There wasn''t a lot of undigested food, mainly gastric juice because I hadn''t eaten at all since the all-nighter.


    Finally finished I looked up at the mirror and found dark circles underneath my eyes.


    Looking at my haggard self. I decided to take a shower and then sleep for a whole and then go explore the campus so I would be ready to teleport where I wanted to.


    Taking off my clothes and just throwing them outside the bathroom.


    I took a quick shower.


    Feeling the hot water on my body, I felt a little ufortable, I then changed it into cold water and instantly felt morefortable.


    I didn''t know if this was due to my ice affinity or not. But I preferred the cold or lower temperatures much more than heat.


    After my shower was finished. I just put on my underwear and began just teleporting in front of the bedroom door I found while I was teleporting crazily around.


    The range of my quick teleporting was the eyesight range.


    Which was already busted but hey I ain''tining.


    I then jumped on thefy bed and quickly began to fall asleep.


    Unbeknownst to me, a certain someone was looking at her ceiling with a bewildered expression on her face.


    ***


    "..what in the world?"


    All she could feel was that the location of her bodyguard was quickly changing.


    He for a second would be in one corner and another second would be somewherepletely else.


    She was confused as to what the hell was happening up there but just decided to take a nap thinking that she was hallucinating.


    She did not know that this bodyguard of hers was just trying out his abilities.

 Chapter 31 The Campus.

    *Buzz*!


    I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.


    Picking it up, I heard Benson''s Voice.


    [Hello Sir.]


    "...ah yeah hello, What is it, Benson?"


    I replied in a drowsy voice.


    [...were you sleeping?]


    "Yes, I was, So?"


    [Nothing sir, My apologies to disturb you but..]


    "But?"


    [The Wellington''s Called.]


    "And?"


    [They want you to escort Young Miss Sabrina Around the campus.]


    Oh yeah, She always wanted to explore this ce but couldn''t do so because of a pervert.


    "Fine, I''ll get ready and go to her room."


    [Thank You, Sir.]


    And with that, the call ended.


    Getting up and going to the bathroom to wash my face.


    I picked up my clothes that were on the floor and wore them.


    Looking at the time, I found It to be Nearly 3:00 PM.


    Damn, I slept for only a few hours.


    I was still sleepy but hey work was in the way.


    So Getting dressed, I opened my ount given to me by twilight and checked my bnce.


    [Bnce:10.7 Million Studs.]


    That was the result of me saving up my sry from the guild and also some of the money given to me by The Wellingtons as a reward for signing the contract.


    They wanted the First spatial awakened on their side huh.


    I wonder when the rings would sell.


    ''Speaking Of Rings, I should probably make more for myself.''


    Although I had a spatial Inventory, I could also equip spatial Rings.


    Albeit only two of them.


    And I couldn''t store any spatial equipment containing something inside of it in my inventory.


    Getting my headphones, I connected them to my phone and immediately recorded my voice saying something.


    It was a List of the things I was gonna buy for this ce.


    At the very top were game consoles and manga and books.


    Once that was done, I recorded another recording.


    This was a mantra to protect my mind and dignity.


    Even in the Novel, She was called The epitome of beauty.


    And I had also seen pictures of her.


    And just seeing them I had to inflict pain upon myself to stop getting... ''excited.''


    The real thing was always different.


    I had to make my Holy Mantra that helped me sleep and Concentrate.


    And So I began Recording The holy Mantra That always helped me.


    ***


    After finishing Recording my five-minute mantra, I stepped outside of my room.


    And stepped into the elevator and went one floor down.


    Theyout Of this floor was the same as my own.


    Knocking on the door, I just waited.


    And began to listen to my mantra.


    I then heard my voice saying the below word in my ears.


    "~Everbody Is sheep, There is red sheep! blue sheep! Purple sheep! white sheep! ck sheep!Yellow Sheep!


    Gold Sheep!Pink Sheep! No One Is not sheep, The world Is Sheep!!"


    And these same words kept ying in my head for 5 minutes.


    Granted it was weird. But it was the only thing that calmed down.


    Listening to bullshit numbed my mind.


    And while I was listening to my Holy Mantra. The door opened.


    Outside Stepped a figure.


    With waist-long ck Obsidian hair that was golden at the tips, with Eyes like Amethyst crystals. And A perfect Skin that had no blemishes at all.


    She was a head shorter than me.


    Wearing A sleeveless Blue shirt with the same color jeans She stepped out holding a bag.


    I Was clenching my fists hard.


    My Holy Mantra had Failed me for the first time.


    ***


    [A Visitor Hase For you]


    She heard the female AI Voice.


    "Show me the Camera Feed."


    Then In front of the door. A Holographic image appeared out of seemingly nowhere and showed her who the current figure was.


    Seeing Who it was, She heaved a sigh of relief.


    ''Finally.''


    She thought. She would. finally, be able to go out without worrying about the creep trying to touch her.<sub> </sub>


    If what the contract information showed her was true, which it had to be.


    Lucas would be pummeled by the figure standing outside of the room.


    He was C Rank After all.


    She suddenly felt disbelief again recalling that rank.


    She then Called out His status.


    ----Status----


    Name:An Pator(16)


    Rank:C


    Strength:C


    Endurance:C


    Agility: C


    Mana:C+


    Intelligence:C+


    Current Mood:Calm


    Current Activity:Listening to music.


    State:Exhausted


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    ''Exhausted?


    She thought, Bewildered.


    Looked at him closely.


    He had Pure white hair, which was confusing to her because she remembered the information she received about him was that he had ck hair.


    He was a head taller than her, Wearing full ck and ck and blue headphones. His figure was like that of someone that at least exercised a little.


    The most striking thing about his appearance was his eyes.


    She was Looking at them with confusion.


    Instead Of pupils, It looked like he had two brightly shining blue diamonds for eyes.


    Paying it no further heed. She dressed up and got ready to finally leave her room. Most of the information except for the hair she had received matched his appearance. Her contract also told her that it was him. Which was enough of a confirmation.


    ***


    I was pinching myself.


    My holy mantra Had failed, I.was trying my best to hold myself back.


    Not wanting to be more tempted I turned my face away.


    If I was an ordinary teen who had an immature mind and body filled with hormones. I would have jumped at her the moment I saw her.


    But Thankfully, I had the Mind of a 29-year-old businessman who had seen his fair share of models.


    But holy shit they looked like dogs in front of her.


    Comparing them to pigs in front of her was more appropriate. This was the power of a rank A Charm


    Taking huge breaths to calm myself down.


    I said.


    "Hello."


    Looking at me for a few seconds, She was silent, Then after a while replied.


    "Hi."


    Hearing the voice I was even more shocked.


    Damn it she had a beautiful voice as well.


    Fucking hell.


    "So, Where are we going Young, Miss?"


    "My name is fine, We don''t want anybody to know about the contract."


    "...Okay Then."


    ''Won''t they find out sooner orter?''I thought.


    The Wellingtons had provided support to my guild and with the connections the students that studied here had, They just needed to ask and they would get all the information they wanted.


    "So, Where are we going?"


    I asked her again.


    "Around the Campus."


    She replied.


    Fuck it was getting hard to hold myself back from now.


    <o>,m My Mantra had proved to be super ineffective in front of her.</o>


    So I just decided to not talk to her anymore and just walked towards the elevator while she followed me.


    ''Calm down you son of a bitch, Your not a pedophile you lunatic!''


    There was an awkward silence between us until we finally reached the ground floor.


    From there on I followed her outside of the area gates.


    The guards bade goodbye to us and we went off to explore.


    Seeing her leave, One of the guards took out his phone and began to dial on his phone.


    After telling the other person that ''She'' had finally exited the dorms.


    The call ended and he soon returned to his work.


    ***


    I was just following her.


    The main purpose of this trip was for me to go to every corner of this ind so I could teleport anywhere and everywhere whenever I wanted to.


    And So, Began Our ''trip'' I guess you could say.


    And I kept quiet the entire time just reciting my mantra and trying my best to not look at her whatsoever.


    Although it proved ineffective, Still had to do something to distract my thoughts.

 Chapter 32 Explore.

    How does one keep a stoic face?


    Aplete poker face devoid of any emotion in front of them?


    There were a lot of ways.


    You could train yourself to do so.


    But the Best method was through Memory.


    By Remembering an event in your life that was traumatizing enough times.


    You would soon adopt a poker face, Devoid of emotion andpletely unreadable to others.


    Me? I had lots of those bad memories going around.


    From childhood To adulthood.


    The Entire Memory Gallery of my previous life was filled with them.


    Although in this one I had a few good ones.


    It was still hard to get rid of ''trauma''.


    But I used that trauma of mine to my advantage.


    The face I had for most of my life in my previous world was a perfect example.


    Unreadable, Until my face got sshed with acid.


    Didn''t matter what expression I made after that.


    I was Unreadable without even making an effort then.


    And with this poker face, I kept following Sabrina To literally wherever she wanted to go.


    Along the way, a lot of teenagers looked at Her with gazes of admiration, shock, and disbelief, Whichter turned into hearts in their eyes.


    Seeing this I thought.


    ''Beauty is a terrifying weapon.''


    It was, To change the opinion of the public with a single form of emotion on the face.


    Terrifying, Truly.


    Stopping by the nearest bus stop, We waited for the bus.


    She sat down on one of the chairs and I stood beside her.


    During our wait, Multiple People had the thought of approaching her but her icy gaze turned most of them away.


    As for the dense idiots?


    I just released my pressure, Seeing the pink hue leak out from my figure, showed them that I was C Rank And was not going to let anyone near her. They backed off.


    Most of the people here were first years, Mostly at F Rank with a small majority of them at E Rank. The second and third years were taking their sses.


    The only vacation they would get would be a day from now.


    A three-day vacation tomemorate the beginning of a new year, The arrival of new students, and to say goodbye to the third-year students who would receive their degree and go on forward with their lives.


    To join their families, guilds, or the government for work.


    There were a lot of options for them.


    Seeing a blue and white busing towards the stand.


    I took off my headphones and waited for them to reach.


    When it finally did.


    We both entered and scanned our student cards on the scanner at the entrance of the bus.


    The Money a student could use on campus had to be stored in their cards. That was the only way you could buy anything at the shops here.


    But,


    But the Top ten students had the privilege of free rides wherever they wanted.


    Sabrina stepped inside and took her seat in the middle of the bus.


    Meanwhile, I looked at the bus driver, who surprisingly was <D> rank.


    A rank that would get you a high-paying job no matter where in this world.<sub> </sub>


    Shield Truly was in a different league.


    I could now understand why her family would be willing to send her here instead of just homeschooling her.


    The ce was filled with high-rank students and teachers. The teacher had signed mana contracts to prove their loyalty.


    Although that still didn''t stop the demons from finding a way to infiltrate.


    The corruption in shield was much much lesser than the corruption in the other top academies.


    It truly could be said to be a haven.


    All said the demons would also be stupid to send someone of a high rank to infiltrate without reason.


    The ce was under the supervision of multiple S-ranked Heroes and as well as The headmaster, Who was ranked third in the Hero rankings.


    The Sage, Oliver Olsfer


    Someone who had a big impactter on in the story, When The good and bad races had to ally with themselves to face the new threat to their entire universe.


    Even the Celestials and Demons, who had beef with each other since the beginning of their existence allied with each other dew to fend ''Them'' off.


    ''I should write down some notes to not forget some events in the novel.''


    At first, I wouldn''t have thought of this.


    If anyone managed to find the notes I had written about the future, I would be in serious shit.


    But now I had my very own spatial inventory to hide the notebook.


    I would be alright as long as it was within the inventory. After I was done, I went to the row she was sitting in and stood beside her seat, There were two seats she was sitting on one near the window while the other was empty. I was just standing in the middle blocking the entrance to her seat.


    By the way, I was seriously getting annoyed by all the stares.


    ''How the hell does she deal with this?''


    I thought, Most of the people on the bus were staring at us. At Sabrina with affection in their eyes and at me with disdain.


    Like I was some sort of final boss they had to defeat to save the princess.


    Some fools even tried to get past me to sit with her.


    Even my aura did not affect these lovestruck idiots.


    It had gotten to the point where I just gave up and sat in the seat next to her.


    She didn''t pay any attention to me. Her gaze was fixed on the outside through the window.


    ''Well, Shit shouldn''t have looked.''


    I said while looking at her face illuminated by the sunlighting from outside and onto her face, creating a piece of art that I wished to photograph.


    ''Well, I should add a camera to the list.''


    Photography was just a hobby of mine, Wasn''t too invested but who wouldn''t want to take photos of this beautiful sight?


    If more of them hade, I would spare no effort to take a photo even if I get scolded!


    Whilst I was relieving my photography addiction, The bus stopped at Section D


    The entertainment district of the Ind.


    We both stepped out of the bus with me taking the lead and with her following me.


    After we exited the bus.The number of stares at her increased. The Entertainment District was filled with students, Everyone hade here to either explore or buy things, much like us.


    They were all looking at only two people, in particr, The first one was, of course, Sabrina with affection in their eyes and me?


    First with looks of curiosity as to why I was following her around and when they tried to approach her and we were stopped by me, those gazes of curiosity turned into Malice.


    I just put up with it.I was only here to escort her, I was gonna teleport hereter to get my own things.


    ''See truly couldn''t go out this entire week?''


    The looks she was giving the buildings proved that she had stayed alone for most of the time.


    So, She wA looking at ever building with excitement in her eyes while the people were looking at her.


    Quite abination I say.


    And the district had everything, From a Mall, stadium, arcade and even an amusement park.


    Was this truly a school or a city?

 Chapter 33 Teleporting Back

    As we kept walking around the entire district, Many people had their eyes on us.


    It was annoying at first but now I think I got used to it.


    After an hour or so, We were still exploring the city.


    Throughout the entire time, She acted like she wanted to into some of the shops here but couldn''t.


    I just couldn''t help but pity her.


    Probably lived alone in her mansion from birth.


    Her life was already nned from the moment she was born, No could.be even before that.


    A year and some months from now, Her Grandfather would die and her father would be confirmed to be missing, All of the powerful people that were in her family that cared for her would be gone.


    Her mother didn''t have enough power in the family to hold off her uncle''s faction.


    And then Her uncle would be the head of the family.


    Strip her of her heir Position and limit her funding.


    On top of that. Many assassination attempts started in full swing when her uncle took control.


    This was why I had to get to B rank.


    Most assassins sent after her were C rank in the novel.


    And If I wanted to do my job ill have to make sure to be stronger than them.


    Her Uncle couldn''t send high-ranked assassins after her for two reasons.


    No one High ranked with malicious intentions or demonic energy could bypass the barrier set up around the entire campus by the headmaster.


    Second of all, Because of the headmaster, No high-rank viin would be taking the job to assassinate her for fear of their own life.


    She was truly Safe when She was in Shield.


    Her life was safe when she was in shield...most of the time anyway.


    The only times her life was threatened were during school trips or tournaments.


    Those were the only times her life was threatened. The other events were just a little hectic with no threat to her life.


    Threat to her dignity maybe but not life.


    Oh yeah.


    Ipletely forgot about this.


    [Spatial Distortion.]


    [The user can distort the space around themselves or an area to whatever they require it to be.


    The moreplicated and detailed the distortion, the greater the mana Consumption.]


    I had gotten this skill as well as teleportation when I learned about the space element.


    Distortion huh.


    So basically illusion magic?


    Could I make myself invisible or cause others to see illusions.


    Nice, Would be super useful in beating the shit out of someone.


    The me they were attacking was an illusion and I was right behind them ready to deal a fatal blow.


    Awesome.


    As I was thinking about how to use the skill, Sabrina Went and sat down on a bench.


    She sat there for about 10 minutes with closed eyes.


    I just thought she needed a quick rest, Which was why I didn''t bother her until.


    15 minutes


    20 minutes.


    30 minutes had passed.


    ''How long does she need to rest for?''


    ....


    More time had passed and she was still sitting down with her eyes closed.


    ''Did she fall asleep?''


    "Uhh, Miss?"


    "Yes?"


    Replying to me almost immediately, I now had confirmed she was not sleeping.


    I asked her.


    "Are we done with the tour?"


    "Yes."


    She replied to me.


    "So, May we return to the dorms?"


    "No, I don''t want to meet a pervert standing at the gates waiting for me."


    She answered with a hint of disdain in her voice.


    ''That was what she was worried about?''


    I thought. Then,


    "So how long are we staying here?"


    I asked, Hoping for it not to be the answer I had hoped for.<sub> </sub>


    "Until Midnight, He will be tired of waiting by then."


    Oi


    I''m sorry but I don''t have that kind of patience to stand in the same spot for hours for nothing.


    How was I going to get out of this-


    Oh yeah, I''m a damn spatial awakened.


    Just open up a long-distance portal dumbass.


    "So we just need to avoid him?"


    "...yes."


    She answered while shivering.


    Okay, then I can make this work.


    Imagining a portal to the floor she was on and focusing my mana.


    A Blue rift in the area in front of her opened up.


    Standing up startled she started to channel her mana towards her arm and I could see lightning sparks around it.


    "Please calm down, That''s a portal of mine."


    I said to reassure her.


    "We just need to avoid him right?


    I opened a portal to your floor, We can bypass the gates through this."


    She did not respond and only looked at me with surprise on her face.


    "...you could do this?"


    She had asked, at this point, many people were looking at us and the blue rift, which now resembles aplete square.


    I could feel the eyes of multiple D and C Ranked staff on us.


    "Yes, I''m a spatial Awakened, I can teleport."


    I said to her. I wanted her to quickly go in and let me roam freely so that I coulde here immediately after to get something to eat.


    My stomach was empty since morning.


    Seeing that she was still hesitant, I went in front of the portal and held out my hand.


    "Please grab my hand miss."


    Although still hesitant, She grabbed my hand and I went inside the portal holding onto her hand firmly.


    After going inside, I didn''t feel dizzy at all and found myself to be in front of a dark oak door with golden engraving on top of it.


    And Soon, Still holding my hand and having her eyes tightly shut, Sabrina Walked out of the portal.


    "You can open your eyes now miss."


    I said to her and let go of her hand.


    Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around.


    She found a hard time believing it.


    They were previously in District D which was quite far from here, and now in an instant, they were just outside of her room.


    "If that''s all then I will be leaving Miss."


    She, still bewildered looked at the figure that just made this happen.


    And the moment he said that A Blue square portal opened up behind him, and just as he was about to step inside.


    "Wait, Give me your phone."


    ''My Phone?''


    Why my phone?


    Oh, My number wasn''t saved up on her phone. Would be quite troublesome to have your family call your bodyguard if she wanted something to get done.


    I handed her my phone and after a while, she gave it back to me.


    "I''ll call you when I need something."


    She said with a smile on her face.


    "Yes, Miss."


    And with, I stepped inside the portal.


    ***


    ''Yes!Yes!Yes!''


    Entering her room


    She was insanely happy because of two reasons.


    One she had finally been able to go out and do whatever she wanted without any nuisance and second of all.


    She had just found a way to escape the eyes of that lecherous Bastard!


    This was a day of celebration for her!


    Now She could go wherever she wanted and whenever she wanted without having to worry about that creep.


    A smile was present on her face.The first smile she had shown after her father had disappeared


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    A/n:Since I''ve received a lot ofments about my spelling mistakes in some paragraphs.Ill read every chapter before uploading it carefully from next chapter.Sorry for the mistakes.

 Chapter 34 Shopping.

    Coming back to the ce we had just teleported from, I could feel dozens of eyes on me.


    Watching my every move.


    Scanning my surroundings, Nobody was there, yet I could feel them looking at me.


    They could see me, Yet I couldn''t see them.


    ''Shit.''


    I was regretting using a portal. Well, I couldn''t do anything about it now. So I just walked forward into the main shopping district.


    I was nning on buying manga, Game consoles, a camera, and some other things I needed,


    But first.


    I needed to get something to eat.


    My stomach was killing me.


    Going Into a convenience store, I bought a bag of chips and c


    Did the taste of c change after so many years?


    After paying for the things at the counter, I went to the mall.


    On the way there, I opened the bottle and bag of chips.


    Taking a sip from the bottle, I thought.


    ''Nope, still the damn same.''


    I didn''t feel any major changes to the ordinary c I had drunk in my previous life.


    Not thinking of it any further.


    I entered the mall.


    ***


    "Is the rank 1st ignoring us or is he not home?"


    "Probably not home."


    Standing outside of the first-year rank first students'' room were two boys.


    One of them Had bright orange hair and scarlet eyes. While the Other had hair that looked like ash and the same color eyes.


    The two standing in front were the first year second and third-rank students Elijah Ardor and Henry Fornum.


    They had wanted to get along with the first rank...and also to confirm some rumors about his rank but their main objective was to be friends.


    They had already been here for a while.


    The card scanner of the door was red, indicating that the student inside was either gone or had requested not to be disturbed.


    Despite knowing this, Elijah and Henry still knocked on the door multiple times to see if the student inside just didn''t want to be disturbed.


    And they were about to give up.


    10 minutes here and absolutely nothing to be gained.


    Elijah had wanted to make friends here. However, he forgot to ount for the fact that almost everyone at Shield Was from an influential family or organization and had an arrogance befitting their background.


    They wanted to be friends with him first for his rank but after being told about his humble background. They cursed at him and left.


    Henry was the only sessful friend he had made here.


    They both were curious about the first rank of shield and we''re here to see him.


    But unfortunately, The rumored Amazing first rank was nowhere to be found.


    So they could only sigh and go on towards the elevator.


    "Do you wanna check who lives below?"


    Suddenly, As they got on, Henry asked Elijah A question.


    "Hmm? Do you know who it is?"


    Elijah asked Henry with a little bit of excitement in his voice, And Henry answered vaguely


    "A beauty!"


    "...is that the only thing on your mind?"


    "Dude I''m serious, The one living below is the heir to the Wellington family. Sabrina Wellington."


    Elijah''s eyes widened but he soonposed himself and asked him a question.


    "Isn''t she just going to be another arrogant prick then?"


    "Well, I don''t know but hey what''s wrong with trying?"


    "You just wanna see your chances with her right?"


    Henry stopped looking at Elijah and looked away.


    Inwardly, Elijah Sighed.


    ''Ah, Well, Worth a shot.''


    Thinking to himself, he decided it would be okay to try and so said to Henry.


    "...fine, but after this let''s just go to the arcade."


    "Ok!"


    Henry replied with enthusiasm in his voice.


    And they soon went down a floor and knocked on the only door on the floor.


    *Knock!*Knock!*Knock!*


    After that, they waited for a while and soon the door opened.


    Standing Infront of them was someone who truly fit the definition of ''Beauty''


    With Obsidian ck Hair with golden tips that went down to the waist. Eyes that were like amethyst and a face and figure so perfect that seemed to have been carved by the Goddess of beauty herself.


    The two boys instantly froze on the spot.


    There was an awkward silence between the three of them.


    Sabrina was going to close the door after seeing none of them respond.


    Just as she was about to, Henry quickly mustered up the courage to ask.


    "Ahh, Wait! We want to be friends with you! You know because we''re all in the same dorm building and all!"


    "Okay."


    The girl replied without putting much thought into it.


    Hearing her reply, Henry became excited and asked her.<sub> </sub>


    "Uhh, thanks uhh, we''re going to the arcade, wannae?"


    "No."


    His face froze at the immediate rebuttal.


    Mustering up his courage he asked.


    "May I ask please ask why?"


    "I already went."


    "Ahh, but that time you were alone! No one can have fun at the arcade alone!"


    The girl paused. Truthfully she had already gone with someone to explore the ce, Although she didn''t know what an arcade was, She couldn''t go anywhere without her bodyguard.


    And her bodyguard was currently back in district D and at the mall.


    She could call him but she decided to not be so pushy and let both have their time alone.


    She wanted to rest and who knows what her bodyguard was doing. So to deter the two in front of her. She said.


    "I already went with someone before."


    Henry''s face froze at the mention of ''someone''.


    Elijah on the other hand, who was also silent the entire time also shook.


    Henry, who, while still being flustered, asked in a shaky voice.


    "...Can I know who you went with?"


    ''Please be a girl, Please be a girl!''


    He hoped for that to be her answer.


    Sabrina Was troubled, Although she did not show it on her face. She didn''t want anybody to know she had a bodyguard assigned to her. So she just told them his name.


    "I went with An."


    They both stood still.


    It was as if both of their minds and hearts had suffered a heavy blow.


    "...ah, I see, We''ll take our leave now.Goodbye."


    Henry said to her while dragging Elijah, Who had turned to stone, away.


    "Goodbye."


    The girl replied and shut her door.


    When she disappeared, Elijah Regained hisposure and said.


    "...So-"


    "Shut it."


    Henry had shut him down before he could even say what he wanted to say.


    Elijah looked at his friend, Who had a look of sorrow on his face, and said.


    "We both got rejected before we even tried mate."


    "I said to shut i-wait, you were interested too?"


    Elijah only nodded at him.


    They didn''t talk any further.


    And they soon went to the arcade to relieve themselves of their rejection.


    ***


    Stepping out of the mall, I had finally bought whatever I needed to.


    I had spent a total of 456 thousand studs today. Everything was currently in my inventory.


    After I got out of the mall, I went looking for some sort secluded area to open my portal.


    What I meant by secluded was for there to be no people


    As for cameras? I couldn''t do anything about them. The entire ind was full of cameras. There was no space that was free of them, except for the inside of dorms and offices.


    As I was walking, I heard a voice that I had expected from behind me.


    "Student An Pator."


    ''Finally showed up huh?''


    This was of course one of the people that had been watching me from the first time I opened my portal.


    He meant no harm, He just had looks of curiosity and wariness towards me, No maliciousness was present.


    "Yes?"


    I said, trying to look surprised.


    "The Headmaster is calling for you."


    "Ok then lead the way."


    I said to him almost immediately.


    Considering my rank. I was gonna meet the headmaster no matter what.


    Elijah, who was the first rank in the novel had met him on the first day he stepped on the ind.


    I didn''t know if he met him this time though, considering he was the second rank now.


    And even if I wanted to refuse, The man would just knock me out and take me there.


    As for escape? The man in front of me was S-Rank, He could fold me in half before I could even take a step or construct a portal.


    So I had no choice but to ept.


    But I wasn''t wary.


    The principal of the shield Was an SS rank hero and was also a great helper and teacher to the protagonists in the novel.


    He was one of the nicest men in the novel.


    This was the reason I wasn''t wary and agreed to meet him without wasting a second.


    "Please follow me."


    The man said, and I began to follow him.


    Our destination was District B, where the headmaster''s office was located.


    The Office Of the man ranked Third in the hero rankings.


    Oliver Olsfer, The Sage.

 Chapter 35 The Sage, Oliver Olsfer.

    "...magnificent."


    An old man sitting on an office chair said to me.


    I was currently in the principal''s office.


    In the office of Oliver Olsfer.


    It was an ordinary principal office, to be honest.


    An Office is unbefitting for a man of his status.


    It was an ordinary office with couches, a bookshelf filled with documents, A table, and a desk.


    Sitting on the seat of the desk, was an old man that fit the definition of an ordinary old man.


    With grey hair and beard. And a surprisingly rtively healthy figure for his age of 112.


    "Tell me, How did you get to this point at such a young age?"


    "Hard work sir."


    I replied to his question with a stoic face.


    "If hard work truly was everything behind it, then talent would be useless no?"


    "I do not know what you mean sir."


    "3 students in the history of this school, Have had a talent of SSS Rank and were trulymitted to strengthening themselves from birth..."


    He paused, then continued after a while.


    "Yet you, Having only a talent ranking of SS rank are much much stronger than them even though you had only started training a year ago."


    He finished his statement and looked at my face.


    "Well, Hard work and talent make a greatbination with me sir."


    I said without a change in my emotionless face.


    "Enough."


    He said and started to release a tiny bit of his SS rank pressure.


    ? I remained standing without change in my posture.


    I could handle this amount of pressure.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says that a dragon must not kneel to a being so weak.]


    Oh shut up will you? You finally talk after what, a month?


    I''m trying to concentrate here.


    "During your talent assessment, The orb was starting to glow ck until you forcibly pulled your hand away, By the time, Most of the people there were too shocked to see you remove your hand in the blinding white light, So why did you remove that hand of yours?"


    "I was merely startled, sir."


    I answered his question, trying to appear as truthful as I could.


    Unfortunately, The person known as An Pator was a shitty actor who knew nothing about how to fake expressions on his face except for a poker face.


    "Well, you were a child so that''s understandable...if it had happened only once..."


    Shit, this man did his research.


    "Since you were such a ''child'' that you became startled ''twice''.I with ask this of you again. Instead..."


    He paused again, He had clearly emphasized the words Child and startled.


    The pressure around me disappeared and The eyes of the principal started to glow green.


    This was his skill activation,[Sages Eyes[S]]


    His eyes would always begin to glow green whenever he activated this skill in the novel.


    And because of this information, I prepared myself.


    "Are you rted to the demons in any way?"


    He had asked his question, I could not lie now, If I did he would immediately kill me and all news of me would vanish.


    That was the power this man held.


    Although he was nice to humans.


    He was an absolute tyrant to those who had fallen towards the demonic side.<sub> </sub>


    "No."


    I answered.


    His eyes had stopped glowing. And soon a smile appeared on his face As if he was satisfied with the answer his skill had given him.


    "Well, that''s good. You can leave now. Rank first."


    He said, Without even waiting for a single second more I walked towards the door and exited the room.


    After I was outside of the room, I then opened a portal back to my room and immediately jumped in.


    The moment I was back in my room, I closed the portal and immediately fell on my knees and was gasping for breath.


    "...why does everyone need to fucking threaten me for answers..."


    I said out loud.


    I was just venting out my frustration because, for some damn reason, every high-ranking figure or head of an organization I had met had immediately been suspicious of me and my rank.


    This happened with Richard first and now Oliver.


    Can''t you guys just chill?


    A Super rookie just wanted to join you that''s all.


    Ahh, I''m being too much of a bitch about this...


    I was damn suspicious, to be honest.


    But there was no need to threaten me with your pressures damn bastards!


    And with my tantrum over. I crawled towards the couch and just fell asleep there.


    ***


    ''He truly was not lying...but why can''t Sage Eyes see his stats?''


    Oliver pondered, His skill to him was an absolute skill that had never failed him at all.


    Yet when he used the skill on that student of his school, He could only figure out if he was telling the truth or not.


    Just as He was pondering, An Silver owl


    materialized on his shoulder. Seeing the owl, Oliver asked The owl.


    "So, What do you think of him, Argenti?


    [Do not speak of such an esteemed figure so disrespectfully Oliver]


    The voice of a man was heard in Oliver''s Mind.


    Oliver, who was surprised by his familiar''s apparent respect for An, Asked his familiar.


    "Kind of rare for you to be so respectful to a child when you don''t even respect me?"


    [He is a figure worthy of mine and the spirit''s respect]


    "Oh? How so?"


    [He has the blessing of two Almighty Supreme Dragons.]


    Oliver nearly stood up in shock after hearing what his familiar had said.


    Asked Argenti Again with a surprised voice, he said.


    "...Are you serious?"


    [When have I ever not been serious?]


    "...but how could a human receive the blessing of a dragon that can''t be received even by Most Royal Elves!?"


    [I do not know how, But from now on,never use Sage''s Eyes to look into him. The Almighty Supreme dragons Behind him tolerated you only now, If you do it again, Both of us would be wiped from existence. And get in his good books, It would benefit us both.]


    With that, The owl disappeared from his shoulder.


    Oliver slumped back in his chair.


    Still Dumbfounded by what had urred.


    ''...shit''


    And he then just realized how n was so strong.


    And that he probably had threatened the worst person he could threaten and had narrowly escaped being wiped from existence itself.

 Chapter 36 The Chaotic Spear Technique.

    I woke up from my sleep on the couch.


    I now had three more days until Shields sses officially began.


    What was I going to do in those three days?


    Unless something happens. I''m going to be practicing my new seven-star weapon technique in the training room on my floor.


    [Chaotic Spear Technique, [*******]]


    It was the spear technique I had gotten as a reward.


    It had all its basic movements and Special Movements listed on its info.


    As for the 0% mastery I had of it.


    I could only perform the basic movements and the first special movement.


    The other movements would be unlocked when my mastery reached certain points.


    So, I went to the training room and began to train.


    The chaotic Spear''s basic movements were the same as an ordinary spear technique.


    The difference lies in the movement and channeling of mana.


    The information given to me was that I had to circte my mana from one side of the spear and then move it through the body of the whole spear before it finally reached my body again, deposited into my own body, and repeated this process.


    It was kinda like how a chainsaw de worked.


    By doing this, I would have a sharp and fast coating of mana around my spear and during fights, Unless I wasn''t attacked or attacked. I could keep it active since the mana used would go back to my own body.


    Neat if I have to say.


    Taking out my C rank spear, I tried practicing it.


    The unattributed mana flowed our from my hand and onto the spear. It slowly went around the entire body of the spear until it reach my hand again from the other side.


    At first, If it was slow, Then the moment a chain of mana entered my hand again.


    It suddenly elerated to the point all I could see was blue moving light covering the body of my spear.


    ''Nice.''


    Although it should have been extremely difficult for me to control my mana to coat my weapon.


    Mana Master solved all of that.


    I could move mana from inside me and outside with a single thought.


    The only mana I couldn''t control was the one inside another body.


    Their mana pool, which was under their authority would not bend to my will at my current level.


    In the future maybe, but not now.


    And with my mana coating done.


    I Got into the stance present in the information for the first movement.


    cing my right hand on the lower end of my spear and my left on the upper end.


    The spear tip was above my head.


    And so, while I was in the stance, began to channel my mana and called out.


    //Chaotic Spear


    [First Movement, ]


    =|| Abyssal Rend ||=


    I lowered my spear almost instantly and performed the technique.


    The world around me became colorless.


    Nothing except for ck and white was present and it seemed like time had slowed down considerably.


    I could see the result of the technique in front of me.


    A Wave Of Mana Had Launched itself from my spear vertically and was headed towards the wall of my training room.


    Before it reached the wall, I felt some pain in my hands.


    As I looked down at my hands, I could see that I had let go of my spear and it was falling to the ground.


    My hands were the ones I was most shocked to see.


    Completely mangled up to the elbow.


    Before I could examine them any further.


    The Wave of mana had reached the wall.


    And It collided with it producing an earth-shattering boom.


    *BOOM!*


    And the shock produced from the collision sent me flying back towards the other wall.


    And I was knocked unconscious by the tremendous force.


    ***


    The whole ind''s shield had experienced an earthquake.


    It was quite a big one, to be honest.


    But every person on the ind was awakened. So they were not to affect.


    The only ones affected were Shields Management teams who were wondering how the fuck an earthquake had happened despite them not even feeling anything.


    ***


    "?!"


    The sudden noise from the floor above her body jolted her awake from her reading. She knew who upied the floor above her.<sub> </sub>


    Hurriedly calling out the status of her bodyguard. She looked at his state


    ----Status----


    Name:n Pator(16)


    Rank:C


    Strength:C


    Endurance:C


    Agility:C


    Mana:C+


    Intelligence:C+


    Charm:D+


    Current activity:Practicing(Now Unconcious)


    Current State:Severely Injured(Unconcious)


    Current mood:Unconcious


    ______________________________________


    ''Severely injured?Practicing?''


    Could it be?


    That he just tried out a move that his body couldn''t handle and was knocked out because of it?


    Was His intelligence just for show?


    Was he a damn idiot?


    Did he not know his limits?


    Realized what had just happened. She went to continue her reading


    If the idiot wanted to kill himself by over-exerting himself, he could.


    But, for some reason she felt guilty just leaving him up there to die, So.


    She clicked her tongue and was about to go grab a potion and go to the floor above when.


    [You have received a quest from (???)]


    [Save n Pator From dying due to blood loss.]


    Reward:Increase in Rank, Soul crystal(n Pator), Spatial bond. (2)]


    Failure Penalty:Death of n Pator]


    She paused...


    For the first time in her life.


    She had received a quest from the system.


    Something that nearly only 3 to 5 percent of the total awakened received.


    Her Grandfather had received one, and she knew that the rewards would be tremendous.


    So, with newfound vigor, She quickly picked up a potion from one of the drawers and left her room to go up.


    She was too shocked by the situation she did fail to realize it was not the system that gave her the quest.


    Moving out of her room and going up one floor she arrived at his room and called out.


    "Let me inside, The floor master is currently injured."


    [Scanning Floor master condition.Affirmative, Severely injured in the training room. Do you need medical assistance?]


    "No, No one should enter this room after me, make sure of it."


    "Understood Madam Wellington."


    The room door opened and she rushed inside.


    His condition was getting worse by the second.


    Closing the door and locking it


    She rushed towards the training room to find three things.


    A massive dent in the training room wall. A pure white spear lying in the middle of the room and the person in question copsed against the wall in a pool of blood.


    Running towards him, she took a look at his condition while she was feeding him the potion forcefully.


    His entire hands to the elbows had been destroyed. Bones crushed, Flesh mangled.


    After feeding him the potion she stood up and watched him heal at a visible pace. She then received a notification.


    [Quest Complete!]


    Rewards Have been obtained!


    1)You have ranked up to <D> rank!


    2)you Have obtained the soul crystal of n Pator


    3)You have entered a spatial bond with n Pator!


    ??? Is pleased by your performance and willingness to help!]


    She felt a wave of energy enter her own body pushing it towards the next rank.Her entire being felt revitalized.


    As she was checking her status to confirm her rank increase and checking the information on her rewards.


    She heard his voice behind him.


    "...what are you doing here miss?"

 Chapter 37 Soul Crystal

    "...what are you doing here miss?"


    I asked Sabrina who somehow was in my training room examining therge dent on the wall.


    She looked back at me and didn''t respond.


    Then, with a frown on her face, She started to walk away towards the door to the living room


    And just like that, With an unhappy look on her face, She left the training room.


    Leaving me in a daze.


    ''What just happened?''


    All I remembered was seeing my arms all mangled and then a shock wave knocking me out.


    I then looked around the room, focusing mainly on the dent on the wall.


    ...


    Was the first special movement that hard to handle for my body?


    ...


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Is disappointed.]


    Hmm?


    What?


    what are you talking about?


    [Supreme dragon of ice Lanesha says that is no way to treat the one who saved your life]


    What in the world are you talking about?


    Saved my, Oh.


    I then looked at my hands and that were perfectly fine and the ss bottle that was on the ground.


    ...


    How did she even get inside my room without my permission?


    I was clueless as to what had happened when I had fainted.


    But I got the gist of the situation.


    Sabrina, Feeling the mana contract on the verge of breaking due to me nearly dying should have rushed over with a potion after checking my status to see my state.


    But, How the hell did she get into my room? The door was locked.


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha Tells you to stop worrying about useless things and go thank her.]


    ...


    ok fine then.


    I stood up.


    Limping towards the door of the training room I opened it and stepped outside to my floor room.


    She was nowhere to be found. Just as I was going to the door of my floor I heard faint voices outside.


    My senses aftering to this world had heightened. So I could hear the voices without a problem.


    "It was nothing, He was just practicing a skill of his and that was what caused the noise."


    "Oh uhh okay then, So where is he?"


    "Inside his room."


    "Oh, Soo now that we know what caused the noise, Do you want to go to the new year''s festival with us?


    Me, Elijah, ine, and Serena are all going."


    I paused at the mention of those names. Elijah, ine, And Serena who are the Protagonists of The Ultimate Sin. Based on that context, I could tell it was Henry who was talking.


    Just then I heard Sabrina''s voice.


    "Sorry, But I can''t go.Goodbye."


    And with that, I heard footsteps getting farther and farther.


    I then heard Henry''s voice.


    "Why is she so mad?"


    "I don''t know, Well, let''s just go have some fun. If she doesn''t want toe she shouldn''t. Let''s go."


    "Fine."


    And with they both walked away.


    ...


    I just stood standing in front of my door.


    [Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras Calls you a pussy]


    Oh shut up, I value my life. I already have my hands full with just one of them.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says that if you truly valued your life, you would thank the person that saved it.]


    What the hell has gotten into you?


    You rarely speak and now when you do you say things like this.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Is disappointed in you.]


    Oh, fine ill goes thank her.


    I''m being too much of a damn child with another child.


    [Supreme Dragon Of chaos Suleras asks you if you want to die?]


    I already died one bastard, Do me a favor and kill me again.


    Just so I can finally be fucking free and sleep.


    I opened up a portal to the floor below.


    Right In front of the door to her room.


    Knocking on it I didn''t receive any response.


    I knocked onto it again.


    And then waited.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras tells you to just teleport inside.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha advises you to not.]


    Don''t worry, I have somemon sense, unlike a certain being who should have lived for multiple millennia.


    I''m not so stupid to just teleport inside a woman''s room


    I had watched too many identally entering the room without knocking anime moments.


    Always Ended in disaster.


    I knocked on the door again.


    *Knock!**Knock!*


    I then waited.


    if she wants to y the waiting game.


    I''ll happily oblige.


    ***


    [Soul Crystal(n Pator)]


    The soul crystal of n Pator.It is bound to his soul. It can freely enter your body and form a protective barrier on your soul. The destruction of this crystal will lead to theplete death of n Pator. The life of the individual ispletely dependent on the safety of this crystal. It is advisable to treat it with caution.]


    [Spatial Bond]


    A spatial Bond is a bond set between two individuals. The Individuals, if they can wield space can teleport to each other whenever. the bond also allows them to keep in contact with each other no matter where they are.]


    She was reading the description of the two items in her room.


    She had gotten them frompleting the quest.


    She Was deeply intrigued by the soul crystal and spatial bond.


    They were two things she had never even heard of before.


    Reading the description of them both, She was deeply interested.


    For the first one, It implied that she held his life in her hands. If she wanted to kill him, all she wanted to do was destroy the crystal, and poof, he would be dead.


    She had never heard of such an item before.<sub> </sub>


    Nothing. She was greatly surprised that she could control such an individual''s life with just a thought.


    *Knock!*Knock!*


    The knocking sound rang out again.


    But she didn''t open it.


    She too didn''t understand why she was so dissatisfied that she didn''t even hear a thank you.


    She never did this. This was unusual for her.


    "Show me how tomunicate with him through the spatial bond."


    She asked the system.


    [Please think of the other party and the message you want to send.]


    ''Go away.''


    She thought while thinking of him knocking on the door.


    ***


    |Go away|


    Huh?


    What?


    Did I just hear her voice inside my head?


    No you idiot, you''re being delusional.


    I kept knocking at the door.


    Then I heard it again.


    |GO AWAY!|


    ...


    Ok I''m not delusional


    ''How do I respond to this?''


    And how the hell was she doing this?


    She couldn''t send messages to someone''s mind in the novel. So how the fuck was she doing this?


    And how do I respond to it?


    [Supreme dragon Of Ice Lanesha tells you just think of the message you want to say]


    How do you know this?


    [Suprem dragon of Ice Lanesha tells you to just do it.]


    Ok fine jeez.


    ''Umm, can you hear me, Miss?''


    I thought.


    and I heard a response.


    |Yes, Now go away.|


    ''How can you do this?''


    I was genuinely curious, she couldn''t do this in the novel, so how could she do this now.


    |It was a quest reward for saving your life|


    quest reward?


    Quest?!


    Hold on, the only ones who can issue quests are the system and...


    Supreme beings...


    Oh, you two just fucking wait.


    ''Ah, About that miss I''vee here to apologize for my rude behavior previously.''


    |Apology epted, Now go away|.


    ''I can''t do that miss, I still owe you for saving my life.''


    |Oh really? Then leave me alone.|


    ...


    Sigh...


    ''I noticed you were not able to enter any shops when we were out exploring. Do you want me to get you anything?''


    |No, Now Go away before I get mad.|


    ...


    Fine goddamnit.


    I need to talk with these two supreme dragons.


    ''Yes miss, Please call me if you need anything''


    Without waiting for a response I opened a portal back to my room and then stepped inside.


    Now that I was back in my room.


    ''So, Would one of you be so kind as to tell me about the quest she received about me?''


    No response.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Would one of you be so kind as to tell me about the quest she received about me?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Would any of you be so kind as to tell me about the quest she rec-


    Just as I was about to say the same sentence for the third time. I saw a message pop up.


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha Says that she had no choice, your life was in danger.]


    Hoh? That''s not a problem. They saved my life. I wasn''t going to reprimand them for that.


    But, Why do I feel like my soul was split in half?


    I didn''t know how to exin the feeling. It was just that, I felt empty inside.


    like a major part of me had been stolen without my consent.


    ''what were the rewards for the questpletion.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ''What were the rewards for the questpletion?


    I asked again.


    and a message popped up.


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha Says you don''t want to know.]


    Oh but I want to know.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras Says that the rewards were:


    1)Soul Crystal Of n Pator.


    2)Increase In rank.


    3)Spatial Bond.


    My eyes widened at the mention of the first reward.q

 Chapter 38 Explanation Of Prev Chapter.Spoiler Alert!

    Author here,


    What I want to say is that he does not be a total ve or simp.


    Our boy ain''t like that.


    This soul crystal of his in her hands is something that will factor greatly into the future story.


    Where our boy experiences a major change in his mentality.


    I have it all nned.


    And the dragons also did it because they know what he will bepan(da-n0vel.c)om


    And the best girl isn''t someone who will just turn him into a ve either.


    Rx Guys.


    This is a major point in the story.


    She won''t make use of him just because of that. Although by not a great margin.


    This is really important for the next story.and he finds himself to be free of the soul crystal after as well.


    I have it all nned so don''t hate too much lol

 Chapter 39 Slave.

    "YOU DID WHAT?!"


    [Supreme Dragon of Lanesha says there was a reason.]


    "REASON?! YOU MADE ME A FUCKING SLAVE FOR A REASON?!"


    [Supreme Dragon Of Lanesha Says she can exin.]


    "Exin Huh?!


    Then fucking exin to me why the fuck you made me a fucking ve!"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Don''t YOU DARE BE FUCKING SILENT NOW!"


    "THIS WAS MY NEW FUCKING CHANCE AT A NEW LIFE, AND YOU JUST FUCKING RUINED IT!"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "...Why are you talkative bastards so silent now?


    WHY?!"


    [Supreme Dragon Of Lanesha says it was necessary.]


    "THEN TELL ME WHY THE FUCK IT WAS NECESSARY!"


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras Asks if you want to really know why]


    [Supreme dragon Of Ice Lanesha tells Suleras To stop]


    "YOU STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THIS LANESHA!"


    *Hah!*hah!*


    I gasped for breath. All that screaming had taken a toll on me.


    I then heard a message from the system.


    [You have received a vision from Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras]


    [Do you want to view the vision?


    Yes/No]


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha Advises you to deny it and reprimands Suleras]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says there are all the answers you want.]


    ''Yes!''


    I said, and my vision soon went nk.


    ***


    A massive ck Eastern dragon was flying through an empty and dark void.


    The dragon was so massive that I looked even smaller than an Ant towards it.


    No, I could even be considered a microorganism to it.


    So small that I was invisible to the naked eye.


    A massive portal Of Blue Opened in front of the dragon and it flew into it.


    My Vision changed and now I was in the middle of a ce that looked deste and empty. The ground was purplish-ck and the sky devoid of any light and covered in ck clouds.


    Suddenly, The sky shifted to show the same ck Eastern Dragon Charging downwards from the skies.


    From the emptynd below. A Western Purple and ck dragon appeared out of nowhere and fired a beam of purple light toward the ck dragon.


    Yet, Compared to the size of the ck Dragon, the beam was nothing.


    The ck dragon Opened its Mouth and fired a beam of pure ck energy towards the iing smaller purple beam.


    The ck beampletely overpowered the purple beam and engulfed the western dragon.


    The ck Dragon remained in its position, The purple thunder in the background illuminating its massive figure somewhat among the clouds.


    From the remains Of the beam.


    The battered western dragon stood up and Flew towards the Eastern ck dragon.<sub> </sub>


    Yet, It was all futile, The ck dragon flew towards it with an even greater speed and wrapped itself around the western ck dragon like a snake would wrap around its prey to strangle it.


    Slowly and painfully bone-crushing sounds were heard as the western dragon''s body was being crushed by the massive ck dragon.


    It looked at the ck dragon with hate in its eyes and the look soon turned into that of pity and sorrow.


    And that was it. The western dragon had died, with all of its bones crushed slowly but painfully.


    The ck eastern Dragon then Ate the Purple dragon in one Big bite.


    After a while, Around the dragon, Purple hair sprouted from its body and its aura became even more frightening.


    The surrounding world seemed to bend to the dragon''s will the moment the purple hair appeared on its body.


    The dragon than just waited within the world. Coiling around itself like a snake.


    After a few minutes, Multiple portals Opened and western Dragons of various colors that were smaller than the purple dragon flew out of them.


    A Pure White dragon Flew towards the ck dragon leading the army of dragons.


    It was a massacre, The western dragons were annihted by the ck dragon.


    The white dragon was doing its best to put up a fight. Ice-covered its elite body and it threw ice spikes the size ofs toward the ck dragon.


    Yet it was futile.


    They could not prate the scales of the ck dragon.


    It was useless.


    And just then a sword of light came out from the skies and struck the ck dragon. Managing to draw blood.


    A Golden Dragon That was the size of the purple dragon the ck dragon had defeated earlier appeared. Its body covered in an armor of light itself!


    It plunged towards the ground towards the ck dragon''s position. The ck dragon flew upwards to meet the new challenger and they both headbutted.


    While all of this was happening, the multiple dragons that were still alive threw whatever magic they could muster with their remaining strength toward the ck dragon!


    Pirs of Fire, Spears of Ice, Beams Of lightning, and the like all rushed towards the ck dragon.


    Yet It was all futile.


    The Golden dragon fell from the skies, Dead.


    And all the dragons soon followed the same fate.


    The White Dragon, thest one alive, Was reduced to nothing from a breath of pure ck energy from the ck dragon.


    And Just like that, The dragons, An almighty race that guarded the universe against the Godbeasts, were reduced to just one eastern dragon!


    The bodies of the dead dragons started to disintegrate into particles of different colored light which all flowed towards the ck dragon and were absorbed by it.


    Its already ck scales seemed to have turned another few shades cker.


    The ck dragon just closed his eyes and began to absorb all the particles of light flying towards it.


    After quite a while, when all of the light had been absorbed by the ck dragon.


    It opened its eyes.


    It opened a pair of eyes that seemed to glow like bright blue diamonds.


    Yet, it seemed as if they were on the verge of insanity, held back by only a single thread it seemed.


    The ck dragon opened another portal but this time, Unlike its normal blue color, Now it was pure ck. The ck dragon flew inside the portal. Slowly its massive body disappeared inside the portal.


    On the other side of the portal was a world in stark contrast to the previous world. If the previous one was ck and deste. Then this one was covered in clouds both in the ground and sky.


    The ck dragon kept flying in this Paradise of a world until it reached a piece of floatingnd.


    But there was yet another obstacle present in front of it and the Ind.


    An army of brightly armored individuals with pure white wings sprouting from their backs.


    Most only had a single pair. But some of them had 2,3,4 pairs of wings and were dressed in armor even more beautiful.


    Then from behind this army of angel-like beings.


    A massive figure draped in a white robe with an uncountable number of wings on its back appeared.


    On the figure''s face was a golden mask that hid its face.


    The tension between the angel-like beings was great.


    And then, As soon as the ck dragon rushed towards the army.


    They Too flew towards the enemy.


    An Army of Millions of angels against a single being.

 Chapter 40 Pain

    The dragon flew towards the barrage of attacksing from all of the angels.


    His entire body was covered in light from the multiple attacks yet it did not leave even a scratch on his scales.


    The dragon swept through the army of angels, Killing any angel that had even touched his scales.


    The moment they did, a ck aura emerged from that part of his body and engulfed the angels.


    Then a massive fist came and punched the dragon right in the face.


    Yet it did not budge.


    It opened its maw wide and fired a breath of pure ck energy, It fired it at the fist at point-nk range.


    The giant With a golden mask on his face had his entire arm disintegrated,


    It was no match for the ck dragon.


    None of the angels who were present, Whether they possessed two wings, four wings, Six wings, eight wings, or ten wings could hope to defeat this monstrosity, Whether they were in the millions or not.


    The dragon annihted every single one around them.


    Until only it was left.


    The giant with the golden mask had long since died


    Its golden mask had been cracked and now looked hideous.


    The Overgod, along with all the Celestials, Perished before the might of the dragon.


    The bodies of millions of angels and the Overgod itself began to then into white light and flew towards the ck Dragon.


    It absorbed the light just as it did with the other dragons.


    Yet, No matter how much of the white light entered his body, It only seemed to turn him an even darker shade of ck.


    I looked at the dragon.


    It...


    Looked to be in pain, Just from its eyes I could deduce that.


    But...


    It had just won against an army of millions of beings so powerful I couldn''t even grasp their levels.


    And it did without taking a single injury.


    And yet, It looked to be in pain.


    No, It looked to be dead on the inside from its eyes. Yet it was smiling. Those bright blue diamond-like eyes seemed dead but on its face was a crooked smile. Just then.


    My vision faded and I was soon in a purple space.


    As I was wondering what I would see this time.


    I heard a voice.


    "So, Did you enjoy it?"


    Turning around I found a tall man staring at me.


    He had purple eyes And ck hair.


    And was dressed in a suit. and had two purplish-ck horns on his head.


    I didn''t know how, But I knew who he was.


    "Suleras?"


    The man just nodded without saying anything.


    I answered his previous question.


    "No, Show me more."


    "Any more and your mind will copse."


    I just stared at him, and then after a while, I asked him a question.


    "Was that me?"


    "Yes and No."


    Yes and no?


    The hell?


    "borate."


    "The physical body was yours, But you were not in control, You were trapped in the body, forced to watch yourself do those deeds."


    "Who was the one in control of my body?"


    Just then, The room shook.


    "Heh, Speak of the devil and he shalle...


    Now that ''It'' is here, I''ll be quick. First of all, Your worries about being turned into her ve are wrong. Second of all, Never Give in to the temptation, and finally, beware of ''ck''"


    "What are you talking about, that''s far too vague-?!"


    As I was talking, the space we were in was vibrating even more, like it was a ss window that was on the verge of breaking.


    "It infuriates me, That we mighty dragons have to put all our hopes on a gamble."


    Suleras spoke once again. Looking at his face, it was covered in blood, His eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were all bleeding.


    Looking at me for one final time, He smirked and I lost my vision as the sound of the space breaking resounded.


    ***


    He wasn''t picking up any calls.<sub> </sub>


    Sabrina had even tried using their spatial bond to send him a message but received no response.


    It had been a day, She wanted to go out again but was stuck because of this stupid bodyguard not doing his job properly.


    She had even gone to his room only to be denied entry this time.


    The floor master was not in a serious condition unlikest time, so the AI didn''t allow her entry.


    Sigh...


    She could only do nothing but wait.


    The two boys hade again to ask her if she wanted to go to the new year festival with them but she denied it.


    She would see the fireworks from her room Like she always had.


    ***


    "Hah!*Hah!*


    I was gasping for breath.


    I had suddenly woken up and was lying on the carpet present around the whole floor.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Apologizes]


    ...


    It''s ok.


    I now have some sort of fucking idea of what will be going on.


    ''I wasn''t in control huh, Won''t be turned into a ve, Never give in to temptation and beware of ck huh.''


    Those were the words that Suleras had told me.


    Taking out my notebook I wrote all of them down.


    I couldn''t rely too much on memory, I had to be sure.


    After I finished writing them, I put the notebook and pen inside my spatial inventory.


    Stillying on the ground for a bit. I spoke out loud.


    " How is Suleras?"


    Remembering him bleeding from all orifices present on his face, I asked Lanesha, and I got a reply soon.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha says she does not know and is worried.]


    Worried huh.


    "So, can at least you tell me who ''It'' is?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    No response huh, figured as much.


    But then I heard something.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha says ''It'' Is the child of The abyss, AND TO NEVER MENTION IT AGAIN.]


    Woah angry huh.


    Well, I understood her now, Suleras was probably fighting for his life against...


    That thing.


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha Says that he is an idiot.]


    Hm?How so?


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha says that all men just follow their instincts, And never think things through]


    ...


    "Pfft.."


    [Supreme dragon Of Ice Lanesha Asks the reason for yourugh.]


    I didn''t stopughing although I received her message.


    Finally, after regaining myposite I said.


    "Yeah, We are idiots that don''t think things through most of the time...


    But...


    That''s what makes us...Us I guess."


    And with that, I stood up and sat down on the sofa.


    I was Just reorganizing my thoughts.


    Processing what had urred into reasonable statements.


    After thinking for about half an hour.


    I took out my phone and looked at it.


    Checking the date, I was a bit surprised.


    It was 30th December and the time was 5:07.


    I had skipped a day, And on top of that, I had a dozen missed calls from the one that now held my life in her hands.

 Chapter 41 Why Not Just Kill Me Now?

    I put the phone down.


    I could talkter.


    What I needed to find out was one thing currently.


    "Why not just kill me now? When I''m still weak and can''t do anything to you?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Says it is because you have been marked by ''It'' and killing you will only elerate its control over your body]


    ''It'' again?


    So whatever that child of Abyss is, apparently it''s trying to take control of my body...


    ''Hmm?''


    Just then, I thought of something.


    "Why not disintegrate my body? Why even choose to reincarnate me and bless me then?"


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha Says it had all been useless when they tried.


    It only elerated our deaths.]


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha says because it was the highest chance of sess at either saving or destroying us.


    It will now be your choice.]


    ...


    Fucking hell, my mind gonna be burned.


    This wasn''t in the entire novel at all!


    At least not at the point where it was currently.


    And speaking of the Child Of The Abyss.


    It was mentioned somewhere. I know that but where?


    Why can''t I remember where it was mentioned?


    My memory isn''t that terrible!


    It was mentioned prettyte in the novel, just a few chapters before where I was currently.


    So why the hell did I have no recollection of this?


    ''Damn it use your head, you idiot!''


    ...


    ...


    Wait a minute, Tried?


    As I was lost in thoughts of remembering where ''It'' was mentioned, my thoughts suddenly shifted to the messages before.


    "Lanesha, What did you mean by tried?"


    I had an inkling of what it meant...


    but please don''t be true


    [Supreme Dragon Of Ice Lanesha says this is the 555th attempt]


    [Supreme dragon Of Ice Lanesha says there will be no contact between us for a while from now on.]


    huh?.


    WAIT EXPLAIN TO ME MORE!


    ...


    ...


    ...


    shit...


    ...


    ...


    ....


    Nice Supreme dragons you are, Bailing at the most crucial moment.


    Ahh, I''ll think about itter.


    I''m too tired to give a fuck about it.


    As I closed my eyes, I still wondered about which chapter the child of the abyss was mentioned in.


    But I forgot about it and quickly fell asleep.


    ***


    Inside the ck and empty space from before.


    A raging battle was going on.


    No, calling it a battle was an overstatement. It was more of a beatdown.


    Finally, a figure of a man dressed in a suit with purple hair and horns fell with his body tattered.


    Appearing above him, with its foot on his chest was another figure with ck Hair and Blue Bright diamonds for eyes.


    The figure looked at the purple-haired man, Which was Suleras With eyes full of malice.


    "How many more times can you still use the chalice?"


    The figure asked suleras And pressed its foot down on his chest.<sub> </sub>


    "...It''ll be active for as *huh*! long as it takes for you to die!"


    Answered Suleras to the man.


    "...why do you still try? When it was still all futile?"


    "Because I wanted you to die!"


    "I can''t die, Just as I can''t kill you currently."


    "That''s why I was bold enough to do it, you bastard!"


    ...


    The figure looked at the man beneath its feet with pity.


    "Was all that torture not enough for you Suleras? For us all?


    How many times do I have to destroy you all before you finally give up?"


    Suleras Did not answer. He just looked at it with a gaze full of conviction. Waiting for the figure to continue.


    "Or are you still traumatized and don''t want to die that way again?


    The time when you killed him out of fear and rage when he was weak only for me to take control?


    Or the time when all of them ganged up on him when he was weak out of fear and chance at hope?"


    The figure pressed its foot down even further, caving in Suleras''s Chest.


    Sulearas Grunted in pain.


    "Pathetic.


    You cannot do anything in front of our linked souls.


    I will takeplete control of his soul, And bestow a judgment upon you Hypocrites no matter how many times you use the Chalice To revert to the past."


    "You are very lucky I can''t kill you right now."


    And with that, the figure disappeared.


    "...motherfucker.."


    Suleras said in a low voice.


    He was now weak, Very weak that a C Rank could kill him.


    But he still stood up.


    And locked the space again.


    He still had one thing left to do.


    One that will increase their chances again.


    "Assign n Pator A Quest.


    Contents:Sesfully Evolve into a dragon.


    Rewards:Bloodline Of the God Beast Pheonix!


    Penalty:Death."


    This was the final card he had to y.


    His strength diminished even further.


    And now, He was but not even a shadow of his former self.


    He slumped down.


    And fell to the ground.


    It was like he had just passed out.


    Yet, His life force was getting weaker and weaker.


    ***


    In his sleep,


    A quest notification woke him up.


    He looked at the quest.


    [You have received a quest from Chaos Dragon Suleras]


    Contents: Sesfully Evolve Into A Dragon.


    Rewards:Bloodline of the God Beast Pheonix!


    Penalty:Death.]


    I looked at the quest notification.


    But, why was now from just Normal Chaos Dragon Suleras?


    Had he been weakened so much that he fell from his Supreme Rank Status?


    "Heh, Suleras You are one mad son of a bitch."


    And with that said, I already knew what he wanted me to do.


    Although it was a long shot, It would be worth a try.


    To avoid what I just saw in the vision he gave me.


    I would do it whatever it took.


    And with that, I got up and walked to the bathroom to take a shower.


    After I was done, I called Sabrina in order to ask what she wanted from me to call me so many times.


    For that bastards n to work, I needed her to trust me to a great degree.

 Chapter 42 How Spatial Magic Works

    (P.s this is a reupload with some more info!)Hey, Author here, I got somements and questions about How n''s Spatial Magic works so here to exin. The first part of his skill is[Short distance Teleportation]


    Although I say it is a short distance, It depends on how far he can see.


    If there is a solid object blocking his sight, he can''t teleport to the other side of it. Like a wall etc.


    Also, Short distance teleportation only works on him.


    Since it directly teleports his body and doesn''t open a gate(i.e) Portal like Long Distance Teleportation, it doesn''t work on other individuals except himself.


    The second part of the skill is Long Distance teleportation.


    In this, He directly opens a gate(i.e portal) connecting two points. Unlike short-distance teleportation or SDT, Multiple individuals can be taken along with him.


    He can not teleport to a ce he has not physically been in.


    If he gains a better understanding of the space element he can also teleport or create a portal to a ce he has imagined in his mind or seen at least.<sub> </sub>


    Liked, for example, If he imagines or sees a photo of a random part of space(i.e anywhere tbh)


    He can open a portal to it.


    The areas where portals are made can also be influenced by it.


    Like, if he opens a portal close to the sun, the heat of the sun will be transferred to the other end.


    [Spatial distortion]


    It is literally illusion magic tbh


    Also, If he can calcte the spatial coordinates of any ce(on differents)He can teleport there!


    (Big that to MoreMercury76 for reminding me of thest part!)

 Chapter 43 New Years Festival

    [So you finally call now?]


    "Sorry, I was asleep Miss."


    [You always say you''re asleep but your status still says you are sleep-deprived.]


    ...


    ...


    Wow, How the hell do I respond to that.


    [Anyways, I made some friends, And-]


    "Ahh, Congrattions miss."


    I cut her off before she could evenplete what she was saying.


    [...and they invited me to watch the fireworks with them.]


    "Congrattions Miss."


    [And I want to go.]


    "Well, have fun on your trip miss."


    [...]


    "Good-."


    [You know I can''t go anywhere outside without you correct?]


    ''But you''ve ranked up and could probably beat the bastard that is annoying you.''


    Of course, I only said that in my mind.


    As far as she knew, She had only told me that about the spatial bond she received as the quest reward.


    Nothing else.


    So, If I brought up her rank increase when we hadn''t met after all that.


    She would get suspicious.


    Very Suspicious!


    Sighing, I answered her.


    "...At what time should I pick you up?"


    [6:00 Pm sharp.]


    What?


    "But the fireworks start at midnight! What are we going to do for six hours?!"


    [Explore and y with them.]


    ...


    Are you a damn child?


    [Is that okay with you? Mister Ungrateful Bodyguard?]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "...ok."


    The call ended immediately after.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I now regretted calling her.


    Not only did I get roasted twice, But my ns to avoid meeting her ''friends'' also went down the drain.


    Of course, these friends of hers were the other protagonists.


    Although I don''t know how they got so close to her nowadays.


    They only got close when sses began.


    Ahh damn it, The main story of the novel is changing already.


    Fucking hell.


    Although the change is nothing drastic, Why do I feel like I''m walking into a lion''s den?


    Well, The good thing is she didn''t use the soul crystal to make me her ve right now, Although Suleras told me not to worry about that.


    Still had my suspicions.


    By the way, Why hadn''t she even tried to use it?


    Was it the rich pride? Well, it''s better if she doesn''t use it for me.


    I just need her to use it once for the n to seed.


    With all that thought.


    I wanted to go back to sleep.


    For some reason, I was feeling very lethargic.


    Maybe my mind was still tired from the vision.


    And so, Falling onto my bed.


    I fell asleep.


    ***


    In a dark void sat the same figure that had beaten the shit out of a supreme Dragon.


    ''It'' or rather he was waiting.


    Waiting to umte enough power to finally escape the grasp of the abyss.


    Albeit only for a short period.


    He had taken his preparations.


    Before he falls again.


    He too was tired of this constant cycle of torture.


    And he desperately wanted it to end.


    He desperately wanted to die.


    This time, For good!


    ***


    Time 5:54 Pm


    The day the year ends and a new one begins.


    Putting on a simple white Button shirt and ck pants.


    I was all ready for whatever I was going to go through.


    I already had a n to survive


    And that was Sleep!


    I would sleep the entire time when we were all together waiting for the fireworks.


    I will reduce the chances for us to talk!


    Now that I was ready.


    I went down one floor.


    Thinking about the fireworks.


    I wondered,


    When was thest time I has seen fireworks?


    No, The more appropriate question would be when was thest time I ''Enjoyed'' seeing them?<sub> </sub>


    Of course, I remembered.


    It was one of the few good memories of James.


    A memory of when I was a child.


    Watching them from my bedroom window.


    As the Bright white lights exploded into beautiful flowers and sparks.


    As a child, I waspletely fascinated by them.


    But that was probably the only time I enjoyed them.


    Knowing that A smile crept up. on my face.


    But it disappeared as quickly as it came.


    Stepping onto the floor. I knocked on the door.


    After waiting for a while.


    The door opened and she came out.


    Wearing a ck dress with her hair In a ponytail.


    "...why are there still bags under your eyes?"


    "Didn''t get enough sleep."


    I just replied to her half-heartedly.


    Although even I admit this was getting worrisome.


    I slept and only woke up at 12 o.clock today.


    I slept for so long yet I still felt tired.


    She just looked at me.


    "...Is it that serious?"


    "Hm? Oh no, I''m just waiting for you to open up a portal."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Well, I''ve been reduced to a damn mode of transportation.


    And was it just me or was she talking too much?


    She never even talked a lot in the novel despite being one of the protagonists.


    She always had her guard up and rarely ever smiled. The only people she talked to frequently were the other female protagonists. And that was because they were friends since childhood!


    Did having my life in her hands cause her to lower her guard that much?


    Well, she just needed thought and she could end me.


    Damn it I''m still salty over what those dragons who now refuse to talk did.


    But I understood their actions now somewhat.


    "Where should I open it to?"


    "District D. I want to go explore there."


    "Why not just wait at the roof of the mall?"


    "You honestly want to wait six hours on the roof of the mall?"


    ...well I was just nning to sleep, to be honest, but!


    Unlike before, I had aeback!


    "Miss, You were nning to wait till midnight to avoid a certain someone the first time we went to explore."


    There was silence. She didn''t respond for a while.


    Hah, How does it feel when you''re on the other hand of the insults huh?


    "...You will understand if you had met him."


    "Well, I haven''t met him yet, but considering your reaction I would love to."


    "Please don''t. The moment he gets near 10 meters of me I want you to send him flying."


    "That''s not a problem, But have you tried to at least respond to his feelings?"


    Although I knew how it went when she did. I just said it to annoy her to exact my revenge.


    "You owe me a favor for saving your life, so do what you said when you were constantly knocking on the door of my floor."


    Completely ignoring my question she changed the topic. Smirking at this obvious way to avoid talking about him, I then asked her.


    "Are you referring to showing you around the shops because you were too afraid to go in?"


    "Yes, And I wasn''t afraid, Just nervous."


    Yeah yeah sure, whatever you say.


    Without wasting another second.


    I opened a portal to District D.


    Before stepping in, I said to her.


    "Please don''t say that I can teleport a secret."


    I meant it.


    In the novel, The protagonists used Gary''s teleportation ability for nearly everything.


    I did not want to get involved with them even further. And if I somehow did. I did not want to end up bing their Mode of transport.


    Not!


    I could already imagine them turning towards me for an instant teleport.


    I was in no way bing their transport mule.


    And I was not afraid to use force if needed!


    "Why? It''s convenient."


    "It''s because it''s convenient that I can already imagine them pestering me so they can be the second person among humans to ever teleport!"


    "Second?What about the first?"


    "The first person to enter my portals except for me was you."


    It was true, Although we both entered the very first portal I created. It was still an undeniable fact that She was the first human to ever enter a spatial portal made by a spatial awakened. As for me? I wasn''t human.


    "Oh? I was the first?"


    "Yes."


    After a slight pause, She answered again.


    "Ok, I''ll keep it a secret for as long as I can."


    "Thank you, Miss."


    "Don''t call me that when we are with them.I want to keep your role a secret as well."


    Why keep me as your bodyguard a Secret? Why go through the trouble?


    Everyone here could find that out if they just asked their backers.


    Although I was a little confused. I still obliged her request. She agreed to mine so I would agree to hers.


    "Fine, So may we go in?"


    I held out my hand for her to grab.


    "Yes."


    She answered and grabbed my hand.And then we both entered the portal.


    Today was going to be hectic.And I was going to do my absolute best to keep a low profile, Although that would be impossible.


    I just sincerely prayed that one of the protagonists would not be with them.


    If she was there, Then my entire scheme would be useless.

 Chapter 44 A Bodyguard.(Why Do I Feel I Wrote This Chapter Badly Lol)

    What is the work of a bodyguard?


    Mainly they are trained professionals who serve to protect their employer from danger.


    Most High ranked Politicians, Celebrities, or important figures have them.


    As for my job as one?


    I just needed to keep my employer safe until She graduated from Shield.


    It was the same type of work any other bodyguard had.


    The problem was I had little to no training in being a bodyguard.


    Although I had been briefed about the work when I had signed the contract, I was still a little clueless.


    This was why I researched hard to do my job.


    Although I was Some sort of scum.


    I was a man dedicated to my job.


    A workaholic in simple words. I always took my job seriously, No matter what.


    My dedication to my work was why I was sessful.


    And also the need to get revenge but that was secondary.


    For that purpose, I studied whatever I could find and even asked the guild to Teach me.


    They did, And I crammed everything I could into my head.


    Although I would have liked to wear a suit.


    Unfortunately, My employer wants me to keep my identity as her bodyguard a secret.


    Which was why I didn''t wear a suit although I wanted to.


    No matter what, If you are a muscr man and are wearing a suit.


    You would look cool.


    But because she wants to keep this a secret, It would be pretty awkward if one student followed another student around campus wearing a suit.


    And besides, The Wellington Family didn''t do this to turn me into a bodyguard.


    They mainly made use of the situation Of my guild and wanted to make a connection with me.


    The first spatial Awakened of Humanity.


    But I do wonder how long this will stay a secret.


    I wouldter find out today that there was no point in keeping this a secret.


    ***


    "What do normal people eat?"


    Sabrina, My employer asked me.


    "We ''Normal'' people eat whatever you eat. Including Meat, Vegetables, Fruits, Ric-"


    "I meant what you call ''Junk food''."


    "Junk Food is a term referring to arge variety of foods miss."


    I mean it was, Junk food included Chips, Soda, And anything unhealthy but tasty.


    So yeah, It was a broad term.


    And I now felt pity for her. Poor girl never realized how great soda is.


    She should have been eating nutritional meals made by first-ss chefs since birth.


    I don''t think her family would have allowed her to eat anything unhealthy. Considering beauty is a top-grade material for business rtionships in higher society.


    "Then what do you usually eat?"


    She asked me again while we were walking along the road.


    It was quite crowded.


    Considering that today was thest day of the year.


    It was bound to be crowded even if it was Shield.


    Multiple Students and teachers were walking around, Some just stopped to gaze at us.


    I''ll say it again.


    Beauty was Terrifying.


    "If we''re talking about Junk food, Then Chips and C, Sometimes Biscuits too."


    "Then Get a lot of those things. Serena Asked me to arrange for the food."


    Hearing the name of who asked her I paused.


    Fuck, The one person I hoped wouldn''te wasing.


    Good luck On me being her bodyguard remaining a secret.


    That Girl will find out whatever she wanted and we wouldn''t be able to hide it.


    I think she already knew what my job was.


    Of Course, I was talking about Serena Soubuelle, the Daughter of the first-ranked hero Harrison Soubuelle.


    She had great backing. Something on Par with Sabrina''s.


    She was the typical main female lead.


    Annoying and Thirsty!


    Annoying for Everybody else, Thirsty for Elijah.


    That woman would find out all she wanted to about us and I could not even do something about it.<sub> </sub>


    She was also a sort of bitch too and enjoyed watching others fall.


    And if you get on her bad end, She will just request her father to take care of you.


    The Unique Mixture Of A Tsundere and A Yandere as the Community of The Ultimate Sin called her.


    Keeping myposure I said to her


    "If we want to arrange for the food, We should probably get Pizza and fast food  Miss."


    "What''s that?"


    ...oh you poor girl.


    Don''t worry, I''ll show you the heaven that is pizza.


    "When will they be arriving?"


    "One hour before midnight we are supposed to meet at the roof of the mall."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    So they made you their food delivery butler.


    Not On My watch!


    "I''ll make the arrangements, during the meantime, where are we going?"


    I asked her.


    "The arcade."


    The arcade?


    Weird that a girl wants to go there.


    "Sure miss, Let''s go."


    "Wait."


    I paused hearing her.


    "Yes?"


    "Where do I get the chips and soda you said?"


    "Oh, I''ll get them for you."


    So she just wanted to try out new things?


    " I''ll get them for you when we''re in the arcade."


    They should have a snack bar there.


    "Ok."


    And with that, we set off towards the mall, Where the arcade was.


    Speaking of the arcade.


    There was a high chance Elijah and Henry would be there.


    Whenever they had free time they would go there.


    Speaking of those two, I looked at Sabrina and asked her.


    "By any chance are one of your friends at the arcade miss?"


    "Yes, Two of them."


    Shit. Now I know why she wanted to go.


    I need to prepare myself.


    To deal with those two.


    Considering their personalities, They would bombard me with questions.


    Goddamnit, why does God need to fuck with me?


    Just let me have an easygoing life.


    The arcade in this future was not a lot different from the arcades I was used to knowing.


    Your student card would do all the work.


    Just scanning it on the machines would let you have ess to them. The money required would be deducted from your card.


    Just the games were more different. Most of them were VR games.


    "Do you want to go to the snack bar first?"


    I asked her. Hoping she would say yes because damn I was hungry.


    "No, I''ll stay here and you can go. I need to wait for somebody."


    Wait huh?


    It''s probably those two.


    I had heard her conversing with them. So they probably had some form of contact.


    And with that, I left to go find some damn food!


    When I came to this world, I had a voracious appetite.


    And came to a realization that.


    There were advantages and disadvantages of being nonhuman.


    One of them was that I got hungry way faster than normal and also needed to eat food that could fill a dozen men to satisfy my stomach.

 Chapter 45 Arcade

    As She watched n go away towards the snack bar.


    She kind of Regretted not asking him to


    teach her how the machines worked.


    She had tried Virtual Reality training before.


    But not games.


    The only games she had known of were chess and other rted board games.


    She had no clue how to operate them.


    So she just stood there and took out her phone.


    Opening the Communication App, Pine,


    She tapped on the icon of the group that she had been added into.


    It was made by Henry who added her when they exchanged numbers.


    The group had only five members


    Henry Fornum.


    Elijah Ardor.


    Serena Soubuelle.


    ine Parker.


    Sabrina Wellington.


    These five were the only people that were in the group.


    And currently, in the group was a hot debate about which vor of ice cream was better.


    [Elijah:I''m telling you Vani is much better than Mango!]


    [Henry:Bullshit! Mango for life!]


    [Elijah:Vani is much better than Mango!]


    [Henry:Vani is nd you dipshit! It has no vor at all!]


    [Elijah:Dipshit?! Then your dogshit you mango-loving bastard!]


    [Henry:You have no taste in anything!]


    [Elijah:I have no taste?! Says the bastard that always keeps on chasing women with his ugly face!]


    [Henry:At least I''m sessful! Unlike a certain bastard that turns into stone whenever a girles ten meters near him!]


    [Elijah:Sessful? You got turned down by Both Sabrina And Serena before you even asked them out!]


    Why did he have to bring her into this?


    And when did she turn him down?


    p As far as she knew, They didn''t even ask her out.</anda>


    [Henry: That''s because they both are taken! Serena By you and Sabrina By The Rank First! And don''t bullshit me! You were interested in Sabrina Too!]


    She was taken? What sort of bullshit was this bastard spouting?


    [Serena:He was what?]


    [Elijah:I was not!]


    [Serena:Sabrina is this true? Did Eli ask you out?]


    [Henry:He was in cahoots with me!]


    [Elijah:Sabrina! Tell them the truth! Any time we met I never even talked to you!]


    [Henry:That''s Because you always turn to stone the moment a girl gets near you! You Virgin!]


    [Elijah: You''re a virgin too you bastard! Everybody in this group should be Virgin!]


    [Henry:Unfortunately for you, I lost my virginity at 15 Bitch!]


    [Elijah:Wait seriously?]


    [Henry:Yeah!]


    [Serena:Sabrina Did Eli ask you out?]


    [Sabrina:No, I don''t remember him doing so.]


    She finally talked in the chat to stop this farce.


    [Elijah:See! What did I tell you!]


    [Serena:Good and besides Sabrina isn''t taken the rank first is just the bodyguard her family assigned her]


    And there it went, The secret that she wanted to hide to have a normal school life. Exposed in mere seconds.


    [Elijah:Damn, Rich people have it easy.]


    [Henry:I have a chance!]


    [Sabrina:Not interested.]


    She quickly turned him down to avoid being annoyed every day by him.


    [Henry:I do not have a chance!]


    [Elijah:Lol, anyway Sabrina are you at the arcade?]


    [Serena:Is He with you?]


    [Sabrina:Yes, I''m waiting at the arcade by the ''Race of doom'' machine.]


    [Elijah:Race of doom huh, Nice choice.]


    [Henry:Agreed!]


    [Serena:Is He with you?]


    [Sabrina:Don''t you already know?]


    [Elijah:So we''re finally going to meet the first rank? I''ll be there I''m about five minutes!]


    [Henry:Me too!]


    Sighing, She put her phone away and had only one thought about Elijah and Henry.<sub> </sub>


    ''...idiots.''


    They wereplete idiots. She didn''t know how the hell they led a conversation about ice cream vors to turn into one rted to adult topics.


    And to have no shame while saying that.


    All the teenage boys that she met were some types of idiots.


    Two we''replete childish idiots.


    One was a lecherous bastard.


    And the final one was a suicidal idiot who tried a move far surpassing what his body could handle.


    That same idiot, who was always sleep-deprived whenever she checked his status, was also responsible for protecting her.


    Sigh...


    She could only sigh and wait until at least one of them came to her position.


    She knew of nothing here, even though she had requested toe here after being told about it by Henry and Elijah


    Multiple People had tried to approach her, and even when she denied them they persisted.


    Most were second and third years. Who she had no way of fending off in close quarters.


    She was a mage. Not a fighter.


    And causing a scene in such a public ce was not a good idea.


    Now she was currently missing the suicidal idiot. Who despite being an idiot. Still did his job well.


    She had regretted telling him to go on his own now.


    She was being approached by multiple elder students who were just fascinated by her charm.


    And finally, when she was on the brink of releasing her new D rank Pressure in this ce. She heard the voice of Henry.


    "Yo! Sorry we''rete!"


    "Hello."


    Following him was Elijah, They both came in front of her and pretended to upy her so that the other students who wereing here would be deterred.


    "So where''s the rank first?"


    Henry asked her, seeing that she was alone.


    "He went to get something to eat."


    "Damn, He left you alone in possibly the worst ce a girl like you should be."


    Henry quickly berated her bodyguard. Before he could continue she quickly stopped him.


    "I told him to get me some of those chips you talked about."


    "Oh really? Well, can you message him to bring us some as well?"


    "Yeah, tell him to bring the spicy ones!"


    Elijah, who was quiet all the time, finally spoke.


    Sabrina just nodded and talked to her bodyguard through their spatial bond.


    ***


    [Bring multiple types of those chips.]


    I heard Sabrina''s Voice inside my head.


    ''All the vors?''


    I asked her.


    [Yes, Especially the spicy ones.]


    Spicy ones?


    Oh no, This girl never had a liking for spicy things.


    She liked sweet more than spice.


    Only one person in the novel liked spicy chips.


    As far as I knew, that was Elijah Ardor.


    Which meant she had met up with him.


    ''Ok Miss.''


    I replied to her and went to buy every vor of Chips I could find. With a Few bottles of c as well.


    After paying for them, I put them all inside my spatial inventory amd began to walk to her location.


    ***


    "So when are you gonna message him?"


    Henry asked her again, Seeing that she had not taken out her phone.


    "I already sent a mental message."


    She answered, not wanting to be bothered to open up her phone which was buzzing constantly, A clear sign that she was receiving constant messages from Serena in the group chat. She had no other chats except for group one and personal chats with all the members of their group. And the one with her bodyguard. Which was as dry as a desert since they could just talk to each other in their minds.


    "Oh, So you signed the highest grade of contract and also managed to link your minds together?


    Damn, Your family-, No you have a lot of trust in him."


    Henry said to her, clearly knowing a lot more about magic contracts because of his position.


    Meanwhile, Standing in the corner was the main protagonist of The Ultimate Sin.


    He had no way to butt into this conversation since he came from a humble background, he knew little about magic contracts.


    So, He changed the topic of conversation.


    "So should we go y something? We can teach her how to y as well."


    He said and pointed his finger at Sabrina, who upon hearing this had her ears perked up because she wanted to do what normal people did at his ce but was unfortunately clueless.


    She nodded enthusiastically.


    And they soon left the area And kept instructing her on how to y some games.

 Chapter 46 Why Hello There.

    Walking away from the snack bar.


    I went towards Sabrina''s Location while drinking c.


    Along the way, I stopped.


    Because a certain someone wearing a suit stood in front of me


    He had Golden Hair and a fairly handsome face along with a well-built body.


    Putting on a smile on his face, He spoke.


    "Hello."


    "Hi."


    After replying to his greeting, I tried to go by him, until the bastard stopped me again by standing in front of me.


    "What is it?"


    I said to him in an annoyed voice, Implying I was getting fed up with this bullshit."


    "Haha, I should have introduced myself first. Sorry, I''m not that good at this.


    My name is Maxwell Parker, And I''m here to recr-"


    "No."


    I replied before he could evenplete his request of recruiting me.


    I already signed a magic contract that forbade me from joining any other guild apart from twilight when I graduated.


    And his name also bothered me quite a bit.


    Maxwell Parker, Considering his Last Name, was rted to The Titan Guild.


    I wanted nothing to do with them, I wanted nothing to do with a guild that had the main character in it.


    "Well, Figured you''d say that."


    He said while still having that same smile.


    "Goodbye then."


    "I want to open a business with you.


    Particrly concerning this."


    Completely ignoring my previous words. He told me while raising his index finger, One that had a familiar ring on it.


    The same type of ring I had made spatial equipment from.


    "If you want to talk about spatial equipment trade between Our two guilds. I''m not the person you should talk to."


    "I''m not here on behalf of Titan. I''m here on behalf of myself."


    Hoh?


    Not here on Titans Orders eh?


    Like hell, I''d believe that.


    "Please, I''m gettingte for a special event. So id like for you to step aside."


    Or I''ll just open a portal in front of his face.


    As I was going to begin to walk away.


    His next sentence piqued my interest.


    "70/30,70 is for you and 30 for me. I''ll supply all the materials required to manufacture the rings and you just have to give me ten, no, five every month. I''ll take care of all legal problems as well as deal with Twilight, It''s a win-win for both of us."


    Nice deal, But.


    "80 for me and twenty for you. Then ill consider it."


    "Deal."


    Fuck I should have asked for more.


    Without waiting even a second more,


    "How are you going to deal with My Guild?"


    "I have my means, I can sell the rings to ''special'' clients using special means so they won''t be able to trace the sales back to us."


    "And how are you so confident that I won''t tell my guild about this?"


    Instead of replying to me, He just smiled back and handed me his business card.


    Taking it, I went to grab my card when I realized.


    I didn''t have a business card in this world.


    Old habits die hard huh.


    "Please call me if you are interested."


    He said with an amicable smile and walked away leaving me embarrassed of trying to pull out a nonexistent business card and give it to him.<sub> </sub>


    Escaping from my sudden embarrassment I recalled his name.


    ''Maxwell Parker huh?''


    Will have to do some research on him.


    And what did he mean by special clients?


    As far as I knew, No matter who these special clients were, If they could keep the spatial ring I made a secret from Twilight''s eyes, The business would be extremely profitable.


    But I wasn''t going to do it. Unless I waspletely sure.


    My contract with twilight says that both parties have to work In the best interests of each other.


    Unless I can find a perfect way, I am not exposing myself to the wrath of The third-ranked guild On Earth.


    Not until I was strong enough to shave off the contract terms by brute strength.


    Or a Nullifier that could nullify a stage four contract. Which was impossible to find on earth.


    I ain''t calling the number.


    But, How the hell did he get a ring I made?


    Twilight Hadn''t sent me the creator''s share yet.


    Meaning the rings had not been sold.


    I would need to call Ben to confirm.


    As I was trying to remember if Maxwell Parker Was in the novel.


    It was then I received a mental message from Sabrina.


    [Teleport Back Now!]


    Without wasting another second, I opened up a portal directly to her location.


    ***


    "So, now that you know how it works. We''ll y a match for you to watch one more time before trying it yourself ok?"


    Henry said to Sabrina.


    Elijah already had the headset on and was sitting in his chair waiting for handy to start the racing game.


    Sabrina Just nodded.


    Seeing her response, He got inside in his chair and put on the headset and they both started the game.


    As she watched the Vehicles on the screen belonging to Elijah and Henry go at high speeds.


    She suddenly felt a shiver down her spine.


    And a voice that was soon heard sent even shivers down her spine.


    "This is where you were my Destined Love!"


    Without wasting a single second she sent a mental message to her bodyguard to get here now.


    And immediately felt a hand pressing down hard on her shoulder.


    She wanted to jump in fright but the hand was exerting more force that her shoulder was starting to hurt and she was frozen in ce.


    The Hated Bastard was here.


    And he brought an Upperssman Who was ranked C With him.


    "Say, Would you be so kind to see the fireworks with me today my lo-"


    Before he could finish his sentence, A blue square of light appeared on his right.


    And the moment that portal appeared,


    Sabrina sighed In relief.


    From the blue square of light, A figure who had pure white hair and eyes that were like literal Blue Diamonds stepped out.


    Seeing the figure stepping out. Lucas Felt strange and activated his skill making everyone weaker than him in rank halt their movements. And those who were a rank above him to flinch slightly.


    Yet the figure didn''t show any signs of stopping and ced his hand on The hand of Lucas that was on Sabrina''s shoulder.


    He felt an extreme amount of pain on his wrist and pulled away from his hand, Freeing Sabrina who, upon the moment she was freed from his grip, went behind the white-haired figure.


    He then heard the white-haired figure''s voice.


    "Hands Off."


    A Chilly voice containing no Emotion sounded out.


    The upperssmen He had brought with him started to release a pinkish aura.


    And The same colour of the aura, Just a darker hue, started to be emitted from the white figure''s body.


    And his Aura was pushing The upperssmen Aura Back.

 Chapter 47 Holy Shit.That Was Cool

    Elijah''s PoV::


    I had already equipped my headset and was sitting in the chair waiting for Henry to Finish Tutoring Sabrina.


    He finally did it and logged in.


    As we both pressed the ready button inside our vehicles.


    The games countdown had begun.


    5


    4


    3


    2


    1


    GO!


    Both of our vehicles elerated at immense speeds and now we were at each other''s throats inside the game.


    We picked up various power-ups and threw them at each other hoping to kill each other inside the game.


    We did this for a good three minutes.


    The Lead position changed between us multiple times.


    When our Race was finally on thestp.


    We both stopped as we both felt a tremendous amount of pressure around the area within.


    Both of our cars had stopped elerating because our bodies wouldn''t move.


    Not in the real world and not here.


    Felt the immense pressure that caused me to not move at all.


    I focused my hearing to the maximum the moment I heard a voice.


    "So this is where you were my destined love!"


    Hah? what type of cringe bullshit was he hearing?


    However, A saving grace was that he could now move his body a little.


    Albeit only lifting his finger.


    He was capable of moving, albeit only a finger.


    He had to take his headset off and see what was happening.


    And thankfully he didn''t have to wait long. For after hearing the voice again, It stopped mid-sentence and the pressure disappeared.


    He was finally able to take his headset off and see what the hell was going on.


    Taking his headset off and looking in the direction of the voice.


    He found a White-Haired figure of simr stature to his that had striking blue eyes which resembled diamonds holding onto the hands of a brown-Haired Figure with green eyes.


    "Hands Off."


    The White-haired figure spoke.


    A chilly and cold, emotionless voice was heard that sent shivers down my spine.


    Then, A taller figure standing behind The Brown-haired figure began to release a bright pink hue from his body.


    p The white-haired figure also released a pink hue from his body, the only difference being that the Hue was a darker shade and seemed to be overpowering the other figure.</anda>


    It seemed as though they were having a rank aura battle.


    And He could do nothing about it because of his weak <E> Rank strength.


    Henry, Who was also dumbfounded by this, Kept staring at the white-haired figure in shock.


    And it was then, That I, Aftering to senses behind my stupor, Saw Sabrina Behind the White Haired figure.


    It was then that I looked closely at him. and thought.


    ''White hair, Blue diamond eyes...


    That''s..''


    I soon concluded that the figure was.


    ''n Pator''


    The first rank of The first year''s in the shield.


    And the youngest <C> rank awakened in history.


    The one figure who was the base of multiple controversies on the news when his rank and affinity had been revealed.


    And that person was not standing right in front of him.


    He gulped.


    Feeling slightly afraid of the cold look on His face.


    It was then that he felt the eyes of multiple Strong people fall on the area they were in.


    The White Haired figure, n Pator, and the brown-haired figure just stared at each other, and then the brown-haired figure left after the number of eyes on their area increased.<sub> </sub>


    Seeing his Departing back.


    n Finally turned around and out of nowhere, I saw multiple bags of chips appear in his hands!


    They came out of nowhere!


    "I got all the vors I could find."


    n Said and then continued.


    "Please pick whatever one you want to eat."


    And he then watched as Sabrina Just picked a random bag and held it in her hands.


    ***(Our boys PoV::)


    "...are you sure you want that one?"


    She had just picked the spicy vor.


    The extremely spicy barbeque vor.


    Sabrina looked at me and said.


    "Why? I wanted to eat these chips for so long. Who cares about the type."


    "...If you say so."


    Well, don''t me me if you don''t like it then.


    I then watched as she opened the bag, Took out a chip, and eat it.


    And just as she ate it, her face immediately grimaced and she sorrowfully gulped the chip down.


    I smirked at the sight of her not putting her hand in the bag again.


    ''Heh.''


    "Umm, So this is The rank first?"


    I heard a voice behind me, It was either Elijah Or Henry who I had seen ying the game.


    Turning around I found out it was Henry.


    His signature feature is his ash gray hair and eyes.


    "Yes."


    I replied and immediately turned away and walked behind the client I was supposed to protect.


    ...who was still looking at the bag of chips in her hand with a tearful look.


    Like how a child expected something to taste great but reality hit them hard.


    Seeing her I sighed and said.


    "There are multiple vors to choose from."


    And then retrieved all the bags of chips from my spatial inventory and showed them to her.


    "... it''s okay."


    She said while staring at the multiple. bags in my hand with disgust visible on her face.


    ''sheesh woman you just had to try the one vor you would not like.''


    Eh, Your choice. I put most of the bags inside the inventory except one.


    I just picked the basic salted vor and began to eat them.


    I then heard her voice again.


    "You two Can choose what you want."


    She said to the two behind me.


    "...Oh we''re not hungry anymore."


    They were hungry. They just didn''t want to talk to the person that seemingly made chips appear out of nowhere.


    Unbeknownst to them.During the fight between the Pinkish Auras.


    Our dear n Had wrapped his hue over the two boys as well.


    Why?


    because he wanted them to be scared so they wouldn''t bother to talk to him out of fear.


    He wouldter realize this was a mistake,


    For they wouldter think of him to be...


    ''damn that was cool!''


    ''Awesome!''


    Were the thoughts of the two boys who had been a little oppressed by his aura.


    n''s n to make them too scared to talk to him had backfired.


    Horribly.

 Chapter 48 Fireworks[1]

    ''Did I Scare them too much?''


    I thought because previously I had released my rank pressure on all parties except for Sabrina.


    I had done it to the two protagonists too so that they won''t bother me and stay away from me...


    But...


    Why do I get this odd feeling that I just fucked myself over?


    It was weird.


    Like someone was tickling me nonstop and I couldn''t do anything about it.


    "It''s Nice to Meet you!"


    "It''s nice to meet you too!"


    And then, Their two voices sounded out.


    I was confused.


    Why are they both so respectful?


    Is it because my rank is higher?


    No, These two, when together were idiots.


    It was quiteical, to be honest.


    When they were alone they were badass but when they were together.


    Total Idiots.


    It was to the point themunity justmented only lol on the chapters where they were together.


    ''Did I mess them up too much?''


    I thought,


    Did the release of my pressure affect their brains that much?


    No that couldn''t be it for Elijah.


    His special Guardian should be watching over him.


    And by a special guardian, I meant Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri.


    He had chosen Elijah To be the next sessor of the fire element.


    The me Supreme.


    A title that was currently held by Agri.


    And wouldter Be Elijah''s Later on in the future.


    Any brain damage I may have identally dealt with should have been healed by Agris Blessing


    So why this reaction?


    "We should go to the roof now."


    I heard Sabrina''s Voice.


    Taking out my phone to check the time, I found that a lot of time was still left.


    "...but a lot of time is still left, Sabrina."


    That wasn''t me, That was Henry.


    Honestly, the faster this farce ends the more I get to sleep on the roof or in my room.


    I''m all in for going to the roof.


    So,


    "We should go."


    I simply said.


    "We should Go to the roof."


    "Agreed."


    Sabrina looked at the two childish idiots who had immediately argued with her but agreed the moment her bodyguard brought it up.


    She knew why A certain someone was doing this.


    To go to sleep.


    She could see that the bags under his eyes intensified every day.


    She didn''t know why the childish idiots were agreeing with him?


    ''Sigh.''


    She found herself to be sighing a lot more this week.


    But, She was not mad.


    She was finally free from the hell that was her family.


    This was the first time she could freely roam around and not be stuck in her room forever.


    After multiple assassinations and kidnapping attempts, Her Grandfather, For some reason had banned her from going outside without being apanied by multiple A-Ranked Guards.


    She hated her grandfather for it when she was young but now just felt bad for him.


    p He was already undergoing a lot of stress as the previous family head.</anda>


    When her father took over, he finally had some leeway and she remembered the joyful memories of them ying together.


    It was only her grandfather who could make her smile like that after so many attempts at her life.


    She had closed herself off from reality.


    Often Making no expressions on be face at all.


    Yet here she was.


    Sighing...and alsoughing or smiling more than before.


    Just what was it?


    Was it the fact that she was finally free to roam without so many grown men and women looking at her 24/7?


    Why did she feel safer here than in thepany of multiple strong awakened?


    Was it because she truly felt free?


    From all those gazes that just looked at her face and body?<sub> </sub>


    The gazes of desire, envy, and lust that she received?


    It had to be.


    Instead of dealing with so many of those gazes.


    She just had to deal with the gaze of one lecherous bastard and two children.


    The others?


    The Suicidal Idiot was good at his job.


    The moment one tried to gaze at her. He would unleash his aura or look at them with a menacing gaze and they would turn away.


    Yet, He never did the same.


    The only time he ever gazed at her with some sort of emotion was Suprise and lethargy.


    The surprise was when the first time they had met.


    But soon he didn''t even spare a nce at her.


    Like he had built some sort of immunity.


    Nheless,


    The fact was that she, the gloomy and cold child was now somewhat happy.


    She didn''t know why she felt a lot safer in thispany than in thepany of multiple high-ranked awakened.


    Was it because she had the one thing that could determine his life and death, Ensuring his loyalty?


    It had to be so.


    And without thinking about it further.


    She went up to the roof of the mall with the idiot trio.


    When they had finally reached, She had realized she had forgotten one thing.


    THE FOOD!


    ....


    She had been so deep in thought that she had forgotten about the food She was supposed to bring.


    But as she was about to bring up the topic of the food.


    Elijah And Henry stood up to get the food themselves.


    So, They left quickly.


    And now she was left all alone.


    Well, technically not all alone.


    Looking towards where her bodyguard was...


    ...


    ...She looked at him in shock.


    There he was, In one of the corners of the roof.


    Sleeping.


    He hadid down right on the roof without any nket or mat whatsoever and...


    ...


    Just closed his eyes.


    Thinking he was just deep in thought.


    She checked his status.


    |----Status----|


    |Name:n Pator(16)|


    |Rank:C|


    |Strength:C|


    |Agility:C|


    |Endurance:C|


    |Intelligence:C+|


    |Mana:C+|


    |Charm:D|


    |State:Restless|


    |Mood:Confused, Questionable.|


    |Activity:Sleeping.|


    |-----------------------------|||||------------------------------|


    ...


    This Bastard fell asleep on the hard floor of the roof.


    And why was he restless and confused while sleeping?


    Could he be having a nightmare?


    Or was it the fact that


    he was sleeping on something solid marble instead of a soft bed?


    She was just far too tired to say anything to him.


    The recent encounter and all this walking had taken a toll on her weak physique.


    Leaning against the railing of the roof, She looked down And could see many men and women holding hands together and having fun together.


    And here she was stuck on this roof until The others came.


    Sighing, she turned her head up towards the bright white full moon and gazed at it''s beauty with wonder.


    If an artist was here to see this.


    They would praise the beauty of such a scene for all their life and the art piece depicting it would truly go down in history.


    For it was that beautiful.

 Chapter 49 Fireworks[2]

    A/N:Made a discord server


    would appreciate it if you joined.


    https://discord.gg/Zae26qGz


    ----------------


    The door to the roof opened.


    And from it stepped four individuals.


    Two Males and Two Females.


    The two males of course were Elijah And Henry.


    The two Females on the other hand were Serena Soubuelle and ine Parker.


    And currently, except for Serena, they all stopped in their tracks.


    "...holy shit."


    "...beautiful."


    Muttered both Henry and Elijah respectively.


    They were all currently starting at the figure of a certain Individual Illuminated by the moon.


    It was breathtaking.


    Serena, Who was the only one unaffected by this looked at Elijah For A Split second and then turned her head to spot a white-haired figureying down on the ground with his eyes closed.


    Her eyes immediately became cold when she looked at the figure who seemed to be sleeping on the rock-hard roof floor.


    His breathing was irregr.


    Like he was having a nightmare.


    "You Finally came."


    The breathtaking figure illuminated by the moonlight finally spoke when it noticed them.


    "Yeah, sorry it took us long. The food line was too long."


    Said Elijah while carrying 4rge pizza boxes.


    He too looked at An who was sleeping on the ground but doesn''t pay much attention to it.


    No, he was not alone. Everybody was currently looking at him sleeping on the marble tiles.


    ine Parker especially recognized the face after looking at it closely.


    It was the same person that had bypassed her during the line to enter Shield Ind.


    At that time, She was too angry to even check whether his rank was true or not.


    Well, She also didn''t know who he was at that time.


    ...And she had also heard an interesting piece of news.


    The trash of her family, Maxwell Parker had met up with him.


    She had almostughed when she heard it.


    ? The trash of the Parkers With only a B Rank talent met up with one of the greatest prodigies of the human world.


    Yes, He was a genius regarding business and other rted things but, What could he do in front of the multiple people the Parkers could hire with money?


    Maxwell Parker was a boy that had to be alone since his talent had been measured at 5 years of age.


    All the love and affection he received before, Vanished in the blink of an eye.


    A situation entirely different from hers, Who received an SS rank Talent Measurement And was favored by the entire family.


    Although he had a few connections because of his genius in business.


    He was still forgotten by the family.


    Because The Titan Guild, Or to be more. exact the Parkers, Needed no Weakling.


    His business sess could not even match up to the Parker Family as a whole.


    Nevertheless, She still looked at the white-haired figure with curiosity in her eyes.


    Had he signed a contract with a demon?


    That had fed him with so many Demon Pills that he rose to such a high rank at such a young age?


    It had to be, No?


    But she didn''t want to expose him by herself.


    Doing so would attract the attention of Serena Soubuelle, who had a hatred for demons so deep she would burn countless things if she even saw a demon in her path.


    Why?


    Because the individual known as Serena Soubuelle had witnessed her mother be tortured by demons in ''Many'' ways when she was a child.


    They had been captured by the demons when she was 12 years old.


    What she saw happen to her mother that day etched a deep hatred for demons.


    Normally, She should have been traumatized.


    And she was, If not for her father giving her special pills.


    She would have been traumatized by that incident.<sub> </sub>


    7 days, An entire week she was subjected to the cries of pain of her mother.


    She would have followed her fate if not for her father finding the ce she was captured and killing the demons.


    That day had born a hatred for demons so deep that she loathed their very existence. Even Innocent demons, Who had no connection to her would torture them alive, Their children, and wives without a second thought as ''revenge''.


    She had loved Elijah For this as well,


    Because he too had a hatred for demons because they killed his elder sister and disabled his elder brother.


    However, There was a side-effect of using those pills to rid her of her trauma.


    She became a Sadistic Bitch that only wanted those who opposed her to suffer in the worst way possible.


    Sadistic Enough to learn a corrupted skill.


    [Parasitic Inducement(A)]


    A skill that would heal an injured individual l at a visible rate by injecting a special parasite made from her mana into them.


    She could heal almost anything.


    The downside only being that the injected parasite will corrode the mind of the healed individually until they became her ve.


    A ve that would only work for her and her only.


    Moving in front of everybody anding close to Sabrina, She asked.


    "What''s wrong with him?"


    Looking at the deep Scarlet eyes of the Pink haired individual that was Serena, She answered.


    "He said he wanted to sleep."


    "Here?On the roof?"


    "He has been deprived of sleep for a long while."


    Hoh?


    Deprived of sleep eh?


    One of the side effects of using vast amounts of demonic pills.


    The user would experience nightmares making them unable to sleep at night or day.


    Although this could only be normal sleep deprivation.


    She was still suspicious.


    Because the Person in question was just far too unbelievable throughmon sense.


    After doing her research on him.


    She found that His Talent Rank was SS Rank.


    Every damn individual on this roof had that talent rank except for Elijah''s SSS Talent Rank.


    And he had only started training for only a year.


    They, Who had the same talent assessment rank and had been training since they were children weren''t that strong.


    They were nowhere near it.


    But now, a certain unknown somebody who had no backing before their awakening was an individual far stronger than even them.


    "Ah, He''s deprived of sleep, is he? Let me heal him."


    Serena Said.


    Hearing her, Sabrina replied.


    "Please do so."


    Hearing her, She went over to the sleeping figure and crouched down.


    Putting her hand above his chest.


    It started to glow a green hue.


    The hue released a single particle of green light that was about the size of a toenail.


    The particle slowly drifted down until it had almost reached the chest of the white haired figure.


    ''I''ll make you my ve and torture you your entire life you demon.''


    Were the thoughts of the person that was about to inject a parasite into Ans Body to take control of him.


    Everybody just watched the light green particle slowly fall.


    Oblivious to what it really was.


    And when it almost reached the Body Of An Pator.


    Serena and the others Felt the mana in the air change and move the particle of green light away.


    The particle of green light dissolved under the torrent of the white coloured mana.


    Before she could even process what happened.


    She Felt shivers go down her spine and looked down.


    And she found Two Bright Diamonds Staring at her coldly with the intent to kill.

 Chapter 50 Beautiful Fireworks.Disgusting Parasite.

    A|N:Woke up and saw a lot of people hungry for next chapter so here it is.Keep in mind this is the only one I can give out today  so made it a little lengthy.Discord Server link


    https://discord.gg/PT23G6wY


    If you joinedment your username.Youll receive a notification whenever a chapter updates there


    _________________________


    In a dark and purplish void.


    Two Figures were present. Staring at each other.


    The two figures had an odd resemnce to each other.


    Their Faces were the same.


    Except for two crucial things


    Their hair and eyes.


    The figure with ck Hair and ck Diamonds For eyes was sitting on what seemed to be a throne made from ck rock.


    Opposite s a figure with white hair and blue diamonds for eyes.


    That figure?Was of course An Pator.


    Or to be more exact.


    Both of them were An Pator.


    One that was corrupted.One that was still pure.


    It was a weird stare-down between the two.


    The ck-haired One Looked down at the White-haired one.


    The white-haired one, Looked at the ck-haired one on the throne with a restless and confused gaze.


    He could see nothing.


    No emotion, No Feeling.


    Absolutely...


    Nothing...


    It felt as if he was staring at...


    Something Sinister.


    Cold.


    Ruthless.


    That was the feeling he got from the man sitting on the throne.


    He looked just like him. Albeit somewhat taller and more...


    Handsome.


    Their features were somewhat the same. But he looked more handsome than the white-haired one.


    His Deep Phoenix Like Eyes that exuded a cold aura seemed terrifying.


    He was Beautiful.


    Yet felt out of this world.


    The man on the throne...


    Terrified him.


    How should it be exined?


    Like he was looking at a being far above his level that even kneeling to him would not be enough respect.


    He felt afraid.


    The Surrounding dark and purplish void seemed to be gathering towards him.


    It seemed as if he was absorbing it.


    Absorbing the power present in the dark void.


    Unable to stand the awkward atmosphere of none of them talking and only staring at each, the white-haired figure spoke.


    "...Hi?"


    His voice contained a little bit of confusion and slight fear.


    The ck Haired Individual, who was the target the question was aimed at did not respond.


    He just looked straight at the white-haired figure''s face.


    This awkward Stare continued between them for white a while until the white-haired figure could no longer withstand it and spoke again.


    "Ahh!What the hell is up with you?! Can you not speak?!"


    The ck Haired figure still did not talk.


    The white-haired figure, who was about to tell again, saw the lips of the ck-haired figure begin to move.


    It looked as I he was speaking yet, no sound was produced.


    This continued for a while.


    His Lips Moved, But His Voice was not heard.


    ''...I give up.''


    Were the thoughts of the white-ired individual.


    Now that he had no interest in staring at the abyssal-like eyes of the Other figure.


    He closely looked at his entire body.


    On it, He was wearing pure ck Armour that looked amazing.


    Like the one famous Dragon Knights would wear that had no openings whatsoever and still allowed free movement.


    The Gauntlets were shaped to be like ws yet could still freely hold weapons.


    The Breastte had a Dragon Head Engraved into it.


    The same with the shoulder pads and kneepads. They all had a little fearsome dragon head


    It was cool.


    Extremely cool.


    Now that he had gazed at the armor on the body.


    He saw a spear resting on one of the handles of the throne.


    The color of the spear was the same as the void they were in, Purplish ck.


    Which was why The white-haired figure had a hard time discovering it.


    Before he could look at the features of the spear slowly.


    *CRACK*!


    He heard the sound of ss shattering behind him.


    Yet he didn''t turn around.


    Because he felt an immense amount of fear.


    He knew, That if he turned around. He would die.


    So he just kept looking at the ck-haired figure, who instead of looking at him, looked behind him.


    Without any fear in his eyes


    The ck Haired figure stared at whatever was Behind the white-haired figure calmly.


    The white-haired figure began to sweat profusely.


    He could feel whatever was behind him.


    Wasing closer.


    And Closer.


    And Closer.


    Until finally, it was right behind him.


    The white-haired figure closed his eyes out of fear.


    Because his eyes were closed.


    He did not notice the ck Haired figure stand up from his throne and waved his hand.


    And Poof!


    Just like that, It all vanished.


    The space, The ck And White Haired figures. And the Mysterious Being that was behind the white-haired figure.


    ***


    I was awake.


    Finally, that fucking nightmare ended...


    My eyes were still closed and I could feel the hard marble floor beneath me.


    And I could also hear some voices on the roof.


    Something about sleep deprivation from Sabrina and healing from another.


    Slowly the figure that talked about healing me came closer and closer.


    And crouched down.


    My eyes were still closed so the person walking toward me had no idea that I was awake.


    Then, after a while, I sensed the mana in the air move and a particle of manae toward me.


    But this was different. Something inside the mana particle was moving.


    Like a living being.


    The only thing that resembled this was...


    Serena Soubuelles skill.


    ''Shit!''


    I immediately moved the mana in my body and released it pushing away the mana particle.


    I made sure to destroy the damn Parasite using my mana.


    And opened my eyes.


    And I saw a pink-haired girl with scarlet eyes looking down at me, surprised.


    She quickly regained herposure and stood up and said.


    "Ah, sorry to disturb your sleep."


    This Bitch.


    Was about to make me her fucking ve and then has the gall to say that after.


    "Ah, No worries, I wasn''t sleeping anyway."


    She paused.


    Of course, I was sleeping until a while ago but I  heard the conversation that was going on before she came to me.<sub> </sub>


    So I just lied to make her stutter a lot.


    Her trick was known to me,


    That''s what I wanted her to hear.


    "..Um are you okay, Miss?"


    I said to her seeing her frozen state, unfortunately, she gained herposure quickly and replied.


    "Oh, I''m fine. I just heard you were deprived of sleep so I wanted to heal you."


    "Thank you for your concern but I believe I can resolve this myself."


    I said to her and she moved away quietly.


    I couldn''t make her my enemy right now.


    Her daddy would bench press me.


    He was an overprotective father.


    and you do not want to mess with the daughter of the first-rank hero.


    I already read the novel and knew how much a certain character with orange hair suffered because of ''Daddy''s Overprotectiveness''


    I ain''t messing with this girl.


    Yet.


    Seeing her walk away, I clicked my tongue.


    I had already attracted her attention by destroying her parasite.


    It took quite a while for her to form a new parasite.


    And I just destroyed one of them.


    Although her skill could be considered extremely powerful.


    It had its drawbacks.


    One was that she couldn''t produce an infinite number of parasites.


    If she could everybody would.be her ve.


    And the stronger her opponent was than her, the longer that parasite would take to destroy their mind.


    Sometimes, people with their skills could also nullify her effects.


    Albeit it would be painful as hell.


    It was much better than bing her ve.


    ''Tsk''


    As I saw her walk towards the mat that had beenid down by the others and sit down as if nothing happened.


    I got angry.


    Who wouldn''t? She just tried to inject a parasite to control me. And then when it failed, leisurely went to eat pizza.


    What was going on in her mind I would never know. I don''t want to know to be honest.


    And so, I just watched them eat happily and eventually turned my head around to see the moon.


    The Fireworks would begin in just a while.


    As I was looking towards the moon, I sensed someone walking toward me and the tapped my shoulder.


    "There''s some pizza left for you."


    The person that walked toward me was Henry and he was holding onto a box of untouched pizza.


    Taking the box of pizza from him I thanked him.


    "Thanks."


    And with I turned around and began to wolf down the entire pizza box.


    Seeing this the others thought.


    ''Damn he was hungry.''


    this was the collective thought of everyone present on yhe roof beside n


    Unbeknownst to them.


    A single pizza was far from enough to even fill n''s Stomach by a quarter.


    Not paying it any further mind.


    They began to eat and talk with each other.


    While n And Sabrina and Serena we''re mostly quiet.


    Elijah Suddenly proposed a game.


    "Hey, Who wants to y truth or dare?"


    Hearing what he said. Everybody except me turned to look at him.


    They all nodded except for me.


    Why did I not want to y?


    Because he had a skill that allowed him to detect whether someone was lying or not.


    He was going to ask the most bizarre questions if someone took the truth.


    and Dare them insane things if they chose to dare.


    I didn''t want to participate because his skill would expose it if I ever lied.


    "Since there are six of us, let''s do decide on the turns. Everybody gets five turns and each person can ask them truth or dare depending on their choice only once, Ok? And also you can''t just choose truth or dare all the time k?"


    And after saying that he took out a bottle of coke and spun it before everybody could say yes.


    The bottle stopped spinning andnded with its head towards Henry.


    And like this, the turns between all those five were decided.


    Henry would go first.


    Serena Second.


    Sabrina Third.


    Elijah Fourth.


    ine Fifth.


    "Since only one is left, He''ll Have thest turn."


    Oi, Don''t include me in your stupid game that will only benefit you.


    "Not Interested."


    I said to him and tried to turn around but I heard his voice again.


    "Ohe on rank first, don''t tell me your s.c.a.r.e.d."


    Hah, I ain''t fall for such an easy provocation.


    I''m much older mentally than all of you kids.


    It would work on a child. But not me.


    Seeing me unresponsive, another voice called out, belonging to Sabrina this time.


    "He has no problem ying the game."


    With that said she looked at me and sent a mental message.


    [If you y I''ll guarantee a lifetime supply of sweets.]


    [I am not a child to be motivated by candy Miss.]


    [My apologies, I meant Chocte.]


    ...


    this girl knew my weakness.


    Of course, she did. She probably received a report about what I liked and didn''t like and my hobbies beforeing here.


    And I was an addict to chocte.


    Seriously, although I liked chocte back in my previous life too.


    Both Samantha and I in this world were like drug addicts when it came to chocte here.


    We couldn''t get enough of it.


    [...Fine.]


    And so, Under the temptation of a lifetime supply of the thing this body of mine was addicted to. I nodded my head under her gaze.


    Seeing me nod my head. She turned her gaze down and Elijah finally spoke.


    "Ok, ill go first, Henry Truth or dare?"


    "Truth."


    "Then, are you a virgin?"


    "No. I told you already I lost it at 15.


    Next please."


    And just like that everybody went on in their turns.


    Sabrina asked the most normal questions and dares.


    And I was the same.


    Elijah And Henry went at it and whenever someone chose a dare, told them to either perform a trick or drink a few bottles of c at once.


    And finally, after all that farce, It was my turn.


    "Sabrina, Truth or dare?"


    Asked ine because it was her turn.


    "Truth."


    Hearing it a smirk appeared on her face.


    "Then, do you have any interest in anyone here?"


    as he said while looking towards All the boys whose faces she could see.


    Elijah Was being stared down at by Serena. Henry looked expectant and n?


    Still had a poker face that she wanted to see gone.


    "No."


    Elijah sighed in relief. Henry cried and the bastard still had a poker face on.


    ''Oh, you just wait.''


    We''re her thoughts.


    She was going to ask the same question and pressure, Elijah, to tell him whether it was the truth is not.


    And finally, it was his turn.

 Chapter 51 Truth Or Dare.

    It was finally my turn. Without waiting for them I chose dare.


    "Dare."


    Why? Because Elijah Had a skill that exposed if someone was speaking the truth or not.


    And I had many secrets I couldn''t tell anyone here.


    And although this was just a game.


    I don''t like to take risks.


    "Oh! Finally, someone is brave!"


    Said Elijah, who was tired of everybody choosing the truth because they didn''t want to do stupid dares.


    And besides, On the final turn where they had to pick dare no matter what, He couldn''t ask anything too outrageous from them!


    Because half of the people here were women!


    The moment he asked something inappropriate he would be skinned alive


    "Then! I dare you to ki-"


    Elijah stopped before he could, He could feel slight fear when he looked at n.


    Especially those cold eyes that were giving the message.


    ''I''ll kill you if youplete that sentence.''


    "... I dare you to show us a beautiful trick."


    He immediately changed what he was going to ask while cursing in his mind.


    ''Damn You! That''s Cheating!''


    Although he was protesting, He didn''t dare speak those words out loud.


    He felt he would truly be killed if he did say that.


    "Fine."


    And with that, n Began to stimte his mana, and soon white-colored waves of mana began to leak out from his body.


    They went towards the sky and converged together and formed a cloud.


    From that cloud.


    kes of snow began to fall from the cloud.


    The temperature began to fall and turned chilly.


    The snowkes ?? falling began tond on the heads of everybody there.


    They then followed a certain path together and circled everybody present inside the room one by one.


    Elijah First.


    Henry Second.


    Serena Third.


    ine Fourth.


    And Finally Sabrina Last.


    But they stayed on Thest person for a while and didn''t leave her head after a while.


    When they were gone, A crown of ice was present on her head. Enhancing her beauty even further.


    The snowkes then entered the white cloud and the cloud exploded releasing snow everywhere.


    "There."


    n Said while still keeping a poker face.


    ''...Fucking hell he''s smooth.''


    ''Smooth as hell goddamnit.''


    We''re thoughts of Elijah And Henry.


    When they had dared each other to show tricks.


    All they did were backflips as many


    times as they could.


    Yet this bastard just produced a beautiful show that mesmerized them.


    And he put a crown made up of ice on The most beautiful Girl present here''s head.


    "My turn."


    Breaking the silence was Serena, Who asked n Next.


    "Truth Or Dare?"


    "Dare."


    n Responded without wasting a second.


    He was not choosing the truth in front of this woman.


    He would entertain their petty demands for tricks for hours if it meant not choosing the truth in front of them.


    Although only Elijah could determine whether it was a lie or not.


    That same Guy that could find out whether I was lying would tell the truth to Serena in a heartbeat.


    "I dare you to show me spatial magic."


    Hearing her dare. Everyone except Sabrina And Serena Thought to themselves.


    ''Oh, right he has an affinity for spatial magic.''<sub> </sub>


    And with that, Everybody except for Sabrina This time became excited to see a new type of magic!


    Hearing her dare, All n Did was take out Bags of chips from his Inventory.


    To them, It looked like he pulled them out of nowhere.


    Nevertheless, they were disappointed.


    "That''s it?"


    "Yep."


    "After putting up such a spectacr show with ice magic, that''s all you can do with space magic?"


    "I justpleted the dare


    n Answered Serena''s question and said.


    "Next."


    Although they were disappointed they couldn''t say anything.


    The man showed them the space magic they asked for.


    It was Now Sabrinas Turn and they all looked at her to see that she was holding the crown made of ice and looking at it.


    "Hmm?"


    Seeing everybody''s gaze fall on her she realized it was her turn.


    "Ah, Truth or Dare?"


    "Dare."


    "Make everyone a crown-like this on their heads. I don''t want to be the only one."


    ''He did that,t, especially for you!''


    Those were the thoughts of everybody.


    They all looked toward the crown maker to see if there was a change in his expression from her dare but found the same stoic face.


    Without saying a word.


    White waves of mana came out from his body and went towards their heads.


    However unlike when they were on Sabrinas Head for a while.


    They were only their heads for a second and disappeared after and left a crude crown on their heads.


    A big contrast to the crown on Someone else head.


    They all threw the crude crown away and then looked at ine, Who had the next turn.


    "Truth or D-"


    "Dare."


    n Didn''t even wait for her toplete her sentence and said dare.


    Slightly annoyed, ine said.


    "I dare you to..."


    She paused As if contemting what to say.


    "...say any one thing about everybody here."


    And in the end, she said the only thing that came to her mind, which was somewhat close to


    "Elijah Ardor has a terrible hairstyle.


    Henry Fornum has good fashion sense.


    Serena Soubuelle appears to me to be kind. You have extremely long hair. Sabrina Is charming."


    They all paused.


    Elijah Paused because of what he said about his hair. The standard spiky protagonist hair.


    Henry Seemed to be pleased by what he said.


    Serena Showed no particr reaction and just smiled.


    ine checked the length of her hair. Which reached her knees.


    But they did not forget the fact that n only used Their entire names for them but used Someone else first name.


    Except for Sabrina of course, because she had already requested him to use her original name Sabrina Only in public.


    "You have to choose truth now. So..."


    And when it was finally Henry''s turn.


    He asked n.


    "What is the size of your dragon?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Everybody paused at the pervert who just asked the size of someones di*k.


    "...average?"


    "That''s enough for me."


    And with that he was satisfied.


    And everybody else looked at him weirdly.

 Chapter 52 New Year.

    "What did he mean by the dragon?"


    Asked the one person who was clueless about ng, and jokes.


    Of course, this person was the one that had been sheltered all of her life.


    Sabrina Wellington.


    Everybody looked at her. And Henry replied.


    "Oh, I meant the size of hi-?!"


    But before he couldplete the sentence, Elijah jumped on him and covered his mouth.


    "Hmmph!Hmmph!"


    "Shut up you damn pervert!"


    Meanwhile, n Was rooted in his ce.


    Still questioning the question itself.


    The girls walked up to Sabrina and told her.


    "It was nothing."


    "You know Henry, he''s an idiot, He always spouts bullshit."


    Answered both ine and Serena.


    At this point, Sabrina knew these two weren''t going to tell her anything. So she walked past them and walked towards the person the question was asked at.


    After arriving in front of n, who was still questioning what the fuck he just answered, she asked him.


    "What did Henry mean by Dragon?"


    n finally regained hisposure and just looked at Her, not knowing how to answer this question.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "What did Henry mean by Drag-?!"


    Before she could repeat her words, She was surprised that the person she asked the question suddenly grab her shoulders, and forcibly turn her around.


    She then faced the railing of the roof and could see a bit of the street.


    Then she saw an orange spark going upwards towards the sky.


    The hands-on her shoulder went up to her face and slowly turned her face up so that her eyes would be on the bright orange spark going upwards towards the sky.


    She felt the rough hands that had calluses from holding a spear on her face and...


    They were cold.


    Cold as ice.


    Before she could ponder what the hell and why the hell he was doing this, the spark exploded.


    ??


    She saw an explosion of beauty in the sky.


    Soon after, Many sparks went upwards towards the sky.


    And they all exploded.


    It was so beautiful her gaze never wandered anywhere else.


    Everybody was looking at them.


    Even the two idiots who were fighting with each other stopped and gazed at the fireworks disy.


    It was harmonic.


    It was Beautiful.


    And to a certain girl who had watched them only from her room.


    It was Mesmerizing enough that she forgot all about the conversation earlier and only focused on the beautiful disy above her.


    Many people in the streets looked toward the disy.


    Some Cried.


    Someughed.


    Some Couples even kissed each other.


    Almost Everyone was happy.


    Some shed tears of sorrow for finally leaving the Academy they had been in for theirte teenage years.


    Some even cried out of happiness.


    And she did too.


    Her tears fell on the hands that were keeping her face upward towards this disy.


    She had always wanted to see them in person.


    Not just see them from her room.


    The hands that were on her face moved upwards and wiped the tears.


    Yet they still kept flowing no matter what.<sub> </sub>


    The hands eventually left her face and were gone.


    Surprised by the cold hands that had left her face.


    She turned around to see the person that made sure she didn''t miss the first spark.


    And she froze.


    Because all she saw was an expressionless face looking at her.


    Not fazed by the beauty that had urred.


    Almost as if he didn''t feel anything from it.


    ***


    The fireworks had ended and I thanked the gods that I had managed to catch a glimpse of the first firework going off and sessfully avoid the question.


    I held her face up so that she could get a good view and forget about whatever the fuck the idiot pervert asked.


    Everybody had left the roof.


    And only me and Sabrina we''re left.


    When the door to the roof shut I opened up a portal and held out my hand.


    To my surprise, She didn''t grab hold of it and entered the portal herself.


    Confused I entered after her and found that she had already opened the door of her room and went in and mmed the door shut.


    ''Is she that mad that I didn''t even answer her question?''


    That was the only thought that I could think of right now.


    Not thinking about it further. I opened up a portal and entered my room.


    Walking towards the couch.


    I looked down at it and took out my phone and made a call.


    ***


    She didn''t know why she was so angry.


    She mmed the door shut on his face and crouched down in front of the closed door.


    It angered her.


    Seeing that face her heart froze.


    Because she remembered.


    It was the same type of face she had when she was in the hell that was her family.


    She stood up and walked towards a desk and took off the crown of ice that was on her head.


    It looked beautiful, It appeared to.be finely crafted even though it was made of ice.


    Yet the ice never melted.


    He was still supplying mana to this crown.


    She didn''t understand why.


    As she was contemting what to do.do with it.


    She wore it again and went to sleep.


    The cool feeling the crown made of ice gave made her feelfortable.


    Comfortable to the point she almost forgot about the face that closely resembled hers when she was in her own Hell.


    And because of the effect of the crown of ice, she quickly went to sleep.


    There would be a big day tomorrow.


    Tomorrow the academy would finally begin.


    ***


    The sound of someoneughing was heard.


    "Kuku...You damn crafty son of a bitch."


    I wasughing because I had been marvelously fooled.


    I had just called my guild and confirmed that no Spatial ring has been sold yet and had only been given to the top ten hunting team''s leaders.


    That Bastard Maxwell Tricked me and showed me a fake ring.


    He probably got its shape from watching one of the Hunting team leaders getting out of a dungeon and seeing the ring andck of bodies.


    Adding the fact that twilight had gotten a spatial mage.


    That sneaky bastard hade to this conclusion and sessfully tricked me into believing he had the same ring I had made.


    Damn you, Maxwell, You managed to fucking fool me and make meugh.


    I was getting more and more interested in that fucker.


    I needed to do my research on that bastard as soon as possible.


    Well anyways the academy is gonna begin for us tomorrow.


    I should go and get some sleep.


    Even while trying to sleep I still had a smirk on my face.


    That bastard got me good.

 Chapter 53 The Start Of Life In Shield.

    "I''ve seen many bright, talented, and hard-working students from the first day I started this Academy.


    The first years of Shield were rough.


    The constant attacks from demons, Monsters made life a living hell...


    But we survived from that Hell.


    Multiple Students and teachers gave their lives to promote our name.


    They were the heroes of the old era.


    Fought multiple battles and rose to fame.


    They were the graduates Of this Academy. Of Shield.


    Most of them went down in history.


    Some are alive even now and continue to fight the demons for our survival.


    Multiple top-ranked heroes graduated from here.


    They studied, Trained, and pushed their bodies to the absolute limits, some even beyond to achieve what they had.


    This year too we have many outstanding individuals who have broken their bones and mended their flesh multiple times to get to where they are.


    The First Ranked students of all three years are particrly outstanding.


    But don''t be worried about their strength...or the presumed causes of that strength.


    They worked for that at the very least twice as hard as everyone else.


    Everyone has a chance to surpass them


    This academy will..."


    I was getting tired of this boring ass speech.


    I almost wanted to yawn but couldn''t because I was right in front of every first-year student.


    Because all first rankers among the students had to represent their year.


    They made us stand at the very front of our respective year students'' lines.


    I was wearing my student uniform, which was quite simple for all the ranks to be honest.


    They had the same uniform except for the zer.


    The first year meant a blue zer.


    The second-year meant pale yellowish-like skin Coloured zer


    And third-year meant a ck zer


    This was how the students were recognized in the shield.


    Every student here was lined in rows of four ording to their rank.


    The auditorium we were in was the size of a damn football field.


    No, it was probably even bigger than that.


    And I was getting bored as hell here, Oliver still. continued his speech


    Which was mainly about how we should strive to achieve greater heights and work even harder in the process of doing so.


    It was tiring to listen to, to be honest.


    And I don''t know why but I was still sleepy even though I sleep all 8 hours a day mostly.


    Is it because I''m a dragon subspecies that I need to sleep more?


    It probably is.


    If this goes on then I would like a damn zombie after a while.


    And I also couldn''t sleep peacefully because I had the nightmare of me in that void and having a staring contest again!


    This was troublesome.


    ''Ahh, fucking hell just get this over with.''


    I could already feel the person I was supposed to bodyguard lose her cool and tremble slightly


    Why?


    Because Lucas was standing right next to her.


    Although he wasn''t stupid enough to do anything here.


    He left such an impression on her that just the mere sight of him sent shivers down her spine.


    The culprit?


    Was currently looking at the headmaster giving his speech with a bored gaze probably.


    I couldn''t see behind me but I could probably tell everybody was bored.


    "...As I can already tell everybody is bored of this tiresome speech, including me as well. Why don''t we end it now?


    May the First Rank Students alle here to receive the Shield?"


    Out of the thousands of students.


    The three that were standing in front of them began to move towards the Principals Location.


    Stopping right in front of the principal.


    All three of them Kneeled in order of their respective years in front of the Principal who was currently receiving a box from one of the teachers.


    He opened the box and a golden light shone from it.


    "First-year Rank First, n Pator, Arise."


    When he finished those words.


    I stood up and kept my posture straight.


    The principal took out a golden Shield Badge from the box.


    The shield had a golden star on it.


    The principal held the shield with a hand and put it on the right side of my chest.


    It glued to my zer and released a final bright Golden Light and then returned to normal.<sub> </sub>


    "Second Year Rank First, Yelena re, Arise."


    The girl standing in the middle, who had fiery red hair that was orange at the tips stood up.


    She was also C Rank Like me.


    The principal took out another golden shield, except this one had two stars instead of mine, which had only one star.


    And the same thing happened again as the Shield Melded itself into her uniform. On her right breast.


    The principal called out again, Now addressing the final student who was the only one still kneeling.


    "Third Year Rank First, Daniel Khorsh, Arise."


    The youth who had ck hair and brown eyes stood up.


    This was the third year ranked first.


    A student who was a rank above mine. A B ranked awakened at his age.


    Which was a tremendous achievement for his age to be honest.


    He slowly got up and the third-year students cheered for him.


    "Daniel!"


    "Daniel!"


    "Daniel!"


    The cheering got louder and louder and Daniels''s face got redder and redder as if he was embarrassed about this.


    Damn, I expected the first years and second years to not do this because they didn''t do it in the novel but holy hell was the shouts loud enough to cause the auditorium to shake.


    This was all stopped when the Principal raised his hand and everybody quietened down.


    He slowly put the shield Near his zer of Daniel. And everyone watched it release a glow even brighter than the shields of first-year and second-year shieldsbined.


    "You three will be the light that shall guide Shield to a New Era."


    And with those cringe-worthy words said.


    The Assembly ended and everyone left the Auditorium in an orderly manner except for us three.


    We just stood side by side until all of the Students left and didn''t talk to each other at all.


    Once they left.


    We all walked towards the exit and after exciting the auditorium, We all went to our separate sses.


    And we didn''t even share a nce at each other.


    Looking at my schedule on my phone. I found out that I still had 20 minutes before ss started.


    So, instead of just teleporting to Sabrina who would already be in the ss or at least near it, I decided to take a walk.


    A walk towards my ssroom in the school I was going to be in for a whole year, maybe even more than that.


    It was nice.


    Keeping up a leisurely ce, I reached the building that held my ssroom.


    It was huge, The outside looked to be modern and futuristic while the inside resembled the houses of medieval nobles more than anything.


    With Big wide corridors that were enough to fit probably twenty-five grown men side by side.


    I slowly went up the stairs, along the way, I encountered some first-year students who unlike me, were running towards their respective sses.


    I didn''t need to worry about beingte.


    The ss that I was in due to being someone''s bodyguard, Was the same as all the other protagonists.


    The students that I met all looked at me with shock and then quickened their pace even further.


    ''Am I that scary to look at or is it my rank?''


    It had to be my rank, although my not getting enough sleep resulted in bags under my eyes, it shouldn''t be that scary?


    Just to confirm. my suspicions, I took out my phone and opened its camera to check.


    Thank goodness I didn''t find anything scary about my appearance, or at least my face.


    Brushing my hair back I thought to myself.


    ''I''ll probably just go and sleep the moment I enter.''


    Yep, I was nning on sleeping the moment I got onto my seat.


    After arriving in front of my ss door.


    I could hear dozens of voices inside.


    "Hey! Are you free this afternoon?"


    "What kind of skincare do you use?!"


    "Hey hey leave her alone guys!"


    Thest one belonged to a certain pervert who asked about my size and the others were the students who were probably talking to Sabrina.


    This happened in the novel as well.


    An A-rank charm had its benefits and demerits.


    Opening the ssroom door, I stepped inside and no one paid attention to me as their attention was diverted somewhere else.


    The ssroom looked like the ordinary university or college lecture Hall, Withbined desks that could sit a few people together on each side and a walkway in the middle.


    Currently, everyone was in the middle over a particr desk.


    Walking towards it. I said.


    "Move."


    The students in front of me turned to look at who had the gall to say that.


    However, the moment they turned around and saw white hair, Bright blue diamond eyes, and especially the shield with one star.They all quietened down and moved out the way.


    "Go back to your seats and don''t cause a ruckus, the teacher will be here soon."


    And with that, all of the students that were crowded over here moved away and back into their seats.


    Moving in, I took the seat beside Sabrina, who was sitting at the corner, And the moment I sat, I put my head down and fell asleep.

 Chapter 54 Classes[1]

    ...


    ''Is this a joke?''


    She thought.


    She admitted it. She was tired of listening to everybody here and...


    was feeling better when he made them all run away but...


    To sleep the moment you get here...


    Was He THAT deprived of sleep?


    It was his first day in the most prestigious academy mankind had to offer and instead of making a good first impression, he slept the moment he got there.


    *Sigh.*


    A sigh escaped her mouth. It was surprising for her too.


    She had never let out any emotions beforeing to this Academy.


    And when she came to the academy she was sighing a whole lot more than expected.


    Coming to terms with him just being sleepy.


    She sat straight and looked out the window.


    Even she admitted it. She was bored.


    She first had to listen to that boring ass speech and the moment she reached the ssroom she had been bombarded with questions about if she was free this afternoon, What skincare products she used etc.


    ''I don''t even use skin care at all.''


    It was true, From the moment she matured, She had no recollection of using skincare products at all.


    Her mana breathing technique kept her appearance fresh, So she didn''t have a use for it at all.


    As she was pondering if her mana training technique could be considered skincare.


    The door of the ss opened and a figure she knew all too well stepped inside.


    With Brown hair and green eyes, The moment he stepped inside the room, His figure released a Silvery aura that quietened every student present.


    Even Elijah, Henry, Serena, and ine All felt shivers run down their spine the moment he entered. The bastard was using every ounce of his mana left and powered up the skill to the max.


    He looked at her for a second but turned his eyes away immediately after.


    She was going to bow down under this pressure when...


    White Coloured Mana Erupted from her bodyguard and coiled around her.


    The pressure she felt was immediately lifted and she felt a cool feeling wash over her.


    He looked at her again for a split second but turned his eyes away when he looked at the white-haired figure sleeping and went to his seat located at the back of the ss.


    All this time, the pressure did not release at all.


    The only ones unaffected were her, Who was still surrounded by the White wave of mana, and the guy sleeping next to her.


    Although she now questioned if he was sleeping or not.


    Everybody had bowed down in front of this pressure.


    Not even the original Protagonists we''re still standing having their heads held up high.


    The moment they were about to be crushed.


    The ssroom door opened and n Immediately pulled his head up.


    "That''s Enough Lucas."


    When that voice rang out, A muscr and tall man with red hair and a mustache and beard entered the ssroom and released a Fiery wave of mana that collided with the silver mana and pushed it back to its source. The wielder of the skill, Lucas Hiddlestone.


    "Tch."


    Clicking his tongue, The silver-colored mana retreated to his figure while the fiery red mana covered the entire ssroom and the pressure disappeared.


    Looking at the students inside the room, he found a certain area unaffected by his fiery mana that glowed white.


    The white mana was currently holding off his Fiery mana. And that surprised him. Looking at who the mana was covering, he found.


    A certain girl in his ss had lustrous ck hair that was golden at the tips, Amethyst eyes, and Skin that possessed no w whatsoever.


    ''Sabrina Wellington.''


    Recalling the identity of the Girl, He looked beside her to find the source of the white-colored mana. Which was a boy sitting right next to her.


    With pure white hair, Blue eyes that looked like diamonds.


    That was the current Number One rank Of the first year.<sub> </sub>


    ''..n Pator.''


    He did his research on him.


    Awakened at the age of 14, A day away from his birthday, And only started training for a year.


    Yet was at C-Rank when most students here who had been training their entire life were hardly even <E-> rank.


    No matter what, The controversies surrounding him on the inte had a sound reason.


    Just how the hell could one be so strong with such a short training time.


    Could he have signed a contract with demons and been sponsored by them to eat as many demon pills as he could? Destroying his own body?


    Or was he truly that talented, and didn''t waste any effort in the entire year?


    The former was more believable than thetter.


    Nevertheless, He as a teacher would try his best.


    If he truly was that strong without any external help and reached that strength at his age through sheer effort and hard work.


    He would do his best to educate him.


    But.


    If the reason for his strength were demons.


    Then he would give him a death so painful he will regret his existence.


    ***


    The ss was boring...


    Why? Because what Dous, Our homeroom teacher taught was about how to control mana.


    Mana Theory and Control.


    This was entirely useless to me because I could move the mana outside in the environment with just a thought due to my passive skill [Mana Master.]


    So not even halfway through the lecture, I plopped my head down even though I knew trouble would find me because of that.


    The urge to sleep and the boredom finally got to me and I put my head down on the desk using my arms as a pillow.


    Thank the gods I was able to avoid trouble because although Dous looked at me once, He turned his face away and continued his lecture.


    But I couldn''t sleep for long.


    The moment I fell into a deep sleep. The dream of me having that damn standoff continued and I could feel something terrifying watching me from behind.


    So even though I wanted to sleep, I would find myself waking up after a few dozen minutes.


    So I had to listen to every lecture and even though the teachers looked at me once it twice with an odd gaze.


    They surprisingly didn''t do anything.


    The privilege of the first-ranked student huh.


    And so continued my half of the first day at the shield, Time went by so slowly when I justid down my head instead of studying.


    And finally.


    It was lunchtime.


    As soon as the bell rang, I stood up and darted towards the door, and went to the cafeteria.


    ***


    "...He woke up only for the cafeteria."


    Elijah Said, He had watched the first rank sleep through nearly every ss.


    And the moment the bell rang, He rushed toward the cafeteria as if he was on a time limit.


    Little did he know, n Truly was on a time limit.


    His race made him have a voracious appetite that could not be filled in a mere 30 minutes if he did not hurry.


    He could eat the same amount of food two dozen men could and only then would he feel somewhat full.


    "Well, Let''s just get going and forget about him."


    He heard Henry''s Voice behind him and then the both of them soon left as well.


    Serena And ine Followed soon after.


    The Only one left was Sabrina.


    Who was quietly reading a book.

 Chapter 55 Classes[2]

    The top ten ranked students had privileges.


    One of them was that they could order whatever they wanted on the menu of the cafeteria for free and as many times as they wanted if it was for them only.


    They could eat as much as they wanted from the luxury meals but were not allowed to give the meals they had bought to someone else.


    The top ten students had many privileges special to only themselves. And the information about these privileges was public knowledge so that the lower-ranked students would strive to work harder to earn a spot in the top 10 spots.


    The training facilities, Amodations, and nearly everything else was better.


    And the top 10 positions could not be bought with money.


    Skill, Talent, and hard work were what decided your position.


    Speaking of talent, I wonder what my real talent is.


    The talent ranking for humans went through the process by how much mana they could assimte into their bodies.


    For the orcs and other beastkin, It was dependent on the aura.


    For elves, it was their affinity to mana itself.


    For The dwarves...


    Well, how urately they could use their mechs and artifacts.


    They were a race of genius Craftsmen, They were not suited for directbat.


    they engineered mechs and other game-breaking artifacts for themselves and all other races.


    This was why theirs were one of the most guarded.


    They were the source of weaponry and other game-breaking items, so all the other races sent multiple benefits and their strongest personnel to curry favor with them.


    But I do wonder.


    How is a dragon or Dragon Subspecies talent rank measured?


    SS? SSS? Or something even above like thetter stages of the novel?


    Probably something even above.


    But I was still curious as to how my talent rank would be measured.


    ''I should think about thister now.''


    I should focus on eating for now.


    But I do have to admit.


    I do miss those two supreme dragons who would talk to me albeit through the system.


    Suleras Should be insanely weak after getting his ass kicked by...'' it''.


    And it would take him a while to talk again. And Lanesha should be hiding from the same bastard that beat Suleras to near death because she uttered the name of it.


    ''...I should call Ben to make ns for the future.''


    Dungeons where Good Artifacts appeared that the protagonist didn''t get and we''re given to other viins.


    Even though I was intent on not being involved much, I would take those items to make it easier for myself if the protagonist didn''t have much of a use for them.


    I would do anything to survive Because theter stages of the novel were freaking hell.


    War, New races, and The Threat of the Godbeasts being revealed after Elijah Killed the demon king.


    A lot of shit happened.


    So much so that most readers would get confused.


    But I still didn''t stop reading it, the novel was that good.


    ''...damn it I should not have had those thoughts.''


    Thinking about how I should survive made me lose my appetite. So after finishing the meat that was on the table, I left without ordering a fourth meal.


    I was nning on going back to ss and finally trying to pay attention to the lectures, The second period after the break was Battle ss, A ss where we could either choose to spar with other students.


    And considering my position, At least a few dipshits, Particrly Elijah, Henry, and Lucas Will challenge me.


    And I would respectfully decline.


    The moment I epted their challenges would mean that I would ept any challenge and would then be swarmed by sparring or duel requests.


    Even if they made fun of me, Insulted me, or made any ims about me being a demon.


    I would still respectfully decline.


    I was confident nearly nothing could get through to me.


    A 29-year-old falling to the taunts of teenagers.


    How funny it would be.


    ''Hmm?''


    Returning to the ss, I found that it was almost empty with just a few students inside, either eating their lunch here or doing something else.


    One of them was Sabrina.


    Well, She always stayed back here during lunch and read a book so no surprise there.


    Going towards my seat. I sat down and took out a chocte bar from my inventory and began to eat it.


    I did need to do something about my addiction to chocte.


    I couldn''t go a few hours without it if I had it.


    And if it went for longer than a few days, I would for some fucking reason suffer withdrawal symptoms.


    Have an Undefeatable urge to eat chocte no matter what.


    This was even more serious than my sister Samantha.


    She liked sweets but not to the extent shown by me.


    I liked sweets as well, But the number one among them would always be chocte.


    As I was eating the multiple bars of chocte that I had in my inventory, The students began toe back here.


    Among them were the original protagonists.


    "...You can still eat after all that?"<sub> </sub>


    When I looked in the direction of the voice, I found it was Henry.


    "For real, You ate four servings of food in the cafeteria and are still eating chocte."


    As I was wondering how to respond, the attention of everyone present in the ss was on me.


    "I have a big appetite, plus I like chocte."


    "...an appetite big enough to eat food for what, a dozen fat men?"


    "Yes."


    After I answered Henry again, I plopped my head down to avoid them asking me questions again.


    Although I wanted to pay attention, If it meant being asked about myself left or right.


    I would rather pretend to sleep.


    And so, sses Began again when our break ended.


    I pretended to sleep through this one as well.


    But I couldn''t do it for the next one.


    Because I had to get out of the ss and head towards the Training Center.


    It was the only ss where we had to step out for normal lectures.


    The main aim of it was to give students a chance to train during school times and also for other students to engage in friendly spars with each other to test their skills.


    Reaching the training center that was as big as a few football fields and was constructed like it was from Japan, I went inside the changing room and put on abat suit.


    The entire suite was skin-tight and had armor covering the major parts of the body. It was also ck except for the metallic armor, which I liked.


    This suit alone could withstand a full-on truck hitting you without a scratch.


    After putting it on, I went outside and stood in line waiting for the roll call.


    The teacher for this ss was strict.


    No teacher, not even Dous had bothered to do a roll call even though they were in the best academy in the world.


    Lazy? No, it should be more so that they were busy.


    On top of being teachers, they were also ranked heroes who had other duties as well.


    And they were getting paid the same amount of money even if someone either didn''te or not.


    "I''ll do ss roll call based on your ranks from lowest to highest."


    Our training teacher, A Ranked hero by the name Of Timothy Wallen said.


    This man was a strict teacher. Which he was one of the most liked and hated in the novel.


    He was good to you if you were a good student and a devil if you were a delinquent.


    "Rank 768, Gary Simons."


    "Present!"


    "Rank 689, Tom Hollis"


    "Present!"


    "Rank...."


    He continued with the roll call until only a few were left.


    "Rank 9, ine Parker."


    "Present!"


    Rank 7, Serena Soubuelle."


    "Present."


    "Rank 5, Sabrina Wellington."


    "Present."


    "Rank 4, Lucas Hiddleston."


    "Present."


    "Rank 3, Henry Fornum"


    "Present!"


    "Rank 2, Elijah Ardor."


    "Present!"


    "Rank 1, n Pator."


    "Present."


    Most of the students answered with enthusiasm while a certain few like me just answered normally. The teacher''s words rang out again.


    "Wow, More than half of the top ten students are present here...poor Dous."


    He started while whispering thest few words although all of us could nearly hear it.


    "Well, The Physical Oriented Awakened can go to the left side to train, Multiple weapons are disyed on the wall and you can choose whichever one of your art works with. Multiple devices to help you are present regardless of your ss. The Mage types can go to the personal rooms on the right side to test their magic skills, You can also just practice your breathing technique throughout the whole hour here if you want. Also if you want to spar with people, You can if they ept but I have to be present during the match, The matches will take ce anywhere. And if you need any advice, you cane straight to me even though I''ll help you out during training without even you a sling for it Okay?


    So now go and do whatever you want."


    He said and almost all of us separated, most of the students went to the right side with all of the female protagonists.


    Only a few like me, Elijah, Henry, Lucas and very few went to the left.


    Most students liked to avoid directbat and use magic instead.


    Moving over quietly to an empty space after I had picked a normal metal spear,


    I started practicing the basic movements of the [Chaotic Spear] technique over and over again.


    If I wanted to unlock the other movements, I needed to raise my mastery of the technique.


    Although my body couldn''t handle it right now, It could once I decided to stop being a pussy and try my mana breathing technique[Supreme Ice Dragons Breath.] Again.


    And so, with that, I began practicing the [Chaotic Spear] technique.

 Chapter 56 Rank 2 VS Rank 3

    "Keep your damn posture straight when you''re about to strike!"


    "Yes Sir!"


    "And you!Mage! Stop throwing spells randomly and try to fucking aim!"


    "Yes!"


    The instructor sure was having fun.


    He was criticizing every student''s movements and nitpicking every wrong thing about them.


    And he was damn right.


    Even though most of them had been trained since childhood, they were not perfect.


    They did not have a high-tier technique art that allowed for no excess movement at all. Even though they were the children of powerful families, Even their powerful families could not


    Even the way they circted their mana had ws.


    And Our instructor was busy nitpicking everything wrong.


    Although he was being helpful, His tone made it seem that he was just angry.


    And now, many students, especially the ones who looked forward to seeing him screaming at other students.


    "And what are you two doing?"


    He had paused after seeing three individuals happily conversing with each other. Although only two were conversing while one was just sitting quietly with her eyes closed.


    These three were Serena Soubuelle, ine Parker, and Sabrina Wellington.


    "We are healers, sir."


    Answered ine with an annoyed expression after she was interrupted from their talk, She Expected the instructor to back away But was surprised by his next words.


    "Do you think I fucking care?!"


    She was shocked, He had screamed right in her face and his spit hadnded on her face.


    "I don''t give a fuck if your healers! If you''re not doing any training then at least for fucks sake do your mana training technique like her!"


    He said with an angry voice while pointing at the only quiet one in the trio.


    "I understand Sir."


    This time the one who answered Was Serena.


    ine was busy looking at Sabrina With a shocked gaze As if she couldn''t believe this woman could do mana training in this type of environment.


    If one wanted to train themselves using mana, They must be in a quiet environment so that they couldpletely focus!


    Yet! Sabrina was doing that while engaging in their conversation from time to time.


    Once the instructor left, ine pointed her middle finger at him but was quickly stopped by Serena Before she could continue it longer.


    "Uh, Fine, By the way, Which elective will you be joining?"


    She didn''t want to train at all, She was a healer, All she needed to do was learn immediate first aid and a couple of healing skills and she was set.


    "I''ll also join the healing Elective, All though my mind may change in the three months before we can decide."


    "Please join the healing elective! I don''t want to be all alone there!"


    "Maybe, It depends on a certain someone."


    After Serena had said that, She looked at a certain someone with orange hair.


    One that instead of training, was goofing off with someone with ash gray hair.


    And as a result of this, Both of them were scolded by the Instructor.


    ine looked towards where Serena Was looking and sighed.


    "How did you fall for him anyway?"


    "It''s a long story."


    "Uhh, Not going to tell huh.*Sigh* When am I going to find the one for me?"


    Said ine while looking towards the roof of the building with a bored expression.


    "There are many In our ss and entire school you know, Take our ss, It has the strongest first year, Multiple boys from influential families, The grandson of the current leader of Behemoth, Heir to the Hiddleston Fam-"


    "You do not want to get involved with that...creep."


    Interrupting Serena was Sabrina who said that sentence with a stoic face.


    "Oh, so you were listening to our conversation."


    "Somewhat."


    "Don''t worry about it, I don''t want to get involved with a training freak like Lucas, Who already has his eyes on another woman. If I want someone I want them to pay their full attention to me!"


    "So you just want attention?"


    "Absolutely yes! What girl would want a freak who only trains?"<sub> </sub>


    "What about everybody else?"


    "Everybody else? The first rank didn''t even spare a nce at my beauty when we first met, Elijah is dense and already has someone out for him, Henry is a damn pervert sometimes, Lucas...well you already know him."


    She ended her sentence early after noticing Sabrina''s Icy yet hateful gaze when she mentioned Lucas.


    It was as if she loathed his existence.


    "Oh?"


    Just as she was about to talk again, She was stopped after Serena''s Ohn.


    Looking over where she was looking, She found the instructor with Lucas.


    "What the hell are you doing?! Why are you wasting stamina by dodging hits?!


    You Can take them!"


    "...Yes!"


    Replied Lucas who was busy dodging and blocking the attacks from three metallic dolls with a shield.


    He was a Tank, This was the best training for him.


    "And this isn''t pushing you enough!"


    As the instructor said that, he took out a tablet from his suit and tapped on it a few times.


    The moment he was done, The speed and power of the dolls increased and Lucas cried inwardly.


    The instructor after seeing this Finally left and walked over to a certain individual who had white hair that was practicing with his spear.


    Every other student stopped what they were doing and focused on them.


    "Heh, I wanna see that arrogant prick get scolded."


    Said ine after seeing what was happening. Serena And Sabrina also paid attention to the instructor.


    The moment he reached n, There wasplete silence while the instructor was watching said person''s movements.


    Every student present, Even Sabrina herself had opened her eyes and ears to see and hear whatever woulde out of the instructor''s mouth when he looked at n Practicing the spear.


    There was silence, and eventually, the instructor''s voice broke the silence.


    "...good job. Keep it up."


    "Yes sir."


    The Instructor, an A-Rank Hero on the verge of breaking through to <S> rank that had a technique and eye developed through countless life and death battles...


    Was Unable to find a single w within a Seven Star Weapon Art.


    He was simply unable to. Not even after examining it for quite a while.


    "Who the hell told you to gawk?! Get back to training!"


    The loud and enraged voice of the instructor rang out and all the students, who were still surprised continued along with whatever they were doing before after hearing the enraged shout.


    ***


    "So you both want to spar?"


    "Yes."


    "Yes Sir."


    The two youths, who were Elijah And Henry answered.


    "Fine, Go towards the opposite ends of the tform there."


    The instructor said and pointed towards the marble tform ahead of them.


    The two went to the opposite sides of the tform and got their weapons ready.


    Elijah had his longsword held out, Henry had his bow aimed and a short sword stuck to his waist.


    The Attention of every student except for An Was now here.


    They had crowded over the tform and were eagerly waiting for the match to begin.


    "3"


    The instructor''s voice rang out.


    "2."


    Again.


    "1."


    And finally, it was time.


    "BEGIN!"

 Chapter 57 Fight!

    The moment the instructor said begin. Fire had started to form At Elijah''s feet and propelled him forward at an amazing speed.


    As he was charging forward, almost flying even, he suddenly twisted his body as a whistling sound went by his head.


    *Schwee!*


    An arrow made of wind had almost struck him in the head.


    Luckily he had dodged it and was now preparing to charge in again when he noticed that Henry was now close to him with his short sword out.


    Elijah responded to this by engulfing his sword in mes and shing with Henry''s Shortsword head-on.


    *nk*


    The two swords collided.


    One covered in fire, the other in wind.


    Knowing that he was being pushed back, Wind gathered at Henry''s feet and he flew backward and got his bow out and aimed at Elijah.


    Elijah on the other hand had already closed the distance between themselves and was now nearly in front of Henry.


    However, Just as he was about to strike, He ducked down and dodged another arrow of wind that came at his face.


    Ducking down his sword began to be engulfed in an even more intense me and Henry Aimed his bow at him again.


    And then there it was the final sh.


    [Burning Sword Art]


    //First Movement


    shing me Strike.


    His sword moved upwards.


    Meanwhile an arrow of wind, This time resembling a small tornado formed in Henry''s bow and he released it.


    [Strike Of Wind(D)]


    The tornado and ming sword shed against each other and arge explosion of mana erupted.


    *Boom!*


    There was dust everywhere.


    When it finally settled, The students could see Elijah standing while Henry was nowhere to be found.


    ...Well on the stage that is, During the collision, Elijah''s Sword had won and Henry was hit with the aftermath and flew out of the stage andnded on his back a few feet away from it.


    "Elijah Ardor, Rank 2, Wins. "


    Upon hearing the instructor announce the results, Cheers erupted from the students.


    They had just seen the Rank 2 and Rank 3 fight in a match that didn''t evenst five minutes!


    Elijah, Instead of relishing in his victory went over to Henry and Held out his hand.


    "That was a good match!"


    Henry, grabbing his head and standing up said.


    "Good Match? I got destroyed."


    "Ohe on, It was close you know!"


    "Yeah Yeah."


    After everyone had cheered for the fight they got yelled at by the instructor to continue training.


    "Hey, Considering how strong Elijah is, How about the zombie?"


    ine was talking nonstop, disturbing both Serena and Sabrina From training their mana techniques, although none of them minded it.


    "Zombie?"


    "The rank first who''s always sleeping."


    "Him?"


    "Yep."


    ine and Serena talked to each other and Serena, after pondering for a while responded.


    "n Would probably win if he keeps his Rank at C, If it''s rted to pure skill then I don''t know, although then Elijah does have a chance."


    "I do want to see them fight."


    ***


    "I want to challenge you to a spar."


    "Not interested."


    "Please? I want to test my limits."


    "I said no."


    "Then maybe another time?"


    Disturbing me from my training was a certain protagonist.


    Realizing that he wouldn''t listen even if I said no, I ignored him and continued training.


    "Ohe on, please! I wanna fight you!"


    Unknown to me, The certain protagonist was being denied by two people.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri says it is not wise to challenge him at your current level.]


    ''I''m still doing it.''


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri says you are stupid.]<sub> </sub>


    Completely ignoring the messages from the Supreme dragon Of Fire, Elijah Pushed forward.


    "Oh? It can''t be that you are scared right?"


    "The rank first, The youngest C Rank, First spatial awakened, Is scared?"


    "...you know you could just say no again."


    "Come on, please! I just want to test if I can beat you or not!"


    Elijah kept asking for a spar yet n Didn''t even respond to him.


    <o>,m "I''ll do anything!"</o>


    "Dude it will be helpful to us both!"


    "Will you please have a friendly spar with me?"


    "I request a Duel!"


    "No man should run away from a duel!"


    "I have other means to make you ept!"


    "....ok fine I give up."


    And in the end, he gave up.


    But he only faces up to today because of no matter what.


    He was going to spar with n At least once.


    And he was going to annoy him every single day until he epted.


    Little did our Elijah know, n, Would eventually ept.


    And he would beat the absolute shit out


    Elijah so that he never bothered him again.


    ***


    That was hectic. I honestly never thought he would give up, to be honest.


    But he did, for today at least.


    And just as I was going to start training again.


    I heard the instructor''s voice.


    "ss has ended! Go back to your ssroom! Now go quickly!"


    And just as that was said, The students left almost hurriedly as if to not enrage him even further.


    I left too as soon as I had finished changing back into my uniform and headed to ss.


    When I sat down I heard a voice from behind me.


    "May I ask you for a du-"


    "No."


    I interrupted him before he couldplete his sentence.


    "Could it be that the rank first is scared?"


    This time it was not Elijah, But a certain pink-haired girl who talked to me.


    "Think whatever you want to think."


    Nevertheless, I still ignored Serena.


    "My, I never expected the Rank first of Shield to back down from a fight."


    "I never expected the rank seven to ever shut up."


    There was a slight pause within the group as everybody focused their attention on me when I said those words.


    "What? I''m not allowed to say anything back?"


    "No, that''s not it..."


    This time it was Henry who replied, And pointed at a scary-looking face that was present on Serena.


    "...Now that''s no way to talk to ady you know n."


    Without replying to her I plopped my head down after looking at her with an annoyed and disgusted look.


    sses had started again.


    and I pretended to sleep through them all.


    And finally, they had ended.


    The moment they ended the students began to step outside the ssroom to do whatever they wanted to.


    "Are you two noting?"


    Henry asked both me and Sabrina.


    "Not yet."


    The one that replied to him was Sabrina.


    Hearing her answer, Henry looked at me and for some reason put his thumb up toward me.


    And with that, They all left and we were the only two left in the ssroom.


    After the ssroom had been deserted,I stood up and opened a portal.


    And both of us stepped inside.

 Chapter 58 [58]Different From Today.

    A/N:Sorry for no chapters being released for a while, Was kind of busy with an event.


    Another chapter will also be released today, Just needs some editing.


    ___________________________________


    "So, Can I ask about the different scenery today?"


    I asked the purplish ck-haired figure that always appeared whenever I slept in my dreams. Normally we just stare at each other until whatever that terrifying thing breaks back in the ck space and I am forcibly awoken.


    But this time, We were in a field of beautiful White Flowers that I couldn''t recognize.


    And among the field of white flowers, He stood in a clearing, In front of...


    Graves?


    ''Hold on, Am I seeing things or not?''


    Moving closer I could see that there were three graves.


    Before I could move close enough to see the names on the graves, They disappeared and the entire space around us changed.


    The Flowers, The Graves, All vanished and now there was only Us Two standing in a field of grass.


    I stood still, And so did he.


    I Fell asleep the moment I closed my eyes after returning from ss and so was here.


    I expected to be just in another staring contest again but this time the entire space was different and I couldn''t feel anything trying to break in this time.


    Considering this was different, I wanted to try asking him a question and see if he would respond.


    "So, Care to exin?"


    ...


    ...


    No response, His face was still as stoic as ever.


    Those abyssal-like ck diamond eyes stared at me and I felt naked in front of them.


    Like no matter what, He could see through everything.


    Just as I was about to say something else, His hands moved and he held up two fingers.


    Two?


    What do you mean by two?


    Days?


    Weeks?


    Months?Years?


    As if he had anticipated my thoughts, I heard his voice for the first time.


    "Two Months."


    I was in a daze after hearing his voice for the first time.


    I don''t think I was wrong but his voice, Seemed horrifying Like the voice possessed by a horror movie character.


    Raspy, Chilly, and most importantly one that sent shivers down one''s spine.


    "Two months?"


    I asked him. Not quite getting what he meant by two months, Would something significant happen?


    Two months from now nothing happened in the novel if my memory proved me correct.


    "Your Evolution into a pure dragon will happen in two months."


    Oh.


    Yeah, that is pretty significant.


    "What will happen during my evolution?"


    "You''ll most likely faint, Then Mana Will cover your entire body and form into an egg. You''ll stay like that for a week and your evolution will beplete."


    "Hold on, I won''t be a lizard when Ie out of the egg will I?"


    Looking at me for a minute or so and letting a sigh he said.


    "No, You''ll gain race-specific skills and some other benefits, But in the meantime..."


    He paused and then started again.


    "You have to improve your melee skills."


    Melee? I think I''m good with melee though?


    "Your not."


    As if he read my thoughts, His raspy and bone-chilling voice rang out again.


    "You only fought with Benson, You have no experience with monsters, Not to mention demons and humans."


    "You can pummel those weaker than you with just your base stats...but the moment you meet someone on the same level or possessing the higher skill, You will be the one getting pummeled."


    Pondering over what he said for a moment I asked.


    "So, How do I improve my melee?"


    "Sword Saint Miller."


    Who?


    The sword saint?


    Isn''t he missing? Didn''t he show up in thetter stages of the novel only to die moments after training Elijah for a bit?<sub> </sub>


    I don''t know his current location!


    ''I'' don''t know his location. He should know if he''s rmending me to train under him.


    "The training center at midnight. He is always present there at midnight. Its also where he encountered his first And Only Student, Al-"


    "Alex Wright."


    I cut him off before he could finish.


    A first-year student of Shield who never attended his sses...


    It was a wonder why he was never expelled...


    So that''s why he was never expelled despite not taking any sses.


    Oliver And Miller are close friends.


    Miller must have put in a good word for his student.


    As for why he didn''t take sses?


    Because of Bullying, Alex Dwight was a poor soul who had not awakened an affinity during his awakening.


    He had no affinity for any element. Null, All his attacks had no particr affinity attached to them.


    This was the reason for him. being bullied, And also that he came from amon background.


    The only reason the government admitted him into the shield was because of his talent rank.


    What was it?


    SS? SSS or was it a mere S-Rank?


    Wasn''t his sword talent the reason he became the next sword saint?


    The Double de Saint!


    That was his nickname, A student so talented wielding two swords that he gave even Elijah and Henry a run for their money.


    He beat the shit out of both of them not once but twice.


    "But, How are you so confident that the Sword Saint will take me in as his student when I don''t even practice a sword?"


    "Because he''s a Perfectionist."


    What? How will that help?


    "When you go training at the Center, Train with dark leg only, Unlike The Chaotic Spear technique which is nearly perfect, The Dark Leg isn''t.


    Considering how much of a perfectionist he is, He''s bound to get annoyed seeing you and Alex Training with imperfect techniques and will undoubtedly interfere."


    "So Alex Will be there at night too huh?"


    "Yes, and also, try to change, Don''t try to do everything solo from now on."


    Pausing for a bit, My eyes turned cold and I said to him.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "You know exactly what I''m talking about."


    ...


    Fucking hell this bastard.


    "It isn''t that easy to trust people again you know."


    "It wasn''t easy to trust them as the Abused and revenge-driven James Smith."


    Damn it, This bastard knew what I was going to say and was well prepared.


    "But James Smith is already dead.


    Live as n Pator, The Boy who needs to take care of his little sister, Had loving parents that risked their lives so he could flee with his sister, Has Loving Grandparents that could not help him because of their Poverty and had no choice but to watch as their grandchildren were taken away to an orphanage because they couldn''t take care of them due to their circumstances."


    "Unlike The James Smith in your world, You As n Pator in this world have people that care for you and you should care for them as well."


    He Stated with a stoic face.


    Live as n Pator huh, Even Suleras Spouted that bullshit.


    It ain''t easy to get rid of trauma.


    "Even so I can prob-"


    Before I could rebuke his previous statement. He continued.


    "Don''t try to do everything solo, Don''t make the same mistake as me."


    He continued and didn''t let me speak.


    "Maxwell Parker, Lucas Hiddleston, and Alex Dwight, All share a simr story to yours.


    Maxwell Had to build an entire business by himself because his family regarded him as trash and wouldn''t help him at all even though they could do so, And even went as far as trying to hinder his sess all because they didn''t believe he was talented.


    Lucas was alwayspared to his older siblings and had a bad environment of growth which led to his shitty personality.


    And Alex, the one who was constantly bullied because he had no affinity and was even bullied by his family because his little brother had an affinity and awakened even earlier than Alex.


    A Lot like the James Smith who was bullied since childhood by both his family and Others, The one who was alwayspared to his more ''talented'' siblings and had to build an entire business empire just to get revenge.


    Am I correct?"


    He finally stopped speaking and looked straight into my eyes.


    I responded to his question.


    "Not Entirely."

 Chapter 59 (59)Different From Today[2]

    "Not Entirely."


    I said.


    Although yes, Each of them shared something simr to the original me.


    They and I Were different.


    "Oh? How so?"


    He asked me. Naturally, I had an answer.


    "Because even if they do share something simr to me, whether it be background, Motives, or upbringing..."


    I paused and then continued my sentence.


    "I aplished whatever I set out to do."


    Or at least,I was insanely close to it, All three of them had been stuck in their delusions and couldn''t aplish whatever they wanted to do.


    Lucas wanted to prove himself but ultimately failed no matter what because he went astray, He wanted to prove himself so bad that he forgot his morals and in the end became aplete psychopath.


    Alex could never let go of his fear of other people, Unlike me, Who eventually got over the fear. He sumbed to it and it was this that led to his ultimate demise.


    As for Maxwell, Although I did not know much about him from the novel, His goal should have been to bring down the Titan Guild and the entire Parker family who abused him.


    And I don''t think he aplished his revenge considering Titan Was still around in thetter stages of the novel.


    They had goals, Yet couldn''t aplish them.


    Alex wanted to live a normal life after all the abuse.


    Lucas Wanted recognition.


    Maxwell wanted revenge.


    Yet they all failed to do so.


    I nearly plished all my goals.


    I got the recognition, And I got my revenge and also lived a somewhat norm-...


    Okay, scratch that I didn''t aplish one goal.


    "That''s why you should help them."


    He said again.


    "They should help themselves."


    "Don''t try to do everything alone. This world isn''t like the world of James Smith.


    And neither are you, James Smith, anymore.


    You are now ''n'' Pator."


    "...Even so, I can''t change that eas-."


    Before I couldplete my sentence, I heard him Sigh and then heard a ding.


    Ding!


    [You have received a quest!]


    [Contents:Change yourself!]


    Quest eptance Reward:Skill [Possession(?)]


    Quest Denial Reward:Death]


    ...


    ...


    Oi, That''s ckmail.


    "I know it is."


    Almost as if he had read my thoughts, He said with a slight smile present on his stoic face.


    Yet it disappeared as soon as it came.


    "Why do you want me to change so much anyway? I have all information from the novel in my mind. I know everything that will happen."<sub> </sub>


    "Not everything will go the same way every time."


    "Why?Because of me? I shouldn''t have changed the plot that much with my appearance. All the important events should go just as they originally would."


    "Do you honestly think everything will go just as nned? When the first spatial awakened appeared five years earlier, When the rank first changed and the new rank is first far stronger than even most third-year students. Do you think so?


    Nothing ever goes as nned, you need to prepare for every variable, and you cannot do it alone."


    He started with conviction in his voice As if he knew already what a big mistake trying to do it alone was.


    "Fine! I''ll change goddamnit, But..."


    "But what?"


    "But what the hell happened to original n Pator? Why did I take his ce? Why did I take ''Your'' ce?"


    I was curious, n Pator was someone that never appeared in the original novel.


    Yet the vision I received was something that was solid proof that n Pator had a vital role in this world.


    Then why the fuck was there no mention of him?


    At all?!


    "...he became a ve to something far terrifying than you could imagine, Under the guise of an angel giving him power, he epted that godforsaken deal given to him and eventually became a ve to power, Believing that it would solve everything, that it would save him, yet..."


    he paused and to my shock.


    I could see a tear forming only in his right eye.


    "It just imprisoned him. He lost his sister, his lover, his family, and everyone that he cared for.


    While all he could do was watch, as his own fucking body was not in his control most of the time. He became so strong yet, he couldn''t use his unfathomable strength to save what he wanted to save. And slowly, his mind corroded, leaving nearly nothing behind.


    And after 554 attempts, His soul, which was at the center of it all, corroded, and finally, he lost. He lost the battle, The war. He became the strongest there was, So strong that it took every dragon, Every Godbeast, and Every supreme beingbined to kill him by sacrificing themselves.


    He became that strong...yet was only a fucking puppet and ve in the end.


    A ve who under ''its'' gaze, Sacrificed his soul to gamble onest time."


    His voice wasced with sorrow and regret.


    "So...please, Make this final shot count.


    The chalice of time, the only thing the dragons could resort to, the one thing that repeated the flow of time 554 times, Can go on again only a few more times. But me? This is the final time for me and my soul."


    Taking a deep breath, he continued again.


    "My soul has already been eroded to near dust and I couldn''t leave my bodypletely in its hands. So I opted for the final option.


    To sacrifice whatever was left and imnt a new soul in my original body.


    Your Soul."


    "So, This is the final rodeo for me.


    And I want to make it count, to finally escape. This is why I''m telling you to change, to take care of the ones you should cherish, Your family who''s the help I rejected because I didn''t want to burden them anymore.


    So...Please, I beg of you, James smith, To live as me and don''t repeat the same mistakes I did..."


    The space around us started to shatter as he was saying his words.


    "So please, When your evolutiones, Resist The temptation of the Abyss as best as you can for as long as you can.


    I promise toe when I can, You just need to hold on."


    The ground beneath us started to shatter the moment he said Abyss.


    "... I wille, I''ll do everything in my power toe so I beg of you, Live Like n Pator.


    Use Possession only when you are certain you cannot win.


    I made you live this life, So ill make sure you live."


    "Please, Resist its temptation for as long as you can. I promise toe and help."


    And with that, The beautiful scenery eventually shattered and returned to the ck and purplish void.


    And I woke up as soon as the space shattered and I found myself to be in my room.


    Laying on the floor with a dazed expression on my face.

 Chapter 60 One Hit K.O

    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri Says it is pointless to fight him.]


    ''I don''t care if it is, I want to fight him.''


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri Sighs.]


    ''Sigh this Sigh that, I''m going to keep annoying him until he epts.''


    My thought process was, that if I kept annoying the first rank, he will eventually get tired and ept.


    No matter what, I knew I would lose, But I still wanted to test myself.


    How do I fare against someone who is two ranks higher than me?


    Will I lose instantly? Or will I at least be able to put up a fight? Or just a few measly hits that would do close to no damage?


    I was curious, But more than that I was excited.


    If I lost, I would train even harder to best him inbat the next time.


    Although I don''t know why Agri Is that adamant in saying it''s no use.


    I mean, You could still try, right?


    ''Anyways, he sure is attentive today.''


    I was not wrong.


    The first rank had slept through the entire first day of ss but now he was attentive.


    He probably was tired was the conclusion I came up with.


    But is he paying attention?


    His eyes, instead of being glued towards the hologram that was being shown to us by our homeroom teacher Dous exined mana control of other elements besides the elements you had an affinity for.


    His eyes however were glued to the desk and he had a weird expression on his face as if he was deep in thought.


    He waspletely disregarding this lecture and was thinking about something else.


    ''Oh well, I just have to wait until Training ss.''


    All I had to do was wait, Until the training, the ss came, and just take all these sses with patience.


    Patience was the one thing I was proud of.


    The one thing that I had great pride in.


    ***


    [Training ss]


    Hah!


    It was working!.


    My constant taunts were getting to him! His expression was already of annoyance and I knew he couldn''t withstand it any longer!


    I don''t know what kept his mind preupied today but whatever it was it was helping me.


    Greatly.


    Now only a few more taunts would be required to make him ept.


    And finally, after torturing him for 45 whole minutes, He relented and said.


    "If I win you never annoy me about a fight again, okay?"


    "I request a du-Eh?what?"


    I was momentarily surprised, I just expected him to say no again.


    However, my surprise was short-lived as I ecstatically said.


    "Wait? You ept?"


    "Only if you never bother me again."


    "Deal!"


    Hearing his reply, I immediately rushed over to our instructor and told him about our duel.


    After I told him, He looked over at n who nodded with an annoyed expression on his face.


    "So he finally epted huh."


    The instructor said with a smirk on his face. The truth was that even he wanted to see the top two students in action.


    "Yep!"


    "Ok get to your positions on the tform."


    And with that, Both of them made their way toward the opposite positions on the tform.


    The other students, who had just now seen that the first rank and second rank were having a duel, crowded over to watch the fight.


    Even Lucas, Who had never bothered to watch any matches, Had his eyes glued on the stage.


    Elijah got his sword and took a stance, As he was getting ready, He noticed his opponent putting his spear away into apparently nothing.


    It was in his hand for a moment but then disappeared.


    Concluding that this was the same technique that he used to make the chips magically disappear during the fireworks festival, he asked.


    "Why are you putting away your spear?"


    "I don''t need it."


    ...<sub> </sub>


    ...


    His reply shocked Elijah, He was taking Elijah too lightly.


    Was it Pride? Or was it arrogance?


    Thinking about the nonchnt behavior his opponent was showing fired him up even more.


    The nearby students who saw that n Had put his Weapon away while Elijah was Still holding his sword gossiped.


    "Is he not going to use his spear?"


    "But...Have we seen him use anything but a spear?"


    ine and Serena spoke respectively.


    It was true, They hadn''t seen n Use anything else except his spear during training.


    "Do you know anything about this Sabrina?"


    Serena Naturally asked the only one who should have received information about her bodyguard before he was assigned to her, However, Sabrina just shook her head.


    Seeing this Serena Sighed, Her attempt to gather any information about the first Rank had failed.


    In reality, Sabrina, Although she did not know the spear art n Practiced, What She did know was he also practiced a Melee art focusing on kicks.


    The Dark leg if her memory served her correctly.


    He had also asked her to not tell others anything if they asked about him, which was why she didn''t say anything and just shook her head.


    "3!"


    And then, The Instructors voice rang out.


    "2!"


    It was about to begin.


    "1!"


    And it was time.


    "BEGIN!"


    As soon as the instructor''s voice signaled the start of the match, Elijah didn''t even waste a second before his sword was engulfed in mes and he was about to perform the strongest movement he could perform


    //Burning Sword.


    [Third Movement.]


    [Purgatory Strike.]


    Yet before he could charge forward and swing his sword, He felt a sudden and immense pain in his chest. It was so immense that he felt his chest had caved in, his ribs had been broken and punctured his lungs.


    *Crash!*


    The pain he felt was so immense that he failed to realize he had already lot the match, The blow he had been dealt had been so strong that he had been sent crashing into the wall of the training center.


    His body fell with a thud, His training equipment on the chest broken, And his body leaking blood.


    ...


    ...


    The students had failed to register what had just happened.


    The moment the match began, The students eyeing n found his figure disappearing and appearing immediately in front of Elijah With his Waist turned, his entire body supported on only one leg with his other where Elijah was supposed to be.


    Before he was sent flying that is.


    Their minds had still not processed what had happened.


    They turned to face their instructor. Hoping at least he would have an exnation. But even his face had a nk expression on his face.


    As if even he was processing what had just urred.


    But suddenly he regained hisposure and ran over to where Elijah Was and picked him up in a princess carry carefully and said.


    "Winner, n Pator, And you all go back to ss the moment the period ends."


    And with that said, He rushed outside the training center carrying a bloodied and passed-out Elijah in his arms.


    When they turned their heads back towards the tform, They found the winner of this two-second duel walking toward the ce he usually was when he trained his spear technique.


    He took his spear and started repeating those perfect movements.


    Meanwhile, the other students didn''t even try to go back to training.


    Their minds were stillprehending what the fuck had just happened.


    ***


    ''Shit.''


    I may have gone too hard on him.


    The moment the match started, I used


    [Short Distance Teleport] to appear right in front of him and immediately used The Second Movement Of the Dark Leg Style[Hells Barrage.]


    Although it wasn''t exactly a barrage of kicks because the one I was going to barrage with kicks flew from the first one.


    And...if I''m not wrong...


    Then I think I heard the sound of his bones shattering...

 Chapter 61 The Perk Of The Protagonist.

    On the bedy an unconscious Elijah, who was wearing an oxygen mask and had been transported to the infirmary by the instructor as fast as possible. The Nurse who had been assigned to him was exining the injuries he suffered to four figures standing beside his bed.


    "He''s Suffered numerous internal injuries, His organs are a mess, Riddled with bone fragments from his shattered ribs..."


    As they all listened to the Nurse state the injuries Elijah Received From His duel.


    The figures listening to the nurse were, of course, Serena, Henry, Sabrina, and ine, who except for Sabrina all had looks of shock on their faces.


    The injuries on Elijah were immense and he couldn''t even drink a potion because if he did in the state his body was in right now, he would only regurgitate the potion.


    His Entire chest had caved in, The diaphragm and ribs had been utterly shattered and multiple organs had been pierced by the fragments of the broken ribs.


    If not for Agri and his awakener Body, He would already be dead.


    The Protagonist of The Ultimate Sin, The one that was at the center of it all had been reduced to such a state just from a single blow.


    It was terrifying to think or even imagine.


    "We''ve done whatever we can do to stabilize his condition. He should wake up in a few minutes and it''s best if he drinks a few potions to get him back up to shape."


    After saying what she wanted to say, She left, and soon they were the only ones left in the room.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    There wasplete silence, They all were too preupied seeing Elijah in that state to even speak of what just happened.


    Except for a certain someone who was having a ''talk'' with the perpetrator of this incident through their spatial link.


    ''Don''t you think you went a little too far?''


    [...]


    n, Who was on the other side did not answer.


    ''His chest caved in, His ribs shattered and pierced his lungs and it''s a wonder how he didn''t die immediately.''


    [It''s not my fault.]


    n, who was finally tired of her berating him, Finally made up an excuse.


    ''How is this hot your fault? It''s supposed to be a friendly spar, Not a fight to the death.''


    [I wasn''t even serious.]


    Sabrina Paused.


    What She had just heard made it impossible to not pause.


    He had nearly killed an E rank awakened on the border of breaking through with a single hit and yet...


    He wasn''t even serious?


    And she knew he wasn''t telling her a lie to boast about his strength.


    It was all true.


    n Pator, during a friendly duel, had nearly killed his ssmate when he wasn''t even serious.


    She could only release a sigh.


    Elijah, the second-best first year had been reduced to such a state by the best first year who wasn''t even serious with a single blow.


    n had no ws in his moments when he trained with a spear, But his kicks?


    Even they had no w?


    Nonsense, His kicks were not as perfect as his spear. It was just too fast for her to see what had just happened.


    But it still didn''t do anything about the fact of how terrifying it was to have the ability to instantaneously appear anywhere around your opponent and deal a devastating blow with your opponent having no idea where it wasing from.


    She shuddered at the mere thought of her opponent being able to do that.


    It was the best Anti Mage Attack.


    To appear before a mage could draw a magic circle or even think of activating a skill and deliver a fatal blow on their weak physiques.


    Elijah was a meleebat the awakened, He had a fairly well-built body.


    But her?


    She had a weak physique, And although she could cast a spell or think of a skill at a fairly fast speed.


    What good was being fast in front of someone who could literally ''instantaneously'' attack you?


    "..uh..*Groan*."


    Just then, Elijah had finally woken up and with a groan, Tried to get up.<sub> </sub>


    Yet it only worsened his injuries and he coughed up blood thatnded in the oxygen mask he was wearing, covering it in res entirely.


    Serena quickly went over to him andid him down on the bed again, She then opened a drawer beside his bed and took out two ss bottles that had a blue liquid inside.


    She carefully took off his oxygen mask and fed him the two options carefully.


    And the potions did their work spectacrly as after he drank them, He was able to sit on the bed without any problem. Yet he didn''t speak.


    "Yo, So you feeling better now?"


    Henry, Who was the first to break the awkward atmosphere finally spoke.


    Yet Elijah didn''t respond. His eyes were on another message.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri says Told you it was pointless to try and fight him.]


    "Heye on man, it happens to all of us, Plus he went full-on killer blow at the


    start."


    [Supreme dragon of fire Agri says that He wasn''t even serious.]


    Ironically, The only two who were talking couldn''t even speak to each other.


    Agri was just berating Elijah for his foolishness while Henry was trying to cheer him up.


    "Henry''s right Eli, That Bastard went full strength straight from the start."


    The next one who spoke was Serena, who tried her best to cheer him up.


    "He wasn''t serious at all."


    Elijah finally spoke, yet his words were met with silence from the rest this time.


    "I''m sorry... but can I be alone for a while?"


    At first, they were hesitant to leave but Elijah kept on insisting which eventually led to them heeding his wishes.


    Once they all were finally gone, Elijahy down on the bed and spoke in his mind.


    ''System, How many points do I have?''


    In reply to the question, he asked in his mind, a message appeared in front of him.


    [SP Possessed by host:1095SP]


    ''I only have that much left huh...''


    Thinking about it for a whole minute, and spreading out his mana to see if anyone was nearby ,He finally came to a decision and said with a low voice after finding that no one was there.


    "Buy 10 random low-rank Passive skills."


    And then, with ten dings of the system apanied by his losing all his SP points until only 95 were left.


    [You have gained the passive Skill:Minor Shock Resistance(F)]


    [You have gained the passive Skill:Minor Driving Mastery(F)]


    [You have gained the passive skill:Minor Casting Speed Enhance(F)(2/5)]


    [You have gained the passive Skill:Inferior Elemental Resistance(F).]


    [You have gained the passive skill:Inferior Dark Element Resistance:(F)]


    [You have gained the passive skill:Increased Mana Control(F)(3/5)]


    [You have Gained the passive skill:Vision Enhancement(F).]


    [You have gained the passive skill:Strengthened Skin(F)]


    [You have gained the Passive skill:Minor Regeneration(F)(3/5)]


    [You have gained the passive skill:Cooking(E)]


    The scene in front of his eyes would have shocked anyone else to see, They would be ecstatic, dying from joy at receiving so many skills even though their rank was low.


    But Elijah? Only three words came out of his mouth.


    "Fuck my luck."


    Out of ten draws, He only got a single E rank skill and it had nothing to do withbat...


    He sighed and went back to sleep, Not even bothering to check the descriptions of these skills.


    To him, they were most likely useless given their rank, They would just be added to the plethora of other skills he had and be lost in them.


    This was the perk of the protagonist of the Ultimate Sin.


    A system possessed by no one other than himself, Something that people would destroy entires for.

 Chapter 62 Alex Wright.

    "..shit it hurts."


    As Elijah tried to get up from his bed, He groaned.


    Even after taking two potions his body was still not fully healed up.


    That was concrete evidence of how strong the attack Elijah Suffered was.


    ''System, Restore me.''


    [Affirmative.]


    And as Elijah''s Body began to be covered in a green light that exuded an aura filled with life, His body began to recover as all the pain he felt from trying to stand vanished.


    The Greenlight covering him disappeared. And he soon saw another blue holographic window appear before his eyes.


    [10 SP Has been deducted. Total SP:85]


    ''85...''


    It was abysmally low.


    He wondered how he was going to farm for more SP.


    There were no monsters to kill In Shield to gain SP from. He couldn''t secretly enter dungeons again and although the option of aplishing great feats was also avable to gain SP, He was honestly clueless as to what he should do to gain more SP.


    ''System, Assign me a quest.''


    Yet there was no response from his Godly System. He chuckled.


    It was worth a shot, the system never gave him quests easily unlike the normal systems in games that we''re over flooded with quests to give.


    His System, Although it was far, far special than the ones every other being had, Only gave him quests on certain asions.


    ''Well, Worth a shot.''


    However, just as he was about to go to sleep, His system did give him a quest.


    [Quest:Defeat n Pator in battle.]


    [[Quest Reward:10,000 SP, Shop upgrade, Inventory Upgrade. Skill: Hellfire(B)


    Quest Difficulty:S


    Time Limit:None.


    Penalty:Beaten Up by n Pator, Degrade in Skill Shop.]]


    ...


    *Gulp.*


    Elijah gulped down his Saliva...


    ...this was the first S-Rank quest the system had given him.


    Although it was just a simple win against someone''s quest, the rank, and person he had to win against was someone who demolished him and was two major ranks ahead of him...


    The System however was always fair, It would never assign an impossible quest, Thinking about it further, He


    had a smile on his face.


    How could he not? He was a battle maniac, one that would willingly fight death itself if it meant a good fight.


    ***


    [Midnight:11:56PM]


    A lone Figure stood in the middle of one of the tforms present inside the figure.


    He had Pure ck hair and eyes, And a face that had a ck eye. He was quite skinny, yet was practicing with two twin kung fu broad swords.


    He could be considered quite handsome if he wasn''t so skinny and beaten up.


    Fairly handsome in fact. His Lustrous ck hair and eyes had a certain shine to them that would make women fall for him and men envy him.


    *Shwing!*Shwing!*


    The Sound of air being cut apart rang out. It was beautiful, The way the figure swung both swords in harmony with each other was truly beautiful.


    It looked as if a sculptor working on his best piece.


    *nk!*


    Both swords fell to the ground as the figure gasped for breath.


    He fell on his butt and soonid down on the stone floor.


    As he was gasping for breath, He heard the sound of someone walking near him.


    Tok-Tok-


    However, there were only these steps.


    Opening his eye but wasn''t bruised.


    He saw a figure with pure white hair looking down at him holding a spear.


    A faint blue light was behind him, Yet it disappeared the next moment.


    He stood up hurriedly and had a face filled with surprise.<sub> </sub>


    How could he not? The white hair figure looking down on him was the strongest first rank.


    A true big shot that he saw receive the golden Shield by the principal at the Opening Ceremony for the school.


    However, unlike what he expected, the figure paid him no heed and continued to walk a little farther away.


    And he then took a stance and began to swing his spear.


    And the sound of the pure white spear de ripping through the air rang out again.


    *Shwing!Shwing!*


    The form n took could not even bepared to his own. It was as if an amateur was beingpared to a Master.


    ''that spear art...''


    Beautiful.


    He was in a trance, just staring at the magnificent de strike against the air.


    It felt as if there were no openings in that form...yet looked chaotic at the same time.


    It was utter chaos...yet it was also perfect.


    The ck-haired boy, Who was entranced by the form suddenly grimaced as he saw The white-haired figure, n stop practicing it the moment he was about to release a special or final technique.


    It felt as if a cliffhanger had just appeared.


    A damn hateful cliffhanger.


    ''No! Keep going!''


    He hated it, he wanted to see the spear move again. Yet it didn''t move again...


    The owner of the spear, however, did.


    He walked over towards him.


    He stumbled back, was he going to beat the living hell out of him like all the others? For his face?For the fact that he did not awaken with an affinity?


    ''...please don''t.''


    He could only pray that he wasn''t like them...


    But was it even worth trying?


    '' He''s a first goddamnit.


    Of course, he''s going to have an ego the size of the world


    All of them are like that.''


    As he was drowned in his thoughts. n had finally approached him.


    He held out his hand and spoke with a simple on his face that made him seem like an angel...


    well, he would look like an angel if he didn''t have those bags under his eyes.


    "Hey, Mind having a spar with me? I don''t think I can improve a lot by myself."


    ...what?


    Me? The lowest ranked first year? have a spar with the best?


    Would he not destroy me? Beat the absolute living shit out of me?


    But...Did he even have a choice?


    If he denied, he would still be beaten up, Correct?


    "...um I''m sorry but I don''t think I can put up a good fight against you."


    "That isn''t a problem at all, I won''t be using my spear, and besides this is just a spar!"


    "...But I''m the lowest ranked student out there...I don''t think I''ll be able to..."


    "It doesn''t matter! Even if you have the lowest rank, If you could get into the shield, you''re probably a good fighter!"


    ''No.. that''s not how it goes...''


    But unfortunately, tonight no one would listen to his pleas.


    He was forced to a cow this beatdown.


    Little did he know, n was


    just doing this to test The student of the sword saint, and the next sword saint himself level.


    It was the reason why he was even trying to put up a smile in the first ce.


    n himself was curious, what was so special about him that the sword saint took him in as a student?


    He wouldn''t even question this if he arrived earlier and saw The ck-haired boy, Alex Wright training with his swords.


    Both of them would benefit from this exchange...


    Albeit one would be forced into it.

 Chapter 63 Alex Wright[2]

    "...please be serious."


    I said. I couldn''t believe this was the student of the sword saint.


    Was it because I was strong? Or was it because he was too sloppy?


    His movements, shes, and footwork all looked like an amateur was performing it.


    Was it because of this imperfection that the sword saint took him in as a disciple?


    I was having no problem dodging his swords.


    "...yes."


    His voice sounded out. Did he seem..scared?


    ''Is he scared of me?''


    I had a peculiar thought. Well, Thinking about it.


    Any bullied student would be if the first-ranked student wanted to fight them...


    Especially when they''ve been bullied for quite a while.


    ''Hmm...I need to think of a way to solve this..''


    But..How was I going to give him some confidence?


    "..um can we stop now?"


    Drifting me away from my thoughts was Alex''s voice. Turning my head to look at him, I nodded and said.


    "Yeah, let''s do it when you''re serious."


    After saying that, I moved further away from him, Picked up my spear from the ground, and began practicing my art.


    I needed to do a specific set of movements thousands, no, millions of times if I wanted to achieveplete mastery in my [Chaotic Spear] weapon technique.


    Ordinary techniques would only need a few thousand, even hundreds of thousands, but a seven-star technique needed a much higher degree of mastery for perfection.


    If I overworked myself, I could unlock the Second Special Movement[Oblivion Thrust] by the end of the month.


    Once I reached a specific mastery point, the information about the Movement itself would be transferred over to my brain, I didn''t have to learn it from a book like all the others because the [Chaotic Spear] was seven stars.


    All other Arts below it, Even Six Star Manuals, all we''re present in written form.


    Seven Star arts, on the other hand, were present as a crystallization of knowledge imnted directly into your brain once you found them.


    To not overwhelm the user''s mind, The art would slowly reveal itself in the user''s mind as they progressed.


    Handy, if I do say so myself.


    But I needed to do something about my body.


    My body was not human, That was the only reason I hadn''tpletely exploded into bits and pieces when I first practiced the first Movement [Abyssal Rend].


    If it was a normal human, Forget just their arms, They would have been pulverized by the sheer force the attack emitted.


    It would be far too much for them to handle.


    My body, being A draconian, was much much stronger and more resilient than humans.


    Kind of like orcs, although my strength and endurance probably stated their rank at <C>, They were probably at Either<B> or <B-> rank.


    Kind of Broken to be honest.


    ''Wait a minute, wasn''t I close to death that day?''


    Thinking about...I was, If not for Sabrina Coming in and feeding me the potion, I would''ve died of blood loss, to be honest.


    Damn, do I owe her?


    I mean...she only came because of that quest right?


    Yeah, that''s probably it.


    Although I am still grateful, She still saved my life that day...


    ''I should stop and just focus on my kicking, not my spear goddamnit.''


    I shouldn''t let other types of thoughts cloud my mind.


    The other...n Pator told me to practice [Dark Leg] while I was here to attract the attention of the Sword saint.


    ''The sword saint spends most of his time in the training center...so''


    Thinking about it, if he spent most of his time hidden here...then.


    ''Dragon Eyes.''


    I activated Dragon eyes and the world around me changed.


    If my vision before activating dragon eyes was normal, Then how should this be exined in words?


    Every Measurement of my surroundings, then in the air wasid bare before my eyes.


    I even had to limit Dragon eyes so that my mind wouldn''t be fried upon activation.


    Before trying to observe the training center, I looked over to where Alex was.


    And I could see it, The dull grey mana inside his body, signifying that he has no affinity...


    His literal affinity was Null.


    And people made fun of it. And thinking about it, I could only say one thing


    ''Ignorance is Bliss.''


    I could onlyugh at how ignorant they were.


    Alex Wright, As the next sword saint, made extremely well use of his attribute.<sub> </sub>


    It could in a way be considered broken.


    Why? Because although it had no Elemental Advantages against other elements, like increased damage or defense against certain elements.


    No other Element had any sort of advantage over it.


    If fire and water were opposites that dealt insane damage to other but had a weak defense to each other, Null Attribute had none.


    it was at its normal attack potency and defense capability against all others.


    Ice and Chaos had opposite elements of Magma and Fate, Yet Null had none.


    It could truly be said to be broken if utilized well.


    p It was why...even I was a little envious of it.</anda>


    Just imagining coating yourself in Null Attribute Mana that had no weaknesses against other elements.


    It was cool just thinking about it. My inner weeb was surfacing again.


    And therefore, I made a promise to myself.


    ''I''ll make you use your element properly early this time bastard.''


    I would make him realize the worth of his element early.


    And I''ll make him indebted to me.


    So I could use him all I wanted.


    ***


    [Alex''s POV]


    ''...beautiful.''


    The way he swung his spear without any wasted movements.


    ''...could I be like that?''


    Was it my delusion? Seeing him like that, I checked my Status.


    ====Status====


    Name:Alexander Wright[16]


    Race:Human


    Strength:F


    Agility:F+


    Endurance:F


    Mana:F


    Intelligence:F+


    Charm:C+, Current(E+)


    Affinity:Null


    Techniques::


    Mana Techniques:Basic Mana Control(*).


    Martial Techniques:None


    Weapon Techniques:None


    ______________________________________


    ...Yes, It was impossible from the start.


    How could Ipete with him?


    Someone who awakened a rare affinity, the first to awaken that affinity among Humans...


    Meanwhile, I had no affinity.


    It was sphemous from the start for me to think I could ever match up to him.


    I was useless.


    Trash, Someone who couldn''t even match up to my little brother...


    Someone my damn parents had given up upon.


    If not for me begging them to let me enter shield, by using the fact they would never have to see me again if I was in shield...


    That they could finally let go of the family''s disappointment...


    ...why did I think entering Shield would be my gateway to a better world.


    I was bullied even here, So much so that I could only use the training center at midnight where no one was there because all of my ssmates wanted to have a go at me to boast about this strength andugh at me...


    And I didn''t anything to stop them...


    I had already epted my fate.


    ''I''m...a piece of trash...''


    Thinking about how much trash I was, I looked over to where the rank 1 was training...


    Was it wrong for me to have such thoughts?


    Was it...wrong...


    For me to even envy him?

 Chapter 64 Birthday.[64]

    [5th January 2065]


    It was the day, sses had ended,  I had dropped off Sabrina, and finally, I was free to do whatever I wanted to do.


    I hurriedly got into the bathroom and took a quick shower.


    After I was done, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and closely examined my body.


    It was pretty average, Although I was awakened my body wasn''t a body that was possessed by bodybuilders.


    It was fairly fit, But not to the point that I had a six-pack or anything. Although there was an outline of them forming.


    It was just...okay?


    And to think I had strength enough to crush boulders with this body...


    Quite Surprising to be honest, My arms and legs were a little developed but my main chest and abdomen had nothing noteworthy...


    ''Should I start working out seriously?''


    But...was there even a point?


    Yeah, every man wanted to have a body possessed by a bodybuilder but...


    What was the point? The amount of strength I could emit from this body wouldn''t increase at all.


    The principle behind my attacks would be the same, Using mana to deliver fatal blows.


    So there was no point in training it unless I wanted to impress somebody.


    ''Anyway, Stop the useless thinking!''


    Yes!


    Today was a special day!


    It was my precious little sister in this world''s actual birthday!


    Although I had already celebrated her birthday earlier because I thought I couldn''t meet her outside of the shield, I could do it now because of Teleportation!


    Who could stop me from celebrating her birthday again?!


    Shield''s strict rules that prohibited anyone from leaving the campus?


    I can just fucking teleport!


    Money?Hah! I had more than 15 million studs in my bank ount because of the bodyguard job I had!


    In other words! I''m rich!


    Well not the richest but somewhat rich for my age who has no influential family behind him!


    This was the fruit of mybor.


    ''...wait what present should I get her?''


    Thinking about it, a wry smile appeared on my face. The previous present I wanted to get her was the supreme potion that I still had in my inventory...


    That turned out to be a disaster...


    The one thing I thought could make her walk was useless.


    The only other thing that would. gift her the ability to walk again...was an elven tear.


    I had no way of getting an elven tear right now...


    Unless...I figured out the coordinates to Elvenheim, The homeworld of the elves. But I understood nothing of the information or methods given to me by the Orb Of Spatial Knowledge.


    Unless I put my entire mind or most of the rare free time I had into it.


    If I spent a few months on it...there was a high chance I could deduce the coordinates to elvenheim by myself.


    The only alternate was meeting an elf here, which was already close to impossible.


    The Elves of ''The Ultimate Sin'' world were pacifists most of the time, they were disgusted by the fact that we humans even existed, it was the reason they were the race that opposed the idea of the humans joining the Alliance much more than all the other races.


    And although they were pacifists, They were also the strongest race among the Three Main races of the Alliance.


    If you messed with them, they would forget their pacifism and be literal gods of war.


    This double personality of theirs was what made them still keep their homeworld, unlike the Orcs and Dwarves which had already lost their Homeworlds to the Abyss.


    Well, that and also the fact that a certain special existence also upied Elvenheim...


    An existence I would like to talk with if possible.


    *Sigh*


    Sighing to myself, I made up my mind to just get ready and buy whatever Samantha liked.


    ''... there''s teddy bears, Mango cakes, Barbie dolls, and...''


    ...and not a lot of stuff girls like...


    ''Come to think of it, I''ve never seen her ying with dolls before.''


    Could it be?!


    My sister is a tomboy?


    No, No she can''t be one.


    I should stop thinking about all this useless stuff.


    I should get ready to celebrate her birthday.<sub> </sub>


    ***


    ''Heh, Looking good.''


    I said to myself while looking at the mirror, This time my white hair was gelled back, a ducktail hairstyle more specifically, and most of all, I was wearing a simple ck T-Shirt and Jeans.


    And I was also wearing a ck face mask.


    I was not going to spend her entire birthday at the suite given to us.


    The only problem was someone recognizing me and going all crazy at how a student who was supposed to be in Shield was doing outside of Shield.


    The world doesn''t know I could teleport yet.


    Only Sabrina and a few bystanders who had seen me did.


    And I made sure to only teleport in discreet areas so I wouldn''t be found out.


    Although I could just t out ignore them and even say no to some people who wanted to experience teleporting.


    My patience was surprisingly limited. I didn''t want another Elijah incident again.


    But I do wonder, how long am I going to be able to hide it? Some executives of Shield already knew about it one hundred percent.


    I don''t know why they''re hiding it to be honest but hey, it works out.


    And so with that, I checked my watch.


    After confirming the time was one that Benson, my assistant wouldn''t be at the suite, I channeled my mana, and a blue portal formed in front of me.


    And without any more Dy, I stepped inside.


    ***


    "So, Sam, I''ll ask you again, but are you sure about this."


    "Yes."


    Benson, who had been chosen as Samantha''s Educator, primarily because he had a good brain, could keep secrets and be trusted by the guild asked Samantha.


    "I don''t want Al to be disappointed with me."


    Samantha, the girl who was trying her best to learn and understand the math book in front of her, said with a sad look on her face.


    "He won''t be disappointed with you at all even if you do nothing you know."


    Benson who knew what she was trying to do, said with a smile on her face.


    "...its best of you study within the guild, you don''t have to study at a prestigious school with a schrship you know."


    "But Al is ranked first in Shield! The top of the top in the world!"


    Seeing her pout, Benson coughed and took a deep breath, and calmed himself.


    ''...cute.''


    Benson thought while coughing slightly to distract himself.


    After spending time with a certain someone''s little sister, he understood why the cold bastard known as n Pator fawned over his sister.


    She was simply far too cute. Cute enough that even a cold-hearted monster showed his lovable side to her.


    "...Your Elder brother is a special type of battle monster."


    He truly was, the elder brother of Samantha Pator was a monster that as a D rank beat a B Rank in only a few months and also was the youngest person ever to be C rank at an age where most people who were considered geniuses were Only E rank despite training for their entire lives.


    "Then I''ll be a study monster! You''ll help me right Benson?"


    ''Kh!''


    An arrow had pierced his heart...


    How was he supposed to say no to those Dark Blue Diamonds for eyes that resembled the eyes of a puppy?!


    However, his happiness was short-lived, for he sensed a mana disturbance in the air and saw a blue portal forming inside the living room of the suite.


    His eyes were filled with horror as he immediately moved with an insane speed and immediately grabbed Samantha from her wheelchair and held her in a princess carry.


    In his mind was only one thing.


    ''A dungeon appearing right here?!''


    He immediately bolted towards the window because the portal blocked the door.


    He was nning to jump with Samantha in his arms and escape and notify his guild when he saw the foot of human wearing trainers step out from the portal.


    He stopped for a second and saw an entire human with hair as white as snow step out from the portal wearing a mask.


    The most notable feature of this individual was the bright blue diamonds in the eyes he had.


    A lot simr to the eyes of a certain individual in his arms.


    ''Sir?!''


    Did the guy whose assistant he was just stepped out of a damn portal?!


    The white-haired individual, who he assumed was the one he was assigned to train and the one who bested him inbat, took off his mask and looked at them both. Particrly at Benson who was carrying his little sister like a princess and appeared to be ready to jump out of the fucking window.


    He then shed a terrifying smile that screamed.


    ''If you don''t exin this right now, I''m gonna fucking kill you.''

 Chapter 65 [65] Present.

    A|N:Sorry for no chapter yesterday, bad weather messing with my inte.


    A|N again:My stupidity knows no bounds,I uploaded the same chapter twice lol.


    ------


    "So, you mind exining to me What you''re doing Benson?"


    After I had opened the portal to my room, I was first surprised to see Benson here but the surprise soon turned into slight confusion and anger after seeing him holding my dear sister in a princess carry and seemingly being ready to jump out of the window.


    "...Uh, Can I first ask how you can do that?"


    "Do what Benson?"


    Benson Gulped, the n Pator he was facing right now was very angry.


    Benson quickly concluded that it would be best to answer him right now without any lie.


    "Well, after I saw the portal open up in the room, I thought a dungeon had opened and was ready to take young miss Samantha away to safety..."


    Benson spoke with a somewhat horrified voice, He truly was scared of the expression n Pator was showing right now.


    Although there was a smile present on his face, his eyes screamed ''I''m gonna kill you.''


    n''s Voice then sounded out.


    "Oh? Well, mind telling me why you thought jumping out of the fu-Damn window was going to get her to safety?


    Especially when she already has a weak body?"


    n, who was about to include a curse in his sentence quickly stopped after seeing Samantha looking at him with a somewhat surprised face.


    He didn''t want his sister to adopt his shitty mouth.


    ''...he was going to curse wasn''t he...''


    Of course, this didn''t bypass Benson.


    He was still thinking about how to make this monster in front of him calm down.


    p After finally thinking for a good few seconds, he answered.</anda>


    "Well, A portal suddenly opened in the middle of the room and it blocked the way to the door, and... I would have risked my life to ensure Samantha''s Safety!"


    "Jumping from the 36th floor with a girl who has a fragile body sounded safe to you? You''re an awakened, not her."


    But s, his carefully thought response was immediately shot down by the Elder Brother.


    He now had only one way out of the situation.


    And that way was acquiring the help of the only person who could calm n Pator down and even order him around.


    And so, with pleading eyes, he looked at Samantha who was still in his arms.


    ''Please save me!''


    That was the message his eyes conveyed.


    And thankfully, Although she was still a child, Had undergone a lot and was already somewhat mature and understood the meaning behind his eyes.


    And so, she finally spoke after knocking herself out of her stupor that was caused by seeing her brothere out of a gate of cmity(another name for dungeons.) in front of her very eyes.


    "Al, this is your fault."


    n, who was looking at Benson with a murderous gaze, looked at his little sister with a gaze full of love that was devoid of the murderous gaze he gave Benson earlier.


    *Tch*


    "ah Yes! I should have thought this through! Sorry, Benson!"


    ''Why did you click your tongue you siscon?!''


    After hearing n Click his tongue his thoughts began to wander to the point he considered if this teenager had a vendetta against him.


    "Uncle Ben, Let me down please."


    Shaking him out of his thoughts was Samantha''s Voice.


    Hearing her request, he obliged and went over to the sofa toy the girl down, Of course after he was done he quickly went behind her to ward off any attempt of someone lunging at him!


    n looked at Benson with an ominous glint in his eyes for a few seconds.


    However, After that, he put on the widest smile he could muster on his face and said in a loud and happy voice.


    "Happy Birthday Sam!"


    It was confusing for Benson, who had only seen The ''Cold'' n Pator.


    Yes, he knew he was a siscon but to have such a vast difference between your personality when dealing with other people versus his sister.


    But then again, He had to remind himself that those two had been there for each other ever since their parents died.


    ''That reminds me, Doesn''t n have grandparents?''


    He thought with a slightly quizzical look present on his face.


    Benson and the entire guild had researched their new prodigy''s information as soon as they could.


    From it, they found out that he still had Grandparents from his Mothers Side alive and well.


    But that information just raised another question for them.


    ''Why did he reject their help when they were even willing to take the brother-sister duo in?''


    It was confusing, to say the least, that a ten-year-old child along with his then disabled sister should have been taken into custody by any remaining family member they had left, yet n had denied his grandparent''s help and they, after his constant Refusal could only back off?


    Was there something going on between them? Had he a fight with them?<sub> </sub>


    Or was a ten-year-old n Pator greatly affected by his parent''s death that he rejected help?


    There was no feud between them at all after more research had been done.


    Both parties agreed and the court had nothing else left to do but transfer n And Samantha over to an orphanage.


    ''Was it because of trauma? Or...was it because...''


    Benson paused his thoughts and looked at the white-haired kid that was far too mature for his age at times.


    ''Was it because he didn''t want to be a burden?''


    ***


    "So...I''m sorry to say this but, what do you want as a present?"


    I truly did not know, I could buy her thousands of cakes for her but couldn''t figure out a good birthday present for her except for sweets.


    How could I be med? She never asked me for anything and I also had never seen her y with whatever girls y.


    ''Although there was also a teddy bear she liked.''


    I recalled the memory of her hugging a teddy bear Benson had brought when he came to educate her once.


    She loved it to the point she couldn''t sleep without it. And I didn''t think she would give her love to another one so quickly.


    So it was better to just be direct!


    ''And stop looking at me with pity in your eyes bastard.''


    I thought when I saw Benson behind Samantha looking at me with eyes full of pity as if they conveyed the message


    ''Are you seriously asking that?''.


    "...um."


    Samantha, who stayed quiet for quite a while after her ''um'' finally said again and had a puppy eye look on her face.


    "I...I want to enroll iinEden."


    ''Huh?''


    A questioning look appeared on my face.


    Eden, Ranked as the number two best Academy for awakened in the world.


    Unlike shield, which only had one institute, Eden had multiple branches in nearly all the major cities.


    They also epted children that have yet to awaken and had influential individuals backing them.


    Shield only epted Awakened individuals while Eden epted all students that had a high intellect even though they were not awakened...yet or may never awaken.


    Their Motto was Intelligence is strength.


    So, If Samantha could pass their Interview and Entrance exams, she could enter because I could very well afford her tuition with 500k from the guild and 15 million from my bodyguard job...but.


    ''Her body....''


    She was under the BodyBreak Curse of the demons that slowly eroded her body away.


    She would be dead already if not for the fact that she had high affinities to two elements that were fitted for healing constantly repairing her body and fighting against the curse. And also me requesting the guild to cut my paycheck and provide her with health potions now and then.


    Awakened individuals with either Water, Life, or Light with their affinities had a much stronger regeneration factor.


    And She had affinities to Two of them.


    Her body, although being destroyed by the curse was also being repaired at the same time, which was why she was still alive...


    But that still didn''t dispel my concerns.


    It was not publicly known that I had a sister, Twilight had done extremely well to hide her.Although I wouldn''t mind having her enroll in Eden, I also didn''t want themon people to find that ''I'' had a sister.


    And if they found out her condition...


    ''There would be no shortage of other people trying to get to me...through her.''


    Thinking about it, a pained smile emerged on my face. Seeing it, Samantha hurriedly said.


    "It''s ok if it''s... not possible."


    Hearing her disheartened reply, the pained smile disappeared from my face and I said with a loving voice.


    "Do you want to go?"


    "Yes!" She replied without a shred of hesitation.


    "Do you promise to study well?"


    "Yes!" She replied without hesitation again.


    And under her eyes, her elder brother could do nothing else butply.


    "Fine, I''lle here every day at this time to study with you, You''ll takes the entrance exams next year. Ok?"


    "Ok!"


    And with that, n silently patted her head for a while.


    "Well, do you mind waiting here for a bit while I and Benson go and pick up a birthday cake and present?"


    "...no?"


    "Good girl."


    And with that, I gestured Benson toe over, he reluctantly did and we both left the suite and went down the building, left, and entered the car.

 Chapter 66 {66}Present[2]

    "Sir, I need to ask why you agreed to her request so easily. Even though you know the condition of her body."


    Benson asked while driving the car. n who was seating in the seat beside him answered with a calm voice.


    "Because she wanted to."


    "Sir, this is not a joke, Eden, although it prides itself in being unbiased, is full of arrogant young children whose parents are all influential figures. Twilight can guarantee her safety outside of the campus but inside th-"


    "There will be no shortage of people trying to get to me through her."


    npleted Benson''s sentence.


    "Yes."


    Not being bothered at all by being interrupted, Benson nodded and waited for n To say something.


    "I''ll make the proper arrangements, I still have a year left."


    "But what about...'' it''?"


    Benson inquired, the ''it'' referring to the curse that Samantha had on her.


    "I''ll do something about it."


    Seeing n respond in a calm voice, Benson could only sigh.


    ''Where is he getting this confidence from?''He could only think about how n got the confidence to Say he would procure an Elven tear within a year.


    They were treasures even to elves who could only produce them only a few dozen times every year.


    And even then those Few Elven tears were reserved for Only Elves or influential figures of the Alliance.


    And humanity was not a part of the Alliance.


    "...then can I ask how you are going to solve it?" Benson could no longer hold back his curiosity and finally asked n.


    "I just have to find Elvenheim."


    "Excuse me? The homeworld of the elves?"


    "Yes."


    What was this bullshit?ElvenHeim was a sacred that only elves and some other species had ess to. A stronghold that had not been prated by anyyer of the Abyss yet.


    The only way to get to Elvenheim was through portals. And humanity still hadn''t figured out portal tech yet.


    ''Wait...portals?''


    Recalling the previous moment when n hade out of a portal, He inquired with slight excitement in his voice.


    "...Sir may I ask how you came out of a portal?"


    Hearing his question, n finally turned his head over to face Benson who was driving.


    He sighed and then answered.


    "I made some progress with my Spatial affinity."


    After his response, there was silence in the car as Benson didn''t ask any more questions because he felt that n Wouldnt answer him again.


    After a while in the awkward silence, He mustered up the courage to ask again even though he had a feeling he would be met with silence.


    "I still think Samantha should study at the guild Sir."


    n did not respond just like Benson expected. After a short while, Benson parked the car in front of a bakery and was about to open the door when he heard n''s voice.


    "Buy five chocte cakes."


    "Five?"


    "Yes?"


    ''What are you going to with five of them?''


    Benson thought, but didn''t say anything else and exited the hovercar.


    Seeing his figure walk into the bakery through the tinted windows of the car, n silently thought to himself.


    ''If only you knew the life of a caged bird Benson.''


    Years ago, when he was still James Smith, he had made a promise to himself, That he would never in his entire life be like the family that treated him like a caged bird fit only to do their bidding.


    If it was in his power to do so, he would never let anybody experience something even remotely simr to his childhood.


    He could grant Samanthas Little wish, and if anybody tried to do anything to her.


    He would make them taste hell.


    ''I have to get more active from now on.''


    He thought with a cold look on his face.


    He had a year to deter anyone''s thoughts of harming his little sister.<sub> </sub>


    And he also had the same year to find ElvenHeims Spatial coordinates.


    As for how he would get the Elven tear even if he managed to find Elvenheim?


    He was going to evolve into a dragon, and Elves worshipped dragons like Gods.


    ***


    [Alexander Wright POV][Midnight]


    ''He didn''te today?''


    I thought as I continued to swing my swords.


    I wondered why he didn''te today.


    The first rank had beening here ever since the start of the school year.


    It had been four consecutive days since they had trained in the training center, which was akin to a massive dojo.


    ''I should stop thinking about it.''


    He should, they were not even close to each other at all.


    Although The first rank did ask him to spar every day. he wondered why he never used his spear.


    Was he looking down on him?


    Would his ego be that hurt if he used his spear to fight against him?


    ...but he couldn''t me him.


    After all, What he saw on the first day when n practiced his spear for a while had left a deep impression in his mind.


    Could he truly fight against that spear when he couldn''t even fight against him when he was just using his legs?


    His spear, to Alex''s knowledge, had no openings to take advantage of.


    ''Could...my sword be like that one day?''


    He wondered, could his sword truly reach the same proficiency n had with the spear?


    ''Probably not.''


    Of course, how could hepete with the strongest first year in Shields History, The one who was at <C> rank at the tender age of 16? And at this age, Alex was only Frank, and he wasn''t breaking through soon.


    He had no good mana training technique for his shitty Null attribute and even worse he didn''t think a Mana training technique even existed for his attribute.


    *Sigh*


    "...what do I do about sses?


    Alex muttered with a hint of concern evident in his voice.


    He had been missing his regr sses because of fear of those that bullied him, but now? If he missed the entire first week of sses, he would be called into the office and be given a warning.


    ''Well, it''s better if I don''t meet them again.''


    He truly did not want to nearly die again.


    His family wouldn''t even stand up for him and his Bullys family was influential enough to stop Shield from taking drastic measures to stop bullying.


    The top ten Great Families had great authority on earth.


    And the guy that bullied him, was ranked sixth and belonged to the 5th most influential family on earth.


    What could the Wrights, who were just a family of Lawyers, even do against them, they could remove them from existence with just a single word.


    And why would the Wrights even try to defend trash like him?


    He remembered the day he was evaluated vividly, The moment he became assessed to have an SS Rank talent, his entire family and he was overjoyed, but unfortunately, God had to fuck him over and give him a useless affinity.


    How could he achieve his talent rank if he had no mana training technique to even help him reach it?


    There was nothing about the thanks attribute avable.


    His family amd even the government themselves were excited when an individual appeared among the humans who had a new attribute, yet it soon turned into disappointment when they realized his affinity was literal garbage.


    Dejected, Alexid down on the cold hard floor of the tform he was swinging his sword at and raised his hand.


    He channeled his mana and converted it into his affinity, And then a Grey hue started to form around his hand.


    He looked at the grey hue with contempt.


    But the contempt in his eyes soon turned into surprise when he saw an upside-down head belonging to an old man with a well-kept beard looking at him with his golden eyes.


    " My, What an interesting affinity you got there."


    n Pator truly had shitty luck, The one person he wanted to meet here came on the one day he didn''te.

 Chapter 67 {67}Sword Saint

    "Ah!"


    Alex hurriedly stood up in surprise, however, his head collided with the head of the golden-eyed old man looking down at him.


    *Bam*


    Their foreheads hit each other, yet it was surprisingly Alex who got knocked out, The old man didn''t even flinch or move even the tiniest bit when their foreheads hit each other.


    Alex had passed out from the collision and his forehead was now a little bit red as if he had smashed his head into a metal wall.


    "Oh."


    The old man muttered, He ced his hand on Alex''s chest, precisely where his heart would be located, His finger shone with a golden hue and, Alex like his body had been zapped by lightning, Immediately woke up and gasped for breath.


    "Gasp!What the fuck?!"


    Alex screamed because he truly was surprised at the jolt of electricity that he had just felt wake him up.


    "Don''t curse in front of your elder''s brat."


    An aged yet manly voice sounded from behind him, It belonged to the old man who had a forehead made of metal.


    Alex looked at the old man and closely examined him.


    He stood at a height of nearly two meters, Had an incredible well-built frame that could be seen because of the tight grey shirt and ck pants that he had on. A well-kept grey beard and hair.


    The most notable thing about him would be his eyes which shone with a golden hue.


    "Now, Mind showing me your affinity again?"


    No reply came from the confused Alex, Seeing him not respond, the old man asked again.


    "Excuse me, Young man, Would you mind showing me your space affinity again?"


    ''Space?''


    Alex thought, He didn''t have a space affinity, he had no affinity.


    the only one in this entire academy who had a spatial affinity was...


    "...the rank first?"


    Muttered Alex with confusion in his voice.


    ''Is he perhaps confusing me for the rank first?''


    As far as he knew, the only human to have ever awakened the Spatial was the number one ranked first year.


    The particr first year, who like him, also came to train every day together with him in the training center at night, Even though he probably had an entire training room to himself in his dorm.


    ''Come to think of it, why does he evene here to train?''


    "Yes, you are the rumored rank first who has the space affinity correct?"


    The voice of the old man was heard again.


    Alex finally responded to clear the misunderstanding.


    "Umm, that''s not me...sir?"


    He spoke in a hushed voice near the end because he did not know how to address the old man properly.


    "It''s not you? Then why is your affinity color like that? I haven''t seen anyone with grey color for their affinity."


    The old man inquired.


    The old man had never seen the spatial element being used by a human, so he of course didn''t know it possessed an astral blue color, unlike the grey from the null affinity with Alex.


    "Hmmm, Then, what''s your name and affinity, young man?"


    The old man inquired once more, but this time there was an odd shine in his eyes.


    It was as if he was expecting something surprising to be heard from Alex''s Mouth.


    "Alexander Wright and... I have no affinity sir."


    "Wright? Do you mean that family ofwyers?"


    "...yes"<sub> </sub>


    Talking about his family was not a good topic for Alex, It soured his mood just by thinking about them.


    "And what did you mean by no affinity?"


    It was clear that the old man had his interest peaked.


    "I have no affinity at all sir."


    "Hah? How can that be possible?"


    After he said that, his eyes shone a brilliant golden hue, and golden electricity danced around his eyes.


    Under the gaze of those golden eyes, Alex felt naked as if all of his secrets had been seen right through.


    "But you do have an affinity?"


    The old man muttered again, However this time the glow around his eyes became even brighter.


    "Null Affinity?...interesting?"


    This was the first time the old man had heard of the Null Affinity. He had heard about space from His dear friend Oliver, the principal of Shield had told him about this n Pator that was the first to awaken the Spatial affinity.


    Although he now regretted not asking for his features. He had mistaken another youngd as n Pator.


    ...but,


    The old man nced at the dual king fu des that had been dropped by Alex before heid down.


    Walking up to them, he carefully picked them up and said.


    "Tsk, tsk, Treating your weapon so badly."


    After that, He just held on to the two des and approached Alex with them.


    "Take them, and treat them with care as if they were your children."


    He handed Alex the des and continued to mutter to himself.


    "Hmmm, Null affinity, Space affinity...


    Damn that Old Coot, he should have told me there were two students with special affinities this year."


    "Umm. Who are you, Sir?"


    As he was muttering to himself, The Old man Heard Alex''s voice once again.


    After pondering for a bit, The old man finally answered.


    "Arken Miller is the name."


    huh?


    Time paused inside Alex''s mind. Arken Miller? Wasn''t that the name of the Missing Sword Saint?


    ''No, No it can''t be, he''s supposed to Be MIA(missing in action)''


    "I''m also called the Sword Saint."


    Boom-


    Alex''s mind stopped. He was trying to process what the old man had just said.


    He was too shocked to even respond quickly. Who wouldn''t be when they supposedly met a hero highly regarded as one of the strongest humans to live?


    And finally after a few seconds, his mind had processed the fact that he had met the Sword Saint.


    And his response?


    "Hah?!"


    Alex eximed in surprise, he truly could not believe this.


    The voice of the Old Man, who he now knew was the sword saint Arken Miller, Was heard again.


    "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Alex Wright."

 Chapter 68 {68}Sword Saint[2]

    Arken Miller, The legendary Sword Saint, is Said to be among the top 5 strongest humans to have ever appeared since the First Cataclysm.


    He, along with Oliver Olsfer, and Hiroto Mitsuki werebeled as the Golden Trio back in their days.


    They were sworn brothers who went through numerous life and death situations and rendered great sacrifices against the demons.


    They were all masters of their craft.


    Oliver Olsfer, The Sage and currently ranked third in the Hero Rankings.


    Arken Miller, The Sword Saint, Although unranked, is said to be stronger than the second highest ranked hero and just slightly below Harrison Soubuelle.


    Hiroto Mitsuki, The Spear Saint, Who was on par with Arken Miller, And who like Oliver, established an Academy for training young awakened in what was formerly Japan.


    Oliver Established Shield, while Mitsuki established Horizon, which was currently ranked third amongst the top ten academies.


    It was originally just below Shield but...


    The death of its founder made it vulnerable and somewhat Weak that Eden took over as the second-best academy.


    Hiroto Mitsuki Died in battle. With Arken being unable to save him.


    The death of his beloved brother-in-arms caused him to go on a rampage. This rampage resulted in the demons retreating to their continent.


    On that day, Although Humanity had sessfully repelled the demon''s invasion that day.


    They had also lost many heroes along with Hiroto Mitsuki...and Arken Miller.


    Humanity had lost Both of their weapon saints in a single day.


    Hiroto Mitsuki was Killed In Action, While Arken Miller was missing in action.


    He chased the demons back to their damn continent and wreaked havoc there.


    Two Marquess Ranked demons were killed by him and a duke-ranked demon was severely injured to the point he died a few dayster he sumbed to his injuries.


    A single man, Who was the same rank as the Marquess ranked demons, had killed two of them and had also indirectly killed a demon a whole major rank above his own.


    All out of rage that his friend had died and he couldn''t do anything to save him.


    After all the havoc he wreaked in the demon continent, he was never heard of again.


    The Union Labeled him as MIA Because they didn''t want the public to believe he had died, as it would only lower their confidence more.


    How could it not? The legend of Japan, Hiroto Mitsuki was already dead and Japan Was in ruin, If they announced Arken miller to be dead as well. The bacsh would be so much worse.


    The public would have fallen into despair, knowing two of their heroes were dead.


    And thus, they could onlybel him as MIA after Oliver requested them to.


    Oliver knew Arken was Alive because of a mana contract they had made. He reassured the public who were starting to believe the government was lying to them due to the mana contract still being active.  He just didn''t know where he was staying at.


    Humanity had received no more attacks from the demons after that incident.


    They had thought the demons were weakened severely after the attack on Japan but the reality was far from different.


    The demons were still strong even after the attack and they could have easily destroyed humanity because one of their strongest Individuals had died.


    The problem was, that the demons were far too preupied taking care of another problem.


    The Problem of the Enraged Arken Miller wreaking Havoc on their continent.


    Hundreds of thousands of demons were killed in his rage.


    One Human Went against an entire continent full of demons from the Abyss for years and wreaked havoc there.


    The only reason the demons hadn''tunched a counterattack was that they were too preupied with dealing with The ''Demon yer'' which was the name Arken Had made for himself during the years he ran rampant in Demond.


    Unlike what humanity had concluded, the demons were not weakened to the point that they couldn''t evenunch a small scaled attack on humanity, The demons were being hunted down by a single individual from the human race.


    But then, What was his secret? How was Arken able to survive in the hellish environment while being faced with every demon in there?


    It was something Even Oliver didn''t know about.<sub> </sub>


    For the longest time, Arken Had reached a limit unknown to even Humanity itself as he went through multiple life and death battles against beings equal to or Stronger than him one at a time or multiple times at once.


    Arken Miller, if he was still in the same ''state'' he was while he was in the demon continent, could be said to, no definitely pummel Even Harrison.


    But unfortunately, even all legends had toe to an end.


    For Even Arken Miller faced defeat, he had been ambushed by multiple Marquess ranked and Duke Ranked demons along with one Demonic Human.


    Arken was doing quite fine facing the ambush until the Demonic Human had released Her trump card.


    A unique skill that was only hers.


    [BioManiption]


    A truly ultimate skill that allowed her to control living organisms who''s she understood down to a cellr level to a certain degree.


    She was the trump card of the demons against Arken.


    And thus, By using her skill, she made Arken Wake up from his overpowered State.


    And what happened after was hell breaking loose. Arken had been severely injured but continued to fight.


    He had resolved himself to die that day, but his body had not. It pushed through her control and made him enter the state again. And the demons lost 6 Marquess and 3 Duke-ranked demons that day.


    Along with Arken Severely injuring The Demonic Human as well, who had immediately bolted after seeing him enter that ''State'' Again.


    But Arken was not unscathed, He had retreated to The Human Domain and had sought out Oliver to heal his injuries that potions could do nothing but dy.


    He had been nursed by Oliver For quite a while. Sometimes secretly taking strolls to the training center at midnight or the entire shield campus.


    And it was from Oliver he heard about a certain student who had awakened the Spatial attribute yet wasn''t a spatial mage but practiced the spear instead.


    And to a perfect degree.


    His interest had been piqued after he had heard about him, and he wanted to meet him.


    He wanted to meet the young man that practiced the same Weapon Hiroto did and from what he heard from Oliver to a


    degree better than even Hiroto Himself.


    But Unfortunately, Or more like fortunately, he had met another Student except him.


    One that would have been his disciple even if n Hadn''t existed.


    The next Sword Saint, the one possessing the unique Null Attribute.


    Alexander Wright.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------A|N: I''ll exin the demon rankings now, quite simr to TAPOV(The authors PoV)


    Baron Ranked Demon:C rank


    Viscount Ranked Demon:B rank


    Count Ranked Demon:A rank


    Earl Ranked Demon:S Rank(this is also when they awaken a unique power of their respective race.)


    Marquess ranked demon:SS Rank.


    Duke Ranked Demon:SSS


    Arch Duke Ranked Demon:??


    Prince Ranked Demon:????


    King Ranked Demon:????


    are there even more powerful demons????


    STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT.

 Chapter 69 {69}Sword Saint[3]

    A/N:Noice.


    -----------------


    The same man that wasbeled demon yer, The Sword Saint, One of the strongest humans alive was standing in front of Alexander Wright.


    "Get into your stance boy."


    That same man said to Alex while not taking any stance himself.


    "Yes?"


    Replied the confused Alex, who still hadn''tprehended the situation in front of him.


    "Get ready for a light spar."


    ''Spar?!With you?!''


    That is a death sentence! How could he be the weakest shield student fight one of the strongest humans to ever exist?!


    Even if it was just a light spar?! The Sword Saint did not even need to use a fraction of 1% of his strength to take a million of Alex down!


    Alex tried to turn this ridiculous spar down.


    "Sir I don''t think...this is a good idea?"


    Alex spoke while trembling. Seeing him, the Sword Saint chuckled and said.


    "Heh, don''t worry boy I''ll limit myself....at least enough to not kill you."


    "Excuse me?!"


    Alex eximed in fright.


    Just what was thatst sentence?! Just enough to not kill you?!


    ''''I...I don''t think I''ll be able to survive even after that sir...."


    ''Please just please go away.''


    Said Alex and he begged for this man to go away.


    Sigh-


    A sigh escaped from the mouth of the legendary Sword Saint.


    "I didn''t want to do this but oh well."


    He muttered under his breath. And what happened after was him releasing bloodlust.


    Like his bloodlust itself was materializing in front of Alex''s eyes, He cowered in fright.


    ''He...He''s Going to kill me!''


    His pants had now be wet. The Sword Saint released all of the blood lust he had umted over his years of massacring the fuck out of demons that had scared Alex down to the bone.


    Slowly the Sword Saint walked up towards Alex who had fallen on his butt.


    "Pick up your swords."


    He said in a cold andmanding voice.


    And before that voice, Alex could do nothing else but pick up his swords like a ve beingmanded by his master.


    ''Why is my body reacting like this?!''<sub> </sub>


    Being threatened with death and the huge amount of bloodlust made his body subconsciously think that it had to do everything the Sword Saint ordered it to survive.


    It should have been cowering in fear after that amount of bloodlust yet here it was listening to The Sword saint''s everymand.


    Alex swung his two swords at the Sword Saint.


    The sword saint, in response, just let the swords hit his bare body that had no protection except the grey shirt he was wearing.


    *ng!*


    The sound of metal shing adamant metal rang out.


    The Sword saint had deflected two swords with just his body.


    And it produced the sound of metal shing against metal.


    Yet, Alex did not respond to this peculiar sound and just kept hacking away at the sword saints body.


    *ng!*ng!*


    ? The sound rang out again and again. Until finally Alex lost his stamina and copsed to the ground gasping for breath.


    The shirt the sword saint was wearing had long been torn apart by Alex''s des. And what was underneath the shirt were fine tunes muscles that any woman would fawn over...if they were not possessed by an old man that was.


    The entire time Alex had been hacking away at his body, the sword saint just observed him.


    His movements, his footwork, his shes, the movement of his eyes, the movement of his pitiful muscles when he was about to sh.


    "...kids these days all just want to be mages."


    The sword saint muttered under his breath.


    "But your form was quite good. And you don''t practice a weapon art from what I can tell."


    "And your special Null attribute also interests me."


    Pondering after his words for a while, He suddenlyughed and said.


    "Haha, Well I should also include him too."


    ''Him?''


    Alex wondered who ''him'' was? Was the sword saint talking about Alex Himself?


    But the sword saint did not borate any further, all he did was release the terrifying amount of bloodlust he was exuding.


    And moments, after he did Alex, heard a sound of air being ripped apart.


    *Shwing!*


    The Sword Saint as if in response to that sound raised his left hand at a speed that left after images of just his left hand...and with his index and middle finger caught something.


    He caught a pure white spear that had some traces of blue that further enhanced its beautifully crafted frame.


    "My, Now that would have hurt me if I wasn''t careful you know."


    The Sword Saint said out loud with a chuckle.


    Alex looked towards where the Spear hade from, And he saw a white-haired boy he grew familiar with these past few days standing in a javelin throwing position with beads of sweat trickling down his face.


    Alex didn''t think he woulde today as it waster than his usual time...but he dide, and he threw a fucking spear at the Sword Saints Face.


    -----------

 Chapter 70 {70}Sword Saint[4]

    A/N:Join the discord server!...please.


    link is here https://discord.gg/RxrFpVhJ


    *******


    A blue portal opened up in a luxurious room.


    n Pator stepped out of the portal and entered his room in Shield.


    After He stepped out of the portal, He immediately went over to the humongous couch and slouched down on it.


    The Blue Portal disappeared And n Rubbed his tired eyes.


    He was about to fall asleep when he abruptly checked his phone to see the time.


    [12:34 AM]


    ''...half an hour past midnight huh.''


    I thought It would be incorrect to say I was not tired at all.


    I was exhausted. Yet I still got up.


    Even if I was exhausted I wasn''t missing the chance to potentially meet the sword saint.


    I would feel like shit if the one day I decided to take a break was the same day when the Sword Saint appeared.


    So, Dragging my tired body, I opened up a portal to the training center and stepped inside.


    The moment I stepped outside of my portal and into the training center, I felt tremendous pressure upon me.


    "Khhhk!?"


    With a nonsensical grunt, My knees buckled under this enormous pressure and I struggled to even lift my head.


    With great effort, I managed to raise my head and see who the fuck was releasing this amount of pressure.


    And my guess proved to be correct, The one releasing this amount of pressure was an old man that was just standing still while two swords hacked at him.


    The eyes of this old man for a split second nce at me before returning To look at Alex, the one swinging those two swords.


    What do I feel from that nce?


    Fear.Pure and utter fear that I had never felt. I felt like an ant in front of a Behemoth.


    Useless.


    Weak.


    Pathetic.


    In a panic, I equipped my [Armor of Bewitchment] and [Spear of Frost] from my inventory to give myself a slight feeling of security against this monster but it was all for naught.


    For the fear I felt had not been removed even the tiniest bit.


    The Sword Saint didn''t even have the slightest bit of attention on me...yet I could feel him watching my every move


    closely.


    This feeling subsided after a few minutes when Alex got tired and copsed to the ground on his arse.


    The moment the feeling disappeared. The moment the Overwhelming pressure disappeared.


    I took a javelin throwing stance and threw my spear directly at the Sword Saints Head.


    Was it out of instinct? Or was it out of fear? Or was it the fact that since my first was a bound weapon I could call it to myself at any point in time?


    I did not know, But I sure as hell knew one thing.


    It was to never get close to that old monster.


    ***


    [Alexanders POV]


    "My, Now that would have hurt me if I hadn''t been careful you know."


    The Sword saint, who had caught the spear the first rank threw with just his two fingers spoke while standing in front of me.


    I closely scrutinized the beautifully built snow-white spear that was caught between two fingers of the Sword Saint.


    *Wooonnngggg!*


    The spear started to vibrate and suddenly, as if being pulled by an invisible force, Freed itself from the Sword Saints Finger grip and flew at an incredible speed back to The First rank.<sub> </sub>


    "Oho, So that was why you were stupid enough to throw your weapon at me. It was a rare bound weapon."


    The curious and excited voice of the Sword Saint resounded out.


    ''A bound weapon?!''


    I said out loud in my mind with shock.


    A fucking bound weapon? Weren''t those things so incredibly rare that not even five hundred of them were in humanity''s possession?


    How the fuck was the first rank in possession of a treasure easily worth hundreds of millions?!


    Bound weapons weren''t something thatmon.


    Like the name itself suggested, The weapon was bound to one user until their death. And could only be given to others only if the owner trusted the other individual truly and allowed them to touch their bound weapon.


    They couldn''t be traded for this purpose as well, Because they would truly serve only one master.


    But that didn''t mean they were disadvantageous, Bound weapons possessed strength far surpassing what their rank states.


    Their Durability, Abilities, and specs were much better than other normal weapons of the same rank.


    If a bound weapon was stated to be C rank, Then it would probably exert strength on the level of a rank or two above it.


    This was why they were rare.


    If you managed to get your hands on an S-Rank bound weapon, It was you getting yourself an SS rank weapon instead.


    This was why they were coveted so much by the major powers of the world.


    And they also could only be bound to the person they epted as their master.


    As if they had an Ego within themselves. They would only submit to the one person that they deemed worthy.


    Although lower ranked Bound weapons Egos couldn''t speak or express itself much, the difference was like Heaven and Earth at the higher ranks.


    They could speak directly into the minds of the user, And could also fight themselves to an extent!


    So, why and how the fuck was the first rank in possession of one?


    Did His guild give it to him? Or did he acquire it by his strength and be its owner???


    But before I coulde to a conclusion, the voice of the sword saint rang out once more.


    "Come, I''ll limit myself to your rank oh dear spatial awakened."


    And yet, the first rank did not move, he just closely scrutinized the Sword Saint with piercing eyes.


    As if he trying to find an opening to attack.


    Yet no matter how much he did, his eyes still wavered with uncertainty. As if he truly could not find an opening to attack.


    "Sigh...younguns these days have no guts."


    And with that, The sword Saint Disappeared from in front of me and appeared right in front of The Rank first.


    Yet, The First rank repeated whatever the sword saint aplished and appeared far away from him.


    If the sword Saint left a blur when he moved from his position, the first rank''s entire body disappeared before appearing in another position altogether.


    ''what kind of skill is that?''


    I thought before hearing the Sword Saint bellow with an excited and ted voice.


    "Haha! Show me more! Show me the wonders about spatial magic being utilized by a human mind!"


    And with that, The sword saints figure became a blur that chased the constantly disappearing and Reappearing body of the First Rank, who I thought was running away from the Sword Saint with panic visible on his face during the few moments I saw his face when he magically appeared in a specific location again.


    But...could I me him for trying to dodge or evade the Sword Saint?


    Fuck no! I would probably do the same thing if I hadn''t been controlled by that weird pressure.


    But I still wondered.


    ''Is this a spar or a game of cat and mouse?!''


    But this seemingly endless chase ended after a while.


    Because, when The first rank had done that weird trick again, the sword saint was right in front of him, as if he had figured out how the trick worked.


    And what followed after was the sound of a nose being crushed as the Sword Saintnded a devastating blow on the First rank face.

 Chapter 71 {71}Body As Cold As Ice[1]

    (A/N:Fights will be in third person view.)


    *Bam!*


    The punch from the sword saintnded straight in the middle of n''s face when he had just teleported again.


    The Body of n Pator flew back from the impact from the sword saints fist with great speed.


    And just as it was about to crash into the wall, The Figure of the Sword Saint disappeared like a sh of lightning and appeared above the flying n Pator.


    With his leg raised, it seemed as if he was going to perform an ax kick on n, Who just before the kicknded on his already broken face, immediately  Teleported above the sword saint.


    The Axe kick of the Sword Saint hit the ground and shattered it like it was ss.


    The marble flooring had beenpletely shattered like ss and the ground beneath it had already formed into a crater.


    *ng!*


    n, who was not idling by when he teleported above the sword saint, hadunched an ax kick of his own, which hit the target this time.


    Unfortunately, that target had a body seemingly made of steel even without being coated with mana.


    "Oooh, Nice power behind the kick!"


    The boisterous voice of the sword saint resounded out, And n immediately teleported farther away again.


    Only to be met with the Sword Saints Attack head on.


    But this time, he had some leeway because he had activated [Dragon Eyes] and could therefore see the trajectory the sword saint had chosen for his punch.


    He immediately put both of his arms in an X Position together and coated them with his mana, activated [Dragon Scales] on his arms that were hidden by the hoodie he was wearing, and got ready to block the iing attack.


    "Agh!"


    *Crack*.


    However, even after coating his arms with mana, he had severely underestimated the power of the attack.


    And just like what happened to Elijah, n flew back with an insane speed and crashed into the wall of the training center.


    "Hmm? I got hurt from that?"


    Muttered the Sword Saint in a low voice. There was a stinging pain in his right knuckle, the one he had just used to send n flying.


    "And you survived that."


    His deep yet aged voice sounded out once again, a little surprised to see n get back up from the terrifying blow.


    Yet he was not unharmed.


    His Arms had been severely bruised even though he used dragon scales and blood wasing out of his mouth.


    "I...am not done..yet."


    n muttered while clenching his teeth.


    ''How...Did he break Dragon scales?!''


    His mind was in turmoil, weren''t dragon scales said to be the best defense?!


    Did the skill description lie?!


    But...now he was angry.


    He called out to his dropped spear that had fallen from his hand when the sword saint had punched him straight in the face.


    *Whoosh!*


    The spear flew through the air towards n, who grasped it tightly.


    And in the next second, an astral blue light surrounded n''s Figure and...<sub> </sub>


    when it vanished and armor made of ck and purplish metal appeared on his body.


    n Had equipped the [Armor Of Bewitchment.] and he was nning to go all out.


    Taking his signature stance with his spear, The Stance of the [Chaotic Spear] Weapon art. He also activated Dragon Eyes to the Extreme and soon blood wasing out of his eyes and his head was starting to hurt.


    Yet he persevered as the world around him became slower and slower, and he could see the Sword Saint rushing towards him after seeing him just take a stance and not attack.


    This time, n could see the Sword Saint run towards him. But he questioned one thing.


    He had activated dragon eyes to the extreme so his perception had be insanely high so he could see everything move slowly.


    The haggard breathing of Alex, The movement of his eyes and even muscles...Yet why the fuck was the sword saint looking to be moving as if he was taking a little jog in normal time?!


    The Sword Saint, when he was only 10 meters away from Reaching n, Jumped in the air and prepared to do another Kick.


    n, in response, put strength into his legs and held his spear high to block the kick.


    *ng!*


    The kick of the sword saint and the shaft of the Spear collided with each other and produced the sound a hammer would make when it hammered metal.


    The ground beneath n had cracked, And n himself was not in good shape as he was bleeding through his clenched teeth. But the sword Saint did not give him any leeway and immediately followed through with a karate chop to n''s Head.


    "Argh!"


    The Chop hit ns Head and had cut it open a little that blood was starting to pour out from his head.


    Then his body flew when the sword saint kicked him once again. But this time, n did not stand back up immediately.


    "Hmmm, Your body...although it doesn''t look like it, is much more durable than the average human C Ranked awakened...Do you practice a martial body technique?"


    The calm voice of the sword saint was heard yet again, and the Sword Saint spoke as if he did not just almost crush or split a Students head.


    There was no response from n, who was slowly getting up by using his sr as support.


    "...no."


    His weak voice was heard. The sword saint, hearing his answer had a smile on his face.


    He could now see that boy had given uppletely at defending and was now preparing to attack.


    After all, Every hit of the sword saint dealt so much damage that blocking them wasn''t helpful, it was harmful.


    As for evading it? n didn''t know how, but the sword saint appeared right in front of him whenever he tried to teleport anywhere.


    As for evading using his base speed?Against that monster that was practically useless.


    ''Up, Kick.''


    n thought while watching the ''Slowed'' down Sword Saint.


    The Kick soon came near, and n had strengthened his entire body with Dragon Scales except for his face.


    It was still a theory...but wouldn''t dragon scales be able to help him survive?


    Survive the Aftermath of [Abyssal Rend]


    Well, he was about to find out.


    And so against a normal kick of the Sword Saint, n used the strongest move in his Arsenal.


    [Chaotic Spear Art]


    //First Movement


    ABYSSAL REND!

 Chapter 72 {71} Body As Cold As Ice.[2]

    [Chaotic Spear Art]


    //First Movement


    ABYSSAL REND!


    n circted his mana and the Blue non-attribute mana flowed into his Spear.


    It was ready, His strongest attack was ready.


    And he unleashed it. He swung his spear at the Sword Saint''s kick at point nk range.


    It was going to hit.


    And it hit.


    Both Of their attacks collided.


    *BOOM!*


    Arge explosion of Mana erupted from their attacks colliding with each other.


    Poor Alex, who was watching their fight had been hit by the shockwave and was sent flying.


    The ground of the training room had shattered.


    The surroundings shook, And an earthquake far greater in magnitude than the one n had first made when he practiced Abyssal Rend for the first time was felt all over the ce.


    The result of the terrifying sh?


    n''s defeat. And the right leg of Sword Saint bleeding profusely.


    But...the head of n Pator was in the Sword Saints Grasp.


    If he wanted to, he could turn ns Head into Mush.


    The gaze of the sword Saint however turned towards ns Arms, His hoodie there had beenpletely torn by the force of his attack.


    The Sword Saint closely examined n''s Condition, then a smile formed on his face which quickly disappeared.


    "To think I would see something simr here. And from a student no less."


    The sword saint muttered with an expression of longing and a forlorn expression on his face.


    The attack n had just used closely resembled an attack he had seen far too many times in his past.


    Hiroto Mitsuki''s Spear techniques [Spear Of the Hero] first movement.


    [Heavenly Rend]


    The move of a five-star Spear art that had been invented by his dear friend and brother in arms himself.


    Something that put him on equal footing with the Sword saint''s Own Sword Art.


    ''...No, although I hate to admit it, Hiroto''s would be much weaker at <C> Rank.''


    The Sword Saint thought. and then looked over to the unconscious n in his grasp.


    He had passed out from the force of his attack.


    "I''ve decided, Both of you will be my disciples from now on, and hopefully the only ones."


    (A/N:Hehe, can you guess who will be his next student?)


    The Sword Saint Said, and then continued while pointing At Alex.


    "You, Alex correct? Take him to the infirmary ande here to the Training Center Every day at this time. And hurry up and take him to the infirmary, and also, don''t tell anyone else about this."


    The Sword Saint looked towards The still confused Alex and then sighed.


    His eyes glowed a golden hue and Alex as if his body was being controlled, walked over to The Sword Saint and crouched down.


    The Sword Saint then put n''s Body on Alex''s Back and held n tight. And as if in a trance, started to walk towards the infirmary.


    ''Why is my body listening to his everymand?!''


    Alex thought He didn''t know what skill the sword saint was using but whatever it was, it made Alex listen to him like an obedient dog.


    ''...but holy fuck.''


    To admit it himself, Alex was extremely surprised. Who would have thought a damn student could Injure a Freaking Legend?!


    Although The Sword Saint had been going easy on him and had not enhanced his body with mana like n had, it was still a fucking marvelous feat that n had made Him Bleed.


    In The eyes of Alex, The Sword Saint was akin to a God Of War himself from all the stories he had read about him as a child.<sub> </sub>


    And n had made someone who Alex considered a God...Bleed.


    It was simply too unbelievable to him.


    And did he mishear?


    Disciples?


    ''...please don''t be a dream.''


    Alex hoped sincerely for this fateful night to not be a dream.


    If it wasn''t, then maybe...just maybe.


    His life could do aplete 180


    ***


    "Hah!Hah!"


    Alex gasped as heid down the Body of the unconscious n Pator Into the Hospital Bed.


    ''What the hell man!Your body a block of ice or what?!''


    He didn''t dare say these thoughts out loud but he truly wondered what the fuck he was carrying over here.


    Like Seriously. His entire back was numb and his uniform was stained with blood.


    The Blood came from the Injured n Pator. And the numbness in his back came from the same person.


    The entire way back here he felt like he was carrying a huge chunk of ice instead of A human being.


    Even his ducking blood was cold!


    ''...I should leave before anyone sees me.''


    And with that, without thinking any further He left before the nurse came here.


    He had just entered In the middle of the night and plopped n down on the nearest Bed he could find.


    The Top ten had personal rooms to them that would open with just their facial identification.


    That was how he got here in this expensive and luxurious room.


    *Tuk*Tuk*


    He began walking towards the door to exit.


    He opened the door and was. about to step outside when he caught sight of a Rather beautiful woman with Green Hair about to enter the room.


    She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had a charming face that could woo all sorts of men.


    The woman, Without even bothering to ask for his name and just went inside the room to inspect her patient.


    Alex Likewise said nothing and exited the room.


    *Bhuk!*


    The door closed, and Alex Left.


    The woman who was wearing ab coat, Walked towards the luxurious bed, She looked at the State of her patient.


    "Well, well..."


    She looked over to the door where she had just seen The ck-haired boy leave.


    A scheme to make some extra cash had formted in her mind.


    And she took out her phone and took a picture of the bloodied and extremely bruised n Pator.


    *Click*


    With a sh, the phone had taken a photo of n''s Current state.


    But this was as far as she could do, this was as far as Shield Would tolerate it.


    And she, with a smile on her face begins to treat this patient of hers.


    A rumor would spread tomorrow.


    That n Pator had been beaten to near death by Alexander Wright.


    Although it would be false, letting it be spread from the right hands would make her rich and also avoid Shields, or more urately, Headmaster Olivers Wrath.

 Chapter 73 {73}Body As Cold As Ice.

    [ss 1-G](A/N:This is the protagonists ss)


    "Huh, Usually those two are always the first ones here."


    Henry said with slight surprise in his tone.


    "Yeah, wonder why they''re sote today."


    Answering him was Elijah. They had entered ss 10 minutes before ss started.


    Usually, Sabrina And n would be the first ones to be in ss before anyone even entered.


    They would teleport to an Area no one was and walk towards ss from there.


    Hence, they reached ss first.


    As for what they did when they had reached ss nearly 45 minutes before it started?


    Read books or do homework.


    n would do Homework, while Sabrina would do whatever she wanted to do.


    She mostly read books anyway.


    *Bhuk*


    The door of the ss opened.


    Elijah and Henry both turned their heads to see who entered.


    To their not-so-much surprise, Sabrina entered while sweating profusely.


    She paid no attention to the others and went to sit down on her seat.


    "..so you okay?"


    Elena asked Sabrina with a tinge of worry in her tone.


    She was worried for her friend who appeared to have run 50 miles to get here.


    "..hah, hah, yes."


    Sabrina Replied with haggard breathing.


    Her ''Mode of Transport'' Also known as her bodyguard was nowhere to be found.


    When she closed her eyes and circted her mana to see where the hell he was, she saw that he was in the Hospital present On Shields Campus.


    The Hospital...She then checked his State to find out he was unconscious and injured.


    She didn''t bother trying to contact him through their Spatial Bond because he never replied if he was sleeping or unconscious.


    So, She walked here from Her Dorm to The building where their ss was.


    "So, Wheres n?"


    Henry asked her while she tried to get her breathing to be stable.


    "In the infirmary."


    There was a slight pause after they heard her answer. Their first thought collectively was that maybe he was sick. So they didn''t question after that.


    They silently waited for ss to begin.


    And at exactly 7:00 AM, without even a secondte, Dous entered their ss and began to note down their attendance.


    He normally wouldn''t have done this but today was special. The Students needed to be informed of their first special ss.


    In five days, Their First Dungeon Excursion would be held.


    ***


    I woke up.


    I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.


    Before I could try to sit up. I heard a voice.


    "Stay down."


    Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw a green-haired woman Holding a bottle containing a green liquiding toward me.


    I tried to move my neck, but then realized I had a cervical cor on my neck.


    My Arms and legs were covered with ster, My entire body was numb from the neck down, which I didn''t even realize.


    And my eyes, they were...in.great pain.


    I looked toward the woman with green hair and was able to figure out who she was.


    Vanessa Greenfield.


    The teacher in charge of the Healing/Medical Elective and also the personal doctor of the top ten students.


    This woman, as described in the novel, was a greedy bitch who would do a lot of shit for money.


    But she wouldn''t dare to do anything to an injured student she was In charge of, except heal them.


    My recovery should have beenpleted by now if she had used a potion but...The shield itself forbid the use of potions unless the student was gravely injured with no hope of recovering naturally.


    One reason was for the students not to build immunity to the effect of the potion.<sub> </sub>


    If any drug was taken multiple times, you would develop an immunity to it, This is even more true for awakening.


    That was why Not a lot of people used potions a lot to save their miraculous effects for life and death situations.


    Everyone except Elijah that is, That guy could just tell his system to heal him up.


    And the potions he could buy from the system shop were op as hell.


    And also expensive as hell.


    ...Thinking about it. He could also buy an elven tear.


    But... no one besides him...and I know about his system.


    If I asked him to buy me one from the system, suspicion was all I was gonna get.


    "...?"


    I tried to speak, but no sound came out.


    "Woah there, don''t try to speak."


    Vanessa spoke while putting a syringe inside the bottle containing the potion.


    "I don''t who it was, but they sure roughed you up pretty good. If you don''t take a potion, you won''t be able to attend sses for a month but...."


    ''And? Continue without pausing woman.''


    Vanessa, much to n''s dismay, paused before saying whatever she wanted to say.


    "... you have Your Dungeon Excursion in five days from now, so potion it is."


    She finished her sentence while draining all of the liquid presents inside the bottle into the syringe.


    And just when she was about to inject it on my exposed shoulder, knocks were heard on the door.


    *Knock*Knock!*


    "Come in."


    Vanessa answered for me because I couldn''t speak.


    The door opened and I heard five pairs of footsteps walking inside.


    I couldn''t see who it was but I had a pretty good idea.


    And I hoped it wasn''t those five, to be honest.


    But much to my dismay, it was this five who had walked in.


    The five Protagonists of the novel.


    "Ah, Miss we''vee to deliver n His Dungeon Notes."


    I heard the voice of Elijah as he walked inside with the others.


    "Leave them beside his bed in the drawer," Vanessa said without looking over to nce who it was.


    "Yes."Replied Elijah.


    Shit, They were going to see my condition now.


    Damn Throat, why can''t you speak for yourself right now?!


    His footsteps got closer and closer until finally, he could see me behind the curtain around therge hospital bed.


    And his eyes and mine came into contact. And the Moment they did, He dropped the folder he was holding onto


    the ground.


    *Tuk!*


    He said nothing and only looked at me with a shocked gaze.


    " Eli, What''s wrong?"


    Serena''s Voice sounded out, She too moved closer and could see my condition now. And her reaction wasn''t any different.


    The rest of them all. Noticing both Elijah and Serena pause, moved closer and they too had the same shocked expressions on their faces.


    ''Fucking hell, why must all of youe to give me a single folder?!''


    Do you not understand my desperate efforts to avoid you?!


    "..Miss, what happened to him?"


    The one who asked was Sabrina, who regained herposure the quickest out of them all.


    She had expected him to be a little bruised...but what the hell was this?!


    Nearly his entire body had been bandaged up and was covered in ster.


    His status said he was just hurt...not near fucking death!


    Vanessa, who had injected n with a syringe, answered her question in a calm voice.


    "What do you think? He got his ass handed to him."

 Chapter 74 {74}Body As Hurt As Hell.

    Merely His entire body is covered in ster, His nose seemingly crushed. And eyes that looked like they had been drenched in blood.


    The group of five couldn''t believe what was in front of them.


    The One Student that was supposed to be the strongest one among all first years was lying in such a state on the hospital bed.


    There weren''t a lot of people who could do this to him in Shield.


    n was <C> ranked and a very capable fighter with his spear.


    Add that along with teleportation, he could easily overwhelm students a rank higher than him.


    As for the teachers? They were forbidden to harm students.


    And every teacher here was a hero or someone with great intellect who wouldn''t dare to invoke the wrath of both Headmaster Oliver And the third best Guild Twilight.


    Which was the shock on their faces was even more usible.


    Sabrina checked his state through their magic contract.


    ====State====


    Hurt.


    ============


    ''....This is ''hurt''?''


    She thought while closely looking at the blue holographic screen that only she could see in front of her


    No matter how she thought about it.


    This Was not just ''Hurt''!


    She couldn''t believe he wasn''t feeling any pain right now.


    One look at him and you would. think that he had gotten extremely injured in a terrifying sh.


    Opening her mouth, She asked the Green Haired Nurse, Vanessa.


    "May I please know the extent of his injuries?"


    "Hm? Oh yeah, Let''s see..."


    Vanessa, Knowing who these two were as almost all Teachers had been notified of the contract they has signed, Answered after trying to remember ns State when he came in.


    "His arms had beenpletely shattered, Nose Broken, Four Ribs Broken, Shin Broken, Lungs Been Pierced by the broken fragments of his ribs. Skull Fractured.Internal Bleeding in multiple areas of the body and especially the brain. Lost More than a quarter of his blood. Neck Trauma, Spinal Cord Trauma, Wind Pipe Crushed...and that''s about it."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    The entire group was silent, even n Himself was surprised at what Vanessa Just said.


    They all had one singr thought in their minds.


    ''How the hell is he still alive?!''


    ''..I survived that?''


    The group wondered, And n himself had been wondering how the hell he survived all that.


    Even an awakened human would have died from those injuries.


    The Sword Saint wouldn''t kill him!


    Was it that the bacsh from the Swords Saint Attack and Abyssal Rend shing that dealt this much damage to him?


    But even so! The most pressing matter was how the fuck was he Alive?!


    The group did not know. While n Had an inkling of how he was still alive.


    ''Is it because I''m A Draconian?''


    It had to be, no?


    After all, How could a human, who even was an awakened individual think of surviving that?


    Little Did he know, Alongside the monstrous body of A Draconian, His affinity to ice had also helped him survive.


    His body would still have died of blood loss even if was strong and fuck. It was his affinity to the Ice Element, the element superior to the water element. that had major healing capabilities.


    Although the healing capabilities of Ice could not bepared at all to those of water, it could still heal and had a natural healing factor, although it was extremely weak...for most cases affinity-wise.


    All in all, His [SUPREME] ranked ice affinity had helped him survive.


    And Unknowingly, The Sword Had nearly killed his disciple after Their sh.


    And this, without his knowledge, His body had been mending itself automatically while he was out cold.


    "Open Your eyes."


    The voice of the head nurse Vanessa was heard.


    She was currently treating n''s Eyes with Healing Drops.


    *Drip*Drip*


    n hadplied with what she said and she dripped the drops into his eyes.


    And magically, His eyes started to regain their usual appearance.


    Two Bright Blue Diamonds for eyes.<sub> </sub>


    They were mesmerizing to just look at.


    At this point, It would not be wrong to say that n''s Eyes were the major reason his charm stat was above average in this world of beautiful and handsome people.


    His face waspletely average.


    Only his eyes were captivating.


    "I suggest you all leave and let him get some rest for now."


    Vanessa Urged, The group who had now mostly regained theirposureplied with her and left without making a sound.


    Vanessa too left with them, they parted ways with each other immediately after exiting the room.


    Along the Way, Serena, with a surprised tone, muttered.


    "...Karma does exist."


    "Hmm? Say something?"


    Elijah, who was walking beside her, heard her whisper. Practically the entire group did because of their above-average hearing due to being Awakened.


    "Karma."


    Serena uttered a single word in response to Elijah, who while still being confused, asked again."


    "Yeah, and what did you mean by ''Karma''."


    Serena stopped walking and the group did as well.


    They all waited for her answer.


    "I mean, He beat you up and got beaten up in return, Karma right?"


    Serena Answered while pointing at Elijah, Who frowned after hearing What she said.


    "That''s not nice."


    He Stated.


    "The word ''Nice'' isn''t fit for demons."


    Serena Rebuked.


    "You still think he''s a demon?"


    "Yes, Everything about him screams demon."


    They bickered back and forth Until finally, Henry Stepped in to stop their pointless argument.


    "Okay, Okay, Stop it you two."


    But unfortunately, His attempt was useless.


    "You Stay out of this!"


    They both shot down his attempt immediately.


    Elijah Had tried to defend n, While Serena Wanted to berate him even further.


    They continued to bicker until someone finally stopped them.


    And this Someone didn''t even say anything, She just continued to walk Elegantly as if The word ''Elegant'' had been engraved into her the moment she was a child.


    They watched as Sabrina ignored them and continued walking.


    Her thoughts were unknown to them, and she quickly disappeared from their view.


    In reality, she was questioning the Guy that got ''Beat up''


    ''How did this happen?''


    She asked him through their Spatial Bond. However, she was met with Silence.


    [...]


    ''How did this happen?''


    She asked again, yet was met with the same silence.


    She didn''t ask for the third time, If he didn''t want to answer, he didn''t need to.


    Along the way back to her dorm.


    She took out her phone and dialed a number.


    Considering the report of the Injuries he received that she heard from Vanessa, She knew he couldn''t have made it back to the hospital himself.


    Someone had to have brought him to the infirmary.


    And If He wasn''t going to say anything, She would just find out herself.


    She was the Heir to The Richest Family on Earth. And she carried the Pride of it even though she despised it.


    No one was gonna mess with anyone the Wellingtons Had their eyes on.


    Not on her watch, at least.


    *********


    A/N:Woah, The week is hectic cuz of exams, This may be the only chapter for this week or the next.


    Oh and if you were wondering, yes,I left it on a cliffhanger on purpose.

 Chapter 75 {75}The Perpetrator.

    [ording to the footage we analyzed, it was a student by the Name of Alex Wright that Brought Him to the infirmary carrying him on his back.]


    "What information do we have on him?"


    Sabrina, Asked the person on the other side of the holographic phone call.


    [He is the third son of The Wright Family. He awakened an affinity to an unknown attribute with no redeeming qualities. And is ranked 3rdst in the first-year rankings. He weighs about-]


    "That''s enough."


    [Yes, Young miss. Will that be all?]


    "Indeed."


    The call ended.


    Sabrina had asked her family to investigate what had happened to n.


    From what she heard. Alex had carried n from the direction of the training center, which was also the ce where tremors were heard and sounds of a battle were heard fromst night.


    Unfortunately, No matter how hard her family tried, they could not get footage of whatever happened inside the training center.


    The teachers also refused to disclose any information about it.


    So she could only grit her teeth at not being able enough to find anything more.


    ''Alex wright, ss is 1-J, Is from the Wright Family...and is F Rank.''


    No matter how much she tried to think of a logical conclusion to ns State rting to Alex, she could not fathom Her bodyguard ever losing to him.


    His reports had stated that he had beaten Benson, His B ranked assistant as a D Rank.


    Although that could have also been exaggerated by the guild or him to increase his value.


    But still...How could an F Rank even manage to defeat a C rank inbat?


    The only thing she could think of was that Alex was ackey that was tasked with bringing the Injured n into the infirmary.


    Someone stronger must have had a duel with n, and Alex must have been ordered to take n to the infirmary after n lost.


    But that itself raised the question. Who among the students, Could beat n to that extent. The teachers couldn''t.


    n himself was <C> rank, the rank multiple high ranked third years were.


    Furthermore, He is a Spatial Awakened, someone who could literally, teleport anywhere around his opponent, giving him the element of surprise One on One.


    So was it an ambush? A joint attack?


    But as far as she remembered, he didn''t offend any Major People in Shield.


    So who was it? Who was the one who could beat her bodyguard that could teleport away if he was In danger?


    ***


    [Midnight, At the training center.]


    [ns POV]


    I dragged my injured body over to the training center where Alex and the Sword Saint were already present.


    They were both dueling.


    Although I shouldn''t call this a duel, The Sword Saint was dodging Alex''s every attack quite easily and was also giving him pointers.


    "Your movements are too wide, shorten the distance more, You''re a swordsman, Not a spearman."


    "Yes!"


    *Shwing!Shwing*


    The sound of the two dual Kung Fu Swords shing through the air rang out as Alex Tried desperately to attack the Sword Saint, who effortlessly dodged his every move.


    "Your body is far too weak, The youngsters these days all just depend on Mana to enhance their bodies, That will happen if you can''t use mana, huh?"


    The Sword Saint Berated this generation with a scoff.


    Mana Was Not Omnipotent, It was not All-powerful.


    There were times when you would have had to depend on your body to endure whatever trial you faced.


    A perfect example of this was the Chaos Continent of the Demons, which was formerly Australia. There was no amount of pure mana left there.


    All of it was if the Chaos or Dark Attribute.


    If you were an awakened with an affinity to either one of those two attributes, Then you would be somewhat okay, but for the poor awakened that didn''t possess any of those attributes?


    Good Fucking Luck trying to survive with a limited amount of mana.


    This was why, During the time the Sword Saint Spent on the Shadow Continent, His raw body was his best and mostpetent weapon.


    Along with something else that was his secret.


    A Secret he would revealter to his Disciples.


    "Now, I''m going to start attacking."<sub> </sub>


    The voice of the Sword Saint resounded out as he Hit the Body Of One Of Alex''s Swords with his palm, Changing the weapons attack trajectory, Which also destroyed Alex''s Stance.


    And The Sword Saint, after dding his Palm In Electricity, Hit Alexs Sr plexus with his thunder-d palm.


    *Crackle!!*


    The sound of lightning was heard as Alex''s Body Spasmed as Alex lost consciousness. Yet his body continued to spasm.


    Seeing this, I Activated Dragon Eyes and scrutinized Alex''s Spasming body.


    ''...The lighting is stimting his muscles.''


    The Sword Saint had used lightning to stimte their muscles of Alexander.


    ...It was surprising, and also effective.


    ''Is it called Shock Therapy?''


    I wondered what it was called, I never went to the gym or trained hard in my previous life, So I had no clue.


    "And As for you."


    As I was thinking about researching the effects of Shock therapy when I had free time, I heard the voice of the Sword Saint, who was slowly walking toward me.


    I tensed up, took out my spear, and got into my stance as he approached.


    Even though my body was burning, I still did it.


    "Rx, you should rest for today."


    "Pardon?"


    I questioned, I was honestly expecting a fight...but to rx?


    "Your body is special.No Human, even if they were awakened could survive the beating you received yesterday. You would have been rtively fine, But the final attack you usedpletely shattered your body."


    The Sword Saint Exined everything to me.


    ''Huh, So even with Dragon Scales Active, Abyssal Rend Was too much.''


    It was terrifying to think of.


    Especially when Abyssal Rend was only at 40 to 45% power.


    [Chaotic Spear] was an art focused on the element of Chaos Mainly.


    You could use Normal Mana or another attribute to perform its special moves but...the power would be entirely different.


    To give an example, If I had used The Ice attribute to power Abyssal Rend, it would only be at 35% power.


    If I used normal mana, It would be more powerful at 40 or 45 % power max.


    And if I channeled the Chaos attribute into performing it?


    100% Power, along with one hundred percent of my body also gone.


    A Seven Star Art was truly not a joke.


    It was terrifying.


    I was excited to see when I would finally be able to use My Spear Technique without my body breaking apart.


    But that was for when I would be able to use it without my body breaking apart.


    ''Hmmm, if I put it on the standard of the art Elijah has at thetter stages of the novel, I should have the power to easily destro-''


    "But it is odd."


    Interrupting me from my thoughts was the voice of the Sword Saint.


    "Unlike the Rumours, Your not a demon but...


    The level of strength you possess is unusual for your age, especially considering the time you spent on training...


    So, Forgive me if I am being rude but.."


    The Sword Saint paused, as if he was considering how to say his next words, however, he then put on an expression of Giving up and just straight up asked me.


    "How did you get so strong?"


    ****************************************


    A|N:Oh how I love torturing my viewers with cliffhangers.


    And Sike! I although am extremely busy,still uploaded a chapter even though I have exams!


    The reason why?


    I am Bored and don''t want to study for them!


    Muahhaahhahahaahhah!

 Chapter 76 {76}Bullshit Through It.

    "I trained without rest the moment I awakened. My little sister has the Bodybreak curse ced on her by a demon, One that can only be cured by an Elven Tear.


    It was because of this that I trained without stopping to get stronger.


    We are both orphans who lost our parents at a young age.


    I had given up on trying to find a cure for her before I Awakened, However the moment I awakened I also Had awakened to the space affinity, So I made sure to train without rest to find a cure for my sister.


    My Guild provided me with many resources, and I forgot to Sleep and rest to reach the level where I am today."


    I spoke, It was utter bullshit, Although only the part true was that my sister truly was cursed.


    And the moment I found the demon that cursed her, I was gonna make that son of a bi*ch pay.


    "...That is..."


    The Sword Saint spoke while stuttering there.


    He seemed to be in deep thought.


    ''It doesn''t exin his strength that well...but the cause...


    Honorable.''


    It truly was, The elder brother, after finding out he had an opportunity to cure his sister, trained day and night to cure her.


    It almost made him shed tears, Whatever it was.


    This Student Of His Was Honorable.


    And an extremely good elder Brother.


    "That is good."


    The Sword Saint Spoke, Slightly teary at the end.


    It wasn''t his problem if his student didn''t tell him the secret to his strength.


    It would all be revealed in due time.


    No matter what it was, the master and disciple would often get along with each other enough to trade a few secrets in between.


    "Well then, the First task is to train your body enough."


    The sword saint told n. He had seen how n''s Body itself had been utterly destroyed when he used His Art.


    "You should rest for today, We can begin training your body when it has fully healed. And as advice, don''t take potions at all, Let your body heal naturally, It will make it tougher."


    The Sword Saint advised n on what and what not to do.


    Although training your body was important, Rest was equally as important.


    If you constantly strained your muscles without giving your body enough rest.


    Forget about Building muscle, all you would be doing is destroying your body.


    Torn Muscles fibers needed time and protein to repair themselves ande even better and stronger.


    Although in a world where Muscles weren''t important as the mana in the surroundings and the mana within you would improve the strength in your body without you even doing anything.


    Albeit you would have to use mana to exhibit your new boulder-crushing strength.


    s, Mana was not Omnipotent, It was not Powerful.


    It had its limits.


    "Yes Sir."


    "Don''t call me that, Master or Teacher is enough."


    "Yes, Master."


    "Oh, and can you take Alex with you?


    I don''t think he can move so easily as of now."


    "Yes."


    I Went over to the still spasming Alex.


    He was unconscious but his body was still moving as a result of the Electricity flowing in his body.


    I carried Alex on my back and went out of the training center.


    It was a little hard, Trying to carry him while his entire body was moving irregrly.


    The moment I stepped outside the training center, I opened a portal and stepped inside.


    In the next moment, I was in the luxurious hospital room reserved for the


    Top ten Students.


    Although it should only be used by me.


    I could probably make the money-hungry bitch known As Vanessa Probably treat him if I offered her enough money.


    I went over to the bedside drawer and pressed a buzzer that was within arm''s reach of the patient lying on the bed


    Although I wondered what use it had because the Bed Itself detected the Patientying on its condition at all times so the medical staff would be able to respond immediately if the patient''s condition worsened.


    ''Meh, Probably to call staff if you need something.''<sub> </sub>


    It probably served that purpose.


    And moments after I pressed the Buzzer, A certain Green Haired Doctor who was the personal doctor of the top ten students entered.


    She wasn''t the only one, But without a doubt, she was the most skilled.


    A single doctor to take care of 30 students?


    It could be possible, But Shield Probably didn''t want to burden its staff with overwork.


    She was the ''HeadTeacher'' of the medical Elective/Club for a reason.


    Entering the room, She paused after seeing me standing and another person on the bed.


    "...How did you get here?"


    She was honestly Confused, There was no evidence of n Entering through the door.


    She would know, There were scanners on every door in this hospital so The staff would know who and how many people entered and whenever they entered.


    Part of the reason she rushed here so quickly was that the room suddenly showed signs of two people in the room.


    She had thought the worst was happening and two idiots were brave enough to try to attack Shield.


    Thankfully her worries were useless.


    "That doesn''t matter, I want you to take care of him."


    Vanessa heard the white-haired boy with amazing Diamonds for eyes speak.


    Once She Understood his intentions, She Spoke up as well.


    "I can''t do that, Unl-."


    "Write all the expenses down on my student card."


    Oh?


    He knew what she was gonna ask for.


    "Oh?But what if my ''prices'', are a little bit too high?"


    At this, The Face of the White-haired boy remained unchanged.


    If she could hear his thoughts, she would be shocked.


    ''Bitxh, I have 15* million in my ount.''


    "It doesn''t matter, Just make sure he is fine. I''ll pay for it all."


    He honestly could. And after he said that, He began to walk toward the door.


    The moment he was about to pass by her, He muttered in a low voice enough for her to hear.


    "I''ll pay you extra if you keep this a secret."


    and he left as soon as he said it.


    <o>,m And Vanessa Smiled as soon as she heard it.</o>


    Heh, To truly build a connection to Twilight and The Rank first in such a way.


    If someone could see the smile she had on her face, They would probably have had insane thoughts of how much does this woman love money?


    However, the smile disappeared as she walked over to Alex and saw his condition.


    His muscles weren''t being shocked by Electricity anymore.


    Examining his condition, She smiled even more brightly and thought.


    ''Free money!''


    She truly didn''t have to do anything to earn money!


    All Alex needed was rest, so she tucked him in and left the room.


    He had no major injuries that needed to be treated.


    All he needed was to get a good night''s sleep.


    Vanessa quickly left the room with a smile on her face.


    How couldn''t she?


    She had just made free and easy money and all she did was tuck someone in.


    She lovedmissions like these the most, where she could charge as much as she wanted and didn''t have to do anything major.


    As her motto was.


    Live By Money! Love Money!


    *****************************************


    *:10 million from the previous time we saw his bank ount bnce and another five million from the Bodyguard Sry he receives from the Wellingtons.


    Originally, it was supposed to be a 15 million sry but I thought it was too high so I changed it.

 Chapter 77 {77}Plans.

    I teleported back to my dorm and dragged my injured body towards the couch, which had be my favorite ce in my gigantic dorm.


    I checked my status, or more specifically, The Description of a certain Skill.


    ====Status====


    Name n Pator. (16)


    Race:Ice&Chaos Draconic Hybrid.


    Strength:C


    Endurance:C


    Agility:C


    Intelligence:C+


    Mana:C+


    Charm:D


    Affinities:Ice[SUPREME], Chaos[SUPREME], Space[High]


    Skills:Dragons Eye(???)Draconic Scales(???), Mana Master(???), Possession[S]...


    Techniques::


    Mana Techniques:Supreme Ice Dragons Breath[*******], Whiff Of Frost[***], Mana Control[*]


    Martial Techniques:Dark Leg[****]


    Weapon Techniques:Chaotic Spear[*******], Basic Spear Mastery[*]


    [Possession[S]]


    Upon Activation of this skill, The Soul of the desired being possesses your body and can control it.


    The Skills, Techniques, and Strengths of the soul are capable of being used by you, albeit only to the strength your body can handle.


    The Stronger the Soul Possesses you, The more mana is consumed and the greater the aftereffects.


    Souls Avable:


    1)n Pator[The Original]


    Would you like to view the capabilities of this soul?]


    ''Yes''.


    I verified in my mind. I wanted to see the level of strength the Vision had shown me.


    And also what it took to get that strength.


    And Lo and Behold.


    ''His'' Status appeared in front of me.


    ====STATUS====


    Name:n Pator(?)


    Race:Abyssal Dragon.


    Bloodline:Abyssal Child.


    Title:The Strongest Dragon, Pawn of the Abyss, The youngest Dragon(lost).Child of the Abyss, Chaos Supreme, Abyssal Supreme, Corrupted Frost Supreme. Demon yer, Realm Destroyer, Celestial yer, Dragon yer, Supreme Dragon yer, Over God yer. The Viin. Ruler of An Abyssal Layer. Demon King of The Abyss. Bane of The Primordials.The Tortured, The One who suffered.The Bringer Of Death.


    The ck Dragon of Chaos.


    Curse:Puppet of the Abyss.


    Strength:SUPREME+++(Base)


    Endurance:SUPREME+++(Base)


    Agility:SUPREME++(Base)


    Mana:SUPREME+++(Base)


    Intelligence:SUPREME+(Base)


    Charm:D(A/N: forever average bro)


    Affinities:CHAOS(Primordial), Ice(Supreme[Corrupted])


    Skills:DRAGONIC TRANSFORMATION(???), DRAGON EYES(???), DRAGON SCALES(???), MANA SUPREME(???), PAIN TOLERANCE(SSS)...


    Techniques:


    Mana Techniques:One With the Abyss(¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã), Mana Control(¡ã¡ã*****)...


    Martial Techniques:Physique of The Abyss(¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã)...Warlord of The Abyss(¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã***)...


    Weapon Techniques:Abyssal Spear(¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã¡ã).


    ================================


    [You are not yet qualified to Wield this soul.]


    My jaw dropped.


    Not because of this level of strength.


    BUT BECAUSE I COULD NOT WIELD IT.


    "WHAT THE FUCK?!Why show me something so awesome but not be able to use it?!


    Are you messing with my system?!"


    I screamed to get rid of my woes.


    But unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, I calmed down quickly afterward.


    Once I was calm, The shock settled in.<sub> </sub>


    Why?


    Because the status of n Pator Showed me just then.


    That this Man, Wielded more strength than Elijah did in thetter stages of the novel, Until where I had read at least.


    ****


    In a pure white training room sat a shirtless young man with orange hair and although odd for this era, a perfectly built body.


    His fine-tuned muscles were releasing steam and his whole body was red.


    He was sitting in a meditative position and was controlling his breathing.


    With every huff, the fire appeared from both his mouth and nostrils when he breathed out.


    This continued for a while until the temperature of the room continued to spike... finally.


    *Woong*


    The mana in the air fluctuated until finally, it concentrated on the position of the orange-haired boy.


    The Mana entered his body and when all of it hadpletely entered, his body released a wave of fire that covered the entire room.


    The temperature in the room had risen to extreme Heights and could melt a normal human alive.


    Yet the orange-haired boy slowly stood up without minding the unbearable heat in the room.


    He slowly opened his eyes, revealing two scarlet pupils.


    His chiseled face along with his pupils added to his charm, Making him quiet and fairly handsome.


    "I''ve finally ranked up."


    The orange-haired boy was Elijah Ardor, the protagonist of the Ultimate Sin, Had ranked up to <D-> rank.


    He opened his status.


    ====STATUS====


    [Stats=][Shop][Map][Quests]


    Name:Elijah Ardor(16)


    Race:Human


    Bloodline:Fire Drake.


    Titles:Sessor of the Supreme Fire Dragon.The Hero.The Chosen of the universe.Bane of The Abyss.


    Strength:D-


    Endurance:D-


    Agility:E+


    Mana:D-


    Intelligence:E+


    Charm:B


    Affinities:Fire(SUPREME).


    Skills:DECIMATION(SSS), GOD EYES(???) Firebolt, Fireball...


    Techniques:


    Mana Techniques:Breath Of Fire(****), Mana control(**)


    Martial Techniques:me Physique(****)


    Weapon Techniques:Burning Sword(****)


    ---------


    "Hehe."


    A slight chuckle escaped from the mouth of Elijah Ardor.


    He had finally ranked up to D-.


    But, his excitement was short-lived because he remembered another monster above him.


    n Pator.


    The guy that was Rank C at the tender age of 16.


    It was shocking, to say the least.


    Not even Elijah, with his system, could match up to that monstrous growth.


    And Elijah himself was a talent far surpassing others of his age.


    Yet even he, with his miraculous system was far below n.


    In terms of Training time and effort put in, Elijah was far above n.


    But in terms of Strength, Elijah Was weaker.


    Ironic, The man with the system that could elevate him to the level of Gods was weaker than a man with an ordinary system with these circumstances.


    ''Oh well, I just need to train even harder.''


    Elijah resolved to train even harder to improve himself so he would be on equal terms with n.


    And So, with a clear goal in mind.


    Elijah Sat down in the same meditative position and began to breathe in a particr way.


    And slowly, his skin became red and the surrounding temperature of the room skyrocketed again.

 Chapter 78 {78}Plans[2]

    The final viin of the ultimate Sin.


    The Guy Elijah had to defeat to apparently save the Universe or Something.


    In other words, The Viin who was fated to be destroyed by the hero.


    The problem?


    Apparently, The Body my Soul Now upied was the viin.


    The Final And Ultimate Viin to be exact.


    The title [The Viin] was proof. Along with Abyssal Child.


    Elijah, From the start of the novel, had two unique titles, Which were[The Hero]Which directly contrasted the title of n Pator[The Viin], And another one[Chosen Of the Universe].


    A title that made him be viewed in the most positive light by the popce.


    No matter what he did, His actions would be glorified.


    Even if he yed a small role, He would be regarded as the main character.


    Well, he was THE Main character but still, that''s just like saying ''hey, you do all the work and ill take the credit, Kay?''


    Although The good thing is that our dear protagonist was humble and always credited others as well whenever he was being interviewed.


    But there was a problem.


    ''I'' didn''t have the title[The Viin] yet.


    Titles were a unique concept.


    You could gain simpler titles like Demon yer by killing a certain number of demons.


    The title gained by doing this feat would give you some benefits like being able to do more damage to demonic beings and your very presence bringing fear to those demons that are equal to you or lower than you in strength.


    The above-mentioned title could be called a Normal title.


    One that was gained through feats rather than fame.


    Fame Based titles were different, Unlike the normal Titles, These were gained by your name being acknowledged by the general popce.


    Hero Names were like this, The more feats you had achieved the more arm you would have and as a result, people will begin to call you by a Unique Name.


    The Sword Saint for Arken Miller, Spear Saint for Hiroto Mitsuki, And the Sage for Oliver Olsfer are examples of these types of titles.


    Many Heroes and Viins had them.


    The Heroes who were recognized by the public also chose a codename to go by andter on, if they were worthy that codename would be recognized by the system and be a title.


    However, even if it was ''recognized'' by the system, It was not. given to you by the system.


    Hence, You would not receive any additional buffs as a result of holding that title.


    The System was weird, The only system that was exined well in the novel was Elijah''s System.


    The Author Just said that the system that everyone else possessed was a far inferior version of Elijah''s System.


    The Only Proper exnation we got was that it was made by the Quote n quote ''Universe'' as a way for its inhabitants to better quantify their strength.


    And Because of this, it would appear to a certain race in the best form they could understand it as.


    For Humans, It was game-like, For Elves and Orcs and dwarves and all the other intelligent races, it was entirely different.


    While Elijah''s System could do all sorts of things, such as have a shop, a Map that showed him the location of specific people and even allowed him to teleport to them with the side-effect of a long cooldown.


    To other people. the system just showed them these stats.


    It didn''t even make learning New techniques easy.


    The only thing you could learn quickly were skills, As for Arts? You had to practice them by hand until the system recognized them


    It was different for me because I received the knowledge of my arts directly into my head while others had to learn from manuals.


    As for Elijah? He could turn any manual into a digital form with the help of his system.


    As a reader, I didn''t think too much of it but now that I am living in this world.


    It was freaking broken.


    His System could do everything.


    It even had an infinite inventory, Although I guess that''s a staple for protagonists.


    But still, It could allow him to even get other bloodlines other than only one!


    That was broken!


    Broken I say!


    Bloodlines were things you were only supposed to have one of.


    Bloodlines were the lineage of ancient godbeasts.


    Just like the reward forpleting my evolution quest is the bloodline of the godbeast Pheonix.


    It was A damn Phoenix!


    A being that could revive itself even after death.


    I don''t know how Suleras Managed to get one but holy hell I wanted it!


    And it was also necessary if I wanted to free myself from the control of the Abyss!


    I was not stupid, I knew from the moment I had reincarnated in this world that there would some sort of catch.


    The catch in my case was that my body, or rather the body of n Pator was deeply wanted by the Conscious of the Abyss!<sub> </sub>


    The Abyss was the home of demons, Unlike Earth, It was not a nt but some sort of dimension with an uncountable number ofyers where demons resided.


    It was so powerful it had sentience!


    It was a ce Of Chaos And Darkness Energy.


    The only two types of energy there were these two.


    And it was this World that was at war with a Simr Type of World.


    Celestia, who instead of Havingyers, was one Ginormous gxy-wide ne.


    If the Abyss was the home of Chaos And Darkness.


    Then, Celestia was the home of the two opposite elements of Fate And Light.


    The Demons inhabited the Abyss, Nad the Celestials Inhabited Celestia.


    These two were at war from the moment they came into existence.


    It was the ssic good vs evil.


    And judging from another title that n Pator had, which was [Celestial yer] and [Overgod yer](Overgod is the supreme ruler of Celestia), I was the Trump Card of the Abyss against Celestia.


    Just Like Elijah was the trump card of Celestia Against Abyss.


    Both of us were fated to fight to the death!


    And I didn''t want to do it!


    All I could say to that destiny was ''FUCK YOU!''


    I ain''t battling to the death because of some Destiny crap.


    And worst of all, Unlike the sentient consciousness of Celestia that Helped Elijah, The Consciousness of The Abyss wantedplete control of me!


    The only reason it couldn''t was that the soul in this body is different!


    Unlike the soul of n Pator, which was struggling till the end to escape the grasp of the abyss, I was still new to the cycle and can''t experience it taking over due to the original owner of this body trying to protect me from ''It''.


    In all honesty, The real test or rather a takeover was going to begin when my evolution was going to begin I think.


    The Abyss should most likely be after the body of a young dragon that can still be corrupted.


    In other words, me.


    And what am I gonna do about it?


    Resist the takeover During the evolution, Get the bloodline of the Pheonix and train me...until!


    I could destroy this damn body down to the atomic level, and use the power of the Phoenix too. construct a body free from the control of the Abyss!


    Yep, that was Suleras''s Crazy gamble.


    And I was the motherfucker crazy enough to attempt it.


    And What to say to This destiny bullshit in which I am the final viin fated to die to the hero?


    F U C K


    Y O U!


    ****


    A|N:


    This chapter was just a huge info dump tbh.


    Let me exin a lot of things.


    Our boy is the final viin, The reason the Abyss is after him is that n Pator(the original) was fated to be the youngest dragon. A young dragon is most likely corruptible and n was not under the protection of the Dragons until ater point until he finally became recognized so the abyss controlled him.


    It could also have controlled Elijah, but unlike n, Elijah had the power of the Universe and Celestia protecting his soul, so the abyss went after the more vulnerable soul(Which was n Pator).


    It finally controlled his body but the soul was resisting, Thankfully it had already dealt great damage to the Dragons and Celestials that they considered the usage of the Chalice of Time,(A thing that could turn Time back).


    They tried many attempts but failed everyst one of them.


    Unknown to them, The Abyss wanted this to happen because the soul of n Pator, which was at the center of it all, Was being destroyed during all these resets.


    And the abyss wants just that so it could have the body of n Pator to itself without the soul fighting for control over the back.


    Unknown to the Abyss, however, n Pator was also nning something.


    Something that this story focuses on.


    UNKNOWN to everybody the sentience of the universe and Celestia, they were also nning something.


    Something by the Name Of Elijah ardor as their Own ''trump'' against the puppet of the abyss.


    *******


    Woah, Finally done, Hope it wasn''t that confusing guys.


    For some reason, the Authors thought is bugged for me so ill just write it over here.


    I hope it wasn''t confusing to read and you understood everything properly, if there was still something you didn''t understand, leave ament and ill do my best to reply to it.


    Also, Please Leave a good review if you like my novel.


    And here is the discord link so that you can be notified whenever a new chapter releases.


    https://discord.gg/dXYSJEWX


    hope it works, if it doesn''t I''ll post a new one in thements

 Chapter 79 {79}Task Of The Sword Saint.

    [In the training center in the middle of the night.]


    Two Teenagers, One with White hair and the other with ck hair were dueling an old man that was the sword saint.


    The boys, showed decent teamwork, one that was not too refined as if they had battled as a team for years, But showed unrefined teamwork, as if they had only done this for a few days.


    The White-haired boy wielded a spear and attacked the sword saint with swift and perfect movements.


    The sound of his spear thrusting through the air trying to reach his opponent would mesmerize someone along with his movements.


    But s, His spear did not touch the sword saint, who was also dodging two kung-fu dual swords at the same time.


    These two swords were possessed by the ck-haired boy, who albeit didn''t possess perfect movements, still wielded the sword quite well.


    They both attacked the Sword Saint in turns.


    However, when they realized this approach did not work, they shifted and the boy who wielded the spear used his speed to go around the Sword Saint.


    The n of the two was to corner the sword saint from the front and the back.


    Their goal?


    Land a single good hit on the sword saint.


    That was it.


    And they were also not allowed to use mana to reinforce their bodies.


    This was the major factor that limited them.


    Of course, the Sword Saint was also limiting his strength by quite a lot to give these two a chance.


    Both of them started to attack the Sword Saint together.


    The Sword Saint now was faced with two attackers, one from the front wielding dual swords and the other from the back wielding a spear.


    They both rushed at him at the same time.


    The Sword In response dashed toward Alex and immediately disarmed him by hitting both of his wrists with his palms.


    He then turned towards the spear user And kicked the pure white spear de with such force that it flew from the white-haired boy''s hand and flew into the air.


    "Hm?"


    The sword saint muttered, Alex had jumped onto the back of the Sword Saint and held him in a lock, He had restricted both of the sword saint''s arms.


    And in front of the Sword Saint, n had prepared a punch.


    The punch wasing closer, And it was then that the sword saint jumped backward.


    No, To call it a jump back would be wrong.


    The sword saint just fell, like he lost his bnce and was about to fall and gut the ground.


    The problem was that Alex was on the sword saint''s back, and if the sword saint fell, he would be the one trapped.


    Alex, However in response to this, didn''t try to escape but only tightened the lock on the sword saint.


    He was trying to give n as much of a chance tond his punch.


    The legs of the sword saint were now in the air, And ns Fist was a few centimeters away from The right foot of the sword saint.


    ''I don''t care if it''s your foot! a hit is a hit!''


    ''Hit it!''


    These were the thoughts of both n and Alex respectively.


    And then, Finally, The punch and the right foot of the sword saint connected.


    And what happened was n saw the body of the sword saint and his left foot hitting his face.


    And as a result, him being sent flying.


    *Crash!*


    He crashed into the wall of the training center.


    The force behind that spinning kick was so strong that it sent him flying.


    As for Alex? The moment the sword saint spun, he was flung off into the air andnded on his arse.


    "Good, Good, The teamwork between you two is improving."


    The sword saint said in a happy voice.


    He was d his two students could already be a somewhat good team.


    "...What just happened?"


    Alex questioned the sword saint, He didn''t know how the sword saint managed to spin himself at that speed in mid-air.


    "Simple, Although he doesn''t look like it, n possesses monstrous strength even without enhancing his body with mana, So the punch had a lot of strength behind it.


    I just used the force of n''s punch to spin myself and to give myself enough momentum tond a good spinning kick."


    The sword saint exined to Alex, who had a look of confusion on his face.<sub> </sub>


    As if he was wondering ''That''s possible?''


    "How is that even possible?"


    Another voice interjected between them, It belong to n who was walking over with a bloodied nose.


    He hadnded face first into the wall.


    "Nothing is impossible, with enough training."


    "I don''t see how training makes that possible."


    The sword saint Said and Alex responded this time.


    "You bothck a foundation of Martial Arts, The arts which you all pride yourself over aren''t everything, Most of them were derived from the Martial Arts humans had practiced.


    The arts you possess today were made when these Martial Masters learned the usage of mana.


    They sweated blood and tears to understand mana, went through countless trials, and developed these Arts through sheer effort and hard work, The greatest of these were developed on the battlefield.


    To summarize it all so you can understand, Youck proper knowledge of different martial art forms and techniques."


    The sword Saint exined.


    "Yeah, But master we can''t learn every art there is!"


    "Who is telling you to learn every art? Although I would be happy if you decided to do it like me, All you young ones need is an experience!"


    "Experience?" n questioned the sword saint again after Alex.


    "Battle Experience! The more you are exposed to battles to death, Your mind will automatically program itself to analyze the opponent''s weaknesses.


    And slowly but surely, you willpletely lose all your unnecessary movements by instinct!"


    There was silence, Both of the two boys had looks of confusion on their faces.


    They understood the part where being exposed to life and death situations would make you a better fighter, but where did learning various martial arts go into this?


    "It is to improve your move set, Just imagine you are a sword user and you suddenly start to act like a grappler, Wouldnt your opponent not be surprised?"


    The Sword saint answered the question they were about to ask like he had read their minds.


    "Yeah sure, But isn''t using the special movements of arts much more effective?"


    Alex Questioned again, And in response the Sword Saint said.


    "Yes, The special movements of arts are more effective but, These movements were derived from normal martial techniques.


    Now think, What if you could use these movements and add mana to them without turning them into a proper art that has a skillset?


    What if you were able to use these normal techniques and turn them into Deadly moves?


    What if you could...theoretically program your mind and body to always prioritize the best way to beat your opponent?


    To Subconsciously think of the best way to kill your opponent without any wasted movements."


    The sword saint Spoke with slight excitement in his voice as if he was proud of something.


    Turns out he was proud of himself because he had done this to himself when he went on a rampage in the continent of demons.


    "Then why are we not using mana? I mean..."


    n spoke but paused as he went deep into thought.


    "...to develop our body better?"


    He spoke As if he was questioning what he had just theorized.


    The sword Saint smiled and said.


    "The reason I''m forcing you two to not use mana is to awaken another power that lies dormant deep inside every living being."


    ''Dormant power?''


    n and Alex thought, The former had somewhat of an idea of what this dormant power was while thetter waspletely clueless.


    ''No no, that can''t be, that can only be used by Orcs And beastkin...right?''


    n questioned in his mind, ording to the knowledge he had from the novel.


    The only that was embedded deep inside every living being was something that the orcs and beastkin used, The former couldn''t use mana and reliedpletely on that power while the beastkin, who had a poor affinity to mana also used it.


    This power was...


    And to answer the question head in his mind was the Sword Saint, whose hand was now glowing a bright green hue.


    "It''s to condition your bodies to feel Aura."


    Both the faces of his students widened, Alex in disbelief, and n In an even worse state.


    Because to his knowledge, Only Orcs And beastkin could use Aura.


    Every living being had it...But the only ones who could use it ording to the novel were Orcs and Beastkin!


    So how was the Sword Saint, who was human, enveloping his hand in aura?!

 Chapter 80 {80} Task Of The Sword Saint [2]

    Aura.


    A Power that is hidden deep inside living beings.


    It was hidden inside every living organism, however, the usage of this power was not somon among all living organisms.


    The reason?


    Mana.


    Mana had already be a fundamental part of the life of a majority of species, It was easier to control and in certain cases stronger than aura.


    If aura was the power of the being itself.


    Mana was the power of the universe.


    And the power of a single organism couldn''t match the power of the Entire Universe.


    Mana could say to be more powerful than Aura in most cases.


    But it did not mean Aura was weak.


    If it was, Then the Orcs would be a lesser race and not a major race in the Alliance that stood toe to toe with the Elves, Who were masters of Mana.


    If the Usage of Mana was to reinforce your body from the Outside to enhance one''s strength temporarily, Then Aura Could enhance the strength of the user in all aspects....permanently.


    Aura enhanced the body of the user from the inside, Not in the way mana did by making something akin to a force field on the outside enhancing the power of their attacks.


    But...in the novel, it was specifically stated that only Orcs And Beastkin could use aura.


    Orcs Couldnt uses mana at all and so had Aura as an alternative.


    And their masterful use of Aura Made them stand equal to Elves who were masters of Mana.


    One of the few downsides of Aura was that It could only be used by Orcs And Beastkin!


    This fact was emphasized multiple times in the Novel!!!


    Even Elijah, With his damn overpowered system, couldn''t use Aura at all!


    So how?! Just how was the sword saint who was a human using it?!


    Was my knowledge from the Novel Useless?!


    "...how?"


    I muttered in my shock, The Sword Saint looked towards me and said.


    "Aura is the power that resides deep inside every living being."


    I know that! What I want to know is how you are using it!


    The sword Saint, Still looking at the shock on my face with amusement said.


    "Want me to tell you the story of my tale in the demon continent?"


    Yeah! Tell me how you can use Aura!


    I nodded with great force again and again.


    Alex, Although still confused also nodded.


    I turned to look over at him.


    ''Wait a minute...''


    I thought This guy was supposed to be the original and only student of the sword saint.


    So...why did his boss fight in the novel that spanned so many chapters that it was  frustratingly annoying not to mention him using aura at all?


    My memory wasn''t perfect, I admit I had forgotten minor details and some major details from the early parts of the novel.


    But this Bastards Boss fight wasn''t in the early stages of the novel!


    So why?


    Why didn''t he use aura at all during his fight with Elijah?


    Did the sword saint not teach him how to use Aura or...


    was he unable to learn it?


    ''Yeah, that has to be it, Of course, learning something like that can''t be easy.''


    I thought to calm myself down.


    And the Sword Saint began to tell us his story.


    The Story of when he was in the Chaos Continent.


    "It all began when I was cornered..."


    ***


    In a destend that no normal flora could hope to thrive in, an injured Human stood alone surrounded by multiple bodies of demons that had menacing horns and figures.


    The human had cuts all over his body and his entire body was stained with red and purple blood.


    The red from his own, and the purple from the countless demons he had killed.


    "Huff...Huff."


    The human gasped for breath as he rested on his ck Greatsword That was outlined in Grey.<sub> </sub>


    The greatsword easily matched his length and was as wide as two entire humans together.


    The pressure that was released from this great sword was nothing to scoff at.


    The Human, who was going to close his eyes to rest for some time opened them abruptly.


    He did so because he felt the presence of multiple demonsing closer.


    He Raised his greatsword and stood his ground on the corpses of demons he had made a mountain out of.


    He could run, But he did not.


    And then, The terrifying presence he felt had reached his position.


    10 Demon Earls, 4 Demon Marquess ranked demons, and finally, A Figure 16 feet tall and d in purple mes.


    A Duke Ranked Demon, A Balrog.


    (A|N:He is facing ten <S> ranked demons, Four <SS> ranked demons, and one SSS Ranked Demon, Someone who is one major rank above him.)


    "Haha, you fool, you followed us all the way here."


    The Balrog d in purple mes spoke confidently.


    The Human did not respond, He only looked at the Massive Balrog without even an ounce of fear.


    The other demons had already surrounded him.


    Yet his gaze never left the Balrog d in purple mes.


    Seeing The Human in front of him, looking at him so fearlessly enraged The Balrog.


    "Arken, You will die here today...but"


    The balrog Said to the human, who was the Sword Saint Arken, albeit a slightly younger version of the One we know today.


    A scroll glowing a menacing purple hue materialized in the massive hand of the Balrog, Not being burned by the purple mes on his hand.


    "Sign a Demonic Contract with me, Your strength is wasted on the humans."


    The Balrog spoke, Yet his offer was met with denial.


    "Fuck Off."


    Arken denied the offer and raised his greatsword even higher as if preparing to Perform a special movement.


    "Haha, Do you not see the situation you are in? Maybe if you were at your peak strength, I would have been more cautious but look around you, You are surrounded. Has The Spear Saints Death driven you mad?"


    The Balrog Said with a sneer.


    The other demons waited for his order to attack but it did note yet.


    "How''s Your Brothers Skull doing Azbadan?"


    Arken Said to the Balrog whose name was Azbadan.


    At the mere mention of ''Brother,'' a frown had appeared on Azbadans Face that was d in purple mes.


    "How''s His skull doing? I remember it being pierced by Hirotos Spear when he saved you."


    Arken continued to speak, infuriating the balrog even further.


    "Oh, how I remember the moment where you were going to die by Hirotos Spear, Only to have your Dear brother pull you away and take the hit for you. Oh, how I remember how you, despite being an entire major rank above us three, Still couldn''t handle even one of us."


    The Purple mes on Azbadans Head red up As if they were portraying his current mood.


    "You have no right to talk of him like that."


    Azbadan Spoke.


    "Your right, He was far more fucking honorable than scum like you, Even though he was a demon, It was you who deserved to die in his ce you scum of a brother."


    "..he was weak."


    "Hah! Weak? I don''t think it was him who was running away from us and fighting all three of us at the same time trying to buy time for his forces to retreat."


    *Shaaa!*


    The mes on the balrog''s head red up even more as his temper red up.


    Arken didn''t even flinch at this and continued to speak.


    "You ran like a coward, while he stayed behind to buy time for his forces to retreat, He singlehandedly withstood the attack of every human to buy time, yet you, an arrogant prick charged into battle blinded by pride, And he, to save you died from Hirotos Spear...


    And you, Didn''t even try to help him and just attacked the weakened Hiroto and killed him, And Ordered the remaining demons he was trying to save to buy time for your escape. It should have been you who died that day, Not An."


    The Sword Saint saint spoke, He Clearly remembered the day the Demons Decided to Attack Japan, And he also remembered that a single Balrog stayed behind to buy time for their retreat.


    "Although he was a demon, He was a much better leader than your scared ass."


    The mes on the Balrog''s Head Had red up so high that you couldn''t even see the faint outline of his face anymore.


    "...You wasted your chance to live Arken, Attack!"


    And with his words, The surrounding demons rushed towards Arken Who got into a stance.


    He knew he would not leave alive today.


    But he was gonna kill this bastard before he died.

 Chapter 81 {81}Task Of The Sword Saint.[3]

    A/N:Woo!Bit of an extra long chapter because of no chapter yesterday.


    Oh shameless plug but if you like the novel please give it a good review and also vote power stones!


    If it reaches 10 good reviews, who knows,I might even do a mass release.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    The surrounding demons rushed towards the injured Arken, Who in response raised his humongous greatSword and circted his mana.


    [Ravager Style(*****)]


    //Fifth Movement


    |World Splitter|


    The Greatsword emitted a tremendous amount of pressure and swung downwards.


    The Surrounding demons paused in their tracks due to fear.


    They did not want to be the ones to get hit by that.


    They wouldn''t get hit if they strode further, for that attack was aimed at Azbadan, Who in a hurry controlled the surrounding Chaotic Mana to protect himself.


    Mana corrupted by the Element of Chaos amalgamated in front of his right hand and formed three barriers of pure chaotic mana in front of him.


    The sword saint had finally gathered all the mana required, the great sword in his hand released sparks of lightning and was now glowing a bright golden color as lightning danced around the de.


    The demons earlier didn''t want to get closer because they were afraid of getting hit by that humongous sword at any time the sword saint.


    The sword saint rushed towards Azbadan, Using thest remaining bits of his stamina tounch a final attack that would kill this Balrog.


    *BOOM!**Crack!*


    The greatsword d in lightning struck the first barrier and broke through it effortlessly, the same happened to the second barrier, only the third barrier managed to hold on for a few seconds before cracks started to form on it.


    "You crazy son of a bitch! Are you nning to cripple yourself?!"


    Azbadan yelled in fright, Arken was using thest bits of mana he had left in his body tounch this attack.


    Using mana to fuel your attacks more than necessary could allow them to exert power far more powerful than normal, however, if you were to use everyst bit of your mana into an attack. You would deprive your body of the reserve of mana it had.


    This was something that in return would increase your capacity to store mana.


    It was a technique that was quite popr among awakened in the world because of how easy it was to increase your mana capacity, albeit slowly.


    However, using everyst drop of mana in your body to fuel an attack or skill had an aftereffect that would make your body extremely tired after executing the attack.


    This would not be a problem during safety training, however, during battle, it was akin to holding a sign that said I am easy to kill!''


    In simple words, it was dangerous to exhaust all of your mana during a battle so suddenly could result in permanent damage to your body, It could destroy its ability to store mana in the worst case, and in the best case, it would ripple you.


    Although both oues, the better one and the worse one were bad, Crippling yourselfpared to losing the ability to utilize mana was much better.


    This was the reason Azbadan was shocked, to think Arken would forget about trying to survive and go all out on this attack.


    Arken was extremely skilled, to the point a Duke-ranked demon like him wanted him to sign a contract with Arken.


    He could escape this predicament if he wanted to, although he would not escape unscathed, he could escape.


    ''Why are you that determined to get rev-?!''


    Interrupting Azbadan''s thoughts was the third barrier to giving in and breaking.


    ''Ah, Shi-''


    He couldn''t evenplete the curse in his mind as his entire view was filled with lightning and an extremely bright Golden light.


    His right and left eyes witnessed themselves falling to the ground in opposite directions before his body disintegrated from the force of the attack. (A|N:He got cut in half.)


    *Rumble!*


    The de of Lightning went further than just Azbadan, It traveled even further tearing the destend as it increased in size until it touched the purple clouds in the sky.


    It kept going and going until it, shockingly reached the sea.


    The Final attack of the sword saint had the potential to split this continent filled with the energy of chaos in half if it was executed properly.


    All the demons who were not present in this area saw a bright golden light illuminating a certain part of the continent and going further as a massive de of lightning had torn its earth and skies apart before a massive earthquake erupted in the entire continent.


    n using Abyssal Rend at his level could shake the huge man-made ind shield was built on.


    But this? It shook the entire continent that was formerly known as Australia and even reached the inds further offshore.


    Massive tsunamis hit the shores of the Chaos Continent, killing any unfortunate demon that was present during this time near the coast.


    Multiple demons who cont escape in time had died.


    All because of One Attack.


    A duke Ranked demon had died taking the full force of the attack and multiple lower-ranked demons had died just from the aftereffects.


    "Duke!"


    One of the Marquiss-Ranked demons shouted after seeing the magnificent attack that could split their continent if used correctly.


    The bright golden light eventually diminished and revealed an extremely tired Arken who was gasping for breath.


    "Huff...Huff."


    Unfortunately, he would not get much rest before the demons would recollect themselves and continue to attack him.


    He raised his humongous great sword with great difficulty, originally he could carry thisrge sword easily with one hand, However now?


    He struggled to even lift it a few meters above the ground.


    He saw a Demon with ck horns rushing towards him with its hideous nails extended.


    *ng!*ng!*


    Arken had barely managed to stop the attack with his giant sword.


    *sh!*


    "Argh!"


    A second demon had appeared behind him in a sh and had shed his back, Immediately afterward, The demons retreated and Arken nearly copsed to the ground but managed to bnce himself with the help of his sword.


    The demons had all surrounded him and now attacking him in turns.


    Whenever he blocked the attack of one demon, a second demon would attack in a blind spot, and if he managed to dodge both of their attacks.


    A third demon would attack him seemingly out of nowhere.<sub> </sub>


    Arken had used nearly all of his mana and the amount of blood he had lost was astonishing.


    ''...I can''t die here!''


    Was it a final desperate struggle to live?


    Or was it just regret that he could notpletely avenge his fallenrade?


    He couldn''t die here.


    Despite being old, Arken still had unfinished regrets.


    He heard that Oliver would soon have a grandchild.


    He wanted to teach Oliver''s grandchild the sword if he/She had the talent for it.


    And he had also suggested the name Olivia if it was a girl just to annoy Oliver.


    He wanted to pass down his techniques, He could not be the first and thest practitioner of his Style.


    All creators wanted their creation to be passed down to others, so they could learn from it...and even improve it further.


    The chaotic mana in the air rumbled, The demons wanted to give Arken a painful death.


    Theybined their collective mana inside their bodies and formed it into a hugence of Chaos.


    The Lance of Chaos continued to growrger andrger until half of the mana in their bodies had been exhausted.


    And all Arken could do was watch as his body had already reached its limit and could barely move any further.


    He used the pitiful amount of pure mana he still had left in his body and conglomerated it towards his head, which was the target of the Lance of Chaotic energy.


    *Rumble!*


    Thence began to move towards him at an astonishing speed.


    The pitiful amount of mana he had left had now entered his head and he was starting to coat his head with it...until.


    His body began to fall.


    ''ah.''


    He had reached his limits, that was what he thought.


    Unfortunately, it was the move that he tried to make his mana go into his head that was the cause of this.


    But he didn''t know.


    He began to fall in the direction of thence.


    His forehead and the tip of the chaotce collided.


    It was piercing into his skull, No matter how durable his body was it would eventually fall.


    The chaotic energy had entered his body and was ruining it from the inside.


    ''...no''


    He would fall unconscious any moment now...


    Maybe for thest time.


    And finally, he did.


    His mind had fallen unconscious...


    But his body had not.


    The Chaotic energy damaging his internals awakened something inside.


    He could not describe this feeling because ''Arken'' had already lost consciousness.


    His body moved, His legs regained their strength and it caught thence of chaos energy with its bare hand.


    "What?"


    "...what is happening?"


    Muttered the demons in their shock.


    The Lance made up of pure chaos had just been caught by a hand not even coated with mana.


    Adding to their shock was the fact that the Lance made of pure chaos energy was dissipating as if it was being destroyed by ''Arken'' instead of Destroying him.


    Thence had nowpletely been obliterated, and the demons could now see how.


    The entire body of Arken was covered in a deep green hue.


    Shockingly, When Arken had channeled his mana to his head, he has ''Unknowingly'' separated his consciousness from his body, and now allowed his body to move independently from his thoughts and emotions for a limited period.


    It was this that also awakened another Primal power within him.


    The power of a living being himself.


    The shock on the demon''s faces had reached up to the sky.


    For what they were seeing was a ''human'' using Aura.


    They could not even speak due to their shock.


    And now, An overwhelming pressure surrounded these demons and made them kneel.


    ''Arken'', whose eyes were now glowing green along with his entire body shrouded in a deep green hue was walking towards them.


    Death wasing


    That was what these demons belonging to the nobility were feeling now.


    ''Arken'' had entered a state that he would himself call Enlightenment when he would regain his consciousness.


    A state where the consciousness would be separated from the body allowing it to move independently of thoughts and emotions.


    It was something that would allow a martial artist to fight without worrying about useless thoughts.


    It was something he would call ''Enlightenment''.


    However, That name would notst long because a certain student of his would rename it to something far more fitting.


    A name that he was familiar with due to his anime addiction.


    ''Ultra Instinct.''

 Chapter 82 {82}The Legend Himself.

    Ultra Instinct.


    An ultimate technique that separates the consciousness from the body, allowing it to move independently of thoughts and emotions.


    A technique that would allow a martial artist to exhibit their capabilities to the fullest. Arken had achieved such a state due to His Body, which had gone into the dangerous state of having no mana at all, And his final act of conglomerating all his mana at his head had been the key to unlocking it.


    ? And It also awakened the power of A Living being itself. Aura.


    His Body, which was now covered in green light along with his eyes glowing a deep green light was filled with strength, a sharp contrast to his previous state where it was hard to even move.


    ''Arken'' calmly walked towards the demons who were still having trouble with the pressure he was releasing.


    They were even more shocked by the fact that they were seeing A Human d in Aura.


    It was just too shocking for these noble demons who had known that Only Orcs And Beastkin could use the power of Aura their entire lives.


    Themon question in their minds was.


    ''How?''


    How? What was the scene urring right in front of their eyes?


    Unfortunately for them, They would not


    get their answer for ''Arken'' had finally reached their positions.


    He went towards the closest demon, who could do nothing but cower in fear before him.


    ''Arken'' moved his hand at a speed at which their trained eyes could not follow...and beheaded the Marquiss ranked demon in front of him.


    *Slice!*


    It was a clean cut. His hand was covered in Aura that now appeared to look like a de.


    He looked to be undefeatable. He looked to be like a God d in the armor of green.


    Someone, they should bow down to.


    And they were already kneeling under the enormous pressure he was releasing.


    The Aura Surrounding Arken red up and engulfed all of them.


    Their bodies were burning up, Engulfed by the raging aura.


    "Ahh!"


    "Stop it!"


    "Please!"


    They cried out, yet it was worthless, For the Aura burning their bodies would not be extinguished...until their death.


    *Shaaa!*Shaaa!*


    The Aura red up, Increasing the intensity of the burning.


    And soon, After about 3 minutes or so, All of those demons had been reduced to Ash.


    On that day...Arken had made the first step to being called ''Demon yer.''


    He had singlehandedly killed 10 Earls, 4 Marquises, and 1 duke-ranked demon.


    And he would continue to inflict even more casualties on the demons.


    To the point, they would begin to fear his very name.


    Arken Miller, The demon yer.


    ***


    ''...so he was the cause of that?''


    n thought.


    Based on the story he had told, n remembered a certain chapter of the Novel.


    Where Elijah and the others had been venturing into the Demonic Continent and came across arge ass crack in the ground that stretched for miles until it reached the sea itself.


    ''..scary.''<sub> </sub>


    To think it was done by a human and not an overpowered demon.


    It truly was scary.


    "I had trained for years during my time in the demonic continent to master The power of Enlightenment, and together with it I also managed to awaken Aura."


    The sword saint continued while pointing towards his belly button area.


    The lower dantian to be more exact.


    "The power of Aura settled deep within me here, It was an odd power, to say the least."


    "I did not know how to use it efficiently without entering the state of Enlightenment, But then, During my time there I encountered an orc ve who had taught me."


    "He was shocked to see me wield aura first, but when I killed the demon who he was a ve, he taught me how to use it efficiently."


    "He taught me the origin of Aura, Its applications, History and It''s...Power...."


    The sword Saint paused, took a deep breath, and continued.


    "Aura, it is the power of the flesh, the blood, the muscles, the tendons, joints, everything about a living organism. It is the power of the body itself.


    If mana is the power of the world.


    Aura is the Power of Oneself.


    It cannot be achieved without training your body to the utmost limits, Surpassing these limits, and entering a new realm entirely.


    A realm where your body no longer requires mana to enhance itself.


    A realm where every cell of your body holds Aura within it.


    A realm where...your body has achieved the highest physical form possible."


    The two boys listened to their master with rapt attention.


    The atmosphere was tense, Alex and n were both intrigued by the words of the Sword Saint.


    Unfortunately, this tense atmosphere was soon broken by the Sword saintughing the next moment.


    "Haha, You two should see the look on your faces."


    Both of them were surprised. The sword saint had just ruined the tense and extreme atmosphere he had created with his words.


    "Now, Tomorrow is the day you will have your first dungeon excursion, and because of  it, I want you to do something while in the dungeon."


    n was intrigued, while Alex had a troubled look on his face.


    "I want you two to defeat five creatures of the same rank as you...and one creature one rank above."


    Boom!


    Defeat a monster a rank above?!


    Monster ranks and Human ranks were different!


    To defeat one monster at least 3 Awakened of the same rank were required.


    Not to mention a rank above!


    At least a dozen Awakened of would be required to beat a monster one rank above them!


    Although this difference in power was not great in the lower ranks(Such as F, E rank). At the higher ranks, it was like the difference between heaven and Earth!


    ''n has some experience fighting a human, however, he has none in fighting monsters, as for Alex...He has absolutely no experience...so ill have to change it up.''


    The sword saint thought. Just with a few days of training, he had found out that n had some experience fighting humans, which should probably be the training provided By Twilight, however, had no experience against monsters.


    Alex on the other hand had no experience fighting any of them.


    Not Monsters, not humans.


    He had just stated the above task to see their reactions.


    Now he would tell them what they really had to do.

 Chapter 83 {83}Dungeon

    "Both of you have to kill as many as you can."


    The voice of the Sword Saint resounded in their ears.


    ''Huh?''


    ''So he changed it up.''


    Thought Alex and n respectively.


    "As you should have noticed, I''m changing the assignment that I''ve given you. Your goal is now to kill as many monsters, Regardless of their rank."


    Arken exined, that He had decided that because they had no experience fighting monsters at all, He would let them take small steps first.


    If he could, He wanted to go with them to advise them on how to kill efficiently in real-time, However, he could not reveal himself yet.


    He would first teach them how to kill monsters efficiently.


    And then...he would teach them how to kill the greatest monster there is.


    Humans.


    However, that woulde farter in the future, When they would need his guidance.


    When they would truly be exposed to the horror of the World.


    "Umm, Master...I...I "


    Disrupting the Swords saint''s thoughts was Alex''s Shaky voice.


    It seemed he wanted to say something, but was hesitating.


    "It''s okay, You can tell me."


    The sword saint replied in a soft tone to encourage him to continue.


    "I...cacan''t go to the dungeon."


    "Hmm?Why plicated."


    They exchanged words with one another while n watched silently.


    He knew what was going on, but didn''t speak because he wanted Alex to do it himself.


    Alex, because of his affinity, was a victim of bullying.


    And pretty severe bullying at that.


    "Well...I don''t think I''ll be able to perform that well."


    Alex said, however, that he did not say the truth.


    Someone would of course naturally want toin about their bullying.


    However, If it wasn''t stopped and they were bullied even more after they told another figure.


    The bullying would get even worse.


    Alex had told his family and teachers, however, his bully''s family would always deter them from doing anything.


    "You can tell me the truth, Alex."


    The sword saint spoke, He knew his student was lying.


    However, the problem was, How to convince his student to tell the truth.


    He was a fighter, A warrior, Not a therapist.


    This silence continued between the three until the sword saint stood up and said.


    "You two should go back and get some rest, I have something important to do."


    And before they could even ask something else, He disappeared like a sh of lightning.


    ...


    They both just looked at the original ce the sword saint was with utter silence.


    The one to break this silence was n, who eventually asked.


    "Want help?"


    "Huh?" Alex replied, Confused as to what n meant.


    " You know what I''m talking about."


    "..."


    Alex did not say anything, he just looked down towards the floor for a while, before walking towards the exit.


    *Tok*Tok*


    The sound of his footsteps was depressing.


    Like someone who wanted to just run away but was holding himself back.


    *Tok*Tok*.


    However, just as he was about to reach the exit, he stopped and muttered in a low voice before leaving.


    "...thanks for trying to help."


    A human, even awakened should not be able to hear this unless they had enhanced their ears with mana. n, who was a draconian had all of his senses at a level far above that of a normal human. He heard those words clearly. And Alex was unaware that n had heard him.<sub> </sub>


    ***


    I looked at his departing back.


    I knew what he was going through, yet I still didn''t do anything.


    The level of bullying he was experiencing was severe to the point it was not unusual for him to have suicidal thoughts.


    The reason I was going nothing was that I knew he wasn''t going to die anytime soon.


    He still became the next sword saint in the future.


    But...should I really try to do something?


    I was the rank first and also had the third biggest guild backing me.


    But...will he improve if someone else helps him?


    ''I'' was also a victim of bullying in my previous life.


    And I knew telling about your problems to someone who didn''t give a fuck or was afraid of the consequences of taking action against the bullying.


    My only problem was.


    This was fucking Shield. The greatest institute for training Awakened in the world. And even still they couldn''t act that much because of the possibility of losing their ''Investors.''


    ''Fucking hell.''


    I cursed in my mind.


    ''...should I beat his bully up?to show him that he isn''t invincible?''


    No that won''t work at all.


    He and I are in different sses, I couldn''t just go up to his ss and ask for a duel.


    I probably could if I was of lower Ranking than him or had a good reason to convince one of the teachers but...


    Should I do it?


    If he wanted to truly escape he should do it himself, and not receive any help.


    That was how I did it in my world.


    Unfortunately, this world and my previous world were different.


    If in my world, Financial strength was everything.


    In this one, It was Individual strength.


    If you didn''t have the strength to back yourself up, you were as good as dead.


    Whether it be connections, Talent level, Affinity grade, or family connections backing.


    Alex lost in all of them except Talent ranking and affinity.


    And the things he won at a needed time to cultivate.


    Ahh, fuck it, ill just think about thister.


    Right now, I needed to get some good sleep.


    Tomorrow will be really important after all.


    ***


    In the office of the Headmaster, Oliver was typing away at a Holographic Screen.


    It was veryte at night and he was still working.


    *Knock*Knock*


    He heard knocks on his door.


    Without even looking toward he said.


    "Come in."


    "Thank you."


    Oliver stopped typing and disabled the holographic screen disrupting his view.


    "Your back?"


    He asked the person who had just entered his room.


    It was none other than Arken.


    "Yes, and I have a favor to ask you of."


    Arken spoke as he sat down on the Sofa.


    "Ho? You? Asking me for a favor, Am I in a dream?"


    Oliver replied back in a sarcastic tone.


    "Yes, Yes very funny."


    Arken andwered, and then continued


    "Now, Show me all the files you have on the student Alexander Wright."

 Chapter 84 {84}Dungeon[2]

    Dungeons were unusual to say the very least.


    The mostmon dungeons were the normal dungeons in which there would be a portal leading to a vastnd that had monsters and treasures hidden deep within. Each of these dungeons had a Boss monster that you could defeat and would respawn after a fixed amount of time.


    The only way topletely get rid of dungeons was to make sure the Dungeon Core, which the Boss monster protects is destroyed.


    Destroying it releases an outburst of mana which may or may not materialize into priceless artifacts.


    How this urred no one truly knew, but no one alsoined.


    However, the destruction of the Dungeon core very rarely happened in low-level dungeons.


    Most low-level dungeons were turned into field dungeons, In which humans would ban any hunter from entering and killing the monsters.


    This was a dungeon to cause a Dungeon Overload, A phenomenon in which the dungeon would be overpopted causing monsters toe outside to the real world and leave their home.


    This was done for the sole purpose of harvesting mana cores.


    Monsters in dungeons would just evaporate into thin air when killed, however for monsters outside of the dungeon, their physical bodies would remain.


    And these bodies of theirs had a chance to contain a mana core, which is the ultimate source of Energy.


    And because of it, Humans made an actual market for them.


    The lowest level mana core could fetch up to 150,000 thousand studs.


    There would be a massive increase in price for each higher-ranked mana core.


    They could be used to make potions, and artifacts and to power society.


    One could also purify the mana in the mana core and let it absorb itself in one''s body, however, this was extremely risky with an extremely high chance of death, So no one tried it anymore.


    The most unusual of these was the Labyrinth types and Tower type of dungeons.


    Labyrinth-type dungeons were just like their name suggested.


    A Labyrinth in which the deeper you go the stronger the monsters be.


    There were few of these types of Dungeons.


    The only way that these dungeons could be destroyed was to reach thest floor and defeat the strongest monster there.


    And to make it worse, thesebyrinths couldn''t be Field Dungeons at all.


    No matter how long humans left them alone, no monsters woulde out of the cave like the entrance of the Labyrinth.


    The Labyrinth core worked in a simr way to the Dungeon core in which it would spawn more monsters.


    The problem was if the number of monsters reached uncontroble levels they would just migrate to the lower floors, causing a stampede in the lower floors.


    The reason they migrated downwards was that the mana density on the lower floors was greater allowing them to grow even stronger.


    Although their desperate attempt to siege the lower floors would rarely seed as the monster there would ughter them.


    The bad thing about these stamped was that, very rarely, a monster from the lower floors could migrate towards the upper floors causing havoc and making the monsters on the floor stampede...upwards.


    The lower the floor the monster came up from, the greater the chain reaction as more and more monsters from each floor would run into the upper floors and cause havoc there, resulting in the same reaction.


    And if hunters were currently in the process of raiding thebyrinth and this happened, then....good luck surviving a stampede of tens of thousands of monsters of varying ranks trying to run away from something even stronger and soaring with no effort in annihting those who dared to stop them.


    Good luck, you would seriously need it.


    The final type of Dungeons we''re Tower dungeons, of which there were only two on Earth.<sub> </sub>


    The Tower of Curses is located on the demonic continent And the Tower of Trials is located inside the Capital city of the Humans.


    Tower dungeons would impose a condition on you that you would have to surpass if you wanted to go to the next floor.


    They were the opposite ofbyrinths, in which lower floors contained stronger monsters.


    In towers higher you go, the stronger and more agonizing the restrictions ced on you were.


    This was the main reason both of those towers had yet to be cleared.


    But if you managed to clear them...who knows what will happen?


    You could maybe get an SSS Rank artifact, An elixir capable of healing all curses and wounds, A six-star art, A magic training method, and So many great choices.


    But unfortunately, no one knew what you would get, because no one had cleared a tower yet.


    The tower of Trials Would give you trials to pass on each floor.


    While the tower of Curses will give you an additional different curse on each floor.


    They were both extremely hard to clear.


    There was also another unusual type of dungeon called gates.


    Gates would suddenly appear in a random area with no notice, unlike normal dungeons in which mana would gather slowly to form it.


    And unlike dungeons, they would suck everything inside a certain radius.


    And the only way to get out was to kill the boss.


    Every type of Dungeon was Unique and now, The first-year students would be entering thebyrinth.


    Abyrinth that had been formed inside of Shields Campus.


    A Labyrinth In which Oliver himself had failed to reach thest floor.


    Oliver''s record was floor 90.


    The other teachers were in their 50s.


    And the best student at Shield, Daniel Khorsh Was 38.


    ***


    "The dungeon excursion this time will have a little twist to it, We apologize to inform you thiste however but the Headmaster has issued an order to change up the Dungeon Excursion this time."


    A beautiful woman with some white hair that was a cyan color at the tips spoke, She had cyan-colored eyes and a figure that would make many men drool over.


    She was Anna Frost, The Vice Principal Of Shield.


    An S+ Ranked hero, and the second strongest among all of Shields Staff.


    She had a white scarf that seemed far too real on her neck.


    The scarfter moved and confirmed the student''s suspicions that whatever it was, it was a living being.


    "The special twist this time is that in addition to surviving five days in the Dungeon, You also have to...


    ***


    A/N:Hehe,enjoy the cliffhanger!

 Chapter 85 {85}Labyrinth

    "...instead of teaming up with just your ssmates, your teams will be decided randomly along with other students from other sses."


    Emilia frost spoke with a concerned voice, Even she did not understand why The Headmaster Had decided to do this, At the veryst minute.


    The Students were confused, The teachers were confused and even the second year''s who were tasked with making sure no one died inside thebyrinth were confused.


    Why? Just why?


    Why team up with strangers with one instead of the students from the same sses who had some sort of familiarity with each other?


    And the teams were decided by the Headmaster himself!


    They did not know why he, The one known as the Wise Sage did this, but s he was the one with the most authority.


    And he also said that there was no need for the senior teachers to participate in the Labyrinth to ensure the student''s safety.


    She was worried yes, but her trust in The Headmaster''s Judgement was even greater than her worry.


    He was her teacher, after all, The one who was ranked 3rd in the Hero rankings, and the only reason Shield was Shield.


    And So, Erging the Holographic screen being emitted from her watch, She started to recite the teams set by the Headmaster himself.


    ***


    "So the main cause is bullying and social anxiety, huh?"


    Arken said while reviewing Alex''s files.


    After he had seen what he wanted to see, He faced Oliver and said in an exasperated voice.


    "And you let this happen?"


    Oliver remained silent, this was news to him too, He had not been informed of this as well.


    Well, He most likely had received a file rted to it, but it was probably buried within the Thousands of other files he receives every day.


    And considering the identity of the supposed bully, It was not unusual for him to have ''Bribed'' some of the staff to let whatever he does go.


    "Sigh..."


    A sigh escaped his mouth as he rubbed his tired eyes.


    ''I''m getting too old for this.''


    Oliver thought whole still rubbing his tired eyes.


    "I''ll look into it."


    Oliver replies with a tired face while looking at Arken''s face.


    "You''ve changed Oli."


    Arken said, However before he could continue with whatever he wanted to say, He was stopped by Oliver who replied in an annoyed tone.


    "Don''t call me that, MuscleFreak."


    "Ha! Look that''s the Oli I know!"


    The sword saintughed after hearing Oliver''s response


    However, hisugh had disappeared and he soon said in a serious voice.


    "But something needs to be done."


    "I''ll look into it when I have the time."


    "Something needs to be done, now."


    "Haaa..."


    Oliver just looked at his friend with a tired look on his face and sighed yet again.


    It was going to be hard to convince Arken to stop, But he still has to try.


    "The re family is still an important investor, I can''t just admonish their youngest prodigy so openly, Even if he has a bit of a temper. So-"


    "A bit of a temper?!"


    Oliver''s words were stopped by Arken interrupting him in an angry voice.


    "Beating him up every day, To the point that he needed to go to the infirmary every day, To the point that he had stoppeding to ss, to the point where he nearly died?!"


    "Yes."


    Yet, to Arken''s outrage, Oliver remained calm....and cold.


    "What?"


    Arken questioned.


    "Although your ''Student'' has a talent rank of SS, Without a good mana training technique for his useless attribute, He will never in his life reach the rank his talent has been deemed as. You should focus on n more, Even though he ''supposedly'' has the same talent rank and the troublesome attribute of Space, most people forget that he has a stronger affinity to ice.


    He is much more likely to even surpass what his talent rank states."


    Cold hard facts.


    Out of Everything Oliver could say, he chose to say the facts.


    Arken was baffled, the Oliver he knew was never like this.


    Yes, he was stubborn at times but he would never give up on someone unless they were absolute scum.


    But unfortunately, Arken was also stubborn, so he quickly devised a n.


    "Hey listen to me


    "Hey, Listen to me, I have a n,   let the students be paired up with other students from other sses other than their own. Assign the teams by yourself based on students''patibility and skill levels thatplement each other, however, Alex and n must be ced in the same team, along with that boy from the re Family...."


    Arken spoke while walking toward the door, And when Oliver was just about to deny this n He heard Arken''s voice again.<sub> </sub>


    "..and don''t worry about their safety, I''ll ensure the lives of every student."


    And saying those words, Arken opened the door and left.


    Leaving Oliver at a loss for words.


    After aint in his mind for a bit, he nevertheless still did what Arken had asked of him.


    He would have never done this if not for Arken himself ensuring the safety of every student there.


    ''Damn Musclefreak, Youe back after 16 years and all you do is make me work even more.''


    ***


    [The night before the Labyrinth Excursion]


    [Elijah''s Room]


    "So, Serena mind telling me why we are reviewing this for the thirteenth time?"


    Said Elijah as he closed the hologram containing the information about the monsters in the Labyrinth.


    He looked toward the pink-haired girl sitting opposite him as he rested his head on the table.


    "To get a better understanding of the dungeon excursion of course."


    Serena replied while taking a sip of her tea.


    "But we''ve done this so many times I''m confident I can ace this excursion in terms of points acquired!"


    "Oh? then tell me, what is the environment for the fifth floor of the Labyrinth?"


    Serena questioned Elijah.


    "An icy tundra!"


    "And what element is weak in that environment?"


    Elijah paused as he heard her question, he gulped and then answered in a crestfallen voice.


    "...fire."


    "And what elemental affinity do you have?"


    "...fire elemental affinity...But it also has its perks!"


    "Oh? And what perks will help you there?"


    "...I can heat my body with fire mana and can also melt the ice there to make water!"


    "Oh? And what will happen when you run out of mana?"


    "I''ll take a mana potion!"


    ''And also just revitalize my mana with the system!''


    "Oh? did you forget mana potions are allowed only at the expense of points?"


    "...wait, what?"


    Elijah asked while being confused.


    "You forgot didn''t you?"


    Said Serena as she rested her chin on her hands and looked at Elijah.


    "...No...I just.."


    "You forgot didn''t you?"


    Elijah heard Serena''s voice again.


    "Yes...."


    And he replied while looking down towards the ground.


    "Sigh....this is why I came here personally to make sure you studied."


    Serena sighed and said, to which Elijah replied.


    "Are you my mother or what?!"


    "No, But I am your ''lover''."


    Thud!


    The moment she said the word ''lover.''


    Elijah had fallen from his seat onto the ground with a red face.


    ''...this girl!''


    He thought...this could not do...he needed toe up with something to get rid of the embarrassment he was feeling.


    So he said the only thing that came to mind regarding this unusual behavior of her to suggest studying together.


    "... You''re doing this just to beat n...rig-?!"


    Crack!


    His rebuttal was unfortunately interrupted by Serena cracking the cup she held in her hand with her strength alone.


    She had enhanced herself with mana to do this, as the grip strength of a healer ss was not enough to this alone.


    As for Elijah?


    He did not dare utter another word when faced with her icy gaze at the mention of ''n''.

 Chapter 86 {86}Labyrinth[2]

    The students were in an uproar.


    They were confused, shocked, and angry.


    How could the school change an important test like this at thest minute?!


    The dungeon excursion was a test that was supposed tost five days.


    The students would be given appropriate living supplies except for the food which they would have to scavenge for in the Labyrinth...and most importantly.


    This was supposed to be a solo test.


    Every student for himself or herself.


    But now?


    They were told to team up with other strangers they did not even know.


    If it was just their sses then it made some sense as they would be somewhat familiar with their ssmates.


    But this was unprecedented!


    The rules had changed. At first, the longer you stayed on a much more dangerous floor, and killed more monsters the more points they would receive and this would be very helpful in deciding their cement marks.


    But now, suddenly the school wanted them to use teams?!


    "The hell?! They can''t just do this!"


    "Yeah!"


    "At least inform us way earlier!"


    Theyined, however, theirints were immediately shut down by Emilia.


    "Quiet! If you have a problem with this we have no problems failing you for this!


    So shut up and look at the team list that has been sent to your watches and meet up with your teammates!


    I give you thirty minutes, and if all the team members still haven''t organized themselves by then, that team is disqualified! So get your asses up and start Looking for your teammates, NOW!"


    The shout of the Vice-principal enhanced with mana shook them to the core, even some teachers had been affected by it.


    And, even though they were grumbling, they turned on their watches and began to look at their assigned teammates.


    Sabrina did the same and soon a holographic screen appeared in front of her.


    [Team 55]


    Members:


    1)n Pator.


    2)Sabrina Wellington


    3)Alexander Wright.


    4)Kyle re.


    5)Amy Lawrence.


    Team Leader:Vacant.


    Objective:Survive Five days in thebyrinth.


    ______________________________________


    ''..what?''


    She thought to herself while being shocked.


    Three Top Ten students in a single team?


    Isn''t this far too overpowered of a team?


    She understood why Her bodyguard was included in the same team as her, her family had requested them to be In the same team for team exercises or tests.


    But Along with Kyle who was ranked 6th in the first-year student rankings, this was unfair to other teams.


    A monster who was Rank C at the tender Age of 16, She who, unbeknownst to a lot of other people had advanced to rank D bypleting a quest.


    And Kyle re, the youngest prodigy of the re Family.


    A family that was ranked 6th among the top ten families of Earth.


    This was unfair to all other students, But she wouldn''tin, She was quite thankful for this development.


    Her bodyguard was enough to handle everything here, although she still did not know if some restrictions would be ced on him by the teachers considering his strength.


    What she was curious about was Alexander Wright.


    The student that had brought a bloodied n Pator to the infirmary.


    She now had a chance to talk to him to find out what happened that day.


    She resolved to find out what happened.


    But first, she looked over to her bodyguard who was standing behind her, Wearing the armor provided by the school as well as a full metallic spear.


    The gear was provided by the school to ensure that students used skill and not wealth to conquer this test.


    And she was quite intrigued by the expression on his face when she did see him.


    He was looking at the same holographic screen that showed the team members.


    And there was an eerie smile on his face.


    It was the first time she had seen him show that much emotion on his stoic face.


    Just as she was about to talk to him through the spatial bond she heard a voice.


    "Wow, looking at you in person, you''re even more beautiful."


    Turning her head over to the voice she saw a fairly good-looking boy with fiery red hair.


    His jawline was chiseled to perfection, the facial features also and he possessed striking red eyes that seemed as if there was a fire burning inside them.


    "May I please?"


    He said while reaching his hand out, to which Sabrina reached her hand out and he grabbed it gently before kissing it.


    This had be so natural to her that she did it without even thought.


    It was also quitemon among the higher-ups of society.<sub> </sub>


    To kiss the hand of a maiden upon meeting her.


    Unfortunately for The red-haired boy, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the area he had kissed almost instantly after it happened.


    His face contorted before returning to his normal smile as he said while looking behind her.


    "And this must be the infamous Rank first, n Oator, Correct?


    ''Oator?''


    Both n and Sabrina thought at the same time after hearing what he said.


    Did he just mistake the name of his teammate, the rank first?


    Was he stupid? Or was he confident in his backing?


    She had expected n to correct him, however contrary to what she thought, He still had the same smile on his face as he reached his hand out for a handshake.


    " n Oator, At your service."


    n said, while still maintaining the smile on his face.


    Seeing this, The red-haired boy, who was Kyle re, smirked and reached out his hand for a handshake.


    When their hands intertwined with each other, Kyle Enhanced his grip with mana.


    However, to his shock, he didn''t even see the rank first flinch.


    And worst of all, he could feel no mana enhancing his hand.


    He had expected him to not attack because of fear of his family, but to not defend himself as well.


    Was he mocking the re family?


    Was he mocking him? Someone who was from the lineage of the most powerful users of fire was being mocked by someone who only had a single guild behind him?


    He could not take this.


    ''Hmph! You dare?''


    He thought while increasing the amount of mana in his hand.


    However, No matter how much mana he inputted to increase his strength the first rank didn''t even enhance his hand and just looked at him with nted eyes and a devilish grin on his face.


    s, Kyles''s mana reserves were going below what he wasfortable with so he reluctantly tried to retrieve his hand.


    At least that was what he tried to do anyway.


    ? "Huh?"


    He muttered due to surprise, No matter what he did, he could not retrieve his hand.


    "Is this team 55?"


    Suddenly, a voice was heard and Sabrina, n, and Kyle turned to face the direction of the voice and saw a girl with Auburn hair and emerald eyes looking at them.


    She was Amy Lawrence, the fourth member of their team.


    And she had luckily given Kyle the chance to escape because he instantly retracted his hand the moment he saw n turn his head towards her.


    "Ah...hello!"


    Said Amy with a shy tone.


    Her cheeks were currently red as she was looking at what appeared to her to be the most beautiful girl, the most handsome boy she had seen in her life, and an ordinary joe.


    "Ah, Wee, Are you, Amy Lawrence?"


    n said to her and she responded in a somewhat disappointed voice as if she wanted the one who was handsome to ask her.


    "Ah. Yes, yes I am."


    "Great!  Now we only need one more."


    n said, to which kyle responded.


    "Ah, that pile of trash won''t being, he''s too much of a wimp."


    n turned his head to look at Kyle and then answered with a smile.


    "Oh well, We will be disqualified if Alex doesn''te, so I''ll go and pick him up."


    n said and turned around while looking at his watch that was disying a map of the team members and their location.


    He saw that Alex was still in his room and he hadn''t even bothered toe for the excursion.


    "Don''t bother, I''ll talk to the Vice Principal, She will listen if we provide her with a good reason as to why That wimp can''te. Especially if it''s the Goddess who is speaking for our team. "Kyle said while looking at Sabrina.


    He was true, their backing would be sufficient enough to convince the Vice Principal to let just the four of them go on this Excursion and exclude Alex, who should be expelled soon because he didn''t take his sses.


    "Oh don''t be like that, Kyle, As I said I''ll go pick him and if he doesn''te despite that, then we can talk to the Vice Principal."


    And as he said that, n turned around to head towards Alex''s Dorm when he heard Sabrina''s voice inside his head.


    [I''ming as well.]


    However, he quickly shut her down.


    [Dont bothers, We only have 25 minutes left and the Sheep Dorm is far from here, I also haven''t been there before so I can''t teleport, just collect the Supply bag from the school and wait for me.]


    [I don''t want to be left alone here.]


    [Why?]


    [Because the moment they all notice you leave, I''ll be surrounded by Idiots.]


    ''...this girl...''


    n thought and replied.


    [With your weak Physique, you will only slow me down, I''ll be back in about five.]


    [Five?]


    [Five minutes...]


    [oh]


    And without saying anything else, n stormed off at a great speed.


    And finally, once he got out of everyone''s sights, did he reveal a devilish smile on his face while he Used Short Distance teleportation to go The Sheep Dorm.

 Chapter 87 {87}Labyrinth(3)

    ''This is way too good to be true.''


    I thought to myself while running towards the Sheep Dorms.


    On the way, A smile was present on my face, Deeply embedded as it was always there.


    Of course, it only appeared when I learned of the change in the excursion.


    I had just been given the perfect chance to give Alex his confidence back.


    If I could make him see that his Bully, Kyle was not invincible and very vulnerable when alone in the Dungeon. He could regain some of the confidence against him at least.


    To get rid of the Fear of a Bully, Seeing your bully cower with fear is a good way.


    Especially in thebyrinth, where on the third floor there are a few special nts that increase anger levels.


    I will make Alex erupt like a volcano on a weakened.


    Ah...Just thinking about it is making me excited.


    ''However, The events have changed.''


    I, thought to myself, worried because, in the original novel, this was supposed to be a solo event.


    Yet now it had changed.


    ''Why did it change?''


    I asked myself inside my mind.


    Nothing major happened among the protagonists except me taking the first rank instead of Elijah...


    Only I became a bodyguard of Sabrina, And...


    nothing else?


    Then what was the reason? this change?


    My interference with the original plotline shouldn''t have been the reason.


    Or were they?


    ''Let''s think about this for a minute...The only ones who can change thebyrinth excursion are the Headmaster and the Vice Principal, However, given the vice principal''s reaction, while announcing the change, it can''t be her...


    So the only one left is Oliver...but why?''


    I asked myself, Yes he could change it..but why would he choose to?do when there was absolutely no benefit.


    And to add to that, I understood why I was on the same team as Sabrina, but why was another top 10 student on our team?


    It was a monstrous team that destroyed other teams.


    Compatibility rates?


    What sort ofpatibility did I have with Kyle?


    And Alex, Was also on the same team as his bully along with me.


    Was it just a coincidence? Or am I overthinking things?


    But there is one thing I was sure about.


    If the original plotline for the Labyrinth excursion changed.


    I should expect the events inside to change.


    100%


    ****


    [Team 55]


    Team Leader:Vacant.


    Members:


    1)n Pator.


    2)Sabrina Wellington.


    3)Kyle re.


    4)Alexander Wright.


    5)Amy Lawrence.


    Objective:Survive 5 days within the Labyrinth.


    ______________________________________


    Alex stared at the hologram in front of him.


    There was a look of utter despair on his face.


    Why?


    Why why why?!


    WHY MUST I BE ON THE SAME TEAM AS HIM?!


    ...when I finally got some courage to go...why must he be with me?!


    He was fully ready, Wearing his school uniform and carrying his two Dual king fu swords.


    He was nning to change into his battle suit once he reached the area of the ind where the Labyrinth was located. He would still keep his two swords, for they weren''t an overpowered weapon for this excursion, unlike ns Spear.


    Although n himself was an overpowered weapon here.


    The school would let him keep the because they wouldn''t be broken in this excursion.<sub> </sub>


    He was ready, he had some courage built up...


    He had hoped that today will be the day when he would truly take a small step to build some courage.


    That was his hope.


    Yet it came crashing down the moment he saw ''his'' name on the team member list.


    Why?


    Just why?


    Out of 1000 first years, It had to be him?


    Out of 1000 first years, It had to be him!?


    Why couldn''t he just be ced in a team different than him?


    Why now?!


    Why now of all the f*cking days he still had to live?!


    Just when....just when...


    "Haahh..."


    A sigh escaped his mouth, and without saying anything, he moved from the exit of his room, in front of his door, and went to the bed of the average-sized room.


    He took a look at his bed, and without a second thought in his mind, he fell t onto his bed and buried his head inside his pillow.


    He gripped the sides of the pillow with great strength.


    Yet he still kept his head buried deep inside the pillow.


    Knock! Knock!


    It was then he heard two knocks on the door.


    But he didn''t get up from his bed and still had his buried in the pillow.


    Knock! Knock!


    He heard the knocks again, This time he stood up, and looked at the door with dead eyes.


    "...who''s knocking at the door?"


    He muttered to himself.


    It couldn''t be the students as all first years had left for the excursion and the second and third years had gone for their sses.


    ''Is it the staff?''


    Ah...they should have noticed his absence and should havee to pick him up.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    He heard the rhythmic sound of the knocks again, this time apanied by a third knock.


    He got up from his bed and walked toward the door, and when he was just a meter away from it, He spoke without even confirming who it truly was.


    "Ah...I''m sorry for being absent, the truth is im-"


    "It''s me."


    His shaky voice was interrupted by another voice.


    A voice he had grown familiar with during training with the Sword Saint.


    It was the rank first of the first years.


    n Pator.


    "I''vee to pick you up."


    He heard his voice again.


    This time, he lowered his head and replied.


    "...I''m not feeling well, I don''t think I can go."


    "Kyle re."


    --Jolt!


    His body shook when he heard the name.


    "He''s the one bullying you correct?"


    He heard n''s Voice again, Stating a fact he knew all too well.


    He lowered his head even further and he clenched his fists upon the mention of the name and bullying.


    "During this excur-no during your entire time in Shield, I promise to you..."


    The Contrast between those two was great.


    One was hidden in a dark room with his head lowered, possessing ck hair that matched the dark room.


    While one was in a brightly lit hallway, possessing Pure, snow white hair and had his head up high facing a wooden door.


    And the one in the brightly lit hallway spoke and finished his sentence.


    "I promise that I, as a fellow student under the same master and as a friend, will not let him bully you."


    ______________________________________


    A/N:Sorry for no chapters for some days, I''m busy irl and haven''t been able to write as much.

 Chapter 88 {88}What Can You Even Do?

    "...What can you even do?"


    I heard Alex''s Voice from beyond the closed door.


    "..about his family..?"


    He said in a shaky voice.


    It was weak, Depressed and honestly sounded like he wanted to die after saying that.


    And to that voice I said


    "Me? I can beat the shit out of him in thebyrinth, And as for his family, I''m the greatest prodigy of The third-ranked guild on earth."


    I said with confidence.


    Although Twilight was rarely mentioned in the novel, They were still the Third-ranked guild on Earth.


    Although they were being pressured by the other Top 10 guilds, Twilight could honestly handle the other 7 top ten guilds pressuring it.


    What they were having a hard time handling was Titan And Behemoth who were keeping a close watch on them after I was recruited by them.


    In short, Although twilight was rarely ever mentioned in the novel, They were still a strong organization capable of going toe to toe with The other guilds even if they were being ganged up upon...


    As long as Titan and Behemoth didn''t get serious that is.


    It was headed by a Guy who although looked like a woman, Was Ranked  18 among all the Heroes alive during this era.


    He also had good subordinates to support him.


    And now?


    He also had the Wellingtons Backing his guild because of me.


    The rtionships between the Top 10 Guilds and Top 10 Families were quite...peculiar to say the least.


    Some families were stronger than the Guilds, While some Guilds were stronger than some Families.


    The top three Families and Guilds did have some rtions with each other though.


    But that isn''t what''s important right now,


    Getting this fucker toe out of his own will is more important.


    "You are seriously underestimating the value of the only Spatial awakened among Humans."


    ''For now at least.''


    I voiced out aloud while omitting thest sentence.


    However, I was disheartened by theck of a response.


    ''Haah.This bastard, Ie all the way here and this is what I get.''


    I thought to myself, slightly annoyed but I understood his circumstances.


    But that didn''t mean I was going to y nice every time.


    "Listen, We need you for the Excursion, So ill give you two options, Eithere out of the room of your own will..."


    I paused, mainly to get some. dramatic tension in.


    "Or I''m going to break this door. In 3."


    "2"


    Click!


    "Are you crazy?"


    The door opened and I saw his haggard figure walk out shing a smile.


    I too responded with a smile.


    He was hiding it, but at least he opened the door of his own will. I could see it


    You could say we had gotten somewhat close during training.


    "Let''s go."


    He said to me as he began to walk.


    I looked at the time and saw that we only had 5 minutes left.


    ''This isn''t going to do.''


    We won''t make it in time even if we ran with our top speeds and enhanced ourselves with mana.


    Well, he wasn''t at the very least.


    And I wasn''t confident in reaching where the first-year students were even after I used all my mana and carried him there.


    So...il just open a portal close to there and run like hell.


    I would open it in a secluded area, where I opened the portal always an everyday hour before school started.<sub> </sub>


    And as I circted my mana a blue portal appeared inside Alex''s room, more specifically the small corridor that was between his door and room.


    I called out to him.


    "Alex,e here."


    He didn''t hear me, He didn''t respond to me and just absentmindedly walked down the hallway.


    He was probably too preupied with whether this was the right choice or not.


    Sighing to myself, I created a snowball using my ice mana andunched it at him.


    "What the hell?!"


    He yelped as the snowball hit his head.


    I paid it no heed and immediately teleported in front of him, Grabbed him by the cor, and ran into the portal.


    When I opened my eyes again, I saw that we were in the ce I usually teleported to behind the school building where there were no cameras.


    I opened a portal inside Alex''s room for the sole purpose because there were cameras in the hallways.


    I still wanted to keep this a secret.


    I didn''t want to deal with all the annoying requests from the protagonists asking me to teleport them.


    I could reject them, But with their stubborn personalities, they were going to keep asking me even if I beat them up.


    I sprinted at the maximum speed I could while I enhanced my legs with mana.


    My speed was great enough to the point Alex was flying behind me, Like a ragdoll.


    "Ahhhh!"


    His screams of pure terror put a smile on my face.


    I increased my speed even further,pletely being aware of Alex''s Woes but I simply didn''t care.


    If I stopped, we were going to bete.


    ***


    "I voted for you to be the Leader, Goddess."


    Kyle said to Sabrina as he looked at her with nted eyes while rubbing his hands together.


    He had been calling her ''Goddess.'' since they had met. He was trying to get into her good books by ttering her.


    And it was starting to annoy her.


    And to add to that, Everybody in the vicinity was looking at them.


    The only reason they hadn''t approached was that, fortunately, or rather unfortunately Kyle currently served as an Off brand And severely Bad n Pator.


    n was enough of a deterrent to all the others because whenever he released his mana pressure or just looked at most first years, most of them wouldn''t approach her location.


    Well, Almost all students anyway.


    "Yo! Sabrina, what team number you got?"


    She heard Elijah''s voice from behind her and when she turned around she could see him walking toward her with the rest of the gang and his teammates.


    "My number is Team 7!"


    "Mines 9."


    "7!"


    "10..."


    Elijah, Henry, ine, and Serena said respectively.


    ine and Elijah, we''re on the same team, And Serena was agitated at that fact.


    Looking at them for a second, and looking at Serena''s Expression for even longer, She replied.


    "Team Number 55."


    "Who are your teammates?"


    Instead of answering with her voice, she just erged the Hologram of The team members list and pointed her watch at them so they could get a better look.


    And they did,


    and found out that Her team was even more overpowered than Elijahs, who had another top ten ranked with him.


    Team 55 on the other hand, Had three top-rankers with them.


    They gulped when the saw the team list.


    They might have had a chance if it was only n with her...


    But now they were starting to think they had no chance of winning this.

 Chapter 89 {89}What Can You Even Do?[2]

    "Hey, Since we''re a team and all, Why don''t we learn more about each other?".


    Suggested Amy as she looked at the amazing duo that was Sabrina and Kyle together.


    Sabrina was among her own Group, The protagonist group while Kyle was just looking at her back with nted eyes, His true intentions were unknown.


    Hearing her voice, Elijah turned to her and said.


    " Ah, we''re probably being a nuisance, Well get going.


    Oh, by the way, Wheres n?"


    He said with a smile on his face.


    Hearing his question, Sabrina, For the first time spoke.


    "He went to get the final member of the team."


    "...He didn''te here?"


    "No."


    "Is he sick?"


    "I don''t know."


    Their exchange ended with Elijah looking at Sabrina with a questionable gaze before he just shrugged his shoulders and left with the others.


    After he left, Amy spoke again.


    "Umm, Since we''re a team and all, Why don''t we get to know each other? I''ll Start."


    She stated again, and then told Kyle and Sabrina her Student ranking, Affinities, and weapon of use.


    "I''m ranked 557 among the first-year students, My affinity is With the Earth Element and its rank is Intermediate, My Weapon of use is a bow, and I''m a pretty great Archer if I say so myself."


    While she said all of that, she made sure to take notice of the expressions her teammates would make...and almost spat out in shock when she saw Sabrina''s Disinterested look and Kyles''s Disappointed look.


    She knew who they were, who wouldn''t know about the top 10 but to show this type of reaction waspletely unprecedented.


    Just as her jaw was about to drop to the floor thinking that maybe she was the weakest of the team, Kyle spoke with a haughty voice.


    "Kyle re, Ranked 6th out of 1000 students, My Affinity with Fire is Superior rank and I''m a mage."


    He made sure to look over at a certain someone when he emphasized the Superior rank affinity.


    Superior rank affinity was the highest recorded affinity among humans up till now.


    Elijah and n, we''re the only two who had Affinities above Superior rank.


    Although n was not human anymore, he was a human at first before his awakening.


    They both had Affinities ranking far above a measly superior rank.


    However, the technology level of humans was far below that of Dwarves, and as a result, they couldn''t urately determine the affinity level.


    So, Among humans, Superior ranked was the highest yet.


    Although our protagonists would find ways to improve their affinity levelster on.


    Only 1 In ten thousand Awakened could awaken an affinity level of Superior, And this added to the fact that not every human had awakened yet due to the low mana density currently present on Earth.


    However, this farce didn''t surprise Sabrina at all as she just said in a disinterested voice.


    "Student Ranking 5th, Lightning affinity at High Ranked, I''m also a mage."


    Her tone was seemingly Robotic as if she couldn''t wait for this all to end and for them to all go into the Labyrinth.


    And she also hid her Affinity to the Darkness Element, which was ranked Higher than her Lightning affinity.


    The reason for this was unknown as to why she would her highest ranked affinity.


    But no one would question her as to why she would choose to hide it.


    Seeing the awkward atmosphere around them after they had stated their affinity level, Rank, and upation, Amy tried to do something else to diffuse the atmosphere.


    "So do we have any strategy for the dungeon?"


    Hearing her question, Both of her other teammates just looked at her and Kyle eventually responded in a Haughty tone.


    "Survive of course, as if the monsters up till the 5th floor will pose any challenge to me."<sub> </sub>


    Although his statement could be deemed as Arrogance, there was still some truth to it.


    Their team only needed to worry if they were above the 10th floor.


    They had three top 10 students inside.


    Even if Alex and Amy are a liability, The three top ten students are enough to them the first ce.


    The onlypetition there truly would be for them would be Elijah''s Team, who had two top 10 ten students with them.


    Although ine was ''Currently'' a healer, She was quite proficient at it.


    Only Elijahs Team could somewhat pose a challenge to them.


    "THERE ARE ONLY TEN MINUTES LEFT UNTIL THE EXCURSION, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COLLECTED YOUR TEAMS SUPPLIES AT THE COUNTER."


    Suddenly the voice of the Vice-principal enhanced with mana Resounded out.


    Her voice enhanced with mana causing some students to cover their ears due to pain.


    Sabrina on the other hand was approached by Kyle who ced his hand on her shoulder.


    "Should we go to Collec-?!"


    However before he couldplete his sentence, He felt a tremendous wave of mana erupt from Sabrina that caused him to kneel.


    "Khh!"


    He grunted as it was hard for him to even resist this pressure.


    ''What the Fu*k?!Arent we supposed to be in the same rank?!''


    Those were his thoughts, Unfortunately for him, he was unaware that Sabrina had ranked up to <D> rank as a result of her receiving a quest.


    And even more Unfortunate for him, She despised being touched unknowingly.


    So in short, He messed up big time.


    Although one could say he was still fortunate enough that Sabrina wasn''t a psychopath that would kill someone for the sole petty reason of being touched by them...to a certain extent.


    And besides, she couldn''t kill him here anyway, as if she had any intent to do so, Instructors would immediately notice and stop her.


    ''How much time until you''re back?''


    [Almost there.]


    She contacted her bodyguard and found out he was almost there.


    ''Pick up the team supplies on the way back.''


    [Ok]


    She told him to pick up their supplies on his way back.


    If wasing from the general direction where the station was, It made sense for her to tell him to do that and heplied with her request.


    And after a few minutes, with Kyle still struggling on the ground because Sabrina hadn''t taken back her mana pressure, n had returned together with a fairly handsome boy with ck hair wearing thebat suit.


    It was a suit that mainly had defensive armor over its shoulders, chest, arms, knees, and legs. It would provide adequate defense while not restricting their movement at all.


    He was currently looking at the copsed Kyle who was struggling with a shocked look.


    While n looked at it with a smile on his face and gave a thumbs up to Sabrina who looked at him with a confused gaze.


    It was after she received the thumbs up and looked over at Kyle did she notice that she still hadn''t released her mana.


    She quickly did so after the realization and Kyle stood back up, and in an attempt to regain his dignity said to Alex.


    "Well, Look who showed up, I didn''t think a piece of trash like you would sho-."


    "Now now, let''s recheck our supplies and be ready to go into thebyrinth."


    He was interrupted by the voice of n, Who pulled Alex into a type of friendly headlock and out of thin air, pulled in five backpacks and handed them to every other person on the team.


    And while doing so he made sure to sh a smile to The Disgruntled Kyle, who could only check his supplies with annoyance.


    ______________________________________


    A/N:Join the discord server:https://discord.gg/EmHEeGcg

 Chapter 90 {90}What Is This...Feeling?

    I finished checking the supply bag given to us by Shield.


    It contained all the things a supply bag should, A tent, food, water, and other necessary supplies you would need to survive.


    Although it looked like it was the size of a school bag, It could contain a lot of stuff.


    The tent too was just a ck box with a button on it.


    Upon pressing the button the tent would unravel itself pretty quickly.


    The food was standard MRE, Although some students wouldn''t like the taste, A single bag had enough nutrients to survive a whole week with a sedentary lifestyle.


    On top of that the water bottles too, although looked small could contain an insane amount of water despite their small size.


    About 50 liters of water is stored in a bottle that should only be able to contain half a liter and weighed only 5 kilograms.


    And we had been given quite a lot of them.


    The supplies were enough for us to survive 3 or 4 weeks, but the test was only for 5 days.


    Weird, but I wasn''tining.


    My main concern is the plot that has changed.


    If the original events outside thebyrinth have changed, I could expect the inside events to also change.


    Problem?


    I didn''t know what the change would be.


    Thebyrinth excursion ended normally in the novel, however now?


    Could there be a stampede? A super Op boss monster on one of the floors that shouldn''t be there?


    It could be that I was overthinking this, but it didn''t hurt to prepare a little.


    ''I just hope it isn''t very serious.''


    I thought while wearing the bag over my back.


    I could put it in my inventory however there was a reason I wasn''t doing so.


    In the original novel, Gary, who was the original first spatial mage faced some kind of disturbance with his affinity inside Labyrinths and dungeons.


    He couldn''t use any powers of the spacial element inside these ces.


    This was the reason I hadn''t put the bag inside my inventory.


    And also the reason why I was so worried.


    If anything happened, I could just use Teleportation to run away, but if my situation was the same as his, even though I had a bit more understanding of the spatial element currently.


    I would need to be prepared for everything, I would only try to put my Bag inside the spatial inventory only when I had confirmed I could still use my spatial affinity inside thebyrinth.


    ''I hope I can still use it in''.


    "ATTENTION STUDENTS! THE PREPARATION TIME HAS ENDED, AND COME TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE LABYRINTH TOGETHER WITH YOUR TEAMS."


    Interrupting me from my thoughts was the voice of the vice principal informing us that the time to prepare had ended.


    Our team didn''t converse and walked silently towards the dome-shaped building in the distance.


    Thebyrinth entrance was cave-like, and the dome-shaped binding was built just for some extra protection around the entrance.


    It could handle the attacks of multiple A ranks, so it was quite durable.


    And before I knew it, we reached the entrance point of the dome, which was a huge metal door, Another team had entered just before we entered, the door closed right after they entered, but we could still see the entrance.


    It waspletely dark, I didn''t know why Shield didn''t install some lighting, But damn that darkness has a good dramatic effect.


    "Team Number?"


    As we approached, An instructor wearing a white coat adorned with Shields Logo on the back greeted us and asked us our team number.


    I answered for the team who still had an awkward atmosphere between them.


    "Team 55."


    "And who''s the team leader?"


    Hearing his words,  I paused and thought.


    ''Wait we still haven''t selected a team leader yet.''


    The instructor, looking at my pause sighed and said.


    "If not, I''ll just register the strongest among you as the team leader or you can choose now."


    Seeing the group not answer, I looked back at them and saw them all nod.


    They weren''t stupid at least, They knew it was normal for the strongest to be the leader in most cases, So all of them agreed without saying anything, even Kyle nodded although his expression was like he had eaten shit.


    He was arrogant, but thank god he wasn''t stupid as heck.


    And like that, I was made the team leader of team 55.<sub> </sub>


    And as the instructor pressed a button on the terminal in front of the door, the huge metallic door opened and he said.


    "Good luck inside."


    *


    It was dark, and the group wouldn''t be able to see anything if not for the shlights attached to our suits.


    Each Member was tense, Whether it be n, Alex, Sabrina, Amy, or Kyle.


    n was experiencing this for the first time sinceing into this world, He had yet to encounter real monsters, and Alex was nervous and uneasy due to someone else. Sabrina however maintained herposure much better than the wwW, Amy was scared and Kyle was p anxious.


    They were moving with n and Alex, who were melee dealers in the front, with the others behind them as they were all range dealers.


    The first floor of thebyrinth was a type of maze, in which they would have to find their way down to the next floor.


    They were in a massive cave system that seemed to stretch countless miles.


    If they wanted to find the entrance to the second floor.


    They would have to get extremely lucky or have studied the guide given to them.


    And thankfully they did, so they roughly knew the way.


    -Tok-Tok.


    The sound of their light footsteps was the only thing they could hear in this cave.


    The sound was eerie, None of them spoke but thankfully they didn''t have to be in this atmosphere for long.


    For they encountered their first group of monsters.


    "Kieek!"


    Hearing the sound, n got into a stance and pointed his spear towards the creatures that had made this sound.


    And it was the standard goblin, the mostmon monster except for slices in most RPGs.


    There were five of them, the same number as the team. With their hideous green skin filled with warts and short stature, they red at the group and lived their lips and raised their clubs.


    They were wearing nothing but a dirty piece of cloth around their genitals and wielding wooden clubs.


    "Kieek!"


    "Kirk."


    They seemed to be conversing with each other, however, Their ''prey'' was also doing the same.


    Amy readied her bow and was about to shoot it however she was stopped by n who said.


    "Wait, let me take care of this."


    And when he said that, before the group could retaliate and say ''We should do this together!'' he ran towards the Goblins.


    ''kieek!"


    The goblin at yh3 front shouted as it Saw n running before, It tried to raise its club to defend however Before it could do so a spear had already pierced its neck.


    *Khk!*


    The horrifying sound of a spear piercing through a neck rang out, and before the others could respond, n retrieved the spear and severed the head of the other goblin standing to the left side.


    The third goblin, Who had regained some of itsposure, jumped In the air toward n with its club raised high to attack his head.


    Because of their short stature, if they wanted tond a critical hit on someone, the head would be the best choice and to do so they would need to jump, however, in this situation, the goblin made a mistake because the moment it jumped, it had limited its movement severely allowing n to bnce himself in time andnd a devastating kick to its face, Twisting its neck and ending its miserable life.


    The other two goblins that had been left were scared out of their wits and had run a considerable distance away.


    Too bad the goblins were running away in a single line.


    n took the opportunity andunched his spear at a great speed toward the two running goblins.


    *Shwing*


    The sound of the spear ripping through the air was the sound the whole team heard, and after that, they heard the gut-wrenching sound of the spear piercing through the body of the first goblin through its spine and doing the same to the second goblin in front of it.


    And as time slowly passed, The dead bodies of the goblins turned into blue light and this light was absorbed into the floor of thebyrinth, leaving nothing behind.


    The group secretly rejoiced except for n.


    ''What is...this?''


    n thought to himself in his mind as he picked up the spear.


    After and during the fight, he was feeling something odd.


    What should it be called?


    ...that in all honesty, although he felt nothing in killing monsters for the first time, He felt...dissatisfied during the fight.


    And Disgusted when the other two goblins ran.

 Chapter 91 {91}What Is This...Feeling?[2]

    Dissatisfaction.


    The modern and correct definition of it in the dictionary was ''Ack of Satisfaction.''


    There could be many reasons for you to be dissatisfied with a certain oue or action...


    But the mostmon was when something you expected to be great...was absolute shit.


    What would you feel like when you expected a great anime battle that was hyped up for the entire season to be animated like shit?


    First, you would be dissatisfied with the oue.


    And...then, your dissatisfaction would lead to anger.


    Resentment, Bitterness, and ultimately, you would look for an outlet to release all that rage.


    It could be on your phone, your controller, or anything within your immediate vicinity.


    But in this case, what if this anger, wrath, and rage were directed... toward living beings?


    And especially so by someone who could kill them easily?


    Pure M.a.s.s.a.c.r.e.


    *


    ''What is this?!''


    I thought to myself as I hacked away at all the goblins I encountered.


    I could not exin it.


    What am I feeling?!


    I am not so easy to anger, except for ''that'' incident in the orphanage, I rarely ever get angry!


    Then what is this?!


    I wanted to fight.


    I wanted to kill.


    And I wanted to fight a good fight!


    These goblins are nothing.


    ''Argh!''


    I grit my teeth and thought.


    ''Is this the effect of my race?!''


    This bloodlust will fight...Is the reason for all of this my race as a draconian?!


    ''Draconians....hold on, let me think about this, They are a lower subspecies of dragons...they can evolve into dragons in some stories, and in some are just ves to dragons...They like to fight in some?''


    Unluckily for me, Thebyrinth itself wasn''t going to wait for me toe up with a theory as to why I was like this, because while I was massacring the goblins, one of these sneaky green bastards had jumped at me from the other side while my spear was inside the throat of one of its own.


    [Dragon eyes.]


    I activated dragon eyes and the world seemed to slow down.


    ''Shit.''


    I thought after seeing the goblin with its club raised high to attack me.


    I could calcte the goblin''s trajectory and inwardly cursed at myself.


    No matter what, that club was going to hit my head, or shoulder if I moved a little back.


    But unfortunately for the little goblin, I wasn''t going to let it. As I saw its little arms swing that club, I moved back slightly and raised my leg, preparing to kick in the hips and break them.


    But in the slowed-down world, something else entered my vision.


    Upon further inspection, I could see a bolt of lightning making its way towards the head of the little goblin.


    *Craaackle*


    I could hear the voice of lightning crackling slowly in the slowed-down world I saw during the activation of dragon eyes.


    And thus, before its club could reach me, and before my leg could reach it.


    The lightning bolt was faster than both of us and urately struck the head of the goblin, Frying its brain in an instant.


    *Kieek!*


    I heard the death cry of the goblin as it could feel the pain of lightning traveling inside its body and frying its insides.


    And like that, The charred body of the little goblin fell to the ground lifelessly.


    "kick!"<sub> </sub>


    Seeing itsrade die so miserably, the remaining goblin rushed towards me in ast-ditch attempt.


    But itsst-ditch attempt would be futile, for I was not as unrestrained and unprepared for this attack as the other.


    I faced the direction of the goblin before steadying my posture and stabbing its head, through its eyes, anding out of the back of its head.


    "Krick..."


    It is said that the brain could still process information for up to 3 seconds after experiencing extremely great damage.


    And I could see the process right before my eyes, as the goblins eye slowly turned from shock to tired and slowly lost all color.


    And before my eyes, its body disintegrated into a blue light that was absorbed.


    Looking at the area where the goblin who was fried alive was previously, I found nothing as its body had already disintegrated into thebyrinth.


    Looking at the ce where it died, I opened my mouth and muttered words of gratitude to my savior.


    "Thank you."


    And with that, I continued walking forward in the dark abyss that was the first floor of thisbyrinth.


    And I heard the response in my mind soon after.


    [No Problem.]


    ***


    [Just outside thebyrinth entrance.]


    "Whew, that should be thest team to enter."


    The instructor in charge of the entrance of thebyrinth spoke while pressing some buttons on the terminal in front of him.


    As he finished whatever he was doing.


    The massive door behind him started to close slowly.


    Unknown to him, A person wearing an extremely pricey artifact that made him invisible entered the door just before it closed, not being detected by even the Vice Principal Of Shield Itself.


    And then, the door finally closed.


    ***


    [In the deepest part of thebyrinth.]


    A red crystal the size of a building shone with a great red light shone floating above a massive pool ofva.


    *Bubble!Pop!*


    Bubbles ofva popped continuously in this massive pool ofva.


    And slowly, a certain area of this sea ofva began to rise, and slowly revealed a massive beast that resembled a crocodile...only if it was 100x bigger.


    Its gorgeous body was lined with beautiful but tough scales.


    Along its massive body was lines ofva flowing as if they were blood in veins.


    *Grrr*


    The beast grumbled as if trying to discover who had disturbed its slumber.


    It spread out its mana throughout the entirebyrinth.


    And it found out the cause too.


    Three...no two humans.


    One on the second floor had an aura of fire surrounding his body.


    This one didn''t intrigue it much yet, and neither did the... weird organism on the First floor as well.


    What intrigued...no enraged it was the Human who had just entered thebyrinth and was currently traveling through the entire first floor like a not of lightning.


    It was a figure rivaling it in strength.


    One that could kill it...and provide the beast a good battle.


    A battle that it would ept wholeheartedly.


    It opened its jaw wide and one could seeva dripping down from its mouth.


    But thisva was blown away from the tremendous air pressure that made thebyrinth itself shake until the fiftieth floor.


    An air pressure was released from its mouth, as a result of its terrifying...


    *ROOOAAARR!*

 Chapter 92 {92} The Golden Generation.

    Elena Frost looked at three particr holograms amongst the hundred others inside the room she and a few other executives were in.


    On the first hologram were two students that caught her eye.


    A boy with Bright Orange hair d in an armor of fire and a girl with bright golden hair.


    These were Elijah and ine, who were currently on the second floor of thebyrinth and their team was facing a lizard-type monster with purplish scales covering its body.


    The monster died without putting up a fight before Elijah''s mes.


    "His use of the fire element is amazing."


    Suddenly, she heard a voice beside her and turned her head to find Dous, the ss teacher of Elijah''s ss,1-G.


    "Yes, it is indeed amazing."


    Shemented with an expressionless look on her face.


    The look on her face wasn''t her fault in all honesty.


    It was a well-known fact that Ice Element users had their emotions dulled.


    Elements could affect awakened in many ways and the same was true and vice versa.


    "You got all the troublemakers in your ss."


    Emma Wilson said from the sidelines with a smirk visible on her face.


    She was astonished and ted to learn that Dous had drawn the short end of the stick when the sses had been assigned.


    To think he would get more than half Of the top 10 rankers in his ss.


    She wasughing her ass off at him during one of their interactions in the teacher lounge.


    And she enjoyed every single second of it.


    Unfortunately, her fun didn''tst for long as Dous had confirmed that after a week his ss was rtively peaceful.


    The only troublemakers were Elijah, Henry, and Lucas.


    Elijah and Henry were just goofing off most of the time, and Lucas, who was supposed to be the actual troublemaker he worried about was acting calm despite his terrible history.


    The reason was probably n, who despite never having said a lot of words in ss, Had an aura around him that just screamed ''Be quiet and don''t disturb me.''


    All in all, To Dous''s surprise, His ss was peaceful, And he enjoyed the fact that it was.


    "Yes, I did and they all don''t seem to cause as much trouble as you-"


    "Enough."


    Just as he was about to rebuke Emma, He heard the Vice Principal swiftly stop them from arguing any further.


    "My Apologies."


    "My Apologies."


    Emma and Dous voiced out and didn''t dare to speak further as they watched the Vice principals put their entire focus on the second hologram.


    The hologram showing Team 55, Amd her attention in particr was drawn over to the Boy who wielded a spear and was crushing all of the goblins the team had encountered.


    Except for one particr battle, the boy had been the one to kill every monster their team had faced.


    Their team was close to reaching the second floor.<sub> </sub>


    She was interested in him because he was also a user of the rare Ice Element, and also the first user of the Spatial element among humans.


    Yet, he hadn''t used his elements even once and upon closer inspection, You woulde to realize that he was not using any mana to reinforce himself or his strikes at all.


    He didn''t have a particrly monstrous physique, but the strength behind each of his attacks was monstrous.


    It was like he wasn''t even human.


    But what piqued her interest, even more, was the fact that his mastery over the spear was exceptional.


    Every swing of that spear felt so natural to her that it was almost mesmerizing.


    "Miss, If you are worried about the rumors, we can conduct more investigations on him."


    She heard another voice, one that belonged to one of the executives of Shield that was inside the room.


    He was male of Rank<A> strength and was fairly handsome with his lustrous blue hair and eyes, He wore the standard teacher''s uniform, and the aura he emitted made it seem that he was close to breaking through the same rank.


    Hearing his words, Dous eyed the man with a scowl.


    He knew what this was about, with all the rumors going around about The rank first secretly having signed a contract with a demon to gain his strength.


    And if these rumors turned out to be true, Then Shield would lose its reputation and would be shamed all over the world.


    His concern was for the academy itself, and it was genuine. That was why Dous hadn''t rebuked him.


    "No need, The Principal has already confirmed that he has no rtion to demons at all."


    Elena said with a monotone voice, Although the rumors and his strength at such a young age with not a lot of training time had troubled her at first when she had been reassured by the Principal himself.


    Her trust in the Sage was much much more than her trust in some rumors.


    "Dous, give me a report on all the top 10 students in your ss from lowest to highest."


    Dous immediately tapped his watch and read the information on a holographic screen that had appeared from it the moment he heard her words.


    "Student rank 9, ine Parker, Second daughter of Daniel Parker, Guildmaster of Titan, Her recorded Affinities are Light(Superior) and Life(Intermediate), Her talent ranking is SS, Her written exams scores are great however she does not have an interest in Battle/Training ss, Her current rank is E."


    "Student ranking 7, Serena Soubuelle, Daughter of Harrison Soubuelle, Her recorded affinities are Water(Superior) and Poison(High). Her talent ranking is SS and she also has simr scores to ine Parker. Her current rank is Also E."


    "Student ranking 5, Sabrina Wellington, Daughter of Micheal Wellington and granddaughter of John Wellington, Recorded affinities are Dark(Superior) And Lightning(High), Her talent ranking is SS and she scores maximum marks in all subjects except for Training ss. And although she has tried to hide it, Her current rank is <D>"


    "D rank?"


    "Yes, she had ranked up soon after being admitted into Shield."


    Dous replied to her inquiry, And after seeing that there was no further response, Was about to continue when he heard her speak again.


    "So that makes three students eligible to Conduct the Spirit summoning ritual, huh."


    As she said that, The white thing wrapped around her neck moved a little.


    It was her spirit, one that took the form of a snake.


    It hadn''t responded to her for quite a while because it was in the middle of a breakthrough, but hearing the words Spirit summoning had garnered its attention.


    But it soon went back to sleep.


    "Yes, Maam, n Pator, Elijah Ardor, and Sabrina Wellington are all eligible to conduct the Summoning Ritual."


    And after he had said that, he continued to talk about all the other top 10 ranked students in his ss.

 Chapter 93 {93}The Golden Generation.[2]

    "Student Ranking 4, Lucas Hiddleston, 3rd son of Peter Hiddleston, His talent ranking is SS, His elemental affinities are Earth(High) and Metal(Superior). His grades are average in written tests and second ce in a training ss. His current Rank is E+...and next is..."


    Before continuing, Dous stopped for a while and looked at the Vice Principal for a few seconds, coughed, and continued.


    "Student ranking 3, Henry...fornum, Son of Gustav Fornum and Grandson of the Guildmaster of Behemoth, His talent ranking is SS, His Elemental affinity is Wind(Superior) and his grades are above average in written subjects and doesn''t particrly excel in a training ss. His current rank is E+."


    And just as Dous had expected, There was a change of Expression in the vice principal''s face, her eyes twitching a little at the mention of the name Fornum.


    There was quite a bit of History between her and the Behemoth guild...well not exactly the guild but a certain Individual within the guild.


    Elena Frost held many world records, She was the youngest person to advance to <D>, <C>, <B>, and <A> ranks.


    She was called a genius by many, and although she didn''t openly gloat about it, she was still proud of her achievements.


    Until they had been utterly destroyed by a certain someone.


    The one person who could be called a monster.


    Ezra Fornum, Henry''s older brother, also went by the title "Copycat."


    He broke all of her records and even humiliated her during an event in a duel.


    Ezra Fornum was a genius that could copy any move he had seen..."Once."


    She would never, never in her goddamn life forget the fateful day they had their duel...and as she watched the techniques that she had practiced her entire life be performed to the same degree she did by him...it crushed her inside.


    Her techniques, her art that she had poured countless hours into, her blood and sweat she poured into those techniques... the degree she had mastered them.


    She...had seen Ezra perform them to the same mastery she performed them at after only seeing them once.


    No matter how many stars her art held....he copied it to a perfect degree.


    It destroyed her inside at that time.


    But thankfully, with Oliver''s Guidance, she had climbed out of that pit of despair and improved herself even further.


    But all hope was not lost, because now, in this generation, another monster had appeared that had shattered their records.


    Thinking about this certain monster, A smirk crept up on her cold face as she thought.


    ''Heh, Serves that bastard right.''


    But before she could think anymore, Douss''s voice interrupted her thoughts.


    "Student Ranking 2, Elijah Ardor, He isn''t the son of a famous hero or anything, But his talent is enormous, His affinity is with the Element of fire(Superior), and his mastery over fire is Exceptional, His talent rank is the only one which is SSS rank, His grades are average and his rank is <D->."


    ''Fire huh.''


    Elena thought after hearing Dous''s report.


    She then put any thoughts about Elijah aside because the fire was not her element.


    She could offer him some tips about mana control but that was all she could do.


    Her element was ice, the opposite of fire.


    The one she truly wanted to hear about was the next student, and she didn''t need to wait for a long while before hearing Dous''s voice.


    "Student Ranking 1, n Pator, Son of C ranked deceased Awakened Couple Alfred Pator and Anna Pator, His affinities are Ice(Superior) and Space(High), not much is known about his control over these elements because he does not participate in Duels. The only duel he participated in was with Elijah ardor in which he used the spatial element once and crushed Elijah Ardor, His talent ranking is SS and His scores in written tests are exactly half of the maximum number of marks in all subjects except for Training ss, in which he had been highly praised by the teacher for his amazing skill with the spear and ranked number 1 in the training ss."


    "Hmm?Exactly half in every written test?"


    Elena asked Dous, In her mind, she could not believe that he had gotten half in ''every'' test up till now.<sub> </sub>


    ''Is it a coincidence? No, once or twice maybe but not every test.''


    The report about n was much more detailed than any other students report for the sole reason of his current strength, and the fact that he had awakened one day before his 15th birthday and still managed to reach Rank <C> within one year when Elena and Ezra had been training their entire lives, even when they had not awakened to reach the height of power they were at now.


    His speed was simply too shocking and unbelievable Rumour that he had signed a contract with a demon to gain his strength was slowly but surely gaining traction among the general popce.


    But she didn''t care about those rumors anymore.


    What she wanted was to be his teacher.


    Unfortunately for her n already had a teacher that far outssed her and Oliver.


    ***


    It''s been one day and we''ve reached the third floor of thebyrinth.


    And in front of me was a sight that no one would expect to see underground.


    A lush green forest underneath an Azure blue sky that had clouds and an actual sun.


    The journey to the third floor wasn''t hard for the team at all.


    Considering I took care of most of the monsters we had encountered.


    Yet I still couldn''t shake off this feeling of dissatisfaction and disgust.


    Even when facing hordes of goblins and taking them down singlehandedly, ...Even when facing groups of oversized lizards that were on the second floor.


    I was still frustrated...


    Like it had all not been up to my expectations.


    "Captain, Do you want me to apply an antidote to your wound?"


    Jolting me out of my thoughts was the voice of Amy who had inched closer.


    Hearing her, I looked towards my left hand, which previously had been covered by the part of the suit.


    Unfortunately, Because I was frustrated, I could not think straight when I was wrecking a group of lizards and during the fight, three or four of them spit poison at me which I blocked with my left arm instinctively.


    ''If I was just in my right state of mind, I could have used ice modification to create a shield to block the poison.''


    The poison was extremely corrosive when in that quantity and it hadpletely melted the part of the suit that was around my hand as well as some other areas of my body as well.


    If I just used ice modification to create a shield all of this could be avoided.


    ''Well, My arms seem quite alright despite all that.''


    When looking at my arm that had been sshed with corrosive poison, one would normally expect to see it very injured, but it waspletely fine now, and the poison didn''t even affect me that much aside from a little itch and my arm turning purple for a while.


    I had applied an antidote immediately after the poison had struck me but during the battle, the entire team was busy dealing with a few stray lizards that hade from behind us that my team probably didn''t notice untilter when we were already at the entrance to the third floor.


    "No need, I applied an antidote already."


    I said to any while showing mypletely okay arm except for the part of the suit that had been there.


    And without waiting for a response back, I continued to walk towards the forest.


    I needed to find a certain mushroom here, and although I originally was nning to use it for Alex, I might have to use it for myself too so I could calm down.

 Chapter 94 {94}The Golden Generation.[3]

    An Anaconda 98 feet long and as wide as a tree was facing another team of Students.


    It crept up along a tree andunched itself at the student who seemed to be the leader of the group.


    The student, however, instead of being afraid of the giant snake that could strangle him without even trying stared at the giant monstrosity approaching him with great speed with not even an ounce of fear in his eyes.


    His teammates were spread out across the entire area of this forest and were busy attacking the anaconda earlier with their ranged attacks.


    Run!


    Their eyes conveyed this message to the boy who was going to be swallowed alive soon.


    Yet his eyes were calm, and with his calm demeanor, He pulled back the string of his bow, and in an instant, an arrow made up of wind materialized and he released the small tornado that was in his bow.


    *Xiu!*


    His Ashen gray hair was swept back due to the wind generated by his arrow.


    His arrow made its way toward the snake, who had opened its mouth wide with the intent to swallow the ashen-haired boy in front of it.


    Yet what it swallowed was not flesh, but a tornado made of mana directly into its throat.


    *Brrr!*


    The sound produced by the tornado was simr to that of a chainsaw as it went through the flesh itself, and In a gory and bloody mess, the head of the monstrous snake exploded into bits and pieces.


    The body of the snake wriggled on the ground despite its head being severed for a few seconds until finally going limp, and disintegrating into a blue light that was absorbed into the muddy ground below.


    ''Run? Why do I need to run from that?''


    These were the thoughts of Henry Fornum as he looked at the surprised gazes of his teammates and continued to walk ahead nonchntly. Completely uncaring of the fact that he had just taken down a monster that would require at least 8 normal students to take down easily and with one shot.


    Despite his goofy personality and yboy nature, One must never make the mistake that he...


    Was still the rival of the protagonist of The Ultimate Sin.


    When Elijah and Henry were together, They wereplete idiots.


    But Alone?


    They werepletely different.


    He was still the only one who could keep up with Elijah''s Monstrous growth along with Sabrina in the Original novel.


    Henry Fornum, much like his brother Ezra Fornum was never one to be underestimated.


    Doing so would only lead to the death of the unfortunate idiot that had done so.


    A very gruesome death just like the poor monster that had done so.


    ***


    *Splush**Splush*.


    ''Fucking hell, of all things it had to be in the swamp huh''


    I thought to myself as I walked toward the muddy ground of this damned forest floor.


    Thank God this swamp was along the way to the exit of this damned forest, otherwise, I would never have managed to convince my team toe here together with me.


    They, just like me were struggling here, especially Sabrina and Amy who looked like they wanted to die, along with Alex who was fidgeting while walking in here.


    The reason for him fidgeting was that Kyle, who was cursing all the time was there.


    "Damn it! Fuck! Why can''t we just take a fucking detour?!"


    It was fairly obvious that he was the most irritated one to the other teammates.


    Alex was probably scared because it looked like Kyle was going to blow.


    He looked to be the one who was most irritated by the ground.


    <o>,m Little did they know it was me, who was the one who was most frustrated here.</o>


    On top of feeling an odd sense of dissatisfaction whenever we encountered a monster. I also hated the fact that my feet were getting dirty here.


    Even though the suit probably kept the mud away from my feet, one must also remember that my suit was currently torn a little.


    So I had to be extra careful so that the mud doesn''t get into one of those holes.


    ''Just a little further...just a little further.''<sub> </sub>


    I consoled myself in my mind.


    No matter what, I didn''t want to get very dirty.


    Even when facing those monsters when I was a little out of myself, somehow I was able to make it so that not a drop of bloodnded on me, except for the one time when my arm was hit by the poison of those lizards.


    While walking around, I kept checking the trees for the mushroom I was looking for.


    The mmitta Mushroom, a mushroom that looked like an ordinary white mushroom with the sole difference that It had a blue dot on its head.


    It was a mushroom that calmed one down.


    I was originally nning to somehow make Alex eat it so that he would be calm and fight...but now I might need some for myself so that I could also fight properly.


    And lo and behold, Growing right on the trunk of a specific tree, I saw 8 mmitta mushrooms growing vertically.


    From my angle, It looked like the tree had 8 white pimples with blue dots.


    Quite Comical.


    Without any further ado, I moved towards the tree.


    *Splosh, *Splossh*


    The sound of my feet striking the mud was disgusting, but I persevered and finally reached the Mushrooms and then plucked them off one by one, Eating one in the process and storing the rest in my bag.


    The entire mushroom was safe to eat, that was the reason I ate it fully.


    And upon returning to the group, I tossed one towards Alex.


    "Huh?"


    He fidgeted because he wasn''t expecting it but ultimately caught it in his hands.


    He looked toward me in confusion and I said.


    "Eat it, it''ll help you calm down."


    "What?"


    "It''ll help you calm down, you''ve been fidgeting all this time, it''s time for you to be useful."


    "...are you sure this thing is safe to eat?"


    He questioned to which I replied while eating another one.


    "Yesh it ish."


    He didn''t look convinced in the slightest even though I reassured him.


    Cruel bastard, do you not trust me even the slightest even though I ate it right in front of you?


    What about the friendship we built as a result of getting our asses kicked daily huh?


    Have you forgotten the times when I sometimes saved you from the Sword Saint''s attack?


    Cruel son of a b*itch.


    s, I wasn''t stupid to say these thoughts out loud.


    I was honestly being foolish when I cursed him inside my mouth.


    Who would eat a mushroom that looked somewhat poisonous, and he might have trusted me if this mushroom''s effects were known, The Guide we had been given had info on every nt as well as a monster on the first five floors of thebyrinth.


    ''Oh well, I''ll just sneak some into his rations. Or if worsee to worse I''ll shove it inside his mouth forcefully.''


    If n A Failed, n B would be put into action.


    But only if it failed, He was still the only one who knew the pain of training along with me.


    He was arade of sorts.


    "...this looks to be poisonous, hey are you sure you should be eating this?What if you get a stomachache, there aren''t any proper toilets in thebyrinth you know."


    His voice resounded in my ears,I was going to respond when he spoke again.


    "It''s going to be stinky if you can''t hold it in during the assignment."


    I changed my mind, n B it is.

 Chapter 95 95:Finally Calm.

    ''I''m...calm?''


    Alex questioned in his mind.


    He had been acting like liability and burden to the entire group andcked the confidence to do anything...


    But now?


    It felt as if all of his umted stress had been washed away and the fear he had felt was nowhere to be seen.


    ''Is this the effect of the mush-''


    However, Before he couldplete his thoughts, he was disturbed by the sound of the ground being smashed underneath the feet of multiple animals.


    And lo and behold, he could see 5 boar-like monsters that had red skin, three menacing red eyes, and tusks and spikes on their back.


    5 of them were rushing towards him.


    If this was the original Alexander Wright, He would''ve pissed his pants.


    But Now? There was only thought in his mind.


    ''Why are they so...slow?"


    Yes, To Alexander who was calm. and no longer fidgeting these F- ranks monsters could notpare.


    They were slower than The sword saint limiting his strength while fighting.


    Well of course the Sword Saint, even while limiting himself would still be faster than these monsters.


    And Also, Alex And n were training with who was currently the strongest human yet, the one that had forced demons to prepare multiple legions to take down.


    And he also moved at a faster speed than what could see.


    Alex shuddered while he remembered the scene in which The sword saint disappeared like a sh of lightning and before Alex and n could process what was going on, They were sent flying at the same time.


    And the speed of these boars did not evene close.


    Alex slowly unsheathed his twin sword and took a stance that looked like a full moon with his silver des illuminating the darkness of the night with its peaceful light.


    *Thud!*Thud*


    The boar in the front was getting closer, however, unlike most awakened of his rank who would mostly have run or moved to the side to dodge the attack, Alex rushed towards the raging boar.


    His teammates were shocked to see this, they had been preparing Aoe spells to hit them all the same time but Alex had just ruined it, If they fired their spells now, Alex would also be caught up In it.


    "Ahh fuck it! Get out of the way or else I''ll roast you too!"


    Shouted Kyle, And immediately afterward massive ball of fire the size of a human appeared and it flew towards The boards and Alex.


    However, before it could reach them, a white ball half the size of the firewall shot towards the if me, extinguishing it.


    "Don''t interfere."


    They all heard n''s voice and focused their attention on the monsters, Ready tounch skill upon skill toward them.


    However what shocked them was Alex, Who was blindly charging toward the boar towering over a height of 3.5 meters.<sub> </sub>


    Alex and the boar were almost very close to each other.


    "''Jump!"


    "Jump you piece of shit!"


    n and Kyle''s voices resounded in his ears, yet he did not listen to them.


    He ran forward with all of his might...and just when his face and the tusks of the boar, he immediatelyid down and held his swords above.


    Due to the massive height difference between them, Alex could easily get under the boar when he wanted and so utilized this fact and inflicted as much damage as he could deal underneath the board.


    The Skin of the boar was pierced by the dual swords, And with the speed, it was going, they sliced the remaining skin with rtive ease until the lead near fell, its gut shed and spilled from the area of its cut.


    Now that the leader was dead, the other boars were confused, But they were still monsters who would not retreat. These pesky little b*c*hes wouldn''t even give a fuck about their leader.


    *Squee!*


    Alex heard the voice of another Boar heading towards him, His response to this was to jump on top of the boar and stab both swords in his eyes, so they could directly damage the brain.


    While doing so, He changes the direction of the boar to hit the other boar and a momentter, drowned by it and itsrades and is converted into a blue light that was yet again absorbed into the ground.


    Alex was now covered with blood and the guts of the boars that had just attacked.


    He swung his weird to get the blood off of it and then turned his head towards his team.


    His team, except for n, All had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.


    n on the other hand had a smirk on his face that was visible even miles away.


    ''...did j do something wrong? Oh! I should have let them kill a boar for a more individual points system."''


    ''Shit should have left some for them too...what if they beat me?


    We''re his thoughts as he slowly watched this.


    ***


    Well, Well, Well,


    Contrary to my expectation, He surpassed them.


    I was expecting him to wait for me toe but no, this guy took on all 5 in just under a minute.


    Heh, That is the Alexander Wright from the novel alright.


    The next Sword Saint, and the guy that made Elijah run for his life ''The Dual Swordmaster.''


    Yeah, it should be at least this much.


    Well, the downside of this is that he''ll only act like this for a few more minutes until the effects of the mushroom were to wear off.


    ''We''re gonna need a lot of those mushrooms here than get them all.


    This is the only floor we can get them after all.

 Chapter 96 [96]What Is This Control?!

    Authors Note:I will not be uploading chapters until 19th of September, my exam results that probably decide my future wille on 19 September, I can''t write because of my anxiety so I deeply apologize.


    Please wish me luck that I got good grades.


    If I get bad grades, then you guys would have to wait until my parents give me my phone back lol.


    ______________________________________


    ''I''m..calm?''


    Alexander thought to himself as he and his group wandered through the dense forest.


    His breathing was calm, his steps were steady...and most importantly he wasn''t...afraid?


    ''What is this?''


    He questioned himself in his mind.


    What could be the reason for this?


    Could it be...


    ''That weird mushroom?''


    He had figured out the answer pretty quickly.


    Or rather you could sayte because whenever n hade across these mushrooms, either he would stiff it in his Alex''s Bag, Or eat it then and there.


    And Alex had felt his breathing bing more sturdier and his mind bing happier.


    ''Does that mushroom increase serotonin levels?''


    It had to be.


    ''If it''s that...then.''


    Cautiously turned his head to have a glimpse of Kyle, who was stuck as glue would to Sabrina, Bombarding her with questions.


    And to his shock, he was calm even after looking at Kyle. Previously he would''ve shuddered at the thought of him.


    But Now, he was as calm as water.


    He looked ahead and continued moving when in the corner of his eye, he saw something around a tree moving.


    *She!*


    It was a venomous snake!


    Itunched itself from the tree towards Alex.


    Its skin was so simr to the bark that it was almost unnoticeable.


    And its speed afterunching itself from the tree was tremendous.


    Yet to Alex...it feltcking.


    It was like he could see the snake slowlying towards him in slow motion.


    ''... it''s not as fast as master.''


    He thought, all during the time the snake was approaching.


    And...as it was instinct, his hands made their way to the handles of his swords...and then


    *Shwing!*


    With the sound of Air being sliced apart, the body of the snake, now cut into two halves went along with it.


    And as a little amount of blood sttered on his shoes. He calmly looked at the body of the disintegrating.


    He then turned his head around towards his teammates, who were looking at him with shock except for n, who had a smirk on his face.


    ***


    (Kyles POV)


    I looked towards the piece of shit with shock on my face...


    It was hard enough for me to see the snake make its way towards the piece of shit...and I couldn''t even see his hands move, his swordsing out of the scabbards..and finally cutting the snake in half.


    His attention was then brought to the shocked look of another person in their team.


    As he watched her amethyst eyes widen in shock at what just happened he felt anger rising in him.


    ''...you''re gonna pay for this you son of a bitch.''


    ***


    (Sabrinas POV)


    What..just happened?


    I knew there was something special about him as he was the one who brought a doorstep away from death n Pator to the infirmary.


    She had studied him and his special traits, and skill level.


    But...she had also studied and memorized everything about every monster up to the 7th floor.


    And the one that just attacked was called the Tree Crawler.


    A Highly venomous snake that had skin simr to the bark of a specific tree.


    It would coil itself around the tree and would wait for its prey toe close and rapidly thrust itself towards the prey, if the prey was small it would swallow it a hall, however, if it was big it would first bite it and inject its venom into it and slowly wait for it to die before taking the prize.


    Their speed was monstrous for a snake.


    And she, who had enhanced her eyes with the lightning element couldn''t see it...<sub> </sub>


    ''Just how fast was he?''


    I questioned myself in my mind.


    ''Hmm?''


    I suddenly felt the temperature around me heat up and  I looked towards the source to find that the reason was Kyle, who had a red fiery aura around him.


    ''E+ rank skill, ze Empowerment''


    I knew about this skill, it was one of the special skills that were not activated by thought alone and only activates when certain conditions are met.


    And in this case, the condition would be anger.


    ''It''s getting hotter.''


    I thought the environment was already humid and now because of him, it was getting hotter and hotter.


    It was annoying...first traveling in this muddy terrain, the humid weather, and thenter kyles outburst was making me sweat even more.


    But I didn''tin, or rather I shouldn''tin.


    I hated being a liability, and I wasn''t going to admit I hated it at all.


    Besides, I''m not the only girl on this team.


    I looked towards Amy...who was struggling even more.


    ''...well at least I''m not alone.''


    ***


    (ns POV)


    <o>,m Heh, Alex, you did well.</o>


    Well, he was the real student of the Sword Saint and the future Sword Saint.


    Those ranks cannot be achieved without effort...


    And Talent.


    The former was the only one I had, while thetter was something I only wished to have.


    And my talent in Spearmanship?


    It wasn''t mine. It was ''His''.


    My talent with Mana?


    It was all due to Mana Master.


    I had no talent, not in this life or the life before.


    Not in my life did I ever feel like a genius in something.


    But...was it a subconscious thought?


    That I believed the talents of this body...as my own?


    Thinking deeply about it, I closed my eyes and continued to think even more closely.


    I spread my mana out in a 30-meter radius so that I could feel if something was going to attack me during the time I was thinking.


    And lo and behold, I felt something move 13 meters to my right.


    I immediately covered my spear with Mana and swung towards the location.


    *Shwing*


    The spear de went in a crescent arc and released a crescent shape arc of mana towards the location.


    The man was so powerful and pure that it continued even after reaching its target, which was a poor tree crawler that messed with the wrong person.


    *Rumble!*


    The trees cut by the de of mana copsed and pretty soon all the team could see were trees falling with half of their trunks missing.


    Now it was their time to be shocked.


    Kyle gritted his teeth and the temperature around him rose even higher.


    And all I did was not pay any attention to him.


    Why? Because it would make him angrier and angrier until he attacked me first.


    The cameras built in our suits were recording everything we did.


    And there were rules, and there were loopholes.


    The first and most important rule was that students were not allowed to engage other students in fights.


    Doing so will result in disqualification.


    But this also had a loophole, That the student was allowed to protect themselves if the attacker continued despite being disqualified.


    So, all I need to was y the waiting game.


    Until he attacks me first.


    So I can rip his throat out.


    ______________________________________

 Chapter 97 [97]What Is This Control?!{2}

    "Ohe on! Why does it have to be a desert?!"


    Shouted ine as she wiped the sweat off her brows.


    "Just deal with it for a little longer, We''ll find the exit soon."


    Replied Elijah, Who was seemingly fine under the scorching heat of the fake sun in thebyrinth.


    "Deal with it?! None of us have the fire element affinity except for you! Just look at M!"


    Shouted ine in a tired voice as she pointed toward another person on Elijah''s Team, M who had the water element and was probably in the worst environment for her.


    Elijah looked towards his other teammates, who were in a simr situation as ine.


    Sweating buckets, heavy and tired footsteps, and most importantly not in the best condition to fight.


    ''We can''t go on like this..''


    Elijah thought, he liked this heat more, it strengthened his attacks and most importantly made himfortable.


    He preferred this type of heat, and this was why he was having a st on this floor.


    The floor he would soon hate was the next one, which was why he wanted to spend a little more time here.


    But seeing the state of his teammates he concluded that they should leave now.


    And so, he focused his mana on his eyes and activated a skill.


    [[God Eyes]has been Activated.]


    A skill equal in level to the almighty dragon eyes at this stage.


    It was the first skill he received along with [DECIMATION].


    The only problem he had was that it flooded his head with all kinds of information and made his eyes and ears bleed if he used it too much.


    Immediately upon activating the skill, he ordered it to give him a clear map-like view of the entire floor.


    What he was looking for was a hurricane.


    Crazy as it may sound, it was the gate towards the next floor.


    However, if you entered it one by one you had a chance of losing your teammates.


    This was why holding onto your teammates when entering the tornado was the best choice.


    The only thing left would be your grip strength.


    As Elijah looked towards the map shown to him by the God Eyes, he soon found the location of the tornado, which was so far and so small that it couldn''t be seen until one was close to it.


    ''Southeast.''


    He noted down where the tornado was in his mind.


    "Elijah, you okay?"


    Snapping him out of his mind was ine''s concerned voice.


    She was worried for him, because now,


    His eyes were blood red and tears of blood ran down his eyes. His ears and nose also bled.


    But he now knew where the exit was.


    "Let''s continue, I have a gut feeling that it''s this way."


    And so, he led his team towards hurricanes'' general direction.


    ***


    [Sabrina''s PoV]


    It''s hot


    It''s terrible.


    I want to descend to the floor underneath quickly.<sub> </sub>


    ''If I remember correctly, the path to the next floor is a tornado.''


    My memory is great, I knew that but the problem was where this tornado was.


    While I was thinking, the ground beneath us started to shake, the grains of sand forming a whirlpool underneath our feet.


    I, as well as most of our team immediately moved away before our feet got stuck in the whirlpool of sand.


    The monster that created this whirlpool was a bloodsucker worm.


    Usually ten meters long and possessing a row of teeth so sharp it could drill into metal easily.


    When I looked towards the whirlpool, I was gathering my mana to attack it...until I saw my bodyguard standing still in the middle of it.


    ''What is he doing?!''


    I thought to myself, and just as I was about to send him a message through the mysterious Spatial bond.


    Disaster had already stuck.


    n had jumped up, and beneath him appeared a deadly worm the size of a building, making its way upwards towards n, who in response changed his position into a diving one and thrusted his spear.


    The deadly maw of the worm with terrifying teeth went against the spear d in pure white mana collided.


    *Kyaaa!*


    The death cry of the worm resounded as it fell back on the sand, lifeless.


    Before I could think any further, I felt myself fall into the sand.


    ''Another one?!''


    I thought to myself as my vision slowly became filled with the yellow color of the million grains of sand around me.


    I closed my eyes and pretty soon, I couldn''t feel anything supporting me from the ground.


    It was then that my body shifted.


    And I opened my eyes....only to find an endless white beneath me.


    And I, hundred of meters up in the sky falling towards the white.


    I screamed reflexively at this point.


    Who wouldn''t when they suddenly found themselves in this position?!


    As I took the form of an X to lighten my fall, I turned my head and saw my other teammates, screaming their lungs out as well...all except for one.


    The same one who was probably responsible for this situation, and the only one who, instead of taking an X Position, was diving into the endless sea of white.


    [What are you doing?! And what is happening?!"]


    I shouted to him through the mysterious spatial bond only to be left baffled by his response.


    [Calm down, the heat up there was unbearable for me, so I took a shortcut.]


    Shortcut?!


    [Shortcut to our death?! Even the Instructors won''t be able to save us now!]


    Is he crazy?


    ''...wait.''


    I suddenly brought up the memory of me feeding him a potion when he had severe injuries from trying out some move beyond his capabilities.


    Ah, I had given him a name too.


    The Suicidal idiot.


    It would appear that I, who had survived countless assassination attempts, one attempted ****, and even multiple poisons put into my food.


    Was going to die at the hands of my bodyguard, the one who was supposed to ''protect'' me.

 Chapter 98 [98]Comfy

    A/N:Result is in an hour or so, if I don''t upload more chapters,I''m probably six feet under lol.


    ****


    ''Ahh, this feels much better.''


    I thought to myself while feeling the intense cold wind on my face.


    It was a perfect contrast to the previous floor, where the heat was affecting me greatly.


    It''s probably because of my Ice Affinity.


    I feelfy in cold environments while ufortable in Hot environments.


    The same was the case for Elijah, who would feel veryfortable even in a volcano.


    So probably my Ice affinity is the case.


    On the previous floor, there was a secret way to get into this floor.


    When the bloodsucker worms present on the 4th floor attack you, jumping inside their vortex would take you to the floor below.


    It was found by Elijahter when he raided thebyrinth alone.


    Albeit you would be falling from the sky, it was still a shortcut.


    And as for the fall?


    I already had a way to solve it.


    As the others of my team had spread their bodies to increase their air resistance and lighten their fall as much as possible, I was the only one who didn''t do so but instead dived down.


    The wind at this velocity was tearing down my face, but I ignored it and dived even deeper down.


    And when I was somewhat only a hundred or so meters above the ground, I stimted the ice mana inside my body and raised my hands.


    The mana of the Ice Element shot down from my hand and did what I wanted it to do.


    Create a slide of ice for me.


    Yep, I was nning to slide down to the ground using my ice slide.


    *Skiiiddd*


    The sound of my feet sliding down was unpleasant during the ride down even though the ice slide I had made was smooth.


    And the moment I was about to leave the slide and touch the snow, I jumped and lightlynded on the snow, with my feet going under the snow a little.


    I did the same for the rest of my teammates, who did not have as pleasant of anding as I did.


    They fell into the snow in interesting and funny positions.


    Alex and Sabrina had fell face t into the snow even after the slide.


    Amy had fallen on her butt and as for Kyle?


    I ''made'' his slide especially bumpy.


    And the result of this was him clenching a ''Specific'' part of his body with his head in the snow.


    He looked as white as snow while gripping that part too.


    I made his slide have a special little bump in the middle to give him something special.


    Oh, and my present had been received pretty well.


    I let out a smallugh when I looked at his state.


    "Are you Crazy?!"


    [Are you CRAZY?!]


    But my moment ofughter was interrupted by the shout of Alex, Amy, And Sabrina.


    Alex and Amy screamed at me, while Sabrina had done the same with the only difference being that she did it through the Spatial bond.


    I chuckled lightly and responded to all three.


    "Yeah."


    All three stopped and looked at me for a second.


    What? I''m not lying.


    I am batshit insane.


    Both in this world and the world before


    I wasn''t ashamed to admit it.<sub> </sub>


    I had already done so long ago, I hade to terms with the fact that I was a Sociopath.


    A psychopath that derived absolute joy from destroying his parent''spany, destroying his elder brother''s dreams, and making his sister even crazier than himself to the point she was admitted to an asylum.


    Ahh, how I remember those times.


    And yet, I still failed to achieve my revenge fully.


    I wonder, how many days would there be left until I saw theirpany go bankrupt?


    How many days would it have been until I could finally get a good sleep?


    Tragedy truly, that I died just as I was on the cusp of achieving my revenge?


    As I was relishing deep inside, I heard the pained groan is someone.


    "Ugh...uhh.."


    It was Kyle, who had had his nutspletely obliterated.


    The attention of the team was directed towards him now, who was still groaning out of pain.


    "...what do we do with him?"


    Alex said, not having fear in his voice anymore as he talked about Kyle.


    ''The effects of the mushroom are magnificent.''


    I thought in my head as I felt happy that the effects of the mushroom were greater than expected.


    Its effects on me were dull but on Alex, that wasn''t the case.


    He contributed to some battles after taking the mushroom.


    Although I do wonder why its effects on me are this dull.


    I had the body of a draconian, that was the sole reason I ate more than a dozen mushrooms.


    Yet I still felt only slightly happy.


    There are advantages and disadvantages to this body it seems.


    Increased strength, agility, and affinity of mana are the mostmon.


    While increased appetite, and if I''m correct, should be a fast rate of metabolism.


    Does that mean I can''t get drunk? I hope not.


    My love for alcohol surpasses that of even the heavens.


    In my previous life smoking and drinking were unbearable to me.


    Smoking was something that I couldn''t handle after the ''incident'' where acid was sshed onto my face.


    Drinking, although still hurt, was much less painful than smoking.


    My alcohol addiction was the only thing stopping me frommitting suicide before getting revenge.


    Even eating was painful.


    "Guh...ugh..."


    Interrupting me yet again were the groans of Kyle, who was still white as snow and still clenching his part.


    ''Oh yeah, forgot about him.''


    I thought with an amused smile on my face as I walked over towards him, grabbed his leg, and said to my teammates.


    "Let''s look for a ce to set up camp."


    And with that said, I dragged Kyle by the leg across the snow-fillednds.


    And keep in mind, that his head was still in the snow.


    It would leave a trail, but, the floor had snow storms every couple of hours, and I''m sure the trails would be concealed by them.


    And even if they weren''t, nothing on this floor could threaten me.


    Not even the strongest monster here.


    And so, dragging a near unconscious Kyle, I began to walk forward while activating [Dragon Eyes] to a minor level before searching a quarter of the floor for a good ce to set up camp.


    My team on the other hand?


    Everybody had their eyes glued to the near unconscious Kyle I was dragging around.

 Chapter 99 [99]Uncomfy.

    A/N:I survived, also for old readers, the first chapter of the novel (prologue) has beenpared rewritten,it''s notme like before, please do give it a read again.


    ***********


    "...cold..."


    Elijah said as he sped his hands together whilst breathing hot air from his mouth on them.


    He was currently resisting the urge to use his fire attribute mana to warm himself.


    "...Elijahe on, just a little bit for us..."


    ine, as well as his other teammates, looked at him with puppy eyes.


    Elijah, while looking at them, firmly shook his head.


    He knew they wanted him to use his fire attribute to warm the entire team but he still resisted with all of his might.


    In this situation, his mana was extremely important. Who knew if all of a sudden a monster suddenly attacked them and he didn''t have enough mana to kill it?


    ...although he didn''t want to admit it, His team, except for ine, was severelycking.


    His team wasposed of three boys including himself and two girls.


    Elijah, Jake, and Dan were the boys, who were regrettably all sword users.


    ine and M, were the girls who were also regrettably, all healers.


    There was no tank, mage, or even a good damage dealer besides Elijah.


    It would be safe to assume that Elijah and ine were carrying this team.


    "Achoo!"


    Suddenly, they all turned their heads towards the sudden sound and found Dan, who was a bit chubby to be sniffling his nose which was now red.


    "..*Sniff.* weren''t these su suits supp supposed to have cold resistance..?"


    He said while his voice, along with his entire body was shaking.


    His legs were trembling and honestly, it didn''t look like he could fight.


    Although neither Jake nor Dan wanted to admit it, they were trying to be like Elijah, Not wanting to use mana to enhance their body to resist the cold.


    The girls were doing so, and even then they were feeling cold, the boys?


    The difference could bepared to that of a Fridge and a freezer.


    And unfortunately for Jack and Dan, they didn''t have the fire attribute nor Elijah''s extremely toned body.


    This was extremely difficult for them.


    But the fact remained, that they still held on...although they still used mana sometimes to get rid of the cold.


    ''She was right.''


    Elijah thought to himself as he continued to walk ahead in this deste whitend.


    He remembered Serena''s words.


    ''The suits won''t haveplete resistance to Cold unlike what we most likely think, Shield never makes its exams easy, You would be a fool if you thought the suit hadplete Heat and cold resistance, the suit won''t be that safe to give the students an easy time as well. It is strong, but most likely not ''that'' strong.''


    She was right, and he was d as hell he listened to those words along with all the other things she said.


    It was then that he heard M''s voice.


    "Hey, Elijah can you use your fire mana? You can use my potion if you want."


    She pleaded with him, however, what struck Elijah''s mind was not her plea, but another shock to his mind realizing that Serena was right once again.


    ''Since they announced that it''s a team test now, Expect your teammates to try to use you, it could be like...giving you their potion to ask you to warm them up or anything like that that benefits them in the short term. And since you are gullible, you''ll easily ept. However, I want you to reject this and discourage the use of potions unless necessary.


    The use of potions will deduct points. And I need you to acquire the most points you can.''


    Shockingly, Serena was correct once again.


    He thanked the stars that he listened to her words closely.<sub> </sub>


    They were helping him because as of now he was currently following her advice to find a good spot to set up camp, like a cliff or mountainside on this floor. Or even a cave


    ''Camping out in the open is stupid, you''ll have yourself open to all sides if you can find a cliff or hill, set up camp there, at least with the former you''ll have one side safe, and thetter will give you a high vantage point. If you find a cave, clear it up and camp there only after confirming it''s not a spawn location.''


    And yet again, she was correct because a while earlier, he had told his teammates this info and they had agreed it was correct and this was the only reason they were putting up with this farce of not going inside thefort of their tents and continuing to walk in this icy hell.


    Elijah made a promise to himself today.


    And that was to listen to Serena no matter what.


    ''I wonder if she''s okay.''


    He wondered, and opened his map up to see her location.


    [Serena Soubuelle, 4367 km away, Cold.]


    He focused his attention on the pink icon on his system map and confirmed that she was not in immediate danger.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and continued to walk, believing in his map, which showed a cliff a few dozen miles ahead.


    And that was the only ce they could camp, for Elijah still failed to do anything even remotely like that on his map, even after expanding it to its limits.


    He just hoped some other students had not already set up camp there.


    ***


    *Sport*


    Blood spurted out from the beheaded neck of what appeared to be a small fox possessing shite fur.


    Its face remained calm as if that of a predator waiting for its prey.


    Unfortunately, it had failed to realize that ''it'' was the prey, not the other way around, for the two students that it had nned to attack had attacked it so swiftly it failed to even see its deathing.


    And just like that, before the eyes of Alex And n, Its body began to disintegrate into blue light.


    "Hmm?"


    Muttered Alex because in the area, instead ofplete nothingness, a white fox mask was present.


    The mana of the fox had failed to dissolve into thebyrinthpletely and had instead materialized into an artifact.


    A very rare phenomenon had just urred, where the mana of the monster had failed to dissolve into thebyrinth and had instead materialized into another suitable form.


    Alex picked up the mask with excitement in his eyes as he checked its information.


    [Artic Fox Mask]


    [Grade:E-]


    A mask materialized by the leftover mana of an arctic fox.


    *It provides a slight increase to attacks imbued with the Ice Element.


    *It provides a slight resistance to the cold.


    ****


    "Hey n, this suits you more."


    Alex said while tossing the artifact to n, who caught It and checked its information.


    However contrary to Alex''s expectations, n had just returned the mask to him and said.


    "I don''t need it."


    Alex, in his confusion just looked at n, and....if he was not wrong, there was an


    angry expression on n''s face when he looked at the mask.


    "Are you afraid of Foxes or something?"


    Alex asked to which n responded.


    "No, I just don''t need it, it''ll help you more."

 Chapter 100 [100]Memories.

    As I held the metal fox mask in my hands...you could say I felt sad.


    Although it looked a lot different from my normal mask, which was just a in metal mask, the truth still was, it was a mask.


    And I didn''t want to wear such a thing again.


    I didn''t want to feel the cold and painful sensation of the mask against my scalded face.


    ...my face wasn''t as deformed now but I still didn''t want to conceal it.


    Not anymore.


    I had done so for years.


    I tossed the mask back to Alex and said.


    "I don''t need it."


    The effects of it wouldn''t help me greatly anyway.


    "You scared of foxes or something?"


    He asked, but Iughed inwardly.


    ''I wish that was the reason.''


    I truly do.


    I wish that just a fear of a certain animal was the reason.


    But unfortunately, it wasn''t so.


    "I just don''t need it."


    I said to him and then continued to walk back to our camp.


    We had found a cliff with a cave at the bottom and had decided to camp there.


    Alex and I hade this far only to do reconnaissance.


    I refused to say anything back to Alex, who had put on the mask.


    And during the trek back to camp.


    I...had unconsciously started to touch my face...


    Fucking hell.


    ''Fucking hell, you son of a bitch... it''s a normal face... it''s not burned as hell.


    It''s a normal face.''


    I thought to myself To console myself.


    Hah, what a futile fucking effort.


    And yet, the son of a bitch that was me still did it.


    To hide the pain, to drive back the memories that kept resurfacing.


    To hold back the dreaded memory of why my face had be what it had be.


    To keep them back.


    I muttered the words ''it''s a normal face''


    to myself dozens, not hundreds of times during the trek back home.


    I wanted tough at myself.


    That I resorted to such a method.


    But fuck, why did those words that I uttered to myself in my mind feel forting.


    ***


    "Well, this is a surprise."


    Sabrina said as she looked at the group in front of her.


    Her team had set up camp in a cave beneath a cliff.


    They had set up their tents, which were quite easy to do because all they needed to do was press a button on a ck box which was their tent.


    She, along with Amy was currently huddled near fire lit by n before he left with Alex to do some reconnaissance.


    Kyle had refused to set up a fire unless she asked him herself, so n had dug inside his bag and found supplies needed to light one.


    He was serious about his role as the Team Leader.


    Even she didn''t know they had them.


    Either Shield had hidden them or she just didn''t look at the supply list carefully.


    And she didn''t believe thetter was the case, so she flipped her bag inside out to find any more hidden supplies she had failed to find when she did an initial check at the start of the test.


    The fire in front of her was small, and provided little warmth, and just when she was about to resort to asking The arrogant Kyle to increase the size of yhe fire with his fire attribute.


    Elijah''s team had found them.


    "Yeah, so, can we please also set camp here?"


    Elijah asked in a sweet voice thatbined with his face, did marvelous work normally.


    Unfortunately, he was faced with Sabrina, who gave zero fucks about his appearance.


    What she did care about was, if Shields team, which was monitoring them would deduct points if Two teams camped together and were considering the pros and cons of allowing Elijah to set his camp here as well.


    What she already considered a con, was ine who was hugging her waist while she pleaded with her to allow them to set up camp here.<sub> </sub>


    "Please, Sabrina, we''re friends, right? Please allow us to set up camp here!"


    ine pleaded with her while hugging her even more tightly as her body was shivering.


    What was surprising was, she was sneakily trying to get closer to the fire while pleading with Sabrina to let them camp there.


    They could honestly, set up camp without even asking her for permission, but because Elijah was a nice guy, he insisted that they ask for permission first.


    ''He''s also a user of the fire element, so he can also create fire. His team on the other hand, except for ine are all...useless.''


    Elijah and ine would make for good allies here, their teammates would not.


    But she also couldn''t just ept those two and drive the others away.


    And the decision to allow them to be here was not under her jurisdiction.


    It was under n, who was the team leader.


    "I disagree with this, why should we let them stay here when we''ve already set up camp."


    And when she was thinking to herself, Kyle Interjected and disagreed with letting them stay here.


    "Ohe on man, Please?"


    Elijah begged, to which Kyle disagreed yet again.


    "No!"


    "Please?"


    "Didn''t you hear me the first time?!"


    Their exchange continued for a while, And Sabrina contacted their team leader through that mysterious spatial bond she received as a reward forpleting the quest.


    ''There''s a problem.''


    [It''s a norm-huh?]


    ''There is a problem.''


    She said again,pletely ignoring his response, she just thought he was talking with Alex and subconsciously said these words.


    [What problem?]


    He asked and she answered.


    ''Elijah and his team have requested to camp together with us.''


    [Oh...just let them then.]


    ? ''Ok.''


    She said to him, while inwardly quite happy because if Elijah was here, he could use his fire element affinity to create arger fire to keep themselves warm.


    "You can set up camp here..."


    "Really?! Thanks, Sabrina!"


    "Thanks!"


    "What!? Why?!"


    Shouted ine, Elijah, and Kyle respectively interrupting her sentence.


    "...but you must make the fire bigger."


    Sabrina said and pointed towards the fire behind her.


    "That''s it?"


    "Yes."


    And after she answered Elijah''s question, He immediately held his hand out and circted his fire attribute mana.


    His hand, enveloped in me, touched the fire and it magically red and provided even more warmth to the group.


    Elijah''s teammates immediately went over to the me and sat as close as they could without burning themselves.


    "Haha..."


    Muttered Elijah as he saw how his team just acted all the while Kyle was gritting his teeth in the background.


    Sabrina also sat close to the fire, albeit not as close as the others, and before everyone knew it, they had all engaged in small chatter.


    During so, they had decided without n that the Girls would stay within the cave while the boys would sleep outside in their tents.


    And then, As they were talking.


    n and Alex came back.


    With n in the front, and Alex behind him wearing a Fox mask.


    ****


    A/N:WOOH! 100 CHAPTERS.


    Thank you so much for actually sticking with me for this long even though there have been many mistakes.


    And I do apologize for not uploading as much as I did back then, I started this novel during vacations, and since they ended I have been busy.


    Anyways, Thanks so much for sticking with me for 100 whole chapters.


    I''ll try to improve my writing as I go along.


    Oh and as a spoiler, Your gonna have to get some popcorn for the next few chapters.


    I''m gonna make them a banger!

 Chapter 101 [101]A...Problem.

    A/N:join the discord server to immediately be notified when a new chapter is released.


    Link: https://discord.gg/tf34pbV3


    ***


    "Hmm, hmmm hmm."


    Arken hummed to himself while silently going around all the first five floors.


    He was like a bolt of lightning, shattering the sound barrier as he traveled to all of the floors again and again.


    <o>,m He observed the students of Shield during his multiple trips along the floors.</o>


    He discovered many things along the way.


    Students were huddled together even though they belonged to other teams in some areas, and some student teams even fought with each other.


    He first considered if the former was against the rules, but dismissed itter.


    And it was then, that Arken felt a very very slight tremor followed by a slight wave of manaing from deep within thebyrinth.


    He stopped suddenly and his eyes glowed golden yellow as he stared at the ground and started investigating whatever had happened.


    [Skill Piercing Eyes has been activated]


    His skill was activated and He soon saw the reason for the slight tremor and mana fluctuations.


    And as he saw what the reason was, his face scrunched up and he muttered two words.


    "...fucking hell."


    And immediately after, He darted towards the upper floors towards the entrance of the Labyrinth.


    He needed to inform Oliver...and he needed to do it fast and immediately go back to fight the disturbances off.


    He would be able to fight everyst one of them off himself, but he was not arrogant enough to think he could do so by protecting the students as well.


    ''Of course, this happens the one time I volunteer to help! Of course!''


    He yelled to himself in his mind and began to make his way towards the entrance.


    ***


    "Hmm?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    I suddenly stopped as I experienced a slight chilly feeling for a second.


    And this was surprising because considering my [Supreme] ranked affinity to the Ice Element, I don''t think the cold should affect me.


    It...was odd, to say the least. As if there was something wrong and... I just felt it.


    A goosebump, I think.


    "You okay?"


    I heard Alex again and dismissed the thought as I felt the ground beneath theyers of snow be firm.


    I could see a cliff in the distance with a few people huddled close to arge fire.


    The ground in this area was extremely firm and steady, which I considered a bonus because it was hard to find stable footing on this floor.


    "Nothing just felt a slight shiver."


    I said to Alex and continued walking towards our campsite.


    "Ice Affinity awakened can feel shivers?"


    He asked, a good question if I must say so myself.


    The element you had an affinity to would change you, whether it be demeanor or resistance to certain things.


    Among Ice Awakened, Dulled emotions and increased resistance to the cold were the most prominent.


    On the Contrary, the Fire element awakened would have fiery tempers more often than not and increased resistance to heat.


    Every element had its strength and weaknesses.


    "You learn something new every day."


    I replied to Alex, whose expression I couldn''t see because of the wolf mask.


    (A/N:Changed fox mask to wolf mask, it has some importance in the storyter.)


    He pondered for a while, then shrugged it off and we both eventually reached the campsite and were greeted by the funny sight of 8 students from mine and Elijah''s team huddled together in arge bonfire.


    They all looked at us for a second and didn''t speak. Elijah only waved his hand towards me while showing a smile


    and then focused them on the fire immediately after.


    Alex got close to the fire like the others and simrly positioned his hands closer to the fire.<sub> </sub>


    ''... it''s a wonder how they''re so carefree.''


    I thought to myself.


    This was abyrinth, a ce where normally death was at every corner.


    Even though the suits provided a decent amount of armor for the first ten floors, their every action was probably being monitored by the Shield Staff.


    These idiots were still forgetting they were in one of the most dangerous ces on Earth.


    I sighed to myself inwardly and made my way towards my tent.


    Unlike the others, I preferred to be away from the fire.


    The cold didn''t bother me, it helped me calm down and I didn''t need the mushrooms on this floor.


    I made my way towards my tent, which was located a bit far away from the area of the fire.


    I entered my tent and sat down straight in the middle, put my bag away, and started to do something simple to pass the time.


    And that was clean my spear.


    ***


    "... he''s gone."


    M muttered as she watched n enter his tent.


    The others in her team, especially ine, nodded furiously and then started to rx.


    When he suddenly appeared, they all tensed up as the ''aura'' he just released subconsciously made others tense up in his presence.


    Yet, it also provided some sort of warmth, as if the one releasing the aura was someone they could trust, someone who would protect them.


    However, to them, it just appeared to be someone who was in a bad mood constantly.


    "...yeah, he''s gone."


    ine muttered while she turned to Sabrina and asked her the question she was going to ask previously before someone else butted in with their mere presence alone.


    "So, how did you guys end up here?"


    Their own experience was getting flung towards the snow and being separated by the sand tornado of the previous floor.


    She expected Her story to be simr, only to be surprised when Sabrina began to tell her how her team got there.


    And it was entirely different.


    ***


    "WHAT?!"


    Elena screamed in the control room as she was shocked beyond belief by the report she had just received from her master, Oliver.


    [Evacuate the students and don''t worry about the iing cmity. I repeat, Evacuating the students take top priority


    Do not try to engage.]


    As she heard her master voice in her ear through the earpiece, she couldn''t help but question.


    "Headmaster, I believe it will be appropriate if I and the other S-rank teachers go and stop it, We can leave the evacuation to the lower-ranked teachers!"


    And yet, Oliver denied it again and said


    [Elena, you don''t have to worry about the stampede,'' I'' will take care of it. I want you and every instructor to focus on evacuating the students!]


    *Bip*.


    And with that, the transmission ended and Elena was left to wonder.


    ''Headmaster Oliver is acting himself?!


    No...he should be able to do it by himself.''


    She thought to herselfpletely unaware that it wasn''t going to Be Oliver acting, it was someone else who was rushing towards it now.


    Nevertheless, She thought Oliver Olsfer, the Sage himself was acting on it.


    "All Instructors, No matter what rank you are, are to focus on the evacuation of the students, The headmaster himself will take care of ''it''."


    She voiced out into the inte and ran towards the exit of the control room which was empty except for her as all staff avable had immediately gone to do their duties upon learning the news.


    And she needed to hurry.


    She left the control room  ignoring the bewildered responses from her colleagues being transmitted to her through her earpiece.


    She just uttered the same words again and again to them, And...silently prayed in her mind.


    ''We need to make sure no student is severely harmed.''


    Otherwise....the bacsh would be tremendous.

 Chapter 102 [102]Ah, Shit.

    A/N:Join the discord!


    Link: https://discord.gg/tf34pbV3


    *BOOOM*


    An earth-shattering noise was heard all along the first floor, shocking all students who were present.


    The sound produced nearly ruptured their eardrums.


    It was as if a lightning bolt had struck only a few meters in front of them.


    This was of course Arken, Who had given up all qualms to go quietly.


    He was rushing towards the lower floors as fast as he could.


    It didn''t even take him a minute to reach the fourth floor, the scorching desert.


    His very figure created sandstorms as he blitzed towards a random sand tornado and immediately entered it.


    The tornado was veryrge, Yet with the sheer amount of speed and power Arken had entered it with...


    ...it hadpletely diminished when Arken had used it as an entry gate to the fifth floor.


    As the white destend covered with snow entered his vision, he paid it no heed and activated his skill [Peerless Eyes] to the extreme as he searched for the gate to the next floor.


    And he soon found it.


    An extremelyrge sinkhole that had stairs carved in it leading downwards into what seemed like an endless dark abyss.


    ''Shit! They''ve already made it this far!''


    He cursed in his mind. He could see quite clearly in the abyssal darkness of the sinkhole because of his skill.


    And he saw, thousands upon thousands... of Frost Walker Spiders making their way up.


    Thousands upon thousands of <C> rank monsters of the Ice Element making their way upwards.


    ...the mere thought of this was terrifying.


    Thousands and thousands of monsters that could in all honestly, singlehandedly kill every student on the fifth floor and above quite easily.


    ...well all except for one student of course.


    That one would probably fight until his death...and probably take down a few dozen with him if Arken was correct in his judgment.


    But this was not the time to think about things like that.


    Arken essed the Spatial inventory he gained through expeditions in the cursed continent and materialized two Katanas in his hands.


    The wave of power they emitted indicated that they were <A+> rank swords.


    They possessed an electric spark dancing around them...however, this was not their ability.


    It was Arkens own mana, which he had begun to stimte as he spun during his descent into the endless darkness.


    He resembled a tornado of thunder as his figure dashed downwards, and soon enough the entire walls of the abyssal hole he could see were filled with spiders possessing a menacing cyan exoskeleton the size of houses making their way up.


    They noticed him and prepared their attacks to stop this hurricane.


    And then a bright sh illuminated the darkness.


    However, this light was not the Cyan or white colors unique to the ice element as one would have expected when thousands upon thousands of these monstrosities attacked.


    This light was a bright Yellow, almost golden.


    [Ravager Style(*****)]


    //Fourth Movement


    ||JUDGEMENT OF THUNDER||


    A pir of Thunder had formed inside the sinkhole, illuminating not only it but the entire fifth and sixth floor!


    The pir of thunder hadpletely covered the sinkhole and every being on the fifth floor could see a massive pir of Gold in the sky, turning the entire sky of the massive floor above it yellow!


    Every being, whether it be a monster or a student was left shocked by the sudden outburst of a very veryrge amount of mana!


    *KRAAAAA!*


    The sound produced was earth-shattering, as it reverberated throughout the fifth floor.


    And as for the aftermath ''inside'' of the sinkhole?


    Everything was gone, not even corpses left to fall as they had beenpletely disintegrated.


    A force enough to level cities...dead just like that.


    ''Did I get all of them?''<sub> </sub>


    Arken wondered in his mind as he dug his des into the walls of the sinkhole to steady himself.


    He was about to use his skill to confirm...when he suddenly jerked his head downwards as his eyes glowed bright gold.


    And without even a second of hesitation, He jumped down.


    He had to face even more monsters than just these.


    ...and worst of all, his specialty was one on one, not one vs many.


    He was confident he would be able to eliminate the ''Horde.''


    However, he was not confident enough that he would not let even a single monster bypass him.


    And thus, he activated another power this time.


    The power of the Self, Aura, as he descended to face the hundreds of thousands of monsters, some weaker,  but most stronger than the little spiders he had just eradicated.


    ***


    "Huh?!"


    "What in the world?!"


    Elijah and ine muttered respectively as they just saw a pir of gold light in the distance, illuminating the entire floor.


    Everyone was shocked to the core...and then it came.


    *KRAAAAA!*


    A sound that left their ears ringing, apanied by a shockwave that made all of them fly away and extinguished the fire they were all huddled near against.


    Elijah and Alex were able to bnce themselves andnd on their feet, The others were not so lucky.


    Most of them hadnded on their backs as the shock wave had been so strong that it made their tents, which were made out of an extremely durable material... shake.


    These tents were strong enough to survive the worst shit nature could put them through with no trouble.


    And as they struggled to get up on their feet, They heard a voice that was calm yet clearly resounded in their ears even though they were ringing.


    A voice that brought with it a sense of dread, yet also a peaceful feeling of protection.


    "Everyone, pack your bags, we''re going back."


    ***


    As I cleaned my blood-stained spear until it was spotless, I turned around to see the part of the suit that had been melted by my actions.


    I sighed inwardly and opened my bag to take out a brown stic bag.


    It was one of the bags that contained our food.


    I opened it up and took out a brown pill.


    A nutrient pill, with enough nutrients to support a full-grown male for an entire day.


    Well, I was different. I needed much more food than just a single pill.


    And so, I gobbled about five of them up before I was somewhat satisfied.


    I was about to eat another one but was disturbed by an earth-shattering noise apanied by my tent shaking.


    *KRAAAAA!*


    But that wasn''t what shocked me, it was the massive amount of mana that I had just felt.


    And I knew who this man belonged.


    Although humans would not be able to recognize the mana of other individuals, even if they had been with them for their entire lifetimes, I wasn''t human.


    This mana...belonged to Arken.


    And it was such arge amount that I felt my body open its pores as if in instinct and absorb this mana.


    I was surprised at this, for it hadn''t urred at all before, but that was the least of my concerns.


    That sound, apanied by the sudden outburst of a huge amount of mana could only mean one thing.


    Something wasing.


    And whatever it was, I was much better off running away from it.


    Because if Arken had just done that, it was probably something serious that I possibly couldn''t handle.


    I exited my tent and voiced out while trying to be as calm as possible.


    "Everyone, pack your bags, were going back."

 Chapter 103 [103]Ah Shit(2)

    "Everyone, pack your bags. We''re leaving."


    As they heard his words, they first didn''t register them in their minds. For their minds were too busy with processing the yellow beam that they had seen rise in the sky dyeing it golden.


    But it was then, That he spoke again, repeating those same words.


    ...what?


    Why are their bodies moving?


    Why were they doing what he just said?


    What...was moving them?


    Only Elijah stood rooted to his spot as if his words didn''t have any effect on him...but the rest...did so without questioning it.


    They couldn''t speak.


    They could only move their bodies to do what he said.


    He began to move, and as they turned their eyes towards him.


    All they could see, all they could register in their minds in the cold and destend.


    Was not his hair that was fluttering a little. His hair that was as white as thend they stood upon.


    And it was not his face.


    His eyes, which were so captivating, appeared to be the highest quality bright blue diamonds one could ever hope to have.


    His eyes, which seemed to be so magnificent, so beautiful, so mesmerizing, so...captivating.


    Andmanding.


    They began to glow a blue light that shined brighter by the second.


    And they all looked at those two bright blue diamonds shining.


    Shine brighter than even the fire they were all huddled around a little while ago.


    ***


    ''Well, they listened quite spectacrly...except for our protagonist.''


    I thought in my mind and began to move, and as I did I activated [Dragon Eyes] and slowly began to use it to its full power.


    All to find what had happened.


    My vision expanded to the entire floor, and my head was hurting due to the massive amounts of information my brain had to suddenly process.


    However, I persevered through the pain and began to interpret the informationing into my brain.


    And I was able to conclude, that is the reason for all this.


    Was a Stampede.


    The unique phenomenon urs only when monsters from a lower floor ascend despite the risks.


    And a chain reaction urs.


    Until they all reach the topmost floor, and because they cannot leave thebyrinth, Enter a free for all.


    A battle royale where the weak monsters die and the strong continue to fight.


    However there was a problem, and that was that the weakest currently here were in the most danger.


    We''re us, students.


    The monster of the fifth floor was moving, running around in a frenzy.


    And they will soone to our location.


    ''...this is bad.''


    I thought. The current situation was extremely bad.


    What do I do?


    Either we hide in the cave and I block the entrance with Ice.


    ...or fight through the hordes of weak monsters and hope to reach the entrance before the real threates?


    The first one is suicidal but the second one is also suicidal.


    Either stay and hide, with the risk of being found by thousands of monsters stronger than you that have a very high chance of finding you with their innate abilities.


    Or fight through hundreds of monsters weaker than you as you ascend trying to escape.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I choose option 2 I guess.


    ...but not all of us will make it, even with me and Elijah here, especially our numbers which would attract even more monsters.


    ''It doesn''t matter, I''m the team leader of ''My'' team, only they are my responsibility.''


    I thought as I calcted the chances of survival before telling them all to get moving.<sub> </sub>


    I''m a man who does my job seriously.


    No matter what I''m someone dedicated to it.


    And as the team leader of team 55.


    Only their safety is my responsibility.


    Not Elijahs Team.


    And among my team, Alex and Sabrina have the highest priority.


    Alex, who''s the next sword saint?


    And Sabrina, who I am the bodyguard and must protect at all costs.


    For she had my soul crystal within her.


    And if she dies...then unfortunately I die too.


    and maybe I need to protect the other protagonists.


    Maybe.


    ***


    *Zap!*Crackle.*


    ''How long have we been fighting?''


    Sabrina thought to herself as she fired Thunderbolt after thunderbolt at the monsters around her.


    They had been swarmed by monsters native to the fifth floor as they made their way upwards.


    And then it was total mayhem, as they fought and fought every monster that they encountered.


    At first, there weren''t many, but then their numbers just kept increasing and increasing.


    Artic Fox, Frost Bears, and frost wolves, the three monsters native to this floor came out in droves and attacked their team again and again.


    And Among the group, Her, Elijah, Alex, and n seemed to be the ones doing most of the killing, with the others just struggling to keep up.


    She stayed in the middle and bombarded the monsters with thunder skills.


    Alex, who stayed in the back of the group and protected their rear, however, would sneak his hand into his bag and take out a mushroom and eat it asionally.


    Elijah was honestly flying with feet covered in mes providing enough propulsion to keep him flying as a jetpack would.


    He was blitzing everywhere with a sword of me as he made sure each and everybody was safe.


    And then there was n, who was at the front and was the spear of the group.


    In the front and charging forward relentlessly.


    Every strike of his spear reaped the life of a monster.


    Whether it was a Frost bear, frost wolf, or Artic Fox.


    Every monster that was in his way died without even putting up much of a resistance.


    And he would asionally fire of no it''s of ice behind, particrly at the monsters that had gotten close to her or Alex.


    He would do this for his other teammates too... except Kyle.


    But his main focus appeared to be her and Alex.


    And whenever he turned his head back.


    She saw a face covered with blood that didn''t belong to the monsters around them.


    It belonged to him, and he didn''t been injured.


    His eyes were shining and bleeding.


    ****


    ...it hurts


    It seriously fucking hurts.


    Although [Dragon Eyes, ] helped me keep the situation under control...they seriously fucking hurt.


    They allowed me to see everything around me but also put a massive strain on my eyes.


    The monsters around me are nothing...and the monsters above won''t be anything special as well.


    The problem is...can I endure until then?


    ''... it''s going to be hard...but I need-?!''


    Whilst I was thinking, my head suddenly jerked to the right as I stopped in. my tracks and muttered.


    "...fucking hell.."


    So much for being the strongest human alive Arken Miller...


    You let one dangerous monster escape from you.

 Chapter 104 [104]...It Returns.

    With a figure towering over 10 feet, a body that looked like it had bathed inva and was extremely sturdy.


    Within its hands was a club of molten rock that was half its size.


    With its hooves melting the snow beneath it walked forward with a struggling gait.


    "Hfgggh."


    Smoke came out of its nostrils as it breathed, its very presence melting the snow around to water and then evaporating it.


    *Thuk*Thuk.*


    The entire surroundings had paused after its appearance, Whether it be monster or human.


    Every monster was looking at it with fear, and the humans as well too, all with one exception.


    It was a monster that terrified them.


    A <B+> rank monstrosity, a subspecies of the Mythical Minotaur.


    The Lavataur.


    ***


    ''... it''s injured.''


    I thought to myself as I looked at the monster that appeared before us and stopped the entire battlefield.


    It was struggling to walk right now.


    By using [Dragon Eyes] I found that there was a huge gash on its back and there were still some sparks flying around its frame.


    However, these sparks were hurting it.


    Without a doubt, it had barely escaped that attack that was the column of gold or another attack.


    Whatever it was, it was injured.


    As I was immersed in my thoughts...I began to feel the same feeling that I had felt when I first encountered a monster in this world.


    But this time...it was different.


    *Bathump!**Bathump!*


    My heart was beating wildly as I and It locked eyes.


    It picked up a frozen Artic bear with one hand and crushed it and immediately devoured it before it could disintegrate.


    *Crunch**Crunch*


    That bear had died without even being able to utter a noise.


    Its meat was being chewed together with its bones within the mouth of the Lavataur.


    *Bathump**Bathump!!*


    The beating of my heart became even wilder as it and I locked eyes on this battlefield.


    Cerulean Blue Diamond pupils locked eyes with


    Ah, now I understand what I was feeling.


    From the beginning of this test, Since the moment I encountered my first monster.


    I was bored.


    Bored that I had encountered a worthwhile fight.


    ...but now, the opportunity had presented itself before me.


    ...how could I resist?


    I tried to...I took inrge breaths to calm my racing heart down...but deep inside I knew it would be futile.


    So, within thest moments of me keeping my rationality. I shouted with all my might.


    "Everyone! Run to the floors above! I''ll take care of this."


    Yes, run you hindrances.


    Let me enjoy it.


    Let me enjoy this fight to the death.


    And following my words, the standstill had been broken.


    As both the Lavataur and I Brandished our weapons with the elements of magma and Ice respectively.


    It was as if he and I could instinctively feel that we ''must'' kill each other to survive. That we were the strongest beings present.


    We both charged at each other, creating storms beneath our feet as we charged at each other at breakneck speeds.


    And within a second we had reached each other.


    My spearced with cyan light, collided with its club d in red light.


    And the collision produced a shockwave that sent the snow beneath our feet flying.


    ***<sub> </sub>


    ''What do I do?''


    Elijah thought to himself as he stared at the Lavataur.


    ''...me and n have to fight it together.''


    Elijah thought, and just as he was about to propose the idea, he heard n''s voice.


    "Everyone! Run to the floors above! I''ll take care of this."


    ''What?! are you crazy?! You can''t take that thing alone!''


    Elijah thought and just as he was about to voice his opinion again he saw n''s flushed face.


    With his cheeks a little bit red and with a smile going up to his ears adorned on his face.


    His eyes seemed like they couldn''t wait to charge in.


    Elijah, along with the others who hadn''t pissed themselves the moment the Lavataur appeared, which were Alex, Sabrina, and ine, all stood there with some shock adorned on their faces as they looked at the battle junkie that couldn''t wait to fight anymore.


    And just as Elijah was about to say something, he was interrupted yet again.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says to heed his words and run.]


    ''Run?! How can he take on a monster an entire rank above his?!''


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri says it is useless to worry about him.]


    ''...what?''


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri advises you to look at your mysterious map, you have someone else to save.]


    *Booom!*


    Agri''s words were apanied by arge boom that signified the beginning of the sh between n and the Lavataur.


    A shock wave that send him back a few meters resounded out.


    All the monsters began to run after they saw the sh between the two.


    And Elijah opened his map and saw what Agri was referring to.


    Serena''s Icon was red, signifying she was in a lot of danger.


    ***


    The monsters had run, Elijah had flown to another area, and the group had run.


    Now only two were left in the present area.


    A red behemoth towering 10 feet, and a boy with pure white hair and beautiful blue eyes.


    And these two were engaged in a battle.


    With their opposite elements of magma and ic3 shing with each other, their weaponsced with the power of these elements shed with each other.


    Shockingly, the boy was not losing in strength to the Lavataur even though he was much smaller in size and weaker in rank.


    Each of his blows was equal to strength and above in speed to thevataur, and he was pushing it back due to his speed.


    Thevataurs blows were heavy and slow, and the boys were strong and fast.


    *ng!*ng!*Boom*.


    The shing of their weapons rang out as little explosions went off during their sh in the surroundings due to the mana of The elements of ice and magma shing with each other.


    And finally, the boy thrusted his spear with all of his might at a particr part of the molten club wielded by the Lavataur, and as he did, the club began to crack.


    *Crack!*


    The boy focused all his attacks on that same spot, and soon the cracks began to expand until they could expand no more, for the club was just pieces of molten stone on the ground now.


    Yet! The Lavataur was unfazed as it spits Lava from its mouth onto the boy''s spear, and before even waiting to see the results, It bent down its head and charged at the boy, intending to pierce right through him with its devastating horns.


    It charged straight through and believed it would piece the boy''s chest with its horns until it was abruptly stopped.


    The crazy boy had given up on dodging amd had grabbed the Lavataurs horns with his hands.


    "Hehe, I''ve never tried bullfighting before! Seems fun!"


    ...and it was then that the Lavataur heard a voice different from before resound in its ears.


    A raspy and frightening voice, belonging to a horror movie character that had had his vocal cords deformed.


    ...and it was at that moment, that the Lavataur felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.


    It shifted its eyes...and instead of finding a white-haired boy with bright blue diamonds for eyes.


    It found someone with half his hair white and the other half seeminglyposed of golden silk...and one eyepletely turned into a green emerald with the other in the process of beating back the blue and bing a green emerald itself.


    The face of this boy, whose appearance had changed somewhat shed a psychotic smile and said three words with the same terrifying voice as before, something that both enraged and terrified the Lavataur.


    "Peek-a-boo you Cow!"


    *************


    A/N: If you are having trouble understanding thest part of the chapter, read the prologue(i changed it) and then you would have a better idea of what''s happening.

 Chapter 105 [105]...He Returns.

    "YEEEHAW!"


    Screamed the odd-looking boy with half his hair golden and the other white, one eye emerald green while the other half diamond blue and half emerald green as he...literally threw the Lavataur into the air...


    *Thud!*


    The massive body of thevataur fell from the sky andnded on the ground.


    It was a miracle it was alive, with therge wound on its back, repeated shes and most importantly being fucking thrown in the air by someone who looked like dinner.


    "...hfghh, hfggh."


    It was on itsst breath and it looked at its opponent with a resentful re.


    ...but it was not going to go down without putting up thest struggle.


    It gathered all of its remaining mana.


    The Element of magma was exuded from its body as the very presence of it melted the snow around it.


    Thevataur prepared itself for onest charge, and as it did, arge bull made of magma started to surround its body.


    It was using every ounce of mana it had left for this final attack.


    And it was determined to kill this human in front of it.


    "Haha, the bull thinks it can put up thest struggle."


    The terrifying voice resounded again.


    "Well, let''s see who wins, a snake or a bull now shall we?!"


    The boy shouted as he began to run towards the magma bull.


    As he began to do so, the environment itself bent to his will.


    The snow converged around him, and the ice mana in the air listened to his will as a serpent of ice started to form around his figure.


    The serpent made of ice looked even more menacing than the bull made of mana.


    The two animals rushed at each other at breakneck speed, and when they were about to collide, the bull raised its horns and the snake opened its terrifying maw.


    *BOOOM!*


    With arge boom, the surroundings became blurred with mist created by the collision of magma and ice.


    And the result of this terrifying sh was the boy standing victorious over the dead body of thevataur that had a huge chunk of its chest missing.


    The boiling hot blood of the monster covered the boy''s body, yet all his face showed was a crazy expression.


    It was as if it had been a long time since he had been released and he was ecstatic.


    ...but it was then, that the boy coughed up blood.


    "cough!..the hell?"


    He conjured up his ice mana and formed a mirror of ice in front of himself.


    And he saw that his hair had begun to be white again, his left eye, which was half emerald green at first, nowpletely dominated by diamond blue, and his other eye bing blue.


    "Oh? The kids actually bing aware this time?"


    He spoke, the content of his words confusing.


    "...But I can''t believe my soul became this weak...it can''t even bepared to his damaged ''sun'' now."


    He muttered while touching his chest.


    "Well, you can take back control, I''m interested to see the changes this time. Especially with you bing aware."


    "...but this is myst ''rodeo'' huh?"


    His voice wasced with regret as if he was regretting the fact that he could truly not fight anymore.


    The mirror of ice disappeared into thin smoke and hey down on the ice with a cold gaze toward the sky.


    He closed his eyes, as his hair became pure white again.


    And then the eyes opened again, but this time instead of emerald green, it was now the beautiful bright blue diamonds again


    ***


    ''Where am I?''


    I asked myself in my mind.


    ''...am I floating?''


    I questioned myself again.


    what is happening?


    I couldn''t feel anything.


    I could see very little.


    It was dark, but not the type of darkness where I would be unable to see anything.


    ...and it was then that I felt chills run down my spine, the hair on the back of my neck standing up.


    And I instinctively looked back.


    To find myself coiled around a giant white snake with emerald eyes.


    It was looking at me with those eyes.<sub> </sub>


    I was like an ant before it.


    It was that gigantic.


    Like a cobra that stalked its prey, it looked at me with those eyes that seemed to swallow everything.


    ...and then it smiled.


    And rushed at me with its mouth wide open and its fangs ready to pierce me.


    ...yet why was I unafraid?


    Even though this thing looked like it could kill me, and wasing to kill me.


    I was unafraid.


    The Snake was now only a few meters away.


    And when will I could see we''re its fang and mouth? It stopped and retreated.


    *Hiss.*


    Its tongue creeped out of its mouth.


    And a smile formed on its face.


    And mine and its eyes met.


    And its eyes slowly turned the same bright blue diamonds that were mine.


    And its figure slowly disappeared until only the bright blue diamond eyes were all that could see.


    I blinked, and the next thing I saw was the sky.


    ***


    ''....so this is the end?''


    Serena thought to herself as she looked at the massacre in front of her.


    Her teammates along with members of another all covered in their blood.


    She was severely injured, losing blood by the second.


    The only reason she was conscious was that she was constantly healing herself with skills.


    A frost walker spider had ambushed them. And the only reason it hadn''t killed them was that it was currently toying with another Top 10 Student.


    It was toying with its prey, thest one that had survived and was putting up a fight.


    As she looked at the handsome boy with brown hair and green eyes blocking the attacks of the spider with his tower shield while attacking asionally with his Mace, she tried to remember his name.


    ''...Lucas Hiddleston.''


    Wasn''t that the name of the student above Sabrina and below Henry?


    She hadn''t paid attention to him even after the stunt he pulled on the first day.


    Only Elijah mattered to her.


    ...and now, as the wounds on Lucas''s body increased, as his shield crumbled and his mace shattered before the attacks and carapace of the spider.


    He fell on his knees, the blood loss so much that his body couldn''t support its weight anymore.


    The spider spew out a breath of ice that froze all of his body except his face before it started to move toward her.


    It liked to y with its prey, to make sure they were alive every second as it ate them.


    It was this hobby of it''s that was the only reason the wounds on the other students didn''t kill e on where are you?''


    She asked herself in her mind.


    He always showed up, he always came at the perfect time and saved her.


    Come on where are you?


    She asked herself once again.


    Where was her ming knight?


    ''...so stupid.''


    She thought. It was stupid in all honesty. The sole reason she chose to be a healer was to support him...and now she was going to die before even doing it.


    And yet she always depended on him.


    ...she hadn''t changed even a single fucking bit.


    She thought she had be better, but it was just a lie she had told herself to make herself feel better.


    "Hey, you son of a big assed eight eyes ugly queen! Fight me you bitch!"


    As she heard Lucas''s voice ringing in her ears, she prepared to close her eyes as the spider began toe closer and closer to her.


    ...but just before she hadpletely closed them.


    She saw the spider hurriedly tilt its head to the side...


    Only to be met with a de d in me.

 Chapter 106 [106]Her Knight In A Shining Armour Of Fire.

    [Burning Sword(****)]


    //Third Movement


    <<


    >


    The third movement of the Burning sword art was released point nk at the Frost Crawlers'' face, producing arge boom sound and flinging the spider away.


    Itnded on its feet and red at the bastard that had sneak attacked it, only to find an orange-haired boy sweating profusely as he held a sword d in me in his hand.


    "You..hah..you okay?"


    He said while gasping for breath.


    He looked extremely tired.


    "You came!"


    As he heard the d voice of the pink-haired girl beside him, he shed her a smile for a moment and immediately focused his attention on the monster before him.


    They both locked eyes, Elijah''s two scarlet eyes stared into the deep red 8 eyes of the Spider.


    The spider raised two of its front legs and they began to glow, upon seeing this Elijah immediately rushed towards it with his feet covered in fire providing him the necessary momentum to go at a blinding speed.


    Two spikes of icerger than a human body materialized in front of the spider''s raised legs and then immediately shot toward Elijah.


    Elijah swiftly dodged the first one and sliced the second one into two pieces and reached the spider and swung his sword.


    *ng*


    His sword shed with the carapace of the Frost Crawler which was extremely sturdy and bounced off.


    The Crawler raised its front legs and began to attack Elijah.


    *Swish!**ng!*


    Elijah blocked the front legs of the crawler with his sword, only to be surprised that the crawler, instead of attacking again jumped back and pointed its rear toward him.


    And it released a beam of Pure Cyan light that froze the air as it made its way to Elijah.


    Elijah was prepared to slice it in half but realized that Serena and A few other members were behind him, cutting the st in half would still result in them being injured.


    He immediately essed his inventory and put his sword inside and took out arge grey shield that had a blue gem embedded in the middle.


    Imbuing his mana in the shield, it began to glow and he prepared to take it on.


    Unlike n, who was restricted and could not ess his spatial inventory, Elijah could freely ess his system inventory.


    The st and his shield collided, and cracks started to appear in the shield as Elijah was pushed back a few feet.


    The Shield Cracked and shattered, and Elijah spread out his mana to form a shield of fire to guard against the st.


    *Shatter!*


    "Grgh!"


    Elijah grunted as his body was constantly being pushed back by the st of cyan.


    However, his effort was not futile, for the Crawler could not keep its attack skill active forever.


    The st dimmed out and disappeared.


    Elijah, seeing the opportunity that the Crawler was tired after its attack, equipped his sword and charged at the Crawler.


    However, when his sword hit the head of the Crawler...it shattered.


    *Shatter.*


    The crawler opened its mouth and fired an ice bolt at Elijah, who failed to dodge itpletely as a thin red line appeared on his cheek.


    The spider raised its front legs and attacked Elijah again, who grabbed its two legs and held them off.


    However, it was Elijah''s mistake to think that the spider could only use two legs to attack.


    It raised the two behind its front legs and attacked Elijah.


    [Skill activated:Stone Skin(E+)]


    [Skill Activated:Hardened Skin(E)]


    [Skill Activated:Natural Armour. (F+)]


    Elijah immediately activated all his defensive skills. However, they could only do so much.<sub> </sub>


    "Cough!"


    Elijah coughed up blood as his stomach was pierced a little and began to bleed profusely.


    The Spider retracted its legs and aimed at the same spots it had attacked before amd just when it was about to strike again.


    [Skill activated:Increased Strength(F+).]


    [Skill Activated:Golems Strength(E)]


    [Skill activated:Strength of the Goblin King. (E+)]


    Elijah after activating his strength-enhancing skills....threw the house-sized spider into the air.


    Immediately upon doing so, he took out another sword and enveloped it in me before throwing it at the spider''s abdomen.


    The spider screamed in pain, however, that was its mistake Elijah immediately flew up ad grabbed it by the mouth.


    He opened his mouth and prepared the strongest skill he could use right now.


    If he couldn''t damage it from the outside.


    He was going to do it from the inside.


    [DECIMATION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED(5%)]


    [All skill''s attack power increased by 50% and mana consumption decreased by 50%]


    [Bloodline Ability:Fire Drakes Breath has been activated.]


    Elijah''s chest and cheeks puffed up, his throat became red and looked like jt was about to explode, and then...he unleashed his skill.


    A beam of fire even bigger than


    The crawler''s Ice beam was released right inside the mouth of the insect itself.


    And what followed was a huge explosion in the sky.


    *BOOOM!*


    The explosion lit up the sky around it.


    And after it dissipated Elijah''s body fell holding the spider''s head in his hands.


    He tried tond on his feet but was too weak to do so.


    Instantly, he fell to his knees and one could see his veins on the point of bursting.


    His eyes became red and he coughed up even more blood.


    *Cough!*


    "Are you crazy?!"


    He turned his head to find Serena jumping towards him as she screamed with a face full of worry.


    "Why would you use that skill again?! Even though you knew its drawbacks!"


    But her words grew fainter by the second and Elijah''s consciousness faded.


    ''.. the system he-''


    He tried to order his system, but unfortunately for him, he passed out before he couldplete themand.


    Fortunately for him, There was another healer beside him who could now prevent his death.


    "You idiot!"


    Serena shouted as she immediately bent down and ced her hands on his chest, a blue glow shone from her hands as she activated a skill.


    [Skill activated:Blessing of Water(D)]


    She kept healing and healing him as her face teared up.


    e one one on."


    She muttered those words to herself like a mantra, and after a while, Elijah''s breathing stabilized as the wounds on his stomach closed.


    She heaved a sigh of relief only to cough up blood in the next second and faintter.


    ...she was so worried about him that she had forgotten that her injuries weren''t light...and had failed to notice that she had also used her entire mana capacity to heal him.

 Chapter 107 107:A Warrior Clad In Ice And A Coward Trapped In A Delusion

    ''I''m tired.''


    I thought to myself as my bodyy on the cold snow.


    My entire body felt tired, my stamina was probably at its lowest right now.


    And adding that to the fact that I don''t what I just experienced, I was shook.


    ''...the Lavataur...Is it dead?''


    I wondered, from my position I could not determine whether it was or not, so I activated my [Dragon Eyes] and confirmed that it was truly dead, and its body had already disintegrated.


    And immediately after I was struck with another Headache.


    "Urgh!"


    I groaned in pain, I was about to deactivate [Dragon Eyes], but then it showed that even more monsters wereing in my direction.


    "Fucking hell...I don''t get even a second to rest..."


    I murmured as I created a Spear of Ice and An armor of Ice Using [Ice Modification.]


    I raised my tired body with the help of my spear and prepared myself to fight the monsters.


    I activated [Dragon Eyes] to the extreme, I would have activated [Dragon Scales] as well if it weren''t for itsrge mana cost.


    ...it hurts.


    [Dragon Eyes] was extremely painful now.


    I felt warm blood trickle down my face from my eyes as I readied my stance...


    And waited for the horde toe closer.


    And as I did so, I kept cursing the Shield Staff for their terrible service inside my head.


    ***


    "It should be here."


    Elena murmured.


    She felt an extreme amount of mana from this area and was afraid that an extremely high-ranked monster had engaged in a fight with the students.


    She had rushed over here as fast as she could.


    "..!"


    She suddenly stopped immediately as an awe-inspiring right entered her enhanced vision.


    A single humanoid of ice shed with hundreds of monsters with his spear.


    Upon closer inspection, she found that he was a human covered in an armor of ice.


    Fighting.


    ''...his technique.''


    She thought to herself as she took sight of the battle.


    His footwork, His Technique with the spear...


    Was Perfect.


    As if he had in thousands of enemies with his spear.


    As if he practiced those movements for centuries.


    As if those movements were engraved in his mind.


    As if he was a God of war that had in countless enemies, one that had visited many wars and slew thousands of enemies.


    ..that chaotic technique...to possess such beauty. It was as if...


    As...if he was the God Of the Spear.


    She was shaken.


    And it was then that she, from the corner of her eye, saw his eyes from the gap in his helmet of Ice.


    Two, Bright blue shining eyes, that saw through everything.


    ''...n Pator.''


    She recognized the human that was fighting.


    His C-Rank aura, The fact that he used a spear...and most importantly his lost redeeming feature.


    His Eyes.


    The Armour of Ice around him broke multiple times as he faced off against his foes, but it would regenerate again and again.


    His spear, broke, only to be made anew again.


    ...but she knew...that he was tired.


    It was thest struggle for him.


    Even whenever the Monsters attacked with their teeth or ws, it would result in them breaking...


    He was tired.


    And yet still fighting.


    p ...and then she saw his body fall, only to support himself again with his spear.</anda>


    but she knew that he could fight no more.


    She immediately rushed in and held his falling body and muttered.


    "...you did good kid."


    And then, she stared at the multiple monsters that had paused because of her appearance.


    She stimted her mana...and then muttered.


    "cial Copse."


    ***


    "Well, this is a sight."


    Dous muttered as he stared at what would have been a bloodbath before him.


    He saw Elijah on the ground and Serena copsed over him.


    Multiple other students were covered in injuries as well.


    As he examined their injuries he heard a voice.


    "...hey professor."<sub> </sub>


    It was Elijah, who had opened his eyes and yet was still copsed on the ground.


    "...greetings"


    Dous muttered as he stared At Elijah''s sorry state.


    "...heh *Cough.*"


    Elijahughed at his professor''s carefree demeanor but then coughed up blood.


    Dous immediately supported his head and said.


    "Don''t talk too much, you''re still too injured, here drink this."


    Dous said to him as he fed him a potion.


    With the help of the potion, Elijah sat up.


    "Are these All the students that were with you?"


    Dous asked him a question, to which Elijah examined the surroundings and a confused look appeared on his face as he answered.


    "...no, I think one is missing."


    Hearing his answer Dous grew rmed and questioned Elijah again.


    "Who?"


    "Lucas, professor...is missing."


    ***


    Why?


    Why is he so strong?


    Why is The first rank so strong?


    Why is the second rank so strong?


    Even the carefree third rank?


    Why can I not match up with them?


    Even though I ''Had'' Everything from the beginning?


    I understand the third rank.


    But the first and second had nothing.


    ...then why?


    Have I not tried enough?


    What about my training?


    What about the times when I broke my bones To impress them?


    Wasn''t I the greatest talent ording to their words?


    "Why?! Why must this noble being such as myself be weaker?!"


    I shouted as I ran through the forest.


    Why was I running?


    I did not know.


    Was my training not perfect?


    As I was drowned in my thoughts. I encountered the monsters native to this floor.


    I stepped back and then...


    Hah?


    Me?


    Stepping back from these trash?


    Don''t make meugh.


    DO NOT MAKE ME LAUGH!


    I am Lucas Hiddleston, The Son of Peter Hiddleston, An SS Ranked talent.


    I WILL NOT LOSE TO TRASH MONSTERS LIKE YOU!


    ***


    "...well this is a sight."


    Arken muttered as he walked casually through the white destend of the fifth floor.


    He had cleared the horde of monsters below and was walking back...but.


    In front of him were corpses of monsters that were disappearing.


    Yet this was not his doing.


    This was the doing of a brown-haired, green-eyed handsome young man.


    Who was currently on his knees.


    It wasn''t Arken who brought him to his knees, rather it was the injuries he sustained from fighting the multiple monsters.


    He was breathing heavily, and couldn''t raise his head to see Arken due to how exhausted he was.


    "Lucas Hiddleston, correct?"


    "hah, hah."


    Arken asked, only to be met with Lucas''s Gasps.


    Arkenughed and stared at the student in front of him.


    ''Someone who was a sheltered prince did this?''


    Arken Thought.


    It wasmendable.


    A strange light shone in Arkens Eyes, as he asked Lucas A question.


    And his answer would change his fate...quite literally.


    "Would you like to be my student?"

 Chapter 108 [108]Recovery

    In avish hospital room, A pink-haired girly down on a hospital bed covered in bandages.


    On her face was a respirator and multiple tubes were connected to her body, supplying her with a blue liquid.


    It was Serena Soubuelle, who had drained all of her mana during thebyrinth exploration incident and had gone into a severe state of Mana Exhaustion.


    By her sat Elijah, who was currently cutting up an apple and eating it.


    *Munch.*


    He sat there silently cutting more apples and devouring them, and God knows where those apples were appearing from.


    "hmm?"


    Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed Serena''s Eyes twitching.


    His eyes shone a bright scarlet hue for a while before he ced his hand on her forehead and spoke with a smile.


    "Breathe Slowly."


    His words were soothing, and soon Serena''s eyes opened slowly.


    "Hey, you''re finally up."


    He said, Serena wanted to respond but was unable to do so, she tried to get up but was stopped by Elijah.


    "Don''t try to move or speak, you''re way too injured."


    He said to her, all while chewing on another apple slice.


    "You know, You keep saying I''m the stupid one but here we have you, who went into Mana exhaustion healing me."


    Elijah chuckled.


    "I''m the guy that didn''t die even when his legs and arms were chopped off, and you still decided to heal me first. Haha!"


    Heughed. All of his words were true.


    Even if he was unable tomand the system to heal him, the Supreme Dragon of Agri would have healed him if he reached a dangerous state.


    Fortunately for him, even if he was subjected to the most gruesome pain, He could simply heal himself with the system if he had enough points. And if he didn''t. Agri would just do it himself.


    He couldn''t let his sessor die after all.


    Such was the fate of one destined to be a dragon in the future.


    His guardian dragon would probably step in to save him if things got far too serious.


    As for someone else''s case, His guardian dragons were currently missing.


    Well technically, One was injured and trying to get his power back, while one had gone into hiding.


    "Want an apple?"


    Elijah asked her, only to be met with her sighing face.


    It was then that he saw the respirator on her face and he slowly muttered.


    "...oh."


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri says that the future of the Fire Dragons is doomed.]


    And to top it off, Agri made fun of him.


    He had perfectly made his earlier statement of not being stupid, invalid.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Agri advises you to hide.]


    ''Hmm, Hide? why?''


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri Says your girlfriend''s father ising.]


    And Agri needed to say only those words to get Elijah off his ass, and immediately go under the bed and beg to not be found.


    And momentster, the door to the room opened and a man with pink hair and scarlet eyes possessing looks that didn''t lose to Elijah stepped inside.


    The First rank hero had arrived.


    ***


    I woke and looked around, only to be met with a piercing headache.


    I wasying down on a bed and my body was restricted. I couldn''t move well.


    A respirator was attached to my face and tubes were attached to my body.


    I tried to look around and found myself covered in bandages...and


    My vision was blurry.


    It''s hard to see.


    Everything I see is blurred.


    I rested my head on my pillow and closed my eyes due to the pain.


    Had overusage of Dragon Eyes resulted in this? It didn''t happen to Elijah as far as I know.


    He never bled from using his dragon eyes for extended periods.


    I felt severe pain in my eyes.


    I just wanted them to be closed forever.


    Only after closing my eyelids did I feel some relief.


    ''...who brought me here?''


    I wondered.


    Thebyrinth expedition should have ended and it was horrible.


    ...even I didn''t expect a full-on fucking stampede. The most I thought was that a high leveled monster would have ambushed us...well that also happened.


    Oh well, good thing I survived.


    I thought I would die there, I was so tired and the monsters were endless, that even though they were weak, I couldn''t hold on for long.


    Thank God someone found me before I died.


    I was currently alone in the hospital room and it was quiet.


    A calming quiet.<sub> </sub>


    I should better go to sleep, my eyes hurt.


    ...but I want to eat a chocte bar.


    I''m craving it.


    Unfortunately for me, even though I could ess my inventory now, my hands weren''t free.


    Damn it and I''m craving it too.


    "Oh...well ill just get some shut-eye."


    I muttered to myself and prepared to get some sleep.


    But unfortunately, just as I was going to go to sleep, I heard the door to the room opening.


    ''What timing.''


    I thought to myself.


    "You''re finally awake."


    ''hmm, what?''


    I thought as I heard a voice I didn''t think I would hear here.


    ''Richard?''


    "We were really worried about you, you got most of the Elders'' hearts racing when we heard about your injuries from the Vice-Principal."


    I heard his voice again and opened my eyes, only to close them again due to the pain.


    "Urgh."


    I let out a pained groan.


    Damnit, my eyes hurt even more now.


    "Don''t try to move right now, you''ve been sleeping for 11 days, We thought you entered aa."


    "Anyways, you made us worried there, but hey, rumor is you took down an avatar ording to your teammates and continued to fight, so hurray kid."


    He said.


    Hearing his words,  I came to a sudden realization and asked him.


    "...are they okay?"


    My voice was dry and croaky.


    "Yes, they''re all fine, the Wellingtons also praised you."


    He answered as he took a seat.


    I then asked him another question.


    "...what happened while I was asleep?"


    He turned his head to face me and his expression turned grave.


    "Well, a lot of stuff happened.  Shield is currently facing a lot of bacsh from the public, multiple influential families and guilds are also at their throats, us included, after all, multiple of our recruits especially you got severely injured due to their negligence, The parents of multiple children demanded to be let in the campus. Although I suspect there''s another reason for that demand. Shield does have a lot of secrets. But most importantly, we should be thankful there were no casualties, or there would beplete chaos outside."


    He said, and then continued


    "The campus is currently filled with officials, so it''s better you stay inside, I, along with the other elders came here to check on Twilight''s prospects, and you are the only one who was injured to such a degree."


    "We still don''t know what Shield has to do to appease the masses right now, so I''ll give you infoter when it''s all done, so for now rest, you''re gonna need it."


    Okay, I got all the info I wanted already, but I truly am surprised there were no casualties. Oh well, there are other things I need to ask him.


    "How''s my sister?"


    "Samantha? Oh, you don''t want to hear it, she was crying for days after she found out about your condition. It took Benson days to calm her down."


    Well... it''s good that she''s okay.


    But now,es the important question.


    "Do you have some chocte?"


    "?"


    He looked at me with a confused look on his face.


    What? Im craving something sweet.


    And then heughed.


    "Haha,   it''s amazing you know."


    "What is?"


    I asked him and he replied.


    "That at times you can be really mature, and at times you can act like a total kid."


    I was left confused, to me, I just asked for chocte, What''s wrong with that?


    It was then I heard his voice again.


    "Oh well, I''ve got to go now, don''t worry I''ll send someone to bring over that chocte of yours, what type of chocte do you prefer?"


    He asked me and I said.


    "Milk chocte."


    It was truly the best of the best.


    "Okay then, I''ll send it to you, get some sleep for now."


    He shed a smile and then left.


    I closed my eyes and began to ponder about what he said.


    ''That at times you can be really mature, and at times you can act like a total kid.''


    ...thinking about it more thoroughly...


    I hate to admit but he is right.


    I ''do'' act like a kid sometimes...

 Chapter 109 [109]Recovery.[2]

    Join the discord:https://discord.gg/pUFZU6KV


    "Shields Negligence impacts students safety."


    "Can Shield be trusted with our future prodigies?"


    "Shield, Is it truly the best-awakened institution? Better than Eden?"


    "Eden speaks against Shield."


    ...


    ...


    *Click*


    "Haaahh..."


    Elena let out a sigh as she turned the television off.


    The hologram in front of her disappeared and she closed her eyes and leaned back on her chair.


    It was then she heard a ring.


    *Brrr*


    She opened her eyes and then pressed a button on the table in front of her and heard a voice immediately after.


    [Vice Principal, Officials from Behemoth and Titan want to meet with you.]


    "Deny them, tell them I''m far too busy with other things."


    [...but miss.]


    "*Sigh* fine, tell them ill mee-"


    *Brrr*


    It was then that she heard another ting interrupt hering from her watch.


    She tapped it and a holographic message appeared in front of her.


    [Vanessa:The boy woke up.]


    Her expression immediately changed after she saw the message, and she spoke once again.


    "Tell them I''m busy right now, I need toplete Headmaster Olivers Task."


    [But miss I don''t thin- ]


    She cut off the transmission and stood up from her chair, before making her way to the door.


    ***


    I heard the door open again.


    ''Who is it this time?''


    Could you people not let me get some sleep?


    I didn''t want to do it, but I still had to open my eyes to see who it was.


    And from my position, I saw a female figure wearing a full white coat with pure white hair that had cyan ends walking towards me.


    There''s only one person with that look that I know of.


    "Vice Principal."


    I said while I closed my eyes.


    "Yes, hello to you too."


    She said and sat down on a chair beside the bed.


    "Congrattions, You took down a beast on a whole other level from you, and I especially loved the part where you threw it up in the air."


    What?


    I did what?


    Oh yeah, I still don''t know what happened during that fight.


    The camera attached to our suits should have recorded everything.


    "Especially that ''Yeehaw'', although I''m quite sad the camera experienced some difficulties due to the pitiful state of your suit the voice recording cut off after that. Still, it was quite impressive that you defeated a monster quite above your level, even though it was injured."


    ...what?<sub> </sub>


    Yeehaw?


    Did I say that?


    I need to review the footage.


    But damn, why do feel shy and embarrassed upon hearing the ''YEEHAW'' part.


    Can''t believe I of all people did that.


    "Anyways, I''m here to give you something from the Headmaster."


    She said as she reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a bracelet.


    "This is a key to a special room assigned to you and three others to continue your training with the Sword Saint. It''s located in sector B, The bracelet will guide you towards it."


    ''Wait, three others?''


    I thought after hearing her words.


    Three others AND me?


    I only know of me and Alex, who the hell are the other two?


    "Do you know how shocked I was when I heard that you were the student of the missing sword saint? I was even sad that the principal kept this a secret from me, his dear disciple, well although I am d I''m the only one he spoke to about it. I even wanted to be your teacher too."


    She said while putting on a sorrowful look on her face.


    oh well, it probably was like that, I couldn''t see her expression with my eyes closed after all.


    But I do wonder, who are the other two?


    Should I ask her right now, or should I wait and go see them for myself?


    would it be suspicious if I don''t know their identities even though I''m also a student of the sword saint?


    And judging from her words, it looks like she also found out this not too long ago.


    So it''s better to keep my mouth shut huh?


    Oh well, I''ll probably find out who they are when I go to the room anyways.


    "I wanted to be your trainer, but unfortunately that spot has been taken by someone I can''tpare to."


    Hold on...trainer?


    I can make some use of this.


    "... that is incorrect miss."


    I said to her and she asked me.


    "Oh, how so?"


    "The sword saint prefers to be hidden, and also specializes in swords, not spears, he also doesn''t have anymon affinities with me, all he does is beat me up, and teach me how to fight. You, on the other hand, have amon affinity with me, which is nice, you would be a better teacher."


    I said to her, the benefits of her being my trainer were tremendous, even if it was only in name.


    Arken Preferred to be hidden, while I could use her status to my advantage.


    Plus, she has a mastery of the ice element, and an entire plethora of Ice Skills and techniques I can learn.


    Why would I reject it?


    And if I''m her official student, and Arkens unofficial student, Not only am I learning how to fight, but I''m also learning how to use the Ice Element more pro efficiently.


    And, Although the [Supreme Ice Dragons Breath] is an amazing mana breathing technique... it''s simply too fast.


    Although It is extremely painful, I can deal with the pain, but if I have an extremely fast growth rate, the fake rumors about me receiving help from the demons will increase.


    Honestly, I don''t mind those rumors, Problem is my Guild is facing a hard time because of it.


    So, I can use [Supreme Ice Dragons Breath] but because of the rate of progress being too fast, I''ll be put under even more suspicion. So it''s better to hold off until I get an item that hides my rank.


    And I can''t just reveal the fact that I have a seven-star mana technique.


    The moment I do that is the moment I sign my death certificate.


    so, If I get Her mana technique along with the position of being her student.


    It''s all win-win for me.


    So I need to convince her to bher techniques


    So I can use hertechniques and her position as a shield.

 Chapter 110 [110]Heh, A Shield?

    "You''re pretty cunning you know?"


    <o>,m "How so miss?"</o>


    "Don''t y dumb with me brat."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "You want to use my status as a shield don''t you?"


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "..."


    The vice principal was shaken.


    ''...he gave up the act pretty easily.''


    She thought.


    "Because of the fake rumors about me, it would be beneficial for me if you are my official Instructor."


    He said to the Vice Principal with his eyes closed.


    The Vice Principal stayed quiet for a while.


    ''Well, It is what I wanted originally.''


    She thought, and then asked him.


    "Student n Pator, I, the Vice Principal Of Shield, Elena Frost want to take you in as my disciple.


    Do you ept?"


    And not even a momentter, he answered.


    "I ept."


    Elena showed a smile at his answer and then stated.


    "Well, now that that''s taken care of, I have some other things I need to inform you about.


    First of All, After your injuries have healed. You have the option to take part in the spirit-summoning ritual. The other students involved in this are Elijah Ardor and Sabrina Wellington, Who will do it before you. I''ll give you the details of thister."


    "And Second of All, I want you to join the Student Council."


    "Pardon?"


    Sheughed inwardly at his questioning remark.


    "The Position of Treasurer is open in the Student Council after Maxwell graduated, I want you to join."


    There was silence between them.


    Elena ended this moment of silence with her next words.


    "Since I am the one suggesting this, I''ll help you get fami-"


    "I ept."


    "Huh?"


    Elena was taken aback by his sudden Approval.


    She thought he wasn''t going to ept because he didn''t think he could do it, but to her surprise, He epted rather easily.


    *Bzzz!*


    Interrupting her was the sound of her watch ringing again.


    She grumbled inwardly as she checked the message.


    "Well, thank you for epting so easily, I have something urgent I need to attend to, So ill get going."


    "Goodbye Miss."


    ***


    The Student council huh...


    As I heard her invitation for me to join the student council...I was ted.


    Why? Because one, I''m good with finances.


    And Second of all, Student council members can gain permission to leave school premises.


    Although the time they could leave was limited, and they could only leave once they were free. This was still a win for me.


    As the treasurer, I wasn''t obligated to stay in the shield to do my duties unlike the president or Vice President.


    I could also do my duties outside school campuses.


    I would do all the work, training, and other stuff here and go outside...


    To collect the things whose position I somewhat knew.


    Priceless Artifacts, herbs, etc.


    If I managed my time correctly, I could go outside and acquire things to increase and hide my strength.


    The only problem being my schedule would get a little tight.


    From Morning to Noon, School. and then Training with the Vice Principal, Then a few moments of rest and then tutoring Samantha, and then midnight training with the sword saint.


    My sleep schedule would be fucked...but that''s a small price to pay.


    And I''m not even counting the student council duties.


    The student council duties I can do outside, and the others I have to do inside the school premises.


    I can skip a few days of the sword saints training as well as apply for leave by faking having some guild business


    to attend to.


    ... I can make this work.


    I can make this work extremely well.<sub> </sub>


    And here I thought I would have to wait until Summer Vacation for me to go do my stuff.


    But now I can elerate my ns.


    And speaking of the treasurer job, The Vice Principal just reminded me of Maxwell Parker.


    ...so he was the previous Treasurer of the student council huh.


    Oh well, I was nning to meet him as well.


    He can be of some use.


    But first of all, I better get some sleep.


    There''s still sometime before midnight.


    Although I want to see who the other two students are, I should rest my eyes more for now.


    ***


    *Bam!*


    "Cough!"


    A brown-haired boy coughed blood as his stomach was punched by an old man with muscles of steel.


    He flew back, but before he could even fall on the ground, the old man who had punched him ducked down and two swords shed by where his head was a moment ago.


    *Swhing!"*


    "Good Alex, aiming for the head is a very good tactic, Unfortunately, Your too slow!"


    The old man said as he put his hands on the ground and kicked Alex while he was in the air, and nonchntly do a handstandter.


    And not even a secondter, He jumped using his hands to avoid a thin de that was aimed at his back.


    As he was in the air, he kicked the person that had attacked him with the rapier and said as her body flew from his attack.


    "Excellent Olivia! The Spine is essential if you want to fight! However, don''t think I''ll go easy on you just because you''re a girl!... wait I am going easy on all of you...Haha!"


    Heplimented the Silver-haired girl wielding the rapier and cracked a joke in the middle.


    "This is easy?!"


    He heard a shout behind him and he dodged the maceing to attack his body. He immediately dodged the attack andnded a jab on the attacker''s face.


    "Lucas, if you''re nning to attack me, don''t shout for god''s sake."


    He said as he watched the attacker''s body fly a few meters back from his jab.


    "And to answer your question, Yes, because he isn''t here, I am going easy on your lot."


    As he said this, he moved both his hands behind his back and stopped two desing to attack his back, He immediately followed with a back kick,pletely devastating Alex who had attacked him from behind.


    "Alex, your pattern is toomon, Stop trying to attack me from behind and try something new."


    "Ahh! Who is He anyway?!"


    He heard Lucas shout once again as he stood up.


    "You''ll find out soon enough. Oh!"


    The sword saint Saint answered Lucas as he nimbly dodged another attack from Olivia.


    She stabbed again and again with her rapier and the Sword Saint nimbly used his feet to dodge, moving back slightly with each thrust.


    "I don''t believe anyone can make you a little serious, master."


    Oliviamented as she continued to thrust Her rapier.


    "Oh? They want me to tell you something?"


    "Please do so."


    "In our first bout, he made me bleed profusely."


    And then Olivia Paused in her attacks as she heard the statement.


    But that proved to be detrimental to her, as the sword saint punched her in the stomach sending her flying away.


    "I still remember the day, when poor Alex over here was sent flying due to the result of our sh."


    "His body improves at a speed visible to the eye, his eyes follow my every movement during training.


    He was the first one to have injured me here."


    "... I do not believe there is a student capable of that master...except..."


    The sword Saint stopped after hearing


    Olivia''s words, and asked her.


    "Oh? except? Tell me, Olivia, have you already deduced his identity?"


    He waited for her answer, unfortunately, he was a little disappointed when she missed the mark entirely.


    "Daniel Khorsh?"


    "...no."


    "Then who master? if it was not Daniel? Only an S-rank teacher should be able to injure you?"


    The sword Saint stopped in his tracks and answered Olivia.


    "He''s also a student, the first year at that, His name is Al-"


    But it was at that moment that the door to the magnificent and huge room opened.


    And the eyes of all four present originally in the room turned over to the door.


    And they saw a white-haired figure that had his eyes closed and his hand holding the door as if it was supporting him.


    But before they could focus on him, They heard the Sword Saint once again


    "Well, he''s arrived personally."

 Chapter 111 [111]...A Different World.

    A/N:Sorry for no chapters, Am really sick and also injured my right hand.


    anyways, join the discord for fast updates.


    https://discord.gg/ZWpHy6QCWc


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    Upon entering the room, I was greeted by the gazes of four people. The Sword Saint Arken, Alex, and....unexpectedly Lucas Hiddleston.


    There was also a silver-haired girl who I recognized.


    She was on the list I had made as characters who had made their appearance well-known in the novel.


    Granddaughter of the Principal, Olivia Olsfer.


    Sabrina''s rival in academics, andter a friend of hers.


    and the weird oddity who used a melee weapon despite being a girl.


    Well, in this world it didn''t matter what gender you were if you were awakened, it was just that in this era females usually opted for long-range sses like Hunter and mages or healers.


    Not that there were oddities, like her.


    Just that they were extremely rare.


    "Wee Back, ''Cowboy''."


    I heard the sword saint''s voice...but cowboy?


    Why is he referring to me as Cowboy?


    ...is this rted to why the ''Yeehaw'' was mentioned by The Vice Principal?


    ''...I need to review the video...''


    I thought to myself as I felt embarrassed again.


    "Pfft."


    It was then that I heard Alexsugh.


    I looked at him with a death re and he immediately shut up and looked away while whistling.


    "Haha, You shocked me there when I saw the video given to Alex.


    Who''d think you were a monster maniac."


    "Monster Maniac?"


    I questioned the sword saint while moving closer.


    And he answered.


    "A guy that goes crazy when meeting monsters, and bes a crazy person that''s willing to die to fight them."


    ...


    Oh, well that describes me perfectly then.


    "Now that you understand, Greet the other two, one is my friend''s granddaughter, Don''t try to hit on her if you don''t want to experience both mine and Oliver''s wrath."


    " Uncle!"


    "And the other is someone I met in thebyrinth, in a simr situation to you. Nearly dead fighting monsters."


    "..."


    Arken said while ignoring the faces of the two he just mentioned.


    "Now that you here, let''s all have a spar, you four against me, I can finally have some fun."


    As I heard his words I examined myself and then denied the suggestion.


    "My apologies master, but I can''t spar right now."


    It hurts to even keep my eyes open, fighting in this state is impossible.


    I''m not one of those badass anime characters that need to not rely on their eyes to fight.


    I haven''t reached that level yet.


    "Oh? what''s wrong, have your injuries not healed?"


    "No almost all of them have healed except for my eyes, I used a skill I shouldn''t have used for too long and so this happened."


    I exined to him.


    Quite frankly, it''s hard keeping them open.


    My vision is bing blurrier by the second.


    ... I don''t think I can keep my eyes open any longer.


    "Hmm let me see."


    The sword saint said as his body disappeared and he appeared right in front of me.


    This had happened too many times to count.


    I tried to counter it during our spars, but honestly, I can''t keep up with it without [Dragon Eyes] active.


    His eyes glowed once again and after a while he said.


    "You should go to Vanessa for regr checkups...your eyes have an unusual amount of mana condensed within them.


    That probably is the reason your vision is blurry...hmm."


    The sword saint exined as he pondered once again and put his hands on his chin.


    After a while, he said.


    "Well, although it''s still too early for you all, getting the basics right won''t hurt."


    He said.


    ''Basics?''<sub> </sub>


    I thought confused as to what he meant.


    Thankfully, my confusion was lifted soon by his next words but was reced with surprise.


    "It''s time to teach you all Mana Sense."


    What?


    The A rank skill, Mana sense?


    The one skill that only a handful of humans possess?


    How in the world are we supposed to learn a skill without a skill book?


    But before I could question it more, The Sword Saints'' words interrupted me.


    "Now now you four, get apart 50 meters from each other and sit down in a meditative position."


    ***


    "The main concept behind Mana Sense is spreading your mana to the maximum limit you can into the surroundings, condensing it until it escapes from its ethereal form and bes physical.


    Doing so, the mana, within the area it has been spread out, goes around every ''Object.'' outlining its features clearly to you.


    Within this area you have set, you see everything.


    Your mana bes your eyes.


    The energy within your body prates the surroundings and creates its area within the world, albeit small, it allows you to see from all directions within the domain you have set.


    Within it, you have a perfect vision of all living things that contain mana, and also nonliving things are illuminated by your mana.


    Slowly breathe, and spread your mana to the surroundings as much as you can, then condense the mana until you see everything in a certain area.


    From thereon, make the area you spread your mana out to the area in which you can see everything. Focus more on that area, greaten its features, and slowly expand.


    Now, it should take you at least a year or two to gain somewhat of an understanding of mana sense, but hey it took even me three years to perfect it.


    Now, Any Questions?"


    The sword saint finished his words and was greeted by a question from Olivia.


    "Question! How is it possible to learn a skill without a skill book?"


    The sword saint looked in her direction...sighed and said.


    "...kids these days have forgotten everything."


    "?"


    "Tell me, Olivia, How did the first humans to awaken acquire skills?"


    "By defeating monsters and rewards from the system?"


    "No."


    "Then how? Labyrinth treasures? Dungeon loot?"


    "By Repetition."


    The Swords saint''s words confused Alex, Olivia, and Lucas who were paying attention to them.


    Arken, seeing them sighed once more and said.


    "When the era of the awakened started, We had nothing, no knowledge, no skills, no mana techniques, absolutely nothing.


    You may think that the only way to get skills is by outside means like skill books or rewards from the mysterious system but you couldn''t be more wrong.


    The masters of the old age practiced and practiced a single movement with either their weapons or body, perfected it, Applied the concept of mana to it, and did it thousands and thousands of times.


    From then on, they began to see the errors in what they were doing, so they corrected them.


    The first ever human skills were not fancy skills like Heavens Wrath, Divine Judgement, or whatnot.


    It was A Simple sh.


    A sh that was honed to perfection so much that it became recognized by the system and became a skill.


    It was this sh that was possessed by the master who created it and with it, he became a hero that carved his name in history, a history that you don''t read nowadays.


    Then, others emerged, Thrust, Pierce, Stab, Punch, Kick, and many more.


    Awakened nowadays have it easy, while we had to do it the hard way.


    A simr concept is used in the creation and pursuit of Martial Arts.


    The Very first martial art was gained in the same way, not as a gift.


    The more movements present in the art, the more blood and sweat the creators endured to make them.


    Nowadays, you just try the special movements one by one, not bothering to practice the damn thing once.


    Of course, with the information printed in you, you easily can perform it, but that is where the problem lies.


    Dependence upon the System.


    None of you have those movements memorized by yourself.


    They are imprinted into your mind from the start.


    forget Muscle memory, you don''t even have normal memory of it.


    And so, to answer your question Olivia, Skills can be learned without skill books or rewards by the system.


    They can be learned by Sweating Blood, with effort, will, and sheer determination.


    So, now that my monologue is over, how about you all start practicing Mana Sen-?!"


    Interrupting the sword saint was a wave of condensed mana that appeared so suddenly from a particr direction that it left him baffled.


    He activated his Skill and then was shocked to the core when he found out the cause.


    ''...im-impossible.''


    n learned Mana Sense that fast?!

 Chapter 112 [112]...A Different World[2]

    I was ignorant.


    No, it is much better to say I was stupid.


    Because my memories of the novel are from Elijah''s Point of View, the point of view of the character that had a literal system that was honestly even more overpowered than most other systems I''m other fantasy system type novels.


    My entire memory of the novel was from his POV, which was why I had subconsciously fallen into the delusion that skills could only be learned by skills books or special rewards from the system.


    And adding to this fact was that the novel never had any mention of the History the sword saint talked about.


    I wonder if I was truly the richest man in my world at times.


    ...yeah?


    But, I must agree that the sword saint proposed an interesting concept to me.


    To learn a skill, perform a specific action repeatedly.


    I wonder, how long will it take me to master [Mana Sense], especially with Mana Master at my disposal.


    I took a deep breath and spread my mana to the farthest limits of the room calmly.


    And immediately after I had done so, I condensed it as much as I could...and was greeted by a world of colors dominated by Red, Blue, Brown, Grey, and some others


    ''The individual Elements.''


    I thought.


    These vibrant colors belonged to the four basic elements of fire, water, earth, and air probably.


    They were also the most abundant elements, so no surprise about me being able to see them in this world.


    ...


    ...


    But they are annoying.


    They disturb my view, filling it with unnecessary colors.


    They make it hard for me to focus when so many colors are abundant.


    ''Begone.''


    I thought as I made my mana spread out even more violently and push the other elements away from my area of influence.


    And after I did that, I was greeted by a world of white, a world dominated by only a single color instead of multiple.


    No, to say a single color would be wrong.


    More like a world of darkness, outlined by white lines showing the organic and inorganic objects filled with their own and my mana.


    The tiles on the floor, the bodies of the other people here, their position, their faces, all outlined by white lines.


    ''Interesting.''


    I thought as I examined their faces, which were all different.


    The lines on the face of the sword saint were wider as if his mouth was open.


    The lines on Alex''s and Lucas''s faces are more defined. And on Olivia''s face even more.


    ....wait a minute.


    Defined? On their face?


    Because they have a high Charm stat?


    I need to check my own.


    And so I did andmented at the fact that I DID. For even in this world, I''m not considered breathtakingly handsome.


    The lines on my face are slightly less defined than on their faces.


    ***


    I dodged the attacks of Alex and Lucas respectively as I  nimbly moved my feet


    ''It''s quite hard to get used to.''


    I thought to myself as I continued to dodge their attacks.


    The sword saint had immediately demanded that we all spar, me with mana sense against all of them.


    I do have to admit, it is quite hard to get used to the lines moving as they move.


    It''s as if their entire body structure changed simultaneously.


    It was hard, but not that hard to dodge their attacks.<sub> </sub>


    What I''m worried about is that the genius Olivia hasn''t attacked.


    Her intellectpares to Sabrina''s at this stage of the Novel.


    And it''s very nerve-wracking when a genius is silently watching you, thinking of ways to defeat you.


    And what''s more, Alex and Lucas are keeping me upied, so I can''t even take the initiative to attack.


    "His mana haspletely dominated this entire area."


    I heard the voice of the sword saint as I continued to dodge their attacks, and alsonded a jab on Alex''s face.


    Followed by a straight at Lucas''s.


    "WHY ARE YOU AIMING FOR OUR FACES ALL THE TIME?!"


    I heard Lucas shout and just showed him my middle finger.


    "Uncle, can you tell me if my rapier is also dominated by his mana?"


    I then heard the One who I was wary of asking her uncle a question.


    "Yes, it is."


    "How about now?"


    "Oh, you''ve pushed his mana out by using your own, but it still won''t work, he can still see it."


    Olivia didn''t respond again and just rushed at me.


    I immediately ignored Alex and Lucas and put all my attention on her.


    She charged at me with blinding speeds, my attention on her rapier.


    And it was then when she was close.


    Her weapon released a burst of her mana...andpletely disappeared from my sight.


    ''What the heck?!''


    I thought, her body moved but I couldn''t see where her weapon was!


    And before I knew it, I felt the sharp sensation of a de on my neck.


    "So mana sense can''t detect objects devoid of mana at all, huh."


    I heard her voice which sent chills down my spine.


    ...


    ....


    And then, I saw the white lines upy her de again...and immediately realized what she just did.


    She used her mana to upy her weapon, pushing mine out. And When she was about to attack, she released her mana as a sort of explosion, making her weapon empty of mana for a few seconds.


    And to top it off, that explosion of her mana shed with my mana, stopping it from upying her de quickly...which was why I could not see it.


    ''Damn you geniuses.''


    I cursed her in my mind.


    Who the hell thinks of that kind of strategy?


    And while I was momentarily surprised by her attack.


    Alex''s swords stopped right on my neck.


    While my face was smashed with Lucas''s mace.


    "Hah! how does it feel to get hit in the face n-?!"


    He could not finish his sentence because I kicked him hard enough to make him vomit blood and go flying.


    I opened my eyes, exiting the world of Mana Sense, and was greeted by Olivia''s''s Shocked expression as she looked at my face.


    ''... he''s not even injured by a full-on blow from a mace?''


    Olivia thought in her mind.


    She then turned her attention towards Lucas who was unconscious and lying in a small pool of blood being examined by the Sword Saint.


    She quickly made a small note to herself.


    Never take on n Pator''s Kicks head on

 Chapter 113 [113]....A Different World.[3]

    The grass, the bushes, the pavements, the rustling of the trees, and the movement of everything within fifty meters around me.


    Everything is so...vivid.


    Such a great feeling this is.


    As if I''m a monarch walking in his domain, knowledgeable about everything happening here.


    After I had suffered my defeat and put Lucas in the infirmary for probably a week or two. I opted to walk towards my dorm rather than just teleport. l to get used to the world of Mana sense.


    Speaking about Lucas, I wonder how he became a disciple.


    And just talking about him makes me remember the conversation I had with ''him''.


    Alexander Wright.


    Lucas Hiddleston.


    Maxwell Parker.


    Thinking about it, they are simr to me.


    But why?


    Why did I feel that ''he'' wasn''t saying the words change to me?


    It was odd as if he was looking into a mirror as he uttered those words.


    My evolution is alsoing up soon as well, I''ll have to n for it.


    since there are only 12 days left, I should hold on getting an early leave.


    Who knows, it might be one of those evolutions which ur before the designated time, like 3 or 5 days early.


    I just hope that isn''t the case, but if it is, I''ll put in a long sick leave 5 days before it just in case.


    Good to be cautious, but the problem is what will happen during the evolution, is staying in my room viable? Or will I  have to consult a teacher of mine I could trust?


    The only option is the sword saint.


    And Oliver, I guess.


    I think I can get a private conversation with him to allow me a long leave.


    But on the topic of Alex, Lucas, and Maxwell, the only one I have made some progress on is Alex.


    Quite fun, it is.


    Trying to change someone.


    ... it''s thrilling.


    As you watch them grow from weak-willed and cowardly into having some form of bravery and strength.


    The process... it''s just too addicting to me.


    At this point, I don''t even care about ''his'' words.


    I''m just doing it for fun.


    I can contact Maxwellter, but Lucas...oh how must I approach him?


    Should I regrly beat the shit out of him to get rid of his pervertedness or do something else to change it?


    Ahh, just the thought of it EXCITES me.


    ''...hmm, would exposing him to p*rn magazines and seeing if his member would rise and immediately kicking it back down work?''


    I thought to myself, already jumping to ways I could torture him to change.


    With Alex, I can take a calm approach. With Lucas? Oh boy, I''m having fun with it.


    How do I change a prideful lecherous bastard into a gentleman other than beating the shit out of him?


    ''Should I get more creative? I could even... who there?''


    I stopped suddenly when I sensed a human enter my domain.


    Considering the incident and what happened, the entirety of the campus was deserted for some apparent reason.


    There were surprisingly no people walking there, except for the gentleman that just entered my sphere of influence.


    "Mana Sense? How did you get a skill as rare as that?"


    I heard his voice, his figure stood at a height of 6 foot 5 inches and he was holding something square, three square-shaped objects.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    ...


    Pizza?


    Ok not a threat at least, but who is he? The lines on his face are very much defined, he possesses at least a B+ charm.


    I need to open my eyes to confirm his identity and remember his face.


    And so I opened my eyes, and they widened in shock as I realized who the person in front of me was.


    ...what is the first-ranked hero, the father of my arch-enemy, and the head of the strongest family doing here?


    Did he visit because of the recent incident?


    No, he should be far too busy for that...or is it that this overprotective father made time for his beloved daughter even though his duties are so burdensome?


    How envious.


    "Those blue eyes of yours, are you n Pator?"


    I heard his calm and soothing voice and answered his question.


    "Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you, sir."


    Who doesn''t know of you? His face is stered nearly everywhere, it''s pointless to act stupid and don''t know him.


    "No, it is mine to meet the only spatial awakened among humans."


    He said as the boxes of pizza in his hands disappeared and he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pen.


    And then there was silence between us before he broke it.


    "Ahem, my apologies. This has be a habit of mine."


    ...were you expecting me to pull out a notebook and ask you for your autograph?


    I wonder, how many times has it happened that it became a habit for him?


    "Please excuse my...earlier actions."


    He said to me as I looked at him amidst the awkward silence and finally responded.


    "It''s nothing, it''s probably be a habit because of your fame."


    "Thank you for your understanding."


    And then there was silence between us again.


    "...I would like to apologize for my daughter''s actions, I have heard that she has been quite rude towards you due to recent rumors. I hope you can forgive her...she has had a troubled childhood."


    "No need, I''m not bothered by it, sir."


    And then there was silence between us again when I answered his question.


    Come to think of it, even I''m confused by this silence.


    There are just not many topics for us to talk about. I''m not his fanboy or anything.


    I mean Yeah, number 1 ranked superhero but in a world where there are things even stronger than him?


    It kind of ruins the appeal I guess you could say.


    "Would you care to join Serena and her friends? Considering your rtionship with Sabrina Wellington, who is also there waiting, I think you should alsoe and...just enjoy?"


    He asked me, breaking the silence once again.


    Oh now I get it, the other protagonists probably visited their friends, and he probably snuck out from there and his excuse to return was that he got pizza.


    A smart man by my standards.


    But unfortunately, I have no desire to get involved with them, and I want to visit my sister before she goes to sleep after getting used to Mana Sense.


    So I respectfully decline.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m currently recuperating, so I will be unable I participate."


    And that would be the cue for us to take off.


    Both He and I started going our ways


    as if the atmosphere, between us was stifling and both of us couldn''t wait to leave.


    It was a short encounter, but it was a weird encounter.

 Chapter 114 [114] A Troublesome Older Brother.

    A blue portal opened up inside a luxurious lounge that was dimly lit.


    A young man with snow-white hair and striking blue eyes entered and began to look around the ce.


    He soon found a little girl sleeping on a study table, her face buried in a book.


    The young man stood there for a few moments in silence, sighed, picked the girl up, and began to walk towards a room.


    "To think you''re sleeping already... it''s not even 10 pm."


    The young man said while he caressed the sleeping girl''s head.


    He opened the door to her room,id her down on the bed, and put a nket on top of her.


    "Aren''t children supposed to be energetic as hell?"


    He said, and after he did so the girl immediately opened her eyes, startling him.


    Her eyes seemed to be made of a dark blue diamond containing the essence of the sea inside of them, Two Dark blue diamond-like pupils simr to the boy''s Bright Blue diamond pupils.


    But unfortunately, one would soon be deprived of the beauty of her eyes, for the girl closed them soon after and had fallen asleep.


    ''...the heck?''


    The young man, who was n Pator was startled.


    His little sister opened her eyes for a while and immediately went to sleep again.


    Children, to him, were weird.


    ***


    "How much do you know about the Ice Element n?"


    The Vice Principal, Elena Frost Asked her student, who had asked her to train him because he was bored as no sses were currently ongoing.


    Multiple Children were still in the infirmary after all, and dealing with their parents was a headache.


    Elena actually weed his request.


    She had been cooped up in her office for the past two weeks dealing with mountains of paperwork.


    She had heard the Sword Saint was currently busy with his other three students, who were not on n''s level, so n would just spend the time in the training room by himself.


    And to him, that was boring, so he came to his other teacher to learn other things.


    His answer came now.


    "It''s an element above the four basic elements, specifically above Water, and its enemy is Magma, an element a higher grade of Fire."


    Elena waited for him to continue, but was left dumbfounded when he did not.


    "...is that all you know?"


    "Yes."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "...what have you been learning in ss recently?"


    "Mana application theory, Basic four elemental maniption theory, Better usage of skills, Mana maniption, mana amplification, and the other basic subjects before the vacations due to the incident."


    He answered her...and she realized.


    "...oh, I forgot you haven''t learned about advanced elemental maniption. Okay so listen well."


    "Yes, mam."


    "What do you think is special about this room?"


    She asked him a question about the training room they were using.


    He looked around and then answered.


    "It''s a spotless white room, you have maintained it well ma''am."


    "..."


    "It''s a Very clean Room, Ma''am."


    "..."


    She was left dumbfounded again.


    ''...how high is his affinity to the ice element to not know notice the extreme temperature here?''


    Was it not the same grade as hers?


    "This is my training room, and the temperature here is -67 degree Celsius... it''s enough to make me feel chills and you feel nothing?"


    She asked him, even though ice awakened were resistant to colder temperatures, this was cold even for them.


    It was colder than the top of Mount Everest itself!


    At this temperature, it didn''t matter if you were normal, awakened or even an ice attribute awakened. You were freezing to death if you didn''t have any gear.


    Elena herself was enveloping her body with a thickyer of mana. She had thought since n possessed the same recorded affinity rank as her, he would do the same.


    ...but he isn''t even feeling a slight chill at this temperature?


    "It is? Feels a little warm in my opinion.."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...<sub> </sub>


    "...are you joking with me?"


    "No Ma''am."


    ''Bullshit.''


    Elena thought to herself and then shouted.


    "Lower the temperature as much as you can!"


    And then, as if the room responded to her, the temperature began to lower and lower until Elena stopped it herself.


    "Stop!"


    She shouted and noted that the temperature was now -98¡ãC.


    "How about now?"


    "Still don''t feel a thing miss."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "...oh forget about it. Now Listen to my words closely."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    She gave up, especially when the person she was trying to make feel cold was FANNING himself in this extremely low temperature, unfit for a human, and most species on this earth.


    At a temperature lower than the Lowest naturally recorded temperature.


    She gave up even trying to do anything.


    "Listen, every element is special and can be used in various ways. Here we will talk about Ice and Water.


    Ice element particles are very rare in the outside world, however, water element particles are not, and we can use this to our advantage.


    We can convert the water elemental mana particles into ice, this requires a great degree of control however if you can do this, you can greatly reduce the mana cost.


    Lower the room temperature to average"


    She said, and the room began to heat up until the temperature was normal.


    She then said.


    "Get me two water bottles."


    And immediately after, two water bottles fell from the roof of the room, seemingly out of nowhere.


    She caught the two water bottles and said to n.


    "The beginning of learning how to do. this is always with a somewhatrge andpact body of water.


    You can also do this with the water particles in the air, but even I can''t do that so freely yet."


    She then threw a water bottle to n, who caught it and said.


    "Inject a small amount of your ice-attributed mana into the water inside the bottle, the water inside reacts to it and slowly begins to be ice that we can control, the greater your control over ice the faster the process.


    If we do this, We can learn this to use our surroundings to imitate skills.


    You can use arge reservoir of water to create a cier with rtive ease using this method at my level, even if you don''t possess the skill for it.


    And if you reach the level where you can do it on the residual water molecules in the air...you can even create little spikes of ice in front of your opponent.


    You can control the water in the air, and have the ability to fight longer.


    This is how you do it."


    She said as she injected a little bit of her mana into the bottle of water...and the water inside the bottle frozepletely in just 3 seconds.


    Such a speed was shocking.


    "This is your first lesson, try to learn how to do this in a week. After that, we can move onto how...you use it."


    ...she paused a little bit between her sentence as she saw n immediately freeze the entire bottle...using only a little bit of ice attribute mana.


    "Done, what''s next?"


    He said...and to her shock, he even reverted the frozen water back into a liquid!


    ''...right he isn''t C rank for nothing.''


    Elena thought to herself as she consoled herself within.


    "Next lesson is to do it fast, to moving bodies."


    She said and made the frozen water inside her bottle back into a liquid, she uncapped it, and then swung the bottle.


    The water inside rushed out...and as it did, a small strand of Elena''s mana entered it and the water froze again in the air and continued to stay there.


    ...and to her shock.


    n did the same very easily.


    Both the master and student pair went on to do this.


    Elena demonstrated a new skill, and n perfectly copied it.


    And at the end, she was devasted.


    Yet also happy.


    ...For she had found the opposite of her Archrival, The Martial Copycat, Ezra Fornum.


    She found his counterpart, The Magical Copycat, n Pator.

 Chapter 115 [115]It Began Far Earlier Than Expected.

    It''s easy.


    It''s frighteningly easy to manipte the mana in my surroundings, even if it belongs to another attribute.


    Although the usage of the other Elements is quite hard, I can easily convert them into Ice.


    Chaos I could probably do so as well, but space is something else.


    The only spatial mana I have is the one inside my body, no matter how hard I try, I can''t convert other elemental mana into space.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    it is quite annoying.


    I can easily convert the non-attributed mana inside of me into space-attributed mana but the mana outside?


    Aplete no go.


    No matter how hard I try I...just can''t do it.


    Well, I''ll think about thister then, I''m quite free for the time being.


    So I canze around all I want.


    The thing I have to worry about begins right before summer vacation, and the first three months of Shield are always quitex, it''s after we choose our respective clubs does the real training begin.


    Battle sses, special sses, Virtual Augmented Reality Scenario sses...and other club-rted activities.


    And the good thing is since I am now a student council member, I am not obligated to join any clubs.


    I''m free from club-rted activities, although student council members are still allowed to join a club of their liking...were not forced to.


    All I need to be worried about is the Battle sses and Virtual Reality scenario sses.


    Where all students are of the same rank.


    But then it was at this moment I realized.


    ''I''m stuck with the sword saints'' training


    ..''


    Vice Principal Elena is probably shocked for reasons I don''t know and is probably busy as heck these days.


    Although I don''t hate the word saints training schedule, even though I get my ass kicked every time.


    I just wanted to get some magic training.


    ***


    As my body was thrown into the air, Inded on the ground with a thud.


    "Cough...cough!"


    I coughed blood as I tried to get up, and when I did, was greeted by a jab towards my face.


    ''Goddamnit! Why is this geezer focusing on me?!''


    I questioned in my mind.


    Since the moment this training started, out of all four of us...Arken was focusing only on me!


    Granted, I''m currently the strongest here, But why not Lucas?!


    WHO IS A FREAKING TANK?!


    Why not Olivia?!


    WHO IS THE SMARTEST ONE HERE?!"


    And Alex... never mind Alex...He''s already dead.


    ''...Arken got him good.''


    I thought to myself as I nced towards Alex, who had had his face buried in the ground with a kick by the Sword Saint earlier.


    "Where are you looking at?!"


    I heard the Sword saint''s voice as I frantically tried to dodge his attacks.


    I dodged the first roundhouse kick, but then the sword saint changed it into a hook kick that sent me flying.


    I used [Ice Modification] midair to cover my fingers with ws of ice as I dug them into the ground to stop myself.


    ...my sense of bnce?


    I feel all woozy.


    The world is squiggly.


    "That''s what happens if you get hit in the head, you idiot!"


    I heard the sword saints scream and found out why I was dizzy.


    "Uh.."


    I grasped my head as it felt like it was splitting apart.


    Thankfully, my ''teammates'' had bought me some time to do so.


    Olivia immediately sneaked up behind the sword saint to attack but was immediately repelled by a back kick powerful enough to break a bone...


    if it was done on us that is...but the sword saint always held back excessively when attacking her.


    If that was me...even thinking about it made me shudder.


    But it still rendered her unconscious.<sub> </sub>


    And immediately after Olivia Attacked, Lucas followed by a shield bash with his smaller shield now.


    "You fool! You''re not using a tower shield anymore, Adjust to using your smaller shield! Also, your footing is weak!"


    The sword saint said after shrugging off the shield bash before calf kicking Lucas, which made him fall sideways.


    And before he could fallpletely, the sword saint kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying and rendered him unconscious as well.


    Ever since Lucas had been advised by the sword saint to change his shield.


    He begrudgingly did so and changed to a smaller shield and discarded his tower shield.


    And that was an improvement, the tower shield in my opinion restricted his vision.


    That smaller shield was much better.


    However, he was still used to his tower shield and the east used his new shield.


    yet, which is why he''s still getting his ass kicked.


    "How long are you going to stand there watching?"


    I heard the swords saint''s voice again amidst my dizziness as he slowly walked towards me, who was the only one still standing now.


    I gritted my teeth and charged at him, using the ws of ice around my fingers I shed at him.


    *Swish*


    "Using skills won''t help you! What are those scales going to do? Protect you? From this?!"


    Scales?


    ''...what scales?''.


    I thought to myself, but before I could question the statement more, I was sent flying again because of an uppercut.


    Inded on my feet and felt even dizzier, this time apanied by a feeling of lethargy.


    "What are those reptilian eyes going to do when you have no mana to activate the skill anymore?!"


    ...What are you talking about?


    What reptilian eyes?!


    I haven''t even activated dragon eyes?


    I turned my head down...and then saw what he was referring to.


    My hands...were covered in scales.


    And I was looking at them tiredly and in confusion, I was struck by another piercing headache.


    ''...what is happening?''


    But before I couldplete my thoughts...my mind went nk, my vision darkened and I fell over unconscious.


    ... I should have expected this...and doubled my previous expectations...


    ***


    [Sword Saints POV]


    Again?Using skills again?


    I don''t mind the ice ws...but using a defensive skill that is causing those scales to appear on his arms and face.


    and then using an observation skill turning his eyes simr to that of a reptile?


    As   I watched him charge at me all wobbly, I sighed inwardly and thought to myself.


    ''...they''re all too dependent on skills.''


    Truly, it''s going to be a hassle training these four.


    Alex has no guts and no good defense.


    Lucas is too arrogant and prideful.


    My niece is all right.


    And n is too dependent on his skills.


    Using those scales as a defense is good...but what is the use here?


    When I am conditioning his body?


    And what are those eyes going to do?


    Let him see my movements.


    ...fine if they can let him see my movements...then I shall see if he can react to them fast enough.


    And lo and behold, as I sent him flying once again, Iughed inwardly.


    What uses the skill that can let you see movements if you can''t react to them fast enough?


    ...but something is off.


    He seems to be out of it.


    He''s looking at his hands in shock...and to my surprise.


    He fell to the ground...and his body released a burst of mana that even sent me flying.


    Inded on my two feet and looked in his direction...


    But what I found was not n...but a ck egg made of scales...

 Chapter 116 [116]...What Is Happening?

    Where am I?


    I can''t see anything in this darkness...and feel...anything?


    What is this?


    I was just training with the sword saint. I was thest one left standing and was about to attack.


    I suddenly felt lethargic, and I saw my scales appear even though I did not activate [Dragon Scales]


    I was going to go fight...I was going to go fight. I was going to go fight. I was going to fight. I will keep fighting, I will keep fighting.


    I will keep fighting.


    I will keep fighting.


    I will keep fighting and win.


    What?


    What am I thinking?


    Fighting? What do you mean by Fighti-AAAHHHHH!


    MY HEAD!


    IT HURTS.


    IT HURTS. IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS....IT...doesn''t hurt now?


    What was that pain that I just experienced in this darkness?


    As I was questioning what I experienced, the darkness changed around me.


    And I found myself viewing three boys kicking a blonde-haired child in a lounge.


    "Hah, kick him more!"


    "How does this feel?!"


    "Suck this, you bastard!"


    They kept on kicking him, ruining his clothes yet they didn''t stop until they were tired.


    Yet the victim''s eyes...were resolute?


    He was not afraid.


    He was not scared at all of these three boys even though he was being bitten.


    ...no those are mine?


    my...eyes?


    The eyes I had in my memories from when I was a kid, an abused child, seeking revenge and ying along with the abuse to bide time for my sweet sweet revenge.


    Those are James...no my eyes?


    What is this?


    My head....my head is splitting apart.


    I grabbed my head and the scenery around me changed.


    And the memories I had kept ying in front of me.


    From When I always cried myself to sleep.


    From when my body was ck and blue.


    From when I was secretly plotting my revenge as I licked my wounds.


    From when I began to rise in the world.


    From when I began to oppose those sons of bitches.


    From when...I had fallen into the trap of love.


    From When James had had his face sshed with acid upon entering his office by the one he loved fallen into the trap of money.


    From when his sanity broke down.


    The day he lost his sanity after removing the bandages on his face.


    The day his emerald eyes changed...no returned.


    To the insanity possessed by him originally before he changed himself due to love.


    The days when he began to be even more serious in his n of revenge


    ...the day he put the metal mask onto his face.


    His struggle of 8 years.


    His endless struggle without a moment of ample rest.


    The days he worked tirelessly.


    The day he put a bullet into his brother''s skull.


    The day he went out to sea on a boat with just him and a woman trapped in a barrel of cement.


    That same day when he skinned her face while she was conscious before throwing her into the ocean,ughing like a maniac and crying at the same time.


    The day when he mentally destroyed his Eidetic sister, tortured her endlessly before bing bored and sending her to a mental asylum he owned to be tortured until she begged for death.


    From the day he began to soar in the world while hiding his heinous crimes.


    ...the day when he killed his mother...no the woman who had biologically brought him to this world...only to whisper the words


    ''Will you please just die?''


    in his ears when he was a baby.


    The day... when his revenge was nearlyplete.


    His Mother, his brother, his sister, his lover, and most importantly himself had all died in one way or another during this revenge.


    Now, only a few more months, just a few more weeks and it will beplete.


    The damned old man that brought him to this world will soon suffer even more in the days toe. Just as he had suffered.


    *Tik Tok.*<sub> </sub>


    As he walked into the dimly lit hallway, as he opened the heavy metal door. as he rested on his couch.


    And the scenery changed once again.


    And now in a different office with an aged man with silver hair, with his face all bloody.


    And in front of him, was a blonde-haired man with his face covered by a metal mask, and he wearing brass knuckles that had marks of fired blood on them.


    ...what?


    ...what is this scene?


    Didn''t I die in the previous room?


    What is this scene?


    This is not in my memories.


    "..cough...GUARDS!"


    The old man coughed and then shouted, and the man with a metal mask calmly said to him.


    "They''re all dead. You and I are all that are on this floor."


    The old man''s expression darkened after hearing the man in the metal mask.


    "Why James?! What did we do to you?!


    You killed your family, the woman you had loved, and brought down thispany!"


    "Do I need to state the reason why?...?"


    James said calmly. His voice devoid of any human emotion.


    He continued.


    "From all, you did to me. Surely you remember these knuckles?"


    He said while raising his hands to show the man the knuckles he had equipped.


    "These very same knuckles that have my blood still on them to this day. How does it feel to get beat by them?"


    And as I watched the man in the metal mask beat the old man, again and again, his eyes showing no sort of emotion whatsoever, I became even more confused.


    What is happening?


    I am James. And he is too?


    I don''t remember this, I don''t remember this at all...


    This is not in the memories I have.


    I died before this happened.


    Then what am I seeing?


    But the scene continued with stopping for me to collect my thoughts.


    "...hhhh.hhhh"


    The old man, beaten ck and blue, this jaw and more broken, with quite a few other bones as well,y on the ground gasping for breath.


    p "Huuu."</anda>


    James breathed calmly.


    And began to walk and sit on the couch in front of the dying old man.


    He sat on it calmly and watched the old man in hisst breaths suffering from the pain.


    It''s finally over.


    He probably thought.


    I...could feel it.


    His thoughts, his previously dull emotions....now had a hint of happiness.


    But why do I have a sense of foreboding danger?


    He''s done it, he''s done it...but why are you happy?


    ...you idiot! You lost your face when you sumbed to human emotions!


    What am I saying?


    He can''t hear me.


    And then, he closed his eyes as the old man stopped breathing.


    he seemed to be relishing this moment.


    The old man''s...heart stopped beating.


    And the moment it did.


    *BOOOM!*


    And in front of me, the entire room became engulfed in arge explosion, killing whoever was inside.


    The fires burned everything.


    ....you fool.


    Why didn''t you learn your lesson?


    I asked him, Did he forget that the reason he lost his face was that he became happy?


    Whenever you are happy, you lose something.


    That is why you were stoic, pragmatic, calm, cold all your life.


    ...and for such a calm, cold, and pragmatic man like yourself to meet an end when you be happy once again.


    So pitiful.


    But...why am I pitying myself?


    I thought before the scenery around me changed once again and I was greeted by a another headache.

 Chapter 117 [117]...What Is Happening?[2]

    *ng!*ng*


    Two spearmen shed their spears with one another in a deadnd filled with nothing but corpses, and blood.


    The sky had a red moon and purple clouds.


    There were corpses of multiple species, Demons, Balrogs, ancient behemoths...and even a few dragons.


    *ng!*ng!*


    The shes continued, A spearman d in ck demonic armor fought a  spearman d in a golden dragon''s armor.


    A demonic spear that exuded a blood-red aura shed with a holy dragonic spear that exuded a golden aura.


    Both weapons, at first nce, looked equal to each other, and their wielders did as well.


    But that was a misconception, for the golden spear began to crack as it shed with the demonic spear, the spearman of gold losing as the battle went on.


    Their movements were blinding, followed by shes of ck and gold light.


    The exchange of blows continued, and finally...the golden spear shattered.


    The exchange that was the final of the two spears, left the golden spear shattering like ss in front of a hammer.


    It held on for so long against the monster that it was facing, and so was its master.


    The Golden Spearman immediately jumped back and raised his hands in the sky, before bringing them down at a blinding speed.


    And the Moment he did, a beam of light fell upon the ck spearman.


    It burned everything around it, and God knows what was happening inside the beam.


    ''...where are they?!''


    The golden spearman thought in his mind.


    More importantly.


    Where is he?


    Has he abandoned him?


    No...he is not the one to do that.


    His brother will not abandon him...maybe the others...but not him at least.


    ''...I must buy time.''


    The forces that apanied him were all dead...Every being that had allied themselves with him...all dead.


    Every being on this battlefield, all dead...to ''Him.''


    As he watched the silhouette of the ck spearmane out of the beam of light. He yelled.


    "Aranus!  I know you are still in there!"


    The ck spearman moved without paying heed to his words.


    "What would she think if she saw you like this?! What was herst dying wish as you killed her with that son of a bitch in control?!


    Did she not request you to fight?! WHY HAVE YOU GIVEN UP SO QUICKLY?!"


    He screamed with all his might.


    Why have you given up?


    Is all this suffering not enough for you?!


    ...no, Aranus does not even have a sliver of control now.


    "...and to think my daughter of all would fall for you."


    When you were still you, that is.


    He muttered those words, as blood seeped out of his armor, showing how injured he was.


    He braced himself, and a spear of light formed on his hand, weaker than his original spear but a weapon nheless.


    *Tok!*Tok**Crunch!*


    The ck spearman walked toward him


    and stepped on the skull of another being, destroying itpletely.


    The golden spearman took a stance...and the ck spearman took one-two.


    And just as they were about to sh again, they turned their heads abruptly into the sky, where arge purple portal opened up.


    And a purple dragon with four wings emerged from it.


    With a menacing armor of purple scales, it dived towards the two spearmen.<sub> </sub>


    The ck spear man''s body shone a ck light, and a massive eastern ck dragon emerged from the light and rose to face the purple dragon.


    The two dragons shed in the air with their massive bodies, trading blue for blow, bite for bite, dragon breath for dragon breath.


    The golden spearman watched the sh from the ground and muttered to himself.


    "...so only he coulde."


    Such a pity...they may have had a ''chance'' if all of them coulde.


    ...but reality would not allow it.


    His brother showed up and was fighting for him, that was enough.


    If he was to die, he''d rather die with him.


    A golden pendant materialized in his hand and he looked at it from the gaps in his helmet with a look of longing.


    He clenched it within his hands, before it was engulfed in a golden light and then disappeared from his hand.


    "...I''ll be meeting you soon, just wait for me, dear."


    He muttered as his body glowed a golden light, and a golden dragon with a size simr to the purple Dragon, possessing the same number of winds, and a majestic armor of golden scales enveloping its body emerged from the light.


    It then flew up and shed with the ck eastern dragon together with the purple dragon.


    Aloaris, Draco Spei Et Lux*, along with his brother, Suleras, Draco Chaos Et Desperatio.**


    ...Against Aranus, Draco Oblivionis Et Extinctionis.***


    ***


    ''I don''t understand.''


    I thought as I watched the three dragons duke it out in the air.


    It was as if I instinctively knew it.


    ...you can''t fight that thing.


    ... it''s impossible.


    That ck dragon can''t be beaten.


    I was transported to this battlefield the moment James died...and was shaken with awe.


    At the ck dragons might, at the golden and purple dragons'' pointless struggle.


    Why are you still fighting?


    You both know so well you can''t beat it.


    Why not run away?


    ...why am I asking them this?


    What am I doing?


    Can they even see me?


    Or am I just another corpse in this sea of corpses to them?


    But even if I was.


    Even if this is still something I don''t yet understand.


    This world, the world I saw before this.


    Even if I don''t understand them...I do know one thing.


    I turned my head upwards once again towards the sky, which was changing colors as a result of the dragons firing their breaths.


    ... I know one thing.


    Whether it is instinct, or just fear, or just my knowledge I myself am unaware of.


    You can''t beat that thing.


    You can''t beat the ck dragon in the skies.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    Trantion:


    *Aloaris, Dragon of Hope and Light.


    **Suleras, Dragon of Chaos and Despair.


    ***Aranus, Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction.

 Chapter 118 [118]...What Is Happening?[3]

    The sky rumbled, the earth quaked, and my very being shivered as I watched the airborne battle between the behemoths that were the three dragons.


    The sky changed color each time they fired their breaths, and the clouds parted each time they moved their massive bodies.


    ...and it was then, that a breathrger than anything I''ve seen it do, the ck dragonpletely obliterated the golden dragon in an instant.


    It was as if it was done ying, the golden dragon had a massive hole in its chest as it fell from the sky.


    And the purple dragon shared a simr fate soon after, with the ck dragon impaling its chest with its sharp tail.


    It swung the body of the dead dragon off and went toward the ground before a ck light engulfed its massive figure once again and it turned back into the ck spearman I saw before...only now he did not have a helmet on.


    And I saw ''His'' face, or more urately my face with ck hair and abyssal ck eyes.


    But those eyes were not ck...those were not the ck eyes I remembered from my dreams.


    A sinister purple, those eyes which were covered in purple veins were sinister, and the smile the face showed made it even more frightening.


    That maniacal smile, with those sinister eyes and frightening power, was absolute.


    ''He''ughed and muttered with that mouth of his as his body glowed a purple light.


    "...hehe so-called kings of dragons you two were."


    So weak.


    So pitiful.


    "Ahh...I wished all of them came, it would have been a much better fight."


    Heughed, and the corpses on the ground began to turn into a light that came to him.


    Every corpse on this battlefield turned into a light that he swallowed, whether it be the two dragons that had just died or some ordinary demon.


    Hisugh echoed throughout this entire realm.


    And the fear within me magnified each time I heard thatugh.


    And then...he put on a painful expression, clicked his tongue, and then his eyes changed.


    To the same Abyssal ck eyes that I knew of.


    A different being was now in control, I could feel It, sense it.


    He coughed and fell to his knees.


    A state that should be unbelievable considering the strength he just disyed with such ease.


    His mouth moved, but I didn''t hear any words, only the world changing.


    The bloodred moon disappeared, and the deste ground changed.


    I was now met with a different world.


    A grand cathedral, and in the centery a casket.


    He walked towards the casket, and the body of a golden-haired woman materialized in his arms.


    He carried her to the casket, beforeying her down gently.


    The woman, who had two golden horns along with a face unlike any other...was dead a long time ago.


    He looked at her face for a while, before closing the casket.


    And then, the world changed again.


    Whatever it was...I just knew it instinctively.


    He was not ready to give up yet.


    ***


    "...this is a troublesome change."


    In apletely white space, A blonde man wearing a metal mask on his face muttered.


    Inside the white space, was a ck falling star behind him, and in front of him was a ming blue ball with a gold center the size of a human, minuscule to the ck star.


    His arms had jade green lines extending from them, and they were trying to prate the blue ming ball.


    But they failed.


    Again.


    And Again.


    And Again.


    ''...what has happened?''


    James thought as he tried his best to pierce the blue ming ball with the jade green lines.


    Could he have gained sentience?


    Likely so.


    But how can a new soul, a soul meant to be a substitute resist my control?


    "This isn''t fun anymore."<sub> </sub>


    James muttered.


    He tried again and again but was met with failure each time.


    "...He can''t be more powerful than us at this stage...his soul can be new but it should have no defense against my control.


    Just what is it?


    Is Aranus, the sleeping dunce doing this?"


    ''Why give me control if you''re doing this?''


    James thought and cursed a particr someone in his mind.


    s, he did not give up. And even thicker jade green lines emerged from his entire body and tried to pierce the blue ming ball again...and this time, they pierced the blueyer of mes but failed to reach the golden center.


    But James didn''t give up his attempt, he tried harder and harder...Unknown to him, his appearance was changing, his hair turned white, his emerald eyes began to turn blue, and he was unaware of this until a voice hepletely didn''t expect stopped him.


    "That''s enough James."


    The jade green lines vanished, and he turned around to face the ck sun.


    A figure materialized from the mes, with obsidian ck hair, and abyssal ck eyes wearing a demonic-looking armor.


    "...so it was you stopping me."


    James said as he looked towards the figure and continued.


    "You woke up after all this time and stopped me when you gave me control."


    "I gave you control, but it''s not me who''s stopping you this time.


    Aranus, the ck-haired man, said as he continued to walk towards James.


    " What do you mean?"


    "It''s not me who is stopping you from gaining control, ''it'' is."


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    "borate."


    James said, and waited for an exnation.


    Aranus, walked towards the blue ming ball and looked at it for a while, and said.


    "I''ve lost all control over what I created.


    And you should stop trying to take control."


    A mirror of ice formed in front of James, who looked at it emotionlessly, but without a doubt, his eyes shook for a second as saw the future reflected in the mirror.


    His own body possessed different features than he remembered.


    Snow white hair instead of his beautiful blonde.


    Blue eyes instead of his emerald green which could be seen from the gaps in his mask.


    "...this is different from what you predicted."


    James muttered.


    "Very much so. The substitute soul I created for you has developed a consciousness of itself, it has gained sentience and awakened his qualities of a dragon....and they''re stronger than yours....and I believe even mine."


    "...what? that''s impossible, a new soul, especially one that was a substitute, cannotpare to you."


    James rebutted, To him what was now urring was...impossible.


    "And how can a substitute for me resist my control, I knew it would gain sentience, which was why I imnted memories for fun inside it, I was the one that programmed it from birth, it can''t resist my control."


    "But it is doing just that...The most logical exnation for this is probably rted to the Dragonic Powers it awakened."


    "What? Wasnt its dragonic powers based upon ours? How can it developpletely new dragon powers?


    The development of the Space affinity should be insignificant."


    "it was supposed to be, however, it changed."


    Aranus, answered as he pushed his hand into the blue ming ball of mes. And watched as he struggled to go further.


    "Which type of Dragonic Abilities has it manifested that are stronger than ours?"


    James questioned, and Aranus took a while to respond.


    But he eventually did, and revealed a shocking three.


    "I''m proud to say all three."


    ***

 Chapter 119 [119]What Are You?

    ...I''m back in the darkness again.


    And to be honest, I''m d I''m away from that monster.


    It''s said that people that have been killed have a different aura around them.


    That bloodlust, that aura I felt when I stood there in front of him...


    Just how many people has he murdered for him to possess such an aura?


    I don''t even want to think about it.


    Just trying to even imagine sends shivers down my spine.


    But Aranus? Isn''t the Name n Pator?


    Or is it his Dragon Name?


    Elijah also had his dragon name after he sessfully became a dragon.


    It could be...this body''s Dragonic Name is Aranus.


    The purple dragon was Suleras, I saw him in the vision...and the Gold Dragon should be Aloaris, the current King of Dragons.


    ...and to think that the same king of dragons in the novel that destroyed an Entireyer of the abyss...could be killed or rather, toyed with so easily.


    Granted, he''s not the strongest dragon despite being the Current Dragon King...but still...he isn''t weak.


    He could easily destroy Earth if he wanted to by himself.


    Yeah, there are a few dragons above him but...still.


    To toy around like that.


    And when it was Aloaris, who Elijah still couldn''t beat up until where I had read.


    ... I truly am left amazed at this body strength.


    But then, just as I was drowning in my amazement, I felt another pressure fall upon me.


    ''What is it this time?''


    I wondered.


    What am I going to see this time?


    Oh... that''s what is going to see this time.


    A massive pair of diamond-blue eyes materialized in the darkness around me.


    They illuminated the darkness with their bright light.


    I...couldnt speak?


    My mouth isn''t moving.


    Neither my body, only my thoughts.


    ''...now what''s gonna happen.''


    I thought to myself as I was paralyzed.


    The pair of eyes, about tens of times bigger than me, saw me.


    Observed me.


    ''Judged me''.


    Or that was what I could feel it was emphasizing.


    And it was then that I heard a voice.


    An ancient, Archaic voice that brought with it respect and awe.


    [Unworthy.]


    Unworthy?


    [You are unworthy of us.]


    Us? I only see you? Oh, the other eye?


    [Fool. How is that your soul manifested us?]


    Soul? What are you talking about?


    [You couldn''t escape from the jade snakes illusion without our Help]


    Jade Snake? Who the hell is the Jade snake?


    I don''t have any recollection of a Jade Snake from the novel.


    [...and you still refuse to believe it.]


    Its voice turned into that of Anger...and then disgust.


    [Unworthy, You are not worthy to wield us.]


    And then a different voice than it sounded out.


    [It is time, to detach ourselves from the Oblivion Dragons Soul]


    And another.


    [...yes]


    [Yes]


    [Yes]


    [Yeah!]


    [But what about the golden soul within us?]


    [Leave it, we will absorb and assimte itter, It is nothing now.]


    [Was it not the cause of our birth?]


    What are you all talking about?!


    [None of Your Concern]


    [Be quiet Unworthy one.]


    [Ye-Yeah!]


    [Begin Preparation now]


    [Initiating Press]


    [Commence!]


    [Be quiet Soul.]


    [...ok]


    ...what is happening?


    The eyes disappeared, and then there was darkness again


    Who the heck were these voices?


    Who are you?<sub> </sub>


    [Were you!]


    Huh?


    Thest voice, the one that was childish responded.


    [Childish?!]


    ...Yes?


    [How rude!


    Anyway, those two won''t even listen to you.


    So get stronger...and prove to them that our birth, that your birth, is special.


    And we are not a product of the Oblivion Dragon, Jade snake, and the lovely woman''s soul.]


    What are you talking about?


    [We are not in a book you dummy, We....are not just products of three souls.


    We are our individual.


    And if you disappoint us.


    We will take control when we can!


    So you better get stronger!]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    There was silence.


    And then the voice spoke again.


    [Oh, and be ready for the reveal.]


    ...


    ...


    [And please don''t kill yourself.]


    ***


    "So what''s happening inside?"


    James questioned while sipping a cup of ice-cold tea with a straw while sitting in a chair materialized in front of the blue soul.


    "His powers have gained consciousness.


    They are all the same, but they refuse to believe it.


    This is troublesome, his powers are far too strong for him to control.


    He won''t be able to withstand them.


    And they are also trying to break free from my control."


    "Let them."


    Aranus paused when he heard James.


    He questioned it, but then waited to hear an exnation.


    "If they can escape your control when they are this weak, then let them.


    Let them escape from your control, and when they do escape from the cage that is you, they will be trapped in the fate of the abyss, and when they grow stronger they will break out of it.


    And most importantly, while they get stronger we ca-..."


    And it was then that the cup in his hand fell out, and his body became ethereal.


    It started to vanish.


    Aranus became rmed.


    Janes''s body had now reduced to a single jade-green orb, which was now disappearing.


    Aranus immediately became rmed.


    He grabbed the jade-green orb that was half of what it was originally and immediately deposited it over to the ck sun that was his soul.


    ''... it''s only a temporary measure.''


    He thought.


    It was truly a pity.


    If only James'' soul was stronger.


    Maybe he would havested longer.


    But...


    Aranus, as he watched the blue soul with a gold center, stood there silently.


    I won''t.


    He knew what James was nning now.


    But even still he refused to do it.


    He...will never make that goddamn mistake again


    Even if it was not him.


    He will never subject another to his pain...on a gamble.


    Especially...if it was anything that contained even a part of her.


    Never, ever will he hurt her even more.


    ''... it''s going to get troublesome.''


    But even then.


    He will do it.


    He will not break his oath.


    *****************************************


    A|N:The novel has been sessfully contracted.


    Thank you all for your support even though my writing isn''t as good as all the others.


    p I express my sincere thanks for your support.I hope you will continue to keep supporting my work.</anda>


    CHEERS MUDDAF-


    oh wait gotta be family-friendly now.


    Byyeee~~~

 Chapter 120 [120]:...Im A Substitute?

    I died... immediately after the evolution,   I died.


    Not once, not twice, not thrice...but 38 times.


    I...just disappeared when the evolution wasplete?


    [Yes]


    ...how?


    [We were created for the soul purpose of James to take over when wepleted the evolution for him]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Then what...about my memories?


    [All fake, He spent most of the first loops trying to get more information on Elijah, So to torture him.


    And...for fun...just for the fucking purpose of having fun...


    Imnted those memories in us, a substitute soul that The Oblivion Dragon created for him.]


    ...so I was a tool?


    [Yes, we were a tool just to pass the evolution period.]


    Then what about the time I spent training with Benson?The time I spent...with my sister?


    [Samantha Pator was undesirable to his ns, He would only care for her when the Oblivion Dragon was watching, otherwise, he would always toss her aside.


    And sometimes, he would just patiently wait until her curse killed her.]


    ...no...he was someone...who takes care of the ones under him.


    [Wake up, he never did, that bastard always acted.


    He imnted false memories in us.


    That was us, we were the ones who didn''t want subconsciously to be like him.


    So...while we were being formed...we inherited qualities that he would never possess.]


    [Those qualities...are what made us different from him.]


    ...So I''m a fake?


    [No! We are Real!]


    ....But I''ve never lived...for myself?


    [Do so now!]


    [Listen, the Oblivion Dragon ising...we won''t be able to stop him for long while we are focused on our separation.


    Just listen to me.


    The Oblivion Dragon is different from The Jade snake.]


    [He''s very different...and we hold within ourselves something he cherishes.]


    [...He may very well be the best ally...or the worst enemy.]


    ***


    [Aranus:The original ns POV]


    I entered the white space within his soul.


    It was hard at first, but then it became easy due to his powers trying to focus on separating themselves from me.


    And when I dide here, all I saw was a young man with my face but possessing Diamond-Blue eyes and Pure snow-white hair.


    So he is the substitute I created that gained a conscious.


    Poor thing.


    ... I feel guilty.


    I let James run free even though I knew it was wrong.


    What could I have done at that time?


    When I was so weakened by both the reincarnation of James'' soul and the creation of a substitute soul for him to use for his own very weak soul.


    Iment.


    But it''s....refreshing to see.


    That is when I Imnted her soul within the substitute soul to keep it safe.


    It was safe.


    Thank the holy dragon.


    I walked towards him.


    Even though I didn''t expect him to gain sentience, I walked over to the being that I carefully designed...the being that held thest embers of Armanas Soul.


    A soul that had been separated from its body.


    ...by my very own hands...when I was being controlled.


    ''Never give up...fighting.''


    I remembered herst words.


    Thank the holy dragon I had taken control quicklyter using myst wisps of power to save her soul from extinction.


    And...then when I was met with his gaze...I stopped.


    A gaze of Malice, of hatred.


    The one I had seen in my enemies before I ended them.


    ...don''t show me that.


    Not you...not you who possesses a fragment of her soul.


    I...know I''m guilty.


    I know I am guilty.


    ... I know.


    I know that I''m the worst person to you currently.


    ...but I will make amends.


    I have let Jame run for far too long.


    I should''ve kept him in control.


    "...You can hate all you want."


    I said.<sub> </sub>


    Yes, hate me.


    I deserve to be hated...especially by you.


    "I know I have done wrong. I know that i-


    "


    "Shut your fucking mouth."


    I was interrupted by him.


    I truly wonder.


    What exactly am I doing at times...just how much have I yearned for freedom that I have lost it all?


    My parents...my sister, My world.My love, my...sanity.


    I tried so hard for it happens.


    I created you for...him.


    I never thought you would develop.


    I never thought you would gain sentience...


    Am...I really to me?


    Hah, hah.


    ''...how foolish of me to think so.''


    I thought.


    I had fallen so deep in my desire for freedom.


    That...a dragon...justified my actions.


    "...Why?"


    I heard him.


    "...just why him? Why could you not create...me first?"


    [Why did you choose that bastard?]


    I could see through his words.


    "I had no choice...at that time I was too inexperienced with the soul.


    So I chose him, a soul from another universe who deep inside was broken.


    Broken enough, evil enough to scare the abyss itself.


    I was too inexperienced at the time to create a new independent soul, unlike a... never mind."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "...all the times I died...just FOR HIM TO TAKE OVER?


    WHAT ABOUT THE TIME I SPENT BEFORE THE EVOLUTION?!


    What...about my...life before?"


    I heard his rage.


    And I answered it.


    To the best of my...capabilities I guess you could say.


    "You lived it.


    He didn''t live it for you. You lived it yourself.


    Granted, he took over after your evolution, but still...you."


    I did not find any words to say.


    I couldn''t...


    How am I supposed to calm down a child having a mental breakdown?..to the point he does not even know what to ask?


    I have....only killed.


    I have neverforted a child.


    I couldn''t even do so to my dying sister.


    ...in many ways, he''s better than me.


    He loved Samantha.


    I...could not love her like a brother would love his sister.


    ...


    ...


    I..i...am...pathetic.


    Iughed at myself.


    And before his screams...of his screams telling me to fuck off..to disappear.


    I understood his rage.


    He was a puppet-like me...I had unknowingly created someone just like me.


    I had unknowingly created a puppet that served only one purpose.


    How would one feel when they realized they were nothing?


    When they were useless to change their fate.


    When...they....realized they were a puppet for another goal.


    ...no I knew the pain.


    I knew the pain very well.


    So I knew what I must do now for him.


    ... I must simply leave and let him be alone.


    To collect his thoughts.


    And I did.


    And yet, I still wondered...was it because I understood his pain...or the fact that I?


    ...acted like a coward running away from his duty.

 Chapter 121 [121]Chaos.

    My mind was in chaos.


    What?How?Why?Who?...


    Who am I?


    I...hadn''t lived at all?


    ...no...no....NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!


    ...I...am...not a puppet.


    Calm down...calm down.


    calm down...


    calm down...


    Deep breaths.


    Yeah, Deep breaths...


    Calm down Al-...me.


    ''I need to calm down...I need to calm down...hooo.hooo.''


    ...Yeah.


    I...need to get stronger.


    I MUST get stronger.


    I will not ept this.


    My rage, my anger...


    At the fact that they...he used me as a puppet, imnted memories that weren''t mine.


    ... I will not let this slide.


    But how can I be sure of that... he''s gone?


    Those voices...they told me that we were going to live separately...


    but can  I trust them?


    ''Ah! It''s too much too much!''


    ...no matter how much I tried to think.


    I only felt more rage.


    Anger, Wrath, Rage, Hate.


    ...


    ...


    and then it came.


    [Evolution has beenpleted.]


    I heard the system prompt inside my head.


    [Congrattions on Evolving into a full Dragon.]


    [Elements Detected:SPACE, Chaos, Ice]


    [Adjustements are being made.]


    [Warning:Host has been deemed too young to withstand Species Powers]


    [Restricting power level]


    [Error]


    [Err-Erro-Eorr]


    [System Shut down]


    [Rebooting in process]


    [0%...3%]


    And while it was rebooting...I was feeling excruciating pain.


    It''s as if my eyes, my heart, and My soul itself were being ripped to shreds.


    I prayed for the system to reboot earlier.


    and after what felt like hours of pain.


    It came, The system reboot came.


    [Reboot sessful.]


    [Quest Completed:Sessfully Evolve into a dragon.


    Reward Acquired:Bloodline of the Godbeast Pheonix]


    [Host is rmended to assimte bloodline immediately to reduce aftereffects of Elemental Destruction]


    USE IT!


    I screamed.


    [Command epted, Beginning Assimtion]


    And then it all went to ck again.


    ***


    "So...that was the reason behind his strength."


    Arken Muttered as he sat before the ck egg.


    It had already been seven days.


    The shield was going to hold a banquet party as a celebration because of the shocking fact that no student died during the incident.


    That banquet was just a front...or more rather say a convenient excuse for Shield to dodge all those ''nobles'' and ten great families remarks.


    It was just a front so that those idiots could enter Shields campus once again.


    And Arken, who was alone on the training for seven straight days...was beginning to worry.<sub> </sub>


    Not about the banquet, quite frankly...he gave zero fucks about it.


    It was just that his student was worrying him.


    There have been many cases of lucky awakened getting their hands on a bloodline and failing to assimte it...or rather go through its evolution.


    And in the case of n, Arken had concluded he was going through the evolution phase that urred with some high-grade bloodlines.


    And it had been seven whole days.


    And n had still not woken up.


    "Haaaaa...."


    Arken sighed.


    n bad Dante''s to give the secret of his strength to him when they had first met...so he deemed it appropriate to send the other three so that he could keep his secret.


    The problem was...he was bored.


    He couldn''t train his students due to the worry that maybe his best student was going to die.


    "Since it takes the shape of an egg, it''s probably rted to a reptile or Bird."


    Arken said as he examined the egg in front of him.


    "... let''s hope he does it."


    And it was then...


    *Crack.*


    He heard the sound of a shell cracking.


    And then saw with his very own eyes the ck egg beginning to crack.


    The cracks leaked out an astral blue light until...


    *Shaaa!*


    From the egg...or rather what remained from it...Emerged a bird of blue firerge enough to cover the ceiling of therge training.


    It roared...and went back into the egg before the Bewildered Arken.


    The ce where the egg was originally was now covered with astral blue fire.


    And from the Fire...he saw a silhouette walking towards him from the sea of fire.


    And when the silhouette walked out.


    All Arken could say was...


    "...oh wow."


    ***


    [Bloodline Assimtion sessful.]


    [The power of the Phoenix enhances your body.]


    [Strenght has risen one minor subrank]


    [Endurance has risen one minor subrank]


    [Agility has risen one minor subrank.]


    [The power of life enriches you, Your muscles, and your bones have been strengthened, your charm has risen one major rank](A/N:There! I raised his charm stat, Are Yall happy now?)


    [You have gained a title:The Pheonix.]


    [You have acquired bloodline-rted skills.]


    ? [Congrattions on assimting your bloodline sessfully]


    [Some changes have been made to your user interface]


    [The system wees the Pheonix again.]


    I woke up because of the prompts.


    And I woke up to a sea of astral blue me...and strangely my mind was calm.


    My rage, my anger was all gone.


    And a sense of tranquility reced it.


    I walked...and walked until I was out of the sea of mes.


    And I found the sword saint with his mouth open.


    "...oh wow."


    I heard his voice and looked at him with a confused gaze.


    The astral blue sea of mes had disappeared, no more likely to say it was absorbed by my body.


    I saw his eyes moving as he observed every corner of me.


    Curious I looked down at my body...I was astonished.


    Muscle.


    Shredded.


    Pure Muscle was what I saw.


    My Chest, arms...quads...backs...calves, obliques, and most importantly the 8 pack abs were all...magnificent.


    It seemed as if every muscle on the front of my body, from what I could see was trained to the point it was at its peak without restricting movement.


    ...and although I couldn''t see my back...it was probably the same.


    I was overflowing with strength.


    And I noticed something else besides my muscles.


    On my right arm was a magnificent tattoo of a bird of me, covering it entirely.


    It wasn''t filled in...but it was still insanely beautiful too look at.


    And then I noticed something else.


    I was butt-naked.

 Chapter 122 [122] Forget About It.

    "To think you would possess that great of a bloodline,"


    Arken said to me as I put on clothes he brought for me on.


    ''....tight.''


    I thought to myself.


    I may need to get some clothes tailored for me.


    Especially to hide these muscles.


    "Yes, my bloodline was the secret to my strength. I was lucky in finding one."


    I lied as tantly as I could.


    The real reason behind my strength was actually my seven-star mana training technique.


    And since Arken now knew I had a bloodline, I just thought this was more appropriate to say.


    "Excuse me master, but I have something urgent I must need to do."


    I said to him, trying to find the easiest way to leave right now would be ideal.


    "I have to assimte my bloodline."


    I lied once again, I just wanted to be alone for the time being.


    "Of course, You can go but let me tell you something since you were out for seven days."


    ***


    I was back in my room and immediately entered the training room.


    ''A banquet...huh.''


    Well, I don''t give a fuck about it.


    It''s the least of my worries right now.


    It''s not obligatory to attend.


    And I also don''t know how to dance, so I won''t attend.


    The most important thing right now is...


    "Status."


    I called out.


    ====Status====


    Name n Pator. (16)


    Race: Dragon


    Bloodline:The Pheonix(0.03%)


    Strength:C+


    Endurance:C+


    Agility:C+


    Intelligence:C+


    Mana:C+


    Charm:C


    Affinities:Ice[SUPREME], Chaos[SUPREME], Space[?]


    Skills:Dragonic Transformation(?),Dragons Eye(???)Draconic Scales(???), Mana Master(???), Possession[S]...


    Techniques::


    Mana Techniques:Supreme Ice Dragons Breath[*******], Whiff Of Frost[***], Mana Control[*]


    Martial Techniques:Dark Leg[****]


    Weapon Techniques:Chaotic Spear[*******], Basic Spear Mastery[*]


    Bloodline skills:Bloodline Manifestation, Pheonix mes, The Purest me,


    Phoenix Warmth, God of Rebirth,


    Wings Of Glory,


    Absolute Regeneration, Holder of Life.]


    [Bloodline Manifestation(SSS)]


    The ability to manifest yourself into the creature of your bloodline. The strength of the creature manifests itself within and you transform into the bloodline''s owner. You will inherit the attributes of the blood-lined beast as well.


    1)Spatial Phoenix


    2)Chaos Pheonix


    3)Ice Pheonix


    Since the Phoenix bloodline can manifest any element, you can transform into a Phoenix of any element you have an affinity.


    The Strenght of the manifestation depends upon your mastery over the respective element and bloodline assimtion.


    Mana consumed will be equal to the strength possessed by the manifestation


    ...]


    [Pheonix mes(SSS)]


    The mes of the Phoenix surround your vessel, you can imbue these mes with any element you have an affinity to, and the mes adapt to the element applied, gaining its qualities.<sub> </sub>


    The strength, utility, and size of the mes depend upon the bloodline assimtion percentage


    ...]


    [The Purest me(SSS)]


    You possess the me of the Phoenix. The purest me in the universe. It purifies your soul, increases your mana regeneration, and strengthens your vessel and you can manifest outside your body.


    The strength of this skill depends upon bloodline assimtion.


    ...]


    [Pheonix Warmth(SSS)]


    The warmth of the mes of the Phoenix applies itself to your allies, regenerating them, and strengthening them with the holy properties.


    The strength of this skill depends upon your bloodline assimtion percentage.


    ...]


    [Wings of Glory(SSS)]


    The glorious wings of the Phoenix godbeast manifest themselves upon you.


    The powers of these wings are many.


    They enable flight and can be as sharp as the mana inputted within them.


    The strength of the skill depends on the assimtion percentage.


    ...


    [Absolute Regeneration(SSS).]


    You possess a regeneration that has no equal.


    The strength of this skill depends upon the assimtion percentage.]


    [Holder of Life(?)]


    Unless the cause is something impossible to ovee, you will never die as you hold the power of life itself.


    [Dragonic Transformation(?)]


    Escape from your mortal and weak form, and ascend into the skies as a proud dragon.


    You can ess your True Dragon form upon activation.


    Whether you choose to be half dragon or full dragon, no mana is consumed as it is your true form.


    1)Spatial Dragon


    2)Chaos Dragon


    3)Ice dragon


    You can transform into any type of dragon rted to your affinities.]


    Yeah...this should be it.


    These skills...however are iplete.


    Their descriptions are iplete.


    I don''t know how I know but I just know.


    This isn''tplete.


    Is the system reboot a cause of this?


    Also, how can I transform into multiple dragon types?


    I understand the Pheonix, but a dragon?


    Something is strange.


    Yet I feel calm and tranquil.


    ''Is this the effect of the skills?''


    I experienced a mental breakdown, a revtion that I am a fucking puppet.


    Yetpared to my previous outburst.


    I am calm.


    Collected.


    And I hate it.


    I have so many questions...yet they remain unanswered still.


    I don''t even know...if my name is my name.


    I don''t even know who to ask.


    ...But...


    I will make use of James and Aranu''s memories...and exploit them to my best abilities.


    I will get every item I can right now.


    And I will get stronger.


    By myself...without anyone''s help.


    And I will find out who...i truly am.

 Chapter 123 [123]Banquet

    Sabrina sighed as she sat at a table filled with delicious food. She was currently in the Banquet.


    ''Why is this even being held?''


    She questioned in her mind.


    Truly what was the purpose of this banquet?...just for some idiots outside the campus to get their foot in? Or did Headmaster Oliver just decide the first-year students needed a break?


    ''it''s been hell.''


    She thought as she put a slice of steak in her mouth.


    It had been hell for her ever since her ''bodyguard'' had been gone.


    Usually, his presence alone was enough to drive away all the idiots that wanted to get close to her.


    But now that her bodyguard was gone, when she checked his status it showed he was sleeping the previous week, and then whenever she checked again, it would show he was training.


    The amount of time she had been asked out reached 4 dozen. And the number of broken hearts was probably the same.


    At this point, she was the only one sitting quietly eating dinner at a table.


    Everyone else was dancing with their respective partners.


    Many had asked her to be their partner but she denied it.


    She enjoyed dancing, but the problemy in the fact that multiple of the tried to get their hands closer to her behind and their chests closer.


    It annoyed and infuriated her to the extreme.


    ''... it''s boring.''


    Now that she thought about it, having someone to talk to was nice, especially if they treated her like a normal girl instead of a fucking princess.


    Even though they mostly talked through the mysterious spatial bond, it was nice.


    Calming and relieving to her, who almost always remained quiet.


    It was fun having someone to talk to.


    ...but the cowboy was nowhere to be found in the banquet, and since his status always showed he was training, she judged it appropriate not to disturb him.


    ...cowboy.


    Suddenly that word rang in her mind.


    And...augh came out.


    "...pft."


    Truly, That ''YEEHAWW!'' was the highlight of their dungeon exploration.


    His taking down of a B-rank monster, a monster an entire rank above him, him yeeting it was hrious.


    ''Ah, I need to watch it again.''


    She made a mental more to herself, to watch the clip again.


    andugh to her heart''s content in her room.


    She continued to take a bite out of her steak, and then someone unexpected had shown up.


    "Hi~Mind if I sit here?''


    A girl with brown colored hair, someone who was wearing a nicely tailored dress that highlighted her features.


    Even with it, she was nothing to Sabrina, but she possessed a unique charm.


    " No, please do."


    Sabrina answered Amy, who had gone to thebyrinth with her as a teammate.


    They had grown quite close as friends one could say.


    Especially when her bodyguard was gone, she was d at least someone other than the group was with her at all times.


    "So how many times has it been now?"


    Amy asked her as she say down, to which Sabrina answered in a tired tone.


    "...43."


    "Wow! Forty-three confessions!"


    Amy eximed in shock.


    To get forty-three confessions in such a short time!


    Sabrina Wellington was truly a person to admire.


    "Man... it''s so good being that beautiful isn''t it?"


    Amy asked Sabrina, to which Sabrina responded disheartened.


    "It''s not a good thing."


    "Ohe on! Boys literally would do everything just to get your attention, That has got to be a good thing."


    Amy said in excitement, While Sabrina prayed for something else.


    ''...I wish I wasn''t.''


    She did so, she truly wished she was never as beautiful as she was, It was this damn beauty of hers that attracted so much unwanted attention.


    The bastard from the Number one family, the so-called royals.


    Lucas.


    And...her turned uncle''s attention.


    The Above two wanted only her body, while the third wanted to use her body to make even more connections and money.


    It was because of her uncle that she hated the Dark element.<sub> </sub>


    To turn such a kind-hearted man, a loving and caring uncle...into an emotionless bastard that manipted everyone, that treated everyone like toys, that would care for no one now,


    ..that was now nothing like his former self.


    It''s been proven that some users of the Dark and Chaos Elements change the more they use their elements.


    Not all, but some and those who are changed be something that ispletely separate of what they were before.


    Her uncle was the prime example of the above topic.


    ....she missed the old him.


    She missed her father, and she missed her family whom she couldn''t see from here.


    "Sabrina, so...what about you know...umm him?"


    Suddenly, Amy asked her a question, to which she replied while confused.


    "Him?"


    "You know...umm the first rank!"


    "...and?"


    "... you''re quite close with him...so what''s the rtionship between you two?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ''...should I just end this farce?''


    Because n was always with her, many people assumed the wrong things.


    And at this point, she was tired of being asked the same question, so she just told her something else.


    "It''s nothing, he''s just someone my family hired to protect me while I am in the shield."


    At this point, it was okay in revealing something that was going to be found out sooner orter.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    There was silence between the two of them until Amy broke it.


    "...rich families are weird."


    She then continued.


    "...so that means I have a chance! His face may not be that great, bute on who cares! The personality is the most important!"


    "...Yes."


    Sabrina half-heartedly replied as she continued to eat her steak.


    "And that Aura around him is so refreshing."


    Upon hearing her words, Sabrina stopped and thought for a while.


    She had observed a few things from the moment she enrolled in Shield.


    n Pator and Elijah Ardor had a special aura around them.


    An Aura that made people rely on them, that made people subconsciously like them, trust them and even more so feel...safe around them.


    Granted, The aura released by n was stronger than Elijah''s...but there was no denying it, both of them were special.


    She truly wondered, how two individuals from seemingly no special backgrounds until they were awakened could appear and take the top spots.


    Both n and Elijah did not have any significant background before bing Awakened.


    Although Serena and Elijah had a history even before enrolling into shield...n waspletely alone from a young age.


    She didn''t know what the connection Elijah and Serena shared, but she knew it had to be something significant because...Serena was head over heels for Elijah.


    To the point it was scary.


    It was scary, scary as heck.


    ''...although he is handsome...I need to stay away from him to not get on her bad side.''


    Sabrina thought to herself as she made a note to be attracted to Elijah.


    Making Serena, the daughter of the first-ranked hero her enemy for the affection of a boy was stupid.


    "...Can you give me his number? Or would I ask for that myself? Oh I know, since we''re friends, can you please make it so that we can have an interaction, even if small?


    I want to get to know him better."


    Amy asked her for a favor.


    And she should probably do it, Amy had helped her a lot.


    "...Fine."


    Sabrina reluctantly agreed.


    "Yay! I should probably take it slow before asking him out on a date."


    *Twitch.*


    Date....why did her finger just twitch when she heard that word?


    She questioned it, and why did she feel...weird when a date with him was mentioned.


    But before she could gather her thoughts, something else took her attention, as well as the attention of others in the banquet.

 Chapter 124 [124] Banquet[2]

    The dance of a particr duo attracted the attention of almost all the guests at the banquet.


    The duo was, of course, Serena And Elijah.


    Serena''s dance captured the awe of many, while Elijah''s struggle to keep up with it attracted the pity of many.


    Truly, Elijah was struggling to keep up with Serena, who was practically lining him everywhere at this point.


    Sabrina gazed at the duo and thought.


    ''How enviable.''


    To have someone that would go as far to do something they are not confident in just because you wanted them to.


    Elijah could resist, and just inly say no but he still went with Serena''s request.


    ...why?


    Why would you do something like that?


    And the more shocking thing to her was that Elijah, someone who had absolutely no knowledge of Dancing, was now getting ustomed to Serena''s movements.


    The speed at which he learned was truly shocking.


    "Wow, they look amazing."


    She heard Amys whisper as they both continued to gaze at the scene.


    "Ah, But don''t get me wrong, I''m sure if you danced with someone that handsome you would probably get even more attention!"


    Amy said as if trying to console Sabrina for something she didn''t even care for.


    Sabrina was just mesmerized by Serena''s form.


    ''She must have practiced a lot, it''s evident.''


    As someone who herself was fond of the activity, she praised Serena inwardly for it.


    That devotion was scary and admirable.


    She continued to eat the steak on her te, savoring the taste.


    But she made sure not to miss the scene of Elijah And Serena.


    It was truly mesmerizing.


    But as she continued to gaze into it, she noticed something strange.


    Serena was pulling Elijah closer and closer...and then suddenly she immediately grabbed his tie and did something that made nearly everyone blush, Sabrina included was surprised and her fork fell on the te.


    ...She just pulled him in to kiss him?


    ...Did I just hallucinate?


    Oh...wow.


    What...sincere devotion.


    Sabrina knew it must have taken her a lot of time to practice those movements.


    How fun is it?


    To give someone you love so much that you do things you''ve never done before for them.


    And even do that publicly.


    But Sabrina knew that was a warning.


    Serena just dered Elijah is hers to everyone.


    ***


    "143...144....145...14...146!"


    I fell from the pullup bars with my arms and shoulders on fire.


    150 muscles ups...are far too hard. Me right now.


    The strength I have within this newly enhanced body of mine.


    These muscles...were amazing.


    I hadn''t even reinforced them with mana at all.


    Shocking.


    However, there is a greater problem.


    My Stamina has not increased.


    I need to find a solution to that.


    And the speed of my regeneration as well...iscking.


    Even though this bloodline is that of the Phoenix.


    Because I have nearly 0 percent assimtion in it, my skills are weakened.


    Very weakened.


    If I want to, I can add arge amount of mana to them and strengthen them, but that''s a waste of mana for an abysmal increase.


    As for the transformation skills, I haven''t tested them...because of this bastard.


    I turned my head to look at the figure sitting down in a meditative position in my training room.


    Abyssal ck Hair, A demonic armor epassing his body, and abyssal ck eyes.


    He had appeared during my training, scaring the living hell out of me.<sub> </sub>


    At first, that is, I calmed down immediately after myself.


    "Great job."


    He said while looking at me.


    "Fuck off."


    I said to him while raising my middle finger.


    "That''s harsh."


    "You think I care?"


    I ignored him and went back to training.


    This time as many situps as I can.


    "That''s not very effective training you know."


    I heard his voice but continued doing situps.


    I''m just doing this to test the limits of my body anyway.


    I don''t care about what he says.


    "Your body is far too young, you won''t be able to handle your powers at all. I suggest you don''t activate your dragon''s skills.


    The price for activating those skills may put you in a state that even your Phoenix powers won''t be able to heal."


    I heard his voice again.


    I continued training...


    training...


    But the motherfucker would just not shut up.


    Going on about your dragon powers or whatnot.


    "Ahhh!What see you even talking about?!"


    I screamed at him, making him shut up but then he talked againter.


    "Your Dragon Powers, they are the reason...you are you.


    Your Dragon Eyes, Your Dragon heart that has not manifested itself fully yet, and most importantly your dragon soul.


    You awakened these three powers and they were in a league of their own when they awakened.


    They had each developed separate consciousness and now they don''t ept you as a suitable host.


    Ironic isn''t it?"


    ? Aranus tried to crack a joke at the end but failed miserably, and then seeing my gaze, he exined it to me even further.


    "Each dragon, when they be of suitable age, awakens the three powers that I just described to you.


    They are the dragon''s strength, and yours are so powerful and awakened before you even became of age.


    If you use them, you''re going to die because you cannot wield them yet."


    ... I stopped training after hearing his words.


    ...and asked him a question.


    "...how do I be worthy of them."


    I must get stronger, no matter what.


    "Prove it to them, they all have a consciousness derived from yours, if you prove to them your worth, they will ept you naturally."


    "Ah, and also, your body is too weak to sustain the full Transformation, so I rmend just half dragon transformation."


    "Also....never ever go into Chaos dragon mode...no matter what."


    He continued to ramble on and on and I just became annoyed.


    But prove myself to them?


    Fuck you, in your OWNER, you are supposed to be mine, why the fuck must I prove myself to them?


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    ....


    I suddenly don''t want to train anymore.


    And then unheard his next words.


    "...Hey, can I see Samantha?"


    I paused.

 Chapter 125 [125]A Broken Man.

    A/N:Im going to be fixing a lot of the earlier chapters.


    Thanks to a reader, many mistakes that are honestly terrible have been pointed out.


    Gonna be fixing the prev chapters for a morefortable read.


    If I do make any minor or major mistakes, it would be appreciated if you pointed them out.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------


    "Dummy!"


    "I''m sorry."


    I apologized to my little sister as she was hitting my head with her little fists.


    I had just been scolded by my little sister.


    I had been gone for far too long.


    And now I''m begging for her forgiveness.


    "Haha."


    I heard hisughter.


    Apparently, only I can see and hear him. Samantha showed no reaction to him at all.


    And I showed no reaction to Samantha''s fists.


    My skin before bing a dragon was strong as heck, now I think it can even break steel.


    "...ow..."


    Yep, as I heard her Ow, from hitting my head with her little fists I confirmed that my skin is now hard as a rock.


    "I told you you shouldn''t hit me."


    "Dummy!"


    "Sorry Sorry."


    I apologized again and again and just looked at her while she was massaging her fists.


    And then I looked at him, who seemed to be enjoying this.


    I didn''t say anything, thest thing I want is for Samantha to think I''m crazy talking to myself.


    I looked deep into her eyes, which were even more beautiful than mine.


    And then I wondered...is she even my sister?


    But encore I could even question it more as if he read my mind he said.


    "She is your sister you dumbass."


    I remained quiet.


    And then heard his voice again.


    "Well, you can believe what you want to believe...but honestly..."


    He paused and then sighed and continued his words.


    "...you have been more of a brother for her than I could ever be all those times."


    He said with an expressionless look on his face...before it changed into a slight...yet broken smile.


    "...So? Can you make her life enjoyable...please?"


    And then he turned his head over to the window, gazing at the streets below.


    I remained quiet even then...not saying anything as I just arrested Samantha''s head while she put on a confused face.


    ...yeah.


    the time I spent with you...at least.


    Was real.


    And so I opened my mouth and said.


    "Hey Sam, since I''ve been gone for so long, How about we go for a stroll?"


    And upon hearing my words, she showed the brightest smile I could have seen.


    ***


    As I walked around pushing Samantha''s wheelchair around the city...I received a lot of...weird looks.


    Of course, I was wearing the most suspicious clothing I could have.


    A facemask with sunsses on at night was not the bestbination right now.


    But hey, I guess the smile she had on her face was stopping people froming to the wrong conclusion.


    I think...


    While during the trip outside, I bought as many sweets as I could, for both of us sweet monsters...yet my eyes were glued to him all the time.


    His figure was just watching everything with curiosity.


    He was acting like even more of a child than I was.


    And the funny thing was the figures of multiple people just passed through his figure.


    I''m curious, Is that the same man that I saw during the evolution?


    The same ck dragon that annihted Suleras, Aloaris, Multiple other dragons, and an army of angels?


    ...he sure didn''t seem like it.


    I paid him no heed as I focusedpletely on Samantha and we continued our stroll around the city.


    ****


    Back at the apartment.


    I sat down on the sofa after making sure Samantha went to sleep.


    He was still staring down the window, looking at the city below.


    As I stared at his figure watching the city down below...


    I strangely felt pity for him.


    But I discarded that soon enough.


    I need to get stronger.


    And for that, I''m going to be skipping a whole lot of sses.


    I simply won''t have enough time to do what I need to do if I take sses at the same with the training schedules.


    And I''m not Skipping out on training.


    Not at all.


    Never in fact.


    I can skip the sses because they teach about mana mainly and its uses and properties, but since I have Mana Master, I can disregard them.


    From....the memories I have, I have some knowledge of the items I need right now.


    Especially to hide my strength levels.<sub> </sub>


    I am going to be needing a whole lot of those types of items.


    And to get them, I have to be discreet. Very discreet.


    I can''t risk people finding out about me and what I''m doing outside.


    Not Even my guild can know too much.


    Twilight has some spies from other guilds and possibly even demons.


    I need to elerate development.


    Quickly and very discreetly.


    I have to be prepared for the event that urs before summer vacations start.


    "It''s good to be cautious."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "But being too cautious can be harmful."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Why is he talking now?


    Has he had enough of gazing at the city?


    "Yes, it was quite an enjoyable experience."


    ...


    ...


    This motherfucker is reading my mind without my permission.


    "I''m not reading your mind, I''m reading your face.


    Unlike Us, you are a very bad actor."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Shut up."


    I said to him.


    "How harsh."


    He replied.


    I ignored him and opened my status screen to inspect my skills again.


    ====Status====


    Name n Pator. (16)


    Race: Dragon


    Bloodline:The Pheonix(0.03%)


    Strength:C+


    Endurance:C+


    Agility:C+


    Intelligence:C+


    Mana:C+


    Charm:C


    Affinities:Ice[SUPREME], Chaos[SUPREME], Space[?]


    Skills:Dragonic Transformation(?), Dragons Eye(???)Draconic Scales(???), Mana Master(???), Possession[S]...


    Techniques::


    Mana Techniques:Supreme Ice Dragons Breath[*******], Whiff Of Frost[***], Mana Control[*]


    Martial Techniques:Dark Leg[****]


    Weapon Techniques:Chaotic Spear[*******], Basic Spear Mastery[*]


    Bloodline skills:Bloodline Manifestation, Pheonix mes, The Purest me,


    Phoenix Warmth, God of Rebirth,


    Wings Of Glory,


    Absolute Regeneration, Holder of Life.]


    I read their descriptions again and again.


    But...for some goddamn reason, I couldn''t get my eyes off the Name:n Pator


    Name...huh.


    n pator is the name of this body, hence it''s his name.


    ...so what is my name?


    Do I share the same name as this body?


    His name?


    Or what?


    I don''t know.


    ...Who...really am I?


    ... There''s only one person I think knows.


    He created me.


    He should know.


    "Hey...I have a question?"


    I asked him.


    "Which is?"


    He asked back.


    "What''s my name?"


    My actual Name, not the name of this body.

 Chapter 126 [126]The Loss Of The Name, And Its Re-Emergence.

    "What''s my name?"


    As I heard his question, I fell into deep thought.


    Name...huh.


    This is unexpected.


    A name...hmmm


    I created him, but never expected him to gain sentience, so I didn''t give his soul a proper name.


    But do I have a right to give him his name?


    Especially since what I''ve done.


    I looked at him for a while, his crystal Blue eyes piercing me.


    I turned away and looked down at the city.


    As I saw the lights of the city shine in the distance, the Massive holographic Advertisement rising high up in the sky.


    The ins-humans living their life.


    I thought.


    ''A name...huh.''


    Hmmm.


    I''ve never been good with names.


    "What is my name?"


    I heard his voice again and fell into deep thought.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    And atst, I came up with an answer andughed at my previous stupidity.


    He''s gained sentience, apletely separate soul...


    Apletely separate Dragon.


    "You''ll know when the timees."


    "What kind of bullshit answer is that?"


    "It''s not bullshit, remember you are a dragon, and each dragon has a name of their own, the first andst."


    "Then what''s my dragon name?"


    I heard his question, chuckled at myself, and answered him.


    "I don''t know."


    I truly did not know.


    I could have found out if he had one yet.


    He had not manifested his name..not yet at least.


    I wonder when he will manifest it.


    "..."


    As I saw the gaze of the disappointed child, I knew I need toe up with an answer to satisfy him.


    And so I did.


    "n Pator,"


    I said.


    And continued.


    "Use that name until your dragon name manifests."


    I created you, so I''ll give you a substitute name until you find your name.


    Until you find who you are.


    And why am I giving you the name n Pator?


    Because n Pator no longer exists.


    I forsook that name long ago.


    The moment I lost my humanity...no my sanity.


    To me, n Pator died and from his Ashes rose Aranus, The Dragon Of Oblivion And Extinction.


    A name forgotten by time itself, hidden under the shadow of Aranus.


    Thrown into the emptiness that is the abyss.


    Hah...I''ve recalled some bad memories.


    ...shit...didnt want to remember them again.


    Not...again.


    "Haaah..."


    I let out a sigh and watched as he stood up from the couch, unbuttoned his sleeve, and checked his Bloodline Mark, the mark of the Phoenix.


    Before covering it up again.


    And he silently opened up a portal and stepped inside without speaking a word.


    The portal disappeared and my figure began to turn ethereal.


    But before I disappeared, I gave the city onest look before muttering.


    "Good Luck."


    You''ll need it.


    ******<sub> </sub>


    I used my spear to support myself as I almost fell.


    Yet my body, being controlled didn''t listen to my mind, no matter how much I tried to resist.


    The ck fog covered my body, forcing it to move despite the injuries I had sustained.


    It made me continue to fight.


    Against the holy beings that were the celestial....and my own kin.


    As I slew them, as I reaped their lives, I was forced to just watch even though it was me doing such actions.


    I alone, moved into this paradise ofnd now dyed scarlet by the blood of its inhabitants.


    As I slew the Celestials whilst being in the air, I tore their wings out, and even slit the necks of the dragons left alive.


    I knew it.


    ''It'' wasing.


    They are all....risking their lives to buy some time.


    The City I was trying to siege, the city whose walls knew no end.


    Its inhabitants, the inhabitants of Celestia itself risking their lives for...their children within the city to have a future.


    ...how foolish.


    How many times...must I have to suffer for you to understand...


    It''s impossible?


    How many times will you use that Chalice to reverse time?


    And it infuriates me even so that those hidden beings...those powers above the supreme rank just watch this happen.


    Some are restricted, but some are not


    AND THOSE UNRESTRICTED COWARDS JUST LIE THERE WITHOUT DOING A THING!


    HAVE YOU DRAGONS OF OLD FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING?!


    ...sigh what am I even doing?


    ...they have probably fallen into a deep slumber.


    ... I don''t want to suffer anymore.


    Just let it end....please.


    But I knew it would not end...as I saw the sky itself split and golden light descends upon us.


    As I saw my foes liven up, their eyes lit with hope once again.


    I knew...it was ready.


    The Gate Of Babylon, The Wrath of Babylon was soon to fall upon me once again...and give them a chance.


    Shit... that''s going to fucking hurt.


    The golden massive swords fell upon my figure...no matter how hard I tried to evade them, eventually those celestial clung onto my body to stop me.


    And the Light of Babylons Gates, its wrath fell upon me en masse.


    ***


    Hah...hah.


    I''ve done it.


    I''ve survived.


    But at what cost?


    Every one of my foes is dead, and the gates of Babylon are within my sight.


    My body was broken, my spirit broken marching towards the ughter I was going tomence.


    Use it...you bastards...use that damn chalice.


    I don''t want to kill innocent children and weak people.


    *Kekekekeke.*


    ...Fucking hell, as if I''ve hadn''t had enough, I heard theugh of the abyss.


    Am I hallucinating?


    Probably so, but its body still walked leisurely towards the city.


    Before all, I could see was a deep golden light apanied by grains of sand representing time itself following it.


    And before my figure was consumed by that wave ofing light, I saw a notification before me.


    Something that broke me even further.


    [You have Manifested your true dragon Name:Aranus, Draco Oblivionis et Extinctionis.]


    Ah....fuck.


    So it finally happened.


    I''ve lost my original name...n Pator no longer exists huh...


    It''s fine... it''s better for me to not be remembered by that name.


    But the name...given to me by my parents, the name my sister used to call...


    ..It....its.... it''s gone...and with my thest vestiges of my sanity will soon follow


    And then, the Wave of Golden light reached me and time slowly rewound.


    ***


    A/N:Say Goodbye to these two, you won''t be seeing them for a while.


    Time to focus on the other characters.


    2nd A/N:No chapter for tomorrow, will be busy re-reading chapters to correct mistakes

 Chapter 127 [127]The Promise I Made.

    A/N:Sorry to say this...but I''m aplete baby who doesn''t want to fix his previous mistakes on the previous chapters


    ..because of boredom...so I just released a chapter even though I said no chapter today.


    lol.


    *****************************************


    In his room, Elijahy on his bed with his face on his pillow.


    His ears cheeks and ears were red.


    And even more so, Agri was mocking him.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agriughs at your shyness.]


    "Shut up."


    Elijah shut him up as soon as he heard that notification.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire says that someone is embarrassed.]


    "How was I supposed to know she would suddenly kiss me?!"


    Elijahs protested, but Agri on the other hand was dumbfounded.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri asks if you did not know.]


    "Yes! I didn''t know.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Agri sighs at how dense you are.]


    " The heck?! I''m not dense!"


    Cried Elijah, but unfortunately, the reality was that he was dense as fuck.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri Says you are.]


    "...I''m not in the mood to argue with you."


    Elijah finished the ''pointless discussion and got up and headed to the training room.


    There he sat right in the middle, in a meditating position, and then finally began to breathe.


    Each breath of his was controlled, and ultimately fire could be seen dancing around his figure.


    It covered him, bathed him in it, and strengthened his very figure down to a cellr level.


    Elijah continued this for hours until he ran all out of mana.


    Heid down on the ground breathing haggardly as his red-hot body released steam amd began to cool itself.


    "Haaah...Haaaa."


    He gasped for breath, his veins which were showing when he was training his mana technique disappearing, and the pump in his muscles disappeared, but that did almost nothing in reducing the size of these muscles.


    "...I''m still not strong enough."


    He muttered as he rested.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri Comforts you by saying you are plenty strong for your age.]


    "Am I really?"


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says it is pointless topare your-]


    "That''s not it."


    Elijah cut Agri off and said something that Agri did not expect.


    "I''m notparing myself to n...I''m just afraid."


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri says it''s normal to be afraid.]


    "...is it?


    What if I was even a secondte in thebyrinth?"


    There was no response from Agri.


    "If I was even a secondte, Serena along with all the others would have died."


    When will I be that lucky?


    When will I be that lucky to appear in the nick of time, To save the ones I want to save?


    What if I was weaker?


    What if I didn''t have decimation?


    What if I didn''t have my Bloodline?


    What...if I wasn''t even this strong in the first ce.


    "They would''ve all died."


    What if...because of the fact that I am weak, they all died?


    What if I didn''t have this system that granted me the potential to reach so high?


    And why was I even granted this system?


    Everyone else didn''t have these privileges?


    Only I did.


    But why?


    What did the System mean when it first met me?


    [You have been chosen by the ******* and Ce****** to defeat The Dragon Of Oblivion.]


    [The system will provide you with the best faculties for growth to give you a fighting chance.]


    [We give you our best wishes to seed this time, Elijah Ardor, The Hero.]


    Elijah remembered those messages vividly when the ''System'' first introduced itself.]<sub> </sub>


    What did they mean?


    And then a little while Later, while training in the forest he met Agri, in his human form.


    Agri trained Elijah from a young age, he received the system even earlier.


    It always...felt like he was just following nned scenarios he did not know of.


    Like all he did was follow a path that someone or something else designed for him.


    Who is the Oblivion Dragon?


    And why must I defeat it?


    "Hey Agri, will you tell me now, who the Oblivion Dragon is?"


    And there was no response, just like all the times Elijah asked Agri that question.


    Elijah knew what the answer would be, but he still asked.


    Agri would always go silent for a few days when that question was asked.


    Who?


    Just who is this damn Dragon of oblivion?


    Is it the final boss or something?


    But then why? why do I know nothing about it?


    This system, Agri, why do they all shut up and never answer me?


    Why do I need to go and beat him?


    Why me? I''m not some revered son of a massive hero, I''m just the son of my father, who owns a fried chicken restaurant.


    I''m not some hero.


    So why?


    I''ll do it...if it means that the ones I love and care for live a good life....but would it kill you all to tell me why I''m the one that has to fight?


    But I guess no one will.


    No one has until now.


    Elijah got up and started to do pushups.


    If he couldn''t do mana training he would do physical training.


    They were normal pushups yet they felt so heavy.


    As if he was carrying a weight sorge it couldn''t be measured.


    A weight he didn''t even know of.


    ***


    "Hey Agri, will you tell me now who the dragon of Oblivion is?"


    A massive scarlet dragon seated on top of a volcano heard Elijah''s voice.


    Agri, the Current king of Fire Dragons, heard the voice of the one he chose to be his sessor.


    But..he could not answer.


    He had a restriction ced upon him to not say anything, a stupid restriction that he didn''t know why was ced.


    But it was not because of the restriction that He didn''t speak.


    Agris''s breathing was haggard, and his figure was shaking...from the moment he heard ''Oblivion Dragon.''


    An existence that had given the true meaning of fear to all Supreme Dragons and some even above the rank of Supreme...


    Some had ovee it...but Agri...who was hit the hardest had...never ovee it.


    Heughed at himself on the inside...


    What a pathetic king I am...to be afraid...


    To be afraid...because he could not protect his people when that...monster had attacked... every time.


    Agri...had failed every time to protect his kin when that monster emerged.


    His people...who looked at him with reverence and pride because he was their king, were unaware of their fates in the previous iterations.


    They...who saw him as their hope, their pride...all died because he was unable to protect them.


    Elijah and Aranus....two pitiful souls.


    Elijah, chosen by Agri because of his immense talent in the attribute of fire.


    And Aranus...the one chosen by Suleras And Lanesha because of his immense talent in their attributes.


    How ironic...Aranus, Who was chosen by the only sane chaos dragon...became the biggest threat...became the one thing Suleras tried so hard to make him not be...


    And howughable my actions are...


    Agri had grown immensely attached to Elijah...even if he didn''t want to admit it.


    ''If only...I hadn''t chosen you...if only I had not chosen you at that time...''


    Agri thought as he frantically scratched his head with his ws.


    ''...I could have saved you...I could have saved you... from that a cursed fate.''


    I could have saved you...


    If only I had hidden your potential...they would not have noticed and forced you into this role...


    This hopeless fate...of fighting against plete.


    ''Monster.''

 Chapter 128 [128]The Only Sane Chaos Dragon.

    In a destend filled with nothing but the purple earth, devoid of life and the skies that seemed to tear apart every second.


    Cracks formed in the skies and the earth, destroying the already destroyedndscape.


    Yet, in a particr area, where a humongous Purple Dragon was resting...all was calm.


    The Dragon had 2 pairs of wings, a menacing set of horns that adorned his head like a natural crown, ferocious ws that could tear apart everything, and Purplish eyes....that seemed weak.


    The Dragon was curled up in the air which seemed to fluctuate with every breath the dragon took, drawing nearer and nearer to the Dragon.


    It was just this dragon in this destend, devoid of any organism besides it.


    The dragon...appeared to be weak somehow, as if it was a fraction of its peak strength.


    Without a doubt, it was recuperating, regaining the strength it had lost.


    Suleras, The only Chaos dragon to have remained free of the Influence of the Abyss, and the only Sane Chaos dragon...had been reduced to such a state.


    An existence that could erase worlds...destroy ayer of the Abyss, Go Toe To Toe with Aloaris, The current king.


    At the moment, was incredibly weak.


    ''...I feel it.''


    Suleras thought as he continued to absorb the chaos mana storms in the environment, slowly gaining strength.


    He could feel it...the new soul''s mana signature...which was so incredibly faint alongside the other two mana signatures that it was indistinguishable to anyone but Him.


    He...who was the guardian dragon of Aranus shared a unique connection with Aranus.


    A connection that even Lanesha didn''t possess.


    And he was the only one who knew what was going on in Aranus''s body.


    And no matter what he was keeping that secret with him...he was ready to take it to the grave.


    He could not...under any circumstances reveal anything to ''it''.


    He would leave the Abyss the moment he recovered enough of his strength.


    His domain would notst if it became serious.


    He lost his authority the moment he became weaker, His domain was the only thing keeping him...alive until he healed his wounds.


    ''...I need to go see Lanesha.''


    I must go soon, to tell her to increase the power of Ice around Aranus''s body.


    To keep the secret hidden for as long as possible that...James'' soul had already vanished.


    He must.


    If not...the moment that thing notices... it''s over.


    ...but.


    Lanesha should have gone to her Mothers'' Abode to avoid the Abyss.


    And he did not want to meet the Dragon that made even him at his peak seem like a dwarf.


    Just thinking about that Humongous thing held captive by Chains terrified him.


    But it was something he needed to do...even if that dragon scared the living shit out of him and Aloaris.


    And so, he started to make a portal to ''that'' ce.


    "...damnit how do these portals even work anyway?"


    He always struggled with Spatial Magic even though he was a dragon, who could control multiple attributes outside of his born Chaos Attribute.


    And it wasn''t just him, Every dragon struggled with The Spatial attribute.


    Because no dragon had been born with it yet, no advancements had been made in the field...well not major advances anyway.


    Most of the Dragons Just used artifacts to build portals...instead of just finding out the exact spatial coordinates.


    And Unfortunately for him...he didn''t have any artifacts with him right now.


    As he racked his brain trying to figure out the Spatial coordinates...something about the realm he was in...changed.


    It was a change he didn''t fail to notice...and he began to elerate the rate of figuring out the spatial coordinates.


    ...why does it have to appear now...of all the damn times.


    He watched as the chaos mana in the realm all conglomerated and formed a figure he knew too well made of purple mana.


    Aranus...or the Abyss trying to copy him at least.<sub> </sub>


    He saw the Figure of Aranus stop right outside of his domain.


    It seemed to speak....and although no sound was heard...Suleras knew immediately what it was saying with that wretched mouth of its.


    [How many more times...until James Soulsts~]


    [Let me guess...3 or 4 more times?]


    It was mocking him...too bad that bastard didn''t know James'' soul had already vanished.


    ''Don''t figure it out...''


    Don''t figure out that my authority is gone.


    Don''t figure out that my authority is gone.


    Don''t figure it out.


    [Suleras...just give up already..and join the other Fallen Dragons.]


    Give up.


    Stop Fighting a lost battle.


    Those were the words that it was uttering.


    And Suleras felt disgusted by them.


    "Fuck off."


    Suleras finally spoke, and the smile that bastard had disappeared.


    [Should  I just kill you now?]


    [That supreme authority of yours is quite troublesome...oh?]


    Fuck.


    The bastard outside of his domain showed a creepy smile that reached his ears.


    And Suleras knew the meaning of that smile.


    That bitch figured out that his Authority was currently gone.


    And his attack was about to begin.


    And Suleras cursed within his mind.


    ''...fuck.''


    ***


    In and where the ground and sky were ck, there was still some light that illuminated everything.


    There were fossils of gigantic creatures, puppets made of Shadows, and even some Darkness Creatures along with Mountains of Ice.


    It was a weirdbination of things...but all of these meant something very important to the owner of this ce.


    In the very center of this ce was a ck dragon with 3 pairs of wings that made one think carefully about a question.


    Just how big could something get?


    The Dragon was big, but it was imprisoned by humongous chains that surrounded its body, hindering its movements.


    However, resting peacefully against the body of this sleeping behemoth was the body of a smaller white dragon, sleeping peacefully.


    Both of the dragons were sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.


    However, something changed, as the ck dragon opened its eyes the size of mountains.


    Its ck and abyssal eyes seemed to pierce through everything.


    And they looked at a particr ce, a ce which was soon engulfed by a purple portal.


    And from the ports emerged a tattered Purple Dragon, which was bleeding and missing a tail.


    The moment the ck dragonid its eyes on this dragon, it straightened its posture and said in a low voice.


    "... I apologize for disturbing your sleep."


    Suleras apologized with all of his might..for something too insignificant.


    Yet, the ck dragon growled at him...and nearly made Suleras Shit himself as he thought in his mind.


    ''...please for the love of the celestial incarnation...let me have a break goddamnit.''

 Chapter 129 [129]The Ones Who Failed To Protect What They Were Meant To Protect.

    In a Grand Cathedral, a figure walked alone toward the center.


    The figure draped in a pure white robe with a gold mask on its face walked towards a casket adorned in gold and various other ornaments.


    *Tok*Tok*


    As he walked the cathedral changed its appearance until the roof and walls had disappeared and all one could see was clouds...and multiple stained ss paintings depicting stories of their own were all that was left.


    The figure walked towards the Casket and finally reached it.


    The Casket opened and revealed the figure of a gorgeous golden-haired woman resting peacefully.


    The Body of the Aloaris''s daughter, ri.


    The poor soul who tried to save Aranus, but paid dearly for it.


    The figure silently stared at ri''s body.


    He had just felt it.


    He has just faintly felt it.


    The Unique Mana signatures of The Oblivion Dragon and Jade Snake.


    Many times...he had wondered about the purpose of his existence, the purpose of his creation.


    Why was he created?


    To serve as the spokesperson of Celestia''s Will?


    Or to protect his people?


    He didn''t know.


    He had long since believed that it was his purpose to protect...but he failed so miserably in doing that.


    All the blood, all the Massacre, all the unneeded sacrifice all the times the Oblivion Dragon stormed his City, Babylon.


    He failed to defend his city, his realm, and his people every time.


    He fell to that God-forsaken Spear or Maw every time.


    Even if he, along with all his holy children attacked together, they all failed...and only served to enhance the Oblivion Dragon.


    ''Why did you create me?''


    He thought of this question many times...and asked his conscience of Celestia multiple times.


    And it always went silent whenever he posed the question.


    Why? Why must you go silent?


    Just answer me.


    Just... answer me why I must always suffer as I watch my people die in front of my eyes...as I am unable to do anything.


    As I am powerless to do anything?


    Why not just end my and my people''s suffering?


    Why not just end it? Let the Oblivion Dragon win... because he eventually wins.


    How funny...for him, to have given up all hope.


    For him...to have given up hope out of all beings.


    But...he sincerely and desperately wished for it.


    Salvation...freedom from this endless cycle...of death and suffering.


    Many times had he begged it to end it.


    To give his people and him some rest.


    Whether that rest be eternal.


    He revealed his hand which was hidden inside his robe, a handpletely golden with multiple engravings on it simr to the mask on his face.


    He put his hand on the forehead of ri and began to recite a prayer.


    A prayer thatsted hours...a desperate prayer to end the suffering.


    A futile...yet fulfilling prayer for him.


    End it...<sub> </sub>


    Just End it.


    He wished for refuge from true death multiple times...


    End it.


    Stop making us suffer...even if only a select few remember it.


    Stop using that Goddamn Chalice to reverse time over and Over again.


    I cannot stand the sight of my people dying again and again.


    Please...For the Love of Me.


    End it.


    ****


    In a magnificent throne room that could fit multiple mountains, a lone figure walked towards the throne.


    Draped in a golden robe, with the insignia of a dragon wearing a crown engraved onto its back.


    His beautiful golden Hair, coupled with his face would make every woman fall in love at first sight.


    His horns were shaped like a crown, and His figure walked elegantly toward the magnificent throne.


    He walked up the steps towards the throne and sat upon it.


    And immediately after he had done...all the elegance he had disyed walking towards his throne faded.


    He slumped onto the throne, his form of sitting unbefitting of a king.


    With his forearms on his knees, he slumped down.


    Aloaris had forsaken all of his dignity.


    No dragon was present here...he didn''t need to do it.


    He was once a person who would have walked and sat and done everything with dignity and elegance...but all these loops had made him think of it as worthless.


    A golden light enveloped his hands and a golden pendant materialized in his hands.


    He stared at it with longing.


    And with the sorrow of a father unable to protect his daughter...and a king unable to protect his people.


    ''... it''s begun again.''


    He thought as he felt even more tired.


    He had just felt The Unique mana signature of the Oblivion Dragon and The Jade snake.


    The mana signatures that made it abundantly clear...that it had begun again.


    The pendant disappeared and he slowly raised his head before resting it on his throne and closing his eyes.


    The damn cycle...the goddamn cycle of Chaos will begin again.


    ****


    In a world of Green, filled with Vegetation and nt life galore.


    Cities made of wood and giant trees gave them a unique sense of beauty.


    Within the center of this green, versus paradise stood a tree that pierced the heavens...and on its trunk was something coiled up that made one wonder.


    ''Just how big could something get?''


    The creature, which was an eastern dragon big enough to put Suleras And Aloaris to shame, opened its eyes which were the size of mountains.


    It had just sensed the unique signatures of the Oblivion Dragon and Jade Snake, and awakened from its slumber.


    But unfortunately...it was beginning to fall asleep once again despite its best attempts to wake up.


    These damn chains...


    It thought within its mind.


    These damn chains of lethargy made it impossible for it to do something most of the time.


    But...s...even if it was permitted to wake up...what could it do?


    And soon...it closed its deep green eyes and continued its slumber...whether out of it''s own will or not.

 Chapter 130 [130]You Dare To Apologize?

    *Cough*


    Alex coughed up blood as he was thrown into the air by the Sword Saints Kick.


    *Thud.*


    He fell on his back into the cold marble floor.


    His vision was getting blurry.


    ''...it hurts...it hurts so much...''


    He thought as he coughed up even more blood.


    His nose was broken and he was pretty sure some ribs were cracked as well.


    He had taken such a beating...and he was the only one who appeared to have been affected.


    He was beaten ck and blue and was unable to continue.


    Well...that was what he thought anyways.


    ''...how do they do it?''


    How do they all do it?


    How does Lucas keep getting up even after all of his body has been broken?


    When he''s been beaten to a degree that should be bringing him to death''s door.


    And how does Olivia even keep up with Master?


    Disregarding n, who was on leave, he didn''t understand how those two did it.


    He didn''t understand how Lucas kept getting up again and again even though multiple bones were broken.


    Was it his pride that kept him alive?


    And was it her intelligence or superb Battle sense that made her even more of a pared to them I''m...nothing.''


    He, along with n had started training with the sword saint first.


    He had trained for longer, yet those two had already caught up.


    ...How frightening...talent is.


    And how enviable it is...that they have normal elements...


    While I''m stuck with this useless [Null] attribute.


    ''...I need to get up and get back into the fight.''


    Alex thought to himself and tried to get up using his elbow as support...until.


    *Crack.*


    He fell face t into the marble floor as a faint cracking sound was heard from his elbow.


    He spat out a tooth covered in blood and looked at it with his blurry vision.


    ...hah...


    ''...I can''t do this...not like them.''


    I don''t have the superior body n does, I don''t have his talent with his weapon and mana.


    I don''t have enough whatever makes Lucas stand up again and again.


    I don''t have the intelligence that makes Olivia a threat.


    ... I don''t even have a normal damn attribute.


    I''m...useless.


    I''m always the first one to fall.


    I''m always the first one who gets his ass kicked.


    Alex thought as tears started to form.


    Slowly, they went down his cheek, got mixed with his blood, and fell to the floor.


    He sat there in pain, crying at his uselessness.


    He didn''t know how long he was crying for.


    He just knew that he was crying.


    Because of the pain.


    Because of hisck of Talent.


    Because of hisck of will.


    Because of hisck of Intelligence.


    Because of hisck of an element.


    Because of his uselessness.


    ''I''ve tried...I''ve tried..''


    He thought those words again and again in his mind.


    He tried...he kept up with this brutal training longer than anyone else...yet they all improved even faster.


    What am I even doing?


    Trash is always Trash.


    That''s the fuckingw.


    Yet...I tried to break thatw...and failed miserably.


    I''m....I''m....so fucking pathetic.


    "Are you done?"<sub> </sub>


    And suddenly, he heard the sword saint''s voice.


    And in his blurry vision, he raised his head as high as he could and only saw the Sword Saints'' legs.


    He wasn''t able to form words.


    "Did I hit you too hard?"


    The Sword Saint said as he sat down on the stone-cold floor in front of Alex.


    "Well, you should be more careful, but congrats-"


    "...I''m sorry."


    The Sword Saint was interrupted by Alex''s Apology.


    "...im sorry."


    He heard it again, and fell into a deep silence, before asking.


    "What are you sorry for?"


    He asked Alex, who had kept his head low.


    And he got his answer pretty quickly.


    "...im sorry im weak...huh...im sorry I can''tst as long as them even though I''ve trained longer..."


    "....im sorry im always the first to go down."


    Alex said as he cried, even more, letting all his sorrow out.


    And in front of him, The sword saint silently stared at him.


    ''...to think he of all would call himself weak.''


    Arken thought as he stared at Alex.


    Hah...to think the one who was only behind n in terms of hitsnded...


    To think of the one who was the first to reach him and attack him.


    the one who was the fastest among his students.


    The one who had e best


    reaction speed, the best reflexes he had seen among all his students.


    Was calling himself weak...when little did he know he was the second strongest out of all his students.


    Who was the Fastest?


    Alexander.


    Who was the One who always attacked him first?


    Alexander.


    And who was the one that received the most hits besides n?


    Alexander.


    Because he was so fast, unlike the slow n and Lucas, The Sword Saint was dealing with him most of the time.


    And Arken knew damn well that he sometimes hit Alexander harder than he meant to hit.


    Yes, He fell...but who wouldn''t?


    Even Lucas was knocked out because of the beating he endured, and Arken hit Lucas lighter than he hit Alex.


    Now that n was gone for a few days.


    Alexander was the top among his students who managed to hit him and the only one who could dodge his counterattacks even when n was here.


    Alexander Wright...only had one problem....which was not his element.


    It was his confidence, his belief in himself.


    He always thought so lowly of himself that he failed to realize his potential.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Do you want to hear something, Alex?"


    Arken spoke, and without even waiting for an answer, he continued to speak.


    "There was a time when everyone is weak when they doubt themselves."


    "When they fail to realize to realize their potential, and subsequently fall."


    It''s time to teach his Student an important lesson.


    "You can cry all you want because of the pain."


    It''s ok to cry...especially after holding all those feelings inside for so long.


    But...something else is unforgivable.


    "But...Never...ever doubt yourself."


    Never do it, self-doubt kills your potential faster than anything else.


    And Most Importantly....


    "Never ever apologize for trying hard..


    It''s an insult...to the effort, to the determination you put in."


    The moment you do that.


    You fall into an endless abyss that you will never escape from.


    Never.

 Chapter 131 [131]Do You Not Realize Your Potential?

    "That''ll be 30 studs."


    "Ok."


    Alex, after paying for the groceries, left the convenience store and began to walk toward his dorm building.


    ''...I don''t have much left.''


    He thought as hemented at the fact that his ount had barely anything left.


    And he wasn''t confident in asking his family to send more.


    To hell with that.


    "You didn''t buy much."


    Oh yeah... there''s also someone else.


    "... it''s all I need."


    Alex answered Olivia as they both walked together after training with the Sword Saint.


    Olivia had woken up earlier than Lucas, and so both left together.


    And...while she was here she didn''t stop talking.


    "I don''t think a single cup of ramen and coke will satiate you, especially after your injuries."


    "...it''ll do the job."


    Alex answered in a low voice as he continued to walk back.


    His body was still aching, and he wasn''t sure when he was going to fall.


    He couldn''t buy potions freely like Olivia and Lucas, and neither did he want to ask Master Arken for potions...especially after the brutal beating.


    He didn''t know...but his body was reaching its limit.


    It was unknown when...but it was reaching its limit.


    Without a shadow of a doubt.


    "Hmm, you''re not very talkative are you."


    Olivia said as she walked beside him while keeping her eyes ahead.


    "Anyways, can you show me your attribute now?"


    ''this again?''


    She always wanted to see his attribute, even when he told her multiple times it was useless.


    She pestered him for days...always wanting to see his attribute...and finally, he hit his breaking point and showed her.


    His hand began to exude a grey smoke, one that seemed lifeless.


    Olivia, taken by surprise, jumped back but immediately grabbed Alex''s hand and began to examine the grey lighting out from it.


    "...interesting."


    She muttered and continued to babble on in a low voice.


    "Since you can actually manifest it in the form of mana...that means it''s an actual element and you aren''t just affinity less..."


    "But what properties does it have? The name doesn''t give any hints except...


    nothing?"


    Alex pulled his hand away and stopped supplying mana to his hand, and the grey light disappeared.


    "Ah! Why did you do that?"


    Alex didn''t respond to her and continued to move on along.


    ''...why does she never understand?


    It''s useless.''


    A useless attribute, and Me who is even more useless.


    What a perfect duo.


    He continued to walk forward...he didn''t know when he would faint from the pain constantly assaulting his body.


    "Hey! We can study your attribute together at myb when you have the time!


    It''s floor 18 of The Dragon Dorm!


    You cane anytime!"


    He heard her shout from behind, ignored her, and hurried to his room.


    ''...what was her rank...8?''


    He thought as he continued to walk towards his dorm.


    Man....all the rest are top 10 students.


    Meanwhile im not even in the top hundred.


    Olivia Olsfer, Ranked 8th among the first years.


    Lucas Hiddlestone, Ranked 4th among the first years...


    And n Pator...ranked number one among the first years.<sub> </sub>


    And honestly...he felt like nothingpared to them.


    How could he, ranked 998 even feel something like being their equal?


    "khk..."


    Alex groaned in pain as he fastened his pace...until.


    "Well well, look who we have here!"


    A voice that he never wanted to hear responded in his ear...and he felt someone grab his shoulder from behind.


    "You son of a bitch, you thought I forgot your attitude in thebyrinth?"


    Alex cursed his luck as he heard that detestable voice and turned around to be met with the handsome face of the bastard he hated the most.


    Kyle re...along with some of his ''goons.''


    Kyle''s grip on his shoulder increased, and Alex...due to the training he received...instinctively used mana to reinforce that area because of the sudden pain...


    And immediately regretted that decision.


    "...This son of a bitch is getting cocky."


    Kyle sneered as his hand began to glow red and smoke could be seen rising.


    Alex endured the searing hot pain and gritted his teeth.


    "Hey, bastard I got a question.... where is the rank first now?"


    "He''s noting to save you now!"


    "Best him up kyle!"


    As Alex heard their voices...he still didn''t do a thing.


    He knew he couldn''t...and he knew the repercussions of doing so...


    And he also thought he stood no chance.


    "Hey, why don''t you peacefullye with us to my room, I''ll be nice and let you experience a dragon dorm room!"


    Kyle snickered as he applied even more mana to torture Alex''s shoulder.


    This was as far as he could go in public....hence the invitation to invite Alex to his room to give him the beating he truly deserved.


    Kyle knew his limits...and he knew someone from Shield was currently watching this unfold.


    Fortunately for him, he could just bribe the person.


    And unfortunately for Alex...kyle re also had a bit of a short temper.


    "Hey, bitch. If you think shield gives a damn about student violence...do you honestly think they''ll defend you, rank...what was your rank again?"


    "Ah fuck it. It honestly doesn''t matter... they won''t care about rank 6 assaulting you anyway."


    Kyleunched a punch straight toward Alex''s face...yet Alex''s thoughts were something that would shock Kyle if he knew about them.


    ''...so slow.''


    To Alex, He could see the punch inching closer and closer to his face...


    As it traveled every inch...he could see it clearly...and very slowly.


    It was such a slow punch that he honestly felt bored waiting for it to arrive.


    He could''ve reacted...but he just chose not to.


    He could''ve uratelynded about 3 punches in the time it took that lunch to reach his face but...he just didn''t.


    Alex too was shocked at how he could just see the punch inching closer and closer to his face...but he was too scared to do anything about it.


    s, no matter how slow he perceived it, it was stilling.


    And it came...the punch came closer and closer to his face until it hit his face.


    *Bam!*


    Yet...Alex didn''t even move an inch back.


    His nose was bleeding even more, yet he didn''t move back an inch.


    This was shocking to Alex...and honestly, the punch he had just received felt like someone was tickling him.


    One...was bound to feel that when he was regrly taking punches from the SWORD SAINT out of all people.


    "...this son of a bitch."


    Kyle''s anger res up even higher as he was mocked by Alex for not moving a muscle from his punch.


    He dares to humiliate me like this?


    He did this even in thebyrinth.


    That''s it...im gonna fucking roast you alive today.


    Kyle had made up his mind.


    And he readied his mana...and was about to unleash a damn fireball in public,when a voice that neither he nor Alex expected interrupted him.


    "What the fuck are you doing?"

 Chapter 132 [132]DO YOU NOT REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL?!

    [Lucas Hiddleston POV]


    "What the fuck are you doing?"


    I said, confused, shocked, and enraged at the fact that he just took the punch without even doing anything.


    There is no fucking way im believing that the only guy who could dodge the Sword Saints'' counters didn''t see that punching.


    The moment I woke up, I left the training room and was just walking to a specific ce that had something I ordered.


    And this is what Ie across?


    The guy that''s the fastest among us?


    The guy who''s the only one that could dodge the sword saints attack?


    The guy that has the best reflexes I''ve seen?


    The guy who is the reason I try to distract the Sword saint even though my body is breaking...just for him tond one hit...?


    What the Fuck are you doing?


    "Who the fu?!"


    I heard the red-haired bastard that was stupid enough to punch a student of the sword saint and saw him gasp in shock from seeing me.


    But that was not on my mind.


    This redhead isn''t worthy of my attention.


    "Ah...Lucas you see I-i  was..."


    "Shut the fuck up."


    I shut him up before he could spout any more nonsense.


    "I wasn''t talking to you."


    I said in my rage.


    My question from before was aimed at Alexander Wright.


    I could care less about the redhead...what was his name?


    Ah, not worthy of my time anyways.


    "Why the fuck did you just take it?"


    I questioned him, still not believing the fact that he just took the punch and didn''t fight back.


    Even if he didn''t fight back, why not just dodge?


    You and I both know the state of our bodies after training...


    Why the fuck didn''t you dodge?!


    Disregarding The rank first and the Silver head, the former having a body of fucking steel and thetter who received light attacks always from the sword saint.


    His and mine bodies were always the more injured.


    Do you not have the strength to move?


    Or do you justck the confidence to even move in front of this redhead''s presence?


    I don''t understand...why don''t you just beat the shit out of him?


    And why are your eyes so soulless?


    "Ah, I see! He messed with you too! Let''s beat the shi-"


    "Fuck off."


    I can''t deal with the nonsense that the redhead is spouting.


    I activated [Intimidation(D)] and exuded a pressure that made the redhead shut up.


    And like a scared rat, he shut up and I released my skill.


    Shit...I don''t have the mana to activate it for long.


    "Tch...You lucky ba-"


    I heard him click his tongue as he as running away while not finishing his sentence.


    I looked at Alexander with disgust in my eyes.


    Now I know the situation, I was too hot-headed to realize it.


    Yet I still don''t understand it, despite knowing it.


    You have the power, why do you cower because of his family?


    I will never understand such actions...and I consider them disgusting.


    I whispered in a low but angry voice in his ear, in a voice low enough that only he and I could hear.


    "You are a student of the Sword Saint, the strongest human alive...have some fucking pride."<sub> </sub>


    I paid him no heed, I don''t know when my body will copse from the pain.


    I need to drink a potion fast.


    I walked ahead and went toward my destination as gas as possible.


    But on my way there...I did not disregard what I just saw.


    A student of the Sword saint, one of the four, a student of the man who is a living legend, someone who is probably the strongest awakened human...cowered before a redhead of the res?


    Unforgivable.


    Fucking Unforgivable.


    ***


    Alexy down on his bed and stared at the ceiling with dead eyes.


    One might think he was dead with his eyes open...but he was actually thinking about something.


    How the heck could he see the punch move so slowly?


    He could see the air moving, the pinching closer and closer and he didn''t understand it.


    Whenever it was the sword Saint, the moves would move at regr speed, which was already hard to dodge.


    ...is the training working?


    Is it really?


    He has those thoughts.


    Before he couldn''t see any punching toward him.


    But now, he had clearly seen it.


    Had his eyes adapted to the speed of the sword saint?


    And...then even though it was very faint...he definitely smiled...


    It''s...working...my training...was actually strengthening me.


    Even though I got my ass kicked...i was able to clearly see an attacking toward me...


    Yet Iment at the fact that I was too scared to dodge it.


    ...is it possible?


    Can I rank up even though j have no Mana breathing technique?


    Is it possible?


    Suddenly, Olivia''s proposal appeared in his mind.


    And for the first time in his damn life.


    He stood up, put on some clothes that hid his figure.


    And left his dorm room.


    And he wasn''t going to the training room.


    He was going somewhere else.


    He didn''t know why...but he just felt it.


    Like his gut was telling him.


    This is your chance!


    ***


    Lucas sat down on a bench and waited patiently until a man wearing a ck backpack sat down next to him.


    He took off his backpack and Lucas handed him a card containing money.


    The man left soon after he got the card, and Lucas grabbed the backpack and silently made his way back to his dorm.


    There was a smile on his face as he walked back to his dorm with the backpack.


    There were only two things on his mind.


    The Goods Have arrived.


    And he''s gonna have fun for the following days.


    ***


    A/N:What does Lucas mean by Goods?


    Can you guess?


    If not, then stay tuned and find out next on Drag- I mean The Viins Story!

 Chapter 133 [133]....What Are My Efforts Worth?...When Even...

    A/N:The entire chapter is from Lucas''s POV.


    "Hah!Hah!"


    Lucas gasped for breath as he struggled to catch up to Alex.


    Alex, who was jogging a little but in front of him, stopped and also started to gasp for breath.


    "...how the fuck are you so fast?!"


    Lucas struggled to speak as he gasped for breath.


    These days, both of them had been going on early morning runs as suggested by the sword saint for their training.


    Problem was, the run was supposed to be 2ps around the entire shield campus, which was huge.


    On the first day, they both failed horribly, and even now they couldn''t do the task, although they were getting closer to their goal.


    "... I don''t know."


    Alex replied half-heartedly, he then sat on the ground and tried to breathe.


    Lucas wasying on the ground, and Alex was sitting on it.


    The dirt there? They were too tired to think about it.


    Their hearts felt like they were going to jump out of their chests any second, and they were covered in sweat.


    Their legs were on fire, and just breathing was a difficult task for them.


    "... I wonder when he will experience this hell with us?"


    Alex muttered, but Lucas heard it and questioned him.


    "He?"


    "n."


    "The rank first?..."


    Lucas suddenly felt disheartened when he heard that name again.


    He said nothing, he only got up and started running again.


    But before he went, he said something that Alex didn''t quite understand.


    "Don''tpare us to him... he''s a fucking monster."


    And then he scooted off, leaving a confused Alex behind.


    "Hey wait!"


    ***


    "hah....fuck..."


    ''How long have I been running for?''


    Lucas thought and looked behind him to see the figure of Alex closing in, his form of running being shit.


    ''...I have to do 500 more pushups, 500 situps, and 500 squats more.''


    Lucas thought as he collected his breath.


    But...


    ''...will that be enough?''


    Will just that be enough?


    Will that be enough to catch up to what I saw?


    No...I must work even harder.


    I am the perfect one, I need to be above all others.


    Even...him.


    My training must be intense enough to rise above him.


    No matter the cost.


    "Hahh...Hahaha."


    I heard Alex gasping for breath as he reached my location.


    I checked the time on my watch and was surprised to see that we''d missed three sses.


    Well, I have missed three sses, and someone else doesn''t go to ss.


    Ahh, I want to see that beautiful face to rejuvenate myself.


    Beauty is the cure.


    But I must persevere.


    I mustplete my training.<sub> </sub>


    But... there''s still a lot more time I have left.


    How funny, if I hadn''t seen ''that'' a few days ago, I, without a doubt would have continued to train regardless instead of thinking to rest.


    But...who says I can''t have a little fun.


    I...need to remove that memory from my mind.


    I spoke to the tired Alex, for I am caring.


    Why must I be the only one to have fun?


    "Hey Alexander, You know about the Drama Club right?"


    "Huh?One of the clubs that had their budgets cut?"


    "Yeah, that one."


    I responded to him.


    Recently, the student council has decreased the budgets of a few clubs, leading to the clubs that had their budgets cut rioting.


    The Drama club, filled with absolute beauties, although can''tpare to the most beautiful, is among them.


    Those girls are pissed, and along with the other clubs, have been rioting every day, only for Daniel Khorsch, the student council president to pacify them with his handsome face.


    Well, that works on the girls, not the boys.


    But who says every girl is pacified?


    I put my arm over Alex''s shoulder and pulled his ears closed, before whispering something in his ear.


    "Hey, I''ll ditch ss too, instead let''s do something fun."


    I was met with Alex''s confused stare.


    "Fun?What fun?"


    Oh, something very fun my dear Alex.


    I answered him with the biggest and lewdest smile on my face.


    "Let''s go get some bitches!"


    ***


    I''m tired....im so tired...


    My muscles are so fatigued.


    But I must train.


    I made my way to the training room and I leaned on the walls to give myself some support.


    I...for the first time in my life have realized that I am not a genius.


    Especially when I ampared to the likes of Alex, Olivia, And the first rank.


    Those...three are geniuses that surpass me.


    I hate to admit it...but this is reality.


    But! As I am perfect, I must train even harder!


    So I am not left behind!


    So what if they have the talent?


    I have hard work!


    If I can''t surpass them in terms of talent, I will surpass those geniuses in terms of hard work.


    That was my motto, and even though my body experienced pain on another level, I ignored it.


    I must work even harder and then reward myself with my Magazines.


    But...how was I supposed to know that the moment I opened the training room, at a time when no one should be here, I would be met with a sight that devasted me.


    As soon I opened the door, I was met with waves of mana shing against my figure.


    The man in the room seemed to resonate...no it was resonating...with a lone figure practicing with the spear, with bloodshot eyes.


    His figure, his muscles, and the mana resonating with him, covered in a pool of sweat painted a beautiful scene pleasing to the eyes...but to mine, they seemed devastating.


    As I saw the sweat, the bloodshot eyes, the muscles, the mana itself dance along his figure, his pure snow white hair dancing as he practiced his spear with a perfect form...i realized.


    Fuck.


    Even the ''Genius'' works just as hard.


    And then I realized an even worse truth.


    ...what are my efforts worth?...if even the genius works just as hard...if not even harder than me.

 Chapter 134 [134]The Child Of Death.

    In a desert dungeon, n Pator sleeping against the body of a dead monster.


    The area around him was covered in blood-red sand.


    The sand was dyed red from the blood of the numerous monsters around him, all having gruesome wounds.


    n''s body was also covered in blood, his snow-white hair all dirty and its original color could not be discerned.


    And suddenly, ''something'' walked among the corpses of monsters.


    A four-legged leopard that had blood-red fur, four blood-red eyes, and horns all around its body, its fangs glistened under the artificial sun of the dungeon.


    It walked and finally saw the one who caused the massacre of its fellow dungeon beasts.


    The ''Perpetrator'' opened his eyes, revealing two blue diamonds that glistened even more than the Blood Leopards Fangs.


    "Grr.."


    It growled, and n stood up and prepared himself to take this foe down.


    Both of them circled around each other, in the limited space around the corpses, and finally...


    They bothunched themselves at each other with such speed the sand created clouds of blood-red dust!


    The shes of red and white flickered in the dust, Red shed with White, and Dragon shed with Leopard.


    And the dragon eventually won, with a white sh that blew the don''t cloud away.


    n was seen dragging the corpse of the blood leopard, his body littered with wounds that were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    The jaw of the blood leopard was dislocated, its skull caved in and its paws crushed.


    It truly died a horrifying death.


    And n conjured a de of ice in his hand, and cut up the beast, getting even more blood on his figure.


    He dug in its innards and clicked his tongue when he didn''t find what he was looking for.


    "Tch...not this one either huh."


    [All Dungeon beasts have been killed.


    Condition two of Dungeon Exit has beenpleted.]


    [The dungeon Exit is open.]


    A bloodred portal materialized in the sky in front of him, and he jumped inside it.


    ***


    Benson checked the time as he stood outside the dungeon entrance.


    A team of professional Dungeon extractors was waiting outside of the dungeon with him.


    Twilight owned the dungeon in question and had cleared the entire area around it when they were informed by a certain someone so suddenly.


    And this, the certain someone''s assistant had been called to attend to him.


    ''It''s been about 3 hours.''


    Benson thought and then concluded that n would take at least 2 more hours for him toplete the dungeon.


    But shockingly, the dungeon gate started to turn blue and lightning shed around the gate.


    "!!"


    Benson, caught off-guard by the sudden anomaly, was about to evacuate the extractors when n''s figure walked out of the dungeon.


    His spear and his future were covered in blood from head to toe exiting a portal of deep red made a picture that caused Benson and the others to shiver.


    Benson immediately rushed towards n and asked him.


    "How did youplete the dungeon this quickly?!"


    "I just went berserk inside."


    Ben was left shocked by what n said. Sure it was a low-level dungeon, but he''s taking it down alone this quickly was astonishing!


    Especially when even full-on teams required three to four hours to raid the dungeon.


    "I''ll go clean myself up, and tell the extractors to get on with their work."


    And without waiting for a reply, he headed towards his prepared vehicle, which was asrge as a small house, and entered it.


    He closed the door shut and Benson sighed as he ordered the extractors to go inside the dungeon and perform the cleanup.


    "... I didn''t even tell you the good news yet."


    ***


    I don''t have much time.


    There''s not much time left until I need to return to shield.


    I''ve been doing my student council member work from outside...but there''s a limit to how many days I can''t be on campus.<sub> </sub>


    And I don''t know if Headmaster Olliver will allow me to be gone for long.


    Wait...on second thought he might actually let me be.


    But that doesn''t change the fact that my student record is going to shit.


    If I want to remain in the top 10 and have the best training facilities possible, I can''t be away for too long.


    And I haven''t made any significant progress here as well due to my shitty luck.


    ''...hmm after this, the only dungeon that has an item I need is in Japan and then I''ll finally be able to craft the item needed when I want with a cksmith.''


    I thought as I racked my brain to think of a good solution.


    I''m already missing so many sses, and not to forget I also have a job there.


    Well, nothing threatens Sabrina while she is inside Shield, so no threat to the soul crystal of mine that she has.


    Thinking about that shit still makes me pissed, but anyway, I need to get my hands on the Blood Leopards Crystallized Heart.


    That has a low chance to manifest, which is frustrating.


    And I also need to get a lot of other things to craft what I want.


    ''...this is going to be hectic as heck.''


    Knock! Knock!


    "Come in."


    I answered the knock on the door of my vehicle.


    When Benson came inside he stopped and gasped as he stared at me.


    Oh yeah,e to think about it I only have a towel around my waist.


    I just took a bath to get rid of the smell of blood and was only wearing a towel.


    Benson stared at my body, which was covered in muscle for a bit before he coughed and looked down.


    "I have some good news for you, sir."


    He said, and I urged him to continue.


    "The rings have been sold and a total of 1.9 billion studs have been sent to your ount."


    And upon hearing that good news, I almost spat out the nonexistent drink I was having, immediately looked at my ount through my phone and carefully...but happily asked Benson.


    "How much did each ring sell for?"


    "700 million studs sir."


    "OOOOH YE-I mean that''s good."


    I almost lost control of myself as I failed to hide my excitement.


    The rings sold for a muchrger value than my original estimate!


    How could I not be happy?


    Woohoooo!


    I guess this is what I get in exchange for my shitty luck of not getting the Crystallized Heart.


    But his next words shook me with happiness even more...


    "We''ve also secured the rights to the dungeon you requested in Japan, and the elders of the guild have also approved your application to form your team...but."


    "But what?"


    "Are you certain that we can trust ''him''?"


    Oh...so that''s what this is about.


    Trust Maxwell huh, yeah we can.


    I had a meeting with him  two days ago, and I can assure you one thing.


    As long as I promise him his revenge.


    We can trust him.


    I reassured Benson, who despite not having been convinced, asked me I''m about something else, a question to which I already had an answer for.


    "Have you decided on the name for the Team?"


    A name...oh yea I have.


    I have decided on a spectacr name.


    "Predator."

 Chapter 135 [135]The Child Of Death(2)

    Two Days ago.


    "Mocha Please."


    "Atte for me."


    n and Maxwell ordered their coffee respectively.


    And as they waited, Maxwell took the initiative and began talking first.


    "You know, I honestly didn''t think you would contact me."


    n immediately replied.


    "Well, you thought wrong."


    "I certainly did."


    Maxwell agreed, he then nced at n''s figure, before carefully asking.


    "Did you get bigger?"


    n, who was caught surprised by this question, answered it after a moment.


    "It''s known as Puberty."


    Maxwell said nothing, he only thought in his mind.


    ''...what ame excuse.''


    The current n Pator was someonepletely different from the one he saw before.


    He was taller, more muscr, and definitely had a different face.


    The only thing that hadn''t changed was his eyes, those blue diamonds were still the Same.


    Cerulean Blue and Beautiful.


    "So, let''s talk business."


    Maxwell disregarded his previous thoughts and began to talk seriously.


    "I''ll provide all the channels for the equipment to sell, you just need to provide it, and if you are worried about your guild then mana contracts can solve that problem."


    "Is talking about all that in this coffee shop a good idea?"


    Maxwell smirked as he listened to n, before stating.


    "I own it, every ''employee'' you see here is someone that can''t speak about this conversation at all."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "No matter what."


    Maxwellpleted his sentence.


    ''So that''s why it''s empty.''


    n thought, initially he had guessed it was because it was early, but he was wrong.


    Well, even if this was a trap, n was confident enough to escape easily, considering he could teleport and all.


    but he wasn''t here to talk. about business about his rings.


    "Maxwell, I want you to join twilight and be a member of my raid team."


    n stated, his eyes containing a certain aura of calmness, a certain aura that seemed to make one listen to him, to feel safe when he was around.


    But Maxwell would not be swayed by something so easily.


    "I''vee here to talk business, and besides your guild won''t ept me."


    "How are you so sure?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ''...why in the world would they ept the son of the guild master of the number one ranked guild?''


    ...that was akin to letting a ticking time bomb enter your room.


    Twilight, ept the guy whose father owns a guild that is above their own, and also is somewhat a rival guild?


    "Regarding the RI-"


    Maxwell tried to change the topic to business again but was interrupted by n.


    "You want revenge,  don''t you?"


    Maxwell paused, his facial muscles stiffened up for a second before rxing again.


    He tried to rx, but n didn''t give him enough time.


    "Against Titan, or more importantly against Daniel Parker."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    n''s words hit the mark, and Maxwell struggled to maintain his poker face.


    "I can give you that revenge."


    Every word hit the mark.


    "Titan falling into mes, and Daniel Parker watching it fall in front of his eyes.


    You want to see it, don''t you?"


    And Maxwell dropped his businessman act.


    ***


    [ns PoV]


    James Smith, and Maxwell Parker.


    Both of you are so alike.


    but there is a difference.


    Maxwell, is still sane, to a certain degree.


    He hasn''t fallen so deep into revenge that he will do ''anything.''


    And I ''want'' him.


    I don''t want to experience those memories of James Again.


    And never in my fucking life do I even want to resemble him.<sub> </sub>


    He suffered and made me suffer.


    But more importantly, I want someone like Maxwell.


    Someone whose loyalty I can guarantee with ''revenge''.


    Not with those Mana contracts.


    ? And because I want this to be fair.


    For my Sympathy towards him.


    For if he''s lived a life simr to James, then it is understandable that he should have gone insane.


    but he hasn''t, he kept it hidden under wraps, and hasn''t been consumed by it.


    Unlike a certain someone.


    Maxwell...is still human inside.


    "You want revenge don''t you?"


    I saw his face twitch before regainingposure.


    But I wasn''t going to give him time to rx.


    "Against Titan, or more importantly against Daniel Parker."


    I know.


    Because I''ve seen ''his'' memories, even though they are only fragments.


    I know exactly the words, that James would have so desperately wanted to hear.


    Before he became a monster.


    "I can give you that revenge."


    The revenge against your father that you so desire.


    The revenge that you have nned since you were a child.


    The revenge that, although you have not been consumed by it, yearn for it.


    To prove that awakened talent is not everything.


    "Titan falling in mes, and Daniel Parker watching it fall in front of his eyes.


    You want to see it, don''t you?"


    Every word of mine hit the mark.


    I could see his defences fall, the words that he yearned to hear, the possibility he wanted to know of.


    Come, let me face you.


    The one most simr to James.


    His act fell apart.


    And it seemed like I was talking to a human James.


    A still human being, and not the monster James had beter on.


    ***


    From the beginning he awakened, in the beginning, he had his talent rankings measured.


    Life had been hell.


    His older brothers, Sisters, and family all treated him like trash.


    He only had his little sister, who he was then banned from seeing after.


    Andter on, even that little innocent girl didn''t care about him anymore.


    He was beaten, he was abused, all because his talent was below his family''s standards.


    A pig in a family of lions.


    His life changed, and he began to question...


    Why?


    Why is this happening?


    And he soon found the answer.


    Ah, it''s because I will never be as strong as them.


    In this world of superhumans, I will never reach that realm.


    is that the reason why?


    how funny.


    And his cycle continued.


    His hell continued.


    And he resolved, to build it all up.


    To hide his intentions from them.


    To hide until the time was right.


    And strike back.


    Yet, no matter how he schemed, he always felt bound.


    How can I challenge them with wits?


    What good is the best strategy in front is absolute power?


    nothing.


    Nothing at all.


    And so, he, who had acted as trash, but built himself a foundation in secret.


    Was feeling hopeless.


    Utterly hopeless.


    And then, he met someone who, with his eyes alone, his eyes that was filled with confidence.


    Someone that had the talent to do it.


    Gave him that chance.


    But I won''t be blinded.


    I am Maxwell.


    And I am a businessman.


    It''s time to negotiate with the first spatial awakened in human history.

 Chapter 136 [136]The Child Of Death[3]

    "Finally..."


    I held the one item I wanted in my hand as I tossed the corpse of a Blood Leopard.


    Finally, I have it in my hands.


    After 17 goddamn raids, I have it.


    The crystallized heart of a blood leopard.


    A blood-red gem that is as big as my palm.


    Now, I only need to get one more thing to craft what I need, and also apetent cksmith, and also find ''it''


    The only problem here lies in the fact if I can find apetent cksmith, t won''t be any dwarves here to craft the thing needed for ''it''.


    I just hope a human cksmith is capable enough to not mess it up.


    "Finally...only a little more and then I''ll have it."


    "Have what?"


    I tensed up as I heard a voice that I had been hearing for the past couple of days.


    And for fucks sake, why does he have to do that?


    "Can you stop?"


    I stared at Aranus as he magically appeared behind me moments ago.


    "Sorry."


    He apologized, and he asked me again.


    "But what do you mean by ''it?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Wait...does he not know?


    "You don''t know?"


    "No, I was asleep for a long time so I didn''t know what the memories given to you by the Jade Snake are in detail."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    WELL, WELL WELL.


    HAHA.


    I know something he does not!


    I don''t know why, but just the thought of it is exciting in itself.


    And I refuse to tell him!


    "You don''t need to know."


    "..."


    I saw his face remain as dead as it always was as he sighed and then just sat on the bloodied sand.


    And then he asked a question that made me tense up.


    "So, why did you meet with Maxwell?"


    ***


    [Aranus Pov]


    I asked the question and saw as he tensed up.


    Why on earth contact Maxwell, when you can just use James'' memories?


    Why must you let someone who isn''t aspetent do something that you, with the assistance of his memories, can do easily?


    Frankly, I don''t understand.


    But I guess everyone is different and has their unique ideals.


    And I soon heard his.


    "Because it''s a way to win."


    What?


    A way to win?


    Against what?


    I questioned in my mind as I pondered over what he meant by his words.


    But I didn''t need to think about it long, for he answered my thoughts.


    "Maxwell, Lucas, and Alexander all have one individual thing that made that son of a bitch.


    Their circumstances resemble his, only they have not yet yet gone insane..."


    I was silent.


    "...so...do you not know the feeling of satisfaction I will get when I change their fate?


    When I change their transformation into ''him''."


    "Even if they can''tpletely be someone like him, wouldn''t it be a victory of mine if I stopped it?


    You don''t have to understand, it''s just because I think it will give me victory over him."


    "Over the monster that is James."


    I silently pondered over his words, but...


    I truly don''t understand.<sub> </sub>


    James is gone, what satisfaction will you get from gaining a victory over him?


    I don''t think I''ll ever get it.


    But I guess everyone has their own goals.


    But how funny, it all looks like a child trying to get some petty revenge on an adult.


    How utterly hrious.


    ***


    [n Pator PoV]


    I don''t care what he''s thinking about, I don''t give a damn fuck about what they think.


    I honestly don''t care.


    They canugh all they want, but I will have some sort of victory over him.


    Even though it''s petty, hrious, and cannot be understood.


    I don''t care.


    All I care about now is going to the ruined country of Japan, to get the final item I need.


    I exited the dungeon and was met with the dungeon extractors rushing towards the dungeon as Benson greeted me.


    I paid no heed to his words, I was too busy thinking about my form of victory over him.


    Well, whatever... it''s time.


    It''s time to go to Japan.


    ****


    On two inds far from the coast of Japan.


    The inds were a few miles apart from each other, but there were distinct differences between them.


    One was big, while the other was small.


    One looked to be deste,cking all forms of life and seemed to stink of the stench of death, while the smaller one looked abundant with life and vegetation.


    One was uninhabited, while the ind of life had a small cottage on it.


    Therge one, on the other hand, had ck water around it''s shores, and the ck water could be seen reaching the ind of life.


    But...the ind of death trembled...


    *RUMBLEEEE*


    A humanoid covered in a bone-like armor resembling a sort of reptile woke up from its slumber.


    It then began to shriek in pain, as ck chains that only it could see materialized on it.


    They dragged the creature down, and the poor thing cried out in pain.


    The chains exuded the element of death around the surroundings, and would soon control the humanoid creature, for its resistance would be futile after a while.


    The moment the creature noticed the element of death spreading, it resisted even harder and stopped the spread of the element of death.


    It struggled and the chains disappeared.


    But it knew they were still on its body, just invisible for now to it.


    It then felt its blood boil, as it felt an energy of a simr type but filled with life.


    Space, Chaos, Frost, and blood of life.


    It felt it.


    And turned its head in the direction of the energy.


    The energy of Life.


    ***


    As I looked at the dungeon around a ruined city far from central Japan, I felt sorry for the citizens.


    Who knew, that the area which was once Japan had most of itsnds destroyed?


    And only central areas could be rebuilt because of the war that killed their national Hero, Hiroto Mitsuki, the Spear Saint.


    But that''s not what''s on my mind.


    The moment I had stepped on thisnd...i felt two types of energies.


    One Energying from central Japan, and seemed to be...calling for me?


    But...what is the other one?


    The first cannot bepared to this one.


    An energy simr to mine, but reeked of death.


    Far from central Japan, I felt its presence.


    Death, Darkness, Shadow, and blood that reeked of death.


    Such ominous energy.


    And apparently, I''m the only one feeling this, as all the other crew from twilight don''t sense anything.


    I ignored the first energy and focused primarily on the second.


    Curiosity killed the cat, was a famous phrase, however, I wouldter realize I would nearly die from it.


    And I was oblivious to my oing fate, I turned my head towards the energy I felt.


    The energy of Death.


    *****


    A/N; Get ready bois, my favorite character is going to be introduced and also a big boss fight ising.


    Oh, and I have to say it.


    STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN DRAGO-THE VILLAIN''S STORY.

 Chapter 137 [137]The Child Of Death[4]

    From the beginning of his memories, he was alone.


    Always, always alone.


    He didn''t remember having any family.


    No parents, No siblings, no rtives at all.


    An orphan without anything.


    In his days at the orphanage, no one ever wanted to y with him.


    All the children, whether they were younger or older...were all afraid of him.


    Because of his ck void-like eyes.


    No one ever wanted to do anything with him.


    Just the Aura he exuded made everyone afraid of him.


    He always just watched the other kids y from far away.


    Whether he was alone on the swings, alone on a bench, or even the only one left in the Park.


    No one wanted anything to do with him.


    He didn''t even know his actual name.


    His ck hair, void-like eyes, and average face were everything that he saw in the mirror.


    They just gave him a name.


    No one knew where he came from.


    The orphanage just gave him a name, and he didn''t know if it was his or not.


    Creep.


    Why do you think like that?


    He wondered why theybeled him as such, he never even interacted with anybody, he just watched from a distance because they hated him near them.


    Always alone, even ying by himself never went as nned.


    All the vegetation, all the leaves of trees, all the branches...all the beautiful flowers...just wilted when he touched them.


    He didn''t know who his mother or father even was.


    No one, no one was by his side.


    This was the situation until...one awakened girl came and yed him.


    Her green hair, her emerald eyes, and her kind demeanor enchanted him.


    She was the only one who wanted to y with him, and...he fell for that kindness.


    Those kind eyes, that yful smile...no one ever looked at him like that.


    Hate and disgust were all he knew.


    He began to enjoy his life a little bit after meeting her.


    Although she was a lot older than him, he never cared.


    He just had a friend who yed with him.


    And she gave him a name.


    A proper name, not one that was foolish like Creep.


    Shimoshino Kazikato.


    He didn''t know what they meant, but he just epted it.


    He finally had a name.


    And he liked it.


    His friend gave him that name.


    He loved it.


    He, who didn''t have a name, now had one.


    He didn''t care about what it meant, even if it meant nothing, he was d to have it.


    He would cherish it.


    His previously lonely days were now long gone.


    He...for the first time in his life, had a smile on his face.


    A smile that didn''tst for a long time.


    ***


    He screamed for help.


    ck energy, the mana of the element of death surrounded him.


    The mana of death was encased in a barrier of green light, erected by the woman who was trying her best to help him.


    Why...did I have to awaken?


    Awaken now, when I was only now happy?


    Why must you take it from me?


    His screams of pain were heard only by the woman, who was draining her mana to contain his awakening.


    But...then the elements of Darkness and Shadow began to emerge.


    Andpletely destroyed the woman''s barriers.


    The outburst of mana sent her flying...and he saw messages he would always remember.


    [Congrattions on your awakening]


    [Heart of ''Shi''* has been detected inside of you.]


    [I greet the son of Shi, the deceased Supreme dragon of Death.]<sub> </sub>


    [The chains that once bound Shi have been transferred to you.]


    [Heart of Shi rejects the chains.]


    [Rejection failed.]


    [Warning, Mana unstable]


    [The chains conceal your presence from The ********** ]


    [*********** has failed to notice your existence]


    [Mana stabilization has begun.]


    And then, his body began to change.


    An armor of bone enveloped his figure, it resembled that of a humanoid reptile


    A half-dragon, a cursed dragon.


    He tried to run, away from her, he ran and ran but she gave chase.


    He didn''t want to hurt her.


    But she wanted to save him.


    And she continued to give chase.


    And they ended up on the two inds that would soon symbolize their respective elements.


    Death and Life.


    ***


    On the small ind that was filled with vegetation and housed a cottage.


    An old woman stepped outside the cottage.


    Her green hair glistened under the sun.


    But all that greeted her eyes would be the ck waters.


    She regretted it.


    She regretted the fact that she wasn''t strong enough to save him.


    To save the child that had the same childhood as her. One where he received hate, one where he was alone, and abandoned, and one where he had no one.


    So simr to hers, and this was the reason she bonded with him.


    She didnt want him to experience the same pain as her.


    Jinsei Hana sighed as she stares at her wrinkled hands.


    She had aged so much in such a small amount of time.


    All because she was overexerting herself.


    She still didn''t give up.


    She wouldn''t.


    She would never give up on the boy that she considered a son.


    He was suffering, and she could only want helplessly stop the spread of the influence of death on the surroundings.


    How many years had it been?


    Only one or two, yet how brave he was.


    To still be resisting.


    To still be fighting.


    And although she knew he couldn''t hear him, she still prayed for his victory.


    I will stop its influence, so keep fighting and win.


    Keep fighting, don''t give up.


    And win.


    Kazikato.


    *****


    *Shi means death in Japanese(I think)


    **Jinsei Hana is supposed to mean Flower of life(correct me if I''m wrong, but I''m still not well-versed in Japanese).


    Oh and also. Just added this for extra info


    ====Status====


    Name:Shimoshino Kazikato(16)


    Race:Death Dragon.


    Bloodline:None.


    Restrictions:The Chains of ********.


    Strength:?


    Agility:?


    Endurance:?


    Affinities:Death[Supreme], Darkness[Superior], Shadow[Superior]


    Skills:???


    Martial Techniques:??


    Note:Partial Dragon Transformation is active, Host is unstable.


    ================================

 Chapter 138 [138]The Child Of Death[5]

    A/N: Thank you all for a million views!


    Aranus was in disbelief.


    This energy....belonged to a fellow dragon.


    And a dragon of death.


    He calmed down his mind and focused even more on this energy.


    ''...it is a dragon of death.''.


    ...it can''t be ''her''.


    She would destroy this world with just her presence.


    And neither her deceased daughter.


    ...but this energy of death is so simr to ''hers''.


    It is so simr to the energy of the only Dragon of death left....yet it seemed different.


    Aranus, after checking the energy, finally concluded that it didn''t belong to the energy of the one dragon of death he remembered.


    ''...if it''s not that grandma''s energy, then what is it?''


    If it''s not the energy of the dragon who is the mother of the Supreme Dragons of Ice, Death, Darkness, and Shadow.


    Then what the fuck is It?!


    "So, is it a dragon?"


    Aranus heard ns voice as his gaze never left the direction of the energy.


    "Yes."


    Aranus gave n his answer and continued to think aloud, well only n could hear what he was saying so it didn''t matter.


    "...if it''s not hers, then is it an artifact with her power...no the energy is too strong for that...and it also cant be Shi''s energy...she died before I even awakened....then what is it?"


    Did a new dragon of death Appear?


    But then...where was this dragon when he was rampaging through the universe?


    Had another human been born beside me and the celestial child with the aptitude and blessing of a dragon?


    No, Shi, who was dead can''t have given the blessing.


    And that gigantic stuck-up old dragon would never do that.


    I need to go closer to find out.


    I cannot exert my powers in this form.


    "So...mind exining this to me?"


    He heard n''s voice and turned around to face him.


    "An unstable dragon of Death is present on Earth. And I don''t know its identity."


    "A dragon of Death? How strong is it right now?"


    "I don''t know...but it''s shocking."


    "Of course it is, a fucking dragon of death is on Earth, it bou-".


    "Not that."


    Aranus interrupted n and exined to him the reason for his shock.


    "There have been only two dragons of death throughout the history of Dragon, The Primordial Dragon of Death, Ariel, and her daughter, Supreme Dragon of Death Shi."


    "There have been no dragons born with the element of death except those two."


    "...And right now, although simr, it doesn''t belong to either of them."


    n remained quiet and asked a question after some time while Aranus was mumbling to himself.


    "Well, it could have died before you began you-"


    n paused midway through his question, as he dawned upon a terrifying fact.


    Either a Dragon of all, who could feed upon mana to sustain itself, could live indefinitely died from natural causes...or someone...


    Killed a dragon.


    But who?


    The only ones capable of such feats would destroy Earth the moment they appeared with their power levels.


    That couldn''t have happened...so...


    Did a human kill a dragon?


    Even though killing a dragon was a near-impossible task...what if it was like n?


    Who was alone and his guardian dragons were absent to protect him...and he was also young and weak.


    The possibility of that...was small but not zero.


    The only thing left to consider was, if a human had killed it, then why was there no mention of a dragon yer in the memories I have?


    I need to find out.<sub> </sub>


    "We need to find out about this dragon, if we are lucky and can reason with it then-"


    "Say no more."


    Aranus was cut off by n, who was going to inform his assistant, Benson.


    It seems someone is curious.


    Aranus thought In his mind as he saw the child go in a hurry.


    This can prove to be very dangerous.


    But also very very fruitful.


    Aranus at that moment then remembered something humans used to say.


    High risk, high return.


    ***


    The Dragonoid covered in a bony armor stood up.


    In this destend, it stood up, standing at a height of three meters.


    It had long and scaly arms, and even longer legs, covered in its frightening armor.


    Its eyes shined a ck light as it began to feel the energy it had felt earlier move closer to it.


    It wasn''t steady, it wasn''t traveling here either quickly or slowly.


    It traveledrge amounts of distances instantly as if it was teleporting.


    The Dragonoid stared at the energying closer, and the chains around its body began to tighten as it was being restrained every second.


    It prepared its mana, and as the chains began to restrict it, even more, they controlled it, like a puppeteer controlling a puppet.


    They made him...roar.


    A roar so terrifying and filled with such power engulfed the ind as the surroundings lost their color.


    It was a roar to meet the oneing towards it.


    And unfortunately, Kazikato had no choice but to follow the godforsaken chains did.


    *ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!*


    ****


    Hana heard the roar of Kazikato as the area began to shake.


    *Rumble!*


    The waters began to rise and fall, waves formed and the earth rumbled.


    Hana stared at the Ind opposite hers and tried to rouse her mana.


    But she failed.


    She coughed up blood and fell to her knees.


    So weak, she had grown so weak.


    Will she have to use it?


    Will she have to use the skill that would kill her?


    Just to save Kazikato from his suffering.


    But it would without a doubt kill him as well.


    She didn''t want that...but if things continued to go an like this, who knows what she will have to do.


    I''m so weak...that I couldn''t protect the one wanted.


    Her mana, her life force she sacrificed it all, yet was still unable to save Him.


    And it was then that she felt mana, not hers or Kazikato''s.


    A different man, belonging to an attribute she never knew of, even as her days as an Awakened.


    And this man, a young man, materialized in front of her seemingly out of nowhere.


    His tall figure, his pure snow white hair, and most importantly....his diamond blue eyes... eyes that possessed a uniqueness that she saw in Kazikatos eyes.


    Appeared before her, and immediately she felt an aura of safety and protection envelope her.


    As her emerald eyes and the young man''s blue diamond eyes made contact, they looked at each other for a while, seemingly evaluating each other.


    And it was then that she felt it.


    Mana is so pure that no impurity could be found within.


    A man she had previously felt as she tried to save Kazikato.


    The mana belonged to a race much loved by Mana itself, so much so that mana was a fundamental part of their existence.


    The mana...


    Of a Dragon.

 Chapter 139 [139]The Clash Between Two Dragons.

    "...who are you?"


    Hana asked the young man that had appeared before her out of thin air, She backed away and tried to utilize her mana, but failed miserably.


    The young man, n instead didn''t reply to her but focused his attention on the Ind of death in front of her Ind.


    And it was then that he asked a question.


    "Miss, what are you doing here?"


    "Huh?"


    Hana, who was momentarily perplexed, backed off again and asked n the same question.


    "I asked you who you are!"


    n, finally looked at her figure and analyzed the mana within her body as he spoke.


    "A weak and old body, mana abundant with the elemental energy of life...yet now so weak?"


    He seemed to be questioning himself as he talked to her, his blue diamond eyes piercing through her.


    "What rtion do you have with the.


    Being on that Ind?"


    He finally asked a question that Hana could answer, but before she could even speak he spoke again.


    "What kind of rtionship do you have with the being there that you are willing to sacrifice your own life to stop the spread?"


    "A family member perhaps...or are you just an old hunter that wants ast moment of fame before her death?"


    And his words turned cold at the end of his sentence.


    And Hana just had a feeling that if she was a hunter who hade to kill the being.


    She would have died instead...by his hands.


    ****


    Quite frankly, I don''t know why I''m angry.


    But the moment I thought of her being here, stopping the spread of death around so she could kill the dragon on the ind.


    It enraged me for some reason.


    That a lowly insect-like being tried to go against a dragon.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    What am...am I thinking?


    Holy shit, did I just think of that?


    Why the hell?


    "The dragon ising here."


    And then, Aranuss''s voice brought me out of my thoughts as he spoke again.


    "So...her heart is within him."


    "Her?"


    I questioned him.


    "The heart of the deceased supreme dragon of Death Shi lies within that dragon."


    Another Supreme dragon?


    no...that name is not in the memories I have.


    Is it because the dragon died way before the events involving this body


    happened?


    "you should go and stop it, along with Shi''s heart, it also has the curse of Ariel, If you can break the weaker chains that bind it, you can probably reason with it."


    I was confused by the words.


    Curse?


    What kind of curse?


    What chains?


    But before I could open my mouth to say something.


    I felt a massive wave of mana suddenly surge forth from the ind.


    The wave of mana made the nt on this little ind wilt and the sea turned to an even darker ck shade.


    The old woman in front of me was pushed back by the sudden wave of mana.<sub> </sub>


    I, on the other hand, immediately equipped my armor and spear, and just as I was about to rush in towards the source, Aranus stopped me.


    "I don''t rmend you use weapons against that, they will decay before you even have a chance to use them."


    "...you mean I have to fight with my fists?"


    "Yep, your bloodline of the Phoenix will help you, and if you get in a bind, then just use partial Dragon Transformation like it is doing so."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Well, so ording to him, Melee and skills are the way to go.


    Oh well then.


    I''m excited about the fight that is about to begin.


    I roused my spatial mana and prepared to teleport to the deste ind.


    And just before I did, I heard her voice.


    "Please! Don''t kill him!"


    A voice filled with worry, and sorrow, which dispelled my thoughts of her being a hunter.


    So before I teleported, I reassured her that I wouldn''t.


    I wouldn''t kill the dragon...unless I have to.


    "I won''t."


    I honestly don''t know if I''m being honest.


    If I can take it down.


    But hey, if Aranus was okay with me being here, then I guess I can take it.


    And I teleported to the Ind.


    To sh with a fellow dragon.


    ****


    Hana gasped as she saw the Man disappear in front of her.


    His body vanished into thin air, and just like when he first appeared,


    He disappeared. And moments after he did, The world Shook!


    *RUMBLEEEEE!*


    The earth vibrated, the tides rose, and the sky above the ind of ck began to darken.


    Lightning shed around the skies, and shes of blue could be seen shining at irregr intervals.


    The waves around her rose higher and higher, Rain began to fall, and the earth rumbled even more.


    Hana was shocked as she took in the environment changing so fast it was almost unbelievable.


    The waves of mana that shed with one another made their way to her ind, the gusts of winds pushing her hair and clothes back, along with her figure.


    And to support her body, a thick wooden tree trunk appeared behind her from beneath the ground and she rested her body on it, trying to find even more stability.


    ''...just what is happening there?!''


    Hana thought as she tried her best to hold on to the tree trunk.


    She was currently oblivious to the fact that two young dragons were duking it out on the ind.


    And if she knew she would be d that they were young dragons.


    If it were mature one fighting, Earth would have been doomed.


    The shes of white and ck lit up the ind in front of her, as they traveled long distances, shing with one another.


    In the Air!


    In the Ground!


    Multiple Times!


    The shes of ck and white mana continued....until something happened that shook her to her core.


    Something blizzard and unbelievable for her.


    Two shes, One White And One ck, each covering half of the ind whole shed with one another.


    They consumed the ind of death, and all Hana saw the colors of white and ck epassing one-half of the ind.


    Fighting for more.

 Chapter 140 [140]The Clash Between Two Dragons![2]

    The moment I teleported to the ind, I was immediately assaulted by an aura of death that seemed to eat away at my being.


    Damn, An Aoe skill like this is bad for me.


    If I didn''t have my Bloodline that is.


    And in front of me, I saw a 3-meter-tall draconian covered in white bony armor rush towards me.


    Heh, let''s begin.


    I too, rushed towards it, as I prepared my mana to sh with its ck mana.


    We both ran at each other, wielding our mana, and soon, our fists connected.


    ****


    A sh of white and ck mana urred in the middle of the Ind,


    They dyed the world ck and white.


    And the two beings that caused it were the three meters tall death draconian(A/N:I''m using draconian because he hasn''t transformed into a full dragon yet.)


    And A human with snow-white hair possessing eyes that seemed to enrapture one with their beauty.


    Their fists connected, and their mana shed.


    The difference in size between them would prove to be a challenge for n, but he still didn''t transform into his draconian form.


    ''Height and Weight are very important factors to be considered when you are fighting, you can''t just fight an opponent, especially a humanoid when they outweigh you and are twice your size.''


    n recalled when his own master, The Sword Saint Arken exined to him the method to take down tall opponents.


    ''Simply get them down to your level, kick their groins, or their ankles and knees with a devastating low kick that knocks them off their bnce, their weight and height possess a challenge, but with enough power, anything falls.''


    And so, n did just that, hended a devastating low kick with his right leg, knocking the Draconian off bnce.


    But as it was falling, n twisted his body and delivered another devastating sidekick with his left leg.


    ''Why restrict yourself to only one leg?


    Use both you dumbass.''


    His master''s words resonated in his mind.


    The draconian was pushed back a few meters, and as it was raising its head, its face was assaulted with a terrifying 12 to 6o clock elbow from n.


    ''A 12 to 6o clock elbow is very dangerous, especially when used in the right ces to attack, it puts a majority of your body weight on your elbow, and when you strike, you can quite literally break your opponent''s skulls.''


    n''s remembered the time when the sword saint used that very attack on him, and shivered even though he was in a fight.


    He knew the power held behind the elbow, especially when it was directed at the face.


    But to his surprise, the Draconians face didn''t lower any further, it spun and attacked n with its tail, something n forgot about while he was reminiscing about his elbow experience.


    It was something he didn''t consider when he attacked, and as a result of his stupid mistake, he was sent flying.


    Hended on his feet, and when he was about to jump toward the Draconian, It suddenly appeared above him and attacked n with the same 12 to 6o clock elbow attack!


    n immediately caught the attack in his bewilderment, and the ground beneath him cracked as a result of the power of the blow.


    But he remained standing...but not for long because the Draconian attacked him with the same devastating low kick with its right leg, knocking n off bnce. And the dragon followed by twisting its body andnding a sidekick with its left leg, right on n''s Chest as he was falling.


    n coughed up blood as his figure flew from the terrifying blow.


    ''It''s fucking copying my attacks?!''


    Hended on his feet, and blood dripped down from his chin.<sub> </sub>


    He came to terms with the situation quite quickly and thought in his mind.


    ''Fine...copy this you fucking casual.''


    His diamond blue eyes, and the obsidian ck eyes of the Draconian locked, and they rushed toward each other again.


    However, as they were charging toward each other, n''s figure suddenly disappeared from its vision, and the next thing it knew was that a knee appeared right in front of its face, and its face endured another Knee kick.


    n Pator teleported right in front of its face in the air and kneed its face.


    Afterward, he immediately moved behind it, grabbed its tail, and grabbed it.


    And then his actions resembled a particr time in the Labyrinth when he yeeted a fucking Lavataur into the sky by its horns.


    Only this time, he yeeted the draconian by its tail far into the sky, and he didn''t wait for it to fall.


    He immediately teleported above it and delivered an axe kick to its chest, and it dropped toward the ground at a high speed...But!


    Before it even reached the ground n teleported underneath and kicked it into the sky, and...began to juggle the Draconian into the sky all around the Ind.


    His white mana shed with the ck mana protecting the draconian as it endured kick after kick in the sky.


    The shes of the white and ck continued in the sky, providing a shocking sight to a certain someone watching this battle unfold.


    But, this would not be the case for long, because as n kicked it toward the ground, It suddenly sprouted wings from its back, and flew towards n before he could teleport towards it again.


    The sudden appearance caught n off-guard, but he was headbutted soon in the gut, sending him flying into the air this time.


    The Draconian rushed towards n and attacked with the samebo of kicks n was using, before n grabbed it in the Air, and grabbed hold of the Draconians shoulders with his hands, stopping thebo.


    The Draconian and n locked eyes, and the Draconian roared right in front of n''s face.


    *ROAR!


    Its terrifying teeth showed and its spit fell on n''s Face, Who with his face showing a crazed look, roared back.


    "RAAAAAAHH-MOTHERFUCKER!"


    But his Roar was interrupted by the Draconian, who bit into his left shoulder.


    Blood was drawn, but n didn''t back down....and instead bit the right wing of the Draconian like a fucking animal.


    It was something he could never get rid of...bing so consumed in battle he acted like a beast.


    The qualities of the four students of the Sword Saintesplemented their fighting styles.


    For Olivia, think before you act.


    For Lucas, His persistence and technique.


    For Alexander, his pure speed and reflexes.


    And for n, Instinct supported by his incredible body.


    But it was a little different for n, It was...


    Beastly Instinct.


    Pure Fucking Beastly Instinct.


    ****


    A/N:Should I end the fights in just one chapter or continue with multiple chapters to get more hype?


    Whichever you prefer I''ll do I guess, please doment with your thoughts.

 Chapter 141 [141]The Clash Between Two Dragons![3]

    n ripped out a wing of the draconian and it roared In pain.


    "Raaagh!"


    Both of them fell together, and as they fell together toward the ground theynded blow after blow on one another.


    Punch after Punch.


    Kick after kick.


    At the face, their chest, and even the groin.


    With every move n did, the Draconian copied perfectly.


    And then as their mana shed, the colors of ck and white shined brightly in the sky, together, and battling one another even more fiercely.


    It was a beautiful light show, except for the ones responsible for it.


    *CRASH!*


    They crashed into the ck ground, and a dust cloud formed from their crash.


    n struggled to get up, but he got up regardless, fighting the pain in his body.


    He was hurt, and nobody except the Sword Saint had hurt him to such a degree.


    And yet, he still got up, he ignored the pain in his body and charged at the Draconian, who did the same.


    They collided with one another, a fist of the other caught in each hand, and then their mana shed again.


    *Ruugh!*


    "...Shut up you bony son of a bitch!"


    It was as if they could understand each other, they both cursed at one another in their own way.


    The struggle continued, and the sh of their mana lit up the ind again.


    One Side is ck, and the other white, and these two are in the middle of it.


    And finally, what broke this stake are was n finding that his body was in the air, and then being mmed down into the ground again.


    The draconian, using his height and arm length as an advantage, had just simply raised his arms high, and then lowered them again, mming n to the ground.


    n coughed up blood, and immediately maneuvered around the body of the draconian and put its left arm on a hold, but he didn''t wait for the bastard to tap out, that would be foolish in this scenario, he outright broke the left arm of the draconian, l it roaring in pain once again.


    Yet the draconian moved its body at a weird angle and n was flung off.


    n, as he fell to the ground, got up...but was immediately assaulted by a 12 to 6 o''clock elbow straight to the head.


    He teleported a few dozen metres away from the draconian and held his head in pain.


    Damn...that hurt...and I''m dizzy as fuck.


    n thought in his mind, as he focused his blurry vision on the draconian.


    ...am I seeing things right?


    He thought, surprised by the sight he just saw in his blurry vision.


    The draconian had just pulled its spine out from its nape.


    And before n could process what the fuck just happened, the draconian used the spine as a damn whip that wrapped tightly around n in an instant.


    It pulled him towards it, and n, who due to his blurry vision couldn''t teleport as urately and didn''t have time to activate mana sense, was helplessly pulled toward the Draconian...


    And then it happened.


    *Phuk!*


    "Gagh!"


    The draconian which had pulled n towards it with its spine had stabbed n with its tail right in the stomach.


    Blood was drawn, and the Draconian''s tail was seen protruding from the back of n Pator, his abdomen gone.


    It swung the ''dead'' n Pator off its tail.<sub> </sub>


    n''s bodynded a few metres away from the Draconian.


    The Draconian lowered its head to insert its spine back into its body.


    And when it was done...it felt fear!


    It straightened itself almost immediately and stared at the human it had ''killed''.


    It was the direction where it had felt the ''fear'' from!


    But what it saw wasn''t the small human from before.


    A monster resembling it, standing even taller than it, and possessing white scales with hints of cyan.


    The human was now a draconian, simr to it.


    But it would not be allowed to think even further.


    A punch came right toward its face, sending it flying across the ind.


    It stabbed its arms into the ground, stopping its flight.


    And then, as it raised its head, all it saw was a beam of Cyan light heading towards it, and the temperature reducing.


    It hurriedly Erected wall after wall of bone to protect itself. But even these walls of bone froze and broke in front of the beam.


    It continued to erect wall after wall again, and the world around it turned white its body freezing.


    But finally, as the final wall fell, ice covered its body and it opened its eyes to see the entire ind around it covered In ice...and to its shock, even the sea much further behind was frozen to quite a significant degree.


    And what caused this was the other Draconian... who was now calmly walking towards it, its entire body exuding cold mist.


    ***


    Shit...I didn''t think it would take its spine and use it as a whip...and I paid the price for that.


    The hole in my stomach was wide, and my vision was fading.


    Am I gonna die like this?


    No...my Phoenix would heal me.


    If not for the energy of death around my wound.


    "Use Partial Dragon Transformation and transform into a draconian."


    I heard Aranuss''s voice as he took the words right out of my mouth.


    I was just about to do that.


    And I did, I transformed into an ice draconian and my body changed, I was taller, and scales appears on my body, and the moment that bastard looked up, I punched the life out of it and watched as it flew away.


    Yet...what is this feeling inside my chest, inside my neck?


    Mana...so much mana is being used and is coagting in my throat.


    It...is painful.


    "Release it, don''t resist, and release it, open your mouth and release your dragon''s breath."


    I heard his voice and did exactly as he said.


    I stopped resisting and opened my mouth, And let the mana flow.


    I let it flow outside, and unleashed a beam of cyan white light toward the Bastard.


    The umtion of my ice mana.


    The move that almost every dragon took pride in.


    I released it....my very own...


    Ice Dragons Breath!

 Chapter 142 [142]A Clash Between A Phoenix And A Dragon!

    A cyan beam which covered half the ind.


    That was all Hana saw as the temperature around her started to drop.


    The sea around her froze, her ind had little bits of frost on it.


    And she herself began to feel very very cold.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ''...that boy caused this?''


    She thought, bewildered.


    When the mysterious young man had appeared, she had spread out as much mana as she could muster to find the level of his strength.


    And what she found out was that his level was C rank.


    ...and a c rank shouldn''t be able to do this.


    In no fucking world could a C rank do this.


    And what was shocking was...that even after the beam had vanished, Kazikato.


    Was still alive and fighting.


    Pirs of Darkness, Spikes of bones covered and shing with ice, were all she could see.


    ''...monsters.''


    This was all she thought.


    Both her Dear Kazikato and...the young man that had just appeared...were all


    Monsters!


    And then she saw something even more shocking.


    An eastern type of dragon with its body covered in bones that resembled a spine, with pure ck eyes rose to the sky.


    And what shed with this dragon was a bird of ice.


    A Pheonix of Ice.


    ****


    The ind was covered with ice and bones.


    A result of the sh of the two beings on it.


    A Death Draconian, and an Ice Draconian.


    Duking it out with all their strength.


    *Bam!Bam!*Bam!*


    Each and each blow rippled the air. Every blow of theirs made the earth tremble.


    Their scales broke and they still continued.


    A Slugfest? A battle of beasts?


    Maybe those two terms could define it.


    *Bam*Bam*Bam*


    Their sh caused the world to tremble, and their bodies bled.


    Yet they still remained fighting.


    And the Ice Draconian...was losing.


    The Draconian of Death copied the Ice Draconians every move...and its body, enchanted with the energy of death and another mysterious power, rejuvenated it.


    And the poor bloodline manifestation of n Pator could not match up to this yet.


    n...was losing...and pathetically.


    His body was breaking...his body was bleeding...and his mana was running out.


    And to make it worse...that piece of shit transformed.


    A pure Dragon.


    An eastern dragon covered in spinal bone armor, with each segment different, separate.


    n didn''t know why they were separate...and before he had a chance to think he heard Aranus.


    "Be careful, you can only safely transform into an Ice Pheonix currently, the others will put too much strain on your body."


    He didn''t know where the heck Aranus was...and honestly, he didn''t care yet, his advice right now and during the early stages of this battle were helpful.


    So he just did whatever Aranus advised.


    Who better to trust in a fight than someone he had personally seen massacre millions?


    He used whatever mana he had left and activated the transformation.


    [Bloodline Manifestation is being activated.


    Chosen Transformation:Ice Phoenix!]


    He heard the system''s prompts.


    And soon, his body began to be covered in blue light.


    And what emerged was the Pheonix of Ice, its entire body exuded frost.


    Its very presence froze the air around it...


    And soon it rose high in the sky tobat the Dragon.


    ****<sub> </sub>


    The sh of the Two beings continued, this time a full fucking dragon and a Full fucking Pheonix.


    They split the clouds as they fired beams of death and ice at each other, spikes of bone and other ice spikes.


    And...then they faced each other I''m the sky, with the sun in the background.


    The Phoenix, visibly tired, used this chance to recover its depleting mana.


    And then...while it was doing that.


    The dragon''s body started pinning...no more urately the separate spine like Armour started to spin.


    Every segment started spinning at a high velocity.


    And the winds produced as a result reached the Phoenix.


    And then...at a speed, it could not see the dragonunch itself towards it.


    And bit at its body with its jaws of death.


    *CRUNCH!*


    A sound it never wanted to hear was heard.


    Its body of ice shattered under the force produced by the jaws of death of the dragon.


    And its shattered body fell to the ground...to the original ce it flew from.


    *CRASH!*


    Its massive body crashed on the Ind creating a dust cloud.


    And it dissolved, into a blue light that formed a human.


    n Pator....bleeding from every damn orifice in his body, and multiple other wounds.


    He struggled to stand.


    "n teleport away, I''ve made a severepse in judgment, you should run away now!"


    Aranuss voice seemed to distort as it reached his bloody ears.


    Run away?


    I guess that''s what he''s saying.


    It''s so fucking painful.


    It hurts so much.


    I can''t feel the majority of my body...but I''m not fucking running away.


    ''Remember n, never fall.


    Even if your opponent is someone you can''t beat, never lower your head.


    Don''t pick fights that you can''t win, but if you are forced into one...fight with everything you got.''


    His master''s words rang in his mind, construction Aranus.


    He...chose to fight.


    He didn''t give up, his pride wouldn''t allow him.


    How am I supposed to face the monsters in thetter half?


    The dragon above was still young, and he knew it wasn''t a lot stronger than him.


    This was just a young unstable dragon.


    How am I supposed to face the enemies Aranus faced?


    How will I fare against the viins Elijah faces?


    ...never.


    I''ll fight until I die.


    If I lose here, then there''s no point in continuing to get stronger to fight the other monsters that appear.


    He decided to give it his all.


    He decided to activate a skill Aranus had warned him against.


    [Dragon Eyes have been activated!]


    His body went even more strain, and his eyes started to bleed, yet despite the pain he looked up in the sky, to find the Dragon rushing towards him.


    His eyes showed him everything.


    And it showed him something that was a weakness of the dragon.


    Chains.


    ck chains around its neck.


    And they showed him, they warped space itself and shows him.


    The Weakness he needed to attack.


    He summoned his spear from his inventory.


    And despite the pain in his body he took his stance.


    And aimed at the chains shown to him by his eyes, which were burning.


    And then, using everyst bit of his mana, he swung his spear.


    [Chaotic Spear[7Star]]


    //First Movement


    /|ABYSSAL REND|


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Chapter 143 [143]The Power Of Love.

    The massive dragon in the sky shot out a breath of pure darkness.


    The Breath of Death.


    A beam of pure ck went towards the location the ice Phoenix fell.


    And from the cloud of dust ...


    Emerged a crescent sh of pure white mana.


    The first movement of the seven-star spear art, Chaotic Spear.


    Abyssal Rend, utilized to its half potential, with the mana of Chaos.


    The breath of the dragon of Death and the Crescent sh of Abyssal Rend at 50% power shed.


    A screeching sound was produced by the collision...and yet, the crescent sh cleaved it in half.


    It made its way through the beam.


    And finally, n''s figure was assaulted by the halved beam of death.


    It reached the chains restricting the dragon.


    And then two massive pirs of white and ck rose to the sky.


    A sight that not only Hana, but many could see.


    As their skies became illuminated by the lights of white and ck battling each other.


    They could see.


    And n could hear it.


    *Crack!*


    The cracking of the chains.


    As his body was assaulted by the remaining beam of death, he could hear it.


    The cracking of the chains that were the chimes signal his victory.


    He won.


    He fucking won.


    ***


    Hana finally opened her eyes after being blinded by the light of ck and white.


    And what she saw was the entire ind in front of her gone, reduced to nothing, the sea beneath it filling its void.


    Her own ind, devasted by the sh itself.


    Of two Dragons.


    The final sh of the two dragons.


    And what appeared above her was a blue portal.


    And two young men fell out, wet and covered in wounds.


    They were both unconscious.


    One was a face she knew all too well, of Kazikato Shimoshino.


    The ck hair, the cut on his left eyebrow, and his very figure.


    And the other was the young man she met previously.


    His forearms were entirely gone, his eyes bleeding, his body bleeding as he struggled to stand, but could only support himself by getting on his knees.


    And even then, he coughed up blood.


    And with a dying voice, he muttered.


    "..heal.."


    Hana, bewildered at the sight of his wounds...her voice as shemented at the fact...she had long lost the ability to heal...except for one skill.


    She turned her head, not to the dying n Pator, but to the dying Kazikato, whose injuries although appeared weak, were dying as well.


    "... I can only heal him."


    She said to n as she didn''t even wait for a response back.


    She moved towards Kazikato, as n muttered as he got up.


    "...who else...did you think I was... referring to.."


    ", Tell her to supply him with the mana of life now!"


    Aranuss voice resounded in n''s ear, who was losing his vision.


    "...Supply him with all the life energy you can...or he''ll die."


    Hana, who was listening, put Kazikato''s head on herp as her hands started to glow.


    n''s arms and wounds had stopped bleeding, but it would be an understatement to say he was ok.


    His entire body was in so much pain he wanted to pass out.


    And as he was about to...from his remaining vision in his right eye...he saw Hana''s figure disappear into green light that flowed into the boy whose head was on herp, entering his temple.


    "She''s sacrificing her own life force to heal him."<sub> </sub>


    Aranus''s voice was heard once again, and n, who couldn''t speak now, heard her dying words as her body began to disappear.


    "You are of the same...beings as Kazikato..."


    "...your mana, your eyes...and the aura that you and Kazikato had...are the same."


    "Please...please give him the family that he always wanted, as beings of the same race."


    And that was it.


    n''s shock could not be exined in words.


    Hana''s figure disappeared, and all that was left in her position was Kazikato.


    "...so she went as far as to sacrifice her own life for him huh."


    Aranus''s mutters were all he heard, and even then he didn''t understand.


    Why?


    "You don''t know yet, but the power of  ''love'' is frightening, whether it be parental, familial, or romantic."


    Ah...


    What a shitty reason.


    n thought as he briefly used Mana Master to regain some mana back...and even that hurt him to an insane degree.


    His body....was broken.


    He coughed up blood, and resisting the urge to faint, with the extremely small amount of mana he regained, he opened a portal beneath both him and Kazikato.


    And then, the moment he reached the other side.


    It all went ck.


    ****


    In theyer of the Primordial Dragon of Death, Ariel.


    Her sleeping figure was woken up when she felt the energy...of her long-dead Daughter.


    Of her firstborn child.


    SHI.


    She stood up abruptly, causing the entire realm to rumble because of her massive figure.


    The chains binding her restricted hrs even further, yet she paid them no heed, she resisted with some of her might as she scanned the faint energy signal she just felt.


    She spread out her mana throughout the entire universe, searching for that signal again


    And then she came upon it.


    A small blue, the ce where she felt the signal.


    The energy signal of her Daughter Shi.


    And she saw the boy, who was birthed by her daughters mana.


    And her mana entered the boy, and she saw his memories, and the memories, he did not remember, of his mother.


    Her dying face as she suffered from the poison of Jormungander.


    Her dying face was filled with love as she held her child.


    The same face Ariel had when she birthed Shi.


    A tear ran down the massive dragon''s face.


    Shi...even though she could still survive from the poison if she used her power....had instead gifted it to her child, who had, unfortunately, somehow inherited the same curse as Ariel, just so she could stop it.


    And then Ariel Felt it, the energy of the very chains that bound her.


    She stood up, anger filled her heart.


    Her daughter wish, who gave her own life, just so that her child would not be burdened by the curse.


    She roused her mana and prepared to give it her all to remove that curse from her young grandson.


    She would be a sorry excuse of a mother, to ignore her daughter''s wish


    And an even sorrier excuse of a grandmother, if she let her grandson suffer.


    Even if the burden of these chains increased on her, she didn''t give a damn.


    She stood higher and higher, as the chains around her restricted her even more.


    They tightened more and more.


    And then she roared.


    A roar that was felt by all the ''powerful beings'' around the universe.


    An Ancient, A Primordial Dragons Roar.


    The roar of a Dragon that had been there since the age of the first Dragon.


    Ariel, the Primordial Dragon of Deaths Roar.


    Big Mama''s Roar.

 Chapter 144 [144]Japans Crisis.

    "A great amount of mana was detected in the eastern coast of Japan, on an uninhabited ind which has now been destroyed."


    "The expert''s opinion on the two pirs of white and ck is that extremely powerful Artifacts released their mana, as of now, Japan hunter guilds have sent out their scouts to confirm it."


    "But what about the possibility of demons trying something again?


    We already know what happened when theyst invaded Japan."


    "There is a high chance, but the energies detected didn''t belong to the Darkness or chaos Elements, so although unlikely, I don''t think the Demons willunch another attack."


    "Even though Japan''s Hero, Hiroto Mitsuki Died, and even the Flower kf Japan, Jinsei Hana disappeared?"


    The female host asked the male Bost on the tv screen.


    The male reporter, after gulping down a mouth full of Saliva, finally answered.


    "Well...although, unfortunately, Hiroto Mitsuki died, and...the flower of Japan is missing, we must not forget that Oliver Olsfer, Harrison Soubuelle, and even The Legendary Sword Saint Arken Miller are still alive."


    "Yes, Even though the Golden trio of Hiroto, Arken, and Oliver has been reduced to two, we can still be confident that the current generation and the up-anding so-called ''Golden Generation.'' are still the shields that will protect Humanity."


    "Ahh...Shields Golden Generation huh, The one with the infamous Demon Boy."


    "Yes, although there are many rumors about n Pator, we can not ignore the fact that he ''is'' the one and only Spatial Awakened ''Human'' on Earth."


    The male reporter said, emphasizing the words human in his sentence.


    Kazikato, watching the news while sitting on the couch and eating chips, spoke to n.


    "Hey Boss, we are apparently Famous."


    "..."


    n stared at the Television screen absentmindedly as his left eye was closed.


    "And what''s this about demon boy?


    Don''t tell...are we viins?!"


    "..."


    n, listening to Kazikato, thought in his mind.


    ''Well, at least his intuition is good...''


    "No, we''re not viins."


    "A..."


    Kazikato sounded disappointed by n''s Answer...


    "...you wanted to be a viin?"


    n asked Kazikato while rubbing his left eye.


    "I mean, Attribute of Death, Darkness, and shadow...is a literal dead giveaway, all I need is chaos."


    "..."


    ''...this kid is going to go ces.''


    n sighed as he thought in his mind before his attention was taken by the Tv.


    "...these spatial rings are quite well crafted, it''s unbelievable that a 16-year-old boy crafted these."


    A burly old man with overflowing muscles exined as he held a small ring in his hands.


    "Their carrying capacity is quite good, and the mana that has been embedded within has a great pure quality, and it''s been embedded with great intricacy as well, the creator is definitely talented in the field....shame that he''s not interested in it."


    ''I''m talented in artifact crafting?''


    n thought in his mind as he heard the expertpliment his craft.


    Well, the expert on the tv was quite strict.


    That was his reputation along with his skill.


    n made a note to himself to check out the Artificer clubter on.


    He then tried to open his left eye...slowly... And then dropped some potion drops on it.


    ''Finally...''


    He could see from his left eye again...after 1 damn month.


    The fight with the guy on the couch was hard.


    Kazikato Shimoshino.


    Although he was quite docile right now and was acting like a child...n didn''t dare let that fool him.


    The sight of the dragon of death in the air was still fresh in his mind.


    And although he was acting carefree, n didn''t miss the twitching of his eye whenever Jinsei Hana was mentioned.


    He made a note to himself to never talk about her in front of Kazikato.


    He still missed her, and n didn''t forget the crying when he heard about her death.


    And then two people entered the team room of ''Predator.'' The Team n had formed in Twilight.


    The people that entered were none other than Maxwell, carrying a metal box, and Richard Thompson, t builds master of Twilight.


    "Yo!"


    "Hello Kazikato, and here."


    Maxwell, after replying to Kazikato threw the Metal box toward n.


    n after opening the box found that it was full of metal rings.<sub> </sub>


    "The Customers are impatient, so get to work ''Boss.''."


    Maxwell said to n jokingly.


    "..."


    n stayed quiet as he stared at the rings in the box.


    ''... there''s over 50.''


    "They can handle mana much better than normal, it was a chore to have them made."


    Maxwell Exined and n retorted.


    "And it''s going to be a chore to make them spatial Artifacts."


    "Well, then I suggest you get to work, Boss."


    "I can''t."


    Maxwell, upon hearing n''s denial, questioned him.


    "Why?"


    And he was left utterly speechless by the Answer.


    "I have homework to do."


    "..."


    It didn''t take long for him to answer though.


    "Please stop making excuses and get to work."


    "I can''t, I have about 3 months of pending work."


    "Oh really? Can you please Show me?"


    "It''s in my dorm room-"


    "Ahem!"


    Their quarrel was interrupted by Richards''s intentional cough.


    """Oh right you were here""


    "..."


    He was left speechless by n and Maxwell.


    "So what brings you here guildmaster?"


    n asked Richard.


    "I''m here to brief you about your team''s first raid...and also because someone else is going to be joining."


    "What?"


    "My Daughter wants to join your team Predator."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    There was silence from n, who answered after a few seconds.


    "You had a daughter?"


    "Is she hot?"


    And kazikato joined in, and Maxwell facepalmed himself.


    Richard red at Kazikato for a while, and stopped when Kazikaot started sweating and turned his face away.


    "You make a move on her and ill gut you alive."


    He of course didnt miss the opportunity to threaten the neer to his guild brought by n himself.


    "Yes...."


    "Hey dont bully him."


    n tried to defend him, but Richard ignored him and continued.


    "That goes for you too."


    "Oh don''t worry, I''m the bodyguard of someone who is much more beautiful."


    "Really boss?"


    And that response was thest straw for Richard.


    His mana red, and both n and Kazikato Bolted.


    They ran for their lives, with a furious Richard behind them around the entire Twilight Base, leaving Maxwell alone in the roomughing.


    Of course they were eventually caught and beaten, but hey.


    At least they learned a lesson.


    Don''t mess with their Guildmaster, who is an S-Rank Awakened, and ranked 18 among the Awakened.


    Oh and never make a move on his daughter.


    Never ever.

 Chapter 145 [145]The New Member.

    Alice Thompson.


    The daughter of Richard Thompson, and the heir of the third-ranked guild.


    And...I don''t know her.


    She didnt have much of an appearance in my memories.


    ... let''s see...she appeared in a banquet of some sort...her name was recalled when the announcer called the names of the Guests from Twilight.


    When was the damn banquet?...anyway.


    And there aren''t any pictures of her on the inte.


    So she doesn''t have a public appearance...and it''s infuriating I don''t know much about her.


    Well, if she doesn''t appear in my memories, she probably isn''t strong enough.


    "...o."


    I heard Kazikato''s cries of pain as he licked his wounds.


    "...what are you doing...it doesn''t even hurt that much."


    "Boss, your more hurt than me."


    ''I am?''


    I thought to myself as I looked at my wounds and then confirmed it.


    "I am."


    *Knock*Knock*


    And it was then that two knocks were heard on the door, and I told whoever it was on the other side toe in.


    "Come in."


    And then a face simr to Richards came in.


    And my dumbass didn''t see the difference from my seated position.


    I stood up, and thenined to ''Richard.''


    "Guildmaster about the raid..."


    "Boss."


    I heard Kazikato interrupt me, but I ignored him and continued.


    "I don''t think we can take your-"


    "Boss."


    "As I was saying...I don''t."


    "Boss!"


    "WHAT?!"


    "That''s not the Guildmaster."


    What?


    I turned to look over at Richard...only this time I had lowered my head instead.


    Wait...why is shorter than me all of a sudden?


    And why is he wearing a skirt?


    "Ahem."


    And why is his voice so femini-


    ...oh.


    Shit.


    "I don''t think I bear ''That'' much of a resemnce to my father."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Fuck, that was his daughter.


    With pure jet ck hair that went down to her shoulders, the same eyes as Her father...and just a slightly more feminine face...and I guess a ''somewhat bigger chest.''


    It seems that because of my previous experience of guarding Sabrina Wellington, I have built up a sort of resistance to any woman that isn''t on her level of charm...well those her age anyway.


    And what do I mean by Guarding anyway?


    I haven''t been in shield for a month or two, I don''t know.


    I don''t even specifically bodyguard her anymore.


    And I am a hundred percent sure that her family is NOT happy.


    Probably.


    "Ahem! I apologize for my-"


    I tried to apologize for my mistake but was cut off even before I couldplete my sentence.


    "Don''t worry, it happens."


    ...


    ...


    "So you''re the rising star of our guild...


    The first Spatial Awakened of humanity!


    ...your much more...bigger than what I imagined."


    I heard herments and stayed quiet.


    Well, I do agree I have gotten bigger ever since my evolution.


    "Are you using Body Enhancement?"


    She asked me a question...and I denied the very notion of using Body Enhancement.


    "No."


    "What''s body enhancement?"


    Kazikato Asked, and before ''I'' could reply to him, she exined first.


    "It''s a skill that uses mana to enhance your muscles temporarily. Some Awakened use it to appear bigger than what they are."


    "Oh...so are those muscles fake boss?"


    "No!"


    I denied the very statement of these muscles being fake.


    Even though I gained them through not my work, but because of my bloodline...these are not fake.


    "Ahem! Now let''s begin the introduction."


    I sat down on the couch and gestured for her to sit on the couch opposite me.<sub> </sub>


    She sat down gracefully all while showing a gentle smile.


    But I, who has been strengthened because of seeing Sabrina for a month or so, will not fall for this!


    "Name?"


    "Alice Thompson."


    I began the questioning.


    "Age?"


    "16"


    "Oooh! Same as me!"


    I ignored Kazikato butting in, and continued.


    "Elemental affinities?"


    "Shadow."


    "What''s your charm stat?"


    She paused for a while because of Kazikato''s sudden question.


    I, of course, didn''t mind this type of question.


    "B- rank".


    "... it''s higher than mine."


    ''And mine.''


    I thought as I heard Kazikato''s dejected voice.


    "What are your...specialties?"


    I asked her...and was somewhat shocked by her response.


    "I have none."


    "Pardon?"


    "I have no specialties rted to battle or magic."


    ....


    Ahh...so that''s why she didn''t have much of an appearance in the novel.


    "It''s wrong to say that."


    I told her.


    "Everyone has a specialty, they just haven''t found it yet if they im they have none."


    Look at me, my specialty can''t exactly be the spear, its this body''s specialty,bined with Aranus''s memories


    And speaking of Aranus, I haven''t heard from him in a month, he disappeared right after the battle with Kazikato.


    Oh well, I don''t necessarily care.


    "Anyways, since you want to be a member, I don''t care, but if you want to participate in the dungeon diving, You-


    "Have to stay in the back, and not get close to any hunter or monster correct?"


    I stopped after being interrupted by her.


    "No."


    "?"


    She had a surprised look on her face as she heard my ''No.''


    No way in hell is I letting her stay in the back.


    She''s going to be a team member, and honestly, I and kazikato are enough for anything in low-level dungeons.


    She doesn''t have to worry about protection if the monsters are dead before they even reach her.


    And I hate it when people demoralize themselves.


    "Anyways, Wee to the team."


    I don''t care if you''re weak right now.


    It doesn''t matter if you''re weak.


    What matters is if you ''stay'' weak.


    ***


    (Alices POV)


    All my life I''ve been sheltered.


    I always fantasized about going into dungeons.


    But my father has never let me, and i... don''t have any talent in... anything except for studies I guess.


    Which was why I was surprised by n Pator.


    Although many have said those words tofort me.


    I don''t expect it from someone so young.


    He seems far more mature than he seems to like.


    And this...idiot over here as well, what was his name?


    Kazikato Shimoshino?


    Oh well, at least the leader is dependable.


    And considering the level of his strength, I should be okay to explore dungeons.


    I''ve finally had my wish granted.


    I''m not going to let anyone ruin this...not even dad.


    So, I can deal with these two, even though I might be a burden.


    I know that...which is why I intend to carry my weight in the team by my means.


    I wouldtere to think of the mean behind carrying my weight on this team.


    Quite Frankly, These two have left me quite surprised.


    These two are strong...


    And although this might be rude...but it is true.


    they are fucking lunatics.


    ****


    (A/N:I''m going to change the ages of the characters.


    Just think of them as one year older than what was originally stated


    n is 17, while Kazikato and Alice are 16.


    The other characters in Shield are also 17.

 Chapter 146 [Bonus Chapter][146]Predator.

    That was the name of the team that I had gotten myself into.


    At first, I thought it would beid back, since considering the members, it wouldn''t be hard.


    I couldn''t be more fucking wrong.


    Maxwell Parker, although he still is a suspect, we shouldn''t worry about him because of the Mana Contracts.


    He isn''t a fighter, but from what I''ve heard, he''s insanely good at his job.


    He is not talented physically, and very talented Mentally.


    Next, Kazikato Shimoshino.


    Someone the team leader brought from nowhere.


    And someone who always had dark bags under his eyes.


    His physique doesn''t look too impressive...but his skill does.


    He lookszy,idback, and carefree.


    Like he doesn''t give a damn about work.


    But...he''s talented.


    Someone who possesses greatprehensive ability, and can think in critical situations. And most of all.


    "Hahaha!"


    As he was riding a Three Horned Rhinoceros like a cowboy, I was made sure of one thing.


    He''s a lunatic.


    What kind of awakened digs their weapon into the brain of the monster and rides them?


    And worst of all, he uses chained sickles made of Bones!


    BONES!


    Our guild didn''t even make them...I don''t know where he got them from.


    And on top of that, from what be heard, he can go toe to toe with n Pator.


    And Speaking of n Pator.


    He''s the true ''Predator.''


    Swinging gigantic monsters in the sky, making holes in them with his spear.


    And his unmatched healing speed, paired with his greatbative skills.


    He''s the true monster among the members of Predator.


    I was oblivious at this time, to the names that all members of Predator would earnter on in the future.


    Maxwell Parker, The Psych Predator.


    Kazikato Shimoshino, The Predator of Death.


    And n Pator.


    The ''Void'' Predator.


    ...


    ...


    And many more that would join us.


    Ahh....while I was writing my diary, documenting them all, I had failed to realize that the raid had ended.


    All that was left was the boss, but they decided to take a break.


    They sat down on the ground, and took out meat jerky, from their spatial rings.


    A neat perk of being a part of Predator.


    You would have a personal spatial ring.


    ? Something so rare in the world was given to us for free.


    Hurray for our captain.


    But...no way in hell..are we eating beef jerky.


    Time to pull my weight.


    ***


    "Alice, Your officially the cook of the team for now."


    I had decided.


    Alice Thompson is the official cook.


    To make a delicacy like this on a dungeon.


    Is truly bliss.


    "More please."


    I heard Kazikato asking for more of the delicious beef jerky soup.


    And I did the same.


    We dragons have big appetites.


    Very big appetites.


    "So, what are the ns for the next raid?"


    Suddenly Alice asked a question.


    "There are none."


    I answered her.


    I''m nning to go back to Shield.


    It''s been months.


    I''ve missed so many sses I''ve lost count.


    I need to catch up on the sybus and get some credit back.


    A


    And in around 2 months, the biggest event happens.


    I can''t just prevent it, I have to participate In it.


    I know the protagonists will survive, and I honestly don''t care about what happens to the rest.


    Serena has Elijah to protect her, and I''m 100% if Elijah uses [Decimation] even if I''m fucked.<sub> </sub>


    Henry has his brother.


    ine...is alone but she will make it anyway.


    And Sabrina has me, her oh-so-faithful bodyguard who has been absent from his duty for months.


    Even if I''m the factor, the changes shouldn''t be too drastic that I can''t handle them.


    And even if they are drastic,  I''m going to make some preparations.


    So it''s all well and done.


    "Then what about the birthday party?"


    And suddenly, Alice asked me something.


    The what?


    "The what?"


    Thankfully, Kazikato asked for me.


    "...please don''t tell me you don''t know."


    We don''t.


    Well, I''mpletely clueless.


    "The birthday party of The 2nd rank hero''s daughter."


    ...who?


    "I can tell from your expressions, you didn''t read my emails did you?"


    Did you send me Emails?


    "You sent us emails?"


    Good going Kazikato, at least I haven''t embarrassed myself.


    "The 25th Birthday party of Emily Reinhardt, The Daughter of the 2nd ranked hero, Jonathan Reinhardt."


    ...


    ...


    Ah, I remember now, a minor event that happened.


    Although I say minor, all important characters were invited.


    Even some students belonging to influential families were invited.


    That includes all the protagonists, and even Elijah had been invited somehow.


    Although Serena forcefully took him.


    Oh well, I guess I have to go.


    Shit, I don''t know how to dance at all.


    Oh well, if I remember it correctly it wasn''t that big of an event.


    Ah...it was also the event where Alice made her first appearance.


    Now I remember, Twilight had been shamed...because they didn''t have an SS rank heir, unlike Titan and Behemoth.


    Oh well, they have me now.


    And Kazikato too.


    "So what''s the big deal about a birthday party?"


    Kazikato asked a question, to which I was about to answer but Alice was a step ahead of me.


    "It''s a pretty great opportunity to make connections...and for the first time.


    Twilight will not be humiliated."


    Her voice at the end seemed to be crying.


    Ah...She was the only Heir among the heirs of the top three guilds that didn''t have a SS rank talent.


    How painful, when the other top two guilds produced multiple talents.


    She must have had it hard.


    "Ah, But don''t worry!


    We have you two with us now."


    Her voice seemed to be holding back tears.


    How much did she suffer being the only untalented one?


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Sigh, it makes me feel bad


    How dare she be sad when I and Kazikato, literal dragons are her teammates?


    Wrong.


    "Oh of course."


    I finally opened my mouth.


    And with pure confidence, I spoke.


    "Twilight has me, and Thiszy bum here."


    I said while pointing to Kazikato.


    I only joined this guild because I didnt want to be near Cmity Mas.


    But hey, It''s My Guild.


    And there''s no way im going to let someone else Humiliate me.


    "I''ll show all the bastards that try to mess with us Hell."


    *****


    [A/N]I received a lot of summing pens, so I intended to release the chapter before this one as a bonus chapter,, but my dumbass uploaded it the normal way.


    So, this chapter is the bonus one.


    My dumbass mind is also the reason there were two chapters yesterday.

 Chapter 147 [147]The Birthday Party.

    "Do I look good?"


    I asked Kazikato as I good in front of him in my suit.


    Formal wear is a must.


    My suit, adorned with the signature colors of Twilight, ck, and Purple contrasting with my Diamond Blue eyes and Pure snow-white hair made me look magnificent if I do say so myself.


    "...Yeah."


    Oh my,  someone is still sad.


    Unfortunately, because I only recently brought Kazikato into the guild, he isn''t known by a lot of people.


    And all the invitations given to the guild have been used on the elders and other important members.


    Hell, some Elders even gave their invitations up so that some prospects could go to the banquet.


    And Kazikato wasn''t well known to them.


    Oh well, Along with me, Alice, and Richard only a few elders are going.


    Although I don''t remember a lot about this birthday party.


    Nothing could go seriously wrong.


    *Click*.


    The door to the room opened, and a beauty stepped inside.


    Alice, adorned in a dress that highlighted her features along with the purple and ck colors of Twilight, paired with her Purple Eyes and ck was a sight to see.


    I, and also Kazikato, gave a silent thumbs up to the sight.


    But her next words shocked me to my core.


    "...is that what you''re going as?"


    What?


    Woman, you dare question my suit?


    "Hey, the suit is good."


    "Im not talking about the suit, im talking about the hair and face."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    What''s wrong with my hair and face?


    I mean, yeah, it''s disheveled and my face may not be as chiseled as the others, but hey it''s passable.


    "My face and ha-"


    And before I couldplete my statement, I saw her take out her phone, and silently message someone.


    And next thing I knew, I was dragged by some women to a salon inside the damn guild building.


    I held my tears back the entire time.


    ***


    "Serena...is this good enough?"


    Elijah asked for Serena''s opinion on his suit.


    The woman in question was busy taking photos.


    Many, Many photos.


    "..."


    Elijah stood without speaking another word, and Serena took out another suit in the meantime.


    "Now! Wear this!"


    ...


    ...


    "... I don''t even want to go to the party."


    Elijah muttered in a low voice.


    "Why...wait...?"


    Serena questioned Elijah but appeared to have thought of something during the question.


    And then she continues muttering.


    "...if all the other girls see you like this...shit they might fall for you... let''s see potential Targets are ine, Sabrina, and all the other multitude of prospects of the guild."


    Serena faced a dilemma.


    Her charm was enough to drive all the others away...except Sabrina.


    Shit...shit...


    Shit.


    If Sabrina fell for her Eli...her looks aren''t going to save her.


    "Serena?"


    And she was taken out of her thoughts by Elijah.


    "Let''s just go...im tired."


    Elijah urged her to finish with this facade, and she Silently went along.


    Of course, she was only silent on the outside.<sub> </sub>


    Inside her mind was something no one wanted to see.


    ***


    And the old man with grey hair and a very dignified beard looked out a massive window.


    Whoever he was, he was strong.


    His room was decoratedvishly, yet it was unlit and the only light that came inside was through the giant window that oversees the city.


    "Come in."


    His voice resounded.


    And Someone else entered the room.


    With a mature and chiseled face that even beat the current Elijah.


    Long grey hair, Ashy Eyshes, and Ash-like eyes, wearing a grey suit.


    He silently stood behind the old man.


    "Not even greeting your grandfather huh ."


    The old man said, his gaze still fixated on the city below.


    "Ezra, how are the preparations for the Party?"


    The old man, asked the young man, Ezra Fornum, a question.


    "Good."


    Ezra answered.


    "You have two objectives this time, Duel with n Pator and Elijah Ardor, and steal their techniques and humiliate them publicly."


    There was silence after he said those words.


    "I didnt hear an affirmation, Ezra."


    The old man broke the silence, and Ezra replied to him.


    "Not Elijah Ardor."


    The old man, silently turned around to face Ezra, before asking why.


    "Why not?"


    And Ezra replied without even a shred of hesitation.


    "He''s Henry''s best friend, im not going to humiliate my younger brother''s Best friend."


    "For such a stupid reason as that?"


    The old man asked Ezra, who stood firm on his previous statement.


    The old man, seeing as Ezra would not back down, sighed and said.


    "Fine, forget Elijah Ardor, Your target is n Pator, who chose that third-ranked guild instead of Our Behemoth."


    The old man continued.


    "Humiliate n Pator, steal his techniques, and show him the true power of Behemoth, Oh God of War."


    The old man smirked as he stated Ezra''s Title that he bestowed.


    To others, He was known as CopyCat.


    But his grandfather bestowed upon him a different title.


    God of War.


    Something that Ezra hated, and something that His grandfather said with pride.


    "And as a reward, you can spend time with ''her''."


    And Ezra was shaken, his eyes widened in shock, At the fact that his Grandfather knew.


    "Oh, you think you hid it well?"


    His grandfather''s words echoed, in his ears.


    "I know everything, Ezra."


    Ezra gulped and silently left the room.


    And meanwhile, the old man silently looked at the city below him with keen eyes.


    You can never hide anything from me, Ezra.


    ****


    Sabrina looked at the changing scenery from the window of the car.


    She didnt show it on her face, but her hands that were gripping her dress showed her...uneasiness and fear rtively easily.


    Her breathing seemed to be getting more haggard by the second.


    And suddenly, another hand held hers


    And she found her head resting on the chest of her mother.


    "Don''t worry, there''s no need to be afraid."


    Her mother''s words wereforting.


    "He won''t even be allowed near you."


    Her mother''s words continued.


    And then, she turned towards the Driver of the vehicle as she asked the man a question.


    "Isn''t that what you promised, James?"

 Chapter 148 [148]The Birthday Party[2]

    "First of All, I would like to thank you all foring to celebrate my daughter''s birthday party."


    A dignified old man with bright navy hair announced in a loud but mellow voice.


    "This event is also celebrating her advancement to A-Rank at the age of 25!".


    There was a round of Apuse, and the man handed the microphone to his daughter.


    A woman with long bright navy hair, and blues eyes that resembled the sea, wearing a blue dress that highlighted her feminine features, and her sexiness.


    She spoke in a mellow voice, a voice that enamored the crowd.


    "I won''t dy you all, please enjoy yourselves at this party.


    I can already catch a glimpse of many prospects of this generation, who will lead humanity to another Golden Era.


    Please, Enjoy Yourselves!"


    She raised her ss to the sky, a crowd did the same.


    And she spoke in a loud and happy voice.


    "Cheers!"


    ""Cheers!""


    The crowd followed after her, and the birthday party began.


    "Alice, n, stay close to me."


    Richard said to Alice and n, and they silently followed him as he went around the party, meeting all sorts of guests.


    And they encountered a group of people, whom n recognized.


    The same old man, who was appraising his ring, was dressed in a suit that didn''t hide his enormous muscles.


    The suit looked funny on him, to be honest.


    "To think I would meet you this much sooner!"


    The man said as he grasped n''s hand, and shook it fervently.


    "Umm, Yes nice to meet you too..."


    "Brock''s the name!".


    The man, Brock stopped shaking n''s hands, but then he started touching n''s arms.


    "What muscles you have at such a young age!"


    "Sir Brock, If you could please."


    Thankfully, Richard Saved n from Brock, whoposed himself fairly soon.


    "Ahem, I apologize for my actions, I was just amazed by your craft."


    Brock said as he took off the ring on his index finger.


    "Such a fine piece of art, embedded with mana so delicately, so bnced that even words cannot exin it."


    "Thank you."


    n expressed his thanks while thinking of something else in his mind


    ''...I CAN NOT tell him I made that thing in just 5 minutes.''


    I can''t.


    But, I will receive some other advice from him.


    "Ahh, can you give me some advice for artifact crafting, im thinking of creating some other artifacts as well,  particrly weapons?"


    "I''ll be d to do so young man!"


    Brock put his arms over n''s head and brought him close to his mouth as he told n all sorts of things.


    "The thing about weapons is a lot of about mana conductivity, the tempering of the de, the quality of mana fire, the folding, and the materials..."


    He said all sorts of things, while Richard and Alice silently left the two alone.


    n on the other hand took out a notebook and pen from his inventory and began to write, much to Brock''s shock.


    "You have personal storage without a ring?"


    "Yes I do, and can you repeat what you said about folding?"


    "Oh, for most mana des, folding the metal 30 to 40 times is enough up to B rank, For A rank and above des, it can be as long as 50 to 70 times.


    However, the quality of the mana fire and materials used also affects the result.


    I suggest you don''t cut off any expense on the usage of mana stones to fuel the fire, it can get rid of any excess impure mana and also other impurities in the metal, for the tempering, just hammer it until you run out of strength, and finally about the mana control..."


    Brock continued on and on about crafting, and n silently took notes.


    ****


    "Haaahh..."


    Elijah sighed as he leaned against the wall and held a ss filled with juice in his hand.


    "Are you tired already?"


    Henry asked him, and Elijah replied in a tired voice.


    "You have no idea how many suits I put on before this party, and im wondering how she even got those suits."


    "?"


    "Anyways, what are you doing here?"


    Henry, taking a sip of his ''drink'', looked at Elijah with a confused gaze.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Don''t you have to be with your guild?


    Serena and ine went with their respective entourage, and I don''t know where Sabrina is."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Henry silently took a sip of his ''drink'' before he replied.


    "There''s no need for me to go, someone else is the shining star of our Guild."


    His eyes looked at another young man with features simr to his, but only much more older and refined.


    He silently looked at his drink and took a big swig to get rid of a bad memory.


    ? "Hey Eli, give me your drink."


    He said to Elijah when he emptied his ss. Elijah gave him his ss, and the moment he drank one gulp.


    He looked at Elijah''s ss and asked Elijah.


    "We''re you drinking juice?"


    "What else am I supposed to drink, water?"


    Henry silently put his arm over Elijahs Shoulders, who was currently creeped out.


    "Dude, what the heck are you doing?"


    "I''m going to show you wonders."


    "Wonder?"


    "The wonders of Alcohol."


    ****


    (ns PoV)


    I silently made my way over to where the alcohol was.


    Im drinking alcohol today, no matter what they say.


    And while I made my way to the bottles,


    I heard a voice behind me.


    "...n?"


    "What the heck?"


    And when I turned my head to see who it was, I found it to be Henry and Elijah.


    And without saying a word, I silently put my finger on my lips, signaling them to shut up.


    And then, I bagged as many bottles of liquor as I could in my inventory.


    Henry got beside me and used his body as some sort of a shield to hide something, and muttered in a low voice.


    "Get some for us too."


    Very wellrade, as long as you help me, I help you. You hide my deeds with your body, I gift some to you


    ''...so we''re not gonna question his appearance now?''


    Elijah, the only innocent one, silently stared at the heist in front of them.


    All while wondering.


    What the heck is happening?


    And what in the world happened to n?

 Chapter 149 [149]The Birthday Party[3]

    "So how did you...get so?"


    "Things happened."


    n answered Elijah as he finished pocketing the bottles.


    Elijah''s concerns were valid.


    n got taller, bigger, and more handsome.


    And such a change in only a few months was...too unbelievable.


    The three engaged in small talk as Henry and n had a small deal of Alcohol bottles.


    "Hey, Give me another one, you bagged 6."


    "Two is all you get."


    "Tch."


    "You guys are hopeless."


    And it was then, That Elijah asked n a question about something n had forgotten about.


    "Oh yeah, n what spirit did you get?"


    ''Spirit?''


    "Tequ?"


    "..."


    "Hahaha!"


    Elijah sighed as Henryughed at n''s stupid answer.


    He then rified his question.


    "I mean the spirit contract ritual, didnt you perform it?"


    ''...oh that''s what he was talking about.''


    n thought in his mind as he suddenly remembered the spirit contracting ritual.


    Students that are D rank or above can perform a spiritual ritual.


    A ritual that tests your aptitude for spirits.


    If you can sessfully contract one, you can raise it and even choose to be a summoner type awakened if you have the talent to contract many.


    n hadpletely forgotten about it.


    It was supposed to take ce way sooner, but he was away from Shield all the time, and he didnt has the strength to carry it out after the fight with Kazikato.


    And after that, it never appeared in his mind.


    ''... let''s see, Elijah got a smander,


    Henry got a wind hawk, ine got a Light Owl, Sabrina got a Dark w, and Serena...got an Illusory Snake.''


    He remembered the spirits the ''protagonists'' contracted.


    ? "Here''s mine."


    Elijah said as he held out the palm of his hand, and a ball of fire appeared.


    "Come out."


    He uttered those words, and then the ball of fire grew bigger and bigger, taking the form of a reptile of sorts.


    And then, the fire vanished, and an orange lizard that crept along Elijah''s Shoulder appeared.


    Orange fiery scales, Scarlet Eyes just like its master, and a small fire on its tail.


    (A/N:Who''s that Poke Spirit?!)


    It licked Elijah''s face.


    "See, it''s called a Smander."


    n observed the lizard and deduced its strength.


    ''E-.''


    Quite weak, but only for now.


    Spirits were special beings that could evolve into many types.


    And n was certain this one received a blessing from The Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri.


    He just forgot what it was.


    "I didnt do it yet."


    n answered Elijah, who replied


    "Oh, Good luck then for when you do it."


    "How does the ritual work anyway?"


    Henry asked Elijah as he stared at the Lizard over Elijah''s Shoulder.


    "I met Headmaster Oliver, who guided me to a room that had an enormous Magic Circle engraved on the floor, I had to input my mana into the circle while standing in the center, and then...I have just heard a voice."


    "Oh? What it did say."


    "It was this guy''s voice, Asking me if I wanted to form a contract with it, and then I answered yes, next thing I know this guy materialized and I felt a connection to him."


    Elijah exined as he pointed at the smander spirit.


    "It was that easy?"


    Henry asked Elijah, who responded with a simple yes.


    "Yes."


    ''Easy my ass, it was only easy because Agri was helping him.''


    n thought.


    It was only easy for Elijah because Agri helped him.


    For others who didnt have a guardian Dragon to help them, it would only be a part of the pain.


    ''I wonder which spirit I''ll get?''


    An Ice Spirit?


    Chaos? I hope not.


    Spatial?


    Wait are there even any Spatial Spirits?


    n didnt remember them from the memories he had.


    No mention of any Spatial Spirits.


    ''I just have to Ask Lanesha to give me one then.''


    n just had to ask Lanesha for a spirit of ice.


    He didnt knows about Spatial Spirits, and chaos wasn''t a good option, so Suleras is out of the question.


    He just needed to ask Lanesha, The Supreme dragon of Ice to give him a spirit, just like Agri had done with Elijah.


    It would be simple, he just needed the Aptitude for Spirits.


    But what Dragon didnt have am altitude for Spirits.


    n dismissed the thoughts from his mind and then was about to walk away before Henry started to talk to them.


    "Hey, I have something to tell you both."


    Elijah and n turned their heads toward Henry.


    "What is it?"


    They asked.


    "If Ezra Fornum, asks either of you to duel, reject it."


    Henry continued.


    "I don''t want you guys to experience it, so I''m warning you right now, If Anyone from Behemoth approaches you, don''t associate with them."


    "What? You don''t want us to pummel your guild mates?"


    Elijah joked with Henry, who still had a serious expression on his face.


    "Im not joking Elijah, If you don''t want to face despair, I suggest you don''t fall to Behemoth''s Provocations."


    "Every technique you have, won''t be yours exclusively anymore."


    "...so don''t fight my brother."


    There was silence between the three of them after Henry finished his words.


    "Got it."


    n broke the silence and then walked away.


    "Where are you going?"


    Elijah asked n, who replied with a solemn tone.


    "I''ve been neglecting my job for quite some time."


    ***


    "My! What a cutie! Can I hold it?"


    Emily, the star of the party, asked Sabrina, who was holding a ck cat with a purple gem in its forehead and the same color eyes.


    "Please do so."


    Sabrina offered her spirit, The Dark w to her, but unfortunately, the spirit refused to leave her hands.


    "Oh my, it''s quite a feisty one!"


    Emily tried to grab the cat, but it scratched her hands.


    Of course, it did nothing to an A-ranked awakened like her, but it still broke her heart.


    "Your beauty never ceases to amaze me."


    "My, Thank you, Jonathan."


    Jonathan Reinhardt, The father of Emily Reinhardt,plimented Sabrina''s Mother.


    A much more mature, sexier version of Sabrina Wellington, Alexa Wellington.


    Pure Obsidian ck, Complimented by her Green Eyes, and vivacious figure.


    The ''Fantasy'' of many men.


    The parents of the two, engaged in small talk with each other, while Emily still tried to get a hold of Sabrina''s Spirit.


    "I don''t think it likes you."


    "I''ll make her like me!"


    Emily however, didn''t act her age and continued to persist.


    But in the end, she eventually gave up.


    But she yed with Sabrinas Cheeks.


    "I still can''t get over your cuteness."


    "Please Stop big sister."


    "Sorry, Can''t."


    Their parentsughed as they watched them.


    Emily had held Sabrina in her hands when she was a baby.


    And now look at them.


    How the time goes by.


    The Reinhardt And Wellington Families were close to one another.


    "n Pator and Elijah Ardor, those were their names correct?"


    Sabrina heard two familiar namese out of Jonathan Reinhardt''s mouth.


    One of a friend


    And one of the unfaithful bodyguards.


    One who''s been gone for months.


    Well, Lucas didn''t bother her for some reason during the time he was gone so it didn''t bother her.


    But it still intrigued her.


    What are they talking about that involves them?


    "I guess they are the targets this time.


    I hate that it''s going to ur during my daughter''s Birthday."


    As they heard his words, Emily Reinhardt and Alexa Wellington had their faces stiff.


    They seemed to remember some ''Unpleasant memories.''


    "Father, Please, I don''t want to remember any more of that, not on this day."


    "Sorry, Dear..."


    Her father Apologized, but Sabrina wanted to know more.


    "Mother, What do you mean by targets?"


    Her curiosity was a w.


    "..."


    Her mother''s solemn face shook her, but she sighed and told her daughter anyways.


    "They...are going to be the victims of robbery this time."


    "Im sorry?"


    Sabrina questioned once again, not fully understanding.


    "Ezra Fornum, Those two pitiful boys are probably his targets this time."


    ''Ezra Fornum?''


    Sabrina had heard the name, he was Henry''s Older brother.


    However, unfortunately, she didn''t know a lot about him except for his identity.


    She didn''t pay much attention to what went on in the world.


    "Can someone please borate?"


    She asked the three there and also noticed Emily clenching the helm of her dress as her face scrunched up.


    "Do you know the feeling of having everything you trained for be copied in an instant?


    Well, of course, you don''t, unfortunately, they will feel it soon.


    Ezra Fornum, and Behemoth will humiliate them in the worst way possible..."


    Her mother proceeded with her words.


    And Sabrina got the gist of it soon enough.


    "But...why don''t they just refuse?


    Even if Behemoth pressure them, they just have to refuse...and besides, they have people behind them too."


    Elijah Had Serena, which automatically made the Awakened Union behind him.


    And n Had twilight.


    "You see my little angel...most young talents have an ego the size ofs...they eventually ept.


    Whether it be because of their own ego, or that their backings cannot fight back, or even if the public sentiment pressures them....they will eventually be forced to ept."


    They will eventually, and definitely, have to fight Ezra Fornum.


    And lose all their confidence.


    Behemoth and Ezra used many means to get a duel.


    And the result was always the same.


    Ezra wins everything.


    And the Opponent loses their dignity, pride, and their techniques.


    Miserably.

 Chapter 150 [150]The Talented One,Ezra Fornum[1]

    The Talented one.


    The copycat.


    The legend.


    The talent stealer.


    The star.


    The Trump of Behemoth.


    So many names had been given to him by the people.


    He was the one, who was ''destined'' to bring Behemoth to even higher heights.


    Such a talent.


    The once in a lifetime talent, one in a trillion.


    So many nicknames and all of them are centered around him.


    The one to be the strongest.


    The one who would be the next saint.


    The one that would surpass Hiroto Mitsuki and Arken Miller.


    The ''Hope.''


    He was the one, the one light.


    He is the light.


    Ezra Fornum is the one born with the talent of copying others.


    Their Physical Technique was stolen by him after just a nce.


    Everything they worked so hard to achieve, the techniques it took years for them to learn.


    All imitated in the span of a few seconds.


    What a miserable sight for them.


    To see their dedication, their hard work, and their effort all copied in the blink of an eye.


    So Effortlessly as well.


    How would one feel when that happened to them?


    Would they feel Despair?


    Would they feel homeless?


    No, it would first shock, and disbelief that would hit them like a truck.


    And then they would be hit by the train that would be despair.


    As their confidence, their ego, and their hearts, would fall deep into the ground.


    He was the one that had traumatized many rising stars of this generation and the previous.


    And he did it all, because he could at first.


    And then, he realized that his talent was a curse, in some aspects.


    He destroyed the dreams of others, his enemies.


    But unknowingly destroyed the dreams of his family.


    He unknowingly crushed their dreams as well.


    The genius of fighting was alone.


    And then, he hated it.


    So many techniques to fight with.


    Yet why must I fight with them?


    ...he lost what he thought he had to protect.


    And then, when he fell, his grandfather, forcefully made him fight again.


    He crushed more dreams.


    He crushed more rising stars.


    And today would be the day he would crush the first spatial Awakened in humanity''s history.


    But that was for ater time.


    Right now, he was meeting someone special to him.


    "Hey, Long time no see."


    "...?!"


    He surprised thedy he had fallen for, and she nearly dropped her ss.


    Golden Silk hair, gold eyes, and a face carved by the gods.


    A ck dress thatplimented her magnificent features.


    And her face was filled with shock and she looked frantically around the area.


    "Don''t worry Liz, I got...permission I guess you could say."


    Elizabeth Parker gasped in shock as she questioned Ezra.


    "...your grandfather found out?!"


    "Yep."


    "...he did?"


    "Yep."


    "Why are so calm?!"


    " I don''t know, he found out and I can''t do anything about it, so...yep."


    "..."


    Elizabeth''s mouth was wide open at this man''s calmness.


    The one person, except for her father, that shouldn''t have found out about this rtionship...found out.


    "...my head hurts."


    "Ohe on, it''ll work out."


    "And how do you propose it''ll work out?"


    "Just trust me."


    Elizabeth looked at Ezra withplete stillness.


    "Every time I have trusted you, something bad has happened."


    Ezra stayed quiet after her remark, beforeing up with something of his own.


    "Well, if they try anything, I will just eradicate Behemoth and Titan."


    And then it was Elizabeth''s turn to remain silent.


    To think he would just casually say that he would destroy the two top guilds.


    She sighed, and then looked down at the floor below where the party was being held.


    She leaned over the balcony, and Ezra did the same.


    They watched the party go on and remained silent.


    "Hey, when I win, which ce do you want to go to?"


    "What?"


    Suddenly, Ezra asked her something.


    "If I beat n Pator, I can take you on a date."


    ''A date?!''


    She was shocked at first, but then remembered a sorrowful fact.


    What happened To Ezras Opponents after they fight him, was not a sight she deemed pleasant to the eyes.


    "...do you have to do it?"


    "..."


    Ezra remained silent, and Elizabeth told him something else.


    "You don''t have to do it, not to another one.


    You...already have an arsenal of techniques for you to use...do you have to?


    He even belongs to the same ss as ine, and from what I have heard, he can be dependable at times, although yes he does have some ws...but do you have to ruin Humanity''s first Spatial awakened?


    ...do you?"


    Ezra remained silent, before he walked towards the stairs, and held out his hand.


    "Will you join me for a dance, my fairdy?"


    Elizabeth stared silently at Ezra, and his attempt to Dodge the question.


    "Please?"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    She sighed and then a simple smile formed on her face, as she agreed.


    "Of course, how can I say no when ''you'' ask me?"


    And then she slid her hands into Ezras, and they walked down the stairs together.


    ****


    [Ezra''s PoV]


    ''Do I have to do it?''


    I thought as I danced with Liz.


    Do I have to do it?


    Do I have to make another fall into despair?


    Do I want to?


    No, never.


    Do I have to?


    Yes.


    I sent them and let them suffer instead of me.


    I can''t let them bear the weight of his expectations.


    And I can''t just give up any chance to spend time with Liz.


    I don''t know what the Guildmaster of Titan thinks of this rtionship, but considering he hasn''t done anything...yet.


    I can be sure I can do this.


    I wonder how it''ll feel like to fight a spatial awakened.


    I''ve never fought one, I''ve fought awakened with a spear, but never one with a spatial awakened.


    I think it would be fun.


    "What are you think of?"


    I heard Liz''s voice and looked directly into her beautiful eyes.


    Yeah, I guess this is happiness.


    "Nothing, just of you."


    And at my words, I saw her face turn red for a moment.


    Hah, what a sight.


    I don''t care I guess.


    If I have to fuck someone over for this happiness.


    I would do it hundreds of times over.


    Over and Over, even if it''s just for a moment of happiness, I would do it.


    ***


    Oliver sat down on the couch of a private room as he sipped on his drink.


    His elegancy in drinking, however, was interrupted by the chugging sounds of Arken drinking straight from three bottles sitting in front of him.


    *Chug*Chug*


    "This is some good wine!"


    "Sigh..."


    Oliver sighed at the behavior of his friend, who chugged down bottle after bottle.


    "Are you sure you''re fine enough toe out like this?"


    "Hmm? Oh yeah yeah, my injuries are fine."


    Arken replied in a nonchnt tone at Oliver''s worry.


    "If you say so."


    Oliver sipped his drink again and then asked about n.


    "How is n''s progress?"


    "n? He doing good I guess."


    "Could you exin in more detail?"


    Arken stopped to think for a moment before he exined.


    "The thing with n is he just blindly charges in without thinking, he has an amazing body, but not the mind to use it correctly.


    He''s got the hardware, I just need to download the software.


    All I need to do is teach him how to fight properly using his body, and then just leave it to him."


    "How long does hest against you?"


    "If he''s with the others, the fight can go on for 7 to 8 minutes, if he''s alone, 3 minutes max."


    "... I don''t think it will be enough."


    "Hmm?"


    Arken stopped drinking for a while as he looked at Oliver with a weird gaze.


    "What do you mean?"


    He asked Oliver, who answered.


    "I don''t think he will win against The Copycat."


    "Ahh, the guy that rose shortly after I disappeared?"


    "Yes."


    Arken fell into deep thought.


    n was getting better at improving his technique.


    Without a doubt, he was getting better.


    And although he hadn''t seen the Copycat in action, he had a hard time believing someone had the talent of copying something perfectly after seeing it only once.


    He didn''t think his student would lose as easily.


    "I think you''re underestimating my student, Oliver."


    Arken said to Oliver, Who replied in a firm tone.


    "Im not, you were gone when Ezra made his appearance in the world.


    But I''ve seen many talents fall, and I don''t think n will be different.


    So im begging you, don''t let him fall into depression, you''re his master."


    Oliver paused for a while before he continued.


    "Be there for him when he''s at his lowest."


    Arken remained silent for a while.


    To be honest, he didn''t think n would lose ''that'' miserably.


    Sure he ''might'' lose, but fall into depression because of it.


    He didn''t think it would end like this.


    "I don''t think He would fall into dep-"


    "He will."


    Arken was interrupted by Oliver, who voiced his opinion firmly.


    "You don''t know anything, So please, be there for him when it happens."


    Arken remained silent, and quietly listened to Oliver.


    "Ezra Fornum is a different brees of human."


    "At any rate, n right now, will not be able to win against him."


    Arken remained silent.


    So he''s that firm on it huh.


    That n will lose to Ezra Fornum.


    Miserably.

 Chapter 151 [151]The Fear Of Something You Dont Understand.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, miss."


    I greeted Sabrina''s mother, who was a gorgeous beauty if I say so myself.


    "The Pleasure is all mine to meet the First Spatial Awakened."


    She answered warmly.


    "Haha."


    I chuckled whilst greeting the others.


    Jonathan Reinhardt, and his daughter Emily Reinhardt.


    "Nice to see you."


    "It''s my pleasure."


    And then, I felt something jump on my head.


    Something light, and alive.


    I reached over and grabbed whatever it was by the nape.


    "Meow~"


    And I was greeted by a kitten with purple eyes and a purple gem on its forehead.


    ''Ah, this should be the Darkw.''


    I thought as I observed Sabrina''s spirit.


    ...oh shit Ipletely forgot about her the moment I saw her mother.


    And then the kitten was snatched from my hands.


    "Don''t hold her like that!"


    Sabrina, appearing quite irritated snatched the kitten and began to pet it gently.


    "You shouldn''t pick up cats like that."


    "Hey, I didnt tell it to jump on my head."


    I replied to her, whilst the kitten jumped on my shoulders this time.


    "Now it acts Friendly?!"


    Emily cried from the back, whilst I was wondering if this was because I was a dragon.


    Dragons are loved by all spirits.


    Most of them anyway.


    "Hey, Get off."


    But I don''t necessarily like cats, especially clingy ones.


    I tried to shake it off gently, but it didn''t budge.


    Damn, if I use too much strength, I might kill this little guy.


    ...this is a problem.


    And before I knew it, the thing jumped on my head again and rested there.


    "..."


    I sighed as I looked at the damn thing, while the othersughed.


    "It seems to like you very much."


    Sabrina''s mother said, and Jonathon joined in.


    "So spirits can like others as well as their masters."


    And then Emily.


    "How envious."


    Envious?


    get this thing off me.


    I wrestled with the cat, as it tried to dig its nails into my head to stay rooted.


    The others, except Sabrina, Just enjoyed it.


    Sabrina however summoned the creature and summoned it again, and held it tightly in her arms.


    The cat finally calmed down.


    And I sighed in relief.


    I then immediately got down to business.


    "My apologies Miss, I haven''t been doing my duty for quite a while due to some unforeseen circumstances.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''ve been neglecting my bodyguard duties for quite a while."


    I answered her while appearing as sorry as possible.


    She stayed silent for a while, and then answered me.


    "I didnt know you were absent from your duties."


    Her response somewhat shocked me.


    Well, Sabrina didnt tell her family about this.


    Huh.


    Surprising.


    "You should apologize to your client for that."


    I heard her, and then simply gave a simple sorry to Sabrina.


    "Sorry."


    "..."


    She remained silent at my response, yet why do I feel like she is agitated?


    "n Pator, I''d like to ask you something."


    I heard my name being spoken by Jonathan Reinhardt, and then paid close attention to his next words.


    "About yourtest spatial rings, how many can you supply to the association, we are willing to pay extra."


    Oh, so it''s about the rings.


    I handed him Maxwell''s card and spoke.


    "For anything rted to the spatial equipment, please contact this number."


    All deals rted to the rings go to Max, he''s the seller, im the supplier.


    And he''s better at it than me too.


    "Thank you..."


    Jonathan seemed disappointed that he only got this far.


    Trying to take advantage of me isn''t a good tactic.


    Many people in high society have Maxwell''s Number because of the spatial rings.


    He''s damn good at selling and pissing off a lot of people.


    "How does your mana work anyway?"


    And then, Emily Reinhardt asked me a question, to which I just didnt have an answer.


    Since im a dragon, I can just control my mana easily with my thoughts.


    But I still had toe up with something.


    So I just told her random things I learned about mana control, and how I applied(don''t actually) in my spatial mana.


    And this small talk of mine continues for quite a while.


    Until I ended up in a situation entirely else.


    ***


    "Why were you out of campus for so long?"


    As I leaned against the wall, I heard Sabrina ask me a question.


    "Well, I had lots of things to do."


    "What kind of things?"


    "Rted to my guild."


    ''And also killing myself nearly.''


    I thought as I didnt tell her anything about dungeon raiding and the fight with Kazikato that destroyed an ind and Something that has caused an Uproar in the eastern world.


    A majority of the big shots of the east didnte here because of that.


    They all think that extremely powerful artifacts have appeared or that the demons had done something.


    I wonder what their reaction would be when they find out it was just a fight between me and Kazikato.


    "During the time you were gone, your soul crystal cracked."


    And then I paused.


    What?


    My soul crystal cracked?


    "At the same time, the pirs of White and ck emerged in the east, and your soul crystal cracked."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I was at a loss for words.


    "What exactly were you doing?"


    I remained quiet, and thenter realized I shouldn''t have.


    Staying quiet had just made me even more suspicious.


    "Your Unique pure white mana color, the change in stature, and the face in such a short amount of time.


    It''s suspicious."


    Shit.


    How am I supposed to know my soul crystal cracked?


    Did that fight impact me that much?


    "I was experimenting on something."


    I answered her, trying to remain as nonchnt as I could.


    Alexa Wellington, Jonathan Reinhardt, and Emily Reinhardt have gone off somewhere.


    Leaving me and her here alone in this section of the party.


    "I don''t care what you are doing, I just want you to do your job."


    "..."


    "Thankfully, the guy I was worried about didnte here today because of my uncle."


    I have been ignoring my job, quite a lot.


    Not paying attention to my job...just felt so wrong damn it.


    "I apologize for the time I was gone, but I promise that I will do my job fully in Shield."


    "It''s better if you don''te to Shield."


    Her response surprised me, and I asked why.


    "Why?"


    "Daniel Khorsch, The student council president, couldn''t hide the fact that you are the new council treasurer.


    And now, every club in the shield is after your blood."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I just made a few adjustments to their budgets, why are they so angry?


    "And why does my Dark w like you anyway?"


    And then, the question about her cat came up.


    "Well, I am quite a cat person."


    I answered her.


    "If you were a cat person, you would know the proper way to grab a cat."


    "..."


    "You haven''t done the spirit contract ritual yet, right?"


    "No, I haven''t."


    "Then, if you get a cute spirit, do you want to trade?"


    I raised my brows at her words.


    "...why?"


    Sure trading spirits is possible, but it is an...arduous process.


    "Because mine belongs to the dark element, I tried to contact a lightning spirit many times, but it didnt work."


    Ah, now I get it.


    This girl''s hatred for the darkness element is immense.


    Yeah, she loses this hatred in the future, but right now, she hates and fears the element of Darkness.


    With it having a chance to corrupt the user and being the element that represents demons along with Chaos, the opinion about it is very very bad.


    "I don''t think you should discriminate against something just because of its element."


    I tried to talk some sense into her, trading spirits is harmful to both the users and Spirits.


    "I know it''s wrong."


    I forgot my words for a moment after I heard her.


    "I know it''s wrong, I love it too, it''s just...that seeing its element...I be scared, I recall some bad memories."


    I stayed silent for a few moments.


    "To be honest, the element of Darkness is great. When you get further into it, you unlock all sorts of things.


    Necromancy, ck Magic, Even some illusion magic, and all sorts of other cool things."


    After fighting with Kazikato, my views on the element changed.


    The power to call an army of undead.


    The power to curse someone.


    The power of deceiving someone.


    The power of resurrection.


    It''s amazing.


    And Kazikato truly showed me the great things about it.


    "..."


    Sabrina states silent.


    Well, when someone talks great about an element ostracized and shamed by the general public.


    He appears to be crazy.


    But shockingly, what I heard was a slightughter


    "Who says something great about necromancy...pfft."


    Hey, you can revive people AND summon bone dragons and armies of the dead.


    The element isn''t linked to chaos, it''s linked to death.


    And the Dragon of death bitch ps Suleras...probably.


    It''s an amazing element.


    "You know, You and Elijah are good at making peopleugh."


    "I was serious, I would trade an elemental affinity I have for Darkness."


    I would dly trade Chaos for it.


    "Your space one?"


    "No, the other one."


    "Pfft."


    And she was still struggling to hide herugh.


    Is wanting another element that funny?


    But then she suddenly stopped and said.


    "Do you know about Ezra Fornum?"


    That name again.


    "Yeah, I do, and I also know that he wants to steal my techniques."


    "So, do you wanna fight him?"


    Honestly, My answer to that is.


    "Yeah."


    I want to, but I can''t just risk it, I can''t just let him steal my moves.


    Unless somethinges up, I won''t be fighting him.


    Unless something really importantes up anyways.


    "That''s so like the one that had a face of pure ecstasy when fighting a monster above his level."


    She said and then continued.


    "Well, Although mother and everyone else say that if it does happen, you will lose...."


    There is a high chance of me losing..if I don''t use my transformations.


    "I''ll root for you, the underdog bodyguard."


    And then, I paused as I looked at the expression she had on her face as she said that.


    I will say it not for the first time and definitely not thest time.


    Beauty is a terrifying weapon.


    ***


    Released the chapter early today, oh, and let me know about your thoughts on a gift system.


    Gifts=More chapters.


    Im free today and tomorrow so ill have time to write a lot.

 Chapter 152 [152]The Fight Of The Century.Ezra Fornum VS Alan Peccator

    [Ezra Fornum PoV]


    ''I guess I have to go now.''


    Ezra thought as he let go of Elizabeth''s Hand.


    "So it''s time huh?"


    She said, knowing what he was about to do.


    "Don''t Over Exert yourself."


    "Hah!"


    Ezraughed at her worry, not realizing it would be validter on.


    "I promise to take you on a date next time."


    He said and then wandered around.


    ''Should I just ask for one? Or does Behemoth have to get involved?''


    He thought as he made his way, and as an agent from behemoth whispered into his ear His target''s location.


    He made his way toward the location the agent told him.


    ''...so he uses a spear huh and is also adept at controlling mana.''


    He remembered the information about his target as he made his way toward him.


    And lo and behold, A white-haired young man, leaning against a wall appeared in his sight.


    He seemed to be alone for now, And Ezra Approached him, and the crowd in the party made way for him.


    "... it''s happening again isn''t it?"


    "It appears to be so."


    He heard the crowd''s whispers and paid them no heed.


    And He approached n Pator and paused for a while, taking in the beauty of those eyes.


    Diamonds.


    It was like he wasn''t seeing the eyes of a human, but literal gemstones.


    But he soon stopped and directly asked him.


    "n Pator, I would like to duel you."


    Direct, with no trickery at all.


    Behemoth may have liked to do things differently, but Ezra liked to be direct.


    He always liked it to be like this.


    And if the person in question didn''t ept.


    He would just let Behemoth take the lead from there on.


    But n''s Reaction was...strange.


    An abrupt pause, followed by his eyeballs moving, then his eyes and figure trembling as his mouth moved.


    And then, it would happen.


    The Duel of the Century.


    ****


    [Richard Thompson PoV]


    NO!


    NONONO!


    Shit...I was busy with Alice that I forgot about n!


    I hurriedly reached the area and was secondste as Ezra had already reached n.


    ''Damn! Where are all my guild members?!''


    I thought in my mind, I had positioned some of the elders of my guild around Ezra and n just to prevent this.


    But where the fuck are they?


    "How is your guild doing Richard?"


    And then, I heard a voice.


    An Old Man wearing all grey and a dignified presence.


    Logan Fornum, The Guildmaster of Behemoth.


    Someone, at the peak of the S+ rank, and someone on par with the guild master of Titan.


    ''...ah..fuck. He''s responsible for all of this.''


    "Now Now, Richard, I asked you a question."


    "Fuck off."


    I care not for formality now.


    And that wicked smile of his doesn''t deserve it.


    "n, You don''t have to ept it."


    I put my hand on n''s shoulders...trying to convince him to not ept.


    Twilight will try its best to handle the pressure.


    Don''t ept it...


    We can''t lose a talent like you.


    But...the moment I saw his eyes.


    I instinctively knew it.


    He made up his mind.


    And felt disgusted with me.


    If only I had been more attentive.


    More observant.


    If only I had been earlier.


    I may have been able to convince him.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Now I have to watch another fall.


    ***


    [Logan Fornum PoV]


    As I watched the guild master of Twilight try to convince that boy.


    Iughed inside.


    Those eyes, do not falter.


    I have seen many in my lifetime.


    Arken Miller.


    Hiroto Mitsuki.


    Oliver Olsfer.


    Harrison Soubuelle.


    Lee Jonghyuk.


    Jinsei Hana.


    Kim Sungwoo.


    Jonathan Reinhardt.


    John Wellington.


    And the guild master of Titan, Daniel Parker.


    So many heroes, and bastards.


    Had those goddamn eyes.


    And how I wished for those eyes, for those unshaken eyes to disappear.


    To just fall.


    And thanks to Ezra, I had seen them fall.


    And have grown addicted to it.


    So...my dear God of war.


    Destroy him.


    Destroy n Pator.


    Let me see the wonderful sight.


    The death of another Star.


    ***


    [Oliver Olsfer POV]


    So it''s happening.


    ...sigh.


    I focused my attention on the screen in front of me, and so did Arken.


    Elena would be sad.


    I think that''s why she took him under her wing.


    To at least give him some firmfort when he eventually loses.


    I can only pray.


    This loss doesn''t cripple him, as it has done to all the others.


    "What are you sulking about?"


    Arken spoke, and I stayed silent.


    "sigh..."


    He sighed and then spoke again.


    "I don''t know about this Ezra or whoever the fuck he is, or that copying talent of his, but aren''t you all underestimating my student too much?


    huh?"


    "Even if n does lose, I''ll just train him more."


    Arken babbled whilst drinking more wine.


    Oh, my dear friend.


    If only you knew.


    n Pator is losing this fight.


    ***


    [Arken''s PoV]


    I don''t understand Oliver''s Worry.


    Why does he think like that?


    Have the years I have been gone made people forget about me?


    It is unknown that he is my student, but I''ve trained him


    He can lose, it''s perfectly fine to lose.


    But fall into depression after losing?


    How many has Oliver Seen fallen like that to be so sure?


    I don''t understand.


    But if my won student does fall.


    I''ll be sure to beat the hell out of him to make him rise again.


    ***


    [Elena Frost PoV]


    So it is happening.


    The fight between my student and Ezra fornum.


    I still remember the day I lost.


    So vividly.


    Thank God Master Oliver was there for me.


    But...my student wont be as pathetic as me.


    He has a good chance of winning if Ezra restrains his rank to be the same.


    A very good chance.


    So win n Pator.


    But...even if you still lose.


    Do not worry.


    Just like Master Oliver was there for me, I will do the same for you.


    And besides, during the time I spent training you.


    I havee to be sure of one thing.


    You have your own trump cards, your own special talent.


    And you are not the type to go down without a fight.


    Fight, I pray for your victory.


    ***


    [Elijah Ardor''s PoV]


    "... he''s going to ept."


    I heard Henry''s...somewhat broken voice.


    "..Shit!Even when I warned him! Why must he ept it and lose?"


    "Well, he doesn''t have much of a chance to win?"


    Henry and Serena''sments confused Elijah.


    ine also chipped in.


    "So does that make it the 55th?"


    The 55th talent was ruined by Ezra.


    I remained quiet, still confused, While Sabrina''s eyes states glued to the scene of Ezra and n standing in front of each other.


    "I don''t necessarily think he will fall without a proper fight."


    She spoke finally, whilst I remained quiet.


    Just who is Ezra Fornum?


    Who is he that everybody is so confident in his win?


    "Your bodyguard isn''t winning."


    "He''s gonna lose."


    "Damn It! Why did he ept even when I warned him not to?!"


    Serena and ine voiced out, while Henry was stuck in his world.


    I was about to say something but then...


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agriughs boisterously]


    [Supreme Dragon of Fireughed at the very thought of ''him'' losing]


    [HHAHAHAHAHAHAH!]


    ...Agri has lost it.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says that he is quite sane...for now.]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Come on, let''s just cheer him on."


    I said to the group.


    Serena, ine, and Henry are so sure of his loss.


    While Sabrina''s Silence doesn''t give me a clue of what she''s thinking.


    But Agri...seems so adamant that he won''t lose.


    Do I trust my friend''s judgment?


    It is the Judgement of the Supreme Dragon of Fire, Agri''s?


    I don''t know.


    I''ll just watch I guess.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri advises you to watch closely.]


    ****


    [Supreme Dragon Of Agri''s PoV]


    Lose?


    Him?!


    AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHA.


    SUCH A FUCKING LUDICROUS STATEMENT.


    Him?!The Dragon of Oblivion Lose?!


    Such a fucking hrious thought.


    Myughter shook my world, my people looking towards my figure seated upon this volcano of mine.


    But I could not stopughing.


    It''s so funny.


    The dragon or Oblivion and Extinction.


    The very being that brought the downfall of us Might Dragons.


    The one that made the ancient, the primordial, the supreme dragons fall to their knees.


    The one that crushed the empire of the godbeasts.


    The one that eliminated those so-called Gods.


    The one that destroyed the entirety of Celestia.


    The one that ravaged the Holy City Of Celestia, Babylon.


    The one that brought ruin to the capital of Dragons as well.


    That same being...lose?


    To some fucking copycat?


    How ludicrous.


    Even if he isn''t as strong yet, he won''t go down for a fight.


    Even if you are my enemy, show then our might.


    The might of the dragons...no.


    Your might.


    Your Strength.


    Your Power.


    The power, strength, and Might of the being that threatened the survival of this Universe.


    Show them.


    Oh Aranus, Draco Oblivionis Et Extinctionis.

 Chapter 153 [153]Ezra Fornum VS Alan Peccator.

    Ezra Fornum approached me.


    What Pressure he exudes.


    The crowd parted to make way for him.


    So...this is the man, that nearly annihted Behemoth.


    The guy killed hundreds of thousands after losing the love of his life.


    The guy that beat Elijah, Using [DECIMATION] to a pulp.


    Wow.


    The pressure is suffocating.


    Yet...I feel such a thrill.


    My blood is boiling.


    Fight him.


    ...


    ...


    ..


    But I must endure.


    I can''t just let him copy my techniques.


    A 7-star art in his hands when I know what he does in the future?


    Fucking bullshit.


    "I do not think he will be able to copy the Chaotic Spear."


    The voice of Aranus resounded in my mind.


    "I have not heard of this Ezra Fornum, but a talent to copy every physical movement you see at first nce seems far-fetched."


    His voice...somehow evaluating Ezra seemedforting.


    But I know that the talent possessed by Ezra Fornum is real.


    As far as the memories that Jame had are concerned.


    "n Pator, I would like to duel you."


    Ah...how direct.


    I walked up to him nning to reject him, but then...my steps came to an abrupt pause.


    [Ding!]


    [You have received a quest from The System.]


    [Quest:Defeat Ezra Fornum on Equal Grounds.


    Difficulty:SS+


    Restriction:On Equal Grounds


    You must defeat Ezra Fornum while remaining in your human form!


    A dragon does not bully weaker beings!


    Quest Reward:A High-Grade Elven Tear.


    Acknowledgment as the one who bests the legend]


    [I wish you luck in oveing this trial.]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I paused as I read the contents of the quest.


    ...what?


    "What bullshit is this?


    A dragon, limited to a weak form?"


    Aranus said in my mind, ridiculing the quest.


    But my attention was not on him.


    Elven tear.


    Elven Tear


    Elven Tear.


    The name of that item kept appearing in my mind.


    Repeating in it.


    .....i..can cure Samantha with it...


    ...


    ..


    .


    "ept it, I can guarantee you that he will not be able to fully grasp the technique.


    A 7-star art is not something one can easily understand."


    "And I want to see the ability of this talent as well, this so-called copying talent."


    My mind was in turmoil as I listened to him.


    And then, I was taken out of that turmoil by a hand that appeared on my shoulder.


    Richard...


    He told me not to. ept.


    But how can I not?


    With Samantha''s condition deteriorating, I don''t even know how to calcte spatial coordinates.


    I don''t know how long it''ll be until I find out Elvenheims coordinates.


    And...I don''t think I''ll get another quest like this.


    ...shit.


    Strangely, even though im cursing.


    My body is moving.


    My eyes are unwavering.


    I want to fight.


    Even though I think I''ll lose.


    I want to brawl.


    I want to duke it out with this man.


    My thoughts...are all focused on fighting him.


    Damn, if Arken saw me like this, he sure as hell would be proud.


    And how am I supposed to deny the quest?


    I can''t deny the opportunity to cure Samantha.


    No matter what...I must restrain myself during this fight.


    I cannot use my transformations and risk failing the quest.


    My sister''s health is much more important than my foolish pleasure.


    And so, I epted it.


    The quest and duel as gasps of shock were heard from the crowd.


    I smiled confidently and epted this duel.


    ****


    In the underground training area of the building.


    n Pator and Ezra Fornum stood in front of the people, adorned in their gear.


    A simple protective armor, and a spear.


    In each of their hands, was a spear.


    Ezra would copy whatever n was doing, so it made sense for him to use a spear.


    The audience surrounded them in the stands, providing Ample space for them to fight.


    Cameras could be seen all around, focused on Ezra and n.


    "I will stand as the referee for this duel.


    Both parties are to begin in..."


    Logan Fornum acted as the referee of this duel, and Richard could be seen clenching his teeth and hands as hard as he could.


    "3."


    He counted down.


    The tension in the atmosphere was palpable as the two duelists readied themselves.


    Enhancing themselves with their mana, they readied their spears.


    "2."


    Their weapons pointed at each other, ready tounch themselves into action.


    And then it was time.


    "1!"


    Logan immediately disappeared from the area as n Pator dashed towards Ezra Fornum, who took a defensive stance immediately.


    His speed was immense, yet...when he had covered more than half the distance, his figure disappeared.


    Ezra, who was preparing himself for the attack, was surprised momentarily... Until he felt a deathly pressure from atop.


    And lo and behold, n Pator was somehow in the air, just a few feet above Ezra.


    His spear thrusted towards Ezra''s head, who immediately lowered it to dodge the spear.


    The de of the spear was just a few centimeters from his face, yet Ezra''s Eyes were calm as he thrusted his spear towards n in the air.


    n, who couldn''t block or dodge as well in the air, teleported behind Ezra and shed his spear, and the armor covering Ezra in the back was hit by the spear.


    Ezra, who wasn''t as injured by the light attack, immediately created distance between the two of them and thought.


    ''...that spatial attribute is indeed annoying.''


    The power to teleport anywhere around an opponent in a duel... was just too far-fetched for Ezra to believe.


    There has to be a limit or an indicator.


    That ability was just far too broken to have no such limitations.


    Ezra, trying to find the weaknesses in that teleportation raised his senses to the max by using a skill.


    [Sensory Enhancement[B] has been used]


    It was hard to handle the skill whilst keeping himself at C rank, but he endured it and put his focus on n Completely.


    The movement of his eyes, his head, his body, every fiber in his muscles, Ezra scanned them all as he maintained a neutral stance.


    He observed n Pator intricately, and...just when n Prepared to attack he noticed it.


    His eyes.


    Those bright blue diamonds looked to his side, and not himself.


    And n appeared to the side this time, exactly where his eyes were looking.


    ''...his eyes show the location of his teleportation.''


    His instantaneous teleportation has a drawback, one of many.


    It is dependent on his sight.


    ''So ill just take it.''


    n thrusted his spear from the side, and Ezra Blocked it with his own.


    Their mana of grey and white shed, as Wind shed with Ice.


    *CLANG!*


    The noise of the sh was deafening, Ezra, taking advantage of it, formed sharp wind des on his fingers and shed at n''s Face, who conjured ice to block it.


    Yet, immediately after, Ezra Performed a spinning back kick, powered up by his previous attack, and kicked n straight in the stomach.


    n Pator on the other hand endured the kick and answered with a low kick of his own which was dodged by Ezra Jumping, immediately after, he used the wind to propel himself into a spin and kicked n Straight in the face with a round.


    n was sent flying as a result, and before he evennded, Ezra was right on top and delivered an Axe Kick to n''s Face.


    It hit straight in his face, and Ezra observed his movements again.


    And then, from the cloud of dust formed by the destruction of the floor below, A leg encased in white Fire emerged and Threatened Ezra.


    He immediately put forth his palms and used a technique he learned from another talent to cancel n''s Technique.


    [Art of Redirection(4*)]


    THIRD MOVEMENT


    /|Spiral Redirect|


    The wind that formed a spiral on his hand blew out the me covering the LG and redirected the leg away as well.


    [You have gained aplete understanding of the first movement of the [Dark Leg[4star], Collier]


    [Collier:A kick to the neck enhanced by the user''s mana, upon contact, it drives the neck of the opposite to the ground, and may even break it]


    And Ezra used the same move on n, imp a devastating kick enhanced with the wind to the neck!


    n was sent flying again.


    He got a hold of himself and stood, coughed up red blood, and struggled to breathe.


    "..fuck that hurt."


    A curse could be heard being spoken.


    And Ezra silently observed n again.


    Every movement of his.


    A person would be more used to using their unique art movements in normal life.


    Even if it was an insignificant move, when one had practiced it so much, one would subconsciously use it.


    Their footwork, their breathing, the way they held everything.


    He observed everything.


    Even the way mana circted in the weapon.


    Every detail was in his sight.


    Every little detail.


    Everything.


    And as Ezra saw n prepare to attack again.


    He received the notification from the system.


    [Understanding of *******(?) is currently 0.5%]


    Ezra focused even more on n''s spear .


    All to copy it.


    All to copy his art.

 Chapter 154 [154]Ezra Fornum Vs Alan Peccator.

    A/N:Sorry about not uploading, I''ve been sick thesest couple of days and it was for me to even ope my eyes and not be assaulted with a headache, let alone write, so I''ve mostly been sleeping and taking medicine.


    Also, since my health isn''t good, and the fact that my monthly midterms are near, expect the upload schedule to be messed up.


    If I have the time and can do so, I will write a chapter, otherwise no chapter.


    I apologize for theck of chapters these days.


    Enjoy this one,it may be the only one for a while.


    *****


    It''s sickening.


    Shocking even.


    He imitated my footwork, the way I hold my spear, and even my breathing.


    "Hmm, so he''s gaining some understanding of the art by copying your every move.


    But...will he be able to copy it?


    The way dragons circte mana, their adeptness over it?


    It should be impossible for a human."


    Aranusmented inside my mind as he observed Ezra.


    He is not helping right now.


    And worst of all, Ezra has found out weakness in my instant teleportation.


    Whilst fighting with the Sword Saint, He told me how he found out about my Teleportation.


    ''You didn''t realize it yourself? Your eyes practically give the location of your teleport to your opponent easily, If your enemy is smart and has found that ring weakness, I suggest you don''t use it, or else your opponent can use it to trap you.''


    Damn, I can''t depend on my teleportation much huh.


    Fucking hell.


    *ng*ng*


    Our spears shed, and he was trying to stab my eyes and I did my best to avoid it.


    "You''re quite good with the spear."


    And then suddenly, like all cliche fight fashion, the enemy starts talking mid-fight.


    I stayed quiet and tried to block his attacks whilst trying tond a few of mine but failing miserably at it.


    "Ohe on, shy?"


    What is this bastard nning?


    The wind at his feet is already making it hard for me to follow his movements.


    And now this useless banter of his is making it even harder to focus.


    "I''ve never fought a spatial awakened before...so tell me, is that all the space element can do?"


    Oh? I feel offended.


    Fine you bastard, have something new.


    I thrusted my spear right at his face and opened a portal in between.


    At the other end of the portal, I opened it beside his face. Behind is predictable.


    And my new ''trick'' did the work.


    Ezra immediately pulled his head back, But unfortunately for him, he was a tad bit toote, the tip of my spear grazed his nose and drew blood.


    He immediately continued the motion of him moving his head back tond a kick on my shin, which hurt.


    "How''s that new trick?"


    He stayed quiet as I opened my mouth for the first time.


    Then, disying a smile, he muttered.


    "Good."


    *****


    *ng**ng*


    "Is Ezra going easy?"


    "He has to be.."


    "...that spatial awakened is holding up quite well."


    The crowd muttered as they watched the fight ensue.


    The spear des collided with each other, leaving shes of white and grey mana.


    Wind shed with Ice and A Slight amount of Space.


    Richard watched the battle go on, whilst Alice, who was beside him, was live sending this to someone else.


    [Why is the boss not tr-serious?]


    The voice on the other side stumbled for a bit.


    "What do you mean?"


    [...boss isn''t seriously fighting?]


    "Kazikato, is what you are saying true?"


    Suddenly, Richard asked Kazikato who replied.


    [Yeah, If the boss is serious, he can win.


    And if he loses, he won''t be losing easily.]


    Richard and Alice stayed silent, contemting Kazikato''s words.


    [Anyways, I''m going to go sleep, don''t wake me up.]


    "..."


    "..."


    The call ended, and Alice and Richard silently stared at the phone and Kazikatos''s Audacity.


    The shes wind and ice continued, and Richard Focused his attention on Logan, the so-called referee of this match.


    ***


    "Ohe on! Show me some new tricks!"


    I was being pressured by Ezra more and more, and slowly being driven into a corner.


    *ng!**ng!*


    "Why?! Want another cut on your face?!"


    I responded.


    "Hah!If it means I get to know more about your attribute, dly!"


    Shit, he keeps cornering me again and again.


    And I am trying my best not to use anything rted to my art.


    So...if it hase to this then...


    Hand-to-handbat it is.


    I maneuvered my spear around Ezra''s, stopping his spear, and moved in andnded an elbow on his face.


    I then let go of my spear and then prepared to punch him in the liver.


    ''Any attack to the liver, if powerful enough, can paralyze your opponent.''


    That was what the sword saint said, but I don''t think I will find out if it was true or not today, the bastard blocked the hit with his spear.


    I grabbed the spear and threw it away, and now both of us were unharmed.


    I wouldter realize I should have just kept myself to the spear.


    Hand-to-handbat was a stupid decision against him, even with my body.


    He immediately began a barrage of jabs and punches that were difficult to dodge.


    I tapped as many punches as I could to throw them off course but the quantity was just too many.


    And to add to that, Spiral columns of wind had formed on his hands.


    That could be handled until he started flying encased in a tornado on his lower half.


    And then, multiple des of wind fired from the tornado andunched themselves at me.


    *Sching!*


    The wind sliced the air itself and reached me, I dodged the first few by just tilting my head, and took the weaker ones with my body.


    They didn''t hurt much.


    I charged at him, whilst he was in the air.


    To reach him, I create paths of ice and did across them as I tried to get closer and closer to the damn bastard.


    I fired multiple beams of ice as well, and then jumped when I was near him.


    Inded on his upper body, away from the tornado on his lower body.


    And prepared both of my elbows, and mashed them in his face.


    Right in his eyes, he aimed for mine, I'' aim for his.


    Ezra, descended pretty quickly as I ravaged his face with my elbows.


    And then It was my turn to be suddenly pushed away by an immense pressure of wind that erupted from his body.


    I, who was sent flying, conjured ice to soften my fall, and when I looked back in his direction.


    Hundreds, no Thousands of des of wind, Other constructs all filled my sight.


    And I protected myself all I could with my mana.


    *BOOOM!*


    ? I was sent flying once again and littered with injuries this time.


    "Cough..."


    "Calm your breathing, don''t lose focus, and why are you putting so much focus into hand-to-handbat?"


    I coughed from the aftermath of the attack, and Aranus asked me in my mind.


    "I don''t know, I''m just trying to use what the sword saint taught me, isn''t that why you told me to be his student, to learn how to manipte aura and how to fight?"


    Ezra and I engaged in battle again after I asked Aranus.


    However, I was repeatedly getting bested.


    "I advised you to go the sword saint to learn how to fight yes, but I didn''t tell you to just focus on hand-to-handbat.


    And about that Aura, even I was oblivious about it."


    "We Dragons are beings of mana, Aura is something unknown to us, We use mana along with other fighting techniques intricately to attack.


    We don''t entirely focus on physicalbat, we are masters of mana, and our ways to utilize mana and our strengths are unparalleled."


    As I went flying away by another attack, I was met with the same pattern of thousands of wind des attacking me.


    "You are dragon n Pator."


    He said, and I replied.


    "I know that!"


    My injuries were bad now, although I am confident my bloodline will heal them.


    And if anybody asks,  I''ll just tell them it was a skill.


    And this attack may prove to be too much.


    "Then fight like a Dragon!"


    And as he said that, suddenly an idea emerged in my mind.


    I opened arge portal in front of me to absorb all the wind des, and then opened small ones all around Ezra and he now faced the brunt of his attack.


    I thought if I opened a big (Entry Point) portal, which absorbed the attacks and then connect it to multiple smaller portals (exit points), I can use his attack against him more unpredictably than just opening two portals.


    Ezra immediately absorbed his mana back and the des of wind disappeared.


    Afterward, he flew straight to me, encasing his hand in a de of wind.


    Wannae closer huh?


    Fine,e as close as you want!


    I''ll show you how someone with the purest mana, the best control of mana fights!


    I''ll show you how a Dragon Fights!

 Chapter 155 [155]Fight Like A Dragon!

    Ezra Rushed towards n whilst being shrouded in a spiral wind. n on the other hand, simply watched himing closer and closer and drew back his right hand.


    Mana converged in his right hand, covering it in a cyan hue.


    ''...not yet.''


    n thought as Ezra came closer and closer.


    Close


    Closer...


    ''Now!''


    And then a massive cier of ice emerged from n''s hand straight into Ezra!


    His wind collided with the ice, yet he was still pushed back immensely and must have been hurt.


    The shocked Ezra collected his thoughts.


    ''...that wasn''t a skill.''


    A skill takes time to activate, and a magic skill of such Magnitude would definitely have taken some time.


    And he didn''t even see not feel the mana move in the atmosphere.


    It was just sudden.


    Ezra broke the Ice around him and then found an n Pator, coveredpletely in an armor of ice in front of him.


    Ance had been formed in his hands, and the floor below him turned into ice and he began to slide on it.


    And then a new battle began, whilst the Audience was left bbergasted.


    ***


    "cier?! How did a C rank use cier?!"


    "That wasn''t cier! That was weaker than cier...but."


    "It was weaker but it definitely was cier!"


    The audience was in shock, multiple figures were wondering how the hell n Pator, a C rank Awakened, used cier, An A rank skill.


    An Awakened could not use skills far above their rank, unless they wanted to die from the aftermath.


    A C-rank awakened can''t just use an A can''t skill.


    But... everything about it was so simr... except for its strength.


    It was weaker...but it was still cier.


    And you can''t just weaken the impact of the skill of the system.


    Either you can activate it safely, or you activate it whilst enduring the risk.


    You can''t just take it down to your level.


    Furthermore, the time for cier was too short!


    The skill couldn''t be activated so quickly!


    They were all shocked....and somethingter happened that shocked them even more.


    An Iceberg appeared in the sky and fell upon Ezra.


    Another One?!


    Iceberg?!Now another A-rank skill?!


    In such a short amount of time, along with no indication?!


    What the fuck is happening?!


    The cier, The Iceberg, The Lance of Ice, The Armor Of Ice, All around his figure oring from him.


    This upied their mind right now.


    ...


    ...and...


    ....


    And then it happened.


    Something that made them all Alert.


    Something that sent shivers down their spines.


    The mana...


    The mana in the air...


    All of them...they started to lose their connection to it.


    Their connection to the mana in the atmosphere dwindles bit by bit.


    Moving away from them.


    Demons?!


    Are demons attacking?!


    Are they making the mana disappear?!


    That was the first thought they had...until.


    They saw the man move.


    Towards the figure d in an armor of ice, wielding ance of the same material.


    Each and Every particle,  whether it had an attribute or not...it all moved towards him.


    *Crash*


    The sses they held dropped as they stood shocked, amazed, frightened that ...


    The mana...the mana in the air...in the atmosphere...all moved towards him.


    Each and Every Particle.


    All...to him.


    The mana listened to his call...no.


    The mana obeyed him!


    ***


    [n''s (PoV)]


    ''...this is how I should have started.''


    I relished in the feeling of the mana enveloping my figure and charged at Ezra again, who was now struggling.


    I attacked and attacked, using raw mana to give the attacks I had in my mind shape.


    Whilst doing so, I felt so much at home.


    I should fight like this more often...only if I can handle it for a long.


    This much...abundant mana...I can''t...


    ...no I can handle it.


    I must endure it.


    Until I end this fight.


    Ezra flew again in the air...but this time, I did not conjure paths of ice.


    Instead, I ordered the mana in the air to converge into wings that carried me.


    I flew up to meet him, with mynce of ice.


    And he flew down to meet me, with hisnce of wind.


    *BOOOM!*


    We both were sent flying from the sh.


    And we charged at one another again.


    Again and again.


    Until one of us falls.


    ***


    [Ezra Fornum POV]


    What is happening?!


    I cannot feel the mana in the surroundings?!


    No... it''s not like I can''t feel it, but more like it''s hostile toward me!


    I''ve been isted by the mana?


    How?


    No human can have this much control over mana!


    It''s simply impossible!


    To manipte raw mana and have it perform the effects of skill.


    To iste others from feeling it.


    And to make it hostile toward your enemy.


    Am I facing a god of Mana?!


    The only man I can depend on is the mana inside of me now.


    Huuu...


    Calm down, Ezra...Calm down and just fight.


    *ng!**ng.*


    Wind and Ice shed, and with each sh, his ice broke and my wind diminished.


    Will... I lose?


    No...I have more tricks up my sleeve..but.


    Must I use them?


    Just to copy his art?


    Must I use my trump card?


    ''Shit.''


    The hostile mana in the air is stinging me.


    It''s making it hard for me to think.


    I might have to do it.


    ... I can''t lose this fight or else his attention will be drawn away.


    I cannot let my younger siblings bear the weight of his expectations.


    His perfectionist ideals, his stainless expectations...I can''t let them bear that weight.


    It destroyed father...who says it can''t destroy Henry and the others.


    And...Liz is watching this too.


    I can''t just lose this fight.


    But I was still hesitant...and thankfully.


    He did something that made me drop my hesitation real quick.


    The world around us started to turn a cyan hue, the ground had an enormous snowke ??  on it...which was lighting up.


    ...this skill.


    S-Rank Skill, cial Copse.


    The signature skill of Elena Frost, the vice principal of Shield.


    The woman I defeated when I was young.


    I won''t be able to withstand this skill with just the mana inside me.


    I must cancel it.


    So, I did the very thing I thought I wouldn''t have to do in this fight.


    I never expected it to be so hard after


    n Pator huh, your quite good.


    To have forced me to use my own Trump card.


    The snowke in the ground was brighter than it had ever been, and as I watched it.


    I uttered two words.


    The words that activated my trump.


    pA(nd)A no ve1 A secret technique whose existence no one knows yet...except my grandfather.


    The one that would guarantee me victory.


    "Domain Expansion."

 Chapter 156 [156]Mirror World.

    As soon as Ezra had said those words, the world had stopped.


    Wind, all one could see was wind enveloping the battlefield and then forming a circr prison.


    The move had instantly canceled out cial Copse and now no one would know what was happening inside the wind blockade.


    The audience was now left even more shocked.


    Everyone except Logan...was in awe.


    Domain Expansion...Ezra had be able to do it?!


    Since When?


    And How?!


    Logan, in the midst of this, was gritting his teeth.


    ''... I''ve underestimated the spatial brat.''


    To think Ezra would be forced to use Domain Expansion...something that could only be used by a handful of people on Earth.''


    "Cut the footage."


    He silently ordered an agent from Behemoth, who moved swiftly.


    ''I''ll also have to prevent any leakage of this fight to the major public now...shit.''


    Of course, the big shots would know now, but at least the public wouldn''t.


    He would prevent the public from knowing at all costs.


    Logan''s temper was livid.


    To think the brat could force Ezra to Use Domain Expansion...


    Shit...he better copy that art now.


    ***


    Domain Expansion is an extremely powerful earned skill...


    The power to question the world, to enforce your will upon it.


    To enforce your ideals, your thoughts, your qualities...the very ideas and things that define you.


    To enforce it upon the world, bing a monarch within your own domain.


    There were many ways to gain Domain Expansion.


    Either you would have a surefire way of gaining the skill upon reaching 50%prehension in your element.


    Or rather be talented enough to have such a powerful will and ideal that even the world bends before it.


    The former way would give you a domain rted to your element.


    One that infused your element with your will, and enforced it on the world.


    Whilst thetter would be you only.


    No one could tell what was happening inside the domain of wind.


    Either it could be a domain of wind, or it could be something entirely else.


    The only one who would know would be the poor soul that was subjected to it.


    ***


    (n Pator PoV]


    Where am I?


    The world is...strange.


    Everywhere I look, I see myself, looking at another me, looking at another me, and so on.


    So confusing.


    Up, Down, Left, Right, Forward, Back.


    Everywhere I look, I see myself.


    In this world...all I see is myself.


    No... it''s as if there are multiple mirrors around me, and mirrors inside the mirrors.


    My every movement is being disyed.


    ''...so this is his domain Expansion.''


    I thought as I examined my mind.


    How fitting, The copycat has a world of mirrors.


    A world filled with mirrors, where he can perfect the things he has copied.


    Well, I don''t think he uses this world for that anyway.


    Ezra Fornum, very rarely trains.


    "It is an interesting domain."


    Aranusmented inside my head.


    "How did he achieve it at such a young age?


    It took me even longer to achieve mine...well mine is levels above."


    Is he praising himself or Ezra?


    I ignored him whilst I tried to feel the mana in the domain.


    ''hmm...''


    It''s harder to control, but still manageable.


    "Be careful, you don''t know any attributes this domain possesses, For all we know, he could be anywhere, copying us."


    Aranus warned as I put even more mana under my control.


    And it was then...that the reflections around me started to move.


    They changed, now resembling Ezra.


    And then, Dozens...no hundreds of Ezra Charged at me.


    All at once.


    ****


    [Ezra Fornum PoV]


    I steadied my breathing as my eyes focused on the figure of n Pator fighting all the mirror illusions by himself.


    With brute strength and hisnce, he fought them all off.


    Despite the injuries umting on his body.


    Despite all the wounds, despite everything, he still kept at it.


    What tenacity, I must say.


    No matter, all I need is for him to hold on.


    [Your Understanding of A****** S****[?] increases]


    A and S


    The initials have been unlocked, now I just need to observe him more.


    I have already grasped the first movement, the stance, the way to hold your spear, the way to unleash it.


    What I have not grasped yet is the flow of mana.


    Well, I will do it after a while, no need to fret.


    I just need him to endure for as long as he can and show me more.


    More.


    And more.


    Until you have nothing more left to show.


    Until I have seen everything.


    I will make you suffer in this world.


    In my...Mirror World.


    ***


    They swarmed me, from every direction.


    Like ants swarming arger predator, they attacked in droves.


    Shaving away my strength, my power...my health.


    But still...no matter how many wounds I suffer.


    I need to keep fighting.


    For Samantha''s cure.


    For my sister''s cure.


    "Cou-Cough!"


    Even if I cough blood, I can''t fall.


    Even if they multiply a thousandfold...I must not fall.


    I have my responsibilities as a bigger brother.


    And if all else fails...I have one more trump card.


    Even though it might wreck me, I can still use it.


    "I don''t rmend it, you won''t be able to handle it."


    I listened to Aranus''s worries as I ripped the head of an Ezra.


    I followed it by slicing a few more in half.


    But they just kepting.


    From Everywhere


    And I was being buried inside, as their spears drove inside my body.


    "HAH!"


    I released my mana in the form of an explosion, sending all the Ezra that had buried me alive flying.


    I coughed blood, and my body blended it.


    Nearly every part of it is bleeding.


    If not for the fact that I am a dragon, and possess the bloodline of the Phoenix, I would have long fallen.


    "Aranus...im nning on using it...I can count on you right?"


    I asked him, but he still showed his worry.


    "I won''t be able to end the fight so quickly, the best I can do with your body at that state is destroy this domain."


    As I heard Aranus, I gave my idea some thought and answered.


    "That *Cough!* will be enough."


    ....


    *Bam!*


    ....


    if Ezra has Domain Expansion, I have my trump card.


    One that I couldn''t use or test out when I first got it.


    One that I was infuriated at was the fact that I couldn''t use it when I got it.


    But now?


    This body of mine is stronger and more durable.


    If it can break this domain, I''m happy about it.


    *Slice!*


    *Swish.*


    I smiled as I got ready to use my trunk card.


    "...sigh."


    Aranus sighed as if he had now confirmed that I would indeed be using it because of my smile.


    I do like to fuck with my body over and over again.


    I wonder how much time will be in a hospital this time.


    Nheless, the pressure from all of these Ezra''s is too much.


    I sent then flying by another wave of mana, and then prepared the mana to execute my trump Card.


    And with my mouth, I said the words that would soon destroy this Domain.


    "Possession."


    [Possession has been Activated.]


    [The soul of Aranus, The Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction, enters the vessel.]

 Chapter 157 [157]...What Happened?

    Elijah stared at the domain of wind in the battleground with keen eyes.


    If one paid closer attention to him, one would notice that his eyes were glowing a faint hue.


    God''s eyes were currently activated, and they allowed Elijah to see everything happen inside.


    Even though no one else could.


    He could see everything.


    In the world of mirrors, he could see everything.


    n at first stands alone in the middle, and Ezra is far away from him.


    And then, as the reflections of n turned into those of Ezra and attacked n.


    All whilst the main Ezra silently watched it all happen.


    "Damn, I can''t even see what''s happening!"


    inemented from the side, seeming furious.


    Of course, she was expecting an amazing fight but right in the middle of it, she couldn''t see anything.


    And to add to that, Unlike everyone''s expectation, n was putting up a damn good fight.


    "..."


    Henry stayed quiet the entire time after the fight had begun.


    And Elijah was the same, silently observing the fight with God''s Eyes.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Agri is dissatisfied with how it''s going.]


    ''... dissatisfied?''


    How could one be dissatisfied with this fight?


    From the start, till now it was full of thrill.


    One couldn''t count how many times n had shocked everyone.


    Ezra as well had put on quite a show.


    Yet still, Agri was dissatisfied.


    Elijah said nothing, a just came to terms with the fact that dragons are different.


    Yet, he was bing more and more nervous.


    ''Come on..e on.''


    As he watched n''s figure get continuously buried by the multiple Ezra, whilst the real one just watched from a distance.


    n''s desperate struggle.


    Come on, defy those odds.


    Defy the expectations everyone has of you losing.


    You can do it.


    You can do it.


    "Well, He is putting up a good fight, I guess he deserved his ran-!?"


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri asks you to pay clo-?!]


    It was then.


    For just a second.


    He witnessed true fear.


    Both Serena and Agri had stopped talking in that single second.


    Everyone had.


    An immense pressure.


    Terrifying pressure.


    Had descended.


    All from the wind domain, all from inside it.


    Elijah and nearly every one took a step back.


    Their bodies shivered, the moment that pressure appeared.


    For a single second that pressure had appeared.


    Everything had stopped.


    As they all wondered, Elijah was the only one except Ezra who knew what was happening inside.


    n suddenly took a calm stance and obliterated the fake Ezra around him.


    He put his hands on his spear and raised it high above his head.


    And pointed it in the direction of Ezra, who was supposed to be hidden.


    And then, he let go of his spear.


    He swung it down.


    And the mana in the air followed his spear.


    A crescent sh of pure white, which appeared to have missed Ezra intentionally erupted forth.


    Barely missing Ezra, it made its way toward the domain walls.


    And the domain could do nothing to withstand it.


    It didn''t start cracking, slowly losing.


    It was decimated entirely in just a second.


    *RAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR*


    This distinct sound had masked everything.


    It had masked the sound of the domain breaking apart.


    And it had done it perfectly.


    It resembled the sound of a beast roaring.


    And Elijah received a message of Agri trembling, which shocked him even more.


    Agri trembling?


    No...it wasn''t just Agri...He, Henry, Serena, Sabrina, ine, Logan, Alice, Richard, John, Elizabeth, Joe, Alexa, and everyone else trembled when that sound had been heard.


    The roar of a beast that was feared by many.


    A beast that Agri and nearly all dragons feared.


    Elijah wouldter know which beast roared today.


    The Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction, t dragon that had singlehandedly destroyed the empire of dragons, and godbeasts, and had been the biggest threat to the universe.


    The dragon had destroyedyers, realms, worlds, systems, and even gxies by itself.


    The roar of the one...


    And the only.


    Aranus, The Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction.


    ***


    [Aranus PoV]


    The child did it.


    He used possession.


    Even though he knew of the risks, he did it.


    I have to admire his bravery.


    Oh well, since I am now here, I should destroy this domain for him.


    "Begone."


    I voiced out and the reflections disappeared.


    I took a stance, the stance of the first movement of the Abyssal Spear...or rather the chaotic spear as it is now.


    ''Should I hit him...no I think not.''


    I contemted whether I should aim at the copycat human or not.


    I probably shouldn''t, I don''t kill him would do the kid any good.


    Oh well, ill just destroy this domain then.


    [Chaotic Spear, First Art]


    /|ABYSSAL REND|


    A wless rend.


    A rent that had been honed by multiple massacres.


    The true abyssal rend, that I could disy with this body at its current level.


    I hope it can handle it.


    ****


    A massive explosion had urred along with that mysterious roar.


    Multiple members of the audience had roused their mana together to resist the explosion.


    "Stop this Fight!"


    "My Mana!"


    "No!"


    Logan screamed at the end, urging for the fight to continue.


    It was because after the explosion subsided, he could see Ezra, Vomiting blood at one end...and n Pator...in an even worse state.


    "Just a little more! Come on Ezra Beat him!"


    He screamed at the top of his lungs, not allowing the fight to end.


    He noticed Richard pushing through and making his way to the stadium and he went over to stop him.


    This fight must end in Ezra''s victory.


    ***


    I continued to vomit blood.


    It didn''t stop.


    Every part of my body is bleeding, and my bones breaking.


    The blood didn''t stop, my bloodline tried its best to heal me, but even it was reaching its limits.


    But I can''t stop.


    I stood up, despite the pain, and faced Ezra, who was holding a spear with a bloody mouth.


    ...and in the next moment, I saw him take the stance of the first movement of the Chaotic Spear art.


    Iughed inside.


    ''..hah, he fucking copied it.''


    The blood didn''t stop, and somehow I was smiling.


    I took the same stance, and we both released crescent sshes of mana at each other.


    *Cough!*


    The amount of blood... it''s too much.


    I fell on my knees, with my body devastated.


    My ability to stand is long gone.


    My arms are in pain, my body in agony.


    And you know what''s even funnier?


    He is still standing, taking the same stance again.


    I tried to stand, yet failed each time.


    The crescent sh exited his spear, and it made its way toward me.


    ...it seemed as if time had stopped.


    And I was filled with regret.


    If only I could endure more...maybe I would have won...


    I''m sorry Samantha.


    I couldn''t get your cure...I couldn''t win it...


    ...I....im...so so sorry.

 Chapter 158 [158]The Result.

    The crescent sh had engulfed n Pator who was struggling to stand.


    *BOOM!*


    "Cough!"


    Ezra had coughed up blood and fell to his knees after he had released the attack.


    His body too was in utter agony.


    [You have gained an understanding of a movement of the Cataclysmic Spear[5 Star], Cataclysmic Rend]


    [You have failed to urately copy your opponent.]


    As Ezra stood, the pores on his face were bleeding as he read the message.


    ''...I failed to copy it...''


    His understanding of the movement was wed, and hence he had copied a lower-grade movement.


    But this message alone shocked him even more.


    A failed copying of the technique resulted in a FIVE-STAR TECHNIQUE?!


    His mind was in chaos.


    Was n Pator in possession of a six-star technique?!


    It had to be so.


    "Healer, Where are the goddamn Healers?!".


    As he was lost in his thoughts, the voice of the guild master of Twilight entered his ears.


    He was near his fallen guild member, and his daughter could be seen sending to the destroyed body of n, trying to make him drink a potion.


    And when that didn''t work, she applied the potion on his wounds, which were honestly all over his body.


    And afterward, Twilight guild members took the injured n away whilst some of their members tried to heal him with skills.


    "Cough!Cough!"


    Ezra coughed up blood again and used his spear to support himself.


    Whatever that movement was, it devastated his body.


    Not to the level of n Pator, but definitely, it was severe.


    "Sir, Drink this!"


    The agents of Behemoth came to him and gave him a potion which he immediately drank.


    His breathing stabilized afterward and he checked the condition of his body.


    ''...I''ve exerted myself fat too much.''


    His body was screaming for rest, yet he still didn''t fall.


    The winner of the duel couldn''t fall so easily after the fight.


    It would leave a bad image.


    His body might be aching, but he waited until the bastard that was his grandfather announced the winner.


    And thankfully for him...the announcement came soon.


    "Ezra Fornum is dered the winner of this Duel!"


    ****


    A truly shocking duel that had defied all expectations.


    Everyone had expected the very first spatial Awakened to be humiliated.


    That very awakened had made Ezra cough blood and provided a spectacr fight.


    Every member of the Audience was stunned.


    Whether it be the new generation or the old...neither expected this oue at all.


    n Pator severely wounded Ezra and was, even so, close to winning it.


    Although he had lost, he definitely hadn''t lost without a fight.


    Not at all.


    He fought very well, especially for his age.


    Elijah, Henry, Serena, Sabrina, and ine all remained quiet.


    Elijah was quietly assessing the fight that had just urred.


    Henry was processing the result.


    Whilst the others were busy trying to hold back their vomit after seeing the state of the twobatants.


    "...how can one still stand after that?"


    Serena finally broke the silence after a while, but nobody answered her.


    They all remained quiet.


    ine had gone away to the bathroom, whilst Sabrina and Henry were quietly staring at Elijah, whose eyes were now glowing with a lot more intensity.


    Unknown to them...he was currently reviewing the entire fight that had happened...and something else was also happening inside him.


    His body had been acting...weird the moment he had heard that roar.


    The bloodline of drakes within him was hiding, and his own body was shivering as if it was afraid.


    Yet despite all this, he was still standing strong,  quietly assessing the fight that had happened.


    ****


    [n Pator PoV]


    I woke up, lying in a hospital bed with tubes carrying blue liquid inserted into my body.


    I couldn''t move my head nearly well, and my body still ached a little.


    ...


    ...


    ...so I lost huh?


    Shit.


    Shit shit shit shit shit.


    ...unknowingly...tears had started toe out of my eyes.


    These tears weren''t because of the fact that I had lost, but more rather because I had failed toplete the quest...and get the cure needed for Samantha''s curse.


    Her condition...was slowly worsening and I failed to procure the cure the I was given a chance...


    ...im a shitty brother.


    I''m such a shitty brother...


    Shit...the tears areing out even more.


    I''m sorry Sam... you''ll have to suffer more because of my weakness.


    "There''s no need to be that dramatic."


    And then suddenly, I was startled by a voice that I was all too familiar with.


    I didn''t even know someone was in this room with me...but when taking into ount who it was, it wasn''t all that surprising.


    "Why are you crying? You just lost a duel, it''s nothing major."


    Arken Miller, the Sword Saint, and my teacher said as he was sitting on a chair beside the bed, cleaning a gigantic grey sword.


    "You fought well, you even surprised me for a moment there."


    He said, and I remained silent whilst Arken cleaned his sword.


    "Who knew your control of mana was that strong?


    I and even Oliver we''re left baffled."


    But eventually, I opened my mouth


    "... I still lost."


    I said to him, clearly still bitter about the fact that I couldn''t get the Elven Tear.


    "And so what?"


    But then, his reply shook me.


    "So what if you lost?"


    "..."


    I remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.


    "It doesn''t matter if you lose, what matters is if you learn from it.


    There is no being in the entire universe who hasn''t lost once in their life."


    He said, and his words felt strangelyforting.


    "And If you learn from that loss, then it doesn''t count as a loss, but a victory in its own right."


    I wonder why I''m so fragile, feeling happy by these words.


    The giant sword disappeared into thin air,


    Master is seemingly done cleaning it.


    "Once you recover, I''m going to increase the intensity of training by a lot."


    He got up and said as he moved for the exit.


    "You are currently in Shield, the moment you''re okay,e to the training room.


    I''ll train you till death."


    He made his way to the exit as I closed my eyes.


    Yet my ears were still wide open.


    And they heard Masters next words.


    "Always remember this n.


    Simply Copying a Technique, will never be equal to ''Mastering'' a technique."


    And then he left.

 Chapter 159 [159]After The Fight.

    After the banquet had ended, things had gone back to normal at Shield.


    Regr sses, regr routine...is what Sabrina would have preferred.


    But unfortunately, that was not the case.


    Yes, there was a lot ofmotion in campus regarding the fight, and who knows what was happening outside


    The main thing was.


    ''This is so boring.''


    Sabrina thought as she closed the book she was reading.


    The fun guys aren''t here anymore.


    Now it''s just Serena and ine with her.


    Serena would talk only about Elijah, and ine...was in a fantasy of her own, inspired by her sister Elizabeth.


    A fantasy Sabrina didnt want to hear.


    Elijah and Henry had both literally disappeared.


    n too, although he was gone most of the time, now even refused to talk to her through the Spatial bond.


    And whenever she checked his status, o would always say he training.


    And whenever she did try to make a conversation through the bond, he would cut her off with the words.


    [Don''t disturb me, I''m training.


    If you''re in danger, only then tell me so ill teleport to you.


    Bye.]


    Every time, this was the response.


    She was so bored it was getting to her.


    Yeah, she could go around without anyone disturbing her now, and even that Lucas was nowhere to be seen.


    But still...listening to ine''s ''ramblings of her sister''s love'' whilst Serena noted down that exact information....was crushing her.


    "And then..!"


    *Scribble.*


    "Sigh..."


    Sabrina sighed whilst she heard ine continue and Serena diligently write whatever she said down in a notebook.


    Unfortunately for her, this would be something that would continue until summer vacations and their midterms arrived.


    She had to deal with this shit for the next few months.


    ***


    [Wee to the training room, Master Henry Fornum.]


    Henry entered his training room whilst wearing his full-on gear.


    His training suit, along with a bow in his hands.


    His steps were silent, clearly disying his skill in his profession, yet his mind was not.


    ''...how long has it been since I stepped inside here?''


    After a particr incident, he never stepped inside a training room again.


    Never, even when he was about to enter shield.


    His grandfather didn''t really care about his training, just Ezra''s.


    A terminal appeared from the ground in front of him.


    [Please select the difficulty level.]


    Henry didn''t move, he just stared at the terminal in front of him.


    His thoughts were a mess, remembering about a certain event.


    Elijah had asked why he never trained before, and Henry responded with these words.


    ''What''s the point? There are always geniuses who can copy what took you years to learn in a matter of seconds.''


    Elijah was visibly confused when he said it, so Henry exined it to him.


    ''You see, it took me a long while to learn something, then my brother came in and did it in seconds.


    I don''t know how to exactly describe it, but I just don''t want to train anymore after that.''


    Elijah of course was still visibly confused, but Henry had just refused to borate.


    He had exined it poorly because he didn''t want to talk about it.


    ''...I think I always struggled at level 4.''


    Henry thought to himself as he looked at the terminal with his eyes shaking.


    Will I be able to do it...?


    This doubt always clouded his mind.


    But then, the fight would appear in his mind.


    The fight in which his brother, Ezra Himself, the guy who he thought would never lose, nearly lose.


    The fight that resulted in Ezra sustaining severe injuries.


    It was just far more surprising for him toprehend at the moment.


    Yet, he still made it to the training room.


    Despite his own...reasons.


    He reached out his hand toward the terminal...yet it stopped halfway through.


    Henry took a deep breath and got over his fears as he touched the terminal.


    And then he grabbed his bow and an arrow of wind materialized on the string.


    And then the voice of the A. I resounded.


    [Level 5 has been selected.]


    ***


    *Share!*Shaa!*


    Fire danced around the room as Elijah fought whilst imagining his opponent in his mind.


    His feet were covered in mes, and he blitzed around the room and performed all sorts of movements.


    And eventually, he grew tired and fell to the ground.


    *Thud!*


    "...haaah."


    He gasped for breath, but he still stood up again.


    How do I fight against stronger opponents?


    How do I fight against someone who is far more skilled?


    How do I fight against someone who is far more skilled?


    How do I fight against someone who...copies whatever they see?


    How?


    How do I win against it?


    These thoughts clouded his mind all the time after that fight.


    What if...im weak again?


    What if I''m not strong enough to fight against them?


    When it matters.


    *Swish!*


    His sword, encased in mes, struck the air as his body dripped with sweat.


    *Swish*Swish*


    He swung his sword until he could not.


    And then, hey down on the ground whilst his body recovered.


    His eyes were glowing, disying the fight he had seen between n and Ezra in great detail.


    Seeing it, he got up despite the pain in his body.


    And he picked up his sword once again.


    He will never be that weak again.


    He will never run away again.


    And for him to do that, he must train.


    He must unlock the next grade of his movement.


    And he must...master one skill that was his strongest.


    He took a huge breath and activated his powers.


    All to make him more resistant to the aftereffects.


    All to make him stronger.


    [The Bloodline of the Fire Drake within you is emerging]


    [You have activated DECIMATION!]


    ****


    *Swish*


    *Swish!*


    n Pator swung his spear alone whilst being in the training room.


    He was currently shirtless, disying a great body that was covered in scars that he didn''t heal on purpose.


    These scars were from the fight against Ezra, and he didn''t want them to disappear.


    *Swish!*


    His spear split the air apart as n''s brows trickled with sweat.


    He didn''t how long it had been since he had practiced the same movement over and over again.


    Over and over again.


    Master the movement.


    Until there are no ws in your execution.


    This was the motto he had engraved in his mind.


    Even if he was close to falling down due to exhaustion, do the movement.


    Whenever you are tired do the movement.


    The same movement, practice until you cannot.


    Don''t ever stop.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed since he was in the training too.


    Sabrina had contacted him a few times, but he refused to talk to her at all.


    His pheonix bloodline healed his exhaustion, so he truly didn''t know how much time had passed.


    Alex, Lucas, and Olivia showed up multiple times in the training room, yet he paid them no heed.


    All he needed was to practice.


    Practice, again and again.


    And although he felt the stares Lucas Fall on him, he ignored them.


    His mind was preupied with training.


    He knew what wasing for the summer vacations anyway.


    All he had to was a train, until even his pheonix bloodline can''t heal him anymore.


    All he needed to was practice the movement.


    Hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of times.


    Again and Again.


    Until he mastered it.

 Chapter 160 [160]The Midterm Rank Reevaluation.

    I dropped my spear after who knows how long.


    My Pheonix powers are exhausted.


    All I''ve done this entire time is train.


    I don''t know how long it''s been.


    I only that the other guys appeared multiple times to train.


    I didn''t pay them any heed.


    I just focused on my art.


    "So this is what muscle fatigue feels like."


    I said whilstying down on the ground.


    My body was tired, and without my Pheonix powers to reinvigorate me, I had reached my limit.


    Nheless, I still had to get up.


    I opened a portal to my room and stepped inside.


    When I was in my room, however, I was assaulted by a particr smell.


    "Sniff...the fuck is that?"


    I said, sniffing the air as I failed to realize it was actually me who was smelly.


    Maybe I didn''t notice during my training, but now once I was in my room.


    It really showed.


    But of course, my superior sense of smell eventually led me to the source...


    Which was me all along.


    "..."


    I silently took off my clothes and headed inside the bathroom to take a nice cold bath.


    ***


    "Ahh, that felt great."


    I let out as I rxed on the couch.


    I then opened my phone to finally figure out what time it was.


    And wow...I spat an imaginary drink I had when I realized.


    Three...months had passed...and now our Vacations were near.


    And our midterms as well!


    I hadn''t studied shit!


    I may...be kicked out of the top ten next year if this goes on.


    And then, whilst I was crying, I realized the absurd amount of notifications on my phone.


    Most of them were from my guild.


    While one particr one from Shield caught my eye.


    [The following students wish to fight you for your rank, please choose three of them.


    Lucas Hiddlestone, rank 4


    Ray Johnson, ranks 12.


    Emily Smith, rank 16.


    Elijah Ardor, Rank 2.


    Edward Thawne, Rank 26.


    Susan Wojukaka, rank 66.


    Thomas Arden, Rank 11.]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Oh right, with our midterms, also came the guys who wanted to fight us to take our ranks.


    The ranks that we had wouldn''t change for the entire year unless we lost these fights.


    Even if you didnt study, your rank would drop for the year.


    You would gain points from various activities and tests, and then those points would decide your rank for the next year.


    The only way you would be losing your rank was through these fights.


    Oh well, I don''t think any of them can beat me, except Elijah with Decimation, but he doesn''t use that.


    I randomly selected three names and then looked at the messages from my guild.


    Most of them were from Maxwell, informing me about the sales of rings and how much we made, whilst I even received one from Kazikato saying he was bored.


    ''...bitch all you do is sleep every day.''


    I said in my mind as I read his message.


    The man himself slept literally all the time...AND EVEN THEN HE HAD EYEBAGS.


    I don''t know what it is, but he always had those bags under his eyes.


    Even Alice made a joke about the saying they were gic and referred to him as "LazyKato." most of the time because of those eyes.


    And this same man says he is bored.


    Hunt for god''s sake are you bored?


    I angrily typed the message I wanted to send to him, and the bastard replied not even a momentter.


    [n:If you are bored then go hunt.]


    [Kazikato:... that''s a good excuse to enjoy Alice''s cooking, thanks boss!]


    I blocked him after that and went to read the other messages, which were all just nonsense.


    I then threw my phone away as I grumbled.


    "...damn bastard is enjoying god-tier cooking while I have to eat the food here."


    The shield had top-tier cooks...but for some goddamn reason even their cooking could not stand up to Alice!


    The girl was the best cook I knew of!


    ***


    Lucas silently stared at the notification on his phone.


    [n Pator has epted your challenge.]


    He stared at the message silently, as numerous ideas came into his mind.


    ''...did he ept because we are both students of the sword Saint?''


    During thesest three months, he had not seen n leave the training room at all.


    He was always repeating one single movement and was always so focused on it.


    He never saw him leave, and whenever he came to train, all he would see would be n Pator covered in sweat, still in the same spot training.


    He was starting to wonder if all He did was train.


    Seeing him, Lucas trained even more and more, until the sword Saint had to stop him.


    "Rest is important your brat!


    Are you nning on destroying your body?!"


    And then he was knocked out.


    He did wonder why the sword saint never said that to n, but his body was way too tired to care.


    Heid down on his bed and closed his eyes.


    "After the fight...there''s midterms exams...wait."


    It was then that Lucas realized something very important.


    He opened his eyes in hurry and sat up.


    He was very preupied with training...that he forgot something else which was very important...


    He didn''t study at all.


    ***


    [The Challenge notification has been sent to Kyle re, rank 6]


    Alex put away his phone as he just realized what he did.


    Shit shit shit shit shit shit I ACTUALLY SENT IT.


    FUCK!


    What have I done done done?!


    I don''t why I sent it!


    Damn, listening to Olivia and Lucas was a bad idea!


    They were the ones who encouraged him to fight against Kyle.


    And he was the idiot that listened!


    Kyaaah!Im so fucking dead!


    Why did I even listen to them?


    I''m so dead!


    *Ding!*


    It was then that he received a notification on his phone, a message from Olivia reminding him to study.


    "Oh yeah, I still have a chapter I need to revise."


    Alex said and got to work immediately after.


    Because of Olivia, he was quite confident in getting good grades.


    And also because of Olivia, he was ahead of the two other dimwits who hadn''t studied at all.


    The two dimwits were his fellow students Lucas And n.


    And during the months he worked with Olivia, training and studying with her, he realized one thing.


    That girl was getting full marks on every test.


    And gaining first ce in written test marks.


    He did not doubt it.


    But he would prove to be wrong.


    Olivia would be second, losing only to another student who studied even more than her.


    Way more than her.


    And this would spark some sort of friendship and rivalry between the two of them.


    And unfortunately, he and a certain someone else would be dragged in on this rivalry by Olivia and the first ranker.


    Alex was, unfortunately, oblivious to his feet during the summer vacations.


    He along with another Student that was his friend was going to suffer a lot during the event that came before the vacations.


    And both him and the other poor soul werepletely oblivious to it.

 Chapter 161 [161]The Rank Reevaluation.

    "Well, look who stopped training."


    n turned his head over to Sabrina whilst they were both watching the rank matches.


    It was just a bunch of students getting their asses handed to them by the higher-ranking students, but still, there were a few dark horses who managed to win.


    "What''s wrong in training after losing?"


    n asked her as he turned his head to the fights again.


    "Nothing really, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."


    "What?"


    "Apparently a lot of people fall into depression after fighting Ezra Fornum, I was just worried my bodyguard was depressed."


    n was silent for a while when he heard her, but then, of course, he had toe up with a retort.


    "I wasn''t depressed, and I''m so grateful that my employer was worried about me."


    "Was that Sarcasm?"


    "No shit Sherlock."


    "It was bad."


    "... I know."


    n had to admit it, he sucked ating up with retorts or talking back.


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion stole their attention and they turned toward it.


    "How many people challenged you?"


    n asked her as he watched the students duke it out.


    "21 people."


    "... I only got 7."


    The number of people that had challenged Sabrina we''re muchrger than those who had challenged n.


    Well, thinking about it, only idiots would challenge the guy that broke the youngest C rank record, severely injured Ezra Fornum, and is known for being good at fighting.


    And challenging a princess of the world''s richest family who read books all the time and didn''t really look like she could fight was a much better and more logical option.


    They would be proven wrong, but that was a story for ater time.


    There was silence between the two of them as they watched the Fights go on until n broke it.


    "I epted a Challenge request from Lucas, if I beat the shit out of him, will you do me a favor?"


    Sabrina paused as she heard the name.


    "What type of favor?"


    She asked him, feeling a little worried about whether she fell into a real or not...but.


    "Will you help me study for the exams? you''re a pretty smart girl, you score top marks all the time."


    She was a bit taken aback by the request, she didn''t expect HIM of all people to ask that...and also because she never helped someone study.


    "You didn''t study at all and just trained, didn''t you?"


    She asked him, and all she received was a serious face disyed by n as he nodded slowly.


    She looked at the face that was pleading and nodding slowly and eventually gave in.


    "Sure, I''ve got nothing better to do."


    "Yes!"


    She was currently oblivious to her mistake.


    She should not have agreed to this request no matter what.


    She would regret itter on a little but would find it fun afterward.


    "Next Fight, Challenge Alexander Wright against Rank Number 6 Kyle re."


    Suddenly, a particr name caught n''s attention, and he turned his head to face the tform the fight would take ce on.


    And Sabrina saw his face show a somewhat proud smile, and he speak the words with the biggest smile she had seen from him.


    "Well Well well, look who decided to grow some balls.


    I''m proud even though I didn''t do anything!"


    Needless to say, Sabrina was very confused.


    ***


    [Alexander PoV]


    What did I get myself into?


    My legs are shaking as I''m making my way toward the stand.


    "I wondered if you were gonna show up, but you actually did, Hah!"


    Kyleughed from the other side as he mocked Alex.


    "Who would have thought that the pussy would grow some balls, did hanging out with the headmaster''s Granddaughter and That Hiddlestone kid give you some confidence?


    Or was it the rank first?


    I bet they treated you like trash!"


    His mockery continued, and Alex just stood there taking it.


    He hated it.


    He hated the fact that he was insulting them, and that he was too afraid to talk back.


    He loathed himself for it.


    He tried to calm his breathing down, but he still couldn''t.


    He tried, but it still wouldn''t work...not until he tried the Sword Saints breathing method.


    It calmed his mind, yet upon realizing that he was actually going to fight Kyle, his breathing would break down.


    "Hey Bitch, I''m going to enjoy roasting you alive, so be a good bitch and don''t surrender, Ok?"


    And when Kyle openlyughed and insulted him...it happened.


    "Kill Him, Alex!"


    A voice brought him out of his fear, the voice which belonged to Lucas.


    He turned to face the voice and saw Lucas screaming at the top of his voice, seemingly encouraging him.


    And now, a different voice appeared.


    "Beat His Ass!"


    He turned his head over in the direction of this voice and was shocked to find n screaming too, and the rank 5 student, the goddess of the campus, looking at him weirdly.


    His shock was first at the fact that n was here.


    ''He left the training room?''


    Alex couldn''t believe it, he was more shocked that n left the training room.


    He had been training there every time Alex entered and left.


    He was far too surprised toprehend that fact.


    "Kick him in the balls!"


    And then, Lucas screamed even louder, and n followed suit.


    "Make him beg for his mother!"


    ...he was thankful for the encouragement...but


    IT WAS NOT HELPING RIGHT NOW!


    "Ahem...if the audience would remain quiet."


    He heard the instructor''s voice and began to feel a little bit embarrassed.


    Unfortunately for him, his two fellow students didn''t feel the same.


    "Rip his dick out and feed it to him!


    Make sure he won''t ever do the ''Deed!"


    Lucas screamed at the top of his lungs, and n followed by doing the same.


    "Rip his handsome face off and SHOVE IT UP HIS ARSE!"


    Alex wanted these two to shut up.


    Forget about encouraging him, these two were contesting with each other to see who can hurl the most gruesome ways to defeat his opponent!


    "THIS BEHAVIOUR WON''T BE TOLERATED!"


    Finally, the instructor in charge of his duel had lost it and screamed at them to shut up.


    And Alex prayed that they would listen.


    His prayer would prove to be futile...for Lucas at least.


    "Oh, who cares teach!


    Alex, Rip his eyeballs out and shove THEM UP HIS NOSE!"


    Lucas would not give up.


    "Rip his tongue out and shove it up his nose, Also, DONT FORGET TO RIP THAT FACE OFF AND SHOVE IT UP HIS AR-Hmff!"


    And In the middle of n''s ''encouragement'', he suddenly stopped.


    When Alex looked to see why, he found that the rank 5 Student Sabrina Wellington, was pulling on his ear and had covered his mouth with her hand.


    All while trying to avoid eye contact with the rest of the students!


    "HAH, I WIN FUCKER!"


    Lucas was brimming with joy over his win, seeing that Sabrina would not let n talk again.


    He rejoiced at his win, and finally for the love of God shut up.


    The instructor appeared to be on the verge of blowing up and probably would have done so if Sabrina hadn''t ended this stupidpetition.


    He finally raised his hand when themotion was over, and Alex got ready whilst Kyle was still acting nonchnt.


    Alex steadied his breathing, and believe it or not, the previous rant those two dimwits did actually helped calm him down, and he then waited for the Instructor to begin the fight.


    And it happened soom enough.


    "BEGIN!"


    ****

 Chapter 162 [162]Alexander Wright, The Owner Of Null.

    "Begin."


    As soon as the match had begun, Alexander was still steadying his breathing.


    This would prove to be a massive mistake against his opponents...if they were either n or Lucas.


    Alexander was fast, not even n could keep up with his speed for a long time.


    And for such a fast man, not charging the moment the match began was wrong.


    ...but that applied only to people who knew about his speed, like n and Lucas.


    If they saw this, they would have been cautious, but fortunately for him, his opponent was neither.


    He didn''t know about his speed.


    He didn''t know about his insane reflexes.


    And so, his opponent stupidly shot a fireball toward him.


    A fireball that covered his entire vision...yet appeared to be so slow.


    Why is it so slow?


    Alexander wondered.


    It moved so slowly, it was as if he could cut it into fifty different pieces before it even reached him.


    As if he could steady his breathing before it reached him.


    As if he could just walk out of the way, and still have time to do something until it reached his original location.


    So slow.


    So slow


    ...so slow.


    This thought upied his mind.


    And then, he started to gain some confidence.


    He steadied his breathing and raised his two swords.


    And slowly but surely, grey mana began to cover them.


    His breathing was now calm, and he would now shock nearly everyone here.


    During the past months, he and Olivia had racked their brains trying to make use of his [Null] element.


    And they, or rather Olivia had run many tests on Alexander.


    And they had found out his unique elements'' properties.


    The property of Negation is the power to turn something into nothing.


    If his mana overpowered the mana in something else, whether it be a skill or raw mana...it would disappear.


    It would turn into nothingness.


    Disappearpletely.


    At first, Alex believed his element to be useless...but now he knew.


    And as the fireball finally reaches him, he showed the world.


    As he brought down his swords, covered in the mana of [Null]


    He showed them.


    The power of [Null], The power of Negation!


    And he showed the world!


    By slicing that Fireball in half and making it disappear into grey nothingness!


    *Schwing!*


    Only the sound of his des was heard in the air, and the fire started to vanish into grey particles in the air.


    Everyone except two people, Which were Olivia and n looked on in astonishment.


    What just happened?


    Did that fireball just disappear?


    Did he just cut a pure form of mana in the form of an attack?


    Isn''t that impossible?


    But would Alex give them the time to think?


    No, he was someone who was trained by the Saint of Swords Arken Miller himself.


    He was someone who was trained by someone even the demons feared.


    He may have shown hesitation when the match had begun...but now?


    It was something that was ingrained in his muscles, in his mind by his master.


    n, Lucas, Alex, and Olivia all had their master teaching engraved into them by multiple beatings.


    ''When facing an opponent you think is stronger than you...attack immediately, never give them a chance to show their power.


    Attack fiercely and don''t stop attacking them, just don''t give them a chance to show their power, and you''ll win.''


    And so, he followed his master''s teachings.


    The teachings of the man that was regarded as the strongest in an era long ago.


    The teachings of the man that stood on piles of corpses of his enemies.


    The teachings...of the man that nearly split apart a continent.


    Of the man that attained Aura despite being a human.


    The teachings of the Sword Saint, Arken Miller.


    Alex shocked everyone with his speed.


    He dashed towards the still-confused Kyle, with such speed everyone couldn''t see him.


    And just as it was engrained In him, to immediately go for spots that would kill his opponent, or disable them


    He did.


    He went straight for the neck.


    It was all muscle memory at this point.


    His grey des sliced the air and made their way toward The unsuspecting Kyle, who was still looking at Alexander''s Original location, unaware of his impending loss.


    And then his des reached the neck.


    *CLANG!*.


    A shield of mana erupted in thest second as Alexander''s des had drawn blood from Kyles''s Neck.


    The emergency student protection gear, which all students had to wear for duels had been activated.


    The gear that would only activate when you ''would die'' was activated.


    The gear that upon activation, would signify your loss, was activated.


    *Thud!*.


    Kyle fell on his arse as he touched his neck which was dripping small amounts of blood.


    His pants were soaking wet, and his eyes were watery, still shocked at what just happened.


    And then, the instructor, whilst also shocked...announced Alexander''s victory.


    "...Alexander Wright Wins!"


    And then there was silence before it was broken by two idiots.


    "I TOLD YOU TO RIP HIS DICK OUT AND FEED IT TO HIM ALEX!"


    "WHY IS HIS FACE STILL INTACT?!RIP IT OFF AND SHOVE IT UP HIS ARSE ALEX!"


    And Alex nearly died of embarrassment and shouted at the two of them.


    "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP FOR FUCKS SAKE?!"


    But unfortunately, n and Lucas always retorted back.


    "RIP HIS FACE OFF AND SHOVE IT UP HIS ARSE AND THEN ILL SHUT UP!"


    "I''LL SHUT UP WHEN YOU RIP HIS DICK OFF AND FEED IT TO HIM!"


    And Alex could hold it no more, he didn''t care about his win, something that he would processter.


    Right now, he was cursing the two idiots that were his friends.


    "FUCK BOTH OF YOU!"(Alex)


    "RIP HIS FACE OFF GODDAMNIT!"(n)


    "WHAT IS WITH YOU AND FACES?!"(Alex)


    "HES MORE HANDSOME THAN ME, THAT''S WHY!"(n)


    "WHO CARES?!"(Alex)


    "I CARE!"(n.)


    "RIP HIS DICK OFF TOO!"(Lucas, Chiming in.)


    "YOU SHUT UP!"(Alex and n.)


    "WHY?!I WANT YOU TO RIP HIS DICK OFF!"(Lucas)


    "WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND RIPPING OF DICKS?!"(Alex.)


    "BECAUSE I MUST HAVE THE B-"(Lucas


    And then, the instructors overseeing the duels had had enough, they interrupted Lucas before he could finish his sentence, and screamed at the top of their lungs, ending this farce.


    "ENOUGH!


    ALL THREE OF YOU ARE GETTING DETENTION!"

 Chapter 163 [163]The Two Who Worked The Hardest.

    "..."


    Alex sat down on the bench as he processed what had happened.


    I...actually beat Kyle.


    I did it.


    The fight was so fast that he didn''t realize he beat Kyle at all...and also something else which disturbed his thoughts.


    ....why am I friends with those two idiots?


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Alex lowered his head when he thought of what just happened, and then his embarrassment reached new levels.


    And on top of it, he had joined in on the bickeringter and was now also in detention.


    He asked himself multiple times why he had done so...


    And then he concluded.


    Those two fucking idiots know how to drag someone else into their vibe.


    Or maybe it was just him.


    But hey,  there''s still one good piece of news.


    He is now the rank 6 student, recing Kyle, who is now rank 7.


    Nice, it must be for him...


    IF ONLY THE DAMN BICKERING DIDNT HAPPEN BETWEEN THE THREE OF THEM.


    ****


    Lucas stood in front of his opponent, a student who wished to dethrone him.


    Before his fight with n Pator, he would have to fight off the idiots that wanted to take his spot as rank 4.


    His opponent, student rank 13, was a handsome young man with golden hair and eyes, reminiscent of Lightning.


    His name was Frederick Volta, and his name really fitted his affinity and appearance.


    "Begin."


    The instructor began the fight, and Lucas was now facing dozens of lightning arrows fired by Frederick.


    "Take this!"


    At first, Lucas wondered.


    Is this guy a fucking idiot?


    What kind of lightning attribute awakened challenges an earth attribute awakened?


    At first, Lucas thought maybe he had a trump card, but no.


    The man thought he could beat Lucas even though he was at an elemental disadvantage.


    Lucas simply conjured an armor of Earth around his body, a peculiar. type of armor that covered his entire body, encasing him in the earth.


    If one wondered how he could move, his feet were sticking to the earth.


    All he needed to do was slide by controlling the Earth to make him move.


    And he did just that.


    He moved his body like a ram and made his way towards Frederick whilst being encased in the armor of earth.


    The lightning arrows and all other lightning skills Frederick had were useless against his armor.


    And then, Lucas Rammed into the poor boy, making the area between his legs spikier than usual.


    And after that, all that was heard were Fredericks''s blood-curdling screams.


    ****


    Most of the battles had ended simrly.


    Most students who challenged the top 10 had been destroyed.


    The only exception was Alexander, who destroyed Kyle instead.


    He was the only one who made the feat of beating a top-ten student possible.


    The others were defeated using the most humiliating ways possible.


    For ine, she bombarded her challengers with shbangs and then hit them with swords of light.


    Olivia used pure skill with her rapier to do it.


    Serena put them in an illusion where they thought they were fighting her but then went out of bounds unknowingly.


    Sabrina just fried the living heck out of her opponents with Lightning.


    Lucas beat the shit out of them, whilst targeting a specific area.


    Henry ended his fights pretty quickly by firing strong arrows of wind that chased his opponents until they hit.


    Elijah, although he still beat the guys that challenged him, didnt humiliate them like the others.


    n on the other hand, still had his fights remaining.


    And currently, he was fighting one opponent.


    Thomas Arden.


    n didnt want to admit it, but he wanted to fight Elijah instead.


    Problem was, he misread Arden as Ardor.


    And so he was stuck in this situation.


    "I''ll show them all your nothing!"


    Oh and to mention, his opponent was also a bbermouth.


    He spoke shit.


    "Be fearful of these Muscles!"


    He said, and his body began to Erge.


    He was using a skill called Body Modification, which used mana to build temporary muscles.


    It was clear he was a melee fighter.


    And then, the instructor began the fight.


    Thomas Arden rushed towards him, and raised his hands high up in the air, sped them, and brought them down and intending to crush n.


    He was a giant currently and honestly it looked like he could crush his opponent.


    If his opponent wasn''t n Pator that is.


    n simply raised one hand and then grabbed those tworge hands.


    "What?!"


    Thomas gasped in shock, before screaming at the top of his lungs.


    *Crack!*


    "AHHH!"


    Fake muscles made by mana couldn''tpete with n''s.


    Even though they were made by the power of the Phoenix, they were still much denser and stronger than those made by a skill.


    And n showed that they were.


    Hepletely shattered his opponent''s hands.


    "I SURRENDER!"


    And his fight ended like that.


    And then came time for his second one.


    With someone random he picked


    Emily Smith is a girl who used the element of fire.


    She stepped up on the stage, whilst her orange hair made her the attention of many.


    If only Sabrina wasn''t around that is.


    She still attracted everyone''s attention.


    Emily was beautiful but didnt hold a candle to Sabrina.


    She stepped on the stage with confidence.


    "I''ll be ranked 1 from today."


    She seemed rather far too confident.


    The instructor began the fight, and people soon found the reason for her confidence.


    "Have a taste of a C-rank skill!"


    [me Tigress has been activated.]


    A giant tiger made of me materialized and ran toward n.


    The people were shocked at the sight.


    Was she nning to kill herself?


    She couldn''t handle the aftereffects that were for sure.


    And sure enough, she was coughing up blood.


    But she still held a smile even though it was bloody.


    *BOOM!*


    The tiger of me had jumped on n and exploded into arge explosion.


    Emily waited for the instructor to announce her win.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Why isn''t he announcing my win?!


    I''m dying over here!


    But unfortunately, horror filled her eyes as she saw her opponent who was supposed to be burnt to a crisp, despite being C rank, walk out of the mes nonchntly.


    Impossible...even C ranks cant survive that...


    There was a reason the skill was renowned, and why its drawback was so much.


    A B rank would have a hard time surviving it, not to mention a C rank?!


    But unfortunately, she wouldn''t know how n survived it.


    She passed out soon after.


    And n won by default


    ***


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Seriously?


    Why use a skill you can''t handle?


    And definitely more so against me?


    Is she stupid?


    Or did she wholeheartedly believe that she couldst until I was knocked out by the skill?


    It didn''t even hurt me that much.


    Oh well, at least I didnt have to do anything.


    Lucas is the only one left.


    And I have to give him a good beating if I want to get tutored by the smartest student in Shield.


    That is my only hope of passing the exams.


    And I am actually looking forward to this.


    Maybe bing a student of the sword saint changed him, but he improved as a person.


    He didn''t bother Sabrina anymore, made my job easier, and didn''t act like a pervert.


    And he was also the one that worked the hardest, even including me.


    This will be a fun fight.


    A fight between the two students of the sword saint who trained the hardest.


    This will be a very fun fight!

 Chapter 164 [164]The One Who Wanted To Become The Strongest.

    Lucas Hiddlestone.


    What was he known for at first?


    A pervert, a man with no morals at all.


    A viin, someone who was supposed to hinder Elijah.


    Someone filled with pride...no someone who is still filled with pride and used that as fuel to grow stronger.


    It was unknown what caused his change to be a somewhat better person.


    Was it the fact that he never met the Sword Saint previously?


    This time, he did.


    The sword saint was more active than this time, and as a result of this, he met Lucas, making him his student after seeing his tenacity.


    Or could it be someone else that was the cause for his change?


    Yes, there was.


    n Pator.


    He was the cause of the change, even if he was unaware of it.


    In the previous iterations, There was only Elijah in Shield, and the gap between Elijah and Lucas was not asrge as the gap between n and Lucas.


    The prodigy that reached rank C at 16, who would believe that crap?


    Even if no one did, the fact that he was admitted into Shield, the fact that he beat a monster an entire rank above him.


    The fact that he was challenged by Ezra fornum and even managed to injure him.


    There were many rumors surrounding n Pator, one that he was a demon.


    That twilight had fed him some elixirs for him to reach that level of strength.


    But Lucas was the one who knew better than to believe those rumors.


    He had seen with his own eyes that they were fake.


    Headmaster Oliver wouldn''t have allowed him to be at Shield if the rumors were even a bit true.


    He wouldn''t be the student of the Demon yer himself if he was a Demon, Arken would have found out long ago.


    And most importantly, about those elixirs, and those silly rumors about him using other items to artificially increase his strength.


    He didn''t do it.


    If he did take those, he wouldn''t have been the one that trained the hardest.


    He wouldn''t have been the one that was locked up in the training room for months.


    That was the dedication that taking pills did not give you.


    That was a type of discipline that Lucas was unable to acquire.


    No matter what he did.


    No matter if trained until his body failed.


    He trained and trained, all to surpass the rank first.


    Yet what was the point of that training that hard?


    When the one he was trying to surpass...trained even harder?


    He didn''t see a point, and thankfully...he didn''t fall into despair because he had a mentor.


    ''Be proud of that fact.


    Be proud that the one you''re trying to surpass trains that hard as well.


    It shows both your dedication, the dedication to reach the top, and the dedication to stay at the top.''


    The sword saint knew how to lift his student''s spirits.


    And that was why he was here today.


    He issued a challenge request, hoping n would ept.


    And he did.


    *Clunk.*


    Lucas threw his Shield and mace to the ground and raised up his fists in a boxing stance.


    If his...rival...didn''t use his weapon why must he?


    Lucas wanted to beat him fairly.


    All he would do was strengthen himself with the attributes of metal and Earth.


    "Lucas, Are you sure about your choice?"


    The instructor asked him when he dropped his weapons.


    And Lucas replied firmly.


    "Yeah."


    And then, he got ready, his body teeming with his mana to match the monstrous body of his opponent.


    And then the bout, the fight began.


    "Begin!"


    ***


    n Pator took a stance simr to the one used by the fighters of a forgotten martial Art Muay Thai.


    Whilst Lucas used Boxing, something that was still used in certain illegal events in the world.


    They both made their way toward each other whilst keeping their respective stances.


    "Where are the skills?"


    "Fight already!"


    The students in the audience shouted.


    This type of fight was unknown to them, one which didn''t use any system mana skills or no mana to fire something.


    Just enhancing their bodies with Mana...that would be all.


    Well, Lucas would be the only one using mana.


    The students would belittle this fight, one which used no system skills.


    But we''re ignorant.


    Lucas and n circled one another as they kept their stances.


    This would be a fight between Muay Thai and Boxing.


    (A/N:For the students of The sword Saint, I''m going to use particr Martial arts for them, For n, I''m thinking of Muay Thai, For Lucas Boxing, And I''m thinking of Taekwondo for Alex, suggest me some martial art for Olivia.


    They''re basically going to be used to represent their style of fighting, using their strengths and weaknesses.)


    n initiated the fight by elbowing Lucas, who dodged it by moving his head back, and then he jabbed as fast as he could toward n.


    But n Blocked it with his arms, and then immediately closed the distance and low-kicked Lucas, who moved to the side to lessen the impact.


    *BAM!*


    The sound of the kick was terrifying, and Lucas''s leg was red even though he tried to reduce the impact.


    But before he could curse his opponent''s extremely strong physique.


    His opponent was already preparing to elbow him in the ribs.


    Lucas ignored the pain and side-jumped the aide slightly andnded a hook on n''s Face.


    *BAM!*


    His strikes were not something tough at too.


    They might not be as strong as ns, but they were still strong if aimed at the right spots.


    The essence of boxing was using extremely good footwork and head movement to dodge andnd hits.


    Hit but don''t get hit.


    But he must also realize The essence of Muay Thai.


    n immediately jumped and kneed Lucas in the face and then followed it with a knee kick to the ribs.


    *Crack!*


    If boxing was the art that used agile movement and fast punches to knock out your opponent.


    Muay Thai was the art that used the hardest bones in your body...topletely break your opponent.


    One was a martial art that was popr in a past era in worldwide fights.


    Whilst the Other was an Art that was designed for assassination.


    One was designed to knock your opponent out.


    Whilst the other was designed to kill your opponent in the most brutal way possible.


    ****


    (A/N:Although yes this is a fantasy and magic manhwa, they are the students of the man who mastered all martial arts, I had to make them have mastered an art of themselves, one that represents them in some way.


    Oh and before I get all thements about BOXING IS BEST, MUAY THAI TRASH.


    Do realize that although martial art DOES matter, the user is the one who can define it and make it useful.


    Anyways, just suggest a martial art for Olivia, ill pick the best one I think.)

 Chapter 165 [165]A Fight Of Old.

    The students didn''t understand it much.


    Where are all the skills?


    Where are all the shy skills that use mana?


    Why are you fighting with no weapons?


    *Bam!*


    They, who were born in an era where nearly everything was easy, wouldn''t understand.


    They were taught to wield swords, weapons that can conduct mana better.


    *Bam!*


    "Cough!"


    In the era they were born in, martial arts which were not in the form of skills or martial techniques in their system were foreign to them...


    But to them, it was foreign.


    Not to the instructors, who were of the era before them.


    *Thwack!*


    Unlike the student, they had some knowledge of Martial art bouts.


    The instructor in charge of n And Lucas got close to them to observe the fight carefully.


    He still kept some distance, but the amount of distance for this and the distance he would be at for other duels was iparable.


    No man would willingly be close in a fight between two awakened who used skills to the max!


    *Bam*


    The fight continued.


    n used his elbows and knees along with powerful kicks, whilst Lucas showed agile footwork and headwork along with a variety of punches.


    Hooks, Jabs, Uppercut, everything he knew he tried.


    He got some hits in...but most of his focus was on dodging those deadly strikes shown by n.


    *Bam!*


    Most of his punches would be met with arms harder than steel possessed by n Pator.


    And his strikes injured him more than they injured n.


    "You''ve gotten better at fighting."


    n said whilst he continued to pressure Lucas into a corner


    Lucas didn''t let anything get to him, his focus was at maximum capacity.


    "Not taking huh?


    how about this?!"


    But suddenly, n got on the ground and Sweeped Lucas off his feet.


    *Thud*


    Lucas fell to the ground and retreated as fast as he could but n would just not give him a break.


    An axe kick made its way toward his head, and Lucas dodged it by rolling to the side, he tried to get up but was tackled by the monster that was n.


    He was now on the ground, with n on top of him,ying out punch and punch.


    Lucas raised his arms and blocked as many as he could...yet.


    *Crack!*


    Under the sheer force of n''s punches, his arms, enhanced with the attributes of Metal and Earth we''re breaking.


    The pain in his Arms was increasing, Lucas raised his legs, which n had failed to lock up high, and grabbed n''s neck with them.


    This degree of flexibility was the flexibility he trained for months for.


    Drinking countless potions to team his ripped muscles.


    He threw n off of him with his legs, stood up, and charged at the fallen-down n.


    He low-kicked him in the face, and now he was on top of n.


    *Bam!Bam!*


    Punch after punch, punch after punch.


    Keep punching until breaks...but why?


    ''Why does it feel like I''m hitting steel?!''


    Lucas thought as he continued Punching n, who raised his arms in defense.


    Each punch was ruining his fists.


    Even though they were enhanced, each punch wrecked his fists more.


    And as he endured the pain, n grabbed one fist and flung him off so easily it was as if Lucas had no weight.


    Lucas hurriedly got up, And now he and n were face to face again.


    Lucas approached n andunched a flurry of punches, all of which n blocked...but at the final punch.


    He pushed his elbow into it.


    *Crack!*


    And now the left hand of Lucid had a crackle finger.


    He shrugged off the pain and continued with his punches.


    n blocked each of them, and when Lucas had slowed down, he began his attack.


    Elbow and Knees, two of the hardest bones in the body, and when belonged to the monster that was n Pator.


    A body harder than steel, built like a truck, and made one wonder if it was human.


    He had clothes on, so it didn''t really strike out as much, but Lucas had seen him train shirtless, he knew how ripped he was under the clothes he put on.


    And that was why he was so focused on dodging.


    Just one of those hits was deadly enough to break bones.


    *Bam!*


    Just the sound of those punches striking the air was unpleasant and terrifying to Lucas''s ears.


    ''I''ll catch that elbow and throw him.''


    Lucas thought as he saw an elbowing straight for his face.


    He prepared his hand, ready to catch it and throw n...until he felt a very...very...intense pain in his side.


    *BAM!**CRACK!*


    ...with all the focus he had put on the elbow and throwing n off...he had failed to take in n''s legs.


    The elbow was feint...the true threat was the Legs.


    The left leg...had moved in so swiftly and attacked the one area that immobilized him.


    His liver was decimated.


    The kick had destroyed his ribs and attacked his liver, decimating it.


    *Cough!*


    Lucas fell to his knees as he coughed up blood.


    He tried his best...to stand yet his body did not listen.


    The chills over his body, the pain in his liver.


    ....he couldn''t stand up.


    ''Get Up Get Up GET UP!''


    He screamed within his mind yet his body could not do it.


    A kick to the liverpletely immobilized him.


    It was hisck of focus on n''s lower body that marked his defeat.


    "You did good, much better than previously when you usually charged in blindly."


    He heard n speak, and he still tried to get up...and failed yet again.


    "Train more Lucas, You''re getting better every day."


    Train more?


    He already destroys his body every day just topete with this monster.


    But train more?


    How much more?


    Until he cannot move every day?


    Is that how much I should train?!


    But his thoughts would be interrupted.


    "This was a good fight!"


    Those were thest words he heard as he tried to raise his head.


    But he fell unconscious the next second, with his head mmed into the ground below by another kick.


    Lucas lost, and n won.

 Chapter 166 [166]...I Lost.

    Lucas opened his eyes as he awakened from his sleep.


    ".urgh.."


    He groaned as he took in the surroundings


    His personal medical room greeted his sight.


    He tried to sit up, but then immediately groaned from the pain in his chest and arms.


    Heid down again and closed his eyes.


    ''...I lost huh.''


    Fucking hell, he lost.


    After all that training, after all that effort, he still lost.


    His arms and fists still hurt, and his chest was in even more pain.


    ''...is he a fucking steelman?''


    Lucas wondered.


    n had used no mana during the fight.


    Not to enhance himself, all he did was fight with his bare body.


    But still, to Lucas, it felt like he was hitting steel, even after enhancing himself with his earth and metal attribute mana.


    Haha...those strikes were deadly as fuck.


    Lucas thought to himself.


    He had to put his entire focus into not getting hit.


    A single hit from n was equivalent to a dozen of his.


    That guy was the definition of a Monster.


    And even that monster lost to Ezra Fornum, barely injuring him.


    How funny.


    How far I am from the top.


    At first, he thought he was close, but no...the path to the top was much more arduous and out of his reach.


    Heughed to himself.


    He analyzed the fight...and when he did he came to a sudden realization.


    He was taking majors L''s for a long time.


    Against the monster in thebyrinth.


    Against the Sword Saint.


    Against Alex too, when he fought with him.


    And now n.


    He was losing left and right.


    He didn''t consider his win against that guy that used lightning at all, it waspletely out of his mind.


    When he concluded, he slowly stood up, and despite the pain, he put on his clothes and left the room.


    He was struggling to walk.


    Yet he still moved his feet.


    All the way to the training room.


    His arms and his chest were heavy. It was hard to breathe.


    It felt like he couldn''t walk for long, but he eventually made it to the training room.


    He opened the door and found it to be empty, which shocked him.


    No one is here?


    Perfect.


    He silently went inside and started to do pushups.


    Shit shit shit.


    My arms and chest hurt so much.


    They hurt so much.


    He barely did one push-up, and as he was going for another one.


    "What are you doing here when you should be resting?"


    *Thud!*


    Lucas fell to the ground as he heard the voice, startled.


    He found the Sword Saint looking at him, holding a teapot.


    "... I was training master."


    He said to the Sword Saint, who sat down on the ground in front of him.


    "Why?


    You should rest, for now, your injured."


    Lucasy down on the ground and didn''t speak.


    He just looked at the Sword Saint whilst he let his mouth shut.


    ''...if I don''t train, how am I supposed to surpass them?''


    "I can guess what your thinking brat.


    How can I surpass them if I don''t train?


    Right?"


    The sword saint''s words shocked Lucas.


    "Was it that obvious?"


    Lucas asked, and the Sword Saint replied in a lofty tone.


    "Yes, it was."


    "..."


    Lucas remained silent, and only the Sword Saint Spoke.


    "You fought good, your footwork and headwork weremendable."


    The sword saint praised his student.


    However, the praise wasn''t on Lucas''s mind.


    "I still lost."


    Lucas said as he struggled to get up.


    "So what?"


    "So what if you lost, you put up a good fight and didn''t give up, that in itself wasmendable."


    Lucas remained quiet as he heard the Sword Saint.


    He eventually spoke.


    "...master, I''ve realized something during my time training with you, I....i...don''t have talent whenpared to the others."


    He wasn''t as Talente as Olivia.


    He wasn''t as talented as Alex.


    And he definitely wasn''t as Talented as n.


    He was smarter than Olivia.


    He wasn''t Faster than Alex.


    And he wasn''t as strong as n...


    ...


    ...


    ...in a sense, he was the weakest student.


    "Well,pared to the others, you are the one thatcks the most natural talent."


    Lucasughed inwardly as the Sword Saint confirmed his statement.


    But then his master''s next words shocked him.


    "But who gives a damn?"


    He continued.


    "Well, I don''t think I made enough for two, but we can manage."


    Two teacups appeared in his hand, and he put one in front of him, and one in front of Lucas.


    "Ah...I don''t want to do-"


    "You drink whatever I give you, brat.


    Besides, it''s herbal tea."


    The sword Saint interrupted Lucas and then poured tea into both of the teacups, filling them up to half.


    "Do you know about the Spear Saint, Hiroto Mitsuki?"


    "...no?"


    "Figured, he isn''t as famous in the west as he is in the East."


    The sword Saint began his story.


    "He was like a brother to me, and believe it or not, he oftenpared himself to me.


    He didn''t give in to jealousy, he was of humble birth and had no great possessions to his name.


    He trained every day, and eventually, he was as strong as me and Oliver.


    His tenacity always amazed me.


    He always cared for the people, he opened multiple Orphanages for children and did what he could to help the people.


    He established a school for Awakened too, which is now ranked just behind Eden. The same school you have a training camp with before Summer Vacations.


    He was a man deserving of great respect.


    Mine and everyone''s respect.


    He never gave into temptation, He trained and honed his craft, and he apparently had no talent as well.


    His strength was the culmination of His determination and effort.


    He was a hero who deserved that title more than I did.


    He was the one that was the symbol of hope to the east when they suffered the greatest from the Cataclysm.


    He never gave up, just like you, he always faced everything in front of him with a smile.


    He was more of a symbol than me.


    He was heroic, hardworking, and charismatic, Oliver And I Admired him for it.


    He was more of a hero than me and is the man I respect more than anyone.


    "


    *Sip.*


    Lucas fell into deep thought,


    Is someone even the Sword Saint respected?


    Can I meet him?


    Learn from his tenacity.


    Learn from him who earned the demon yers'' respect.


    "Can I meet him?"


    Lucas asked his master...who showed a slight sorrowful smile beforeughing slightly.


    Augh filled with guilt.


    "He died, taking down an Elder Balrog with him and singlehandedly stopping the retreat of an army of demons.


    His spear exists in the middle of Tokyo, still imnted in the skull of the Dead Elder Balrog.


    He died, but his legacy still lives on.


    His spear is the symbol of Tokyo, which emits an energy all around Tokyo that gives its people hope and strength.


    He may have left this world, but his spear Still acts as a Symbol for his people.


    A symbol of Hope."


    A symbol of Peace, and hope.


    To stand tall even in the hardest of times.


    To never give up.

 Chapter 167 [167]A Change That Seems Forced.

    "Mana Management, Mana Diffusion...mana recalibration?"


    Currently, n Pator was confused.


    "You...truly didn''t study anything?"


    Sabrina asked him, baffled.


    "Nope."


    n replied as he closed the book in his hands.


    Sabrina, on the other side of the table, looked at him with surprise as she said.


    "Mana Diffusion is a topic that we had to study for the Shield written exam, you should know it!"


    "I forgot?"


    She was done.


    This guy knew nothing!


    Is this n Pator even?!


    "What about your time with the vice principal, surely she must have taught you something?"


    She asked him, hoping to get a good answer.


    "Nope, she just teaches me ice-rted skills."


    Her hopes were crushed.


    "How did you even get 1st rank?!"


    She questioned him, baffled.


    How the heck did he get the first rank in shield with just stat tests alone?


    The written test was important!


    How the heck did he get 1st rank when he was this stupid?!


    "Huuu..."


    Sabrina took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    She then thought up something whilst she was still processing how the heck this guy was the first rank.


    "Well, we are going to be here for a while...


    Here, this is going to be our routine, no training for you until the end of the exam, We will stud-"


    "No training?!"


    The sudden shout had drawn the attention of every student in the Library, and Sabrina shut the man responsible in a heartbeat.


    "No, Damn, Training."


    "Shh!"


    ****


    [Sabrina Wellington''s Pov]


    It''s so strange.


    His memory is terrible.


    I still can''t believe this is the man that is ranked first.


    Shields''s evaluation system isn''t just based just on awakened stats and battle prowess, mental prowess ys a good role too.


    You would still be admitted into Shield if you were good in all of them except one, but your results would have to be insanely good.


    To be here, either you had good scores in all three or excellent scores in just two.


    And if you only had scored well enough in two of those categories, you weren''t getting first ce.


    "Hey, can you exin this to me again?"


    I sighed as I began to exin the topic again to him, for the third time.


    Where is the guy that was cold, and somewhat calcting?


    He always gave off an aura of being somewhat smart, and his scores proved it.


    His rank allocation is first, and exactly half marks in everything except for training ss, in which he''s at the top.


    I had seen his tests, always attempting the hardest questions and leaving the rest...but then why is this happening?


    His memory is terrible, and I guess he''s only good at training.


    So then, how can this buffoon have that high of a ranking?


    Is he getting dumber by the day?


    Or did his long-time training erode his brain?


    No that can''t be it, his mind is getting dumber, and he''s not like his previous self as well.


    The n Pator I knew had never talked much, he was always distant and observing, he always appeared to be knowledgeable and acted a little as if everything was in his control.


    He had an aura thatmanded respect and made some people fear him just from his cold gaze.


    The one standing in front of me?


    He talked more, was open to others, and acted a little bit yful at times.


    He didnt have the aura of respect now, and his eyes were more...nicer?


    No, those beautiful eyes didnt harm anybody...so...


    Is this man evolving backward?


    Where has all that gone?


    He doesn''t appear at all simr to the one I used to know.


    ''...he still has some topics left to memorize, but he doesn''t have enough time...


    At this rate, just getting a passing grade will be hard..?''


    *Bzzz!*


    Suddenly, an rm on her watch interrupted her thoughts.


    Seeing the note that came along with it.


    I instinctively made a small de of lightning with my fingers and shed my right arm, drawing blood.


    "...?!"


    I didnt see his reaction, I simply cast a simple heal on the wound.


    [Heal has been cast]


    [You possess no attribute affinities to assist standard healing, the effect has been reduced]


    [Your proficiency in the skill has increased slightly]


    "Sigh.."


    This was a skill that was given to most students who entered the healing club, but unfortunately, I didn''t possess any affinity that assisted standard healing, unlike most of the other club members.


    Serena had water, whilst ine had the all-powerful light element.


    Both those elements provided a boost to the standard Heal skill.


    But I had Thunder, which was mainly an offensive element that didnt provide a boost at all.


    And this ursed Darkness element of mine reduced the effects.


    I had to resort to this measure just to make my healing more proficient to match with the others.


    And I studied a heck of a lot about medicine whilst in the club.


    "What did you do that for?"


    I turned over to him, and just simply exined whilst I opened another book.


    "Just raising my proficiency in the skill Standard Heal, my attributes don''t provide a boost to it."


    "...oh, but do you have to do that?"


    "Yes, it increases the efficiency by 0.0005 percent more."


    "...you cut yourself just for that?"


    "My Darkness attribute reduces the effects of any healing skill that doesn''t belong to the element, I have to resort to such measures just to be equal to the rest."


    He went quiet for a while, before saying something I didn''t quite like.


    "Then why don''t you just buy a healing skill rted to the darkness element?


    Or are you still hating the element for the same stupid reason?"


    Stupid reason?


    A chance to risk losing yourself is a stupid reason?


    "You wouldn''t know if you tried, maybe it doesn''t affect you."


    ...


    ...


    And there he goes,  speaking like he knows the darkness element won''t corrupt me.


    How is he so sure anyway?


    "Darkness is cool and strong.


    A guy I know has the elements of Death and Darkness as his affinities, and he nearly killed me."


    "..."


    I don''t want to talk about this anymore.


    I know there is a chance to not be corrupted, but I don''t want to risk it.


    I''m afraid.


    My uncle took the gamble and lost, and I... don''t want to be like the man he is now.


    "Darkness is so cool, I wish I had the ability to mani-"


    "You have thirteen more pages to memorize, get to work and stop talking."


    I shut him up before he could continue.


    I don''t...want to talk about this.


    Besides, it''s gettingte and I want to go to sleep.


    *****


    "Someone save me..."


    I cried out in low voices I rested my head on the table.


    It''s night now, and we are the only ones in the library.


    I''ve exined every topic to him, yet he still has trouble understanding them.


    Besides math, he is somewhat good at math.


    And thank god he is, I don''t want to teach this buffoon of person math.


    I regret my decision to ept his request.


    It was stupid.


    Very stupid.


    But then...as my eyes were getting tired...I heard the golden words.


    "I think I''ve memorized everything, can you take an oral test from me?"


    I raised my head and disyed the widest smile I could muster as I heard his words.


    Finally!


    I looked at him...but then saw something strange.


    His eyes...are shining a faint hue of green?


    Am I hallucinating because I''m tired?


    That Jade green hue his eyes are emitting is distorting his original beautiful blue diamond eyes, turning them green.


    I rubbed my eyes and when I looked again.


    The jade-green hue was gone.


    I think I''m just tired, and I hope we can end today''s studying session.


    He probably would get a few wrong.


    Is what I had expected...but to my shock.


    He got every question right, and I saw that weird jade green hue, although faint again...a few times.


    I really need to sleep.

 Chapter 168 [168]His And Mine, Fighting Amongst Each Other.

    A/N:I won''t be uploading chapters for a while because I am going to be busy visiting family for new Year, and also preparing for the next tier.


    Also, ill do this as well.


    Top Gifters of the month:1)AphosG24


    2)Strmksules


    3)Ikan_lele.


    Thank you all so much for the support,it means alot to me.And we have another one as well.


    Top Commentors of the month:Darkside,Novacorps,Sad_Armadillo and Lucifer the Fallen(great name btw.)


    Thank you all for the amazing support you have shown this year,and i hope you wll continue to support next year as well.


    ****


    On a bench on the Shield campus, sat n Pator.


    He was looking down at the ground.


    The first exam had just been taken, and he sat on this chair the moment he exited the building.


    His aura didn''t allow anyone toe near him.


    It was just that depressing.


    The students around him were all whispering after seeing him.


    "Did his exam not go well?"


    "The first rank didnt study?"


    "..."


    n raised his head and the mere look on his face scared all of the students that they shut up.


    The area around him became no man''snd.


    Elijah, who wanted to approach n, shivered when he entered the area, and quietly backed off.


    "... I don''t think anyone should go near him."


    "Agreed.


    Elijah said and quietly went on his way together with Henry.


    No one wasing near him, everyone was busy getting away.


    Who knows, maybe the first rank may take his anger out on them.


    Everyone left the area immediately, e for one person


    There was only one person who walked into the ''No Man''s Land.''


    Which was of course Sabrina, the very girl who helped n study.


    She sat down on the bench, and then slowly started patting n''s back, who was still looking at the ground with a crestfallen face.


    *pat*


    "Don''t worry, the exam was easy, we studied a lot together, you should..."


    She stopped in the middle of her sentence, stopped patting his back, and then put her hands on her knees.


    Before continuing.


    "... let''s hope you pass."


    She said, and n lost it.


    "THAT''S NOT ENCOURAGING M-ow ow ow."


    n was screaming, but Sabrina stopped it by pulling his ear.


    "Don''t raise your voice at me."


    She was brave.


    Very Brave.


    And probably the only one alongside Samantha Pator, who could casually pull n''s ear and not have their face nted in the ground.


    If anyone else tried, they would probably be going to die soon.


    No matter who they were, if even Arken tried it n was fighting back.


    "Come on, let''s go, there are more subjects to worry about."


    She stood up and began walking towards the Library, and n followed her whilst praying.


    ***


    [Sabrina Wellingtons PoV].


    I hope he did well...


    If he didn''t, my efforts have been useless.


    "That one isn''t as important, so memorize the next one."


    I advised n whilst being lost in her phone. That topic was unimportant.


    I wasn''t studying, unlike a certain someone who didn''t have the leisure to.


    I Had already memorized everything, so it was okay for me to rx.


    ''I still wonder what that Jade Green hue was.''


    I wondered as I took a peak at n, who was still studying whatever was in the book vigorously.


    I focused on his eyes, trying to see if I could spot the Jade green hue again.


    ''Was it really my own delusion?''


    I wondered, I first thought that maybe I was hallucinating due tock of sleep, but maybe I thought I was wrong.


    I tried to spot the jade-green hue again but was instead mesmerized by the diamond that was his eyes.


    Those two beauties didn''t belong on that Doofus''s face.


    Or maybe they did.


    I wonder if a human can have those eyes, or is his affinity that high?


    Diamonds that depict the sky within them.


    The endless, boundless sky.


    ....soo beautiful and mesmerizing.


    *Meow.*


    A voiceing from my phone took my attention away from those eyes.


    Ahh, Cute Cat videos.


    Truly bliss.


    "Can you please turn the volume down?"


    Suddenly, n raised his head from the book and said to me.


    "No, the world should know the beauty of Cats,"


    I said to him, who could refuse to listen to cute cats?


    It should be soothing him and helping him study!


    "The World doesn''t consist of only me."


    He said, and I rebuked.


    "Don''t worry, you''re the first step."


    "..."


    Seeing his face, I held back the urge tough.


    *Meow*


    "Meow."


    I repeated the meow the cute kitten did in the video, and showed him my phone.


    "Meow."


    "..."


    I don''t know why, but I find it extremely fun teasing him.


    I can tell from his face he''s getting agitated.


    A little bit of fun will help release the stress.


    And I, Holding back myughter, continued teasing n Pator, My dear Bodyguard.


    *Meow*


    "Meow"


    "..."


    Oh my, I can see his eyes twitch


    Heh.


    ***


    [n Pator PoV]


    Maybe asking her to teach me was a mistake.


    Don''t get me wrong, she exined every topic well, and although for some reason acts out of character by messing with me, does stop when she notices it''s troubling me.


    She tells me what topics are important and what isn''t.


    The problem is me.


    I don''t know why, but why can''t I memorize these?


    My memory isn''t shit, I could memorize pretty fine when I was studying for the entrance exam.


    So why am I failing now?


    I can''t believe this.


    Am I getting dumber? Or has my training eroded my brain?


    I mean, I did train for 3 months continuously without break, maybe my mind was also tired.


    "You can cut a few lines out of that paragraph, no need to memorize everything."


    She said to me and I looked at her and immediately looked down at the book in my hands.


    I take my words back.


    It was a mistake asking her to help me study.


    The girl looks too good and it''s hindering my focus.


    Not that I mind...but hey, I need to pass here.


    I''m already not doing so well, I don''t think I''ll be able to pass the others.


    But what''s wrong with me?


    I...feel so...stupid, like my mind is refusing to do this and I just want me to train.


    *Huuu.*


    I took a deep breath to calm myself and ate a bar of chocte from my inventory.


    Sugar helps keep the mind focused.


    I think.


    "That was the 54th bar of chocte."


    I heard her but refused to look up.


    I''ll say it again, not for the first time and not for thest.


    Beauty is a terrifying weapon.

 Chapter 169 [169]His And Mine, Fighting Inside My Mind.

    [Sabrina Wellington:98%]


    [Olivia Olsfer:95%]


    [Serena Soubuelle:94%]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [n Pator:71%]


    The students checked their percentages in their result sheets.


    And n sighed in relief.


    ''...I passed.''


    "Congrattions, To me and you."


    I heard Sabrina as I kept looking at my result sheet.


    "To you?"


    I asked her, confused, but then realized a second toote.


    "You think it was easy helping you study?"


    "No mam."


    I said, Heck even I was fucking tired of myself, imagine her.


    The entire time I was studying, she had to be stuck with me.


    "Good, Now let''s go get something to eat, we have to celebrate your passing."


    She said, but I denied her invitation.


    "No thanks, I''m going to train."


    I said to her and prepared to walk away, but was instead dragged along.


    "Hey Sabrina, please let me go train."


    "No."


    Oh,e on.


    I want to go train right now.


    I need to reach the next level.


    But I don''t think I can get out of this.


    She does seem overly excited, dragging me by my arm. I can of course, just stop it if I want to.


    Her strength canpare to mine.


    But if I do, I get the feeling that she''s going to be mad.


    Very mad.


    And so, I just let her drag my arm around the city.


    I should eat a lot of meat.


    We passed by numerous shops, and I curiously looked inside one.


    And then I stopped.


    On the window, nothing entered m view, except Sabrina falling due to my sudden stop...


    And a mask, with jade green eyes, st right at me.


    "Ow..."


    Ignoring her, I stare at the mask inside the mirror.


    My reflection was nowhere to be seen


    Only that mask.


    Emotionless, a pure white mask with jade green eyes.


    *Thump!*Thump!*


    My heart started to beat wildly, my eyes hurt, and I had the urge to smash that window to pieces.


    I wanted to, but then was stopped


    "Hey, n?"


    I gazed at the mask, and slowly it started to change.


    From that emotionless face to a face that began to smile.


    Slowly, but surely, it began to smile, and multiple appeared on the window.


    "n...?"


    The smile emitted a disgusting green, and my heart began to beat even more wildly.


    *Thump!*


    My eyes hurt, it''s like they''re burning.


    *Hiss.*


    And something within me, in the center of my body, moved.


    It roared, and a roar was heard.


    *ROOOOAAAAAARRRR*


    I don''t know who else heard it, but I definitely did.


    And the window, upon which the masks were being depicted, disappeared, and bakery items appeared in my view.


    They shattered, the masks definitely shattered.


    And I was left confused, with a stinging sensation in my left arm and my entire back.


    A burning sensation.


    *Sizzle!*


    ****.


    [Sabrina Wellington PoV]


    *Thud*


    I fell to the ground by n suddenly stopped.


    The stop was so sudden, and his strength was so great I fell on my own.


    I was grabbing his arm and going at a quicker pace because I do admit, I was excited.


    I mean, he passed, and all my efforts weren''t wasted.


    This was a moment to celebrate to the fullest.


    "Hey, n?"


    I got up and asked him, and saw him staring into a bakery shop, looking at the items inside.


    ''He stopped because of that?''


    I thought, finding his behavior a little childish.


    But then, as I looked at him, I saw that jade-green hue again in his eyes.


    I stopped and voiced out.


    "n...?


    I stopped speaking when I heard the sound of a heart beating.


    *Thump.*


    And as I stood there for a while, at the jade green hue as it increased.


    *Hiss.*


    And then, it disappearedpletely.


    And I heard a sizzling sounding from him.


    *Sizzle.*


    "...sorry, I need to go."


    And then he opened a portal that was cyan in color instead of his usual.


    And I stood alone in front of the bakery shop, wondering what just happened.


    Why was his portal color different?


    But then I realized.


    I didn''t hallucinate the first time I saw them.


    That jade-green hue was real.


    I wasn''t hallucinating it, it was actually happening.


    But...why?


    ***


    [n Pator PoV]


    ''What''s happening?!''


    I screamed in my mind as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror of my dorm.


    My left arm...a snake.


    A snake was materializing on it.


    A white snake, starting from the wrist, wriggled its way up.


    Its jade eyes moved upwards, and it was something I couldn''t stop.


    I aroused my mana, but nothing.


    It moved up, and up, and I felt a sting on my back.


    My forearm, my upper arm, my shelf...and then my left pec.


    It kept moving.


    And then, it slowly started to move towards the center of my chest, towards my wildly beating heart.


    But then something happened, my back and right arm started to hurt.


    "Ah!"


    The blood mark of the Phoenix...moved to my right pec and moved to oppose the white snake.


    It shone a bright red hue, whilst the pain in my back increased.


    The white snake released a bright jade-green hue, and the two lights fought one another as the pain in my back increased.


    "Argh!"


    I groaned in pain.


    Unable to move my body, I just watched the battle take ce on my skin.


    "Argh!"


    My back!My chest!


    So much pain.


    Go...AWAY!


    And as if my words were heard, it all stopped.


    And I saw the condition of my skin in full now.


    My left arm, now adorned with the tattoo of a white snake, made its way up towards my arm, with ice around the tattoo in some ce, serving as either armor on the snake, or justice shards.


    It made its way up my arm and was then present on my chest, on my left pec.


    The snakehead had its mouth open on my nipple, and its head faced towards the Phoenix on the other side, its jade green eye looking magnificent.


    The colors of white and Green filled this tattoo, its scales, and its other striking features.


    And then I looked at the Phoenix bloodline mark on the other side.


    It had grown, now epassing my right pec, and had its head facing the snake, with its mouth opened on my nipple.


    The colors of...gold and Astral blue filled the Phoenix now.


    It wasn''t filled in previously, but now it was.


    Its blue eye looked at the jade snake, and the snake did the same with its the jade green eye.


    And then, I saw some lines appear on my traps, and then turned my back to the mirror to see them.


    And...an entire dragon was present on my back, encasing it.


    An entire eastern dragon.

 Chapter 170 [170]The Potential, You Have Within, That I Will Release

    An entire eastern dragon covered my back.


    Unfilled, but still looking menacing even without any color.


    It''s the spiked tail, at my lower back, its entire other body at my middle back, and the head at my nape.


    The...hair running down its back, and a beard that matched the 3 pairs of eyes it had.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    *Gulp.*


    I swallowed my saliva, taking in the dragon even though I had a hard time seeing it.


    ...that...looks terrifying.


    It''s arge body, the... armor? Covering a few parts of its body, the weird spirals ??  around its body, the menacing eyes, and even the ws muchrger and deadlier.


    So...scary.


    I looked at the other markings of the snake and Phoenix and then roused my mana.


    I tried to use my bloodline, and it worked, the Phoenix glowed a golden hue...and then as I was going to direct my mana toward the snake when I stopped.


    Jade snake, the thing that symbolized the masked bastard, and probably the thing that caused this.


    ... I don''t think I should mess with it until I know more.


    I don''t think I should mess with it at all.


    Now, on the other hand, the dragon on my back interests me a lot.


    Very much.


    I focused my mana on my back, onto the dragon on my back.


    My mana moved to it, fueling it.


    But I didn''t see any change.


    And then my vision became blurred.


    I was dizzy, and then I fell unconscious fromck of mana.


    Something I never experienced.


    ****


    James sat in a ck office chair in a white space.


    In front of him, was a mirror of ice showing him n Pator.


    He quietly observed The unconscious n and raised his transparent hand.


    I''m fading more and more.


    He thought.


    But then, his gaze settled on n again,menting.


    You have so much potential, yet you don''t train it.


    At first he was skeptical, could this soul be stronger than Aranus?


    But then he dug deeper.


    Those Dragon Eyes, That dragon heart, and that soul.


    All are stronger than Aranus when fully matured.


    Even though it is the same body, they evolved from him.


    So fascinating.


    Such a fascinating specimen.


    James didn''t act much, because the soul was training, rising to meet its potential.


    He was ecstatic, to see it not waste its potential but then it began to change.


    When it was born, James and Aranus were mixed in.


    But now, it was driving itself further from them.


    He didn''t mind it at first, but then it got attached to other useless things.


    The sister, Samantha Pator.


    And the biggest threat, Sabrina Wellington.


    His emotional attachments are getting out of hand.


    You don''t need them, you have no use for them.


    Detach yourself, and reach your true potential sooner.


    But...even if he detached themselves.


    He despised one fact.


    The soul crystal of The soul, inside Sabrina Wellington.


    Just why did that idiot Suleras do such a thing?


    To a woman as heartless as him?


    That was what he remembered Sabrina Wellington as.


    But now, her actions are different.


    She smiles more often now and acts much more friendly.


    He didn''t like it.


    If she continues to act like this, it will hinder her and the soul''s development.


    The specimen will be held back by her.


    And the story will deviate from his original prediction.


    He doesn''t have much time left.


    His body begins to fade gradually, and his powers be stronger with each passing day.


    But James can still act.


    He can still act somewhat and act greatly by reducing his time left.


    If I''m going to disappear, why not go out with a bang?


    Those were his thoughts, and the bang was n Pator.


    I can destroy him.


    And rebuild him.


    Such a perfect specimen, whose limits are as limitless as the cosmos.


    James raised his hands and the jade-green eye of the snake on the body of the unconscious specimen began to glow.


    If his emotional attachments are strong, he just needed to weaken them.


    But fortunately for him, scenarios will still happen that will weaken his mental state.


    And then he will attack.


    But now, he needs to set the foundation.


    Of FEAR.


    He needs to set it up.


    His body began to fade, and the glow of the jade-green eye became more and more intense.


    This kept on for a while, White energy began to emerge from James and moved into the mirror.


    I am d Aranus is asleep.


    The idiotic genius is asleep.


    Just because a part of his lover''s soul is present as the foundation for the specimen, he refuses to do anything to it.


    He lets it do whatever it wants


    How absurdly foolish.


    You let it live freely when you can trap it so easily.


    You refuse to take advantage of it when it is so easy to.


    I don''t think I will understand Aranus.


    And frankly, I don''t want to.


    *Crack*


    Oh my, my space is cracking.


    It seems his powers have found out.


    No matter.


    *Crack*


    The white space shattered and James saw an infinite cosmos take its ce.


    And within the cosmos, a dragon could be seen.


    Ahhh...so magnificent.


    The dragon''s humongous eyes stared at James, and then they expanded to point where only the eye that could be seen.


    A dragon whose power is infinite.


    A dragon who is the personification of the infinite cosmos.


    A dragon who can do anything, a dragon whose powers be greater every second.


    It will take time, but it will be the greatest.


    Greater than even the first dragon king.


    And the first Godbeast.


    But he would mold it to be like it.


    *Grrr*


    He hears the deafening sound of that monster grumble, and James Enjoyed it.


    It doesn''t matter if his powers oppose me.


    It matters not.


    This dragon....this dragon whose size can increase indefinitely just like the infinite cosmos.


    This dragon will be mine.


    I will mold it from young.


    I will change it.


    From a young age, when it is unable toprehend the world, I will change it.


    I will make it my creation...no.


    The smile on James Mask''s becamerger andrger.


    And his thoughts were even more malicious.


    I...will make this specimen...my...my.


    M A S T E R P I E C E.

 Chapter 171 [171]His Masterpiece.

    The darkness around me is suffocating.


    Thest thing I remember is that I used my mana to stimte the dragon mark on my back.


    But it seems I used too much mana in the process and fell unconscious due tock of mana.


    But then why am I here?


    In this darkness?


    *Hiss.*


    The sudden noise made me alert.


    I turned to face wherever it came from, but then I heard it again from another direction.


    *Hiss.*


    The noise was all that existed within the darkness surrounding me.


    The hissing of a snake.


    The representation of the snake James Smith, The Jade Snake.


    Why?


    I didn''t even touch the Snake mark.


    Why is this happening?


    *Hiss.*


    It seemed to be getting closer, clearer.


    And then, as I was standing calmly in ce, I felt tremendous pressureing from behind me.


    I immediately turned and found arge eye belonging to a reptile looking at me.


    I could only see the slit that was its pupil and the yellow sclera.


    I stayed calm in the face of it, preparing myself for whatever was about toe.


    I stared at it and it did the same.


    And then, I heard another hiss.


    *Hiss.*


    From behind me, and then I saw nothing.


    And woke up, covered in sweat.


    ***


    I kept staring at the marks on my body.


    The filled-in Phoenix, and the Jade Snake, were apparently at odds with each other.


    And the unfilled dragon on my back.


    My upper body and entire back have now be an art gallery.


    I opened my status and saw that the Pheonix Bloodline Integration had increased to 5%, but there was nothing about the snake and dragon.


    The snake was something I was wary of.


    And the sudden increase in the integration of the Pheonix bloodline concerned me.


    I was happy yes, but when I realized that it increased when the snake was making its way towards my heart was concerning.


    Is it fighting against it?


    Well, if it is, I hope it wins.


    Now about the dragon on my back, I know nothing about it.


    The Phoenix is something I had before these two, the Jade Snake appeared when I saw the mask on the window so then...what is the cause of the appearance of the Dragon.


    The Pheonix was given to me because of a quest, the Snake probably appeared because of James, and this dragon...is it Aranus?


    No, it doesn''t look like the dragon form of Aranus.


    The Dragon Form of Aranus was more scaly, and although the Beard and Hair matched it, the ws and the armor I think covering its body didn''t.


    And he didn''t have 6 eyes either.


    Then what does it represent?


    Is it a dragon Aranus has a rtion to?


    My questions were many, but no one was there to answer them.


    Not Aranus.


    Not Suleras, and Not Lanesha as well.


    ''Should I ask Ariel?''


    Kazikato''s guardian Dragon is someone that is always with him.


    And what''s important is that she cares for him, and she cares for him very very much.


    To the point of giving him random things to eat, and although he never eats those things that can probably strengthen him for some reason, his Guardian Dragon doesn''t stop.


    But there is a problem.


    Aranus once said to me after the fight with Kazikato, that the Guardian Dragon of Kazikato is someone nearly all dragons fear.


    Which, if you ask me, is someone you don''t want to mess with.


    A dragon that existed since the beginning, symbolizing the element of Death, A rank above supreme, and equivalent to the Guardian Of ElvenHeim.


    Kazikato thinks of me greatly, so I think it should be okay.


    But still, why do I have this tingling feeling in my gut?


    Ahh, Whatever my behavior should be the best.


    I don''t want to offend a dragon like that.


    There''s a high chance that she, who is among the first dragons, knows about this.


    ''Well, I won''t get answers sitting here, so off we go.''


    I thought and opened up a portal to the team room in my guild, where Kazikato Always sleeps on the couch at.


    ****


    "She says that they each represent something crucial to your existence."


    Kazikato said whilst Yawning.


    I lost him to exin more.


    "She says each mark on your skin represents a different aspect of you, The Pheonix represents the bloodline you have within, and The Jade snake represents the part of ''Him'' still inside you."


    "Him..huh."


    "Hey boss, who is him?"


    Kazikato asked me, but I stayed quiet.


    He was just telling me what Ariel said, and he waspletely oblivious to my situation.


    He stands for James one hundred percent, and I hate it.


    What is he nning?


    "Can you ask about this?"


    I showed him my back, and then, the idiot, rather than asking Ariel,plimented the mark.


    "Nice Dragon on the back, it looks menacing."


    "Can you ''Please'' stop fooling around?"


    "Ok, Ok."


    And then there was a bit of Silence between us before he finally opened his mouth.


    "She says she will tell you herself."


    "What does that Mean?"


    [The Primordial Dragon Of Death, Ariel, Invites you to her domain.]


    [Do you ept?]


    [Yes/No]


    "Oh, that''s what it means."


    I said and was about to ept when j received another message.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras advises you to be on your best behavior when meeting Madame Ariel.]


    ...


    ...


    Well, look who is talking. once again.


    WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME HUH?


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says that he was busy]


    Busy?With what?


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says you do not need to know]


    Not know? Where are my gifts huh?!


    Kazikato received mountains, Yet all I received was armor and locations to a damn spear you Poor Bastard!


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras advises you to not fall to greed.]


    Oh, fuck off you cunt!


    "Boss, What Happened?"


    I was distracted by the sudden appearance of Suleras and Ipletely forgot about The invitation.


    "Your Guardian Dragon invited me to her domain."


    "Oh, Grandma Did?"


    Grandma?


    Huh?


    "Don''t be too surprised by her size."


    "Huh?"


    I wouldter realize what he meant by thatment.


    And oh my, when I epted the invitation and ck most appeared and when I was In her domain did I nearly shit my pants.


    Damn, She is HUMOUNGOUS.

 Chapter 172 [172]One Of The First, Ariel.

    In a cknd with dark clouds in the sky, there was nothing here, except for


    ...pirs of Darkness, Fossils, Strange Creatures made of Shadows, and mountains of ice.


    It was an odd world, one that didn''t seem to have any...sort of bnce.


    I was quite curious, but before I could see more, I saw...her


    *Gulp...*


    A dragon bounded down by chains as thick as mountains, and a Dragon Sorge I could not even fathom its size, nor see itpletely.


    ck scales that seemed to absorb all light, Menacing eyes of ck that emitted strange light, And 3 pairs of wings.


    ''...holy shit that is one big dragon.''


    Now I know why most dragons are afraid of her, the dragon in question can just squash them with her paw.


    ...so this is a Primordial Dragon.


    [You...are not what I was Expecting.]


    A deafening, but somehow calm voice resounded out throughout the realm, nearly rupturing my eardrums.


    "...im sorry?"


    I said, confused while I was running my head.


    Not what you were expecting?


    [You are Neither Aranus, Nor the Jade Snake....you are different, yet ... simr.]


    [You are an entirely different soul, but you have not yet escaped them fully.]


    [And you also Possess her within you, serving as the foundation for your creation.]


    ...so loud...


    [What was Aranus thinking when he created you?]


    I couldn''t answer, a pressure so. deadly descended upon me that I couldn''t even move as could only stare at the gigantic eye, which was now glowing White.


    [So you were originally meant to be a substitute, a puppet for the Jade Snake to utilize topensate for his weak soul]


    [But then, How did you gain Sentience?


    ...is it because her soul is inside of you?


    What is that light that gave birth to you, and paved the way for you to be an entirely separate Dragon?]


    [But how weak you are, and you are even unable to control your powers, So pathetic, your existence.]


    Each word, Each Sentence bore such pressure on me that I felt like I could die whenever she wished for me too.


    So...terrifying.


    [Even though I dislike him, The Jade Snake had a much better chance than you, you should have remained a puppet.]


    [A puppet for him to control, We would have had a better chance then, with the man that made even the Abyss wary.]


    Every word enraged me.


    Puppet?


    Why the fuck do you get to decide?


    [A dragon unable to control his powers is just a mere Lizard.]


    [You should have just remained a puppet.]


    ..


    ..


    ...


    Her words enraged me, and that rage gave me strength.


    Those white eyes gazed at me, somehow waiting for something, but my anger didnt care for that.


    I tried to move, and I don''t know how, but my body began to overflow with strength as my astral mana raged forth.


    "Don''t..."


    I opened my mouth, My posture getting straighter with every word.


    "Call...me..."


    Why must I be the puppet?


    And why do you all get to say that I should be one?


    You all don''t have any right to fuck with my life.


    None.


    "A PUPPET!"


    The pressure on me disappeared, and my astral mana invaded this realm... but even then.


    I felt like I was currently nothing.


    My mana was attacked by the ck mana of death and lostpletely.


    Unable to do anything, I stood still as those eyes observed me.


    [At least you have the pride of a dragon.]


    Her word''s weight had lessened.


    It was as if an objective of hers werepleted.


    Nevertheless, the pressure on me didn''t disappear.


    We were in a stalemate, her casually using such a tiny amount of her mana against me, using all of mine to resist her.


    Until...the pressure disappeared when we both heard some words.


    "Don''t bully boss."


    Huh?


    As the pressure disappeared and I was able to move freely again, I turned my head to face the voice, far above.


    And there I saw a white dot, Kazikato in his Draconian Form, standing on the snout of the gigantic beast and punching it.


    Although his punches didnt do anything.


    [...]


    Ariel''s eyes focused on Kazikato, and I think I heard a sigh.


    [I was not bullying him, I was just testing him.]


    "Then tell us about the cool tattoo!"


    [...sigh.]


    Wow, he sure is brave.


    To raise his voice in front of that, he is incredibly brave.


    Good going Man!


    [The Pheonix is representative of the Ancient Beast that once held a seat on the Council of Godbeasts, It belonged to the faction of Peace, but that faction has now lost nearly all of its power, Suleras had invaded its World during the war, and had killed it.


    The bloodline you have is useful, it belonged to a versatile beast that hadn''t reached its full potential, nurture it well.


    It is a beast symbolizing freedom and life, and it most likely awakened when the Jade Snake tried to control you and fought against its control.


    Be thankful for it, if not for it you would have been reduced to a puppet once again.]


    [For the Jade snake, I can not tell you much but it is the representative of James, Be careful of it.


    Do not use it, no one knows what that snake might be nning.


    The only thing I can guarantee is that James'' soul is far too weak now to directly take control of you, however, he can do a multitude of things to weaken your mind.


    Be especially careful about the mind games he ys.


    Every mark has its powers, and I will tell you myself when the Jade Snake is safe to use.]


    [And finally, of the Dragon on your back, it is representative of You.]


    [Me?]


    [Yes, It is a mark that symbolizes our true power, we awaken it at various stages of our life, you awakened yours early.]


    [It represents your attributes, your powers, your true potential, your dragon.]


    [It is you, The Dragon you will Be.]

 Chapter 173 [173]One Of The First, Ariel.[2]

    [Ariels PoV]


    The appearance of another soul inside His Body.


    First, it was James, and then this one.


    But why is it so weak, and then so strong?


    It truly infuriates me, I can''t even see into his powers with my Eyes.


    His history, his past, and his purpose previously are all known to me now.


    How his existence was just a puppet for the Snake of Jade to control, to make up for his weak soul.


    His existence...is mysterious.


    And a change in the predicted timelines


    And I can not even see into it, histent potential.


    The Mark of Dragons on his back...terrifies even me.


    I, Ariel, One of the first Dragons, One of The few Primordial Beings in the universe, The Progenitor of Death, Darkness, Shadow, And Frost...


    Because of my inability to see into him, I angered him intentionally so he would use his power, and I would find out about his powers.


    My tactic worked.


    And I saw a Dragon, A dragon asrge as the cosmos itself...


    Bigger than even me, a dragon, master of Space, Chaos, And Frost.


    Its astral blue scales are the size of stars, The Armour of Frost on his body is the size of Gxies, And the Mane of Chaos consists of threads that could alone sever Realities.


    ...what has Aranus Created?


    What has James Molded?


    ...


    Are those two nning to annihte us all?


    Take everyone down with them???


    With this monstrous, uncontroble beast?


    Have they forgotten what Power, limitless power can do?


    ...when I had be aware of his potential I thought.


    It will be even more dangerous if it takes Over.


    The Abyss is still wary of the Jade Snake.


    ...but if this child truly awakens..not even the Chalice of Time will be able to stop him.


    If...it takes control of such a being...just what would there be to stop it.


    When I realized these things. I thought...


    ''Should I erase him?''


    Erase his soul when I can?


    Erase that soul when it has yet to reach maturity.


    Erase...it but then the consequences of such an action are too enormous.


    I will seed in erasing a soul that could be an evenrger threat than Aranus...but what will that do?


    The Abyss will still take control of it...and we couldn''t even deal with the Abyss-controlled Aranus.


    If I let it live on and risk it getting taken over by the Abyss.


    And it realizes the potential this one carries.


    That would spell a disaster even greater than Aranus.


    And we...could somehow fight against Aranus...albeit we lost...there was some hope.


    But this?


    That Cosmic Dragon?


    We...even if the eldest Dragons, the first dragons that have hidden themselves, or are bound by their restrictions, and the Godbeasts Ally themselves.


    We can''t...defeat it.


    If it was with Aranus, Yes, we could defeat him...but those sons of bitches are too delusional for joining sides...EVEN WHEN THE DAMN UNIVERSE COULD BE AT STEAK!


    They choose to not set aside their differences, but risk getting the universe destroyed over their silly pride.


    ...what do I do?


    All dragons...except one gave up hope.


    And even the one that continued fighting...in the end shared the same fate as Aranus.


    In the end...I concluded.


    With Aranus, we have a low chance to fight him off...but with him, the chance is zero.


    I need to..annihte this young dragon before it is toote.


    ... I will make sure his soul enjoys a painless death and a peaceful Afterlife.


    I roused my mana, preparing myself...to end a young dragon''s life.


    How far we have fallen...how far ''I'' have fallen.


    The realm listened to mymands...to kill this young Dragon.


    To kill it, and erase the soul before The Abyss learns of its true potential.


    To erase the soul from existence itself before the Abbys can take over it...I will not let another Aranus Or Ardenius ur.


    Those two dragons have suffered too much, I will not let another suffer their fate.


    The mana of Death fought against his Astral Mana and eventually dominated it.


    I raised him into the sky with my death mana and prepared for the process.


    If I kill him now, The Abyss will immediately take over and soon this realm of mine will be swarmed by the armies of the Abyss.


    I will die from this ordeal, but I will give the world a chance with Aranus, the cosmic dragon I saw will be far too powerful for anyone to face.


    *Kaahk*.


    I heard his cries as my mana invaded his body.


    "Hey! What are you doing?!"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    *Bam!**Bam!*


    I could hear the little one mming its fist on my snout...and then I wondered.


    "Don''t kill Boss! I''ll hate you."


    Am I doing the right thing?


    Stealing one''s chance at life?


    "Hey?!"


    "Grandma!"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I could only see my children''s faces, the little ones face as well.


    My children, and my grandchild.


    ...how would I feel if someone took their life?


    No, I already know how that feels...


    ,"Grandma!"


    "Kaghk!"


    My grandchild''s pleas, the young dragons painful screams.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I stopped my mana...and I inscribed a seal on the young dragons body.


    A pitiful attempt of mine to hide what I had done.


    I had sent him off immediately, before I could change my mind.


    [Do not worry Child, I merely gave him a gift.]


    I lied to my Grandchild.


    Why are you so loyal to him?


    I don''t think i well ever know.


    There was silence between us, and i, stopped holding my head high up, and finally let it rest upon the ground.


    ...i am truly pathetic.


    I couldn''t protect my eldest daughter...and here I almost killed her sons benefactor.


    [Kazikato, You said you wanted a tattoo of your dragon form on your back, correct?]


    "Umm...yeah?"


    [Show me your back, I will inscribe a seal that will remove itself when you awaken your Dragon Mark.


    It will have some of my powers within, Use them well.]


    In the end...i think I just want to spend some time with my family...and not lose them.


    The end wille no matter what,...


    And I hope to make at least some memories with this grandchild of mine.


    ****


    A/N: I found an image online, which I really think Ariel should be like.


    I''ve posted it on the discord, join it to see it, along with ns Fanart and other images of the Dragons.

 Chapter 174 [174]The Demons First Attack.

    "What the heck was she doing to me?!"


    I yelled at Kazikato, shaking him.


    "She said she gave you a gift!"


    "She nearly killed me!"


    That dragon was going to kill me!


    And what gift?


    WHAT GIFT??


    "She said it was a seal, to help you or something!"


    "Bullshit!"


    We both wrestled, and meanwhile, my anger reached its peak...but eventually I had to calm down.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Well, at least I got some answers.''


    I looked at the dragon Mark on my back, and although it wasn''t filled in, I was happy.


    So this is what my true dragon form.


    Since I can''t activate my dragon form because of the risks, I am happy that I at least get to know what it looks like.


    "Hey boss, look, I have one too now."


    "Hmm?"


    I turned to Kazikato, Who was showing off his back, which now had a dragon identical to his dragonic form on it.


    The only difference in it being... too emo?


    Death skulls, Curses, and the Dragon weren''t as menacing as mine, but it is covered in armor of bones with full ck and white filling did make it look great.


    Exceptionally well, in fact.


    Not as great as mine though.


    "Look doesn''t it look cool?"


    "Yeah it does, but you know what will make it look even greater?"


    I said to him, urging him to ask.


    "What?"


    And he asked.


    "Muscles!"


    Kazikato doesn''t have muscles on his body at all, but for some reason still has enormous strength.


    But hey, it would be good for him to have a nice Physique.


    "Drop down and give me 100 pushups!"


    "Huh?"


    "Drop down and give me 100 pushups!


    NOW!"


    I forced Kazikato to do 100 pushups and started counting as I corrected his form.


    "20, 21, that one doesn''t count!"


    "You know what you have to do right?


    You''re my backup n!"


    Backup n for the eventing up.


    The Shield and Hero Academy Training camp.


    The event where demons attacked for the first time.


    It was catastrophic, to say the least.


    They attacked for the first time in the nov-my memories I have.


    A joint training camp between the schools was set up By Oliver Olsfer and the deceased Hiroto Mitsuki.


    Shield students would first visit the main campus of Hero Academy for a tour and then go to an ind managed by either Academy for training.


    And although I should be capable of handling this, I still can''t expect any variables.


    Which is why I have Kazikato.


    I''m going to station him close to the Ind, and in case anything goes wrong, he will rush to my aid.


    Alice won''t be of any help, and I trust this man a lot.


    And I''m confident, no one can go against us two if we are together.


    "87!"


    Whilst I was counting his pushups, I failed to notice that Alice had very recentlye into the room.


    She was presented with the sight of two Teenagers, neither with their shirt on, covered in tattoos to her and doing pushups.


    She silently left the room.


    ***


    Hero Academy, an Academy that had been started by another of the Golden Trio, By Hiroto Mitsuki before his death.


    It was originally the second-ranked Academy in the world, but its position had been taken by Eden.


    Hiroto Mitsuki had set it up a few years before his death, and although it was behind Shield, it wasn''t anything tough at.


    The top 50 students of Shield, along with the top 50 of Hero Academy will join together in a training camp, overseen by useless executives.


    It was something that had been decided on by Oliver and Hiroto Mitsuki.


    It was the first time the protagonists had shed with Demons together.


    And they had lost miserably, contrary to one original expectation of plot armor saving the protagonists and students.


    Multiple students had died, and the only reason some had survived was that Elijah, had for the first time Activated [DECIMATION] for the first time at 100%.


    There was a great cost to it, but they had survived.


    That was all that mattered.


    It was an event that forced the major character development of every Main character.


    Especially Elijah.


    He had seen so many dies because of his weakness.


    He had made an oath to himself that he would never ever let it happen again.


    And thus he would spend his entire vacation training him to the max, evolving into a dragon.


    It was after this incident, that Both Shield and Hero Academy would be criticized, and the two academies would had to take some interesting measures to improve their reputation.


    But it would never lift the mood and sorrow of the deceased families of students.


    The current director of Hero Academy would have to retire because of the bacsh.


    It was a gruesome event that would greatly impact Humanity.


    Their greatest talents would have been ughtered before they could bloom.


    However this time...there were changes to the students.


    They would shock the world instead this time.


    And someone, who knew about this event beforehand, would learn that nothing...ever goes as nned.


    ****


    A hooded figure sat upon a rock in a destend with purple skies.


    His physique was far toorge to be considered human, and a menacing war axe was seen embedded in the ground next to him.


    The figure was looking at a piece of paper, which contained the targets he needed to capture for freedom


    [Sabrina Wellington:Only Alive]


    [n Pator:Dead or Alive]


    [Elijah Ardor:Dead or Alive]


    [Serena Soubuelle:Only Alive]


    [Henry Fornum:Dead or Alive]


    [ine Parker:Dead or Alive]


    [Lucas Hiddlestone:Only Alive.]


    The list continued on and on, disying the names of the students of Shield and Hero Academy that he needed to either kill or capture for freedom.


    And among them, he had already called dibs on one of the two highest priority targets.


    [Sabrina Wellington:Only Alive]


    [Serena Soubuelle:Only Alive.]


    These two were the ones that had the highest priority from Shield, and even one of them would ensure his freedom.


    And of the two, he set his eyes on the former.


    ****


    A/N:get hyped for this Arc.


    This one will make you choose favorites.

 Chapter 175 [175]On The Way, To Death.

    *Shwing*Shwing*


    I trusted my spear in the same manner continuously.


    I was getting better, closer to grasping ''it.''


    My form and my technique were getting better.


    *Shwi-Ah*.


    Suddenly, I fell to the ground and I lost my footing.


    "Damnit."


    Apparently, even in the future, ships still rock.


    Especially on this behemoth Cruise Ship that the top 50 shield students were traveling on.


    And the deck didn''t provide any stability at all for me.


    Am I just too used to the ground?


    "That''s the 5th time you fell."


    I heard Sabrina''s voice behind me, and I refused to look at her.


    "You were counting?"


    "Yes, im bored."


    Currently, im the only student on this cruise that still has proper clothes on.


    I don''t want everyone to see the art museum that is my body.


    Everyone else? In swimsuits.


    And God forbid something will rise if I look at someone with A rank charm nearly naked.


    And what would be rising wouldn''t be the Shield Hero.


    "You are a training maniac."


    *Sip.*


    I picked up my spear and continued thrusting.


    "You should have fun you know."


    *Sip.*


    "Want a Drink?"


    *Sip.*


    This woman is intentionally trying to draw my attention.


    And I don''t know why.


    *Shwing!*


    "Huuu..."


    I took a deep breath and then continued to train again.


    "You sure don''t rest."


    *Sip.*


    "Aren''t you hot...oh yeah right, ice awakened are resistant to heat."


    *Sip.*


    Do you know what''s even more annoying than her currently?


    It''s the fact that she is sitting down and sunbathing while saying all of this.


    She isn''t even looking at me.


    The fact that this woman is intentionally annoying me, is out of character for her and is seemingly enjoying it.


    Very much.


    Just let me train in peace!


    "Hey, this is serious this time, but don''t you think you should give your body some time to rest?"


    Her sudden question paused my training, and I smirked back and said to her.


    "Why? Worried?"


    But the gods have given that woman much more cunning than me.


    It''s nearly impossible to make her flustered.


    "Yes, what use is a tired bodyguard?"


    ...


    And I finally gave up and looked in her general direction.


    I regretted my decision soon enough.


    Seeing her in a ck swimsuit was pleasant for the eyes, no it was angelic.


    But damn it I can''t control the rising hero.


    "Heh."


    And theugh from her thankfully awakened me and the dragon went to sleep.


    "Phew."


    I sighed in relief and then continued to train in peace.


    It seems she had aplished whatever demonic objective she had, so now I was left alone to train.


    But unfortunately, my luck is zero, literally.


    The other protagonists had approached wherever we were.


    ''...why doesn''t this ship have a personal training room?''


    Imented in my mind.


    "Well, look at the weirdo who forgot his swimsuit."


    Serenamented, and I rebuked whilst looking straight at her.


    The only one I don''t have resistance to is Sabrina, this bitch is a pig whenpared to her.


    "Look who forgot her dignity."


    "Why do you two always have to fight whenever you meet?"


    Elijah butted in, dressed in nothing but shorts and having his upper body and legs exposed.


    Damn, nice muscles.


    In contrast to him, Henry looked quite nd, he didn''t have abs but his body wasn''t anything tough at.


    "It''s a phenomenon of Nature, These two fighting."


    He said, and I wholeheartedly agreed.


    I and Serena are like Fire and Water.


    Or rather Ice and Magma.


    Elijah approached me and looked at me weirdly.


    "But still, full clothing in this heat?


    Are you okay? Or rather are you embarrassed because of me?"


    In the end, his tone changed, into a joking one.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I silently lifted my hoodie to reveal my abdomen, and showed him my 8-pack, which shut him up instantly as he looked at his 6-pack abs.


    I am fit, I just don''t want people to think im a gangster because of the marks on my body.


    My reputation is already shit, why make it even shittier?


    "Ohe on, let''s have some fun!"


    ine said and dragged Serena toward where Sabrina was, and they started to do their own thing.


    Meanwhile, I was left with the two idiots.


    I need an excuse to leave.


    ''...they don''t even know that we''re heading towards death.''


    Although I don''t think we should worry that much, only a few Barons appeared originally with other lower-ranking demons in the attack.


    It was a ssic cliche, in which the enemies aren''t too overpowered for the protagonists to deal with.


    They were manageable...only for the protagonists.


    The rest of the students suffered tremendously.


    Even Elijah, who was going up against the Head Demon, had to activate Decimation at 100% to kill him.


    ''I wonder if Kazikato made it to Japan.''


    I did send him off earlier to tour his home country, but I am worried that he''ll get lost.


    I did send Benson with him, but hey, who knows what Kazikato can do?


    He could have fallen asleep on the road for all I could know.


    He really could.


    Elijah and Henry had gone away and were swimming in the pool, whilst I was the only one left, to train.


    I quite liked this.


    ''Sabrina, Alex, and Lucas should be my priorities. I don''t care about the rest of the students.''


    Frankly, I don''t give a damn if the rest of the students die


    The only priorities are Sabrina, who I am the bodyguard.


    Alex and Lucas...and maybe Olivia, are alps safety targets.


    I''m nning on getting them all in Predator, and I want them on my team, which is why I want them to stay alive.


    I want all three of them on my team.


    Lucas and Olivia, who had participated in this event doesn''t die the previous times, so I can be less worried about them.


    The main problem is Alex, who didn''t participate in this event at all.


    His life is the one that worries me the most.


    Lucas and Olivia should survive, and Sabrina should definitely survive.


    These 4 all need to survive.


    And I will ensure their safety.

 Chapter 176 [176]Kazikatos, The One Just Beneath Void, The Death Predator.

    Kazikato walked through the streets of a ruined city.


    Donning a full ck cloak, along with a metallic ck mask that covered his lower face.


    ''I... don''t remember it being this destroyed...''


    He ran through the area, disposing of monsters in the area with arge ck Scythe.


    He ran and ran and ran but...all he found was nothing...nothing at all that he remembered.


    no...no...no. No!


    He screamed in his mind as he saw the ruined buildings...and his previous home...destroyed


    [Flo___r Orphan__]


    The ruined sign of his orphanage.


    The ce where he had first met her.


    All...gone.


    Destroyed...reduced to rubble.


    He walked through the rubble...and asionally found the rotting corpses of children, half-eaten or just left there to rot.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    He stopped.


    His thoughts were unknown...no...there was definitely a hidden rage within.


    His gaze fell upon the monsters in the surrounding area...and he could no longer contain himself.


    ? His body began to transform, and his rate increased.


    Thezy, Non-caring boy was gone.


    And in his ce, now stood draconian.


    The same draconian, that had fought with n, the same beast that hadid waste to an entire ind.


    The same being that had brought n Pator himself to the verge of Death.


    And he...was livid.


    "I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!"


    And then a bloodbath urred.


    ***


    A single white draconian stood alone on a mountain of corpses belonging to various monsters.


    His bone-like armor enveloping his body had given him an entire degree of frightening.


    His horns, his menacing appearance...the blood of monsters, their guts on his body.


    His mind was a mess yet awfully calm.


    Even after all this carnage, he felt nothing.


    Even after all this death, he felt nothing.


    His home was destroyed.


    *Shiu*


    A shrill sound was heard.


    *Thunk!*


    An arrow of steelnded on Kazikato''s head, it bounced off, and did nothing.


    He looked toward where the arrow came from and saw multiple Japanese Hunters rushing toward him.


    "SASAGEYO!"


    They all ran towards him, and Kazikato stared at the insects marching towards him nonchntly.


    A volley of arrows filled his sight, followed by a volley of magic spells.


    Fire, lightning, ice all sorts of spells rained down on him.


    And they did nothing.


    Kazikato stared at the Japanese Hunters, still rushing, and dodged the attacks of their melee attackers.


    He kept dodging, not wanting to hurt the small fry until an axended on his head and shattered.


    The hunter whose axe it was, stopped from the shock of his weapon breaking.


    It was a fatal mistake because that attack had ticked Kazikato off.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel tells you to take revenge.]


    And he did.


    His tail pierced the heart of the hunter, and he flung him off.


    He could see a hundred or so hunters, and a few cameras as well.


    "Could you not attack me?"


    He said in Japanese, still in his draconian form.


    "...it talks!"


    "Record this! Our guild will be the first in Japan to kill an intelligent monster!"


    ...idiots.


    Well, he gave them a chance.


    It wasn''t Kazikato''s fault they refused to listen.


    And then, Kazikatos eyes glowed a ck...menacing hue.


    Unlike his boss, n Pator, who couldn''t use his dragon powers, Kazikato was under no such restrictions.


    The world around him started to be dyed ck, the hunters feeling weaker every second as if a deadly curse had been cast upon them.


    And then, Kazikato ran loose.


    ughtering every insect he came across.


    ***


    (A/N:In case some. of you are confused as to why im referring to the hunters as Insects, This is from the view of a dragon.


    In previous chapters, ns PoV also says they are insects in some cases.


    It''s because I wanted to convey the feeling of a great being as a dragon being attacked by a weaker being...things it considers insects.


    And also to hint at the fact that both Kazikato And n, are dragons.


    ''Not Human.''


    n still has some human tendencies, because he was born human, But Kazikato was born a dragon and raised in a society that isted him.


    He doesn''t care for most humans.


    ***


    Some ran away, Kazikato thought as he sat down on one of the corpses of the hunters.


    "Boss will kill me for this."


    [Primordial Dragon Of Death Ariel tells you it will be alright.]


    I don''t know if it will be.


    [Primordial Dragon Of Death Ariel assures you it will be, n Pator will not dare do anything to you in her presence]


    "That''s not what im worried about.


    I''m worried about the ones that ran away, they had cameras."


    [Primordial dragon of Death, Ariel asks you what a camera is]


    "A device which records visuals, and im pretty sure they recorded all that urred."


    Kazikato said as he walked towards his now destroyed Orphanage.


    ''I should get going to the ce boss said to...but.''


    His gaze never left the destroyed sign.


    ''...didnt Hana-san says she set up a lot of orphanages?''


    He stood there and reverted back to his human form when he made sure no one was there.


    He pulled out his phone from his spatial ring and called Maxwell.


    [Hello?]


    "Hey max, it''s me, I was wondering if I could have some... money."


    [How much?]


    "How...much Can you spare?"


    [What do you need it for?]


    ...


    ...


    "I..."


    Kazikato began to exin to Max why he needed the money, and Max silently listened to him, and finally after Kazikato was done.


    He responded.


    [Got it, we have a lot of disposable ie because the Spatial Rings have been selling well, I''ll do it myself.]


    "...thanks."


    ***


    On that day, just a few minutes after the call, Maxwell did what Kazikato wanted.


    That day, Numerous Orphanages in Japan each received 100,000 thousand studs from an ''Unknown Source''.


    Most of these Orphanages,were those set up by the deceased Jinsei Hana, the Flower of Japan..


    ***


    Join the Discord server.


    https://discord.gg/J2HfvJfY


    Also, im visiting family for the new year''s, so the upload schedule will be irregr.

 Chapter 177 [177]What Is He Doing!

    "The mysterious white-scaled monster annihted the entirety of the Blue Oni Guild, due to the special abilities it disyed, Monsterologists have given it the Name of ''White Death'', but its rank is still being measured, Awakened below the rank of B are advised to not engage.


    It is a rare intelligent type of monster that has learned ournguage. Its abilities, from what has been discovered in the footage are..."


    At the reception of Hero Academy, Shield and Hero Academy greeted one another and then formed the groups of their schools.


    Only a few were actively socializing with one another, while most kept to their group.


    There was only one person, one student whose gaze was so adamantly focused on the television, that one might think his mortal enemy was being shown.


    That one student was n Pator.


    Who calmly walked up to the teachers of his school.


    But before he could speak, the head teacher, Introduced him to the teachers of Hero Academy.


    "And this is our rank first, The youngest C rank in history!"


    "Pleasure to meet the first Spatial awakened! You should meet our first r-"


    "I''m incredibly sorry, but the journey on the ship has taken a deep toll on my stomach, may I please receive the key to my room?"


    n interrupted the person from Hero Academy, speaking perfect Japanese with the help of the trantor given to him by Shield staff.


    He didn''t care about anything right now, about the Hero academy''s reputation or whatnot.


    There was only a single thing that upied his mind.


    He didn''t even wait for Hero Academy''s first rank to arrive, and the Shield Staff, looking at him handed him a golden card, the key to his room and then n scooted off.


    Running like the sh, he left everyone in shock, whether it was a student or a teacher.


    ''did he need to go that badly? Thank God I handed him the key card.''


    The head instructor from Shield thought.


    It was better to hold off the introductions forter rather than have their first rank be shamed.


    He didn''t know the actual reason and thank God he didn''t know.


    ***


    *Ring.*


    n calmly waited for a certain someone to pick up the phone.


    *Ring.*


    And then, the person he wanted to oh so desperately talk to pick up the phone.


    [...hello]


    "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!"


    [...im sorry.]


    n had exploded, the one person he trusted had fucked up massively.


    He trusted Kazikato not to mess anything up, but he did.


    "Exin why now!"


    [...ok...so what happened was that I was hunting monsters in the area, and the hunters appeared, they started to attack me, and I even told them to stop!]


    [They did not stop, no matter what, So I had to kill them!]


    "..."


    n remained quiet as Kazikato exined.


    To be fair, he wasn''t mad that he was killed, He knew his underling.


    Kazikato wouldn''t kill a human unless they started it.


    His anger was more directed at the fact that he let some escape.


    "Did you not know how I was going to make our draconian transformations usible?"


    [No?]


    "By posing as Demihumans! And now because you let some escape, they know what you look like, You won''t even be able to transform if people are there!"


    "If you''re going to do something, at least make sure that you don''t leave evidence behind?"


    ns had formted a n so that their Half Draconian Transformations could be used in public as well.


    It was by posing as Demi-Humans, a somewhat oppressed type of people in society.


    But...now.


    Only he could do it.


    The video of Kazikato, or the ''White Death'' was now viral, and if Kazikato ever used his transformation in public, or even in raids, people would link him and the White death.


    He couldn''t even use his power in public now.


    If only he hadn''t let People escape!


    If only he at least destroyed the cameras!


    "Sigh..."


    n sighed as hey down on his mattress.


    ''...''


    "Just make your way to the location tomorrow, and hide yourself firmly, ask your guardian Dragon to put a stealth spell on you. You have enough rations right?"


    [Yeah]


    "Good, I''ll see youter."


    n ended the call and then got up from his bed.


    He was going to go...but then...he thought not to.


    "Whatever, I will just go tomorrow for the tour."


    In the meantime, he would rather train.


    He got out his spear, and then he realized that maybe his room was not the best ce to train.


    He exited the room and took out his map on his watch, and made his way to Hero Academy''s training ground.


    And when he did, he found an entire crowd there, all cing bets.


    Whether they were Hero Academy students, or Shield Students.


    Apparently, even the teachers were there, betting on students.


    "What is going on?"


    He wondered, but then he got caught in it.


    "n, Get In there and win me money."


    When he got close, He found Sabrina, and then she said this.


    "..."


    He stared at the cause of thismotion, what was preventing him from to train.


    ...


    An arm wrestling match was currently being held.


    Between the students of Shield and Hero Academy.


    "Beat Him Isshin!"


    "Come on Eli, I bet 100 studs on you!"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Hey, ill bet a hundred thousand studs on you, you take half of the winnings."


    And then there was Sabrina Urging him to participate.


    "..."


    n was still silent.


    "One million, take half of the winnings."


    His intrusive thoughts were considering it.


    And then she got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear.


    "O.n.e.m.i.l.l.i.o.n n, just think of the money."


    Damn, Sabrina was good at this.


    Her being the daughter of the richest family on Earth taught her well.


    "Don''t..you have enough?"


    n asked her, and then he received a response that made him do it.


    "So? What''s wrong with having more?"


    "Goddamnit, you''re good at this."


    n smiled as he got ready to make some money.


    And Sabrina smiled back and patted his back.


    "I know I am, Now go and make me money, my bodyguard."


    "50/50?"


    "Yes, Half of all the earnings."


    And then as he walked there, She announced in a loud voice.


    "I bet one million studs of the First ranker of Shield, n Pator!"

 Chapter 178 [178]The Winner, Of It All.

    Elijah and the Japanese student Isshin''s arms could be seen glowing with their mana, struggling to win.


    Elijah, although was quite well built, Isshin was someone who would make you wonder if they were a student or not.


    A damn giant, his body proportions were out of this world.


    Withrge, thick arms and legs, and a menacing face, one could mistake him for a member of the Yakuza.


    But eventually, Isshin had to have lost, he was up against Elijah after all.


    If this was pure strength then maybe he might have won.


    But this was assisted by mana, and those of equal ranks battled each other to test their control.


    And Elijah''s control was very very good.


    "Hah..."


    Elijah gasped for breath as he rxed his arm, which was shaking.


    "Nice Match."


    He said to his opponent, who didn''t share the same sentiment.


    "Tch."


    He clicked his tongue and was going to ask for a rematch, when...


    "One Million studs on the first rank of Shield, n Pator."


    Isshin and Elijah turned their heads in the direction of the Voice And saw Sabrina literally have dor signs for eyes as she smiled brightly whilst urging n toe forth.


    "So, who do I have to Arm wrestle?


    Elijah?"


    n said, since Elijah won, he thought he would have to wrestle him.


    "Nope, You wrestle with the one that matches your rank!"


    An instructor said from the sidelines,


    ''So Hero Academy first rank, or right what was his name?''


    n remembered that he was going to meet him, but had left to deal with Kazikato.


    And the First rank of Hero Academy, came forth.


    And goddamn he looked exactly like that Hot CEO type.


    Perfect ck hair, wearing a buttoned ck shirt with ck pants.


    ''Nice taste.''


    n thought in his mind as he looked at his porcin skin,plimenting his taste in clothing.


    Full ck is the best, For n.


    "Go, Kurosaki Kun."


    "Win for us!"


    "Kyaah, LOOK HERE REN CHAN."


    Man, his fans are a lot.


    Kurosaki Ren, The guy who took down a demon with him during the training camp, the first ranker of Shield, and the boy that girls fangirled over.


    A guy handsome enough that He and Sabrina would make the perfect pair.


    Both A rank charms.


    "Nice to meet you."


    Kurosaki Ren held out his hand, and n shook it.


    "Nice to meet you too."


    n responded, and then both sat on the stools and ced their hands on the table.


    But then another person came forth.


    "Hold on a minute, n Pator is C rank, Whilst our Ren is only D rank, Shouldn''t there be some special restrictions on n pator for this bout?"


    An instructor of Hero Academy voiced out and the Instructors of Shield looked at him with a fierce gazes.


    "Yeah, that''s not fair for Ren-Kun."


    "Ren Chan you can do it!"


    "..."


    Kurosaki Ren remained quiet and then lowered his gaze as his ''fans'' cheered him on.


    It looked like he was embarrassed.


    ''Well, at least he isn''t arrogant.''


    n thought in his mind as he liked that Ren wasn''t arrogant as most talented people.


    "I won''t use mana at all, only brute strength and he can use potions."


    n voiced out, cing his restrictions.


    [Hey hey what are you doing?]


    Sabrina talked to him through the Spatial bond, and the rest of the students got even livelier.


    "He''s gonna lose for sure now!"


    "Hah, Im gonna be rich after this!"


    The shield students and staff looked concerned, but there were only two people who weren''t concerned and stall from Shield.


    Elijah and Lucas were the only ones who didn''t get restless.


    [Don''t Worry, I''ll still win.]


    He told Sabrina through the bond, whilst an instructor from Hero Academy grabbed Kurosaki Ren And n Pators Hands firmly, ready to begin the challenge.


    "3!"


    "2!"


    "1! Begin."


    He let go of their hands and the arm wrestling challenge had begun.


    Kurosaki Rens''s arm had grown and began to glow a dark light.


    He was a dark element user!


    Sabrina''s gaze widened as she saw the dark mana cover his hand.


    She began to bite her nails, a habit that had developed whenever she got nervous.


    Yet, the result everyone had expected had not happened.


    n''s hands stayed rooted, not moving an inch from their original position.


    The dark mana moved to his unprotected hand, and its corrosive nature acted.


    *Sizzle*


    It tried to corrode n''s hand, yet nothing happened.


    And n''s face remained calm throughout.


    His diamond-blue eyes, the only thing he had that surpassed Ren in charm, stayed calm.


    The dark mana raged, trying to corrode n''s hand more and more but to no avail.


    Ren, for the first time, drank a potion to regain his mana and continued to wrestle.


    Potion after potion, it still didn''t budge.


    Even when n''s entire right arm was covered in dark mana, it didn''t budge.


    ''Hmm?''


    n, seeing his hoodie get corroded, finally began to be concerned.


    ''If the entire thing gets corroded, my mark will be shown!''


    And for the first time, n pushed Rens''s hand back down.


    *Shaaa!*


    His darkness mana red, trying his best to strengthen his arm.


    Yet his arm still fell.


    He drank another potion...but by the time the bottle was drunk, he had already lost.


    "...n Pator wins."


    The instructor from Hero Academy announced.


    "No way.


    He actually didn''t use mana and won?!"


    "That can''t be real!"


    The students from Hero Academy didn''t believe it.


    "Oh yeah!"


    "Go rank first!"


    Whilst the students from Shield rejoiced.


    Sabrina had the biggest smile on her face as she quietly began to count the money she would earn from this.


    Many students from both Academies belonged to wealthy families, so they had bet a lot.


    And she was ecstatic.


    It was ingrained into to her from a young age to always know how to make money, and covet it, and her n worked.


    Although the bufoon may have made her nervous when he said he would use no mana, she now knew to trust him!


    n got up, and then put his hands in hid pocket, and coolly walked away.


    At this point, hepletely forgot about the fact that he hade to train.


    And Sabrina and n had one thought in their minds.


    ''Easiest money I made in my life.''

 Chapter 179 [179]The Spear Of Hope.

    Kurosaki Ren and Ryuda Isshin, the top rankers of Hero Academy, guided the Shield Students through the Campus.


    The shield students were split into two groups, Group A and Group B.


    Hero Academy wasrge, which was surprising because Japan had littlend left.


    Most of Japan''snds were in ruins, the chaotic energy making it hard for humans to live in it.


    It was devastated after the war with the demons, which left most of its heroes dead.


    It was only because of the aid from the Ally nations that Japan survived the aftermath and could rebuild itself, albeit slowly.


    ? Most of Japan''snd was filled with Chaos Energy, and only a few dozen Habitable cities along with certain districts which were untouched during the war contained civilians.


    Tokyo, The capital of Former Japan was one such city-state that was rebuilt and contained Hero Academy.


    You around the campus were great, and unlike Shield, which allowed no one except students or staff to enter, Hero Academy was different.


    It held sses in High, Secondary, Primary, And elementary education.


    The students of Shield could see little children looking at them curiously from the side.


    Some even waved, and the Shield Students waved back.


    Some adults, which didn''t belong to the staff were also present with their children, likely here on some other asion.


    They visited the Lab, the fields, the ssrooms, the training center, and numerous ces around the campus as Kurosaki Ren exined everything.


    *Yawn.*


    n yawned as he continued walking alongside Sabrina, who was taking photos of everything.


    ''so much walking.''


    He thought as he waved back at a few children...who hid from him.


    ''...is there something on my face or something?''


    He wondered, but thankfully someone else was there to give him an answer.


    "It''s your expression, rx and don''t be tensed up, maybe then you''ll have a chance with the children waving back."


    "...oh."


    Sabrina said as she shook their hands, the children seemed to like her, and avoid n, who had a tensed-up expression on his face.


    Well, it couldn''t be helped now, n was the only one who knew they were headed to a ce that would offer them no peace at all.


    And along with the bullshit Kazikato pulled, it was only natural for him to be tense.


    The children however didn''t like it.


    "Let''s just continue moving."


    n said, and continued on with the group.


    His mind was nk, only thinking of going back to train, and he paid no attention whatsoever to the exnations and sights.


    But it was exactly then... that he felt a familiar energy.


    An energy that he had felt when he first entered Japan.


    When he first entered Japan to go to a dungeon to get materials for an item that was being forged by Twilights Artificers currently. He had felt two distinct types of energies.


    One belonging to Kazikato, and then this one.


    He hadpletely forgotten about this one after the exhausting fight with Kazikato.


    He couldn''t be med, he was near death at that point and it took him a month to recover.


    He paid more attention to the energy of Kazikato, the one of death and that of a dragon, which was more simr to him.


    He honestly couldn''t be med at all.


    He was far too busy after that hepletely forgot about it.


    n closed his eyes, and activated man sense to pinpoint it urately.


    It was here, in this city, but where?


    He was trying to find it, and he quickly found it.


    The center, the very center...of the city.


    ''It looks like the tour will be there so ill just focus on going there together.''


    Who knows?


    It could be another hostile like Kazikato was at the time.


    At the very least he wanted some meat shields.


    The tour continued, and n had kept his eyes closed the entire time, afraid that he would lose the location of the Energy


    [..h...e...r....e]


    ''Hmm?''


    Suddenly he heard a voice, he opened his eyes and said.


    "Did you say something?"


    He asked Sabrina, who denied it.


    "No?"


    And it was then when his eyes were opened, he saw the source.


    Somewhere off in the distance, he caught sight of it...it would be impossible not to.


    Around it was a crowd of people, all holding their hands together and praying.


    A somewhat holy light upied it...and they all looked at it with reverence.


    Embedded deep in the skull of an elder balrog, it stood.


    The skull,rge enough to be a small building on its own, had cracks because of it.


    Horns, menacing teeth, and a horrifying look it had, and it was embedded within it.


    Its presence, seemingly dispelled the threatening aura it had.


    A holy appearance, it had, and the people of Japan worshipped it simr to a deity.


    It was the symbol of their greatest hero.


    It was a hoko, the weapon of their hero, the weapon that had been with him, from the start till his death.


    It was the spear that had ended an Elder Balrog, an SSS rank demon, and had remained embedded in the stone, choosing no other master after Hiroto Mitsuki, the original owner of the weapon.


    It was...


    Ame-No-Sakahoko (Upturned SkySpear)


    With its holy-like appearance, upon an unholy being, it drew the attention of everyone.


    And it began to vibrate, the skull cracked even further because of it vibrating.


    The people around it of course noticed this phenomenon.


    And they chanted in sync.


    "Ame-No-Sakahoko, The Spear of thend of the rising sun, The Weapon of Hiroto Mitsuki!"


    "Ame-No-Sakahoko, The Spear of thend of the rising sun, The Weapon of Hiroto Mitsuki!"


    Ame-No-Sakahoko, The Spear of thend of the rising sun, The Weapon of Hiroto Mitsuki!"


    They chanted in unison, happy, overjoyed because their holy weapon reacted for the first time in years.


    It began to glow a bright light and emitted intense energy even non-awakened could feel.


    It was their symbol, their greatest Hero''s symbol.


    It was the Upturned Sky Spear, the Greatest Spear of the Land Of the Rising Sun.


    The Spear of Hope.


    Ame-No-Sakahoko.

 Chapter 180 [180]Ame No Sakahoko

    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, is a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It waster given to the God


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi No Mikoto,ter stuck it on mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It was first a relic of Japanese Mythology, which was broken In half due to the eruption of Mount Takachiho in 1913, the broken half was given as a gift to the Shimazu Samurai n.


    The two pieces of The Ame no Sakahoko were transformed into iplete artifacts by the residual mana in the atmosphere, like many ancient relics of the world.


    It is said that the half of Ame no Sakahoko stuck on mount Takachiho selected a young Hiroto Mitsuki as its second master, the first being Sakamoto Ry??ma when he first pulled it after trying to impress his wife during their honeymoon.


    Hiroto Mitsuki,terpleted the legendary Spear bybining both halves and making it his signature weapon.


    It was a spear with the power to repel chaos and unite thend, it was the spear of Hope to the Japanese People, it was the spear of thend of the rising sun, it...was Japan''s Greatest Hero''s beloved weapon.


    It was a de, that had cut down multiple demons, and had been the weapon that delivered Death to the Elder Balrog, An, the general of the Demonic Armies, a rank SSS being.


    After Hiroto Mitsuki''s death, it had remained embedded in the skull of the Elder Balrog, and no one could take it out, not even to ce it on Its wielders'' grave.


    Many Awakened had tried, but the weapon would not follow them, it would not ept them as their master.


    The most promising geniuses of Japan tried but failed.


    Kurosaki Ren was the only one who hadn''t tried to wield it, afraid that it would reject him when all of Hero Academies''first rankers a


    It listened to no one...but now...after more than a decade.


    It had reacted.


    It shone a golden light, the skull of An broke and it alone now stood in the sky, shining its light.


    It''s the perfect spearhead, its pristine body, the aura it emitted.


    Some people even prostrated before it, and the spear, which stood still in the sky, began to move, the people making way for it.


    It made its way towards the Tour group.


    Slowly, it made its way toward the group, and Kurosaki Ren, who was in front of the group...was having the wildest thoughts in his mind.


    ''...is iting towards me?''


    He had always avoided this area because the Skull of the Balrog...was embarrassingly something that had given him trauma since he was young.


    And he also didn''t want to try to hold the spear, many had failed, so he didn''t think he was worthy and had instead determined himself to master his weapon, the twin Thunder wolf de, a weapon that had been given to him by his father, it was another Ego weapon, but unfortunately, it didn''t choose him as its master, and Kurosaki Ren tried desperately for it to gain its obedience.


    Its counterpart was in the Hero Academy museum, and even that didn''t ept him.


    So he thought...was I destined for the spear this entire time?


    The thought excited him, maybe it was the spear, or maybe he was just following the wrong path...


    Maybe this was his destiny.


    He held out his hand towards the slowly approaching spear...still slightly hesitant.


    What if I make a fool of myself?


    He wanted to retract his hand, afraid that it may embarrass him.


    Oblivious he was, that this was the exact reason his own de, the Twin Thunder wolf de, refused to choose him as its master.


    He held out his hand, and... in front of him, the spear closed in.


    And what happened next was the very thing he dreaded, for it to pass by him.


    And it did just that.


    In front of Hundreds of people, chanting his name, knowing his identity as the first ranker of Hero Academy.


    They stopped changing his name and watched the spear move past him further into the group.


    And Ren just stood still, under the gaze of hundreds of people.


    The spear moved inside the group, p by multiple students...and arrived in front of Sabrina Wellington.


    It kept moving, and the People thought maybe she was the one, maybe that beautiful girl was the one to wield the Ame No Sakahoko until she quietly moved out of the way, and spear moved and greeted the one behind it, the one that would truly wield it.


    A somewhat Handsome young man with snow-white hair, Pupils as beautiful as Bright Blue Diamonds, and the one who was the first ranker of Shield.


    Who, after a few seconds, grasped its handle and then the people knew.


    Ah, that is the next wielder of the Spear of Hope, A foreigner.


    ***


    I stared at the spear which floated in the air in front of me, and a message prompt appeared in front of me.


    [Ame No Sakahoto, the Spear of Hope, The Upturned Sky Spear, Deems you fit to be its next master and its savior.


    Do you ept?


    Yes/No]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    So you were the cause of the energy I felt way back then and now.


    How funny, it was an Ego weapon aura, that was calling out to me.


    Why would I reject a weapon that yed an SSS rank demon, a damn duke-ranked demon?


    I read the the system prompt, and although I was a bit taken aback by the Savior part in its prompt.


    I still epted it regardless.


    I held out my hand and then called out.


    "Yes."


    And grabbed the handle of Ame No Sakahoko, the spear previously used by the Sword Saints'' dear brother in Arms, the Spear Saint, Hiroto Mitsuki.


    [Congrattions, you have epted Ame No Sakahoko, the Spear of Hope and The Spear of thend of the rising sun.


    You have now be its master.


    *******


    Next Chapter Preview:


    At the same time.


    Elijah wandered through the museum of Hero Academy, his eyes were closed, and he walked in a direction different from everyone else.


    While most students stayed in groups, even though they were given free roam around the museum, he was the only one along with Serena who was just happy being beside him.


    He had felt it, when he entered the museum, that something was calling out to him, an energy beckoning him toe.


    As he was going towards it, he was unaware that another student of Shield was also making his way toward an energy that called him separately.


    A student no expected was also being called by another weapon.


    And this student was...


    ****


    (A/N:How do you like the preview thing?


    Comment if I should keep it or not.)0

 Chapter 181 [181]The Weapons That Called Their Masters.

    Note: this is the first chapter that I am writing on a device other than my phone so forgive me if there r any mistakes. I am not used to writing on aptop at all XD.


    *******


    At the same time.


    Elijah wandered through the museum of Hero Academy, his eyes were closed, and he walked in a direction different from everyone else.


    While most students stayed in groups, even though they were given free roam around the museum, he was the only one along with Serena who was just happy being beside him.


    He had felt it, when he entered the museum, that something was calling out to him, an energy beckoning him toe.


    As he was going towards it, he was unaware that another student of Shield was also making his way toward an energy that called him separately.


    A student not expected was also being called by another weapon.


    And this student was...


    Alexander Wright, who himself was feeling energy, calling out to him, waiting for him.


    Unlike Elijah and n, who were especially sensitive to mana, he was just going on a whim, he felt the energy, but could only feel the general direction it wasing from.


    Both Elijah and Alexander were following the Energies they felt, followed by Serena and Olivia respectively.


    ***


    [Elijah Ardor PoV]


    So that''s what it is...


    Elijah stared at the item contained in a ss box.


    A katana, with a de as bright as hellfire, a tsuba made to look like fire, and a sheath as vibrant as mes.


    [Herufaia o Kiri Saku ha]


    The de of Sundering Hellfire.


    Elijah and his mana, resonated with the mana of the sword.


    I am certain now, that is an ego weapon that is calling me.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you to raise your hand towards it.]


    I did as my supreme dragon instructed, and raised my hand, and the sword had responded.


    It emitted a red light, and I could see fit envelop its de.


    It rose from its position, and the ss around it shattered, and it moved towards me.


    [Herufaia o Kiri Saku ha, the Sword of Sundering Hellfire, deems you fit to be its next master.


    Do you ept?


    Yes/No.]


    The sword stopped in front of him, and a system prompt appeared in front of him.


    He said yes in his mind and then grabbed the sword under the awe of everyone who had gathered after seeing the light.


    [Congrattions, You have be the Master of the Sundering Sword of hellfire.]


    ****


    [Alexander Wright POV]


    A red light engulfed the other side of the museum, and my attention was drawn toward it for a moment.


    However, I looked away and focused on the item calling me, a Katana, located in a ss container.


    A Katana with a pure white de, that had a streak of thunder within, a sheath that resembled a wolf, and a dignified aura.


    It started to glow a white light, and the ss containing it shattered.


    "... it''s reacting...that strongly."


    Disregarding Olivia''s whispers of astonishment, he raised his hand instinctively towards the de, and it floated to him.


    And a system prompt appeared in front of him.


    [Tenpesuto no futaken, The Twin de of Tempest, epts you as its master.


    Do you ept?


    Yes/No.]


    Alex said yes, and the de moved in its scabbard, and then to his hand.


    [Tenpesuto no futaken, epts you as its master and urges its twin to ept you as well.


    Congrattions, you have been epted as the master of Tenpesuto no futaken, the twin de of Tempest.]


    *Awooo!*


    A distant howl only Alex heard resounded, and then he checked the Items stats.


    [Tenpesuto no futaken]


    Type:Twin Katana.


    Rank:?


    Description:


    Tenpesuto no futaken, the twin de to the Kaminari no futaken. Forged by the Monarch of Storms, the GodBeast ********** forged it along with numerous others in order to find a suitable Being to carry its bloodline.If you gain he obedience of both twin des, you will be chosen to inherit the bloodline of the Monarch of Storms,the GodBeast *******.


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to the Element Of Wind.


    *It increases the agility of the user.


    <ELEMENTAL ABSORPTION[WIND]>


    You are able to absorb attacks belonging to the element of Wind,and are able to repel those attacks with the de.This power is further enhanced when the other twin de is also equipped.


    <Wolf Of Tempest>


    When enough wind mana has been imbued within the de, whether by the user or by other


    wind based attacks. The wolf of tempest materializes at the edge of the de, and bears its fangs at your foe. The size and power of the wolf of tempest is proportional to the amount of mana inputted in Tenpesuto no futaken.


    This skill has greatpatability with the <WOLF OF THUNDER> possessed by the Kaminari No Futaken.


    The fangs and ws of the wolf of tempest can tear through anything with enough mana.


    <Tempest Whirl>


    You are able to form a whirlwind of sharp wind around your sword. The amount and density of the wind created is proportional to the amount of mana inputted in the Tenpesuto no futaken.


    This skill has greatpatability with the skill <Thunder Storm> possessed by the twin de Kaminari no Futaken.


    The sharp winds possessed by the Tempest whirl tear through even the sturdiest of steel.


    <Calmness of the Sky>


    Upon activation with sufficient mana inputted into the Tenpesuto no futaken, your mind bes as calm as the sky. Your range of vision increases tenfold and you are able to judge each and every action with great calm.


    This skill,when activated alongside the Skill possessed by the sister de Kaminari no futaken <WRATH OF THUNDER> bes one with it and bes <HEAVENS WRATH


    >


    <HEAVENS WRATH>


    The Ultimate skill of the MONARCH OF STORMS,GODBEAST *******.


    The wrath of the Storm falls upon your enemies,the sharp winds of tempest tear your foes apart.


    The monarch of storms bloodline surges within your body, and he answers your call.


    He manifests in the his almighty form,and controls the HEAVENS themselves to defeat your foes.


    The wrath of the heavens fall upon your enemies!


    *************************


    Next chapter Preview:


    The news travelled fast ,And during the time the people became aware.


    The three students who had been epted, were together , waiting to be met by the Principal of Hero Academy.


    n,Elijah and Alexander,all stood straight whilst they prepared themselves to meet the Principal of Hero Academy...who had a special rtion to the hero of Japan, Hirito Mitsuki.


    The Prinicpal of Hero Academy was....


    *****


    A/N: If you find something wrong about this chapter,please dont be too angry. it is the first time I am writing on aptop.


    I usually write the chapters on the phone and am used to that, whilst this is new.

 Chapter 182 [182]Memories.

    The news traveled fast, And during that time the people became aware.


    The three students who had been epted, were together, waiting to be met by the Principal of Hero Academy.


    n, Elijah, and Alexander, all stood straight whilst they prepared themselves to meet the Principal of Hero Academy...who had a special rtion to the hero of Japan, Hirito Mitsuki.


    The principal of Hero Academy was the wife of the Deceased Hero, Hiroto Mitsuki.


    Hiroto Aoi(Correct me if I did anything wrong here, I am not fluent in Japanese or Japanese culture at all.)


    She was originally the vice principal of Hero Academy, and was dedicated to helping her husband...but after his heroic death, she was chosen to be the principal by the Staff of Hero Academy.


    She was an S+ rank magician and Healer, and the one closest to Hiroto, even closer than Oliver and Arken.


    An Elegant Old woman, dressed in a traditional Yukata greeted the Three boys, Alex, n, and Elijah.


    "My Pleasure to meet you all, will you apany this old woman for a walk?".


    A mncholic voice resounded out, and the three all agreed.


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    And with that, they walked, seemingly aimlessly throughout the halls.


    And within the suffocating Silence, she finally broke it and talked first.


    "Alexander Wright, the Tenpesto No Futaken chose you, correct?"


    Alexander, a little taken aback by her sudden mention of him, answered in a tense voice.


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    They were all worried about whether she was going to ask them to return the weapons.


    "No need to be so tense, I won''t ask you to give the artifacts back unlike what the board wants.


    They didn''t choose any of us, they chose you, and there must have a been good reason for that.


    You alone are now the master of the artifacts, no one else."


    She dispelled their worries, and almost all of them sighed in relief.


    If Hero Academy had requested the ego weapons to be returned, the following three scenarios would ur.


    For Elijah, he would give them back without a thought, he was just too nice.


    Alexander would hesitate but would eventually give in and give them back.


    For n, Oh he was ready to go to war after reading Ame No Sakahoko''s stats


    The young dragon was ready to call Kazikato and his Guardian Dragon Ariel and was more than ready to get the entirety of the guild involved.


    Ame no Sakahoko was simply so good, that even Twilight would have no qualms about getting their entire forces involved.


    n was ready to go to war against an entire country, something many people would actually do if they Had A weapon of the same caliber as Ame no Sakahoko.


    The Principal, began to out of nowhere, exin the histories of the items.


    "The Tenpesto no Futaken, is the sister de of the Kaminari no Futaken, which is currently being possessed by Ren-Kun.


    It was given to us by his father as a token of appreciation, and although we have never been able to measure the rank nor read their descriptions because none of us were chosen, I can assure you it is a strong item.


    It was found in the shrine of an Ancient wolf deity the inhabitants of the dungeon it was found in worshipped, alongside the Kaminari No Futaken.


    Use it well, Alex-Kun, it will be very helpful in your journey."


    She said, and Alex replied with a happy yes, ted that the weapon would not be taken away.


    "Elijah Ardor, chosen by the Herufaia o Kiri Saku ha, the de of Sundering Hellfire, Right?


    Forgive me for my memory, age has taken its toll on me."


    Elijah answered her in a polite and respectful tone.


    "Yes Ma''am, and no need for apologies."


    "The Herufaia o Kiri Saku ha was found by me and Hiroto during our honeymoon.


    A dungeon was formed where we were, and unfortunately, we had fallen in.


    We battled our way through the dungeon and got that sword as a reward. Its properties mimicked the environment of the dungeon, which honesty looked like hell.


    Be careful in its usage, it may burn you."


    "I will, Ma''am."


    Elijah answered, and he agreed with what she said.


    When he had read the Description of the sword, even he was shocked.


    He still remembered it vividly.


    [Herufaia o Kiri Saku ha]


    Type:Katana.


    Rank:A+


    Description:


    A de formed in the deepest part of a deadly and active volcano.


    Its very appearance strikes fear into its enemies, and its attacks bring Hell to them.


    It is a de to be used with caution, if your affinity with fire is insufficient, maybe it will be you that will see Hell.


    Skills:


    *Increased output of all Skills rted to the element of Fire whilst equipped.


    *Increased ability to wield fire skills with greater ease.


    *Increased resistance to Fire.


    <de of Hell>


    When a sufficient amount of mana has been applied, the de will ignite itself and be covered in The mes of Hell, hot enough to melt steel.


    Be wary of this de, the mes of hell are the friends of none.


    <Hellfire Torment>


    When an opponent has been attacked by this de when <de of Hell> is activated, the mes of Hell willtch themselves upon the opponent, burning them to ash.


    These mes burn intensely and are very hard to remove.


    <GLIMPSE OF HELL>


    The most powerful skill of the de.


    Create a crack In space that unleashes a sea of fire, scorching your enemies alive and increasing their pain tenfold.


    Arge amount of mana is needed to use this skill.


    Be wary, if you are unable to control the mes of hell.


    They will consider you a foe as well.


    ******


    It was a terrifying item, and such a destructive artifact had chosen him.


    They continued walking until they reached a beautiful garden.


    The Principal entered the. Garden, anf her voice changed as she talked about the final artifact.


    The artifact that was once her husband.


    The Ame no Sakahoko.


    ****


    Next Chapter Preview:


    "The Ame No Sakahoko, it was a de wielded by my husband.


    It''s history stretches far back.


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It waster given to the God


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi No Mikoto,ter stuck it on mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It was first a relic of Japanese Mythology, which was broken In half due to the eruption of Mount Takachiho in 1913, the broken half was given as a gift to the Shimazu Samurai n.


    The two pieces of The Ame no Sakahoko were transformed into iplete artifacts by the residual mana in the atmosphere, like many ancient relics of the world.


    It is believed that the...


    ****


    HAPPY NEW YEARS PEOPLE!


    e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3e?£¤3

 Chapter 183 [183]Memories.[2]

    The Ame No Sakahoko, it was a de wielded by my husband.


    It''s history stretches far back.


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It waster given to the God


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi No Mikoto,ter stuck it on mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It was first a relic of Japanese Mythology, which was broken In half due to the eruption of Mount Takachiho in 1913, the broken half was given as a gift to the Shimazu Samurai n.


    The two pieces of The Ame-no-Sakahoko were transformed into iplete artifacts by the residual mana in the atmosphere, like many ancient relics of the world.


    The spear had chosen Hiroto as its next master, I was there when it did.


    The stubborn man climbed Mount Takachiho in the middle of the night as a child and then grabbed the half of Ame No Sakahoko embedded in the mountain, and with ease had pulled it out. He did the one thing that no one could. Hiroto, at the age of 15,pulled out a spear that refused even the greatest awakened of Japan at the time."


    She continued to talk about the Ame-no-Sakahoko, ass the group travelled through the garden following a footpath.


    The nts in the garden were one of the rarest type of mana nts in the world, precious treasures that were incredibly hard to find, and n was barely restraining himself to grab a few secretly for Samantha.


    They could dy the symptons of her disease, ease his sisters pain.


    It was hard to take one whilst the principal of Hero Academy, and S+ rank human was here.


    As n was trying to find ways to bag a nt, The group reached a grave in the middle of therge garden.


    The grave of the founder of the Hero Academy, the hero of Japan.


    Hiroto Mitsukis grave.


    "May...I see the Ame No Sakahoko for a moment?''


    She said, her voice quivering for a moment.


    n,albeit hesitant at first, gave her the Ame-no-Sakahoko.


    "Yes."


    She held the spear tightly within her hands and turned towards the grave. Her lips moved, and it was evident to at she was praying.


    The three boys behind her, also sped hands and bowed their heads and started to pray,albeith what they were praying for was different.


    ''May the soul of the Hero rest in peace.''


    ''May he rest in peace.''


    ''May I receive my spear back soon please.''


    It went on for a while, and then it ended when everyone had finished their prayers.


    Hiroto Aoi, taking onest look at the Ame No Sakohoko, and gave it back to n.


    "Use the spear well,it is one of the strongest weapons on Earth, I hope you can use it soon."


    She said,  and then dismissed the three boys, who walked out of the garden whilst she stayed behind,looking at the grave of her deceased husband.


    And as the three boys exited the garden, a single tear fell down her face before she smiled brightly and said.


    "Its in good hands, you can rest in peace now dear."


    *****


    [n Pator PoV]


    I hurried to my room as soon as i could and closed the door tightly.


    ''Did  she notice it or not?''


    I thought in my mind as i wondered if the Principal noticed what was wrong with the Ame No Sakahoto.


    I was wondering what the system prompt meant when it had said Saviour,and i found out when I had opened its Status.


    I was the only one who knew, because it had Chosen me as its master.


    I opened its description.


    [Ame-No-Sakahoko]


    Type: Hoko(Spear).


    Rank: A-( SS)


    Curse: An''s Curse Of Gluttony.


    Description


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It waster given to the God


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto,ter stuck it on mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It is a spear that is worthy of great respect.


    The Spear that overturned even the Chaos of the Land, but is now being consumed by the very same chaos.


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to chaos.


    *The master of the Ame No Sakahoko is eligible to to Learn the Spear Technique [Heavenly Sky Spear(5 Star).


    *It increases the efficiency of spear techniques.


    *This spear is currently under the effects of the curse of the Duke Of GLuttony Elder Balrog An.


    The Curse of An consumes the spears power.


    <FIRST MOVEMENT:HEAVENLY THRUST>


    Mana converges into the tip of the spear and unleashes a thrust equal to the might of the heavens themselves.


    This is the First Movement of the sword art [Heavenly Sky Spear (5 star)


    The power of this skill increases upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <SECOND  MOVEMENT:HEAVENLY SKY MIGHT>


    Mana Converges onto the weapon, and when mmed into the ground, unleashes a wave of mana around the area, destroying your foes and giving strength to your Allies.


    The power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <THIRD MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY REDEMPTION>


    Mana gathers in the de of the spear and unleashes a powerful crescent like wave to sh your foes. The More injured you are and the greater your desire to protect, The Stronger the crescent sh.


    The power of the skill also depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <FOURTH MOVEMENT:HEAVENLY ARMAMENT>


    Mana is emitted by the spear to cover it in a heavily armor around the spear. The heavenly aura repels negative effects and also repels the power of chaos.


    Upon greater mastery, The Heavenly Armament can cover the user as well.


    <FIFTH MOVEMENT:HEAVENLY SKY SPLIT>


    Upon input of Sufficient mana, the ultimate move of the Spear art [Heavenly Sky Spear(*****)] can be unleashed.


    Ame No Sakahoko unleashes its attack,an attack that split the Heavens, vanquish the Primordial Chaos and change the Land Itself.


    The Power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    ____________


    There was a satisfied smile on my face as I read the entire description of the weapon again.


    However, that smile disappeared soon after when I realized about the curse put on the Weapon.


    The final attack on An, had not only killed Hiroto Mitsuki...but had also cursed his spear, Ame No Sakahoko


    *********


    Next Chapter Preview:


    Items and artifacts can also be polluted or corrupted by Chaos or other forms of Mana.


    The weapon is weakened to its weakest form and then corrupted,then brought back to its most powerful form as a corrupted weapon...even stronger.


    The thing was, even for Ego Weapons, they are corrupted fully in the span of a few months...or a year.


    But Ame No Sakahoko, was being corrupted for....

 Chapter 184 [184]The Training Camp Begins.

    Items and artifacts can also be polluted or corrupted by Chaos or other forms of Mana.


    The weapon is weakened to its weakest form and then corrupted, then brought back to its most powerful form as a corrupted weapon...even stronger.


    The thing was, even for Ego Weapons, they are corrupted fully in the span of a few months...or a year.


    But Ame No Sakahoko was being corrupted for more than a decade.


    The Upturned Sky Spear withstood the curse of a Demon an entire major rank above it.


    The Curse of An, A DUKE RANKED DEMON of the sin of gluttony.


    The power of gluttony had been eating away at it for years, but the Ame No Sakahoko remained uncorrupted.


    n stimted his mana and then inputted it within the spear, trying to satisfy the curse of Gluttony with his mana, and slow down the spears weakening.


    The spear devoured nearly all of his mana, and n had to use mana control to restore his mana two times before the spear was fully satiated.


    n was certain, that the ego inside the spear was greatly damaged, nearly dying even.


    ''There are two ways I can get rid of the curse, either find an SSS ranked light affinity awakened to purify it...which is impossible on Earth.


    The other is to acquire an extremely pure powder of purification, which can dispel the curse of a Duke Ranked Demon...which is extremely hard on Earth.''


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ''...no there is also another way.''


    n thought in his mind, and after agreeing within his head, he voiced out.


    "Suleras! Are you listening?"


    A dukeDuke-ranked demonsn''sdemon''se extremely easy for a Supreme Dragon to remove, especially one well-versed in chaos.


    The only problem was if Suleras would respond or not.


    And thank the almighty chaos, he did.


    [Supreme Dragon of chaos Suleras, says that he is listening.]


    n showed a smile after Suleras answered, thankful for the fact that he had answered actually.


    "Can you do me a favor and remove the curse on this?"


    n said as he pointed at the Ame No Sakahoko.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras tells you to give it to him.


    Do you ept giving the Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras The Ame No Sakahoko?


    Yes/No?]


    "Yes."


    n answered the prompt with a, yes, and the Ame No Sakahoko disappeared after being enveloped in a ck fog.


    ''Thank god he listened...should I ask for something else?''


    n already had in mind what he wanted to ask for, something that someone very very close to him needed desperately.


    [Supreme dragon of Suleras tells you that it will take some time to remove the curse and improve the weapon.]


    ''Huh? Improve it?''


    n thought in his mind and became happy after reading the prompt.


    It''s even better if the supreme dragon of Chaos improves his already broken weapon.


    n was about to open his mouth to request the item he wanted...but then.


    A Faint Jade-green glow was seen in his eyes, so faint that it was almost unnoticeable.


    And n forgot what he was going to ask for, and wondered why he had a sudden headache.


    ****


    Kurosaki Ren Stood in his dorm room, staring at the Kaminari No Futaken.


    It was in its stand, sheathed and Ren just stared into it.


    He had long since heard the news, that Kaminari No Futaken''s sister de the Tenpesto No Futaken had chosen a master.


    If The Tenpesto No Futaken had chosen a master, it was highly likely that the Kaminari No Futaken would also choose the same master.


    He had held the Kaminari No Futaken since young devoting himself to one day being chosen to be its master.


    Yet it still acted as an ordinary de to him...throughout the years.


    He had never been able to open its description, never been able to perform its skills.


    All he could do was use the extremely sturdy de that had an exceptional mana conductivity.


    He Unsheated the Kaminari no Futaken, revealing a pure ck de that had a stroke of lightning in the middle, the rest of the features simr to Tenpesto no Futaken.


    Just what?


    What was hecking?


    Why?


    Even after all these years, the de had still not chosen him as its master.


    What was wrong?


    He was humble.


    He was hardworking.


    He was kind.


    He had an exceptional work ethic.


    He...himself didn''t have any ws ording to him.


    But there must be one.


    He sheathed the de, and rested it on its stand, and then hopped into his bed, restless.


    ''I should get some sleep, the training camp begins early tomorrow.''


    He thought in his mind and went to sleep.


    Little did he know, the Kaminari no Futaken, approved of him, it was just one quality of his that it denied, and hence didn''t choose him as its master.q


    And it was because he was a user of the dark element.


    It was because he...at crucial times could be afraid...and would be swallowed by the fear.


    No...it should rather be put like this.


    Kurosaki Ren, with his handsome face and personality, was perfect.


    He was just Indecisive at crucial moments.


    And that was the only w it despised.


    ****


    Next Chapter Preview.


    The students of Shield and Hero Academy left early in the morning and arrived on the ind where the training camp would be held.


    They arrived at their dorms, and then put on their uniforms, and arrived at the main field, where they all got in straight lines and n and Ren stood in front of their respective school students.


    Most of them were tired, waking up so early and leaving for the Ind.


    They were unaware of what was going to happen to them.


    A well-built man, exuding strong mana walked up on the tform built ahead of them, he had bright red hair, and dark skin and was wearing a military vest with multiple medals on it.


    He was the one meant to be their instructor.


    And, he would be the one to give the hell before the actual hell.


    His name was....


    ******


    [A/N: sorry for the short chap, am really really busy.]

 Chapter 185 [185] The Training Camp Begins(2)

    Shield and Hero Academy students left early in the morning and arrived on the ind where the training camp would be held.


    They arrived at their dorms, and then put on their uniforms, and arrived at the main field, where they all got in straight lines and n and Ren stood in front of their respective school students.


    Most of them were tired, waking up early and leaving for the Ind.


    They were unaware of what was going to happen to them.


    A well-built man, exuding strong mana walked up on the tform built ahead of them, he had bright red hair, and dark skin and was wearing a military vest with multiple medals on it.


    He was the one meant to be their instructor.


    And, he would be the one to give the hell before the actual hell.


    His name was Jeff, Jeffery Stewart.


    disregarding his name, he was a former general of the military who aided Japan Greatly during and after the war with the demons, hence the Japanese people held him in high regard.


    He was trusted by both the principals of Shield and Hero academy, And although he was never able to reach Rank S due to his talent stopping at A+ rank.


    He was a man deserving great respect, and although he had never been able to reach the almighty rank of S, he was still a formidable foe to his enemies.


    And BECAUSE he was a military man, he was going to be the most hated man on the by these Students.


    They would utterly despise him.


    Jeffrey Stewart applied mana to his voice and spoke in a loud voice that every student could hear no matter whey they stood.


    "I wee you all to this training camp, as you are well aware I am going to work you to the bones but before that let me tell you scrubs the rules of this ce.


    The first rule is that you do what I say without talking back remotely.


    The Second rule is that you never disobey your teachers here, or else you won''t like the oue very much,ds.


    The Third is that you follow the first two rules without exception, and always end your sentencing addressing us as Sir and Ma''am.


    Now that you know the rules...and should understand the general workings of the camp...


    DROP DOWN AND GIVE  ME 100 PUSHUPS WITHOUT MANA!


    FOR THE WOMEN ITS FUCKING 50!"


    And then their misery began.


    ****


    The general workings of the camp were simple.


    It was more of a point-based system that gave rewards to the Students of their respective schools the more points they collected.


    It was basically  Shield Vs Hero Academy.


    Shield and Hero Academy students wouldpete with one another either as individuals or as teams in various exercises designed to bring them to their very limit either physically or mentally.


    While most Shield academy students excelled at Mana MAniption, most Hero Academy students excelled in Physical Strenght.


    And Currently, the exercise being conducted is a physical exercise, one that would warm them up.


    And the students that cked got hit...by a damn Stick enhanced with mana by the Instructors


    The male teachers hit the boy''s asses when they cked off, and the female teachers did the same to the Girls.


    Everyone was in pain, except a certain few.


    Despite being well off than the Shield students, even hero academy students were struggling after hitting the 70 mark, and their asses were getting redder and redder.


    Some just t-out passed out but were awoken by the instructors pping them and forcing them to continue.


    The Faster and better you do the pushups the more points you are awarded.


    On the boy''s side n, Alexander, Elijah, Lucas, Ren, And Isshin did the pushups first.


    And the girl''s side had it even worse, with only Olivia being able to do it.


    And the few who sneakily tried to use mana were not beaten with a stick, but instead whipped.


    .And the ones who did manage to do it were not given a single moment of rest.


    They were immediately yelled at.


    "WHAT ARE YOU FAGGOTS STANDING AROUND for?!


    GO AND RUN 10 LAPS AROUND THE TRACK NOW!"


    Yes, This was going to be a very frightening memory to remember for the students, regardless of what their school was.


    *****


    Nearly everyone except a certain few were suffering.


    But the one, who was suffering the most.


    Was Sabrina Wellington.


    She was weak physically, and never exercised at all, never.


    She barely did the 50 pushups in sets of 5, and now was going to pass out from running.


    She saw everyone get ahead, and her vision was gradually getting worse, her running turning to a slow walk.


    Her chest was on fire, it felt like her heart was going to burst out.


    She was breathingboriously, and soon her running came to a stop.


    She stopped and put her hand on her knees and tried to breathe as fast as she could.


    It felt like she couldn''t breathe, her arms were dead, and her legs going to be too.


    She was about to fall to the ground when suddenly.


    "Don''t breathe like that, breathe calmly and slowly, big breaths."


    A voice was heard, the voice of n Pator, on his 25thp.


    Apparently, He and Alexander were two students who had done theps very quickly, so the instructors increased their original 10ps to 50ps.


    "Haaahhhh.....Haaaahhhhh."


    Sabrina breathed in and out, still trying to calm her beating chest.


    (A/N: * Grin along with a wink*)


    After 5 minutes and miraculously no


    instructor yelled at them, she had finally calmed down...somewhat.


    "...how do you do this...so quickly...and so ... Eas...ily?"


    "I train."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Impossible...no human under A rank can do this without using mana...no one.


    Sabrina was bbergasted.


    Most awakened, had their bodies enhanced somewhat after increasing in ranks...but this was just too much.


    "Well, just remember to breathe slowly, and with your mouth too to get the maximum amount of air, ill get going now, I still have 25 left to finish."


    n said, and ran so fast that a dust cloud emerged, covering Sabrina in the dirt.


    As she looked at his figure quickly fading away...she had only one thought in her mind...


    Monster....my bodyguard is a damn monster...


    ******


    Next Chapter Preview:


    Everyone was exhausted as hell...


    First were pushups, then a run, then squats and situps and then pull-ups.


    It got so bad that the instructors gave up on setting targets and just graded them for how many they could do.


    And now it was nighttime,


    And they were experiencing an extreme amount of Muscle Fatigue...


    Their limbs didn''t want to move, and they couldn''t...


    And as so many of them couldn''t move, most of them had to be carried by the students who could move and some instructors.


    And as Jeffrey Stewart looked at them all, he had highlighted a few of them in his journal, the one who aced this fitness test.


    These select few were....

 Chapter 186 [186]It Began...Earlier Than It Should Have.

    Everyone was exhausted as hell...


    First were pushups, then a run, then squats and situps, and then pull-ups.


    It got so bad that the instructors gave up on setting targets and just graded them for how many they could do.


    And now it was nighttime,


    And they were experiencing an extreme amount of Muscle Fatigue...


    Their limbs didn''t want to move, and they couldn''t...


    And as so many of them couldn''t move, most of them had to be carried by the students who could move and some instructors.


    And as Jeffrey Stewart looked at them all, he had highlighted a few of them in his journal, the one who aced this fitness test.


    These select few were of course n Pator, who did every exercise easily and was the first to do them.


    Alexander Wright, who may have been slower, also did them with ease.


    The Others were Lucas Hiddleston, Elijah Ardor, Ren Kurosaki, Ryuda Isshin,  and some others from Hero Academy.


    They all performed exceptionally in these tests, acing them all even when some instructors gave them extra exercises.


    However, Jefferey was honestly very very surprised that some Shield Students could keep up.


    Hero academy had special sses designed to test their students to the physical Limit, whilst  Shield mostly focused on Mana and its properties.


    He had predicted that Hero Academy students would ace this test easily while the Shield Students would ace the other Mana-rted tests.


    The fact that some students from Shield beat Hero Academy, was surprising.


    And by such a wide margin at that.


    "ALRIGHT FAGGOTS, GET TO DOING YOUR NIGHT TASKS NOW!"


    Jefferey yelled in a loud voice to the students, telling them to prepare to do their night tasks such as cooking, collecting firewood, etc.


    They could do it as a group, or alone.


    The Purpose of this camp was to teach them the world wasn''t nice, and how to survive.


    ****


    [n Pator POV]


    I equipped my spear from my inventory, intending to do some nighttime training in the woods.


    Well, I also have been given a task to do. which is collecting wood.


    There lies a single problem though.


    "Wait....for me."


    I heard Sabrina barely be able to speak as she struggled to walk.


    "Why are you following me?"


    I asked her and she answered after collecting her breath.


    "Because I have the same task as you."


    ''What? How does that....wait.''


    And just as i suspected, she showed a sweet fake smile and said.


    "Please collect my portion too, My Bodyguard"


    ...this woman...


    "No."


    I denied her...but then...


    "I''ll pay you."


    "Ok."


    I ended up agreeing.


    I mean, it is an easy task. Might as well make some bucks while I''m at it.


    We continued walking through the Forest, My Pace slow so she could walk easily.


    "Why don''t we just collect wood from here?"


    She asked, and I said to her.


    " Because I n on going somewhere secluded to train."


    I n on going somewhere far and quiet to train so that no students or  instructors could interrupt me.


    But then she asked me another question as we walked, a question to which the answer I could not easily say.


    "Why do you train so much? You are already the strongest.


    Arent you just destroying your body by overworking?"


    Why do I Train so much?


    and destroying my body?


    How Funny, My phoenix powers heal my body continuously.


    And why do I train so much?


    "Because Im Afraid."


    Im Scared....because I have seen the level of the opponents Aranus Faced, I have the memories That James nted in me about the Enemies Elijah faced.


    The Guys that could destroy worlds, stars easily.


    I have seen it...and that''s what makes me afraid.


    The supreme and higher ranked beings that were Alive during the time Aranus was active know what he looks like, They know this body.


    Adding on the Abyss, and James...I''m afraid of what can happen.


    Unlike what I had thought of this world, it being a novel...now I know it isn''t.


    I... can''t predict everything...and I am not smart enough to predict it.


    Will I be strong enough to fight them off if they suddenly appear?


    No...i wont and I don''t even know what I''m capable of.


    The Power of Chaos belonged to Aranus, the power of frost belonged to James...and mine is Space.


    Yet I haven''t even grasped mine yet.


    I can use theirs, but I don''t even know of mine.


    And the frustration I feel is immense.


    I don''t even know my Name...just going by the Name of n., the former name of Aranus.


    I don''t even know myself, what I truly am. What I am Capable of.


    And that is why I''m afraid.


    *****


    [Sabrina Wellington PoV]


    "Because I am afraid."


    Afraid?


    I Didnt understand his words.


    HE is Afraid?


    Of what?


    What is the strongest first ranker of Shield, the youngest C Rank in History, The Star of Twilight, afraid of?


    He is the guy that injured EZRA FORNUM FOR CHRISTS SAKE!


    Just what is he afraid of?


    Numerous thoughts filled my head, but as I looked at his face.


    I guess all of them disappeared mysteriously.


    As always, those two beautiful eyes caught my attention as I could only see them when I looked at his face.


    But it was just then...that ''it'' Happened.


    *WOOOONNNNGGGG!*


    A Wave of deadly, unknown mana passed by us, and covered the whole Ind.


    And then, as I wondered what that was...i heard even more terrifying sounds.


    *BOOOM!*


    Explosions going off the entire ind, at different times.


    And then...I was Pulled By n grabbing my arm and an explosion happened where I previously stood at.


    I Didnt know what was happening, all I knew was that I was suddenly in his arms, and in my original location was a hooded figure with a green,rge hand outstretched.


    And then As n was letting me down, He sent me a message.


    [Sabrina, No matter what happens...don''t get too far away from me.


    Shit is about to get real.]


    ****


    Next Chapter Preview.]


    [Elijah Ardor PoV]


    *Boom!*


    I heard multiple explosions go off, but remained calm as I said to Serena, who was apanying me.


    "Serena, Stay behind me."


    "Got it, I''ll buff you."


    She answered and numerous buffs were ced on me as I drew my Sword and enveloped myself in mes.


    [You have been Blessed by the blessing of Hermes,(LOW)]


    [You Have received a mild healing buff.]


    ...


    "Damn...the bitch had a protector huh, and here I was thinking it was going to be easy."


    I heard him speak...a being I recognized far too well. Someone belonging to a race I had shed with previously.


    ck Skin, Horns, Purple Eyes...A Demon. And a Pretty Strong one at that.


    "Oh well, Ill have one skinning you at least!"


    It said joyfully, and its mana of Chaos shed with my mes.


    Multiple explosions went off in the background, apanied by some screams of students.


    Three Beams of White light going up the sky, in a far off area where a slight crackle of thunder could be heard.


    I ignored them all, And simply focused on this Demon.


    If I want to save them, I Have to deal with this one first.


    My fire, and its Chaos...shed with one another as I charged at it.


    ***


    Sorry for no chapter yesterday, I was feeling unwell.

 Chapter 187 [187] The Attack!

    [Elijah Ardor PoV]


    *Boom!*


    I heard multiple explosions go off, but remained calm as I said to Serena, who was apanying me.


    "Serena, Stay behind me."


    "Got it, I''ll buff you."


    She answered and numerous buffs were ced on me as I drew my Sword and enveloped myself in mes.


    [You have been Blessed by the blessing of Hermes,(LOW)]


    [You Have received a mild healing buff.]


    ...


    "Damn...the bitch had a protector, huh, and here I was thinking it was going to be easy."


    I heard him speak...a being I recognized far too well. Someone belonging to a race I had shed with previously.


    ck Skin, Horns, Purple Eyes...A Demon. And a Pretty Strong one at that.


    "Oh well, I''ll have fun skinning you at least!"


    It said joyfully, and its mana of Chaos shed with my mes.


    Multiple explosions went off in the background, apanied by some screams from students.


    Three Beams of White light went up the sky, in a far-off area where a slight crackle of thunder could be heard.


    I ignored them all And focused on this Demon.


    If I want to save them, I Must deal with this one first.


    My fire, and its Chaos...I shed with one another as I charged at it.


    ****


    [At The Main Building]


    Kurosaki Ren unsheathed the Kaminari No Futaken as he stared at the demons surrounding the Main Building.


    His Dark Mana enveloped the Kaminari No Futaken, As he fired off two shes of Darkness toward the demons.


    And then he yelled with all of his might.


    "ALL OF YOU, GO INSIDE AND GRAB YOUR ARTIFACTS, WE''RE UNDER ATTACK!


    I''ll HOLD THEM OFF FOR NOW!"


    The Darkness covering his de increased, and he prepared himself to fight the weaker demons off...but then.


    Sharp Wind Epassed the demons surrounding them, tearing them apart.


    "KYAK!"


    "WHAT IS THIS?"


    They screamed, and then a howl was heard as the weaker ones had their necks cut in the torrent of wind.


    *Awoo*


    *ng!*


    But then a demon,rger and more robust than the others, used his sharp nails to block the torrent of wind, and when it dissipated a young student with ck Hair and a handsome face could be seen surrounded by a slightly grey hue.


    And in his hands was a de that Kurosaki Ren recognized far too well.


    It was the twin sister de of his Kaminari no taken.


    The Tenpesuto No Futaken.


    Alexander Wright had appeared, and just like he was taught.


    He had eliminated multiple enemies in a sh.


    The twin sister des had met, although currently in the hands of two different people.


    ****


    "Off all the brats I could get, I got you...Tsk."


    Lucas stared at the Demon who had Bright Red skin with menacing horns and bat-like wings.


    ''What is talking about?''


    Lucas wondered as explosions could be heard going off.


    He wasn''t far off from the main building, he had just left with all of his equipment to go train somewhere in the forest.


    And it was then that he had felt the wave of ominous mana, and suddenly this red bastard had appeared in front of him.


    A Pit Fiend, a rare species of demon.


    "Well, I guess even small fry like you could be worth something, although not as much."


    And because the red bastard was so confident and was bbering on and on, he gave Lucas some time to figure out what was happening.


    ''The entire ind is under attack and the instructors have probably been caught in some trap...isting us students.''


    Thank god I brought my artifacts with me.


    And thank god this bitch is stupid and is talking.


    "I can''t believe someone as great as me has to deal with you.


    Well, I''ll guess I''ll PUMMEL YOU!"


    The Pit Fiend rushed towards Lucas as he was finishing his sentence, His fist covered in blood red me...intending to Annihte Lucas in a single blow.... but then.


    *CLANG!*


    Lucas raised his shield and blocked the Pit Fiend''s sudden and extremely fast attack.


    And his Metal attribute Mana rose to confront the fire mana of the Pit Fiend...he showed a smile and said.


    "Pummel Me? Bitch I''ll pummel you so hard your mother will be jealous!"


    And then the battle between them started.


    ****


    *SIU**SIU*


    Henry fired off arrow after arrow at the Demon that had appeared at the back of the Main Building.


    A demonrge enough and Covered in rocks that covered him in natural armour.


    A sword of light descended from the sky hitting the demon on the head but I did no damage whatsoever.


    ine''s sneak attack had failed to do any Damage.


    "ine, Run away from her and support the others with your Magic, Your heals maye in handy for the rest."


    Henry Said to her as he dodged the rampaging rock-covered demon, again and again, firing off multiple arrows that seemed to have no effect at all.


    "What?! I can support you just fine!"


    "I don''t need it, help the others first."


    "NOW!"


    Henry screamed at her, and then she finally left to support the other students fighting the other demons that had appeared.


    Leaving Henry alone to face this Goliath of a demon.


    And as the wind from the surrounding area formed an arrow on Henry''s Bow, He looked the goliath covered in rocks straight in the face, the goliath easily seemed like it could stomp on him easily.


    "Let''s go you mud freak!"


    *GRAHHH*


    [BOW OF TEMPEST( 4 Star) ]


    /|FIRST MOVEMENT|


    [[[ARROW OF STORM!]]]


    ****


    Preview of Next Chapter:


    *Bam!*BAM!*


    Jefferey Stewart punched the purple void wall continuously as his hands started to corrode because of the mana of chaos.


    Nevertheless he continued punching.


    Until another instructor had stopped him.


    "Sir, Please calm down!"


    "AND LET THE CHILDREN DIE?!"


    Jefferey screamed at him, still vehemently punching the wall.


    "Sir, wasting your strength like this is unadvised, we are currently working on a way to escape..."


    " Then what is the progress?!"


    At Jeffereys question...the instructors around him all looked down...until one was brave enough to say it...and what he said horrified Jefferey...immensely.


    "we...have figured out the fastest way to escape but the problem is that even the fastest method will take....an hour at most..."

 Chapter 188 [188] Roar, Dragon Of Death!

    A/N: I am going to post longer chapters from now on.


    Ordinary chapter length should be about 1200 to 1500 words, while the preview will be canceled because ofints that it ruins the excitement of the next chap.


    *****


    *Bam!*BAM!*


    Jefferey Stewart punched the purple void wall continuously as his hands started to erode because of the mana of chaos.


    Nevertheless, he continued punching.


    Until another instructor stopped him.


    "Sir, Please calm down!"


    "AND LET THE CHILDREN DIE?!"


    Jefferey screamed at him, still vehemently punching the wall.


    "Sir, wasting your strength like this is unadvised, we are currently working on the way to escape..."


    " Then what is the progress?!"


    At Jeffreys''s question...the instructors around him all looked down...until one was brave enough to say it...and what he told horrified Jefferey...immensely.


    "We...have figured out the fastest way to escape but the problem is that even the fastest method will take....an hour at most..."


    And When they heard that, nearly everyone had their faces filled with horror.


    *****


    [Kazikato PoV]


    Kazikato stood on a t rock protruding from the ocean''s surface as he gazed at the Ind boss who told him to keep a watch.


    He was very very far away and was using mana to see the Ind in the far distance.


    He stood rooted to the rock, as his feet were drenched by the asional waves that collided with the stone.


    And in his vision, was the same Ind which was now covered with A Purple Forcefield.


    Usually, this would have been his cue to act but.... he still waited for n''s Signal.


    And he didn''t have to wait long for it to appear.


    His eyes, glowing with ck Mana, caught sight of the Signal.


    Three beams of white light shot up toward the Sky.


    That was the signal, and the moment he saw it he began to transform into his Draconian form, with wings protruding from his back.


    *BOOOM!*


    The speed at which he flew had shattered the rock into dozens of pieces, and Kazikato made his way toward the Ind at breakneck speeds.


    He roused his ck mana, and concentrated it on his neck, intending to release the strongest breath he could...and when he reached close to the Ind.


    *BAM!*


    A sudden impact had sent him flying into the sea.


    He rose from the waters, and then was greeted by the sight of a Purple Pit Fiend with mes of Chaos Around his figure.


    "Which Dragon do you serve draconian, what is the purpose of your interference?"


    The Purple Pit Fiend, spoke in a voice loud enough that Kazikao could hear even though they were really far away.


    But All he got as an answer, was a ck beam that everyone inside the Ind could see.


    The Pit Fiend immediately used his Chaos mes to form a barrier around himself which protected him.


    The ck breath encased him and pierced the clouds, and the Pit Fiend was using all of his mana to enhance the chaos mes protecting.


    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the pit fiend but only an instant passed, the breath disappeared as Wild thoughts appeared in his head.


    ''...Death...Mana?!*''


    But before he could think further...Kazikato appeared in front of him immediately and grabbed his face before saying.


    "The dragon I serve is none of your concern."


    And then he tried to crush the head of the pit fiend, who retaliated by using both his palms to push Kazikato away.


    And After the Pit Fiend had Seeded in pushing Kazikato Away, The mes of Chaos around him surged as his anger soared.


    "Fine! I, Kasoris, will end your existence, you overgrown bipedal LIZARD!"


    Kazikato didn''t know why...but the insult of ''Overgrown Bipedal Lizard''...awakened something within him.


    He became very very angry and summoned a weapon that was gifted to him by Ariel...


    The Demonic Death Scythe, a weapon even he struggled to unleash the full power of.


    And He too yelled at the pit fiend with all his might.


    "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LIZARD?! COME AT ME YOU PURPLE SHITFACE!"


    "YOU DARE?!"


    And they both charged at each other in the air, all whilst hurling insults at one another.


    ****


    The situation inside the Ind was very very dire. Every student was fighting for their very lives.


    They had formed groups as they continued to fight the demons that had attacked.


    And Because the strongest of the demon''s side were preupied with the strongest on the side of the students...the other low-ranking students had a chance against the hordes of demons and demonic beasts that attacked them.


    They were the students of Both Shield And Hero Academy, the world''s first and third-ranked schools.


    The Top 50 of each school to be exact. They weren''t pushovers, they could handle themselves with this level of attackers.


    What worried them...were the tremblings that urred now and then...as howls of a wolf could be heard, red mepletely engulfing a small part of the ind, the Main Building copsing from the back, as roars of a huge demon could be heard fighting someone. The shards of ice that could be seen raining down far away...and the ck breath that had just appeared in the dark sky...so powerful the mana it exuded could be felt throughout the Ind.


    Although they could hold this level of demons off...they couldn''t even imagine what the top rankers were facing, keeping the actual bosses preupied.


    They Only Prayed... prayed that reinforcements woulde quickly...and prayed they couldst...no that their Top Rankers couldst long enough.


    ***


    Alex And Kurosaki Ren, along with Isshin and Olivia as support took care of the demons that had attacked the front side of the main building.


    Although they were injured, the medical students had taken care of their injuries along with the injuries of the others.


    "...We need to go support the others who went to gather wood."


    Olivia said, as she focused her gaze on a particr area where the sounds of metal shing could be heard not far away.


    She and Alexander had seen Lucas go off in that direction and were worried.


    "What? We should stick together."


    Said Isshin, as he looked at Ren.


    "No, she''s right, most of the ones who went to gather wood are our strongest. It''s best if the strongest of us group up to take care of the strong demons one by one.


    Isshin, Stay here and act as the leader here. Protect the injured."


    Ren Agreed with Olivia, As he looked at her...only to find Alexander, who was beside her, gone.


    " He went ahead already, Listen, if an emergency arises, send two fireballs up in the air to warn us.


    We wille to you ASAP."


    She addressed the remaining students before taking off leaving the rest in a panic.


    They watched her go away, as Kurosaki Ren chased after her.


    "Damn it, Isshin take care of the students here! We''lle back as soon as we can!"


    The three of them left, leaving the students with Isshin.


    Alexander had already arrived where Lucas was at, whilst Olivia and Ren Were a little behind.


    This was just the closest area to them.


    The Sea of fire in another area and the shockwaves along with ciers of ice along with the asional sound of thunder in another were so far away it would take them a while to get there.


    Whatever was happening there... they just had a thought that they would only be a hindrance.

 Chapter 189 [189]A Hopeless Fight, And Yet You Still Continue.

    CLANG!


    Lucas blocked the fist of the pit fiend covered in mes with his Shield.


    His footing became unstable because of the sheer force of the attack. Heposed himself quickly and blocked another fist with his shield.


    CLANG!


    "khhh."


    He groaned, swinging his mace as the arm holding his Shield was hurting severely.


    "Hah, is this the power that was going to pummel me?"


    The Pit Fiendughed as he dodged the mace, mocking Lucas.


    "You ain''t seen nothing yet!"


    Lucas said as he tackled the Pitfiend with his shield, who had not moved a single inch back and then sent Lucas flying with a swing of his arm.


    Lucasnded on his feet but was given no moment to rest as the Pit Fiendunched attack after attack, and Lucas Kept blocking, his arm starting to hurt even more.


    "Then show me, Human!"


    The Pit Fiend continued to pressure Lucas, who honestly could do nothing to it. The rank of the Pit Fiend far surpasses the newly awakened D- Ranked Lucas.


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    Blood seeped from Lucas''s clenched teeth as he struggled to block the attacks.


    ''I can''t keep going on defense like this!''


    He thought, and then prepared to do something no average Human would do.


    He let go of his shield, surprising the Pitfiend who continued with the Attack, hitting the Shield. Lucas Jumped high up and then mmed his mace into the Pit Fiends'' face...


    "GAHH!"


    And For the very first time, the pit fiend let out a scream of pain, as a broken horn fell from his head and the mes of chaos surrounding him red up.


    "YOU DARE BREAK MY HORN?!"


    Lucas smiled a little, blood still leaking from his mouth.


    The pit fiend enragedunched itself at Lucas, who now was left without a Shield, Dodged and dodged the attacks, while the pit fiend was screaming in rage.


    "YOU DARE?!"


    "I WILL END YOU!"


    Lucas Dodged again and again...trying to find an opening but failing.


    But even Lucas could not dodge forever. A fist connected, and Lucas took it on with his injured arm... the impact breaking it.


    Lucas gritted his teeth and mmed the mace into the Chest of the pit fiend, who grabbed it and melted it with his mes of chaos.


    " What will you do now human?"


    "Punch You."


    Lucas immediately answered the mocking of the Pit Fiend with a jab to the face, his fist bleeding.


    He immediately followed by jumping to the Back of the head of The Pit Fiend and did the n Pator Special.


    Elbows on the face.


    "GRAH!"


    The Pit fiend screamed in pain, flying up using his wings.


    He grabbed Lucas and threw him to the ground while high in the air.


    Yet, He felt something grab his foot, and then it was the pit fiend who was mmed into the ground.


    He wasn''t given any leeway. He was then swung into the trees destroying the surrounding, before being mmed into the ground again.


    He stood up quickly and grabbed whatever it was that had him by the foot.


    Blood Red chains emerged from Lucas''s forearms, which were now bleeding from every orifice in his face.


    "...You insane bastard, do you no-?!"


    The Pit fiend stopped in the middle of his sentence, he felt a chill run down his back.


    Lucas''s eyes glowed grey as he activated [Intimidation] which only managed to stall the pit fiend for a fraction of a second.


    He raised the bastard in the air...but then his knees hit the ground.


    "..what?"


    He questioned himself, and a mouthful of blood came out, the blood-red chains disappearing.


    The Skill [ Chains Of Iron Blood] And [Intimiadtion] had taken a toll on his body.


    Especially [ Chains of Iron Blood] which used his blood to form chains...a very strong skill that he couldn''t handle well right now...


    "HAH! FOOL!"


    *CRASH!*


    The Pit fiend mmed into him with its body.


    The Pit friend grabbed him by the leg.


    And mmed him down on the ground as fast as he mocked Lucas.


    "Where has all your arrogance gone now?"


    SLAM!


    "WHERE IS IT?!"


    SLAM!


    "I WILL BREAK EACH AND EVERY BONE OF YOUR WEAK BODY!"


    SLAM!


    "I WILL MAKE YOU BEG FOR DEATH!"


    SLAM!


    The pit fiend was going to m the bloody Lucas into the ground once again...but then by instinct, it raised its hand to protect its neck.


    CLANG!


    A raging windstorm appeared out of nowhere, silently with a grey de having thunder striking him in the neck, nearly cutting his hand off.


    The grey de attacked again, this time aiming for the hand holding Lucas. The Pit Fiend let go of Lucas and retreated a few steps back.


    But the attacks did not stop, a ck-haired boy moving as fast as the wind continued and continued with the attacks, giving him no time.


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    The pit fiend put his all into blocking the attacks...but had had enough.


    "ENOUGH!"


    A wave of chaos mana pushed Alex back and sent him crashing into the trees.


    And just as the pit fiend was going to attack Alex again, the world around him became ck.


    It was as if a dark fog had descended, and the pit fiend ducked as he felt a chill run down his spine.


    SHWING!


    A de that would have cut his neck if he didn''t duck attacked, missing barely. The Pit Fiend, immediately twisted his hips and attacked the attacker with the back of his wrist, sending Kurosaki Ren Flying into the Sky.


    But then, a thin, sharp but small de pierced his neck, the attacker twisting it hoping to lodge his head off, but shecked the strength for it.


    The Pit fiend''s body became encased in chaotic mes, it intending to melt the rapier that had pierced his neck, but failing to do so because the attacker had taken the de out.


    A silver-haired beautiful girl, Who was Olivia Olsfer backed off and waited for the mes to die out.


    But Alexander and Kurosaki Ren appeared from nowhere and continued their attack, not afraid of their weapons melting because of the mes.


    *AWOOO!*


    A wolf made of wind appeared from Alex''s sword and bit at the pit fiend, dragging it away.


    Kurosaki Ren and Alexander continued their attack, disying good teamwork as they didn''t give the pit fiend any time to attack.


    They Knew a single attack from the pit fiend would be the end of them.


    Olivia seeing them took out a potion and went to Lucas...her face scrunching up as she saw his state.


    Jaw broken...possibly multiple bones broke, bloody as hell itself.


    She tried to feed him the potion but just then...a body mmed into her.


    She flew along with Kurosaki Ren, who had mmed into her when he was attacked by the fiend.


    The Pit fiend flew towards the both of them, his hands encased in mes of chaos as he charge data them intending to end them both.


    And as he got close, Olivia''s life nearly shed before her eyes, but Alex appeared out of nowhere and stabbed the Pit Fiend in the back!


    But then...The Pit fiend flew into the Air and crashed into the ground, his back, upon which Alex was, mming straight first into the ground.


    And just like that...Alex was incredibly injured.


    The Pit fiend was about to finish him, But Olivia attacked him immediately with her rapier, not caring if her weapon melted or not.


    She Distracted the Pit Fiend, taking its attention away from Alex.


    But even she couldn''t do much, the pit fiend was about to kick her before Kurosaki Ren stepped in and blocked the Kick with his sword.


    He coughed up blood, and just as Olivia was about to attack using the opportunity Ren had procured... The Pit Fiend fired a breath of Chaos Mana at both of them...sending them flying, crashing into the tree...all near death.


    "I WILL KILL EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FOR DARING TO INJURE THE GREAT ME!"

 Chapter 190 [190]The Qualifications Of A Warrior.

    [Lucas Hiddlestone PoV]


    I...ca can''t stay like this...


    "Kh..."


    A groan escaped my mouth as I tried my best to move.


    Damnit, If only that Japanese guy hadn''t crashed into her when she tried to feed me a potion.


    If only I had that potion I would''ve gone back into the fight!


    That damn pit fiend is destroying us all!


    And here I am, unable to do anything!


    What was my training for?


    Why did I break my body over and over again?!


    WHY CAN''T I WIN EVEN ONCE?!


    COUGH!


    I coughed up blood as I tried my best to stand, trying to grit my teeth but failing because my jaw was broken.


    DAMNIT.


    I grabbed the dirt with all my might to stand...yet my arms and legs didn''t listen as my face continued to be buried in the ground.


    A dirt-filled face, wounds that could kill, and as I lie here, they are still fighting.


    ''stand up stand up stand up stand up even if it hurts!


    Stand up....''


    I thought in my mind over and over again.


    Alexander...is now the only one left fighting...


    I can hear his groans of pain...The howls of a dying wolf...I can listen to it all yet I can''t do anything...


    STAND UP GOD FUCKING DAMNITT!


    ....please


    please, this body of mine...listen to me...once again.


    Please!


    ****


    [Kurosaki Ren PoV]


    ...I can''t stand up...


    My body... is too injured...I can''t even move a lot.


    Damn it...the guy that the Tenpesuto No Futaken chose is still fighting, even though he got mmed into the ground so hard.


    The silver-haired girl is unconscious...and I don''t know about the brown-haired guy.


    Damn it...


    Stand up...


    I tried to rouse up the mana in my body...the darkness that I wielded with Pride.


    But it was all for naught as I could do nothing.


    ...Fine...if I have run out of mana then I will use everything else.


    And as I tried to use my hands to get up...a terrifying thought came to my head.


    What will I even be able to do?


    This monster defeated us all in seconds.


    ...will I live if I pretend to be dead?


    My Breathing elerated as these thoughts refused to leave my head, the darkness around me rising...


    It was about to consume me...but then I snapped out of it.


    NO!


    I can''t give up here!


    I am the rank first of Hero academy, the first year rank 1!


    I have a duty to uphold!


    I raised my hand, intending to grab the Kaminari No futaken, but then....


    I Heard a voice.


    [Too bad, you had potential but realized it far toote.]


    What?


    What is that voice?


    ...and where is my sword, The Kaminari No Futaken?


    ****


    [Alexander PoV]


    COUGH!


    I coughed a mouthful of blood as my sword nearly fell out of my hands...i don''t think I''m even holding it...yet it still remains in my hands.


    "Hmph, to think these brats broke of my horn..."


    I heard that bastard speak as he made his way toward me.


    brats...


    I don''t think I can fight anymore...but I need to.


    I''vee this far... I beat Kyle and broke my body during training.


    I...


    I...


    I REFUSE TO LOSE!


    *AWOOO!*


    Another wolf of tempest exited the Tempesto no futaken but even that didn''t do anything.


    That Pit fiend blocked it so quickly.


    He grabbed my neck...and started to strangle me.


    I tried to kick him, punch him but that didn''t do anything. Anything...but nothing.


    "Oho? Most actually try to free themselves, but you keep attacking."


    It mocked me...and I was struggling to breathe.


    My neck... it''s being crushed.


    So...this is how I die...in the hands of a demon?


    No...I can''t...I''m the student of the man known as the Demon yer...I can''t die to a random demon...


    i can''t...


    But would I live through some miracle?


    Life didn''t go that way...never for me.


    Please...please...


    the grip around my neck tightened but just then...


    As If someone heard my pleas...something that distracted..no frightened the pit fiend happened.


    In the direction we saw a huge sea of a fire...rose a beam of blood-red fire, that shed with the barrier that the demons put on the Ind.


    The fire, its ascent that was stopped by the barrier filled the sky... dyeing everything in red.


    The demon let go of me...his expression showing slight amounts of fear as he muttered.


    "...such pure Celestial energy..."


    I tried my best to breathe...as I made use of the time I had.


    "What is a celestial possessing such pure energy doing here?!"


    He continued to speak...astonished by the sight and I felt something touch my left hand.


    A ck de...appearing near my left hand.


    "The mainyers should be keeping Celestia upied! What is a high-ranking angel doing here?!"


    I don''t know what he is saying...but I know that a system prompt appeared in front of me as the fire disappeared from the sky.


    My...hope.


    [The Kaminari No Futaken has deemed you fit to be its master.


    It wishes to reunite with its sister de...do you ept being its master?


    Yes/No?]


    My chance...


    As if the de had already known I was going to say yes...lightning danced around it.


    And I epted it.


    "YES!"


    [Congrattions on bing the master of the twin des, the Kaminari No Futaken and The Tenpesto no futaken.]


    [ You Have been selected by the Monarch of Storms, Godbeast Festul, The Fenrir Of thunder to carry on his legacy, the Legacy of the Storm Wolves.


    You have been chosen to restore the Storm Wolves!]


    [Wield those des with PRIDE!]


    I picked up th Kaminari no Futakenm and together with the Tenpesto No Futaken...wind and thunder danced around me.


    I roused up the remainder of my mana, depleting myself of it.


    I grit my teeth and used up everything.


    And activated the twin des Ultimate skill as the clouds began to darken...lightning shing in the skies.


    [WRATH OF STORM RAGE OF SKY HAS BEEN ACTIVATED]


    [Executing the skill!]


    "HAAAAAAA!"


    I Screamed with all my might, preparing to kill this bastard in a single strike.


    I jumped at him , the ground beneath me breaking.


    My Left hand encased in lightning, and my right in sharp wind.


    I And just as i was about to strike...The Pit fiend moved.


    Appearing in front of me in an instant and attacking me with the power of chaos, straight at my head.


    [WRATH OF STORM< RAGE OF SKY has been interrupted.]


    I fell far back...depleted of my mana...and my consciousness fading.


    "I will deal with you lot quickly so I can kill that celestial with my fellow demons."


    It said as it slowly walked towards the others...going to where Olivia and Ren were.


    And I soon lost consciousness...cursing myself.


    I lost...and I failed to protect them...


    ****


    A/N: My prep tests have started which is why i didn''t upload for the previous few days...


    I will try to upload daily but don''t bet on it.


    Sorry for the inconvenience.

 Chapter 191 [191] The Dying Struggle Of A Beast.

    Lucas saw Alex fall, thinking he was dead.


    But the Pit Fiend''s words made him realize that Alex was still alive.


    "To think he only passed out from that, this damn generation of humans is terrifying."


    What? Alex survived?


    Lucas thought.


    "Well, I''ll Kill you now."


    The Pit Fiend moved...and Lucas watched it move towards Alexander.


    "I wanted to have fun with you all, but the circumstance doesn''t allow it."


    Its hand became encased in chaos mes...and Something inside Lucas snapped.


    Pain?


    What does it matter if I''m hurt?


    What does it matter if my bones are broken?


    I can''t just lie down here.


    I can''t just lie down here while my...friend is going to be killed.


    [Chains Of Iron blood have been activated.]


    Blood-red chains appeared, fueled not by mana but with Lucas''s blood.


    They wrapped around his body. piercing themselves within...and Lucas used the chains...to support his body so it could move.


    "Khhh..."


    Blood seeped out from the wounds the chains made as they pierced unto his body, but they quickly absorbed it.


    And Finally, he controlled the chains embedded in his body so that he could move.


    He ran. ran and ran and tackled the Pit fiend with all his might.


    But even that did nothing.


    "You crazy Bastard, why don''t you just ept your fate?"


    Lucas tried to push and push, but the pit fiend didn''t budge an inch.


    The fiend grabbed his neck and held him up high, its grip tightening around his neck.


    "Fine, If you want to die so badly...then I''ll kill you first."


    mes of Chaos surged, burning Lucas''s neck.


    ''...so this is how I die...''


    As his neck was being scorched, he thought.


    His vision slowly faded....and he closed his eyes and epted his fate.


    And it was then...that the scorching pain in his neck disappeared and he was dropped to the ground.


    *AWOOOOOOOOO!*


    A cry of a wolf was heard, followed by the Pit Fiend''s screams of pain.


    "GAAAAHHHH!"


    Lucas opened his eyes, barely being able to breathe as the sight before him was far too shocking for him to understand quickly.


    Alex was Standing with...grey mana dancing around his body...


    No...Lucas was wrong.


    That was not Mana.


    ******


    [Alexander Wright PoV]


    A pitch-ck darkness.


    A Pitch ck surrounded me as I fell as if I was in the water.


    Is this death?


    I fell, into this pitch-ck void...regretting everything.


    If only I was stronger. I could have maybe won.


    [Yes, if only you were stronger.]


    What?


    I heard a voice, an ancient voice...a sick voice.


    And a Light appeared above me, exuded by a ball of grey.


    [Do you want the strength to face the demon?]


    The voice asked, as I still wondered where it wasing from and who it belonged to.


    But then a prompt appeared in front of me, in this pitch-ck darkness.


    [The Monarch of storms, Godbeast Festul, wants to bestow his bloodline upon you.


    Do you ept?]


    [Yes/No]


    [ept it, and you will have the power.]


    Festul?


    The owner of the twin des, the Kaminari no Futaken and Tenpesto No Futaken?


    Power...


    ''I ept.''


    If it means I can win, I ept it,


    The grey ball of light came closer and closer to me once I epted.


    It enveloped me...and I was beginning to lose myself...going to deep sleep.


    [Rest Child, Let your vessel do the rest.]


    *****


    "GRAAAAHHHHH!"


    Kubrick, the pit fiend screamed in pain as his hand was severed from his arm.


    "MY HAND!"


    He screamed in pain...looking at the perpetrator.


    The boy he was about to kill before the crazy idiot intervened, the boy that continued to fight him alone when hisrades fell.


    Standing...exuding terrifying energy from his figure, his eyes glowing grey and his body exuding grey energy.


    The very sight of him frightened Kubrick.


    He felt chills run down his spine, a chill so deadly he wanted to run.


    But he could not believe his eyes..


    "How...How is a human using Aura?!"


    He knew that energy very well, an energy a ve they captured that was here as well used as well.


    The Special power of orcs and Beastmen.


    Aura.


    The power of the self, that had allowed the orcs to rise above nearly all races, and allowed them to stand equal to the Elves and Dwarves.


    Aura...a human was utilizing aura...and the state he was in was something he knew very well.


    The State of the Demon yer...characterized by the energy glowing and the sense of pure and absolute dread.


    Something that hisrades warned him about...something that terrified demons.


    And he recalled what he was told when he is to be met with this type of situation.


    To Run, run and run and run and run and never ever look back.


    And he started to flee, not caring if his hand had been severed or if his honor would be tarnished


    He only had one thought in his mind...to run and never look back.


    ''I can''t deal with a celestial and someone like the dreaded demon yer at once!''


    He pped his wings quickly as the weather started to change.


    Lightning danced around the skies...terrifying him even more.


    And then...his ascent was stopped...by blood-red chains that wrapped around his feet., dragging him down.


    NO!


    Kubrik prepared to burn these chains quickly in order to escape but it was then...it was then...


    A wave of extremely pure demonic energy was felt.


    It was energy so pure he wondered if the highest-rank demonic being had descended.


    And as he was shocked by this wave...he stopped.


    And that would be his fatal andst mistake.


    A wolf, unlike any he had seen before, made of wind and lightning appeared from beneath, a thunderbolt striking him from above.


    And then, he died as a howl was heard.


    *AWOOO!*


    And as Alex stepped onto the ground once again, appearing from the wolf that had just devoured Kubrik.


    His shirt was in tatters revealing a well-built physique, and as the grey aura disappeared from his body and a tattoo of a wolf head appeared on his back, surrounded by wind and lightning.


    He passed out, and Lucas who was watching him passed out as well from his injuries.


    *****


    On a mountaintop surrounded by dark clouds, a massive grey and blue wolf stood.


    A majestic being it once was...but now brought to the verge of death.


    Lightning and wind danced around Festul, A Supreme Being, The Monarch of storms.


    A Being that ruled over an entire race...now brought to ruin.


    The Great Festul, the ruler of the storm wolves, someone that stood on the  council of Godbeasts.


    The Ruler of the Wolves...not dying due to betrayal.


    He gathered everything he had...and released onest howl.


    A howl that signified his death to the others...a howl that signified his passing.


    His body began to disintegrate into light...a light that moved to the bloodline mark of his sesor.


    *AWOOO!*


    ********


    A/N: the amount of howls this chapter lol.


    Anyways...mysterious high ranked celestial energy? Demonic Energy? A Pir of fire?


    What is Happening? Find out next time on Drago- I mean the VIin''s Story!

 Chapter 192 [192] Roar, Oh Dragon Of Celestia, Who Defied Oblivion!

    *CLANG!*


    Elijah''s crimson de shed with the ws of the ck demon, Avari.


    They moved at breakneck speeds throughout the forest and skies, Chaos shing with Fire.


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    Elijah was relentless, not even giving the demon the time to counterattack by continuously attacking, reinforcing himself with the mes around him, which strengthened. both himself and added to his speed.


    Serena couldn''t even see both of them, just their energies shing with one another and fighting one another. Fire and Chaos me sh with one another, setting the forest around them aze.


    "Cough!."


    Serena coughed as she watched the battle ensue, the smoke from the mes getting to her.


    She could have easily used mana to get rid of the smoke, but she was saving up her mana for something else.


    The first was to heal her beloved Elijah if he got injured and the second was so that she could use a skill to strike the demon when she could.


    She acquired a special skill after much difficulty, capable of killing baron-ranked demons and severely injuring any demons above it. It was something the she spent a lot of effort and money to get...and it was all so that she could use it on a demon, to watch them suffer


    But the one who was suffering was not a demon right now...but rather Elijah, who had fallen from the sky multiple times but still rose again and again tobat the demon... making sure she never got hurt.


    His fire weakened, his body weaker,  but his hope never went away.


    Strike again and again, using his mes...which were being battered by the chaos mes.


    ''..e one on just stay still...''


    Serena prayed in her mind, just waiting for a moment  to attack...but it never came.


    For Minutes...he kept on fighting. His red blood falling every now and then...


    And it was just then...that something fell from the red fire in the skies...a small me...a dying me.


    His spirit, The smander had fallen, severely injured from the fight and unable to fight anymore.


    Elijah dived down to save his spirit, but was struck by the ws of Avari.


    "Risking your life for a mere spirit."


    Avari smiled cruelly as he looked down on Elijah, covering his spirit with his damaged, shed back.


    "Go back...sal."


    He said to his spirit...but the poor thing didn''t have any energy to even return to the spirit realm.


    "Leave him alone!"


    Serena shouted from behind as she fired multiple water arrows at Avari, trying to get him of off Elijah, not using her skill because there was the risk to injure Elijah as well.


    "Keke..."


    Avariughed as he stared Elijah. protecting his spirit desperately. Not even bothering to dodge the water arrows, that did nothing when they hit.


    "You waste yourself by protecting a worthless creature."


    Avari mocked Elijah, the arrows of water that Serena continuously fired not even damaging him the slightest. His body was being hit by mere pebbles to him.


    "...shut Up."


    Elijah spoke...and then from his back exploded an entire explosion of me...the effect of which was only blinding Avari for a short period. And Elijah, in this short period tried to run...but it was ultimately fruitless.


    Avari grabbed Elijah''s head and dragged it through the Ground...Elijah struggling to escape.


    And then it was it...


    Avari fired of a st of chaos that incapacitated Elijah...and grabbed his spirit from his hands.


    "Khhh."


    He gripped hard...crushing the Smander.


    "You wanted to protect this? How would you feel if i crush it before your very eyes?"


    Elijah...with his burnt face and barely functioning eye...could do nothing but look as his spirit was being tortured.


    "...no....please."


    He could hardly speak...he could hardly move...and he pleaded.


    ''...Agri....please...''


    Elijah thought... trying to call Agri but Agri did not respond.


    He was gone at the worst time possible.


    "Hey, Eat this!"


    A Spear of Holy Water attacked Avari...annoying him immensely as he was drowned in his pleasure.


    Another Spear, and another and another.


    "Stop."


    Avari suddenly appeared in front of her and grabbed her neck so quickly Serena couldn''t react.


    He dug his ws into her face...licking the blood of her face. He then faced Elijah, with the Smander in one hand and Serena in the other.


    "Hey...how would your face look like if I torture these two in front of you...You did try soooo hard to protect them after all."


    His left hand crushed the Smander, and his right crushed Serenas Head...he looked at Elijah.


    Avari enoyed the hopeless look Elijah...but because of this he failed to notice Serena''s actions.


    She insabtly put both her hands in front of her, aiming at Avari''s Face and released the skill she was saving mana up for even though her head was being crushed.


    [ ACID FLOW HAS BEEN ACTIVATED!]


    A stream of acid that could melt steel easily was sprayed towards Avari, straight at his head.


    He screamed in pain, dropping both th Smander and Serena, as his entire body became doused in Acid


    "YOU BITCH!"


    He screamed in pain.  Serena, meanwhile grabbed Elijahs Spirit and ran towards him, pouring healing skill after healing onto him...but shecked the mana required to do anything significant.


    All of a sudden, an impact from her side flung her to the side and she coughed up blood as she tried to stand.


    But Avari appeared instantly in front of her and grabbed her neck as he mmed her into a tree.


    IN the end her trump card only managed to injure Avari greatly..and failed to kill him.


    "YOU DARE TO DISFIGURE ME?!"


    Avari screamed at her...digging his ws into her neck...but Serena didnt give up.


    "Like you were handsome in the first ce...you shitface."


    All of a sudden she raised her hand and a snake appeared from her palm and bit Avari in the Neck.


    Her own spirit, The Illusion Serpent attacked but to Avari this was nothing.


    Herst attack failed as well.


    Avari was about to grab the snake...but the damn reptile disappeared into light, going back to its world.


    "Huhu....I will have fun breaking you."


    He dug his ws into Serena''s stomach, infusing them with chaos mana to disrupt her insides and cause her even more pain.


    But he was very careful, He knew who this girl was...and wouldn''t dare kill her.


    Sernea held back her screams...and Elijah could only watch as she was tortured in front of his eyes...


    *****


    When he was young, he was saved by a man and woman during a dungeon break that happened in his hometown.


    The man and woman saved him from the demon that had caused the dugeon break. A Vile demon, covered in a ck mist and wielding a whip.


    They battled him, risking their lives as they bought time for the civiins to escape.


    "Come on, don''t cry. we heroes are here!"


    The man said...as heforted a crying young Elijah as he patted his head.


    "Take your family away. Your a grown boy! Dont worry about the Demon."


    His bright smile as he rushed to take care of the demon that attacked...lit something inside of Elijah.


    Elijah cried...but still did as instructed. He carried his injured older brother on his back and rn...with all his might.


    When he found shelter...he hid and was found by a rescue team that arrivedter.


    Later he found that the two Heroes, Alfred And Anna had died whilst fighting the demon.


    Even though he had only seen them for a short period of time...they inspired Elijah to be a hero.


    Elijah trained and trained...all so that he could be like them...so that he could be a hero.


    ...and now when it mattered...he couldn''t do the things he idolized them for...


    His broken body...could only stare at Avari torturing Serena.


    And just like that...something inside him lit up.


    In Elijahs vocabry the word Hero meant many things...and one of them was that a hero was  person that fought to protect his loved ones.


    ....Even if it killed him.


    [[>>>DECIMATION HAS BEEN ACTIVATED(100%)<<<]]

 Chapter 193 [193] Fight, Oh Hero That Defied Oblivion!

    What is a hero?


    What kind of person is a hero?


    What kind of symbol is a hero?


    A Savior?


    A Fighter?


    A Symbol of hope?


    In the end, what is a hero?


    What is the hero''s reason to fight? To save? To Be a Symbol?


    Trauma? Desire? Kindness?


    Or is it just the thought of being remembered for centuries that excites them?


    Or is it that they have the ''pure heart'' thatpels them to fight for Justice?


    To fight evil? To dedicate themselves to the eradication of Evil?


    Even Elijah Ardor didn''t know.


    He didn''t know at all...despite his numerous studies into a hero.


    He found so many definitions....and still was confused.


    ''A Person who is admired for their courage and bravery.''


    ''A Hero is a person who, in the face of danger,bats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage or strength.''


    ''A Person who is akin to a symbol of good, someone that saves, somewhat fights evil...someone that influences others to be like him.''


    A Young Elijah wondered...Every time he looked at theputer screen...he wrote down every single definition in a  notebook.


    And thus...after years He finally found something...or rather multiple things that suited a Hero.


    Someone who fights for their loved one''s safety...someone who fights for good. Someone who cannot let Tyranny Rule, Someone who....will do Anything to protect people...someone who will go extreme lengths to...do their duty!


    That was what a young Elijah Ardor believed...and this belief didn''t change through hundreds of iterations.


    It was only strengthened...The Belief was only strengthened through numerous defeats...


    And became the belief that a Hero must be a beacon of light and hope even in the Darkness Of Oblivion and Extinction...


    No Matter how many times he falls...he must always get back up.


    He Must!


    *******


    Avari suddenly stopped torturing Serena as he felt tremendous pressure that gave him chills.


    He dropped the girl in his hands and turned to face the tremendous as he drew his ws...


    And there he saw the boy that he had beaten ck and blue, the boy that struggled to move his body...the boy that had lost so much blood it was utterly unbelievable he was alive.


    He stood up...covered in a red, blood-red me.


    The me pulsed, it epassed the entire Area and as soon as it made contact with Avari it burned his skin.


    "AHHH! WHAT IS THIS?!"


    As his skin was being burnt by the mysterious mes...he felt it.


    "SUCH PURE CELESTIAL ENERGY!.... IT BURNS!"


    His screams of pain would be heard by no one, and the one causing this much pain to a demon of his rank was none other than Elijah Ardor...who had activated [DECIMATION] to its full capacity.


    His body be red, covered in red lines that appeared to have magma flowing through them.


    ''Elijah'' slowly walked towards Avari, so calmly it was frightening.


    Avari Flew up, withstanding the pain as he tried to flee.


    Elijah didn''t care for him, ignoring him and just moving to his injured Smander and Serena, covering them up in a me that healed their wounds.


    "MONSTER! WHAT ARE YOU?! WHICH CELESTIAL HAS OCCUPIED YOUR BODY?!"


    Avari screamed as he flew high up in the air and screamed at ''Elijah''.


    ''Elijah'' looked at him calmly, and just simply raised his hand as Avari found it difficult to move.


    "What?!"


    "Why can''t I move?!"


    Avari screamed as his body was being constricted, his fear multiplying tenfold. The energy Elijah was omitting terrified the shit out of him.


    ''Elijah'' stared at the struggling demon in the air, screaming at him.


    "YOU MONSTER LET ME GO! WHAT ARE YOU?!"


    Amidst his screams, ''Elijah'' uttered only three words.


    " I am..."


    ''Elijah'' spoke for the first time...and ended the demon with his next word.


    "Judgement."


    A pir of fire fired from Elijah''s Hands and covered Avari, burning him till nothing was left.


    "AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"


    The Pir of fire, after burning the demon did not stop even after extinguishing the demon from existence.


    It shed with the barrier epassing the Ind, dyeing the Ind under a bright red glow, a radiant glow.


    And as it disappeared, as the howls of a wolf were heard, ''Elijah'' staring at a direction where ''thunder'' could be heard.


    "Monster?"


    ''Elijah'' muttered, the lines of magma receding.


    "I''m not the monster."


    His gaze shifted to the sky above where he was looking.


    And from that direction, where he heard the Crackles of Lightning, he saw a beam of white rise.


    A beam that overshadowed his pir of fire, breaking the barrier epassing this Ind.


    "Isn''t that you, Aranus?"


    And the lines of magma receded, and he fell unconscious whilst standing.


    A Hero must never fall, after all.


    ******


    [CELESTIA]


    At the highest peak of Celestia, A Swordy embedded in a cloud, just below the Moon.


    A beautiful and elegant sword, with its handle made of a golden material and de possessing pure white radiance.


    The de, vibrated for a bit as it sensed a familiar Energy, The energy of its true master, The Defyer of Oblivion.


    The Pure white de, began to glow, signifying its awakening, announcing it to Celestia.


    Slowly, from the cloud, the dark skies of Celestia began to be epassed in a golden light that filled the entire realm.


    All celestials that saw the Golden light, raised their swords, Hands, and whatever else they were holding into the sky, and shot a golden beam of their own Celestial Mana.


    Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubs, Seraphims...everyone raised their hands and began to chant a prayer.


    "Oh, Hero of Celestia, your awakening fills us with hope!"


    "Oh, Hero of Celestia, Your Awakening fills us with hope!"


    "Oh, Hero of Celestia, your awakening fills us with hope!"


    They chanted in unison, the entire realm of Celestia being drowned in their prayers...A sight that was magnificent as the glow illuminated the night sky.


    It was the light that signified a prophecy, and the awakening of their Greatest Weapon.


    Caliburn, The Ruler of Holy weapons...had awakened.


    *****


    [Celestia]


    In the grand cathedral, the figure draped in a white robe and wearing a golden mask basked in the light that Caliburn exuded.


    It was a phenomenon that went on for quite a while, hours even and he stood still in the same ce, basking in the holy light.


    But Eventually, it had to end.


    "A pity...I would have liked to Enjoy it more."


    The figure said,menting over the fact that the light ended very soon.


    "So you have awakened once again, Ardoris, yet only for a brief moment..."


    The figure said, gazing down at the bright green fields of Celestia, thriving with life.


    "The threads of fate begin to spread once again, another iteration appears, another round of Suffering ensues..."


    The figure continued, his golden mask which disyed no emotion...suddenly appearing remorseful, full of regret.


    "Since Ardoris has now Awakened...''He'' will soon make an Appearance soon enough..."


    The figure said, spreading its senses to far reaches...keeping it like this for a while...but he did not need to keep it for long.


    For he felt it....The figure felt ''His'' Power.


    "And so it Begins...once again."

 Chapter 194 [194] What Am I? I Am....

    Henry faced the raging behemoth by shooting multiple arrows of wind, all doing little to no damage.


    *CRASH!*


    He dodged another tackle of the Goliath type, applying wind on his feet to increase his speed.


    ''That damn armour of its is annoying!''


    *CRASH!*


    He thought whilst dodging another tackle of the Goliath, firing off two Arrows at its face.


    *Shiu!*


    *Shiu!*


    They bounced off its armour yet again, and Henry was running out of mana to use.


    "GROAAAHHH!"


    The demon attacked everything in sight, destroying the building and surroundings one by one.


    "Gah!"


    A flying rock hit Henry in the head as he was trying to dodge the Demon.


    Blood started to fill his vision....and then he found himself unable to move.


    Mud had gathered around his feet, restricting his feet.


    "SHIT!"


    Henry cursed as he found himself trapped in the demon''s trap, unable to move whilst it was rushing towards him with its huge body made of stone.


    He struggled to move, and the demon got closer and closer to him.


    His life shed before his eyes...until.


    "HAAAH!"


    *BAM!*


    Apanied by a heroic warcry, arge steel hammer smashed into the Goliath, sending it off course, and barely missing Henry.


    Isshin had appeared and had saved Henry.


    And Along with his appearance, came a sword of light that attacked the Demon from above, finally damaging the foul beast.


    "GRAH!"


    A pained cry came from the Demon. Enraged, it turned towards the attacker, ine Parker.


    ''''...Shit."


    "GROAAHH!"


    ine cursed as she saw the goliath rushing towards her, she tried to run but was instead carried by a spirit (Wind Eagle) into the skies.


    "Sky, take her to the skies and keep her there! ine supports us from Above."


    Henry shouted as he summoned his spirit, the Wind eagle Sky, and ordered her to take ine to the Skies.


    "Im scared of heights!"


    "JUST DEAL WITH IT!"


    ine screamed but was instantly shut by Henry.


    "HAAAH!"


    "Groah!"


    Isshin and the Goliath engaged in battle, Isshin smashing it with his hammer whilst it tried to grab Isshin.


    *Shiu!*


    *Shiu!*


    Henry fired two more arrows at the Goliath but used a skill immediately after.


    [Lance of Wind!]


    Ance asrge as an Adult male and twice the width appeared from Henry''s hands and reached for the Goliath, Hitting it!


    "GROAHH!"


    *CRUMBLE!*


    Finally, some of the armour covering the Goliath broke, revealing its corrupted skin.


    It was given no moment of rest as a dozen spears of Light attacked it, embedding themselves within its body.


    It thrashed around, managing to hit Isshin who was sent flying, But two balls of Golden light hit him almost immediately when he crashed, Healing him instantly.


    ine, showing her skill as a great healer, immediately sent two heals towards him.


    Isshin got up, and then rushed towards the Goliath once again...the fist of the Goliath and Isshin''s hammer collided.


    *CLANG!*


    They both shed, and Isshin''s hammer broke into Pieces from the impact, shocking Isshin greatly.


    During his Shock, the Goliath hit him again and flung him off, it was about to take him but was distracted by Henry.


    "Eat This you stone freak!"


    Henry said as he fired another Lance of Wind at the goliath, Hitting its face and breaking off another few pieces of its armour.


    "GRAOHHH!"


    And as it screamed in Pain, Henry almost fell as he was low on Mana...but then a sudden SHout from ine woke both Isshin and Henry up.


    They were covered in a golden light, rejuvenating them as they heard Her voice.


    "I Need you guys to keep that thing still for a few seconds!"


    Both Henry and Isshin stared at ine incredulously.


    "Just for a few Seconds!"


    They both gulped...and rushed to the Demon together.


    Henry, being Faster, reached it first and just as he was about to tackle the Goliath, he jumped high up and dropped behind the Goliath, He prepared His Bow and was about to Shoot the Legs of the Goliath, but it turned around at breakneck speeds and grabbed Henry with its big Hand.


    "Khhh!"


    It crushed Henry''s waist with its Grip...but was suddenly tackled by Isshin from Behind.


    "Deal With someone your own Size!"


    He grabbed the Goliath from the waist, keeping it in ce as he tried to dig his finger into the stone giant''s body...but was failing.


    Henry kept firing arrow after arrow at the face of the Stone Giant, all whilst his waist was being Crushed.


    ''Come on...ine Come ON!''


    He thought in his mind as he pleaded for ine to finish up with whatever she was nning....and then it Came.


    A golden light epassed them both, Rejuvenating both Isshin and Henry, all whilst dealing the Demon great Damage, its rock armour melting.


    It let go of Henry...and thrashed around in Pain.


    "No way...that didn''t take it down...?"


    ine said from the sky, her strongest Skill, [Beacon of Holiness] had failed to defeat the demon...and she was slowly losing consciousness due to the absurd Mana Cost.


    Henry and Isshin fell back, not wanting to get caught up in the rampage of the demon whilst it was in pain.


    Henry and Isshin both coughed up blood, even if they were healed a little from ine''s Skill, they were still far too injured to be healed so easily.


    "Isshin...Can you draw its attention for a while?"


    "Got it,"


    Henry asked Isshin, who agreed immediately and rushed at the Demon.


    "DUCK WHEN I GIVE YOU THE SIGNAL!"


    Henry shouted whilst Isshin engaged with the Stone Giant, keeping it upied for as long as possible.


    He took a deep breath as a bowrger than even himself formed in his hands.


    "NOW!"


    He screamed, And Isshin upon hearing his signal immediately ducked.


    <<[[BOW OF TEMPEST]]>>


    ///FOURTH MOVEMENT


    |||BOLT OF TEMPEST STORM|||


    A bolt of wind encased in some lighting shot towards the Stone giant, hitting it in the exposed area of its face...and blowing it clean off.


    Henry fell Unconcious due to the recoil of using a technique far above his capacity.


    And as he fell unconscious, his spirit disappeared, dropping ine from the sky.


    She hit her Head On Isshin, and they both were knocked out.


    ****


    [OUTSIDE THE ISLAND]


    "How does it feel to witness my Supreme Power Draconian?!"


    Kasoris mocked Kazikato as they continued their bout in the sky.


    The sea below them raged, the Sky above them Dark, it was clear a storm was approaching.


    Kazikato stayed still in the air, looking at Kasoris as he blocked another attack.


    "THIS IS MY ALMIGHTY POWER!"


    Kasoris continued his onught, attacking and attacking Kazikato, who...in an instant blocked Kasoris hits and hshed his chest.


    Kazikato had had enough, he was tired of this fight. It was not entertaining.


    "Almighty? Supreme?"


    Kazikato said as he looked at the injured Kasoris. And continued his speech.


    "You call that Supreme?"


    He said, as a wild wave of mana erupted forth from Kazikato, pushing Kasoris Back.


    "what?!"


    Kasoris said, intimidated and surprised by the sheer level of Power Kazikato was emitting as he backed off slowly...the mana of death corroding his very existence, his chaos mes suddenly not being able to defend against it.


    "You are not Supreme."


    Kazikato said, to him this was a mockery towards the Actual Supreme Beings.


    His GrandDragon, Ariel...was a being that surpassed the rank of Supreme...and this fool of a demon thought he was just a rank below her?


    "WHAT POWER WERE YOU HIDING? WHAT TRULY ARE YOU?!"


    The chains of death restricted Kasoris as he tried so so desperately to break free.


    Kazikatio, whilst looking at him, smiled as he raised his scythe high up in the Air.


    Death mana started to converge around it, shaking the world as it began to distort.


    " Who am I?"


    Kazikato asked the restrained Kasoris, getting closer and closer as his scythe began to take on an even darker shade.


    "GET AWAY!"


    Kasoris screamed, his pride and his demeanour gone, the same confidence he held gone, erased from existence.


    His fear increased tenfold as he gazed at the ck Scythe that was inching closer and closer to him.


    "I..."


    Kazikato spoke, terrifying the poor demon even more, the world getting darker and darker around them.


    " Am [Death]."


    He Said, in a low yet shrill voice, and his scythe shed down at Kasoris.


    And then the world went ck for Kasoris.


    *****


    A/N; n ising next, sorry for the wait.

 Chapter 195 [195] Fight, Alan Peccator!

    n grabbed Sabrina and jumped away, barely avoiding an attack from arge green hand aimed at Sabrina.


    "...What?"


    Sabrina said, surprised as n suddenly pulled her, and then...she felt enormous pressure.


    A Figure, more prominent than a Pit Fiend, had appeared in their previous location. Holding arge war Axe with one hand and its other hand extended from its robe, arge green hand, covered in red markings.


    n Let Sabrina down as he slowly got in front of her, summoning his armor and Spear.


    [Sabrina, listen to me and stay close, shit is about to get real.]


    Sabrina received a message from n through the Spatial, and she was about to respond when multiple explosions went off.


    BOOOM!


    BOOOM!


    BOOOM!


    The Entire Ind...was full of them.


    "Impressive, To think you dodged it."


    n and Sabrina heard the attacker speak, a red energy covering him...an energy that was not Mana.


    "...Aura?"


    n said...steadying his stance as he saw the red energy re higher up.


    "Indeed."


    The figure answered, removing its hood, revealing a bald green head that was filled with scars and red markings and a purple Metal Band around its neck.


    An orc...a species that should be near impossible to find on Earth.


    The orc held arge war axe, which although it may look worn down because of the multiple battles it had brought victory in, was still emitting a menacing aura.


    Sabrina And n remained quiet, n barely being able to move his mouth while Sabrina was barely being able to stand.


    "Sabrina Wellington."


    Suddenly, the orc called out Sabrina''s name, catching her and n Off guard.


    "You have quite the bounty on your head as the daughter of the Wellington''s, a magic prodigy and apparently very beautiful ording to humans."


    The orc said, all whilst n carefully watched its movements.


    "Come with me quietly, I do not want to cause unnecessary bloodshed, I will not kill that boy with you as well."


    The orc said a ridiculous statement and released its pressure so that Sabrina could talk but before she even had the chance to speak...n had already rushed towards the Orc.


    SWOOSH!


    At a speed she was not able to see, n lunged at the Orc.


    *CLANG!*


    n''s spear was blocked by the axe, and the orc Sighed.


    "Why do you have to intervene? I was offering an easy choice there."


    The orc said, looking at the Boy that had just denied a chance to live with pity.


    "Sorry, But I am not letting you touch her."


    n said as he pushed his spear against the axe, and the orc seemed somewhat surprised by his strength.


    "You possess remarkable strength for a human of your rank,"


    The Orc said whilst n Continued to push harder and harder, but to no avail.


    Sabrina for the first time saw n Being overpowered, and looking smaller than his opponent just as she was about to attack as well, The orc pushed n off easily before smashing his axe on the ground.


    TREMBLE!


    The earth beneath it shattered like ss and send n flying, the crack heading to Sabrina but n pushed her out of the way.


    "Kya!"


    "Change of ns! RUN WHILE I HOLD HIM OFF."


    Sabrina had no time to even get up before n intercepted another attack from the Orc.


    And Just like that, shes of red and White were all she saw.


    A Battle that she could not even see properly, the twobatants going at speeds she could not fathom.


    She got up and ran away just like she was told.


    She knew she was no help here, only a massive burden.


    It was better for n to fight without having to worry about protecting someone.


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    But then, as a red aura passed her and created a dome...she stopped.


    The orc was right behind her and she could not breathe.


    She stopped in her tracks...and just when she felt that the orc was going to attack, n appeared and rammed into the Orc, sending them both flying.


    "Persistent brat."


    "RUN!"


    The orc said as picked Up n and mmed him into the ground.


    Meanwhile, Sabrina did not look back and began to run again until she collided with the red dome and fell when it repelled her.


    ''Shit...we''re trapped.''


    The horrifying realization came...and she calmed her breathing and turned to face the battle between n And The Orc.


    Since she couldn''t run away...she now might as well try to be of help...however little that may be.


    But she had a feeling that she was nothing in this battle.


    *****


    *CLANG!*


    *CLANG!*


    *CLANG!*


    White and red shed in the area, as a spear and waraxe collided.


    "You are impressive Human."


    The orc said as he nonchntly blocked n''s attacks.


    "Your strength, speed, and durability all surpass that of a normal human at your rank."


    The orc said as he kicked n in the stomach, sending him flying.


    "And you possess good technique as well."


    The Orc said as he rested his axe on his shoulder as he walked towards n who was bust coughing up blood.


    The orc reached n and raised the war axe high up in the sky and said.


    "Farewell, Let it be known that it was I Kubrick, that defeated y-"


    CRACKLE!


    But before it could sh down, a thunderbolt struck its face, and then another hit.


    Smoke rose in the air, but the orc seemed unfazed.


    The orc turned to face Sabrina and exuded a terrifying aura of pressure that made her legs crumble, her knees fall to the ground and she struggled to get up.


    BAM!


    Suddenly n got up and kicked the Orc with a low kick, the orc responded with a horizontal sh that n Dodged by Jumping...but the wind pressure that the attack exuded sent him flying even though he dodged.


    n fell to the ground and barely managed to raise his spear to block the fearful war axeing straight to his head.


    CLANG!


    n struggled to keep the axe away, and it inched closer and closer to his face...and what was worse was that the orc had put its foot on n''s Chest, crushing it.


    CRACK!


    Cracking sounds were heard as n struggled...


    He struggled to keep the axe up, and the foot that was crushing his chest made it even harder.


    "Why don''t you just run away? I will let you go if you let me take her peacefully."


    n heard the orc and smirked as blood seeped out from his teeth.


    "Sorry, It''s my job to protect her you green fuck."


    He said, and the Orc sighed before saying.


    "Well, it was your own choice."


    The red aura appeared from the orcs body, fighting against n''s white mana and pushing it down.


    The ground beneath him cracked, and went under, as the red aura pushed the white mana down.


    "Khhk!"


    n''s insides were being messed up as he tried to fight back desperately but to no avail.


    He was going to die.


    He was going to die...when.


    "WAIT!"


    The orc stopped the pressure as he heard Sabrina''s scream.


    "Let him go and I''lle with you peacefully!"


    Kubrick ignored and continued to pressure n...until.


    " You need me alive right? What if I do this?!"


    Sabrina imbued lightning mana into her fingers and pointed them to her neck, and at this Kubrick stopped.


    "You don''t have the guts."


    Kubrick said, not believing that Sabrina would kill herself...but then she pushed the fingers deeper into her neck and drew blood whilst showing s wicked smile.


    "You think you''re the first one to try kidnapping me?"


    Sabrina said, and pushed her fingers deeper into her neck.


    "Try me."


    She said, but then Kubrick disappeared from her sight and appeared behind her and grabbed her arm forcefully, breaking it.


    *Crack!*


    "I can''t have you die."


    He said before moving to her other arm as a red screen covered Sabrina''s screams as her arms was broken.


    But just as Kubrick was about to break her other arm, n stood up and fired an ice blood at Kubrick''s face.


    [What are you going?! Just stay down!]


    Sabrina said to n through the spatial bond...but the response she got was something thatpletely made her efforts fruitless.


    [And let him take you? Over my dead body.]


    She was bbergasted and tried to convince him to stop as Kubrick was about to break another arm...but n continued firing Ice bolts that missed her and hit Kubrick.


    [It''s happened multiple times, my family will just need to pay a ransom and i just have to be tortured for a bit!]


    There was no response from n as she said here words for a while....but she felt that was angry as he lunged at Kubrick, making Kubrick drop Sabrina.


    [...What are you saying?]


    *CLANG!*


    n blocked Kubrick''s attack...but was then punched in the face with all his might...Kubrick appearing above him and attacking him continuously....


    And then he ripped n''s lower jaw...but n still continued to fight as he sent a message to Sabrina.


    [It is my job...to protect you...and I am DOING MY DAMN JOB]

 Chapter 196 [196] Fight, Till Your Last Breath.

    A ripped-off lower Jaw, along with bleeding from numerous areas of his body, is now purple due to Kubrick''s fists.


    And n still threw punches, fighting again.


    His spear continued to attack, and his white mana fought against the Aura of Kubrick and was pushed back.


    "Impressive endurance warrior."


    Kubrick said as he punched n in the stomach, making him fly back.


    Kubrick did not call n a human anymore, after all, that had gone down, he now called n a warrior.


    He deserved Kubrick''s respect, after continuing to fight even though he was in ''that'' state.


    But even a warrior will fall.


    Kubrick shed his axe horizontally, aiming at n''s waist.


    And n who was struggling to move...could do nothing but get hit by the storm of red aura that enforced the axe.


    The axe hit, and a red storm consumed n. His white perishing.


    His body, which could not be seen inside the red storm of aura, flew crashing into multiple trees.


    Sabrina couldn''t even see it...she struggled to stand up in the storm of aura that covered the area.


    And as heard the footsteps of the Orc walking toward her...she heard the distinct sound of a ss cracking.


    *CRACK!*


    "He deserved to die a more honorable death, not one protecting someone so weak."


    Kubrick said as the sound of his footsteps got closer and closer...All whilst Sabrina tried to desperately fight off the pressure.


    "Truly Admirable, he had a will of tempered steel, a body that was the same.


    A Shame he wasn''t born an orc. If he was he would have been far stronger than even me."


    ''Fight it...FIGHT IT.''


    Kubrick spoke, and Sabrina thought in her mind, raising her mana, trying so desperately to fight this pressure off.


    She tried and tried...her mana red...a hidden rage awakening.


    And then it happened...


    *CRACKLE!*


    Thunder was heard...golden mana red from her body...And lightning was born.


    *CRACKLE!*


    Arge bolt of lightning wasunched straight at Kubrick''s face...and Sabrina could finally stand back up as the mana that covered her slowly start to change color.


    From a bright and golden yellow...to an abyssal ck.


    "I WILL KILL YOU!"


    And then, ck lightning erupted forth from her body.


    Destroying the area around...she had just done a feat that even elven magic prodigies found hard to do.


    Thebination of two different, contrasting elements.


    Lightning...and Darkness.


    ****


    [n Pator PoV]


    ... I can''t move...


    My guts are spilling out...my spine that stopped the axe when my flesh could not is cracking...


    Stand up...


    *CRACKLE!*


    I can hear the sound of thunder.


    I tried to rise...my hand did not move.


    I tried to stand...my legs did not move.


    Mend....Mend...


    Heal...Heal....please.


    The aura that has attacked me is stopping the power of the Pheonix.


    I cannot see...my eyes are filled with blood...I cannot speak...my jaw is gone...


    Heal, please...My body please heal.


    *CRACKLE*


    The sound of thunder is weakening...


    And I still cannot move.


    Oh, Mighty phoenix...is this the extent of your powers?


    To lose to the aura of an orc?


    I know it isn''t...I know it is because of my weak bloodline concentration...


    I plead....please show your power...my blood that contains the Pheonix...show the might of a being that shed with the king of chaos dragons, The being that had a seat at the council of Godbeasts.


    Please...hear me and heal me.


    Please...let me fight up.


    *CRACK!*


    *SPSSSHHH!*


    Mend, my flesh...fight off this aura with your golden aura...and make me stand up.


    [The Blood of the phoenix is getting stronger.]


    [Your Bloodline concentration has increased.]


    With this golden aura...that mends my flesh..that signifies the birth of a phoenix...make me rise...


    Rise...to fight.


    *CAWWW!*


    ****


    Kubrick fought off the ck lightning as he made his way toward Sabrina.


    A storm of ck lighting covered him as he made his way to the genius of magic.


    His aura fought it off, the ck lightning trying so desperately to break through but failing mostly.


    ''An Elven genius would find it hard to do so, but this human did it at her age...''


    He thought as he now realized why these humans had so many points on their heads.


    And regret came to him....if only they were not human.


    If only these two geniuses were born as orcs or elves...they would have achieved so much and would have been provided much more guidance and Protection.


    Such a shame that he is forced to kill them for his freedom.


    He grabbed Sabrina with his hand, his handrge enough to grab her entire body...and he slowly crushed it...making sure that she could not breathe.


    Sabrina tried to elctrocute Kubrick...but to no avail.


    "Sleep."


    Kubrick said as he gripped harder.


    Sabrina struggled to breathe...and just as she was about to pass out... both her and Kubrick saw a golden light.


    Kubrick''s eyes widened and Sabrina showed a faint smile.


    ''Impossible...''


    ''...I knew he wouldn''t die that easily...''


    They thought respectively as they saw n fucking Pator rise up.


    Slowly...his body was shrouded by a golden light..as his flesh mended and his eyes began to glow blue.


    Kubrick dropped Sabrina, and raised his axe to fight again...finally feeling threatened.


    A golden light engulfed him, a fire that burned him and in front of his very eyes, n Pator began to transform...a pair of golden wings of fire appearing on his back, his body beginning to glow a bright blue and growingrger.


    Scales appeared on his body, a tail formed, and then roar was heard.


    *ROAR*


    and in front of both Sabrina and Kubrick, a Draconian with white-blue scales appeared, a draconian with golden wings of fire appeared.


    A body of simr size to Kubrick, Charged at the orc.


    And Kubrick met this challenge head on.


    ------------.


    A/N;Short chapter cuz I am sick...


    Sorry for the inconvenience.

 Chapter 197 [197] Protect, Whom You Want To Protect

    A blue-white draconian with golden wings of fire, releasing pure white mana battled with an orc that had glowing red engravings and was covered in a red storm.


    In front of Sabrina''s very eyes...a battle between two mystical powers was urring.


    Mana Against Aura.


    Fist against Fist.


    Kubrick and n engaged with each other and wrecked the surroundings.


    The fragments of the area hit Sabrina, and she conjured a mana barrier around herself.


    But never did she stop looking at the fierce battle urring in front of her.


    "So this was the reason behind your strength!"


    Kubrick smiled as he continued fighting n, who roared back in response as well as punching Kubrick in the face.


    *ROAR!*


    *BAM*!


    "It was because you were never a human! You were a DRACONIAN! A SERVANT OF A DRAGON!"


    For the first time in this battle, Kubrick showed a smile that showed he was enjoying this fight to the fullest.


    "COME AT ME OH DRACONIAN, LET US FIGHT TILL DEATH!"


    The red storm of aura red up higher, and battled the storm of white Mana!


    Roar!


    The white draconian roared, and its fists and Kubrick''s fists met!


    Sabrina flew back from the sh...the mana barrier she conjured breaking.


    She hit a tree...and fell as she coughed up blood...but then a magnificent sight happened before her.


    The white draconian rose to the sky, its golden wings red up and released hundreds of golden arrows that fell upon thend.


    Kubrick''s aura red up to protect him, and a few arrowsnded on Sabrina.


    *Shiu!*


    *shiu!*


    But instead of being burned as she expected, she saw that her wounds were healing as more golden arrows fell forming a circle around her, blocking the surrounding aura and mana from reaching her.


    She could finally stand and stared at the magnificent sight in awe, as now multiple shards of ice fell upon Kubrick.


    ''...n wasn''t a human?''


    As the battle went on, She thought as Kubrick jumped into the sky and mmed n into the ground by grabbing his tail.


    All the pieces of the puzzle were now together.


    His unusual rank for his age, his abnormal strength, and his abnormal aptitude for mana.


    His abnormal talents...was because he was not a human...but from a race far above a human.


    A descendant of a dragon, A Draconian.


    And from what she could see, n was a different kind of draconian, unlike the boss monster Draconians of B-rank dungeons and above.


    *ROAR!*


    n fired a beam of white light from his mouth but the move backfired when Kubrick dodged to the side and uppercutted n, making the beam of mana explode in his mouth.


    Kubrick then tackled n, pinning him to the ground, and trying to break n''s neck.


    *ROAR!*


    The white draconian roared in pain..but was saved by a ck lightning bolt that attacked th orc on the back of the head with great uracy.


    n immediately took the opportunity and threw Kubrick off with his tail, he then punched Kubrick andnded fist after fist on the orc.


    *BAM!*


    *BAM!*


    "GRAHH!"


    Kubrick yelled and a storm of red aura erupted from him, pushing n off him.


    n was immediately assaulted by numerous punches by Kubrick...and soon fought back.


    ''n'' was no longer there...and neither was the calm Kubrick.


    Two Beasts...Two Absolute forces of Nature, One Mana, and the other Aura fought.


    Fist after fist, which then devolved into biting each other and using whatever means to attack one another.


    The world began to be dyed in Red And White, as two beasts roared at each other as their fists shed.


    *ROAR!*


    *ROAR!*


    They roared respectively, Hitting each other with their fists.


    *BAM!* BAM* BAM BAM BAM BAM*


    Their fists hit each other''s faces at the same time, and they both fought vigorously.


    n ducked and sweeped Kubrick with his tail, and then tried to pounce on Kubrick, trying to rip him into shreds but Kubrik kicked him before he could do that.


    He then attacked n by elbowing n in the face, as he bit off another area covered with skills.


    n''s red blood changed the color of his white scales, as another punch from Kubrciknded on his face.


    n instantly fired off another beam which managed to hit Kubrick, sending him flying.


    n flew to him and grabbed him and raised Kubrick high in the air before throwing him to the ground.


    Kubricknded on his feet but was caught off guard by n pouncing on him at full speed from the sky.


    Their battle went on as the ground started to disappear.


    "GRAHH!"


    "ROAR!*


    Kubrick''s war cry and n''s roar were heard simultaneously, and the sh between white Mana and red Aura got even more intense.


    "Either you or I will leave here alive Draconian!"


    Kubrickughed as he faced n.


    "And If I Die, thank you from the bottom of my heart for delivering me to the holynd!"


    Kubrick said words n couldn''t Understand but Sabrina could.


    She had read in a book about orcs, that they yearn for an opponent that could give them a battle so exciting and thrilling that even if they were to die, they would die happily as they knew their souls would be transferred to their Holy Land.


    The Holynd where the souls of the greatest orc warriors resided.


    Kubrick, who had been reduced to a mere ve from a chieftain, thought he lost the chance to go to the ce that was considered the greatest achievement an orc could get!


    But Now...Now...NOW THIS WAS HIS CHANCE!


    EITHER HE WILL WIN OR DIE IN THIS BOUT!


    Either he will win and have the glory of defeating a draconian, or he will die and go to the Holy Land Of warriors, Valha!


    Hence his excitement, hence his gratitude, He had been a ve for too long!


    Kubrick and n were both exhausted, but n was clearly in a much, much worse state.


    The white draconian lost all of his previous elegance.


    Kubrick punched n in the face again and threw him far away.


    nnded near Sabrina...who nearly vomited as she saw his state.


    Mangled Flesh, His own scales that were meant to protect him stabbing into his body.


    The bloodied Kubrick limped toward n, Grabbing his axe on the way, intending to finish n off.


    But he met by another obstacle, Sabrina fired multiple bolts of lightning at Him, trying to stop him but to no avail.


    "Do NOT INTERFERE!"


    Kubrick raised his axe and covered it in a storm of red aura, he now didn''t care if he brought Sabrina back dead or alive.


    A Crescent red shrger than anything Sabrina had seen made its way toward her and n.


    She conjured up multiple barriers...but despaired when they broke so easily.


    And just as her life shed before her eyes, n in his draconian form appeared in front of her instantly and took the blow head-on.


    Arge explosion was heard, and Sabrina found herself in the hands of n Pator...who protected her from the attack by using his body.


    His body reverted to its human form, and n lifelessly fell, No Longer being able to stand back up.


    Sabrina''s eyes showed horror as she saw n fall, And Kubrick walked towards them.


    "Wait! You wanted me right?! Let him live and I''ll go with you peacefully!"


    Kubrick stopped for a moment as he stared at Sabrina, before responding.


    "Huff...You rejected my offer previously, and now you want to ept when all is done?"


    Kubrick panted Heavily, standing still for a while and letting his body recover.


    Even the previous great Chieftain of an entire tribe of orcs was not left uninjured by n.


    He huffed to restore his breath...and used Aura to heal his wounds.


    "I was wrong back then...please just take me."


    Kubrick listened to the pleas...but turned a blind eye to them, as he focused on recovering his strength.


    His wounds slowly healed...and his breathing began to stabilize...and in front of Sabrina''s horrified eyes...the orc regenerated to his original state in a matter of seconds.


    The healing power of Aura of ''that'' level was terrifying.


    Kubrick got closer and closer to the copsed n as he found Sabrina standing in front of Him and the Draconian.


    "Commendable effort, but it will change nothing."


    He said...and Sabrina knew damn too well.


    She was out of mana..which was why she couldn''t fire a single bolt of lighting when Kubrick was regenerating.


    Kubrick raised his giant axe, and Sabrina closed her eyes, epting her death.


    "Farewell, Human and Draconian."


    Kubrick said...his red aura ring higher and higher.


    And then he shed down.

 Chapter 198 [198] I Am Oblivion, I Am Extinction...I Am Aranus.

    In a ck void inside an unknown ce,y a man fully covered in menacing ck armor.


    His body floated in the space, and the man appeared to be asleep, although not much could be seen behind the frightening Helmet.


    Waves of his great power reverberated throughout the space, shaking the ck void.


    *CRACK!*


    a cracking sound was heard, simr to the sound of ss cracking.


    it was unknown where the sound came from...after all in this void of nothingness what could one expect?


    Except for the man, there was nothing there, his sole body covered in armor was all that there was.


    *CRACK!*


    The sound was heard once again, and the space trembled.


    *TREMBLE*


    Once again the sound was heard...and the head of the man twitched.


    His helmet disappeared, revealing a simr face but with long ck hair.


    His eyes twitched, hearing the noise of ss cracking and the trembling of the air...until all was silent suddenly.


    The cracking noise that urred at regr intervals, and the trembling of the space that apanied the noise all disappeared.


    It was a silence that terrified one of death.


    And then suddenly...


    *SHAAA!*


    Waves of Power, Of Might erupted from the man suddenly as he opened his eyes.


    A Pair of pure abyssal ck eyes greeted the world...and the man was now awake.


    Aranus, Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction had awoken from his slumber.


    *******


    [The fourthyer of the Abyss.]


    On top of a humongous demonic castle, on the highest spire stood a ck spear floating in the air.


    It was so incredibly still...and so demonic that an ordinary being would die from the sight of it.


    A double-headed ck de, and a purple unholy Cross guard connected the de to the Handle, which was also pure ck with engravings of a dragon.


    A purple jewel was embedded in its cross guard, with multiple hands holding it in ce.


    The waves of power that this spear emitted were so great that even Demonic gods would not dare get close, afraid of being erased from existence.


    The Unholy Spear vibrated, each vibration calling upon bolts of purple lightning from the sky upon it.


    *CRACKLE!*


    *CRACKLE!*


    The trembling of the spear greatened, the jewel on its Cross Guard shining a menacing, dreadful, frightening purple light that continued to shine brighter and brighter.


    *SHAAA!*


    It''s menacing light filled the fourth Layer of the abyss.


    Multiple demons, both inside and outside the Castle, gathered their powers and let loose their unholy shrieks that sent shivers down one''s spine.


    It did not matter what rank thy were, they all rejoiced in pure ecstasy as the strongest Unholy, Demonic weapon awakened, signifying that it had chosen a master, a demon fit to be the ruler of this Layer.


    The center of theyer glowed a light that soon covered the entire realm, the demons screaming with their demonic voices!


    How could they not?! How could they not create a perfect scene of Hell Itself?!


    The strongest weapon of the Abyss...THE GREATEST WEAPON!


    Vorfius, The ruler of Demonic Weapons, Had Awakened and called it''s master!


    (A/N:Previously, this was called the Spear of Suleras, I changed it cuz I wanted to.)


    *********


    [The lowest point.]


    A Pitch ck realm, where no light would ever shine.


    A darkness that no one could escape from, a terrifying existence that was the source of the Abyssalyers.


    The heart of the Abyss itself.


    Twoary sized purple demonic eyes appeared in this darkness, along with a smile.


    [Vorfius has awakened...]


    A terrifying, eery, scary voice resounded out.


    A voice that contained ecstacy hidden within, the ecstacy of a being of pure evil.


    [Kekekeke...]


    The beingughed, its smallugh turning to a crazyughter that shook the Abyssal Layers soon.


    [ARANUS! FINALLY YOU HAVE AWAKENED ONCE AGAIN!]


    It cried out in joy!


    [NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY, YOU AND I ARE DESTINED TO BE ONE!]


    KEKEKEKEKKEKEKE!


    The being, the Abyss cried out in pleasure.


    [NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU TRY TO ESCAPE....]


    You and I Will be one, my perfect vessel.


    *****


    [The highest Point.]


    Within the Sun that shone upon Celestia, a conversation was ongoing between two beings.


    [Vorfius and Caliburn have responded.]


    The light said, the being it was talking to unknown.


    [ The cycle continues once again, but how long do you intend to keep this ongoing for?]


    It continued to speak.


    [Ardoris needs more of your help to stand against Aranus, he is not strong enough, and neither is he as talented the Oblivion Dragon.]


    [His spirit may break... nothing willst forever.]


    It spoke, and yet the being it was talking to did not respond.


    [The chalice of time will die out soon, how many times must you repeat this tragic story?]


    It''s voice showed hints of emotion, of pity,regret,despair...and hopelessness.


    [Respond to me, Just how many times will you let this farce, where countless suffer continue?]


    The light spoke, The Being, Celestia itself pleaded.


    [My People, The dragons, the godbeasts, the wretched demons, the elves, th orcs, the dwarves THE COUNTLESS OTHER RACES!]


    [HOW MUCH DO TH-]


    [Quiet.]


    The being Celestia was talking too spoke, after all this time, the being spoke, and shut Celestia up instantly.


    [It was because of your ignorance that this happened in the first ce.]


    It stated.


    [Upgrade the System Interface possessed by Ardoris I will slowly, I will enjoy the show for as long as I want.]


    [But you do not understand! They are not to yed with, they are tal-]


    [Enough.]


    Celestia was shut up, and the voice stated once again.


    [It will end, when I want it to end.]


    And Celestia, stripped from her emotions, responded in a monotone voice.


    [Yes.]


    *****


    Kubric shed his war axe down towards Sabrina.


    Sabrina''s life shed before her eyes, she closed her eyes as the axe got closer.


    It was as if time had slowed down during the moments she was going to die.


    But...the axe never came...only a little sting.


    Sabrina opened her eyes, only to fall back as she saw the axe stop just before it cleaved her head in half, just cutting up her face for a while.


    And she saw a sight she never believed she would see.


    Kubrick...sweating buckets and showing an absolutely ''terrified'' expression.


    What? Why? How? When?


    These questions erupted in her mind as Kubrick slowly backed away.


    ...something behind me?


    She thought as she saw Kubrick retreat slowly.


    ''But the one behind me is...n.''


    She was about to turn her head, when Kubrick exploded his red Aura and used it retreat as far back as he could.


    The storm hit Sabrina head on and knocked her unconscious and sent her flying but her flying body was caught by Someone, who gentlyid her down on the ground.


    ''He'' now in control calmly walked towards Kubrick.


    "STAY AWAY!"


    Kubrick released another storm of aura at ''him'', his raised hand holding his axe shaking.


    ''...what is this level of fear I am feeling?''


    Kubrick thought in his mind...slowly losing it...as he walked out of the storm of aura mly, a spear of ice materiliazing in his hand.


    "Why? You did not listen to her, why should I listen to you?"


    ''He'' Said.


    "Are you watching n?"


    ''He said, apparently talking to no one, as white chains made from n''s mana erupted from everywhere, and bonded Kubrick.


    "What is this?!"


    Kubrick yelled at ''him'' as his feet and hands were constrained by the chains.


    "You diligently practiced for quite a while? Shall I show you the result?"


    ''He'' Spoke.


    "Who are you talking to?!"


    Kubrick yelled as his body was lifted into the sky by the white chains.


    "What is this?! Who are you?"


    Kubrick questioned ''him'', his sanity disappearing by the second due to the immense fear he was feeling.


    ''He'' took a thrusting stance, and spoke.


    "I am Oblivion."


    His stance was perfection, His mana raging as he spoke.


    "I am Extinction."


    He spoke, the mana in the atmosphere gleefully responding to his words.


    He trusted his spear.


    ----------------------[THE ABYSSAL SPEAR( 7-star!)]------------------------


    ~~~~~~~~~~<<<<SECOND MOVEMENT>>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    ============//////||||OBLIVION THRUST||||===============


    "I am...Aranus."

 Chapter 199 [Bonus ][199] The End Of This Nightmare.

    A white light epassed the world for a brief moment.


    A pure white light, which pierced the skies, broke apart the barrier covering the Ind and splitting the skies apart.


    It was simr to the explosion of a nuclear bomb, but one that didn''t form a mushroom cloud but only went up.


    It parted the clouds, and dyed the skies and seas andnd white.


    And then it got smaller and smaller and disappeared.


    The cause of the beam of pure white mana stood with an entire arm missing, looking up at the sky.


    Aranus stood looking at the night sky, the moon which was previously covered by dark cloudsing into full view.


    He closed his eyes, seemingly bathing in the moonlight.


    "Did you see it?"


    He said whilst bathing in the sunlight.


    His body twitched, and then he smiled.


    "Good, Remember my form and mana-controlling method, and you will be able to do it as well n."


    He continued to speak, opening his eyes that stared at the moon.


    "Earth has a beautiful moon, A soothing and pleasant sight."


    He said pleasant things, but his face was stoic.


    "Well, I will give you back your control. Take care."


    He said, and the pressure that surrounded the entire ind disappeared.


    Aranus''s pressure disappeared, and n was back in Control.


    He stared at the sky, his eyes wavering, his mouth bleeding, and his insides an even worse mess.


    He wanted to look down at the state of his arm, but his vision faded.


    He lost consciousness and then fell to the ground on his back.


    Thest thing he saw was the moon, and then he agreed with Aranus.


    *Thud*


    The moon truly is beautiful.


    *****


    Kazikato, after defeating the pit fiend flew towards the Ind at a tremendous speed.


    He raised his scythe, and his mana of death red high up in the sky, taking up the appearance of a skull.


    He was going to break the barrier until...


    He saw a beam of white light bigger than even the ind rises up in the sky, breaking the barrier apart and dispelling his mana of death, and sending him flying.


    He crashed into the sea, and when he looked up, he saw a world dyed white.


    "What The...?"


    He mouthed, his scythe shaking.


    "Are you...scared?"


    Kazikato said, the trembling of his weapon increasing.


    Kazikato was astonished, what the heck was that? What was it to make an ego weapon gifted by Ariel herself afraid?


    Kazikato put the scythe back into his spatial ring and flew back to the ind.


    But then...he stopped in the air.


    When the barrier had broken, the ones who were trapped were also released.


    What Perfect timing.


    ******


    Jefferey Stewart, after being freed from the entrapment of the demons immediately searched the entire ind for students.


    He and the instructors believed that because they had disarmed the trap, the barrier had broken as well, and the demons had fled, leaving only a few demonic beasts behind.


    They first approached the Main Building, finding most of the students camped there.


    Henry Fornum, ine Parker, and Ryuda Isshin were found in the back of the building, along with the corpse of a goliath-type demon.


    They found Kurosaki Ren, Olivia Olsfer, Alexander Wright, And Lucas Hiddleston a little further away.


    The injuries on this group were severe, and a lot of the Instructors were focused on healing them, whilst a few went out and patrolled the entire ind, taking care of minor remaining demonic beasts.


    ''The vegetation is thriving...did the students lie?''


    Jefferey thought as he arrived at an area thriving with vegetation, contrasting the words of the students who said this area was like a sea of me.


    But Jefferey didn''t find anything like that, rather he found an area thriving with life, with no traces of fire or a battle found.


    He then entered an open area of the forest and stopped.


    He saw Elijah Ardor standing triumphantly, although unconscious and Serena Soubuelle lying a little further away also unconscious.


    He went and checked their conditions and was relieved when they weren''t injured, and although he wondered what the hell happened, he first transported them to the facility when they wouldn''t wake despite his tries.


    He dropped them off and went to patrol the Ind once again...and now came in upon an area with no vegetation at all, a ruinedndscape that depicted a great battle that had been fought.


    Unlike the previous area thriving with life, death was the only thing found here.


    He went deeper and deeper, the number of craters increasing.


    And then he stopped...


    Sabrina Wellington, lying unconscious on the ground, with her dried blood filling up her face along with a cut and a few other minor wounds.


    But that was not what made him stop.


    *Gulp*


    He gulped as he saw n Pator on the ground, missing an entire arm and in a severe state.


    He grabbed both of them and Handled n with care as he quickly made his way toward the main building.


    The moment he got there, he ordered the entire team of medics to focus on n.


    *******


    "The recent attack on the Ind where the Shield and Hero Academy training camp was held still remains a mystery, with the Principals of both schools refuse to leak any Information.


    Based on Assumptions, it is said that the attack had been nned by demons who had inside help from Shield and Hero Academy.


    They had known where it would be held and had made necessary preparations beforehand.


    A total of 14 students have died, 9 from Hero Academy and 6 from Shield, whilst numerous are in the hospital because of severe injuries.


    Many Guilds and Parents are admonishing Shield and Hero Academy for theck of protective measures, and both Schools are suffering severe public bacsh.


    The Association along with the top 10 guilds are after both Shield and Hero Academy, for letting their future generations almost die.


    Eden, Shields''s biggestpetitor for the top spot has also joined in, with the principal of Eden Saying that they would have never let such a huge blunder happen, and Oliver Olsfer and Mitsuki Aoi have been requested to resign from their positions. Further on this, we have been told that the principal of Hero Academy had agreed to resign but Headmaster Oliver has been supported by many to not resign, his previous reputation saving him. He has also convinced The principal of Hero Academy to not resign and continue working.


    Multiple prodigies have been severely injured from this incident, Titan and Behemoth suffering immense damages, but the most struck guild was undoubtedly Twilight Because n Pator has still not woken up unlike Henry Fornum And ine Parker.


    Many questions once again if Shield should still be the top academy, the Labyrinth incident, and the ind attack that just happened to make their reputation take a massive blow. And support for Eden has increased, and the Association and World Government may just dere it the top, However, because Oliver Olsfer is still a hero to many, this oue can be avoided. But it is clear that Sir Oliver may not be able to handle all the public pressure alone, So..."


    *CLICK!*


    Arken switched the television off as he whistled to himself.


    The entire world was aware of this, every damn channel was covering this,


    His head hurt as he heard the report, before mouthing to himself whilst he took a swig.


    "Damn, Shit hit the fan."

 Chapter 200 [200!!] The Aftermath, And Summer Vacations.

    An Angel is what he appeared to be like.


    With 7 pairs of wings, An armor so beautiful and intricately crafted it would make even the greatest dwarven cksmith envious.


    That Pure white metal in this apocalyptd, those luxurious pieces of gold engravings on it that made even the god of money envious. That pure white de had a golden handle with a golden gem embedded within it!


    That beautiful experience, that...that...that


    It was all but ruined in front of that spear.


    *CLANG!*


    The beautiful white de shed with a heinous ck spear.


    *CLANG!*


    With another sh, the angel and Devil took to the skies, fighting against one another.


    Abyssal ck mana shed against Golden White Mana.


    The sky became ck and white, and the battle between the angel and the devil in ck demonic armor continued.


    Their raging duel destroyed the very fabric of reality, the nearbynd flickering in and out of existence.


    The once beautiful city, the city possessing such architectural beauty that it was famed for throughout the universe, was the one city deemed impossible to siege.


    All was but a waste now due to the Devil.


    *GRAAK!*


    Incrompensibible sounds resulted from their sh, they shed into castles, and spires and ruined them even further.


    The entire area was ruined by the war.


    A war waged against that one devil.


    The corpses of dragons, celestials, orcs, dwarves elves...all the strongest of each race fell in the hands of that *Devil*.


    And only that Angel was left.


    *ng!*


    *CRASH!*


    But even he would fall.


    His figure smashed into the ground, his once beautiful, elegant appearance now ruined.


    He coughed up golden blood, as he raised his sword to block the iing spear aimed at his head.


    The sword went inside the gap between the two des of the spear, barely blocking it from reaching the angel.


    The angel''s golden white mana tried to protect him from the abyssal ck mana of the devil.


    The Angel looked at the devil, at the double-headed ck spear, the ck armor.


    His golden eyes met with the abyssal ck eyes of the devil.


    *SHAME!*


    His golden white mana raged and pushed the Devil back away, who continued his attack almost immediately. But the Angel raised his white de to defy the Devil.


    They exchanged des with one another once again, the spear and sword cracking, unable to handle the power wielded by these two powerful beings.


    And eventually, they broke.


    The Angel and Devil rose to the skies, above the clouds, and continued their sh there.


    But this time, their appearances changed.


    A Golden White Dragon with 7 pairs of angelic wings, shed with an eastern ck dragon.


    It drove the ck dragon into the ground, and their breaths shed with one another, And a huge explosion took ce.


    Pirs of Blood red fire, Swords of Light all rained down on the ck dragon.


    Purple Lightning, along with ck ciers of ice, all rained down on the white dragon.


    Their sh destroyed the world, it destroyed reality itself.


    The golden dragon fell to the ground, but it stood up again even though its entire body was littered with chaos energy, destroying it.


    It got up because hope must never fall.


    It fired off onest beam of light, a light that shone across the dead universe.


    The universe shone with light full of life one more time.


    But that light was interrupted by a purple, deathly light.


    The breaths of the two dragons shed with one another, Dyeing half the universe purple and the other half gold.


    The purple beam pushed down against the beam of gold, and the light of gold reduced and reduced.


    The golden white dragon used all of its might, and its body began to break down, but the dragon continued, it will fight to the end.


    An end that was approaching near.


    The purple beam had now nearly pushed down the golden beam all the way, and only a few meters of breath remained from the golden dragon.


    And finally, the Purple breath of the ck Dragon came forth as the victor, and as it reached the golden dragon.


    And as it saw its death...


    *****


    Elijah woke up, his body covered in sweat, and his heart beating fast.


    He took deep breaths to calm his mind and heart.


    ''What was that nightmare?''


    He wondered as he looked around, trying to observe the surroundings.


    But instead of a battlefield, he was in a hospital room.


    *THUMP!*


    *THUMP!*


    His heart beat wildly, His sweaty body not calming down in the slightest.


    The beating of his heart increased until a beep was heard, and the blue liquid was pumped into him at an increased rate.


    But even with all that, his heart didn''t calm down, his breathing elerated and he felt his mind flickering in and out of existence.


    His vision was getting darker and all he could hear was the beating of his heart.


    He didn''t even hear the doors of the room open, and the entrance of numerous individuals.


    He fell unconscious, his chest in pain.


    "Quick, Calm him down!"


    ****


    "So Elijah awakened but soon had a heart attack?"


    Oliver, The Headmaster of Shield, asked Elena, the vice principal Of Shield.


    "Yes, Master."


    "How about the others?"


    "Most of the students have recovered and have gone back to their families, Only n Pator, Elijah Ardor, and Lucas Hiddlestone are in intensive care. Alexander Wright has also recovered but has not yet gone back to his family due to some special circumstances."


    *sigh...*


    A sigh escaped Oliver''s mouth.


    "The media is at our necks, and even the student''s parents are out to kill us. How should we deal with this?"


    Elena asked, and Oliver remained silent.


    "We have prepared multiple -_"


    *Knock!*


    Suddenly a knock was heard on the door, and Oliver said.


    "Come in."


    Three figures came inside, Arken Miller, the Sword Saint, And two unexpected visitors.


    Alexander Wright, and Oliver''s granddaughter, Olivia Olsfer.


    "Yo!"


    The carefree Arken greeted Oliver as Elena bowed down to Arken.


    "No need to be so stiff, Elena."


    Arken said as he sat down on a sofa, Olivia sat beside him and Alexander just stood behind them.


    "What is the matter Arken?"


    Oliver asked Arken, and suddenly the atmosphere between them two suddenly turned serious.


    "You know very well what happened."


    Arken said, his voice turning the room chilly.


    "Olivia and Alexander were almost killed, and Lucas and n have still not recovered."


    Arken said, and Oliver waited for him to continue.


    "Shield students were killed, Don''t try to calm yourself, Oliver."


    "I know you''re angry and are restraining it.


    You and I, together with these two, to the Demonic Continent.


    Let''s make these demonic bitches remember us again."


    Oliver silently stared at Arken, and their eyes met.


    The room turned quiet, no one dared to speak.


    "Not with those two."


    Oliver said, but Arken tried to convince him.


    "Alexander awakened Aura, I have to teach him and demons will be the best subjects."


    "Olivia is not going."


    "But grandpa I c-"


    "No."


    Oliver shut Olivia up with just a single word and told everyone to leave except Arken.


    "All of you leave except Arken."


    He ordered, and Alexander and Olivia began to leave following Elena.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll convince him."


    Arken said, and the door shut.


    ****


    "Alexander, congrattions on awakening Aura."


    Elena congratted Alexander as they left the head office, sitting on a couch.


    "Thank you miss."


    "It''s a wondrous achievement, Only Sir Arken awakened it before, but now we have two aura users, Can you exactly tell me how you did it?"


    "...I don''t know quite frankly."


    "Pity, I was nning to teach it to n."


    Elena said as she looked down at her watch.


    "Miss, how are n And Lucas?"


    Upon hearing Alexander, her smile faded away as she said grimly.


    "Not good, both have shown no signs of waking up, and both of them are so severely injured that almost all our medical staff are focused on them.


    Lucas is showing signs of recovery, but n is not."


    Alexander and Olivia had grim faces as they heard her words.


    Elena got up and left, informing them that she had business to take care of.


    And after a while, the door opened, and they heard Arken''s boisterousughter.


    Oliver stepped out and eyed both Alexander and Olivia as he said.


    "...you two cane, but will listen to everything I say, got it."


    And when they heard him they both replied as quickly as possible.


    "Yes!"


    ******


    We hit 200 chapters, thank you all so much for your support and encouragement up until now.


    I had doubts that the story would not seed at first, but then your support encouraged me to write again.


    Thank you for your support and I hope you will continue to support The Viin''s story.


    Oh yeah, I apologize for not being able to upload yesterday, there was a ck out in my city.

 Chapter 201 [201] Summer Vacations.

    Inside a green tube was n Pator, connected to a respirator.


    He was naked except for wearing underwear, and his bare upper body could be seen, covered in his bloodline marks.


    "How are his vitals?"


    Elena asked Vanessa, who after checking on a monitor, said to her.


    "Stable, But it''s weird..."


    "Weird?"


    Elena asked Vanessa. who responded.


    "His body heals way too damn fast, After we got rid of the Aura around his wounds, he started to heal by himself and we didn''t need to do anything, it didn''t even take half a day for him to recover from his wounds. But he still hasn''t woken up.


    His Physical body in the best condition...and disregarding those tattoos, there is no reason for him still be sleeping?"


    Vanessa exined, which prompted Elena to ask another question.


    "What about his bra-"


    "That''s fine as well."


    Vanessa cut off Elena before she could speak fully, and they both went silent staring at the screen that disyed n''s Heartrate.


    "Just What is wrong?"


    Vanessa mumbled to herself as she typed away at a holographic screen.


    "What about the rest? I heard Lucas Hiddleston was also in a terrible condition."


    Elena Said And Vanessa answered her.


    "Fine, he woke up a while ago and should be leaving for his family."


    "So it''s just n, huh."


    "Yep, And I don''t fucking know what''s wrong. He isn''t in aa, his mental state is fine and his physical state is the best."


    Elena fell into deep thought as she stared at n, Taking a deep look at the tattoos present on his body.


    ''I knew about the bird one on his right hand, but how did he get that snake and Dragon? And how did he fill his bird in as well?''


    Elena thought she was one of the very few people who had seen n''s bloodline mark but was unaware that it was a Bloodline mark.


    The thought didn''t even cross her mind, the acquisition of a bloodline was that rare. She just thought it was a rising trend among young boys. To get tattooed so they looked more manly or something.


    As she was deeply engrossed in her own thoughts...something happened.


    n Twitched and a beeping sound were heard as his heart rate increased on the monitor.


    Both the women looked surprised and Vanessa Shouted.


    "He''s waking up!"


    She typed some buttons on the holographic screen and the green liquid started to drain.


    n''s eyes opened as the green liquid was drained, the ss also went down...and his body fell on his knees.


    His breathing was irregr, his heart was beating fast and he seemed to be out of it.


    Elena hurriedly covered him with a towel as she tried to calm him down.


    ****


    It''s dark...so dark.


    I feel as if I''m falling as if something is strangling my neck.


    It''s getting harder and harder to breathe, and the feeling around my neck is tightening.


    It''s as if something is slithering around it, strangling me with its body.


    I''m starting to lose consciousness.


    Help...goddamn it.


    Ahh...what am I thinking of?


    No one will help me...no one.


    I need to get out of this ce myself.


    I tried and tried to swim up, I tried to free myself.


    I grabbed whatever it was that was strangling me, and but down hard.


    *Hiss...*


    I bit and bit, ripped it apart.


    And then when it was gone, I swam up.


    I saw a blue light, up above and made my way toward the light.


    *hiss.*


    I heard it and looked down.


    Arge white snake, that could easily swallow me whole looked at me with its jade eyes.


    I hurried upwards, and just as I was about to grab that light, something grabbed my foot.


    The tail of the snake grabbed my foot, and the snake made its way upward, to eat me.


    I tried and tried to swim up...and just as it opened its mouth, revealing its two poisonous fangs...I managed to touch the light.


    And then I woke up.


    ****


    "Are you calm now?"


    Elena asked n who took a sip of tea.


    "Yes."


    n responded, and then calmly drank his tea whilst Elena told him numerous things.


    She told him everything that happened, how he was found, about the condition of his fellow students.


    "The Wellington family took back Sabrina almost immediately after, and Most of your friends have gone back."


    "Most?"


    "Yes only Elijah is left, he is still in his room and is making preparations to leave. You should visit him until your ride arrives."


    n listened to her and replied.


    "Ok, but what about training?"


    "Why is that on your mind? You nearly died."


    Elena said to n, and he responded in a monotone voice.


    "It''s because I nearly died, what if I wasn''t strong enough to survive? What if a demon even stronger came?"


    A lie, he knew he was lying. Kubrick was far too strong for him, and n lost pitifully to him.


    If not for Aranus, he would have died. He...was unable to do anything.


    The strongest First year, The youngest C rank...what the fuck did those titles mean if he couldn''t even fight the guys that came after him?


    He thought he was strong...but reality hit him hard.


    In actuality, he was strong, no one could call n weak...it was just that he was being matched with opponents just far above his League. First, it was Ezra, and Then Kubrick.


    He lost so pitifully against them...so damn miserably.


    He trained for 3 months to master the Oblivion Thrust...but in the end, he was unable to perform it.


    Aranus showed him how to do it...and he still wondered if he could even replicate 1% of that power.


    That power that annihted everything....could he do it?


    In the end...he lost all confidence in himself.


    "n...I suggest you take it easy these vacations, try visiting family, and being in your guild."


    Elena said, her face showing pity as she looked at n''s state.


    "Don''t worry about training, you have already absorbed all of my skills, and don''t worry about your position as the student council treasurer for a while. I will take care of it"


    "Just rest, go talk with Elijah for a while, he should be able to cheer you up."


    Elena said to n as she patted his shoulder.


    She told him to meet Elijah and informed him that his luggage was packed and he only needed to wait for his driver from Twilight to arrive.


    n got up and left, closing the door behind him as he looked towards the ground as walked through the corridors.


    He walked towards the gate of the ind slowly, and then...


    *CRASH!*


    "Oww..."


    Elijah fell as he crashed into n...massaging his bum.


    His luggage fell, dropping clothes all around the ground.


    "Ahh Damnit..."


    Elijah cursed as he bent down to pick up the clothes and n helped him.


    "Huh? You were still here n?"


    Elijah Said..surprised to see him, he thought he was the only student still there and that he crashed into some shield staff.


    n was wearing a hoodie, so it was quite hard to tell from behind.


    "Yeah, I was about to leave as well."


    n said as he handed Elijah his clothes.


    "Thanks."


    Elijah thanked him and they walked together.


    "How are you so cheerful after what just happened?"


    "hmm?"


    Suddenly, n asked Elijah a question as they walked together while they were talking.


    "What do you mean?"


    Elijah asked he hummed.


    "Elijah, we nearly died. How are you still so calm after what just happened?"


    "I don''t know."


    Elijah lied with a straight face as he faced n with a smile.


    He was just acting, He was confused as well and scared. Who wouldn''t be scared after what just happened?


    He knew very well what happened, how he was so powerless.


    And adding on the weird dreams he had been getting, he was probably even more restless than n.


    It was just that he was good at hiding it.


    "I just don''t think about it. If I don''t think about it I Don''t have to worry about it."


    n was left shocked at Elijah''s answer.


    "You are weird."


    n said, and Elijahughed as they both reached the gate.


    " I guess I am, I have to hurry now, or else I will miss the train."


    "wait."


    n stopped Elijah who was about to run, and n pointed at a ck car.


    "I can drop you at the station."


    n said as he saw Benson exiting the car and open the door for him.


    "Get in."


    n entered the car and Elijah entered as well as he thanked n.


    Benson stayed quiet as n and Elijah engaged in small talk about school life, and soon they were at the station.


    Elijah exited the car, and thanked n once again, who was honestly getting tired of the multiple thanks.


    But as Elijah exited, he stopped and rummaged through his pocket and handed n a piece of paper.


    "Hey, if you have time, visit me and my Family''s fried chicken shop. That right there is a coupon for 50% Off!"


    Elijah said, and n looked at the piece of Paper.


    [Ardor Fried Chicken!]


    "I can promise you won''t regreting!"


    Elijah said before quickly running away, afraid that he might miss his train.


    And n saw his departing figure before he himself also told benson to continue driving.


    ''I think I''ll visit.''


    He thought, and then made his way towards his guild.

 Chapter 202 [202] And It Begins.

    The car ride was silent, Benson just kept ncing at n a few times who was massaging his head.


    n''s eyes seemed tired, and his breathing was irregr.


    He kept on rubbing his forehead, and finally, Benson asked n.


    "Are you alright Boss?"


    n stopped massaging his head and answered as he rxed on the seat.


    "My head just hurts."


    "Do you need medicine?"


    Benson asked, worried for n however n denied it.


    "It''s ok, I just need some rest."


    Benson remained quiet after that, he wanted to inquire more, whether n was alright or not. He didn''t look alright, and Benson thought it was because of what happened.


    Reports did say that n was the one injured the most after all, and he also took the longest time to wake up.


    Oliver Olsfer and Vanessa Greenfield themselves had to tend to him, that alone spoke of the magnitude of his injuries.


    And even now he didn''t seem okay, although Benson just chalked that up to the first time surviving a deadly situation.


    They reached the Guild Office, the Headquarters of twilight located in Astolk city, and entered.


    n immediately went over to his Team room, the Predator team room, andy on the sofa.


    He wanted to sleep so badly, his head was in severe pain. But then the rest of Predator entered the room.


    Kazikato, Alice, and Maxwell entered.


    They remained silent as they looked at n lying on the sofa, but Maxwell woke him up.


    "Wake up, we need to talk."


    Maxwell said, But n didn''t budge and still had his eyes closed until Maxwell kicked him in the ass.


    "Fine! What is it?"


    n asked, annoyed.


    "What do you think? We have work to do?"


    "What kind of work?"


    "Equipment manufacturing, I ran out of stock because of you beingzy as a supplier."


    "I wasn''tzy!"


    "Don''t care."


    ...


    ...n Sighed as he looked at Maxwell, wanting to punch him but thinking against it because he was tired.


    "I was kidding, I know what happened, but we need to go back into business quickly."


    Maxwell said, but then n asked him.


    "How many have we even sold anyways?"


    "About 19."


    n stood up as he questioned Maxwell while confused.


    "What? But I am sure I made at least 40?"


    "Most of them were given to high-ranking members of the guild for their contribution, I know it''s shit, I could have made so much money."


    Maxwell grumbled before he sat down on the sofa.


    "Do you only care about money?"


    n said, looking at Maxwell with disappointment.


    "Yes, and revenge."


    "Sigh..."


    n sighed at Maxwell''s response.


    "Here, I made sandwiches."


    Alice suddenly said as she handed, n, a sandwich, however, something extremely shocking happened.


    "Sorry, I''m not that hungry."


    Maxwell and Kazikato nearly fell, they couldn''t believe what they were hearing.


    n Pator rejected food?!


    HOLY SHIT HE WAS ACTUALLY SICK.


    "What the hell happened to you guys?"


    n said as hey down on th sofa again, closing his eyes.


    "...holy shit boss."


    Kazikato said.


    "You rejected Alice''s food."


    Kazikato was in utter disbelief, however, he quickly grabbed the Sandwich from Alice''s hands and devoured it whole before continuing. Alice, who just had the sandwich stolen, sighed before asking n.


    "You want anything else? A cup of coffee maybe?"


    She asked, trying her best to cheer n up through food.


    That was her only specialty after all.


    "I guess I''ll have that at least."


    n answered, and got up from the sofa.


    As everyone wondered what he was about to do, He suddenly went behind Kazikato and put him in an elbow lock.


    "I trusted you!"


    Kazikato, surprised by the sudden attack, pleaded for mercy.


    "Wait! Listen to me, first boss!"


    Kazikato struggled as he tried to get out of the lock but n was way too strong. He could only struggle meaninglessly as his efforts proved to be futile.


    Alice and Maxwell chuckled at this and Watched the brawl going on.


    But then suddenly, someone else entered the room.


    They all stopped and gazed at the intruder, who was Benson.


    "Im sorry to interrupt, but The Board of Elders has called for Predator."


    The team stood still at the Revtion and Maxwell questioned Benson.


    "What business do they have with us? I already filled the month''s quota already."


    "It has nothing to do with the Spatial Business, Sir Maxwell, but rather something to do with an important mission that they want to assign to Predator."


    Maxwell, hearing Benson, argued.


    "Important mission? It hasn''t even been a day since our leader woke up after having suffered serious injuries, and they want to assign an important mission to us. Do they not care about our Leader''s well-being?"


    Maxwell said, and n looked at him with his mouth wide open.


    ''As if you cared you money-obsessed jerk!''


    n thought, cursing Maxwell in his mind.


    But even he too thought that it was quite ridiculous. n just returned from Shield and Twilight wanted to make him go on a mission?


    "Please juste with me, I myself am not authorized to know a lot about the board''s decisions."


    Benson said, almost seeming apologetic.


    "Let''s go, they should have a good reason to call all of us."


    Alice said, and the team agreed, they should listen to what it was first.


    ****


    "It''s a remote city which does not have the influence of any major guilds, the only guild there is a low ranking guild which only has a B rank guildmaster. The said guild has also been conducting some very suspicious activities, stealing from citizens and iming it to be protection fees, And has also been rumored to have been involved in human trafficking.


    The name of the city is Aror, and we want to establish a guild base in it. You will be provided with whatever you need, and you have approximately three months to aplish the task. We will give appropriate funds and manpower, And we also want you to increase the Twilight guild''s influence in the city, so that Neither Behemoth nor Titan can interfereter on.


    Buy multiple dungeons, and also...because the guild involved already has a bad reputation...we allow you to use any means necessary to make the twilight guild prosper."


    Richard, the guildmaster of twilight said to Predator teams members, and whilst Kazikato and Alice remained quiet, Maxwell asked.


    "Why are we being picked? There are many better teams much better suited for this type of task, Predator''s specialties lie in Dungeon diving and Business, not expanding."


    Richard, listening to Maxwell, Said whilst he repeatedly turned his eyes to n, who had his head down in deep thought.


    "We want you to be more resourceful and have experience in multiple fields"


    MAxwell, seeing Richard repeatedly turn his eyes to n, understood that it was a signal and shut up.


    ''It''s got something to do with the n...then in that case.''


    Maxwell thought, before saying.


    "We only need funds, not manpower, and give me a separate file about the guild that controls the town, talk to our Leader for the rest."


    Maxwell said, and looked at n who was still deep in thought. Everyone in the room turned to face n and waited for his answer.


    "We''ll do it."


    n said, and Predator epted the mission.


    But n had one thought in his mind. This cannot be a coincidence.


    Aror town is...Aranus and Elijah''s hometown, the birthce of these two.


    And they are sending me there out of all ces?


    Something is weird.


    That town...was not a normal town for many reasons.

 Chapter 203 [203] Where It All Began.

    Aror town, the town in which both Elijah and Aranus were born in.


    It was a small city, but nevertheless, it was the birthce of the two most powerful existences in the universe.


    Although Aranus didn''t stay in Aror town most of the time after being ced in an orphanage in Astolk city, Elijah spent most of his childhood there.


    He knew every route in the city, his parent''s shop was there, and it was on the outskirts of this very town where he had met Agri and was trained by Agri. It was also the town where Serena and her mother had been held captive secretively but Serena was saved by Elijah who had received a quest.


    The town was also destroyed during the Summer Vacations because Elijah failed a quest assigned by him to the system.


    He saw his birthce be destroyed, which would propel him into extensive months of training. In order to not be weak again.


    But that was just Elijah''s side of the story in Aror town, For Aranus it was different.


    "The guild in charge of the town is a B-rank guild by the name of Divine tiger, It rose to prominence in the city a few years back because of ''unknown support'' and has been rumored to harass the citizens by extorting them ridiculous amounts of protection fees and human trafficking as well in some cases...however the evidence for these cases has been hidden quite well. Furthermore, the association branch there doesn''t act because the town has no benefits, most of the dungeons in the city are low rank and because of some pressure from the Divine Tiger guild and possible bribes.


    The town is fairlywful, but the citizens don''t like the Awakened there, Most Awakened abuse their powers and harm the citizens, however, somepanies have made use of this hatred and have sold illegal drugs there that can cause mana control to falter. Thus the citizens oppressed by the awakened have found a way to fight back. The remaining guilds in the town act in cahoots with divine tigers and many are said to be sister guilds.


    Fucking hell the town is fucked up..."


    Maxwell read the report given to him aloud while the rest of Predator listened.


    "Well, We do have you two, so we don''t really need to worry about manpower, the only thing that troubles me is we won''t be well received...."


    Maxwell said in a dull and disappointed voice, his words prompting Kazikato to ask a question.


    "What do you mean we won''t be received well?"


    Maxwell, looking at Kazikato, said.


    "The majority of citizens hate awakened and considering their history another guild, especially the third most powerful guild setting a branch in the city won''t be well appreciated. We will have to deal with both the salty ass people and guilds that want us out."


    "If we advertise ourselves well, we can improve our image...but that still won''tpletely remove the bad opinions.."


    "Your right, what if we instigate a dungeon break and block it ourselves? That may earn some good points.''''


    "Are you crazy? We cant do that!"


    "Why not?"


    "We can''t predict a dungeon breakpletely, there are too many variables! And what if people die? Say good things, Max!"


    "Fine."


    Maxwell and Alice argued, whilst Kazikato watched and n was in a world of his own.


    n had his phone open and read a text from Richard.


    [Just establish a branch, you don''t have to do anything else. We know you have family there, spend some time with them. Think of it as a vacation. If problems ur, contact me and Twilight will raid the ce.]


    He read that text again and again.


    Family? The only family I guess I have Is Sam, and the family there is Aranus''s.


    Furthermore, because Richard doesn''t know what actually happens in the town...he assigned this mission to me.


    That city is razed down to the ground, and all because Elijah couldn''tplete the system quest. Thousands, tens of thousands died because of his mistake, a mistake that haunted him for years.


    *Sigh...* A sigh escaped my mouth and I excused myself from the room with Kazikato.


    "Both of us will go train, You guys can n all the stuff."


    I said, dragging Kazikato outside...who seemed to be on the verge of crying.


    ''We''re just going for some practice'' I whispered in his ear.


    but for some reason tears were stilling out of his eyes.


    "Ok, you two won''t be of any use here."


    "Ok, tell me if you want to eat something."


    Maxwell and Alice said respectively and n and Kazikato Left.


    ***


    "Im telling you! I was ambushed by a pit fiend and when I was done with him I moved to the Ind but!"


    *BAm!*


    n blocked a punch from KAzikato and asked.


    "But?"


    "A giant beam of white erupted from the Ind, it tore the skies and broke the barrier. IT also sent me flying and when I flew back the instructors were patrolling the entire Ind!"


    *Bam!*


    n sent Kazikato flying and stopped.


    Kazikato used this chance and attacked n with all his might, but n dodged his every attack effortlessly, still deep in thought.


    "Stay back."


    n said and His spear materialized in his hand.


    He took a stance, a familiar stance, and then thrusted with all his might.


    "BOOOM!*


    The air trembled by the sheer strength n possessed, even when he wasn''t using mana.


    ....


    Yet he was still unsatisfied.


    The perfect stance, the perfect execution that Aranus showed, he copied every part of it easily but then what was wrong?


    He still felt it was wrong. that he wasn''t doing something right.


    He wanted that power, that power that annihted Kubrick in an instant, he craved it.


    Yet he didn''t know what he was doing wrong?


    Was it his mindset? or was it his weakness?


    "Boss? Bosss???"


    Kazikato called out, yet n didn''t hear him.


    He was still engrossed in his own mind, trying to figure out what was wrong with his execution of the Oblivion Thrust.


    He sighed and massaged his head as a headache struck.


    "Boss? You okay?"


    "Yeah...I just need some sleep..."


    n answered, and opened a portal to his suite.


    And then he entered the portal.


    *****


    Arriving at his suite, he was about to go to the couch and sleep but then....


    "Hey Sam!"


    He said, seeing his sister he had not seen in so long on the couch apparently drawing something.


    However, Samantha, his little sister just nced at him before returning to drawing.


    "What wrong?"


    He asked...but then came into a sudden realization. He forgot that he came here and wanted to sleep and focused himself entirely on appeasing his sister, who was obviously mad.


    "Hey...I''m sorry...I was...busy?"


    No answer.


    "Ohe on Samn...Big brother was busy which was why he couldn''t spend time with you..."


    Again, No Answer.


    "Do you want candy?"


    Twitch...


    ''Heh.''


    n smiled as he saw a slight twitch.


    "I have candy..."


    He said, opening his inventory and taking out a chocte bar and moving it to Samantha''s face.


    Slowly...but surely. She would give in.


    That was thought...but unfortunately it was denied.


    ? "Hmph!"


    Samantha turned her face away at thest second...leaving n speechless.


    ''She...rejected candy?''


    Gulp...


    This is going to be tough.


    Just as n was racking his brain on ways to appease his sister...he saw it.


    A single nce at the drawing Samantha drew.


    And his expression turned solemn as he saw it.


    6 individuals, Him, Samantha, their parents and two more.


    He saw just a nce, and picked up Samantha and rested her on his neck.


    She grabbed his hair in anger but n calmly said.


    "Lets go for a tour in the city."


    A rare smile was present in his face as he left the suite, All whilst Samantha was pulling his hair in anger and defiance.


    But that smile disappeared soon after.


    *********


    A/N: So...sorry for no chapter yesterday, reason is I injured my back(Do not ask how.)


    I''ve got another chaptering in soon, i just need to edit it when I''m done with other work. I don''t know when ill finish but i will try to hurry up.


    update:lol thunderstorm caused a ckout.


    new arc is beginning and be excited cuz i am going to break n''s mind over and over again in this arc.


    I shall call it!


    MENTAL BREAKDOWN ARC!


    MUHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHH!

 Chapter 204 [204] Where It All Began{2}

    It was a peaceful night for the siblings.


    Samantha was quickly pacified by candy...which n was thankful for.


    He made sure she had fun to the best of his abilities...and although she wanted to appear angry, n saw through the mask quickly.


    His sister was nearly everything to him...Everything...To the point, it was not an exaggeration to say that she was his weakness.


    She was the only one he had...in his heart.


    She was his little sister after all...Someone he cared for deeply.


    He couldn''t imagine his anger if anything happened to her.


    Yet he wondered...why wasn''t he feeling happy? Why did he have an ominous feeling?


    She was happy...Yet n was not during this trip.


    Maybe his mind was upied with the drawing he saw...And all that came out of his mouth was a Sigh.


    *Sigh...*


    A sigh that disyed his tiredness, his exhaustion that he tried to hide...Thankfully his sister didn''t notice.


    ******


    [Leaving day]


    n tucked Sabrina in a bed in the Predator Vehicle And sat next to her.


    "Your sister asleep?"


    Maxwell asked as he drove therge vehicle.


    "Yeah, How are the preparations?"


    n asked, Whilst he massaged his sister''s head.


    "Pretty good, we bought a building fit for the guild there, and some staff has already been sent to manage it, We just need to take charge of it when we reach there."


    "What? I thought you said we didn''t need more manpower?"


    Maxwell stared at n for a while before answering, mainly focusing on n''s tired eyes.


    "I was wrong, after some thinking, I decided to borrow some from the guild. Don''t worry, they are all trained."


    "I see... How about Kazikato and Alice?"


    n said as he moved into the front seat beside Maxwell. Staring aimlessly at the road in front of him.


    "Kazikato is sleeping, While Alice is doing research for our mission."


    "I see...She does do what she can to help...Even though I tell her it''s ok."


    n said as he sighed.


    "You wouldn''t understand her."


    Suddenly, Maxwell''s words intrigued n.


    "She was one of the heirs of The three top guilds, And whilst Behemoth and Titan gave birth to promising heirs with talent, She was the only one with no Talent. Her mother died when she was young, And The guildmaster had nearly no time to take care of her due to his job.


    She feels at home here, happy. She can finally do something to help. It''s best to let her do what she wants."


    Maxwell said, and n asked him a question.


    "Don''t be offended, but how was it like for you in...You know Titan?"


    "Hell."


    Maxwell answered immediately, Prompting n to be silent.


    "It was hell the moment my talent as a Mere C-Rank was revealed. You wouldn''t understand but A C rank awakened is considered Talented...but whenpared to the others...I was shit. I wasughed at, and thrown away by my family. I couldn''t even fight back because I was afraid. My own Siblings, indoctrinated into believing that Awakened talent was everything, didn''t even dare nce at me and treated me like Shit.


    And I wanted revenge. Which is why I endured the abuse whilst slowly building my power...But my Father was the biggest obstacle. His indifference to his children made it so that we had no protection and had to fight like dogs. And I was the one that suffered most from it."


    n looked ahead, barely trying to keep his eyes open.


    "You can go to sleep. We''re gonna need you at full power."


    "Thanks.."


    n closed his eyes at MAxwell''s advice...but he thought.


    ''Can''t Understand you two?''


    How funny.


    ''His'' Memories, they are so vivid and filled with hate that maybe I understand even more than you...


    His pain, his reasons...His life...They gue my mind. But yet I think.


    How...pitiful and miserable.


    ******


    [Elijah Pov]


    ''I''m Finally Home!''


    Elijah thought as he ran through the streets of Aror city, greeting everyone he knew nearby.


    He ran excitedly through the streets, even bumping into some other citizens.


    "Hey!"


    "Sorry!"


    He ran, towards his house, a shop that was owned by his parents.


    ''It should be open by now...''


    Elijah thought, rushing.


    He really wanted to eat his family''s special recipe.


    He tried to recreate it by himself in shield...but he could never get it right.


    Something always went wrong...he didn''t know what would go wrong but something always did.


    His mother sent him the recipe, but he would always mess it up...


    Therefore, after numerous failed attempts he was dying to try out, the famous prized Ardor Chicken.


    And finally, just when he was out of breath he reached his family''s shop.


    [Ardor Fried Chicken]


    He saw the signup front and opened the door and said out loud.


    "IM BACK!"


    Everyone in the restaurant stared at him, And a few people recognized him...


    "Is that...Elijah?"


    "Eli...?"


    "Yup, how you guys doing!"


    Elijah said, greeting the customers he recognized.


    But then...he heard the voice he wanted to hear, as the kitchen door opened.


    "Eli?"


    His mother came out.


    "Who else mom?"


    Elijah went and hugged his mother, and she hugged him back.


    "My son is back!"


    His mother, dressed in the family shop''s uniform, was a beauty.


    Elijah got his looks from her.


    Her bright orange hair resembled his own, and her scarlet eyes.


    His mother and sister boosted their sales a lot, People came just to take a nce at them.


    Of course, if they tried anything else, Elijah''s father was ready to beat them into submission.


    Speaking of his father.


    The door of the kitchen opened and His father exited.


    A body unbefitting a cook, with a body full of muscle and bright red hair, His father stepped out.


    Mike Ardor, the behemoth of a man that would make many think not twice, not even thrice but four times before trying to pick a fight with him.


    The man''s muscles looked like they could block sharp steel.


    He took a nce around and saw his son.


    "Your back already? wear your apron and get to work, today will be busy."


    "Dear!"


    Elijah''s mother pped her husband on the back as she scolded him for not weing his son.


    "Meh, I''ll do the weing after we''ve closed.


    Your siblings aren''t here, which is why I''m overworked So get in the kitchen."


    "Ok!"


    Elijah agreed but his mother was still angry, and to appease her Mike finally said.


    "To celebrate my soning back home, 30% off on all orders for today!"


    "Woooh!"


    "At least make it fifty!"


    "Or do it for free."


    The crowd cheered and booed Mike, but he didn''t give a damn.


    Elijah put on his apron and got to work, thinking.


    ''Well, I''m gonna be busy today...''


    And then he went inside.


    *****


    The Predator Vehicle entered the city, passing by multiple checkpoints and going towards the building they had bought.


    As they went across, multiple people stared at the vehicle in scorn, and some watched it with suspicious and wary eyes.


    The vehicle reached the building and stopped and the people who were near it ran away immediately, only some brave fools daring to be close.


    The door opened, and n and Kazikato stepped out first.


    "This is the building?"


    n said, looking closely at the building that was bought by Maxwell.


    It looked like a standard 5 story office building.


    Quite nd.


    "We need to remodel it, Then it will look good.


    And the price wasn''t cheap!"


    Maxwell yelled from inside the vehicle.


    Kazikato, whilst staring at the building, was about to ask a question but grabbed a can thrown towards his head.


    *Kkng!*


    He crushed the can and looked at the idiot that dared to throw a can at him, and was about to go kill him but was stopped by n.


    "Let it go, they''re just afraid."


    Kazikato, hearing n''s words stopped.


    But he released his mana outwards and scared everyone remaining off.


    "Did you have to do that?"


    Alice asked as she stepped out of the vehicle carrying a stack of paper.


    She moved inside the building and Kazto entered as well, n went inside to carry the sleeping Samantha and went inside along with Maxwell.


    When they entered, they saw a few people working, which were probably the staff sent by Twilight.


    "You two can do whatever you want, Me and Alice need to take care of some work."


    Maxwell said, And n, who put down Samantha on a couch nearby said.


    "Can you take care of Sam?"


    "Sure."


    Alice responded, and Kazikato and n left to tour the surrounding area.


    "Hey boss, this is your hometown right?"


    "Yeah."


    "Tell me about it."


    "Just see it for yourself."


    Hometown?


    n thought about it. He didn''t really care for the ce. He knew it would go down in mes, which was the reason he wasn''t so serious about setting up a guild branch here. He didn''t have any reason to protect this ce.


    He reached into his pocket and grabbed the 50% coupon that Elijah gave him and said.


    "Wanna eat fried chicken?"


    "Yeah."

 Chapter 205 [205] What A Situation.

    "wooh...are you guys always this busy?"


    Elijah rested on a seat as he asked, taking off his apron.


    "Yeah, It''s been like that ever since your sister went to University and your brother...is busy with his own stuff. Anyways, How about you? Are you okay? I was worried to death when I heard-"


    "Im okay mom."


    Elijah interrupted his mother before she couldplete her sentence.


    "Which uni did Sis go to and what is Eric doing?"


    "She went to Silkin University in the capital, And Eric...''''


    "Is out there killing himself!"


    Elijah''s father Mike yelled from inside the kitchen.


    "Huh?"


    "Dear!"


    "Ohe on Maria! You know what he''s doing so don''t try to hide it from Elijah!"


    Mike seemed enraged as he stepped out of the kitchen, Putting his Appron away.


    "I''ll be awakened and be able to walk again! I''m not doing anything dangerous he says but it''s all bullcrap!"


    His father rambled on and on as he sat opposite Elijah, bringing out a bucket of fried chicken.


    "Is he doing Dungeon Diving?"


    Elijah asked, getting an inkling of what his brother was doing.


    "''What else? He isn''t awakened and hires idiots to protect him so he can ''awaken.''"


    ....


    Elijah quietly ate a piece of fried chicken, while looking at his mother who had put her hands on her face...sighing quietly.


    "Isn''t that Illegal? Does the Association branch here do nothing about it?"


    Elijah asked, and his father answered.


    "Association branch? Those fuckers there have been bribed, all they do is sit on their damn asses!"


    "..."


    Elijah listened to his father''s rant quietly.


    "And to top it all off, One of the three big guilds, Twilight is nning to set up a branch here, everything going to shit in this town."


    "Twilight?"


    Elijah said, remembering the name.


    "Yeah, I can''t do anything if they send a top ranker to deal with us, those bastards are probably trying to ally with Tiger and make more money."


    "That''s not it...probably."


    Elijah said, and His father questioned him.


    "What you mean not it? Those leeches will burn Aror down."


    "No, they won''t."


    "And how are you so sure?"


    "Reputation."


    Elijah said one word which made his parents go quiet.


    "The top ten guilds, especially the top three, have a reputation to keep. They would go to any lengths to protect the image they have. Twilight won''t be able to cover this up, because their enemies are greater than whatever the top guild here has. Plus, they have the Wellington family supporting them, they aren''tcking money at all..."


    He said, and then ate his remaining chicken in delight.


    "When did you get so smart?"


    His father questioned, to which Elijah replied with a slight shiver in his voice.


    "Serena drilled a lot of stuff in my head...Anyhow, how is Eric?"


    "Dead."


    His father said, which made Elijah pause.


    "dear!"


    His wife, Maria scolded him so he finally said.


    "Dead to me anyways."


    ..."Phew..."


    Elijah sighed in relief.


    "I''ll deal with...Eric."


    In this world, There were two ways to awaken, one was an artificial awakening and the other was Natural Awakening in which mana would umte in the body over one''s life to awaken them. Elijah, His father, and multiple talented people awakened through this method.


    Artificial awakening, on the other hand, involved going into ces with high Mana density, like dungeons, and forcibly using items to awaken oneself. This process was extremely dangerous, Mana could rush inside the vessel too quickly and could explode it into a gory mess. Although there was a safer way to perform this whichrge guilds used on their heirs.


    "Don''t bother, he tries toe here again and I''ll personally break all of his bones."


    "That''s enough Mike!"


    His father finally quietened down when his mother intervened.


    "Anyways, how is Sis?"


    Elijah asked, to which his mother excitedly said.


    "She got epted into THE Silkon university at the Capitol! You can''t even fathom how much she brags about you being the second-ranked in Shield. She did say that she would alsoe during this time...although she has runte. Speaking about the second rank...Who is the guy at the first rank in Shield?"


    Upon His mother''s question, Elijah said.


    "His name is n Pator, and he''s a member of Twilight."


    "Hmmph...he probably got that position with money."


    "That''s not true."


    Elijah denied his father''s statement.


    "He''s strong, insanely strong. I once challenged him to a duel and he beat me in a second. He also took down a B-rank monster despite being  C-ranked."


    "That''s impossible."


    His father said, refusing to believe what Elijah said.


    "Well, it is dad..."


    Seeing the seriousness on his son''s face, Mike went deep into thought.


    To him, who was a B rank Awakened, he knew how hard it was to take down a monster above his rank.


    "Anyways, how is your school life going? Although there were incidents, I hope the rtionship between you and Serena didn''t go wrong."


    "Mom! there isn''t anything between us."


    "Yes, Yes Dear."


    "Hahaha!"


    His fatherughed whilst his mother replied sarcastically.


    "Life is good, I made friends and got good grades. and what happened didn''t really matter to me anyways."


    Elijah said, lying about thest part.


    He was still shaken about it, and the weird dream he was getting didn''t help him at all.


    "She''s the daughter of the Association head, Don''t miss out on her!"


    His father said...and Elijah helplessly sighed.


    *sigh...*


    He was about toin, but then he remembered something.


    "Anyways...maybe some of them wille here."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I gave them all 50% off coupons."


    "YOU DID WHAT!? THOSE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN ONLY TO THE RICH SO THEY COME BACK AGAIN!"


    "They are all extremely rich!"


    "Then that''s good."


    His father immediately calmed down when he heard they were rich. Prompting Elijah to say.


    "Money-hungry man."


    "Hey, Im your old man."


    "Old money-hungry man."


    And just when Mike was about to rebuke...Their phones beeped.


    *WARNING! A DUNGEON BREAK HAS HAPPENED NEARBY, SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.*


    And the next Maria knew, Both Elijah and Mike were gone.


    ****


    "Are you fucking kidding me?"


    Kazikato said as he saw monsters all around the ce and people running away.


    "The one day we arrive? This happens?"


    Kazikato questioned.


    *RAWR!*


    A massive blue snake covered in ice spikes rushed towards them as they heard various different monsters


    The people ran, some were eaten by the monsters and killed in gruesome ways all around.


    n stood there motionlessly. There was nothing for him to do...he felt annoyed by this urrence.


    Kazikato was about to transform from Instinct...but was stopped by n.


    "Don''t."


    Kazikato stopped and then took out his Scythe.


    The snake asrge as houses rushed towards them.


    *HISSS*


    And then, as it got near. Kazikato swung down his Scythe.


    And shed the entire monster in half.


    The crescent sh of Death Mana cleaved the snake''s body in half, and Kazikato left to take care of the other monsters.


    n just stood there...irritated.


    "Fucking hell, I wanted to try some fried chicken. Now I''m not in the mood...."


    He wanted to try chicken...he was tired..he was exhausted and this shit happened.


    And pairing the headaches he got, his mood was terrible.


    He watched Kazikato take care of the monsters as he continuously got more and more annoyed.


    This wasn''t fun...His life wasn''t fun.


    He was tired of it...He had always been paired with either opponents that were too strong or too weak...He didn''t derive any amusement from that.


    He was angry...his anger could pierce the heavens themselves.


    And then, from the corner of his eyes, he saw a Woman with bright Orange hair that had a rebar stuck in her stomach as she pleaded for help.


    "Help....please."


    She cried for help...And n moved towards her.


    She was quite beautiful, with a Face and body that many men would drool over...she possessed it.


    But Of course... n, who had the fortune of being the Bodyguard of Sabrina, had developed some sort of unique resistance to beautiful women...a resistance that seeded on everyone but Sabrina and her Mother.


    He calmly walked towards her and took out the rebar stuck in her stomach.


    Blood gushed out as the woman screamed.


    "Quiet."


    n said as he moved his hands around the wound.


    His hands became covered in a golden me and healed the woman''s wounds.


    He then, as if he wasn''t aware of the situation calmly picked up the suitcase the woman had dropped.


    " You dropped this ma''am."


    He said calmly. And the woman watched in Bewilderment., feeling calm unlike her previous trembling self.


    "WATCH OUT!"


    Suddenly a monster appeared behind n, a crimson tiger that bit down on n.


    It was then turned into a gory, beautiful flower of bloody ice, and n sighed.


    "Fucker ruined my shirt."


    He said, his upper body now bare because of the corrosive Saliva of the Tiger.


    He saw more monsters rushing towards him...and his eyes glowed a teal hue.


    And then, a mysterious wave of power followed his words, emerging from his eyes....And he calmly Said.


    "Die."


    And then the monsters died.

 Chapter 206 [206] What? What Just Happened?

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    Something that everyone present couldn''t understand had happened.


    A mysterious force, an unexinable force.


    It just happened, and no one knew why... and how?


    Everything stopped, it was as if time itself had stopped, only the bodies of the monsters falling to the ground.


    *Thud* THUD*


    The people running away stopped, and Kazikato who was massacring the monster stopped.


    They all looked at one man, a man with white hair, diamond-blue eyes, and a striking upper body covered in Tattoos.


    What? What just Happened?


    This thought was on everybody''s minds. This was what was on each and every person present''s mind.


    All except one.


    "I think I''ll just go home."


    n said as he walked back.


    "Boss, How did you do that? It was so cool!"


    Kazikato asked with Glee, but n just continued minding his own business and walked back towards the guild building.


    "Nothing just got rid of pests."


    n said, before continuing to walk as everyone woke up from their shock. Some praised him and some helped the injured.


    But to n, he was growing even more and more annoyed.


    ''Should I kill them all too?''


    A terrifying thought emerged in his mind, and he was oblivious to it.


    However, it seemed he thought of it as a  bother so he didn''t do anything but just took a random passerby''s coat and walked away whilst Kazikato followed him.


    He was unaware of it right now but...he had subconsciously unlocked one of the abilities dragons unlocked as they grew.


    An ability that asserted their dominance, their might, their superiority, their presence and made the very universe do their bidding.


    It was called...


    ''Dragon Fear.''


    ******


    [Back at the guild building]


    "What did you just do?"


    Maxwell asked the one question that gued everyone''s mind.


    However, unfortunately, even the man in question was unable to answer...because even he didn''t know.


    "I don''t know?"


    "You don''t KNOW?! You told them to die and they just died? Their hearts had exploded! We checked the monsters'' corpses. They had their brains crushed and their hearts fucking exploded! And you are saying you don''t know? You sure you didn''t just activate a skill?"


    Maxwell asked, but n was still oblivious.


    "I don''t know okay... and what''s the big problem? I killed them anyways before they could kill other people."


    And upon hearing this, MAxwell''s attitude did a sudden 180


    "You think I''m mad because you did it? I am mad because you didn''t tell me you could do that before! Do you know how clean that made the dissection? Normally you absolutely tarnish the monster''s corpse so that its value goes down by at least 38%! If you could do such a nice execution WHY DIDNT YOU DO IT BEFORE AND SAVE ME MONEY?!"


    Maxwell screamed in anger as he strangled n by the Cor.


    He finally let go, before saying.


    "Do this from now on, and don''t do anything now and stay inside the building. The reporters are everywhere."


    Maxwell said before leaving the office, and n was left alone.


    He looked at Maxwell leaving the door before hey down on the sofa, thinking.


    ''I just got rid of some pests?''


    He thought a cold thought and then went to sleep soon after.


    He was tired.


    ******


    It''s the same darkness again.


    n thought as he stared into the very darkness.


    It happened again, and again and again and again and again and again and again that he was fucking tired of it.


    This suffocating ce appeared when he tried to sleep, every time.


    So many times it didn''t even feel suffocating anymore.


    Now he just felt like he was being watched.


    From everywhere, in Every direction, he felt something...no...someone watching him.


    Every time he slept, this happened...and slowly but surely it was getting to him.


    And eventually, he had to stop it. He didn''t know when and how he could stop it...but he said two words and it ended.


    "Stop it."


    A teal-colored hue erupted from his body, and he awoke as a hiss was heard in the darkness.


    His eyes were dry, and he struggled to go to sleep again. To be honest he didn''t want to.


    So he eventually went outside the office and asked Alice to make him coffee.


    He drank 7 cups.


    ****


    "How are you? Are you okay darling?"


    Mike asked as he helped his daughter, and Elijah''s sister get up.


    "Im fine dad.."


    She said as she took her father''s hand.


    She and the other injured civilians had been transported to a safe area after n had dealt with the monsters. Everyone there was still in shock at what happened, And Mike questioned her.


    "What happened? Were you hurt in any way?"


    He said, worried for his daughter as Elijah went to scour the surroundings.


    "It''s nothing dad, I was healed by the guy that took care of the monster."


    She said as she tried to cover the tear in her shirt, Her father gave her his shirt so she could do it...but the poor girl was too small for it.


    "Such clean kills..."


    Mikemented as he saw the state of the corpses being dissected by the Twilight Guild members.


    He was honestly amazed, never in his life as a hunter before he retired did he see something like this. Such clean monster kills were something that he was bbergasted by.


    "How did this even happen?"


    He questioned, and his daughter answered.


    "The hunter just told them to Die...and they died... I think it was probably a skill."


    "What?"


    Mike was confused, a skill that could instantly kill so many D-rank and C-rank monsters? There has to be none...or else the Hunter who used it was absolutely overpowered...


    He couldn''t believe it and wanted to go see the man, but he gave up and focused on getting his family back to safety.


    "Elijah!e back we''re going home.."


    He called out Elijah, who was surveying the area.


    And they all went back.


    And as they did, Mike nced at the Twilight Building one more time as he thought.


    ''did they do it for fame? or did some other guild instigate this?


    ******


    A ck limo entered Aror city and went to the Association branch.


    Whoever was inside the Limo, was a very important figure because the association branch manager was waiting outside for them, and nearly everyone there who belonged to the association was acting respectfully.


    And who was this important person...or people?


    A pink-haired girl with striking features stepped outside the Vehicle, Someone that had very sharp features and was obviously the daughter of the head of the Association, Harrison Soubuelle, Serena Soubuelle.


    But she was apparently not alone as three more people stepped outside with her.


    Henry Fornum, apparently disguised along with ine...who was also wearing disguise.


    And one more person who didn''t wear anything and attracted the attention of almost everyone left the car with a bored face.


    She wondered.


    ''How did I get dragged into this?''


    Of course this was Sabrina.


    *****


    P.s: Don''t worry if you weren''t included above...my own rank is 170 and I''m the damn author lol.

 Chapter 207 [207] The War Within The Guilds

    "That was a C-rank dungeon break!"


    A burly man yelled and mmed the table.


    "We know, it was the famed golden prodigy of Shield and Twilight that was sent here."


    Another voice answered,


    "Who?"


    The burly man questioned, and a separate voice answered.


    "n Pator, the first ranked first year in Shield. And Also the first Spatial awakened mage in history."


    The people around the table quietened down as they heard this, and the entry area was drowned in Silence until the burly man cursed.


    "Fucking Twilight...What profit do they see in Aror?"


    He wondered, but nobody knew the answer to that...


    It would be understandable if Aror was home to many high-ranked dungeons...but that was not the case...neither was it really high in mana density. Aror had no quality of note that a top three guild would be interested in it.


    But then....WHY WAS IT INTERESTED IN AROR?!


    It made no sense!


    And they sent their prodigy here as well?


    What the fuck is this?


    The group of people wondered but they could still find no answer.


    "How is the production of Anti mana bullets going?"


    Suddenly, a petite woman sitting at the table asked.


    "Good, we produced about 768 magazines and weaponry. We''re nning on selling the low grade to the normal bastards...the only problem is Mike."


    Tch..."


    "Damn bastard should have made a guild in a big city.."


    Curses were heard from all around the table.


    Mike, Elijah''s father was a B+ Rank hunter who was the only one holding this group of people back...Just his Identity was enough to stop a major part of their ns.


    "Don''t worry about Mike, I''ll deal with him."


    A man sitting at the head of the table said, and they all listened to him silently.


    White hair resembling a white tiger, and a figure matching a tiger as well.


    "As for the recent ''incident'', Rhino and his guild take care of it as it was their Idea and territory."


    He said, and the burly man, or rather Rhino Said.


    "I already did, I requested them to share the spoils because it happened in our territory, and if they don''t Im ready to issue a Guild war that I will personally participate in."


    Rhino said, and the restughed.


    "If possible, try getting one of those famous Spatial rings...I have heard a lot about them on the Market. those are more valuable than the monster corpses."


    Tiger, the man at the head of the table said, and Rhino agreed.


    "Of course, If I can I''m getting those prized Spatial rings as well...I''ll beat the prodigy they have and then take em by force!"


    Rhinoughed as he sat down on his chair.


    "What about Mike''s son? Eric?"


    "We still have him hooked, bastard doesn''t even realize he isn''t as talented as his father or younger brother."


    "Hah! to be the eldest son yet be outshined by his younger brother. Pitifuld!"


    Theyughed at him until Tiger stood up.


    "This marks the end of this meeting, everyone go and do what you are assigned."


    And he left, and the others soon followed.


    ******


    "So they wanna take it this far?"


    Maxwell read the guild war request he had received and sighed.


    "Do they have shit for brains? We are the third strongest guild... Or are they underestimating us because they think this branch is useless to the main Headquarters?"


    He wondered, flipping the pages of the request whilst thinking.


    ''That''s probably it, they should be underestimating us. Well, we don''t exactly have a lot of manpower here either.''


    He put down the request and showed a devious smirk.


    "Well, who says only you bastards get to put down conditions...hehe."


    Maxwellughed...and began to write something on hisputer.


    ''They will stop underestimating us the moment we win, so it is better to milk this opportunity for all it''s worth.''


    ''The Rhino guild huh, They have a decent amount of territory...''


    He finished the request he was writing on hisputer...except for the final part.


    ''If they aren''t as stupid as I think...then I will have to throw in some ''bait''.''


    He thought and inputted the ''bait''.


    [If Twilight''s team loses, The Branch will give three spatial rings, to the opposing(Rhino) guild.]


    A wed use...Because he didn''t specify which type of spatial ring...


    The entire market only knew of the spatial ring that could hold 64 items, But was unaware that n could create even stronger and also weaker rings.


    He was nning to give them weak rings ''if'' they lost.


    Well, he didn''t worry about the bacsh, because he didn''t think they would lose. That use was just there to tempt them to ept.


    He sent the request...and then began to work on something else.


    The Public should also be aware, no?


    ****


    In a few days, the entire of Aror city knew of the uing guild war between Rhino and Twilight over the corpses of the monsters.


    Maxwell had done everything in his power to publicize this event...contacting multiple broadcastingpanies.


    "The Twilight Vs Rhino Guildwar will be a 50 vs 50 battle royale. The match will take ce in Aror Stadium, and multiple people have begun betting upon each guild..."


    Mike watched the Tv as he brought a tray of Fried chicken to a particr table.


    "Here youds anddies go, Eat well and remember toe again."


    He put down the buckets of fried chicken on the table where Elijah''s friends sat.


    Upon seeing them, Mike had his money senses tingling, and was happy as hell.


    Three extremely beautiful young daughters of prestigious backgrounds, and a handsome young man as well.


    Of course, Elijah''s friends hade to his family''s shop a short while after arriving in the town...although it was mainly because Serena couldn''t handle being away from Elijah for a while.


    They came here right away, and Elijah was surprised as hell when he saw Serena, ine, Sabrina, and Henrye here. His mother and Sister were also extremely excited.


    "What kind of cosmetic products do you use to get such smooth and fair skin?"


    His sister, Mary, was hogging Sabrina all the while...but unfortunately for her, Sabrina had her attention somewhere else.


    The Twilight Vs Rhino guild war.


    Whilst everyone was busy eating the extremely delicious Fried chicken, her attention was on the broadcast.


    "I don''t use any products, Ma''am."


    She answered Mary without taking her eyes off the screen. And eventually, the rest noticed this strange behavior.


    "Oh is somebody worried?"


    Henry asked in a teasing tone.


    "Someone''s bodyguard is up to trouble."


    Her friendsughed, whilst she shrugged them off and ate a piece of fried chicken.


    "Delicious."


    She said, but Henry did not give up so easily.


    "Someone is worried her bodyguard will be beaten up."


    He said, enjoying this situation.


    "If you think a mere 50 people belonging to a mid rank guild are going to take him down, you''re severely mistaken."


    Sabrina shut him off, while Elijah exined the situation to his family...who understood it well.


    "You let her be taken by someone else?!"


    His father whispered in his ear. To which Elijah stared dumbfoundedly.


    "And why would I care? I have no reason too."


    She said. This was a lie. Her family directly supported And sponsored Twilight, She did care of the oue.


    But that was not the main reason of her worry.

 Chapter 208 [208] 1 Vs 50

    The day of the Guild War.


    The stadium was packed with people all eager to watch the guild war between Twilight and Rhino.


    It was a 50 vs 50 Battle royale, who wouldn''t be excited?


    The 50 elites of the Rhino guild, led by their Guildmaster stepped out, all equipped in their shiny and bulky armor, resembling The animal rhinoceros.


    Rhino, the guild master banged hisrge hammer against his shield, creating a deafening sound.


    "Rhino Guild is here to win!"


    He yelled boisterously, and a reporter appeared and questioned.


    "Excuse me, but what are the chances of you winning this guild war?"


    "Chances? 100%!"


    He replied and ordered his subordinates to take a position.


    "Even Twilight know''s they will lose, I don''t even see their members!"


    Rhinoughed, he knew full well that Twilight did not have sufficient manpower in this city, The only one he needed to be worried about was the C-rank prodigy of Shield.


    High-rank monster corpses, Spatial rings...he was salivating at the thought of the rewards of winning this duel.


    He had prepared sufficient, countermeasures against the skill the prodigy used and much more.


    He knew he was going to win, and announced it openly.


    "Bet on us! We Rhino will Win!"


    The civilians remained quiet, and most of them remained quiet, given their past history. But nevertheless, most bets were in favor of Rhino.


    "The Twilight guild has still not arrived..."


    "Shit...I should have bet on Rhino..."


    The few who had actually bet on Twilight bit their nails...regretting their decision.


    But the fighter from Twilight arrived, he waste, but he came.


    And when he arrived...shivers went down everyone''s spine.


    "What..."


    Rhino muttered...as he felt a chill run down his spine.


    ****


    "All in."


    Sabrina said as she left the betting booth alongside with the rest...who were worried.


    "Sabrina, was that okay? I don''t think n can take on this many..."


    Her friends questioned her actions, whilst Mike quietly watched her actions, Hiding the amount of shock he had from her sheer amount of trust in this ''n''.


    "Yes."


    She replied before going to find her seat.


    She sat down, and her group attracted the most attention, but shockingly this time it was not Serena, ine, or Sabrina drawing this attention. It was actually Mike''s presence.


    He was well known, and one of the few respected awakened in Aror.


    Multiple people greeted him, and he greeted them back as he found his seat.


    "Sabrina, could you tell me about the rank number one of Shield? You seem to know him the best."


    Sabrina turned her head towards him at Mike''s question and responded.


    "I don''t think my exnation will be suitable sir, please just watch this show and judge him with your own experiences."


    She responded with a smile, a smile that drew the attention of everyone.


    "Hmm..."


    Mike looked towards the stage, scornfully ring at Rhino, the guild master of Rhino guild.


    He saw the number of artifacts that the Rhino guild members were covered in...and was inwardly surprised.


    ''Well....all I can do is wait...''


    He thought as he silently sat in his seat...but twilight''s guild members werete.


    And just as he was wondering maybe Twilight had given up...He came.


    The doors of the opposite side opened...the Side of twilight...And everyone present had the same reaction.


    Mike''s hair stood up...and he thought.


    ''Goosebumps? I''m getting goosebumps?''


    Everyone''s attention...in an instant had been drawn to ''Him.'' As he stepped out of the doors and onto the Stadium...with a terrifying entrance.


    ck hair, ck abyssal eyes that had eyebags beneath them, A terrifying smile on his face, wearing light armor shining ck...He stepped inside.


    *Tok!Tok*!


    The sounds of his footsteps seemed to be amplified as he walked, Behind him a terrifying ck skull made of the feared mana of darkness and Death.


    The skull seemed to instill primordial fear into everyone...Everyone''s eyes widened as ''he'' stepped inside the stadium.


    Everyone was on high alert as he alone stepped inside.


    Today was the Day that another monster of Twilight would be Revealed.


    Kazikato Shimoshino...the one man, that had nearly killed n himself, the one n considered to only be somewhat weaker than him...and the one who could sometimes even give n a run for his Money.


    The son of the supreme Dragon of Death, Grandson of the Primordial dragon of Death Ariel!


    He...was here to bring hell upon his foes.


    ****


    [Before the match.]


    "Kazikato, you know what makes people most afraid?"


    Maxwell said to Kazikato as he drove the Vehicle towards the stadium.


    "hhuuuhh?" Kazikato waking up from his sleep thought about Maxwell''s question.


    "Power?"


    He answered in a sleepy voice.


    "No, have you read the 48ws of Power?"


    Maxwell said.


    "No?"


    Kazikato said, and waited for Maxwell to speak.


    "The 48ws of power, thews one needs to abide by to reach the top of the World. It''s a fantastic book. In it, one of the Laws, the fourthw of Power states That one must always say less than necessary. He must appear unknown. The people aren''t afraid of known Power...They are afraid most of the Unknown, the Anonymous."


    "?"


    It was evident that Kazikato Didnt understands a single thing...


    "Think about it, you are unknown, Everyone knows the prodigy that is n is, the first ranker of Shield, the one who is known as the youngest C rank, the first spatial ranked awakened. and so many more...But who knows about you? Your strength isn''t far off from n, And yet you are unknown. And this anonymity of yours is what we will take advantage of.


    Imagine, someone unknown, someone as strong as n, appearing suddenly, saying nearly nothing, and destroying the entire team. His entrance so mysterious, yet so terrifying that it makes people wonder about him, treat him as a god, as an unknown variable...a dangerous  variable..."


    "So I just need to make a mysterious but scary entrance and say as less as possible to instill even more fear in the people?"


    Kazikato interrupted Maxwell, speaking out his thoughts.


    "Atta Boy, you are smart, justzy."


    Maxwell smiled as he stopped the car outside the stadium and said to Kazikato.


    "Go get em. And remember what I said."


    Kazikato smirked as he left the vehicle, saying.


    "I think I can do that."


    --------


    A/N: Sorry for not uploadingtely...am trying but too busy my sleep schedule is messed up...


    All i want to say is...Fuck exams

 Chapter 209 1 Vs 50[2]

    It was terrifying.


    It was scary.


    It was Frightening.


    It was fearful.


    Children cried while the Adults felt chills run down their spines.


    Kazikato...with just his magnificently terrifying entrance had made everyone afraid...He had instilled a fear in them that made the hair on their bodies stand up...and most people could not even move.


    That abyssal ck mana, that menacing skull...that fearful gait...So...Unknown.


    He stepped into the Stadium...and the Rhino guild hunters instinctively took defensive positions and had already imbued their artifacts with mana as they watched him with sharp eyes.


    They were experienced hunters, and they knew the difference between an act and the real deal.


    A Scythe, a devilish Scythe appeared from a blue light from Kazikato''s ring...and That weapon amplified Kazikato''s fearful existence even more.


    The reporters present fled the stadium...and took a position far away.


    It didn''t ur to anyone that Twilight had sent only 1 man...it didn''t ur at all.


    His presence erased all the doubt...it erased that thought.


    And as the atmosphere was taut...the need for a referee was gone...


    The Rhino guild members charged...and soon the battle began.


    "RAAHHHH!"


    They yelled their war cry and charged...and Kazikato faced them all.


    ****


    "That...is n Pator?"


    Mike muttered...calming himself down.


    "No..."


    But then the answer from his son made him freeze.


    "That isn''t n..."


    Elijah said..his sword in hand... he had drawn it from his inventory immediately as he felt Kazikato''s presence.


    Henry too...had conjured up a Bow of wind instinctively.


    Serena and ine had conjured up barriers..while lightning flickered around Sabrina.


    They had all instinctively reacted at his entrance...and they all wondered.


    Was there another monster besides n?


    Was twilight hiding that monster as well?


    Those thoughts gued their mind...and then.


    An ear-shattering noise was heard...as if the sound barrier was suddenly broken.


    And that noise signified the beginning of the guild war as everyone watched with rapt attention.


    *****


    "RAHHHH!*


    The Rhino guild members rushed toward Kazikato, and he disappeared with a deafening sound.


    It was simr to the noise a jet produced...a noise produced by the shattering of the sound barrier.


    He disappeared from their sides... and the next thing they knew...


    *BOOOM!*


    Multiple members of the Rhino guild were sent flying...their heavy armor was useless in front of Kazikato.


    An entire nk was flung into the Air...and then.


    *SHWING SHWING*


    His scythe shed through them all...cutting their tendons so they would be unable to move.


    It was such a shame I cannot kill them.


    Kazikato thought...as he decimated Rhino Guild''s forces.


    He sliced and sliced...making sure he did not kill the people.


    It was a  shame killing was forbidden in this type of Guild war.


    "Surround Him!"


    The rhino guild''s members heeded themand of their Guild master...and surrounded Kazikato and immediately tried to attack him together.


    Their teamwork was perfect...they were veterans...but even that proved to be useless against Kazikato.


    Kazikato rushed towards the smallest member of the encirclement...and just the sight of Kazikato approaching the poor guy made him nearly shit his pants...


    He couldn''t even do anything except be flown away when Kazikato mmed into him..his chest piece caving in as blood flew out from his mouth.


    *ng*ng*


    Kazikato blocked the attacks of the Rhino guild members after escaping the encirclement...and continued to dwindle their numbers.


    He didn''t just sh with his scythe...he kicked...and elbowed his enemies.


    His Kicks, His Elbow strikes... were reminiscent of someone else...it was a perfect copy of n.


    "Huh?"


    Sabrina and the rest...recognizing the resemnce between the techniques...gasped.


    A terrifying low kick that decimated his opponent''s lower body, and an elbow strike that decimated his opponent''s...face in particr.


    His punches...his movements were all so reminiscent of a certain someone the group knew...that it shocked them greatly.


    "Gah!"


    "MAH Leg!"


    "WRAHHHHHH!"


    The Rhino guild members who were sent flying screamed in pain...and soon all their members followed.


    Shadows erupted from the ground, Darkness spears erupted from Kazikato''s body and Bone spikes targetted the rest.


    And it was a massacre...As 49 members were disqualified...their bodies mutted, their tendons cut...them being unable to move and not wanting to move...fearful of the Monster that was Kazikato.


    "You Monster!"


    Rhino, the guild master and the only one left rushed toward Kazikato at a speed that would be unthinkable for hisrge frame...


    His footsteps made the ground shake...and Kazikato stood still as he watched the massive Rhino rush towards him.


    He remained unfazed...and simply Kicked the Guildmaster of Rhino, Rhino with a sidekick that destroyed his shield and sent the man flying.


    He had imbued arge amount of Mana into the Kick...and when the Shield and His Kick collided, Death''s mana overflowed and sent the massive man flying.


    Some of his teeth dropped to the ground and blood dripped down from his mouth.


    Kazikato approached the kneeling Rhino calmly.


    *Tok*Tok*


    Aaahhh...that Gait he carries himself with...that frightening appearance.


    It appeared yet again as the majority of the people felt Goosebumps yet again.


    "Stop!"


    Rhino yelled...holding his hammer out as he retreated...but Chains of bone erupted from the ground and held him in ce.


    "Hiek!"


    His fear reached the heaves...as all he could see now was the Reaper walking towards him in a an endless sea of ck holding his Scythe up high.


    Kazikato imbued three types of mana into his Scythe...as it increased in size to cover the stadium.


    A Purplish, Gem-like exterior deposed of Shadow mana...that was the outeryer.


    A Dark, ckish middleyer, one that seemed to draw people''s attentionposed of Dark mana.


    And Finally, an even more ck, void-like core that terrified all Life...Was the Inner and Final Layer.


    The people, those who could...gazed at the giant Scythe that covered the stadium with rapt and amazed gazes.


    *Gulped.*


    They gulped...shivers running down their Spine.


    "What...Who are You?!"


    Rhino said amidst his fear-struck state.


    "Death."


    Kazikato said only one word...and the Massive Scythe descended.


    [Seven Strikes of Death[7-star]]


    <<<<<FIRST MOVEMENT>>>>


    ---///|||||Strike Of Death||||||-----


    His Ultimate art, His Art, gifted to him by Ariel upon his request was introduced to the world.


    It was going to show it''s brilliance to the world...But then.


    "I SURRENDER!!!"


    The Rhino guild master surrendered...as he had wet himself.


    The Large scythe stopped just before his face...and the wind pressure it exuded tore the ground.


    The man fell unconscious...froth appeared on his mouth as he fell to the ground, Humiliated and traumatized.


    And then, it was done.


    Twilight, with a single man, won this Guild war.


    And that victory was won by a mile.

 Chapter 210 [210] The Result.

    The shocking result of the Guild war drew the attention of many...even those outside of Aror. Whilst everyone had thought that Rhino would win this fight, mainly due to Twilight not having distributed enough manpower to the Aror city branch...everyone had expected the loss of the top three guilds...


    But who would expect it? Twilight didn''t send even one of its S or A rank hunters, it didn''t send a single High ranked awakened...it sent someonepletely unknown to the world.


    Everyone expected that the top first ranker of Shield, n Pator would show...but instead someone else did.


    They expected to see the Spatial Element...but they saw something else.


    Something Terrifying...Something that was deathly terrifying.


    Another monster of Twilight had appeared, and he had shocked the world.


    Kazikato Shimoshino...huh...they wondered.


    Someone besides n Pator also existed, That could be so strong...and be of the same age.


    They had a hard time believing it at first...but the video footage of the Guild war proved it.


    "The recent Guildwar between a branch of Twilight and Rhino Guild has shocked the world...Besides the renowned n Pator, there is also someone else who Twilight was hiding, a monster awakened capable ofpletely taking down 50 opponents of simr and lower rank alone quite easily. Kazikato Shimoshino, Just Who is He? His name is of Japanese Origins...and means....well a guy in a hole but that is not the main point. He wields quite controversial elements...the Trio of Shadow, Darkness, and Death but these elements have gained some light in his hands. Multiple people''s views on these elements change despite their previous bad reputations.


    The guild war footage was amazing, to say the least. Kazikato Shimoshino handled the rhino guild with ease and quite literally made them wet themselves and suffer a bad loss. Thest attack that was shown by Kazikato Shimoshino could unfortunately not bepleted because of the Rhino guild''s surrender. And due to his affiliation with the ''Predator'' team of twilight, he is now being called the Death Predator or Shadow Predator byizens because of his affinity to the elements...Simrly, n Pator, the team leader of the Predator team has also been given a name by theizens due to his affinity to the rare Spatial element... Which is The Void Predator. The name of the team influencing these names greatly


    The main topic of discussion on the inte is who is stronger. Is it the youngest C rank in history, n Pator, or is it the Death user Kazikato Shimoshino? Who among the two is stronger? Is the user of the Space element stronger or the wielder of Death? n Pator vs Kazikato Shimoshino? to answer the questions of these Netizens, we have the Finance leader of Team Predator together here with Us, Maxwell. Sir Maxwell, Please share your thoughts."


    "Thank you for the introduction, before I continue, I would first like to say that n and Kazikato have different styles of fighting. Whilst n is a spearman, Kazikato is more of an assassin-type Awakened. In a confrontation, n is winning But Kazikato is not someone to be messed with. They regrly spar with each other and I have yet to see them go full-out against one another.


    I cannot say directly which one will win, but I can guarantee that it will be an amazing fight.


    Both of them are great at what they do."


    "So you are saying that both of them are equal in a fight?"


    "Not exactly."


    "But this won''t satisfy theizens...they need to know more."


    "I am not entitled to tell you everything."


    "Well...that is quite bad."


    A golden man with an extremely handsome FACE, possessing gold eyes that seemed to be the purest gold, along with golden silk-like hair watched the television in what could be considered the world''s most expensive andvish Office.


    He stroked his small beard as he watched the broadcast with great interest.


    His golden eyes alone seemed to light up the world, his gaze worthy enough to pierce the heavens.


    He pressed a button on his desk and said in a voice that would charm even men.


    "Prepare a meeting  with Richard."


    He said and got back to watching the broadcast again, staring at the young man that had quite a lot of his features, Maxwell Parker.


    "Well, At least he got something going for him...hmmm."


    He fell into deep thought, contemting the actions he took in


    "Oh well, who gives a damn."


    He said, sipping a golden wine.


    But then, immediately after he drank his wine, his eyes opened wide and the world around him began to be gold.


    [Midas Touch has been activated.]


    "Of course, I give a damn."


    He said, standing up and walking towards the door which was turning golden.


    "Let''s have a meeting with old Richard shall I?"


    He hummed and walked through the corridors of the building which was turning golden.


    Today, The Guildmaster of Twilight, The Shadow Reaper, would have a secret meeting with the Guildmaster of Titan, Midas.


    Richard Thompson and Daniel Parker, both behemoths in the world would have private talks.


    A game of Chess to be exact.


    The subject of their discussion would be unknown...for now.


    *****


    [During the Guild war.]


    Whilst Kazikato was fighting an entire Guild, his team leader was instead enjoying time with his sister.


    "Samantha haven''t you had too much candy?"


    He asked his sister, who was on top of his head with worry.


    "Nho!"


    She said, eating a vani cookie messily, the crumbs falling on n''s head.


    "...if you say so."


    "Al, when are we doing it?"


    Suddenly, at the question of his sister...he stopped.


    "...Ohe on it isn''t... necessary."


    "It is dum dum!"


    His sister, Samantha said as she bashed her tiny fists against n''s forehead.


    Of course, it didn''t do shit.


    "....sigh."


    Samantha pulled his hair, leading him in a direction he didn''t want to walk in.


    "...The things I do for you..."


    Samantha kept pulling his hair in a futile attempt to lead him there, and thankfully her brother relented.


    He went inside a flower shop and bought a bouquet of beautiful roses...all while regretting the promise he made to his sister.


    And also wondered why there was an itch on his nape and back.


    He held the bouquet of flowers in his hand.


    He thought about this decision multiple times.


    And he didn''t get why he had to do it for himself...


    But he knew...It may not be necessary for him, But it was necessary for a young, dying girl.


    It was absolutely, surely necessary for the happiness of his little sister.


    He wasn''t doing it for himself, he was doing it for Samantha.


    And he arrived in front of a house.

 Chapter 211 [211] A Reason...To Protect.

    "Hey Max, why did you say that boss and I are equal?"


    Kazikato asked Maxwell as he shut the TV off.


    "Remember what I said?"


    "Thatw of power or something?"


    "Yeah, that."


    "I don''t get it...wasn''t it about saying nothing?"


    Maxwell stopped typing and said to Kazikato while wiping his sses.


    "We can''t let them know too much...and it probably isn''t far off anyway."


    Kazikato, listening to Maxwell shook his head.


    "You''re wrong."


    He said whilst lying down on the Sofa and closing his eyes.


    "Boss can beat me even if I catch him off guard...easily."


    Kazikato said...and Max stared at him silently.


    If this was a few months ago, then both n and Kazikato could be said to be equal.


    But that was not the case now, although Kazikato may have said that n would beat him easily now...he was not far off.


    Even if they transformed. n had an 80% chance of winning against Kazikato no matter what.


    There were many reasons for this, one was that n''s training was not fruitless, and second was that during their spars against each other, they had gotten to understand each other. n understood Kazikato much better. And third...Kazikato had never fought a fully enraged n Pator.


    The previous serious bout they had on the Ind was an Enrgaed Kazikato against n, and although n had been seriously injured...he learned from it.


    If Kazikato and n were to fight now...n would 8 times out of 10.


    That was a fact.


    "Hmmm..."


    Maxwell stared at Kazikato who was asleep on the couch as he was engrossed in thought.


    He disregarded his thoughts and went back to work.


    He was currently writing a report back to the main Twilight Headquarters in Ashton City...and also a request for more men...


    He had arrogantly said that because of the presence of n and Kazikato and his own Expertise...they would not need any men.


    He was severely wrong...


    Whilst he and Alice were handling the internal affairs well...the problem was therebatants...


    n was most of the time nowhere to be seen...and Kazikato...waszy as all heck.


    Maxwell... had to admit that he wascking...He thought everything would be all fine and dandy with just those two and him...but he was severely underestimating territory management and other issues.


    It was a field he had no knowledge nor experience about, So it was only natural that he wascking...but it was a big hit to his pride.


    n and Kazikato were the only Awakened beside him here...and it wasn''t enough to manage an entire territory.


    The Rhino guild had arge territory...and it was hard to manage with fewer awakeners...especially when the rhino guild''s main building was still here.


    He was thinking of kicking everyone out of there and remodeling it instead of this building...but he didn''t have enough manpower.


    He needed men to deal with the territory, the protection fees allocation and collection, and also to deal with some ''rats.''


    And this would all be so easy IF ALAN WAS FUCKING HERE AND HE WOULDNT HAVE HAD TO WRITE BACK!


    He was cursing his team leader every now and then... and was about to press the enter key to send the report aka request.


    He hesitated...but then finally...he came to terms with beingughed at by the elders and Richard and did it...


    All whilst crying...


    *Enter!*


    *****


    "What do you want?"


    Richard Thompson, Guildmaster of Twilight, The third-ranked guild in the world, asked while sitting on his office chair, with eyes that definitely were not weing to the sudden intruder aka guest.


    "Ohe on, Up for a Game of chess?"


    Daniel Parker, Guildmaster of Titan, The Top guild in the world, answered whilst disying a smile.


    "I don''t have the time for your shenanigans, what do you want?"


    Richard said, keeping a sharp eye on Daniel.


    "Nothing really, I just wanted toe to visit you. And also for a trade."


    Daniel answered as he took a look at Richard''s office.


    "Too dark and edgy, you sure you like this style?"


    Richard annoyed said.


    "Your office literally is all gold, and you tell me I have no taste?"


    "Ohe on, you know you like it, the purity of the gold, the subtle texture of it...the absolutely magnificent sight to wake up to."


    "I beg to differ, The dark shade coupled with the subtle yet strong thickness of the Purple amethyst  in my office is much better."


    "Gold is better, more fluid, more magnificent, more texture filled than amethyst."


    "It is not, Amethyst is beautiful in every way, much better than gold. And it''s a gem-like texture that just draws your intention because of beauty is much better than gold which draws in only greed. Gold draws in only the eyes that appreciate greed, not beauty and art."


    Daniel looked at Richard with a disbelieving gaze...but inside he decided not to continue this topic further.


    He knew Richard still had a deep fondness for his deceased wife and daughter, and the Amethyst in his office reminded him of her.


    And he knew better than to belittle a man''s dead wife.


    "Anyways, I hear you''re taking care of my son quite well. How is he?"


    "He''s doing well, He is quite well versed in business. I can''t believe you didn''t see his talent."


    Richard said, choosing his words carefully in order to spite Daniel.


    "He was? He didn''t show any interest when he was in my care."


    "He would have if he received any love."


    "..."


    It was clear, Richard was winning.


    "Well, he needed to have some ''talent'' to receive it."


    "Oh? You are saying your child needs to have Talent for you to love him?"


    "Of course, you wouldn''t know, would You Richard?"


    Richard grits his teeth as the smile on his face receded by a centimeter. Daniel''s verbal attack at his daughter''sck of Talent.


    Alice truly hadcking talent unfit for an heir of a high-ranking guild, but thankfully her father was Richard and not someone else, Richard loved her despite herck of talent. And now, he knew her mood was getting better after being in Predator...so he didn''t have any problems with it.


    But still, that hit a damn nerve.


    "To be honest, even I''m surprised, Twilight has a keen eye, huh? n Pator, the first spatial awakened, and also the youngest C rank in history as well as an unparalleled spear genius that gave even that damn Copycat a tough time. My son, who is apparently a business genius singlehandedly improved your shares significantly. And this Kazikato Shimoshino guy apparently is as strong as n Pator and also a one in ten million triple element user. You hit the jackpot, not once, not twice, but Thrice!"


    Danielughed and continued.


    "And you also got the support of those stubborn Wellingtons, do you know for how many years I had been trying to get them to my side? They never listened to me at all, although I guess the spatial equipment market was too lucrative for them to disregard."


    "What are you getting at?"


    Richard asked, stimting his mana as he felt an ominous feeling.


    Daniel smiled, also stimting his mana. And in a second the room was covered in the lights of Purple and Gold.


    Daniel created a chess board half of gold and created his golden pieces on his side.


    "Let''s discuss over a game of chess, Shall We?"


    And to this Richard, sighed and created his own side of the board made with Amethyst crystals.


    And the chess match between the two giants began.

 Chapter 212 [212] Regrets, Their Regrets.

    n looked at the house with mixed thoughts, while his sister urged him to go on.


    He stopped at the door, and as he was about to knock, he hesitated.


    For a moment, a shred of hesitation clearly disyed his thoughts, his actual feelings.


    Or was it really hesitation? Or could it be said to be fear?


    *Thump*


    His heart thumped, the amount of sweat on his brows increasing...it was such a sudden change.


    He felt that it wasn''t him that was shaking...but then again he felt it was.


    Inside of him was a fear...a fear of something he was yet oblivious to.


    His hand, which was about to knock on the door stopped again...and shook.


    ''Should I do it?''


    He hesitated.


    ''Should I do it?''


    He was afraid.


    But then.


    *Knock**Knock!*


    The sound of knocking shook him out of his stupor.


    It wasn''t him...it was rather his sister.


    He took deep breaths...and before he coulde to a conclusion the door opened.


    An elderly woman, with grey hair and striking blue eyes wearing a casual dress, opened the door.


    "May I Help..."


    Her eyes widened in realization as she saw who her visitors were...and her mouth opened wide with surprise.


    She stepped back in shock.


    She may not have seen them for quite a long while...but she could never forget those eyes.


    A Pair of Blue diamonds as bright as the blue sky, And a Pair of Dark blue eyes as wide as the sea.


    ******


    Elijah stood agape as he took in the scenery.


    A beautiful sky, below him majestic neverending clouds. Above him a Sun that exuded a holy light like no other.


    He almost fell in astonishment before he came to the horrifying realization that he was maybe hundreds of meters in the air...but then he wondered.


    ''How am I not falling?''


    He wondered and then looked down to find a staircase of gold beneath him, stretching beneath the clouds and to the celestial Sun.


    He stood in awe, admiring the beauty of the sun and its celestial light before...


    The clouds beneath him parted and he heard the sound of footsteps.


    The clouds, the majestic clouds parted and a figure walked up the staircase as the light of the sun increased.


    Elijah recognized the figure...the same one he had seen fight the Devil, the ck Dragon.


    The Angel that had fought the Devil, the ck dragon was walking up the staircase.


    Encased in the beautifully crafted armor and a majestic sword by his waist, on his countless back wings, he calmly walked up the staircase.


    Elijah stared at the figure walking up with mixed feelings.


    Such strength that the Angel, the White gold Dragon had shown.


    He still had a hard time believing that...dream?


    *Tok*Tok*


    The melodious sound of Angel''s footsteps rang out, and as Elijah felt himself be weighed down with each step the Angel rose.


    The light of the Celestial sun increased, the surroundings brightening up by the second.


    One knee of Elijah fell


    down as the weight he carried increased.


    *Tok tok*


    The Angel climbed the staircase unhindered and got closer and closer.


    The Light of the ''Sun'' became brighter and brighter...to the point that Elijah could no longer even nce at it because it was too bright.


    However, the eyes of the angel never wavered even in this blinding light.


    The Angel walked up, and Elijah looked at the Angel now in his Shadow.


    *Tok*Tok*


    It seemed as if the angel could not see him at all, and phased through Elijah.


    And now Elijah was in the Shadow of the Angel in the increasing light.


    His face scrunched up as the weight increased and then...


    The golden staircase started to disappear.


    From the clouds, it slowly disappeared and it would soon disappear beneath Elijah.


    Elijah stared in horror as the staircase disappeared beneath him, And he was unable to do anything because of the weight on his shoulders.


    He descended, whilst the Angel ascended.


    He fell beneath the clouds...and heard a sound that resembled to be a scream, shattering his eardrums.


    The light covered the skies and fell, as rays of death...and the next thing Elijah knew.


    He woke up in a pool of sweat, seeing his room''s ceiling instead of the Light.


    He got up from his bed and washed his face in the bathroom.


    "Hah..."


    He ced his head under the stream of cold water and said.


    "They won''t stop..."


    He was referring to the weird dreams he was getting.


    They were all so vivid...they felt so real it was terrifying.


    He wondered always what the purpose or reason for his receiving those dreams was...and Agri''s silence was not helping.


    The supreme dragon was weird, he would bepletely absent from his life for certain periods which was annoying. And there was no pattern to these disappearances. And they also always happened at the worst times...


    Elijah took off his clothes and went to take a shower.


    He felt calm as the cool drops of water fell...but he heard a voice that made him scream like a little girl...he heard the Yandere Serena''s voice from out of nowhere


    "Oh? Darling your awake? let''s take a bath together!"


    "KYAAAAA!!!"


    *****


    "...Hi?"


    n said to the woman that opened the door, her mouth still agape.


    She slowly approached the two..as n subconsciously stepped back but Samantha instead jumped into her arms and she yelled out the identity of the woman in happiness.


    "Grandma!"


    The old woman had caught her out of a reflex as she stared intently into her granddaughter''s eyes...and tears began to form.


    Samantha hugged her grandmother and was oblivious to it...but n clearly saw it.


    "Umm...Please don''t cry?"


    He said...still confused and unsure of what to do...but the old woman just smiled as she stared back at him, wiping her tears.


    "...your finally back..."


    She said...and thus a happy(?) family reunion ured

 Chapter 213 [213] Their Regrets...[2]

    In the previous lifetimes, in the previous loops, Aranus had always regretted one thing.


    He had been forced to leave Earth and his rtions behind.


    He was unable to care for his dying sister, he was unable to meet his grandparents again after being separated, and he was finally unable to get revenge for his Parent''s ughter.


    It was the regret that haunted him in every iteration, each and every time he was unable to resolve these regrets.


    Could it be helped? He was hopping from World to World ughtering everything after he had been controlled by the Abyss.


    He had tried to make amends but it was futile every time, In some iterations, the Abyss had even tricked him into killing his own sister and family...and he never trusted it again even in the slightest bit.


    Each and Every time, it haunted him and he was unable to do anything...but watch.


    He was the most outstanding talent, with a soul and body capable of Handling the evolution into a Dragon, then Chaos Dragon, and then An Abyssal dragon.


    But sadly...he had been tricked on the wrong path since his awakening.


    And when he gave control to James when his soul had suffered greatly...James didn''t even care for the Liabilities that were his family.


    But Could he be med? He had been abused so severely by the ones he considered ''family''.


    That very ''family'' of his had turned him into a ruthless cold monster who only sought money and sess...


    James didn''t give a single damn about anyone other than him.


    But now...Aranus''s regrets could be solved by someone else.


    It could be solved by the child who still knew nothing about himself, or his purpose...it could be solved by n Pator...the one that was still unknown.


    Maybe this time...something would go right.


    ****


    [n Pator PoV]


    From the beginning...it didn''t seem right to me.


    How could two orphaned children, who had seen their parents be brutally murdered, not be handed over to any remaining rtives but be given to a random ass orphanage?


    Aranus and Samantha''s grandparents were still alive, and...I thought it was because of Poverty that maybe the children were not handed to them...but.


    The house they lived in was quite fine for a supposedly poor family...ording to my memories at least.


    But I also can''t trust my memories...neither do I know enough about thew.


    ...And it''s also weird that the demon responsible for their deaths has no records at all...I need to ask MAxwell to perform a more thorough investigation.


    "Would you like some tea?"


    I was interrupted from my thoughts by the woman who was Aranus and Samantha''s Grandmother. Amanda Pator.


    "...Ah..No I''m Fine."


    I said, my voice still shaky...and I''m oblivious to the reason why...


    ''Damn I didn''t want to do this?''


    "How about coffee?"


    She said as she massaged the head of the sleeping Samantha on herp.


    ...it seemed that she would not give up unless I say yes.


    "Yes..."


    I answered...and she excused herself whilst I looked at Samantha.


    ''Wow, she had no qualms at all.''


    I had thought she maybe had forgotten them due to being separated for so long...and past traumatic events but I guess that wasn''t the case.


    ''I should ask Max and Alice to research more on this...''


    I thought...and Amanda Pator hade back with two cups of coffee.


    ''Fast...''


    I thought, surprised at the speed at which she brought the coffee.


    She sat in front of me and then silently drank her cup of coffee...as I was oblivious as to what to say.


    I don''t know about this stuff... I am nervous.


    I do not know how to reconcile with my family...I don''t even know where to begin!


    "I''m happy for you."


    ?


    I sat there in silence, she began the conversation whilst I could not.


    "We were deathly worried for you, After we failed to get custody of you and Sam, We didn''t even know where to find you. It was all a mystery and most of our attempts to reach or know about you and Sam were futile...We had lost hope until two years ago...when we heard the name n Pator the first spatial type awakened..."


    "It was a surprise at first..we had failed to find out about you and then all of sudden you show up on the news... and next thing you are part of a guild called...?"


    "Twilight."


    I said,pleting her sentence.


    "forgive me for not knowing much about the awakened world..."


    She said, apologizing for a meaningless reason.


    Mustering up my courage...I asked.


    "Why...didn''t youe to visit me when You hade to know?"


    A...weird question...This a question that I regretted asking as soon as I said it...wishing to be able to take the words back.


    "Because If we suddenly appeared after you had gained fame...It would seem as if we were selfish and only wanted you after you had begun to be known...Im sorry."


    "...No need."


    I answered her.


    "I do not know much about the awakened world...But I heard my grandson was admitted to a prestigious school and was also ranked first. I also heard that you had an affinity for a special element. Your Grandfather would be proud...and So am I."


    She said with a smile...whilst I remained quiet...shocked at myself because I could not find any other words to say...until I thought of something.


    "Thank you...and I apologize for noting sooner...I should have made time toe here but I was...afraid."


    I said...and she responded with a smile.


    "It''s fine...I''m just d your back. Samantha also looks to be doing quite well...Have you.."


    "Not yet...unfortunately."


    I said, and she looked at her granddaughter with pity and sadness in her eyes.


    "Well... it''s good she seems to be happy."


    She said...stroking Sam''s head...and then again to my surprise. Sam, who would wake up at the slightest touch of anyone other than me...was still sleeping soundlessly.


    "Grandma..."


    I said...struggling to say that word for some...but continued after I had got her attention.


    "Why don''t youe with me to Ashton city?"


    I asked...I knew what would happen to Aror and couldn''t give a damn about the other residents...but some part of me wanted to bring my grandparents away from Danger as soon as possible...Something inside of me yearned to ensure their safety.


    However, I was met with a denial...a shocking one to say the least.


    "...I''m sorry but I would like to stay here...and I hope you will as well."


    What? why would someone reject fame and money? I can provide them with nearly anything!


    "But why? Ashton city is much more advanced than this town and it also has-"


    "n."


    She said..making me stop...and then continued.


    "Follow this olddy to the back of the house will you?"


    She said as she slowly got up and gestured for me to follow her to the back of the house, a garden in the backyard...


    And there I saw why she was unwilling to leave...and something inside of me awoke...i Guess i could say.


    A reason...to protect this town...this ce.

 Chapter 214 [214] I Have A Reason...

    It was a calm scene on the outside for many, but chaotic inside for n Pator.


    At first, he didn''t know what he would be shown...he questioned what was so important thatpelled his grandmother to stay...


    But now...He knew.


    *Chirp**Chirp*


    The chirping of birds was heard in the garden, adding further to the mncholic scene but the n didnt feel the same.


    What is this?


    What is this feeling in his chest? What is this feeling in his mind? Why are tears forming?


    Why?


    He tried to calm his unsteady breathing, but failed...and then he realized.


    These feelings are not mine.


    Yes...these... pent-up feelings are not mine.


    ''...It''s not me...?''


    He questioned in his mind as his eyes never left the sight of Two Graves...the graves of Samantha''s parents...and Aranus''s.


    [Here Lies Alfred Pator, a loving husband, father, son, and hero.]


    [Here lies Anna Pator, a loving wife, mother, daughter, and savior.]


    His eyes,id on the two well-kept graves...seemed rather tired and sorrowful...remorseful even.


    If one could only tell how chaotic he was inside...and yet he was oblivious to his own feelings.


    He questioned them again and again...as his Grandmother''s voice woke him up from the stupor inflicted on his mind.


    "This is the reason I can''t leave...I cannot abandon this ce."


    She said in a soft voice and looked at her Grandson.


    Seeing him, standing there motionlessly she excused herself.


    She was of the opinion that leaving him alone right now would be best.


    n''s eyes...didn''t stop looking at the grave...


    She left...and he stayed...and said.


    "These are your''s...right?"


    He was alone...but who did he address? Who did he address with such a shaky voice?


    A phenomenon of pure magic happened...as a purple void engulfed the surroundings...and Aranus appeared...sitting in front of the graves... his expression n was unable to see.


    "...I don''t know..."


    He said. An answer that didn''t solve anything...yet at the same time solved everything...


    Aranus''s...pitch ck...soulless..emotionless...eyes looked at the graves...and yet he did not know that his soulless eyes had a hint of astral blue in them...


    n as well...his starry blue eyes...his diamonds had a purple shade to them now...but both of them were unaware of this.


    "Thank you..."


    Suddenly...Aranus''s sudden thanks had grabbed n''s attention.


    "...for what?"


    n Questioned, a question to which he might already know the answer too.


    "For doing what I was afraid to do...What I was unable to do."


    And he was right...n did know what the answer would be...


    "..."


    n remained quiet... staring at Aranus''s hunched back.


    Why did he feel this? Why did he feel so...sorry when he looked at that back?


    As if he winced at the shame, the sorrow, the pain, the remorse...the burden that back has to carry...and the sins it carried. Sin''s which were done not of its own volition.


    n''s bright blue diamond-like eyes...were bing a mixture of dead ckish purple and astral blue...and Aranus was the same...and slowly they began to understand.


    Ah...These are not his. Ah...These are not mine.


    n and Aranus thought respectively...and said at the same time.


    "They are ours..."


    "They are ours..."


    Both of them were confused... They now knew whose feelings these were.


    It was them both...oddly this was epted by both of them readily.


    n did not know how and why this happened...and even Aranus was oblivious to this.


    This tight, this suffocating feeling in their chests...the formation of tears in their eyes...It was all unknown to them but they epted this...


    One, whose suffering and deeds had robbed him of... everything.


    And the other...whose own self-awareness was socking he knew nothing.


    "There were three...weren''t there?"


    n asked as he looked at the graves...and Aranus took a deep breath as he answered.


    "...yes."


    He said...


    n...with a shaking voice said.


    "...when will it happen?"


    He said...afraid of hearing the answer.


    "Soon..."


    Aranus said...and it felt as if n''s heart had sunk into the ground and entered the Abyss.


    "Will...you do me a favor?"


    Aranus asked...an unknown emotion to him in his voice.


    n stayed quiet...waiting for Aranus to continue.


    Their eyes had be a perfect mixture of Dead ck and Astral Blue.


    "Will...you protect this ce...and..."


    Aranus asked...and n stayed Silent waiting for Aranus to say his part.


    "...will you do what I failed to do?"


    n turned around and walked back to the house as he said.


    "Yeah."


    n stopped...and asked Aranus.


    "Do you know...?"


    n asked Aranus...only to be met with a heartbreaking truth.


    "...No.." Aranus answered.


    n left... saying nothing in response and Aranus remained seated on the ground, staring at the graves as his body slowly faded...and finally, he could no longer contain it...


    "...Shit..."


    He muttered as shockingly...tears started to fall.


    He tried to contain it...he wanted to stop it...but failed so miserably, so pathetically.


    "Damn it...What right...what right do I have to...cry?"


    Tears flowed out of his eyes...The man that hadid waste to entire gxies, the man that had ughtered so many not even lifetimes counting couldplete...the man that had brought the end to everything so many times...


    What right did he have to cry?


    He wondered as his figure vanished into thin air...yet his tears did not stop even with his struggle.


    ****


    n calmly sat down on the couch and collected his thoughts.


    His grandmother sat in front of him as he remained quiet...only looking at his sister.


    He patted her head...his eyes returning to their normal color...but now outlined by purple.


    He looked at his sister...and thought about what Aranus said...as he tried so hard to calm his shaking heart.


    ''Soon...''


    He thought...his mind now clear...now filled with a burning desire toplete his promise.


    His eyes wavered when he looked at his sister...he gulped and a burning me was lit inside.


    ''I will...do it...I won''t stop until I do it...''


    He thought, stroking his sister''s head...who had woken up and looked at him.


    Her dark blue eyes looked at him, and he looked at her with a sad face...before smiling to reassure her.


    ''I will do it...''


    He will do it...not just for himself.


    But for the one, he considered family as well.

 Chapter 215 [215] Nuisances...Need To Be Purged.

    ''Soon..''


    ''soon..''


    ''Soon...''


    n walked in the stormy rain...his eyes glowing a mysterious blue.


    He had left Samantha at his grandmother''s house because of the rain and had departed from there even though his grandmother had asked him to stay. He needed to do something...he needed to do something.


    ''Sooonnn...''


    That lone word reverberated in n''s mind...again and again as he remembered Aranus''s words.


    *pitter*Patter*


    The pittering of the rain was rather blissful, but the thunderous lightning in the clouds however contrasted with the blissfulness.


    n walked all alone in the streets, his figure soaking wet from the storm.


    It was dark, and because of the sharp rain, every shop was closed. The streets of Aror were deste all except for n walking calmly in the rain.


    ''...I can''t waste any time...''


    n thought...and took an astral blue orb out of his inventory... The unique item Spatial Orb. The orb contained knowledge of the attribute of space...the thing that was the reason he knew something of the space element...


    Alongside knowledge of the space element...the orb also contained the methods and means to decode Spatial coordinates...with the only problem being he was unable to understand them...without the use of [Dragon eyes].


    ''I need to find Elvenheim...fast.''


    n thought... he was desperate.


    During the year...he had tried to Understand the orb...he activated Dragon eyes until he couldn''t withstand the pain.


    But even then...he had extremely little time to understand this thing...and the bad thing was each use of the Dragon Eyes left him very weak.


    His mind would be like it was on fire, and his eyes would feel as if thousands of needles had prated them...


    It was hell.


    But now he didn''t care...he didn''t have enough time...he needed to man up and endure the pain.


    In the middle of the street, under the stormy rain...he activated it...


    [Dragon Eyes have been activated.]


    An astral glow emanated from his eyes...the Spatial Orb glowed as well.


    Mysterious runic symbols emerged from the orb, surrounding n whose eyes were lighting up the entire area.


    *Pitter*Patter*


    His eyes began to bleed very quickly...and although his face scrunched up in pain...he endured it...with just a little hope in trying to understand them.


    And just as he was about to...Just as Dragon Eyes was about to show him the meaning of a single symbol...just as he was about to decode it...withstanding the pain... A nuisance appeared.


    *Shiu!*


    Something flew through the air, cleaved through the rain, and struck n''s neck.


    A Syringe containing red liquid, With a needle sharp enough to stick in n''s thick skin.


    The sudden intrusion surprised n...and he instinctively canceled Dragon''s eyes...and lost the chance to decode the meaning of the symbol.


    *Shiu!**Shiu*


    Dozens more flew through the air and struck n at multiple ces.


    His back, head, front body, and legs...the weird bullets struck at multiple ces...


    The red liquid...deposited itself inside n, As n stood still...a hidden rage welled up inside him.


    "Get him! He has no mana now!"


    "Die Awakened scum!"


    He heard voices...as multiple bullets attacked him now, explosive and piercing types...


    *BOOM!*


    A massive explosion engulfed n''s figure...and the voices resounded once again.


    "Did we get him?"


    "Even B-ranked can''t survive that!"


    But they would be proven soo so so wrong.


    "Huh?"


    One of the attackers, covered in ck forces armor...looked confused as he saw two blue lights within the mes of the explosion.


    And then it happened, a shadow was seen...and n Patro stepped outside..pletely unharmed...


    His shirt was in tatters...he exited the mes of the explosion...his eyes glowing an astral blue...that looked so terrifying in the grey environment...in the rain.


    And then...just from a nce at n''s expression...they felt fear...and this was the worst andst mistake of their lives.


    ****


    *Pitter*Patter*


    "Ghh...Ghhh."


    n stood, covered in blood that was being cleaned by the rain...in his right hand the neck of one of the attackers in ck.


    "Sp...are...me..ee."


    The poor man tried to speak...yet n simply tightened his grip around his neck.


    *crack*...


    "uhh..Ghaahh."


    The man''s face slowly turned purple...then red as his neck was crushed under n''s monstrous Grip...until finally...his neck was no longer there...n''s grip strength had just brutally decapitated the man...


    "Shooot!!!"


    Another man yelled, and n disappeared as the storm of bullets made their way toward him.


    He appeared in front of two men who were shooting, and grabbed their heads and mmed them into the concrete ground and ran them at a high speed...all whilst their heads were in the ground.


    Half of their heads were brutally shaven off...as parts of their skull and brain, now all mush leaked out.


    "...Monster...monster."


    Yes...he was a monster...a monster that was barely being contained.


    n approached the final man left standing alive...all whilst he was covered in blood.


    "AHH!!"


    The man began to shoot...but the bullets bounced off n...he put an in new magazine quickly and began to empty that one as well... as n slowly walked towards him.


    The man knew that this monster would simply catch him if he ran...so he tried to at least have a heroicst stand...


    But even a ''heroic''st stand against this monster was futile.


    n was now in front of the man...and only now did the man realize the behemoth that n was...


    Muscles filled his body...covered in blood that was not his own...a head taller than the man...and an expression that instilled fear into the man.


    The man was about to fall due to his fear...but his shoulders were grabbed by n...and what followed next was a gruesome sight...that would make even the most hardened war veterans look away.


    "AHHHHH!"


    *RIP*CRACK*


    Amidst his screams...his fragile body was torn in half by n...and Just like that n finished off everyone in such a gruesome way.


    He had killed the insects that dared to disturb him...


    *Pitter*Patter*


    n stood, now alone in the rain...as he bathed in the rainwater...the grey skies, filled with lightning rumbled...as if the sky itself was afraid...


    After the blood and flesh had washed off his body...n calmly began to walk again after he picked up the Spatial Orb...Not minding the ughter he had done...


    He walked towards the Twilight Branch office as the intensity of the rain increased...distancing himself from the massacre...the bloody area of the city.


    His steps were awkward...and the reason for this was that his vision was blurry due to the usage of Dragon Eyes...


    He got far far away...and someone bumped into him...an old man in a raincoat.


    "Sorry!"


    The old man said...and ran opposite to n in a hurry...oblivious to the fact that he had nearly died just there.


    n ignored the man...and continued walking in the rain...and then he had a thought.


    "Purge..."


    He said...ALan...clearly not in the right state of mind... said as thunder rumbled in the skies and lightning lit up the area.


    "This town needs to be purged for their safety..."


    *RUMBLE!*


    And his astral blue eyes...which emanated a terrifying glow brightened even further.

 Chapter 216 [216] The Duality Of The Two.

    Elijah was in another one again.


    Now he didn''t even need to go to sleep for one to happen.


    An expanse...a lush green expanse originally now covered with golden blood, and bodies.


    The bodies of numerous beings with wings, elves, dwarves, and all other types of races..y dead covered only with a white cloth.


    Elijah walked through the expanse, dead bodies left and right...as he tried his hardest to try not to vomit.


    He walked and walked...and yet the scenery of death did not end...


    He looked towards the skies, and nothing unusual was present...but then he heard it.


    *Tok*Tok*


    He heard the sound of walking, and just like always, the angel appeared...only now a lot worse.


    His armor was broken, his bright orange hair set free, not confined by the prison that was his helmet, and his scarlet-gold eyes scanned the environment...and in the center of this entire world, he stood alone and took out his sword.


    He stabbed the sword into the ground, and a light covered the world as the bodies evaporated into thin light.


    [Thank you...hero.]


    [Oh savior...]


    [Eli?]


    Voices were heard, and the light flowed into his swords...and then Elijah heard a scream that sent chills down his spine.


    An Unholy screech..ing from above.


    Elijah looked up, only to find purple portals asrge as buildings filling the sky...and demons rushing out like a swarm.


    The sky turned purple, and the Angel rose up to face them.


    His golden light was the only ''good'' in this world. His golden light was the only hope.


    He raised his sword high up in the sky, and the sword began to glow.


    And for the first time...Elijah heard the voice of the angel.


    A smooth voice, a soft voice...that enchanted all. A voice is full of charisma and virtue...


    "Noblesse Oblige."


    An Archaic voice, a voice that brought calmness to allies.


    "Light of Judgement."


    And a voice that brought despair and Judgement to its foes.


    And then the demons were annihted in the blink of an eye, engulfed by golden light.


    Elijah stared in awe at the sight...but then he felt himself fall.


    The world around him changed, and now instead of a green expanse, it was a world of fire...now covered with the corpses of red dragons... the smallest the size ofrge buildings and thergest sizes Elijah couldn''t even see fully.


    They had been murdered so brutally...Elijah felt pain in his heart...his blood itself quivering but at the same time seething with rage.


    "GRAAOOOORRR!"


    Suddenly, Elijah heard a deafening roar, the surroundings became even hotter and he looked up at the source of the roar.


    A Bright red dragon,rger than any he had seen on the ground, with a magnificent crown of scales on its head, spikes covering its body like armor, Tworge wings, bat like wings...flying...no appearing as if it was itsst stand...against ''that''.


    From the red clouds, with the shes of red lightning...'' its '' figure could be seen.


    Larger than anything...even the red dragon in the sky...It''s long, and the menacing figure could be seen.


    Elijah''s Eyes widened...because he recognized both dragons...


    The red dragon...The King of Fire Dragons, Emperor of Fire and Magma...His Guardian dragon, Agri.


    And the dragon in the skies...the devil that had fought the angel...the ck, eastern dragon that had Elijah shivering with fear.


    A bright red beam, Agri''s dragon Breath, capable of easily destroying worlds...pierced the clouds and tried to hit the Dragon, but a purple shield of Mana appeared in front of the dragon, blocking the red beam.


    The beam faded, but another took its ce...then another one, and another...all futile.


    Agri appeared tired...and the ck dragon flew towards him, its maw wide open.


    And yet...He flew right at it...grabbing itsrge maw with his hands...and holding that behemoth back.


    "Krroo."


    "Kraoo."


    "Hurry!"


    Suddenly Elijah heard sounds and looked at where they came from...and from underneath the bodies of therger dragons...little ones came out and ran towards a red portal, managed by another,rger, adult dragon.


    The little dragons rushed towards the portal...but stray beams of purple, from the battle above, killed a few, and severely injured some as well. And some red dragons....all injured beyond belief helped the rest get to the portal, while some blocked the stray beams with their own bodies...getting killed in the process.


    Some little ones even carried red eggs, and then Elijah heard the roars of Agri.


    The little dragons all rushed toward the portal...whilst the bigger ones tried to help them...and protect them.


    Elijah heard Agri''s roar once again...but this time it was more of a roar of pain...not of triumph like the ones before.


    Elijah looked up...to find Agri...with an entire arm gone...falling to the ground... but at thest second, he stopped himself with his wings...and looked towards the ck dragon.


    The ck dragon, its imposing might...its unstoppable might...slowly opened its mouth as a beam of chaos was being powered up.


    Agri stood right in front of it...and prepared his strongest breath as well.


    The beam of Purple and the beam of scarlet orange collided, the scarlet orange beam was being pushed back so easily it was pitiful.


    "KRAOOR!"


    "GRAAHHH!"


    But just then, more red beams, all from the other...dragons...which were able to fire off a breath joined the scarlet orange beam to fight the breath of the ck Dragon.


    The dragons...the ones even missing entire limbs, eyes, and parts of their bodies fired off their breaths and fought the breath of the ck dragon but even thebined might of the red dragons could not stand against it.


    Slowly but surely...Agri was pushed back...and Elijah was covered in Agri''s massive shadow...he saw Agri trying his best...his blood seeping out from his neck...and Agri moving his tail to sweep every egg and child dragon he could into the portal.


    Elijah couldn''t even move...the pressure of just being in the presence(?) of such powerful beings took a toll on his body...him bing unable to move and only watch this destructionn happen.


    Eventually...the purple beam won...and in front of his eyes...blinded by a purple,deste light he saw Agri''s body vanish, turned to dust, a fate which the world he was on, the home of fire dragons, would follow.


    The purple beam...then reached him.


    "Eli!"


    *SLAP!"


    "huh?"


    Elijah looked around, his breathing uneasy as he took in entirely different scenery.


    "Son, Are you okay?"


    "Elijah, what''s wrong?"


    The concerned voices of his parents...the concerned looks of his sister, and his friends...and the burning feeling of hot chocte spilled on his pants woke him up.


    His father put his hand on his forehead, checking his temperature and it was then...


    Elijah passed out.


    "Eli?!"

 Chapter 217 [217] I Cannot Delay This Any Longer.

    Elijahy on his bed as he wondered.


    ''Agri, the ck dragon, the angel...the shining light...''


    He thought...wondering whether whatever he was seeing was real or not.


    No...it was real...that fact could not be refuted because Elijah...felt it...strangely.


    Illusions?Predictions?Hallucinations? Just what in the world was he seeing?


    In the end, he concluded one thing.


    The only one he knows who should have an Idea about this is Agri...But.


    ''Agri.''


    Elijah called out within his mind.


    ''Agri.''


    He called out again...half expecting a response but then there it was.


    ...The one he called out to responded, surprisingly.


    [What is it?]


    ''You responded?''


    [You called?]


    Elijah was surprised as he did not expect his attempt to work...but he asked nheless.


    ''What is happening? What are these...what am I seeing?''


    Elijah asked Agri, a question he so desperately wanted answers to.


    [What are you talking about?]


    Agri yed dumb. Shocking Elijah. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Agri ying dumb. He was a Supreme Dragon!


    ...or it could also be that Agri did not know.


    [Yes, I have no idea what you are talking about.]


    ''... never mind he knows.]


    [I do not]


    ''YOU DO! Tell me or something bad is going to happen.''


    [Like what?]


    Agri questioned, almostughing to himself as he heard Elijah.


    "Deci-"


    [OK OK!]


    Agri sumbed quite quickly. Elijah was about to activate Decimation when his body had not fully recovered and kill himself, something Agri could not allow because Elijah was his sessor...and He sumbed so quickly because he knew Elijah was actually about tomit literal Suicide.


    [I cannot tell you, even if I wanted to.]


    ''Bullshit.''


    Elijah said, not believing it to be the case and thinking this was another way to avoid talking about this.


    ''I need answers Agri, I keep seeing these...dreams and have little Idea of what is actually happening! I need Answers!''


    Agri went Silent after Hearing Elijah. Elijah in return got frustrated and just as he was about to activate decimation...Agri responded.


    [Fine, You will see that I, Supreme Dragon of Fire do not bluff! What you are seeing are visions of the ******** where ******* ****** ****** and******** ********...and you are already fainting.]


    Agri ended his iprehensible sentence with a sarcastic smirk...looking at Elijah, whose nose was bleeding...and his head was turning.


    Elijah tumbled to the ground...falling off his bed and just as he regained consciousness he was warned and advised by Agri.


    [You are not ready yet, also watch out for that...mentally ill girl. Oh and also you had something to do no? Family should not be kept waiting.]


    ''Not ready yet? Mentally Ill? Family?''


    Elijah wondered as he opened his eyes...and Saw Serena''s cold, ''loving'', obsessive eyes looking at him...from under his bed.


    "Oh, your awake darling...I wanted to surprise you."


    "KYAAA!"


    "?"


    ******


    [Meanwhile, at the office.]


    "You were attacked by an anti-awakened group called the Norms, they used a drug that doesn''t have an official name yet, but is called the Demon''s blood unofficially. It''s a chemical that reduces Mana movement and makes one lose the feeling of mana andck of control...as a result the mana inside your body leaks out without you being able to stop it...but it didn''t affect you?"


    Maxwell exined as he examined the special bullet that n was shot with, Whilst n was sitting on the couch with a new set of clothes, sweatpants, and a T-Shirt.


    "That''s strange... but hey maybe this is low-quality Demon Blood...where did the city even acquire them from? It''s a drug that doesn''t have a lot of distributors...neither is it legal..."


    Maxwell mumbled as he examined the bullet...opening up hisptop and beginning research.


    "..."


    n stared at him silently...and then looked at someone else that waspletely unexpected...and asked Alice.


    "So...What is she doing here?"


    Alice...simply shrugged her shoulders...indicating that even she was Oblivious.


    As ''She'' elegantly drank her coffee, she said.


    "How rude, and also great coffee, would it trouble you to send me the recipeter?"


    ...


    "Ok, what is Sabrina doing here?"


    n asked the members of predator...who all gave their varying answers.


    "I don''t know boss, When I woke up she was already here. But she can stay because she''s pretty."


    "I don''t know as well, but sheplimented my coffee so she can stay."


    " I don''t know but she offered me money so she can stay. She''s good."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    n wanted to punch his teammates so badly...


    "Kazikato, please be aware of your surroundings more, and don''t let a random stranger in here."


    "Ok, boss."


    "Two, Alice, your cooking is so great It''s hard to imagine someone hating it...But don''t like anyone that justpliments it simply."


    "Fine."


    "AND THIRD, YOU MONEY-HUNGRY BASTARD, DO YOU HAVE NO SHAME?!"


    n jumped at Maxwell, whilst his screaming voice had shocked everyone in the room...then his actions of choking Maxwell worried everyone further.


    "Why am I being yelled at? You freak"


    "You dare call your boss a Freak?!"


    "BOSS MY ASS!"


    "SHUT UP!"


    They watched Maxwell and n go at it...until finally n won the struggle and sat On maxwell''s defeated back triumphantly.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Alice, Sabrina, and Kazikato all had nk looks on their faces as they saw what happened.


    "What?"


    n asked them...and Sabrina responded.


    "Well, One, My bodyguard is somehow upset about my appearance, and Two, You just beat the...living lights of your financial advisor or ountant whilst he was defenseless."


    n looked at Sabrina and then said calmly.


    "Don''t worry, although he doesn''t look like it, He is actually strong. But what are you doing here anyway? Don''t you have rich girl stuff to do? Like attending tea parties and whatnot?"


    Sabrina looked at her bodyguard with a...let''s just say perplexed expression on her face and said.


    "I was invited by Elijah to try his family''s fried chicken. And it was heavenly. By the way, do you honestly think I just sit around and attend tea parties?"


    She asked...and didn''t even need to wait for n to answer because his dumb but rather cute face already told her.


    "And I will have you know, I have every right to be here."


    "Ughh."


    Maxwell groaned underneath n, and n got up and asked her.


    "Why?"


    But instead of her...the one that answered was Maxwell.


    "She...cough...is the heir of our guild''s biggest sponsor and supporter. And also the one you need to protect you freak..."


    He said as he struggled to walk and sat in his chair with great difficulty.


    "Cough...you fucking hippo..."


    He mumbled in a low voice...but n''s advanced hearing heard it.


    "I''ll have you know it''s all muscle."


    "Anyways...because of what n and Kazikato did...we have a lot of problems to discuss."


    Maxwell said...and his words got th attention of everyone present.

 Chapter 218 [218] The Problems.

    "Ahem, If I have everyone''s attention...I need to talk about some things."


    Maxwell said as he cleared his throat. n, Kazikato, Alice, and Sabrina focused on him.


    "First of all, We don''t have enough manpower, if a certain someone was present here this issue wouldn''t be as severe...but s he''s an idiot."


    "Hey, I had some business to attend to."


    n said, angry at Maxwell.


    "How much does the branch need?"


    Sabrina asked a question...whilst n looked at her weirdly.


    ''Hey I as the leader should be asking that question...and why is she making herself at home here?!''


    n thought...believing that he, as the leader Of [Predator]...should be doing this.


    "Well, to manage the territory of Rhino guild and also for renovation and dungeon business. We need 50 of each rank minimum below C, it would help if he had more c rank hunters as well. And we also need artisans for renovating the area. On top-"


    "I can provide them all."


    Sabrina said as she took out her watch and just as she was about to make a call...Maxwell stopped her.


    "Please don''t trouble yourself, miss, I''ve already written an application that has been epted By Headquarters...we would be receiving the reinforcements by tomorrow."


    "I agree."


    n agreed with Max. It wasn''t a good look that Twilight needed Wellington''s help with such a small matter...it would be disastrous to their reputation. And she also didn''t have any need to do this.


    Seeing them both, Sabrina stepped down.


    "Second, we need to lower many things, such as the absurdly high tax rate imposed by the Rhino guild, and improve our own reputation. The people here in this city don''t think much of us Awakened...and for this, we need to do a lot of Charity work. Which should be enough...and slowly build our reputation with better services...we will need a lot of money for that...So n and Kazikato should get going for Dungeon raids. I don''t want to use the money from the spatial Industry for that. So here."


    Maxwell handed n a file containing the information of all the dungeons they had acquired authority over from the Rhino guild.


    Seeing the list, n and Kazikato left almost immediately because there was arge amount of work to be done.


    "Now...Alice And Miss Sabrina...."


    A shrewd smile appeared on Maxwell''s face as the two girls felt a chill down their spines...but then.


    "Now! Do you want to be a part of Predator Miss Sabrina? Im sure your family would not mind and we are also needing a mage here..." Maxwell said with a bright, innocent smile.


    Sabrina...looking at Maxwell...had an odd feeling that she could not yet decipher...


    "...I don''t mind it."


    "Very Well! Please sign this contract of membership."


    Maxwell pushed forward a purple contract towards Sabrina...who carefully read it before saying.


    "I still need my family''s Per-"


    "Ayy? Ohe on, It''s just a contract."


    Maxwell interrupted her with the brightest smile...coaxing her to sign...But thankfully Sabrina was not foolish enough to actually do it.


    "I will sign it after consulting with my family..."


    She said, dodging an unknown bullet.


    "Ahh...It''s a shame...but would you please consider doing one favor for us? Considering ''we'' are affiliated to the Wellington family."


    Maxwell said...his intentions unclear.


    "I wouldn''t mind..."


    "GREAT! Please help us with the following tasks...."


    She regretted thatter on...


    ****


    [Alone in his office.]


    Maxwell...nearly spat blood out as he tried to regain hisposure...


    "Hahhaahahahhahahaa....HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA"


    His maniacalughter, however...clearly showed that he was out of his mind...


    "Kukuku...to think I have coaxed the heir of the wellington and the heir of Twilight...KUKUKU!"


    He was ecstatic...because his n had seeded...so fucking well.


    Not only had he coaxed Alice, a beauty and the daughter of the twilight guild master...but he had also coaxed someone even far greater.


    Coaxing Alice was easy...she wasn''t someone to disagree with...even if it was this task. But he had convinced an UNPARALLED beauty known as Sabrina Wellington...


    What had he coaxed them into you might ask?


    INTO BECOMING THE FACES OF THIS BRANCH OF TWILIGHT! He was already nning numerous interviews...advertisements...and product cements....GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.


    "Ah...your a genius max... a genius."


    He praised himself as he leaned back on his chair...as he came to a sudden thought.


    "Wait...I just scammed the heir of the Wellington Family and daughter of The guildmaster..."


    Uponing to such a realization...he thought...


    Fuck...


    ****


    "Boss...and you say I''m brutal."


    "Shut it."


    n said as he opened numerous portals on the ground...hiding the traces of the massacre he had performed in the harsh rain.


    "Did you check for cameras?"


    n asked, and Kazikato nodded.


    "Yep, None were here. I also checked the buildings for life and none."


    *RUMBLE!*


    The sudden sound of thunder caused the two to look at the sky, and before long n was done with the cleanup.


    ''Thank god I remembered this...otherwise, another news headline would be on everyone''s mind.


    He and Kazikato then went to a house...a house n remembered well.


    His grandparent''s house...and he secretly ced an Artifact on the wall, an artifact which disappeared after being ced.


    ''Good now I''ll be sure to know if something happens...''


    He said...before donning his cloak and disappearing.


    He and Kazikato would raid dungeons for a few days...and when they would be very...very surprised.


    ****


    In the harsh rain...a figure in a raincoat blitzed through the rain...trails of fire leaving his feet...evaporating the water from the rain...


    Elijah blitzed through the streets of Aror...until he arrived at the slums.


    He saw nothing but rainwater and sewers overflowing within the slums...and quietly headed to a particrly run-down house with a seemingly ordinary wooden door.


    He knocked on the door in a specific pattern, Three short interval knocks and two long interval knocks.


    "Who is it?"


    A voice was heard from the other side...a rough and husky, deep voice.


    "A customer seeking the services of the darkness."


    Elijah said...which was obviously a code and soon the door opened and he walked down the stairs after passing a rough-looking burly man.


    He then arrived...at the ce where he knew his brother was...


    The ck market!

 Chapter 219 [219] The Black Market.

    A vile ce. A Cruel ce, a disgusting, humanity-defying, heartless ce.


    And yet also the ce that was important for the economy...that was important for the world.


    "Beautiful girls for sale! All virgin!"


    *Tok*Tok*


    It was a ce that Elijah despised, yet he now had to walk through it...


    "You look like a healthy young man sir, Do you want to have a go?"


    A ve trader approached him...and ''suggested''.


    Elijah stopped...his cloak hiding his popping veins...his enraged face...his desire to kill this filth.


    Heat emerged from his body...the mes of rage...a rage that sprouted seeing the hopeless faces of anyone, male or female that was reduced to this state...to this ss.


    "No."


    He responded...and made his way towards his destination.


    He knew...he could not make a mess here...no matter what unless he wanted to be overpowered and killed.


    The ck market was not something to be messed with...absolutely not.


    It was an international organization that was the backbone of the economy, the ce even the Government depended on somewhat, along with the Association.


    He walked through the ck market...his eyes wandering to numerous ces as he looked at all the wares the people were selling.


    The ck market was also a ce of sce and trade for smaller merchants...who could not gain any authorization from the Association to sell their magic items.


    From the smallest magical items, materials, and ingredients to ves and monsters.


    "KRUK!"


    Elijah looked at a lizard-type beast being suppressed by awakened employees, It was thrown into a cage and a harness was ced upon it which quietened it up, preventing it from opening its mouth, and then its tail was restricted as well.


    Elijah could hear his blood boil...his drake blood boiling in rage...but he had to suppress it...


    He hated, loathed his weakness...and gritted his teeth until blood seeped out.


    He calmed himself down and continued to go, seeing all manners of inhuman actions beingmitted...some rather ''crazy'' awakened doing it to ves out in the open.


    He lowered his hood even further and finally...he arrived at a particr building.


    [Arora Brokers.]


    An Agency that housed various types of unauthorized brokers...and his brother was someone that worked there taking all manner of requests from any Client...no matter what it was.


    He would get it done.


    Elijah took out a red dragon mask from his Inventory and put it on before entering the building.


    Heading to the reception, he took out a card and handed it to the receptionist.


    The woman, who was also wearing a mask that covered her eyes took out a phone and soon a guard came to Elijah and guided him to his brother''s office.


    [Number 23].


    "Please have a sessful interaction."


    The guard said and left and Elijah looked at the golden engraving on the door.


    ''...it was silver before.''


    He definitely remembered his brother''s office being ranked silver...but in the time he was not here...his brother had advanced to be one of the Agency''s most prized brokers...


    Elijah gritted his teeth and opened the door.


    He entered avishly decorated office, which had a small bar on one side, disying the alcoholism of the owner.


    The owner...an incredibly handsome man whose features could be seen even through the mask he was wearing which covered half of his gorgeous face. Bright orange hair and scarlet eyes, reminiscent of Elijah''s hair and eyes...a man who behind his table was sitting in an electronic wheelchair.


    The man''s eyes widened in surprise as he saw his...unexpected customer. The mask Elijah was wearing could not stop him from recognizing his little brother.


    Elijah Ardor...stared at his big brother, Elton Ardor...and said.


    "We need to talk."


    ****


    Elton Ardor, the first child of Micheal Ardor and Maria Ardor. Possessing a unique blend of both their features and is an incredibly intelligent man.


    He was once the pride of the Ardor Family until Elijah was born. But that did not mean his parents mistreated him in any way...Micheal and Maria loved all their children equally.


    He was a bright young man. Someone that everyone liked. Someone that was kind, nice, and Caring. Who loved his little brother and sister very much.


    Although he wasn''t as talented being an Awakened because of his low mana reserves and poor mana control.


    Although he wasn''t talented as an Awakened like his father was, he didnt really care for being an Awakened. He was intelligent and handsome. That alone had many many perks. He helped his family out in their own business and was the one everyone liked.


    He lived a nice quiet life... a life his father very much supported.


    He knew of his little brother''s talent and wasn''t jealous of it in any way. He had dreams of starting apany after graduating from University.


    A Dream, an ambition, a life, and a family that was all ruined because of one Event.


    The demonic invasion of Aror city.


    ****


    Sirens were heard,


    the roars of monsters shook the earth and the screams of the people brought about despair. The city resembled an apocalyptic sight, with destroyed buildings, and corpses, torn and eaten on the ground filled with their own blood. The raging cmity that was wreaking havoc upon the city. Awakened being killed left and right, Monsters being killed left and right, Blood and guts everywhere.


    A true scene of Hell.


    "hhuuuhhh"


    Elton breathed heavily as hey on the ground, his body numb as his face licked the blood-covered streets.


    ''What happened?''


    Elton thought...his consciousness fading. It seemed as if the world had slowed down for him...


    "CLASH!CLANG!"


    He heard faint sounds, sounds that rang in his ears continuously as he wondered what was going on...until he suddenly remembered.


    Ah...a demon had attacked Aror.


    A vicious, vile demon covered in a ck aura and wielding a ded whip.


    A demon that brought hordes upon hordes and reaped the lives of many...and was continuing to do so.


    He could hear the sounds of fire, of explosions, of a tiger''s roar in the distance yet his head, and his body felt heavy.


    He tried to move his body but could not, he could only move his neck. And so he did.


    And saw the scene of a young boy, a boy he recognized, in front of the very same demon that wreaked havoc in the city.


    Eli?


    He tried to speak, yet no words came out.


    He saw the figure of the boy, bleeding and the demon slowly advancing as he prepared t kill the boy.


    Run...Eli run.


    He tried to speak but no words came out. H felt helpless...his body felt heavy and then he tried to move...he attempted to save his brother. But then.


    He saw why he could not move.


    He saw why he was numb,why his body felt nothing, why everything looked blurry why everything looked hopeless.


    His legs, from the knee down, crushed underrge debris. Compleely turned into mush.


    He saw it...and then as if he could not ept it. As if his brain could not process it...could notprehend it. He fell unconscious...despite his best attempts to try to save his brother...to move...to ignore it.


    His world went dark.

 Chapter 220 [220] A Cruel World.

    14,457 dead.


    30,098 seriously injured.


    And many many more who were injured.


    It was a fucked up day.


    Aror was decimated, literally. Numerous buildings are gone, people are dead and another infrastructure ispletely destroyed.


    That was the day that Elton also lost everything, like many others.


    He woke up in a hospital, he heard the faint, ringing sound of arguing.


    He breathed, but even that was aborious task, he tried to move, but that was an impossible task.


    He could barely see, he could barely open his eyes.


    It was as if an eternity had passed. And then he could hear.


    "I''m sorry...but there is nothing we can do."


    "What do you mean?! Isn''t it your fucking job?!"


    "I can''t do anything about his legs! They''ve been reduced to mush, and demonic energy has seeped into his body...I''m just a C-rank healer...I can''t do it."


    One of them was a familiar voice...the voice of his father And the other he was unaware of.


    A single breath, even though he was wearing an oxygen mask...was so hard.


    He could feel the stinging pain in his body now...but most importantly he could not...no matter how much he tried to...he couldn''t feel his legs.


    And then, He passed out, again.


    ****


    The lower part of his legs, from the knees,pletely turned into a paste, and rampant demonic energy in his veins would keep him in torturous pain.


    He was reduced to a crippled man, needing medication to dull his woes. A bright and prosperous future was once his, but now it went down the drain.


    He had lost all hope, he had been crippled, he was miserable, and had fallen into even more depression that he started smoking and drinking.


    A smoking addict, an alcoholic.


    And then, as he would cry, from the pain and the realization he would then ponder.


    Why me?


    Why of all me?


    I was intelligent? I was handsome, I was bright, charming, I was ''perfect''.


    I had everything.


    Everyone loved me before, but now they don''t even look at it.


    And his illness was getting even worse.


    First, he was numb from his legs, then slowly he couldn''t move his waist and then he came to the shocking and frightening solution that his body was failing, it was sumbing to the demonic energy.


    And then, he knew.


    He would die soon.


    No, I don''t want that.


    He thought He didn''t want his body to corrode to demonic energy, he didn''t want to be taken by this.


    I will not...I will not die this pathetic death.


    And that was the turning point.


    The third phase of his life. From a bright, charming man, to a cripple to a broker.


    No, it was an understatement to call him a broker. He was more than just an average broker. He knew how to do everything. Fromw to hacking.


    He dragged himself up, literally from the bottom of thedder to the highest...and although he was sessful because of what he had ''done''. He was involved in many dangerous things that could have gotten him killed. But his wit had allowed him to survive.


    However, this life came with its consequences.


    He was able to get potions that could prolong his life, but he had to cut contact with his family.


    Thest time he saw them was to convince his father for some money...to cure himself.


    There were three ways to cure himself.


    One, get an SS rank healer to personally treat him. Not happening.


    Two, Get the miraculous Elven tear. This was also never going to happen.


    Three, Awaken.


    The third option was the best, and the least hardest. And so Elton, when he wasn''t as sessful had asked his father to take him to a dungeon, however, the result of that conversation was deadly.


    It was dangerous, you can die, You WILL die, you aren''t able to handle mana, and it''s hard.


    The many things his father said, and yet he thought as he left to do it himself.


    So What if I die? Do you honestly think this type of life is WORTH LIVING?!


    And then he came to a conclusion.


    No, it is not.


    I will change it myself.


    And that day was the day the man known as Elton Ardor died, And The infamous man of the Underworld Crimson Serpent was born.


    ****


    "What business do you have with me, sir?"


    Elton...no Crimson Serpent said, addressing Elijah.


    Elijah closed the door beside him and looked at his brother with a lost gaze.


    "..."


    He stayed silent. The mere fact that his own brother had addressed him like a client, not family had made him stay silent, staring at his brother in contempt.


    ''How much you have changed...the Underworld has changed you...brother.''


    Elijah thought as he stared not at Elton, But at Crimson Serpent.


    "...I want to correct some things."


    Elijah said as he took a seat in front of Crimson Serpent.


    " I offer a wide variety of services, but my services are ''quite'' costly."


    Crimson Serpent said as he looked at his ''client''


    "Let us discuss business over a drink, Shall we?"


    Said Crimson...and in front of Elijah''s shocked eyes...his brother stood up.


    The sound of...metal shing against one another was heard from his brother, his stride looking forced, and somewhat...unnatural.


    ''...prosthetics?''


    "You are correct, Although these prosthetic legs of mine are not dwarven technology, they suffice to meet my needs."


    Crimson said as he walked to the bar...it was as if he knew what Elijah was thinking.


    He poured wine into one ss, and an orange liquid into the other, and returned with an unnatural, robotic stride.


    "Here."


    Crimson handed the ss of orange juice to his client...the favorite drink of his client. The favorite beverage of Elijah.


    "..."


    Elijah looked at his brother with an odd gaze.


    What is this?


    What is this feeling of suffocation?


    Why do I feel afraid?


    Elijah had these thoughts as Crimson sat down in his wheelchair.


    His brows were sweaty as he looked at his brother...and then as if he felt something tightening around his neck, Agri came.


    [...he reminds me of a rather heinous, cold, and shrewd bastard.]


    Agri''s voice somehow calmed him down...but his next words made him alert.


    [Be careful Elijah. You are lucky, he has not be ''him'' yet, not even simr...yet.]


    Elijah heard Agri, and as he wondered...Crimson spoke.


    "What''s the matter, customer?"


    *THUMP!*


    That voice sent chills down his spine...it was as if something was slithering up his body to his neck.


    [Fear has been detected, Fear resistance(D-) has dispelled the fear.]


    He felt calm now, it was as if the previous feeling was all but an illusion.


    "...Drop the act."


    Elijah said...regaining hisposure.


    "Elton...drop the fucking act."


    He said....a hidden rage in his voice.


    Crimson...No Elton sighed.


    "Sigh...What do you want, Eli?"


    Elton said in a cold voice.


    "You know exactly why I came here."


    Elijah said, drinking the Orange juice in one huge gulp.


    "I''m afraid I''m oblivious."


    Elton said as he took a sip of his red wine.


    "Elton, Dad, and Mom are worried, and Mary is worried. Why are you still living this life?"


    "You know that very well...don''t yo-you?"


    Elton shook a little as he said, and Elijah didn''t miss this but dismissed it.


    "...Elton...I promise I will find a cure...but you can''t awaken..."


    Elijah was correct. There was little hope for Elton.


    Someone like Elton, who already had low mana and low control over it had a low chance of awakening, and now with a destroyed body wouldn''t be able to do it...and he even had demonic energy, Chaos mana in his veins.


    Awakening for him was a slim chance, one that even if it had a 0.001 probability of seeding...was a hope he desperately clung on to.


    What could he do? Option One and two were 0% whilst this had a chance.


    "I don''t want to hear that from you, you will never know how I feel."


    Crimson said, and Elijah was outraged.


    "I don''t know how you feel. Well... do you know how I? How we all Feel?!


    We don''t want this from you! We tried to help you, we tried to do everything so you won''t feel isted...I tried everything...I just need you to wait! Why can''t you do that?! Why must you be involved in this world?! Are you alright with destroying the lives of others for your own sess?!"


    Elijah yelled at his brother...unable to control himself. All while Elton silently pressed a button underneath his desk.


    And soon two guards entered the room...and Elijah stopped.


    "Please escort him outside safely."


    Crimson said...and the guards approached Elijah...who had no choice but to yield.


    "...Don''t forget about this. I will save you...no matter what it takes."


    Elijah said in a low voice...before he left willingly. And Crimson was left alone in his office.


    He opened a drawer and took out a syringe containing a special liquid, and injected himself with it.


    Instantly...he felt calm and relieved, his shaking gone.


    But then as he opened up hisptop to continue work. He mumbled.


    "I know...your tenacity is a problem."

 Chapter 221 221;A Cruel World.

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    _____________


    Elijah walked through the ck market, making his way to the exit.


    [Your brother has changed. Elton is bing...more of a bastard I know of.]


    Suddenly, Agri''s statement aroused his attention.


    ''What are you talking about?''


    [There was once a...snake that was far too good at being a son of a bitch.]


    ''?''


    [You will...see that son of a bitch that deserves to die by burning in magma, in the core of My Vulcan a hundred times...soon, unfortunately.]


    Elijah, hearing Agri''s sheer hatred toward this individual was surprised.


    ''You really hated him huh.''


    [I''m Not the only one...trust me. And I''m not too fond of the fact that he was so effective against the Ab***.]


    "GRAH!"


    Suddenly, Elijah felt a sharp headache hearing thest parts of Agri''s sentence.


    [...My Apologies...I said something I shouldn''t have.]


    ''...Who the heck was he for you to hate him ''that'' much?''


    Elijah said, after recovering from the headache and stares of the people.


    [Because he did the impossible. He brought down two of the strongest Empires, Our Empire, and its Rival by his sheer intellect and cunning.]


    And Then...Elijah stopped in his tracks.


    What? What did I just hear?


    [Shocking, isn''t it?]


    Agri said the one thing Elijah was feeling.


    ''...he brought down the Dragonic Empire by himself?...alone?''


    He asked...whilst shaking.


    [It''s a shame to admit it...but yes...]


    ''...he must have been a frightening person when he was alive...what species was he?''


    Elijah asked...whilst Agriughed...a hollow and forcedugh.


    [Yes...when he was alive that is...He...was a human.]


    ''...''


    Elijah... then out of fear...asked.


    ''Will my brother...be like him if things don''t change?''


    Elijah asked Agri, afraid but curious of the Answer.


    [Oh no, not at all. If Elton possessed even 1% of his threat...I, would have descended upon Earth myself to rid him from Existence.]


    ****


    [In the Demonic Continent.]


    "KYHAA!"


    "DIE YOU RAT BASTARD!"


    A young man possessing jet ck hair stabbed a demonic rat, a meter tall with a ck de.


    *RUMBLE*


    The rat''s insides were being roasted by the Electricity emanating from the de.


    And finally...it died a gruesome death...as the boy took out his de from its corpse. He gasped for Breath. His upper body was bare, riddled with wounds that leaked blood and pus. His muscles gained through Hard and Intense training filled with sweat, His back emanating a silver glow, that originated from the tattoo of a wolf d in wind and thunder.


    "SQUEAK!"


    "SQUEAK!"


    Numerous other rat monsters, mutated because of Chaos mana, surrounded him and in response the body of the Boy, Alexander Wright glowed grey...and his expression was no longer that of a human. But rather that of a beast.


    "GRAHHH!"


    He leaped into the middle of the demonic monsters and began his ughter.


    And from far away, 4 individuals observed him.


    "Shouldn''t we stop this?"


    Olivia Olsfer expressed her concern for Alex, who was riddled with wounds and still fighting shing at every demonic monster and caring not for himself.


    "Oh? Someone''s worried?"


    The Sword Saint, Arken Miller teased her...whilst her Grandfather disyed an annoyed expression, which Arkenughed at boisterously.


    Olivia turned her face away and looked at a small wolf cub looking at Alex.


    A cute wolf cub, possessing silver fur with streaks of gold like lightning.


    Little did they know this wolf club, which was a GODBEAST of the Supreme rank once, was now reduced to a little familiar, Simr to that of a spirit.


    They didn''t know where it came from...but suddenly one day Alex had it on his shoulder and told them it was his spirit.


    And apparently, it could speak.


    [What are you looking at? Human female?]


    It said, expressing annoyance whilst the two Saints looked at it.


    "Nothing."


    Olivia said..and then they heard a howl.


    "AOOOOO!"


    Coming from none other than Alex, And then his familiar also started to howl simrly.


    "AOOOO!"


    All whilst the three looked at both of them Weirdly.


    The Chaos continent was indeed chaotic.


    ******


    Lucas fell down on his back, his sweat forming a pool beneath him.


    He breathed and breathed, yet his breath did not go stable.


    In his personal training room, in the State of the Hiddlestones... he had been training since the day he got back.


    It was tough...his muscles were tired...no that was quite the understatement, it felt like they were going to be ripped to shreds.


    And yet he still tried to stand.


    He did...and punched once again.


    Again, and Again...and Again.


    But even then, could a Human body handle that much stress?


    The Human body was amazing, its adaptability was astonishing and it''s endurance, backed by a strong mind was strong. Very Strong.


    But even this was too much.


    Lucas could feel himself slipping...his eyes vision started to fade.


    And then he fell to his knees...his consciousness slipping...his will being the only thing keeping him awake.


    ''...cant...cant...cant...give up...not...yet...''


    He tried to stand. But he couldn''t.


    It was unknown whether it was sweat of tears that was flowing down from his face...but before he knew it.


    Lucas fell down, his body exhausted, and his mind trembling.


    His vision faded to ck and then he dropped to the ground.


    The body needed rest...but the mind would not let it.


    ****


    Lucas woke up in his bedroom, his body refusing to move...his body in pain.


    ''...did the butler move me here?''


    He wondered...and tried to get up...but his body refused to listen.


    ''...I...can''t rest now...I must get stronger.''


    He could not rest...Could he?


    If he rested...who knew how much he would be left behind?


    He grits his teeth...and finally got up... his eyes wandering around his room.


    *THUMP!THUMP!*


    His heart beat wildly...his mind wanted to go back to sleep. His body thirsted for rest.  But he got up.


    His eyes saw a ne with a blue jewel and a piece of parchment on top of his drawer...before he fell down.


    He remembered that it was a gift from the Sword Saint before he left with the headmaster and Alex...along with a letter.


    [Consider this giftpensation for not having time for you, I found it during a hellish dungeon raid, trust me, that thing is valuable. Also, Don''t overexert yourself too much. Make sure to rest properly...but knowing you, you wouldn''t listen. If you have time, visit n to train together.


    Take Care, Be back soon!


    Your Master.]


    ''What was the description of the item anyway...?''


    Lucas wondered as he remembered the contents of the letter. HE never checked the item but instead just trained relentlessly.


    "Young Master."


    Suddenly he heard a voice...the voice of his caretaker since he was a child, and also his butler.


    "...what is it Alfred?"


    He said, it was a struggle to even speak.


    "Please rest, your body is tired, you have been training tirelessly for weeks."


    Alfred expressed his concern as he sat down on the carpet alongside Lucas.


    He was the only one who could be so casual with Lucas...he was more of a father than Lucas''s actual father.


    "I can''t rest...i need to get stro-"


    *Whack!*


    But then, in the middle of his sentence, Lucas was knocked unconscious by Alfred, who picked him up and tugged him in.


    "Im sorry for my actions, But I cannot watch you torture yourself any longer."


    He was the caretaker of Lucas Hiddlestone since he was a child, he and Lucas shared a close bond with one another. There was no one Lucas trusted more than Him...and it was also because of their bond that Alfred could do this.


    He looked at the ne and piece of Parchment on the drawer, before cing it inside...hiding it from the eyes of anyone who would have entered the room ,and locked the drawer.


    "Who would have thought? Young Master Lucas is a student of the Sword Saint..."


    He looked at Lucas, knocked unconscious, and looked at the time.


    ''A minimum of 3 days of sleep is required...well I need to put in the work.''


    He thought, he knew Lucas far too well. He knew that Lucas would rush to go train the moment he awoke. And Alfred would be there to knock him unconscious every time.


    His master''s tenacity was incredible. And Recently Alfred was incredibly happy when he noticed Young Master''s Lucas''s personality improving.


    He sat down, and quietly read a book whilst waiting for his Young Master to wake up, so he could knock him unconscious once again.

 Chapter 222 [223] A Crueler World.

    [Alexander Wrights POV]


    I can feel it...


    As I sh through the monsters of this corruptednd, As I slit their throats and kill them..


    I can feel it...


    The corruption, The wrath within my blood...Festul''s wrath.


    I can hear the woes of the corrupted wind, the cries of the sky.


    The corruption in thend.


    I must purify it.


    ''I will purify it.''


    I thought, as I continued to fight...until myst breath.


    [Yes, You will.]


    I can hear Festul''s voice, The voice of the manifestation of my bloodline''s owner...Someone who appeared randomly quite a while back.


    [Feel The wrath of the wind. Feel the sorrow of the skies, Manifest their rage, Manifest Nature''s rage and be the emperor.]


    His archaic voice seemed to awaken something within me and my blood.


    I could feel the wrath of the wind...the sorrow of the skies...as Lightning manifested around my figure.


    [I will help you this time, Remember this Technique.]


    Festul Said...I always wondered about his real identity...All I knew was the message from the System Prompt.


    Monarch Of Storms, Godbeast, and whatnot.


    It seems I will find the answer today.


    [Yes, You will...now focus...and do not resist.]


    He said...and following his words...I struck my des into the ground...and raised my hands without my mind telling me to.


    I was just following the feeling...the wrath of the environment...whatever it told me...Whatever the Lightning dancing around my figure told me too.


    The monsters of this corrupted environment backed away due to fear.


    I looked towards the sky...and knew why.


    *RUMBLE*


    Arge sphere of lightning...descending from the skies.


    The Culmination of the wrath and sorrow of the Skies, The Wrath of The Monarch Storms.


    I stared at the sphere of lightning, Sorge it was, my eyes incapable of viewing it entirely.


    Iughed...as I thought of what I should call this move...


    [?]


    Festul expressed his confusion, the idea of naming a technique like this piquing his curiosity...the naming sense of a human.


    Iughed inwardly...as I had already thought of a suitable name.


    I brought my hands down, this time of my own volition, and Yelled at the top of my lungs.


    ""RAIJIN!""


    *RUMBLE!*


    And then the world became aware of the wrath of the Skies...


    ********


    [At Aror.]


    Things changed...for better or for worse.


    Twilight ''reinforcements'' had arrived, and the renovations had beenpleted.


    The previous building Twilight Had built became a secondary building whilst the main forces migrated towards the Headquarters of the Rhino Guild after remodeling it to suit Twilight''s theme. Rhino guild couldn''t do anything because the strongest members were in the hospital due to a certain someone.


    Alice and Sabrina had been made receptionists...and although Sabrina was hard to convince...the MAstermind that was Maxwell had done it... And Sabrina was getting it easy because her family was still in the way. Alice however...had been taking the brunt of Maxwell''s ''Ideas''. Being in advertisements and shows.


    And Maxwell was also ignoring a lot of calls from her Father.


    Was the man Suicidal? Probably.


    Twilight''s area of control had expanded, and they had a few dungeons in their possession now that belonged originally to the rhino Guild and Public Opinion of the Guild was improving. Mainly because Twilight''s area had better Protection, lower taxes, a lot of collective service being provided, and also The two Beauties they had.


    Alice and Sabrina brought in a lot of attraction, many people signed up for Twilight just to have a chance to strike up a conversation with them. Most ended in Failure and a broken heart.


    And Finally, as things had stabilized. The Overall Impression of the guild was improving.


    And then...the day hade.


    A Bunch of Twilights staff and Maxwell stood outside a dungeon Gate. Maxwell Observed his watch Keenly.


    ''...should be right about...now.''


    He thought, and as if on cue, n and Kazikato Emerged from the Portal covered in blood that was not theirs...


    And both had bored looks on their faces.


    "Go."


    Maxwell ordered the Dungeon Scavenging Staff, and they rushed inside the dungeon whilst Maxwell walked towards the Duo.


    "You Two Okay?"


    He said, looking at the faces of n and Kazikato, looking tired.


    He however knew the look on their faces was fake. The two weren''t tired. Just Bored.


    They loved to fight.


    "Sigh...Come on, I have things to show you both."


    "Is it food?"


    Kazikato asked, whilst n stayed Silent.


    He walked behind Maxwell quietly.


    It was unknown what was on his mind, but then...He and Kazikato suddenly looked in a certain direction.


    Their Eyes, Eyes of Bright Blue Diamonds and ck Abyssal Eyes looked towards Two hooded Figures far away. Far away that a normal eye could not seen them.


    "What''s Wrong?"


    Maxwell asked, oblivious.


    ****


    "They sure are Talented."


    A Figure d in a hood said, addressing a taller figure, also d in a hood.


    "Yes...they are."


    The Taller Figure said, a hidden emotion in his voice.


    "They''ve spotted us, Should we go?"


    The shorter Individual said, and the Taller figure agreed.


    "Yes...But Before that... We should Respond Adequately."


    The Taller figure said, and their Eyes began to glow...Simr to the eyes of Predators.


    It was as if a Tiger and A Wolf responded to n And Kazikato respectively.


    And then, they disappeared.


    *******


    [Sabrina''s PoV]


    ''...I should not have done this...sigh...''


    Sabrina thought, regretting everything as she dropped a pile of books on her desk.


    The office was closed, so she had a bit of time.


    "I hope these have an answer."


    She said, looking at the books she brought.


    [The emergence of Demihuman.]


    [The characteristics of Reptiles.]


    [Myths of Draconians.]


    She hadn''t forgotten the sights she had seen on the Ind during the Ind, n''s fight with Kubrick had a lot of surprises.


    Although she couldn''t see the end due to passing out...she still had found out some Key Details.


    ''So that is the source of your strength! You are not HUman but a Mighty Draconian!''


    She remembered Kubricks words, and then opened the first book


    She was determined to find out everything. A characteristic of hers that was both dangerous but equally rewarding.


    *****


    Sorry For no Chapters for a few days, Exams areing up so i don''t have a lot of time.


    Peace!

 Chapter 223 [223] Draconians.

    Yo, Author here, Please join the discord server. The top 5 Fans get their rank. Just send me proof and I will give you the rank. Link is. https://discord.gg/Sgxw6QEsgE


    Thanks for 100 members on discord!


    *******


    [Draconians are a lesser breed of the Mighty Dragon Species. They have a humanoid shape along with dense and tough scales that cover their body, they resemble dragons, only smaller and weaker. They were created by the God of Dragons to serve the Dragons as servants. Despite being servants of Dragons, they are incredibly strong, befitting their blood ancestry. They are said to have extremely strong physical Abilities and are proficient with Mana, the power of Dragons. Although they do suffer some intelligence setbacks. They are to be feared. Draconians can also purify their impure blood to ascend to Dragons. The color of a draconian''s scales reflects its egg color, and also the elemental affinity it possesses. They are also very in tune with their Element, often reflecting the Element''s characteristics. Draconians are a rare species that are respected by many species due to their affiliations with dragons. They are very strong, and their loyalty knows no bounds. They are extremely Loyal and Honourable and keep their promises. They are also very driven to a goal or task they are given and will make sure theyplete it. They have a high potential.]


    [First Sighting of a Draconian was in the Dungeon in New York, The Dungeon of Ak, The dungeon possessed a volcanic environment, and contained reptilian-type monsters. The Boss was the Draconian Ak, an S+ Monster of the Fire attribute. The raid on this dungeon failed multiple times until it waspleted by Hiroto Mitsuki on 2037, May 4th. Multiple Guilds had tried to raid it but failed and lost many members, Hiroto Mitsuki was also incredibly Injured. He imed to have gained Enlightenment from the encounter with Ak, and this enlightenment gave him the inspiration toplete his Weapon Art, Andplete its final Movement.]


    [Demihumans are mixed breeds made from Human genes and monster genes. They were first created in ab, but there exist Demi-Human monsters in a lot of worlds that have no rtion or gic simrities to Earth Humans, They live in other worlds. Some Demihumans were transported to Earth through dungeons and then made ves, although this tradition has been abolished now, They are still met with Racism and most humans don''t have a good opinion of them. They possess increased Physical abilities, but suffer from Mana maniption.]


    ''Hmmm....''


    Sabrina sighed as she wrote the summary of the books she just read.


    "The third one was useless..."


    She muttered, not finding any useful information in the book about Demihumans being rted to Draconians.


    Her interest was piqued, she tapped her watch and a hologram appeared in front of her, containing a nk white canvas. She then ced the hologram in front of her and began to draw.


    Her special gift, a photographic memory was being activated to its fullest as she draw the scene of the Draconian with golden bird wings.


    And s after an hour or two, she was done.


    A perfect recreation of her memory. the White Draconian that she had seen, a level of skill even the greatest artists would envy. Every little detail isid upon the canvas.


    After finishing the piece of art, she opened another Hologram, this time it was not nk however, it contained the photo of Ak, the fire element Draconian...and The White Death that had appeared in Japan.


    ''They all have different structures...''


    She said,paring the three draconians in her mind.


    Ak, the S+ rank monster, possessed a body covered in sharp scales and spikes and a terrifying maw, along with Two menacing horns. The colorposition sly different but even the Bone structure of the three had major differences.


    Ak had a slim but rough build, meant forbat and ughter. And Spiked Bat like wings.


    Second was the White Death, possessing a slim and athletic type of build. It had no noticeablebat-type variations. Such as spikes on its body. But it possessed Scythe-like ws and two horns, resembling sickles on its head, different from Ak''s straight horns. It also had a skull type of Face, an odd one for its body type. It also possessed a sharp tail and a protrusion on its nape. And it was unknown what it was for. And simr wings to Ak, just white


    And then there was n...The Golden Winged Draconian.


    Possessing a little built bulkier build, with thick legs and shoulders. White Scales that had an outline of astral blue, a rough tail, and a much more brawler-type oriented build. He was muscr, sexy and slim, and flexible. He had two erect horns and two more that went back his head, resembling a crown of sorts. It was also the Tallest of the Three Dragons, At 8 foot 5 inches, Ak and the White Death were simr in height at about 7 foot 6 to 7 inches. And Golden feather, me-like wings.


    ''But then why does he have a human form?''


    She wondered, why did n have a human form? In the information, she found out that Draconians only had one form, their humanoid reptile forms, and upon Evolution. They would have the form of a mighty dragon.


    ''Unless... No, that can''t be.''


    Sabrina thought. Was n a product between a Draconian and a Human, which was why he possessed two forms?


    But she discarded that thought. n had human Parents... Both of his Parents, Alfred, and Anna Pator were confirmed humans, and his birth also had no ws. His DNA was rted to both his parents.


    There was no refuting that fact.


    ''If his DNA and previous history match...then... it must be the effect of a bloodline...''


    That was the only logical conclusion now. Although Bloodlines were still a mysterious topic. It was confirmed that Bloodline users had three forms, Their Original Human Form, A half mix of both. And then  A full beast form.


    ''But then, shouldn''t his bloodline be that of a dragon...or do draconians also have a separate bloodline path? Despite being an Inferior Species?''


    She wondered, not being able to answer her curiosities.


    She sighed, before dialing up Harry, her caretaker.


    "I want you to find out everything about The Ak Dungeon raid, its drops, and all information rted to the dungeon and dungeon existence rted to a draconian type monster, Or Drago Rted Subspecies. ASAP."


    [I beg your pardon? I can do it but I need a reason to convince the Patriarch. Miss Sabr-]


    "Just tell Grandpa I need it, he will authorize it."


    Sabrina interrupted him before he could finish his sentence and was about to end the call but then.


    [Yes Ma''am...but the Patriarch has expressed his concern about your recent activities, and interest in your bo-]


    "Just tell him to mind his own business!"


    She ended the call angrily...and after calming down went back to doing her research.


    She created 3D holograms of the Three Dragons, and then when she examined them closely...she found something odd.


    ''Wait...Why does n have Feathers for wings?''


    Ak and the White death possessed bat-like wings, but n possessed golden fire, bird-like wings.


    ''Why is that? A Gic Mutation?''


    She thought but her questions would not be answered for a long time.


    She had no more material to extract more information for now, except the inte for now.


    So, she decided to scour the inte whilst waiting for Harry to send her any information he could find from trustworthy sources.


    The Inte wasn''t really good for trustworthy information, but she thought.


    Hey let''s give it a try.


    ****

 Chapter 224 [224] Draconians (2)

    [Draconians are a race of warriors and magicians. The Humanoid monsters are also called Dragonmen because of their upright standing and reptile-like figure. They have appeared in multiple games as enemies and sometimes Allies, they are said to have been created by the Dragon God to serve the Dragons.]


    ''It''s the same...''


    Sabrina thought as she scrolled through the screen, reading the information written.


    [Some Draconians are said to be former Humans, who had gained the interest of dragons and had a suitable vessel. The dragon offered them to be their sessor and gave them the bloodline of dragons. They share the same strengths as Dragons, such as vastly superior physical abilities, and also share the same weaknesses, such as a reverse scale.]


    [The chosen humans are to go through many trials in order to receive the full extent of their Guardian Dragon''s powers. These Humans can transform into Half dragons, draconian-type beings, and full dragons once their vessel has evolved to handle itpletely.]


    [They are also able to entirely change their races from human to Dragon by concentrating their bloodline or letting their Guardian dragon do it for them. This however only happens for a few promising individuals.]


    ''Hmm?''


    This is useful. Sabrina thought as she wondered.


    ''THe inte maybe isn''t as bad as they all said it was...''


    She thought, remembering the warnings of the Elders back in the family.


    She then took out a notebook and started recording everything she learned.


    Draconians are a very interesting species. A species that garnered her curiosity.


    *****


    "Boss, Should we go?"


    Kazikato asked n, Whilst he readied his mana.


    "No."


    However contrary to his expectations, n rejected the notion.


    "I''m tired. We should both rest. They haven''t tried anything. They just observed us and we don''t know who they were as well.."


    n said.


    ''Although I do have an Idea who they might be.''


    He thought as he entered the vehicle.


    ''Im tired....and I have some stuff to do as well.''


    n thought, and they departed towards the main guild building.


    "How did the raids go?"


    Maxwell asked them, to which Kazikato responded.


    "Not really fun, the monsters were weak. It was boring."


    Maxwellughed as he said.


    "Well, you two did only raid low-leveled dungeons. It is to be expected."


    n stayed quiet for a while as Kazikato and Maxwell chatted.


    But then as he looked outside the windows onto the streets he noticed a change in their territory.


    ''The people are smiling...and Twilight Members are patrolling the area?''


    He thought, his curiosity piqued. He saw people even gifting the Twilight members with all sorts of gifts.


    The streets looked happier, and the people looked to be more weing...although there was still an odd apple here and there.


    "Like what you see?"


    Said Maxwell, Attracting n''s gaze.


    "Let''s just say that I, Alice, and Sabrina worked our asses off."


    "Sabrina?"


    n asked, hearing her name.


    "Oh yeah, half the new members we got are because of her. She goes on a lot of welfare events we held helping the people. I got a few trustworthy people to guard her. And because of her face, she really opens people''s hearts. Along with Alice. I made them both into clerks. And most of all this is freebor!"


    n, upon hearing Maxwell...suddenly woke up from his tired state and had a look of absolute fear on his face.


    "Alice AND SABRINA?"


    HE asked...wanting to confirm his suspicions against him, not believing the words he heard before.


    "Yeah."


    BOOOM!


    As a meteor hit him...the look on his face became even more afraid.


    "...Alice is understandable...but do you not know about Sabrina...?"


    "Yeah, I know."


    n''s fear tripled as he heard Maxwell again.


    "Are...you suicidal?"


    He asked...and Maxwell responded.


    "Yeah."


    ******


    "We''ve arrived, Young master."


    Alfred, Lucas''s Butler said. Informing the sleeping Lucas that they had arrived at their destination.


    Lucas opened the door, donning a hoodie beforehand. Hiding his face as he stepped out, as well as the blue ne he was wearing.


    "Are you sure you will be okay? Young master I can a-"


    "I''ll be fine Alfred."


    He said, before closing the door.


    Alfred, Looking at his hooded figure walked through the Slums with worry.


    ''Children these days are so rough...''


    He thought...as he saw his Young Master walk the slums.


    Lucas, wearing the ne given to him by his Master and the brass knuckles he bought recently. Walked alone in the slums, heading towards the ck market.


    ''What do you define strength as, Lucas?''


    He remembered a conversation with Arken, The Sword Saint, and his master.


    ''Being Strong.''


    ''Exin that.''


    He remembered his stupid reply, and also his Master''s wisdom.


    ''Can''t Can you? Strength isn''t defined just as being physically strong. It is the power to make others bend, the authority that lets you be unshaken in front of others and their demands. The power that makes you stand above them...It cane in various forms, Such as Intelligence, Background, Talent, And Physical Strenght. Right now strength in th form of Physical Strength is what you need...but there is a w you believe in.''


    ''What?''


    ''Your talent. You believe you are less talented than others, so you must work harder...but you cannot be more wrong.''


    ''???''


    "Strengthes in many ways, So what if your talent is acking factor? In the end, the determined and spirited ones survive...Strength...''


    His master stopped...hesitating before continuing.


    ''Strength can be gained in numerous ways, whether they are morally questionable, legally impossible, or even downright Inhumane.


    What matters is, you got that strength, through whatever means necessary. Being Right and True is the authority of the Strong, It is their right.''


    ''Now don''t take this wrong, I am not letting you go down that ''route'', no way. But What I will let you do is something else.


    Learn How to fight, With no rules. Learn how to fight without being restrained by the rules of Shield.


    Fight the filth of Society in All our battles, learn their ways, and rise to the top of the Underworld.


    Learn how to Fight, Dogfight, Fight to the death any way to get stronger.


    Learn Cruelty.


    And rise to the top of the scum of this world, Rise to the top of the Underworld whilst still being in ''control.''


    Lucas wondered what that meant for quite a while. But now he understood.


    The scum of this world needs cleansing, they also became strong.


    And I, Lucas Hiddleston can learn from them, their ways. Their cruelty.


    Lucas heard voices from an alley in the slums.


    "Damn, look at their fucking faces. I wanna fuck them so bad. Just imagining their moans makes me all horny."


    " I know right? Just look at them. The bitches here can''t evenpare."


    He saw 7 people, all shirtless and having a tattoo of a bull on their backs, talking about something.


    None are awakened, he thought and made up his mind to walk away. Not seeing the point in fighting them.


    "Sabrina and Alice right, They''re probably horny sluts behind the TV. Probably fucking the higher-ups in Twilight. The Boss even has his eyes on that Sabrina bitch."


    He stopped. Hearing a familiar name. No two familiar names.


    "Huh? what you looking at punk?"


    But he was noticed and soon surrounded. But his gaze was on the mini Tv in the Alley, showing a face he knew. Sabrina Wellington.


    "Im talking to you bitch!"


    The gang member said, however noticing Lucas''s handsome face and the ne chain he could see.


    He snatched the ne, and although it wouldn''t separate from Lucas''s neck, the gang member could still see the jem embedded within. And Immediately a bright smile was present on his face.


    "Holy shit, he''s good looking and also has a good ne! We hit the Jackpot boys!"


    Lucas didn''t flinch, his gaxe still glued to the T.V


    "Strip him!"


    The Gang member holding his ne said, and he tried to yank the ne. A brass knuckle came at his face at supersonic speeds.


    He was sent flying in the air, his face unrecognizable now. His skull crushed and he was soon about to die.


    "Fuck! Get him! He has knuckles!"


    The rest of the gang members rushed at him holding their metal bats and other weapons.


    But today would be the day they would die.


    Although it was gone now...Lucas once had a crush on Sabrina, a big one at that.


    And he was also someone who knew the importance of the pride of a noble.


    And to see it desecrated it here?


    Unfuckingforgiveable.


    ****


    "pwease....don''t kieee neee.."


    A Gangmember, whose face was disfigured beyond recognition said, as Lucas dragged him by his mohawk.


    He saw the Tv, and saw the two girls disyed on it, Apparently doing charity work.


    He didn''t have any sort of crush on Sabrina now, He didn''t wish for death.


    But the other one did arouse his attention.


    ''No...I mustn''t let myself be distracted.''


    He thought about his previous perverted ways...and regretted them so much. So Cringy and embarrassng.


    He shut the T.v off before saying to the Gand Member.


    "Oi, Take me to your ce, or Hideout or whatever it is called."


    "wikk. you sphhare mee?"


    "Yeah, just take me to your boss."


    Lucas lied with the most sincere look on his face.

 Chapter 225 [225] Unhinged, Unleashed.

    "Huuuu...."


    Lucas, bleeding from his mouth and various other parts of his body said, sitting down on a rather soft yet moist material.


    "Damn...They beat me up good."


    He remembered the fight he just had.


    ''What was their name?''


    He thought, but then looking down, and seeing the symbol, or rather tattoo he remembered.


    "Red bull gang...right?"


    He said as he looked towards a prostrating man, someone with a bright red mohawk and a rather malnourished physique.


    "Yes Sir!''


    The man said, taking care of his tone so he didn''t offend Lucas.


    "Huuuu..."


    Lucas took a knife out of his abdomen as he breathed out, and applied a potion to the wound.


    "Hey, Why are you all so skinny and scrawny looking?"


    "I do not know, Sir!"


    "Don''t Know? Did this guy not feed you or something? Take this card and buy food for yourselves. Bring it here and don''t think about running."


    Lucas said, as he threw a tinum card toward the man, who immediately ran away and went to do the task assigned to him.


    ''...shit should I follow him?''


    Lucas thought, regretting the fact that he gave him his card.


    Who would willingly listen to him when he just obliterated the entire gang?


    Lucas rubbed his eyes, trying to get the dirt a certain man threw at him away.


    That very many dead beneath him, along with the other corpses of his loyal followers.


    "So, Which one of you still wants to fight?"


    Lucas asked, Looking at the beaten-up members of the Gang...who all didn''t dare talk back.


    "So, I''m the boss now, Right?"


    Lucas said with a grin...and none of the remaining surviving members dared to deny it.


    "Ohe on, don''t be sad, Imma feed you all to get rid of your disgusting ribs and also will clean this shithole up. Oh, after that we will be going to the ck market. No one disagrees, right? Or do I need to repeat it?"


    The terror-filled faces of the surviving members be even more struck with fear as they remembered what had just happened.


    ******


    [Red Bull gang base, an abandoned warehouse.]


    A filthy ce, filled with a few members eating and fucking prostitutes.


    They all had red mohawks along with the tattoo of a red bull on their backs or arms.


    In the center of this fuck hole, filled with prostitutes being fucked and malnourished henchmen who could only watch as the other more valuable and loyal members filled both their bellies and desires.


    Was arge, muscr man with bull rings in his nose a face even his mother wouldn''t love, a face resembling a fucking bull.


    He had a woman kissing him both up and down and was fondling another whilst he was entirely nude...


    Tattoos covered his entire body, the most prominent one being on his chest, arge charging red bull covered with blood.


    Everyone, well at least the few loyal and valuable ones and therge man were enjoying themselves.


    Whilst the others just watched with envious eyes.


    And then...just then.


    The door of the warehouse opened and a young man with Brown hair, and Emerald eyes entered, holding another Member of the Red bull gang by his hand.


    He threw the man towards the ground, and every pair of eyes was focused on him.


    "Yo, This the Red Bull or whatever Gang?"


    Lucas said nonchntly, all whilst everyone looked at him, therge man and his valuable subordinates with rage and the others with confusion and curiosity.


    "So, I''m the new boss from now on, K?"


    "BWAHHAAHAH!"


    The Large bull-like manughed, before ordering his subordinates.


    "Fucking kill him."


    And the men rushed towards Lucas.


    Lucas too ran towards them whilst brandishing his brass knuckles.


    He punched the face of one man, whilst he elbowed the other.


    HE moved swiftly to dodge the attacks of the members.


    "Motherfucker!"


    A member yelled, to which Lucas answered.


    "I haven''t fucked any mothers yet, I don''t have any interest in MILFs."


    He said, whilst he rotated his body tond an elbow towards another man, and then immediately rotated his hips tond a hook kick towards the guy that just said mother fucker.


    What? Did everyone think Lucas only knew boxing?


    Arken taught every student of his a multitude of things, yes they had their own specialties but they still knew a lot.


    Lucas Jabbed, Punched and kicked until no one could stand up. Well, whoever attacked him anyways.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    Therge bull-like man said, enraged as he charged towards Lucas, His thing dangling in the air.


    "Hey, Don''t talk about my mother like that!"


    Lucas said, and was about to charge towards the man...but then.


    "PHUK!"


    "Gah!"


    "Got you..."


    One member, who still had some fight left in him, had stabbed Lucas in the abdomen. And Lucas who wasn''t paying attention had been injured.


    He kicked the head of the member with full force, and as he prepared to fight the charging bull...what he saw in front of his eyes wasn''t the man....but dirt.


    Dirt went in his eyes and Blinded him and the next thing he knew his face was being thered with punches.


    "BAM!"BAM!"


    Again and again and again, Until Lucas could finally see somewhat he immediately counterattacked.


    Therge man who was sitting on him and punching him was killed in an instant.


    A spiked metal chain, emerging from the ground, pierced his heart and he copsed to the ground. And Lucas stood up...mana illuminating his figure.


    And then....


    *Phuk!PHuk*!


    "grhhhss"


    Multiple metallic chains erupted from the ground and prated the men who had attacked him... and one lucky soul managed to bow down and prostrate himself before the chain could get to him.


    Just like that, their hearts had been prated with metal and they were dead, the prostitutes ran and then Lucas sat on the pile of corpses he created, the leader of the Red Bull gang at the top. He sat as if he was a king climbing up to his throne.


    And then Lucas said, with a devilish gaze and a cold voice, addressed the surviving members of the red bull gang as he sat on top of their former master.


    "So...anyone else wanna rebel?"


    And none rebelled.

 Chapter 226 [226] Unhinged, Unleashed.

    Whilst people werergely unaware of the happenings in the slums of the city, Lucas was starting a fucking army.


    Literally.


    HE took over three gangs, The Red Bull Gang, The Pesky Blunders, and the venom vipers.


    Three...all in a week.


    No one knew what he was doing, but he had fed them clothed them with proper clothing, and made rules for them...


    And for now, people were following.


    Why wouldn''t they? Their abusive gang leaders had been killed, and they were being fed well and also given clothes...although they were unaware of the source of money. They liked it.


    And Lucas was not terrible...shockingly.


    They didn''t know why he was doing this. But what they did know was that their lifestyle was getting better...although it still had revolts...Lucas Had crushed them mercilessly.


    Thank god they didn''t know that Lucas was just overjoyed that he had his own subordinates.


    *****


    n walked alone in the middle of the night towards a certain household. A household that housed his sister and his Grandparents.


    He walked towards it...and after confirming the presence of three individuals inside...he was about to knock on the gate, But then....all of a sudden.


    The world turned red...and he heard voices.


    [What makes you think they would wee you? That he will wee you?]


    [It was a lie!]


    [They just want the fame and money you have.]


    [Lies! All that previous meeting was all lies.]


    ''What?''


    A heavy pressure, a suffocating type of feeling. A Feeling of distrust, anxiety, and worry.


    Suddenly, it all descended upon him...this suffocating feeling.


    ''...what the heck?''


    [Lies!]


    [Why waste your time with this futilement?]


    [Futile! Useless!]


    [Lies]


    [Do you honestly think they give a damn? they don''t care....everyone puts on whatever mask to get what they want.]


    They invaded his mind, assaulted his thoughts and these voices made him stop.


    They halted his steps, stopped his thinking, and made him question his actions.


    [Thank God... you are not stupid.]


    [Good...they don''t give a damn.]


    [All lies! They all lie to get what they want.]


    [Familial rtions will tie you down.]


    "...NO....!"


    n clutched his head...the pain in his head, the voices clouded and pained his mind.


    [Why not just end them?]


    [Kill them just like I did.]


    [They are only bricks that bring you down!]


    ''...where are theying from?''


    He wondered....oblivious to the strings of jade descending from the sky, making their way toward them.


    The voices...where were theying from?


    The strings of jade inched closer and closer....and n looked up towards the sky, the blood-red sky.


    And saw a giant...a giant with a metal mask, and jade eyes, twirling his fingers around the city, and from those fingers stretched out thousands of strings of jade silk that surrounded the entire city.


    [Surprise!]


    The jade strings inched closer and closer....closer and closer to n''s figure...and then in an instant the Red World Vanished.


    The door to the house opened....and it was as if he was the one that broke the barrier between reality and the red world.


    An old man, carrying himself with dignity and Elegance, much like his wife looked at his grandson and said.


    "Come inside, You''ll catch a cold."


    The irony of his words...He said that to the man whose blood was as cold as ice.


    n...still confused and shocked...and terrified entered the house with shaky steps.


    "Why are you embarrassed? There''s no reason to be embarrassed."


    His grandfather said. It was as if he knew about the turmoil in n''s mind. And he tried to calm his grandson.


    "Come, Samantha''s fast asleep. We Prepared dinner."


    He said, calmly as he led n to the dinner table.


    "You can hang your cloak there. We prepared your favourite dish."


    He said and sat at the dinner table along with his wife, and they both silently waited for n toe.


    n hesitated once...he had talked with his Grandmother before but his grandfather was foreign to him...well the grandfather of the original owner of this vessel.


    He sat down...and his Grandmother poured him soup.


    ''Chicken soup...''


    He thought in his mind.


    ''Was this Aranus''s favourite dish?''


    HE questioned...he found it funny how the favourite dish of the greatest threat to the universe was simple chicken soup.


    He took a spoonful...and vour exploded in his mouth.


    It felt nostalgic...it felt amazing, delicious.


    "I made it the exact way you wanted it, Mathew requested it."


    Amanda Pator...his grandmother said.


    ''...he asked for it to be made?''


    n thought as he nced at his grandfather, Mathew Pator who was eyeing his wife.


    ''...what timing...it was as if they knew I woulde here today...''.


    n thought...but then he disregarded that thought.


    "It''s good...no it''s perfect."


    He said, thanking his grandmother and expressing his fondness for the dish.


    It felt so good to him...and he liked this atmosphere.


    It was not overbearing nor was it suffocating.


    It was perfect.


    " I went to your guild to inquire about you...but it was closed at the time I went in. Apparently, most of their staff was busy because You and another of yourpanions were finishing a raid."


    His grandfather said.


    "...ah yes...were busy with expanding and other issues about the territory."


    n answered, shyly.


    It was a shocking thinging from the usually confident him.


    "The area Twilight gained control over has been developed very well. The People are happy and most of all. Isn''t our shop thriving dear?"


    His grandmother said, praising the efforts of his guild.


    "Yes, peoplee to the area more often. And most of the opinions of young people have changed. Although the old timers are still suspicious. I can convince them once youe to the shop."


    His Grandfather said although n didn''t know what he was talking about?


    ''shop?''


    He thought...but was afraid to ask. However, his grandmother noticed the confusion on his face and answered.


    "We own a coffee shop,  business has been going good because of Twilight raising the spirits of the people."


    "I also get more visitors during the night, I also don''t have to worry about security. The Patrols are doing great at their job. And no matter what time it is, People alwayse to see the tvmercials of Twilight''s goddess duo."


    It was a peaceful conversation.


    "Your guild is doing wonders in the area."


    His grandmother said with a soft smile.


    And slowly, but surely n opened up during the meal. Talking more and more with confidence

 Chapter 227 [227] The Truth, In His Eyes.

    It was peaceful, and not as stressful as n expected. It was good most of all.


    ''...I didn''t think it would be peaceful.''


    n thought in his mind, as he sat on the bed of ''his'' room.


    He surveyed the room, It was Aranus''s room when he was a child.


    "...I still wonder...."


    n muttered...as he picked up a portrait of the Family, One that showed Aranus as a child and Samantha as a baby along with the entire family.


    Besides this there were also a few more pictures of Aranus as a child, a newborn all the way till adolescence.


    Why? Why were Aranus and his sister Samantha in an orphanage?


    Why?


    Based on what n had seen, The Grandparents are well off, not really rich but definitely poor. They had more than enough wealth to support Aranus and Samantha after the death of their Parents. And it wasn''t like they sent off the two orphans willingly. Their actions, regret, and hospitality didnt make me think they would do that.


    *Ring!*


    n dialed Maxwell''s number on his watch. And after a few seconds, Maxwell picked up.


    [Yes? What do you want?]


    "I want you to do something."


    n said.


    [Which is?]


    "I want you to find out everything about the Aror Demonic Invasion Incident, and also about my parent''s death and court case that lead afterward...Everything."


    [...]


    There was silence from the other end...and the reply from MAxwell shocked n.


    [I can''t do that.]


    "What?"


    [Well I ''can'' but I can''t really do it...like our position is really tight.]


    "What do you mean?"


    [I mean... People are eyeing us everywhere...One single movement from us is enough to arouse a years worth of suspicion. And On top of that I''m busy with everything else... The Management and other issues.]


    "...when will you be free?"


    n asked Maxwell...feeling a little hopeless.


    [Not soon I can tell you that.]


    Maxwell said...and n had given up hope until.


    [But it''s not like I''m the only one capable of doing it. Why not go to a broker in the ck Market? There''s this Crimson Something guy that is really good at what he does to the point Even I know him because of all the praise. I can schedule an appointment with him and he can do the work. Besides this is also a good excuse to build a good rtionship with the ck MArket of Aror.]


    "...What if the information spreads that way? Is He Trustworthy?"


    n asked Maxwell. To someone as Ignorant as him. The ck market didn''t seem that trustworthy.


    [The ck Market wouldn''t be as sessful as it is if it wasn''t for their secrecy. To them the information of their customer''s is worth more than their life. One slip up and the reputation they will get will be deadly. I can schedule an appointment with that crimson. You can go with the Rich girl.]


    "Huh? why Sabrina?"


    [There''s no one else who would know the ck Market better than the heir of the richest family on Earth. Besides I value my life. Keeping her here will surely be the warrant her family needs to send an assassin after me...please.]


    It looked like he was begging at the end... And n agreed.


    Well, He was ''her'' bodyguard. And Besides it didn''t matter because n did need someone who knew the ck Market well enough to guide him.


    "Fine."


    he then ended the call. And wandered around the room. Sometimes even checking on Samantha sleeping in the house. It waste in the night so the girl was sleeping.


    His Grandparents also appeared to have gone to sleep as well.


    "Now...."


    n said. And Stepped out of the house through a window, donning a hoodie


    Although it was night, the city itself was still pretty lively. And then he wandered through the streets as he was trying to find a secluded Alley.


    ''It was definitely ''him''.''


    He thought in his mind.


    The red world, the giant in the skies wearing a metallic mask that had Jade Eyes, and the strings of Jade silk that descended from his fingers.


    James...that motherfucker.


    ''Why did he interfere? I thought he was severely weakened?''


    n thought as he entered a dark and empty alley, and went far from the e out."


    He called, yet no one answered.


    "...I was a fool for thinking that would work."


    n sighed..ughing inwardly at his stupidity until...The world turned red again.


    [Why? It worked...didn''t it?]


    He heard the same voice again, and then he looked to the sky...and found a jade green eye staring down at him from the alley.


    "..."


    n stood silently...as the voice was heard again.


    [Hmm? Cat got your tongue?]


    A mocking voice.


    "What is the purpose of you doing this?"


    n asked, the jade green eye in the sky.


    [I need a purpose? I just do it for fun.]


    "Fucking Bullshit."


    [Yeah...your right.]


    The voiceughed, the mere presence of it sent Shiver''s down n''s spine.


    "Fucking Bastard....why did you interfere then?"


    n asked, not hoping to get answers.


    [Because your actions were foolish.]


    "What?"


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® [You just had toy low and train...get stronger and eventually the Abyss wouldn''t even be able to touch you...but you HAD to fuck everything up.]


    ....


    n stayed silent...his gaze never leaving the Jade Green eye.


    [Everything...i had every fucking thing nned, yet you had to go and ruin...why?]


    HE asked, And n remained quiet...a silent pressure enveloping the atmosphere.


    "Shut up..."


    n finally opened his mouth.


    [After all that silence, the only words thate out of your mouth are Shut up? Do you even see yourself?]


    [Uselessly clinging onto some form of affection, thinking your all great and all that. That you have a responsibility. But in reality your just a kid that needs attention...right?]


    "Your...wrong."


    [Why the hesitation then?]


    "..."


    [And now why the silence?]


    "Fuck...off."


    n said...the pressure in the surroundings weakening him.


    [Why don''t you step outside the alley?]


    The Jade green eye said.


    n''s body moved, not of his own volition.


    "What the hell?!"


    He yelled, his body was not under his control.


    He resisted with all of his might...he tried but then he was outside the alley...and onto the streets filled with people...


    [See?]


    Hey still, shocked.


    [Everyone...wears a mask.]

 Chapter 228 [228] The Truth, In His Eyes.(2)

    Everyone...wears a mask.


    Everyone... wears a mask.


    Everyone... wears a mask.


    Those words of his rung in my mind.


    A peculiarughter was heard...I stood still, taking in the sights in front of my eyes.


    The street was filled with countless people, someughing, some drowning in misery, some waiting for a chance, and some just happy while some were depressed.


    All...of it was a lie?


    ''Was everything a lie?''


    [It was a lie.]


    ''Why...is there a nk mask on everyone''s face.?''


    [Because they all want to hide...]


    ''No...this isn''t real...''


    This dull world...that is slowly losing color, it cannot be urate.


    I refuse to believe it...


    [Why can''t it be?]


    His voice...hispelling voice was heard once again...a voice that struck me at the depths of my soul.


    [Why can''t it be real? A world where people hide their deepest secrets, their secret desires. The ''mask'' they put on the outside to protect the weak, pathetic inner self?]


    [Why must it not be real? After all...you live in this world.]


    ''I... don''t.''


    [Denial? You deny the fact that you live in a world of liars?]


    ''...''


    I stayed silent as I walked through the streets, the people''s voices being heard...but no movement on the face, obscured by the mask they wore. All fake?


    I looked straight at one person, and their masked face looked at me...that fake smiling face...


    The person looked at me...the smile slowly turning into a frown...and then the head began to rotate...


    Something impossible for a human head to do...to rotate vertically 360 degrees...the blood seeping out from the space behind the mask.


    A truly horrifying, disturbing sight.


    [You live...in this exact world. Where everyone and everything is not what it seems. Where benefit clouds rationality.]


    ...


    [Wee...to the World!]


    That voice...that sweet, tempting voice of the ''devil'' himself.


    ''...they''re just random peo-''


    [You think that is all?]


    His voice haunted me...it interrupted my thoughts and prevented me from gaining back my sanity.


    [Hey, Your back? Good thing you finally have a use...]


    [You''re famous now? Good...that means money is there for us.]


    [We always cared for you~]


    [We ''always'' cared for you~]


    Different voices... voices different from ''his''. voices that belonged to Amanda And Mathew Pator.


    The figures surrounded me... the figures of Aranus''s grandparents... their faces covered with a smiling mask.


    ''No...''


    *THUMP!*


    What is this ''fear''?


    [The fear of Abandonment.]


    That voice of his rung in my again,


    I failed to notice the nearly invisible strings of jade connected to them...


    They tried to grab onto me...and I ran...


    [Running will never solve anything...In fact, it usually makes everything worse.]


    The figures of the people in masks chased me...and I ran with all my might.


    In front of me...my sister appeared and the figures rushed to her.


    Grabbing the little girl...tearing her apart right in front of my eyes.


    I screamed ''NO!'' with all of my might...but before I could reach her she was gone...ripped to shreds by the figures.


    [Everyone disappears...Their worth vanishes in your eyes at a certain time.]


    I went ballistic...fighting the masked figures that clung to my figure.


    I ripped their very beings apart...yet their number soon overwhelmed me.


    [You are nothing. I know it.]


    "WHAT DO YOU FUCKING KNOW?!"


    I yelled, summoning my spear and shing them apart. Denying a truth.


    [I know everything.]


    "YOU KNOW OF FUCKING NOTHING!"


    I yelled as I performed an Abyssal Rend to split this realm apart...but even that did not work. the figures kept multiplying as the Giant in the skyughed at me. At my Misery.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® [In the end...]


    His voice echoed throughout this dull world.


    [Don''t you also wear a mask?]


    The corpses of the figures formed a mirror in front of me...reflecting my face...also covered with a mask.


    My rage reached the maximum.


    I ripped the mask off my face...at least I tried to. But the mask was glued tightly to the skin of my face.


    I pulled and pulled.


    "From the beginning...knowing the fact that you were just born as a substitute, AS a FUCKING PIECE TO A GAME! AS SOMEONE WITH NO WILL. SOMEONE THAT HAD FALSE MEMORIES IMPLANTED IN THEIR MIND. THAT LEAD ME TO THINK...."


    I ripped it off...along with my face.


    "That I was ''You''!"


    "That I had no reason to be alive other than be your fucking puppet?! What do you know of that Trauma?! That no matter how much I try my life has already beenid in front of me...A life of fucking MISERY THAT WON''T CHANGE?!


    "What do you fucking know?!"


    I said...my skinless face leaking blood. I yelled towards the giant in the sky as I wielded my spear.


    I jumped, to fucking kill that bastard with my spear.


    [You think you are justified?]


    The jade strings caught me...and held me in the sky as i resisted with all my might.


    The Giant''s jade-green eyes looked straight at me...prating my soul.


    [You hide your weak, pathetic, child like self with a strong, Talented and Disciplined man. You use those fake attributes to hide the real you...]


    ''SHUT UP!''


    [A child seeking attention, a child seeking a ce, a child which cares not for others but itself.]


    [A child that thinks it is traumatized?]


    His words mocked me...the truth mocked me.


    [But do you think you are the only one?]


    What?... what are you getting at?


    [You believe that fake trauma of yours gives you a right? a form of Justification? Validation of some sort?]


    I tried to free myself, of the restriction, of the chains that were these strings that wrapped around my wrists and legs...yet no matter how much I tried it was all to no avail.


    [ Iugh at your ''trauma''. A trauma created with no bias, A fake illusion you put yourself in to make excuses.]


    The voice turned cold, no longer possessing the temptating voice of the devil.


    [You are not alone, You are just one of many.]


    [The many that hide their ''real'' trauma and still live.]


    [ You know them, don''t you?]


    What Bullshit are you spouting?


    [Bullshit? Haha...]


    Itughed at me...and the scenery around me started to change.


    [You are surrounded by them, The one''es that hide a real, valid trauma.]

 Chapter 229 [229] What They Faced.

    In avish room, filled with the colors of silver and gold,y a grey-haired boy, sulking in the corner.


    A bowy beside him, as the boy cried.


    [You think you are the only one?]


    ''His'' voice was heard.


    I stood there silently...looking at Henry.


    His figure materialized... A golden-haired man wearing a metal mask, and possessing jade green eyes.


    He sat on the bed, whilst looking at the crying boy.


    [Our little Henry Fornum, A child who had the trauma of being Talentless.


    A child born in the wrong time, in the wrong generation, overshadowed by his siblings...and most importantly his sweet, talented Brother.]


    He said...and I stood still, silent.


    [To bear the brunt of expectations, Expectations that would be fruitless. His talent overshadowed by the immense talent possessed by his brother, Ezra Fornum.]


    [To have your entire efforts, your hard work all amount to nothing, because of someone else.


    What would you feel?


    To have the skill you spent so long to master...]


    He said, picking up the bow beside Henry.


    [Be mastered within a second by someone else?]


    The bow disappeared into grey light...and He went over to henry.


    [How tragic...right?]


    [The trauma of being Talentless. The Trauma of Knowing that no matter what...You will never be recognized for your own efforts because of the presence of someone Greater.


    Someone who overshadows, dominates your effort with pure talent.


    A thousand hours it took one to perform, Mastered by another in a second.]


    He lifted Henry''s crying face, which was hidden in his knees.


    [You know...right?]


    ...I did.


    [544 times...yet no sess.]


    Yeah...I know.


    The scenery changed. turning to dark...thest thing disappearing being Henry Fornum,


    I know...Henry never...ever could surpass Ezra...despite doing everything.


    *****


    A young girl, bound by chains...and a gag ced on her mouth so she could not scream.


    A pink haired girl...witnessing horror.


    ''Serena...''


    I thought.


    [Yes.]


    He appeared again...and hs damned voice was heard again.


    [A young girl, Destined for glory, A Talent...daughter of the Head, the HEAD of the association, the strongest Human Organization of Awakened...kidnapped, alongside her mother.]


    ...I stared at her figure...her eyes open due to metallic contraptions that made her watch...''everything''.


    The Sight of her helpless mother...the screams of her misery.


    [To watch her own mother, her ''elegant'' mother, her beautiful mother, her strong, prideful mother...be raped by demons right in front of her eyes.]


    I turned to see the ''sight.''...but could not look at it.


    My face scrunched up in horror and difort as I looked down...unable to witness it.


    [Don''t look at that...look at her.]


    His voice tempted me to look at the poor child...forced to watch her mother be raped,defiled and tortured in front of her eyes...and being forced to watch.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [To see such a thing at such a tender age...such a traumatic event that made her mind go broke...after countless days of torture.


    An event that broke her mind, an event that her brain shut down from her memory...but it was toote.


    The girl...Serena Soubuelle...was gone!]


    He held up her face...towards me...


    The broken face...the emotionless eyes that still shed tears...and the face devoid of life.


    [The trauma of being broken, The trauma of torture.


    That broke the young mind of a girl that even the medicine of this age could not fix it.]


    [Do you like it?]


    His smiling mask...as he held up her face...made my heart hurt...


    ...


    [The Trauma of a Father who couldn''t protect his family...and had to watch his daughter go insane...and his wife a ''filthy'' mess. And Being unable to fix anything.]


    The scenery changed...and showed Harrison Soubuelle sitting in a chair, with soulles eyes.


    Outside of a room, and watching His daughter connected to a machine that examined her mental state from a window...and a machine that he himself made for his daughter...for her health.


    [The traumatic experience for a man to lose everything...yet he still tried to be the best father he could be!]


    Harrison''s dead eyes...as he ripped his hair apart...


    [I could have been there...earlier...]


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® [I could have prevented this.]


    [...I...I could have saved them.]


    Harrison''s voice rung out...and Jamesughed.


    [He still tried his best for his daughter even after this, and yet you made excuses to hide yourself.]


    *Thump!* The beating of my heart resounded in my ears...unable to watch this sight.


    [That is the Trauma of a Man who lost ''everything''.]


    ****


    A young man with bright red hair, a strong physique covered in sweat swung a sword countless times


    Elijah Ardor...the Hero.


    [Well...look who we have Here!]


    James said,ughing as he watched Elijah swing his sword tirelessly.


    [The Hero!]


    He said as he circled Elijah.


    [The protagonist!]


    His voice rung throughout the room.


    [The Hero! The Protagonist! The Brightest Light! The Holiest Light! Celestia''s Hero! The one who tried! Hope! The one who opposed Oblivion!]


    He danced around the room as he yelled out some of Elijah''s titles.


    [Yet...he couldn''t do anything!]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [To try so hard...but still fail to protect what you wanted to protect!]


    [You know it...right?]


    He asked me...and I looked at him hate and contempt.


    [554 Times! But not a single Win!]


    He dered as he raised his hands high up in the air... as the mes from Elijah''s Swords red up behind him.


    ...Elijah never won...


    [Correct!]


    His smile creeped me out.


    [554 times! 554 iterations...and in all of those...not a single win for our poor hero!]


    Elijah''s tired figure fell on his knees...struggling to catch a breath.


    [He doesn''t know it yet..but he will soon...]


    [But even now...he lives with fear of his effort not being enough. Of being weak at the most important time to protect his loved ones!]


    [A fear that was realized to reality.]


    [He failed once.]


    [He failed twice!]


    [He failed thrice!]


    [And continued to fail.]


    He looked down at Elijah,s figure...gasping for breath.


    [yet...he was still the hope! He never gave up. Even after crushing defeat so many times...all his strength could measure up to was to provide time!]


    [And yet he still tried. He still tried his best. He never gave up! He never stopped trying.]


    His smile widened...and his voice seemed to be close...whispering in my ears even though he was so far away.


    [The trauma of being the Hope...but not fulfilling your purpose despite your best efforts.]


    Heughed...and said.


    [Have you ever heard of this? That the Viin has to win only once, Whilst the Hero has to win ''everytime''?]


    He pointed towards me...the ''viin.''


    But I knew...or thought it was at Aranus who he was referring to...but was I wrong?


    [In his case...the Viin won every time, And he only had to win once. A victory that was far away, A victory that didn''t seem possible!


    A fight against Impossible odds.]


    His Sinisterugh...looking down at Elijah...who still continued to train even though I could see his body failing...wanting the sweet release of Rest.


    [That is trauma of being the Hope, But never being able to aplish what you were meant to aplish. And the responsibility that came with it.]

 Chapter 230 [230] What They Faced!

    [Talentless...never being able to be recognized for your own efforts...]


    His voice haunted me in this darkness.


    [The Trauma of being broken, your mind reduced ash...never being the same again.]


    He highlighted Henry and Serena''s traumas...and made my heart feel like shit.


    Yet...I knew the worst was still toe...more were still toe.


    [The feeling of being weak, the feeling of fighting against impossible odds...but not giving up despite countless loss.]


    He said...and I could hear his voice in this darkness. Nothing except his voice in this deste darkness.


    [But...]


    Fuck you.


    [hehe...those are the ones far from you...right?]


    Huh?


    [Let''s show you the trauma of the ones closer to you...]


    What do you mean...LET THIS END!


    *****


    A girl with obsidian ck hairy tied up and blindfolded.


    "This is the rich brat?"


    A voice belonging to a man was heard...


    "Yeah...she''ll fetch a good price."


    "The Wellington''s have a lot of enemies...they''ll pay us enough to livevishly for our entire lives for her."


    A conversation went on, Discussing the sale of the young girl.


    "She was a hassle, had so many awakened bodyguards guarding her...We lost so many men just for this brat...Phu!"


    He spat on her head, as her muffled voice...or rather screams rang out.


    "BAM!"


    But then a kick to her stomach shut her up.


    "Let her alone in here, There''s no way she can escape."


    The men left her alone in the room...whilst the girl squirmed in pain. A Kick from an awakened to her stomach was very...very painful.


    [A...don''t you feel sorry for her?]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I watched Sabrina, as a child, tied up, blindfolded and gagged, moving as much as she could due to the pain...


    [Come on...You do have ''some'' feelings for her! You hate this...right?]


    Fuck you...


    [Many have said that, they all are dead now.]


    He said...his voice angering me more and more.


    [Poor little ckthunder Witch...too bad...]


    And then a wicked smile appeared on his face...


    [too bad this was only the first!]


    *****


    Multiple people dying to protect her, and multiple kidnappings...even some assassination attempts.


    A smiling child, a happy child slowly went to depression.


    Her family distanced themselves from her...for her protection.


    She awakened, her awakening a gruesome...endeavour.


    She was nearly raped, despite being able to do anything. And if not for her awakening...the despicable would have been done.


    But even when she awakened...


    [She awakened the element that made her Uncle go Insane.


    That made her Sweet and loving Uncle, turn into an egomaniac, a man focused only on Profit.]


    [And this wasn''t the first at all! HAAHAHAH]


    His fuckigughter made me grit my teeth so hard blood flowed out.


    [See...You do care!]


    [Poor little Sabrina...watching the outside world only through the Prison that was her room. A barricaded room with no escape.]


    [A Childhood so fucked up she lost trust in everyone, shut herself off, didn''t meet with people often...]


    ...


    [A depressed child, her only refuge being books...but even that would only take her so far...wouldn''t it!]


    [Do you like it?]


    He asked me...and I retaliated.


    [You can''t hit me!]


    Heughed.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    [I still find it hrious how she is in possession of your soul crystal, you offend her once and poof!]


    [I don''t even know why the dragons gave her the soul crystal...but too bad.


    Your life...is in the hands of a brat of a rich family...]


    [How does it feel?]


    [How does it feel? Your life...in the hands of a traumatized child?]


    FUCK YOU! YOU SON OF A BITCH!


    [Let''s change it up a little now...no?]


    ****


    A young man, possessing obsidian ck hair and dead eyes...chained by ck chains...which restricted his every movements.


    ''...Kazikato...''


    I thought...Knowing his identity.


    I called out to him, but to no avail...everything was useless.


    Everything I did...was useless.


    [Correct!]


    This son of a bitch deserves to die.


    [Correct!]


    He went over to Kazikato...whilst I stay rooted to my position, unable to move.


    He held Kazikato''s face...


    [Don''t you feel sorry for thezy kid?]


    [Since birth, he didn''t know his own name, the one he has now not being his real name. He was isted by everyone, and everything.


    Death...followed him everywhere, and the fate that apanied along was truly gruesome...for a child.


    He finally found someone to love, and then even that was taken away.


    He knew...he would lose his mind...due to this curse he was born with.


    And so he ran, but the one he loved didn''t give up on him.


    A love he had yearned for, yet he had to run away from it.


    Shackled by the curse of ********** oops, you can''t reallyprehend that can you...]


    He said, as he walked towards me.


    [How weak and miserable you are.]


    ...


    [You don''t even care for your subordinates.]


    [You beat the living shit out of him, and ordered him around...not caring for for his own safety or whatnot...you lunatic!]


    Shut up...


    [Do you not feel sorry for our young dragon of Death?]


    [His entire childhood was nonexistent. His hands and mere presence brought death upon everywhere.


    His mere existence a source of despair and woe.]


    [But then...]


    He paused...and whispered in my ear.


    [He found someone...and then she died.]


    [A woman that took care of him, a woman that loved him for who he was, a woman who had the same circumstances as a child...and pitied him.]


    [He never knew Joy until her.]


    [He never knew Happiness until her.]


    [He never knew ''rest'' after her.]


    ...what?


    I questioned...confused at hisst sentence.


    [Oh you thought he waszy because of his nature?]


    [He has never been able to sleep after her death.]


    [He just pretends to sleep...a sort of attention seeking act.]


    [He never sleeps, because of his fear.]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [Because he thinks that he will rpse if he does, if he goes back to sleep...this life will end.


    And hell will begin.]


    ...kazikato...


    [What do you feel?]


    ...I''m sorry...

 Chapter 231 [231] Your Weakness!

    [What an interesting clique of people you surround yourself by.]


    ...


    [Someone who will never live up to expectations, someone cursed with little to no pared to others...]


    ...I can feel Henry''s pain...shit...


    [A girl who had been broken as a child, mentally broken to the point she was no longer the girl her father loved.]


    ...I don''t want to see that...Serena''s...pain is terrible....GAHHHH! MY HEAD!


    [The pain of a father, unable to protect what he wanted to protect. The ones he loved.]


    ...ahhhh....!


    [The pain of fighting impossible odds, the expectations, the hope of an entire universe ced on your shoulders...and not being able to fulfill their hopes...how does ''that weight'' feel?]


    My knees buckled...my back...this unbearable weight...make it stop...


    [The Pain of abandonment, a cursed childhood that left severe trust issues, and made a girl a sort of a psychopath. A young girl, left all alone, with no one to love and trust.]


    ....make it stop!...AHHHH!


    [The pain of memory, the pain of the realization of your existence, istion since birth, and being the reason for the death of your only loved one.]


    ....so lethargic...I... wan-


    [That''s not lethargy my dear puppet...that is exhaustion.]


    ...I want..to sleep....kazikato...


    [The exhaustion, thates with being the heir of Death, And you know what else...don''t you?]


    ...I''m sorry...let this end...


    [Coward.]


    Shut up...


    [Why? There are still some left...]


    ...No no no no no no!


    Let it end!


    [Why? Two still remain.]


    NOOOOO!!!


    *******


    [What a funny case...]


    ...so powerless.


    [Yes, That''s what she felt...all of her life.]


    ... Alice...


    [Alice Thompson, daughter of the guildmaster of the third strongest Guild, Richard Thompson.


    A Disgrace, to everyone except her father.]


    ...stop talking about her like that...


    [Why? You know its true.]


    ...it''s not...AHHHH!


    [From the beginning, She was weak, A talentless brat...especially since her social standing was so important.


    The Daughter of the third ranked guilds guildmaster. Yet she possessed no talent whatsoever in any field.


    Even Henry had some talent, which although was overshadowed by his brother..this one had none.


    Can you feel it?].


    ....yes...i can feel her pain.


    [Can you feel the sorrow in her mind as she contemted killing herself multiple times?]


    ...yes...


    [Of course you can, I''m making sure so you can...]


    ...stop it....


    [Why? You use your pathetic excuse, you should see other''s as well...no?]


    no...


    [Being the cause of the death of her mother...being talentless even though the other guilds had raised masterful children...being a disgrace to Twilight''s name.]


    ...Alice...I''m sor...


    [Why are you apologizing? You had no hand in this...or did you?]


    ...make it stop....please.


    [Aww....broken already?]


    ...ahhhh....


    [There is still one left...one Even I sympathize with.]


    ******


    "Cough!"


    A beaten up boy, possessing a charming face and pure blond hair, coughed up blood as he looked at his bruised face in the mirror.


    Maxwell Parker.


    This was one of the many times he returned to his room like this...the only ce he found solitude in.


    [Henry had Ezra to care for him, and his father and Mother.]


    ''This loneliness feel...this pain from solitude...''


    I thought as the scenery changed...one where Maxwell stayed glued to a screen, his eyes tired and hair disheveled.


    Staring at graphs...like his life depended on it.


    [Serena and Alice had their caring fathers.]


    ''...his voice is different.''


    [Sabrina had her Grandfather,Father, Mother and in some ways you...a true friend]


    ''It is not one of mockery like before...''


    The scenery changed...yet again and there was a badly beaten Maxwell seen again...tending to his wounds...as there was pure...purer...purest hatred in his eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [Elijah had Agri, and his own Family.]


    ''It is not the voice that belittled the rest...and looked down at them...''


    I thought...feeling the pain of Maxwell...his wounds and his metal exhaustion.


    [Kazikato had Hana.]


    ...but he didn''t have anyone.


    [He didn''t have anyone.]


    ''His voice...is of pity?''


    This monster could feel pity...? he could feel Sympathy?''


    The scene changed...and as I coughed up blood...I saw Maxwellying against a wall...underneath him a pool of blood and mess.


    [Maxwell didn''t have anyone, neither a father,mother,brother,or anyone else.]


    ...all alone.


    [All alone.]


    Filled with rage.


    [Filled with rage.]


    He sat next to Maxwell...not minding the dirt and blood on the ground.


    [Same as me.]


    same as you...


    [Destitute]


    Hopeless.


    [Vengeful]


    Broken.


    [Hurt.]


    Enraged.


    ...


    [...]


    [How does it feel now?]


    ...painful...undeserved...


    [How does your pathetic excuse feel now?]


    ...unneeded.


    [In front of My Trauma, Of being Talentless. Overshadowed?]


    Henry appeared... his masked face talking to me...and I was unable to raise my head.


    [In front mine? Of being broken?]


    ''It''s...shameless...Serena...''


    [And Mine...Of having to fight ''him''?]


    ''...I know...''


    [What do you know of my trauma...my childhood?]


    ''Nothing...Sabrina.''


    [What of my Exhaustion? What of my pain?]


    ''Im...sorry Kazikato...''


    [Of my powerlessness? Of My uselessness?]


    ''...I''m...sorry.''


    ...It was as if there was no hope. n Pator''s mind was broken, as Maxwell''s figure and mind was...


    But there was still someone for them.


    [Yes...you two had someone.]


    Jame''s voice echoed.


    [Something that is keeping You from bing a monster.]


    n Felt a pat on his head.


    [And someone for Maxwell as well...someone who prevented him from bing me.]


    A little girl, holding a golden teddy bear approached the injured Maxwell...his eyes watching her closely...the little girl''s hands glowed, and Maxwell was being healed.


    ine Parker, the little sister of Maxwell Parker.


    [And you also have one.]


    Everything disappeared...and n raised his head.


    To see his Sister, his younger, beloved sister...patting his head and looking at him with her usual smile.


    "...sam?"


    n muttered in this darkness.


    But then...Jade Silk strings appeared and apprehended Samantha Pator and dragged her away.


    [The only one you truly care about.]


    "NO....YOU FUCKER!"


    n screamed, but was unable to move. Jade chains held him down.


    "NOOOOOO"


    [She is the only obstacle...]


    The jade strings pulled Samantha.


    "NOOOOOO! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"


    And ripped her apart...In front of n''s eyes...


    [Your Weakness.]

 Chapter 232 [232] Your Weakness.

    [Your weakness.]


    And after that was hell.


    After he said those words...after he tore Samantha apart in front of me...I could no longer contain it.


    "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"


    I screamed and struggled to escape the silk that bound me...


    "AGGHHH!!"


    With all of my might, I tried.


    [How weak.]


    "SHUT UP! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"


    [Yeah, that is true.]


    AGHHH!


    I can''t...break free!


    [Weak. Pathetic.]


    WEAK?! PATHETIC?!


    I''ll show you!


    [Draconic Transformation has been activated]


    [Ice Draconian has been selected.]


    "RAHHHH!"


    I transformed into a White Draconian...and finally the strength within my body increased to the point I could fight back!


    I could break free!


    AND RIP HIS GUTS OUT!


    *RIP!*


    The jade silk binding me broke...and I was Free!


    I rushed towards his figure...but before I could reach him I found myself falling from the sky, The city beneath me...filled with Countless masked soldiers.


    [Weak.]


    His words enraged me, I unfurled my wings and began to fly towards him, but Jade silk grabbed onto my legs and mmed into the streets.


    I destroyed two buildings as I collided with them, and wrecked the street.


    As I stood up, I was surrounded by multiple masked soldiers, they jumped on me and tried to rip me apart.


    [Your strength is nothing special.]


    They swarmed me...pushing me down.


    I ripped and teared everyone in my way, anyone I could but the numbers soon overwhelmed me...


    [How does it feel?]


    I could barely see because of their number, they teared my scales apart...


    ....


    I collected my mana inside my core...


    "I''ll show you how I feel!"


    I yelled from within the mountain on Soldiers I was buried in.


    The energy of Frost prated the ground...I used all of my mana to make sure the entire city full of these bastards would be caught up.


    I released the mana at once...and Yelled with all my might as I performed the most strongest Frost Skill I had.


    "GLACIAL!"


    The power of frost engulfed the city.


    "COOOLLLLLAAAAPPPPSSSEEEEE!"


    ********


    [...what frightening power for his rank...]


    James muttered in the sky, His figure floating, Multiple strings of Jade emanating from his fingers.


    What he was looking at from above was the entire realm he created, the entire city...engulfed in Ice.


    Frost enveloped the entirendscape, as far as the eye could see.Mountains of Ice enveloped the buildings of the city.


    "GRUHK!"


    He heard a sound, and a mountain was now flying towards him.


    He moved away, and the Ice mountain grazed past him.


    [Is it ignorance?]


    James muttered.


    [Or is it Arrogance?]


    He said, as he looked at the draconian flying towards him.


    [Have you forgotten? Or were you just unaware?]


    He muttered...as he raised his hands, The Jade Silk erging.


    [I gave you that power, the power of Frost.]


    And then with a flick of his hands, the Jade silk cut the entire city into pieces.


    He swatted the draconian as it were a fly, and the city of Ice fell upon him.


    Jame''s Silk strings, now stronger and thicker, rummaged through the ice and lifted a white, injured Draconian.


    [How pitiful.]


    He lifted the Draconian up in the sky, closer to him.


    [I intended to break you mentally, but this works as well.]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He said as he tried to rip the Draconian apart.


    The draconian roared in pain as it''s limbs were being pulled apart.


    [Such a weak form...]


    James muttered, making sure the ''draconian'' heard it.


    "THEN I''LL SHOW YOU A STRONGER ONE!"


    The Draconian roared...and slowly the strings ripped apart as it''s scales turned ck.


    James smiled, as he watched his strings rip apart at the immense strength.


    [Draconian Transformation has been activated]


    [Chaos Draconian has been chosen.]


    Three times the size, Three times the girth.


    A bulky, Menacing, horned  figure.


    Two pairs of demonic wings. A devilish crown and four purple eyes.


    Two pairs of horned arms, and Two pairs of Legs. And a Purple gem embedded in it''s chest.


    Possessing strength the white one couldn''t evenpare too, it ripped apart Jame''s strings andunched itself at him.


    Tearing through everything, It mmed James into the ground holding him by the face.


    *BAM*BAM*


    Again and again.


    It roared, the ''monstrosity roared.''


    It lifted itself up with the help of it''s wings. It''s massive figure lifted up into the sky, piercing the couds of this realm with James in its hands.


    And then, it stopped.


    It sky rocketed to the ground at supersonic speeds, and James...felt the brunt of the impact.


    His mask was broken, and from within the Draconian''s grasp, his scalded face could be seen, disying a devilish smile.


    n...seeing this was enraged...as he charged a beam of pure chaos in his mouth.


    It shone with a light that engulfed the world.


    And then, It destroyed the world upon it''s execution.


    *****


    I woke up...


    I found myself to be in the same alleyway I had entered...My mind dizzy and my strait weak.


    I supported myself with the wall, As I thought about what had urred.


    ''...that was all fake? an Illusion?''


    I thought.


    What about the pain, the suffering the misery the loss?


    What about the city? What about the masked soldiers...what about my battle?


    ...What about my sister?!


    "BLERGH!"


    I vomitted whatever I ate.


    As I looked at stained hands i thought...


    ''What...power...''


    The Chaos form...it allowed me to overpower himpletely...


    Such power...so dangerous...


    But...is it okay?


    ''that was an illusion...so it must be okay...''


    I''mm okay?"


    I thought....fear taking over.


    I opened a portal...to the headquarters.


    *****


    A wickedughter was heard in a white space,ing from a well dressed man standing in front of a Blue orb.


    Green stringsing from hands prated the orb, and his wickedughter did not stop.


    [kukuku...there was some profit in this farce...]


    He muttered...the smile on his mask widening...his Jade green eyes disying a crazy, obsessed look.


    [You can''t escape~]


    He appeared to be singing.


    [Step by step...I will win.]


    His fingers controlled the Jade strings and they moved.


    [Slowly but surely...You will be my masterpiece...]


    An Artist''s masterpiece requires time, effort, grit, and determination.


    It didn''t matter how long it took.


    It did not matter how much it took.


    It will be Completed.


    Before Jame''s soul fades away...or even after.


    ''It'' will beplete

 Chapter 233 [233] Everyone...Was Suffering...

    Inside his room at the Twilight Headquarters in Aror...n sat on his bed...contemting.


    ''Henry...Serena...Elijah...Sabrina...Kazikato...Max...Alice...''


    ...he recalled the names of everyone...everyone he knew whose trauma he went through...


    ''So...everyone was suffering.''


    n thought...suddenly...he wanted tough at himself.


    All this time, he had made foolish excuses to be angry because of the reason of his existence. Him not knowing his ''true'' Identity.


    How funny...how fucking despicable...


    He thought...criticizing himself.


    Heughed at himself.


    All this time, his insecurities were so little, it was like he was a frog in a well. Not ready to see the pond.


    "Hahhahha...hahahah..."


    A pitifulugh...a Laugh at himself, at his own foolishness.


    ...


    ...


    Hey down on his bed...But then... As if a new determination had sprung forth...he immediately opened a portal and stepped inside.


    ******


    [At n''s grandparents'' home.]


    ''They are all okay...''


    Good...


    n quickly surveyed the entire surrounding area in seconds, using his Dragon eyes for extra caution.


    Even though it hurt like hell.


    ''I will...''


    He thought...making a promise to himself.


    ''Make sure nothing every happens to you...''


    He said...looking at his sleeping sister.


    And then he left.


    *****


    [The next day, on the road to the ck Market.]


    "...I didn''t expect this kind of request."


    Sabrina said, walking beside n.


    "I''m sorry...it''s an important asion."


    n apologized for disturbing her.


    "Hmm? Why are you apologizing? It''s a break from your Finance manager."


    "..."


    Sabrina had a smile on her face as she said that.


    "Then again, these documents really do seem important."


    She said, looking at the documents she held in her hands.


    She was surprised at first...n...OF ALL PEOPLE, ALAN! Requesting her to go with him somewhere!


    Although she was d at first, thinking of it as some sort of a break...she then had an odd thought.


    ''Is this a date?''


    ...


    ...''No...right?''


    ''Or is it?''


    She thought and thought...hiding her face beneath the cloak she was wearing.


    ''...I would''ve preferred a cafe or a restaurant...maybe even one of those Amusement parks.''


    She thought...whilst heaving a sigh.


    ''No...I should be d there is some progress...''


    She thought...but then had a golden Idea.


    ''The ck market is a no-no...but what about on the way back?''


    As a Clueless n walked beside a plotting Sabrina...


    "We should go eat something after your business is done...Are you okay with that?"


    She said...making sure to read n''s facial expressions,whilst waiting for his answer.


    Stealthily.


    "Sure, Why not."


    n said, with not much change in his facial expressions.


    ''SUCCESS~''


    ''...Why Do I have a good feeling about this...?''


    *****


    "Who is it?"


    A rough, brisk voice answered n''s knock on the door.


    Sabrina responded


    "A customer seeking the services of Darkness"


    Sabrina answered, and they were allowed entry.


    They were both wearing cloaks that covered their figures, along with masks.


    Sabrina wearing a ck cat mask...and n...forced into wearing a White cat mask.


    Apparently it was the only one ''Sabrina had left.''


    "What was that cringy password?"


    n asked Sabrina as they descended the stairs, into the ck market.


    "I don''t know, I just know that it''s the basic password for entry."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sabrina answered, And n kept quiet until they entered the ck Market.


    And as they entered...Sabrina almost Puked...


    n helped her, and asked.


    "Whats Wrong?"


    ...She remained silent...slowly taking in the surroundings..


    ''This is a ck market?''


    The random fucking in the streets, vendors openly abusing their products and prostitutes randomly going around looking for prey, as well as multiple other open heinous acts...


    ''...where is the dignity of the ck Market association...??''


    She asked herself.


    "Sabrina...are you okay? Need a potion?"


    n asked, worried.


    ''He''s...being surprisingly gentle?''


    She asked in her mind. It was unthinkable for n of all people to do this.


    "Nothing...I just didn''t expect the ck market here to be so...unsophiscated."


    n, confused at her answer asked.


    "But haven''t you been to multiple ck Markets...?"


    "I have...but not one like this? Where is the dignity of a merchant? Why is there such filth in the open?"


    She questioned herself...but then came to a conclusion.


    "...oh right this is a backwater city."


    Aror wasn''t a main city...like Askolt or the Capitol.


    The ck Markets she had went to were much more honourable, Being in Main cities and what not.


    Nevertheless...the basics should be the same.


    "Uhhhh."


    But Her mood still went sour as she the ''scenes'' on the streets.


    But then.


    "Here, Lower your hood."


    n lowered the hood of her cloak, and put a mana barrier between them which blocked sound, well mostly for Sabrina.


    [Just follow me and tell me where to go.]


    He said to her through their Spatial Bond.


    ''...he is being gentle...what a shocking event.''


    She thought in her mind, hiding her red cheeks underneath the cloak.


    Wow, n could be dependable.


    [The building''s name is Arora brokers...it''s in the middle of the ck market here and is decorated with blue lights.]


    She said, informing him.


    [Ok thanks.]


    And then they made their way through the Market.


    ''Well, it isn''t a ce one would really like to see, especially a girl.''


    n thought as he observed the streets of the market.


    From random people fucking ves, prostitutes luring men away, and open ves being nude and whipped by their traders.


    The ce was a shithole.


    n''s eyes nced over a ve trade abusing a lizard type monster...and for some reason n felt his blood was boiling.


    He ignored it, even though for some reason he was angry.


    He looked around for the Arora broker''s building, whilst leading Sabrina by the hand.


    But then all of a sudden, as they were almost Infront Of the building, n felt a tug on his arm.


    "oh my...Look at the thick muscles underneath, Care for some time tall mister?"


    A prostitute, scantily dressed, grabbed his arm and confused him for a middle aged man.


    Well, n was wearing a cloak and was tall, so it was somewhat understandable.


    "If you offer me good time...there is a discount. How about i- KYAA!"


    *ZAP!*


    Before she couldplete her words, Sabrina had sent her off with a few zaps of lightning.


    "Hmph! How vulgar!"


    *Zap*!


    "Sabrina."


    She chased the prostitute away, firing asional bolts towards her to make she ran far away.


    "Sabrina."


    "Such vulgaar acts in public...Do they have no respect for the creed of a merchant?"


    She muttered, ignoring n.


    "Sabrina."


    For the third time when her name was spoken, she responded.


    "Yes? n."


    "We are here."


    n''s answer prompted her to look at the building he pointed to, And Sure enough it was the Arora Brokers.


    They had arrived at their destination.


    "Oh."


    ------


    A/N; n is 6 foot 7 inches tall.


    I ain''t tall so I made my character tall...lol

 Chapter 234 [234] Arora Brokers...The Crimson Snake

    [Arora Brokers]


    "Oh..."


    Sabrina muttered as she stared at the building in front of them.


    [Let me do the talking, And don''t say anything...just act like a bodyguard.]


    She said to him through the spatial bond.


    [So just do my job? got it.]


    n answered, and they stepped inside.


    Their entrance truly attracted the attention of everyone in the reception.


    Sabrina, with her slender physique and her Shorter build, is Apanied by n, A built physique and tall.


    Literally, everyone was eyeing them.


    Sabrina went to the receptionist, and n stood behind her...exuding a little bit of pressure.


    The mana pressure n was exuding was in response to the pressure the other customers exuded.


    To gauge the duo that had entered...But that backfired on them immediately as n immediately suppressed and pressured them back.


    Nothing can control Mana as well as a dragon after all.


    "We have an appointment with the Crimson Snake."


    Sabrina said, giving the receptionist a Purple card.


    "We have been waiting for you. Please, Follow Him."


    The Receptionist said, pointing towards a guard that hade.


    The Guard gestured the duo to follow them, and they did.


    And just as n left.


    "Khuk!"


    "Damn..."


    Some coughed up blood, some fell to the ground.


    Yet they all had this thought.


    ''Who the Fuck was that?!''


    *****


    "Please have a sessful interaction."


    The guard said, and left the two as they entered Crimson Snake''s office.


    "Wee, I have been expecting you."


    A man in a wheelchair, With zing red hair and ruby eyes, possessing a face which could be called handsome even though the mask he was wearing was hiding half.


    Sabrina entered and sat opposite to him, And n stood beside her.


    ''...He''s strong. Very Strong.''


    Crimson snake observed n keenly.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you as well."


    Sabrina said.


    "The pleasure is all mine."


    Crimson snake said.


    ''Sabrina Wellington huh, So Twilight sent her...but who is he?''


    Because of Sabrina and Alice''s debut AS Twilight''s Two Goddesses in Aror, They were well known.


    ''She really is a Wellington...I need to be careful.''


    The heir of the Third most powerful family, and the Richest family.


    She truly carried herself with the Elegance that came from her standing.


    Crimson snake needed to choose his words carefully...He couldn''t dare offend her.


    ''But who is HE?''


    It disturbed him...mentally and physically.


    The fact that he didn''t know the man beside Sabrina''s Identity.


    His presence alone was giving him shivers...at a level only one,fierce customer of his had given him back.


    ''That Death User? Kazikato...No...his build is different.''


    Kazikato Shimoshino, the one that had obliterated Rhino guild singlehandedly, an ace of twilight and their trump card...along with n.


    ''...n Pator?''


    ...The guess wasn''t bad.


    ''...Why would that guy make his appearance here...especially acting as the Nobledy''s bodyguard? The Wellingtons do support twilight but their star has been reduced to a bodyguard?''


    It can''t be.


    ''I don''t have enough information to go on...''


    Crimson snake thought...Sadly, there had been no public Appearance of n Pator since his awakening as the first Spatial Awakened of Humanity. And that one showed a ck haired boy, malnourished.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although there was still the Ame no Sakahoko Incident, but that one didn''t give much coverage. n''s face was blurred in any footage of the incident. The reason unknown.


    The first Spatial awakened of Humanity.


    The one epted by the Legendary spear, Ame no Sakahoko.


    The youngest C rank at the ripe age of 16.


    Many titles, he possessed.


    But right now Crimson snake just couldn''t pin point it. Only Guess.


    ''There is nothing about him...he hasn''t even made any public appearance, and the ones that do exist have been taken care of by Twilight...''


    He thought...shifting his gaze from n to the noble woman sitting in front of him.


    "Would you like some Refreshments?"


    He asked politely.


    "Thank you for your consideration, But No, We have quite the busy Schedule."


    Sabrina asked, and then had received a message from n through the Spatial bond.


    [Ask him if he has hot chocte.]


    [...never take anything a ck merchant offers you, especially in this type of ck Market.]


    [...ok.]


    After pacifying the sad n, who apparently wanted hot chocte like a child. She handed Crimson Snake the documents she held.


    "We want all the information about the children that lost their parents during the Aror incident, which orphanges they were sent to, and every detail about their courtcases. Each and every detail.


    We could only find the little information that is on those documents."


    She said.


    "Hmmm."


    Crimson Snake read the documents she had handed him.


    She then ced a card on his table.


    "There will be an advance payment of 50,000 studs, and when we receive the information, 200,000 studs along with a bonus if it exceeds expectations. The code is 9****"


    There was a smile on Crimson Snake''s face as he picked up the card.


    "Please give me one week, I will have all your information ready."


    "Splendid."


    Sabrina stood up.


    "Pleasure to do business with you, please take my card."


    Crimson Snake handed his card to her, and bid the duo farewell. Thismission alone would be worth more than a dozen normalmission, and finding information was his specialty.


    Adding that with making connections with Twilight...this was too good to be true.


    He bade them farewell with a kind smile.


    *****


    "...Did he just stand up when he escorted us out?"


    n asked Sabrina a they left...Shocked because he saw the man sitting in a wheelcahir.


    "Prosthetic Legs, Mechanical probably."


    "huh...why do I feel like I know him?"


    n muttered. Crimson Snake seemed Familiar to him...like he knew from a different story.. a story fading from his mind...


    And his aura was nasty.


    "His aura was nasty as well."


    He said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I don''t know, I just hated being in his presence...I hated being near him, Despised it"


    Sabrina, listening to him just sighed and said.


    "That''s normal when you do business with a ck merchant."


    They continued walking, Until n asked a peculiar question.


    "Why did you ask for information about every child? Wouldnt that just cost too much?"


    Hearing his question, Sabrina answered reluctantly...the smile on her face disappearing.


    "You weren''t the only one."


    "What?"


    "n, You and your sister weren''t the only ones that had weird courtcases. Multiple children of hunters who died during the incident had weird and missing court cases. They were transferred into orphanages outside the City, in other Cities and nothing was heard about them after that.


    Even if they had remaining family. They were still sent to orphanages in other cities..."


    "..." n stopped...his face slowly disying shock.


    "Suspicious...isn''t it?"


    .

 Chapter 235 [235] The Disappearances,And Fried Chicken.

    "Before I had epted the request, I did some research independently."


    Said Sabrina, before exining further.


    "After the Aror Incident, Multiple children, especially those belonging to deceased hunters. Had disappeared from Aror....even though some had family left. Their courtcases even showed weird results. The family was not allowed to partake and the children were sent to Orphanages far from the City, to multiply orphanages in other cities. What was more suspicious was that..."


    Sabrina said, And n paid close attention to her words.


    "The ones who had sessfully awakened were immediately adopted."


    "Isnt that a good thing?"


    n asked her...and Sabrina had a grave look on her face.


    "Normally, yes. Awakened children do have a high chance of being adopted by families...but the problem is that there is no Record. Their adoptive parents...and most importantly them..."


    "No record is there of the children?"


    n asked Sabrina.


    "Yes, it''s as if they disappearedpletely. No record at all."


    "..."


    Sabrina, looked at n and said.


    "That''s why I brought files of multiple children that lost their parents during the Aror incident. I made fake registrations in Twilight''s database for them. In case our merchant decides to spy on us...And to hide you as well."


    Sabrina said...but then muttered.


    "But I still don''t get it... Thye should have a record...even if they disappeared. An orphanage should have kept something...but there was nothing."


    ...


    She talked to herself as they walked.


    ''...Did something like that happen to my orphanage as well?''


    n didn''t have a lot of memories about it. But he had to admit this type of case had to be investigated.


    ''I should call Benjamin and tell him to go investigateter.''


    n thought, making a mental note to call Benjamin to go and investigate in Ashton.


    "Well Anyways...Where do you want to go?"


    n thoughts were interrupted by Sabrina''s question.


    ''?''


    He was genuinely confused...it was as if he had forgotten something important.


    Sabrina...seeing the genuine look of confusion on his face...sighed.


    "Your memory is shit. I meant where do you want to go to eat?"


    "Oh."


    '' Forgot about that.''


    n thought...before thinking for a while and answering.


    "...I always wanted to go to Elijah''s parents'' ce...I think I still have ''it''."


    n opened his inventory and took out a coupon from his inventory.


    ''...''


    Meanwhile, looking at his happy face thinking about the famous Fried Chicken...Sabrina sighed...


    ''...I would have preferred a cafe...''


    This was not good. Elijahs family''s ce Ardor Chicken was not a good idea. Many people SHE did not want to interfere. were there.


    Yeah, it was a good shop...but literally everyone was present there.


    Serena, ine, Henry, Elijah and the rest of His family.


    Along with other people.


    And it wasn''t the ideal ce for a date...


    But seeing his face...she submitted.


    ''...he''s already expecting it...damn it I should have said something.''


    No changing what had happened now.


    And thus, n and Sabrina made their way towards Ardor chicken, thetter somewhat sulking.


    "I really do want to try the-"


    n said...but he was interrupted. A hooded figure that seemed familiar walked past him, escorted by his own cohort of people.


    It seemed as if the figure recognized him too, both by the eyes.


    n looked at him, And He looked at n.


    Emerald looked at Diamond...and they both wondered.


    ''What the fuck is he doing here?!''


    Lucas? Here? What the heck?


    n thought...but then Saw ''Lucas'' disregard him and go on.


    "Something wrong?"


    Sabrina asked, seeing n suddenly stop.


    "Nothing...Lets go on."


    n said...continuing on his own way.


    But still, he was still surprised.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    *****


    "So this is the famed holy chicken ce..."


    n mouthed in awe as he stared at the fine establishment.


    An entire building, the ground and basement floors being the restaurant, while the floors above it being the home for the Ardors.


    A chicken covered in me being the mascot, whilst the establishment was mainly red and white in color...and clean as well.


    Also busy.


    People filled the ce...and n didn''t think there was a seat for them left...


    "Let''s go."


    Sabrina said as she the entered the fine establishment...but then paused as she didn''t see n move...


    She looked back...and saw the buffoon standing still with his mouth watering...his nose expanding and contracting.


    ''...wait.''


    Upon seeing this...she remembered.


    ''Draconian have increased senses and have a nose 100 times more powerful than a dogs.''


    Although she didn''t know how true that statement, she read was...she was thinking it was pretty true seeing n...


    She went back and dragged him by hand.


    And then...because it was her. Everyone''s attention focused on them.


    Sabrina hade here before, So some people did know her...and because she was also Twilight''s goddess...people knew her very well.


    The bustling of the area stopped. As they became the center of attention.


    ''Who the fuck is that bum? Why is she holding his hand?!''


    Everyone thought this, numerous of her fangirls had wild fantasies in their heads whilst her fanboys had their hearts crushed.


    You could hear the sound of ss shattering. However, it was hearts instead of ss this time around.


    "Why did everyone go quiet?"


    Elijah''s father, Popped his head outside the kitchen and saw Sabrina.


    "Oh, Ric- Sabrina!ee have a seat. OI JOHN HURRY THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE!"


    "What?! Let me eat in peace."


    "Give your fucking seat up for her!"


    "...damn it."


    "What''s going on?"


    Elijah and Henry popped their heads from the kitchen as well...and spit whatever their mouths was as they saw the entrants.


    "Hey hey...''He'' came?!"


    Elijah whispered to Henry...who was instead focusing on the more important details.


    He pointed at a certain hand holding another hand and whispered.


    "...Their holding hands!"


    "Your right!"


    What was weird was that even Henry was wearing an Apron, along with Elijah.


    They both silently retreated into the kitchen, As Sabrina and n made their way towards ''John''s'' empty table.


    "The aroma is really nice~"


    Said n, sniffing the air...He could practically taste the fried chicken through the aroma in the establishment.


    "I agree...Anyways what do you want?"


    Sabrina said as she handed him a menu.


    "hmmm"


    n looked at the menu, as Eliajh''s father thought...looking at them discretely.


    ''Who is he? Damn it Elijah I hope you didn''t lose her...He isn''t even more handsome than that damn son of mine!''


    "Heh..."


    Suddenly, a Smirk appeared On n''s face as he pointed towards a certain item on the menu.


    Or rather a special Challenge.


    [Who can eat more?!


    Owner of Ardor Chicken, The Red Rooster, Or you?!


    Challenge Mike Ardor in an all-out feast of who can eat more.]


    Note: The loser will have to pay the cost of the feast, there is no time limit and you cannot sue me(Mike Ardor) If the challenge induces any health-rted issues.


    "..."


    Sabrina, looking at the challenge n pointed at...sighed...but then had a thought.


    ''Wait...I can make money from this.''


    Truly the daughter of a businessman.


    n, however had the contrasting thought.


    ''I don''t have to pay for it! Free chicken!''

 Chapter 236 [236] EAT! EAT! EAT!

    "What would you like to Order?"


    Maria, the Wife of Mike Ardor, the owner of Ardor Chicken and also acting as a waitress approached the table and asked politely.


    "The special feast-fest."


    Sabrina said..and Mary paused for a moment.


    She leaned to whisper in Sabrina''s Ear.


    "...Sabrina are you serious? My Husband will milk every penny he can out of you."


    Sabrina smirked.


    "Are you interested in making a bet? Him against your father."


    Maria, who tried to warn Sabrina was surprised...but then she thought.


    ''I tried to warn her...Oh Well...''


    "Agreed."


    She was Mike''s wife, and Elton''s mother after all.


    Sabrina''s smile widened...and Mary went off to inform her father.


    "n...let''s make some money."


    She said to n, resting her head on her hand...and looked at n with shining eyes.


    n...looking at her thought.


    ''...you mean ''make you'' money...''


    He didn''t say it out loud though.


    *****


    "What? Someone challenged me to a food fight?"


    Mike said in astonishment...


    "Which ignorant bastard is it?"


    He asked, and Mary responded.


    "Remember Sabrina? The guy that came with her did."


    "Oho? So he wants to impress her?"


    Mike said, making up somethingpletely untrue.


    ''Heh...I can embarrass him...and Eli can take the spot...I should lose to Eli purposefully afterward...''


    Mike was determined. He was absolutely determined to get Sabrina interested in his son.


    "Dad, I don''t think this is going to be as easy as you think."


    Elijah, from the corner, said...whilst Henry slowly nodded.


    "Yeah..."


    "Are you doubting me, brat?"


    Mike asked...annoyed.


    "... never mind."


    Elijah shut up after realizing that his father would not listen at all.


    "Elijah, make sure to cook good chicken whilst I''m gone."


    "..."


    Mike went outside the kitchen and dered loudly.


    "Listen Up folks! Someone Challenged me to a Food Fight! THE INFAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN FOOD FIGHT!"


    Everyone, whilst a select few who were still staring at n and Sabrina, looked at Mike.


    "Which ignorant bastard was it?"


    "What fool would do that?"


    "Is he new to the city?"


    The people murmured.


    "The one who challenged me is the one over there sitting with the beauty!"


    He pointed towards n, who waved back.


    "Oh..."


    "He''s gonna embarrass himself..."


    "NOW, Come hered!"


    Mike sat at the biggest table and gestured n toe, who did.


    "Lets...fucking eat!"


    And the food fight would begin.


    ****


    "ce Your bets! Mike Ardor, Or The Young Challenger!"


    "MIKE MIKE MIKE!"


    Sabrina took the role of the bet dealer joyfully, as she herself ced a huge bet on n winning.


    The smile on her face was wide...as n and Mike continued Eating fried Chicken...n eating the food more slowly...as if he was savoruing the taste.


    Maria kept count of how many pieces they ate...whilst Elijah and Henry watched in Silence from the Kitchen, Supplying the food.


    "I don''t mean to be mean, But your father is going to lose miserably."


    Said Henry...and Elijah remained Silent.


    "..."


    How could they forget?


    n was the guy that made Shield''s Kitchen run out of meat.


    His famous Meat towers during lunch break, that were piled on his te were infamous.


    The kitchendy, An A+ ranked awakened...had nearly fainted trying to cook for him. The man could eat and eat that an A= ranked awakened stamina''s and fortitude could not win against him.


    They remembered the woman crying...admitting defeat...


    "Henry...go check the stock..."


    "...sure."


    Elijah said sadly...thinking.


    ''...we are running out of Fried Chicken today...''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And his father would be crying when n emptied his pantry...and the restaurant would be out of business until Mike could get more chicken.


    ''...''


    Elijah had a look of despair as he went into overdrive mode...just cooking chicken to satisfy the beast.


    Meanwhile, outside the kitchen, he could hear the rants and shouts.


    "EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT!"


    "EAT! EAT! EAT!"


    "Hey, the boy issting well!"


    "Not for long he isn''t..."


    Tears were forming in Elijah and Sabrina''s eyes.


    The former of pure sadness and despair, whilst thetter of joy and excitement.


    ******


    ''The perfect amount of thickness...the perfect amount of crispiness...and it''s also vourful and moist...''


    n thought as he ate the chicken...his superior taste buds and sense of smell enhanced the taste of the chicken by a dozen.


    So vourful, So moist, So crispy...so juicy!


    It was no wonder Ardor Chicken was famous...this chicken was enough to die for!


    It was as if he was in his own world...


    Enjoying the food silently...but also keeping up with mike.


    ''...Shit...''


    Maria, looked at n whilst she was shocked...


    ''Mike is  at 38...whilst he is at 32...not bad.''


    These weren''t little chicken wings that were being consumed, but entire chest pieces, leg pieces, etc.


    The two were going at it...


    ''Anyways...who is he?''


    She thought as the battle continued.


    ''He came in with Sabrina...and she was also holding his hand...it cant be...''


    She came to a shocking conclusion.


    ''Her...boyfriend?!''


    It can''t be!


    ''He isn''t even as handsome as Elijah or Henry...no wait looking at him he''s just  a tad bit less handsome than them but seriously?!''


    Sabrina had a boyfriend?


    ''...damn...''


    She honestly couldn''t believe it...


    ''Hold on...it hasn''t been confirmed...I should still wait and ask her after this is over.''


    She thought...but the Hand holding was a really good ick in her mind.


    ''Come on honey...win.''


    She prayed for her husband to win, mainly because she bet on him and knew therge sum of money Sabrina bet on her ''boyfriend''.


    If her husband won, she would gonna be filthy rich.


    ''Fighting dear!''


    She cheered her father on and continued being the referee...but slowly...Everyone''s expectations started to be proven false.


    Mike was losing.


    ******


    65...pieces of chicken.


    Each.


    Were they stomachs or wells?


    everyone thought this as the battle continued...but Mike could be seen to shoving everything down with water now...unable to continue eating as fast as he could.


    n however on the other was devouring the chicken...showing no signs of stopping.


    "It can''t be...."


    "No way..."


    The people were astonished, for the first time in forever...someone was gonna beat Mike!


    History was being made of Ardor Chicken!


    ANd finally...Mike could eat no longer...his belly was protruding...


    "You...monster..."


    He said...before fainting.


    "The winner is...The challenger!"


    Maria announced...crying on the inside.


    "Way to go kiddo!"


    "You beat Mike!"


    The people congratted n...and Sabrina joyfully distributed the bets.


    "Another bucket please."


    n said...to which Maria replied in shock...


    "Eh? Sorry?"


    "Another Bucket please."


    "...but you''ve already won...


    She said....But n reminded her.


    "The challenge said all you can eat, and also beat the owner.


    I have done one, one is still left..."


    And then, horror filled Maria''s face...as n said Calmly with a smile.


    "Another bucket pleas

 Chapter 237 [237] EAT EAT EAT [2]

    157 chicken pieces...


    A total of nearly 16 whole chickens...


    n had eaten that much and only then he was satisfied.


    ''Satisfied''. Not Full. The emphasis on the word Satisfied was great...how much did he have to eat to be full?!


    Just what was Alice going through daily?! To feed this monster!?


    And adding Kazikato...who probably ate just as much as that...poor Alice.


    ''Damn...I haven''t eaten well in thest few days. This was great.''


    n thought, resting on the chair. To be fair, he had been busy for the few days and dint really have time to eat.


    But even then this was fucking ridiculous.


    Everyone was Shocked.


    Only Sabrina and the Lucky few who bet on n were happy.


    " I win~"


    Sabrina hummed joyfully as she counted her earnings.


    Maria was left Speechless, the crowd was left shocked...


    Elijah and Henry were left exhausted...fighting for breath due to all the cooking in the hot kitchen.


    Elijah was fine...Henry on the other hand...


    "Come on! Come On!"


    Was currently receiving CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) from Elijah...it was just too much for Henry to Handle.


    Sabrina was overjoyed...and n was cleaning his teeth with a toothpick.


    "This was great, we should do this again!"


    n said...and a scream was heard from the kitchen.


    "NOOOO!!!"


    The foam was appearing in Henry''s mouth...as Elijah tried desperately to revive his friend.


    "Stay with me, Henry!"


    Was this PTSD? ( post-traumatic stress disorder)


    Who knows?


    n stood up and walked inside the kitchen, no one blocked his path. The only one who could be unconscious due to eating too much chicken.


    "Hey, you guys have any more left...?"


    He disyed a confused gaze as he looked at the copsed Henry and the desperate Elijah.


    "What happened to him?"


    n asked...oblivious.


    "What do you think happened?! He''s exhausted because of you! Who the hell eats 157 pieces OF CHICKEN?!"


    "Oh..."


    n, upon hearing Elijah...looked at Henry for a moment before smiling.


    "You are a Talented cook! Keep on cooking Henry!"


    It was as if he was trying to console him...but unfortunately, this had the opposite effect.


    Henry was now unconscious...traumatized.


    n...thinking that his presence alone was detrimental, left the kitchen and asked Sabrina for the time.


    "Sabrina, what time is it right now?"


    "Huh?"


    Sabrina, who was in the midst of counting her earnings, looked at him confused for a second before answering.


    "3:38 PM...Why?"


    "Shit...I hope it''s not busy..."


    There was a look of urgency on n''s face... as he rushed out of the store.


    [Tell me when you want to go back to Twilight. I need to go somewhere right now!]


    [Huh?! Where are you going?]


    [Somewhere I promised to be at when I was free!]


    He left in a hurry...confusing everyone.


    "I think I should get going..."


    "Me too..."


    The rest of the customers, who were also the audience of the match began to leave...to rest and process the news...and also to spread it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You think he is going to be alright Maria?"


    A customer asked Mike''s wife, Maria...who was still speechless.


    "Maria?"


    The customer asked again, finally waking her up from her trance...


    "...Not for a few days at least..."


    She answered...her answer disying her knowledge of Her Husband.


    Mike was not going to recover from this, the mary loss maybe, but his reputation wouldn''t.


    Absolutely not.


    *****


    A fanciful ckish-purplish car appeared in front of a particr orphanage.


    [ck Rock Orphanage.]


    The sign was in Tatters, and the overall condition of the Orphanage was bad.


    A well-dressed middle-aged man stepped outside the Vehicle.


    "Did the condition of the orphanage worsen?"


    Benson, n''s assistant and One of the people Richard trusted the most.


    He surveyed the outside of the Orphanage...and was immediately suspicious.


    "It''s too quiet..."


    He muttered, observing the grounds of the ce.


    He entered through the rusty gate and found the absolute silence odd.


    ''Strange...at this time of the day...children should be ying in the yground... it''s way too quiet.''


    He thought as he looked at the wastnd that was the Orphanage now.


    "It is on the outskirts of the city...but this is too much... What is the city council doing?"


    He muttered as he went inside...and then the shock came.


    "The interior..."


    Completely wrecked, with no lights as well.


    "What is the youngster getting into these days...asking me to investigate this abandoned ..."


    Suddenly a realization came in his mind.


    A good orphanage? An orphanage that one of their stars hade from...Abandoned and they received no news?


    And if this was a relocation...The City Council should have restricted entry to the ce before breaking it down for other ces...


    *Crash!*


    A piece of the ceiling fell in the reception....and Benson looked at the hole in the ceiling, however, he was unable to find anything. The dark hole...seemed ominous.


    "What a fantastic horror setting..."


    A dryugh escaped his lips, as he took out a sh light and dagger from his spatial ring.


    ''I should check here first...''


    He thought and began to survey the lobby.


    He kicked the rubble, and as he walked behind the desk...he stopped.


    He kneeled down, and examined the ''stain.'' underneath the desk, as well the hole in the floor.


    ''...blood.''


    He thought the hole looked as if a sharp de had pierced through, and impaled whoever was above it.


    ''The blood is old...how long ago did this ur?''


    He questioned in his mind.


    "The furniture as well..."


    w marks...it was as if a beast had ripped the furniture apart...but apart from this blood stain, no other sightings of blood were here...at least not in the lobby.


    ''...I should check the children''s lodgings first.


    He went up the stairs, to the left side of the orphanage, where the children''s dorms were located.


    He entered the hallway...and stopped abruptly.


    A hallway covered with blood, and broken walls and doors.


    ''...''


    He carefully, stealthily traversed the terrain...keeping absolutely sure that his footsteps didn''t make a sound.


    He approached a broken door, and entered the room inside...but nearly vomited upon seeing the scene inside the room.

 Chapter 238 [238] Eat...Eat!

    "...The fuck..."


    Benson, a fully grown male, an assassin type awakened, A B+ ranked awakened...was freaked out.


    It was hard to scare awakened hunters, They were people who fought monsters every day and dealt with tragedies the normal mind would find hard toprehend.


    But even he, a veteran...was creeped out.


    The inside of the room was a mess, with blood stains everywhere, the furniture destroyed, and wrecked, w marks everywhere, the bedding ripped apart, and the metallic frame of the beds torn to shreds.


    And also...on the bed was flesh...a small piece of dark red flesh.


    Benson approached the bed, took out a stic bag, and put the flesh inside using his dagger.


    "...what the fuck happened here...and how did no one know?"


    Why was there no information about this?! Nothing...Dozens of children residing in this orphanage disappeared...and...what attacked here?


    A monster? No Askolt city''s mana detectors would have detected it instantly...


    "I should check the others..."


    Benson muttered, and then exited the room, and entered the other rooms.


    All the pletely wrecked apart, destroyed beyond recognition.


    Blood stains, Dark red flesh pieces... and also a finger...


    "...Whatever ate them... it didn''t like dark meat..."


    He said as a dryugh escaped his mouth. He was trying topose himself.


    After all, who wouldn''t get spooked in a situation like this?


    He examined the doors of the dorms...and thought.


    ''They tried to hide, but whatever it was found them and broke the doors down...but what kind of demonic creature was it?''


    And how did it go undetected...Askolt city was one of the main cities of Humanity...losing out only to the Capitol, and even then only by a bit.


    It was the city where the Headquarters of the Association was located, along with two of the top 10 guilds'' headquarters. And also the home of Shield!


    It was one of the, if not the most secure and protected cities on Earth!


    "...The smell of rotting flesh...2...no three weeks old."


    It hasn''t been long.


    Benson said, examining whatever the ''thing'' left behind of its victims.


    *CRASH!*


    Suddenly, A sound was heard which Alerted Benson and made him on guard.


    He brandished his twin daggers and activated his Skills.


    [Eyes of the night has been activated]


    [Mana coating has been activated.]


    ''...It was far away...''


    He thought, backing up towards the end of the hallway.


    ''But it''s getting closer.''


    He could hear it moving with his heightened senses.


    He moved to the end of the Hallway, back against the wall.


    Whatever wasing, it woulde from the entrance of the hallway and it would give Benson ample time to react.


    "..."


    The tension was high...as footsteps could be heard.


    And then...it came...but it was entirely different from What Benson expected.


    "A...child?"


    He muttered, keenly observing the child that had entered the hallway.


    ck eyes, A bloodied dress, and a crooked smile, and blonde hair, are the main features of the ''girl''.


    Her mouth, hands, and feet were covered in blood...


    "A...toddler huh..."


    Benson said as the toddler moved forward towards him slowly.


    Benson''s armor slowly appeared on him, and as it was, this was the cue. The ''girl'' transformed.


    Her skin ripped apart, and tentacles of flesh, the end of which had a de appeared to form her back.


    Her eyes bled, and then an amalgamation of flesh was born,pletely different from the little girl.


    "KYUA!"


    It ran towards Benson, And Benson calmly waited at the end of the hallway, brandishing his aggers and coating them with mana.


    And in an instant, he made his move.


    *SHWING!*<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He moved as quickly as the speed of sound, and cut the amalgamation into dozens of pieces.


    He didn''t know if decapitating its head would kill it, so he opted to cut it into pieces instead.


    He walked over to the corpse and found the head of the girl buried in the chest, soulless.


    He rummaged through the pieces and found what he was looking for.


    "As expected...demons were here."


    Within his hands was a purple crystal, A chaos crystal.


    A mana crystal corrupted by demonic energy, the energy of chaos.


    "Rest in Peace."


    He closed the girl''s eyes as he prayed.


    He took out his watch and immediately called for reinforcements.


    [Benson Here, I need reinforcements of hunters and forensic experts. Bring Light Awakened as well.]


    [Got it.]


    He closed the call. And just as if he was nning to wait for the backup to arrive, he heard it again.


    *Crash!* Along with a screech.


    "KYUAAHHH!"


    "..."


    A shriek reverberated throughout the building, and Benson heard the wriggling of flesh behind him.


    The flesh of the amalgamation wriggled and moved underneath his feet and left the hallway...


    "...Shit it knows where I am."


    He said...and immediately went to go search.


    Fuck Backup, whatever it was, it knew where he was...and he didn''t know where it was.


    That didn''t go well with him.


    He went upstairs...trying to figure out where the sound came from. And entered the highest floor.


    The floor was devastated, like the ones below it.


    He wanted to follow the pieces of flesh first, but they moved in different directions...and something felt off.


    His gut feeling told him not to follow it...so he didn''t.


    "The office of the manager...what was her name...Penny?"


    He opened the door to the office of the Orphanage manager...and surprisingly...it...was clean?


    "Weird...the outside is wrecked but the office is fine?? The door isn''t damaged as well..."


    Why was the office untouched?


    He rummaged through the office and searched every nook and cranny. He took out some documents from the desk and went through them, although it was hard for him to look in the dark room.


    There was nothing inside...that was for sure...except for him anyway.


    [Files of Joshua Sanders, adopted...]


    [Melissa Firk....]


    [n Pator...]


    "Aha..."


    He found n''s file among them...and looked through it.


    It was a different copy to the one Twilight had...very different.


    [High priority subject, offspring of experienced hunters. Is caring, which can be used as a weakness. Sister is useless, her disability serves for naught....]


    "What the heck..."


    He read the files of multiple ''adopted'' children except n.


    [Good host]


    [Excellent Host.]


    [Fodder.]


    "...affinity? Host? to what element and for what...?"


    Benson wondered...but then his spine shivered.


    ''It'' was here...on the top floor.


    *CRASH!*


    It broke through the door...and Benson Immediately hid using his most prized skill.


    [Stealth of Assassin of Darkness has been activated.]


    ******

 Chapter 239 [239]...Eat.

    A horrifying being, one that would make you vomit at the mere sight of its horrid flesh.


    An Amalgamation of more terrifying visages than the one Benson encountered before.


    With an adult female face stered on it in the front and other faces of children on its body, from their mouthsing ded limbs that would rip apart its prey.


    The being was mortifying to look at...


    The eyes on the faces of the children are pitch ck, the adult face belonging to the owner of the orphanage now turned into this...


    Benson held his breath as he observe the creature closely. He knew his skill was good, it wouldn''t notice him even if he was standing in front of it.


    The flesh beneath it moved...


    It traversed the room, its body wriggling, the ded limbs scraping the floor.


    "..Do..cu...meennttsss?"


    A metallic, unnatural voice emerged from who knows where on its body.


    It carefully ced the documents back inside, and thenughed eerily.


    How terrifying...it was.


    It''s intelligence was even more creepy.


    Benson was as still as a rack, the only part of his body moving were his eyes.


    [Weakness Detection has been activated.]


    He activated his skill to detect the weakness of this monstrosity...but to his shock...there was none.


    From what he could see, there were none.


    He waited for the monster to move, trying to find a weakness on the other side...enhancing the mana in his body...until.


    It turned it''s head an entire 180 degrees...and stared straight at Benson.


    "..."


    Benson remained calm and immediately canceled the mana in his body.


    ''It''s sensitive to mana movement...''


    He concluded, judging from the reaction of the monstrosity.


    ''I don''t think it has found me yet.''


    He thought.


    "I see.... you!"


    Suddenly, the ded limbs rushed towards him.


    Benson immediately fortified himself with Mana and dodged whatever attack he could...


    But a few still managed to hit, denting his armor.


    The monstrosity screamed as Benson cut off a few of its limbs.


    "KYAAAA!"


    Benson left the room, entered the hallway, and ran.


    The space was too small for him to fight well.


    The monster followed him from the door, destroying everything in its way and Benson jumped through the window and exited the building...but the thing didn''t follow him.


    It just stared at him, from the highest floor, through the broken window and Benson red at it from beneath.


    "It''s smart...huh."


    It didn''t leave the terrain advantageous for it.


    "I should wait for backup...


    Then we can take that thing down..."


    He said, looking at his watch to check the time, but the moment he looked up.


    ''It'' was gone.


    **********


    [Sometimeter.]


    "We have arrived, Sir."


    A hunter from Twilight said, addressing Benson.


    "Have you brought everyone?"


    Benson asked.


    "Yes sir, An entire team of C-rank hunters, two B ranks, and a team of Forensics experts and Light mages have arrived."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Benson nodded, before handing the man the stic bag containing the flesh he found.


    "Give this to the forensics team, and tell them to examine it. Tell the Light mages to surround the building with a holy barrier and the C ranks to stay outside and guard the perimeter.


    The B ranks will be going inside with me."


    "Yes sir!"


    After a while, a holy barrier was set up and Benson went Inside with the Two other B ranks.


    The monster wasn''t strong enough to take even one B-rank hunter down...if not for the closed space Benson was in and its size. He would have defeated it.


    But he didn''t know how many there were...which is why he came with backup.


    "We will search from the basement... and move up from there."


    "Yes sir."


    Th two b rank hunters said and followed Benson to the Basement.


    They kicked the door down...and what they found was not something too pleasant for the eyes.


    "...demons..."


    Benson muttered...he was now sure of it.


    The demonic ritual circle is drawn in blood on the ground, multiple corpses of children...all missing their heads, and buckets of blood.


    "It''s a transportation circle."


    One of the B ranks said, examining the circle.


    ''A transportation circle...


    Did they smuggle children...But why?''


    "Don''t touch anything, search the basement carefully, we don''t know what has lingering demonic energy still here."


    The team searched the entire basement, finding nothing out of the ''ordinary''.


    "Hmmm... let''s move up now."


    Said Benson as the team gathered around, they were about to depart from the basement when.


    *Drip...*


    A piece of saliva dripped down from the ceiling.


    It didn''t even take a moment for all three to scatter...they left the ce at once.


    They brandished their weapons and enhanced themselves with mana.


    The monstrosity dropped from the ceiling...and readied its ded limbs.


    It attacked the three, who all dodged.


    The swordsman and Benson, cut the attacking limbs whilst the other blocked with his shield.


    The swordsman sent a sh of mana toward the monster, but it dodged.


    Benson approached it quickly and cut all of its limbs off. He was going to cut its head but then it regrew its limbs in a sh and Blocked Benson.


    "AAAH!"


    The shield bearer rammed into the monster, pinning it to the wall. The Swordsman and Benson finished it off immediately after.


    The death cries of the monster resembled crying children and the three hunters were even more disturbed as they killed it.


    The faces of the children seemed happy, their soulless eyes finding some salvation and only the main Adult Head of the orphanage manager seemed resentful.


    It had a quick death...and Benson picked up the corrupted mana crystal it dropped.


    "C rank huh..."


    he muttered...before the team went to search the entire building.


    *****


    the findings of the search weren''t pleasant.


    The pieces of flesh belonged to children that had been devoured, the blood stains were weeks old.


    The entire ce was abandoned and searched, and multiple sightings of demonic energy were everywhere.


    The worst thing was the faces of the children and monsters...all belonged to regr children that had no mana and werebined through horrific means.


    Some children...however were missing. Nothing of them was found, not even blood stains or flesh.


    And their files were also gone. And all of them were awakened or had mana within them.


    Gone, without a single trace left behind.

 Chapter 240 [240] Devoured.

    Yo! new month! Here''s the list of the top fans!


    Thank you so much for your support.


    1: Azazandal: 5827


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    Thank you all so so so much for your effort! please continue supporting the novel with Powerstones, Energy stones, gifts, and golden tickets. Your support is very much appreciated!


    For the top 5, please join the discord server[link is in synopsis] to receive a special Top 5 Fan rank. Please message me with proof and you will receive it as soon as I see it.


    P.S;my own rank fell down even further :(


    "Report, The blood was found to be of the unadopted children, all three weeks old at the least, The monster, which has been named the Flesh Amalgamation was a C-rank monster, and had the abilities of increased strength and super regeneration. Demonic circles were present in the basement of the building, the circle was a transportation type. Demon entered through it and took some children. All the children that were taken were the ones which had a high chance to awaken. The city council is currently discussing the issue...but we have received no further news."


    Benson stated the report in his hands. whilst Richard listened closely.


    "Did any of those children possess awakened parents?"


    Richard asked.


    "No, However, the children that did have Awakened parents were all adopted...but."


    Benson hesitated, and this hesitation caught Richards''s Eye.


    "But?"


    "There are no records of them sir..."


    Hearing this, Richard asked...


    "What?"


    "Of the adopted children, there is no trace of them, not about the family that adopted them, and neither any documents left.


    The only ones left are the proof of their adoption...But the children and the families that adopted them are nowhere to be found."


    Richard, hearing this contemted.


    ''The Aror city incident has a big link to this, multiple children lost their parents and were sent to multiple orphanages outside the city, even if they had a remaining family. And their court cases were weird as well, Everything about it has been removed. I''ve sent you the documents containing information about the children sent to different orphanages, Please Investigate them.''


    Richard recalled what Maxwell had told him... and his brows creased.


    "Notify our branches in other cities to send teams to search the orphanages about the children in the documents I sent you. Tell them to be careful and send information back immediately."


    Richard said and stood up, before moving towards the door.


    "Guildmaster, where Are you going? You have work to do."


    Benson asked.


    "To meet the Sage, Tell Diego to do my work for now. I''ll be back soon."


    *****


    [At Shield]


    It was weird to see Shield so empty.


    Despite the asional teacher and worker there, no one roamed the Streets of the Ind.


    Well, it was to be expected. The students were away, and only a select few remained.


    "It''s weird to see the institute so empty."


    Said Richard as he was being escorted By Elena Frost to the Headmaster''s office.


    "Yes, it is summer vacation after all."


    Richard tried to make Small talk, but it was rejected by the Frost Queen.


    "Please enter, the Headmaster has been expecting you."


    She guided him to the office and left immediately. It seemed that she was extremely busy with work.


    Richard entered the office...and was surprised to see The Almighty Sage buried underneath a mountain Of Paperwork.


    He bowed to show his respect to a ''Legend'' of a previous generation. The Sage, Oliver Olsfer.


    But then...he found something odd.


    The Sage...wasn''t exuding the same level of power he normally had...it was weaker.


    "Don''t be rmed, THis is just a clone. The real body is somewhere else."


    The headmaster said, gesturing for Richard to sit down.


    ''I wish I had that skill.''


    Thought Richard. How heavenly it would be to just create a clone to do his work.


    "I''vee to talk to you about an important matter. It''s something concerning the involvement of demons."


    At the mere mention of demons, Oliver was intrigued and began to listen closely to what Richard had to say...


    ****


    "...I see."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Oliver muttered after hearing Richard.


    "What were the ranks of the deceased parents of the Children?"


    Oliver asked.


    "The lowest was rank D-, and the highest was B."


    "..."


    Oliver had a grave expression on his face.


    "It infuriates me..."


    Richard stayed quiet... Waiting for Oliver to continue.


    "The demons have been more active as ofte, the sons of bitches at the top don''t care. The Officials at the capitol are busy with the tower...and now this..."


    "We will be very d if you could provide us some assistance...if you are able to."


    Said, Richard...But Oliver''s expression said the opposite.


    "Sadly...I cannot assist you. Our reputation has been hit deeply, most of my staff is busy with charity works to raise the name, And are currently busy for now. The student council is also busy with the tasks I gave them, The only one free is our ''treasurer'' who is in the city you were talking about and is also involved in this...but I can help you indirectly."


    Said, Oliver, as he took out a ring from his Spatial storage.


    He handed the ring over to Richard, who examined it.


    "This..."


    "Think of it as a borrowed Item, It can detect demonic energy from miles away and can also stop it. It can cleanse demons and demonic beings. It can also identify which demon was responsible by sensing its unique demonic energy. Unfortunately, for now, that is all I have until I return."


    "...Thank you, sir...But return? from Where?"


    Richard expressed his thanks for being handed an S-ss item so easily...


    But then he was shocked by Oliver''s reply.


    "From the Demonic continent."


    ****


    "Im here!"


    n stopped in front of a certain bus stop, a stop where he promised to meet his Grandfather.


    "You werete."


    His grandfather said, sitting on a bench reading a newspaper.


    "Something popped up."


    "Well, No matter...I was just about to go anyway."


    His grandfather, Mathew Pator said and stood up. He gestured for n to follow him.


    "Where are we going anyways?"


    n asked, and his Grandfather replied.


    "To my shop, of course, it''s a cafe. Your father and mother loved it there...and also had their first date there."


    "..."


    ''Unnecessary but okay.''


    "How''s life in Shield?"


    His grandfather asked as they walked, the atmosphere beneath them was...awkward?


    It was as if both struggled to start a conversation. Amanda Pator, n''s grandmother was the one who easy going and could talk with anyone.


    "It''s good...although I am busy quite a lot of the time."


    "How so? are the sses tough?"


    "Somewhat, but I have a friend who is incredibly intelligent who helps me, I just spend most of the time training."


    "Do you have a teacher? I heard some teachers in Shield take in personal students."


    n hesitated for a second before answering this question.


    "Yes, The vice principal, Elena Frost is my ''magic'' teacher. She taught me a lot of things."


    "The vice principal? Wow."


    His grandfather seemed odd. It was as if he wanted to say something more but couldn''t. It was as if He was being held back by a particr feeling.


    He was a calm,posed man, One that was elegant. But it seemed as if he wanted to express his feelings more but was hiding them


    "You awakened just like your mother. She also had an affinity with the Frost element. Although  I don''t think she was as proficient as you. Speaking of Elemental affinities. I wonder how you got your space affinity, Anna had ice, whilst Alfie had Water... How do those twobine to form space?"


    His grandfather asked with a confused look on his face.


    "Affinities aren''t dependant on inheritance much. A kid born from a parent with the fire affinity can have the ice one. It''s really chance."


    "Is that so? I didn''t know that."


    His grandfather truly had little knowledge of the awakened world.


    Even though his daughter was awakened.


    This small, yet somewhat awkward chit chat continued, until they reached their destination.

 Chapter 241 [241] Cafe Le Peccatorio.

    [Cafe Le Patorio.]


    A cafe, a serene ce that had a calm and peaceful atmosphere.


    It seemed like a normal cafe at first, but one would be able to point out that it was full of people.


    Like literally, every seat was filled.


    Some people were on dates, some were working and some groups of friends were just chatting.


    "Oh? it shouldn''t be full this time of the day?"


    His grandfather said, surprised that the cafe was full this time of the day.


    Their busy hours were in the early morning and in night.


    "What does the name mean?"


    n asked as he stared at the holographic signboard.


    "I don''t know, your grandmother just told it to me one day, and it stuck."


    "??"


    n showed a confused gaze at his grandfather''s answer.


    "Our coffee and sweets are popr, very popr."


    His grandfather said as he entered the cafe.


    ''Everyone has a cup of coffee and some type of bread, I guess that does exin the rush.''


    "Hey Mat!"


    "Who''s the guy behind you?"


    "Hello Miles, He''s my grandson."


    Some old-timers greeted Mathew...but they were shocked at his answer.


    Grandson? Mathew had a grandson?


    Their suspicion and surprise had a basis. Cafe le Patorio( I just realized the name may mean Cafe of Sinners...lol;p) had been established after the ''incident''. And since Mathew never talked about his Family...they just didn''t know.


    ''But damn...he''s tall...and quite Handsome too.''


    Unfortunately, n had caught the eye of some women in the cafe, whether they be girls or adult women...


    n was tall. A 6 foot 8 behemoth that had quite a significant amount of muscle mass. He knew how to fight and was quite reliable in some cases. No wonder Sabrina of all fell for him.


    Although not as handsome as Elijah or Henry, his height made up for it...and His eyes upgraded it.


    Who wouldn''t find literal diamonds attractive? And besides, he looked like someone who could protect you...which was his literal job as well.


    "Damn, Your grandson''s tall. What''s his name?"


    "n."


    And then it clicked.


    Wait...n...Grandson of Mathew PECCATOR!


    It could be said that the entire cafe stopped.


    Or at least those who heard it.


    Some spat out their coffee,some in the face of their partners and others in the faces of their friends.


    "...wait is he ''that'' n Pator?"


    Someone from the audience asked.


    And all he got in response was a smile from Mathew.


    "Was I just brought here for you to show me off?"


    n asked his grandfather, who smiled back at him.


    "Partially, Now go and sit anywhere. I''m personally making your coffee."


    "I have a bad feeling about this..."


    n said as he found a lone table in the corner. And he was right.


    Gosh darn, right he was.


    His grandfather just used him for publicity. Like a true Businessman. He was used to attracting more customers.


    And Honestly. He felt stupid for not thinking of this before.


    Damn, this was smart.


    *****


    "Hey, are you really ''that'' n Pator, You know the First spatial awakened?!"


    "Yes...That is me."


    "Woah!"


    "Can I get a selfie?"


    "Sure..."


    "Can I get your autograph?"


    "Yes..."


    And thus...he spent a lot of time taking selfies with strangers and signing his signature.


    This was the first time he thought.


    ''I don''t have a signature...''


    He didn''t have a particr signature, So he just made one up and went with that.


    ''So this is what it''s like to be a celebrity...''


    He didn''t have any particr public meetings at all. Kazikato had some after he annihted the Rhino guild. But n had none. Everything about him was handled By Maxwell.


    Maxwell and Kazikato were the faces of Predator, even though he should have been one since he was the leader. But oh well.


    n guessed that it was just because he was not really fond of public appearances, so He wasn''t famous.


    Although this feeling wasn''t bad, it did get annoying.


    And Finally, after the numerous selfies and autographs ended...He was then approached by the ''women.''


    Too bad for them, He was not interested.


    n...had be desensitized to female beauty lower than Sabrina now...If he would fall for someone they would need to have an S rank charm, like Alexa or Above Sabrina.


    This was a side effect of bodyguarding her.


    For some reason, they all asked him for his number, but he rejected them all.


    He was ''attracted'' to someone else after all.


    Although he didn''t hate this type of attention either.


    After chasing all the thirsty females away, he finally had some time to rest. Although he was bothered that people were taking his pictures without his consent from the corners.


    "Had fun?"


    Suddenly, his grandfather appeared holding a tray filled with Sweets and other beverages.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Not Particrly, I thought you needed some help with the shop, that was why I came, I didn''t expect this although."


    "Haha..."


    His grandfatherughed as he set the tray down.


    "Why do I feel like you''re enjoying this?"


    "What? Can''t I y a prank on my grandson, Hehe?"


    His grandfatherughed as he handed n a cup of hot chocte.


    "I forgive you."


    Said n after he took a sip of the hot chocte.


    "heh."


    Mathew smirked, He really did know n well.


    n ''loved'' Chocte'' just like his mother, Anna Pator, and his grandmother, Amanda Pator, and Samantha loved ''Vani And Strawberry.'' Just like her Grandfather and Father.


    He knew how to pacify his grandson.


    Which was why he brought over many chocte sweets.


    Tons of them.


    "How are they? That bread you eating is one of the Cafe''s signature dishes. Nearly everyonees here for it."


    "It''s amazing."


    Said n as he ate it whole, surprising Mathew for a moment.


    "Slow down there, Don''t choke."


    He said out of worry.


    "I Whont."


    n said whilst chewing the bread, savoring its sweet taste.


    "I can eat tonnes mo-"


    "Excuse me?"


    Suddenly, someone interrupted them. A young man having ck hair and ck eyes. A teenager who was quite handsome.


    ''Another selfie? Or Autograph?''


    n thought as he got ready to end this quickly but then he said something which surprised him.


    "Do you know Kazikato Shimoshino? Is it possible for me to meet him? I''m a big fan ever since he defeated the Rhino guild, it made my family''s and friends'' live a lot easier."


    Ah, he didn''t want n''s Signature,  he was a fan of Kazikato.


    He wanted to meet his idol, Kazikato.


    ''How shocked Kazikato would be if he heard this...but this is good for him.''


    But then, another guy came the Kazikato Fan''s friend who was wearing Twilight merch.


    "Can I meet one of the Twilight goddesses? I''m a fan!"


    "..."


    And now a fan of Alice and Sabrina showed up.


    Well, those two were ''voluntarily'' helping expand Twilight''s influence. Not because they were forced by someone or anything.


    "Can you wait? they should be free and I can call them."


    Suddenly, n had a bright Idea.


    Why not use his famous friends for more profit? Truly Sabrina was rubbing off him.


    He decided to call Kazikato and Alice, but not Sabrina for specific reasons.


    Sabrina was probably busy, and Kazikato didn''t have anything to do and Alice could just tell MAxwell to do her work.


    And so he did.


    "Hey, Alice, can youe to Cafe le Patorio? It''s where I''m at. Also, bring Kazikato as well."


    He called Alex and told her this, Toe here. And before she could answer he quit the call.


    She''ll probablye.  He thought.


    Besides, it was good for Kazikato, It would be good for his health...because n had seen what was bothering him.


    And he didn''t have to wait for long. Kazikato had run here with Alice on his back.


    "You called boss?"


    He appeared in front of n immediately as Alice tried to control her breathing...seemingly suppressing an Urge to vomit.


    "Your fans want to meet you."


    "Huh"


    n''s answer confused Kazikato, and soon he knew why.


    "Hey, Can you sign my shirt? And can I please take a selfie with you?"


    And now it was time for round two This time with Kazikato and Alice...who were confused but got the hang of it.


    "You''ve got quite the group."


    His grandfathermented as he drank his coffee whilst looking at the crowd increasing.


    "Can you please take a selfie with me?!"


    "Please sign my hand!"


    "Thank you! your my hero! I saw how you absolutely destroyed the Rhino guild! It was awesome."


    "I''m never washing this had again!"


    ''Damn, their fans are even more relentless than mine.''


    n thought, as he looked at Kazikato and Alice surrounded.


    ''Thank god Kazikato is taking this well...''


    There was initially a risk that Kazikato would not take this well, But Kazikato''s expression said otherwise.


    "Please...MAke a line!"


    Alice tried to control the crowd...but they didn''t listen.


    Seeing this, n released his mana pressure and made them behave.


    And it worked well.


    "This hot chocte is delicious..."


    n said as he drank his Hot chocte.


    "Of course it is, I mad it myself."


    His grandfathermented from the side.


    And The fan meeting continued in the background.

 Chapter 242 [242] Cafe Le Peccatorio.

    It was a busy day for Cafe le Patorio, Two celebrities, and one myth showed up, and let''s just say...people were rushing in. Long lines had formed. It was probably their busiest day yet.


    Well, Kazikato Shimoshino, The young awakened who was unknown but crushed Rhino guild quickly was present, he had a lot of fans. Fans were happy because after Twilight took control, living conditions improved. And all of this was due to Kazikato winning. so he had a lot of fame.


    The Dark Reaper, The Reaper of death, Death Reaper such nicknames for him were popr among the young folk. He also improved the Dark and death elements'' reputation. And now the young folk who were hoping to be awakened hoped they awakened the Dark Element...which was unprecedented. Considering that the Element was associated with Demons and was publicly despised.


    Kazikato''s effect was greatest in Aror, but the effect in other cities was not small. The broadcast was streamed countless times.


    Alice, on the other hand, was cute.


    That was enough for fans.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Alice bowed and greeted Mathew Pator.


    "The please is all mine. Thank you very much for participating today."


    Mathew greeted her as well, thanking her for today.


    "Boss, This is cheating."


    Kazikato said to n, Whoughed back.


    "What? Your fans wanted to meet the ''Dark Death Reaper!'' HAHA!"


    n couldn''t hold hisughter whilst teasing Kazikato. The nickname was just too Cringey!


    "As if the ''Void Predator'' is any better."


    Kazikato rebuked, Reminding n of the name the public set for him. The name was set because of his affinity to the Spatial Element and the creation of his Team Predator.


    "Hey, Unlike Dark Death reaper, That is a cool name!"


    Said, n.


    "Who says?!"


    "Me!"


    "That makes it invalid then!"


    "How so?!"


    The fight of words continued between them.


    "Are they always like this?"


    Mathew asked Alice as he looked at the two of them.


    "Most of the time, Yes."


    Alice answered. It was true, n and Kazikato did fight most of the time like Children.


    Maybe it was because they were children in Dragon Years?


    Who knows?


    "Um...Excuse me?"


    Suddenly, in the empty shop, Someone''s voice was heard.


    A lovely girl, with a petite face, Hair like gold and golden eyes, as tall as Alice, and the most unique feature of hers...was a tail. A fox tail and Ears.


    "Can I please have your autograph?"


    She asked, dressed in the Cafe''s employee uniform.


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce you to my employee, Emma. She can brew coffee as well as me and is a fox Demihuman. her baking skills however are top-notch."


    Mathew introduced Emma, and Alice looked at the shy girl keenly as she signed her notebook.


    ''A demihuman...It''s been a long time since I''ve seen one.''


    She remembered that there was a team of demi-humans in Twilight, It was one of the stronger teams...But not strong enough like their main hunting teams. And an Elder was also a Demi-Human.


    ''I''m surprised she has a job...''


    Alice thought public opinion of Demi-humans wasn''t bad, but it also wasn''t great.  Most People didn''t really like having them around.


    ''He''s a kind man...unlike his grandson.''


    Alice thought as she looked at n''s Grandfather, Mathew Pator.


    She watched Emma''s tail wagging as she approached n and Kazikato fighting.


    "You know, Although people express hate towards them in Public, A lot of people, especially young people like Fox girls. Emma''s insanely good at attracting customers."


    Mathew whispered in Alice''s Ear...and she instantly took back her previous statement.


    ''Nevermind...it runs in the family.''


    n and Kazikato signed her notebook as well, and she approached Mathew.


    "Sir, I''ve cleaned the ce up, I will be taking my leave now."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Sure, Want me to drop you off?"


    Emma went to the back to change her clothes and said.


    "It''s fine sir, I can go back on my own."


    "Hmmm..."


    Mathew watched her go inside the changing room as his worries increased.


    ''...I hope she makes it back safely.''


    "Is her neighborhood unsafe?"


    Suddenly, Alice''s voice disturbed Mathew''s thoughts.


    "Yes...she lives near the slums of the city...and she is a girl as well soo..."


    "Then why don''t we have these two apany her?"


    Alice suggested, And n and Kazikato looked at her.


    "He goes."


    Suggested n.


    "No boss goes, He knows more about being a bodyguard."


    Suggested Kazikato and before another fight could begin...


    "Why don''t you two decide By rock paper scissors? is that a good idea?"


    Mathew suggested, and n and Kazikato got ready.


    "Rock."


    "Paper."


    "Scissors! Damnit!"


    "Haha! Your the one going boss!"


    n yed rock, while Kazikato yed Paper, which beats rock and so he won.


    "It''s usually best out of three!"


    Protested n, but his protest proved to be futile.


    He didn''t win once.


    *****


    Emma walked down the dark and dreary road toward her home, unaware that she was being followed.


    Thankfully, the one following her wasn''t a stalker, it was n, who had lost the rock Paper scissors match. And he was now acting as her secret Bodyguard.


    ''It really is a bad neighborhood?''


    n wondered in his mind. In his eyes, the neighborhood was neither bad nor good.


    Yeah, there were dead animals and a dirty street, but as far as things went, it was outside the slums, although the houses were in a bad condition, they could still stand.


    And there weren''t any thugs or anything else...which was a good thing.


    Finally, after what seemed like forever. Emma had finally reached her house. A small house that could fit a family of four barely.


    However, as she opened the door...and went inside n became Alert.


    "Blood..."


    He could smell it, The familiar scent of blooding from her house.


    He moved stealthily, making sure he was not caught closer.


    ''Why is the house of someone as innocent as her reeking of blood?''


    n thought as he got close.


    Was she hiding something?


    If so...then what?


    There was a good chance this could be dangerous for his family since his Grandfather had her as an employee...and if it was he would end it now.


    He couldn''t let any danger near his family, he got close and his brows creases as he realized there were no windows to peak through.


    He activated his dragon eyes...albeit barely. He was willing to go through some pain for the safety of his family.


    [Dragon Eyes has been activated.]


    And then he peaked inside.


    "...!"

 Chapter 243 [243] Emma Foxglove [1]

    "?!"


    Emma''s expression showed immense shock as she saw drops of blood in her house.


    She sniffed the air and knew who it belonged to. Her excellent senses as a demihuman helped to identify the owner.


    She rushed to the room the drops of blood went and opened the door in a panic.


    "Are you okay?!"


    She screamed, worried.


    And her mouth opened agape at what she saw.


    Another person, male, possessing the same features as her, just masculine...Severely injured.


    Both eyes were bruised ck, the fingers of his right hand broken, lips punctured, and bleeding from multiple areas of his Body. It seemed as if he had been beaten to a pulp. And whoever did this showed no mercy.


    "..."


    Her brother, Her only rtive looked at her with his bruised eyes, struggling to get a proper look.


    "I''m fine."


    He said as he closed his eyes for some rest.


    "DO YOU LOOK FINE?!"


    Suddenly, Emma''s scream jolted his eyes awake, as he tried to exin.


    "It isn''t much, I''ve had worse, you know that!"


    "Shut UP NOW!"


    "...ok"


    Unfortunately, even if he was the older sibling, He was helpless in front of his younger sister.


    "What happened?!"


    She asked as she checked his wounds.


    "What do you think? I lost a fight."


    "..."


    ''I should not have said that...''


    Her Brother, Edward Foxglove thought as he saw her nk eyes staring at him in Silence.


    That silence spelled doom for him...and now he wanted to run away from his sister.


    "Didn''t...you promise me you wouldn''t go fight...?"


    She asked...and Edward found it hard to respond.


    "...we needed the money..."


    He said...but this only made it worse.


    "I could have asked for an early paycheck!"


    Emma yelled.


    "Didn''t you already ask for one?"


    Edward tried to salvage the situation, but s failed miserably.


    "Uncle would have given it to me! You know he''s nice!"


    "Fuck no! Who knows if the human was just doing that to gain your trust?!"


    Edward retorted...and Emma fell silent.


    The siblings didn''t have a good rtionship with humans, their past had made them, especially Edward hates humans to the core.


    Although Emma''s hatred had disappeared, Edwards still remained.


    "Huh?"


    Suddenly, Edward felt something.


    He felt as if someone was watching them all along, and just now...disappeared?


    Weird...He didn''t feel anyone.


    "...Why did you go to fight? you know I can support us now."


    Whilst he wondered what the weird feeling in his gut was, Emma asked.


    Heughed a little before answering.


    "Ohe on...what kind of brother would I be if I was the one receiving support from my little sister?"


    "..."


    "Come on Emma, You know this happens quite frequently..."


    Edward said, trying to console his sister.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Not to this degree..."


    ...and then He stopped as he heard her voice...it was as if she was holding back tears.


    "...stay still."


    Said Emma, as she tried her best to not cry.


    A faint golden glow erupted from her hand as she tried to heal her brother.


    It was weak, but it still healed her brother to some degree nheless. But it seemed....wed.


    It was as if it was forced As if it was being executed without having met the proper requirements...Emma''s tired face proved it.


    "...Who was it?"


    She asked.


    "hmm?"


    "Who was it?...that could do this to ''you."


    She asked her brother, enquiring about the identity of the one who defeated him.


    Edward sighed and said.


    "...a Boxer. A new guy too..."


    There was shame in his voice.


    "A boxer? But haven''t you defeated pro boxer''s before?"


    "I have...and because of that I thought he wouldn''t know how to defend against kicks...son of a bitch."


    Edward cursed at his opponent before continuing.


    "He knew boxing, And some Muay Thai and Taekwondo as well... His body was as hard as the Earth and I don''t know who taught him...but damn he was good."


    "..."


    Emma was shocked, this was the first time she heard her brotherpliment someone''s fighting style.


    "Not only that...he knew how to fight me. He knew how to fight an instinctual fighter...too well."


    Edward Foxglove, due to his poverty, never could get a mentor. He only knew how to fight by relying on his beastly senses, and during his career as a fighter in the ck Market...he had picked up some skills from his opponents but he relied mainly on his instincts.


    "Cough!"


    he coughed up blood as Emma''s eyes became even more worried as she tried to heal his wounds faster.


    "Don''t... You know it won''t help that much...I''ll heal by myself..."


    Said Edward...before he fell unconscious in Emma''s arms...


    ''A new...fighter...was able to do this to my brother?''


    Edward wasn''t a bad Fighter. He had numerous wins and few losses, and adding the fact that he was a demihuman with increased senses and a regeneration factor...he was favored by many. And because he could fight more often without worrying about his injuries because of his healing factor, he has gained a lot of experience.


    But even then...He was beaten to such a degree...by a new guy?


    Who the hell...could do that?


    What monster had stepped inside the ring today?


    ******


    "Shit...."


    n cursed as he bled from his eyes.


    ''I can''t look anymore...''


    Thought n as he removed the blood, His eyes hurting like hell.


    Although he could only look for a short while, he had still gathered some info.


    ''So it was just her brother...''


    He had thought she was actually a psychopath that wore a mask in front of others in public. That he was just a worse version of Serena... and he didn''t think that was possible.


    But thankfully, it was not the case.


    Apparently, for a short while, he could see with the help of his [Dragon eye]. He had concluded that the smell of blood was not from a corpse or anything as he suspected, but actually from her Brother, who was apparently a fighter.


    Well, A fighter in the slums, where the ck Market was located was probably a good career. As long as one knew how to fight.


    An injured fighter just returned home after a fight, whether he won or lost wasn''t important. n had just thought it was something her brother did to support themselves, considering they were demihumans.


    "Shit...why does this happen only to me? Are my eyes defective or something...?"


    n muttered as he tried to navigate the streets with his increasingly blurry vision.


    It was only him, Kazikato didn''t have this side effect when he activated his Dragon Eyes...and neither did Elijah...When...he... Evol...---------------------------?


    ''What?... Anyways...why does thatzy bastard not have this...why must it only be me?''


    He thought...and finally, he could not see anymore...so he activated Mana sense to navigate further.

 Chapter 244 [244] The Foxgloves

    It was just a normal day for Edward.


    As a fighter in the ck Market, all he had to do was fight his opponent, win, and nothing else.


    He was one of the best of the best. The best fighter in the ring.


    There were no rules in the ck market, except for one.


    Kill or be Killed.


    Brutal, it was.


    But it was also very rewarding when it came to money.


    People, high-ranked officials of guilds paid to watch, they betted on their favorite fighters and Edward was one of them. An underdog who became the top dog.


    No one had ever expected a mere demihuman to win, since his first fight the odds were ced against him, on his first match no one had betted on him but he proved them wrong by winning every fight.


    His instincts were the reason, his beastly sense was the reason. Of his dominating power.


    It mattered not if he was physically weaker, He was a predator, a being that bes increasingly dangerous if he has so much to lose. They say a man is to be feared if he has nothing to lose, But A man who has everything lost is also terrifying.


    His life, He would never abandon his sister, he would never force her to withstand the harsh reality of the world alone... no ever.


    He was always the one to endure it, it was his duty as a man, his duty as a brother. To withstand, to be the shield that protected her.


    Never...would he ever let her experience the things he experienced.


    ******


    "In the left side of the ring...We have the famous, the one and only beast of the ck Market, whose fists are like strings of gold, kicks as fierce as a beast...rightfully and ferocity unmatched! THE GOOOOLLLLDDDEEEENNNNN BRRAAAWWWLLLLEERR!"


    A scantily dressed woman announced in a loud voice as she pointed towards the left corner of the ring, at Edward Foxglove, also known as the Golden Brawler.


    The crowd went wild, As Edward looked at his opponent in confusion.


    ''...I''ve never seen him before?''


    Medium Brown hair, a handsome face, and eyes as green as emeralds.


    ''...He''s new...Heh, this will be easy.''


    What a fool, Edward thought.


    And how lucky he was.


    To think a rookie would choose to fight him, one of the strongest fighters in the arena.


    "And in the left corner...We have a brave neer, who challenged the Golden brawler...or is it stupidity instead of bravery? We''ll find out soon folks! Greet the EMERALD STRIKER!"


    The crowd was silent this time, as the ''emerald boxer'' thought.


    ''Emerald Striker? The heck? When did I tell them to give me a nickname?''


    he stood confused, before sighing and preparing himself for the fight.


    "Now now boys, You know the rules, They don''t exist. I don''t care if you rip your throats out, Just provide an exciting match!


    And...


    Begin!"


    The announcer announced the beginning of the match. And Edward was about to rush to attack the Emerald Striker, wanting to finish this quickly, after all, he was a rookie, an idiot as well.


    How hard could it be?


    "?!"


    Edward felt shivers down his spine, it existed only for a moment...but he felt ''fear''.


    True fear.


    As he was about to close the distance between the two of them...he could feel it vividly.


    A punch that would kill him, straight to the face.


    He immediately retreated to his side as he sweated buckets.


    ''...What was that?!''


    "BOoo!!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Finish him, Golden Brawler!"


    "What are you doing fucking standing there."


    The people booed...but he felt so much fear. He didn''t care what they thought of him.He felt his life end at that moment...he felt death.


    "Why are you running?"


    The Emerald striker said as he walked towards the Golden Brawler calmly.


    Edward couldn''t move forward, His instincts were screaming...


    To run away. As far as you can.


    ''...BULLSHIT!''


    He tried to hide his fear, he tried to hide his unwavering heart.


    He didn''t listen to his instincts, heunched himself toward the Emerald Striker.


    He punched a jab which was a decoy for an uppercut...but then.


    He just touched it, he just touched his jab and then it went off course. This had happened many times so Edward knew how to react, He tried to do an uppercut immediately but then... He dodged.


    With perfect footwork, he moved back slightly, with no wasted movements at all. Edward reacted by throwing a kick, but then he was sent flying.


    A loud bang, one released by a bullet as it shot toward its prey was heard.


    Edward couldn''tprehend it, he just felt pain as his chin was hit...his jaw was broken with a single hit.


    Blood spurted out of his mouth as the crowd''s mouths went agape.


    The Golden Brawler...in a single hit?


    The best fighter they had...in a single fucking hit? This was unprecedented, absolutely unbelievable.


    "RAHHH!"


    Edward got up in a frenzy andunched towards the Emerald Striker, Heunched himself in the air, he knew now. He needed to win, he needed to do everything to win. He could not treat this as easily.


    This guy was a monster.


    Edward spun in the air and as he descended, he kicked towards the Emerald Striker''s head, who, as the kick was just about to hit, put his elbow to defend against it.


    Bone cracked as Edwards Forefoot broke...he began to fall down, but the Emerald Striker moved back slightly andunched a terrifying low kick toward the falling Edward...which hit him in the head.


    He was sent flying towards the boundary of the ring...his head in shambles.


    ''He survived that?''


    Lucas Hiddleston, otherwise also known as the Emerald Striker in this arena.


    That kick was an n Pator Signature, and although Lucas couldn''t imitate it perfectly, it was still deadly.


    The guy was good, to survive that.


    ''...But he fights based on instinct, Brings back memories.''


    He also knew someone who fought with instinct, n Pator. Who was the only one to injure the Sword Saint and fought like a wild beast at the start.


    "HAAA!"


    The golden Brawler had managed to get up and attacked Emerald Striker, whether it be shes, swipes, or bites he tried everything to kill Lucas. And failed.


    Lucas punched him thrice in the face and then ended the fight quickly afterward with a spinning roundhouse to the face.


    He could kill him, it was allowed but he didn''t want to, the guy impressed him already, being able to survive all this.


    The crowd was silent, not even a whisper was heard as it was a pin-drop silence that engulfed the area.


    Emerald Striker looked at the unconscious Golden Brawler curiously, before addressing the announcer.


    "Treat his injuries."


    He then walked away and exited the ring as the announcer finally came to her senses and announced the victor.


    "...The Emerald Striker wins!"

 Chapter 245 [245] The Foxgloves.

    "Come back here you scum!"


    A vendor screamed as he ran after someone with a club in his hands in the Bazaar.


    But he could not catch up, his fat body could not catch up to the agility and speed possessed by a demihuman, even though he was just a child.


    A Young Edward Foxglove ran with all his might, Dodging everyone he could that was trying to catch him. All whilst holding dearly to the fruit and bread in his embrace.


    "GHA!"


    Eventually, he was hit by a stray club by someone from the crowd, yet he endured the pain and kept running.


    "GET HIM!"


    It was of no use, he ran away.


    He ran And ran and ran until his feet were bleeding from the asphalt streets. His feet, ankles, and knees were all bruised ck from the asional pebbles that would be on the road.


    And on top of that, he seemed malnourished, incredibly malnourished.


    "Haaa..."


    Taking refuge in a small alley, he sat down as he collected his breath.


    He was a child, probably 9 or 10 years old fighting for his life in the cruel world. Such was reality.


    One''s parents were the shield that protected them from the harsh reality of this world until they were ready to face itpletely. But he had no such guardians.


    His earliest memory was being thrown by someone into this ce from a dungeon along with his sister.


    ''need to go... Emma hungry.''


    He thought in his mind, not caring for his wounds he ventured forward, to the shithole he and his sister called home.


    He ran and ran and ran until his lungs would give out to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.


    It was small, and fucking pathetic but it was still home.


    At least they had a roof over their heads. Even though it was torn. Edward had scavenged for materials to repair the warehouse, well at least some of it so he and his sister could live.


    "Emma..."


    He entered the warehouse and called his sister''s name...but then his worries increased as he didn''t hear a response.


    "Emma!"


    He screamed, frantically running around trying to find his sister...until he did find her, huddled in a corner, wearing a torn nket.


    "Emma!"


    She didn''t respond, her breathing was heavy. And he could feel it...it was a type of brotherly love, sibling bond.


    She was sick?


    How? It hadn''t rained in a while. How did she fall sick?


    How?


    He checked her pulse and temperature.


    "...OW!"


    He yelped as he touched her forehead which was burning.


    "...medicine."


    He muttered and went to a particr area of the warehouse...he climbed up a few shelves but then...just then.


    *BOOOOMMMM!*


    An earthshaking explosion was heard, and Edward fell to the ground.


    Multiple things fell on him, and as he stood up, pushing the rubble aside...he felt it.


    His head became woozy, his footing became unstable and he vomited.


    There was nothing inside his stomach, so all that vomit was just stomach acid.


    "Foul..."


    He muttered, the feeling was foul indeed to him.


    A sudden wave of unpleasant energy, apanied by multiple sounds of explosions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Aror...."


    those were thest words he muttered, indicating the direction the foul and unpleasant energy wasing from.


    And then, he fell unconscious...despite his best efforts to remain awake to protect his sister.


    His body felt hot, incredibly hot. A type of reaction to this energy...


    It was on this very day that Aror was attacked.


    Was it luck that Edward reach home quickly? And was it something else that both of the siblings fell ill?


    Whatever it was, it was the day of the Massacre indeed.


    A incident, a tragedy that Aror failed to fully recover from, Multiple families torn apart, millions of studs of Infrastructure gone, and multiple lives lost.


    And it could also bebeled something else.


    The Beginning of the end.


    *****


    [After some time.]


    "Uh...."


    Edward woke up, feeling dizzy and wobbly in his gait.


    He stood up and first and foremost checked on his sister. After confirming that she was okay he walked outside the Warehouse.


    "Dizzyy...."


    He muttered as he found it hard to walk properly...his body wanted to vomit but he resisted the urge.


    He felt that foul energy...dissipate, but the unpleasant feeling still remained.


    And the scent of the atmosphere was anything but pleasant.


    He exited the warehouse...and his eyes and mouth opened wide in shock as he stared...at what was Aror.


    The high buildings that those humans had built, most destroyed, Blood and guts all over the buildings and streets from where he could see.


    Pirs of smoke rose from the destroyed city...as Edward watched in Awe and fear.


    "Those humans...were defeated?"


    Impossible? they had strong people... Demons...?


    He didn''t know how he know...it was as if it was in his blood. The knowledge was somehow engraved in his blood that he knew the perpetrators were defeated.


    To...damage a human city so much... What demon had attacked?


    Humans will fight back...surely?


    He knew that the humans had their own heroes and guilds...But he didn''t pay it no heed.


    He went back inside, and after looking at it his still ill sister, he dragged her into the basement along with whatever food they had and nned to live in the basement for a few days. Hiding, hoping that they were not found.


    He locked the door and fell asleep whilst hugging his sick sister.


    ******


    It was after quite a while that Edward returned to the city, only returning to see the state and even then he was cautious. He had left the basement after a few days, going inside to search for food and medicine if he was lucky.


    All the ces he knew, the Bazaar, and the streets were ruined with numerous repair projects going on.


    For the first time in his life, he was able to find a job that actually paid him. Helping with the repairs of the city, clearing up debris, and saving other humans.


    He hated it, but if it could provide food for him and Emma, he would do it whilst shutting his mouth and keeping his grievances secret.


    He enquired about the disaster, and for the first time, people were hostile towards him, MAinly because he was a good worker, with his demihuman abilities after all, and proved to be useful.


    And then he knew, What truly had happened.


    "You see..."


    An adult male, dressed in construction gear sat down around a fire and started to exin...but then stopped in the middle of his sentence.


    His voice was fearful...And his breathing became erratic. His colleagues calmed him down...and after he regained hisposure he spoke.


    "I remember it as if it was yesterday...What happened was...."

 Chapter 246 [246] The Beginning Of The End.

    "What happened...all of it just happened in an Instant."


    His fear-stricken voice quivered, as he exined to Edward.


    "The sky suddenly turned dark as the clouds twisted and churned, revealing an otherworldly red hue. People in the city below looked up, unsure of what was happening. Then, a deafening roar shook the ground, and the earth opened up, revealing a portal to another realm! It was fucking terrifying!


    The demons! They emerged in their twisted and grotesque forms, their eyes glinting with malice and a desire for flesh. The citizens of the city caught off guard, were defenseless against the horde of demons that poured out of the portal.


    Buildings crumbled as they rampaged through the streets, their ws tearing through anything in their path. The once-thriving city of Aror, became a wastnd of death and destruction in an instant, with mes flickering from the ruins and the scent of burning buildings filling the air.


    We screamed as we ran for our lives, but the demons were relentless. They snatched up anyone who crossed their path, dragging them back into the portal, and their screams echoed through the city. They even ripped apart some folks...and ate their remains.


    The awakened guilds responded, but they were just too many! The demons seemed to multiply as they devoured the souls of the living, their numbers growing as the night wore on.


    We were outmatched! The awakened...They banded together, trying to protect each other and the civilians from the onught of demons. But even as they fought, they knew that it was a losing battle.


    Aror...the once beautiful city...my city was ravaged in the span of a few hours, nearly all destroyed. The onught continued for the entire night, the demonic, unholy screeches of those monsters ring in my ears to this day...The awakened fought and fought, some civilians took care of the normal monsters with guns...but nothing. The city was destroyed as the powerful awakened and Demons fought...but one Demon destroyed everything...


    It stood tall in the midst of a swirling, dark fog, a whip coiled tightly in its hand. Its skin was as ck as coal, with glowing red eyes that flickered with an intense hunger for destruction. The demon''s wings stretched out behind it, dark and leathery, as if ready to take flight.


    The whip in the demon''s hand crackled with dark energy as if it were alive, and the demon swung it back and forth, a menacing grin spreading across its face. The sound of the whip echoed through the fog, a warning to any who dared toe closer. And...it tore apart everyone, even the awakened were helpless...It was at least an A rank!


    It exuded a powerful aura, one of malice and malevolence, a palpable sense of danger that seemed to emanate from its very being. Those who caught sight of the demon from a distance felt their hearts freeze in terror, knowing instinctively that it was not to be trifled with...only one kid tried to fight it...orange hair or whatnot and used fire...but he got defeated...and then Two mysterious awakened, a man and a woman saved the boy.


    They were the ones who drove it back...at the cost of their lives. The demons disappeared...even though they could clearly fight back...I don''t know why they stepped back...it was as if they came for a purpose and aplished it.


    it....it...AHHHHH!"


    The man lost it, he began screaming as he clutched his head and his colleagues held him down.


    It was clearly a symptom of PTSD...and Edward, after getting the gist of the situation, went away.


    He had done his tasks here, and why would he work extra if there was nothing to gain? He wasn''t doing charity work for these humans.


    He was hoping to find a pharmacy that wasn''t touched...he needed to acquire medicine for Emma.


    Support from Other cities had arrived, and they helped Aror get back on its feet. Numerous trucks filled with resources arrived, and Edward hid as he contemted trying to steal medicine.


    He saw a particr truck loading children along with it...and then he saw ''Him''.


    Holding a young baby girl with ck hair in his arms, a Young boy with abyssal ck eyes with ck hair stood in a line.


    *THUMP*THUMP*!


    Run.


    Why were his instincts telling him to run?!


    The moment heid eyes upon him...he felt it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That young boy, somewhat older than Edward...isn''t human. He possessed energy even Filthier than the demons!


    Edward felt his chest contract...as his pants became wet...and he ran.


    He wasn''t controlling his legs...he was just running.


    That gaze that dragged one into the deepest abyss...the face ofplete despair...and revenge and hopelessness?!


    That aura...was frightening...Edward didn''t know about the others but he could feel it...


    RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN !RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!


    The words echoed in his mind...tears rolled out of his eyes as he ran for dear life. Something about that kid...was fucking scary.


    He didn''t know what it was...and neither was he willing to find out.


    That ck hair, those abyssal eyes...that aura he would never forget...


    Now...he just needed to run...away from that '' Abyssal horror.''


    *******


    Edward ran and ran as far away as he could.


    He stumbled into the unguarded ck market, the only ce which had some semnce of functionality.


    He remembered this ce, he had once escaped with Emma here...and he didn''t like it one bit.


    But he could still do something from here.


    ording to his knowledge...A ck market is one where there are no rules, the products sold off were questionable quality and it was a ce where the strong thrived and the weak were used.


    None of the things the humans called ''morals'' were present here. It was a shitshow.


    Edward was here for one reason only...after running away from ''that'' and being unable to find a pharmacy...he stumbled upon here.


    He was wary as he scoured the market...losing hope until he saw one thing.


    A poster.


    [Want some money? Want some good money? Be a fighter in the ck market-Fighting Arena! No rules whatsoever, no requirements, or any of that shit! just fight to the death and make people happy, An you get paid to win! Isn''t it great?]


    Isn''t it great?


    That was it.


    That poster began his fighting career, and eventually, it would be his first fight...soon, on the very same day, he saw it.

 Chapter 247 [247] The Golden Brawler.

    "In the right corner, we have the one and only, the super boxer... RED FIST!"


    "WOAAHHH!"


    The crowd cheered as the scantily dressed woman announced the fighter in the right corner of the ring.


    A man with a well-built physique was now showing off with a few jabs to entertain the audience. He wore a red bandana and red wrist wraps.


    And there was currently a huge smile on his face.


    "And in the left corner, We have a new challenger! A demihuman with the tail of a fox, and ears as well. Do not be fooled by his childlike appearance...maybe his demihuman side may emerge! He''s known as...the Golden Brawler!"


    But unfortunately, the presence of Edward was not weed kindly.


    "A kid!?"


    "Fuck! I better on the guy because of his name! Why is he a Kid?!"


    The crowd booed, dismissing Edward''s very existence. Edward looked at the Humans with a deste gaze.


    They thought he would lose, they thought it was foolish for him to fight because he was a kid.


    ...Arent they foolish?


    Arent they despicable?


    Are they, not the ones devoid of the term ''humanity'' even though they are Humans?


    Edward wondered as he stared at the crowd.


    "What you looking at us for, Brat?!"


    "Fuck Off and go back to sucking your mother''s tits!"


    Mother? Was there such an existence in his life?


    All he knew, was that it was only Emma and Him.


    How Ironic...isn''t it?


    Edward witnessed the most despicable acts, the most downright inhumane actsmitted by these humans, who seemed so proud of their humanity, they boasted of it...yet he had seen more ''Demihumans'' who had humanity than these Humans. He lived in this city for a while, These humans are pathetic.


    They have no sense of loyalty, no sense of gratitude, they run at the slightest touch. They flee and leave theirrades behind. So he wondered.


    What is Humanity?


    "Let''s get ready folks! BEGIN THE FIGHT!"


    What is humanity? What is kindness? What is gratitude? What is Compassion? Empathy?


    He had never seen these humans do those things even though they boasted about them.


    So what are these values they pride themselves on?


    "I''m gonna crush you, kid!"


    "Kill him!"


    Is it, not savagery? Is it not Barbaric?


    They im to be modern, to be chivalrous, to be gentlemen, they im to be kind, they im to be nice!


    But where is all that now? When their beloved city has been ruined? They stillmit these heinous acts and act all goodie two shoes.


    What fucking Hypocrisy?


    "Get him already! Why are you missing!"


    "Stand Still kid!"


    Hypocrisy.


    Edward, after seeing the savagery of these humans, wondered...Why?


    Why do you do all of this? What is the reason for this discrimination?


    "STAND STILL! STOP DODGING YOU FREAK!"


    What have I done wrong?


    "AH FUCK! YOU BITCH! I''ll rip your nails out!"


    Was my birth a mistake? Was the birth of me and Emma a mistake? What''s wrong, what sin did wemit other than that for survival?


    What was the purpose? What was the reason for your hatred? For your savagery towards us?


    "Red fist, What are you doing!"


    "His ws are fast, his feet are nimble like those of a fox, he ws at his opponent and stares at them with the ferocity of a wild Beast!"


    "I''ll punch your teeth out!"


    In the end, he came to a conclusion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    You all fucking despicable.


    If you refuse to show mepassion, empathy, kindness, humility, sympathy, and A warm heart...then what rule says I have to as well? I have no reason to...Do I?


    But Emma does not deserve this.


    *PHUK!SPURT!*


    If you show me Savagery, If you are barbaric to me.


    I will respond the same.


    "He ws the eyes of his opponent, and digs them up to his brain!"


    I will be the one, I will fulfill the role that the ones called Parent are supposed to.


    I will be the provider.


    "AAHHHHH!!! STOP! I SURR-"


    *SPURT!*


    "He rips the throats of his opponents!"


    I will be the shield, that protects my sister from you all.


    I will protect her from all of you...from your hate...


    From your evil, from your hypocrisy.


    I will not...not even over my dead body.


    "His opponent has long since died, yet he muttes his corpse! Are you not entertained?!"


    I will shield her...I will be the one to bear it...


    I will not let her see your evil...I will bear it.


    I will be the one...to protect her.


    You...will not corrupt her as you have done to me.


    Never...


    I will show you savagery, I will show you barbarians a sight you have yet to see. I will show what it is like to be barbaric. What it is like to be savage. Not bound by a fake persona, by a fake term. By a fake code.


    I will show you...the ferocity of a beast who has everything to lose...Who has only his sister...his everything. Her innocence, her well-being...is my everything.


    "THE GOLDEN BRAWLER WINS!"


    *****


    Edward walked alone, somewhat injured in an alley, on his shoulders a bag filled to the brim with money.


    His feet were injured, his fingers were bleeding, and his eyes were cold.


    Savage world...this is.


    Multiple people ambushed him as he returned to his home after he won.


    He found it hrious, they could not take him alone, and they could not defeat a kid one-on-one so they ganged up on him.


    A very cowardly, very humanlike tactic. Something...that he knew would happen.


    After all....what else could these weaklings do?


    How fucking hrious...isn''t it?


    Yet he still did notugh...it was as ifughter was foreign to him.


    Edward counted the money in the bag, making sure everything was there.


    ''They value this...paper?''


    He thought in his mind, their entire world is based upon this...a foreign and hard-to-understand concept to him because of hisck of education.


    Their entire society, their entire system of power and authority....and this piece of paper control it...how odd.


    No matter...I don''t care...


    As long as it provides for Emma...it is good.


    Edward looked at the humans who had ambushed him with a cold gaze.


    Or would it be more appropriate to call them corpses now?


    How many had attacked him? 10? 12?


    He didn''t know.


    All he knew was that he filled the alley with their blood and flesh.

 Chapter 248 [248] The Golden Brawler.

    Time passed, and Edward became more and more famous with each fight.


    What could one say? He was unbeatable, he was ferocious, he was unpredictable and most of all he was victorious.


    He won each and every fight by dominating his opponent, whether he was experienced or a  newbie, it didn''t matter. They would die by his hands.


    Many had tried to beat him, and many failed.


    Over time, he was one of the fighters that people betted on mostly, and the results of these bets were fruitful.


    But there soon became a problem...he couldn''t hide.


    He had a hidden feeling that the higher-ups knew. The higher-ups that oversaw the arena knew where he lived and about his family.


    Could it be called his intuition? Whenever he went home, although he tried to be as discrete as possible...he always felt the gaze of someone.


    And the problem was that he was not awakened...He was just a normal demihuman fighting against normal humans, and from what he had heard, The higher-ups had awakened under them, and these awakened could kill him in no time.


    In an era where Awakened were everywhere and their raids and fights were broadcasted everywhere, the people craved normal fights...


    And the people that craved these fights, some of them also provided them.


    "You can enter."


    Therge and buff man said as he opened the door.


    And Edward entered the room, the office of a Crime Boss that ruled over the ck market in Aror.


    A luxurious and opulent space, lined with top-of-the-line furniture and decorations. Edward didn''t have any artistic knowledge, but he knew the paintings in the room were worth good money.


    A wooden desk lined with gold, and a ck, high-quality leather seat was in the middle, Behind it a heavy, reinforced mirror that had the view of the ck market in full.


    *Sniff!*


    "grr..."


    The scent of smoke and weed was unpleasant to Edward''s nose.


    "Oh, my? Does the smell irritate my guest?"


    The ''Boss'' said. A scantily dressed woman with golden hair and the eyes of a vixen. The mask she wore was that of a vixen as well. Vile and deceitful.


    Two buff men stood beside her, probably acting as Bodyguards.


    *Puff*


    She smoked a pipe probably filled with weed.


    "No..."


    Edward answered, clearly lying.


    The smell bothered him greatly, because of his enhanced sense as a demihuman the smell was getting to him. And the fact that his nose was the most sensitive didn''t help.


    "I''ve been watching your fights, Edward."


    The woman said as she raised her feet and ced them up on the table.


    ''Awakened...''


    Edward thought as he felt pressure from her.


    "Your ferocity, Your brutality, Your savagery...it intrigues me."


    She said as she licked her lips whilst looking at Edward''s petite face.


    A shiver went down Edward''s spine...


    ''Why does she need bodyguards?''


    Edward thought in his mind, from what he could discern, The woman was stronger than both the menbined.


    The men were useless, literally. She could probably take on ten of them and beat the shit out of them...So were they just for the show? A disy of power perhaps?


    "I want to be your sponsor, Edward."


    Said the vixen-like woman, her ''big bazonga''s'' bouncing up and down as she looked at Edward.


    Edward stared at them for a second before turning his eyes away.


    He thought about the offer, and when he was about to turn it down...her eyes glowed.


    "Think about it carefully Edward..."


    She warned, before smiling.


    "You can''t keep your earnings safe for long...you know? And your residence is so far away..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Edward''s senses tingled.


    Run? Or maybe do what she says? What were his instincts telling him?


    He didn''t know...but soon she said something that made him forget about those instincts.


    "Or perhaps the protection of dear little Emma? hu-? Oh my."


    As soon the name of his beloved sister left her mouth, Killing intent filled the entire room.


    The men reacted and were about to attack Edward before being stopped by the woman, who raised her hand.


    "Oh my! Such killing intent emitted by a child! HAH!"


    Instead of being threatened, the womanughed, it was as if she was amused by the act.


    "Do you show this side of you to your little sister? Or does she just know the kind brother that takes care of her like a parent?"


    And that was thest straw, Edward was enraged and he leaped at her, He was going to rip her throat out. But unfortunately, his hot-headedness had gotten the best of him.


    This vixen was strong, she was incredibly strong. She could kill Edward in an instant, but the rage blinded Edward didn''t know that.


    "Stop."


    A single word and Edward was lowered to his knees, the two guards of her as well.


    As he was on top of her table, his ws dug into the wood as he tried to stand, but the mana pressure made it impossible.


    "Think about it carefully darling~"


    Her seductive voice was like a melody to Edward''s ears...and he was certain that something was wrong.


    "I''m the boss of this market, I own you, in a way."


    Her voice seduced him...his ears lowered as his tail wagged a bit. He didn''t know what was causing this...the mana in the air pressured him.


    "Let''s keep it simple, I''ll sponsor you, and I''ll even take care of your lodging and safety. So fight for me when I tell you too...Got it Sweetie~?"


    Edward tried his hardest to fight back...but her next words made his heart sink.


    "Or would you like something to happen to her? Look."


    She pointed to theputer at the side of the room, and a holographic video of Emma cleaning the warehouse was seen.


    Edward lost...he didn''t dare make a single move.


    "Now now...You don''t want her to suffer...do you darling?"


    She grabbed his chin...and her tongue licked his ear...She had captured his weakness. And would make full use of it.


    "...Okay..." A weak voice escaped Edward''s mouth.


    The young fox had made a deal with the Vixen.


    ******


    Edward ran to the warehouse with all his might. For maximum speed, he was running on all fours.


    He was anxious and scared as he ran towards the warehouse, worried to death about his sister...thankfully she was okay.


    Emma was just cleaning the dirty warehouse when Edward entered.


    He had surveyed the entire surroundings...and he found no one...his nose went crazy as he tried to search for the littlest trace of someone else...and he smelt the scents of multiple humans...


    That footage was real.


    "Your back?"


    His sister, Emma said as she looked at her tired brother with confused eyes.


    Edward ran to her and hugged her as tears fell down his face.


    "What''s wrong? Edward?"


    His sister asked, innocent...whilst Edward just kept muttering a singe word.


    "Sorry...Sorry..."


    He tried his best to keep her away...but in the end, his involvement made her prey.


    He failed to protect her...and now he would pay the price.


    Miserable...no?

 Chapter 249 [249] The Golden Brawler.

    [A/N; This happens a few days before Edward''s defeat.]


    *******


    "He''s good, isn''t he?"


    The woman in the vixen mask said as she took a sip of wine.


    "Yes."


    Arge man, wearing the mask of a tiger replied as he watched the ''Golden Brawler'' decimate his opponents in the ring.


    "It''s hard to believe he isn''t awakened..."


    The man said, his predator-like eyes staring at the ring from his position above.


    Edward was indeed exceptional as a fighter. And the shocking thing was he hadn''t fought ever before. The tiger had just heard that he wandered into the ring one day and dominated his opponents.


    And he continued to do so as well.


    "When will the solution be ready? Isn''t he good?"


    The woman wearing the mask of a vixen asked. However, the tiger did not respond to her, His eyes kept gazing at Edward.


    The vixen stayed quiet as she just simply waited and enjoyed the cup of wine.


    She knew from prior experiences that it was best not to disturb the man when he was thinking.


    "The anti-awakened are troublesome. What was the name again?"


    Finally, the man opened his mouth and said.


    "Pure, And what have they been up to?"


    The woman answered, curious.


    The organization Of anti awakened all across the world. Pure.


    Although it was worldwide, it didn''t have a lot of influence in big cities which were dominated by immensely strong guilds, and the cities where the presence of the association was higher. The organization was mainlyposed of people who could not awaken and had deep regrets and hatred embedded deep within their bones or of people who had suffered at the hands of some ill-minded awakened.


    It was this very same organization that had attacked n in the middle of the night during the rain, although it did not end well.


    "They messed with Behemoth."


    "WHAT?!"


    Upon hearing the man''s words, the woman dropped the ss in her hands and shouted.


    "They messed with the second strongest guild in the world?! Even we are careful when ites to Twilight! What did they even do?"


    She asked, shocked.


    How stupid it was of the organization to mess with Behemoth of all. It could have been any guild in the top 10 and yet they chose to mess with one of the top three, the second-strongest guild at that. Even they, with their hidden strength, did not dare to fully mess with Twilight. They had left the recent branch of Twilight in their city, their turf alone because they did not want Twilight to get serious.


    They would be annihted in hours if Twilight got serious and sent a part of its main strength here.


    "Something that was serious, considering ''he'' was involved."


    Said the man, his way of speaking leading the woman to enquire about the identity of ''he.''


    "He? Who?"


    "Ezra Fornum."


    And then silence engulfed the whole room. The vixen''s eyes widened in surprise.


    The infamous CopyCat. The Talented one, the genius...Ezra Fornum. The man that beat n to a pulp.


    Although n was restricted to a human form...the result would not have changed. Once n was caught in his Domain "Mirror World." It did not matter if he had transformed he would have lost. Aranus would have changed the oue, but considering that he could not release arge power due to some plications''. Ezra would have won no matter what.


    "...how was the copycat involved?"


    Ezra was famous, and he was feared by nearly everybody, not only had he absolutely crushed the talents of most guilds. His talent for Copying was extremely special. No guild wanted their core members to fight him in fear of their Combat Art being stolen.


    " He destroyed three major bases of Pure."


    ...


    "Apparently, they messed with someone he cared about. It was a sibling of his. A team of Pure had ambushed him when he was away. They stole his mana and turned him into a maniac."


    "What?"


    His words confused her...how did they turn him into a maniac and steal his Mana.


    "They have developed a special drug, one that has the ability to restrict mana flow and cause severe implications in the body of an Awakened if administered in arge enough quantity"


    "...isn''t that dangerous?"


    "It is, thankfully they messed with Behemoth of all after bing Overconfident. And now Ezra is enraged and destroying every base of Pure he could find."


    The talk continued, and the shock on the woman''s face increased.


    "...are we safe?"


    Finally, she asked worriedly.


    ''Their operations'' were something that needed to be kept hidden at all costs.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, For now."


    The man answered, and a look of relief washed over her face.


    "AND THE GOLDEN BRAWLER WINS!"


    A loud voice announced the victory of the golden Brawler and The man observed Edward Keenly.


    ''A Fox demihuman...strange for someone like that to possess that much strength, He should be able to go against some low-ranked awakened by himself...''


    There was a silent type of rage in his eyes...


    ''If only I had that talent...''


    If only he did, maybe this could have been avoided.


    "What should we do about the Twilight branch here? It''s not just them, but kids with great backgrounds havee as well... Henry Fornum, and Sabrina Wellington all are here, and ine Parker as well. Behemoth, The Wellingtons, and even the Titan guild is here...will we really be ok?"


    The woman asked as she stood up to stand beside the man.


    "If we tread carefully, Do not even gaze at them. If something happens to them, we would have a wild and enraged Ezra, The patriarch of the Wellingtons, and Even King Midas himself would be after us, and they will raze this entire city to the ground if anything happens to the three of them."


    The man said, his eyes disying some fear as he mentioned the three ''Monsters'' above. A single one of them would be able to easily destroy what they had been working on for years.


    "I know...but."


    Hearing the women speak, the Tiger''s ears perked up.


    "But?"


    He inquired.


    "I can make a deal with the princess of the Wellington Family..."


    And the Tiger''s interest was piqued.


    "How so?"


    "The Wellington''s are the richest family, and their princess is here, All I need is for her to enter the ck Market to initiate a conversation, If she does, Who knows maybe I might be able to strike a deal with her..."


    Exined the woman, WHo knows? Maybe Sabrina would enter the ck market for a reason and then that would give the Vixen a chance to socialize with the ''Princess.''


    If that happened, it would benefit them immensely for the time they had left.


    "Tread Carefully, Do not do anything that will garner the attention of The Patriarch of the Wellingtons."


    The man warned her, but it was clear that he was not against it.


    "Come on Darling~ You know me..."


    The vixen said seductively.


    "There''s no one who escaped my traps."


    She gazed at the scene beneath her, Of Edward roaring triumphantly before she took the man''s clothes off little by little, going for a ''particr'' spot more often,


    "All we need to do is keep Twilight busy...and then nothing will happen."


    A tattoo of a white tiger was present on the man''s back, yet it seemed iplete. Although it looked to beplete, the Tiger''s ws, teeth, and eyes all wereplete and looked ferocious...yet itcked ''substance.'' Itcked Depth.


    The woman bent down.


    "The Reaper of Death troubles me...and Twilight''s Spatial MAge, The void Predator still hasn''t made an appearance aside from the initial break...Too many variables."


    The man was still concerned.


    "Don''t worry~ It will beplete soon...no?"


    ...Yes...


    "Yes...It will beplete... And we will beplete...Our iplete bloodlines will bepleted and we will break further..."


    The man monologues...his eyes expectant, and hopeful.


    "Yesh..."


    The woman responded, unable to speak well due to a certain activity.


    "Soon...He will Descend...and fulfill our wishes."


    ******


    [A\N: Yo! Since no one reads the note I put up there(probably) The chapter takes ce a little while before Edward''s defeat and before Sabrina enters the ck market. And I have good news. MY EXAMS ARE ALMOST OVER YALL! WOOO WOOO!


    *Ahem* Now that my expression of happiness is over, What I would like to say is that daily Updates will bemencing from tomorrow, and although It has been hard to write during Ramadan, because of my exams and fasting, I will still make daily updates. Unless somethinges up.


    Expect Daily updates from tomorrow, and also would you like a gift system for Chaps?


    Like if a reader donates the big gifts, Some extra chapters will be released, something like that. I will stockpile chapters if most of you want that.


    Join the discord server for more details. Link is in the synopsis. You can vote for it in the discord server.


    Oh and also thanks so much nearly 1.5 millions views and almost 250 chaps!


    Yay!

 Chapter 250 [250] A Quarter Done, Of Our And Others Stories.

    Once upon a time, there were two young men in a small town named Aror. They were sworn, brothers. They went by the name of Micheal And Adam. They were rising stars, in their city.


    They had grand ambitions and dreams, dreams to be the best hunters and prove their mettle in the world. They were hardworking and aspired to be at the top.


    Adam was a hardworking individual, ready to do anything to achieve sess, He was honest and an exceptional individual, Whilst Micheal was a littleidback, but an honest and caring individual.


    They were friends but brothers born from different mothers, each carried a weakness that the strength of the other supplemented. They were unstoppable together.


    Their aim was to be number one, and they knew that only one could be at the top.


    So they made a promise.


    "Micheal, When the timees, Duel me fairly to decide."


    Adam, a handsome individual with white hair and fierce eyes said as he bathed in the light of the sun.


    "Sure Sure."


    Micheal, Another handsome young man with bright red hair and scarlet eyes replied half-heartedly as he read a book underneath the shade provided by a tall tree.


    Adam went silent as he heard this, he knew the promise was made. Although Micheal may have appeared nonchnt, he knew he was serious.


    Adam stood up.


    "Where are you going?"


    Micheal inquired as he saw his friend stand up.


    "To train to be number one."


    Adam answered before disappearing swiftly. His speed was incredible.


    "Workaholic."


    Said Micheal as he watched Adam leave. He then continued reading.


    But he knew as well, He won''t stand down when the time came.


    Was their dream too much? Or were their ambitions so great they were unaware of their standing in the world?


    They were just two ambitious boys that wanted to be at the top, born in a small town. Would their ambitions bear fruit when they were oblivious that there were greater geniuses in the world besides them, geniuses that couldpletely destroy them? Or was this naivety?


    OR ignorance?


    Regardless of whatever it was, They worked hard, until their bones broke and their sweat-filled buckets.


    Countless times. They both worked and worked, trained and trained.


    They were the rising stars of the city with their Talent in MAna. They were scouted by numerous guilds but they rejected them. Although this proved to be difficult they persevered. No matter the obstacles in their path, they persevered and stood at the top.


    They both became Combatants, Micheal being blessed with the Elemental Affinity of Figher [High] And Adam blessed with the elemental affinity of Wind[ High].


    Their abilitiesplemented one another, they were teammates that supplemented each other''s weaknesses and amplified one another strengths.


    Could there be another duo that would surpass them? Yes, there was.


    Although they were the strongest, new challengers emerged.


    Alfred and Anna, a couple that came, blessed with the affinities of Water and Ice Respectively, alsoplemented their weaknesses and amplified one another strengths.


    A duel was held a friendly duel between the four, a duo battle.


    Alfred and Anna against Adam And Micheal.


    The princes of Fire And Wind, Against the King of Aqua, And Queen of Frost.


    And the result of this duel was...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Inferno of Micheal was stopped by the blizzard Of Anna, and The Storm of Adam was thwarted by the tsunami, Micheal and Anna had fought incredibly and had both gone down at the same time, and then only Adam and Alfred were left.


    Adam''s gauntlets went against the Spear of Alfred, both engaging in battles as waves of water and des of Wind shed, the bout dangerous to the spectators.


    But even then, Adam lost by a hair''s breadth, And Alfred was victorious.


    Alfred congratted Adam, but Adam could not let this defeat go.


    As a result of his loss, he felt humiliated, and his pride was hurt to an astonishing degree.


    He trained and trained until blood came from his eyes until the skin of his knuckles fell off. All of it was to defeat Alfred.


    Yet, he couldn''t do it. Because Alfred was also diligent. Their duels were always so close, but Alfred managed to win with a bright smile always. He enjoyed it, someone giving him a challenge.


    Yet Adam never won, he was always so close but s he lost every time.


    Micheal warned him to take care of himself, but Adam did not listen. He did not listen at all.


    As time went on, The duels between Adam And Alfred continued, and Adam won some but lost most. Alfred always adapted quickly.


    Micheal fell in love, and all of them grew old. Micheal had children, And Anna And Alfred as well, although Alfred and Anna didn''t really show their children off.


    Adam was then truly left alone...and he hit the wall everyone hit.


    The Wall of Talent.


    The unsurpassable wall that thwarted the advancement of many. A Phenomenon that was universal, which appeared when one had reached the limit of his talent.


    But it was okay...right?


    Hard work and Perseverance...were they, not enough?


    To surpass this unsurpassable wall?


    They must be.


    Although Natural talent is the greatest booster, it is not a reality...right?


    His hard work and Natural talent will allow him to pass.


    And so, believing in this...he worked and worked more, yet no matter what he couldn''t do it despite his best efforts.


    He dug his finger into that wall and climbed that damn mountain yet it did not end.


    It was depressing.


    He watched it all...he watched how Micheal opened a shop, disregarding his promise with him to his family. Even though his strength was on par with Adam''s...He saw how Alfred and Anna lived happily with their families...


    And Yet, Alfred''s growth did not stop, he crossed the wall of Rank [B] and entered into the rank of elites...


    The Rank of [A], only a few awakened were above this rank, in the rumored S Rank.


    And he stayed stuck at B.


    His greatest efforts were useless... The guild he established was the one that reigned supreme in Aror...and even then, with all the resources at his disposal, he was unable to do so.


    He was unable to break into the revered A rank.


    He stayed stuck, whilst the one he considered his greatest rival, surpassed him.


    He had hit the limit of his natural talent, and no amount of Hard work, effort, and perseverance could help him now.


    And he hit the lowest of the low...his breaking point.

 Chapter 251 [251] His Fall.

    He had hit the lowest point, where he was the most miserable and weak. When he was the most defenseless.


    It was unfair...he worked the hardest out of all of them. Yet he remained weak.


    Why? Is the wall known as Talent that absolute?


    It was, unfortunately for him.


    Very few individuals, bound by their low aptitude could reach some form of enlightenment. Some point where they could break the wall f Talent.


    Unfortunately, he was not one of them.


    And as if taking advantage of his weakened mental state... ''it'' came at the perfect time.


    [Don''t you hate it?]


    He began to hear a voice, A voice in his head that he couldn''t quite ce, A voice that seemed to know his deepest desires.


    It was a persuasive, maniptive voice. it instructed him to do as it said, for ultimate power.


    [Why must you be the one that remains weak? When you are the one that works the hardest.]


    It was a pleasant voice sometimes, A voice that spoke to him like a friend... yet Adam remained firm.


    He resisted it, thinking that maybe he was drinking too muchtely.


    But the voice did not stop.


    [I can promise you power]


    [I can promise you wealth.]


    [I will fulfill your deepest desires...]


    How long had it been since he was hearing this voice...?


    How long?


    It interrupted him during his work at the Guild, It interrupted him during his sleep, It...was mentally exhausting.


    Slowly but surely it was getting to him, It was incredibly persuasive, He tried.


    He tried to resist the urges, the promises the voice spoke of...yet with every passing day it bes more insistent and its offers more tantalizing.


    Eventually...it felt as if he was being watched, Adam could feel it instinctually, someone...something was watching him, his every movement, his every breath, during his work hours and rest.


    He wondered if it was just him...But it got louder and louder and more persuasive.


    It had devolved to the point where he was questioning his sanity...Was his grip on reality weak?


    It was persistent and persuasive, it was maniptive and devious.


    [Why do you disobey?]


    What?


    [Why do you not follow me?]


    Shut up.


    [Hoho...I can grant you everything you desire.]


    Fuck off. You are not real.


    [Adam...Listen to yourself...you weak...pa-poor little thing...]


    SHUT UP!


    It got on his nerves. It wouldn''t let him sleep, it wouldn''t let him work, it wouldn''t et him train...


    Strange things started to happen, whenever he would meet his guildmates and other people...their faces were distorted. His grasp on reality was bing weaker and weaker.


    His guildmates expressed their concern...yet he saw it as scorn.


    Do they dare to scorn me?


    [Yes.]


    ...no it''s just m-


    [It isn''t...]


    [Why not just ept it?]


    And then it happened.


    [Skill: Demonic Coercion(S) has been activated.]


    [Skill: Persuasion(A) has been activated]


    [Skill: Mind Break (B) has been activated.]


    [Skill: Call of the Devil (A) has been activated.]


    [Your mind weakens.]


    He couldn''t see these prompts... The thing had messed with his vision.


    Slowly...he was losing his sanity...as its voice be more prominent his will to resist became more inconspicuous, and his mind became weaker.


    And then, he faced the ultimatum. To be or not to be. To choose or not to choose.


    [Come on...you know this is the only way.]


    No...


    [Yes...]


    no...


    [Yes.]


    this isn''t...real.


    [Isn''t real? Then how about this...Adam?]


    what...?


    [ ********* Issues you a quest.]


    [Quest: To change your destiny.


    Rank: A<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Reward: Fractional Bloodline of the White Tiger( ~Corrupted~)


    Be the apostle of the *******, It will aplish your innermost desires and your deepest urges. It will fulfill its promise. Be its devotee, AND NOTHING WILL STOP YOU!]


    And there it was.


    The Ultimatum.


    Bloodline...apostle?


    He could not see the quest information very well...the only thing that was on his mind...was the bloodline of the white tiger...even though he could not read fully.


    His vision was wed...his mind was breaking apart.


    And the weakened mind of Adam could no longer fight back. He wanted sce, peace, and sleep.


    But most importantly, he wanted power.


    The demon''s words were absolute, its coercion was perfect, and its...promises were enticing.


    [Do you wish to ept this quest?]


    [Yes/No]


    ...uhhh.


    [Everything you ever wished for, everything you will wish for.]


    [Strength]


    [Power]


    [The top]


    It highlighted his deepest desires...


    [Worth]


    [Approval]


    It highlighted everything Adam wanted...


    [All of it...will be given to you.]


    ...


    It''s voice...so enticing...so mesmerizing.


    [All you to do...]


    So tantalizing...


    [Is say...]


    ...yes.


    [Yes.]


    Yes.


    [The Quest has been epted]


    **************


    Things changed ever since he epted the quest.


    Adam looked at his bare body in the mirror.


    His skin was more fresh, lively, and glossy, his muscles had been enhanced.


    But most importantly...There was a bloodline mark on his back.


    A marvelous, beautiful white tiger.


    One of the four symbols of the Chinese Constetions. The White Tiger of Autumn, A Symbol of Metal and the West.


    It was the fierce animal, the beautiful animal. A strong, powerful, firm, and resolute beast.


    It represented Bravery, determination, Will, and fierceness.


    It was mesmerizing to look at...even though it was hard to see because of its location.


    The white fur, the ferocious eyes...the overflowing strength Adam felt...It was amazing.


    He had broken the wall that blocked him...he was overflowing with strength...he was feeling powerful for the first time in multiple months...Yet.


    Why did he feel so iplete?


    Why did he feel as if the tattoo on his backcked substance?


    What was this?


    [The right of session.]


    It lied. The voice lied but Adam did not know.


    [It has yet to ept you...my descent will make sure it will.]


    What?


    [ Do as I say...]


    And...? Adam was expectant, this sudden boost in power was addictive.


    [Do what I tell you too...and it will be moreplete]


    And so he did, he did as told.


    He gathered more devotees for it, it rewarded them with bloodlines as well.


    It was astonishing, to see bloodlines...the things which were so mysterious and extremely rare being handed out like gifts. All for following ''him''.


    He gathered allies and did what he was told, And then he was rewarded.


    He became powerful, he surpassed his limits...


    He slowly built up more power, and more followers...and did as told.


    Until it caused the Aror incident...

 Chapter 252 [252] Their Fall.

    A/N: EID MUBARAK BOIS!


    Enjoy the time given to us after a month of fasting and perseverance and spending our days in belief and faith. This is a festival to enjoy and go out with family.


    Also, collect as much Eidi As possible fes. Gotta get that $$$ money!


    *********


    Aplex mix of emotions...sadness, sorrow, happiness, joy, loss, grief, ecstasy...


    Adam felt all those as he saw the horrific yet pleasant sight before him. His home since birth, his city, his town...ravaged beyond recognition.


    His eyes were listless as he watched the destruction, the scenery he was used to seeing gone, the buildings he remembered vividly...gone. Smoke rose into the sky; the Sky was a perfect grey and gloomy sight befitting this tragedy.


    "Guild...master..."


    Adam turned his head to a guildmate of his, more than half of his body crushed under debris.


    Adam knelt down and stared him in the eyes...listening to his pleas.


    "ki...ll me pleas...eee.."


    He begged for his life to see an end, the pain he felt was unimaginable. His entire lower half was crushed underneath the debris and most of his abdomen. If he was not awakened, he would not have survived this. He would have embraced the kindness that was dead long ago if he was a normal human.


    *SWICK!*


    His head was decapitated in a single, clean strike. Something his Guildmaster, Adam did to relieve him of his suffering.


    Adam''s eyes were listless as he stood up again...and looked toward the sky.


    *Drip!*Drip!*


    Drops of water fell, slowly at first. Adam felt some sort of sce in the drizzle that soon turned into a pour.


    The ground became soake as the drops of water drove the Blood and other gore hidden under the debris out... The rain washed the blood and flesh from the streets.


    "This was not...what was promised..."


    Adam muttered...his mana ring into the atmosphere, expelling each drop of water from his vicinity.


    "...My city...my home... I was to rule it...NOT DESTROY IT!"


    His rage peaked, an illusory white tiger formed behind him, his eyes became as ferocious as a tiger''s and white fur started to cover his body and a tail grew. His teeth changed into those of a canine as his rage was palpable.


    [It was necessary.]


    "NECESSARY?! THIS UNRECOVERABLE DAMAGE WAS FUCKING NECESSARY?!"


    He spoke out in rage, his voice strong enough to shake the surroundings.


    [Yes. It was.]


    "HOW SO?!"


    [Why are you so mad? This has gotten rid of the weak ones, your enemies...]


    [Destruction of Mind(S) has been activated.]


    [Demon''s Invitation (C)has been activated]


    [Skill: Demonic Coercion(S) has been activated.]


    [Skill: Persuasion(A) has been activated]


    [Skill: Mind Break (B) has been activated.]


    [Skill: Call of the Devil (A) has been activated.]


    [Your mind is deteriorating.]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The notification could not be seen by Adam as he was suddenly assaulted by a sudden headache, the Illusory white tiger behind him disappeared...as he knelt down and clutched his head in pain.


    [It was a necessary sacrifice, Adam, why are you unable to see it?]


    That sweet, seductive, persuasive, maniptive voice was back again...


    "...how was it...necessary?"


    Adam responded, his voice weak, his mind attacked by various methods...the man couldn''t even stand up fine now...


    This was the price of making a contract with a demon, especially one as worse as this.


    Some asked for the forfeit of the soul, some asked for other sacrifices, and this neverending cycle was started which led to even more immoral behavior.


    In Aranus''s case, he had forfeited his soul whilst stuck in the naivety that was possessed by a child, while in Adam''s case, it was his entire mind, his being slowly being corrupted by the Demon.


    No contractor of an Evil Demon led a good life afterward, they only suffered in the illusion of a good life, their every action, every step led by the demon controlling them, like a puppeteer masterfully maneuvering the strings attached to his puppet, as James did with n.


    It was always the maniptors who knew the psyche the best, whether it was a human or elf, or dwarf. Dwarves and Humans would be lured in with fake promises, whilst if a demon managed to do the same with an elf, he would be regarded with respect among fellow demons.


    The Direct subordinates and believers of the Dragon Race, The Elves were extremely resistant to Demonic Corruption. They were pure and regarded the Dragon as Gods, and because of the protection of dragons, they were safe from the advances of most demons.


    That was the case as well for some dwarven tribes who had Dragons as Guardian Deities...but Humans had nothing.


    Nevertheless, Adam was now on the path to ruin. The voice of the Demonn was sweet and pleasant to the ears, as most lies are. His empty promises of strength, power, and bloodline were getting to Adam, more severely than he had thought, his every action and the move was being dictated by the Demon, and the poor man was oblivious to it.


    Its sweet voice, whenever heard would be apanied by a sense of hope and fulfillment being felt by Adam...It destroyed him, corrupting his soul, and controlling his Psyche.


    [This is the way Adam, The way to power.]


    [You are not innocent in this...]


    Its words...were detrimental yet sweet.


    [You did what I asked, you did the morally questionable things your society would admonish...You are a sinner.]


    No...there is some HOPE!


    [There is none, Adam...] [ You know it as well as I do.]


    [There is only one way.]


    [Of Dom-]


    Domination.


    [Yes....]


    Adam interrupted the voice, And that signified it.


    He was gone, The man known as Adam was gone.


    ******


    ''Adam'' controlled the situation well after the incident, He oppressed the other small guilds. His league of guilds, his alliance was the most powerful left. His enemies were also dead. Alfred, the only one who could oppose him, had died alongside his wife in the incident, Micheal was also severely injured, both physically and mentally. Everything was going to n.


    Aror was now his, although it required some repairs. He was now the ruler.


    Nothing could disturb him..right?


    Yes...nothing. All he needed to do was wait for ''his'' descent and prepare the necessary ingredients.


    He did unspeakable things for power, things that would have been never ever thought of by him. For Power he did everything.


    But who would have thought? At the very end, at the very climax of ''his'' ns.


    Nuisances would appear.

 Chapter 253 [253] Catastrophe

    "How strange..."


    Elton muttered as he read the files in his hands once again, contemting what he had discovered.


    He had been constantly working for a week to secure this information. Day and night, he didn''t even get proper sleep because of it.


    What could he do? This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Twilight, The third-ranked guild had personallye to him for information, this was a deal that would propel him leagues ahead, and besides that, the pay was astonishingly good too. The amount the ''princess'' paid him for thismission alone was greater than the pay for half a year of work. It was the best deal he had since the beginning of his career.


    He flipped through the files, tidying them nicely. They were gonnae today, after all, he had contacted them and told them the work was done. But he wondered.


    "This is mortifying..."


    Multiple children, particrly those of awakened descent, were literally kidnapped and sent to other orphanages away from the urban poption and eyes of the authorities...all to be ''experimented'' on.


    From what he had found, Some guilds were responsible for all this...mainly one.


    The children were transported to orphanages, or facilities would be much better to address it. And god knows what happened inside. And now the same exact facilities that they were transported to are empty, and abandoned, with no trace of the children... The news was kept hidden from the Public but Elton found out through his own ways.


    The most important was of ck Rock orphanage, Twilight agent Benson had gone to Investigate and even called Backup for it. The information was kept by Twilight but Elton found out. The orphanage was home to an amalgamation of flesh that was at least a C-rank monster. Twilight had then gone to search the other rted orphanages.


    But who would have thought? there was a way to artificially create a C+ rank boss monster. Not a regr one, but a boss monster. Boss monsters were special monsters that were far stronger than normal monsters of the same rank. But an artificial one was produced.


    "And to think it was made by using normal children...What would have happened if it was awakened..."


    Elton knew, the amalgamation there was something made by unholy and unspeakable experiments on ''Normal Children.'' Awakened children were not used...which was what troubled him.


    All the Awakened Children were adopted, Some into families and some into guilds.


    The ones that were adopted by individual families were the ones that were in Danger...no record of the families existed now... Whilst the lucky ones who were adopted by major guilds had survived...one of these was...


    "n Pator."


    He muttered as he poured himself a ss of wine.


    "To think my guess was right, the famous first spatial awakened of Twilight, the Chosen of Ame no Sakahoko, And the youngest C rank in history...who would have thought he would have be a bodyguard for Sabrina Wellington..."


    Elton tapped his watch and a holographic photo appeared in front of him, Of a particr ring that was a hot topic in the market nowadays. It was so rare that the number on the market was only in the double digits. Whilst there were someints that Twilight was hoarding this special treasure, who the fuck could convince Twilight to stop giving them to its own members?


    "I wonder if I could get that..."


    Elton muttered...but dismissed the notion quickly. Although the ability to hold 64 items inside was great...It was just too outrageous of an Idea. Even for a genius like him.


    "But who would have thought...that I would get something as useful as this in this deal..."


    He muttered as he opened another file...


    "What are you nning...Adam?"


    Adam, the Guildmaster of White Tiger, the strongest guild in Aror, and also the leader of the Alliance of Beast guilds.


    From this deal...he had found out the culprit behind this all...It was Adam. the one responsible for all of this. The transporting of the children...and the one behind the Aror Incident.


    The Piece of paper crumpled on the side where Elton was holding it...The rage on his face, even though he was wearing a mask that covered half his face...


    Adam...that fucker is responsible for all of this.


    He was the one responsible for the damage to his lower body...and the pain and suffering of multiple people...That fucker was responsible.


    This was the highest quality information...And the evidence for revenge.


    But it was not enough, and neither was it powerful enough to take him down alone...he needed to find more clues.


    *BEEP!*


    Suddenly he heard a beep.


    "Huh? But they are supposed toe in the evening?"


    He pressed a button on his desk and a voice was heard.


    "Crimson, A client has arrived for you. It is important."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His brows furrowed as he stashed the documents on his desk away before saying.


    "Send them in."


    He said and waited for the client toe in.


    He knew it wasn''t from Twilight. They were scheduled toeter in the evening. They couldn''t havee now. So it was most likely someone else.


    Soon enough, his suspicion was confirmed to be true...it was indeed another client aside from Twilight.


    And a Very important one at that...


    ''...pink hair?''


    Elton thought as he weed her.


    *******


    "Jeez, Where the hell did Serena wander off to?"


    ine pouted as she drank her coffee.


    "She probably had some business to take care of..."


    Mary, Elijah''s elder sister said as she checked her phone.


    They were currently in thergest mall in Aror, for some shopping!


    "Why am I here?"


    Suddenly, Sabrina, the only one forced toe, asked whilst she was confused.


    "Cuz I wanted you toe!''


    Said ine, and Sabrina couldn''t say anything else.


    She knew nothing was going to get through to ine, the shopping freak. So she just became silent.


    "Ohe on, Cheer up! We are here to have fun! Let''s take a selfie."


    Mary hung her shoulder over Sabrina, and ine pitched in for the Selfie.


    *Click!*


    They were here to enjoy after all!...and also fulfill ine''s shopping addiction.


    "Holy shit...who are those three?"


    "Why is their skin so smooth?!"


    "Isn''t that the goddess of Twilight?!"


    "It''s Mary! Micheal''d daughter is here!"


    "Who''s the blondie then?"


    "Don''t know, but even she''s super cute!"


    And like always...They attracted attention wherever they went.


    ''This was why I didnt wannae here...''


    Sabrina sighed...now she had to deal with this as well.


    ''Damn that Maxwell...if only he didnt know what n liked I wouldn''t have been forced into this...''


    She cursed a certain someone for having ''information'' and cursed her luck...but What was done was done. Although her gloomy look was uplifted by ine''s cheerful voice.


    "Let''s shop till we drop!"

 Chapter 254 [254] Shop Till You Drop.

    [You have one unread message from $$$abrina]


    "Hmm?"


    Maxwell, whilst he was working, received a text on his phone from Sabrina.


    He opened his phone and checked what she messaged...before his brows furrowed.


    "...fuck."


    A curse escaped his mouth as he read the message.


    [$$$abrine: Send.]


    ...a sense of dread and terror approached him...His mind felt as if he had wandered into the darkest and deepestyers of the abyss.


    Ah right, he remembered now.


    He had ''encouraged'' Sabrina to go to the mall when a certain Blonde haired girl wanted her toe, the former was obviously hesitant and didn''t want to go...But he had coerced her to go in order to build ''rtions''. Totally not because he wanted to use this against her if she ever asked for a day off.


    The only thing that helped him coerce her was n.


    What he liked and didn''t like. Sabrina took the bait immediately and so she went.


    There was only one problem.


    Maxwell had no idea what n liked or not...Absolutely fucking not.


    He was oblivious to it...what would the maniac obsessed with fighting and training like as A GIFT FROM A GIRL?!


    "WHY DID I DECIDE TO DO THIS?!"


    He cursed himself, hisck of reasoning whening forth with the girl that was rich as a city was too much...


    He didn''t know what to send!


    [$$$abrina: Quick.]


    With each second, with each thought about the message, his mind began falling apart...


    [Max: Wait.]


    [$$$abrina: ?]


    He messaged, providing himself with some time.


    Then he got on the web.


    [Gifts a girl should get for a boy she likes.]


    He pressed enter...he had never felt this nervous when he did anything...NOT EVEN WHEN HE WAS PLOTTING HIS FAMILY''S DEMISE!


    1: Watches


    2: Clothing


    3:Food


    4: Personal Experiences.


    And so on....he just sent her these...


    Of course, he wrote it himself as he didn''t want her to get suspicious. He just read the choices briefly before sending them to her. He wasn''t stupid enough to send her a link.


    "Crisis averted...haaa you outshine yourself every day Maxwell...You genius."


    His narcissistic side emerged and he congratted himself. However, this narcissistic side ended soon.


    [You have received one message from $$$abrina.]


    And when he read that message, His eyes popped out of their sockets in shock.


    [$$$abrina: I get the first few but Why is there Lingerie here among these? Maid dresses? You just sent me the top Sobrer searches for gifts!]


    OH NOOOOO!!!!


    ''Shit, she''s smarter than expected! FUCK!''


    he cursed loudly in his mind.


    If her...grandfather finds out...Im fucking dead...not even leaving the will save me!


    And thus he began writing his will. He knew he fucked up.


    He fucked up very badly.


    *****


    Her anger was palpable.


    "Sabrina...you okay?"


    It was as if a storm was around her. A ck storm that the eye could see. And ine, being the brave and Naive girl she was, stupidly walked into this storm.


    "...?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her eyes were clueless as she stared at Sabrina''s angry face. Her clutches on her smartphone were so strong the screen cracked and broke down. It was now useless.


    "Hmmm."


    Mary had already backed off and was afraid of Sabrina...But thankfully her friend ine wasn''t.


    She hugged her and massaged her head as she cast a few calming skills. Skills that cooled Sabrina''s head.


    [Calming has been cast.]


    [Peace of Mind has been cast.]


    [Light''s Embrace has been cast.]


    "...thanks."


    Said Sabrina as ine let go of her. ine truly was a friend everyone wanted. She would help...and if you went along with her certain adventurous tendencies she would do anything to help you.


    "Let''s get you a new phone."


    ine said as she went to pick up the broken phone, but was stopped by Sabrina.


    "Let me do it..."


    She bent down elegantly and pointed a particr ring towards it, an astral blue light erupted from the Ring and engulfed the phone...and next thing it disappeared.


    "Huh? What just happened?"


    Mary, who just saw the broken phone disappear was shocked...whilst ine''s mouth opened wide in surprise.


    "is...that?"


    She asked, her shock making it so that she was unable toplete her words.


    Sabrina, looking at her said.


    "Yeah, it''s one of the spatial rings n made. Twilight gifted some to our family. I got one as well."


    "NO WAY!"


    ine was excited...but not for the reason Sabrina suspected.


    "I''m sorry...but I don''t have any extra to give aw-"


    "That bastard (n) ignored me even when I said I would pay him millions for one...! But you have it? Twilight wouldn''t sell them too! With this...With this...we can shop without worry."


    Now it was Sabrina''s turn to open her mouth wide...


    Although Mary had the same confused look on her face. She was oblivious to the worth of the ring on Sabrina''s finger...meanwhile, Sabrina''s thoughts were.


    ''...she''s happy for the fact that she can shop more instead of a chance to get this ring..?''


    Truly, ine was a different breed.


    "Come on!''


    She dragged Sabrina in a hurry and Mary followed them.


    "wait!"


    "Come on Mary! there''s no limit today!"


    Truly, ine was a different breed.


    As she was being dragged by ine...Sabrina relented and thought.


    ''...well, I should at least buy some things he sent.''


    She considered it was worth a try... Out of all of the things...THERE HAD TO BE ONE HE LIKED...


    Right?


    ''...I should ask Mama for tips...''


    She thought...of course when she got a new phone that is.


    *****


    [At the same time, in the mall.]


    "Do you like the Ice cream sweetie?"


    Amanda Pator, n and Samantha''s  Grandmother asked her dear granddaughter as she pushed her wheelchair around.


    "Yeah!"


    Samantha, who had a mouth full of cream replied to her as she devoured the ice cream.


    n and Samantha both had a sweet tooth that could eat the equivalent sweets meant for hundreds of people.


    Amanda smiled as she heard her cheerful cry. She came to the mall because Samantha was bored staying at home all day, Her husband was busy with work and so was n. Who knows what n was doing but it seemed important so she left it be.


    She came here because Samantha wanted to...and why not get both her grandchildren as well as that stubborn husband of her''s a gift?

 Chapter 255 [255] The Yandere Makes A Move.

    ''...pink hair?''


    Crimson, seeing his client thought...


    ''Familiar.''


    Indeed...she was familiar...far too familiar at that. Elt-Crimson knew of her.


    That luscious pink hair, those crimson eyes of hers. Her striking appearance would be remembered because of thebo of her hair and eyes she did not fear standing out in a crowd.


    And even though there was a mask on her face, her bodily features which were reminiscent of an hourss, paired with the scarlet eyes and Pink hairbo...was truly unique and there was only one person Crimson was reminded of.


    ''...Serena.''


    He thought, knowing the Identity of the girl.


    ''What is she doing here? Why can''t Elijah handle his Yandere by himself?''


    He thought, cursing his fate. He knew who the girl was and how scary this damn mentally ill bitch could be. She was a Yandere.


    ''Yandere'' was a term used poprly in the Anime and Manga culture of the past to describe a character that is usually sweet, loving, caring, and kind towards their love interest but soon bes obsessive, possessive, and especially violent. They are usually mentally unstable and can and WILL exhibit extreme behavior to protect themselves and their lover.


    Outwardly, they show a kind, caring and gentle attitude that often depicts them as Good characters toward their love interest, but all of this belies their sadistic, obsessive, possessive, and violent tendencies which are the truth. An act they put on to deceive people.


    Inwardly, or Emotionally a Yandere is fiercely protective of their love interest, to the point of being possessive and jealous. They may have a tendency to act impulsively and violently towards anyone who poses a threat to their rtionship or their partner''s safety, regardless of the consequences. Yandere characters may also exhibit delusional or obsessive behavior, stalking their love interest or bing fixated on them. They were a ticking timebomb that could only be diffused by their ''lover''.


    It was aplex archetype of a character, one that although may be funny to see in fiction...was a fucking nightmare in Reality.


    Although the saving point was that Serena wasn''t that ''BAD''...ording to his memories since thest time he saw her.


    This girl made him afraid...no it wasn''t only him. n too was also scared shitless of her and would take special caution not to pass his boundaries.


    That type of mental instability and the power and wealth her background possessed...made her a character to be feared.


    Elton...and even Crimson was scared of her.


    "...What do you want?"


    Said Crimson, his eyes carefully observing her so that she did not make any rash moves...his hand was below his desk and on top of a button that would call security and he was prepared to push in a second had she tried anything funny.


    "Not even a Hello? You changed Elton."


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom "Crimson."


    Crimson corrected her...that voice of hers sent chills down his spine. Just what is she here for?! The Awakened Union, the strongest Organization of Humans, rivaled only by the Obelisk...is her pawn, Her father is the leader of such an organization. She doesn''t need his skills or expertise.


    "Wow~ what? Is this your ''edgy'' phase at the age of what? The early Twenties?"


    Crimson stayed quiet, And only then Serena realized that he was serious. he had abandoned the name ''Elton''.


    " I need to talk to you."


    Serena said as she took the seat in front of Crimson''s desk.


    Crimson, although still cautious, rxed a little but did not move his hand away from the button.


    "What kind of ''talk''? I don''t think you have any need for my ski-"


    " I do have use for them."


    She interrupted him as she rested her elbows on his desk and her chin on her hands.


    "I want you to quit this lousy job."


    Crimson, hearing her was taken aback a little.


    "Why?"


    He asked, even though she was crazy he knew she must have a reason for suggesting this.


    "Have you heard what''s been going in the Capitol?"


    "..."


    Crimson fell silent as he heard her...


    He knew very well what was going on in the ''Capitol''. The city was home to the Headquarters of the World Government, The Headquarters of Behemoth, and Titan, And Also of the Strongest family in the World, the one that was stronger than the Soubuelles and Wellingtonsbined. With the exception of Harrison and the Patriarch of the wellingtons.


    And also the Home of the "Tower of Trials." An unknown structure that pierced the heavens themselves and had magically appeared in 1999.


    The strength of the Trials, or rather floors of the towers scaled their difficulty proportionally to the strength of the challenger.


    The Hottest news was that Floor 30 had been reached, after 2 years since the 28th floor was cleared, The 29th one was also defeated and Floor 30 opened up...but it had still not been cleared even despite the efforts of the most talented and Strongest Awakened.


    They had all lost Horribly. And the Current rank 2, the Vice Head of the Association, and also the head of the Reinhardt family had also participated, But even Jonathan Reinhardt was unsessful. He was a SS rank awakened and even though he failed, although the difficulty did scale up because of his immense strength...it was still a huge blow to the associations'' image.


    And because of this, the entire Capitol was in uproar, there were rumors that this was the final stage of the tower considering how hard it was.


    "I''m thinking of creating a team... You see, a certain bastard I don''t like has made a popr team that is ~very good~. I fucking hate it."


    "?"


    Crimson, hearing her was confused...it couldn''t be.


    "I refuse."


    He said, he now knew the reason for her visit was to invite him to this team. He refused to do anything with her.


    "Think carefully, Elto- Oh...Crimson."


    Her eyes glowed red and Crimson''s vision became blurred. He pressed the button...but nothing was there. It felt as hard as a rock. Her eyes turned more red and they had hypnotizing stare.


    ''...fuck.''


    She was using it, her unique mixture of Poison and Illusion attributes was into y. A devilish trick she used to manipte and deceive her victims.


    ''...when did the bitch poison me...? The air?''


    "Touch the back of your nape,"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    she said...and as Crimson did it he felt an unknown liquid present there, when he saw his hands again, instead of blood it was a dark green Liquid.


    ...When?


    he wondered...No...it can''t be.


    He was under her illusion since the beginning. Her wicked smile was painful to look at, despite her beauty.


    Crimson bit down, and a liquid entered his mouth. He was a cautious man, and so he always kept an antidote pill in his mouth as a safety measure against poison. Although it may notpletely get rid of it. The Broad spectrum antidote should still help.


    And it did...but he yed along.


    He yed along with her illusion...until she let her guard down and he pressed the button.


    She heard the button being pressed with her heightened senses...andughed.


    "Did you think I came here alone?"


    She asked,ughing. She came with agents of the association assigned to her as bodyguards. And they were standing guard outside. They were strong, no mere guard here could get past them!


    "No."


    *PSSS!*


    After Crimson''s words, the front part of the desk opened and a red mist enveloped the room.


    *Click!*


    A gun resembling a desert eagle was now in Crimson''s hands, pointed at Serena, who had jumped back.


    After she opened her eyes and saw the gun, sheughed.


    "A gun? Did you honestly think that would work against an awake-"


    *BANG!*


    He shot a bullet, a special bullet that contained a red liquid ad was able to turn into an exploding shell at her. Fortunately for Sabrina, her spirit appeared and swallowed the Bullet before it reached her. It all happened in an instant. The belly of the Illusion Snake erged suddenly. But it became illusory after a while and disappeared...and the reason was.


    "...What did you do to my mana?"


    Said Serena, as she was confused and shocked because she could not circte her mana well...she felt it disappear.


    "You don''t need to know."


    Answered Crimson as he held her at gunpoint...To the mana-less Serena.


    A special type of drug that was developed by PURE especially to handle awakened, and although the quality of the drug Crimson had was mediocre, it was enough for Serena.


    ''Damn, Thank god I did business with Pure.''


    Crimson thanked his luck in doing business with Pure a while back, the gift he got was great.


    ''The mist is the reason...and I need to be wary of the Bullets too.''


    Thought Serena...as she was enraged at being cornered.


    "Now, do you wanna calm down and do business? As equals."


    Said Crimson, he knew he couldn''t kill her or seriously injure her. The consequences of such an action were too dire.


    And he knew making an enemy out of her was also out of the question, all this was retaliation for her tricks. And this crazy bitch would understand. 100%


    She smiled before saying.


    "Join the team I will create, and in return, We''ll give you the highest quality equipment, a sry iparable to this shithole, and also a rival, and will do our best to find a cure...for your legs."


    Hearing her proposal, Crimson knew it was good. The association would help find a cure for him with its best effort because if he proved himself...and if he epted this girl as a superior...who knows they might already have something that could cure him.


    "A rival?"


    However, he questioned this.


    "The team I am creating is for the purpose of helping Eli and also going against the other team mentioned earlier, one member of theirs is as skilled as you in your field...maybe even more."


    An intriguing proposal...either he epted this or get on her bad side.


    "Fine. But leave for now, I still have some unfinished business to do."


    Serena smiled as she handed Crimson a card.


    "Perfect, Call me when you''re done, I''ll send people to pick you up."


    Crimson grabbed the card and put down his gun.


    "Oh! I forgot to ask you this...but."


    Suddenly, there was a slight blush on her face as she asked him in a ''cute'' voice.


    A voice that he didn''t ever think someone besides Elijah would get to hear.


    "What does Elijah like?" She said in a shy voice.


    If the mask wasn''t covering his eyes...She would have seen his eyes confused as heck, although the mouth gave that away as well.


    "Im thinking of getting a gift for him...you should know since you are her brother...right?"


    ...Crimson was dumbfounded.


    But he collected himself and answered as quickly as he could to get this girl to leave.


    "He''s a watch and shoe freak. Just buy him some authentic and rare watches and shoes."


    "Thanks!"


    She answered and left joyfully. Leaving Crimson alone finally...and because she was gone, he could finally say what he wanted to.


    "...crazy bitch."

 Chapter 256 [256] A Fortune To Remember...And Regret.

    Authors Note: Hey, Author here, A new month is again upon us. So let''s get to the rankings bois!


    1: Azazandal: 6482


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    Most Consistent Commentor: Darksiide.


    Please Join the discord, the top 5 fans get their own rank as well as some perks. The link is at the bottom of the synopsis. Please send me a screenshot as proof and I will assign you the rank. Thanks!


    Also, thank you so much for sitting here with me. Since my exams are over, let''s get this book to its former level of Poprity! Let''s keep fighting for the top spot. I promise to take Win-Win seriously this month and promise to upload regrly. Thank you so much for supporting me. Please donate Powerstones and golden tickets and energy stones so we can get back up the rankings! Also, there is an event of some sort in the discord server, the reward is a special rank with special perks. So do join and participate. check the Novel updates channel for the information.


    Thank you for your time.


    *********


    Whilst Serena was out there and duking it out with Elton and also recruiting him within the ck market. The Trio of Mary, Sabrina, and ine was out there ''shopping'' in the Aror Mall.


    They werepletely unaware that their Friend waste because of going to the ck market.


    [Where are you?]


    Sabrina messaged Serena on her new phone. She got no response for quite a while so she put her phone in her bag.


    "So...Should we eat something?"


    Mary, being the only one hungry within the group suggested. She wanted to get something to eat and also engage in a conversation with the two as a way to get them familiar with one another...besides she had a wide variety of questions to ask them about the number one ranked institution in the world Shield!


    She was an aspiring student, and although she was not awakened she was still curious.


    "Can you tell me something about Shield?"


    She asked as they made their way to a food corner, her face beaming with curiosity and envy.


    "What would you like to know?" Sabrina asked her.


    "Anything! How are the sses, what are the major subjects and what is the quality of the teachers and facilities there?"


    Sabrina answered her.


    "The sses are good, they teach us all about being awakened, and the various ways to utilize the status and power and choices we have as awakened. there are specialized courses and clubs for everything regarding awakened abilities and jobs. And even some clubs for arts and crafts. However, besides basic knowledge, the major subjects are all rted to mana control, enhancement, and other applications of Mana. The teachers are all A+ rank, and the ss teacher of every ss is an S rank. And most instructors have at least 5 to 10 years of experience. The facilities are top-of-the-line."


    She exined to her, And Mary''s eyes glistened under the light of this information.


    "What about the housing facilities and cost of living?"


    This time, ine chipped in to exin.


    "The housing facilities of the students are located in the entertainment sector. It ranges from 4 dorms. The Rabbit Dorms for the lowest ranked students, which do have the basic necessities and some luxury. The Sheep dorms for the higher ranked students that Rabbit, Thenes Tiger, And then the final one is DRAGON! Only the top ten of each year are located in the dragon Dorm! I and Sabrina have our own floors there, like every top ten students. The top ten also have a certain level of authority as well."


    Upon hearing ine''s exnation, Mary''s eyes opened wide in surprise.


    "Wait...Do you get an entire floor to yourself? How big is it?"


    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Big."


    Answered ine Mary. And just from that She could understand that the top 10 lived lives of luxury. Luxury that was provided to them because of their strength. Shield created apetitive environment, in which the studentspeted for better resources and students...It was understandable how Shield was considered the most sessful and powerful institute of awakened.


    "Wow..."


    Mary, being quite obviously shocked muttered.


    "Right? It''s given to us only... because we are the strongest of our respective batches. Very few can challenge us and gain our positions. There has only been one which did and seeded."


    "Huh? Someone did? Someone challenged one of you and won?"


    Mary asked upon hearing ine. Did someone challenge the top 10 of Shield? The progeny of high-ranked guilds and families? She had thought that the top 10 changing was extremely rare.


    "Yes, And his initial rank was 998! One of the lowest. His name was Alexander Wright or something. He challenged the rank 6, Kyle re, and won with ease."


    Sabrina answered. Even she had been shocked when it happened. The lowest of the low had challenged one of the highest and won Overwhelmingly...He was n''s friend of some sort. But she had been wary of him. After all, he was the one that carried a nearly half-dead n Pator to the hospital whilst seemingly uninjured. the two had remained close afterward.


    At first, she hade to the shocking conclusion that he had beaten n in a secret spar...but dismissed itter. After all...who could beat n? Disregarding his rank which has stagnated, his battle prowess is excellent. There are few in Shield which stand a chance against him when he didn''t go full power...and if he did and did transform... Sabrina knew only one could beat him, the Student Council President of Shield, and the number 1 ranked Shield Student of the third year, Daniel Khorsh. He was the only one who could give n a beating even in his Ice draconian form. After all... Daniel himself was a legend.


    He had tied with Ezra Fornum, that was enough. That was all one had to say about his qualifications.


    Their chatter continued as they ate. They all had augh when Sabrina asked what a burger was. She was used to the food of the high society. "Proper Cuisine'' As she called it.


    Although Sabrina did not dislike the burger at all, in fact, she enjoyed it.  The soda however was not to her liking.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well...then let''s go and get some clothes."


    Said ine excitedly, she got dresses that she would wear only once or twice and then never again. That was the privilege of being the daughter of the guild master of Titan.


    Even Sabrina could do this, she just didn''t want to. Hell, She could buy this entire mall by just making a simple phone call.


    That was the wealth of the Wellingtons. And she only had ess to a small part of it.


    Only Mary was one from an ordinary family here. Who could only afford a few good things. Not luxury brands.


    But then...as they were shopping. ine noticed something odd.


    "Hmmm? Why are you shopping for watches?"


    "Heek!" Sabrina jumped in surprise. ine crept over her shoulder as they were in a luxury brand shop.


    "Is it for your grandfather?... Wait."


    Sabrina covered her mouth, wanting to shut her up...but it was someone else who finished the job.


    "Is it for someone special?"


    Said Mary with a cheeky smile. She was wondering why Sabrina had wandered off to this section of the Shop.


    "Hmmph! Hmmmph!"


    ine couldn''t speak because Sabrina''s hands covered her mouth, so she just nodded whilst her eyes showed her cheekiness.


    She finally was free and said.


    "It''s for n! Isnt it? I should have known! Walking with him whilst holding hands! You traitor!"


    She pouted, she held Sabrina whilst crying somewhat. She thought she was betrayed! All this while she thought of Sabrina as arade. Serena was the one who had Elijah! Her beloved, lover! She thought Sabrina had nothing official with n. She thought he was just the bodyguard! but to think all this time she had feelings for that brute!


    "traitor! I thought we were friends!''


    "What makes me a traitor?!"


    "You got a boyfriend!  B.OY.F.R.I.E.N.D. "


    Sabrina, whilst blushing slightly said.


    "He''s not my boyfriend!..not yet."


    "See! You traitor."


    ine was on the verge of tears! All this time she thought of Sabrina as arade! fuck Serena who had a love life...although it was messed up. But Sabrina?! The goddess falling for a damn muscly Brute that WAS ALAN PECCATOR!?


    Just how did this happen?


    Suddenly, she came to a realization.


    "...Wait was it a princess meets a knight that saves her and falls in love? I want it too! Where''s my knight in shining armor?"


    And thus, she had arrived at the conclusion. Her wits were sharp.


    "Shut up!"


    Sabrina shut her up, covering her mouth once again and now she was giving threats!


    "You talk again...and I will fry you alive."


    *bZZT!*


    There were lightning sparks around her, and her eyes were sharp and deadly. All of this caused ine to turn into a frightenedmb.


    "Im sowwy!"


    She tried to act like a child. But it was ineffective against AngryBrina!


    "Ohe on, calm down you two..."


    Mary tried to diffuse the situation. And as she was doing so, Something caught her eye.


    She smiled. And pointed towards a little tent, there was a sign up above.


    [Fortune telling Guru!]


    "Let''s go there, who knows, maybe we''ll have some kind of Idea about your knight in Shining armor ine! And how your rtionship will go as well."


    And seeing it, ine was ecstatic and dragged Sabrina with her to the shop.


    And they entered.

 Chapter 257 [257] Fortune To Remember.

    What would one expect when encountering a fortune teller''s tent?


    Well, it varied greatly depending upon the particr style and tastes of the teller himself, but it seemed the one in the mall was inmon for his kind.


    The tent''s exterior was designed to be eye-catching and mystical, decorated with a purplish shade, and bright colors, and the thick, silky fabric attracted one''s eyes. The intricate pattern of stars and the cosmos were present outside, which added to the mystique of the tent. Twinkling lights and purple me candles decorating it also added to the mysteriousness of the ce. The fortune tellers sign, along with a logo of Tarot cards was hung above the tent, decorated with flowing purple lights.


    "...This is definitely a scam."


    Said Sabrina, looking at it, one could tell it was a scam... Even in their world, there was no such thing as a Seer, No Awakened possessed that ability. Not one that she knew of. And even if there, there had to be a great cost for using such an overpowered ability... And using it at a fortune-telling gig was foolish. She knew this was a scam.


    "Ohe on, it doesn''t cost much. Let''s just try it."


    And so, approaching it with confusion, curiosity, and expectation they entered.


    And the interior as well...was expectable. The entire interior was dimly lit with purple lights, ornaments of Tarot cards, and runic inscriptions were present which adhered to the role of fortune teller.


    And then there was a table, filled with a crystal ball, tarot cards, and other mystical items. And behind the table was an old woman...a granny with wrinkles all over her face and a wart on her nose...a typical witch costume.


    "..."


    Sabrina fell silent as she entered, the entire thing seemed like a scam to her.


    She sighed inwardly and just waited for ine to start the conversation. But to her misfortune, both ine and Mary were too fascinated by the design of the ce.


    "Young maidens...haven''t had this type for a long time."


    Suddenly, their heads turned towards the old woman who spoke, Her croaky voice sent a chill down Mary''s spine.


    "Let me see...for fortune about love and future?"


    And Vo! She had guessed the reason for their entrance.


    "Wow, She is the real deal!."


    Eximed ine, her eyes glowing as she looked at the old woman.


    "The one with the red hair, Sit here."


    She pointed towards Mary and gestured for her to sit in front of the table.


    "...Sure."


    Mary followed her instructions and sat down, And the witch shuffled a deck of Tarot cards, before spraying them in front of Mary.


    Sabrina looked around the tent, at the shelves with vials of purple liquid, and the other artifacts.


    ''Mana...It''s faint but definitely there.''


    Thought Sabrina in her mind. there were faint traces of Mana in the tent and she sensed it. Looking at ine, it seemed as if she was unaware.


    Well, it was extremely faint, so she may not have sensed it.


    "Pick three cards. Child."


    The woman said, and Mary did as told.


    She picked three cards, and the woman described them.


    "A typical story, one in which both meet by chance and fall in love at first sight, approach each other shyly and begin their journey, although filled with some ups and downs...ultimately it is a happy end."


    The woman''s face barely changed as she told Mary''s fortune...it seemed even she was bored.


    "Haha...thanks."


    Mary said halfheartedly, she stood up and walked back to the group.


    "Oo! My turn!"


    Eximed ine in excitement. She sat down in front of the table.


    The woman disyed the cards again and told her to pick three.


    ine did as she told, and picked three peculiar cards.


    As she showed them to the woman...she remained quiet.


    ''...What?''


    The witch thought, none of the cards ine chose made sense... was there even any type of these cards in her deck. She did not remember them being in there.


    The cards she chose made no sense.


    "Touch the ball and close your eyes."


    Since she could not read ine''s fortune through cards, she decided to do it with the crystal ball.


    ine, although displeased that the cards did not work, did as she told and ced her hands on the crystal ball and closed her eyes.


    The ball glowed a faint golden hue...but ultimately it disappeared and shock was apparent of the woman''s face. She remained silent before Saying.


    "I apologize...I am unable to read your fortune. It is being disturbed by something. I advise you to go to a better fortune teller...My skills arecking for you."


    She apologized. It was a first for her too. To think someone existed whose fortune she could not read...


    ine, now extremely pissed, pouted before standing up and going back. She wanted to say something but was holding herself back. Her expectations had been crushed. Mary consoled her, so she calmed down a little.


    "You, The beauty with ck hair...may I tell your fortune."


    The old woman gestured to Sabrina, who remained hesitant. Still believing this was a scam.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Even if it is a scam, We have enough money to not care. Just go for it."


    ine whispered in Sabrina''s ears, and Sabrina reluctantly sat down.


    The woman shuffled the deck of cards for a while this time, before disying them in front of Sabrina.


    Sabrina picked three cards and showed them to the woman.


    And the woman smiled as she saw the cards.


    "Oh my..."


    She muttered, And Mary and ine''s ears perked up, wondering what Sabrina''s fortune would be.


    The woman showed Sabrina the first card she picked.


    Two people are separated by a wall, both looking at each other, and their backgrounds contrast one another.


    "Hidden feelings for one other, wanting to express it but failing to do so. One tries to do it, as a form of thanking the other and expressing their love, but the other, burdened by other responsibilities hides away, and questions his feelings."


    She exined to her, and then showed her the second card.


    A card in which the two people were holding hands together, but caged.


    "Although they understand,ter on, their love is great and happy...some obstacles emerge, but their strengths surpass them, They show great support for one another even in despair..but s."


    And then she showed her the third card.


    Where there was only one, with the head on the knees, and behind the person was a ck void.


    "It ends in.. tragedy. One is gone, whilst the other weeps."


    Sabrina rolled her eyes, whilst the woman showed a wicked smile.


    ine and Mary were confused as they heard the woman...whilst Sabrina just paid the fare and stood up. Still believing it was a scam.


    "Let''s go."


    Sabrina said, and Mary and ine left before.


    As she was about to leave the tent, the woman said behind her.


    "Be careful, gorgeous maiden. Not everything is as it seems."


    Sabrina left the tent.


    *****


    "What a bummer."


    Said ine as she spoke about the experience.


    She was expecting something but got nothing instead.


    "What was that crap about not being able to tell my fortune? Something blocking it was bullshit. She was a scammer."


    She said, her tone making it evident that she was extremely displeased. Sabrina on the other hand remained quiet as she scrolled through her phone.


    Whilst ine was talking about other things. Sabrina suddenly asked Mary a question.


    "Mary, What does a boy like generally?"


    "Huh?"


    Mary, taken aback by the sudden question from none other than Sabrina, Took a while to respond.


    "Well...it does depend on the person but...Most of them are happy with whatever they get as long as it is not too bad. They mostly never getpliments or gifts. So buy whatever you want for them. If he isn''t an asshole he will probably like it. Although I do rmend asking first."


    She answered, ine listened quietly.


    "Hmmm..."


    Sabrina sighed...Suddenly this was harder than any test she had taken.


    ''Just get whatever. It doesn''t matter what the gift is, it matters who''s it from. But don''t get something too bad. Just get something they are even mildly interested in and they will be happy.''


    Mary''s advice ovepped with her mother, Alexia Wellington''s. She should trust her mother... She did manage to win over her stubborn Father after all.


    '' I hope dad''s okay...''


    She worried about her father for a second...even contemting that it would have been better to ask him instead. She was oblivious that if she did, the one she was going to get a gift for would be buried.


    s, Fortunately for n but unfortunately for her, Her Father was on a mission and had cut all contact.


    ''Should I ask Grandpa?...No he''s probably too busy.''


    The Patriarch of the Wellington family was surely not a man anyone could contact. Even Sabrina, his granddaughter would have a difficult time contacting him because of all the trouble in the Capitol.


    "...Fuck it."


    She said, finally havinge to terms. Mary and ine were shaken. They heard a curse from Sabrina for the first time in their lives! ine particrly was now feeling a little scared!


    ''64 Slots, 64 items. There''s gotta at least be one!''


    She hade to a conclusion. She will buy whatever she thought he would like and fill the spatial ring. It had to work!


    And so, she began her own shopping spree.

 Chapter 258 [258] And Then It Happened.

    "Thank you for your purchase!"


    Sabrina left the clothing store after purchasing a lot of stuff.''


    The ring was almost full at this point....and she was thinking of just buying a few more topletely fill it up.


    [Spatial Ring]


    Capacity:57/64


    A spatial Ring created by An Pator, It can store a maximum of sixty-four items regardless of size.


    The weight of the ring will remain the same as an ordinary ring even if it is full.]


    She was nning to fill the ring to the brim, and she will do so. If out of 64 things he did not like even a single thing...then maybe it would be pointless. But who cares?


    She had enough money to not give a damn.


    ''...why am I even doing this?''


    She wondered...what was the reason for her to go to such lengths? She didnt know.


    "Hey...want some motivation?"


    Suddenly, ine whispered into her ear.


    Her voice was tempting and induced a certain curiosity in Sabrina that would not be quelled until she heard it.


    "Now...Imagine someone like n, someone that tall and built as well...wearing what you want him to wear...It could be a buttoned shirt with dress pants, or a suit...


    isn''t that sexy?"


    "..."


    Ah, so it was just bullshit...


    ''...wait a minute.''


    Sabrina...gave the idea some thought.


    Someone as muscr...and tall as n Pator...wearing Clothes she picked.


    It could be a simple T-shirt with Khaki Jeans.


    It could be a suit...


    Or it could be the sexy Dark blue dress shirt with ck dress pants...with no tie and the upper cor unbuttoned...along with the sleeves rolled up. Wearing ck sunsses as well.


    Well, She''ll be damned. She wanted to see that N.O.W.


    "... thanks. For giving me an idea."


    It was weird for ine to see THE Sabrina blush a little. She was oblivious that she had just given Her an Idea.


    She was a teenage girl after all. And although past experiences had hindered her because of her eidetic memory. This was worth a shot. n wasn''t like all the others anyway.


    And so...she went inside the shop again.


    "Hey, Wait for me!"


    ine rushed after her. Mary had gone to the bathroom so the two were alone now.


    "Oof!"


    She bumped into Sabrina''s back, who had suddenly stopped for whatever reason.


    "What the hell? Why did you stop?"


    ine asked in confusion. She had no chance to respond. She looked in front of Sabrina to see if she stopped because of something. But was confused when she saw nothing there.


    And it was then that she looked at Sabrina''s face. A face filled with confusion...but that confusion would turn into horror soon Enough.


    "...The mana..."


    Sabrina muttered...whilst ine tried to Understand her.


    "Mana? What about Mana?"


    She questioned, oblivious to the situation. She couldn''t help it after all. Sabrina was extremely talented in anything rted to Mana. Anything.


    "... It''s all moving...to one spot?"


    Sabrina muttered...her face of confusion slowly turning into horror as she assessed the situation.


    "What?!"


    ine...hearing her was horrified.


    ''When the surrounding mana in an area all begins to move into one spot. It coagtes and forms something that you should know pretty well. Itbines at one spot and forms a dungeon. The cause of this is still unknown why Mana just suddenly decides to do this. But we can urately measure what type of dungeon is based on the environmental specialties and the type of attribute mana in abundance. Whatever element is more abundant. It is most likely that the dungeon will be rted to it. And the amount of mana that is coagting...determines the strength and grade of the dungeon being formed.''


    She remembered a lecture in Shield...about the theory of dungeons and the effect of the environment on Dungeons...and what was happening now was truly it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Kya!"


    A gust of mana collided with them, it was like the wind itself. Like a typhoon it merged at the center of the mall, on top of a fountain.


    Both of them fell down as the wave of mana rushed forth. Other people, especially non awakened would think it was just a gust of wind...before they could even wonder why there was a gust of wind inside the mall. all hell would already be loose.


    Standing up and looking down at the fountain on the bottom floor, Sabrina shouted with all her might.


    "GET AWAY FROM THE FOUNTAIN!! NOOOOWWWW!"


    She had amplified her voice with her own mana. And a lot of people heard it. Before they could question why she was screaming, the mana in the form of Wind had coagted...and then it was done.


    A dungeon had formed inside the mall, in one of the most popted areas of Aror.


    *BOOOM!*


    *******


    [At Cafe le Patoria]


    Emma was humming as she brewed coffee whilst Mathew Pator, n''s Grandfather took orders from new customers.


    "Done."


    She said and ced an order from one of the customers in a tray. Before picking it up and going to deliver it.


    Mathew was also busy with work. There had been arge influx of customers ever since Alice And Kazikato were here. There were some fans and most shockingly, even some residents who were here to express thanks to them if they came once again.


    This was all because the region In twilight''s control was getting better and better by the day. Illegal operations were busted and the living conditions improved. Twilight had set up shelters and welfare centers as well. Most of all, Tax was lowered and The security provided by Twilight was great. Crime had been reduced ''by 60% in the area because Twilight Awakened would patrol the streets. Sometimes people would even give them gifts.


    ''I''m d things turned out well.''


    Mathew thought in his mind, He was worried that the guild wouldn''t be weed. But whoever was managing this branch had a good head on their shoulders. Most awakened guilds would ignore the people because they didnt see them as a priority. But it seemed like the top 10 was different. They treated Normal people and Awakened with little difference and also tried a lot to adhere to the demands of the people. Even the Awakened from Twilight treated everyone with respect.


    IT sure did go a long way. Most awakened in Aror were arrogant and treated people like trash. Awakened trained byrge guilds were more well-mannered. It was mostly because the Guilds had a reputation to uphold, and they weren''tcking awakened as opposed to the guilds in Aror, who would turn a blind eye to the actions of their awakening. Unlike the major guilds...whose awakened were more on edge in fear of losing their job.


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Whilst everything was flowing smoothly in the cafe...The HoloVision(Futuristic Television) channel suddenly changed.


    "Alert! There has been a dungeon break in the Silver Mall, the Silver Wolf guild has issued a red alert. The rank of the dungeon is still being estimated and Awakened from the liver Wolf guild is on its way. A Barrier of Wind has been erected outside the mall, trapping those inside and restricting entry. Civilians are advised to hide and go to shelters. Awakened nearby, please give aid."


    The attention of the people was drawn towards the Holovision and they muttered.


    "The Mall?"


    "Shouldn''t we run?"


    "It''s an hour away from here on the train, we''re pretty safe. besides this is Twilights area."


    They muttered among themselves. Emma stared at the Alert with worried eyes.


    ''I hope it isn''t serious...''


    She hoped...but who would hear it?


    The cafe was rtively calm, mainly because the mall was far away from here and the dungeon break was in the area of the second strongest guild, The SilverWolf guild of Aror. Although the ranks may need to be changed because of the emergence of twilight. That was a separate matter.


    *Thump!*


    Emma dropped the tray because of the sudden noise, and as she looked at where it came from. The door leading to the employee''s break room...She found Sir Mathew missing.


    "The Hell? Why did Mathew run into the break room? He needed to take a shit that bad?"


    Someone muttered, judging by his tone it seemed as if he was a regr here.


    They were unaware that the reason was far more serious than they had imagined.


    ******


    A Panicked and worried Mathew went into the break room and locked the door behind him.


    He hurriedly removed the carpet on the floor, The sense of urgency in his actions was dire as his face was struck with horror.


    A hiddentch door was revealed under the carpet, one that was made of pure metal and had a passcode lock on it.


    Mathew hurriedly entered the passcode and retrieved a box asrge as his body from Inside.


    Mathew was old, Although not at the age where he would be at death''s door. There was a secret of him that only his Wife and deceased son knew...No one else, not even his grandchildren was aware of.


    He belonged to the SNAMHF[ Special Non awakened Monster Hunting Forces.]


    A unit in the United world Army that had long since been dmissioned, and it''s members spread apart...


    It was a unit consisting of Non-Awakened People that had been trained to their utmost peak physical state and provided with the best gear for taking down Monsters.


    He was a former member, And he still had his gear. He was in the process of equipping it.


    Amanda Pator And Samantha Pator, His wife and Grandaughter, had gone to that same mall today...And he just got his family back...


    He wasn''t losing it this time.

 Chapter 259 [259] Dungeon In Mall!

    In front of her very eyes, a tornado rose up in the center of the mall.


    With a loud and deafening roar resembling a freight train or Jet, it shattered the eardrums of most people and even flung some into the air, Their bodies ravaged by the sharp and cruel winds. The debris from the dungeon opening flew into the air, and the tornado flung them everywhere, taking even more lives.


    [Skill: Protection of Light(A) has been activated.]


    ine was quick to respond, she activated a barrier-type skill that repelled the sharp winds and blocked the Debris flying toward them. It not only saved themselves but also the people in the area they were.


    "Kyaa!"


    "Help!"


    The terrified screams of the people resounded In Sabrina and ine''s ears.


    "Sabrina! We need to go save Mary! She''s just a normal person!"


    ine shouted from behind...struggling to hold the barrier up. It was expected, she didn''t have her items and gear, and the skill she used was far above her current rank. She couldn''t maintain it long enough without her gear.


    Eventually, the barrier fell...And the gusts of wind assaulted them.


    "hey Do that again!"


    "Save us!"


    The people from behind, who were previously protected By ine''s skill pleaded. But it was all for naught. ine couldn''t do it again, not until she gathered enough Mana...and in this situation this was impossible.


    Sabrina, who did have her gear on her because of the Spatial ring, equipped it immediately and set up a barrier herself.


    [Mana Barrier(D) has been activated.]


    Although a simple mana Barrier couldn''tpare to the Protection of Light, it was enough to ward off the immediate threat. Because Sabrina was the one that had erected it, it wouldst.


    "Damn it!"


    Sabrina eximed in despair. Her sight was on the raging Tornado in front of her... She was not mistaken. She saw two green lights inside it, A green light that exuded a savage intention.


    They were like eyes...Eyes of a beast emerging from the Dungeon. A fierce and bloodthirsty Beast.


    And then it came, the beast had emerged. The tornado terrorizing the center of the mall disappeared...and ''it'' was seen in its ce.


    [ Eyes Of observance(B-) has been activated.]


    Sabrina used her skill to identify the monster that had appeared, and it''s information appeared in front of it.


    [Monster: Rogue Elemental.]


    [Type: Wind Elemental]


    [Rank: C- to C+]


    [Description:


    A Rogue Wind Elemental is a variation of the Wind Elemental that is a dangerous and unpredictable creature. Unlike the more controlled and bnced Wind Elemental, the Rogue Wind Elemental is untamed and chaotic, and its powers are often uncontroble and destructive.


    The Rogue Wind Elemental isrger and more menacing than a typical Wind Elemental, with a more aggressive and erratic demeanor. It has a more jagged or wild appearance, with sharper angles and more violent swirls of wind and clouds, contrasting the calm and serene appearance of a Wind Elemental


    In terms of abilities, the Rogue Wind Elemental is known for its destructive power. It can summon powerful gusts of wind, tornadoes, and other dangerous weather phenomena at will, wreaking havoc on the natural world and anything in its path. Its erratic behavior makes it difficult to predict its movements and its powers are often amplified by strong emotions or external factors, making it a major threat


    A Rogue Wind Elemental is a force of chaos and destruction, representing the dangerous and unpredictable side of nature. It is a nearly unstoppable force that must be appeased or contained.]


    Sabrina, as she received the information about the Monster...was horrified.


    A C rank Boss monster had appeared in the middle of a mall, in a highly popted district of the city...and they weren''t strong enough to defeat it. More importantly, Sabrina sensed that the Elemental had isted the mall which meant that they were trapped and reinforcements would take longer toe.


    Seeing this all...She came to the most usible conclusion.


    As the Rogue Wind Elemental summoned Smaller Wind Elemental minions to wreak even more havoc, She shouted toward ine in the chaos.


    "ine! Go and rescue Mary! I have my equipment So I''ll hold it off until Reinforcementse!"


    "WHAT?! That thing is probably a C-rank monster! We can''t take it on together and you want to take it on Alone?!"


    "JUST FUCKING GO!"


    ine, although reluctant, ran off to find Mary. She had figured that it was best that she do that first quickly and then go support, Sabrina. and so she hurriedly went to find Mary...Whilst Sabrina was left alone to take the Rogue Wind Elemental down.


    The monster started to destroy the surroundings And From the top floor of the mall. Sabrina fired three thunderbolts at it to attract its aggro.


    [Thunderbolt(E-) has been activated.]


    It was a weak skill but in the hands of a genius like Sabrina, who could manipte mana as if it were her own limbs. It was deadly.


    But this was the worst type of Matchup for her...She had the Elements of Darkness and Lightning at her disposal...She was unwilling to use Darkness due to it being associated with her own personal trauma. The only element it could use...was Lightning.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But Unfortunately, The Rogue Wind Elemental was extremely resistant to the element of Lightning.


    She was now in a nearly unwinnable battle.


    A bow made of lightning materialized in her hands, and her staff disappeared. Without hesitating she fired off multiple shots at the lesser Elementals, taking down as many of them as she could.


    *SWHING!*


    "UGH!"


    Suddenly, a de of wind grazed her, her quick reflexes and mana-enhanced body had managed to dodge it. The Rogue Wind Elementals'' attention was now on her solely.


    Th roof above her copsed, and while she moved away. She saw some civilians trapped beneath it, about to be crushed.


    "Shit!"


    [Thunderbolt has been activated]


    She destroyed the rubble above and saved the people but the Rogue Wind Elemental attacked her during this...It sent multiple Wind Bullets at her. And although Sabrina managed to erect a Mana barrier, Some bullets still managed to hit her in the thigh and shoulder.


    She descended to lower floors and gave the advantage of the High ground for the safety of the others. If she was here, its attack would hit her and only her.


    But only when she stepped down...did she realize howrge it was and how menacing it was when in front of her.


    She summoned her spirit, The Darkw, which had gotten bigger and increased its rank.


    And the two of them began to fight, the Darkw would fight the minor Elementals, whilst Sabrina health with the big bad boss.


    *****


    [Outside the Mall.]


    Outside the mall, Members of the Silver Wolf guild had arrived, along with noisy reporters who should be caring for their own safety instead of a promotion.


    "Excuse me, Team leader can you please inform us of the general situation."


    A female reporter asked the Team leader of a team of the Silver Wolf guild, A man with one eye, the other having a scar and a  brutish face. He had silver-colored hair and was the younger brother of the silver wolf guild Guildmaster.


    He was covered in Armour from Head to Toe, It was as if he was a Wolf Pdin. The beast guilds really had an obsession with looking like Beasts. The entirety of the guild members presents there were wearing Wolf rted armor.


    It was weird...but The guildmaster forced them too, So they couldnt really say anything about it. It was the theme of their Guild.


    "The situation is stable, Our Awakened are doing their very best to dispel the Barrier, You have nothing to worry about. We will surely eliminate the threat soon enough."


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel He answered, his voice was rough. But the reporter didn''t go away.


    "What about the civilians trapped inside?"


    "We are doing our very best to rescue them as soon as possible."


    The banter continued, the reporter asked all sorts of questions whilst the team leader tried his very best to Answer.


    "Sir."


    Suddenly, an awakened from his team approached and called out to him. He gestured for the reporter to go away and although she didnt want to, The awakened from the Guild made sure to upy her.


    "What is it?"


    He asked the guildmember.


    "Sir, The smaller guilds are requesting permission to enter our area and help us in resolving the incident."


    "The smaller guilds? Why are they standing up to us? Have they forgotten who we are? Reject them."


    He said. He wondered why the smaller guilds, which were suppressed by the Beast Guild alliance headed by White Tiger started to act up. Had they forgotten themselves or did they think they were Twilight now?


    "Sir...there''s a problem. Among them, Twilight has also requested permission to enter our area and help..."


    "...fuck."


    He cursed. No wonder why they were so confident. They had Twilight backing them up.


    ''...Brother told me to avoid angering Twilight...Damn, it.''


    He thought in his mind. Wondering what course of action he should take. He was supposed to stall for as much time as well.


    "Hold them for as long as possible. Don''t let them in...for a while."


    In the end, he came up with that idea, to stall for as long as possible, whilst thinking. His eyes fixed on the tornado surrounding the mall.


    ''Hurry up brother.''

 Chapter 260 [260] Her Pain...Is My Pain.

    [n Pator PoV]


    It didnt ur to me at first. I had thought I had time...Buting to this city had gotten rid of that notion.


    I don''t have time, I don''t have time...


    ''I need to...I must find Elvenheims spatial coordinates. I must get an Elven Tear...For Samantha.''


    No matter how many times I have to try, I need to seed...Soon.


    *Scrape!*


    No matter how many times...I need to calcte it.


    I know I''m not good at most other subjects. I never had a need to study Mana because I''m a dragon, And although my memory is not good. I am confident in one thing. That is Mathematics.


    Mathematics is based on Understanding, not memorization...most of it anyways...I can do this.


    I need to understand what these symbols mean, their purpose, and their use...I must.


    Theseplex runes...I must find a way to decipher them and use them. Only then Can I Save my sister...Only then...


    These runes...why are they soplex?


    The chalk in my hand broke as I struggled to find the answer. The mana that I was supplying to it was not enough...I need more mana.


    [?][?][?][?] Just these four...I must understand these four. they are the first runes...that must mean they are the simpler ones...


    But it''s impossible...JUST WHAT THE FUCK DO THEY MEAN?!


    I sighed...realizing my anger will only be detrimental. I went over to the table to pick up another piece of chalk...only to realize Only a few of them are left.


    This type of Chalk is special, made from the materials of an S-rank monster...I can''t get enough of it. I need more but it''s not on the market...at All. It helps in understanding these just a bit more because it came from a monster with the ability to teleport. This chalk is also able to handle my Astral Mana as well...quite well. I need more of it...but


    I don''t think I can hunt an S-rank monster as well.


    I especially had Craftsmen at Twilight make this...And convincing Twilight to let me make use of them was a hassle...


    I looked at my hands covered with Chalk Dust...and then at the room, I was upying here...All the walls and even some parts of the floor were covered with the runic Symbols and my failed attempts at calcting the meaning they possessed.


    Why am I so useless...Even when the life of my sister is in danger... I can''t do anything.


    I picked up another piece of chalk and walked to the area where I had left off. In one hand was the Spatial magic Guide Crystal...and in the other was the chalk. This crystal was my only hope. It gave me information about the existence of these runes...and as long as I input mana into it during the process of calcting them... I could understand them...somewhat.


    *SCRAPE!* SCRAPE*


    I will do it. No matter how many sleepless nights I must spend I WILL CALCULATE THE SPATIAL COORDINATES OF ELVENHEIM.


    ...I will do it...I must do it.


    *Scrape!*Scrape!*


    But no matter how much Mana I put in...It was never enough, even As I continuously regenerated it...It was never enough.


    And now I was down to thest chalk...with no inkling as to the meaning of these runes...and no space in my room to think about.


    Just as I had lost all hope...It appeared.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says that he has fixed the Ame No Sakahoko.]


    ...huh?


    I rubbed my tired eyes as I saw the prompt appear in front of me.


    [The Spear Of Righteousness, Ame No Sakahoko has been deposited into your inventory.]


    [Supreme dragon Of Suleras says that he has made adjustments to the spear.]


    ...Suleras...Tell me the meaning of these Spatial coordinates. Please... I haven''t been able to contact you for a while I need help!


    [Supreme dragon Of Suleras says that he cannot help you much as he is a dragon Of Chaos.]


    "Please...! You should know something at least!"


    I bargained with him...I pleaded with him but I knew it was all for Naught.


    If he could have done this...If The restrictions ced on him because of his status were light. I would have asked him to give it to me...An elven tear. Or get me one...


    I know this is false Hope...But why do I still cling to it so desperately?


    [Supreme Dragon of Suleras says that he cannot say...unfortunately.]


    ...I expected it...and yet it still hit me so hard.


    Do I really have nothing to go for? Will Destiny repeat itself again? I...don''t want her to die. Even now I know she is in pain because of the lingering curse energy in her body but she doesn''t show it. She always expresses a smile...


    A child...does not need to be so mature. She does not need to hide that pain and express it as joy... I''m the big brother...let me fucking take that pain.


    "Damn..it."


    I fell to the ground...devastated. And I barely held back the urge to scream because of My frustration.


    [Supreme Dragon of Sulerasmends your ability. Supreme Dragons Of Suleras says that even most High Elves are unable to calcte Spatial coordinates so easily without any help. It ismendable that you have made it this far...]


    "What does it fucking matter?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I said...my head held low.


    I''m weak. I wasn''t able to Beat Ezra Fornum, Even though the quest reward was an Elven Tear.


    I was restricted to just this form? That was an excuse... I know that. Even my White Draconian Form wouldn''t be able to help me in that fight. And if only I wasn''t so weak... Aranus could have exerted more power.


    To this day...I envy the amount of Power he possessed...The visions I got from him, about him... were spectacr. The strength possessed by the Chaos Elementbined with his Talent...was so...much.


    It''s a shame I can''t use the chaos Element...or rather I risk getting found by the Abyss...


    I can''t believe it... I''m afraid.


    Im afraid of the beings he fought against...The beings he so easily pummeled when all they need is to stare at me to kill me in an instant. To erase me from Reality itself. I can''t evenugh at myself...


    What do I possess this body for? I am not as qualified as the others...


    I don''t have Aranus''s strength, his talent...his abilities.


    I Dont Have that bitch James'' wit and intelligence.


    Out of them all...I''m the worst user of this body. Of Aranus''s body.


    I...am fucking pathetic.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says he can give you a hint.]


    And as if it was a beacon of hope...of salvation. That prompt was all I could see. My entire vision was clouded by it. My hopes were ignited once again.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Suleras says that there is a way. It is to ******** and to ***** then*****]


    Huh...No please don''t tell me that I can''tprehend it!


    [Supreme Dragon of Suleras says Mana Capacity. Then repeat what you were doing.]


    I had thought my hopes would be crushed once again. But Suleras found a way to surpass the system!


    "So I just need to do that? Increase my mana capacity? And repeat the method of calction?"


    I questioned... but received no response back. Nothing.


    "...so that was all you could say..."


    I said, havinge to the conclusion that Suleras paid a great price to give me a hint.


    But it''s enough. I know what I need to do now!


    Increase My mana capacity. I do that by the mana breathing techniques. The [Whiff of Frost] will take too much time...which leaves me with only one option avable.


    [Supreme Ice Dragon''s Breath *******]


    A shiver went down my spine as I thought about it. I remembered that pain vividly. The pain that assaulted me when I used it the first time...that horrifying...horrendous pain.


    *SLAP!*


    I pped myself to rid myself of these Delusions.


    My sister is in more pain! I need to endure this and do everything I can to save her! Fuck her pain! Let it alle to me instead.


    Without further ado, I hopped into the meditative stance and began using the mana Breathing Method.


    [Supreme Ice Dragon''s Breath******* has been activated.]


    ******


    Knock! Knock!


    Alice knocked on the door of n''s room. But heard no answer.


    "...Is he sleeping?"


    Makes sense, she thought. He had been holed up in his room for quite a while. Maybe he was sleeping. But just to confirm. She knocked again.


    Knock! Knock!


    And still no response.


    She sighed and then opened the door of the room...only to be utterly shocked at its state.


    Various symbols, plus signs, equality signs, and other symbols she didnt recognize decorated the entire room. She couldn''t see one ce where they didnt exist!


    This was surprising! She hade to ask n if he wanted to participate in the Rescue Squad of twilight To go help at the Mall...But then she saw him meditating.


    ''Although it wouldn''t affect our performance if he isn''t present. It would be nice if he did show up. But if he''s doing something important. Then leave him be. Kazikato and the others are enough.''


    She remembered what Maxwell said to her...beforeing to the conclusion that it was best to leave n alone for now. She had heard that it was not good to disturb an Awakened when they were meditating. The entire room was chilly...so he was probably using a Breathing Method.


    Therefore, she closed the door and left. Leaving him be. Although she still did wonder what those Symbols meant and why there were everywhere. She would just ask n when he was free.


    *Thud*


    She closed the door and left.

 Chapter 261 [261] The Balance, And The Destruction.

    Yes, I know this feeling.


    This...special feeling...that emerged previously when I tried the [Supreme Ice Dragons Breath]


    ...But it seems...so more now?


    It''s more profound, more...vivid.


    The feeling of being connected with the Universe itself...so great.


    The feeling of being connected to the universe, If I had to describe it, it is a deep sense of oneness and interconnectedness with all that exists in the cosmos. It is a profound awareness that we are not separate individuals, but rather part of an intricate web of energy and matter, constantly in flux and motion, where every action and thought has a ripple effect on the whole. Where everything is connected...where ''I'' am connected to everything


    This sense of connection arises from an understanding of the fundamental principles of the universe, such as thew of cause and effect, the interconnectedness of all things, and the impermanence of everything. It is thew, the Astral Law...But when did I know this?


    Being connected to the universe is a source of profound joy, peace, and purpose, as it allows me to see everything as part of something greater than ourselves and to align our actions with the greater good. It is an invitation to live in harmony with the universe, to embrace our interconnectedness, and to contribute to the evolution and well-being of all that exists.


    Even though I stare at the vacuum that is the infinite cosmos...I can breathe. It is as if every cell of my being is breathing into this energy...This Infinite energy.


    What has happened? I remember the effects of the [Supreme Ice Dragon''s breath.] It was not like this.


    The Supreme Ice dragon''s Breath made me feel an energy of frost, it made me feel the temperature of space, cold. It showed me the frost and Cold that is present even in the presence of stars... This is not like this?


    [The Bnce in your body is distorted.]


    This is different.


    I turned my head to see my frost world, And it was not the same size as before.


    It had grown...If at first, it was the size of The tallest building on Earth...Now it seems as if it is asrge as the moon.


    In this vast expanse of space, a celestial body of breathtaking beauty suspended with elegance was a moon of ice. Formed in the frigid reaches of the cosmos, it shimmers like a diamond in the sky, reflecting the faint light of distant stars...?


    Its surface is a pristine white, glistening in the sunlight like freshly-fallen snow. As I drew closer, I could see the intricate patterns etched into the ice, like a delicatece woven by the hands of some great cosmic artisan. Each crevice and ridge tells a story of eons gone by, of the violent forces that shaped this world into what it is today. So...mesmerizing.


    But beneath its frozen exterior lies a heart of fire, hidden within its core. A fire that gave it a unique light. A Blue me that was its center, a me that gave it a unique presence, a unique mystique. It was what gave it its light. I was wrong, It was not the distant stars. It was the fire within this pristine moon of frost, The astral me that shimmered in the cosmos, expressing its beauty with full grandeur. A hollow, empty yet fulfilling beauty.


    As I gazed upon this frozen moon, I was struck by its sheer otherworldly beauty. Here, amidst the cold vastness of the cosmos, I had found a true marvel of nature, a testament to the power and wonder of the universe. A manifestation of my power...of Frost, of Ice.


    I remembered Miss Elena''s words...


    ''Frost, my dear n, is not just a natural urrence that happens when water vapor freezes onto surfaces. In many cultures and belief systems, it is viewed as a supernatural element, a power to be revered and respected.


    Imagine a world where the air turns frigid and still, where the ice creeps across the ground like a living thing, and where each breath you takees out in a cloud of mist. In such a world, frost would be seen not just as a sign of winter''s arrival, but as an embodiment of a powerful force, a force that can both create and destroy. Isn''t it beautiful n?


    It is a power that can freeze even the warmest of hearts, bringing the icy chill of loneliness and istion. It is a harbinger of death and decay, a reminder of the relentless march of time. But it is also a force of creation, bringing sparkling beauty to a world that might otherwise be barren and lifeless.


    Even in In many ancient cultures, frost was seen as a supernatural element, a power that could be invoked to bring blessings or curses upon thend. Shamans and wise women would use frost to heal sickness, conjure visions, andmunicate with the spirits of the dead. n, the power of frost, the power of the element of Ice is great. Each and every element is so profound, so vague yet so powerful. So mystical yet so Clear.


    Take Norse Mythology as an example, Although most do not know of it now, It was a mythology that attracted my Interest.


    In Norse mythology, for example, the frost giant Ymir was the primordial being from which the world was created, and frost yed a central role in the shaping of the natural world. In this sense, frost represents the power of creation, the raw potential that exists within all things.


    So, my dear student, do not dismiss the power of frost as a mere natural phenomenon. It is a force to be reckoned with, capable of both great blessing and great destruction. It is a reminder of the power and beauty of nature, and of the mysteries that lie beyond our understanding.


    It is a power of life and death. That is frost. A fundamental aspect of the universe, just as fire and warmth are as important to life. Frost and Cold are the same.''


    [The bnce remains disturbed.]


    I didnt understand most of what she said at that time...But now I get it.


    I moved closer to my frost Moon, Its grandeur attracted me. It became so small that it could fit in the palm of my hand.


    This is not the Supreme Ice Dragon''s breath.


    This is different. This is more fulfilling. This is more familiar. This is mine. This is me.


    I held the Frost moon, It was all I could see. It was all I could see.


    So this is frost. This...feeling of cold. A cold that is so destructive yet so peaceful A Frost that follows my Will.


    In here...I can do it. This is not as painful as I had expected. I had expected low-rank Manastorm to assault me. I had expected great pain as soon as I entered. But this feeling offort is definitely not pain. I feel as if I can stay here indefinitely. For all time, In this peaceful, in this...ce...in this Home.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I can feel the energy of the cosmos, it''s infinite energy...It''s Powerful energy.


    I gazed at the moon of frost between my hands...and I knew what I must do.


    "So I must Guide it..."


    I could hear my voice even in this vast cosmos, It was guiding me, it was telling me.


    TO guide the energy, to the moon of frost. To guide the infinite energy it possesses to strengthen myself.


    And so, I closed my eyes and siphoned the energy of this cosmos, Of my cosmos into the Moon of Frost.


    With my closed eyes, I felt it more vividly and began to guide it. To erge this moon into a.


    [Cosmic Breath[?] has been activated.]


    [Supreme Ice Dragon''s Breath[*******] has been assimted by the Breath of Cosmos[?].]


    *****************


    [In the realm Of Death, In Ariel''s Realm.]


    A white dragon, possessing a feminine frame along with pieces of ice on its body was sleeping peacefully.


    It was in a deep sleep, It was to be expected. This was the only ce where the power of the Abyss would not dare so easily approach. Ariel, A ''Primordial'' Dragon, Was enough to ward off the Conscious of the Abyss. And hence guaranteeing her daughter''s safety.


    Her massive body was sorge that Lanesha, the Supreme Dragon of ice was leaning against it. And by no means could Lanesha be called small.


    Suddenly, Lanesha''s eyes opened wide, And she stood up.


    She felt it, n had activated the Supreme Ice Dragon''s Breath. But it was different. She felt an energy of frost unfamiliar to her. Energy so profound, so fulfilling that it was unknown to her, the Supreme Dragon of frost.


    What is this frost? What is this energy? she wondered.


    [Don''t you feel it Lanesha?]


    She heard her mother''s voice. The Primordial Dragon of Death, Ariel spoke to her.


    [I...don''t?]


    Answered Lanesha, Even her status as Supreme did not give her the answer.


    [It is the source of all energy, The source of our power. One of the sources of all elements.]


    Her mother''s words were vague, they were...Confusing.


    [It is the very energy of the Universe, Of the cosmos itself. Rivaled only by The Energy of Chronos.]


    Lanesha''s eyes widened.


    [One of the pirs of everything in and out of existence. It is this power, that is moving because of one Individual.]


    Said Ariel.


    [n?]


    Lanesha asked, and Ariel Answered her.


    [Yes. Aranus birthed a monster greater than even himself.]


    Ariel said but chose not to speak the following words.


    All he needs is time, And who knows what will happen.


    There was a smirk on her face...


    ''So what will you bring? Will you be like Aranus, fooled into bringing extinction? Will you be the like Jade snake? Or will you be something else entirely?''


    Only time will tell.

 Chapter 262 [262] Against The Odds.

    In the midst of a bustling mall, chaos erupted as a battle between Sabrina and the Rogue Wind Elemental breaks out. Shoppers scream and scatter, knocking over disys and fleeing for their lives as the two opponents trade blows. Debris flies everywhere as the people rush to safety, some even viewing the ongoing battle.


    *CRACKLE*CRACKLE*


    Sabrina, crackling with electricity, darts around the central za of the mall, trying in vain to get a handle on her opponent. The Wind Elemental, full of contempt, toys with her, tossing her around like a rag doll with powerful gusts of wind and sts of air that send her flying across space. The raging winds of tempest throw her around, and her best efforts at trying to get in an attack are also in vain.


    She unleashes massive bolts of lightning, hoping to strike true, but the Rogue Elemental simply dodges and weaves around her attacks, always just a step ahead. The air in the mall grows thick with energy, and the lights flicker and dim as the two opponents unleash an unrelenting barrage of elemental power. The Rogue wind elemental''s wind batters Sabrina.


    ''...I need to buy time...''


    [n!]


    She thought, and called for her bodyguard. She knew she was outmatched in this battle, so calling for her monstrous bodyguard was the appropriate choice. He could teleport here with ease and y the Rogue wind elemental. Yet she received no response.


    Despite her best efforts, she is outmatched. The Rogue Elemental is too fast, too agile, too powerful for her to gain the upper hand. Slowly but surely, she is worn down, taking blow after blow until she is battered and bruised. Each bolt and each single target skill of hers is unable to pierce the Wind elemental''s protective winds. It attacked her with a flurry of wind des, each of which harmed Sabrina greatly.


    [n...!] But yet again, no response from her bodyguard.


    ''...of all the times he had to be sleeping...It had to be now!'' Shemented her luck. Her knees crumbled as her blood seeped into her clothes, drop by drop it fell to the ground, as she did as well.


    Seeing that Sabrina was defeated, the Wind Elemental stops its attacks, hovering in the air, waiting for her next move. For a moment, there is silence in the mall, broken only by the sound of the wind howling through the corridors and storefronts. A low howl escapes from it. Augh.


    ''...So it was treating me as a toy?''


    What terrible luck... She had to meet the one monster which was extremely resistant to the attribute of Lightning... Worst of all, she couldn''t even use her strongest Field skills due to fear of identally hurting the civilians around.


    The only option she had was the Darkness element...But no.


    Her body quivered as she thought about it. She did...not want the Element to corrupt her.


    ''Anything...but that. If it wants to y with me...then let it be so.''


    She can do only this...Make a final desperate attempt for a ''strong attack''. If it seeded, she would win. If not, she would just protect herself with Mana as it yed with her like a ragdoll. She makes a desperate lunge, unleashing a massive wave of lightning that ms into the Elemental with electrifying force. For a moment, it looks like she might have won, but the Elemental simply shrugs it off and retaliates with a final, devastating st of wind that sends the Mage tumbling across the ground.


    She crashed into the wall...Although she enhanced her body with Mana, it was useless...She still felt pain. Immense pain.


    [...wake...up...please.]


    She tried to contact n again with the spatial Bond, but just like all the other times...She Failed.


    And her final hope was crushed as well. The rogue Wind elemental did not y with her as a toy as she had expected. It onlyughed.


    It raised its hand high up in the air, and a torrent of wind des gathered into it.


    This was it...This was how it was going to end her.


    ''...so this is how I die?''


    she thought as she gazed at the attack that was charging with only one eye, her vision bloody.


    ...Damn...this isn''t how I wanted to go.


    ''Sorry...mom...Sorry da-''


    "Take this you bitch!"


    Interrupting her dying words, was a shout apanied by a Giant, Archaic sword of Light that stabbed the wind elemental. Finally, some damage was done.


    The Elemental screamed in pain, its attack, which was being charged up was interrupted and now backfired on it.


    The sword of light disappeared and in its ce, multiple spears of light stabbed the elemental, although they weren''t as strong. They still did the damage. It focused its attention on the attacker, A Golden haired girl with a bleeding nose, her hand held high, a Magic circle emanating from it.


    It roared at her and began its enraged attack.


    "Here, Come with me!"


    As Sabrina was unable to move, she could only gaze at the battle. But then she heard a familiar voice. Mary, who ine had gone to find, was here.


    Her eyes warned her to run away. A normal person shouldn''t be near a monster with mana because even being near was dangerous. And she didnt know how she managed to avoid the Smaller Wind Elementals.


    "We have to go, hurry!"


    With Sabrina''s arm on her shoulder, she ran as fast as she could to safety, Sabrina practically limping.


    "What are you doing?! Use Darkness and help me! Who cares about the corruption If we''re all gonna die?!"


    Sabrina heard ine''s shout, with her vision gradually fading she could barely understand it but...


    She was afraid, to put it simply. her eidetic memory kept making her see the scenes of her unclepletely falling into the Darkness...it tormented her.


    Her memories collided with her thoughts. She contemted and contemted...Like a movie, her trauma went on inside her head.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A smaller wind elemental had attacked just then! Mary barely avoided the wind scythe, but Sabrina and she were now separated.


    She couldn''t make anything out. Sabrina''s senses dulled as time flew.


    She saw the Wind Elemental slowly approach Mary, as Mary backed up to a wall.


    It attacked, and Mary closed her eyes in fright.


    And then it happened.


    A whip of darkness interrupted the scythe, and more tendrils of Darkness wrapped around the Wind elemental.


    It screamed in pain as its body corroded away, its very mana core, eroded by darkness.


    It died painfully, and Mary tried to help Sabrina get back up after its death. She couldn''t approach her, the air around her was foul, and the Darkness Energy emanating from her corroded everything around her.


    "That''s it! just make an opening for me!"


    ine''s mana-enhanced shout was all Sabrina could hear.


    She raised her hand towards the rogue wind elemental, her blurry vision was making it hard to see.


    But her target was big enough for her not to care.


    All she needed to do was create an Opening.


    [You have cast the Magic: ''Spear of Darkness]


    [You do not possess the skill, Power is proportional to input Mana and affinity, along with an understanding of the darkness Element.]


    A spear of darkness, nothing as the world had seen, erupted from Sabrina''s Hands. The spear was as big as a Car, and it made its way to the wind Elemental with great speed.


    It collided with the elemental and eroded its winds. Its protective armor of wind was gone. Revealing its core, a core asrge as a human overflowing with Wind attributed mana.


    ''This is my chance.''


    ine, With her eyes, ears, and nose bleeding due to overuse of skills couldn''t handle thought upon seeing the opportunity presented before her.


    The wind elemental''s cries of pain shook the mall, it fought off the darkness invading its body, but like a parasite, the darkness only continued to expand.


    But it stopped soon, As The owner of the Darkness, had passed out. Unable to continue any longer. Mary carried the unconscious Sabrina away when the darkness moved away.


    From ine''s hand, arge magic circle of golden light emerged, decorated with intricate and archaic patterns, the magic circle expanded. And a Sword Of light, stronger than any she had ever conjured appeared.


    [Sword Of Judgement (S) has been cast.]


    A skill she couldn''t use unless she wanted severe damage to be done to her. Just using this skill would have a great price to pay. The Sword Of judgment was nearly out. Enough to smite the rogue elemental. She couldn''t use it to its full potential, but now, with the protective wind gone, she could kill it.


    And just then, just as the Sword of judgment was going to beunched, An impact from behind hit ine''s neck, canceling the Skill.


    ''...what?''


    She fell to the ground, slowly losing consciousness. The final sight she saw was of a hooded figure, wearing a ck mask. But that mask could not hide his Wolf-like eyes.


    ''...That was close.''


    The hooded figure thought. He gazed at the rogue Wind Elemental, gathering it''s barrier once again.


    ''We need as many bodies as we can...But I should ensure the survival of these two.''


    He thought, Considering the status of ine and Sabrina, if they died here everything would go down. They couldn''t let the Wellington and Titan guilds investigate this issue.


    He carried ine''s body, and was about to go to Sabrina...but just then he heard a peculiar noise. The noise of a weapon which was rarely used Nowadays. The sound of a gunshot.


    *BANG!*


    He looked back at the Elemental and saw its core cracking, the Bullet urately hitting it even in this wind.


    His eyes opened wide in Surprise...and he heard another Gunshot. This time the bullet hit him, right in the head...breaking his mask. The impact was great enough to make him drop the unconscious ine.


    "Gah!"


    He collected himself, and as he saw the wind Elemental dying so soon, He made fining the Shooter the next problem.


    ''I wasn''t supposed to use this now!... But fuck it!''


    He reached inside his robe and took out a Purple stone the size of his palm, just the energy the stone releases was foul. And he threw this Stone towards the Wind Elemental, towards it core.


    And the Core and the stonebined with one another...giving birth to an entirely new monster. As the Hooded man grabbed ine and ran.

 Chapter 263 [263] Ex-Sniper.

    "Like I''m telling you, We are doing our very best to infiltrate the barrier and rescue the citizens inside!"


    "It has been quite a while since the dungeon break had urred, How long will you dy this?!"


    "Are your Magicians ipetent?!"


    The vice leader of SilverWolf, Mark was overwhelmed by the sudden questions of the reporters. There was now a crowd outside the mall, And although he could handle this...It was something else that was worrying him.


    He couldn''t hold on for long. Thew will not let him. He couldn''t hold the guilds that wanted to enter back for long. The World government had long since passed legition that required that other guilds enter the territory of another Guild a fixed time after the dungeon break had urred to prevent further losses. OR when the guild was facing trouble in resolving the dungeon break, They were obligated to enter or face dire consequences.


    ...Only a little more time is left until other guilds could enter the area easily.


    ''...I need to stall for as long as possible.''


    It didnt matter if the other guilds came, He just needed to stall for time. That was the order he was given. It was best for SilverWolf to let the other guilds enter and take care of the dungeon after the time limit was crossed, It would be good for them as they needed most of their forces. It would be best not to reduce them here.


    Just Stall for time.


    That was his goal, for as long as possible. Even if other guilds entered he needed to stall for as much time as possible. The problem was these reporters.


    They were annoying him to a great degree. He was barely holding back the urge to kill them all.


    "Please Understand, the dungeon break is of rather high rank. Our magicians are doing their very best."


    All lies, everything that came out of his mouth was a lie, made only to stall for time. In Reality, the Silverwolf guilds magicians were actually just doing nothing and just pretending.


    ''...Only for a few more minutes...''


    Then He would be free of these reporters.


    He sighed, thinking that only a little while was left. And then he saw it.


    A shadow went over him in Seconds, He looked up and saw A Motorbike.


    A MotorBike that was clunky, armored but still fast. And produced no sound at all whilst traveling. And riding this motorbike was a man covered in Body Armour, Suited to his build. Providing the maximum amount of protection without limiting his movements. A full ck body armor, And on his face was a gas mask that was part of the armor. And On his back was arge case.


    As swift as lightning, the motorbike flew in the air. Something shot out of it. A ck ball collided with the barrier of wind surrounding the mall. And Dispelled a small portion of it.


    Enough for the vehicle to enter.


    And it entered. In front of everyone''s shocked faces, an unknown man had entered the mall whilst Silverwolfs magicians couldn''t.


    ...Seeing the sight, Mark had only one thought in his mind.


    ''...Fuck I''m dead.''


    *****


    [Mathew Pator PoV]


    I entered the Mall, and although getting past all of those people was hard, I hope I''m not toote.


    ''Just Wait, I''ming.''


    I thought to myself as I prayed that my wife and granddaughter were safe...I don''t know what I would do if something happened to him.


    I just got my family back...I will not lose my grandchildren as I lost my own Child.


    Never.


    I took out my gun, a Desert Eagle that packed enough power to easily shatter bones. It reminded me of my old days, This Desert Eagle had special bullets, made specifically to kill monsters.


    The only problem was that this tech is Old, And I don''t know the rank of the monsters here.


    I should just try to not engage with monsters and try to find my family. If I have to fight, I must finish it quickly.


    I took out a tracker which showed Amanda''s position. And From there I was d she was on the outskirts of the mall. And She was safe and standing still.


    A sigh of relief escaped my mouth as I made sure that she was Alive.


    ''I should hurry...I shouldn''t let Sam be traumatized. Not again.''


    I started to make my way toward their location. But something is Odd.


    All over the ce, In the halls, and corridors. I find blood and guts, But no bodies.


    ''The monsters ate them probably.''


    I thought to myself, the survivors should just be hiding in Shops and other safe areas.


    I made my way towards them, and then I reached the Central za. Where a fight was going on, between a huge Wind Elemental and A ck-haired Girl wielding Lightning. I didnt recognize her...although I think I had seen that face somewhere before...But I knew she was losing. My memory is foggy because of my age.


    ''Not my Priority.''


    I don''t know her, and considering she''s awakened. It''s best I leave her alone. She can run away when she wants to...especially because she has the lightning element.


    I avoided the Central za swarming with Smaller wind Elementals and The Large one and took a detour. Fighting the smaller Wind Elementals would just take too long.


    I made my way up the stairs...and that''s when I wondered.


    "...Wait."


    Wind Elementals don''t eat people...? They don''t feed on flesh. They are elemental beings that feed on Mana.


    This was definitely suspicious, But I have no time to think about it. My family is in Danger. Darn this old body, if only I was a little younger I could run faster.


    On the way there, I encountered a wind elemental. I cursed at my Luck.


    The monster roared before sending a wind de in my direction. I dodged the de and Shot at it. However, the bullet was unable to reach its core, and only broke the Surrounding Wind Shield. Seeing it, I took out my knife and rushed towards it, I shot once again.


    *BANG!* With the small opening created by the Bullet, I stabbed at its core, as the raging winds around it smashed against my body. Thankfully I had BodyArmour on or else I would have been killed already. But it still hurts.


    It hurts a lot. Gritting my teeth, I ran towards my Wife And Granddaughters'' location. And I found them quickly. They were hidden in a Watch Store, The windows were broken and I could see a Wind Elemental inside. Everyone was probably in hiding.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But I could see them. In front of my granddaughter was my wife, And they were both trapped. The Wind elemental approached them whilst it was preparing a Wind de to kill them. I could see my granddaughter''s tears and My wife''s desperate eyes.


    I didn''t think, I just shot.


    *BANG!*BANG!*


    I unloaded bullet after bullet at the damn thing, And I thankfully attracted its attention. It would take too long to reload my gun now. I took out a sword. Not just any sword, but a Chainsaw sword, A long razor-sharp de with jagged teeth of the hardest steel, the tips of the teeth were made from the Magic Stones of a D+ rank monster.


    I pressed the button and activated the de. And rushed at the beast threatening to kill my family.


    I dodged the wind des it threw at me barely, my old body it too slow...


    I reached it and shed downwards, the force emitted by the Chainsaw Sword was enough to tear apart its windshield and break its core.


    "...Mathew?"


    Amanda called out to me as I yed the monster. I hurriedly said.


    "Where''s Samantha''s wheelchair?! We need to get out of here now!"


    My voice wasced with worry.


    "Her wheelchair was destroyed. You need to carry her!"


    "Grandpa!"


    She said as Samantha cried out. There was arge wound on her legs, Thankfully it wasn''t too deep and the blood had already clotted.


    "Don''t worry, Grandpa''s here...Come on. Let''s get out of here."


    Samantha was crying, most likely terrified of what was happening. She was a young child. I need to get her out of here quickly. With Samantha on my back, I made my way towards the Exit.


    I still have another Magic Cancelling Device...it should be enough to make way for us.


    As we made our way towards the Exit.


    "Mathew. Let me take Samantha to a safe ce. You can fight. We Can''t let that girl die."


    Suddenly, Amanda spoke to me. I knew what she was implying. She always had a soft heart.


    And she was true. That ck-haired girl was still fighting the LArge Wind Elemental in the central za. I could help her...Especially since I have my Sniper Rifle with me.


    "You two are my priority."


    But no, I refuse to let them go alone.


    "Grandpa! Please fight!"


    ...Why you too? You should be the one crying and begging me to go to safety.


    "Mathew, She''s been fighting for quite a while. She made sure to buy enough time for people to hide... Trust me, I''ll go hide with Sam... Please help her."


    ...I didnt want to. Yet they pestered me too. I wondered what gave Amanda and Samantha this courage.


    Fucking hell.


    "Take this..."


    I handed my wife my Desert Eagle and my knife. At least she will have something to protect herself with.


    She showed a slight smile as I agreed to fight. But I can''t help it. They are right. People are dying every second.


    "...Please be safe."


    I still had my doubts. I handed her a grenade as well as a smoke bomb for extra safety...But I still feel unsure.


    I patted Samantha''s head as I said.


    "Grandpa will be back. Go hide and don''t make a noise...Ok?"


    She listened quietly, nodding her head with conviction. She''s too mature for her age.


    As I saw my Wife depart with Sam on her back...I prayed for their Safety.


    "Now..."


    I put the case I was holding in my arm Down And opened it.


    Whilst I was doing this, the ck-haired girl had lost and was about to die, but another girl intervened.


    I took out my Sniper, the strongest weapon I had, and began shooting the smaller wind elementals. I knew where their core was. So I was one-shotting them. I don''t need to aim with my scope here anyway.


    This was the strongest weapon I had. And it proved its worth. As the battle continued I saw a Red haired girl taking the ck haired one away, while the Blonde one distracted the Large Wind Elemental.


    I shot as many of the Elementals chasing them, but I missed one.


    "Shit!" I cursed.


    But then, As I was about to go to a better ce with a better vision...A spear of Darkness shot forth from the small passageway they had entered in from. And it destroyed the Boss Elemental''s wind shield. Seeing this golden opportunity I aimed my sniper at the exposed core as I Saw the Blonde haired girl preparing arge spell to smite it.


    ''...Do I need to shoot?''


    I wondered, seeing that the amount of Mana being released from the Blonde girl was so immense, it would kill the wind elemental. I still kept my sniper aimed at the core for good measure.


    And thankfully I did. Because the girl was interrupted by a hooded figure who knocked her unconscious. Seeing this, I immediately shot the core and then aimed at the Hooded figure...I aimed at his head and shot... But he survived.


    He dropped the girl though, And as I was about to shoot another bullet aimed at his throat this time...He threw something at the Wind Elemental.


    And I regretted my choice of listening to my family and staying back to fight...the moment that purple stone made contact with the Wind Elemental. I should have left...I...I...


    I regretted that damned choice deeply.

 Chapter 264 [264]Chaos Turns Anew.

    It was a Chain Reaction. Mathew saw the ominous purple stone flying toward the Core of the Rogue Wind elemental.


    It was as if everything was in slow motion. Mathew could feel that the stone was dangerous. But he failed to stop it. The stone flew in the air and made contact with the Green, almost shattered core of the Rogue Wind Elemental.


    And then it happened. The green core and purple stone mixed with one another, and A Purple Cloud erupted.


    "...NO!"


    Mathew yelled, He knew what was happening now. The monster would be enhanced with the most fearsome element known to Man.


    One that had a reputation even worse than the element of Darkness. It was the element of...


    Chaos.


    The Cloud erupted forth and caused a massive shockwave. It collided with Mathew and sent him flying. He collided with the wall.


    "Gah!"


    Blood seeped out from his suit, And he fell unconscious.


    A new monster had been born...A monster much more terrifying than the Rogue Wind Elemental.


    [Chaos Wind Elemental]


    [Rank: B]


    [Description:


    A Chaos Wind Elemental monster is a fearsome creature born of the darkest of storms. Its form is ever-changing, with wild gusts of wind blowing intricate patterns of sand and debris into a twisting mass that takes on different shapes and sizes.


    At its core, the elemental is a vortex of howling winds, lightning, and thunder, surrounded by a bank of dark, ominous clouds that provide cover for the creature to strike without warning.


    Despite its terrifying appearance, the Chaos Wind Elemental is not simply a force of nature. It possesses a malevolent intelligence and seems to take pleasure in causing destruction and chaos wherever it goes.


    While not immune to physical damage, the Chaos Wind Elemental can be challenging to defeat. It constantly shifts and reforms, making it hard tond a solid blow. Its winds can also disorient and confuse those fighting it, leaving them stumbling and vulnerable.


    The only way to truly vanquish a Chaos Wind Elemental is to disrupt the chaotic energy that sustains it. However, this requires a rare and powerful magic that few possess, making the creature a fearsome and difficult foe to face.


    Furthermore, the Chaos energy it emits is harmful to most living beings not ustomed to Chaos. ]


    Such a being had now been born...And Chaos will ensue.


    ********


    "Samantha!Samantha!"


    Amanda Pator screamed with worry and despair as she Saw Samantha''s body suddenly spasm.


    They were suddenly doing fine until a while ago. They had both found a ce to hide and it was safe.


    Whilst they were hiding, Amanda prayed that her husband was ok and doing fine...And then this happened.


    Samantha''s body suddenly started spasming, she was fine until a while ago.


    Dark energy surrounded her body as the girl screamed in Pain.


    The roar of a monster was heard all across the mall...and then Even Amanda''s body started to hurt. She spat blood out of her mouth...And then fell unconscious a secondter...


    "Sam..."


    Thest thing she saw before falling unconscious was the dark energy ravaging Samantha''s body.


    ******


    "HAHAHAH!"


    A wildughter escaped the hooded figure as he saw the being that was created from his Actions.


    On his shoulders were the two girls, Sabrina and ine, unconscious, Whereas Mary was nowhere to be found. The hooded figure had taken these two and disregarded everyone else.


    He cast a barrier over them, one that would make sure the Chaos Wind elemental would not approach them...and then waited for Chaos to ur whilst staying nearby for a while.


    "I should get going now...The time limit should have been reached."


    He said, before making preparations to leave.


    Just as he was about to leave...The sound vanished. The sound of the raging barrier of wind had disappeared and he wondered why.


    "...Did reinforcementse already?"


    He wondered... This is not right. It would have taken some time to destroy the barrier. Not instantly like this... Someone with overwhelming power equal to him would be required.


    And then he heard ss cracking...and ominous energy enveloped the entire area.


    The ss above the central za, the only ss in the entire mall which was somehow left untouched was broken.


    As he looked up to see why...His eyes met with the eyes of an awakened he knew of. The same awakened responsible for the destruction of an Entire Guild here.


    Abyssal ck eyes, devoid of any emotion or life. ck Jewels that reflected no light.


    His wolf-like eyes shed with those Darkened Jewels...


    And he ran, he ran as fast as he could the moment ''He'' entered.


    Kazikatio Shimoshino, The Death Predator, Was here.


    ******<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "KAOOOOO!"


    The chaos Elemental roared as it saw its foe, a being emanating the Energy of Death, Darkness, and Shadows.


    Kazikato, during His descent, brandished his chained sickles and enhanced his body with the Mana of Death, He sent a Spear of Darkness at the Chaos Elemental, who dodged it and responded with a flurry of Chaotic wind des.


    He shed at the des, His own weapons coated with the power of death.


    ''Shame I can''t transform.''


    He said as he blocked the attacks of the Wind Elemental.


    [Kazikato Shimoshino POV]


    I attacked the Chaos Wind Elemental with a flurry of Death Strikes, each however was too weak to cause it any damage. I wondered if this is because of its constantly shifting body.


    No matter, I can still take it head-on. Although it does suck that I can''t transform. Boss n told me not to, So I shouldn''t really do it. Well, I did make a mistake back in Japan. So I guess I am to me.


    It''s a shame he couldn''te, this would have already ended if Boss n came.


    I dodged the flurry of Attacks that it delivered to me, as I shed periodically, trying to find an Opening.


    [Kazikato.]


    From the earpiece, I could Hear Alice''s voice. Instructing me about what to do and what not to do.


    [Dodge all of its attacks, don''t let any of them hit you whatsoever. The power of chaos will disrupt your Mana.]


    "Got it."


    I said to her as I circled the monster, My eyes and it''s met. And we both shared an exchange of long-ranged attacks.


    The power of Death canceled out the Chaos, but I shouldn''t take chances against anything. Alice did tell me to be careful.


    As I thought this, I knew, No I could hear The Primordial Dragon Of Death Ariel''s disappointment towards me.


    ''Sorry Grandma, I''m not so strong that I can disregard it.''


    I said to her.


    [Which Is why I will be training you personally soon. Finish that bacteria now.]


    I heard hermands and sighed as I got ready to execute them.


    [You should finish it quickly. There are still people in the Building. The Chaos Element is rampaging around the entire mall. Normal people can''t handle it. Finish it in one attack.]


    "Ok."


    I said to both Alice and Ariel. I used the element of Darkness to propel me in the Air and Float.


    From there, As I erected barriers to protect me whilst I charged my attack. I began as the Chaos Elemental started to charge up an attack too.


    Iughed, Iughed at its attempt to stop me.


    Maybe If I wasn''t here, this thing would have wreaked havoc. Even raid teams would have trouble due to the annoying element of Chaos that surrounds this being.


    But not me.


    I gathered the energy of Death as my sickles transformed into a Large Scythe, And It gathered the energy of chaos in its mouth. Ready tounch a breath-type attack.


    The energy of death surrounded the Mall, As A Large skull appeared above me.


    [Seven Strikes Of death[7-star]]


    ----|||Second Movement.|||------


    ----Strike Of Despair------


    The energy of the skull transmigrated into the Scythe, and I shed down.


    The chaos breath came earlier, but my strike cut it in half, and the Chaos Wind Elemental followed suit.


    *******


    [Outside the Mall.]


    "Twilight guild''s Kazikato Shimoshino, Also known as the Predator of Death has entered, along with a rescue team. I assure you that we will take care of this matter swiftly."


    Maxwell, addressed the crowd as a reporter held a microphone near his mouth. His voice was calm and soothing, which gave the crowd some relief.


    Twilight, along with the smaller guilds had appeared, and although everybody thought it would take some time. Thankfully Kazikato just brute forced his way through the barrier and broke it with his Martial Art.


    "What are your thoughts on Silver Wolf Guild''s management of the situation?"


    The reporter asked.


    "Well, it''s natural for people to make mistakes. Furthermore, not everyone is as strong as our members to break the barrier in an ''instant''."


    Said Maxwell, throwing verbal jabs at Silverwolf guild. All while the guild in Question could only watch.


    ''It''s strange, Magicians of their caliber should have been able to destroy the barrier in a few dozen minutes...So why did it take so long?''


    Maxwell wondered as he addressed the public... But soon arge tremor was felt. After which Alice came and informed him.


    "It''s done."

 Chapter 265 [265] Heartbreak.

    The attack on the dungeon mall had ended quite quickly after Twilight had shown up. The various Small Guilds had allied with Twilight and had gone in as rescue teams to save the others. Twilight had the greatest contributions, swiftly dealing with the Chaos Wind Elemental, which was deemed to be a city-level Threat. Its initial rank was low, but the element of chaos it possessed. Many people who were trapped in the building had been injured greatly because of it even though they were hiding. The chaos energy had seeped into their bodies and caused great harm. Thankfully it was only a weak chaos elemental. Twilight had been praised greatly because they handled the situation swiftly. Kazikato Shimoshino, the Death Reaper, had defeated the Beast in one hit.


    Thanks to that, Twilight was getting more famous in Aror. Whilst the guilds in the Beast guild alliance headed by the White Tiger Guild were staying Silent, whilst the public admonished them. Now, because of Kazikato Shimoshino recently defeated the threat. He had more fame than n. That was given, n didnt really participate in anything whilst Kazikato did most of the work. n was busy with something else.


    3 days had passed since the incident...And n was still meditating. He was a ticking time bomb to Twilight now.


    "Is...He still meditating?"


    Maxwell asked Alice as he rubbed his forehead.


    "Yes...How are we going to break the news to him?"


    Maxwell, hearing her sighed...


    He was a ticking time bomb. The recent incident had caused damage to a lot of people...


    the moment n found out...about the special news. There was a high chance he would go ballistic.


    "Have Kazikato on standby...he''s the only one who stands a chance against him."


    "Yes..."


    Alice replied and left the office.


    "Haa...."


    Maxwell sighed as he looked at the files on his desk, reading them thoroughly again and again.


    He had sent someone to go get the information from Crimson Snake since both Sabrina and n couldn''t go. Sabrina was injured as well, although she had recovered. ine as well was also staying with them now after she recuperated. It was a hassle to keep them. but hopefully, q they could calm down a Raging n Pator.


    n''s Grandparents were fine, Twilight had administered the highest quality Aid to them. They were found at the


    The problem was something else, n''s Sister Samantha...was unconscious and lying in a special ward here...


    That was a major problem. n treasured her over anything else. Immensely. The chaos energy emitted by the Chaos Wind Elemental had injured her greatly. It had caused a great reaction to the curse already present within Samantha. This...was dangerous to her. it was extremely dangerous. It greatly enhanced the effects of the dormant curse.


    Samantha''s condition had somewhat stabilized previously because of the vast amounts of potions and other medicines n sneaked into her diet. It was only a temporary solution, but it didnt work now... Her condition was worsening by the minute. The doctors and healers here were doing their very best...But it was of no use.


    ine Parker, however, had stepped up and was personally healing her...And thanks to that she was still alive. Barely, however.


    "...Fuck."


    Maxwell cursed. The situation was terrible now.


    He hid the files on his desk in his personal Spatial ring...n could not have ess to these. No matter what. If he found out who did this... It would be hell.


    The guildmaster of the Silver Wolf guild, who went by the name of his guild was the cause. Both ine and Kazikato had testified that they saw someone with the eyes of a wolf. Predator-like eyes with a unique...look. ine didnt see the face, but the eyes. And Kazikato had seen part of it. He had a deep rtionship with the Guildmaster of White Tiger as well...And when Maxwell organized the information he received from Crimson snake...Adam White, the guildmaster of White Tiger had a high chance of being involved...


    If n...found out.


    He would raze this city to the ground...He had the power to do that. And he would do that.


    Maxwell prayed that Sabrina and Kazikato could stop him...They were the only hope now. Who knows how many people he would kill...if he found out.


    *Ring!*


    The tel on his desk rang, He pressed a button and said.


    "What is it?"


    [Max...]


    He heard Alice''s panicked voice...and his eyes widened as he assumed the worst.


    And what he assumed was correct.


    [n has exited his meditation...]


    He closed the tel and looked up at the ceiling and cursed.


    "Fuck."


    *****


    [n Pator POV.]


    I...had done it. I had upgraded my world of frost to the size of a. It was not a moon now...But an entire the size of Earth.


    Satisfied, I left. I was going to consult Lanesha about the effects of Supreme Ice Dragons'' breathter when I had the chance.


    I was excited to see what changes had urred to me. What would have happened to my body and my affinity to the Element of Frost?


    And Soo...although I was a little too Sad to leave this ce of calmness... I made up my mind and left.


    It was soothing, It wasfortable to leave. I was d that Lanesha showed me some Mercy when it came to this method now. The entire Mana storm I was expecting had not appeared.


    I was thankful that I didnt have to experience that horrendous pain now.


    I stopped the Mana breathing method.


    And found myself once again in my room. Still covered with the runic incsriptions an my failed attempts at trying to calcte them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I could feel that the temperature around me was low...extremely low. But there was something stopping it.


    A Mana barrier...erected by a person with a lot of skill. It wasn''t harmful to me anyway.


    It just stopped the spread of Ice that resulted whenever I tried the mana Breathing method.


    "Awake?"


    I heard a familiar voice, I knew who this was. Sabrina.


    Apparently, she was here? I responded with a smile on my face as I stretched.


    "Yeah!"


    The training was so helpful. I just couldn''t hide my joy.


    I could feel it...Although I had only advanced one Minor rank, Into C+...I could feel the energy of frost flowing within my body. Like it was my own blood.


    I stood up and looked at her sitting on the couch.


    "How long was I out for? And what are you doing in my room?"


    Somehow...I think her voice...was off.


    it was as if she was hesitating...Hiding something.


    I shrugged it off. Maybe I was just feeling some aftereffects of the training.


    "Three days...And I was just examining the horrible state of your room."


    "Okay..? Anyways, I''m gonna go se-"


    "n..."


    She interrupted me, her voice was telling me that something was off.


    "What is it?"


    I asked her, Wanting to know what was wrong.


    Had something major happened when I was busy training. Well, it had been 3 days...So it does make sense...Somewhat.


    What had happened? Were we attacked by someone? Or Did Aror experience a massive change or something?


    Sabrina looked...Odd. It was as if she was afraid of something...?


    She sighed, before standing up to look at me straight. Her hair was different. She normally had golden ends but now it was pure ck.


    Was that the problem?


    "...It''s about Samantha, Your sister...."


    As I heard her tone...I became alert. Her tone suggested that something was not quite right. Something bad.


    ...Had something bad happened to Samantha while I was training?


    ...I swear if something happened to her... I will kill, rip that bastard to shreds.


    "What happened to her?"


    I asked.


    "...Well. Three days ago, when you went into meditation. Your grandmother and her went to the Mall. I went with my friends as well. A dungeon break had urred.


    Although the break was settled...The boss monster had transformed into a Chaos Being. The energy of Chaos it transmitted caused a reaction with the curse already on her body. It had grea-"


    And that was it. She couldn''tplete her sentence before n already moved.


    She couldn''t even do anything. It was as if...If she moved to stop him. She would die within a second.


    He left the room riddled with incsriptions...And Sabrina could do nothing but watch...Could she help it? No.


    n cared about his sister more than anything in the world. Anything.


    ...She shuddered. She didnt know what he would do.


    If he did go ballistic like Maxwell said he would...Who could stop him?


    In the city of Aror...There was no one she think could. Kazikato may have had a chance...But other than him who?


    If n really did go on the worst case Scenario Massacre like Maxwell Said, where he would stop at nothing to kill the guys that did this...No one could.


    She read about Aror. No one could stop him.


    As she silently stood in his room...still afraid to walk. She just prayed.


    Prayed that the worst case Scenario doesn''t ur.

 Chapter 266 [266] Heartbreak[2]

    I...failed as a brother.


    As I saw her bodyying on the hospital bed...I couldn''t...I just can''t.


    Her already weak and small frame looked even smaller against the stark and sterile surroundings of the room... Her skin was unnaturally pale, she was as skinny as a stick. Each breath she took was shallow...and it was abor to even take a breath. A nket covered her body but even that was useless. Her body still shivered despite the warmth of the room.


    The machines surrounding her hum and beep in a disturbing and eery harmony. A Symphony none would like to hear. Wires and tubes snake around her body like the tentacles of an alien being, monitoring her vital signs and delivering medications. But all for naught. just to dy the inevitable.


    I...Fucking failed.


    I can''t...I can''t.


    The atmosphere here...it feels like the entire world is crashing down on me. on my shoulders.


    She lost her health.


    She lost her hair. Her lovely smile...her yful attitude.


    And I wasn''t even there to save her...Just drowning in peace and solitude that was given to me after a while.


    "...What did you find out?"


    I said, asking the only person in the room with me.


    "Her condition is worsening day by day. The curse has evolved and is torturing her every second. I tried to heal her. I''m not that skilled. So I rmend having her checked by one of Twilight''s best healers...But I don''t think that will do any good. It''s a miracle she was able to live for so long as the curse inside her body is destroying her. To my knowledge, there isn''t anyone on Earth that can heal her. All they can do is Dy the inevitable... She...will die soon."


    ine Parker, one of the best healers there was, even despite her low rank said that...


    "I''ll...give you some time."


    She left the room after saying that.


    And Now I was alone, with the one person I cared most about...about to die.


    She was breathing heavily, Each breath she took, the pain on her face...I can''t take it.


    I gripped my hands as hard as I could. Blood seeped out from my ws digging into the skin of my palms.


    [Dragon Eyes (?) has been activated.]


    My eyes glowed an Astral Hue, I couldn''t stand the thought of having to look at her weak body, knowing that I could have prevented it....But I did.


    I examined her with my own eyes, the eyes of a Dragon. Hoping.


    Praying. That there has to be, there must be a way.


    There needs to be a way!


    ----Status----


    [Name:Samantha Pator(8)]


    Race: Human (Cursed by A demon)


    Curse:???(ENHANCED)


    Strength: G


    Endurance: G


    Agility: G


    Mana: F


    Intelligence:D


    Charm: B(Currently E)


    Affinity:Water(Supreme), Light(Superior)


    Skills: None


    Techniques::None


    Note: The body is in pain and is dying due to a demon''s curse. It is rmended to end it painlessly quickly.


    The host is in severe pain.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    And then I lost it.


    I tried not to, yet my face didnt listen. It morphed and turned into an ugly piece of shit that tried his best to hold back his tears. I tried my very best to not cry but all for naught.


    I tried...I tried to be mature but I just couldnt.


    The tears still came out. Drop by drop, followed by snot, and then cries.


    I tried...I tried...


    ******


    "...Is there truly no way?"


    Sabrina asked as she stood outside the room. Along with Alice, Kazikato, and ine.


    She looked towards ine...But all she received in response was denial.


    "No. Not on this Earth. A very high-ranking demon cursed her long ago. I don''t know the specifics but the only way to cure her is of two ways. We get a healer that is ranked above the demon to cure her...Or find an Elixir strong enough to dispel the curse. Like an Elven tear.


    None of them are avable."


    Her words were like the final judgment of a Judge, Unchangeable and Undeniable.


    And Painful.


    "An Elven tear has the least likely chance to be present on Earth, and even if someone or some family did have it. They wouldn''t give it even if n was willing to be their ve for all life. It''s just far too precious. And...from my estimations, the rank of the Curse is SSS or somewhere along that line.


    There is no healer on Earth able to cure that. There isn''t even any SSS ranked awakened to my knowledge, Forget a Healer."


    "What if we got an Elven tear through an Elf? Some do exist here...on Earth as nomads so it should be poss-"


    Alice was interrupted by Sabrina.


    "An elven tear is something even high Elves can''t easily get ess to. And No High elf would willingly be on Earth."


    "..."


    The truth was cold and hard.


    Alice looked towards Kazikato, who had his head down.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''He must be feeling bad...''


    She thought. It was Kazikato who raided the mall. Maybe he felt bad because he didn''t finish it in time and as a result, this happened.


    Meanwhile, Kazikato was conversing with Ariel. No practically begging her.


    [...Grandma?]


    he asked but got a cold hard reply.


    [No. Do you even know what a true Elven tear is? These humans don''t know what they are talking about.


    It is a magical elixir possessing healing properties unrivaled by any other substance. A legendary brew that is the treasure of the Elven race, closely guarded by Centuries. Even the current king of dragons, Aloaris does not know of it''s recipe. That is how precious it is. Forget about high elves, Even royal elves have a hard time getting it!]


    It is beyond even Legendary!]


    She hit him with the cold hearted truth.


    [Thats a lie.]


    Said kazikato, he knew she was somewhat lying. it was as if it was a sort of instinct.


    [...Can you just give something else to me? Something weaker than an elven tear but enough to cure Boss''s sister?]


    [Kazikato, Have you forgotten?]


    [?]


    [We are dragons. Dragons of ''Death''. The energy of life is repulsive to us. I don''t carry around Medicinal elixirs because of that. Their very energy is repulsive to our existence.]


    Oh yeah...he forgot about that.


    [Even if I did have one...The Laws of Casuality and this goddamned curse will deny my transfer of it to you.]


    Kazikato sighed as his head gradually got lower...


    He med himself for this.


    And then it happened. A pressure that made them unable to move.


    All emanating from the room Samantha was in. And n.


    *******


    [A few moments back]


    At his lowest point, at the lowest point of his mental fortitude his voice was heard.


    [Too bad...no?]


    n''s eyes, which were leaking blood due to his rage became alert as he heard ''his voice''.


    "Fuck off...Or else."


    [Or else what?]


    James taunted him.


    [You can''t do anything to me.]


    A cold hard truth, one after the other.


    n was on the brink of crying, and this bastard appeared.


    He appeared when he was the lowest.


    The world turned red, strings came everywhere.


    [You are inside the domain: Puppeteers Stage.]


    He could not see this message, his head was still drooped down.


    At his weakest point, when he could not resist the strings came and attacked him. When he didnt care about life, about the world. The strings attached to him.


    He could see...a face in front of him. A Face that creeped him out...Horrified him.


    Samantha''s soulless, eyeless maggot-infested face in front of him... An illusion created by ''him''


    She wasn''t dead yet...what is this?


    He wondered...but his voice, his illusions told him other things.


    [You did this.]


    No...


    [You could have stopped this.]


    Yes...


    n''s face contorted...as he saw his very sister''s face in front of him, reanimated as she terrified him.


    Horrifying this was...His already frail mind breaking apart.


    [Don''t you want revenge? You can still save her.]


    And then he begged him...to tell him how.


    He begged that vermin. But could he me? Nothing worked for him. He couldn''t figure out the spatial coordinates to Elvenheim to get an Elven tear. he couldn''t even beat Ezra...the only chance he was able to give to obtain one...he fucked that up as well.


    He grabbed his head as a severe headache came to his mind.


    [The power of the phoenix...give it to her for now. It possesses enough power to ward off the curse for now and help heal her.]


    And he did as asked...it was as if he somehow knew how to do this...


    Perfectly.


    [And get revenge... Don''t you think that it is suspicious? A normal monster suddenly turning into a chaos being? someone was behind this...No?]


    His beautiful astral eyes vanished. The astral hue they emitted reced by a Teal Hue.


    [Rip and tear them to shreds...Until you find who it was. Do anything to even get a lead...and once you find the culprit....]


    ''n'' stood up.


    [~Take your sweet revenge~]

 Chapter 267 [267] Villain.

    What makes a viin?


    Have you ever asked yourself that question?


    What makes a viin is aplex and multifaceted concept explored extensively in the literature and other storytelling mediums. Essentially, a viin is a character who opposes the protagonist or hero in a story. However, the qualities that make a viin effective vary depending on the story''s context and the audience''s expectations.


    A critical trait of a viin is their level of malevolence. A truly viinous character is often portrayed as evil, cruel, or sadistic, taking pleasure in causing harm and suffering to others. They may have their own motivations for their actions, which could be power, revenge, or a twisted sense of justice. Whatever their reasons, a viin''s actions are typically seen as morally reprehensible, and they are often depicted as irredeemable.


    Another trait that makes a viin impactful is their level ofpetence. A skilled viin is often a worthy adversary for the hero, making their defeat all the more satisfying for the audience. Whether through physical prowess, intelligence, or cunning, apetent viin poses a real threat to the hero and the oue of the story. But all of these are just the qualities of a viin


    But...What gives birth to a Viin? Have you ever asked yourself that?


    What makes it so that someone decides to be Evil?  There have been some individuals that have just been born with a psychopathic nature. The so-called Psychopaths from birth who just want to see the World Burn. Their mind is so malformed that they do anything to give them some sort of pleasure, some sort of Recluse. Some sort of ''Salvation.'' The pleasure they will do anything to obtain.


    ''Anything.''


    But then that is just a predestined Viiny, A fate set from birth.


    They are not Viins. Just Mentally ill patients that don''t need help but death.


    So...What makes a viin? What gives birth to a true Viin? What makes it so that someone steps on the Path of Evil?


    The world around them, is the answer. The environment they are in. The odds they are against!


    Every day, hour, minute, second. It is the card they are dealt by life that makes a person...A Viin.


    But what is a Viin defined as? Perspective matters of course. They may be doing something good for everyone, but what if the entire world is full of batshit crazy monkey''s that don''t understand his goals and ideals? He willbel himself as a hero, a savior. But they will call him a viin.


    Isn''t it so fun to read stories, documentaries like this?


    In the end, A Viin is forged from the circumstances he is in, just like a hero is.


    They are two sides of a coin. In every story of a Hero, there is a Viin. ''His'' Viin.


    Possessing an ideology different from the hero''s. And an irond will oppose him. Birthed from the world. That is an interesting viin, that is a viin with depth, character...a TRUE Viin.


    Not necessarily do they have to be Evil to bebeled as such...I just Misunderstood sometimes.


    Take Our dear little Aranus for Example. He was dealt an insanely bad card from Birth.


    Life was just going well for him. Until the Abyss noticed his Talent. It did everything to get a hold of him. No matter what. It first enticed him, coerced him when he was at his lowest point...and then GAH!


    It grabbed ahold of him and ''never'' let go. But can you really me it? The power that Aranus could possess. Thetent potential in him that was so great it could topple the very order, the very rules of this UNIVERSE! It was just too enticing to let go. To just nce at!


    He was perfect, his soul and body...were the perfect vessels for the element of Chaos!


    The power, the affinity his soul and Vessel possessed...Was just far too great! No one could utilize the Element of Chaos better than him! He alone was the one most suitable for it! The one who could truly unlock its potential. Better than even the Abyss himself. So it must have him! IT MUST! So it did. It went to great lengths to obtain him! Tricking even a Supreme Dragon, the King of the Chaos Dragons that was still ''sane''! The only Sane Chaos dragon.


    And just like that, VOILA! It had them both in the palms of its nonexistent, dark hand!


    And just like that, Aranus became the Viin...the one being that brought the entire Universe on the brink of Extinction...not once...not twice!. Not even thrice! Haha! But FIVE HUNDRED FUCKING TIMES! HAHAHA! Isn''t it fucking Hrious?


    But can you say he was a Viin? No...He didn''t want that fate. he was just controlled. Controlled to destroy. Turned into a Puppet. So can he truly be called a Viin?


    Well...yeah but not a true viin. Just a Misunderstood one. So there''s no fun in that.


    But then take me as an example. I''m a viin. I too was forced into this life by the very same World! By the motherfuckers, bitches, bastards absolute pieces of shit of the world that brought me into it. In the end...You could say I am the nd type of viin. The one that is like so from Birth.


    I''m a fucking Psychopath, and I like it. Yeah, my circumstances did contribute but who gives a damn? I know I''m broken but who gives a fuck?


    It''s not the perfect viin. Not the true viin I wanted to be. Just the Mentally Ill kind. The one from Birth. I was born into a family of Psychos...So I just became one to match the environment! Hehe!


    Kekeke...But I''m a perfectionist! Someone who needs to...Who Must see it!


    I need to create it!


    And so I made you!


    My dear little soul who goes by the name of n. A Moniker. A name not his own.


    Like the most skilled potter handling the most delicate piece of y, I will mold you into the Perfect Viin, One formed by his surroundings, the world around him alone. A Perfectly good soul turned evil!


    Like the greatest cksmith handling the greatest metal. I will forge you into the most perfect viin...


    Like the most well-versed Musician...I will make you my final, my greatest Symphony!


    Like the greatest artist, I WILL MAKE YOU MY MASTERPICE!


    HAHAHA!


    Wouldnt that make an interesting story?


    A story, so intriguing, and so satisfying that all will beg for more!


    With the final line of his mental defense, the bloodline of the Pheonix now gone...Nothing is left to stand in my way!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    HAHAHA!


    I will make...you the perfect viin, a story which is Perfect.


    That would make the perfect story...


    Don''t ''you'' agree?


    ********


    No one could move...Sabrina, ine, Alice, and even Kazikato could not move.


    As ''he'' Exited the room...it was Silent. No one could move at all. Just the pressure he was releasing was so suffocating that they couldn''t even move a single damn inch. Just fearful...


    Fear had engulfed them...The sound of their hearts beating was like the sound of a drum. That was how much they were afraid.


    *Tik*Tok*


    He silently moved along the Hallway, the sound of his rhythmic footsteps creating a symphony that was unsettling...just unsettling.


    Sweat poured down their faces...they couldn''t even look at him.


    Kazikato...was afraid. Forget the others.


    He was the one guy that caused n to be seriously injured, fighting for hisst breath except for the Sword Saint.


    HE had done that! A feat none could easily aplish. Especially at their age.


    But now? He didnt dare to make a single move. Not one.


    [Don''t move. Just let him go.]


    Ariel''s voice resounded in his mind. And he did not dare disobey.


    [None of you, even together can kill him now.]


    *Kachich!*


    The sound of the door closing was rhythmic to their ears...it was the sign that told them he left.


    They all took gasps of breath. previously they didnt even dare to breath in his presence.


    What was happening...? No what is about to happen?


    Sabrina...as she collected herself...thought.


    ''Those eyes...that teal color... I saw that before.''


    n''s eyes were different. They were not the Astral blue eyes she was fond of seeing. But now they were Teal. A color entirely different from the Eyes she was fond of.


    Something...about that color was off.


    It was...disturbing to say the least.


    "No way..."


    They turned their heads to ine...who had opened the door to Samantha''s room.


    "...How?"


    As they all looked inside, wanting to see what was wrong that shocked ine.


    And they saw Samantha, still lying on the bed, connected to the countless machines...but now she was Different. That paleplexion was gone, the painful look was gone.


    She looked healthy now... Entirely different from the near-death appearance she had before!


    What..? She was still in aa...but this was just Miraculous.


    "How...did this happen?"


    ine questioned as she examined Samantha...But then everyone shivered...


    A wave of mana...n''s mana swept over them. Over the entire building...No the entire city.


    "Mana sense..."


    Sabrina remarked...And then all gulped.


    ...Hell was about to run loose.


    And they could do nothing to stop it.

 Chapter 268 [268] Wrath, Unleashed

    In the middle of the night. A pair of green lights could be seen, alling from the eyes of an individual. They were like lights, bright teal-colored eyes that signaled death wasing to whoever saw them.


    No one was out and around at this time, and thankfully no one could witness it.


    For if they did, death woulde. No matter who they were.


    n''s mana spread out all throughout the city...Searching for whoever would be responsible for this...and s...he found it.


    One single trace...Of Chaos.


    His emotions were raw and unbridled, a potent mix of anger, hatred, and grief. His blood boiled with an intensity that he had never felt before. He was fueled by the thought of bringing justice to his sister''s tormentor, restoring her dignity, and giving her the retribution she deserved. The pain she suffered...will be returned a thousandfold.


    A spear materialized in his hands. A spear is known throughout the World.


    A Legendary spear, formerly wielded by a legendary Hero.


    The Ame No sakahoko, reformed by Suleras. An artifact deeply rooted in the culture and Mythology of Japan. Handed down to the god of storms Susanoo by Amaterasu. A Long, slender spear. The shaft is decorated with intricate patterns. And the spear de is like a fork. Two ends, both curved inwardly slightly, representing the crescent moon.


    How ironic, the Spear of Righteousness was now going to be used for a massacre.


    [Ame-No-Sakahoko]


    Type: Hoko(Spear).


    Rank: SS


    Description


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend.It has the ability to control the weather. It waster given to the God Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto,ter stuck it on Mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It is a spear that is worthy of great respect.


    The Spear that overturned even the Chaos of the Land, The chaos of a great demon once consumed it. But now it strengthens it. It has been augmented by the King Of Chaos dragons, Suleras.


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to chaos.


    *The master of the Ame No Sakahoko is eligible to Learn the Spear Technique [Heavenly Sky Spear(5 Star).


    *It increases the efficiency of spear techniques.


    *It has been augmented by the king of Chaos dragons Suleras, the spear possesses great resistance to chaos attacks.


    *It has been bestowed with the Sin Of Gluttony. It is possible to advance it''s rank when using the Sin of gluttony to devour it foes.


    <FIRST MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY THRUST>


    Mana converges into the tip of the spear and unleashes a thrust equal to the might of the heavens themselves.


    This is the First Movement of the sword art [Heavenly Sky Spear (5 stars)


    The power of this skill increases upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <SECOND  MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY SKY MIGHT>


    Mana Converges onto the weapon, and when mmed into the ground, unleashes a wave of mana around the area, destroying your foes and giving strength to your Allies.


    The power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <THIRD MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY REDEMPTION>


    Mana gathers in the de of the spear and unleashes a powerful crescent-like wave to sh your foes. The more injured you are and the greater your desire to protect, The Stronger the crescent sh.


    The power of the skill also depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <FOURTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY ARMAMENT>


    Mana is emitted by the spear to cover it in heavy armor around the spear. The heavenly aura repels negative effects and also repels the power of chaos.


    Upon greater mastery, The Heavenly Armament can cover the user as well.


    <FIFTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY SKY SPLIT>


    Upon input of Sufficient Mana, the ultimate move of the Spear art [Heavenly Sky Spear(*****)] can be unleashed.


    Ame No Sakahoko unleashes its attack, an attack that split the Heavens, vanquishes the Primordial Chaos, and changes the Land Itself.


    The Power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    *All of the Movements have been enhanced with the power of the Sin of Gluttony.


    *********


    "More..."


    n whispered... he spread his mana sense even further...even further. But he found none except that initial location. Only that location possessed some energy of Chaos...


    *Rumble!*


    The skies rumbled, and the clouds turned and twisted. Lightning shed across the skies.


    *Drip*Drip*


    A few drops of rain soon turned into a downpour.


    "Hoo...."


    n exhaled, his breath a cold mist that froze the water around him.


    "Hoo..."


    Again...He could feel his cold body...bing hotter and hotter.


    He could feel his cold blood boiling.


    Revenge...Wrath...


    He brandished the Ame No Sakahoko in the middle of the night. Focused all of his senses to that location.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And then at his full speed, he rushed to it.


    It was like the sound barrier had been broken...His speed was so great that every drop of water in his initial location was expelled. The ground beneath him cracked as he made his way to the location.


    *****


    [At a warehouse on the outskirts of a city.]


    Multiple trucks were parked inside the vicinity of the Warehouse, and multiple people, all holding guns and even some awakened helped to carryrge crates filled with who knows what.


    Three trucks, however, were unapproached by them. It seemed as if the people themselves were afraid. Even the awakened didnt dare approach them. A foul stench emanated from them.


    "Hurry it up!''


    A C-Ranked awakened and shouted. He was the strongest here. and seemed to be the boss.


    "huh?"


    He looked up at the clouds rumbling. Then drops of rain fell on his face.


    "Shit! Hurry up your trash! We can''t let the shipment be soaked!"


    He screamed. He wondered why it suddenly rained. But weather patterns were unpredictable in this day and age. Even though there should have been some indicator before the rain. He dismissed it and went inside to stop being soaked.


    "Why did it have to rain now?"


    A worker asked his colleague.


    "I don''t know. Bad luck. By the way, what do you think is in those three trucks?"


    His colleague answered as he pointed towards the three trucks far away in the distance.


    "Some types of monsters. Apparently, they were drugged and were transported here."


    "The hell? Why were they transported here? the number of awakened here isn''t high. Aren''t we gonna die? What rank are they?"


    "We have a C-ranked awakened here. We are probably fine. Although I don''t know what rank they are though."


    "Hey, why are you cking off? Get back to Work!''


    Suddenly, an Awakened supervisor yelled at the workers cking off.


    "I swear you normals just thi-"


    But before he could finish his sentence, his entire head was blown apart.


    Into gore and mesh his brain matter and skull spread out everywhere. His headless body fell to th ground, gushing blood.


    Everyone was understandably shocked. Standing in his ce was n Pator.


    Brandishing his spear, he stood in the pouring rain that cleaned him of th blood of the awakened.


    Gunshots were heard. Screams were heard...


    His teal-like eyes were reminiscent of those of a Demon that hade to take their lives.


    And it was just like that. Brutally, horrifically.


    Gruesomely.


    ****


    "What the hell is with the ruckus?!"


    The C-ranked awakened, who was previously in the office inside the warehouse.


    He stepped out enraged. All the ruckus annoyed him. Apanied by the sound of thunder and rain, he couldn''t really make out what it was. But it annoyed him.


    "...?!"


    But as he stepped out...he found everyone dead. All in horrific ways.


    Some of his subordinates were frozen into statues. some of those very statues of ice were shattered. His subordinates trapped inside share a simr fate.


    Some were battered, all of their bones crushed. Their bodies turned into mesh. Some had holes inside their chests.


    Some had their heads crushed. Some were sliced into pieces. their limbs decorating the entire area.


    "...Gulp."


    Fear...he felt an immense amount of fear suddenly. He wanted to piss his pants but was barely holding it in.


    Whoever...No Whatever had caused this horrific sight...was behind him. Right behind him.


    He could feel that cold breath on his nape...That breath froze his entire body.


    He ran, He brandished his weapon and ran in front. Hoping to get some distance but his head was grabbed and dragged across the ground.


    From n''s hands, vines of Ice emerged and prated his body. Birthing thorns of ice from them to cause him even more pain.


    *WhuhK*Phuck*


    The sound of his flesh being torn apart by the thorns of ice was mncholic to n''s ears.


    He let go of the awakened''s head and asked in a cold voice. As the thorns of ice stopped rampaging inside his body.


    "Who is behind all this?"


    He asked, a cold mist escaping his mouth which froze the awakened Eyebrows.


    "Who is behind the Mall incident? Which organization do you belong to?"


    Thest bits of his Sanity was being used. He was on the brink of insanity from his rage.


    The c-ranked awakened, as he looked into his teal eyes cried. Not because of the pain of his insides being ravaged by the thorns of ice. But of Fear.


    True Fear

 Chapter 269 [269] True Wrath.

    "Who is behind all of this?"


    n asked again, his voice and breath cold. Amidst the pouring rain, in this once-popted area.


    Nowy only these two.


    "Sl-"


    The C-ranked awakened tried to speak but stopped midway through.


    "Sl?"


    n''s cold breath terrified him deeply. He wondered if even the devil could be this scary?


    The pouring rain washed away the blood of hisrades, and his tears and other bodily fluids.


    "We were just told to transport them into the slums!"


    He said, almost crying when he did.


    n, clinging onto some bits of insanity, questioned.


    "Them?"


    He asked the man, but the reply he got was not from him.


    *BANG!*


    The noise of metal being bent was heard. n looked towards the source of the noise.


    Three trucks in the distance. That was where it wasing from.


    *Bang*Bang!*


    The containers of the trucks malformed with each bang!


    And then whatever was inside soon came out.


    It came out from the Shadows of the Night, from the cage it was kept in. Into the pouring rain. And it wasn''t a pleasant sight to look at.


    It''s grotesque form made from the bodies of children. The flesh of the young ones had been fused and twisted together, forming a malformed body that towered over everything in its path.


    Its skin was an amalgamation of young flesh and bone, pressed and warped beyond recognition. The faces of the children were still visible in parts of its body, twisted in agony and despair. Its arms and legs were longer than they should be, twisted into unnatural shapes that looked painful.


    Its head was a hodgepodge collection of different features as if it had been stitched together from pieces of different children. One eye wasrger than the other, the nose slightly askew, and the mouth twisted into a cruel sneer. Despite its inhuman form, it moved with predatory grace, slinking forward with a gait that was both animalistic and grotesque.


    The monster''s presence was suffocating, like a thick fog that enveloped everything in its path. Its malformed flesh dripped and oozed as it moved, leaving behind a trail of foul-smelling slime. The sight of it was enough to make even the bravest of hearts quiver in fear. Three of such beings emerged from the trucks.


    There was only one problem. Their opponent was n Pator. Who right now seemed even more terrifying than the monsters themselves.


    In the midst of this pouring rain, Those teal eyes, glowing in the darkness looked even more terrifying than these amalgamations of horror.


    "Heh! DIE YOU DEMONIC FR-"


    The awakened could notplete his sentence. The thorns of ice in his body expanded in an instant, turning into a beautiful flower decorated with his innards.


    n stood up, with the giant flower behind him exuding a disturbing glow. He brandished the Ame No Sakahoko, And Both he and the Three monsters ran toward each other.


    *KAHAHAHH*


    With a roar that sounded like theughter and crying of children, they rushed as n. Multiple des emerged from the ends of the conjoined limbs of children constituting the monsters.


    *SWISH*


    They cut through the air and drops of Water, And n Blocked with the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    The des shattered into multiple pieces as soon as they made contact with the Legendary Spear.


    The monsters, however still continued their attacks. They grew new limbs in an instant, each with their own metallic de, and attacked n ruthlessly. Making multiple cuts on his body.


    "Tch."


    n clicked his tongue, his anger reaching higher and higher points.


    He stomped on the ground, breaking it. And disturbing the footings of the monsters.


    He appeared in front of one in an instant And then held out his hands.


    And then an explosion of frost energy urred in an instant. Right in the face of the monster.


    It exploded into bits and pieces...Multiple little limbs and faces littered the area, most of them frozen.


    The other two remaining monsters sent more des at n, and n swung the Ame No Sakahoko to break them yet again.


    The pieces of metal dropped to the ground, some were still in the air.


    And then a cry was heard,ing from the monsters.


    *KIEEEE*


    It was unpleasant to the ears.


    But as soon as they cried, the shards of metal on the ground and in the air all exploded into even smaller Fragments. The monsters avoided these...but n was not so Lucky. Multiple fragments dug into his flesh.


    "GAAAHHHH!"


    A roar of rage escaped from him. He growled at the monsters. It was like he was a beast himself.


    Thankfully...It was unknown how sane he was but he was still sane enough to realize that Using the [Chaotic Spear(7-Star)] here would only result in the Destruction of the entire city. The two moves he could use [Abyssal Rend] and [Oblivion Thrust] would turn everything into Ash. The city of Aror would no longer exist if He went all out and used them.


    So he did the next best thing.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear.(5-Star)]


    <<<THIRD MOVEMENT>>><novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ______HEAVENLY REDEMPTION_____


    A crescent wave of Green energy, possessing vast levels of power was Unleashed by the Tip of the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    Itunched itself into the Air and unleashed hell upon the monsters.


    It evaporated one before parting the clouds up above. The remaining, monster, heavily injured moved away just in time to avoid being killed.


    It shrieked at n, it was preparing to run but then...n disappeared from its vision.


    And then it felt an enormous energy right behind it. And just as it turned around. It was sted into smithereens...along with the entire warehouse behind it.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR(5-star)]


    <<<<FIRST MOVEMENT>>>>>>


    ----HEAVENLY SKY THRUSt------


    *******************************


    n walked away from the destruction he had caused, blood seeping out from every wound on his body. He refused to use the power of the Pheonix to heal himself. All of it was concentrated on his little sister.


    "...the slums..."


    n said as he somewhat limped. The C-ranked Awakened from before was talking about transporting these monsters into the slums...


    ''...Was it the gangs or the ck market?...doesn''t matter.''


    In the end he will kill anyone who stood in his way.


    So...that was it. That was the next destination.


    ******


    The slums of the city were a deste and bleak ce, where the poorest of the poor struggled to survive. The streets were narrow and winding, the buildings small and cramped, and the air thick with the stench of sewage and decay. This was a ce where life was harsh, and every day was a struggle.


    The buildings that dotted the slums were mostly made of cheap, flimsy materials like wood and corrugated iron. They were stacked one on top of the other, leaning at odd angles as if they might copse at any moment. Many of themcked basic utilities such as running water or electricity.


    In many ces, one could hear the cries of infants and children, the coughing of the sick, and the wounded moans of the dying. It was the ce of thewless. No one here was innocent. Especially if they lived here long enough. This was ace of Crime, where the filth of human society was located in. Rarely, were the residents here innocent.


    It was a dark and dreary ce. A Sad sight to see. It was ruled by many gangs, most of which were led by slightly stronger normal people. It was hard to find an awakened here.


    Very hard.


    Who would have thought that this god-forsaken ce would be attacked...by  now other than an enraged n Pator.


    *Psshh*


    Blood poured out from the neck of a gang member, pierced by the Ame No Sakahoko.


    On top of that very dead man was n, crushing his chest with his foot.  Hisrades, the other gang members were too afraid to even move ahead now. But could they be med when their opponent was n?


    No, they could not be. They attacked him with all they had, everything at their disposal. Knives, guns, metal rods...bats but nothing. Even a C-awakened didnt stand a chance against n. What hope could these normal people have?


    Around n were the bodies of several dead gang members.


    "Was it you? Who nned the attack on the Mall? Do you have any rtion to the monsters that were supposed to be shipped here?"


    n asked them, his own blood had clotted all over his body. These people couldn''t make a wound on him. It was the monster from before.


    " We don''t know what your talking about freak!"


    "Yeah! Die"


    *BAng*


    The bullets couldn''t pierce n. And just as he was about to end all of their lives.


    He had to block one attack. His body moved by instinct. He used the Ame No sakahoko to block ded chainsing at him.


    He looked at the one responsible for this. A young man with green eyes and long brown hair.


    "...lucas."


    Said n.


    "What the hell are you doing?! Why did you kill all of them?! Have you gone insane?!"


    Lucas yelled, but n did not respond with words.


    ''...Yeah...Why did I think you changed? Once scum, always scum.''


    n thought. He was wrong, Lucas had changed. It was just that he was too blind to see it right now. n pointed the Ame-No-Sakahoko at Lucas.


    Lucas, seeing that n was not in the right mind and ready to fight, unbuttoned his coat and handed it to the nearest gang member.


    "I''ll hold him off! Take everyone out of here and run!"


    "Yes Boss!"


    the gangmembers ran as soon as Lucas ordered them to.


    ''...boss?''


    Only that word registered in his mind, as his mana red up. In response however...


    Pieces of Earth and the metal Chain''s around Lucas Floated high up. He took a boxing stance. Equipped with metal gauntlets. He prepared to fight n.


    No...to survive for as Long as he could. So that his subordinates could run as far away as they could. To survive this sudden attack. n was an awakened, they wouldn''t be able to handle him.


    So it was his duty, as their leader and also Awakened. To fight n.

 Chapter 270 [270] Monster Vs Human.

    The two of them ran at each other head-on. The rain poured down on their figures as they parted the water beneath them with their footsteps.


    Apanying Lucas, Were chains of metal and parts of the Earth just behind him, in the form of sharp projectiles ready to pierce his opponent. However, n had nothing¡ªjust pure brute force.


    *BOOOM!*


    They collided, n''s Ame-No-Sakahoko against the Gauntlets of Lucas. Surprisingly, Lucas held on and wasn''t sent flying even though his clothing was in rags due to the explosion of mana colliding with one another.


    That...was shocking. n was a literal beast. His strength was nothing to scoff at even if He was Injured.


    The nearby water all around them disappeared as a result of their sh but it was soon reced by the rainwater again.


    "kh..."


    Lucas let out a groan of pain as he struggled to keep a grab of n''s Spear. He had grabbed the Shaft of the Ame-No-Sakahoko just before the collision. And that was why he was still standing. If the tip had hit him he would have died.


    "What''s the matter with you?! Have you lost it?!"


    He said, enraged as he saw multiple of his men dead on the ground. He had spent quite a lot of time conquering the areas owned by Different gangs and just now he finally started to find some sort of order in his areas. After dealing with all the captured members. Some left while some stayed. And the people who stayed were little and even then n just killed some of them!


    "Die."


    Only that single word escaped n''s mouth, as He raised the Ame-no Sakahoko to the air and flung Lucas Around. Lucas hurriedly let go of the spear but was sent flying as a result of the sheer force.


    He collided with the already terrible buildings of the slums and they copsed on him.


    n appeared above the Building that had copsed On Lucas and raised his spear high up in the sky. He was nning to end this all in one strike.


    However, Metal chains appeared from Under the debris and stabbed n, some even grabbed the spear and restricted its movement. This attack would have been very effective if it was aimed at anyone else except n of course.


    n paid no heed to the metallic chains in his body and grabbed them and pulled, however to his surprise. Lucas wasn''t pulled up but a piece of debris hit his face and exploded into dust. Meanwhile, Lucas appeared beside him and Punched with all of his might. And he sent n back a few steps. As n was stumbling, trying to get his bnce Lucas did not give him the opportunity to. Heunched Punch after Punch at n. His metal gauntlets...were doing severe Damage.


    n''s head split open, and blood poured out. And As Lucas was about tond a body shot, he was kicked in the stomach and sent flying.


    "I don''t need my spear to deal with you."


    Said n, as he walked towards the copsed Lucas. He put the Ame No Sakahoko inside his inventory and then walked towards Lucas, who was having trouble breathing because of the recent attack.


    "...khh..."


    He stood up, he was sure a few bones were broken but he still stood up to fight.


    He didnt know what happened to n...But he was getting seriously bad vibes from him. If he didnt fight back he knew he would be mercilessly beaten to death.


    He got into a boxing stance as n rushed towards him.


    n was injured...From Lucas and the monsters from before but he wasn''t healing at all. If only he used the power of the Pheonix, he would be back to his original strength. However, he simply did not care. He was constantly using the entire power of the phoenix on his sister. And he would never risk her being in more pain.


    *BAM*!


    Lucas blocked a punch from n, but the sheer force behind it was so strong he was sent flying once again. The bones in his arms crushed. He didnt even have time to respond before n kicked him in the chest, breaking his ribs.


    He coughed up blood as he struggled to breathe.


    n looked at him with disgust.


    "Do you know the shipment being sent here?"


    He couldn''t speak, He looked up at n using all the strength he could muster but he struggled to even breathe. He...felt afraid.


    Looking at n from below, looking at his teal-like eyes amidst the pouring rain...he was afraid.


    He looked...like a demon from Lucas''s point of view.  A demon that would kill him...


    Lucas...who''s eyes were as red as blood, ribs crushed and lungs punctured stared at n...thest buts of his mana were gone and now he could no longer fight back...


    *BAm!*


    n stomped on his chest with quite a bit of force and blood leaked out from every orifice in Lucas''s body.


    He was losing his vision...and then All he saw Was n leaving.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    *******


    [Lucas Hiddlestone PoV]


    I tried...I tried my very best.


    I poured my heart and soul into everything I did. I worked tirelessly day and night to perfect my craft and hone my skills. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn''t seem to surpass him...no matter what. It wasn''t like we were always neck and neck, but no matter what I did, he was always ahead. Way Ahead. It was frustrating to watch myself fail to seed even after everything I did to surpass him. I hated it. I hated that feeling of being left behind.


    I felt like I was stuck in a never-ending battle with my own limitations. I knew I had talent and drive, but there was always something holding me back. Maybe it was fear, maybe it wasck of experience, or maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the cause, it was a bitter pill to swallow watching my him grow more skillful and more stronger...while I was left behind.


    I trained like my life depended on it. I broke my body again and again and again. Until all of the bones in my body were broken only then did I take a Potion...I just couldnt cath up no matter how hard I tried.


    I thought...I was doing something...But I guess that was just a dream. I thought that maybe...Even slowly I was getting stronger...but that was just a lie I told myself...


    A lie...an excuse to feel a little bit better about myself.


    *Drip*Drip*


    As I could feel the raindrops falling on me...I felt pathetic... I wasn''t even able to save my own men. I tried too...but failed.


    So...this is how I die?


    Alone...defeated, broken in an alley like this...In the middle of nowhere as my blood is washed away by the rain...how fitting for me. A talentless piece of shit like me deserved nothing better.


    ''It doesn''t matter how hard you hit, What matters is how hard you can get hit and keep getting back up.''


    Master...I tried that. I tried to get back up again and again... I tried to get back up. But i failed...


    Can I  be med? I''m up against ''him''. n is a monster...How can Ipete against that? He''s the youngest C ranked in history. He''s the monster that almost beat Ezra Fornum, who was the monster who absolutely crushed other monsters. He...is just so powerful that I can''t evenpare to him.


    Funnily enough. As I was dying I could recall everything in my life.


    ''...Im sorry Alfred.''


    I apologized to my butler who I had treated badly...even though he took care of me dearly like I was his own son. Something the people called my Parents didnt even care about.


    ''Lucas, be proud of yourself. Comparison is the thief of Joy. Be proud at what you have achieved.''


    I just kept hearing my master, Sword Saint Arken''s words. His teachings...


    But I couldnt ept it...How am I supposed to advance if I don''tpare myself to others?


    ...Im sorry...


    I couldn''t believe it...Tears wereing out. Tears came out from my eyes...From me...Lucas. But no matter how many tears I shed, the rain washed them all away. It was useless.


    ...I could barely see now...I wonder how much time had passed. I knew I only had a few seconds to live after suffering that deathblow...but somehow I was still alive?


    Maybe my mind is just working faster than usual...


    It doesn''t matter...


    I don''t care anymore.


    ...I guess I will just ept my death.


    I don''t care about anyone now. I...don''t want to.


    I know I was an asshole...I thought I had changed...but I guess my past sins caught up.


    I...don''t want to die...Why am i scared now? I just said that it doesn''t matter and I don''t care...but Why?


    Why am I Afraid?


    I guess I would know that in the afterlife...I couldn''t breathe at all and My injuries got the best of me.


    And my vision faded.

 Chapter 271 [271] Thunder Giant.

    Lucas''s vision faded away...and now only darkness was around him.


    He felt as if he was submerged in water, drowning endlessly...yet he felt like he could still breathe. It was an ominous and never-ending darkness.


    He was certain now, He knew when his vision was fading his heart had stopped beating.


    ''...so this is death?''


    No Angel to take him to heaven or hell? Just eternal darkness?


    Huh...doesn''t feel all that bad. I wonder what happened to be honest.


    Just what had happened that n went full rage mode? Just who did it and why?


    I guess I will never know...


    Damnit...Im feeling sleepy...I have an intense urge to just close my eyes and fall asleep.


    Forever.


    Well...It doesn''t matter now. I am already dead.


    What will it matter? I lost.


    I tried my very best, I tried my hardest yet still I fell like a ragdoll.


    So...it''s better If I just close my eyes.


    Huh?


    Suddenly, Just As I was about to close my eyes I felt an electric shock wake me up.


    Green energy surrounded me...As I wondered why I felt a shock.


    It gave this dark world some light...But then I saw another light. Blue lightes down towards me.


    ...What is that?


    I wondered, oblivious to the identity of the blue light. And this green energy surrounds me.


    The color was simr to the jewel inside the ne master gave me.


    Thepiszuli-like color, which had a lightning bolt within... seemed familiar.


    This green energy around me was waking me up...and I was curious as to what would happen.


    The light approached closer and closer...until it was right in front of me.


    And then, out of nowhere, I heard a voice.


    [Host: Lucas Hiddlestone has met the requirements for Bloodline Transfer.]


    [Conditions: The Determination of a Giant. The Heart of a Giant. The tenacity of a Giant. The Endurance of a Giant. Aura...and Finally.


    The Will of a Giant.]


    ...What?


    What is this voice? It sounds weird...where is iting from?


    ...the blue light?


    Determination of a Giant? Aura? Heart of a Giant?... What is it talking about?


    [Would the host, Lucas Hiddlestone agree to the Bloodline Transfer? The host has suffered severe injuries and Aura is the only thing keeping Host Alive. Injuries will immediately heal after the host has epted and Bloodline Absorption will begin.]


    Bloodline...what are you talking about?


    [Host will absorb the bloodline of the Thunder Giants, a tribe of might giants that once ruled over a Gxy. The thunder giants were extremely powerful beings who have now gone extinct after a war with the Fire Dragon Tribe.]


    What...?


    [Does the host ept the transfer?]


    ...I don''t know what you''re talking about...But I will live if I ept...right?


    [Yes.]


    ept.


    **********


    n limped away from Lucas''s corpse, now intending to go and raze the ck market to the ground.


    Lucas gave him a good fight...especially because He was already Injured.


    He was bleeding all over, and whatever those gauntlets were...they had beaten the shit out of him.


    *COUGH*


    n coughed up a mouthful of blood. Still...he was determined and set out to the ck market, slowly recovering his mana along the way.


    And it was just then...he felt something.


    He turned around to confirm if Lucas was dead or not...but he was...?


    His heart wasn''t beating, there was no pulse and no movement at all.


    So...what was he feeling?


    It was then that his eyes paused on a ne on Lucas''s neck...A ne whose Jewel was...melting?


    ''Am I hallucinating?''


    He wondered if his eyes were ying a trick on him...but they were not. That ne was melting and the liquid was disappearing into Lucas''s skin. It was as if Lucas was absorbing it.


    Was it a type of Health Artifact? But no health Artifact except an elven tear could bring someone back from the dead.


    So what was it?


    And then...n felt an electrifying wave of energy pass over him... A shockwave that sent a shiver up his spine...?


    What is this? What is happening?


    Lucas''s hair slowly changed from brown to Blonde...and A green energy surrounded Lucas...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...That''s not mana..."


    n muttered as he watched Lucas stand up slowly...the green energy enveloping his body like an armament tougher than the strongest steel.


    "...Aura?"


    n muttered...finally remembering what energy it was.


    Aura...he could never forget it. Kubrick made that energy be embedded into his soul. Aura had a unique feeling about it. Something different than Mana...Something he knew.


    He fought against and lost miserably against Aura once...Against An orc who mastered it.


    Lucas opened his eyes...but instead of an iris or pupil all n could see were two glowing green lights.


    n activated his mana and got ready. Lucas had done it...just Like Alexander had.


    He had achieved it...Ultra Instinct.


    Ultra Instinct...characterized by an extremely high level of martial arts mastery that allows the user to react and move without thinking. Ultra Instinct causes their body moves on its own, instinctively dodging and attacking their opponent with incredible speed and uracy.


    A level of power they didnt even know they had. Abilities their bodies possessed but their mind didnt know of.


    The technique is said to be achieved when a fighter can master their own body and mind to the point where their actions are guided by pure instinct, rather than conscious thought. When achieved, it gives the user an enormous power boost, making them nearly unbeatable in battle...But how is he moving?


    n wondered...He had broken Lucas, most of his bones. The fragments of those broken bones should have pierced his organs...Lucas shouldn''t be moving.


    But how?


    ...No this was not the time to think about that.


    n red up his mana and collided with the green Aura. The sight of AURA going against Mana was going to be replicated for the second time now. the first time, it was on the Ind Where Shield and Hero Academy held their joint sessions...during a battle of death.


    And now, for the second time in an unknown alley amidst the pouring rain. In another battle to the death.


    And then, the collision between Mana and Aura urred...And n and ''Lucas'' went head-on.


    *********


    [In the Aror Association training grounds.]


    Therey only a single young boy in the middle of this scorchingly hot ce. In some ces, the material used for its construction was melting!


    The level of heat in this ce was unimaginable, a normal person would have boiled...no melted alive here.


    And a young man, with an incredibly Handsome face and well-defined body,y shirtless in a meditative position. With Each breath, the temperature fluctuated wildly.


    Elijah opened his eyes and weed the system prompts with a smile.


    [You have sessfully evolved into a Fire Drake.]


    [Your rank has Increased to C-]


    Heh. A smirk was present on Elijah''s face as he looked at the prompts with a. Happy smile on his face.


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri congrattes you on your Advancement, but warns you o take it slowly from now lest you risk death.]


    "Yeah, Yeah...anyways is there any way I can remove these scales?"


    Elijah asked with a nonchnt tone as he looked at the scales covering his body. Some were on his back, whilst some were on his shoulders and other parts of his body.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you that it is an honor to have those scales!]


    "Yeah, Yeah whatever. I''ll just hide them with clothes then."


    Elijah remarked before wearing his clothes. Meanwhile, Agri was probably destroying stuff out of anger because of Elijah''s attitude.


    "Anyways...Im d I caught up."


    Elijah said. He wanted to catch up to n long ago. And he was happy that he had caught up now. Although he still wondered if he could beat him in a fight.


    Just then, as he buttoned his shirt up...he felt an electrifying wave of energy. A shockwave of sorts.


    "...the hell was that?"


    Elijah said...as he felt weird when he felt that energy. He questioned it.


    [Supreme Dragon of Agri orders you to go investigate the source of the energy.]


    Suddenly, for the first time in a while, Agri asked something from him.


    "Investigate? Tell me what you know first."


    Said Elijah as he got ready to go, and donned his Amrour from his system inventory.


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri tells you that it is the energy of the Extinct Thunder Giants.]


    "Extinct...?"


    Elijah asked, wanting more information.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says that the fire dragon tribe had made the rave go extinct after they had started a war with the Fire Dragons. It is concerning that one''s energy is being felt here.]


    Elijah...as he heard more and more from his guardian dragon was getting concerned.


    "Wait...if they messed with dragons...especially your tribe doesn''t that mean that they are ridiculously powerful?! Are you sending me to die?!"


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says that only the energy is being felt. Earth is not able to handle something that strong. Even if does appear, I will handle it. I did it once. I can do it again.]


    "..."


    Elijah, although still reluctant sighed and left to go investigate whatever caused the energy. He just hoped he didn''t encounter an actual thunder Giant.


    Come on, even if they went extinct they had the balls to mess with the Fire Dragon tribe...They had to be ridiculously strong.


    He went out, hoping that the worst did not happen.


    Yet he would find something he never even imagined.


    ******


    A/n:Author here, hey just wanted to say that this chapter has been written on mobile, so I apologize for some mistakes. The weather is badtely here so the electricity is gone...and all devices are dying. Only my phone was left.


    I apologize if any inconvenience was caused because of this.

 Chapter 272 [272] An Unbelievable Sight.

    Amidst the streets of Aror, a fireball was seen traveling at high speeds. The fireball was actually Elijah who was using a skill from the system. The heat which emanated from this fireball was so powerful that the rain didnt even reach near it before being evaporated it.


    Numerous people saw the peculiar sight of a ball of mes flying through their city but only for a short while.


    Some questioned it, some even thought it was an Illusion, and some just thought it was another awakened doing awakened stuff.


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri urges you to hurry!]


    "IM GOING AS FAST AS I CAN!"


    Elijah and Agri bickered during the ride. Elijah was going as fast as he could. What was worse was that the rain was hindering his speed. He was a fire element awakened. The environment currently was unfavorable for him.


    He blitzed through the city and just as he reached the slums, a giant thunderbolt struck the ground quite a distance away from him.


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri urges you to hurry.]


    "FINE!"


    Elijah put his all into elerating as fast as he could the moment the thunderbolt fell.


    He could feel it...a fight was going on there. Two powerful energies were colliding with one another will full force. One was mana...But he didnt know what the other one was.


    The sky was rumbling with thunder and rain fell down, but the sound of the fight urring was still overpowering the sound of this storm.


    Elijah could feel the immensely powerful mana colliding with the energy of a thunder Giant...going up against the mana of a dragon!


    Since he evolved into a drake, he could feel it more clearly. A Dragon was fighting a Thunder Giant!


    But how was this possible? Earth does not nearly have enough mana or Aura to support even one of those races! Let alone two!


    I need to hurry!


    Who knows what damage could be done if they ran rampant any longer?!


    However...he noticed something strange. The feeling of mana and the other energy colliding in the air was gone. It was now all silent. he couldn''t feel the Dragon or the Giants!


    Did something happen? Why did they suddenly stop fighting...did the fight end? Then who won?


    He would find out soon enough. In a short while he had reached the ce where the fight was happening.


    However instead of seeing a giant and a lizard going at each other...he found quite a peculiar sight.


    Two bodies, severely injured lying on the ground, unconscious. One had a face he remembered. But the other was slightly familiar.


    "...n?"


    Elijah said, stunned.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri urges you to go closer.]


    Elijah listened to Agri and went near the two fallen. He could feel the energy of a Dragon from n...and the thunder Giant from The other one.


    "n! Wake up!"


    He fed n a potion but it was of no use...n was unconscious and severely hurt.  Blood was still seeping out from every part of his body. And multiple areas were ck and purple and also he could see some bones broken.


    ...n? That ALAN was reduced to this state? Elijah wondered. He was unaware of the full story so he could only draw this conclusion...that the Thunder Giant had defeated n.


    After shoving a few more potions down n''s throat. He could see his body starting to heal so he began to inspect the other one. After getting closer he could see that even this one was covered in injuries...


    It was a wonder how these two weren''t dead.


    "...wait?"


    Elijah, looking at the bruised face of the ''Thunder Giant'' muttered. He thought the face looked familiar.


    Cautiously, he fed the ''Thunder Giant'' a healing potion which was also a strong sedative...and when the face started to heal he recognized him...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...Lucas?"


    The rank four in Shield, he didnt know much about him. Just that he was some sort of a pervert that harassed Sabrina for a while then didnt. He didnt really have much of a presence besides the first day when he used a skill. Wasn''t he an asshole though? Elijah didnt know that much about him so he couldn''t really say anything.


    [Supreme Dragon of fire Agri tells you that people areing.]


    Elijah, listening to Agri, thought.


    ''...what do I do? They both need intensive medical care but I don''t know why they fought. they still are ssmates and n is a friend...so should I just take them both to the Associations Healthcare Center?''


    He wondered, but in the end, he took both of them and stealthily avoided the crowd of people that came to check themotion.


    *******


    [Agri''s POV]


    Thunder giants...They were a race of Giants who were in tune with elements of the Wind and Lightning.


    Thunder giants are towering, muscr humanoid beings with skin as hard as a rock and coursing with sparks of electricity. They have broad shoulders and long arms, and their imposing presence is only enhanced by their imposing size, standing anywhere from 30 to 50 feet tall. Some of them are even the size of mountains, the royalty especially. Their eyes glow with a fierce lightning blue, and they have long, wild hair that crackles with energy.


    I remember them clearly. Their powers and abilities are engraved into my memory.  Thunder giants have control over thunder and lightning, and can conjure up massive storms and bolts of electricity with a single gesture. They can also manipte the earth and rock with ease, using their great strength to reshape mountains or carve out deep tunnels. They have incredible resistance to physical damage, and their electrically charged skin can cause severe shocks to anyone who tries to strike them.


    But as I saw the scene in front of me...My curiosity only increased, As well as doubt.


    Thunder giants are known for their pride and fierce independence, rarely submitting to anyone else''s authority. They have little patience for weakness or indecisiveness and respect strength and courage above all else. They are often solitary beings, preferring to live in isted mountainous regions or worlds far away from other races, unlike the other giant races.


    So how did that young boy actually meet the bloodline requirement to be epted? And how did he even get ahold of the Bloodline?


    I wondered...but that was not the cause of my concern. I, frankly don''t care if the race begins anew from him. Yes, they ruled an entire Gxy in the past but so what? It was only a single gxy. Furthermore, they were stupid enough to dere war on us Fire Dragons for unknown reasons. So I got rid of them. And Besides...even if the race begins anew from that Human child. They won''t have enough time to prosper...because the inevitable end will be near.


    But talking about that same Inevitable end...that is not the Aranus I know of. Even if he hasn''t regained his strength...the entire...What do those humans call it? Vibe? Yes, the entire vibe is different. At first, I thought James was in control and ying tricks...but James...even when he is acting cannot be that stupid sometimes.


    So what is it?


    Aranus is never that weak. James is not that stupid. Is something else going on that I am unaware of?


    Even that Spatial Element is weird... I just thought James was trying something new but was I wrong?


    There''s something different about this iteration...


    Am I just imagining things? Or is there something going on that I am unaware of?


    I only know of one dragon that can answer me correctly...Well, maybe two Suleras and Lanesha, The Guardian Dragons of Aranus and James.


    Suleras...however will be tough to find. I don''t know where he is. he should be in the abyss or in the Capital...but who knows? Should I go search for him?


    I got up and sent a mana signal in order to determine his location but I couldn''t find it. So I tried Lanesha''s.


    Fortunately, I found hers...Wait.


    What is she doing in Madam Ariels...realm?


    ''You know what? I would rather ask Suleras.''


    I thought and began my effort to find that damn Chaos Dragon.


    *******


    A/N: Author here. Hey, I hope this chapter wasn''t sote. I got the flu because of the storm recently so I haven''t really been doing well. I apologize if the Chapter cameter than expected. It''s hard to write with all the power outages and with the inte being down most of the time.


    Anyways, Why not join the Discord server? Character illustrations are present and also we hang out there a lot. You can even ask me questions That I will do my best to answer without spoiling the novel for ya. I also hold events for unique titles and special perks! Give it a try.


    https://discord.gg/X4zhHwQFyy

 Chapter 273 [273] The Revelation.

    "He suffered from 17 broken bones, 7 rib fractures, and punctured organs, as well as his skull digging into his brain. Several blood vessels had been torn, as well as a direct blow to the heart. Moreover, the multiple metallic shards we found embedded in his body had caused his muscles to tear apart and they also had a sort of poison in them which acted like a sedative and anesthetic... And his body was also charred. It was like it was struck by lightning.


    I don''t know how...but he''s still alive somehow. Maybe the potion you fed him helped...But it''s a literal miracle he is still breathing... I don''t even know how he was still fighting after all that. And he also lost about 2 liters of blood...which is just shocking. Even awakened would be dead long ago if they experienced even half his injuries..."


    Elijah and Serena listened to the doctor describing n''s injuries with pure disbelief in his voice. Never in his entire life had he ever dealt with a case as serious as this...And in all honesty, he didnt think that the patient was still alive after seeing him first.


    "For the second one...His body is fine. He seems to have a great healing skill that healed his body. Although I do rmend him staying here for a while to get more urate data."


    Fortunately, Lucas''s injuries were not that severe aspared to n''s.


    n, however...was a walking miracle. it was a wonder how he was Alive!


    [Supreme Dragon Of fire Agri says that this is nothing to a Dragon.]


    "..."


    Elijah, stupefied at Agri''s remark thought.


    ''Can I survive that too?''


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri advises you to not test it.]


    "..."


    "Why did you have to bring him here? To the Association? Just toss him at Twilight!"


    Serena said, evidently angered. She had Beef with n. They would always be at each others'' throats back at Shield.


    "Come on...He needed immediate care. Twilight was far away so forgive me this one time ok?"


    Said Elijah as he hugged her from behind.


    "Tch."


    The Yandere had calmed down, although she still had a bloodthirsty gaze whenever she looked at n.


    On the other hand, n remained calm as he was wrapped in bandages. Still feeling intense amounts of pain.


    Only his face was still intact.


    "So, mind telling us what happened?"


    Elijah asked n as he took a seat beside him.


    "Nothing."


    n responded.


    His voice was calm. He seemed to have regained hisposure as he recuperated.


    "Ohe on, I find you and Lucas nearly dead and you tell me nothing happened?"


    Elijah inquired. He wasn''t going anywhere until he had his answers.


    n on the other hand remained quiet. And because he didnt answer there was steaming from Serena, who looked like she was going to tear him alive.


    "Hey, We nursed you here and took care of you! At least have some fucking decency and tell us what the fuck you were doing which caused this!"


    Elijah tried to calm Serena down, but it was futile.


    n, being on the receiving end of her anger and re relented. He was too tired and injured to deal with this crap.


    "We had a fight."


    He answered. Elijah paused as he looked at n''s injuries. He couldn''t believe it.


    Lucas caused this? n was a dragon, not a drake like him. But apletely evolved dragon!..but when he thought about it. Lucas had awakened the Bloodline of the Thunder Giants...So I guess it was possible to some degree?


    But still...it was a little unbelievable. n was one of the strongest people he knew...and he didnt think Lucas could beat him.


    "Well...I get the general gist of it. You can rest in here for a while until you fully heal. Do you want me to send a message to Twilight?"


    Said Elijah, but n denied it.


    "No."


    "Okay then."


    Elijah then left n alone in the room. He had some trouble convincing Serena but it worked out in the end.


    Both of them left and n was left alone.


    "Huuu."


    n took a deep breath, his body was hurting. Even despite all the potions that were being pumped into him...it didnt alleviate the pain. His head was hurting too.


    It was ufortable. But he dealt with the pain and went to sleep. He was tired as well. he had gone on a rampage and wanted to rest for a while.


    But before he could fall asleep...someone entered his room.


    The very guy that was responsible for putting him in this state walked in. Covered in bandages as well.


    Lucas, as he entered looked at n with a re.


    "What the fuck happened? Why did you go into a fucking rampage?"


    He questioned as soon as he entered. n looked at him with a tired gaze.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m Sorry, I...was out of it."


    He apologized. Only when he came to his senses did he realize that he was wrong.


    He knew Lucas had changed from an Asshole to a somewhat decent guy, yet in his rage, he regarded him as scum and went all out to deal with him. Even going as far as to kill him.


    "Just give me the fucking reason."


    He asked...and n, being too tired and hurt. Just told him.


    "...do you remember the recent incident on the Aror Mall?"


    Lucas nodded.


    "Yeah?"


    "Someone important to me was injured severely because of that...So I was enraged and went to get revenge."


    "huh? That was a dungeon break. Who were you gonna get revenge on? The dead monsters?"


    "Someone caused the dungeon break."


    Lucas paused as he heard n. He waited for him to continue.


    "Think about it, The monster had evolved into a chaotic being. Someone was behind it. Someone using the power of a demon."


    Lucas listened to n closely.


    "So I went for revenge...I wasn''t thinking properly. I found traces of chaos and found a hidden operation going on. They were transporting illegal goods and monsters made artificially using Human remains. they were strong. As I was dealing with them the leader told me the Slums had some rtion to this. So I came here thinking that the gangs in the slum or the ck market had something to do with it...And in th-"


    "I know the rest."


    Lucas interrupted, angered.


    "You killed multiple of my men. I mean yeah they weren''t innocent but we had no such rtions with that shipment of yours. It was probably the ck Market."


    n remained quiet...he didnt want to talk anymore. Lucas, taking a seat beside him muttered.


    "So...They told me I fought you and made you like that...But I don''t remember anything. Care to borate?"


    "You unlocked Aura and Ultra Instinct."


    There was a jolt in Lucas''s body when he heard n''s statement. it seemed he was aware but just wanted confirmation.


    "...You mean I did what Alexander did on the ind?"


    There was a wide, happy smile on his face as he inquired.


    "...Yes."


    "OHHHH YEAAHHHHH!"


    Not even a secondter, A wide and boisterousugh came from Lucas! He was practically dancing around the room as n watched him from the bed.


    ''...did he get taller?'' n thought as he paid close attention to Lucas, who was dancing with joy.


    "So this really was Aura! WOOOO."


    He was acting like a child.


    ''...So I''m the only one left huh? Wait there''s Olivia as well.''


    n wondered as he closed his eyes. Out of the four students of the Sword Saint Arken. Miller... was the only one left among the boys who hadn''t unlocked Aura and Ultra Instinct. Alexander had unlocked it during the Ind Trial with Hero Academy as he was fighting a demon, Lucas had unlocked it during The fight he had with him...


    n, however...had not unlocked it all.


    "Hey."


    n opened his eyes when he heard Lucas, only to find him in front of him with a smug look on his face.


    " I. did. it. Before. YOU!"


    He eximed in front of n. To Lucas, who was constantly behind n in nearly everything except his studies...this was a major aplishment worth bragging about.


    "I did it before you! I achieved it before you!''


    Lucas flexed/unted his aura in front of the Injured n, but thankfully thissted only for a short while.


    "Anyways..."


    Lucas, as he was done with his enjoyment and feeling of aplishment took a seat next to n. His face was now serious, Instead of Smug-like.


    "Let''s destroy the ck market together."


    n tilted his head in confusion.


    "The ck market messed with my area and my boys. And you need revenge and information about whoever caused the incident. I suggest we both team up and raid the ce together. It''s a joint operation...deal?"


    Said Lucas with a convincing tone. n...hearing it contemted for a while before agreeing.


    "Ok...Let''s do this."


    How frightening, two of the Sword Saint Arken Miller''s students had just teamed up to destroy an entire ck market of a city.

 Chapter 274 [274] Revelation.

    "First of all, How is Samantha''s condition?"


    Maxwell asked Alice. The rest of Team Predator was also present in the office. Kazikato shockingly wasn''t sleeping but active this time, and Sabrina was calmly drinking coffee whilst reading a book about Norse Mythology.


    "She''s fine. Her condition has stabilized. Her grandmother is nursing her right now. She refuses to even leave her room."


    Alice answered Maxwell. She was the only one who kept track of whatever was happening there. except for Maxwell of course but he was too busy with his work.


    Twilight had recently signed an alliance with the small-time guilds. These same guilds were extremely weak but they still controlled some areas, so Twilight expanded its influence through them. They just had to be subsidiaries of the Aror Branch. This was easy because they were already struggling. They were being suppressed by the Beast Guild Alliance. The business was hard for them because of it.


    So they readily signed an agreement once Maxwell approached them. He promised a lot of things...so why wouldn''t they?


    "The healers say that it''s a miracle. They don''t know what it is. But Samantha is brimming with the energy of the Life Element. Her condition has improved greatly and she is even recovering...The only problem is she is still in aa due to the curse."


    "And this happened when n left? Do we have video footage?"


    Asked Maxwell, curious. Samantha, who was on the verge of death despite multiple efforts to save her. Even pumping top-of-the-line potions into her was useless.


    He knew about n''s sister when the two had started Predator. He knew everything about any rtionships members of the team had. Everything. So he was quite surprised.


    However...he also knew one more thing. n''s ring weakness was his sister and someone managed to attack her.


    Was it a coincidence or not? Whatever it was, it was serious. It could be that it was by ident but if someone knew about this and used it just to attack them...Then Maxwell would have to worry. n was the ace and leader of the team. He was essential.


    "No...The camera''s in the room malfunctioned. Thest footage we have is of a green light enveloping the room."


    "..."


    Maxwell, hearing Alice''s words thought.


    ''...did n do something?''


    He questioned in his mind. But left it soon.


    "Do we have any information about n?"


    He asked, but this time the question was not directed at Alice...but at Kazikato and Sabrina.


    Although Maxwell didnt point it at Kazikato. He was still unaware that Kazikato could sense n because they both were Dragons.


    His question was mainly directed at the calm Sabrina, who sipped her coffee elegantly as she read her book.


    "Who knows?"


    She said, her eyes focused on the book.


    "Miss Wellington, Please note that this is a matter of the utmost importance. It would be appreciated if you cooperated."


    Advised Maxwell, politely.


    "But I am unaware."


    Sabrina said calmly.


    "..."


    Maxwell knew she was lying. Sabrina and n had to know each other''s locations. Although he was unaware of the spatial bond, he was aware of the contract that Sabrina and n had signed. The contract which had made n Sabrina''s bodyguard. The thing was, he knew of it and knew that the contract made it possible for the both of them to view each other''s locations. The problem was that Sabrina was keeping her mouth shut for some reason.


    "Sabrina, I''m serious. This is important. It would help if you told us where Al-"


    "Im telling you Maxwell. I am Unaware. Now don''t call for me."


    Sabrina interrupted Maxwell and left.


    "..."


    There was silence in the room for a while before it was broken by the sound of teeth being ground. Although Maxwell''s face was calm, one could feel that he was livid currently. But it was amazing how there was still a smile on his face.


    "...I think we should let this go Max. I''m sure n wouldn''t do anything that ba-"


    "His only family, besides his grandparents. Was brought to a near-death state. Let me remind you, Alice. Nearly every day while he was in Shield he made time for his sister. Even if he didnt get enough sleep he would always be there for her. He requested the guild to make a


    special diet for Samantha, to reduce the effects of the curse. He used all his sry, and the earnings from the Spatial ring sales to buy healing items and potions to secretly clothe and feed his sister with. Do you still need more exining?"


    "...no."


    Alice''s dejected voice rang out after Maxwell exined to her how much n loved his sister.


    Shey down on the couch tired.


    "...What if Boss found out?"


    "What?"


    Suddenly, Kazikato''s voice was heard. He had remained quiet all this time. So when he suddenly asked a question, Maxwell didnt hear it quite well.


    "What if the boss found out who did it? you know..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The entire SilverWolf guild would be dead the next day. Mark my words."


    "..."


    Kazikato shut up after hearing Maxwell.


    "Your all dismissed. GO do your work now."


    Maxwell dismissed them. And was then left alone.


    ''...Sabrina won''t tell me anything for some reason. And now more problems have arisen.''


    Maxwell got to work after they left. He had quite a lot to do.


    "...This is still not enough."


    He muttered. His eyes were tired and he wascking sleep. He hadn''t slept well for the past week. And now the stress of n was added as well.


    From the beginning, he had worked for only one goal. He did everything for Twilight and Predator for only one thing, and he would see it done. No matter what.


    ''The Fall of Titan.''


    Just like everyone else, he also had a goal. A goal he would do anything to aplish.


    ******


    [Thanks for not saying anything.]


    n thanked Sabrina through the Spatial bond.


    [Are you okay? what are you doing?]


    She asked him...but no response was heard after that.


    "sigh..."


    She sighed. The reason she didnt say anything back to Maxwell was because n told her not to. Or rather asked her not to.


    She checked his status, and when she saw that he was injured, but on the move. her worries increased.


    "All this and what? Im being ignored."


    She couldn''t help it. n loved her sister more than anything, She envied that.


    She always wondered what having family aside from her parents and Grandfather was like. A family that cared. Since she was the direct heir, everyone was out to find faults with her and on her throat back at the main estate.


    Though, the feeling wasn''t exactly that foreign to her. She did have a sort of little sister figure that she cared about back at home.


    She entered n''s room and was once again amazed by the markings all around. For a bookworm like her, this was something that increased her curiosity greatly.


    She opened up her notebook and took out a pen.


    "...Now. Let''s see what these four mean."


    She said, looking at the four symbols [?][?][?][?]. These were the symbols which were repeated over and over again and also the ones which were highlighted.


    No matter what, she was going to find out what they meant.


    ******


    Kazikato entered his room, conflicted.


    His room was suited to his style, dark and dreary. It was the picture-perfect room of an emo teenager, with skulls and purple candles everywhere. There was only one source of sunlight here, which wasing from the window. There was only a single reason why there was no cover on that window. And that was because a little nt was growing there.


    Despite his outward look, due to a certain someone very important in his life, he was fond of it. He was fond of gardening. Although the same could not be said for the other side. nts hated him. He tried to grow a wide variety of nts but failed. As a death dragon, even if he tried to control it but he failed. He could control it enough so that it didnt affect other people... but nts were a different story entirely.


    It was hard to do so, only a few special nts were unaffected. this was one of them. It was a nt that grew in the dungeon originally and had no way of growing outside since there was no supply of mana. Kazikato changed this and supplied some mana to it. And because of that it could grow. Although the nt did exhibit strange features after absorbing Kazikato''s mana. It was ok!


    To kazikato at least.


    ''...Should I tell him?''


    Kazikato thought. Should he tell n who the major suspect in all this was?


    But...Maxwell told him not to. He was in a dilemma. Be loyal to n or to Maxwell. Be loyal to the person who saved him or to the smartest one here who cared for him and provided for him and also should know best?


    [Primordial dragon of Death Ariel tells you that if you are unsure, go find out yourself.]


    Suddenly, an answer came.


    "Yeah! lets do that!"


    And he made up his mind.

 Chapter 275 [275]...Guilt.

    A lone man sat outside of Samantha''s Hospital room, his head was drooped low, his thoughts unknown. There were dark circles around his eyes making it evident that he hadn''t gotten proper sleep for quite a while.


    Guilt. And Regret. That was what he felt. He had deeply regretted his actions on the day of the attack.


    He shouldn''t have listened, he shouldn''t have listened. He should not have listened to the pleas of his wife and granddaughter to fight. He shouldn''t have...


    If only he had prioritized their safety more, this wouldn''t have happened. If only he had left earlier...this would have been avoided. All of this...could have been avoided.


    And to worsen the fact...he failed to kill that son of a bitch with the mask. He was just about to shoot when the damn chaos elemental emerged... he didnt remember anything after that.


    All of was nk for him. All he remembered was the pain after the chaos energy attacked him before passing out. Thankfully Agents of Twilight had found him instead of the other guilds and so his identity was hidden with Maxwell''s help. But he regretted everything.


    Why did he stay back to fight? Why did he listen?


    ''...''


    He sighed... He had just gotten his family back. For so many years he just lived an empty life. It was all because of that damn incident. That damn Aror Incident.


    It was the beginning of his misery, of his family''s misery. His home was destroyed, his child and his daughter-inw were killed. His grandchildren were taken away from him.


    And the memory of burying his own son''s corpse...whatever was left of it was etched into his mind. Still haunting him to this day. Still haunting his sleep. And now the nightmare of maybe being there to see his own granddaughter buried was there.


    Every night since that day, that horrid scene would y in his mind. Every night.


    "...Haa..."


    Fuck.


    Amanda refused to leave Samantha''s room, taking care of her.


    He knew she was in deeper pain. She was after all the one who suggested that he stay and fight, Samantha had just followed her grandmother''s lead. Amanda was even more injured than him. She was only a normal human, she didnt have any sort of training like him. The chaotic energy still made her cough up blood. Although he was now fine. She was still in pain yet because of her guilt she didnt leave Samantha''s side.


    She was there too when Alfred and Anna were buried. Both of them were. they shared the guilt and sorrow when they couldnt even get custody of n and Samantha.


    "..."


    He was a man...a cold-hearted veteran of war that killed many, monsters and humans alike. Yet now look at him. Barely resisting the urge to cry.


    "Are you alright sir?"


    Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice and looked up to see two individuals. Both of them he knew.


    One was his own Employee, Emma Foxglove. He didnt know why she was here. The other was Maxwell, the man that hid his identity. He had extremely tired eyes. His condition was even worse than Mathew himself.


    "...Ah yes, Thank you for lett-"


    "It''s ok, please take a seat."


    Mathew was interrupted by Maxwell as he tried to stand up to greet them. Maxwell politely told him to keep sitting.


    "Hello, Mister."


    Emma greeted him before she entered Samantha''s room. Mathew was about to ask but Maxwell already answered as he took a seat beside him.


    "She is awakened. shocking isn''t it?"


    Mathew was surprised as he heard Maxwell...but was still confused about why she was here.


    "She came here to me with a proposal. She has an incredible healing skill which she showed me. She wanted to try healing Samantha."


    "...I see."


    Mathew''s response wasckluster. It seemed as if he had given up hope. A man of his experience and background should have an idea of the curse on Samantha, so he had low expectations. He had studied Samantha''s curse greatly. He knew the only way to cure her was to get an elven tear or just kill the demon that cursed her. Both of them were near impossible.


    "What did she ask for?"


    Mathew asked his head still low.


    "She asked for membership. For both her and her brother.  She wanted a proper job here. But most importantly I believe it was more directed towards her brother. She cares for him."


    "...I see."


    "She is a healer, and quite skilled at that. So I am nning on having her join team Predator."


    "...I see."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There was no real depth to their conversation. Maxwell was tired and so was Mathew to say anything. Mathew was feeling immensely guilty.


    Maxwell rested his head against the wall and said.


    "Please don''t worry sir, Samantha will be fine."


    "haha..."


    Mathew let out a dry, hollowugh. He thought Maxwell was just trying to console him.


    "I''m serious. It seems as if you''re unaware of your Grandson."


    Mathew raised his head a little bit at Maxwell''s statements. He wanted to hear more.


    "n doesn''t give up. He''s a tenacious bastard."


    How brave, Maxwell called n a bastard in front of his grandfather.


    "Haha...Well, he does take after his Father."


    However, instead of saying something bad, Mathew let out augh.


    "I see, it must have been a hassle taking care of Sir Alfred then."


    "...yes, it was."


    Finally, the conversation was getting some depth.


    "How did you and n meet?"


    Mathew asked, he was curious how n met a genius like Maxwell. He raised his head and made eye contact with Maxwell. Their tired eyes stared at each other.


    "Haha...It''s quite an interesting story If I am being honest. I approached him first with lies."


    "..?" Mathew was confused at Maxwell. He struggled to understand how their rtionship was built this well when it started with lies. He had thought they had met up as Business aplices.


    "Do you know my family name sir?"


    Maxwell asked, But Mathew did not know.


    "No." He said, his eyes raised in interest.


    "It is Parker, My name is Maxwell Parker."


    Mathews''s eyes widened in shock. Maxwell was a part of the infamous Parker family?! That family which was the founder of the Titan Guild and Parker group? THAT FAMILY?


    "...Wait."


    But then Mathew came to a realization, why was Maxwell working with Twilight if he was part of the Parker family?


    "Talent, Sir. It is simple as that. In the families of the big guilds. Awakener''s talent is what matters most. I was the eldest son, yet because I had a Mere D-rank talent...You can guess the rest."


    "...My apologies."


    Mathew apologized as he heard Maxwell. He now knew why Maxwell worked with Twilight. A guild as prestigious as the Titan guild, which was ranked number one had to ce an extreme value on the talent of its heir. He was probably...


    "I struggled to find work, I was abused ever since my talent evaluation was held. My father lost all interest in me after that, He treated me like I didnt even exist. I was bullied y everyone, even having to cry myself to sleep because of the pain. I met n in Shield when I was given ess by Sir Oliver to enter the campus. I wanted to enter to meet him. I studied all about him. During that time, the rumors of the Spatial ring n made were false. Everyone wanted one...So I took a gamble. A gamble that I was d I took. I gathered all that there was known about the spatial ring...and then created a replica of it. With it, I approached your grandson and was sessful in fooling him. I gave him my card and after a while, our Predator was established. I worked hard to elevate it. Even In Twilight, even with n''s backing. I wasn''t well-liked here...But team Predator changed that."


    Maxwell exined, his voice seeming happy at the end.


    "I found the family I never had here. Alice treated me like I was a friend Like I was someone who shared her sorrow and suffering. Even though she was the heir of Twilight, she was born with no talent...but her father and Twilight still loved her. I envied that at first. But soon came to ept it. Twilight...no Richard was different. Kazikato treated me like an older brother. He listened to what I said most of the time. Even though he iszy the brat is dependable. And although I quarreled with n most of the time, we had a sort of bond between us. Samantha even came to the Predator office sometime, she cheered the whole group up with her yful attitude. She was like a younger sister to me as well."


    Mathew silently listened to Maxwell silently.


    "I found the family I could never even dream of here. Who gives a fuck about blood? I value them more than the blood family I have."


    "Predator is strong sir, I can tell you that. Even though my end goal is still Revenge...I can promise you one thing. I won''t let anything happen to this team."


    His words were like a decree, a solemn promise.


    "Predator will not fall. I promise you that."

 Chapter 276 [276] Attack!

    A hooded man walked on the streets of Aror, heading to his destination. He had arge build, taller and bulkier than most people. And most people avoided him due to the aura he emitted.


    It waste in the night, and because of him even the small number of people that were originally present were heading home. It was just...


    The aura the man exuded from him. it was like that of a Tiger. The aura of a Predator.


    Very soon, the streets were empty. And He was left alone.


    His steps were silent as if the ground beneath him was void. His presence itself was silent now. Before it was that of a predator, but now It was rtively quiet. Like of a hunter.


    He stopped outside of a shop, However, he did not enter. He just stood at the entrance.


    And then, as if to announce himself he exuded his aura once again.


    And then in an instant, the man he wanted to meet was in front of him.


    A man with a simr build, Fiery red hair, and scarlet eyes.


    Those Scarlet eyes stared fearlessly into the eyes of a beast.


    "What are you doing here Adam?"


    Micheal Ardor, the Father of Elijah Ardor asked.


    Adam White, The guildmaster of White Tiger answered.


    "Im here to meet an old friend."


    His voice was rough, very rough. When he opened his mouth Canines could be seen. Fangs that did not belong to a Human.


    "...Come in."


    Micheal said, his voice filled with suspicion. But because of their past, he decided to let him in.


    "The shop is empty."


    Said Adam, surveying the interior. He found no one inside. Although it waste this ce would still be filled with customers. He himself was extremely fond of this ce''s chicken.


    It was a sort of peace, a sort of escape for him.


    "We closed early today."


    Exined Micheal, as he took a seat at the center table and gestured for Adam to sit opposite him.


    Adam took a seat and took off his hood. His appearance was still the same...no it was almost the same. His white hair, his rough face...all of them were the same.


    There was just one difference. The eyes had changed. Instead of those of a human. They were now of A tigers.


    "I guess you don''t serve guests anymore? Or have you really forgotten this old friend of yours?"


    Adam said. Micheal grunted before saying.


    "Wait."


    "That I can do."


    "What are you here for?"


    Asked Micheal. But Adam''s response was still the same.


    "To meet an old friend."


    However, Micheal did not believe it.


    "Bullshit."


    He refused to believe what Adam was saying. His friend had changed. He had changed very much.


    Adam waspetitive, and a diligent worker. He never was like this. He exuded a friendly aura before...but now it was different.


    Except for his appearance, everything had changed. Micheal was now wary of this ''Adam''.


    "Haha...Guess I can''t fool you."


    Adam let out a dryugh. But somehow thatugh seemed hollow.


    Micheal wondered if he was staring at a soulless body. A Corpse? Even though Adam looked quite healthy and alive...something felt wrong.


    "Remember our promise?"


    Asked Adam, his eyes seemed as if he wanted, he yearned for Micheal to remember it.


    "...Yes."


    Thankfully, Micheal did.


    "We are not kids anymore, Adam. That was long ago."


    Micheal said, and Adam smiled as he looked at his dear friend, One of his ''rivals.''


    "Is it wrong for a man to dream?"


    He asked, his voice changing to something that was more Human. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    Micheal stayed silent, and soon Maria stepped out of the kitchen. Holding a tray full of Fried Chicken.


    She set it down on the table along with water.


    "Long time no see Maria, You''ve gotten more beautiful."


    "Thank you, Adam."


    "My Pleasure."


    Maria''s visit was short-lived. She left as soon as she arrived.


    "I heard your son, Elijah got into Shield..."


    His voice became more alive...Micheal felt more and more concerned with the change in Adam''s tone. From Soulles, emotionless to now feeling a little lively. What was happening?


    Nevertheless, he responded.


    "Yes. He got in through a SchrShip."


    "That''s nice. We dreamed of going into Shield once...Didnt we? I''m happy for you."


    Adam said. He picked up a few pieces of chicken and ate them whole, even eating the bones.


    Micheal stayed Silent, Waiting for Adam to say something. He felt Eery. Something...was wrong.


    Adam...looked like he was alive but felt hollow. It was like Micheal was talking to a nearly dead man. A Walking corpse.


    "Do you want to dream again, Micheal?"


    Micheal was taken aback by Adam''s question. Adam''s face changed.


    Micheal did not respond. He just observed Adam. Adam continued.


    "Don''t you want to fulfill the dream we had since Childhood? Of reaching the top? Of bing the strongest heroes?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Come on Micheal. You know. We dreamed to be the strongest. It was our Ambition! Don''t you want it? Don''t you want your...our dreams toe true? Ju-"


    "No."


    Micheal interrupted Adam with a firm denial. Adam questioned it.


    "Why?"


    "Because my ambition now is to live a happy life with my family."


    Adam was silent at Micheal''s words. But then he asked one again. A desperate plea


    "Didnt you want to be stronger? To surpass Alfred and Anna? Don''t you want to escape? Just join me! Me and you together! Sworn brothers side by side.  Who could stop us then."


    "Adam. No. I just want to live a peaceful life."


    Adam''s face became emotionless once again. His lively demeanor disappeared. And then after a while ''Adam'' said.


    "You will regret it."


    The temperature increased, and The water in the sses evaporated in an instant. Adam''s tone had been offensive, It was threatening.


    "Leave,"


    Micheal said Adamantly. His mana rising. This was ''Elijah''s'' Father. He was no pushover.


    Adam stood up and spoke. His voice was hollow once again. And Micheal knew now. Adam was not here. This was just a corpse. A walking corpse.


    "You. Will. Regret it."


    He left, and Micheal''s mana rxed when he was gone.


    "..."


    Micheal stared at the door silently. For quite a while...just thinking while staring at that door.


    *****


    Adam walked out of the Shop. Unfortunately, his best friend did not join him.


    He felt hollow, even more, hollower than before. He had hoped, he had wished so dearly for his one friend to apany him...s it was just a foolish dream.


    *RING*RING*


    Suddenly, as he was making his way to the Guild Headquarters. His watch rang. he picked up the call.


    Before he could even talk. Screams of despair and anguish were heard from the other side.


    [GuildMaster! The ck market is under attack!]

 Chapter 277 [277] Attack![2]

    Two hooded figures walked towards the ck market entrance. These two figures were also wearing nk masks to hide their identity.


    ''...I feel like shit.''


    Thought n, one of the two. He didnt like wearing this mask...it reminded him of a certain someone he hated. Lucas tried very hard to convince him to wear the mask.


    "Remember, we can''t expose our identities."


    Lucas reminded him once again. It would be a big blow to their reputations if word got out it was them. The organizations they were part of, The Twilight Guild and Hiddelstone Family had enemies...enemies that would use everything they could get to attack them.


    "I heard you. Stop it."


    n was tired of listening to Lucas remind him again and again. It didnt feel great.


    "Remember the n? We cause Chaos at first, but then you go and find the owner of the ck market who most likely has the information. She''s a woman who wears a Vixen mask and dresses scantily. She also has guards around her. Shouldn''t be hard."


    Lucas exined the n once again. And n Silently listened.


    Finally, they reached the ck Market entrance, and once Lucas knocked the specific pattern, A rough voice was heard from behind.


    "What Business do you have here?"


    "A customer seeking the services of the Darkness."


    n cringed behind the mask as Lucas said the password. He had heard it before so he really wondered why did someone decide on that?


    The Metal gate opened and Lucas and n entered...And just as they were descending the stairs, two metal chains with spiked ends erupted from Lucas''s clothes and pierced the hearts of the two guards at the entrance. Their bodies fell to the ground as soon as Lucas retracted the chains. n swiftly blocked the entrance...also known as the Exit with A Wall of Ice.


    *Thud*


    "Now...Let''s cause chaos."


    ''And test this new power of mine.''


    Said and thought Lucas respectively.


    *******


    It wasn''t a good sight.


    "AAAAA!"


    Screams apanied by blood and intestines rang out through the market. ve traders and the monsters present were killed brutally by n and Lucas.


    Lucas himself seemed to be enjoying this! He stood on top of a dead monster as he controlled his chains coated with Aura to rampage around the area.


    n himself also killed quite a few people there. If they attacked him he would kill them.


    Furthermore, IT wasn''t just like that. n was raining down Ice spikes which caused further chaos and Lucas was also breaking the Earth all around and making an even more mess of the ce. he was also chucking random Thunderbolts whilstughing like a maniac.


    He was enjoying this, Whilst n was just silently causing chaos. Multiple guards hade to stop them, and half of them were ice statues and the rest had holes in their chests and were missing heads.


    *KHUK*.


    A skull-shattering sound was heard as n stepped down on the head of a guard with full force, sttering his brain matter all over n''s foot.


    "RUN!"


    Nearly everyone here was a scumbag, so there weren''t really any moral Implications in doing so...Well n didnt really care if he killed some humans here. They were basically insects to a dragon. Whilst Lucas...


    "HAHAHA! SEE THIS NEW POWER?! HAHA FEEL THE LIGHTNING BURN YOU!"


    *CRACKLE!*CRACKLE*


    Was Lucas.


    Suddenly, something caught n''s eye. He saw cages filled with Monsers and human ves.


    Some were humans, some were demihumans, and some were monsters. All of them were trapped and malnourished.


    n killed the few who resisted and walked over to the cages. Contrary to the thoughts of the humans and demihumans who thought that the masked man was here to release them...n just walked past them and stood in front of a cage holding a reptilian monster.


    The monster, known as a Shock Lizard, was dying. severely malnourished and it looked at n with tired eyes, waiting to be killed.


    "Save us! Please!"


    "Please Release us saviour!"


    "Shut up."


    n shut the humans and demihumans who begged him to save them by freezing their entire bodies along with their cages, and he looked at the Lizard once again.


    Its eyes, longing for hope and possessing a desperate will to live... It resonated with n for some reason. It felt like he was gazing into its eyes.


    He opened the cage forcefully, crushing the metal with his bare hands. The cage is specifically designed to hold monsters crumbled under the might of a baby dragon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He went to the lizard and held his arm out.


    "Eat it, Drink my blood."


    He didnt know why...but he just had an Idea that it would work. That it would free this poor being of its suffering.


    He put his hand inside the monster''s mouth after cutting his palm. His blood dropped into the monster''s tongue, and then it swallowed it.


    He didnt know why...but the Lizard''s eyes changed...changed into eyes that were at peace...before dying.


    ''...It died.''


    A peaceful death, it was starving, and n fed it his own blood, which fulfilled it. It was the blood of a dragon. The Lizard was too unworthy to absorb the blood...but at least it had died peacefully.


    How funny, He showed morepassion to a lizard than a Human.


    "..."


    n was silent as he stared at the Lizard''s corpse.


    [Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras says that it died a peaceful death. It was nearing the end of its life and having devoured a dragon''s blood was an honor for its entire species.]


    n silently heard Suleras''s message. What knocked him out of his daze was Lucas''s yell.


    "HEY! THERE! YOU BUFFOON!"


    n turned his head to see Lucas pointing somewhere. n didnt question it before immediately going towards that position in an instant. he didnt even use teleportation his seed was just that great. He broke into the building floor and saw a peculiar scene inside. A scantily dressed woman wearing a Vixen mask standing on top of a magic circle made of blood. Two guards, stronger than the ones outside were also present. But even they were not enough to stop n. They rushed at him but were killed instantly by n. The woman hurriedly put her mana into the circle and caused it to glow...but all was interrupted by n grabbing her throat and mming her into the ground, breaking the mask she had on as well.


    "GAH!"


    The ground shattered like ss under n''s strength, and the woman coughed up blood.


    "Your the boss here..."


    n said, his grip on her throat loosened a bit. It was so she could speak.


    "The abandoned warehouse west of the ck Market, why did it receive a shipment of illegal goods...and monsters made of human flesh?"


    The woman''s eyes widened as she heard ''monster''. And n let out a smile hidden behind the mask. She knew. She knew of the shipment.


    "..If you know that then... Tell me something else.


    Who caused the dungeon break incident in the Aror mall? The sudden appearance of a chaos being is not natural."


    The woman remained quiet. n used his other hand and formed covered his fingers with frost energy and dug them inside the woman''s stomach.


    He released the energy inside her slowly...slowly in the form of thorns of ice which tormented the woman. Illusory tails of a fox appeared and attacked n from the woman but it was of no use.


    It didnt work on n. The woman, who was a pretty strong awakened couldn''t do anything.


    "WHO CAUSED THE AROR MALL INCIDENT?!"


    n screamed, his spit fell on the woman''s face as her face contorted at the pain of the frost vines rampaging inside her body. n was keeping it under control so she could speak but was slowly raising the intensity.


    "I don''t...know what you''re talking about."


    She said with difficulty...but it didnt work.


    "Bullshit. Multiple Items containing chaos energy were being shipped and here and a CHAOS elemental had appeared...Doesn''t the ck market know everything?"


    The sound of the thorns of ice slithering inside her body was vicious. They were cutting up her body from the inside. she was bleeding from every orifice on her now. Yet n still made sure she could speak.


    "We...Cannot...say an-"


    "Fine, then die a painful death!"


    He knew that maybe...she didnt know it. But he was desperate for answers. In his mind...She had to know! Multiple items of chaos were being shipped here...she HAD TO KNOW!


    He increased the intensity bit by bit...and the woman was slowly losing her sanity from the pain.


    Slowly...she was dying. A very...very painful death. The thorns of ice were slowly reaching her brain...and it was not painless. The thorns cut and mushed her intestine up. An awakened would have died long ago...but somehow she was still alive. It was as if she had a healing factor which was a blessing and a curse as well now.


    "DODGE!"


    Suddenly, Lucas''s shout was heard. And before n could react something mmed into him and sent him flying.


    The person that had mmed into him fed hisrade, the woman a potion before his body transformed slightly. ws and white hair appeared on his body as he grew taller and more vicious.


    "Take care of the other one. I will handle him."


    He said to hisrade, beforeunching himself at n. Who responded in kind. Rushing towards him as well.

 Chapter 278 [278] Attack!

    *BOOM!*


    There was arge explosion as n and Adam collided with one another.


    Adam retreated the moment he collided with n and did his best to Dodge the ice spikes that were thrown at him.


    His right forearm had broken during the collision.


    "...What a tough body."


    He remarked, Fortunately, his broken forearm healed soon and he was ready to fight once again. He charged at n and did his best to sh at him with his ws.


    n, on the other hand, didnt care to dodge, he coated himself with mana and Kicked at Adam. Aam dodged it by jumping in the air and mming his tail into n''s face. n grabbed it quickly and then threw Adam into the ground like a ragdoll again and again.


    n ripped Adam''s tail off, and Adam retreated in pain.


    ''...What brute strength.''


    He regenerated his tail back...and for the first time reconsidered trying to attack n.


    He didnt know who the masked man was...but he was strong. Stronger than the current him right now.


    ''Must I transform further?''


    Adam thought for a second. The intruder who had attacked the ck Market was proving to be a challenge.


    ''...''


    After observing Calm n standing menacingly, He made up his mind and transformed even further.


    His bones and flesh shifted, he became taller and fangs appeared out of his mouth. Now his entire body was covered in tough hair that acted as Armor. The transformation took a few seconds...and shockingly the intruder didnt interrupt it.


    n, on the other hand...had a weird feeling.


    ''...What is he?''


    n wondered. From the moment he had appeared...The mana was weird around him. No... he himself seemed odd.


    It was as if he was not fighting something alive...It was like he was fighting a corpse. A puppet.


    The feeling was foreign to n...which was he was stupefied for a moment.


    A fully transformed White tiger, Possessing pure white fur like snow, ck stripes on its back, and extremely powerful muscles and sharp ws and fangs. But something was strange. To others, it would seem like a dignified warrior...But n, who could feel the mana around the white tiger...felt it was corrupted.


    It was notplete... It felt as if it was...dead.


    The mana around it was foreign to mana sensitive being like n.


    It didnt feel...natural.


    "Where did you get that bloodline from?"


    Finally, n could take it no longer and asked.


    He knew the person in front of him had a bloodline but was confused as to how it was so iplete. He himself, who had the bloodline of the mighty Pheonix. Andpared to that this felt weird.


    And furthermore, he felt weird. There was a sort of thrill in the art of fighting...yet he found no thrill from him. It was as if he was a walking corpse, a soulless being.


    Adam charged at n, and n dodged his attacks all while he observed him.


    Adam threw a strong punch at n, coated with his mana but to no avail. n simply caught the punch and said.


    "Where did you get that bloodline from?"


    n repeated but was met with a wind de to the face.


    "..."


    n ate the de with no difficulty and then coated himself with Ice mana. But the mask had broken somewhat.


    n retreated and was met by a torrent of storms. A storm cut apart his clothes and some skin.


    "..."


    The left side of his mask had broken and his Astral blue eye was now visible.


    "None of your damn business!"


    Hundreds of Wind des assaulted him. He quickly conjured up a flower of ice to shield him and then a Spear of Frost.


    Adam suddenly stopped attacking when he saw the Flower of Ice. It reminded him of a certain woman with an extremely good level of control over Ice. His hollow eyes stared at it for a while...gaining some light in them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    n stared at him from the top of the flower...and then A fire was rekindled in his heart. He was free for a while.


    That stance...that frame...that usage of mana...


    It reminded him of someone he was unable to beat...someone who was the cause of his descent.


    Alfred Pator.


    "Huhahaha..."


    A strangeugh erupted from his mouth as he finally recognized who the intruder was.


    "HAHAHAHAH!"


    Thatugh soon turned into a maniacal one. n looked at Adam with perplexed eyes. Now...Adam didnt feel like a corpse. He seemed alive now, with some semnce of freedom.


    Now, He didnt feel like a walking corpse or a puppet...but rather human.


    "...To think his son woulde to me...all by his own!"


    n simply stared at his descent into madness. As his mana levels increased. It was still ok. n wasn''t going all out at all. He would still be able to take him on. Rather easily if he went all out.


    "THANK YOU OH DIVINE BEING FOR THIS GIFT. FOR THIS CHANCE AT REVENGE."


    "..."


    Adams''s figure changed, purple energy surrounded him as his eyes felt different from the hollow ones before.


    n prepared himself for Adam''s attack.


    "To think I would be given the chance to defeat n Pator! The first spati-"


    *CRASH*


    n didnt let him finish his sentence.


    *****


    [Lucas POV]


    "How dare you?!"


    I dodged the illusory tails that were as sharp as steel. I tried to attack that woman but those tails stopped me.


    She was going insane in front of me. I don''t know who interfered with us. But that damn man was keeping n upied and now I had to deal with her.


    Strings erupted from her hands and went into the corpses of the guards and in front of my eyes they reanimated, but this time filled with foul energy.


    I could feel my blood boiling. Is this a reaction of my bloodline to that energy? I feel angry somehow.


    "HOW DARE YOU TEAR UP THE PLACE I WORKED YEARS TO BUILD?!"


    An unholy scream erupted from her which hurt my ears. The woman began transforming, Hair sprouted from all over and the illusory tails turned into real tails. And now I was seeing an actual Bipedal Vixen with 6 tails.


    " HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE ME IN FRONT OF MY BELOVED?! HOW D-"


    "OH SHUT UP ALREADY!"


    *CRACKLE*


    I threw a lightning bolt at her to shut her up, but the damn bitch used one of the dead guards to block it.


    "Dare this, dare that. If you want revenge just fuckinge at me without screaming bullshit!"


    Dozens of dead guards attacked me as I rushed towards her, Her strings which came to block me were torn apart by my meta chains and thunderbolts. And I charged at her with all my might. Ready to take this bitch down.


    ''I like this actually!''


    I thought, overjoyed to be given this opportunity. At first, I thought I wouldn''t be able to test my powers here fully! I wanted to see what my bloodline could do! At what Aura could do! I thought I wouldn''t meet anyone here capable of letting me test it!


    So this is the damn best! n is upied with that guy...AND I HAVE HER ALL TO ME! And she is strong too!


    My entire body became covered in lightning as I charged at her with fervor and said!


    "LET ME TEST ON YOU!"


    Be my guinea pig to test out Aura and my Bloodline!

 Chapter 279 [279] Attack![3]

    The battle had begun on Both Sides. n Pator was against the Guild leader of the White Tiger Guild, Adam White, despite being entirely aware of who he was. Lucas Hiddleston on the other hand was having the time of his life against The Vixen.


    The Dragon was against the tiger, Whilst the Giant went against the Vixen.


    Regardless, it was a tough fight for thetter. n and Lucas were the top 10 students of Shield. n himself was the man that was the youngest C rank, the void predator, and The Man who went toe to toe with Ezra along with many other titles. Adam was having a hard time with him even with his mysterious power up.


    Lucas Hiddlestone himself was a prodigy. Although he was not quite on the same level as n. He was still a student of the Sword Saint. Arken Miller had admired his tenacity and took him in. Besides that, he was among the top 5 of the shield. Now...along with his newfound power of Aura and the mysterious bloodline of the Thunder Giant...he was a force to be reckoned with.


    *RUMBLE*RUMBLE*


    The underground space which was the ck Market was rumbling. That alone spoke of the magnitude of the battle going on.


    "You are weird."


    *CLANG*CLANG*


    n''s spear and Adam''s ws shed with one another. Adam raised his eyes as he asked.


    "How so?"


    *BAM*


    n punched him and sent him flying.


    "You seemed like a corpse before, But now I feel as if I''m fighting a real person."


    Adam did not respond and ran at n on All fours, He immediately jumped to dodge n''s spear. He counterattacked by breaking the spear made of frost and Kicking n in the Head. However to his shock n didnt budge a single inch.


    "On top of that, Your Bloodline is also...impure."


    n said as he grabbed Adam''s Leg and mmed him into the ground. Adam tore off his own leg to escape and then regenerated it.


    There was anger on his face.


    "You dare call my bloodline Impure?!"


    A flurry of Wind des assaulted n, impairing his vision. A storm had kicked up beneath him and further impacted his bnce.


    From the walls of wind, Adam emerged unaffected andunched a flurry of attacks On n.


    "YOU DARE?!"


    [Skill: Tiger''s Wrath has been used.]


    Among the fury of Wind des, Adam''s ws shined a bright light and attacked n at multiple spots on his body.


    The skill was powerful, it tore through n''s flesh and attacked him at multiple spots of his body, mainly his upper body.


    His hood and upper clothing were now in tatters. His muscles and Bloodline mark were visible to Adam, who was taken aback slightly. Nheless, he did not stop attacking.


    He raised his left arm to attack n''s face, but n caught it.


    However, this was a feint.


    [Skill: Full Power Strike has been used!]


    His ws attacked n''s face, breaking his mask and leaving a deep gash on his face.


    Blood spewed out from the wound. And n stared at Adam with a deathly stare.


    His whole body was in tatters. Wounds covered it from head to toe but his stance was adamant.


    His entire body oozed blood but there was a slight smile on his face.


    ''...yes this is perfect.''


    From his wounds, there was a heat rising from within his body. His body felt hot.


    Time after time after time. He had always gone up against opponents who were far too strong, Like Kubrick And Ezra... or against meager small fry whose names he didnt even know of.


    But this? This was a fight on equal footing. His body felt hot...not burdened by the sheer overbearing strength of his opponent. But it was perfect.


    That was why there was a smile on his face. A Wide smile on his face.


    "Yeah, I dare bitch!"


    He punched Adam with full strength in the face, dislocating his Jaw...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    No, the jaw literally flew off.  Adam bore through the pain and responded with a knee to the abdomen, Before Jumping on n''s back andnding a flurry of shes there.


    However, he jumped back immediately.


    That...dragon on n''s back spooked him. He didnt dare attack it.


    Adam And n engaged in a full brawl. Landing Punches, kicks, bites, and ws at one another without stopping.


    This went on and on, as thunder sted their ears within this closed space.


    "EAT THIS!"


    n shouted, Frost Energy erupted from his body and froze everything around him.


    Adam had dodged getting his entire body frozen but his legs were not the case.


    n appeared in front of him and grabbed his throat. Adam threw more mana-enhanced shes at him but n dodged them.


    "Who was responsible for the attack on the mall?"


    Frost Energy erupted from n and attacked Adam, freezing his body slowly but surely.


    "Gah..."


    *RUMBLE*RUMBLE*


    "Why do you even bother asking?"


    Said Adam, His blood froze from the Frost Energy n released.


    "What?"


    n inquired, confused.


    "Doesn''t Twilight already know? That we were responsible? Fuck off!"


    "What are you talking about?"


    *RUMBLE*


    "The brat who came to kill the fucking elemental...had a good view of my men...And you tell me you didnt know? YOU caused this much chaos but you dare to fucking say you did not know?!"


    Adam struggled, but it was in vain.


    "..."


    n remained silent, still processing Adam''s words.


    "Or...you mean to tell me they didnt tell you? Their ace...What a fuckingugh!"


    *RUMBLE*


    There it was, he felt like a walking corpse once again.


    "They hid it from you? Tsk Tsk...To think you didnt even matter that much to them..."


    *GRIP*


    n''s grip on Adam''s throat increased as the frost energy rampaged.


    As his own throat was being crushed, there was a wicked smile on his face as he pointed to the sky with all the strength he had.


    n took a look...to see the entire ceiling made of Rock...crumbling.


    Suddenly, A Skill was fired off from Adam which was aimed at the ceiling.


    ''NO!''


    n tried to stop the attack with his Ice but failed...and the ceiling copsed as he felt extremely foul energy from beneath him.


    He looked down and saw Adam''s faceced with a wicked smile as his eyes were purple and purple veins were adamant on his body. A Demonic circle appeared from beneath...and he disappeared as the Ceiling fell.


    *RUMBLE!*

 Chapter 280 [280] A Matter Of Trust.

    It took just a second for nearly half of the slums to copse. The ground beneath caved in and the ck market was no more.


    *RUMBLE!*


    The fight had taken a toll on the environment. The ck market was below the ground, under the slums...and now both it and the Slums were gone.


    Adam and n''s fight was destructive, and Adam lost the fight miserably. He had found a way to escape, however.


    The shes he fired off were not aimed at n but were instead aimed at the already suffering ceiling. He was waiting for it to fall and escape by using a mysterious circle that oozed Chaos Energy.


    who knows how many people died? The entire ground copsed and fell On n and Lucas and whoever was left alive in the ck Market.


    *BOOM*


    An explosion of frost energy urred amidst the rubble, And n emerged from the Rubble.


    "huuu..."


    Frost''s breath escaped from his mouth as he looked at the destruction.


    "...he escaped..."


    n muttered. He was angry that Adam had escaped. Although he was unaware of how he had escaped.


    The energy of chaos was felt as he disappeared into the magic circle.


    Suddenly, n saw dozens of metal chains erupt from the ground. And an angry blonde-headed man rose from the rubble.


    "DAMN IT, THE BITCH ESCAPED!"


    It seemed even his opponent had escaped.


    Lucas took a nce at the surrounding destruction, his face crumpled as he came to a sudden realization.


    "MY MEN! DAMN, IT! OPERATION OFF I HAVE TO GO!"


    "..."


    n saw him scoot in an instant.


    "..."


    He sat down on the rubble and looked at his wounds. He didnt realize the importance of Pheonix''s bloodline power until now. It hurt.


    Normally, it would hurt only when he was injured and that pain would be somewhat nullified with the Pheonix''s great power of Regeneration. Now it hurt all the time. His head would be on mes sometimes and now this. His blood seeped out of his wounds...his entire body was covered in wounds.


    He wanted to rest, just for a little while...


    "...!''


    All of a sudden, he heard the sounds of sirens and various other noises which indicated theing of people with his enhanced senses. He got up and opened up a portal.


    *****


    [n''s room.]


    As always, the room was messy and covered in chalk. The walls...nearly everything that was solid was covered in chalk. However, there were new additions to the already messy room. Seven Notebooks were littered on the ground, and Sabrina was also present, writing in a notebook and wearing sses. It was unknown how long she was there for, but judging by the number of notebooks on the ground it seemed she had been trying for long to solve the markings of the walls.


    All of a sudden, A green portal opened up and n entered his room, However, Sabrina, despite being aware did not stop whatever she was doing.


    "Back Already?"


    She said, her gaze still fixed on the notebook. n on the other hand stood still, shocked.


    He hadn''t moved a single inch upon entering his room. He was just too surprised about the presence of Sabrina in his room.


    Sabrina still did not take her eyes off her notebook...until.


    *Sniff*.


    She smelled the scent of blood. The metallic scent of blood invaded her nostrils and finally caused her to look at the source.


    Her pencil fell on the ground as she saw n, covered in his own blood, with multiple cuts on his body and his face scarred.


    "..."


    n remained silent, not knowing what to say, the poor guy was confused.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "...stay here. I''ll get the medkit."


    "...?"


    ******


    He couldn''t say a thing. He could only just listen to her berate him as she healed his wounds. Sabrina had gone and gotten a medkit after seeing n. And just as n was about to leave she got back.


    Her gaze just screamed ''Stay Fucking Still.''


    And what do you know? n listened. It was shocking but who would have thought n would just stay still? Was he tired to argue or just terrified? Who knows.


    "...Did you cause the ck Market Incident?"


    Suddenly, as She was bandaging his arm she asked a question. n however stayed Silent.


    "..."


    Seeing that n did not respond...she fell Silent.


    ''...How is he still alive?''


    She thought to herself, the amount of Blood n had just bled was not normal, it was enough to kill awakened...but then she remembered he was a Draconian. And they were an entirely different species.


    ''...those tattoos


    "Did you know how worried we all were?"


    "What?"


    "You suddenly disappeared, Your grandparents were all worried and even Predator."


    "..."


    n remained Silent as he truly had nothing to say. His anger had taken the best of him...and and...and...?


    He was just so angry all he thought about was revenge... revenge...and revenge...


    Nothing else?


    "Don''t do that ever again."


    "..."


    She said, her voice sounded worried. Funny, It was supposed to be n worried about her safety but now the tables had turned. Instead of the bodyguard being worried...it was the client.


    "...what are all those notebooks around?"


    n asked, he had been wondering for quite a while about the notebooks on the ground.


    "I solved the four runes that were highlighted."


    She said, pointing to the four runes circled in the wall.


    "...?"


    n abruptly stood up in shock. He had tried so hard to solve all those runes...but she did it? That meant...that meant...


    "...elvenheim..."


    He muttered in a low voice...


    "After doing a bit of research...I found that they were runes that were in the Norse Mythos, they all contained some sort of information about Spatial Travel..."


    "...you actually did it?"


    "Yeah? Although I am stuck now, I did find the meaning of the four runes."


    "YOU FUCKING DID IT!"


    suddenly, n grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up, like she weighed nothing. His joy was immeasurable. HOW COULD IT NOT BE? HIS DREAM OF SAVING HIS SISTER...had advanced! His affection for Sabrina had risen tenfold!


    Sabrina, surprised by n''s sudden actions blushed while she screamed.


    "HEY! PUT ME DOWN!!!"

 Chapter 281 [281] Sneaking In.

    [Silver Wolf guild headquarters.]


    A building second only to the White tiger guild headquarters in Aror. A magnificent Guild headquarters that seemed to be made entirely of metal. On top of it, was a giant Wolf head made purely of Silver. A pleasant-looking headquarters that was bustling with people. People who were part of the guild or those who wanted to be.


    A young man with a handsome face and a clean and organized look came inside the building, unaware someone was within his shadow. If people paid a lot more attention to his shadow...they would realize it was a slight shade darker. But who would pay that much attention to a damn shadow?


    The man entered the building, and no one suspected a thing. He scanned his card at the entrance and Kazikato was sessfully in the Building.


    [Human architecture is quite fascinating. Especially for their size. However, it cannotpare to our Capital.]


    Remarked Ariel, as she showed curiosity at the Human building.


    Kazikato on the other hand remained quiet and focused on maintaining his stealth.


    The man seemed to be of quite a high rank, as other people treated him with respect.


    [You did your research, I am proud.]


    Praised Ariel. She was happy that Kazikato had actually put in some secret effort to find a reputable member of the guild. She was proud that He acted smart.


    The man continued to walk in the building until he entered his personal office with Kazikato still in his Shadow.


    ''...I think I should have switched...''


    Lamented Kazikato. He wondered if it would have been a better choice if he switched to another person within the guild.


    The man turned hisputer on, And Kazikato watched him silently do work.


    [So boring.]


    ''Agreed.''


    Both Ariel and Kazikato were bored when watching the man work. It would have been somewhat interesting had he actually had some information on theputer...But it was all just numbers and graphs.


    No files or anything.


    Finally, after what seemed like an hour, To kazikato''s joy. The Man opened a file...and it did consider some important information. It was a recent email he received from an Unknown recipient.


    [Monster: Flesh Amalgamation.]


    [Rank: D-B]


    [Element: Metal, Blood, Chaos.]


    [A masterpiece made by the Obelisk''s top researchers, although iparable to the President''s Biological Chimeras.


    The monster is made artificially from the flesh of children and has a marvelous appearance. Its body is a collection of various flesh parts that were stitched together haphazardly, giving it a patchwork, yet artistic appearance appearance. The creature has long, sinewy tentacles that end in sharp, pointed shapes, each tentacle writhed and moved independently from the rest. A truly marvelous work of art by the researchers.


    The monster''s skin is slick, wet, and glistening, giving it a slimy appearance. Its face is distorted and twisted, with bulging eyes, sharp teeth, and a constantly drooling mouth. The creature''s body was constantly shifting and writhing, making it difficult to get a clear picture of its form. It was made to be effective and efficient.


    It moves with surprising speed,shing out at any prey thates within reach of its sharp tentacles. Its very presence is enough to instill fear in the hearts of those who encounter it, leaving them with a deep sense of unease and foreboding!  A masterpiece by the Obelisk.]


    Kazikato''s eyes widened as he read the information. He could not read it fully as the man downloaded it to his watch and stood up. KAzikato stayed in his shadow, now certain that he had found an important clue!


    The man walked further into the building, there was rarely anyone here...which was strange. Kazikatoo...could rarely feel may the presence of life here...It was strange.


    The man stopped in front of a Large metal door, He scanned his card, fingerprint, and eyes, and only then did the door open.


    The man entered the dark room.


    ''...!''


    A Dozen of them...A dozen of those monsters shown in the email were present. All are contained inrge vats inside a green liquid. Pipes ran throughout the entire room, connected to who knows where.


    "Why are you here?"


    ''...?''


    Suddenly a voice was heard. Kazikato was surprised, he didnt sense any presence of life except the man whose shadow he was hiding under...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There was no other sign of life...Then how? He didnt sense anything.


    [He''s a corpse.]


    ''...?''


    Ariel said, Kazikato stared at the man in confusion.


    It was the same man, with the same eyes. A handsome face that many women would fall for...And the Eyes of a predator. Silver hair resembling the fur of a wolf.


    Kazikato recognized those eyes...those eyes were the same eyes he had seen during the Mall Attack.


    "I have received the information about the monster''s Guildmaster."


    "The obelisk has finally sent it? Good..."


    The man disyed a hollow smile. His subordinate handed him his watch and he saw the hologram of the Monster and read its information.


    "Although These cannotpare to the Master of Obelisk''s Chimeras...these will be enough."


    The guildmaster of Silver Wolf muttered. His subordinate was surprised upon hearing his words...


    These monsters could reach the level of a Boss type B rank monster...yet they were insignificantpared to the Obelisk''s Master''s creations...?


    Truly...it was enough for the Organization that defied the Association And World government. The Obelisk was truly strong.


    [A corpse...No he''s even lower than a corpse now. The demon haspletely corrupted his mind. The poor soul just thinks he is in control, How Unfortunate.]


    The Guildmaster of Silver Wold guild walked up to one of the vats and touched it gently. it was as if he was caressing his own child...A Malformed Child.


    "Did you know...I created this one by myself. Although it is of the weak constitution... it''s still good since it was my first attempt."


    "It is truly a masterpiece guildmaster."


    the man praised the guildmaster.


    "Masterpiece...but It can''tpare to the Master of Obelisk''s Chimeras, The absolute peak Biological enhancements...nor can itpete with Harrison Soubuelles Automatons...I need to create a new one."


    His nose moved up and down...it seemed as if he was searching for something....until.


    [He''s found you.]


    Said Ariel. Kazikato didnt quite get it until the Silver Wolf Guildmaster said.


    "Why not use you and the kid hiding in your shadow as ingredients?"


    "Guildmas-?!"


    *PSHK*


    The Silver Wolf guild master''s Hand went through the man''s chest and grasped his beating heart.


    Since Kazikato''s host was dead, Kazikato''s figure materialized and then appeared in the room.


    "Hello!"


    The silver wolf guildmaster said happily as he started to transform slightly, shape ws and fangs appeared and OEM hair appeared on his body. Heunched himself at Kazikato but was kicked far away.


    [It would be better to retreat Kazikato, You cannot use your full power here and those things are going to wake up soon.]


    Informed Ariel, Hearing her. Kazikato decided to run after destroying two of the vats ad killing the monsters inside. He broke the room''s wall and became a shadow and ran far away and escaped.


    The body fo the Silver wolf guildmaster... was horribly destroyed after receiving Kazikato''s kick regenerated, flesh reced rot, and ck bones reced the original white...And when his face regenerated...it didnt seem human


    "...Huuu...I guess we should advance the n..."


    He remarked as he fixed his jaw.

 Chapter 282 [282] Discord.

    zuku here,  I wanted to thank you all so much for the support that you have shown this novel in the month of May. As always, the top 10 Fans are.


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    For all those in the top 10, Upon Joining the discord server, please message me privately with a screenshot of your ount in order to receive a special rank on the server. The link to the server is:  https://discord.gg/Sgxw6QEsgE


    As always, thank you so much for reading. Take care!


    *********


    A lone shadow ran across the streets of Aror, remaining in the darkness concealed.


    Kazikato finally approached the Twilight headquarters and went into Maxwell''s office immediately.


    Maxwell was surprised and was about to press a button which would gather all of the alerts their forces of an attacker...but then Kazikato popped out of the mysterious shadow.


    "...You could do that?"


    It shocked Maxwell that Kazikato could do such a thing.


    "I just learned it...Anyways. Max, I need to tell you something."


    Kazikato threw a small watch at Maxwell, who caught it. It was the same watch that the Man had downloaded the information in, It contained all of the information about the flesh amalgamations that had been encased in those chemical vats.


    "Open it."


    Maxwell unlocked the watch and his eyes widened as the 3D hologram of the Monster appeared along with its information.


    [Monster: Flesh Amalgamation.]


    [Rank: D-B]


    [Element: Metal, Blood, Chaos.]


    [A masterpiece made by the Obelisk''s top researchers, although iparable to the President''s Biological Chimeras.


    The monster is made artificially from the flesh of children and has a marvelous appearance. Its body is a collection of various flesh parts that were stitched together haphazardly, giving it a patchwork, yet artistic appearance. The creature has long, sinewy tentacles that end in sharp, pointed shapes, each tentacle writhed and moved independently from the rest. A truly marvelous work of art by the researchers.


    The monster''s skin is slick, wet, and glistening, giving it a slimy appearance. Its face is distorted and twisted, with bulging eyes, sharp teeth, and a constantly drooling mouth. The creature''s body was constantly shifting and writhing, making it difficult to get a clear picture of its form. It was made to be effective and efficient.


    It moves with surprising speed,shing out at any prey thates within reach of its sharp tentacles. Its very presence is enough to instill fear in the hearts of those who encounter it, leaving them with a deep sense of unease and foreboding!  A masterpiece by the Obelisk.]


    "...My god..."


    This was of the greatest urgency.


    "I saw a dozen myself, some were B rank...And they say more are hiding somewhere else."


    "Where?"


    Asked Maxwell...The Description of the monster irked him...especially the fact that it was from the Obelisk.


    "At the guild of the guy that caused the Chaos Elemental Incident...We shouldn''t hide this anymore from Boss. He should know who caused the incident in which Samantha was hurt."


    "I understand that...But this information is -"


    Suddenly, the door opened abruptly...And n, covered in bandages stepped inside, his eyes wide from shock.


    "...What did you just say?"


    He inquired...Maxwell''s face darkened.


    ''...And things had to get worse.''


    "What did you just say?!"


    He roared, Kazikato didnt know what to say when n had suddenlye in...and Maxwell was left there to endure n''s mana pressure.


    "Calm down!"


    Sabrina''s voice was heard behind n, and she quickly closed the door.


    "Calm down?! You bastards knew who did that to her and stayed fucking quiet?! HE WAS RIGHT!"


    "I told them to hide it from you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Maxwell shifted the target of n''s anger from everyone to him. n angrily approached Maxwell''s desk and mmed his fist into it. He grabbed Maxwell by the throat. Kazikato tried to stop n but was stopped by Ariel.


    [Leave it. You don''t need to interfere.]


    n raised Maxwell by his cor and yelled at him. Sabrina was just too shocked by the sudden mana pressure from n to even move. He had been quite calm for a while, the two had spent a lot of time trying to solve the Spatial Equation together...and even chatted for quite a while. They were headed here to solve things on Sabrina''s request...but things escted too fast! n, with his superior senses, had probably heard whatever was going on in the room!


    She didn''t think he would be this angry in a second!


    "Why?! I could have killed the bastards who did it! WHY DID YOU HIDE IT?!"


    n roared, and Maxwell stared at him calmly. Unfazed by the sudden outburst.


    "Take a fucking look around you."


    He said, calmly. Even though n could end his life in an instant...he remained calm.


    "What?"


    "I said take a look around yourself, you idiot. Do you think You are the only one here? What would have happened if we told you who the suspect was? Especially when your attitude regarding anything to your sister is...What did you think would happen?"


    The entire room was silent as only Maxwell spoke, his cold, golden eyes staring fearlessly at n.


    "You would''ve gone straight to get revenge, and in the state of rage you would be in you wouldn''t have given a damn. Predator does not consist only of you. What do you think would have happened when you mercilessly killed multiple people in broad daylight? All of Twilight would have taken a major hit. I understand how important your sister is to you, But there are other people You, as the leader of Predator, have to take care of."


    n''s eyes glowed a strange hue of teal...but that disappeared soon.


    "n, calm down...We wanted to tell you but the consequences were too much. Let''s talk this out."


    Sabrina said...and somehow n listened to her and Calmed down for a while. He put Maxwell down.


    "Thank you."


    Maxwell dusted his uniform and sat down on his chair.


    "Now...I was nning to call you all here. Take a look at this." Maxwell disyed the 3D Hologram of the monster. n''s eyes widened as he remembered the monster.


    "A dozen of these were found by Kazikato in the Guild headquarters of Silver Wolf, and who knows how many the other guilds of the Beast Alliance are hiding...the most important thing is...This was sent by the Obelisk."


    Sabrina''s eyes widened as the name of the Obelisk was mentioned...


    "...Is that true?" She asked she couldn''t believe it...


    Maxwell showed her the description and even after reading it multiple times...her shock did not go away.


    "The recent suspicious activities of the Beast Alliance guild...along with the recent urrences...I thought they were up to something but even I didnt expect the Obelisk to take part in..."


    "...Um what is the Obelisk?"


    It seemed only Kazikato was innocent in this...


    "The Obelisk is an organization formed of criminals and defected awakened. It is located in the demon continent somewhere and it is where humans, who have signed contracts with Demons are. They borrowed the power of demons for their own gain. It is equal to in power to the Association and threatens the World government and the overall safety of Humanity. I''ll send you the files to readter."


    Maxwell provided a brief description of the Obelisk, and Kazikato got the gist of it.


    "I fought with those monsters."


    n said, and everyone turned to him.


    "What?"


    Asked Maxwell.


    "When I was out for revenge for Samantha, I searched for any chaos energy in the city. I wouldn''t have needed to do this of course had someone said something. But I found the nearest source of Chaos Mana at an abandoned warehouse. Multiple people there were transporting Illegal goods and those monsters were there as well. They attacked me and I killed them."


    "..."


    Maxwell remained quiet after hearing n.


    "That means they aren''t just in the guilds..."


    He muttered, and everyone listened closely to him.


    "...Sabrina, can you go issue a meeting with the guild leaders of the smaller guilds we formed an alliance with?"


    "Sure...I need to contact my family as well. This is too urgent.."


    Sabrina left the room, and Maxwell Addressed n and Kazikato this time.


    "We will deal with the issue you and I haveter. First of all, we need to take care of t4hings...So do I have your cooperation?"


    "...Fine."


    n grunted.


    "Something big is about to happen, I need both of you to use your abilities and sense these monsters if they are located in more abandoned warehouses. You two are incredibly strong. So hurry up."


    Kazikato nodded and was about to leave with n when...


    "n, go to Samantha''s room. Someone there, a healer is waiting for you."


    "...What?"

 Chapter 283 [283] And So It Begins.

    "What happened to you?"


    The guildmaster of Silverwolf guild said as he observed Adam White, The guildmaster of White Tiger, and Laura, the owner of the ck Market.


    He hade to the White Tiger guild to Talk about the n...but he saw something else.


    "n Pator."


    Said Adam, as he held his left abdomen in pain, It was covered in ice that wouldn''t go away no matter what.


    n had managed to sneak in an attack just before Adam teleported away.


    "Those damn brats! They destroyed everything I worked so hard for! ILL TEAR THEM LIMB FOR LIMB."


    Laura raged on the side.


    "So he attacked the ck Market?"


    Asked Arian, the Guildmaster of Silverwolf.


    "Yes, along with another guy."


    "Who? The death reaper?"


    Arian was perplexed. It hadn''t been long since the ck market was destroyed, The news was still discussing that. Had the Reaper of Death gone to attack him that soon?


    "It was some other bastard with chains! He used a mysterious green power that wasn''t like mana! I will skin that son of a bitch alive!"


    "..."


    Arian remained quiet, He was still processing the recent events.


    "Tell me everything in detail."


    "n Pator and someone else attacked the ck Market, The other guy used metallic chains and that strange power Laura talked about. They attacked together, I arrived just in time to take n Pator on...While the other one took Laura on."


    Exined Adam, Arian seemed happy.


    "Good... this means that Twilight''s Trump card is injured right? This should help us..."


    Arian stopped talking as he saw Adam''s expression when he mentioned n being injured.


    "...How did it go?"


    He inquired...he expected the worst but hoped it would not be that way...


    "...We lost. Both Laura and I barely escaped."


    "Even with the bloodlines...?"


    "Yes."


    ...My god...


    Adam and Laura lowered their heads...it truly was a shame. Experienced hunters like them had lost...?


    Arian was dumbfounded... Laura was understandable, She had been away from the battle for quite a while...She was managing an entire ck market and never had been a fighter...but even Adam?


    "The rumors weren''t exaggerated."


    Proimed Adam. The rumors about n Pator were not exaggerated at all.


    The first spatial mage, the youngest C rank in history. The True trump card of the twilight guild.


    "Everything I dealt...was nothing to him. With each blow I dealt he took it on and attacked me whilst unfazed by his damaged body...And he was holding back as well. He wasn''t going all out against me...He used only the frost element...not the spatial one."


    "...?!"


    Arian was shocked. To think that Adam had been hurt that much whilst n Pator was holding back..?


    "Unbelievable right? That blonde-haired guy with him was also very strong. My Bloodline didnt work on him at all...And he used three elements to boot. Earth, metal, And Lightning...


    These talented freaks just show up and throw all our hard work down the drain..."


    Laura said. She sounded dejected.


    What was their hard work worth for when talented freaks  Like n Pcator, And Kazikato Shimoshino appeared and sank it all?


    "...Wait. Did he really use three elements?"


    Arian couldn''t believe it... People with two elements were rare...And three were extremely rare! The number of known awakened who had three elements could be counted on one''s hands!


    When Laura nodded...he fell into deep thought.


    "Kazikato Shimoshino saw the Monsters sent by the obelisk. He sneaked into the Silver Wolf headquarters and got into the chamber...He killed a few of them and escaped. The Obelisk cannot be contacted as well."


    "!"


    Arian''s words shocked Adam.


    "We should start it now...We may not have prepared everything but we should start now. If The Wellington''s or Twilight''s main forcese...Everything will be doomed."


    Suggested Arian, Adam''s face darkened.


    "We will have to go with n B then..."


    "It''s still better than nothing."


    Adam felt conflicted. He was afraid the ''Lord'' would be disappointed, he had done so much for them but it felt as if they had failed to meet his expectations.


    "...Adam...We need to. We need to summon the ''Lord'' now or else all will be for naught."


    Adam stood up with a determined face...And looked at the Ice on his abdomen...He had made up his mind.


    So strong at such a young age...He will kill the ''Monster'' known as n pator now. And Present his body to the ''Lord''. That will make the Lord happy.


    He raised his fist, and Arian and Laura did the same and said.


    "For our dreams, For our wish."


    "For Our dreams, For our wish."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "For our dreams, For our wish."


    They chanted together, a mantra they had made for themselves, one that would motivate them to reach their goals.


    Arian and Laura left, they knew what they had to do now. And Adam was left alone.


    He sighed...and made his way to a secret room within the White Tiger Guild headquarters.


    "...For my dreams..."


    He said as he approached the middle of the room, and stood on top of a Giant Magic circle drawn with blood. Besides the ominous magic circle...there were Dozens of vats that had the Flesh Amalgamations. They numbered in the hundreds...


    "For My Dream."


    He stated, and slit his wrist. The blood seeped into the Circle.


    ******


    "..."


    "..."


    "Elijah, meet Elton and Elton meet Elijah."


    Serena introduced the two brothers who didnt talk with one another when they entered the room.


    Elijah had been brought here by Serena, to Elton''s temporary office. Elijah and Elton both had not spoken a Word since they had met each other.


    "...how?"


    Questioned Elijah, he knew how stubborn his brother was...So how did Serena convince him to actuallye?


    "She Thre-


    "Hmm?"


    "She offered me a better job."


    Elton switched his sentence after Serena red at him.


    Elijah remained quiet as he saw this...


    "Ohe on Eli! if it makes you happy, He promised to end his bad ways!"


    Elijah''s eyes widened as he heard Serena, he looked toward his brother for confirmation...and received a nod in response. He smiled and hugged Elton.


    "Thank god..."


    He forgot all the past they had...He knew his brother never lied to his family. He was happy...incredibly happy that Elton, the Elton he knew returned!


    "Let''s go inform Mom and Dad! I will vouc-"


    "Not now...Elijah."


    Interrupted Elton.


    "We have a matter to discuss."


    Elton activated a hologram that showed the recent destruction that happened in the ck Market.


    "The ck market has been destroyed. "


    "Isn''t that a good thing?"


    "Not right now...The fact that this has been destroyed means that things are now serious between The Beast Alliance and Twilight."


    Elijah and Serena listened to him with attention.


    "I received a request from Twilight to investigate the Aror incident, and I found multiple ties to the White Tiger guild and the Beast Alliance. Human trafficking along with several other crimes...but the most important one is that the Beastly Alliance is with the Obelisk...or demons."


    Elijah''s eyes widened and Serena had a deathly re...It was the obelisk that caused her to suffer so much...it was that damned, fucked up organization responsible for her Mother''s death...and her torture.


    "Demons?"


    "Yes, I''m afraid something big is going to happen in Aror, something even worse than the Aror incident."


    "..."


    Elijah remembered that incident vividly...those scenes of destruction...that chaos was...was engrained in his mind.


    "What do we need to do, If the Obelisk is involved I can call my father and receive his help. The Association and World government will have to be in-"


    *RUMBLE*


    Interrupting Serena was arge earthquake, A shockwave of unknown energy was felt all throughout the city as the skies turned red...and A quest Notification appeared in front of Elijah and Serena.


    [Stop the descent of the Marquiss!]


    [Quest Difficulty: S]


    [Quest reward: Titles and items based on contribution.]


    [Quest Failure penalty: A Marquiss of Chaos will descend upon Earth, Quest Difficulty will rise to SSS-.]


    [Description: A Marquiss of darkness and Chaos of the 88thyer of the Abyss has tricked the Beast Alliance and has made them his ves. He ns to descend upon Earth using unholy, demonic means in order to wreak havoc. He ns to ascend to the Duke rank with all the sacrifices procured through this incident. Stop the descent of the Demonic Marquis! Or else Chaos will befall Earth!]


    [This is a forced quest to all Nondemonic awakened in Aror. You cannot deny this quest.]


    [Good luck. You will need it.]


    A foul energy wafted all over the city of Aror, The earthquake itself was strong enough to destroy some buildings. Serena was supported By Elijah when she almost fell over.


    Elijah hurriedly left the room and went outside in a hurry...His eyes widened in horror as he saw Aror. Serena ran after him and came outside as well...only to have the same reaction.


    Multiple beacons of red rose into the sky. The sky itself was dyed red and lightning attacked the city of Aror, Multiple barriers of demonic energy epassed entire areas of the city...


    And On top of them...was an immenselyrge barrier that Isted Aror from the outside world.

 Chapter 284 [284] Descent Of The Marquis!

    n entered Samantha''s room and saw a Blonde-Haired girl he was familiar with. Her hand glowed a holy light and this light seemed to be healing His Sister.


    n paused for a moment as he gazed at that light. That energy...was not Mana. It was Aura.


    "...Aura?"


    He muttered as he stared at Emma''s hands.


    Emma Foxglove seemed to be inplete focus as she continued to heal Samantha. n didnt disturb her. He saw his grandmother Amanda Pator as well as her sleeping on the couch.


    There were dark circles underneath her eyes.


    ''...How? No wait it makes sense.''


    Demi-humans and other Beastly species were infamous for having lowpatibility with mana just like orcs, So they used the energy present within their body topensate for that. That power was known as Aura. Something n desperately wanted to achieve.


    But he failed to do it.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says that Aura is unique.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha agrees.]


    n silently stood and gazed at the energy, mesmerized by it.


    Alexander Possessed a Silver Aura, an aura which resembled the wind and the moon.


    Lucas and the Sword Saint both possessed Aura which was Green, Likely representing life. They had both awakened their auras when they were near death so that probably had an effect on them. But Alexander''s aura...he didnt have a clue.


    Ahh...he wanted Aura too.


    [Supreme Dragon of Suleras says that will be hard.]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Lanesha says your wish is hard to fulfill.]


    ''Huh? What? Why?''


    Just then, Emma had stopped using the Unique Aura, and beads of sweat trickled down her brow, She went to grab a ss of water and then she saw n.


    Surprised, her ears and tail perked up.


    "You wanted to meet me?"


    Said n. he was curious as to why she wanted to meet him. He had somewhat of an idea in mind.


    "...How long were you there for Sir?"


    ''Sir?''


    It was the first time someone called him that. It felt good somehow.


    "For a while, I saw that unique power of yours."


    Emma, sounded...perplexed? Or rather hesitant. One could say she was afraid.


    n waited for her to speak.


    "Please ept me and my brother as part of your guild..."


    n raised his eyebrows at her words.


    "I have a good healing ability...I can heal Your little sister Samantha in exchange for letting me into Twilight...and my brother. But..."


    "But...?"


    "But you would have to force him to enter...He lives a dangerous life... I want you to use your strength to discipline him...Please."


    She seemed Desperate. n stood in front of Samantha''s bed as he gazed at her. Indeed, Herplexion had gotten better. It was...ok when he was using The full power of the bloodline of the Pheonix...but it had gotten even better after Emma healed her. She was regrowing her lush beautiful hair...and the weakness had disappeared.


    [Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras says that it would be beneficial for you to ept her offer.]


    [Supreme dragon of Ice Lanesha agrees. She says that the ability is marvelous. She advises you to ept the offer. She says that Samantha ''may'' regain consciousness if that ability is used to heal her along with the power of a Pheonix.]


    ''..!''


    And that was enough for n to ept the proposal. Just hearing that his Sister may regain consciousness was enough.


    "I ept, we were in need of a healer anyway...And I just have to bring your brother?"


    "...Yes...He is stubborn so he May be ha-"


    "Don''t worry about it. Can you please continue healing my sister with everything?"


    "Ah Yes!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Good, then From now on, You and your brother are officially part of Predator."


    Emma bowed down to show her appreciation. n could hear her sniffling. Tears wereing out.


    Maybe from this day onwards...the life of the two would change. For better.


    n was about to leave the room to do his duty when Emma called out to him.


    "But...How will you find my brother? I can gi-"


    "I have my ways."


    n couldn''t tell her that he had spied on her and her brother. He knew what the brother of hers looked like. And besides, she was a demihuman, her brother was the same. He probably had to look like her, with the tail and ears and everything.


    n left the room, leaving Emma puzzled.


    ******


    [A whileter.]


    "Did you find anything?"


    n asked Kazikato. Kazikato shook his head as he threw a crate of chaos stones on the floor. n felt disturbed just by being in their presence...which was odd considering his Strongest Affinity was Chaos.


    The chaos stones were rtively small in size, and didnt seem to be that strong.


    They had raided three warehouses but found empty vats. The monster had been here...but they had been transported somewhere else. He did wonder why the vats were still thought.


    "Should we go back?"


    Asked Kazikato.


    "Did you get ''him''?"


    n was talking about Emma''s brother, He had told Kazikato about him and sent him to get him.


    "Yeah."


    Answered Kazikato, as he reached into his shadow and pulled out an unconscious Edward Foxglove.


    n stared at Edward Silently.


    "He didnt cooperate."


    Said Kazikato.


    "..."


    "Oh well... Let''s just go back. I think the beast guilds have taken them back to their headquarters."


    "Should we raid their headquarters boss?"


    "No, Let''s just go back."


    n and Kazikato walked outside the warehouse, Kazikato carried Edward on his shoulder.


    And then...an Earthquake was felt. Both of the dragons felt the shockwave of ominous energy and then the quest Prompt appeared in front of them.


    [Stop the descent of the Marquiss!]


    [Quest Difficulty: S]


    [Quest reward: Titles and items based on contribution.]


    [Quest Failure penalty: A Marquiss of Chaos will descend upon Earth, Quest Difficulty will rise to SSS-.]


    [Description: A Marquiss of darkness and Chaos of the 88thyer of the Abyss has tricked the Beast Alliance and has made them his ves. He ns to descend upon Earth using unholy, demonic means in order to wreak havoc. He ns to ascend to the Duke rank with all the sacrifices procured through this incident. Stop the descent of the Demonic Marquis! Or else Chaos will befall Earth!]


    [This is a forced quest to all Nondemonic awakened in Aror. You cannot deny this quest.]


    [Good luck. You will need it.]


    And then, the entire city descends into chaos. n saw the barrier which isted the city, along with all the other demonic phenomena.


    He tried to open a portal to the outside world...But the portal failed to open.


    "Grandma says it a spatial Istion...We cant teleport out of here if we are weaker than the caster."


    Ryed Kazikato. n''s expression turned serious.


    "Let''s hurry back."

 Chapter 285 [285] Descent Of The Marquis![2]

    A massive dome covered the entire city of Aror, A dome that one couldn''t see through no matter what. A dome that consisted of Spirals of mana and other anomalies. A Barrier that couldn''t be broken if specific conditions were not met.


    Inside this dome, however, was Chaos. An entire city isted from all Help from outside... The entire sky was red, pierced by crimson beacons of pure demonic energy. Each Pir erupted from a sector of the city controlled by one of the Beast Guild Alliance. Each beacon erected into the sky formed a barrier within therger barrier that isted Aror, and so multiple districts were sealed off. Only a few areas of the city were safe. Twilights districts and those small ones of the Smaller guilds.


    With each passing second, white balls would rise and go to the beacons, and these white balls would increase the intensity and size of the Beacon...But the biggest beacon of all was the one in the District of White Tiger.


    That beacon itself wasrger than all the other onesbined, it pierced the sky and illuminated the entire city of Aror...a bloody hue of red, One which represented the Apocalypse.


    "..."


    n looked up at all the beacons and approached a barrier. The Barrier to the Silver Wolf Guild District.


    He touched it, but his hand was immediately repelled.


    "..."


    He was annoyed, severely annoyed. And worried. Small traces of Chaos Energy were seeping from the sealed districts onto the other safe ones. Furthermore, He couldn''t even see what was happening inside the districts as well.


    n dismissed the idea of forcefully prating the barrier and returned to Twilight''s base. The base itself was in chaos. Multiple awakened of Twilight were trying to calm down the popce, and some were busy running around carrying files and items to ward off the Chaos energy. However, most made way for him. He was the Void predator after all.


    "What''s happening?!"


    "Oh god!"


    "It''s the same as before...THE SAME!"


    Some questioned it, and some prayed. And Some relived another incident simr to this one.


    But they were all afraid, The innocent children had fallen ill due to the Chaos energy spreading throughout the city, They would have died if not For Twilight using various Items and Barriers of holy power to ward off the Malicious energy...n too could feel it. He could feel something within him...yet he couldn''t exin what it was. The adults outside of the protective zone were also not doing well. Only the Awakened seemed fine.


    He entered a conference room, a room filled with the guild leaders of multiple small guilds that Twilight had allied with and Twilight''s executives, including Maxwell, Sabrina, Alice, and Kazikato. The room quietened down immediately after he returned. Everyone inside could feel it, n was the strongest one there without exception.


    ''...So that is n pator?''


    ''Such power...at that young age?''


    ''...Amazing...''


    Such were the thoughts of the guild leaders present, They allbined couldn''t even dream of defeating n. Maxwell knew this, he only allied with them to secure more territory.


    "How did it go?"


    Maxwell asked n. He had sent n to survey the Barriers after He returned. He had gathered all the guild leaders immediately after the Quest hade.


    "I was repelled when I tried to enter."


    "...Only Repelled?"


    "Yeah...Why?"


    Maxwell showed relief when he heard that n was only repelled.


    "One of my men went to check but his entire arm was blown away when he touched the barrier."


    An old man sitting beside Maxwell said, n looked at him with confusion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..."


    ''But I was only repelled?''


    Well, he was stronger than literally everyone in this roombined. So it made sense that he would be affected less due to his body strength and other factors.


    "The Barriers are a special form of Demonic magic, ritual magic more specifically. It''s where a demon of a higher rank, mostly count or above can do mind-shattering things if enough sacrifices are offered. This type of magic is made to allow the descent of a demon. All of you have seen the quest...So you should know how urgent this is... A Marquis is preparing to descend." Exined Sabrina.


    An SS-ranked demon...A Demon on par with Humanity''s currently known Strongest.


    Demons were ssified into different Noble ranks based on their strength. A B- rank demon was a baron, A rank was Viscount, S rank was a count, SS rank was Marquis, and SSS Rank was a duke.


    There were no instances of a marquis-ranked demon descending alone recorded. The only one was the Invasion of Japan, In which a few marquis-ranked demons came along with the Extremely powerful Duke-ranked demon General An. It was only due to the efforts of the Three Legends, Arken Miller the Sword Saint, Oliver Olsfer the Sage, and Hiroto Mitsuki the Spear Saint. The Spear saint had also died in the incident and Humanity had suffered big losses.


    However, due to the number of people present here and their strength, the Marquis ranked demon''s descent was even more dangerous. An SS-ranked being was about to descend.


    This wasn''t good...this was not good.


    Nearly everyone had that thought.


    "We need everyone to do their best in stopping the descent of the demon. The White orbs that we saw going into the beacons are souls, the Souls of innocent civilians that have been killed by the Beast guild Alliance. We need to hurry and stop it now. we don''t know how many souls need to be sacrificed to summon the Marquis...Time is of the essence."


    "But we can''t even enter the barriers!"


    "We can find a way!"


    "We need to yeah, but what about reinforcements?"


    Sabrina became silent when she heard the argument of one of the guild leaders. She had tried to examine the barriers but with no luck. She didnt know this type of magic...She now regretted not studying more about demons back in Shield.


    She had tried to contact her family as well, Maxwell had also tried to contact the Headquarters...But all was lost. No connection should be made.


    [...Can you?]


    Sabrina sent a message to him, she begged him with her pleading eyes...To say yes.


    To say that he could open a portal and get them all out of this mess...


    But all she got was n failing to meet her eyes, he closed his eyes and just shook his head.


    She sighed and her head dropped down.


    This was a catastrophe...Everything seemed bad.


    Everyone in the room remained quiet when they heard it...they knew now. It was all for naught. Everything was gone. They couldn''t destroy the barrier nor could they hope of defeating the Marquis ranked demon if it descended


    A deafening silence enveloped the room.


    But this silence, however...was broken by someone no one expected to speak.


    "I...have an idea."


    It was Kazikato. All eyes turned to him.

 Chapter 286 [286] Descent Of The Marquis![3]

    "I have an Idea..."


    Kazikato said. his voice broke the state of deafening silence the room was in. In an instant, all eyes turned on him.


    Everyone keenly observed him, waiting for him to say his ''idea''. After all, he was the Death Predator, Second only to n in the whole room. Whatever he had to say had to be necessary. Kazikatto hesitated as all eyes fell on him.


    Maxwell looked at his hesitation andforted him.


    "It''s ok, tell us what you want to say. We don''t have anything."


    Heforted Kazikato.


    "There is a way to break the barriers..."


    He said all eyes widened. They waited for him to continue eagerly.


    "All the barriers are connected even if they don''t appear to be...They don''t reach up to the sky. There is a central wall, The one in the White Tiger district is the strongest...But also the pivotal one. If we can destroy that, every other barrier will cease. Each barrier has a certain weak point that can be destroyed if hit with a strong enough attack...


    We can choose to attack the other district''s barriers. But that would be slow and destroy them only one by one...The White Tiger district barrier is the strongest but If Boss n and I attack it with all our might at its weakest point...We can destroy it."


    Hit it with the strongest attack you got. It wasn''t as if they had not thought of this...They just didnt think anyone here could break a Barrier erected by a Marquis.


    "How sure are you that will even work? Just Brute forcing our way through...It''s designed for a Marquis descending."


    "Where did you even get that information."


    However,ints came as soon. They must believe it. Yes, n and Kazikato were strong...But to that extent? None of them believed it.


    And most of them hadn''t even seen n in Action. They couldn''t just believe this.


    "I uh..."


    "He has a skill which lets him see the weak points of many things."


    Maxwell interjected. Kazikato had hesitated to answer when he was bombarded with questions. Maxwell had answered for him. Even though he was curious as o where Kazikato knew of that, He dismissed it because of the current situation.


    "n, Got that?"


    He looked at n. n nodded and was about to leave.


    "Come On Kazikato."


    "But how do we know that this is a hundred percent sure..? Even if we break the barriers how are we supposed to get rid of those beacons? How exactly are we supposed to stop the descent?"


    Another man questioned.


    "The beacons are generated by Altars set up in the guild bases of the Beast Alliance probably. All we have to do to stop the descent is destroy these Altars...the only problem will be the demonic beings guarding it."


    Exined Sabrina. The beacons had to have altars or a source. All they had to was destroy the source.


    "But then...How are we supposed to get by the guild masters and guild members of the Beast guilds...?


    They..."


    Silence engulfed the room once again. The beast guilds were stronger than them. only Twilight could rival them among the guilds gathered here.


    They had lived under their oppression for so long.


    "Just support us with numbers."


    All eyes turned to n, who broke the silence.


    n, Kazikato, Sabrina, And the rest were enough in his eyes.


    There were 5 beacons, Thergest one was in the center of the White Tiger district while four smaller ones guarded it. Assuming n took one, Kazikato took another, And Sabrina and the rest of the members took one more.


    Two were still left. n would take the Main one in the White Tiger district center. Kazikato would take the one in Silver Wolf District, and Sabrina would take the one in the Lightning Leopard District...But two were still left.


    "Do we have any means of contacting the Association?"


    n asked. Maxwell nodded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Good. Then just tell them our n."


    Maxwell nodded...even though he was Confused.


    The Association in Aror also had A Monster...In fact, they had four monsters. Elijah Ardor, Henry Fornum, ine Parker, And The Yandere.


    Disregarding the rest, n knew Elijah was enough. Elijah was someone that couldn''t be underestimated. His father could also be of help.


    Elijah was the heir to the throne of Fire Dragons, The Chosen of Agri himself. A dragon that could be said to have singlehandedly ended entire gxies. He would not lose. And to top it off. Elijah was the hero, the chosen of the Celestials. The Realm which rivaled the Abyss.


    There was no way he was losing to some random Marquis. It had to be noted that Elijah in his prime...Was Second only to the strongest Demon. The very same demon that had brought this entire Universe to its knees more than 500 times. The Dragon of Extinction was rivaled only by him.


    Second only to such an existence...He would not lose.


    "Guildmasters, Please gather all your forces. We will begin the strategic meeting now. n and Kazikato will storm the White Tiger And Silver Wolf Districts alone. Those two are enough. We just have to take the remaining one and provide some assistance to the association to take care of the other ones. n, I''ll give you the signal when to depart. Go and wait for now."


    Ordered Maxwell. n left the room. Kazikato followed and Maxwell, Sabrina, and the rest began to make ns.


    Outside, n asked.


    "Ariel told you?"


    "Yes..."


    Affirmed Kazikato. Ariel had told her Grandson all the information regarding the Barriers.


    Well, it was good for them anyways.


    ''Why do you guys never help?''


    n asked his OWN guardian Dragons.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos says it is because of the Primordial Dragon of Death, Madame Ariel.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says it is because of her mother.]


    "..."


    Two Supreme dragons, Dragons that could singlehandedly bring entire worlds, GALAXIES Even to their knees were scared.


    Was Ariel that Terrifying?


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras Says yes.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha also agrees.]


    ''...''


    n was left speechless.


    "Boss?"


    Kazikato called out. Unaware of the current situation his Guardian dragon had caused.


    "Go and get ready...I have somewhere I need to be."


    Ordered n. He left Kazikato in a confused state.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel tells you to go to your room.]


    "Huh...Why?"


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel orders you to go to your room now.]


    "...ok."


    Even Kazikato couldn''t say no to Madame Ariel.

 Chapter 287 [287] Go, Oh Dragons.

    n stopped outside Samantha''s Hospital room. He felt conflicted and hesitant.


    He worried about his sister the most. Although Twilight''s main base was safe due to therge number of Artifacts activated here that repelled the chaotic energy...He was still worried.


    He wanted to go in...But he felt afraid.


    He could feel Emma using her Aura to treat his sister. And also his Grandmother inside the room. She had refused to leave after the Mall incident even though she herself needed medical care.


    He worried for their safety...What if those Flesh Monstrosities attacked the base when almost everyone was out to attack? What then?


    He didn''t trust it. He raised his hand and touched the door. And then spread his mana around the entire ward. And then constructed a barrier of frost energy. The energy that would react violently when chaos energy or Beings with Malicious intent approached the ward. He put up severalyers of barriers around Samantha''s room.


    ''...Can I do it?''


    n questioned himself. He questioned whether if he could really take on the Marquis ranked demon if it did descend...


    "...No."


    His frost Draconian form was not enough. And He didnt have enough leeway with the energy of the phoenix as well.


    That was being used on Samantha. Previously, All n did was charge in and fight like a beast and didnt worry about his injuries because the Pheonix Bloodline would heal him. But now he didnt have it.


    ''...Maybe...With the Chaos Dragon one...No I can''t use that.''


    The Chaos Draconian, The one that he used during the weird Illusion the Jade snake had put him in.


    He vividly remembered that sheer power...Of that transformation.


    Maybe...it would be enough to take down a Marquis...but who knows?


    ''...I can''t.''


    He knew it. He couldn''t risk it.


    He couldn''t just risk it. Just risk losing the protection the reputation James had...The Reputation made even the Abyssal conscience wary enough not to approach Aranus''s vessel just because of the chance James was in control.


    ''...I can''t risk it.''


    n came to terms with himself. He wouldn''t see that power for a long time.


    He left the ward and went to the balcony. His eyes observed the surroundings. People all gathered around, Children were being taken care of by any medical staff avable.


    He looked up at the red sky, At the spirals of clouds centered around the beacons prating into the skies. Why wouldn''t people be afraid?


    He was sure that immense efforts were made to ensure that themon folk didnt know of the quest...But people still found out.


    They were all afraid, Each and every one of them. He was afraid.


    What if the marquis descended? [Possession] couldn''t be used because it was still on Cooldown. And besides his current body just couldn''t take the force of Aranus without the power of the phoenix strengthening it. He just couldn''t.


    Hah, He was so confident back in the room. He was confident against facing that white-haired tiger-man...But not against the Marquis.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Sulerasughs at you.]


    [Supreme dragon of frost Lanesha tells Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras to stop.]


    "..."


    ''Laugh all you want.''


    [Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras assures you that he will.]


    "..."


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha is angry at the Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says that you are pathetic for a dragon.]


    ''...''


    n just listened, his eyes fixed on the prompts he saw...He was angry yet he epted it.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras asks you what will you do in the future. Against the dozens of beings powerful enough to destroy entire stars, Entire Gxies that have a hatred against the vessel you are in. Against Aranus? Yet you are afraid of a mere marquis?]


    ''...''


    [n.]


    "...?"


    This time, however, n heard Suleras'' voice in his head.  There was no prompt from the system, Just the voice of the Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras.


    [Remember, Even if you are in the vessel of Aranus.


    You are a dragon. And A Dragon does not back down from a fight. A Dragon never backs down no matter who the opponent is.]


    n looked at his own hands, He covered them with scales and observed them for quite a while.


    [The scales of a Dragon, The tongue of a dragon, And the Heart of a dragon are all special.]


    [Even if you have yet topletely unlock, topletely understand them. With time you will. You are young, extremely young for a dragon.]


    But first and foremost, You are a dragon, the very first Spatial dragon.]


    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    n silently listened to his words.


    [So go out there and fucking fight for the ones you want to fight for. You made a promise, Fulfill it.]


    Samantha, His Grandparents, The graves, Sabrina, Predator...Twilight.


    "What are you doing here alone?"


    n turned his head to see Sabrina standing beside him.


    "You were out in a daze, You didn''t even notice meing here."


    n remained quiet as he stared at Sabrina''s amethyst-like eyes. He was surprised as well. To think he was that off guard that he didnt notice hering...


    "Worried?"


    She asked it was as if she knew what n was feeling.


    "Yeah."


    He confirmed it. Even despite Suleras trying to encourage him...He was still worried.


    What a coward...right?


    "Ohe on, worse has happened."


    "...?"


    "The incident at the Ind, Thebyrinth. You did all those just fine."


    She listed the ''impossible'' urrences that had happened. But n got through these just fine. Didnt he? The fact that they were alive was enough proof.


    "How are you not worried?"


    n asked. How was she not worried? She had lost contact with the Wellingtons, Lost contact with the outside world, and now all she had was him. And He couldn''t beat a Marquis...?


    "I don''t know."


    She answered as she put her head on his shoulder.


    n stiffened up at the sudden action. It waspletely unexpected.


    "Maybe because you''re here?"


    She said. There was confidence in her voice. There was trust in it.


    "I could have died many times. But who was there to stop them? You did. You saved my life countless times."


    "...That''s because the co-"


    "The contract allows you full freedom to run away if you deem a threat too strong."


    "..."


    Sabrina interrupted and shut n up.


    "You never backed down despite knowing that. But you didn''t. That''s what mattered."


    "..."


    "Come on. Lighten up...I came here to tell you that you can go and start. Just attack the Central barrier, ok?"


    She looked at him in the eyes with a smile. How could she smile in such a situation? n wondered.


    "I trust you, I know that with you here, nothing bad will happen. Aren''t draconians supposed to be brave?"


    n stood shocked at the mention of Draconian...Did she know?


    But then, when he thought about it she had to have known. He transformed right in front of her during the Ind Incident against the fight with Kubrick.


    "I''ll be waiting then, You should start soon."


    She said, her words seemed to possess an unknown strength. A strength that made n ready, which made him lose all worry.


    ''Yeah...Im a Dragon.''


    He said to himself, He was a dragon.


    [Frost Draconian Transformation has been selected.]


    His body began to transform into that of a Frost Draconian, The temperature around him decreased as he took flight in front of many people. Kazikato followed him from behind, still in his human form.


    " I am a dragon."


    He soared into the skies. Sabrina, looking at him from below had a smile on her face.


    "Well, lets get to doing my job now."


    She said, as she ced her full faith on n destroying the barrier.


    She knew he would do it. Without a Shadow of a doubt. She Knew he would.

 Chapter 288 [288] You Are A DRAGON!

    ''You are a dragon.''


    ''You are a dragon.''


    ''You are a dragon.''


    Those words rang in my mind, The higher I flew the more the words echoed within my mind. Continuously.


    I am a dragon, Yet I was afraid of a mere Marquis. A mere Demon Marquis had made me afraid.


    Yeah, I guess when you consider it, I am a baby dragon.


    ''The tongue, the eyes, and the heart.''


    I remembered Suleras'' words vividly. Those three were the unique gifts of a dragon. Every dragon, Myself included was born with it.


    The eyes to see the truth of reality. Dragon Eyes.


    The tongue to control the fate of Reality. Dragon Tongue.


    And the Heart to believe in your own reality.. The Dragon Heart.


    Each dragon had unique eyes, tongues, and hearts. The qualities possessed by them could be simr but never the same.


    Aranus...Was the strongest dragon, he faced enemies capable of destroying entire stars in the blink of an eye and yet here I was, in his vessel afraid of a Marquis.


    I willplete the quest. No matter what. I am the first Spatial Dragon...Even if this vessel is someone else''s. Even if I have no name. I am a Dragon.


    "Boss! You''re going too fast!"


    Kazikatoined. He didn''t go into his Draconic form as he thought that things would get difficult when he did. So he had trouble keeping up with me. I disagree with this now. The situation is dire, extremely dire. Twilight has goodwyers so it may be possible to ignore him turning and revealing that he was the Draconian that annihted in entire guild back in Japan. The White Death.


    Besides, Twilight has arge influence. it should work out.


    I grabbed his hands and flew with him. And just as I was going to tell him to transform as well...


    *KREEEE*


    Unholy screeches were heard as attacks of chaos energy and Projectiles wereunched at us from within the districts covered in Barriers. I dodged the fireballs and arrows.


    But then, I was hit. By one of the flesh Amalgamations. Who now had wings and were rushing towards us with their shaped limbs iling around, trying to hit me.


    Just as I was about to rain a hell of frost upon them, Kazikato yelled.


    "Boss! Just go, Don''t waste your mana here and destroy the central barrier."


    "..."


    Kazikato let go of me and brandished his scythe as he used his mana to keep him afloat in the air. He deflected all the attacks that were aimed at me and yelled at me to go ahead.


    I stared at his lone figure, fending off all the attacks with Silence. I focused my gaze on the Central barrier.


    I soared higher and higher, as high As I could, and finally.  I had reached the highest point that could be allowed here in this space.


    I stared at thergest beacon, shooting high up in the sky, and approached it.


    I went further down and Activated my dragon Eyes, To see the weakness of the barrier.


    [Dragon Eyes have been activated.]


    My pupils began to glow blue, and the ''truth of the world was disyed in front of me. I could see the souls of the deceased crying and screaming as they traveled up the Beacon, to be consumed. To be used as resources for the descent of the Marquis.


    I could hear them crying, I could see their faces twist and turn in agony.


    I looked at th barrier, the entire world I saw was illuminated by blue light as my eyes bled.


    HAdnt this always happened? My eyes always bled whenever I activated the eyes of a dragon.


    Why do you not ept me? Or is it that I am just to weak to bear your full force?


    I must be weak...Of course, I am weak. I am not even an antpared to the beings Aranus faced. Compared to the beings James outwitted. I don''t have ''his'' Strength. I don''t have ''his'' wit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I only have myself.


    I stared at the weakness of the barrier, A small point at the top which had a weaker flow of chaos energy and lesser density.


    I am not as Strong as Aranus, I am not as smart as James. I am just me.


    ''...But I am still a dragon.''


    I am still part of the species which is at the top of the Universe. I am still part of the species that has beings that can annihte gxies...I am still part of the race that birthed the strongest being. I am still a dragon.


    So listen to me, My own powers. My eyes, My heart, And My Tongue. ept me, just this once.


    For now. I will show the world, I will show myrades and the demons who dared attack the ce I promised to protect...The power of a Dragon.


    Suddenly, All was at peace. There was no pain in my eyes, there was no pain in my head. All was peaceful.


    I collected my breath, Everything I had. My chest puffed up with all my might. I gathered all the mana I Could into my mouth.


    A blue glow shone in the skies, hiding even me, the creator with its majestic hue.


    Behold, A breath unleashed with all of my might. With all of my mana, and my wish to protect this ce....Behold.


    The Breath of a DRAGON!


    *********


    [Outside the Spatial Istion Barrier around Aror.]


    Richard stared at therge barrier that Isted an entire city with a serious gaze.


    "What do they say?"


    He asked Benson, who had just appeared behind him.


    "The experts say that the Barrier cannot be broken from the outside until certain conditions are met. Only someone with SSS rank power can destroy it from the outside by using full force...We...Have...I''m afra-"


    "We have no way of getting in huh..."


    Richardpleted Bensons'' statement. He looked at the barrier, and just then A voice was heard.


    "Excuse me, Sir Richard. I am from World Awakened news. May I please ask some questions?"


    "..."


    Richard sighed inwardly as the reporter approached him. He had instructed that no one disturb him...But no one knew how these damn reporters still get through security. Each and Every time.


    "What are your vies on this incident? The entire world waits for your guild to surpass the barrier."


    The reporter asked. Unfortunately, It was a man. If it was a woman maybe Richard could have charmed her and made her go his way but s, it wouldn''t happen now.


    "Twilight is currently investigating. However you have no need to worry. The members of the guild Inside are very trustworthy. They will surely solve this crisis with the least amount of casualties."


    "Arent the members of Predator inside? n Pator, as well as the new rising star of the twilight guild, Kazikato Shimoshino? How confident are you that they will be enough to solve this crisis?"


    "Very confident. n and Kazikato are extremely skilled despite their young age. I have full confidence in their abilities. I am sure that they will make the best decision in order to save Aror."


    "What are your views on the barrier? What kind of barrier is it ording to Twilights...Twilights...experts..."


    The eyes of the reporter widened as his gaze turned higher. Richard was confused with his sudden behavioural change...until he saw a Blue light in the Camera lens.


    He turned around, to see the origin of the blue light when he saw the barrier. Which was blood red with spatial cracks all around...change to blue... A shade of blue Richard recognized very well. n''s blue.


    Slowly, the entire area outside the barrier became illuminated by the blue glowing barrier and a proud smile appeared on Richards face as he thought.


    ''Yeah, there''s no need to worry because your inside there.''


    He had full trust in n. The boy had already performed miracles. What was stopping him from performing another one?

 Chapter 289 [289] All Cower, In Front Of A Dragon.

    "I can feel it...The power..."


    Adam muttered. He was ecstatic as he felt the immense power surging within him.


    From the moment he activated the ritual, he felt immense power. A power that was growing by the second.


    This feeling...was unique to him Who had reached his limit long ago. This was amazing!


    He felt alive! He felt powerful!


    Adam looked at the Magic circle that was the source of the beacon with delight.


    He got down on his knees and prayed. I prayed to the being that had made this possible. To the Marquis!


    The generous marquis that had given him the Bloodline of the White Tiger. That gave hisrades, who had also reached their limits another chance by bestowing them with a bloodline.


    Ahh..this is all because of the Marquis.


    Soon...Soon his lord will descend into the Earthly realm and spread his teachings. Soon...The sacrifices of the ignorant will be enough and he will descend.


    His face was full of pride and fanaticism. He sped his hands tightly and prayed as blood rained down on him.


    It was like this for a while. The beacon got redder and redder as it consumed the souls of the Non-believers and the ignorant.


    He was finally done praying. He stared at the Altar with reverence before leaving the room and going outside to watch the scene of his lord''s descent.


    He observed the Flesh Amalgamations, his own guildmembers infused with demonic energy rampaging across the district. They reaped life after life of the ignorant who lived here.


    "Tsk...What a shame."


    Hemented. it was quite a shame that Twilight had appeared. if not for them, they would havepleted this sooner and his lord would already be in the Mortal world. IF only the sector they controlled was in their grasp...This would already have been over.


    He gazed at the souls of the ignorant being devoured with fervor. The Flesh Amalgamations ran rampant around the District...Killing all the non-awakened and awakened that were not allied with the Beast guilds. The Beast Guild members had a special mark on their bodies which allowed them to use Chaos Energy. This also served as a sign of Allie''s to the Flesh Amalgamations.


    "ahh...Soon this world...This entire world will know of my Lord''s greatness."


    Adam talked to himself as he stood on the top of the White Tiger guild''s base. He observed the scene of havoc and chaos happily. To him it was heaven.


    "?"


    Suddenly, he felt a hot energy beside him. He immediately caught a Firebolt that was thrown at him.


    He looked towards the source...and Found an Angry Friend of his, A sworn brother of his charging at him with all his might. Although now they were enemies.


    The Father of the Hero himself, Micheal Ardor rushed at Adam with all his might, Holding a Large burning hammer.


    "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"


    He yelled at Adam. Adam, on the other hand calmly stated.


    "Get him."


    A dozen flesh amalgamations rushed to attack Micheal as soon as Adam ordered them too. Micheal fought and fought, His mes burned off a few but more took their ce. But he was still putting up a good fight. Suddenly, Adam fired a wind de at Him and hit Micheal in the chest. And then rushed at Micheal.


    He dodged all of Micheal''s attacks easily and shed his face with his transformed limb. Micheal was quickly overwhelmed.


    "Gah..."


    Flesh Amalgamations swarmed him and were about to end him when Adam said.


    "Wait, Hold him down."


    They did as ordered and pushed Micheal down. They restrained him with their grotesque limbs.


    "You bastard! How could you form a contract with a DEMON?"


    "Watch your tongue, Micheal."


    Adam warned Micheal, He bent down and grabbed Micheal''s head and looked him dead in the eyes, and said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You could have been my ally. You could have embraced my lord...But you chose to stay ignorant."


    "Wake up Adam! This isn''t you! That demon is just controlling you! That thing will get rid of you wh-"


    "Shut the fuck up."


    Adam kicked Micheal in the face. he broke Micheal''s jaw and sent a few teeth flying with his kick.


    "Didnt I tell you? You would regret this!"


    Adamughed crazily as he watched Micheal squirm and try to get free. But unfortunately, The Flesh amalgamations were too strong.


    "Watch Micheal! This is the world of my lord! This is his Utopia! The Utopia that he will build on Earth and get rid of the ignorant! This is Paradise!"


    "...you sick fuck."


    "Tsk, tsk. You still don''t get it to do you? The ignorant are a handful...."


    Adam sighed. He disyed a malicious smile as he held Micheal close by his hair.


    "Mary, Maria, Elijah, and Elton. Those are the names of your family...no? Will you believe me once I rip their limbs apart in front of your very eyes?"


    The temperature around the area rose, Micheal was using everyst bit of his strength to break free and kill Adam...


    Adam sighed...and the a wind current passed by the area. The wind wasced with the power of chaos and it overpowered Micheals mana.


    "...?!"


    Micheal tried and tried but could not overpower Adam...His eyes bled due to his rage but even then it was all for naught.


    "Poor Micheal...I gave you the chance didn''t I? But you thr-?!"


    Adam suddenly turned around as he felt an odd feeling. He looked at the skies, and his eyes widened in shock.


    He felt a strong power from whatever that white monster was soaring high up in the sky.


    "STOP THAT!"


    He yelled with all his might. Wehn he saw that thing...whatever it was he felt fear. Fear that his ns would be thwarted.


    Dozens of Flesh Amalgamations rushed upwards, And his guildmates as well fired arrows and all sorts of projectiles to stop that thing... But it was all for naught.


    The Reaper, Kazikato Shimoshino thwarted all attempts to disturb the White Monster''s Rise...and soon it was above the Barrier, just near the beacon.


    Arge amount of mana was felt from the White monster...And Adam feared the worst.


    "NOOO!"


    He gathred all his power and threw a spear made of roaring wind to kill the White Monster...and just then it happened.


    He didnt even see what...all he saw was a blue light blinding his vision. A Blue light that dyed all of Aror blue, erasing the colour of red that had haunted the city before.


    Adam felt an Immense power from whatever the blue light was. His own attack had been evaporated into thin air in an instant...And when he finally opened his eyes...


    That thing descended. And then...As it descended the temperature went down to freezing cold...and Adam felt his whole body shiver. Not because of the cold...But because of fear.


    ''...Even after all this? All this power and I am still afraid?''


    He thought to himself...he couldn''t believe it. He felt afraid as he stared at it''s astral blue eyes and knew who it was now. n Pator.


    "Impossible...IMPOSSIBLE!"


    He refused to believe it... He yelled with all his might.


    "GET HIM! RIP THAT ARROGANT BASTARD TO SHREDS!"


    And then Hundreds of Demonic Awakened, along with the extremely strong Flesh Amalgamations rushed towards n. Who faced them head on!

 Chapter 290 [290] Prevent The Descent!

    "...He goes above and beyond every time...haha."


    Maxwell let out a dryugh as he gazed in wonder at the sight in front of him.


    What was Aror''s state previously? An entire city trapped within spatial istion. Red clouds apanied by lightning rumbled the skies and beacons of death that rose High above.


    All of that was now an amazing glow of Astral blue.


    An Astral blue light shined upon them, blinding them. It was a breathtaking sight. the previous uneasy feeling from the bloody atmosphere was now gone. It illuminated the entire city and created a surreal atmosphere. Enhancing the shadowy silhouettes of the trees and buildings. It cast a calming ambiance over the entire city, bringing in a sense of peace and tranquility.


    However, the source of this Light was destructive.


    "Ghh..."


    Multiple Awakened struggled to keep on their feet, even the guild masters and Sabrina. The sheer pressure n''s attack had released was that strong. They were being pushed back even though they tried their best.


    ''Amazing!''


    Thought Sabrina in her mind. The entire sight was just beautiful to her. Especially since she was someone who was extremely sensitive to mana. The grandeur, The Mystique! It was just exhrating! The extremely pure mana swept over the entire city...and finally.


    *Crack!*


    Cracks appeared on the barriers, And then.


    They shattered. The pieces of the broken barriers shattered and dissolved in the air as the Astral Blue light faded.


    Now, Each District was unprotected And open to attack.


    *CLAP*CLAP!*


    Maxwell pped to get everyone''s attention.


    "What are you all waiting for? We have a city to save!"


    That was right. The attack was just so majestic that they were stunned. They had forgotten their objective. They had forgotten that they had an entire city to save!


    "COME ON! LETS GO!"


    Sabrina yelled. She amplified her voice with mana and a huge mana circle appeared over everyone''s head.


    [Blessing of Swiftness has been cast.]


    Another one appeared.


    [Blessing of Strength has been cast.]


    And another one.


    [Blessing of the storm has been cast.]


    Just like that, three immense buffs were cast upon arge number of Awakened. Sabrina did all that in seconds.


    She was a monster herself.


    **********


    Elijah gazed at the marvelous blue light that n had created. He was amazed, although he didnt show it on his face.


    "...When did he get this strong?"


    Serena on the other hand was stupefied.


    "n Pator is the cause of that?"


    Asked The Association leader. He too was stupefied.


    "Yes, That is n Pator. The Void Predator."


    Answered Elton. He looked at the grandeur of the blue light with amazement.


    "Urgh..."


    Everyone except Elijah was being pushed back. Elijah alone stood unfazed in front of the sheer pressure of n''s Mana.


    "There being broken."


    Said Elijah, Unfazed at the freezing cold temperature that had followed the mana wave. He released his heat energy to regte the temperature of the environment.


    "What are the names of the Districts we need to take care of?"


    Elijah asked. Serena answered.


    "Golden Lion District and Aqua Buffalo."


    "Hmmm... I can hear them..."


    "Im sorry?"


    Asked Serena, She didnt quite understand thest part of Elijah''s sentence.


    ''I can hear their screams...their cries.''


    Elijah could hear the cries of the souls that were being sacrificed. Their sorrows...


    He wondered how he could hear them...But that was not important right now...


    Time was of the essence. HE must end this now.


    "Let''s go."


    He must end their suffering...Now


    He unsheathed the Sword Of Sundering me. And His mana raged.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Please take care of yourselves. I will get going now."


    He didnt wait for a reply before he charged in. Serena chased after him in a hurry.


    "HEY AT LEAST TAKE SOME BUFFS!"


    ******


    [Lightning Leopard District...]


    A Human-leopard hybrid covered in purple fur stared at the fall of the Barrier from atop a building.


    "The Barriers broke?"


    "Indeed."


    Laura, who was in her Hybrid form answered her. The amount of Power in their bodies was immense. They had never been this powerful before. Their bloodlines had advanced and so did their ranks.


    "ire, The Wellington brat ising here."


    Laura Addressed the Guild Master of the Lightning Leopard Guild, Who responded with a crooked smile. Saliva drooped down.


    "She''s mine...I wonder how I can use her beautiful figure...Such beauty...I wanna destroy it."


    ire muttered to herself. Laura looked at her weirdly.


    "Flesh Amalgamations...we Don''t have too many of them. The Silver Wolf And White Tiger District has the most...Do you think we will be alright? Can we hold on?"


    "HAHAHAA!"


    ireughed at Laura''s doubts.


    "Do you question the power of the lord? So what if Adam And Arian have the most? I don''t need those disgusting things to ruin her..."


    "..."


    Lightning rumbled around ire. The area around was just so foul...Her mana, imbued with the power of chaos ran rampant.


    "Anyways..I''ll support you fr-"


    Suddenly Laura stopped in the middle of her sentence as she turned her head to look in a Particr Direction.


    "...THAT ENERGY!"


    ire looked at Laura''s Outburst with Wide eyes.


    "THAT SON OF A BITCH DARES TO COME HERE?!"


    ire did not know what was causing this but was amused to see the calm andposed Laura so angry.


    "YOU TAKE THE WELLINGTON BITCH! I WILL RIP THAT BASTARD APART!"


    Laura disappeared. ire sensed a unique energy different from Mana in the direction she had left.


    "Oh well... I have her to myself then.."


    Ahhh...how good it would feel to defile a ''princess.'' She thought. She was going to relish defiling that pure and beautiful body.


    "Kekeke...All Members...defend the beacon."


    She ordered her guild members to defend, not attack.


    She wanted all the fun for herself. She wanted to test this power out for herself...Wouldnt that be great.


    *RUMBLE*


    Lightning shed and her feline figure disappeared. She approached Sabrina''s group quickly.


    And just when she was so near...She was hit.


    A dark arrow was shot toward her, and she barely dodged it.


    She looked at Sabrina, d in Dark mana, and Disyed a crooked smile.


    "Oh...this is going to be soo fun."


    ******


    *ng*ng*


    A hooded figure walked through the districts of the Lightning Leopard guild. He swung his chains around and they shed against the ground and produced a sharp sound. His glowing green eyes and maniacal smile sent shivers down the spines of the people running away.


    This was Lucas, who was out for revenge. A rematch to be more exact.


    He knew that damned woman was heading here. He used his aura to ensure she noticed his presence.


    He smiled. He looked more like a viin now than a Hero who was here to save the people.


    "Hehe...She here."


    He used his Aura to see her Figure rushing towards him and used his Aura to enhance his Legs and jumped.


    "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"


    "MISSED ME?! OH IM FLATTERED!"


    *CLANG!*


    His green Aura shed with Laura''s Chaos Imbued mana. Lucas said in a cold, menacing voice.


    "Your not getting away this time..."

 Chapter 291 [291] Against The Lightning Leopard And Cunning Fox.

    "Damn...I guess I underestimated you..."


    ire remarked. She stood on top of a car. Unfazed in front of the entire Team.


    Lightning rumbled around her body, Purple Lightning that sent shivers down one''s spine. The Chaos energy imbued within her was making it hard for the Awakened.


    The Guildmaster and Awakened with Shields put up a barrier in front of Sabrina. She was the most precious member here. They couldn''t lose her to ire. This much was necessary especially since ire seemed to be of the Assasin type.


    "Aww...Cute toys."


    "ire Firk I Suppose?"


    Sabrina said as she looked at ire. ire was amused.


    "Oh, You know me?"


    She let out a snicker. ire was bing more interested in Sabrina.


    "Of course, I would. ire Firk, the guildmaster of the Lightning Leopard and a ve sold by her parents."


    The mana pressureing from ire as she heard Sabrina.


    Sabrina let out a small smile. Her Taunt worked.


    The fact that ire was a ve. Her parents were ve traders that had sold her for money. That was a fact not well known. Not even Adam knew of it...But Sabrina did.


    "Thework of the wellingtons is truly something else..."


    Remarked ire, Her eyes contained bloodlust.


    She disappeared from her position. She charged at the Barrier erected by the Guild masters and Other Awakened and Ran into it. She Ran into it and didnt use any skill whatsoever.


    *BANG* It was like a bullet had been fired. Some Awakened were thrown away and the barrier was cracked. Blood wasing out of the mouths of the rest who remained standing. It was evident they could not hold on longer.


    A spear of darkness shot towards ire, Who dodged it barely. But then the spear chased her.


    "!"


    That caught her off guard.


    "All of you, Please go ahead and destroy the Altar. I will take care of her."


    Said Sabrina confidently. All looked at her with confusion.


    "HAHA! YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME ON LITTLE GIRL?!"


    Said ire as her figure hopped around the various buildings, running away from the dark spear that Sabrina was controlling.


    "Please go. I wi-"


    "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WILL LET THAT HAPPEN?"


    ire interrupted Sabrina.


    "Shut up."


    Said, Sabrina. Suddenly another Dark Spear appeared in front of ire. shocked, she tried to dodge it but failed and was hit by both of the spears.


    "Keuh...It is hurting me..?"


    The awakened group left, and Sabrina was now alone to confront ire Firk, the Guildmaster of Lightning.


    "You all underestimate us Shield Students too much..."


    Muttered Sabrina, ire heard her with her advanced senses. She winced in pain as she tried to heal the corrosion on her body.


    "KEUK...Your rank is nothing to me! This is just the element of Darkness at work...I can kill you in an instant! Defile you!"


    Sabrina sighed at ire. She took out arge staff, a staff made with special metal that was great for Mana conductivity...this particr staff of hers was made for the darkness element.


    "You seem to forgetting something..."


    Muttered Sabrina, ire looked at her in confusion.


    "I am a Wellington. I make up for the difference in rank with my Items!"


    [Dark Spear[2] has been activated.]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She disyed a crazy smile as she waved her staff in front of her.


    [Item: Adept Staff of Darkness and Lightning.]


    [Rank: B+]


    [Description: A staff possessing the characteristics of Darkness and Lighting. It has been specially made for Sabrina Wellington. This allows it to be used even if the rank requirements are not met. It has a handle shaped like a lightning bolt with an orb of Darkness at the Mainponent.


    1: Dark Magic Amplification: A staff designed for handling the Element of Darkness should have the ability to amplify the user''s dark magic abilities. This amplification would enable the user to cast high-level spells with more power, uracy, and range. The Adept Staff of Darkness and Lightning was made especially for Sabrina Wellington and can amplify her dark Magic to an extreme Degree.


    2:Lightning Magic Amplification: The Staff is also designed to handle the element of Lightning. It can amplify the user''s Lightning Magic Abilities. It allows the user to cast High-level Spells and skills with more power, uracy, and range. The Adept Staff of Darkness and Lightning made especially for Sabrina Wellington can amplify her Lightning magic to an extreme degree.


    3:Durability and Resilience: The Adept staff of Darkness and Lightning is manufactured from materials that withstand the rigors of extended use in battle. It is tough enough to withstand the impact of blows from enemy weapons and is resilient enough to bounce back quickly.


    4:Dark Resistance: The staff can resist the dark nature of the power it contains. This ability could prevent the staff from bing corrupt and turning on its user.


    5:Stealth and Invisibility: The staff is designed to have stealth and invisibility features that allow the user to move undetected and surprise their enemies. this has limited use.


    6:Reliability and Versatility: The Adept staff of Darkness and Lightning must be reliable and can adapt to different situations. The staff can switch between different modes of operation, depending on the situation.]


    It must be never forgotten that she was the Princess of the Wellingtons. She may not have the Rank and power...But she had the money to solve that problem for her. She had not used it previously because of...personal issues.


    But these issues can be damned for all she cared now.


    "Let''s go bitch."


    She said. Feeling excited. She rarely used to swear.


    It felt good. She thought as she fired a dozen dark Arrows at ire, apanied by Dozens of Lightning spears.


    And thus, the battle between Sabrina Wellington and ire Firk began.


    "I will skin you alive!"


    "Try it!"


    ********


    [Lucas PoV.]


    Ahhh...how it feels so good.


    I thought, as I stood up once again, My Bloodline gave me the strength to do so.


    I threw a few lightning bolts at the Fox, But she dodged them sadly...


    "Why are you running?"


    I asked her with a smile on my face. She didn''t respond and instead continued attacking.


    Very well.


    I couldn''t check the full capabilities of my bloodline previously because I was in an enclosed area...but here...


    "Hey...you wanna know something?"


    I said to her as we exchanged blows.


    "I didn''t use my full power back then."


    Iughed...what is this feeling of ecstasy enveloping me? I wondered.


    It was true, I did not use my full power of the bloodline due to being in a cave...but now I could.


    *Rumble*


    The skies rumbled as I awakened my bloodline.


    "Face it..."


    I said to her...


    Face the power of the bloodline of the Thunder Giant at full force!


    *Crackle!*

 Chapter 292 [292] Against The Swift Leopard And Cunning Fox!

    The battle had begun. Sabrina had stayed behind to care for the Guildmaster of the Lightning Leopard Guild. ire Firk. At the same time, Lucas was taking care of the owner of the ck Market, Laura.


    The District was engulfed in the mes of battle. On one side, deeper in was the battle between the Alliance members, The Demonic Humans, and flesh amalgamations. On the other hand, Sabrina and ire''s battle shook the ground andid waste t many structures...But nothing was as destructive as the battle between Lucas And Laura in the district.


    And it wasn''t just the Lightning Leopard District. The Water Buffalo, Golden Lion, Silver Wolf, and White Tiger districts were all under attack.


    Henry and ine were taking care of the water Buffalo District, Elijah had charged head first into the Golden Lion District and the SilverWolf District was being taken care of By Kazikato alone. n was in the heart of it all, the very center. The White Tiger district.


    The world outside was watching them, Eagerly waiting for something, Just Something!


    Various figures of the Human world, Each possessing formidable strength were located just outside the barrier in case something terrible happened. All they could do was...Hope.


    Hope that they did not lose.


    **********


    [Sabrina and ire.]


    Hundreds of Dark Arrows and Lightning bolts ran around the ce, each and every one of them under Sabrina''s masterful control, All of them trying to catch ire Firk. who was leaping all around the area, trying to find a gap in Sabrina''s defenses?


    "You think your little skills are fast enough?!"


    Her voice was heard from Multiple Directions. Just How fast was she going for that to happen?


    "..."


    Sabrina didn''t respond to her provocation and continued to focus, her Staff was nted firmly on the ground, And her eyes were closed as she used Mana''s sense to attack ire.


    Yes, Mana Sense. An extremely rare and powerful skill. A skill that allowed one to replicate the effects of a DOMAIN, albeit only a little part of it. A skill that allowed one to master the area they spread their Mana in.


    Sabrina is truly a Genius, No A Complete Monster on, or even beyond n. To master such a skill without any special given abilities.


    "You think you''re all that?!"


    *Crackle!*Crackle!*


    Lightning crackled all around the Leopard,  Her lightning attacked Sabrina''s attacks together and dispelled most of them.


    "You rich folk! Who considers everyone below them like trash!"


    *BOOM!*BOOM*


    She rambled on and on as she avoided Sabrina''s attacks. Sabrina''s concentration however was not broken.


    Her entire focus was on ire. She tracked the swift leopard that was busy running in circles.


    "HOW ABOUT THIS?!"


    Suddenly, She appeared out of nowhere and attacked Sabrina. Sabrina however had already cast a Barrier. ire, if she kept attacking could have broken the barrier but if she stayed...Sabrina''s controlled Lightning bolts and Dark Arrows were right behind her!


    She jumped back and avoided them, but they changed direction and went right back at her.


    ''...DAMN, IT! I CAN''T EVEN GET CLOSE!''


    ire cursed in her mind. Her anger was palpable. She couldn''t even get close to Sabrina! Sabrina had erected an Unprable defense.


    ''...Do I need to do it right now...?''


    She thought...maybe using her final form, the Full Lightning Leo was enough to take Sabrina down...


    ire had long since hit her limit, but her most beloved ''master'' had given her the great bloodline of the Lightning Leo, A beast that was feared in entire systems.


    She will not lose to some rich brat! Never! Her pride, her reason, and her will to live would never allow her to do so! She had a reason to live...


    The same reason that made her trump all others! The one objective of her life which gave her enough strength to live!


    NEVER!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not to some rich, pampered brat who had never seen war, hunger, thirst, or death!


    NEVER!


    "AAGHHH!"


    *RUMBLE!*


    The sky rumbled, An immense amount of Lightning energy left ire''s body!


    A shockwave that broke Sabirna''s barriers. Each and every barrier Sabrina had erected was broken. Sabrina was shocked and sent flying! She crashed into a building and coughed up blood.


    She couldn''t breathe...It felt like her lungs had been crushed by the shockwave. She stumbled to her knees and coughed up blood onto the ground...But that wasn''t the end.


    *RUMBLE!*


    A Massive Purple lightning bolt had struck the ground, Right where ire was...


    A Large cloud of purple smoke appeared...and Sabrina felt her body shiver...


    "...oh no..."


    She saw the shadow of a Leopard as big as a bus...A Lightning Leo. It stepped out... She remembered reading about such a monster...


    ''The Lightning Leo is a majestic and fearsome mythical creature that roams the dark and stormy forests of legends. It is as tall as a bus, and it is covered in dark, purple fur that resembles jagged, electrified lightning bolts.


    Its massive head is crowned by sharp, curved horns that curve backward, framing its wild and furious-looking eyes. The eyes are glowing with a bright purple light that matches the color of its fur.


    The creature has a long, muscr body that is covered in dense, wiry fur, representing deep purple and ck colors. The fur''s texture is rough and spiky, almost like a bed of thorns, which is visible from a distance.


    The Lightning Leo has four powerful legs, each ending in razor-sharp ws that can rip apart trees. Its ws are hooked in a way that''s designed to fasten and climb the sides of rocks and trees. The creature''s fur continues to spread into feather-like tendrils that connect the creature''s body on the upper side of its legs.


    As it moves, its muscr, lightning-striped fur ripples in waves, and the electrical bursts that surge vibrantly through it are visible. The creature moves with lightning-like speed and agility, making it difficult to track and capture.


    When the Lightning Leo roars, a loud thunder-like sound resonates throughout the area, filling its prey with terror and panic. Its roar is so loud and disturbing that it can cause nearby trees and rocks to shake and even crumble.


    The Lightning Leo is a powerful and terrifying monster to behold, with its lightning-like appearance and thunderous roars. It''s a creature that demands respect and admiration from those who witness it, for it is as dangerous as it is beautiful.''


    And that monster...was now in front of her.


    She stood up, as ire, now in her full form! Using the full power of her Bloodline...A Lightning Leo!


    But...it was weaker.


    She didnt know why... But it didnt feel as Majestic as she had imagined it to be...


    She prepared even more spells to attack with.  Dozens of dark spears appeared around her...all waiting for the Lightning Leo to make a move...


    And it did, Leo ran toward her, and just as Sabrina was about to fire her Dark Spears at Leo...A Fox fell from the sky. A fox of a simr size, with Four tails.


    It collided with the Leo, causing it to crash into the ground as well.


    "HAHAH! HOW DOES THAT FUCKING FEEL?"


    Sabrina heard crazyughter from above, And a Complete Psycho came to her aid. A Psycho she didnt like very much. Lucas, d in his Chains surrounded by his green aura, and His entire figure surrounded by blue lightning emerged from above.


    ''...Why wasn''t it n...''


    She wished it was her bodyguard.  But s...At least someone came to help.


    Sabrina put aside her past differences and helped. She fired off dozens of Dark spears, attempting to aid Lucas.


    She didnt know why and how he was here...But at least he was here to help.


    Although she still was salty the ''Knight in Shining armour'' wasn''t ''someone'' else.

 Chapter 293 [293] From Enemies To Allies!

    [Previously, With Lucas And Laura.]


    The battle continued. Lucas and Laura both fought intensely but the oue was foreseeable.


    Lucas would win, as he had done previously.


    Laura was not a fighter. Although her rank was high it had to be known that she was not a fighter. For most of her life, she had been focused on earning as much money as she could using whatever means possible.


    She had made efforts in making money, not improving her strength. Normally she would''ve been fine...But her opponent was Lucas.


    Lucas Hiddleston, A Prodigy ranked fourth in the First Year Shield rankings. Furthermore, he was also a Student of the Sword Saint, Arken Miller. And he also had an overpowered bloodline now...


    It was as if all of Laura''s misdeeds and the karma she had umted hade back to bite her in the form of Lucas. Being her opponent after all.


    She had thought she would win this time...why wouldn''t she?


    She was greatly empowered by the great Lord''s blessing and her bloodline concentration had increased...what else could she want? Furthermore, the Chaos Energy in the atmosphere should be Weakening Lucas and empowering her! yet still she was getting a beating!


    "Kghh..."


    She coughed up blood. her knees gave out and she lowered her head... This was humiliating for her.


    *KNG*KNG*


    Lucas''s chains strike the ground, producing sharp and metallic noises as pieces of concrete break apart.


    "Kekeke..."


    He wasughing like a Maniac! He looked like on too.


    Currently, Lucas was using his Green Aura to its absolute limit! His eyes, mouth, and all orifices emitted a green light and in this environment, it aroused fear!


    Green energy covered his body, Lightning crackled around it...His Golden hair flew into the skies as if he was a diety!


    "Not to someone like you...."


    Muttered Laura, Her voice held disdain and a firm resolve.


    "Not to a rich...A pampered brat like you...Not to you..."


    Lucas could hear Laura''s low voice with his enhanced senses...he only wondered what she was going on about?


    Rich? I guess. Pampered? Fuck no.


    This woman had no idea how the Hiddleston family worked.


    IT was a family in which even if you were the son of the Head himself, you were regarded as a ve if you were unworthy! He had known multiple people who were equal to servants but had the Hiddleston blood in them.


    It was just their motto.


    Even Lucas suffered in his early days in the family. He had adopted his previous nature because of the environment he was in since birth!


    ''Blood can be pure, But Strength is the most pure.''


    That was the Hiddleston motto. The Strongest was the patriarch. It wasn''t decided based on who was born first.


    "NOT TO YOU!"


    A sudden shockwave took Lucas by Surprise, he coated himself with his Aura to defend himself. Thankfully, due to his quick reflexes, he was able to avoid being thrown back.


    A Golden mist covered Laura, and Lucas felt his heart beat wildly... He had wanted this sensation...He wanted this.


    This unfamiliar...this desired heat in his body!


    The thrill of battle! This was the same feeling...That had invoked ''it''. That had awoken the state that had allowed him to draw with n!


    "Yeah...this is it...Finish it."


    He said...he want Laura to finish her transformation. Only then did he have a chance to unlock that state again. The state that had allowed him to gain Aura and this bloodline.


    *CRACKLE!*CRACKLE!*


    Lightning surrounded his entire body, his chains...everything. The Powerful lightning that was created by his bloodline powered everything...Yes, this feeling is what he desired.


    He gazed at the massive six-tailed fox that had emerged from the Golden mist...


    He smiled at it. A Psychotic smile. It was a majestic fox but Lucas just didnt care...


    The fox attacked but like a sh of lightning, Lucas disappeared and appeared behind it.


    Before the Six tailed golden foxes (Laura) could even respond...Chains bound her entire figure and she found herself being lifted into the air. Spinning in circles.


    Lucas''s immense strength lifted her in the air and then...He flung her high into the sky.


    "YEEHAW!"


    It was something familiar...?


    ********


    [Currently, Lucas And Sabrina Vs ire and Laura.]


    Sabrina fired off multiple Dark Spears at ire and Laura. All of them hit because both of them were unable to move. ire hurriedly put forth a shield to protect them. But some still damaged them. She wondered how the fuck Laura was here but that was not the main cause of worry right now! The situation is dire.


    She grabbed one of Laura''s tails with her mouth and ran far away.


    [What are you doing here?]


    She asked them, producing a human voice with her mana...But Laura didnt respond. She looked tired, Blood came out from her mouth and her eyes looked dead.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [...]


    ire judged that right now wasn''t the best time for chit-chat.


    [Whatever, just support me with all you can.]


    She dered, Thankfully they could have this discussion because something happened between Lucas And Sabrina.


    When they were talking, Lucas appeared in front of Sabrina. Before Sabrina could even question what was happening he looked at her and said.


    "Destroy the damn altar. Leave this to me."


    "You want to take them both?!"


    "Shut the fuck up and go."


    "!?"


    "Leave this to me, and destroy the damn barrier."


    Sabrina was dumbfounded. How could he even think of handling this by himself? He wasn''t n!


    But...the waves of powerful energy emanating from Lucas did prove something.


    "I can''t just-"


    "Hey look, I know I was an asshole, Im sorry K? So Just listen to me and Leave. I want to fight both of them by myself!"


    "..."


    Sabrina didn''t understand this idiot...As she looked at the two beats and the beacon behind them...She knew that the Alliance couldn''t hold on for long. especially in this environment where they were burdened and their enemy was empowered.


    ''...I can use that.''


    "Make sure they don''t get near me, And you can fight them both for all I care."


    Lucas didnt quite understand why. But he understood that now he could fight both of them if he just didnt care. All he needed to do was make sure they didnt touch them right?


    good...That he could do.


    The amount of lightning around Lucas''s body increased tremendously...It felt as if he could destroy entire mountains now... His body was growing a bit bigger as the Lightning covered him in a dome.


    "YOU THINK I WILL LET YOU DO THAT?!"


    ire knew what He was doing, She had done it herself! He was undergoing a bloodline transformation.


    HE MUST BE STOPPED.


    **********


    [Sabrina Pov]


    The battle between Lucas and the beasts had begun...I didnt look back as I walked forward with all my might. I asionally used Mana Sense so I could gain an idea of the battle behind me every now and then. Lucas was holding them off both spectacrly...


    ''...this is the perfect distance...''


    *CRACKLE*CRACKLE*


    I could hear the violent crackling of lightning and various other noises of the fierce battle behind her.


    I don''t know how he''s so strong suddenly...But I frankly don''t care.


    I gazed at therge beacon in front of my eyes, I could see some traces of battle here and there in front and some Awakened and demonic beings fighting...


    I took out the Adept Staff of Darkness and Lightning along with some other items as I prepared to do something truly unbelievable.


    [Darkness Spear.] was originally a C-rank skill, But now... She will elevate it to higher ranks...


    As much as she could. This was something she had read about...And hoped it would work. It was possible, technically in theory.


    No one had tried this maneuver before.


    What was it? Simply destroy the items you have at your disposal, take all of their mana and concentrate it into a spell to elevate it to higher ranks. Simple.


    Sabrina spread out her mana into the items and the Mana within them all gathered In Sabrina''s palm.


    Sabrina shuddered at the immense power, at the immense mana she was holding in he rarms...It was difficult to even stand because of the great Pressure.


    And then... she condensed it. Blood came out of her mouth when she did. The great amount of mana under her control was disastrous for her.


    She condensed all the mana she could into a ck sphere...A Sphere that sheunched towards the barrier. She had made proper adjustments so that no ally would be hit.


    Slowly... the speed of that sphere increased and a Massive, MASSIVE spear of darkness was formed... Which headed towards the Altar into the distance. Sabrina copsed on her knees as she stared at the dark spear with hope.


    [You havepleted a marvellous, never before seen feat!]


    [You have received the title: One who destroyed, to create.]


    She had a hard time reading the messages due to the pain in her entire body...She felt arge being blitz by her, attempting to stop the Dark Spear.


    It was ire...But Sabrina didnt worry.


    They had won, ire would die trying to stop that MASSIVE spear.


    And she was right.

 Chapter 294 [294] Pride Of A Golden Lion!

    Elijah wandered through the Golde Lion district, Fighting against the demonic humans who stopped his path.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you that something is odd.]


    "I know."


    *SHAAA*


    Elijah answered Agri as he burnt a few more demonic humans to ash.


    "Dead. They''re all corpses."


    Elijah knew it. he had felt weird the moment he fought the first demonic human.


    Whatever he was fighting...were just corpses being moved by who knows what.


    They didnt feel alive, there was no sensation of his sword shing through live flesh. Through blood.


    "...Why?"


    Elijah wondered why?


    Why is this happening?


    Why did you sell your bodies to a demon?


    Why?


    Just why? Have you not heard of the warnings, of the various news that tells you that signing a contract with a demon is suicide?


    "..."


    Elijah was left speechless. He wondered what would have forced them to do this. What would have forced the Guildmasters, their leaders tomit such an act?


    He was too naive, too innocent.


    He. who was naturally extremely talented would never have known what they had felt like.


    Even though he had known of it yet, He was...The only one. The Only being in the Universe who could go toe to toe against ''him.''


    He was extremely talented. And the Talented did not know of the woes of the Untalented.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri says temptation and empty promises are the Demon''s specialties.]


    "..."


    *TOKTOK*


    The sounds of Elijah''s footsteps rang throughout the deste area.


    No demonic Humans came now...the Beacon was in his sights now.


    So close...But yet so suspicious.


    The entire area was so deste that Elijah was getting suspicious.


    There was nothing, no screams, no people...no monsters.


    Not even Chaos Energy.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri advises you to be wary.]


    Elijah spotted something. A bloody teddy.


    And the arm of a little child...the rest of the body under rubble.


    "..."


    Elijah was silent at the sight. He carefully lifted the boulder but...


    he had expected it...but was still mortified.


    "..."


    He walked away from the sight. It couldn''t even be exined in words the state of the child''s body...


    "..."


    Elijah walked further whilst he was on guard...And then He saw why the entire area was deste.


    In front of the Altar, was a monster of a man sitting on a throne made of corpses, Devouring an entire Human body.


    "..."


    "Huh...?"


    The man noticed Elijah''s Presence.


    "...What?"


    Something was not right. Elijah stared at the man who was bing angry.


    "How dare they...?! How dare they just send one man here?!"


    It seems the man was insulted as he saw Elijah. He had seen only one persone here.


    "Damn...Hey is your name n Pator by any chance."


    Asked the man as he stood up from his throne, covered in the blood of all he had killed to make it.


    But Elijah didnt respond and only drew his sword with a cold face.


    "Fuck. n Pator has white hair and is a spearman...Of course, you aren''t him."


    The manmented his luck. His gold hair in the form of Lion''s mane started to glow.


    "They dare to send only one person to deal with me...A King..."


    It seems the man was stuck in his own Delusion.


    "I''m gonna make a fucking sculpture out of you."


    The pressure in the surroundings increased. The Pressure released by the man was terrifying. His golden hair glowed brightly. And A malicious smile was present on his face.


    Slowly, his body transformed as the pressure in the area increased.


    His bones grew, his muscles grew...and then he was a Beast 5 meters tall. A Bipedal Lion Hybrid. His golden mane fluttered under the light of the red beacon behind him.


    "Huh? Your still standing?"


    The Lion was stupefied as he saw Elijah standing Unfazed despite the enormous pressure in the area.


    "Oh Good! It seems they actually sent someone worthy enough for me!"


    For Some reason, he was feeling joy. Immense Joy.


    This man was the Guildmaster of the Golden lion guild. And He was an odd man. He always lived in his own world. A World in which he was a king to be respected. He was a king in his own eyes. And His Bloodline only worsened the Delusion he trapped himself in.


    "It seems that you are mute?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    *CRUNCH*


    the man said as he devoured a child''s body. The ''crunch'' sound was unsettling.


    "...Why do you do this?"


    Elijah''s face was cold. He still wanted to understand why someone would do this...Why Would someone go this far...This Inhumane?


    "Huh?"


    The Golden Lion was confused as to why Elijah was asking such a simple question.


    To him, all that was below him in strength was fucking trash. Trash that didnt deserve to live.


    The only one he respected was Adam, He was the only one in Aror who could beat him.


    "Why not?"


    He answered with a smile on his face. A smile that wasn''t human. Elijah''s face darkened as he saw the bits of human flesh between his teeth.


    "Why not?"


    He repeated. Elijah stared at him. His eyes were cold.


    "What use do those things have? to live when they are weaker?"


    "It is my right to expel them from this world...They don''t even have the right to breathe i  my presence...The Presence of a king!"


    He eximed with joy, The man truly lived in his own world.


    He raised his hand and pointed towards Elijah.


    "I know it, you are strong as well...You should feel the same as me! People that are weak are just ants...They disgust you as well...right?"


    ¡¤?¦Èm He asked, his face was beaming with pride and there was confidence in his voice. Pure confidence.


    He truly believed in his twisted ideals.


    "Look at this..."


    He picked up a corpse from the ground. A corpse of a hunter in his own guild...


    "You see him? He was an E Rank hunter who didnt rise in rank even after a decade. He went into dungeons regrly despite his injuries so he could provide for his family...What a pathetic piece of shit."


    "..."


    What is this feeling flowing inside me...? Elijah thought. He was disgusted just by hearing his words.


    "This pathetic piece of shit went into dungeons for 10 years...But still couldn''t rank up. He had a wife and daughter who loved teddy bears for some fucking reason. And his whole motivation was her."


    Elijah felt a jolt in his head as he heard the lion''s words.


    "10 whole years of being in my guild....but he still couldn''t rank up. You are young and are that strong...that ismendable."


    *RIP*


    Elijah''s eyes widened as he ripped the corpse apart...The light in his eyes dulled.


    His blood...was boiling.


    "Time should only be given to those who prove their continuously...Do you not think so?"


    The Lionughed pompously. Elijah stood there silently...As his blood boiled...


    "Isn''t he still more honorable than you...?"


    Elijah asked, his mind grasping to itsst straws...To thest strings of sanity, it had left.


    "Huh?"


    The lion was confused by Elijah''s question.


    "Isn''t it still more honorable than your despicable methods? He had a family he devoted himself to...The sole motivation he had for risking his life every day was his family...So What if he couldn''t rank up?"


    Questioned Elijah.  It seemed as if his voice was breaking.


    "HAHAHAAH!"


    The lionughed. HE rubbed his eyes as he snickered.


    "Ah... you''re a good jester."


    "Isn''t it more honorable than you who sold his soul to a demon?"


    That was it. Thatugh had broken it. It had broken thest strings of Sympathy, of Humanity Elijah had left for this man.


    "Watch your tongue in front of a king Child...If you beg for mercy maybe I will make you my jester..."


    Dered the lion...But Elijah wasn''t listening to him. He deemed it no use listening to this piece of trash.


    *KNGG*


    He unsheathed the Sword of Sundering me...and Said.


    "Things weaker than you...don''t deserve to exist right?"


    He asked...


    "Yes! You are finally getting it! Hand me your sword and I will kni-"


    Elijah interrupted the Lion in the middle of his sentence by unleashing his mana pressure. The temperature of the surrounding area melted.


    "...You dare fight me? A child like you dares to go against a king."


    Elijah smirked...His cold eyes stared at the Lion.


    "You...A King? You have no right to be a king."


    "YOU DARE?!"


    The lion charged at Elijah, who calmly stood in ce.


    ''It'' came closer and closer until...it was just about to attack Elijah with its gigantic ws.


    [Ultimate Skill of the Sword Of Sundering Hellfire: Glimpse of Hell has been ACTIVATED.]


    "You don''t deserve to live."


    His mouth bled, not because of the ''thing'' he was facing. But because of the anger, he was containing by gritting his own teeth.


    The entire world became silent as the Skill was fully unleashed...A portal to Hell opened for e brief second. A Portal to a realm of pure fire.


    The Beacon of Demonic energy vanished and was reced by a pir of fire that illuminated the city...


    And Just like that, another beacon fell.

 Chapter 295 [296] I Am Not Ezra, But I Am Not Weak.

    Chaos overtook the Aqua Buffalo district. An entire war was going on here.


    Hundreds of Association members battled against the Demonic Humans of the Aqua Buffalo guild, now controlled by the Power Of Chaos.


    Dozens of Explosions rang out, debris flew like paper in a storm.


    The Demonic humans proved to be a threat. The Aqua Buffalo guild was not strong in the Beast Alliance...But the boost provided by the Chaos energy and Blessing of the Marquis was immense enough that they were giving the Association Members a hard time.


    Furthermore, the association members were severely burdened. The Chaos Energy in the surroundings was weakening their attacks and defense simultaneously. On the other hand, it was enhancing the strength of their Enemies, the Aqua Buffalo guild members.


    Thankfully, A Flesh Abomination was not present here. If it was it would have wreaked havoc and brought even more despair upon the Association forces.


    "Khh...."


    The Association members were struggling. The Association head was busy with the Guildmaster of Aqua Buffalo guild somewhere, In his absence Henry and ine were the only ones keeping the Battle in some sort of tie.


    ine especially, was the powerhouse here. Her Holy Skills and Light Attribute magic were extremely powerful in this environment. She alone was keeping the Association''s members alive and fighting. Henry on the other hand was busy observing the situation, Firing Arrows here and there asionally in ces they were most needed. He was ying a very good part too.


    But, The battle was soon turning tides. The Association members were losing Morale and strength. Even ine was getting tired from providing all that support. Henry''s face darkened as he examined the situation.


    ''We can''t hold on for long...''


    It was obvious. they were fighting in an environment where everything was against them.


    Just as Henry was figuring out how to turn this situation around...His Sharp eyes caught something.


    The earth shook, He felt arge amount of mana In another district...and shockingly he saw a Beacon disappear. The beacon which pierced the skies disappeared. Like a dying light.


    ''Lightning leopard districts...beacon fell?''


    He was shocked...But he did not waste this opportunity.


    "ONE BEACON HAS FALLEN, LET''S MAKE IT TWO! We Can win!"


    He yelled with all his might, enhancing his voice with Mana and using wind magic to ensure it reached all Association members. ine looked at the skies to make sure it was true...and Her vigor increased when she saw only 4 beacons in the sky.


    Her support increased drastically as she downed Potion after the potion.


    ''I need to do something...''


    Thought Henry, He carefully observed the battlefield to find any openings...And Opening to reach the Protected Altar.


    And there it was. An Opening. A ce where he could go behind the enemy line and attack the Altar.


    ''I need a distraction first.''


    Concluded Henry, He aimed his bow at the sky andunched a massive AOE (area of effect) skill.


    [Rain Of Tempest has been activated.]


    A single arrow was shot toward the sky, this arrow exploded into multiple projectiles that rained down from the sky. The trajectory of these projectiles was not random, they were all aimed at the Enemies. Henry truly did have great control over his Skills.


    The Projectiles wreaked havoc on the enemies, The Association''s morale increased and they attacked with increased intensity. As Debris flew like dust, Henry made his way further expertly.


    "HEY!"


    "GET H-"


    *PHUK*<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Henry shot a demonic human in the head and killed him instantly, he didnt waste any time and advanced further into enemy lines. and Finally, the Altar was in front of him.


    He was about to fire his strongest skill, A skill which would break the Altar and also the barrier that was protecting it.


    "Huuu...!?"


    However, just as he was about to start, something crashed into him and sent him flying.


    His body, along with another skid on the ground, and Henry coughed up blood.


    "...what?"


    Henry questioned what happened. What crashed into him...he looked up and found the dead body of the Association president.


    As he saw those lifeless eyes mangled bodies...He knew the worst wasing...


    "Not So fast."


    He was right. The worst hade.


    He raised his eyes and saw the perpetrator. A Beast that was 10 meters tall. That was the guildmaster of the Aqua Buffalo guild...and his beast form was a perfect mirror of the name. A 10-metre-tall bipedal Water buffalo, possessing a robust physique with broad shoulders and a strong chest. With muscles harder than even steel. 4 horns decorated its grey head, horns that could m against anything and be unfazed. Two small but sturdy legs supported that massive frame. Streams of water surrounded the Beast, ready to support it.


    There was a smile present on that ugly face as it relished in the power it had.


    ''...Iplete.''


    Thought henry. He belonged to Behemoth, the second-strongest guild. He had seen people with bloodlines before and he could tell that whatever Bloodline the Guildmaste had...it was weird. It was...fake? It possessed a different aura...it possessed less grandeur than the other bloodlines he had seen.


    "Henry Fornum...keke."


    The beastughed as he called out Henry''s name with a snicker.


    "What a shame, I wanted to Fight with the older one."


    Henry''s face darkened as he heard the beast. He hated beingpared to his brother, Ezra Fornum.


    "I wanted to meet the Ezra I have heard so many rumors about...such a shame I have to fight the weaker brother."


    The beast taunted...and the taunts worked.


    Why wouldn''t they? All of his life he had beenpared to Ezra...It was an unfairparison. Henry couldn''t match up to Ezra''s talent...


    "Oh please...You would die in a few seconds against him."


    Said Henry as he fired off three arrows at the Beast. The arrows were deflected by the stream of water around the Buffalo.


    "Oh? And how about you? How would I Do against you? You aren''t Ezra, are you?"


    The beastughed, and Henryughed back.


    "I am not Ezra...But I am not weak."


    [Tempest Arrow has been activated][Blessing of Wind has been activated][Wind''s grace has been activated.]


    Said Henry, as he activated multiple skills to help him take the Beast down

 Chapter 296 [296] Another Falls.

    Chapter 296 [296] Another Falls.


    In the battle between Henry and the guildmaster of the aqua, The Guildmaster of the Aqua Buffalo guild used his water whips to block most of them. But Henry''s barrage was relentless.


    Some Arrows still hit him and caused minor wounds.


    "GRAHHH!"


    The Buffalo Beast roared and an armour of Water covered him. Henry changed his strategy. Instead of firing multiple shots, he focused on a single, powerful Attack.


    The Buffalo beast got on its legs and arge amount of Mana and Chais Energy moved towards him. his entire figure became wrapped in purplish water. And Purple energy also covered his head.


    As Henry powered up his attack, the Buffalo did the same.


    "TAKE THIS!"


    Like a typical Boss, He yelled out the name of his attack.


    "CHARGING CHAOTIC RUSH!"


    He had a terrible naming sense. However, the power behind the attack was real.


    Chaos Energy spiraled around him, And The sheer power it had emanated into the environment. Everyone''s eyes focused on both of them.


    "Henry! Take it!''


    [Blessing of Strength has been cast on you.]


    ine cast a supporting spell on Henry. She did all she could to help him.


    The ground rumbled as the Buffalo began his charge, and torrents of wind gathered around Henry''srge arrow.


    [Arrow of Sovereign Winds (A) has been activated.]


    And then he fired it.


    The ripping sound of the winds vanished, in fact, all sound disappeared for a second. Only the rumbling of the Earth was felt because of the Buffalo''s charge. It was all silent.


    And then it appeared again Like a Storm. The Arrow of Sovereign winds shed with the Head of the Buffalo, and the Chaos energy spirals and wind energy spirals dueled one another as the Charge of the Buffalo was halted. Even using all his strength in his legs was not enough, he was getting pushed back.


    "Gah...!"


    The Buffalo grunted, he tried his best to proceed but was slowly getting pushed back.


    ''NO! I WILL NOT. We didnt sacrifice so much for just this!''


    However, there was will in his soul, Willpower fueled by his and hisrades'' ambitions.


    Slowly but surely he inched forward, using all his might. All his power to destroy the Arrow of Sovereign winds.


    "YOU THINK I CAN BE THWARTED JUST LIKE THAT?!"


    He roared, He triumphed!


    "YOU ARE NOT EVEN EZRA, YOUR JUST A FUCKING NOB-?!"


    Henry below him? Aiming his bow right at his face?


    he stopped in the middle of his sentence, as he saw Henry below him... Right in front of his face.


    He was still going against the arrow of sovereign winds...So how was Henry below him? Aiming his bow right at his face?


    ''...ah.''


    In the end, he realized, it was his mistake to think Henry was also Immobilized like him. He wasn''t


    [Arrow Of Swirling Storm has been fired]


    Right at the Buffalo''s eyes. He was powerless to do anything.


    "It was your mistake to think I''m Ezra."


    "GAAHHHHHH!!"


    The Buffalo screamed In pain, He raised his head and that was also a fatal mistake, His powerful horns and the chaotic energy that was centered around his head that was blocking the Arrow of Sovereign Winds were gone...And Now nothing Stood in the Arrow''s path...To the Buffalo.


    The Moment he raised his Head, The Arrow of sovereign winds marched forward, Unimpeded, attacked the Buffalo Beast and sent him flying.


    "hah..."


    Henry smirked, He was proud he did that.


    The Moment that the collision between the Chaotic energy and Arrow Of Sovereign winds had begun, he rushed towards the Buffalo and slid underneath his huge body, and nned to attack his eye.


    ''..hah....hah...'' Henry was evidently tired...the Skills he used were no joke. although they could not be disyed at their full potential due to his low rank...Thus they would not be able to kill the damn Buffalo.


    But they would severely Injure it...right?


    ''That is not my objective...''


    Henry stopped to collect himself for a while and then aimed his Bow at the Beacon.


    ''...I only have some Mana left...''


    He was nning to use whatever skill he could with his mana... So that he could break the barrier and Altar together...


    But then, The Demonic Humans attacked him.


    "KILL HIM!"


    "PROTECT THE ALTAR."


    Dozens of magic attacked him, thankfully the Association''s members responded in time and cast barriers around him.


    "SHOOT!"


    "DESTROY IT!"


    Swords of Light descended and attacked the demonic beings, As The Buffalo started to get up.


    "You...YOU!"


    Henry gazed at the Beacon and used his bloody fingers to draw his bow once again.


    A Crimson light shone in the area, The beacon in the next district fell.


    People stopped, and the battle Stopped as the Light engulfed them all.


    ine had a d expression while Henry smirked.


    "...so you did it already... Eli?"


    Yeah, Of course, he did. This is Elijah we were talking about. Elijah had already subjugated whoever was at His beacon...All Alone, while they struggled here.


    It seems he never couldpare himself to them...Both Elijah and n...and his own brother. All of them were monsters in their own right.


    ''...I am Not Ezra...I know that.''


    So it''s no use, He shouldn''tpare himself with his brother. How long did it take for him to realize this...? Too long.


    Two Arrows of wind materialized in his bow...and He used his pride and joy.


    A Skill that was his pride and joy long ago, A Skill he loved. A Skill he dedicated sleepless nights to Master. Yet Ezra copied it in seconds. But that can all go to hell.


    This is his skill, His pride and joy, His strongest attack.


    "STOP HIM YOU BUFFOOONS!"


    The Buffalo roared, He could feel the immense amount of Mana gathering At Henry''s bow.


    "Their all trying their best...I should too."


    He would pass out but that beacon would disappear.


    "STOP HIM!!!"


    The buffalo began charging at him again, the Demonic Humans all focused their attacks on Him as the Association tried their best to protect him.


    ''I am Not Ezra....''


    I am not my brother....I am...


    ''Henry, Henry Fornum.''


    [Spiral Dance of the Tempest Dragons[S] has been activated!]


    Two Dragons made of roaring winds erupted from his bow, they destroyed everything in their path and rushed towards the Beacon.


    This was it, his strongest skill. His Pride. His Sign, His Symbol.


    And it lived up to it''s name, it proved Henry''s efforts of mastering it... It''s Mastery.


    A storm engulfed the area as the Dragons reached the beacon...


    "NOOOO!"


    They destroyed it.


    The beacon disappeared. And Silence erupted.


    Another beacon fell down, now only two remain.


    "I''M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!"


    Henry could feel the Chaos energy attacking his body, He slowly lost vision in his eyes...He could feel himself falling as blood erupted from every orifice in his body.


    He could see the Buffalo, albeit barely, rushing towards him.


    ''...Your not mine to fight.''


    He thought...He knew.


    He could now rest peacefully.


    The Last thing he saw was his Orange hair, his sword engulfed in mes and a hidden rage in him.


    ''...Good Luck Eli.''


    He bid good luck to his best friend who appeared after destroying his assigned beacon.


    And then he fell unconscious, He knew was safe.


    Elijah was here.

 Chapter 297 [297] SilverWolf District.

    Chapter 297 [297] SilverWolf District.


    Before descending onto the ground, Kazikato was engulfed in a battle in the skies.


    The Numerous Flesh amalgamations had somehow developed wings and were attacking him.


    "KYAAAA!"


    Their screams were as hideous as their figures. They attacked Kazikato in the air with their long and menacing ded limbs. Some of them began to e spewed acid as well.


    Kazikato expertly maneuvered in the Air using his wings to dodge the attacks. However, all he could do was dodge the relentless barrage. If he attacked he would be left open to their attacks.


    When taking into ount their strength it was difficult to be attacked by them.


    One On one He would destroy them Effortlessly...But when taking into ount that he was literally facing more than a dozen of them...things became difficult.


    ''...Shit!''


    Kazikato cursed as he saw a few amalgamations retreating and going back to the White Tiger District. n was already facing so many...he couldn''t let his burden increase.


    "GET OVER HERE!"


    Chains made of bone sprouted from his hands and made their way towards the Flesh Amalgamtions who were retreating. The chains pierced some Flesh Amalgamations and kazikato yanked them over with his immense strength.


    However, that proved to be a fatal Mistake. He was now open.


    Multiple des pierced into him and his wings and The flesh Amalgamtions dragged him to the ground.


    [Primordial Dragon Of Death Ariel advises you to stay calm.]


    ''How can I Stay calm?!''


    How could he stay calm in this situation where he was getting dragged into the ground where even more enemies were?


    The des that were in his body weren''t too pleasant either.


    [Primordial dragon of Death Ariel orders you to stay calm.]


    "...?"


    Suddenly...he felt calm? Had Ariel used some sort of authority?


    But before KAzikato could think of more, he had crashed into the ground with immense speed.


    A Dust cloud rose as debris flew due to the crash. Kazikato couldn''t get a moment of rest, however.


    Hundreds of Spells attacked him the moment he was within range. The dust cloud hadn''t even settled before he was attacked by skills imbued with the power of Chaos!


    it was an Onught, a Barrage. The Flesh Amalgamations ran their des in the crater like a frenzy and fireballs, arrows, and thunderbolts ravaged the Crater Kazikato was in.


    [Primordial Dragon of Ariel says that you should stay calm.]


    Meanwhile, inside the Crater, Kazikato had erected a barrier of bone that was getting chipped away slowly but surely.


    "Hoooo..."


    Kazikato took a deep breath as his ears were assaulted by the noise from the attacks.


    He waited for the Attacks to stop, using his mana to strengthen his barrier. the attackers couldn''t see anything due to the smoke.


    It felt like an eternity to him, but they stopped after a while.


    [Dragon Eyes have been activated]


    [Primordial Dragon Of Death Ariel smiles, satisfaction.]


    Kazikato activated his dragon eyes, His Eyes began to glow an abyssal ck...No. They actually sucked in all light.


    ''Show Me Everything.''


    Unlike n''s Destructive, dominating eyes which hurt him. Kazikato''s were more tuned to his characteristics. Besides, n and Kazikato were very young dragons, they could even be called Baby dragons. They weren''t ustomed to their powers yet...But even this was enough.


    This much was enough for Kazikato to Wreak havoc.


    As the dust settled and some Demonic Humans came close to inspect...Kazikato jumped them instantly.


    With two chained scythes, he stabbed them in their throats and heads and ripped their bodies apart with his brute strength.


    "He''s Still alive?!"


    "Get him!''


    But they could not. his figure streaked like a bolt of lightning around the battlefield. He attacked every demonic human he could find but his counterattack was shortlived. The Flesh Amalgmations had entered the fray again.


    Kazikato maneuvered through the world shown to him by his Dragon eyes and he could see their attacks before they attacked.


    The Problem was, there were so many his options were limited.


    Kazikato dodged their attacks by shifting his body in an unusual manner in the air and made his way toward a Flesh Amalgamation.


    HE got close and stabbed it continuously, The Flesh Amalgamtion thrashed around with Kazikato on top of it. it tried to attack with its des But Kazikato cut them all off in an instant. before it could grow back he finished it by slicing it in half. In the very next second, he jumped to avoid the countless des of the other Flesh Amalgamations. They pierced the body of theirrade in seconds, tearing it apart.


    "..."


    Kazikato gulped as he saw what would have happened to him if he lingered for only a second more.


    Kazikato quickly summoned his huge scythe and became ready. His eyes were showing him that there were no more chances to dodge. All he could do was deflect now...


    The Scythe of Death gifted to him By Ariel glowed a sinister purple light.


    Kaikato used his all to deflect the attacks of the Flesh Amalgamations and the other demonic humans. His scythe moved at iprehensible speeds as it deflected the metal des and other skills.


    Kazikato''s mana red, Multiple long spinal bones emerged from his back to help him.


    "...Grrr...!"


    He grunted He was trying his best to find an opportunity to attack or get out of this situation but it was getting harder and harder.


    Suddenly...as he was deflecting all the attacks...he felt a chill run down his spine.


    He didnt even think...he just acted on instinct. He turned around and used his scythe to block the attacking from behind. He was ready to take on all the previous attacks but he must block this.


    The tip of a thin sword shed against his scythe as a tremendous amount of Mana was released.


    "Oh? You sensed that?"


    A chilling voice sounded out as Kazikato was sent flying due to the attacks from Behind.


    Kazikato looked at the man who just attacked from Behind.


    He knew that silver hair and those wolf Like eyes. He was wondering where this bastard was hiding ever since he fell in the Silver Wolf District. Turns out he was nning a sneak attack.


    Kazikato coughed blood as he stood up with his scythe pointed at the Man.


    "..."


    He stared at him with a cold gaze, His upper body was bare. The attacks had torn of the armor he had.


    Arian, The Guildmaster of the SilverWolf Guild, looked at him with a smile as he pointed his sword at him.


    "Attack."


    The flesh Amalgamations and Demonic humans rushed to attack Kazikato on hismand.


    Kazikato grits his teeth and prepares for the worst.

 Chapter 298 [298] What is a mutt to a dragon?

    Chapter 298 [298] What is a mutt to a dragon?


    "Attack."


    Arian ordered calmly. The Demonic Humans and the Amalgamations of flesh rushed over to Kazikato.


    Kazikato braced himself for the Onught. An armor of bone enveloped him, One that had multiple bone whips to help deflect the various attacks.


    *BOOM*BOOM*


    Dozens of Fireballs were fired at Kazikato, he jumped back to avoid them but more explosions followed.


    A wall of bones erupted from the ground to stop the attacks, but the flesh amalgamations broke it in an instant and swarmed Kazikato.


    Kazikato used the whips on his armor to deal with the Metal ded limbs of the Flesh amalgamations, but he was getting pushed back.


    ''...''


    In a moment of desperation, he unleashed his Mana like a wave to push them back. using the small opportunity he rushed at Arian with all his might. He raised his Scythe high to attack but...he wondered...


    Why is that bastard still smiling? Why is not trying to dodge?


    ''Whatever...''


    Kazikato dismissed it and rushed at him.


    "Boo."


    Said Arian...and Kazikato saw why he was so calm.


    *CRASH*


    Arge, Bipedal Rhino Demihuman smashed the building beside Kazikato and rammed into Kazikato at full speed. Kazikato was sent flying as a result of this.


    Kazikato was embedded in a building, the force that rhino had rammed into him was great. His bone armor shattered to pieces and Kazikato coughed up blood.


    As he tried to get up, He was lit ame by the fireballs fired at him. On top of this, he was barraged by Multiple other skills.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel is looking at you with worry.]


    Ariel was worried, her grandson was getting thrashed and was unable to put up a fight.


    "REMEMBER ME, YOU BONY BASTARD?!"


    The Bipedal rhino that had rammed him spoke. Kazikato fell from the building he was embedded in, his body covered in burns and he was also bleeding.


    "uh..."


    he coughed up blood as he red at the Rhino. He remembered who it was now.


    The guildmaster of the Rhino guild he had thrashed when Twilight had established itself in Aror. He had disappeared after Kazikato had defeated his entire guild singlehandedly...to think he would appear now.


    "I''m gonna fucking turn you into Paste!"


    met his Attack head-on.


    He grabbed the horn and pushed with all his might.


    He charged at him again. Kazikato stood up with great difficulty and met his Attack head-on.


    He grabbed the horn and pushed with all his might.


    [Primordial dragon of Death Ariel tells you to ept her power.]


    Ariel offered her power to Help Kazikato...But he denied it firmly.


    ''NO!''


    Kazikato wanted to do this himself. He had received Ariel''s help countless times.


    He knew this wasn''t the right time to reject her power but he didnt want it. He wanted to take care of this by himself, He wanted to prove himself, to himself.


    He was the second strongest in Predator! The Predator of Death!


    "I''M GONNA KILL ALL OF YOU!"


    "?!"


    Kazikato threw the Rhino Guildmaster into the sky, His chest puffed up and his neck inted. He was going to fire a dragon breath at the Rhino, to incinerate him!


    *SHWING*


    But an arrow was shot at him. It hit him in the throat and disrupted the dragon breath he was going to fire. The breath exploded in his mouth.


    *BOOM*


    Kazikato fell to his knees, His body extremely hurt, and a hole in his throat.


    The Rhino fell to the ground but stood up immediately after. he was about to attack Kazikato once again but was stopped by Arian.


    "Wow..."


    Arian muttered. He was amazed, Honestly.


    "To think you are still alive....that Vitality of yours is truly astonishing!"


    He eximed. He walked up in front of the Demonic Humans and Flesh Amalgamations and was just a few feet away from Kazikato.


    "Tell you what, I''ll spare your life if you join us. You are far too talented to just kill."


    Arian threw a purple stone the size of a thumb toward Kazikato, Kazikato stared at the Purple stone. He picked it up.


    "Eat it."


    Arian ordered...Kazikato held the stone and crushed it in front of Arian''s eyes.


    "Fuck you."


    He cursed. Arian looked at him with a disappointed gaze.


    "Why are all of you so stubborn? I''m giving you a chance to live...Oh well."


    Arian threw away his sword, a grey energy covered him and the Howl of a Wolf was heard.


    *AWOOOO*


    The winds spiraled towards him, And The grey light shined brightly. Kazikato, along with the others could clearly see Arian''s body contort and shift.


    The silver light faded after a while...and A 3-meter-tall werewolf was present in Arian''s ce.


    This was Arian, in his half-human half-bloodline integration form, Just like the Rhino.


    Its silver fur was sleek and mesmerizing. The fur reflected light in a peculiar, beautiful way. the eyes were also silver, they seemed like stars in the night sky.


    The muscles hidden underneath thatyer of fur however were no joke, they looked as if they would rip apart anything. The razor-sharp ws were also terrifying to look at. this was the bloodline that Arian had chosen...The Bloodline of the Silver Wolf.


    "This all could have ended if Twilight didnte here....Peacefully..."


    "But somehow, The world always needs to send some people to stop us. Always."


    Arian monologues like a viin. He looked at kazikato with a satisfactory gaze.


    "Gaze upon it, my wonderful form. Gaze upon my bloodline, the bloodline of the Silver wolf!"


    He seemed to be very proud of his bloodline.


    "I''m giving you one more chance, Kazikato. Join us."


    Kazikato stood up despite his injuries, He looked Arian right in the eyes and said.


    "Fuck O-"


    *PHSHK*


    He couldn''tplete his sentence, Arian had attacked. He dug his arm right in Kazikato''s chest.


    "Then Die."


    He stated...But to his surprise, Kazikato startedughing.


    He was abstaining from using it because of his deeds in Japan. He had annihted an entire guild after all and n had told him to not use it in fear it was recognized...but.


    Who would recognize it if all who saw it were dead?


    Kazikato''s body transformed right in front of Arian. Arian''s hand was still embedded in Kazikato''s body but that did not affect the transformation.


    Corrosive Saliva seeped out from KAzikato''s maw andnded On Arian''s bewildered face...burning it a little. With a Smile, Kazikato said.


    "I can do that too."

 Chapter 299 [299] WHAT IS A MUTT TO A DRAGON!

    Chapter 299 [299] WHAT IS A MUTT TO A DRAGON!


    Author note: zuku here...Just wanted to say.


    Eid-ul-adha Mubarak!


    Enjoy this Eid well my readers!


    ***************


    *RAWWWWRRRRRR!


    A deafening roar shook the Earth. Kazikato roared with all his might, Mana of the death element leaked into the surroundings, causing Chaos.


    Arian looked at Kazikato''s towering figure with bewilderment.


    His arm which was dug inside Kazikato''s Chest had corroded, Arian retreated and his eyes were filled with Shock.


    ''that...that''s the...''


    The white scales, the spiked tail, The mana of death element around it. The putrid field of Death that enveloped the area around it...And those terrifying teeth and malicious jaw. Those soulless eyes...that...


    That...That was the...


    "White Death!"


    The terror that had annihted an entire guild back in Japan.


    "Ughh..."


    "what is this?!"


    "KIIIIIIEEEE!"


    The demonic humans and Flesh Amalgamations suffered from the Death Field. A field of Death mana weakened them and was killing them slowly.


    "Why are you running now?"


    Kazikato''s harrowing voice resounded through their ears.


    Arian regenerated his arm with Difficulty due to the Death Field. He looked at Kazikato with wariness.


    "Attack him! Kill him before this power kills Us!"


    He roared, Rhino, the Demonic Humans, and Flesh Amalgamations all began their attack. Kazikato was unfazed by their assault. Rather, he WELCOMED it.


    He took the attacks of the Flesh Amalgamtions and grabbed one by the head. He ripped its head from its body as it tried to desperately resist. All the while he was getting attacked by everyone.


    "SHIT!"


    Arian cursed at the death of an Important Flesh Amalgamation.


    "KILL HIM NOW!"


    He roared once again. The intensity of the attacks Increased. Kazikato rushed at Arian, but Rhino disrupted him once again. The only difference was that Kazikato was not sent flying. Kazikato grabbed the horn of the Rhino and flung him in the air.


    "I''ll take care of you first!"


    Kazikato jumped up and whacked the Rhino with his tail, sending him flying.


    Kazikato chased after him with his wings. Ramming him into the ground.


    "CHASE HIM! IF EVEN ONE OF US DIES IT''S OVER!"


    Yelled Arian, he knew the fight would be over if Rhino died. He couldn''t handle Kazikato alone even with the flesh Amalgamations at his side!


    "GET HIM!"


    Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that Twilight had THE WHITE DEATH The monster that was world-famous after it had annihted an entire Guild back in Japan in seconds.


    "...Wait..."


    Suddenly, Arian came to a realization. He saw a tattoo on his back...he didnt think it was anything special because he didnt feel any energy from it but...


    It was a bloodline mark?


    "...Things just got interesting."


    He said with a malicious smile on his face.


    *******


    On the other side of the District, Kazikato Dragged Rhino through the ground. Destroying whatever was in the way. he scraped Rhino''s face against the ground.


    Rhino tried to stop Kazikato but Kazikato was just too strong. he couldn''t do anything.


    "GET OFF MEE!"


    All he could do was cry whilst his face was getting scraped against the ground.


    "AAHHH!"


    He screamed in pain as Kazikato stabbed him with his tail. Kazikato was just about to tear his horn off But quickly grabbed one of the ded Limbs of the Flesh Amalgamations that was going to attack him.


    He flinged it with all his strength. The Amalgamation of flesh that had reached first and had the ''unfortunate'' luck to attack first collided with a building. It was put out of it''s hideous misery by a Breath of Death.


    Just As Kazikato was about to fire another dragon breath at the Rhino underneath him. Arian had appeared along with the other Flesh Amalgamations andunched an attack.


    Three Crescent waves of Bloodline Energy attacked Kazikato and disrupted the dragon Breath. Rhino was still trapped underneath Kazikato. Kazikato fired off multiple spears of Darkness magic but the death amalgamations swarmed him and forced him off of Rhino.


    Kazikato was buried deep within the hideous Flesh Amalgamations. He acted unfazed by their attacks that left holes in his body and wed his way through. He impaled one with his tail. He then grew multiple bone spikes on his tail in an instant and killed another Flesh Amalgamation. He did the same with his body, but the other Flesh Amalgamations escaped before.


    "Heal and join the Fight again! Transform into your full form as soon as you can!"


    Arian ordered the Rhino, before He charged at Kazikato.


    He attacked his a punch, But it was a feint. Just as Kazikato was about to counterattack. he jumped high andnded on kazikato''s head. He wrapped his legs around his neck and used his sharp ws to tear Kazikato''s face off.


    "ATTACK NOW!"


    He jumped, barely avoided the Breath of Death Kazikato fired at him. Using the small opportunity created by him, he ordered the Flesh Amalgamations to attack Kazikato. They let out a barrage of powerful attacks that tore Kazikato''s flesh. Kazikato redirected his beam from the sky and fired it at all directions, in a circle.


    "DODGE."


    Arian Ordered the Flesh Amalgamations, but some were still hit and on the verge of death.


    Just then, A Roar of a rhino was heard and a Smile appeared on Arian''s face.


    The chaos caused by Kazikato''s breath was stopped by a Rhinoceraus made of pure steel that rammed into him. The rhinoceraus possesses three sharp horns as well.


    "Take th-?!"


    Arian was shocked as he saw Kazikato get pushed back only a little. Kazikato recollected himself quickly and stopped himself by grabbing the biggest Horn....What was shocking was that he was pushing Rhino back!


    "AGH!"


    Kazikato grunted as he used his immense strength to send Rhino flying once again. However Arian attacked in that exact moment and dealt a flurry of blows.


    "So annoying!"


    Kazikato released his Death Mana and pushed everyone away. But it only took a while for the flesh amalgamations tounch another attack.


    "...Grrr..."


    A silver light enveloped Arian as Kazikato fend the Steel Rhinoceraus''s charge with his Dragon Breath.


    That silver light shone bright, just like before but now a Wolf the Size of a tank emerged instead of a werewolf.


    *AWOOOO*


    The howl appeared to strengthen the Flesh Amalgamations an Rhino.


    Kazikato stared at the silver wolf with a crazed smile...His look wasn''t exactly pleasing. The scales on his Face were torn apart and revealed the flesh underneath. The Bone armour around him was also shattered in multiple pieces and reveleaed the flesh underneath. One of Kazikato''s eyes had no skin, and it was evening out!


    Yet, Kazikato still smiled crazily and a ck light enveloped his body.


    "I CAN DO THAT TOO!"


    He yelled with a crazy smile. This same sentence had brought Arian immense shock before...but now it was about to bring true fear!


    "STOP HIM! NOW!"


    He roared with all his might, Hurling attack after attack....But he was unable to stop Kazikato...


    Fear enveloped Arian as he saw What Kazikato had be...and then he thought.


    ''...Monster...!''

 Chapter 300 [300] Behold, The Successor Of DEATH!

    "...Ahh..."


    A ck beam of Death energy arose from the ground, it covered Kazikatopletely and pierced the skies.


    A horrifying roar resounded throughout the district. Arian could see the figure of an Eastern Dragon...made entirely of Bone.


    Arian felt shivers run down his spine, The Flesh Amalgamations retreated due to fear and the Demonic Humans couldn''t even move...


    The ck beam of Death vanished...and The beauty of its figure was revealed to them...The Beauty of its resplendent skeletal frame.


    Arian gulped as he took in the sight in front of him. The Sight of the Dragon in front of him.


    The dragon''s immense body,posed entirely of aged ivory bones, undtes sinuously through the air with an eerie grace. Its elongated serpentine form is adorned with intricate, interlocking vertebrae that ripple like waves along its spine. Each bone bears the markings of time, etched by the passage of centuries, lending an air of sacred antiquity to this formidable creature. A harrowing sound was heard as the dragon..ughed?


    Its wings unfurl with a vast expanse, spanning the sky in a disy of menacing dominance. These skeletal wings areprised of rigid, articted bones, reminiscent of the delicate framework of a fan. The Structure, however...It seemed odd to Arian. It was different than the normal Eastern Dragon Arian had seen in fiction and artistic pieces...


    Throughout its body, at specific lengths strange sections were present. These Sections were spinning. They seemed separate but at the same time, they were also together. These sections added power to the dragon. As they spinned, eerie energy was radiated, an energy which possessed an unholy power that echoed the Dragon''s dominion over the Element of Death.


    Dark lightning ran around its figure, Each thunderbolt held unimaginable power. But...What struck the most fear in Arian was the Head of the dragon. Its elongated, menacing jaws showcase rows of fangs that gleam ominously. He could tell those teeth were extraordinarily sharp just from looking at them. Within the skull''s hollow eye sockets, piercing eyes of glistening onyx reside, emanating an otherworldly intelligence that speaks of ancient wisdom and the secrets of the afterlife... Its tail was lit ame by a ck me that seemed to devour everything. It drew in most things and at them like it was nothing.


    "Kekekekee...."


    A horrifying sound escaped that terrifying maw.


    [Primordial Dragon Of Death Ariel is proud to see your full form.]


    Ariel praised. Even she was surprised at Kazikato''s new form. Although she admitted she tweaked something when she drew the protective enchantment on his back. Kazikato''s affinity with the Death element truly shocked her. She didnt think her tweaks would have this effect.


    Regardless, His enemies were now shitting themselves.


    A  deafening roar rang throughout the city.


    ''...Twilight is hiding such monsters...?''


    Arian was in disbelief.


    He was proud of his form...but seeing that? It put his full form to shame.


    Suddenly, a wave of deathly energy struck them. And in front of his eyes, those weird sections on Kazikato''s body began to spin quickly. The Winds were shredded apart by those weird sections and an unholy energy wafted over them.


    Kazikato began to descend, with great velocity.


    "RUN! RUN RUN RUN!"


    Arian ordered. His instincts were telling him to dodge that attack.


    "RUN YOU FUCKING IDI-"


    Kazikato descended.


    *********************************


    [Twilight head base.]


    "...What is that?"


    Alice muttered, her entire body trembling as she saw the monstrosity far in the skies.


    It wasn''t just her, everyone was trembling. An unknown energy spread all over, overpowering even the energy of chaos in the surrounding area.


    The people shuddered as they saw the monstrosity of bone in the skies. Maxwell gazed at it with wonder.


    "It''s Kazikato, Who else?"


    He said. Alice and the rest close to him were shocked when they heard that.


    "Wait...Kazikato was in possession of a bloodline, One as strong as that?"


    Alice asked, her jaw wide open. She couldn''t believe it. Thezy, almost always sleeping dunce was that strong?


    "You underestimate him too much."


    "I understand that but still...!"


    "Who brought him here?"


    Asked Maxwell. Alice''s thoughts wandered to one person.


    "n..."


    Yes. n Pator brought that Monstrosity here. He Was the one who brought Kazikato into Twilight from Nowhere.


    "..."


    Alice stood amazed. Her fear had turned into admiration. As the one who was supposed to lead Twilight in the future, Seeing this was amazing. Truly Amazing. She was just conjuring up ideas to propel Twilight to even greater heights. Extremely greater heights.


    Whilst Alice was in the midst of dreaming a better future for Twilight. Maxwell''s thoughts were vast.


    ''...Could he always do that?''


    ''What else is he hiding..?''


    Among these thoughts, Maxwell came to a terrifying conclusion. He could feel the waves of power all the way here. That was how much power Kazikato was emitting.


    He could hear ear-deafening explosions as Kazikato descended. He could see that dragon thrash around and fire breaths. He could only imagine the scene his enemies were seeing.


    "...n is stronger than that?"


    "Hmm?What?"


    He muttered, Alice did not hear it correctly. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "...Nothing."


    He dismissed it. But He still couldn''t grasp his head around it.


    ''Kazikato said n beat him even at full power...Did n beat that monster? Is he hiding something as well?''


    "Hahahahaaa...."


    Alice and the rest were creeped out by Maxwell''s creepyughter.  Yet Maxwell didnt care.


    "HAHAHAHAAHAH!"


    It soon evolved into a burst of maniacughter. Just as the people around him were thinking he had maybe got possessed, it toned down.


    "Kukuu....Maybe I was worried for nothing."


    He said, he leaned into the railing and took a rxed position before ordering Alice.


    "Alice, go prepare the report of this whole incident."


    "Excuse me? Report? Now? I can write the report when we get out of this Mess!"


    "Hahaha..."


    Alice was confused by hisughter.


    Maxwell turned around and confidently dered.


    "We''ve already won."


    **************


    The Flesh Amalgamations were dead, The Demonic Humans were dead. Only the Rhino and Wolf remained.


    Arian ran around the entire district as Kazikato chased behind him. He destroyed everything in his path with his massive frame.


    Rhino could do nothing but watch. He wanted to help but he just couldn''t catch up.


    Arian attacked whenever he could. His silver ws ripped through the Air but they couldn''t even make a dent in Kazikato''srge frame.


    Arian was trying his best to run away from Kazikato and team up with Rhino once again and attack together but it was not working. He didnt even dare look back. Just the sight of therge dragon of bone chasing him was horrifying.


    "TAKE THIS!"


    HE fired of another volley of his bloodline attacks in order to thwart Kazikato but failed once again.


    Kazikato fired off a breath, and Arian jumped to avoid it.


    Kazikato fired one again, and Arian barrel dodged it again.


    ''There!''


    Arian saw an opening, He jumped onto Kazikato''s back, Away from those deadly maws. But even here he did not find any refuge. he ran down Kazikato''s body, dodging the ck lightning that wasing at him.


    ''Not again!''


    Arian shivered as he saw those sections start spinning again, He went above and beyond in order to stop them now. he already saw what that attack using them was capable of. The attack of spinning those sections to attain maximum velocity and energy and using it to attack. That same attack had also taken n out of his Pheonix form, It was dangerous.


    Arian didnt know it had done that, but he did know it killed all of the Flesh Amalgamations and Demonic humans in an instant and had also severely injured both him and the rhino.


    Kazikato, seeing that Arian would be difficult to attack, Changed his attention to Rhino.


    Rhino, realizes this. Knew how could not run away from it. Even Arian, who was several times stronger and faster couldn''t. So What chance did he have.


    ''...So this is how I die?''


    He thought as he Saw Kazikato''s eyes focus at him.


    He used every bit of mana and Chaos energy he had and focused it on his horn.


    "No...Not like this. Not without doing anything."


    Arian saw what he was about to do, he wanted to yell and stop him but the Lightning bolts did not give him any chance.


    "FOR OUR DREAM!"


    Rhino yelled and began his charge, And Kazikato did the same. Rhino knew he would die from this charge,he just wanted to inflict the most damage he could to Kazikato So Arian would have a chance.


    s, even his final effort was useless. Kazikato''s horns pierced him and the energy of death ravaged his body and left nothing but bone. He had died just like that. Arian, wh was on Kazikato''s body was flung as a result of the collision. A few thunder bolts had managed to hit him.


    He coughed up blood. He raised his head to see the beacon a little distance behind him.


    And Infront...was the fucking monster known as Kazikato Shimoshino, The Death reaper.


    ''...when did things go so wrong...?''


    He thought, struggling to stand.


    He could see Kazikato. He could see that deadly maw open wide. The Beacon was right behind him.


    ''I guess...the talented truly do win everytime. Our dream...was it meanin-''


    *CRUNCH*


    He could not finish his sentence. He


    He died just like that, and the beacon behind him fell soon enough. He died a pitiful, and quick death.


    Now, only one remained.

 Chapter 301 [301] Failed Tiger.

    [White Tiger District]


    "...How...?"


    Adam questioned.


    *THUMP*THUMP*


    "...I''m....afraid? Even after having my power increased?''


    Adam refused to listen to his heart. His heart was afraid, and His body was afraid.


    As he gazed at the Magnificent figure of the Draconian descending into the battlefield.


    He still remembered the Blue glow Vividly, The Glow which illuminated the entire city.


    "Never..."


    He muttered, His power activated.


    The Bloodline of one of the Four Celestial Beasts Flowed through his veins! The Bloodline of the WHITE TIGER!


    "Never!"


    "NEVER!"


    His body shifted, His height increased and hair as strong as steel started to emerge on his body.


    "OUR DREAM WILL BE FU-"


    *BAM!*


    "Shut the fuck Up."


    n interrupted his transformation by punching him in the face. Adam went flying as a result. He wasn''t stupid or prideful enough to let his enemyplete his Transformation that would increase their power. What kind of Idiot would wait for that?


    "Like Im gonna let youplete your transformation."


    n unfurled his wings, He quickly flew to Adam and was about to attack him when.


    His instincts reacted and he quickly caught a ded limb of a Flesh Amalgamation aimed at his head.


    "KIK!"


    He pulled it close to him and Punched its face. His fist went through the Flesh Amalgamations body and killed it instantly.


    n was immediately ambushed by the Dozens of other Flesh Amalgamations. Adam retreated the moment he saw n being raided by the Flesh Amalgamations.


    His jaw was blown off. Blood oozed out continuously. And to make matters worse it wasn''t even regenerating.


    Adam continued his transformation. He just needed some time...Just a little bit of time...But s. He was blown away by a Dragon Breath n fired whilst Dealing with the Flesh Amalgamations.


    "Kugh..."


    *THUMP*THUMP*


    Adam struggled to stand up... He had now transformed into his Half-Human half-Tiger form but he was injured. And his injuries were not healing.


    He strained himself to look up at n. His eyes widened in Shock and Horror as he saw multiple of the Flesh Amalgamations already dead. Either Ripped apart or frozen. Some even had holes in them as big as entire human bodies.


    He saw n''s figure grab one and fire dragon Breath right at it, incinerating it. Moreover, n did this whilst unfazed at the other attacks of the Flesh Amalgamations. Dozens were still left alive. They attacked him together but to no avail.


    "...impossible."


    Adam refused to believe it. He still chose to live in his delusion and refused to ept Reality.


    "I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!''


    He charged at n on all fours. n saw him and was getting ready to attack him but a flesh Amalgamations appeared from behind and covered his face with its body. It wed at his face with its metallic des but nothing happened to n. His scales were strong. Strong enough that this was nothing.


    Just as He was about to fire a breath at it and get it off his face, he was tackled By Adam. Adam quickly got on top of him and his ws glowed with a white glow. The Flesh Amalgamations held n down.


    "I REFUSE TO!"


    He wed at n''s face, With all his Strength.


    "OUR EFFORTS!"


    Again, And Again. He didnt even notice his bleeding fingers.


    "WERE NOT IN VAIN!"


    The Flesh Amalgamations rushed to attack Him together with Adam, But Adam ordered them not to.


    He was deluded. He wanted to Beat n himself...with his own strength. He wanted to prove himself.


    "THEY WERE NOT IN VAAIINNN!"


    His screams rippled through the Air. His source of motivation, the reason for his Strength and perseverance.


    "OUR DREAM WILL BE FULFILLED! It will...be fulfilled...."


    Finally, he stopped. In his rage he didnt even realize that his hands had been pulverized long ago, It was his flesh and Bone that he was attacking n with.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Huuu...Huuuu..."


    He gasped for breath, His hands slowly regenerated.


    As he looked down, once the Dust settled...His body froze.


    He saw n''s unharmed Face, And A wide-open Maw that was glowing white.


    "Impo-"


    He couldn''tplete his sentence. A Dragon breath was fired at Point nk range.


    Thankfully, his beastly instincts kicked in and he barely managed to dodge, However, the entire left side of his body was gone, reduced to atoms.


    The flesh Amalgamations swarmed in to buy him time to recover. Adam retreated as he suffered from the pain of having half his body blown away.


    "Not like this...Not Like this...."


    He pleaded, He pleaded for it. Don''t let his story end like this. Not such a pitiful ending.


    The Flesh Amalgamations swarmed n like ants. They covered him up like a mountain, Laying attack after attack.


    A Large, Magic circle in the form of a Snowke appeared on the ground. Adam''s eyes widened as he felt a great amount of Mana within the Circle.


    He tried to run, even with his injured body but he could not. He was far too slow, andte.


    "cial copse."


    An Icy Hell ran loose as soon as n muttered those words. The Signature skill of his magic mentor, Elena Frost erupted forth and drowned the area in a frozen hell.


    The Flesh amalgamations were all dead, n walked undisturbed through the Frozen Hell. To Adam, who was now entrapped in ice, only his upper body was free. Regardless, he couldn''t do anything.


    How pitiful, He couldn''t even transform into his full White Tiger form. Well, not that it would have changed anything.


    "...the Ame No Sakahoko..."


    He muttered, n stopped in front of him.


    "Do it with that...please."


    He begged. A broken man begged. He begged for at least his death to be significant, to be...amazing.


    Killed by the Legendary Spear of righteousness, The Spear that had brought an end to a Duke....wouldn''t such an end be...worth something.


    "You don''t deserve it."


    n mocked him coldly. n was severely underestimating himself. He was afraid when the name of the Marquis had appeared. It was an SS-rank demon after all...But then he realized.


    In the Grand scheme of things, A marquis is nothing. Nothing...not even an antpared to the beings he faced.


    Hah...there he went. Comparing himself with Aranus again.


    "...So it''s deserved for the strong? For the Talented? Like you?"


    "..."


    n stayed quiet as he listened to Adam''s words. His woes. the Sky turned bright orange, and the other beacons disappeared but n''s gaze never left Adam''s pitiful face. he even heard roars and other sounds of destruction but ignored them all.


    This man felt alive now, It wasn''t like a corpse now.


    "Fuck you....fuck you, talented people."


    "..."


    "fuck you lot who were given everything...who was given the talent to be the strongest but never fucking tried...Fuck you."


    n looked at the tears flowing down Adam''s face. Adam was talented, he was able to reach B-rank. But that was it. there were levels of Talent.


    How much had he suffered? How much had he tried? How many tears had he shed? How much blood had he bled?


    Unfortunately, He was dealt with the wrong cards. And he met the wrong beings.


    Maybe, he would have been someone great...but that hope was long gone.


    The man, who was asrge as n cried, He would''ve already died of blood loss had the ice not been covering his body.


    "Fuck you...bastards...."


    *SCHWING*


    n beheaded him. And Thus, Adam White, the guildmaster of White Tiger, Once a Sworn brother, a Good man turned evil by the world. A man who tried his hardest.


    But it was not over, A white soul, tainted by chaos escaped Adam''s body and entered the beacon behind him. It was absorbed by th


    n fired of arge ice spike at the altar, destroying it. The Main beacon fell.


    But something was wrong. n looked at the Skies of Aror. No beacon was present now.


    But the Notification of the quest beingpleted had not arrived.

 Chapter 302 [302] Your But A Mere Marquis.

    A/N: I have released a new book called "Primal Hero.". Please go and give it a read. Thank you for supporting me.


    Also, I n to continue writing both books. the viin''s Story has not been dropped. I will be writing both books.


    Both of them will end in the way I already nned. So you can continue reading leisurely.


    Thank you for your time.


    *******


    n waited, yet the Questpletion notification had not popped up.


    He looked up at the skies. When he saw no beacon he became concerned.


    Every beacon had fallen, their guardians should have also been defeated. Yet...the questpletion notification didnt pop up.


    A sense of concern washed up over n. He looked at Adam''s head, separated from his body. Then...he remembered something.


    The Altar absorbed Adam''s soul...Along with the countless other souls.


    ''Don''t tell me!''


    *SHAAAAA!*


    A massive gust of wind ran throughout the city as a creepy sound resonated.


    The wind was pushing back n. It destroyed the ice created by the [cial Copse]. it sent everything flying.


    The wind pressure was that strong.


    [Warning: Soul Limit has been ipletely met.]


    [Warning: The Marquis will descend using an iplete transfer.]


    Shock and Horror filled the face of everyone the moment that notification popped up.


    [Warning: The Marquis is descending.]


    As the strong wind assaulted him, n barely managed to stand. He raised his head to see a ck rupture the size of a Human head emerges at the altar.


    "Gh...!"


    The rupture widened until it was the size of a Human and opened up.


    Chaos energy flooded the area when it opened. From the abyssal darkness of the rupture, a ck hand emerged, the Hand was asrge as a child. It possessed vital energy and thick, sharp ck nails that looked as if they could cut through anything.


    ck lightning crackled the moment the Hand emerged from the rift.


    "Like I''m gonna let that happen!"


    He yelled as he charged forward with all his might. Against the extreme wind pressure, he inched forward slowly but surely.


    "LIKE IM GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN!"


    He released his mana like an explosion. He did this so he could get rid of the Wind Pressure.


    "Your just a mere marquis!"


    n marched using all fours, He dug his ws into the ground to remain stable and charged at the portal.


    Finally...just as he was about to reach it.


    *CRACKLE*


    A ck lightning bolt hit him straight in the chest. The Lightning was so powerful it tore through his scales and sent him flying.


    "Gah..."


    His flesh had been ripped apart...His ribs had been broken and one could literally see his beating heart. Pieces of flesh dropped down.


    Another hand emerged, the chaos energy now was absolutely horrendous. The Entire ce seemed to be flooded with it.


    [Supreme dragon Of Chaos Suleras tells you to not give up!]


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha urges you to stand up.]


    "SHUT UP!"


    A hidden surge of power emerged from n. Blue mana red high up in the Sky, it battled against the Chaos in the Area.


    The powers of the Astral Mana raged. n''s mana of the unique space element fought against the chaos, Pushing it back.


    "HAAAA!"


    n screamed, He got up yet again!


    A deafening roar rang throughout Aror.


    n rushed at the Rupture once again, this time with extreme fervor.


    "I MADE A FUCKING PROMISE!"


    Yes, he made a promise to protect this ce. He willplete it!


    *CRACKLE* CRACKLE*


    The lightning attacked him yet again, n dodged the attacks and continued making his way towards the Rupture. He could see the horns of the Marquis now. The Marquis wasing here....


    *CRACKLE*<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A lightning bolt hit his left leg andpletely disintegrated it!


    *CRACKLE*


    Another one, This time his right leg was gone!


    n ignored the attacks and marched using his hands. Pieces of flesh from his chest dropped down, his heart was dangling! barely connected to his body!


    "YOUR JUST A FUCKING MARQUIS!"


    He bellowed! His Rage reaching the extremes!


    Finally!


    he reached the portal!


    He grabbed the ends of the rupture with his bare hands! His spatial mana disrupted the rupture''s expansion!


    The head of the marquis was nearly out, A demonic purple eye emerged and He could see the world he was about to invade!


    But all he saw was a bloodied draconian slowly opening its maw, a powerful blue light revealed from within!


    The left hand moved and grabbed n. it crushed his body but he didnt care. he could feel his organs failing, shards of his bone piercing them!


    "YOUR."


    Indeed...


    "JUST."


    Compared to the ones he had seen in Aranus''s Memories!


    Was just A!


    "A FUCKING MARQUIS!"


    And thus...The World was dyed Blue. n released the most powerful Dragon breath he could!


    He released it right at the Face of The Marquis. His powerful Astral Mana reigned Supreme!


    *SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!*


    It destroyed the portal in its entirety! The beam was sorge it continued to dig into the earth!


    The Astral mana hidden within it messed with the portal and distinguished it! The Portal, the Rupture which had required so many sacrifices...was gone!


    [The descent of the Marquis has been stopped.]


    The Breath diminished itself. The burned hands and horns of the Marquis dropped onto the ground...and so did n.


    His jaw was gone...His breath was that powerful...!


    [Congrattions on havingpleted the quest!


    The highest contributions are:


    1:n Pator.


    2:Elijah Ardor


    3:Kazikato Shimoshino


    4:Sabrina Wellington.


    5:Henry Fornum


    6:Lucas Hiddleston...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [Rewards will be given ordingly to your contribution.]


    [Congrattions on having repelled the Marquis.]


    The barrier surrounding the City fell...and n basked in the golden rays of the sunlight.


    He couldn''t hear anything...His lower body was all gone, and His heart was barely inside him. Barely beating...an unimaginable amount of blood had been shed by him.


    "..."


    he could barely keep his eyes open. He didnt have the power of the Pheonix with him to heal him...


    But...They had won,.


    The Marquis was gone.


    Even though his jaw was gone, n smiled a little. His eyes showed it.


    He couldn''t see the system prompts...nor could he even hear anything.


    He just closed his eyes....in peace.

 Chapter 303 [303] Victorious.

    "Our...Dream..."


    The Buffalo muttered its death throes. Muttering the same words every guildmaster believed in.


    Elijah unsheathed his sword, He looked at the System notifications.


    [Warning: The Marquis Is descending!]


    He had been looking at this for a while.


    "We''ve...lost."


    "Noo...."


    The others were in disarray.


    Elijah ignored them all and went to the dead Buffalo.


    He gently closed his eyes and muttered.


    "Your dream was great...But your methods to attain it were wrong."


    He was praying for the viin...how heroic of him.


    "I pray that you find peace."


    Elijah had killed this one painlessly. The golden Lion was struck in his own horrid delusion. That angered Elijah.


    "Eli! What do we do?!"


    ine rushed to him.


    Elijah looked at her with a smile before sitting down on the ground.


    "We wait."


    He said calmly.


    The others went into hysteria.


    "What?!"


    "We just wait to die?!''


    "Eli! We have to go support n!"


    ine begged.


    "Maybe if you go, we can stand a chance!"


    "There''s no need to go."


    Elijah denied it. He knew who was there. There was absolutely no need to go when he was there.


    Absolutely none.


    "Are you kidding?! We are all gon-"


    ine was interrupted by a system notification.


    [The Marquis has been repelled.]


    [Rewards will be distributed ordingly to contribution.]


    "See?"


    Elijah smiled as he basked in the rays of the Sun. The barrier isting Aror disappeared and now, the Sun shined once again in the City.


    "I told you, We don''t need to go!"


    He got up and smiled as he saw the various members of the Association cheering.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri reminds you about Henry.]


    "..!"


    ''Oh fuck!''


    hepletely forgot about Henry, who was unconscious and probably dying.


    He hurried over to the unconscious Henry forum, the poor boy had been forgotten by everyone.


    "Henry!"


    Elijah checked Henry''s Vitals.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says he will be okay.]


    "Phew..."


    Elijah was grateful that Henry hadn''t suffered any serious Injuries.


    "I''ll take him from here."


    "...!"


    A sudden voice from behind rmed Elijah.


    *THUMP*


    He felt danger, his heart thumped.


    He quickly unsheathed the Sword Of Sundering hellfire and attacked whoever was behind him.


    However...Ezra stopped the Sword of Sundering Hellfire with just a single finger.


    "...Ezra?"


    Elijah questioned. Henry''s elder brother had appeared.


    "I''ll take Henry from here."


    "...Yeahh...sure."


    Elijah backed away once he confirmed it actually was Ezra. Ezra picked Henry up and quickly disappeared with a gust of wind.


    "..."


    Elijah vividly remembered the feeling of his attack being stopped by a single finger and thought...


    ''He''s gotten even stronger...''


    That growth rate was even more monstrous than n''s!


    ******


    Lucas retracted his chain de from the Fox''s neck. Laura''s neck.


    "...our....dream..."


    "Shut the Fuck up."


    He retracted all his chain des from her body, the golden fur had now been dyed red with blood.


    Lucas''s size decreased and the lightning around his body disappeared.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''Tch...Wasn''t able to go full out.''


    He touched his chest. That feeling was gone now. The feeling of heat in his body, an unknown excitement.


    "Sigh..."


    He sighed as he sat down on the ground.


    "Woooo..."


    ire had died long ago, She had died trying to stop the Massive Spear of Darkness that Sabrina had unleashed.


    That spear had destroyed everything in its path. ire didnt even stand a chance to block it.


    Lucas gulped as he looked at Sabrina, sitting down amongst the rubble, gasping for breath.


    ''Note to self, Don''t mess with her. ''


    First, the threat was n, Now She herself was a force to be reckoned with.


    "Young Master."


    "?!"


    Suddenly, Lucas heard the voice of His Butler.


    "Alfred?"


    He called, And his Butler appeared in front of him.


    "The patriarch has called you back to the Main estate.


    ''...father did?''


    That obnoxious man who didnt give a damn about his own children called him?


    "Pleasee back urgently with me."


    "..."


    ''He must''ve been waiting outside the istion barrier all this time...''


    He thought.


    "Fine."


    Lucas agreed and left.


    The matter this time was far toorge. This was understandable .


    The Same thing was happening to Sabrina.


    "hahh...Cough!"


    She coughed up blood as she gasped for breath.


    "Please Drink this Young Lady."


    Suddenly, three men dressed in all ck appeared around her. Their clothes bore the Wellington crest.


    The man closest to her gave her a Supreme Grade Potion, he also showed her the specially-made crest of the Wellington family.


    Sabrina knew who these men were, the special unit under the Patriarch, her grandfather.


    "Young Lady, May I enquire about the location of your bodyguard?"


    The man asked respectfully.


    "Where do you think? He stopped all this."


    "Understood."


    "The Patriarch is calling you back to the Main estate."


    "..."


    Upon hearing the Man, she frowned.


    But she knew she could not go against her Grandfather''s orders.


    "Have you prepared an Escort?"


    "Yes, Mydy."


    "Let''s depart then."


    No rest. That was how serious the situation was.


    ''...I hope your okay, n.''


    She wished to see him, but she knew she couldn''t with her Grandfather''s special unit around.


    ********


    [At the center, White Tiger District Altar Area.]


    Richard arrived in almost an instant the moment the Barrier was lifted. He was prepared to fight an entire Marquis To save the Twilight Guild members...but what he saw was an even more horrific sight.


    He almost vomited when he saw n, barely clinging to life.


    "Shit!"


    He approached n and Poured potion after potion on him, All of the Supreme Grade(Humanly). n was...How was he alive?


    Richard wondered as he saw n''s state....this was just nearly impossible.


    He dismissed the scales and other inhuman parts on n and focused solely on healing him.


    [GET EVERY HEALER HERE NOW!]


    He yelled into his inte. Ordering his staff to bring every healer they had here, to n.


    [But...Sir th-]


    [Leave the lower-ranking ones and bring the highest ones now! Along with the all potions above High tier!]


    he yelled.


    The most important one right now was n.


    Richard kept pouring potion after potion but the lingering chaos energy severely diminished the effects.


    Lights began to surround the Area as the reporters and other guilds stepped in to see what was going on.


    Richard ignored them all and focused on healing n.


    soon enough, The Healers arrived and each one of them was focused solely on n.


    This sight was being broadcasted everywhere in the World, The helicopter and other aircraft above belonging to various news agencies made sure of that.


    Today, the descent of a marquis was prevented by some teenagers...How about that?

 Chapter 304 [304] Victory, But At A Cost.

    Note: I apologize for not being able to upload yesterday. the weather here was pretty bad and I had caught the flu as well a fever. I apologize if there was any inconvenience.


    Thank you for your time.


    ***********


    "The Attack on Aror city has sessfully been repelled by the Twilight guild sessfully, It is suspected that the Beast guilds had a secret rtionship with the Obelisk. They had Chimera as well as various demonic artifacts. The members of the beast guilds captured do not have any recollection of their memories and most are in aatose state so it will be hard to extract further information."


    The news anchor exined. He continued.


    "The most shocking thing is that a group of teenagers, yes...You heard me correctly. Teenagers yed the most vital role in repelling the invasion of the Marquis. First-year top 10 students yed a vital role in stopping the invasion. These Students were ine Parker, From the Titan guild, The daughter of the association head himself, Henry Fornum, the younger brother of Ezra Fornum, The heiress of the Wellington group, Lucas Hiddleston, Elijah Ardor, the second-ranked in Shield and n Pator, The rank number 1."


    "They, along with the other minor guilds and Twilight guild forces stationed in Aror were sessful in preventing a tragedy...although it was not without loss. A total of fourteen thousand five hundred and eighty-three casualties...and about 30,000 thousand civilians severely injured by chaos energy and still under treatment. The infrastructure has also been destroyed and there are talks f rebuilding the city but...given its previous record as well there are doubts Aror will be repaired."


    "May we talk more in detail about the invasion? About the brave heroes


    The co-anchor asked.


    "Yes, very much so. We have been informed that different teams had been formed to take care of the Chaos beacons collecting souls for the Marquis''s descent. Twilight had done most of the work, taking three beacons, including the main one. Whilst the Association had cleared the remaining two. Elijah Ardor had taken care of the Guildmasters of the BEast guilds enhanced with the power of Chaos and mysterious bloodlines singlehandedly...Which is a remarkable achievement. Considering their strength."


    "How about n Pator?"


    The Co-Anchor asked the most important question. About n Pator. The star of th world currently.


    "...Yes. n Pator''s achievements are nothing short of Legendary. Not only did he singlehandedly take care of most of the Chimera, but each was also extremely strong to be a dungeon boss...He had also singlehandedly taken care of the Guildmaster of the white Tiger guild, Adam White, whose strength was greater than the other guildmaster''sbined...But he also fought against a Marquis who was descending...and repelled him."


    Thosest words were uttered with a sense of disbelief. Even though he had heard of the news...he still refused to believe it. Even whilst rying the news... he was shocked.


    A 17-year-old boy had repelled something that was a continental threat.


    A 17-year-old boy.


    "But Hasn''t n Pator suffered serious injuries?"


    The Co-Anchor asked. Indeed. This was the one thing that made the story somewhat believable.


    The footage changed to the scene of a Panicking Richard and about a Dozen healers all huddled around one body.


    n Pator''s body.


    [Repel the Chaos energy in the surroundings first.]


    [If we do that he''s dead!]


    [Shit! Just do everything you can!]


    "As you can see, the elite Healers of the Twilight guild are struggling to hear n Pator. However...given his injuries...it is quite understandable...The Co-anchor will exin the extent of n Pator''s injuries..."


    He pushed the task of exining n''s Injuries to his co-anchor. But it couldn''t be helped...He had to do his all to stop the vomiting up when he saw n.


    "...Yes..."


    The Co-host hesitated for a while before finally mustering up the courage to read the report in front of her.


    "...He...All of his ribs had shattered, and the fragments pierced into his organs and caused internal bleeding. His legs werepletely gone, and the hip bones were also cracked. The spine had also suffered severe damage, especially the lower and upper backs. Furthermore, His...His...heart was dangling outside of his body, barely beating. It is assumed that was an old injury and n Pator...somehow fought like that. His lower jaw was gone, and there were severe burns on his face. His organs were also all failing. His lungs had been ripped apart by the bone fragments...his liver was pierced by a broken rib, the other organs near it had also been deformed...and his recovery is unknown. With the amount of chaos energy that was in the atmosphere as well as the chaos energy in his body...It''s...


    His life as an awakened is over...Many have said that."


    Truly...One could assume n''s life as an awakened is over...he would be lucky if he actually lived as a cripple after that.


    "Yes..."


    n was currently in Twilight''s Headquarters back in Askolt City. Not only Twilight''s but even Shield''s top healers were there...al focused on him. Richard was doing everything he could.


    But...


    "What if the Sagees?"


    "Yes...If the Sage, Mister Oliveres personally to heal him then it might be possible."


    "But that is a big if..."


    "Let''s not forget that n is the Frost Queen, Elena''s Student. Elena is a student of the Sage...so it is not farfetched to say that."


    "Yes, We can hope then."


    They changed the topic, From n to Kazikato.


    "Regarding the rising trump of Twilight, Kazikato Shimoshino. He had a bloodline! aplete one as well just like the beast guildmasters. Most importantly it seems to be of a very strong beast. ording to witness testimonies, arge eastern dragon made of bone was seen dominating the skies.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Yes...It also seems that..." The News continued.


    **********


    [The Lost


    A being hidden...no made of pure pitch ck darkness opened its eyes...


    Its menacing, purple eyes radiated so much power that evens would turn to dust in mere seconds.


    The Abyss itself...had awoken from its slumber.


    [hollow]


    [hollow]


    It uttered those words again and again...it could feel it.


    The vessel was hollow...Aranus''s body was hollow. It didnt have the same... feel of being full as before.


    [...what is happening? Is the Jade Snake taunting me?]


    How funny, the very embodiment of Evil was scared. Of the bastard James, The Jade Snake.


    However...he still checked it.


    The Conscious used his immense power to open a portal only he could see to the body of Aranus...His precious vessel.


    And when he did...a hidden rage erupted around him.


    [Who dared...to wreak such havoc on my vessel?]


    [Jade snake...you have no eye for value.]


    [To think you would let such a treasure like that vessel be so damaged...You disgust me.]


    The Abyssal conscient cursed the Jade Snake once he saw the condition n was in. He still was unaware of n''s existence...but maybe that would change soon.


    [Aranus is asleep...]


    He was connected to Aranus, Aranus was his treasure...he could feel that Aranus was in deep sleep.


    [One obstacle gone.]


    The obstacle known as Aranus''s soul and will was gone...although it could barely put up a fight...It still didn''t like interruptions.


    [It appears to be empty...and why is James taking a different appearance?]


    It did not remember that look, that white hair, those tattoos... it was very different from the look of a mask and golden hair that James always wore...


    Slowly...it approached it. The one beside Aranus''s body didnt notice him...Even if they did they would be able to do nothing.


    *Sssss*


    Then it came to a sudden halt.


    it heard the sound a snake...The Jade snake.


    [Is...he ying a trick on me?]


    [A trap?]


    He thought...but no one could Predict James...The sly bastard was a monster. No one could fathom what lengths he would go too. there was one time he evenid waste to a gxy...


    [...Time is on my side...you vile legless lizard.]


    It retreated...Jame''s was just too much of a variable.


    He could hear the hissing of a snake the moment he got near n.


    And because he knew James...he didnt take any risk.


    The consciousness of the Abyss, the literal manifestation of evil retreated.  and n was saved by James.


    For now...

 Chapter 305 [305] Recovery.

    "How is his condition?"


    Richard asked Vanessa Greenfield¡ªthe greatest healer in Shield.


    He had been anxious for quite a while, n was the most outstanding prospect of his guild and he didnt want to lose him.


    Vanessa, sipping on a cup of tea sighed and said.


    "I can''t do it."


    "..!"


    Richard showed a surprised reaction upon hearing the news.


    Vanessa Greenfield...THE Vanessa Greenfield couldn''t...do it?... She couldn''t heal n.


    "...shit."


    Cursed Richard. The best healers in Twilight couldn''t, The highest-grade potions they could get couldn''t...and not even Vanessa could heal him.


    "I could do it if..."


    Hearing her words, Richard gained a sense of hope...But it was futile.


    "The Chaos energy inside him is just too much. It''s stopping the liquid from working and even my skills can''t do much."


    She looked at n''s body in the Vat. His heart was barely being kept inside his body by the healing liquid, fortunately, though, He was alive. The blood had been stopped and his legs had be stumps.


    "The attacks he was hit by wereposed of such pure chaos energy that he honestly shouldn''t be alive right now. I don''t know what it is but he''s alive... The chaotic energy within him is enough to kill several Hundred awakened but he''s taking it easy. That vitality and endurance of his is really something."


    Richard became Silent upon hearing Vanessa''s words. He clenched his fists as tightly as he could.


    ''So there''s no way to he-''


    His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door to the Room opening.


    "I''ve contacted Master. He will be arriving soon."


    Elena Frost entered the room, Her entrance alone lowered the temperature of the room. It was evident she was mad. Mad that her disciple was in such a state.


    "Mister Oliver will being? Wasn''t he on serious business in the Demonic Continent?"


    Asked Richard. The previous time he had met the Sage, he had gone to the Demonic Continent.


    "Yes, I told him about everything that had happened. He said he will be arriving as quickly as he can."


    Exined Elena.


    "If it''s the Sage, he can definitely get rid of the sea of Chaos energy inside n."


    Said Vanessa. Indeed, if Master Oliver came personally, n would be healed quickly. He could still be saved.


    "Thank the gods...I should go and prepare for his Arrival then. Said Richard before leaving the room.


    Elena stayed in the room for a while. She gazed at n''s pathetic state with worry.


    She cherished him, he was extremely talented and also her first student. He was the only one who was worthy enough to be the Forst Queen''s disciple. He was just that good.


    It pained her to see him, Someone of his talent be reduced to a state. He could copy magic skills the moment he saw them with pure mana control.


    "sigh..."


    But in the end, she could do nothing but wait for her Master toe here and personally heal n. Only he could do it now.


    "You can go do what you want. I need to do some more checks on him anyway."


    She listened to Vanessa and left. Although she still did tell her to take care of him.


    "Take care of him. He''s my disciple so I would appreciate it if y-"


    "Yeah, Yeah I know, just go already."


    "..."


    Vanessa was always like this, but Elena knew she kept her word. Because of that, she could trust her with n.


    After Elena had left, Vanessa pulled out a Tablet and scanned n''s Vital.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    His vitals were akin to those in a Coma. Yet...The Chaos Energy meter was still as high as ever.


    "You should be dead...But here you are still alive."


    It was intriguing. The sheer amount of Chaos Energy inside n was enough to kill several hundred awakened after all, it was surprising he was alive.


    "How are you still so fine...even with all of that inside you?"


    She pondered as she performed more checks.


    The Chaos Energy inside n should have been ravaging his insides apart...it should be actively trying to kill him but...it was dormant.


    It wasn''t doing anything. Unlike all previously recorded cases.


    "Do you maybe have an affinity to the element of Chaos? Something you hid?"


    She muttered. Little did she know what she just as a passing sentence was true.


    n had a SUPREME-rated affinity for the Chaos Element...And He was also in the body of the one most suited for Chaos.


    Aranus, the Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction.


    That body, despite its current state, was still his. It belonged to the strongest being ever. The Strongest demon.


    Because it originally had chaos as the only and true element...Its potential was very limited.


    "All his other vitals are good, It''s still weird why the chaos energy isn''t doing anything but disrupting our healing attempts...."


    It belonged to a Marquis, after all, Maybe it had some unique properties?


    She had never sealed with something like this, so maybe it was true.


    "Oh..."


    Vanessa sensed the presence of Mister Oliver, His immense mana permeated throughout the entire Twilight Guilds headquarters.  The Sage had arrived quicker than expected.


    "Those damned reporters would be swarming the building now..."


    She shrugged.


    "Oh well, I just need to wait for Mister Oliver to do what he needs to do."


    She couldn''t help even if she wanted to. Oliver was just that good.


    *******


    The Swordsaint stared at the purple sky in silence.


    Behind him, Alexander and Olivia were still fighting hordes of demons.


    "That idiot."


    He muttered, referring to n.


    He stared at the purple lightning dancing in the clouds with anger.


    "To think they would go after my disciple...Have those fucking idiots forgotten me?"


    He wondered, Had the demons forgotten about him?


    He was the Sword Saint, He was the Demon yer, he was the one who yed Demon Dukes!


    Had they forgotten about him...How sad.


    He looked at Alex and Olivia onest time. Those two were still struggling with the mere demonic beast horde. It only consisted of about a few thousand beasts.


    Arken''s eyes glowed golden, and the sound of a thunderbolt was heard as the few thousand demonic beasts exploded, literally.


    He didnt even move.


    "Rest you two, Oliver is going to be bringing n and Lucas here, Rest so you can greet them.


    As for me, I''ll be back in a while."


    His figure disappeared like a sh of lightning...leaving the confused Alex and Olivia behind.

 Chapter 306 [306] Sage.

    "It''s quite serious."


    Olivermented when he looked at n''s body.


    The sheer amount of Chaos energy present In n was shocking. It was as if there was an entire sea of it.


    [Chaos is dormant within him.]


    An Owl on his shouldermented This owl was his spirit.


    "What do you mean?"


    [The power of Chaos lies dormant within him, Deeper than even the power of the Marquis...Stronger as well.]


    "..."


    Oliver stood shocked. The others left the Hospital room earlier.


    Oliver stood there in a daze, gazing at n''s mangled body.


    "n has an affinity to Chaos?"


    He asked. In his heart he wanted that to not be true.


    He wished for it deeply, to not be true. to be False.


    But his Owl was even wiser than him...


    [Yes, he possesses a strong Affinity for the element of Chaos. Otherwise, the chaotic energy within him would be akin to a savage sea of storms. But it is Tranquil.]


    "..."


    The oue he did not want had just been dered.


    [But he has not used it, He has abstained.]


    However, a dim light of hope still shone.


    [n Pator has refused to use the affinity of Chaos he was gifted with. The calmness of the Chaos within him proves it. If he had used it, even once it would not be obstructing our efforts to heal him. It is still unfamiliar with his soul, but familiar with his body.]


    "Thank God..."


    Oliver sighed. He was relieved.


    [It takes quite a lot of self-control. An immense amount even.]


    "What do you mean?"


    [n Pator''s affinity for Chaos is several times greater than his affinity for the Elements of Ice and Spacebined. Much Greater.]


    [Even despite this, He still didnt use it at all and still got so far at such a young age.]


    Argenti said.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Ice, Lanesha, And the King of Chaos dragons, Suleras.]


    Argenti muttered the name of Lanesha and Suleras, the Supreme dragons that had blessed by.


    [The Queen Of the Artic, Lanesha herself, And the Unknown Dragon King.]


    "Unknown Dragon king?"


    Oliver asked, this was the first time he had heard of the Unknown Dragon King. He knew of the existence of Lanesha, The queen of frost but this was the first time he was hearing about Suleras and this Unknown Dragon King.


    [That is just one of the Titles of the Supreme Dragon of Chaos, Suleras. It was given to him because of his immense strength. Among the Supreme Dragons, Only he is equal to the Supreme Dragon of Fate and Light, Aloaris, The current king of Dragons. But he is a king without a Kingdom, no subjects. This is why the Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras is also known as the Lone King, The Only Chaos dragon not to be tempted by the element of Chaos. The one ''Sane'' Chaos Dragon.]


    "..."


    Such an existence existed?


    ''Then why has he himself not gotten rid of the chaos within n?''


    [Because thews of casualty forbid it]


    Argenti said. It was as if he read his partner''s mind.


    [Earth is far too weak. If the Supreme Dragons exerted their influence here...This would be blown to smithereens. Even if they only exerted a fraction.]


    Oliver was amazed. The scope of the Supreme dragons was much muchrger than anticipated.


    They were beings who ruled entire gxies...even beyond. It was supposed to be expected.


    "Well...let''s get into healing thisd."


    Oliverughed, as his magic activated. Everyone in the Twilight headquarters felt it. The sheer power of one of the Golden Trio. The Sage Oliver Olsfer.


    ***********


    I can''t see anything, I can''t hear anything...I can''t feel anything.


    It''s dark...Am I Dead?


    I asked myself.


    So this is death?.. Empty as fuck.


    Eternal darkness for me to rot in. How amusing...hah.


    But even here, I still asked myself.


    ''Is my Sister okay? Is the city ok? How about my grandparents?''


    ...Now that I''m gone who would take care of them?


    ''Richard...''


    Yeah, he''s a good man. He won''t abandon them.


    ''IS the Marquis gone? Was he defeated?''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    I don''t know, After I fired my breath I don''t remember anything.


    The extent of my injuries was maybe too severe. My entire lower body had been sted to bits and my heart was literally dangling outside my body. And my jaw had also been blown off by my own breath attack. Maybe I pushed myself a little hard this time.


    It made sense that I was dead.


    ''I don''t wanna die.''


    In the end...I still didnt want to die. I wanted to live. I wanted to live.


    I wanted to live.


    I wanna see Samantha and Sabrina again.


    I wanna train again.


    I don''t want to die like this.


    I need to cure Samantha, I need to tell Sabrina I actually like her, I wanna live with my grandparents, I wanna train with Master again.


    Somehow, the regrets had piled up just now.


    When it was just me, In this endless darkness.


    When It was just me...and only me.


    "Kek..."


    Why Am Iughing at this? I wonder. Has Jame''s twisted personality mixed with me?


    "Haha...maybe it fucking has."


    Fuck You, James.   I cursed that son of a bitch.


    Fuck you, James.


    Again, It''s fun kek.


    Oh well...


    In the end, I epted it after cursing him for about 10 minutes.


    I guess I will just rot here. In this eternal darkness.


    that was what I thought.


    But the next thing I saw was an Old but wise face. A face with a well-trimmed beard!


    Oh, It''s Headmaster Oliver.


    "Yo,"


    I said.


    Wait why the fuck did I say that?


    *******


    [In the room]


    "Pfft."


    Oliver let out a chuckle, thest thing he expected was a "Yp" From a man who literally just escaped the clutches of Death.


    "Are you still under Anesthesia?"


    "I don''t know."


    Maybe n was, Seeing as how he calmly woke up and had a carefree but dumb look on his face.


    Oliverughed, whilst Argenti was dumbfounded.


    [Two Supreme Dragons blessed him?]


    "Haha..."


    Oliver was not given any rest by both Argenti or n. The two continued to make himugh without rest.


    "Haa...Are you alright?''


    Oliver asked n. He was healing Healing n for two days straight.


    "I think so."


    n stated after he took a look at his body,pletely healed without even any scars.


    "Good..."


    Suddenly, the Atmosphere got serious.


    Oliver stood up and took out special items, A Ne and a bracelet from his spatial storage.


    He made n wear them both before saying in a Serious voice.


    "n, Your efforts have beenmendable so far."


    His voice...was odd. It was like he was making a request.


    "Please, refrain from using the element of Chaos."


    n''s face turned serious as soon as he heard that.


    ''Shit.''


    He thought.

 Chapter 307 [307] Call Of The Sword Saint.

    "It''s ok, I won''t do anything to you."


    Oliver said, calming n down.


    n had gotten flustered the moment he found out that his secret was revealed.


    [The power of Chaos is still dormant within you. Be careful]


    He heard the voice of Argenti in his head. Only when he heard the voice did he find out about the existence of the Silver Feathered Owl on Headmaster Oliver''s shoulder.


    "...What do you mean?"


    n asked, not quite sure of what the Owl was implying.


    [The Power of Chaos could not be removed. It is now rooted within your body.]


    "I wasn''t able to get it out no matter how hard I tried. It clung onto you like a lover."


    "..."


    Oliverughed upon seeing n''s reaction to his joke.


    "I am serious. The Chaos energy wouldn''t leave me no matter how hard I tried. I wasn''t even able to extract a tiny amount."


    "..."


    ''Makes sense...this is Aranus''s body after all.''


    The body of the Dragon of Oblivion and Extinction, Aranus. The Master of Chaos.


    It madeplete sense.


    "...Will it do anything to me?"


    n asked. Would the Chaos energy inside him do anything to him...? Will it...attract the Conciense of the Abyss?


    [Supreme Dragon of Suleras say''s someone prevented that. You can rest assured.]


    "No, the chaos inside you ispletely under your control now, which is astonishing."


    n''s questions only increased when he heard Suleras and Oliver.


    "The Chaos energy inside you was supposed to be the Marquis''s but...It has cut all ties with the Marquis and now belongspletely to you.


    It''s astonishing really. Your affinity for Chaos surpasses even that of the Marquis.


    [It is expected, he is blessed by the Supreme Dragon of Chaos.]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras feels proud.]


    "..."


    n sighed.


    Heid down on his bed and thought.


    ''I''m tired...''


    "Tired?"


    Oliver asked. It was as if he knew what n was thinking. Well, it wasn''t really that great of a mystery anyways looking at n.


    "How''s everything else? How about the city? The others?"


    n asked, He wondered what happened after he fell unconscious.


    "Many things, from what I heard, Aror ispletely destroyed, and due to its history, there are talks to abandon the area. Sabrina and Lucas have been called back to the Main estates of the Wellingtons and Hiddleston. The entire Media is after you. The top three guilds are busy as hell since their members were involved in this. Basically, it''s just chaos."


    Oliver exined the current situation of the World.


    "Well, there is good news too, Shield''s reputation increased because the ones who yed a. major role in preventing the disaster were the top 10. Great job, I''ll raise your failing grades."


    Oliver joked heartily.


    "sigh..."


    ny down on his bed and closed his eyes.


    "Why are you resting? Arken called for you."


    n opened his eyes once again at Headmaster Oliver''s words. He asked, confused.


    "Master Arken? but why?"


    "Who knows what goes on in that idiot''s head? He asked me to bring Lucas and you immediately to the Demon continent to train. considering Lucas''s situation it''ll have to wait a while. I''ll go transport you there soon."


    "..."


    n sighed and closed his eyes once again. there was silence in the room.


    [Something is wrong with him.]


    Argenti informed Oliver through telepathy.


    ''I know. It''s visible.''


    Oliver knew it as well. Something was wrong with n.


    "What''s wrong, n?"


    He asked. It was better to ask directly than jump to conclusions.


    n opened his eyes but stayed Silent. Argenti and Oliver stared at him. There was a moment of silence until n broke it.


    "It was dark."


    He said.


    Now it made sense to him. There was nothing there...was it?


    Only now, when he was fully awake had the realitye.


    He had nearly died...No he had died.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    That eternal darkness, that emptiness, that...helplessness.


    "It was dark."


    He repeated. Had he developed PTSD? (post-traumatic stress disorder)


    Maybe the experience was just...too much for him.


    "It was dark huh?"


    Said Oliver. Now he knew what was wrong.


    It was understandable. n was literally at death''s door.


    " It was dark, I couldn''t see anything, I couldn''t hear anything...There was nothing.


    Nothing except darkness where I could do nothing but rot."


    n''s eyes were lifeless. Oliver and Argenti could do nothing but just stare at him, helplessly.


    "Don''t imagine it again."


    Said Oliver.


    "That darkness wille back multiple times, maybe in reality or dreams."


    Maybe Oliver was making sense? n didn''t know.


    "That darkness wille to haunt you again and again...It will never leave you until you yourself triumph over it.


    Oliver knew n wasn''t understanding his words. He was just listening.


    But this was all he could do.


    "I''ll leave you alone for now. Meet your grandparents and other people. I''ve stayed here too long.


    Get some rest."


    Oliver stood up and left. Argenti disappeared into a whiff of silver smoke.


    "Thanks."


    n said to Oliver as he was leaving. Oliver stopped for a second before answering.


    "Thank Elena instead, she was practically begging me."


    He left the room.


    *********


    [Two dayster. At the Rooftop of Twilight''s Headquarters.]


    Standing on top of the Helipad, Oliver patiently waited for n toe.


    [He''s gone through a lot for his age.]


    Argentimented. He was now ten timesrger than his previous size.


    "..."


    Oliver stayed Silent. He just stared at the skies, deep in thought.


    The door to the roof opened and n came, alone.


    ''Alone?''


    Oliver questioned it in his mind but thought he should not ask.


    "I''m ready to depart."


    Said n, Seeming calm as ever.


    "Have you said your goodbyes?"


    "Yes."


    n answered, Oliver nodded before instructing him.


    "Great, get on Argenti. You''ll be flying with him."


    n looked at Argenti, who was muchrger now than before.


    "What about you headmaster?"


    Asked n. The moment he said that he remembered... He just asked a stupid question.


    "I''ll just fly together with you two. Get On now."


    n looked at Argenti for a while before thinking.


    ''It''s gonna be ufortable...''


    He didnt like the aspect of riding on Argenti''s back. especially when he could...


    "Can I just fly with you?"


    "Hmm?"


    Oliver showed confusion upon hearing n''s words. However, that confusion turned into awe when he saw white scales appear on some parts of n''s body along with tworge, bat-like wings.


    Oliver observed those wings of n with amazement. Then he came up with a great idea.


    "Want to Race?"


    he asked. He should raise n''s spirits up.


    "Sure."


    Smiled n. And he then got into position.

 Chapter 308 [308] The Demonic Continent.

    Three figures streaked across the sky at astonishing speeds. They parted the clouds and the air shook at their pace.


    "Haha! Is this your fastest speed n?"


    Oliver boisterously asked. He was in the lead, with n just behind him and Argenti leisurely following behind.


    n was struggling to keep up with the Sage Oliver Olsfer. He was imbuing his wings with mana and using every bit of his strength to keep up.


    He was pping his wings like a madman.


    "No!"


    n yelled, Smiling.


    A surge of mana escaped n and shocked Oliver and Argenti. n''s cyan Mana of Frost enveloped the surrounding and n Stopped as a Cyan light of absolute zero temperature covered him.


    "Hmmm?"


    Oliver stopped just above the sea, he to see what was happening. Surely, n must be doing something great.


    [Get ready.]


    Argenti warned. And Just then the Cyan light disappeared.


    "...!"


    Oliver barely saw a white figure streak past him, the sea below him turned to ice in moments when the Figure flew by...But in Moments the frost also broke apart by his sheer speed.


    n had entered the race with his full Ice Draconian Mode!


    "Haha! This Is actually fun!"


    Oliverughed as he increased his speed to catch up with n, who was far away now.


    Argenti sighed as he followed behind Oliver, leisurely going at a slow pace.


    "You can do quite a lot of interesting things, n!"


    Oliver was now neck and neck with n. He marveled at n''s draconian features andplimented n using Mana to amplify his voice.


    How else would n hear him at this speed?


    They both causedrge waves in the sea as they flew across. Oliver ascended a bit But n still remained low, his gaze fixed ahead.


    The frost energy he was releasing was powerful enough to freeze the ocean below him, but his speed was so great it broke that ice in moments.


    [Those two are going full at it.]


    Argentimented from behind, increasing his speed so both of them would be in his sights.


    n and Oliver both had smiles on their faces as they felt the wind sh against their bodies.


    Truly, it was an otherworldly experience!


    [How fast are they intending to go?]


    Argenti questioned, now shocked.


    n had now ascended and was just beside Oliver, pping his wings with full power.


    His figure was leaving a cold mist behind him, And Oliver wasughing as he enjoyed this moment to the fullest.


    Argenti was too fast for him, If Argenti and He raced Argenti would always win...but now with n being close to him in speed he was actually having fun.


    He was originally nning on going slow to make sure n''s spirits would rise but this was amazing! He was actually having fun flying with his Max Speed.


    n was fully focused on what was ahead of him, but he had to admit it. He was smiling.


    "Let''s speed up a bit more shall we?"


    Oliverughed as he sped up more. Leaving n behind slowly but surely.


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha encourages you to go faster!]


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras tells you not to lose!]


    Even the Supreme Dragons were having fun in this race.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    ''I know!''


    n thought as he gained even more speed.


    [You should take it easy, not many canpete with Oliver in flight young draconian.]


    Argenti appeared beside him and said.


    "Haha! This isn''t even 100%!"


    n simplyughed as he used his excellent control over mana to break the sound barrier.


    He used the mana in the surroundings and his own mana to propel him forward like Boosters!


    Now, he could simply teleport but where was the fun in that?


    This was a race!


    [His mana control is exceptional for his age...]


    Argenti praised from behind.


    "Oh! He''s actually getting closer!" Oliver could sense the immense amount of mana behind him, which was n''s doing.


    "Haha....this is fun."


    He said as he sped up more. Fully Enjoying this feeling.


    It was thrilling...It was exhrating. He had not gone like this in quite a while.


    ''Thank you, n, even Im having fun.''


    He thanked n in his mind as he nned to enjoy this race to its full extent!


    ********


    [Near the Demonic continent.]


    Both n And Oliver slowed down upon getting close to the Demonic continent...


    n gazed at the ck Sea below him, Corrupted by Chaos Energy.


    "You see that? Numerous monsters stay below that ck water, waiting for anyone stupid enough toe close"


    [They are quite dangerous because the environment favors them. Be careful]


    Argenti and Oliver wanted n. n gazed at the sea below him and he didnt even need to use Dragon Eyes to see the beasts hiding within it. Ready to pounce on any suspecting pray that got too close.


    "Get close to me."


    Said Oliver, n Followed his instructions. Oliver conjured up a barrier that covered the group.


    n studied the barrier, amazed.


    ''It''s a pration type, Not a defensive one.''


    He thought. Most BArriers were used for defense but this one was for offense. Or one could rather say that it was for stealth.


    A barrier constructed by using less mana in such an intricate way that it would prate the barrier surrounding the Demonic Continent.


    n slowed down as he gazed at the Demonic Continent before him.


    He could feel the waves of Chaos energy waft over him, it surrounded the area and was quite dense.


    The skies changed to purple clouds in which lightning bolts danced restlessly...and n finally gazed at it.


    He gazed at its corruptednd, devoid of life and everything nice. There was no sign of life near it. None at all. It was Deste, Filled with nothing but bloodthirsty beasts ready to strike.


    This was formerly Australia, a thriving continent...but now it had been reduced to this deste ce.


    It truly did live up to its name. To its infamy... n gulped and thought whilst gazing at thend below him...


    ''So this is it...''


    [?????? ?????????????? ?????????????????.]

 Chapter 309 [309] Terra Damnum.

    Chapter 309 [309] Terra Damnum.


    The Demon guednd.


    Once and known for its breathtakingndscapes and vibrant biodiversity, Australia now stands as a haunting testament to the destructive power of chaos and demonic energy. In this twisted reality, thend that was once filled with life now teems with the unholy presence of demons, their malevolence permeating every inch of the desecrated territory.


    The new Australia rechristened Terra Damnum, is an eerie and foreboding manifestation of both physical and metaphysical perdition. The once golden sandy beaches now lie obscured beneath a thick, sickly ck mist, infused with swirling demonic energy. The waves that oncepped calmly upon the shores have been possessed, crashing ceaselessly with an otherworldly fury that echoes the demons'' wrath.


    The skies, once a canvas of vivid blues and wispy clouds, have surrendered to the taint of chaos. An ominous crimson hue nkets the heavens, casting an unsettling glow upon the destendscape below. Ashen remnants of what were once magnificent cities nowy in ruin, their crumbling structures a stark testament to the insidious power of the demons that infest thend.


    Terra Damnum''s flora, once diverse and abundant, has been twisted into grotesque and hostile forms. Trees bear gnarled, twisted limbs covered in poisonous thorns. Once colorful flowers and delicate orchids have transformed into venomous, carnivorous predators that ensnare unsuspecting creatures. Even the once arid deserts now teem with sentient sand dunes, shifting ominously and engulfing anything that dares to cross their path.


    Life, as it once flourished, is now scarce and tainted. The Demonic energy changed even th peaceful life here. The native wildlife has been warped by the demonic influence, mutating into grotesque aberrations that roam the forbiddingndscape. Kangaroos stand as hulking monstrosities with razor-sharp ws, their blood-red eyes fixated on their prey. Emus now tower over thend, donning sharp beaks and elongated serrated feathers. Even the humble typus has transformed into a venomous creature, its spurs now dripping with demonic envenomation. Every animal that once lived here peacefully was now an abhorrent abomination.


    The air itself carries a palpable malevolence. Whispers of forgotten incantations strung together by the cacophony of dementedughter and anguished screams reverberate through the barrennd. Dark portals, formed by the convergence of demonic energies, sporadically appear, allowing friends from theherworld to stride forth, perpetuating the cycle of chaos and suffering.


    The Demonic Continent, also known as Terra Damnum(Demon guednd)...was once such a beautiful continent.


    But now...None of that beauty remained. All of it was reced by twisted evil.


    ********


    "Do you see it?"


    Oliver asked n as they flew over the skies of the Demonic Continent.


    "...yes."


    Muttered n in response. The Chaos energy here was thick, very thick.


    "This is why we are fighting so hard. Keep this in mind, n.


    Never trust a demon, no matter what."


    The only thing done by doing such a thing was death, or a fate even worse than that.


    Wasn''t the beast alliance the perfect example?


    Adam White was once such a pious man, But he had been manipted by a demon. And what happened to him next was something n knew well.


    Aranus as well...had suffered. Aranus.


    "Yes, Headmaster."


    He dered firmly, keeping his experiences with people who had fallen to a demon''s charm dear.


    He would not forget them.


    "Good."


    [The artifacts that have been given to you will prevent such a thing...But nothing is certain Young dragon.]


    Argenti''s words caught n''s attention.


    [It will all be up to you. You are the one that must control your own self.]


    n paid close attention to Argenti''s words.


    He used his Dragon eyes to check the item description once again.


    [Name: Bracelet of Purity.]


    [Rank: S]


    [Description: A bracelet made with the hopes and tears of the pure heart. Made from their hopes and prayers, to protect themselves from corruption and to keep them pure. It was made by the countless efforts of those who had fallen so that they could protect their young, and maybe save themselves. It is a set item to the Ne of the Pure. The Bracelet''s effects are doubled when worn together with the ne of Pure.


    The bracelet provides immense protection from the power of Chaos, darkness, and corruption. It protects the user from mental attacks and maniption from Demons and other such chaotic beings.]


    [Name: Ne of the Pure.]


    [Rank: S]


    [Description: A ne made with the hopes and tears of the Pure heart. Made from their hopes and prayers to protect themselves from corruption and to keep them pure. It was made by the countless efforts of those who had fallen so that they could protect their young and maybe even save themselves. It is a set item to the Bracelet of Purity, doubled when worn together with the bracelet of purity.


    The Ne provides immense protection from the power of Chaos, darkness, and corruption. It protects the user from mental attacks and maniption from Demons, devils, and other chaotic beings and dark beings.]


    n marveled at the item description. He had not checked the item Descriptions since he got them. His mind had just been too upied...But then he noticed something.


    His headaches and other things were gone. His mind felt...calm?


    Yes, it had been calmtely. His fear of that darkness was gone and he was happy.


    He didnt notice it at first but the Bracelet''s effects were working.


    "Look there, n."


    Oliver pointed to a mountain where n could see a muscr figure with white hair and yellow eyes standing.


    "Master..."


    n could see the figure waving to them as they got closer. n could also see Alex and Olivia...and also a puppy?


    What?


    What was that puppy doing there?


    ''...I guess I''ll ask when wend.''


    *******


    [Something ising.]


    Festul said to Alex. Alex wasying down on the ground and got up after hearing Festul.


    His aura was different. It waspletely different from the yful boy he was...Now it was wild.


    It was like the boy was gone and a wild beast had reced him.


    "Yeah, Master said n ising. He''s my friend who is also a student of the Sword Saint."


    [Your friend is not Human.]


    "What?"


    [A dragon ising, a young one but still a dragon nheless.]


    "What are you talking about?"


    [You will see when hees.]


    Alex gazed at the three figures that were approaching them...and his eyes widened.


    The three figuresnded on the mountain and Alex saw Headmaster Oliver, His spirit Owl.


    And a fucking Lizardmen with wings?


    [Draconian form.]


    "Oh..."


    Festul informed Alex. Bow he was aware of what he was seeing.


    "Thats n?"


    He asked... Questioning himself.


    But his question''s were soon answered when The Draconian transformed into his friend, n Pator.


    ''That''s n.''


    He thought, after staying in this continent. He just prepared himself for any weird thing he saw...He had seen many weird things here...


    While Alex was epting what he was seeing, Festul activated his powers and thought in his mind.


    [Now...let''s see what kind of dragon he is.]


    He thought, his eyes glowing gold.

 Chapter 310 [310] Terra Damnun[2]

    Chapter 310 [310] Terra Damnun[2]


    [Festul POV]


    ''Let me see what type of dragon this is...''


    I thought as I used my powers to pry deep into the soul of the young dragon.


    His Draconian form was quite intriguing, the power he emitted however was quite weak for a dragon, even a young one.


    It intrigued me. Especially after I heard all the praise Alex gave him.


    Apparently, he was the one who injured that monster of a human known as the Sword Saint.


    I want to know more about him.


    Show me, everything about you.


    I used my power but the moment I gazed at him...


    ''What is this darkness?''


    I wondered.


    ''Deste, Depraved...nothing.''


    This darkness is strange. Is this what the young dragon holds within him? Was he a dragon of Death? His previous form did not suggest he was.


    To think he was hiding this darkness within him, It seems his life has not been easy.


    [There is not much to see...]


    *Ss...*


    My guard raised as I heard the hiss of a snake in this darkness.


    Lightning shed around my figure and I called out.


    [Who goes there?]


    I was wrong, this darkness was hiding something.


    [So he was a snake? I need to warn Alex about him.]


    A person''s unconsciousness always hid their hidden desires, their true self. I was wrong about this n Pator. He was no good man, he didnt deserve Alex''s Praise.


    [Jumping to conclusions are we?]


    I heard a voice. The Voice of the Snake.


    ''What?''


    I''m shaking? My fur has stood up? Goosebumps...I am getting goosebumps.


    Impossible. I am a Supreme being.


    [You don''t look like a Supreme Being...Oh Festul, Monarch of Storms...or should I address you as a puppy now?]


    I saw two hideous, evil jade pupils in this eternal darkness.


    They glowed menacingly.


    [You dare?]


    [Yeah.]


    ...


    Who is this? This is not n Pator.


    [Finally, figured it out? Looks like you still have some supreme left in you.]


    The snake mocked me.


    [To hear that from a legless lizard...How hrious.]


    I growled back. Does this darn bastard dare to mock me? I admit I am weak now but my dignity as a Supreme being and monarch still remains.


    [What use is pride not backed up by power? Isn''t it just arrogance and stupidity then?]


    *Sss...*


    This snake is vile and deceptive. And cunning...He knows what I''m thinking.


    [What is your identity?]


    Even though I could only see it''s eyes...I could feel it smiling menacingly.


    [The Jade Snake. It shouldn''t ring a bell to a dead supreme like you.]


    [...]


    I was left speechless.


    That name did not ring a bell at all...


    [Kekeke...it shouldn''t.]


    He''s getting in my head.


    My head is hurting. Why am I experiencing a headache?


    I see scenes of mass destruction. Worlds destroyed in the blink of an eye...


    Uh...


    My head hurts.


    [What did you do to me you legless lizard.]


    Itughed back.


    [Nothing, Just casualty filling up holes.]


    [...what?]


    I see scenes of a man dressed in vile ck armor and holding a spear of Chaos turning worlds to dust...turning entire systems to ash...


    Ugh...Supreme Beings fall at a single movement of his spear...UGH!


    [Enjoying it?]


    {khhh....}


    I growled back. What Illusions is this bastard showing me?


    [I''m not doing anything...]


    *Sss....*


    I can feel it slithering around my body...Constricting it.


    who is that man? Who possesses such fearsome strength?


    His ck hair and abyssal eyes...are frightening.


    The snake is right next to me now.


    [Enjoying it?]


    He repeated in my ear...Its tongue releases a mesmerizing sound.


    [Look up above.]


    With those words, he disappeared. The Snake disappeared and the surroundings disappeared.


    I was now in the middle of a ruined city. Even though the structures were destroyed one could still see the magnificent city this one once was.


    ...wait.


    This city...I know this city.


    *RUMBLE*


    The dead bodies of dragons...Elves...dwarves and other races...


    This is...the Dragonic Capital...The Imprable...


    This must be an Illusion! Dragondor can never fall! It is the capital of the DRAGONS!


    Even our capital, the Capital of Godbeasts, Godspine cannotpare to it...


    This is an illusion!


    I thought...But then I saw something which made my entire body shiver with fear.


    Up in the ck skies...was A ck Dragon unlike any other. Its long body swimming in the dark clouds was...massive. Those abyssal scales seemed to draw all light and hope within them...devouring each and everyst trace.


    ''I can''t move...''


    Another Dragon fell from the skies, Half its body gone...


    ''Aloaris....impossible.''


    That was the king of dragons...No one is his match...Impossible.


    I am not even a candle to Aloaris...but that mighty dragon fell just like that?


    thing.


    The ck Dragon is unscathed...Don''t tell me.


    Thebined forces of Dragondor were unable to even injure that thing.


    Suddenly...My entire body felt an enormous amount of pressure.


    Ah...It''s focused on me now...


    "...Gulp..."


    I''m afraid...I''m scared...Just by its gaze?


    Its massive body started to descend...the power of chaos surrounding it.


    Can I do nothing but wait for my demise? As it descends upon me?


    "No."


    Is this a final bravado of mine? I...I know I can''t do anything...No.


    I am A supreme being. I have my dignity.


    Even with my trembling body, I yelled.


    "Come!"


    The Winds assaulted the mighty dragon descending upon me, I gathered the power of thunder around me and unleashed it all upon that vile dragon.


    I know this will not do anything...But I still cling to hope.


    Do something. Please.


    Do Something...Please/


    Please...


    The power of lightning unleashed itself on the ck dragon, right on it''s face...And then there was silence.


    Amidst the dust...I spoke warily.


    "...did it work?"


    And just As I had rxed...The dragon''s deadly maw appeared before me, several timesrger than even me...


    My eyes widened in fear as I was about to be devoured and then...Just then.


    "Festul, You okay?"


    I heard Alex''s voice..and I was back.


    I could see the entire group...even him staring at me.


    [Yes...I was just dozing off.]


    I lied. To hide my fear.


    As I looked at that boy...I wondered...


    Just who...no What was that ck Dragon?


    Was it...him?

 Chapter 311 [311] Dragon Vs Wolf.

    ''That dog is looking at me weirdly.''


    I thought. Did I do something to it perhaps or do dogs just act like this when someone new appears?


    "I think your dog hates me."


    I said to Alex, Who looked at me whilst sighing.


    "It''s not my dog...It''s my Bloodline Spirit."


    "A What?''


    I asked him, confused.


    What the heck is a Bloodline spirit?


    "Umm...The beast whose bloodline I have."


    "What?"


    Why didn''t I get that? Where''s my phoenix bloodline spirit?


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says that the reason is due to different Bloodline transfers.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha says you are just special.]


    What?


    I don''t understand. How can bloodline Transfers be different?


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras exined that your bloodline was handed to you by the essence of the dead phoenix he had in. Whilst Alex was given his bloodline personally by his Beast on its deathbed.]


    "..."


    I guess I understood it after Suleras Exined. It did make sense.


    "That''s right, You didn''t have one when you got your bloodline."


    Suddenly, the Sword Saint''s mutterings caught everyone''s attention.


    ''Oh yeah...Master was there when I got my bloodline.''


    He remembered the scene of him popping out nude from the Pheonix egg, and his master was there. watching and protecting him.


    "n You have a bloodline?"


    Oliver asked. his voice tinged with excitement.


    "Yes...Of the Pheonix."


    I told him. He should know this though. He was treating me.


    I showed him the bloodline mark of the phoenix.


    He should have also seen the Dragon and Snake on my back and left arm respectively.


    "I just thought it was a tattoo along with the dragon and snake one. I didnt feel any bloodline energy from it..."


    Oliver examined the bloodline mark of the phoenix on my right arm.


    ''Of course, you won''t feel any bloodline energy...''


    I thought. The other two tattoos aren''t bloodlines but marks of James and Aranus.


    Whilst the Pheonix bloodline is being focused on Samantha...It makes sense Headmaster Oliver would just think they were tattoos.


    "Dragon and Snake?"


    Arken questioned.


    "Yeah, He has a Snake Tattoo and a ck dragon tattoo on his back as well. I didn''t feel anything from them as well..."


    Festul''s eyes widened upon hearing Snake and ck Dragon but he remained quiet.


    [The power of the Pheonix is the only bloodline, However, it is being focused somewhere else...]


    Argenti said. I looked down at the ground with a disheartened gaze...thinking of Samantha. My little sister is still suffering but I can''t do anything.


    "Ah..."


    Oliver, seeing my expression figured out where th Bloodline Power of the Pheonix was being used. Arken noticed it too. That something was wrong.


    "Let''s stop, Arken Didn''t you call him to train him?"


    Headmaster Oliver changed the topic quickly. I thanked him in my head.


    "Yeah, I did. We''ve wasted too much time."


    Arken followed when he realized the atmosphere was wrong.


    ''Tell me what''s wrongter.''


    He said to Oliver telepathically. Oliver nodded back.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    " I must leave now. I need to take care of some business and also bring Lucas here."


    Said Oliver as he began preparing to leave.


    "Wait, headmaster."


    I stopped him. Why is there a need to go back and take a while when I can just teleport him there?


    "I can teleport you to your office in Shield."


    I said to him. It''s fast and efficient.


    "Oh right, I forgot you could do that."


    I opened up a portal to his office back in Shield. I had visited that office many times so I could teleport him there.


    "Quite a Convenient ability you have."


    Complimented Headmaster Oliver as he left.


    ''Why didn''t we have that...''


    Olivia thought as she saw the portal... She was remembering the experience they had when they came here...


    She had a good ride. Her Grandfather doted on her so He went Slowly and she was riding on Argenti but Alex...suffered.


    Sword Saint Arken had dragged him along by the cor. Master Arken had run the entire way, his speed was so great he had no problems running on water. Alex had been traumatized when they reached the ck sea. Master Arken skillfully dodged the beasts that tried to attack But poor Alex was left traumatized and extremely sick.


    She still remembered his white-as-snow face and the amount of vomit that left him.


    Poor guy didnt get a break.


    "Now that Oliver''s gone. We should begin training."


    Said Arken. He pped his hands to get everyone''s attention.


    "What Kind Of training?"


    n asked. And Arken smiled as he looked at Alex.


    "What do you think? Alex and you are going to have a duel."


    I smiled as I Heard his words.


    I could feel it too, Alexander''s aura had changed greatly. I was itching to fight with him too.


    *******


    [Be careful Alexander.]


    Festul Warned Alexander. He had be extremely Wary of n. Furthermore, thews of Casualty were stopping him from speaking of what he saw.


    "I know."


    Alexanderughed as he drew the Twin des of Tempest and Thunder.


    n simply took a stance with his fists. Alexander pointed the de of Tempest at n said sternly.


    "Take it out."


    n was confused. What did Alex mean by that?


    "Take out the Ame No Sakahoko. I want you to fight at your full strength."


    "..."


    n was left speechless. He honestly didn''t think Alex could handle him at his full power, And just using the Ame No Sakahoko was not his full power.


    "I don''t think you will be able to han-"


    n stopped in the middle of his sentence. Alexander released his Aura.


    ''Damn...''


    thought n as he stared at Alexander, who now had the Aura of a Wild wolf.


    The Shy and weak-looking boy was gone.


    n took out the Ame no Sakahoko from his inventory and Arken''s eyes widened. Arken smiled as he stared at his two Disciples ready to duke it out.


    n also released his Mana. It took the shape of a Dragon and shed with Alexander''s Aura.


    Olivia and Arken enjoyed the Wind pressure that was being released from the sh of the Aura Wolf and Mana Dragon.


    Arken smiled as he saw Both n and Alex prepare themselves.


    "Begin."


    He said, and the duel began.

 Chapter 312 [312] Dragon Vs Wolf.

    [n''s Pov.]


    I''m excited.


    I''m expectant.


    As I Gazed at Alexander, I wondered.


    Just what kind of training did he go to be like ''that''


    Alexander Wright was a shy boy, yes he was stronger than most Shield Cadets but his weak personality and other traits didnt make him seem strong. He stayed quiet most of the time.


    But now? That was gone.


    That shy and cowardly gaze was now a fierce and determined gaze.


    That quiet personality was now something fierce,


    *Thump!*Thump!*


    Is my heart excited for this?


    Each cell of My body is...I can''t wait to fight him.


    I wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko and prepared myself. I was expectant.


    Please give me a good fight Alex!


    "Begin!"


    With the Sword Saint''s shout. The duel had begun.


    My mana dragon and his Aura Wolf disappeared as soon as the duel began.


    I thrusted with the Ame-No-Sakahoko, intending to create immense Air Pressure with my strength to mess with Alexander''s Bnce. I knew how dangerous his speed was.


    I enhanced my optical nerves with mana just in case. Using Dragon eyes would strain me too much. I can''t afford to be burdened.


    But I guess I had underestimated Alexander far too much.


    As soon as I Had trusted the Ame-no-Sakahoko...he disappeared.


    *SHWING*


    With the sound of iron cutting air and flesh, dozens of deep cuts appeared on my body instantly.


    The enormous wind pressure from my thrust did nothing to stop him.


    My enhanced optical nerves did nothing to detect him.


    He...He...


    ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????????.


    My blood rained down like a shower. Alexander, who was behind me immediately started his next attack.


    But he wouldn''t be so lucky this time. I instantly turned around and Blocked his twin des with the Ame-no-Sakahok-


    His Aura shed with my Mana.


    "Quite Fast! Aren''t we?"


    I pushed him back and thrusted forward. Alexander jumped high up andnded on the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    I fired an Ice Spike asrge as a human to get rid of him. I was in his range, but he was not in mine.


    Alexander swiftly dodged the ice spike and ran in circles around me.


    My eyes scanned his movements, And I found his weakness.


    I shed at him with my spear, He barely blocked my spear with his twin des. I didn''t give him time to rest as I Kicked him immediately afterward, sending him flying.


    I chased his figure, And My spear and his swords shed, each collision leaving a st of Aura and Mana behind.


    ''This is fun!''


    I thought. It truly was!


    I dodged a lightning bolt fired by that ck de of his and thrusted forward once again. It was quite challenging to fight his twin swords with my single spear.


    "Damn, And here I thought I got stronger!"


    Alexanderughed as we dueled.


    "You did!"


    I yelled as I stabbed the Ame-no-Sakahoko into the ground. I unleashed a st of mana into the ground to destroy it. So I could destroy his footing.


    What good is his speed if he can''t find stable footing to use it?!


    *RUMBLE*


    But to my shock, It didn''t affect him.


    I blocked his swords. He smiled as he stared right at me.


    "Doesn''t work on me."


    I smiled back.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Does this work?"


    I said as I froze the entire ground. Imbuing extra frost mana so that it would be more slippery.


    [Grease[E] has been casted]


    I cast another spell Miss Elena taught me just in case. I covered my soles with Ice Spikes so my bnce wouldn''t be affected and Threw Alex Away.


    Just As I expected. This worked. He was slipping.


    I approached him andunched a flurry of attacks at him when he was about to stab his swords into the ground and destroy the ice.


    "Did you seriously think I would let you do that?!"


    *CLANG*CLANG*


    "Not really!"


    He replied. The Struggle was evident on his face!


    "They are doing good."


    Arken muttered from the sidelines. Enjoying the duel. Olivia remained silent behind him, carefully observing the duel. And Maybe praying for Alex to win.


    "Shit! Take this then!"


    Suddenly, A burst of lightning was unleashed right at n''s Face and Alexander used that to run away, gaining some distance.


    Bursts of Lightning surrounded Alexander as the color of his changed and silver fur appeared on his foreman, chest, crust, and some of his face. He also grew two Wolf ears and a tail.


    "huh?"


    I stood still. Waiting for him toplete his transformation. I wanted to see what he could do now with his bloodline.


    As soon as he was done I charged at him. Dodging the silver lightning imbued with his unique mana type.


    Although, Even His [Null] mana would do nothing to stop me.


    "Come On Alex! Is that all you got?!"


    "Nope!"


    "Huh?"


    I was thrown aback by his response. And then Literally thrown back by his flurry of attacks. Wind And Lightning shed against the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    His white de carried the power of the Wind while his ck one carried the power of lightning. Each attack carried a powerful force of the respective elements.


    "Argh!"


    The ck de got by my defenses and cut deep into my abdomen. The power of lightning unleashed itself in my body but I repelled it with the power of frost.


    Alexander''s face contorted when he found out that his attack didn''t work.


    I unleashed a Burst of mana and sent Him flying. I fired off two Ice Spikes but he coated his des with the power of his [Null] Attribute and then dispelled my attacks.


    Both he and I stared at each other with a smile.


    "Wrap this you two!"


    I heard Master Arken say.


    Wrap this up huh? Sure.


    "Sure."


    He said. His eyes glowed silver. There was an unknown confidence in his voice.


    He smiled, and I smiled back.


    "n."


    I activated my dragon eyes. I could predict where this was going. The same trick wouldn''t work on me twice!


    "Let me show you true speed!"


    He said, As his figure disappeared. I could already feel the immense Aura he was using. But this time was different. I could see him now. With The help of My Dragon eyes, I could see himing. His des wield the immense power of wind and lighting.


    Just as his des were going to hit me...I teleported behind him.


    "Huh?"


    Those were hisst words. I mmed his side with the shaft of the Ame-No-Sakahoko. Sending him flying, unconscious.


    "n wins."


    Sword Saint Arken announced as he got up.


    "Olivia go treat Alexander. And n."


    I looked at him when he said my name. I wanted to enjoy my victory but Master''s wordse first.


    "Come with me."


    Although confused, I followed him.

 Chapter 313 [313] Training.

    I followed the Sword Saint until we reached an empty ground.


    Except for maybe dead bushes, there was nothing here, just the corruptednd below me.


    "Do you have an Idea of the Demonic Continent now?"


    "Pardon?"


    Confused, I said.


    "So you don''t."


    Master''s words confused me. Just what is he asking?


    I have a general idea of what the Demonic Continent is like...But it can''t be that simple.


    Master wouldn''t have asked me such a simple question.


    "You don''t get it to do you...sigh."


    Is he disappointed? What Am I supposed to say here?


    It makes sense I''m confused. This is the first time I''ve been here and although yes the Demonic Continent is dangerous...but Master Arken is with me.


    With him here, nothing will touch us.


    So what am I supposed to answer with?


    "n, do you see the ground?"


    He said, as he bent down and dug up the dirt with his hands.


    "Feel it."


    I followed his instructions and grasped the Dirt below...


    "..?"


    Nothing? No texture? No smell? No...nothing?


    "It''s all dead. This entire continent is dead."


    Master Arken exined.


    "Alexander and Olivia had trouble adjusting to the corruption here..."


    "But you''re perfectly fine. That''s good."


    Is heplimenting me or questioning me? I wonder.


    "But don''t let your guard down n. Corruption will alwayse. It will attack you when you least expect it."


    "Always be ready."


    His words rang in my mind.


    Always be ready...


    Always be ready...


    Master, Oh How I wish I could tell you how I am always ready. I have a bastard that constantly annoys me and is ready to manipte me. He always makes me be prepared for things like this.


    Speaking of him...his actions are weird.


    He''s gonepletely silent. I haven''t heard anything from him. This is weird.


    very Weird. No Nightmares to haunt me, No headaches...No nothing to weaken my mental fortitude.


    Oh well, Let''s just leave it.


    Wai-


    "Do you know what youck n?"


    Master''s words caught my attention. I questioned in my mind but failed toe up with a suitable answer.


    What AM am Icking?


    Maybe Rank? I haven''t focused on increasing my rank for quite a while now.


    "My rank?"


    I answered. But I was wrong.


    "No, for your age your rank is excellent. And besides your far stronger than what your rank entails."


    He exined as he dropped the dirt he had in his hand.


    "Take out the Ame-No-Sakahoko."


    I did as he instructed. Master Arken held his hand out.


    I gave him the Ame-No-Sakahoko. Master Arken held it for a while and looked at it with a sorrowful gaze. It was the weapon of his old colleague and Brother In Arms after all.


    "It chose you."


    He said.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Yes."


    I confirmed. The legendary spear, Ame-No-Sakahoko had chosen me, not the other''s far stronger and worthier than me.


    It had chosen me, despite the strength of the others.


    "Do you know what that means?"


    He asked. As he gazed at me. His eyes pierced through me. I felt like I could not hide anything from his profound gaze.


    "...No."


    But I didnt know why. I didnt know why the Ame-No-Sakahoko had chosen me. I knew it was not because of my strength. It did not choose me because of my potential...then why?


    "Because you are simr to Hiroto Himself."


    ..?


    I am simr to the Legendary Spear Saint. How so?


    "Hiroto was just like you, He was cold, collected...But most importantly he had a heart."


    "A heart which wanted to help. And wanted to be ''helped''."


    ....


    His exnation was truly spot on. Thetter part of it. I don''t know about the former though.


    "Hiroto...wasplex, he was cold at first. He didn''t hesitate to kill those who hurt him or others he cared for...but he had a heart. He could be the coldest person or the Kindest person.


    He had a character that I failed to understand...but he was caring. He cared for those under his protection and truly fought for Humanity. He had a deep hatred for the demons.


    But he was conflicted...Sometimes he wondered what his true purpose was..."


    I listened to him quietly. I wanted to know what the Legendary Spear Saint was like.


    So he was that kind of person huh...


    "The Ame-no-sakahoko chose him when he was at his lowest. When he was...bad. When his heart was filled with evil I guess you could say?"


    It seemed like he was questioning his own words.


    "The spear of righteousness chose the spear saint when he was evil?"


    I asked. When you took in the name of the spear and the fact that it was a weapon with a soul that could choose its master...why?


    ''Maybe because it saw the righteousness in


    "It was because he saw the righteousness in his heart."


    The sword saintpleted my thoughts.


    "It saw that in you as well. But..."


    The sword saint stopped in the middle of his sentence, he pointed the Tip of the Ame-No-Sakahoko at my heart and continued.


    "You don''t know how to use it."


    ...I beg your pardon?


    I don''t know how to use the Spear.


    "Yes. You don''t know the Ame-No-Sakahoko."


    ...?


    I was confused.


    "But I''ve read the description and know how to urately use the move set?"


    "n. The importance of the weapon is not always in the effects in the Description."


    He said. I thought about his words...The importance of the weapon is not hidden in the description. Doesn''t the description say everything about the weapon?


    "You have yet to hear the Soul of the Ame-No-Sakahoko."


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras agrees.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha Agrees.]


    And now even those two are agreeing with him.


    "I''ve asked Oliver to give you a leave until the end of the Year, until the Tournament between the academies at the Capitol."


    His aura increased. I could hear the rumbling of thunder in the skies...


    Master gave me the Ame-No-Sakahoko and said.


    "I''m going to increase your proficiency with the Heavenly Spear art until you can hear the voice of the Ame-No-Sakahoko. Until the end of the year..."


    I felt shivers run down my spine.


    "???? ???????????????? ?????? ????????."


    And with that my training began.

 Chapter 314 [314] Patriarch.

    In a spacious Hallway adorned with historical art pieces and other items of immense worth that could feed entire cities for weeks, Sabrina walked wearing a beautiful ornate ck dress. The dress exuded an Air of mesmerizing opulence and sophistication. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, it awakened a sense of awe and Admiration. Its sleek silhouette clung to Sabrina''s body and entuated her feminine features. Its ck garment was like a starless night sky, possessing a lustrous sheen. Ornate patterns made with gold thread covered the dress, and the Wellington crest seemed to have been made with real gold. The luster was like such. Swirling motifs ofce adorn the edges of the dresses, reminiscent of Gothic tapestry.


    The dress boasts a high neckline, adorned with intricate beading or a cascading cor of ethereal ck feathers, adding a touch of dramatic ir. Along the bodice, the embellishments converge, forming an intricate symphony of shimmering crystals, pearls, or sequins, catching the light in a captivating disy. Each carefully-ced gem, like stars in an endless night, contributes to the dress''s aura of enchantment.


    And the one who wore such an ornate dress was Sabrina herself. Her obsidian-ck hair was even darker than the garment itself. Her beauty was truly the pride of the Wellington family. She was their pride, their holy jewel.


    But this holy Jewel of Wellington had ck circles under her eyes. Her gait was also irregr¡­it was as if she was tired as if she hadn''t slept for quite a while.


    She was back, in the home she hated and loved at the same time.


    As she walked across the dark hallway, illuminated only a little by the rays of the sun from outside¡­She felt uneasy. She approached closer to the windows and saw thends of the Wellingtons that stretched far, far beyond what her eyes could see. Even if she enhanced her optic nerves. Theirnd would never end.


    That was their wealth. The Wealth of the Richest Family.


    Finally, as she walked along the dreaded hallway, She reached the end. A  Massive door stood before her, made of the strongest material on Earth. Not even S-ranks could scratch it.


    She stood outside silently, and waited. She knew the Man behind that door was aware of her presence. The Patriarch of the Wellington Family was no joke.


    He was one of the strongest Humans Of all time.


    The Door opened as a creak resounded.


    Creak.


    Sabrina walked inside, and her Amethyst Eyes met with the eyes of the Patriarch. Her Grandfather.


    Hugo Wellington.


    ***************


    Hugo Wellington, It was unknown how old he was, maybe he was even older than Sage Oliver. He had been the Patriarch for a long time. A very long time. He was one of the top 10 strongest humans that had ever lived. That was her grandfather.


    Sabrina greeted her grandfather with a bow and proper noble etiquette.


    "I greet the patriarch of the Wellingtons, Sir Hugo Wellington."


    Her voice was mellow, it was naturally pleasant to the ears.


    "It''s been a long time, Sabrina."


    In contrast, the voice of the Patriarch was rough.


    "Take a seat, I''ve prepared the finest tea for your return."


    "It is my pleasure."


    Sabrina took a seat in front of him and watched him pour the tea for her."


    "Are you well?"


    He asked, worried. Hugo saw the ck circles on her face and was worried for his granddaughter who he had not seen for quite a while.


    "I¡­just have trouble sleeping."


    Answered Sabrina. She has been having trouble sleeping since the incident.


    "Is it because of the Aror Incident?"


    "Yes¡­"


    Hugo''s tone became serious.


    "Are you having nightmares?"


    He asked. It was prettymon for someone who experienced traumatic events to have nightmares. It was verymon. Hugo wondered if his dear Granddaughter suffered from PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Sabrina remained silent. And Hugo''s brows furrowed.


    "Go to the treasury and take Any artifact that will help prevent those nightmares. Immediately after."


    He ordered. Sabrina just nodded. She was having trouble sleeping¡­but it wasn''t because of nightmares. It was something else.


    Sensing Sabrina''s difort. Hugo changed the topic.


    "How is Shield? Has that old geezer changed?"


    He asked. Obviously referring to Oliver using ''Old Geezer.''


    ''Grandfather is older than sir Oliver¡­''


    Of course, She wouldn''t say these words out loud.


    She didn''t want to upset her grandfather.


    "It''s a lovely ce. I''ve made many friends there as well. And Sir Oliver is also the same. He doesn''t meet with us Students that much.


    "That''s great."


    Hugo smiled. He was happy Sabrina was opening up to more people.


    "How about that bodyguard of yours? Is he satisfactory?"


    He asked.  His voice became stern. He truly wanted to hear what Sabrina thought about her bodyguard. If she expressed even oneint he was ready to cut off all ties with Twilight. The happiness of his granddaughter was just worth that much to him.


    Out of all the Wellington children, he cherished her the most.


    "He''s fantastic."


    Sabrinaplimented n with a smile.


    "If it wasn''t for him, I would already be dead by the hands of the marquis. He was the sole reason the marquis was stopped."


    "Hmm¡­"


    Hugo noticed the smile On Sabrina''s face when she talked about him. It was suspicious.


    "It seems he does his job well. For you to praise him that much for it."


    "Yes, he does."


    Sabrina took a sip of the exquisite tea. It was truly marvelous. It seemed to have been brewed with special tea leaves, she could feel her heart pumping and the mana in her body bing excited. Her mana was having an Odd reaction to the Tea.


    "You can leave now, go get some rest. I have business to attend to."


    "Yes."


    She could sense why her grandfather dismissed her recently. He looked at the door before dismissing her¡­so there was probably someone of importance there.


    "Yes, Thank you for your time, Patriarch."


    She bade farewell and left.


    Ah¡­so it was him.


    She thought when she saw who the Man at the Door was, Someone who she once adored but now loathed. He was probably here to talk about business with her Grandfather.


    Her Uncle, James Wellington. A fellow user of Darkness

 Chapter 315 [315] Blank.

    A/N: Suggest me a title for the chapter...I don''t know what to name it.


    "She has grown a lot."


    The man who entered the room of the Patriarchmented. He was wearing a full ck business suit with a red tie, His hair was abyssal ck and his eyes seemed lifeless.


    He took the seat Sabrina sat on previously and ced his briefcase on the table before asking.


    "No tea for me Father?"


    This man was James Wellington, The second son of Hugo Wellington, The younger brother of Sabrina''s father and also her uncle. And a fellow user of the dark element as well.


    ".."


    Hugo Silently poured his son another cup of tea.


    "Sabrina sure has grown splendidly."


    Hemented once again. He hadn''t received a response after all.


    "Yes, she has."


    Hugo smiled as he said. But this smile was only on the outside. Hugo was having mixed thoughts.


    ''What does he want?''


    "I want to inform you of the deal about the spatial rings."


    It was as if he had read Hugo''s mind. James took a sip of his tea, relishing the exquisite taste.


    "Maragur Tea Leaves, each costing one hundred thousand studs. Quite expensive."


    Hemented as his tongue figured out the tea leaves used in making the tea.


    "Nothing to us though, isn''t it?"


    Hugo smiled. James responded absentmindedly.


    "Yes, nothing to our wealth."


    Hugo stopped smiling and asked him about the details of the deal.


    "The Spatial rings are blowing up. We don''t have enough stock to keep up. Only a few were made, and Twilight isn''t sending any more. The one known as Maxwell is quite talented. And annoying."


    "Ho?"


    Hugo was amused. This emotionless son of his called someone annoying and talented? This was my first. This was amusing¡­


    "Yes, act surprised all you want. But that bastard sure knows business."


    Said James, Maxwell was truly one of a kind. To have dealt with this monster.


    "Twilight will be unable to produce more Spatial rings because the manufacturer n Pator is recovering from his injuries. And is out to train as well. Sir Oliver himself escorted him to this ''training ground''."


    "How many do we have in stock?"


    "67."


    "That''s low¡­"


    "Yes, It was quite a hassle convincing our customer''s to wait more. I had to cancel a lot of pre orders as well."


    James exined emotionlessly. It seemed as if he was unable to express any emotion at all.


    He seemed to be husk but not at the same time.


    "Leave this discussion."


    Hugo ordered. And Poured themselves another cup of tea.


    James nodded and changed the topic.


    "What about Micheal?"


    He asked. Hugo''s expression contorted when he heard Jame''s utter the name of Sabrina''s father.


    "Wouldn''t you be d nothing happened?"


    Hugo cooked. His voice contained a hint of hostility.


    "Hardly, I would appreciate it if he came back. I am not the gifted leader he is. The only thing I''m good at is Business."


    "Sigh¡­"


    A sigh escaped Hugo''s mouth. What was he even getting angry over here?


    He knew Jame''s actually would prefer if Micheal came back. He had no interest in leading the family after all. However, he was devoted to the Family¡­just his devotion was twisted.


    Anything for the family. Anything.


    That was his motto. He would do anything so that the family would prosper.


    He was always like this, Hugo adored both of his sons¡­if only¡­if only¡­


    He paid more attention.


    "Don''t."


    "..."


    Jame''s words silenced Hugo.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Don''t me yourself. I enjoy this."


    Hugo wanted tough at his words. The power of Darkness around James''s was thick.


    "Do you really?"


    Hugo questioned. He knew the answer but still he questioned.


    "Do you really enjoy it? Being aware of what you have done?"


    "It was all for the family."


    James argued back lifelessly. Completing his tea.


    "..."


    Hugo remained silent. James stood up and began to leave.


    "Excuse me Father, I have business to attend to."


    As he was leaving, Hugo ordered him.


    "Sabrina''s birthday ising up. Make Ample preparations."


    James turned around and bowed.


    "Yes, I will make it my utmost duty that the Jewel of Wellington has a luxurious birthday."


    He opened the door with his own strength, using the power of Darkness to aid him. He was the only one in the entire estate who could do it alongside Hugo.


    "Do you really regret nothing?"


    Hugo''s heavy voice resounded, and Jame''s turned back once again.


    "You have asked me this question every time Father."


    The door started to close. And just as it was about to close¡­Jame''s said.


    "No. I do not regret anything."


    It is for the family.


    The door closed before Jame''s could finish his words, But Hugo knew what he was going to say. He had said this many times before. And his senile old mind still asked that question every time.


    "Sigh¡­"


    Hugo rested his head on his chair andmented at himself.


    He was such an optimistic, joyful young man¡­until he used that element.


    Chaos was not the only element capable of corruption.


    ***********


    [Inside Sabrina''s room.]


    Sabrina gazed at a lustrous crystal Orb with tired eyes.


    That was the reward forpleting the Quest, her contribution.


    She checked the orbs'' status. She was busy all this time and never had the chance to do so.


    [tem Name: Essence Infused Mana Orb (Rarity: S+)


    Description: The Essence Infused Mana Orb is an item that exudes an ethereal glow, pulsating with raw arcane energy. This orb is a concentrated reservoir of mana, the lifeblood of magic, radiating immense power within its mesmerizing core. Crafted by the most skilled enchanters of the ancient realms, this legendary artifact holds the potential to transform an ordinary adventurer into a formidable force to be reckoned with.


    Properties:


    Vast Mana Reserve: The orb contains an abundant quantity of mana, brimming with pure, untapped magical energy. Its capacity dwarfs that of typical mana crystals or potions, granting the wielder an extended duration of heightened magical abilities.


    Mystic Empowerment: When grasped or equipped, the Essence Infused Mana Orb channels its mana into the user, infusing them with enhanced spellcasting capabilities. This augmentation bolsters the potency, range, and effectiveness of spells, granting the caster unparalleled mastery over arcane forces.


    Regenerative Aura: The orb emits a gentle, soothing aura that gradually replenishes the wielder''s mana pool, ensuring a steady stream of magical resources during prolonged battles. This unique ability allows for persistently unleashed spells, minimizing the risk of sudden energy depletion.


    Versatile Adaptability: The Essence Infused Mana Orb adapts to its user''s magic affinity, seamlessly harmonizing with any school of magical practice. Whether one leans towards fire, water, or even necromantic powers, this unparalleled artifact amodates and enhances the user''s natural inclination, granting increased efficiency and adaptability in their chosen spells.


    Limitations:


    Expertise Requirement: Due to the orb''s immense power, it demands a certain level of mastery in magic to ess its full potential. Novice or inexperienced spellcasters may find it difficult to harness its unruly potential, resulting in chaotic or unpredictable spellcasting.


    Periodic Recharging: Despite its exceptional mana reserve, the Essence Infused Mana Orb is not an endless font of power. It requires periodic recharging through exposure to powerful mana sources, such as ancient ley lines, mystic fountains, or by means of skilled mana maniption spells.


    Heavyweight Artifact: Its potent mana concentration renders the orb slightly cumbersome, featuring a moderate weight that may affect the user''s agility or acrobatic maneuvers inbat situations. However, the power granted by wielding this legendary item tends to outweigh this slight hindrance.


    Sabrina read the description many times¡­but she was too tired to be excited. Indeed the orb was heavy but if she enhanced herself with Mana it was alright. And this artifact was also perfect for her.


    Regardless, she put it inside her Spatial ring andid down on her bed, covering her head with her pillow. Tightly.


    [Anything¡­][Orb of mysteries¡­.power.][Orb of mysteries¡­powerrr][Anything]


    [Anything¡­][dark child.][Child of Darkness¡­ept it.]


    The voices still lingered in her mind.


    [All those that use the darkness, will soon gaze into it, be encroached by it, be deceived by it. Transformed into something new.


    And be corrupted by it.]

 Chapter 316 [316] Gun Maniac, Maxwell Parker.

    Kazikato sighed as he gazed aimlessly at the ceiling.


    "I''m bored."


    He said. At the same time, the robotic sound of typing rang throughout the room.


    "Max, You aren''t bored?"


    He asked Maxwell, who was working on his desk.


    "I have too much work to do."


    "Sigh¡­"


    Kazikato sighed as he rolled around on the Sofa.


    "Why don''t you go to sleep? That''s what you do most of the time."


    Suggested Maxwell.


    "That''s what I''m saying! I love to sleep but even I don''t want to sleep anymore."


    Maxwell went back to work. Kazikato rolled off the sofa and started making nonsensical sounds.


    "Ughhhh."


    "HUUUUUU."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    It was getting on Maxwell''s nerves. He wanted to work in peace but Kazikato apparently had other ideas.


    Suddenly, Maxwell remembered something important.


    "Wait, Didn''t we get rewards from the raid?"


    They did¡­it was just that they were too busy with everything that was happening that they didn''t check. Maxwell didn''t have a contribution to the raid¡­But n and Kazikato did.


    Kazikato stood up immediately.


    "Oh yeah! We did get something! I wonder what it was."


    Maxwell stopped looking at hisputer and stared at Kazikato, curious.


    Kazikato had the third-highest contribution. He must have gotten something good from the insanely hard quest.


    [Primordial dragon of Ariel urges you to open it.]


    It seemed that even Ariel was curious.


    Kazikato essed his system and found it.


    [Quest Reward for Repelling the Marquis. Would you like to open it? After Opening the reward it will no longer be stored inside the system.


    YES/NO]


    Kazikato pressed yes, and then a glock appeared in his hand.


    "A gun?"


    "What''s this?"


    Both Maxwell and Kazikato stared at the weapon curiously.


    Kazikato opened its description and disyed it.


    [Item Name:Arcane Mana Glock


    Rank:S+<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Description: The Arcane Mana Glock is a unique and powerful firearm that seamlessly blends the arcane arts with modern weaponry. This one-of-a-kind weapon harnesses the energies of mana, empowering bullets with mystical properties. Crafted by master artisans who fused ancient magic with cutting-edge technology, this epic weapon delivers devastating firepower while channeling the raw force of mana.


    Properties:


    Mana-Infused Ammunition: The Arcane Mana Glock utilizes specialized bullets imbued with concentrated mana. When fired, these enchanted projectiles inherit the properties of the mana within, enabling them to prate magical barriers, disrupt magical defenses, and inflict substantial damage to supernatural adversaries.


    Arcane Trigger Mechanism: The weapon features a sophisticated trigger mechanism imbued with runes and enchantments. When activated, the mechanism efficiently draws upon the wielder''s mana, amplifying the bullets'' impact and velocity. This results in enhanced uracy, increased firing speed, and improved damage potential.


    Elemental Attunement: The Arcane Mana Glock can be attuned to various elemental energies, allowing the wielder to choose between fire, ice, lightning, or other elemental bullet enhancements. These infused bullets produce additional elemental damage upon contact, exploiting the elemental weaknesses of opponents and augmenting the weapon''s versatility inbat.


    Mana Absorption: The gun possesses the extraordinary ability to absorb residual mana from the environment, replenishing the wielder''s magical energies. This unique property enables the user to quickly recover spent mana during intense battles, ensuring a consistent supply for spellcasting or other magical abilities.


    Compact and Conceble: The Arcane Mana Glock retains the form factor of a traditionalpact pistol, making it easily conceble and portable. Its lightweight design and ergonomic grip ensurefortable handling and precise aiming, giving the wielder an advantage in close-quartersbat situations.


    Limitations:


    Mana Dependency: The Arcane Mana Glock relies on the user''s mana reserve to ess its magical potential. Constant firing can rapidly deplete the wielder''s mana reserves, necessitating periods of rest or ess to mana-restoring resources to maintain its effectiveness.


    Complex Maintenance: As a fusion of magic and technology, the Arcane Mana Glock requires regr and meticulous maintenance. The enchantments and mechanisms within demand skilled artisans for upkeep to ensure its reliability and peak performance.


    Short-Range Limitation: While formidable in close to medium-rangebat, the Arcane Mana Glock''s effectiveness decreases significantly at longer distances. The mana-infused bullets are affected by gravity and lose stability, making long-range uracy a challenge


    Maxwell marveled at the stats. He grabbed the gun from Kazikato''s incapable hands and observed it carefully.


    The gun had a marvelous design, his eyes were shining as he appraised it. If he had to exin it¡­it would be like.


    The Arcane Mana Glock boasts a stunning and futuristic design, fusing elements of ssic firearms with intricate magical engravings. Its sleek,pact frame is crafted from a lightweight yet durable alloy, adorned with a matte ck finish that exudes an air of sophistication and mystery. Maxwell appreciated the design greatly, especially the colorbinations. However¡­


    Upon closer inspection, the gun reveals delicate and shimmering rune engravings etched along its barrel, grip, and slide. These arcane symbols pulse gently with a soft, ethereal glow, hinting at the immense power imbued within the weapon. The runes themselves represent ancient sigils of mana maniption, a testament to the intricate craftsmanship involved in its creation.


    The grip of the weapon features a textured surface, ensuring a secure andfortable hold during intensebat encounters. It seamlessly integrates a small disy embedded into the handle, showing the current mana levels within the gun and providing the wielder with crucial information to manage their magical resources effectively.


    The muzzle of the Arcane Mana Glock presents an intricately designed mana chamber, resembling a small crystalline orb suspended in a protective housing. Within this chamber, a visible swirling vortex of mana energy can be observed, constantly shifting and pulsating in vibrant, mesmerizing hues.


    Toplement its magical nature, the weapon is adorned with entuating elements, such as metallic trims iid with iridescent gemstones. These gems refracted light, creating a captivating kaleidoscope of colors that dance along the gun''s surface when exposed to various light sources.


    As the Arcane Mana Glock is holstered or equipped, a faint aura of arcane energy surrounds the weapon, radiating a soft, pulsating glow that fluctuates in intensity with the wielder''s mana levels. This visual effect serves as both a disy of its inherent power and a warning to foes encountering its wielder in battle.


    Overall, the Arcane Mana Glock''s appearance seamlessly blends modern aesthetics with enigmatic magical symbolism, truly capturing the essence of a techno-magical masterpiece.


    "Beautiful¡­truly marvelous!"


    Maxwell was basically drooling over it. To his eyes, such a masterpiece was worth it. Of course, Kazikato wouldn''t understand. He just would not understand the beauty of such an object.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel advises you to give the weapon to the maniac drooling over it. You have no need for it anyways.]


    Kazikato followed Ariel''s suggestion.


    "You can keep it, you know. I don''t really use guns."


    "I can?"


    "..."


    Never had he seen Maxwell, the one who was stoic so excited. Never. Guess he really loved guns. He was a Gun Nut. (Someone crazy for guns.) Kazikato nodded.


    "Thanks!"


    "Oh my goodness¡­I wonder how you work¡­"


    [Primordial dragon of Death Ariel suggests you leave.]


    Kazikato slowly retreated and headed towards the door.


    "Oh, go check on Edward too, See if he''s been tamed or not."


    "Alright¡­"


    Kazikato was scared of Maxwell right now¡­He didn''t know why.


    He just quietly listened and left the room.

 Chapter 317 [317] Training, Has Begun For All.

    Two individuals were present in a room inside Twilight. The room was pretty basic, the only remarkable thing about it was that there was a tform where one of the individuals was chained down.


    Yes, he was Chained down. Like a criminal. His feral attitude was what garnered this treatment.


    Of course, this was Edward Foxglove and the other one beside him was his sister.


    Emma knelt down and said.


    "You know¡­this is just excessive."


    She said, referring to her brother''s attitude.


    It hade to the point where even she thought this was needed.


    Ever since Edward had awoken from his slumber(that was caused by Kazikato) He had begun fighting everyone. He had acted like a wild beast. He tried to take Emma away and run.


    She remembered the moment vividly when he attacked Richard, one of the strongest humans and also the Guildmaster of Twilight¡­and got his ass beaten in seconds.


    It was hrious. Richard just pped him once and Edward was done for. The problem was that He had done it again¡­and again¡­and Again.


    At that point, the officials were annoyed by him and he got a beating. And when that didn''t work this was the solution.


    "Why are you fighting them? Like¡­we are official guild members now."


    Emma said as she healed her brother. However, she made sure he wouldn''t have enough strength to break free from the chains.


    "Why are¡­helping them?"


    Edward''s weak voice hurt her. She was still his sister. She cared for her brother like no other, she was his only family.


    "For a better life¡­We would have died in Aror if not for these guys. Besides¡­I did this for us."


    "Did you learn nothing?"


    "..."


    Emma quietened down at Edward''s scolding.


    "They are humans¡­they will hunt us down and use us for their own purposes¡­Did you learn nothing?"


    "Edward."


    "They will just kill us! Or Use us as ves!"


    "Edward."


    "I''m fine, but what about you? You are a girl!"


    "Edward."


    "They wi-"


    *SLAP*


    A tooth fell on the Floor¡­Edward looked at Emma with shock. There was a visible imprint on his face.


    Tears escaped Emma''s eyes. Edward looked at those tears with sorrow.


    "Hey¡­I didn''t me-"


    "Shut up."


    Emma interrupted him.


    "They have been taking care of us for the past few days¡­Yet you are still acting like a brat. This is the third-ranked guild! We can finally have a good life but you are ruining it! Even the demihumans hereplement it! But you¡­you¡­"


    Edward looked at Emma''s tears with a weird gaze.


    But could he be med? He was a brother who had protected his sister since they were little.


    He had seen things she had not. He had seen the cruelty of Humans. He had seen their horrific deeds. He tried his best so that Emma would not bear witness to them. He sacrificed so much for her.


    It made sense why his guard was so up. Why did he detested humans? Who wouldn''t?


    "Until when are you gonna continue this?"


    "..."


    Edward states quietly. Not knowing how to respond. This was the first time Emma was so adamant about something.


    "Tell me! Mister n''s reputation is being ruined because of you!"


    "..."


    "Predator is facingints from elders because of your fetal attitude!"


    "..."


    He didn''t know how to answer. No¡­he knew how to¡­he just didn''t want to answer her.


    Suddenly, Edward sensed something.


    *RATTLE*


    The chain rattled in response to his sudden movement. Emma became startled.


    "Emma! Behind you!"


    She looked behind her, afraid¡­<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Oh¡­"


    She realized it was just Kazikato. So she calmed down. Edward on the other hand was going rabid.


    His skin was tearing apart as he tried to attack Kazikato.


    "Emma, can you leave? I need to have a talk with him please."


    Emma, although surprised by his sudden appearance, listened and left.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Edward, on the other, got only more violent after she left.


    "Can you though?"


    Kazikato asked. Could he really Kill kazikato? He could not.


    Even if there were hundreds of him. He could not kill Kazikato.


    "Still, it''s a surprise you sensed me."


    "GRRR!"


    Edward''s skin was peeling off, His hands were now free but his neck was still restrained.


    But a kick from kazikato to the face knocked him unconscious.


    "Oh¡­didn''t mean to do that."


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel suggests he be disciplined.]


    "I know. But no matter how much we beat him he doesn''t listen."


    Suddenly¡­Kazikato felt a chill run down his spine.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel suggests youe to the Realm of Death for some special training.]


    "Let me try to discipline myself first¡­I should be able to do it¡­"


    He pleaded. He knew where Ariel was taking this too. She didn''t want to Wee Edward and discipline him¡­the one she was talking about was him!


    "Grandma¡­let me do it."


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel tells you she will do it with a smile.]


    Haha¡­


    I''m fucked.


    Thought Kazikato. But even in this hopeless circumstance he still tried to bargain¡­he still tried to escape.


    But it was just fate.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel suggests you stop resisting.]


    "NO! PLE-"


    But before he could finish his words¡­He fell into a ck portal. Both he and Edward.


    "AHHHHH!"


    Kazikato''s scared screams were the only things heard.


    Now¡­his hell also began.


    **********


    "Ugh¡­"


    Edward woke up in a deste world filled with nothing but skeletons, ciers, and shadow beings.


    He saw the ck, dead sky and wondered.


    "They killed me¡­I knew it."


    The poor soul, he thought he had been killed by the humans. He thought he was in the underworld.


    But then¡­as he heard sounds of explosions and other things¡­he got up and looked around.


    He saw a ck dragon with six eyes and eight wings¡­A dragon  asrge as a continent.


    He also saw another dragon, an eastern dragon of bones getting absolutely thrashed by it.


    The Large dragon threw the other smaller dragon and itsrge bodynded beside Edward.


    [Oh? Are you awake? Great.]


    Edward pissed himself.


    Meanwhile, Kazikato wondered.


    ''...what''s boss n doing?''


    He didn''t know what he was doing¡­but he did know that at least someone else will suffer here together with him now.

 Chapter 318 [318] Against A Horde.

    Days passed by, and the World was busy with its own things. The Association was busy with the Aror incident. Twilight was busy with its own matters, like the rest of the guilds.


    Kazikato was training with Ariel, along with Edward. Maxwell and Alice were busy with the guild''s affairs whilst Emma was improving her healing abilities.


    However¡­On Terra Damnum, The Demonic Continent it was chaos. Not because it was literally made of chaos, but there was chaos.


    Whilst the World was busy with its own affairs, A certain someone who was a myth was training his disciples.


    ********


    Thend was filled with corpses, and soaked with rotten blood. Thousands of demonic beastsy dead, their blood filling thend.


    Who was it? Who could have created this sea of corpses?


    Thousands of demonic beasts, each extremely strong. Allid to waste. Some were cut up into thousands of pieces, some were fried, whilst some were encased inrge ciers of ice.


    Some were impaled on spikes of metal as well.


    *Rumble*


    Suddenly, the ground rumbled.


    A 6-meter-tall giant, with lightning running through his veins, Looked at the horizon, soon eclipsed by the thousands of more beasts, drawn in by the scent of blood.


    "Huuuu¡­"


    Lucas grunted, whilst in his Thunder Giant form. He could barely form lightning now.


    Alexander, In his half-werewolf form, coughed up blood as he took a stance. He was also having trouble standing.


    "...You shouldn''t havee here." Hemented.


    "The sage dragged me here!"


    Lucas growled.


    "Ha¡­Can you guys shut up?"


    n, in his half-frost draconian form, said. His scales were in a mess and flesh was showing. Even he was injured. Even he was struggling to stand.


    "You shut up!"


    "You shut up!"


    "..."


    It was no use talking to those two.


    *RUMBLE*


    The rumbling of the ground garnered their attention once again towards the horde approaching.


    *Thud*


    Lucas fell to the ground, his knees unable to support him. Alexander and n looked at him in worry.


    "Ha¡­Ha¡­"


    He was gasping for breath, the lightning around him was disappearing and he was slowly losing consciousness.


    "You alright?" asked n, also gasping for breath.


    "Yeah¡­I just need a minute."


    Alexander and n both knew he couldn''t go on for long. It couldn''t be helped, they were in the same condition as well.


    "Hey¡­how long has it been now?"


    Alexander asked, out of curiosity. Just how much time had passed? Until they started fighting?


    "4 days."


    Lucas answered¡­Standing up once again with n''s help.


    *RUMBLE*


    The horde was getting closer.


    "Shit¡­I don''t have any mana and aura left."


    "Same¡­"


    "Are you guys flexing the fact you have an aura on me?"


    n''s words raised the morale a little bit. Alex and Lucasughed a little.


    "Yep."


    "Absolutely."


    Proimed Alex and Lucas proudly. n only grunted.


    "Fuck you guys."


    Alexander and Lucasughed more.


    *RUMBLE*


    The horde was now near.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The abhorrent abominations at the front roared, and the group roared back at them.


    After all, they were beasts as well.


    n ran ahead with the Ame-no-sakahoko. Lucas followed with his gauntlets, while Alexander, who was usually the fastestgged behind.


    But they were all determined to kill these beasts. They all yelled together, harmoniously.


    "COME YOU FUCKERS!"


    *******


    [n POV]


    How long has it been? My vision is fading¡­


    I''m just swinging my spear¡­I don''t even know if I''m hitting something now¡­the blood is just too much.


    "Lucas¡­"


    From the corner of my eyes, I could see Lucas falling down. A monster with a horn had rammed into him, and that horn was embedded deep into his abdomen. The lightning which usually crackled around him to protect him was gone¡­and he was reduced in size.


    I activated mana sense to see better.


    Shit. Even Alexander is barely holding on, he''s just swinging randomly now, Even resorting to biting.


    I rushed towards Lucas, throwing the beast that had rammed into him out of the way, I grabbed him and yelled.


    "WAKE UP YOU ASSHOLE!"


    Wake up. Wake Up. This is serious. We are surrounded and all of us are tired.


    Wake up goddammit¡­I can''t go on for long¡­ How long have we been fighting without rest? 4? 5 days? I don''t know¡­I''m just tired.


    I fired off a breath and kept the other monsters at bay with the Ame-No-Sakahoko before I even copsed. Lucas was still hanging on my shoulder.


    I could see multiple monsters rushing towards me with Mana sense.


    "Damn it¡­"


    Get up¡­Get up you fucking idiot.


    I was talking to myself, not Lucas.


    I am the strongest here¡­I need to protect them.


    I shed with the Ame-No-Sakahoko, Hundreds of monsters fell. I was surprised at the sudden strength I just showed with the spear¡­But I don''t have time to rest.


    Another one ising at me. Another beast with a devilish horn. I turned around to face it but my knees buckled once again¡­ I can''t¡­I can''t fight anymore.


    I could only see that horn get closer¡­


    And Closer.


    Before Alexander appeared out of nowhere and cut the monster apart.


    "What are you two doing?! GET UP! I CAN''T TAKE THEM ALL ON MYSELF!"


    What are you saying? There''s a ringing in my ears¡­


    I can''t hear you, Alex.


    But¡­I can still see what''s happening around me, I pulled Alex and made him dodge the attack of another monster. Without a second of dy, I bit into the beast''s neck. Its throat and flesh stained my mouth¡­


    I could feel the corrosion caused by its blood¡­that was the only thing I could feel.


    What''s going on now..?


    Alex, are you still fighting? I don''t know¡­


    I¡­I am falling¡­Aren''t I?


    Alexander is too¡­I don''t sense his mana anymore¡­


    What is happening around me? I can''t hear anything because of this damn ringing in my ears¡­My mouth is on fire¡­My muscles are just too tired¡­Am I even holding onto the Ame-No-Sakahoko right now?


    I don''t know¡­


    Ah¡­I can feel the dead ground¡­So I have fallen.


    ''So this is how I di-''


    "That should be enough for now."


    Who''s voice is that? Master¡­It''s you.


    I could feel the beasts had died in an instant with Manasense¡­ He yed thousands of beasts in seconds¡­


    Haha¡­


    Before falling Unconscious¡­I heard something which caught my interest.


    "Treat them quickly Oliver, we have visitors."


    ?????????????????...?????????

 Chapter 319 [319] Obelisk(1)

    Will you be okay?"


    Asked Oliver, worried.


    "Yeah, Go and take the kids away from here and heal them."


    Answered Arken confidently. He was the Sword Saint, a legend.


    But Oliver knew who was approaching. The one that had visited was the one that Injured Arken badly before.


    "...fine."


    However, Oliver decided to believe in his best friend. He took n, Alex, and Lucas away and returned to the cave they were residing in.


    Now, Arken was left alone. He calmly waited for the ''visitor'' to Show herself.


    Speak of the Devil and he wille.


    The surroundings twisted and turned in front of Arken.


    "I was waiting for the sage to disappear."


    A sweet and mellow voice resounded. Arken''s brows furrowed.


    2 individuals stepped out from the distortion in the Air.


    A tall woman with red hair and a seductive appearance, and the other was wearing a hood that covered her entire body.


    The tall woman with red hair was beautiful. Her red hair was reminiscent of river blood, her scarlet eyes perfected thebo of Blood-red. She had a face so perfect that even women would fawn over her. A curvaceous figure which was especially alluring because she was scantily dressed.


    This woman may have been the pinnacle of crazy beauty¡­If only she did not have the scar that run up her chin to her left eye, parting her lips and some of her nose as well. It seemed to be a sword wound.


    "Long time no see, Sword Saint."


    She greeted Arken politely. The other hooded figure also bowed down to show respect.


    "Long time no see."


    Arken returned the greeting.


    "I had never thought you woulde back to the Demonic Continent after what happened."


    The woman mocked. Arken simply smiled back.


    "Well, I was dying to see that face of yours."


    The woman''s face froze the moment she heard that.


    "Well, I guess it is to be expected. I did start first."


    Sheughed, caressing her scar.


    Arken was the one who gave her that scar.


    "Even now, I still feel jolts of electricity whenever I touch it. You left this youngdy with quite a scar."


    "Young? Aren''t you approaching your 60s now?"


    "Careful with a woman''s age."


    Replied the Woman Angrily.


    Her demonic energy roared. Herpanion struggled a bit but Arken remained Unfazed.


    And then in a single second. He released his energy and quietened the bitch down.


    "Still as monstrous as ever."


    Shemented. Suppressing her energy.


    "Who are the children?"


    She asked.


    Arken remained quiet, however. There was no reason to tell her anything. She probably knew everything and just wanted to annoy him.


    "Ohe on Sword Saint. n Pator, Lucas Hiddleston, and Alexander Wright. I wonder what they are doing with you?"


    She showed a malicious smile as she listed their names. Arken was correct. This woman already knew everything. Almost Everything.


    "The Rising Star of the World. The one who was responsible for stopping our ns in Aror."


    "The Young, forgotten son of the Hiddleston family. And of course the bastard of the Wright family."


    "Are they yo-"


    The woman was interrupted by Arken releasing his aura and pressuring her. She knew she crossed a limit here.


    She smiled deviously. Her smile reached her ears almost and her teeth were showing. She, with no fear whatsoever, got in front of Arken face.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "To think you would bring your disciple here¡­Brave aren''t you?"


    Right in front of the Sword Saint, with no fear.


    The woman was daring. Arken simply smiled back.


    "Yes, A lot braver than a bitch who doesn''t dare fight her own battles."


    "Kekeke¡­"


    The womanughed eerily. And went back.


    "What does the Obelisk want?"


    Arken asked, releasing his pressure.


    "Oh, I''m just here to offer a deal."


    Morgana Cardevaros, The Leader of the Obelisk and also known as the Witch of Chimera. She had gained such a title due to her Unique Skill.


    [Biokinesis]


    The skill was simply terrifying.


    If it wasn''t limited by rank or Mana, she would''ve dominated Earth already.


    It was the fearsome ability to control all Biological Organisms down to a Gical level.


    It was the one ability that trumped Arken''s Ultra instinct state and what also dealt him a serious injury that still hurt.


    She had messed with his genes when she Ambushed him together with the other duke-rank demons. That ambush was the reason Arken went into hiding.


    The woman changed her yful demeanor into something serious.


    "Present it."


    Herrade took out an intricate box and opened it up.


    Arken stared at the item inside in confusion.


    *****************


    **Biokinesis**


    ||UNIQUE||


    *Skill Description:*


    Biokinesis is an extraordinary skill that allows the user to manipte and control biological elements within the game world. By channeling their mental energy, the user gains the ability to influence various aspects of biology.


    *Skill Level Progression:*


    1. Novice Biokic: The user''s initial grasp of biokinesis allows them to perform basic actions such as elerating natural healing and enhancing minor physiological processes.


    2. Adept Biokic: As the user gains experience, their control over biokinesis improves. They can now regenerate damaged tissues at a faster rate, manipte bodily functions, and mitigate the effects of certain ailments.


    3. Master Biokic: Having honed their skill to an advanced level, the user can perform impressive feats. They can heal severe injuries swiftly, modify their physical attributes temporarily, and enhance their own strength and endurance.


    4. Biokic Expert: The user''s mastery of biokinesis grants them unparalleled control over biology. They can now alter their appearance permanently, manipte the biology of others, and even remotely influence the physiological processes of living creatures.


    *Abilities*


    - Cellr Regeneration: The ability to regenerate cells and tissues more rapidly, allowing for quicker healing and recovery.


    - Metabolic Control: The user gains the power to modte their metabolic rate, enhancing physical abilities or reducing fatigue.


    - Gic Adaptation: Unlocking the potential to manipte DNA, allowing for temporary adaptation to different environments or situations.


    - Biomolecr Maniption: The user can manipte the molecules within their body to enhance physical attributes, such as increasing strength or agility, for a limited time.


    *Special Pathways*


    1. Vitalist: Focusing on healing and support, the user bes an expert at restoring health to themselves and their allies, mending wounds, and curing diseases more effectively.


    2. Biomorph: Specializing in physical alteration, the user gains the ability to modify their body''s appearance and adapt to different situations more efficiently.


    3. Gicist: The user delves into the maniption of gic material, unlocking the power to alter their DNA permanently and attaining unique gic abilities. It can also be used to alter the gics of others provided that the user is strong enough.


    *Limitations:*


    - Biokinesis requires a high level of concentration and mental energy, limiting the user''s ability to use it excessively or simultaneously with other demanding skills.


    - Maniptingplex biological processes may require in-depth knowledge and understanding of anatomy and physiology.


    - The scope of biokinesis may be restricted to non-sentient beings or specific types of organisms, depending on the user''s capabilities.


    A/N: Wracked my brain to provide justice to this skill. This is the first time I''ve written about skills in such detail so forgive me if there are errors.

 Chapter 320 [320] Obelisk(2)

    Arken stared at the item within the box with a questionable gaze.


    It was a vial filled with a red liquid. The Vial seemed to be made of quite durable ss and was also quite fancy, And had a Gold cork.


    Arken felt a strange power from that Vial.


    "Please appraise it for yourself, Sword Saint Arken Miller."


    The hooded individual spoke. It was a girl.


    Arken heard the voice of a Girl. He had an absurd thought but dismissed it.


    He appraised the Vile with his own eyes, using his Special Skill [Eye of the Saint.]


    [Item: Bottle containing the Bloodline of the Mist hunting dewolf


    Rank:SS+


    DESCRIPTION: A bottle containing the Bloodline of the SSS rank beast Mist Hunting dewolf. Upon epting the bloodline, it will integrate itself into the user. It will grant the user the abilities of the Mist de Wolf.]


    "Please read this as well Sir Sword Saint."


    Said the girl, as she disyed the Image of the Beast itself.


    A 3D image of the de Wolf appeared. It was a 10-meterrge wolf with Grey, silver fur, and also a ded horn that was 2 meters long and a 5-meter-long ded tail.


    She also disyed the description of the beast for Arken to read.


    [The Mist de Wolf, an SS+ rank beast of legendary proportions, casts an intimidating shadow over its adversaries. Standing an astonishing 10 meters tall, this towering creature is a formidable force to reckon with.


    Its most distinctive feature is its razor-sharp horn, spanning an impressive 2 meters in length. This formidable weapon is capable of cleaving through solid objects, leaving behind a trail of devastation in its wake. Gleaming in an ethereal glow, the ded horn is a testament to the inescapable danger that the Mist de Wolf embodies.


    The beast''s mighty frame is further entuated by its lethal tail, measuring a staggering 5 meters in length. Encased in a fearsome armor-like structure, the tail is adorned with razor-edged des that seemingly emanate from its core. As the Mist de Wolf swings its tail, it creates a deadly whirlwind of destruction, able to carve through anything unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.


    Cloaked in an enigmatic veil of mist, the Mist de Wolf possesses unparalleled stealth capabilities. This cunning predator blends seamlessly with its surroundings, making it nearly impossible to detect until it pounces on its unsuspecting prey. These adaptations,bined with its immense size and weaponry, make the Mist de Wolf a supremely lethal opponent on the battlefield.


    Beware the Mist de Wolf, for its ferocity knows no bounds. Its towering presence, ded horn, and tail instill terror as it leaves behind only destruction and devastation. No creature can match its deadlybination of size, stealth, and weaponry, solidifying its reputation as an elite SS+ rank beast of unparalleled power.]


    "Why are you showing me this?"


    Questioned Arken, as he held the Vial.


    "Haven''t you hit a wall master Arken?"


    Morgana said, her voice containing a seductive and enchanting tone.


    "The limits of Humanity. The limits of this pathetic race."


    "..."


    Arken remained silent. It was true.


    He had hit the wall. The unsurpassable wall. He couldn''t advance to the next tier despite so much time had passed. Maybe it was the limit of the Human race of his talent.


    "The Mist de wolf may have that SS+ rank. But its race potential is limitless. Like most beasts."


    Each beast that could go above SS rank had limitless potential. It only depended on effort and time. However, who knew humans could do this as well? Arken was the highest-ranked human alive. So it was rather unknown if this was the limit or not.


    "Please ept it and join us. Your disciples will be given the best treatment along with you. The demons are willing to forget the past if you turn into a demon and take the bloodline, sir Arken."


    "We will give you time to think about it."


    Said Morgana politely as she ced her hand above her breasts and bowed.


    The hooded girl also bowed.


    "Did you think I would ept something from a woman who ambushed me and disrespects her race? The woman who abandoned her own family for power and fucked disgusting demons? The woman who abandoned her race?"


    Derogated Arken Angrily.


    "Of course. No one is born with talent like you."


    Morgana rebutted. People had to resort to something to gain Power.


    Morgana was not talentless. She had her circumstances.


    "But I would appreciate it if you didn''t belittle my Husband."


    "Husband?"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Take off your hood Lily."


    Arken eyes widened as the hooded girl unveiled herself¡­


    It was as if he was looking at a little Morgana¡­just without the scar and Demon horns.


    "..."


    You know who the father of the Child is after all"


    "Get out of my fucking sight. Before I send you both to him."


    Arken released his pressure. He talked.


    "It would be my pleasure.


    Also, I will visit again. I want to see what your disciples can do."


    This was the limit of his patience.


    The very demon that led the attack on him. An Archduke¡­that child was his spawn.


    He felt an indescribable anger surge within him.


    "Please Sir Arken. Calm yourself."


    Said, Morgana. Before she left with a few parting words.


    "Please consider our proposal. I will talk to you in a while. Sword Saint."


    And with that, she left.


    Arken gazed at the Vial, before returning to the cave himself. Angry.


    *******


    [Obelisk Headquarters]


    "That was dangerous, Mother."


    Lilith Cardevros, said as she walked alongside her mother in the dark hallways of the Obelisk. Morgana said.


    "He''s not the kind of man to do that."


    "Surprising."


    Indeed, Arken was not the kind of man to kill for no reason.


    The reason she took Lilith with her was so she would be safe. That was the only reason¡­


    Arken would not kill the child''s mother in front of the child. He was a man of discipline and morals.


    That was a w, but also a quality worthy of Respect.


    "Go to your room and train more. You''re weaker than your siblings. I have to meet your father."


    She dismissed her daughter. Lilith, before leaving requested.


    "May I see Father?"


    Morganaughed.


    "Don''t overstep your limits and go to your room."


    Lilith bowed down.


    "Yes."


    She expected this response.


    It had happened every time without fail.


    She was just too weak to even grave the presence of her father before he erased her pitiful existence.


    She quietly went to her room. To train. The only thing she did since her birth.


    That was her purpose, that was her reason for existence. To be strong. To be worthy of being called ''his'' child.

 Chapter 321 [321] Obelisk(3)

    "Was it her?"


    Asked Oliver, as he noticed Arken''s silence when he entered the cave. He was busy treating Alex and Lucas. n had already recovered and was meditating in the corner, using his [Breath of the Supreme Frost dragon] carefully. Thanks to him, the temperature of the cave was quite cool. Alexander and Lucas were still in bad condition, Only Olivia and n were ok.


    "..."


    Arken''s silence confirmed it. Oliver was right. He had met Morgana Cadevrere. The leader of Obelisk, and Harrison''s Rival.


    "..."


    Oliver also became silent. Olivia noticed the silence of the two and could bear it no longer.


    "May I ask who that person is?"


    Morgana was not well known to the general public, only the bigshots knew her. Oliver had aplex expression on her face when his granddaughter asked that question, Arken meanwhile cleaned his berserker de in silence.


    "She was a former student of Shield once, Of Harrison''s generation."


    Oliver began to exin. A mix of emotions came back up.


    "She was once my disciple, along with Harrison, She was also his rival."


    "The rival of the rank 1?"


    Olivia asked, curious. n also listened closely from his corner.


    "Yes, They were two sides of a coin. Both Morgana and Harrison were the best of the best. Harrison took more of an interest in robotics, But Morgana took an interest in biological enhancements and creatures. At first, she kept it to monsters so it was okay but¡­"


    "She messed with humans?"


    Interrupted n from the corner. Oliver had a sorrowful look on his face.


    "Yes, She messed with humans. She mixed Human and Monster body parts together."


    "But that should have been okay though? Some Awakened still exist which use dead corpses and tra-"


    "They were alive."


    Oliver interrupted Olivia. n and Olivia raised their brows.


    "It was an addiction¡­No, an Obsession."


    "She was obsessed with creating more and more chimeras, no matter what it took. She even used Students of Shield¡­and that was thest straw for me. I expelled her after that, making sure to destroy every chimera and Save all I could. Harrison also tried to convince her¡­But she didnt listen."


    Exined Oliver. Arken remains focused on cleaning his Sword¡­even though it was already spotless.


    "I kept an eye on her afterward, ready to take drastic measures if she went overboard but¡­"


    "She colluded with demons and escaped to this darned continent."


    Arken interrupted.


    "Yes¡­"


    Oliver agreed. He regretted his mistake of not paying too much attention badly. If he had, maybe Humanity would have had a better chance against the Demons. The Obelisk would not have gotten so powerful.


    "Her Unique skill is dangerous. If any of you meet her, Run. She has a scar on her face and blood-red hair and eyes."


    Arken warned.


    "A Unique skill?"


    n asked this time. Curious. He had heard about what a unique skill was¡­and thought he had remembered something about it but maybe he was wrong? His memory was hazy these days¡­


    "An Extremely powerful skill given to only one person. It aligns with their attributes and characteristics and grants immense power. However, it is difficult to acquire one. The Conditions are unknown and almost impossible in most cases."


    n''s interest was peaked at Oliver''s exnation. Olivia as well.


    "Her Unique skill is Biokenisis. The power to control biology."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Isn''t¡­that too broken?" n questioned.


    "It is, which is why Run At Sight."


    n and Olivia took mental notes.


    "She joined hands with demons and was responsible for Arken''s defeat by the Demons. She messed with that unique state of his he calls enlightenment. If I recall correctly, it was orchestrated by an Archduke. And duke and marquis ranked demons ambushed Arken, he would have defeated them normally but Morgana used her Biokenesis to mess with him."


    "She had a child with that Archduke."


    Oliver was bbergasted when he heard Arken.


    "...what?"


    He questioned, still stunned.


    "She had a child with him, Named Lilith. She should be about your age Olivia¡­She''s a striking resemnce to Morgana when she was young. And there was a weird aura of death around her."


    "Why did they approach you?"


    Questioned Oliver, He was not going to ask previously but now the situation had be dire.


    "About this."


    Arken threw the vial containing the bloodline to Oliver, Who caught it and inspected it.


    [Item: Bottle containing the Bloodline of the Mist hunting dewolf


    Rank: SS+


    DESCRIPTION: A bottle containing the Bloodline of the SSS rank beast Mist Hunting dewolf. Upon epting the bloodline, it will integrate itself into the user. It will grant the user the abilities of the Mist de Wolf.]


    "Hmmm¡­" Oliver inspected it carefully.


    "Excuse me, but Master Arken, If she came with just her child then why did you not end her there? If she only attacked you when she was with other demons before and ambushed you¡­It should have been easy for you to kill her and her child."


    "The Child''s eyes looked empty."


    Arken put hisrge sword on his shoulder.


    "She had never received any love from that father of hers, If I killed her mother, who at least cared for her somehow in front of her eyes¡­I would not be able to bear it."


    He answered Olivia.


    "But¡­She''s a worldwide criminal! Her child is born from an Archduke¡­and her mother-"


    "If the sins of the parent passed onto their children, no one is free from sin."


    He interrupted her. n and Oliver remained quiet. n returned to meditating.


    "I just didnt feel good about doing that."


    He was a man of morals and kindness. But there also seemed to be a deep story behind it. A story Arken didnt share.


    "You guy''s go sleep, I''ll take the watch."


    He offered, and adamantly sat down in front of the cave, not taking any feedback.


    To n, His back looked¡­sad.


    *******


    A/N: Sorry for thete chapter, I was busy with some stuff.


    I apologize if it caused any inconvenience. As Always, Thank you for reading.

 Chapter 322 [322] The Saints Of Sword And Spear.

    Arken sat on a rock and gazed at the tumultuous skies of the demonic continent with a stiff face, His Berserker swordy embedded in the ground beside him. No one knew what he was thinking.


    "Are you okay?"


    He heard the voice of his old friend from behind. Oliver approached him and Arken made space so Oliver could sit down as well.


    "I''m a Hypocrite, aren''t I?"


    However, instead of answering Oliver''s question he instead asked another question.


    Oliver became silent. Not Knowing how to answer.


    "I said those things acting like a righteous man, but those words of mine were just hypocrisy."


    Arken belittled himself. Oliver, however, had another idea.


    "Maybe if it was the old you."


    Yes, maybe if it was the old arken, The words would have been hypocrisy.  But¡­


    "It wasn''t the old you now, So no. What you said there was no hypocrisy."


    Arkenughed dryly. He gazed at the thunderbolts dancing in the corrupted skies as hey down on the rock.


    "Isn''t Hypocrisy the act of going against one''s words?"


    Asked Arken.


    "Yes, But are you doing that now? You''ve upheld those morals for a long time. You have changed."


    They bothughed, sharing knowledge once again, even in their old age.


    "Do you think I''m doing okay in training them?"


    Suddenly, Arken asked for Oliver''s Opinion on his methods. Oliver had taken disciples before, Harrison, Elena, and¡­Morgana. He should know more about teaching students. Unlike Arken who had no experience in this.


    "Much better than me when I started."


    "Oh? What''s this? I''m better than you at something besides fighting. Nice."


    Chuckled Arken, enjoying this small victory of his.


    "You shoulde back after a while."


    Oliver bade farewell, returning to the cave.


    As soon as he disappeared though, the smile on Arken''s face vanished. He sighed as he stood up and picked up his sword.


    "Hah¡­I don''t know how to do this¡­ Maybe If I wasn''t a stuck-up idiot in the past I would know how to¡­"


    Hah¡­Stuck up, idiot.


    He truly was a stubborn and arrogant piece of shit in the past. He regretted his past actions deeply. In the past Arken was someone who didnt give a shit basically. And Killed anyone who was against him.


    An Idiot.


    But, that idiot changed into someone mature.


    And who was responsible for changing that idiot?


    It was of course his brothers in arms, Oliver olsfer¡­And Hiroto Mitsuki. The sage and Spear saint.


    ***************


    [Past. Young Arken.]


    On a battlefield filled with the corpses of monsters, demons, and humans, there was a mountain.


    It was no ordinary mountain, it was a mountain made of corpses. The corpses of numerous demons and demonic humans. And on top of this mountain was a young man with silver hair and golden eyes, holding a truly ginormous sword.


    This young man, was Arken Miller, the future sword saint but current Bloody Berserker.


    He had been sent to this demonic base along with reinforcements to destroy it.


    But the thing was¡­The reinforcements had not arrived yet. He singlehandedly took care of them all. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Alone, solo. One would find it hard to understand the significance and difficulty of this with words.


    Arken, covered in blood that was not his own, rested peacefully at the top of his creation.


    Arken, in his younger years, was known as the BLOODY BERSERKER. Someone who was ruthless and killed anyone, anyone who dared to oppose him. That was why he was so feared, but that was also why he had so many enemies. He was a lone wolf, who had no allies¡­but many enemies.


    The only ally he could say to have would be the World government¡­but even among them, he had a lot of enemies. Those enemies of his had also sent him here to die. That was the reason he didnt wait for reinforcement and destroyed the base himself. Now, he was patiently waiting for those reinforcements.


    And fortunately for him, he didnt have to wait long.


    "Damn, you are good."


    He heard a voice from behind, and without wasting a single moment heunched himself at the origin of the voice with his ginormous de.


    *CLANG*


    To his surprise, his attack with his huge de was easily blocked by the ''Reinforcements.''


    A Fairly handsome man of Asian descent, with luscious ck hair and eyes, blocked his attack with a strange spear, that spear was the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    "Wow, your wielding that heavy thing with one hand!"


    Hiroto Mitsuki, the man who was hailed the spear saint in the future, and Arken Miller, the future Sword Saint. Met for the first time.


    And a Battle ensued.


    *CRACKLE*


    Like a bolt of lightning, Arken appeared behind Hiroto and shed downwards his sword, Hiroto dodged it and frantically said.


    "Hey! I''m your ally! The reinforc-!!!"


    Arken ignored him and attacked again, Hiroto barely managed to block with the Ame No sakahoko.


    "Demon, You have demonic blood inside you."


    Arken said, He noticed it when he used his skill on Hiroto but he sensed that Hiroto was a mixed breed.


    "Well¡­ that was harsh."


    Hirotomented.


    "Die."


    Arken unleashed a flurry of attacks at Hiroto, his huge de was enough to cause serious damage even if it grazed Hiroto. That was how dangerous it was.


    But, Hiroto treated these attacks calmly and used nimble footwork to dodge everything.


    "URGH!"


    Arken was now getting annoyed, this demonic human opponent of his was ying around with him.


    ''Let''s see if you can continue to do it after this!''


    He thought as he inputted all his mana into his sword. Lightning raged around Arken as Hiroto noticed that things were gonna get messy.


    Arken held his sword high up, And just as he was about to swing downwards with his strongest move.


    Hiroto, to his shock, stepped forward into his attack''s direct range.


    ''IDIOT!''


    It was over now! Hiroto will die and Arken will win.


    But then, Hiroto got to the ground and Sweeped Arken. Arken wondered for a while why he was falling but his face ultimately hit the ground. His Spear struck his sword and Arken''s berserker de shattered into pieces.


    Ah¡­Im dead.


    Arken had this thought¡­But instead of the spear prating his body, Hiroto extended his hand with a smile.


    "Come on, Get up."

 Chapter 323 [323] The Saints Of Sword And Spear(2)

    A/N: Extra weekly chapter for hitting Powerstone requirement. Thank you.


    *******


    It was the first time in his life.


    The first ever time he had felt so powerless in his life. Hiroto had taken care of him so easily.


    "You¡­are not gonna kill me?"


    Never had he seen someone show that much mercy¡­but why?


    "Why do I need to kill you? I''m your reinforcement. And I don''t like killing mindlessly."


    Answered Hiroto, he extended his hand further to help Arken get up, but Arken smacked it away.


    Arken got up and looked at his ruined sword.


    "Fool."


    He looked at Hiroto with disdain. To him it was ridiculous. If someone lost, kill them. Hiroto''s acts were just mockery


    "You have demon blood in you."


    "Yes, I do. Got a problem with that?"


    Arken clicked his tongue. Hiroto showed his Government Badge and confirmed his identity.


    "You ruined my sword."


    "You tried to kill me! Self-defense!"


    Argued Hiroto back.


    Arken took out another sword from his spatial ring and asked.


    "What''s the next mission?"


    His voice was cold, it was as if he thought it was a bother talking to Hiroto.


    "Well fuck you, show a little courtesy.


    It''s just destroying a few more bases after joining up another one."


    Little did Hirito know, The fact that Arken talking to him was a rare urrence. He was only doing it because He thought of Hiroto as someone strong. He bested him after all.


    "Anyways, the report says there is another group hiding out here, and we need to get rid of some monsters as well. Soe on already."


    That was how they met. It was a memorable encounter.


    *******


    A few days passed by, and Arken and Hiroto traveled together and defeated quite a few demons and demonic humans, along with other monsters.


    They proved to be a good duo, Arken''s brute force, and Hirotos''s skill were an almost perfectbo.


    Arken evenplimented it.


    "My god, this is a groundbreaking Discovery! This must be recorded!"


    However, Hiroto''s carefree attitude made Arken regret it. He started chasing him soon After.


    "Hey! I was joking! JOKING!"


    *Crackle!*


    Arken however didn''t listen and kept trying to attack him.


    Hiroto having fun dodging was even more infuriating.


    "Agh!"


    *Crackle!*


    And thus, an infuriated Arken chased Hiroto throughout the woods.


    *****


    [Night.]


    The duo had reached a cave, and after they inspected it and deemed it safe they set up camp.


    Unfortunately, they faced a problem


    Either they live on their already low rations or cook monster meat.


    "...you know how to cook?"


    Asked the desperate Arken. His rations had gotten low and because of his violent style, he got hungry fast.


    In response, Hiroto just looked at Arken, his gaze was enough for Arken to understand that they were fucked.


    None of them knew how to cook, and they did not have enough rations to go along with them.


    "..."


    "..."


    There was silence in the cave, broken by the asional annoying sound of a cricket.


    "here."


    Suddenly, Hiroto took out hisst calorie bar and split it in half. He offered one half to Arken.


    Arken however refused.


    "Eat it yourself."


    He said andy down on his sleeping bag.


    "your choice then."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Commented Hiroto after he ate the bar. He thought that Either Arken was prideful, or had a difficult past.


    After setting down some. basic traps and rm systems, Hiroto alsoy down. But he couldn''t sleep.


    He didn''t know why, but something was bothering him. Something in his gut.


    So, to get rid of this Awkward feeling, He Asked Arken.


    "Hey, Arkie."


    "Arkie..?"


    "Your Nickname, deal with it. Anyways, What were you doing before  you became Awakened?"


    Mana had only recently been introduced into the World. Humanity was doing its best to fight against the Demonic Invasion. No matter what, all awakened were forced to participate in the war. They were incredibly powerful, their help was needed.


    Arken and Hiroto were in simr situations. Despite their young age, they were conscripted because they had powerfulbat abilities.


    "None of your business."


    However, Arken refused to answer.


    "I guess so, bute on. Open up, you stubborn bastard."


    However, Hirito was relentless.


    He had a unique quality about him. Once he made up his mind. He was going to do it. No matter what.


    "Surviving."


    Eventually, Arken gave in.


    Hiroto went silent after hearing Arken''s answer.


    "You were an orphan weren''t you?"


    He asked. He already knew the answer. The fact that Arken said that was proof.


    "..."


    And his silence confirmed it. Arken was an Orphan, without parents¡­and in this world. That was a death sentence.


    "I''m an orphan too."


    Arken''s brows raised. Although Hiroto couldn''t see them due to Arken not facing him.


    "If you touch my head on the front, you''ll notice two small horns from my Demon blood."


    "How did you survive?"


    Hiroto was bbergasted


    Arken asked a question. This never happened. This was something impossible!


    "I¡­was bad."


    Answered Hiroto.


    "Because of my existence as a half-demon in these times, I was bullied. Even in the streets, no one left me alone.


    So I beat the crap out of them. This demon blood in me at least gave me enough strength to go against even Adults. I beat the shit out of everyone who tried to hurt me.


    But I couldn''t do it alone. I was banged up on. So I ran away from the city."


    Arken paid close attention to his words.


    "You should have killed some to make an example."


    Commented Arken.


    "I was aplete viin back then¡­but even I struggled when it came to killing."


    "Weak."


    "Haha¡­maybe. The mountains were nice. That''s where I met this guy as well, this guy changed me. It made me go from behind a piece of shit to someone with morals."


    He said, referring to his beloved Spear, The Ame-No-Sakahoko. The spear even vibrated to show response.


    "I awakened when I pulled this guy out of the ground at Mount Takachiho.


    The world changed for me after that. I''m d I met you and this guy. At least there are some people who want to talk to me despite me being scum."


    Scum, he called himself.


    Maybe even Arken was like that. Well, he was a piece of shit right now.


    "We were called Scum."


    Commented Arken.


    "Haha¡­It was bad for you too huh."


    Hiroto let out a dryugh.


    "Yes, now go to sleep."


    "Yeah yeah, okay Arkie."


    "And stop calling me that."


    Afterwards, Hiroto closed his eyes as well, trying to sleep¡­but a sound was heard from Arken. The sound of his stomach grumbling.


    *Grumble¡­*


    "..."


    "Puhahaha!"

 Chapter 324 [324] A Sage, A Saint, And Another Saint.

    "When are ration''sing?"


    Arken asked Hiroto as they navigated through the copsed city.


    "They were supposed toe at the point¡­But not there. I haven''t received any report."


    "Shit¡­"


    Arken cursed. They were already extremely low on food and now they would starve to death before they died to monsters or demons.


    "Sigh¡­"


    Hiroto sat down on a piece of Debris and Arken stopped to rest too.


    Hiroto kept checking his Tablet, waiting for any notifications.


    "We might have to resort to eating monsters¡­"


    "..."


    His suggestion scared Arken, who looked around.


    "You think there''s food here?"


    He asked, surveying the city. Searching for any stores.


    "It''s gonna be hard¡­the only thing we are gonna find are corpses and maybe maggots."


    Said Hiroto.


    "Damn it!"


    Arken stabbed his berserker sword into the ground and yelled.


    "WHERE IS FOOOD!?"


    His loud voice rang out throughout the city, the echoes reaching ces far and unknown.


    "YOU IDIOT KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!"


    Hiroto yelled, He smacked Arken''s head and wrestled with him.


    "Hey!"


    "Fucker! You just exposed our location!''


    "We were already in the open!"


    But he was losing. It was nearly impossible to win against Arken in wrestling or anything rted to brute strength.


    *BOOOM!*


    "..."


    "..."


    Suddenly, arge explosion stopped their scuffle.


    Both Arken and Hiroto looked in the direction of the sound and immediately left for it.


    "There''s an awakened fighting! The man is just ridiculous! Maybe it''s an ally but approach carefully!''


    Advised Hiroto on the way, Arken remained quiet and sped up.


    But¡­as Soon as they got there they were shocked to see that¡­there was nothing. No corpses, no buildings, not even any signs of battle at all¡­All that was there was a single young man. His long silver hair almost reached his waist and it was hard to believe he was a man with his beautiful face.


    His golden eyes, simr to Arken scanned the entire area beforending on the duo.


    "That your sister?"


    Hiroto nudged Arken.


    "No."


    He answered. Although Arken and the other individual did look simr, it was wrong to say that they were rted.


    Arken was a single orphan for as long as he remembered¡­wait could it be?


    "Arken Miller and Hiroto Mitsuki, Am I correct?"


    Suddenly, His voice rang out, It echoed throughout the area.


    ''He''s using mana to enhance it¡­''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Arken and Hiroto had the same thought.


    And, when they observed the area carefully¡­They concluded.


    ''Mage.''


    An extremely rare type of awakened at this time. Someone who was coveted everywhere.


    "Arken Miller and Hiroto Mitsuki, Am I correct?"


    A dozen Mana arrows materialized behind him, he Commanded authority and respect.


    He took out his badge and confirmed his identity, and Arken and Hiroto both looked at that badge with awe.


    "...Highest rank."


    "Damn, who let the bigshot here?"


    When the number of arrows increased, Arken and Hiroto both answered his question.


    "Yes, Arken Miller, High-rank Awakened Candidate."


    "Yep, Hiroto Mitsuki, High ranked as well."


    They responded and showed their badges. Slowly, the Mana Arrows disappeared and the individual descended. And Stated his name.


    "Oliver Olsfer, Mage, Pleasure to meet you."


    Hiroto, hearing his name asked.


    "Wait your a man?"


    ''This idiot¡­''


    Arken cursed his luck. Hiroto had to ask the most stupid question. Well, when you looked at the guy it wasn''t wrong to think he was a woman with his looks.


    He had a feminine face that people would want to protect, and a frail body as well. But it was to be expected, he was a mage.


    "Yes, I am."


    Answered Oliver nonchntly. It seemed like he was used to it.


    "I am here as another team member, Please take care of me."


    He bowed down and showed etiquette. To Arken and Hiroto, it seemed odd. Well, it had to be expected. Both of them were hoodlums and didnt really know about proper manners and the like. Oliver seemed to have a different past from them.


    "Who knew we would be getting a mage! Nice!"


    Hiroto was ecstatic while Arken remained quiet. He carefully observed Oliver. This was a natural behavior from him. He never trusted others easily, and given the number of enemies he had, it was not odd for him to think that Oliver was maybe an assassin sent to kill him.


    "What is our next mission?"


    Asked Oliver. Hiroto took out his tablet and said.


    "We have a few more monster hordes to eradicate, but we don''t have any rations."


    "Rations?"


    Oliver took out several rations from his spatial storage, and that was enough to win Hiroto, and even Arken over.


    "Nice," said Hiroto.


    He even got a thumbs-up from Arken


    ********


    [Oliver Olsfer PoV]


    I had been in many teams before, Some even consisting of dozens of team members. But even then, his presence overpowered theirs, by arge margin. It was to be expected, he was a highly sought-after mage type awakened, and even among mage type awakened he was strong. Very Strong for his age in fact. His knowledge of mana was profound, and he was an extremely good Mage. He was wanted in many teams as well¡­But the teams that wanted him didn''t satisfy him.


    Why would he be satisfied? When in seconds he could do what they could in hours, with no injuries as well.


    Most teams consisted of above ten members, But when he looked at this team. It consisted of only two. This was rare, most duos or even trios didnt survive after just days. They would be swarmed with a high number of demonic beasts and rogue humans. Even teams much bigger would have to change members every few days because of the risk.


    But in this team, it was just these two. These two had remained Alive and rtively unharmed for quite a while, so he looked into this team.


    Without a Suitable enough team, a Mage would not be able to function to their fullest. Only with a team would Oliver truly flourish. And So oliver searched for a good team, andnded here after quite a few tries.


    At first he was curious, but after a while. He became sure.


    He found that team

 Chapter 325 [325] The Sage, The Saint, And Another Saint.(2)

    Oliver was right, he had done it.


    He had found the perfect team for him. This was the best!


    Not only were Arken and Hiroto the perfect teammates with incredible synergy, Arken''s pure brute strength, and Hiroto''s skill. Oliver also had perfect synergy with them, for the first time it felt like he did actually need to do everything by himself.


    Arken would always go on Headfirst, Hisrge sword and fierce movements would throw the enemies into disarray. Hiroto would urately pierce the demons that aimed for Arken''s blind spots, And Oliver would alsoplement their styles.


    Oliver''s Magic, Arken''s Brute Force swordsmanship, and Hiroto''s Spearmanship were quite a greatbo.


    They were doing the work of multiple teams at once.


    They were even taking care ofrge bases.


    This was it!


    This was the golden team!


    A Sage, A Saint, and another Saint!


    At the government, and even throughout the World this team was gaining fame and was soon cold.


    The Golden team.


    Oliver, Arken, and Hiroto.


    ***********


    "Hah¡­I''m tired."


    Said an exhausted Hiroto as hey down on the ground, covered in blood.


    "..."


    Arken silently set up camp, his movements odd because of the blood on his figure. Oliver was the only one who remained clean.


    They had beenpleting missions day and night, not getting enough rest.


    Well, the other teams were less capable and had a higher chance of failure. The golden team was stuck with the hard missions. They had even garnered a name among the enemy''s side now too.


    "I feel disgusting."


    Commented Hiroto, as he could feel the blood sticking to his skin, he almost vomited.


    "Arkie, Are you sure you''re fine?"


    Arken did not respond and justid down on his makeshift bed, and went to sleep.


    "Stay still you two."


    Suddenly, a blue glow from Oliver''s hands went over to them both, this blue glow cleaned their bodies, and instantly Arken and Hiroto felt refreshed and clean.


    "Damn! Magic is Awesome."


    "..."


    Arken went to sleep, whilst Hiroto was ecstatic that he was now clean. Heid down on his bed and whistled.


    "Hiroto, can you write a request to headquarters for rest? We will be impaired if we keep doing this."


    Oliver requested as he sat down and started a special mana fire, A type of fire that was nigh impossible to detect and one which exuded aforting heat.


    Hirotot stared at Oliver for a while, before simply saying.


    "I don''t know how to write."


    "What?"


    Oliver was bbergasted, Hiroto didn''t know how to write. What was this?


    It was to be expected, Hiroto may have picked up the ability to read but he was an orphan who was conscripted into war.


    "I only know how to read, barely."


    "He takes hours to read a mission."


    Arkenmented from the side, he remembered the long time he had to wait before Hiroto could trante missions. When Oliver joined he informed them of missions through his tablet, so it was faster. He would have written the request too if his tablet hadn''t gotten destroyed in the previous fights.


    "Hey, at least I know how to read!."


    "Arkie how about you?"


    Even Oliver was now ustomed to calling Arken Arkie. And both Oliver and Hiroto were aware that it triggered a nerve. And they did it exactly because of that.


    "Neither."


    He answered. Arken didn''t know how to read or write. Hiroto knew how to read, and Oliver knew both.


    "Well, we were both orphans, You can''t expect us to know that stuff."


    Said Hiroto as he tossed his tablet to Oliver, who grabbed it and began to write.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Arken seemed to be sleeping soundly, whilst Hiroto stared at the ceiling of the building they were taking refuge in.


    "Hey, Oliver, what do you wanna be?"


    "..?"


    Oliver, surprised by the sudden question, remained silent.


    "I don''t know. I guess I want to be the greatest Mage then."


    He answered, with little passion. Hiroto did not avert his gaze from the ceiling and said.


    "That''s great."


    Arken listened closely to the conversation, even though he was trying to sleep. He did this often.


    "What about you, Arkie?"


    He asked Arken as well.


    "Strong."


    And as usual, Arken replied with only a single word. He disliked talking in such long sentences.


    Oliver put the tablet down when he was done with writing the request and asked Hiroto.


    "Well, what do you wanna be?"


    Hiroto didn''t answer for a while. And Oliver and Arken both paid attention. They wanted to know what he, the most entric person among them, would say.


    "I¡­wanna be a nicer person."


    "Pfft."


    "Hey. I''m serious."


    Hiroto reprimanded Arken for hisugh. Oliver stared at him and asked.


    "That''s quite vague."


    "It is? Haha¡­"


    Hirotoughed quietly when he thought about it. Yeah¡­it was vague.


    "I want to be a better person¡­I guess. Is that more clear?"


    "Not really much better, but I get the gist of it."


    Hiroto smiled, Oliver looked at the mana me and asked the reason. Arken just listened to their conversation quietly.


    "So, Why?"


    "Hmmm?"


    "Why do you wanna be a nicer person? There has to be a reason behind it."


    Asked Oliver, Hiroto pondered for a while but couldn''te up with a suitable answer, instead, he asked a question.


    "Hey Oliver, Do people need a reason to be kind?"


    "I don''t understand."


    " I mean¡­"


    Hiroto hesitated for a second, he thought about it first.


    "Do people really need a reason to be a better person? Like¡­what''s wrong with being kind? Just be nice to people and the world."


    Hiroto himself didn''t understand, maybe he was too naive.


    "So everyone should be kind?"


    Oliver and Hiroto agreed.


    "Yeah! That''s what I''m saying. There are multiple people, children, women, and men who are suffering. Like¡­Just help them."


    "Pfft¡­Easier said than done."


    This time, even Oliverughed.


    "People don''t like doing it. People don''t like helping others. They prioritize their own benefits. Most are like that. A truly kind soul is rare."


    As Hiroto listened to Oliver, his thoughts varied. He picked up the Ame-no-Sakahoko and spent quite a while staring silently at the spear. All of a sudden he stood up and said.


    "I''m gonna go for a walk, let me clear my head."


    Oliver and Arken didn''t stop him.

 Chapter 326 [326] To Be Kind, To...Change.

    [Hiroto Mitsuki PoV]


    I was a bastard, a piece of shit, an irredeemable piece of trash, rude, and someone unfit to be called a Human.


    No matter what, I was unfit to be called a human, regardless of the circumstances. I robbed people less fortunate than me and even those higher up¡­all to fill my own stomach.


    Imitted deeds¡­I am not proud of it.


    My thoughts wandered as I roamed through the abandoned city, scenes of my childhood reyed in my mind¡­like an endless film.


    "It was just like this¡­"


    Wasn''t it? My home.


    A ruined city in Japan, A City filled with war and gangs and monsters. A hopeless area that had no chance of being saved. It was filled with scum, and I was one of those Scum.


    A scum¡­How can that word be defined?


    Someone who is bad? A Piece of shit?.. I should ask Oliverter.


    I sat down on a rock and pondered.


    "What use is there in being kind?"


    "Piece of shit! This world eats those fuckers!"


    "You bastard! I swear I''ll kill you!"


    Memories, Memories of scenes he was not proud of always haunted him.


    But whenever they came¡­A hidden thought, a way of fighting back against the usations of the voices in his head.


    [I had to do it to survive.]


    [I was hungry, I was starving¡­]


    [I was a child.]


    Those were his rebuttals¡­No, it was more fit to call them excuses.


    "Why did you choose me?"


    He asked the Spear, His dear spear, the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    It did not respond. It was tired of responding to this question.


    "Come on¡­Comfort me a little, As you''ve always done¡­please."


    It seemed as if he was begging the spear. To help him, Like it always did.


    [Because you were worthy.]


    Its voice rang out.


    It always responded like this. Hiroto¡­always tried to find some justification for his actions, like a coward. He never heard it speak more.


    He opened the status of the Ame No Sakahoko.


    [Ame-No-Sakahoko]


    Type: Hoko(Spear).


    Rank: SS


    Description


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It waster given to the God


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto,ter stuck it on Mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It is a spear that is worthy of great respect.


    The Spear that overturned even the Chaos of the Land, but is now being consumed by the very same chaos.


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to chaos.


    *The master of the Ame No Sakahoko is eligible to Learn the Spear Technique [Heavenly Sky Spear(5 Star).


    *It increases the efficiency of spear techniques.


    <FIRST MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY THRUST>


    Mana converges into the tip of the spear and unleashes a thrust equal to the might of the heavens themselves.


    This is the First Movement of the sword art [Heavenly Sky Spear (5 stars)


    The power of this skill increases upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <SECOND  MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY SKY MIGHT>


    Mana Converges onto the weapon, and when mmed into the ground, unleashes a wave of mana around the area, destroying your foes and giving strength to your Allies.


    The power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <THIRD MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY REDEMPTION>


    Mana gathers in the de of the spear and unleashes a powerful crescent-like wave to sh your foes. The more injured you are and the greater your desire to protect, The Stronger the crescent sh.


    The power of the skill also depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <FOURTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY ARMAMENT>


    Mana is emitted by the spear to cover it in heavy armor around the spear. The heavenly aura repels negative effects and also repels the power of chaos.


    Upon greater mastery, The Heavenly Armament can cover the user as well.


    <FIFTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY SKY SPLIT>


    Upon input of Sufficient Mana, the ultimate move of the Spear art [Heavenly Sky Spear(*****)] can be unleashed.


    Ame No Sakahoko unleashes its attack, an attack that splits the Heavens, vanquishes the Primordial Chaos, and changes the Land Itself.


    The Power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    Current Mastery:43%]


    Marvelous¡­He thought every time he gazed upon the status description.


    "I am worthy¡­huh."


    He wanted tough at that. He wanted tough so much at it¡­How can he be worthy? If it wouldn''t even talk to him¡­


    "I am a fucking idiot."


    He cursed at himself.


    Why did he alwayse here? To this war within himself? Every single day.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    He looked at the moon, the clouds, and the Stars, painting a beautiful masterpiece in the sky, each ced perfectly.


    He jumped high up after he imbued mana into his legs, and went on the roof of an abandoned building.


    There¡­he just stared at the sky.


    The beautiful sky, filled with the stars, the dark clouds¡­and The Moon.


    He ced the Ame-No-Sakahoko on his back and sat down, viewing the destroyed city.


    Funnily enough¡­even this destruction had some beauty to it. A wed beauty. The scenes of destruction caused by the demons had¡­He didn''t know.


    He didn''t know what they had¡­that made them so beautiful. This world was beautiful regardless of what state it was in¡­He thought.


    ''...Maybe it is because of my Demon blood?''


    He joked in his mind¡­He knew it wasn''t


    "There is no use in being kind huh¡­"


    He muttered, his thoughts going wild within his head.


    "Why?"


    He questioned. To himself or to the world, who knows?


    "Haha¡­"


    He smiled, and that smile of his turned into boisterousughter soon enough.


    "Yeah¡­It''s beautiful."


    Unbeknownst to him, The Ame-No-Sakahoko vibrated a little. It was such a little vibration that Hiroto did not feel it. It seemed as if the spear agreed.


    The world was beautiful.


    Hiroto didn''t know that the reason Ame-No-Sakahoko didn''t talk to him was that He doubted himself.


    He doubted himself. Every day, every moment. He considered himself to be stuck being a viin because of his past deeds, even though they weren''t his fault. He talked like someone who wasn''t worthy of it¡­when he was. He failed to use hisplete power because of fear and doubt.


    The Ame-no-Sakahoko, also known as the spear of righteousness chose him because he had hope, he had a small me of righteousness, of kindness just waiting to be awakened. A me that wouldn''t extinguish.


    How much time had passed? Hiroto didn''t know. He was just stuck gazing at the sky, as it brightened. The Darkness changed into light, and the stars changed into the blue sky.


    The moon changed into the Sun, And the golden rays of the sun soon came to bathe him. Hiroto enjoyed their embrace.


    "Golden time? Golden hour?''


    What was it called? When the position of the sun was just right? To make everything glitter like gold?


    He should ask Oliver about it.


    "Okay!"


    He jumped down from the building happily and saw the corpses of dead humans, some rotting away or some already having be bones.


    "Hey¡­don''t mind please."


    He said, as he grabbed the Ame-No-Sakahoko and took a peculiar stance.


    "...sorry."


    He apologized to the spear, before using it as a shovel to dig graves. The SS ranked spear, the one that split the heavens itself in myths, the Upturned sky spear, the Heavenly spear¡­was¡­was¡­


    Using a shovel. Was there any greater disrespect?


    "I''m sorry, I just don''t feel right leaving them without a proper ce of rest."


    Hiroto apologized to the spear once again¡­He just wouldn''t feel right if he left these corpses to rot. He wanted to give them a proper burial at the very least.


    Were his words hypocritical? When he had left people to rot before? Was what he was doing¡­worth it?


    Hiroto didn''t know. Maybe his efforts to change were useless.


    Maybe¡­But he still did it.


    ********


    Arken and Oliver watched from a high building. They saw Hiroto carefully carry the corpses and bury them.


    "Idiot."


    Arken said as he watched Hiroto do ''stupid shit''.


    "Is he thinking? Burying the dead is quite honorable."


    Praised Oliver.


    "It''s useless, we should be resting."


    Arken argued back. He found the act to be useless.


    "Maybe¡­"


    Oliver gazed at Hiroto from far away.


    "He always does useless shit like this."


    "Hey Arkie, do you know of Hiroto''s past?


    Suddenly, Oliver asked a curious question.


    "His spear is extremely unique, I did research on it, and It''s the Ame No Sakahoko, a legendary spear, also known as the Spear Of righteousness. It was famous for not choosing anyone¡­But Hiroto has it."


    "I don''t know."


    Arken answered, he just thought it was a good item.


    "Hmm¡­it is you we are talking about, can''t be helped."


    "Was that an insult?"


    "Maybe."


    Oliverughed and then cast a spell to float over to Hiroto.


    "Youing?"


    "What?"


    Arken asked, confused.


    "To help him of course, knowing him he is probably gonna spend days doing it."


    When Arken thought about it¡­it made sense. Hiroto would do that.


    "Yeah¡­we should help."


    He agreed, and they both went over to help Hiroto.

 Chapter 327 [327] A Wish To Last Forever.

    "Thanks¡­guys¡­"


    Hiroto thanked whilst panting, Oliver and Arken looked at him with an awestruck gaze.


    Their surprise was logical, Hiroto alone buried over 1000 bodies. He didnt even rest for a minute. Oliver and Arken just couldn''t believe it.


    "Thanks¡­for helping me with this."


    He thanked them once again and sat down to collect his breath, Oliver passed him a bottle of cold water.


    "You are weird."


    Olivermented, His behavior was quite¡­interesting.


    "I know."


    Hiroto agreed, He agreed that he was weird. In more cases than one. He was aplete weirdo. What kind of sane man would think of burying bodies here in an abandoned city? All alone? To bury hundred of bodies?


    No sane man would do it. Arkenmented from the side.


    "What now?"


    He asked, what do they do now? They had no missions and little food.


    "Hmmm¡­."


    Hiroto pondered but was unable toe to a suitable conclusion.


    "Just rest."


    Oliver suggested as he sat down on the ground and took a meditative pose.


    *Khunk*


    Arken dropped his massive berserker sword on the ground andy down on it.


    "..."


    Hiroto gazed at the two rxing.


    "We''ve been together the entire day huh¡­"


    Working on this¡­Hiroto didn''t even notice the sun being reced by the moon.


    He looked at Oliver and Arken nonchntly resting without a care in the world. Arken had already fallen asleep.


    And even though Oliver seemedidback, he had cast a protective spell over this area long ago. They were safe.


    It was silent, only the annoying hymn of crickets was heard rhythmically.


    Even in this apocalypse, those bastards still managed to survive.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Hiroto let out a sigh andy down as well.


    Just as he closed his eyes¡­ He heard something.


    "Hiro, what do you wanna be?"


    "Huh?"


    The sudden question from Oliver surprised him. Wait¡­


    "Hiro?"


    He questioned.


    "Your nickname, you gave Arken one too.".


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Well¡­I didn''t expect you to be the one to give me one."


    Heughed.


    "Should I call you Ollie now?"


    Hiro suggested a nickname as well.


    "I don''t mind."


    And he got the approval from Oliver as well.


    "I already told you, I wanna be ki-"


    "Not that, that''s too easy."


    Ollie interrupted him. Hiro looked confused.


    "That''s too easy. Anyone can be kind if they wanted to."


    Exined Ollie.


    "You don''t have to try hard to be kind, even the most evil man can try being kind."


    Hiro listened closely to Ollie.


    "That spear you have, it''s the Ame-no-Sakahoko, the upturned sky spear."


    "..."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "What do you wanna be? You must have a great ambition if the spear that didn''t choose someone suddenly chooses you.


    You must have something inside you."


    Hiro remained silent. Ollie asked Again.


    "I don''t know why it chose me."


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "I don''t know why the Ame-no-sakahoko chose me."


    Hiro exined.


    He always wondered why.


    "I was theplete opposite of righteousness when it chose me.


    I don''t know why it did.


    I heard that special weapons like this spear have a voice¡­I have only heard the words ''You are worthy'' or something along these lines.


    I¡­have not heard its voicepletely."


    Ollie pondered for a while.


    "I want to establish an Academy."


    Suddenly, Ollie said something that Hiro didn''t quite get.


    "Didn''t you want to be a great mage?"


    "I changed.


    When I saw you and Arken, I realized that many awakened children in this world need opportunities, the government offers education as well but the quality is not amazing.".


    Hiro quietly listened, he was getting interested now.


    "I want to establish an academy with the best resources and institutes, the very best in the world¡­I¡­ want to make a ce that helps young weakened protect the world."


    "Call it shield, the academy you wanna make."


    Hiro suddenly suggested a name for the ce.


    Ollieughed and agreed.


    "haha¡­okay."


    "The best academy in the world huh¡­ it''s grand."


    "Does it seem impossible?"


    "Impossible things were considered impossible until one crazy motherfucker made it possible."


    Smiled Hiro.


    "What I really wanna be huh¡­"


    He thought for a while, Ollie patiently waited for his words


    "I guess I want to hear the voice of the spear. I want it to answer me, I want it to tell me why it chose me when there were so many other choices. I wanna be someone worthy of the righteous spear.".


    Ollie stared at the sky above and thought.


    ''It''s still the same huh¡­''


    Heughed inwardly, it wasn''t mockery but a pure-heartedugh. Hiro saying he wanted to be worthy of the Righteous Spear just proved his original thoughts didn''t change.


    Ollie admired him. To choose to be that in this world driven by war. To still choose justice and the like here¡­Was both foolish and respectable.


    ''So that''s why you chose him.''


    He thought, referring to the Ame-No-Sakahoko. That spear chose him because of that, Hiro may be idealistic¡­But he had the strength to back it up.


    Admirable, it was.


    Ollie heard light snoring, both Hiro and Arken had fallen asleep and now only he was left awake.


    He stared at the stars in the sky and thought.


    ''It is beautiful.''


    Hiro was right, It was beautiful.


    For the first time in his life, He wished it didn''t end.


    He wished for this team to never end. He wished they would berades till the end of their lives.


    He wished.


    *************


    Years passed by, and Ollie, Arkie, and Hiro were still in the same team and they were famous, they were called Legends, Myths even. They had be role models for Awakened worldwide.


    Everything was going well, Arken was doing well, Hiroto and Oliver married as well and Oliver had set up his Academy, Shield.


    Life was going great, Humans had pushed the demons back by a lot and restoration efforts were being done.


    Oliver just wanted everything like this, Arken as well. It was peaceful.


    It was very peaceful, They were all happy.


    Until the attack of Japan happened.

 Chapter 328 [328] Attack Of The Duke, Azlan.

    It was chaos. Demons ravaged thends, seas, and skies.


    Japan, once the center of the technology of the world was now being overrun with demons, hundreds of thousands¡­nay! Millions of demons swarmed the ce. The attack was not on just one particr city or state but everywhere!


    "Kill them!"


    "Tatakae!"


    The Japanese hunters and military were doing their absolute best to stop the invasion but they were outnumbered, their tech was destroyed in instants and their hunters were ganged up on and torn limb from limb.


    The high skyscrapers, their marvels of technology were being brought down by massive behemoths and Balrogs climbed up some buildings andy havoc from atop, unleashing their breath and unholy fire from above.


    Hell rained down from above, as the people were unable to fight back.


    Swarms of demons wreaked havoc, from the skies they released evil magic of great proportions, from thend they ripped apart every human alive, and from the seas they rose and surrounded Japan.


    This was the end. Everyone thought¡­And this end had been brought by a single Duke.


    A Duke-ranked demon, the one who lead this attack.


    Towering over all mortal beings, it was a force of primal chaos, a living embodiment of infernal fury! It exuded an Aura of otherworldly majesty that struck both awe and fear into all that gazed at it''s fiery visage. An aura that signified theing of Death.


    d in swirling and vibrant purple mes, this Balrog defied the conventions of elemental existence. Its vast form, encased in undting, ethereal amethyst fire, revealed shifting patterns of mesmerizing hues - from deepest violet to radiantvender, and every shade in between. The mes danced with elegant grace, concealing its immense frame like a cloak of cosmic energy, emphasizing the sheer enormity of its presence.


    With each step, the earth quivered due to its immense weight, the ground caved in and all metal near it melted due to the heat of its mes.


    ts eyes zed with an eldritch intensity, piercing through the very souls of those who dared to confront it. All those that gazed at it had their souls sucked out, feeding it.


    This was a monster¡­a Monster of unimaginable proportions!


    It unfolded its massive, bat-like wings, whatever was left of the buildings beside it crumbled when those wings unfolded themselves. It roared. A roar so great it sent out a massive beam of chaotic energy toward the sky, it was as if it was an act to defy the very heavens themselves.


    Its wrath unleashed such power that the air crackled, and a purple inferno swept the area, engulfing everything, and reducing it to ash. It seemed as if this Inferno would devour all. Japan would fall to the Inferno of the Duke-ranked demon General An.


    But suddenly, like a ray of hope, it appeared. A Massive crescent wave of mana surrounded by lightning from the skies.


    It was ginormous, And it was headed towards An. An looked at it the attack that defiled his presence, and fired off a chaos st at it.


    The st and the wave of lightning collided, and the sky split.


    The power hidden within those two attacks shook the heaven and earth.


    [Who dares?]


    An''s voice shook the earth, it contained such power that normal humans died from hearing it.


    " I do, motherfucker!"


    Arken descended from the skies, with his berserker sword and attacked An.


    [Weak.]


    One word, and Arken was thrown to the side by the attacks of Multiple demons, An''s subordinates.


    He crashed into multiple demons and stopped after he crashedd into a tank. The one who had appeared to fight the demon was thrown away soon Easily. But hope was not lost.


    Tens of thousands of awakened appeared, from sky vessels. Armies of the other nations had arrived to help. Their aircraft filled the skies and showered golden beams of pure lead unto the demons.


    It was like a beam of light, the demons in the skies were killed instanslty, only a special few survived.


    [Nothing will change.]


    Stated An.


    Japan would still fall.


    "Really?"


    Another voice was heard as a massive magic circle appeared in the skies. An''s eyes widened once he saw it.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    [Elven Mag-]


    But he was unable toplete his sentence, He, along with his army was bombarded with spears of light numbering thousnads in the skies. The higher ranked demons set up barriers to protect themselves and their subordinates.


    [A Human using Elven magic¡­Now that''s something I thought I''d never see¡­]


    An looked at the Human who casted the magic. Oliver, d in his mana armament looked like a god, The pure blue mana around him spoke volumes of his strength. He began casting another spell.


    [You came alone? Fool-]


    However, He was interrupted by yet another attack. This time from a Spearman. He subconciosuly avoided the attack when he sensed a disturbing aura from the Weapon.


    Hiroto Mitsuki had also appeared.


    "He''s not alone bitch."


    His words were followed by another rain of spears, and then a buff which helped the other awakened gather themselves.


    [Stop him.]


    An ordered. His subordinates rushed at Oliver in the sky, But those demons were intercepted by Arken, Who wreaked havoc as he enjoyed bathing in their blood.


    Oliver continued to cast buffs, and numerous other S-ranked Hunters appeared in order to help.


    Things were looking better for Japan, as the other countries sent their reinforcements.


    An observed the surroundings and ordered.


    [All of you go and help the lower soldiers.]


    He ordered his subordinates to go and help the lower ranking demons, they were still a part of his army.


    "What about you my liege?"


    "Will you be okay brother?"


    His second inmand and his younger brother asked respectively.


    An just increased the intensity of his mes and responded.


    [Fret not¡­I will join you soon. It seems these three are the strongest here.]


    His subordinates began moving.


    [Go, I will not tolerate failure.]


    "Yes, My Liege."


    His subordinates marched ahead to fulfill their tasks, and An protected them from the attacks of the Golden trio whilst they went.


    "Your that confident huh?!"


    "..."


    Arken roared while Oliver and Hiroto remained quiet. Oliver casted another spell and Hiroto readied his spear.


    In response, An said.


    [Come.]


    He ordered them to attack, It was as if he not afraid of the 3v1.


    Yes, he was not¡­because¡­


    ??? ?????????? ?????? ????????????.

 Chapter 329 [329] To Do Whatever It Takes To Win.

    It was a battle of breathtaking proportions. A purple inferno raged across thends, stopped by attacks of pure mana from the sky, shes of Crescent lightning, and a Spear possessing a power contrasting it.


    Hiroto, Arken, And Oliver all attacked An together, And the demon Duke fought them alone.


    His mes red, creating a purple infernal tornado that aimed to kill Oliver.


    Arken appeared in front of it and split in half, but An shot another chaos st aimed straight at Arken, it approached with such a speed that Arken would be unable to cut it.


    But Oliver was there. He immediately cast Telekinesis on Arken and moved him out of the way, the chaos st flew undisturbed and exploded high in the skies.


    The world was dyed purple for a moment as the explosion urred, and a sound loud enough to shatter an eardrum resounded.


    "..."


    Oliver gazed at the power of that st in awe. Even though it was the attack of his enemy¡­to Fire that so quickly and calmly.


    [You thought there was only one?]


    Suddenly, a shiver ran down Oliver''s spine as he turned around to see a dozen moreing his Arken''s way.


    "Shit!''


    He cursed and expertly maneuvered Arken and Himself with telekinesis to dodge the sts.


    Hiroto quickly intercepted An to stop the barrage at Oliver and Arken, and thus they were saved. However, the shockwave from the explosions in the sky was so strong they threw Oliver and Arken in An''s range. However, fortunately for them, An was being kept upied by Hiroto.


    Hiroto used the Ame-no-Sakahoko and fired of a crescent sh of his mana, imbued with the properties of the Upturned Sky spear.


    An, instead of taking the attack head dodged, His massive body proved to be a disadvantage in this fight. He was an easier target.


    [...That spear is troublesome.]


    An thought. The Ame-No-sakahoko was troublesome. It possessed the power to dispel chaos and was theplete counter to it. It was like a celestial weapon the annoying celestials had. Because of the nature of that Spear, An made Hiroto his top priority.


    [I''ll get rid of you first.]


    Dered An as he made his way towards Hiroto, His mes raged upward.


    He manifested a sword suitable for his size with his inferno and shed it downwards At Hiroto.


    "Arken! Your Cue!"


    Hiroto yelled as the massive infernal sword approached. Oliver used telekinesis to propel Arken in front of Hiroto.


    [RAVAGER STYLE(5-star)]


    [SECOND MOVEMENT]


    //SKY SPLIT\\


    Arken used the second movement of the Ravager style. The sword style that he created through countless attempts.


    A sword style meant to shatter the Underworld, Earth, Skies, Heaven, and even the world.


    A massive strike covered in Lightning met with the de of An, Golden lightning and purple inferno fought against one another, creating a spectacr but deadly sight.


    The attacks were almost Equal. Hiroto and Oliver broke the attacks by attacking An. Oliver cast a light attribute spell, dangerous to demons.


    [PILLAR OF UNDYING LIGHT.]


    The skies lit up, and a heavenly light descended upon the world. The Demons shivered as they saw an S-rank spell being cast.


    The light was enough topletely vanquish the lower-ss demons, and it even burned the skin of the higher-ranking demons before being fully cast.


    "Oh light of judgement¡­"


    Oliver began his chant.


    An, in the very center of the Spell''s range, tried to get out but was stopped by Hiroto.


    "Where the fuck do you think you''re going?"


    [Die!]


    An fired a breath of purple inferno At Hiroto, who used his spear art to intercept it.


    "Enlighten the ignorant¡­The foolish."


    Oliver''s words carried power, one could feel and see the spell gaining power with each word.


    [HEAVENLY SPEAR(5-STAR)]


    //HEAVENLY THRUST\\


    An, while keeping his breath active tried to move away but failed to do so, His breath was stopped By Arken, who cut the Achilles tendon in his right leg, causing him to fall on his knees.


    "YEAH!"


    "KILL HIM!"


    The awakened roared as they saw the duke fall.


    [Like we will let you do that!]


    A swarm of high-ranked demons flew up, aiming to intercept Oliver''s casting.


    But they were all stopped by the other awakened, who dragged them down with skills and mana in order to let Oliver continue his cast.


    "Let there be light."


    And then there was light. A massive Pir of holy light descended Upon An, It was so huge it covered even his immense body. It shook the very Earth as it granted judgment upon An.


    An''s fiery visage disappeared inside the blinding light.


    "...something''s off."


    Muttered Oliver from the skies¡­He was feeling something strange. The Awakened and military forces were cheering¡­But something was wrong.


    Arken remained vignt and was ready to strike again the moment the Light disappeared.


    "...Is it over?"


    Hiroto muttered. Regardless, He remained vignt as well. He was not a rookie to make such a mistake of thinking the enemy was dead.


    "The beam of light started to dissipate¡­and then it happened.


    An infernal tornado of chaotic mes rose high in the sky and defied the light.


    [I¡­am a duke.]


    [Authority Of The Duke (SSS) has been activated.]


    Oliver''s mana rebounded at him. And Hiroto and Arken, who were going to attack as soon as the inferno appeared stopped¡­the skill stopped their movements.


    "I can''t move!"


    ''Ugh¡­''


    Arken and Hiroto struggled to move. Arken was helpless but Hiroto, with the Ame No Sakahoko


    Would be free soon. Due to the spear''s special abilities, his resistance to demonic skills increased.


    [Die.]


    An aimed for Hiroto because of this, He swung his Sword of infernal chaos.


    "SHIT!"


    Hiroto was barely able to use the Ame-No-Sakahoko to block¡­But that was enough.


    In an instant¡­The massive power behind the attack was enough.


    Everything went white for an instant¡­the shockwaves traveled through Hiroto''s body¡­Fracturing his bones and making him cough blood. This was the result of Pure, brute strength.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Hiroto was sent flying, his figure streaked across the sky, he crashed into multiple buildings and created a crater when he fell¡­ A few rebars even pierced his body.


    The demons rejoiced whilst the Awakened disappeared.


    "Hiroto!"


    Arken yelled he was going to help Hiroto but the Duke would not let him.


    [You dare turn your back on me?]


    His chaotic voice rang out, As soon as Arken turned around, he was met with a chaos st at point-nk range.


    "Arken!"


    Oliver coughed up blood and was injured as well because of the Mana rebound, he tried to support Arken but it was toote¡­


    Arken''s figure disappeared, and the explosion engulfed him.


    [And now¡­Only you are left.]


    An unfurled his wings and flew up high to confront Oliver.


    His fiery visage struck terror into the hearts of the humans¡­and joy into the hearts of the demon.


    This was theirmander! A Duke!


    This was his unquestionable might.


    "Damn it¡­"


    Oliver and An had a staredown in the sky.


    [It was impressive that you could use elven magic¡­but to think even the magic of the celestials was in your Arsenal.]


    An''s mes increased in intensity, and Oliver cast a barrier to protect himself.


    [Given some time¡­I would have been defeated by you alone¡­]


    An readied his sword and charged at Oliver.


    [But destiny is cruel.]


    And their airborne battle began.


    ***********


    [Hiroto Pov]


    ¡­what happened¡­?


    I can''t hear anything¡­its numb.


    Everything¡­is numb¡­


    Thest thing I remember is¡­getting attacked by that duke.


    ''...Where am I?''


    I thought¡­but Neither could I see nor could I feel.


    It hurts¡­or does it?


    ''Am I in a state of shock?''


    I thought¡­maybe that was the case¡­the power behind that strike was immense.


    ''...No¡­I can''t die¡­''


    I need to go help Arken and Oliver¡­


    This is my home¡­my wife''s home¡­My people''s home.


    "Ughhh¡­"


    I tried to move¡­but what was going on?


    ¡­Move¡­Move¡­ I begged my broken body to move¡­


    I don''t know what''s happening¡­


    However¡­I could hear now¡­somewhat.


    "Finish him!"


    "Protect the saint!"


    "Kill Him!"


    "Healers! WE NEED YOU HERE NOW!"


    Human voices¡­mixed with demons¡­I can hear somewhat now¡­


    Am I even holding onto the Ame-No-Sakahoko¡­?


    *Blurgh¡­*


    Did I vomit¡­?


    I don''t know¡­


    Where is my spear..?


    ''It  hurts¡­''


    It hurts too much¡­Only now did the numbness disappear and the pain came. Like a tsunami.


    I hurriedly examined my condition once I could¡­And It was terrible.


    I can''t move like this¡­But I need to.


    I need to move¡­to protect my home.


    I know how¡­


    Suddenly¡­I came up with an Idea. It was by no means easy and neither did I try it before..but it''s my only hope right now. I can hear the sounds of battle around me¡­People are trying their best to defend me¡­


    I need to get up.


    [HEAVENLY SPEAR]


    [THIRD MOVEMENT]


    //HEAVENLY ARMAMENT\\


    I used the third moveent of my spear technique to create an armour around me¡­and then I expanded it¡­Not outwards.


    But inwards¡­I could feel the armour pierce into my skin and bones¡­It''s painful¡­ I''m forcefully using my mana to control my shattered body¡­


    I want to let out screams¡­it hurts¡­It hurts too much¡­


    But I need to¡­i need to bear¡­it¡­


    I can move now¡­I need to get back into the fight.


    I regained my sight by using my mana to enhance my optical nerves¡­and I was thankful the Ame No Sakahoko was still In my grasp¡­


    Let''s go buddy¡­Let''s go kill that demon.


    I charged forward.

 Chapter 330 [330] Fight, Oh Golden Hero!

    A/N: Extra Weekly Chapter every week because we broke past 50 Golden Tickets.


    Thank you all very much.


    **************************


    The battle in the sky was truly shocking. Oliver and An''s figures streaked throughout the skies, Oliver was running away from An whilst firing multiple spells at him, but An''s infernal mes engulfed them all.


    "Damn it!"


    [You cannot run forever!]


    The massive figure of An soaring through the skies of war-torn Tokyo was frightening, Oliver kept Firing spells at An but to no avail.


    An fired a dozen Chaos sts, each powerful enough to destroy a district, Oliver redirected them toward the sky, and they painted it with chaos once again.


    *BOOOOM*


    "Argh!"


    The mana rebound hit him harder this time, furthermore, the shockwaves from the sts disrupted his flight.


    He barely avoided An''s sword, which sliced a building behind him in half. Oliver used telekinesis to control the falling half of the building and mmed it at An.


    An emerged from the Debris with a roar and charged once again at Oliver.


    The demons and humans from below looked at their fight with awestruck eyes.


    Oliver flew higher and fired multiple spells, ice des, ciers, light arrows, etc¡­Every spell that would harm An in any way or be against his elemental powers was literally spammed. Oliver''srge mana pool was allowing this to be possible.


    [This is nothing human!]


    An fired off three chaos sts, Oliver narrowly avoided the sts but An detonated one right beside him, Oliver hurriedly cast a barrier but it shattered like ss from the force of the st. Oliver hurriedly tried to move away¡­but then he realized An was gone.


    "Huh¡­?"


    He sensed arge amount of chaos above him, and when he looked up at the purple light¡­He saw deathing for him in the form of a breath of chaotic fire.


    Oliver was about to dodge it¡­but then he realized.


    Below him were the countless refugees¡­Not even awakened but where the normal people were gathered¡­


    There were hardly any demons there as well¡­An had lured him into this spot!


    "Shit!"


    He gazed at the powerful attack and cast multipleyers of barriers. 7 powerful barriers were cast in an instant and Oliver poured all of his mana into them.


    The first barrier and the fire shed, and it broke in an instant.


    The second followed.


    And then the third.


    The fourth held out for some time¡­but even it was engulfed by the mes of chaos. It shattered like ss.


    "Urgh!"


    Oliver was doing his best to hold on¡­but he feared the worst wasing soon.


    "Run!"


    "Mommy!"


    The people below him began to frantically run, the Awakened forces there escorted. They must be fast so that Oliver could escape. But it seemed as if this was the End.


    Hiroto Mitsuki, the Spear Saint was sent flying and god knows where.


    Arken Miller, the sword saint, had been blown away by a chaos st at point-nk range.


    And now it seemed that Oliver Olsfer, the sage would also turn to ash.


    The fifth broke, the mes decreased¡­But even then the sixth broke.


    Now only one was left.


    Oliver coughed up blood¡­His skin was melting because of the immense heat of the mes.


    "...Ugh!"


    "Come on!"


    "Get out of here now!"


    The awakened below him were trying their best to escort the people but¡­ everything looked bleak.


    The seventh barrier shattered¡­but the me also died out.


    [You survived that? Praiseworthy.]


    An praised Oliver. Oliver fell to the ground and could barely stand up.


    "...ugh¡­"


    He coughed up blood, parts of his skin were burned beyond recognition.


    [Elven and Celestial magic, you made use of both as a Human without any bloodline¡­That ismendable.]


    An respected Oliver. It was not easy to use the magic of elves and celestials as a mere human without a bloodline.


    [It''s sad your talent was not possessed by a demon¡­]


    It truly was amentable fact. An shivered when thought of the prowess a demon with that talent could possess¡­But s¡­


    [Now die.]


    This enemy would now die. An fired off a final chaos st, intended to kill Oliver and all the awakened in the area.


    The chaos st was still in the palm of his hands, and An asked.


    [Any Last words?]


    He would give his opponent at least that privilege.


    "YEAH! TAKE THIS MOTHERFUCKER!"


    Those words were not uttered by Oliver. A lightning bolt shes in the sky as Arken suddenly appears and cuts off An''s hand.


    [Gah!]


    For the first time, An was in pain.


    The chaos st exploded, and Arken, Like a madman, climbed up An''s body and aimed for his chest. Arken disregarded the intense mes of An which were burning his legs but he still charged forward and drove his Sword into An''s chest, presumably where his heart was.


    The massive balrog started to fall towards the ground, An tried to shake Arken off but was unsessful.


    Arken unleashed his lightning inside of An, electrocuting his insides, An crashed into a building and fell to the ground like a fallen Angel.


    "Sir Oliver, take this!"


    A random awakened man threw a mana potion towards Oliver, Oliver caught it and drank it. Feeling his manae back, Oliver started chanting Elven Magic.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Roots appeared from under the ground when his chant wasplete. These roots bound An and resisted his fiery body. They gave Arken the chance to rampage freely.


    An fired a breath at Arken, But Arken cut it in half and made his way toward An''s face.


    [RAVAGER STYLE(5-star)]


    [SECOND MOVEMENT]


    //EARTHLY SPLIT\\


    An increased his mes and freed his right arm and used it to block Arken''s attack.


    [ENOUGH!]


    An''s mes surged. Arken was engulfed by those soaring mes and was flown away.


    [YOU!]


    An manifested a whip of chaotic mes and grabbed Oliver by the Leg.


    "Argh!"


    Oliver''s leg was being burned by the mes.


    [DIE!]


    An flung Oliver using the whip and Oliver collided into multiple buildings.


    An cut off a building and made it bury Oliver. He was now sure Oliver was dead.


    Now Only Arken was left.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    Arken was using his de to support himself, multiple areas of his skin had melted, and burnt flesh was showing,


    An approached Arken and Swung his sword Down.


    ''...damn it.''


    So this is how the Sword Saint dies.


    However, Just as that massive sword of purple fire was gonna fall down on Arken, An was sent flying.


    A spear was thrown right at him and the power behind the attack was so great that even An was flown away.


    And the one who was responsible for that appeared like a hero d in golden armor. An Armour that pierced his own flesh and bone so he could move.


    "Hiroto¡­?"


    Arken muttered.


    "Arken¡­Go and help Oliver and help the rest of the Awakened¡­I¡­will take care of that bastard."


    Ordered Hiroto, He was having trouble speaking because of the pain.


    He didn''t wait for Arken to respond and went ahead.


    To fight the Duke by himself.


    ********


    The force carried by the Ame-no-Sakahoko was throwing the Duke like a ragdoll. His power of chaos resisted the unique power of the Ame-No-Sakahoko. The mes of Chaos and the Power of the upturned Sky spear went against one another.


    Hiroto suddenly appeared and recalled the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR]


    [FIRST MOVEMENT]


    /HEAVENLY THRUST\


    Hiroto performed the first movement directly at An''s face, The Power of the HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR''s first movement was unleashed in full force at An''s face.


    An coughed up blood, with a part of his face missing.


    [...You were still alive?]


    Questioned by An, Hiroto didn''t answer and continued his attacks.


    An also didn''t inquire further and swung his sword, His massive sword collided with the spear of the Golden Hero.


    [How interesting!]


    The chaotic mes and the holy aura of the Ame-No-Sakahoko shed.


    The first evaporated their surroundings.


    The Second sh shook the earth.


    The Third caused storms.


    The fourth led to Lightning bolts striking An.


    The Fifth causes shock waves so destructive all were pushed back.


    The Aircraft and demons in the skies were having their flight disturbed, The sudden storm and lightning bolts proved to be detrimental to them¡­but strangely the lightning bolts never attacked humanity,


    The shes continued, and Hiroto''s small frame went against therge de.


    An''s visage became engulfed in lightning that fell from the skies, the sky itself unleashed its wrath.


    [Kuk¡­]


    [I AM A DUKE!]


    He proimed, his fire soared up once again and evaporated the stormy rain, it fought against the lightning that fell from the skies.


    Ans fiery visage filled Hiroto''s vision.


    [I AM A DUKE!]


    He swung his massive sword down, and Hiroto dodged the attack. It split the earth and caused much more destruction.


    Hiroto climbed up the de with the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    An fired a breath of Chaos me.


    [COME THEN!]


    He roared, his roar defied the heavens that attacked him. The Lightning bolts increased and des of wind assaulted his body.


    Hiroto¡­could now hear it.


    The voice of his spear was making all this possible.


    The Upturned Sky spear, which was controlling the weather to aid the Humans¡­spoke to Hiroto.


    |???????? ?????? ??????????, ???? ???????????? ????????|

 Chapter 331 [331] FINAL STAND!

    Hiroto POV:


    [y the Demon, Oh Golden hero.]


    I can hear it.


    *CLANG*


    The voice¡­


    *CLANG*


    [DIE YOU HUMAN.]


    *CLANG*


    Of the Spear¡­


    *CLANG*


    It''s not the same ''You are worthy'' I always heard...it is different!


    *ng*


    "AHHHHHH!"


    I roared, I let out a roar that was both my pain and my joy.


    My pain from using this Technique to make my broken body move forcefully¡­and my joy from finally hearing the voice of the Ame-no-Sakahoko!


    [RAAAHHHHHH!]


    Did An share my joy? Or did he respond to my roar? As our weapons shed there was a smile on my face. Yes¡­This is how it should be.


    The holy power of the Ame-No-Sakahoko shed with An''s chaos and repelled it back, but that chaos also repelled me back.


    I expanded the [Heavenly Armament] even more, I grit my teeth as hard as I could but even then blood seeped out of my mouth.


    [Fight for your kind.]


    The Spear said.


    [I will ease your pain.]


    The pain, The pain that would kill a man dozens of times disappeared as I felt free.


    The armament shone a golden hue as An stepped back to avoid the Light of the Spear.


    [Hmph!]


    He grunted and manifested multiple whips made of chaos mes from his back which made their way toward me.


    [Go forward, Hiro.]


    ''Yes, I shall.''


    I responded to the spear and moved straight into the countless whips that moved like a fierce storm.


    "HA!"


    I let out another roar, fervor filled my mind as soon as the pain disappeared and I smiled. A fear-inducing smile because of my blood but a smile nheless.


    ??????, ???????? ???? ???????? ?? ???????????? ???? ????????...


    This was it. This was my power.


    "Hahaha!"


    [You madman!]


    Indeed! Like a madman, I jumped into the forest of the chaos whips and made my way toward An.


    Using the Ame-No-Sakahoko I severed those whips and got closer and closer.


    [Left.]


    The Ame-No-sakahoko warned me of the impending attacks and I could dodge them without worry.


    [Ragh!]


    A breath of chaos filled my vision, but I did not fear. I had my spear with me.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR.]


    [FIRST MOVEMENT]


    /HEAVENLY THRUST\


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    I thrusted with my spear, and the first movement collided with the breath of An.


    Both forces kept themselves at bay, their power so great they terraformed everything around them!


    I jumped high up, and because of the power of the Heavenly Armament, I jumped as high as the clouds.


    "HAAAAA!"


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR]


    [SECOND MOVEMENT]


    //HEAVENLY SKY MIGHT\\


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    An''s eyes widened as he saw a giant version of the Ame-no-Sakahoko in the sky. The Giant Spear possessed a golden hue and made its way towards An, splitting apart the heavens to make way.


    [ALL OF YOU! OUT OF THE WAY.]


    He yelled at his subordinates in the area to evacuate the area, He stomped on the ground and released a wave of chaotic mes that carried his subordinates far away.


    [COME!]


    [Skill: HONOR OF A DUKE(SSS) has been activated.]


    [The power of chaos augments your strength.]


    As if he already wasn''t big enough, An''s Figure grew twice its size and flew upwards.


    He regenerated his injured body and roared as he charged at the descending golden spear.


    [ARGH!]


    He grabbed the forked spear de of the Ame-no-Sakahoko and tried to stop it.


    The power of the Ame-No-Sakahoko burned his hands, An concentrated his Chaos mes on his hands and tried to stop the descent of the spear, but he could not.


    [argh!]


    He grunted as hended on the ground, still holding the forked de.


    The ground beneath him caved due to the power of the spear.


    An coughed up blood and used another skill.


    [Skill: Strength of a Duke(SSS) has been activated.]


    [Your strength has increased greatly.]


    ARGH!


    With his increased strength, An finally brought the spear down.


    Therge body of the spear was brought down in front of him, and arge crater was formed as the massive golden Spear Dissipated.


    An saw the human d in Golden Armour charge toward him again, And He roared once again.


    [Skill: Chaos Rend(SSS+) has been activated.]


    He swung his sword and a crescent sh of Chaos energy went towards Hiroto, who responded in kind.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR.]


    [THIRD MOVEMENT.]


    ///HEAVENLY REDEMPTION\\\


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A crescent sh of Holy power and a sh of Demonic Power shed with one another.


    Their Golden and Purple energies distorted the space when they made their way toward one another, but the ss itself was even more destructive.


    [Hah¡­.Ha¡­]


    An gasped for breath.


    As the collision between the Holy power and Demonic Power kept the Hero upied, he took in the surroundings¡­


    They were losing¡­the demons were losing.


    The other two that he was fighting before were destroying the demon army.


    [...that mage is still alive¡­barely.]


    He was shocked, he thought he had ended that mage''s life but that damned mage was unlike the rest. He was still alive¡­albeit barely.


    But the fact was¡­he was still alive and wreaking havoc among the demonic army and buffing the Human forces.


    His generals were being pushed back by the countless S-Rank humans and that bloody berserker human who wielded a sword even bigger than him.


    [...we are losing¡­]


    He concluded when he saw the state of the invasion¡­.


    The aircraft from the sky fired down bullets of lead enhanced with mana-like rain¡­the lightning from the skies disrupted their ranks and killed major amounts of demons¡­


    [...]


    An''s body bled, and his eyes bled as he saw his kin being killed helplessly.


    [...retreat.]


    He announced.


    But the demons could not hear him, his weak voice was drowned by the sounds of war.


    He unleashed another chaos rend to keep Hiroto busy.


    [...no¡­]


    He saw his younger brother, the second to seed him get helplessly thrown around by the damn berserker.


    He pulled him back using a whip and augmented his voice using mana.


    [RETREAT! I, AZLAN ORDER ALL DEMONS TO RETREAT.]


    "Brother, we can still fight!"


    "Duke! Let us ass-"


    [DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?! I ORDERED YOU ALL TO RETREAT.]


    He used arge portion of his remaining strength to open up a portal back to the abyss.


    [GO WHILE I CAN STILL HOLD THEM BACK.]


    He roared, preparing to die today.


    [Skill: Authority of the Duke has been activated.]


    The demons began their retreat. An opened up arge portal to the demonyer using arge portion of his strength and ordered them all using a skill.


    "The demons are retreating!"


    "CHARGE! KILL THOSE BASTARDS!"


    The human forces charged forward, filled with fervor.


    The aircraft let down all their weapons, and even the lightning of the Ame-No-Sakahoko increased, all to kill his kind.


    [Whether it be humans¡­or even The heavens¡­]


    Muttered a weakened An.


    [YOU DARE?!]


    Do they dare to attack his kind? When they are retreating?


    He will not let them.


    [Skill: WRATH OF CHAOS(EPIC) has been activated.]


    He swung his sword in his rage, the power of chaos left his de and decimated the human forces, their aircraft fell to the ground.


    [Even the heavens dare not defy my Abyssal might!]


    He dered as he fired a breath of chaos into the sky.


    Lighting gathered around to oppose his breath, but An did not relent.


    His breath cleared the skies, it defeated the lightning and then split the skies apart. The storm stopped and An''s breath only increased in power. He decimated more aircraft but his onught was stopped by the Sword Saint, Arken.


    Arken dug his sword into An''s neck! An''s breath stopped and his games increased and torched Arken but even then Arken did not back away. Even if his body was being scorched by the chaotic mes, he continued to dig his sword even deeper


    [FUCK OFF!]


    An used his tail to knock Arken away. He fired a chaos st at the burnt body of Arken and made sure he could not fight anymore.


    [I will kill you for sure this time!]


    He was about to use a chaos Rend to split Arken in half but was stopped by a pir of light that descended from the skies and burned him alive.


    ?? ????????, ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???? ??????????!


    His fiery visage dissipated the light but An fell on his knees.


    Hiroto''s [Heavenly Redemption] hit him in the back and left a deep wound on his back but he fired ten chaos sts at Oliver.


    "Kill the duke!"


    "Kill those demonic bastards!"


    An fired chaos sts continuously, trying to give the demons a chance to retreat.


    The humans concentrated their attacks on him after they suffered severe damage from his chaotic sts.


    Just like he wanted.


    Whether it be from the skies¡­or thend¡­the attacks did not stop.


    A myriad of skills attacked his injured body. They would not have injured him normally¡­but they dug into his wounds and caused more damage.


    He fired off breaths, chaos breaths, and rends until he could not anymore¡­thest of his strength was depleted¡­


    His knees buckled¡­But he did not give up. The attacks from the humans had stopped¡­but then.


    "Let''s end this!"


    He looked at the sky, where the Golden Hero was present, gathering his power to unleash a final, ultimate attack.


    [COME!]


    An ignored his body, which was on the brink of, death, and looked at the sky at the hero and gathered everything he had left¡­for one final stand.


    [I shall die today¡­]


    He knew it. He would die today¡­BUT!


    ?? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR]


    [FIFTH MOVEMENT]


    /////HEAVENLY SKY SPLIT\\\\\


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    An also unleashed his ultimate attack.


    ???????????????????????????????????????????????


    [ABYSSAL DUKE''S PRIDE.]


    [SIN OF PRIDE.]


    |||||ASCENT OF CHAOS|||||


    ???????????????????????????????????????????????

 Chapter 332 [332] A Victory That Came With A Sacrifice.

    A cataclysmic battle urred between two opposite forces. One was a tempest of unbridled Chaos and the other a radiant cascade of pure light. Chaos ascended and light descended, The two hurled towards each other with unstoppable momentum.


    Oliver, Arken, and everyone else stared in awe at the sight.


    The chaos arrived like a storm born of nightmares, an entity of swirling darkness that devoured all in its path. Its form defied definition, a shifting maelstrom of shadow and discord that seemed to mock the very concept of order. Thunderous roars echoed through Tokyo as the chaotic force tore through all barriers, leaving trails of fractured space in its wake. However.


    In stark contrast, the light emerged as a spear of incandescent purity, a symphony of luminescence that painted the void with hues of gold and silver. Radiant tendrils of energy cascaded outward, forming a resplendent tapestry that appeared to mend the very wounds torn open by chaos. Its presence exuded a sense of hope and serenity, an unwavering belief in the power of harmony to prevail. That was the true purpose of the Ame-No-Sakahoko after all. To vanquish Chaos.


    Hiroto, at the very center of the light, was awestruck.


    "So¡­this is the final movement¡­"


    A lightugh escaped his mouth. To think this was the movement that he could never perform¡­To think¡­it was this magnificent.


    [Yes.]


    The Spear answered. Hiroto felt a surge of power within his dying body.


    [Hiroto.]


    The spear called out. Blood seeped out of his mouth as he answered.


    "Yeah?"


    He asked weakly.


    [Let us Vanquish Chaos.]


    "Haha¡­"


    Hiroto let out anotherugh. His eyes gained conviction as he regained his usual smile and yelled.


    "Let us!"


    The spear of pure light descended to meet the tempest of chaos. In front of everyone''s eyes, the strongest attack of a five-star spear art collided against the strongest attack of a demonic duke augmented with the power of one of the Seven Deadly sins, Pride.


    As the two forces shed, the initial onught of chaos proved overwhelming. It engulfed the light with a voracious hunger, eclipsing its brilliance in a shroud of malevolent obscurity. The sh sent shockwaves throughout Earth, and it seemed as though the very Earth itself held its breath, caught in a moment of suspended anticipation. What would happen? Would Chaos Prevail or would it be Light.


    "Ugh¡­."


    Hiroto was dying, he could barely hold the immense power of the spear. His human body was just far too weak to withstand the power¡­but then the spear spoke to him once again.


    [Believe.]


    It spoke again.


    [Believe, and it will be done.]


    Hiroto smiled. So he was still doubting himself huh¡­


    Fine.


    Let it be so.


    He believes.


    "I believe¡­"


    He muttered with undying conviction. No¡­


    "I believe."


    He dered¡­And So¡­


    Within the heart of the engulfing darkness, a spark of defiance emerged. The light, though diminished, refused to be extinguished. Its tendrils, feeble yet steadfast, began to weave a delicate dance amidst the chaos. With each pulse of its luminous energy, the light carved intricate patterns into the world, like a symphony of stars illuminating the night sky.


    The chaos corrupting the spear disappeared and it shone its magnificent light once again.


    Light will Prevail.


    As the battle raged on, a transformation took shape. The light''s persistence and unwavering resolve began to erode the dominance of chaos. The once-unstoppable storm began to falter, its malevolent torrents fracturing and dissipating in the face of the light''s resolute advance. A celestial dance of unparalleled beauty unfolded, as radiant beams pierced through the remnants of chaos, splintering the darkness and heralding the dawn of a new equilibrium.


    [Gahh¡­]


    An fell to his knees.


    [My¡­pride does not allow it!]


    He dered, his body already on the brink of death, it was his sheer determination keeping him alive¡­No. It was his Pride, his pride as a demon, his pride as a soldier, his pride as a general¡­His pride as a Duke.


    But his pride was not strong enough. It could notpete with Hiroto''s ''belief''.


    In a breathtaking crescendo, the light surged forth with an intensity that was blinding to behold. Its brilliance, magnified by the trials it had endured, consumed thest vestiges of chaos, filling thend with a luminous symphony, filling it with a light that understood their pain, and healed it.


    [...ugh¡­]


    An could feel the blinding light burn his body¡­He didn''t even need to look up. He knew the light was there, His chaos had been vanquished.


    He surveyed the area and found little to no demons left¡­he heaved a sigh of relief.


    [Fine¡­]


    He epted his fate. He raised his head, His pride would not let him die with his head to the ground.


    He saw the golden, pure light of the Ame-No-Sakahoko and the face of the Golden Hero.


    Haha¡­


    [This is a fitting end.]


    He muttered, and the Forked end of the spear dug into his skull and killed him. The golden light disintegrated his body, Only his head was left and that too fell to the ground.


    In this sh of chaos and Light, it was Light''s belief and resilience that triumphed.


    The earth, forever transformed by this cataclysmic encounter, bore witness to the eternal dance between opposing forces, a reminder that even in the darkest of moments, the radiant spirit of light can illuminate the path to triumph and renewal.


    "Beautiful¡­"


    Hiroto muttered as he stood on top of the skull of An and gazed at the skies filled with the tendrils of hope and belief¡­which painted a truly marvelous sight¡­


    But all Happiness would soon fade away As everything does.


    As the humans rejoiced in their victory¡­the golden armor around him dissipated into specks of light that disappeared¡­


    Hiroto would soon follow the same fate. An''s remaining energy of Chaos acted on instinct and approached Hiroto to curse him.


    Hiroto couldn''t do anything¡­He was already dead.


    [Rest In peace, Hiroto.]


    The Ame-No-Sakahoko used its power to redirect the curse toward itself¡­Hiroto was dead. The best it could do was give him a peaceful death and not let the curse burden him more. It took the duke''s curse on itself and bade farewell.


    On that day, Humanity defeated a Duke.


    On that day, Humanity lost the Spear Saint.

 Chapter 333 [333] Clash Against Disciples.

    [Present time.]


    "Get Up, Do you think your enemies will give you time to rest?"


    Arken kicked n in the stomach and sent him flying.


    "Ugh¡­"


    n coughed up blood and stood up again.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear.]


    [First Movement]


    /Heavenly thrust\


    n performed the first movement of the Heavenly Sky Spear martial art but the power was so meager Arken wanted to vomit.


    "Pathetic."


    He pped the thrust away and Punched n in the face.


    "What are you going to do with such a pathetic thrust?"


    Arken remembered the attack n had injured him with the first time they had met. The attack was extremely powerful and had injured him¡­whatever Art n was using Originally Surpassed Hiroto''s Heavenly Sky Spear¡­But.


    It was too dangerous for n, Arken saw how much the art injured him. So it was unfit for n. yet.


    A martial art that would kill the user was not good. The maximum potential of the martial art can only be utilized once the User is worthy. n was unworthy currently.


    But the Heavenly Sky Spear was not so destructive and n could also handle its power due to his bloodline and race.


    ''Oliver did mention that supreme dragons were behind n¡­maybe they gave him that art.''


    Arken dodged n''s attacks and thoughts.


    "Pathetic!"


    [Heavenly Sky Spear]


    [Fourth Movement]


    //Heavenly Armament\\


    However, n''s Heavenly Armament shattered like ss in front of Arken''s simple kick.


    "n."


    Arken called out to his disciple.


    "You are putting an ungodly amount of mana into the art."


    "I¡­know¡­"


    n responded as he struggled to get up.


    What n was doing was simple, He was putting arge amount of Mana into the movements of the [Heavenly Sky Spear]. That would not evoke the full power of the art. That amount of mana would certainly help when he mastered it¡­but not now.


    It was just being wasted.


    "Let''s stop."


    nid down on the textureless ground and collected his breath. The Ame-No-Sakahokoy beside him.


    Arken picked the spear up.


    "Treat it with some respect you moron."


    "Ow!"


    Arken hit n''s head with the handle of the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    n rolled around in pain.


    "What the heck!"


    He cursed.


    "What did you say?"


    And got another whack.


    It took tworge bumps on his head to make him stop talking.


    "It''s a spear which yed a Duke, And was also the weapon of myte brother. Treat it with respect."


    Arken handed the Ame-No-Sakahoko to n.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear(5-Star) profieciency:12%]


    Haaa¡­.


    n let out a sigh as he checked the proficiency of the Heavenly sky Spear art. It wasn''t increasing even though he had spent days increasing the mastery.


    "Sigh¡­"


    Another sigh left his mouth.


    "Why are you sighing?"


    Asked Arken, he was getting annoyed by the constant sighing.


    "The proficiency isn''t increasing."


    Answered n. He had been suffering for days but there was no result. It was natural he would be dissapointed.


    "So what? It''ll rise when it wants too."


    "But-"


    "If it was that easy, everyone would have a 5-star art n, furthermore, the [Heavenly Sky Spear] is a martial art linked to the Ame-no-Sakahoko, the will of the spear is important."


    Arken interrupted n''s useless bickering.


    "You mean the ego of the spear?"


    n questioned. Referring to the will, or ego of the Ame-no-sakahoko.


    "Yeah."


    Arken confirmed. It would be hard to get the ego to speak to you. Most ego weapons were like that, especially the high ranked ones. The Ame-No-Sakahoko as well, As Far as Arken recalled it, only spoke the words "You are worthy" to Hiroto¡­


    So it would be hard to get it to speak to n.


    But¡­He would make it possible. Even if it meant breaking every bone in the brat''s body. Arken would make sure n was worthy to hear the voice of the Spear.


    "It will take time, but will definitely be done."


    "Fine¡­I guess I''ll just tra-"


    n stopped in the middle of his sentence and his eyes widened. Arken stood up and released his mana and n took a stance with the Ame-No-Sakahoko and also enhanced his body with his mana.


    "Her again huh¡­"


    Arkenmented.


    ''Her? Again?''


    n questioned in his mind? Just what was he referring too?


    ''Ah!''


    Just when n had an idea of what it might be¡­it was proved true tmomentster when a two simr looking individuals appeared out of a shift in space.


    ''Portal?...No that''s something different.''


    Thought n as he saw their mode of transportations.


    The two bowed down to greet Arken.


    "Greetings to the Sword Saint."


    The Older woman with red hair and a scar on her face greeted Arken with a smile and her hands on her breasts. Her smile was full of happiness. But n felt something off when he saw her smile.


    ''An act.''


    The smile was fake, the woman was putting an act. n could instinctively feel it.


    "And Is this the famous n Pator?"


    She said, looking at n.


    The other one, the little version of the woman looked at n with curious eyes.


    n suddenly felt odd. He felt a sudden itch on his back.


    "Hmm?"


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras says, "Did that bitch just?"]


    ''What?''


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha agrees with Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras.]


    ''What? What happened?''


    n was as clueless as always. However, he suddenly felt an immense pressure from Arken surround the area. The girl with the woman fell to her knees and the Woman herself struggled to stand.


    "My, Your disciple actually rejected it¡­"


    The woman said, surprised.


    Arken''s pressure increased and the woman fell to her knees as well.


    "What do you want?"


    He asked coldly. But he realized he was putting to much pressure on the woman, so he lessend it slightly, just slightly enough so she could speak with her shitty mouth.


    "So harsh¡­I just came to inquire abo-"


    "I reject it."


    Arken interrupted her and threw the Vial which contained the Bloodline at her. The woman caught it.


    "Are you sure? Sir Sword Saint."


    "Yes. Now get out of my sight."


    "But I have another proposal."

 Chapter 334 [334] Lilith Cadeveres.

    ''Who is she?''


    I thought to myself. That woman was weird. I don''t know what it is but her smile is giving me chills. It''s not real.


    ''What was that itch anyways?''


    I asked Suleras and Lanesha.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says she used her unique skill to control you.]


    ''What?''


    I asked, but then I remembered something¡­It was faint. But I have seen this woman before¡­


    But where?


    I don''t know.


    But I am certain I have seen her before somewhere. I just don''t know where.


    Morgana Cardeveres. The Head of the Obelisk, the organization of Demonic humans and demons.


    The woman is said to be one of the strongest of this Generation, on par with Harrison Soubuelle, the father of Serena the Yandere.


    ''Unique skill huh¡­''


    I pondered, What was her Unique skill again?


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says to use Dragon Eyes On her.]


    ''Meh, Fine.''


    I can handle a little pain. Besides, she wouldn''t even notice Dragon eyes being used on her. It''s a draconic skill for a reason after all. If it was like the other observation skills it would be insulting to dragons.


    "Let''s see¡­"


    I muttered and activated Dragon Eyes.


    [|DRAGON EYES| has been activated.]


    ¡ªSTATUS¡ª


    Name: Morgana Cardeveres.


    Race: Demonic Human.


    Age:64


    Titles: Obelisk Master, Demonic Human Supreme, Archduke''s Concubine, Necromancer, The Witch of Blood, The Witch Of Transformation, Chimera Architect.


    Elemental Affinities: Chaos(Intermediate), Blood(High), Necromancy(Exceptional*)


    (*Exceptional is above High.)


    Rank: SS+


    Strength: SS-


    Mana: SS+


    Intelligence: A


    Agility: SS


    Charm: S


    Description: The Owner of the Obelisk Tower, She is a prodigy among humans, able to rise through the ranks with rtive ease. She is a high-ranked necromancer and has been sessful in creating Chimera. Be wary when fighting her, Her Unique Skill is the source of her strength, Be careful.


    ''It''s warning me?''


    I thought. Dragon eyes were warning me? Of her Unique Skill?


    What is it then?


    ''...''


    My mouth was left wide open when I read about her unique skill.


    **Biokinesis**


    ||UNIQUE||


    *Skill Description:*


    Biokinesis is an extraordinary skill that allows the user to manipte and control biological elements within the game world. By channeling their mental energy, the user gains the ability to influence various aspects of biology.


    *Skill Level Progression:*


    1. Novice Biokic: The user''s initial grasp of biokinesis allows them to perform basic actions such as elerating natural healing and enhancing minor physiological processes.


    2. Adept Biokic: As the user gains experience, their control over biokinesis improves. They can now regenerate damaged tissues at a faster rate, manipte bodily functions, and mitigate the effects of certain ailments.


    3. Master Biokic: Having honed their skill to an advanced level, the user can perform impressive feats. They can heal severe injuries swiftly, modify their physical attributes temporarily, and enhance their own strength and endurance.


    4. Biokic Expert: The user''s mastery of biokinesis grants them unparalleled control over biology. They can now alter their appearance permanently, manipte the biology of others, and even remotely influence the physiological processes of living creatures.


    *Abilities*


    - Cellr Regeneration: The ability to regenerate cells and tissues more rapidly, allowing for quicker healing and recovery.


    - Metabolic Control: The user gains the power to modte their metabolic rate, enhancing physical abilities or reducing fatigue.


    - Gic Adaptation: Unlocking the potential to manipte DNA, allowing for temporary adaptation to different environments or situations.


    - Biomolecr Maniption: The user can manipte the molecules within their body to enhance physical attributes, such as increasing strength or agility, for a limited time.


    *Special Pathways*


    1. Vitalist: Focusing on healing and support, the user bes an expert at restoring health to themselves and their allies, mending wounds, and curing diseases more effectively.


    2. Biomorph: Specializing in physical alteration, the user gains the ability to modify their body''s appearance and adapt to different situations more efficiently.


    3. Gicist: The user delves into the maniption of gic material, unlocking the power to alter their DNA permanently and attaining unique gic abilities. It can also be used to alter the gics of others provided that the user is strong enough.


    *Limitations:*


    - Biokinesis requires a high level of concentration and mental energy, limiting the user''s ability to use it excessively or simultaneously with other demanding skills.


    - Maniptingplex biological processes may require in-depth knowledge and understanding of anatomy and physiology.


    - The scope of biokinesis may be restricted to non-sentient beings or specific types of organisms, depending on the user''s capabilities.


    "What the fuck¡­?"


    I muttered¡­shocked.


    What THE FUCK IS THIS?!


    How can such a skill exist? Impossible!


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras Says that it is a Unique skill.]


    ''I know that but¡­ that''s just too broken.''


    Did she use this on me? Then why didn''t it work? I am of lower rank and power than her¡­


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha questions if you have forgotten your race.]


    ''Ah¡­''


    I''m a dragon¡­that''s why it didn''t work¡­thank god.


    "n, did something happen?"


    Master asked, My muttering must have alerted him.


    "No, I am fine."


    I assured him I was fine. I was just so shocked by that skill that I forgot about it¡­


    Such a Powerful skill. So this is the power of Unique skills¡­Fascinating.


    They must have strict unlock conditions then as well.


    "May I continue?"


    The woman''s sweet voice was heard. I felt weird when I heard it¡­I do not why.


    Master Arken is reaching the limits of his patience as well¡­That woman is really confident


    "Continue."


    The master allowed it¡­But it was evident he was getting annoyed.


    "First of all, it''s my pleasure to meet you, n Pator."


    She approached me, Master and I both watched her closely.


    "To think it was you who thwarted our n to conquer Aror¡­Such a pity. We had been¡­nning that for quite a while you see."


    ¡­She just admitted the Obelisk was behind it¡­and not an individual act by a demon Marquiss.


    "But you actually prevented it! The Marquis is quite angry that his castle has been destroyed by your attack and is furious about his missing hands and bones¡­"


    She approached me and raised her neck to look at my eyes. She tried to touch my chest with her fingers but I stopped it by freezing her fingers when they approached.


    ¡­


    I hate that smile she just put on.


    "My¡­You are quite strong."


    What is she nning?


    I wondered.


    She went back and ced her hands on the shoulders of the girl she had brought with her.


    They looked almost identical, the only difference being that the girl was just younger and didn''t have a scar on her face.


    "Would you like to meet my daughter?"


    She said and gestured to the girl to introduce herself.


    "My name is Lilith Cadaveres, it is a pleasure to meet a Spatial mage and Twilight''s greatest Prodigy."


    The Girl introduced herself. I used Dragon Eyes once again to view her status as well.


    [|DRAGON EYES| is being used.]


    It''s starting to hurt now.


    ¡ªSTATUS¡ª


    Name:Lilith Cadaveres.


    Race: Demon.


    Age:17


    Titles: Bastard daughter of an Archduke, Spiritual Master.


    Elemental Affinities: Chaos(Exceptional), Death(Exceptional)


    Rank: C-


    Strength:D-


    Mana: B


    Agility: C-


    Spirit: C+


    Charm: A


    Intelligence: C+


    Description: She is the daughter of an archduke, although Illegitimate her demonic blood is extremely pure. She is a master spiritualist and has a deep connection to the Element of Death.


    Skills: Spirit summons, necromantic arts, spirit enhancement, spirit ball, spirit arrow¡­etc.


    "I''m sure she''s even above the Jewel of Wellingtons."


    Morgana said. Suddenly she wasparing them both.


    "Umm¡­Not really?"


    I denied it. Sabrina is much more beautiful.


    "Pfft."


    A lightugh escaped Master Arken''s mouth. What? I''m telling the truth.


    No matter who she is, she can''tpare with Sabrina.


    "..."


    Morgana seemed surprised.


    Lilith seemed¡­angry?


    What did I say wrong?


    "Anyways, esteemed Sword Saint¡­do I have your permission to ask for a duel?"


    "Hmm?"


    Morgana''s request threw Sword Saint Arken off. A duel?


    "I would like little Lilith to have a duel with n Pator. That should be alright correct¡­


    Consider your debt to be paid off with that."


    Debt? Did master owe her a debt? This is a first¡­So that''s why he was bothering her.


    "...Are you sure about this?"


    Master asked. I agree with him. That girl doesn''t look strong enough to take me on.


    "Oh my, Is the Sword Saint scar-"


    Her arm was sent flying before she could finish that sentence.


    ''...was that intentional?''


    I questioned. No one in their right mind would say Master Arken was scared/


    It was literal suicide.


    I''m surprised Master only cut off her arm.


    "So is that a yes?"


    That arm regenerated at an insane speed. It was almost instantaneous.


    ''Damn, that''s even faster than my regeneration.''


    I thought. Well, that was when I still had my Phoenix bloodline active in me. Nowadays it''s just focused on Sam¡­


    A unique skill truly is wonderful. I wonder how I can get one.


    "n."


    The Sword Saint, My dear master called out to me and said with a sneaky smile.


    "Don''t kill her, okay?"


    I smiled back.


    "Ok!"

 Chapter 335 [335] Lilith Cardaveres[2]

    ?


    ''What''s her purpose?''


    Arken thought. Morgana''s sudden request for a duel was surprising.


    ''She can''t just be here to gather data...that''s not what she does...''


    Arken couldn''t pinpoint it. What was Morgana''s purpose?


    The Morgana he knew of was someone who did not care about these things...furthermore, if she wanted data on n she could just get it. Her position was that powerful. Thousands of demonic humans would do it if she just asked.


    So what is the purpose of this visit of hers?


    Considering Morgana''s nature...it was his right to be suspicious.


    Only after some while had passed, did he realize what the purpose was.


    ''...''


    Ah.


    ''It''s not to gather data on n.''


    Arken thought when he saw the spirit that Lilith summoned. The intense energy of Death permeated the atmosphere as Arken finally knew Morgana''s objective.


    ''It''s to gather data on ''that''.''


    *********


    [n Pator POV]


    Although the request was quite sudden, Both I and Lilith got into our respective positions, and I kept a sharp eye on Morgana Cardeveres.


    Maybe I was getting paranoid. But Master is here so she probably wouldn''t try anything.


    Master would end her if she did.


    I got into my stance and thought.


    ''I wonder how a spirit master fights...''


    When I thought about it...I realized I still had not taken the Spirit affinity test. Elijah, Sabrina, ine, Serena, and others had attempted it...while I still had not.


    I guess I was just too busy that it slipped out of my mind.


    ''I guess Im gonna find out soon.''


    I can''t lie,  I am quite excited because of this. I have never fought a Spirit Master.


    "Now, Is everyone ready?"


    Morgana''s cheerful voice resounded. It still sounded weird to me for some reason.


    "Yes."


    Nevertheless, I was ready. I wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko and nned to end this fight as quickly as possible. Although I wanted to enjoy the fight...I had some spatial equations left to solve. That is of utmost importance.


    "Yes."


    Lilith was also ready, She started a chant and summoned her spirit.


    ''Her affinities were blood, Chaos, and Death, Either spirit of all three is summoned or just one strong one.''


    As soon as shepleted her chant...An Aura of death mana permeated the atmosphere.


    "Keke..."


    Augh escaped Morgana. I looked at the ck portal on the ground and thought.


    ''Death huh...good.''


    I have experience with handling the death element. The memories of my fight with Kazikato back on the ind were still vivid.


    Her spirit stepped out from the shadowy depths of that nightmarish ck portal. I didn''t recognize the monster but I knew it was powerful.


    [|Dragon Eyes| has been activated.]


    ---Status---


    NAME: Bony.


    Age: 500+


    Rank: B+


    Race: BONECLAW.


    Affinities: DEATH(EPIC)


    Strength: B+


    Mana: B+


    Agility: A


    Intelligence: B


    Charm: F


    Description:


    This monstrous aberration is born of darkness and malevolence, a creature that defies the natural order with its unnerving and otherworldly form.


    Its body is a macabre amalgamation of skeletal remnants, assembled in a nightmarish jigsaw. Bones of various creatures - humans, beasts, and even unknown entities - interlock in a gruesome mosaic, fused by some unholy force into a twisted and haphazardly constructed form. These bones, tarnished and weathered by time, bear the marks of both their previous lives and the cruel crafting that brought them together. The Bonew''s limbs are elongated and disjointed, with fingers and toes ending in gnarled and jagged ws, each one bearing a history of terror and anguish. Its spine arches in a contorted curve, resembling an arched bridge of suffering, while its elongated limbs give it a ghastly and unsettling grace as it moves through the darkness.


    Draped over this skeletal framework is a tattered shroud of darkness, an inky veil that seems to devour light itself. The very fabric of this shroud ripples and undtes with every movement, as if it is a living entity in its own right, caressing and obscuring the ghastly visage beneath. Glowing eyes, like twin embers of crimson fire, burn through the darkness, providing the only glimpse of the malevolence that lurks within.


    ''I need to be wary of the shroud of darkness...''


    I thought as I read the Description the Dragon Eyes provided me. I was unaware that my eyes were bleeding slightly.


    "BEGIN!"


    Morgana signaled for the match to begin.


    "Go!"


    Lilith yelled, signaling the bone w to attack...And I was shocked by what it did next. it disappeared into a ck depth and appeared right in front of me.


    I dodged its long ws and teleported away myself, shocked.


    ''...Did that thing just teleport...?''


    It wasn''t just me, Even Master Arken was shocked. The only one who wasughing in this situation was Morgana.


    "Hahahah! Master Arken it seems your disciple iscking."


    She taunted Master Arken.


    "..."


    Master Arken remained quiet. The Bonew let out a shriek and teleported toward me again.


    It was surprising, yes, But it''s not Like I can''t do anything against it.


    "Your not the only one who can open portals."


    I said as I dodged it''s next attack. I backed away and opened up a portal right infront of it''s next attack. I was gonna close it when it''s long bony arm went through and cut it open.


    We were of simr ranks, I couldn''t do this move with a majority of the enemies I faced because they were either so strong their mana interfered with my spatial mana or too weak for me to not even consider.


    But then, My n failed.


    My portal was cut through, and in My shock the bonew attacked me with it''s wsced with the power of death.


    Blood seeped out from my chest as Morgana''s boisterousughter echoed out. The mana of death rotted my flesh.


    "It seems as if your disciple isn''t wor-"


    "n."


    Master Arken interrupted Morgana and called out my name. I touched the wound on my chest and looked at the Bonew.


    "Sorry."


    I apologized to Master. The Bonew started to attack again.


    And I trusted with my spear three times.


    And left three holes the size of a human head in it''s body.


    Morgana and Lilith''s jaw''s dropped. And Master Arken smiled.

 Chapter 336 [336] Lilith Cardeveres.[3]

    ?


    The Bonew''s lifeless body fell in front of my eyes. Morgana had her eyes wide open whilst Lilith remained calm.


    "Well...It''s got a unique ability."


    I muttered. It didn''t interfere with my mana but instead just ripped through it. Perhaps it was a skill. It coated its bony arms in that dark shroud and cut right through my spatial mana.


    "The summoner is left."


    I said, and teleported in front of Lilith, intending to knock her out with the shaft of the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    Just as I appeared in front of her...Her calm demeanor disturbed me.


    ''Why is the summoner so calm when the spirit just died?''


    I questioned in my mind. Well...there can only be one answer.


    The spirit is still alive.


    *THWACK*


    Just as I predicted, the Bonew was still alive. ck tendrilstched onto me and rotted my skin. I looked back at the Bonew to see it regenerating its head. Multiple ck Tendrils emerged from its body andtched onto me.


    "My, You didn''t think it was dead did you?"


    Morgana regained some of her confidence and taunted me. I simply said no.


    "Not really."


    The bone w tried to pull me towards it but the opposite happened. I tugged with my right hand and it was flying towards me.


    "I don''t wanna see that disgusting face anymore."


    I said as I grabbed its disfigured head and ripped it from its body. I knew this wouldn''t kill it. So I went after Lilith after throwing its head away.


    I swung the Shaft of the Ame-No-Sakahoko with half my strength. Lilith hurriedly conjured up a barrier but I still broke through it.


    *CRACK*


    It shattered like ss and the shaft of the Ame-no-sakahoko hit her side and sent her flying.


    "Wow, She withstood that."


    I praised. Her fragile body didn''t seem like it could take a hit like that head-on. But it did. That deserves some praise at least.


    But hey...I wanna try something.


    "What''s the limit of the Bonew''s regeneration?"


    I asked the head of the Obelisk, Morgana, half-heartedly expecting a response.


    As I expected, she didn''t answer. I watched the spirit regenerate and try to attack me again. I froze it''s a summoner in ce.


    "Let''s see how much You can regenerate...hehe."


    I said with a sadistic smile.


    [Heavenly Sky spear.]


    [FIRST MOVEMENT]


    /Heavenly thrust.\


    The upper half of the Bone w''s body was obliterated by the Heavenly Thrust of the Heavenly Sky Spear martial art.


    I enhanced my optical nerves with mana and closely observed it. It wasn''t regenerated flesh...but matter. The ck matter was reminiscent of the void.


    [Skill: FREEZE has been activated.]


    I froze the body while it was regenerating.


    "wow."


    I muttered, amazed at the phenomena that were urring in front of my eyes.


    The body was still generating but it was not breaking the ice...rather it was recing it.


    It wasn''t breaking nor expanding the ice to provide room for its regeneration. It was recing the ice, sending it to god knows where and substituting the empty space with itself.


    I failed to notice the jade luster in my eyes as I was fascinated by it. A rare urrence for me.


    "How does it do that?"


    I questioned, can spirits do that? Wait a minute...


    Ignoring the bleeding of my eyes, I used Dragon eyes once again and closely examined the bone w.


    "Ah..."


    I muttered. Now I get it.


    This ''was'' a spirit.


    I looked at Morgana with a smile. That woman was looking at me with a stiff face...and I relished it. I figured it out.


    Dragon eyes showed me the truth.


    This...


    "This isn''t a spirit...but a Chimera."


    The woman''s face soured up, And I enjoyed seeing it for some reason. the jade luster in my eyes increased, but I was unaware of it.


    "You used your Unique Skill Biokenisis to gically modify it...to have these abilities."


    I angered her.


    Furthermore, this is a masterpiece, It has the potential to grow above the SSS rank...this woman was clever.


    I shattered the ice it was trapped in and further hindered its regeneration process.


    ''...So that''s why she brought it here. To test those abilities that can cut through space.''


    Arken thought. He finally figured it out. Her previous joyful demeanor when the Bonew cut through space was proof of it.


    "I believe I should get going."


    Said Morgana, as she used a skill to pick up the frozen Lilith and Bonew.


    "Thank you very much Master Arken...and you too."


    she looked disgusted when she addressed me.


    Heh, I liked it.


    Morgana Cardeveres disappeared, and a Light sile appeared On Arken''s face.


    "Not many have managed to anger that woman."


    Master Arken praised me while I wasughing my ass off. For some reason I really enjoyed it.


    "Good Job."


    "Keke..."


    I still couldn''t stopughing.


    "That''s enough."


    However a hit from master stopped me really quickly.


    "Yeah...Let''s go back. I wanna brag about this."


    I said, and Master rolled his eyes as I opened up a portal and we both stepped inside.


    ******


    Morgana arrived at the Obelisk base and dropped the frozen Lilith at the Infirmary. But she took the bone w with her.


    Her face was a mess, her anger was so palpable that the obelisk base was rumbling.


    Everyone there could feel it, the lower ss members fell unconscious whilst the higher ranked did their best to not disturb her.


    ''...''


    The truth was, she wasn''t mad that n had figured out that the bonew was a Chimera. What she was mad at was that tone of his, his eyes.


    Eyes that seemed to look down at a piece of shit. n possessed those eyes at that moment. Both Morgana and n we''re unaware of the true identity of those Eyes...but Morgana hated it.


    It seemed as if he was ridiculing her design...that infuritated her to an extreme degree.


    She finally arrived in herb and gave an order to a subordinate of hers.


    "Give me a detailed report of n Pator as soon as possible. Leave ''nothing'' out."


    Her subordinate rushed outside to carry his task. Morgana ced the Bonew pieces on her experimentation table.


    "...You dare to look at my creation that way?"


    Her crazed voice echoed out in theboratory.


    "Just watch...I''ll upgrade it...to be your perfect counter."


    [UNIQUE SKILL]


    ||BIOKINESES HAS BEEN ACTIVATED||


    Her crazedughter and the bonew''s cries of pain filled theboratory.

 Chapter 337 [337] Their Problems.

    ?


    In the corner of her room, Lilith ced her head on her knees and cried.


    She lost. Pathetically.


    n Pator was a monster. A monster that toyed with her and her familiar spirit.


    She wouldn''t ever forget the humiliation, the fear...and those eyes.


    The eyes of a predatory snake that was ying with its prey. She was spiritually and mentally connected to her Familiar, the Bonew, so even when she was frozen, the feeling of being experimented on was extremely vivid. Furthermore, she could feel her spirit''s pain as her mother changed the bone ws very genes...


    ''I will make you a perfect counter to him.''


    Those were her mother''sst words before she had activated her unique skill [Biokinesis] on her spirit.


    Although the pain she felt was nowhere near what her spirit was feeling...It was still immense because of their bond.


    The pain of having one''s gics changed, having their cells reconfigured and their muscles change and shift.


    It was excruciating.


    She could hear the screams of her spirit in her mind and was getting scared.


    What will mother do to her for losing? What about ''father?''


    Such thoughts sent shivers down her spine.


    "Khhhhh..."


    She let out a pained groan, as she suffered a fiery headache.


    This was why most of Morgana''s chimera experiments couldn''t seed...the pain involved was just too much. And she didnt use anesthetic because she was of the belief that if the chimera couldn''t handle that pain then there was no use for it.


    Lilith cried out in pain again...If she was feeling this much...


    What was her bone w facing?


    *********


    [Wellington estate.]


    "Mydy, we have prepared tea for you."


    A maid of the Wellington family informed Sabrina, whilst outside her room. She didn''t dare go in without the Young Lady''s permission.


    She was at least a C-rank awakened, such an awakened, who could be a guild leader of an average guild was working as a mere maid for the Wellington''s not even a head maid.


    "Mydy, the patriarch has ordered for you to drin-"


    "Fuck Off."


    "..!"


    The maid was shocked. Her beautiful face contorted as she...for the first time ever in her entire life of service, heard the Young Lady curse.


    Sabrina always treated the staff at the estate with respect and never cursed or treated them badly, unlike other privileged children. So...this was a shock.


    "Mydy, The patriarch has ordered you to eat and drink well, it will help you in fi-"


    "FUCK OFF!"


    A massive surge of dark mana from Sabrina''s room threw the maid and the drinks away. She collided with the wall. The wall would have crumbled if it was an ordinary wall.


    "Cough!"


    The maid coughed up blood as the mana of Darkness assaulted her insides.


    "As you wish, Mydy."


    She bowed down and left in a hurry after cleaning the mess up. Thankfully, her rank was high enough to withstand the Darkness mana for some time, otherwise, she would have died.


    The darkness around Sabrina''s room was dense, her door was leaking subtle amounts of Dark mana. This had been going on for a while and despite Wellington''s efforts...they still struggled to cure it. They had materials to help, but the problemy in Sabrina...


    Inside her room filled with the dense Darkness mana, she was huddled in a corner with her head on her knees.


    Her condition was a mess, the beauty she was known for was gone, nowhere to be seen, she hadrge dark circles around her eyes and irregr nails, it was as if she was biting them continuously. The blood on her fingers was proof of it.


    Furthermore, she was skinny. It was evident she had lost a lot of weight because of denying to eat anything for days. She would have starved to death if she wasn''t awakened.


    The elders of the Wellingtons were contemting forcing her to eat something but didn''t dare to do it yet without Hugo''s approval. James, the only one who had suffered the corruption of the darkness had taught them a lesson on what could happen...So they were on the brink of barging into her room, restraining her, and restoring her health through whatever means necessary.


    If Hugo wasn''t in the Capitol for business currently, they were sure he would''ve barged into her room by himself and forced some food down Sabrina''s throat. But, they could not me her for her current attitude.


    The corruption of Darkness was a serious issue indeed. Jame''s had been ignored when he was facing it, and well...that didn''t turn too well did it? They all thought he would surpass it because he was talented...Well, that was a dark history for the Wellington family. The Irony.


    Sabrina was also their Jewel, the jewel was now being corrupted. The elders were on the brink of kicking her door open.


    "make it...Stop!"


    Sabrina wed at her head, blood seeped out from her scalp because of her actions.


    She was using pain to ward the voices off...but it wasn''t working.


    [You can''t get rid of usss....]


    [Embrace us...]


    [EPT USS...]


    The voices became even crazier as time passed...and Sabrina didn''t remember how long it had been since she slept.


    Suddenly, as she was wing at her own head, a piece of parchment entered her room from beneath her door.


    "It''s me."


    She heard the voice of her Uncle, James Wellington.


    "The parchment contains a spell that can cause pain without affecting your physical appearance. Use it to ward the voices off."


    His voice was the same as always, Emotionless. But...Sabrina knew that currently...he was the only one who understood her somewhat.


    He had gone through this before, and during his pain, the Wellingtons had made the mistake of believing that James could get over it by himself.


    "Also, eat some food. Or else the Elders will barge in and force-feed you."


    He advised. Was he feeling pity for Sabrina?


    Or was it Sympathy?


    "Was...it like this for you too?"


    Asked a weakened Sabrina from her dark room. James, on the outside, basking in the sunlight responded.


    "It was worse."


    He said.


    "Haha..."


    Sabrina let out augh. Sheughed at her own stupidity. Of course, it was...That man had a higher affinity for the element than her and had used it much more extensively than Sabrina. Sabrina didn''t use this Element because of Her uncle. She knew how much he used the Darkness...and how much it hurt him when the Corruption came.


    "Your Birthday ising, get better soon."


    He left after saying those words. Sabrina used her mana and checked whether he was truly gone. After confirming he was, she limped towards the piece of parchment.  Her clothes were also covered in blood, from the scars she inflicted on herself.


    "..."


    She cast the Elven magic spell on her and convulsed repeatedly from the pain.


    But at least...the voices were being overshadowed by the pain.


    She went to her corner and grit her teeth as she withstood the pain.


    ''How are the other''s doing?''


    She thought, better than she was she hoped.


    She hoped Elijah, Henry, Serena, and ine were doing well....and prayed n''s recovery was going well.


    She had been detached from any news of the outside world for quite a while, so she was unaware that n had already recovered and gone to train. She didn''t check his status for a while as well, thest time she did he was nearly dying...Unbeknownst to her n was getting his ass kicked by the Sword Saint that time.


    ''I wanna see him...''


    She wished. She liked him, so it was natural that she wanted to see him...But at the same time, she didn''t want him to see her like this.


    "...I need to...find a solution soon."


    She looked at her desk, filled with papers. She tried meddling with Spatial equations more when she returned to the state, and if she was right she may have solved some and found the Spatial coordinates of somes but because shecked the ability to use Spatial Mana, she was unsure.


    She needed to find a solution for this fast...the voices here are too..strong. She checked the Wellington storage for any items that would help...but the items there were only A+ ss treasures...she concluded that she needed at least an S-rank item to solve this.


    But that was the problem. S-rank items were already rare, and mind-protecting ones were even rarer. The Wellington''s had the money to buy one, the problemy where to buy one. Hugo had also gone to the Capitol to search for one, but the chances of finding one were low.


    ''I wanna see him...''


    She wished again, and it seems the gods heard her.


    A Blue portal opened in front of her. And The one she wanted to see stepped out.


    "Dark room, huh...?!"


    As heid his eyes on Sabrina and saw her condition, Sabrina''s body shivered as she could feel his rage.


    She was shocked, unable to process what was happening in front of her, she thought it was a dream maybe.


    n grabbed her skinny shoulders and looked her right in the eye, causing her to blush and said,


    "Who the fuck did this?!"


    His voice sounded worried and angry, very angry.


    **********


    [Few moments prior]


    nid down on the ground after an intense day of training and looked at the sky, his thoughts unknown.


    "I wanna go see Sabrina..."


    Wow, Both of them had the same wish.


    Shocking.


    He looked around and when he saw that no one was looking at him. He said.


    "fuck it."


    He opened up a portal and entered it.

 Chapter 338 [338] The Corruption Of Darkness.

    ?


    A palpable anger.


    "Who did this?!"


    He asked. His mana surrounded the room and vanquished the darkness. His extremely pure mana, the mana of a dragon. Something that this meager darkness could never beat.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras informs you that it was caused by Sabrina herself.]


    Suleras''s voice rang in his mind.


    ''What?''


    n''s grip on Sabrina''s shoulders increased, just like the numerous questions in his mind.


    "it hurts..."


    He didn''t even hear Sabrina. n''s grip on her shoulder was almost breaking them.


    [Supreme dragon Of Frost Lanesha advises you to calm down.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras advises you to use Dragon Eyes.]


    n calmed down and used Dragon Eyes to check Sabrina''s condition.


    His eyes glowed with an astral glow, and some blood seeped out of his eyeballs.


    [|DRAGON EYES| has been activated.]


    "What''s wrong?"


    Hemanded.


    Sabrina was almost blinded by the luster of n''s eyes, it was like two bright orbs right in front of her. She had been staying in the dark for too long, which was why it stung so much.


    Dragon eyes told him the truth.


    [Sabrina Wellington is currently facing the corruption of darkness. This has happened as a result of using the element of darkness continuously.]


    "n..."


    He didn''t hear anything she said.


    "Exin more in Detail."


    He ordered his eyes to show him even more detail. Sabrina saw blood dripping down his face.


    [The Corruption of Darkness, when it takes hold of an individual, is a harrowing and deeply unsettling experience that twists both body and soul. It''s as if an insidious shadow has woven itself into the very fabric of their being, consuming their essence and recing it with a malevolent force. The user hears voices and other such things continuously, making them unable to have ample rest. The voices first attack the mind, and the area around the user, corrupting it slowly. It manifests in subtle but eerie ways.]


    As the corruption deepens, physical changes be more pronounced. The individual''s skin might pale, taking on a sickly and ashen hue that seems to absorb light rather than reflect it. Veins beneath the surface might be visible, tracing abyrinthine pattern of darkness just beneath the skin. The individual''s movements be morenguid and erratic as if they are struggling against an unseen force.]


    n, immediately upon reading that information grabbed Sabrina''s arms and rolled up her sleeve¡­and saw ck veins corrupting her skin.


    But Dragon eyes were not done. There was more to this phenomenon.


    In their behavior, those consumed by the Corruption of Darkness might be increasingly isted, withdrawing from loved ones and social interactions. Their words carry an unsettling weight as if they are no longer in control of their speech. It''s as if the very essence of their being has been tainted, their actions now dictated by the dark force that has taken hold.


    Attempts to resist or fight against corruption are met with frustration and futility. It''s as if the more one struggles, the tighter the grasp of darkness bes. Even external sources of light seem to flicker and wane in their presence, unable to pierce the imprable veil that surrounds the user.]


    "...Enough, deactivate that skill. Your bleeding."


    Dragon eyes had more to show, But Sabrina''s voice caused n to deactivate them


    "When did you get better?"


    She asked, treating whatever was happening to her like nothing. She grabbed a napkin and wiped the blood off n''s face.


    "..."


    n didn''t answer.


    He took out the Ame-No-Sakahoko from his inventory and Sabrina immediately showed a reaction to it.


    "Agh!" The voices in her head intensified.


    [Kill him! He''s gonna stab you!]


    [Evil spear!]


    [Get it away!!!!]


    But then, as soon as the Ame-No-Sakahoko was ced beside her¡­It was all calm.


    The voices disappeared, it was as if they didnt exist. Her mind was finally tranquil, and not gued by the voices of darkness. Her vision finally recovered and the signs of the corruption on her body started to dissapear. Her wounds healed and her scars began to fade.


    "Ah¡­"


    She muttered.


    "You ok now?"


    Asked n, worried.


    He thought since this was rted to the darkness element, the Ame-no-sakahoko, which had the property of dispelling and warding off darkness and chaos might help.


    Thankfully, it did.


    "Yeah¡­I apologize for showing you this unsi-"


    "Sabrina."


    n called out her name and she stopped.


    "Sorry¡­"


    She muttered, n let out a sigh. She still apologized.


    "When did you recover?"


    She asked. Their positioning was strange, n was still kneeling and looking at her straight in the eyes whilst Sabrina was still in her corner.


    If someone walked in¡­they would question what the fuck was going on.


    Nevertheless, the two did not care.


    "Quite a while ago."


    "Oh¡­"


    n grabbed Sabrina like she was a doll, plopped her down on the and sat on a chair.


    "Harsh."


    Shemented, n ced the Ame-No-Sakahoko beside her.


    "Are you okay now?"


    He asked again. Sabrina finally relented and answered.


    "Yes."


    Shey down on her bed and treated the spear as if it was arge teddy bear. She was cuddling it.


    The aura of the Ame-No-Sakahoko was helpful.


    "...Since when did this happen?"


    n asked.


    "It''s been a while."


    She told n. She closed her tired eyes and asked.


    "Where have you been? What about the others?"


    "I don''t know about the others, but I''ve been training in the Demonic Continent."


    "WHAT?!"


    Sabrina opened up her eyes abruptly and looked at n, praying he was bullshitting. But the contract between them told her that it was the truth.


    "...that exins why you''re always half dead in your status."


    n let out a lightugh.


    "I need to clear the Tower of Trials¡­I have to do this."


    He answered.


    "To cure your little sister?"


    "Bingo."


    "With whom? Surely you can''t be training there alone."


    She asked, But n couldn''t tell her.


    "Can''t say."


    Sabrina didn''t ask further if n didn''t want to tell her, there was probably a reason.


    Suddenly, at the mention of the cure, Sabrina recalled the papers on her desk.


    "n, Check those papers on the desk with your spatial mana, I think I found the coordinates to somes."


    "What?"

 Chapter 339 [339] Lets Meet At The Convergence!

    ?


    "...they are real."


    I said, shocked.


    "Knew it, hehe."


    I used my spatial mana to observe the symbols on the paper¡­and they responded to it.


    "...You did it¡­"


    I said, my mouth wide open.


    "I didn''t think they were right, but I''m d they are."


    She said casually. I spent countless sleepless nights in Terra Damnum trying to decipher what I could¡­But I was unable to.


    Sabrina seeded¡­where I could not. Furthermore, she was treating it like some math homework.


    The symbols floated in the air, carrying a heavenly hue to them. These were the coordinates of a!


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras praises her intelligence.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha praises her intelligence.]


    Even Suleras and Lanesha, Two Supreme dragons praised it.


    [Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras says it takes years for even elves to decipher spatial coordinates¡­But she did it in weeks.]


    I looked at Sabrina in shock, her figure holding the Ame-No-Sakahoko like a teddy bear looking at me with curious eyes¡­was unexpected. When an achievement of this type was concerned.


    "I did it a day or two after I returned home."


    My jaw fell to the floor.


    Not weeks¡­BUT DAYS?!


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says it takes years for even elves to decipher spatial coordinates¡­but she did it in days.]


    Suleras even corrected his sentence!


    "Haa¡­"


    Sabrina yawned andy down on her bed with a smile on her face. I, along with the two Supreme dragons was still processing this information.


    ''Is this Elvenheim?''


    I asked Suleras and Lanesha, They should know whether the world these coordinates lead to is Elvenheim or not.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras regrettably tells you it is not.]


    Hearing that, My excitement died down.


    But still¡­We can use this. We can see what world is there and Twilight can arrange their forces to go to it. I just need to build a portal. We can then explore it.


    Twilight would be the first guild to explore a foreign world other than Earth.


    I looked at Sabrina with a happy smile and congratted her.


    "This is a groundbreaking discovery! Twilight and the Wellingtons will be the first to explore another world!"


    I said while I held her shoulders.


    "Ow."


    However, I realized I put too much strength and released her.


    "Go easy."


    She said, referring to my strength. Well¡­with her current state, I could break her body like it was a twig pretty easily.


    "Sorry."


    I apologized.


    *BEEP*


    My pocket vibrated, I took out amunication device from it and I knew Master was Angry.


    [Sage Oliver: Be ready when youe back.]


    Judging by Sir Oliver''s message¡­master Arken will beat the shit out of me.


    "You need to go back?"


    Asked Sabrina, with a weird tone.


    "Yeah, I need to go¡­"


    Just then, I realized¡­The Ame-No-Sakahoko is currently preventing the Corruption of Darkness.


    "You can''t leave without the spear can you?"


    She asked. It was as if she was reading my thoughts!


    "You can take it, It was nice having some peace after a while."


    She handed me the spear, But I refused to ept it.


    "No, I can''t just leave you like this."


    I refused to. I didn''t want to know she was suffering like this¡­


    But what can I do? What can I even do?


    I need the Ame-No-Sakahoko, It''s essential, But her health is as well.


    [Supreme dragon of Frost Lanesha asks if you have forgotten.]


    Forgotten? About what?


    [Supreme Dragon of chaos Suleras tells Lanesha to stop.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha tells you it is possible to prevent the Corruption of Darkness.]


    ''How?''


    I asked Lanesha, ignoring Suleras.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras tells Lanesha to stop.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha asks you if you really want to save her.]


    [Supreme dragon of chaos Suleras tells Lanesha to stop and to not listen to her.]


    ''Tell me.''


    I do want to save her.


    [Then give her what was given to you.]


    Lanesha''s melodious voice resounded in my head.


    And I knew now.


    The items Sage Oliver had given to me¡­


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras advises you to not give them, as it will be detrimental to you.]


    "Sabrina."


    I called out to her and ignored Suleras. Her safety matters more.


    Sabrina looked at me with a confused gaze, I took off the ne and bracelet and gave them to her.


    "Take these, they will stop that corruption or whatever."


    However, she had a hard time believing it.


    "What are you talking about? I need at le-"


    I showed her the item descriptions.


    [Name: Bracelet of Purity.]


    [Rank: S]


    [Description: A bracelet made with the hopes and tears of the pure heart. Made from their hopes and prayers, to protect themselves from corruption and to keep them pure. It was made by the countless efforts of those who had fallen so that they could protect their young, and maybe save themselves. It is a set item to the Ne of the Pure. The Bracelet''s effects are doubled when worn together with the ne of Pure.


    The bracelet provides immense protection from the power of Chaos, darkness, and corruption. It protects the user from mental attacks and maniption from Demons and other such chaotic beings.]


    [Name: Ne of the Pure.]


    [Rank: S]


    [Description: A ne made with the hopes and tears of the Pure heart. Made from their hopes and prayers to protect themselves from corruption and to keep them pure. It was made by the countless efforts of those who had fallen so that they could protect their young and maybe even save themselves. It is a set item to the Bracelet of Purity, doubled when worn together with the bracelet of purity.


    The Ne provides immense protection from the power of Chaos, darkness, and corruption. It protects the user from mental attacks and maniption from Demons, devils, and other chaotic beings and dark beings.]


    She believed it in an instant when she read the rank of the items.


    "Where did you get these¡­?"


    She asked, I put them on her and said,


    "Can''t really tell."


    It''s gonna be hard convincing Sir Oliver¡­


    "I have to go now, Take care."


    I opened up a portal and was about to leave but then.


    "Can youe here more often?"


    She asked suddenly. I looked back at her with a confused gaze.


    She had her head down.


    "I¡­don''t know?"


    Master Arken probably wouldn''t.


    "Ah, that''s fine then. When is your training going to end?"


    She asked.


    "The event at the end of the year, the Academy Convergence¡­I think. I need to pas-"


    "Tower of Trials right?"


    She interrupted me with a smile and said.


    "Go on then, who knows when someone is gonna barge in here."


    "Sure¡­"


    I felt weird leaving like this, So I said.


    "Don''t use that element again, Just call me through the Spatial bond¡­I''lle in a heartbeat."


    Sabrinaughed lightly and bid me farewell. I jumped through the Portal.


    *******


    "It feels nice¡­"


    Sabrina thought to herself, Having n worry about her.


    Shey down on her bed and thought.


    ''So the next time I''m gonna see him and the others is at the Convergence huh¡­''


    She thought. It would be a while before she saw n again.


    She stared at the bracelet with a smile, but that peace and happiness of hers were soon disturbed by her door being kicked open.


    The Elders of the family rushed in with food and drinks, intending to forcefully feed Sabrina.


    "Youngdy, this farce has go¡­Eh?"


    "...?''''


    "..."


    They were surprised to see the darkness around them gone, and Sabrina staring at them. She understood their worry¡­so she couldn''t really say anything about them. If not for n, she probably would have attacked them and lost miserably.


    "Just leave the food here, I''ll eat it. I''m fine now."


    "...Yes My Lady."


    The servants left the food and drinks in her room and the Elders retreated.


    "..."


    Sabrina quietly began filling her empty stomach with food.


    *************


    A/N: Timeskip time!

 Chapter 340 [340] Onwards, To The Tower Of Trials!

    ?


    Months passed, and the end of the Year was approaching.


    The students of the Top 10 academies were busy preparing for the Academic Convergence which would take ce in the Capitol, the capital city of Humanity.


    It was an event where the top 10 academies qualifying students would gather for a tournament of sorts. Multiple ''games'' would be held and the winners would earn prizes.


    Furthermore, the Prestige of Academies would also rise. Shield, The Number 1 had been on a winning streak since the establishment of the Academic Convergence.


    Eden, The rank number 2, and Hero Academy, the rank number 3, always had fiercepetition whilst Shield would dominate the matches.


    It was an event hosted by the Strongest Human Family, Just above the Soubuelle and Wellington family, The Drakmor family.


    A family that had the blood of dragons supposedly flowing in their veins. Although some Individual members of the Soubuelle and Wellington families were stronger, Like Harrison Soubuelle and Hugo Wellington, the Military might of the Drakmor family was powerful. They were at the center of the World government. They had also built the Capitol, so they were famous indeed.


    They had constructed the Academic convergence in order to recruit talents into their own family and also to establish better rtions with other families provided they had the chance to do so.


    The Capitol could be said to be the heart of humanity, the headquarters of Behemoth, Titan, and the World Government were present there so it was literally Imprable. All sieges on this lone city by the demons had failed miserably. Although a Duke-level demon had not appeared like in Japan, the residents were still confident that their Bastion would not fall.


    But most importantly¡­


    At the core of the Capitol stood the tower of trials, which pierced the heavens themselves with its spire. This edifice was not just a marvel of Architecture¡­But a gift was sent from above.


    It was a mysterious object that appeared in the capital long ago. It was dubbed the Tower of Trials¡­because it consisted of well¡­Trials.


    100 trials and Humanity was stuck on trial 30. The tower of trials was unique because it adjusted the difficulty of the trials ording to the challenger. It would never give an impossible trial.


    Just an extremely, extremely hard one. Humanity''s best had challenged it, but still could not triumph on floor 30, the Trial of Honour. It was one of the most spectacr events of the Academic Convergence where Students would try to climb the treacherous tower of Trials,  most didn''t even pass floor 10. The 10th floor was the standard to pass the Tower of Trials event.


    The people were excited, for they would Witness another great Academic convergence. How could they not be?


    Shield''s first years this time were absolute Monsters, It was their chance to see spatial magic as well. See the Student that repelled a Marquis, and was the youngest C-Rank in History, furthermore, the students alongside him in the top 10 were also Monsters.


    Hero Academy and Eden were not far behind, even though they had outstanding students waiting to challenge Shield.


    Ah, here theye.


    The top 10 academy students hade, For the convergence.


    Let it Begin!


    *************


    [Association Headquarters, In Askolt city.]


    "Sigh¡­it''s so hot."


    Sighed Serena, dressed in as little clothing as possible in order to withstand the heat of this Environment.


    "What is he even Doing?"


    She asked as she made her way through the dungeon filled with magma and fire.


    She was using water magic to cool herself down, and her bikini had a special enchantment on it as well¡­but even that was not enough for this heat.


    "...There he is¡­"


    She said, a smile formed on her face as she gazed at Elijah, standing over a mountain of corpses of Monsters.


    "Sexy as always."


    Shemented. Elijah wasn''t Human currently.


    He was a fire Draconian. Serena always got turned on whenever she saw that magnificent form of his¡­How should she describe it?


    It was a form of Myth And Majesty¡­it brought utter delight to her. It was the very embodiment of hot, Fiery, and Mighty!  With scales that shimmer like molten gold, that majestic form of his radiated an aura of intense heat that danced in the air around it. Its appearance is both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a sight thatmands reverence and caution. Serena absolutely loved it.


    Standing tall on powerful, sinewy legs, Elijah''s fire-draconian form is a harmonious blend of elegance and power. Its wings, expansive and leathery, are adorned with patterns resembling the tongues of mes, each flutter causing sparks to cascade like stars trailing in its wake!


    The head is crowned with magnificent, curved horns that resemble the horns of rams, adding to its regal appearance. His eyes, burning with an intense inner fire, hold intelligence and depth that hint at ancient knowledge and a connection to the very heart of the inferno. Long, sharp teeth jut from its maw, a reminder of its fearsome nature and its ability to unleash destruction.


    The  Draconians tail is a magnificent appendage, a serpentine extension of its body that ends in a fierysh. This tail serves not only as a weapon but also as a symbol of its affinity for the me. As it moves, the tail''s undting motion leaves a trail of scorching footprints, searing the earth beneath it. Serena was having¡­''odd'' thoughts as she stared At Elijah''s body.. That Tail can definitely be used for something.


    "Oh¡­How I want him to f*ck me in that form¡­"


    As usual, she was having crazy thoughts¡­


    Elijah let out a breath of moltenva that shattered the Dungeon Core. Serena let out an odd shriek.


    "Kya~"


    She¡­definitely did not take her medicine today.


    "..?!"


    Elijah finally noticed her¡­and although he questioned her choice of clothing he just went with it. Serena always surprised him with something¡­new every time.


    He was used to her craziness now.


    He flew downwards and caught her.


    "What are you doing here? I told you not toe here because it''s dangerous."


    He scolded, But Serena didn''t give a damn.


    "I missed you~"


    She automatically assumed the Princess carry position and shrieked.


    "Kya~ So romantic Elijah~"


    "...???"


    Elijah was confused. Very confused.


    ''...Did she not take her medicine today?


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agriughs and says fire dragons just have that entric charm. We always make women go in heat.]


    ''You be quiet.''


    Elijah hurriedly flew to the dungeon entrance and escaped.


    He had spent far too much time training in that dungeon. He hadn''t seen the outside world in too long. He had been testing His Draconian form for a while.


    "Cool."


    Elijah left the dungeon just before it copsed, he entered the association training room he had been given and put Serena down.


    "Academic convergence¡­is it soon?"


    He asked her. Trying his best not to look at her. Serena was also provoking him by doing some¡­Erotic poses one could say.


    But Elijah was a kind man! He would not be taken over by something as trivial as this.


    "Tch, you''re no fun."


    Serena clicked her tongue.


    "Yes, that''s why I came to get you."


    She answered, Elijah nodded and said.


    "We should get ready then¡­"


    He undid his transformation and stretched a little.


    "Kya~"


    ¡­?


    He looked strangely at Serena, wondering what was the problem now¡­Only then did he realize he was butt-naked? His built body was exposed to the already crazy girl.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agriughs his ass off.]


    "..."


    "So manly~"


    *************


    [Terra Damnum.]


    "Oi, You bastard, stop staring at the sky and get ready."


    Lucas yelled, staring at n who was sitting on a corpse of demons. Not demonic monsters¡­but demons.


    These past couple of months, along with training like hell the trio also decided to raid some bases or strongholds of the demons.


    Safe to say, they were busy.


    "n, We are gonna bete."


    Alexander said. All three of them were shirtless, their built bodies were covered in scars.


    n stared at the ck clouds and thought¡­


    ''It was short.''


    His hair had grownrger and the scars on his muscr body were proof that his training was extremely intense. Those scars did not lie.


    His white hair was now covered in dirt and had lost its original splendor, Lucas and Alexander were also in a simr state. His face was scarred by the pain of his training.


    All three of them had gotten incredibly strong.


    "What about master?"


    n asked as he jumped out of the mountain of corpses, the Ame-no-Sakahoko in his hand.


    "Master, Sir Oliver, and Olivia left already, wait you teleported them out how the fuck did you forget?!"


    Alexander was bbergasted. n himself made the portal but the bastard forgot.


    "Make a portal to our Shield Dorms first, The students shouldn''t have left right now, Even if they have gone we can just go by Shield''s transport."


    Lucas informed me. If n had gone to the Capitol they wouldn''t need to do this, but n hadn''t.


    "Oh. Well¡­"


    n showed a mischievous smile and said.


    "See You all at the Capitol then."


    "WAIT YOU, BASTARD!"


    It was toote, n had already teleported away¡­leaving Alexander and Lucas Behind.


    "..."


    "..."


    Now those two had to make it there by themselves.

 Chapter 341 [341] A Pledge.

    ?


    [Shore of the Capitol.]


    Alexander was near the shore, all he had to do was not lose speed and fall into the water identally. Festul was right behind him. They parted the seas with their speed.


    Alexander and Festul were currently running over water.


    What they were doing was creating a small barrier of wind around their feet, this barrier repelled the water and allowed them to run across the seas. Of course, if they slowed down then they would drown.


    Because of the Stunt n had pulled, He had to do this to get on time.


    Alexander and Festul had run from Terra Damnum to the Capitol. They traversed thousands of kilometers over the ocean so they could reach on time.


    "...Ha¡­"


    Alexander gasped for breath. He asked Festul.


    "Did I win?"


    Festul shook his body to dry himself and answered.


    [Yes, He should be arriving right about¡­]


    What Festul was talking about was Lucas. Alexander and Lucas were racing to determine who was faster.


    [Now.]


    Right on cue, Lucas emerged from the water, drenched. He swam here.


    "I wo- fuck."


    He cursed when he saw Alexander already on the beach. Alexander dried himself with wind andughed at Lucas.


    "Haha! Now you have to buy dinner!"


    People around them were looking at them with awe. Lucas''s appearance was not so outstanding but Alexander appearing from the horizon running on the water was interesting to see. Guards were alsoing here.


    "Where''s that bastard¡­I swear I''m gonna strangle him."


    Grumbled Lucas, He was not particrly fond of n''s stunt. He swore to get his revenge.


    "Same."


    Alexander was also angry with n. They would have been spared so much trouble had he teleported them here.


    [He is not here.]


    However, Festul''s words caused them to be shocked.


    "What?"


    Alexander questioned. Lucas had already gotten used to the talking dog. But the People on the beach weren''t.


    "Did that dog just talk?"


    "Look at its vibrant fur¡­Maybe it''s a spirit?"


    They murmured. Their words annoyed Festul but he realized they were just ignorant, so the Monarch of Storms forgave them.


    [I do not sense his mana signature. n Pator has yet to arrive]


    "Son of a¡­"


    "...fucker."


    Alexander and Lucas cursed respectively.


    "Of course, the one to leave the first, and HAVE the fastest mode of transportation is the one to not arrive¡­of course¡­"


    Lucasined.


    "..."


    Alexander was disappointed as well. Even he wanted to give n a good beating because of his ''joke''.


    "Let''s just go in then."


    He suggested. It was better to go to the city thanin here. Besides, they needed clothes. They looked like Barbarians with their scarred upper body and ripped jeans.


    "Do we have the money? What about our Identification?"


    The Capitol was the capital of Humanity. It wasn''t easy to get in.


    Alexander showed a cocky smile and called out to Festul.


    "Festul! Show him the magic!"


    [...]


    Festul cast a spell and opened his Spatial storage. He was a supreme being once, it was easy for him to learn the basic Spatial storage spell. Teleportation, however¡­was an entirely different matter.


    Alexander took out his and Lucas''s Shield ID Cards.


    "As for the money, we can just sell monster corpses at the Association branch."


    Alexander suggested as he made his way towards the gate. Lucas followed behind him.


    Eventually, they reached the gate and showed their identification to the guards. Who was at the very least C-ranked awakened?


    "..."


    It had been so long that their messy faces were unrecognizable. If not for the unique mana identification of the Shield Identification cards¡­Alexander and Lucas would have been attacked right there.


    "So this is the Capitol."


    Alexander marveled at the sights. Lucas asked him.


    "You''ve never been here?"


    Lucas asked.


    "Nope."


    "..."


    Somehow, Lucas felt a little bit of pity. Alexander had not tasted the delicacies of the Capitol¡­there were so many, Restaurants, sights, brothels Etc.


    He put his hand over Alexander''s shoulder and whispered.


    "Come on, let''s sell those monster corpses and go on a tour."


    Lucas truly had changed.


    "...sure."


    And thus, their tour began. Festul followed them from behind.


    *********


    [Askolt City, Twilight Headquarters medical ward.]


    n hesitated to open the door. He remembered the room number very vividly¡­


    Room number 555, Samantha''s room.


    He could already feel the power of the Phoenix from the room.


    *Thump!**Thump!*


    His heart thumped wildly. He¡­was afraid to open the door.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras advises you to just open it. There is no need to falter.]


    Suleras knocked some sense into him and finally made him open the door.


    "..."


    n''s sensitive nose was assaulted by the ''Old Hospital smell.''


    He looked at therge contraptions around Samantha''s little body, which were now inactive.


    This was probably for the better. Lest she would have built an immunity to the potions. Besides, n''s Phoenix Bloodline power was enough to keep Sam stable.


    He approached her unconscious body and smiled.


    Her¡­condition was now better. Her skin was not pale like before and she had grown her luscious hair back. The Phoenix bloodline was more potent than the potions could ever be.


    He sat down beside her bed¡­and a myriad of emotions assaulted him.


    Most were regretful and remorseful. Regret that he was a stupid, bad brother who couldn''t figure out the coordinates of Elvenheim.


    He hated himself for it.


    He found a note in the drawer beside her bed and opened it.


    [I thought you woulde here first. Your little sister''s condition is better and we have been taking care of her. We all have departed for the Capitol, only you should be left. Kazikato and Edward came before and you are with us. You can take your time but please do arrive before the convergence. I hope your training went well. Also, because it''s you please check the awards you received from the quest back in Aror. You would have probably forgotten about it. Also,e here soon, we have something for you. Regards, Maxwell.]


    "..."


    n read the note and realized. He was having a hard time reading the words, not because he was illiterate but because his eyes hurt. His vision continuously became blurry because of his excessive use of Dragon eyes.


    Thinking about it¡­n had forgotten about the rewards from the quest.


    He quickly opened his system tab and checked.


    [Would you like to open your quest rewards? They will not be stored in the system after opening.]


    [Yes/No.]


    [Yes.]


    n opened his rewards. Maxwell was spot on, n did forget. There were two rewards. The first one was¡­sses?


    [Item: Spectral Talentscope.]


    [Rank: SS+]


    [Description: The Spectral Talentscope is a pair of sses imbued with ancient magic. Not only are they capable of enhancing your impaired vision, but they have another function that makes them extremely desired. They can see the hidden talents of people.


    Upon focusing the lenses on another individual, the true magic unfolds. A series of ethereal, glowing threads start to weave around the subject, connecting them to various ethereal objects floating nearby. Each object represents a unique talent or skill possessed by the person under observation.


    These talents are the hidden talents of a person, not discoverable easily. These sses also have another function, they lessen the disadvantage of using optical skills. The reducing function depends on the optical skill. ]


    n held the sses in his hand and observed them. They had a modern look with a full ck metal frame. He put them on and he could see more clearly than before.


    "Can discover hidden Talents huh¡­"


    He input mana into the sses and focused on Samanthan.


    Ethereal threads connected to a book and pen appeared, and a notification also appeared.


    [The targeted individual''s talents are studying(Great) and calligraphy(Amazing).]


    "Haha¡­"


    nughed. He wouldn''t call it hidden because he knew how much of a studious girl Sam was. He guessed that the rank beside the talents indicated the level or potential of the talent.


    He messaged the unconscious Sam''s forehead and checked what the other item was.


    A blood-red ruby ne.


    [Item: BloodMoon Pendant.]


    Rank: ???


    Description: A ne that glows with the eerie light of the moon, symbolizing the power of ancient vampire bloodlines. It works well with females. The full power of the ne is revealed when it is in the hands of a capable female. Particrly females that have an aptitude for Darkness.]


    That was it?


    n wondered. Well, ording to the description¡­It wouldn''t work for him anyway. He wondered why the system gave it to him¡­ Oh well. The Spectral Talentscope was enough of a reward, and he got a Title as well...


    [Title: The one who repelled a Marquis.


    Effect: Increased damage and resistance toward Demonic Marquisses.]


    He put the ne away but kept the sses on and massaged Samantha''s forehead.


    "Don''t worry¡­Just a little bit more."


    He barely stopped a tear from forming.


    " I promise¡­I promise I''ll clear that tower and cure you¡­I promise. You can go to school and study again¡­and eat all kinds of sweets."


    But in the end, a tear still leaked out.


    "I promise¡­this pathetic bastard of a brother will do it. No matter what."


    He pledged, a firm promise¡­ He would clear that damn tower and get that wish. And then he would wish for an elven tear.


    He would do it¡­No matter what.


    ********


    A/N: Get ready for an amazing arc. The Tower Of Trials arcmences!

 Chapter 342 [342] Arrival.

    ?


    [Capitol, Wellington Estate.]


    "Are you feeling well?"


    Hugo asked Sabrina as they toured the garden of their Estate.


    "Yes, much better."


    Sabrina had recovered from the Corruption of Darkness and had regained her original beauty, perhaps even surpassing it.


    Although Hugo still questioned the origin of the Ne and Bracelet she wore, Sabrina didn''t let anyone have them except her, So it was quite hard to investigate.


    Hugo and Sabrina stopped and stared at the Huge Tower in the center of the Capitol. A tower that stood firm for decades. Which had faced numerous challengers but none were able to triumph over it.


    "Will you be participating in the Convergence?"


    Sabrina thought over the question.


    In the end, was there a need? She wasn''t exactly fond of trying to challenge the tower, and neither was she fond of fighting other challengers in the other events.


    "Yes. But only in one."


    But still, she chose to participate. However, in only one Event.


    Hugo had an inkling as to what event, but he hoped for it to not be true.


    "May I ask which one?"


    "The battle matches."


    "..."


    Hugo let out a sigh, He was correct.


    Sabrina wasn''t exactly fond of fighting, but¡­he knew why she was going to participate in that Event.


    "You know, Even the monarch and the elder brother have apologized."


    "But the one responsible for it had not."


    Sigh¡­


    Hugo let out another sigh. Truly, she was a Wellington.


    Repay all with blood and gold.


    That was the creed of the Wellington family.


    "Are you confident enough you can beat him?"


    He asked.


    And Sabrina replied with confidence.


    "I will destroy him."


    Hugo felt relieved. Sabrina was not one to take on fights she would not win.


    "What about the tower? Do you wish to climb it?"


    Sabrina''s silence threw him off. He thought she was not confident in climbing it.


    "The Treasury is open to you, you can ask for an-"


    "It''s alright, I don''t want to participate in the Tower."


    She dered. Why climb the tower?


    She knew she didn''t have a chance in clearing it, and the reward for clearing it was not exactly to her taste.


    ''That''s for him to climb.''


    She gazed at the tower as she grabbed her ne.


    "The Wellington''s are behind you, do whatever you think is right."


    However, Sabrina didn''t pay attention to her grandfather''s words.


    She felt it, both the contract and the Astral bond informed her.


    n was here, He was finally in the Capitol.


    Both the Contract and Astral Bond reverberated with power, The soul crystal started to pulse out pure mana.


    n was finally here and was stronger than ever.


    *******


    "This is good stuff!"


    n praised the vendor, His kebabs were truly delicious!


    "Thank you!"


    The vendor thanked n for his praise.


    "Mister, give me twelve more."


    n''s absurd order shocked him a little, but when he looked at the size of his customer, it was somewhat believable. n was like a beast.


    A 6 foot eight inches tall muscr beast. If someone told him that this man ate humans, it wouldn''t shock him.


    But the Vendor still hesitated. Why wouldn''t he?


    n looked like a beggar recently. His hair was a mess and there were scars on his face, and he was wearing a tattered rope.


    "Oh."


    n realized what the problem was when he looked at the Vendor''s hesitant face. He opened his spatial storage and took out his Twilight Guild card, which would pay for him.


    Everyone near the stall stared at him with pure shock. Why wouldn''t they? n just pulled out something from nowhere. Most were thinking he had a spatial ring, his Twilight Guild card further cemented that thought. All high-ranked officials of Twilight possessed one.


    "This should pay for it."


    n scanned the card and paid arge sum of money, money enough for 50 kebabs but still took only 12.


    "Thanks!"


    And he simply left, while relishing the delicious meat.


    Everyone avoided him on the streets, and honestly, he preferred it.


    He liked that the cliche of bumping into a big young master of a guild or organization wouldn''t happen.


    He didn''t know that people weren''t stupid enough to challenge the Behemoth that was him by just a nce. n was also subconsciously exuding a formidable mana pressure, a habit he developed during his time in Terra Damnum.


    Besides, everyone wasn''t an idiot. It was the time of the Academic Convergence, Youngsters of multiple powerful guilds and organizations were gathered here. No one would needlessly start a fight here. Who knows, maybe the beggar could be the son of a Guildmaster. It was hard to decipher it. Awakened had peculiar hobbies.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras inquiries if you can sense the mana signature?]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha asks you if you enjoy the Atmosphere.]


    "Yeah."


    n answered them both.


    Lanesha was like a mother, so he didn''t have any qualms about her. But Suleras was always serious.


    Which was good, but annoying at times.


    Whilst Lanesha had asked a light-hearted question. Suleras'' question was more focused on something important.


    n gazed at the castle in the center of the city, just beside the Tower.


    "Yep, I can sense it."


    It was faint, but he felt the signature of a dragon. A fire dragon.


    [Supreme Dragon of chaos Suleras requests you to go investigate.]


    "Nah."


    But n denied his request.


    "It''s a fire-type dragon or something. Elijah should have felt it and should be nning to do something about it I guess."


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras is speechless.]


    [The Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha isughing joyfully.]


    n devoured the kebabs he bought.


    "I should have gotten more."


    He regretted it. His stomach was still empty.


    "Well, I can''t help it now."


    He gazed at the tower with a look of determination.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha encourages you to do your best!]


    It was strange Suleras was quiet, but n liked Lanesha''s encouragement.


    "Let''s see¡­Where was Twilight stationed once again?"


    Although he would have liked to Challenge the tower as soon as possible, he couldn''t because the Tower was currently inessible. He could break through¡­but that would definitely cause some trouble for Twilight.


    So he decided to meet up with Predator first

 Chapter 343 [343] Ragnar Drakmor.

    ?


    An old man dressed in a ruby robe sat on a throne made to resemble dragons.


    The throne''s backrest rises like the outstretched wings of a dragon in mid-flight, adorned with intricate carvings that tell the stories of its history. The armrests are shaped like coiled serpents, their heads forming the ends, their eyes glinting with gemstones that mirror the brilliance of a dragon''s gaze. The entire structure rests upon wed feet that grasp the floor as if ready to take flight at any moment.


    On this grand throne¡­the man was simply sleeping.


    The light sound of snoring, apanied by mes was heard. The mes lit up the dark throne room periodically.


    The waves of power that the man exuded were immense. Even though he was asleep, he could not hide his subconscious mana waves. The waves of power the man emitted were enough to melt steel. That was his fiery power. Whatever materials the throne room was made of, the fact that it could handle his power proved it was costly to construct.


    Ragnar Drakmor, The Patriarch of the Drakmor family.


    The strongest Family in the World.


    He was the sole reason the Soubuelle and Wellington families were not considered the strongest.


    He was of the generation of the Golden Trio¡­and was one of the few SSS-ranked humans in the world.


    On par with Arken and Oliver. That was the degree of his monstrous strength.


    If not for his choice to stay hidden, he would have been a famous individual. Well¡­He already was famous because he was the Patriarch but he didn''t go out in public much. So people tend to forget about him. He was just as famous as Arken, a myth.


    "..."


    Suddenly, he woke up.


    His ruby eyes scanned the throne room but found none who dared to disturb his slumber.


    He stretched his muscles and yawned.


    "Haaa¡­.What?"


    He said.


    He felt a familiar¡­no superior type of energy in the Capitol once again.


    He felt it before¡­but at that time this energy was a fiery inferno. A me that would not give up, a me that would never falter¡­


    But now it is cold. It was a freezing Blizzard¡­No, it was frost itself.


    It waspletely opposite to his fire, and the me he felt before.


    "Strange¡­"


    What is happening to his city? What are these energies? He had dismissed the earlier energy because it was familiar to him and thought maybe a member of his family was doing something¡­But not now.


    Not this one.


    He unleashed his fiery mana and had it spread throughout the entire city. The temperature of the entire Capitol increased by a few degrees.


    He scanned the entire city and finally found them.


    "The vibrant me is in the Association''s building¡­Whilst the eternal frost lies in Richard''s residence¡­"


    He pinpointed their locations and observed them both¡­


    A handsome young man with flowing orange hair possessed the vibrant me. And the eternal frost belonged to a young man with flowing white hair¡­


    "Ah¡­now I know,"


    Elijah Ardor and n Pator¡­


    "Rank 1 and 2."


    The man let out a lightugh.


    "Youngster''s these days are wild. To think they have gotten their hands on such prominent bloodlines¡­The Bloodlines of Dragons huh."


    [They are not bloodlines.]


    A bird of me materialized in front of him and sat on his shoulder. It was his spirit, the Fire Eagle. But it was far stronger than a normal fire eagle, it was also on the verge of evolving.


    "Sitri¡­what do you mean?"


    It was simr in strength to Oliver''s Argenti.


    [They are the chosen ones of Supreme Dragons.]


    Ragnar''s shock materialized in the throne room, the temperature increased by a few hundred degrees and he asked.


    "Are you sure of it?"


    [Yes.]


    He used his mana to search around more.


    [Be careful, their dragons are watching you.]


    Sitri warned. It already knew the dragons that chose the two boys were watching Ragnar. If he tried anything they would exert their authority and erase him from existence itself in a second.


    SSS rank strength was nothing to Supreme beings.


    "There is no need for them to watch¡­"


    Ragnarmented. The vibrant me and eternal frost had found him.


    The vibrant me was even heading here, but he had no ill intentions.


    "So this is what a dragon feels like¡­"


    It was his dream to be a dragon.


    Unlike the stories and rumors of the Draknar family, they did not possess the blood of Dragons.


    They possessed the bloodline of the Drakes, All of Ragnar''s spawn possessed the bloodline of a fire drake.


    Not a dragon.


    It was still a formidable bloodline¡­but it couldn''tpare to a dragon.


    Ragnar had tried so hard to be a dragon¡­But he just couldn''t.


    Without a supreme dragon to deem him worthy and make him one¡­He couldn''t be one. Because he was Drake, he felt a sense of loyalty towards the Vibrant me and Eternal Frost.


    But they were weaker than him currently.


    [The Supreme Dragons of Fire and Frost¡­]


    "Fire..?"


    Ragnar listened closely to Sitri''s words.


    [Yes, the chosen of the Fire Dragon king, Supreme Dragon Agri ising here¡­What should we do? If we have angered Lord Agri we will be¡­]


    "Nothing will happen."


    Ragnar reassured Sitri.


    " He does not approach with those intentions¡­"


    Ragnar could feel it. His Drake bloodline, although it may be forcing him to submit to the Vibrant me¡­it could also tell whether the Vibrant me possessed malicious intentions or not.


    "Sitri, Go greet him and bring him here."


    [Understood.]


    Sitri left immediately. He and Ragnar both knew how stubborn the people of the Drakmor family were.  It couldn''t be helped¡­their Bloodline had side effects as well. And with how thin the blood of the guards was, they would not recognize the Vibrant me.


    Ragnar stood up from his throne. His robe fell off and revealed his spectacr upper body. He had to get ready to greet the Vibrant me. Take a bath, clean his untidy beard, etc¡­


    "This Academic convergence will be interesting¡­"


    Ragnar let out augh.


    Indeed, This time, the Academic convergence would leave everyone in Awe

 Chapter 344 [344] Ragnar Drakmor[2]

    ?


    "You''rete."


    Maxwell served n a cup of tea and sat opposite him.


    "Thanks."


    "How did your training go?"


    Asked Maxwell. Looking at n''s ''beggar-like appearance'', he could guess that his training was extremely intense.


    The scars on his face and his Subconscious release of mana were proof.


    Thankfully, Maxwell carried a lot of artifacts on him at all times, so he was able to resist the mana surge n was exuding with ease.


    "Great, I''ve advanced to rank B."


    The others who were listening in the lobby almost fell to the ground in shock.


    "Nice."


    Maxwell, on the other hand, was not so surprised.


    To be honest, he was expecting n to advance to A rank, or B+ at least. He was sure n could do it. He didn''t know why n was hesitating to Advance to B+ or A¡­


    He didn''t know it was because Arken had warned him not to.


    ''Aura will advance together with your ranks. Even with your monstrous speed, advancing to S rank won''t be easy. Don''t advance further than this until you achieve aura. Hold the advancement back for as long as you can.''


    If n wanted to, He could have returned as the youngest A-rank¡­But he wanted to achieve Aura first.


    "I was expecting higher, you know."


    Maxwell jokes.


    They were currently sitting in the Lobby of Richard''s estate in the Capitol. Twilight didn''t have a base in the Capitol, Unlike Titan and Behemoth. They had tried to make one multiple times but Titan and Behemoth always got in their way. Furthermore, the World government didn''t want another powerful guild to set up a branch here and further lessen its Authority. The ones at the top of the World government had learned their lesson from Titan and Behemoth Already.


    Among the top 10 guilds, only Titan and Behemoth had their Headquarters in the Capitol. The other guilds had their Headquarters in other major cities, For example, Twilight had its headquarters in Askolt City, along with Phoenix guild, the rank number 6.


    "I know,"


    n responded half-heartedly.


    "Well, the sses look nice. Are they an item?"


    At Maxwell''s mention of sses, n suddenly remembered.


    He focused his mana in the sses and peered at Maxwell.


    "Stay still."


    He said, and the sses worked their magic.


    Although Maxwell was confused, he didn''t question it and just did as n said.


    Ethereal strings emerged from Maxwell and attached themselves to a gun and calctor.


    [Hidden Talent of the Individual are Marksmanship(Amazing) and Mathematician(Genius!)]


    "Your hidden talents are marksmanship and Mathematician?"


    Said n.


    "Oh, So those sses can check hidden talents¡­Nice."


    n was perplexed by Maxwell''sck of surprise.


    "You''re not excited?"


    "Not really."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    n truly would never understand this man.


    "Where are the rest?"


    Asked n. He didn''t see the members of Predator. Forget that even Richard and the elders were nowhere to be seen.


    "Alice has gone with Richard and the elders to the World government for a meeting. Emma is over at the Medical bay¡­as For Kazikato and Edward¡­"


    Maxwell pointed to a corner of the lobby, towards 2 individuals white as ghosts.


    "..?"


    These two were of course Kazikato and Edward, who had returned from Ariel''s training before n.


    "It''s been three days, and they''ve been like that. A ck portal threw them here."


    "Oh¡­"


    n knew what had happened when he heard ''ck Portal''. He pitied the poor souls. Ariel had gotten their hands on them.


    Who knows what hell the Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel had subjected them to¡­ he silently prayed for their Well being.


    "What about my Grandparents?"


    n inquired about his Grandparents. He worried for them when he was training. Maybe they were worried for him.


    "They''ve been doing well. They started gardening and other things. Your grandfather refused to ept the money I was going to give him¡­He said he''ll figure it out on his own. Restoration processes in Aror are slow but we should be d they''re doing something."


    n felt relieved that the old man was still the same. Thankfully, it seemed his Grandparents were doing well.


    "Oh yeah!"


    Suddenly, Maxwell stood up and signaled to some other members to bring something.


    "There''s a gift for you."


    "What?"


    n remembered the note Maxwell had written. There was something in it about a gift.


    ''I wonder what it is¡­''


    He was curious.


    Two men brought over a spatial ring and arge table. Maxwell equipped the Spatial ring and manifested ''n''s gift.''


    "..?"


    It was armor and a cape?


    "Just check them."


    n activated Dragon''s eyes and checked the armor first. Thanks to the Spectral Talentscope, the recoil of dragon eyes was reduced. He could probably keep the skill active for twice as long without suffering any major setbacks.


    [Item Name; Demonic Embrace.]


    Rank: SS


    Description: The Demonic Embrace is a legendary artifact forged from the horns of an SS-ranked demon marquis, a creature of otherworldly power and malevolent influence. Crafted by a master artificer of Twilight who dared to tame the essence of darkness along with hisrades, this armor stands as a testament to both craftsmanship and defiance against the forces of evil. The Demonic Embrace boasts a mesmerizing fusion of ethereal darkness and infernal strength. Its obsidian-ck surface is adorned with swirling patterns that seem to writhe like shadowy serpents, reflecting the chaotic nature of the demon marquis. The armor is masterfully sculpted to channel the very essence of its origin, with the curving horns forming imposing pauldrons and intricate, horn-shaped motifs entuating its chest te and greaves.


    ABILITIES:


    Infernal Resilience: The Demonic Embrace grants the wearer unparalleled protection against both physical and magical assaults. The horns of the demon marquis, infused with dark energy, bestow an extraordinary resistance to curses, poisons, and dark magics as well as Chaos.


    Chaotic Vigor: In moments of dire need, the armor can tap into thetent malevolent energies within its construction. This enables the wearer to surge with increased strength and agility, as well as gives the wearer the ability to fire Chaos sts.


    The nobility of the Demons: The armor provides increased resistance to attacks of demons below and at the Marquis level. It also makes you immune to the corruption of a demon below the level of a Marquis and grants great resistance against marquis-level demons. However, the Armor cannot do much in front of higher-ranked demons.]


    "...That''s amazing."


    n praised. Truly the Armor was great! However, Maxwell shut down his excitement.


    "It''sckingpared to other SS-ranked artifacts, Because of its nature, not only was it hard to deal with but also came with abilities that had some side effects that we removed. They made it worthy of the SS rank title¡­but we couldn''t risk it.


    "I still like it!"


    Although it wascking, n still loved it. He hadn''t had a good set of armor to fight in his human form. And it was also understandable, it was armor made from demons¡­it was bound to have some negative side effects. Thankfully, the artisans here at Twilight removed them. n would have asked them to do so if they hadn''t.


    He just couldn''t risk it.


    n donned the armor and marveled at his appearance.


    "Are you okay? Is your memory faulty or something? You forgot about thos."


    Maxwell cut his happiness short. n had forgotten about the cape in his excitement.


    n checked it out as well and had his jaw drop¡­The two made a great set.


    [Name: Blood Shadow mantle.]


    Rank: S(Potential rank SS)


    Description: The Blood Shadow mantle is a striking and ominous garment woven from the blood of a vanquished demon, an entity of unparalleled malevolence and demonic power. Crafted by brave artisans of Twilight who dared to tame the very essence of darkness, this cape stands as both a symbol of conquest and a conduit to the abyssal energies it contains. It was made with a limited amount of blood from the hands of a Demonic marquis, so it yearns to bepleted. It thirsts for blood. The cape''s surface shimmers with a dark iridescence, reminiscent of oil upon water, as if a piece of the night sky had been stitched together with threads of shadow. Closer inspection reveals the intricate weaving of enchanted blood fibers, exuding an ethereal crimson glow that pulses in rhythm. The hem of the cape drips with a phantom-like mist, hinting at the supernatural power contained within


    ABILITIES:


    Siphoned Resilience: The cape is infused with the regenerative properties of the demon marquis''s blood. When worn, it gradually replenishes the wearer''s vitality and mana, allowing them to recover from injuries or exertions more swiftly. It absorbs the blood of adversaries in order to heal the wearer.


    Chaotic Veil: When donned, the wearer can input mana into the cape to make themselves meld into the shadows and chaos of the world. The user enters into a state of invisibility, detectable only by those above the rank of the Armour¡­and even then Barely. Inputting more mana will make you stealthier.]


    "Damn¡­"


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says that the items are decent.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha praises your appearance and says you look magnificent.]


    The supreme dragons seemed to have simr thoughts about the items as n.


    "Strange¡­did it get hotter?"


    Maxwellined about the heat and went to check whether the Air condition was working or not. n on the other hand was still marveling at the items¡­Until.


    He suddenly felt someone was looking at him.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says you are slow in noticing.]


    "..."


    The gaze came from the Drakmor castle¡­and n could feel Elijah getting closer.


    ''He''ll take care of it. I should help the guild out in the meanwhile.''


    n concluded that Elijah would probably do something about it. He had a more powerful backing in the human world as well. And Agri would step in if something went wrong.


    Therefore, he decided to help his Guild members first.


    "Anyone who wants to see their hidden talents! LINE UP!"

 Chapter 345 [345] Ragnar Drakmo[3]

    ?


    Elijah quickly made his way towards the Drakmor estate, he had already told Serena that he needed to visit the Drakmor Estate. She had told him she would make the necessary Preparations¡­But there was an uneasiness in his heart.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri senses something nearby, he regrets that he is unable to exert his power on Earth.]


    Agri couldn''t do much to help Elijah in the investigation. If he exerted his power even a little then Earth would melt away.


    Compared to others, it had not been long since Earth had been introduced to Mana, so it was understandable it was not able to handle the strength of The Supreme Dragon of Fire.


    Although this may seem like a disadvantage, it meant that high-ranked beings were unable to enter the world, because their Entrance was blocked because of the low concentration of mana and Origin energy.


    This meant that Higher Ranked demons couldn''t invade. It was hard for even Duke-Ranked demons to stay here for an extended period.


    Higher-ranked demons, like an Archduke, we''re unable to cross over to the world and conquer it.


    The only way they coulde here was when arge amount of Mana had been umted in the world, strengthening it enough so that they could pass over without causing any side effects.


    But individuals of the world strong enough to repel such invasions would also be present by that time.


    It was a state of Bnce or Equality.


    Extremely strong invaders couldn''te and invade the world in an instant, and when they could. There would be residents to stop them.


    ''It''s big.''


    Elijahmented when he saw the Drakmor estate.


    It was a full castle made of ckstone or Obsidian it seemed.


    And it was hot. The amount of fire energy in the Estate was almost Breathtaking. It was the perfect ce for fire Attribute awakened to train on Earth.


    "The security is tight¡­"


    There were guards everywhere, and each of them was incredibly strong. And not to mention¡­there we''re even Fire Spirits roaming around the estate.


    ''The drakmor do have an affinity for spirits¡­''


    What we heard was true.


    "Smander,e out."


    He called out his spirit and asked.


    "Can you distract them, buddy?"


    His Smander shook its head. It was different now, the mes were more vibrant and it was bigger.


    It had evolved.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Elijah hid himself further and spected on how to get inside and investigate.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says there is no need to sneak in.]


    "What?"


    Just as Elijah questioned Agri''s words, he heard a voice behind him.


    A magnificent bird of me manifested behind him. It looked like arge eagle, and every part of its body was made from fire.


    A heavenly fire.


    [I pay my greetings to the Chosen of the Fire Dragon Supreme.]


    The spirit bowed its head and greeted Elijah with the utmost respect.


    "Whose spirit are you?"


    Elijah asked. It had to be some formidable figure.


    The level of strength that this infSpirit had was above S rank, it was extremely strong. Strong enough to tten Elijah in a second.


    But this spirit was bowing to him, only because of Agri.


    [ I am the familiar of the Drakmor Patriarch, Ragnar Drakmor. He wishes to be graced with your almighty presence.]


    Sitri kept his head down during the entire conversation. He didn''t dare do anything that would offend the Fire Dragon Supreme Agri.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri urges you to ept.]


    Upon noticing that Agri was fine with it, he epted.


    "Please take me to him."


    Elijah was also respectful to the Spirit. Sitri was a little surprised at first but disregarded it.


    [Allow me to guide you there, Chosen.]


    Sitri gestured for Elijah to follow. Elijah followed the Spirit and went right through the main gates.


    Although Elijah was a little surprised that the spirit was so bold¡­he went along with it.


    He was expecting he had to go through a secret passageway or on its back¡­But it seemed that he was wrong.


    ''Won''t rumors circte because of this?''


    The spirit of the Familiar was guiding him, and actively preventing other members of the Drakmor family from approaching.


    Little did Elijah know, Ragnar simply didn''t give a fuck about rumors.


    He was one of the strongest humans on Earth, perhaps even the strongest.


    He didn''t give a damn about rumors. He was someone who didn''t give a damn about anything rted to the public. And he was also the head of the Drakmor Family, the one who had absolute authority over his family because he was the progenitor from where their bloodline strength stemmed from.


    He could simply use his bloodline to make them shut up.


    ''Strong.''


    Elijah observed the Drakmor family members, some of them were incredibly strong. But none were stronger than Harrison, Serena''s Father. But¡­Not the one located where he was heading.


    He could feel the fire energy where Sitri was leading him¡­It was intense.


    As they traveled through the estate, Elijah couldn''t even fathom the size of it. He could also feel a few pairs of eyes watching him¡­but he didn''t know from where. This happened  when he entered the inner parts of the castle.


    [Stop it, He is a guest of Ragnar.]


    Sitri warned the ''eyes'' and Elijah could no longer feel them.


    [I apologize chosen. The members are a bit wary.]


    Sitri apologized for their actions.


    "It''s okay."


    Elijah didn''t mind it. In fact, he was d that they were actually acting like normal. Who wouldn''t be wary of someone that entered the inner arts of their estate, someone they didn''t know?


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri is getting annoyed.]


    ''Deal with it.''


    Only Elijah could talk to Agri like that.


    [We have arrived.]


    Finally, they arrived in the throne room. Blocked by arge door clearly made with the image of a dragon.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri is confused because of the architecture.]


    Agri expressed his confusion. Why was everything rted to dragons?


    Sitri started to open the door.


    ''Why are you confused? Of course, someone with the bloodline of a Dragon would style their estate simr to drag-''


    Agri interrupted Elijah with a sigh.


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri sighs and says you need more training.]


    Elijah was still as oblivious as always.


    ''What?''


    The door opened, and a wave of heat assaulted Elijah.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says that the bloodline is not of a dragon¡­but a Drake. A fire Drake.]


    This information surprised Elijah. He had been thinking that the bloodline was of a fire dragon¡­But it was a Drake instead? Now he knew why Agri said he needed more training.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    He looked at the man sitting on the throne in awe.


    "..."


    ''So that''s Ragnar Drakmor huh¡­''


    Dressed In regal clothing that resembled fire, his aura demanded respect. Although he was old, he looked like he was in his 30s with that magnificent beard and hair.


    "The Pleasure is all mine."


    Elijah returned the greeting and went further ahead.


    Now that he was closer, he truly felt it. He had the bloodline of the Fire Drake before so now¡­he could sense that he was wrong previously.


    But even then¡­


    That man was strong, no matter what his bloodline was.


    "It is my honor to meet the Supreme Dragon''s chosen. I thank you for giving this old man some of your precious time."


    Ragnar expressed his gratitude. Elijah looked into his scarlet eyes and found a hidden Ambition in him.


    "Ah¡­I just came here because Agri told me to."


    Elijah revealed the reason for his intrusion into the Dramor Estate.


    [We apologize for doing that, we were unaware.]


    Sitri Apologized first, and Ragnar followed.


    ''SSS+ ¡­ Holy shit that''s strong.''


    Elijah used [GOD EYES] to estimate Ragnar''s strength¡­and his jaw was left wide open.


    [Name: Ragnar Drakmor.]


    Titles: Patriarch of the Drakmor family, Crimson Drake of Doom, Guardian of the Capitol.


    RANK: SSS+


    Strength: SSS+


    Agility: SSS


    Endurance: SSS


    Mana: SSS+


    Intelligence: A


    Charm: A


    Description: He is the strongest Human on Earth. He has achieved mastery in the Fire Drake bloodline and haspletely assimted it. He leads the strongest family on Earth as well. He is one of the first few awakened, along with the Golden Trio. He has surpassed them in strength because of his bloodline. He is the strongest but chooses to remain unknown, this is why there is another ranked first instead of him. He rarely reveals his power and is the main reason why the Capitol has repelled all invasions. He is the guardian of the Capitol. He wishes to be a fire dragon.]


    Elijah was expecting strong¡­but this was monstrous.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri is impressed by his honor and duty as a Guardian.


    ¡­Even Agri was impressed. Not because of his strength but because of his Titles.


    Guardian.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you to not waste time anymore and investigate.]


    Elijah awoke from his trance and finally remembered what he was originally here for.


    "I havee because I sensed the energy of a dragon."


    Ragnar smiled amicably and said.


    "Please follow me, chosen of the ''Fire'' dragon Supreme."

 Chapter 346 [346] Ragnar Drakmor[4]

    ?


    [Basement of the Drakmor Estate]


    "Did you feel the fire energy in the estate?"


    Ragnar asked the obvious. He knew that the chosen of the Fire Supreme had felt the fire energy in the Drakmor estate, he just wanted to start a conversation as they walked through the dark halls of the basement of the castle.


    "Yes."


    Elijah answered. He wondered why Ragnar asked the obvious¡­But decided to let it go.


    "The abundant fire energy here is the Haven for fire type awakened, our training speed can be enhanced almost twice here."


    Elijah gulped.


    Twice!


    That was amazing, to advance twice as fast as the average awakened was amazing here on earth.


    [The Supreme dragon of fire Agri say''s that is low. Vulcanus will enhance it 50 times.]


    "..."


    Elijah was truly dumbfounded. Twice was amazing..But 50 times?


    Truly, the home of the fire dragons was amazing. But even so, here on Earth the boost in the Drakmor estate was amazing. No wonder the Drakmor''s were so strong. Most members of the family had the element of fire andbining that with the affinity level and the boost the estate provided¡­They were bound to be the strongest.


    "Where do you think this fire energyes from?"


    Asked Ragnar, as he continued walking.


    "From your bloodline? You spread your fire energy that''s in your bloodline all throughout the estate?"


    Answered Elijah, however he still felt dubious about his answer. It was usible¡­in his head.


    [The supreme dragon of Fire Agri says the boost would not be that much from a simple Drake''s bloodline.]


    "I tried that, but it only enhanced the fire energy by 1.4 times. You are wrong, Chosen."


    Ragnar said. It seemed Agri was right.


    They both continued walking in the dark hallways, the only source of light in the hallway was Sitri.


    Finally, they arrived at arge obsidian door, it had depictions of two standing dragons,bining their breaths into a sphere of fire.


    Elijah guessed that the source of the Fire energy probably came from whatever was behind that door.


    Ragnar approaches the door and ces his hands on it. His figure became engulfed in fire and he transferred his energy into the door.


    The Fire slowly traveled up the two dragons, and the resplendent energy illuminated the area. The dragons released the fire energy from their mouths and the energybined into the sphere, forming a sun.


    With a metallic sound, therge door opened. Before it could evenpletely open Elijah was assaulted by a heat hot enough to melt steel.


    Elijah protected himself from the heat by covering his face and head. The door continued to open and Ragnar stood in front of the heat unfazed. It finally opened fully and Elijah felt an even stronger heat emerge.


    "This is the source."


    [The Supreme dragon of Fire Agri is speechless.]


    Agri is speechless?


    What was it? A Crystal of Primordial fire? A Priceless artifact?


    Elijah wondered what it was. He used his mana to shield himself from the heat and could finally see¡­


    He raised his head¡­and his reaction was just like Agri''s.


    It was not a Crystal of Primordial fire.


    It wasn''t even an Artifact.


    It was the skeletal corpse of a Dragon.


    "..."


    Elijah gazed at the skeleton of the dragon. The bones carried an orange hue, resembling the smoldering embers and sacred fire the creature once wielded.


    Each bone radiated an intense warmth¡­It was like the fire that once ran in the dragon''s vein was still there. It was still lingering within those bones!


    The skull was adorned with fearsome sweeping horns, it hadrge and deep eye sockets, which were proof of the creature''s keen insight and wisdom. The spinal bones resembled mes, they had sharp and pointed ridges which depicted the image of mes rising upward. It had arge rib cage, probably to support the massive lungs it needed to breathe fire.


    The limb bones disyed a bnce between power and flexibility. The forearm bones had slightly curved edges, reminiscent of talons, while the wing bones stretched out gracefully, evoking the image of a phoenix''s outstretched wings. Each bone retained a delicatettice-like structure, showcasing the dragon''s ethereal essence.


    The amount of fire energy the skeleton released was immense.


    "This was also the source of my bloodline¡­It was only bones, So I could only extract the bloodline of a Drake. Instead¡­of a fire dragon."


    Spoke Ragnar, regretcing his voice.


    Elijah was still speechless¡­


    "This is the source of my strength, oh chosen. The skeleton of a mighty fire dragon."


    An intense amount of Fire Energy was released from Elijah, horns and scales grew¡­and Ragnar was forced to bow down because of the Fire pressure.


    There was rage¡­


    Elijah wasn''t in control of his body¡­not anymore.


    Sitri kneeled down, as low as the bird could and spoke with reverence in his voice.


    [I greet the Supreme of Fire.]


    Agri had descended and had possessed Elijah''s body temporarily.


    "..!"


    Sitri''s greeting shocked Ragnar. The Supreme OF FIRE had really descended! Agri, the King Of Fire dragons, the strongest fire Dragon had descended!


    "I greet the Supreme of Fire."


    Ragnar barely managed to utter those words¡­He simply copied Sitri''s greeting but even that took a toll on him. He was just overwhelmed by the supreme pressure.


    "A young red dragon¡­"


    Agri said as he looked at the skeleton. Wrath was present in his voice. It was not a fire dragon like Elijah and Ragnar had thought¡­but a young red dragon.


    ''...young red dragon?!''


    Ragnar was flustered. The skeleton he almost worshiped was not of mighty fire dragons but¡­instead a young dragon? A red Dragon?


    "Where did you find this?"


    He asked Ragnar, and lessened his pressure so that he could answer freely.


    "...It was here originally¡­I stumbled here when I was a new awakened Supreme."


    Answered Ragnar truthfully


    "..."


    Agri went over to the skeletal corpse and examined it closely. His mes released a special Aura and scanned the corpse.


    "..."


    His energy faded. He already knew all he needed to know.


    His aura faded away, he was about to go back. Staying in Elijah''s weak body for too long would have disastrous effects for Elijah as of now.


    "Supreme wait!"


    Ragnar dared to call him, and ask him to stop the process.


    Ragnar bowed down before Agri.


    Sitri watched with fear. What would the Supreme do to him? He dared to talk without permission!


    "Please make me a fire dragon!"


    He begged.


    Agri looked at him. And Asked.


    "Why?"


    ¡­Why?


    Ragnar was confused? Why not?


    Why not?!


    "Do you think you have the capability to be one?"


    Asked Agri, his eyes scanned each and every cell of Agri''s body.


    "Swear Loyalty to Elijah."


    "..!"


    That was Agri''s condition. Elijah needed power. So he would do anything that he could to give it to him.


    Having the strongest human swear loyalty would be amazing. Elijah''s strength would increase.


    But¡­Agri respected Ragnar''s title as a guardian.


    "That tower of trials¡­Watch Elijah when he goes to challenge it.


    Decide then, whether he is worthy of your loyalty."


    Agri would not force him.


    "...Yes."


    Agri disappeared when he heard Ragnar''s answer. Elijah was now back in control.


    He had heard everything.


    However the toll that it took on him was immense. The descent of a supreme being into his body was dangerous.


    "Take this."


    Ragnar fed him the highest grade potion he had on him right now.


    "Thank you¡­"


    Elijah thanked him for his help. And stood up.


    "You don''t really have to sw-"


    "It''s alright."


    Ragnar interrupted Elijah. Elijah was too kind for his own good. He would be getting the strongest human on Earth as his servant¡­but he didn''t want that.


    He felt ''weird'' having a subordinate that was stronger than him.


    "Please, I shall watch your trials with great interest."


    Ragnar would do anything to be a dragon, Since he was already a fire drake it would be better to be a Fire Dragon! No?


    "Alright¡­"


    When Elijah saw Ragnar''s determination¡­he really couldn''t do anything now to stop him. Now could he?


    "Thank you."


    Ragnar had actually already chosen to swear loyalty. Swearing Loyalty to the one chosen by the Supreme Dragon of Fire was an opportunity! He already knew his Limits had been reached as a fire Drake, His bloodline had reached its limits. His race as a human had reached it. Perhaps if he was a true fire drake¡­He would actually have advanced into a dragon by now but unfortunately he wasn''t. He only possessed the bloodline of a drake. And because it wasn''t extremely pure¡­he couldn''t change his race into a Drake as well.


    This was his hope, this was his chance to advance to a higher rank.


    He himself escorted Elijah outside of the Estate, and let Sitri apany him until he reached the association.


    Elijah was now the center of attention in The Capitol. That was supposed to protect him.


    No one would attack him if Ragnar was behind him. Not in the Capitol¡­And not even in all of Humanity''snd.


    He returned to his throne room after Sitri informed him that Elijah had entered the Association¡­and as expected. His children and several other members of the Drakmor family were there.


    "Sigh¡­this is gonna be a headache."

 Chapter 347 [347] You Have Hidden Talents! You Have Hidden Talents! Everyone Has Hidden Talents!

    ?


    Richard, Alice, and the rest of the elders returned to the estate after a hectic meeting with the World government to decide the Academic Convergence. They had to apply their guild members who wanted to participate and some other matters needed to be discussed.


    "I''m tired¡­"


    Said Alice as they were near the estate. The meeting, whichsted several hours and had powerful figures participating, had taken a toll on her.


    "Huh?"


    Suddenly, they saw themotion in the Estate. There was an extensive line in the estate, and the end of the line was almost reaching the gate. Twilight members, even the ones who were higher in rank were patiently waiting in line. They entered the lobby periodically. Some members who exited were either extremely happy or on the verge of crying.


    ..?


    What''s going on?


    "What''s going on?"


    An elder approached the member of Twilightst in line and questioned.


    The awakened greeted the elder with respect and answered.


    "We are having a talent evaluation?"


    "..?"


    Richard and the rest were all confused. The Twilight member exined further.


    "n Pator has returned and he has an artifact which can see the hidden talents of people¡­We are lining up to see our hidden talents."


    "n is back?"


    Richard questioned. That kid was finally back after being gone for half a year? Richard spread out his mana and his jaw dropped when he saw n.


    "...On the brink of breaking through B+."


    He muttered. The elders beside him had figured out what he meant.


    n Pator, at the age of 17 was on the brink of advancing to B+...


    Their jaws dropped as they all rushed inside the lobby and checked it with their own eyes.


    "..."


    "He really is on the verge of breaking into B+..."


    "What the fuck¡­"


    Muttered the elders in amazement, Alice and Richard looked at n with amazement as well.


    There was a fierce aura around him, he had a scarred face and his hair was a little dirty¡­but he was strong.


    Very Strong. They could feel the waves of mana subconsciously emitted.


    "Your hidden talent is spearmanship. Ditch the sword."


    Revealed n to a Member of Twilight who had a longsword by his waist.


    "Eh? Really? I''ve been using a sword as a weapon since I was a kid."


    The member said in disbelief. He thought his hidden talent would be something else, like magic or something.


    "Yep, and it''s an amazing grade so ditch the sword and practice the spear."


    The member''s expression lit up the moment n mentioned the grade of the Hidden Talent. Only a few members had gotten that grade. So he was happy nheless. Besides, he was feeling he wasn''t doing his best with the sword. But he was stubborn and unwilling to part with his dear sword. But now he would.


    "Let''s melt you down and make you a spear buddy."


    He walked away and gave way to the next member. Who appeared in front with a smile, curious to know what Talent he would have. However, n noticed Richard and the rest.


    "Are you back from that meeting?"


    He asked. Richard took a while to respond because he was still in a state of shock from n''s new strength.


    "...Yes. What are you doing?"


    He asked.


    "Checking hidden talents, this was a reward from the Marquis quest in Aror."


    "Oh¡­"


    n redirected his attention to the awakened in front of him and checked his hidden talents.


    "cksmithing, Great grade."


    The awakened seemed satisfied and left.


    "...Everyone go back to your duties, we will continue this tomorrow."


    Suddenly, Richard dismissed everyone.


    "Why?"


    n inquired.


    "We need to talk, that''s why. Elder''s and other members, please go back to your duties. This can continue another time."


    Although the awakened who were waiting in line were displeased, They couldn''t go against the order of the guildmaster after all. They went back to their duties without anyints and Richard gestured to n to follow him to his office. Alice apanied them.


    *******


    "When did youe back?"


    Asked Richard. Him, Alice and n were the only one''s in his expansive office.


    "Today."


    "You didn''t take any rest? How did your training go? What kind of training did the sage give you?"


    Asked Richard. He was curious as to what kind of training n had undergone for him to be this strong. The bloodlust he instinctively released was impressive, as well his mana emissions. He was doing it subconsciously, like a defense system.


    Furthermore, the scars on his face and visible increase in his Physique intrigued him. n had a regeneration factor that was unbelievable, and his physique was already very impressive, but even that grew. He was curious what Hell he experienced.


    "Didn''t need rest, but I guess it went okay. I just had to y demons and demonic beasts."


    n severely underexined his training. Well, he couldn''t be med. To him, that was the extent of his training. He couldn''t talk about the Sword Saint so¡­that was it.


    It was actually facing entire hordes of thousands of demon and demonic beasts alone, for days and even weeks, raiding Obelisk bases and other Strongholds the demons had set up and also having duels with the Sword Saint, as well as rarely sleeping and just practicing the [HEAVENLY  SKY SPEAR] art. Until he copsed¡­But the thing was he never copsed. Unlike Lucas, Olivia or Alex, who copsed a few times. n barely copsed, it had happened only once. Never again.


    He was just built different.


    "I see¡­"


    Although Richard knew there was more to it, he decided to not pursue it any further. He thought that maybe the sage had told him to keep it a secret. So he stopped.


    "Anyways, About the Convergence, What events do you wa-"


    "The tower of trials."


    n interrupted Richard, who smiled slightly after hearing n''s response.


    "Ha, I expected that."


    Richard had an inkling that n would only be interested in the Tower of Trials because of the cure.


    But¡­he didn''t think n would pass. The tower supposedly had one hundred floors and Humanity was stuck at floor 30, The Trial of Honor.


    He hoped that maybe one of the floors had a reward for curing Samantha¡­But who knows?


    Nevertheless, he would support n no matter what. That was his duty as the Guild Leader.


    "Well¡­At least that''s one hurdle gone."


    n was confused with Richard''s words.


    Alice exined in ce of her father when she sensed his confusion.


    "The troublemaker of the drakmor family wanted to fight you, and for you to lose on purpose."


    "What?"


    Richard sighed. Just thinking about that private discussion was hectic.


    Alice exined further.


    "He wanted to rig the matches so that he could face off against you, and then wanted you to lose."


    "Ah, So he''s just the typical arrogant rich young master?"


    "Not exactly¡­"


    Exined Richard.


    "His situation is a littleplicated¡­For his age his bloodline concentration is extremely high, which is why the characteristics of the bloodline of the Fire Drake that''s the characteristic of the Drakmor family¡­And because of his age, his bloodline is proportional to it. So he disys the characteristic traits of a young fire drake. This has led him to be¡­a problem."


    "Huh?"


    n found it quite intriguing. This never happened with him, The phoenix bloodline never really had this kind of effect on him. He wondered why.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras exins it is because you are a dragon and because the characteristic traits of a Phoenix are not like those of a fire drake, A phoenix is calm and collected, unlike a reckless and arrogant fire drake.]


    Right on Cue, Suleras exined. However, this led n to ask.


    "What about his siblings? Did they experience something simr?"


    It couldn''t just be him¡­On second thought Richard''s expression revealed the opposite.


    "No¡­ he is the only unusual case."


    "I see¡­"


    Now n understood it. He was the oddball. Now, onto the next question.


    "So, what did he offer?"


    "Pardon?"


    Richard was startled.


    "What did he offer on the condition I lost purposefully to him?"


    Richard was shocked. He thought that n''s pride wouldn''t let him lose on purpose¡­But this kid was actually interested?


    n actually was. If something good was offered for Twilight, he would do it in a heartbeat. If it benefited Twilight greatly, he would do it.


    He wasn''t the brightest, but even he knew he couldn''t do everything alone. He needed people beside him, and it was in his best interests to strengthen twilight.


    "He offerednd."


    n didn''t quite get it¡­He offerednd? What?


    "Among the top 10 guilds, only Titan And Behemoth have a base in the Capitol, which is also their headquarters. Twilight, despite being the number three guild, was denied ess every time. So¡­it was quite a humiliation for us. He offered us a vast amount ofnd in the Capitol to build a base here."


    "Oh."


    Ah, now he got it. Twilight, despite being one of the top 3 guilds, wasn''t allowed ess even though number 1 and 2 were. It should have been quite a blow to their reputation. And the benefits of having their Headquarters in the Capitol were immense, the resources and trade benefits here were enormous.


    "Enough of this now, Don''t go check hidden talent''s and go rest. You need to rest, the convergence is just around the corner. I''ll fill out your participation form."


    Richard dismissed n. In his mind n should go rest. He thought n was pushing himself even though the convergence was right around the corner.


    n agreed. He didn''t know why but his mind felt dull. Probably because ofck of sleep but who knows.


    "Sure, Just one thing. Let me check Alice''s hidden talent. She always whined about not being talented."


    "What?"


    "Huh?"


    n used the Spectral Talentscope on Alice. She was well known as the useless heir of twilight¡­Maybe she actually had something to change that.


    "Let''s see what your hidden talent is¡­"

 Chapter 348 [348] Heavenly Grade!

    ?


    [The hidden talent of the Individual is Alchemy(HEAVENLY).]


    "..."


    n''s jaw fell to the ground. This was the highest-grade Talent he had seen!


    The ones he had seen until now were Normal, Good, Great, Amazing, and Genius¡­But this seemed to be a few levels above even Genius!


    "What is it? Is it bad?"


    Asked Alice. n''s silence made her think that there was nothing. She had spent all of her life knowing she was untalented, that she was a disgrace to Twilight in a way.


    But it was quite the opposite.


    "No¡­It''s¡­Heavenly."


    Richard raised his brows, he was as confused as Alice right now. Did his daughter have a chance?


    "What do you mean?"


    He asked, curious. He wanted to know. He wanted to know if there was anything Alice was actually good at, that would help her after his death.


    "Alchemy."


    n stated¡­


    Alice and Richard raised their brows, happy at the fact that talent was there¡­no matter how meager it should at least suffice.


    But n was not down. The next piece of news came down like a lightning bolt.


    "The grade is the highest I have ever seen¡­It''s Heavenly!"


    Boom!


    n used his mana to check once again, maybe he read it wrong¡­but no.


    [The hidden talent of the Individual is Alchemy(HEAVENLY)]


    He didn''t read wrong. Even the thread was gold!


    This was the highest grade he had seen¡­


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Suleras advises you to use Dragon Eyes on the Spectral Talentscope.]


    Ah! That''s right! Dragon eyes can unveil everything about the Spectral Talentscope, even the things the system does not show!


    n took the sses off and used the |Dragon Eyes| on them.


    He used the skill and revealed the hidden options about it.


    [|Dragon Eyes| is being used!]


    [Grades: Normal, Good, Great, Amazing, Genius, Extraordinary, Fantastic, Heavenly, Perfection.]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    n deactivated Dragon''s eyes and stated.


    "Alice, You''re extremely talented in Alchemy, your talent grade is the second highest in the spectrum¡­"


    This kind of news came as a shock to her.


    What?


    I am talented.


    But¡­I am not?


    There''s something I''m actually good at? Something that''s also very important in the world of the Awakened? Something like that?


    Alchemy..? Something that was extremely desired?


    "Haha¡­That''s great Alice."


    While she was stuck in her state of shock, Richard was happy andughed.


    He truly was ecstatic, now she could prove the heirs of other families wrong! She would still be safe even if he died or was unable to protect her. Alice was currently being protected by her father''s status. Some guild members didn''t like her, Although the Elders were on her side¡­who knows what would happen to her if something happened to Richard. He was d she had something which gave her worth. Something not rted to him.


    A tear slowly made its way down her cheek.


    To someone who had lived their whole life thinking they were worthless¡­Something like this was bound to cause this kind of reaction.


    Richard had a wide smile on her face. n also cheered her up.


    "Yeah! You''re amazing! Now just be careful of Maxwell¡­who knows what schemes he''s gonna pull out his ass when he learns of this."


    He warned as well. Maxwell already scared him. The moment he found out that the Spectral Talentscope didn''t have any limits to how much it could be used¡­He already told n that they could profit by having people pay to see if they have any talents.


    "Well, I''m gonna go to sleep."


    n thought it would be best to leave the father and daughter alone at this time.


    Besides, his mind was tired and he felt a little dull as well. It would be better to rest.


    He should let the two have their moment of happiness and go rest.


    The Academic Convergence¡­No.


    The Tower Of Trials is near.


    ************


    [Day of the Academic Convergence.]


    The day had finally arrived. All students, spectators, and important figures of the Capitol, Association, guilds, and World government were present. The roars of the spectators were intense. In a colosseum.


    "Yeah!"


    "This year is gonna be amazing!"


    Amidst a sea of eager spectators, the colossal amphitheater stands as a testament to both human ambition and the thirst for challenge. The air is electric with anticipation, a symphony of murmurs and excited whispers that weave through thebyrinthine tiers of stone seating. The sun beats down, casting a radiant spotlight upon the heart of this grand spectacle: the Tower of Trials.


    Its light shed against the ck stone of The Tower, but strangely enough, the light did not reflect. It was instead absorbed by the tower. It seemed the tower didn''t even allow the Sun to triumph over it.


    It was not that big, about the width 50 meters wide¡­But it held entire worlds within it, each a trial of its own. The tower was the main attraction of the Academic convergence. Various stadiums, each made of incredibly dense material. These stadiums were there to have fights and other such events.


    But without a doubt¡­Everyone''s attention was focused on the tower. Why wouldn''t it be?


    The Tower rises from the very core of the arena, its imposing structure a mosaic of stone and metal, reaching toward the heavens like a sentinel of time. Its walls bear the weight of countless ages, each brick seemingly imbued with the stories of those who dared to ascend its heights. The Tower''s surface shimmers with a patina that hints at its storied past, scars from battles long fought and challenges conquered. A Dark but epic tale!


    "Wee all to the Academic Convergence once again!"


    Harrison Soubuelle, the leader of the Association and also the one who was ranked number 1 in the World Hero rankings appeared in the sky, the cameras focused on him andrge screens disyed his entire figure to the world, both in the colosseum and on Television.


    "This year will be exciting! Not only do we have exceptional talents from Shield, Eden, and Hero Academy participating, but the other academies also are not far behind. The first spatial mage of humanity, the one who defeated a demonic marquis, The Void Predator, n Pator, The Emperor of me, Ragus Drakmor, And the Sword of Darkness, Kurosaki Ren are all participating this time, along with other students who don''t fall far behind!"


    He stated the names and nicknames of the First year rank 1 student of Shield, Eden, and Hero Academy respectively. The top three academies'' strongest first years!


    "But¡­"


    The world focused its attention on Harrison.


    "It isn''t just the first years you should be paying attention to¡­Have you already forgotten about the hero of the previous year? The one who triumphed over the 29th floor and the one who came back stronger than ever? Have you forgotten Daniel?!"


    Truly, he knew how to rile the world up.


    "Yeah! Beat the 30th floor this time!"


    "GO DANIEL!"


    Why wouldn''t they praise him? He was the one who shook the entire world in the previous Academy convergence!


    "That''s right! Daniel Khorsch is back! And he''s determined to knock the tower down! Cheer for him!"


    "DANIEL!"


    "DANIEL!"


    "DANIEL!"


    The air quivered. No¡­The entire city shook when they cheered!


    Daniel, Khorsch, The Third year ranked first of Shield and the Student Council President! n''s superior and the only student in Shield who Sabrina was sure could defeat n.


    The one who cleared the 29th floor of the tower, the one who won every event in the previous year. The one who even Ezra didn''t hunt down. The one who manifested his own domain at his age.


    "Daniel¡­"


    n muttered he was currently in Twilight''s exclusive area within the Colosseum along with the participants from Twilight as well as their executives.


    n was the ountant of the Student Council, so he had met Daniel a few times.


    Others would think he was prideful but actually, he was humble. Although n met him a few times, he had a favorable impression of him.


    And he was one of the few in the shield who n respected for his strength. A gentle giant would fit him.


    He was incredibly handsome, possessed an A-rank charm, and had a fanbase as big as an army. Fans who were actually ready to die for him. He was extremely embarrassed of this fact.


    n chuckled a little when he was reminded of the times Daniel was embarrassed because of his image.


    It was fun.


    "Now¡­We all know that the main event all of you want to see is the Tower Of Trials and Battle Tournament but¡­"


    But?


    n and the rest of the world turned their attention to Harrison, they were confused.


    But?


    The Tower of Trials, where people challenge the tower, and The Battle tournament where one versus-one matches are held are the most popr events¡­but was there something else that couldpete with those events?


    "We have another event for you all! Something bound to make you believe in the myths and stories you heard as a child! A Myth versus a Genius of today. A Myth of old versus a new legend!"


    n and the rest were confused¡­But n''s jaw dropped when he saw who entered the stage¡­It was not only him, major figures of the world had the same reaction.


    "What?!"

 Chapter 349 [349] Our Battle Will Be Legendary!

    ?


    "Ladies and Gentlemen¡­"


    The suspense was created for the unknowing¡­While the ones who knew the identity of the figure that had appeared were all shocked to their core.


    n''s jaw fell to the ground, Richard opened his eyes wide and so did the Elders.


    "What?!"


    Hugo Wellington roared. Wellington''s room was also chaotic. Only James and Sabrina were calm. Sabrina wasn''t aware of the identity of the Old man whilst Jame''s nature was calm and collected.


    "...So he was alive eh?"


    Ragnarmented from his throne, which oversaw the entire Colosseum.


    "I present to you!"


    Lucas dropped his wine ss, His face full of shock His father and the other members of the Hiddleston family paid attention to him.


    "The one and only!"


    Harrison''s voice echoed throughout the Colosseum¡­as the entire world''s attention was focused on the man that entered the Colosseum.


    "Sword Saint Arken! The Demon yer!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was silence. The children wondered who he was, some had heard stories about him¡­The old were shocked to their core because they had witnessed his legacy¡­Only the current young were confused.


    "That legendary awakened?"


    "The one from the Golden Trio?"


    "Isn''t he that myth? That demon killer?"


    They all questioned, the ones who knew were too shocked to even utter words¡­The children were just confused, they hade here to see fights after all! Who was this old man?


    "What the fuck is he doing there?!"


    Alexander shouted from the stands, Olivia, who was with him was also speechless.


    Why did their Master make an appearance?


    "It seems people have forgotten his existence. Master Arken, please remind them!"


    Harrison handed the reins over to Arken, who simply looked annoyed he had to deal with this farce¡­Well. What could he do?


    He couldn''t stay hidden for that long¡­he had to make an appearance, to bolster Humanity, who had thought only the Sage remained of the Golden Trio.


    Oliver had also been pestering them about this as well¡­


    "Hm¡­Is this enough?"


    He spoke right into the microphone, and then he released his mana.


    A deafening pressure assaulted the colosseum, children, adults, and even the strongest awakened here could feel it. It could kill all spectators in this Colosseum if it wanted to¡­Heck, even major guilds would be wiped out of existence had Arken wanted¡­


    All of this¡­was just from his mana pressure. He wasn''t even using his aura.


    "THE SWORD SAINT IS ALIVE!"


    That was all that was needed, the old awakened and citizens now remembered the stories, the myths, the legendary epics of the DEMON SLAYER!


    The one who even the demons feared, the one who almost split Terra Damnum in half! The one who was one of the heroes of the Japan Incident!


    The berserker!


    The Bloody ughterer!


    The Demon yer!


    Now they know! Their Legend was back! One on the same level as Hiroto Mitsuki, the spear saint, and Oliver Olsfer, the Sage!


    "SWORD SAINT!"


    "SWORD SAINT!"


    "SWORD SAINT!"


    "SWORD SAINT!"


    The roars shook the entire Colosseum! The people, now aware of his identity cheered until their throats became sore, they saw their grandparents and parents doing it, so why shouldn''t they!?


    "SWORD SAINT!"


    "SWORD SAINT!"


    "Well¡­that was a great introduction."


    Harrisonmented from the skies, the pressure was still there, and he knew it would be hard for him to fight it off if Sir Arken truly wanted to kill.


    Thankfully, he was just spreading his pressure around for fun.


    "So I''m still remembered eh?"


    Arkenughed, enjoying the apuse.


    "So Arken finally appears¡­"


    Mitsuki Ai, Hiroto''s wife and the Principal of Hero Academy said.


    "Yes, it was about time. How is your academy going?"


    Oliver, who was beside her, asked.


    They were good friends, even though they were the principals of Shield and Hero Academy, rank 1 and 3.


    "It''s going great, how is n?"


    She asked him. She was curious about the sessor of herte husband''s weapon.


    "Great. He''s worthy of the Ame-No-Sakahoko."


    "That''s wonderful."


    That was all she needed to hear.


    "And now¡­the true event begins."


    Oliver said, paying close attention to the stage.


    [In the Behemoth Guild Exclusive Room.]


    "Go."


    Logan Fornum, the guild master of Behemoth Guild, and Ezra''s grandfather said.


    "Yes."


    Ezra left the room. Henry was silent, still staring at the Figure of the Sword Saint.


    "To think that bastard would want to fight Ezra for fun¡­kukuku¡­"


    He paid little attention to his Grandfather''s mutterings¡­


    However, he should have.


    Arken, when he saw that there would be no choice left but to appear in the World once again thought¡­why not right the legend?


    So he did, he asked and it happened.


    Although Ezra didn''t want to¡­because it was Arken, he also wanted to know more about the Sword Saint''s techniques, he also had his Grandfather pressuring him to fight him to steal the Sword Saint''s martial art.


    Arken just wanted to test this generation.


    "...good luck."


    Henry wished his elder brother good luck. Praying that he didn''t get demolished at least.


    Arken was SSS ranked¡­Ezra was only A+. He had a hard time advancing to S-rank, there was some sort of barrier in the way, a wall he had to ovee.


    He was hoping that maybe he would gain enlightenment through this. Arken approached them for it¡­he should at least benefit from it.


    "And now¡­It''s time for the special Event!"


    Harrison took the reins once again, his voice reverberated throughout the Colosseum.


    "A genius of the Golden Generation, And a genius of our, my generation¡­"


    The people listened to his words with great focus.


    "Everyone, wee the Genius Hunter, the greatest of this generation, the one and only¡­


    COPYCAT, EZRA FORNUM."


    A storm engulfed the Colosseum, the spectators were thrown aback by the winds!


    Ezra appeared, his wind covered his lower half in the form of a tornado.


    Boisterous cheers filled the Colosseum as Ezra made his fierce entrance.


    "That''s right folks! The special event is a battle of old against new. A battle between the legend of this generation and a legend of the previous Generation!


    ???????? ????????????!


    VERSUS


    ?????????? ????????????."


    He announced, and the Colosseum lit up.


    "Yeah!"


    "WOOO!"


    Who would not be excited? A legend, a myth of old had returned and what did he do after returning?


    A fight! He challenged a genius everyone knew of to a fight!


    Ezra forum, the one who defeated multiple geniuses, one of them being n Pator.


    The audience stared at the two with rapt attention, almost salivating at the thought of the show about to happen! Who would not?! This was the damn man who had almost split Terra Damnum, an entire CONTINENT! Against the man who stepped on the hopes of multiple geniuses!


    Who would not be excited?


    "But¡­Of course, Sir Arken will be limited, He is an SSS rank awakened after all, whilst Ezra is only A+ which is an unbelievable achievement for his age. Sir Arken wi-"


    "No."


    Ezra interrupted Harrison. The entire world looked at him with confusion.


    Could it be?


    "Sword Saint, Please do not hold back in this duel."


    He addressed Arken and bowed down. Showing utmost respect.


    Arken looked at him with newfound respect and said.


    "Do you really want to?"


    He asked. Would this young man really prefer he went all out?


    Arken used |Eyes of a Saint| On Ezra to check his information.


    ¡ªStatus¡ª(*)


    Name: Ezra Fornum


    Race: Human


    Titles: The Legend, The Talented One, Wargod, Copycat, The Genius...


    Strength: A+


    Endurance: A+


    Agility: A+


    Mana: A+


    Charm: B+


    Intelligence: B


    Affinities: Wind(Superior), Illusion(Superior)


    Martial Techniques:[Heavenly Cloud Step(4 stars)][Heavenly Palm(4 stars)[Fu Jinbat(4 stars)..... Weapon Techniques:[Cmity Spear(5 stars, Iplete)][Tempest spear(4 stars)][Tempest Bow(4 stars)]... Mana Techniques: [Tempest Breath(4 stars)][Illusion Analysis(4 stars)...


    The individual is in possession of a personal domain, caution is advised.


    ''So it was true¡­ He can copy Martial arts.''


    Thought Arken as he examined Ezra with the eyes of a Saint.


    (*= The Exnation isn''t as detailed because it isn''t |DRAGON EYES|. That''s why there isn''t a Description. It''s a ''different'' skill. I don''t want any morementsining about it again.]


    ''But what use is it when it''s so varied?''


    Arken still didn''t believe his talent was useful. He was the only one in the world who didn''t.


    Because¡­in his eyes, what use was a talent that would allow you to umte arge number of martial arts you haven''t even mastered? Arts you don''t know the perfect use of?


    "Yes."


    Ezra replied firmly.


    "What a twist! Ezra fornum actually wants to fight on equal terms!"


    Harrison said, and the audience was shocked. He would fight the sword, Saint, an SSS-ranked awakened¡­One of the SSS ranked awakened who could be counted on one''s hand on equal terms.


    What?


    Arken, even though belittled Ezra''s talent, respected his resolve.


    "Fine!"


    Heughed boisterously, and equipped his massive berserker sword!


    "Come!"


    He taunted. Excited to finally fight someone considered a God Of war


    "The match has begun!" Harrison announced the start of the match, and the entire world grasped their seats in anticipation!


    Ezra equipped an ornate spear. It was different from his usual weapon of a Sword. Ezra used a Sword because it was the most versatile, and was able to fit with arge variety of techniques, so why was he using a spear all of a sudden? Who knows?! The match had begun!


    "With Pleasure."


    Ezra charged forward with his spear!

 Chapter 350 [350] Saint Of Swords Against God Of War.

    ?


    *CLANG!*


    Ezra''s spear collided with Sword Saints'' sword, and a metallic sound reverberated throughout the colosseum as Ezra''s spear failed to make even a dent in the Sword Saint''s sword, even though it strikes it in the middle.


    "Tch."


    Ezra clicked his tongue and used his other hand to fire a wind de at point-nk range. However, Sword Saint Miller just shifted his head, and simply ''enjoyed'' the wind.


    "You aremitted."


    Hemented as Ezra thrusted forward with the spear yet again.


    [Swift Spear (3-star)]


    First movement: Swift Thrust!


    "Ho!"


    Arken dodged the numerous thrusts Ezra performed with rtive ease, The thrusts were so powerful that the spectators struggled to understand. Was that really a 3-star martial art?


    The swift spear was not a rare art by any means, but it wasn''t easy to master.


    "You actually mastered it, impressive."


    Arken continued to dodge the thrusts with his excellent and nimble footwork.


    ''I have to do something different¡­''


    Thought Ezra. The Sword Saint was ying with him. He had not even attacked yet.


    "Hmph!"


    [Skill: Wind Scythe(B+) has been used!]


    Wind coalesced around Ezra''s Spear and formed a sharp scythe. Arken let out a hearty whistle when he saw it.


    "Wow."


    Ezra was wide open right now, and he knew it. He was just using the fact that Arken was ying with him tounch a powerful attack. He knew Arken was aware of his wide-open body.


    He just thought Arken would go along with it. ''y with him''.


    "Ha!"


    A strong storm unleashed from the spear, and Ezra swung it down with all his strength.


    What did the Sword Saint do? He didn''t even use his massive sword¡­He just¡­


    He just stepped to the side.


    "?!"


    Ezra''s attack struck the ground instead of the Sword Saint, the attack was so powerful it destroyed the stadium and kept going towards the spectators. The raging tempest was stopped by Harrison, who was acting as both a referee and protector of the Audience.


    Nevertheless, the raging winds it produced still had an effect. The food and drinks of the audience members with weak grip strength flew all over the ce.


    "Woah!"


    "Ugh!"


    Some struggled with the wind, but even then they did not dare to stop watching the match.


    "You are even more open to attacks now."


    The Sword Laughed, and nted his knee in Ezra''s face.


    The force of the kick was so powerful that even Ezra, an A+-ranked human on the verge of breaking through S rank at his tender age but even he was sent flying.


    Blood dripped out of Ezra''s nose as hended and responded with a flurry of Wind bullets to create some distance. He did this to make sure Arken wouldn''t attack whilst he was recovering from the attack.


    "Why are you wasting mana?"


    However¡­contrary to his expectations, Arken had not moved even a single inch, he had stayed in his original position. Ezra had fired those [Wind Bullets] for no reason at all.


    "..."


    This was a weird, strange urrence for him.


    Normally, everyone he fought with would be rushing to attack him as quickly as possible, whether it was someone he dueled or even enemies or monsters. So he developed the habit of counterattacking immediately. It was akin to muscle memory at this point.


    This type of battle was rare¡­especially for him.


    "What? Out of steam already?"


    The sword saint asked, Ezra slowly circled Arken and started a conversation.


    "No, I''m afraid my efforts were futile."


    He said. He knew whatever he had done up until now¡­was useless. Arken didn''t even pay attention to it. He hadn''t even used his sword to attack.


    Arken was simply toying with him and was apparently having quite a st. Ezra circled around The Sword Saint, who didn''t pay attention to his figure and just closed his eyes.


    "..."


    Ezra fell silent when he saw the Sword Saint closing his eyes. He remarked.


    "Amazing, to think you would be so carefree."


    He said as he activated a skill to observe every movement of Arken.


    [Skill: Eagle Eyes (A) has been activated.]


    He was being very, very careful right now.


    "Damn, Ezra is being wary¡­"


    "Dude''s gonna lose so badly."


    The spectatorsmented when they saw the sheer difference between Arken and Ezra.


    "It''s an honor, sir, I will now go all o-"


    Suddenly, Ezra''s figure disappeared into smoke during the middle of his sentence.


    The tip of his spear materialized right beside Arken''s head. But Arken did not pay attention to ''this'' spear.


    He instead caught the ''real'' spearing from above with his fingers, Ezra''s figure appeared in the Air, for all to see.


    "What just happened?"


    "He disappeared?"


    "He''s that fast?"


    Their conclusions were wrong. From the moment the Sword Saint had closed his eyes, Ezra used his Illusion affinity to create two illusions, the first one was intended to distract Arken with words and disappear in the middle to create further confusion. The second was the spear beside Arken which was ''supposed'' to seem like it was attacking him. But even this was an Illusion Arken had seen through. The real attack was from above, Ezra made himself invisible


    "...Shit."


    Ezra cursed. His scheme had been seen through with such rtive ease.


    [Skill: Festival of Clones (A) has been used.]


    A cloud of smoke surrounded him, and soon Multiple Ezra''s emerged from it, each wielding a different weapon in Hand. One held an axe, one a sword, one a bow, etc.


    A multitude of weapons appeared, along with multiple Ezra.


    "They are all tangible¡­"


    Arken muttered, Unlike the illusions from before, these illusions were tangible and could interact with the world.


    The Ezra''s attacked him in tandem, Ezra dodged the axe Ezra and Sword Ezra quite easily.


    He used an Axe kick and crushed the head of the Ezra wielding an Axe, But An Ezra with a mace reced him quickly.


    [Skill: Arrow Of Tempest(C) has been used.]


    Arken caught an arrow covered in a small tornado and threw it at the Bow Wielding Ezra. The arrow returned back to its owner and pierced it in the chest and left a considerably big hole.


    Arken kicked the sword-wielding Ezra in the stomach. The kick was strong enough to leave a hole as big as a human body.


    ''Flesh¡­''


    Thought Arken, he saw blood and flesh from these ''illusions''. He thought they would disappear into smoke when he killed them but he was wrong.


    ''That smoke cloud is still there¡­''


    The smoke cloud that birthed these illusions of flesh and blood was still there and was continuously pumping out new Ezra''s, each wielding a unique weapon.


    [Assassin''s Carnage(4 Star)]


    Fourth movement: Carnage of blood.


    Arken punched a dagger that wasing for his throat, the force of his punch destroyed the dagger and also the wielder of it. Even a four-star art was useless¡­


    Arken hated it.


    "What use is learning so many arts when you fail to use them to their utmost Potential?!"


    He stomped on the ground and caused it to shatter like grass. He kicked the pieces of debris that bounced up towards the Ezra''s, killing quite a few of them in the process.


    Multiple other Ezra''s swarmed him, and he calmly dodged their attacks and let out a smile.


    He knew what Ezra was doing.


    Ezra was using a precious item to see through Arken and observe Statistics.


    [Eye of Truth (SS) has been used.]


    To think he would be such a precious and one-time-use item so easily.


    ¡ªStatus¡ª


    Name: Arken Miller.


    Race: Human.


    Titles: Sword Saint, Bloody berserker, demon yer, Continent Splitter, ughterer, Devoted Master.


    Rank: SSS


    Strength: SSS+


    Agility: SSS+


    Endurance: SSS-


    Mana: SS+


    Aura: SSS++


    Charm: B


    Intelligence: A


    Further information cannot be viewed due to the target possessing a higher rank than the Item.


    ''Aura¡­? What?''


    Ezra wondered within the smoke, he hadn''t seen that start before¡­where did ite from?


    "Had fun peeking?"


    "!!!"


    Suddenly, Arken appeared behind him, and Ezra immediately reacted. Thankfully he was able to use his spear to block the Sword Saint''s attack. He was sent flying to the other side of the stadium but was rtively uninjured. The same could not be said for his spear, however.


    "..."


    Ezra made another Spear of wind but Arken was now fed up.


    "Use it."


    Arken released a wave of mana which caused the bodies of the other Ezra''s to explode in a bloody mess.


    Ezra was overwhelmed by the wave of mana¡­and so was the audience. The wave of mana put a strong pressure on them, it cracked mirrors and even the stadium.


    "Use that domain of yours."


    Arken said he had enough of this game of tag. He wanted to fight seriously now.


    "..."


    Ezra pondered for a while¡­He knew he was gonna lose regardless¡­


    So why not activate his domain and try his best to understand the techniques of the Legendary Sword saint?


    His mana exploded forth, and his eyes shined with a reflective hue. Arken smiled when he saw Ezra was about to open his domain, Ezra''s words confirmed it.


    "My Pleasure."


    [£Ä£Ï£Í£Á£É£Î £Å£Ø£Ð£Á£Î£Ó£É£Ï£Î]


    <<<|||???????????? ??????????|||>>>

 Chapter 351 [351] A Failed Domain.

    ?


    An Opaque ss dome surrounded the entire stadium, the spectators couldn''t see what was inside, and neither could the awakened.


    No matter how much they used their optical skills, they could not peer into the Mirror World.


    "Haha! Yes!"


    Logan shouted from his seat with enthusiasm.


    "Yes! Devour that old bastard and steal his techniques!"


    Henry stared at his grandfather with an apathetic gaze. He was already used to this kind of behavior.


    "..."


    He stared at the domain with nk eyes¡ªan opaque ss dome from the outside, and an endless world of mirrors on the inside.


    "No!"


    "What''s going on?!"


    He heard theints of the spectators and sighed. These idiots wanted to see what was happening inside the domain¡­They were stupid.


    Well, it couldn''t be helped, Humanity didn''t have a lot of experience with domains.


    "Win."


    He wished. He knew it was a hopeless wish, he knew his brother couldn''t win against Sword Saint Arken. Everyone who knew of the Sword Saint knew it. Ezra had no hope of winning.


    Arken was just testing him.


    But he still wished for his brother to be victorious¡­or at least learn something useful from this fight.


    ********


    "..."


    n stared at the opaque domain of ss with a scornful expression.


    He vividly remembered his own experience with the Mirror world, a world that seemed to be full of endless imitations for him, he was sure that he wouldn''t have been able to break out without Aranus stepping in.


    "Tch."


    He clicked his tongue when he was reminded of that experience. The feeling of being swarmed by endless numbers of him was vivid.


    "n, what is that domain like?"


    Richard asked, the attention of everyone focused on n.


    "It''s like an endless world, everywhere you look there are mirror versions of you imitating everything you do, and an endless number of them swarm you after some time. While you''re fighting them, Ezra is silently observing you, learning all that he can about you and your techniques."


    n exined his experience with the Mirror World.


    "So that''s a domain huh¡­"


    Richard muttered. Ezra was one of the few known humans that had unlocked a domain. The only ones known to have a domain were Ragnar Drakmor, the head of the Drakmor family, and Daniel Park, The Guild leader of Titan, The Sage, Oliver Olsfer, and some other remarkable individuals.


    Richard wasn''tpletely foreign to a domain as well, He had experienced Daniel''s domain, |City of Gold| in the past when they had a spar. The guildmaster of Titan was an incredibly strong individual. If not for his careless nature and entric hobbies he considered more important.


    ''Midas'' would have already conquered all the top 10 guilds in a heartbeat. He had the power to do all that alone. This was also why Logan, the guildmaster of Behemoth was so wary of him and was trying whatever he could to defeat him.


    "..."


    n closed his eyes and rested.


    "Aren''t you going to watch the rest?"


    Alice asked. Was n not interested in observing Ezra, who had defeated him in the past?


    "No need, I already know who''s gonna win."


    *CRACK*


    A sudden cracking sound shocked them all. n smirked when he heard it.


    **********


    [MIRROR WORLD]


    "So this is the Mirror world¡­"


    Arken muttered when he was finally inside the mirror world.


    It was a realm intertwined with reflections and illusions, everywhere he looked, he saw himself, an endless number of himself, spanning all directions. An endless realm of mirrors.


    "Hah."


    Heughed, it fit Ezra when he thought about it. An endless realm of mirrors, where he could observe everything about his opponents and copy everything from them, a world where he could practice until perfect, by continuously watching. It was an intricate conversion of both imagination and reality, where Ezra could harness infinite possibilities with these endless mirrors, reflecting everything.


    "Truly, it''s befitting of the Title Copycat."


    Arken''s voice echoed throughout the infinite realm.


    For Ezra, the wielder of the Mirror World, this domain was a sanctuary of insight and mastery. He had unique privileges within this domain to study the martial arts of everyone he trapped here. Whenever he wanted. The techniques, the martial arts, and their vulnerabilities allid bare before him.


    Arken stared at the endless reflections of him. These reflections served as a canvas upon which Ezra can examine every move, analyzing the minutiae ofbat easily.


    "This is interesting!"


    His endless reflections stopped copying his every move, and all turned to him, poised to attack. Wherever Arken found himself, he found it intriguing, he found it pleasing!


    "Come!"


    He swung his sword and killed a hundred of them, but more came and swarmed him.


    HAHAHAH!


    His crazedughter echoed out as he swung his berserker de.


    "You know Ezra, I have a student with a simr talent to you!"


    Arken''s voice bellowed throughout the domain, and the Hidden Ezra heard it.


    "But instead of martial technique¡­He can copy mana techniques and skills!"


    "..?"


    Ezra was confused¡­Did he know this person?


    Arken killed a thousand more and roared.


    "But instead of just copying them¡­he can adjust them, reconstruct them, and even adjust higher level skills to his level. All by himself, in seconds."


    Ezra listened to Arken''s words closely.


    "In my eyes!"


    He swung his sword!


    "That talent is much better than yours, where you let multiple martial arts rot."


    Arken was a true Martial artist. This disgusted him. The fact that Ezra didn''t use a lot of martial arts he copied.


    "Even if you copied them¡­I would not have minded! But you left the ones you use at a pathetic level!"


    He bellowed. This was a disgrace!


    Hundreds of Martial arts disgraced, never living to their full potential! IT DISGUSTED HIM!


    "What do you think a domain is?"


    Suddenly, Arken''s rampage stopped. A sense of tranquility engulfed the mirror realm. Arken''s multiple reflections didn''t attack.


    Arken released his Aura.


    ''That mysterious power! That stat!''


    Ezra now knew what that stat meant! This was a secret power of the Sword Saint.


    He used everything he could, he pushed himself to the limit to understand it.


    "You will never be able to do it."


    [Failed to copy.]


    "You will never be able to gain it with such halfassed methods."


    [Failed to copy.]


    Ezra failed multiple times to copy the power¡­but he was unable to. He at least wanted to understand it but failed.


    *CRACK*


    "What?!"


    He was startled by the sounds of cracking. A great pressure was felt all over the realm, as Arken''s green Aura started to rise. Destroying the reflections¡­and the realm along with them.


    " A domain is one''s question to the world, it''s their will against it¡­"


    "Gah!"


    Ezra''s knees buckled in front of the enormous pressure.


    "Your will is to be a fucking copycat? Pathetic. You use your domain to not even half its potential!"


    *CRACK**CRACK*


    "No!"


    Ezra tried his best to keep the Mirror world intact. He used his spear to distract the Sword Saint.


    [DESTRUCTION SPEAR(5-star)]


    ][FIRST MOVEMENT][


    /DESTRUCTIVE REND\


    The failed art he managed to copy from n during their bout¡­It was the strongest move he had!


    But even that was nothing.


    "Let me show you¡­"


    Ezra fired off hundreds of skills, all to stop the Sword Saint¡­but like his domain, they all shattered like ss.


    "A true domain."


    ``£Ä£Ï£Í£Á£É£Î £Å£Ø£Ð£Á£Î£Ó£É£Ï£Î``


    <<<???????? ???? ??????????????? ??????????!>>>

 Chapter 352 [352] A True Domain.

    ?


    In a breathtaking crescendo of shattering reflections, the threads of illusion which formed the mirror world began to unravel, it didn''t even take a second for the mirror world to explode.


    Tendrils of radiant light, like fractured rainbows, pulse, and dance at the very fragments of the Shattered domain.


    Thousands of pieces of broken ss, each reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors spread in all Directions, threatening the safety of the audience.


    Harrison and Ragnar acted quickly to protect the audience, they erected mana walls to stop the Shards of ss.


    "Kya!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    "!!!"


    The audience let out screams, the wind pressure was just far too strong, and some held on to their children and any form of support for dear life.


    Just like that, Ezra''s domain, Mirror world shattered like frail ss.


    It was akin to the explosion of ss that would happen from a Prince Rupert''s drop when it was struck at its weakest point.


    An explosion of tiny little shards that were devastating. But the wind pressure was nothing to scoff at.


    The strong mirrors of the exclusive booths cracked as well. The Awakened, no matter which affiliation tried their best to stop the shards of sses.


    Just as they thought they were sessful¡­when the shards of ss had been stopped¡­


    The real threat began.


    A domain far more powerful than Ezra''s.


    An intense stench of blood assaulted the nostrils of everyone, the children and weak-hearted fainted from the stench alone. This was a much kinder fate to experience.


    Secondster, as people were still vomiting due to the stench of blood¡­The world turned red.


    A blood-red moon reced the sun in the skies, and the people screamed.


    "Kya!"


    "AH!"


    "STOP!"


    But these screams did not belong to the audience, nor any awakened. The screams didn''t even belong to the living anymore.


    It was the victims.


    It was the voices, the regrets, the pain of the victims of the Bloody ughterer.


    "GAH!"


    "SAVE ME!"


    It was their dying screams.


    They reverberated throughout the entire Colosseum, their origin unknown.


    Hundreds of swords descended, swords belonging to the killed. The regret of the owners manifested into their weapons, a form of hope but a curse.


    "..."


    Ragnar and Oliver stepped in, and this time they were serious. They spread their mana and cast a protective shield around everyone, only the stadium not reeked of blood.


    "What''s happening..?"


    "Is this also a domain?"


    "Such a wicked¡­man."


    Oliver sighed as he heard the voices of the audience.


    Their voices were soon swallowed by the intensity of the screams.


    The light from the destruction of the Mirror World vanished, and the truth wasid bare to everyone.


    The truth of this wicked domain. The truth that leads to its formation and name.


    Path of Redeemed Steel.


    That was the name of Arken''s domain.


    "...My god¡­"


    "Ugh!"


    Those who were able to recover from the smell¡­felt sick again when they saw the stadium.


    What did they see to incite such a reaction once again?


    They saw corpses, an endless number of corpses. The Corpses were enough to make multiple mountains, and every corner of the stadium was covered in corpses¡­some sliced in half, some covered with maggots, some who had entire appendages or even their heads missings.


    "...!"


    Ezra was dumbfounded, his domain had cracked like that¡­No, it shattered into oblivion. This had only happened during the duel with n Pator¡­


    "Ugh!"


    His nose was assaulted by a stench so foul that he couldn''t take it. His ears constantly heard the screams of the damned.


    "Save us!"


    "DEMON!"


    "AGH!"


    "I have a family¡­please!"


    "Spare me!"


    "You monster!"


    "Fucking lunatic!"


    "AGAHAHAHAHA!"


    "Blurgh¡­!"


    Thest words of the damned assaulted his ears. The victims of Arken gnawed at his knees, their corpses moved and surrounded him.


    "Save us!"


    "Avenge Us!"


    "What is this¡­?"


    Ezra questioned, the pressure from the blood moon in the sky fell on him en masse, and it made him fall to his knees. The earth quivered from the horrid pressure.


    "This is a domain."


    Arken''s voice echoed out. The voice was prominent over the woes of the damned.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Ezra groaned, his face contorted into an expression of pain, as he felt his very soul being enriched upon.


    "You fail to understand what a domain is¡­"


    The screams echoed out, but Arken''s voice was never drowned by them.


    "It''s your ideology, it''s your questions, it''s your will.


    Not just something to experiment with."


    Arken exined what a domain was. Ezra tried to use his mana but could not even move it.


    "The swords!"


    A spectator from the crowd pointed out, most people had kept their eyes on Ezra and Arken and had forgotten. about the swords littering the sky.


    "YOU CANNOT AVENGE US!"


    "DIE!"


    "YOU ARE NOT WORTHY."


    The voices echoed out, the swords changed their direction and all aimed at Ezra.


    "This is a representation of my sins, a form of redemption, a hope at redemption."


    The countless he had killed in his youth, the ones he mercilessly stepped on.


    He regretted it. And thus this was his domain, a domain that would help the person kill the user that was responsible for their deaths.


    The domain that would decide whether one was worthy or not to Kill Arken.


    "It is the manifestation of our desires¡­


    If you desire to simply copy others¡­


    You have failed your domain. You have failed yourself."


    Arken stated coldly.


    *Showing!*


    Agh!


    A sword pierced Ezra''s arm and another his legs.


    "This is my pain, this is my domain."


    This domain was truly a one-of-a-kind, A domain for Arken''s suffering.


    One didn''t know¡­but it was cruelly designed to make him suffer more.


    He heard the voices amplified, he felt the pain even more.


    Therge sword he wielded was a sword that was continuously eating away at his psyche, it held the souls of his victims.


    Another de fell, and Ezra let out a scream of pain. He tried to fight back but all of his efforts were for naught.


    "gah!"


    Another sword fell¡­


    And soon it rained down, all on Ezra.


    The spectators couldn''t bear to see it¡­even seasoned awakened, who had seen a fair number of horrid scenes couldn''t witness a human being turned into a porcupine whilst still alive, and suffer the immense pain.


    "That''s enough."


    Not even half the swords had fallen, but Arken deactivated his domain.


    The red moon disappeared, the stench disappeared, the wounds on Ezra disappeared.


    All that was left was an unconscious Ezra who still had a face contorted in pain.


    "May this serve as a lesson for you, to find your own true path and not be dictated by others."


    Arken left the stadium, and medics rushed to assist the unconscious Ezra.


    The world was once again reminded of the strength of the Sword Saint.

 Chapter 353 [353] Enter, Tower of Trials!

    Chapter 353 [353] Enter, Tower of Trials!


    "The Winner is Sword Saint Arken!"


    Harrison announced Arken''s victory, but there was no apuse. The medics took Ezra away but there was still silence. A pin-drop silence from Arken''s overwhelming victory. The children in the colosseum and the other weak-hearted individuals were already unconscious due to the after-effects of Arken''s Brutal domain.


    The Stadiumy destroyed, it couldn''t be helped. It was where two legends fought, so it would be unbelievable if it remained unscathed, Marks of sharp winds and destructive shes littered it, and there wasn''t a single corner that wasn''t cracked.


    However¡­finally.


    "YEAH!"


    The silence was broken, not by a normal audience, but by an Awakened who was once a rising star, and a victim of Ezra.


    That cheer was all that was needed in order to ignite the me. Not even a secondter, that lone cheer turned into thousands, tens of thousands cheered at the same time and the cheers turned into ecstatic roars of madness!


    "Yeah!"


    "Ezra was defeated!"


    "Go sword Saint!"


    "Go Sword Saint!"


    "GO SWORD SAINT!"


    The roars shook the arena.


    Lucas, Alex, and Olivia let out a sigh. They worried for naught. Maybe it was because only n took the serious beatings¡­but they had forgotten the strength of their master. n was the only one smiling ear to ear. Although he would have liked to do the Honors¡­it still felt so damn good seeing Ezra getting his ass beat.


    The rest of Humanity also cheered, because a hero had returned, and made quite a shocking entrance.


    "Hmph."


    Logan grunted.


    "Get Ezra treated immediately."


    Although he didn''t know whether Ezra had seeded or not, he needed to know! He needed to know if he learned anything about the Sword Saint! He needed to!


    Logan left the Behemoth room in a rage. Henry was left with the rest of his family, and the other elders of the Behemoth guild.


    ''I''ll go as well.''


    He thought, as he donned his hood and left silently, No one was aware he left, he used mana to hide his presence from everyone. He wasn''t cking off as well. He was training as hard as he could, barely taking rests.


    Before he left, he nced at the tower and made a promise to himself.


    ''I''ll pass the tower test¡­No matter what!''


    ********


    [Association''s Exclusive room.]


    "..."


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri praises the Sword Saint''s domain.]


    Elijah remained silent at Agri''s words of praise. He was still recovering from the domain expansion, like everyone else.


    "That bloodlust was scary."


    Eltonmented from the side. Thankfully, they were shielded by Harrison and Ragnar, if not¡­who knows how many would have died identally.


    "Yes¡­It was."


    Elijah agreed, the expansion of the Sword Saint''s domain was still vivid in his mind. He now understood why Agri praised Arken. That domain was meant to be praised.


    That domain was just as dangerous to Arken as it was to anyone else¡­It was his twisted form of redemption.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri exins that it takes a lot of courage for one to have such ideals, courage¡­and regret.]


    A domain that was meant to give all its power to kill the user if it deemed the victim worthy. Arken''s domain was based on the guilt and regret he had for ughtering needlessly in his young days. It was his hell. Even his berserker sword, which he kept at all times haunted him, The voices that everyone heard¡­Arken heard them daily, every second. That berserker sword of his contained the souls of the victims of his bloodthirsty rampages, they cursed at him every second¡­ They had only experienced it for a few seconds¡­But Arken experienced it all the time¡­


    It truly was a different kind of ''hell''.


    Elijah stared at the tower with renewed vigor.


    "n''s gonna be climbing that as well huh¡­"


    He muttered, Elton heard it clearly but didn''t say anything.


    "I''ll clear it and get the cure for you¡­Don''t worry."


    He dered. Elton just stared at him in Silence.


    Elton''s body was rotting away due to the curse, the same was happening to Samantha. The only difference was that Elton had nothing. Samantha was being supported by the Power Of the Phoenix¡­but Elton had nothing but pills to kill the pain. And even those were barely sessful at alleviating the pain.


    He was dying, at a much higher rate than Samantha. Although he didn''tin about it¡­Elijah knew it.


    "You don''t need to."


    Elton said, Elijah shook his head.


    "I need to."


    These past few months, Elton had helped the Association immensely, he had slowly been atoning for his sins.


    "I can''t stop you huh¡­Good luck then."


    He wished his brother Good luck.


    Elijah smiled and checked his status.


    ¡ªStatus¡ª


    Name: Elijah Ardor(17)


    Race: DRAGON


    Rank: C+


    Strength: B-


    Mana: B


    Agility: C


    Endurance: C+


    Charm: A


    Intelligence: B


    Affinities: FIRE(Supreme), Fate(?)Time(?)


    Skills: Dragon Transformation, Draconian Transformation, Fire Physique, Fire sh, GODS EYES, DECIMATION¡­.


    ¡ª


    Elijah carefully evaluated his status once again, He had gained those two affinities as a reward for Clearing the Marquis Mission in Aror. He didn''t know what purpose they had¡­He was unable to use them.


    Agri also couldn''t tell him what they were supposed to do¡­All he knew was, the intensity of those weird dreams increased when he got those two elemental affinities.


    He was able to manipte the mana of the elements¡­but was unable to use it for skills or get a deeper understanding of them. Something was just stopping him.


    In the end, since Elijah couldn''t ess the elements deeply, he dismissed them because of that and focused on training.


    He gazed at the tower and activated God''s Eyes.


    [{GOD EYES} has been activated.]


    God''s eyes revealed to him the information about the Tower.


    [TOWER OF TRIALS: The undefeated tower of trials, constructed from unbreakable obsidian, pierces high into the skies, It carries an aura of mystique and contains within it multiple worlds, each with a story of its own, waiting to be cleared. The tower has only been 29% cleared, Beware, when approaching the Tower, and Good Luck.]


    For some reason. God''s Eyes description about the tower.


    "Good Luck, I''ll be cheering for you."


    Elton wished him good luck once again, and Elijah left the room, on the way, he checked the description of the Sword of Sundering mes.


    There was an uneasiness in his heart, maybe he was doing such things to calm that uneasiness.


    This katana was precious to him, it was a dearrade that was able to withstand his power¡­his mes.


    [Sword Of Sundering Hellfire]


    Type: Katana.


    Rank: A+


    Description:


    A de formed in the deepest part of a deadly and active volcano.


    Its very appearance strikes fear into its enemies, and its attacks bring Hell to them.


    It is a de to be used with caution, if your affinity with fire is insufficient, maybe it will be you that will see Hell.


    Skills:


    *Increased output of all Skills rted to the element of Fire whilst equipped.


    *Increased ability to wield fire skills with greater ease.


    *Increased resistance to Fire.


    <de of Hell>


    When a sufficient amount of mana has been applied, the de will ignite itself and be covered in The mes of Hell, hot enough to melt steel.


    Be wary of this de, the mes of hell are the friends of none.


    <Hellfire Torment>


    When an opponent has been attacked by this de when <de of Hell> is activated, the mes of Hell willtch themselves upon the opponent, burning them to ash.


    These mes burn intensely and are very hard to remove.


    <GLIMPSE OF HELL>


    The most powerful skill of the de.


    Create a crack In space that unleashes a sea of fire, scorching your enemies alive and increasing their pain tenfold.


    Arge amount of mana is needed to use this skill.


    Be wary, if you are unable to control the mes of hell.


    They will consider you a foe as well.


    ******


    "Still the same as always huh¡­"


    Elijah let out a dryugh and continued making his way through the corridors. Seeing the description of his strongest weapon gave him¡­Hope.


    [Attention, All Participating students, please gather in the Stadium, I repeat, Please gather in the Stadium, the Tower of Trials event will soon begin.]


    The voice of the announcer echoed in the corridor¡­and Elijah marched forward.


    "I will win."


    He dered firmly.


    *********


    [Outside, in front of the tower Of trials.]


    Multiple students, of all years, stood outside the tower and checked their equipment and items, The air was tense, extremely tense. All the well-known students were out here, with their families and guild members cheering them on.


    n paid no attention to the others and just gazed at the tower, remembering his promise to his sister.


    "Just wait Sam¡­You''ll be able to live a normal life soon¡­"


    He muttered under his breath.


    Time passed, and Harrison''s voice echoed.


    [All students! Get ready! The tower of trials is opening up! We wish you good luck and will be watching your challenges with enthusiasm!]


    n paid little attention to his words and just waited to be admitted to the Tower. The other students bid farewell to their families, who wished them good luck. n had already received prayers from almost everyone¡­Just one person was left.


    And that one person, the one he was waiting most for appeared as well, just in time.


    [Good Luck.]


    Sabrina''s voice was heard clearly through the Spatial bond. n smiled slightly.


    [Enter the Tower Of Trials! And Do your best!]


    Harrison dered, and the figures of multiple students disappeared into white light, they were teleported inside the tower.


    n too, was covered in white light. But before he entered the tower, He had to respond, right?


    [Thanks.]


    He thanked her, and then his figure disappeared with the rest.


    Into the Tower Of Trials.

 Chapter 354 [354] Begin the trials!

    Chapter 354 [354] Begin the trials!


    [You have entered the Tower of Trials.]


    The blinding light disappeared. I found myself, along with numerous others in front of arge rugged wall.


    It ascended into the skies above, daring us to climb it.


    "So this is the first trial huh¡­"


    I muttered as I read the notification in front of me.


    [Wee to the Tower of Trials.


    Conquer the first floor, and climb to the top.]


    I stared at the rugged cliff that seemed endless with a questioning gaze.


    ''This is the first floor? Why are there multiple others with me then?''


    I questioned, ording to the information I had received, The Tower tested everyone differently, the trials they would face would be ustomed to their strength and potential¡­


    Then why do I see everyone here? Are there hidden monsters equivalent to me in such arge number among humanity?


    No¡­that cannot be the case.


    "...gulp."


    Suddenly, I heard someone gulping, My ears picked up the sound and I turned my head towards it¡­only to find a student only 10 or meters high up climbing the wall¡­


    wetting himself.


    "..."


    It was obvious that I was disappointed, I was expecting something¡­else.


    "It''s only ten meters¡­are you scared of h-".


    Suddenly, I came to a realization, my eyes observed the other students and I finally understood it.


    The moment they began climbing the wall¡­was the moment the Tower of Trial''s first trial activated. It should be showing others different things ording to their strength.


    My hypothesis was proven correct when multiple students had the same reaction.


    "Why is it so high¡­"


    A student, only 40 or so meters high said, his body shivering.


    "...shit."


    Another one, who hadn''t even started cursed as soon as his hand touched the wall.


    I was correct, the tower was showing everyone different things.


    However, some students still climbed the rugged cliff with ease. A quick mana scan confirmed that they were stronger than average.


    "So that''s how it is huh¡­"


    I muttered to myself. I prepared to climb the rugged cliff.


    I used Ice mana to cover the tips of my fingers with ws that could stick inside the cliff and then went ahead.


    I jumped and grabbed a stable footing on the cliff, mainly supported by my hands of course.


    "..."


    Just like I had expected, the Tower of Trials did give everything something else.


    The students beside me disappeared, and there was a sense of serenity.


    I looked up and saw the endless cliff. It was the same as before.


    I looked down, but this time, instead of finding the ground where it was, I found nothing.


    Just a sea of clouds below me¡­ The ground was gone.


    "haha¡­"


    I let out a dryugh andposed myself.


    I steadily began to climb, fortunately, I had the two Supreme dragons to keep mepany.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Chaos Sulera''s marvels at the design of the Tower.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha encourages you!]


    I paid attention to the words of Suleras.


    "How so?"


    everything. It messes with the astralws and istes itself¡­It is a peculiar structure. You can only escape either when your will to challenge dies or¡­you die.]


    I asked and fastened my pace.


    [The Supreme dragon Of Chaos Suleras says that the Tower is a Unique structure, it is a group of confined worlds, each world has its tragedy or conditions¡­It also istes everything. It messes with the astralws and istes itself¡­It is a peculiar structure. You can only escape either when your will to challenge dies or¡­you die.]


    "..."


    I stayed silent and gazed at the endless cliff above me, I lowered my head to see the sea of clouds and wondered.


    ''...strange.''


    I thought. It was strange how above me was an endless cliff that stretched as far as I could see and below me were clouds, getting farther and farther as I climbed.


    [Supreme dragon Of Chaos Suleras says the tower has certainly been created by a Supreme being, even higher. Only such beings have the power to confine entire worlds.]


    Yeah, I agree with that. Heck, I even think someone on Ariel''s Level did this just for fun.


    The power to stop the time of entire worlds and confine them into such a small space and even turn them into trials that could be taken time and time again¡­


    It was an unbelievable feat¡­But then again, Supreme Beings were also Unbelievable.


    Entire Gxies could be torn apart by them in days, every one of them was so powerful¡­


    And then there was Aranus, who scared them shitless.


    ''...''


    I was once again reminded of the sheer difference in strength. Aranus was someone who could consider the Supreme beings as babies, and these supreme beings could consider me less than an ant¡­


    Such was the world, cruel to the weak.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says you should focus on the trial.]


    Iughed.


    "Haha¡­"


    Yeah, I should focus on the trial instead of reminding myself again and again what a useless existence I am.


    "This is weird¡­"


    I muttered I had climbed this cliff for so long, but it wasn''t getting any less.


    [Trial Of Perseverance.]


    I recalled the name of the trial and thought¡­


    ''There has to be a secret condition.''


    There has to be one. I refuse to believe all I have to do is climb to the top of this endless cliff through Sheer Determination.


    If that was it, no one would ovee this trial. I had been climbing this for hours, in a frightening space but even then I was nowhere close to reaching the top of this Endless cliff from what I could see.


    Think n¡­think!


    If the trial was truly set to be such, the number of people that had passed the first floor would be scarce, even in the previous year, multiple people passed¡­I am both stronger and have more stamina than them, there is no way they reached the top whilst I am not even close.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says the answer is clear.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras advises Lanesha to keep quiet and just observe.]


    The answer is clear.


    Hmm¡­.


    "Maybe¡­?"


    I muttered and looked down at the sea of clouds below.


    The distance¡­is closer. No matter how much I climbed the clouds were as close as they were before.


    I activated Dragon eyes, just for confirmation, however¡­


    [The Tower Of Trials forbids the usage of such a skill in this stage!]


    "Are you kidding me?"


    I said, irritated.


    "Damn it."


    Well, seeing that it restricted the usage of Dragon Eyes I think I have a gist of the answer.


    "A trial to persevere¡­"


    Persevere and climb the endless cliff as long as you can. When I thought about it¡­


    climbing this cliff is impossible. No one can do it.


    The sea of clouds is the answer.


    "Haha¡­."


    Iughed. I smirked as I found the answer.


    The purpose is to persevere, not seed.


    To survive, or to climb for as long as you can, and then fall into the sea of clouds as you tire out.


    I let go of the cliff and dived towards the sea of Clouds. The winds brushed against my face.


    The key is that sea of clouds, Once you fall into it¡­after having persevered for as long as you have. But you can also jump inside the cloud even if you have not reached your limit. Like if an ident urred during your climb. The gate to the next floor is the clouds, no matter how you reach them¡­as long you put in the sincere effort that the tower recognizes...


    You pass.


    I disappeared into the sea of clouds and heard the notification from the Tower. I smirked.


    [You have cleared the first trial.]

 Chapter 355 [355] Climb the Tower!

    Chapter 355 [355] Climb the Tower!


    "Daniel Khorsch, Elijah Ardor, and Henry Fornum are some of the first who have cleared the first floor and are advancing steadily!"


    Harrison announced the names of the Participants who passed the first floor in order. The crowd cheered loudly.


    Daniel, as expected was the first one to pass the first floor. Given his prior experience, it was only Natural. He passed the first floor in record time. The others who had experienced the tower before were also fast, but Elijah and Henry defeated them easily. Henry''s wind affinity was strong so he immediately realized something was wrong with the clouds, whilst Elijah had slipped and fell identally.


    Well, the intensity and condition to clear the trials was different for everyone¡­So it can be said that Elijah lucked out. If he fell at the beginning of the trial, he would have failed. The tower would have not recognized his efforts and disqualified him.


    The audience watched therge screens in front of the Tower with amazement and curiosity. This was a unique feature of the Tower, It would broadcast the trials of the ten people in the lead. No one knew why this feature was there, but they were d it was.


    After all, who would watch the event if they couldn''t see the trials being challenged?


    This was the reason the Tower of Trials was an event in the convergence. Furthermore, Special items had been made which could enable one to view the point of view of their favorite challenger, these items were given to the challengers, and disys linked to the items were present in the seats of the audience.


    Furthermore, because clearing the trials could take a long time, lodging arrangements for the paying were made as well, as well as special websites for others to watch from home, by paying a price.


    The event drew in the most money, so the higher-ups invested a lot to make itfortable and desirable.


    The top 10 challengers the Tower showed were as follows.


    The first was Daniel, who was blitzing through the first 10 floors because of his prior experience.


    The second was Yelena re, The rank 1 of the second year in the shield, and also Kyle''s sister. Thankfully, she turned out better than Kyle.


    The 3rd and 4th rank were Henry Fornum and n Pator respectively, who were shooting through the floors with a pace faster than most. They were even dominating those who had experience with the Tower.


    It was astonishing, that the Tower exerted a mysterious force on its challenger that stopped them from speaking about the trial information, The things the Broadcast and disys showed were also limited, and the important information about the tower couldn''t be revealed.


    Many awakened tried to tell their experiences but the Tower stopped them, even if they weren''t in the Tower, all those who had entered it had this effect. None coils escape.


    It blocked everything that would give someone an advantage over the other...


    It was as if it was sentient!


    n had some seriouspetition though, Elijah was just barely behind him, no¡­it could be said that they were neck and neck! They were both overtaking one another constantly.


    Henry was just a little bit further ahead.


    The seventh and eighth spots were upied by the top students of Eden, whilst Kurosaki Ren and another student from Eden upied the ninth and tenth respectively. Shield was dominating the rankings.


    The others were behind, far behind. The main focus of the audience was of course on the Top 10 climbers.


    Everyone had fans, even n had some for some reason.


    Most of his Fans were the people who were saved because of him in Aror, although their presence in the Colosseum was low, their online presence was nothing to scoff at.


    Although it was shocking, n also had a fan club¡­somehow.


    Of course, nothing could beat Daniel Khorsch''s fanbase, who were mostly fangirls screaming at the top of their lungs.


    "GO DANIEL!"


    "KYAAAAA!"


    Truly, it was hell for the poor unfortunate souls who were seated near them.


    Even noise-canceling headphones didn''t block out the roars of those lionesses in heat.


    It was a special kind of torture.


    But what could be done? Nothing. That fanbase was crazy.


    "Wow¡­"


    The noise was so loud it even woke Kazikato from his deep slumber. And that was a notable achievement. Even n struggled to wake Kazikato up when he was sleeping, his nose never worked, and he had to beat him until he woke up.


    "So annoying¡­"


    Edwardined about the noise. As a demi-human, his ears were sensitive, this was hell for him.


    Both of them exuded an aura of death, this was not intentional. They had been dealing with Ariel''s gruesome training for quite a while, so it was only natural. Kazikato had stopped his leakage, but Edward struggled to do it. Ariel had forcibly awakened his body using her powers and subjected both to training so gruesome they had be brothers in arms that shared at least 10 years of hardship.


    They both had been kicked out of the Twilight Room because the aura of death they exuded was harmful to the others.


    "Why aren''t you climbing that tower?"


    Asked Edward, he wondered why Kazikato was abstaining from challenging the tower. If he did, no doubt he would be just behind n, then Twilight would have two people in the top 10.


    "What''s the point¡­The boss would win in the end anyway, and who knows if there''s a trial where you have to right other challengers¡­ Just thinking about Fighting the boss now sends shivers down my spine¡­"


    "..."


    Edward was left speechless¡­had he heard what he just heard?


    Was n that terrifying¡­to this guy?


    To kazikato? It was unbelievable.


    He had seen what Kazikato could do¡­but not what n could do.


    He looked at n''s broadcast once again, it had been quite a while and n had reached the 9th floor.


    Now he was 3rd, just behind Elijah and Daniel. The rankings had changed.


    He focused his eyes on n, unaware that he too would soon know¡­


    Why Kazikato both respected and feared n Pator.

 Chapter 356 [356] The Power Of Gravity.

    I passed the second floor of the tower with no difficulty, It was simr to the first trial.


    It was also a test of proving something, proving your strength.


    A weight iparable to anything I had felt was on top of me, It was Invisible and intangible but somehow I thought it.


    It was massive, but my strength is my most significant stat, apart from Mana. I didn''t even need to enhance myself with Mana to bear the weight, my raw strength was enough to crush it. The third and fourth trials weren''t anything special either.


    "Isn''t this tower supposed to scale difficulty with my level?"


    I questioned as I entered the fifth floor.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras exins it is because you are the anomaly.]


    I nced at the information about the fifth trial, and just as I read it, I had to dodge an arrow-like projectile hurling towards me at a high speed.


    My eyes almost failed to catch it.


    [Trial of Instinct.]


    So that was what it meant huh¡­


    I thought as I dodged another arrow which came from who knows where.


    The entire area around me was dark, and the arrows didn''t even emit any sound, they just hurled themselves at me from the dark void.


    "..."


    *SWISH*


    "Damn that''s fast¡­"


    I said, marveling at the speed of the projectiles. But it was still bearable.


    "Suleras, mind borating on it a bit more? How am I an anomaly here?"


    I asked Suleras as I dodged the projectiles, I wanted to know what he meant by anomaly.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras borates that the Tower is adjusting the difficulty of the trials, the basis of difficulty is your rank, the higher the rank the more difficult the trials be.


    You are an anomaly because you are far stronger than your rank.]


    Exined Suleras.


    "Oh."


    *SHWISH!*


    "Hmmm¡­"


    *SHWISH*


    The projectiles are getting faster now¡­But theye in fixed intervals of 2 seconds.


    That gives me ample time to think.


    ''So that''s why I''m passing these trials with rtive ease¡­''


    If I recall correctly, each trial of the tower was supposed to make you reach your limit. The trials would perfectly be at the point where it would take your all to seed.


    It would boost your growth as well, but it was harsh.


    Well, Master Arken did tell me the hardest ways are the best¡­so can''tin about that.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras advises you to focus on the trial.]


    Advised Suleras sternly.


    "Yeah¡­I should."


    I figured I should take these trials more seriously, who knows if I failed due to carelessness and couldn''t ess the tower again? It would haunt me for the rest of my life if I failed these trials for a moment of carelessness and was unable to acquire Samantha''s cure.


    I determined myself and took the trials more seriously, I carefully followed my instincts as a Dragon and avoided the projectiles.


    ''How long is this trial?''


    I asked myself, it had been going for quite a while¡­maybe an hour or two?


    The speed of the projectiles kept getting faster¡­Now some of them had managed to scrape me. They split my skin apart like a hot knife split apart butter¡­.


    I barely managed to dodge an arrow that was heading straight for my face, I bent backward as much as I could and assumed the bridge position.


    ''I still have two seconds left¡­''


    I thought to myself. Two seconds before the next arrow came, it should be enough to get out of this troublesome position¡­


    "..?!"


    However, a shiver went down my spine as I instinctively put all my force into my arms and pushed myself up, far from the ground.


    There was no arrow this time¡­the ground opened up!


    "Damn¡­"


    I let out a sigh of relief, I just barely avoided that¡­


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos  tells you to focus!]


    Yeah, got it.


    [You have cleared the fifth trial.]


    Hmmm? It seems that was the end of the trial. I had prepared to dodge a bit more when I entered that bottomless pit. I transformed my body just enough so that I had wings.


    [Draconic Transformation has been activated.]


    Wait¡­wings?


    Why didn''t I use my wings to fly up in the first trial? Why did that never cross my mind?


    "...Strange."


    I muttered¡­it was as if I hadpletely forgotten about the existence of my ability to fly.


    Did the tower do something? Or was it ''him''?


    His silence since what happened in Aror disturbed me¡­ he hadpletely disappeared after Samantha got sick.


    It was eerie.


    [You have advanced to the 6th floor.]


    I received the notification from the tower and arrived at a world full of purple, empty skies.


    "Hmm?"


    I wondered what this trial was.


    The notification answered me.


    [Trial of Bncemences.]


    "Bnce? Does that mean I have to be!"


    In just a second, my wings seemed to have lost all power, and an unknown force catapulted me towards arge tform made of an unknown material.


    The entire world was full of empty purple space, the only things present here were those tforms.


    "Shit!"


    I cursed as I was unable to stop my descent, even with mana.


    I crashed into one of the tforms and a crater of considerable size was formed.


    "Agh!"


    I tried to move my body but the force acting on me was strong, incredibly strong.


    It was some kind of mana!


    The force was so strong it pushed me deeper and deeper into the tform. At this rate, I would fall into the endless ground below after this shallow tform is done with!


    I used the little time I had to analyze the properties of the mana. It was purple¡­but different from chaos, no¡­it felt like it was simr to spatial mana.


    It had a simr¡­vibe.


    "Ugh!"


    I expelled my mana everywhere to gain a moment of respite and examined the mana further.


    "Gravity!"


    I finally understood it, it was gravitational mana that was abundant here!


    The power of gravity is abundant here in this realm¡­ It''s filled with it to the brim, and it''s all concentrating on me! Shit!


    "Hah!"


    I expelled my mana in the surroundings to get this devious mana away from me, the expulsion destroyed the tform I was buried in.


    Now that the gravity mana was gone, I could use my wings again.


    I hurriedly flew away from the torrent of gravitational mana and examined the trial more clearly.


    Only after I looked around a bit¡­did I find the exit.


    The smallest tform, and the highest, held a small portal on top of it, leading to it were a dozen or so bigger tforms, acting as a staircase.


    I could see the dense mana of gravity around the small tform in the sky¡­


    My initial guess was wrong, the gravitational mana was most dense there, and the entire realm mana was not focused on me.


    About ny percent of it was centered around that tform, acting as a domain that had the power to crush almost anything.


    A column on The gravitational mana hit me in the form of a column and sent me hurling towards the lowest tform in the staircase.


    "Cough!"


    I coughed up the dirt that had gotten in my mouth and was ready to run from another column¡­but none came.


    I waited and observed the mana around me cautiously. The gravity mana didn''t enter the area of this tform, instead, it surrounded the other tforms in the staircase.


    "So this is a resting point huh¡­"


    I muttered to myself, it seems that the lowest tform is a resting ce¡­


    "Hmm¡­"


    The gravitational mana possesses a simrity to the Spatial mana. The spatial mana within me reacted to it. Why?


    I asked myself, however, Suleras answered me instead.


    [Supreme dragon of Chaos Suleras exins it is because Gravitational mana is derived from Astral mana.]


    Derived? So Basically a subtype of astral mana huh¡­


    Makes sense actually, it''s just like how the mana of magma and heat is derived from Fire mana.


    "If that''s how it is then¡­"


    Suddenly, I had a wild thought.


    ''I can make my version¡­''


    I''ve experienced the type of mana once, although it may not be in the form of a skill, I can still do something about it¡­considering it''s derived from Spatial mana.


    I spread out my mana of Space as much as I could and isted a little bit of the Gravity mana.


    "It''s more about controlling pressure¡­"


    I muttered as I examined it. It deals more with exerting pressure and decreasing it.


    Isn''t gravity the force of attraction between two bodies of mass? Why does the mana function differently then? Why is it rted to exerting pressure instead of attraction?


    I examined it further and broke it down, and only then I realized.


    Within the mana, there is a small bit of mass, it''s extremely small but it''s present.


    "So that''s what it is¡­"


    I thought to myself, feeling a little bit aplished and proud.


    Gravity mana is of two types, the attractor, or the mass, and the other type, the pressure setter, or controller I guess. The second type is the most important, but it cannot function without the attractors. It needs a medium...


    Small molecules of the first type are present everywhere in this field, this is acting as the attractor, attracting the other type of mana around it and controlling it¡­by setting another mass as the other object of attraction. The second type of gravity mana follows the attractor and the density of mana decides the force exerted, and also the size of the two masses, distance has little connection to this however which is strange¡­the difference that distance causes is easily offset by the second type of mana¡­ the first type is the controllers, whilst the second one could say to act as an amplifier and a barrier to outside forces.


    Every molecule here is connected, each molecule of the first type of mana acts as the same body of mass, and even though they are far apart they are connected by the second type of mana. Like threads, extremely strong threads.


    They work because there is another body of mass here that is not connected to them¡­which allows the force of attraction to work¡­ which gives them an unknown enemy it needs to destroy.


    That body of mass, which is me.


    The mana is connected like aplex system and I am the one who isn''t part of it, so it treats me as another body of mass and focuses arge amount of the force of attraction on me¡­ the ''unknown enemy''.


    Interesting¡­


    I think I know what I can do now¡­


    I smirked and destroyed a little bit of the tform I was on.

 Chapter 357 [357] The Power Of Gravity![2]

    The debris from the tform floated in the space around me, I enveloped it with my spatial mana and nned to imitate the gravitational magic here.


    [The tower is observing you.]


    My eyes were closed and I focused everything on one of the pieces of debris, a small piece of rock.


    I used my spatial mana and engulfed it.


    ''The first type is the key to making the magic work¡­I need the medium.''


    I thought as I inserted my spatial mana into the rock, in every part of it.


    ''The second type is easy to do, I can just control it by increasing mana concentration and all that but¡­I need a medium.


    A mass to attract. Or rather act as a medium.


    Instead of creating the much moreplex first type of unique mana that acts as the mass¡­I can just use the rocks.


    ¡­.


    ¡­.


    ¡­.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos  watches in awe.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha watches in awe.]


    There! I got it, I''ve established the connection and mimicked the properties of gravitational mana¡­


    Now I just need to adjust the pressure.


    I''ve created the mass and the connection, now I just need to adjust the pressure.


    "Hmm¡­"


    I increased the concentration and amount of Spatial mana, and with it, I can adjust the amount of force exerted.


    Attraction, let''s try that first.


    I adjusted the amount of mana, and established an even firm connection ... .and finally.


    I was able to do it.


    The rocks created a field of attraction around them. I threw a piece of debris in there and It flew to the middle of the field and stayed firmly in its position.


    "Now¡­ let''s try repulsion."


    I said, and as I adjusted the mana the rock flew out of the area with great speed.


    "Nice."


    Imented. I was satisfied with the effects.


    "Now¡­the only thing left to copy is ''that''."


    I can use attraction to crush it, and repulsion to make it go away.


    Nice.


    [The tower praises your talent.]


    Eh?


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras praises you.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha praises you.]


    ..?


    I was genuinely confused, what had happened? Why the praise? I haven''t even cleared the trial yet!


    [Congrattions! You have perfectly mimicked gravity! You have gained an affinity for Gravity[High], and your Spatial affinity has advanced from [High] to [Superior!]]


    Oh¡­


    That''s a bonus!


    ''But is this really that surprising?''


    I wondered¡­ I''ve done this thing multiple times with other skills, so why only now?


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras Says that it is because youpletely mimicked another element, not like the ones before, where you just substituted with ice.]


    Eh?


    The skills Sir Oliver showed me? Yeah, they were mostly skills of other elements like Fire and wind, and some otherplex ones, I just replicated their function with Ice and frost mana.


    Wait¡­Did it work because Gravity is a sub-type of Spatial mana?


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras nods.]


    So that''s what it was¡­makes sense.


    Ipletely mimicked the element this time, unlike just replicating with Ice or normal mana. Most of the Skills Sir Oliver showed me, I could reconstruct¡­but because I didn''t have the affinity for them, it lessened their power a lot so I just substituted them with Ice Mana to keep their power the same or even increase it because of their my high affinity for Ice, essentially creating a new skill I guess Was this really that impressive?


    [The tower is impressed with your talents. It encourages you to climb further.]


    What''s up with this? This thing speak?


    ''That''s a surprise.''


    I thought to myself, I focused on the trial.


    I looked at the tform in the sky, the gravity mana that surrounded it was still terrifying¡­But I think I can do something then!


    [You are using gravitational Mana.]


    This time, instead of the rocks, I am the medium. My mass is the center, surrounded by other rocks that act as mediums to strengthen the field surrounding me.


    [Gravity Field(B) has been learned.]


    This works. I''ve created a Field Of repulsion around me that would repel the gravity mana surrounding the highest tform.


    I gathered my mana, still doubtful if this would work or not. Collecting my breath, I unfurled my wings and flew straight up, with maximum speed.


    *WHOOSH*


    Because of my speed, the other torrents of mana in the realm failed to catch up to me and couldn''t slow me down.


    "Here we go!"


    I entered the field surrounding the highest tform and used all my might to climb higher. The gravity field around me repelled the extremely dense mana of the realm¡­But I guess it was just too much for my field. The dense mana here pushed against my field and it got smaller and smaller every second.


    The field surrounding the tform was just too strong. I felt the weight again and helplessly fell to the lowest tform again when my field crashed.


    "..."


    I wiped the blooding from my nose. The force exerted was great, it did a moderate amount of damage to my insides.


    "...So I need a bigger field huh?"


    I said, My field previously was too small.


    Well, the solution was simple.


    I have enough mana.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says you can''t possibly be that crazy!]


    Iughed when I heard Suleras¡­and said.


    "Crazy?"


    Did I question¡­crazy? Me?


    That''s an Understatement!


    "I''m fucking insane!"


    Iughed and conjured up multiple, thick chains of ice that I swung and Lodged into the other tforms.


    [Gravity field is being activated!]


    I spread the tforms as wide as I could without impacting the strength of the chains.


    This time, rocks wouldn''t be mediums! It will be entire tforms! And surround the bastard that''s the highest!


    I unleashed my mana and created a gravity field that surrounded half the realm!


    The torrents of mana outside shed with my gravity field, but the outer tforms repelled them.


    I set a few tforms as an outside wall first, these would repel the torrents of mana outside my field¡­Whilst the inner tforms surrounded the highest tform''s gravity field and reduced it as much as it could!


    The vibrations from the sh rang all throughout the domain, And Iughed like a maniac!


    "Haha! As for you!"


    I set my eyes on the highest tform, the one with the portal. I conjured two, extremely dense chains of ice and threw them towards it. I made these chains especially dense and durable so that the Field would not break them¡­The Chains had hooks on the ends and lodged themselves into the upper tform firmly.


    I froze my feet on the tform I was and grabbed the chains firmly and then got into position. I know I don''t have enough ''strength in my wings'' to fly up there, whilst being impeded by the field¡­


    So¡­


    "If I can''t go up there¡­Why don''t I just pull it down here?"


    And so I began pulling with all my might.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says you truly are insane! He likes it!]


    *********


    [Outside the tower.]


    "What a shocking turn of events! Instead of going up slowly like normal students¡­n Pator is pulling the field towards himself¡­What amazing strength he has!"


    Harrison dered. The audience erupted into cheers as they saw n''s trial.


    ''That idiot¡­''


    Sabrina said in her mind. She sighed.


    ''Well¡­what else did I expect of him?''


    It was n¡­She should have learned her lesson of keeping her expectations low.


    Well, she couldn''t be med¡­The previous feat n had caused an uproar.


    "Was he always able to do this?"


    Her grandfather asked, and James paid close attention.


    "Yes¡­He''s a retard when ites to studying but I''m nothing to him when it''s math or mana."


    It was true, Although Mathematics was debatable¡­Sabrina could neverpare to n when it came to Mana. He was just built differently in that regard.


    Hugo and James remained silent and began to watch n''s trials with renewed interest.


    n''s feat of creating a gravity field with his own mana had attracted a lot of attention, most people were watching his viewpoint¡­It was a unique method of clearing the trial after all. It was bound to gain attention.


    ******


    [Ezra''s room.]


    Ezra, covered in bandages and still healing from his wounds, observed n''s trial with great interest.


    He was lying in his bed and had an artifact that disyed what was happening to him.


    He was observing all the top 10 before¡­but now his attention was solely on n. n''s creation of the gravity field garnered his interest¡­


    When he saw it, he remembered the words of the Sword Saint.


    ''You know? I have a student just like you, instead his talent is based on mana! He can copy and even reconstruct the skills he has seen!''


    Ezra had a wild thought.


    ''Could this ''student'' be n?''


    He dismissed it soon after, thinking his head was hurt from his duel with the Sword Saint.


    ''Of course not¡­''


    n''s weapon is a spear¡­Not a Sword! He can''t possibly be the student of the ''Sword Saint!''


    ¡­right?


    However, the doubt still lingered in his mind.

 Chapter 358 [358] The Trial Of Faith.

    [10th floor, lobby.]


    Before challenging every tenth floor, the tower provided a Lobby for one to rest in, and collect their thoughts.


    Each lobby was special in its own right, and the higher the floor the more luxurious the lobby.


    The Tenth floor''s lobby was just arge white room. The only thing other than white here was a corridor that led to the Tenth floor. The beginning of the Corridor was dark and one couldn''t see the end no matter what.


    It was deste as of yet, the only one who had stepped foot here had already crossed the tenth floor. Daniel was blitzing through the tower.


    No one except him had reached the tenth floor¡­Until now.


    A red light shone in the middle of the floor, and a beauty stepped out of it.


    The woman possesses a captivating beauty that goes beyond mere physical features. With her fiery red hair that cascades like waves of me and piercing red eyes that seem to hold a passionate fire. Her appearance is both striking and mesmerizing, drawing people in with an irresistible allure. Surely, She possessed significant influence in the world outside the tower. Her very figure seemed to resemble a goddess of fire!


    ¡­she had a vulgar tongue as well, quite contrary to her beauty.


    "Fuck, That bastard Daniel already crossed this floor."


    She cursed, She was hoping to meet him here¡­but s, She arrived toote. She couldn''tpete with his speed and experience.


    "Ah Fuck, I wonder what ce I''m at!"


    She cursed again, truly¡­All men would fall in love with her only if she kept her mouth shut.


    The woman was Yelena re, Kyle re''s older and tamer sister. She was the vice president of Shield''s Student Council and also the one who was ranked first among the Second years of Shield.


    Due to her mastery over fire and her striking appearance, she had earned the nickname Pele among the general popce.


    (A/N: Pele is a goddess of fire.)


    She had a fierce personality but was gentle to her friends and the ones she liked or cared about¡­although her mouth was her only w.


    She was much better than her spoiled younger brother, who had gone into depression after having lost miserably to Alexander.


    "Fuck it, I''ll just advance then."


    Her initial n to meet Daniel here was unsessful, so there was no point in staying here. She steadily made her way towards the corridor.


    She had climbed the tower once before and made it to the 17th floor. She had entered again this year with determination to reach the thirtieth floor. She had long since given up on surpassing Daniel.


    If even Daniel couldn''t do it¡­What could she do?


    He was a kind of an idol to her¡­So it made sense she didn''t dare think she could surpass him.


    Just as she entered the dark corridor, the entrance to the tenth floor a red light shone in the empty lobby. She turned around, curious as to who it was.


    ''It should be the damn treasurer¡­''


    She predicted it would be n¡­but she was wrong.


    "Eh?"


    Instead of n, Elijah had stepped into the lobby. She looked at him with curiosity.


    She wondered how the guy who lost to n in one hit reached here before him.


    "Umm¡­Hi?"


    Elijah greeted her, nervous.


    "..."


    ''Pussy.''


    His nervous greeting had already garnered a bad image in Yelena''s mind.


    "Umm¡­What is this ce?"


    He asked, Clearly the innocent and pure Elijah was confused. Well¡­it was his first time challenging the tower so it made sense. Yelena let out a sigh.


    "It''s the lobby before the tenth-floor trial."


    Elijah''s nervousness disappeared. He was only nervous because he thought this was a trial.


    "May I ask who you are?"


    Asked Elijah, oblivious to her identity.


    "..."


    Yelena was left speechless¡­How could this guy, who is in Shield, not know her?


    She was the vice-president of the Student Council, the second year rank number one!


    "You seriously don''t know me?"


    She asked, clearly dumbfounded.


    "Nope."


    However, Elijah was serious. He had no clue who she was!


    "...Forget about it."


    She ignored him and turned towards the corridor once again. But Elijah''s voice stopped her again.


    "Is that the entrance to the Tenth floor?"


    He asked. Yelena simply nodded and Elijah grew ecstatic.


    "Thank you!"


    He said, before disappearing into the dark corridor, using his mes as a boost.


    "..!"


    Yelena couldn''t even feel the fire magic getting ready! It had all happened in an instant!


    She was left shocked, Elijah had disappeared in a second even though he was behind her, and the amount of mana he used was just too shocking¡­


    "Thes first years¡­their fucking crazy¡­"


    First, there was n¡­then this orange-haired dude.


    "..."


    Slowly¡­she was losing the confidence she had in her strength. The first years this time were absolute monsters! They couldpete even with the third year!


    *Gulp*


    She gulped. She calmed herself down and was about to enter the 10th floor¡­when another light appeared in the 10th-floor lobby.


    This time¡­it was n.


    "Oh finally¡­someone I kn-"


    She was cut off by n disappearing into the trial using teleportation.


    "..."


    n disappeared the moment he got here and left her in dismay.


    Another light shone, and this time it was Henry.


    "Yo."


    She didn''t answer back and disappeared into the tenth floor, not wanting to lose her ranking.


    "..?"


    A confused Henry was left in the lobby of the tenth floor.


    *********


    [Elijah POV.]


    [You have entered the tenth floor, the tower watches your trial with great interest.]


    Elijah continued walking in the dark corridor. After a while, the darkness faded away and he was present in a nk world, a nk canvas.


    "..?"


    Elijah questioned what the trial was about.


    [The Trial of Faith.]


    The notification popped up and confused him even more¡­Faith?


    What Faith should he prove here? He wasn''t religious¡­?


    Elijah observed the floor but found nothing but white everywhere.


    "What am I supposed to do here?"


    He questioned, normally the names of the trials provided a sort of clue or something but he didn''t know what he had to do here ... .His mind was nk.


    Was he supposed to pray for something here?


    [What is the extent of your faith?]


    "..!"


    Elijah was startled by the metallic voice that echoed throughout the floor.


    A notification popped up, and he read it over and over. Trying to get an idea of what was happening here on this floor.


    [What is the extent of your faith?]


    The voice was heard again, It was an archaic but metallic voice. It was¡­Odd.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    He asked, half-heartedly expecting an answer.


    [What are your ideals?]


    It asked a question.


    [What do you want to be?]


    Again.


    [What is your belief in yourself?]


    And Again.


    [How much faith do you have in yourself?]


    And Again.


    It asked.


    Elijah wondered about it. He thought about it after a while.


    [What is the extent of your faith?]


    The voice was heard again¡­But Elijah couldn''t find a suitable answer.


    Faith¡­in himself?


    What he wanted to be?


    What was it?


    A hero, A legendary awakened whose name would go down in history?


    A lovable son?


    What was it? What did he wish to be?


    The nk world started to change, from the center¡­ to Elijah.


    A wave of green invaded the world, and an endless in of grass appeared.


    [What do you want to be?]


    The tower asked him. The nk canvas to change into an endless, beautiful, peaceful world. A world filled with grass, flowers, a blue sky, and a bright sun.


    "Someone who is kind."


    Elijah muttered. The tower asked him again.


    [What do you wish to be?]


    The voice had changed, it was now a gentle and soothing voice, like the voice of a moth which was able tofort her crying child¡­It was like such a gentle voice.


    "I want to¡­be a hero¡­someone who others look up to with hope¡­and someone who can change them to do good. Who can¡­Inspire them I guess."


    He answered. Although he may have sounded reluctant¡­It was his ambition. He was serious about it.


    [A story that has been written countless times¡­Yet failed to meet its desired happy ending.]


    The voice of the tower echoed, The gentle voice was gone, and the metallic voice was back. Dark clouds appeared in the sky, and the flowers wilted.


    The grass died, and the sun disappeared. The gentle and peaceful world was gone.


    [Time and time again¡­the hero fell to the viin. Thest bastion of hope fell miserably to the Viin¡­not once, not twice¡­But many times. How confident are you can change that?]


    Elijah wondered what was going on.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Elijah asked the Tower, hoping to get an answer. He looked around the floor and was terrified.


    The grass disappeared and the ground was littered with blood and corpses.


    The sky was dyed red with blood, and all traces of peace disappeared¡­Only despair was left.


    Elijah was familiar with this sight¡­this had appeared in his dreams multiple times!


    "..."


    The corpse of the angel with an uncountable number of wings, and orange hair seeping out of the Helmet appeared in front of once again¡­impaled by the same weapon. A ck, demonic spear.


    Corpses of dragons, angels, dwarves, elves, and other races were like a sea.


    A deafening roar shook the realm, as Elijah caught a glimpse of the silhouette of arge ck dragon in the skies, covered by the gray, depressing clouds.


    The Tower answered his question and took him out of his shocked state.


    [???????? ??????????.]

 Chapter 359 [359] Trial Of Faith[2]

    ?


    [Your Story.]


    The words echoed in Elijah''s mind, the screams¡­the shing of weapons¡­and the ''roar.''


    All of them echoed in his mind and he buckled to his knees.


    [A tragic story.]


    The metallic voice of the tower echoed once again¡­It gave Elijah a massive headache.


    "Agh!"


    He fell to his knees, on the deadnd before¡­


    [To fail, and fail¡­every single time.]


    The blood from the corpses seeped out and formed a sea, every corpse disappeared and only Elijah was left in the sea of blood.


    [So much blood spilled, so many lives lost¡­entire worlds reduced to ash¡­the light from entire gxies extinguished¡­In this never ending battle.]


    Elijah struggled to stand, the voice of the tower only increased in his head and the pain intensified.


    "What¡­are you talking about?"


    He barely managed to say those words¡­What was the tower getting at? What was this trial?


    What¡­was this sea?


    [Your story.]


    It repeated the words again. The blood from the sea formed tendrils and grabbed his head. Elijah tried his best to resist but it was all for naught, he was unable to do anything as the tendrils dragged him below the blood sea.


    But instead of drowning¡­Elijah was met with another familiar sight.


    *CLANG*


    The sh of a spear and a sword, a sh between a demon and an angel.


    He had seen this sight once¡­in his dream.


    [Your neverending battles.]


    The battle between the demonic being covered in full ck, menacing armor and wielding a spear that was truly vile and a Heavenly Angel with an infinite number of wings in full white, archaic armor, wielding a sword as white as milk.


    *CLANG!*


    They fought on a battlefield filled with corpses of dragons. This was once a thriving city, a city once called the Capital of Dragons, the only city that was never invaded¡­because who would dare to? Which being was foolish and reckless enough to invade the Capital of Dragons, Dragonia?


    There was only one being¡­but he was not foolish nor was he reckless.


    He was a monster, a monster even Dragonia could do nothing against.


    Not even Celestia.


    *CLANG*


    The sses continued, every time their weapons shed, vibrations traveled throughout the ruined citadel.


    Elijah struggled to look at the battle¡­he knew the oue of this futile struggle


    Evil would prevail¡­that demonic being would win.


    [Countless battles¡­An effort that was truly worth praise.]


    The words of the Tower echoed.


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    [A battle that happened multiple times¡­Your effort wasmendable¡­You tried¡­but.]


    A wave of blood washed over him, Elijah opened his eyes again to find another depressing sight.


    [Was it worth it?]


    Amidst the ruins of a once-thriving city, a somber tableau of celestial tragedy and infernal triumph unfolds. The sun, a pale and distant orb, casts feeble rays that shimmer across the destion. The sky above is a canvas of ashen gray, a stark contrast to the vibrant heavens that the angelic being once called home. Blood was everywhere, not a single corner of the cityy void of it¡­


    The fallen angel, once a paragon of grace and radiance, lies broken against a jagged, crumbled wall. Its once-glorious armor, intricately designed and adorned with divine symbols, is now rent asunder, battered by the chaos that has swept through Dragonia. The shimmering filigree that once adorned its wings, now twisted and torn, bears testament to the struggle that unfolded.


    Elijah''s face contorted in despair¡­But he was forced to live this scene again.


    Multiple wings, once an emblem of ethereal power and majesty, now lie limp and shattered, their iridescent feathers marred by the cruel hand of fate. Some are almostpletely severed, the delicate appendages now mere remnants of the celestial strength they once held. Others are partially mangled, bearing evidence of a fierce struggle before the final blow was struck, a futile struggle. That had the same ending throughout multiple iterations¡­Never changing.


    In the heart of the angel''s chest, a malevolent artifact of darkness pierces through, a demonic, ck dragonic spear. Its wickedly jagged tip emerges from the back, a cruel parody of the divine light that once radiated from the angel''s heart. The spear seems to pulse with otherworldly energy, the malefic aura it exudes contrasting starkly with the angel''s former aura of purity. It was the vilest spear to exist, exuding an aura so vile the angel''s divinity faded away. The celestial being''s serene countenance was marred by the agony of its final moments, the glorious armor that once shielded it now a shattered shell, the wings that once carried it across the heavens now crushed and broken. From the gaps of the helmet, orange hair escaped.


    [Was it worth it?]


    It asked again.


    The once-bustling Dragonia had been transformed into a haunting backdrop of destruction. Towers and buildings stand as crumbling skeletons, their architecture now reduced to jagged remnants. Smoke and dust mingle in the air, lending an eerie haze to the scene and casting long, haunting shadows that dance across the ruinedndscape.


    Corpses of its inhabitants littered the city like stic. Mighty dragons, who were hegemons¡­fell.


    The angel, representing heaven''s might, itsst struggle. A beacon.


    But even then¡­


    [Was it worth it?]


    It asked yet again.


    [When the oue was destined to never change?]


    "..."


    Elijah fell silent¡­A myriad of emotions welled up inside him¡­he¡­he¡­


    Didn''t know what to say¡­he didn''t know what to feel.


    The blood swallowed him again¡­and his world was gone, it disappeared.


    Along with Elijah.


    "..!"


    The tendrils of blood swallowed him whole, and the sea which was shallow before¡­drowned Elijah, the tendrils dragged him into the bloody depths.


    "UMPH!HMPH!"


    He tried to resist but could do nothing. He saw the corpses inside the sea yet again.


    The number was uncountable.


    "UMPH!!!!"


    He struggled to breathe, he struggled to move¡­he struggled to do anything¡­but be dragged to the bottom, filled with corpses, he could do nothing but be one of them, countless times.


    His struggle stopped, and the restless sea turned tranquil, a tranquility devoid of any trace of Elijah''s fierce trial.


    The tower''s mechanical voice echoed yet again.


    [Was it worth it?]


    It asked the same question, once again.


    The tranquil sea of blood turned restless.

 Chapter 360 [360] What We Want To Be.

    No matter how many times he lost.


    No matter how many times he died.


    No matter how many times he lost everyone.


    No matter how many times he lost himself.


    No matter how many times his de shattered.


    No matter how many times he despaired.


    No matter how many times he saw them all die.


    No matter how many times he faced that monster¡­


    No matter how many times he fell down.


    He always got back up.


    [Was it worth it?]


    The sea of blood became restless, something¡­someone was rising.


    [Was it worth it?]


    The blood turned into steam, hot steam that rose high up, tsunamis raged forth as the tranquility of blood was interrupted.


    "I don''t know yet!"


    The answer finally came, apanied by a column of fire. A beacon of hope.


    Elijah soared up high, his vibrant mes dyed the world an orange hue.


    "I don''t know¡­yet!"


    He answered the tower. He didn''t know it''s worth¡­yet. BUT!


    He would find it, no matter what.


    [Yes.]


    The voice echoed, and the blood sea changed into the endless, beautiful ins once again, filled with grass, flowers, and all things beautiful.


    The sky turned blue once again, with only a small amount of clouds. The sun shined its Impartial light on all.


    [No matter what happened¡­]


    The voice filled his head. Elijah readied himself for what woulde next.


    [You always stood, as a bastion.]


    It seemed to be praising him.


    [You stood as a beacon of hope, shining its light brightly in an eternal darkness.]


    Amidst an expanse of unending darkness, a solitary beacon of light, standing as a defiant symbol of hope and illumination. A lone source of radiance, piercing through the abyss, casting its glow in all directions, like a lighthouse guiding lost souls through the inky sea of night.


    [You were just like that.]


    Taking the form of a towering structure, slender and majestic, with intricate patterns of light woven into its very essence. Its core emits a brilliance that seems almost tangible, a pure and ethereal energy that seems to push back against the encroaching shadows. Was that not him?


    [Your story is¡­]


    Was it pitiable?


    Was it tragic?


    Was it pitiful?


    Was it idiotic?


    Was it Pathetic?


    Was itughable?


    No.


    [Admirable.]


    It was admirable.


    It was worthy of respect, it was worthy of even the highest honor.


    To stand, again and again against hopeless odds¡­even when you knew you would lose miserably?


    Was it not worthy? Was it not admirable?


    To lose again and again and again¡­but never give up?


    To die, to see death, to face despair but still get up?


    To know your hopeless odds¡­but even then face them with a bright smile? A smile that encouraged others to believe again?


    Was it not admirable?!


    [You are judged as worthy.]


    The tower''s voice changed, and the voice of a gentle mother returned.


    [Climb the tower.]


    Elijah''s figure began to disappear.


    [Let''s see if you will know if it was worth it, on floor 50.]


    The world beneath him disappeared, and Elijah cleared the 10th floor.


    [You have cleared the tenth floor!]


    His figure was almost gone. But before he departed for the Eleventh floor¡­


    He remembered the words of the Tower.


    [Let''s see whether you can change your miserable defeat¡­On floor 50.]


    His figure disappearedpletely.


    ***********


    [n Pator POV.]


    ''What is this eternal darkness?''


    I thought as I continued my stride in this never ending corridor filled with Darkness.


    The tenth floor was truly¡­odd.


    The previous floors provided one with at least a hint of what they were but this floor didn''t¡­or at least I didn''t get anything from it.


    [Trial of Faith.]


    Faith? Am I supposed to pray here or something?


    It can''t be that¡­right? I don''t think I have to pray to the tower¡­hopefully.


    The previous trials at least gave you a gist of what the floor was gonna be¡­but I have no Idea with this one.


    "How much longer?"


    I muttered to myself¡­How much longer do I have to walk in this endless corridor? What else am I supposed to do here?


    What Faith?


    How long has it been? Half an Hour? An Hour?


    Should I just use Teleportation, or other skills to increase my pace?


    ''Will it affect the rules..?''


    I thought. Will activating such skills affect the tower''s rules? Like |Dragon Eyes | had done?


    In the end, I decided to wing it.


    "I guess I''ll just check it o-"


    I stopped all of a sudden¡­something had changed. The darkness¡­was still the same but something had definitely changed.


    My instincts told me, nothing here was the same anymore.


    I looked around but found only an endless void.


    I wasn''t even walking anymore¡­I was floating. Whatever was happening¡­I didn''t like it. Not at all.


    [What is the extent of your faith?]


    Suddenly, I heard a metallic voiceing from all directions.


    "What?"


    I questioned, and the question was repeated.


    [What is the extent of your faith?]


    Once again, I was confused. I failed to grasp what it meant.


    Extent of my faith? Faith in what?


    [Faith in yourself.]


    "..."


    I fell silent. It was as if this¡­voice could read my mind.


    "Faith in myself¡­"


    I muttered to myself, pondering over the question.


    [What do you wish to be?]


    The question changed before I could even answer.


    "..."


    What do I wish to be¡­ that''s hard to question.


    After pondering for a while, I answered.


    "I want to be free."


    I want to be free from the fear of the abyss.


    I want to be free from the control of James.


    I want to use everything at my disposal, freely, never worrying about anything.


    [Is that what you seek?]


    The voice asked.


    I fell silent. But I knew I shouldn''t have kept quiet. Why must I ponder about this? I know this is the right answer¡­so why hesitate?


    "Yes."


    I answered, firmly.


    A moment of silence came, which was broken by the mechanical voice pretty soon.


    [You are worthy.]


    "..."


    [You have cleared the 10th floor!]


    And just like that, I cleared the tenth floor.

 Chapter 361 [361] The Catacombs.

    What?"


    A questioning look appeared on Harrison''s face, his face contorted into confusion as he wondered¡­


    Why were Elijah and n''s screens ck? Was the broadcasting of the tower malfunctioning? This had never happened before.


    "What''s happening?"


    "Why is it ck?"


    The people questioned. Even the broadcasting items weren''t working.


    "..."


    Harrison fell silent, even though he was confused as to what was happening, he maintained hisposure


    ''Why now? This never happened.''


    However, that was only on the outside.


    Inside, his mind was in turmoil. He quickly tried to salvage the situation so the people would not be dissatisfied.


    "Haha¡­it seems the trials of the two are unique, so unique that even the tower has blocked them from viewing. We can''t do anything about it. Please observe the trials of the other participants until we can figure out what to do."


    He turned their attention towards the other challengers using a wide area of effect skill.


    He looked at Ragnar and the other officials, but their faces told him even they were confused.


    "...I have a bad feeling about this."


    He muttered¡­His instinct, sharpened by numerous battles, was telling him.


    Something is wrong¡­The Tower Of Trials event this year will be significant.


    *******


    [Ragnar POV.]


    ''Is this the work of the Supreme dragons?''


    Ragnar thought he gazed at the two ck screens belonging to Elijah and n.


    He thought that the Supreme Dragons in charge of the two were responsible for this. It made sense actually, Although he wasn''t as motivated to climb the tower, even though he had passed the 10th floor¡­he knew very well the contents of the Trial.


    It was justifiable for the Supreme Dragons to interfere and block the trials. They couldn''t let the importance of their sessor be shown like that could they? Who knows what the trial a sessor of a Supreme would face on the 10th floor?


    The risk was high.


    Little did Ragnar know, he waspletely wrong. Suleras and Agri didn''t give a damn if the trial was seen or not.


    They were Supremes, there was only one being that terrified them, not some earthlings.


    They didn''t need to, and neither did they want to.


    "I''m taking a nap, wake me up when the issue is fixed."


    Ragnar said to the elders of the Drakmor Family and his children who were with him.


    The only challengers he was interested in seeing were not there anymore¡­there was no need for him to watch any longer, taking a nap was more important.


    *********


    [n Pator PoV.]


    I passed the tenth-floor trial and entered the 11th-floor. A wave of cool air swept over me.


    [You have entered the 11th floor.]


    What apanied the wave of cool air was a stench, a rotting stench.


    "BLEURGH!"


    I puked. Among my senses¡­my nose was extremely sensitive. The putrid stench here stabbed my nostrils like a dagger and subjected me to an olfactory experience that was both physically repulsive and emotionally jarring.


    It was fucking hideous!


    "BLEURGH!"


    It only stopped when I used mana to close my nostrils forcefully¡­only then was I able to gain a moment of respite.


    I examined the 11th floor¡­catbs?


    [Trials of the Destitute, The Catbs of the Lost Empire.]


    "..."


    I looked at therge gateway before me, there was earth everywhere else.


    "Trials of the destitute?"


    Huh¡­


    Once again, the tower trial name didn''t give me any hints¡­


    Is this gonna be the norm after the tenth floor?


    The tower sure does like being mysterious.


    I entered the passageway into the catbs. As I stepped deeper into the Labyrinthine mazes¡­there was something here¡­a voice.


    A hushed stillness¡­but there was a voice.


    A cry.


    I could hear it. I was certain of it.


    "Hmmm¡­what are catbs again?"


    I questioned, I swear Sabrina taught me this before.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha exins that catbs are subterranean passages and chambers that have been historically used for various purposes, often serving as burial grounds, religious sanctuaries, or hidden shelters. ]


    Exined Lanesha, I was grateful to her


    "Thank you Lanesha, Unlike Suleras, you are helpful."


    I thanked her. She was certainly much better than a certain stingy dragon who didn''t do anything to help me.


    "Based on the horrible stench from before¡­It''s probably a burial ground."


    I said, the smell wouldn''t be this horrible if it was a religious grounds or shelter.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha agrees.]


    I tread the passageways carefully, it was an entire maze in here, I was following the traces of mana so I was sure I wouldn''t get lost but it didn''t hurt to be careful.


    "It''s too quiet,"


    I remarked. The Catbs are too quiet¡­


    I heard a cry before¡­but now only a deathly stillness remains.


    [Supreme Dragon of Lanesha advises you to be cautious.]


    Advised Lanesha. She was right¡­Silence like this can only mean something bad is about to happen.


    "Yeah, Yo-"


    "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!''


    "..!"


    I was startled by the loud cry that echoed and wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko in an instant.


    But there was nothing.


    Due to therge number of passageways here, it was difficult to pinpoint where it wasing from.


    "..."


    I loosened my guard and continued to roam the passageways, the Ame-No-Sakahoko in hand.


    Thankfully, someone was here to keep mepany, which was Lanesha.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says that an intense energy of death permeates the catbs.]


    "Yeah, I know."


    I wonder where the monster that let that scream out was¡­It''s probably a ghost type. It would fit the theme of this trial after all.


    I continued to roam the catbs, heading towards the area with the most significant mana signature. It was far away¡­but I was steadily getting closer.


    I don''t know whether there are any traps here, So I have to tread carefully.


    I took a sharp turn and stopped in my tracks, silent at the scene of a massacre before me.


    Entire corpses of humans covered in hoods, mutted beyond recognition, and guts littered the area, along with other ''things''.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says the monster surely is cruel.]


    I agreed with Lanesha, whoever-No, whatever did this is probably horrifying.


    I activated mana sense to see if any of the corpses were ''alive'' or not. Who knows? Maybe a corpse would jump me.


    After confirming that anything here was dead and devoid of mana, I examined the corpses.


    "..."


    Although I had to clean a lot of the carnage here, I was able to salvage something.


    Daggers with a demonic symbol and demonic circle tattooed on multiple parts of the bodies, furthermore, the anatomy was different.


    They looked like humans but had different colored skin in some areas, and horns and ws.


    "..."


    I examined the wounds on the corpses and was able to conclude that whatever this either wielded had ws, sharp ws.


    And also a temper. How it mutted these corpses was proof.


    Entire bodies split apart, multiple puncture holes in the heart and neck, twisted necks, and some even looked like they had their souls sucked out of them.


    "Hmm?"


    As I was foraging, I found a piece of paper.


    However, I was unable to read what was inside¡­but the tower automatically tranted for me.


    I didn''t even have to do anything, the notifications just popped up.


    [Corrupt the empire, let the heathens know their ce, their god is meaningless, corrupt their saintess, their knights, their nobles, their emperor.


    Let chaos rule the world.]


    It seems I was wrong. Maybe this wasn''t a burial ground, but a religious area for either demon worshippers or this Empire.


    It was one of the two.


    "I should ge-"


    *Wah!*


    *Mom¡­*


    *Scary..!*


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I was interrupted by voices that suddenly appeared.


    One belonged to a baby, unable to utter words, one to a little girl, and one to a boy.


    "..."


    I fell silent.


    This trial is eerie.


    *Save us!*


    *Saintess!*


    *Why has God forsaken us?*


    They stung. The entire catbs were filled with these voices.


    They echoed everywhere


    There were pleas, calls, regrets, cries, and the suffering of children.


    I wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko and went ahead, the purifying power of Ame-No-Sakahoko blocked the voices of the damned who had died here in these catbs.


    "KYAAAAAA!"


    I heard the scream again, and this time, I rushed towards it, enhancing myself with mana and also creating multiple shields around myself to prevent any ambushes.


    I rushed to the location where I heard the scream¡­and came upon an open location in the catbs, lit by orbs of blue me that floated upwards.


    It was a graveyard¡­and an Altar?


    I could see multiple graves and also multiple altars, each adorned with the corpses of the humans I saw a while back, the ones that had deformities. Maggots and flies ate their corpses and it was truly a heart-wrenching sight.


    But that was not all.


    The most notable thing I noticed when I entered this expanse was her.


    A nun, with her back towards me silently praying, her words in anguage I was unable to understand¡­this time even the tower didn''t trante it.


    ''Was it the source of the screams?'' I thought to myself.


    I would find out soon enough.

 Chapter 362 [362] The Difference In Their Trials.

    The figure of a nun was all that was present in these deste catbs, Her attire was ck as night from what I could see¡­A rhythmic voice could be heard all around the expanse.


    "..."


    I stayed silent, ready for anything toe at me but the Nun just continued praying.


    ''Is that all there is? Or is there something else?''


    I wondered if it couldn''t be just that¡­There has to be more to this trial than just killing that thing.


    The prayers sounded weird, I''m pretty sure it''s a type of mental magic. Thankfully, the [Demonic Embrace] I have on right now is blocking it.


    I stayed ready with the Ame-No-Sakahoko and prepared for the worst.


    Suddenly, the singing stopped and the atmosphere changed.


    I tensed up and pointed my Spear at the woman.


    [Demon.]


    A voice was heard,ing from all directions.


    [The empire¡­of the goddess will not fall.]


    She murmured, and then a Deathly aura exploded from her. I expanded my mana in the form of a shield to protect myself.


    Then¡­I witnessed a sight straight out of a horror movie.


    The body of the nun stayed still, but the neck turned a full 180 degrees. I could hear the crunching sounds.


    "Damn¡­"


    I hissed as I saw the face of the nun¡­ It was as gray as it could get, the eye sockets were devoid of any eyeballs, only a ck void, horrendous teeth, and a lower jaw nowhere to be seen.


    Truly, that thing came out of a nightmare.


    She fully turned around and whipped out nails a meter long.


    [The empire¡­will not fall!] The voice was heard again,ing from all directions.


    The figure of the monster disappeared. I jumped away. In a second, the ce I was standing on was cut into a thousand pieces.


    "Hmph!"


    I unleashed my mana and pushed the nun away, her figure crashing into one of the graves.


    "KIEEEEKKK!"


    She shrieked andunched herself at me with incredible speed. I used the Ame-No-Sakahoko and obliterated her lower body.


    [HEAVENLY SPEAR.(FIVE STAR)]


    HEAVENLY THRUST!


    The power of the Ame-No-Sakahoko, infused with my mana surged forth. The thrust destroyed her lower body and caused the Catbs to shake¡­But this thing still rushed at me, crawling with all her might,


    [The empire¡­?]


    The voice showed confusion. I was expecting it to say ''The Empire will not fall'' but I was wrong.''


    The monster stopped as well, and all the killing intent it released vanished.


    It gazed at me with those void-like eyes¡­And moved forward slowly.


    [Please¡­]


    It pleaded¡­but for what?


    I kept a close eye on it as it got closer and closer and grabbed the Ame-No Sakahoko¡­


    And to my shock, stabbed its own neck,mitting suicide.


    [You have cleared the 11th floor.]


    Before I could process what had happened¡­I was transported to the 12th floor.


    ********


    [Elijah PoV, on the Eleventh floor.]


    A cry.


    The nun wasn''t praying¡­but was crying.


    "...What happened here?"


    I asked the ''monster.'' I didn''t know why¡­But I had a feeling I needed to do this.


    The cries didn''t stop, the wailing of the nun didn''t stop¡­


    I walked forward, my sword still sheathed.


    I know¡­She wouldn''t attack if I didn''t disy any form of threat. I was wondering what these catbs were but this is just a ce of sorrow.


    As I was exploring the catbs, beforeing to this ce I had found a diary, a diary covered in blood.


    The contents of the diary were strange at first, but then I understood everything once I stumbled upon it.


    This was not a graveyard, this was once a ce of worship to the deity. An empire¡­that had fallen to the ground after having been attacked by vile cults.


    [The empire will fall soon¡­I fear the emperor, the saintess, and the other high-ranking priests and knights have already fallen to corruption¡­or will fall soon. The Emperor lies stuck on his throne whilst the Saintess''s health is deteriorating day by day, her pure energy is being transformed into something vile¡­I can feel it¡­I can feel the embrace of our deity disappearing. The gues they have swarmed us with, the death they have dealt us¡­Will be our end.


    We can not hold on¡­Not anymore, We will fall.


    We have fallen.]


    Those were the contents of the diary.


    "Are you in pain?"


    I asked as I stood beside her.


    The silence was deafening, The cries had stopped, and the saintess looked at me.


    [Yes.]


    I stared at her, not bothered by her face.


    "What happened?"


    I dared ask.


    [...]


    However, I was met with no answer, I stared at her, and she looked at my sheathed sword. I understood what she meant.


    I unsheathed the Sword Of Sundering me and brought it to her neck.


    [May I make a request¡­Oh bearer of celestial Power?]


    "You may."


    I allowed her too.


    [Please make it so that our legacy does not end in Vain.]


    She pleaded. I looked at the graves in front of us and answered.


    "I will."


    And I ended her misery, in a painless way.


    [You have cleared the trial.]


    [The tower says you act befitting of a hero.]


    "What happened here?"


    I asked the tower¡­It should know.


    [The tower asks if you want to know.]


    ''If I want to know?''


    The countless corpses I encountered here, skeletons of children and women.


    Why wouldn''t  I want to know? I want to know in detail what happened.


    "Yes."


    I answered.


    Show me what happened¡­


    So I can fulfill her request.


    [You bear a striking contrast to the other¡­befitting of your roles.]


    I don''t know what you''re talking about.


    [Of course you don''t¡­not yet.]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    [Here¡­This is what happened to this world.]


    [In a time long past, there existed a magnificent empire that stood as a testament to human achievement and spiritual devotion. This empire was known far and wide for its sprawling cities, grand architecture, and a profound connection with their chosen deity. The people revered this deity, believing that its benevolence and guidance were responsible for their prosperity and unity.


    The empire''s religious practices were interwoven with every aspect of their society. Temples adorned with intricate carvings and exquisite artwork stood at the heart of their cities, serving as centers of worship and ces of sce. Priests and priestesses held great influence, guiding the empire''s decisions and providing counsel to rulers who sought the deity''s favor.


    For generations, the empire thrived under the watchful gaze of their deity. Bountiful harvests, artistic achievements, and cultural advancements flourished, solidifying their ce as a beacon of civilization in a tumultuous world. But as with all empires, their zenith was to be followed by an unforeseen descent. As most stories go¡­


    Dark clouds began to gather on the horizon. Reports of a mysterious illness started to surface, initially dismissed as mere rumors. However, the disease soon spread with relentless speed, turning bustling cities into silent graveyards and filling once-vibrant streets with despair. Panic gripped the poption, as the gue''s relentless grasp left no corner untouched. But they were unaware of the true danger of this deathly gue!


    The empire''s religious leaders, who had been a source of guidance andfort for so long, found themselves powerless in the face of this new catastrophe. Prayers and rituals once believed to ensure protection and blessings, now seemed to fall on deaf ears. The deity, once so revered and relied upon, appeared unresponsive to their pleas for salvation. Even the Saintess could do nothing!


    As death tolls rose and once-proud cities crumbled into ruins, the empire''s unity shattered. Factions arose, ming one another for the deity''s silence and the empire''s downfall. Desperation turned into anger, and the once-loyal subjects began to question the very foundations of their faith.


    In the midst of this turmoil, a group of schrs, healers, and survivors emerged. They sought answers beyond traditional religious teachings, delving into ancient texts and forgotten knowledge in search of a way tobat the gue. Their efforts yielded some small victories, but the empire''s glory had already faded into history''s shadow


    In the end, the once-mighty empire sumbed to the ravages of death and disease. Its grand cities were reduced to ruins, and its legacy was one of tragedy and loss. The memory of their deity''s silence haunted the survivors, leaving behind a sense of abandonment and disillusionment that would echo through the generations. That is what most thought¡­


    But its legacy still remains.


    Some who still believe in their cause¡­have been fighting the curse of death. Wanting the legacy of the empire to not fade away in vain¡­So what will you do?]


    It was as if it was narrating a story.


    But now I know what happened. I understand the gist of it at least.


    [What will you do?]


    The tower asked me, and I simply said,


    "What do you think?"


    What will I do?


    "I will make sure their legacy does not die in vain, and fulfill the request of the saintess.


    [I wish you good luck.]


    [You have entered the twelfth floor.]

 Chapter 363 [363] A Tragedy.

    [Our empire is falling, the fallen have pierced into the heart of ournds¡­Our capital is under siege.


    It''s endless¡­their hordes are endless. I fear this is the end¡­the Emperor has gone silent, the soldiers are exhausted, the priests are clueless, our walls are being climbed every day¡­They are endless.


    The generals are getting tired¡­and I fear the ''gue'' has already infected some of us. It is just waiting for the perfect time. I am of the opinion that it is sentient¡­But further investigation is required.


    May God help us.


    Amen.]


    I closed the diary.


    [Diary of a Forgotten Schr has been used.]


    The diary disappeared into dust.


    I was at the entrance of the 12th floor, a staircase that led upwards from the catbs. Along the staircase was the corpse of a schr, covered in tattered robes, I found the diary, covered in his blood beside him.


    I kneeled down and examined the corpse of the schr. The bones carry a ck hue and have lost their ivory touch, the eyes are as hollow as everything¡­But it''s clean.


    It''s too clean. His corpse should have rotted away and his clothes should have been covered in blood¡­but it is too clean.


    The bones are spotless, the clothes have no trace of blood but the Diary has blood on it¡­How?


    Something is definitely strange here.


    I looked up the staircase made of obsidian which looked endless, leading to darkness above.


    And I also have this eerie feeling that I am being watched¡­By god knows what.


    I got up after confirming the schr had nothing else on him, I pushed his hand that was near my ankle away and made my way up the staircase.


    ''Did I move so close that my ankle was touching his hand¡­I don''t remember that.''


    Well, I don''t have a good memory, so I cannot be sure.


    "Is the trial just climbing this stairca-"


    *Rattle*


    I stopped in my tracks after I heard that sound¡­that sound could have onlye from one ce.


    The corpse of the schr.


    I turned around, and to my shock, it was looking at me.


    "..."


    I fell silent. That skeleton was definitely not looking at me before. Definitely not.


    I could almost feel a faint type of energying from it¡­there seemed to be something those hollow eyes hid. However, even with mana sense, it was faint¡­extremely faint to the point I couldn''t figure out what it was, well¡­


    [Ice st has been activated.]


    I fired off an Ice st and destroyed the skeleton. Whatever it was, I was not taking any chances.


    I''d rather destroy it now than have it bite me in the asster. That thing moved, it was definitely a monster here.


    After confirming I had destroyed the skeleton, I ascended the obsidian staircase. I was using mana to enhance my eyes so the darkness would not hinder me.


    These trials are strange, extremely strange.


    Is this some type of story quest I am supposed toplete? Both the eleventh and twelfth floors have this theme.


    "This is too long."


    Imented it had been quite a while since I was climbing this staircase and I don''t think it even shortened.


    [Draconic transformation has been activated.]


    I used draconic transformation, but only to form my wings.


    "Although the space isn''t really that wide¡­I should be able to ascend like this."


    I said, although the width of the staircases was short, It was barely enough for me to fly up in.


    I began to ascend using my wings, hoping that this trial would end soon.


    I have a bad feeling about this.


    ********


    [At the bottom of the staircase.]


    The destroyed skeleton was covered by the power of shadows and slowly put itself back together, the cracked bone melded together and the broken pieces reattached with one another. In seconds, it was as if it was brand new. It was brought back to the exact state n had found it in by the power of the mysterious shadows.


    The skeleton moved and began to crawl up the staircase. At first, its pace was slow but it gradually got faster and faster.


    The rattling of the bones was the only thing that was heard.


    The shadows coagted and made another skeleton made of ck bone, and more, and more.


    Like an army, they ascended the staircase¡­to reach n.


    The skeleton of the schr took the lead as a pair of red orbs manifested in its eyes.


    ******


    [n Pator.]


    As I ascended the staircase, I came across another skeleton, this time it was the skeleton of a knight, covered in te armor that was broken and bent in multiple ces. There was a diary covered in blood here as well.


    I stopped and opened the diary.


    [I''m tired¡­


    The attacks are endless. How long must I hold on for? Myrades have already been consumed by this deathly being of ck shadows¡­The gue has corrupted us.


    Where are the reinforcements? When are theying? Please help us¡­The Saintess has stopped providing me and my troupe with blessings¡­We have been forced to descend into the entrance of the Catbs¡­I just hope the servants of shadow have not prated the defense without my knowledge. If they have, I apologize to the Saintess but she would have to trouble herself with them¡­I cannot abandon my post.


    I don''t know when the next horde wille.


    I am alone now¡­Will I be able to survive?


    No! I must survive¡­for my darling and daughter. I need to go back to the capital and support my wife and daughter. I cannot fall like this. I am a man¡­


    I need to survive and get back. The schr silenced himself when I asked him for updates about the Capital¡­that cannot be good news. I hope my family is safe.]


    I had mixed thoughts as I read the diary¡­But this was not the end, this had a second entry.


    [Another horde attacked¡­I have been forced into the narrow staircase and what''s worse is that I do not even have a high ground¡­I''m dying¡­aren''t I? I already know¡­my skin is bing paler and ck veins are appearing here and there¡­the gue has already reached me.]


    There was another entry, but this was the final one¡­


    And also the most heartbreaking one.

 Chapter 364 [364] A Tragedy[2]

    [ I am writing this as I face the horde¡­another horde has attacked and I have fallen even further, I have exhausted thest of my power¡­and only have enough strength to write myst words.


    How pathetic¡­aren''t I?


    The corpse of my daughter, controlled by the gue is devouring me¡­I was able to kill everything else¡­But I cannot kill her, I cannot kill a child¡­my own child. She should be safe within the empire but she is here, in front of me, savoring my flesh.


    I have lost all strength, but even if there was a flicker of it left I would not be able to utilize it.


    I cannot kill her.


    I used thest bits of my strength to hug her with one hand, and one hand to write this.


    ¡­my neck¡­she has bit it.


    I am gonna die¡­fuck.


    I''m sorry¡­Daddy wasn''t able to pro-]


    The words cut off¡­there was an empty feeling inside my chest as Ipleted reading it.


    [Diary of a Failed Father has been used.]


    The diary disappeared to dust and I looked at the corpse of the knight.


    There were visible signs of his armor being crushed apart, the protection of the neck was bitten through and some marks were still left there.


    He wrote this as his own daughter''s corpse was tearing his neck.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    And he wasn''t even recorded as a soldier but as a failed father.


    Out of respect, I closed the visor of his helmet. This was the only thing I could do.


    "You did well."


    I don''t think he was a failed father at all¡­Not at all.


    I hope I do not have to destroy your corpse like I did with the schr¡­I truly hope you are not a monster here¡­ I truly wish for it.


    "I do not want to de-!"


    I was cut off by my ankle being grabbed by a ck hand.


    I was dragged down the staircase, and my face collided with the sharp obsidian and left cuts.


    "What the heck?!"


    I yelled and looked down...Only to find the skeleton of the schr pulling me down.


    "But I destroyed you!"


    I was sure of it! I had destroyed the skeleton of this son of a bitch!


    "Shit!"


    I cursed as multiple hands grabbed my lower body and pulled me down further.


    I immediately reacted by using dragon breath and blowing them all away. The darkness in the staircase vanished because of the bright light from my dragon breath.


    I scurried upwards as soon as I was free and fired off another dragon breath, this time topletely turn whatever was down there to ash.


    I took a deep breath and analyzed the surroundings. The shadows were moving back to their original ces after the light from my dragon light vanished. This thing is sentient¡­


    The entire staircase is filled with it, and this thing is sentient. This thing is the cause of what I just experienced. I have a feeling the shadow that was mentioned in the diary was this, and it had a close rtionship with the ''gue!''


    However¡­something urred to me.


    "Wait, kni-!"


    I hurriedly recalled and turned around, only to be frozen in shock. The knight was right behind me and was¡­holding his sword back.


    The sword was right in front of my face! But it did not descend any further. The skeletal figure of the knight was shaking as he tried to¡­stop his sword.


    He was shaking¡­ck tendrils from the darkness emerged and tried to force the sword down on me. It was using all it had to resist the shadow gue.


    I took the chance and froze his skeleton. Ipletely blocked all movement and unleashed my mana into the surroundings to drive the shadows away.


    I can''t let these get close to me.


    I unfurled my wings and flew towards the stop at max speed. It''s dangerous to stay there, I need to clear this trial as soon as possible.


    I was using mana to boost myself as well, so I should reach the end of this staircase soon!


    My prediction was correct, I could see light! Soon I would reach the end of this ursed staircase.


    I increased my speed and rushed to the exit.


    However, I stopped just short of it.


    "...you."


    I muttered as I saw the figure of a young girl sitting at the highest stair. Her appearance was simr to the nun I encountered on the previous floor.


    "..."


    She still had the rotten flesh of her father stuck between her teeth.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR!]


    [HEAVENLY REDEMPTION!]


    I sliced her body in half with the Ame-No-Sakahoko, I didn''t waste a second.


    I exited the staircase and was met with a world of deste gray.


    The notification of clearing the floor appeared soon in front of me.


    [You have cleared the 12th floor.]


    However, unlike what I expected. I had not been transported to the 13th floor.


    The floor started right here.


    [You have entered the 13th floor.]


    Tens¡­Tens of thousands of corpses, each with ck bones and the power of Shadow emerged from the ground. I unleashed my mana and dered.


    "Bring it on."


    No matter how many you are, I will kill you all.


    *******


    "..."


    Elijah stared at the girl sitting on the highest stair in silence. He could see the rotten flesh stuck in her teeth¡­the flesh which was probably her father''s.


    He climbed the stairs, getting closer to the girl with each step. When he had gotten significantly closer the girl let out a shriek and attacked him. He expertly dodged her attacks and only made a move when she was lower than him.


    He let his fire rid the girl of the corruption of the Shadow. He did it so swiftly that the girl became immobile in seconds. With no shadow to control her, she was but a corpse.


    Instead of exiting the staircase, he picked up the girl''s corpse and made his way down the staircase, again.


    He lit himself in me in order to prevent the shadow from getting closer. He discovered that the shadow hated any form of light, but his fire was something it loathed. It never darede closer.


    He descended the stairs until he reached the corpse of her father, the knight. He had already purified his corpse with his fire.


    He silently put the corpse of the girl beside his father.


    "..."


    *BAM!*


    He punched the ground and shattered the obsidian. There, he lit a vibrant me. A me that would keep shining as long as his mana didn''t die.


    "I hope this gives you a moment of respite."


    The me would prevent the shadows from ruining this reunion. He wanted to give the corpses a proper burial but he knew the tower wouldn''t let him. He couldn''t even put them in his inventory.


    He looked at the scene once again and turned his head and climbed the staircase once again. His body was still lit ame to keep the shadows away.


    There was a hidden rage in his eyes as he climbed the staircase.

 Chapter 365 [365] The Empire.

    ?


    "..."


    Harrison stayed silent as he viewed the trials of n and Elijah.


    ''So they were worthy of story-type trials huh.''


    He thought.


    Floors eleven to twenty were strange. They consisted of two types of themes. One was a battle against an endless horde of monsters, a survival theme and the other was the empire Story theme.


    Most that entered those floors would be faced with the first theme and only a select few would go on to face the second theme, the Empire story theme.


    No one knew why it was so but Harrison deducted that the tower probably gave the Story theme to qualified challengers. He was one of the challengers who was given the second type on the floors.


    The tower was beyond Understanding. Humans could never understand it. They were just lucky to have it descend upon their world.


    "n Pator and Elijah Ardor have been deemed worthy by the tower and are participating in the Empire Story quest! We all should cheer them on!"


    He announced it was his job to keep the audience satisfied right now.


    ''I wonder how they will clear the trials¡­''


    He thought. Each challenger would clear the trials in their own way.


    He wanted to see whether Elijah or n would satisfy the tower.


    *******


    [Trial 13.]


    [In this deste and hauntingndscape, you find yourself standing within a in of dead grass that stretches out as far as the eye can see, its lifeless des swaying in an unfelt breeze. The sky above is a seamless expanse of gray, devoid of any discernible features, casting an eerie and diffused light over the scene below. There is no sun, no moon ¨C just a monotonous gray canopy that seems to absorb all color and vibrancy.


    However, the most unsettling aspect of this scene lies in the countless corpses that surround you. These are not ordinary remains, but rather a multitude of lifeless bodies that are imbued with the power of shadows. Each corpse exudes an otherworldly aura, a deep and epassing darkness that seems to pool and swirl within them as if the very essence of shadow has reced their life force.


    The bodies lie in various states of decay, some mummified and barely recognizable, while others appear to have only recently met their demise. Their forms are contorted and twisted in grotesque positions, frozen in the midst of a macabre dance of death. The shadows within them seem to stretch and reach out, creating an illusory y of movement that dances across their features, making it seem as though the bodies themselves are alive with an unholy energy.


    As you step cautiously among the corpses, the ground seems to absorb your footsteps, as if even the earth itself mourns the presence of this dark congregation. The air is heavy with a sense of foreboding, a palpable feeling that you are an intruder in a realm where the boundary between life and death has been twisted and vited.


    Despite the absence of color, the contrast between the gray sky, the dead grass, and the shadow-imbued corpses is stark and unsettling. The scene evokes a sense of profound sorrow, of a world forgotten and forsaken, where the power of shadows has consumed not only the bodies but the very essence of existence. It''s a haunting tableau that challenges your perception of reality, leaving you to contemte the mysteries and horrors that this world of gray and shadow holds.


    What will you do here?]


    For the first time, the tower actually gave a description of the trial.


    I scanned the surroundings carefully and was ready for anything¡­But nothing happened.


    The corpses just surrounded me in a circle, they didn''t move a single inch. They just looked at me eerily.


    I had thought that maybe they would all rush towards me at once, but I was wrong. Instead of swarming me they were just peacefully standing.


    The corpses were of all kinds, some wore tattered clothes, some were aristocratic clothing, some were wearing formal attire, some were knights, some weremoners, some even ves and some were priests.


    No matter what position they held when they were alive, they were all the same here. Mere corpses.


    ''Is this trial supposed to be a lesson or something?''


    I used mana sense and found out that there were a total of 78,861 corpses here.


    It was an entire army. An army of corpses even skilled necromancers couldn''t conjure up.


    I don''t think even Kazikato can create an army of skeletons this big yet.


    [What will you do?]


    The mechanical voice of the tower resounded in my ears once again, And I steadied my stance and said.


    [What will you do?]


    It asked again, and I dered.


    "If they won''t attack, I will."


    The Ame-No-sakahoko vibrated. Strange, I feel as if it''s stopping me. It''s as if it doesn''t want me to attack them.


    I dismissed my worry, thinking that I was justing up to false conclusions.


    I stabbed the spear into the ground and released its energy which drove away the shadows.


    And started my attack.


    ***********


    [Elijah PoV]


    I walked towards the corpses, my sword still sheathed. I had an inkling that they would not attack me¡­


    They were crying, I was hearing cries of pain.


    But why?


    [The Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri exins it is because of your affinity to Fate.]


    Ah, So it''s an effect of that huh?


    "I don''t mind."


    They are still alive, Although their faces have rotted away I am still able to see the emotions hidden in them.


    Sorrow, and a longing for true death.


    "..."


    It saddened me, they were suffering for so long.


    "Why do you do this?"


    I asked the Tower of Trials.


    [I am not the one who did this.]


    It answered, but I refused to believe its words.


    [It''s the opposite. If I had left this world alone, they would have suffered for all eternity.]


    "..?"


    [I gave them a chance, to be either saved or be damned by challengers like you.]


    "..."


    I fell silent.


    [What will you do?]


    It asked that damn question again.

 Chapter 366 [366] The Empire[2]

    ?


    The audience watched in shock, the difference between n''s and Elijah''s trials was just too astonishing.


    "How interesting, One forces his way through with sheer force, whilst the other takes a more calm approach."


    Commented Ragnar, as gazed at Elijah''s and n''s trials Sharply.


    The disy from the Tower showed a stark difference between the trials.


    n took the approach of pure brute force. He fought against the swarm of corpses and it was truly an endearing sight.


    The sight of an awakened, firing off multiple beams of blue light, and casting an uncountable number of skills was devastating. Amidst the sea of corpses, his lone figure stood as an act of defiance, fighting till hisst breath! Channeling his frost mana he unleashed a frozen hell unto the Corpses, and with the Ame-No-Sakahoko brought down entire swarms of undead with but a single swing!


    "My god¡­"


    One of the spectatorsmented on n''s trials.


    With a fierce gesture, hemands the magic within him, calling forth the frigid energies from the very air. Above, the once-featureless gray sky bes a canvas of transformation. Clusters of clouds coalesce, swirling and darkening, and from within their depths, massive ciers of ice materialize, shimmering with an ethereal blue light. One by one, they plummet earthward, their descent punctuated by the eerie silence of the deste in.


    They killed countless corpses, but the sea did not diminish, the undead climbed over the ciers and attacked again.


    "...Hey, isn''t this way more than the past ones?"


    A member of the audiencemented. He was correct. Previously, all who had attempted the trial were faced with undead much less than what n was facing. The amount of undead in his trials was much¡­much more.


    "Holy shit does he not run out of mana?!"


    A mage from the Behemoth guildmented. To him, what n was doing was purely godlike! n''s abilities didn''t stop at summoning ciers. He weaved his magic into intricate patterns, casting spells that manifest as frosty tendrils thatsh out, encasing the shadowy corpses in crystalline frost. Some of the corpses freeze in ce, their dark energies temporarily subdued. Others shatter under the weight of the magical ice, their shadows dissipating like mist in the morning sun.


    "Heh."


    Elena, standing beside Oliver, smirked. She felt proud because she was the one who taught n all those skills and how to utilize them. n was utilizing them in even better ways than she could ever hope to¡­and it brought great pride to her.


    But that pride would soon be turned into shock.


    In front of their very eyes, n used a skill that was originally of the element of Fire¡­but reced it with frost!


    The gray world was covered in a storm. It should have been a storm of fire but it was not, it was rather a  storm of frost.


    "Hey, That''s the skill Fire Storm! Why is there ice?"


    They questioned, but they would not know. The numerous mages in the audience watched in awe as they saw the skill [Firestorm] be performed with frost.


    n''s movement of mana and even the visuals of the skill were simr to Fire Storm but it was not Fire Storm!


    There was a slight smile on Oliver''s face. He enjoyed the reactions of the people when they saw n''s feats.


    Truly, no one couldpare with that boy in terms of mana control.


    n was just that good.


    "A truly shocking sight is present before us! n Pator is using skills of other elements but with the element of Frost!"


    Harrison''s excitement was palpable! The Audience cheered with all their might!


    "YEAH!"


    "WRECK THOSE UNDEAD!"


    To them, it was just entertainment of the highest quality. The awakened and other officials were the ones who were shocked at this. They knew the workings of mana and knew how intensely other elements contradicted each other. Especially elements of opposite nature¡­they would fight violently with one another.


    But here they were, blending in harmony, the principles of fire were being used to enforce a skill constructed by frost.


    This was¡­truly insane.


    "n Pator has destroyed mostly all the corpses in record time, he even had arge quantity of undead¡­he may clear the trial in re-..!"


    However, all of a sudden Harrison stopped. His eyes widened in shock. The entire Colosseum turned silent.


    Elijah had cleared his trial first.


    "ah¡­What?"


    Harrison was stupefied. Due to the impressive performance n had disyed he hadpletely forgotten about Elijah!


    He was of the opinion that n would clear the trial first but¡­Elijah had shattered the expectations of everyone.


    He had cleared the trial first!


    "That''s my boy!"


    Elijah''s father, Micheal, who had kept his focus on Elijah shouted at the top of his lungs!


    He hadn''t paid attention to n or any other challenger at all, Elijah''s entire family  was rooting only for Elijah!


    There was someone else rooting for him as well.


    "Yeah, Eli! WRECK THAT PRETENTIOUS WHITE HAIRED BASTARD!"


    Of course, the owner of such vigorous screams was none other than Serena.


    Her vigor and pure enthusiasm were scaring the other officials. Even her father was surprised to see her so full of life.


    ''Well¡­at least she''s excited.''


    Harrison thought he was happy she was showing an emotion other than pure hate.


    He reverted the footage using the item that showed Elijah''s trials only and was amazed.


    Elijah had walked through the sea of corpses, but the undead didn''t attack him. But they made way for him!


    He made bonfires¡­and to his shock, the Undead jumped into them willingly.


    Little did he know, the fire Elijah had created was not conjured with the will to annihte the undead¡­but to give them peace.


    He was the sessor of the Supreme of Fire, he could input his will into his fire.


    He heard their cries and gave them peace.


    To be purified of their curse by holy fire.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri praises you.]


    It wasn''t just Agri, but the entire world felt respect for him at that moment.

 Chapter 367 [367] The Empire[3]

    <h4>Chapter 367 [367] The Empire[3]</h4>


    You have entered the 16th floor.]


    "Ha¡­"


    I took a deep breath as I entered the 16th floor. It was exhausting fighting the armies of the undead. They were endless. Even dropping a meteor on them with Gravity magic didn''t work.


    They swarmed me, I was almost tempted to go into my ''Frost Draconian Form.''


    That would have helped, But I want to refrain from using my power when it isn''t needed.


    I could still take the hordes on.


    Strangely enough, the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth floors were about challenging a horde of these undead who were infected by Shadow.


    It was tiring, but I''m d I could still do it. I just had to spam Wide Area of Effect skills like cier etc.


    [The 16th trial starts.]


    [Before your very eyes stretched a sight both awe-inspiring and haunting. The magnificent city, once a beacon of civilization and grandeur,y before their eyes, but it was not the city''s splendor that captured their attention. Instead, it was the destion that gripped its walls, streets, and towering spires. The capital of the once mighty empire nowys barren, like a wastnd. Devoid of life.


    The walls are endless, the width of the capital city is so wide the end of the walls is not visible to you. Before you leave the massive gate of the city, your mission is to wait for the drawbridge, aged from time to lower so you can enter the city. The moat surrounding the walls isrge and deep, filled with water as ck as tar, Survive until the Drawbridge lowers, and also prevent it from being destroyed.]


    "So another survival-type challenge huh¡­"


    I muttered as I heard about the contents of the trial from the tower. The challenge seems simple enough. It''s not too different from what I was facing a while ago.


    I observed the floor. I looked at the walls that stretched high up into the skies, disappearing into dark clouds above.


    I looked to the side, and it was true. The walls were truly endless. They stretched as far as I could see.


    ''The empire was truly prominent eh?''


    I thought. For the walls to be so magnificent I can''t even dare imagine the prosperity it had in its times of glory.


    "But¡­"


    Suddenly, I came to a conclusion. I looked at the drawbridge with sharp eyes and thought.


    ''Can''t I just fit in? I don''t have to wait for it to lower down fully right?''


    It should be possible¡­right? But the tower should have seen through that. It should have set some rules to block it.


    "When is the trial going to start?"


    I questioned, half-heartedly expecting the tower to answer back.


    I moved to the edge and looked at the moat. It was big enough that it could be considered a river! A river filled with water as ck as tar.


    I have a feeling that I shouldn''t go in there no matter what.


    As I was examining the environment. It suddenly began.


    With a metallic sound, the Drawbridge''s mechanisms were activated and it started to move and I saw it descend¡­extremely slowly.


    I looked behind me to find numerous corpses walking out of the mist. Each deformed beyond recognition.


    The condition of the corpses is worsening as the trials progress¡­At first, the major features could be figured out but now I don''t know¡­


    The undead rushed at me, And I responded in kind.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR.]


    THIRD MOVEMENT.


    [HEAVENLY REDEMPTION!]


    I swung my spear, and a hollow sh shaped like a crescent moon escaped from the spear, barely doing any damage to the undead.


    ''..?''


    I stood still. Genuinely confused.


    "What?"


    I mouthed¡­Why was the movement¡­so weak?


    Before I could collect my thoughts, the Undead reached me and attacked. The Demonic embrace was strong enough to block their wounds. I hurriedly counterattacked by expelling my frost energy and pushing them away.


    I looked at the Ame-No-Sakahoko and thought.


    ''Is something wrong with you?''


    When I gained a moment of respite I checked the information of the Ame-No-Sakahoko


    [Ame-No-Sakahoko]


    Type: Hoko(Spear).


    Rank: SS


    Description


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It has the ability to control the weather. It waster given to the God Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto,ter stuck it on Mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes. The Spear values righteousness and good.


    It is a spear that is worthy of great respect.


    The Spear that overturned even the Chaos of the Land, The chaos of a great demon once consumed it. But now it strengthens it. It has been augmented by the King Of Chaos dragons, Suleras.


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to chaos.


    *The master of the Ame No Sakahoko is eligible to Learn the Spear Technique [Heavenly Sky Spear(5 Star).


    *It increases the efficiency of spear techniques.


    *It has been augmented by the king of Chaos dragon''s Suleras, the spear possesses great resistance to chaos attacks.


    *It has been bestowed with the Sin Of Gluttony. It is possible to advance its rank when using the Sin of gluttony to devour its foes.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ...


    ¡­


    *****


    "What?"


    I questioned when I saw that nothing was wrong with the spear.


    Then why is it so weak?


    [Wall of Frost has been activated!]


    I made arge wall of frost between me and the Undead, I made sure to make it as wide as possible but the undead would soon break through. These bastards could now spit a corrosive acid!


    "Suleras, Lanesha! Is something wrong with the spear?"


    I asked the Supreme dragons. They should be able to see it!


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says nothing is wrong with the spear. It is you.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha agrees with Suleras.]


    What?


    Before I could make sense of their words¡­or at least figure out what was wrong with me.


    A new threat appeared. The atmosphere changed and I looked at the sky¡­And saw multiple undead descending from the sky.


    "Shit! These guys areing from the sky now?!"


    I cursed as I saw them aiming for the drawbridge. I hurriedly activated my mana and activated [Gravity field] around the drawbridge and repelled the undead that was falling from the sky to the moat below.


    The undead on the ground had destroyed the wall and were marching forward steadily.


    At this rate, I would be forced into a corner! I can''t even activate my wings to fly here because of a restriction!


    "Fine¡­"


    I calmed down. There is no point in panicking. Although I don''t know what is happening to Ame-No-sakahoko.


    I don''t really need it to pass this trial.


    [Chaotic Vigor has been activated.]


    I activated the skill of my armor [Demonic Embrace].


    And fired off multiple chaos sts,ying waste to the horde.

 Chapter 368 [368] The Empire[4]

    <h4>Chapter 368 [368] The Empire[4]</h4>


    The chaos stsy waste to the horde of undead at the ground, As For the ones falling in front of the skies they were all drowning in the ck water.


    "How long until this drawbridge fully closes?"


    I asked myself, It had been quite a while since I was fending off the horde. I was running out of mana.


    I jumped towards the moat, which had only lowered down halfway.


    I grabbed the edge and climbed on¡­only to be left disappointed.


    "Tch, I knew it wouldn''t be this easy."


    I clicked my tongue when I saw the entrance covered in an unsurpassable mist. My initial idea of squeezing through had failed.


    Of course, the tower set a barrier¡­I need to wait for this damn drawbridge lower down fully.


    I went down and fired off multiple Frost shards at the horde.


    I was running out of mana, and I couldn''t keep firing chaos sts! They are extremely effective but they consume too much mana, this is a test of attrition¡­I can''t afford to waste my precious mana like that. I can''t even regenerate it because I know these damn undead wouldn''t give me a chance, no matter how fast I was, I would not be able to regenerate mana easily.


    I jumped towards the ground and started a killing spree. The only thing I need to worry about are these undead. My gravity field is enough to deal with the onesing from the sky!


    I ripped apart the skulls and figures of the undead, only to be met with moreing right at me.


    *CRUNCH!*


    One undead made it through and bit my armor, but the only thing that shattered was its teeth. This thing couldn''t prate my armor no matter how much it tried.


    Oh, how I wish these things at least had blood¡­the passive of my cloak would work and regenerate my mana¡­but s they don''t!


    "How much longer?!"


    I yelled, infuriated. I looked at the drawbridge to find a quarter of it was still left. As it lowered I also had to increase the area of my gravity field¡­and that was taking up even more of my mana!


    Thankfully, most of the undead here are brainless. They either just jump into the moat or try to spit acid at the drawbridge, The acid easily gets deflected by my gravity field


    "Die!"


    I ripped apart another undead and dealt with a hundred or so more with a single swing of my spear.


    I wonder what''s wrong with you!


    "Let''s just hope I figu-"


    *RUMBLE*


    A sudden earthquake disrupted my sentence. The waters in the moat started to turn restless¡­and I felt the atmosphere change!


    A sinister and otherworldly shift in the atmosphere caught my attention. From the depths of the moat, where the water was as ck as tar and whispered of ancient secrets, emerged an abomination unlike any they had ever encountered.


    "..!"


    Rising from the dark waters was a colossal giant, its grotesque formposed of a multitude of corpses, their pallid limbs, and twisted features woven together in a nightmarish tapestry. Its eyes, if they could be called eyes, glowed with a malevolent light, flickering like distant stars in the pitch-ck void of its sockets. The stench of decay and malevolence filled the air as it heaved itself onto the shore, water cascading from its monstrous frame! That thing exuded an aura of death I never felt before!


    "Shit¡­"


    I prepared myself. Not only was I low on mana, but I was also getting tired. Along with the horde¡­I also had to take care of that abomination.


    "RAWR!"


    With a guttural roar that echoed through the destion, the giant began to advance. Each step sent tremors through the ground, a grim reminder of the immense power it wielded.


    It stretched its hands towards the drawbridge. The hand alone was big enough to cause massive damage without even needing a skill.


    "No, you don''t!"


    I immediately used frost energy to freeze its arm. I jumped on the drawbridge and fired a breath right at this horrid abomination! But to my shock, it didn''t fall down. It resided the breath even as parts of its body flew off!


    I stopped to collect my breath and this thing attacked once again! My worries only increased now¡­As the drawbridge lowers the acid of the undead can reach it easily. My gravity field is also weakening due to myck of mana.


    I cursed my luck.


    *****


    The battle was catastrophic. Not only did n have to deal with the corpse giant but he also had to deal with the undeading from the skies and the ground!


    The giant was keeping him upied enough already¡­


    He hurriedly cast a skill that froze its body to gain a moment of time. He knew that the giant would escape soon enough. But that was not his major concern. The major concern was the swarm of Undead that was going to jump on the bridge!


    The drawbridge was low enough so that they could do that! n hurriedly got off the bridge and jumped towards the ground. The moment he stepped foot on it he casted the ultimate skill of frost he had using half of his remaining mana.


    [GLACIAL COLLAPSE!]


    He froze almost all the undead at the ground and gasped for breath.


    "GRAWWWR!"


    But the giant had broken free! n looked at it with contempt and yelled. The giant attacked n with its arm.


    "Go back to where you came from!"


    n swiftly dodged the attack and ran up the arm of the corpse giant, expertly maneuvering through therge number of hands and other appendages which littered its body.


    The giant tried to shake him off but failed. n was determined to send this bastard back where it came from.


    He used his remaining mana and focused it all on the tip of the Ame-No-Sakahoko. He climbed up the face of the corpse giant and yelled triumphantly!


    "Let''s take a dive fucker!"


    HE stabbed the spear into the giant''s temple. The mana exploded and sent the Giant tumbling toward the moat¡­And n as well. n jumped at thest second and hung off the drawbridge as he saw the headless giant''s figure drown in the ck water.


    With a loud sound, the drawbridge finally lowered down fully and n took care of the remaining undead. No more undead spawned after the drawbridge fell.


    [You have cleared the 16th floor.]


    "Finally."


    He celebrated, the words he wanted to hear were finally here.


    Before advancing to the 17th floor, n used the time he had left to gather his mana and recover his strength.


    This trial had truly been hectic

 Chapter 369 [369] The Empire[5]

    Elijah simply waited for the drawbridge to lower down. Unlike n''s trials, which swarmed him with undead¡­his were peaceful.


    The undead didn''t attack him, they merely watched him from afar. Elijah understood why.


    Unlike the others, who attacked the saintess and other undead from the beginning¡­Elijah had merely helped them.


    This was why the undead didn''t attack¡­they considered him to be a sort of savior. His actions of purifying their souls also helped.


    [How befitting of you.]


    The tower''s voice was heard once again. Elijah opened his eyes and his face contorted.


    "What do you want?"


    He asked, his voice containing a hint of wrath.


    [I just seek to watch your trials.]


    The tone of the voice changed yet again, this time into that of a curious child.


    Elijah was disgusted.


    "..."


    He remained silent and watched the corpse giant emerge. Even the giant didn''t do anything and just watched Elijah silently. The undead falling from the sky also avoided harming the drawbridge.


    [Don''t you find it intriguing?]


    Asked the tower, its voiceced with excitement.


    Elijah remained silent, he didn''t want to fall into the scheme of the tower.


    [How this world ended, how this world could have ended, and how this world can end?]


    Its metallic voice echoed throughout the floor.


    [An infinite number of challengers can clear these floors in different ways¡­in their own unique ways! An endless number of trials, each with its own importance. Reflecting the choices and ideas of the challenger!]


    It spoke to Elijah, prompting him to respond. But Elijah stayed silent.


    [Because of your actions, your trials are easier than most¡­instead of harming the undead you understood them and helped them! Truly befitting a hero! They regard you as a hero and thus ask for salvation! They ask to be burned by the me of purification you possess!]


    Madness¡­there was madness in its voice. It was like it was a drunk spectator relishing the greatest y.


    "How many times have they suffered?"


    Suddenly, Elijah broke his silence and asked a question.


    [What do you mean?]


    The tower questioned, it was unable to understand Elijah''s question.


    "How many times have they suffered?"


    Elijah repeated.


    [Why does that matter?]


    Answered the tower nonchntly.


    Elijah grits his teeth and clenches his fists. There was a palpable angering from him.


    It could be felt by even the undead, and they backed away due to fear.


    [In the end¡­this is just a trial. It''s not re-]


    "Lies."


    Elijah cut the tower off. He knew it was spouting lies.


    "The cries, the pain, the sorrow¡­all of it is real."


    He said, describing the emotions he felt from the undead.


    "They are broken inside¡­they just seek for true death, but you don''t even give them that just for the sake of repeating these trials."


    It angered him, these people could not even die in peace because of the tower. It would constantly make them repeat their tragedies just for the sake of a trial.


    [But I gave them a chance.]


    The tower argued. Did it not give them a chance? A chance to seek salvation from the Challengers trials? A chance to see if they could be saved.


    "This is not salvation."


    Elijah rebutted.


    To him, this was not salvation. It was something else entirely.


    The drawbridge lowered fully and Elijah traversed it.


    "This is a different kind of hell."


    He said as he entered the city, and cleared the 16th floor.


    In his eyes, this was a different kind of hell¡­a hell in which they were forced to relive their pain. Again, and Again, and again.


    [You have cleared the 16th floor]


    Elijah entered the empty city.


    [You have entered the 17th floor. Make your way towards the castle.]


    He walked through the empty streets¡­No, it was unfit to call them empty.


    From the houses, from the alleys, he could feel the stares of the people who were once alive. They stayed within their abodes, and away from him, Silently staring at him.


    [Then why don''t you save them from this hell?]


    Asked the tower, anxious for a satisfactory answer.


    "..."


    Save them¡­What use is it when they will just go back?


    As if the tower knew what Elijah was thinking¡­it answered.


    [In your trials, give them peace. Give them the salvation they so desperately seek! Give them hope¡­give them freedom!]


    It enticed him. But Elijah was well aware of this.


    Before the tower could even say it, Elijah had already decided he would do his best so that the pain of these people would end¡­at least in his trials.


    He also made a different promise¡­a pledge that he would clear this tower and end their suffering, once and for all.


    Truly, his only w was his kindness.


    But it was also his strength.


    [So you already made up your mind huh?]


    Rejoiced at the tower.


    [Show me the qualities of a hero! The ways of one!]


    "Shut the fuck up."


    Elijah shut the tower up, and somehow it worked. It was rare to see Elijah curse¡­very rare. The tower had truly infuriated him this much.


    Elijah stopped and gazed at the mighty castle far in the distance. The path from the entrance to the castle was a straight one, the only obstacles being the endless undead, but this undead did not attack Elijah, they just stared at him, marching.


    Elijah looked at the destroyed spires, and the walls, corroded by acid and crumbling as they bore the weight of neglect and war.


    The once mighty castle¡­was but a shadow of its former self, sharing the same fate with the city it was situated in.


    Everything was dead. Not a single form of life was present in the vast city¡­


    Elijah remembered the promise he made with the saintess, and strode resolutely towards the entrance of the castle.


    [Please¡­do not let the empire''s legacy die in vain.]


    Die in vain huh¡­?


    "I will make sure to give it a respectable end."


    He was a man who always fulfilled his promises. Always.

 Chapter 370 [370] The Empire[6]

    ?


    ''How strange.''


    Imented. I was currently breezing past the streets of the capital city. The only reason I could do this despite therge number of undead was simple. I was using the skill of my cape.


    [Chaotic Veil: When donned, the wearer can input mana into the cape to make themselves meld into the shadows and chaos of the world. The user enters into a state of invisibility, detectable only by those above the rank of the Armour¡­and even then Barely. Inputting more mana will make you stealthier.]


    This skill was a lifesaver, due to it, I didn''t have to bother with the endless amount of undead swarming me in the city, a ce that would be disadvantageous for me anyway.


    [What will you do here?]


    Suddenly, I heard the metallic voice of the tower again. It always asked the same question.


    What will you do here?


    Nothing other than that. Well¡­I guess it is its role to be an observer.


    "What do you think?"


    I questioned it. Thankfully, this thing responded instead of just being quiet.


    [Be a viin? To not stray from the path of the other two?]]


    "..!"


    I stopped in my tracks.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    [Why are you so surprised?]


    It continued to speak whilst I was stuck in shock.


    [Why are you so surprised?]


    Its metallic voice echoed in my mind, and my heart almost stopped,


    It¡­knew?


    [Yes¡­You are in my domain. Do you think I was oblivious to it?]


    "..."


    [Challenge the trial, and let''s see how much you differ from the Dragon of Oblivion and the Jade Snake.]


    "..."


    [Oh young Astral being¡­I look forward to your challenges.]


    The atmosphere shifted and a deathly silence enveloped the entire city¡­It was as if time had stopped when that Tower was speaking.


    Its metallic echoes disappeared and I was brought back into the trial. I get it now¡­Whenever the tower talked back, it isted me from the trial.


    "...Truly a fearsome power,"


    I remarked. I am unaware of what it can do in that isted space.


    Nevertheless, Although my mind was still in turmoil I marched forward, towards the castle on the horizon.


    Towards itrge gates.


    The undead could not sense my presence because of the chaotic veil skill, but when I entered the radius of the castle they all disappeared. No undead came close here.


    It was an eerie phenomenon.


    I approached the massive gates of the castle and saw the corpse of a knight, once adorned in mourous, archaic, and ornate armor.


    The description from the tower appeared and conveyed the knight''s story.


    [The 17th trial, Trial of the Knight.]


    Amidst the eerie silence of the deste city, a lone knight stands resolutely before the imposing gates of the castle. d in armor tarnished by battles long past, the knight''s figure is a striking contrast against the backdrop of gray. The air is heavy with anticipation, and the world seems to hold its breath in anticipation of theing sh. The hope of the Empire''s survival rests on the knight''s shoulders


    The castle gates, towering and ancient, seem to groan under their own weight as the undead horde approaches. Thousands¡­.tens of thousand sets of lifeless eyes gleam with a malevolent light, their relentless advance driven by the shadows that envelop them. As the first rank of the undead draws near, the knight''s grip tightens around the hilt of a sword that has seen countless battles. He remains resolute. Though he may be alone his spirit and strength are equal to that of a thousand men!


    The knight''s armor gleams dully amidst the monochrome surroundings, a symbol of valor that defies the destion, a beacon for the empire. The visor of the helm is raised, revealing a face marked by the passage of time and the scars of battles fought in the name of honor. Eyes, determined and unyielding, meet the empty gazes of the approaching horde.


    With a determined exhale, the knight steps forward, nting boots worn by countless journeys into the ashen ground. A gust of wind ruffles the knight''s cape, billowing like a tattered banner of defiance against the sea of shadows. The sh is inevitable, the oue uncertain, but in this solitary figure stands ast bastion against the encroaching darkness, the horde of corpses, which were once the citizens and nobles of his beloved empire.


    As the first undead creature lunges forward, the knight''s de sings with deadly purpose. Steel meets decay in a dance of shing forces. The knight''s movements are fluid and practiced, each strike a testament to years of training. The de cleaves through brittle bones and unholy flesh, repelling the initial onught with a ferocity that surprises even the undead.


    But the horde is unyielding, and for every undead creature felled, another seems to take its ce. The air resounds with the eerie cacophony of scraping bones and moans that echo like distant whispers. The knight''s movements be a blur of steel and determination as the struggle continues, the very essence of the castle seeming to pulse in time with the knight''s heartbeats.


    Time loses its meaning in the heat of the battle. The knight''s armor bears marks of the undead''s relentless assault, yet the knight presses on, driven by duty and an unbreakable spirit. The ground beneath the knight''s feet is painted with the remnants of the fallen, a testament to the knight''s unwavering stand. If he falls the empire falls! He cannot!


    For the sake of his beloved emperor, for the sake of his loyalty! HE MUST NOT FALL!


    The battle rages on, a testament to the indomitable spirit of a lone knight who stands as the final bulwark against the tide of darkness. The sh of steel and bone, the moans of the undead, and the knight''s unyielding determination create a symphony of defiance that reverberates through the castle gates and into the heart of thend itself.


    But he was human.


    Fatigue was bound toe¡­after all. Willpower would not move the body, already injured beyond belief in the endless battle.


    The knight''s figure is consumed by the horde of undead, and he loses.


    The castle is now wide open to the onught of the undead¡­The Mighty Empire is now reduced to but the imperial castle.


    Decades pass, but the knight''s corpse remains in front of the castle gates, refusing to give in to the shadow.


    He waits for a challenger, to save him, to fight him¡­to give him freedom.


    To give him death.


    "Oh Challenger, What kind of death would you gift the knight?"

 Chapter 371 [371] The Empire[7]

    <h4>Chapter 371 [371] The Empire[7]</h4>


    The corpse of the knight stood up, not with the power of the shadow but his own will, fueled by loyalty towards his home.


    n stood in front of him and unveiled himself. He dispelled the power of the cape and walked forward with his spear in hand.


    The knight wielded two swords, and n wielded a single spear.


    "You are a corpse, not a knight."


    Said n, referring to the knight.


    "The power of this shadow or whatever is in you, whether or not you use it to stand. You are no different from the corpses outside."


    Dered n. The grip of the knight on his weapons increased as a myriad of emotions could be seen on its skeletal face. It was ironic how a face with no skin could disy so much.


    The knight charged at n, It swung its swords down and caused destruction.


    The buildings behind n all fell down due to the sheer force of the knight''s attack.


    n simply stepped to the side to dodge the knight''s attacks, He looked at the knight coldly and wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko, which didn''t stop vibrating and hindering n.


    It didn''t want n to do this, but n was oblivious to its woes.


    The knight''s weak figure could not stand again, he would have to use the power of shadow to stand up again.


    "Die."


    Dered n. before he finished the knight with a thrust that obliterated its upper body.


    Even in death, disgrace did not leave him.


    He died a pathetic death, against the code of a valiant knight.


    "I don''t have time for this."


    n marched forward into the castle and entered the 18th floor, leaving the body of the knight to rot.


    Its hollow voice echoed out, but no one was present to hear it.


    [I''m sorry¡­]


    It was an apology to his emperor.


    It was an apology to his code.


    It was an apology to his home.


    He was unable to protect them. He was unable to fulfill his duty as a knight.


    *******


    [Elijah''s POV.]


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    The sound of swords shing was all that was heard as in the empty capital. Once a city full of glory now a city devoid of life.


    Only the sounds of a dance of swords, and a duel between two valiant warriors filled the ce.


    Elijah, with the sword of sundering me, shed against the duel des of the knight. They moved as they were dancing in front of the Imperial castle,


    It was a dance of des, it was a duel between two knights, it was a bout of valor!


    It was Elijah''s gift to the knight.


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    [The tower watches the duel with great enthusiasm.]


    There was no trickery involved, there were no instant deaths involved. Even though Elijah had enough power to kill the knight, who was not using the power of shadow easily¡­he refrained from doing so.


    He danced along with the knight, as their weapons formed the music that apanied their bout.


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    Their movements were graceful, they carried respect for one another.


    Elijah swung the sword of sundering me and brought the knight to his knees.


    *THUD*


    He fell to the ground with a thud, but Elijah did not kill him.


    He went back and pointed his sword at the fallen knight.


    "Again."


    The knight understood. He grabbed his weapons again and showed Elijah the respect one gave to the other before the start of a duel.


    Elijah reciprocated, and thus they began another duel.


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    The rhythmic shes rang out again in the deste city, restoring a glimpse of its former glorious self.


    Even this was amazing.


    Elijah, even though he was exhausted, still adhered to the wishes of the knight.


    [Why not just advance already?]


    Asked the tower, curious.


    [You have already given the city light, do you intend to do the same to the knight?]


    Behind Elijah, the once deste capital which was dark and dreary was now illuminated by the mes of purification. Elijah had cast massive mes above the city, these mes which vanquished the darkness of the city, and gave its residents peace.


    [You have already exhausted yourself and haven''t even reached the 20th floor.]


    The tower mocked, but Elijah paid it no heed.


    Elijah bested the knight once again and fell back with a tired gait. He almost fell himself!


    He was out of mana, and even his physical strength had been drained¡­He wondered if he could go on any further.


    He pointed the sword of sundering me at the knight once again.


    "Agai-"


    [It''s alright.]


    However, the vigorous voice of the knight interrupted him.


    [Thank you.]


    The knight thanked Elijah. It grabbed its swords by the ded edge and held them high, the hilt faced towards Elijah.


    Elijah walked towards the knight, tired.


    "Have you regained yourself?"


    [Yes.]


    "I''m d to hear that."


    Elijah grabbed the weapons of the knight.


    [Thank you, hero, for giving not just me but also many of their salvation.]


    The knight kneeled, offering Elijah the greatest amount of respect. A respect reserved only for the emperor.


    [Thank you.]


    Elijah gave the knight an honorable death, using the weapons that had apanied him his whole life. Elijah saw the shadows try to take over but he vanquished them with his fire.


    "Ha¡­Haa¡­


    He took a deep breath as he went toward the gates of the imperial castle. Barely managing to make it towards the castle.


    [You have cleared the 17th floor]


    [The tower praises your method of clearing.]


    "..."


    [Be proud, you went away most would dare not to. Exhausted your mana and took your time, when most would be in a hurry. You fulfilled all your promises till now, you gave them the salvation you seek.


    Now¡­let''s see how you bring the empire to its end.]


    Its mechanic voice echoed. Elijah entered the 18th floor with a resolute gaze.


    He made a promise, he would do anything to fulfill it.


    Whatever it took, he would make sure the Empire''s legacy had a respectable end.


    He took a path no one ever dared to.

 Chapter 372 [372] The Empire[8]

    You have entered the 18th floor.]


    Elijah,pletely exhausted, entered the 18th floor of the tower.


    It was not as he expected. He had thought that maybe he would enter castle grounds¡­But it was aboratory?


    A ruinedboratory. It was quite expansive and seemed to possess a lot of grandeur originally¡­But none of that grandeur was found.


    The obsidian groundy cracked, rotting flesh littered theboratory, and several columns crumbled down andy destroyed. The various apparatus, magic circles, and crystals ally ruined.


    "..?"


    Elijah was confused, he surveyed theboratory. But found no trace of anything.


    Theboratoryy decimated, there was nothing here¡­nothing!


    *Tuk*Tuk*


    Elijah grew rmed at the sudden noise behind him, he turned around to see the skeleton of a mage walking towards him with the help of a staff.


    [Are you tired?]


    Its hollow voice echoed directly in Elijah''s mind.


    ''Telepathy?!''


    Elijah was shocked. The skeleton was using such high-ranked magic!


    [Yes, I have been reduced to such¡­]


    His voice containedment. He walked ahead of Elijah and gestured for Elijah to take a seat. He used magic to conjure two chairs and a table.


    Elijah took a seat opposite the skeleton, but he was still cautious.


    [I have no intention of harming our savior.]


    Said the mage. He calmly took a seat.


    "...Where is this ce?"


    Asked Elijah. He didn''t sense any lie or killing intent from the skeleton so he rxed.


    [The ruined home of a mage.]


    Answered the Skeleton.


    Elijah looked at theboratory and then at the skeleton.


    Even though the skin was gone, there was still a beard and an air of wisdom around the Skeletal mage.


    [What were Ryan''sst words?]


    Suddenly, the mage asked a question as he conjured up a cup of tea that he gave to Elijah.


    "Ryan?"


    Asked Elijah. He didn''t know who this Ryan was.


    [The knight guarding the pce outside.]


    The mage informed Elijah. He looked eager to hear his answer.


    "...thank you. He said, " Thank you."


    "I see."


    The mage stroked his beard with his skeletal hands and cast a rejuvenation spell on Elijah.


    [Do not be rmed.]


    Elijah found his exhaustion fading. He regained his vigor and mana and asked.


    "Why?"


    Why would he do that? Why would he heal his enemy? The Challenger?


    [Why not?]


    The mageughed.


    [I was but an old corpse before¡­Well, I am no different now. Why not do what I want to do?]


    Exined the mage.


    [My home is already ruined¡­I would like to help the savior who will end our legacy.]


    Elijah remained silent. The voice of the mage was filled with sorrow. He observed the skeleton closely.


    Tattered robes, a useless staff¡­Truly, nothing was left.


    [Pathetic¡­ isn''t it?]


    Laughed the mage at his own state. Elijah felt sorry.


    [Do not be sorry¡­We Invited this on ourselves.]


    The mage''s words piqued his curiosity¡­Invited it upon themselves?


    "What happened¡­How did it happen?"


    Asked Elijah. He truly wanted to know how this shadow disease came to be¡­and how it ate an entire empire.


    [It all began with the death of a Creature of a Night.]


    Creature of the night? Elijah tilted his head in confusion. The name was unknown to him. The mage sensed his confusion and exined.


    [The Shadowborn, a creature of the night that wields shadows, is a chilling and enigmatic entity, born from the depths of darkness and mystery. This supernatural being emerges under the shroud of night, wielding the very shadows themselves as its arsenal. That was what caused it¡­Would you like a vivid description?]


    Exined the Mage. He inquired whether Elijah would like a more detailed description of the Shadowborne.


    Elijah nodded, and the mage cast a strange magic which created a small figure of the Shadow Borne.


    A terrifying wave of power burst forth. Elijah felt his entire body tell him to run away¡­or ept death.


    [ Fret not, if the real one was here we would all be dead in the blink of a heartbeat. The Shadowborne appears as a tall, slender figure, its form cloaked entirely in inky darkness. Its body seems to shift and ripple as if it is made of living shadows. Glowing, piercing eyes burn like two orbs of cold, silver fire within the depths of its obsidian visage, their unsettling luminance casting an eerie, otherworldly glow upon its surroundings.


    Its limbs extend into elongated, sinewy appendages that terminate in wed, shadowy hands, capable of grasping and manipting the darkness around it. A flowing, shadowy cloak envelops its form, billowing and writhing as though it has a mind of its own, further obscuring its true shape. It can take on many forms¡­but this is the one we encountered.]


    Exined the mage as the figure took on various forms¡­each terrifying Elijah.


    This was just a damn figure¡­made of mana but even then it caused him to almost piss himself?


    [It is a creature made entirely of shadows¡­It has an attribute that allows it to traverse through the fabrics of space itself¡­That is how it came here. At first, we thought it was but a mere monster of the darkness but we were terribly wrong. It possessed a strength so great even I could not defeat it.


    Even though I could topple kingdoms in hours¡­I was unable to fend off this beast. No one in the empire could.


    Except for the Emperor. He himself fought the Shadow-borne for 8 days and 7 nights. And emerged victorious. But the shadow-borne was truly tenacious. It had already altered the rules of this world. It caused this, it spread its malicious intent all over the empire¡­ What was most surprising was that it entered our world severely injured. It had definitely fought with a being of great power before running away here.


    The emperor failed to realize that the being had cursed him and locked himself up in his throne even though I warned him¡­the ce where the shadow borne died gave birth to this disease.


    Our emperor was stuck in his throne, fighting against the main essence of the shadow borne whilst we dealt with the by-products¡­


    And even then we failed¡­]


    Elijah gulped¡­He wanted to ask something.


    "Was it truly this terrifying?"


    What kind of beast was it?


    The mage smiled and cast a spell on Elijah.


    [See for yourself Saviour.]

 Chapter 373 [373] The Empire[9]

    Elijah''s view changed, he was now no longer in theboratory¡­He was in an illusion cast by the mage.


    An illusion that he truly wished to get off as soon as possible¡­For what he saw here was pure madness. It showed him¡­the shadow borne!


    In the moon''s feeble light, the Shadowborne emerges from the depths of night''s embrace, a phantom wrought from the very essence of darkness itself. Its form, a silhouette of sinister elegance, slithers like liquid midnight, ever-shifting, ever-elusive. Elijah''s heart skips a beat.


    *THUMP* An unknown sense of fear ovees him.


    Its eyes, twin orbs of frigid silver, gleam with an otherworldly luminance, illuminating the inky void that shrouds its face. They pierce the gloom with a spectral glow, a chilling beacon that draws the eye but offers nofort to those who dare to meet its gaze. Elijah felt shivers run down his spine.


    *THUMP!*


    Tendril-like limbs, like twisted branches of a ghostly tree, extend from its form. They unfurl, bing deadly extensions of its will, capable of weaving the very shadows into weapons of despair. Each movement is a dance of spectral grace, a waltz with the void, as it maniptes the darkness to its sinister desires.


    A flowing cloak, an ever-moving shroud of obscurity, clings to its form, swirling and whispering as if harboring secrets of the abyss. It billows like a phantom''s veil, concealing its true shape, leaving only a chilling impression of the ephemeral.


    *THUMP!*


    In the presence of the Shadowborne, a palpable aura of fear constricts his heart, an intangible vice that feeds upon the dread of those who stand in its shadowy domain. Its very existence is a testament to the mysteries of the night, an enigma wrapped in darkness, waiting to be unraveled by those who dare to peer into the abyss. And Elijah was scared shitless.


    "Ha!"


    He gasped for breath and was brought outside from the illusion.


    [Do you understand now, Saviour?]


    He was back in the ruinedboratory¡­and instead of that monstrosity, the mage was in front of him.


    "...Yes."


    Said Elijah, covered in sweat.


    The mage passed over a cup of tea.


    [Please drink it, It will calm you down.]


    Elijah was hesitant at first, but After Agri''s confirmation, he had no qualms about gulping the tea down.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says that the tea is fine.]


    [Your control over fire is magnificent.]


    Praised the mage. Elijah''s control over fire was truly exquisite.


    [You lit up the capital once again and made it experience a glimpse of its former glory¡­I thank you for that. And you even gave us salvation.]


    "..."


    Elijah remained silent the previous experience was too vivid.


    "How do I clear this trial?"


    He asked finally.


    [You already have.]


    "Huh?"


    Elijah was confused. He had cleared the trial already> what did he mean by that? There was no notification.


    [You can leave whenever you want. Thank you for sharing some of your time with an old corpse like me.]


    Said the mage.


    Elijah found the trial to be odd but again all the trials he had faced were odd in their sense.


    "I would like to stay a little longer."


    He proposed. The mage looked at him with curiosity.


    "You don''t need to force yourself hero. I am fine alone."


    Elijah simply smiled and said,


    "It''s fine. What harm will it do? I have all the time in the world."


    The Mageughed and praised.


    "You possess a righteous soul."


    Truly, That was Elijah! He had sensed the loneliness of the mage and just wanted to apany him.


    It was just his kindness.


    [What would you like to talk about?]


    Asked the mage¡­and then it dawned on Elijah.


    "Uh¡­"


    What should they talk about? He had insisted on staying here but only now did he realize they didn''t have anything to talk about.


    He quickly surveyed the surroundings of theb in search of a topic.


    [It''s quite alright. Why don''t we converse about magic?]


    The mage however proposed a topic first. It made sense, he was the imperial mage after all. What else had he to talk about if not magic?


    [Your control over fire is impressive. You even input a will into your mes.]


    Praised the mage.


    "Will?"


    Elijah asked¡­what did he mean by that?


    [Yes, your will. Your mes didn''t burn the undead because you didnt want to. You not only wielded fire in an excellent mana but also conveyed your thoughts to it. And your fire listened.]


    "Ah¡­I understand."


    Was he doing such? He just thought his fire was special because he was the supreme sessor of fire.


    [Supreme dragon of fire Agri says that your fire is special because of your will.]


    ''Oh¡­''


    He was receiving lessons from two sides here, the mage and Agri.


    "I can see that you were amazing."


    [Hoho! I still am. When I still had my mortal form, believe it or not, I dabbled in all types of elements! Whether they be frost, fire, wind, water, and even the rarer types of elements like light, fate, space, and time!]


    "Time?"


    [Yes, time. Although it proved to be quite difficult I managed to grasp a little bit. I have a grimoire about it as well.]


    "You do?"


    Asked Elijah, his curiosity had been piqued.


    The mage conjured up a in old book and handed it to Elijah.


    When Elijah checked the information of using God''s eyes he was astonished.


    [You can take it.]


    The words of the mage shook Elijah!


    "Really?"


    He questioned. Refusing to believe it.


    [Yes, I have already memorized it all. I do not need it. It would be of great pleasure to me if you took it.]


    Elijah couldn''t form words¡­


    *Rumble!*


    Suddenly, theboratory shook as the mage''s skeletal face darkened.


    [I''m afraid You must go, savior.]


    The mage cast a spell and Elijah forced him to enter the next floor.


    "Wait! What?! At least your name!"


    Elijah could barely hear the mages words as he was abruptly teleported to the next floor.


    But he heard the name at least.


    [Ahsan, that is my name.]


    *********


    [n Pator POV]


    "Ha¡­."


    n tookbored breaths as he wiped his blood off his face. Theboratory was destroyedpletely as n pushed some rubble off him.


    "Damned bastard."


    He cursed. As he received the notification of having passed the 18th floor.


    [You have cleared the 18th floor.]


    n entered the 19th floor without wasting a second, leaving behind Ahsan''s skeletal remains, shattered.


    [You have entered the 19th floor.]

 Chapter 374 [374] The Empire[10]

    Chapter 374 [374] The Empire[10]


    n entered the 19th floor, arge hallway that showed grandeur once.


    But now reduced to almost rubble.


    He stepped over a chandelier and continued to walk further into the hallway, littered with rubble and flesh.


    [You have entered the 19th trial, The Trial of Entrance.]


    "My head hurts¡­"


    n muttered, almost stumbling over a piece of rubble.


    He had beaten the mage on the previous floor to bits with his bare fists, The Ame-No-Sakahoko had gone into his inventory and refused toe out for some reason.


    "Suleras¡­Lanesha, are you there?"


    Nothing, nothing but silence.


    [Why ask for outside help?]


    Suddenly, the metallic voice of the tower rang in his mind, worsening his headache.


    "...What do you want?"


    Asked n, what did this tower want now? And what is this headache?


    His head felt muddy, he wasn''t able to garner his thoughts properly.


    [To observe the trials of a tyrant.]


    "Tyrant¡­?"


    Questioned n, his vision and headache worsening. But even then he endured and managed to walk a straight path.


    [You of course¡­Had you cleared the previous trials, unlike a tyrant? Forgotten have you¡­your deeds?]


    "Deeds? What deeds? I just cleared the trials."


    Rebutted n. He just cleared the challenger''s trials like normal, the way everyone would do!


    There was nothing like being a Tyrant in his trials.


    [So you choose to act oblivious¡­Or is it an external¡­or rather internal illusion cast upon you?]


    n stops to stare at the giant statues upon marble pedestals that decorate the expansive hallway.


    Truly, it was the pce of an emperor.


    [Or do you just believe you are strong? The protection your weapon offered you was gone the moment you went against its wishes¡­The items gifted to you, are given to another.


    Aren''t you all alone now?]


    His teal eyes stared at the statue of a spearman, the head was destroyed by god knows what but the Spear remained intact. n marveled at it.


    "What protection are you on about?"


    Cursed n, as he took deep breaths to calm himself.


    [It seems you have forgotten, or have been made to forget.


    The delusion you live in isughably pathetic.]


    "What are you talking about?!"


    Roared n. He grabbed his head in frustration.


    [Should thou not think more of the trial in front of you?]


    "Infront¡­Ah."


    Suddenly, everything became clear. His pain disappeared as he stared at the knight standing in front of him.


    With a sword asrge as his own body, and wearing armor that seemed to be made from gold itself, he stood in front of arge golden gate, filled with decorations and other carvings.


    An immense pressure reverberated throughout the hall, causing the statues to shake.


    n took a step forward and got into a stance.


    He had no weapons. So he decided to fight with fists. He got into his regr Muay Thai stance and thought.


    ''It''s gone¡­''


    The headache was gone, the cloudiness in his head had disappeared.


    And there was only one thing remaining.


    The will to fight.


    The knight threw away hisrge sword and also wielded fists. Respecting his code of Chivalry.


    "Chivalry?"


    Remarked n, almostughing!


    His eyes had lost all reason as he charged forward and attacked the knight ferociously.


    "YOU THINK THAT CAN SAVE YOU?!"


    *********


    Elijah entered the 19th floor and met a knight at the entrance.


    The knight was covered in golden armor and wielded a sword as big as a pir.


    [Wee, savior.]


    He bowed to show utmost respect to Elijah.


    [Please follow me, the Emperor awaits.]


    Elijah followed the knight quietly.


    They traversed through the grandeur hall filled with gold andte oil paintings.


    Elijah keenly observed his surroundings.


    The hall was majestic, fitting of the abode of an emperor.


    [That painting was created by Ahsan, he liked to dabble in magic and arts.]


    Exined the knight. Elijah had been focused on a singr oil pointing to a bright me that lit up the dark background in the canvas beneath it.


    "Ahsan is the mage¡­correct?"


    Asked Elijah, he was barely able to hear the old skeleton''s name. So he asked for confirmation.


    "Yes, he was the greatest mage of all, praised by even the emperor.


    He was one of the few who could equally duel the emperor in his exceptional years."


    "I see¡­"


    They reached the Hall of Heroes. Pedestals of marble held statues of the heroes of the empire, all who had risked their lives for the greater cause.


    Each was in pristine condition.


    ''...wait now that I think about it.''


    Suddenly, Elijah stopped.


    He observed the surroundings a bit more keenly.


    ''...everything is fine here.''


    It contrasted the theme of the lower floors¡­where everythingy destroyed.


    This hall, which led to the throne of the emperor didn''t even have a speck of dust here!


    [It would be of the biggest disgrace had we let the emperor''s most beloved ce be sullied.]


    Said the knight. It was as if he could read Elijah''s mind.


    Finally, after walking past the hall of heroes, they approached arge golden door.


    Decorated with the symbols of tigers and lions, the strongest creatures in the most precious metals, the door truly was a marvelous structure.


    Elijah could feel an unknown power from behind it.


    A vile¡­disgusting power.


    He was familiar with it¡­it was the power of the shadow beast.


    [It has been ages since the emperor alone withstood the might of the shadow beast. Even in death, the damned creature chose not to forsake his majesty and our empire.]


    The knight faces Elijah and says.


    [Will you enter?]


    Asked the knight.


    Elijah replied instantly, not fearing the task ahead.


    "Of course."


    Although Elijah couldn''t see the knight''s face because of the ornate helmet, he was sure the knight was smiling.


    [Go forth then hero, ce thy hand on the entrance and you will meet the emperor.]


    *Rumble!*


    Elijah stepped forth and entered the 20th floor.


    The knight wielded his majestic de and unleashed his aura, ready to stop everything that would dare disrupt the graceful end of his home.


    [I wish that there were more people like you.]


    Said the knight, praising Elijah.


    *Rumble!*


    [Unfortunately, most are either blinded by greed, desire, need or even live in a delusion cast by none other than themselves.]


    He braced himself to fight off the horde that woulde.


    He would stall for as long as possible until the hero could give his home a satisfactory end.


    [Thank you, Saviour¡­]


    He caught sight of the undead, marching forth; they had infiltrated the Emperor''s Hall.


    [Now¡­I shall do my task!]


    He swung his de and cut down a hundred at once.

 Chapter 376 [376] And What Did It Bring Upon You But Hate And Revenge?

    Arge wave of shadow energy erupted from the emperor, sending n flying.


    He crashed through the golden doors andnded in the grand hallway.


    "Cough!"


    He coughed out blood as he tried to get up.


    But before he could do so, another impact hit him right in the face and sent him crashing through the walls and into the city skies.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras urges you to FOCUS.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha encourages you to FOCUS IMMEDIATELY.]


    n was barely able to use the Ame-No-Sakahoko to block the next attack.


    "Gah!"


    *CRASH*


    He had managed to block it but the sheer strength behind the attack proved incredibly strong and n catapulted towards the ground.


    "Ah¡­"


    He had lost all feeling in his body for a second. He quickly regained it and stood up, ready to defend again.


    But no attack came¡­instead.


    A swarm of Undead rushed inside the crater he was in.


    [Did you think they were all gone?]


    The voice of the tower resonated in his mind. n sensed arge amount of energy in the air.


    That energy¡­was a ck beam of Shadow energy.


    n hurriedly cast a skill to protect himself from the impending doom.


    [Frostke Shield.]


    A shield in the form of a snowke appeared in the sky and managed to block the Shadow beam.


    The beam spread all over the city and caused widespread devastation. n''s shield cracked little by little and n''s feet dug into the ground.


    The sheer force behind the beam was enormous!


    "Kugh¡­!"


    n grunted, but he was not given even a moment of respite.


    [Watch out¡­you are not alone!]


    Eximed the tower joyfully. It truly enjoyed n''s retribution.


    The empire will now im revenge!


    The undead swarmed the little crate he was in. n stomped his foot into the ground and multiple ice spikes pierced the undead and created a small wall.


    "Argh!"


    He grunted and unleashed his mana in the form of a wave.


    But it was just then.


    [Did you think only the normal folk were there?]


    The tower''s voice sent a chill down his spine¡­and before he could even process it.


    A metallic sound was heard as arge sword collided with his steel neck. The impact caused the wind in his body to escape and n stumbled.


    The ck beam broke through his shield and n was engulfed by it.


    *********


    [Outside the tower.]


    Sabrina dropped her ss.


    It wasn''t just her.


    A sense of dread engulfed everyone in the arena.


    Harrison and Ragnar had set up barriers almost immediately to protect the normal audience from anything dangerous like a heart attack or shock from the dread.


    Hugo hurriedly did the same and protected his family.


    Sabrina and the rest could breathe once again.


    "What is that¡­?"


    Hugo''s shocked voice escaped his mouth.


    Sabrina and James, along with everyone else, paid deep attention to the screen that disyed n''s trial.


    "..."


    Sabrina was scared, truly terrified.


    Who wouldn''t be? When they stared at that thing in the sky¡­It was a natural reaction.


    With a body as ck as night, eyes of scarlet blood, and hundreds of tendrils of ck tendrils escaping from its back, it had long nails and vile feet. It had an aura so powerful that the surroundings bent to its will and the skies darkened.


    The shadow borne was free¡­But it was different from what Elijah had seen.


    It was weak, no it was on the brink of death


    But even then¡­it could emit a terrifying pressure that even the audience could feel.


    "It seems that the trial of the twentieth floor has changed drastically for our challenger n Pator."


    Announcing Harrison to the world, his voice was calm and collected as if to lower the anxiety of the people who had just been startled by the sudden wave of dread that had washed over them.


    "...what is that thing¡­?"


    Richard questioned from his seat, his shadow mana reacted violently when the thing appeared.


    It wasn''t just him¡­Everyone else who had the affinities for Darkness and Shadow were also showing simr reactions. Because of their weak rank, however¡­the reaction was much more intense.


    "Ughh¡­."


    Jame''s dark mana went wild, the dread had pierced Ragnar and Hugo''s barrier and caused a violent reaction within himself. His calm and collected pose disappeared.


    Sabrina was rtively safe because of the items she was gifted by n¡­but even then she could feel it.


    Her darkness mana was submitting to the horrid abomination.


    It was not just the people with a darkness or shadow affinity¡­even the ones with an affinity for Light had a reaction.


    But this one was repulsive. They were disgusted by the vile abomination of pure evil.


    "Daniel!"


    Ragnar shouted. He unleashed his mana and that was enough to make a certain man take action.


    Daniel Parker, guild master of the Titan guild and one of the most mysterious men in the world finally took action.


    ine and Elizabeth looked at their father, who paid them no heed as his face contorted into an expression of pure disgust.


    "What a vulgar aura."


    He grimaced and cast a skill


    [Bastion Of Light(SS+) has been cast.]


    Suddenly, even though no visual effects were apparent, the dread and disgust all disappeared.


    "Now¡­let''s see how the space wizard will react."


    Commented Daniel, a hint of glee in his voice.


    To be honest, he knew this was the end of the line for n. That monstrosity was too strong for a mere C+ rank to take on.


    The tower had granted him an impossible trial, and so were his thoughts.


    But he was still excited to see what the Space element was capable of.


    The entire world watched with rapt attention as they wondered.


    "Is this the end for n Pator?"


    ******


    [20th floor trial.]


    The ck beam faded and the shadow borneughed from the skies, it spread its tendrils to every undead in the city and enhanced their powers. It let out a sickeningugh.


    [You survived that? Amazing.]


    The tower''s voice echoed in n''s mind. His figure left the crate as tendrils of Shadow energy were still stuck to his body.


    "..."


    [This is retribution¡­For your deeds.]


    "Shut the fuck up."


    n ordered, as he got up and wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    He used the Ame-No-Sakahoko and spread its pure energy, greatly amplified by his own mana into the surroundings, making the undead fall back.


    He used Dragon Eyes and examined the Shadow Borne.


    [|DRAGON EYES| has been used.]


    [Name: SHADOW BORNE ALAMUN.(Near death.)]


    Age: 7098 years.


    Rank: S-(LEGENDARY++)


    Affinities: SHADOW(EPIC), DARKNESS(SUPERIOR]


    DESCRIPTION: A shadow borne by the name of mun, was born when a world perished and it absorbed all their resentment. It is a formidable and nightmarish foe, one that has brought the end of multiple worlds, its onught would have continued had it not encountered the World of Murim and escaped when it was severely injured by the Heavenly Demon. And then defeated by the mighty Emperor.


    This menacing creature defies conventional shape, resembling an ever-shifting, amorphous mass of pure darkness. Its body is a swirling, shapeless entity, evoking an aura of fear. It has multiple tendrils and takes whichever form it wishes. Two sinister, blood-red eyes pierce through the inky abyss of its visage. These eyes emit an eerie, crimson glow, casting an unsettling and ominous effect within its poor victims. The Shadowborn is perpetually veiled in a shroud of living shadows. This shadowy cloak adheres closely to its form, giving the impression of an ethereal, spectral garment that seamlessly blends with its body.


    Within its shadowy cloak, tendrils of pure darkness writhe and pulse with an eerie grace. These tendrils serve as both a means of offense and a symbol of its supernatural presence, capable of extending to grasp and ensnare its unsuspecting prey.


    It is able to manipte Shadow energy like it is a limb. Caution is advised when shing against one.


    It has a tendency to also never¡­fight alone.


    ''I can see that¡­''


    nmented in his mind as he saw the army that was surrounding him, all the undead he had killed and the ones he had not killed were here, each and every one of them enhanced by its energy.


    The nun. The priest, the knight whose daughter had eaten him alive, the knight guarding the castle gates, the mage and even the Knight who fought with chivalry. Their attire had been reduced to a ck mass that acted as armor, the once golden armor of the knight that fought with chivalry had vanished¡­and was reced with an eternal darkness.


    [This is what happens when you make an enemy out of an entire world¡­kekeke¡­]


    The tower''s insaneughter echoed in his mind, and n scanned his surroundings.


    The shadowborn let out an ear-piercing scream, and the Undead all rushed towards n.


    "Bring it on!"


    He yelled triumphantly, not afraid of the sheer numbers.


    [This is their revenge against you! Now how would you fair?!]


    The tower watched with excitement.

 Chapter 376 [376] And What Did It Bring Upon You But Hate And Revenge?

    Arge wave of shadow energy erupted from the emperor, sending n flying.


    He crashed through the golden doors andnded in the grand hallway.


    "Cough!"


    He coughed out blood as he tried to get up.


    But before he could do so, another impact hit him right in the face and sent him crashing through the walls and into the city skies.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras urges you to FOCUS.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha encourages you to FOCUS IMMEDIATELY.]


    n was barely able to use the Ame-No-Sakahoko to block the next attack.


    "Gah!"


    *CRASH*


    He had managed to block it but the sheer strength behind the attack proved incredibly strong and n catapulted towards the ground.


    "Ah¡­"


    He had lost all feeling in his body for a second. He quickly regained it and stood up, ready to defend again.


    But no attack came¡­instead.


    A swarm of Undead rushed inside the crater he was in.


    [Did you think they were all gone?]


    The voice of the tower resonated in his mind. n sensed arge amount of energy in the air.


    That energy¡­was a ck beam of Shadow energy.


    n hurriedly cast a skill to protect himself from the impending doom.


    [Frostke Shield.]


    A shield in the form of a snowke appeared in the sky and managed to block the Shadow beam.


    The beam spread all over the city and caused widespread devastation. n''s shield cracked little by little and n''s feet dug into the ground.


    The sheer force behind the beam was enormous!


    "Kugh¡­!"


    n grunted, but he was not given even a moment of respite.


    [Watch out¡­you are not alone!]


    Eximed the tower joyfully. It truly enjoyed n''s retribution.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The empire will now im revenge!


    The undead swarmed the little crate he was in. n stomped his foot into the ground and multiple ice spikes pierced the undead and created a small wall.


    "Argh!"


    He grunted and unleashed his mana in the form of a wave.


    But it was just then.


    [Did you think only the normal folk were there?]


    The tower''s voice sent a chill down his spine¡­and before he could even process it.


    A metallic sound was heard as arge sword collided with his steel neck. The impact caused the wind in his body to escape and n stumbled.


    The ck beam broke through his shield and n was engulfed by it.


    *********


    [Outside the tower.]


    Sabrina dropped her ss.


    It wasn''t just her.


    A sense of dread engulfed everyone in the arena.


    Harrison and Ragnar had set up barriers almost immediately to protect the normal audience from anything dangerous like a heart attack or shock from the dread.


    Hugo hurriedly did the same and protected his family.


    Sabrina and the rest could breathe once again.


    "What is that¡­?"


    Hugo''s shocked voice escaped his mouth.


    Sabrina and James, along with everyone else, paid deep attention to the screen that disyed n''s trial.


    "..."


    Sabrina was scared, truly terrified.


    Who wouldn''t be? When they stared at that thing in the sky¡­It was a natural reaction.


    With a body as ck as night, eyes of scarlet blood, and hundreds of tendrils of ck tendrils escaping from its back, it had long nails and vile feet. It had an aura so powerful that the surroundings bent to its will and the skies darkened.


    The shadow borne was free¡­But it was different from what Elijah had seen.


    It was weak, no it was on the brink of death


    But even then¡­it could emit a terrifying pressure that even the audience could feel.


    "It seems that the trial of the twentieth floor has changed drastically for our challenger n Pator."


    Announcing Harrison to the world, his voice was calm and collected as if to lower the anxiety of the people who had just been startled by the sudden wave of dread that had washed over them.


    "...what is that thing¡­?"


    Richard questioned from his seat, his shadow mana reacted violently when the thing appeared.


    It wasn''t just him¡­Everyone else who had the affinities for Darkness and Shadow were also showing simr reactions. Because of their weak rank, however¡­the reaction was much more intense.


    "Ughh¡­."


    Jame''s dark mana went wild, the dread had pierced Ragnar and Hugo''s barrier and caused a violent reaction within himself. His calm and collected pose disappeared.


    Sabrina was rtively safe because of the items she was gifted by n¡­but even then she could feel it.


    Her darkness mana was submitting to the horrid abomination.


    It was not just the people with a darkness or shadow affinity¡­even the ones with an affinity for Light had a reaction.


    But this one was repulsive. They were disgusted by the vile abomination of pure evil.


    "Daniel!"


    Ragnar shouted. He unleashed his mana and that was enough to make a certain man take action.


    Daniel Parker, guild master of the Titan guild and one of the most mysterious men in the world finally took action.


    ine and Elizabeth looked at their father, who paid them no heed as his face contorted into an expression of pure disgust.


    "What a vulgar aura."


    He grimaced and cast a skill


    [Bastion Of Light(SS+) has been cast.]


    Suddenly, even though no visual effects were apparent, the dread and disgust all disappeared.


    "Now¡­let''s see how the space wizard will react."


    Commented Daniel, a hint of glee in his voice.


    To be honest, he knew this was the end of the line for n. That monstrosity was too strong for a mere C+ rank to take on.


    The tower had granted him an impossible trial, and so were his thoughts.


    But he was still excited to see what the Space element was capable of.


    The entire world watched with rapt attention as they wondered.


    "Is this the end for n Pator?"


    ******


    [20th floor trial.]


    The ck beam faded and the shadow borneughed from the skies, it spread its tendrils to every undead in the city and enhanced their powers. It let out a sickeningugh.


    [You survived that? Amazing.]


    The tower''s voice echoed in n''s mind. His figure left the crate as tendrils of Shadow energy were still stuck to his body.


    "..."


    [This is retribution¡­For your deeds.]


    "Shut the fuck up."


    n ordered, as he got up and wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    He used the Ame-No-Sakahoko and spread its pure energy, greatly amplified by his own mana into the surroundings, making the undead fall back.


    He used Dragon Eyes and examined the Shadow Borne.


    [|DRAGON EYES| has been used.]


    [Name: SHADOW BORNE ALAMUN.(Near death.)]


    Age: 7098 years.


    Rank: S-(LEGENDARY++)


    Affinities: SHADOW(EPIC), DARKNESS(SUPERIOR]


    DESCRIPTION: A shadow borne by the name of mun, was born when a world perished and it absorbed all their resentment. It is a formidable and nightmarish foe, one that has brought the end of multiple worlds, its onught would have continued had it not encountered the World of Murim and escaped when it was severely injured by the Heavenly Demon. And then defeated by the mighty Emperor.


    This menacing creature defies conventional shape, resembling an ever-shifting, amorphous mass of pure darkness. Its body is a swirling, shapeless entity, evoking an aura of fear. It has multiple tendrils and takes whichever form it wishes. Two sinister, blood-red eyes pierce through the inky abyss of its visage. These eyes emit an eerie, crimson glow, casting an unsettling and ominous effect within its poor victims. The Shadowborn is perpetually veiled in a shroud of living shadows. This shadowy cloak adheres closely to its form, giving the impression of an ethereal, spectral garment that seamlessly blends with its body.


    Within its shadowy cloak, tendrils of pure darkness writhe and pulse with an eerie grace. These tendrils serve as both a means of offense and a symbol of its supernatural presence, capable of extending to grasp and ensnare its unsuspecting prey.


    It is able to manipte Shadow energy like it is a limb. Caution is advised when shing against one.


    It has a tendency to also never¡­fight alone.


    ''I can see that¡­''


    nmented in his mind as he saw the army that was surrounding him, all the undead he had killed and the ones he had not killed were here, each and every one of them enhanced by its energy.


    The nun. The priest, the knight whose daughter had eaten him alive, the knight guarding the castle gates, the mage and even the Knight who fought with chivalry. Their attire had been reduced to a ck mass that acted as armor, the once golden armor of the knight that fought with chivalry had vanished¡­and was reced with an eternal darkness.


    [This is what happens when you make an enemy out of an entire world¡­kekeke¡­]


    The tower''s insaneughter echoed in his mind, and n scanned his surroundings.


    The shadowborn let out an ear-piercing scream, and the Undead all rushed towards n.


    "Bring it on!"


    He yelled triumphantly, not afraid of the sheer numbers.


    [This is their revenge against you! Now how would you fair?!]


    The tower watched with excitement.

 Chapter 377 [377] Glacial Collapse, To set the world in frozen hell!

    <h4>Chapter 377 [377] cial Copse, To set the world in frozen hell!</h4>


    I hurriedly took a step back. The knight that was guarding the pce rushed at me with its twin des, now covered in a tapestry of vile shadows that seemed to cut through the air itself.


    Whatever It is, I can conclude that it is dangerous, and I don''t want it toe into contact with me. Even If I had skin as hard as steel and mana supporting me all around, It is better to avoid taking the risk.


    I parried his swords with the Ame-No-Sakahoko and just when I was about to counterattack, the mage from the sky fired a deadly bolt of shadow at me. I dodged it at a hair''s breadth and jumped away from the horde.


    How troublesome.


    When I attack I am attacked and When I defend I am attacked¡­from all sides.


    Truly, this is annoying. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The twin sword knight leads the charge, the golden knight supports him and the Mage protects them.


    A perfect trio, which is why it is all quite troublesome.


    [Frost spikes have been cast.]


    I cast a spell. Frost spikes erupted from my figure and lodged themselves into the hordes of undead. However, I only managed to kill a few hundred of the lesser ones.


    The greater ones are still alive and are causing trouble for me.


    The knight with two swords¡­I should take care of him first. But How?


    He is relentless, he charges at me provided any chance he gets. He is protected by the endless horde, the golden knight, and the mage in the skies.


    All empowered by the shadow energy that is as dense as water in this city now.


    However¡­that is not the thing that unsettles me most.


    The Shadow Borne has disappeared.


    I cannot locate him in the skies and that is what troubles me. And that too significantly.


    In this entire city, filled to the brim with undead. His disappearance is eerie.


    I dodged the attack of the Golden Knight. He swung hisrge sword vertically. The ground beneath me shattered like it was ss, debris flew everywhere.


    Although it did more damage to the undead, I''m afraid to say.


    My sense of bnce has been disturbed.


    The ces I can run to in the city are also limited¡­And I am afraid to go into the skies.


    Who knows¡­That shadow-borne could jump me out of nowhere, and these things can also spew acid. If I am in the skies that will only be detrimental to me.


    Fighting the mage, the possible appearance of the Shadowborn as well as dodging the thousands of bullets of acid.


    I don''t want to be forced into that situation. Thankfully, the situation on the ground is better for me. It is very crowded. Only a few can fire that damn acid at me.


    I blocked the sword of the knight that guarded the pce.


    ''Eh?''


    I thought. One?


    Where is the other?


    Before I could pinpoint it, the golden knight had tackled me. Like a ferocious bull he drove me into some buildings and they all crashed.


    Although this is not painful¡­Why is the Golden Knight doing this?


    I wondered As I threw him away and focused my attacks on him.


    He barely managed to block my spear, and the support from the rest of the Undead wouldeter.


    Why would he do this? Does chivalry still remain in his bones or is he just brain dead?


    Why iste me? Why make it so that Only he and I are here? Far from the undead.


    I used mana sense and scanned the surroundings, and found it odd.


    The undead have stopped.


    No, it would be more correct to say that they have been obstructed. The knight had tackled me and turned the buildings, which were already rotting away and were not in the best condition into rubble.


    The rubble acted as a sort of¡­Barrier I suppose one could say. It would be quite difficult to get past it. Especially for the normal undead.


    "Why?"


    I said, trying to see if the knight actually had even a speck of consciousness left or not.


    But that was just a pipe dream it seems.


    The golden knight charged at me relentlessly, having lost all his magnificent techniques and just resorting to brute strength.


    Of course, because of the empowerment from the shadow, even those attempts at swordsmanship were terrifying.


    The sheer brute strength possessed by him was incredibly strong.


    "Huh?"


    I kicked the knight away when I found an opening. My kick was strong enough to cause his armor to cave in and crush his chest. But even then the power of shadows controlled his body like a puppet and forced him to fight.


    I hurriedly dodged the sword of the guardian knight and stabbed him with the Ame-No-Sakahko.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear.]


    -|First movement|-


    ~Heavenly Thrust~


    The impact was so powerful it bypassed the power of shadows, nay, it destroyed itpletely and the spear pierced his body.


    But it was then I realized my fatal mistake.


    I had pierced him, the ame-no-sakahoko hadpletely pierced him.


    And that was what my mistake was.


    These are undead¡­they will not die if I do not kill the shadow borne.


    "Fuck."


    I cursed, regretting my actions. The rashness had truly put me in a ''difficult'' spot.


    The guardian knight grabbed the body of the Ame-No-Sakahoko and began to walk towards me.


    The strength it possessed made it difficult for me to let go of the spear.


    Sensing another attack approaching, I quickly covered my hands with ayer of ice and caught the sword of the golden knight.


    The sheer size of the sword, coupled with the strength of the Golden Knight proved highly problematic. The ground beneath me caved in as a result of the sheer force.


    The guardian knight attacked me with his bare fists, and even sprayed some acid on me. Thankfully, I moved my head to avoid the majority of the acid.


    ''The undead will regenerate¡­''


    I thought. If the undead regenerates no matter what¡­What will happen if Ipletely turn their bodies to dust? To atoms?


    Will the power of shadows still save them or will it be useless to recover?


    No harm in testing it out!


    I channeled my mana into the Ame-No-Sakahoko¡­and let it run amok.


    Simply put, I released it from the spear all at once. And the Guardian knight exploded.


    Reduced to Atoms, Would that fit?


    Anyway, My conclusion was correct. The body did not regenerate, instead the power of shadow that had enhanced its body moved toward the Golden Knight,


    But I can''t just let it do that, Now Can I?


    I set up a gravity field and pinned the lump of shadow to the ground.


    And then the tower''s voice resounded in my mind.


    [You shouldn''t have done that¡­You are not the only one who dabbled in space.]


    Eh?


    Ah¡­fuck.


    The mana signatures of the undead surrounding me disappeared¡­and appeared right above me.


    And because of the gravity field, they all catapulted towards me.


    Pretty soon, I was drowning in a sea of Undead.


    [This is a magnificent y! The hero who wrecked through everything now learns his lesson!]


    The tower''s voice echoed throughout the city.


    [I look forward to seeing what kind of end awa-]


    ??????????????...


    [What?]


    A chilling atmosphere came upon the city in an instant as the tower expressed its confusion at n''s words...then it dawned upon it.


    [So you still had something up your sleeve huh¡­]


    It said¡­as it marveled at the sight before it.


    The ground beneath the sea of Undead trembled in response to the mana of frost, that even overpowered the shadow energy for some time.


    Arge, intricate magic circle, resembling an exquisitely detailed snowke, materialized beneath the feet of the undead. It stretched outwards, its crystalline patterns etching themselves into the ground like frozence. Each facet of the snowke glowed with an ethereal blue light, casting an eerie, frosty radiance upon the city. It created a truly splendidbination with the ominous purple of Shadow already guing the city.


    But that changed. The frost overpowered the shadows.


    Above the magic circle, dark clouds gathered in a swirling vortex, their ominous shadows contrasting starkly against the pristine whiteness of the snow. The temperature plummeted dramatically, causing the very air to crystallize.


    The undead stopped. Everything stopped. One may even think time itself has been frozen.


    And then it resumed once again, but it was devastating.


    ????????????????!


    From the center of the magic circle, from n Pator, a cataclysmic force erupted. A colossal pir of cial energy surged skyward, encapsting everything in its path. The very city quaked as the power of winter was harnessed, and the surroundingndscape was transformed into a frozen tableau of destruction. Even the Shadow borne felt a chill run down its spine.


    The icy torrent swept forth with a relentless fury, freezing all in its wake. The buildings were encased in glittering ice, their forms locked in a frozen embrace. The ground itself cracked and shattered, unable to withstand the raw, elemental power. What could the undead do when the world was unable to do anything?


    ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ????????????????.


    ???? ???????? ?? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????????!

 Chapter 378 [378] Against the Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 378 [378] Against the Shadows</h4>


    [...]


    The tower was left speechless, it was not just it.


    The outside world shared the same.


    Pure and utter shock at what had just happened.


    And what else could they do? What other emotion were they supposed to show except for shock?


    What else couldpare?


    Amazement? Maybe.


    Disbelief? Maybe.


    Or was it inferiority?


    Perhaps.


    But right now it was pure and utter shock. Shock at the resplendent sight that had appeared in front of them.


    An entire army of Undead, an army so vast and so terrifying. Gone in the blink of an eye.


    "..."


    Harrison was left speechless, truly nothing couldpare.


    He had seen this skill before, but not on this scale¡­Just what was n Pator made up of?


    "That was ice magic?"


    A spectator muttered, and the others looked at him. But what could they say? Were they capable of such things?


    What would they even dare to say, When the first ranked hero was left speechless? When Ragnar was left speechless, Hugo, Richard, Daniel, Logan.


    No words could escape their mouths.


    "Damn¡­He''s surpassed his mother and father alright."


    Micheal remarked from the stands, as someone who knew who the parents of n Pator were¡­he was shocked.


    ''Well, Elijah has also done it¡­so it''s good.''


    He consoled his pride. His son had also surpassed him, the old generation had been reced by the new. Both the sons had surpassed their parents.


    The silence in the Colosseum was deafening.


    ********


    [To think you had something like this up your sleeve¡­]


    Said the tower, staring at the city-wide frozen hell.


    The powers of Shadow and Frost shed with one another, providing a spectacr sight to all that was left to view it.


    Well, it was just the tower and the Shadow Borne Aluman.


    Aluman, who was recuperating in the throne room of the emperor let out a terrifying shriek. The Energy of frost that attacked it was troublesome.


    It let out a burst of Shadow energy. The burst was strong enough that the Imperial Castle was torn to shreds, the debris falling like meteors on the city.


    *KIIIIIIIAAAAAAAK*


    The scream was enough to shatter some of the ice. The Lumps of shadow in the ice were stimted and they worked to recover the undead.


    [Freezing them will only stall them!]


    Remarked the Tower.


    Although the feat of freezing the entire city was marvelous, it would not stop the undead! It would only stall for time!


    "Did you think I didn''t n for that?"


    n''s chilly voice emerged from the frozen hell, He jumped up and chanted.


    "Explode."


    And then, the ice exploded. It followed hismands and exploded!


    [How?!]


    The tower''s voice was silenced by the sheer noise of the Explosion.


    The frozen capital¡­was now ruined. The ice was gone¡­and so was the capital.


    "To deal with the undead¡­I need to destroy their bodies."


    I said I had altered [cial Copse] with another type of magic known as Corpse Explosion. Since My Frost mana was covering all the undead and severely hindering the effects of the Shadow mana¡­I was able to gain control of the corpses.


    It was only for a moment, but that was enough. I detonated the corpses so that nothing would be left.


    I raised my head towards the Imperial Castle, Or rather what remained of it. It was just a mountain of trash now.


    "That''s where you are."


    I used Dragon Eyes to confirm the location of the Shadow Borne and then activated my draconian transformation.


    [...]


    I transformed into a frost draconian and flew towards the imperial castle, the Ame-no-Sakhoko in my hand.


    It''s time to teach Shadowborne a lesson.


    *****


    Aluman, the shadow-born, tried its best to recover the power that it had scattered towards the entire capital. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But it proved to be difficult. Thetent frost that was still present in the atmosphere hindered its shadow energy.


    It let out another vile shriek. Trying to stimte its shadow energy but it had an adverse effect.


    Instead of calling back its shadow energy¡­it had instead called someone else over.


    That someone was me.


    I tackled the Shadow borne in my draconian form and dragged it all across the city.


    SHRIEK!


    With a loud shriek, it shattered my eardrums and fired off a shadow st right at me.


    So this is how you want to y?


    I dodged the Shadow st and fired a Breath of my own, right at its face.


    However, It seems I did not do good damage to the beast.


    The veil of shadows that protected it was durable.


    It threw me off, and I flew high up in the skies.


    "KIAAA!"


    With another damn shriek, the shadowborn fired multiple sts of chaos at me. I swerved left and right in the air to avoid them.


    *BOOOM!*


    Wow, I sure did great at not going head-on against them. The sts had dyed the world purple when they detonated in the sky.


    [cier has been cast.]


    I cast 4 cier spells and hurled them at the shadow-born. The monster, instead of avoiding or sting them away, just stood still.


    That is strange¡­The shadowborn will just take those attacks on? The ciers fell right on top of it.


    I activated mana sense just in case. And just as I had thought, it had disappeared. There was not even a trace of its energy left. It had performed the same trick it did when I was fighting the undead to disappear. I had just wasted my mana in trying to attack it.


    ''Frost mana will not work¡­And neither will the others because of its ethereal form..So¡­''


    I have only one choice. To use the ame-No-Sakahoko, which actively eliminates the power of shadows.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR]


    -||||Fourth Movement||||-


    ////Heavenly Armament\\\\


    I activated the Heavenly Armament. It would prove to be useful. The demonic embrace and the cape had disappeared into my inventory when I transformed into the Frost Draconian. I activated the armament to have anotheryer of protection.


    Hmmm¡­


    It''s too quiet.


    I stayed vignt in the sky, away from all shadows, and waited for the Shadow borne to make a move.

 Chapter 379 [380] Against the Shadows[2]

    Chapter 379 [380] Against the Shadows[2]


    Where Is he?


    I questioned, The silence in the entire city is eerie. Even with the help of mana sense, I cannot sense where that damn bastard is.


    I roamed the skies of the city slowly and carefully, ready for any sudden attack. But nothing happened. The entire city was tranquil. So tranquil it was scary.


    It truly was, The feeling of knowing your opponent is there but you don''t know where to be oblivious whilst your opponent is all-knowing about you.


    It''s irritating.


    [|DRAGON EYES| has been activated.]


    I activated my ultimate skill and surveyed the entire city. The pain was great, even with the spectral talent scope reducing the recoil¡­ The pain was immeasurable when I was using it to oversee an entire city, especially a capital city of this sheer size.


    The world shown to be Dragon eyes was odd, There were wisps of shadow energy littered throughout the entire city, connecting to one another in tandem.


    It was a strange type of harmony.


    Blood leaked out from my eyes and dripped into the ground as I surveyed the city. And that gave me an idea.


    When I saw the Shadow energy get connected with the shadow of my droplets of blood¡­I got an idea of where it was.


    It was probably hiding in the wisps of shadow energy littered throughout the entire city. It is avoiding a direct confrontation with me.


    Are these strings of shadow connected with each other a form of passageway? If it is¡­Then how fast can It travel within them? I wonder¡­


    I have an idea¡­


    I thought and flew towards the mountain of rubble that was once the Imperial castle.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras says it will be easy if you use ''that''.]


    "Hmmm?"


    That? No¡­not yet. I can still take that thing on. There is no need for that.


    I thought to myself as I made my way towards the walls of the imperial castle, making sure my Shadow would reflect on the walls and be close to me. I then acted as stupid as possible, like I was unaware of it.


    All to bait that thing out from its abode.


    ********


    The world outside the tower cheered on.


    "n Pator is searching for the Shadow Borne¡­But who would have known he was capable of such a transformation?!"


    Harrison did his best to raise the vigor of the Audience before the day ended. The final show should be great¡­no? It Should!


    "His eyes glow a menacing but calm astral hue, his form is like that of Draconians¡­Even from here, I can feel the cold those scales must exude. He looks like an ancient warrior of the dragons!"


    He tried to exin the appearance of n, but to Sabrina, he failed pathetically at it.


    How could he just be satisfied with those words?


    That exnation was pathetic for a man of his caliber¡­it should be like this!


    Its scales, hardened by the bitter cold, appear as if encased in ayer of cial ice. They clink softly as the creature moves, emitting an eerie, crystalline sound like wind chimes in a winter breeze. This natural armor provides protection from the chill of its surroundings and is adorned with intricate, frosty patterns that evoke the delicate beauty of frost on a windowpane! It should be a worthy exnation of such a magnificent form! Shouldn''t it be?!


    A Form that went toe to toe against a terrifying orc, and even went against a Marquis! But that was just the scales of n!


    How should the Horns be described?


    Thought Sabrina¡­Like this?


    Atop its noble, elongated neck, the Frost Draconian boasts a regal head adorned with fearsome, ice-crystal horns that curve back from its brow. Its eyes, deep and cial blue, hold a pearl of ancient wisdom and a chilling intelligence that reflects the icy world it inhabits. Well, Maybe the part about Wisdom could be excluded¡­


    Thought Sabrina, as she waspletely immersed in this¡­instead of focusing on n''s trials.


    What could be done about it? She was just the type of girl to obsess over minor details like these.


    However, Her Uncle and grandfather who had discovered her made her drop her focus.


    "Ahem¡­" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They had noticed her fidgeting and moving irregrly with a spark in her eyes¡­it led them to think of something else. Something much worse than what Sabrina was actually thinking.


    Hugo was incredibly displeased about it. Everyone had gotten the wrong opinion, and Sabrina was surprisingly clueless!


    "The shadow borne has disappeared and n is still roaming the skies searching for it!"


    Harrison seemed to be having fun. It was an unknown hobby about him but he loved researching everything. Especially about monsters. Now that something like this had appeared, something he didn''t know about.


    He was extremely curious! He had a renewed vigor that watched the trials with great enthusiasm, even writing down anything he figured was worth it.


    He was so engrossed in it that he even forgot toment about the trial!


    n''s trial had the highest number of views right now, Well why would it not?


    Something new had happened for the first time in the tower! The twentieth floor had changed entirely!


    Why wouldn''t they watch with great interest? That would be sphemy.


    They observed the trials with great enthusiasm, each and every person dismissed the other trials and watched n''s trial closely.


    The day was about to end, they should wait until this ended.


    "Huh?"


    Suddenly, n moved towards the imperial castle and the people grew rmed. They had seen something which n could not! His shadow was moving! But n could not see it!


    "Hey! Watch out!"


    They cried out, but n couldn''t hear them. They saw the figure of the shadow Borne appearing from the shadows. But n was unaware.


    That was what they thought¡­Until n calmly dodged the attack of the shadow borne and pulled it outside the shadows.


    All with a grin on his scaly face.


    A/N: Sorry for thete chapter.

 Chapter 380 [380] Empires end, worlds beginning.

    Chapter 380 [380] Empires end, worlds beginning.


    And It had taken the bait. Although it may not have looked like it, I was paying close attention to my shadow and the traces of Shadow energy that spanned the entire city. Every shadow was connected here, whether it belonged to a building or a person. The moment I felt the Shadow energy moving I prepared myself.


    I could see the Shadowborn move through the threads of shadow connected to each like blood flowing through a vein.


    In an instant, it had reached my location, I had almost failed to capture it.


    Thankfully¡­I had done it with the help of Dragon eyes.


    "Peekaboo!"


    I grabbed its throat and rammed it into the walls of the imperial castle.


    "KIEEEK!"


    ''Argh!''


    The sound it released messed with my bnce¡­it was affecting my entire body. Nevertheless, I stabbed the Bastard with the Ame-No-Sakahoko swiftly as we both catapulted towards the ground.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR]


    -|FIRST MOVEMENT|-


    /HEAVENLY THRUST\


    mun used his tendrils to grab the spear and resisted with all its might. It grew more tendrils and attacked me with them. I used my tail to block them off for some time but they overwhelmed me soon enough.


    It fired a Shadow st right at my face, I barely managed to dodge it and fired a breath back.


    The breath of frost passed through its ethereal figure and did no damage to it all. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''Fuck.''


    I cursed inside my mind, it seemed that the frost element wouldn''t work on this thing.


    I used my tail to cut the tendrils, grabbed the Ame-No-Sakahoko and freed it. Although I suffered some damage I was able to attack with the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR]


    -|SECOND MOVEMENT|-


    ~~/Heavenly descent!\~~


    I could hear its screams of pain!


    I withstood the constant attacks itnded and let the corruption of shadow run rampant on my body as I attacked again and again.


    One stab.


    Two stabs.


    A dozen more!


    "Kiieeek!"


    We crashed into the ground, I did not give the Shadowborne Aluman a moment of respite and trusted my spear toward its head, it dodged in time and the Ame-No-Sakahoko went deep inside the ground like a hot knife through butter.


    Shit!


    I was stuck, and the shadow-borne used that to fire a shadow st right at my face


    I hurriedly ducked and kicked it away, the st redirected towards the sky and caused havoc.


    I pulled the Ame-No-Sakahoko out of the ground and used the Heavenly Sky spear art.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear!]


    -|||Third Movement!|||-


    ///HEAVENLY REDEMPTION\\\


    I fired off a crescent gash of energy at the Shadowborn, it managed to hit and cut half of its body. Since the Ame-No-Sakahoko possessed properties directly opposite to it. It caused great damage.


    I could see a ck liquid which I assumed was its blood spraying out.


    I charged at the thing and attacked once more.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear]


    |FIRST MOVEMENT|


    /Heavenly THRUST\


    The shadow twisted its body and dodged the thrust. The air pressure from the attack alone cleared a significant number of debris behind.


    It used its ws and shed me


    The power behind the attack was strong enough to pierce my scales and draw blood.


    Five lines of blood appeared, from my waist to my upper body.


    Furthermore, I was sure that thing spread its shadow energy inside me.


    Fuck¡­I was right.


    I can already feel a stinging pain.


    ''Time to end this.''


    I thought, as I got extremely close to it and used my Spear right at its face.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear.]


    -|||Third Movement|||-


    ///Heavenly Redemption!\\\


    I cut its body in half once again with my spear.


    But I was not done.


    Immediately afterward, I used the second movement of the heavenly sky spear, Heavenly Descent, and obliterated it.


    I made sure topletely erase the Shadow energy.


    I used dragon eyes once again and scanned the area, I flew high up and scanned the entire city as well.


    After confirming the shadow energy was dissipating¡­I waited.


    I waited for the trial-end notification.


    But it didn''t appear?


    Something is strange¡­


    As I was lost in thought. I heard the voice of the tower. I thought it would be a clear notification but I was wrong.


    It was something much more mortifying.


    [You didn''t think a beast like that would die so easily did you?]


    A chill went through my spine and I lost all sensation in my wings and plummeted to the ground.


    "W¡­hat?"


    I could barely speak, wondering what was going on.


    And then I realized¡­


    Ah, the shadows in the city had dissipated¡­


    Not the one inside me.


    ******


    mun entered n''s body. The attack he had dealt n wasced with a dense amount of shadow energy that he could use to invade n''s soul, he used the power of the shadows to venture inside n''s body when his own had been destroyed.


    Truthfully, the moment it had seen the absolute havoc caused by [cial copse]


    mun knew it would fail, that it would not be able to subdue or kill n Pator, the Draconian of frost.


    It could sense that the draconian had a power greater than what he was showing yet¡­something which gave mun eerie feelings just like the ones he had when he fought with Ma Cheon, the heavenly demon.


    "Soul¡­devour¡­must."


    Muttering a weakened mun, he had fought the Heavenly Demon and barely escaped, only to be defeated by the mighty emperor and be sealed.


    And when it was free it had to deal with that draconian.


    It needed to eat its soul quickly¡­lest it would disappear.


    It wandered the darkness searching for any trace of a soul¡­but it was all for naught.


    "...strange¡­"


    Muttered the being of shadow. It continued walking straight ahead, almost hurrying due to urgency.


    As it traversed the darkness it felt a chill run down its spine.


    It stopped abruptly and turned around, only to find nothing.


    It wondered why it felt a chill run down its spine, and concluded that maybe it was because the draconian possessed the element of frost.


    It turned around, intending to continue.


    However, it unknowingly walked into the wide jaws of a snake, almost indistinguishable from the darkness.


    The jaws closed, and the Shadow met its end.


    Swiftly, silently, and unknowingly.

 Chapter 381 [381] A Poem To Celebrate The Heros Might!

    "Huh?"


    Elijah was confused, he had entered a luxurious lobby instead of the next floor.


    [Surprised?]


    He grew rmed at the sudden voice of the tower. It was everywhere!


    It was louder than before and wasing from all directions. It wasn''t just in his head anymore. He looked around the room, his de in his hand.


    Was it a¡­reception?


    [Yes, The reception area of the Imperial Pce. A  grand and opulent space that celebrates the fusion of artistry and music in the most extravagant manner. Does a sense of awe wash over you?]


    Asked the tower, eloquently. Its voice was different again. Now it seemed like the voice of a human, well-versed in etiquette.


    "..."


    [Surprised?]


    Asked the tower again, Elijah simply sat down and took a rest.


    [Why?]


    Questioned the tower, as it was unable to understand the intentions of Elijah.


    [In a ce of such grandeur¡­Do you simply sit on the floor?


    The Imperial Pce''s reception hall is a masterpiece of architectural grandeur! High-vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate frescoes stretch majestically overhead, depicting scenes from myth and legend. These ceiling paintings are illuminated by the soft, golden light of crystal chandeliers that hang like frozen cascades of stars. Why? Is it not enough for you?]


    It expressed its confusion.


    [The mostfortable sofas known to man¡­and you simply sit on the floor?]


    I found it difficult to understand Elijah.


    "..."


    Elijah refused to answer his questions and simply circted his mana.


    [You are peculiar. Both of you.]


    ''Both?''


    The tower''s remarks confused Elijah. Just what did he mean by both?


    [These walls are lined with an extensive art gallery¡­ showcasing an unparalleled collection of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from across the ages. Richly colored tapestries drape the walls, each telling a story of a bygone era, of an empire that spanned centuries! Priceless masterpieces by renowned artists adorn the space, their vibrant colors and intricate details capturing the essence of each subject with breathtaking precision!... Yet you find none of it interesting?]


    It was baffling.


    Its eloquent voice shivered for a moment, unable toprehend Elijah.


    [Why?]


    Asked the Tower again¡­


    Does Elijah not find any joy¡­and peace from this? From the result of his ownplications.


    [Ah I know!]


    It came to a sudden conclusion.


    Does he like music perhaps?


    Using its powers, it created an array of musical instruments in the corner of the reception hall. A Grand piano, with gleaming ebony and ivory keys, became the center of its creation. There were several ornate harps with golden strings situated on the side of the piano. A quartet of violins crafted from rare woods rests upon a velvet-lined stand, their elegance matched only by their harmonious potential. The instruments began to move, and a melodious harmony resounded throughout the reception hall. Even though there was no Musician¡­The instruments yed themselves with great mastery.


    [Now¡­do you like it?]


    But still, Elijah was silent. He simply circted his mana. His eyes were closed.


    [I know you can hear me.]


    It knew the tower knew it was being ignored. I hated it.


    How dare Elijah ignore him¡­the reader of his stories?


    It was humiliating. He was feeling exactly like how a devoted reader who alwaysmented would feel when the Author, who used to reply regrly stopped and ignored him.


    It was infuriating.


    [Why?]


    It asked in a not-so-pleasant tone, clearly angered.


    "Does it matter?"


    Finally, Elijah answered. After being silent for so long, He answered like that.


    The tower was unable to understand¡­until.


    "It''s gone¡­what does it matter now?"


    [...]


    Ah, now it is finally understood.


    It didn''t matter because it was gone huh?


    [So you think it''s gone?]


    Asked the tower, a lightugh resounded in the atmosphere as the harmonic melody stopped/


    [Are you sure about that?]


    Urged the tower, hinting at something.


    Elijah opened his eyes.


    [Ah¡­so the hero finally pays attention.]


    The sight in front of him changed, instead of the grand reception he was now in a bustling metropolis.


    [What do you see?]


    Asked the tower excitedly. What reaction would Elijah give?


    "..!"


    Ah, it was Speechlessness!


    [The mes of purification cured them.]


    Narrated the tower. It excitedly stared at Elijah''s shocked face.


    [Do you know¡­they even wrote a poem about you.


    They rejoiced as the mes of purification washed over them¡­cleansing them of their sins and finally¡­giving to them the gift of peaceful death!]


    It joyfully relished Elijah''s expressions.


    [Would you like to hear it? The result of your deeds?]


    The smiles of children filled his view, a plethora of emotions, stimted by the tower engulfed Elijah.


    [In shadows'' grip, the Empire stood,


    A realm of might, once great and good,


    Its banners once unfurled with pride,


    Now shrouded in a darkness wide.]


    The tone of the voice was depressing at first.


    The tower eloquently recited the poem written by the Empire¡­about Elijah, its hero.


    How they tried.


    [A gue emerged, a creeping blight,


    A disease that stole both day and night,


    From Hamlet''s small to the grandest hall,


    It spread its reach, consuming all.]


    The power of the Shadow Bornes curse.


    [The knights once d in armor bright,


    Now battled death''s relentless might,


    They fought with fervor, hearts ame, n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yet fate had etched a different name.]


    The story of how the knights fought till theirst breath, even if their very vessels were devoured by their own.


    Elijah was being overwhelmed, as the tower recited the poem¡­The tower was doing something!


    [As sunlit fields turned ashen gray,


    The Empire''s strength began to sway,


    With each new dawn, a battle waged,


    But hope grew faint as death assuaged.


    A hundred battles, fierce and bold,


    A struggle fought, tales yet untold,


    Through endless nights and haunted days,


    The Empire fought in myriad ways.]


    "What are you doing to me?!"


    Asked Elijah, as he fell to his knees, the power of wordspelling strange emotions in him. But the tower continued, paying him no heed.


    [Physicians sought a healing hand,


    Alchemists concocted potions grand,


    Yet as they toiled, the gue did spread,


    Its shadowy tendrils never dead.


    The walls that once held steadfast, tall,


    Now trembled, watched the Empire fall,


    No armor could its heart encase,


    Against the specter''s cold embrace.]


    This was the poem of despair written by the empire¡­but it would soon take a more joyful turn.


    For the hero that saved, made his entrance.


    [A hero emerged, with a heart of ze!]


    The tone was now joyful¡­not it was filled with pride.]


    The story of Elijah now came with a splendid light.


    It was the result of his deeds, never ever seen before in the history of all trials.


    The tower could not just simply walk it off¡­now could it?


    [A hero rose to save the day,


    With mes of hope, they purified,


    Empire''s legacy, glorified!]


    The scene ended¡­and the tower''s voice left a deep impact on Elijah.


    [Now¡­fill your head with pride and show me a story worthy of your legacy.]


    It wielded its power and a golden light encased Elijah as he was transported to the next series of floors.


    [You ended an empire¡­But now how would you end an entire world?]

 Chapter 382 [382] To The Next Trials!

    A/N: Sorry for only one chapter today. I am busy with exam prep so I didn''t have enough time.


    I apologize if it caused any inconvenience.


    ******


    I woke up, with a massive headache.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I massaged my head as I took in my surroundings.


    I found myself in a deste and ruined room, once possessing great charm but now reduced to nothing but rubble, I could see smudged and torn paintings and broken instruments, and¡­honestly, everything here had a fault or two.


    The sofas, the desk, the tables, Everything was broken;


    I stood up, and just as I was about to search around, I heard the metallic voice of the Tower.


    [How did it feel?]


    How did It feel?


    I wondered, What now? What question will it ask me now?


    "What do you mean?"


    I asked, curious. What did it mean?


    How did I feel doing what? Killing the Shadow borne?


    [So it has been erased¡­How did it feel to end the Empire?]


    I had a hard time hearing his words¡­Are my ears being affected by this ce or something?


    I can''t understand it.


    [How did it feel ending an entire empire?]


    It asked, and now I could hear itpletely fine.


    "..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    I fell silent. So it wanted to ask me this question?


    To be honest, I still didn''t get it¡­the information, I keep forgetting it for some reason.


    My mind is muddy as well, So I can''t really give a definite answer.


    [You have fallen deep into the trap of the snake.]


    Why can''t I hear you again?


    What is wrong? I enhanced my ears with mana but I didn''t feel anything change.


    Whatever, The tower is probably ying tricks with me.


    [...]


    I don''t know where this is¡­Have I been transported to the next floor already?


    [How did it feel to end the legacy of an entire Empire like that?]


    Ah, Now I can hear it.


    I don''t know what it''s doing, but I should answer this question or I don''t know what it will do to me.


    "I don''t know, I''m conflicted I guess."


    I answered, Thest words of the emperor¡­Woke me up I guess.


    I don''t know why, but the Ame-No-Sakaho suddenly exited my inventory, and then My mind felt clear.


    Speaking of the Ame-No-Sakahoko¡­where is it?


    I was holding onto it when I vanquished the Shadowborn.


    I looked around but there was no trace of it. I checked my inventory and found it there.


    I took it out and heaved a sigh of relief.


    This thing helped me kill that thing, I can''t afford to lose it. Who knows what this tower can pull?


    [How did you kill the Shadowborn?]


    Asked the tower, I answered truthfully.


    "I sliced it in half, you were there, why are you asking me?"


    The power of the Ame-No-Sakahoko yed an important part in it. It was all thanks to the spear.


    But it is strange¡­This tower should know what has happened, Why is it asking me?


    [So you feel nothing?]


    It asked.


    I''m getting annoyed.


    "I don''t know¡­Okay?"


    From my point of view, it was just a trial I didn''t need to pay special attention to. I just had toplete the objective.


    [Are you not intrigued by the stories?]


    "What stories?"


    I asked. Did it mean the trials?


    I wonder.


    [The stories hidden deep in the trials, the basis of them.]


    Its voice contained deep meaning¡­and a hint of contempt.


    "No."


    I answered. I don''t know the story hidden deep within them.


    The empire? Their pain? The pain of how they died and their home met its end?


    I, simply, don''t give a fuck.


    I have someone else I need to care about, I can''t waste time here.


    [Do they not have people of their own? Like your sister? One they would give everything for?]


    "..."


    I fell silent¡­So this guy knows everything.


    "Even if they do, they are not my concern."


    My only concern is Samantha.


    [You are a pathetic character.]


    What are you talking about now? Pathetic Character.


    [I understand now¡­You are not appealing to the readers, because you have no depth.]


    "What are you on about?"


    [The only depth you contain is the one given to you by the Ja** Sn*** and the Dragon Of Ob******]


    "..."


    Even though I can''t hear those words, I have a general idea about what the tower is talking about.


    [You possess no remarkable qualities, Qualities of your own.


    You are simply second rate.]


    I don''t know why, But it awakened a sort of anger in me.


    What did he mean by second rate?


    [That stupidity is exactly what makes you unlikeable.]


    "..."


    [Your brashness, Your obliviousness, and the fact you fall into a trap and are unaware. Escape from it. Do you not know how much of your potential you have wasted? How much potential of yours is locked¡­which will only be free until he has done what he needs to do?


    Forget it¡­you can''t even hear me.]


    The tower sighed,menting n''s pitiful existence.


    It showed him the rewards for clearing the trial.


    [You have cleared the twentieth floor, and have given a unique ending. Rewards have been transmitted to your inventory.]


    "Huh?"


    I quickly checked my inventory, I was wondering what the gibberish the tower was speaking but dismissed it, eager to check my rewards.


    [Item Name: Shadow Borne''s Shadow Crystal.]


    [Rank:?]


    [Description:


    The Shadow Borne is a mythical figure who harnessed the very essence of shadows to be an unbeatable force. It is said that Shadow Borne''s Shadow Crystal is the source of their power, granting them dominion over darkness. The Shadow Crystal appears as a palm-sized, multifaceted obsidian gem, shimmering with an inner darkness that seems to consume the very light around it. Its surface is etched with intricate, pulsating patterns, reminiscent of coiling serpents, further emphasizing its mystique. Be wary when wielding it.


    Either you control the shadows, or they devour you.


    **Rmended for users of the affinities of Shadow, Death and darkness.


    If the user has all three elements, the effects of the Shadow Crystal are tripled.


    ABILITIES:


    Shadow Mastery: Possessing the Shadow Crystal grants the user unparalleled control over shadows. It allows them to manipte and shape shadows, providing a wide array of strategic advantages. Concealment, movement through shadows, and the power to ensnare foes within inky darkness are just a few of its abilities.


    Dark Affinity: The crystal grants its bearer a heightened affinity with dark magic. Spells rted to shadow, illusion, or stealth be more potent when the crystal is equipped, making the user a formidable force in the art of deception and subterfuge.


    Stealth Enhancement: When carried, the Shadow Crystal cloaks the user in a shroud of shadowy concealment, rendering them nearly invisible to enemies when in dim or dark areas. This allows for stealthy infiltration and unexpected ambushes.


    Corrupted Healing: The crystal has the unique ability to siphon a portion of an enemy''s life force with each sessful attack, transferring it as healing energy to the user. This grants a degree of survivability in even the direst of battles.


    ¡ª


    Oh, quite a nice item!


    This would be perfect for Kazikato!


    [Would you like to advance to the next floor?]


    Asked the tower, its voiceced with disappointment.


    "Yes."


    Answered n, eager toplete the tower and get Samantha''s cure.


    [You seek an elven tear¡­Very well. I will grant something even greater when you show me your escape¡­If not, I will make your escape. I hate your very existence, locked up in chains you are unaware of.]


    n was unaware of what it was talking about, ''He'' made it be so.


    [...]


    The tower expressed its disappointment.


    n was just about to enter the next floor¡­But the tower suddenly asked a Question.


    [Would you like to hear a story? The story of the next series of trials¡­of the next world?]


    I wished he would say yes¡­It was just like this. A reader and a narrator. Even if the details were useless he sincerely wished n would say yes.


    n sighed and said.


    "Sure¡­"


    The tower shook, FINALLY! He was showing some interest! Maybe he is not as deep in the trap as I thought!


    It excitedly began to narrate a long and boring story¡­


    [The Shadow Borne didn''t attack the Empire first¡­It was a grand world known as Murim.]


    n stayed quiet, waiting for it to continue. He honestly wanted to go into the next floor, but thought it would be best if he had some information about it.


    [The only reason the Empire was able to even defeat the Shadow Borne was that Murim had gone against it first¡­and greatly wounded it, and killed off the army of Shadows it came with.]


    [Murim had exhausted it severely, it was because of that sole reason the Emperor was able to defeat it. He was strong¡­but not that Strong. Ma Cheon, the Heavenly Demon dealt the greatest blow to the Shadow borne¡­But there were consequences.]


    The tower narrated.


    n was soon going to regret his decision¡­


    It simply bombarded him with a long story with joy in its voice.

 Chapter 383 [383] World Of Murim.

    The tower began its ridiculously long narration with joy. I was expecting something long¡­but goddamn.


    [Long ago, Murim was and of wonder and beauty, where martial arts and qi flourished, and the harmony between its many races brought prosperity. However, in a quest for ultimate power, a vagabond delved deep into the forbidden arts. In his reckless pursuit, he unwittingly unleashed the Shadow Born, a sinister entity that feeds on the life force of the world itself. And The shadow borne was not alone, along with it came thousands and thousands of its lesser kin.]


    It started the story like most will, a thriving world soon gued with chaos. I yawned as I listened to it, already bored.


    [As the curse of the Shadow took root, the skies darkened, and the once-verdantnds withered! Crops failed, and rivers ran dry, plunging Murim into an era of famine and despair. The very nature of the world began to change; forests turned to twisted, gnarled thickets, and the once-great cities crumbled into shadows of their former glory. It''s Citizens turning into Jiangshi!]


    "Eh? Then isn''t it the same as the empire?"


    I asked, interrupting the narration. The tower was patient and said.


    [Wait until the story ispleted.]


    "..."


    It continued. And I shut up. It''s better to let it finish I guess.


    [In the face of this dire crisis, heroes from across Murim emerged. Brave martial artists, cunning assassins, and wise hegemons rallied tobat the Shadow Born''s insidious influence. They sought relics of forgotten power, consulted ancient texts, and formed alliances across thend to stem the curse''s relentless advance. But was it worth it?]


    Well, it ran to another world, So I guess?


    [The battle against the Shadow Born was relentless and costly. Martial artists were lost, and sacrifices were made as they delved into treacherous, shadow-infested domains to confront the heart of the curse. Some fell to the very darkness they sought to vanquish, while others emerged transformed, bearing the curse''s mark but wielding newfound strength. Turning on theirrades, bing fearsome Jiangshi.]


    Ok.


    [In the climactic confrontation, the remaining few rallied for onest, desperate assault on the source of the curse. A massive battle ensued, with the forces of darkness shing against the dwindling alliance of heroes. It was a battle not only of strength but also of hope and determination, where the very survival of Murim hung in the bnce. Millions of Jiangshi¡­nay Billions! They shed against the Hegemons that remained. The sect leaders of the ten great sects and five great ns and the Heavenly demon were thest to remain. They shed against their fellow brethren.


    Their swords split the seas! Their absolute might shattered the Earth and reached the Heavens, as the sect leaders, who were Enemies for so long joined together and fought billions on their own. Cheon Ma, The heavenly demon led the assault as the Qi of the World vanished and he alone fought the Shadow Borne for months!


    The oue of this epic struggle would shape Murim''s fate. Could they stay arrogant and stay enemies or fight together? And restore the world to its former glory? Or would the curse prove insurmountable, dooming Murim to eternal darkness?]


    ''It is enjoying this.''


    I thought. Is this it''s kink or are all readers like that?


    [As the battle raged on, the leaders'' resolve was tested to its limits. Sacrifices were made, bonds were forged, and the very essence of what it meant to be a martial artist was defined. ]


    Suddenly, the tone became dark and depressing.


    Ah, so it didn''t end well. I could already guess that from the sudden shift in tone.


    "Murim was doomed to darkness because they couldn''t defeat the Shadow borne, correct?"


    I asked, in a hurry to end this long story and go into the next trial. But I was wrong.


    [No.]


    The tower denied it. I raised my eyebrows, curious.


    [Although the Sect leaders and n leaders fell. One remained.]


    ''One?''


    I wondered. Suddenly I recalled something in the description of the Shadow Borne,


    "Ma cheon, the heavenly demon."


    I muttered. That was the name that was present in the description of the Shadow bore shown to me by the dragon Eyes.


    [Ma Cheon, The heavenly demon, Who single-handedly fought the entire Murim for a hundred years, and vanquished the shadows that gued his world¡­By himself. Without even getting a moment of rest and also fighting against the Shadow bore who consistently ambushed him.]


    ''...''


    I was astonished.


    "What was the rank of the Heavenly Demon?"


    I asked, curious, Surely it should be extremely high for him to be capable of all that.


    [Why don''t you go find out for yourself?]


    Urged the tower. I smirked.


    "So I can finally advance into the next trial."


    Finally, after so long I can go.


    [Yes.]


    A white light covered me as the Tower began the transportation.


    [You ended an Empire with disgrace.]


    Itmented, I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the next trial.


    [Now how will you end a world¡­when you have regained some of your senses?]


    ¡­


    I remained silent.


    [You have entered the 21st floor.]


    *********


    [Outside the tower.]


    It was gettingte, but the Colosseum was as crowded as ever, people refused to leave, anxious about what would happen.


    Thankfully, the Colosseum was equipped for this, it had rooms that residents could upy, their seats would still be reserved for them and they could even watch some of the Trials within their rooms.


    ''People¡­are not leaving at all.''


    Harrison thought as he looked at the Colosseum which was as lively as ever.


    ''I wonder how long it would take¡­Daniel is on the 24th floor whilst Elijah and n just entered the 21st floor. Everyone else is extremely far behind.''


    Daniel was still in the lead, but most of the attention was on n and Elijah respectively, because of the unique trials they were being given, different from the rest.


    Harrison vividly remembered n''s fight with the Shadowborne, It was a monster he had never seen before, and honestly¡­It was strong. Even though Harrison was not the one fighting it, even he could see that the


    The monster was terrifying, truly terrifying.


    ''It was weakened as well¡­and still possessed a lot of power.''


    He didn''t know the exact rank of the monster, but he knew that he would have to exert quite a bit of power to take it on, and defeating it would require more, considering its nature.


    "The day is ending, I know you all are excited but please get ample rest, I assure you, you can view the recordings of the trials anytime.


    Please, get some rest."


    He announced, his mana-enhanced voice reverberated all around the Colosseum. Some listened and began to leave with their family, while most didn''t.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel says she has to teach someone a lesson.]


    "Hmm?"


    Ariel''s sudden message confused kazikato.


    Teach a lesson to whom?


    Wait¡­it can''t be him¡­right?!


    [Primordial dragon of Death Ariel assures you it is not you, but the youngest of her sons, the Supreme Dragon of Shadows.]


    Kazikato prayed for that supreme being. Ariel went easy on him and Edward because they were weak.


    But against a supreme being¡­


    He didn''t think that would be the case.


    He prayed for the survival of The Dragon Of Shadow.


    "I''m gonna get going as well."


    Edward stood from his seat beside Kazikato and stretched. Sitting in the same ce for the entire day proved to be quite tiring for him. Although the seats were insanelyfortable, he just wasn''t used to this.


    "Where?"


    Asked Kazikato as he chowed on some popcorn. He was curious as to where He was going. Richard would probably not let him in the Twilight Guild room because of his rebellious nature.


    "I don''t know, maybe I will meet up with Emma."


    He said.


    Kazikato hurriedly informed him.


    "You can''t go anywhere near Emma!"


    He said, with a hint of fear in his voice.


    "What?"


    Edward was confused, he could not go and meet his sister. What bullshit was this?


    "Boss requested Emma to stay around Samantha at all times, If you got there your death energy will worsen Samantha''s condition¡­The boss will rip your organs out if he finds out."


    A chill went down Edward''s spine as he imagined what n would do when he found out¡­


    For his safety, he decided not to visit Emma.


    He had just seen what n was capable of, so he decided¡­


    Let''s not. Just not do it. He could imagine what n would do when he found out¡­and that scared the shit out of him.


    He calmly went outside the Colosseum, intending to explore the Capitol.


    Kazikato watched him leave and looked at n''s trial more closely.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Arielments that the situation has gotten worse.]


    Hmmm?


    What did she mean by that?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What do you mean by that?"


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel says that you would not understand.]


    "Ok, grandma."


    She probably knew something she couldn''t share, so Kazikato dismissed it.


    He went to sleep¡­right where he was.


    Truly¡­only he could be confident enough to do this. He was strong and also had the protection of Ariel, a Primordial being.


    [Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel sighs]

 Chapter 384 [384] The World Of Murim.[2]

    [You have entered the 21st trial.]


    As soon as I stepped inside the trial, I felt vulgar.


    "Cough!"


    I coughed, unable to withstand therge amount of shadow energy in the Area.


    ''What the fuck?!''


    I cursed in my mind as I hurriedly used my mana to make a shield around me.


    The density of Shadow energy here was incredibly dense.


    My mana surged forth and formed a barrier around me, only then was I at ease.


    [Trial of Darkness.]


    [You are thrown into a dark forest, with dangerous beasts lurking all around. You need to survive and outrun the beasts. Caution is advised. Stay as quiet as possible and don''t let the beasts touch you and infect you with the Shadow. Do not let the infection rate be 100%]


    Darkness, everywhere.


    I could make out faint figures of trees but it was extremely hard to urately discern my environment.


    ''Keeping Dragon Eyes active for long would be detrimental for me¡­''


    I thought. Dragon eyes would be able to help me a lot but using it for a long period of time would just hinder me further.


    I slowly go blind the more I use it, and if I don''t deactivate the skill the blindness is permanent.


    Since I don''t have the Phoenix bloodline right now I can''t even heal from that¡­So the situation is quite dire.


    My heart is beating wildly!


    *Thump!*


    Something is here!


    I could hear the leaves rattle and trees shake¡­The sound of the wind was eerie.


    I looked around and found nothing¡­yet.


    I enhanced my eyes with mana as much as I could¡­But even the visibility was pathetic.


    But it got a little better at least. I could at least see the rough terrain and some of the trees.


    They possessed a strange energy and I could feel multiple types of energies behind them.


    They were everywhere, every energy was unique¡­But there was one simrity.


    To my shock¡­The energies were very familiar to me¡­


    Who am I kidding¡­ Of course, it''s familiar. That same type of energy beat the shit out of me for months.


    ''It''s Aura.''


    I gulped. The entire region was filled with Aura¡­As expected of Murim. I used mana sense but the dense shadow energy disrupted the skill heavily.


    As I cursed my luck, a notification popped up suddenly.


    [Shadow Infection rate:1%]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    What?


    I hurriedly scanned my surroundings and my body¡­However, I was unable to find any anomaly.


    ''What the hell?''


    I thought, what the heck is happening? My entire body is encased in my mana and secluded from the shadow energy¡­So, How?


    "Gruhhhh."


    Suddenly, I heard a groan. I turned around and saw a shadow. It was a man covered in robes.


    His lower jaw had fallen off, and his eyes had worms inside them. His clothing was rtively fine but the smell was atrocious.


    I blocked my nose and pointed the Ame-no-Sakahoko at him.


    ''Has it noticed me?''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    I thought. Although we were face-to-face hecked eyes. If he was somehow able to see me he would have already attacked. But he isn''t. He is just circling around me, his head fixed towards me.


    I turned my body as he moved, and remained vignt.


    [Shadow infection rate: 2%]


    ..?


    Why is the percentage increasing? I haven''t been attacked!


    ''Does it have something to do with the environment¡­Or Do I just have to be at a certain distance away from the shadow beasts?]


    I thought.


    I felt a hundred more different kinds of Auras around me, the only thing inmon they shared was the corruption of shadow.


    The shadow beast, or the Jiangshi stopped. I heightened my senses, prepared for anything.


    I briefly used Dragon eyes to view the basic information of the Jiangshi in front of me.


    [Name: Chun Soo.]


    [Description: A Normal farmer of Murim corrupted by the shadow energy.]


    I rxed when I realized he was just the average Joe, although he may have been enhanced by Shadow Energy he is still fodder.


    At least, that''s what I thought. Until it suddenly attacked me.


    I didn''t have to block it, the mana shield I conjured would stop it¡­


    Jiangshi rushed at me. But it was different


    Unlike the citizens of the empire who walked like zombies, this one ran at me with proper form and even used a martial art!


    I fired off an ice bolt and froze the thing out of instinct.


    With arge thud, the frozen Jiangshi fell to the floor.


    *THUD!*


    A chill ran down my spine.


    [Kekeke¡­shouldn''t have done that.]


    Theughter of the tower rang inside my head. The previous hundred or so Aura''s turned into thousands¡­And each one was formidable.


    [It seems you weren''t paying attention to my story¡­How sad.]


    Lamented the tower as my shock increased¡­The number of different aura''s was rising! And none of them were weak!


    [Do you get it now?]


    It''s cold voice lingered in my mind.


    [This is not the empire¡­but Murim, the world that faced the shadow for years, and even drove it back.]


    Ah¡­Now It dawned on me.


    I should have been paying attention. Damnit.


    [Everyone here is strong!]


    In Murim, everyone has learned Martial arts.


    Shit.


    ***********


    [21st floor, Elijah Ardor POV.]


    "..!"


    Elijah hurriedly blocked the attack of a Jiangshi and ran through the forest, burning the trees with his fire.


    "Go!"


    He threw his smander ahead.


    "Find a way!"


    He ordered, and the little spirit hurried on ahead. Elijah was slowed down due to the constant attacks of the Jiangshi.


    [Supreme dragon of fire Agri advises you to be careful!]


    "I AM BEING CAREFUL!"


    Elijah yelled.


    The onught of the Jiangshi was brutal! They were not giving him even a moment of rest! When he blocked the attack, another came.


    And all of these Jiangshi knew how to fight! And they were quite well-versed in it.


    They knew about the art of fighting well!


    [Supreme Dragon of fire Agri exins all Murim''s are a world filled with martial masters! Not a single adult is weak!]


    "Kuh!"


    Elijah barely managed to block an attack, He jumped backward and released a breath of fire.


    "Ha¡­"


    He gasped for breath as he watched the havoc his fire created.


    *KIEK!*


    A cry rang throughout the forest. Elijah wondered to whom it belonged but right now he didn''t care.


    [Shadow infection rate:4%]


    ''Why is it increasing?!''


    He thought. Why was the infection rate increasing when not a single Jiangshi had touched him?!


    WHAT IS HAPPENING?!


    He was panicking.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Fire Agri urges you to stay calm.]


    Thankfully, Agri was able to bring him to the right state. But that was only for a moment.


    Elijah''s eyes widened in horror as he saw the Jiangshi walk through the mes. Step by step¡­towards him.


    "..."


    He stepped back and ran.


    The Jiangshi chased after him, ignoring their very bodies which were burning.


    [You cannot save anyone here.]


    The tower''s voice rang in his mind as Elijah used Draconic transformation to grow wings and fly high up. Above therge trees.


    "Finally!"


    He sighed in relief as he found some respite in the dark skies.


    But that was only for a moment. Crescent shes of Aura emerged from under the trees and made their way towards him. Elijah expertly maneuvered around the skies trying to dodge the Aura des.


    ''I can do this¡­''


    He thought. Indeed, he could keep this up for a while until the trial ended. Dodging the shes would be a piece of cake.


    He thought. However, unlike his expectations, it was not as easy as he had thought. Thousands, tens of thousands of Aura shes came at him like rain!


    They filled his vision.


    [Dragon Breath(FIRE) has been activated.]


    He used his dragon breath to form a shield of fire around him.


    "I need to ascend higher.''''


    He muttered, he unfurled his wings and flew higher up in the sky.


    Until¡­


    *THWIP!*


    "Eh?"


    He suddenly felt something coil around his foot. He looked down.


    "A vine?"


    He said, confused. Did a Vine just coil around his foot¡­from the forest?


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri urges you to burn it NOW!]


    But Elijah was unable to do so.


    "AHHHH!"


    He screamed as he was dragged towards the forest by the vine.


    Now he knew why the Shadow Infection rate was rising. It wasn''t because he was near the Jiangshi¡­But because he was in the Forest.


    The entire forest was alive, it was a shadow beast as well.


    Elijah hurriedly tried to resist the vine, he transformed into a full-fire draconian and tried to cut the vine with his tail.


    A hundred more appeared from the ground and coiled around him before he could even try that. Elijah encased him in fire. But the number of vines only increased.


    "HMMPH!"


    They coiled all around him, extinguishing his fire.


    The tower''s voice echoed in his mind.


    [I told you, this would not be as easy as it seems¡­]


    He was dragged back towards the forest at a frightening speed, and Elijah was unable to do anything to resist.


    [Murim is not for the weak.]

 Chapter 385 [385] The Heavenly Demon.

    Upon the highest peak of Murim, a lone man d in all-ck sat.


    Higher than even the clouds, higher than all. He was the heavens themselves!


    His hair was as ck as the night. And he was incredibly handsome as well. A chiseled face along with Jade-like skin. His eyes were as red as blood and he wore royal attire.


    A robe of ebony adorned with intricate crimson embroidery which went to his knees, he wore ebony trousers as well. Which was bothfortable for normal life as well as battle.


    Even though he was merely sitting, the air was shaking from his power! The waves of Demonic energy he subconsciously emitted made the world bend to his will.


    "More came."


    Ma Cheon said as he used his peerless eyes to gaze upon two youths who entered into the Forest of the Shadows.


    "One is of Yin, whilst the other is of yang. An Interesting pair."


    Hemented and went back to drinking wine.


    [You seem quite carefree.]


    The voice of the tower resounded throughout the peak.


    Ma Cheon took a big gulp of his alcohol and asked.


    "What do you want now?"


    He questioned the tower, his demonic energy surged forth like a raging sea and the Tower retreated its influence on the Demonic mountain.


    [What do you think?]


    Asked the tower. Ma Cheon looked at the skies with his tired eyes and scoffed.


    "To annoy me again?"


    [How harsh.]


    Said the Tower, feeling hurt by Ma Cheon''s remarks.


    [The heavenly demon lives up to his name.]


    It said, and Ma Cheon continued drinking his wine.


    "Leave me alone."


    [Did you brew that yourself?]


    The tower, however, did not listen to the wishes of the Heavenly demon.


    "Is there anyone left to brew it for me?"


    He scoffed.


    [...]


    The tower fell silent. The entirety of Murim was dead¡­It was just him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Only the Heavenly demon remained.


    [You have maintained the mountain well.]


    Commented the tower, trying to find any reason to continue the conversation.


    Ma Cheon yed along.


    "I will not let my sect be disgraced by the vile shadow."


    Ayer of demonic energy that originated from Ma Cheon was spread all throughout the Demonic mountain. This vast Demonic energy kept the demonic mountain pure, fending off the Shadow Energy that gued all of Murim.


    It was an unbelievable feat, one man was fending off an entire world¡­filled with Shadow energy by himself.


    Truly¡­Ma Cheon was the strongest.


    [Commendable.]


    Even the Tower respected it. The Heavenly demon was worthy of its respect.


    The one man who fought the Shadow army, numbering in the billions for decades, as well as dealing with the Shadow-borne Aluman''s ambushes.


    For Decades¡­without a single moment of rest.


    [I feel as if your wish will be granted.]


    The words of the tower piqued the interest of the Heavenly demon.


    "By the one who possesses Metal Qi?"


    The heavenly demon asked as he used his eyes to peer into the shadowy Murim once again. He looked further than the Forest of Shadows and found him.


    Daniel Khorsch. The one who was at the lead.


    The heavenly demon remembered him quite well. He was the first challenger of his trial.


    "Has hee back stronger?"


    Asked the Heavenly demon.


    [Who knows? But did you think I was talking about him?]


    "..."


    The Heavenly demon fell silent.


    "The Youths of Yin and Yang."


    He muttered. The tower''sughter echoed throughout the Mountain.


    [Truly! Your insight is befitting the title of Heavenly Demon.]


    The heavenly demon paid no attention to the words of the Tower. He focused on n and Elijah present on the Twenty-first floor.


    "They will not be able toplete my wish."


    He said, losing interest in them.


    His tired eyes stared into the empty wine bottle with disdain. He let out a sigh.


    [Are you sure?]


    However, the tower was adamant.


    "..."


    The heavenly demon could not understand.


    "Why are you so¡­"


    [Adamant? Excited?]


    "..."


    The tower interrupted the Heavenly demon with a voice filled with excitement.


    "Yes."


    Agreed the Heavenly demon, the tower was acting strange.


    [How can I not be? When three brave youthse to Challenge the heavenly demon?!]


    "..."


    The heavenly demon silently listened to the rants of the tower.


    [How could I not be Cheon Ma?! When they are fighting with everything they have?]


    It truly liked to do this. Oh well, Cheon Ma didn''t mind. Although he didn''t show it, he liked thepany the tower provided.


    After centuries of Solitude, he liked having someone to talk to.


    "You are strange."


    Hemented.


    [Strange? I am just a reader. A viewer.]


    Ma Cheon however, had a different opinion.


    "A creep is what you are.


    [...]


    Cheon Ma gazed at the clouds below his feet. A circle of white clouds surrounded by ck ones.


    The white clouds seemed like a beacon in the sea of ck.


    "How corrupt our world has be."


    He said as he looked with disgust at the sea of ck.


    [Has it? I say it possesses quite a charm.]


    The heavenly demon dismissed the words of the tower and continued gazing at the clouds.


    [You really like to do that, don''t you?]


    The tower''s voice echoed throughout the mountain again, But Ma Cheon paid it no heed and continued to gaze at the clouds.


    [You better prepare yourself, Who knows, you might meet your end and your wish will be fulfilled.]


    The heavenly demon let out augh as he heard the words of the Tower.


    [What''s so funny?]


    Asked the tower, offended.


    To ''demonstrate'', The heavenly demon raised his hand and swung down calmly.


    It was a swift and simple movement¡­but that simple movement had severed the sea of clouds in front of him. The clouds were split apart for as long as one could see.


    [...]


    The tower fell silent, taking in the magnificent disy of power from The Heavenly Demon.


    Ma Cheon began descending the mountain. But before leaving he said to the tower.


    "Murim will not fall."

 Chapter 386 [386] Endure For As Long As You Can!

    n Pator POV]


    I ran through the forest, trying to escape the horde of Jiangshi behind me.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Suleras urges you to escape the forest.]


    Suleras said.


    ''I know!''


    I screamed in my head. I could handle these Jiangshi but the problem was I was not confident enough to take them on without sustaining even a single injury.


    Every Jiangshi we''re is a formidable martial artist.


    [Shadow infection rate:4%]


    And to make matters worse¡­this thing increased again.


    This is increasing even though I haven''t been touched at all¡­damn it.


    [Supreme Dragon of frostnesha urges you to pay attention to your surroundings.]


    I moved my head to dodge a metal arrow. It cut a few strands of my hair but fortunately, I was able to avoid an injury.


    "Damn it"


    I cursed.


    I ran further ahead, without caring for the trees. I made the mana around me denser so I would breathe through.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear]


    [Heavenly thrust!]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thankfully, the spear proved effective against Jiangshi.


    [Supreme Dragon of Lanesha urges you to pay attention to your surroundings! Think of another way besides running!]


    [Shadow Infection rate 5%.]


    OK, calm down. I need to listen to Lanesha and Suleras!


    [Draconic Transformation is being activated.]


    I transformed into a Frost draconian and flew high up, I destroyed the trees and soared high into the skies.


    But things didn''t go ording to n.


    Thousands of aura shes came at me, I conjured up a shield of Ice to protect myself.


    [Frost Shield has been activated.]


    However, there were just too many. The aura shes bombarded the Frost Shield and Slowly by slowly cracks were formed.


    ''Hmmm¡­.''


    As I saw the shield breaking, I prepared to cast a few ciers and rain a frozen hell upon the Jiangshi but¡­


    Something coiled around my foot.


    As I looked down to see what it was¡­I found it out to be a vine.


    ''Eh?''


    Before I could process anything, I was dragged towards the forest.


    [Supreme Dragon of chaos Suleras says he told you to pay attention!]


    "Could you maybe shut up?!"


    I used the skill [Chaotic Vigor] possessed by my armor and fired a Chaos st downwards. Towards the source of the vine.


    Arge explosion lit up the dark world.


    But I was not done.


    Another.


    Another.


    Another!


    I fired multiple chaos sts till the entire forest beneath was decimated! Arge cratery beneath me.


    I descended into the crater when I saw multiple other vines reaching for me.


    When I descended, they retreated away and the jiangshi appeared once again.


    ''So they attack only if I am away from the forest.''


    I thought. At first, I was wondering why the infection rate was increasing despite my not havinge into contact with Jiangshi¡­


    Only now did I realize it was because the entire forest was a shadow being¡­


    The infection rate was increasing because of that.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha warns you to be careful.]


    "I know."


    I unleashed all of the Ice mana I had into the surroundings.


    [GLACIER has been activated.]


    It would be too much to use cial copse here¡­so this is better.


    Multiple ciers fell from the sky and formed a circle around me. Acting like a kind of wall.


    I controlled the ice mana in the surroundings and cast even more skills.


    ''The objective is to survive¡­''


    I muttered as I nned to create arge dome around me. One that would hold for as long as I wanted.


    [Frost shields have been activated.]


    I closed the dome off with multiple shields of frost, eachyered on top of another.


    ''Now¡­only one thing remains.''


    I set up a gravity field andpressed the Ice as much as I could, making it tougher.


    Now, it could truly be called an imprable defense.


    The space inside the dome is devoid of Shadow mana, so the infection rate wouldn''t increase.


    I enforced the same further with my mana.


    I don''t know how many attacks areing from the outside¡­but damn is the dome shaking.


    "Hooo¡­."


    Most escaped from my mouth as I dered.


    "I can do this¡­I just have to endure."


    Endure until the time limit ends, and I pass this floor.


    I just have to endure.


    ********


    [Wall of me has been activated.]


    [Fire storm has been activated.]


    [Hellfire has been activated.]


    Elijah activated all sorts of skills of the Element of Fire and created a fiery hell around him.


    He was constantly firing off any wide-area skill he could use!


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you to keep it like this.]


    Advised Agri, Elijah yelled at him.


    "I know!"


    He was panicking currently, he didn''t have any skills that could create a solid barrier that he could use to fend off the Jiangshi, all he could do was fire any skills he had! Continuously.


    "How long do I have to do this?!"


    He questioned, And the tower responded.


    [Until the time limit ends.]


    "Fuck you!"


    Elijah cursed the tower.


    [Fire breath has been activated.]


    [Fire Lance has been activated.]


    [Fire Physique has been activated.]


    The Jiangshi were endless, but Elijah still dodged the aura shes that made it past the Roaring mes.


    [Shadow Infection rate: 6%]


    Goddamnit!


    He cursed in his mind.


    He took in a deep breath, his chest puffed up and his neck glowed red.


    [DRAGON FIRE has been used.]


    Elijah used one of the strongest skills he had and decimated the ranks of the Jiangshi. Half of the Forest was gone due to the effects of Dragon Fire!


    It surged forth like aser beam and burnt everything to ash. Thousands of jiangshi were burnt to a crisp¡­


    But tens of thousands remained.


    "damn it!"


    Elijah cursed as he took out an item from his inventory.


    A ring made entirely of gold.


    Elijah hurriedly inputted his mana inside the ring and it glowed with an intense light.


    [Empire''s Call has been used.]


    [The ck Tortoise Battalion has been summoned!]


    Multiple knights, each wearing a set of extremely heavy armor and bulky shields, stepped out from portals created by the ring. These were all fueled by Elijah''s mana.


    This was Elijah:a reward for clearing the 20th floor. A ring that could call the forces of the Empire for help.


    The ck Tortoise knights formed a circle around him and made a shield formation.


    "Endure for as long as possible!"


    Ordered Elijah, as he prepared himself for the worst.


    He yelled once again, trying to motivate the knights.


    "Endure only for a while!"


    He hoped his mana wouldst long enough¡­lest he be devoured by the Jiangshi.

 Chapter 387 [387] Edwards New Strength.

    Edward walked through the streets of the Capitol. Even though it was past midnight the capitol was still as busy as ever, filled with people.


    The bright lights made it seem as if there was still a sun in the sky.


    "Come get fresh kebabs!"


    "Equipment for sale!"


    "Magical materials and Items! Everything you could need!"


    The vendors were screaming their lungs out as always. Thepetition in the streets of the capitol was fierce. Well, this time of the year the Academic Convergence was happening so it made sense. The capitol was currently filled with students and adventurers from all over the world.


    It was the best season for money!


    "..."


    Edward stared at the bright lights and the splendor in amazement. He had never seen such a sight in Aror.


    It was entirely different from Aror¡­the only things that were the same were the scornful eyes of the humans here. They still looked at him, a demi-human with disgust.


    Although, it was an undeniable fact that the scornful eyes were far less than in Aror. Maybe the people in the capitol were used to Demi-humans. So it was a better situation.


    But now?


    Edward honestly didn''t give a fuck. He was strong enough to not give a fuck. Ariel''s training had truly given him the confidence to even go against a B+ rank awakened and put up a good fight. The primordial dragon had forcibly awakened him and had also taught him a lot.


    And also beat the shit out of him a lot, but hey who cares?


    ''...''


    Edward shivered when he remembered the training he had to endure. Entire colossal skeletal giants the size of mountains, endless hordes of Death knights and Duhans¡­And he was getting the good part of the deal.


    Kazikato was up against Ariel Herself! He saw how the poor Kazikato, who could squish him in seconds, was getting thrashed by a single finger of Ariel!


    He couldn''t do anything about it! The training was just getting beaten up!


    ''The best instructor is pain!''


    A chill went down his spine as he recalled the ''wise'' wisdom of Ariel.


    It was hell, his training was hell.


    Well¡­it had benefits as well. Edward was finally able to learn something about himself and his race.


    Ariel had exined to him in great detail.


    [You belong to a n of Beasts that has fallen now, that n was able to produce even a few godbeasts before. But now you and your sister are probably the only living descendants of the Golden Fox n. Your n was massacred when your godbeast fell in the internal war of the Godbeasts. If I recall correctly it was by the Bear and lion ns of the Demi Humans.]


    The information was shocking, but that was not the most important thing,


    [And you are royalty. A direct descendant of a Godbeast, it exins your constitution and the nature of the Aura inside you. And the powers of life your sister possesses.]


    When he had received that information, hell began for him¡­but it was also a sort of hope.


    *********


    [The Domain of Death, Primordial Dragon Of Ariel''s prison.]


    "Aura?"


    "Aura?"


    Kazikato and Edward had simr reactions to the word ''aura''. Kazikato was a little knowledgeable about it. He had heard about the word from n before but he didn''t dwell on it too much. Whilst Edward had no clue.


    [Yes, Aura.]


    Confirmed Ariel to the two, she healed their injuries in a second and exined in more detail.


    [Unlike most beings, Orcs and Demi-Humans are sensitive to Aura instead of Mana. Only a special few of them are able to utilize mana. Most of them learn the maniption of Aura. They have built entire civilizations on the usage of Aura and have a deep history with it. You are a demihuman, and it is abundant in your vessel.]


    She exined, but Edward still had difficulty understanding it.


    "...I still don''t get it."


    He said, confusion written on his face.


    "Me too."


    It seemed Kazikato was in the same boat as Edward.


    Ariel sighed and exined ''Aura'' to the two idiots in her domain.


    [Aura is a form of energy like mana, unlike mana which is present throughout the universe and in every being¡­Aura is fundamentally different. It is awakened rather than possessed by you from birth. Orcs and Demihumans are more sensitive to it so they tend to awaken it first. It is like waking up a dormant force inside of you.


    The conditions for awakening are different for every person and like the awakening conditions¡­


    ''No aura is the same.''


    Even though it might appear to be the same, every type of Aura is unique.]


    She continued.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Aura¡­is a force directly opposite to Mana. This is the main reason why Orcs and Demi-humans, which are extremely insensitive to mana, can awaken it. It is unheard of for someone who has used mana even once to awaken Aura. Well¡­it was unheard of until a certain human did it.


    It''s a power that greatly enhances your beastly or primal instincts and enhances your physical aspects.]


    "Can''t Mana do that too?"


    Asked the confused Edward.


    [Yes, but there is a limit and the efficiency and effects cannot bepared to Aura. It is a power dormant in every living organism, But only a select few can actually use it.]


    Kazikato raised his hand to ask a question.


    "If it''s so rare, then why do Orcs and Demi-Humans still exist? And has there ever been a dragon who used it?"


    Ariel almostughed at Kazikato''s question.


    [Because Aura is strong, and the ones who use it have a great deal of discipline and mental fortitude. It is akin to the force of their willpower. If it was a weak power, the Godbeasts would be no match for the Dragons¡­]


    "Then what about a dragon, has a dragon ever got it? Like have they used no mana or been devoid of it to ga-"


    Ariel cut Kazikato off.


    [My dear, A dragon without mana is a dead dragon.]


    **********


    [Capitol, Streets.]


    Edward remembered the lectures Ariel gave about Aura and his type of aura.


    She made him go to rigorous training to awaken his Aura.


    Edward held out his hand, he awakened his aura and a golden fire engulfed his hand.


    [Fire, life, and metal, those are the attributes possessed by your Aura.]


    ording to Ariel, that was the uniqueness of his aura. Three attributes and some other things he was unable to perform right now.


    *GRUMBLE*


    As he was lost in thought, a sudden growl in his stomach woke him up.


    "..."


    Edward took out his Twilight Guild Card. Apparently, ording to the humans at the Twilight base, this could pay for him instead of Cash. He just had to show it to the person he was buying from and they could extract credits from the card with their watch or items a vendor usually had.


    ''I just have to show it right?''


    He thought as he went over to a kebab stall. The scent of the meat was making his mouth water. His sensitive nose was not helping to keep his hunger in control¡­


    "Excuse me, please give me one."


    He asked politely. He had learned his lesson by getting his ass beat when he was rude. Besides, Ariel had also ''instilled'' some manners into him. Both n and The Primordial Dragon of Death had transformed the feral fox into a respectable gentleman through beatings.


    It was quite an effective strategy.


    The shopkeeper was held aback when he saw Edward, and reluctant to do any business with him but all Edward had to do was show him the Guild card.


    "..!"


    The vendor immediately gave him whatever he wanted with a bright smile on his face the moment he saw the Guild Card. Edward handed him the card and it was given back after a while.


    "Pleasure doing business with Twilight!"


    ''It worked.''


    Thought Edward as he walked away, savoring the taste of the kebab.


    He had been informed by the guild to just show the person the Guild card, and they would sell him anything because Of Twilight''s influence.


    It wasn''t the third-ranked guild in the world for nothing, Even though it was publicly known for being weaker than Behemoth Or Titan, it was still far stronger than the other guilds.


    And Twilight had a special reputation for getting back at someone, so people didn''t dare mess with them.


    "So good¡­"


    He praised. He had to admit the humans were masters of the culinary arts. The food in twilight and even the food from the vendors here was amazing! It was better than any of the garbage he ate when he was struggling to survive.


    Maybe Emma was right, Humans do have good in them.


    Some of them.


    Edward discreetly entered an empty alley and went quite far from the streets. There, he stopped and threw the kebab stick away. His fists became d in his Aura me and he cast an istion technique on the surrounding area, all in seconds.


    He turned around to see a figure covered in a ck hood, but it was obvious it was female.


    "I really fucking hate being followed you know."


    He snarled, he had been aware that he was being followed from the Kebab store, and was getting sick of it.


    "You led me here."


    The figure spoke, the voice was proof that she was a female.


    "Yeah, Now what the fuck do you want?"


    He asked crudely, His eyes never left the hooded female.


    He could faintly see her smile, and he raised his guard when he sensed arge amount of Mana being used.


    "You are from Twilight¡­So I''ll send your corpse to ''him'' as a gift."


    Her shadow increased and an infernal being stepped out from it. Edward smiled as he saw it. He had been starved for action anyways.


    "Bring it on, bitch."

 Chapter 388 [388] Infernal Boneclaw.

    Edward rushed at the mysterious figure, his fists d in golden me.


    His speed was incredible as if his figure vanished into thin air and reappeared only a meter away!


    His fist was mere inches away from the face of the mysterious figure¡­and just then.


    She smiled.


    Edward felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately retreated.


    "Damn."


    The figure sighed.


    "..."


    Edward had felt something¡­he had felt as if his hand would be cut off if he decided to attack.


    "It seems he''s not the only one who''s a monster in your guild."


    Edward grew wary of the Figure and asked.


    "Who are you talking about?"


    The figure smiled. The atmosphere changed as whatever was in her shadow stepped out fully.


    "..."


    Before Edward''s eyes¡­was a monster unlike whatever he had seen before.


    No¡­it seemed familiar to him. And that was when it clicked.


    "Bonew."


    He muttered.


    "Oh? You know about it?"


    The figure was astonished. She truly had not expected Edward to know about a Monster as rare as a Bonew.


    Little did she know, Edward already had a few bouts with Bone ws in the Primordial Dragon of Death Ariel''s domain.


    "What did you do to it?"


    He asked. Something about this bone w was different¡­Very different.


    Unlike the normal gray, dead skin normal Bone ws had¡­this one had a red, fiery skin that seemed as if it was like mes. Multiple stitches littered its body as if to connect it all together. Magma escaped from such stitches and a ck fire d its long nails. The stitches were proof that someone had done this¡­


    "...Yes."


    The figure''s voice seemed to detest it. It was as if she didn''t like the question or rather even the one it was directed at. Edward found the reaction odd but dismissed it.


    "If you think that''s going to save you¡­Should have brought more."


    Edward''s figure disappeared.


    The mutant bone w reacted. Although Edward was extremely fast, Bonew was still able to sense his movements.


    "That won''t do anything!"


    Edward appeared and punched the Bonew from the sides.


    The bone w raised its long nails to defend itself from Edward. However, the sheer force behind the punch sent it flying. It crashed into the building by the side.


    It let out a shriek as the building caved on it. Its figure became d in dark mes that melted anything that fell on it.


    Edward didn''t miss this opportunity and quickly tried to punch the mysterious figure.


    He was fighting a sort of summoner right now, that was easy to deduct. And when fighting someone like this it''s always better to go for them than the spirit.


    His golden fists punched the figure and¡­the figure disappeared..?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..?"


    Edward was left confused. It had suddenly disappeared into smoke!


    "..!"


    Suddenly, he felt something above him.Edward looked up to see the mysterious figure sitting on the roof of a building in the alley.


    "Toote."


    He could see a crimson glow from the hood¡­and his body froze for a second.


    And that second was fatal. The bone wed and attacked his frozen body. Edward was able to gain enough control of his body to raise his arm to defend himself.


    The bone w shed his arm, his golden aura was able to deflect some of it but the damage was horrendous.


    Edward jumped back and examined his arm. He grimaced as he saw the state.


    The muscle had been torn and it was bleeding severely, his bones had also fractured.


    And there was also a searing pain coursing through his body. If not for his aura his arm would have been sliced into multiple pieces.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Heh."


    Theugh of the figure sent a chill down his spine. Edward hurriedly jumped from his location. He thanked his instincts for saving him from a pir of fire that suddenly erupted below his feet.


    "That''s it."


    Edward, still in the air said.


    He kicked the air with enough force to propel his body and rushed at the Bonew instead of the hooded girl on top.


    "KIEK!"


    The bone w breathed out a pir of fire, hot enough to melt steel. Edward ducked down to dodge it and Kicked the mouth of the Bone w close. The breath erupted in its mouth and exploded.


    Edward jumped back to dodge the explosion. He didn''t pay attention to the bone w anymore and rushed at the Girl on the rooftop.


    "..!"


    For the first time, she was showing a surprised look. Edward would have been certain that the figure was real if he hadn''t discreetly spread his aura in the surroundings before.


    He suddenly changed directions when he was just about to punch the ''figure.''


    He turned left and grabbed the head of the real one, who was almost invisible.


    "What?!"


    Her muffled voice escaped her mouth as Edward mmed her into the ground. He grasped her head tight and threatened.


    "Now, Tell me who you are before I crush your head."


    His grip on her head disappeared. Edward could now see more of her facial features. She possessed crimson hair and eyes, and quite a beautiful face.


    But Edward didn''t give a damn about her looks.


    "Argh!"


    She let out a muffled scream as Edward tightened his hold on her head. She could feel her skull being crushed.


    ''He''s serious.''


    Lilith Cardeveras thought. She began talking.


    "My name is l-"


    Her sentence was interrupted by her figure melding into the darkness and disappearing, leaving an injured Edward behind.


    Unlike her expectations, Edward proved to be a more difficult foe than she had expected.


    "...Damn it."


    Edward cursed. He had let the attacker escape.


    "That thing was unstable."


    Hemented as he looked at thest ce the Bone w was present before its own breath exploded in its face.


    He took out amunication device from his Inventory.


    [What is it, Edward?]


    Maxwell''s voice was heard from the device.


    "Can you send some healers and other people to my location?"


    Asked Edward politely. No one would believe he had brutally mmed a girl into the ground just a few seconds prior.


    [What happened?]


    Maxwell''s urgent voice echoed.


    "I was attacked by a girl with crimson hair and eyes, she had a spirit as well, A Bonew that used fire."


    Exined Edward.


    [Got it, I''ve sent some people there, Go to a ce with a lot of people, reinforcements areing.]


    The call ended. Edward sighed and muttered.


    "...Don''t think that''s necessary."


    The istion technique he learned from Ariel had been disabled due to himcking the amount of aura to support it¡­and people were already taking pictures.


    Edward shielded his eyes from the sh of the cameras. He had a feeling this matter would escte further than he had hoped.


    ******


    [In an empty house, basement, Capitol.]


    "Damn it."


    Cursed Lilith as she took off her robe and plopped down on the bed.


    "...Twilight is stronger than expected."


    Shemented that the strength of Edward was astonishing. She had thought it was just a minor member of Twilight when she saw the card he used at the kebab store¡­But that ''minor'' member had managed to defeat her.


    ''First n and now that boy.''


    She was on a losing streak against Twilight.


    "What the hell..."


    She let out a sigh.


    "Weren''t they the weakest out of the Big Three guilds¡­Why is everyone so strong?!"


    She threw a tantrum, which was expected of her age. She summoned her bone w again, the poor spirit was having trouble ''managing'' the changes it had been ''gifted''.


    "..."


    She had a sad expression on her face as she saw her dear spirit''s e here."


    She said, and the injured bone w, currently even weaker than the time it had faced n obeyed.


    It sat down right in front of her and She activated her skills, to heal her poor spirit.


    "There there¡­I''ll fix you up."


    She soothed her spirit, even though she was in a condition where it would make sense if she worried about herself, she instead cared for her spirit.


    Why wouldn''t she? It was the only one who had suffered with her¡­from her mother''s experiments.


    A visible scar was present on her bare back, she had ''experienced augmentations'' as well. To be able to support her spirit.


    The problemy not in her bone w¡­but in her. She was unable to support its full form fully with her mana¡­so her mother had made adjustments.


    "Clean the ce a bit, I''m gonna go take a bath."


    The basement was quite messy, littered with electronics and other mechanical parts. All having been tinkered with.


    Who would have known? The daughter of the Queen of Biology, the one who had a unique skill that allowed her to mess with life itself, was interested in Machines more than life.


    The bone w began to tidy the room. Lilith stepped into the bath, her body covered in more scars than what she showed normally.


    It wasn''t just one or two, but several, all handiworks of her mother in order to make her...PERFECT.

 Chapter 389 [389] Wudang.

    <h4>Chapter 389 [389] Wudang.</h4>


    [Inside the Tower, 21st floor. n Pator POV]


    It was quite a struggle, But the dome I had constructed had managed to hold on until the trial ended. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [You have survived.]


    The notification appeared in front of me and I rxed.


    [You have survived the Trial, reward has been given.


    Advancing to the next trial.]


    "Reward?"


    I muttered. I was getting a reward for clearing the floor. What?


    This has never happened before, the only reward I was given in the whole 20 floors was the reward for clearing the 20th floor.


    ''Does that mean it starts giving rewards for clearing every floor?''


    If it was, then I was d.


    [Rewards were given to you before.]


    The tower''s voice echoed in my mind. I struggled to understand what it meant. So I just asked it straightforwardly.


    "When?"


    However, it refused to answer me, as if it was angry or something.


    [You wouldn''t understand even If I exined.]


    "..."


    I silently entered the twenty-second floor.


    There is no use in trying to converse with this thing.


    ********


    [22nd floor.]


    I entered the 22nd floor with my guard up. I don''t know what to expect here after all.


    [You can lower your guard, nothing happens yet.]


    The voice of the tower sounded calm, but I didn''t trust this thing one bit.


    The ins in front of me were deste and dead, not a single speck of grass in sight but there was a visible path of paved dirt.


    [Trial of the Forgetful, remind the Master of Wudang his glory.]


    "Wudang?"


    I questioned, finding the word unfamiliar.


    [It''s the name of a Taoist sect, one of, if not the greatest Taoist sect.]


    The tower exined to me. I opened my inventory to check the reward gifted to me by the tower, whilst still keeping Mana Sense active in the surroundings so that I wouldn''t be taken aback by any sudden threat.


    "What''s this?"


    I muttered when I saw the reward.


    [Diary of a Wandering Beggar.]


    I opened the raggedy-looking book, and the characters within the book were directly tranted by the tower. Thankfully I didn''t have to use dragon eyes for that.


    Most of the book was a movement technique, which was useless to me because I could literally teleport.


    But the Movement technique is quite good, I have to admit that.


    [Stride of the Beggar[4-star)]


    [ A Movement art epassing a dance of a beggar, begging for coins and worldly desires. It uses the principles of Earth and Metal to understand the properties of the Earth and respond ordingly in time with precision, In the hands of a wandering beggar, it is a form of Qinggong which can prove deadly.]


    That was the description of the movement art given by the system. I was tempted to use dragon eyes but decided against it. I cannot risk it.


    I cannot risk blinding myself when I haven''t even cleared this tower halfway.


    [You seem confident enough in your own abilities.]


    The tower said, I ignored it and continued to read the book. There I was able to find something useful among many useless sentences.


    [The beggar''s sect has been overwhelmed, the Leader has fallen to the Heavenly demon.]


    [The economy of Murim is falling, the Shadow gue has dealt us a hand we can not imagine, and we require the assistance of the Heavenly demon to dispel the curse of Shadow.]


    [The Sect Leader of Wudang, once the Sword of Wudang has shed with the Heavenly demon, Ma Cheon, I observed the duel and the Lord Of Wudang lost in 10 strikes. The Heavenly demon had cut through the principles of Wudang in 10 strikes, he had understood the principles of Taoism in but a sh andid waste to them. The heavenly demon has cut Wudang.]


    [The Wudang sect''s disciples have fallen again and again against the war of the Shadow. Murim lies divided¡­I fear we will all die if someone stronger than all the arrogant elders at the top steps up¡­]


    From those, I was able to point out something rted to the trial.


    "Wudang had a sh of ten strikes with the Heavenly demon, and lost miserably huh¡­"


    That was what I was able to understand from the writings, among the many others, that one seemed interesting to me.


    ''The Principles of Taoism?''


    I questioned in my mind, hinting at the tower to exin. That thing can read my mind, and I don''t know anything about Murim. So it would help a little if this thing was exined.


    [There are different schools of Taoism but most focus on the principles of Yin and Yang, right and wrong, and Wu Wei And Ziran. Taoists follow these teachings and want to align themselves ording to the natural flow of the world. It is the Dao of the natural order.]


    Exined the tower, But I still didn''t understand what Ziran and Wu Wei meant.


    I could almost feel the tower sigh.


    [You truly know nothing¡­Wu Wei¡­this concept can be tranted as "non-action" or "effortless action." It suggests that one should align their actions with the natural flow of the Tao rather than forcing or striving against it. It''s about living in harmony with the Tao. To follow the flow. It coincides with Ziran, which? means "naturalness" or "spontaneity." It encourages individuals to be their authentic selves and to act in ordance with their own nature, as opposed to conforming to societal expectations.


    To be oneself, and not bow down to the evil of the world. To live a life worth living, a life of good.]


    Thanks to the great exnations of the Tower I understood somewhat. But¡­


    "It says here that the Wudang master lost, So this means that someone defeated the principles? I don''t understand how someone can do that."


    I expressed some confusion. Finally, I could sense the tower had an amicable expression.


    [Yes, the Principles of Taoism, the principles that gave strength and purpose to Wudang and the other major sects of Taoism were understood in seconds by a man known as the Heavenly demons, heprehended the concepts that took Taoist years fully and replicated¡­no even enhanced them.


    That is how he cut down righteousness and overpowered the flow.]


    ''Interesting¡­''


    I smiled, finding these trials interesting, and had an urge to read what came next.


    "Oh well, I''ll find out when I clear the trials I guess."


    I hummed as I followed the paved path.

 Chapter 390 [390] Wudang[2]

    <h4>Chapter 390 [390] Wudang[2]</h4>


    An old man sat on a withered chair, The sight around him was depressing, once marble and wood of the highest quality were now destroyed and rotten, and the corpses of the people he once cherishedy beside him, everywhere in the hall.


    The once simple but beautiful decorations that filled his sect had now been reduced to ash.


    The man, although infected by the power of shadow, his figure remained pure.


    Unlike the rotting corpses of other martial artists, he was able to preserve his mind and body somewhat. He was strong enough to be capable of that.


    This man was the leader of Wudang! It would be disgraceful to the sect if he was unable to do this.


    "Another appears."


    His voice rang throughout the hall, and he opened his eyes.


    They were pure ck, It seems he was not able to escape the influence of the Shadowpletely.


    Although his hair and skin were not in good condition, it was normal for a man of his age.


    He walked outside the hall with a graceful gait, the ends of his robe sweeping against the ground but not getting dirty in the slightest.


    "..."


    The man grew silent as he saw the wasteful sight of his sect.


    "..."


    Destroyed buildings and shattered grounds. The once beautiful Wudang sect had been reduced to rubble.


    Would one believe that this was once known as the most beautiful Sect?


    The most righteous sect?


    The cleanest sect?


    The home of Tao?


    None would. Not when they gazed at the state it was in.


    The ck eyes of the Wudang sect leader gazed at a particr training ground in the ruined sect.


    "Haha¡­"


    He let out augh, was that not the ce where he had dueled the Heavenly demon? Where the principles of Wudang had been understood in under ten strikes?


    Yes, it could be said that was why Wudang fell.


    "It''s all in the past now."


    He said as he marched towards the gates of Wudang, at the bottom of the Mountain.


    The experience of being beaten by the Heavenly demon was¡­hard to bear for him but he got over it quickly.


    He would not be a Taoist if he hadn''t. He just epted things as they were and left it alone. He had lost, that was the end.


    Although multiple of his disciples had not shared the same feelings, he had scolded them and instructed them on the straight path.


    "Disciples¡­"


    The word had no meaning now.


    Every disciple was dead now.


    Wudang was no more.


    The sound of his rhythmic steps descending the stairs was quite mncholic, the ambiance in the silent mountain was calm and peaceful, and there were none left to upy it... So why would it matter?


    Although he had walked slowly, he had reached the end of the mountain in a sh. Truly, although he was but a walking corpse he still had some power left.


    And now, he will wait for the challenger toe and defeat him.


    It was just the way of the world, the flow.


    He had already been convinced that Wudang had fallen, the principles that governed the world had been broken by a mortal and devoured by shadows.


    "Ma Cheon."


    He muttered the name of the heavenly demon, It was not in a disrespectful manner like a snarl or growl, but it carried respect.


    Of course, he would respect the Heavenly demon, who was the strongest martial artist of them all.


    "I wonder when you will let us die in peace."


    How long until you consider someone worthy enough to end Murim?


    Have we not suffered for long enough?


    Decades of solitude? Slowly being eaten by the shadow? We are not you Ma Cheon, we are weak.


    He let out a sigh as he stared at the deadnds and skies.


    "These were filled with endless flowers and shrubs...now nothing."


    He muttered, reminiscing of the beauty the beauty the Mountain of Wudang once held. Now it was nothing but rubbish.


    He held his sword in his embrace and sat down on the steps...and went to sleep.


    Could it be helped? He was tired, Not just him but everyone was tired.


    Everyone, who was still alive and in their senses was tired, even the Heavenly demon. Patiently waiting for their end toe into the hands of a worthy, honorable individual.


    It hadn''t been long before he was forced to open his eyes. The ''challenger'' hade.


    A young man with fierce yin energy, wielding a spear of yang energy.


    ''What an interestingbination.''


    He thought and stood up, wielding his broken de, once a priceless treasure of Wudang.


    The only thing that remained pure was the hilt of the de, a symbol of Yin and Yang, the de had been shattered and most of it was broken.


    "Which sect do you belong to, Young man?"


    His aged voice escaped, n looked at him with a curious gaze and answered.


    "Twilight."


    He answered, but the Wudang sect master was unaware of such a sect.


    "So you are an outsider..."


    Muttered the old man, He took upon a stance that was as wide and tough as a Mountain, representing the? flow.


    "I believe we should start."


    Said the Wudang sect master, as he urged n toe forth and fight. To end his miserable existence.


    "You will fight me with that?"


    Asked n, looking at the miserable state of his weapon.


    The masterughed and asked. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Why? Does it not seem threatening to you?"


    n pondered for a while and said.


    "No, please use something else."


    His mind was clear now, no longer filled with an intense urge to destroy everything and fight to his heart''s content.


    He was no longer focused on fighting the opponent no matter what the state.


    "Hoho, I am quite alright. This is the sword that has apanied me since the start of my journey. It is quite alright to use it."


    "Then what about the rest? Am I gonna be swarmed with thousands of Shadow beings?"


    "..."


    The Wudang sect master fell silent upon hearing n''s words. A hidden rage awakened inside him.


    He unleashed his power, the force of his martial arts, and the Symbol of Yin and Yang appeared behind him, the symbol of Taoism. The power he unleashed was so immense n instinctively


    "A martial artist needs not a weapon nor arade to defeat his opponent."


    I alone am enough.

 Chapter 391 [391] Wudang[3]

    <h4>Chapter 391 [391] Wudang[3]</h4>


    The battle had begun, The Wudang sect master stood like a tall mountain and n initiated the attack.


    He thrusted his spear forward, not using any movements currently in order to get a grasp of the Wudang sect leader. The Wudang Sect leader parried his spear and took a step back, up the mountain. His movements were graceful and silent, Even in death he still had a grasp of the teachings of his sect.


    ''Huh.''


    n ran ahead and thrusted again, this time, when the Wudang Sect leader parried his spear once again he put all his force into opposing the parry.


    The Wudang Sect Master changed the angle of the de and to n''s shock, his spear helplessly fell to the ground.


    A chill ran up his spine as he immediately took a step back and narrowly dodged the rusted de of the Sect leader.


    However, the Sect leader followed up with another attack, His sword flew through the air as a fish swam through the water, producing no disturbance. n took a step aside to dodge the calm yet powerful thrust.


    He jumped back, and eyed the Wudang sect master warily.


    "Forceful, and brash."


    ''...''


    n took a stance and charged at the Wudang sect master, who simply waited for him toe. Instead of thrusting with the spear, he horizontally swung his spear. The Wudang Sect master took a step back and climbed up the stairs once again. He was sessful in dodging the attack, The spear tore the stairs apart.


    "..."


    The Wudang sect master had a regretful expression on his face as he saw n''s strike destroy the mountain.


    But he dismissed it.


    It was worth nothing now.


    "Hah!"


    suddenly twisted his body and shifted the direction of the Ame-No-Sakahoko upwards. The Ame-No-Sakahoko sliced through the ground and marble like it was a hot knife slicing through butter.


    The materials were unable to put up any kind of resistance.


    Wudang Sect master turned to the side, letting the Mana released by the Ame-No-Sakahoko wreak havoc upwards. It destroyed the mountain even more.


    A lingering sense of regret still filled the chest of the Wudang sect master.


    Should he not try to protect his mountain? His Home?


    But then, a counter argument also appeared in his mind.


    Is it worth it? What worth does the mountain have now?


    Wudang has fallen. Nothing remains of it now.


    He did not know how wrong he was.


    He guided his sword to meet n''s head, but the road was blocked by the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    The Wudang sect master changed his footing, although he was on Uneven, rugged terrain his footing was still stable, the jagged rocks and shrubs unable to do anything to alter it. His flow was smooth, whilst n was irregr.


    It couldn''t be helped, he was focusing on Attacking so what could be done about it? If the Sword Saint was his opponent, he would have been beaten ck and blue for forgetting the basics of footwork.


    Little did he know, the Wudang sect master had nned this, he was doing this to disrupt n''s footing and knock him down. Then split his head in an instant.


    "You are brash."


    He taunted, dealing with n''s attacks with particr ease. He simply parried the attacks and redirected the ''flow'' of the spear.


    "Am I?"


    n suddenly stomped on the ground, the force behind his stomp was enough to shatter the ground like grass. The sudden tremor made the Wudang sect master lose his flow.


    n had been aiming for this, he didn''t let the opportunity go to waste.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear.]


    /First Movement\


    -Heavenly Thrust!-


    He used the first movement of the Heavenly sky spear in order to deal arge blow to The Wudang sect master, but he was appalled by the next move of the Wudang Sect master.


    Instead of dodging or even trying to block the attack, which was powerful enough to rip the surroundings to shreds¡­


    The Wudang Sect Master stared at it as it made its way towards him, his ck eyes disying an empty, but understanding gaze.


    ''Is he going to just ept it?''


    n thought for a moment, but he was left frozen by what the wudang sect master simply¡­Dispersed it.


    n''s mind froze. The Wudang sect master had attacked the center of the thrust with his rusted sword.


    The force of the spear, powered by n''s mana dispersed into the surroundings, and it all became peaceful.


    The power behind his thrust¡­was reduced to nothing. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    n''s mind was frozen, unable to process it.


    The Wudang sect master stabbed his sword towards n. Taking advantage of his confused state.


    But his body was not frozen. His Body, tempered from countless battles, responded quickly and barely managed to dodge the attack aimed at stabbing his neck.


    Crimson blood, rich in mana seeped out of n''s wound on his neck. He took a step back and checked the wound on his neck with his hand. He had been taken out of his frozen state.


    A single questiony in his mind.


    How?


    "Everything has a flow."


    It was as if the Wudang Sect master had read his mind. He answered with a rxed gaze.


    "...why tell me this?"


    n asked, dumbfounded. Because to him it made no sense to tell your enemy the secret of your technique.


    "What does it matter anyway?"


    n stared at the Wudang Sect Master nkly. The man''s expression¡­seemed lonesome.


    It was as if he was tired¡­tired of living and in this world.


    "Come, Defeat me, I know you can. Use more of your power."


    ''I have no will to fight and extend this solitude of mine anymore.''


    He had long lost the need to find thrill in battle.


    He urged n to attack. His lonesome figure stood tall like a mountain. n, although vignt at first, decided to continue attacking. This time making sure not to use his arts unless he was sure the Old man could not do anything.


    "Come."


    n darted towards the Sect master.

 Chapter 392 [392] Wudang[4]

    <h4>Chapter 392 [392] Wudang[4]</h4>


    Elijah bowed. Showing respect to the Wudang sect master.


    "..."


    The Wudang sect master was not expecting this. He had expected the challenger to charge forward almost instantly and attack him as if he were a monster.


    "It''s strange."


    He mouthed. A weird feeling welled up inside him. How long has it been?


    Since he had been treated with respect, respect that his position deserved?


    The respect that the leader of Wudang, one of the Ten Great sects deserved?!


    Just how long had it been?


    Months? Years?...decades¡­


    It had been decades since it happened. His solitude had made him forget nearly everything at this point, his mind could stay sane for only a little while longer.


    "May I ask what it is?"


    "Hoh."


    Elijah still did not attack. He remained peaceful and his tone was respectful and kind.


    Something like this was rare, even in the Murim of the past. Someone like Elijah was rare to find, someone who had no ulterior motives.


    "Nothing, I was just reminded of the past."


    Said the Wudang Sect Master, reminiscing about the past. The time when his sect was beautiful and not run down, the time when his home was lively, filled with those who were passionate, who were driven, and those who wished to learn the Way Of Wudang.


    The way of Taoism.


    Such an era was long gone. It was nothing else but a myth at this point, existing only in his and a few other''s memories. Was it more fit to call it a story of the past¡­haha.


    "I apologize for having caused such a memory to ur."


    "It''s fine."


    Elijah apologized, and the Wudang sect master sighed and stared at the Dark clouds that filled the skies of the mountain of Wudang.


    Once¡­weren''t these skies full of blue sky?


    Yes¡­once.


    "Why did you not attack me immediately?"


    Asked the Wudang Sect master, his ck eyes staring at Elijah''s every movement.


    "You did not seem like one to attack first." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Ho? So that is the reason¡­"


    His cracked lips muttered¡­How peculiar.


    This one was different. There was no lie in his words, his intentions were sincere.


    "You are an amusing one."


    The Wudang sect master mused. He stroked his beard and sat down on the stairs.


    "...?"


    Elijah was bewildered. He was expecting something but not this! What did the Man n to do now?


    "You don''t want to attack, neither do I. So what reason is there to fight?"


    The Wudang Sect master closed his eyes andy down, the sharp edges of the stairs not ufortable for him at all.


    Elijah stood still and nkly stared at the Wudang master. To his surprise, He was not attacked by any Shadow Beasts¡­He was left alone.


    The Wudang sect master was resting, and he was left staring at his figure.


    "..."


    "Didn''t expect this did you?"


    Laughed the Wudang Sect Master. He opened his eyes and gestured for Elijah toe sit beside him.


    Elijah, feeling no killing intent or any other forces hidden in the mountain, followed and sat down on the stairs, beside the Wudang Sect Master.


    He was oblivious to why¡­but he just did it. He didn''t know why heplied with the Man''s words.


    Was this a sort of respect towards him? An Action governed by the respect he had towards his graceful figure?


    Elijah didn''t need to fight him to know he was someone of great repute. Someone akin to the ones of the Empire¡­someone who was just unfortunate to fall to the Shadow.


    Did he sympathize with the Master of Wudang?


    Or did he pity him? He did not know¡­not yet.


    The Master of Wudnag pointed towards the sky covered in dark, dreary clouds.


    "How do they look to you?"


    He asked, expecting the young man to say something of significance¡­something that would awaken him.


    "They are beautiful."


    ''...?''


    However, Elijah''s words caused him to pause. He pondered for a while.


    Was it not depressing?


    Was it not Dark?


    Was it not¡­despicable?


    He could not figure out the meaning behind Elijah''s answer. So he asked Elijah.


    "Why are they beautiful?"


    But instead of answering, Elijah posed a counter-question.


    "Why not?"


    The answer left the master of Wudang baffled¡­


    Why not?..


    Why not?..


    "Isn''t it a part of nature¡­We can''t honestly expect the sky to be blue all the time, the clouds can''t be white forever."


    "..."


    Elijah had a subtle smile on his face as he stared at the sky, describing the ''beauty'' the dark clouds held.


    "Sometimes there is rain, Sometimes there is wind and sometimes it is tranquil."


    And then¡­something ignited in the dead heart of the Wudang Sect master. His cracked lips gained moisture, and his dead eyes gained a sense of vigor¡­ filled with expectation.


    Elijah continues, unaware of the expectant eyes of the Wudang Sect Master.


    He simply smiled and stared at the dark skies.


    "It''s all part of nature. So It''s beautiful."


    Haha¡­


    Haha¡­


    Laughter escaped the lips of the Wudang Sect Master. His dead heart¡­his burning passion was relit,


    "What is your reason?"


    Asked the Wudang Sect master, possessing some of his long-lost vigor back.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    He exined more clearly.


    "What is your reason for climbing this ursed thing?"


    He was referring to the Tower. Elijah understood and had a dark look on his face, just like the skies.


    "I¡­I want to save someone who''s dying."


    And that was it. That was enough for the Master of Wudang.


    "I see¡­"


    He stood up and gestured for Elijah to follow him up through the mountain. The dead mountain.


    "...?"


    Elijah followed him although he was confused.


    "A noble cause to climb, a noble cause to fight."


    Muttered the Wudang Sword Master, he had not smiled like this in a long time.


    ''Cheon Ma¡­Our endes soon. Our suffering ends soon.''


    They reached the Sect And went over to a tform. Elijah reluctantly followed, unaware of where they were going. Or what they were going to do.


    They went to the same tform where the master of Wudang fought Cheon Ma, The heavenly demon once.


    "Stay on this side."


    He said and went over to the opposite side and brandished his broken, rusty de.


    "Come, let us draw swords like men, like martial artists, not like brutes who know nothing but destruction. Pass this trial and go forth, towards the Highest demonic peak of Murim."


    "You will fight me with that¡­? Sir, please Change your weapon."


    "A martial artist needs not a great weapon for him to be formidable."

 Chapter 393 [396] Wudang(5)

    <h4>Chapter 393 [396] Wudang(5)</h4>


    n took a step back, the Wudang Sect master kept pushing and the pair descended down the mountain.


    While n''s strikes were destructive, the Wudang sect master remained calm. It was as if a stormy sea was fighting a peaceful sky.


    It was able to do nothing, not even reach the tranquil sky.


    The Sword and Spear shed with a ''ng''. n lost his bnce and almost fell down the mountain. Thankfully he was able to avoid such a fate.


    ''He just keeps¡­doing the same thing.''


    n thought as he was forced to go down the mountain. The Wudang Sect master elegantly flowed down the steps, pushing n down the mountain.


    n almost slipped on the destruction he created on the steps before.


    "Argh!"


    With a grunt, He fired an ice bolt at the Wudang Sect Master.


    The master simply raised his de to cut it in half, the pieces went by his head and dropped on the ground with a "thud".


    "Yin energy techniques¡­"


    Commented the Wudang Sect Master. As he stopped, giving n a moment of respite.


    "It''s been a while since I saw them¡­"


    He seemed to be recalling a certain memory, a memory that finally changed the dead look on his face.


    He tightened the grip on his weapon.


    "How intricate your energy is¡­You po-"


    *SHWISH*


    n interrupted the Wudang Sect master by trying to split his head apart, The Wudang Sect master ducked and tried to sweep n off the ground, but failed in doing so. He hurriedly retreated to the above steps.


    n''s lower body strength was remarkable, he tried to continue his attack but a chill ran down his spine.


    He retreated and looked at the Wudang Sect Master above him. The gates of the Wudang Sect were visible, and even from such arge distance, n could see they were in a terrible condition.


    "..."


    *tok* The Wudang Sect master stepped down the Steps, an indecipherable emotion cemented on his face. His dead eyes returned and he said.


    "You shouldn''t have seen that."


    Regretced his voice. An enormous amount of regret.


    "...The terrible state of your sect."


    The Wudang sect master''s grip on his sword tightened.


    "..."


    "It''s quite pathetic¡­no?"


    n showed a cheeky smile and taunted the Wudang Sect Master.


    He had to do this so this old man would falter, His calmness when fighting n was dangerous. He needed to agitate the Wudang Sect Master.


    "I can see how grand it was in an era long past¡­but now it''s in a pathetic state¡­Having all of its splendor."


    "Shut your mouth."


    Ah, it worked.


    It worked splendidly.


    "Your games won''t work."


    Nevermind.


    ''...''


    Despite his taunts, The Wudang Sect master had long lost all love for his sect, for his passion, So he did not fall to such tant taunts. n would have to try harder. He wondered if the sect looked a little maintained, the old man, maybe would have been angered but he would be wrong. The sect master was the best at Taoism, such a thing would not affect him.


    "Damn it."


    n cursed. The Wudang sect master descended the stairs once again, regaining his rity.


    Although the passion had died, the body was still alive. It carried a duty, a duty it must fulfill.


    He wanted his pain to end¡­but he had no intention of making it a terrible, pathetic end.


    "Come."


    He urged n on, n observed the Wudang Sect master.


    "You like Yin Energy¡­Take it!"


    n suddenly charged at the Wudang Sect master and held his fist out.


    [Frost Boom has been activated.]


    A skill that would condense the Frost energy he had into a single point, and explode it. n concentrated arge amount of the frost mana he had and was intending to end the Wudang Sect master or cause a debilitating injury at the very least.


    The Wudang Sect Master retreated, the sudden energy made him wary.


    ''Like I will let you!''


    n teleported to the side of the Wudang sect master, keeping his skill active, and Punched forth, his punch was only a few inches away from the Sect Master¡­and then,


    His bone-chilling voice reached n''s ears.


    "Everything has a flow."


    He put his palm in front of n''s punch, and rotated n''s fist along with it, forming the symbol of Yin and Yang, The taijutu.


    n could faintly see the symbol and to his shock. His supreme Dominance over his ''OWN'' mana was turned against him¡­No


    It was different from the spear technique disruption. The man was still under his control¡­but the direction had been changed.


    Before n could change the direction of the skill once again, the skill exploded right in his face, the Wudang Sect master had disrupted the flow and even managed to protect himself from the explosion.


    Making sure n would take the full brunt of his own attack.


    The skill erupted, and caused n, along with half the mountain below him to be covered in a hellish frost.


    "..."


    n, still hidden from the mist caused by the explosion, coughed.


    "...Didn''t expect that."


    He managed to say that although he had expected his moves to be disrupted or even being used against him¡­that was only with weapons or martial techniques.


    He was a dragon, someone who held absolute control over his mana¡­He never expected this would happen.


    The mana was still in his control, but the direction was shifted¡­even though it Shouldn''t have.


    His own control was used against him. And¡­he was supporting it for some reason¡­he didn''t know how and why.


    "Everything has a flow."


    n repeated the words of the Wudang Sect master and then transformed into his Frost Draconian flow. Everything had a flow huh¡­Everything?


    His wings sprouted and Scales covered his body as he deposited the Ame-No-Sakahoko into his inventory.


    "Everything¡­has a flow huh."


    He used Dragon eyes and saw the figure of the Wudang Sect Master, who had disregarded his weapon, sensing ning.


    He knew his de would be of no use against n now.


    "Everything has flow¡­"


    He now understood some of it¡­or at least some of it. A way to go against or overpower it.


    "Why don''t I¡­"


    He was the Wudang Sect master.


    "Make the flow so strong...so powerful you cannot do anything?"


    [DRAGON BREATH (Frost) has been activated.]


    *******


    The sound of swords shing with one another resounded throughout the mountain, for the first time in decades, the Mountain was finally feeling alive.


    "CLANG!"


    The swords shed with one another with loud "ngs". Elijah and The Wudang sect master exchanged blows with one another. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The fight was not destructive at all, it was rather calm and peaceful. No destructive skills were being used.


    Only the skill with the sword.


    Elijah charged forward, swinging the Sword of Sundering Hellfire at the Wudang Sect master, possessing a calm but fierce nature.


    "Your sword is fire."


    Commented the Wudang sect master as he parried Elijah''s sword. Elijah hurriedly used Fire and propelled himself upward, he appeared behind the Wudang Sect Master and covered his sword in a calm but powerful me.


    "It is fire, yet it is peaceful."


    The Wudang Sword Master redirected the attack at Elijah, Elijah felt his mana rebound at him and took a step back, evading his own blow.


    "Everything has a flow."


    Smiled at the Wudang Sect master. He continued.


    "But your fire has a gentle flow, unlike the sea of mes I have seen others use¡­It is soft, yet fast. Deadly but calm.


    It is a gentle Yang, like the sun."


    *CLANG!*


    Their des shed once again, producing a crisp metallic sound.


    "Thank you."


    Elijah thought it was apliment, so he thanked the Wudang Sect Master. He carefully observed the Wudang Sect master''s techniques, trying to grasp how he did it.


    How did he redirect it?


    "Everything has a flow¡­"


    And then it clicked. When the Wudang Sect master repeated his words it clicked in his mind.


    Flow¡­


    Flow!


    Elijah pressed forward and activated God''s Eyes.


    [/GOD EYES\ has been activated.]


    sh!


    The eight shes between their des resounded. The Wudang Sect Master looked at Elijah''s glowing eyes with expectation.


    Would he be able to do it? Would he break the record of the heavenly demon, who had understood the principles in ten strikes?


    He hoped he would¡­Then his pain would end.


    This suffering would end.


    Elijah pressed on¡­but his charge was calm. His de was calm.


    The world he was seeing with the help of God''s eyes¡­he dismissed it.


    ''Flow¡­''


    He thought.


    ''Flow¡­''


    He repeated, and opened his eyes, dismissing God''s eyes.


    He didn''t think it would be right to use the skill to understand¡­He would rather do it himself.


    The ninth sh ensued, But it was longer in Elijah''s mind.


    ''Study the flow of the de¡­''


    He thought, observing how his and the Wudang Sect masters'' des moved.


    He activated his mana, but instead of applying it on his de, he did it on his hands and the surroundings.? And then...he did it.


    He understood the


    ''Ho¡­''


    The Wudang sect master smiled.

 Chapter 394 [394] Wudang[6]

    Elijah''s sword pierced the heart of the Wudang Sect Master.


    ''What?''


    Elijah, taken aback, tried to retract his de but the voice of the Wudang Sect master made him stop. He had not expected it would go like this.


    "Don''t."


    The Wudang Sect Master stopped Elijah from retracting his de. His voice was peaceful, as he finally gained rity¡­he finally found peace.


    The aura of the mountain changed from destion to a calm breeze.


    "9 Strikes."


    The Wudang Sect master coughed up ck blood. His body would have fallen to the ground if not For Elijah''s de supporting it.


    "It took you 9 strikes toprehend the flow¡­"


    He sounded d, proud, ecstatic.


    "..."


    Frankly, Elijah still did not fully understand it. At least he didn''t think he understood it.


    What did he just do? He just followed the trajectory of the Wudang sect master''s de and¡­reverted it,


    Changed it.


    "That''s the flow."


    The Wudang sect master''s voice echoed in his ear. It possessed a tranquil feeling.


    "To understand what the Opponent means to do, and to return or disrupt it by acting like a small disturbance."


    "Not fully taking control of their art¡­and going with the flow."


    His words were confusing to Elijah. He struggled to understand but at the same time, it was as if he knew the meaning behind them. It was certainly a strange feeling/


    "It is simple andplex at the same time, but you have understood it¡­your body has. Your mind awaits."


    Elijah''s sword left his body and he fell to his knees, bearing a happy face on his face.


    The sight around Elijah changed. The deste sect was now filled with people. Old,Young¡­all of them,


    The disciples of the sect, and the elders, all happily ran around doing their daily tasks. The cracked marble and shattered floor repaired itself and Elijah could finally see the lush, pure white beauty of the Wudang Sect.


    He was taken aback by the sight, the Mountain of Wudang had revisited it''s most prosperous era. The pristine, white marble, the maintained buildings, and also the lush and beautiful flowers and trees.


    The previous scenes of decay and rot were all gone, now¡­it was beautiful.


    "..."


    The Wudang sect master strained his dying eyes to see the beauty of his sect one more time, a faint smileced his face, a smile he had not disyed in a long time. A smile that also contained a sea of sorrow within it.


    "You did it faster than even the Heavenly demon¡­"


    Praised the Wudang Sect master.


    "Heavenly demon..?"


    Elijah inquired, unaware of the name of the Heavenly demon. Who was this man that the Wudang Sect master mentioned?


    "The strongest of us."


    Elijah suddenly felt as if a mountain had been ced upon him.


    "On the highest mountain of Murim."


    The weight of the ''mountain'' increased as the Wudang sect master continued his words.


    The pressure¡­was making him fall to his knees but he endured with all his might. He was doing his best to keep standing upright,


    "That is the end, that is your destination."


    Hey t on the ground. Relishing the clear blue sky endowed with the light of the sun onest time.


    He cared not for his clean white robes being dirtied¡­he just wanted to enjoy it.


    Hisst words left his lips.


    "The heavenly demon awaits¡­"


    And then the Trial clear notification appeared in front of Elijah.


    [You have cleared the 22nd floor, The Trial of Wudang.]


    [The tower congrattes you, you have shown a satisfying ending.]


    [Transporting to the 23rd floor.]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ***********


    The mountain of Wudangy destroyed, an entire mountain removed from the surface of the Ground. The surroundingsy devastated. Deep crevices and craters filled thend, it was as if a sh between two monsters had taken ce. A sh so devastating the entire mountainy decimated, the Wudang Sect was no more.


    The earth was melting in some ces and frozen in others, except for those particr spots of molten earth the entire ce was frozen. ciers were driven deep into the ground as if someone had thrown them from the skies, It wasn''t just ciers.


    Spikes and Spears of ice, each the size of a house, also littered the ground, some so deep only a part of them could be seen.


    Just what had caused such destruction?


    The ability to decimate an entire mountain to ash?


    The ability to cause such destruction¡­was possessed by none other than n, who in the center of all this chaos had impaled the Wudang Sect Master with his tail.


    He threw the body of the Wudang Sect master away, he had a wide hole in his chest.


    "Cough!"


    He coughed up ck blood.


    "Why?"


    n asked, confused. The reason he was asking this was because¡­


    "Why did you hold back?"


    The Wudang sect master had held back. He did not fight n with full power.


    "Would it have mattered?"


    He coughed up blood. It wasborious to utter even a single sentence now.


    "..."


    n remained silent, his eyes looked at the Wudang Sect Master with a gaze of disgust.


    A gaze of disappointment.


    "I would have lost anyways¡­"


    Yes, even if he went all out he would still have lost. Indeed!


    n was too powerful for his dead corpse to handle, he would have lost no matter what.


    "Are you satisfied?"


    Suddenly, n asked a weird question. Why was he asking if the Wudang Sect Master was satisfied?


    "..."


    The Wudang sect master strained his eyes to gaze at n onest time.


    "Yes¡­I lost as a martial artist¡­to a martial artist."


    n went back to his Human form, he went over to the Wudang Sect Master.


    The light in his ck eyes was gone, and the color of his skin was fading. The man was dead.


    n bent down and closed his eyes, giving him his final rest.


    [You have cleared the 22nd floor, The trial of Wudang.]


    [The tower, although reluctant, says you have cleared the trial in an interesting manner.]


    [Advancing towards the 23rd trial.]

 Chapter 395 [395] Plans.

    <h4>Chapter 395 [395] ns.</h4>


    [Predator Team Room, Capital


    "Exin what happened in detail."


    Maxwell asked Edward, who had just returned from the infirmary after getting his arm treated fully. Edward began to exin what exactly happened to Maxwell in great detail.


    "I was just strolling around the Capitol, Nothing out of the ordinary took ce until I showed my Twilight guild card to buy something at a Kebab store. I noticed someone was following me from then on. She had been doing it for quite a while, so I went into an alley and led her there. There we fought. She was a spirit user who summoned a weird version of the Bone w, one that could use fire and she had crimson hair and eyes¡­Also, she looked young but was skilled I guess. She could use illusions and summoning magic."


    Maxwell wrote down the information he heard in a notebook.


    "Anything else?"


    He asked, just for confirmation. Maybe Edward was missing something. However, when he looked at Edward''s dumb face he concluded that nothing like that was the case.


    He had told him everything.


    "Very Well, You can go now. Don''t go outside without anyone else with you. Remember that."


    Edward nodded and left. Maxwell was a little bit annoyed by his aloof attitude but he decided to let it go this time. He was aware of how much torture he received when he acted like a feral beast. Out of sympathy, he let it go this time.


    He did wonder how Edward could remain so nonchnt after fighting against a bone w.


    "I guess the training with Kazikato was fruitful."


    He muttered as he rxed into his chair, rubbing his tired eyes.


    Edward had gone away for quite a while with kazikato for ''training''. He was unaware of what Kazikato did but was able to guess that whatever it was¡­It had made Edward stronger. There was this strange aura around Edward, He appeared to be stronger and more controlled.


    Now this¡­this was shocking for Edward. Very shocking. Maxwell originally had a hard time believing it¡­


    ''Gotta thank Kazikato for it I guess.''


    He was oblivious to who had actually instilled discipline in Edward. He just thought it was Kazikato.


    So he sincerely wanted to thank the Sleepy Kid, who had managed to set Edward right.


    It truly was an achievement.


    "So much work to do¡­"


    He stopped rxing on his chair and examined the mountain of documents on his desk. He looked at them with a mixed gaze.


    He sighed.


    "Haaaa¡­."


    He was tired, but he knew he had work to do. A mountain of work to do actually. Not only was he busy with the Capitol matters, but He had also pushed for the revival of Aror, and so he had to deal with the work that came along with it.


    It couldn''t be helped. n had requested him to do it¡­So he had too.


    Speaking of n¡­ n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Damn."


    Maxwell opened his watch and watched n''s trials with great interest. It was only the second day and n had already reached the 25th floor, Elijah was a bit behind on the 24th floor whilst Daniel was on the 28th floor.


    The rankings had been pretty much the same, most of the other challengers had already lost the trials and were back. Only a handful of challengers were still in the tower.


    ''No matter what¡­I will clear the tower.''


    A smile crept its way on Maxwell''s face when he remembered n''s words.


    n had dered that he would clear the Tower of Trials¡­and Maxwell didn''t doubt it,


    What kind of man would he be if he doubted the words of his leader?


    If n had dered he would do it¡­Who dared stop him?


    Who dared to stop the one person able to manipte a hellish frost and space? A wielder of one of the Strongest Weapons on Earth and also the one who had a precious bloodline.


    Just who would dare to?


    "Come on..Be quick with it."


    Though he didn''t doubt n would clear the one hundred trials of the Tower, he did wish for it to be sooner.


    He wished n would hurry¡­although he knew that was a foolish wish. The trials would take time.


    "I wonder how the Battle fest will go¡­"


    He pondered, The battle-fest was the second most anticipated event of the Academic Convergence.


    It was basically a tournament. No, it was literally a tournament.


    Students would fight against one another and advance into the next rounds¡­pretty standard.


    However, he did wonder how it would go this time. Considering that n, Elijah, and Daniel, the main attractions were not participating in the Battle fest this time.


    n, Elijah, and Daniel all had chosen to concentrate on the tower of trials this time¡­So It truly left a question unanswered in Maxwell''s mind.


    "Will it be dyed or forwarded?"


    The Tower of Trials event would be over in at most a day, that was how hard the tower was. It was quite shocking that it was still ongoing. Three people had shattered everyone''s expectations.


    Since n was going to clear the tower¡­how long would it take? It was probably a long time.


    "Elijah as well¡­has proved to be troublesome."


    He held Elijah''s information sheet and ripped it apart.


    It was entirely wrong. Elijah was almost on par with n during these trials. Daniel''s lead was expected but Elijah¡­absolutely not.


    Who would have thought the guy n knocked out in one hit before would make such a drastic improvement?


    He didn''t like it. Maxwell absolutely despised being unaware of his opponents.


    He checked his watch again, n¡­was now on the 26th floor and was marching forward with a terrific speed. Daniel was still on the 28th floor whilst Elijah was now on the 25th, just behind n.


    He grabbed a pile of papers and went outside the office. He wanted to meet with Richard to discuss something. A few pieces of paper had weird symbols on them that looked like math but didn''t¡­he didn''t understand it but knew the importance of it. He had to talk about the situation that had just urred with Edward.


    But also some other¡­ "Important things" for the guild.


    Things that would finally¡­finally make them on par with¡­Or even Surpass Behemoth and Titan.


    Twilight¡­would no longer be called the weakest of the big three guilds.

 Chapter 396 [396] Emperor of Swords[1]

    <h4>Chapter 396 [396] Emperor of Swords[1]</h4>


    "Murim¡­will live on!"


    n retracted his spear from the chest of the Beggar Sect leader, The light in his eyes dimmed, and he died.


    The surroundings were aplete mess, buildings, and deep chasms filled the forgotten city.


    n fell down on his arse and collected his breath.


    He was tired. No doubt about it.


    It was not easy fighting the Wudang Sect master, he may have defeated the Wudang sect master but that didn''t mean he was unscathed. The blessing the Phoenix bloodline provided him was not with him now, and he couldn''t heal himself with the effects of the [Blood Shadow mantle] because the Martial artists had been corrupted by the shadow. The blood they shed was not capable of being absorbed by the [Blood shadow Mantle] so he couldn''t use the skill Siphoned Resilience¡­


    He was slowly growing tired, and the fact that he was poisoned didn''t help him much.


    "Damn it¡­"


    n sighed, as he looked at his abdomen and lower body, all ck.


    The shadow had corrupted him as well, and the Tang n master that he fought on the 24th floor was a menace. He used his life to enhance the influence of the shadow on n, as well as poison n with all sorts of poisons¡­


    It hurts¡­


    "Ha¡­I''m not even halfway there yet¡­"


    n sighed as hey down on the ground, his chest heaving up and down.


    The fight against the Wudang Sect Master was exciting.


    The fight against the Tang n leader was arduous, The poison he used still had an effect on him¡­if not for the fact that he was a dragon and not a human¡­he would have already died.


    A dragon''s resistance was amazing.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos says mere poison like that will disappear soon.]


    Suleras''s wordsforted n a little, He shrugged and said.


    "Yeah¡­thank god."


    That wasn''t it though.


    The Tang n Leader was troublesome indeed¡­but he wasn''t the only one responsible for this state n was in.


    The Mount Hua Sect Leader, on the 23rd floor.


    The Zhuge Leader, on the 25th floor, used entire armies of Shadow Legion to attack him.


    The Kongtong sect leader on the 26th floor also used a spear. n learned quite a bit from that fight as well.


    The Blood demon he fought on the 27th floor¡­and the Masters of Qinggong and Beggar sect leader here on the 28th floor.


    He was tired. The fact that he didn''t have a lot of time to rest during the trials made everything harder¡­ He needed to clear the 29th floor fast and hope the tower didn''t immediately transport him to the 30th floor like the 20th floor. He hoped it wouldn''t do that.


    n had heard all of the sect leaders mutter the name of the Heavenly demon, even in the rewards for clearing the floor something about it was always written about the heavenly demon.


    Each and every martial artist he fought seemed to know his name¡­each and every one.


    And they seemed to revere him¡­ n opened the reward book he gained. The Mutterring of the wandering beggar seemed to increase as he cleared the floors.]


    [Mutterings of the Wandering Beggar.] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [The beggar''s sect has been overwhelmed, the Leader has fallen to the Heavenly demon.]


    [The economy of Murim is falling, the Shadow gue has dealt us a hand we can not imagine, and we require the assistance of the Heavenly demon to dispel the curse of Shadow.]


    [The Sect Leader of Wudang, once the Sword of Wudang has shed with the Heavenly demon, Ma Cheon, I observed the duel and the Lord Of Wudang lost in 10 strikes. The Heavenly demon had cut through the principles of Wudang in 10 strikes, he had understood the principles of Taoism in a sh andid waste to them. The heavenly demon has cut Wudang.]


    [The Wudang sect''s disciples have fallen again and again against the war of the Shadow. Murim lies divided¡­I fear we will all die if someone stronger than all the arrogant elders at the top steps up¡­]


    [Mount Hua has fallen¡­The Plum Blossom sword was defeated by the heavenly demon and has lost his arm, ending his career as a martial artist. The Mount Hua sect will soon fall to the shadows without the help of the Plum Blossom sword. I fear Murim will fall sooner than expected.]


    He wondered why the Mount Hua sect leadercked an arm¡­The heavenly demon had it off.


    The same Heavenly demon¡­had also done so many other things ording to the diary.


    [Sichuanunched an Attack on the Heavenly demon¡­but the poison of the Tang n was useless, the Zhuge n and the Tang n formed an alliance and attacked the Heavenly demon but failed miserably¡­thousands of martial masters fell by his ck de and he split the Mountain of Plums apart¡­He is terrifying.]


    [Kongtong Sect has failed to suppress the de of the HEavenly demon with their Spear, The spear truly can''t bepared to the mighty sword.]


    "Hah?!"


    n felt insulted when he read this. The spear cannotpare the de? What bullshit was this?


    ''The spear is an amazing weapon! The Kongtong bastards just didn''t know how to use it!''


    He thought, forgetting the fact that he learned some useful things from the Kongtong sect.


    He continued reading, clearly angry. He wondered when the Tower would send him to the next trial.


    [I tried to form a rtionship with the Heavenly demon¡­ but his gaze looks so distant from the world¡­


    Could he have done it? Could he have reached the heavens¡­or even above them?


    I do not know. I am scared of him, his ebony ck hair reminds me of the dark knight, and his scarlet red eyes remind me of the seas of blood Murim has seen¡­His entire figure looks so charming, more beautiful than even the Demoness of Lust, but¡­he possesses contrasting qualities to his appearance.


    Beware of the heavenly demon¡­The Sword Emperor has charged forth, alone. He wishes to challenge the Heavenly demon alone.


    The heavenly demonic sect will stand in his way¡­But I think he will surpass the sect easily.


    I am afraid.


    What will happen to Murim when the two strongest sh with one another..? Will the seas suffer? Will the heavens be split and the earth shattered?


    I fear the Sword Emperor will lose¡­


    Murim will fall.


    The heavenly demon will prevail¡­he wishes to end the suffering the world has experienced¡­and we are the ones who caused the suffering.


    May¡­who can even help us¡­we are martial artists¡­not religious devotees.


    Let only Steel remember the history Of Murim.]


    "..."


    n had a mixed expression on his face as he read it. Only to be reced by surprise a few secondster.


    [You have cleared the trial of the 28th floor, The Trial of Beggars and Qinggong.]


    [You are being transported to the 29th floor, Trial of the Emperor of Swords.]

 Chapter 397 [397] Sword Emperor[2]

    <h4>Chapter 397 [397] Sword Emperor[2]</h4>


    "n Pator has done it! He has reached the 29th floor in his first attempt at challenging the tower! Elijah Ardor closely follows behind on the 27th floor and Daniel is already on the 30th floor but he is in quite a dangerous situation!"


    The audience roared, this was unexpected!


    Who knew that the trials that took Humanity years to clear would be cleared so easily in just days?!


    Who could have known?!


    Daniel, n, and Elijah were the only participants left in the tower and they were giving the audience quite a treat!


    Everyone waspletely amazed! The trials of Murim which most experienced awakened suffered were being cleared at a great speed! The sect masters which were entire mountains they had to clear were being sweeped away!


    n, Elijah, and Daniel were overpowering them!


    "The tower truly gives trials¡­not executions¡­"


    Remarked Harrison, as he too gazed at the respective screens of n, Elijah, and Daniel. He was absolutely stunned.


    He had expected such a performance from Daniel, who had experience with the tower but¡­this?


    No.


    Absolutely not. He had originally thought that n and Elijah would only get to the twentieth floor. Not in his wildest dreams did he think they would actually go even higher!


    It wasn''t just him, All the bigshots were surprised.


    "Damn¡­those two would have been a good investment, shame we missed it."


    Daniel Parker, Guildmaster of the Titan guild sighed, he smoked a cigar and said,


    "Well, can''t be helped now."


    His reaction was theplete opposite to Logan''s who was freaking out.


    "You missed them?! Are you all fucking blind?! WHAT DO I PAY YOU FOR?!"


    He was going ballistic, the thought of having such talents escape from him was driving him crazy. He did think n Pator was talented but to this level?! NO!


    Even Ezra was unable to go this far in the tower when he challenged it! Although that was long ago¡­and Ezra had no interest in it now¡­


    To Logan, it was a shame. A disgrace.


    Behemoth was losing to Twilight!


    "Hooo¡­"


    Thankfully, he was still the man who led the 2nd greatest guild, so he was able to calm himself down quickly.


    He sat down in his chair and stopped rampaging around. He looked at the trials and muttered.


    "Elijah Ardor¡­ you are peculiar."


    He said.


    Elijah was the oddball here. n and Daniel¡­maybe they were expected but who was this guy?


    He needed to do more research on him¡­His mood was already as bad as it could get when Henry failed at clearing the 20th floor¡­but this lifted it up.


    It made him curious.


    He dismissed everyone from the Behemoth guild room and observed the trials silently.


    He would research everything about them, and figure out their weaknesses


    He had too, so Behemoth did not fall behind. This was what he had always done so he could keep Titan in line¡­


    Richard, on the other hand, had quite a pessimistic look on his face, While the other guild members were celebrating, he was deep in thought.


    ''What if n dies during this?''


    That was a very real possibility. Considering how n was¡­he would care not for himself and charge forward, the only thing in his mind would be the Elven tear for Samantha.


    ''...''


    Truly¡­it was troublesome being a guild leader. He had to worry about things like this.


    "Sigh¡­"


    He let out a tired sigh. The sigh caught the attention of everyone in the room and the room was suddenly silent. Richard noticed this and felt bad.


    "Don''t mind me and con-"


    A sudden "beep!" from his watch interrupted his sentence, His eyes widened when he checked it,


    ''...So it''s time.''


    He stood up, a look of urgency on his face.


    "Don''t mind me and continue, I have some business to attend to."


    With that, he left the room. Both the daughter and father were away. Alice had stayed cooped up in her new alchemyb and now Richard had some ''business'' to attend to.


    "Greetings Guildmaster."


    Maxwell greeted Richard the moment he stepped outside the Guild room of Twilight. Richard looked at him with an apprehensive gaze.


    He sighed and said.


    "Let''s go to my office."


    "Yes sir."


    Maxwell followed Richard, carrying a stack of papers.


    ''Finally¡­im one step closer.''


    Thought Maxwell.


    He was getting closer and closer to his revenge.


    ******


    [You have entered the 29th floor, Trial of the Sword Emperor.]


    [Shadow Infection rate: 62%.] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "..."


    n''s face contorted when the notification about the Shadow infection popped up. Whenever it would appear pain woulde along with it.


    "Damn it¡­"


    He wanted to curse¡­but what use would it be? The ursed tower won''t take it away just because its ''feelings'' were hurt.


    "Where am I..?"


    He asked himself, when he was transported here, his face was facing the ground.


    All n could see was a pristine white marble, devoid of any imperfections. It was carved so beautifully in the form of the symbol of Taijitu. n stood up and looked at the surroundings.


    "..!"


    A sea of clouds, A beautiful sea of white clouds filled his view. Clouds that were free from the shadow, A world¡­that was beautiful.


    The original Murim.


    n was standing on a tform, A tform carved from marble like the stairs that lead to it and away from it. It was like a checkpoint.


    A checkpoint for those tired from climbing the stairs that lead to the Heavens themselves.


    ''Where does it lead to..?''


    n wondered as he looked behind him. His jaw almost fell to the floor.


    A lush mountain higher than even the sea of clouds, a mountain free from the infection of shadow. Numerous buildings of ancient Chinese architecture filled it, but everything was in harmony with one another so that the beauty of the mountain was not corrupted.


    n continued looking at the mountain¡­but before he could even take in its spectacr beauty.


    He felt a dangerous Aura behind him, climbing up the stairs. He turned around, the Ame-No-Sakahoko in his hand.


    "..!"

 Chapter 398 [398] Sword Emperor[3]

    n immediately jumped back when he sensed that aura. His heart was beating fast and he coated his entire figure in ayer of mana to protect himself.


    "..."


    n was silent, he took a stance as if to attack the person climbing the stairs as soon as he saw them.


    [Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras advises you to be careful.]


    "I know."


    n muttered and took arge breath, calming his body. The aura he had just felt was too surreal. It was like a sword stabbed him¡­deep into his heart.


    The rhythmic sounds of steps filled n''s ear, and sweat dripped down his brow as he finally saw who was responsible for the surreal aura.


    "..."


    An old man, with pure white hair and a regal robe and holding a pure white de, without even a hilt. The start of the sword was wrapped in a type of durable cloth.


    ''Kugh¡­''


    Although the advent of the man was quite peaceful, the aura he released was certainly not.


    n felt as if a thousand des were cutting deep into him the moment he saw the old man.


    The man''s face was filled with wrinkles and hints of aged wisdom, his hair fell to his shoulders¡­and although his physique was nothing remarkable¡­


    The power it held was nothing to scoff at. From the way he stood, the way he gripped his sword, and the way he stood.


    The way he walked with that steady and calm gait. This man was dangerous.


    "Who¡­are you?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The man''s voice escaped his dry lips, the sound was unpleasant to hear.


    "..."


    n stayed silent. Not answering the man''s words.


    Only then did he see the man''s eyes¡­one was pure ck whilst the other maintained a normal state.


    It seemed that the effects of the Shadow Infection on the man were abysmalpared to the others. The sect leaders all had both eyes covered with shadow and even some appendages of their bodies.


    "Who¡­are you?"


    The old man asked again, n however posed a counter question, thinking the man was still sane.


    "Who are you¡­shouldn''t you introduce yourself first?"


    The old man straightened up. n looked at him warily, ready for any sudden attack but nothing happened. The old man simply sped his hands together and bowed.


    n''s gamble seemed to work¡­He gambled to see if the man was sane or not by asking him a question even though he knew the identity of the man.


    He was the Sword Emperor¡­apparently the only man below the famed ''heavenly demon.''


    This man¡­this old man was the only one in ''Murim'' said to be able topete with the heavenly demon.


    "My name is Namgoong Yoon¡­and you are?"


    n repeated the gesture, trying not to cause a fight right away.


    "n Pator."


    The old man had a confused look on his face. He asked.


    "I have not heard of such a n."


    n stayed quiet. Not responding to the question. Who knows¡­if he messed up this dude would probably attack him. And n needed rest. He was already tired.


    "Why do you stand in my way?" Suddenly, the tone of the old man changed and his face began to be ck, polluted by the shadow energy. The energy was rampantly spreading across his body.


    ''Of course, it wasn''t this easy!''


    n prepared himself to receive an attack. Now, the entire figure of Namgoon Yoon, the Sword Emperor was filled with the energy of shadows, there was not a single speck on his body except for his hair free from it.


    "You¡­dare?"


    His voice rang throughout the sea of clouds¡­He pointed his weapon at n with a furious look on his face.


    Charged forth.


    "Hey!"


    n was surprised by the sudden lunge. He hurriedly raised the Ame-No-Sakahoko to block the sudden attack.


    With arge ng, the spear and de collided, and n''s feet skidded across the marble tform. He was getting pushed back. His hands were almost numb from the sheer shock that resulted from the collision.


    "Hah!"


    n gathered his strength and twisted his body to throw the Sword Emperor off.


    He quickly fired an Ice Bolt at him. He couldn''t use arge area of effect skills lest he destroyed the tform they were on. And he had learned his lesson by trying to take these guys on in a fight whilst being in the air. That was a big mistake.


    They could step in the air using a strange technique and were very well-versed in handling aerial Opponents. n couldn''t use his lower body to increase the strength of his strikes in the skies and fighting these guys hand to hand was not advised. They were all martial masters who knew more than him about hand-to-hand fighting.


    The sword emperor cut his ice bolts in ice. However, that wasn''t it. The air pressure from the sh traveled forward. n swung his spear to dismiss it, but in the very next second the Sword emperor was gone.


    [|DRAGON EYES!| has been activated.]


    Not wasting even a single second, he activated dragon eyes to locate the Sword Emperor. He had learned from his previous fights.


    The masters of Qinggong and the Beggar sect leader also did this. They would suddenly disappear and even their presence would vanish. Only Dragon eyes would be able to locate them.


    No matter what n tried in the previous trials, he was unable to sense their presence, not even a little bit. Thus, he had to resort to his trump card.


    The world changed as a result of him using Dragon eyes, and a new horizon was present before n. But¡­


    The Sword Emperor was nowhere to be found. n looked everywhere but was unable to find him.


    "The heck?!"


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras orders you to teleport now!]


    n immediately followed Suleras'' orders and teleported a few feet in front of him, hanging over the edge of the tform.


    A searing pain was felt on his neck as the Sword Emperor was now in his original position. Blood dripped from his de.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    n touched the wound on his neck. It was quite deep but thankfully it didn''t reach the throat.


    The Sword Emperor disappeared again, but now with Dragon eyes being active right from the start of his disappearance n was able to see his movements, but even then it was a blur.


    He was moving so fast that even Dragon Eyes was having trouble locating him!


    n barely managed to block the next attack of the Sword Emperor.


    He pushed forward and attacked the Sword Emperor.


    [HEAVENLY REDEMPTION!]


    Using the third movement of the Heavenly Sky spear, he thought he would be able to damage the Sword Emperor at such a close range but he was wrong.


    The Sword Emperor blocked the oing Crescent sh with his de, and spun, calmly leading the crescent sh away from himself. The sh proceeded forward and was drowned in the sea of clouds.


    But n was not done, upon seeing the Sword Emperor spin he already realized his attack would do nothing, so he immediately thrust his spear forward toward the head of the Sword Emperor.


    The Sword Emperor moved his head back, and part of his beard was cut by the spear de of the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    "Your trickery does not work on me Shadow! I will defeat the heavenly demon!"


    The sword Emperor kicked n in the stomach. With a pained groan, n withstood the attack and grabbed the leg of the Sword Emperor before he could retract.


    "What the fuck are you saying?!"


    With arge grunt, he mmed the Sword Emperor into the ground. The exquisite marble held on. It was quite a durable material! This meant the Impact was much stronger!


    Suddenly, A chill went down n''s spine, he immediately released the leg of the Sword Emperor.


    n thanked his instincts when he saw a Sword appear from the Sea of clouds and fly by at an incredible speed.


    ''That sword!''


    n recognized the sword¡­although it was in a much better condition now that was the sword of the Wudang Sect master!


    He remembered the Symbol on its guard! The symbol of Yin and Yang! It even carried the same aura as the Wudang Sect master!


    But that was not all.


    [Do you not know his name¡­?]


    The tower finally spoke after a long period of Silence. It had been quite observing his trials since the 23rd floor! But now it was suddenly speaking.


    [He is the Sword Emperor!]


    It joyously said, and more swords appeared¡­numbering in thousands.


    They emerged from the sea of clouds and surrounded n, the entire area was filled with swords!


    But even then, n kept his eyes on the Sword Emperor, he could not dismiss his strength¡­n activated Mana sense in order to keep an eye on the Swords¡­But that was a fatal mistake.


    A sword shed by and escaped the effect of Mana sense¡­and stabbed him in the right eye, rendering the eye useless.


    n couldn''t even process how it bypassed Mana sense before the thousands more catapulted themselves at him.


    The Spectral talent scope fell to the ground, and n found himself to be in a dangerous situation.


    [All swords but one¡­are under his dominion.]

 Chapter 399 [399] Sword Emperor[4]

    <h4>Chapter 399 [399] Sword Emperor[4]</h4>


    [All swords but one are under his dominion.]


    The voice of the tower echoed out in the realm, the sea of clouds was reced by a sea of flying swords.


    "I am the¡­Emperor of swords.''''


    Muttered Namgoong Yoon. His words seemed to carry some sort of power within them, the power was so great that even the sea of clouds shook and the Mountain rumbled.


    n could feel an aura permeate the atmosphere as¡­


    The sea of Swords all made their way towards him.


    "..!"


    He tried to teleport¡­but he could not do so¡­The reason presented itself before him a secondter.


    [Shadow Infection rate:80%]


    [The shadow interferes.]


    "What?!"


    In his moment of shock, the swords came down.


    His astral mana was locked. Even if he used ice magic to make a dome to protect himself¡­it would prove to be ineffective.


    In the world shown to him by dragon eyes, the swords slowly inched closer and closer and n was at a loss of what to do.


    He couldn''t even use ''that'' because it would take too much time¡­


    Was this the end?


    He thought as he tried to activate ast resort, a desperate measure.


    [Skill: Draconic Transformation(Frost) has been activated.]


    But even his scales were useless...they only managed to deflect about a thousand or so des.


    And then, n could do nothing but watch as he became a human porcupine. Like rain, the swords fell on him, one by one¡­piercing deep into his body.


    *********


    "...!"


    "Damn!"


    "Holy Shit!"


    The audience could not bear witness to the horror that was happening to n on the screen.


    They covered the eyes of their children and some even vomited whatever they were eating seconds ago when their eyes bore witness to the horrible sight.


    The weak-willed ones even fell unconscious.


    "..."


    Harrison, like many others, awakened and had a grimace on his face when he saw n being turned into a porcupine. It was hard even for him to look at ''that'' with a straight face.


    "...I guess it''s the end for him."


    Hemented. It was truly a shame a prospect as great as n died like that. In his eyes there was no doubt n was dead.


    ¡­Who wouldn''t?


    His right eye had been stabbed, there was a sword going through his neck, about 7 swords in each arm, and who knows how many going through his chest? Not to mention his lower body as well. Harrison was sure every muscle in n''s body was sliced apart, and every organ as well.


    There was simply no chance of n being alive.


    "No!"


    Richard yelled from his seat, a terrified look on his face. This was exactly what he was afraid of!


    He knew n would never back down! And this was the result!


    "Damnit!"


    He mmed his office desk, enraged. How could he remain calm when the brightest star of his guild had been reduced to mush?


    "Calm down."


    However, Maxwell had a different approach to this.


    "Calm down?!"


    "He''s not dead yet."


    "How so?!"


    Maxwell sighed and said.


    "Just wait, he''s suffered worse than this. That bastard doesn''t know how to die."


    It wasn''t just him, Kazikato also knew this wouldn''t kill n. If this was all it took n would have already died at the hands of him, Kubrick, and the Marquis.


    The word ''die'' wasn''t in his dictionary yet.


    However, this was known only to a few people. Only a few knew how durable n was.


    "..."


    "It''s ok, he''s still alive."


    Oliver calmed Ai down. She had thought the sessor of her husband''s weapon had died a pitiful death¡­But the reaction of the Two men around her was different.


    Oliver was calmly reading a book with strange letters she didn''t think belonged to Earth, Whilst Arken¡­was yawning.


    It was as if he found this to be a bother.


    As if the sight of his student being reduced to literal much was boring.


    "..."


    Ai was just as shocked¡­she didn''t think n was alive after that.


    But who would have thought?


    The bastard was still alive¡­and angrier than ever.


    "Fuiiiiiii."


    The sword saint let out a whistle, clearly enjoying the show.


    ******


    ''...''


    Sabrina couldn''t look at it anymore. If not for the soul crystal and contract being evidence that n was alive, she would have puked as well.


    "Sigh¡­"


    ''Why does he have to always go so far¡­''


    She sighed as she took a sip of her tea. But now it tasted vulgar. It reeked of blood even though no blood was present.


    "Patriarch¡­Should we terminate our deal with Twilight?"


    An Elder of the Wellington family asked Hugo to dismiss his worries with a smile on his face.


    The smile caught the attention of everyone in the room, James and even Sabrina had surprised looks on their faces when they saw their stone-cold Patriarch''s smile.


    "Haha¡­this is amusing."


    He seemed to be filled with joy, it wasn''t just him.


    Ragnar, Harrison, Richard, Daniel, Logan, and all the other big shots also realized it.


    "That boy is not dead¡­not yet."


    The words shook everyone except Sabrina in the room to the core. They nced at n''s trial but grimaced. Unable to withstand the gruesome sight.


    Hugo''sughter echoed throughout the room as he praised n.


    "That kid is fit to be a bodyguard¡­He''s durable as hell."


    And in front of the very eyes of everyone in the world, almost all who had thought n had died.


    n''s body moved.


    ********


    It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.


    It hurts so fucking much.


    There''s a sword everywhere in my body¡­damn it¡­


    It hurts!


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras advises you to calm down.]


    Suleras''s voice echoed inside my mind¡­and I let out augh. Or at least I think I did. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''I am calm.''


    I was deprived of the ability to speak, the sword in my literal neck was making it hard to speak.


    Yeah¡­even though this is pretty painful. I am not dead¡­not yet.


    I moved my body, and even though my muscles were torn apart, I just substituted them with artificial vessels made of mana.


    I used the skill of [Blood Shadow Mantle] to heal myself with my own blood¡­although the efficacy was shit, it worked.


    Hah¡­Hah.


    A human would have died from this.


    Fortunately...I am not human.

 Chapter 400 [400!] Sword Emperor[5]

    <h4>Chapter 400 [400!] Sword Emperor[5]</h4>


    A/N: FOUR HUNDRED CHAPS REACHED! Let''s go!!!


    **************


    "Heavenly demon!"


    The Sword Emperor''s voice reverberated throughout the entire realm, the sea of clouds trembled but this time the mountain was calm. It was as if it defied the very will of the man who was called the Sword Emperor!


    "HEAR ME HEAVENLY DEMON!"


    The Sword Emperor used Aura to enhance his voice but the Mountain still did not answer.


    The Sword Emperor had grown old, he had been corrupted by the shadow,


    "URGH!"


    The corruption of the shadow was ruthless, even the man who was the second strongest of Murim was unable to fully resist the Shadow.


    "UNTIL WHEN WILL YOU LET US SUFFER?!"


    He begged.


    "Until When?!"


    He begged again.


    "Your demonic general of the spear is gone! How many centuries have passed since we have been subjected to this cruel wish of yours?!"


    After centuries of solitude, he had lost his mind.


    It was a deadly, cruel cycle that repeated over and over again. The Sword emperor would spend most of his time in solitude, training before gathering up the courage to challenge the Heavenly demon who was sleeping most of the time.


    400 years of solitude¡­and despair was all it took for his mind to rot. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His mind was already dead¡­or on the brink of death. His body just followed his final wish, constantly dying against the de of the Heavenly demon.


    Was this a fate worthy of him?


    Was this how the tale of the Man dubbed the Emperor of Swords would end? A pathetic loop like this?


    Uneptable.


    His mind may have died, but his body remembered his dignity. It would not die like this.


    Not like this, never like this.


    "HEAVENLY DEMON! HOW LONG?!"


    His voice shattered the realm, the heavens wept and the ground beneath him began to cack.


    "How long?!"


    Another burst of Aura assaulted the realm, The heavens almost fell and the earthy destroyed before the might of the sword Emperor, who had once bested Aluman, The shadow beast that attacked the world of Murim.


    But in the end, he lost.


    He lost his mind, his will, and his pride and became a puppet of the Tower, a character.


    "Answer me!"


    He croaked once more, his final stand being thisst scream.


    But the Heavenly Mountainy undisturbed.


    He grits his teeth and raises his sword. A fiery rage burned inside him.


    "Fine!"


    If the Heavenly demon did not answer the door, he would just barge in.


    The earth and Skies bent to his will and a massive power gathered in his sword.


    This was it, the masterful strike of the Sword Emperor was here atst


    The culmination of his cultivation, the fruits of his effort, the product of his istion! Of his solitude.


    "If you will not answer me! I will tear apart your beloved mountain which you consider the heavens!"


    But his wish was not fulfilled.


    His sword did not proceed further¡­for a spear pierced through his chest.


    His blood seeped out of his body and dropped on the ground, drop by drop and the Sword Emperor coughed.


    "I''m still alive fucker..."


    n''s bone-chilling voice rang in his ear, and he turned around¡­not to see the face of a human, nor even a dragon.


    But of a demon covered in blood.


    n twisted the Ame-No-Sakahoko. The Sword Emperor''s blood fell like rain from his body.


    He jumped ahead, escaping the spear that was piercing his chest. Although it caused him great harm, he was not dead.


    That was all that mattered. He used his aura to deal with his injuries, He would need time to fully heal it.


    But n would not give him, with his body covered in holes and blood, his muscles torn apart and an entire eye missing he rushed at the Sword Emperor.


    In actuality, n was in a great deal of pain, his muscles were still not recovered, and his bones had been cut apart.


    How could he not feel pain? He was moving only because he was using mana to forcefully move his body, his body couldn''t move, but he was forcing it to move. Every second was hell.


    But even then, he continued to attack. He endured the pain and attacked. Even though there were holes in his body from the swords. Some were still stuck in him!


    "Gah!"


    The sword emperor was no pushover however, He was able to stop his bleeding with the help of his aura and managed to block n''s attack.


    It was a miracle both of them were still alive, the amount of Blood they had shed was not normal!


    "Urgh!"


    n let out a pained groan, the Sword Emperor and him were in a Stand-off. The Sword and Spear were not moving one inch. The strengths of the two were matching!


    n couldn''t even use mana for skills at this rate, if he did he was afraid maybe his concentration would be disturbed. He couldn''t afford to lose concentration here lest he die.


    "HA!"


    With a sudden burst of strength, The Sword Emperor managed to break the standstill and push n back.


    n winced in pain from the sudden movement of his body, he braced himself for the next attack.


    But to his shock, the Sword Emperor had tackled him! This was unexpected!


    n and the Sword Emperor fell down the mountains, and the stairs hitting them was not a pleasant feeling. They wrestled and tousled as they fell down the Mountain and were surrounded by the


    n grabbed the head of the Sword Emperor and put the Ame-No-Sakahoko in his inventory, right now it was only hindering him. He mmed the Sword Emperor''s head on the marble stairs.


    n was kneed in the face, and both let go of one another due to the great pain they had endured.


    Both coughed up blood, n was beneath the Sword Emperor on the stairs.


    They could not see their surroundings due to the clouds around them¡­but they knew one thing.


    The Sword Emperor raised his sword high, and n summoned his spear. The shadow was up to his neck now!


    It was interfering with everything he was trying to do!


    Regardless, this would be it!


    n and The Sword Emperor''s duel would end with the next move!


    n thrusted his spear, and the Sword Emperor brought down his spear, only the whites of their eyes were visible. They were putting it all in this final attack!


    The Sword Emperor''s sword swung down with great strength and severed n''s left arm, as well as the skies filled with clouds themselves...But.


    n''s spear disintegrated his head into a blood mist.

 Chapter 401 [401] Climb!

    <h4>Chapter 401 [401] Climb!</h4>


    [You have passed the 29th trial, Trial of the Sword Emperor.]


    Did I pass?


    I wondered as my head stared at the clouds, or rather what was left of them anyway. My eye was bloody and although I was barely able to see, I could still make out the clouds having been split apart.


    The attack of the Sword Emperor had missed me barely, but the sheer force of it had split the sea of clouds we were fighting in.


    *THUD*


    "..."


    Ah, it seems my head hit the stairs.


    I can''t feel anything¡­My muscles have been torn apart and blood is leaking out from every hole in my body.


    ''How am I still alive..?''


    I thought, as I caught sight of my arm, which had been severed by the attack of the Sword emperor.


    I barely managed to twist my body and dodge the attack and thrusted my spear at his head with all the force I had.


    His head exploded¡­and my arm was gone.


    ''It''s¡­getting dark.''


    It''s getting darker¡­I can''t breathe.


    I am losing consciousness..aren''t I?


    Fucking hell, How great it would have been if I had the Pheonix bloodline right now. But I don''t. Samantha needs it more.


    I can''t let it end here¡­I can''t. There are still more than 70 floors to clear left¡­I can''t die here.


    I''m using whatever is left of my mana to prevent my death¡­But can I hold on for long..?


    I don''t know.


    When is this damn tower gonna transport me to the lobby¡­?


    I hope the lobby of the 30th floor has a healing factor¡­It''s like that in most games right..?


    Please.


    Please.


    [And the challenger fell¡­His heart and organs are pierced by numerous des. Blind in one eye, his items having been torn apart¡­


    How sad of a fate¡­How sad an end¡­]


    "To¡­wer¡­"


    Did I speak? Can I talk? I don''t know¡­I can hear the tower''s mechanical voice but¡­ it''s muffled.


    I can''t hear it properly. I think the reason is the state I am in¡­But who knows?


    That tower might be up to something.


    [His consciousness slowly fades¡­unable to understand what is happening.]


    I shouldn''t have gone easy¡­I shouldn''t have! I should have used everything from the get go! From the start!


    I should have been ready!...


    But what use is it now..?


    What use is regretting it all now?


    [He forgets the reason for his drive to challenge the trials, as he slowly enters the gates of death.]


    What is it saying?


    It''s making me angry!


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    COUGH!


    ¡­shit.


    My mana is diminishing. I am bleeding again. Fucking hell.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras orders you to get up.]


    ¡­Suleras..? What are you saying? I can''t hear it. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Get up.]


    Ah¡­I can hear it now¡­clearly.


    [Get up, it''s okay. You made a mistake here, but get up.]


    ¡­I know¡­But how?


    I can''t. I don''t have enough mana to support my muscles again¡­I am dying.


    For real this time, the Phoenix bloodline isn''t here to heal me nor are others.


    Ha¡­I''m too reckless.


    [Get up. Remember why you are here.]


    ¡­why am I here?


    [The reason you are here¡­whose suffering do you wish to end?]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ..!


    Samantha¡­


    [Yes, Now get up.]


    ¡­Get. Up.


    Get up.


    Get up.


    COUGH!


    [Get up, did you not say to yourself that no matter how much you suffer it is nothingpared to hers?]


    COUGH!


    Yeah¡­ I did.


    [And the challenger puts forth a desperate struggle¡­but isn''t it all for naught?]


    Shut up tower¡­shut up. I can''t hear you well but it''s fucking annoying.


    [He thinks he is able to climb again¡­but how?]


    Is it mocking me..?


    It''s mocking me.


    [Ignore it n, get up.]


    Thanks¡­Suleras.


    No matter how much I suffer¡­it''s nothingpared to Sam''s¡­I need to get the cure¡­


    I need to.


    [Use your legs to climb, only an arm has been severed.]


    Suleras¡­I can''t. All major tendons, ligaments, and muscles have been cut¡­I can''t move my legs.


    I can''t even feel them.


    It''s all numb. Everything¡­is going numb.


    [Then are you helpless?]


    What do¡­you mean?


    COUGH!


    I coughed again¡­More blood.


    [Shadow Corruption rate:90%]


    It hurts¡­the shadow is spreading¡­I can feel it.


    What do you mean Suleras...?


    [If your legs don''t work, use your arm.]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Thanks¡­


    [And he tries to tread the stairs with a single arm¡­but can he?]


    That damn tower again¡­


    [Use your damn teeth, your arm, your body. Whatever you can use and fucking climb.]


    I tried to move my right hand, and once I felt a hard surface I grabbed it with all I could. But I could feel my grip slipping. It''s probably because my hand is covered in blood¡­Isn''t it?


    [Yes, Do it. You still have an arm and your teeth. Use them!]


    I bit down, My teeth crushed the stairs and debris filled my mouth and throat. Sharp marble pieces¡­I can feel them in my mouth¡­it hurts.


    But I don''t care.


    [One step, he has managed.]


    [GO!]


    The tower and Suleras¡­both are speaking now. Whilst the tower is hard to understand I can understand Suleras perfectly.


    [GO!]


    He''s encouraging me¡­and I''m pretty sure the tower is mocking me.


    I deserve to be mocked¡­


    [If you have no mana to teleport then stop thinking and climb! Focus only on me!]


    Alright¡­


    I will climb.


    With my teeth I bit down into every step of the stairs so I would not fall, with my hand I climbed.


    It was slow¡­But I can feel myself moving.


    I can feel it¡­The cold feeling of my blood is being reced with the feeling of marble and debris cutting my body more.


    Ha¡­


    Ha!


    Climb!


    Fucking climb! For Samantha! For the damn cure!


    [CLIMB!]


    Climb!


    I could only chant in my mind now. I need to do this.


    I need to!


    Climb!


    [Climb!]


    Climb!


    [Climb!]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha encourages you! Climb!]


    Climb!


    Climb god fucking damnit! I don''t care if I can''t see! I don''t care if the world is all red due to my blood or if my consciousness is fading! I need to climb! I need to!


    [CLIMB!]


    The only thing I can hear is Suleras''s voice. And that is enough!


    "Urgh!"


    Did I let out a groan? I don''t know.


    I just climbed. Biting into every step! Using every drop of strength I had in my body to climb with my arm!


    [And he climbs the stairs leading to Hope.]


    Fuck you tower! I have already cleared the trial but why do you not transport me to the lobby?!


    [And he climbs more.]


    "AAGHHH!"


    The feeling of sharp marble pieces slipping down my throat, cutting it apart¡­the feeling of my own blood making my hand lose its grip¡­!


    I don''t know¡­everything is bing numb¡­I can''t feel any stairs now, It''s all t ground¡­Did I reach the tform?


    Did¡­I?


    Ah¡­ it''s all numb.


    The realization hit me suddenly, as thest thing I could feel before everything went Numb was my head hitting the marble ground.


    And everything went dark.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Chaos Suleras has gone to sleep.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha worries for Suleras.]


    [Magnificent!]


    The tower, overjoyed by this,ughed.


    I enjoyed the struggle n put forth! I enjoyed it immensely.


    He fought!


    He struggled!


    It was as if the Tower was finally being shown something so good! Something is finally worth it!


    [Very well!]


    Its voice changed, now it contained pure bliss. Ecstasy!


    [Climb forth! I shall give you that chance.]


    [Supreme dragon of Frost Lanesha snarls at the tower.]


    The towerughed.


    [You can''t do anything here! You cannot interfere with the trials without paying a heavy price! Did you not see what happened to the King of Chaos?! You supreme beings cannot do anything here without causing harm to yourself!]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha is angry.]


    However, The tower insulted Lanesha more. It had gone crazy.


    [I am the reader! The watcher! The keeper of Trials! You cannot do anything to me because I am protected by the universe itself!]


    [Supreme Dragon Of Frost Lanesha is enraged.]


    The mountain became chilly.


    [This is all you can do!]


    Itughed.


    [Supreme dragon! You have no power here!]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha promises the tower it will destroy it.]


    [And fall asleep like your friend?! Then what about him?]


    The tower focused its attention on n.


    [One of you must always be watching him¡­lest he will fade. Chaos will notice¡­won''t it?]


    A blizzard epassed the floor, and the mountain was covered in snow in no time.


    [Come on! Do more! Fall asleep and lose him!]


    Willnesha do it? Will she leave n ''defenseless''?


    She could not.


    She couldn''t do it lest the consequences be disastrous.


    [You cannot risk it¡­Keke.]


    Itughed, insulting a supreme being.


    None who had done so had lived to tell the tale, but because he was protected¡­he could.


    [No one has cleared the trials! No one will!]


    It had finally lost it.


    [Challengers are only my entertainment!]


    Itughed, as it transported n to the lobby.


    [Entertain me longer¡­I will make sure of it¡­]

 Chapter 402 [402] Daniel Khorsch.

    Chapter 402 [402] Daniel Khorsch.


    [The 3rd Lobby.]


    I woke up. I could see from both eyes, and it felt like I was on something hard¡­hmmm. It''s not numb anymore.


    I can feel again¡­this is not marble.


    This is wood¡­


    The feeling of my throat being cut apart has disappeared, my blood leaking out from my body as well.


    I¡­can feel my arm¡­?


    My left arm¡­


    Where am I?


    "Ugh¡­"


    With a pained groan, I stood up and took in the surroundings.


    It¡­was a simple wooden room.


    The room''s walls are adorned with a strange light, honey-colored paneling which showcases the beauty of the natural wood grain, the nks that make the floor are seamlessly and tightly nailed to one another, providing a smooth but rigid surface to walk on.


    A small table is situated in the center of the room. Small cushions apany it.


    Above, a gently curved wooden ceiling arches gracefully, adding a sense of depth and airiness to the space. Wooden beams, polished to a soft sheen¡­wait.


    ''Traditional Chinese Architecture¡­''


    I thought to myself, after observing the room for a bit I was sure of it.


    The room literally screams ancient Chinese.


    Soft, diffused natural light filters through woodenttice screens or delicate bamboo blinds, casting gentle patterns and shadows on the wooden surfaces¡­.it''s quite peaceful.


    "Finally awake?"


    Waking me up from my amazement was a voice, from beside me, a little bit behind.


    I reacted immediately and turned around to elbow whoever the voice belonged to. With all that I had. I couldn''t help it. The fight with the Sword Emperor was still vivid in my mind.


    My elbow was stopped by a palm.


    "It''s me."


    Wait.


    I recognize this voice.


    "...president?"


    I muttered, taking a closer look at the owner of the voice. The ebony ck hair, the perfectly sculpted face that was both loveable and despicable. The perfect eyebrows¡­A beauty thatpared with Sabrina''s¡­but on the male side.


    Daniel Khorsch, the Student council president and the strongest third-year in Shield.


    "Yep."


    Heughed and let go of my elbow. I calmed down and looked at him.


    "What happened?"


    I asked. His clothes were torn apart but his body was fine. It was as if he just fought a devastating battle where his body was imprable but armor was not.


    It was confusing.


    "What do you think..? I failed."


    ''Failed?''


    I pondered, not having understood what the President was saying.


    "What do you mean¡­?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I asked, uncertain. Somehow, I don''t like this.


    "I failed again n¡­Come on, sit beside me."


    I sat beside him, both of our backs resting against the wall.


    The president was a respectable man, although it wasn''t well known. I was the Treasurer of the Student Council. All I had to do was manage some finances, and I didn''t really attend the meetings so it was unknown it was me. Only the people in the Student council knew of it.


    Was it Miss Elena or the Sage who suggested the position? I forgot.


    I didn''t really do my job well anyway, I did do the paperwork and other things assigned to me but I was almost never at the meetings. I remember talking to Daniel when he visited my dorm to drag me to the meetings.


    Haha, that was a fun encounter.


    "You are amazing."


    Suddenly, His praise confused me.


    Me? I mean yeah but why?


    "Why?"


    I asked, tired and confused. It seems the fight with the sword emperor has taken a toll on me.


    A physical and mental toll¡­Although I wonder how my injuries healed.


    Wait a minute, Now that I think about it¡­My state is not so different from The president¡­


    My clothes, or rather my armor¡­Where is it?


    Even though I am wearing torn robes¡­where is my armor and cape?


    Did they get destroyed¡­? I hope not. Those are priceless artifacts.


    I hurriedly checked my inventory and heaved a sigh of relief. My equipment was there¡­But in bad condition. The Sword emperor really did a number on them.


    ''Damn¡­''


    I cursed.


    "You passed the trials till the 29th floor¡­it took Humanity years to do so¡­"


    Daniel Khorsch looked at the ceiling with an apprehensive gaze and let out augh.


    "You are an even bigger monster than me¡­"


    He seemed d.


    But I know I am not. Daniel, in many aspects, is greater than me.


    "Thank you¡­But I don''t think I am above you."


    He was the only person to have ties with Ezra, and he is well-liked by almost everyone. Even though hees from a humble background, unlike me, who had the support of twilight and the two supreme dragons, Daniel had nothing. He climbed his way to the top using whatever he had. Now? He was one of the most promising aspects that the Association wanted.


    He was that good!


    He had single handedly climbed so high that almost everyone had wanted to. There were even debates about who would win between the two of them. n or Daniel.


    I respected him.


    "Haha¡­"


    Daniel''s tone is worrying me¡­It appears as if he is tired.


    Who am I to say? I''m also tired.


    "You were in quite a mess when you appeared, you know? I was scared shitless whether you were dead or not."


    Huh?


    What?


    Noticing the look of confusion on my face, he exined.


    "You were almost dead when you came to the lobby, I healed you."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    So it was not the tower¡­I thought maybe this lobby had a healing power.


    But it seems I was wrong. My assumption that we looked like this was because the tower healed our wounds but not our equipment.


    Wait a minute¡­


    Daniel doesn''t have any healing skills¡­Not to my knowledge at least.


    "I healed you using this."


    He opened his palm and my eyes widened.


    In his hand was a radiant, teardrop-shaped crystal with a mesmerizing, ever-shifting, and ethereal glow, possessing a pure white color.


    He handed it to me and I checked its description.


    "...What?!''


    You had something like this?!

 Chapter 403 [403] Trial of the Heavenly demon!

    Chapter 403 [403] Trial of the Heavenly demon!


    [Item Name: Miracle Tear]


    Rarity: SSS


    Description:


    Miracle Tear is an exceedingly rare and one-time-use item, renowned for its remarkable healing properties. This precious gemstone is the ultimate life-saver, capable of mending any physical injury or ailment with incredible precision. However, it is important to note that the Miracle Tear cannot dispel curses, hexes, or other magical afflictions; its power is solely focused on restoring the body. Unlike an Elven tear, it is incapable of dealing with curses and such. It also cannot work on Individuals higher in rank than it.


    This teardrop-shaped crystal is pure white but is able to change color depending on the severity and type of injury it is about to heal. The Miracle Tear fitsfortably in the palm of your hand, making it easy to carry and utilize when the need arises.


    It can heal all physical injuries.]


    My jaw dropped to the floor when I read the description.


    "I have only one left now¡­I used one on me and one on you."


    The words of the president shocked me.


    He had three of these?! AND used one on me?!


    "Why?!"


    I asked, unable to understand why someone would use such a precious thing on someone like me! Someone they barely knew!


    However, the answer was something I wasn''t expecting.


    Daniely on the ground,ughing. He used his hands as a pillow and said.


    "Why not?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Ah, I had forgotten, this man was simr to Elijah. Just without the special perks Elijah had.


    "I''m just joking."


    His words caught my attention.


    "You are a student of Shield and also a member of the Student Council, I am the President of the council. It is my responsibility to take care of all students of Shield."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    How admirable. Truly.


    "SIgh¡­"


    I let out a sigh and gave the crystal back to him. I stared at the ceiling, my tired mind wanting some rest.


    question."


    "The thirtieth floor."


    "How did you be like this?"


    I asked, yet I wondered why. I already knew the answer to my own question."


    "The thirtieth floor."


    He said with a defeated voice. His happy and joyous demeanor disappeared for a second.


    Yeah, I was right. The 30th floor had done this to him.


    "What happened?"


    I asked, I know this was not nice, in fact, it could be said to be very rude¡­But I craved information. I want to know. I want any edge I can have over the "heavenly Demon."


    The one who was even stronger than the man called the Sword Emperor. The man who had managed to kill me. If not for Daniel, I would have been dead.


    "I got my ass kicked¡­what else?"


    Before I could inquire further, He exined it to me as if he read my thoughts.


    "He uses a sword, A Jian if I recall correctly. It''s as ck as the night and¡­I don''t know what else."


    "What?"


    So short? What? That''s it?


    Should it not be more?


    "Yeah, I don''t know anymore. I lost before I could do anything. He dealt with me like one would deal with an ant. I was just that insignificant to him. It was as if I¡­wasn''t facing a man."


    His next words made my eyes widen.


    ¡­


    So it was that great huh?


    "Haha¡­"


    I let out a dryugh.


    "Way to crush my hopes¡­"


    Danielughed when he heard my words. Butforted me soon after.


    "It''s fine¡­you are better than me. If even you can''t clear it then we have no hope."


    He stood up and looked me straight in the eyes.


    "n, do your best."


    There was a sense of¡­hope. Or rather expectation in his eyes.


    I sighed.


    "I will."


    Come on, It''s the president of the student council who asked me to do this. I have to¡­


    And besides, My sister is suffering. I don''t give a fuck what it is. I am getting her cure.


    I don''t care if this ursed tower even puts me in front of Gods. I will clear this damn thing and get that cure.


    That''s the only way to heal Samantha now¡­


    No matter what, I will get that cure.


    I gazed at the miracle tear in my hands once again. If only¡­If only this thing could cure curses as well.


    But it''s not mine, so I can''t even say anything.


    I gave the crystal tear back to Daniel. He held it for a second before tossing it to me.


    I caught it, surprised.


    "Take it, you will need it more than me anyway."


    What?


    "I can''t ept this¡­!"


    I tried to give it back but I was rejected yet again.


    "n."


    I stopped trying and listened closely when he uttered my name.


    "It''s ok."


    A defeated smile was present on his face.


    ¡­Was the heavenly demon so strong that he rendered the president, who was always happy and cheerful¡­to this?


    A tight sensation gripped my heart. I have to fight him.


    I will defeat him.


    "It''s of more use to you than it is to me¡­So go on."


    "..."


    I could not say anything when I looked at Daniel''s sad face. Twice he had tried, and twice he had failed.


    He had failed so miserably that he gave up hope.


    "I''m gonna exit the tower now¡­I need to get some proper rest."


    He said as he stood up.


    "President." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I called out to him.


    "Thanks."


    I thanked him. I need to thank him. He gave me such a precious Item after all.


    If I didn''t¡­Then I would just feel bad.


    "No worries."


    Ah, he is back to his usual old smile. Thank god.


    "I''ll repay you back. I promise."


    "No need."


    "I will."


    I insisted. I need to pay him back for such a life-saving Item.


    "Sigh¡­"


    The president sighed, he knew I wouldn''t give up on this. That was just the type of guy I was.


    "Alright, clear this floor and consider it repaid."


    "Alright!"


    Although it may seemcking, I don''t think he will move on from this. I am just satisfied I can repay it, at least somewhat.


    "I''ll go challenge it right now."


    "What? Shouldn''t you get some rest?"


    He advised, but I just looked at him with a smile and said.


    "Nah, I think I''m ready."


    My wounds have been healed, and I feel as if the longer I stay here the more afraid I will be. The more I doubt myself.


    So it''s better to challenge it now. When I am still happy and have a clear mind.


    "...Good luck."


    I smiled.


    [You have entered the next floor, The 30th trial.]


    <nullb>[The Trial of the heavenly demon begins.]

 Chapter 404 [404] Heavenly demon.[2]

    <h4>Chapter 404 [404] Heavenly demon.[2]</h4>


    The heavenly demon gazed at the heavens from the highest peak.


    His gaze was apathetic, and in his handy a bowl filled with the most precious wine in all of Murim.


    He raised it up to his mouth and drank it all in one fell swoop, part of the liquor dripping down his face.


    "Ha!"


    He let out a rejuvenated groan, it was as if the wine had awakened him from his deathly state.


    "The heavens are crying."


    He muttered as his gaze pierced through all of Murim itself. A slight smile appeared on his apathetic face.


    Ah, he felt alive.


    He stood up.


    "The Eternal Yin climbs the mountain, whilst the Bright Yang is still engaged with the Emperor of Swords¡­Kukuku!"


    But his joy was short-lived.


    [Why so quiet?]


    The tower''s mechanical voice rang in his ears.


    "Because I don''t know."


    The Heavenly demon answered. The reason was simple, he didn''t know whether the ''wish'' would be aplished.


    He unsheathed his sword and gazed at the heavens once again.


    "It''s be hard to move my body¡­"


    Hemented. Maybe if he had more time he would be able to bring a more ''satisfactory'' end.


    He looked down at the mountain, his eyes could pierce through everything. He soon saw the sight of n climbing the stairs that led to the heavenly mountain.


    He smiled, his red, scarlet eyes trying to understand everything he could about n. The way he walked, the gait he tread with¡­Anything could be a weakness. Anything can be a weakness.


    "Hoh¡­"


    However, only awe was felt in his voice.


    His scarlet eyes met eyes of pure, astral blue. Two bright diamonds that looked to be so intricately carved that even dragons would crave them.


    He had seen n, And n had seen him. His scarlet red eyes shone a lustrous, red glow and a smile crept its way up his face.


    "Maybe he will be able to do it¡­or at least he will do better than the previous user of Metal Qi."


    He said, referring to Daniel. Daniel had previously challenged the trial but failed to clear it. It was Ma Cheon himself who cut Daniel down. And quite easily and overwhelmingly at that as well.


    A chill permeated the entire mountain. And The Heavenly demonughed.


    He could see n flying up here. He wielded his pitch-ck Jian and his apathetic gaze returned.


    "Yes¡­"


    He muttered and jumped down the mountain. His clothes fluttered against the wind and his face faced the full onught of the devastating power of the Heavenly mountain. Jumping from such an Altitude was not easy. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But he couldn''t care less. Finally¡­he was feeling alive. Although his face contrasted it.


    n and the Heavenly demon got closer to one another. One descended whilst the other Ascended.


    "A martial artist should have at least this much resolve!"


    He shouted with glee, as he met n''s spear, the Ame-No-Sakahoko with his own de, M¨°r¨¨n Ji¨¤n(Ink-ck Sword.)


    The sh of the Two legendary, almost mythical items in their respective worlds shook the Heavenly Demonic mountain itself.


    ******


    I stuck the de of Sundering hellfire into the heart of the Sword Emperor.


    "Murim¡­will live on¡­"


    Those were his final words. As his body was burnt by the hellfire released from my sword.


    "Ha¡­"


    I fell to the ground, severely exhausted. My butt started to hurt when Inded on the sharp part of one of the Marble stairs.


    "Sigh¡­"


    I let out a sigh, and my grip on my sword decreased. Before I lost it for good in this sea of clouds I put it in my inventory.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri congrattes you on your victory.]


    "Thanks."


    I thanked Agri as I took a moment to collect my breath. The fight with the Sword Emperor was tough, If I didn''t have the System with me I would have died. Thankfully, I could still buy healing items here. I thought the tower would have disabled it but I guess I was wrong.


    The Sword Emperor was tough¡­and the other sect leaders weren''t easy either. It was hard trying to defeat them, but nevertheless, I managed to do so. Although it took a lot of time and effort I was sessful inpleting the trials in a way I deemed satisfactory.


    "I''m tired¡­"


    I sighed. Truly, these trials took a toll on me. And what was worse was that this was only the 29th floor. I still have 71 more floors to go.


    The thought of it sends shivers down my spine¡­but I can''t give up now, can I?


    Elton''s cure¡­I need to get it. I won''t be able to forgive myself If I don''t manage to get his cure¡­No matter what.


    I need to clear this ursed tower and acquire it. Lest Elton will die a painful death, being devoured by the curse.


    [You have cleared the Trial of the 29th floor, The Trial of the Sword Emperor.]


    Finally, The notification has appeared.


    "Move me to the lobby."


    I said, and a golden light covered my body. The next moment, I found myself in a wooden room, possessing a simr design to traditional Chinese architecture.


    My tired eyes had a hard time taking it in, But I knew I was safe for the moment. These past few trials had taken quite a physical and mental toll on me. Because I was unable to rest between them, it was obvious I was tired.


    Iy down on the wooden floor, my tired eyes aimlessly gazing at the ceiling.


    "Sigh¡­"


    I let out a defeated sigh. I''m tired.


    "How long can I stay here?"


    I asked the tower. I honestly didn''t expect it to answer, and even if it did I was ready to hear an Unpleasant one¡­but to my surprise.


    [You can stay for as long as you want. The lobbies are a ce for the traveler to rest, they are able to stay for as long as they want provided they have nutrition.


    ¡­eh?


    Wow.


    For the first time, I think I''m starting to like this guy.


    So we can stay here for as long as we want huh¡­


    I looked around the room, searching for something soft.


    I grabbed one of the cushions surrounding the small table in the middle and put my head on it.


    And then I went to sleep. I should take full advantage of this¡­no?

 Chapter 405 [405] The Dragon of White that caught the moon itself.

    <h4>Chapter 405 [405] The Dragon of White that caught the moon itself.</h4>


    A young boy stared at the crowd in the distance with an apathetic gaze, he was wearing torn clothes and there wasn''t a single speck on his body free from dirt and scum. He had long, ck hair that was sullied by dirt and dust and beautiful, dreamy scarlet eyes.


    His handsome and cute features had been sullied by the neglect and harsh conditions he had faced. Something a child of his tender age should never even be subjected to.


    "..."


    Bright red lights shone in his eyes and he gazed at the festival of the New Year. But could he enjoy something like this?


    He had no family. No Humanity. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then why?


    Why did he prefer this site?


    He watched with rapt attention, even though his Apathetic face did not show it.


    A vibrant and captivating performance, known as the Dance of Dragons. It was one of the only things that caught his attention. Something¡­awakened inside him whenever his eyes bore the spectacle of the dancing dragons. The Dragon Dance always took ce in the heart of the city. Crowds of people gather along the streets, and a sense of excitement and anticipation fills the air. Rednterns and decorations adorn buildings and storefronts, adding to the festive atmosphere. But his gaze never left the dragons.


    He saw them to be¡­unique. Something¡­Special!


    His scarlet eyes were illuminated by the bright lights, and the fire the dragons emitted.


    He was isted from the outside world¡­No.


    He was in his own world. A world where only he and the dragons existed. A world where everything had vanished¡­except the boy and the dragons.


    The dragons continued their dance, and the boy examined them in great detail.


    The star of the world is the dragon itself, a long and sinuous creature made of colorful silk and adorned with intricate designs. In this world of his¡­only it reigned supreme... Typically, the dragon''s body is segmented and carried by a team of skilled performers, each holding a pole to manipte the dragon''s movements¡­But here? It''s alive. The dragon''s head appears to be a masterpiece to the scarlet-eyed boy, a masterpiece. Featuring a fearsome expression with gleaming eyes and razor-sharp teeth. The dragon opened its mouth to reveal its sharp teeth but the boy did not even flinch.


    The dragon continues its dance, entertaining the boy. Making slithery yet charming movements that appeal to him, and only him. It twists and turns in a charming fashion, mimicking the movements of the dragons that once soared the skies of Murim.


    But it cannotpare, the dragon made of silk and cloth just can''t hope topare with the mythical beasts he dreamt of. The ones he saw paintings of.


    Thoserge beasts, capable of destroying Murim¡­He dreamt of them long ago. And since then he had been trying to find them again.


    But he had been unsessful for so long¡­he had even managed to create his own world at his tender age.


    But he simply did not get that same feeling.


    Whilst he was lost in his memories, trying to remember the only dream he had dreamt.


    But no matter what he did, he was unable to find any resemnce between the dragon in front of him and the dragon in his dreams.


    "..."


    The Dragon Dance was reaching its climax with a dramatic finale. The dragon reared up high, seemingly attempting to capture a celestial pearl hanging above its head. If there was a crowd, then they would be erupting in cheers but only the boy was present in this nk world.


    "Moon."


    Finally, a word escaped the boy''s lips. His voice was soft but cold. But it was something that would cause one to lower their guard, unable to notice the demon hidden within.


    As soon as he muttered the word moon, the world around him changed. The heavens were formed and even the dragon was erged. Its silhouette roamed the heavens themselves, its figure casting a shadow upon the Earth. The color of the dragon changed to an eternal pure white like the snow, and it circled around the moon, its figure magnificent but also terrifying. The dragon was sorge that it epassed the moon entirely!


    "...yes¡­"


    Muttered the boy.


    That was it!


    That was the dragon he had seen in his dreams! That was it!


    That was what he had dreamt of for the first and only time! The manifestation of his one and only dream.


    A dragon! Not the filthy ones or dirty ones that were made by the people of Murim¡­but a real, bonafide dragon!


    The boy stood up, he had stopped hugging his knees and finally stood up. When one looked at him once he was standing¡­he was malnourished. But the shocking thing was even the dirt and malnutrition could not hide his beauty, well not by a lot that is.


    His most prominent features were his scarlet eyes, which directly contrasted with the diamond-like eyes of the dragon in the skies.


    "It is¡­you."


    Whispered the boy, even though the dragon was high up in the skies¡­It seemed to have heard the boy''s voice even though it was high in the skies, it stopped circling the moon and gazed at the young, scarlet-eyed boy with an unknown gaze.


    The dragon roared, and the world seemed to tremble. The boy stumbled and fell to his knees. The dragon''s roar had made him paralyzed.


    Yet¡­he dared to go against it.


    Another roar resounded, and the world broke apart more but the boy stood up, no matter how much pressure was put on him¡­He withstood it.


    He gazed at the dragon with firm, unrelenting eyes. And the dragon did the same.


    It roared one final time and descended.


    The heavens themselves split apart as the dragon descended, carrying the moon with it on its tail.


    "..!"


    Within a second, the dragon had reached the boy and swallowed him whole.


    "Ha!"


    The boy woke up in the world of Murim once again, the crowd had disappeared and he was left alone in the streets, a deathly cold grasping his figure. His clothes provided him no warmth.


    But he ignored all of this¡­the only thing his mind was enraptured in was the single question.


    "What did that dream mean?"

 Chapter 406 [406]Heavenly demon[3]

    <h4>Chapter 406 [406]Heavenly demon[3]</h4>


    "That dream again."


    The heavenly demon muttered. He was lying on the flowery ins of the heavenly demonic mountain, enjoying a peaceful rest. But that dream had interrupted him once again.


    He squinted his eyes from the blinding rays of the sun and raised his arm to shield himself.


    "Sigh¡­"


    He massaged his temple andy down on the ground once again, his dry lips begged for water, and his eyes for sleep.


    His state was pathetic, unbefitting of his stature. But what did it matter?


    No one was alive in his world to respect him anyway. What did it matter? He did not have to abide by the customs of Murim when Murim itself had rotted away.


    "..."


    ''How long has it been?''


    He thought as he stared at Murim once again, at the ckenednds that were once fields of wheat, and of gold.


    [You seem tired.]


    "Tch."


    The Heavenly demon, Ma Cheon clicked his tongue when the voice of the tower rang in his ears.


    "What do you want¡­what now?"


    Asked the heavenly demon, wanting to get rid of this nuance as soon as possible.


    [How harsh, I just came to check on my friend.]


    "HAHAHA!"


    The heavenly demon erupted intoughter when he heard the word ''friend''.


    "Friend¡­How diabolical."


    [Sh¨¡n M¨¦ng H¨£i Sh¨¬, Mountain vows, and sea oaths¡­did we not make an oath, dear ''friend.]


    Argued the tower, reciting an idiom. Although it was not well-versed in the history of Murim, it at least tried to study some of it.


    "Bullshit."


    But the Heavenly demon was not amused.


    "You possess the head of a tiger, the tail of a snake, and the mouth of a vixen."


    [...]


    The tower fell silent. The heavenly demon drank an entire bowl of wine and massaged his head.


    [How long?]


    Asked the tower, in a mocking voice. The heavenly demon''s expression turned hostile.


    "Those who pry often meet disastrous ends¡­"


    The tower let out augh. It was as if the mere meaning the statement provided was nothing to it.


    [How long¡­you know you can''t hide it¡­]


    It continued, with each word the Heavenly demon''s face contorted.


    [120 years for Tang, 112 for Kongtong, The beggar sect was 143. Mount Hua took a century and a half¡­]


    It calmly listed the number of years of solitude it took the leaders of the great sects to be devoured by the shadow, losing their minds.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The heavenly demon was obviously not pleased. Even though they were weaker than him, they had all earned his respect because of their teachings, strength, and their character.


    "Quiet."


    He ordered, but who was he to order the tower? Who had housed his realm?


    The tower would not listen, it was only eager to infuriate him further.


    [300 years for the Wudang¡­and how many for the Sword emperor¡­?]


    "Quiet!


    The heavenly demon roared, his demonic qi surged up but soon after he coughed up blood.


    [400 for the Sword emperor¡­and it seems your time is near as well.]


    Mocked the tower.


    "..."


    [Your time¡­has it been five hundred and fifty-five years..?]


    The tower counted the years the Heavenly demon had spent in his solitude, excluding the time it came to visit.


    "You vile¡­"


    The heavenly demon could not continue his sentence.


    [The period of solitude has taken its toll on you¡­Your mind, body, and cultivation all¡­have rotted away.]


    "They have not."


    Argued the Heavenly demon. The tower was lying, it was only trying to lower his morale.


    He had not lost it. He was the heavenly demon! He still remembered all of Murim''s art!


    "I will not fall¡­not to solitude."


    To anything but solitude, he would not fall. He had spent training all this time but his cultivation had stopped long ago. When the Sword Emperor fell to the shadow and solitude.


    Without a rival, it was hard to surpass your limits.


    Although the Sword Emperor could barely be called that, no doubt he was the strongest besides the heavenly demon¡­but he was barely enough to meet Ma Cheon''s standards.


    "Sigh¡­"


    The heavenly demon wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve andy down, enjoying the embrace of the sun. The tower however was still not done.


    [...So, How long?]


    It asked the same question again. It seemed that it would not give up. It would continue harassing Ma Cheon until it got its answer.


    It truly was persistent, and annoying.


    "Why do you care¡­?"


    Asked the Heavenly demon again. Just why did it care so much.


    [Because then there will be no fun watching a corpse.]


    "..."


    It stated the harsh truth, Ma Cheon relented and finally answered.


    "When the wish of Murim is fulfilled¡­then."


    Although the answer of the Heavenly demon was not fulfilling enough, the tower changed the subject.


    [The wish of Murim¡­or ''your'' wish?]


    The demonic qi of the Heavenly Demon surged once again, enraged.


    ********


    "Heavenly demon!"


    Only the voice of the Sword Emperor resounded in the heavy downpour that had trapped the Heavenly Mountain.


    "Heavenly demon!"


    He called out again, lightning dulled the sound of his voice.


    "Stop hiding!"


    He fought against the sharp winds with his aura and cut down the lightning that appeared with his de.


    The Sword Emperor was enraged, his body was slowly being consumed by rot and the power of shadow¡­


    "Even Wudang has fallen! How long you bastard?!"


    Finally, he resorted to the usage of words not befitting his status. He, like Ma Cheon, simply did not care.


    "How long I ask! How much more will you stay cooped up in that abode of yours? In the heavenly demonic mountain¡­How long?!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He caught the lightning that fell from the heavens and threw it at the Heavenly Demonic mountain as if to strike the demon living on it.


    He looked at the figure of the Heavenly demon, which was illuminated by the lightning bolt for only a fraction of a second. Enraged, he called.


    "So you were there! Heavenly demon!"


    However, In the endless downpour, Ma Cheon remained quiet.


    And this was the final straw¡­


    The Sword Emperor is now aware of the position of Ma Cheon. Launched at him.


    "Heavenly demon!"


    He caught lightning yet again and threw it at the Heavenly demon, shocking the heavens.

 Chapter 407 [407] Heavenly Demon[4]

    <h4>Chapter 407 [407] Heavenly Demon[4]</h4>


    The heavens cried as lightning invaded their domain with its thunderous noise, The Earth trembled when the fierce bolts powered by qi struck it. The heavy downpour did nothing but increase the intensity of the lightning. It was as if the heavens were crying.


    "Kuh¡­."


    The body of the Sword Emperory in a crater, his bones mangled and torn and his clothes reduced to nothing but ash. Except for his pants.


    "Trai¡­tor,"


    The Sword Emperor barely managed to utter those words. His mighty figure had been reduced to an old man on the verge of death¡­No.


    One step of his had already stepped into the domain of death.


    "..."


    Above him, on the border of the cratey the Heavenly demon, his figure upright and fine. It was as if he had juste back from a stroll¡­Not a fight against the man known as the Emperor of Swords himself.


    "Namgoong Yoon."


    He called out the name of the Sword Emperor.


    "How¡­is it?"


    He asked, his voice containing a hint of uncertainty.


    "Haha¡­fuck you."


    But all he was met with were curses from the Sword Emperor.


    "Daring to ask the state of the outside world¡­when you are the cause¡­Fucking pathetic."


    "..."


    "Cough!"


    The Sword Emperor wheezed hisst breath, but could it be said to be hisst?


    The tower would bring him back¡­and begin another loop of his miserable existence.


    His body started to disappear into white light but the regret on the Heavenly demon''s face remained.


    "What am I doing¡­?"


    He wondered as he sat down on the muddy ground, the rain falling on his head felt quite¡­


    Agonizing.


    It was as if it was the blood of all that were suffering because of him, not rain. The water felt heavy and different.


    He sighed andy down on the ground, his eyes seeking refuge from someone¡­.seeking hope.


    "What point is there¡­in this?"


    He wondered.


    How long¡­until someone¡­someone appears?!


    Has he been tricked?


    [No, you had not been.]


    The tower answered his questions, He red at the sky with animosity.


    "What do you want now?!"


    He roared, his demonic qi surged and battled against the downpour. It was like the sea itself!


    The demonic energy was so vast that its bright red hue covered the entire heavenly demonic mountain, bathing the raindrops in a shade of red.


    Now¡­they looked like proper drops of blood. A sea of blood had formed!


    [Your efforts are futile.]


    The tower remarked, enjoying the scene fully.


    The heavenly demon raised his ink-ck de and sliced the skies apart.


    The dark clouds parted and the bright rays of the sun appeared, to shine its light impartially upon all of the Heavenly mountains. In mere seconds, the water evaporated.


    But this was not because of the sun¡­it was the manifestation of the rage of the Heavenly demon. The water in the surroundings had evaporated because of that.


    [I did not trick you.]


    The heavenly demon, however, refused to believe so. He swung his sword again, and the dark cloudspletely disappeared this time.


    [Such Strength¡­]


    The tower was amazed, even though it had expected the heavenly demon to be strong...


    Was just phenomenal.


    He didn''t just cut the clouds¡­but the skies themselves¡­Nay. His strike was so powerful it reached the heavens of Murim, the force so powerful even the earth and seas quaked.


    An entire realm was shivering due to the attack of one individual¡­ its strongest individual.


    [Calm down.]


    Said the tower, it didn''t want to waste energy by restoring Murim if the Heavenly demon destroyed all of it. Thankfully for it, the heavenly demon had calmed himself down of his own volition. He didn''t want to see the world die because of him.


    That would go against his very existence.


    [And have you not noticed?]


    The words of the Tower caught his attention. He looked at the sky with a re.


    "...what?"


    Asked the Heavenly demon, still apprehensive of whatever the tower would dare say,


    He had learned to not trust its words.


    [A challenger has appeared.]


    Shortly upon receiving the news, the heavenly demon''s eyes widened. He used his aura(Ki) to enhance his eyes and observed all of Murim.


    "..."


    And then he found the challenger, climbing up the steps that led to the Heavenly Mountain, his state miserable.


    "...He defeated the Sword Emperor."


    The heavenly demon gasped. He looked closely at the first challenger,


    Hair as ck as ebony, and ck eyes, an aura of the Ki of Metal around him. He walked up the steps with an unsteady gait. The injuries on his body were severe, but he still didn''t give up and fought against the biting cold of the heavenly demonic mountain, slowly but steadily climbing the mountain,


    [Didn''t I tell you? I keep my promises.]


    The heavenly demon was still shocked.


    He continued observing the boy, but soon a disappointed look appeared on his face.


    [Why? What''s wrong?]


    The tower asked, confused. Wasn''t this what the heavenly demon wanted..?


    Then why the frown?


    Why the look? As if he just tasted shit?


    "He is not capable enough¡­"


    Sighed the Heavenly demon¡­after so long someone appeared but even he was weak!


    The heavenly demon''s wish would not be fulfilled by this!


    [You can at least try.]


    The tower urged him on, to at least give the boy a chance!


    The heavenly demon clicked his tongue, he held his ink-ck de and flew downwards. His fall was as gracious and slow as a feather.


    The demonic qi surrounding the mountain disappeared and the heavenly demon met the young man that was climbing up the tower.


    "Why did you not rest?"


    Asked the Heavenly demon. But the young man, Daniel, did not respond. He only raised his de and attacked.


    The heavenly demon parried his sword and cut his chest, but the boy did not give up. He then mmed the pommel of his sword into the nape of Daniel and rendered him unconscious.


    "...Send him to the lobby. I do not wish to kill such trash."


    After so long, a challenger came.


    But he was unworthy.


    The heavenly demon silently returned to his abode, waiting again. For Another¡­worthy challenger.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 408 [408] Heavenly Demon[5]

    With arge ng, the Ame-No-Sakahoko and the Ink-ck de collided.


    The collision was so strong n was sent flying downwards, although n was able to make his fall stable.


    "Damn."


    n cursed, his hand was in pain from that collision.


    "Still doable."


    He thought, and gazed at the Heavenly demon, standing in the sky. The Heavenly Demon used a strange technique that allowed him to stand in the sky.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    n pondered for a while. How should he approach him? n needed to be cautious but also attack with his full strength.


    "What happened? Lost your vigor already?"


    The voice of the Heavenly demon resonated throughout the Heavenly demonic mountain, carrying an archaic aura.


    It reverberated in n''s ears.


    "No."


    He said and flew up with great speed.


    "Haha! That''s it!"


    The heavenly demon was overjoyed, although his face betrayed such an emotion.


    Even though his voice was energetic, the man''s face was still as apathetic as always.


    n flew at a great speed, soaring through the skies, his wings cut the sharp winds of the Heavenly demonic mountain and approached the Heavenly demon at a rapid speed.


    The heavenly demon raised his hand, holding the ink-ck de.


    He swung down.


    n, feeling a chill run down his spine immediately moved out of the way. Barely dodging¡­nothing?


    "...What?"


    n was confused, but he did not lower his guard lest he repeat his mistakes.


    He made sure to always observe the heavenly demon''s movements.


    He stopped trying to attack the heavenly demon, and flew at a height equal to his, and then began a staredown.


    "My apologies¡­I had thought you would be a daredevil."


    "..."


    n ignored the heavenly demon''s taunts, and activated dragon eyes, trying to find any weakness.


    But to his surprise.


    [Dragon eyes cannot be used during this trial.]


    "...shit."


    Cursed n, he cursed the tower. Not being able to use one of his strongest skills was a severe disadvantage. Although using the skill hurt, the benefits outweighed the recoil by a lot.


    "Surprised?"


    The Heavenly demon asked, n red at him.


    "In Murim¡­only skill matters."


    Arge amount of energy burst forth from the body of the Heavenly demon, and n responded with his mana. He made a dome around him to protect himself.


    "Ugh."


    He groaned, the pressure exerted by the sea of demonic ki was immense.


    [HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR.]


    ////FOURTH MOVEMENT\\\\


    ¨C||Heavenly Armament||--


    n used the fourth movement of the heavenly sky spear to form armor around himself. He then coalesced his mana outside the armor, creating another, sturdyyer of defense. This would be enough to withstand the sea of demonic Ki.


    "Impress-"


    The Heavenly demon''s words were interrupted by n teleporting behind him. He smiled and responded by swinging his arm back, the ink-ck de effortlessly blocked the Ame-no-sakahoko.


    The spear vibrated, annoyed.


    Not, It could be said that it was exciting. After so long, it had met a weapon equal to it¡­.it was bound to get excited!


    Finally¡­it will enjoy a fight


    n could feel the emotions of the Spear and chuckled.


    ''You too huh?''


    He grinned, and fired a beam of the frost at the Heavenly demon!


    The heavenly demon cut it apart with the ink-ck de, and the dragon breath was cut apart effortlessly.


    "Tch."


    n clicked his tongue and flew back, creating some distance from the heavenly demon.


    But that proved to be useless.


    "Why run?"


    The heavenly demon''s bone-chilling voice resounded in his ears. n, out of instinct, teleported away.


    "An interesting art¡­But is it useful?"


    The heavenly demonmented. n felt strange all of a sudden.


    What?


    What did he mean by those words?


    The meaning wasid out in front of n in an instant.


    The sea of demonic qi coalesced and formed a thousand swords, each asrge as an adult human.


    "Now¡­evade this."


    The heavenly demon guided the swords with his mind. He had reached such a skill level that even the task of creating a thousand swords and controlling them with his mind was easy.


    "Holy shit!"


    n cursed and evaded the swords, but when one was dodged a dozen more came from another angle.


    n created dozens of portals around him, the location of these portals was somewhere on the 20th floor, which had turned into a wastnd. He didn''t think the heavenly demon could support the swords through such a distance.


    Well, even if he could, n would just teleport them further.


    The heavenly demon realized his tricks and maneuvered the des around the portals, only a dozen or so swords had been teleported away.


    [Skill: Frost des has been used.]


    n responded with a simr skill, only this time, he created twice the number of swords, each the same size as the swords of the Heavenly demon.


    ''Keuk! My mana.''


    Creating such a great number of swords had consumed arge amount of his mana. n clenched his teeth and controlled arge number of swords even more skillfully than the heavenly demon.


    He had conjured arger number of swords¡­and was still this skilled.


    "Ho."


    The heavenly demon''s instinct was piqued.


    He watched n''s actions with great interest. His eyes contained a hint of excitement even!


    n used half the swords to attack, and half to form a barrier around him. In the form of a ball with hardly an opening.


    The swords of the heavenly demons and the swords of frost shed, the des were equal to one another. In fact, the frost swords were slightly stronger.


    The heavenly demon chuckled and exploded his demon''s qi.


    The frost swords shing with them were also destroyed in therge explosion. The Heavenly demon stared at the bright explosion with expectant eyes.


    ''Now¡­what will he do?''


    He thought his curiosity had peaked.


    A hundred frost swords emerged from the mist caused by the destruction of the frost swords.


    "That''s it?!"


    The heavenly demon was a little disappointed. He twisted his body to dodge a few frost swords and cut most of them with his de.


    But then¡­somethingpletely unexpected happened.


    He sensed a weird energy behind him. He had thought that n had used the same space-traveling technique to attack him from behind. And it seems that was the case.


    He sighed, a little disappointed. He wanted originality!


    He cut n''s head off in an instant¡­but something was strange.


    The head he cut off was the same¡­yet it possessed no flesh. The feeling of cutting through skin, muscles, and veins was not there.


    "Ah."


    The heavenly demon understood now. He had been tricked. The ''n'' he had cut down was not real. But rather a copy made from Ice.


    What was shocking was¡­that the copy was perfect. Except for the insides the outside was perfect, and it had a simr aura to the original as well.


    ''Where is the original?''


    The heavenly demon wondered, he could not sense n''s presence¡­no.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He could do it¡­but it was so faint that it was barely noticeable. The sheer amount of frost des still existing didn''t help him.


    "Where will you appear from now¡­"


    He looked around, and with a single swing of his arm, he expelled the mist that had covered the area. And a shocked look appeared on his face.


    He would have rubbed his eyes to see if whatever he was seeing was real or not, but sadly he did not have the time.


    n had controlled the des of frost around him to go forward, rotating about him.


    He had literally be a spiked boulder of frost, and the speed at which he charged at the heavenly demon was immense!


    The massive boulder of frost swords made contact with the Heavenly Demon''s de.


    "Impressive¡­but not enough."


    The heavenly demon jumped back, easily crossing a few hundred meters and creating quite arge distance between the ball of frost swords and him.


    Although the speed of the ball was fast, it was still not fast enough to deter the heavenly demon. This was why when sensing the heavenly demon''s move. n opted for something else.


    He used his spatial mana to create arge portal in front of the ball of frost swords.


    The heavenly demon was confused.


    ''Why does he think this would work?''


    He thought¡­Confused. With that size, it would be hard to catch the heavenly demon off-guard now. The mist that had been created was the perfect distraction, but now that he was aware of it.


    It was literally useless to keep going with that move.


    Does he have a screw loose?


    Thought the Heavenly demon, even if he teleported it. The portal alone would be enough to garner enough attention.


    So¡­why?


    Why was he so insistent on still using the same move?


    Just as the heavenly demon had expected, a portal had appeared to the side, He sighed and prepared to sh it in half before the ball of frost coulde¡­


    And then.


    A chill ran down his spine and his instincts screamed, his body moved of its own volition, raising his sword to dodge somethinging from up front.


    Sparks shed as ''something'' collided with his sword.


    And then, he heard something else.


    "

 Chapter 409 [409] Elijahs Reasons.

    "What the heck?"


    [Trial of the thirtieth floor is blocked. Please wait.]


    Elijah was confused, He was trying to ess the thirtieth floor but he was being blocked.


    What was happening?


    With a look of confusion on his face, Elijah examined the surroundings. But to his dismay, he could not find anything wrong with it. He looked around again and again.


    But nothing.


    "What''s happening?"


    He asked, waiting for the tower to reply. But strangely enough, the talkative tower was silent.


    Completely silent.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri advises you to wait.]


    "Tch."


    Elijah clicked his tongue. Since even Agri told him to wait, he should wait.


    Whenever he followed Agri''s advice, it always turned out to be for the better. He sat down on the ground and contemted his next course of action.


    Curious, he opened the System shop which was exclusive only to him to see if there was something worth buying. He essed the Potion category.


    [Shop.]


    ¨CPotions¨C


    1: Health Potion(Low,Intermediate,High,Amazing¡­)


    100,1000,2000,5000 points.


    2:Agility Potion(low,Intermediate,High,Amazing¡­)


    100,1000,2000,5000¡­points.


    3:Strength Potion(Low,Intermediate,High,Amazing


    100,1000,2000,5000¡­points.


    4:Endurance Potion(Low,Intermediate,high,Amazing.)


    100,1000,2000,5000


    5:Potion of Rage, 5000 points.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ______


    A long list of potions appeared in front of him on a blue disy.


    Elijah sighed, not finding anything worth it. He scrolled down, the most he could and gazed at the final three potions with greed in his eyes.


    He would be lying if he said he didn''t want them.


    Why wouldn''t he?


    ¨CElven Tear, 1,000,000,000 points.


    [ Item Name: Elven Tear


    Rarity: Legendary


    Description:


    The Elven Tear is a mythical item of unparalleled beauty and power, believed to be a crystalline teardrop shed by an ancient Elven deity. It is coveted by everyone, the Elves deem it one of the highest artifacts of value, They are kept in the Royal castle of the Elven Empire on Elvenheim.


    Millions have tried to steal them, but only a handful have seeded.


    The Elven Tear is a wless, translucent crystal, perfectly faceted into the shape of a teardrop. It shimmers with an otherworldly, iridescent glow, shifting through hues of emerald green, sapphire blue, and amethyst purple. A delicate silver chain, barely visible, suspends it as a pendant. It is mostly carried by the Royalty of the Elven empire.


    It is said that the first elven tear was formed when the World Tree wept for the first time, saddened by the loss of life that resulted in a battle across the entire universe against a lone dragon. Legends say that the tree wept for years, and its tears fell like rain, the tears were all so powerful they gave the elven empire strength that surpassed all. Even the Abyssal Armies.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    But all was for naught.]


    Elijah was almost salivating when he looked at the description of the Elven tear¡­But it was so expensive!


    One Billion points! Elijah didn''t even have a million points! Where wa she supposed to get a thousand?


    Just where? This was nonsense!


    This was why he was so desperately trying to clear the tower, He couldn''t afford the price of an Elven tear even if he spent a decade doing nothing but the quests of the system!


    "Too damn expensive¡­"


    Elijah remarked, sighing at his poverty. Whenever he opened the system shop he always thought one thing.


    He was poor.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agriughs.]


    "..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    And even Agri wasughing at him now. Could this get any worse?


    ¡ªPanacea Phial.


    1,000,000,000,00.


    A hundred billion¡­what the fuck was the system thinking. No one could buy this! Well, he was the only one who had it as far as he knew but still¡­this was monstrous! This can''t be done!


    A hundred billion! That number was just too high, Even doing the quests for a decade would not be enough to be able to buy that¡­


    But By the will of the celestial Gods¡­it was good.


    [Item Name: Panacea Phial]


    Description: The Panacea Phial is an item, shrouded in mystery and whispered about in tales, it was created by the first king of Elves, and no such has appeared again. It is a slender, crystal-clear vial adorned with intricate silver filigree and capped with a glistening emerald stopper. When held, it radiates a gentle, soothing light, giving it an aura of unparalleled potency. It was the most prized possession of the First King of Elvenheim.


    [Properties]


    The Panacea Phial is renowned for its extraordinary ability to cure all ailments and restore the health and vitality of the bearer. Its effects are as follows:


    Universal Healing: Upon consumption, the Panacea Phial instantly heals all physical injuries, diseases, and ailments afflicting the bearer. It mends wounds, soothes burns, banishes poisons, and dispels curses with unmatched precision. Nothing can escape it. All evil falls when confronted with the legendary Panacea


    Vitality Restoration: In addition to healing, the Phial replenishes the bearer''s strength, stamina, and magical energy to their peak levels. Fatigue dissipates, and the bearer feels invigorated and ready for any challenge. The bearer''s affinities to the elements will also change and be heightened, greatly increasing their strength.


    Immunity Boost: The Phial grants immunity to curses, ensuring that the bearer remains protected against future harm from malevolent curses.


    Aura of Rejuvenation: When uncorked, the Phial emits a radiant aura that envelops the bearer and nearby allies. This aura elerates natural healing processes, gradually restoring their health over time.


    Purification: The Panacea Phial can cleanse corrupted or malevolent influences from the bearer, such as possession or mind-control, restoring them to their true selves. Even the curses of Supreme beings are nothing to it.


    ______


    ¡­


    Elijah gulped, he had never seen this thing before. But then again, the system had leveled up during his training and he didn''t bother checking it¡­so maybe it was added then.


    The item was so great that Elijah wouldn''t mind going to any lengths to obtain it. To be able to dispel the powers of the Supreme beings as well¡­ was amazing.


    But there was something even more amazing.


    ¡ª(Insufficient system level to view item.)


    There was something even greater than it, something that was shrouded in mystery for now.


    Elijah rested his back against the wooden wall and tried to fall asleep again, but he could not.


    ''His'' reason for entering the tower yed vividly in his mind, over and over again.


    He had a reason for climbing too¡­something he couldn''t just gloss over.


    Elton''s life was at stake.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri assures you that you will seed.]


    "Thanks."


    Elijah felt relieved hearing Agri''sforting words¡­but deep in his heart.


    He had a feeling things would go wrong. Terribly wrong.

 Chapter 410 [410] My Reason Is Also Valid...Right?

    [Before the Academic Convergence, Tower Of Trials event.]


    "Where''s¡­my medicine?"


    Elton frantically searched all over his room. Trying to find a bottle of capsules that contained his ever-so-precious medicine.


    The power of the curse was gripping at his heart, restricting his blood flow and all other bodily functions. Slowly, he was losing the ability to do anything, he mmed his desk in rage, throwing all the paperwork away. It was like a small mountain, and within the mountain,y his precious medicine.


    "Finally!"


    An excited yell escaped his lips when his eyes found the red bottle of pills. Elton immediately opened the bottle and downed a few pills. He didn''t even bother taking them with water, well¡­he didn''t exactly have the leisure to do that.


    "Haa¡­"


    The pain in his chest disappeared and he could feel his body again, he slumped down on his chair, exhausted.


    "Fucking hell¡­"


    He cursed, opening the buttons on his shirt. A chill ran down his spine when he saw the state of his chest.


    "..."


    A ck malformed piece of rotting flesh had appeared, the skin around it had died and most of the skin on the front of his upper body was gray, multiple patches of dead skin had appeared, simr to the ones a patient of Psoriasis would have.


    "Damn it all."


    He sighed, trying to take deep breaths but even that proved to be such a chore. His chest heaved up and down, and with each small movement, the ck mass would wriggle as well. Causing him a great deal of pain.


    "It hurts¡­so fucking much!"


    He yelled, and then quietened down, silently dealing with the pain that came from his abrupt shout.


    He opened up hisputer and searched any information he could about the curses of demons. He had done this so many times¡­but for some reason it gave him some sort of sce. So this had be a habit of his.


    [Curse of Demons: Wrath.]


    [Curse Of Demons: Greed.]


    [Curse of Demons: Lust.]


    [Curse of Demons: Envy.]


    [Curse of Demons: Sloth.]


    [Curse of Demons: Gluttony.]


    [Curse of Demons: Pride.]


    The seven deadly sins¡­one of the special and most powerful attributes that belonged to the demonic kind. Most curses that the demons used fell into the ranks of such sins. They had their power derived from the sins and would continuously absorb the emotions of the afflicted, turning them into a weapon against the afflicted. It was an extremely precious skill, and because of therge rebound, most demons didn''t dare use it.


    The demon who had used it in the attack of Aror had sacrificed more than a thousand people and dozens of awakened he killed to use it, although it was spected that he had died as well. The curse was spread over an entire city after all. But Elton was still dubious. He had found no remains or any traces of the demon''s body or whereabouts after that. He was of the opinion that maybe the demon had gone into hiding, but he was not sure.


    Maybe Alfred Pator and Anna Pator managed to kill it¡­but who knows?


    "Pator¡­"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Elton mumbled, finding the name to be quite interesting.


    "It''s Latin for sinner¡­strange. Meh."


    He thought, but left it. After all, it was just a name. The only significance it held now was that it belonged to n Pator, someone who was considered the strongest first-year in the world.


    Ah, what''s he talking about¡­Considered? He ''was'' the strongest in the world.


    Elton went back to doing his work, as a member of the association and also one of the few members of Elijah''s team¡­he couldn''t just do nothing. Elijah was a dunce, and Serena was a yandere.


    Those two would be of no help, he had to search for members and other things so that he could be helpful to the group, as well as deal with other external and internal problems. Despite Serena''s backing, the formation of their team was met with great opposition.


    Now who had the balls to oppose the daughter of Harrison Soubuelle, The First ranked hero, the leader of the association?? Who was A Yandere that would, and ''has'' killed for stupid reasons before? Apparently, a lot of people.


    Elton was honestly amazed, he had thought that no one would mess with them because they had the freak on their side but no. He was wrong, very.


    Was Harrison''s position endangered? Or did people literally give up on Serena? Who knows?


    ''Most probably thetter.''


    Though Elton resumed working, his hands were already tired and he couldn''t feel his lower


    body(which was mainly his hip and some part of his thighs). His butt was numb from sitting all day long. But what could he do?


    Life is cruel to those who rest, the World is unforgiving for those who dally.


    Little did Elton know, someone was outside the room, hiding his presence and listening to his every word, his pain, with a saddened heart.


    Outside the room, with his back resting on the wall, Elijah was silently listening to Elton''s constant groans of pain as he worked the night away.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri informs you this is a bad habit.]


    "..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Elijah kept silent, ignoring Agri''s words, his heart tightened, worried for Elton.


    [Supreme dragon of Fire Agri says " Your heart will worsen even more if you continue to eavesdrop, it is better to leave and train, to better your chances of finding a cure.]


    "Sigh¡­"


    Elijah let out a hollow sigh, his heart was heavy and his eyes were tired. With the Academic Convergence near and the fearsome Tower of Trials, where the hope of his brother''s cure was¡­


    He was anxious. Who wouldn''t be?... The tower of trials was something that hadn''t even been cleared halfway, despite Humanity trying its best.


    It was normal to be anxious¡­right?


    Elijah began to head to his room to train a little bit more in his mana breathing technique, he hoped that whatever strength he had.


    He would be able to clear it¡­and get his brother''s cure.


    Lest Elton dies.

 Chapter 411 [411] The heavenly demon against the Void Predator.

    Chapter 411 [411] The heavenly demon against the Void Predator.


    [Current Battle, 30th floor.


    Void Predator, n Pator versus the Heavenly Demon, Ma Cheon.]


    The Ame-No-Sakahoko collided with the ink-ck de, Ma cheon had managed to block the flying spear which hade from nowhere. But what ''scared'' him was one word.


    "Explode."


    His senses were screaming at him to run, but he simply had nowhere to go. A hundred more frost swords had surrounded him, preventing his escape. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Although he could easily destroy this entrapment easily¡­the Spear was not giving him any chance to do so.


    Ma Cheon was trapped, and the massive ball of frost swords began to explode.


    ''Oh no.''


    With a deafening roar, the frost sword ball detonated in a brilliant explosion of ice. The swords, once perfectly aligned, shatter into countless icy shards that shoot out in all directions. Each shard twinkled like a miniatureet, leaving a trail of frost in its wake, the heavenly demonic mountain was devastated by the attack!


    The shockwave of the explosion pushed the Heavenly demon away, but it also littered his body with an uncountable number of moons.


    He crashed into the Heavenly Demonic Pagoda, the greatest pce on the Heavenly Demonic mountain. The Pagoda copsed on top of him, but n was not done.


    [Frost Manifestation has been used.]


    He made a promise, he would go all out. The only thing he was not using was ''that''.


    The dark clouds surrounding the heavenly demonic mountain parted, Hundreds of Swords appeared from the skies, parting the dark clouds and enveloping the world in a


    Each Sword was the size of arge boulder, perhaps even bigger. They descended upon the Heavenly Demonic mountain en masse.


    n, still in the sky, now in his full Ice Draconian Form, gazed down at the heavenly mountain.


    He raised his arms, it was as if he was a god, a god of frost who would punish the Heavenly Demonic mountain.


    The heavenly demon was nowhere to be seen, he was still buried under the Pagoda of the Heavenly Demon, perhaps he had moved away.


    But n knew he had not, he had activated Dragon eyes and once he confirmed the location of the Heavenly demon¡­who was still buried underneath the Pagoda.


    He let down his hands, and as if following a divine decree, the swords descended towards the ground.


    The temperature dropped to the negatives, and the buildings(The ones still intact even after the explosion) began to freeze. Not a single crevice was left untouched.


    The swords, each and every one of them all descended towards the Heavenly Demonic Pagoda, or rather what remained of it.


    They dug deep into the ground, n was sure that everything that opposed their descent would have been cleaved in half by their sheer weight and power.


    However, just in case. He was going to make the swords explode, just in case¡­


    n opened his mouth, using his tongue as a controller to order his mana. He had found that words from his tongue had a greater effect on his skills.


    "Explo-Gah!"


    Just as he was about to order the swords to explode, a ck object flew right by him. n managed to dodge it mostly, but the damn thing took his right horn!


    "Argh!"


    A pained groan escaped his lips.


    ''Shit! He isn''t de-''''


    Before he could think of anything, a heavy impact was felt on his head from the side.


    n felt as if his skull had shattered, it was as if a train had collided with him, straight on his head.


    His figure flew across the skies and crashed into a part of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain. The heavenly demon, who was obviously the perpetrator, stood on the ink jet de after kicking n with his de.


    There was a cut on his head, and he was bleeding. n had managed to do some damage to him, although it was quite meager.


    One of his strongest attacks, which had taken arge portion of his mana, had done so little damage¡­


    "Twas quite fun."


    The heavenly demon cheered, his voice was ecstatic. He would be lying if he said he had not been caught by surprise on that one¡­he would be definitely lying. The trick n had pulled managed to get through him¡­and The heavenly demon respected that.


    It was not easy to trick him, definitely not.


    He flew towards the crater n had formed during his crash, intending to end this duel.


    He was riding his sword like one would ride a hoverboard. The only difference was that a Hoverboard was much wider, but the ink-ck de was not, it was as thin as a stick, but the heavenly demon still managed to ride it with great expertise. Eh closed in on n''s location at a great speed.


    A bundle of Demonic Energy gathered in his hand, in the shape of a ball.


    That ''ball'' could destroy an entire town easily.


    "Hmmm?"


    Just when he was about tounch it at the crater, his eyes caught a faint blue light¡­


    A light that was getting bigger.


    "A warrior should struggle¡­no he must struggle!"


    The Heavenly demonughed, he had realized that the blue light was actually a beam! A beam of frost energy!


    He threw his ball made of Demonic energy at it and braced himself from the impact. The Ball expanded into a storm of des and collided with the beam of frost energy. The des scattered the beam into little segments, each ray that had been derived from the main beam froze the surroundings as soon as theynded, and a few des also broke off from the storm of demonic energy.


    The world was dyed red and blue, as the heavenly demon and n''s attacks collided with one another. But slowly¡­it became certain they both were dwindling at a simr pace. The attacks were equal to one another.


    The dragon''s breath disappeared along with the swirling storm of swords. The heavenly demonughed and yelled.


    "Is that all you have, warrior?!"


    A weird feeling epassed the heavenly demon. It was as if a mysterious force had passed by him.


    A force that made his body heavier and heavier.

 Chapter 412 [412] Heavenly Demon against the Void Predator.[2]

    Chapter 412 [412] Heavenly Demon against the Void Predator.[2]


    I used my mana and made a gravity field that epassed most of the mountain.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Frost Lanesha advises you to not use so much mana.]


    Lanesha warned, but I dismissed it.


    "If I want to beat him, this much is minimum."


    I said as I stood up, and flew outside the crater I was trapped in, my wings tore through the rocks as if they were a hot knife against butter.


    I flew outside and using random debris from the mountain, I made the control points that would help me govern the gravity field. I caught sight of the Heavenly demon,ughing.


    I used my mana to increase the weight of his body, using the gravity field to 80 percent of its potential, all on one person!


    "Haaa!''


    I let out a huff, controlling my mana when my state was like this was a chore, and incredibly hard.


    But I need to persevere¡­for Sam!


    "My¡­"


    But to my absolute horror, the heavenly demon was enjoying this! It was as if the weight on his shoulders was nothing.


    "This is¡­fun!"


    A maniacalugh escaped his lips as he gazed right at my soul, although his movements were stiff¡­they were a far cry from what I was expecting!


    I was putting the weight of buildings on him! Yet the man was still standing proudly.


    "This is an interesting technique! Quite simr to the Zhuge ns formations!"


    This bastard! n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fall!


    "You are an interesting warrior!"


    God fucking damnit! Show some struggle at least!


    "Argh!"


    Blood gathered in my mouth, and the pressure exerted on my mana veins and heart was intense, I''m using too much!


    "Will you be able to support it?! You don''t look like you can!"


    "Shut up!"


    I created more controllers, to help in reducing the amount of pressure on my body.


    But still, blood escaped from every orifice on my face. The demonic qi the bastard was exuding was interfering with my gravity field.


    "Will you be able to?"


    Heunched himself at me, and even though he was slower he was still marching towards me with great speed. My eyes, bloodied from the blood, were having trouble trying to locate him.


    I grit my teeth, it was getting more and more painful now.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha advises you to take it easy!]


    "No!"


    I refuse to! This bastard has been going easy on me from the start! He hasn''t even used his full power!


    If I go easy now¡­will I be able to win?


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says you are in pain!]


    "I don''t give a damn!"


    [Warning: Excessive mana overload.]


    Even the system was warning me now¡­haha!


    This much is nothing! I may have a greater number of mana than my body can handle but I honestly do not give a damn.


    The heavenly demon is getting closer¡­it seems my efforts are useless.


    If so¡­then I will just do this instead!


    Instead of making the entire gravity focus on him¡­I''ll focus on the surroundings¡­in a different way.


    "Hmm?"


    The heavenly demon clearly noticed the weight on his body had decreased, he was dubious at first but I baited him by acting tired, and coughing up some blood.


    He seemed to have taken it, as he rushed at me with full speed.


    I hid a smile, but eventually, I could not stop it. My smile was revealed, with my bloody teeth making it look more terrifying.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Lanesha advises you to stop lest you ruin your body!]


    I ignored Lanesha and controlled therge amount of mana that was constantly being released from my body.


    I tried my best. I spread the gravity field all over the Heavenly mountain and created numerous controllers.


    The heavenly demon was now right in front of me, his de would pierce my neck in about a second.


    But that was all I needed.


    "HHAAAAAA!"


    The ink-ck de touched my neck, going inside a little, but I managed to avoid it.


    I let out a scream and let out a scream, I raised my hands, and the ground came along with it!


    I had not just spread my gravity field over the mountain¡­ but inside as well.


    If I cannot move him, I will move the mountain instead.


    The ground beneath the heavenly demon lifted up and sent him flying.


    "You think that''s it?!"


    I screamed with all my might and sped my hands together, My mana was running wild.


    But I am not done!


    It''s not just this¡­but every piece of debris here!


    I will turn your mountain against you!


    [Warning: Spatial disturbances are being detected.]


    **********


    [Danie'' Khorsch, PoV]


    I exited the tower, and almost fell to my knees. Even though I had used the Miracle tear on my body, I guess the mental issues did not heal.


    "Sigh¡­"


    I sighed and fell to the ground, the cheers of the crowd were so loud my ears were hurting. Pretty soon, I was unable to hear them. I just put a mana barrier around my ears to avoid hearing them.


    And then¡­when I was in silence, lying on the ground, staring at the tower which pierced the skies.


    The sight of the Heavenly demon was still vivid in my mind¡­of how I lost so pathetically to him.


    "...Damn it."


    Shit¡­a tear is leaking out. It seems I''m still a child, crying from just this.


    It''s ok to lose¡­


    Sigh. What Am I doing? I hope n is doing fine against the Heavenly demon, I hope he can at least learn from the first fight against him.


    Even though I believed in him, I didn''t think he could win. The heavenly demon is not just a man.


    But Murim himself, is someone who has learned every martial art of his world and applied them to his own techniques. He can''t be defeated.


    I should get going now, I can''t believe I''ve made a fool of myself in front of so many people.


    I stood up, not minding the dust on my clothes. They were already rags, so why would I care now?


    I could see medics and reporters rushing towards me, I sighed and turned around, trying to find n''s trial broadcast.


    I was shocked to find only two broadcasts, and both of them were on the same floor.


    "...Damned First years¡­They are monsters¡­literally."


    I muttered, as my attention was fixed on n and Elijah''s broadcast, and a wild thought emerged in my mind.


    Maybe¡­just maybe they will win.

 Chapter 413 [413] Heavenly Demon against...

    Chapter 413 [413] Heavenly Demon against...


    [Heavenly Demon POV]


    Suddenly, just as I was about to end the challenger by piercing his neck, I wasunched into the air.


    The ground had risen and had taken me along with it. My sword had barely managed to enter the throat of the Challenger when this had happened. If only I was given one more second, my de would have prated his neck, cut his throat, and killed him.


    But then this happened.


    "Interesting."


    I muttered, jumping on the ink-ck de now that I was in the air. This challenger is so interesting¡­Whenever I am of the opinion that I have driven him into a corner hees in with another interesting technique.


    This is¡­ exhrating.


    Even the Sword Emperor was not able to excite me to such a degree¡­Even he failed.


    [Did I not tell you? Someone wille.]


    The voice of the Tower rang in my mind.


    "Yes¡­"


    I remained still in the sky and answered the tower.


    [There is not only one.]


    ¡­?!


    So there is another like this¡­Haha!


    Maybe they will be able to do it! They will be able to defeat me! And fulfill the wish of the Murim.


    "Amazing!"


    I yelled out in glee. Finally! My patience has been rewarded with a great reward!


    Aigoo¡­This is bad.


    I had gotten so absorbed in my excitement that I was forgetting what it meant to be in battle.


    How I have dishonored the challenger.


    "Come!"


    I yelled at him from the sky. I would be unfit for the title of the Heavenly demon if I did not treat the challenger who hade so far with respect!


    I stared at him from the skies. He was now covered in an armor of scales and looked more like a beast than a human, but I knew that was just a skill of his.


    The Challengers have peculiar skills and traits. This may be just one of the many.


    I fired off two Demonic energy qi sts at him But to my shock. The weird feeling passed over me again and my eyes widened.


    My demonic sts had stopped in the air.


    "What?"


    I was confused, my attacks had been stopped in mid-air.


    The pressure on me had also lessened¡­what is he nning?


    I stared at the challenger with excitement apparent on my face, I was no longer apathetic¡­but expectant.


    I want him to fight me, to show me a fight after 555 years of Solitude. A different fight.


    I have fought the same fight for years¡­years!


    I Crave it! I crave a different fight! A fight you have been giving!


    The challenger had sped his hands together and arge amount of energy was escaping his figure, an energy so strong the Mountain seemed to bend to his will!


    The Heavenly Demonic Mountain¡­my mountain!


    "Yes!"


    This is what I craved! A fight so different, so fulfilling!


    "Show me what you can do Challenger!"


    I yelled, my voice reached the heavens themselves, the challenger seemed to have listened to me! The energy he was radiating was so strong that I was being pushed back! The heavens themselves seemed to bend to his will.


    "...!"


    I looked around and found My heavenly demonic sect, rising up.


    The buildings, the statues, the gates¡­every building of my once renowned, undefeated sect¡­


    Was rising up in the air and heading towards me with great speed.


    To my stupor¡­this was not it.


    I nced at the challenger, dodging a few of the smaller buildings. I saw him bleeding profusely but still, he was managing to keep this up¡­No.


    He was not just keeping up¡­he was doing more. This bastard was actually going to do even more!


    A different kind of energy surged from him and hundreds of portals, all of different sizes appeared around me, around the mountain.


    "Haha¡­"


    A hollowugh escaped my mouth as I¡­As I¡­


    "This is fun!"


    Was living the dream.


    "M¨°h¨¥i ji¨¤n¡­ Are you ready?"


    I called out my sword, the sword that had apanied me for the majority of my life, the sword that had yed countless warriors of murim.


    A sword that had be as dark as ink from the blood and sins of the ones it had killed.


    "Are you ready?"


    I asked again, and jumped off it, wielding it in my hand. If this is my final battle¡­


    Then I, and you, should enjoy it to our fullest extent¡­no?


    *Woong.*


    The vibrations¡­so you want to enjoy it as well?


    "Very well!"


    I answered my ck de¡­and I fought.


    I ran across the skies, dodging the buildings that debris, the ones I could not dodge I cut apart with my sword. Such things cannot impede my path!


    I cut apart those in front, dodged those that could be avoided, and closed in on the challenger.


    But would he let me do it so easily?


    A portal opened right in front of me, and due to my negligence I fell right into it, and I have been transported away from him. Iughed.


    "Worry not! I will just approach you again!"


    I charged at him again. So what if he shifts my position here? Away from him?


    I will just march forward with an unstoppable gait.


    A portal appeared above me and dropped the training hall of the heavenly demonic sect on me. Some debris cut my skin, But Iughed in response to the meager wounds.


    "Is this all you can do?"


    I descended onto the ground, trying to reach the challenger in the skies was just suicide!


    The entire heavens themselves were filled with the remains of the Heavenly demonic sect! I could not fight there lest I be swarmed by the debris.


    On the ground, however, I can reach him. I spread my demonic qi towards the ground, all so that I would dy his control over the mountain.


    I will make sure he cannot control anything other than the buildings already in the sky!


    I ran towards the Challenger with great speed, buildings and debris all charged at me, trying to stop me but I shall not let it be so!


    "Ha!"


    I swung my sword, and the force from my swing was so strong that the buildings were all blown away, whether the Challenger''s magic affected them or not¡­ I did not care.


    I had blown them all away, and even if he used his weird teleportation magic I could just blow them away again.


    Or cut the portals themselves.


    "What is the wrong challenger?"


    A wide variety of objects came at me en masse, I parried them all with the Heavenly Demonic Sect''s most prized weapon, The M¨°h¨¥i ji¨¤n(de as ck as ink, Ink ck de).


    *CLANG*


    I savored the sound of metal shing against my sword, The challenger was now in my sights.


    Soon enough¡­I will reach him!


    This mountain¡­is nothing against me!


    "!"


    However, before I could close the distance further, I felt a strange chill run down my back,


    I jumped up and narrowly avoided a building that had gotten closer to me. The challenger had used arge number of portals to send it here¡­that was why it was able to avoid my detection.


    "Haha!"


    The Heavenly demonic Pagoda was right above me, well, what remained of it least.


    I jumped inside the building through a narrow opening and ran ahead, exiting it a secondter before it exploded.


    "Is that all?!"


    Now¡­he is closer!


    ck energy escaped my de, and the world lost its color as I shed at anything that remained in my field of view¡­


    Everything¡­except for the challenger!


    Whether it be buildings, metal, or even the earth itself! I will not let anything stand in my way.


    "Haaa!"


    I swung my de¡­severing everything that remained in my path.


    And Now¡­Only the challenger remained, His bloodied eyes red at me, and Iughed.


    Yes¡­that look is what I desire!


    "Challenger¡­This is where you meet your end!"


    Only a few meters exist between him and me¡­and no other obstacles.


    Even if he uses a portal to summon more¡­I will still defeat him.


    I must defeat him.


    With my will firm, I charged forward and prepared to pierce the heart of the challenger, the one who had dared to stand in my way¡­the path of the Heavenly demon.


    [Heavenly Demonic Arts(6-star)]


    ¡ª [Third Movement] ¡ª


    <Heavenly Demonic Pierce>


    The tip of my de exuded energy so powerful the world lost all color, the skies, the earth, and even the heavens were not exempt from this. The tip of my de reached the chest of the challenger. But soon enough, it pierced his heart and exited from the side.


    "Gah!"


    The challenger coughed up blood, itnded on my face but I did not mind. There is no shame in bathing in the blood of a great warrior.


    The challenger stopped moving, I had won.


    His body slid off my de and fell down the mountain.


    The buildings, and debris still in the air all fell, as my chest heaved up and down.


    I took deep breaths, I was clearly exhausted from such a magnificent fight.


    But It was fun, it was exciting.


    I loved it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I started to make my way back toward my resting ce, the tower would clean up the floor soon enough.


    I turned my back, and the voice of the tower rang in my mind.


    [You did not win...not yet.]


    What?


    I struggled to understand what the tower meant¡­But it did not take me long to do so.


    I was almost pushed back by a sudden burst of air from behind, I turned my head to confirm whether the challenger was alive or not¡­and to my shock.


    A dragon soared into the skies!

 Chapter 414 [414] Dreams do have meaning...

    Chapter 414 [414] Dreams do have meaning...


    [n Pator PoV]


    No matter what I did, no matter how many buildings I threw at him, or even when I turned the entire mountain against him¡­


    I was unable to stop his charge, Slowly but surely he was getting close to me. Either he avoided the obstacles or even sliced them apart, he would always keep getting closer, even if I tried to teleport him away he would simply cut the portals.


    He would not make the same mistake again.


    There are only a few meters left before his sword reaches me.


    And I hate to admit it but¡­I cannot do anything but watch.


    My body is reaching its limits. A dragon''s mana is nearly endless, but my young body cannot handle it when I am using such arge amount. My veins are being crushed and my entire body is underneath such a massive pressure¡­it is as if a mountain is on top of me.


    The gravity field I set up is slowly decreasing, and I cannot do anything to stop the Heavenly demon from getting closer¡­and closer.


    I can see his scarlet eyes staring at me like I am a dead man. He has already dered my defeat, a defeat he will bring.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to use the Miracle tear now.]


    ''No.''


    I denied Lanesah, using the miracle tear now is a waste. I can survive this¡­I think.


    There are still more than 50 floors left before I can clear this ursed tower and get the cure for Sam.


    I cannot use it yet. If a harder boss than the Heavenly demon appears on the next floor then am I supposed to just die? He is not the final boss.


    If I cannot defeat him without it, then I cannot defeat the other bosses with it.


    The Tower gives trials, not executions. There is a way to surpass this trial. I just hope I don''t have to use my trump card.


    But I think I may have to, with how things are going there might not be another choice.


    "Die."


    His sword was now mere inches away from my heart, and the ck energy it was exuding was so powerful the world was losing its color. The world was bowing down to it, unable to resist its might.


    ''Shit.''


    I cursed and tried to use whatever mana I could muster to try and hinder his sword.


    But I was unable to.


    My eyes widened in shock as I witnessed the use of Martial art stronger than the Heavenly Sky Spear, which was a five-star art. But the art was weaker than the Chaotic spear, which was a seven star.


    ''6-stars¡­''


    I thought, as the ink-ck de pierced my heart, my scales did nothing to stop it. The sharpness and power possessed by it were so overwhelming my draconic scales were unable to even slow its movement. It was as if my mighty scales were paper in front of it.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I coughed up blood as the sword exited my body from my back, it had perfectly pierced my heart. My mana could not hinder it, neither could my natural defenses.


    "It is your defeat now, Challenger."


    The heavenly demon''s voice rang in my mind, as my body slid off the sword.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to use the Miracle Tear lest you die.]


    My body fell down the Heavenly demonic mountain, crashing against the rugged edges of the mountain.


    My bones fractured from the impact as my near-dead body approached the ground at a frightening speed.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha forces you to use the Miracle tear immediately!]


    I could feel Lanesha interrupting the trial and forcefully moving my body to ess my inventory and use the Miracle tear.


    But I resisted it.


    This is not the time¡­


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says your body may be strong, but it will stter into a gory mess when it hits the ground!]


    ''I know.''


    The bottom of the mountain is really close.


    But even though I can see my death, I don''t really care.


    Because I know I am not dying yet. It may not be perfect, but it will do the job.


    "Ha¡­"


    Just before I hit the ground, I activated my trump card.


    [Skill: Dragon Transformation (FROST) has been activated.]


    ***************


    [Heavenly Demon, Ma Cheon''s PoV]


    ''Impossible¡­''


    I could not believe the sight in front of my eyes.


    A majestic eastern dragon began to ascend right in front of my very eyes, into the dark skies of Murim.


    "...Impossible."


    I muttered again, in pure shock.


    The dragon''s body, pure as newly fallen snow, glistens with a soft, iridescent glow. Its scales shimmer with a pearly sheen, refracting the moonlight into a myriad of subtle colors. As it rises, its serpentine body undtes gracefully, each movement resembling a dance in the heavens. Each movement is so simr to the dance of the dragons shown in the new year¡­The dance of the dragon I had seen in my dreams.


    Each and every movement of the dragon was so natural and beautiful that my eyes could not look anywhere else but it. It captivated me.


    The dragon''s flight carries it closer to the moon, and as it nears the celestial body, it bathes in the moon''s silvery radiance. The moonlight bathes the dragon''s scales, causing them to shimmer even more brilliantly. It is as if my dream has been brought to life¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ayer of frost covers my body, my fingers are covered in snow and my de begins to freeze.


    But I still stared at the dragon. Admiring it.


    The dragon''s most captivating feature is its eyes¡ªtwo radiant orbs of astral blue. They emit a gentle, celestial light that seems to hold the mysteries of the very cosmos themselves.


    "HAha¡­"


    I let out a hollowugh, which soon turned into a maniacal echo.


    "Hahaha!"


    My dream¡­


    The dragon from my first¡­and only dream. Finally¡­The tower haspleted my wish.


    It is that dragon¡­from my dreams.


    ''Master¡­you were right.''

 Chapter 415 [415] Dreams do have a meaning[2]

    Chapter 415 [415] Dreams do have a meaning[2]


    "It''s¡­cold."


    A young child with ck hair and scarlet eyes walked through the blizzard, his feet and hands were encased in ayer of frost, the poor boy was unaware that his fingers and toes had already contracted frostbite, and without the intervention of the heavens, he would never be able to use them again, if he survived this blizzard of course.


    Even though the blizzard was raging forth, and the young child was half covered in snow, he still kept going forward.


    His ragged clothes provided no protection against the biting cold, his skin was as red as it could be, and his frail figure, which was literally almost all bones, was a bad thing to have in this cold. If the boy had someyer of fat, maybe this would be easier, but hecked even that.


    He may even be just bone underneath theyer of skin, it didn''t seem apparent he had any meat on those sticks called bones of his.


    ''Cold.''


    The boy thought, but inside he wasughing at this cold.


    ''Nothing. Dragon.''


    His mind refused to acknowledge this cold as significant. The front of the dragon that captured the moon was carved inside of it. This cold¡­was nothingpared to the cold of the dragon.


    But would his body acknowledge it?


    Would his frail figureugh at the cold? How? It was already shivering, and failing.


    "Cold¡­"


    Muttered the boy, his teeth were cking against one another, the snow was piling up more and more¡­and he would drown in it like it was water soon enough. Thest remains of his figure would disappear in theyer of white below him.


    It had already reached his waist! And it was piling up at an amazing speed as well. It would not take long before he would be engulfed in theyer of white, cold, death.


    Even though he could sense his death was near, he resisted it to the best of his abilities.


    But how long would he, a child, be able to do this?


    Just how long?


    His body was already failing, he was dying, yet he refused to acknowledge this.


    The mind was tough, but the body was weak.


    "Can¡­not¡­fa-"


    In the end, he fell, he fell onto the snow and his figure was soon buried within it by the raging blizzard.


    Theyer of snow on him was thin, but he was too weak to lift this body up. Even this thinyer was as heavy as a mountain to him.


    His cracked lips. Desperately looking for some water identally took in some of the frost. The boy tried to spit it out but his body did not listen and devoured the snow before it could even melt.


    His ck hair had been covered fully and was now white, only his scarlet eyes remained free from the biting cold he was suffering from.


    ''...dying.''


    Indeed, he was dying.


    Suddenly, when the boy was thinking thest thing he would feel would be a numbing, bitter cold¡­he felt warmth.


    He felt warmth in his body, he had thought that maybe the heavens had pitied him and were granting him the warmth of the sun but he could not be more wrong.


    His body had given up, that was all. It could notpete with the mind of the young boy.


    "Warm¡­"


    He muttered, oblivious of his impending doom. He fell asleep, relishing the warmth. In his innocence, he had thought the heavens had taken pity on him.


    But the heavens didn''t give a shit.


    *********


    "...Huh?"


    The boy woke up and saw an unfamiliar, wooden ceiling.


    His body was covered in bandages and underneath a warm nket, his head was resting on a soft, mellow pillow.


    The area was warm,pletely contrasting the bitter cold the boy remembered sleeping in.


    He tried to get up, but a voice stopped him.


    "Don''t."


    It was the voice of an old man, who was standing in front of a firece, cooking what looked like soup.


    The old man was wearing casual clothing for the murim, and nothing about him seemed special.


    But the boy knew he was anything but normal.


    Although he couldn''t quite pinpoint it¡­the old man was scary. He wasn''t doing anything¡­yet the boy was fearful.


    There was just something about him.


    The boy calmly listened to the old man and stayed still, relishing the warmth of the nket.


    "Good, most people your age are brats."


    The old man was pleased with him. He poured chicken soup into a bowl and went towards the boy.


    "Stay still, let me feed you, Your limbs are infected with the cold energy of yin."


    The old man exuded a strange energy that possessed warmth, it covered the young boy and expelled the cold yin energy in his veins, slowly and carefully in order to not cause any pain.


    The boy hesitated to eat the soup at first, The old man informed him.


    "It''s not poison, if I wanted to kill you I wouldn''t have rescued you."


    ''True.''


    Coming to terms with the statement, the boy opened his mouth and ate the soup.


    It was average. The boy never had chicken soup but even he could tell the old man didn''t know how to cook.


    Well, when he looked at the old man more carefully¡­he could see why.


    The body was as big as a boar, his beard and hair were rough, like it was the fur of a wild animal and he possessed the fierce eyes of a tiger.


    He looked more like a wild beast than a human. If the boy was not special, he would have shat himself.


    Literally.


    "Eat, and recover."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The boy, unable to resist, just went along with the flow. He liked the warmth, and he couldn''t even feel his limbs¡­so who was he to say no?


    He opened his mouth again, and the old man fed him another spoonful of the soup.


    It was the first time ever the boy''s stomach waspletely full¡­if he recalled correctly.

 Chapter 416 [416] Words of the Wise.

    Chapter 416 [416] Words of the Wise.


    "How are you now?"


    The old man asked the young child. The young child did not respond.


    The old man sighed, thinking that either the child was wary of him or his injuries were so severe that he could not even utter words.


    "Sigh¡­"


    "Who are you?"


    "..!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But suddenly, the Old man''s worries were for naught. The young boy was able to speak!


    "..."


    But the old man stayed silent, finding it difficult to answer the question of the boy.


    Should he reveal his identity to the Young boy?


    It didn''t seem right too, if he did maybe the boy would die out of fear.


    "An old man reaching the end of his life."


    Answered the old man in a cryptic way, he deemed that this would be enough for the boy.


    "I don''t like riddles."


    "It wasn''t a riddle."


    The old man stood up and went to tend to the fire, the boy stared at the flickering mes, his scarlet eyes being dyed crimson.


    "Who are you?"


    He inquired again, curious.


    The old man remained silent, he paid the boy no heed and continued to tend to the fire. His eyes seemed to be devoid of life, perfectly contrasting the young boy''s eyes full of life, eyes filled with me of curiosity.


    "Just an Old man waiti-"


    "No."


    The young boy interrupted the old man.


    "I sense power from you."


    The boy''s sudden burst of eloquence confused the Old man.


    "... you speak well for a child."


    "I learned."


    The old man stared at the boy, dubious. His scarlet eyes began to glow, trying to observe the boy but he was left dumbfounded.


    He found nothing worth noticing within the boy¡­yet why did he feel this aura of mystery around him? He sighed.


    "Ma Cheon, that is my name."


    The old man finally dered his name to the young boy. He kept his eyes directly on the boy''s face, trying to discern any emotional changes.


    But there was nothing.


    "Ok."


    "..."


    He was left dumbfounded¡­the boy did not know who he was.


    Impossible, even Orphans and newborn babies were aware of the name of the heavenly demon, who terrorized Murim once! Ma Cheon was a name that echoed even in the womb of a woman!


    Everyone knew of him and his tyranny.


    "You do not know who I am?"


    Asked the Old man, a light of expectation present in his eyes.


    "No."


    The boy answered. The old man smirked and asked again.


    "Ma cheon¡­does the name not ring any bells?"


    "No."


    A smile crept over the face of the Old man, and he burst into boisterousughter.


    "HAHAHAHA!"


    Hisughter shook the foundations of the house they were in, and even the fire was responding to it.


    "Who are you, boy?"


    The old man calmed down and asked the young boy, wanting to know his identity. Who was he¡­that he did not know the name of the heavenly demon?


    "I don''t know."


    However, the boy''s response intrigued the man.


    "You don''t know? Where do youe from? The name of your mother? The city you lived in?"


    Ma Cheon pressed the boy but to no avail.


    The look on his face told him everything.


    "You are a lost soul."


    The old man let out augh, and the boy tilted his head in confusion, unfamiliar with the term ''lost soul''.


    The old man, The current Heavenly Demon, Ma Cheon.


    "A lost soul is someone who doesn''t know the meaning of their existence, he is someone who doesn''t know anything!"


    Ma Cheon seemed to be amused. His eyes had changed. It wasn''t as if he was looking at a human anymore.


    There was crazed lunacy in his eyes, however, he calmed himself down soon after.


    He stood up from his seat and went over to the boy. He ced his hand over the head of the boy, caressing it.


    "Your name from now on is¡­Ma cheon!"


    "..?"


    He forced the name upon the boy and dered.


    "From now on¡­you are the disciple of the heavenly demon!"


    And without a voice of opposition¡­one that would most likely be buried by the old man.


    The young boy now had a master. In modern times this would be called kidnapping and child grooming.


    But it''s Murim, so who cares?


    *****


    5 years had passed since the young boy became a disciple of the Heavenly demon.


    "You monster."


    The Old manmented, clearly amazed by the boy. He was currently sitting on top of a wide rock, gazing at the boy bathing underneath a waterfall. The boy was deep in meditation, the gushing waterfall proved to be nothing to the boy.


    The waves of powering from the boy were immense, if the Old man had not created a barrier of demonic Qi around the boy¡­the entire area would have been reduced to smithereens.


    "...Fucking hell¡­kids these days."


    Commented the old man, blood leaked out from the gaps between his teeth and escaped his mouth. It was taking everything he had to hold the energy in¡­


    In just 5 years, The boy had done it.


    He had mastered the Heavenly demonic arts in just 5 years¡­when it had taken the old man 80 years to do so.


    "Hahahaha!"


    His crazedughter echoed out, and blood followed suit.


    The boy stopped meditating, noticing the condition of his master.


    "I''m sorry."


    His voice echoed throughout the valley. The boy stepped outside of the waterfall¡­and truly he had changed.


    Where there was only bone before was now filled with incredibly hard and dense muscles, capable of tearing mountains with ease. His silky hair was like the night sky devoid of stars, reaching up to his lower back, his eyes were like blood, untainted by the foul nature of the world.


    "It''s alright."


    "..."


    The boy looked at the old man with worry.


    "How old are you, 15?"


    Asked the old man, if he remembered correctly he had taken the boy as his disciple.


    "Yes."


    "My god¡­"


    An awed sign escaped the man''s mouth. He was truly shocked. The young boy had mastered the Heavenly demonic arts¡­in just 5 years at the tender age of 15!


    No one his age would be able topete against him, they would be akin to ants! Even leaders of reputable sects! Only a few could stand against him now in the entirety of Murim.


    "I am stillcking."


    However, Ma Cheon, the young heavenly demon was humble.


    "If you arecking then no one in this world deserves to be called talented."


    The Old heavenly demon however had a different opinion.


    A cool breeze swept over them, carrying with it dead leaves.


    "Winter ising."


    The old man said, sighing.


    "..."


    The young heavenly demon knelt down and picked up one of the dead leaves, however, the leaf turned to ash soon after, and his demonic qi had pulverized it.


    This was not what the boy wanted.


    "Is there a way to stop winter with martial arts?"


    Asked the boy, his eyes gazing upon thend far beyond the valley.


    The old man stared at him, wanting tough. Seems like the young heavenly demon was still a child, he knew nothing but martial arts.


    "Why? Did your dream tell you to do that?"


    The young heavenly demon had already told the old man the existence of his dream, the dancing white dragon.


    The young heavenly demon shook his head, clearly annoyed. The old man had teased him for his dreams but had also taught him a valuable lesson.


    ''Dreams are special, every dream has meaning, whether it be significant or insignificant, some dream of how they will die, some of how they will reach the peak, and some of their minor inconveniences.''


    Those were the words of wisdom of the Old man, and the young demon had engraved them into his heart.


    "What meaning would winter have then?"


    "...?"


    The young demon failed to understand the meaning behind the words of the old man, he was acting as cryptic as always.


    "Tell me¡­if there was no winter would spring have value?"


    However, the words were still iprehensible to the heavenly demon, his mind was still that of a child, no matter how much his body said the opposite.


    "If there was no cold, we would not know the meaning of warmth, if there was no hunger, we would not know the value of food. Everything exists for a reason."


    "But Winter causes only suffering."


    "Indeed¡­but because of the suffering it causes we know the meaning of the happiness spring brings."


    "..."


    Although it was still cloudy in his mind, he understood it somewhat, so he took a seat beside his master and stared at the waterfall.


    "Then what about war and peace?"


    He asked.


    "The same, if there was no war there would be no peace. Everything would be meaningless."


    The old man sighed and gazed at the cloudy skies, rain woulde soon.


    "Ma cheon."


    He called out the young demon''s name.


    "Everything exists for a certain period of time¡­


    If it existed for eternity, its existence has no value, no meaning."

 Chapter 417 [417] Climax.

    Chapter 417 [417] Climax.


    [30th floor, Battle between The Heavenly Demon and n Pator(Dragon Form)]


    "Magnificent!"


    The heavenly demon prepared himself for the descent of the dragon.


    He covered his entire body with an abundance of Demonic Qi, raised his sword high, andughed as the Dragon of White approached with its massive body.


    A deafening roar shook the heavens and Earth and the HEavenly demon prepared himself for the oing attack.


    Would it breathe a beam of frost? Would it use its massive body toy havoc upon the mountain or would it try to just swallow him whole?


    "Come!"


    The Heavenly demon urged, the surroundings became covered in snow and an intense blizzard came upon the mountain.


    The Dragon finally descended upon the Heavenly demon, who increased the density of demonic qi around himself.


    The Demonic qi shed with the massive head of the dragon, the dragon bit and thrashed around trying to dispel the Demonic qi and he was sessful after a while.


    "Cough!"


    The Heavenly demon coughed up blood, but the dragon would give him no moment of respite.


    It spun around, used its tail, and smacked the heavenly demon away.


    The heavenly demon had barely managed to put up a sphere of demonic qi to protect himself in time, but that did not mean he was not afflicted by the smack.


    The shock still traveled through theyers of the demonic qi and the Heavenly demon was hurt by it.


    His figure encased in a sphere of Demonic Qi crashed against a peak of the Heavenly demonic mountain, the demonic Qi pulverized the rock and tunneled its way through the mountain.


    "...Urgh."


    The Heavenly demon let out a pained groan. He was now situated in the air, looking at the tunnel his demonic qi had made, the peak obscured his vision so he was unable to see n in his dragon form. This disturbed him.


    Regardless, he was quick in collecting himself, he hurriedly coated the ink-ck de in demonic qi and waited for the right time. He was waiting for the Dragon to appear from above the peak¡­but it was strange.


    Things didn''t go as he expected, he had thought that the massive figure of the dragon would appear from above the peak¡­but no?


    There was only an eerie silence in the atmosphere, but the Heavenly demon did not lower his guard.


    "...Winter hase."


    He proimed. The weather was turning worse by the second, the Blizzard was bing so intense that it was getting hard to make sense of what was 50 meters in front of him, even with his enhanced senses.


    His ears were assaulted by the howling echoes of the blizzard¡­but there was still no dragon.


    "..."


    He didn''t like where this was going. The silence was odd, eerie.


    Suddenly, a deafening roar shook his eardrums and messed with his sense of bnce.


    The Predator hidden within the biting cold of the blizzard had made his move.


    "Where!"


    The Heavenly demon shouted, trying to discern the location of the dragon. Little did he know¡­


    The Dragon would appear from the peak, not above it¡­nor even the sides.


    It would force its way through, and it did.


    It treated the mountain peak as if it were air, not rock, and flew smoothly like a predator bird through it, and the Heavenly demon was left surprised.


    The entire peak had been pulverized. Even the debris was reduced to nothing but frozen mist when it collided with the dragon''s body.


    The Dragon opened his mouth, and a blue beam emerged from it, The heavenly demon was quick to respond.


    "Damn it!"


    [Heavenly Demonic Arts(6-Star)]


    ¨C [First Movement] ¨C


    [Heavenly Demonic Vertical Swing.]


    He utilized the first movement of his martial technique, intending to cleave the beam of frost in half.


    However, things went awry.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The technique was unable topletely cleave the beam and was pushed to the side by the powerful frost energy, it traveled along the edge and dug itself right into one of the dragon''s eyes.


    The dragon, however, did not sumb to the pain and kept the beam active.


    The beam of frost energy traveled undisturbed through the cold air and collided with the demonic qi surrounding the Heavenly demon.


    And tore through it, like a drill tearing through rock.


    The figure of the heavenly demon fell and the beam diminished.


    The heavenly demon fell to the ground with arge thud, half his body covered in ice.


    "Ha¡­."


    He had barely managed to avoid the beam.


    He gasped for breath as intense yin(ice, cold) energy invaded his body. He tried his best to stave it off¡­but would he be able to?


    When that beast was above him?


    The dragon swung its tail downwards, intending to crush the heavenly demon into a pile of flesh.


    "Ha!"


    The Heavenly demon let out and grunt and used his heavenly demonic energy to make a barrier above him.


    His feet dug into the ground when the Dragon''s tail made contact with his barrier, the sheer force of impact it released was so great that the heavenly demon''s body almost sumbed to the pressure.


    He quickly jumped to the side and shielded himself from the explosion of debris and snow when the Dragon''s tail dug into the mountain.


    He jumped onto the dragon''s tail and ran up its body, with each step his body froze more and a searing pain invaded his body.


    The heavenly demon git his teeth and quickly made his way up.


    But would the dragon let this farce continue?


    It fired off another breath, undisturbed by the fact that its own body would also be damaged.


    The heavenly demon looked on with horror apparent on his face as the beam made its way towards him.


    "Damn it!"


    He expelled more than half the demonic energy that remained in his body and managed to dispel the dream.


    The dragon''s head was right in front of him.


    The dragon stared at him with one eye and opened its mouth wide, the canines seemed as if they could tear through anything, even the hardest of steel.


    The Heavenly demon barely dodged another breath and attacked the mouth of the dragon. He originally wanted to attack the eyes and blind the dragon but that could not be done.


    So he went for the mouth.


    His de tore through the dragon''s cheeks and left a visible scar. The Heavenly demon had made sure to expel arge amount of demonic qi within the dragon''s body when he cut its mouth apart.


    The dragon let out a roar of pain and retaliated by mming its body against the Heavenly Demon and summoning more than a dozen ciers which fell from the skies, towards the heavenly demon.


    The heavenly cut them in half, and his body fell to the ground. He was too tired to cushion his fall with techniques.


    "Ha¡­"


    But he was not alone. Even the dragon was getting tired. Its Azure blood fell onto the ground, coagting into small boulders of ice.


    "You are tired¡­as well."


    The heavenly said, each word taking a toll on hisbored body.. Half his skin had turned a mixture of gray and blue.


    His body was suffering from frostbite, his limbs were turning numb and he could barely even walk.


    But the dragon was no better. It floated in the sky restlessly¡­gasping for breath as well.


    The demonic qi rampaging inside its body sure had done a number on it.


    And it was at this moment.


    Both the Heavenly Demon and n knew.


    This was it.


    Both of them could not go for any longer, it was best to end this with one attack.


    Their eyes seemed to agree with one another.


    The dragon roared, and so did the heavenly demon.


    Both of their energies erupted forth, dying the world two different hues of crimson and blue.


    The debris on the mountain started to rise, it joined with one another in irregr ways and formed arge meteor.


    The heavenly demon raised the ink-ck de high above his head, and a ck aura surged forth.


    Ayer of white frost covered therge meteorite in the sky, and the Heavenly demon recalled the events of his first dream.


    "...moon."


    He mumbled, gazing at the white sphere of death in the sky. It ripped apart the air and made its way towards the heavenly demon. It was as if nothing could stop its descent.


    The heavenly demon let out a hollowugh and recalled his master''s words.


    ''You cannot cut destiny with your de.''


    "Is that so¡­?"


    [Heavenly Demonic Arts(6-Star)]


    ¨C [Sixth Movement] ¨C


    << Heavenly Demonic Split>>


    He swung his sword, and cut apart the meteor in one fell swoop using his strongest technique.


    In his eyes, the dragon behind it would suffer the same fate!


    He let out augh as the two halves of the meteor separated from one another¡­but his eyes widened soon after when he found out that there was no dragon behind the meteorite.


    "Wh-"


    His words were interrupted by the Ame-No-Sakahoko piercing through his chest from the back.


    His body went limp.

 Chapter 418 [418] And hence, Murim was buried under a thousand layers of eternal frost.

    Chapter 418 [418] And hence, Murim was buried under a thousandyers of eternal frost.


    "Cough¡­"


    Crimson blood seeped into the ground.


    "That¡­was not what I had expected."


    He could barely say these words. There was a literal spear piercing through his chest¡­it was a wonder he could even talk at all.


    His crimson blood fell bit by bit, apanied by parts of his flesh and remnants of his bones.


    "Die¡­"


    n barely managed to utter these words as well, he had transformed back into his human form and teleported behind the Heavenly demon.


    And with all his remaining strength, stabbed the Heavenly Demon with the Ame-no-Sakahoko.


    "Ha¡­"


    n gasped for breath, his body was tired. But he could still go on.


    He just had almost little to no mana.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to devour a mana potion quickly!]


    "Not¡­yet."


    The Heavenly demon looked far into the sky, looking at the spear piercing his chest.


    "What¡­a magnificent spear¡­"


    He praised me. The light in his eyes started to diminish as n pushed the Ame-No-Sakahoko further.


    "Die¡­"


    He mouthed, and the Heavenly Demon smiled. His smile was sttered with his blood.


    "...Ha¡­"


    He tried tough but was unable to. The cold energy in the surroundings pierced into his body¡­and he said.


    "Destiny cannot be changed¡­"


    Remembering the dream he always had, he wanted to chuckle but he could not. He wasn''t in the condition tough now.


    ''If itsted for all time¡­it would have no meaning.''


    ''End this Heavenly Demon!''


    ''Just end this now¡­Heavenly demon. The flow is gone¡­there is no use in prolonging it!''


    ''Why do you intend to make us suffer?''


    ''Are you not the strongest¡­? Then why persist on this?''


    The words of his Master, the Sword Emperor, the Wudang Sect Master, the Mount Hua Sect Master¡­Tang n.


    Everyone''sst words before they either died or went insane resounded in his mind.


    The Ink-ck de fell to the ground and was quietly buried in the snow.


    His mind was bing numb, thest thing he could feel was the cold.


    The pain of having a literal spear through his chest was gone¡­and now there was only the feeling of the bitter cold.


    But it was not painful, it was not excruciating.


    It was warm.


    He tried to keep his neck towards the sky but lost all strength to do so.


    In his final moments, he tried to apologize to the people of Murim, the ones who had suffered for longer.


    "Five hundred¡­and fifty five years¡­"


    His words werebored.


    "Of suffering¡­I have caused."


    Hisst words would be an apology.


    "I¡­seek your forgiveness¡­"


    But would they bepleted?


    "Mu¡­ri¡­"


    [You have in the boss of the thirtieth floor, the Heavenly Demon.]


    [You have cleared the thirtieth floor!]


    [You are the first one to clear the thirtieth floor!]


    [You have received the reward: M¨°h¨¥i ji¨¤n (Ink-ck de).]


    [You have received an additional reward for being the first to clear the trial: Fragment of the Heavenly Demon.]


    [Fragment of the Heavenly Demon merges with your soul.]


    [Your weapon, the Ame-No-Sakahoko wishes to devour the Ink-ck de.]


    [Would you like to be transported to the thirty-first floor, or to the lobby to regain your strength?]


    A plethora of blue disys appeared in front of n, he dismissed them all except for one.


    [Would you like to be transported to the Thirty-First Floor, or to the lobby to regain your strength?]


    "Lobby¡­"


    He managed to utter, his breathing was heavy andbored. In fact¡­He had no strength left to support himself, he had fallen into the snow and was being buried by the blizzard.


    Thankfully, the tower sessfully teleported him to the lobby quickly.


    n gasped for breath as soon as he felt a hard, wooden floor beneath him.


    He turned around,y on his back, and smiled.


    "Haha¡­"


    He had done it. He cleared the thirtieth floor.


    ''Closer¡­I am getting closer to her cure¡­''


    He thought. Remembering the promise he made of getting the cure for his sister¡­heughed inwardly.


    This was not augh of mockery but of happiness...


    "Sam¡­I''m close."


    ***********


    [Elijah PoV, First Person.]


    "What?"


    I mumbled, a confused look sprouted on my face as I carefully read the disy that popped up in front of me.


    [The Thirtieth floor has been cleared, you have two options.


    1: Pass on over to the thirty-first floor without having to clear the thirtieth floor.]


    2: Clear the Thirtieth floor. However, on clearing the thirtieth floor there will be no rewards.


    These options are being presented to you due to the special nature of the thirtieth floor.]


    Elijah was utterly confused, this screen had appeared in front of him¡­before he could fully challenge the thirtieth floor.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri is thinking.]


    It seems even Agri was confused by this strange urrence.


    Elijah looked at the screen for a while contemting his next course of action.


    "What is happening?"


    He decided asking the tower might be the best course of action for now. Who knows? Maybe it will give a truthful answer.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Elijah would know with the help of his skill [God-eyes], so there was no harm in it.


    The tower, however, seemed reluctant to respond. It was only when Elijah asked for the second time did it mutter a vague answer.


    "What Happened?"


    [The end of murim, by the hands of the dragon of frost.]


    "...what do you mean?"


    He heard a cynicalugh,


    [The world of Murim was buried under a thousandyers of frost, caused by the blizzard of eternal Frost.


    The dragon of frost has brought an end to Murim.


    And Murim is gone, it will take a while for me to replicate the world again.]


    "..."


    Elijah was shocked, he was trying to make sense of the words of the tower. The word eternal frost caught his attention.


    ''...n.''


    [Yes.]


    The tower nodded. Well, if it had a physical body it would ''be nodding''.


    Elijah, upon hearing the tower''s words, which were basically a confirmation, smiled.


    "Damn bastard did it before me."


    His words were yfulpletely devoid of any negative emotions like jealousy, hate, etc.


    [You are not mad?]


    "No, why?"


    [Jealous?]


    "..No?"


    Elijah denied the tower, but it was insistent.


    [You feel not a single negative emotion towards him? He has reaped you of the rewards you could have had only if you cleared it first¡­you feel nothing?]


    "Why should I feel anything?"


    [...]


    The tower was left bbergasted by Elijah''s words¡­but remembering Elijah''s ''destiny'' it understood quickly.


    [Both of you are an interesting pair.]


    It thought, sighing.


    Instead of being jealous, instead of hating his mortal enemy, he regarded him as a friend.


    But it wanted to find out further¡­even though it knew the answer, it tried to dissuade him.


    [You feel no su-]


    But Elijah interrupted the words of the tower.


    "Listen."


    He continued with a solemn face.


    "He cleared it first, So what right do I have toin? He''s my friend, not a mortal enemy or something. He cleared it first. So he gets the rewards¡­simple!"


    Without waiting for the tower to answer, he stated,


    "Now teleport me to the thirteenth floor."


    [What?]


    The tower, shocked, asked.


    "Teleport me to the thirtieth floor."


    He ced more emphasis on his words and tapped his feet on the wooden floor.


    However, no response was heard from the tower.


    "Sigh¡­"


    Elijah let out a sigh, he continued tapping his feet and stated once again, this time with an obstinate gaze.


    "Teleport me to the thirtieth floor, please."


    He added a ''please'' to appear more polite, but who knows whether that would work or not.


    However, the tower was still silent.


    Elijah was oblivious to the reason why. The tower was silent not because it was unable to¡­but because it was speechless.


    Simple as that. Of course, it would be speechless.


    The thirtieth floor was a floor that could not be cleared by Humanity''s strongest, it took a dragon(n Pator who is known to be ''human'' on Earth) to defeat it¡­but this insane dude wanted to challenge it.


    Why not choose the easy way out? Why not just go to the next series of floors? Why be obstinate and challenge the god-forsaken thirtieth floor?!


    Why?!


    It understood Elijah''s ''destiny'' and what he was programmed to be¡­but this is utter nonsense!


    Why not take the easy way out? Does heckmon sense?


    [Why? You can just go to the next series of floors! There is no benefit even if you clear the floor!]


    Just take the easy way and save it the trouble! Use yourmon sense! Your brain!


    "Didn''t I already say it? Teleport me to the thirtieth floor."


    But Elijah was obstinate, he wanted to challenge the thirtieth floor no matter what.


    [Why? Is there a particr reason for it?]


    The tower eventually gave up, it gave up in trying to persuade this ''brat''.


    Of course, it could only do this with the belief that a solemn reason existed behind it. So it eagerly waited for that.


    To gain invaluable experience? Priceless Information¡­?


    Right? There had to be something grand!


    ¡­right?


    "Because it wouldn''t be fair."


    ¡­right, why did it even bother with this dunce?

 Chapter 419 [419] Mohei Jian( Blade Of Blackest Ink.)

    Chapter 419 [419] Mohei Jian( de Of ckest Ink.)


    [Outside the tower, Academic Convergence, Colosseum of the Capitol.]


    For the first time, the entire Colosseum was silent, there were not even the cries of a baby ruining this significant moment.


    Even the announcer, Harrison Soubuelle, the number one hero was unable to utter even a single word, this was the same even for Ragnar Drakmor.


    Almost all the strongest were left speechless, whilst the others were left stupefied.


    They were unable to believe the sight in front of their eyes, unable to evenprehend it.


    Except for one of course


    "About time."


    The sword saint, Arken Miller sighed with disdain, he was getting bored. He, along with Oliver Olsfer, The golden sage, was one of the few who had believed n would clear the Trial of the Heavenly Demon, The Trial of the World Of Murim, the thirtieth floor!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "sigh...at least show some appreciation."


    Oliver scowled at him, he was close to firing a mana bolt at the old geezer''s head. How could the master not be happy when his student had aplished a feat of this level?


    "Meh, I''ll do it when he clears the damn thing."


    Oliver sighed...


    Humanity had almost lost all hope of clearing the thirtieth floor when even the 2nd ranked hero failed! It was believed that only Oliver, Arken, Ragnar, and Harrison could clear the ursed floor.


    Only these four, everyone else? Why bother trying?


    But now, in front of their very eyesy a sight that betrayed those previous beliefs.


    A student, of the tender age of 17, soon to be 18, had cleared the thirtieth floor. Yes, he was the strongest first year, the first user of the spatial element known to Humanity as one of their own, a bloodline user ording to them.


    So what?


    He still cleared it, did he not? When those even stronger than him had failed so miserably?


    He did, and Humanity would bestow upon him high praise.


    It started with the mutterings of a random civilian in the stands, who was enjoying a bag of popcorn before the shock hit him.


    "No...Way."


    Then, another joined. His statement is still being ridden with disbelief.


    "Holy shit..."


    But then the disbelief turned into something else, Now?


    It was awe.


    "Wow..."


    Then, all that erupted was a boisterous cheer that drowned the entire Capitol.


    "Hell yeah!"


    "He did it! The motherfucker did it!"


    "Go twilight!"


    But it was not just the Capitol. The scene was broadcast to the entire world! Could such a marvelous achievement be praised only here?


    In the home of themon man, in the streets of a nameless city, on the bench of an unknown park, and even the crowds in front of cafes and restaurants watching the disy.


    Everyone who witnessed it, whether in the Colosseum or in thefort of their own special ces, cheered.


    Their hearts raced, because..e on...


    Who wouldn''t when they such an amazing battle concludes in such a cinematic way?


    Whose would not?!


    Finally, after having gained some sense of self back, Harrison announced.


    [Wednesday, December 8th, the Year 2065, n Pator has cleared the thirtieth floor, Trial of the Heavenly Demon. We eagerly wait for his next course of action.]


    But his voice was drowned by the abundant and ear-shattering cheers. Even the mana-enhanced voice of the strongest hero was helpless against the cheers of an entire city.


    Harrison, chuckled, having expected this oue, the air was shaking from the cheers...who was he to think his voice would reach the enthralled crowd?


    ''Well, no helping it.''


    He thought to himself and stared at the screen with an interested gaze, he too wanted to see what would happen next.


    And so did everyone else.


    **************


    [Inside the Tower of Trials, 29th floor lobby, after clearing the thirtieth floor.]


    [n Pator PoV.]


    After having recovered a bit from the fight against the heavenly demon, I was resting in the lobby of the twenty-ninth floor, thankfully, the tower allowed me to rest in the lobby.


    Although it was quite strange, who am I toin?


    If I had been teleported to the next floor I was pretty sure I would have died quickly. the fight with the heavenly demon was so that serious, I was left half-dead.


    I opened my inventory and checked the Miracle tear, thankfully, it was still there. I was running crazy with the random thought of having used it to return to my peak condition.


    But that was just bullshit, the lobby had a healing function thankfully. Though I did wonder where this function was when I cleared the 29th floor...but meh.


    Can''tin now...can I?


    Anyway, I need to check my rewards for clearing the thirtieth floor. Clearing the Twentieth floor had given me the Shadow Core, the heart of the Shadow Beast Aluman...So I wonder...


    ''It didn''t give the heart of the heavenly demon...right?''


    Yuck, I don''t even want to imagine that.


    I examined my inventory and scrolled to the end, where my reward was waiting for me.


    [Item: Mohei JIan, de Of ckest Ink.]


    "...!"


    The moment I read that name...I jolted up immediately and took it out of my inventory.


    The weapon of the heavenly demon appeared in front of me.


    I hurriedly used |DRAGON EYES| to examine the item.


    [Item Name: Mohei Jian, The de of ckest Ink]


    [Rank: SSS]


    [Type: Jian.]


    Description:


    A legendary weapon of unparalleled craftsmanship and dark power, once wielded by the enigmatic Heavenly Demon, the mightiest martial artist to ever walk the earth. This jet-ck sword is a work of exquisite artistry and embodies the essence of shadow and ink. Legends say that the Mo Hei Jian was once a peerless, pure white de, but as it absorbed the demonic qi of the heavenly demon, along with the sorrows of the Martial words, and shadows, the de turned into the de of the ckest ink. It is a masterwork of menacing beauty. Its de is forged from an otherworldly alloy, once pure white but now so dark that it seems to absorb all light around it. The de''s edge shimmers with an eerie iridescence, resembling the glistening surface of ck ink on parchment.


    The hilt is wrapped in shadow silk, and the guard is adorned with intricate onyx engravings, depicting swirling clouds of darkness and celestial constetions. At the pommel, a blood-red gemstone, known to Murim as the "Eye of the heavenly demon" pulses ominously, channeling the sword''s malevolent and mighty power.


    [ABILITIES=]


    [Strike of ckest Shadow]: The Mohei Jian''s strikes are as swift and elusive as shadows. It grants the wielder supernatural speed, allowing them to execute blindingly fast attacks that seem to materialize from the darkest depths.


    [Torrent of ckest Ink.]: Uponmand, the de releases torrents of inky ckness that engulf opponents. These shadows drain the strength and vitality of those touched by them, leaving them weakened and vulnerable. Sometimes, even the world is dyed an ebony hue.


    [Heavenly Demon''s Wrath]: When the Demon''s Eye gemstone res with a crimson light, the sword bes a conduit for the Heavenly Demon''s wrath. The de''s strikes are imbued with devastating power, capable of cleaving through thergest mountains and splitting apart the Jianghu!


    [Soulbound Mastery]: The Mohei Jian forms a soul bond with its wielder, forging a psychic connection. This allows the wielder to ess the Heavenly Demon''s ancient martial knowledge, granting them unparalleledbat expertise and tactical insight. (This Ability is avable only when you have been acknowledged by the de. Only the heavenly demon was capable of such a feat.)


    [Infernal Resurgence]: In moments of dire need, the de can absorb the life essence of fallen foes, replenishing the wielder''s strength and rejuvenating their wounds. This regeneration is fueled by the darkness and malice contained within the sword. Caution is advised, malice and darkness are not to be trifled with. The malice of Murim bears grudges millennia long.


    [Eclipse sh]: A devastating, ultimate technique where the wielder channels the power of a sr eclipse through the de. When unleashed, it creates a pitch-ck shockwave that obliterates everything in its path, leaving only darkness in its wake. It has split many, mountains, seas, and people...and is rumored to have split the moon itself.


    _______________________________


    My jaw hit the ground as I, in a state of disbelief read the contents of the item again, and again, and again.


    Never did I regret not learning that art of the sword before this, but then I remembered I have a seven-star spear art at my disposal, but still.


    Damn.


    I gently ced the de on the wooden floor, taking extra care not to cut myself, and the floor.


    "Wait...wasn''t there an additional reward as well?"


    I mumbled. I faintly remember that there was a disy which told me that there was an additional reward for being the first to clear the floor...But what?


    ''Heavenly demon something...something...what something?!''


    I tried my best to recall but it seemed that the memory was removed from my mind...I really did try my best.


    "It was haevnly something...I am sure of it!"


    I said, determined to recall the name, I tried searching my inventory but it was all for naught.


    However, just as I believed I was at the crux of recalling the name of the item...A blue disy appeared in front of me.


    [The Ame-No-Sakahoko wishes to devour the de of ckest Ink.]

 Chapter 420 [420] The power of the sin of Gluttony, devour!

    Chapter 420 [420] The power of the sin of Gluttony, devour!


    [The Ame-No-Sakahoko wishes to devour the de of ckest Ink.]


    ''What..?''


    I thought, confused. That single sentence had made me forget whatever I was thinking about.


    The only thing left in my mind now¡­was confusion?


    What is this?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Why did this appear?


    Devour?


    It seems I was missing a crucial detail about the Ame-no-Sakahoko¡­but what am I missing?


    I can''t seem to recall anything¡­damn this garbage memory of mine!


    I always forget the things that should never be forgotten.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Laneshas suggests observing the Ame-No-sakahoko''d details.]


    ''...oh.''


    Yeah, that''s a good suggestion. Why didn''t I think of that?


    Without wasting another second(and embarrassing myself), I essed the details of the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    ¡ª


    [Ame-No-Sakahoko]


    Type: Hoko(Spear).


    Rank: SS


    Description


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend.It has the ability to control the weather. It waster given to the God Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to thend to be its ruler.


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto,ter stuck it on Mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It is a spear that is worthy of great respect.


    The Spear that overturned even the Chaos of the Land, The chaos of a great demon once consumed it. But now it strengthens it. It has been augmented by the King Of Chaos dragons, Suleras.


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to chaos.


    *The master of the Ame No Sakahoko is eligible to Learn the Spear Technique [Heavenly Sky Spear(5 Star).


    *It increases the efficiency of spear techniques.


    *It has been augmented by the king of Chaos dragon''s Suleras, the spear possesses great resistance to chaos attacks.


    *It has been bestowed with the Sin Of Gluttony. It is possible to advance its rank when using the Sin of gluttony to devour it.


    <FIRST MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY THRUST>


    Mana converges into the tip of the spear and unleashes a thrust equal to the might of the heavens themselves.


    This is the First Movement of the sword art [Heavenly Sky Spear (5 stars)


    The power of this skill increases upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <SECOND MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY SKY MIGHT>


    Mana Converges onto the weapon, and when mmed into the ground, unleashes a wave of mana around the area, destroying your foes and giving strength to your Allies.


    The power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <THIRD MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY REDEMPTION>


    Mana gathers in the de of the spear and unleashes a powerful crescent-like wave to sh your foes. The more injured you are and the greater your desire to protect, The Stronger the crescent sh.


    The power of the skill also depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <FOURTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY ARMAMENT>


    Mana is emitted by the spear to cover it in heavy armor around the spear. The heavenly aura repels negative effects and also repels the power of chaos.


    Upon greater mastery, The Heavenly Armament can cover the user as well.


    <FIFTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY SKY SPLIT>


    Upon input of Sufficient Mana, the ultimate move of the Spear art [Heavenly Sky Spear(*****)] can be unleashed.


    Ame No Sakahoko unleashes its attack, an attack that splits the Heavens, vanquishes the Primordial Chaos, and changes the Land Itself.


    The Power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    *All of the Movements have been enhanced with the power of the Sin of Gluttony.


    ¡ª


    ''Ah¡­''


    I gasped, finally understanding what the message meant now.


    ''It has been bestowed with the Sin Of Gluttony. It is possible to advance its rank when using the Sin of gluttony to devour it¡­''


    I read the crucial part of the description, finding it amusing. I did not recall ever seeing this, but then again, when I received the spear again I was in an agitated state¡­and had caused a massacre.


    So in my defense, I cannot be med for that.


    I sat down and held the spear in my hands, although my memory was quite bad, I did remember the spear vibrating, and¡­conveying a meaning to me.


    ''Defeat the Heavenly demon, and Vanquish the ckest de.''


    In the heat of battle, I didn''t really notice it, but the words were still stuck inside my mind¡­Strangely enough, I heard no voice.


    The only thing I could feel were vibrations, but the meaning behind them was conveyed to me clearly.


    "So you still won''t talk to me huh¡­"


    I sighed, wondering what I needed to do to get this spear talking to me. I wonder why it even chose me.


    [The Ame-No-Sakahoko wishes to devour the de of ckest ink.]


    The message appeared in front of me again,


    ''...should I do it?''


    I thought, hesitant. The de of ckest ink was something that would be a priceless treasure back on Earth. Everyone would want to fight to acquire it, the association, the demons, and every guild there could be, no matter the scale of the organization, they would do anything in their power to have it in their own hands.


    Twilight cannot go against the world, it just can''t. It is powerful, without a shadow of doubt.


    But¡­How can one guild go against the entire world? It is just impossible. The ink-ck de is just that precious. Very few items of its rank exist on Earth¡­And I don''t think I know of one which is [SSS] rank.


    Even the Ame-no-sakahoko, a weapon of the SS rank grade, would have been able to incite entire wars over it had it not been for its special restriction. The fact that it was a weapon that decided its master¡­was a blessing for Japan, lest the demons, and even humans would not care for loss and march forth, one group trying to get the weapon that yed a duke and one for their own personal gains.


    A weapon like this¡­in the wrong hands? I can''t let it happen. I am not a hero or anything but even I would not dare imagine the consequences. I can also hide it in my inventory¡­but.


    Who knows if the outside world already knows¡­? The tower broadcasts everything, ording to my knowledge. Who knows if this is even being broadcasted. But¡­just to be sure.


    "Is this being broadcasted?"


    I asked, but as expected, the tower did not respond. Now I am even more worried.


    "Sigh¡­"


    [The Ame-No-Sakahoko wishes to devour the de of ckest ink.]


    "Wait!"


    I yelled, getting tired of the continuous messages.


    "Let me think¡­"


    I muttered, trying to think of what I could do. I could just let the spear devour it¡­but should I do that? I know of a spear much, much stronger than the Ame-no-sakahoko, I know of its location and have also seen it in action, wielded by Aranus.


    Vorfius, Aranus''s spear, the spear that was his main weapon, I know of its location, and I also know that it will only ept me, because I reside in the vessel of its owner.


    "Sigh¡­"


    I let out another sigh.


    Thinking of things from a different perspective¡­Does anyone I know use a sword except for Master?


    Alexander uses twin des, so I don''t think this de will fit. Lucas is Lucas, using his fists, Olivia uses a rapier, Kazikato uses twin scythes.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    None of the people I''m close to use swords except for Master¡­and Master already has a sword that is SSS rank.


    I wanted to increase the strength of my group¡­but I guess I can''t.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost Lanesha urges you to follow your heart.]


    [The Ame-no-Sakahoko wishes to devour the de of ckest ink.]


    And the spear is pestering me..


    ''Sigh, fuck it.''


    Although it is a precious item, I can''t protect it from the outside world with my current strength, nor do I know of someone who is my ally and can also handle its power¡­And although it is regrettable, I believe enhancing my current strength is of more importance.


    Although I know of a greater weapon waiting for me¡­my current one is also beneficial to my strength,


    I held the Ame-no-sakahoko and Ink-ck de in each hand, and then looked at them both with a sense of¡­hope.


    ''Please don''t turn out to be bad.''


    I wished, I don''t want my weapon to turn into a weird hybrid that is not useful¡­Oh well.


    Fuck it, let''s roll.


    "I give you permission to devour the de of ckest ink."


    I said. I didn''t think this would work because it was so simple, but it worked!


    I was expecting a ritual to be required¡­


    A white light shrouded both the weapons, they slowly went closer to each and when they were finally together, the white light expanded into arge, white bowl of fierce, swirling energy.


    I, with my expectant eyes, stared at the procedure taking ce, and waited.


    ******


    [Tower of trials, third lobby, after 2 hours.]


    [The Ame-no-sakahoko has been sessful in devouring the de of ckest ink.]


    The notification I was waiting for finally appeared, and the ball fo white light disappeared and the ''result'' was now infront of me.


    "...Holy shit."


    Goddamn, that is amazing.

 Chapter 421 [421] Trial of Strength.

    Chapter 421 [421] Trial of Strength.


    "...holy shit!"


    I eximed, amazed at the weapon before me.


    I picked up the ''new'' Ame-no-sakahoko and examined the appearance of the spear closely.


    The outside didn''t change much, only a ckish edge had been added to the de, and the demonic eye present of the de of the ckest ink was now present on the hilt of the spear. The spear handle remained the same.


    But I could instinctively feel the immense power that was now present in the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha is excited!]


    "I am too!"


    I hurriedly essed the properties of the Ame-no-Sakahoko with the dragon eyes.


    [|DRAGON EYES| have been activated.]


    I ignored the pain, and let out an awed gasp.


    [Ame-No-Sakahoko]


    Type: Hoko(Spear).


    Rank: SSS


    Description:


    Ame No Sakahoko, the Upturned Sky spear, was a Hoko used by the twin Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami to calm the chaos and create thend. It has the ability to control the weather. It waster given to the God Ninigi-No-Mikoto, who was sent to the ground to be its ruler.


    Ninigi-No-Mikoto,ter stuck it on Mount Takachiho, hiding it so that no one could use its powers for their own purposes.


    It is a spear that is worthy of great respect.


    The Spear that overturned even the Chaos of the Land, The chaos of a great demon once consumed it. But now it strengthens it. It has been augmented by the King Of Chaos dragons, Suleras. The spear has also consumed the weapon, [Mohei Jian], also known as the de of ckest ink, The Spear has absorbed a weapon of greater rank, it has advanced in rank and has absorbed some qualities of the absorbed weapon(s).


    Skills:


    *It Provides increased resistance to chaos.


    *It provides increased resistance to Shadows


    *The master of the Ame No Sakahoko is eligible to Learn the Spear Technique [Heavenly Sky Spear(5 Star).


    *It increases the efficiency of spear techniques.


    *It increases our defense when dealing with martial arts, it can help you understand and even overpower them.


    *It has been augmented by the king of Chaos dragon''s Suleras, the spear possesses great resistance to chaos attacks.


    *It has been bestowed with the Sin Of Gluttony. It is possible to advance its rank when using the Sin of gluttony to devour it.


    <FIRST MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY THRUST>


    Mana converges into the tip of the spear and unleashes a thrust equal to the might of the heavens themselves. It now possesses with it a power of shadows, Upon activation, a ckish hue covers the spear and inflicts a deadly woundced with the power of shadow on a sessful hit. The shadow power within the de can harm the opponent continuously and devour them slowly unless dealt with.


    This is the First Movement of the sword art [Heavenly Sky Spear (5 stars)


    The power of this skill increases upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <SECOND MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY ECLIPSE MIGHT>


    Mana Converges onto the weapon, and when mmed into the ground, unleashes a wave of mana around the area, destroying your foes and giving strength to your Allies. With the addition of the shadow powers, the wave of mana carries with it a thousand des of shadows, all of which are aimed at your opponents. Upon being touched by the shadow des, they burst into thorns, causing further damage.


    The power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <THIRD MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY REDEMPTION>


    Mana gathers in the de of the spear and unleashes a powerful crescent-like wave to sh your foes. The more injured you are and the greater your desire to protect, The Stronger the crescent sh, a ckish edge apanies the current sh, this is the power of shadows apanying the sh. It deals with massive shadow and corrosion damage on the enemy upon sessful contact..


    The power of the skill also depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    <FOURTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY DARK ARMAMENT>


    Mana is emitted by the spear to cover it in heavy armor around the spear. The heavenly aura repels negative effects and also repels the power of chaos.


    Upon greater mastery, The Heavenly Armament can cover the user as well.


    <FIFTH MOVEMENT: HEAVENLY ECLIPSE SPLIT>


    Upon input of Sufficient Mana, the ultimate move of the Spear art [Heavenly Sky Spear(*****)] can be unleashed.


    Ame No Sakahoko unleashes its attack, an attack that splits the Heavens, vanquishes the Primordial Chaos, and changes the Land Itself.


    The Power of this skill depends upon the mastery of the Spear Art.


    *All Movements have been enhanced with the power of the Sin of Gluttony.


    *All movements have been enhanced with the power of shadows.


    ¡ª


    Although the changes in the techniques and skills of the de were only minor additions to the shadow element¡­the Grade had advanced entirely!


    The Ame-no-Sakahoko was now an SSS-ranked weapon! Weapons of such were so rare on Earth that they could be counted on one hand! One hand!


    I only know of four people who had an SSS-ranked piece of equipment, those were Master, Sir Oliver, Ragnar, and Harrison Soubuelle. Maybe the leader of the Obelisk was also in possession of one, but I am not aware of it.


    "Well, this is a nice upgrade."


    I said, satisfied with the changes. Although this was not much, it was quite good for my current self.


    Which B-rank ever wielded an SSS-ranked weapon except me? Huh?


    No one!


    [Do you wish to challenge the next floor?]


    The tower''s voice resounded in the room, and Iughed.


    "What? Finally speaking now?"


    I wanted to say something much worse¡­but I held off. Who knows whether this thing can hold a grudge or not? I don''t wanna test that.


    "Yes."


    I answered, lightly stretching.


    ''Seventy floors left¡­''


    [You are being transported to the thirty-first floor.]


    Just wait Sam, I will clear this tower quickly¡­and get your cure!


    ***********


    [31st floor, Trial of Strength.]


    Immediately after entering the 31st floor, I could feel my power diminishing.


    [Strength is the only power.]


    A voice resounded in my head, it was different than that of the towers¡­much different. Whilst the tower usually had an emotionless, metallic voice. This voice was prideful, meaningful even. The entire thirty-first floor was white, not a single decoration or even a different sort of material.


    All white, whilst the voice¡­


    It was as if it belonged to a burly old man.


    [All attributes except for strength have been locked. Weapons are also included.]


    [Defeat the enemy, who is your copy, with your strength and strength alone.]


    My weapon and even my armor vanished from my body. Thankfully, the tower was sensible enough to not leave me naked.


    In ce of the armor covering my body, there was now a ck vest and trousers.


    ''Nice.''


    Imented, finding the clothing to befortable. Although the armor provided a higher degree of protection, it was hard to move in. With this set of clothing, I have more freedom of movement. My tattoos and muscles are visible¡­which does disturb me somewhat but I cannot do anything about it now.


    Although it''s a shame I cannot test the new additions to the spear¡­this much will do.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    I can test those out another time.


    [Copy is being formed.]


    The voice resounded once again, A bright blue light shone in the opposite corner of the room, and I stared at it.


    The blue light coalesced to form a figure, exactly like mine.


    Just devoid of any outward features I possessed, The entire figure that had been formed was white.


    Pure white, it possessed a face but with no facial features, it possessed my muscles but no skin.


    A creature of full white.


    [The copy has equal strength to you, so defeat it.]


    The voice resounded again, and without a second of dy, the figure charged at me at incredible speed.


    It raised its fist and attempted to punch me, I smirked and grabbed the fist with my hand.


    I tried to punch it, but it repeated my movement. It caught my fist with its palm and now we were both in a deadlock.


    "Strength huh¡­"


    Iughed, the trial was simple!


    I can only use strength? No problem.


    My master, Sword Saint Arken had beat into me a thousand hand-to-handbat techniques! If this figure can only use my strength.


    Then he will lose¡­I can assure you that! All the pain I endured learning those techniques was not in vain!


    "Let''s fight!"


    I retracted my hands, and not even a momentter I reached forward to grab the neck of the Figure. I seeded and it tried to release my grip.


    But that was the wrong move in this situation. I yanked the figure closer to me and kneed it in the liver area. I did not know if this thing had internal organs but the blow would have hurt nheless.


    I immediately followed my attack with an uppercut with my elbow, and then I twisted my body and kicked it in the stomach.


    The figure flew past, and I smirked.


    "Come on! It''s a fight of strength¡­no?"


    I charged at the figure, giving it no time to recover.

 Chapter 422 [422] The Wellington Princess makes her move!

    Chapter 422 [422] The Wellington Princess makes her move!


    As n advanced to the thirty-first floor, which was unknown territory to humanity, the crowd watched him with rapt attention.


    But n was not the only one who garnered attention here, even though he had done miraculous feats¡­some people also kept an eye on the second-rank climber.


    Elijah Ardor.


    Although n had shattered the expectations of the audience, Elijah had done the same.


    He was going toe-to-toe with the Heavenly demon(copy) on the third first floor! That was already an amazing sight! He was even using the techniques of the sect masters and n leaders!


    Instead of dominating the floors andpletely going all out like n Pator, Elijah took a different approach to his trials.


    Instead of fighting the Sect masters and n leaders with no regard for anything¡­he sympathized with them.


    Learned from them, and utilized their techniques to defeat them.


    He never destroyed them, but rather gave them deaths worthy of their repute.


    This was why a lot of people observed his trials with great interest, even though n was the number one challenger currently.


    His trials were simply more interesting than fighting till you drop, of course, they would watch it.


    Elijah was slowly but surely gaining speed.


    It had been four days since n had defeated the thirtieth floor, he was not heading fast towards the 36th floor.


    The most shocking thing was that the audience had not gotten bored!


    Even though the Tower of Trials event this time was taking much longer than all previous eventsbined¡­this was just shocking!


    The audience, almost all had their attention fixed firmly on the broadcasts, even on the streams the numbers went through the roof! Each day a new record was set!


    "This is troublesome."


    Ragnarmented from the highest seat, gazing at the people with a stern expression.


    "The convergence willst for longer than expected¡­"


    He said, his eyes glowing a deep shade of red.


    [Well then, what do you suppose we do? The people haven''t gotten bored.]


    Harrison''s voice echoed in his mind. The two of them were currentlymunicating through telepathy, it was not through the use of a skill but rather with the help of a rare item.


    This was why there was a few seconds dy in their conversation.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Ragnar gently stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.


    ''The other events can be discarded¡­but the battle fest cannot be, the investment for it is toorge¡­and neither can the sponsorships be denied¡­Hmmm¡­''


    ''But these two are a problem.''


    He thought, ncing at Elijah and n. Truly, although the young children were incredible.


    They were annoying him now, he needed to prioritize his profits as well.


    "Elijah Ardor will not get far¡­n Pator on the other hand¡­"


    [Huh? What are you talking about?]


    Harrison asked, confused at Ragnar''s words.


    "Elijah Ardor will fall soon, he will not be able to keep up with n Pator¡­I suspect he falls in a week or two¡­But I do not know about n Pator."


    Ragnar dered, this time in a louder voice so the others near him could also hear this. The elders and major leaders of the Capitol''s faces remained calm, yet their eyes betrayed the expressions on their faces.


    [Are you sure?]


    Oblivious to their concerns, Harrison asked Ragnar for confirmation.


    "Yes, Although Elijah has proven himself worthy¡­he cannotpete with n Pator. That kid has not shown us all his tricks."


    Harrison was left shocked.


    [You mean the kid that was struggling just a few moments prior¡­You mean that kid?]


    He asked, still dubious.


    n had been struggling for quite a while, on the 30th floor, the 34th, 35th, and even on the current floor.


    How could Ragnar say such¡­? How?


    "He hasn''t shown us everything."


    [...]


    Harrison let out a sigh. Ragnar was always like this, never truly revealing everything. This was an annoying aspect of him.


    He couldn''t even discern what the man was thinking at times.


    He sighed once more and addressed the audience.


    "Well, it''s gettingte now folks, and I would appreciate it if you all got some good rest, Do not worry, the broadcasts will be saved so you all can watch at ater date, I suggest you all get some rest."


    His words, however, were not heard. Most of the audience remained in their seats, and only those with little children left.


    The funny thing was, that the parents had to forcefully drag their children so they could leave. It seemed even the kids were so excited they had forgotten that they were usually asleep at this time.


    ''Things will be hectic.''


    Harrison thought, even though he was getting tired. He had been continuouslymentating since the event began, his throat was hurting now.


    [Do we proceed with the battle fest?]


    He asked Ragnar.


    [No¡­not yet.]


    [The only ones in the tower are n and Elijah, and both of them have no interest in joining the battle fest and their Application proves it!]


    Harrison argued.


    Time was precious after all.


    The battle fest was also an important event, many participants were itching to participate in it¡­But until Ragnar gave his decree.


    They could not.


    [Four more days, if those two are still inside the tower¡­start the battle fest alongside the Tower of Trials event.]


    Thankfully, it seems even Ragnar realized the importance of the time they had.


    Most of Humanities major cities were left unprotected, and only the bare minimum of personnel were left to guard them. Most of the talented prospects, along with the important officials of guilds were present in the Capitol for now.


    Humanity''s cities were basically left unguarded. This was something Harrison wanted to avoid but couldn''t do so.


    He knew what kind of woman the leader of the Obelisk, Morgana Cardeveres was¡­


    ''That lunatic can dere a full-scale war whenever she wants¡­''


    The mere thought of fleets of demons invading the human realm when it was at its weakest¡­sent shivers down his spine. It wasn''t as if Humanity was leftpletely vulnerable, Harrison had invented machines that could form barriers around entire cities, and even entire cities were designed by him to be war machines if such a thing happened.


    But nevertheless, the fear was still firm in his mind, no matter how strong or how numerous his machines were, all it would take would be an Arch-Duke to defeat them easily.


    Even a duke would be hard to handle.


    ''Tsk¡­I guess I can only hope for the best.''


    Who knows? The Obelisk had been staying quiet these days.


    ********


    [Capitol, Entertainment District, Gambling Den.]


    [Sabrina Wellington POV.]


    I entered the gambling den through its huge golden doors.


    ''God I hate this ce.''


    I thought, even though I was wearing a mask and full body robe, the men here would go for anything that resembled a woman.


    Their lecherous eyes gave me the creeps¡­I don''t even need n to be here¡­if only I could fry their hideous figures without suffering repercussions.


    ''Tch¡­Sadly I am unable to.''


    I sighed inwardly, heading forward after giving the receptionist my card.


    On the way, I asked an employee.


    "Where do we make bets on challengers climbing the tower of trials?"


    Politely, with as much respect as he deserved.


    He pointed towards avishly decorated counter in the far corner of the establishment, I thanked him and left.


    It''s been quite a while since Ist visited this ursed ce.


    ''Was thest time with father? When he had to do some business?''


    I reminisced about the time when I was but a young child, who was being carried by my father when he was making a small trip here.


    Now who would take a child to such a vile establishment? My father, the man I love most, would.


    Well, I do not harbor any ill feelings towards him for this¡­rather I should thank him when hees back from his trip.


    I did pick up his gambling habit after all, it allowed me to earn arge amount of money¡­I would be an ungrateful child had I decided to spite him for it.


    No? Anyways.


    "Wee, How may I assist you this time?"


    I approached the counter, and the staff asked me politely.


    This would have been much better if I had not been assaulted by vile looks from everywhere.


    I ignored the scum surrounding me and said.


    "I would like to make a bet on the Tower Of Trials events."


    The staff''s expression lit up and he asked.


    "The only two contestants you can bet on are n Pator and Elijah Ardor, the bet contents would be the floors you expect them to conquer."


    As expected¡­Hehe.


    I slid my card forward and confidently dered.


    "I would like to bet one billion studs on n Pator clearing the tower of trials."


    Ah, the gazes have changed from lust to shock, and then envy.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I chuckled when I noticed this, and couldn''t hold myugh back when I saw the staff member frozen in ce.


    "...I''m sorry?"


    He asked again, and I repeated.


    "I would like to bet one billion studs on n Pator sessfully clearing the tower of trials."

 Chapter 423 [423] Dead before even trying.

    Chapter 423 [423] Dead before even trying.


    "I would like to bet one billion studs on n Pator sessfully clearing the tower."


    I repeated, but the dubious expression on the staff''s face did not disappear.


    How infuriating, it seems the man is shocked to his core. I wonder why?


    A billion is not a significant amount of money, my parents and even Grandpa usually deal in billions.


    So why the surprise?


    ''Hmmm.''


    Surveying the surroundings, I found out that it was not only the staff member, but most of the people also mirrored his expression.


    How strange, I had thought that maybe the Capitol, the wealthiest andrgest human city would possess people of great repute and wealth.


    But it seems I was wrong, or maybe those individuals are not present in such an establishment.


    Sighing, I pushed the card towards the staff.


    "Just scan the damn thing."


    I ordered, disappointed at the sudden turn of events. I sighed inwardly,menting at myself for expecting something else.


    "...yes."


    He took the card, and the dubious look on his face slowly changed into one of utter shock.


    It was not just him, a few of the intelligent ones here also realized when they saw his face.


    The employee stood up immediately from his chair and handed me the card whilst bowing.


    ''Now he gets it.''


    I thought, taking my card with a slight grin on my face. Thankfully, the mask I was wearing hid it, lest these vermin would know I wasughing at their ignorance.


    Ah, what can I do?


    I wish n and the rest were here, at least I have some fun conversing with them, but money is important as well.


    "Thank you."


    I retrieved my card and after thanking the shocked man, prepared to leave.


    On the way back, I noticed arge number of people staring at me, both men and women. The mostmon type of stare was greed, followed by shock.


    "The journey home isn''t going to be easy it seems."


    I muttered as I exited the gambling den.


    I could already feel a few presences stalking me and for goodness sake!


    I was not even in a secluded alley, but the damn street! And they were still chasing me.


    Ha¡­such things would have not urred had n been here.


    I miss him already. His figure alone was enough to deter most reckless idiots, and whenever he sensed something amiss, just releasing his aura would do it.


    Well, that worked in Shield and most ces I visited with him by my side.


    He was just reliable, and scary.


    "Sigh¡­"


    They are really intent on following me, aren''t they?


    [Skill: Dark Sense has been activated.]


    ''Total of 17 idiots, four A rank¡­and the rest don''t need to be mentioned?''


    I used a skill to observe them and identify their ranks. The ones that needed to be mentioned were the A ranks, the rest don''t qualify.


    Four A ranks¡­three specialize inbat judging by their attire and terrible stealth skills¡­whilst one is a mage.


    ''Troublesome.''


    I thought it would have been troublesome taking care of them.


    But why do I need to worry?


    I am not the one taking care of them, I don''t need to give a single damn.


    n was my trusted bodyguard in "Shield".


    Grandpa did not want to offend the Sage, Sir Oliver, so he had to make some arrangements in Shield.


    Outside of Shield? An entire troupe of assassins follows me from the shows wherever I go outside.


    Each and every one of them is A rank¡­and the Leader?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    An S-rank killing machine.


    Money is truly the best.


    ***************


    [Gambling den, John Doe, A-rank hunter of Railways Guild.]


    ''This is my lucky day!''


    I thought as I activated all my stealth items and skills, intending to rob the woman who had just bet one billion studs!


    ''...My life will be set once I do this¡­I need to execute it perfectly.''


    There was a sense of uneasiness inside my heart, but I dismissed it, the amount of money had fooled me.


    If, by any chance, she had more money in that card¡­or even belonged to a reputable family¡­Just the thought of it sends chills down my spine.


    If I can manage to get that card, or even her¡­I can live a happy life, devoid of hunting and killing those savage beasts that roam the dungeons and ins of Earth!


    Of course, I knew the amount of Risk involved in such a n¡­But I must execute it perfectly!


    I must!


    Lest I live like a machine, doomed to hunt for all time until my contract expires.


    And it is not like I am approaching her without any caution or without a n!


    I have activated all my stealth skills, and provided that I am an assassin I believe I can do this.


    If I can manage to get that card of hers, I can easily crack it with the use of an item or by other means¡­I think. If I cannot do that, I will just sell her to the demons or any demonic human guild if she is from a reputable family.


    ''I hope she is a virgin¡­value will increase a lot if she is.''


    I thought, my eyes blinded by greed. It''s easy to discern the individual is a woman, even if she is covering her entire body. If she is beautiful and a virgin¡­the amount of money I will make will skyrocket.


    ''Beep!''


    Just then, one of my items warned me about the presence of other bastards.


    ''Tch.''


    I clicked my tongue, an expression of annoyance appeared on my face and I cursed in my mind.


    ''Fucking greedy bastards¡­''


    I thought, ironically, I was in the same league as them.


    [Skill: Assassin''s sense has been activated.]


    I activated one of the most prized and crucial skills of us assassins and urately discerned the identity and ranks of the other chasers.


    "Shit."


    I mumbled, a grimace formed on my face as I realized I was not the only A rank here.


    4 other A-ranks, with terrible skills in stealth, and about a dozen B and C ranks were also approaching the woman with greedy eyes.


    ''Damn you! This is my treasure.''


    I cursed and waited for them to go ahead.


    ''Well, I will just use you then.''


    However, even in this dire situation opportunity is still present! I am not stupid enough to believe that a woman, who is probably from a reputable family, has no bodyguards around her!


    Those fodder will fight her bodyguards, and I will reap the reward, the woman.


    If by any chance she does not have any bodyguards, the only logical conclusion is that she is strong enough. If that is the case.


    Then why change the n?


    She can just fight them and tire herself out, And then I move in when she is exhausted and knock her unconscious.


    Truly, my n is foul-proof.


    The idiots trailing her don''t even know of my existence, their stealth and detection skills are terrible! Just terrible!


    At least I have some ss! I am, at the very least, qualified!


    Those bastards are just doing whatever they can to hide themselves, with no skill and items worth notice! They are a shame to my existence. They are a shame to us assassins!


    "Well¡­what can I do¡­"


    I mumbled, clearly annoyed, but I was right, no?


    What can I do? Wait!


    I will just wait for the opportune moment and strike! Like the assassin I am.


    Finally, with my thoughts and ns all set, I slowly but surely marched forward, always behind the group of others¡­but not too far behind lest I lose the opportunity.


    ''Ah.''


    Sensing a change in the women''s movement, and the movement of mana in the atmosphere, I concluded that she is aware of the existence of the people trailing her.


    Except for me of course.


    ''Just a little more¡­''


    I prayed for it to end quickly, I wanted to go take a shower. An entire day of hunting those monsters has made me sweaty.


    ''Hmm..?''


    Suddenly, something caught my eye. Did I just see movement?


    ¡­It can''t be?


    No¡­I definitely saw something in between the other idiots¡­something humanoid. Moving.


    ''...are there more?''


    How shocking, I failed to identify them¡­It seems I will face a little bit more trouble¡­Worry not.


    I have some items to back me up¡­hehe.


    "...?!"


    A surprised look appeared on my face¡­as in front of my very eyes¡­Everyone was gone!


    What!


    I had only blinked¡­and every greedy bastard was gone¡­?


    [Skill: Night vision has been activated.]


    ''...!''


    After activating my skill, I saw a few drops of blood where the greedy bastards were previously.


    Before I could think any further, or even process what had happened.


    A searing pain was felt in my neck, blood seeped from my body like rain, and my throat became filled with my own blood¡­along with a strange metallic taste. The taste of a de!


    "...ahh¡­ahh¡­"


    I tried to speak¡­but only guttural sounds came out, and I only felt pain.


    And just then, As my dying mind finally processed what had happened¡­did I realize.


    ''...I¡­messed¡­with the¡­wrong¡­per-''


    *THUD!*

 Chapter 424 [424] A fight against yourself.

    Chapter 424 [424] A fight against yourself.


    "Ha¡­"


    I let out a tired groan, as I retracted my spear from the throat of the White figure.


    A momentter, a notification appeared in front of me.


    [You have cleared the 39th floor. The Trial of Spearmanship.]


    "Finally."


    I heaved a sigh of relief, exhausted. These trials are taking everything out of me.


    The 31st trial tested my strength against my strength.


    The next ones tested my agility,bat, Reflexes, Mana, Endurance, And Even my own body.


    The difficult ones were the 36th and 37th trials, which tested my mana and body.


    The trial of mana especially¡­was just torturous. My clone could use my spatial and frost affinities to no limits!


    I was swarmed with my greatest skills every second¡­it was nauseating!


    Now I knew how my opponents fell when I dropped entire ciers on them and used the strongest skills one by one. Whilst I had to be conservative of my mana.


    I felt sorry for them, But I won''t stop doing it.


    And the trial of body, which put me up against my dragon form with nothing but my own physical attributes was horrendous as well. Then I felt bad for the heavenly demon, who had to fight me when I was in my full dragon form.


    Regardless, I will still not stop.


    "Sigh¡­"


    I let out a sigh as I entered the lobby of the 4th lobby of the tower, intending to take a good amount of rest before challenging the 40th floor, which would probably be a fight against myself, but this time instead of specific attributes just aplete version of me.


    I hope I am not restricted in any way though¡­lest I will be doomed.


    ''These trials are tiring¡­''


    I thought as I sat down on the pure white floor. The 4th lobby was simr to the first lobby¡­just a in, white room.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The only difference is that there is no ck corridor like in the first lobby.


    There is nothing here, quite fitting of the themes of the fourth series of floors.


    "Lanesha, can you wake me up in two hours?"


    I requested Lanesha and quietly waited for a response.


    I needed some rest, but not too much rest lest Samantha will suffer more. I need to hurry with the clearing of the floors.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha insists you need more rest!]


    ''...''


    I facepalmed. Of course¡­Lanesha is the opposite of Suleras. She is far too nice.


    If Suleras was here, he would have woken me up in twenty minutes rather than two hours. Lanesha¡­


    ''Why do I get the feeling she will wake me up way longer..?''


    I don''t know¡­I just have this weird feeling she will let me rest for a lot longer than I expected.


    [Supreme Dragon Of Frost Lanesha smirks.]


    ''...''


    When I saw that message, I was sure of it. She is not going to wake me up in two hours.


    "Ohe on."


    Iy down on the white floor as I rubbed my tired eyes, My body was aching in pain.


    My muscles were tired, my mana was nearly depleted, and even my head hurt a lot.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to fall asleep.]


    "..."


    Now, I know that she only wants the best for me¡­But I cannot be rxed.


    "Forget sleeping."


    I muttered,


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha is confused.]


    "I will just recover my mana¡­"


    Using [Mana Mastery] would allow me to recover my mana and also strength, although it won''t be as good as a full sleep, I don''t need one.


    I need to hurry.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to rest.]


    I ignored Lanesha, and my own body''s exhaustion, and activated the [Mana Mastery].


    [Mana Mastery(*) has been activated.]


    [The mana of the world obeys yourmand.]


    ***********


    [After three hours, Tower Of Trials, 4th lobby.]


    [n Pator PoV.]


    "Whew¡­"


    I stood up, and after circting my mana I felt rejuvenated.


    Of course, there were still some sore spots in my body but¡­ I couldn''t help it.


    If only I had the Phoenix bloodline with me, I would be blitzing through these stages, regardless of whether I was injured or not.


    The bloodline was quite overpowered, and I didn''t even realize it.


    I only realized its importance after I lost it, which is quite sad.


    I equipped my tattered armor and spear, and before I could say anything, Lanesha interrupted me.


    [Supreme dragon of frost Lanesha is angry with you.]


    "...Sorry."


    I apologized for not listening to her.


    And then moved on pretty quickly. Not paying her much attention.


    "I want to challenge the fortieth floor."


    I said, determined to clear it.


    I already had an idea of what it would be about¡­But I was helpless about the restrictions it would ce on me.


    I waited for the tower to answer, but strangely it took a lot of time.


    "..?"


    Five minutes had passed before it finally replied.


    [The fortieth floor has been challenged.]


    [Good Luck, Challenger.]


    "..?"


    What? Why is it different?


    Before I could question any further, an ear-crackling sound rang out, I hurriedly prepared myself, ready for whatever the tower would throw at me.


    Arge amount of mana was abundant in the surroundings, and a portal appeared in front of me.


    A full, white Portal, which had a weird but familiar energy.


    [You have entered the fortieth floor.]


    [No restrictions have been ced on you.]


    [The Trial of Thyself begins now.]


    [Fight against yourself, armed with no limitations¡­and defeat yourself.]


    Arge amount of mana rushed out from the portal. The quantity of it was so incredibly high that even I was pushed back a little.


    A biting chill permeated the atmosphere, and the space itself distorted around me.


    I activated a mana barrier of my own to protect myself and smirked as I saw what came out of the portal.


    A perfect copy of me came out of the portal, it was not like the white figures from before, which were just an imitation of my physique without my features.


    It was literally me.


    [The fortieth trial begins.]

 Chapter 425 [425] A fight against yourself.[2]

    Chapter 425 [425] A fight against yourself.[2]


    What stood before me¡­was me.


    A picture-perfect replica of me, from head to toe. Every unique feature I possessed¡­ possessed them as well.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    I walked around ''me'' and then observed him closely.


    He was wearing the same set of clothes that I was, the same movements I possessed¡­but something was not right.


    Something¡­is off, I am unable to urately pinpoint what but something is definitely out of the ordinary.


    As I was clearing the floors before this, I had already expected that much.


    I had already expected that I would be dealing with a copy of myself, a full copy.


    But something is strange, I am unable to pinpoint it but¡­something is wrong with it.


    It has my bloodline marks, the same length of hair, the same color of eyes, the scars on the body that have yet to heal¡­


    "What are you?"


    Out of curiosity, I asked.


    I have a feeling that it is not just a creation of the tower¡­but something else.


    A sentient¡­ being.


    "You."


    I equipped the Ame-No-Sakahoko from my inventory, and a strange chill ran down my spine as I watched the being¡­smile.


    "Interesting."


    It said, and manifested a copy of the Ame-no-Sakahoko right in front of my eyes.


    ''Hmmm¡­''


    This was not too surprising, the clone back on the trial of weapons could also do it.


    But then again, I didn''t have this ''weird feeling'' when I was facing them. They just felt inanimate objects but this thing¡­this thing¡­


    It''s weirding me out, my body is getting goosebumps all of a sudden.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha advises you to be cautious.]


    It seems it is not just me who is feeling creeped out by that thing.


    "I am you."


    I said and smiled again.


    Looking at the smile, I don''t know why but¡­


    ''I really want to beat the shit out of ''that''.''


    Both of us circled one another, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.


    I held back, even though I wanted to lunge at him, I just had a feeling I shouldn''t.


    The other meughed again, it was a cynical, yet oddughter.


    It was just like mine, but it possessed something which wasn''t it.


    "What are you?"


    Suddenly, the other me asked me a question, Staring at it in confusion, I answered.


    "The one''s who''s gonna kill you."


    I said, but the response was something I wasn''t expecting.


    Instead ofughing, the facial expressions were still, emotionless.


    And it answered.


    "Ok."


    A simple, nd answer, it was as if it was epting its fate.


    But I knew that was not its intention.


    Upon feeling a torrent of mana erupt forth from the figure, I braced myself, ready for whatever it would do.


    It brandished the Ame-No-Sakahoko copy it possessed and lunged at me.


    It was extremely fast, but I was still able to see it.


    ''What amon pattern of attack.''


    I thought as I prepared myself to counter it.


    "Fell for it."


    My own voice resounded in my ear, but it was not from my own mouth.


    The figureughed cynically and then teleported just as it was in front of me, ready to strike.


    I think it expected me to be surprised¡­But it was wrong.


    ''It''s my copy¡­''


    I thought as I raised my legs to kick in front of me.


    ''So it copies my pattern as well.''


    And just as I had predicted, instead of appearing behind me or beside me, the figure appeared in front of me, right on the spot it teleported.


    And the heel of my foot hit it right in the stomach, sending it flying.


    The other me crashed into the wall, forming a small crater.


    Normally, I would have rushed in and given no chance to counterattack my opponent.


    But the problem was, the opponent was me. I knew myself best.


    [Supreme dragon of Frost Lanesha disagrees.]


    I was left speechless.


    ''...''


    I didn''t expect Lanesha to disagree with me all of a sudden.


    ''Ohe on, Why did you have to do that?''


    I said to her, Annoyed but not angry.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Laneshaughs.]


    During the time I was bickering with my dear supreme dragon of frost, the other me had regained himself and was preparing to attack again.


    "Initial attack failed, Mana usage, activated."


    "Hmmm?"


    Oho? A robotic voice now? Was the strange feeling I had earlier just an illusion?


    I had thought maybe it was a sentient being, but I guess it''s just a creation of the tower after all.


    I had thought it was like the heavenly demon. But with the voice it has right now, which is identical to the towers, I guess not.


    "Mana Usage¡­10%. Frost."


    Large, powerful waves of frost mana erupted from its body, and it raised its hands in a simr fashion to mine.


    "ciers, descend."


    It said as it repeated anothermon pattern of mine.


    I used my excess of mana to drop a dozen or so ciers from the sky on the enemy.


    I loved doing that.


    "Wow."


    I let out a fake gasp and smiled.


    ''Maybe this trial will be easier than I had expected.''


    I thought, as Iughed and ran through the gaps between the ciers. I shielded myself from the stray pieces of ice with the help of a mana barrier.


    My original thoughts were that maybe I would be facing a monster on the same, or even above the level of the Heavenly demon, but thankfully, that was not the case.


    I think.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Between the gaps of the massive ciers falling down from the sky like meteors, I caught a glimpse of the other me, standing motionlessly.


    ''It''s getting more robotic now¡­''


    I thought. Feeling a weird sense of danger rises up in me.


    I cautiously approached the figure, trying to attack it but, as expected, it repeated another pattern of mine.


    To teleport behind your enemy when he is charging at you.


    But this time, it was different.


    He did teleport behind me¡­but his words caused chills to run down my spine.


    "Mana Usage, Chaos, 15%."


    ¡­

 Chapter 426 [426] A fight against yourself, with your strengths but not with your limitations.

    Chapter 426 [426] A fight against yourself, with your strengths but not with your limitations.


    Chaos.


    As soon as I heard that word, my body froze. My mind was shocked as all I could see was a bright, purple light shrouding my vision.


    My body reacted out of instinct, twisting itself in order to put the spear in front of me, blocking the attack.


    Well, at least it tried.


    "Chaos, Chaotic Storm."


    The clone''s voice was all I heard as I was sent flying by the onught of chaotic mana it just unleashed. I could not even see the skill it struck me with properly due to the close range. All I knew was¡­


    It was all purple, and very strong.


    My body was sent flying, littered with wounds that stung for a while but disappeared soon after/


    Whilst the Ame-No-Sakahoko had shielded me somewhat from the skill, it did not mean I was unharmed.


    The skill still managed to deal quite a significant bit of damage to me.


    "Ugh¡­"


    As I stood up, I let out a groan of pain. The pain from the skill had suddenly disappeared.


    I raised my head to look at the other me, his figure now shrouded with a dark purple hue.


    The voice of the tower resounded in my ears, and I clicked my tongue.


    [Did I not tell you? It has all your strengths¡­


    But none of your limitations.]


    ************


    Chaos. It was the element of the abyss and demons and it was also¡­


    The element one with Aranus, the original owner of the vessel I am currently in.


    Chaos was the element Aranus was gifted with, and he was so gifted in it that there was none who couldpete with him in regard to the element. It was ''one with him.''


    This vessel was originally the vessel of the king, the supreme, the primordial being of chaos. The demon who had brought the entire universe to its knees¡­ was Aranus.


    Not only was he extremely gifted in it, but with the help of the Abyss, the progenitor and the home realm of the chaos element¡­he had grown so strong that only a very few could stand against him, and even then only for a while, none could truly beat him.


    The vessel I am in¡­is the body of that being.


    The true lord of Chaos, the demon truly one with it. The body is most perfect for it.


    "..."


    Even though I possessed the affinities of frost and Space, they could neverpare with chaos!


    Even though the rank of the Frost affinity I possessed due to James was of the same rank¡­It could neverpete with an element like chaos! It could never be!


    Frost and chaos may have the same affinity ranks¡­But the cold harsh truth was.


    In this body, chaos reigned supreme, over everything!


    Aranus''s body was the strongest¡­and I could not utilize even 10% of it''s true potential,simply because¡­


    I could not utilize chaos, lest I risk the threat of the abyss swallowing me whole. If even Aranus could hardly resist the abyss¡­what could I do?


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha advises you to be careful!]


    Warned Lanesha, I was trying my best to figure out what I could do.


    [Are you afraid?]


    The tower''s voice suddenly resounded in my head. I cursed at it in my mind.


    ''...fucker.''


    I looked at the other me, slowly walking towards me,ughing in its triumph.


    I coughed up blood.


    ''...shit, My ribs¡­''


    I cursed, a few of my ribs had cracked. My internal organs are bleeding as well.


    Damn it¡­


    [Are you afraid?]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Are you afraid?"


    The tower and the other me said at the same time, and I stood up.


    Afraid?


    Yeah, I am somewhat afraid.


    But that doesn''t mean anything, it''s not like I will just ept it¡­


    Never.


    "You are not afraid?"


    I heard the other me speak once again, I wiped the ck blood from my mouth and answered.


    "No."


    It smiled. I had to admit¡­that smile was terrifying when it wasing from someone encased in a deep purple hue. The power of chaos is making it seem scary.


    [Supreme dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to be careful.


    ''Yeah¡­I know.''


    I replied to Lanesha and waited for the clone to make its move. I can''t risk attacking it right now.


    I don''t know whether the chaos mana it is exuding can cause a reaction with my own body.


    The attack it struck me with earlier didn''t¡­But I would like to not take chances.


    However, Lanesha calmed me down.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says that the chaos it is using is fake, it perfectly copies the attributes, but will not cause the abyss to notice you.]


    "...Really?"


    I almost let out a smile because of this information.


    ''Good¡­''


    I thought, relieved. If I don''t have to worry about that I am notpletely helpless.


    "I will make you afraid."


    The other me said, and I did not answer back, I just prepared myself for the next series of attacks.


    Since it is me, I can expect what it would do¡­I just have to think of what I would have done if I was using the element of chaos.


    "I will make you feel fear!"


    After shouting those words, itunched itself at me, disregarding the Ame-no-sakahoko copy it possessed.


    With the power of chaos augmenting its body, I could barely see the other me. I hurriedly raised my hands and caught its fist. I had covered my fists in ayer of frost just in case¡­but the ice shattered helplessly against the power the other I had.


    "Ugh!"


    I let out a groan of pain, as the chaotic energy it possessed covered my hands and split into sharp, spiraling des that ripped my skin and flesh apart.


    "Are you afraid?!"


    Itughed and drove me back to a corner, and I could do nothing against the monstrous strength it possessed. I was using all the mana I had to augment my body using the elements I could use.


    But¡­it was nothing against the other me, who was using chaos to augment his strength.


    I am losing in a bout of strength¡­

 Chapter 427 [427] You against Yourself, with all your strengths but none of your limitations.[2]

    Chapter 427 [427] You against Yourself, with all your strengths but none of your limitations.[2]


    As the des of chaos tore through my skin and flesh, I was backed up into a corner.


    "Argh!"


    No matter how hard I tried, I could not do anything against the monstrous strength it possessed. The muscles in my hands were being shredded apart due to the chaos des, while the bones in my hand were being crushed by the grip strength possessed by the other me.


    "You cannot defeat me."


    He said as he pushed me back even further, I was helpless against his power.


    "Shut up!"


    I tried to push him back using the strength of my entire body, but he did not budge, I grit my teeth and endured the pain as summoned Ice spikes with the intent to impale him or give myself a moment of respite.


    [Skill: Ice Spike has been used.]


    But nothing worked, the Ice spikes were destroyed easily by the other men. He used the same skill as me, enhanced with the power of chaos to shatter my skill to pieces.


    "No matter what you do."


    Its bone-chilling voice resounded in my ears as I let out a scream of pain.


    "Everything you can do."


    It ripped my hands off and kicked me in the stomach.


    "I can do better."


    "Cough!"


    I coughed up blood as soon as I crashed into the wall. Standing up, I took 5 (Humanity) supreme-grade potions and used them to regenerate my hands.


    "...Shit¡­"


    I let out a pained grunt. The skin, flesh, and bones of my hand regenerated slowly by the effect of the potion was quite painful.


    This was a downside of the potions¡­unlike healing skills, they were more painful.


    [Supreme Dragon of Lanesha say''s look out!]


    "Huh?"


    As I was concentrating on my healing hands, I failed to notice the change in mana in the atmosphere. The other me had fired a breath of chaos magic at me.


    "Shit!"


    I cursed as I used a skill to protect myself.


    [Skill: Wall of Frost has been used.]


    I did not erect just one, but multiple, I erected as many as I could before the breath of chaos magic would manage to reach me.


    I even inputted a significant amount of mana into each wall¡­but it was all for naught.


    The breath tore through the extremely dense ice like it was nothing, and I was engulfed in the chaotic mes.


    Even though I used my mana to form a shield around me, I was unable to do anything against the chaos breath.


    The breath prated the shield and burned my body alive.


    "Argh!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In a moment of desperation, I expelled my mana outwardly to disperse the breath, and thankfully I was sessful.


    Although I wasn''t unharmed, my skin had been severely burnt.


    I looked at the other me and found something odd.


    He was using¡­potions?


    He was using the same potions I was using¡­and on the same spot as well!


    Upon witnessing this, A question arose in my mind.


    ''Why is he using potions..?''


    I had done nothing of significance to him, none of my attacks had harmed him enough that he would be using potions to heal himself. So then why?


    Before I could evene to a conclusion, I felt the mana in the area fluctuate once again.


    "Oh shit¡­"


    A curse escaped my mouth, it was a signal of something bad about to happen.


    And something bad would be happening indeed.


    In front of me¡­were thousands of Swords made of ice and further enhanced with the power of chaos, giving them a purple color.


    "..."


    I gulped, a little scared.


    "Come on¡­I don''t do that kind of stuff¡­right?"


    I said,pletely aware of the fact that I was guilty of ''doing that stuff.''


    But that didn''t mean it was fair¡­right?


    "Die."


    The swords all rushed at me as soon as hemanded, and I tried to dodge them as much as I could.


    I jumped on some, bearing with the power of chaos ripping my feet apart, some I parried with the help of the frost I had covered my hands with.


    But even then¡­how long could I do this?


    If I also created my own des, they would be helplessly torn apart, I could not dodge them for an eternity¡­


    No matter how much I tried, they were endless.


    I could not even get to the other me, instead, I was just swarmed by the chaos des.


    I tried my best¡­but finally one hit me in the stomach.


    It pierced through my abdominal muscles and stopped when it hit my lower spine¡­And I screamed in pain.


    Thankfully, I was able to avoid another de ramming into me.


    But¡­I had no chance now.


    I can''t defeat that thing¡­not as long as it is using chaos.


    But what can I do? I don''t think I can stop it!


    [The Supreme Dragon of Lanesha says to activate Dragon eyes, and worry not about the consequences.]


    All of a sudden, as I was still recuperating from the blow, Lanesha''s words rang inside my mind.


    "What?!"


    Use Dragon eyes? That is suicidal!


    Dragon eyes is a skill that has a lot more power than just revealing all of the information about the opponent! I can''t use those powers because I cannot use chaos!


    Just the thought of that thing using all the powers of the dragon eyes I had no ess to¡­with none of my restrictions as well sent shivers down my spine.


    I was refraining from using my dragon abilities because of this as well, it was because I had not unlocked their full potential¡­because the dragon abilities of this vessel were those of chaos.


    If that thing used them¡­I was fucked.


    I could still put up a fight right now¡­but all hope of me going against that thing would be lost the moment it was able to use my dragon abilities to their full potential.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says she is risking her power! Use the skill and you will know how to ovee this trial!]


    [The towerughs at the supreme''s desperate cries.]


    "Ah!"


    ''Fuck it! I''m trusting you on this Lanesha!"


    [|DRAGON EYES| has been used.]

 Chapter 428 [428] A way to defeat the Crystal Enigma.

    Chapter 428 [428] A way to defeat the Crystal Enigma.


    [|DRAGON EYES| have been used!]


    Using the brief moment of time I had before the other me would use the same skill and decimate me with it, I hurriedly followed Lanesha''s instructions and tried to find whatever weakness I could in the information shown to me by the dragon''s eyes.


    _____


    [Name: Enigma Of Crystal.]


    Rank: Dependent.


    Strength: Dependent.


    Endurance: Dependent.


    Magic: Dependent.


    Agility: Dependent.


    Charm: Dependent.


    Intelligence: Dependent.


    Affinities: Dependent.


    Description: An enigmatic monstrosity aptly known as the "Dependant," as it thrives on mirroring your every move, echoing your every power, yet remains untethered by your vulnerabilities and frailties. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It copies everything about you, whatever you do, even if there is no need for it. It will do it.


    Since it is bound by none of the restrictions the one it is copying possesses, thus defeating it is quite tricky.


    It follows whatever you do, if you use mana, it will use mana to overpower you.]


    Just as I had read the description, the world itself seemed to stop as I realized the other me was now using the dragon''s eyes as well.


    ''Shit¡­''


    I cursed, as I was unable to move my body.


    The dragon eyes the other me was using were now enhanced with chaos¡­and also being used to their full potential.


    ''Hah¡­I''m fucked.''


    I said, preparing myself for what was about toe.


    I could feel it¡­something was making its way towards me¡­Something that could kill me.


    Even though the other me was in my line of sight, whatever he was attempting was not. I could not see it but could sense it.


    And that made it even more terrifying.


    And what could I do¡­? Nothing. The world seemed to have stopped and my body stopped with it. I could do nothing.


    Or at least I thought.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha orders you to release your mana right now!]


    Without a second of hesitation, I followed Lanesha''smand and dispelled all the mana from my body. I could not move but I could still do this.


    All the mana that I was using to enhance my body was dispelled, and ''whatever'' wasing at me finally struck me.


    Instead of pain, I only felt a weird feeling epassing me and faded away quickly.


    ''...thanks.''


    I thanked Lanesha, her advice had prevented my death.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha has fallen asleep.]


    But her advice came with a cost, because of her interfering with the trial, and going against the supposed ws'' I had heard of from Ariel¡­


    She suffered the same fate as Suleras.


    She could no longer help me.


    ''Thanks¡­''


    I thanked her for her help once again, and although I was sad, glooming over it right now would be bad for me.


    I looked at the other me, and I saw himing towards me, having also dispelled the mana from his body.


    ''It does whatever I do¡­if I use mana, it will also do it.''


    I recalled whatever I could from the description shown to me by the dragon''s eyes.


    The other me, or rather the Crystal Enigma, was not using Chaos mana to enhance itself now, nor was it using mana at all.


    ''Just like me.''


    I thought. The moment I dispelled the mana from my body, it had done the same.


    "Haha¡­"


    I let out a slightugh, finally filled with some hope.


    If I will use mana, then it will do the same, if I don''t¡­it won''t.


    Simple as that.


    But what If I don''t? What if I fight it with raw power only?


    Then it will also do the same.


    "Huuu¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down and calcted my chances.


    I have a chance if it''s a physical fight, a significant chance. I can''t win against it in Mana ... .but in a physical fight¡­


    I can.


    "Come on."


    I taunted it and got into my signature Muay Thai Stance.


    The grueling months of torture(training) I spent on Terra Damnum¡­the beatings I tool from Master.


    Come on, I will show you the result now!


    "Fine."


    The other me said, and rushed at me, I, instead of charging in, stayed calm.


    Since it copies me, it will also be using my techniques¡­So I have to catch it off guard.


    It twisted its body and raised its fists to punch me, I blocked the punch with my arms.


    "Ha!"


    I let out a small triumphantugh. Without chaos mana strengthening it my body can handle it!


    "Come on!"


    Before It could retract its arm, I grabbed its arm and threw it over my shoulder with nearly all my strength.


    The ground beneath us shakes as his figure is mmed into it. Without giving him a moment of respite, I was about to mount him andnd punches straight on his face.


    But s, it did not go ording to n. It had rolled away before I could try to do so.


    In a hurry, I raised my leg high and tried to ax-kick it but the other me dodged it.


    The heel of my foot dug into the ground, and the Other me raised its hands andnded a flurry of punches on my face.


    A few to the chin, knocking my sense of bnce off, and a few to the nose.


    Thankfully, my nose didn''t break.


    I took a few steps back, but the crystal Enigma was relentless.


    He followed me and stood close,nding more and more punches to my face.


    Coughing up blood, I read the trajectory of his next punch and ducked, barely dodging it.


    Before he could retract his fist or punch me again, I raised my right elbow and struck his jaw with my full force.


    His sense of bnce was now off as well, and he was struggling to stand the strong blow, But I was not done yet.


    Without giving him a moment to rest, I closed in on him and elbowed his chin, immediately afterward I twisted my body andnded another elbow on his nose, sending him flying.


    ''I can win.''


    I thought.


    In hand-to-handbat, no one except the master can defeat me, not even a clone of myself.

 Chapter 429 [429] 41st floor.

    Chapter 429 [429] 41st floor.


    I punched the Enigma in the face and jumped back, avoiding a leg sweep. Although barely.


    ''Ha¡­''


    My body was littered with wounds, but so was the Enigma. This fight had been going on for about half an hour, and with each second passing, both of us would strike each other with devastating blows that would easily shatter a boulder like it was ss.


    Blood trickled down my nose and entered my mouth.


    The metallic, mana-rich blood of mine tasted weird¡­I hated it.


    It was so repulsive, that I wanted to puke. But I held back.


    I swallowed the vomit that climbed up my throat and looked at the Enigma with a wary gaze.


    Just like me, it was also severely wounded, maybe even more injured than me.


    And that was good.


    "What''s wrong?"


    I spoke, taunting it.


    It had spouted the bullshit of making me afraid for so long but now?


    It was silent, silent as the sound of a man waiting to die.


    The enigma red(?) at me, and If I had to be honest.


    It brought me an iprehensible amount of joy.


    "Haha¡­"


    I could not just hold it in¡­The feeling of that thing being quiet when it was babbling non stop for so long.


    It was exhrating.


    "..."


    The enigma, exasperated, continued to re at me.


    "What''s wrong?! Scared yourself?"


    Enjoying the state of the Enigma, I continued to taunt it as I gained time to rest my tired and injured body.


    "Where is all that talk about making me feel fear?"


    I received no response, and that fueled me even further! Even fucking further to annoy the shit out of that thing. Taunting it until it made the fatal mistake of attacking me first!


    "Come on! Where is all that vigor!"


    My voice prated its ears and made its skin shiver.


    "Shut up."


    And finally, I received a response from the damn thing, a response so full of hate and annoyance that turned to utter joy when it reached my ears, Iughed like there was no tomorrow and moved forward, tempting the enigma toe and attack.


    I even left myself full of openings, just so it would take the bait.


    And knowing myself, it was going to take it in just a moment!


    And Vo!


    The enigma, with a sudden burst of energy, rushed at me, just like I had expected.


    In order to make sure it didn''t sway off course, I kept myself full of openings.


    And just when it was close to attacking me, it was the most opportune moment.


    To strike back.


    Jumping back a bit in order to lessen the impact of the elbowing towards my chin, I, with steady footwork and great acting(of course) pretended to be hit by the blow.


    Well, since it was ''me'' who delivered the elbow, of course, it hurt.


    But I managed to portray the pain more fiercely than it was.


    Hence¡­I got it.


    I got the enigma in the perfect position!


    Laughing to myself, I hurriedly reached out with my arms and grabbed the right arm of the Enigma before it could pull it back.


    Looking at its face with a devilish re, I dashed forward and spun myself, with the arm of the enigma still held firmly in my ''lock''.


    As I spun, I made sure to m its body on the ground. Due to the weird angle, its arm was now broken and bent at a weird angle.


    Before the Enigma could recover, I let go of its broken arm and hurriedly grabbed its neck in a choke hold.


    "Urgh!"


    It groaned in pain as my forearm and bicep crushed its neck.


    "Die you fucker!"


    I cursed at it, intending to suffocate the damn thing to death with my hold.


    As I was suffocating it to death, the enigma tried fighting back, by means of trying to roll its body or even try to punch me with its left arm.


    Because of the great flexibility my body possessed, it was able to seed, continuously hitting my lower chin and sometimes my nose, causing it to ze with pain.


    : Die! Die!"


    But I did not relent, I kept adding more and more force until there was nothing it could do.


    And it could do nothing only in death.


    The enigma rolled on the ground and took me along with it in a desperate final struggle, but to its dismay, I was still grabbing it in a chokehold.


    Even though I was now the one on the ground, it would be unable to attack me.


    Gritting my teeth, I refrained from using mana to enhance my strength in order to end this quickly. It was hard to stop my habit of using mana to increase my strength.


    "Gah¡­gh¡­"


    Only its painful and depressing attempts at a guttural scream managed to escape my hold.


    And then, as its vein appeared on its skin it gradually started to turn red. Its body grew limp.


    I knew I had done it, I had killed the damn thing.


    But I did not give up my hold, not until the tower announced the clearing of the trial.


    Even though my body ached with pain, I did not decrease the amount of strength I was inputting until I heard that damn trial-clearing notification.


    And thankfully, I heard it soon.


    [You have cleared the 40th trial, the Trial of Thyself.]


    [You are the first person to clear the trial, additional rewards have been given.]


    [You have received: Crystal of Enigma.]


    [You have received: Perfect Enigma''s amulet.]


    [Transporting to the 41st floor.]


    Before I could even let go, white light surrounded my body as the Enigma''s body faded to dust.


    Shocked, and terrified, I screamed.


    "Wait no! I want to go back to the lobby and rest!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But the tower did not listen.


    [Transported sessfully, Wee, Challenger, to the 41st floor.]


    "Wait!"


    Before I knew it, I was in a body not my own, and around me were corpses of people, all mangled and torn apart by the ws and teeth of monsters, some even with intestines spilling out.


    The scene of torn buildings and debris filling up the roads, along with monsters filled my sight. And I wondered.


    "What the he-"


    "Help!"

 Chapter 430 [430] Destiny collides, fate intertwines.

    Chapter 430 [430] Destiny collides, fate intertwines.


    [Tower of Trials, 4th lobby,]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Elijah rested his tired body as soon as he arrived at the lobby. He slumped down andy down on the ground, his chest heaving up and down. His body was covered in wounds. He looked at his sword, the Sword of Sundering hellfire was looking worn out.


    "Damn it."


    He sighed and got up, ignoring the exhaustion that gued his body and mind. He essed the system interface and bought an enchanted whetstone.


    Buying a potion that brought his weapon to its top condition would have been better, but Elijah didn''t necessarily have the leisure to buy such an expensive item. Furthermore, he felt at peace when doing this. The mere act of sharpening his de, in the solitude that he found himself in, with nothing but the grinding of the whetstone apanying his ears, was peaceful to him.


    It may have sounded odd but he felt at peace whenever he did some sort of manualbor when he was tired or exhausted. It felt calming to him.


    [...]


    Even the tower, as omniscient as it imed to be, was confused at what the fuck was Elijah doing?


    He had the points to buy a potion, of course, it would be a hit on his wallet but he had the funds! It didn''t understand why he refused to choosefort, especially when he was exhausted like this.


    [You are a strange creature.]


    Mused the tower as it stared at his actions.


    "Shut up."


    But Elijah did not share the same attitude as it, he was already tired of the tower''s bullshit and heinous ways of conducting trials. The thought of its disgusting gaze looming over him as it watched in glee as the worlds, the innocents it trapped were killed in order to plete a trial''.


    He was tired of this thing, in simple words.


    Elijah, in the silence of the lobby, slowly grinded away at the whetstone, restoring his de to it''s optimum state.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agriforts you and says you are doing well.]


    Even Agri''s praise was nothing to him right now.


    He was too tired to give a fuck.


    Eventually, he had seeded, and without giving his body enough rest, dared to challenge the fortieth floor.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri advises you to rest.]


    "I can''t."


    The tower watched silently, amused.


    "The more I dy it, the more Elton is suffering from the curse."


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire suggests you rest.]


    "I want to challenge the fortieth floor, so teleport me there already.]


    Elijah ignored Agri''s advise, andmanded the tower to transport him into the next trial.


    The tower, in it''s usual mechanical voiceughed. Although Elijah couldn''t see it, he was sure it wasughing right now. It truly enjoyed the conversation between the supreme dragon and the boy akin to an ant in front of it.


    It truly wondered why the Supreme dragon tolerated such behavior, even the sessors didn''t have this much leeway...well, those of other dragons didn''t.


    Well, it was not it''s ce to judge, so it left it be and said.


    [Very well.]


    As soon as he said it, a string of messages appeared in front of Elijah on bright blue disyed


    [You have challenged the 40th floor.]


    [The trial of thyself begins! Defeat yourself, which is bound by none of your limitations but possesses all of your strengths!]


    [Good luck, challenger!]


    *******


    [Tower of Trials, 41st to 49th floors, n Pator Pov]


    "Help!"


    A woman, desperately called for help as she ran through the debris carrying a child. The woman frantically ran away from the monsters, holding the crying child in her embrace.


    Unfortunately for her, a monster appeared from behind and swallowed her whole in an instant, her child(?) was not spared as well.


    ''...!''


    I did not know why, neither did I know how, but my body moved. It was not of my own volition but I, like a hero, rushed towards the woman in order to save her just as the monster had appeared behind her...


    But I was toote. A feeling of regret and sorrow washed over me as the monster ran away, looking for more prey to devour. I wanted to chase after it, but no matter how much I tried to move I could not.


    ''...Am I shorter or something?''


    I wondered. Or is the world maybe too big this time? I, stand at an impressive height of 6''8. I don''t know whether that is great or not for dragon''s or draconians, butpared to humans it definitely is.


    "Argh!"


    Suddenly, the screams of multiple people echoed out once again, and a piercing headache apanied it.


    I, with my own eyes saw an entire city being brought down to ash, demons of various sizes riding monsters and wrecking havoc in both the skies and grounds. Eating and devouring any human they could find. Numerous awakened tried to fend the demons off, but it was obvious.


    Everyone is dying, we are losing.


    Again, without my own volition, my head turned around to see a man with bright orange hair, under a chunk of debris.


    It seems his lower body has beenpletely crushed, and he would die soon enough if he didn''t receive any immediate first aid.


    Without wasting another second, I rushed over to him, screaming.


    "Elton!"


    Huh? This voice...?


    Before I could question it any longer, I was already using all my strength to lift the debris and free the man stuck under it.


    To my horror, the man was unconcious, meaning he won''t be able to crawl away as I lifted up the debris.


    ''Shit!''


    This was highly unlike me, But here I was, trying to help a random person I didn''t even know. But one thing I was certain of was.


    I know this voice.


    This cheerful, high pitched, and normally charismatic voice...I know who it belonged to.


    But, before I could entertain the thought any further, A chill ran down my spine as I, in a fit of desperation, kicked the man away from the debris. Immediately afterwards, I jumped back, narrowly avoiding what appeared to be a whip made up ofplete ck darkness.


    I looked towards where the whip came from, and an enraged voice escaped my lips.


    "You!"


    I looked at the ck humanoid mass with red scarlet eyes with contempt, a hidden rage burning inside my body which wanted nothing more than to kill that son of a bitch.


    I could feel a hot energy overflow within my veins, a power so vengeful, so filled with hate...mes materialized on my body as I took out a sword from apparently no where at all.


    Before the sword was doused in mes, the de reflected the face of the wielder...which was supposed to be me.


    But I saw someone else. Red, scarlet eyes that were as deep as blood, a handsome face which had a head adorned with bright, orange hair.


    I...was Elijah.

 Chapter 431 [431] A taste of what each other felt.

    Chapter 431 [431] A taste of what each other felt.


    Before I could even think, I was pushed away by the demonic being, it swung it''s whip with as much force it could muster and sent my body flying.


    Thankfully, I had raised my sword to block the whip. But that did not mean I was unscathed.


    I crashed into a car, and the sword I was wielding was obliterated by the power of the whip.


    Even though I did not control the actions of Elijah(or the body I was present in). I could feel the pain vividly.


    The collision with the whip had fractured my wrists and forearms, making me feel a great amount of pain. Furthermore, the car I crashed into had definitely done some damage to my spine.


    "Ku...."


    Crimson blood escaped my mouth and sttered on the ground. Even though my(?) body was incredibly injured, I still raised my head up and red at the demon.


    "You..."


    I could feel it...The wrath Elijah possessed in this moment. I could feel the power of his mana surging through his veins, boiling his blood and rejuvenating his vigor. His fire affinity cleansed and healed his body to the best of it''s abilities and like a dragon, refused to give up.


    I stood up, and another sword, much like the one before materialized in my hands.


    Very soon, the same phenomenon happened and the sword, along with my body were covered in a suit of mes, designed to protect and destroy.


    "You!"


    "Oho? Your alive?


    The demon''s voice echoed in my ears, and I, rushed in.


    ''Wait! Wait!''


    I tried to stop myself from blindly rushing in like an idiot, but it was all in vain.


    "YOU!"


    A voice not my own emerged,ced with hate and a pure desire to kill the demonic fucker in front of me.


    "Ha."


    But all it took for the demon to throw me far was to release a bit of his energy. The shockwave hit me with the force of a truck and shattered my ribs. The pieces ripped apart my flesh and punctured my internal organs.


    And I screamed like a bitch.


    "Amazing."


    As I was in extreme pain, not being able to move lest I worsen my injuries, the demon approached me, striking his whip against the ground.


    The whip tore through the cement as if it were paper.


    "A kid like you...still alive?"


    There was no mockery in his voice, only sheer amazement.


    He approached me, and I tried to use a skill.


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been used.]


    But nothing happened, the bolt of me was devoured by the endless darkness that was his figure. He said.


    "Are you done?"


    He was enjoying this.


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been used!]


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been used!]


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been used!]


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been used!]


    I used the skill four more times, but to no avail. It seems to me that this is strongest skill Elijah currently possesses right now.


    Unfortunately, his strongest skill is useless against this abomination of darkness.


    The demon, revealed a sinister smile as it kneeled down and looked at me straight in the eyes.


    It''s wed fingers stroked my face, ripping my delicate skin apart. It held my chin high and said,


    "Do you want to be a demon?"


    It asked, with an angelic voice contrasting it''s hideous and sinister appearance.


    It added.


    "Come on...Be a demon and I will fulfill your every wish. Your brother over there, I will heal him and even make him be a talented awakened...As for your family, I will give them safety and wealth.


    Just be a demon...be my subordinate and all will be yours."


    I stared at it''s face, and responded with...


    Ptui!


    By spitting on it''s face.


    To be honest, even though I was not the one in control, I enjoyed this. I loved how Elijah responded.


    I would have done the same as well. Everyone knew that falling prey to the sweet but sinister promises of a demon was akin to signing a death warrant.


    However, people were retarded, and still did it. The demons also possessed a wide variety of skills which weakened the psyche and made it all happen. They would attack by utilizing either the trauma or needs of the people, slowly pushing them towards the edge.


    This was what happened with the White Tiger Guild leader, Adam White as well. He had been consumed by the Demonic Marquess who used a plethora of skills that attacked the Human Psyche, weakening it slowly but surely.


    That was how even an upright and just human being who enjoyedpetition was turned into a failure of a man.


    "..."


    The demon, clearly dissatisfied increased the grip on my chin. My jaw broke under the immense strength.


    "Now let''s see whether you can spit or not."


    Itughed. Consequently, it also used a number of skills to attack my mind.


    [Skill: Infernal Illusion has been cast on you.]


    [Skill: Mental Despair has been cast upon you.]


    However...the skills proved to be useless.


    [The Protection of the King of Fire dragon''s is with you, rendering such skills useless.]


    Damn, I was jealous.


    "What?"


    And the demon was shocked.


    With a sudden burst of strength, my body unleashed a wave of fire energy and sprung forth with strength.


    The demon, for the first time was injured by my attack and backed away. I took out a potion from my inventory and drank it.


    ''...''


    I had forgotten, Elijah had the most overpowered cheat known as the [System]. The thing that was his main source of strength. He could do anything with his system, which gave him quests with stupendous rewards and a shop where he could buyanything.


    ''Argh!''


    A tight feeling gripped my heart, and I, literally felt Elijah''s body melt as he used whatever mana he could to enhance his physique.


    ''You idiot! Do you want to fucking kill yourself?''


    I cursed at him, without recalling the fact that ''I'' had also done too many times to count.


    ''You fucker!''


    Since I was in his body, I couldn''t do anything but feel anything, which was why I voiced out aint. I could feel my blood vessels bursting apart! I could feel my heart going into overdrive and my bones shivering from the immense mana!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Elijah! Stop!''


    But no matter how much I cried, it was useless. I could feel my entire body burst apart as Elijah activated ''that''.


    [Skill: |DECIMATION| has been activated.]


    Haha...this fucker is crazier than me. He''s even more insane than I am!


    "You psycho!"


    And it seems the demon thought the same.

 Chapter 432 [432] A taste of what each other felt.[2]

    Chapter 432 [432] A taste of what each other felt.[2]


    It was brutal.


    The fight with the demon was brutal, Immediately upon activating Decimation, my body was akin to a rampaging beast that had lost all control, and one that had no regard for it''s own life.


    Without even being able to do anything, I could only witness the sight of my body, or rather Elijah''s body literally melting from the power that resulted from using |DECIMATION|


    The veins popped up and it was as ifva was running through them instead of blood, my skin had turned bright crimson and I...went fucking berserk.


    "You!"


    But, Elijah''s body could not sustain it for long. Based on what I was seeing, he was still a kid as of now, about 10 or 11 years of age.


    The fact that he contended with a demon for this long,even with the system and all it''s benefits, was an achievement worth boasting about all your life. It was something even an experienced veteran awakened would fall at...But a child was able to do it.


    "You son of a..!"


    And the demon? Yeah, he was pretty pissed as well.


    Who wouldn''t be? He justid waste to an entire city and a ten year old kid had injured him, the same ten year old kid had fought so hard that even though his bones had been turned to mush and his veins had burst apart.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He was still raring to go, like a hero who wouldn''t fall until he had defeated his foe.


    ''Haha...Fucking son of a bitch.''


    I cursed in my mind, although this may have seemed as if I was ridiculing, or even cursing Elijah...I was just fucking impressed.


    Completely in awe, one could say. Even though I was feeling a fuck ton of pain, there was nothing but admiration in my heart.


    Even though I was feeling the pain of using the skill |DECIMATION|, I honestly couldn''t give a damn. The curses I had spoken of in my mind were actually praising Elijah.


    "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"


    The demon''s cracked his whip, striking it against the ground and walking towards me with a steady, but clearly enraged gait. I wanted to let out augh, but sadly couldn''t.


    "A fucking child!...A fucking child!"


    It seems his ego had been dealt a massive blow.


    "Forget about bing a demon...I will torture that fucking soul of yours for all eternity."


    My previous statement was wrong, his ego had not been dealt a massive blow, but had rather been torn to shreds.Literally.


    The demon got closer and closer, and extended his hands.


    "The supreme dragon..."


    However, at the crux of the moment, just when he was about to use a skill that would probably damn my soul...he stopped.


    ''HA! Take that! The protection of a supreme dragon!''


    I gloated, the look on it''s face after the fight was worth watching. And even more so when the demon realized it couldn''t do a fucking thing to Elijah''s soul.


    ''Hmmm...?''


    This was probably the worst time, but I wondered...If his skill had seeded, would it be Elijah''s soul that would be damned...or mine? I am the one in the body right now but that is a scary thought.


    "...Whatever."


    However, my gloating was cut short by the demon cracking his whip once again. The demon looked at me with a terrific grin, and said.


    "The supreme dragon cannot protect your physical body...not as long as you are in this lowly world."


    A chill went down my spine and I shivered.


    ''Wait...''


    Before I could evenprehend it, the demon attacked me with it''s whip. The whip hit Elijah''s body straight in the chest and ripped the skin apart. However...I wished the pain of skin being cut apart was the only pain I felt.


    A different type of pain invaded Elijah''s body and I could feel every bit of it...And I fucking hated it.


    ''...son of a bitch.''


    I cursed the demon. Right now, I really...really wished I was in my own body, then I would have a better chance at defeating this damned thing.


    No, I was pretty sure I could pummel the bastard...only If I was in my own body that is.


    ''Even Elijah could do it...''


    Even the Elijah I knew could do it, provided he used |DECIMATION|, but sadly, right now...he was but a kid.


    Because of the injuries this body had sustained from the previous fight and use of the skill, It could not move an inch but I could feel all the pain.


    ''Shit...''


    At this moment...I really thought I would die.


    But I couldn''t do anything, no matter what I tried, I only served the role of an observer and apparently a victim as well.


    This body would not move ording to my wishes, no matter how much I tried.


    But I refused to let it end, I knew it couldn''t end like this. The tower wouldn''t let it end like this.


    The whip approached me again, but it was all slow to me. Even though it was probably moving incredibly fast, I, or rather Elijah''s eyes perceived it to be slow.


    And just when it was about to strike, a saving grace came.


    A bolt of ice struck the whip and redirected it, not even a moment after a man dressed in an ornate, blue armor appeared like a rising tide, and like Poseidon, he wielded a spear that controlled the very tide he appeared with. And struck the demon right in the head. He seemed...familiar.


    "Run kid!"


    He said. How much I wanted to say that I could literally not run, I could not.


    Thankfully, with his appearance, the notification of the tower appeared as well.


    [Transporting to the forty second floor.]


    *********


    [Tower of Trials, 40th floor, Elijah Ardor POV]


    I plunged the Sword of Sundering hellfire into the heart of the clone, and fell to the ground soon after.


    My body was littered with wounds, and each breath was taking a toll on me, My heart dared to jump out of my chest and my lungs were on fire.


    This fight...had taken it''s toll on me, I had toe up with ingenious ways to defeat myself, and by ingenious I meant do whatever the fuck I could do that I normally didn''t do.


    It was hard.


    [Bravo!]


    ''Fucking hell.''


    The tower was back.


    [You cleared it much faster, and much better than your predecessor.]


    ''Shut up...please.''


    I desperately wished for the ability to rip it''s tongue, if it had one, out.


    I truly did...just so this bastard would shut up and let me rest. for a while.


    But not all wishes are granted.


    [Now...You showed an ingenuity unmatched by anyone I have ever seen, and a will that was like a mountain! Firm and piercing high into the skies...Now challenger...


    Go forth to the next floor!]


    "...?!"


    Wait, what?!


    "No! I wanna go to the lobby fi-"


    But I was unable toplete my sentence before I was devoured by the blinding light of teleportation.


    [Good Luck Challenger! May your mentality not break...]


    ------


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 Chapter 433 [433] The second Event of the convergence.

    Chapter 433 [433] The second Event of the convergence.


    [Earth, Capitol.]


    Outside of the tower, the audience was shocked once again.


    Just like when it was when Elijah and n were clearing the tenth floor...it had happened again!


    The broadcast was ck! Nothing could be seen, even the streaming system did not work! "What the hell?!"


    "The fuck is this?!"


    It was normal for them to be enraged, they paid so much to see the event but it couldn''t be fucking seen!


    Harrison, looking at the riled up crowd, tried to pacify them.


    [Please ca-]


    But even his mana enhanced voice was drowned out by the uproar. ''...''


    Harrison, seeing the crowd, was stupefied. He sighed, knowing it would be hard to exin to them the reason for this.


    The thing was, this was not in their jurisdiction...the ckening of the tower broadcast was not under their control! Even the malfunction of the streaming devices!


    It was not as if the people didn''t know about this, they did, but the people refused to acknowledge it, even if they were aware of it.


    The people, in simple words, were retarded. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They were angry because the broadcast cut off at the most opportune moment, when n Pator was severely injured and instantly transported to the next floor. They wanted to see how he would deal with the next trial...But now they couldn''t even do that.


    They wanted to enjoy this damn thing! Not to wait any longer!


    Come on! Show us what happens next you goddamned tower!


    Unfortunately, their cries would not be heard, and even if they were, the thing in question didn''t give a damn about them.


    ''Sigh...Should I do it?''


    Harrison activated hismunication device and delivered his message to Ragnar, who responded.


    [Yes, I think we should do it now, any longer and I am afraid they will cause a riot.]


    Ragnar, also being a witness of the outrage, was aware that themon folk who were easily stirred up by something as trivial as this, would cause a riot. Besides, the deadline he set up was close already, although they would have to make some preparations to hold the two events together, they had to start it now.


    [Ahem, ahem!]


    Harrison spoke into his microphone, using the most amount of mana he could use without injuring the ears of amon fan. The arena fell silent soon, the rowdy voices that still remained were quietened by the crowd.


    They all waited for the next words of the number one hero with rapt attention.


    [I have to apologize for the issues with the Tower of Trials event, but we cannot do anything about this. However...]


    However...What''s next?


    [We can do one more thing to entertain you all and make sure your money has not been wasted...]


    Somehow, he was able to create a sense of anticipation within the people with his simple words, a skill envied by many announcers. [I am proud to announce that along with the tower of trials event...The battle fest also begins!]


    ******


    The second event of the Academic convergence, it was known as the Battle fest.


    It was just the simple, basic tournament type of Event in which participants would move up the brackets by defeating their opponents, it was simple as that.


    But that was what also made it so fun! Instead of the other events which were based on special sses of the students, like tanker, mage etc. Anyone could enter the battle fest, all they had to do was fight.


    It did not matter who their opponent was, they just had to fight them. This was the reason why it was so popr. Sometimes it even surpassed the tower of trials in poprity.


    The people simply loved spectacr and gory disys of people fighting one another with all they had.


    Who wouldn''t? It was akin to watching an action movie in person. Student''s of various sses and strengths going at each other with everything they got, throwing all sorts of spells and skills at one another like there was no tomorrow. Although this may have been amon sight among the awakened, themon folk had no idea about this at all.


    They were unable to approach the vicinity of a dungeon after all, entering the dungeon and seeing the awakened fight was but a dream.


    The only asions during which such a thing was possible...when dungeon breaks had urred. And they couldn''t just enjoy the fighting when monsters the size of houses were trying to eat them, now could they?


    This was why the battle fest was so famous.


    And also why the applications were so crowded.


    "Damn it!"


    Alexander cursed as he tried to push away the crowd as gently as he could. If he idently used a little bit of strength he was afraid he might break the bones of the people here, who were just as eager to sign up for the grand event.


    They had met a lot of requirements, and most of their applications would be rejected. Only those from reputable guilds and families would be admitted without needing to go through this tedious process. "..."


    Lucas trailed behind him, trying to say something but the sheer magnitude of the people here and their voices made it hard for his own voice to be heard.


    "hey!"


    "Fuck off!"


    He cursed at anyone trying to stop. The ''prank'' n had yed on them had already made him angry, and at this rate, he would blow.


    The station where they were supposed to sign up was hectic, there were 150 lines, and all of them were filled up with people breaking the rules. They were so bold even though this was the association. Young awakened especially were even getting into fights!


    They were tired of this process, but no matter how tired they were, they still had to do this. They could only me the fact that they were not in any guild or born in any prestigious family...


    ''Come on!''


    Alexander could have contacted his wretched family to register him for the battle fest, but he absolutely despised them. He would never contact them no matter what. Even if he let go of his pride and dignity and did it, the chances of themughing at him were higher than the chances of them actually signing him up.


    "Alex!"


    "Shut up! I need to get there quickly!"


    Alexander refused to listen to Lucas, who was desperately trying to tell him something, and charged forward.With each step he was closer to the damn registration booth, a sense of aplishment would fill his body.


    ''Come on!''


    Finally...he had done it.


    ''Yes!''


    Without wasting another second, he pushed his Shield Identification in front of the woman at the booth, and released his mana in the surroundings. All of this was to make sure no bastard woulde and disrupt him.


    His gray mana, unique to the [Null] attribute escaped his body and formed a sort of shield around him.


    The woman at the counter nonchntly took his card and scanned it on a machine which would determine whether he was qualified or not. It seems as if this wasn''t the first time the woman experienced something like this, most hot blooded youths, clearly enraged from the conditions here, did this in order to stop others from interrupting them. Whether they could actually do it or not was up to them.


    "...?"


    However, as she scanned the card, a confused look appeared on her face.


    "What''s wrong?!"


    Alexander questioned, despairing at the thought.


    ''Was he toote to sign up, and have all the positions been filled?!''


    He hoped that was not the case and the machine was malfunctioning.


    He wished for it to be the case!


    "You..."


    ''Speak faster you damn woman!''


    "Are already signed up for the event, Alexander Wright, contestant number 111, in the second division..."


    She gave him his card back.


    ''...?''


    The news came as a shock to Alexander...he was already participating in the event...how?


    However, at that exact moment, before he could process the information his mana shield was broken and a fist struck his head.


    "Fucker!"


    Lucas retracted his hand and dragged Alexander away. After going against the tidal wave of people, he threw Alexander on the ground and was preparing to beat him up.


    "What the fuck?!"


    Alexander wouldn''t just let it happen though, he got up immediately and questioned Lucas''s actions.


    Lucas shoved his phone into Alexander''s face and said.


    "I already signed your ass up using my family dipshit!"


    "...?"


    Alexander responded.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?!"


    Lucas grabbed him by the cor.


    "THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO!"


    He punched Alexander in the face for thest time, and sighed.


    "Sigh...check your fucking phone."


    Alexander checked his phone...and saw the notification about his participation. Delivered to him about two hours ago. When Harrison Soubielle announced the beginning of the event.


    "..."


    Along with the notification came the division brackets, which showed what opponents he would fight in order to win his division.


    Most of the other fighters were people he did not know, and some students from shield. Who he still didn''t know who they were.


    "Seems easy enough..."


    He said, but Lucas signed yet again.


    "Check the first division."


    "Hmm?"


    Alexander checked the division beside his, the first division. The winner of the first division would go against the winner of the second, this pattern was repeated all across the 16 divisions, each consisting of 64 participants.


    "...?"


    However, Alexander couldn''t find anything special.


    "Look closer, participant number 58..."


    And when Lucas pointed it out, he finally found it.


    "..."


    "Yep, the dude from n''s team."


    [Participant Number 58, First division, Affiliation, Twilight.


    Name: Kazikato Shimoshino.]


    "..."


    ''That''s who I will be fighting in the quarter finals huh...''


    Indeed, Alexander and Kazikato''s divisions were incredibly easy for them...no doubt they would sh with one another when they won their divisions...


    "Nice."


    Despite Kazikato''s feat of annihting an entire guild by himself, and being regarded as the second strongest beside n Pator in Predator...


    Alexander was happy that he would be fighting someone worth it.


    __________

 Chapter 434 [434] Battle Fest(2)

    Chapter 434 [434] Battle Fest(2)


    "..."


    Sabrina looked at the tournament brackets on her phone, and a sinister smile crept up.


    [Participant: Sabrina Wellington, Affiliation: Wellington Family, Twilight.


    Contestant Number: 413, Division number: 7.]


    "kukuku..."


    Her actionspletely betrayed what she was known as, and had even shown to be.


    She was acting different from her usual, poised self. Completely different.


    One would wonder what the reason for this abrupt change was.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    It was the fact that her division held the one person she wanted to beat the absolute shit out of....


    Her malicious eyes gazed at the poor soul, ''her target''.


    [Participant: George Drakmor, Affiliation: Drakmor family, World Government.


    Contestant number: 414,Division: 7.]


    He was in the same division as her... and right next to her.


    Her first fight in the battle fest would be against that son of a bitch.


    "Thank you grandpa."


    She knew who manipted the brackets in order for her to be able to have this encounter.


    It was none other than her grandfather, who pulled some strings to make this happen.


    And for that, she thanked him. She should probably give him a gift as wellter on.


    "Now...How do I make you suffer?"


    One question was surely in the mind of everyone...What did the dude do that made her so angry? That made her want to absolutely fuck him over?


    The answer was simple, he had tried to sexually assault her. This had happened quite a while back before her admission into Shield, about a year before it actually. The Drakmor family had paid a visit to the Wellington estate. And this had happened during that time where Sabrina was still a newly awakened and struggled to control her mana.


    What the bastard had done was...get influenced by his Drake Bloodline and look for any potential mate his age.


    Yes, you read that right.


    The drake bloodline was a ''feisty'' one. It was more eager to do the deed than even rabbits in heat.


    Older members of the Drakmor family, who didn''t have as pure of a bloodline had managed to control this troublesome attribute of their bloodline...But that wasn''t the same for George.


    Not only did he have a bloodline concentration second only to that of Ragnar Drakmor, the Patriarch of the Drakmor family and their progenitor...He was also young.


    At the ripe old age where his hormones were also influencing his body, the young drakmor failed to control his bloodline urges and actually took a go at Sabrina, who at the time was wondering what the fuck he was doing when he had barged into her room.


    If not for her darkness mana erupting forth and stopping the lustful George, she might have been a victim of underage assault.


    It was indeed a trauma for her, who was still suffering from the effects of the awakening.


    That event had also soured the rtionship the Wellington''s had with the Drakmor family, which did recover when Ragnar hade and reportedly beat George to a pulp for his indecent actions and apologized for being too lenient with him.


    Nevertheless, Sabrina didn''t forget it. That event was also one of the major reasons why she needed a bodyguard for herself in Shield, Lucas was one as well but let''s not discuss that. Lucas is a changed man now.


    What made the situation worse was that George had no remorse for what had happened. Granted it had been his bloodline taking the lead, but his simple response to the situation was.


    ''It happened, what can we do now? Just forget it.''


    That response was also followed by him continuing his indecent actions, not against Sabrina but others. Mingling with prostitutes of the Capitol and whoever he could whenever Ragnar was away.


    That had earned him the nickname "The Lustful Drakmor".


    Sabrina absolutely despised him. Even more than her hate against Lucas, which had lessened during her time in Shield. Lucas was a changed man after all. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her hate on George however continued to grow...


    And now was the most opportune moment for her to make him regret everything.


    Punishment or scorn from the Drakmor? She was the Wellington Princess! Her family alone was enough to warrant no such punishment. And besides, the Drakmor family wouldn''t do anything!


    Because Ragnar Drakmor had already promised her that if she could beat him, she could do anything she wanted to get her revenge.


    Although this may be considered Hubris on Ragnar''s part...who could me him? His bloodline of the Fire Drake had allowed him to be the strongest awakened in the world! George, who had the second more pure bloodline in his family...was strong. Incredibly strong.


    It wasn''t wrong for Ragnar to believe that Sabrina wouldn''t be able to defeat George...It wasn''t wrong at all. Without a bloodline of equivalent or greater strength, it would prove to be hard to defeat the young Drakmor.


    But Sabrina was confident she could, she had mastered mana application and had even studied the books third year at shield''s were studying! She was well aplished and certainly capable.


    Now, the only question left was did she think George had changed? From the rumors, certainly not.


    Did she care?


    Nope, she didn''t give a damn.


    *********


    [Capitol, Red Light District, Entrance.]


    "Achoo!"


    A fair skinned red haired youth sneezed. He was quite tall, standing at a height of 6 foot four inches, with a well built body. robust physique. He was dressed in casual clothes and possessed quite a handsome face. Maybe the rank of his charm stat was B...even A.


    Such a young man seemed to be so elegant and pure...


    "Fucking hell."


    He was anything but.


    "Which bitch is it this time?"


    Although his voice was quite pleasant to hear, the words it was speaking were not.


    The young man was of course none other than George Drakmor, who had visited the Red light district in order to have some fun.


    The thought in his mind was.


    ''Which prostitute or bitch is cursing me now?''


    This was amon urrence for him. Whenever he sneezed he always thought someone he fucked(either literally or fucked over) was cursing at him behind his back.


    "ah, fuck it."


    He decided to dismiss it and entered the red light district, eager to actually do the deed.


    He had been training for quite a while now, he hadn''t even left his room. His bloodline was making his hormones go wild.


    And by wild, really wild.


    "Hmmm...Who today? Lia, Maggie?"


    As he was thinking of whom he should choose to fuck...his nose picked up a foul smell.


    He stopped abruptly, sniffing.


    "Sniff..."


    His heightened senses smelled something incredibly foul. Without a second of dy, his seemingly normal eyes transformed into the eyes of a reptile.


    ''Such a vulgar scent...''


    He thought the smell was worse than even the smell of shit...It was something he had smelled before.


    Demon.


    He thought, and acted as part of the crowd in order to locate the demon with the foul scent.


    His eyes nced at many people, finally, he had pinpointed the location of the foul demon.


    And then, in the blink of an eye, his feet released an intense, concentrated me akin to the engine of a jet and he rushed at the demon''s location.


    It was like he teleported!


    Strangely enough, his mes didn''t hurt the crowd, it wasn''t even felt by them. All they felt was the gust of wind that apanied his


    flight. "There you are."


    George said as he caught sight of a hooded figure in an alleyway, the figure''s physique suggested it was a female.


    "Come here!"


    As soon as he was in range, he extended his hand coated in fire and caught the neck(?) of the figure.


    "...?"


    He had caught something...He felt the feeling of having gripped flesh but it was only for a moment.


    Only for a moment, and then it disappeared into ck smoke.


    "..."


    Georgended on the ground, wondering what had just happened...The foul smell was still here but the one who exuded it had run away.


    "Meh, my family will probably take care of it."


    He just concluded that he would report when he returned home.

 Chapter 435 [435] Eyes as deep as the abyss.

    <h4>Chapter 435 [435] Eyes as deep as the abyss.</h4>


    [Tower of Trials, ?? Floor, n Pator POV]


    "Urgh..."


    My head hurt...it was aching like a fucking boulder had been dropped on it.


    ''Where am I?''


    I opened my eyes, only to struggle to see what the fuck was happening before me. My vision was incredibly blurry, I could only make out that I was in a hallway of sorts...


    Nothing else.


    "I can''t believe it..."


    Suddenly, everything became clear as I realized that I was still In Elijah''s body. Unfortunately, I still had no control over my actions, I was, once again, an Observer.


    Or rather a victim.


    ''What is the purpose of this floor now...?''


    I thought, curious.


    Elijah''s voice sounded depressed, I don''t know what will happen but I don''t think it will be anything good.


    We(?) or rather I, was currently in the hallway of a hospital, filled with people. Most of the people here were injured...Some even corpses.


    All avable doctors and nurses rushed to do whatever they could, the family stood beside them, ready to help in any way possible.


    ''Disgusting...''


    The smell inside this ce...was foul.


    From what I could see...there were dead bodies, half eaten bodies, legs, arms...Everything.


    Some held the appendages covered in cloth and cried as much as they could. Some were...shocked.


    Their eyes were listless and they were either holding an appendage or looking at the dead body of someone.


    "I...can''t believe it..."


    I heard Elijah say again, and he slouched down on a random free seat in the hallway. He looked aimlessly at the ground.


    He raised his hands...and just stared at them, shaking little by little.


    He raised his hands further...and grabbed his face.


    ''Hey! Hey!''


    I had expected he would just cover his face with his hands but this lunatic was ripping his skin off!


    ''Hey!''


    Thankfully, he stopped, whether it was due to me or something else...I was just d he stopped trying to rip his own face off.


    ''Whew...''


    I let out a sigh of relief.


    ''What''s the objective here?''


    I wondered...What is the tower trying to do now?


    The concept of these trials is...confusing to say the least. While I had concluded that maybe it was just giving me a taste of Elijah''s pain and memories...I have an inkling that maybe there is an ulterior motive here that I am unaware of.


    And the thought irks me. I can''t predict what the tower will do.


    This goddamned tower is capable of doing anything it wants...And that fact alone is all I need to be constantly on my guard...


    Who knows, maybe a demon or whatever will appear in front of me again, and that time I would have control over Elijah''s body and would have to fight.


    "..i''m sorry..."


    All of a sudden, a plethora of emotions overwhelmed me.


    Depression.


    Anxiety.


    Guilt.


    Regret.


    My heart was beating loudly, or rather Elijah''s heart was beating loudly.


    I could hear every beat.


    Thump!


    It did not stop there.


    Thump!


    The emotions were so intense that I had fallen to my knees and I could barely breathe.


    ''..!''


    Elijah raised his head, his eyes filled with tears and looked at a particr family far away, all crowded around a bed.


    I could see his father''s robust back, he was standing firm and proud, but I could see tears running down his cheek.


    His mother and sister, both were hunched over the bed...breaking down in tears.


    "I''m sorry..."


    Ah, guilt hit me again.


    "I''m sorry...Elton."


    And when those words left his mouth did I realize who it was on the bed. It was his brother, Elton Ardor. The one Elijah was trying so desperately to save. He...was the reason why everyone was crying.


    He was the reason why I was crying as well...No matter what, I couldn''t help it. Elijah''s emotions overwhelmed me and I felt as if tears were running down my cheek.


    ''...''


    I tried to withstand the onught of the emotions, but they, slowly but surely struck me again and again and again.


    ''Kuuhh.....''


    "I''m sorry Elton..."


    Again, his saddened voice rang out. The sounds of various children and mothers crying in the hospital disappeared.


    It was all a blur, the voices in the surroundings had gone silent.


    ***************


    [Tower of Trials, 41st floor, Elijah Ardor Pov.]


    "Ugh..."


    My head hurts....so much.


    I tried to massage my head but I couldn''t feel...my body moved ording to my will.


    It was...nk. All I could hear was the distant echoes of a raging battle going on. And even that


    ''Where am I?''


    I questioned, trying to calm my mind. I raised my head but what I saw...


    Was destruction, nothing else.


    All around me, debris and blood littered the ground, apanied by an asional corpse.


    My feet were bare, and the cloth on my knees had been eviscerated. The pain in my knees from sitting on the rough, broken ground was...immense.


    I felt weaker, I felt...smaller. It was as if all of my strength had been sapped away and I had regressed back to when I was a kid...


    No, even as a child, I was still stronger than this.


    ''What...is happening?''


    I questioned, tears ran down my face endlessly, my throat and mouth were filled with saliva and snot, which blocked my air passageways, making me struggle to breathe.


    My chest...was in pain from all the crying, I could barely breathe!


    Boom!


    "..!"


    The sudden noise shook me, I looked up to see an explosion of ice mana which had coagted into massive spears. The spears however, were shattered by a ck whip.


    It seemed familiar to me...But I could not urately grasp why. I knew I had seen it somewhere before...but where?


    I could see a man and a woman, both d in armor fighting against something, the explosions from their fight had rendered my ears useless...All I could hear was a constant ringing.


    ''Wait...''


    Looking further, I spotted the body of a young girl, she looked to be only a little bit bigger than a baby. Being able to walk and talk but not that well at her age.


    "!"


    My eyes widened when I observed her more...


    ''My god...''


    Her legs had been crushed. Although the pelvis and groin was still fine, everything from her thighs to her feet had been brutally crushed. It was as if a snake had strangled them with all his strength and broke the twigs that were the little girls legs.


    Blood and flesh escaped from the punctures of her skin, caused by shards of broken bone or the sharp objects on the ground.


    ''I need to help her.''


    I could see her chest moving up and down...the girl was alive, albeit barely.


    But then, I realized I could not move.


    Like a coward...all I was doing was crying an endless river of tears


    Move!


    Move!


    Move!


    But no matter what, my body refused to listen to me. I tried to do anything I could, with all my might...


    But nothing happened.


    ''Move! Move!''


    That girl will die soon enough! I need to go there and feed her a potion or use a skill to heal her!


    ''System!''


    I called my system, trying to ess the shop in order to purchase a high grade potion...But nothing happened.


    ''...System?''


    Shocked, I called out again. But nothing happened.


    ''...system!''


    Desperate,?I did it again, but nothing happened.


    "...?"


    At this point, I was truly confused...


    ''Has the tower restricted my system?'' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The very thought was terrifying...and impossible.


    The system couldn''t be restricted by anyone! It''s just something...that can''t. Even Agri failed miserably when he tried to tamper with it. He was gone for an entire year.


    ''System!''


    I called out again, refusing to believe this ursed tower is stronger than the King of Fire Dragons. I refuse to believe it can do anything to my system.


    ''''System!"


    Come on!


    Boom!


    ''Ah!''


    Another explosion of mana erupted, and out of instinct I tried to erect a mana barrier in front of me. And at that point I realized.


    I had no mana as well.


    I could not feel the mana of the fire element flowing through my veins. I could feel nothing in my body.


    ''This...can''t be happening.''


    Tower, to even take away my mana? Are you trying to kill me?


    What happened to the ''I give trials, not executions?''


    ''Tower!''


    But there was no answer.


    "Argh!"


    A piece of rock hit my shoulder, the explosion was probably the reason for iting at me with a high speed.


    ''Fuck!''


    I cursed, the pain was immense...even though it was a little rock it hurt so fucking much.


    I looked at the duo, however, this time...They had fallen to the ground.


    And I saw him.


    I saw his figure, covered in a cloak of darkness, wielding a ck whip covered with thorns.


    Ah, now I know why that whip felt so familiar.


    It was him, the bastard that had brought forth the destruction of my home.

 Chapter 436 [436] Eyes as deep as the abyss[2]

    <h4>Chapter 436 [436] Eyes as deep as the abyss[2]</h4>


    I could never forget that son of a bitch. The being encased in a dark fog of chaos mana, the same demon that had nearly destroyed Arorpletely...


    I could never forget him.


    He was the cause of so much suffering...he was the reason Elton was suffering, the reason Aror went down on a dark path.


    An entire city was brought to dust by his nefarious actions...the sight of entire mountains of corpses...entire graveyards being filled was still vivid in my mind.


    Never, will I be able to forget.


    "YOU!"


    I yelled with all my might, doing my very best to charge at the fucker and kill him with my bare hands.


    I yelled and yelled again, but my voice didn''te out.


    ''TOWER!''


    I redirected my anger to the tower, which was forcing me to relive this trauma.


    I had fought that demon when I was 10...and I remembered how badly I was beaten. A single day did not go by where I didn''t think of getting my revenge against this genocidal demon.


    "TOWER! YOU FUCKER!"


    Even though I could feel no mana within my body, even though I could not even open my system...I desperately wished to be able to go and kill that son of a bitch. I wished for the tower to let me move my body.


    But yet it wouldn''t.


    I screamed, and screamed, and screamed, until it felt like my throat had been ripped apart by sharp des.


    And then, I realized.


    I curse you, tower...I curse you.


    Forcing me to relive this trauma without giving me any chance to do anything.


    I fell to the ground, the feeling of my forehead against whatever dirty thing on the ground was rough.


    But then, I didn''t even want to...but I got up.


    Tears continued to run down my cheek as I could only stare at the duo on the ground, being mercilessly tortured by the demon.


    "Mom...dad..."


    Huh? What?


    Those are not my parents.


    What?


    ''What the hell.''


    I was sure I was the one that had spoken, but it was not my voice...it wasn''t anything like my voice.


    As I was lost in thought, the duo looked at me and, with a renewed vigor, stood up and fought the demon once again. The man tried his best to keep the demon of ck upied whilst the woman ran towards me, picked the little girl up and threw her.


    I barely caught her, almost unable to keep myself straight from the force.


    "n, run!"


    Huh? n?


    Without a second of hesitation, my legs were already moving and I...was running.


    All I thought was to run. Carrying the little girl in my arms...That was all.


    Even when my heart dared to jump out of my chest, even when my feet stepped over ss and other such objects...when the skin was torn apart and my feet bled.


    All my body did was run.


    But my mind was stuck on this thought.


    ''n? But I''m Elijah though?''


    And it was just then, when I was running over a pool of water did I see it.


    It was only for a mere second, but the boy running did not match any of my features. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    And then I realized the purpose of these trials.


    I was not Elijah at the moment...But n.


    n Pator.


    **********


    [Tower of Trials, ?? floor, n Pator PoV]


    After the incident, Elijah had seemingly run away from the hospital and entered the outskirts of the city.


    And he was barely managing to stop himself from crying as he ran. He jumped over rubble,rge bodies of monsters until finally.


    He had reached the outskirts of the city, which were barren. The only form of traffic was present on the main roads of the city, which were filled with trucks bringing food, water, and other essentials to the destroyed Armor.


    At least the Government had responded and actually sent over aid...


    Nevertheless, Elijah paid the trucks no heed, he was quite far away from the main roads so they wouldn''t be able to detect him when he was this far away.


    Elijah, after running for quite a while, entered a thicket of trees and...


    Cried.


    He sat down, resting his back against a tree and his head on his knees and cried.


    ''...''


    I had forgotten that Elijah right now was just a 10 year old kid.


    A 10 year old kid who had just seen the city he grew up in go up in mes, a monster roaming the streets like an endless horde, devouring his friends and everyone he knew.


    A 10 year old kid who still tried to help the people...who tried his best to save his brother but failed. A 10 year old kid, who, filled with the courage and willpower of a hero, tried to take down the ''big bad'' and get ruthlessly defeated.


    The one who had just seen his entire family cry...who had seen?every family cry.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I would be lying if I said I didn''t feel anything, it was quite the contrary. All of Elijah''s emotions were being projected onto me with such intensity my state was probably no different.


    I was sure, even I was crying because of the emotions Elijah was feeling.


    Guilt and sadness were the strongest among them. The same regrets that filled Elijah''s mind were also projected onto me.


    Why was I unable to defeat the demon?


    Why did all this happen?


    Would it change if I was stronger?


    Would I be able to save Elton if that was the case?


    Would Aror still be the same?


    ...


    ...


    ...


    These were not things a 10 year old kid should be thinking of...at his age kids would be begging their parents for toys or trips...even causing tantrums.


    But here he was, alone, in the middle of the night in a thicket, grieving.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    [Raise your head Elijah.]


    All of a sudden, I heard a voice.

 Chapter 437 [437] Eyes as deep as the abyss[3]

    <h4>Chapter 437 [437] Eyes as deep as the abyss[3]</h4>


    [Raise your head, Elijah.]


    Instead of being rmed, a soothing,fortable warmth covered my body, shielding it from the cold of the night.


    I looked up to see arge man, dressed in regal clothing with hair as vibrant as fire and eyes as deep as blood. Two, menacing red horns popped out of his forehead and went back around his head, as if creating a natural crown. He also had a great beard.


    "...?"


    Somehow, I knew who this man was...I had inkling at least.


    I looked up at him, still crying and he took a seat beside me.


    This man...No, this dragon was the Supreme of Fire, the King of the Fire dragons, Agri.


    Who had descended onto Earth in order tofort his sessor.


    "Agri...I..."


    Elijah, still filled with tears, tried to exin himself but Agri stopped him.


    [It''s ok.]


    He used the sleeve of his regal robe to clean Elijah''s face, not minding the snot and tears that would dirty his supreme attire.


    It was an act unbefitting of a supreme being, who were absolute hegemons.


    [Stop crying now.]


    He said, and his hand began to glow red. A butterfly made with the element of me popped out and hovered around Elijah.


    ''That butterfly...''


    I was sure it had some mind calming effects, Elijah had calmed down immediately when his eyesid sight upon it.


    It was not easy to calm a crying 10 year old kid...it wasn''t easy at all.


    [Why are you crying, you''re the sessor of the Supreme of Fire, the king of Fire dragons! Hold your head high with pride!]


    He was going to great lengths to calm his sessor down, I was even somewhat jealous.


    "I don''t know."


    [If you don''t know, then stop crying!]


    "..."


    However, Although Elijah had stopped crying he was still depressed. Very depressed.


    Seeing this, Agri sighed.


    "Why are you here?"


    [...]


    Asked Elijah, well aware that Agri was in pain being here.


    Heck, even I knew. Suleras had been forced to go to sleep just because he said a few words to me in the tower...For Agri to descend in a form as weak as an antpared to his original form, on a that could not support his power...


    It was suicidal really.


    Supreme beings are bound byws, not just those of the universe. Because of their immense power each and every movement of theirs is monitored closely by almost every faction. Agri sneaking up here would not only lead to disastrous consequences for himself but also for his, the fire dragons, and dragons as a whole. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yet, in order to brighten up the mood of a child, he still came here, regardless of the consequences.


    [Be proud, Elijah.]


    Agri ignored Elijah''s previous statement.


    "..."


    [You held your own against a demon that destroyed an entire city, for quite a while as well.]


    Elijah, however, was silent. Agri continued.


    [The orcs, the dwarves, the beast men, the elves, the draconians, the nagas...]


    He listed a bunch of different species, and finally arrived at his own and one more.


    [Even among the dragons and God beasts, I have not seen anyone your age...or even twice your age hold their own against an opponent a dozen times stronger than them. Alone at that as well. I have lived for millennia, and not once have I encountered someone who was able to do what you did.


    Even the ones who were hailed as the geniuses of the millennia...not one was able to do it.


    So be proud.]


    Even Agri''s voice held a hint of pride. Pride that it was his sessor who aplished such an impossible feat. He would definitely boast about this whenever he had the opportunity.


    However, Elijah had a different opinion.


    "What use is that pride when I was unable to protect my own family..."


    [...]


    At this, Agri went silent for a while, aimlessly staring at the starry sky.


    Sighing, he said after a while.


    [Be d no one died, you were able to prevent someone from your family dying...many in your city were unable to do that.]


    He said as he tilted his head towards the destroyed Aror, which was currently akin to a beacon of light from all the fires and smoke it was spewing. It was hard to believe a majority of people were still alive there...


    [Many failed to save their family, whilst you were able to save them.]


    "...Elton has the curse of a demon on him...and his legs...are gone."


    [So?]


    "...?"


    Agri''s response shocked Elijah, he hadn''t expected that. Who would respond with a ''So?'' in this situation?


    The king of Fire dragons would.


    [Have you forgotten what you just aplished?]


    However, Agri was not finished.


    [You held your own against the demon who inflicted that curse...at the mere age of ten.


    All you need is time. Time to get stronger and remove the curse.]


    Agri''s hand started to fade away, he quickly hid it from Elijah, not wanting to worry the child more.


    "..."


    [Get stronger, and cure your brother,e on!]


    He used his remaining hand and ruffled Elijah''s head, whilst also casting a number of skills on him, all in order to calm his body and mind.


    Elijah was unaware of what Agri had done, but I wasn''t. I knew from the flow of mana.


    He wasn''t just casting a few or a dozen skills...but rather hundreds, all at once and also making sure they were incredibly hard to detect.


    Supreme beings truly are scary.


    However, due to his efforts, Elijah''s mood had improved.


    [Now go on, go to your family, do you want them to worry over another son?]


    Agri''s words awakened Elijah and soon he began to run towards his family, of course after saying goodbye to Agri, his mentor with a bright smile on his face.


    Agri watched Elijah''s figure disappear, and his body slowly disintegrated as well.


    Taking arge sigh, he looked at the night sky, filled with stars one more time, and muttered.


    His eyes were filled with regret and sorrow, and his body finally disappeared.

 Chapter 438 [438] Eyes as deep as the abyss.[4]

    <h4>Chapter 438 [438] Eyes as deep as the abyss.[4]</h4>


    After Agri had consoled Elijah, he was running back to the city whilst I was lost in thoughts.


    ''So are these trials just a memory yback?''


    I asked myself. The content of these trials was strange. If my guess was correct... I was currently living Elijah''s memories.


    But are these memories actual memories? Or just those fabricated by the tower?


    They feel real, but at the same time I cannot be sure. The tower is a trickster, a schemer.


    Who knows, these memories could be fake for all I know.


    That was the first thing...now onto the second thing.


    What''s the purpose?


    Surely, the Tower has to have a clear condition or a purpose for the trials, and if it does have one, What am I supposed to do?


    Until now, I have not been able to control Elijah''s body at all, never have I ever been able to move with my own volition.


    I can''t even feel anything besides the pain Elijah is dealt with or his intense emotions. It is as if my body, my mind, and everything is slowly bing him.


    I am more empathetic, more...like Elijah.


    Every second that passes, I am bing like him. It''s quite an irritating feeling.


    ''Anyways...is there no clear condition?''


    Bringing myself back to the original question, I wondered if this was just a rey or I actually have to get involved at some point. If I have to get involved, things won''t go by smoothly because I have almost no knowledge about what Elijah can do at this point in time. If I have to get into action I think I can only use this body...none of my original skills and move sets will be avable to me.


    I don''t even know what rank he is! All I know is about his unique skill ||DECIMATION||. I know only of that, nothing else.


    And even about Decimation, I only know that it increases the user''s capabilities by ten for a short duration of time, at the heavy cost of one''s own health.


    That''s all I know. I am sure there are even more terrifying effects but I don''t have the means to ess them.


    "Sigh..."


    Letting out a sigh, I could only pray that I didn''t have to get involved, at least not yet at least.


    If a few more battles ur where Elijah is in the lead, I can learn what he is able to do and maybe utilize it...But that is a big if. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Well, I can only pray.''


    ****


    [Inside the City, Elijah Ardor POV.]


    "..."


    After the attack had happened, and whilst I was running away I received the notification from the tower that I had advanced into the next floor soon after.


    I was d at first, but when I was transported to the next floor...all the happiness faded away in an instant.


    "Come on! Hurry up and get inside!"


    The man in front yelled, his voice, enhanced with a foul mana prated my ears and almost made them bleed.


    Where I was currently at...was at the border of the city and stationed in a line...This line consisted of many like me.


    Or rather n I should say.


    It was filled with orphans, all those that had lost their parents or guardians in the horrific attack, who had no homes or any family left as well.


    They were all being transported to somewhere...in those shady trucks.


    ''Those trucks...something feels off.''


    As I looked at the transport trucks of the Union that hade to take us...I felt something was off, very off.


    Although I was sure that they belonged to the Union...the insignia and material they were made of were the same...


    But something felt off, those trucks...and especially the people that hade with them seemed to be wrong. My gut was telling me...


    Don''t get inside.


    It was warning me, to never ever step foot inside the trucks. My entire body was screaming that.


    s, I couldn''t do anything but push the wheelchair of my ''sister''. Or rather n''s sister further.


    ''So this is Samantha huh...''


    I had heard about n''s sister, someone who he almost never talked about but also somehow cared for her deeply. I had heard she had been crippled due to some incident...but never had I expected that the incident would be the destruction of Aror city.


    Furthermore...her body is currently filled with the power of the malicious curse of demons...the same one that infected Elton.


    ''...so you were going through this too huh.''


    I felt sorry for the girl, currently she was peacefully sleeping in her wheelchair, which was obviously too big for her right now but...


    I can''t possibly even fathom the amount of pain she is enduring...Even Elton, as a grown man sometimes cried from the pain of the curse.


    Yet Samantha was just a little girl...


    ''...''


    I don''t even want to think about it. I just want to know whether n was able to seed and cure her...or maybe lessen her pain.


    Elton already had various painkillers and potions to somewhat alleviate the pain...But I don''t think this girl can take those medicines.


    "n Pator, Samantha Pator!e here."


    Ah! The damn high pitched voice rang out again and my ears bled.


    Because of the noise, Samantha had woken up and was crying. I can''t me her, not only is the man screaming at children, the curse is probably eating her alive. The pain is probably a lot for an elementary school kid.


    "Stop crying ande over here."


    Does he not know how to treat children, who are still grieving?! Is he retarded or just a cold piece of trash?


    Even though I wanted to say something...I couldn''t do anything but walk forward.


    Samantha, continued crying, like many of the children here.


    ''I gue-''


    Just then, something caught my eye, from far away I could see...myself?


    Bright orange hair, red scarlet eyes...and those facial features.


    Yeah...that''s me!


    Although I could only get a glimpse...I was sure that was me.


    I ignored the cries of everyone, and tried my best to turn n''s head, however my efforts were cut short by a man approaching us, yelling.


    "Hey! I told you to shut up, didn''t I?!"


    He was not addressing me, but rather n''s little sister...Samantha.


    "..."


    "Shut u-?!"


    And then it all happened like an instant, an intense malice filled my heart as I stared at the man with my abyssal ck eyes.


    At that moment, it was as if I and this body had be one...


    We both wanted to rip that bastard to shreds, until no one could recognize his miserable face.

 Chapter 439 [439] Eyes as deep as the abyss[5]

    <h4>Chapter 439 [439] Eyes as deep as the abyss[5]</h4>


    [n Pator POV, Destroyed City of Aror.]


    As Elijah had entered the city, he went with the normal route he took to his home, well...there wasn''t exactly a road to speak of.


    Everything in the city had been destroyed, only a few or so buildings had been left unscathed.


    Elijah followed the path he knew from memory, aside from the destruction, there was nothing of note.


    However, things changed soon enough, in the path I caught sight of arge number of trucks, with children standing in lines in front of them.


    ''Ah.''


    Those were probably the orphans who had suffered because of the incident in the city. Their parents or guardians., either normal people or awakened, had most likely died or were either MIA(Missing in Action). They would probably be transferred to an orphanage managed by the government.


    Yet, even though I knew it was managed and authorized by either the union or the world government...I cannot help but feel as if something is wrong.


    ''Meh, it''s probably nothing.''


    I dismissed it, finding nothing of importance among the children and staff in the area, However, Elijah was not the same.


    He tried to pray for them, looking from afar...


    Just as I was about to sigh...I spotted something.


    ''Wait a minute...that''s...''


    Me and Samantha.


    Or more urately, Aranus and Samantha. I could see two children, one in a wheelchair that was too big for her and a boy, about the age of 10 or 11 pushing that wheelchair from behind with a downtrodden expression.


    The boy''s facial features matched mine, almost everything was the same other than the fact that he seemed like a younger version of me with ck hair and ck eyes.


    "..."


    At that moment, I realized. The Aror city destruction incident was where it all began. Where Aranus''s Parents were killed, where Samantha was crippled and cursed...and where the Abyss started to focus on Aranus after a particr event.


    I do not know what that event was, but I don''t wanna find out.


    "Hey, Didn''t I tell you to stop crying?!"


    The loud, mana enhanced voice of the man in charge hurt my ears...


    Does he not know he is screaming and grieving children?


    I thought, and it seems Elijah was the same, he was already drawing his sword out and a foul expression was present on his face.


    I followed too when I noticed who he was yelling at...It was Samantha!


    ''Oi, you bastard she''s a fucking child!''


    A child suffering from the pain of a malicious curse and having lost her parents you dipshit! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I was so angry I wanted Elijah to go there and beat his ass.


    The man was about to yell again, and it was thest straw. Elijah couldn''t watch it any longer and I supported his actions, even cheering him on.


    The man is yelling at children, who just lost their family...he deserves this. Heck, he deserves to be tortured for a hundred years for yelling at Samantha.


    The man opened his mouth, and his mana enhanced voice rang out again.


    "Shut u-?!"


    But then, something interrupted it. It was not a voice or a physical action of sorts...


    It was a gaze, a gaze filled with malicious intent.


    And it came from Aranus...


    At that moment, due to the sheer terror from that gaze, It was as if Elijah and I had be one, both of us reacted and pulled out a sword. I finally was able to feel something!


    But all I felt was terror.


    A malicious stare, emanating from his pair of eyes, had the power to send shivers down mine and Elijah''s spine and make our hearts ache with a sense of impending dread.


    "Agh!"


    It was as if it was so powerful, so filled with killing intent that our throats were being clogged, our chest felt heavy and our heart was on fire, continuously beating.


    Thump!Thump!


    The gaze was piercing, as if it could see through our thoughts and secrets, leaving us exposed and vulnerable. It was if...it was alive. His pupils appear dted, as if focusing on some prey which was quite obviously the man who had screamed at Samantha.


    ''Guh!''


    The tightening feeling in my chest became greater and greater, it felt as if an invisible force was gripping my throat with all its power...


    It was sickening...it was terrifying. Elijah fell to his knees and I could not me it. Even if I was in my own body I could have done nothing against it but fall helplessly to the ground. Shaking in fear, like Elijah was right now.


    The color of those malicious eyes possessed a dark, chilling quality, like pools of abyssal darkness, making it feel as though I was being drawn into an endless void of malevolence. The gaze is unwavering, holding my attention captive and leaving myself with a sense of powerlessness and difort.


    I could not fathom...how the eyes of a child could emit such a dreadful gaze...a gaze filled with malicious intentions and a desire to rip apart everything that dared threaten it.


    That gaze...which was as deep as the abyss and filled as much wrath as possible.


    A child...at the age of 10 or 11 was emitting such a gaze...


    [You have cleared the floor. Congrattions]


    [Transporting to the next floor.]


    Immediately after the notifications appeared, the tightening feeling in my chest and the grip on my throat disappeared, and I could finally breathe again, free from the terror.


    Honestly...I was thanking the tower, if not for its timely appearance I may have been devoured by those eyes.


    Only now did I realize that Aranus was truly on a different level...a level where I couldn''t evenpete with him when he was just a child. Just his gaze was so terrifyingly powerful that both Elijah and I couldn''t help but tremble in fear.


    It was frightening...I truly felt as if that gaze would tear me apart had the tower not intervened.

 Chapter 440 [440] Serena’s Incident.

    <h4>Chapter 440 [440] Serena''s Incident.</h4>


    [You have been transported into the next floor.]


    "Ugh..."


    I felt a hard impact hit my head, I looked up and found myself in...sewers? Ugh...


    The smell definitely confirms it.


    ''I''m still in Elijah''s body...''


    I thought, it seems that this hasn''t ended yet. What floor am I on? What do I have to experience now?


    Naturally, those questions littered my mind. Thest floor was really impactful.


    Elijah stood up, and stepped out of the dirty waters.


    "What is he even doing here anyways?"


    I asked myself, confused.


    "Almost there..."


    Said Elijah, almost as if in response to my question. He walked through the pile of shit and other things, The sewers carried a musty, disgusting smell.


    It was utterly repulsive...and somehow Elijah was still cruising along as normal.


    "Fucking hell..."


    I said, My nose is far more sensitive than a humans...Even if Elijah is a human right now...I am not.


    The disgusting smell is enough to make my skin shiver.


    ''...Get out of this ce quickly.''


    I could only pray he got out of this god forsaken ce as quickly as he could, I''m confused as to why he is here anyways. Is it a quest from the system? Quite possibly so...I don''t know any other reason he might be here.


    "Disgusting..."


    Elijah said, covering his nose as he walked through the dark passageways, going further and encountering awork of passageways.


    ''Then get out of here please...''


    I thought, trying my best to hold my breath. I can experience everything Elijah does...but worse apparently.


    Fuck you tower.


    Even though Elijah was in awork of sewers, he...somehow knew where to go?


    "This way..."


    He said, following a determined path.


    ''Definitely a quest.''


    My suspicions were correct, he is definitely here because of a quest...otherwise he probably wouldn''t know the direct path.


    The system is showing him the path he needs to go.


    ''Hmmm...''


    If he''s in a sewer, is his quest dealing with a monster that''s roaming the ce? A giant rat? Or a thing that eats human shit?


    Or is it something else? The system should mostly give him quests for monster subjugations right now.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I hope he doesn''t get covered in shit or some other disgusting thing...I don''t think if I can survive then, the smell would kill me.


    Well, I guess it''s better than thest floor...where the gaze felt like it would rip me to shreds.


    ''Did the Abyss take control then? Or was that just the beginning?''


    Even though it was Aranus, he was still a kid then...maybe he was just that powerful or it was the abyss.


    Who knows, All I know is I''m d it ended...The fear I felt there was akin to me having died.


    I literally thought my heart had stopped. The sheer killing intent in Aranus'' gaze...was incredible.


    I pray for the dude that incurred it.


    As I was thinking about the previous floor...Elijah had reached an area where there was adder, leading up.


    ''Finally...freedom from this atrocious smell.''


    I was d...but then I noticed.


    The rumbling and noises had stopped. Previously when we were travelling, the sewers were vibrating and a slight noise wasing from above, likely that of traffic...


    But what now? It wasplete silence. Isn''t he supposed to be fighting a monster? Why is he going up?


    My thoughts were interrupted by Elijah beginning to climb.


    "The warehouse should be here..."


    Hmm? Warehouse? Is the monster taking refuge in an abandoned warehouse? Strange, why travel through the sewers then?


    I was really confused as to what Elijah was up to.


    Before opening the hatch above him, he used a skill.


    [Skill: Detection has been activated.]


    After confirming no one was there, Elijah opened the hatch and stepped outside.


    The moment he did, before noticing any of the surroundings...the only thing I noticed was the subtle hint of demonic energy. It was incredibly subtle, almost non existent even...if not for my enhanced senses granted to me by my dragon blood...I would not have noticed it.


    ''So the quest is to eliminate some demons hiding that warehouse huh?''


    Elijah looked at the abandoned warehouse in front of him, a short metal fence the only thing obstructing him from getting there.


    The warehouse had a few parts of it''s roof caved in, and there was absolutely nothing in the surroundings.


    I couldn''t even see the city...we are quiet far from it. It''s certainly an unusual ce for a warehouse to be...and the perfect ce for demons to hide.


    Elijah opened his inventory to take out a potion, after drinking it, he jumped over the fence and stealthily entered the warehouse through a broken section of the walls.


    [Potion of Invisibility(10 Minutes) has been drunk.]


    ''...''


    The system truly is broken.


    The scent of demonic energy became thicker and thicker as Elijah walked inside the Warehouse, going closer to the centre...it could be seen in the air.


    Purple wisps of energy corrupting the air around them, making it suitable for demons.


    Elijah cruised through the area, but to me, this ce seems familiar.


    It''s as if I have seen this ce before but I don''t know how?


    It seems familiar for some reason...


    "Right...here."


    Elijah opened a door and entered inside, the thick smell of blood permeated the atmosphere and I why this ce felt familiar.


    A girl, probably at the age of 12 or 11,y in the corner, her hands and feet bound and a dirty cloth stuffed in her mouth.


    The girl possessed pink hair, scarlet eyes...which also seemed devoid of life.


    ''...Serena...''


    I knew who she was, and I finally remembered where I had seen this ce. The scenes James had shown me to torture my mind...I was in the warehouse where Serena and her mother was held captive.


    Speaking of her mother...


    Elijah turned his head, in the direction where her mother was....


    Well, at least what remained of her that is.


    ***********


    [Tower of trials, Elijah Ardor POV]


    "Where am I?"


    I asked myself, when I had been transported into the next floor...all that was before me was an eternal darkness, Pitch ck darkness where I could not even see my own hands and feet.


    [You have been transported to the next floor.]


    The notification of the tower rang out, I looked around me but s, still only darkness.


    ''What''s the purpose of this floor here...?''


    I asked myself, curious.


    ''Forget that...What the hell happened in the previous floor?'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The intense killing intent...the malicious gaze and the terrified expression of both me and the man were vivid in my mind.


    I was absolutely scared shitless, the amount of malice and fear I had felt was truly terrifying. n had exuded a killing intent so great...that I was wondering what kind of life he lived before that day. I understand that the incident before may have been traumatic, but even then, a child should not be able to do that.


    I saw myself there as well...absolutely terrified as well. Strangely enough, I don''t recall an event like that ever happening. I had never experienced it...but somehow I was there.


    It was definitely strange.


    ''Those tru-''


    All of a sudden, I felt a gaze which interrupted my thoughts. The gaze made me feel like my entre body was bare, and everything about me was revealed like an open book.


    ''Where?!''


    I questioned, trying to find the direction from where it wasing from but the darkness around me stumped my efforts.


    [Such a great specimen...]


    I heard a voice which sent chills down my spine, my entire body got goosebumps and I was sweating.


    Even though I couldn''t percieve anything here...something was here, close to me.


    Silently watching me, it was so close...that maybe it and I were face to face.


    Where it could see me and I could not.


    Whatever it was...it was disturbing.


    [The power to wield chaos...even greater than me, and a magnificent physical potential as well.]


    What is it talking about? The voice was malicious, cold and rough.


    Yet it contained hints of excitement.


    [Such a potential...rotting away in an unknown of an unknown gxy...Amazing.]


    "What...Who are you?"


    I heard n''s voice this time, right after the malicious voice.


    [The one you called with your hatred...your killing intent.]


    A pair of red eyes materialized in front of me.


    And the moment I gazed upon them...I felt as if I was being driven insane.


    [How amazing...you are not being driven insane when youid eyes on me.]


    "Who...are you?"


    I struggled to pay attention to their words...and could only clutch me head. It was as if it was splitting apart.


    The pain was immense, the moment I had gazed at those abyssal eyes I felt as if my mind was being torn apart, my head and body reducing to shreds, unable to withstand seeing it.


    ''Make it stop!''


    As I was wailing around in pain, barely able to do anything, the conversation between n and the voice continued. n, somehow was unaffected by the abyssal stare.


    "Who are you?!"


    He asked again, and it answered.


    [I am...]

 Chapter 441 [441] Serenas Incident.[2]

    Chapter 441 [441] Serena''s Incident.[2]


    Her lower body was not merely missing, but had been gruesomely obliterated, leaving only a grotesque, unrecognizable mess from the pelvis down. Her lower limbs had been ground into a sickening blood mush, a nightmarish amalgamation of bone, muscle, and gore. It was dreadful sight to look at.


    Her dried blood, caked upon the walls and floor, bore the evidence of her torture, the suffering she experienced...it was as if the devil himself was the one who tortured her. The dried blood conveyed only one message.


    ''It had been quite some time since this gruesome act had beenmitted.''


    The stains on the surfaces had darkened to a deep, sinister brown, mirroring the depth of her torment.


    Her internal organs now hung like grotesque ornaments from the gruesome cavity in her abdomen. Their surfaces had dried and hardened, resembling grotesque, macabre decorations suspended from her twisted remains. "...fuck...what the hell is this...?"


    Her upper body was entirely bare, and bound to the wall with metallic spikes that pierced her wrists. Every inch of her torso was marred by scars, bite marks, and shes. The torment she endured was evident in the cruel etchings upon her flesh. It was as if wild beasts had been allowed to do whatever they wanted with her...it was truly a gruesome end.


    Her beautiful hair had not merely been ripped from her scalp but violently torn away, leaving behind patches of raw, exposed skin. Her blood, flesh, and remains of other organs littered the ground along with a strange liquid.


    Her face however...had been grotesquely deformed beyond recognition, It may have been beautiful before...but now it was only a nightmarish sight to look at. The only vestiges of her former self were the small strands of pink hair still clinging to her scalp, they were the only things that confirmed her identity to be Serena''s mother...


    "...Blurgh..."


    As expected, Elijah vomited, unable to digest the sight before him. His vomit, filled with whatever was in his stomach. And...even I vomited.


    Although I had quite a tolerance to gore and whatnot...this...?


    Was too much even for me.


    The vomits didn''t end at only one...but Elijah fully emptied his stomach, even when only acid was leaving they didn''t stop. He couldn''t bear to look up and gaze at the sight once again.


    "..."


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri has casted mental fortitude on you.]


    After Elijah had cast his skill upon Elijah, he took deep breaths, trying to calm his body down and stop the vomiting.


    Instinctively, he scurried away, avoiding the body. The mere thought of it now sent a chill down his spine.


    He looked at the girl, the one who was lying on the floor, all tied up in the corner and gazed at her ''dead'' eyes.


    "..."


    Ah, that was it...That was why those eyes were dead.


    She had seen her own mother be treated in such a gruesome way...


    "...Ugh..."


    Elijah, even with the help of Agri''s spell...was still finding it hard to digest the information. He looked at the girls eyes once again...and found himself feeling an immense amount of guilt for her.


    He couldn''t even look into her eyes once again, finding it difficult to even imagine what pain she suffered.


    Had she been tortured as well or was it only her mother, and she was forced to witness it all?


    How many times had she cried, for her tears to run dry?


    How many times had she screamed, until her throat could scream no longer?


    Just...just...how much?


    "...Let''s get you out of here." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Elijah, finding himself in a difficult situation, resigned himself to rescuing the girl and rehabilitating her...that was the least he could do.


    However, just as he was about to pick the poor soul up, the door opened with a bang!


    Someone else, a demon stepped inside the room, sighing to himself.


    "Why do I have to be the one to guard the kid? The bitch is dead and I can''t even half fun with her anymore...tsk."


    He clicked his tongue.


    The demon possessed ashen skin, resembling cracked leather, his obsidian hued horns stretched out from his forehead and up towards the sky. His hands and feet were surprisingly normal, resembling those of a human, the only difference being that the nails were longer, much longer. The demon stood at a height of 2 meters, almost one and a half the height of Elijah at this point in time. His eyes seemed to glow with a fiery, red light...which dwindled and then reignited itself periodically.


    The demon''s mouth is a gaping, fanged maw, with teeth that seem designed for tearing and rending flesh. A grotesque forked tongue asionally darted out of that hideous abomination that was it''s mouth, making the bastard look even more hideous. The world would be done a favor did it ever decide to swear an oath of silence.


    "Tch, your meat looks tender but I can''t fucking eat it."


    He moved closer to the corpse of Sabrina''s mother, his tongue slithered like a snake on her upper body. Savoring her flesh and skin which he and his colleagues had ruined.


    "..."


    Elijah, bearing witness to this was enraged...Had the woman not suffered enough that you even dared defile her corpse?


    Even if you were a demon...were you that disgusting?


    Were you...thatfucking disgusting?


    The demon, after having it''s ''fun'' with a corpse, moved back, and all Elijah wanted to do at the moment was...


    I''m gonna kill you.


    A part of his mind yearned for it, eager to begin.


    You will only lose, do not lose your rationality.


    Yet, a part of his mind also wanted to stop him from carrying out the reckless bravado. He was still too weak to take the demon on, Even with Decimation...he would get absolutely stomped on. The demon was far too strong for him to take on right.


    However...the war in his mind still continued.


    Let me try, I want to rip him to shreds.


    You will only lose, focus on your goal.


    As the war in his head continued...The demon walked towards Serena.

 Chapter 442 [442] Serenas Incident.[3]

    Chapter 442 [442] Serena''s Incident.[3]


    The demon walked closer to Serena, and Elijah could barely restrain himself.


    Thankfully, Agri had helped and calmed him down, otherwise he might have charged in like an idiot.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri advises you to stop.]


    Agri was one of the few people outside his parents Elijah obeyed.


    "What''s this smell?"


    The demon walked over to Serena...and he coincidentally stepped on Elijah''s vomit.


    "What the fuck?!"


    The demon, obviously appalled by the act of stepping on someone''s vomit screamed.


    Somehow, that repulsed him but not the acts he had done. How funny it was, the demon was repulsed by vomit but not with what was behind him.


    "You bitch..." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He walked over towards Serena, and crouched down, staring at the girl with malicious intent.


    "You fucking piece of trash..."


    He picked her up by yanking her hair, and brought her close to his face.


    "You..."


    He stood up, Serena''s feet left the ground, and she was being held in the air. Surprisingly, she showed no signs of pain even though the demon was holding her up with her hair. He spat her.


    Ptui!


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Damned bitch can''t stay still, why are you still vomiting? Your mother is already dead....''


    Each word made something snap in Elijah.


    "You''ve seen this multiple times...why vomit now?"


    The demon, was apparently confused as to why Serena still showed such a reaction.


    They had tortured her right in front of her eyes, and even beat the girl up when she screamed or cried...She should have been ustomed to the sight.


    Serena''s dead eyes were proof of it, the girl had long since be insensitive to her surroundings, no matter what happened...she never even gave a damn. Maybe her brain had done this due to the intense trauma she had suffered.


    But did the demon care? Nope.


    "Have a taste of what you did."


    He brought her close to the vomit...and squished her face against it. He was dumb enough to not even realize that Serena still had the dirty rag they had stuffed in their mouth.


    "Taste the shoe as well, Eat it well!"


    He dropped the girl and nted his foot into her face. His face was of pure joy.


    "Ha, I can''t imagine what face your father is making right now!"


    A voice of pure ecstasy escaped his mouth, he was fully living in the moment.


    "The strongest man in the world, the number one ranked hero...yet the bastard couldn''t protect his own fucking family? What''s he doing right now? Mobilizing the entirety of the Union''s forces to find you?


    Too bad his wife is a corpse and his daughter a vegetable!"


    Hisugh rang out through the room, causing small vibrations...and making Elijah reach closer and closer to his limit.


    "Come on! Talk!"


    He stomped on her, although ''gently''. Gently enough not to crush Serena''s skull.


    "Talk!"


    He seemed to enjoy the act of beating a child who couldn''t defend herself in any way. He stomped once again, and that was it.


    Elijah snapped.


    I will kill you.


    That was all he thought, nothing else beside those words. He swiftly moved behind the demon and took out his sword.


    And he swung, right at the demon''s neck.


    However, just before hended his attack, his body stopped.


    [Stop it, Elijah.]


    Agri''s voice rang in his mind, and his supreme power descended to stop Elijah, but it was only for a moment.


    That moment was however, enough to stop Elijah from making a mistake. The demon in front of him was too strong...Far...far too strong.


    On the Pinnacle of S rank, and he would absolutely tank Elijah''s hit and stomp him, therefore it wasn''t worth it. Attacking him and revealing his position was akin to suicide.


    ''Don''t do it...''


    Even I didn''t want him to do it...I understood his anger, his rage but this was just something impossible to do. For him right now. Even DECIMATION wouldn''t help him, It was an incredibly overpowered skill but even it could not bridge such arge gap.


    "Agri...give me your power and let me kill him."


    Elijah spoke.


    "Huh?"


    The demon looked behind him, at the direction of where the voice hade from...but he found nothing. Since Elijah was invisible...he didn''t notice him...Not yet at least.


    The demon wondered whether it was hearing things. The demon picked Serena up and grabbed her chin with it''s disgustingly long ws.


    "Hmm...I wanna see you bleed."


    "..."


    The demon dismissed the voice, thinking it was just hearing things...and continued his actions.


    "Agri...give me your power."


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri declines, he say''s it is too dangerous.]


    He said again, and the demon was certain of it now. Someone was here.


    "Who''s there?"


    He extended his demonic mana to the corners of the room, searching for any trace of someone here, But he would not find any.


    The potion of invisibility Elijah had drunk was effective, the demon would never ever find him.


    Until Elijah did something that would make the demon see him.


    He coated his sword in Fire and struck the demon. The potion of invisibility had one drawback, and it was that he could not attack or use skills when it was active, lest it would turn useless.


    And Elijah did just that. His sword, unable to pierce the Demon''s thick skin cracked like ss.


    The demon looked at him, smiling a malicious smile.


    "Now, Do it."


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri sighs, and bestows upon you a portion of his power.]


    And that was it, the smile on the demon''s face was turned upside down and his head fell to the floor. All in an instant. Elijah, after having received a major power boost...Had annihted the demon. He had conjured a sword of fire and sliced the demon''s robust neck clean off.


    But that wasn''t it.


    "What''s going on?!"


    "What the fuck are you doing?"


    His colleagues entered the room.


    And suffered the same fate.


    They were just as strong, maybe even stronger than the demon Elijah killed before them, but even they died in less than a second.


    After they died, Elijah copsed to the ground, bleeding from every orifice, and his skin was also badly burnt.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri says he warned you.]

 Chapter 443 [443] A battlefield of despair.

    Chapter 443 [443] A battlefield of despair.


    A/N: Sorry for only one chapter today, I am not feeling well.


    [Tower of Trials, Elijah Ardor POV]


    [I am...the one you summoned.]


    The voice answered, I could hear it from all directions.


    ''What?''


    "What?"


    n seemed to have the same thoughts as me, confused. The pain in my head only increased.


    "Stop it."


    [Kekeke...]


    After n had said that...the pain disappeared, however the sensation of the abominable gaze was still present. It wasing at me from everywhere, yet it was most prominent in front of me...gazing right into my soul.


    "What were you trying to do?"


    n''s body shifted, and my eyes followed it. He was trying to discern the position of the gaze...


    ''Hmmm?''


    Can he not feel it was in front of him? Or is it just me? Both were usible, either that thing was aware I existed...or it was the other way around.


    [Nothing.]


    It answered, the malicious voice changed into that of a sweet, innocent voice. Devoid of any trickery. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You did something."


    However, n was adamant. He firmly believed that the voice, or "You did something."


    However, n was adamant. He firmly believed that the voice, or whatever it was had messed with him.


    [Kukuku...]


    It''s cynicalugh rang out, and my heart skipped a beat.


    A surge of power emanated from everywhere, and surrounded n. It put a great pressure on him, and I experienced every bit of it.


    My blood vessels were obstructed, my bones felt as they would be crushed and my organs were churning. It was as if a hydraulic press waspressing each and every inch of my body, destroying it slowly and painfully.


    It was just like the pain of the headache, except this time it was physical instead of mental.


    "Stop it."


    Somehow...n was doing just fine. He was not disturbed by it at all. Even when the entity did it before, he seemed to be unfazed.


    He was only questioning it''s actions, not going against it...?


    [Fine.]


    The pressure stopped, and I could breathe again. I copsed to the ground, gasping for breath.


    "One more time...Who are you?"


    And then we were at the start once again, n asked the entity it''s identity...and instead of it being vague like before. It properly answered. And the entity was listening to him as well. This is strange.


    [I am the abyss.]


    Abyss? What does that mean? Is it referring to the home of the demons? ''Ah...''


    It must be a high ranked demon with the name or moniker of Abyss. I found it hard to believe it...after all The Abyss is just thend where the demons reside...or multiplends.


    From what Agri was able to tell me, it was a near infinite number of differentyers, each filled with demons. The strongestyers were the single numberyers. I heard that 72 demons ruled the Abyss... Each rulers of the first 72yers of the Abyss, along with a few otheryers they had for fun.


    It must be one of them...I am sure of it. The waves of power this exudes matches Agri.


    No...I hate to admit it but it surpasses Agri.


    [I am the one you called, with your hate.]


    [With your passion.]


    [With your Potential.]


    A chill ran down my spine once again. However, n, still unfazed asked it another question. He should be scared right now but like a curious child he was asking questions.


    Trying to find out more...which would most likely result in a bad oue.


    Of course that would happen, it wasn''t the suspiciousness of this being...but that''s how those tales often went.


    Curiosity killed the cat...I have a feeling something simr will happen here.


    [Do you want strength?]


    And when it asked, I was certain.


    Something bad will happen, My eyes gazed at the endless abyss in front of me, feeling my mind was clouded or rather empty. Staring at it for long seemed to have negative side effects.


    "...?"


    Thankfully, n was not convinced, he was still questioning the existence of the entity. Should I be d he is still dubious? Or should I be horrified that he doesn''t know of it?


    Of course this thing is a demon...I refuse to believe it is anything else...So why do even I feel dubious?


    Confused at it? My mind is...slowly...going numb.can''t stand being in the presence of this thing. All of my rationality, my sanity, is slowly being driven away...leaving me with nothing.


    "Ugh...."


    I groaned...At the same, I was wondering how n was still fine...Isn''t he supposed to be a child right now...?


    [Did you not see how your parents were brutally murdered?]


    Ah, I had a feeling in my guts...It had begun.


    The notorious corruption of the demons always begins with a simple question that targets the victim''s trauma.


    "n! Don''t answer it!"


    I tried to warn him...but would he ever hear me?


    "...Yes?"


    I guess not...


    [What did you feel when your sister''s legs were crushed? When she was put under a curse?]


    "...Angry?"


    [When you were yelled at by the man?]


    "Angry..."


    n...n stop!


    Stop it!


    "Agh!"


    My head feels like it''s going to split apart again. Clutching my head, I screamed yet again.


    "n stop! Don''t answer any more!"


    Yet no matter how much I tried...I was only a spectator here, I would never be able to influence the oue.


    [Good...Did you feel anything else?]


    The entity asked...and the moment it''s voice rung in my ears it was as if a needle had impaled my ears. Going deeper into my brain.


    "AGH!"


    [Did you feel the need for revenge? The need to be...stronger?]


    And when it spoke again, The pressure which it exerted before had reappeared...crushing all of my body. I could not even scream at this point.


    Everything was numb, yet at the same time so painful. I could feel nothing but pain...a torturous amount of pain.


    "URGH!"


    Blood escaped my mouth, ears, eyes and nose, But it was not red blood... It was pitch ck.


    n...Stop!


    [Did you feel it?]


    "Yes, I did."


    [Do you want to avenge them?]


    "Yes...I do."


    Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!


    [Good...]


    The voice, satisfied with the answer stopped, but the pain I felt did not go away. It was not likest time.


    Whenever I stared at it, whenever I even thought about it, I felt as if my mind had been hit with a machete and was being pulled apart. As if my brain was put into hot oil and being fried.


    "STOP!"


    [ept it...take my hand.]


    A hand materialized out of nowhere, right in front of n. It resembled an ordinary human hand...but that was too n.


    I saw something else, I saw a hand that was rotting away, covered in puss and vulgar things, dirty nails, and pieces of bone sticking out.


    Stop! n don''t shake that hand.


    Even though I knew this would do nothing, I was still trying. I don''t know what kind of resolve...I don''t know what kind of motive fuels me but I feel as if I must try at the very least.


    Try...try to save him.


    n moved closer to the hand...and asked.


    "What is this?"


    The voice answered, barely able to contain it''s glee so the child would not get suspicious.


    [Your path to revenge, your guide to strength.]


    It answered with such sweet words that n was tempted.


    He moved closer...and closer...


    Whilst I, like an idiot was still screaming even though my entire body was splitting apart into a mess of flesh and gore.


    n! Stop! Stop! That hand is cursed!


    Stop n, stop. My voice echoed, but reached none. It travelled through each corner and crevice here...but did not reach the one it was intended to reach, even though he was right in front of it.


    n extended his hand...And I swear on my soul I heard the voiceugh. It was only for a moment...but itughed. Itughed at the child''s naivety, the foolish arrogance and curiosity of a child whose mind did not mature just yet.


    n was just about to shake the god-forsaken hand when...


    A ray of hope shone down upon me when he hesitated, his brows filled with sweat and his body shivering. He stopped, just before he shook that hand, an intense feeling of joy filled me, I ignored the pain I felt. When I had seen him hesitate...I felt as if my efforts had been rewarded. The pain I suffered and the echoes of my dying voice had been heard...


    Yes! Yes! Move away now!


    I tried to advise him...but the hope I had just received came crashing down when the hand moved forward.


    It swiftly moved forward and sped n''s hand, and shook it. The disgusting hand firmly shook n''s small, frail, childlike hand.


    Ah...


    And then it was done, n, knowing or unknowing...had doomed himself.


    He had done the unthinkable, the unforgiveable.


    He had signed a contract with a demon.

 Chapter 444 [444] Battlefield of Despair.[2]

    Chapter 444 [444] Battlefield of Despair.[2]


    As soon as n shook it''s hand, the darkness disappeared.


    My eyes, having been ustomed to the abyssal darkness did not appreciate the light that suddenly dawned upon them.


    It was blinding, yet it carried a sense of despair with it that I didn''t fullyprehend yet...Only when they recovered and I saw the origin of the light, as well as the surroundings did I truly realize.


    Where that ''despairing'' feeling came from.


    All around, not even an inch of the ground around was safe...from blood. It was an endless sea of corpses and blood. Blood of all kinds, and Corpses of every kind of species here.


    From thergest of Dragon ands mythical beasts, to the smallest dwarves and elves...Nothing was spared here. They were also killed in such gruesome ways that I could not even fathom the suffering they endured. Their final moments before they were granted with the gift of death.


    "Blurgh..."


    I could only vomit at such a scene, everything inside my stomach gushed out of my mouth, as the putrid , fetid smell of such a massacre made it only worse. Even the acid was not spared.


    "What the...hell?"


    ''I'' mumbled, trying to recollect myself before I was assaulted with a plethora of skills, from god knows where.


    They came from every direction, some even from the ground below.


    My vision was filled with all kinds of colors of beautiful but deadly light...and yet nothing happened.


    I was unscathed, untouched! None had managed to injure me. Even though the mana I had felt form them was immense...The mana that was powerful enough to reduce my body to dust...


    That much power, yet I was unscathed. I should have felt some pain...? Right? I must have!


    But no...there was none.


    A deafening roar made my ears tremble and disturbed my thoughts. My head turned in the roar''s direction, towards the sky.


    "...!"


    What I saw was something just out of fantasy.


    In the darkened skies, filled with the smell of blood and despair, a majestic dragon made entirely of gleaming, polished metal appeared with a graceful, yet formidable presence. Its immense form spanning the surroundings cast a shadow over me and the world below it.


    The dragon''s body is a lustrous amalgamation of steel, silver, and titanium and all other kinds of metals...Each metallic scale meticulously crafted, reflecting the dark world. It''s scales were the only light in this world of blood and corpses.


    A symphony of gears and cogs resonate within its mechanical frame, producing a melodious hum that reverberates in my ears...causing me to feel enamored by it''s magnificent design. I wondered how it was managing to stay afloat, so I directed my gaze to it''s wings.


    The dragon''s wings extended majestically from its sleek, metallic torso. Although I am not well versed in engineering, even I can tell they are masterpieces, each feather-like appendage adorned with intricate, interlocking gears and pistons, allowing for fluid and precise flight. A plethora of runes filled it''s body, each serving their own purpose.


    "Woah..."


    I was so amazed by it that I had forgotten that it was probably here to kill me...


    The thought dawned on me yet again when the dragon roared.


    12 portals appeared around the dragon, each possessing a greyish color. A mesmerizing spectacle unfolded as twelve razor-sharp metallic swords appeared from the portals, hovering in a perfect, choreographed formation. They were also filled with ornate markings of runes, and pulsed with an azure energy, which was most likely mana. They encircled the dragon like a celestial halo, as if to dere it an angel of machines...or rather they served the purpose of a crown, meant to dere it a king of metal.


    I activated ||GODS EYES|| to more urately gouge the information of the metallic dragon.


    {||GODS EYES|| has been activated}


    -----STATUS-----


    [Name: Abaddon.]


    [Titles: Supreme of Metal, The masterpiece of the Ancient Dwarves, Metal Dragon King. Sword of the Dragon King...etc.]


    [Age: ???]


    [Strength: Supreme.


    Agility: Supreme.


    Endurance: Supreme+


    Wisdom: Supreme.


    Mana: Supreme+


    Charm: Supreme(Humanoid), Masterpiece(Dragonic).


    Affinities: Metal(Supreme)


    Description: The masterpiece forged by the ancient dwarves on their destroyed home. Abaddon is thought to have been crafted by the First Dwarven King himself, using the most precious metals and almost all resources of the Home. It is said that he may be the reason why the Dwarves first world was destroyed. He has been programmed to protect the dwarves, but as a Sentient being he can over ride his programming. He is, even now, considered to be one of the treasures of the dwarves, his equal among them being [----]. He is deemed the living machine. And a Masterpiece that can never be forged again.]


    That was all I could read before the Dragon in the skies unleashed a wave of mana so great the corpses, blood and everything else vanished. Reduced to dust.


    Yet I was still here. The gears and cogs his body consisted of began to turn and shift, and he opened his gigantic, steel maw.


    "Aranus...Are you satisfied?"


    ..?


    ''What? Who the hell is Aranus?''


    I thought, confused. Aren''t I supposed to be in n''s body? Then who the fuck is Aranus?


    "So you refuse to answer me?"


    The behemoth of steel in the sky bellowed...and his body began to glow a sinister sheen.


    "Then Die."


    Therge swords in the sky began to descend, and with each meter closer to the surface...The air itself started to shift and turn. The ''space'' within the world cracked and the ground was not left behind. It began to be reduced to grains of sand.


    ''Dodge this n!''


    Instinctively, I knew that would kill me. It was enough to vaporize bodies the sizes of mountains easily! What is n gonna do against it?


    Besides...It''s a Supreme Being...A SUPREME BEING! The king of Metal dragons and an existence equivalent to Agri! n can''t go against that no matter what! ''Dodge!''


    But, I heard somethingpletely unexpected, and the voice was one I did not recognize as well.


    "Fucking hell...insect."


    n said, and soared into the skies.


    It didn''t even take a second...I couldn''t even process what the fuck he did but...


    Just like that, Abaddon was dead, sliced into a million different pieces.


    It happened in but an instant, But the sound of the metallic pieces of Abaddon...the gears and everything else which his body wasposed of dropping on the ground was crisp to my ears.


    ''...What?''


    Because of the sheer absurdity of the situation...I did not realize that Abaddon was truly dead. I was still stuck in my delusion that maybe...just maybe this was an illusion! Could I be med however?


    An existence equivalent to Agri, one that could end gxies easily...died just like that?


    Is the tower fucking with me? I refused to acknowledge it...but the scene in front of me was reality. A supreme being had been converted into scrap metal in a second...maybe even shorter than that.


    Whilst I was still in shock, ''n'' went down on the ground, and went towards arge, glowing crystal the size of a boulder.


    ||GOD''S EYES|| has been activated.]


    I activated God''s eyes in order to know what that crystal was...Maybe it was the Dragon''s engine? It was an artificial dragon after all...


    [Artificial Dragon Heart.]


    Rank: [-] n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Description: An Artificial dragon heart forged by the first king of dwarves. It took him a hundred years to forge a small fraction of it. It surpasses the dragon hearts of young and immature dragon''s and even some Elder Dragons, however it''s limit is the Supreme Rank. The inventor wished it would evolve into the primordial rank, and join the ranks of the few primordial beings in the universe but it was never able to achieve that. Because of it''s artificial nature, Abaddon was shunned in dragon society unless he proved himself. The heart may be artificial...But it''s power is not to underestimated. With it''s power, Abaddon has made many beings considered hegemons fall.


    It is the source of his strength, and the First Ancient Kings masterpiece.]


    The waves of power undting from the heart seemed to distort the space, shifting whatever power governed it. Bending it to it''s rules.


    Yet, even with that much power...it was nothing against n.


    [Sin Of Gluttony: Devour has been activated.]


    A ck mass extended from n''s hand covered in a strange armor, and enveloped the massive heart. The ck mass was alive, and it slowly devoured the dragon heart.


    After it was done, n retracted it. And just the like that the heart was gone.


    "Ha...."


    His voice echoed once again in the deste domain of this ruined world.


    And he sighed.


    "Sigh...When are youing?"


    Huh? Is he waiting for someone?


    I thought...Who is he waiting for? Thankfully, I didn''t have to wait long for an answer.


    n suddenly turned his head, and a spear of light grazed his cheek, drawing blood.


    "About time, Ardoris."


    An angel(?) descended from the skies, enveloping the world in a healing, divine light.

 Chapter 445 [445] Angel of Hope Against Demon of Extinction.

    Chapter 445 [445] Angel of Hope Against Demon of Extinction.


    [You have cleared the floor.]


    [Transporting to the next floor.]


    [Good Luck, Challenger.]


    After having suffered the excruciating pain that came from Elijah using Agri''s power, The world turned ck once again as I was left to rot.


    "Ah..."


    Fucking hell... It feels as if my entire body was dipped in hot oil and then thrown over a burning charcoal. And like magma was flowing in my veins instead of blood.


    "Ha...Ha..."


    Gasping for breath, I anxiously waited for the tower to transport me to the next floor hurriedly. Even though I was only spectating Elijah''s actions, I felt as if my energy was being drained from the emotional trauma and even the continuous bursts of pain. My energy was being drained as the floors went by, Elijah had truly suffered a lot.


    Sighing to myself, I looked around.


    ''Huh?''


    I had expected to be transported to the next floor...but No?


    I am still here? I''m confused, the tower said it was transporting me to the next floor but here I am...


    Strange. Maybe this is the next floor...I still can''t feel my body so I''m inclined to believe that I am still spectating Elijah''s experiences.


    But I wonder...what is it now?


    Another traumatic event? Most likely.


    Suddenly, as if on cue, A notification appeared before me.


    [You have been transported to the next floor.]


    ''Ah, it should begin now.''


    I thought, preparing myself. I was kind of curious as to what it would be. I just hope it''s not something too painful.


    ********


    [Association, Elton''s Room, n Pator Pov.]


    "What do you mean it''s hopeless?"


    Elijah asked Serena, desperation filled his voice. He was almost pleading.


    Serena, even though she was an emotionless girl, Was trying her best to make him feel better.


    "Nothing on Earth can cure it...Eli."


    She showed a smile, which was very unlike her. Elijah however...didn''t pay any heed to this new emotion of hers. He...grabbed her shoulders and leaned close to her.


    "Serena...please tell me your joking." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, to his dismay. She wasn''t.


    "Please..."


    He pleaded again, hoping for something new to appear on Serena''s face...But there was nothing. He would have to ept reality.


    Even though it may have been bitter, it was still the truth.


    "..."


    Even Serena was feeling sorry for Eli. They both turned their gaze to the door. Inside the room there was a healer trying to examine Elton.


    He was one of the best healers the Association had...Hell, Serena had risked a lot to call him over to examine Elton.


    She even knew it was hopeless, yet to give Elijah a moment of relief she still did it. Risking her reputation. She had put herself into a tight spot just for him....To the others in the Association, Seeing the cold ''bitch'' Serena do this was quite a surprise.


    Even her father was surprised, He knew she had some feelings for Elijah but not to the point that she would actually risk her reputation over it. He had thought it was the famed ''Puppy love'' of teenagers.


    Despite the strained rtionship between them, he knew that Serena wasn''t a dumb girl. In fact, she was far more intelligent than she seemed. Although she chose not to express it mostly(other than in wicked ways).


    She was after all, Second only To Sabrina and Olivia in terms of academic ranking.


    All in all, she wasn''t dumb enough to not know the dangers of this act. "Elijah...That curse can only be healed with the help of an artifact or an Elven spiritualist...We don''t have either of them. Elton...has a hard chance at recuperating. The best we can do is dy the inevitable."


    She said...and Elijah stared nkly at the door. Hoping for some...for some path forward.


    He couldn''t buy anything that could cure Elton in the system...He was too poor for it. Agri also couldn''t help because of the ws'' he mentioned


    ''Hmmm....So it''s rted to Elton huh...''


    I thought as I witnessed the scene. I tried to remember who Elton was but nothing came to mind.


    Elton...I swear I have heard that name before. But where...? and when?


    "..."


    The door opened, and a man with golden hair, golden eyes and a priest robe stepped out. Sighing.


    He greeted Serena with a bow, disregarding Elijah''s existence.


    "I''ve tried what I could, the only thing I could do really was make some painkiller for him with my mana, and also reduce the curse''s spread with my skills...I can''t cure itpletely. He should still receive some pain asionally. but his death will be painless. That''s the best Oue I was able to achieve Miss."


    He addressed Serena with a bit of respect, even though he was multiple ranks higher than her. Being the strongest hero''s daughter sure was a luxury. However, the tant disregard of Elijah was getting on Serena''s nerves.


    "Alright, you can leave."


    But she barely managed to control herself from trying to hear his face off. Not that she would actually be able too...But her yandere instincts had almost took over.


    However, all of her emotions fell when she saw Elijah''s depressed face. All that hate and rage disappeared.


    The healer noticed this, he knew of her tendencies and was ready to cast a restricting spell on her. And shields on himself had she possessed an artifact.


    However, he was shocked to find out she didn''t do it. He spared Elijah a nce, thinking.


    ''So he''s the one she fell for...''


    He didn''t pay further attention to it and left, disappearing from her field of view. After all...who knows whether she would go ballistic?


    It happened once in the past, it could happen again. Which was why he decided leaving was better, he had done all he could after all. "Sigh..."


    Serena sighed as she saw him leave, she turned around only to find Elijah missing,


    rms rang inside her head before she found him inside the room.


    She went inside, and saw him standing over Elton''s body. Elton was currently unconcious with a respirator tied to his neck, along with all sort''s of instruments keeping him alive.


    "..."


    Elijah had a mixed expression on his face.


    Activating God''s eyes, he examined Elton''s condition himself.


    {||GODS EYES|| has been activated.}


    [----Status----]


    [Name: Elton Ardor.]


    [Age: 24.]


    [Species: Human.]


    [Strength: F.]


    [Intelligence: A.]


    [Endurance: F.]


    [Mana: F.]


    {Charm: B+]


    Affinities: None.(Target has not awakened yet.)


    Description: First born son of Michael Ardor and Mary Ardor, He is an excellent academic and ''was'' a caring old brother. However, due to unfortunate events in his life his condition and mood turned sour. He ran away from his family after realizing he was crippled and would die soon. Although his family thought it was because he hated them, it was actually because he wished for them to forget him so his death would not have arge impact on their lives. He lived as an illegal broker for a small firm in Ardor city.


    He has suffered from the curse of a high level demon, the curse is strong in his body but has been suppressed right now with the help of medication and various pills. However, it is not long until he dies if the curse is left untouched. Precious Artifacts such as an Elven tear or above rted items are required to heal him, there is no other hope.


    ---------


    Even God''s Eyes said it was hopeless to cure Elton without the help of a Elven tear or other higher ranked items...


    Elijah was feeling hopeless.


    ''ah... I see now,''


    I thought, now remembering who Elton was. He was Elijah''s brother who was also suffering from the same curse Samantha was suffering from.


    To be honest, I sympathized with him somewhat. Why wouldn''t I when Sam was also suffering from such a curse? My entire drive for this is to get a cure for Samantha, I have to clear the tower...not for me but for her.


    "I''m sorry Elton..."


    I heard Elijah''s saddened voice. Serena stayed back not wanting to interrupt the moment.


    The world turned ck and I bore witness to other scenes, particrly those of Elijah silently, and stealthily looking at Elton from afar.


    Elton was either coughing up blood, or straining himself to do more work as his health deteriorated, often taking medicine(painkillers) to provide him some relief.


    ''...Shit.''


    And just like I had expected...Elijah''s emotions of guilt, sadness and regret were being transferred over to me.


    ''Fuck...''


    Again, I was suffering this fate.


    However, thankfully, it wasn''t for long as the scenery suddenly changed.


    Blue disys appeared in front of me.


    [You have sessfully survived the floor.]


    [Transporting to next floor.]


    [Good luck challenger.]


    The world changed, and I found myself to be flying, still in Elijah''s body.


    The scent of blood was thick in the air, it was quite horrible to be honest. My enhanced nose was giving me a hard time.


    I descended towards the ground, a hidden rage filling my body, Probably Elijah''s emotions again.


    I saw nothing but grains of sand, andrge metal pieces of a colossal construct that had now been turned to dust.


    I also saw someone I knew very well...

 Chapter 446 [446] Angel of Hope against Demon of Oblivion.

    Chapter 446 [446] Angel of Hope against Demon of Oblivion.


    Adorned in a pure ck, obsidian like demonic armor which clung to his body like it was skin. In his hand, wielding a draconic spear that exuded a terrifying aura. It carried with it such a sinister aura that my body shivered when I lid eyes upon it''s catastrophic frame.


    And most importantly...His Abyssal ck eyes. Which I would never be able to forget.


    Without a doubt, that was Aranus, standing on top arge piece of metal.


    ''...Ah.''


    I had forgotten, due to either James'' messing with my memories or me being me...I had forgotten that Elijah and Aranus were ''destined'' to be the Hero and The Viin in this story. Aranus who had the power of the Abyss and Elijah, or rather ''Ardoris'' which was his true name who had the backing of Celestials and the System.


    "Ardoris...Finally here?"


    I heard his chilly voice ring in my ears, not once but countless times. As if it was enchanted with a strange type of magic designed to disturb the poor soul hearing it.


    "Yes."


    In contrast, Ardoris''s voice was much more pleasant, fitting his visage of an angel descending from the heavens to smite the demon on thend.


    "A littlete...don''t you think?"


    Although Aranus'' words may have seem yful, there was ''nothing'' on his face. He had no emotion whenever he said anything.


    Heck, I found it hard to even focus on Aranus'' face, His eyes, which were as deep as the abyss managed to draw me in no matter what...Whenever I looked in his direction those eyes would fill my view. And I, due to the fear of falling into the ''abyss'' struggled to shift my gaze.


    ''Don''t tell me...''


    I thought,ing to a rather depressing conclusion.


    "What time is it this time?"


    Asked Aranus...confirming my suspicions.


    "Do you even care?"


    However, Ardoris did not answer straight away, there was a hint of exhaustion in his voice.


    "No,"


    Said Aranus, standing up.


    "It''s the 500th one...Where''s the snake?"


    "He''s done his job, so he''s resting."


    "Done his job? Haha...Are you ying a trick on me?"


    "No, I''m serious."


    "Pathetic."


    Ardoris descended on the ground as they conversed with one another, He looked at the strange metal pieces on the ground, and with a grimace on his face, said.


    "...Abaddon."


    "Yes."


    Aranus confirmed, and went towards Ardoris, who observed the surroundings.


    "..."


    Abaddon, a trusted friend and even a teacher of his had been reduced to such a state, and he wasn''t there to even help him to avoid this fate.


    Wrath filled his heart, but then...


    How many more times?


    Abaddon had suffered this fate countless times...Yet even though he knew this would happen, the damned machine still went forward with it...he was programmed to protect, and even though he could override his programming.


    He didn''t. He still charged ahead, trying to find another way to defeat Aranus no matter what. He would even share them with Ardoris...with a hint of excitement and glee.


    ''Look here! If we do this our chances can increase significantly!''


    ''Aranus may have the strength...But we have the brains! We can...''


    Yet, in face of absolute strength it never worked, No matter what he came up with.


    The Strong do not survive, it''s the intelligent was the most bullshit saying there existed...when it came to the demon in front of him.


    No matter what n you came up with, Even if you possessed unparalleled intelligence...In front of something ''Absolute'' it was nothing. Completely nothing.


    "Sigh..."


    Ardoris sighed, watching his best friend be subjected to such a fate so many times had numbed his heart...and this was not the only thing he had to painfully see.


    "How many more Aranus...?"


    He asked the demon, and he responded with silence.


    "..."


    A ck aura covered Aranus and a different voice escaped his mouth.


    [You already know...Don''t you? Not until Celestia is razed to the ground and the [----] is destroyed.]


    It was the Abyss, using Aranus to convey it''s message.


    Ardoris looked at it''s despicable visage with a hateful look and said,


    "Destroy the [---]? You forget it was your creator. A creation cannot destroy it''s creator."


    [Yes...That may have been the case, but you forget ''him''.]


    ck tendrils coagted from the ck aura and held Aranus''s Face, caressing it like a mother would caress her child.


    Ardoris was disgusted by such a sight. The Abyss acting like this was a...horrendous thing to witness.


    [The sheer potential hidden within this vessel is just...amazing. With it...I can do it. I can destroy [---] and make this universe mine...Craft it in my image.]


    "..."


    Ardoris listened to it go on.


    [I can do whatever I want you see...I just have to wait. When Aranus'' finally breaks down and the Jade snakes soul vanishes. I just have to wait until then.]


    And then everything will be possible.


    Ardoris unsheathed his de, and a fiery aura covered his entire body.


    [That determination of yours ismendable...would this make it the 500th loss?]


    "I haven''t lost yet."


    [Yes, but you will soon. Well, I will take my leave. Enjoy you two.]


    The abyss disappeared, and Aranus was back. He struggled for a while and stumbled. However, he was able to collect himself soon.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What...did it say?"


    He asked, weakened.


    "You don''t need to know."


    Ardoris refused to answer, and simply raised his sword up.


    Caliburn, the greatest weapon of Celestia shone with a divine light. Aranus responded by raising Vorfius, the greatest weapon of the abyss shone with a sinister hue as if tobat Caliburn.


    "Come on, Bring it."


    "Alright."


    There voices were calm, as if they expected this to happen.


    Aranus thrusted with Vorfius, and Ardoris parried the blow. He moved ahead, and Aranus kicked him in the stomach.


    And just as I was about to see maybe the greatest fight of all time...The tower intervened.


    [You have cleared the 49th floor, transporting to the 50th floor.]

 Chapter 447 [446] Destined Duel!

    <h4>Chapter 447 [446] Destined Duel!</h4>


    [Wee to the 50th floor, Trial of Destined Duel.]


    I was dropped face-t onto a hard floor.


    ''The hell..?''


    As I stood up to recollect myself, I found myself to be in the middle of a stage, madepletely of a dense, and hard material. Four pirs were erected in the corners and there was nothing else but a barrennd beyond.


    "What the hell..."


    I stood up, examining the stage, however I found nothing special about it other than it was made from a strong material. It had no mana conductivity...It was just really fucking strong.


    I could finally feel my body again, And when I confirmed I was finally back in my own body...I asked the tower.


    "What is the purpose of this floor?"


    A blue disy appeared before me.


    [Trial of Destined Duel! Fight against your destiny and see who wins!] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    That was it, that short sentence was all this damned tower would give me.


    "WHAT THE F-?!"


    With a scream, Another person experienced the same fate as me, which was falling face t into the hard floor. That other person was Elijah Ardor.


    "What the hell..."


    He stood up, covering his bleeding nose and his eyes fell upon me.


    "n..."


    A metallic voice resounded throughout the floor.


    [n Pator and Elijah Ardor...Fight each other and determine the one who will pass on the next floor!]


    "..."


    "..."


    We looked at one another, almost instinctively taking out our weapons.


    He took out his sword, and coated it in fire, and I took out my spear, and got into position.


    However, we did not start just yet.


    "I saw what happened..."


    Elijah opened his mouth and said, I looked at him with confusion?


    ''Saw? wait...''


    Ah, I know now. The tower did the same to him as well huh... Showing him my memories.


    But how much did it show? Everything about Aranus, James and me? If so...then I''m worried.


    I may have to kill Elijah so that information does not go out. Although I trust that he won''t reveal it...it''s still a threat.


    "Your sister."


    However, his next words were quite unexpected.


    "She was suffering from the curse as well.."


    "..."


    So he saw that instead huh...Well this will make it easier for both of us.


    He has his brother to cure, whilst I have my little sister.


    Both of have something tremendous to lose if we don''t get that cure.


    "If you saw it...Then bring it."


    I said, urging him on. I cannot afford to waste another second. The more I waste time here, my sister suffers. And?Elijah should know it''s the same for him as well.


    And yet, he still didn''t make the first move, He simply stood there with an apprehensive gaze.


    "Hah..."


    This bastard doesn''t want to fight.


    "Fine..."


    If he doesn''t... Then I will initiate it.


    [Skill: Teleportation has been used.]


    *********


    [Capitol, Academic Convergence.]


    "The broadcast is up! The broadcast is back up!"


    News spread like wildfire the moment when the Tower''s broadcast, which was down for the previous few days suddenly turned on again, and showcased that both n and Elijah were at the fiftieth floor! The Fiftieth floor!


    "Both of them!"


    "They''re fighting with one another???"


    However, this also brought forth an immense amount of confusion. Seeing n and Elijah going at each with full force, using every skill they had at their disposal in order to best one another.


    [Everyone please calm down...As you can see the tower broadcast and our streaming systems are back. Please enjoy your time. Of course n and Elijah are fighting because it has to do with something belonging to the trial. Please just sit back and enjoy. Those who wish to see the battle fest can do that as well.]


    The battle fest was also going on at this time...However the people''s reactions were just as expected.


    "Who cares about the battle fest or whatever?!"


    "Yeah! Shield''s top two are going at one another."


    "Why would we wanna miss that?!"


    Instead of going over to the other arenas and watching the other students duke it out...Arge portion of the people, who had already paid for the battle fest''s tickets were migrating towards the Tower of Trial''s arena, even paying again and pushing and thrashing one another to get a seat.


    Thepeting students...were a little disheartened but who cared about them."


    "..."


    Serena, who was ready in her stadium, sighed.


    She fired a skill towards her opponent, and immediately knocked the poor soul out, The referee announced her win.


    "Serena Soubuelle! Winner!"


    "Fuck off."


    She dismissed the refereeing to congratte her and walked away, going to her personal room in order to watch the Tower of Trial''s event.


    How could she miss her darling fighting the devil?


    "Winner! Sabrina Wellington!"


    Meanwhile, in another stadium. Sabrina as well took out her opponent quite quickly, and sighed.


    "So he''s back huh?"


    She asked herself, looking at the broadcast through her watch. Seeing n again did put a smile on her face. After all, he was gone for a lot of days.


    "Well...Let''s go see then."


    She too, went over to the Wellington''s room in order to spectate. Like many of Shield''s rankers who were acquainted with the two. They knew how amazing of a fight it would be!


    Would Elijah lose just likest time? In an instant? One hit KO?!


    Or would he actually win against the beast that was n Pator?! For those who had spectated their previous match...Of course they would want to know!


    Both n and Elijah had grown stronger...Going against Life and Death battles in the convergence with Hero Academy and the dreadful Aror city destruction Incident?!


    The battle fest area, for the first time in forever was leftpletely barren of an audience...The only people here were the students rushing to defeat one another and win as soon as possible so that they could to go spectate the fight.

 Chapter 448 [447] Alan Peccator VS Elijah Ardor

    <h4>Chapter 448 [447] n Pator VS Elijah Ardor</h4>


    n thrusted with the Ame-No-Sakahoko, and Elijah parried the blow. He moved ahead, and n kicked him in the stomach.


    ''Cough!''


    Elijah coughed, it was clear the blow had dealt some significant damage. Elijah''s stomach had almost caved in!


    n, not giving Elijah any moment of relief rushed ahead, trying to attack him with his spear but Elijah was experienced. He already knew a lot of n''s movements.


    Elijah stomped the ground, this was not intended to destroy the stage but rather erect a pir of fire that would block n''s vision.


    [Skill: Fire Pir has been used.]


    "Tch!"


    n clicked his tongue, forced to retreat because of the pir. He could have chosen to disregard the injuries he would have sustained had he chosen to charge forth but now that he had seen what Elijah?was ''truly'' capable of.


    He had to be especially careful whenever Elijah activated Decimation¡­The sheer power that skill held was dangerous.


    n stepped back, and Elijah charged through the pir of fire he erected, unharmed.


    His feet were lit aze, he used his fire as a jetpack of sorts to propel himself, acting as a speed booster.


    Elijah hurriedly approached n, and twisted his body to deliver a sword attack from above.


    n raised his spear to block it, their weapons shed with one another. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Elijah, meanwhile, extended his?left hand right at n''s face and said.


    "Fire bolt."


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been activated.]


    A fire bolt exploded on n''s face, and he stepped back. Thankfully, due to n''s high endurance the blow had not done any significant damage but blind him or a while.


    "Tch."


    Elijah clicked his tongue, dissatisfied with the damage he had done. He used quite a lot of mana in that attack, he was expecting more.


    ''Well¡­I guess thats what I get for underestimating him.''


    He thought, and rushed at n once again. Giving a spear user distance was a death sentence.


    Elijah had the advantage of one of his hands being free most of the time whilst he was fighting, his sword required only one hand to swing it properly, whereas a spear was different. n''s spear especially, required two hands to wield it properly. It was not a matter of strength but rather of technique.


    [Skill: Fire Bolt has been activated.]


    [Skill: Fire bolt has been activated.]


    Elijah fired off two more firebolts, intending to disrupt n''s vision once again but to his dismay, n would not let it happen twice. He used his spear like a cricket bat and treated the firebolts as balls. And swatted them away.


    Elijah had forgotten one thing¡­he was not the only one who could use skills.


    [Skill: Ice bolt has been used(3x).]


    [Skill: Ice spike has been used(3x).]


    n fired off six projectiles, and whilst Elijah parried them he closed in on and Elijah used a martial technique.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear!(5-Star)]


    -First Movement-


    \Heavenly Thrust/


    "Shit!"


    Elijah cursed, using a martial technique of his own to block the attack.


    [de of me(5-Star.)]


    ¨CSecond Movement¨C


    \\Path of me//


    Intense mes erupted from Elijah''s sword and they were as strong as steel, they managed to block the attack but only barely.


    "Kugh!"


    Elijah coughed up blood, the shockwave from the thrust managed to bypass his mes and directly hit him.


    He stepped back a bit, and as soon as his mes died out the front of a forked spearde entered his field of view.


    ''Fuck!''


    He barely managed to turn his head, the de managed to graze him and shed some blood.


    If he had reacted even a secondte, his head would be gone by now.


    ''He''s really trying to kill me!''


    Elijah thought, as he flew away with the help of his fire. He ascended into the skies and said.


    "Your really into this huh¡­"


    He muttered, looking at n and his resolute gaze.


    Well, in his point of view¡­it was expected. Just after the scene of Abaddon being destroyed?and n shing with the angel¡­He had seen why n was so full of resolve for clearing the tower.


    It was his sister, Elijah had seen the poor condition and he was and he swore if Elton was in such a bad condition he would also be the same¡­maybe even more.


    "Fine!"


    Elijah resolved himself, and circled n in the skies, trying to find an opening.


    Whilst he was doing this, he was also firing a multitude of skills.


    [Skill: Fire Lance(5x) has been used.]


    [Skill: Fire Arrow(20x) has been used.]


    n stayed in the same position, dodging the fire arrows by simply turning his body, as for thences he fired his own skills to destroy them before they could reach. He looked at Elijah flying around in the sky and summoned an ice spike in front of him.


    The ice spike floated in front of him¡­and n took a step back.


    At the speed Elijah was going¡­It would be hard to hit him with only a single projectile, and casting multiple of them would only waste his mana. So he came up with a solution.


    n kicked the ice spike in front of him towards Elijah''s direction with full force, the power behind his kick shattered the Ice spike into many small, sharp pieces that catapulted themselves towards Elijah. n''s aim was to either get Elijah off the skies and onto the ground, or defeat him with this technique. He could also use his draconic transformation to do so¡­But he decided not too when he realized that Elijah now possessed the same energy as him, meaning he hadpleted his evolution and was now aplete dragon


    Elijah, in the same way he was using his feet to boost himself and make flight possible, caused small explosions in his hand to move his body quick enough to dodge the volley of projectiles.


    Elijah swiftly maneuvered himself in the air to dodge the projectiles, although some grazed him he managed to leave rtively unscathed.


    He looked towards n, trying to use a few more skills but¡­


    All he sawing at him was not one, but multiple fucking volleys.


    "Shit."


    He cursed.

 Chapter 449 [448] Alan Peccator Vs Elijah Ardor(2)

    Chapter 449 [448] n Pator Vs Elijah Ardor(2)


    Elijah covered his entire body in intense mes and melted the pieces of ice before they could get close to him. He managed to protect himself from the colley, but what he did not expect was n making a drastic move.


    n, in a fit of idiocy as what Elijah perceived it threw his spear. Elijah could sense the mana in the spear and thus dodged it, and watched it go out in the horizon.


    However, when he turned around, n had jumped up and nted his knee in Elijah''s face! Elijah fell to the ground, taking n with him. n''s knee was still nted in Elijah''s face and it fractured Elijah''s skull when hended on the ground.


    Elijah erupted in me once again, in an attempt to get n off.


    "Elijah."


    n stepped back, and said,


    "Surrender. Give up on clearing the trial."


    n said, trying to discourage Elijah.


    He knew this had a low chance of sess, but still wanted to do it. "I can''t just give up¡­I have someone just like you have your sister."


    Elijah stood up, and wiped the blood off his face.


    He picked up his sword once again and pointed it at n.


    "Stop talking and start fighting


    n''s figure disappeared, and he appeared right in front of Elijah. Elijah realized this was the same move n had used when they had first fought, and like predicted, n appeared right in front of Elijah.


    Elijah lowered his back as much as he could, forming a sort of bridge to dodge n''s attack.


    n immediately tried to lower his spear, But Elijah inputted his sword in his inventory and used his hands to support himself. He delivered a kick to n''s chin and got up.


    He rushed ahead, and threw n over. n, realizing he had lost the advantage his weapon gave in this close range, put the Ame-No-Sakahoko in his inventory and rolled to the side, Dodging Elijah''s foot.


    "Like I''m gonna let you do that!"


    Elijah did not let n get back up and continued kicking, he knew he would lose in a battle of strength if n got up. Even in terms of technique he was far behind.


    [Skill: Fireball has been used.]


    n hurriedly conjured up a shield of Ice to defend himself. He put his left hand on the ground and froze the stage, trying to throw Elijah off bnce.


    [Skill: Ice dragon breath has been used.]


    He fired off a breath, which hit Elijah right in the face and knocked him off.


    n grabbed Elijah by the foot and threw him into one of the pirs of the corner.


    [Skill: Ice Bolt(20x) has been used.]


    [Skill: cier has been used.]


    n fired off 20 bolts and even dropped a cier on Elijah for good measure. However, he wasn''t done yet.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear(5-star)]


    ¡ªThird Movement¡ª


    ///Heavenly Redemption\\\


    Just as a ''precautionary measure n also fired off a crescent sh from his spear.


    He activated his skill [Draconic transformation] up till the point where he could manifest wings and flew up.


    When he was above Elijah''s position, buried underneath the cier, he activated Dragon eyes to detect unusual movements in mana or any movement at all really.


    [Dragon eyes have been activated.]


    ''Hmmm¡­''


    n''s astral blue eyes scanned the area, however he found no anomaly. To n, this meant that he had won, Either Elijah could not fight anymore or he was¡­dead.


    He sincerely hoped that wouldn''t be the case, expanding the usage of dragon eyes he confirmed that Elijah wasn''t dead.


    However theck of movement concerned him¡­Dragon eye''s showed him that Mana wasn''t moving so Elijah wasn''t using a skill¡­


    ''Hmmmm¡­''


    n dropped three more ciers just to be certain. Who knows? Elijah may have had a skill from the system that allowed him to be undetected whilst performing another skill¡­


    n had seen how overpowered the system was¡­he was not willing to risk any chances. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...Hmmm?"


    However, all of a sudden, he detected more movement and the environment started to be hotter. The temperature rapidly increased/


    "Tch."


    n clicked his tongue and used another skill.


    [Skill: Freezing Apocalypse.]


    It was in order to even the temperature so that his skills won''t be weakened¡­however.


    Just as he was about to attack, a red beam of condensed heat energy appeared from underneath the ciers and approached him at a great speed. It was so fast and so unpredicted that half of his face had been nearly burnt off. n sustained a great injury on the left side of his face.


    Not even a secondter, a red, scaly hand emerged from the ciers.


    And n recognized it.


    ''Draconian¡­''


    He was right! Previously when Elijah had entered the floor he had sensed the same Energy Alexander and He himself possessed! He had some doubts but the transformation of Elijah right now proved it!


    A fire draconian emerged from the ciers, and let out a deafening roar as if to dere its existence.


    Its scales were a brilliant hue of fiery red, gold and orange, resembling moltenva. It had three horns, one of which was erected high towards the sky and the others went back around the head.


    It had a pair of bat-like wings, like many draconians and stood on its two legs like a humanoid. The only strange or different part of this draconian would be that arge, ruby-like gem was embedded in the middle of its chest, the light it shone with pulsing like it was a heart or a major source of power. The gem was the only unique thing about the form as far as n was concerned.


    "So you were one huh¡­"


    Elijah dashed at n in his Draconian form, n grabbed Elijah''s fist and held him off whilst smiling.


    Elijah could somewhat surpass n in terms of pure strength now in this form¡­but n wondered how much the disparity would be if he turned as well?


    [Skill: Draconic Transformation(100%) has been activated.]


    He should test it out, no?

 Chapter 450 Alan Peccator Versus Elijah Ardor [3]

    Chapter 450 n Pator Versus Elijah Ardor [3]


    Two Monsters.


    Two Descendants of Supremes.


    Two Draconians.


    One would have expected the battle to quite chaotic, given that the draconians possessed twopletely contrasting elements, and that Draconians were known to be aggressive...They should be tearing off another''s flesh with their maws and teeth.


    Yet, it was not like that.


    The two ''monsters'' were currently duking it out like humans, they shared not the animalistic movements of monsters but rather the controlled and thought out techniques of Humans.


    Who would have expected it? The two fought not like beasts but rather like humans.


    That was a surprise.


    Whilst n was slightly taller than Elijah, he was much, much stronger.


    "Agh!"


    Elijah groaned as he was punched in the face, his terrifying jaw had been proven wrong, it was dislocated by a simple punch of n''s fist.


    Elijah hurriedly used the system and ate a small pill, which brought him to peak condition.


    "..."


    n stayed silent as he saw this, he only got more resolute in defeating Elijah. Elijah used the crystal on his chest to emit a beam concentrated mes, Since the distance between the two was small the beam heat n instantly.


    The point of contact between the beam and his scales burst into me, and pretty soon n was engulfed in a sea of mes.


    However, these mes were nothing. Even though they were probably hot enough to melt steel in seconds, his scales were stronger. n was also covered in ayer of mana as well that protected him, these pathetic mes would do nothing.


    "I know you are strong."


    He said, his voice was clearly heard by Elijah despite the sound of the jet like mes.


    "But this is not enough."


    He moved closer, the raging mes did nothing to impede his path.


    ''Damn it!''


    Elijah, seeing n move closer and closer to him jumped back, but kept the beam active. He gathered mana in his neck and opening his maw wide.


    [Skill: Dragon breath(Fire) has been activated).]


    Because his mes proved insufficient, he used his breath. But it was still not enough. Elijah could not match n if he did not use decimation.


    A fist covered in sharp ice filled his mouth, stopped the dragon breath and breaking his teeth. The beaming from the red crystal in chest stopped as well.


    Elijah tried to retreat but n grabbed his cor bone and threw him over on the ground. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He used his tail like a sledgehammer and mmed it into Elijah, almost caving his chest in.


    Elijah used his wings to get away, and collected himself.


    [Medicine Pill has been used. (2 remaining).]


    Elijah used another pill to heal himself, he had an abundance of potions but he knew n would not idly sit by and let him consume them. The pills were thankfully used immediately by the system to regain his health. This was why they were ten times more expensive...


    "Damn it..."


    Elijah, at a loss for words wondered what he could do, however, Agri advised him to calm down.


    [Calm down, use what you learnt. That monster is not unbeatable yet.]


    While Elijah did wonder where the yet wasing from, he dismissed it and took a deep breath as n walked closer to him, Steam being released from his body due to collision of his ice mana and Elijah''s fire mana from the beam and the dragon breath.


    His eyes were cold, and n opened his mouth, intending to fire his own breath at Elijah. "Huu..."


    Elijah calmed down, and instead of taking out another item from the system he instead took a stance.


    He put his right foot forward, and twisted his hips and lowered himself a little, just to match n''s shoulders. His left arm was extended and instead of it being formed into a fist it was open, as if to catch something. His right arm was just above his left leg, and curved into a fist unlike the left.


    [Skill: Dragon Breath(Ice) has been used.]


    n fired off his breath, and the temperature of the surroundings decreased. The effect was much more apparent than when Elijah had done it. This just showcased how much stronger n was.


    Elijah had trained consistently in a dungeon, guided by Agri but what was n doing? He was also training. He was already stronger before, what difference would it make?


    Besides, Agri may have been the one to train Elijah, but he knew Elijah''s limits and gave him ample rest.


    But n? The Sword Saint was ruthless, merciless, a sadist and much more. He gave n rest only when either n had passed out for the 10th time, or when his limbs had been torn apart and he needed to be healed by Oliver. Not until n was near hisst breath, not until he had lost his weapon and resorted to his teeth and hands to fight.


    He did not let the boy rest.


    This gruesome training was also what led to n being able to ess his Dragon form, he didn''t know what part of his training was the reason, but he was able to do it.


    Whilst Elijah took the casual route, n took the hell route.


    However, it was not like Elijah was helpless.


    The beam of frost approached Elijah in an Instant, and instead of dodging he took the st head on.


    But something was different.


    ''The flow...reverse it.''


    Elijah''s mana radiated from his body and dominated the surroundings, and Elijah extending his left hand.


    He caught the beam n had fired, and with his right he ''punched'' it at n. Completely reversing his attack. He even added his element of fire to enhance it. n''s own attack hit him right in the chest.


    Since his maw was open and his vision was obscured by the bright light from his own breath, he didn''t see the attacking and was unprepared.


    The breath, although may have failed to do significant damage it still pushed n back. Elijah used the opportunity to fire his scales at n. He ''ripped'' them off and threw them at n. And he threw multiple at the same ces, which managed to get through n''s robust defense. The scales however had a surprise hidden within them.


    [Item: Poison of the serpent has been used.]


    Elijah coated them with a poison. This was a technique of the Tang n leader. He used the technique of the Wudang n first, and now he used this.


    While n had fought to the death with the n and sect leader, Elijah had learned from them. Instead of destroying them, he sympathized with them. And gained their techniques as a reward.


    "Ah!"


    n felt the poison''s sting, and tried to expel it from his body with the help of mana, However Elijah would not let him do so. He appeared in an instant and kicked n in the face, Just as hended he turned his body 180 degrees andnded a crushing heel to n''s stomach. he immediately got up andnded three swift punches to n''s side, directly on the liver. Then he uppercutted n.


    He did not relent even after this, he knew it would be over if he gave n the time to expel the poison. He kept punching and kicking n until he thought it was done.


    The behemoth fell, his body littered with bruises and the poison in his body reaching his brain.


    "Ha...Ha..."


    Elijah took big gasps of to calm his beating heart which dared to jump out of his chest. "I won..."


    He celebrated, taking time to calm himself down and check his inventory. He had thought that maybe he needed to use decimation and everything he had, from potions to items in the system to defeat n but he was...wrong?


    The poison he used was extremely potent as well, he was sure that it would seed. The poison cost him close to a million system points after all.


    It should be potent.


    Elijah walked back towards the stage, he could no longer feel any movement from n, neither could he feel the movement of mana. With how purple n was turning, he was sure he had won.


    The poison was meant to weaken as well, it was unable to kill. So he left n be, not wanting to kill his friend.


    ''The tower would teleport him back...''


    He thought, and went to the stage.


    ''...it''s too quiet.''


    He had expected the notification toe, just as a precautionary measure he looked at n again...only to find him still there.


    "Tower, he can''t fight anymore. I don''t want to kill him."


    He said to the tower, he thought maybe the clear conditions were to kill the other person...he wished for it to not be so.


    However, the tower''s response was somethingpletely different from what he had expected.


    [Look again.]


    Yes...Had he won?


    Did he truly win? Just like that?


    Elijah hurriedly turned his head, yet the next thing he knew was that it was mmed into the ground.

 Chapter 451 [451] Elijah Versus Alan

    Chapter 451 [451] Elijah Versus n


    A grip like iron steel, crushing his skull with each passing second. The hard marble of the floor was also not very ''pleasant''.


    "...How?!"


    Elijah barely managed to utter as the pressure on his head increased, bit by bit and his scales shattered like ss, rendering the only defense he had useless.


    "Did you seriously think poison would be enough..?"


    n asked, genuinely confused. Elijah was a dragon as well for god''s sake! He should know that the physique and constitution of a dragon is resistant to poisons!


    He should know of it, yet he still dared to do it?


    Actually, it was n that was wrong. That poison didn''t cost a million points for nothing, it was potent enough to put a young dragon, such as himself to sleep however, prior to being hit n was covered in an aura of frost energy, adding to the frost mana already strengthening his body, the poison had simply froze before it could do any real damage. The best it managed to do was make n feel dizzy enough to fall down, which was a pathetic downgrade of it''s original capabilities.


    "Elijah."


    n called out, wrapping his tail around Elijah''s legs and covering the strange jewel on his chest with ayer of hardened ice. Elijah was currently trying to rid n''s iron grip from his head using both of his arms, so n didn''t need to worry about them right now, he kept his other hand on the tail, restricting it as well.


    "Give up. Surrender."


    He proposed, his grip getting tighter by the second, as if to urge Elijah to submit and ept defeat. n too, had seen Elijah''s memories, and his cause for fighting. So he didn''t want to kill Elijah. All his previous bloodthirst, whether it was caused by himself or another had gone and rity had returned to his mind after the poison''s lingering effects of drowsiness wore off.


    "Tower, will I pass if he surrenders?"


    n asked the tower, still keeping Elijah constrained.


    They didn''t have to wait long for the Tower''s answer.


    [Yes, if the other surrenders with no influence affecting them, and lose the will to fightpletely, the other will proceed. It will be counted as a victory if the other is unable to fight as well.]


    "Hear that?"


    n looked Elijah straight in the eyes, Elijah''s scarlet eyes and n''s blue eyes contrasted one another quite well. One was like a river of blood and the other a cerulean sky.


    "Surrender."


    He urged, as mist escaped his mouth. Elijah was now at a loss for words...and movement.


    He looked at n, with his head being crushed and said.


    "You already...know what my answer is."


    "..."


    n sighed, and opened his mouth, intending to fire an ice breath in order to render Elijah unconscious. However.


    Just at that precise moment, his body froze.


    It was only for an instant, yet it felt like it was going on for an entire minute in n''s mind. Questions arose.


    ''What?''


    ''How?''


    ''What trick is this?''


    What was Elijah doing? All n knew was that a strange type of mana had invaded his body in but an instant, prating the magic defense of his scales and stopping his body. His grip on Elijah lessened and Elijah was able to break free in that time.


    He grabbed n''s hand, the one that was grabbing his head and threw n to the side. Whilst n was in the air, he regained control of his body and could finally move but by then it was toote.


    Elijah had equipped his sword, and used it''s skill.


    [de of Hell has been activated.] A crimson me, which seemed to not give light but take it emerged and coated his sword. n, instinctively feeling that it was dangerous hurriedly covered the part of his body that was going to be struck with ice, which was his left hand.


    However, his ice melted pitifully in front of the odd fire, and scorched his scales, skin, flesh and even bone.


    But that was not the end of it.


    [Torment of Hellfire has been activated.]


    Elijah, in an instant cut n four more times, n retreated far away, his body covered in burns, and the thing was.


    The mes did not go out, they remained and continued to spread.


    "..!"


    Immediately, he tried to use his frost mana and tried extinguishing the mes, but it was all in vain.


    Inputting arger amount of his precious mana, he finally managed to do it but did not leave unscathed. His body was burned badly, and although it was healing he was pissed.


    Incredibly angry, he had given Elijah a chance to surrender and this is what happened. Seems like he should have just finished the job without showing him some mercy.


    In the corner of his eye, he saw a bright light and turned around, only to be engulfed in another dragon breath.


    ''This again?''


    Wondered n, thinking why would Elijah use it one more, when he had already discovered that it was futile?


    He extended his mana outwards, trying to see if Elijah would pull another trick, and detect him if it was the case. But nothing. Not even arge burst of mana, which would normally indicate him using ||DECIMATION||. ''What''s he nn-''


    All of a sudden, n discovered a glimpse of arge shadowing from the mes, which had be stationary. He got ready, thinking it was Elijahing with another trick.


    But what met his werethe maws of arge beast, with terrifying canines that could shred steel and mince bones and flesh. They weren''t canines of a normal beast...But those of a dragon.


    n grabbed the ends of the teeth from the upper and lower jaw, and his feet skidded back.


    "Hgh...!"


    He was using everything to stop the advance of the Dragon, but a red light shone in it''s throat.


    ''Another one!''


    n hurriedly opened a portal beneath him and teleported far away, barely dodging the breath. He had sensed that this breath was different from the other ones.


    n appeared from far away, and gazed at Elijah, now in his full Fire Dragon form.


    ''Yeah...he''s a dragon all right.''


    It left a bitter taste in his mouth, seeing Elijah able to ess his dragon form easily without any trouble. It took n quite a while to do it...and this fucker was doing it easily.


    ''Damn the system and it''s overpoweredness...''


    The system was probably making it easier for him anyways...n thought, and readied his stance.


    He would show Elijah, that his dragon form meant nothing. n would defeat him with just his draconian form. This was enough.


    He took a stance, using his mana to heal his injuries and looked at the red dragon, charging at him with renewed vigor.


    "Bring it on, bitch."


    [cier has been activated.]


    [cial Copse is being activated.]


    ____________________ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A/N: Firstly, I apologize for the no uploads for a while. I was sick and exams were ongoing which made things tough. I hope you will forgive me. Second of all, some detail''s in case you forgot.


    [Herufaia o Kiri Saku ha]


    Type:Katana.


    Rank:A+


    Description:


    A de formed in the deepest part of a deadly and active volcano.


    Its very appearance strikes fear into its enemies, and its attacks bring Hell to them.


    It is a de to be used with caution, if your affinity with fire is insufficient, maybe it will be you that will see Hell.


    Skills:


    *Increased output of all Skills rted to the element of Fire whilst equipped.


    *Increased ability to wield fire skills with greater ease.


    *Increased resistance to Fire.


    <de of Hell>


    When a sufficient amount of mana has been applied, the de will ignite itself and be covered in The mes of Hell, hot enough to melt steel.


    Be wary of this de, the mes of hell are the friends of none.


    <Hellfire Torment>


    When an opponent has been attacked by this de when <de of Hell> is activated, the mes of Hell willtch themselves upon the opponent, burning them to ash.


    These mes burn intensely and are very hard to remove.


    <GLIMPSE OF HELL>


    The most powerful skill of the de.


    Create a crack In space that unleashes a sea of fire, scorching your enemies alive and increasing their pain tenfold.


    Arge amount of mana is needed to use this skill.


    Be wary, if you are unable to control the mes of hell.


    They will consider you a foe as well.]

 Chapter 452 [452] Dragon Vs Draconian!

    Chapter 452 [452] Dragon Vs Draconian!


    A cier was dropped on the massive dragon of fire. However, Elijah(the Fire dragon) sheathed his body in an armor of hellfire. The hellfire armor that adorns the dragon was extremely hot, hot enough that the surroundings were literally melting. So the cier did nothing,


    mes of spectral red and orange intermingle, creating an ever-shifting, mesmerizing disy of unearthly heat. That fiery armor did no damage to Elijah, even though it was hellfire. It was like an armor which was also a weapon.


    Tendrils of fire sometimes whipped forth, trying to catch n and drag him into the cascade of hellfire that was the dragon''s body. It whipped back and forth, and as Elijah marched forth with his humungous frame, the air trembled and the ground shook.


    n unfurled his wings, and casted a protective barrier around him just in case.


    He flew up, dodging the charge of the fire dragon covered in it''s hellish mes.


    n casted two more ciers, and dropped them right on the head of the dragon.


    [cier has been cast(2x).]


    Two ciers, each the size of a small mountain were dropped at the head, however they didn''t melt like they were supposed to in front of the heat, Just before n had dropped them, he covered them in ayer of mana, which was intended to protect them from the hellfire. The Two ciers, although melted slightly sessfully hit Elijah on the head.


    n made sure that he constructed them so that the inner area was filled with spikes and sharp pieces of ice. He knew some of it would melt, and blunt damage won''t do good against a dragon''s scales. The pieces of ice ripped apart Elijah''s skin and some managed to get inside his flesh. Seeing this n ordered.


    "Explode."


    His tonguemanded and the mana obeyed. The small pieces of ice in the dragon body''s exploded and caused further damage. Some made more openings in the scales, which were, unfortunately for n, covered by the fire armor soon enough. He looked down, gazing at the colossal behemoth.


    Elijah''s dragon form, was smaller than his own dragon form. Although must it be considered like that? n''s took the form of an eastern dragon depicted more in Chinese and Japanese myths and folklore, whilst Elijah''s took the form of a western dragon depicted in English and Normandic tales.


    n''s was bigger, but would it be more fit to say it was longer? Anyways, why is this being discussed? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    n and Elijah stared at one another for quite a while. n silently hovering over Elijah, whilst the other was just looking up at him, his ns unknown.


    Elijah, after covering himself with fire armor once again slowly started to fly up...and n silently watched, casting a few defensive spells for good measure.


    Elijah was now at n''s level, and the contrast between the small white draconian looking at therge dragon covered in hellfire was ical to say the least.


    ''Huh?''


    Elijah, who was preparing to attack stopped as he felt a wave of mana he had never ever before seen nor felt pass over him. It enveloped his entire body and he felt a little bit weird, however this feeling was only for a moment.


    "..?"


    He was confused, n was doing nothing but the strange wave of energy permeating from him was giving him the ''ick''. He didn''t know what n was nning but he didn''t like it.


    Suddenly, n raised his hand, Elijah became wary but to his surprise, there was no attack. n just pointed towards the ground with his index finger.


    Curios, Elijah looked towards the ground, this would have been a fatal mistake, taking your eyes off the enemy but there just the ''desire'' to do so in his mind. Whether it was his own or not...who knows? He just wanted to see what was happening downwards. Beside, it wasn''t in n''s character to attack whilst the opponent wasn''t looking...right?


    "What?"


    He saw multiple rocks and pieces of marble, which were mostly from the tform they had destroyed in their fight, floating all around the ground, covered in a strange purple field.


    Elijah looked around...only to find that the purple ''field'' had covered arge portion of the floor, and he was right in the center of it.


    The four pirs which were at the corners of the tform, rose up and catapulted themselves at Elijah.


    "..!"


    Just as Elijah was about to avoid them, an unknown power acted on him and put him into ce. A pressure akin to that of a mountain being ced on him was felt. And Elijah felt as if he could not move. It was keeping his all to just be in the sky.


    "Gah!"


    A pir, with it''s sharp edge pierced into his knee. Another into his shoulder. Another to his gut and one to his tail.


    "Agh!"


    Elijah''s mes did not burn these pirs, they were trying to but a dense energy of frost was stopping them.


    "Yo, look here."


    Elijah heard n''s voice, and turned his head to face n, ready to fire a breath.


    "I don''t think I''m the right target for that right now."


    n said, and pointed at the sky.


    Elijah spared a nce towards the sky, but that nce soon turned into a look of terror.


    "!"


    A meteor, the size of a small mountain, was dropping at his location at a jaw dropping speed.


    The meteor was doused in fire, and Elijah looked at it with a hint of terror. However, hope soon filled his heart.


    ''It''s ok...The fire around it will heal me.''


    He could use the fire around the meteor to heal himself, and he could survive the impact of this monstrous skill, even if he was in the same ce and restricted...all he needed to do was use that fire.


    [Skill: One with Fire has been activated.]


    One of his strongest skills, one that would allow him to do as he wished with ay sort of fire was activated but at a great cost. Nearly half his mana was gone.


    ''Come!''


    Elijah prepared himself and stared at the giant meteor, now with a determined gaze.


    However, the ''determination'' turned into fear once again as n cast another skill.


    "No..."

 Chapter 453 [453] Glacial Meteor!

    Chapter 453 [453] cial Meteor!


    [cial Copse has been activated.]


    Between the middle of Elijah and the Meteor, n casted [cial Copse.] The magic circle in the form of a snowke spread out and reduced the temperature of the floor, the meteor included. The snowke glowed with a iridescent glow, and the floor seemed to tremble as two skills, each which were capable of ttening an entire city by themselves were activated.


    n''s cial copse was different this time. In the center of the magical circle, A hexagonal core pulsed with an otherworldly brilliance, akin to the heart of a winter storm. Intricate patterns or runic symbols surround the core, forming a mesmerizing dance of symbols that resemble the dance of snow fairies. Which would normally bring about gifts and other such happy things but right now they instead brought down destruction.


    The fire on the meteor started to recede, and Elijah panicked.


    "NO!"


    He fired a fire breath, intending to interrupt the skill before it could bepleted. He had figured out what n was doing.


    "Not so fast."


    n teleported above him and kicked his mouth shut, the breath exploded in Elijah''s mouth but because of his skill [One with Fire] being active it didn''t do any damage, it instead healed him. But that was the least of Elijah''s concerns.


    "n!"


    Elijah tried to push n away with his fiery mana, but failed.


    "I told you to surrender, me yourself you didn''t listen."


    n said, in the meanwhile the meteor closed in and [cial Copse] was almostpleted. The power from the skill was dousing the mes on the meteor as it approached, and tendrils of frost energy extended from the skill circle, and covered the falling meteor.


    Ice and torrents of frost mana, each as sharp as steel des started to cover the meteor and encase it. Recing theyer of fire with ayer of frost.


    "I thought of this a while back...didn''t think I would be using it this soon you know."


    [cial Copse] was now fully cast, and it covered the meteor instead of exploding in all directions.


    The meteor descended, and now only a few dozen meters were left till it collided with Elijah and n.


    "Can you feel the chill?"


    n asked Elijah, taking his sweet time and stopping all of Elijah''s attempts at getting free. He looked down on Elijah, and said.


    The chill from the meteor and [cial Copse] was even being felt outside the tower, to all the ones spectating this fight. And Elijah cursed.


    "Fucker...!"


    But n ignored him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Let''s call this...cial Meteor?"


    n disappeared, teleporting far away. And the meteor collided with Elijah''s massive dragon body at full force.


    "GAH!"


    It fell right on his face. And was crushing his cor bone along with his other body at the weight.


    Elijah began to descend, but used his arms and almost all of his mana at his feet to propel himself upwards. He was trying to carry the meteor! The pirs in his body didn''t help his attempt...However.


    [Item: Mana Potion(2x) has been used.]


    [Item: Frost Resistance(5x) has been used.]


    [Item: Strength Potion(10x) has been used!]


    "Urgh!"


    Only pained grunts left his mouth as all his attempts at trying to recover failed, he was descending lower and lower. The armor of fire he once held pride in was being extinguished by the intense chill of the meteor, and his hands were being frozen as well.


    ''COME ON!''


    He yelled in his mind, as his face and neck were being both frozen and crushed. He used even more items he could from his inventory, almost emptying his supplies that he piled up over his life!


    They were those that he thought he would need at the worst predicament...and this was that predicament.


    A meteor, the size of what? A mountain? Dropping down on him was thest thing he expected to experience, but here he was. Life sure had it''s ways of fucking you up.


    "COME ON!"


    Under the weight of the meteor, Elijah''s body was slowly being frozen and crushed. His defiant stance was falling apart and he was catapulting into the ground. his pathetic mes unable to withstand the meteor. The biting chill cut into his flesh, it tore apart his skin and his muscles, weakening him with each passing second.


    "COME ON!"


    He cried out once again, but would it be enough? Determination and hope weren''t the solution to everything...were they?


    [Purchasing Potions of strength.]


    [Items have been used.]


    [Purchasing Potions of frost Resistance.]


    [Items have been used.]


    But no matter what, the weight did not decrease, and neither did the biting chill.


    "Agh!"


    And it finally dawned on him, as his skull and ribs cracked under the weight that...


    I can''t do this...I can''t.


    He started to fail, the meteor and him were descending slowly but surely onto the ground. And every fiber of Elijah''s being was being crushed.


    So this is how I die...


    He thought, the idea of surrendering before appeared in his mind like regret...but he refused to ept it. He simply just epted it. This was how he would die, being ttened.


    However, in the darkness he epted to die in. A ray of hope still emerged.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you it is not over. Use your brain you idiot!]


    ____________________________________


    [Outside the tower, Capitol, Colosseum.]


    The audience looked on in horror as they saw the mighty skill crushing the dragon(Which they knew was Elijah.)


    "ELI! SURRENDER YOU BUFFON!"


    Serena screamed from her room, it took multiple employees from the association to drag her down and restrain her. She was going to jump!


    "Elijah..."


    Elijah''s father couldn''t bear to see his son''s impending death, and neither could his family.


    "Surrender! Surrender you fucking idiot!"


    Even Elton was screaming at the top of his lungs, however after coughing a mouth full of blood and severe bursts of pain stopped him. The curse was eating him alive.


    "My god..."


    Ragnarmented from his high seat, his mind was a mess.


    He was thinking...could he able to stop that monstrous skill if it was ever casted on theCapitol?


    No.


    The best case scenario would be half of the Capitol being ttened.


    "Give up Chosen of the fire supreme...you have proved yourself."


    He said, epting the fact that n was a monster that couldn''t be beat, even by most heroes right now.

 Chapter 454 [454] The conclusion stayed the same.

    <h4>Chapter 454 [454] The conclusion stayed the same.</h4>


    [||DECIMATION|| is being activated.]


    The system informed him, and as Elijah struggled to buy some time for the activation of the skill, he tried thinking about what he could do, and what he needed to do to get out of this predicament.


    With the monstrous weight above him, he would only be able to do this for about a minute or so. Any longer and his body, even though it may be that of a dragon currently would fall and be crushed until it was frozen paste.


    ''10...more seconds...''


    Elijah thought, as the skills power gradually increased.


    [Decimation: 50%.]


    It would take ten more seconds for the skill to bepletely powered up. To 100%


    Then, he would be able to do?something.


    As the timer slowly decreased, Elijah pondered.


    ''My skills won''t do anything to this...And the ones that will require too much mana.''


    It took a lot of mana to sustain this form, piling that up with the ridiculous number of enhancing skills he was already using...His mana was insanely low, Even though he had been using an absurd amount of potions to replenish it.


    And he didn''t even have any credits to purchase more from the system anyways, he was broke.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri encourages you.]


    Agri was still encouraging him to try and seed, to defeat n once he got rid of this massive boulder.


    ''It''s hard...Who knows where he will be when I do destroy this thing...''


    He thought, somewhat scared. If he did destroy this meteor with the help of decimation...Where would n be?


    The act would nearly cripple him, and thinking about fighting n when he was one foot inside death''s door was a terrifying thought.


    ''5 seconds...''


    [Decimation:75%.]


    Just five more seconds...and he had decided what he would do.


    It would take his all, but to get out of this it would be worth it. As decimation reached it''s peak, Elijah''s body emitted an intense amount of heat that shed against the biting frost of the meteor. His flesh recovered and his scales were made anew. And for the first time since this never ending collision, he moved up. Instead of gradually going lower and lower and helplessly fighting against the meteors weight, he was finally going up.


    ''1...second.''


    He thought, and as he finished his words in his mind ||Decimation|| was activated.


    [Decimation:100%.]


    Everything changed for him, magma like veins appeared on his skin and the heat which it was already releasing increased tenfold, melting the ice on the meteor above him. Elijah, empowered by the skill flew up and did something none would have expected.


    Instead of using his dragon form to continue fighting...he cancelled it.


    A bright sh of red light engulfed the floor and blinded even n for a second. Elijah transformed back into his human form, but the effects of decimation were still active.


    Red hot skin and magma like veins, blood escaping from every orifice and hole and the warmth of his body hot enough to melt steel.


    The meteor continued to descend freely now that no dragon was there to oppose it, and Elijah fell to the ground. However, he was still facing the meteor. He essed his inventory and took out his sword.


    [Item: de of Sundering Hellfire has been equipped.]


    The katana with a scarlet de appeared in his hands and he transferred his mana to it. It shone with a bright red light, as if the metal which made it was going to melt.


    Elijah breathed out ash and propelled himself towards the meteor by making explosions on his feet. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He took a stance, and activated every skill he could with his meager amounts of mana left.


    [Skill: Enhancement has been activated.]


    [Skill: Fire Born has been activated.]


    [Skill: One with fire has been extended.]


    [Skill: One with the de has been activated.]


    His heat and the frost mana from the meteor collided, and Elijah controlled the heat emitted from him to make a small spike which would pierce through the dense mana of frost, and allow him to get closer and closer.


    ''Come on...''


    He said in his mind, his body breaking apart. Skin and hair broke apart and was incinerated before it could even fall towards the ground.


    Elijah prated through the dense shield, and the meteor was in front of his face. And then he did it.


    [Fiery Sword(5-star).]


    ---Fifth Movement---


    ///de of Fire\\\


    But that was not all. He still had one more skill to activate, and he paid a dear price for doing so.


    [Skill of Item: Glimpse of Hell has been activated.]


    Space cracked apart, and a red dimension was brought forth. The mes that were released from this put all [Hellfire] skills to shame. The sheer power even brought most fire skills to shame! Whether they be of SSS rank!


    "Huu..."


    Ash was exhaled once again, and the world turned quiet. The sound of the meteors descents, the sound of his mes, of his wounds, and his skills all disappeared.


    It was all quiet.


    And then it was not. One single sound broke the silence and brought forth with a multitude of ear piercing sounds.


    It was a crisp, yet strange sound. Like the sound of toasted bread being cut apart but by a scalding knife instead. It was like such a sound. One that many wouldn''t imagined to have heard.


    But instead of toasted bread being cut and a knife being used. It was a katana that cut through a meteor.


    The ice on the meteor split apart and melted in seconds, before the liquid water could even fall it was heated up into steam.


    The meteor turned bright red, and a red line streaked across it.


    And it was split into half.


    The outside world watched in awe, as they saw a skill that was capable of reducing a city and it''s surroundings into dust be cut apart by a 17 year old kid.


    Time stopped, and Elijah ran up the meteor by using one half to support him.


    "ALAN!"


    He yelled, looking at n high in the skies, looking down on him.


    His sword, which was cracking slowly due to the immense power it just released was pointed at n, and n responded.


    "..."


    n remained silent and equipped the Ame-No-Sakahoko. He flew downwards towards Elijah. And both of them looked at one another with murderous gazes.


    "COME ON!


    Elijah yelled, rushing toplete this before his body broke apart, which would be?very?soon.


    n knew this, and could have chosen to just wait but he didn''t.


    "Fine."


    He answered, and flew towards Elijah, ignoring the scalding heat.


    [Chaotic Spear(7-star).]


    -First Movement-


    /Abyssal Rend\


    The art he had not used in quite a while, it held so much power but also came with great risks. n''s mana covered the end of his spear and he swung.


    He teleported right in front of Elijah to gain an advantage, and his spear cut Elijah''s flesh and intestines. The de would have split apart his body if his spine had not stopped the sh. But Elijah did not stay idle. Knowing his sword would prove useless in such a short range, he resorted to using hands. But even they, with the power of decimation posed a great threat. With swift precision(even though his body was almost cut in half), he twisted it and punched n right at the side of the head, in the temple area.


    His fist shattered n''s scales like they were ss and n''s eyes almost fell out of their sockets. They were close to it as well.


    "YOU!"


    Elijah yelled once again, stepping back in order to make his sword be in a good range. He positioned his sword like he was going to stab n but everything went awry.


    [Chaotic Spear(7-star).]


    --Second Movement--


    //Oblivion Thrust\\


    Elijah''s sword, the Sword of sundering mes was turned to dust in front of the sword, the Ame-No-Sakahoko proved it was a superior weapon and literally obliterated the de.


    And Elijah was left with a hole in his chest.


    "Ah..."


    His arms lifelessly fell, well, what was left of them fell anyways. His blood, which was reaching it''s boiling point dropped towards the ground and all went quiet once again.


    Elijah stepped back causing the Ame-No-Sakahoko to leave behind a gaping hole. His eyes were in shock, considering his injuries this was very normal.


    The state his body was in...well even dragons and god beasts would find it near impossible to survive in such a state. That was all that could be said.


    n fell to his knees, suffering from the recoil of his actions, meanwhile Elijah just stood in a daze as his body slowly started to fall off the meteor.


    However, the tower dered it n''s victory before it could happen.


    [Challenger Elijah has been deemed unable to fight. Transport outside the tower in underway.]


    His body slowly started to disappear, and Elijah snapped out of his shocked state for a second.


    "Hey..."


    He barely managed to mutter.


    "Make sure...to clear..."


    He continued, each letter a word a grueling task.


    "This damned...thing..."


    And his body vanished. n stood up, his body too being covered in a white light.


    [Congrattions on clearing the fiftieth floor!]


    [Transporting to the next Floor.]


    [No rewards will be given for this floor.]


    n bnced himself on the falling half of the meteor and said.


    "Yeah..."


    He knew Elijah couldn''t listen to his words.


    "I''ll do it..."


    He promised, the words were intended to give him strength.


    [You have been transported into the next floor.]


    [The tower bids you good luck!]


    Fifty done, fifty left.

 Chapter 455 455: Blackout.

    <h4>Chapter 455 455: ckout.</h4>


    [Colosseum, Capitol, Tower of Trials Area.]


    [Elijah Ardor POV.]


    An upper body almost cleaved apart, and a wide hole in his chest where his lungs were, his heart somewhat exposed, it was a wonder how the attack had missed it. Elijah''s body ''lifelessly'' dropped towards the ground. The tower discarded it out like it was trash. Completely disregarding it as Elijah hadn''t just given it the fight of the century with n.


    His blood and organs, or whatever remained of them at least spilled out like entrails.


    "...Ugh..."


    "Holy shit..."


    The audience screamed, the parents covered the eyes of their children and themselves and some screamed.


    "ELI!"


    His father jumped down and rushed towards his son. His mother and sister were just shook. In a state of shock. However, Mary fell unconscious soon after, unable to bear witness to the sight of her son in such a state. It wasn''t just her, the weak minded ones also fell and some were able to remain awake by vomiting whatever they ate.


    Even the most hardened veterans would find it hard to see this, the seasoned awakened simply prayed for Elijah.


    They did not think...No they knew he was dead. To survive that attack was simply impossible to them.


    And whether they knew it or not, even dragons would be dead.


    "Ha..."


    Air escaped from his mouth, apanied by blood and everything was silent for Elijah. His body was numb to the pain, and he could only try to breathe to sustain his life as he felt small vibrations from everywhere, rushing towards him maybe?


    He found it hard to see, everything was blurry and there was strange feeling in his chest. He didn''t know it was because of the fucking hole in it.


    "Eli!"


    "Stay back! Medical Personnel are on their way! Sir!"


    He didn''t know that his father was fighting against multiple awakened who were trying to stop him from worsening his condition in his state of anger. Almost every healer the association had was rushing towards him, the medical staff on standby were also doing their best to save him.


    ''It feels...nice.''


    He couldn''t hear their words, but all he felt was a kind and warmth on his body.


    "It...feels nice."


    He said, grave expressions appeared on the faces of the people around him as they tried even harder. Elijah saying those words could never be good.


    He was at death''s door, fuck that, he was all but one hand through it.


    The supposedly cold and chilly embrace of death was instead a warm hug for him. Now, almost every healer avable was using their skills on him, slowly reconstructing his flesh but if they did not hurry.


    Elijah would truly die.


    His skills were still active and Elijah was too out of it to deactivate them and give himself a better chance.


    "COME ON!"


    "Cast everything! Throw every potion you have at him!"


    ''What are they saying?''


    He said, as his vision darkened. Slowly the light in his eyes darkened, and he could only see through a faint hole. The rest was all dark.


    And then, even that hole was gone.


    [System Warning: Life Force is diminishing. Host is dying.]


    [Emergency Reboot: Activation of all regenerative skills and emergency mana storage being activated.]


    [Skills have been activated.]


    [Host is dying, emergency treatment insufficient.]


    Even the system would fail at saving him. Slowly, all his skills shut down.


    [One with the de has been deactivated.]


    [Regeneration is being deactivated. Sessful]


    And the final one was here.


    [One with Fire is being deactivated. Su-]


    All of a sudden, A pir of fire engulfed Elijah and the audience screamed. Elijah''s father and Serena looked at the source with bloodshot eyes.


    It was Ragnar, who had made the pire into existence from his high seat. He restrained the wrathful Michael and Serena and said.


    "Calm down, It''s good for him."


    Ragnar, who was eagerly watching the battle between n and Elijah knew Elijah still had one skill active that would help save him. He needed fire for it happen however.


    [One with me is in effect.]


    The one skill that could save him.


    [One With me(?)]


    Description: To be one with fire itself.


    Effects:


    +Immunity to all Fire.


    +Strengthened Fire Elemental attacks.


    +Heart of Ember.


    Heart of Ember: All fire heals you.]


    It was this skill that had saved him, with help from Ragnar of course.


    "Everyone go back, I''ll take care of him.]


    Ragnar said and descended, all whilst casting a multitude of fire skills in order to save Elijah.


    ______________


    [Some timeter.]


    After the earlier events had been cleared, mainly Elijah and his sorry state. The audience found it that the Tower had once gonepletely ck. The broadcasts had now been disabled. It was different this time however, instead of the disys and all streams going nk like when Elijah and n were clearing the floors from 41 to 49, the disys had nowpletely disappeared and no one was able to enter within a hundred meter radius of the tower. Not even Ragnar or Harrison. An invisible forcefield was blocking their entry.


    "So it doesn''t want anyone else now huh..."


    Said Ragnar as he looked at it from his throne, he asked his attendees.


    "How is the Battle fest doing?"


    "The Semi-Finals are underway sir. Only two more rounds left."


    "And what was that report George made?"


    "Young Master George imed he had a short encounter with a suspicious individual who he thinks is a demon."


    "Sigh..."


    Ragnar sighed, massaging his head. His son, George was known to lie and do anything to be honest. The next words of his attendant however disproved his thoughts.


    "We had sent someone to investigate, and traces of demonic energy were found."


    "What? He wasn''t joking?"


    Ragnar asked, almost stupefied. He was already annoyed by the youngest''s actions...who would have thought he was actually telling the truth after years of being a son of a bitch. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Send some more to survey the area and increase the patrol guard. I don''t want any shenanigans to pop up during the convergence."


    He said. The attendant was about to leave but Ragnar stopped him.


    "What''s the next match?"


    He asked, referring to the Battle Fest''s current scheduled match.


    "It''s Young Master George against the Princess of the Wellington''s Sir."

 Chapter 456 [456] Sweet, Sweet Revenge.

    <h4>Chapter 456 [456] Sweet, Sweet Revenge.</h4>


    [Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you the final fight of the District Semi-Finals!]


    The host announced, as he was stationed in a strange tform made of what appeared to be gold. It wasn''t Harrison this time, but rather someone else who we won''t ever know the name of because he doesn''t really matter.


    [Now, I know all of you are probably exhausted, some may still have the sight of Elijah stuck in their minds, But I beg of you to let that all vacate your mind!]


    His voice reached even towards the outside the small stadium dedicated for this districts matches. There weren''t a lot of people who had paid for this match. It was to be expected to be honest, n and Elijah''s duel hade just before this match, some strong willed viewers had made it here, whilst most went to take a rest.


    Also, a point to be noted would be that most of the people here were those who fawned over Sabrina''s and George''s looks. Fan clubs, to be more precise.


    These ''clubs'' had been formed only a few moments prior to the match having been announced, and most of the people who came were those who had actually paid attention and spotted the masterpieces of charm that George and Sabrina were.


    They, quite literally, did not give a fuck about their backgrounds or history, they just came to see two beautiful people fight.


    And they also came to hurl whatever curses, slurs, or anything twisted that coulde out of a human''s mouth.


    "EY FUCK YOU!"


    "SHE''S NOT EVEN THAT PRETTY!"


    "YOU WHORES ARE JUST JEALOUS."


    "YOU BASTARDS ARE JUST JEALOUS."


    And a lot more.


    ''How annoying.''


    In stark contrast, one of the two who were the cause of this conflict, were finding this meager exchange of curses quite annoying.


    Sabrina wanted to end this quickly. Because she didn''t want to have her opponent in her sights for long, and thus found this useless banter annoying. Mainly because it distracted the host from actually starting this damned match.


    Meanwhile, on the other hand, George was enjoying this. What kind of man wouldn''t when he saw a small toon of girls fighting for him?


    He would feel as if he was at the top of the world. He, with an arrogant gate walked towards the stadium and set up a ''show'' for his fans. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A bird of fire soared into the skies and exploded into beautiful fireworks. this decreased the morale of the men and had the opposite effect on the women. They got even more excited.


    Sabrina''s club looked at her with expectant eyes, yet those eyes were met with a disgusted look apanied with a sigh.


    She didn''t give a damn what they thought, she didn''t want to be in this stadium a second longer, why would she entertain them? She was just here to give the bastard that was her opponent a good beating and leaving. She was also dissatisfied with the number of people that had attended, it meant it would make her lose some profits(from betting).


    [Haha, Please do calm down.]


    Thankfully, it seemed like the announcer was also getting tired of this farce.


    Sabrina''s fans quietly retreated towards their seats, and George''s fans triumphantly.


    [May the contestants please take their positions?]


    Gestured the host, and Sabrina stepped on the stage, her gaze fixed on the ground.


    [The final match of the fourth district, Contestant''s Sabrina Wellington and George Drakmor, Are you ready?]


    He asked, ascending higher so that he wouldn''t be injured, unlike the audience, he knew who these two were, and thus took some necessary caution. He didn''t want to get involved in the feud between two powerful families after all.


    "Damn, you got even more beautiful."


    Praised George in his usual cocky tone, he was busy gazing at Sabrina whilst She?just had her head down.


    "Ohe on, I won''t steal your heart if you spare me a nce now, would I?"


    Every word out of his mouth made her want to rip his limbs apart, but she controlled herself and kept her eyes on the ground.


    [Are both the contestants ready?]


    "Yeah, Yeah."


    "Ready."


    [Then, BEGIN!]


    And just like that, the match begun, and the fan''s cheered.


    "COME ON BEAT HER!"


    "DON''T LOSE GODDESS."


    Sabrina immediately activated [Mana Sense] so she could be aware of George''s position. She wasn''t using her eyes after all. She had her staff filled with dark mana and was ready to attack and defend.


    Ever since n had gifted her the bracelet and Ne, not only did she have to worry about the Corruption of Darkness, but she could also use quite a lot of Dark mana without any repercussions. Of course, there was a limit but she didn''t need to worry about it.


    "Ohe on...!"


    George transformed into a half-drake, reddish scales appeared on his body and bat like wings appeared.


    ''Pathetic...''


    Sabrina thought, that transformation of his was patheticpared to n and Elijah''s. Although she didn''t know much about Elijah, she had seen with her own every eyes what n was capable of in his transformation. The mana levels emitted by n then were a dozen times more than the meager amount of mana George was releasing.


    Well, that was just the difference between the species of Dragon and Drake, even ten fully evolved drakes could notpete with a single adult dragon.


    Dragons were just built different. They weren''t the strongest race for no reason after all.


    "Why are you still looking at the ground?"


    George appeared right in front of Sabrina and fired off a breath. Sabrina calmly casted a shield in front of her.


    ''...Even the mes...''


    Now, shepared the strength of his mes to Elijah''s. And they still paled inparison. Maybe she was using the wrong people topare or this bastard was really that weak?


    George wasn''t weak, it was just n and Elijah were people he would never be able topete with. He was the strongest in Eden, and also the brightest prospect of the Drakmor Family.


    He was more powerful than Sabrina, however, her artifacts and knowledge of mana gave her a better chance.


    Her shield effortlessly stopped the mes, and to Georges confusion, the mes he was ''proud'' of were useless.


    "What the h-"


    His face was then hit by a lightning bolt.

 Chapter 457 [457] Sweet, Sweet Revenge[2]

    <h4>Chapter 457 [457] Sweet, Sweet Revenge[2]</h4>


    "..."


    The feeling of lightning hitting his face was unpleasant. George hurriedly jumped back and grabbed his face, healing it with his fire.


    This was with the help of his numerous skills, some(most) which were gained not by him but by his family for him.


    "You had to target the fucking face."


    He said, his tone getting angrier and angrier the second.


    He unfurled his wings, and rose to the skies.


    "How the fuck are you still looking at the ground?!"


    He roared, enraged, and five spears of fire appeared around him.


    [Skill: Fire Lance(5x) has been activated.]


    The fire however, possessed a bloody hue instead of orange, the mes varied from their original color as Sabrina realized.


    ''Idiot.''


    She thought, using mana sense to locate thences and put shields in appropriate positions, she managed to stave them off by casting three shields for eachnce. She had to admit it, he was strong. Her previousparisons were useless.


    She had forgotten the fact that Elijah and n were just in their own league. Just like how George couldn''t bepared to them, she couldn''t bepared as well.


    She was far below them. In certain aspects that determined awakened potential that is.


    But she had one edge over him, and that was Artifacts. The battle-fest restricted the usage of other artifacts which were not one''s main weapons, however due to her special ''circumstances'' and special ''connections'', some exceptions were made for her.


    Money truly was best.


    Sabrina responded to George''s attack''s by sending her own spears.


    "You think that would be it?"


    However, for every spear George sent, Sabrina needed to send 3 to counter it. His blood- red mes were strong.


    He was, currently doing what would normally be a stupid suicidal act. The act of using his own blood to strengthen his fire. If not for the plethora of healing skills he had coupled with his immense amount of mana, this would be suicide.


    "Did you seriously think that would be it?!"


    He tripled the force of his attacks, intending to end this fight right now.


    Sabrina still kept her eyes on the ground and simply covered herself in a dome of darkness.


    [Skill: Fire Lance(15x) has been activated.]


    The skills were so destructive the arena ground had been destroyed, only a vague resemnce was left behind.


    "Yeah destroy her!"


    "Come on!"


    The ''fans'' of George cheered, and the host looked at the stadium with regret in his eyes.


    ''Damn rich guys...''


    Why wouldn''t he be sad? His damn stadium had been destroyed. Now he would have to wait for it to be fixed before he could host another match. He was paid by how many matches he hosted, so of course this hit him hard!


    But he still had toplete this match first.


    [George Drakmor Wi-]


    He was just about to announce George''s victory, but to his shock Sabrina was still fine, without a single wound on her body.


    She was untouched, George''s barrage had done nothing to her.


    "Pathetic."


    She said, her eyes still on the ground, She wanted to enrage George so his bloodline would take control and he would go ballistic.


    "I know what your trying to do."


    George said as he descended, trying to find stable ground tond on. He knew the weaknesses of his bloodline.


    Even the littlest of taunts made him go absolutely ballistic previously, it had taken him a lot to control this troublesome aspect of his bloodline.


    But, Sabrina had one more taunt that was guaranteed to work.


    She had saw it being used on both n and Elijah, whilst both of them were rtively calm and had seen it''s effectiveness.


    What was this taunt exactly?


    "Pathetic Failure of a?Lizard."


    "YOU FUCKING BITCH!"


    It was the word ''Lizard''. It was apparently so insulting to dragons and their subspecies that the young ones couldn''t control themselves no matter what whenever they heard it being directed at them, they would go ballistic.


    Even the Adult dragons sometimes failed at containing themselves whenever this insult was thrown, some even said it was their weakness. The weakness of the famed and strongest race was apparently being called a lizard.


    And it worked like a charm.


    "YOU BITCH!"


    He was no longer able to control himself, all his training of quelling his weaknesses was useless in front of a single fucking word.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!"


    He charged at Sabrina blindly, igniting his body in blood red mes. He raised his fist and jsut when he was about to punch Sabrina.


    He was wacked away by arge whip of darkness, Almost out of the bounds of the stadium.


    He rushed at Sabrina once again, casting all kinds of skills.


    [It look''s like Sabrina Wellington''s taunt worked spectacrly! George Drakmor is filled with hate!]


    The host said, trying to increase his viewership no matter what. Using the name of the families the two contestants belonged too would work somewhat, and he was gunning for that.


    "Haha!"


    Sabrina''s fans began to chant once again with renewed vigor, they were all extremely happy that they had aeback.


    George was being whacked left and right, and his scales were being torn apart, but the drake did not give up. The ''insult'' was still vivid in his mind.


    He had forgotten all reason and was just blindly charging at Sabrina, wanting nothing more than to rip her apart.


    "GET HERE!"


    He was firing breaths of fire, and everything he could do honestly, he was draining his mana reserves until not even a drop would be left.


    Whilst all this was happening, Sabrina was simply reading a book as she was inside her dome, free from all the fire.


    However, her happy reading time had to stop, her opponent was now tired.


    She opened her dome and saw a weakened George, trying to stand but kept falling on his knees.


    "Get...over here..."


    Because he was going absolutely ballistic, he had failed to realize that he wasn''t doing any actual damage. The sea of mes he had covered the arena in were not only blocking his view, but absolutely fucking useless.


    "GET over here!"


    His scales started to diminish, his bloodline energy was running low and since there was no more mana to replenish it his transformation would be cancelled pretty soon, with no mana to replenish it, he would be leftpletely helpless.


    "Oh my, the lizard is getting angry."


    He was just on the verge of breaking from his frenzy, but Sabrina brought it all back to square one. She had brought all that anger back with the same word.


    "YOU BITCH!"


    "Haha."


    She honestly wanted to look at his miserable face andugh all she could at this sight, however she restrained herself.


    George''s scales slowly started to disappear, and his size reduced. The fire on his body vanished without a trace but he was still running towards Sabrina, trying to kill her.


    "Oh my."


    However, he was ''caught'' in a trap.


    A magic circle appeared beneath him. It was quite the sinister one, having skulls, blood, and even organs depicted in the carving. It was unknown when and how Sabrina did this.


    "You fell right into it."


    George suddenly couldn''t move, as ck tentacles bound his limbs and raised him towards the sky.


    "The lizard is throwing a fit."


    Again, he was affected and started throwing a fit, trying to escape from the clutches of the trap. His face was fully red, and this wasn''t a skill at work.


    He was just that livid.


    "Haha..."


    Sabrina, using mana sense to see this magnificent spectacle, wasughing until she couldn''t hold it in anymore, until it was hard for her to breathe!


    "AT LEAST LOOK AT ME WHILST YOU SAY IT!"


    However, it was brought to an end with George''s word. Sabrina stoppedughing and then approached finally raising up her head from the ground to see his loatheful appearance.


    Ptui!


    And he spat at her, when she had finally raised her head. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    Sabrina cleaned the spit on her face with a handkerchief, and looked up once again, this time deflecting any more spit with her mana.


    "...You know why I didn''t look up?"


    She said, as the grip the tentacles had on George''s limbs tightened.


    The host looked at this, having predicted what would happen but calmed himself.


    ''No way...she wouldn''t...would she?''


    Sabrina knew the family George was from...so she wouldn''t go that far...right?


    "It was so I wouldn''t have to stare at your miserable face. That in itself was akin to a taunt. Something I wouldn''t be able to control myself witnessing it."


    The grip tightened, and the tentacles started to move away, tearing the ligaments and tendons in his limbs.


    "Wait!"


    Screamed George at the top of his lungs, trying to use his strength to pull the tentacles but it was of no use. With his mana now exhausted, and his bloodline energy no where to be found.


    He was quite literally, helpless.


    "I knew I couldn''t restrain myself from tearing your limbs apart when I saw you..."


    Sabrina said, as she applied more mana to her trap and then...


    "Goodbye~"


    Only George''s guttural screams filled the area as his limbs were quite literally torn apart.


    [Sabrina...Welllington wins!!!]

 Chapter 458 [458] Sweet, Sweet Revenge[3]

    <h4>Chapter 458 [458] Sweet, Sweet Revenge[3]</h4>


    "..."


    Ragnar was in a daze as the blue disy in front of him continued to rey the devastating loss of his son, he had reyed that scene more than a dozen times. his attendants, and other family looked at him with a weird gaze, some were afraid, Maybe their patriarch would burst into a fiery rage and nothing but ash would be left of them. Some were skeptical, was the patriarch maybe enjoying this?


    Well, he did have some problems with his youngest, and thought maybe this was an entertaining end to a match he had already predicted would end with his son being the victor.


    Who would have thought he would bepletely overpowered? And absolutely humiliated?


    Was he angry? Or was he enjoying this.


    "This is unexpected."


    Neither, he was actually shocked. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Even though he knew of his youngest''s defects, never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would lose, he had trained him himself, which was it came as a surprise.


    In his grand office, he put the disy down and stared at the ceiling for a while, his thoughts unknown. His attendants were shitting themselves quite literally right now. He could kill them at any moment, and rece them in seconds.


    "Ha..."


    A sigh escaped his mouth, his fire mana was so strong the temperature of the room increased and he opened his mouth.


    His attendants stiffened up, thinking of ways to survive. What would the Patriarch say?


    "Give me a report on everything that''s happening."


    He asked, and looked at them, the head attendant moved up and asked.


    "About what exactly, Sir?"


    "Tower, Battle-fest, what else?"


    There was hint of annoyance in his tone, and his attendant quickly spilled the beans.


    "The tower is still nk...however it seems that n Pator is still steadily advancing higher and higher, We just can''t see anything. The battle-fest''s district battles are done, and now there are 8 contestants left, the battle list has been decided as well."


    "Tell me the names, and who they will be fighting."


    "Yes sir,"


    The attendant took out a sheet of paper and began to read it out for Ragnar.


    "The first fight will be between Kazikato Shimoshino from Twilight against Alexander Wright, a student of Shield. The second will be Lucas Hiddleston against the Second ranker of Eden, Abraham Firk, The third fight will be Henry Fornum against Titan''s ine Parker, and the final one is Sabrina Wellington against Olivia Olsfer."


    "Is it? No Drakmor huh..."


    Ragnar said, sounding disappointed. It was a great shame that a Drakmor wasn''t able to qualify for the finals, but what could he do?


    Manipte it all? Yeah, he probably could do it, but why? That would cause internal friction and he wasn''t that desperate.


    "How is Elijah?"


    He asked, suddenly remembering about the chosen of the fire supreme.


    "Still unconscious sir, However our team is doing their best."


    "Tell them to make sure he recovers soon."


    He got up and just as he was about to leave but remembered.


    "Oh right, when''s the first match?"


    "Right now sir."


    "..."


    It seems his perception of time was being altered with his age.


    *******


    [Alexander Wright PoV, waiting room.]


    "Sigh..."


    Alexander sighed as he checked the status of both his weapons, for some reason, he was worried.


    He was filled with excitement when he first thought of fighting Kazikato, but now? When it was actually happening did reality truly dawn on him. He may have breezed past his opponents in the district matches, but this was different.


    This was the dude that almost killed n as far as he knew, the dude who also wreaked an entire guild by himself. And the dude who sparred with n daily and almost defeated him a lot of times.


    [Why are you worried?]


    Festul, sitting beside him asked, he was currently ying with a ball of yarn. He was supposed to be a wolf but apparently he liked ying with yarn, like a cat. Deities were sure weird.


    [Why are you worried?]


    He asked again, sensing Alexander''s distress, and silence.


    "I don''t know, Sorry."


    However, he just apologized and stood up, stretching to warm up his body.


    [Tch, there you go again.]


    Festul clicked his tongue, throwing the ball of yarn away. Alex looked at him, puzzled.


    [Always apologizing for no fucking reason. Grow some balls.]


    "..."


    Damn, Festul had learned quite a bit from the inte. Maybe Alex should limit his ess.


    [Why do you go around apologizing? Sorry this, sorry that, fuck that.]


    "..."


    A supreme being was being so vulgar right, well, former supreme being. Alexander was baffled, he had seen Festul lose it sometimes, but never to such an extent like this.


    [Pussy.]


    "..."


    [Open up your status andpare it to when you were a damn weakling, and be damn d!]


    Alexander did as told, the main reason being he didn''t want to be scolded again.


    ----Status----


    Name: Alexander Wright(17)


    Race: Thunder Wolf, Bloodline of the Monarch of Storms.


    Titles: Chosen of the Monarch of Storms, Festul, Harbringer of Storms.


    Strength: C-


    Speed: B+


    Stamina: C


    Mana: C-


    Intelligence: B


    Charm: C+


    Affinities: NULL(?)


    Description: Alexander Wright, at first a timid and weak boy that was easily bullied, but now a chosen of a former supreme being, he wields the unique element of Null and wields two des, he is a disciple of the Sword Saint Arken Miller and regards the Sword Saint as his saviour, along with one other person.


    Skills: Wind de, Wind Armament, Rage of Wind...etc.]


    "..."


    [Compare it with when you first started.]


    Festul waspletely right, he was weaker than the average human adult who was not even awakened when he first enrolled in shield. He had only passed the shield exam because he barely passed one or two physical tests, and aced the written exam. And even then, he was at a pretty low rank because of his affinity and other grades.


    "..."


    [Arken may have had a part in it, and the dragon boy as well, but you did it yourself. You fucking worked hard.]


    "Haha..."


    [Why are youughing?]


    Asked Festul, as Alexander''s chuckling confused the little wolf god. He was confused as to why the fuck this bastard wasughing right now. Was he not being scolded?


    "Sorry, I Ju-"


    [Oh for fucks sake.]


    However, Alexander made the same mistake.


    "Yeah yeah, I know I''ve levelled up, Forgive me K?"


    Alexander walked towards the door, and right on cue.


    [Alexander Wright, please make your way towards the stadium for your fight.]


    The announcement came, and he opened the door and left. Festul followed him, the hallway was silent and only their footsteps resounded throughout.


    [A surprise...]


    "Hmm?"


    [You suddenly calmed down and even became excited.]


    "Meh, no need to fret over it, It''s just a fight."


    Festul hid a smile, d that Alexander had recovered from his routinely upsets, and jumped on his shoulder.


    [Good luck.]


    He said, as he began to sleep on Alexander''s shoulder. He would soon disappear inside Alexander''s body in order to not disturb him during the fight, and also provide some guidance.


    Alexander had almost reached the end, but of course, something had to happen.


    "Is that you Alex?"


    He heard a voice from upfront, and froze.


    ********


    [Stadium, Colosseum, Capitol.]


    Kazikato''s POV:


    "Haaa...."


    Kazikato yawned on the stage, sitting down and waiting for his opponent, who was five minuteste. The crowd, which was more intense because these were the final matches was already throwing a ruckus.


    "Did he pussy out?"


    "No way...in front of all these people?"


    They were already on to their weird spections, well, some of them didn''t even me Alexander for being a coward here. Unlike the previous matches, they had done some research on the contestants now, and Kazikato, who already had an established fanbase because of his exploits in Aror.


    He was known by many things, some names were cringe, and seemed as if a 16 year old hade up with them, but hey they were well liked by the general popce. He was quite famous, because Alice and Maxwell had used him for advertisement and even some products, which he may or may not have been forced to do.


    So, the people knew him, but Alexander? His track record was terrible. The general public didn''t know anything but that he defeated Kyle re and reached top 10, and before that he was a weak kid.


    [We will wait just another minute or two for Alexander to show up, if he does not, it will be dered a forfeit from his side.]


    The host announced, annoyed as well by the disappearance of the contestant, The people were also booing.


    "Booo!"


    "What did we pay for?!"


    Of course they were mad, they paid for this, and the entertainment hadn''te.


    Kazikato ignored them all andy down on the hard stadium ground, putting his arm over his eyes and began to sleep.


    "..."


    Yes, he didn''t care what they thought about, he would prefer rest more.


    "That idiot..."


    Alice and Maxwellmented from Twilight''s room, sighing.


    However, Kazikato''s beauty sleep was interrupted, alexander showed up.


    And he was quite pissed.

 Chapter 459 [459] Alexander Miller.

    <h4>Chapter 459 [459] Alexander Miller.</h4>


    "Alex, is that you?"


    He suddenly froze, the lighting from the end of the hallway almost blinded him, yet he still continued to stare as the beating of his heart elerated. Festul, who was just about to sleep, got up and looked around, searching for any potential threats.


    The beating of Alexander''s heart had told him, whoever was here was not a friend. The goosebumps that had appeared on Alexander''s skin gave him further rity.


    He growled, looking ahead into the light, ready to pounce.


    [What are you doing! Get your des!]


    Festul said, urging Alexander to take his swords out of their scabbards. However, Alexander didn''t.


    "It really is you!"


    The voice was heard again, and the figure appeared from the light. A man wearing a full ck suit, with polished shoes and a good physique. He screamed order or cleanliness, and his outfit proved it. He also had quite the strange mustache, like the monopoly man.


    Furthermore, he was quite old, with a few gray hairs already emerging, but the wrinkles on his face were the true indicators, there was not an inch left untouched. Whether it was from stress or not, who knows?


    The man walked towards Alexander, and Festul growled at him, threatening to rip his throat out with his sharp teeth.


    ''Not Awakened...''


    Festul thought, as he kept his eyes on the individual. The individual was not an awakened, which surprised Festul. He didn''t think a non-awakened would approach the two of them so fearlessly, and never did he think Alexander would hesitate when faced with a non-awakened, no matter who they were or what they possessed.


    [Alexander?]


    He called out, but no response.


    "Never knew you had the tendency for pets, is that a normal dog or a magical creature?"


    The man said, looking at Festul with strange eyes, he moved forward but was stopped by Festul releasing his mana forth.


    "Oh! So it''s a magic creature!"


    There was a slight glint in the man''s eyes, as he observed Festul with great scrutiny, Festul almost felt a chill run down his small spine as he felt as if his entire body was being appraised.


    "What are...you doing here?"


    Finally, Alexander managed to utter, his hands on his swords.


    "Why are you talking to me with such a tone? Have you forgotten who I am?"


    Asked the man, staring at Alexander with disgust apparent in his voice. Alexander stepped back, the beating of his heart calming down as he finally regained rity, however the anger in his eyes did not dissipate.


    He kept his eyes firm on the man, watching his every move, eventually the man got annoyed.


    "Are you joking, Alex?"


    He said.


    "What do you want..."


    Alex answered, looking at his father, Nathan Wright.


    The man, he didn''t want to see ever again, was right in front of him, stopping him from going towards the stadium.


    "Well, I''m d you were actually useful for a change. Go and fight the death predator but lose, we don''t expect you to win, our investors bet a lot on him winning."


    Nathan Wright ordered, and began to leave.


    "... What?"


    Alexander questioned, confused. Almost taken aback.


    "What did you just say?"


    Nathan turned around, looking at Alexander with tired eyes, it seemed as if he was tired of a farce he created.


    "Didn''t I tell you? Lose."


    "..."


    Alexander sighed, and said.


    "No."


    Nathan paused, his eyes gaining a hint of anger.


    "Are you fucking deaf? I told you to lose, Well, not that you can even beat him anyway. Just make your loss believable."


    "Fuck No."


    Answered Alexander again, looking at his father with contempt. He ignored his father and proceeded forward.


    He didn''t spare his ''father'' a second nce.


    "Alexander."


    His father called out.


    "ALEXANDER!"


    However, he had to resort to such a tone because Alexander did not respond.


    "Have you forgotten that you are still a wright? Listen to me!"


    How could he have such guts to say this? When he literally forgot all about Alexander when it was deemed that he would be useless.


    The Wright''s, although not as influential as the big families were still quite a reputable family with a lot of connections, Alexander was from such a family. They had connections everywhere, and it was because they were a Lawyer family. No matter who it was, they would give their services to anyone who could pay, whether he was guilty or not. This was how they had amassed arge amount of Wealth.


    Alexander was not the only sibling, his other siblings had awakened their talent ranking and had a good affinity, but it was he who was kicked out because of his useless affinity, which was, at first, deemed a unique affinity. Alexander''s entire family did not give a single fuck about him, even though he had gotten into Shield, they didn''t spare him a nce. Alexander was barely living off of the free cafeteria food and money he got from odd jobs or Shield''s Credit list. He was forgotten by his family.


    Alexander''s Father, however, still kept his eye on him, thinking that maybe he would get a better chance to improve his life. But did he do this out of care for his son? No, it was for profit.


    Maybe someone would be interested in Alexander''s seemingly useless affinity. It was only for that reason. He even ignored the bullying from Kyle re Alexander suffered, even if it almost brought Alexander to his knees, crying for mercy.


    However, things did change when Alexander defeated Kyle. Nathan grew interested in Alexander once more, thinking that maybe he had finally gained some sort of enlightenment! A way to use his element, which he thought was useless. He tried to increase the eyes on Alex, however, Alexander being in shield hindered him greatly. Because of Oliver, even the Wellington''s didn''t dare do anything suspicious, what could the Wright''s do?


    He was forced to be in the dark, but, when the Summer Vacation came, he was enthusiastic, thinking that Alexander was finally exposed. He urgently sent a letter to shield expressing his desire for his ''son'' toe home.


    But, he was nowhere to be found. Nowhere. Alexander had gone with the Sword Saint to train, so it was kind of expected he wouldn''t be able to find them in the Human world, because they were in Terra Damnum.


    Not to mention the abuse andck of neglect Alexander faced during his time at home, in the Wright house, where his parents seemingly ignored whatever his siblings did to him.


    And after all this, he dared show up, and demand something?


    "Who the fuck do you think you...are?"


    Asked Alexander, trying to restrain himself from cutting the throat of the man in front of him, it was taking quite an absurd amount of strength to do so.


    He was almost surprised at it.


    "I am your father, you listen to me!"


    He said, walking towards Alexander with an angry gait, almost stomping the ground, N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Fuck Off."


    However, Alexander''s words made him stop abruptly, his face was so red it was no different from beetroot.


    "Alexander Wright!"


    He called out, using an authoritative tune. The timid Alexander he remembered would always fold at this.


    However, Alexander was no longer timid.


    "Alexander Wright!"


    "Don''t call me that name, I don''t want yourst name."


    "Ha?"


    Alexander''s father almost chuckled, raising his hand.


    "And who do you think would ept you? Stop this farce ande here, Alexander ''Wright''."


    He pushed his hand forward, trying to reach Alexander...but the next thing he knew, he had no hand.


    A crisp, slicing sound rang in the air as Alexander''s de exited and entered its scabbard in a second, separating Nathan''s right hand from his body.


    The hand, adorned with all sorts of expensive rings, fell to the ground and the realization dawned on Nathan. He lost his hand,


    "AH!"


    It was also apanied by bloodcurdling screams, Alexander dodged the blood spurting out from the cut appendage, and went forward, dismissing Nathan.


    Nathan didn''t even try to stop him, well...not that he could anyway. His entire focus was on his hand, which was on the floor, and the immense amount of blood he was losing by the second. It couldn''t be helped, he wasn''t an awakened and most likely didn''t have a high pain tolerance. A cut hand would almost knock him unconscious.


    [You don''t care if he dies?]


    Festul inquired, he knew that if this went on and no medical care was administered, Nathan would die.


    "Please."


    [Haha.]


    However, Alexander''s response was amusing to him, he looked back at the man,ughing.


    "Festul, How much can you tamper with the system?"


    Alexander suddenly asked.


    [Only a little, Why?]


    "Change my name."


    "..."


    Festul quietly got to work, not minding the sudden request.


    And soon it was done.


    ''Use my name whenever you like it, you are my student, after all.''


    Alexander remembered his master''s words, and thought this was a suitable moment. He would talk it out with the Sword Saintter, and any other legal documents or whatnot.


    ----Status----


    Name: Alexander Miller.


    ...


    ...


    ...

 Chapter 460 [460] Alexander VS Kazikato.

    Chapter 460 [460] Alexander VS Kazikato.


    "There you finally are!"


    "We were waiting for your prick!"


    "Now fight!"


    Naturally, the crowd was angry, vicious even. Not only did they yell all sorts of curses at Alexander for just beingte by five to ten minutes, but they were also throwing stuff at him.


    This ''stuff'' were soda cans, beer sses and even popcorn or corn dogs. Whatever they had, they just threw it, joining the angered masses. Alexander ignored them, and made his way towards the stadium, the aura of death that Kazikato naturally exuded was being felt by every fiber of his being, he was imagining it like a monster that was above the stairs.


    Yes, A monster. A monster of vile ck with sharp and menacing teeth, abyssal eyes that would devour all light and a crazy instinct to kill. Looking right at him.


    Alexander, dodging the filth in his way, proceeded forward, his eyes determined. He wasn''t scared of this monster.


    The surrounding world all disappeared for him, and only that monster was visible. He, fearlessly, stepped up the stadium and went through the ck mass that he had perceived to be the monster.


    "Fuagh..."


    Finally, he felt like he could breathe again, although the ''monster'' exerted no such physical pressure, it was like an anvil being ced on his head, hurting his head the longer it continued. Even crushing it.


    [Do not be afraid.]


    Said Festul, already having merged with him and resting safely inside his body, he was still able to see everything though, as clear as day.


    Alexander, as he stepped onto the tform, stopped abruptly, taken aback by the sight in front of him, His opponent, Kazikato...sleeping?


    Hey peacefully on the hard, marble ground, clearly enchanted to make it more durable. Hey without a care in the world, yawning as if he was a school going child enjoying his winter holidays in his bed, covered in his pajama''s and warm nket.


    If someone saw him without context...they would never think he was supposed to duel Alexander.


    "...


    Alexander would be lying if he said the scene did not lower his morale, it did quite considerably. Just how confident, or how strong, was his opponent to regard him like this?


    [Don''t fall for it.]


    Festul reassured him, Alexander answered, with a sigh.


    "I know, I know."


    He took his ce, and Kazikato woke up, almost sensing himing. The host didn''t even need to announce it.


    Kazikato stretched, like one would when they woke up, and stood up, Facing Alexander.


    But, this simple gestured was too much for Alexander, the vile monster made of ck mass reappeared, and this time it was not alone.


    It was apanied by dozens, maybe even hundreds, some smaller, some bigger, but each one as menacing and terrifying like the former.


    "..."


    "Fooo..."


    Alexander took a breath, supporting his frail mind with his mana, and the monsters were defeated. It had to be taken note that only he was feeling this, and Kazikato was not doing this intentionally. It was all in Alexander''s mind.


    "That idiot."


    Commented the Sword saint, looking at the stadium from his secret room.


    "Go easy on the kid."


    Oliver said, from the sides, also watching the match with great interest.


    "Is that the kid?"


    Asked Arken, and Oliver nodded.


    "Hmm...hard to believe he almost killed n."


    Said Arken, sounding troubled.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I don''t feel anything from it, that would have been an indicator of his strength normally, but...it''s all void. He doesn''t know a lot."


    Arken exined, Oliver stayed silent and observed the two on the stage with great scrutiny, however he made no furtherments.


    "Well, won''t hurt to watch."


    Arken said, as he downed another bottle of expensive wine.


    Back on the stadium, the crowd''s angry assaults had stopped. The atmosphere had turned tense as Kazikato and Alexander looked at each other in silence, the entire Colosseum, expecting a great sh, stopped. Even though the winner of this match had already been decided, that being Kazikato due to his track record, some still thought.


    Can the Alex Kid do it?


    It wasn''t wrong to think like such, the thing was, people loved an underdog proving everyone wrong and rising up to be the top. Kazikato may have been the predetermined winner...but what if that could change?!


    Would that not be entertaining? Would it not awaken something inside their hearts? A joy, a surge of pleasure, excitement and everything else?


    It would! And thus, some hoped it would be liked that, they had been tired of the usual predicted winner winning as usual.


    Come on, show us something different! They yearned, even though they called the ''underdog'' curses and threw things at him.


    They wanted entertainment, and it was their job to provide it!


    [Are the two participants ready?!]


    Finally! The host would give it to them! He would dere the beginning of the semi-finals! Come on!


    "Yes."


    Answered Kazikato, summoning his scythe, It had grown to be more polished, and possessed an otherworldly glow to it. If people looked at it for long, they would find themselves in a trance, seeing souls stare at them, sometimes taking the form of their beloved deceased ones. The children even cried when they looked at it.


    "Yes."


    Alexander answered with some dy, looking carefully at Kazikato''s scythe. He unsheathed his des, the de of Tempest And Thunder, the dual swords that were the reason for his strength. They each carried their own power, the de of tempest had wind apanying it, whilst the one of thunder had small sparks appearing around it in irregr intervals.


    [Both Participants are ready!]


    The host said, clearly excited to be the one to host such a confrontation, the first match of the Semi-Finals! Between the Death Predator and Alexander!


    [Now!]


    The audience held their breaths, gazing onto the stage with rapt attention, eagerly waiting for their energies to sh! Come on! Any second now!


    Come on!!!


    [BEGIN!]


    And it began, they almost jumped from their seats, their imaginations running wild...however they were betrayed!


    Kazikato and Alexander did not start the match like the others before them, they didn''t follow the theme of the district matches at all!


    Why so?


    Because they didn''t rush at one another! Like all the rest! As soon as the match had begun, they just walked around the stadium, their weapons ready and their eyes observing the other.


    They were different, they may have been youths...but they were not hot-blooded or crazily energetic to fight like maniacs from the start and expend their stamina. Unlike the others, they had experience.


    Kazikato from Ariel''s Brutal training, And Alexander from his own master, Sword Saint Arken. Each of the two had one thing inmon.


    They made their disciples training a fucking hell, no...even worse than hell! The vivid scenes of fighting against a dragon that was asrge as continents, when you were a small dragon...


    The vivid scenes of fighting against hordes and hordes of demons...biting, spitting, thrashing around to try to survive as they tried to rip you apart limb to limb... Was etched into their mind. Never to be forgotten.


    Both of them had learned the lesson, engage only when confident or sure, and always keep stamina a top priority. They knew the one who got tired first would lose.


    And thus, this was the result. A match which involved not swords but eyes scrutinizing one another, waiting for each other to make the first move, or even observe one another, trying to see whether they could find a weakness...a clue!


    But of course, this was not appealing to the audience!


    "The fuck?!"


    "Fight!"


    They yelled, screamed and whatever could be done, however, the one''s responsible for such a reaction did not spare them a nce. Their entire attention was focused on one another, the world had disappeared for them.


    And had been constructed anew, this time however, with only the two of them. Only these two, alone in this world, that would be their battlefield.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Alexander was ready, his shoulders were loose in order to respond to any sudden attack, and he was always encased in a defensive barrier of Null Mana, as a precautionary measure.


    Kazikato was the same, he was also prepared for any random attacks. Now, the only question remained.


    Who would do it first?


    Alexander and Kazikato wondered, thinking...


    ''Should I do it?''


    Make the first move? Risk gaining an upper hand or a crippling chance at failure?


    Who knows?


    But eventually, they had to do it! It was nerve wracking even for them! One could slip up if this was dyed for too long.


    And so, one did it.


    Like a sudden dragon thatunched at the prey, Kazikato disappeared and reappeared in front of Alexander, his scythe held high. Covered in ayer of Death energy.


    He pivoted his foot into the ground...and swung down with all his might! All in an instant!

 Chapter 461 [461] Alexander Versus Kazikato.

    Chapter 461 [461] Alexander Versus Kazikato.


    It was a crisp, painful, and crushing feeling.


    The air pressure released from his blow was frightening, cleaning the stage that had some dust on it, but that was not it. It also destroyed it.


    A mere casual attack, had destroyed the stage, several cracks appeared on the enchanted stage, which was specifically made to endure the harshest of blows.


    Alexander''s wrists felt numb, and the sound of the sh, ''ng'' was still ringing in his ears.


    "Ugh..."


    He groaned, as the weight of the scythe above him increased tenfold, his feet dug into the ground, bound by the hard marble.


    His wrists were hurting, and Alexander looked up.


    His two swords, stationary in an X position, blocking the scythe de, which was one inch from his face.


    "Damn..."


    He said, as his own figure disappeared, his feet, which were bound by the marble floor, tore through the floor, Which was enchanted but fucking useless. Alexander disappeared in an instant, and Kazikato''s Scythe, now left undisturbed, tore through the stage, immediately turning it to dust.


    Just like that, one part of the stage was already destroyed, not even five minutes into the fight.


    Kazikato, sensing something, raised his left hand, first covering it in ayer of bone. His left hand blocked Alexander''s gray sword, however, wind des emerged from it and left small cuts on Kazikato''s body.


    Kazikato jumped back.


    "Your fast."


    He said,plimenting Alexander, who confused, said.


    "... You figured that out and still made some distance between us?"


    To him, it was confusing. If your opponent was fast, it was better to stick close and restrict as much of their movement you could. This would give you an advantage, and won''t allow them to gain momentum and use their speed.


    "Yeah."


    Kazikato replied nonchntly, checking his hand. There was big gash on the bone armor.


    As they had this small exchange, everyone became quiet. None dared utter a word.


    All of them were simply shocked, even the veterans. Even the host! Who was failing to do his job. He was supposed to host the match! Announce something!


    ''Alright... I just need to keep this moment-''


    Alexander''s thoughts were interrupted by a hot, wet feeling on his forehead. He raised his hand to touch the area, and when he saw his fingers after...he grew silent.


    There was blood. Alexander had failed topletely block Kazikato''s blow, and was injured.


    "You got me..."


    He said, and raised his swords, increasing his vignce. Kazikato looked at him nkly, and then said.


    "Yeah."


    A ck energy appeared from beneath Kazikato, and covered him. Alexander hesitated, not willing to attack because he was unaware of what this ck mass was.


    A secondter, the mass disappeared and Kazikato was still there, however the injuries on his figure had disappeared. Even his clothes were back in premium condition! Alexander grimaced.


    ''I hope he can''t do that every time...''


    He thought, and decided it was his turn to make his move. He coated his des, each in their respective elements. One wind, and another thunder. However, that wasn''t all.


    As one de exuded fierce des of wind that could easily cut apart steel, and another dangerous bolts of lightning, the fierce disy was cut short as another, strange, unknown mana started to envelop them, covering the two by forming ayer on top of them.


    "Huh?"


    Kazikato muttered, confused at the strange mana that had enveloped Alexander''s des, however, before he had the chance to question it, a chill ran down his spine as goosebumps appeared on his body. He hurriedly cast a shield around himself. A ck magic circle appeared and cast an invisible shield, which was broken by Alexander in an instant.


    However, it did give Kazikato a chance to respond. Kazikato raised his hand, and parried Alexander''s attack, which came like a sudden storm.


    His eyes had a strange glint in their eyes, Kazikato''s ck eyes met with them as sparks flew.


    "Ha!"


    He grunted, and pushed Alexander back. He was just about to rush at him when he realized...


    "Huh...?"


    A questioning look appeared on his face as he noticed the mana that once coated his scythe was starting to disappear, consumed by the strange gray mana.


    [Null.]


    Ariel''s voice resounded in his mind, but he didn''t have any time to process it before he was attacked mercilessly, a dozen or so attacks in a second, which he struggled to parry or block.


    Kazikato, after gaining a moment of respite, stabbed the pommel of the scythe into the ground, causing it to be uneven and destroyed. He hoped this would help him against Alex, who was moving so fast he could barely see his figure, only vague after images.


    Alexander was indeed affected by this move, but not so much. He had trained his speed in the ruinednd that was Terra damnum, where nothing followed order, so he was more than used to his fair share of uneven terrain to walk on.


    However, that was not the main cause of his withdrawal. His head was feeling weird, and he noticed a few drops of ck liquid escaping from the previous wound. Furthermore, pieces of his skin were falling off.


    ''That scythe...''


    Alexander, worriedly, expelled whatever was causing this with the help of his Null mana, which seeded, although it cost quite a lot of mana.


    "What is that scythe...?"


    Asked Alexander, as he could feel his strength diminishing, even though he had cleared the external influence.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "A gift."


    Kazikato answered as he swung it, the ck mass appeared once again andunched itself towards Alexander in the form of a crescent moon. Kazikato quickly dodged it, and it collided with the Colosseum walls. The walls lost all color and began to be crumbled to dust.


    They simply disappeared, there was no debris, only an empty crevice filled with nothing but dust.


    ''Ok, don''t ever get hit by that. No matter what.''


    Alexander thought, resolving himself to stay the fuck away from that scythe.


    He made the right decision, that scythe was a gift from a Primordial Being, of course it would be dangerous!


    [Name: Reaper.]


    Description:


    Forged in the heart of the underworld, the Reaper''s Embrace is a formidable scythe gifted by the primordial of Death, Ariel. This weapon carries with it the essence of death, shadows, ice and is endowed with the power of Ariel, and her children.


    The scythe''s curved de is crafted from Ariel''s scales, gleaming with an iridescent, shifting hue that transitions from deep obsidian to abyssal ck, At its core, lies a strange, swirling vortex that seems to draw whoever stares at it, sometimes showing them their beloved deceased, or those who they held close to draw them closer, capturing them in the embrace of death.


    The handle is wrapped in shadowden leather, adorned with haunting runes that appear dead, but pulse like a heart. At the hilt, a miniature dragon emblem, bearing the likeness of Ariel, serving as a symbol for those who know her to recognize, and get the message of ''Fuck off''.


    ---Skills---


    Soul Harvest (Passive): Each sessful strike with the Reaper''s Embrace absorbs a fraction of the victim''s life force, gradually restoring the wielder''s health.


    Sin of Decay (Active): If the scythe touches anything, it will cause it to decay until nothing is left, this skill requires mana to remain active. The more there is to decay, the more mana is consumed.


    Cursed Sweep (Active): Unleash a sweeping arc with the scythe, leaving behind a trail of darkness and rot that inflicts a lingering curse upon enemies struck. The curse weakens their defenses and saps their vitality over time. And turns them or whatever it struck into dust.


    Primordial of Death, Ariel : Invoke the power of the primordial Dragon, Ariel, to temporarily transform the scythe into a conduit. During this state, the Reaper''s Embrace gains increased damage, extended reach, and the ability to cleave through anything. Further mastery of this ability will allow the wielder to channel Ariel''s powers, and even summon her, only if Her Majesty agrees (and if the wielder is able to handle the summoning).


    Because of the Wielder''s current stats, Most of the functions of the scythe are locked.


    -------


    That was the fearful weapon, and Alexander would thank God for giving him the sudden enlightenment to never allow the weapon to so much as graze him, if he knew what it could do of course. Nothing would be left of him if he dide into contact with it. Thankfully, his special Null mana proved to be helpful.


    "Haha... Bring it on."


    Alexander said, looking at his own items. Even though he didn''t know what the scythe was truly capable, he decided to trust the weapons crafted by Festul.


    "Huh? Is it raining?"


    The host said, as he felt a drop of water on his nose, he looked up to see that a storm was brewing. Lightning shed as he felt the mana the two youths release increase tenfold.


    Alexander''s body was struck by lightning from the skies, and it empowered him, and Kazikato empowered himself with the mana of death.


    The audience watched in anticipation as an explosion as the elements of Null, Wind and Thunder shed against Death.

 Chapter 462 [462] Kazikato Versus Alexander[3]

    Chapter 462 [462] Kazikato Versus Alexander[3]


    Fierce winds apanied by thunder and a strange gray energy collided with a ck mass, that imitated the Thunder and wind, and defeated them quite easily. However, it struggled to do so against the gray mana.


    "What is that?!"


    Kazikato inquired, as he dodged a thunderbolt, barely avoiding it. However, the static electricity did make his hair all frizzy.


    "Damn it!"


    Kazikato, in a fit of rage stomped on the ground once again, however, one again, it did not do much to hinder Alexander. The stage was now in pieces, merely a glimpse of its former self, perhaps even less.


    "Come on!"


    Alexander yelled, as he appeared behind Kazikato to attack. Kazikato turned around, ready to face him, but Alexander was nowhere to be found. He had already moved from behind him and was now in front. Kazikato, puzzled, was unable to block the attack by himself.


    However, the death mana in the surroundings moved as if it had a mind of its own and protected him from the attack.


    It burst into spikes, and Alexander jumped back, barely avoiding them. He was trying his best to not let even a single attack of Kazikato hit him, lest he would decay until he could no longer fight, maybe evendie.


    ''What is that mana...?''


    Kazikato wondered again, trying to gain a moment of respite to process whatever that gray mana Alexander used was. It was a strange type of mana he had never seen before, and didn''t think belonged to any element... But it was fighting against his death energy on equal terms.


    And, this came as quite a shock. Death, was a higher element than most, losing only to space and time, it trumped all the four basic elements and their derivates. The only equals it had, to Kazikato''s knowledge were Life, chaos and fate.


    But of course, the element was never the deciding factor, the one who used it and their affinity with it was.You could have an amateur of the element of time go against a master of the element of fire, well, not even a master, but a seasoned individual could still beat the former.


    [Don''t me the element for it.]


    Ariel said, reprimanding Kazikato when he was just about to say his element was weak.


    "Damn it,"


    He cursed, as he prepared a defensive wall around him, this was to give him time to form bone armor around himself.


    [Use dragon eyes.]


    Ariel suggested, but Kazikato denied.


    "No, it hurts, and boss says it makes you weak."


    [...]


    Ariel was dumbfounded, Since Kazikato was still a ''baby'' dragon. He would suffer some pain with prolonged use, but it was nothingpared to what n faced. Each dragon''s eyes had their own power, and special abilities they would unlock once they be of age, however, early manifestations were quitemon. And, what was alsomon was strength of the dragon eyes.


    n had extremely strong eyes, eyes that even Ariel had a hard time figuring, this was the main reason he suffered when using them. He was simply not ready, not suitable for them. Kazikato on the other hand was much better, not only could he use them for a prolonged period, but he would also suffer less pain.


    And Ariel knew what he saidter was utter bullshit. n only told him that because he was jealous. She was there, so she knew it.


    The problem was, Kazikato was loyal to a fault. Which was great quality, but in situations like these it was utterly horrible.


    Ariel also knew that she couldn''t convince him to start using them.


    "I''ll use them when I need to."


    He said, and finished making a bone armor around his body. It was like the standard medieval te armor, which covered most of his body except his joints and some other areas. It was just a bit ''more'' gothic or death style, which just meant it was more terrifying or dragon-like.


    There were also des on multiple parts of the body, a precaution Kazikato came up with to deal with Alexander.


    Alexander, looking at the bone armor that covered Kazikato now was hesitant. However, he took a deep breath and raised his swords.


    ''Again...''


    Kazikato thought, as he saw the weird gray mana envelop Alexander''s swords once again, a secondter, they were catapulted towards him with great speed in the form of crescent waves.


    [Weapon Skill: Cursed Sweep has been used.]


    Kazikato responded with his own skill, but grimaced as he found it to be useless. The gray mana appeared...to eat his own?


    [Null type.]


    "Huh?"


    Kazikato wondered, hearing Alice''s voice made him faze out for a bit, which gave Alexander the time to rush in and cut Kazikato. The cuts were quite deep and left his armor in a mess. Kazikato regenerated it soon after.


    ''That''s right!''


    He eximed in his mind, Ariel should have some idea about it! She was as old as time itself!


    [Don''t mention ady''s age like that brat.]


    She said, angered.


    ''Please?''


    Begged Kazikato, trying to get her to give him an exnation, or rather anything about that strange mana.


    [It''s the Null mana, even I have seen it only a dozen times.]


    Answered Ariel, this came as a shock to Kazikato. Ariel, who was as old as time itself had only seen the element about a dozen times? Wouldn''t that make it rarer than anything?


    ''What can it do?''


    [It is absence.]


    ''Huh?''


    Kazikato failed to understand, which prompted Ariel to continue.


    [It is without an affinity, a mana devoid of an element. And because of that, it yearns for it. It is not a proper element, more like an unstable one, which is why is strives to be a stable element like the rest. And because of this, it''s highly reactive and devours other elements which have less mana than it. Well, devour isn''t the right term. I should have rather said assimte or absorb. It''s absorbs the element, and disappears once it has be that element.]


    "... So it''s just something that''s eating my mana?"


    [Yes, be careful of that user of it as well.]


    "Do the user''s have special abilities?"


    [No, but all the user''s of the Null Element I know of were heinous criminals that used it to end civilizations, Null, the more it is used, corrodes the mind in stranger ways than Chaos and Darkness.]


    "Ok..."


    [Be careful.]


    She said, and Kazikato, now with a more in depth understanding of the element he was facing, rushed on ahead. Covering his body in a great amount of mana. If it could only eat mana in greater quantity...didn''t he just have to use his enormous reserves to overwhelm Alexander?


    Yes, that was a good n!


    It was proven once Alexander stepped back and ran away when Kazikato approached him, d in a monstrous amount of mana. Alexander, being a human could notpete with it and retreated.


    Dragon''s did possess the most mana after all. No race, not even the God beast''s couldpare to them when it came to whoever had the most energy!


    "Why are you running?!"


    Asked Kazikato as he continued his pursuit, Alexander could do nothing but run away in such a small space.


    To be honest, both of them were already disqualified at this point, they were running all around the stadium grounds, the stage built for them in the center had already been destroyed. They had been out of bounds for quite a while.


    [I should be dering the end of this match...]


    Mumbled the host, but when he looked at the crowd cheering for the fight to continue, as well as all the big shots looking at it with interest. He decided it was not worth it. The crowd would eat him alive if he dered such a fantastic match to be over. And if he survived the executives would do it for them.


    [Haha...rules are meant to be broken...]


    He said, bursting out in a cold sweat as he looked at the fight reaching its peak. Alexander was busy running around, chucking a few attacks at Kazikato, which were futile.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kazikato was chasing him, encased in a deathly orb of Mana. It was a game of cat and mouse at this point, and the crowd was astonished. They didn''t expect Alexander tost this long against Kazikato...and to give them such an entertaining duel as well!


    Some were excited and some were worried. The ones who were worried were the ones who had bet on Kazikato defeating Alexander. This notion of thought was getting overturned pretty soon. As Alexander was proving himself to be a worthy adversary.


    But who knows? Alexander may not be all that. He may just tire out, or even fall due to one attack, he had been avoiding all of Kazikato''s attacks for a while. Maybe he was a ss cannon? The public was led to believe...but...


    Suddenly, the game of cat and mouse ended as Alexander did a full one eighty-degree turn and dived straight towards the ck ball that Kazikato was in. Betraying everyone''s predictions once again.

 Chapter 463 [463] Wind, Thunder, And Null VS Death.

    Chapter 463 [463] Wind, Thunder, And Null VS Death.


    It was quite an unexpected move from Alexanders part, people had expected him to just keep running until Kazikato ran out of mana. None of them expected he would do aplete one eighty and charge right into the storm of mana that Kazikato had shrouded himself in.


    Did he have a death wish? Or a n to ovee the storm?


    The audience hoped for it to be the second one, they didn''t want to see him die.


    "He''s getting closer?"


    Kaziakato wondered, seeing Alexander dive towards him, He was dubious, however he still responded in kind.


    As if he would ever let him get close! And even if he did, he will make sure it won''t be pretty.


    Kazikato released another surge of mana, increasing the concentration of the surrounding storm, and also retaliated.


    He sent multiple whips of condensed mana towards Alexander, to halt his advance.


    [Just how much mana does he have?!]


    Yelled the host, attempting to excite the crowd. Well, it wasn''t really needed.


    "TCH."


    Alexander clicked his tongue with a somber expression, and responded by swinging his swords around. These weren''t aimless swings, but were for guiding his thunderbolts towards the whips, flicking them away.


    However, he just couldn''tpete. Hundred''s filled his view!


    "Motherfucker!"


    Alexander cursed, as he jumped up to avoid one whip, and ducked immediately after to avoid another, finding himself in a corner, he gritted his teeth and resolved himself to get out of this no matter what.


    "Fucking hell!"


    He cursed yet again, expressing his dislike of being found in such a predicament.


    ''I didn''t want to this so soon...''


    Hemented, as he jumped up once again to avoid the countless attacks.


    In the air, however, was a trap. Everywhere Alexander could see, attacks wereing at him.


    And what was his response to this? Something that everyone thought would be his defeat?


    He spun.


    A coat of wind appeared around him, and an externalyer of lightning, and he spun like a madman.


    His swords, and the thunder and wind around his body sliced through the death whips like a hot knife through butter, cutting them up in multiple pieces, and in even more pieces before they could even regenerate!


    Alexander moved like a lightning bolt, spinning around and reached the storm of mana covering Kazikato soon enough, his des tore through theyers, and the lightning and wind assisted them, tearing away at theyers one by one, and before they could even try to regenerate he was already too deep inside.


    Yes, he was a fucking bey de at this point.


    ***********


    [Alexander POV]


    ''Just a little bit further!''


    I thought, trying to motivate myself as I could feel my skin rot and decay even despite the barriers of wind and lightning covering me. The two elements provided little defense against this fearsome element of death.


    Never had I heard about it being an actual element, even the necromancers that I saw on T.V or in the news used Darkness, or Chaos, but not this.


    Never had I heard of it.


    [It''s a unique element only a special few chosen by its progenitor possess.]


    Festul''s voice appeared in my mind, and I continued spinning to go further.


    "What?"


    I said, as the rot and decay reached my skin, making it crumble and fall apart like the leaves of a tree in autumn, this was bad for my movement.


    ''Fuck.''


    I cursed yet again, looking for my opponent in this darkness that had covered me. I didn''t even know if I was moving forward now. Theyers behind me had already regenerated, I was just cutting whatever was in front of me.


    The decay reached further, I know the Null element can help me win against this, but I must resist the urge to use it now.


    Not now, it has a better useter on! Just proceed!


    I cut and cut and cut. And Finally, I caught a glimpse of hair.


    It was ck hair, but it was different from the surrounding ck, motivated, I cut more and I saw his face.


    Our eyes looked at each other, as I increased my speed, tearing apart theyers that distanced us.


    ''Where is his scythe?''


    I wondered, worried. That scythe is the one thing I must be aware of right now, it is the only thing that can end me in a strike, Of course, the strike has to be a good one. I am not that weak.


    ''Come on!''


    I pleaded for my Wind and Lightning mana to hold on, but it was futile. They simply could notpete with the storm of death.


    "Fuck it!"


    I yelled, almost tearing my vocal cords apart, as I used myst resort. Using almost all the mana that I had to cover myself in Null. However, it was not a simple coating.


    I had done it in the form of a bullet, or more precisely, a drill. All in order for it to eat theyers of death around me and allow me to get closer.


    And it was working. Smiling to myself, I distributed some of it to my swords, so they would appear like elongated des, like those of a praying mantis.


    I could see him now, every fiber of his upper and lower body, And I could also see the scythe.


    And it was in my favor! The scythe de was in the opposite direction! Ecstatic, I rushed forward.


    Taking one final spin, I used my gray de, the one of wind, to tear the finalyer. Exposing his body.


    "Yo."


    I said, smiling as my ck de reached his chest almost, only a few inches left! I would cut him and then explode all the lightning contained within it, rendering his body paralyzed. His muscles would be unable to move, and that would be my victory, as I would end it soon!


    However, there is no rm on his face. He simply raised his hand up to block my strike. And this is worrisome, but who am I toin right now!


    This is a chance.


    "Yo."


    He said, and this raised some more danger signs in my head, but I ignored, entrusting all the strength within my body to my arm, to deliver a powerful blow.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    His bone armor was futile in front of my sword, his skin, muscles and bones were cut apart. And his arm was cut from his body. But my sword did not stop, It kept on moving.


    It reached the chest, and just as I was about to input the lightning st, I felt a sharp, bludgeoning pain in my right side, right in the liver.

 Chapter 464 [464] Raijin.

    Chapter 464 [464] Raijin.


    I was wrong.


    Terribly wrong. It was not a ''bludgeoning'' type of pain, but rather a sharp, piercing pain. A pain that then evolved to a tortuous pain.


    I wondered, was my mind messed up because I was in that storm for so long, or is it just me?


    As soon as I had sliced his arm off, I was ready to cut deep into his chest, perhaps even severing it. But it was right then.


    He said ''Yo'', and rm bells rang continuously in my mind, yet like the idiot I was I ignored them and continued forward.


    I should not have done that, I should have backed away... But then to what? The abyssal storm of mana behind me, waiting to decay my body to dust? At that point, wouldn''t the correct point of action be to charge forward and remove the cause?


    Yeah, it was, the only problem was that I was an idiot and had mistakenly believed the scythe he had could not hurt me, and even if it did, it would probably be just a blunt attack.


    I couldn''t be more wrong.


    The second after I had cut his chest, the second before I was going to use my lightning mana to paralyze him and win this match.


    ... His scythe had a de on the back as well. A smaller, but equally deadly de in this scenario. He swung it with his arm with all the force he could muster, and then hit me right in the liver. The de tore through my skin, flesh and bones left a considerable injury.


    "Ugh..."


    I groaned as I fell to my knees. How funny, I had wanted to paralyze him, but it was actually I that had been paralyzed.


    As the dust settled, I clenched my injury more and more. ck lines had appeared, and my skin was falling off yet again, this time apanied by what remained of my liver and other organ in the surrounding area. They were all being decayed and were rotting.


    The pain...was immense.


    "Fuck..."


    I cursed, dubious now.


    ''Can I win?''


    I thought, the possibility seemed bleak.


    ********


    [Capitol, Colosseum.]


    "What happened?"


    The audience questioned as the dust caused from the mana collision blocked their view. Thest thing they had seen was Alexander doing a suicide dive into the storm of Death mana that Kazikato had conjured. The only other thing was that they heard screams, curses and sounds of swords shing against one another.


    They didn''t know that thetter was actually Alexander ripping apart theyers of mana, they assumed it was Kazikato and Alex in another fight for supremacy inside the storm.


    "Hey host! Tell us what''s happening!"


    They yelled, and the host moved closer to the dust cloud as he tried to see the conclusion from the collision of mana.


    However, he was unable to do so.


    [Gah! What?]


    He inquired, as he felt a stinging pain at the points of skin that had made contact with the Dust storm. The dust storm wasn''t normal dust but actually an attack!


    He retreated, and said.


    [It seems this match isn''t done yet...]


    He caught a glimpse of wind dispersing the dust storm. And he, as well as everyone else, could finally see what had happened.


    They first saw an arm, a cut of an arm leaking blood continuously. Judging from the piece of clothe still on it, it was of Kazikato. Wild spections emerged that maybe... Kazikato had lost?


    This was what they thought, until they saw Alexander, on his knees clutching what appeared to be his stomach from their point of view.


    They then saw Kazikato, with arge gash on his chest and missing an arm, the one they had seen before. He was also on his knees, his scythe was farm away from him, and he was trying to heal his chest.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Alexander, despite the decay on his body, stood up and grabbed his des, however, this was a mistake. Rotten pieces of his flesh dropped out from the wound and onto the ground. He was previously holding them back with his hand, but he didn''t have the leisure to do so now.


    The audience saw multiple ck lines appear on his skin, like veins. These lines made his skin rot and fall, and muscle to be hindered as well.


    Kazikato was doing a lot better on the other end, although he was losing arge amount of blood. He quickly fixed his injury up by blocking it off with a bone armor he had conjured. He picked up his scythe and stood up.


    Wielding it with one hand was tough, but it was doable.


    Alexander and Kazikato were once again in another stare down, Alexander broke this quickly by raising his hands in the air.


    "Huh...?"


    Kazikato wondered what he was up to, but when he noticed that no mana was being used, he became rxed. He didn''t know what Alexander was doing, but if it was seemingly nothing but an act and gave him time to rx, he was good to go.


    [Dragon Eyes have been activated.]


    Just as a caution , however, he activated his Dragon eyes, as a final attempt to figure out whether Alexander was onto something or not.


    "Hey...what''s that?"


    But, It was not him who noticed it. Alexander smiled as both his swords sparked with electric currents.


    "Look up..."


    "Holy shit!"


    Kazikato, along with others, gazed upwards, and their eyes widened...


    "Kids, these are monsters..."


    Ragnarmented, as he stared at the giant ball of lightning that could probably decimate a city, hurling downwards.


    He quickly formed a shield around the stadium, ensuring that the lightning ball''s effects would be limited to there only. However, even he was dubious whether it wouldpletely block that monstrous attack.


    "What...the fuck is that?"


    Kazikato, the one who was going to be hit by the thing head on, muttered, a tinge of fear finally appearing in hiszy voice.


    [Skill: RAIJIN has been used.]

 Chapter 465 [465] Raijin[2]

    Chapter 465 [465] Raijin[2]


    Skill: RAIJIN


    Rank:?


    Description: The power of Electricity and thunder granted to you by the Monarch of Storms, Festul. Harness the power of lightning and condense it into a sphere of destruction in the eye of the storm. As the skies darken with impending doom, summon the RAIJIN and make it from the Higher Realm and make it descend onto the lower realm and cause havoc. Destroy Everything. Upon activation, a massive ball of lightning materializes in the sky. The ambient sounds of thunder intensify as Festul, the Monarch of Storms, empowers it with his supreme might. This is the mightiest skill of Festul, the culmination of his knowledge and prowess. The skill that defines his supreme might.


    Effects:


    Thunderstruck: All hostiles caught within the st that have managed to survive are paralyzed for an extended period of time. The time period depends on the strength of the userpared to the hostiles.


    Electric Resonance: Your body bes lightning itself, empowered by the RAIJIN.


    Celestial Destruction: Destroy everything with your celestial might.


    *****


    It was quite a simple description, the skill effect''s descriptions were even more simple. But that was the beauty of it.


    The more simple they are, the more powerful it is. Of course, this was not true in all cases, but because Festul had designed the skill. That was all it needed to be a powerful skill.


    The culmination of his power, his knowledge and his wisdom! It was RAIJIN! The very skill, that when cast ended entire worlds!


    Yes, this was it! The power of a supreme, and it was the first time the people of Earthid their eyes on it! The skill had such a presence that even n''s cial Meteor paled inparison! Of course, Alexander received a helping hand from Festul to cast the skill, but did it matter?


    Kazikato would lose, for sure now!


    As he gazed at the ball of lightning slowly descend, he first thought.


    ''The caster!''


    If he got rid of the caster, would the ball of death in the sky not be dispelled? Yes, that was it!


    He should go towards the caster!


    Kazikato, with one arm severed rushed towards Alexander, preparing to even kill him in this match to stop the skill above, but he was rendered unable to do so because of an electric field around Alexander.


    "Did you...seriously think I would leave myself...defenseless?"


    Alexander said, struggling to maintain his pose as the decay spread on his body. The electric field he had conjured around himself to protect him was doing wonders, under the influence of RAIJIN, his skills would be strengthened, and since his body was lightning as well now, he had no fear of getting hit!


    [Do it.]


    Festul urged, waiting for something even Alexander was oblivious too.


    "OK!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Alexander, brought his hands down and the ball of death in the sky began to descend at an elerated pace. The audience began to run away, some even pushing little kids out of the way to escape. The staff tried to control them, assuring them that Lord Ragnar had made sure it wouldn''t hit them, but...


    Would it work? Fuck no. When they saw something like they lost all rationality, all morality and were beaming for the entrance, only a few, who were probably madmen stayed and wanted to watch the end of this fight.


    "Fuck!"


    Kazikato, was scared. He could feel the power of the skill above him, and knew it would definitely bring him near death''s door, which was ironic.


    "Shit!"


    He said, as he fired off multiple bone spears, trying to get past the Electric field, the fire of hope is die him burnt bright when he realized some did manage to pass through, but it was extinguished when he saw they all went through Alexander, his body transforming into a vessel of lightning and allowing the bone spears to do no damage and just pass through.


    "Should...I...surrender?"


    He thought, but then the thought of him betraying everyone''s expectations came, he promised everyone back at Twilight, back at predator...that he would win!


    He promised n he would!


    But would he be able to even survive that? Even his dragon form would find it extremely difficult to do so, and Kazikato wasn''t too keen on just increasing the surface area for that skill to act on.


    ''Surrender...''


    He thought yet again, maybe that would cause Alexander to halt his skill...right?


    [No.]


    Just as he was about to do it, he heard Ariel''s enraged voice.


    "Grandma...?"


    He questioned.


    [I dare you to surrender...]


    She was threatening him?!


    ''What can I even do?!''


    [Jump right into it, encase yourself in my mana and jump right into it.]


    ''That''s...cheating!''


    He still had this childish thought, unaware that the opponent had done it first.


    [Cheating? That dog failed to keep his dignity as a supreme, he deserves much worse.]


    ''...What?''


    Naturally, Kazikato was confused, of course he would be confused! He had no idea Alexander was the chosen of a Supreme.


    [Did I stutter when I said CHARGE INTO IT?!]


    Ariel yelled in his mind, Kazikato was still hesitant, however. The ball was just above them now!


    "I''m...scared."


    He finally said it, to the only one he could actually say this too without any shame or embarrassment. She was his grandmother after all.


    [Sigh...]


    A sigh was heard, but what followed after filled Kazikato with all the courage he needed.


    [If a Primordial is with you, No Supreme will ever miss with you. Especially a former supreme.]


    And somehow, that was it. That was what gave him enough courage.


    ''If I am with you, who dares to mess with you?''


    Was that not the summary of her words? And was she not right?


    She was a primordial! A mere supreme dared mess with her chosen? Her grandson?!


    [Now go.]


    She said, regaining her calm. And Kazikato followed.


    "Ok!"


    He jumped up, covering himself in mana just like Ariel had instructed.

 Chapter 466 [466] The might of a primordial.

    <h4>Chapter 466 [466] The might of a primordial.</h4>


    "What...happened?"


    A single voice arose amongst the crowd, half of which had already evacuated the Colosseum, the center of which had been destroyed. Not even a single piece of debris was left there, all eviscerated.


    The voice belonged to a young man, whose leg was injured during the stampede that was the escape, he had already epted the fact that he would die here when his leg was trampled on. However, to his shock, he did not die. He was very much alive. The rest of the unfortunate masses, who had failed to evacuate as well, were also stupefied.


    That bright sh of light, the sparks in the air, that destructive skill...failed to kill them? What?


    Were they already in heaven? Waiting to be judged by an angel?


    No, it was nothing of the sort.


    The dust failed to settle quickly. And the host, whose condition was quite miserable, was unconscious, his hover pad had blown apart, and he had also suffered some damage from the skill.


    "Rush medics in there now!"


    An attendant of Ragnar said, sweat trickling down his brow. However, even he didn''t think the two contestants were alive.


    "What are you all doing? Recover your guild mates!"


    Richard was also livid, the sheer power of the skill Alexander had unleashed had made him doubt Kazikato''s skills for a second.


    Everyone panicked, the people who had fled began toe back to witness the result, upon confirmation that the entire Colosseum had not been destroyed.


    They slowly, one by one, stepped back, but the dust had still not settled.


    Finally, after some staff members used their own skills to disperse the dust, they could see what happened.


    "Oh...my god..."


    *******************


    Kazikato, in the midst of the RAIJIN, thought.


    ''What''s happening...?''


    He thought, as he entrusted himself to the mana of Ariel around him. He didn''t quite get it still, but he just decided to forget about it. Thest thing he remembered was jumping towards the massive ball of death in the sky. He just trusted Ariel.


    And, he did the right thing. The pressure he felt previously and the thunderous noise disappeared. He felt calm. After a while of this serenity, he was informed by Ariel.


    "Go out."


    The death mana around him dissipated, and he set foot on the ground once again, the RAIJIN nowhere to be found. All he saw was a fuck ton of dust.


    He was unable to see five meters in front of him properly, just as he was about to activate his dragon eyes, he saw a sudden, bright sh of blue.


    rm bells rang in his mind, as he quickly equipped his scythe, but he failed to quickly react. The bright sh flew right past him, sharp des cutting his muscles and tendons a dozen times.


    It was but a second, yet his body was littered with cuts!


    "Fucker..."


    He said, as he fell to the ground, having his tendons and ligaments cut.


    "You still had some in you..."


    ********


    [Alexander POV]


    Even in my wildest dreams, I had never expected RAIJIN to be defeated so easily.


    [Kuku... So her Majesty is still as strong as ever.]


    For a second, I wondered what Festul meant by his words, did he n this already? The failed execution of his strongest skill?


    ''Ugh...''


    My head hurts, my whole body hurts, I''ve lost almost all my mana...


    Everything is gone, all of my strength as well... All I have is some thunder mana and some bloodline energy. But is that enough? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He just destroyed RAIJIN right in front of me, jumping into the skill and causing it to decay like it was a rotten corpse, waiting to be turned to dust!


    "Fuck it..."


    But I have to try...right?


    Straining myself by enhancing my optical nerves through the little mana I had left. I saw him descending, still encased in his mana. I knew it. This is the perfect opportunity!


    The moment he dissipates his mana...is when I will strike, and probably fall unconscious or even die afterward... That is my time, my chance.


    "Come on..."


    I managed to utter, as I prepared myself, using whatever mana I had left to enhance myself, I forgot enhancing my des, thinking that maybe...just maybe, they could cut.


    And I saw my opportunity, the mana that was like a shield around him had dissipated, and he was vulnerable, with the intense amount of dust here, he shouldn''t be able to see me.


    And this is it, My chance.


    Without a second of hesitation, I rushed forth. And in the blink of an eye, I cut.


    I cut, and cut. Sliced and diced whatever flesh I found. Just like my master had taught me too.


    And then, I fell to the ground, hitting something with my head, devoid of mana and at death''s door.


    **********


    "Oh my god..."


    Alexander, his head bashed against the ruined wall, and Kazikato, on his knees in the center, leaking blood from all his limbs. Unable to move and with a defeated look apparent on his visage.


    That was what they saw. Alexander was fully unconscious,pletely spent. Whilst Kazikato was clinging to the bare minimum of his consciousness left.


    "Who...won?"


    One person asked, the host was unable to dere the ending of this match, due to injuries of his own that hade from hosting this deadly match.


    Medics rushed towards the scene, dividing themselves into two groups. One to check on Alexander, and to check on Kazikato.


    "He''s unconscious! Bring healers and potions. His entire heads burst open!"


    One medic said, who was tending to Alexander, yelled, whilst the one who was with Kazikato yelled.


    "Same here! Bad condition! Multiple internal injuries and his tendons and muscles have been cut!"


    Ragnar, observing the situation of the two, contemted for a while before he took the position of the host and dered the match a tie.


    Alexander was rendered unconscious, and Kazikato was rendered immobile, both would not be able to fight anymore.


    [The match concludes in a tie!]


    His voice reverberated throughout the Colosseum.

 Chapter 467 [467] Conclusion.

    <h4>Chapter 467 [467] Conclusion.</h4>


    The ground was filled with blue blood, belonging to strange creatures that had an ethereal form, but were able to shift into a physical when they died. They possessed a great amount of mana, and it seems they had no particr affinity, wielding mana of all colors. They possessed tentacle like limbs, originating from a slimy upper body, with only arge eye on its visage. No nostrils, mouth, nothing.


    They seemed like the famous Evil-Eyes monster, but had some minor differences. These monsters specialized in mental attacks, slowly driving their prey to insanity before they consumed its flesh, and their mana to increase their strength.


    They were quite fearsome, their sizes indicate their strengths, some here were even the size of a house.


    But they were all dead.


    "Ha..."


    n let out a groan as he watched the massacre he had justmitted. He had been spawned in an abandoned, ruined city that was littered with these monsters, Fortunately, because of his adeptness in Mana, he was able to dispatch these creatures quickly. However, their mental attacks did prove to be quite harmful.


    There were tworge wounds on his head, one on the scalp, which cut apart his skin and revealed the skull beneath. And one on the side of his head, leaking blood into his eye. This one was also quite deep, and bone was showing.


    He was currently on top of arge corpse of the monsters that inhabited this realm, or floor. Well, he was actually on top of a pile of their corpses... His spear was stuck in the biggest one''s eyes, and he retracted it, pulling the lens of the eye as well, which was lodged in his spearhead, the viscous liquid which was like slime spewed out as well.


    "Disgusting... Ugh..."


    He clutched his head, but the pain only increased when he touched his wounds. His vision would falter time and time again, strange figures wearing suits would appear, and whenever he tried to attack them it would always fail. The world turn ck and white for a few seconds, and then a myriad of colors.


    His mind had been messed with in this floor, courtesy of the strange creatures he had massacred. This event really put one thought in n.


    ''I need more mental defense items...''


    Indeed, this trial had given him quite the headache, ironically. He made up his mind to buy a lot of mental defense items when he left this ursed tower.


    "I''ve cleared this goddamn stage...let me advance."


    He said, towards the sky, and the tower was silent. n, on the brink of being annoyed, it finally responded. Whether it was doing this on purpose or not, who knew? Maybe it just liked annoying the fuck out of n.


    [Indeed.]


    [You have cleared the 59th floor!]


    [Transporting to lobby!]


    [Transport failed.] n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Transport denied.]


    "What?"


    [Transporting to the sixtieth floor.]


    "HEY!"


    *************


    [Outside the Tower, Capitol. Medical Room.]


    "You finally up?"


    Said Serena, as she cut some fruit up.


    "Ugh..."


    Elijah groaned, his body covered in bandages and connected torge machines which were pumping a hundred''s of thousands of dors worth of potions into him, to sustain his injury.


    "Don''t move, you idiot!"


    She hit his head with the back of the knife, and Elijah fell over like a log, in thefort of his bed.


    "Where...am I?"


    He asked, Serena, scared for a second thought.


    ''Did he lose hismon sense...''


    Or was it his memory?


    "Damn you n..."


    ''Never mind.''


    "Cough!"


    He coughed, and Serena fed him a bottle of juice with a straw.


    "You should rest. Don''t move an inch for a week or two."


    "Ugh..."


    Elijah groaned once again, his body numb due to the number of potions he was being fed, but the mental fatigue couldn''t be cured.


    "What''s the time...?"


    He managed to ask with great difficulty.


    "One Thirty PM, And, you''ve been asleep for five days."


    "The fuck?!"


    Elijah suddenly stood up, but coughed an exorbitant amount of blood in the next moment. Serena let out a sigh.


    "Hey."


    She said, as she cast a few heals on him.


    "Don''t fucking move."


    Scratch that, She ''threatened.''


    And Elijah was scared shitless by her stare. Who would have thought this guy was one that gave the audience an exciting fight, held up a meteor and cut in half would be scared shitless by a single stare, that too from someone far weaker than him?


    Shocking, no?


    Anyway, Elijah was silent all the time, and Serena calmly cut up fruit, eyeing him from time to time to make sure he didn''t do anything strange.


    After a while of this suffocating silence, to which the only ''noise'' would be Serena eating and cutting apart fruit. Elijah finally got tired and asked.


    "What''s happening right now?"


    It was a struggle for him to even open his mouth. Well, his entire body had almost been cleaved through, and had a hole the size of a basketball in his chest. Thankfully, he was a dragon, lest he would be six feet under from just the first strike.


    Dragon''s were truly remarkable, no wonder they were the strongest.


    "A lot."


    Serena replied vaguely, prompting Elijah to sigh and ask.


    "Exin please?"


    With a coyish look on her face, she exined.


    "Fights, a lot of fights. The Battle fest semi-finals, I mean. The first fight was between Kazikato Shimoshino, and the other dude."


    "Other dude?"


    "Alex something. The dude who can use the strange gray Element."


    "Alexander Wright?"


    "Yeah, it was quite a good fight and both of them were equally matched.


    Hearing this, Elijah was startled.


    "Huh?"


    Someone was equally matched against the dude who almost defeated n? He was hacing a hard time believing it.


    "Yep."


    "..."


    Unfortunately, it was the truth.


    ''So he was that strong, huh...''


    He thought, he didn''t really remember much of Alexander, only that he defeated Kyle. It was shocking for him to see that he was this strong. But of course, he still had some doubts because he didn''t really see it happen.


    "Rest."


    However, Serena quickly put him to sleep before he could injure himself further.

 Chapter 468 [468] Second Fight.

    Chapter 468 [468] Second Fight.


    As expected, the result of the previous fight between Alexander and Kazikato had left the Colosseum in ruins, the stage was destroyed beyond repair, it had to be excavated and constructed anew, and because of this, the beginning of the second fight took some time. Although some people were disturbed by the dy, they were far outnumbered by the people who were incredibly happy after they watched the previous one.


    They had the thought:


    ''If they show another match like that... Who cares if it takes a while?''


    The audience was, in short, fired up!


    Everyone was excited! Whether it be themon man or the fiercest warrior! Who wouldn''t be?!


    Thus, most were patient whilst repairs went on. Although the option of shifting to another stadium was still avable, no stadium couldpare to the main one in terms of space and faculties, so the authorities just opted to wait until the repairs were done. This time, the material used was much sturdier.


    They had seen the monsters that were the students...they would not risk more!


    The second match, was between Lucas Hiddlestone and the second ranker of Eden, Abraham Firk. A student who used metal and Earth, just like Lucas. The fight had already sparked a lot of debates on online forums, However, all these debates had something inmon.


    It was expectation! Nearly all of them expected the fight to be on the same intensity as the first one, thus, the spections ran wild. Some of them had eve thought that entire giants of metal or Earth, moremonly known as Golems, would be fighting one another... But that was all just spection. Whether the fighters, Lucas and Abraham, have such skills or not, they didn''t know.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But hey, they could dream, right?


    However, there was also another popr discussion online.


    "Who won?"


    Who truly won between the fight of Alexander and Kazikato? It was so popr thatizens had forgotten that n was still inside the tower, the posts about that died soon after, however.


    Some said Kazikato, some said Alexander, although the majority sided with the former after further inspection.


    Thinking about it. Kazikato could still move, albeit only a little, whilst Alexander waspletely immobile and knocked out. Although both had suffered great injuries, theizens sided with Kazikato, winning.


    Some die hard fans still resisted though, and this had also sparked another discussion about how the finals would go on, but that''s for another time.


    Right now, the focus was on Lucas against Abraham. A lot of research had been done on them, but mostly only found out that they belonged to reputable families, and nothing else. Only their respective ranks in school.


    Lucas was ranked fourth amongst the first years in Shield, Whilst Abraham was ranked second amongst the first years in Eden. Judging from their respective rankings... Abraham should win, right?


    Well, when George Drakmor, the rank number one in Eden had lost miserably to Sabrina Wellington, who was one rank below Lucas... Most thought Eden was weak.


    Very, very weakpared to the monsters of shield. The previous fight had also cemented this notion.


    Thus, more people bet on Lucas than on Abraham, and by a fair margin. Of course, there were still some that hoped another underdog is incredibly strong and defies expectations! They wanted to make a quick buck.


    Whilst the forums online were zing for the past few days, the stadium had been reconstructed anew, and now it was stronger than before, courtesy of the artisans.


    After it had been fixed, the match was to be held quickly. The people gathered in masses and hurriedly paid for the seats, Surprisingly, Lucas''s Father, who was known to be training in solitude, had also attended this match.


    Lucas, who was currently in the arena, looked up towards the Hiddlestone area, although he was unable to see through the one-way ss no matter how hard he tried, he could feel his father''s sinister aura clearly. He was very familiar with it.


    "..."


    He was silent, however, staring at his opponent calmly.


    [Lucas Hiddlestone, are you sure you want to fight like this?]


    Asked the host, looking at Lucas with a wry smile. Currently, Lucas was in casual clothing, not even having bothered to take the time to wear his armor or items. Did he disregard his opponent too much, or was he simply not interested in winning? Maybe he was arrogant, overconfident. Such led to the downfall of many.


    "Yeah."


    He answered, not even showing the minimum amount of respect to the host with his tone or demeanor.


    Abraham, on the other hand, had gotten annoyed. But calmed himself, thinking that maybe this was a tactic of Lucas to make him drop his guard.


    "It''ll certainly be troublesome if I get caught in it!"


    He thought to himself, almost prideful, that he was not taunted.


    [If you say so...]


    Even the audience was appalled by such arrogance, some worried their money was gone, while the others rejoiced.


    "I''ll make you regret it."


    Said Abraham from afar, eyeing Lucas, who yawned in response.


    Lucas, although he may not look like it, was actually angry. However, the reason for this was something else. Not rted to this match with Abraham at all.


    [Are both participants ready?]


    Asked the host, and they answered.


    "Yes."


    "Yep."


    Lucas, didn''t even bother wearing proper shoes for this as well, he was currently wearing chans. People wondered how he would move well in them.


    [Start!]


    The fight had started, and Abraham began to think how he could take down Lucas in the fastest way possible. Defeating the son of the famed patriarch of the hiddlestone family was sure to bring him fame! Should he overpower him? Defeat him in such a way that he is humiliated?


    This, however, was only a thought. The next moment, his head was buried deep in the ground, breaking apart the reinforced material like it was ss.


    The next moment, the host announced Lucas''s victory.

 Chapter 469 [469] To give hope!

    Chapter 469 [469] To give hope!


    Some voices echoed out, en masse.


    "Eh?"


    "Ha?"


    "Huh?"


    "What?"


    "The hell?"


    And many more. Every single one of them expressing a singr emotion. But in different ways.


    [Lucas Hiddlestone wins!] Announced the host.


    The ce was silent, but this was a different sort of silence than what had been shown in the previous round. This was against the expectations of the host. The previous round was of utter excitement, where none dared utter a breath in fear of disrupting the momentum of the battle. But this? Stupefied! Shocked! Absolutely baffled! Were there more words? Certainly!


    But let''s not go there. The audience couldn''t handle more, could they? Although the voice of the host pierced the ears of the people, it had to be said again to register.


    [Lucas Hiddlestone wins!]


    He said it again, hoping that the audience would be awake from their stupor. But it was just a wish of his. The voice pierced the hearts of some, the majority of whom were the ones who betted on Abraham winning this duel. The ones who had bet a fair sum had outright fainted!


    That was the degree of shock they had felt! Come on! You could not just defy their expectations like this, Lucas! Come on! Show them something worth it! "I don''t give a fuck."


    He said and walked off, talking to who knows who? But it was still a shame. The previous match was filled with threats, intent, will! A splendor of mana and a wide variety of attacks meant to injure the opponent, a fiesta of des!


    So what was this?! They expected something else, Goddammit!A battle like before, not a one hit knock out! How could the second ranker of Eden be so weak? Little did they know, Abraham was incredibly strong, it was just that Shield students were on a different level entirely. They were monsters, the top 10 in a different league!


    "...that can''t be it..."


    "Hey! We spent good money on this!"


    They yelled, bargained in a sort of way! But nope. He simply did not give a fuck!


    "Hey Abraham! Get up! Why are you this weak?"


    But there was no response from Abraham, whose head was still buried in the marble floor. The artisans who had made it with their blood and sweat were crying rivers of blood. Their hard work had been demolished in seconds! How could they not?


    Lucas disappeared from the stadium, nowhere to be seen, after giving a ncing re towards the room his father and his family were in. The reason, yet unknown.


    "..."


    His father, as usual, was silent, and watched his back slowly disappear into the hallway.


    "Hmm..."


    After witnessing Lucas''s frightening disy of sudden power, he pondered.


    ''Not even half.''


    He thought. And indeed, he was correct. Lucas had not even exhibited half of his power, if Abraham was somewhat worthy, he may have done 30%. But s, his opponent was not.


    Nothing but a side character who was probably forgotten at this point.


    "The kid''s gotten strong."


    His older brothermented, however, his eyes contained a hint of disdain, as if he still considers Lucas his fellow blood.


    "Leave."


    Their Father said, and everyone left the room, all of Lucas''s siblings, each older than him left one by one, some nced at their father, but they were too afraid to actually say something. So, they simply left.


    After he was left alone in the room, his father took a cigar out of a green hole in the air, it suddenly appeared and whatever it was, it was not a type of mana, neither was it Aura.


    He lit it up, using his finger to act as a lighter, this time with the help of mana. Using it in the form of ''fire'', an emerald green fire.


    He gave it a puff or two, relishing the taste of tobo he had not tasted in years due to his training, and muttered.


    "That old son of a bitch is alive."


    A cynicalughter echoed out as the man''s golden hair, which had lost its previous magnificence due to the long period of neglect, rolled down his shoulder and back. He was a carbon copy of Lucas, or maybe it was the other way around. His emerald green eyes, however, seemed...strange.


    He said, referring to Arken Miller. The man who had given him his scar.


    He opened up his coat, to reveal a hideous scar, one left by a de.


    "Arken..."


    *********


    Lucas, on his way out of the stadium, was currently pissed. Very, Very pissed, to be honest. The first thought was, maybe it was rted to his father''s sudden appearance, or was it just his bad mood? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No, it was something else.


    "I WANT TO FIGHT STRONG PEOPLE TOO!"


    He roared, punching a wall, reducing it to debris.


    "Why does Alex get the strong one, and I get the autistic retard?!"


    He yelled once again, clearly expressing his distress and confusion, although no one was here to witness it.


    Grunting, he left the stadium. Completely dissatisfied with the result, which he had caused! He could pretend to be excited or even restricted himself...but who wanted to do that?


    On his case, it had to be understood! He had gone through literal hell, named ''The Sword Saint''s training''. And this was his reward?! He was unable to even fight a good opponent! The previous fight had made his spirit soar high into the sky, he believed that his opponent would also be like that! Strong!


    Not a fucking nobody, weakling! He wanted someone like Kazikato! He wasn''t even afraid of the punishment of the sword saint, even if he lost the duel like Alexander! At least it was a good fucking fight! So...


    "Why?!"


    He yelled, this time towards the sky. Then kneeled down and started hitting the ground out of anger. He had a bloodline he treasured more than his life now, and was incredibly stronger...so....


    "Why god why?!"


    Truly, he was utterly disappointed. That he was not able to test his strength.

 Chapter 470 [470] To give hope! (Floor 60)

    Chapter 470 [470] To give hope! (Floor 60)


    [Floor 60.]


    All of a sudden, without any prior warning, n was once again transported to the next floor, a simple yet reurring trick of the tower. To transport the challenger without giving them their rest.


    "Motherfucker..."


    He cursed, as he massaged his injured head, groaning from time to time due to the pain. He was faced with another obstacle soon.


    Cold winds brushed past his body, sending shivers down his spine. The winds attacked his body ruthlessly, giving him a chill.


    "What?"


    n, stupefied, muttered. He, chosen of the frost supreme, was feeling cold¡­? How preposterous!


    He could not feel a chill...right?


    "What are you fucking doing?"


    Asked n, towards the tower. He looked at the dark skies, the clouds hanging above him, painting a depressing scene. Lightning rumbled continuously, striking his ears.


    "Argh..."


    He let out another groan as his head felt like it would explode.


    [Wee to the 60th floor. The trial of hope!]


    The trial notifications appeared.


    [Give hope to the survivors, and pass over the treacherous waters of the deadly sea, filled with leviathans and monsters unknown! Make sure no one dies, though! Remember, you are not alone!]


    "Huh?"


    n looked down, finding his bnce unsteady. He saw his soles of his shoes filled with mud. He looked around him, finding himself to be in a small patch ofnd as...


    Nature (or rather the tower) unleashed its unbridled fury in the seas. Towering waves rear up like enraged titans, crashing against one another with thunderous roars. The tumultuous waters churn and froth, whipped into a frenzy by the unrestrained force of the storm.


    [Wee to the sixtieth-floor challenger.]


    The tower weed him again, this time with a coyishugh.


    n, standing on top of this small piece ofnd, looked at the raging sea, and could vaguely point outrge figures of leviathans hidden within the waters, waiting for prey. Activating dragon eyes, his eyes paled, the size of these creatures were as if buildings were moving in the seas!


    [Look behind yourself...]


    Following the tower''s timely prompt, n looked behind him. Finding arge boat, of medieval times, which had sails to maneuver and propel itself in the sea, along with a crowd of people huddled together. Children, women, and elderly men, all whose clothing was certainly not fit for these harsh winds.


    Rumble!


    Thunder rumbled once again, as n''s head felt like splitting apart once again.


    His mind was a mess, The fight with Elijah had already taken a toll on his mind, his skull, although you may not be caved in now still proved to provide mental pain, as well as the floors from 51 to 59 all targeted his mind, thus his mind was in horror. Thing''s missing, and not missing, like a confusing puzzle he needed Sabrina''s help to solve.


    Fragments of his memory would appear, and disappear, they would¡­.they would...be fabricated? Scene''s he did not remember appeared multiple times, like a gue spreading its sickness towards the world, which was his mind in this case. Like how the venom of a snake would spread.


    He fell to his knees, his clothes being dirtied by the mud and other dirty things on the small patch ofnd, the crying of the children and the wails of the people behind him did not help. The ship was on the small patch ofnd, and looked as if it could handle a load of about a hundred people, However, there was an issue, n counted more than a hundred people on the patch ofnd huddled together, even if the weight of the children was taken into ount for, that small boat could never handle them all.


    "..."


    "What are you doing to me?"


    He asked, his vision failing himself, as if reality itself was breaking apart in his eyes.


    But, the tower could not answer him before the voices arose. From the people behind him.


    "Savior!"


    "Save us!"


    "I want to go home!"


    "Waaah!"


    "Sniff...it''s cold."


    "Ha..."


    They were like arrows striking his eardrums, likerge gongs that were hit when he was right beside them, or would it be more appropriate topare it to a gun being shot right near him?


    "ARGH!"


    The people, frightened by his sudden outburst of pain, shrunk away and shut up.


    [Oh, that won''t do, they need to trust you, you can''t scare them off.]


    Said the tower. n repeated,


    "What are...you doing to me?"


    [It''s not me.]


    However, it could only answer vaguely, seemingly enjoying this circumstance.


    "The people...they are too many."


    He said, looking at the boat and the people again. How was he supposed to save all of them? Freeze this sea? That was an option, but those leviathans would find it easy to break it. Sacrifice some of them?


    "I can''t..."


    He doubted himself.


    [And? What will you do? When leviathans the size of buildingse at you? How will you protect them? You can''t just say you can''t...or is your sister''s life not worth much?] n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Said the tower, pointing towards the people behind n, looking at him with a small silver of hope in their eyes.


    At the mention of his sister, a spark ignited in n''s eyes, and he looked behind him.


    "Oi!"


    He yelled, he had to do this so that they could hear his voice in these harsh winds and thunderous lightning.


    The people looked at him, waiting for his next words.


    "When I tell you to run, run straight ahead! You hear me?!"


    "What...but what about the boat?"


    As the pain in his head grew by the second, n figured arguing with them was pointless. He was also tired of the idea of wracking his already messed up head toe up with a usible solution involving the boat or the saving of the people.


    He walked forth, ignoring the mud and wet ground which upset his bnce, powering through, eh stood on the edge of the small piece ofnd, and equipped the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    The raging sea dared to swallow him whole, with the leviathans backing it up, and he looked far ahead, the rain drops froze before they could reach him. He gathered his frost mana and looked forth, defiantly.


    Using his right foot to pivot into the ground, he raised the spear high above, the frost energy forming a storm. The people thought he would freeze the sea with his might and form!


    "If it''s the damn sea..."


    Said n, as he increased the intensity of his mana, using whatever he had and poured it into his uing strike.


    [Chaotic Spear(7-Star).]


    -First Movement-


    /Abyssal Rend\


    "I shall just split it."

 Chapter 471 [471] To split the Heavens, Sea’s And Earth.

    <h4>Chapter 471 [471] To split the Heavens, Sea''s And Earth. </h4>


    ?471 [471] To split the Heavens, Sea''s And Earth.


    It waspletely outside the tower''s expectations. Although it had indeed known about the devastating power of n''s martial arts since the time he had dueled Elijah and showed it off, even it had not expected this.


    And the people did not even have the ability to process it.


    Like an eternal blizzard, the sheer cold that had been manifested froze the entire floor, the sea''s and whatever was underneath was not left untouched. All had frost on them, whether it was small or big, who cared?


    Instead of feeling an ethereal chill, the survivors on the small piece ofnd instead felt warmth. They could notprehend this, how could the frost be warm?


    Indeed, it was not supposed to be like this, so how? They questioned, but it was a question left unanswered. However...


    What they saw next made their skin turn pale, the palest they had ever been. n swung his spear down, and the force released from such a blow was so strong that they could not stay still. He had just swung his spear, yet all the dust and other grime on the ind, whether it was frozen or not, flew from the pressure alone.


    Abyssal Rend.


    That was all they heard from his mouth, and the Tower felt fear.


    [You can''t...do this.]


    It said, terror filling its voice for the first time, it had not felt fear when even faced with Lanesha...yet this?


    A crescent sh left n''s spear, tearing apart the frozen sea''s. Bit by bit, the frost exploded into a million''s of smaller pieces, falling into the water, which was soon split apart by the devastating crescent sh. It proceeded undisturbed. Nothing could stop it. The leviathans, each asrge as a building and some even the sizes of mountains, fell short.


    They, defiantly, stepped forth, trying to stop the crescent sh, to devour it. But it was they who had been devoured. All the ones who tried to defy the sh, were torn apart, their original visage no longer recognizable.


    It tore apart the sea, but it was not just the sea. It was the sky, it was thend.


    The skies themselves parted, the dark clouds that cast gloom over the people, had disappeared, as if cut apart cleanly by a heavenly force. The bright rays of the sun shone over, enveloping them with a sense of warmth, yet the frost was untouched. The bright rays of the sun proved useless in front of the ethereal frost. It was as if it was mocking the celestial body, to dare and defrost it.


    The crescent sh tore through the earth as well, forming arge ravine that would have been filled with water if the sea was not undergoing the same fate. The aquatic life left, swimming as fast as they could in order to save themselves, whether it be thergest leviathan or even the smallest nkton. Everything ran.


    [Wait!]


    Yelled the tower, urging n to stop. But the pain in n''s head, which was increased due to using the Abyssal Rend rendered him unable to hear anything, He was simply standing on the edge of the small piece ofnd, looking at what he had done, what he was doing to the floor. Like a lonesome warrior, surprised, even prideful at his own doing. The crescent sh continued forth, disappearing from his view. n stepped on the ground, and another chill spread out, freezing the cold waters that had been split, so they would note again.


    "Hey..." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He looked back towards the people, only to find them...gone?


    "Huh? Where did they all...?"


    Crack!


    ''What?''


    The distinct sound of ss shattering rang in his ears, n was confused, there was ss in this floor? At first, he thought maybe some of the ss on the ship had cracked, but the ship, just like the people, had also vanished.


    Crack! Crack!


    He heard the sound again, and looked around himself. He saw cracks appearing everywhere, in the sky, around him, even below him. Cracks, which seemed to destroy the floor.


    [You...]


    He could not hear the tower''s next words.


    [--------]


    It was all a blur, as the world around him, or rather the floor was destroyed, n cleared it in another way this time, instead ofpleting the objective, he destroyed the stage that held it.


    No stage, meant no objective to aplish.


    He fell to his knees, the pain in his head akin to a hammer being smashed there, and pieces of ss running inside, cutting apart everything. It was hell.


    However, one had to wonder what would his reaction be when he realized he had destroyed the floor, He was not in his right senses, but even he should have an idea.


    So, what would it be? Awe? Pride? Or even dissatisfaction that this was the extent of what he could do?


    He alwayspared himself to Aranus, who, with the same strike, could slice apart entire gxies if he wished, along with as many supremes as he wanted.


    So, whenpared to it? This was not even amendable technique in n''s eyes...right?


    No, his reaction was quite simple.


    "Nice."


    He said, and his figure fell off the piece ofnd, the pain in his head, coupled with the recoil from using the technique, had rendered him unconscious. He was about to fall in the ravines he himself had created, into the possibly endless chasms of darkness.


    However, before he could enter the ravine. The floor shattered like ss. The realm in which the trial would be held was destroyed, unable to withstand the force of the technique. The world itself shattered, exposing the ck space that contained it.


    [...]


    Sighed the tower.


    [Floor 60 has been cleared.]


    [Rewards have been distributed.]


    [Tower has deemed the floor clear conditions to be unsatisfactory, rewards have not been granted to the challenger this time.]


    [Transporting to the 61st to 70th floor joint trials.]


    [Wishing the challenger good luck.]


    His body disappeared, covered in bright light.

 Chapter 472 [472] Stefan Caraval.

    <h4>Chapter 472 [472] Stefan Caraval. </h4>


    ?472 [472] Stefan Caraval.


    Men, wearing ragged clothing and chipped des, ran as the sound of hooves filled their charts with dread. They ran through the dense, lush forest, some choosing to hide behind the thick trees to deter the charge of the fearsome, muscr horses and the knights on top of them.


    However, the poor few who had this thought were sliced apart, along with the trees. The tough bark and thickness of the tree providing no refuge, rather it had just elerated their fates.


    "Kill the heretics!"


    A knight shouted, and horses sped up, as if they were enlightened, filled with an unknown power from his voice.


    "Fuck!"


    A bandit managed to say, as in the next moment ance went through his chest, spreading the remains of his insides throughout the lush green grass, coloring it red.


    The rest were the same. The knight''s warhorses, looking like every part of them was muscle, tore through the trees, they simply charged through, and the trees were felled. Their des were so sharp that even steel was no match, what could the bodies of these heretics, or ''bandits'' even do?


    Nothing could obstruct their path.


    Very soon, the bandits who were running for their lives were either trampled, pierced, or sliced through. Leaving nothing but a gory mess, their original appearances unrecognizable.


    "All are dead, sir."


    A knight said, as he took out hisnce from the chest of a bandit, flicking hisnce to get the disgusting blood and flesh off. As much as he could.


    "March forward. We must save the cardinal."


    They rushed through the forest, not caring about the destruction to nature they caused, and very soon, they stumbled onto the bandits'' hideout. A poorly made wooden wall around a cave. The previous massacre was just the scouts, now...


    Would the ughter truly begin.


    ***********


    "Save us..."


    A young woman, who would most likely meet a bad fate to the bandits prayed as she sped her hands together, Her clothing had already been ripped apart, and some bruises littered her skin. She was not the only one. All the people who had been captured had also started to pray, waiting for a hero, a knight in shining armor to save them. That was normal in this situation, no?


    Meanwhile, in a far corner of the prison.


    "How did they catch you, brother?"


    Said a young man, in his mid-twenties. He had navy blue hair that went down to his shoulders. It was so silky and shiny, unlike the hair of the rest of the people here. Furthermore, he had deep scarlet eyes, quite the contrast to his eyes. His face was chiseled, and it was certain that he was well-kept, managing his own personal hygiene and self-care quite well.


    Indeed, he had to be a nobleman! His clothing further cemented this belief. Unlike the ragged clothes of the rest of the people, who were most likelymoners, his clothing consisted of a simple ck robe, which seemed to be made of a rather expensive and high quality material, however, the stiffness of the cloth in some areas made it highly likely he was wearing a sort of armor underneath, which should be chain mail. There was also a cross tattoo on his neck, along with a cross ne.


    He was certainly a devout believer, furthermore, only noblemen could afford his attire, and body modifications.


    "Brother?"


    His sweet and mellow voice addressed the brute of a man next to him, who was clearly much taller, about 6 foot and eight inches, in these times he was a literal giant! He had white hair that fell down to his shoulders, dirtied by the rough treatment of the bandits. He was shirtless, which revealed his dense andrge muscles. The nobleman with blue hair, thought.


    ''How did this ragtag group catch this behemoth?''


    Well, they also caught him...so maybe it wasn''t such a ragtag group?


    ng! ng!


    "The knights of the holy order havee!"


    "Save us!"


    The people heard the sh of metal against metal, and the screams of their oppressors. They rejoiced. The man, addressed by the nobleman, answered.


    "Bad luck."


    His voice, defied his brute-like physique. Stefan, the nobleman, was surprised. He didn''t expect the man to have such a nice voice. If he was a singer, he would certainly be able to charm everyone, regardless of who they were, with his sweet voice.


    "I see, so the same as me, haha."


    Stefan said, with a heartyugh. He didn''t darement on the man''s voice, thinking maybe he would be offended.


    He simply waited for a few seconds, and then inquired.


    "You don''t seem to be from here, where do youe from, brother?"


    He made sure his tone didn''t seem to bother the man, who seemed like he could rip him apart. Stefan knew, with his own strength, that was impossible. But it never hurt to be kind, that was what he was taught. He would never go against the words of God.


    "diator."


    Stefan understood, that was where he got such a physique from. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Do you believe in God, brother?"


    The question was sudden, but the man did not respond. Even he hadn''t expected such a question toe from Stefan, the man next to him.


    He stayed silent, and Stefanughed and apologized.


    "Haha, sorry to bother you with such a question."


    He apologized and stared at the bandits guarding the cell they stored everyone in. Stefan Caravel, looked at the gate further beyond, which was the entrance of the cave, as if he was waiting for something.


    And what he was waiting for, was the marvelous entrance of the knights who had ughtered the bandits outside, and quickly did the same to the poor guards.


    They broke the prison walls as if they were nothing but brittle wood, and stepped inside. Ignoring the people showering them with praises, they went towards Stefan, and knelt down.


    "We have arrived, Cardinal."


    Stefan stood up, and thanked the men for saving him, along with the people. He was about to leave when he turned around and met eyes with the muscr man. His scarlet eyes tried to pierce through the jade-green emeralds, but failed to do so. Intrigued, he asked the man.


    "Would you like to join us, brother?"

 Chapter 473 [473] Stefan Caraval(2)

    <h4>Chapter 473 [473] Stefan Caraval(2) </h4>


    ?473 [473] Stefan Caraval(2)


    The group continued to travel through the forest, this time taking the peaceful approach. No trees or nature was harmed this time. Although, the constant praises of the people did get on ''n''s'' nerves.


    ''Such zealots, or are they simply trying to curry some favor with the cardinal?''


    He thought, his eyes coldly observing each and every person here. He almost wanted to grimace when he realized he could not see through the Knight''s armor, certainly, it was not ordinary by any means to avoid his eyes.


    ''All of that aside...''


    He, after realizing that he could no longer gather any more information, turned to look at himself.


    "My..."


    He cooed, as he observed his own body. Filled with some scars and the intricate bloodline tattoos. He also wished to marvel at the dragon on his back,menting the fact that he did not have eyes on the back of his head.


    ''The kid achieved a lot...impressive.''


    He said, as he continued walking. He looked at the tattoo of the phoenix on his right arm, at first, he didn''t really believe it was real.


    ''Suleras actually gave it to him, that''s a surprise.''


    If his memory served him correctly, Suleras went through literal hell to defeat the Phoenix. It was the legendary beast of the South part of the Universe, The Guardian of the South, a Mythical God beast, on the upper ranks of the Supremes.


    Suleras and its fightsted decades, neither supreme willing to ept defeat, Chaos and Fire had battled for ages, ripping the southern part of the Universe apart, multiples destroyed and gxies split apart.


    And Suleras had emerged victorious. His element of Chaos had given him an edge, but even to this day he still has wounds on his figure from the phoenix he was unable to heal. It was quite a legendary battle that still had stories of it told. If he remembered correctly, it was stored in the Archives back on the capital od Dragons.


    Suleras had suffered a lot, and it came as a surprise he gave the bloodline to n.


    ''The dragons and godbeasts both are at their wit''s end huh...''


    Jame''s shifted his attention to theleft side of this body, looking at the tattoo which represented him, The jade snake.


    However, no matter how much he racked through his brains, even he was left confused. No matter what he knew of, this was peculiar.


    He had never seen something like this...and it disturbed him. He, quite frankly, hated it.


    Despising the Unknown, and fearing it was a natural tendency of a living being, but, because of his own character, it was amplified.


    ''Had the Ouroborous induced such a change?''


    He thought, but could note to any conclusions, both the dragon on his back and the snake were strange, he knew nothing about them.


    ''Well, I should study them mo-''


    "Brother, from which tribe have youe from?"


    His thoughts were interrupted by that mellow voice once again, he thought. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''And he''s the most dangerous one here...''


    James decided he would be especially wary around this young cardinal.


    "It''s far away from here, you would not know of it."


    "No worries brother, a tribe that could produce such an outstanding warrior like you, adorned with tribal tattoos and the ability to speak ournguage must be quite influential."


    ''Annoying fucking prick.''


    He cursed, as he looked at the young man on top of the horse. There was a sort of fiery, holy glow around him that James absolutely loathed. He was surely an apostle of a diety or something, it would exin his position at his tender age, as well as James inability to see through him.


    "Haha, I have sworn an oath, which is why I would like to refrain from talking about my tribe."


    ''Based on their armor, and the physique the kid possesses, this should be a good answer.''


    Thankfully, it was.


    "Ah, I see. My sincere apologies."


    ''Phew.''


    James heaved a sigh of relief. He had just woken up in n''s body, and was suddenly thrust here, he didn''t know what was happening. He was taking some time to recover himself, so he waspletely unaware of what had transpired.


    However, a light of hope appeared. The information he desperately needed.


    [Tower of Trials.]


    [61-70th floors.]


    [Description: You are transported into a world of sword, magic and gods. A lucky encounter with Cardinal Stefan, the soon to be pope makes it so that you are not entirely lost. He has taken some interest in you, and wishes to xonvert you from your barbaric ways to a devotee.]


    [Objective: Clear the stage in whatever way you deem fit.]


    ''Hmmm...''


    James pondered as he read the words written on the disy.


    ''The tower of Trials? The one back on Earth? Interesting...''


    If he remembered correctly, he had managed to go to the fiftieth or something floor when he challenged it. And Aranus had gone to the eightieth floor. But, his memory of such an urrence was hazy because he didn''t deem it to be too important.


    The things that happened after this were much worse.


    ''The kid...what happened to him?''


    James wondered, a tinge of worry in his tone. He couldn''t let anything happen to n, lest everything he nned will be for naught.


    He closed his eyes and searched inside the body, and finally found n''s soul, cracked and chained.


    [Damaged soul, held captive. Tower will release it when the 70th floor has been cleared.]


    "...."


    Fishing through his memories, he found out that the reason the soul was damaged was because of the previous floors.


    "The retard..." James thought, n had confused the monsters of the previous floor to attack his head, but in reality, they attacked the soul. The headache was just a distraction.


    "I sleep for some time and you fuck everything up."


    He sighed, but he couldn''t do anything about it. His authority was not avable as of yet, and neither was his strength. The only thing he had was what n had achieved. Which was still remarkable.


    "Very well..."


    He said in a low voice, maliciously looking at Stefan with a creepy smile. His hair slowly turned blonde.


    "I''ll clear these floors for you."

 Chapter 474 [474] Stefan Caraval(3)

    <h4>Chapter 474 [474] Stefan Caraval(3) </h4>


    ?474 [474] Stefan Caraval(3)


    Under the protection of the knights and the Cardinal, whose strength most of the people did not know. The group quickly reached the capital after about three days. During these three days, Stefan, much like an annoying kid, kept bugging James, asking him about anything at any time.


    "Do you like to fight?"


    "What are the most opponents you have in?"


    "Do you know how to use a bow, and a spear?"


    "Have you ever been close to death?"


    These questions rang in James mind continuously, he couldn''t even wish for them to disappear.


    It had been quite a while since he had to deal with obnoxious, self-centered people. He preferred messing with n or even sleeping in the soul domain. But sadly, because of the damn tower, he had to wake up.


    As Stefan continued to annoy him, Jame''s opened his, or more like n''s Status.


    [Name: n Pator(17)


    [Race: Dragon.]


    [Titles: Chosen of the Chaos Supreme, Chosen of the Frost Supreme, Phoenix Blood liner...]


    [Attributes:]


    Strength: B+


    Speed:B+


    Endurance:B+


    Intelligence: C+ n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Charm: B-


    Mana:B+


    [Affinities: Chaos (Supreme), Frost (Supreme), Space (Superior).]


    [Skills: Ice Dragon Transformation, Ice Draconian Transformation, Ice st, Gravitational Maniption...]


    Reading the status carefully, he had a look of confusion on his face. Using mana to observe the condition of the body, he was confused even more.


    ''Strange, he can easily enter A-rank, so why is he still at B?''


    James wondered, assessing his current abilities.


    It was nighttime, and since his status was that of a barbarian ve, he was staying in the stables. He hadn''t sworn loyalty to Stefan, like the knights, so he was not granted ess. Jame''s preferred this, however. He had no qualmsying on top of hay and hearing the asional ''neigh'' of a horse. He preferred this over Stefan.


    ''Quite strange.''


    He mused, as he rested his head on his hands, staring at the wooden ceiling.


    ''He''s trying to awaken Aura, how stupid.''


    He almost let a boisterousugh. He had to hold himself back fromughing so much, when he was faced with such stupidity.


    ''Oh you young dragon...when will you realize.''


    He smirked, as he went through n''s memories once more.


    "A strange element indeed..."


    After he was doneughing at n, He reached out his hand and activated the spatial mana that resided in his body. Looking at the cloud-like mana in his hands, which contained glimpses of stars and nebs, he enjoyed waving his hand around, observing how the mana moved.


    "Space huh... Never even saw a single supreme of it."


    In all his life, in Aranus''s body of course, he never saw a single creature wield this element as it''s main element. It was so rare that even the textbooks back in Dragonis, the dragon capital, had little about it. Only some basic things, like teleportation and gate travel. And coordinates.


    "I wonder how he got this..."


    Jame''s had always been gued by this question, but just thought that since n became independent, he manifested his own element. Instead of just using his or Aranus''s. It was probably a lucky chance he ended up with space. A very lucky chance.


    He stood up, the hay beneath him made his back itch. He walked outside the stables, and saw a lone campfire.


    ''A campfire? At this time, with no one?''


    At first, he was dubious, but as he cast mana sense to survey the surroundings, he found no one around. The fire was about to die as well. He went ahead and sat down in front of it. Manifesting a small fireball with his mana and chucked it at the fire, rejuvenating it.


    "Anyway...let''s see more.''


    It was a habit of his to be aware of everything, and he wasn''t done observing what n had. He must know everything, the things he could do, and not do.


    Opening the inventory, he let out a short whistle.


    "It''s worse than the dwarves spatial gear, but it''ll do."


    He muttered, as he took out the Ame-No-Sakahoko, wanting to wield the legendary spear.


    "Argh!"


    He let out a pained groan as the spear burnt his skin, and threw itself away from him. Itnded on the ground, and Jame''s looked at his burnt palm. A cold green light shone in his eyes, as the wound was immediately healed. He looked at the spear.


    "The name fits it."


    He said, referring to the title "Spear of Righteousness" it possessed. He put the spear back in his inventory.


    Setting the matter of weapons aside, he sat down in a meditative position and peered into his body, activating [Frost Dragon''s Breath].


    The surrounding environment changed, as he found himself to be floating in a dark space, the only source of light the blue world in front of him.


    "Why is it so small? Did this idiot not train his element at all?!"


    He gasped upon seeing the size of the Ice world, which was smaller than he had expected. He sighed and facepalmed.


    n, due to fearing his elerated growth drawing the ire of others, refused to use the Ice Dragon''s breath most of the time. Little did he know, advancing one''s rank was not its main function.


    The supremes dealt in their elements, not their stats. Each higher level being focused more on their element than their stats, which would increase by their own. The main function of the [Ice Dragon''s Breath] was to attune the user to Frost, to make it so that they were frost itself. This was something that Jame''s modified with Lanesha''s help.


    He looked around, trying to spot a chaos world in the elemental domain, Thankfully, he didn''t see it. He did see a small space world, however, which was more like a collection of clouds than a world.


    "Well, at least he didn''t practice Chaos."


    He heaved a sigh of relief, had n done it, they were all doomed. As weak as his soul was, he couldn''t thwart the Abyss.


    As he was about to observe more, he felt someone approaching.

 Chapter 475 [475] Stefan Caraval[4]

    <h4>Chapter 475 [475] Stefan Caraval[4] </h4>


    ?475 [475] Stefan Caraval[4]


    Jame''s stopped his usage of the [Frost Dragon''s Breath] and looked around. He found Stefan sitting in front of him, tending to the fire, and said.


    "Surely, A man of such prestige like you shouldn''t dirty yourself sitting next to a barbarian, in the dirty ground?"


    Stefan, surprised, looked up.


    "I was unaware you had...such a mastery over thenguage."


    He said, eyeing Jame''s more carefully. He had juste over here to learn more about the man, where he came from...but this was surprising.


    It was very, very unusual for a barbarian to even know themonnguage of hisnd, much less be fluent with it. All the barbarians he had met were people who were all muscle and no brain. Ruthless, cruel warriors who bowed down to no oppression. It was because of this stereotype that he had taken interest in James. Who showed a peaceful side to him in the cave.


    This was what intrigued him, yet it also made him somewhat restless.


    ''Is he lying?''


    He thought for a fleeting moment, before disregarding it. His eyes, blessed by the holy deity, would not allow any lie to go unnoticed in his gaze.


    "I learned a lot on my travels."


    His eyes shone a golden hue when the barbarian like man said those words, they informed him that he told no lies, thus his guard diminished.


    "What is your name, brother?"


    Asked Stefan, curious. He had asked the man his tribe and profession, but he had not yet asked him of his name. Feeling ashamed, he lowered his head.


    It was good manners to inquire the name of the individual you wished to speak too first, but he, despite all his education, had forgotten it.


    "James, I do not possess a family name."


    ''James...?''


    Once again, he was taken aback. James was amon name of thesends, but of the barbarians? It was as rare as hygiene among the tribes.


    The man, who he now knew as James, was as enigmatic as ever, portraying a sweet smile that seemed harmless.


    "I see..."


    "May I be given the opportunity to inquire the reason of the Cardinal''s presence?"


    "..."


    Stefan, sighed and answered.


    "I cannot hide it from a warrior, huh..."


    James remained silent, eager to know his next words. He still had no idea how to clear this floor.


    "I need your help."


    ''Expected.''


    James had expected this, but it did not mean he would agree right away.


    "Pardon? You want my help? Cardinal, you must have thou-"


    "I need you to join my personal guard."


    "Why so? I''m but a barbarian."


    "A barbarian, yes, But I trust my instincts more. People in the church, tainted by the devil who wish to kill me, the Apostle."


    ''Oh. So it is this clich¨¦...''


    When he heard about Stefan''s predicament, he sighed, he had expected something much more grandiose, fighting the Demon king, or the evil god or something like that. But it was just the standard infighting in the Church. Kind of boring.


    "Alright, So what services would a barbarian like me be able to give to you, provided you yourself are so...strong?"


    He said, faking a hint of surprise and respect in his voice.


    "Haha, It seems you saw right through me."


    "With such an astute arsenal, it would be hard to believe you are weak."


    There was arge weapon on Stefan''s back, covered with a cloth. Stefan removed the cloth and a pure white spear, as if it was made of bone, appeared. The spear was 2 meters long and had small spikes on its de.


    "This is Gaebolg. A holy artifact. I have been the only one to wield it in centuries."


    James'' intently stared at the spear, from his observation, the Spear was weaker than the Ame-No-Sakahoko, but not by a lot.


    "And the bow?"


    However, He was not done.


    Stefan, now, was shocked. Whilst the spear was easy to see, He didn''t think James would be aware of his Bow as well. Which was hidden inside his body.


    He held out his palm, and a blue light escaped it, coursing a path towards his hands, and taking the form a bow that was like it was made of steel. The string was thick, and the bow was a longbow, perfect for ranged attacks.


    The bow had few indentations which shone blue, the color of Stefan''s hair, and just by a nce James could tell it was a good weapon. HE stared at it in delight, like it was good food.


    There was holy aura around both the weapons, but he knew it wasn''t real. Authentic, celestial aura is different, this was but a failed copy.


    Jame''s had seen his fair share of ''holy'' weapons. And the weapons before him possessed no real divinity, they were simply...enchanted to appear like they did.


    ''Even this tower, with all its might, was unable to copy divinity... Haha...''


    Heughed inwardly, the ipetence of this tower was surprising.


    "Such amazing...weapons..."


    He feigned surprise, and reached out his hand as if to touch them. But he knew he couldn''t do it. He was just faking it. Even though they were fake, he knew that such weapons would never allow themselves to be touched by someone they had not chosen, besides, The tower wouldn''t let him.


    The orange glow of the fire cast a peculiar haze around them, the air vibrated as Stefan took back the bow and covered the spear. James eyes shone an emerald hue, and he said.


    "What is in it for me?"


    "Titles, Land, And Fame."


    "And what if I want none?"


    "Then you will have faith."


    "Haha..."


    As he dragged out the time, he thought.


    ''Oh well, this will be fun...''


    James thought, as he agreed.


    "Very well, I suppose I can agree as a payment for saving my life after all."


    Hearing Jame''s agree, Stefan left after bidding him farewell and giving him the keys to a room inside the church. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, Jame''s attention was not on his leaving back, but the two disys in front of him.


    The secrets of the weapons presented by Stefan, wereid bare.

 Chapter 476 [476] The weapons.

    <h4>Chapter 476 [476] The weapons. </h4>


    ?476 [476] The weapons.


    [Name: G¨¢e Bolg (Half)]


    Rank: SSS(?)


    Type: Spear


    It is a spear forged from the remnants of an ancient titan, because of this the spear possesses a sinister and ominous aura. The shaft is crafted from the colossal bone of a long-


    extinct titan, adorned with intricate carvings depicting the fight with the beast, as if to tell the story of the spear to all who would ever wield it. It is about two meters long.


    [Abilities:]


    Revenant''s Grasp (Passive): Sessful strikes with G¨¢e Bolg have a chance to drain the life force of the target, transferring health to the wielder and leaving the opponent weakened. Due to the spear''s condition, the power of this skill is halved.


    Rend the Veil (Active): Unleash a powerful thrust with G¨¢e Bolg that tears through both armor and magical defenses, leaving opponents vulnerable to subsequent attacks. The serrated tip rips apart the flesh of your enemy. Due to the spear''s condition, the power of this skill is halved


    Savage Imnt (ULTIMATE): Upon piercing your enemy, the spearhead transforms into deadly thorns that ravage your opponent''s flesh and organs, tearing them up from the inside. Turning it into a gory, squishy mess. This skill can only be used when G¨¢e Bolg is fully whole.


    ----------


    As he was reading the disy, a curious thought propped up in his mind.


    ''Half?''


    He questioned, appearing confused.


    "Only a half of the weapon?"


    He mused, as he gathered his thoughts.


    "The one I know of is held by someone else... I merely thought this was an imitation, but it''s actually the other half of the weapon...interesting..."


    His previous information was incorrect. The one who actually owned this spear was merely using half of its power. It was frightening, at the very least, that ''that'' person could do so much with a weapon that was broken.


    "It''s fun."


    James muttered, finding these trials amusing.


    He checked the other disy, about the bow. This one was much shorter.


    [Name: Ste.]


    [Rank: Divine.]


    [Type: Bow.]


    [One-time-use weapon.]


    Description: The bow that can fire once, and only once. Unleashing the most powerful attack it''s rank can muster.]


    It was incredibly short. But that was what made it special.


    "That thing can kill me, and this world along with it. Perhaps even this structure."


    James stared at the description of the [Ste], He had seen few one time use weapons, yet each possessed a power far beyond what their ranks entailed. But only once would the user be able to unleash this devastating power.


    Standing up and grabbing the keys from the ground. He went inside the church, the guards let him when he showed them the keys, and led him to his room. However, their scornful gazes could not be hidden.


    "Why is a barbarian...in such holynds? The filth!"


    "Just let it go, the Cardinal is the one who allowed him ess."


    "The cardinal is too kind!"


    James looked at their parting figures, a smile crept up and he knelt down. He reached out with his hand and a small snake escaped from his skin. It was unlike a normal snake, it was a construct of his frost mana.


    "Go, and take control." He said, as he spawned another, to take care of the two guards.


    Going inside, he rested on his bed, waiting for his snakes to finish. It didn''t take long, as they snuck up the guards ears and took control of their brains. James could kill them with ease if he wanted toas well. But that wouldn''t be fun.


    He needed more information first.


    He spent the entire night trying to scour any useful information he could find.


    _________________


    The church was in trouble, although they had managed to hide it from the public, the royals and the rest of the prominent aristocracy was aware. And thus, they moved against the Church. Providing strict opposition, and doing whatever they could to limit its power.


    The pope was extremely ill, and because of this, the Church had brought the elections forth, in order to elect a new pope.


    Few people were deemed qualified for the position, That being the bishops. The bishops were scrambling to get the votes of the cardinals, who were the only people being able to appoint the new pope.


    It was a good system, but there is one gear in it that didn''t go ording to the norm.


    That, was Stefan. The direct descendant of the pope. He had much support from the people, and most of the church considered him to be the next pope as well.


    And in thest sermon, The pope had clearly expressed his wish for Stefan to be the next pope. Although he was a cardinal, many wished for him to be the one.


    These ''many'' did not include the actual candidates, the bishops who wanted the position as well. As a Cardinal must cast a vote, Stefan was conflicted.


    He knew the candidates were not good people. And he wanted to follow the Pope''s wish. Besides, despite being a Cardinal, he had the special privilege of being the apostle, and wielder of the holy relics of the church.


    Such a privilege would have cemented his position as the next pope, but the bishops did not want this, hence that was the reason for the opposition. Because the pope was bedridden, he could not do much to alleviate the problems.


    Furthermore, the Empire was butting in as well. Especially the royals. There was also the rumor that Stefan and the princess had ''illicit'' rtions, or were intimate. But there was no solid proof.


    The rumors themselves, however, were enough for the Bishops to go around saying:


    "We cannot let such a scandalous man be the pope!"


    Along with. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "He''s too young!"


    That was the current situation in the church. To summarize it, it was an f**king mess.


    James, disturbed by the bright lighting from the windows, realized it was Daytime.


    "Oh well, I got an idea on how to do this...but..."


    There was just one thing that troubled him.

 Chapter 477 [477] What are the Clear conditions?

    <h4>Chapter 477 [477] What are the Clear conditions? </h4>


    ?477 [477] What are the Clear conditions?


    A/N: Happy New years, everyone! 2024 is going to be better than 2023 no doubt!]


    "What are the clear conditions exactly?"


    He wondered. The tower only gave him the following statement:


    [Objective: Clear the stage.]


    It was quite the shitty objective, not giving the challenger any hints at all!


    How must I clear the stage?


    Genocide the Empire?


    Destroy the church?


    Make Stefan the pope?


    Make Stefan a pagan? Or just outright kill him?


    Make him run off with the princess he has rumors about?


    There were so many options...but which one was right? Or were they all right?


    [Which do you want to do?]


    Suddenly, the tower''s voice resounded in his ears.


    James paused, clearly not expecting such a statement toe from the tower.


    "You present me with such a choice?"


    Frankly put, he could not understand it. With the way the tower presented that choice, either one of the previously put suggestions were right, or there were an infinite number of ways to clear the objective.


    Thetter seemed far-fetched, however, so James wasn''t too keen on it.


    Silently, he tried to see where the voice hade from, but s, his efforts were for naught. No matter what he did, he could not peer through the fabric of this realm at his current state. However, the feeling of being watched was still there. It irked him. However, it wasn''t as if it was impossible. He just needed a chance to do it.


    James had an idea where the tower was watching him from, but did not make any gesture that would give it away, who knows what the tower would do?


    The tower, as if disying a crooked smile, said.


    [How do you want to clear this stage?]


    It asked once again, its voice so loud it reverberated through the room. It was so loud it made him think everyone in the church could hear it, But he didn''t think the tower would be so keen on that.


    James, simply smiled and looked up, towards the ceiling, and said.


    "How many ways are there?"


    He asked in a gentle tone, trying to mask his intentions.


    [However many you want.]


    "That''s quite difficult to understand."


    [What is so difficult to understand?]


    James, in an attempt to gather more information, asked.


    "Many, many things, care to exin in some easier terms?"


    A snicker was heard,ing from all directions and reverberating like a bell.


    James face was still the same. A gentle smile was still stered all over it.


    [You could choose to live out the life of a peasant until the church elections are over.]


    [You could choose to start a coup and rule the empire!]


    [Be the next pope!]


    [Do nothing!]


    [Aplish Stefan''s goals, or even kill him in the midst of this!]


    [Destroy the church, or end the empire!]


    [You can do...anything you want in these stages.]


    "So there is no time limit? I can rule the empire till my death, and only then will I clear this stage?"


    He feigned stupidity, Of course no one was dumb enough to try the longest clear, like starting a coup or ruling the entire empire even. James wanted to have fun, but not that much fun.


    "Surely, the reward for each clear should be different, no?"


    With so many clear conditions...the rewards each had to be different, no? The mostme would yield the most terrible reward, and the greatest would yield the greatest!


    [Of course.]


    "Alright... I get the general gist of it... But I have just one more question."


    He pointed with his finger towards the sky, and asked in a heartless tone, throwing away the gentle demeanor he previously had.


    This took the tower by surprise as well. The change was too sudden.


    "Which way doyouwant me to clear?"


    There was a round of silence in the room, the loud voice of the tower waspletely gone, as if had vanished.


    However, after about a minute, it finally answered.


    [You can clear it in any way yo-]


    "Ohe on, there must be an ending you desire to see as well, right?"


    Taunted James, wondering if the tower would give him extra rewards.


    If there was nothing it desired, he figured he would just cause the entire church to kill themselves. But he did have an inkling.


    ''It does want a specific ending.''


    The tower''s previous words gave him that idea, and he wanted to know which one it was. He had a guess that it was maybe rted to Stefan, and all those about the empire were nonsense!


    "So, Is there anything you have in mind?"


    His eyes glowed an emerald green hue, piercing right through the realm for a moment and gazing right into the tower''s eyes, enchanting them. This was only for a moment, but that was all that James needed. To coerce the conscious of this damnable structure...it was all he needed! They were like a snake, and James had procured his chance to see through the tower! And it was sessful.


    Like the tower had lost control of itself, it blurted out.


    [Stefan...bing pope...killing church. Greatest ending...]


    It was as if it was in a trance. However, it did provide some resistance. James was far too weak to use his authorities with full power right now, The tower had managed to trump even a supreme being, his own supreme being.


    But all it could do was provide some resistance, it still answered.


    "I see..."


    However, in the next moment, the tower went back to normal, escaping his grasp. But, it had no memory of such a thing having urred at all! None! It simply answered the question again, with apletely different tone and answer. This was James special powers, which the star of the Jade snake had given him, this was but a fraction of what he was capable of.


    [Do whatever you wish to do.]


    It said, before promptly disappearing. James hid his smile, in case the tower was still here, and promptlyid down, formting his nt.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 478 [478] The crystal palace.

    <h4>Chapter 478 [478] The crystal pce.</h4>


    ?478 [478] The crystal pce.


    A knock was heard on the door. James opened his eyes and stared at it. Without knocking another time, the individual outside stepped in. It was a man d in pure white armor. It was the standard te armor of the medieval era, just adorned with numerous intricate runes.


    "The cardinal is calling for you."


    The man said, with a respectful tone. Unlike the rest of the people in the church, who would treat James, with his look, as a barbarian with contempt. The man in front of him was much more mature. Which dide off as a pleasant surprise.


    He was also strong. But not as strong as James expected a knight of the church to be.


    ''So Stefan is the only one of noteworthy power here.''


    He thought, as he assessed the man. The only thing special about him would be his manners, and his armor. His strength was only subpar.


    ''The world is really weak.''


    "The cardinal is calling for you."


    The man said again, this time with a deeper tone of voice. It was as if he was getting annoyed with Jameszy attitude. James, purposefully yawning, stood up and walked towards him.


    "Sure, will you lead the way, oh white knight?"


    The knight was taken aback by his fluency in thenguage, but kept to his duties and lead the way. James followed close behind, he had already infiltrated the mind of the knight with a frost snake, and was currently viewing his memories.


    The knight was actually in a high position in the church, in charge of the battalion under Stefan. From the knight, James was able to get the prized information the idiot guards at the frontcked.


    ''I see...so all of them oppose Stefan. The cardinals as well.''


    Stefan''s situation was downright terrible, All the bishops were against him, and even the cardinals as well. The people of high prestige within the church and the Empire were against him. It truly showed how rotten the empire was.


    Not a single one wanted the apostle, the ''literal'' chosen of their deity, to be the next pope. James didn''t know whether the deity despised Stefan as well, to put him under such impossible odds.


    Well, Stefan had him, so all would be easy.


    The knight leading him, all under his control. He knew the entire church like it was the back of his hand now. Well, at least the areas that were essible by the knight. He needed to control a person with higher ess to know everything.


    As they were making their way towards Stefan''s quarters, many people in the church looked at him with disdain.


    "A tribal worshiper sullies ournd..."


    "What is that scum doing here?"


    But, because of the knight, they could only bark like dogs. Soon enough, they reached a simple white door in the outskirts of the building. A deste corner. The knight knocked on the door, and when he got the answer, ''Come in'' he went inside.


    ''Minimalistic.'' James thought, as he gazed in the room. There was not even a carpet here, just a simple bed and a desk. And even they were made with in wood. No fancy decorations at all. Stefan seemed to praying at the desk, He turned around and smiled, looking at the duo.


    The Knight lowered his head, as it to pay respects, and James did the same.


    ''What a noble character.''


    He wasn''t referring to the knight, but Stefan. After seeing what had transpired in the knight''s memories, he found that most in higher positions wanted him to prostrate before them, But Stefan only wanted him to lower his head. In fact, he didn''t even want this! He didn''t need any sort of greeting, but the knight was doing it out of respect for the man.


    "Ah, you are here."


    Before he could answer, Stefan hurriedly said.


    "The day is ending, we must go to the city to help the people."


    From the knight''s memories, James knew this was a daily routine of Stefan, which was when he went out to the city, and helped the people. By either giving them alms or blessing them. This was why his reputation among themon folk was so good.


    But there was a hidden motive behind Stefan''s actions, which he had told only the knight. They were taking James so that themon folk would be more weing of the barbarians, and think of him as a great savior.


    He was using James, who seemed like a barbarian, to garner a more positive reputation.


    And honestly speaking, James found this scheme cute.


    They went towards the city, going around the slums more often and blessing anyone they could find. Stefan also tasked him with distributing food and water to the people as well. In order to let them lower their guard towards James. James used his powers to forcefully lower the people guards, and distributed his mana to the supplies they were distributing. The knight, who was in his control, was doing the same, spreading small little parasitic snakes.


    When the knight went to the well to get water, James made sure he would use an abundance of his mana to fill that well up. He did this to most of the wells they encountered during their journey. The people, while at first were reluctant, opened up to James. Although there was still the scornful look of some, most didn''t have it now.


    Some children even yed with James, His broad shoulders and back providedfortable rides to some.


    They went all around the capital city, and James just followed Stefan around, and his orders. The only thing he was doing by himself (with the Knight as well) was spreading small parasitic snakes, nigh invisible to themon eye, all around.


    Their number had reached ten''s of thousands.


    Slowly, but surely, they prated the entire city and consumed them, but left the church out, and Stefan.


    James, had nned a very different and fun ending for them there.


    Unfortunately, if n had a bigger mana reserve, he would have been done infecting the entire city in a single hour, instead of three days.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 479 [479] The Crystal Palace.

    <h4>Chapter 479 [479] The Crystal Pce. </h4>


    ?479 [479] The Crystal Pce.


    ''Where am I?''


    His voice resounded, but only his mind. He felt a chill epass his body, as he found himself unable to move.


    His eyes opened, and eternal darkness greeted him.


    "Ugh..."


    n let out a pained groan, as he tried to massage his head. But was unable to do so.


    "So...cold..."


    He was shivering, and this was a ludicrous statement! The chosen of the Frost Supreme...feeling cold?


    What was this.


    Strangely enough, he could only move his body, a majority of his body felt wet, as if it was submerged in water.


    He moved his head wherever he could, Darkness was the only thing he could see. Looking left and right, it was the same. It was when he looked at himself, downwards as much as he could, that he found himself to be in a frozenke.


    The upper parts of theke, where his limbs were bound, were frozen. But his hands, upper chest and head were out of theke.


    "Ugh!"


    n tried to move, but to no avail. The ice, seemingly thin, was strong. But he didn''t give up. He tried and tried. He even tried using mana to break the ice, but he could not use mana.


    His strength was his only ally. He didn''t know how much time had passed, all he knew was that his body was shivering, his teeth beginning to chatter.


    ''Crack!''


    Finally, after many trials, a crack appeared on the Ice. n, seemingly rejuvenated, tried yet again, with all the strength he could muster.


    ''Crack! Crack!''


    The cracks expanded into cobwebs, and finally. He broke through!


    "Argh!"


    He hurriedly swam up, his body nearly frozen. Shivering, and his teeth incessantly chattering, he got up and held himself. Trying to be warm. Mist escaped with each troubled breath.


    Never, had he felt cold before. He may have felt chills...but this? He had never been faced with such.


    "Where...the fuck am I?"


    He questioned, looking around, but all he found was the ice that he was once encased in. He didn''t dare put his head under the small hole he escaped from to see what was inside. Furthermore, he only ventured forth.


    Blue lights, from far away, filled his vision, they were everywhere, and they illuminated this ce.


    He tried to go near them, but no matter how much he walked towards them, the distance never seemed to close. Tired, he gave up and proceeded to walk forward. His body was bare, and with no protection to the cold. He was going to die a freezing death.


    But, as he continued to walk and walk what felt like miles, he found small crystals on the ground. Some the size of his palm. Some reaching up to his face, they all pointed towards the dark sky that loomed above this ursed domain.


    As he walked ahead, the crystals continued to increase in number, As he stared at them in confusion, and curiosity, he suddenly felt himself fall.


    Surprised, he tried to swim back up, fearing the cold waters below but...


    The water only reached up to his knees. The ice here was also weaker, and crumbled beneath his weight. He stepped out of the water, but the ice ahead still crumbled.


    "Hmm..." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He had no choice but to walk ahead, with his feet still in the water, the ice proved to be no hindrance, but the fucking frostbite that reached his knees was.


    "Why am I feeling cold...?"


    n asked himself, but no one could answer. Lanesha or Suleras were absent, and he could only dwell on the thought. Logically speaking, unless it originated from Lanesha herself, no frost or cold feeling could ever make him feel cold.


    "F**king hell..."


    He cursed, with the name of the ce considered to be the direct contrast of this domain, and ventured forth.


    He jerked back, feeling himself being watched.


    "..."


    He tried to activate his skills, mainly ''Dragon''s Eyes'' to peer through, but he couldn''t. He could only walk forward, asionally looking behind himself to make sure no one was there.


    Finally! After what felt like ages, he saw something different. The ice hadpletely disappeared, and the water was like arge puddle, only reaching his toes. The abundance of the crystals increased, and some were the size of cars, houses, and stctites whose tips disappeared into the darkness above.


    They seemed to...be in a line? Like a pathway! It was like they were leading him to a certain path.


    Soon enough, there was no gap between the stctites, they had melded together to form a wall. The hallway(?) that was caused by such wasrge, about ten of n, each holding their arms out!


    "The water...it''s gone."


    Indeed, it was gone. Thend had elevated a little, and n was finally free from the abhorrent sensation of his toes being constantly wet and numb. He walked upwards, and the walls closed in.


    It was getting tighter and tighter, and n could barely fit now, He was squeezing through the stctites, hoping he wouldn''t be stuck here.


    "Ha..."


    He groaned, as he made his way up. The cold and numb feeling had returned since his body was in direct contact with the sunlight.


    "What kind of fucked up floor is this...damned tower."


    He said, cursing the tower. He believed it to be a tower floor, he waspletely oblivious.


    "Restricting my mana again...go F**ck yourself."


    He cursed, again and again, as the cold pierced his skin and attacked his insides. Mist escaped his mouth again. Until finally.


    He reached the end. He could see an opening, although it would be hard to reach it, He continued to push and push, even as his skin was bruised and ripped apart.


    "Ha!"


    With one final grunt, he pushed through. The wet feeling of water returned to envelope his toes again. n looked at the water with a disdainful look. He raised his head to look up.


    "What the...f**k...?"


    He gasped.

 Chapter 480 [480] The Crystal Palace.

    <h4>Chapter 480 [480] The Crystal Pce.</h4>


    ?480 [480] The Crystal Pce.


    It was a pce. A grand pce.


    The walls of ice were carved in intricate ways to possesses a grand beauty, and the sheer size of the construct was massive.


    n, gasped when he saw the sheer size of it. In front of him, the water level remained the same, but there was something different.


    A throne of ice, behind which were multiple crystals i an orderly fashion, designed to enhance the grandeur of the frosty throne.


    The stairs leading up to the throne were quite peculiar. Instead of regr steps, they were carved in like the bodies of snakes piled on top one another, leading towards the elevated ground that held the throne.


    The entire area seemed to possess an ethereal aura, something which pierced into his body...but that was not what he was looking at.


    Behind the throne, was a statue. But it was not the statue of a king or an emperor.


    But it was of a snake, made from white jade with green emeralds, asrge as cars for eyes.


    The snake''s head and a little bit of its upper body were visible, but the rest of the body was shrouded in darkness, behind the throne. Was it endless? n didn''t dare try to find out.


    ''...''


    He gulped, as a strange pressure enveloped his being. Cautiously, he walked forward, looking everywhere in order to not be caught off guard. The water level remained the same, and n reached the first step, surprisingly, it was not slippery at all.


    The round body of a snake and the texture of it made it appear like it would be a chore to walk on it daily, but that could not be further more from the truth...it was quite rigid. His feet felt like mas attracting iron, giving him a stable grip on the floor.


    He proceeded. The second step, the third, the fourth and so on, all this time, his attention was on the snake statue made from white jade behind.


    ''James...''


    He knew very well who it belonged to, or rather signified. And that irked him to no end. Who knows...maybe that damned statue coulde alive and try to eat him. Knowing James, it was not wrong to think so.


    As he made his way up, he paused, a certain thought was given birth in his mind.


    ''Wait...is this not a floor?''


    He wondered, thest thing he remembered was that he passed out, like usual when he cleared a series of floors... But what floor was it...?


    ''Six... Six... Sixty? No, I can''t be that far ahead...right?''


    His head began to hurt, but he kept trying to remember. Which fucking floor was it?!


    "SIXTY!"


    He yelled in triumph as he bashed his head against the stairs, this was a strange and dangerous act, but at least it brought him some rity. He wiped the blood from his cut head. The stairs beneath him were fine. It was surprising, although he didn''t have his mana with him, the stairs which were made of an ordinary material in his eyes shouldn''t be untouched.


    Maybe this entire domain was special.


    Standing face to face with the throne, a strange feeling epassed his heart. He looked at the statue, in case it moved or not. Peering right into its eyes for a second, seemingly lost within them. Snapping out of it, he looked at the throne once again.


    There was... a certain desire within to sit on it. Like it was... his throne. A throne meant solely for him, a dragon. The desire was like a silent ember at first, but soon became a raging fire.


    But, he suppressed it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "That statue..."


    n didn''t dare look up again, he had an inkling that staring at the statue was what brought forth that desire. Carefully, he examined the throne. It was cold to the touch. Sitting on it would probably freeze the arse.


    The throne had special indents on it, small cavities which seemed like they were supposed to hold something, the size of the cavities suggested it was probably gems or gold. Which were more likely to decorate a throne. But...something seemed odd to n.


    n went behind the throne, keeping an eye on the statue, but making sure he didn''t gaze into its eyes. The crystals behind it were smooth.


    "What is this?"


    He muttered, as he found strings of letters behind the throne, on the crystals. They were foreign to him, consisting of symbols he had never ever seen before. Whatevernguage it was, it didn''t belong to Earth, that was certain.


    n touched the symbols, and all of a sudden something happened. He could...understand the letters.


    The crystals reflected his glowing eyes, and because of them he was made aware they were like that.


    The letters reorganized themselves, Thenguage seemed so familiar to him now, like his tongue was made to speak it, and only it. Only thatnguage was worthy of his speech.


    "Humans..."


    The first word was deciphered.


    "Domain."


    The second one.


    "Special power."


    The third and fourth. And so on.


    "To dominate...or is it rule?"


    Slowly, connecting words appeared between the main words. Forming a proper sentence.


    "The special ability of Humans... To create a domain to rule over."


    As he spoke, the space shook. The crystals seemed toe to life, and the throne began to glow a blue hue. Veins, like thunder, appeared on the crystals and went towards the throne. The throne became a beacon of light, but that was not it.


    The veins spread out from the throne, and epassed therge space. The entire space began to shine. Each and every vein seemed to possess its own...uniqueness. One that n couldn''t quite pinpoint right now.


    Before n could even admire it. He felt his heart being gripped. Shivers ran down his spine as he followed his instincts to hurriedly turn around.


    But it was toote, and his body was thrown against the hard crystal wall.

 Chapter 481 [481] The Crystal Palace.[4]

    Chapter 481  [481] The Crystal Pce.[4]


    ??481  [481] The Crystal Pce.[4]


    "That was quite tiring..."


    James said, as he looked at the city below from the high walls of the church. The only thing Stefan''s room had worth noticing was the view. Since it was in the corner of the church facing a majority of the sea, James was able to see everything.


    Well, almost everything. He used mana to enhance his optical nerves and observe the city. The snakes had prated almost everywhere, and each citizen had one in their mind, whether it be a noble, or themon man.


    Even royalty was not safe. Only the church remained unscathed.


    James would do the church manually, each and every important member would be a sl-n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?"


    Stefan''s voice broke his line of thought, He looked behind him, at the young man sitting on the floor. The knight was inside the room as well, standing guard.


    "Yes, it is an amazing view."


    James said. It wasn''tpletely false. For a medieval city of its time, it was quite splendid. The roads and houses were pretty, and the towering castle was a sight to behold. The church, as well, was amazing.


    Adorned with whatever jewellery existed and intricate scriptures, It was a sight to behold.


    A shame it would all go to ruin in a few days.


    "It is only because of the deity."


    ''Deity'' he said, as he mentioned the being the empire worshipped. And whom he was an apostle of. When Stefan mentioned it, his eyes gained fervour. As if it was an honour to just do that for him.


    "Do not worry, brother, Once I be the pope. I will surely help all in the continent.


    "Yes, Yes."


    James said, as he looked at the clock in the room. It was gettingte. If he stayed here any longer, the church would grow suspicious.


    And the church, which was filled with his enemies, would rush towards any opportunity to smite him like rabid dogs.


    "You should get going, Lest the church..."


    "Yes, I should."


    James left the room shortly after. He felt suffocated just being in there with the kid.


    The knight stepped out with him, to guide him back to his room. But, the knight seemed to be alone after a few moments.


    "Now... I guess I have to see the higher-ups myself."


    James muttered, as his figure melded into the darkness, bing invisible to the naked eye. The knight, who was under his control, proceeded forward. Doing what it was assigned.


    The knight, at this point, had lost all sense of self. Anything that remained of his original identity in his mind was gone. And the rest who had been infected were the same. They were nothing more than pieces to James now, who controlled each and every action of theirs.


    It was a frightening power to look at, a much, much stronger version of Serena''s skills.


    ********


    In avish room, where not a single inch was not covered in gold, diamonds or other jewellery. A man in a priest robe threw a golden cup at a Nun.


    He was dressed in a pure white robe, with aicallyrge hat. The man was a bishop in the church, expressing his frustration.


    "He brings a fucking barbarian over here?!"


    Like a child, he was throwing a tantrum. Abusing his servants and knights, and destroying his room. Well, not like it was his money that made all of this, so why should he care?


    "Then, You''re telling me, the fucking barbarian is well liked among themon rubbish?!"


    He yanked the nun''s headpiece, tearing it apart, and threw her at a wall. The knight could only watch this happen, unable to do anything because of the cor on his neck, which bound him like a dog to the bishop.


    "This is a desecration! A desecration of our principles!"


    ''As if you follow those principles...''


    This was the most disliked bishop that existed in the church. ''Everyone'' hated him, but because of his backing and his position, most couldn''t say anything.


    However, the knight, maybe tired of his actions, in a bid of chivalry rushed at the priest and strangled his neck. With his strength, he held the man up.


    "What are you doing?!"


    The priest''s eyes glowed, as he tried to control the man, but to no avail.


    ''Why is my control not working?''


    He thought, and just as he was about to attack with a skill, he caught o a glimpse of a figure in the knight''s eyes. The figure was behind him, and looking down at him. But because of his predicament, he could not turn around.


    "Stop."


    He heard from behind, and the Knight loosened his grip, before tightening it once again.


    "Oh my, how much did you abuse the poord for him to override my control?"


    The next moment, the knight was thrown against the wall by the man.


    "Scou-hmph!"


    "Shut the fuck up."


    The man, James, grabbed the mouth of the bishop and sealed it shut. The bishop''s teeth shattered from his strength, and his jaw would follow soon.


    A small cavity appeared on James palm, which birthed a snake that travelled down the throat of the bishop and took control of him quite swiftly.


    "Well, that should make you thest one."


    He said, as he threw the bishop''s body to the ground like a piece of rubbish. He sat down on the bishop''s bed, trying to gain some rest.


    "Oh."


    He saw the nun, who had previously been thrown at a wall, looking at him with terror in his eyes. A secondter, a snake controlled her as well.


    "Didn''t see you there."


    He looked at his three new servants, and used his mana to see the connections in his mind. They were all in his mind, shining like bright beacons due to their sheer number.


    "Not a lot of people...tsk."


    He clicked his tongue and casually degraded the poption of an entire capital city, it''s soldiers and nobles included, as ''not a lot''.


    It was fairly easy to control them, well, for him at least.


    "Now...only the sick pope should be left."


    Heughed, and he left through the door.


    He knew where the pope was now, the bishops memories held his position. And now? He didn''t even need to hide.


    Everyone was under his control now, why bother hiding?

 Chapter 482 [482] Now, should I advance?

    Chapter 482 [482] Now, should I advance?


    ??482  [482] Now, should I advance?


    "...water..."


    A sick old man managed to say, as his figure was bound to his bed. His skin was rotting away and he was all but bones. He called out once again, this time like a question.


    "Water...?"


    As if to probe whether someone was there or not. He should have a caretaker apany him at all times...so where was the caretaker now?


    ''sigh...''


    The old man sighed, thinking the caretaker may have gone to the bathroom or something, he decided to wait.


    But after an hour, he was wondering where his caretaker was. He didn''t think he was still taking a shit in the bathroom.


    "May the lord bless me with strength."


    He managed to say, as he moved his head to stare at the ss of water which had a straw in it.


    He moved his nket to try to get it, but all of a sudden, the straw was brought close to him, so he could finally drink.


    "Thank you."


    He said, and drank from the straw. Each gulp was aborious task for him, He decided to scold the caretakerter for his absence.


    "No worries."


    ''Huh?''


    But he heard a different voice, a voice that didn''t belong to any of his caretakers before. Uncertain, he looked up and saw a tall man.


    A tall man, muscr and dressed in casual clothing that did not hide the strength he possessed at all.


    "Who are you?"


    He asked, thinking the man was a knight, However, ncing at the tattoos that were revealed by the half-sleeve shirt. His eyes widened in horror.


    "Barbarian!"


    A sense of urgency was preset in his voice as a horrifying thought emerged in his brain.


    Have barbarians invaded the capital?


    Then why was nothing heard? The sounds of war should have been heard, he wasn''t that sick!


    "Rest, dear pope."


    The man pushed the pope into his bed, taking care to not injure his already weak frame.


    "How has a -"


    "Quiet."


    James covered the popes mouth, but did not send a snake down his throat yet.


    "Now, will you stay quiet?"


    The pope nodded with his eyes, and James removed his hands. The pope had realized the man could tear his jaw easily, so heplied.


    "Cough!"


    He coughed, his sickness taking hold, but a wave of mana entered his body and calmed him down.


    "... Tribal healer?"


    "I honestly don''t know what you are talking about, I''ve been doing this barbarian act for far too long..."


    James sighed, as he took a seat next to the pope''s bed, staring at him with his emerald eyes.


    "Greetings, Pope of the Church, I am, but a humble traveller brought to your abode by your sessor, I must, it is...quite an honour and a disappointment to meet you."


    Said James, looking at the popes sickly physique, his eyes had sunken, his skin was rotting away and he was nothing but bone. In some areas, his flesh was showing.


    "..."


    The pope stayed silent, wanting to discern the intentions of the man in front of him.


    "Stefan...brought you?"


    This lowered the guard of the pope, as he understood the words of the man, But the aura of the man suggested he was not friendly. Even though he had a kind smile and nice eyes, years of staying as the pope, a dangerous position, had given him a sense. A sense which told him who he should fuck with or not.


    "What do...you want?"


    The pope asked, James stayed silent for a minute or two, and answered.


    "Well, many things, right now I just want to clear this floor."


    "Floor...?"


    "Oh, My apologies, I meant burn this church to the ground."


    The popes eyes grew wide, and an rmed look appeared on his face.


    "You know, the elections still have a lot of time until they can take ce..."


    A horrid thought came across his mind, and he prayed sincerely for it to not be true.


    "But...if I kill you, won''t they be elerated?"


    "Nonsense!"


    "Is it?"


    James eyes terrified him, it was as if he was not staring at the eyes of a human or barbarian but at an animal.


    No...even an animal was wrong...it was as if he was staring into the eyes of a..


    "Devil..."


    "Devil? Me? Oh, I''m hurt, pope..."


    James had a look of disgust, it was not like he hated being called the devil. But the popes tone suggested he wasparing him to the devil!


    "That you lower me such...tsk tsk... Want to hear a story?"


    Without waiting for affirmation, he continued.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Do you know, that the devil is scared shitless of me?"


    He presented an absurd statement.


    "When was it? Twenty or something loops ago? I remember I beat the shit out of him a few times, and tortured that retard for about...fifty years? I''ve lost track!"


    Heughed, and the pope continued to look at him with horror.


    "May the lord...help you."


    He had thought the man in front of him was cursed.


    "I will kill you now."


    He said, as he moved his hand towards the popes head.


    "May the lord curse you!"


    The ''blessing'' turned into a curse pretty soon.


    "Are you referring to the deity you worship?"


    Asked James, almost on the brink ofughing.


    "You know how many fanatics, and deities, have said that to me?"


    "Preposterous!"


    "Yeah, that was their first response too. Anyway, there were dozens, but they all died. Deities aren''t that hard to kill you know, but it''s destroying their mind thats a little ha-"


    "Rot in hell!"


    "Will you shut the fuck up?"


    James got annoyed at the popes constant interruptions.


    He lowered his hand from his head, and moved towards his chest. He touched it, and ice started to wrap around the body.


    "Agh..."


    The pope''s body was numb, but strangely the cold didn''t kill him.


    "I wasn''t going to torture you initially, but you asked for it."


    It covered every part of his body but his eyes and mouth, and James stared right at them. His eyes glowed and the ice transformed. Spikes slowly extended from the inside, and tore into the popes body. They did it so slowly, that the weak body did not die but experienced excruciating pain.


    "Agh...Agh...agh..."


    The popes eyes became red, and blood dared to escape, but James didn''t let it. He couldn''t leave evidence behind...now, could he?


    "Bye bye~"


    He said, after a few minutes of this agonizing torture, finally ending it. The frost on the body of the pope disappeared after James fixed the wounds, making it appear as if the pope had died in his sleep.


    He went outside, humming.


    "I wonder what kind of chaos there will be~"


    The people in the church except one were under his control, so there would only be his chaos from him and from him only.


    The others? James would be faking it.

 Chapter 483 [483] The death of the pope!

    Chapter 483 [483] The death of the pope!


    ??The news spread like wildfire. Though it didn''t reach Stefan, who was sleeping in his room.


    James made it spread fast intentionally within the church, and slowly be revealed to the outer areas as well.


    It was no longer a secret in mere hours, Everyone, and ''everyone'' knew about it. All but one.


    Stefan was still sleeping in his room, James had ordered for no one to disturb him, as he needed to make a few preparations beforehand.


    It didn''t take long for him to be done, Afterwards, he simply told the knight to go inform him of the disaster.


    The knight approached his room, and James watched it go. The rest of the church were already in their positions.


    The knight entered the room, and shook Stefan in order to wake him up.


    ***********


    [Stefan Caravel POV, Church]


    "Cardinal Stefan."


    I heard a voice wake me up from my slumber, it was not long before I heard it again.


    "Cardinal Stefan."


    It was the voice of my knight. Tired, I woke up with lethargic eyes and asked him what was wrong. The look of distress on his face didn''t provide me with any calm. And whatever the matter was, it must have been important if he deemed waking me up to be necessary.


    "What is it?"


    I asked, my throat was dry, and my lips were cracked. Furthermore, it was hard to see far away due to my eyes having not adjusted to the bright light of my room.


    ''Huh? Bright light?''


    There were not any bright lights in my room...only the other bishops and cardinals used them. All I had was a simplemp and my window. Thetter, which should only be blowing cold wind at this time.


    However, I shook this worry off and awaited the knight''s answer.


    "Cardinal..."


    "What is it? Tell me."


    The knight seemed to hesitate when answering me. This only increased my worry.


    Finally, after much suspense. He finally said it.


    "The pope had returned to the lord."


    "...!"


    *********


    I could not believe it.


    I simply...just could not, even though his lifeless body was in front of my very eyes. His dead body was in front of me, surrounded by clerics and the others...


    I still refused to believe it.


    How? I had personally done an examination on him and so... I knew his condition best! Even without the appropriate caretakers...he should still be alive for months more.


    We were healing him every day, with all of our divine power and artefacts... He was sure to recover.


    I had confirmed it, so it must be like that...so why? How?


    The bishops surrounded his body, one final time they checked for his pulse but found nothing.


    I moved ahead and frantically searched his body, looking for some, or any form of wounds I could find in order to confirm my suspicion of his death being an assassination...but I found nothing.


    Even when I used my holy power, I found nothing. No poison, no wounds, no curse.


    The pope, my master, had died just like that. It was a normal death.


    "It seems your estimate was off... Sir Cardinal."


    A Bishop adorned in gold and jewellery answered.


    ''...of course it is you who must bark first.''


    Thought Stefan, as he stared at the Bishop with disgust.


    "Mind your manners, Cardinal."


    Another said, as he noticed my eyes. I cursed inwardly and looked at my master.


    "We should condu-"


    "I believe we should select the next pope urgently."


    Another bishop interrupted me just as I was about to say we must conduct the pope''s funeral first.


    My mouth was agape at the stupendous idea. Elect a new one? When the old one''s body is decaying on his bed?


    Have you all gone mad? Senile? Or has the position robbed you of yourmon sense?


    What has got into your lot?


    I inquired within my mind, and just as I was about to reject such a preposterous notion, I was stopped.


    "Yes, I believe it would be the right course of action."


    "Agreed."


    "Agreed."


    The bishop''s voice,ced with a hint of greed and envy, overshadowed me.


    It was not just them, the cardinals had joined as well.


    ''Shouldn''t you all be dying it for as long as possible?!''


    They were supposed to, for their own interests,to dy the election as much as they could. So they could curry favour with anyone they liked. The bishops as well...but why are they all so eager to start it?


    Just what is going on? Have they all turned on me suddenly?


    ''Impossible!''


    I know that they all have enmity with one another, they would not do this. They hate each other far more than they hate me.


    "Cardinal Stefan."


    Without even waiting for me. The bishops and Cardinals had all left to go to the grand hall, where the election would take ce. Only one lone priest had called out for me, wishing for me toe with them. I stood frozen in ce, still a little shocked.


    It was not with the pope''s death. I already hade to understand that, but it was because of how fast things were moving. We must have been conducting a proper funeral first... If the people are to be aware that we proceeded with the elections before the funeral...there will be an outrage!


    An Outrage!


    ... They may even burn this entire ce to the ground, The pope was that loved.


    "Cardinal Stefan?"


    The priest called out once again.


    I, shocked, apanied the priest.


    As we walked along with the rest. I hade to terms with it. This is the day my death is decided. No one among them would wish for me t be the pope. Their previous attitude had confirmed it...


    I do not know who will be the pope, but I do know that whoever it will be, will order for my execution.


    ''Should I...run?''


    I immediately threw that thought out. Not only was it out of character, but it was also impossible. The people''s trust in me, and the church, would be struck with an arrow like it was on their heart. And where would I even run...?


    We had reached the Grand hall, along the way, I made a visit to the barbarian''s room and told him to flee. My name would offer him no protection, but would lead to his untimely demise. I found the smile he gave me odd...but I let go of it soon enough...


    Not only that, but I...have lost. I have lost.


    They all schemed against me! The bastards!


    They have forgotten that most of them were but orphans who the pope nurtured out of kindness...


    ''Sigh...''


    I sighed as I entered the grand hall and entered my position. Knowing my soon-to-be fate.


    The high priestess, my final hope, did not even nce at me and announced.


    "We have gathered here today to pray for the Pope, who has returned to the Lord in peace. And we have also gathered to discuss who will be the next pope."


    "..."


    Hearing her speak... I was speechless yet again.


    We have forgotten our tradition, Our customs, and our Religion. We know only of Power, greed, and envy...


    We know only of evil, Of Sin.


    ''''I apologize, my Lord. The church has fallen. Bless us one more time."


    The priestess, forgetting all her duties, listed the names of the candidates. Among them, there was also my name among those of the bishops.


    "And Finally, Cardinal Stefan, The Apostle."


    The elections had the perfect excuse, and with their hands that reached all throughout the empire. These bastards would find it easy to manipte all the information to benefit them and them only. With the death of the pope, it was made even easier.


    Normally, It would take time... But normal was thrown out of the window long ago. I, as the apostle, would have also be the pope, regardless of votes... But these bishops...


    No. This entire church has been consumed by evil and will not let that happen. Tradition has been abolished.


    Our Deity, has been forgotten.


    The voting process started, I, who could choose to vote, stayed in my position. I could not vote for myself, and I did not want to help these scums.


    It took a while, and I aimlessly stared at the paintings above, depicting great battles of our ancestors. Sighing.


    "Your legacies end today. Not at the hands of the barbarians, or the demons. But by the hands of your own. The ones youid upon your trust."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    I sighed and muttered. I had a look at my weapons, Gaebolg is not with me... I only have Ste. And that is not enough.


    It will be hard to escape. And I doubt I can even get to G¨¢e Bolg. The defences around my room would be tight. It will be nigh impossible. I can already devise what kind of traps they have set here.


    The voting process was done, and the High Priestess counted them, and said the name of the person who would be the new pope.


    It would be one of them.


    The name was announced.

 Chapter 484 [484] The new pope.

    Chapter 484 [484] The new pope.


    ??"Stefan Caravel!"


    My name rung out, and I, stood in a daze.


    "What?"


    I questioned, not in my mind. It was heard by everyone here.


    In my stupor, I was standing still. Looking at everyone, who were looking at me as well. With...strange eyes.


    I had be ready to ept whatever fatey in front of me, I was ready to fight them all to escape, get to my room, get Gaebolg and run.


    But... Nothing went to n. Not even the damn election. Someone else was supposed to be the pope...those bastards would never vote for me.


    ''Are they ying...a trick, perhaps?''


    The thought came to my mind. It could very well be possible. These scheming, heinous bastards would of course think of such.


    But, there is a slight...echo in my heart. An echo that whispers to my mind that this is true. Maybe it is my ambition, or maybe it is just...my wish bing alive.


    However... I must not sumb to it. Hurriedly, I used my holy power to discern their intentions. I need to know!


    But I found nothing yet again, only pure fanatics...of me.


    Not of our deity, but...me? Have they truly gone insane?


    No, that cannot be it. They are right in the head. My powers deem it to be so. So I am right!


    The voice in my mind, the warning from my heart, my guts and instincts are wrong.


    I am right!


    They...really did choose me.


    "Pope Stefan?"


    The priestess said, to gain my attention.


    ''Pope.''


    ''Pope.''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''Pope.''


    That word resounded in my mind...millions of times. For so long, I had... I had dreamt of this. Wished for it. Prayed for it.


    Fought for it.


    And it was granted to me...like that?


    Preposterous! It could not be this easy. It must not be this easy! It...can''t be this easy.


    They are all my enemies, I know it in my heart, but my powers tell me the opposite.


    They truly believe that I should be pope.


    ''But then...''


    Why?


    Why oppose me for so long? Why make my life a hell? Why make it so that I would be weak? That I would die every second of my life.


    Was it...to nurture me? That they would not actually kill me, but would rather just do it to make me stronger?


    No, that is wrong. Multiple times I have almost died, and the assassins and demons I faced were out to kill me. Every one of them wanted to kill me.


    Only by the grace of my deity was I able to survive. And the nature of these bastards didn''t sit right with me, nor their current actions.


    For example, the bishop of gold. A greedy bastard who did anything for money. I once called him out on public and disgraced his image. He hates me as if I am the person that killed his entire family.


    But he agrees of my stance.


    The cardinals, five of them, who are my bitter enemies... They voted for me.


    "... Ouch."


    I pinched myself, wanting to see if this was a dream or not. Maybe...this is just a bad dream.


    But it was not. Furthermore, it fucking hurt.


    "Pope Stefan, will you ascend to your seat?"


    They called out, everyone looked at me with expectant eyes. They were not eyes filled with deceit.


    I did not move, but I moved. My feet left my original position and began to walk towards it, climbing the stairs.


    Why am I moving? I don''t want to. Not until I know what the fuck is going on here.


    Why am I moving?! Stop!


    But I still continued to move. My body betrayed my mind, bing a traitor and marched forth. My will to stop it also relinquished. I epted it.


    Maybe...this is the heavenly will. Maybe...they were all enlightened.


    No!


    It is! It is not maybe, but I am sure it is! I can not be wrong.


    I walked up the stairs, and sat on the seat.


    My body did it like I was used to it. I felt no excitement. I felt nothing.


    They all pped. But it sounded weird.


    Each, and every strange p, followed by an interval of nothing but them staring right into my soul.


    ''Thump!''


    My heart began to beat loudly. My body began to shiver.


    Taking heavy breaths, I calmed myself. I should not get mislead here. I am the pope now, I have many duties to uphold. Not only that, but I am just letting suspicion drive my mind. They have all been enlightened.


    They have now...be true believers, of me.


    "My..."


    I opened my mouth, but no word came after that. My body began to shiver once more. I tried to calm myself, but to no avail.


    "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"


    I screamed out. They continued to stare at me in silence. My sudden outburst did not take them by surprise. I looked at the High priestess, her cold stare and kind smile pierced me.


    Shivers ran down my body. Each and every cell of my body wanted me to run. But I was glued to the seat, to the power it bestowed upon me. My mind was drunk on it.


    ''The seat is a curse, but it is holy''


    Now I understood the words of my master. The previous pope. But I felt odd.


    They started to p once again. Each and every p sent strange murmurs in my mind. Which increased my rm. I began to sweat, unable to take the toll.


    But then it changed.


    They stopped pping. They all looked at me. I was given a moment of respite. I had done nothing of significance, but I felt exhausted. Furthermore, I felt so mentally and physically fatigued I could...do nothing.


    Mustering up all my courage, all my strength, I managed to say.


    "We must hold the funeral...of the previous pope."


    Why was it so hard to say these words, Why?


    "Scratch that, We must hold a festival for my coronation."


    What? I don''t want to say that... Why did I say that?


    The words left my mouth, so easily, I was shocked. I tried to take it back, but it didn''t work.


    "Tsk tsk."


    I heard someone click their tongue. They were behind me. Yet I did not dare look back. I tried to move my neck, but my muscles were scared.


    My body was scared. I felt like the demon king was behind me.


    ''Demon king...''


    I thought. Maybe it is the demon king who nned this. Who took control of them!


    In my sudden assumption, I had forgotten that my holy powers had told me there was nothing but pure fanatiscm in their minds. I was just so ready to grab at any string I could see, so I could escape.


    I devised a n to use Ste and end him, and get rid of the curse on the people here.


    "I thought you wouldn''t sumb to the power... I was wrong."


    I paused.


    The voice that apanied the wind to my ears. I knew of it. I knew of this voice a few days ago and remembered it clearly.


    "What''s wrong? Scared?"


    The barbarian...how?


    He was simply a pawn for me to use to get more favour, to appear more merciful... So am I hearing things or not?


    I turned around, strangely, there was nothing stopping me now. I turned around and I was correct. It was the barbarian. But he possessed hair like golden silk now. His eyes were still the same emerald green, but I believe there is something else within them. He still towers over me, and his smile...


    His smile is wicked.


    "You...?"


    I questioned, hesitant but curious. I want to know what is going on here.


    "Yes. Who else?"


    His voice rang in my ears again, like a drum. Reverberating through my brain. My heart skipped a beat.


    I fell from my seat, down the stairs and onto the ground.


    He followed me, and sat on the seat. I looked at him from above.


    "I had hope for you, Stefan, I thought at least you...wouldn''t be greedy and sumb to the mightiest wine that is power. You became drunk in mere seconds."


    What is he talking about?


    I wondered as I massaged my ass. I had regained some rity and I looked at him, and said.


    "What...are you doing?"


    Why do you dare sit there? Who has given you permission? You are still a barbarian.


    "Why are you sitting there? Come down this instant!"


    That is not your seat, but mine! Mine!


    I am the pope, Not you! You came here only because I was merciful enough... So how dare you?


    "Come down there?"


    He cackled, I began to walk up the steps, but he stopped me. Strangely, I listened to him.


    "Woah there. Stop. If I want to sit here..."


    Staring right into my eyes, he continued.


    "Who can stop me? Whowantsto stop me?"


    He said, addressing not just me, but everyone here.

 Chapter 485 [485] The New Pope.

    Chapter 485 [485] The New Pope.


    ??"No one...?"


    I looked around, each and every member of the church present here were mindlessly staring at me. Their gazes felt sharp, like swords piercing into my body.


    "... Everyone?"


    I called out. But their stares did not move. They felt more and more sharp each passing second. Nothing moved. My mind felt as if it was in a cage, and I could only...


    I could only see his smile within it.


    Those teeth, those lips churning around to make the best smile ever. But it wasn''t ''best'' in the good way.


    It was creepy, it was horrifying. I lost my vision of my surroundings as that was the only thing that was present in my mind, like a gue meant to consume me in seconds.


    "Agh..."


    I gasped for breath, as the smile changed. Emerald green eyes formed above the pristine white teeth. The smile shifted, and changed into one that did not belong to a barbarian...much less a human.


    Small, white spots appeared.


    I stepped back, as the smile approached. The white spots became clearer and clearer until I realized.


    ''Those aren''t white spots.''


    Those are scales, shifting and transforming around the...smile. Forming something.


    A snake. Its tongue reached out and touched my face, I could feel the burn. It was as if the venom was not present in the fangs but the tongue.


    "What''s wrong?"


    I heard his voice, as small spirals of red and blue appeared everywhere in the darkness. The ck was soon devoured by these spirals.


    "Hallucinations..."


    I managed to mutter, and I heard his sinisterugh.


    I gulped. Taking more steps back, but soon I felt as if there was a wall behind me. I could retreat any further.


    "Monster!"


    I called out, as I expelled my holy power to fight against the snake. It transformed into multiple smaller snakes after cackling. I twisted and turned, dodging the bites of the snakes as I ripped them apart.


    "Devilish beings!"


    I yelled, as I increased the protection around my body, and fought, and fought, and fought.


    The snakes showed a sense of rm, I do not know how, or why I could perceive it upon their scaly faces, but I could!


    That is all that mattered... Yes! That is all that fucking matters!


    I can kill them! They are afraid of me.


    Drunk in this feeling, I yelled like a warrior of light, tearing all evil in my way.


    I could not feel pain, I could only cause it! I can kill them!


    No....


    I am killing them!


    The thoughts turned into actions, as my fear disappeared, and I was victorious.


    "Ha... Ha..."


    Gasping for breath, I stared at the half ripped body of the snake in my hands as I let out a cackle. The rest were staring at me in fear, and did not dare approach. Thergest snake was dead before me, its body littered with wounds. Its skin was ruptured from my fierce strikes. And I ripped its skull open, pulled its tongue out and used its fangs against it.


    "Ha ha ha!"


    My gasping for breath turned into a fit a maniacal, hystericalughter. I looked at the disappearing spirals and yelled in triumph.


    "You cannot defeat me! Even If I do not use Gaebolg or Ste, My lord provides me with the strength to defeat you!"


    But I was not done yet, I still had more to say.


    "Do you see this?! Do you see my might?! I have defeated y-"


    "Have you?"


    The spirals disappeared all of a sudden, and everything I was seeing disappeared. The bodies of the snakes and their blood. I was back in the church, And saw the barbarian, whose name was James, still sitting on my seat.


    "Get down from there!"


    ''Plop!''


    I heard a strange, meaty sound as I felt a sort of weight leaving my shoulder.


    I looked down and I found... I found...


    Guts.


    Intestines, organs, and flesh. That was what had dropped from my shoulder. Furthermore, my hand was holding an arm that had been ripped off by brute force. The arm was wearing the church''s robes. This was not the body of a snake, but it was an arm of a member here.


    That was not all, my entire body was covered, in guts, in flesh, and my robes were sullied. There was not a single inch of my body free from it.


    "Impossible..."


    I muttered, in disbelief. The snakes I was battling for so long...were the members of the church.


    "The new pope ughters the church members...tsk tsk... Now isn''t that a headline."


    His voice rang in my ears, In a fit of anger, I rebutted.


    "You used your vile magic on me!"


    I knew I would not fall to such maniptions! It must be a vile magic he used! Demonic magic.


    "Did I?"


    But his words were like a lightning bolt striking me, leaving me paralysed.


    I checked the state of my body, and I found something shocking. The holy barrier I had erected around myself was at full strength.


    If he had used any magic, it would defend against it and thus be reduced in power. But it was not.


    I refuse to believe he did nothing... I refuse to believe it. I looked around and saw the people, who were still alive, staring at my body in fear.


    "No...don''t be afraid... I am the pope. I am your protector."


    But my words did not get to them. They ran away from the grand hall, and I was left with him.


    I stared at him in disbelief.


    The surrounding air shifted, and a crack appeared in space. I stared at the crack, thinking.


    ''What is that for?''


    I wondered, as I considered rushing upwards o strike him yet again. To try to defeat this menace that had reduced me, that had reduced the church to such a state. That had reduced the position and reputation of the pope.


    I started to walk as his hand went inside the crack. I thought he would take out a weapon to fight me and I, rejoiced and went upwards to fight him.


    But I stopped all of a sudden when I saw my own spear, Gaebolg being thrown towards me. I hurriedly caught it. Confused, I looked at him.


    "Come on, fight."


    With my powers, I had confirmed that the spear in my hands truly was the Gaebolg. This was not a trick.


    "This will be your undoing!"


    I yelled as I approached him in a mere second, My body disappeared, and I appeared in front of the bastard. I turned my hip, took a stable footing and thrust towards his neck.


    But, regardless of how fast I was, his body moved like a fluid, calmly and slowly away from my spear.


    "Why are you so slow, Cardinal Stefan?"


    ''Cardinal...?''


    That word induced such anger within me, I could not fathom it. Does he not know...what I am now?!


    "It''s pope!"


    I sliced towards his neck once again, but he jumped on top of my de, sitting on top of it like it was a chair...


    "Is it?"


    "You bastard!"


    A thousand times, I thrust. But none of them hit. I did it all within the span of a few seconds, but I slowly watched him get closer and closer, treating my attacks as nothing but mere breezes on a stroll in the park.


    Nice things, not deadly attacks that were meant to kill him. In but a moment, he was in front of me, looking down at me...the pope.


    He was at a distance where my spear was useless.


    "Do you know of a person called ''Spear God''?"


    He asked. But I could not answer. I did not even want to. If I knew it.


    "God...?"


    But that word threw me off. How could one person who just wields a spear so well bebelled as a god? That was utter sphemy!


    "It''s cringe, isn''t it?"


    He stated a word I didn''t understand. He moved closer, close to my ear. And whispered.


    "Do you know, you are technically looking at him?"


    "What?"


    The words he spoke were literal bullshit in my eyes. All this time he hadn''t exhibited any qualities belonging to a good spearman.


    Hell, it was all as if he had never held a weapon in his life! Just relying on his physique to do whatever heinous acts he wished.


    He touched my chest, And I instinctively reacted and jumped back.


    "Ha!"


    Iughed, happy that I had prevented whatever he wanted to do with me. I jumped back towards him to strike once again. But I found out that I could not move. There was a distinctive, cold, chilly feeling on my chest.


    His outstretched finger retreated, and my chest felt cold.


    I looked down on and found ice forming around it. This bastard managed to hit me! I must kill him now.


    Having no choice left, I equipped Ste in order to defeat him.


    But a chill went down my body, not originating from the piece of ice on my chest.


    It originated from his sudden, wicked smile, as the roof of the grand hall burst apart, showering us with a power of divinity unlike any other.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 486 [486] The power of chaos.

    Chapter 486 [486] The power of chaos.


    ??Like it was not cement, like it was not wood, not a masterpiece of human architecture but mere ss. It shattered into millions of pieces and a blinding light epassed them, with so much divine power that Stefan spat out blood.


    The sky was split apart, as a light descended from the sky. It was so blinding it turned the bodies of those who watched it to ash, except for Stefan and James.


    "Oh, it''s here."


    Said James, as five artefacts were floating behind him, seemingly the conduit to this event. Stefan looked at him with bloodshot eyes, his body having been controlled by the ice threads, which pierced into his muscles and nerves.


    "What have you done?!"


    He yelled out, blood apanied his tongue and throat.


    "What? What''s wrong?"


    His evil smile didn''t change, as he stood undisturbed in the blinding light. The very light that was reducing the capital to ash, was nothing to him.


    "How?!"


    Stefan asked, confused, shocked. And scared. He looked up, but the blinding light was clear. He knew it was the descent of his deity. The vast amount of holy power he possessed was shivering, seemingly afraid.


    "Do you have any idea what you have done?! You''ve ruined us all!"


    "Why are you so afraid? Is he not the one you worship? Why would you think this is dangerous, then?"


    He approached Stefan, who was powerless. The frost has prated every cell of his body, and his skin had long since turned blue.


    "Ah!"


    He yelled out in pain, as James appeared right in front of him. The grand cathedral was reduced to ash in seconds as the bright light in the sky roared.


    "What you believe is fake. That thing is of nothing divine. Most who call themselves are not divine..."


    "But what do you know? You have never met the others, you have never even left this insignificant world. They pride themselves to be ''Gods'' but they are mere copies. Second hand products that have managed to create their own wed ''divinity''."


    "And then they get stronger when people are gaslit."


    He talked, not giving Stefan a chance to speak back. His figure was covered in light, and it was hard to even perceive his appearance.


    "But that''s all bullshit."


    He said, as the light disappeared for a second. His figure, however, was different. It was not normal any more.


    A strange power, a purple energy, epassed him. The purple has small dots of pure ck within it, and it coalesced in his hand to be a sphere. The sphere had raging winds of purple beside it. Stefan''s entire body, controlled or not, shrunk back in fear. Each and every cell of his body was scared of that small sphere.


    "Scared?"


    His voice pierced him yet again, and he tried to move back. The sphere in his hand stayed there, pulsing like a heart. It looked to be perfect, but at the same time it looked imperfect.


    It was hard to describe it. One moment Stefan felt as if it was pure, the strongest energy that could exist, that it was without ws, but in the next moment it was filled with ws.


    "Do you know what this is?"


    He asked him, his hand, holding the sphere, came close as time itself seemed to have stopped. The blinding light above him, the one he prided himself to be a believer of, didn''t daree down any further.


    "What is it?"


    He asked, curiosity overtaking his thoughts. He just...wanted to know. What it was. He didn''t even know why he asked such a question, he just wanted to...


    "Chaos."


    James answered, chills ran down Stefan once again, not originating from the frost as he muttered.


    "The magic of demons..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But how? How was it possible? This...little sphere was greater than all the vile spells he had seen been cast. It was so powerful it sent shivers down his spine, his entire body screamed it him to run and never look back.


    "Wrong."


    But James denied his words.


    "Many people have the misconception that demons use chaos magic, and it originates from them... But it''s quite the opposite. The demons themselves are born from chaos. It leads their path, it is their path. Just like how the Celestials are born from the element of Fate. It''s the same for demons.


    Without chaos, they are not demons."


    He exined, even though it was quite useless at this moment in time.


    "You remember...the spear god, correct?"


    He asked, mentioning the ''spear god'' he talked about earlier. Stefan remembered, but did not say anything.


    "Well, you see. He was someone so strong, so well versed in it, that the greatest being of chaos wanted him. It could never take full control of the element...but with him? Yes. And so it devised the most heinous schemes. Turning back time, starting universal wars to draw attention away from him...until it finally snatched him."


    The sphere left his hand, and moved upwards, towards the light.


    Stefan could only watch it move.


    "And you want to know something else? This is so little... I want to use more, but I can''t risk it. This is nothing but...a mere fragment of the power."


    The sphere collided with the bright light, and destroyed it. Reducing it to such a weak state, a pebble could kill it. It fell to the ground, the bright light was now sullied. IT tried to fight against the purple abyss but failed.


    "Stefan, do it."


    Stefans arms moved, and he drew the string of Ste.


    "No!"


    He yelled in defiance, but his body obeyed.


    "NO, NO, NO!"


    So many times, the word no came out, but the string only went back. Until it was fully drawn.


    A blue arrow appeared on top of it, and silently left the bow. Piercing the light. That was it. The light, which would have been consumed by the chaos, was killed by its apostle. Before it could happen. The ''deity'' they believed in was dead.


    "Good job."


    Praised James, as he derived Stefan of all his functions. His body fell to the ground. But James did not kill him. Something else would. Since Stefan was an apostle, he was made from divine power.


    But now, that source was gone. He was reducing to ash, suffering a most excruciating, painful death.


    And soon enough, as he turned to dust. The disys appeared.


    [You have cleared the trials.]


    [Sufficient rewards have been attributed to your inventory.


    [Rewards: Spark of Divinity, Gaebolg.]


    [You are advancing to the next trials.]


    "I think I''m going to keep going, this is fun."


    James smiled, as his body teleported to the next trials.

 Chapter 487 [487] The Crystal Serpent.

    <h4>Chapter 487 [487] The Crystal Serpent.</h4>


    ?n coughed out blood as his body collided with the crystal walls. He fell to the floor, the water was dyed red by his blood. The walls were filled with small, sharp crystals, and they ripped into his skin and almost stuck him to the wall.


    "Agh!"


    He let out a pained groan, as he frantically dodged therge snake.


    It was massive, now that it moved out of the darkness, he could finally see its size...which was still not everything!


    A significant portion of the bastard was still in the darkness!


    ''Hiss!''


    Its tongue hissed and it, like a bullet train rushed towards n once again, he jumped up, dodging therge snake. But it quickly changed its direction and rushed upwards, mming his body on the roof.


    "You bastard!"


    He cursed, as he grabbed the snake''s scales and tried to throw it. But even with n''s monstrous strength, he was unable to even move it.


    He could only be bullied by it, its gargantuan body provided it with enough strength to treat him as a toy.


    Wounds littered his body, and since he couldn''t even use mana, he could do nothing but be beaten like a bitch.


    If he tried to grab it, the crystals on its body would tear his flesh, if he tried to dodge it, it would turn in odd ways to grab him. The body, which was made of crystal, was fucking weird to be able to do this.


    n found himself in a pickle, as the snake rushed at him once again, it opened itsrge mouth and tried to swallow him whole. n grabbed both fangs with his hand, and with his feet the lower part of the mouth was kept open. He tried hard, very hard, but the mouth kept closing, the point of the fan pierced his shoulder as his hand was slipping. Grimacing, he jumped back, barely avoiding being turned into snake food.


    "Fuck!"


    Thinking there was nothing he could do, he began to run back towards the crack, on numerous asions, the serpent which was faster than him rushed towards hi, and he dodged by a hairs'' breadth. He kept looking back, in order to discern the next move of the serpent, but he noticed something peculiar.


    But now was not the time, hurriedly, he rushed into the crack and squeezed himself in, it was hard, but finally he was free from the serpent. His wounds would heal, because he was a dragon, but it would take a while. His mana was locked, after all.


    "What the fuck is that...and where the fuck am I?"


    He groaned, as he rested on the wall. These walls thankfully didn''t have smaller crystals that would tear into his body. They were just cold.


    "That thing... it didn''t touch the crystals, the sharp ones."


    When n was retreating, he was constantly looking back at the snake so he could urately dodge, but he found one peculiar thing.


    It avoided the crystals strewn about, and never hit the walls. Even when it was close to them, it would always turn.


    Thetter could be a coincidence, but the former? That was odd.


    "Hmm..."


    He couldn''t use mana, so most of his strength was limited. Besides, he had nothing on him, literally.


    "I think I can take it." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He said, ignoring the fact that he got absolutely demolished a few seconds prior. All he needed was a weapon to y that scaly bastard. Its size wasn''t an issue, neither the speed. If the speed was an issue, n wouldn''t be here.


    Of course, there was also the option of waiting here, But that was boring, and since n thought that snake was the boss of the trial he was on, he needed to kill it to pass. The tower hadn''t given him any notification, description, or even an objective. So he just believed what he had to.


    After waiting a day or two for his wounds to heal, n walked into the pce once again, he looked at the throne, and the snake behind, He wanted to confirm something. There was always the chance that the snake was ying tricks into him, he was nning to confirm whether it was ying around or if the crystal could actually harm it.


    Unlike before, the snake didn''t wait for him to approach the throne, it charged at him as soon as he entered a certain radius from it.


    n went behind arge crystal, and watched it. Just in case, it weaved and still managed to dodge it, he had brought smaller crystals he found far back where he came from. If it did, he would throw the crystals and punch the damn snake with them.


    It would obliterate his fist, but it was worth a try. As expected, the snake dodged the crystal, parts of its crystal like body would stop abruptly, and the rest would move fluently. Completely betraying the properties of crystal.


    n smirked, having expected this, and threw the crystals in the air. The snake was nning to ram its head into him, thankfully, this stupid act of it''s made his task easier.


    The snake approached, and the crystals dropped, right between it and n. It noticed them, and tried to retreat, but it was far toote. n ran towards it, and punched it, with the crystals between his fist and its nose.


    A scream rang out, as the snake retreated. n found a green liquid oozing from it''s injured nose, andughed, His blood was mixed with it on the ground, but he didn''t pay any heed to it. He simply ran like a bitch once again.


    The snake was enraged, and n''s fist was obliterated. Furthermore, he didn''t have any more crystals. The one he used was lodged right in its nose, causing more and more damage by the second. Its sharp edges proved useful.


    He ran, escaping the space once again. Going back into the crack. Smiling, he didn''t wait for his injured hand to recover and ventured off to find other crystals, of a simr shape and size to a spear, so he could finally kill the scaly bastard.

 Chapter 488 [488] Crystal Spear.

    Chapter 488 [488] Crystal Spear.


    ??It took quite a while for n to reach the deepest corners of the trial space. He was walking for hours and hours on end, venturing everywhere there was some light, in order to find a suitable crystal.


    He had terrible luck. Whenever he would find a crystal, it would be either too big or too small, or in an inconvenient and useless shape. Some wererge as wall, some small as ants. He found some peculiar crystals, which were like armour tes, but he couldn''t use them as he had nothing to attach them to his body with.


    He did find numerous fist sized crystals, he grabbed some and threw them where the crack was. It was hard to find his way back there. So he would either use his blood to mark the wall or some crystals. Or stack a bunch of fist-sized crystals in an odd manner at specific points. He would pick them back up as ammo.


    ''Come on...there has to be one!''


    He pleaded in his mind, it had been days now, and he had yet to find a suitable crystal in the form of a spear or any weapon at this point. He hoped he wouldn''t have to resort to using the fist sized crystals. He could either do the same thing-which was punching the scaly bastard, but that had a limited use. It would obliterate his body as well.


    The crystals, were incredibly strong. Although n''s mana was locked, and he was unable to use it, his skin was tougher than steel. Ordinary objects, and even some mana enhanced ones, would find it hard to damage him.


    These crystals would cut him at the slightest touch. Some small ones pierced the lower part of his foot, which made it hard to walk and posed an inconvenience.


    "F*ck!"


    He would always yell when one happened to be underneath his feet. And it was quite a pain taking them out.


    "Why is this ce so damn dangerous."


    He continued moving, a few more days had passed but no luck. n would always return when he encountered an area where there was pitch ck darkness. He could not afford to be lost in this ce, who knew how much time it would take him to get out if he did.


    Navigating it was already a pain in his bottom, doing it in pitch ck darkness? He wouldn''t dare even think of it. To pass the time and give him an advantage over the snake, n would sometimes venture into the crack, crystals in hand, He would ce them in numerous spots and sometimes even throw them at the snake to do some more damage.


    He threw the crystals near the crack a lot, so that his escape would be easier. He also found out that throwing the crystals was quite effective, it wouldn''t do life-threatening damage, but it was good enough. Another thing he found out was that the snake had great regenerative capabilities.


    It took it only a day to regenerate from its eye being hit by a crystal. This ''hit'' was actually severe. The crystal had prated deep into the socket, but it was pushed out by new flesh being formed and recing it.


    "That thing sure heals fast."


    Was n''s response when he saw it. All the other flesh wounds he had induced were healed in mere hours. And the snake was now very vignt of his entry every time. The radius he needed to enter to get it into action had disappeared. And it would simply attack him the moment he entered.


    However, it would always retreat behind the throne, not once did it stay at the crack to camp or block it. n thought maybe the throne was special, and sitting on it would maybe allow him to control the snake, or at least make it not hostile. He tried it.


    It went horribly wrong, and his ass was almost eaten by the snake.


    But, knowing that he could damage it gave him some peace of mind, and the motivation to go out and search for a suitable crystal.


    He ventured into a direction he had not gone into before, this was thest one, all the others had been fully explored except the pitch ck areas. He feared that, if he did not find a suitable crystal in this direction, he would have to just throw the smaller crystals to kill the snake.


    "Let''s hope I find it here..."


    He ventured forth, being greeted by the annoying feeling of his feet and toes being constantly wet. Thankfully, n''s body had adapted to the cold here, and it didn''t affect him any more. He went further and further, making small towers of fist sized crystals along the way to know where to return.


    It had been a few days since he was walking. Strangely enough, this part of the space seemed much more vast, this increased his hopes of finding a suitable crystal. He wasn''t even searching for a spear crystal any more, a dagger would do. All he needed was something he could hold which could cut.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But s, he had no luck. His luck had always been bad. After days of wandering here, he had found countless fist sized crystals, but not what he was looking for. He could see the pitch ck darkness a few kilometres ahead and resolved himself to find as many crystals he could here, all so he could lob them at the scaly being there.


    He walked a little bit more ahead, and was about to turn around when the darkness filled his view but...


    He found it.


    He found something! It was on the edge of the darkness, but he could travel a little bit further!


    "Please!"


    He hoped it would be the perfect shape. And when he finally saw it more clearly, he had a smile full of glee.


    It had a wide base connected to the ground, but it reached up. The crystal was like a small stctite, as thick as his wrist, and reached up to his mouth. It was a little bit long for a spear, but it would do! Anything at this point! Furthermore, it even had a sharp edge!


    There was only one problem, however, which was...


    How do I get it? The crystal had a wide base, and it was quite rigid. n''s previous attempts with a crystal informed him of how tough it was. It would be very hard to break the base and get it.


    "Hm..."


    Pondering, he went back and grabbed a smaller crystal.


    Fight fire with fire, or in this case crystal with crystal. Like a caveman hitting a bigger rock with a smaller rock, he hit it continuously until the crystal cut his hand. Making him drop it.


    "..."


    He picked it up with his other hand and continued. After this one was filled with injuries as well, he stopped. Unwilling to try more now. There had been some progress, the base (where he was cutting) had been broken somewhat. This meant that he could get it. He wished that it would be over fast, and that his efforts wouldn''t shatter or deform the crystal too much.


    And so, over the course of a few days he kept hammering it and waiting for his hands to heal, and finally, he was able to acquire it. The area he was hammering was as thin as a toothpick, afraid he would damage the crystal above further, he decided to pull it. Even though it was so little, it required n to input a great deal of strength to separate the damn thing.


    "Hmph!"


    He pulled hard and broke the area that had been reduced to a toothpick of odd shapes. He fell on his ass right after but didn''t mind it.


    "Finally..."


    He muttered, as he happily looked at the crystal spear in his bloody hands. God knows how much blood he had lost here. Thankfully, for his species, this wasn''t much of a challenge in the slightest.


    The spear, which was quite crude to be called a spear...was perfect for him right now. He didn''t mind its odd shape at some intervals of its length. All he cared about was that it would work. After trying it, swinging and thrusting to get used to it. He finally made his way back home.


    Along the way, he threw the crystals he had piled up to make mountains with back, just so he could have more ammo. It took him a day of running to get back to where he was. Fortunately for him, he didn''t grow hungry here at all.


    He reached the crack, and after throwing in as many crystals as he could manage. He jumped in, squeezing the spear and his own body inside.


    With full confidence, he looked at the snake rushing towards him and yelled.


    "Come on, you big scaly legless lizard, I''m gonna fucking skewer you."

 Chapter 489 [489] The crystal Spear(2)

    Chapter 489 [489] The crystal Spear(2)


    ??Once again, n entered through the crack. He squeezed himself and the crystal spear inside, and carefully dodged the piles of crystals he had set up.


    Seeing the snake rush at him, he grabbed the spear with one hand and picked up a crystal. And threw it with all his might.


    ''Hiss!''


    The snake hissed, and as it slithered towards it prey, it noticed the familiar glint of the dangerous crystals. It weaved with its scaly body and dodged the crystal, only to be met with four moreing right at it.


    One hit it close to its jaw, the others on its body. Enraged, it marched forth again, managing to drive its prey to a corner.


    Swiftly, arge portion of its body''s appeared from the darkness and covered the crack. The snake hissed in pain as the abundance of crystals around the crack, which were like walls, ripped into its skin, but it was satisfied.


    No longer would the prey be able to run away. All it needed to do was keep that part of its body there.


    Its body was huge, it could possibly cover this entire space, but the snake had never tried it, so it wasn''t too keen on it.


    A few more crystals were thrown at it, and its crystal like skin was cut apart and blood oozed out. It hissed, but it did not move. It, in an attempt to do so with its peculiar face, smiled at the human, like it was saying.


    ''You can''t run now.''


    It slowly moved towards n, thinking therge crystal in his hand was merely another projectile. It was so sick of them, it was the only thing it could think about. And it longed to rip its prey apart. Or even strangle its prey.


    "Come on..."


    n said, waiting for it to approach so he could finally stab it. He knew the snake had its guard down against the crystal spear. Once it knew, it was incredibly dangerous... It would do it''s best to avoid it and stop ying with n.


    It was slowly encircling him, and n calmly stood in the middle. The snake continued to get closer, finally showing some rm at the crystal spear. It still thought it was a projectile and was ready for it. It was simply surprised why n had not thrown it.


    Around five crystals were around n, all that he could throw at the snake. n bent down to pick one up, whilst keeping a vignt eye on the snake.


    The snake, seeing n bend down to pick a crystal. Slithered towards him with great speed. Determined to end him now.


    "Fucking idiot."


    n said, as he jumped up, forgetting the crystals. Before the Snake could turn around, a wide gash was present on both of its eyes. Jelly like fluid, and its cut retinas, flowed out of the deep wounds along with blood. The snake writhed around, deprived of its sight, and went ballistic, trying to attack anywhere and everywhere. With itsrge body, it would be doing quite good if it wasn''t ramming into the crystals everywhere.


    Soon, multiple deep wounds appeared on the body of the snake, all made by the spear in n''s hand. There was not a single inch of the poor bastard gushing blood in the light. As for the bit remaining in the dark, he didn''t know.


    ''Stop moving!''


    n yelled in his mind, not daring to make a sound in case the snake was aware of his location. He was thankful it was going ballistic. He didn''t want it to urately lock onto his position.


    ''Now... I just need to skewer its brain.''


    He made up his mind and proceeded, slowly making his way towards the scaly bastard.


    But, suddenly feeling his toes being cold, apanied by the sound of water sshing, made him stop, frozen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chills went down his spine as he looked at the snake stop thrashing around, and stare directly at him with its shed eyes.


    "Fuck."


    He managed to say, as the snake rushed at him with a speed he had never seen it aplish before. It was so quick, n was certain its body had disappeared for a moment.


    It appeared in front of him, and without even knowing it he was already in the snake''s mouth, ready to be pierced by the fangs and swallowed whole.


    He didn''t know if that thing had venom, but he wasn''t willing to experiment it. He held the crystal spear high and stabbed it right into the snake''s upper mouth.


    A shockwave went through his body as the snake hissed in pain again, the spear was lodged between both ends of its mouth, and it struggled to close it. It eventually gave up.


    It knew trying more would make the spear pierce its brain, killing it instantly. What it didn''t know was n was betting on that to happen.


    And he would do anything to make sure it did. Running towards the snake, he kicked it''s lower jaw up. Trying to cause even more damage on the inside.


    "Die!"


    He said, as he grabbed the upper and lower parts of its jaw and used each and every bit of his strength to close them together, to make it easier, He kicked some crystals down it''s throat to hasten and ease the process.


    It obliterated the skin and bones of his foot, but it would do. He hoped that thing would die soon.


    "Come on!"


    He yelled once again, as the snake writhed around violently, trying to shake him off. Its body destroyed the surroundings quickly. Harming itself more.


    "Come on!"


    He yelled again, and again, as he used every bit of strength he had to close that darn mouth!


    Suddenly, he felt as if he had done it. But an impact threw him against the wall. The snake''s body had collided with him. He copsed to the ground, blood leaking from his gritted teeth. He stood up, picking up a crystal around to throw at the snake.


    But there was no need. The snake was dead. The top of the spear escaping its skull.


    "It''s...dead?"


    He questioned, slowly moving towards it to confirm the kill. After confirming, it was dead, he thought maybe thest attack was a dying struggle.


    "Finally..."


    He copsed to the ground once again, his butt feeling cold from the water. He looked at the body of the snake evaporate and sighed in relief.


    "When is the trial clear notificationing...?"


    He was tired of waiting around, He raised his head and noticed that the throne was glowing. It wasn''t the blue light like always, but a mixture of blue and green. It was teal.


    n, tired, went over to it and looked at it closely. He observed the darkness behind it as well. As well as the words that were written. They were the same.


    "The special ability of the humans, to create a domain to rule."


    They were the same, n went to the throne once again. And after confirming no more snakes would appear, He, like any normal person, would think of doing...


    Sat on the throne.


    "Cold."


    It was ice-cold, colder than the previous time he sat on it.


    "So...is nothing going to happen?"


    He sounded disappointed. He expected something grand to happen, but there was nothing. No clear notification...nothing. He hoped the tower wouldn''t force him to go into the darkness behind the throne.


    "Please don''t make me go towards the dark- argh!"


    Spikes suddenly appeared, piercing his wrists and calves. The throne was a trap! Smaller, but sharp spikes appeared from all around the throne, piercing his organs, his neck, and even his head. Surprisingly, there was no blood.


    n couldn''t see it anyway, his eyes had long been pierced by the spikes. He only tried to cry out in pain. Finally, arge spike erupted from his chest. And n fell limp.


    The throne glowed once again, but the veins this time seemed to flow inwards, towards n, contrary tost time when they illuminated the entire pce.


    n no longer moved, most of his body was covered by the spikes and nothing could be made sense of. Whether it was a person or a bunch of spikes on the throne? No one could figure it out.


    No one was here to figure it out as well.


    However, the spikes, slowly retreated back into the throne. The smaller ones did it first, retreating back into the throne. Surprisingly, there were no wounds! The ces where the spikes erupted from were fine! Not a single scratch.


    Thergest spike disappeared as well, and n, covered in a crystal armour emerged, his head fell, but he remained seated. His chest heave up and down, indicating that he was alive and breathing. Just unconscious.


    The pce breathed with him. The veins pulsed in ordance with his chest.


    It was as if the pce, the entire area...was alive.

 Chapter 490 [490] Like it’s alive.

    <h4>Chapter 490 [490] Like it''s alive.</h4>


    ?Like it was alive, it pulsed with his every breath. As his chest moved up and down, the pce walls did the same.


    The veins felt more alive...they coursed through the entire space. They were not confined to the original space where the snake was held, but they moved out now. With each breath they glowed more, and more!


    Until everything was lit up.


    The walls moved in tandem, as well as the crystals littering the floor. It was as if they were not crystals...but a living being itself.


    As if they were flesh. Flesh that moved with every breath of the owner. Every breath, which rejuvenated the body.


    "Ha..."


    A cold, cold mist escaped n body through his skin, and soon from his mouth. A few more, and he opened his eyes.


    Slowly, they opened, as they felt a strange, cool chill pass over them. But this chill forting.


    It was magnificent.


    "Ha..."


    He moved once again, his feet moved and his arms gripped the throne tightly, he began to raise his head, as he felt euphoric. As he felt...strange but perfect.


    He raised his head fully, and looked at the pce, the walls, the floor, the ceiling was alive to him, and they were lit. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The teal colour had disappeared and a bright, astral blue epassed the veins, as if they were the stars themselves, they reached out, their light pierced through the endless stretch of darkness and illuminated...everything. Everything!


    The darkness, he was afraid of venturing into, was lit by the light of the stars and everything was visible. Everything...was him.


    Everything, could be felt by every fibre of his being, every cell managed to grasp the entire feeling so well... n was drunk on it.


    The chill went through his body, causing him to almost moan.


    "Everything here..."


    He managed to utter in his drunken stupor. Fascinated by this...phenomena.


    Cold mist that would freeze mountains in seconds escaped his mouth as he muttered.


    "Is...my domain."


    He stood up from the throne, his feet, covered in the crystal like armour, spread ice everywhere he stepped! The ice was like a carpet, to prevent his mighty feet from touching the filth of the ground, littered with his and the snake''s blood.


    The crystals moved, the small ones on the ground, therge ones stuck into the floor... They all moved...even the crystal spear! They all formed, like they were pieces of a puzzle, into a magnificent, giant serpent of jade. Two diamonds appeared in its eyes, more brilliant than any emerald could ever hope to be.


    It was not at all inferior to the snake n had fought, perhaps...it was even superior to that beast. The crystal spear, which was the bane of the snake before, was now....a proud horn on this one''s head. A weapon and a symbol. It went behind the throne, like the one before it. But it was not the only one. Multiple snakes emerged...from everywhere as they all gathered around the throne, therger ones encircling it, to provide a more magnificent appearance.


    The smaller ones piled up, to form better steps to reach the throne. Their round bodies became square steps as they piled up towards the throne. The others? They went into the walls, the floors and filled the empty carvings, their diamond like eyes shining throughout the throne room. Providing a more, in depth and ancient feel to the room.


    But...that was not all. There was more toe! The few veins that went through the crack, expanded and pulled it open. They were fierce, and they were ambitious. They pulled the small crack open and made it into a grand doorway. Crystal emerged from the ground to form a door, as great as the doors to a Pce''s throne. And then, they...formed a path.


    A path towards the space, which was now, very, very different from the space n had previously traversed. It was not a barren, cold, and fiercend but a masterpiece to the eyes. The water that had previously flooded it was now in pools, fountains, and throughout the walls, providing a scenery unlike any other!


    Gardens of blue, crystal flowers appeared, rooms filled with so many things appeared! Everything was perfection! There were snakes, some covered in armour, everywhere. Some were special, they possessed the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake, the head was like a cobra. Some were small, barely eight feet when ounting their upper body and some part of their lower body, excluding the tail. While the others? They were more than 10 feet tall, and had more armour than the rest. Therge ones were like guards, which held magnificent spears and shields, a sword on their hips.


    They guarded the doors, and the smaller ones were like workers. But that didn''t mean they couldn''t fight. Each had two daggers and a spear on them. It seemed the pce''s residents had taken the weapon of their master as a staple, a must-have. Everyone had a spear.


    There were also other,rger snakes roaming the areas, but they did not exude the same presence as the one present inside the throne room, it was clear they were weaker versions.


    The entire ce was a city...and at the centre was a construct that seemed like out of ice, but it was not ice.


    It was a pce, made of blue jade.


    It was the Jade Pce itself, a Domain. A space within the body itself, arge space like this!


    A domain that had the crystal sky, a domain that had its own army, a domain that was a city! A kingdom! A throne tomand all them and everything. It was unlike anything James and Aranus ever possessed... It was!..


    n''s own, independent domain.

 Chapter 491 [491] The Jade Palace.

    <h4>Chapter 491 [491] The Jade Pce.</h4>


    ?[Tower of Trials, Unknown Floor.]


    James, whistling a tune suddenly stopped as his body was teleported to the next lobby. But that was not the reason for the surprise on his face.


    His feet entered the grand lobby, which was like the resting area before a big, boss fight. But the architecture here didn''t bother him.


    "That kid..."


    He muttered, as he touched his chest, a strange sensation was felt there.


    "He conquered it..."


    The shock in his voice was palpable, he was utterly stupefied, refusing to believe what had happened.


    The sensation came from his chest, and he looked at the ceiling andughed, as he felt the control he had over the body leaving him.


    "The kids got talent, I''ll give him that. He even transformed the entire ce."


    There was a sort of happiness in his voice, like that of a creator happy that his creation had done something of worth, that it''s actions were impressive.


    "Well, It is time to go, I guess. The abyss is keeping tabs on me again. I''ll drive it away before the kides...as a reward."


    He said, as the green in his eyes disappeared, and he lifelessly fell to the floor. A green wisp of energy leaving his body and driving something else away.


    **********


    [The Jade Pce, n Pator.]


    "What...was that?"


    n said, as he almost fell. He had almost lost himself in the drunken stupor from the immense power he felt. But, despite the euphoric feeling and the strength that flowed within him.


    He was still B+ rank. His rank had not changed, neither had his stats. Not even mana showed a change. This led him to question, what was that?


    He opened his eyes, and immediately closed them again. He could see not just in front of him, but multiple, multiple areas of the pce. And he could even see himself from all directions as well. The armour that was around him, appearing like diamonds, was peculiar to him.


    "I remember that horrid feeling..."


    He said, as the vivid memory of spikes appearing all around and the immense pain was still present in his memory. He shook it off soon and tried to control his vision.


    After much, much time, he was finally able to do it. No longer could he see multiple view points, and could only see through his eyes.


    All it took was some mana.


    ''My mana is back!''


    He yelled out in glee, thinking that the trial really was over. He smiled, as he felt his strength return. There was something hidden in his mana this time, however.


    It was a strange feeling, something he had felt before, but couldn''t remember where. His instincts were telling him to look at his status window, and so he did.


    ----Status----


    Name: n Pator (17)


    Race: Dragon. (Young)


    Titles: Student of The Sword Saint, King of the Jade Pce, Youngest C ss in history, wielder of the Righteous Spear...


    Strength: B+


    Agility: B+


    Endurance: B+


    Mana: B+


    Charm: B


    Intelligence: B


    Affinities: Frost (Supreme), Chaos (Supreme), Space (Superior).


    Skill: Draconic Transformation (Frost, Chaos, Space), Dragon Transformation (Frost, Chaos, Space), Dragon breath (Frost, Chaos, Space), Dragon Eyes.....


    Domain(s): The Jade Pce (Frost).


    Martial techniques: Chaotic Steps, Body of Ice, Basic Footwork, Advanced footwork....


    Weapon Techniques: Chaotic Spear.


    Mana techniques: Supreme ice dragons breath, Cosmic Breath, Whiff of Frost.


    --------------------


    "..."


    There was something else in his status information, something which made his eyes widen.


    Domain.


    Domain. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Domain!


    The word rang in his minds, as he focused on the word and the system brought out its information.


    "Damn."


    He said, as he read the information.


    [The Pce of Jade, Frost Element Domain.]


    The pce of jade, which will never melt, is your domain of frost. Armed with a city that can expand, a pce of untold power and proportions, as well as your own army. The jade is you, the pce is you.


    And you, are it.


    The Jade Army apanies you. The army can expand.


    Jade Serpent Beast King: 1.


    Jade Serpent Beast: 50.


    Jade Knights: 100.


    Jade Soldiers (Infantry(Spear)): 500.


    Jade Soldiers (Archery):300


    Jade Soldiers (Swordsman): 200


    Jade Workers: 1000.


    Jade Serpents: 5000.


    Jade City(Level 1).


    Jade Pce(?)


    [Additional troops can be unlocked with sufficient progress in your understanding of the domain and sacrifices at the altar. Troops can be created with mana and sacrifices. They adhere to your everymand.]


    "... Huh?"


    n, at first, was confused when he read the information. The domain was...special to say the least. Ever since he was defeated by Ezra, he had done an extensive research on domains and what they could do. Not a lot of humans had ess to domains, but the few that did were enough for humans to find out about their qualities.


    Domains, manifested themselves into the real world, through the user and were there only for a certain amount of time, as much as the users'' mana could handle its existence. They reflected a part of the user, their desire, wish, ambition or even their regret. Sometimes, the user didn''t even know of what exactly their domain had represented at that point in time.


    But it was always linked to them, and their element. Another thing was, there was only you, and your enemies who you allowed to enter. Along with some special abilities that allowed you to create subordinates within it for a limited time.


    It was quite a small area, although the ce inside seemed great, it was only an illusion and from the outside, it was dependent on the user howrge it was. However, never in any records was it as huge as a fucking city. And it certainly didn''t have this sort of system inside it.


    Where there were soldiers, cities, an altar, and a throne. n felt connected to every being here. However, what shocked him was they were all...alive.


    Like they were not constructs of mana, but living beings that lived their life within the city.


    This was confusing to him, and his brain was constantly being fed information about the domain. When he finished analysing it, he just thought it was a special domain.


    Which did make him a little happy. Okay, a lot happy.


    Excited, he decided to explore.

 Chapter 492 [492] The Jade Palace(2)

    <h4>Chapter 492 [492] The Jade Pce(2)</h4>


    ?The Pce was huge, far bigger than any pce he had seen in movies or videos. It was ten timesrger than them. it was filled to the brim with rooms, some were bedrooms, withrge beds and abundant furniture and decorations. Whilst the other were empty. There were some halls, but the empty rooms intrigued him.


    "Is this thing okay to sit on?"


    n questioned, as he nkly stared at a sofa in a bedroom. The sofa wasrge, able to seat 10 people easily but...


    It was made of crystal. And n didn''t think it would be pleasant to sit on such a thing. Regardless, he had seen many things, and those things he saw rted to the crystals were all weird. So, without further ado, he sat on the sofa.


    "... Wow."


    Instead of feeling like a cold, hard rock. The sofa was actually soft, like a cloud.


    "But it feels...so crystal like."


    He stood up and touched it. The texture that was felt by his hand was just like the crystals he wielded. Just that this one was more safe to touch.


    "Alright... So that means the bed should befortable too..."


    n walked towards the bed, andy down on it. His armour provided him no difort and the bed, just like the sofa, betrayed his expectations.


    "..."


    He stood up and examined the room''s decorations. Each one of them felt so real, it was hard to differentiate them from the real things if one didn''t use sight. To the eye they looked like crystals, but with all the other senses they were different.


    "Hmm. Worth a shot."


    He activated [Dragon Eyes] for a moment, and just like he suspected. There was no change. The crystals were just the same, all he spotted were the specks of mana that formed it.


    He deactivated his skill and went outside, to roam the pce walls. There were small engravings in the walls where water travelled through, It didn''t spill out and provided quite a nice sight to look at, n input his hand into the stream. He felt it was wet, and he pulled it out, only to find out no water came with his hand.


    "It''s stuck there, and only it is."


    The water could not leave the walls, but other things could enter it.


    "Hmm."


    Making sure no one was looking, forgetting he was probably the only person here. He got close to the wall and put his tongue inside the water stream. Then his mouth and he took a sip.


    "That''s...normal water."


    A little bit disappointed, he continued making his way, he eventually reachedrge arches which were likerge windows, disying the almost barren city underneath. Although n could see some of the Jade troops mentioned by the skill description, they were hardly enough to fill the city.


    "What are these empty rooms for...?"


    He asked himself, as he came across quite a few empty rooms. They wererger than the bedrooms, and only slightly smaller than the halls. But they werepletely empty. Nothing but the undecorated walls and floor were there.


    "It did say I would unlock new things as I achieved a more clear understanding of my domain and through sacrifices...at that Altar thing. Wait."


    He stopped, and muttered.


    "Where is that altar?"


    He clearly remembered it being mentioned by the description, but no matter how much he explored, he didn''t find it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Granted, the pce was huge, but he thought he should have got something, no?


    Suddenly, the water in the walls glowed, and began to flow towards a certain direction. Towards the Garden of the pce. The light pulsed through, as if telling him to go towards that direction.


    "Ah."


    n gasped, now knowing what purpose the water served. It wasn''t just some fancy or magical decoration, but a pathfinder. A guide.


    n followed the lights'' path, and eventually, after about 30 minutes of walking, arrived at the garden. He had descended quite a few floors to get here. The stairs would be a hassle to climb again.


    "Woah."


    He gasped in awe as he looked at the garden, rows and rows of flowers and flora were present, in tidy formations. A crystal walkway led to a fountain, where arge, floating orb was spinning around.


    There was no water, but only the orb.


    [Will you like to sacrifice something?]


    A mellow voice, that belonging to a woman, rang out from the orb, and n asked.


    "What can I sacrifice?"


    [Anything possessing worth.]


    That was quite odd. If an object possessed worth, it didn''t mean it possessed it to everyone. Some people were more attached to something''s than others. But maybe that wasn''t what the orb, or rather the Altar, meant.


    "... Can you exin a little bit more?"


    [Items of worth, high mana, history, and power can all be sacrificed.]


    "Yeah, that makes sense."


    He med himself for overthinking it. He took out his old armour. The one given to him by Suleras. It protected him from a lot, and also suffered for it. The armour had been reduced to rags a lot of times, and n had to have Twilight''s artisans fix it.


    He kept it even after he got the armour of the demon marquis, which was now in a simr condition to the other armour.


    He suffered a lot, and the armour was also in pretty bad shape.


    "I would like to sacrifice this."


    He said as he held out his old armour, The orb glowed and a fluid-like light, like water, flowed out from it and observed the armour.


    [Sacrifice level: Low.]


    [Sacrifice: epted.]


    [Please choose where to allocate the worth of the sacrifice.]


    [City.]


    [Troops]


    [Pce]


    These three options appeared before him, curious, he clicked on the [City].


    A vast variety of options appeared before him, each rted to the city. Parks, Homes, Inns, Buildings, Hotels...everything. And even the expansion of the city was listed here.


    But there was a problem. The altar gave him a certain number of points for each sacrifice. The greater the ''worth'' of the sacrifice, the greater the number of points. Problem was, right now, he was poor.


    Dirt poor.


    The number of points he had couldn''t buy anything in this category! He needed probably ten times more!


    Going back, he clicked on the [Troops] option, and a list of all the troops he had seen before were listed. Unfortunately for n, he could only buy one worker and about five Jade Serpents. The artifact he had sacrificed was about C-rank, despite all the repairs and other things the poor thing went through.


    "Maybe its condition also factors in? It did say history as well."


    He didn''t think the altar would view something that had been reduced to rags before as valuable. So he tried something else.


    He took out another, simr, ranked artifact and threw it at the altar. The altar epted it and gave him more points. And as expected. They were more. Not a lot more, but more.


    About a one and a half percent increase from the previous item.


    "I wonder how many points an S-rank item would give me."


    He thought, as hemented that he didn''t have a lot of artefacts to him. n mostly kept food, water, and other utilities in his inventory. And only a few items and potions that would give better chances at survival.


    He didn''t go around hoarding several items in it. He wasn''t that greedy, and neither was his inventory infinite.


    "Last one..."


    He muttered as he clicked on the [Pce] Category. And now he knew what the empty rooms were, not only could he add defences in the castle and city walls, but also more rooms, cksmithing rooms, libraries, and other things. This category was connected to the facilities'' category, and although everything was expensive, n was interested.


    He had money, a lot of it to be honest, From his sry from the Wellingtons, and Twilight. As well as share from the sales of the Spatial artefacts...


    He was rich, nowhere near Sabrina however, who was the heir to generational wealth beyond simpleprehension.


    He could do it, he could advance his ''strange domain'' and what it offered. Likewise, he did need to do a lot to discover more things about it, however.


    ''Could I bring the entire city to the real world...?''


    He thought, but didn''t dwell on it right now. He went outside the garden. Two knights, wearing crystal armour, were standing guard. They bowed to n, as much as their strange lower bodies could allow. n inspected them and found their strength to be almost at S rank!


    He had fifty of them! Although the difference between A+ and S- was like the difference between A and D rank, this was still quite a formidable power. Even Twilight had limited amount of people with this strength.


    Expectant, he ventured outside, wanting to know the strengths of the other beings in this Domain, he knew it would be weaker than the knights, but it was still worth a look!

 Chapter 493 [493] The Jade Army.

    Chapter 493 [493] The Jade Army.


    ??After going outside, n observed the other ''troops'' he had. Archers were positioned on the walls of the city, some were training in their designated ces, Swordsman troops and the spearmen were everywhere around the city, as well as the workers. They seemed to be conducting patrols, and drills.


    Even though there were not any civilians...


    n observed them with the help of his dragon eyes, and found out that they were not that weak or strong at all. Most of the troops were at C+ rank by human standards. They were in quite arge number and knew how to use formations that would be suitable for their...bodies.


    ''The knights and the beasts are the strongest here...excluding the big one in the throne room.''


    n said, as he examined them all. Strangely, he found out that the soldiers had fewer features of a snake. The knights he had seen had their bodies covered in scales, as well as the part above their necks was also that of a cobra. The soldiers, here, were different. Their lower bodies were of snakes, yes, but the upper bodies were strange. Like a mixture of a snake and a human. More like that of a lizard than a snake. Far fewer scales also covered their bodies.


    The workers were the most ''human'' here. Sure, they had the lower body of a snake, but their upper body was all human, No scales, no cobra or features of other snakes.


    Human, they were human. Except for the eyes, which were those of a reptile. And he found out that the workers were the weakest here, only stronger than the jade serpents that were everywhere here. These serpents were all connected to n in a much stranger way than the others. He could see through their eyes and feel what they were feeling if he chose to do so.


    He guessed that it was because of them that he could see literally everything in the beginning. These little snakes were present everywhere, either as moving organisms or as decorations in all the rooms and the city. They were cameras, a surveince system that covered ''every'' inch of the city.


    It would be hectic to use them, but n was surprised, and awed, of that ability. He wanted to be able to control it as soon as he could.


    The workers were only a little bit stronger than they are. But he bet three of the snakes could dominate a single worker. While about ten or eight workers would defeat a soldier.


    The troops he had interested him, and the fact that he, quite literally, had an army he could grow or nourish here...was amazing. The thought of reversing an ambush or a situation where his enemies ganged up on him, thinking he was alone was...cool.


    "This is great."


    He said, as he went back into the pce. Now, he wanted to go sit on the throne again, perhaps it was just a foolish desire, but n thought that maybe that throne had something in it. Something more special, that would either let him govern the area more skilfully.


    "It''s too big!"


    He said, as he threw away the idea of walking back up to the throne room, and simply teleported to an open hallway in the pce. He didn''t want to walk up the stairs again.


    "I wonder if I can install elevators here...would be helpful."


    He sighed, as he followed the directions given by the water. He had a good memory, but it was nowhere near as great to remember the entire way around this huge pce. He wasn''t Sabrina.


    It would take him a few rounds to familiarize with the ce, thankfully, the water guided him.


    Finally, he arrived at the throne room and had a look at the giant snake that was guarding it. The throne was as magnificent as ever, and the snake was even bigger.


    "That is the serpent king, huh..."


    It felt weird looking at the beast, which was his enemy not long ago. It was strange, but now that it was subservient to him, and probably as strong or even stronger than him. Nevertheless, he went ahead and sat on the throne.


    "Nothing..."


    He expected it, so he wasn''t too disappointed.


    "Now, how do I leave this ce?"


    He wondered, as he facepalmed whilst on the throne. He should have thought of that first! Normally, with a normal domain he would only need to wait until his mana was finished or exit it by cancelling it...but what does he do now?


    Suddenly, a voice rang out as his voice was teleported away.


    [Exiting Domain.]


    "Huh?"


    His body disappeared, and the throne room was empty, aside from the guardian fulfilling its duty.


    *******


    "Ugh..."


    n groaned, as his head hurt, and he found himself to be on top of a marble floor.


    "Ow."


    The floor was cold, and when he looked up before him, he found out that it was empty.


    The entire space was empty, besides the floor.


    He stood up, massaging his head, and found an odd hallway, shaped like a pentagon, stretching into the far reaches of a dark space. Alert, he summoned his armour and spear once again. The crystal armour was no longer on his body, and so he summoned the armour of the marquis, as well as his beloved spear, the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    The spear was in disy once again, but it rejected n''s touch.


    "What?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He mouthed in surprise, as he tried to hold the spear once again. But the answer of the spear was still the same, it rejected his touch.


    "What the hell is wrong with you?"


    He said, as he fully expressed his confusion with his face. His eyes looked at the spear with rm. The spear was vibrating consistently, yet it stopped after a while, And n, still a little hesitant, went over to pick it up.


    This time, there was no rejection, The spear epted his touch once more. Sighing in relief, he called out.


    "Tower, Mind giving me something to go on?"


    He waited, and then he waited some more. And then some more, but the tower was fucking silent.


    "Are you joking right now?"


    Irritated at the silence, he made up his mind to go inside the pentagon like tunnel.


    He always had his guard up, and was in a stance that would make it easier to respond to any threat. He kept walking and felt like it stretched on for miles.


    He kept his pace slow, because he thought there might be traps in the tunnel. But, there were none.


    It was just...a long tunnel. One filled with darkness.


    "Sigh..."


    He sighed as he conjured a Mana me to light up his way. He was previously using his eyes enhanced with mana to see, but it stopped working for some reason as he ventured deep.


    The tunnel''s darkness reminded him of the darkness in the crystal space, before he defeated the snake.


    "Damn it."


    But even then, the me continued to dim, even though n was supplying even more mana to it.


    "So it''s designed this way."


    He thought, thinking that the tunnel would do it''s best to restrict him of any light. He was right, because even the MANA me was put out, and no matter what n did, he couldn''t make any light for himself. Not only that, but he tried using [Dragon Eyes], which did work, but it was far too troublesome to use.


    He kept hitting the ground and walls with his spear, to determine whether he should move forward or not. He wondered when he would be able to finally be able to see.


    "The Tower and its trials, both are weird."


    He remarked, going in further. He even pondered about whether he should return or not. But he decided against it.


    Who knows? He might be at the end. Just a little bit farther.


    "Reminds me of the tenth floor."


    He said, the darkness was familiar to the one on the tenth floor, and that leas him to think if this trial was simr. The previous trials, or floors, had gifted him a domain, so it wouldn''t be wrong to say he was expecting something for clearing this trial.


    He just needed to find the way to do it. At various points he tried using [Dragon Eyes] but found nothing out of the ordinary. It had been days since he was trapped in the darkness. Thankfully, he had greater senses, if not, the anxiety would have done him in.


    "When is it going-"


    Just as he was going toin, he saw a light in the far distance, it pierced into the darkness and he could make out a room from his view. Excited, but vignt. He stepped forward, making sure he didn''t mess up.


    It would be bad to mess up here.


    Finally, he reached the light, and after confirming there were no traps...He stepped in. To find an empty room, just like the one he came from.


    "Did I go in a circle?"


    He questioned, but the information presented itself towards him.


    [Wee to the one-hundredth floor.]

 Chapter 494 [494] The final floor.

    Chapter 494 [494] The final floor.


    ??I simply stood there for a few seconds. In a daze, and wondered whether my eyes were yingtricks on me.


    [Wee to the one-hundredth floor.]


    No matter how many times I gazed at that announcement, no matter how many times I read it, carefully, as to not miss a single word.


    It didn''t change. It was still there.


    "... What?"


    Finally, after what seemed like minutes of silence, I muttered, my voiceced with confusion, and suspicion.


    "One...hundredth floor?"


    It was surreal. Just a moment ago, I believed I would be entering the seventy-first floor. But why is the announcement showing the one hundredth floor?


    Am I simply hallucinating? That''s probably true. The darkness may have messed with my brain a little bit.


    ''Yeah...that''s right.''


    I thought, as I massaged my head and took a breather. In an attempt to relieve myself from fatigue.


    However, even after an hour, it was still there.


    "Why is it not...starting?"


    I wondered, even if this was thest floor, why is not starting? All floors would have started pretty soon after the announcement was made. Maybe the tower would dy them a little, but never for this long.


    Or maybe it would...to mess with me. Or just provide thest floor with some significance.


    But...what if it is the former? What if it is messing with me? It likes to do that? What if it is toying with me and the exact objective of the trial is for me to not be tricked?


    Hesitant, I used [Dragon Eyes] and with them, I was able to confirm that the announcement before me was real.


    There was no doubt in my mind left. The skill was absolute. Lanesha and Suleras had always told me that the skill was absolute, that nothing could deceive it besides a higher ranked [Dragon Eyes]. Therefore, peace and tranquillity returned to my mind.


    The tower cannot tamper with this skill, it can disable it, but never can it change it.


    "Alright... So somehow I am at thest floor."


    I said, as I examined the area. It was simr to the ce I woke up in. No, wait. Forget simr, it was exactly the same.


    The nk white walls, the nk ceiling, and the marble floors. The same width and height. Everything was the same.


    Only the blue disy in front of me was different.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shortly after I walked through it, expecting to something, something did happen.


    [Would you like to challenge the final trial?]


    A massive disy, whichpletely made me feel like an ant, appeared in front of me. The words were sorge on it, but were so clear to me.


    The voice echoed once more, but it was different now...it was...glitching. It failed topletely say the sentence urately, and after many, many attempts did it seed.


    But it didn''t stop, it continued to repeat the exact same sentence, repeating its mistakes sometimes, and sometimes it would move on to other mistakes, forgetting the previous ones.


    It was like it was broken, and the voice, which once belonged to a woman, was now distorted. It was like the horrid sound of sharp nails wing out a chalkboard.


    An absolute trauma for the ears, and for my sensitive ears it was hell.


    "Yes, make it stop!"


    I yelled as I clutched my head, trying to dampen the screeching noise that reached my ears. Thankfully, it listened and stopped. The ce was tranquil once again.


    Until the sound of ss shattering could be heard. All around me, the floor changed from marble to cracked ss, the walls and ceilingplied as well.


    With the Ame-no-Sakahoko, I remained vignt, ready for anything toe my way, but the space was distorting itself. The spatial mana I possessed within my body and my affinity for it was screaming at me.


    It was changing, everything was changing but my mana, my affinity and my understanding of space telling me...


    ''It is wed.''


    It is imperfect, it is a glitch. A distortion unfit to be within the realm of space. Like it was performed by an amateur.


    The space, regardless of the imperfection, expanded, I could see my self within the shattered ss that surrounded me. Not just one, but countless, some whole, and some broken into pieces, all malformed in their own way.


    It was disgusting in its own way. But, the ss disappeared, and something else took its ce.


    Like it was being painted, or reced. The floor turned into a stadium, with hard, dense, and perfect little squares. The ceiling was made of cement, and there were stands where the walls were supposed to be, like it was meant to watch this fight.


    But who would watch it here? The tower? He doesn''t need that! And as far as I recall, I am the only one here. The only one left in the tower, and the only one who has managed to get this far. Even if someone had entered after me, it would be nigh impossible for them to reach to my floor. I was not praising myself, but was just stating the facts. But...


    But, my skin developed goosebumps as I remembered this ce. It was a vivid memory of mine, filled with regrets and a part of the reason why I had to go into this tower.


    No, it was not a part...but it was the majority of it. The ce filled with such regret, and hate for my own weakness. It was the sole reason for Samantha''s prolonged period of torture and suffering from that curse.


    It was this very ce where I lost the first hope to cure Samantha. Where I was deprived of my capabilities and had to ept using the help of another to survive, but even then I lost due to my own weakness. It was this fucking ce. I grit my teeth as the shattered ss reappeared andbined to form the figure of a person I hated to a certain degree.


    Where I lost to Ezra Fornum.


    [The Final Trial.]


    [Defeat the Undefeated.]

 Chapter 495 [495] Defeat the Undefeated.

    Chapter 495 [495] Defeat the Undefeated.


    ??[Outside the Tower of Trials. Capitol, End of the Convergence.]


    Everyone was satisfied with the conclusion of the convergence. The battle fest and all the other events had ended, and it would soon be the new year, The first year students of the academies would advance to the second years, and the third years would graduate and begin their life.


    Many had fun, many also did not have fun, due to them having lost. But it was not a cause for being depressed. They were filled with motivation and a desire to fight back, to get stronger and when they returned, they would shock the world!


    Just like the ones this time had! Or even greater!


    It was nice to see them have such dreams, some would recognize it, while some would fall to their pathetic self and forget about it. Not everyone could be so disciplined to actually achieve their dream.


    Not many were ''actually'' prepared for the hard work and sacrifice it would require. They would simply gloat about their New Year''s resolution and forget it the very first day, only a few percent would make it to a week and an even fewer to the end of the first month.


    Only the extremely few would stick to it. And even then, it would be hard toplete it. They would make some progress, but would theyplete it? Who knows?


    Maybe they set a rtively easy goal and would have achieved it and be satisfied, some would have set nigh impossible goals that would take years, even decades.


    Everyone was different with their dreams, just like they were different with their desire. The poorest man who wished to be rich and actually strived for it would seed even if others had the same goal from a much better starting position, all it required was not being fuckingzy.


    Besides all that, some were also satisfied with what they have achieved.


    "Did you see the damn final?!"


    "The final? Who cares about that! The fight between the Silver Wolf and Death Predator was much more amazing!"


    ''Silver Wolf'' the name given to Alexander, because of his grey mana that was misinterpreted as silver because of his sheer speed, and ''Death Predator''. A name that was already well known.


    It was the fight that exceeded everything, the ratings of the other fights could not evenpare, even now, as they were enjoying the end of the convergence and the arrival of the new year, clips and videos of it were getting insane views.


    A fight where students outperformed professionals. Now wasn''t that a great title? Many professionals, in an effort to gain more fame or money even exin the fight, all they were doing was yapping bullshit and the uninformed public would believe them. Although there were some serious ones who actually did their job.


    The talks about the fights were still ongoing.


    Although who won was a highly debated topic, it was finally dered that Kazikato, the ''Death Predator'' had won because he managed to remain conscious, whilst Alexander was unconscious at the end.


    The match of Lucas was also a surprise, as hepletely dominated his opponent. The next fights were different, however.


    Between Elena and Henry, Henry won the fight after quite a struggle. People praised Elena for putting up a good fight because she was mainly a healer.


    The fourth fight, between Olivia Olsfer, and Sabrina Wellington was...shocking, to say the least.


    Everyone expected the two beauties to shock everyone. Well, they did, but not in the way people expected.


    Sabrina just surrendered, stating that the objective for her participation waspleted.


    She only joined thispetition to wreck George Drakmor, and nothing else.


    After that, Kazikato went against Olivia and defeated her, and Lucas did the same to Henry.


    The two fought and they tied. Lucas had almost won against Kazikato, showing that he was stronger than Alexander.


    He did say he failed to get revenge during the award ceremony, and angrily shared the medal and prizes with Kazikato, who was just as better.


    It was quite a funny sight because both of their faces were still filled with wounds.


    The other events went on as normal. With all of them going on, people had forgotten about n and the tower of trials.


    ********


    "Another Mission..."


    A man with long silver hair and piercing grey eyes stared at the tablet in front of him with a grimace. Which ruined his perfect facial features. He was a man even more beautiful than Sabrina.


    "You really need to go?"


    A feminine voice resounded behind him, belonging to a woman with hair like golden silk, and gold eyes.


    "Yeah."


    He said, as he threw the tablet at the table with a disgusted look on his face, when he turned to face the woman however, it was nowhere to be found.


    "Don''t worry, Liz, I''ll be back soon."


    He smiled, showing his confidence to the woman, Elizabeth Parker. He kissed her on the lips and said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''ll be back, Goodbye."


    He was in a hurry, as any more dy would spell a worse fate for him, and her. Elizabeth sighed as she stared at Ezra''s back, leaving her vision.


    "Idiot."


    She said, as a tear fell down and she went away. Ezra, on the other hand, had lost all the happiness he showed to her, and only her and returned to his stoic face. He traversed the streets of the capitol, his hood covering his face and went to the Behemoth Headquarters, to receive more information about his mission.


    "When will this end."


    He said, knowing it would never end, His grandfather''s greed was simply too much, and he was in an unescapable vow to fulfil it. He was trapped, for his entire life.


    And his own family and lover were used as the cage.


    He slowly approached the Behemoth building, which was near the Tower of Trials, and a sudden light made him look up. It wasn''t only him, but nearly all the people in the current vicinity did the same.


    And he found himself, and a kid he defeated some time ago on a screen, facing one another.


    And a small number on the top of the disy, showing the floor.


    [Floor 100.]


    "Well, I''ll be damned."


    He said, as he didn''t care for it, and left.


    Whilst the entire Capitol went into an uproar in but a few minutes.

 Chapter 496 [496] Defeat The Undefeated[2]

    Chapter 496 [496] Defeat The Undefeated[2]


    ??The same exact clothing he wore that day, the same armour, and the same weapon. Even the people, created with the ss like exact replicas, were the same.


    Everything was the same, except for me.


    There was no quest before me, only him. Holding the same spear, and standing in the same exact position. The same stance.


    "Haha..."


    Augh escaped my lips, it was a quietugh.


    [Defeat the Undefeated.]


    The voice rang in my ears, it was the same disturbing voice but to me? It was like a symphony.


    A symphony of the greatest music my ears could ever be blessed enough to hear. A symphony I yearned to hear.


    ''Thump!''


    ''Thump!''


    "Haha..."


    The beating of my heart is so...restless.


    Usually, such a beat would be recognized as fear, but this is not fear. This is excitement. The pure rush of adrenaline in my veins, as I find out that I have the chance to do so again. The chance to defeat you.


    But this time it is different.


    Previously, I was watched by so many, that may still be the same but... I was also restricted.


    The scene of the spell, that appeared in front of me that day, was so vivid I sometimes even had nightmares about it.


    How haunting that experience was.


    "Tower."


    I called out, unaware it was already dead. Killed at the hands of another. But my call was not malicious in any way.


    "Thank you."


    It was grateful. It was fulfilling! Furthermore, it was nice!


    For the first time, I thanked the tower, which gave me challenges and trolled me consistently. I had developed a hatred for this horrid construct, But now? All of it suddenly disappeared. Like it never existed. If the tower truly did provide me with this chance, and did not mess with it. I was thankful.


    ''Thump!''


    ''Thump!''


    This beat is not of fear, but of excitement! Of pure fucking adrenaline in my veins! Everywhere in my body.


    I stepped forward, and looked at him. The only thing different about him were his eyes, which were ss. He gripped his spear, and I put the Ame-No-Sakahoko away. I did not have this spear when I battled him.


    But.


    "You want to know what I had? But could not use?"


    Cold mist escaped my mouth, as my mana ran fierce, like a blizzard in a tundra, covering thends with an endless sea of snow once more.


    "Yeah...this is it."


    I muttered in pure exhration, as ''Ezra'' began to be wary of me. My human skin changed to scales, and the body exuded power.


    "I didn''t have ess to this then..."


    Freezing the entire area, I looked towards the sky, my face no longer human, neither my body. As I rushed towards him.


    "I do now. This is my full strength."


    [Skill: Dragon Eyes has been activated.]


    [Skill: Draconic Transformation (Frost) has been activated.]


    [Skill: Dragon Breath (Frost) has been activated.]


    "Tell me, Ezra, How will you copy a dragon?"


    The stadium was destroyed in but a second.


    **************


    His crazed stare, his crazed state. His golden hair and his astral blue eyes as he muttered things they could not understand. As his body changed into that of a dragon, as he discarded his armour and his powerful spear.


    The people in the Capitol had gathered in seconds, the ones asleep had been awoken, and the people dressed invish clothes, enjoying the parties scurried to get a seat to watch the spectacle unfold. But it was only minutes... It took only a few minutes for people to remember that someone was still inside there. n Pator was still challenging


    The streaming services failed to work, the items on n that did it had already been destroyed by a certain someone, who didn''t like people peeping on him. Only the screen provided by the tower, that would continuously glitch, was avable. But noneined.


    They were just stuck to the scene, no one said anything, even the ones whose job it was to do so! To entertain and provide more rity to the audience. But was it necessary?


    The audience was filled with fervour, as they were as entertained as they could ever be! Few people had the chance to even see Ezra and n in action, so they would relish this chance!


    Multiple cameras were focused on the screen, which made the streaming services go alive once again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Come on! Beat the damn thing!"


    They all stared at the floor 100 on top of the screen, as in front of their very eyes, the tower started to fall.


    Small pieces of that unbreakable rock, the pile which pierced the heavens themselves, higher than anything on Earth, fell. Even the Association building in Aisholt city could notpare to the tower.


    And this construct, which had brought joy and sorrow to humanity, was starting to break and fall.


    But would it?


    *******


    [Tower of Trials, Final floor.]


    The scaled fist and the tip of the spear collided with one another, the sharp tip could not prate the scales, but it was able to keep it still.


    The fearsome, draconic maw opened, and a shing light appeared, ''Ezra'' conjured up a shield of wind around himself and jumped back. The wind dispersed the breath, and Ezra fell to the destroyed floor. The constructs of ss that had been constructed had long since been destroyed by n, with his fearsome bursts of power.


    The room, their ground of battle, was a pure white space one more.


    Ezra, calmly, took a stance, unfazed by the monster in front of him, that defied his expectations. His stance radiated power, surely it was the stance required to perform a deadly technique.


    A thousand spears appeared behind the monster.


    "Copy this."


    They all flew towards him with such speed, and he performed his technique. A gust of wind so sharp like the scythe of the grim reaper burst forth andid waste to the spears, but that was not enough.


    The monster was still there, and it rushed towards him once again, like an unstoppable force.


    He mmed his spear towards the ground, creating a shockwave that managed to deter n, he took the initiative and rushed towards n, kicking jaw from the bottom, driving his head towards the skies, as well as the dragon breath contained within.


    He immediately attacked again, intending to pierce n''s throat, but he failed. A tail pushed the spear away and his hand felt numb. The sheer force behind that was immense.


    "Good."


    n said, his eyes meeting with the ss eyes of ''Ezra''. Heughed as he looked straight into those eyes, which reflected his own crazed self. Which he took pride in.


    "You..."


    He flicked Ezra away, and pointed his scaly finger at him.


    "Are not restricting yourself! This is you! The peak at that time!"


    It was an experience he was familiar with...of how Ezra restrained himself to his rank during their bout, But this trial version was not doing the same! He was not doing it at all.


    "Thank you tower!"


    He said, as he enjoyed the feeling, to fight him at his full strength.


    For some reason, it brought him joy, and an escape, an escape that he yearned for. The fact that he did not feel guilty about this! And never would! Ezra was not restricting himself, and n was no longer restricted! This is them, at their full power!


    Of course this was the Ezra at that time, the current one was probably an S rank, maybe even higher but to n? This did not matter. He just wanted to defeat this version.


    It was just...that if this version could use Ezra''s domain, The Mirror World, he would feelplete. He knew how to defeat that domain of his then. He knew of it! He just needed to be able to do it!


    Furthermore, he needed that domain toe again! To consume him once more and let him fight in it. He did not need his Jade Pce for this, he could do it himself!


    Besides, the Jade Pce has different uses.


    "Come on Ezra!"


    He pushed the ss man back, treating him like he was nothing, littering his body with wounds that resembled crack ss.


    The fight seemed to just go on, for hours and hours, as the physical abilities of a human and the mana of a young dragon were brought to full. Ezra was like a cracked mirror now, and n''s body was not in the best condition as well.


    A part of the scales on his face were falling, revealing the tender flesh. The state of his body wasn''t far off as well.


    But he had done damage, and he enjoyed it. He relished it! Loving it like it was not wounds but rather remedies!


    He was using the greatest gift his master had given him, his own instincts. Who had tantly told him that there was nothing he could teach n but to be himself.


    For these instincts of his, this beastly might, this power and senses within his genes belonged to the strongest species in the universe! The species that were at the apex!


    The instincts of a dragon were unmatched, and the Sword Saint only taught him how to use them, or let them use him.


    He was not fighting like a human, but like a dragon!


    And this monster like dragon soon forced the cracked image of a man before him to reveal his domain. Consuming the monster, intending to end it. But would it be able to so? To relinquish the throne of such a species with a domain filled with lies and illusions? Would those lies end the history engraved into his flesh? The strength of his body, of his instincts and his senses honed through who knows how many millennia? The advancements made through, with their divine and supreme might?


    Would the domain of a human really be able to defeat such?


    The domain was activated in full force, as the audience felt as they watched a battle between a monster and a man, not man against man.


    The monster, despite being devoured by the domain, only yelled in exhration, like he was not afraid, but rather expectant of it! Waiting for it toe!


    "Yes! That''s it!"

 Chapter 497 [497] Defeat the Undefeated(3)

    Chapter 497 [497] Defeat the Undefeated(3)


    ??Just like before, in the exact same way, the mirror world escaped from ''Ezra'' and established itself in the world of the tower.


    Consuming the monster, who instead of feeling afraid seemed to be happy at such a sight. The ck outer covering of the domain expanded and set itself in the world. The inside of the world, Ezra''s personal domain.


    The audience this time, as well, were unable to watch the events inside the domain, they could only see the ck ball move and swing like it was alive...or something was breaking out of it.


    Or someone.


    ***********


    "Yes... This is it."


    n eximed as he closed his eyes and embraced the feeling of the domain epass him. He wasn''t doing this for joy or happiness, but instead to check if this domain was the real deal. Whether itcked or not.


    n had previously been trapped here, and when he was, he had encountered the special way the mana moved around in this way, in the circuits in moved in, to form this domain.


    This was how he know how to defeat this domain, the previous time he had done it, he was in a little bit of a precarious situation and had to do anything he could to beat this damned thing.


    He was only able to do it, not by himself nor his own power. And that didn''t sit right with him afterwards when he examined the fight.


    He knew how this domain worked only because of his natural affinity to mana, Although he may have been clueless of the intricacies of it... He knew the source of it.


    The various circuits of mana that surrounded the domain, like they were veins and arteries providing blood to a body, all originated from one single ce, the Heart.


    The heart, which was Ezra Fornum, standing on top of the sky like he was a deity. Concealed in his special powers, and waiting to watch his domain do its thing, and reap the rewards.


    He was currently injured, this ss copy of him, which was not worse than the original was injured.


    "I''m back here again."


    A small bit of blood left his body and he looked again at his sides. Reflections of his current self, all around, in countless numbers.


    In every direction, looking at him, the source. Whether it was from the top, or the bottom, they all rushed at him. The ones on the top stabbed with their spears, and the ones on the bottom tried to grab his feet.


    They were all ss, but they felt like flesh. The ones on the sides tried to grab him, tear him, stab him.


    They tried to kill him using their numbers as an advantage as n just watched theme,ughing, he looked towards the sky, his Dragon eyes fully active, tearing his eyes apart as he tried to use them to locate Ezra, examining the path of each circuit.


    Some circuits branched off from other,rger circuits and theserger circuits did the same, it was hard to locate the main ones in the endless forest that was above. There were probably tens of millions of them.


    And to locate where they all came from? When they were all tangled and mashed together? That was a hard task, but not for Dragon Eyes.


    Eventually, he would be able to do it, but he just needed some time and the endurance and patience to let Dragon Eyes do their job. They would find him, he just needed to hold on.


    It wasn''t easy, such a prolonged usage was blinding him, not only that, it felt as if needles or spikes were being stabbed into his eyes, to keep his eyes open was a challenging task.


    Furthermore, he wasn''t alone. The countless ss copies of himself wereing at him with great speed, some had already approached and had been reduced to small pieces akin to grains of sand.


    But they were endless, and all of them aimed for his eyes, knowing the danger they possessed.


    "As if I would let you!"


    n cast his mana outwards, whenever he could, to disperse them and reduce their numbers, but it was hardly helping. He used his limbs, and his tail to drive them all away, and kept his head straight.


    He knew this was his only chance, and he would grab at eve the tiniest circuit he could which led to his destination.


    Soon!


    Just a little more.


    The ss copies swarmed him, one grabbed the loose scales on his face and ripped them off, exposing the tender flesh underneath for the others to attack. n held back his scream as multiple areas of his body suffered the same fate.


    Finally, as his eyes seemed to be burning to ash, he found one, singr circuit that was the source of them all. A malicious, and satisfied glint shed in his eyes as he remembered where it led, and finally gave his eyes some rest, closing them.


    "There...you are."


    His voice was cold, yet there was a tinge of emotion, but this emotion was not positive, it was malicious as he discarded all the ss copies around him like they were nothing, his wings, torn to bits barely managed to support his flight.


    n was propelling himself purely off of mana at this point, rushing towards the point where the circuit left. Like he was crazed, a madman searching for his victim.


    The heart of this ce, Ezra Fornum.


    The copies in the directions increased, and tried to stop him, but they were met with gruesome fates as their ss bodies were eviscerated.


    "There you are!"


    He yelled, as he finally reached the ce.


    It didn''t look any different from afar, but once one was close to it, they could make it out differences. It was like a boss of ss, reflecting the surrounding area. This reflection, when viewed up close, would allow one to differentiate between it and the surrounding area.


    It was like a fraud, a box of lies.


    The circuits all surrounded it in tandem, yet only with Dragon Eyes was n able to view them. Right now? They were gone. Even mana sense could not detect them here.


    "There you are!"


    He yelled in triumph once again as the ss copies swarmed him like ants taking down a predator muchrger than themselves, covering it in their bodies, sometimes increasing its temperature or filling it with bites.


    Of course, the former would not work here, so thetter was all they got.


    They tore away at the tender flesh that was exposed, tearing away more and more, Until n would be reduced to nothing but a pile of cut meat. The box was near, and despite the attempts of the ss copies, n was getting closer, and closer.


    They couldn''t stop the crazed monster, his face had been ruined and was nothing but wed flesh, but even that didn''t stop him! Even if his body would be suffering the same fate, he would not stop.


    Until he got that bastard hidden inside out of the damn box, and ripped him to shreds. n''s ws touched the box, and a spear emerged from inside. The spear was held by a delicate hand.


    It was the same spear, and the same hand.


    It destroyed the head of a ss copy in its way, and stabbed n in the stomach, escaping from his back.


    n stopped for a moment, but the ss copies did not relent. The spear went back as if to escape the body it had pierced but...


    The hand holding the spear, as well as the spear itself, were grabbed by a pile of bony flesh, which was n''s hand, or whatever remained of it. He used hisrge hand to grab a hold of Ezra.


    He tried to get away, but n''s strength, despite being drained by the ss copies, was far too much.


    "Haha..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A crookedugh escaped the mountain of ss copies, followed by another, dreadful statement.


    "You...can''t escape now."


    Theugh was followed by a light, a light that seemed pure, and engulfed the ss copies who reflected it everywhere.


    The light soon became blinding, and it was hard to see what would happen. The ss copies, who were reflecting it, seemed to evaporate, being destroyed without a trace.


    n''s figure emerged from the mountain of copies, finally free. The source of the light was now known.


    It was his mouth, his injured mouth, from which it originated and eviscerated everything. The mana inside the mouth was everything n had.


    Everything.


    All condensed into one single breath.


    He raised his other hand, and with the help of his fleshy tail, he smashed the box and revealed the person inside it. Wind and ss hurriedly gathered around the person, trying to form a shield, but it would be for naught.


    The wing would be dispersed, and the ss would be eviscerated, nowhere to be seen. Although the person inside the box, within n''s grasp, was but a construct made from the tower...It seemed to ept it''s fate. It showed emotion, as it''s eyes looked at the ball of light with eptance...and...


    The breath was let loose, and the domain was shattered. Along with it''s creator.


    [You have cleared the final floor of the Tower.]

 Chapter 498 [498] The final wish.

    Chapter 498 [498] The final wish.


    ??His figure shattered into millions of small pieces, pieces so small they could pass the gaps between grains of sand. The domain and the box were no exception to this fate.


    The hundreds of clones clinging to him, tearing his flesh apart, had disappeared. Initially, he thought they would explode into small pieces of ss as well, injuring him further...but thankfully that did not happen.


    The space turned dark, and as n found himself on a hard ground, he used the Ame-no-Sakahoko to help himself stand, he began to meditate, healing his injuries with the help of his breathing techniques.


    The space was dark, and n ced his spear to his side as he sat down, patiently waiting for the Tower to announce his reward.


    The wish, something that was promised to the challengers if they managed to clear the floors. This would ur in the very first floor, where they would be told this. Many spected that it had limits, or even was a lie.


    But thankfully, n knew it wasn''t a lie, the tower may pull tricks, but this wasn''t one of then, it would always reward the worthy.


    He slowly meditated, healing his wounds and his transformation receded, his hair like golden silk descended to his shoulders and his blue eyes returned. His armour as well.


    He recovered from his wounds, hearing a strange voiceing from around him, and yet strangely from within him as well.


    [Well done.]


    It seemed to congratte him, n opened his eyes and found nothing else here except for his spear, he went back to meditating.


    He recovered from his wounds soon enough, and with a satisfied smile, opened his eyes.


    "I did it, damn."


    The ''damn'' showcased his surprise, But this surprise was not to beat the tower. n eventually knew he would do it, and if it couldn''t be him, then it would be someone else who would do everything to get the cure here.


    The one who was his final, trump card. His surprise was more or less indicated towards him...actually defeating the domain.


    Yeah, it was towards that. Shocking, right?


    He studied about that domain, but would theory always be correct? He could think of the many ways to defeat it during his time training, but to actually implement them was something else.


    Inside the domain, he threw away his nervousness and gave into...himself. Gave into his own instincts and gut feelings, throwing all else aside, and thenmitted himself to it.


    The way to destroy Ezra''s domain.


    "I''d like to see him copy that."


    He boasted, as he finally heard a sound once again. A blinding light appeared, and his eyes were in pain, he grabbed his spear and became ready, but he had no need too.


    The blinding light which hurt his eyes had calmed down, it receded into what was a calm, mellow light.


    n, now without any hindrance, could finally see the source of the light. It seemed to originate from a white sphere the size of a human. The sphere would have been like a pure pearl if it was not tainted by the numerous cracks oozing a strange green liquid.


    n felt danger when he saw the liquid, yet also felt a sense of familiarity. He somehow had a feeling that his body was connected to that liquid which corroded the pearl, but somehow...


    He felt wary of it, his instincts told him not to touch it, and so he followed, staying away from the pearl.


    [Congrattions, Challenger.]


    A wicked voice left the pearl. n''s face grimaced as he heard it, his poor ears cried out in pain. Those sensitive guys had been through much abuse!


    The voice was a mix of that of a wicked demon, the sound of screeching, the sound of something being corroded and that of a woman, mixed in. It was as strange abination as it was horrible. No one would be prepared for that horrid voice.


    "I much prefer your mechanical voice!"


    n cried out, as the voice spared his poor ears o refuge and continued.


    [You have cleared the tower of trials.]


    "Fuck make it stop!"


    No one would listen to his pleas, however. Although it was horrid, n noticed that it was also having trouble formting sentences, just like the one on the final floor. This one stumbled on the ''Tower of Trials'' bit and tried speaking the same sentence again, and again. It seeded only on the thirtieth try.


    "Finally..."


    n cried out in relief, as his ears were bleeding. The voice was like a shredder being thrown inside his ears... It shook him mentally and tortured him physically.


    "Please don''t speak again..."


    He desperately wished, but to no avail.


    [Calcting the performance of the challenger.]


    n cried, as the voice continued to recount his trials, expressing everything in excruciating detail. He had got so tired of it, he used mana to block his ears, so much so that he could only faintly make out a sentence.


    His hands proved futile, so he had to do this. Finally, he cried out in relief. The torturous voice was now faint.


    It was only an itch now.


    n painfully waited for it to end, numerous times it would remind him of his deeds when he was in the towers floor. He shrugged it off.


    The voice finally stopped, as the green liquid made a small pool around it.


    "Weird."


    He remarked, and slightly lessened the mana blocking his ears.


    [Time is of the essence.]


    It muttered a weird statement, n somewhat understood it. He thought the green liquid, which was obviously corroding the pearl, was a result of his own actions. That maybe his clearing of the final floor was leading towards the tower''s demise. It had aplished its purpose, to be cleared, now it just waited for death.


    Those were just his own thoughts, he was oblivious to how wrong they were.


    The tower would live even if it was cleared, it was just...there was an outside force that interfered with it. Consuming its essence as nourishment so stealthily that the tower had been fooled by it not once but multiple times.


    It was unaware it was being fed poison.


    [What¡­is your wish?]


    It asked, but it did not want n to answer with his words. The light emerged from the pearl once again, and the liquid was like strings, trying to cover it. But it could not. The light escaped and entered n through his chest.


    [Your motivation was incredible.]


    [The source of your strength, of your will to surpass the trials, ismendable.]


    [Sufficient knowledge has been required, materializing the wish.]


    [To cure a cursed beloved.]


    The light shone bright once again, and burnt his eyes, as well as his body. But unlike before, this seemed like an act to purify him. His skin was reformed anew, and his flesh followed.


    He felt no pain, but felt warm, and calm.


    The process ended, and the pearl before him lost all of its pure white light, like it was tainted, it turned ck. It turned to dust, and the dust entered him as well.


    n woke up, he looked at his hands. His wish.


    A small bottle, made of a wood that seemed to exude power, was in his hand. The wood which made the container was so mystical and powerful, that n struggled to fathom its might. He used Dragon Eyes, and found out what it was.


    [Item Name: Panacea Phial]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Description: The Panacea Phial is an item, shrouded in mystery and whispered about in tales, it was created by the first king of Elves, and no such has appeared again. It is a slender, crystal- clear vial adorned with intricate silver filigree and capped with a glistening emerald stopper. When held, it radiates a gentle, soothing light, giving it an aura of unparalleled potency. It was the most prized possession of the First King of Elvenheim. This one, is a manifestation of n Pator''s wish to cure his sister.


    [Properties]


    The Panacea Phial is renowned for its extraordinary ability to cure all ailments and restore the health and vitality of the bearer. Its effects are as follows:


    Universal Healing: Upon consumption, the Panacea Phial instantly heals all physical injuries, diseases, and ailments afflicting the bearer. It mends wounds, soothes burns, banishes poisons, and dispels curses with unmatched precision. Nothing can escape it. All evil falls when confronted with the legendary Panacea


    Vitality Restoration: In addition to healing, the Phial replenishes the bearer''s strength, stamina, and magical energy to their peak levels. Fatigue dissipates, and the bearer feels invigorated and ready for any challenge. The bearer''s affinities to the elements will also change and be heightened, greatly increasing their strength.


    Immunity Boost: The Phial grants immunity to curses, ensuring that the bearer remains protected against future harm from malevolent curses.


    Aura of Rejuvenation: When uncorked, the Phial emits a radiant aura that envelops the bearer and nearby allies. This aura elerates natural healing processes, gradually restoring their health over time.


    Purification: The Panacea Phial can cleanse corrupted or malevolent influences from the bearer, such as possession or mind-control, restoring them to their true selves. Even the curses of Supreme beings are nothing to it.


    Due to the wish of the creator, the phial is blessed with the ability to expand the potential of the figures who drink from it.


    ______


    He didn''t even need to read it all.


    Not even half. His eyes, automatically, skipped all the information and focused on a particr part of it.


    The power to cure all curses.


    The power, to finally end Samantha''s suffering.

 Chapter 499 [499] End of the Tower.

    <h4>Chapter 499 [499] End of the Tower.</h4>


    ?All they saw, was a sh of blue light engulf the ck dome.


    And the transmission was cut.


    "... What happened?"


    The rapid destruction of the tower stopped, and the light shining down from the sky also stopped. The entire area became silent.


    No more of the tower cracked and fell. The obsidian seemed to be perfectly fine, and the world was silent.


    "No way..."


    However, a few of them noticed something. The cracked obsidian seemed to repair itself. The debris slowly went back into the tower, as they all gasped.


    "No way..."


    "It can''t be..."


    "After all...that?"


    Wild ideas and conclusions came into their minds, the most prominent one being...


    ''n Pator failed to clear the final floor.''


    "So he couldn''t beat Ezra after all."


    Henry''s Grandfather, Logan, smiled and stood up from his seat, intending to leave. He hade here only to confirm the rumours spreading about. However, since the tower was now reconstructing itself, only one conclusion came to his mind, which was the same for everyone.


    After so long, after such suffering, n failed.


    "... It can''t be..."


    Everyone was in disbelief, Logan opened the door and stepped out, and a voice called out.


    "Guild master...!"


    "Wha-"


    He turned around, thinking n''s dead body had plopped out of the tower, but no. That was not it.


    The tower turned started to turn...into dust.


    Small particles of dust started to fly away, like a rotting corpse. The building soon turned to ash, flying in some people''s face.


    The giant structure, disappeared just like that, leaving a cloud of dust in the centre.


    "Focus! Focus!"


    The cameras all focused to the centre, and wind magic was used to make the dust fly away. The people watched with bated breath as they wanted to see what was left. The dust finally settled.


    And they found him, the one who cleared the trial. His silk like golden hair receded to his shoulders, his blue eyes were visible, even through the dust. And his armour was as menacing as ever.


    Although his appearance was slightly different from when he entered the tower, the facial features made the people ept the truth. What was in front was not an illusion but the real.


    n Pator, and what he held in his hands was a small wooden bottle. And slightly in front of him was what appeared to be a cracked pearl the size of a human, the green liquid had disappeared.


    Seeing the two items around him, various people activated their appraising skills, although they varied in levels and other things, the two items were now no longer a secret.


    The Panacea Phial alone made people awestruck, but the broken core of the tower was something intriguing as well.


    [Item: Tower Core (Broken, corroded).]


    [Usage: Unknown.]


    That was all the information most of them, with their low appraisal skills, could see. What other high ranking people saw was something that wouldn''t be revealed very soon.


    Reporters rushed in like a tidal wave, whilst n was pre-upied with the wooden bottle. Thankfully, awakened from Twilight rushed in and formed a human wall. But, the voices couldn''t be stopped.


    "n Pator, May you tell us about your experience?!"


    "Are you willing to sell those items?!"


    "What happened inside the tower?!"


    Along with the reporters, there was the usual buyer and rich dude willing to purchase the items in n''s hands.


    "Please! I will pay any price!"


    "Billions?! Hundreds of billions?! Just say the number!"


    But, to their dismay, n paid them no heed and opened a portal beneath his feet, taking the core and bottle with him.


    The people of Twilight sighed in relief and dispersed, They were afraid they may have had to stop swarms of people from surrounding n, and the items. But thankfully, they didn''t have to do it. They could block the normal folk, but the reckless idiots who had some strength were impossible topletely block.


    n may have disappeared, but that didn''t mean the Capitol was still at ease. Fuck that, the entire world was in chaos.


    It wasn''t just the human world as well!


    ***********


    [Obelisk Headquarters.]


    Morgana Cardeveras, the prideful and strong leader of the obelisk was in the centre of the headquarters, yet, unlike what many would have expected of her, to be sitting like a queen. She was prostrating before a crystal ball. The ball was purely ck, it even seemed to be sucking in light that was illuminating the room.


    The ck inside the ball began to spiral, and a Chill went down Morgana''s spine as she tried to her best to remain in her current...position.


    "I greet the Demonic Martial Star."


    She said, her voice as graceful as it could be, treating the ''existence'' inside the ball with all the respect she could,ced with quite arge amount of fear as well.


    No voice was heard from the ball, but Morgana did not dare relent, She stayed wherever she was, and began to shower the crystal with praises, using whatever she could.


    The tyrant was submissive, the woman that destroyed entire cities in a night stroll was silent, the ruler of the demonic humans and one of, if not the strongest human on the.


    No matter how big a fish was, there was a bigger one.


    [Report.]


    A single word finally resounded. The voice was gentle,pletely betraying one''s expectations when they looked at the sinister crystal. The spiral darkness within it seemed to suck in one''s soul.


    "The tower of trials has been cleared, Demonic Martial Star."


    She said, along with other things. Whenever she ended her sentence, she would always say the full name of ''Demonic Martial Star''. It seems whoever was behind the crystal liked having his full title being called.


    She reported about numerous activities of the human world, all gathered through their intelligencework. The demon behind it, however, did not seem to care.


    [You called me here...just for this?]


    A silent, yet powerful pressure emerged, cracking the space in the room and rendering the surrounding enchantments useless. The walls copsed, and the ceiling would do the same. Morgana hurriedly tried to calm the crystal.


    "Demonic Martial Star, you wished for me to tell you of the state of the world every few months...and advised me to pay special attention to the tower of trials."


    [And so what? Whose name did you utter and his age? If the tower could be cleared by a brat, it was nothing of importance.]


    "Yes, your highness, but... The rewards it granted were surely of great importance."


    [The Panacea Phial is an artifact long-lost to time, rumours of it existing in the dragon''s capital are all there is. The elves have long-lost the ability to produce it.]


    "Our appraisal ski-" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Are utter rubbish.]


    The voice interrupted her, and Morgana went silent, unwilling to utter another word or else it would be her head uttering her final words.


    [The cracked core is useless, Only a dragon or a god beast of high ranking would be able to revive it. And these esteemed existences are all shackled. Whoever created that tower is probably dead, waiting for rebirth.]


    "Yes... Demonic Martial Star... But it was a dragon who cleared the tower."


    Finally, an ounce of interest appeared in the voice, the crystal vibrated. But the pressure increased.


    [You expect me to believe that? Dragons won''t bother with this weak and feeble.]


    "It was a human who is believed to have gained the bloodline of a dragon, he is the one clearing the tower. It is believed the bloodline has fully manifested into him, and he has now evolved into a dragon."


    [Human...]


    The voice felt silent, there was a hint of disapproval in it. Like it believed it to be a waste.


    As if it was the master of the bloodline itself, it spoke with hubris.


    [Hahaha...]


    No, itughed with it.


    [A human... Hahaha!]


    It burst into a boisterousughter soon, tinged with absolute disrespect to the human race.


    [A human manifesting the power of a dragon...when even celestials, demons, and elves struggle with it...HAHAHA!]


    After a while, it finally ended, Morgana could do nothing but grit her teeth at the disrespect. Although she was now a demon herself, it felt odd having her original species be insulted. Her Unique skill was taking it a lot worse. It manifested into her thoughts, but she dared not put them into action.


    [Fine...what is his name? Tell me everything about him.]


    "n Pator, he is 18, and is a user of the ice element and space element. He is young, but is a master at spearman ship."


    [Young...you say?]


    "Yes, Martial Star, he is young...


    [So he can be corrupted...but no.]


    ''Huh?''


    She had served this demon for a long time, she knew how fond he was of corrupting little talents and taking everything away from them, making them his ves...but no?


    What was that ''no'' meant to imply? It made her curious, and she wondered what made the demon so ignorant of her iplete usage of his title


    [I want it...that bloodline of his will be my key to the higher realm!]


    ''Ah...that''s it.''


    It seemed even the demon could control his kinks for advancement,


    "I shall extract the bloodline from him and present it to you, Demonic Martial Star."


    [No. You will only ruin it.]


    "... Yes, my lord."


    She had to ept defeat, even though it hurt her pride.


    [I wille and do it myself. Prepare the construction of a portal and increase the number of miasma spreaders. It is time to make this a colony in my rule.]


    "Yes, My lord."


    The crystal lost it''s power, indicating that the owner of it had left.


    Morgana could finally stand up, she issuedmands through themunicator on her wrist and left the room.

 Chapter 500 [500] Curing Her.

    Chapter 500 [500] Curing Her.


    ??The rhythmic sound of his footsteps resounded in the hallway, he was holding the panacea phial like it was a lover, and he was still d in his armour.


    ''Tick.'' Tok.''


    "Ha...."


    He sighed, as he approached the door to her room. There was a sort of heat radiating from the room. It was so intense that he could feel it here, even with his cold body.


    He whipped his hair back, and muttered to himself.


    "Must be the phoenix bloodline at work."


    He remembered leaving the bloodline energy of the phoenix with Samantha, since it had great healing capabilities, he gave it to her to ease her suffering.


    He hoped it would help in curing her curse, but that was merely a wish. The phoenix bloodline was strong, but to deal with a curse, the speciality of demons, was hard. But it was hard only because the bloodline was still weak. n had focused on it for a while, but no matter how much he did, it wouldn''t be enough to level it up that much.


    The phoenix bloodline, if it was at full strength, would have treated the curse without any issue...so it was regrettable n couldn''t bring it to its full potential yet.


    "Finally..."


    However, no matter how much he could regret not fulfilling the bloodlines'' strength, he couldn''t cure Samantha like that. He needed to do something else to do it. Maybe in the future the bloodline would prove useful.


    He opened the door, which opened with a shrill metallic creak. He was afraid it would disturb her sleep, but thankfully, it did not. The room smelled like the ordinary hospital room.


    He had heard how many times Samantha whined and wished to at least go outside, but if she was disconnected from the machines keeping her alive, the bloodline alone would only dy a painful death.


    He had heard it many times... And he med it on himself of her inability to be a child.


    He moved in front of her bed, looking at her from above. She was once...nearly dead.


    Rotten skin, her hair gone, her bones as week as brittle wood, her flesh corrupted and infected and her blood weak.


    Her body had been through such trauma when the curse had been inflicted upon her, and even more trauma when it had gone fully active.


    That was her state which drove n to so desperately defeat the tower and get the wooden container in his hands. He had done so, so much to get this, only for her to be better.


    "Finally..."


    He muttered again, as he did not even want to recall the emotional trauma his sister had suffered. From the death of her parents, to the abuse at the orphanage and being treated horribly due to the condition of her legs.


    It was a wonder how she was...normal.


    "It''s okay... You''ll be fine now."


    n muttered, as he caressed her head.


    Holding the Panacea Phial, he slowly opened the bottle. But before he could do it fully, themunicator inside the hospital room rang.


    ''Ring.''


    The sound irked him, he didn''t expect it at all. With a frown on his face, he picked the phone up.


    "What is it?"


    He asked, with the angry tone of voice. He was clearly displeased that his chance to cure his sister was interrupted. Furthermore, he didn''t want to dy this any longer. If the phone call, from whoever it was, was not important...


    He would simply hang up, and not attend it again, Heck, he''ll destroy the damn thing if it made too much noise.


    "Have you used the panacea yet?"


    "..."


    The voice was not familiar to him. It wasn''t even displeased at theck of a greeting. But the fact that they dared to ask ''that''.


    It was, quite literally, a form of suicide at this point. The only thing that would make it worse was...


    "Are you interested in selling it?"


    He had to control himself in order to not break themunicator. He hung up, the voice behind it was unable to finish its sentence.


    "The big pharma are interested in pur-"


    His eyes grew cold, hoping nothing else would disturb it now. He held his sister''s head up, and when he was about to open the bottle... The fucking voice was still there.


    Using the radio system, it announced itself again.


    "Please think about this, there are many more people under the curse of a demon, people who would stop at nothing to get a cure. One life...can save many."


    [Skill: Dragon Eyes has been activated.]


    "Timothy Hugh, chief executive at Parker Pharmaceuticals."


    n''s voice grew cold, and informed the voice that he knew who he was.


    "How did yo-"


    "One more fucking word, and I will make you sure you beg for death."


    In an instant, the radio system, as well as anything in the room that would hinder his goal, was destroyed.


    Silently, with the expert usage of mana.


    "Ugh..."


    n groaned, his vision growing blurry. He had used his skill too many times now, and for long durations, he could feel his vision diminishing with each second. Fearing he would actually go blind, he stopped himself from using it any more.


    He opened the bottle. A thick, lovely, and flowery like scent permeated throughout the room. n''s sensitive nose perked up instantly. And an intense urge to devour the liquid was felt.


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice, Lanesha advises you to take your sister to the Jade Pce after feeding the Panacea to her.]


    "... Good to see you again."


    He said to her, noting her advice. A supreme should know what to do best. He didn''t know why the Jade Pce was mentioned, but he did have to admit he didn''t know everything about it.


    He put his hand underneath Samantha''s neck, and slowly whispered in her ear.


    "Sam."


    Once again.


    "Sam."


    Once again.


    "Sam."


    Finally, the little girl woke up, struggling to keep her eyes awake. She was excited her brother hade to meet her after so long, but was bitter about it as well.


    He didn''te to meet her all this time, ording to her. Sadly, She didn''t know n was with her most of the time. Even during his stay at Terra Damnum, he would alwayse when she was sleeping, staying close.


    He just...wasn''t there when she was awake, or struggling to be awake. He knew he couldn''t live with himself if he saw the pain in her eyes. The torture and torment she underwent.


    But, even if she was unaware, she couldn''t express her bitterness. Her body... just couldn''t.


    "I''m sorry."


    He apologized first, knowing her thoughts. Samantha had a hard time processing his words, The scent of the Phial invaded her body and was already causing a reaction, making her stronger, but urging her to rest as well. It was as if the item knew who it was for. What purpose it served already.


    It was like... the liquid and the container was alive. Itching to already fulfil its purpose.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Can you drink this medicine?"


    He asked, continuing.


    "It may be bitter, or it may be sweet... Just drink it, alright?"


    He was unaware how the Panacea tasted. He had heard most effectives medicines were incredibly bitter, he hoped Samantha wouldn''t have a reaction to it and vomit it out.


    That wouldn''t be helpful.


    The little girl nodded with her red eyes, and n slowly moved the panacea to her mouth. The tip of the container touched her tender, cracked lips and the liquid gently moved down her throat. n could already feel a change in her mana.


    He continued to feed it to her, slowly but surely, until Lanesha stopped him.


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha says it is enough.]


    Hearing her words, he brought the bottle away. Still dubious, and somewhat afraid, he doubted himself, and her words.


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha tells you to check her status for yourself.]


    Activating Dragon eyes and bearing with the pain, he checked the status of his little sister.


    ----Status----


    [Name: Samantha Pator (10)]


    Species: Human.


    Statistics:


    Strength: G-


    Endurance: G-


    Intelligence: B


    Charm: B


    Mana: D


    Agility: G-


    ...


    ...


    ...


    It went on and on. n read it multiple times, until a sting in his eyes, followed by tears not caused by the pain, dripped down his cheeks. As usual, and as expected. Her physical attributes were the lowest of the low. Weaker than even a child half her age. It was expected. Her other attributes stayed the same, except for her mana which had got weaker due to her curse. But, her physical attributes and other stats were improving due to the Panacea


    But...


    "... Finally... its..."


    But...


    But it was gone.


    The same curse, the curse that gued his mind and her body, which brought both of them with an unimaginable amount of pain. What had caused them, endless suffering...?


    The very abomination that was his nightmare, and her reality...


    It was finally, finally...!


    "Gone."

 Chapter 501 [501] The second year.

    Chapter 501 [501] The second year.


    ??[Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha urges you to take her to the Jade Pce.]


    "... Alright."


    My initial excitement was drowned by Lanesha''s consisted urging. I was incredibly happy that it had worked. But, Lanesha must have had a point for this.


    "... Can I just take her like this?"


    I questioned, I was still unfamiliar with how my domain worked. I didn''t want to yell it''s activation sequence and have an entire city from here. That would be disastrous and something I could never pay for.


    Speaking about it, I really need to test a lot of things about it.


    ''What am I thinking about...?''


    Shaking my head, I focused on the more important task. Treating Samantha. I need to make sure that she recovers without any mishap. The panacea phial should be enough but it would be good to trust Lanesha''s judgement.


    "How do I go there...with her?"


    I asked, confused. I didn''t want my soldiers there to consider her an enemy.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha suggests you just think of it, with her in your arms.]


    "Alright."


    Following Lanesha''s instructions. I carefully picked Samantha up, the machines connected to her were disconnected, and I thought about the Jade Pce.


    I closed my eyes, and focused... And Voil¨¤!


    I opened my eyes and found myself inside the throne room. The giant serpent king was looking at me, and Samantha, with curious eyes.


    "Don''t attack her."


    I said, just in case. If this thing went ballistic, it would be hard to stop it. I noticed Samantha shivering, and hurriedly cast thermal magic around her.


    The Jade Pce is a cold ce, I may not feel it, but that doesn''t mean it''s the same for others.


    "Now where...?"


    I muttered, waiting for Lanesha''s guidance. However, The pce, as if it understood me, began to light up.


    "... Right."


    I sighed, I had forgotten about this feature. I followed the lights as I made sure Samantha was asleep. And fine.


    Multiple times I went through the pain of checking her status with Dragon Eyes. And each time I sighed in relief when I saw it was still the same.


    I don''t know why I am so paranoid, I keep thinking that...maybe because I didn''t use the entire bottle, the curse may appear again... Thankfully, I don''t have to worry about that.


    I opened arge door I hadn''t ever seen before. This was where the lights had guided me.


    Inside, I saw arge pool, and only that. The water inside the pool was cool, and had a strange lustre I could not define.


    "..."


    I dipped my hand into it, and found it to be calm, soothing, and most importantly...warm.


    Using Dragon eyes once again, I found that it was a pool of rejuvenation. One that could help with recovery.


    ''Ah.''


    So this is why Lanesha told me toe here.


    Slowly, after checking the depth of the pool, I lowered Samantha into a ce where it wasn''t too deep.


    "...is it okay to leave her like this?"


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says it is fine. The longer she stays here, the better it is for her.]


    "Alright."


    Using the connection I had with my troops in my mind, I called over ten knights, and ordered them to protect Samantha, and help her. I ordered all my troops to consider her an ally, even a princess.


    My only concern left would be Samantha freaking out when she woke up. So I had the smaller snakes survey the area all the time. If she woke up, they would inform me and I would rush over here.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha asks if you have any other business to attend too?]


    In the room, Iy down on the cold floor and was surprised at this question.


    "What do you mean? I only have to attend school. Not anything else."


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha urges you to think more.]


    "Think more? Maybe test this domain more, and consult Master a little bit?"


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha remarks that you are an idiot.]


    "...?"


    Confused, I stood up, unable to understand what she meant.


    "I get that a lot, especially from Sabrina and Maxwell, but I really don''t think I am missing something."


    I continued.


    "And if I am, please enlighten this idiot?"


    Surely, she must want me to do something. If not, I don''t see any reason to continue or even initiate this discussion.


    "Sigh...what is it?"


    After her silence, I asked again, but I felt as if a pair of disapproving eyes were gazing at me.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Like the disappointed eyes of a mother, I scrambled to think about everything. And it finally urred to me.


    Looking at the Panacea, I gripped the bottle tightly and sighed.


    "Sigh..."


    The sigh soon changed into a smile, and I looked at Samantha


    "Take care of her."


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha promises no harm will befall her.]


    I had said that to the troops, but this is nice.


    I stepped outside the room, and went to the throne to finally exit the Jade Pce.


    *******


    [You owe me one.]


    Elijah stared at the note, the message written within it was in a nice writing style.


    "n, huh."


    He knew who that writing reminded him of. This note was what was outside his room, along with a bottle.


    He heard a knock outside and went to check it out. But he found no one outside except those two items,ying on the matt.


    It was still a little hard for him to move.


    "..."


    He used his skills to check the information of the bottle, and muttered.


    "... He really did it."


    He had disconnected himself from the outside world for quite a while, so he was unaware of the uproar n had caused.


    But, once he saw the bottle, and the note... It instinctively made him figure it out, who it was.


    "Damn."


    He said, still a little amazed. Moving his injured body outside his own room, he rushed towards his brothers'' room. Where his family was most likely grieving.


    "Thanks."


    He resolved himself to repay this debt no matter what.

 Chapter 502 [502] Discussion of the Domain.

    Chapter 502 [502] Discussion of the Domain.


    ??After I was done with my business, I had some regrets left but decided to dismiss them.


    The Capitol was quiet, but not that quiet. The Twilight guild building was being swarmed by reporters, who believed I was there. And all the properties owned by us in the Capitol shared the same fate. Swarms of people would always be outside everywhere.


    Quite literally, I would be trapped inside the Capitol if I was not able to teleport.


    ''I wonder why this is still ongoing...''


    I thought, roaming the streets with my body fully covered. The Capitol was still in chaos.


    I just cleared the damn tower, it has been days, please, get over it.


    I can''t even eat food! This is hell!


    ''Sigh...''


    I sighed, as I traversed the streets to find anything to eat. I teleported inside the Twilight guild building once but the aftermath was simply horrendous. The people outside caught a glimpse of me and rushed inside, ignoring everything. The guards couldn''t kill them, or severely injure them so...


    It was troublesome.


    Richard hid me in his office for a while. Taking the opportunity to finally enjoy some food in a while. I wolfed down whatever was brought to me. Whilst I was in the tower, All I ate were the nutritional solutions I found there, along with the asional meat of monsters from the floors. But that meat was nasty.


    Really nasty.


    However, My happiness was short lived as the people paraded the entire building, causing great unrest to Twilight''s people. They could keep them at bay for a while, but when they continueud rioting for days, it was inevitable some would get tired.


    Richard advised me to teleport to somewhere else. I first thought of going back into shield, in my room there but was unable to do so.


    Apparently, it seems like Sir Oliver has set up a protection enchantment around the entire campus, and it''s interfering with my spatial magic.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It is annoying, but it can''t be helped. Shield is the greatest academy humanity has, and it is essential for cultivating new talents. Since most of the staff is here, leaving it protected like that is a good idea.


    But then...


    ''Where else?''


    I thought, muttering to myself. I have the suite I used back then.


    ''No...that won''t work...''


    They definitely are there, They know I can teleport and so will be camping every ce I own, or am known to stay at.


    ''Sigh...''


    How...frightening. A spatial mage that has the literal ability to go anywhere on this Earth is trapped. I cannot go to the still shadow of a city that is Aror. I''m afraid my grandparents are already busy due to this.


    Although I can choose to go anywhere, Wherever I have been, the problem lies in that what will I do there?


    I have my cards and money with me, but the moment I use it, it will be traced. I have...nowhere to go except the Jade Pce.


    "..."


    Cursing inwardly, I looked at mmunicator which had already been disabled.


    I feared turning it on, who knows how many calls and messages I would receive.


    "I wonder how everyone else is doing..."


    I really do, What is Sabrinw doing? Probably reading or studying, maybe even practicing magic?


    ''The rest as well...''


    I was immersed in thought, but my focus was still on Sabrina. She is the only one I know best after all...to my knowledge.


    Sadly, as I was too busy drowning in whatever conclusion or spection I could derive, a small child bumped into me.


    She tried to grab into whatever she could hold to avoid falling. But the thing she grabbed was the cloak I was wearing. It was not a magic item, neither was it enchanted so it undid itself easily.


    "Shit."


    I cursed, as I saw everyone focus their attention on me instead of the sobbing girl.


    Without thinking properly, I opened a portal beneath my feet, escaping the crowd which had already begun to record.


    "Holy shit that was spatial magic!"


    "Was that really n Pator?"


    "Damn!"


    *****


    I did not know where I had teleported, nor did I know why...but there was a distinctive aura around this ce.


    It seemed...familiar.


    A sweet, nice, and mellow scent permeated the room, it was dark but the scent made it seem alive. Whoever was the owner was a great person indeed.


    It smelled like flowers, like...vender. The soothing aroma calmed me down, like it was natural.


    The ce, although was still dark, I was able to make something out. It was arge, luxurious room filled with everything you could imagine a rich person having.


    I was about to use mana to enhance my eyes and let me see clearly... But the owner of this humble and fragrant abode turned the lights on.


    "..."


    "..."


    We both stared at each other in silence, wild conclusionsing to both our minds. Mine mostly being ways to exin myself. And the other perhaps thinking of ways to kill me, or throw me out.


    "Ten seconds, exin."


    Sabrina said, dressed in a nightgown and obviously having been woken up abruptly,nevertheless she was still beautiful.


    Without a second of dy, I exined.


    "I idently teleported here because everywhere I know I can go is not safe and this was an ident done in the spur of the moment."


    I hope she believes it. It is nothing but the truth! I hope...


    Thankfully, my prayers were answered as I looked above and found her to be sighing.


    It was a hearty sigh. She rubbed her tired eyes and sat down on her bed, looking at me.


    I turned around, facing the wall.


    "I shall stand here until you wake up."


    "Stop being absurd and take a seat.''


    I really would do it, you know? Standing is not a difficult task. But I followed her instructions and sat down on a sofa in therge room.


    "Hungry?"


    She asked, and I felt as if there was an angel Infront of me.


    ******

 Chapter 503 [503] The appetite of a dragon.

    <h4>Chapter 503 [503] The appetite of a dragon.</h4>


    ?''Munch!''


    As the sound echoed throughout the room, Sabrina had only one look on her face as she witnessed the frightening sight of n wolfing down anything, and everything.


    Even the bones would not be left and be treated the same as meat Infront of his teeth.


    And how many steaks had he already eaten?


    About fifty?


    And how many sandwiches? A hundred.


    "..."


    She was truly speechless. Although she had heard the rumors of his ravenous appetite from Shields cafeteria staff, who regarded him as their nightmare...it was hard to believe it to be true. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She didn''t pay much attention to his eating habits and appetite back in shield, so she always thought that the rumours were a bit exaggerated...turns out they were an understatement. The sheer quantity of food he was devouring was sure to give her cooks a hard time.


    She couldn''t even hide his presence here, and the family was already aware of his existence because of the amount of food he was eating.


    Her butler was right next to her, witnessing the disy with the same expression of utter disbelief as Sabrina. He had a hard time imagining if this was actually a human or not.


    Sabrina was also wondering the same.


    ''Maybe that''s the appetite of a dragon...''


    She concluded, being more familiar with n.


    "This food is great!"


    He eximed, overjoyed at having a good meal after so long. He was now allergic to hose nutritional solutions.


    "Miss...we have run out of ingredients."


    The butler said after a while.


    "...and the chefs are too tired to cook more."


    He continued, and Sabrina stared at him with a solemn gaze. One which really asked...


    ''Really?''


    "Sigh..."


    She sighed, truly in awe at how much this man could eat.


    "Thanks for the meal, and I apologize for intruding on you at such an hour."


    At least he had the modesty to apologize and was also thankful.


    "Don''t be, I know the situation of the outside world right now."


    "Thanks!"


    Sabrina knew what was happening at the outside world. Of how people were desperately searching for n and everyone he had a rtion with. Thinking about that however, made a certain thought appear in her head.


    "How about..."


    She hesitated to speak first, afraid of the answer it would bring. She had seen n clear the tower and everything he had gained...but had he...


    "...is your sister?"


    With much hesitation and reluctance, she finished her sentence. She was afraid of him bing sad but instead he seemed quite happy. Before he even answered her back she sighed in relief, already knowing what was toe.


    "She''s alright now."


    ''Good.'' She thought in her mind, somewhat relieved. After analyzing the situation a little bit, she asked her butler to leave the room. She wanted to discuss something with n, who was quite important, if not the pivot of the next move.


    This was a matter known only to a few, but her butler was stubborn, he refused to leave. After much discussion, she managed to make him leave them alone for a while. He was a good servant, so she understood his concern.


    Little did she know her butler was thinking about something else between the two. After he had left, She looked at n, who was wiping his mouth with a tissue and asked.


    "How is everything?"


    He showed a slight hint of confusion, Sabrina sighed and pointed a piece of paper on her desk. it was empty, but it should be enough for him to understand what she meant. He looked at the piece of paper, and with a solemn look on his face said:


    "Oh."


    n realized what she meant, he said to her.


    "You are noting. It''s too dangerous."


    "Ha?"


    Sabrina, had a look of confusion on her face, It was a haughty one. She, clearly offended rebuked.


    "Me? Noting you say? Have you forgotten who found those coordinates? Who helped in creating the gate and spent sleepless nights inscribing the runes and coordinates on that troublesome material?"


    "..."


    n was speechless, clearly unable toe up with a rebuttal. Sabrina looked at him with disgust, which hurt him on the inside but he still remained firm.


    "Do you know whose connections it was that was used to get those materials? Whose money? Whose investments?"


    He let her continue, but he finally had a rebuttal to this.


    "That was your grandfather."


    "I am his granddaughter! The one who directly brought it to him and made him agree!"


    She went up and grabbed his ears, shaking his head left to right. But n was still adamant.


    "I am not letting you go i-"


    "Who said you have any authority over this?!"


    "I am the one who pl-"


    "Ha?!"


    "I am the one who nned it, and also the one capable of using it, and enabling the people who will ent-"


    "n."


    He felt a chill run down his spine and felt it was necessary to stop after she mentioned his name, she stopped shaking his head and pulling his ears, and got closer. The distance between their lips was minimal, and her soft voice echoed out, paired with her breath. n could smell her breath at this distance.


    "I. Am. Going."


    She tried to act coy, or cute or whatever it was, But n had already built up a defense around it. Her charms worked on him no longer.


    "I am going."


    On second thought, she wasn''t acting coy, rather her face depicted her intentions to rip n apart. Before he could even say anything to refute, she patted his head and smiled.


    "..."


    He was speechless, she was clearly different. Acting entire different from what he remembered. She was cold, and mostly didn''t pay attention to anyone, even him most of the time from what he remembered but now...


    Was she simply that excited by the prospect of spatial travel? At the prospect of travelling to another?


    She was the studious type...so n merely chalked it up to her inside nerd being awakened at the endeavor Twilight and the Wellingtons would embark on soon enough.


    Provided it went smoothly...perhaps it would finally propel Twilight to rank 1.

 Chapter 504 [504] The gate.

    <h4>Chapter 504 [504] The gate.</h4>


    ?It was an unearthly structure to gaze at, one that still required more time to be perfected. Drones and humans worked in harmony to perfect it.


    Built from a material that resembled the texture of stone, and the color of obsidian it was mesmerizing, however, even though the color of it was pitch ck, runic inscription could still be found on it. Almost invisible to the naked eye, but they possessed a strange...power to them that made them visible.


    Everyone there inside the room, could feel their presence, like it was in itch or the prick of a needle piercing into their skin.


    To some, it was like that but to some it was also friendly, like the soft hum of a flute. It didn''t cause any pain.


    And to one, it was like home. Like it was a part of him.


    The giant gate was almostpleted, and the people who were constructing it became ready. They protected themselves with the best quality armor they had, and the best weapons they could forge.


    Two parties were present in the room, one belonging to the Wellingtons, led by the patriarch himself. He was adorned in an armor reminiscent of a golden lion, with red ruby eyes that seemed to be alive. The sword he wielded was also a formidable weapon, like it was made from golden liquid itself.


    It seemed to be more a fluid than a solid, one wondered how it would even cut but they didn''t want to be the ones to face it head on.


    Who knows? Maybe that thing was one of the strongest weapons on Earth. Aside from the Patriarch, various trusted and strong members of the family were also present, each adorned in an armor that put even Richard''s armor to shame.


    The other party, was of course the Twilight guild party, who were in a coboration with the Wellington, The two parties joined together to make the portal after Sabrina had figured out the coordinates.


    The Wellingtons would have had an edge over Twilight if they didn''t need n to activate the portal. They would have even decided to construct the portal by themselves if n wasn''t the only one who knew the materials.


    Sadly, they couldn''t monopolize on such an opportunity and had to contact Twilight. Although n was aware that Sabrina had found spatial coordinates, he didn''t say anything due to his main focus of interest at that time being Elvenheim.


    But, after a lot of efforts and trials to gather the materials and keep the mission as covert as possible, they were finally able to construct the portal. The riots outside about n clearing the tower helped in keeping this whole operation a secret. And n had to sacrifice his time, and dignity to attend any meetings he could.


    Of course, he was forced to do this. He had already missed many days of school. As well as Sabrina.


    The other party was of course Twilight, who had gathered their strongest hunters as well as Predator to venture into the world that the portal would soon lead too.


    "This is exciting."


    Maxwell said, as he watched from the back. Soon, the portal would beplete, and he would have the chance to venture into another world.


    The furthest humans had made it was to mars, and that was a deste that was considered useless to terraform, especially with the threats Earth was dealing with.


    They had done quite a bit on the moon though. But, that wasn''t prosperous as well.


    "Well, it can still go bad."


    n said from the sidelines, prompting everyone to look at him. He looked back at the people in the room and said.


    "They are the coordinates of a, we don''t know whether it is a good or not... Just a. Who knows? It could be a sea or a barren."


    He continued, oblivious of the gazes of the others. Who were having their hopes smashed in front of their eyes.


    "..."


    Sabrina looked at him with a disappointed gaze, she knew he was an idiot in this regard but this...was too much.


    [Quiet down.]


    "..."


    She said, stopping him before he ruined their hopes once again. Yes, it was an unknown and they were most likely the first pure humans to step foot on one, and it may be a highly dangerous...but.


    Come on! Think of the prospects! The treasures! The new sights and the thrill! One could dream, could they not? The people said their prayers as the drones finished the construction of the portal. Sabrina and n went forth to inspect the portal.


    Sabrina checked the coordinates inscribed on it, and n checked the mana signatures.


    "It''s ready to go."


    They said at the same time, looking back at the team. Everyone had their eyes aze, and Sabrina went back.


    "Good luck."


    She said to n, who stood in front of the empty gateway. He looked at the veins in the ground before the portal, which were constructed to transform his liquidated mana to the portal.


    "Haaa..."


    Taking a deep breath, he knelt down and touched the veins with his fingers, ready to start the process but he waited.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Sabrina''s grandfather asked, yet n didn''t answer him and only waited.


    "You can start now."


    After his guild master gave him permission, n started to circte his spatial mana towards his fingers, it escaped in the form of sweat and filled the veins. It coursed through them and made a path towards the portal. Which began to light up. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The team behind him readied themselves with bated breaths, they held their shields up high and their weapons were aimed at the portal.


    Multiple spells, each of great magnitude were ready tounch within a second. Such a preparation was necessary, if they could go through it something, or worse ''someone'' coulde to their world through it as well.


    "Hold."


    Richard said, as n''s mana coursed through the entire portal, making the obsidian like rock shine. The engravings seemed alive and danced in the air as the portal finally showed a change.


    A small crack appeared in the center.


    "Ready the magic crystals."


    The patriarch said, as he and his team took out arge number of magic crystals, no less than S rank.


    They knew n couldn''t supply the portal with mana for a long time, so they prepared these crystals beforehand, after confirming through him they would work.


    They wondered how he knew, and they would be right if they thought he didn''t. n just asked Lanesha the proper way to open and maintain a portal, as well as the materials required to make one.


    Sadly, the materials that could be found on Earth could only make a portal of this scale, so they had to make do.


    Finally, after n almost cursed out in exhaustion. The crack in the portal expanded, apanied by a shrill sound.


    "Finally!"


    Everyone looked at it, with anticipation.

 Chapter 505 [505]Another world!

    <h4>Chapter 505 [505]Another world!</h4>


    ?Like the slow shatter of a mirror, small cracks appeared inside the gateway, exuding a blue light. The cracks expanded until they reached the ends of the portal, and then. They started to fall.


    From the center, pieces started to fall.what was behind the pieces was not the other side of the wall, but what seemed to be space itself! Filled with stars and clouds of gas. It was beautiful, yet it also raised rms in the mind of a person. The vastness scared them, just as much it awed them.


    "Prepare the crystals!"


    Sabrina shouted from the back, unable to contain her excitement. She urged her grandfather to hurry. Hugo listened to the will of his granddaughter and raised his hand, Members of the Wellington family took outrge crystals the size of the human upper body, of various colors.


    "Set the convertors."


    Richard ordered, and Twilight brought out devices that looked likerge rings and fixed the crystals onto them.


    The portal needed spatial mana to be operable, but Humanity had no such artifact which could convert other forms of mana to that of space.


    It didn''t, so the team simply used converters to convert mana into its most basic form. n and Sabrina had designed the portal in such a way that it would convert that mana into a form suitable for it.


    The conversion rate was not remarkable, but they didn''t really have another choice. n didn''t have an infinite amount of mana to power the portal.


    The cracks were slowly dissaprarign, and the vast horizon of doace, in its endless beauty was in front for everyone to gaze upon. They were mesmerized by such a sight but called themselves soon.


    "Ha... "


    Thest crack disappeared and a wave of energy burst forth, pushing everyone back. n was unable to maintain his bnce and fell on his ass, yet he didn''t mind it and continued to stare at thepleted portal.


    "Marvelous..."


    Hugo muttered, nothing but awe present in his voice. Sabrina let out a strange sound from behind, a mix of augh and a ''hmph''. But everyone ignored her, for they were all too busy in admiring the portal.


    "The first portal constructed by humans... "


    "That''s space magic for you... "


    Various sounds of praise and shock escaped, but before they could increase Richard put a stop to it.


    "Gentlemen, I know that''s clearly a great sight, but we should be cautious."


    Some sense was knocked into the team, and they readied themselves. n took out his spear and pointed it at the portal, ready to take on anything that woulde from it.


    "Hold, be ready."


    Various spells were already cast, to stop the advance of anything that coulde out from there, and everyone was tense.


    The clock ticked, and soon an hour passed. Everyone remained the same but Sabrina, who was drinking coffee nonchntly in the back, seemingly unworried.


    [Please show some... caution. ]


    n said to her, wishing she woulde back to her senses but she simply responded.


    [I have you here, so there''s no need. ]


    n lowered his head, hiding the expression on his face.


    Half an hour passed, and the team was still as tense as ever. These people here were hardened veterans, who knew that a single second was all it took for things to go haywire.


    Sometimes, it would take even less than a second.


    "At ease, send the drones."


    Richard ordered, and some of them, most in the back lowered their guard. To rest a little but the ones in front with the most beefy armor stayed vignt.


    "Yes."


    Aerial and ground drones, each specially manufactured to handle what they could imagineing from this expedition went inside the portal. Each was connected to a wire. They decided to go with this primitive method because... Honestly who would expect a wireless or remote connection to work?


    Shortly after they entered the portal, the wires moved up and down, followed by a sideways moment. The motion was repeated three times.


    "They haven''t met resistance."


    An awakened said from the back, Richard signed in relief and asked.


    "Any footage?"


    "Sadly... The cameras we installed seemed to have stopped working."


    "Shit."


    A curse escaped Hugo''s mouth. The motion of the wires was a signal they had decides on before in case this very thing happened.


    "Retrieve the drones."


    Soon, the drones returned, without a single scratch on them. Various awakened got ready, and wrapped specially produced wires around themselves.


    A group of five entered, and the others in the room watched with bated breath, hoping for good news.


    A while passed, and they saw a disturbance in the portal. Ripples appearing and in response they raised their weapons and cast supporting skills on themselves.


    But that proved to be a useless measure. The people they sent returned, with a smile on their faces.


    "Report."


    Hugo ordered, eager to know.


    "It''s a in, filled with green and blue grass. The air is breathable and does not appear to be contaminated, and besides flora, no other life is present for miles from what we could see. There are two Suns in the sky. And the gravity is a bit strong than Earth..."


    As the awakened listed the details of what he had experienced on his little adventure, the group had wide smiles on their faces. n had to hold Sabrina back from rushing inside already. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Calm down!]


    [Come on! They said it was ok! Let me go! ]


    He still didn''t let go.


    "Haha... "


    A dryugh escaped Richards lips, the billions spent on this project were worth it. Just the fact that there was a habitable area outside was enough. Even if it was devoid of minerals or resources, it was... Good.


    He looked at n with a satisfied gaze, who in response raised his thumb up and smiled. It was a cocky smile, full of arrogance but Richard ignored it.


    He shouldn''t ruin this moment, and he didnt want to as well.


    Everyone was eager to enter, and both heads finally gave the order.


    "Let''s go."


    They marched inside, n and Sabrina enteredst, much to thetter''s disappointment.

 Chapter 506 [506] Another World! (2)

    <h4>Chapter 506 [506] Another World! (2) </h4>


    ?Like the light of heaven itself, it shone down from above like a cascade, enriching the earth below.


    The scent of fresh dirt, something most humans had never even smelt due the technological advancements was... Interesting.


    The awakened had a hard time getting recognized to the beautiful scent of soil, the grass all around them, arranged in magnificent patterns of an unknown culture or method also released a great scent.


    It was like a mixture ofvender, rose, and palm. It was quite difficult to describe it in words, but it was soothing and brought peace to ones arm.


    Although the number of Suns was rming, they were warm, not infernal. The Suns cast their light and warmth like a mother covering her sleeping child in a nket in the middle of winter.


    The footing was bnced, the ground was tough but the scent of soil was sweet. The clouds in the sky painted quite a wondrous scene.


    If it was to be painted onto a canvas and by the hands of a master, it would put many of history''s renowned artists works to shape.


    The celestial bodies, some partially covered by the clouds were just...mesmerizing.


    "Woah... "


    This was not n, not Sabrina or any young member, but an experienced veteran who had let out his inner child at this sight. The others looked at him, and he coughed in embarrassment. None med him however. It was deserving.


    The entire party managed toe, but the admiration of this sight was brought to a halt as someone dropped to the floor on their knees.


    Maxwell, who had entered despite wearing the highest quality gear he could have crumbled to the ground like the leaves of a tree in autumn. The gravity of this was stronger than that of Earth, and it seemed to be affecting him.


    "My... Apologies... "


    He tried to apologize, sorry for ruining the moment with his weakness. Kazikato approached him and let him stand up, with his help. He thanked him afterwards


    "Thanks... Haa. "


    He gasped, the pressure was still effecting him, so kazikato cast a shield of his own mana around him.


    n and Sabrina entered as well, and Sabrina showed a simr reaction, however, before she could fall to the ground n caught her, asking what was wrong.


    "You good?"


    The other hunters who had returned from this world had stated that the gravity qas a bit strong... But it seems it was an understatement.


    Due to their strength, the gravity may not affect them much but for these two, whose physical aspects were weaker?


    It was hard.


    Sabrina started to swear, n cast a shield on her as well, and used his ice mana to cool her down, he helped her get up and stayed close.


    "That was... A shock. "


    She said, clearly irritated that her first experience in a new world was to be forced on her knees.


    Who knows? If she entered alone, which may or may not have been a n of hers a while back... She may have been stuck here as her body crumpets underneath the weight.


    "Thank you."


    She thanked n, who responded.


    "Just doing my job."


    "... "


    "Check the perimeters, always be in groups of five or more and report back, we don''t know how much time passes here or what the cycle is, so be cautious not to be toote. One team stay here for 5 more minutes and then go back to Earth."


    Richards orders interjected their conversation, and the team, despite being amazed got to work.


    "We need to check if the electronics still work."


    The drones had managed to work, although they lost their recording capabilities.


    Maxwell took out tons of things from spatial rings, as did the others. They began to run tests as n bent down to check on the grass. Sabrina''s grandfather was also doing the same.


    "Remember, Do not engage with any lifeform! Retreat even if it''s weak."


    Richards voice was heard in the distance once again, getting faint.


    "Is there anything special about it?"


    Sabrina asked as she bent down, or more rather justy on n''s broad back and peeked over his shoulder.


    "It''s normal grass."


    Hemented, as he held a few des of the green grass in his hands.


    "Check the blue ones."


    She advisee, still in that position. The gravity here made it hard for both Sabrina and Maxwell to move.


    Sabrina hated training her physical attributes, she deemed such a training...


    ''Primitive.'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Logan eyed her and n for a while, then returned to his own business, ordering the Wellington camo.


    "This has mana."


    n said, as he picked up a few des of blue grass. Although the amount of mana was faint, he could sense it.


    "Really?!"


    Sabrina''s high pitched voice responses out, her eyes glowed like stars as she snatched the blue des of grass from his hands.


    "I don''t sense... Wait there is."


    n was a bit surprised she could sense the mana in the grass, it took him quite a lot of focus to sense it but she just did nonchntly.


    "Help me get to the research table. "


    She said, and n helped her to go where Maxwell was, the research table.


    Calling it that was an... Exxageration. It was currently just filled with all sorts if gadgets Maxwell was testing to see if their originals functions stayed the same.


    "Everything works fine... So why did the drones lose their recording ability? "


    Every after pondering for a while, he failed to deduce a good conclusion aside from the portal messing with their gear.


    But if it did... Did it fail to detect the itemls in their spatial rings?


    If it did, if was a good thing. Transporting of goods would be hard but not impossible, just needed quite a few trips.


    Sabrina approached him and handed him the grass, n left those two to their business and examined the area they had teleported them. It remaining the same, but with all the great scenery here it looked normal as it didpared to the one on Earth.


    Curious about the strange patterns in the grass, n decided to activate his wings and fly up to get a better view.

 Chapter 507 [507] The strange patterns.

    <h4>Chapter 507 [507] The strange patterns.</h4>


    ?Using his wings to propel himself, he took a good look at the surroundings from above.


    The others were used to him doing this now, although the people from the Wellington''s family did look at him with odd gazes.


    "Must be nice to have a bloodline that strong."


    Onemented, and went on to do his business. The rest looked at him from afar, admiring his wings.


    Nevertheless, they all had important duties to do, some scout teams had gone and were nowhere to be seen.


    "...The heck?"


    From the skies, nmented, his voiceced in confusion as his mind tried toprehend the strange...patterns.


    The patterns the grass formed was of squares and triangles. The triangles were formed by the patches of blue grass, and the squares by the patches of green. However, a difference as small as this could be discerned from the ground.


    He went a little higher and activated his dragon eyes, then he saw that the tips of the separate color grasses were in opposite directions, The green grass pointed towards far south, whilst the blue pointed towards the north.


    "..."


    He also noticed tiny specks of red in the center of all these shapes and patches. He went down and when he looked again, they weren''t there.


    "Weird."


    Hemented, as he activated his dragon eyes again and could see the red dots once more.


    [Mana conduit.]


    [Inactive.]


    That was all that popped up when he inspected it with his skill. He deactivated it. The red spots could only been seen with his skill, and no one else noticed it, even with their detection skills.


    "Lanesha, you know anything about this?"


    He asked, thinking a supreme would definitely know something about this. The name did give him an idea of what it was but he needed more concrete info. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But there was no response.


    "Suleras?"


    He called out to his other guardian dragon, and no response from him as well. He checked his body with his mana and found nothing wrong with his connection to the two...but strangely they didn''t respond.


    ''Are they busy?''


    He concluded that it was just because they had their own matters to attend too, and left the matter, thinking it would be better to revisit when he could converse with them again.


    "Max, I''ll be back, I''m going to scout a bit."


    n informed Maxwell. He wanted to check what exactly the tips of the grasses were pointing towards. Of course, it could just be nonsense, or something useless. But it worth a try. Scout teams may have departed in that direction, but, because he could only see the red dots with his [Dragon eyes], he thought it would be better to go himself.


    "Take someone with you, three people at least."


    Maxwell advised, still cautious of whatever dangers lurked ahead.


    "I''ll take Kazikato with me, he''s the only one that can keep up with my speed."


    "Take Sabrina with you as well."


    "What? She is safe here, Besides the gravity here is too much for her."


    "Too much for whom?"


    "Hik!"


    He heard a voice behind him and shut up, Maxwell looked at him with a grin and said.


    "Both of you are idiots that are overconfident. You both don''t know when to stop, Take someone smart with you. Please."


    "..."


    He wanted to say something to refute that statement, but the person behind him rethink his thoughts. Although Sabrina was weak to the gravity here because of her physical attributes...she was good to have.


    She knew more than he did, and because of his inability to use [Dragon Eyes] for a prolonged period of time, he should have her with him. Kazikato wasing along because he could use his skill more freely, and would provide better information.


    But Maxwell did have some truth to his statement...Kazikato wasn''t the brightest tool in the shed.


    ''Sigh...''


    "Did you just sigh inwardly? Is taking me along such a repulsive idea?"


    "No, your just..."


    "Just?"


    "Nothing, forget I ever said anything."


    ''I shouldn''t speak any further.''


    He got ready and called Kazikato, who sprouted his own wings and began to float.


    "How am I supposed to go with you all when your fly-Hey!"


    n didn''t wait for her to finish and simply carried her, and then flew.


    "Damn."


    Maxwell whistled from the back as he watched them depart towards the north. He sincerely wished Logan had seen that, but the old man was busy in own matters and missed it.


    He missed some good drama there.


    *******


    On the way to the north, They sawrge forests with small trees, ake and more patches of blue grass. The green grass was nowhere to be seen.


    "Keep your eyes active and keep looking everywhere, report anything odd."


    n ordered Kazikato, and he obliged. They kept flying at a moderate pace. n would also activate his eyes at regr intervals to check for himself.


    "Was this really necessary?"


    As the trip went on, all three of them quickly grew bored, finding no fault with the surroundings. Sabrina asked n. Her voice was difficult to hear at this altitude.


    "What are you talking about?".


    He asked, expressing some confusion at her question. Kazikato listened closely.


    "This method of...transport."


    "You mean how I am carrying you?"


    "Yes."


    He didn''t understand what she found wrong with it, he had carried her in the traditional ''princess carry'' a few times before. Granted, they were emergencies but...she should be used to it now.


    "I can change it if you want."


    Regardless, if she was disturbed he was ready to carry her in another way. Whatever way she preferred.


    "No, keep doing this."


    He couldn''t see her face due to her turning away, but he found the entire conversation they had to have no meaning.


    Why would she ask that if her response was that?


    Ignoring it, he increased his speed. There was a strange feeling in his body as he was went further north.


    Soon, they could see mountains covered with snow. But before that, Sabrina noticed something else.


    "n, descend for a bit."


    He, along with Kazikato flew down.

 Chapter 508 [508] Updraft.

    <h4>Chapter 508 [508] Updraft.</h4>


    ?Following her request to go down, both of them started to descend at a slow pace, Kazikato had his eyes active to detect any unseen dangers and they reached the ground.


    The blue grass was everywhere, and no trees were in sight, however, some parts of the ground seemed as if they had been uprooted. Dirt was everywhere, and some strange pieces of metal.


    Kazikato dropped down first and picked the metal pieces, they were in the form of a needle, which was as thick as a finger and as big as the forearm.


    There were multiple of these needles all around the dirt piles, but that was not the thing that Sabrina wanted them toe down for.


    n reached the ground and let her down, he also looked towards the ''pir of fire'' that was erupting from a crack on the ground.


    To say it was a crack was a bit of an understatement, it looked like the opening to a ravine, only that it was lit by blue fire.


    But the blue fire...was not fire. Because of the altitude they had assumed it was. n asked Kazikato why he didn''t tell them about it, but he said he wasn''t paying attention there


    "Mana."


    Sabrina pointed out, Kazikato and n realized it much sooner, they were simply shocked at it''s strange behavior and the density of it. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The mana that was released like the breath of a dragon from the earth was incredibly dense, like a wall. Kazikato tried to push his hand through, but was met with great resistance.


    "I can see something down there..."


    However, although one could not pass through it, they could see through it. Sabrina enhanced her vision with her mana but still couldn''t urately see what lied beyond the vast sea of mana.


    "Kazikato?"


    "Whatever it is, it''s glowing."


    Kazikato said, piercing through the sea of mana with his eyes. But his description wasn''t exactly appealing.


    "Are your eyes not showing you their description?"


    n asked him, confused. Dragon eyes should give him aplete description of whatever was down there, even if this sea of mana was obstructing it.


    "I can''t...I don''t know why but I am unable to ess their information."


    ''Sigh...''


    n sighed inwardly, and activated his own eyes after Sabrina looked at him with hopeful eyes, She had already regarded Kazikato as useless. The poor boy was unaware of this and tried his best to peer into the wall.


    "Minerals...most likely."


    nmented, facing the same difficulty as Kazikato, however he could see the surrounding fine and the texture of the glowing objects suggested they were minerals, or ore.


    No matter how hard he tried or how much mana he used, he couldn''t ess their information as well.


    "We travelled quite a bit."


    Whilst the two of them were trying to bypass the surge of mana, Sabrina called Maxwell with the help of an artifact, and informed him of their discovery.


    Maxwell informed them that the location had been marked, and teams would be sent to check on itter with more equipment, but that was something that would happenter. They had travelled hundreds of miles away from the portal. The main base was still being set up, so it would take a lot of time for them to be able to explore here. She ended the call and looked at the two of them, Kazikato was still trying to jump into the mana, whilst n was simply staring at therge mountains.


    ''It''s cold.''


    She said inwardly, almost shivering. The suits they wore underneath their armor provided protection to all temperatures and were suites for extreme changes, but Sabrina felt as if the suit was apparently useless.


    This wasn''t right. They were produced by apany her family owned... Furthermore, she didn''t feel cold but felt cold at the same time. It was quite hard to grasp.


    As if her body was being protected by the suit, but something else wasn''t.


    "Those mountains... "


    She didn''t hear n''s muttering, and began to wonder why they hadn''t encountered any sort of life except for nts.


    Eventually, after failing to find what the glowing objects beneath the manager were, they traveled forward.


    Sabrina wanted to go back, but n was insisting that they go a little bit further. She allowed it, but she wanted go go back before it got too cold.


    Kazikato had an abundance of Mana to protect himself from the cold, whilst n was immune to it due to his affinity.


    She however, wasn''t. She could use her Mana to protect herself or n could conjure a shield around her. But she had a gut feeling that going further would spell disaster.


    She was carried by n once again and they departed, the mountains were farther than they had anticipated, as they got closer and closer, they were getting farther and farther.


    It wasn''t just her that was feeling this, but the rest of the party was as well. n and Kazikato''s senses were constantly being messed with. Ariel had also stopped responding to Kazikato as well.


    She was always free...This led to n thinking the silence of his guardian dragons was rted to this, and not their own personal affairs.


    "Hold on tight."


    n said, and sped up, his mana covered his wings and the bloodline of the phoenix enhanced his speed as well. He blitzed through the illusion cast forth by the mountain range. They had flown for so long but the close mountain range was still the same distance ahead?


    Bullshit.


    n had enough of it and intended to brute force his way through the illusion that was cast, He told everyone to be ready. He had a feeling that they were trapped here, and retreating would be of no use.


    "Hey!"


    Sabrina called out, wanting to tell him to wait but he didn''t listen.


    His speed increased, he cast a shield around himself and her, and with the aid of mana he blitzed forth.


    Kazikato struggled to keep up with n, who had already broken the sound barrier.


    But, he didn''t need too. The illusion that was cast was broken and Kazikato collided with a nket of snow. n''s figure stopped and the force blew out all the snow.


    "Are you crazy?!"


    Sabrina yelled at him, her hair a mess, But n didn''t respond to her. She could see his eyes glowing brightly, blood leaking from them as well. He was looking at something.


    She looked up, and the only thing she could see was a huge mountain. She looked at Kazikato to find his eyes glowing as well.


    She quietened down, and waited for them to answer, realizing that whatever it was that their eyes were showing them, it was serious.

 Chapter 509 [509] The North.

    Chapter 509 [509] The North.


    ??Higher than even the clouds of this world, the nkets of snow that covered the high mountains. The mountains, which were tens of thousands of meters of tall...But ''the thing'' they saw was still prominentpared to the behemoth like size of these peaks.


    "You see that...right?"


    "Yeah."


    n asked Kazikato, who responded with an affirmation, Sabrina stayed quiet, wishing they would simply tell her soon enough.


    The might of [Dragon Eyes] pierced through the dense clouds and saw something...which was illogical to say the least.


    At first, there were statues of ice, some parts covered in snow but not all of them...but this?


    This was merely the beginning, they weren''t even half the way up the mountain. They saw...life.


    Life in the form of behemoths, mammoths and yetis from what they could see.


    After such a while, they had finally seen something alive, a biological organism that didn''t belong to Flora. Some fought with one another, and some peacefully slept with their groups. There were many, But n and Kazikato didn''t waste time to count them all.


    It was not even the thing that grabbed their attention...It was something else. At a level where oxygen was scarce, perhaps even non-existent, where the stars appeared closer than the ground...where the endless expanse of space was at the distance of an outstretched hand.


    There ity, with bricks asrge as human houses being the foundation, the ceiling, and the walls.


    Like emerald it glowed and like an astral crystal it reflected the beauty of the vast space.


    But, the size of it was simply...gargantuan. Gigantic.


    Each brick was the size of a house...and there were quite possibly hundreds of thousands of such gigantic like materials...and what did they form?


    What could it possibly be...?


    To take such giant materials to form, what would be it''s size, what would be it''s shape?


    The colossal construct that required these was a city, that looked deste to them but they dared not venture further with the help of their eyes.


    It was a like a biting feeling into their throats...or rather it would be more appropriate to say it was like a knife held at it, a knife so sharp it would only take a second, maybe even less to decapitate their heads if they dared seek further.


    ''What is the strength of the civilization that built such a construct?''


    The two of them didn''t look further, and simply deactivated their eyes, afraid whatever...or whoever was inside would take notice of them.


    The city, as far as they could see which rested on the top of these gigantic mountains appeared to be deste...but they didn''t want to see if it truly was or not.


    "..."


    n and Kazikato looked down, and looked at the sight a peculiar girl being covered in snow, her hair had be white and she was shivering, but there was a fire in her eyes.


    "Ah."


    n had deactivated the shield he had cast around them to strengthen his eyes...he hadpletely forgotten about the passenger he had.


    "Sorry..."


    He apologized, he was simply too taken aback by the sight he had just seen, that he had forgot about Sabrina''s frail...body.


    "..."


    She stayed quiet, the shivers running down her body making her unable to utter words. This didn''t mean she was quiet though.


    [Maxwell was right, you two areplete idiots.]


    Sheined through the astral connection.


    [Not rea-]


    n tried to make aeback, but was ruthlessly shut down.


    [Shut up.]


    "..."


    [At least tell me what you saw that made you both sweat in this weather.]


    n nodded, and they left the ce. He intended to inform her along the way.


    *****


    "A city...?"


    She asked, confused. They travelled through the air at a moderate pace. n had set up another shield and Sabrina used her mana to conjure a small fire to keep herself warm, and dry her clothes.


    "Yeah, It was made with bricks the size of houses, and although we couldn''t see much inside... It appeared deste."


    Kazikato chimed in.


    "There were weird statues of ice below and at the walls of the city, and monsters like Mammoths and Yetis, They were in groups."


    "Hmmm..."


    Taking in the new information they had garnered.


    "We need to go back now, n, open a portal."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I can''t."


    She froze, a seed of fear growing inside. They didn''t teleport back instantly because she didn''t want everyone to see her shivering and in wet clothes...but because of the recent information she was ready to handle the embarrassment and rumors...But.


    n couldn''t make a portal?


    "I don''t know if it''s the portal we made there, or this itself. I can''t seem to find a connection back to the main base, and neither can I teleport back to Earth. It''s like my connection to space is being cut, but still there."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I can feel my mana, yet I can''t manifest it."


    Kazikato stayed quiet, the suns began to go down and the night was soon toe. Sabrina had a shiver run down her spine, unwilling to spend the night in this unfamiliar environment. Her curiosity had beenpletely removed, and she was more focused on going back.


    She was scared, to put it bluntly.


    "Go as fast as you can, don''t mind me and just go."


    n looked at her for a moment, Kazikato started to prepare.


    "Don''t regret it."


    "I won''t, we need to go back home as soon as possible. I don''t...have a good feeling about this."


    Her concerns were quite valid. They had just seen somethingpletely defying their expectations and predictions, and theck of life in this...irked her.


    "Go, now!"


    n didn''t want any longer and enhanced his speed with whatever he could, His bloodline energy, mana and even his dragonic powers.


    Sabrina struggled to even open her eyes at this speed. And Kazikato struggled to keep up, using all his mana in the process.


    It didn''t even take them ten minutes to go back.

 Chapter 510 [510] The City at the top.

    Chapter 510 [510] The City at the top.


    ??The camp had made quite a bit of progress, the portal was still active and swathes of drones came out with all sorts of materials, as well as food and drinkable water. Walls made of steel had been erected and the camp looked entirely different not.


    Of course they worked fast, Twilight and Wellington funded this excursion, they had bought almost all the materials secretly and did their best to be covert and they did this over the span of months! Not only that, they built special drones just for this. Twilight had a small part in this excursion, the Wellingtons on the other hand did almost everything.


    The people worked fast, most of the members of the party who had gone inside the portal were there, clearly having returned before night fell.


    They seemed to be...cooking something? However n couldn''t see what it was.


    n descended and his appearance caused a ruckus, before they coulde outside theynded and he let Sabrina down.


    The group caught notice of them, thankfully for Sabrina they hadn''t seen how she was being transported.


    Kazikato came a little bitte, however, the dunce crashed into the steel walls and caused a significant dent in them. His head was strong. It seems he was moving too fast for his own good.


    "Ow..."


    Some of them went to help Kazikato, mainly members of Twilight. Logan approached the two of them and asked.


    "Exin your absence youngdy."


    Ah, it wasn''t ''them'' but only Sabrina. He had quite the annoyed expression on his face as he questioned her. Sabrina was unfazed, as if this was a normal urrence.


    Meanwhile, n was trying to figure out if this was worry for her or actual annoyance. Logan''s expressions and mannerisms made it hard to discern.


    "Scouting, Grandpa, can you gather everyone? This is urgent?"


    Fortunately, seeing the urgency in his granddaughters eyes Logan let go of his worry and decided to talk to her at ater time, he gestured for everyone toe and soon enough, the people had gathered over a bonfire.


    "So that''s what it was..."


    It looked like they were cooking what appeared to be a sheep, it wasrge as a human and the aroma it gave was truly splendid.


    "What did you want to talk about?"


    Logan asked. Everyone looked alert. Richard was the only one who wasn''t here, he had apparently gone back to take care of his own business at the guild.


    "What were the results of everyone''s scouting missions?"


    Sabrina asked, soon, the leaders of the teams that had went answered.


    "There is a forest withrge trees with leaves that look like metallic needles in the east, we didn''t venture into the forest and we caught this sheep at the outskirts of it. It''s a C rank monster."


    "There''s nothing but the sea in the west, it''s normal saltwater and we didn''t find any fish."


    "Up south is just a in, it was getting dark so we returned. We didn''t find anything special except the green grass. No monsters...nothing but grass."


    "How far did you go?"


    Sabrina asked thest man, considering their situation was the same...she wondered if there was something simr in the south.


    "About a few dozen miles."


    "Not far..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She muttered, before she said.


    "There maybe another civilization here."


    The words came out quick, but the reaction to them stayed. Logan''s eyes grew wide and it was the same for everyone else. He hurriedly asked for more details.


    "There is a mountain range a few hundred miles in the north. The mountains are home to monsters resembling yetis and mammoths...Maybe more. Strange statues of ice surround the mountain and at the peak...there is a city."


    She continued.


    "We don''t know much, but it''s ginormous. Made with bricks the size of houses."


    "Were you seen?!"


    Logan grabbed her by the shoulders and inquired.


    n answered in her stead.


    "No, I can assure that...The city looked deste but there was something wrong with it."


    "What was wrong?"


    Maxwell interjected, n answered.


    "I...don''t know. My gut was just telling me to stop and run."


    "You did good."


    Instead of berating him for not getting more information, Maxwell congratted him on doing the thing that made the mostmon sense.


    If n''s dragon instincts were telling him to run, it was better to not approach that at all.


    "Is it close to the strange mana well you all mentioned?"


    "No, a little further, The mountains seem close but are actually far. It was like an illusion was cast on us."


    "Hmm..."


    Everyone grew rmed.


    The very fact that this was habited by a native species...one that could build structures like them, and at such arge scale as described was...terrifying.


    Humanity was new to mana, that was an fact that almost everyone knew.


    The fact that a civilization inhabited this...made it''s conquest harder. Twilight and Wellington may not be able to keep this mission as covert as they wanted. Perhaps...they may even need to recruit people who weren''t trustworthy or other guilds or families.


    "...Shit."


    A curse finally escaped the mouth of one person, and broke the silence.


    "The statues you saw...what were they of?"


    "Human-like."


    "And the strength of those monsters in the mountain?"


    "I don''t know, but a rough estimate would be A or S rank."


    Logan cursed as he sat down on a chair, the others had grim expressions on their faces as they listened to Sabrina, and n, who wanted to tell them their actual strength decided it was best to not do it.


    He looked at Kazikato and gestured at him to be quiet, Their dragon eyes showed them that the strength of the monsters was S rank, and that was only the weakest of them...


    The mood was already sour, they didn''t want to worsen it.


    Maxwell caught sight of n''s gesture, but he knew how to read the situation and stayed quiet. He figured it would be best to ask about itter.


    Logan, facepalmed and stood up, addressing the rest with a loud voice, he said.


    "Everyone, We have some new protocol to follow."

 Chapter 511 [511] It wasnt as covert as expected.

    Chapter 511 [511] It wasn''t as covert as expected.


    ??"We are not going North, no matter what. After taking care of a few issues here, we will march together, as a full group towards one of the other directions, Either it''s the forest east, the sea in the west or the south. We will decide as a group where. Never¡­"


    He paused, apprehension in his voice.


    "We will not march North, never until we have more intel."


    Everyone agreed with his decision, The mood had been ruined because of the sudden information, so the people went back into their lodgings after getting their wood. n went into the Predator lodgings and met with Maxwell. Devouring a piece of meat, he sat down on a chair, enjoying the food. Maxwell tended to his own work. Kazikato also returned but went to sleep soon after.


    Alice was still training back at the guild on Earth, She had mostly stayed holed up in her ownb. Apparently she was busy concocting potions and learning about Alchemy the moment n''s spectacles had revealed her prowess in Alchemy. n had heard that she had wanted toe here as well¡­


    But her father shut that idea of hers down soon enough.


    "Mind telling me what the strength of those monsters actually is?"


    Suddenly, just as n was finished with his food, Maxwell''s voice pierced his ears.


    "Ah¡­"


    Was it him, or was he just too sensitive nowadays? His senses seemed to have been heightened.


    "Can you please speak silently¡­"


    Kazikato''s mumbling was heard, Maxwell''s voice apparently was too loud. Maybe he was just as concerned as Logan about this whole project failing.


    "I wasn''t really¡­ Never mind, What was the strength of the monsters?"


    He asked, this time lowering his voice by a lot. He was confused as to why the two felt his voice was higher than usual.


    Kazikato fell asleep soon, and n answered.


    "S-rank."


    "¡­"


    A look of concern appeared on Maxwell''s voice as he silently began to do his work again. This was an attempt to calm his restless mind. Taking his concentration somewhere else would help.


    He should have expected this, everything was going so good¡­ But he should know the world never worked that way. It was always cruel.


    The bright prospects of a inhabited only by beasts¡­ And vegetation¡­ That was a reality but a few moments ago, now it was a dream.


    The fact that a civilization existed¡­or had existed was simply terrifying to even think about.


    If it existed¡­what was their strength, what was the level of their technology. Did it surpass them, or was it vastly inferior?


    What was the strength of their numbers...what was it?


    What was it?!


    All of those questions gued his mind... And what if they already knew of their arrival, and were simply waiting?


    Were they simply observing us? Waiting for the right time to invade their own world and then...take control of it?


    And what if they used to exist?


    What if they had gone extinct...but then what was the cause?


    What made the species that could build such giant constructs go extinct?


    All of these questions were inside his heart, eating him away, and he dared not to find the answers, onlying up with wild assumptions. His entire n had gone awry.


    "Perhaps...we may need outside help..."


    He muttered, his voice as low as it could be. Still, n heard him and looked his way.


    "Perhaps."


    He said, as he tried to manifest his spatial mana. He had tried to open a portal many times, but it would just not work. All that he was able to do was make a flicker of astral light, and that flicker would disappear in a second, like a small fire in a rainstorm.


    "It''s this world... "


    He muttered. Now that he was close to the portal, he could sense that the portal wasn''t causing any disturbance.


    It was this world, or maybe something else that resided in this world. Whatever it was, n was cursing it out in his mind.


    "I''ll be back."


    He said to Maxwell, who asked.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Back to Earth."


    If the source of the problem was on this, and the reason he couldn''t contact his guardian dragons, it was better to go back to Earth and consult either Lanesha or Suleras first.


    The fact that not even a Primordial like Ariel could contact Kazikato was a concern, a very, very big concern.


    "..."


    Maxwell simply watched n leave, and his gaze wandered off to Kazikato, restlessly moving around on the bed, struggling to fall asleep.


    "Something...is wrong."


    ******


    [Earth, Twilight guild headquarters, n''s POV.]


    The feeling of exiting the portal was quite different from entering it. I had got used to the gravity of the other world by now, and suddenlying back was strange. My head and feet felt like they could fly, the weight of my body felt light.


    And I could finally manifest my spatial mana once again, I channelled it through my body, and it exited my hands in the form of clouds.


    "It is normal now."


    I said as I tried to call Lanesha or Suleras after teleporting to my room.


    Ah, I missed the fact that I could teleport anywhere I wanted. It truly was a luxury.


    "Lanesha, Suleras, Are you there?"


    I didn''t expect a response from Suleras, but I expected one from Lanesha, and thankfully, she responded this time.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha tells you she is present.]


    "Why didn''t you answer me when I called you in that?"


    I asked her the most important question, It could have been a mistake on my part, and she was just busy...but I wanted to confirm. Maybe I was being too paranoid.


    But that wouldn''t exin Ariel''s absence, she was an old dragon who had nothing to do, she loved talking to her grandson, and her silence was what made me think that our connection to our guardian dragons was cut.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost, Lanesha tells you it is simply because you are out of reach.]


    "Reach... What? You mean to tell me there''s a ce you can''t reach?"


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha nods.]


    That came as a surprise to me, Never had I expected there to be some ce in a universe a Supreme couldn''t reach... and not even a Primordial.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha exins that it is because you are in a not governed by dragons.]


    Her exnation led me to many assumptions, the mostmon one being that:


    ''God beast?''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says whatever you are thinking is most likely true. She asks whether you met other species there.]


    "Not a lot, Only some monsters..."


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha asked you whether they looked like humanoid beasts?]


    "No."


    I answered her, Although we hadn''t travelled much, we didn''t see any beast men like Emma and her brother. Although they may exist...but would they really build structures thatrge?


    With that in mind, I decided to ask her about the city I had seen, surely that should give her a clue or some information...right?


    "I don''t know about any beast men, we haven''t travelled far enough to see them, but I did see a city surrounded by giant statues of humans, and the city was made of bricks the size of houses. It looked deste to me, and it was on top of a mountain."


    No response, after I had said this there was nothing but silence.


    Thinking there was nothing wrong, I heaved a sigh of relief. I had thought that her silence meant there was nothing to be worried about.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha is concerned.]


    Ah, of course. Why did I think that way? This universe will find any way it can to fuck me over. A supreme being concerned is horrible! Downright terrible!


    Praying, desperately wishing for it to be a minor concern in my heart, I anxiously waited for her next response. I wanted it to be not what I was expecting, something light-hearted, harmless...


    But I knew it wouldn''t be like that, Never had my wish been granted.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha thinks it maybe a giant colony.]


    "Giants?"


    Giants...? The reallyrge humans who existed?


    The word made me think of Lucas, who had apparently acquired the bloodline of a thunder giant. He unted it a lot when we were training in Terra damnum. Although, all that confidence he derived from it was brutally crushed by me.


    But I couldn''t say it was useless, it was strong, it was just I was stronger. I am a dragon. That was only natural.


    But what worried me was...


    Although it was simply text shown to my by the system interface, I could almost feel the ''bad'' in it. Like, Lanesha was exhibiting actual worry.


    "Shit..."


    I cursed, as she instructed me.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha tells you to activate Supreme Ice Dragon''s breath now.]


    "Huh?"


    I was taken aback by the demand in this absurd situation, but I trusted her and began to practice the mana breathing technique.

 Chapter 512 [512] It wasnt as covert as expected.[2]

    Chapter 512 [512] It wasn''t as covert as expected.[2]


    ??[Titan Guild, Headquarters.]


    Daniel Parker, the guild master of the strongest guild on Earth, was looking at a small disy on his desk, all the while twirling what appeared to be a chest piece made of gold.


    It was the king, the most important and most useless piece in chess. His fingers seemed to be made of gold as well, and this ''gold'' was like liquid, flowing into the chest piece. The piece had veins like those of a living being, and gold was the blood that lowed through it.


    The office he resided in was asvish as every, where everything was gold, to the seat he was sitting on and the most minor decoration. The walls, ceilings, doors...everything.


    And everything seemed to be moving, like a living being. The blood which was gold flowed through everything in this ce, all originating from him.


    Like he was the heart of this strange...organism.


    "Little Richard has had some cover operations..."


    He muttered, His secretary, a beautiful woman wearing gold sses and a golden dress, heard the words, but didn''t say anything. Fearing she would make him angry with her nonsense.


    Daniel had no need for a secretary, he was a workaholic. She knew the only reason she was here was to satisfy the needs of the board, and to keep up a public image. Her job mostly consisted of standing in one ce, or bringing him refreshments, which he rarely asked for.


    For so long, he had simply been staring into the disy on his desk, which showcased footage of Twilight''s headquarters back in Askolt city. The footage was being provided through a summon of Daniels, and the man had been staring at this for three entire days, not eating or drinking anything.


    He would sometimes y chess with himself, but he neverpleted his matches, seemingly losing interest.


    "Do you see this?"


    A chill went down her spine as the man finally called for her, something that had almost never happened during the entire time she had served him.


    "..."


    She stayed silent, thinking he was just talking to himself, which he did quite often.


    "Do you see this?"


    He repeated, and looked at her straight in the eyes. His gold eyes, which seemed more metallic than organic, pierced into her and made her have goosebumps all throughout.


    "No, Please enlighten me."


    "Expected."


    She honestly didn''t know what he was talking about. She also wasn''t stupid enough to answer something else and possibly get killed...or worse, turned into a statue of gold.


    The most horrific punishment that could exist, where Daniel turned his enemies into statues of gold and decorated them in the headquarters. They were alive, yet they were not.


    She paid closer attention to the footage, but could not find anything of note, they were just the normal things... People going in and going out. Normal people tending to their work.


    "Do you see the people with rings?"


    "Yes."


    She affirmed, among the dozens of people entering and exiting the office, there were few who were wearing rings, most likely married individuals. That was what she had thought.


    "The rings they are wearing, What do you think they are?"


    He asked, keeping his tone gentle, The secretary tried her best to identify the rings, but because of the distance and size of those things on the disy, she couldn''t.


    She thought that maybe they were the revered spatial rings of Twilight, but she thought the more sensible thing was to assume they were marriage rings, after all, why would normal employees have those rings?


    "Marri-"


    "Wrong."


    She was quietened before she could even finish her sentence, she froze, thinking she had made a grave mistake. She fearfully waited for what would happen, sincerely wishing that it wasn''t ''that''.


    The man was cruel, but rewarding. Those who did their jobs were rewarded, and those that didn''t often met a cruel fate. He didn''t even spare his children from this.


    How many of his own children had he turned into statues? No wonder both his remaining daughters hated him.


    Absolutely loathed him. Yet the man didn''t care.


    "Spatial rings."


    "Indeed."


    She just agreed with him, not wanting to attract his ire. Whatever he would say, just agree to it.


    "The same spatial rings, yet the ''employees'' keep changing. The rings have been well disguised as well..."


    The footage on the disy changed, this time showing a man, dressed like a hoodlum, approaching a truck. He went into the back of the truck and exited soon after, leaving the area. He was also wearing a spatial ring.


    "That man..."


    "Finally, you have some smarts in you. He''s the same, isn''t he?"


    "No, sir...he is different."


    He didn''t look like any of the employees who were wearing the rings, he looked out of shape andpletely different, with an unkept beard.


    "..."


    Daniel was silent. She realized her mistake, but before she could correct it, Daniel sighed.


    "The artificial hair, the bodysuit and the haggard appearance he has, All fake."


    "You can''t even see that."


    It wasn''t her fault! How would one be able to discern those things... How?! She was human, not a monster. Only a psychopath could notice such miniscule differences.


    ''Ah...''


    She forgot the man in front of her was a psychopath.


    "My apologies, I seemed to have made a mistake."


    "Many mistakes."


    He seemed to have lost interest, He continued mumbling.


    "To buy the rights of a dungeon where there are ck rocks and the sky is cracked... And even the wellingtons are in on this..."


    "Haha..."


    He let out augh, She wondered what he was up to this time, but was thankful that she kept her life.


    "They are building a portal... I didn''t think that kid could have found coordinates so quickly. Seems like he isn''t all brawn."


    He yawned, and said to his secretary.


    "Bring me something to dri-"


    But he stopped, noticing that her entire body had been turned to gold already.


    "Oh."


    It seems he had done it out of instinct, she was simply annoying.


    "Liquidate."


    He said, and the golden statue melted and turned to liquid, bing a part of the room.


    "Haaaa..."


    He stood up, for the first time in days and stretched a little, Then went outside,pletely ignoring the fact that his secretary was now gone, forever.


    ********


    [n Pator POV.]


    I followed Lanesha''s instructions and immediately began to practice the breathing technique. Soon enough, I got the hang of it and entered the realm within my body. Where my masteries of the elements resided.


    ''I don''t know what to call this...''


    I thought, as I entered and saw the vast expanse of space, and the ice world and spatial clouds.


    The ice world was the manifestation of my mastery in frost, whilst the astral clouds that of space. I had visited this ''ce'' multiple times, mostly to meditate or check up on the two objects.


    I really should give this thing a name, but I guess I can leave that for ater date. Furthermore...why did Lanesha want me toe here?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Was there something that she couldn''t say in the outside world, but if it was...woulding here really solve that? I don''t think so.


    ''She should know best.''


    I thought, and waited for her to send a message, or anything.


    I closed my eyes and tried to meditate in this ce. It had been quite a while since I started to meditate.


    "You look quite cute when you are serious, you know?"


    I heard a voice, directly into my right ear. It was cold, and exuded a cold mist, and my body shivered. I felt cold, and at home.


    I hurriedly opened my eyes, and mmed my fist towards my right. This was an instinctive reaction, and it was strong. Almost all of my strength was aimed at it.


    But it was stopped by just a breath. A breath of cold energy that froze my body. My body, immune to cold. It was frozen in an instant.


    Yet it didn''t feel like I was a statue of ice, simply...i was stopped. Like my muscles have shut down and my body no longer willed to fight. Like it had epted the fate that would follow if I dared to engage.


    "Don''t do that."


    The voice was heard in my ear once again, and it brought with it a sense of calm, warming my body and thawing it.


    I looked at the origin, finally being able to move my head. And I saw a woman, more beautiful than anything I could even imagine.


    With white hair that cascaded down her broad shoulders like an avnche, longer than her body, having eyes as...crystal like ice, but possessing a unique to element to them as well, Her lips were adorned with a lipstick, cyan and having glitters, Her eyshes were long, and added a more mystical and alluring look. Her breasts were twin peaks themselves, covered in nkets of snow, which in this case was a dress of full blue, covering all of her body to her neck, revealing no skin beneath her neck.


    "What, Surprised?"


    She said, smiling, in her mellow and cold voice. It was strange to describe the voice as such


    I couldn''t help but be drawn towards her.

 Chapter 513 [513] Lanesha, The supreme of Frost.

    <h4>Chapter 513 [513] Lanesha, The supreme of Frost. </h4>


    "What, are you surprised?"


    Her voice pierced my body itself and sent a strange feeling throughout, a feeling that made me want to bow, or sumb in other words.


    "Ah..."


    I groaned, as my knees started to buckle. In a ce where there was no ground and I always seemed to be floating, I felt as if my knees touched solid ground in this vast expanse.


    "Oh, I forgot."


    She said, as she brought her fingers to her lips, hiding a smallugh. She did it with such elegance that it was like it was a queen in front of me.


    "I apologize for that, darling."


    ...


    ''Peculiar choice of words...''


    I thought, as the pressure that bound my body was released, and I was finally free, I opened my mouth to say.


    "You can mani-"


    But my mouth remained open, as I fully gazed at her looking down on me. She was taller than me, by quite a lot as well.


    A head taller than me, perhaps even a neck included.


    She had a smile on her face as she noticed my stupidity, and ''kindly'' exined.


    "I am a supreme, did you expect I would be a dwarf? Furthermore, Dragon''s are naturally superior to other races, even if they polymorph to the form of that species."


    "... Sorry."


    I apologized for my rudeness, I had expected her to be shorter than me, to be honest. I thought I was special due to my height somewhat.


    "Anyway, when could you manifest yourself here?"


    I asked her, confused. This had to be something she could do only recently, or else she would have visited me in my previous attempts at training here. Surely, I must have reached a new level so this was possible.


    "I could do it whenever I wanted."


    Her response threw me off guard, if she could always do it then why didn''t she? Was there something stopping her?


    Thankfully, she gave an exnation.


    "It''s because you would have died if I did show myself, You were too weak then. Your body simply could not have handled my divine presence."


    ''So there was a reason...''


    It made sense...even now I was too weak, and she had to reduce her presence, so I wouldn''t bow down consciously, And I could still sense that she was holding a lot of herself back. And even then, I could still feel the power undting from her.


    In a calm and peaceful manner. It was like a dam she had constructed to prevent it from leaking too much. If it did...maybe my entire being would be reduced to nothing but ash.


    Thinking about this made me realize just how insignificant I was in the grand scheme of things. I was a mere B-rank, one of many on Earth...which was a bad in terms of ranks.


    "Sigh..."


    I sighed, knowing full well that the reason for my weakness was my own self, limiting myself to this rank because Master told me to do so, just so my awakening of Aura would be more powerful.


    If I can awaken it...that is. The only reason I haven''t advanced, which I could do easily, is because I want to unlock Aura, I want to know what I can do with it! It''s like a gut feeling, a premonition that is telling me I must do it.


    But I don''t know how, All the methods that exist, I probably have tried them. Even those that Alexander and Lucas were subjected too... I have been in those situations more times than I can count, if it was that easy, I would have already unlocked that power.


    But I still can''t. And at Terra Damnum, whenever those three trained Aura, I could only watch. And those bastards could give me a good fight if they used it. I was on the brink of losing many times.


    I want to unlock it... I hope I can unlock it. Perhaps me being a dragon may affect it.


    "About that..."


    Lanesha''s voice shook me from my thoughts, waking me up. I knew where she was going with this and decided to exin in as much detail as possible.


    I told her everything I had seen in that, about the statues, the mana ravine, and even the patterns of the grass and the gravity of that ce. I didn''t know if she needed all the details, but it didn''t hurt anyone to do it. I told her the details from the direction I went to scout.


    About everything we had encountered, she had a lost look on her face as she was trying to recall something from her memory.


    "It''s definitely a that belonged to giants if they had statues and cities... But which one?"


    She mumbled, small snowkes dropping from her lips, dropping towards the expanse of space and bing stars.


    "Hmm... Have you seen the wildlife there?"


    She asked. I didn''t go into the direction where the forest was, but I did hear someone say something about it...what was it...


    Ah. I remember now.


    "There were trees that had metallic needles for leaves."


    "Was there a sea as well, in the west of this world?"


    "Yes."


    I confirmed, and she smiled.


    "You don''t have anything to worry about. That was a colony...but It was destroyed."


    "Destroyed?"


    "Yes, the giants that lived there...how do I exin this."


    From her expressions and her struggle to form the sentence into words I could have an easy time understanding made me think that it was serious.


    Was there a massive war?


    "Sigh... The giants there stole the egg of a Fire dragon...and grilled it."


    "... And?"


    "Agri went there and annihted every giant by turning them to ash, Quite arge bit of that was burnt to a crisp, perhaps nature recovered after a few millennia."


    I stood still, frozen.


    "What?"


    I could only say that, as I ''failed'' toprehend whatever she just said.


    "Alone?"


    "Yes."


    "Aren''t Giants the enemies of Dragons...?"


    "We have many enemies, but that does not mean they are ''worthy'' enemies. The only ones that we can call our rivals are perhaps the God beasts, and our rtionship with them is...diplomatic."


    "... So Giants are nothing?"


    If they were something...surely one dragon wasn''t all it would take. Granted, Agri was the supreme of fire...but still.


    To annihte an entire colony?


    "You''re thinking too much, Sure, some giants, like the Asgardian giants, are great adversaries, but most aren''t. We dragons are simply too powerful."


    She said, with pride in her voice.


    ....


    At this point I figured that at this point, it was better to stay quiet. There was some sort of happiness within me, the origin of which I didn''t really know...but I just stayed quiet, not expressing it.


    "So...do you mean that is safe?"


    "It should be, unless some other species evolved to take their ce, but if it did, it would have already attacked you. So you don''t need to be worried too much. But do exercise caution. It''s been quite a while, so something''s might have changed."


    She said, as she casually referred to a multiple millennium as quite a while. The nonchnt attitude did throw me off. She was talking in periods of time I couldn''tprehend.


    She really was old, ancient even.


    But I knew better to not say that, She may not even care she was my guardian dragon and may remove me in an instant.


    There was a part of me that thought she would never attempt such a thing, but there was a bigger part of unwilling to test it.


    "Alright... So I can leave?"


    "This is your inner world, darling, you can leave whenever you want."


    She had manifested a fruit which was like an apple but rugged and began to eat it, all while lying down...or rather floating in this emptiness.


    "Thank you for your help."


    I said, as I prepared to leave.


    "My pleasure."


    My figure disappeared, but she remained.


    All of a sudden, her calm and nonchnt demeanour changed, and she stood upright, the smile on Lanesha''s face disappeared, and she looked at the ce where n once stood.


    She turned her head to gaze at the Frost world in this realm, and her expression said she thought it was just too subpar.


    "What did you do...? James?"


    She talked to herself in this lonely ce.


    "His aura...is different and the power of chaos is like a seed now...not non-existent like before...


    What did you do?!"


    She almost threw a fit, angry that all of her and her kins efforts were in vain. Her fury was not something that ordinary people could understand. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''Why did I fall for such tricks.''


    She thought to herself, as she imagined the sight of repulsive ce he called home, his domain where his onlypanion was himself.


    "What are you nning, even as your soul is drifting away, being erased by the second?"


    She could never figure him out. She, a dragon, could not determine the thoughts of a mere human.


    Wasn''t that a disgrace.


    He truly was her biggest mistake.

 Chapter 514 [514] Proceeding South.

    <h4>Chapter 514 [514] Proceeding South.</h4>


    After n had received the information from Lanesha about the, he left for the again, this time with a light heart.


    His worry had disappeared, and although Lanesha did state that some hidden variables may still be there, he didn''t dwell too much on it.


    As long as the ''hidden factors'' weren''t three or five ranks above him, he was good to go. He could handle most threats, and if these threats outnumbered him, he could always test his domain. The soldiers there were a significant boost in power. And they were also a surprise.


    Almost no one, except some close individuals, knew about it.


    It was the perfect trump card, one capable to triumph over an army and topple a city.


    This time, entering the other world was a more pleasant experience, not only did the gravity not affect him, but since his doubts had been cleared, he felt much more at ease here.


    The camp was more developed, the steel wall that had been erected was filled with enchantments. Outside the steel walls, multiple spiked ramparts made of enhanced steel were also present, surrounding the camp.


    On top of the entrance, there was a magic cannon fully capable of annihting an A-rank monster in a single hit, and dealing a significant amount of damage to even S-rank monsters. More cannons were on the way, since they were aplicated artifact, it took the guild some time to create them covertly.


    They could also buy them, but that would raise suspicion.


    Besides the defences, the housing was also great. Compartments had been shifted here, some the size of actual houses, and they provided greater facilities than one would expect.


    The hunters from Twilight were busy, n could see quite a few of them carrying arge log.


    "Huh?"


    It seemed to be very heavy, considering that A-rank hunters were struggling to lift it. It was big too.


    "... Are they going to transport that thing to Earth?"


    Surely...that was absurd, especially right now. At ater date that would be normal but...now?


    ''Whatever, it''s probably Richard''s orders.''


    He thought and walked towards them, intending to help with carrying that thing.


    "Thanks!"


    One hunter, who was quite old, said as n took his spot and gave him some time to rest.


    "Hmm?"


    "It feels weird, right?"


    The old hunterughed as n grabbed the log and let out a ''hmm.''


    ''It feels more like...stone than wood.''


    He thought, noticing the texture of the wood. The bark appeared to be ordinary, resembling that of the oak trees back on earth, It was also very rugged...but it felt smooth and the texture of this ''wood'' was more like stone.


    It was like he was touching a wet rock more than dry wood. It definitely was weird.


    "These were the leaves of this thing, took a lot of effort to hack it down."


    The hunter said as he took out the leaves of the tree, which were like metallic needles, very much like the ones they had found littered on the ground in the North.


    "That reminds me..."


    He mumbled, recalling something.


    "Have they sent some people to investigate the north?"


    He asked the hunters, who had stayed here whilst he went to Earth. A hunter carrying the log behind him said.


    "Yeah, those from the Wellingtons went. Although, they were warned to never go further. The youngdy from that house went as well."


    ''Sabrina huh...''


    "Drop this one here."


    He was about to head into the portal, but the old hunter told him to drop it.


    "We have more to transport."


    "Alright."


    He went outside and helped them carry the rest, Most of the hunters here were old, who had joined the guild during its creation and helped it get to its current position. Twilight didn''t have many young, bright prospects. Most of those had been scouted to guilds above it. Titan and Behemoth monopolized any and every talent they could see.


    They had the money for it, so they risked it. Reducing the chances of the guilds below them to gather strong individuals other than those it raised itself.


    The hunt for hunters, as funny as that sounded, was quite harsh.


    "When are you going to advance?"


    A hunter from Twilight asked him, curious. He was already amazed that n was able to carry these logs with them, who were A-rank and not need any rest.


    "It would take a while."


    "Don''t rush it, take your time and advance slowly. We can''t risk you young ones making stupid mistakes."


    He said, as he tried to warn n of the dangers of forcibly advancing his rank. The poor soul didn''t know n could probably defeat him if he tried, and that n could advance easily, even at this very moment.


    Perhaps even to the peak of A rank, he could do it at this moment. But n didn''t have the heart to tell the man about this. He didn''t want to ruin his confidence. He was one of few who troughed past their talent ranking and reached this rank after gruelling years of effort. Not only that, but he, like the rest, came from a humble background.


    It was deserved, and n didn''t want to ruin his confidence. Besides, with their age, they had garnered experience second to none, and n couldn''t beat that.


    He dropped the final logs, and was about to leave to go scout the south until one hunter called him.


    "Don''t you wanna eat? We are gonna make lunch soon."


    He respectfully denied the proposal, and exined.


    "I need to go on a mission to scout the south, So I will eat when Ie back. Richard told me to do it as fast as possible."


    "Is that right? Sorry for taking your time."


    "It''s alright."


    He lied with a straight face, Richard had told him nothing of the sort, in fact, he hadn''t even met the man for a while!


    He just wanted to go scout the area, to see if there were any potential threats. And so, after bidding them farewell and informing maxwell, He departed.


    "It''s always amazing when I see him fly like that."


    A hunter said, as they saw n sprout wings and disappear in seconds.


    *******


    The south of the world was simr to the north, There were only endless ins of green grass here. Surprisingly enough, the patches of blue ended much quicker here than the green patches in the north.


    But other than that, there was mostly nothing here. No animals or wildlife as well, just like the north.


    "Are all the directions like this?"


    He asked himself, the other hunters who went to the east and the west didn''t encounter monsters at all, all they found was one sheep that mistakenly ventured outside the forest.


    Theck of beasts was concerning, especially when the environment was well suited for them to prosper.


    "Maybe it''s just because this is the ins..."


    He muttered, thinking that maybe the ins were just destined to be empty. He had seen monsters at the mountains... Perhaps there were mountains here too.


    He hoped he wouldn''t encounter another city, but with how the world worked, that would probably happen.


    "I don''t think there will be mountains here, though... Well, who knows."


    He said, taking the weather into ount. It was hot here, unlike the north. The two suns appeared closer and the heat they emitted was horrendous. Thankfully, n was an ice element awakened, and could cool his body.


    "Maybe there''s a desert over here..."


    He joked,ughing to himself. There wouldn''t actually be a de-


    "Oh fuck me..." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There was a desert here. One that was very, very unsuited for him. Because of his natural affinity to frost, hot climates affected him the most.


    "Me and my mouth..."


    From his enhanced vision, he could see grains of sand far, far away. He looked down and saw the change in the ins, The lush, and thick ins were slowly bing more dry, and the green grass was bing brown. The ground seemed to be cracked as well. The grass soon disappeared, and thorny bushes reced it, although they weren''trge. And finally, an endless sea of golden sand.


    n, cursing himself enhanced his thermal regtion to keep him cool, and ventured into the desert, the rays of the sun were likesers being pointed at his back, He wanted to take off his clothes but the itch that would follow would be unbearable. No matter how much mana he spent, he could still feel the heat surround him. Soon enough, Sweat droplets formed, and he took out a bottle of water from his inventory and drank from it.


    He was already feeling thirsty, and it hadn''t even been that long since he came here.


    "Should I keep going...?"


    He wondered, as he sawrge rocks, ascending towards the sky likes skyscrapers back on Earth in the distance.


    After thinking for a while, he decided he would go a little bit further, considering how he hadn''t seen any monsters or dangers here.


    He ventured further into the sea of sand.

 Chapter 515 [515] The desert in the south.

    Chapter 515 [515] The desert in the south.


    ??It was hot, incredibly hot. n was having a hard time seeing what was in front of him due to the fluctuations in the air. Everything would appear warped, and even the sand below was having strange changes.


    Should I turn back? He thought many times, and sometimes he had, but there was a feeling in his gut that he should go a little bit further, and so he did.


    Although he did lower his speed, the hot air shing against him felt irritating, the sun was already enough.


    He just hoped this expedition wasn''t fruitless...and how ironic that statement would appear to be a few minutester.


    "Hmm?"


    Finally, after only seeing golden sand for a while, he saw something else. A singr tree growing inside this endless expanse of sand and dryness.


    Although the appearance of a tree was strange, n didn''t have much knowledge about nts in the desert. The most he knew was of tumbleweed and cacti, which appeared on Earth''s deserts. Here? He had no clue.


    Of course, variables did always exist, and this was another fucking after all, there had to be things he didn''t know of. But what bugged him out was that the tree had lush leaves, but there was no water in sight, perhaps it was underground.


    Curious, he activated his Dragon Eyes to study the tree more. His eyes showed him that it was just a normal mango tree, and it derived water from an underground reserve. The roots of this tree were truly spectacr, they were thick and reached down quite a bit, almost a few hundred meters deep.


    That made him wonder how deep the core of the was, but he didn''t search further before his eyes started to hurt.


    "It''s a normal tree, and no monsters around it as well."


    He went down, andnded on the sand. He looked at the tree and the seven mangoes it had managed to produce.


    These dark-purple fruits were the size of an adult human head. His eyes had told him that they were edible. The tree hadrge, bark-like leaves at the top, as if to protect the rest of the tree from the harsh sun, they seemed to filter the light somewhat, but n didn''t pay any attention to that feature of the tree.


    The bark of the tree felt like wood, wet wood. It was different from the bark of the other tree he had carried at the base, which felt likeplete stone.


    "Edible, huh."


    He jumped up and grabbed the fruits, storing them in his inventory, he had no ns to eat them right now.


    "I wonder... No, that''s too much."


    As absurd as the idea was, he was thinking of pulling this tree out of the ground, knowing the length and width of its roots.


    "I should just cut it."


    He took out his spear and cut the tree in half, storing the wood in his inventory. Perhaps the wood could be useful. Maybe as a medicine or something else.


    After he had bagged the tree, he flew up once again and continued. He encountered a lot of nts, mostly strange, metallic tumbleweed and cacti which were abyssal ck. He bagged a few of them as well, thinking the others back at home would enjoy researching them.


    Not only that, but he also came across rock formations, somerge enough to reach the sky, he broke a few parts of them, ones that wouldn''t cause it to copse and collected the rocks as well. His inventory was almost full, and he would be going back soon, the night wasing.


    However, from the corner of his eye, he saw something. It looked like sandstone at a nce. n, intrigued by it, went closer, and his eyes opened wide when he looked at it once more.


    Hidden very well among these high towers of rocks, was a...fort?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It appeared to be a fort, with high walls made of the same stone that made the formations, the gates seemed to made of petrified wood, and upon closer inspection there were engravings of a cow on the walls.


    n got closer, and realized that the carvings were of a bull instead, standing on two legs and possessing a humanoid body.


    "Minotaur..."


    n mumbled, identifying the creature engraved on the walls. He soared higher than the walls and found out that the entire thing was covered from head to toe, and was as big a city itself.


    "Definitely Minotaur inside there...definitely."


    He said, knowing what was inside. He could feel mana signatures from inside the fort, some moving and some in the same ce. And one look at the engravings was enough to know what creature those life forces belonged to.


    "Yeah, I am not going in."


    Thankfully, n was not stupid enough to rush in the fortress, and when he noticed that it was getting dark, he should ought to return.


    The temperature did aplete 180 degrees.


    It was pitch ck, and n could hardly see the ground lit by the dim moonlight. The only source of light here was constantly being blocked by clouds. He would have been lost long ago if he couldn''t feel the energy of the portal back at the camp.


    He increased his speed, and was nonchntly flying back when he caught something move from the corner of his eye.


    A part of the air...had shifted. Or it seemed like something had phased through it. Cautious, he sped up, intending to lose whatever was chasing him in the darkness. He could sense mana, but it was always rapidly changing, and it seemed to be concealed.


    Around him, he would notice a being blitzed forth, almost perfectly blending in with the night sky. The only reason n could see it was because of his enhanced eyes. And even then, it was hard.


    The creature, was hunting him. And n would like to avoid a direct fight in the air. He wasn''t too keen on going on the ground at this time as well.

 Chapter 516 [515] Raven.

    Chapter 516 [515] Raven.


    ??Lightning.


    He heard the thunder that resounded after lightning struck, but there was no lightning. No sh of light, nothing besides the abrupt and ear shattering noise.


    n touched his chest, and his body spasmed as he fell towards the ground, unable tomand his muscles to move his wings to fly. His body refused to listen as he was paralysed and fell to the ground.


    He could see small, red drops of blood escape from the wound on his chest. His hands were covered in his own blood as he felt his ribs had been shed apart by whatever had attacked him. But it only felt like that, his bones were strong enough to resist the attack.


    "F*ck!"


    He cursed, it was a wonder how he could move his tongue to do so. And after the vile word escaped his mouth, thunderstruck once more.


    n was struck again, and sparks of lightning escaped his body as he fell towards the ground at an increased speed.


    [Dragon Eyes has been activated.]


    He activated his skill to identify the attacker, and saw a bird, a bird asrge as a car and possessing feathers as ck as the night, with red scarlet eyes that were like rubies. Its wingspan was easily the length of a human or two, and its speed was just marvellous. Dragon eyes, at their current level, were having a hard time keeping up with this foe. n was limiting the skill to reduce the recoil.


    n regretted that he stayed for so long in this godforsaken desert, even after night had fallen.


    "Ugh!"


    He crashed into the endless sea of sand below. His figure was like a missile which blew up, scattering grains of sand everywhere. Some got into his mouth and his clothes, and it was irritating.


    "Cough!"


    He coughed, sand left his mouth. But quite a bit of it was stuck inside, with the help of his saliva.


    "You are f*cking dead!"


    Brandishing his spear, he took a swing at the sky, his mana left the spear in the form of a crescent moon. But it missed its target.


    [Name: Ebony Raven.]


    [Rank: A.]


    [Description: A raven which hunts for prey in the night, making use of its camouge. It has rubies for eyes and has perfect vision in the dark.]


    "Of course, I had to meet one..."


    n cursed, as he enhanced his eyes to see better in the dark. He didn''t activate [Dragon Eyes] right now, waiting for the opportune moment.


    He stood still, his phoenix bloodline had healed his wounds long ago, and if it weren''t for it, Perhaps he would still be paralysed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He could faintly see the raven circle around him at breathtaking speeds, he saw the bird emit some mana from the tips of its wings. It was fast, but n could sense the mana''s movement clearly. It moved in a zigzag... Like a lightning bolt.


    Multiple lightning bolts, all at the tips of its feathers, appeared and n heard the distinct sound of thunder again.


    He hurriedly stomped his feet on the ground, unleashing a mana wave that drove the raven back.


    The raven attacked in that manner, using its mana to form lightning bolts at its feathers to propel its speed. How that skill worked exactly was still a mystery to n, but he was satisfied that he knew what indicators he needed to follow to avoid it.


    The only question that remained was, did it have other skills? Of course, an A-rank monster wouldn''t be limited to only one skill. If that was the case, the skill would have to be immensely powerful, and n would be dead already.


    "Haa..."


    The raven stopped moving and n took a deep breath, looking at the beast in front of him, floating without the use of its wings, a few feet from the ground. It gazed at him with its red eyes and now that it was close, n could finally see it in its full glory.


    The beak of the vile thing was serrated, intended to rip apart the flesh of its prey, and its feathers shone with a metallic sheen under the moonlight. The ws of this thing were...strange to say the least. They were not like the ws of a normal bird of prey, but were knives. Knives which interlocked with one another in a strange manner. Perhaps they were melded together to form ws. And there was another unique feature about this bird as well. Although they were quite hard to see with it''s ck feathers in the night, there were small spikes protruding from it''s body.


    The spikes were few, but erupted from ces where important organs would be under the skin.


    "Kirk."


    It produced a low sound, n watched it carefully, spear pointed at the thing in case it rushed at him suddenly. He wasn''t too fond of usingrge skills. That could attract other monsters here. And he didn''t want that.


    It seems the bird thought the same, as it made no sound and began to circle n. n followed it''s movement and made sure his spear was always pointing at the bird.


    The stand-off continued, as they ran circles around one another, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. All that mattered now was who would lose patience first, and charge ahead first.


    ''Not going to make the first move huh...''


    n concluded, one look at the eyes of the beast was telling him it wasn''t afraid to prolong this. n couldn''t have that. He didn''t know when other monsters woulde for them, hiding in the darkness of the night. This bird could easily fly back towards the sky.


    n could do it as well, but the bird was much more proficient in Aerialbat than him. The thought of it paralysing him and cutting his throat with its ws was scary.


    ''Alright... If you ain''t doing this. I am.''


    As they say, He who strikes first, wins.

 Chapter 517 [517] Like a flash of lightning himself.

    Chapter 517 [517] Like a sh of lightning himself.


    ??Like a sh of lightning, n suddenly moved to the side and caused the Raven to be in distress, its eyes darted everywhere to find him, but before it could fully locate him, his spear was a like a violent snake ready to bite, or in this case, stab its neck.


    It weaved through the air in an unnatural pattern, like it could bend and sessfully struck the raven.


    However, in the nick of time, the bird caught the spearhead with its beak. It refused to let go and dragged n closer, to limit the use of his spear further.


    It was nning to munch on the spear, But n recalled it into his inventory to be free from the raven''s grasp. He summoned it again, and continued in his assault.


    One, two, three strikes, one after the other, aimed at killing the beast in one attack. But the damn thing was fast even on the ground. It turned its body in unexpected ways and dodged the strikes.


    They both circled one another as soon as the strikes ended. n cursed, in his mind, at his inability to kill this thing quickly.


    ''Goddammit, Guess I have to use them.''


    He readied himself and was about to use a skill. However, the process was interrupted. n heard a voice in the middle of his casting.


    "Filth that needs to be purged."


    A voice that was...old. Archaic even, it was rough to hear, but it was definitely human tongue.


    ''There''s a human nearby?''


    He thought, but the fact that he didn''t sense anyone put him in disarray, and the next thing he knew he saw something sh by from the corner of his eye. A feather, belonging to the foe he was fighting.


    It weaved past his chin and cut a little of his skin. The intended target was his eye, but he managed to dodge in time.


    "..."


    n silently looked at the raven, which cackled in delight. Happy that it had fooled the creature in front of it.


    "It was you, huh."


    He felt insulted that he had fallen for such a simple trick. How could he have even entertained the possibility that there was a human here? When he didn''t even sense one near? He should already have been cautious by the fact that he could hear it directly in his ear!


    "Huu...."


    Taking a deep breath, he let his mana flow through his spear. The spear glowed a cold light, one that was visible in the darkness. He didn''t want to do this, but he had too. The bird was getting on his nerves. He would end this in one, swift strike.


    The bird, sensing the strength within the spear, tried to fly, but it was shocked to find its feet were frozen to the ground.


    "Did you think I would let you run?"


    n had already frozen the ground beneath them the moment his chin had been cut, The idiot bird just didn''t realize its feet had been frozen due to the cold weather already present.


    "Die."


    He said, as his body disappeared, the raven, acknowledging the fact that it was struck, decided to attack as well.


    It raised its wing,ced with feathers that could cut steel easily. But it was useless.


    Its head fell on the frozen floor below, along with the part of its wing that tried to block the strike. n appeared behind it, swinging his spear to get rid of its crimson blood. The feathers, that once shone under the moonlight, looked to be rusted now.


    He collected the corpse and put it into his inventory. The light on his spear died soon enough, and n looked around him, cursing.


    "Shit."


    He could feel and see the other monsters of the night that had surrounded him, some stronger than the raven and many weaker. And one that was incredibly, incredibly strong that the raven was an antpared to it.


    That monster was in the darkness, waiting to make a move. It seemed to be darkness itself, as it weaved through the shadows in the form of a ck mist.


    "..."


    n looked at them all, and sighed. He input mana into his spear once again, and this time it glowed brightly. He, with a resolute look on his face, stabbed the spear onto the ground, unleashing his mana in the form of a wave of bright light.


    The monsters, used to the darkness, flinched at the sudden burst of light, they were enraged at this form of attack. With their ws and fangs bared, they were ready to pounce on the creature that had done until...


    They saw him running, hundreds of metres away from his original position.


    The bastard wasn''t getting ready for a final showdown, he was preparing to flee!


    ***********


    I ran for quite a while, I could have chosen to fly, but I was afraid of getting shot down or intercepted in the sky. I am skilled in flight, but not enough to match monsters who have been doing it since birth.


    So I decided to simply run, it was easier for me to dodge the attacks and attempts at my life like this. Although the sand beneath me did hinder my speed, I was still able to run from all those.


    I wasn''t worried about most of the monsters that had appeared, I could still defeat them. What I was worried about was whether my actions would attract an endless army of them...and the one monster that seemed to be moving within the ck mist.


    Without a doubt, it was S-rank. Perhaps even stronger than that. I also knew that it was letting me see it, if it truly wanted to hide I would have never caught sight of it, and if it wanted to kill me.


    I was already dead.


    Not only that, but I don''t know why it didn''t kill me, but I am notining. So I just ran. Coincidentally, as I ran I looked up into the sky, trying to spot the moon, but I was graced with the beauty of space instead, with all of its stars. The striking colours of blue in the night sky.


    "Damn."


    Such a view was difficult to see on Earth, where each piece ofnd was vital and was already filled with buildings.


    The vast scene brought peace to him as well, as if his bond to the spatial affinity was being...provoked. Or perhaps strengthened.


    "..."


    He silently looked down from the sky and focused on getting home, he ran and ran and ran, for days.


    It took an entire day of constant running for him to reach the base.


    ********


    "Exin yourself."


    Maxwell asked me as soon as I entered the base, he took me to the Predatorpartment and questioned me relentlessly, Sabrina and Kazikato were here as well.


    "I went to investigate the south, I believe I also informed you."


    Maxwell, clearly having an annoyed expression on his face, red at me.


    "And this scouting mission took you a day?"


    "Well, it wasn''t supposed tost that long... I encountered...something''s."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Maxwell, finally having his irritation reced with curiosity, urged me to exin.


    "There is a desert in the south, and a fortress lies within it. It''s made of sandstone and has engravings of Minotaur on the wall. Pretty sure there are Minotaur inside it."


    "And?"


    "Well, it''s hot? It''s a desert, what else would you expect."


    "Nothing else?"


    "I encountered a few nts and also monsters. There was a raven that could speak our tongue. Most likely a skill, and there were quite a few more beasts there."


    I continued.


    "There was definitely a beast of S-rank or higher, it was like a ck mist. The other monsters were all A-rank. Also, the monsters there appeared only during the night, night hunters most likely."


    "... Wait, S-rank beast?"


    "Yeah, It got pretty close too, but I managed to run away."


    "n, what bullshit are you spouting?"


    Confused at his words, I asked.


    "What?"


    "What bullshit are you spouting that you managed to run away from and S-rank or higher beast?"


    I couldn''t understand. Sabrina also had the look of shock on her face, Whilst Kazikato couldn''t give a damn about what was happening.


    Ah, I think I know what they are referring too. The gap between A-rank and S-rank is the same as the gap between D-rank to A-


    rank. Ridiculouslyrge.


    "It let me go, I know it could kill me in an instant, it also allowed itself to be seen by me. So... I ran?"


    I knew the beast let me go, why it did I didn''t bother to care for.


    "..."


    Maxwell was silent, and Sabrina interjected.


    "It could also be that it was interested in n, considering we arrived here from another, it could be expressing its curiosity over a creature it hasn''t seen before."


    Maxwell nodded, finding some sense in her words.


    Scolding me once more, he sighed and ordered me to go back to Earth.


    "What? Why?"


    I asked him the reason, and he responded with something that sent chills down my spine.


    "We can''t handle the reporters any more, you have to give an official interview about the tower raid."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Fuck. I hate that shit.

 Chapter 518 [518] Why must it be me?

    Chapter 518 [518] Why must it be me?


    ??"Sigh... Why do I have to do this?"


    n, fixing his tie, sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. Wearing an Italian style suit made with the most expensive materials one could find on Earth and on the dungeons present on it. It had multiples enchantments on it, More of them having the purpose to enhance the aesthetic of the suit than protect the wearer.


    As if they knew the one who wore wouldn''t be an ordinary man.


    "Stop whining."


    Maxwell said from behind, sitting in a sofa and reading the newspaper. He was also dressed in a suit, nning to apany n.


    "At least there is one thing good about this..."


    n mumbled, finding himself looking great in the suit. But that happiness was short-lived.


    "Did you memorize the sheet I gave you?"


    Maxwell asked him, and he had a grimace on his face as he recalled memorizing the answers to all those questions.


    "Yes, Somewhat."


    The sheet contained a list of all the questions he would be asked, and the most appropriate way to answer them, as per Twilight''s experts. They didn''t want to reveal a lot of information. Heck, they didn''t even want to do this, but were forced too.


    "Why are we even doing this? We can''t just listen to them!"


    nined, oblivious to the pressure Twilight had faced.


    Maxwell, being the kind and smart manager, ''lovingly'' exined.


    "Dumbass, We have no choice but to when the entire public, guilds, and even the fucking world government are on our assess, trying to procure any information they can about the tower. Be lucky that we were able to control the questions and give you the sheet."


    n retorted.


    "I understand the public, but the world government or guilds? Those guys don''t give a damn if there is no profit involved! The tower is gone, no one else can reap its benefits!"


    "That''s exactly why, They want to know what rewards you got from the Tower. Anything. If it was able to give you something like the Panacea phial, it should have given you other things as for clearing the other floors."


    "Tsk."


    n clicked his tongue, picking up the sheet on the table in order to revise the questions once more.


    "We could have hidden it if others hadn''t cleared the tenth and twentieth floor before you and got their rewards. The whole world knows the tower gifts people when they conquer such floors. You have 6 other rewards the world doesn''t know about, and they will do anything to know them."


    As Maxwell went on and on, n had absorbed himself in memorizing the answers.


    Maxwell, as well as Twilight''s concern over this matter, was huge. The tower was not insignificant, over decades Humanity had managed to only clear up to the 29th floor. It was almost considered one of the wonders of the world. The fact that a teenager managed to clear it when others more experienced and stronger than him weren''t able to spoke volumes.


    They knew the tower would always give trials, and not executions, but still, it was a shock.


    The tower adjusted the difficulty of the trials to the challenger, it would never give them something they could not handle. Even going so far to weaken the bosses forcefully. Maybe that was the only redeemable quality of it.


    The world wanted to know what n got when he cleared the boss floors, the treasures they had acquired from the tenth and twentieth floors were all great artefacts.


    If the lowest floors gave them such powerful artefacts...what did the higher floors give?


    "It''s time."


    n was knocked out of his focus because of Maxwells words. He stood up and followed him to the studio where the interview would be held.


    "Remember, they all have things to check if you''re lying or not, just follow your gut or the sheet. That''s what''s important."


    "Oh? Does that mean I can say whatever I want without repercussions?"


    n joked, but the joke was not well received by maxwell. Who looked at him with a disappointed look on his face. He sighed and continued to lead the way. n followed behind him, staying silent this time.


    They entered the studio where the interview would be held. It was a raised tform with arge disy behind it, which had the holographic image of skyscrapers behind of it. In front of the disy was a sofa where n and Maxwell would sit and beside it a desk with a chair, where the interviewer would sit.


    In front, there were numerous chairs, filled to the brim with officials from therge guilds and the World Government. n, despite being in the presence of these people, was unfazed. He could half of them on, only a few here were strong enough to overpower him, and even that would be hard for them to do if he activated his transformations.


    Guards from Twilight were also here, just in case something happened. Although it was a futile measure, No one was idiotic enough to do this in this room.


    "Please take a seat."


    The interviewer, who was a blonde woman in her twenties, she wore a dress that subtly revealed her features, and seemed to be a normal human.


    Not an awakened, in this room, full of the most influential awakened in the world... That was a surprise. Was she perhaps the daughter of someone influential? Her long golden hair did make him think that she belonged to the Parker family, but he knew they considered unawakened to be rubbish.


    They wouldn''t give her this position if she was from them.


    "Thank you."


    Maxwell responded and sat down on the sofa, n sat beside him. He had an expressionless face most of the time. It was time for the interview to begin.


    "n Pator, I must say I am a big fan!"


    "Thank you."


    She first started with that, and n replied with a simple smile.


    "May you please tell us how you defeated the master of the thirtieth floor? The Heavenly demon?"


    The first question, both on the sheet and asked here. n simply responded with what he had memorized.


    "I was simply lucky, He was weakened by the tower quite a lot due to my low rank, taking this into ount I used my skills and expertise with the spear to bring him down, Although I will say it was a tough fight."


    "Oh please, you''re too humble. It can''t be ''luck'' that you cleared the tower entirely now."


    Maxwell eyed the interviewer after her statement, but didn''t say anything. n also noticed the apparent hostility in her words, masked by the sweet voice.


    It just started, and there was already a small provocation.


    "Are you able to share what reward you received for such an endeavour?"


    "I''m sorry, But I would like not to disclose."


    He had the right to not say anything about the rewards. Although, it wouldn''t matter if he told them or not about this one. The ''Mohei Jian'', the reward he received, was gone, absorbed by his spear. The sword of the heavenly demon, a treasure that would be one of the strongest weapons if it was on Earth, was gone.


    Someone in the audience clicked their tongue, but none paid attention to it. They were already seething that n wouldn''t disclose any information about them. If twilight wasn''t monopolizing the spatial equipment industry, they wouldn''t have been able to procure this right for him.


    And it was great that they were able too, if the reward''s information was revealed perhaps nothing would protect Twilight from the other organizations, who would do anything to procure them.


    Of course, not all the rewards were in n''s hands, he had given the Shadow Crystal to Kazikato long ago.


    That reminded him, he still needed to give the weird ne he had got to Sabrina, it would help her.


    Other than the crystal, most of the rewards were with him. Stored safely in his inventory. Some of them didn''t pique his interest and weren''t really useful to others in the guild, so he nned on sacrificing them at the altar in his domain to get more points.


    What piqued his interest the most was the spear he had got, as well as the spark of divinity, he didn''t know how he had acquired them, but he was saddened to see that his own spear, The Ame-No-Sakahoko couldn''t absorb G¨¢e Bolg, because it was iplete.


    "Will you tell us about the other boss floors? Please start with the fortieth floor."


    "Sure, The fortieth floor was a ce where I had to fight a copy of myself that could use whatever I used. It was hard to defeat it, but since I know myself the best, I was able to do it. The fiftieth floor, like most of you have seen, was where I had to fight Elijah..."


    n exined up to the sixtieth floor, and no further than that. Partially because he himself was unaware of what had happened.


    He abstained from telling them a lot of things, but answered the rest of their questions ording to the sheet.


    It was all going well, and n sighed in relief, thinking that no question outside the sheet would be asked.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "How did you feel about wasting the Panacea Phial on a single person instead of using it to cure thousands of others affected by curses?"

 Chapter 519 [519] Waste?

    Chapter 519 [519] Waste?


    ??"How did you feel about wasting the Panacea Phial on a single person instead of using it to cure thousands of others affected by curses?"


    n didn''t answer that question as easily as he did the others. In fact, he waspletely silent. Twilights officials had recognized that the question was nowhere on the list of questions agreed upon by them.


    The interviewer, looked at n with a sweet smile, fully aware of the uproar that her words were going to cause.


    Maxwell looked at her with a re, and she simply smiled at him.


    The one who was asked, n, was silent.


    His focus was not on the restless looks on the faces of the others in the room, the smirks from a certain group of people, the interviewers sweet smile and innocent eyes, Maxwells re, and the curses he could hear with his enhanced hearing.


    Not even on the majority of the question, but on a singr word from it.


    ''Waste?''


    Waste....waste? Him using everything he had at his disposal, having his limbs ripped apart, his head caved in, his body reduced to a messy mass of flesh, his mana being driven out of his body to secure victory at the final fleeting moment.


    Those ''sacrifices'', those feats, all that to cure his sister. Sacrificing his own health by transferring his bloodline to her,pletely forgoing the ability to regenerate. To save a child that was dying?


    To save the only family he had for the longest time, to save his world?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    What was it all, a waste?


    He ''wasted'' the Panacea phial? He wasted that thing he acquired after such hardships?


    Waste? Curing his sister with it was a waste? A fucking waste?


    "The phial could be studied, and humanity may have had a chance to make more! We only needed it."


    And she threw salt into the wound, petrol into the raging fire.


    n couldn''t hide the existence of the panacea, it was already revealed to the world when he came out of the tower, along with the broken core. Everyone that had an appraisal skill at that time had appraised it, and spread the news about it. The world knew about it.


    It was impossible to hide it.


    "What do you feel about it, n Pator?"


    He didn''t answer, and the interviewer pressed on. But Maxwell stepped in.


    "I believe that isn''t a question he should answer."


    "Oh, please, Sir Maxwell, this is important."


    "I belie-"


    But Maxwell''s voice was interrupted by n''s.


    "I feel great."


    He said what he wanted to.


    "Excuse me?"


    The interviewer, a little surprised, questioned.


    ''Did I just hear him say the worst possible answer?''


    She thought, and she wasn''t wrong.


    "I feel great."


    n repeated his words, loud and clear enough for everyone in the room to hear him.


    ''Shit...''


    Maxwell cursed in his mind, sighing and gave up.


    "You feel great that you destroyed the hope of thousands in the world? Do you know how much that would benefit humanity as a whole?"


    "You think you humans can craft something that took elven kings years of effort?"


    Instead of an answer, he posed a question.


    "... What?"


    The interviewer, not expecting this was halted, before she could put up an appropriate response, n asked her again.


    "A medicine like that, a medicine that is few even in the hands of the Royal Elves, You think you can create one, even a mockery of it? And to help thousands when, among elves, they number in mere dozens?"


    "You think...you have the ability to create something like that?"


    He mocked them, using the word ''you'' instead of ''we''. As if he wasn''t a human. Well, it was true.


    He wasn''t.


    "..."


    She was speechless, not having expected such a response. What she expected was him trying to justify his use of the panacea, not this.


    Not something like this. Him agreeing to it, and going so far as to insult the human race, was something...disastrous for him?


    But that was what her small mind, which was easily enticed by the words and money of Big pharma, was able to think of.


    n was right, not a single thing he was a lie. Humanity would not have the ability to produce something like the panacea in centuries. Perhaps even longer. It''s something that Elves, the servants of the hegemons of mana are only able to produce sparingly.


    What chance did a pathetic species as humanity ever had? Everyone in the room with a three digit intelligence quotient knew of it.


    n wasn''t insulting the human race, he was telling the truth. However, these words would be interoperated however was of no concern to him. The interviewer didn''t have anything to say in response. But even if she thought of one.


    "Let''s end this here."


    Maxwell said, and he stood up. He shook the hands of the woman and gestured for n to leave. He took his leave, and n followed behind him, the officials of Twilight followed soon after.


    The interview would be released a few days after, the woman who interviewed n was nowhere to be found, and the officials of the world government and other big guilds had something else on their mind.


    Except the interviewer, the rest of them were awakened, and were busy trying to discern n''s strength.


    And they knew he was almost A-rank. That information alone brought them more unease than his words at the interview.


    A few dayster, the interview was released to the public and the response was just as expected.


    [What the fk? Who does he think he is?]


    [The thousands of other people dying are not important to him?]


    [Savage.]


    It was the most expected response, Twilight was getting a lot of hate as well.


    [Can''t expect the third ranked guild to be decent.]


    Many of these people had no clue what they were talking about, just riled on by the trend, which at this point was hate on n and Twilight. More than half of them had no rtive that was cursed or suffering from a major disease that only the panacea could control. What was funny was that the ones who did have people close to them suffering from the curse were supporting him.


    [What are you all talking about? He said the right thing, If I had it I would use it on my mother before giving it to others.]


    [Everything he said was correct, we are not elves. It took the bigpanies years to make effective potions that could heal wounds, you expect them to make something like the Panacea?]


    [Fuck the world, My father matters more.]


    It was funny, wasn''t it? The ones who had no rtion to it would bark and not even do a minute of research into the topic. While the ones rted to it, or at least knowledgeable about it would actually understand and try to say something else, but then it will be buried under the hate of the ignorant.


    But what did all this drama matter to someone who wasn''t even on Earth right now? Twilight was big enough to simply not care about it, and n wasn''t even on the other world. He was currently inside his domain. He was in front of the Altar, and threw a few items inside of it. The rewards from the tower he deemed useless. There were not many. But even the few items garnered him a lot of points he could use to expand the infrastructure of the domain.


    He had brought Richard and Maxwell along with him as well, and those two were currently surveying the areas of the domain. They were really interested in it as well.


    "I never thought a domain like this could exist..."


    Richard muttered, as he stood on the walls of the domain, beyond the walls was an endless dark space. As if the Jade pce resided in the depths of space.


    Maxwell was busy seeing the pce and all it could do, The man had already made an office for himself as well. He had taken over an empty room and carried furniture from the other rooms suitable to make his room look like an office.


    The workaholic loved his offices.


    They analysed the strength of the soldiers as well. And Richard was amazed.


    To him, this was more force than Twilight currently possessed, If they excluded him, the soldiers in this city, along with their beasts, would defeat Twilight. His existence as the only S-rank was the only advantage Twilight had.


    "You can make more of these?"


    He asked n, who was busy looking into the menu of the domain.


    "Yeah, it''s expensive, though."


    "How expensive?"


    "I need artefacts or things ''worth'' something and feed it to the altar, the altar gives me points depending on how valuable it is, and I can use those points to purchase more things here."


    "It''s simple...yet interesting."


    Richard, satisfied, took his leave and went back to Earth with n''s help, after seeing the domain in person he was even more motivated to get an adequate space for n to manifest it.


    It was like a mobile base, a city that could pop up at any moment. God forbid, what would happen if n released it in an already built city.


    The walls would expand and crush the buildings and any organism that was too weak to resist, it would be a cmitous weapon if used like that. Although, n hadn''t manifested it in the real world until now.


    That was exactly why Richard went early to procure whatever emptynd he could.


    "That''s good enough."


    Satisfied with the points he had acquired from the sacrificing of the rewards, n went back to the throne room, intending to use one of them.


    He entered and saw therge snake behind his throne, and smirked.


    "Now, let''s see if this works on you..."

 Chapter 520 [520] The Crystal.

    <h4>Chapter 520 [520] The Crystal.</h4>


    n held one of the rewards he had received from the tower in his hands, firmly grasping the small sphere. It was crystal unlike any other, appearing hollow at times and then with a myriad of colours. It was a strange object, like many of the tower''s rewards.


    "Now, let''s see if this works on you..."


    n muttered as he stared at the behemoth snake in the room, its body''s true length unknown. The information of the crystal he remembered was quite peculiar, and the only reason he hadn''t sacrificed it.


    [Name: Enigmatic Crystal.]


    [Rank: Dependant.]


    [Usage: It is able to create a perfect copy of a creature.]


    It was short, but it was best. n wished the copying effect would have extended to items as well, but s, this was good enough.


    The only problem he faced was that whether the snake in the throne room counted as a creature or not. It was a product of his own mana and did not have a sentient mind, to his knowledge. Furthermore, it was a creature present inside his domain only. So that was another issue.


    But, he should try it, If it didn''t work he would eventually have a use for it sooner orter. With that thought in his mind, n ordered the snake toe forward. The snake, with itsrge body, slithered and moved in the air, above the throne and put its head close to n.


    "Here goes nothing."


    n said, with wishful eyes, and put the item in front of the snake, and activated it with the help of his mana. The snake looked at the small ball with curiosity in its eyes. The ball, in response to n''s mana turned to a fluid and flowed towards the snake, entering it through it''s head. It waspletely absorbed by it.


    The fluid reappeared out of the snake''s head a whileter, and this time in a greater amount than when it entered.


    Much, much greater.


    The silver fluid which was enough to fill a pool began to take a shape, in the form of the very snake in front of n. The fluid was now like a molten metal, slowly taking shape and hardening.


    The scales formed, then the eyes, then the jaw and the teeth. And soon, an exact copy of the snake in the room appeared, just asrge.


    Although the room was cramped, n was amazed. He quickly checked the snakes'' information.


    [Name: Jade Snake Beast King (Copy)]


    The name was enough for him, he knew the other stats of the creature were based off his own. The stronger he got, the stronger these two would get as well.


    "Nice."


    Satisfied, he opened his inventory and got another item. This item was one he received together with the crystal. It was the [Enigmatic Crystal Amulet].


    The amulets features were special and exclusive only to the creature created from the enigmatic crystal, it enhanced the abilities of the creature and made it ''superior'' to the original. It was a pair to the crystal. The amulet was in the form of a small crystal sheet, in a circr shape. It was nk at first, but now it had the image of a snake on it. n suspected that it was because the crystal had been used.


    He brought the crystal amulet close to the crystal snake, and it was absorbed into the creature. The snake, enlivened, let out a deafening roar that shook the throne room.


    "You can roar?"


    n was surprised that the snake had the ability to let out a roar, but he dismissed it. Satisfied that the two items had worked, he let the two snakes y with one another and sat on the throne.


    The items he had sacrificed were useless to him, but not all the items from the tower were in his realm of understanding.


    The crystal of shadow he obtained from defeating the shadow beast was given to Kazikato, but he had other things as well.


    He opened his inventory and took them out.


    [Spark Of Divinity.]


    [G¨¢e Bolg(half).]


    The description of the two items told him they were significant, and thus he didn''t sacrifice them.


    [Spark of Divinity.]


    [Usage: The catalyst to be a deity.]


    The description did not give the item a rank, unlike the other items, both on Earth and in the tower. He had even inspected the thing with [Dragon Eyes] and the description did not change.


    He tried to use it as well, but all that would appear in front of him would be a small message.


    [Insufficient ingredients to conduct the procedure.]


    With all that, he left the item and let it sit in his inventory, not knowing what to do with it. The other item, G¨¢e Bolg, however, was interesting to him.


    A spear that seemed as if it was crafted from the spine of a massive creature, its description was quite lengthy and contained the abilities of the spear.


    Runes were present along the length of its body, which would light up when n let his mana course through the spear. However, he didn''t feel any change ur within the spear. He guessed that it was because the spear was iplete.


    Because of its iplete state, the Ame-No-Sakahoko was unable to devour the spear. Although the spear did express the desire to devour this thing, greatly, still.


    "You express yourself when you want to eat something, and never talk to me, huh."


    n addressed his spear, which was lying beside the throne, resting therge crystals behind it. He was frustrated that the spear, despite all his efforts, didn''t talk to him at all, like it did with the original owner.


    Perhaps he didn''t ''meet'' its requirements just yet. n was oblivious that the spear had done it once or twice.


    However, he left the matter behind and opened the interface of the domain, the sacrifices had given him a lot of points to spend. Furthermore, he had also sacrificed the broken core of the tower that the altar showed great interest in.


    After he had sacrificed it, he had apparently gained another option in the interface, which was quite literally named.


    [Tower.]


    He couldn''t see inside the category until he actually purchased it, it cost him quite a lot of points, but he did it, considering he had a lot more in store. After he had purchased it, a singr option appeared.


    [First floor.]


    It cost points as well, and n bought it, out of curiosity, the option for the second floor appeared after that, but he didn''t buy it. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hmm..."


    He didn''t know it yet, but arge tower made of crystal had erected in the south side of the city, the soldiers stared at it with a curious look in their eyes, and the beasts paid no attention to it, putting sleep above the strange tower.


    Maxwell, who was also outside, saw it too, and gasped.


    "What the fuck...?"


    He muttered, as he gave up trying to make sense of this domain and went back into his room. Meanwhile, in the throne room, n was tinkering with other things. He first made an additional 5 knights and forcefully grew baby snakes into adult snakes, so they would be suitable mounts for the knights, he also made three more barracks, for the spearmen, archers, and swordsman.


    He wanted to create mages as well, but he had to buy the building known as the Library first, he did it and could finally purchase mages.


    The library erected itself in the city as well, And this time Maxwell was right on top of the empty space it would be constructed on.


    It began to erupt from the ground, and Maxwell screamed in fright.


    "What the fuck?!" He fell on his ass on the roof, and rolled down and hit his head on the solid crystal ground.


    "..."


    He groaned in pain, n in the meantime was disheartened to see he could only produce mages who could only use ice magic, the options for chaos and astral magic were also present.


    It seemed the mages he could produce were rted to his elements... And besides points, it took a bit of elemental mana to form them as well.


    He created 15 ice mages, and saw that their rank was B- each, and they could also grow. Maxwell was almost crushed to death underneath the mages. They were like the knights, possessing more snake-like features and wore robes that concealed their upper bodies, the robes had small crystals embedded in them and were cyan.


    n spent quite a while analyzing the information of the mages, and found that they were also restricted to the number of spells he could use, and also the rank. They could use all the spells he knew, but only ording to their own rank, not above. However, if they joined together, they could cast higher level spells.


    Maxwell walked towards the castle in the meantime, and entered his room where he had made his little sanctuary. He knew n was the one responsible for the changes but didn''t me him, and med his bad luck for being at that ce at that specific time.


    n, in the throne room, decided to buy an alchemyb and a cksmithing room inside the pce. ''Coincidentally'' the cksmithing room was the exact room Maxwell had made his sanctuary.


    "Hmm?"


    As he was humming a tune, he saw his table disappear and be reced with anvils, he saw a forge appear right underneath him.


    "Woah!"


    He jumped, avoiding the structure and rushed to leave the room, which was being transported, A hammer appeared on the walls and maxwell collided with it, it fell on his foot and he screamed.


    "WHAT THE FUCK!"

 Chapter 521 [521] To the forest.

    <h4>Chapter 521 [521] To the forest.</h4>


    The experiments in the domain went well, n discovered a lot o things and increased the size of his military as well. The only downside being Maxwell cursing him now and then. He didn''t know why Maxwell was vehemently cursing him so often.


    ''What happened to him?''


    n thought of his recent actions, but no matter what, he just couldn''t pinpoint the reason behind Maxwell''s foul mood. A few days passed, and the uproar on the inte calmed down, not that n cared about it.


    Samantha had also woken up, n was ted to see that and immediately went to the room she was in, after hugging and crying he examined her with the help of his eyes. He noted that although she was fine, she was lethargic, extremely lethargic.


    She seemed to be falling asleep more frequently, Lanesha told him her body just needed more rest, so he made a special room for her in the domain, guarded by his knights and beasts.


    It was a useless measure, knowing that nothing could go inside his domain without his permission. However, even though he knew of it he still insisted on not leaving her alone, Hell, he even went to the measure of ordering his soldiers to y with her if she needed to.


    The days passed, and n was informed that the expedition in the other world would start soon, he got ready and entered the world. The expedition was to march into the forest with the entire group.


    The wellingtons and twilight got ready, and began the expedition after leaving behind a few personnel to guard the base, and the nonbatant, Maxwell.


    The group ventured for quite a few days, taking rest stops to conserve their strength. Logan tried to keep Sabrina in the base too but failed miserably, The girl was...rebellious in this regard.


    n could see Sabrina''s clear annoyance stered on her face, it was amusing.


    "What are you looking at?"


    It was also scary.


    ''Scary.''


    He thought, as he turned his head and focused ahead, he could see the forest the others mentioned. The trees were as odd as described, having metallic spikes for leaves as well.


    The cksmiths back at the guild tried to melt the spikes but failed, the spikes burned like ordinary leaves. They left behind a ck residue like tar, and no matter what the artisans back at Earth tried to do, they found out the only property it had was to act like a hard glue. The wood that was sent back was in the middle of being processed, although they did find out that the sap was an incredible adhesive, one that even awakened would struggle to separate.


    The forest was now in clear view, n could see some stumps. It seemed as if those were the trees the Twilight hunters cut and brought back.


    The party ventured inside the forest, and collected numerous nts along the way, anything they found that they could safely carry they did. This task was made easier with the help of n''s spatial equipment. All sorts of nts and fruits they found were stored there.


    n scanned one of the fruits with his eyes and found out that they were edible. The fruit was in the form of a cone, and possessed an odd smell to it. It was a fishy smell, and it had pores throughout it''s skin. n gobbled the thing up, much to everyone''s shock, and let out a burp.


    "Huh. Tastes like...oranges?"


    The fruit tasted like oranges, though heavily salted. It made his tongue go sour very quickly, and he drank a bottle of water right afterwards. The rest of the group looked at him in shock. Kazikato, Richard and Sabrina just simply sighed, having expected such an action from him.


    Disregarding his ''experiment''. They ventured further into the forest, the types of trees did not change, and the metallic spikes were littered on the floor as they passed.


    As if Autumn had descended on this part of the forest. The bark of trees looked dead as well. However, that was only a part of the forest. It turned lively once more.


    Nothing happened, and they didn''t encounter any species as well, except for a few peaceful birds resting on the trees. They flew away immediately after they noticed the group.


    They were fast as well, very fast.


    "Huh?"


    ''Thud!''


    A member of the Wellington family stumbled on something and fell to the ground, he was able to collect himself quickly, and he coughed to hide his embarrassment.


    The man had been so focused on what was ahead, he didn''t see the thing that caused him to fall present on the ground. Thinking it was just a root or piece of wood, he continued. But the rest told him to stop.


    "What is it?"


    He questioned, and looked back to the group, who were all staring at the ''thing'' he stumbled on. It was a piece of stone.


    Most of the stone was embedded in the ground, and the ''sharp'' corner of it, eroded by time, was the only part of it above ground.


    "It''s just a normal stone...?"


    The hunter seemed confused, he thought everyone wanted tough at him, but the seriousness on their faces told him the opposite, he went closer and examined the stone. It looked like an ordinary piece of rock, but when he looked closer, he could find a small, small crevice in the stone. One very simr to the stones used to form pavements on Earth.


    "Dig it up."


    Sabrina ordered as she went behind. The mages from the family used their skills to unearth the stone, and everyone silently observed them.


    "... I was right."


    Sabrina muttered as the piece of stone was unearthed. It was asrge as a human and was filled with hexagonal patterns.


    It was very clear something made it. The stone seemed to be normal and didn''t possess any remarkable qualities, so the group stored it in their rings and continued. The trees in the surroundings lessened, and they soon came across an open space.


    Well, to call it an ''open'' space would be an understatement, they found a structure. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was like a temple, but broken. Carved of stone and of gigantic proportions, vines and nts littered the entire thing. The temple had broken steps leading up to what appeared to be a stone tform. There was a roof, or what remained of it.


    "I knew there was going to be something here..."


    n muttered. It seemed as if there were structures in all the four directions. The forest one, however, seemed devoid of life.


    Logan and Richard ordered the group to go forth, and they found themselves on the base of the structure. The steps that led up to it as tall as them. They had to climb to go up.


    n extended his hand to Sabrina, who grabbed it. He then lifted her up like she was a twig with one hand. The girl had an odd look on her face, as if this was humiliating. n simply snickered.


    "You know you could do it yourself if you feel it''s embarrassing."


    "..."


    Sabrina simply stayed quiet at the taunting until they reached the top, and then swiftly smacked his head with her staff. Although it had little to no effect.


    The stone tform on top was empty, except for the wines that littered it, there were rooms in this giant tform, and a hole at the centre. The group explored the rooms and found straw dolls the size of humans, beds, and even weapons. The dolls were ruined beyond repair or recognition, whilst the weapons were toorge and primitive for them to use.


    The beds were covered with hide that had deteriorated and smelled like rotten flesh. They had maggots on them as well. Blood stains were present on the walls as well, appearing like some ancient drawing.


    On closer inspection, it wasn''t blood, but was actually paint. There were y pots in the corners of the room as well. The drawings were like ws, and spears.


    Other than those, they found nothing else inside the rooms, all they could go was towards the centre of the tform. There were pirs around it, and it seemed as if there was a small roof above this hole as well. That had disappeared with the passage of time.


    "So, Who wants to go in?"


    Richard asked the group, in a joking manner. However, seeing the tense expressions on their faces made him think it backfired. He sighed and threw a heavy rock inside the hole, to judge its depth.


    It took an entire two minutes for the sound of the rock falling to be heard.


    The group decided to draw straws to decide who would go in first, and unfortunately for n, he lost.


    "..."


    "Ohe on, You can fly, you''re the best person for this job."


    Sabrina said from the back, taking her revenge.


    n stayed silent as he jumped in without the rope, and unfurled his wings.

 Chapter 522 [522] The caves.

    <h4>Chapter 522 [522] The caves. </h4>


    As n descended the hole, he was cursing his luck.


    How could it be that out of nearly 30 people, he had the worst luck and got the shortest straw? It waspletely unfair! How could his luck be that bad?


    He questioned again and again, but thinking about it, he realized it was foolish.


    His luck had always been bad, It was Elijah who had the greatest luck.


    ''Being the Universe''s chosen sure is nice...''


    He sighed inwardly, and increased the speed of his descent, he looked down but could only see an endless abyss. He wondered how deep this hole went. Based on the experiment with the rock, he should have reached the end by now, but strangely enough, he didn''t.


    ''Is this perhaps another illusion?''


    The was strange, even in the north when they were heading towards the mountain peaks, they were trapped in an illusion as well. Now, whether the illusion was the result of the world or something else, that was a mystery.


    Nevertheless, n continued his speed, having unfurled his wings just in case. The hole was getting wider and wider, and thus this gave him the space to do so.


    However, when he saw what seemed to be the floor with his enhanced vision, his gut was telling him to stop. It was like a burning feeling in his heart and his muscles stopped reflexively, he stopped descending and started to float.


    Trusting his body, he floated downwards, this time at a considerably slow speed. He was shocked to see the ''ground'' he had seen far away was at his feet.


    n stepped on the floor, which was damp. And almost slipped. He was in arge cave with a small pond in the middle, the cave also had 3 tunnels leading to god knows where.


    With hismunication artifact, he called the group above and informed them it was OK to descend, but to take it slow. If n didn''t slow down, his face might have been mmed against the rock, which wouldn''t be a sight he wanted to see. It wouldn''t kill him, but it would be excruciatingly painful.


    After waiting about an hour, the rest of the group had descended and took samples from the pond. There was algae and moss growing inside the cave. They took some of that too.


    "It''s edible."


    Strange, almost all the nt life he had found here except for the trees and their strange leaves seemed to be edible. It was a good thing, so he didn''tin. But it was still odd. The group decided to go into the tunnel in the far-right first.


    They hadmon sense and knew splitting up in this environment was a bad call, they were prepared to take more time than deal with any problems with fewer men.


    They had explored the tunnel for a day, since they were all hunters and skilled awakened, they could stay up for four days without being affected. It took an entire day for them toe back to the pond as well.


    Unaware of the length of the other two caves, they still set up camp and the necessary defences and fell asleep, with groups of hunters taking guard. They headed into the one in the middle the next day.


    This one was much longer than the previous one, the temperature increased as they went in, and soon it was as hot as a sauna. After two days of travelling with almost nothing to be seen, they found the end of the cave. They had collected a bunch of minerals on the way here, so they weren''t disappointed. They had also encountered carvings of beasts as well.


    However, as they were heading back, A member of the team approached the wall and knocked on it.


    "I knew it..."


    It produced a hollow sound, and the member was ecstatic to have made a discovery.


    "Guild master, the part of the wall here is hollow."


    He called out to Richard and said. Richard approached the man and also knocked on the wall.


    "It is..."


    It looked like the ordinary walls of the cave, however it was surprisingly hollow.


    They wanted to break it, but were afraid of the cave copsing on them.


    n used his |Dragon Eyes| to confirm, and scanned the cave. He saw that the cave and the wall...weren''t actually connected.


    The cave continued on like normal, but the wall appeared to be disconnected from the stone everywhere else. It was made by something, to block anyone who came here.


    It was crafted so exquisitely that one wouldn''t have even known about it. Dragon eyes pierced through it and found that the cave descended downwards. And the ''wall'' wasn''t made of stone at all.


    "It''s alright to break it."


    n said, as he deactivated dragon eyes, the pain having be insufferable.


    Richard nodded and broke it, it broke quite easily and shattered like ss.


    "Don''t use that skill if it hurts you so much, you are bleeding from your eyes!"


    Sabrina said from behind, looking at his bloodied eyes. There was a hint of worry in her eyes n missed seeing.


    "It''s nothing."


    He said, as his eyes healed with the help of his bloodline in an instant. He looked ahead towards the group.


    Furthermore, he wondered why they hade to a sudden stop, and when he approached them he knew why. In front of them was a staircase. The stairs this time, however, weren''t as big as those in the temple. They wererge for humans, but not that much. They could descend these stairs easily.


    After setting a magic sensor on top, they proceeded downwards. The sensor was in ce so they wouldn''t be caught off guard if something came from up top. The stairs went quite deep, and the air became more humid, there seemed to be another scent mixed in it as well, But even n''s sharp nose couldn''t pinpoint what it was. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The temperature increased, and it was boiling hot now. Sabrina was unable to bear it and asked n to cover her in a shield of ice mana, The others asked this as well after seeing her do it.


    They could see a light at the bottom, it was a bright red light, which just screamed that something sinister was lying beneath.


    They raised their weapons and had their spells ready. They carefully treaded the path until they found the stairs ended, and the light wasing from a crack. It was like a window to hell, slightly open.


    n wanted to use his skill to investigate, but Sabrina stopped him. Sighing, he went in with the rest. They squeezed in with the crack and had grimaces on their faces as they saw what was beyond their expectations.


    A red, blood-like sea. But it was not water. It wasva.


    A Red Sea that stretched for as long as they could see, the space was so big they could barely see the ceiling. The hot waves assaulted their faces and caused them to grimace and sweat. The Red Sea ofva popped bubbles and seemed to form waves, which threatened to consume them. The fire mana in this ce was absolutely bonkers.


    The fire mage in the group had almost fainted from the influx of mana. They escorted him back inside. But, that was not the thing that surprised them the most.


    He looked ahead and then saw something moving within the sea. But whatever it was within the sea, so he couldn''t see what it was urately. It was most likely a creature, but he didn''t focus on it solely.


    On the ceiling, where numerous stctitesy, they could see bats the size of cars, with velvet fur and ferocious teeth looking at them, numbering in the thousands. They paid no attention to the monsters within theva and focused only on the bats.


    They were silent, not having made the first move.


    "Everyone...slowly go back in turns."


    Logan ordered them, and the weakest of them went first. They squeezed through the crack, making sure they made no sound. If those bats attacked them, they would be thrown off this cliff and into theva below.


    The team slowly went back inside, but of course, nothing would go well for them. The part of the cliff beneath n started to copse. It was so sudden it seemed to be caused by something, but n couldn''t pay any attention to that and tried to grab something before he fellpletely.


    Richard hurriedly grabbed his hand, and pulled him up. Logan yelled to the others after he noticed the bats start to move towards them.


    "Fuck! Everyone, get inside NOW!"


    His skill told him they were of B-rank, and the group couldn''t defeat this number in this small space. Heck, they would struggle even in conditions that favoured them.


    Kazikato, in order to buy time, unleashed a dragon breath at the bats, but it managed to kill none of them. Only slow them down.


    n did the same, They iled their breath in various directions, buying as much time for the group as they possibly could.

 Chapter 523 [523] Escape the caves!

    <h4>Chapter 523 [523] Escape the caves!</h4>


    They iled their breaths all around the vast cave, trying to stop the sea of bats heading their ways. However, the best they could do was slow them down, they were unable to kill even a single one. The bats would always run away when they reached a critical health, and a dozen more would take their ces.


    They were closing in, and at a great speed. The group hurried to get inside the crevice and in a minute n and Kazikato were all that were left. n grabbed Kazikato and threw him towards the crevice, gesturing him to go away first.


    Kazikato stopped his breath and scurried into the cave. To keep up, n increased his mana consumption and his breath grew twofold, covering the entire ceiling almost. It was like a tornado of blue fire, scorching the bats. Or in his case freezing them.


    The breath increased and increased, and n slowly made his way towards the crack, walking backwards.


    "Hurry!"


    He could feel the cave they were in trembling. The stctites the bats rested on fell down and were swallowed by the Red Sea, one fell on his head and almost made his breath explode inside his mouth, thankfully, n was able to prevent such a thing from happening.


    He put on foot inside the crevice, but the bats followed. They ignored the breath and one rushed ahead, its body freezing. It cut the side of n''s neck with its ded wings. n''s steel like skin was cut so easily like it was paper. The members inside the room held out their hands to help him get in, trying to grab him. Sabrina formed a whip made with her mana and wrapped it around him, just as she was about to gesture to someone else to pull the whip...


    The bats, enraged dove towards the crevice, and sealed it with their bodies, their frozen bodies exploded, and the crevice was covered with their blood and guts, The members retreated, blood on their entire beings.


    "Oh no..."


    On the other side, n stared at the suicide dive they did with shock, He grabbed the pieces of flesh with his hands and tried to throw it away but failed to do so. The pieces of flesh could be removed quite easily...if he was given the chance to remove them.


    They swarmed him like moths to a me, leaving multiple cuts on his body, their weight caused the small cliff he was on to crumble. He activated his Draconian transformation and managed to stave off their attacks. With his sharp ws, he dug into the walls of the cave and made a final attempt to climb towards the cave.


    The bats climbed on his back, tried to bite him, but his scales held on. They screeched, and the screech which was enhanced with mana was like hell to his ears, causing him to bleed. But he held on and climbed.


    But then, the attacks stopped and he heard a different sound. A roar.


    "... Shit."


    He cursed, as he began to jump towards the crevice, he reached the ce and threw the corpses of the bats away, but whatever roared at him was near. A batrger than all the others tried to grab him with itsrge feet. As n was digging through the crevice to throw the flesh out, he identally grabbed Sabrina''s whip. Unaware, he pulled it. On the other side, Sabrina, who was still connected to her whip, felt a pull and found herself being catapulted towards the flesh wall. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The others were surprised and failed to react, She was able to erect a mana barrier just in time to protect herself.


    n, on the other side, screamed in shock as he saw her faceing towards him.


    "What the fuck?!"


    She crashed into him, being knocked unconscious by the collision with his scales. Her mana barrier had been broken.


    "Huh?!"


    Only then did n notice the ck whip around him, He grabbed Sabrina with one hand and put one hand inside the crevice.


    "Pull!"


    He yelled, the others grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. The big bat grabbed him by itsrge feet. n''s entire upper body was within the grasp of the foot.


    And in an instant, therger bat swung with its wing. The ded wing shed and n found himself falling.


    The grip of the foot was released, and instead of the others on the other side pulling him, he saw himself falling. His crimson blood dyed his scales red.


    His arm had been cut off cleanly, and the members brought it back. He, was falling into the Red Sea ofva below.


    The bats, together with their leader, looked at his falling body and seemed to beughing.


    "..."


    With Sabrina in his hand, he threw her on his back and bound her together with ice. It would be cold, but that would actually benefit her in this environment. Growing his arm back with the Phoenix bloodline, he dove his ws in the wall again. This time, he covered Sabrina fully in a block of ice.


    It would be cold, but the situation called for it. n made the ice extra thick, so her body couldn''t be attacked by the bats. He didn''t even know what kind of creatures existed inside theva! This much protection was necessary.


    The king of the bats, clearly enraged its n had failed dove towards to eat him, n dodged the king and fired an ice spikerger than a car towards him. It bounced off it''s skin and fell to theva below.


    There was no steam, surprisingly. The spike was simply devoured by theva. The phenomenon seemed peculiar, but he didn''t try what he was thinking.


    The cave stretched far and wide. The original entrance he had entered from was filled with corpses of the bats and pieces of rock. Trying to find a way out from there would take too much time, and the bats would eat him if he did.


    n ripped off pieces of the cliff and threw them at the bats, It caused some of them to fall towards theva. The other bats tried to save them, but whenever they got near theva, they retreated.


    "Huh?"


    n was confused at this, although it was close to theva, there was still some distance they could have utilized to save the others...but they simply turned up, with a look of fear on their disgusting faces.


    That could only mean that there was something inside theva the others...but they simply turned up, with a look of fear on their disgusting faces.


    they didn''t get close too.


    "Damn..."


    Feeling at odds with himself, He moved Sabrina from his back and carried the globe she was in, and unfurled his wings. He didn''t want to fly, but he had too. The cave was vast, if he couldn''t exit from where he came from. He would have to look for a new way out.


    The original entrance was now filled to the brim with bats. Those blood-sucking bastards wouldn''t let him leave through their.


    "Fine... Have it your way."


    He inputted mana into his wings, and they glowed an iridescent hue. Looking at the king high in the skies, he flew up with a high speed. His spear appeared in his hand and before the king could react, its body was cut in half.


    The monsters had high attack and agility, but had terrible defence. The other bats went into a frenzy and charged towards him, the annoying thing was that the bats at the entrance didn''t leave!


    n hoped they would so it gave him a chance to leave, but those bastards were stubborn!


    Having no choice left, he flew forward. The underground expanse above the sea ofva wasrge. He could only search for another exit now.


    The bats stopped chasing him after a while, and all n could see was theva beneath him, an endless path in front of him and rock walls to the side. The stctites above were also a depressing sight.


    However, what annoyed him most was the asional whips ofva that would rise up, one managed to hit him and the sphere Sabrina was in. Theva almost made its way right to her before n could extinguish it. Not only that, it burned through his scales and reached his flesh. His right arm had been charred, and the burnt skin and flesh produced a foul smell.


    "Come on..."


    He didn''t know how long it had been since he was flying. He was using his mana at a rapid pace to both fly and keep the sphere around Sabrina stable. He was getting tired. Exhausted even.


    It was hard for him to maintain his usual speed.


    n, as he was flying above the Red Sea, caught sight of a hole in the cliff walls. He flew closer to it and found it was a cave. After activating his dragon eyes and scanning the interior of the cave. He found it was empty. The cave didn''t lead to anywhere.


    "Finally..."


    Heaving a sigh of relief, he ignored the hot waves from theva below and threw himself towards the cave. His charred scales and flesh fell to the floor of the cave, and Sabrina, still in the sphere, rolled off towards the end.


    n made the ice melt around her, and after he examined her injuries he found out that her head was bruised, some of the skin had cut and blood was leaking out. He poured a potion on it and with his remaining drops of mana formed an ice wall to block themselves in.


    "Ugh..."


    Theva that had hit did quite some damage, it burrowed into his body. n rested along the walls of the cave and went to sleep, leaving his Phoenix bloodline to heal his body and replenish his mana.

 Chapter 524 [524] It rose.

    <h4>Chapter 524 [524] It rose. </h4>


    524 [524] It rose.


    I woke up, tired, but thankfully I was alive. The pain in my body disappeared, and my mana had recovered. It seems the phoenix bloodline did quite the work.


    Standing up, I massaged my stiff body and looked at the ice wall I had conjured up. It was holding its own against the heat outside.


    When I had constructed it, I made sure to scatter as much of my ice mana around the cave. I could probably survive the heat, but the ''passenger'' with me won''t be able too.


    The deadlyva isn''t the only thing that''s dangerous here. The heat it emits is equally dangerous. The heat would have killed her already if it wasn''t for my mana cooling this ce down.


    After I reinforced the ice wall and made the cave cooler, I went over to her and bent down. I wanted to see whether my act of covering her in a ball of ice had repercussions. After I scanned her with dragon eyes, I was d to find out that it didn''t happen. She held on, perhaps due to her rank.


    If it was a normal human, they would be cooked meat right now. The heat here is no joke, even with my ice mana. Her face was getting red.


    I put my hand over her and cooled her down further. Then, I sent her to my domain. I would have liked to do this sooner, but those damn bats and my mana exhaustion made me unable to do so. In order to send people to my domain, I need to stand still and invest quite a bit of my mana, about 20% of it.


    I couldn''t do that before. Using the connection with my soldiers in the domain, I told them to transfer her to the healing room. That would help with her injuries.


    I also ordered them to only subdue her and put her back to sleep if she woke up. I don''t want her to attack my soldiers thinking they are monsters.


    I should also exin it to her when she wakes up through the spatial bond. That will help clear things up.


    Now...the only thing left for me to do is figure out how to get out of this ce. The air in this little cave is limited, So I took onerge breath and held my breath. I can do it for long enough to figure something out.


    I walked over to the wall and looked at the redva beneath. There was quite the distance between this cave and theva...thankfully.


    It shouldn''t rise, but then again we are in a different, So I don''t want to take any chances. Anything can happen in this ursed ce.


    Common sense won''t work here.


    After covering myself in a shield of ice mana, I broke the ice wall and flew into the underground expanse once again, I continued my journey forward. Behind me were the bats. I judged that if I can''t find any escape from here, I will simply rush in and killed them all, then dig out the bodies stuck in the crevice and escape from there.


    I encountered more caves as I made my way through the underground expanse, the red lighting from below didn''t change in the slightest, however. Furthermore, I also feel as if theva is getting higher, The bubbles keep popping constantly and the whips ofva that would spew out asionally were deadly, I stuck to the ceiling to avoid them.


    No matter how much further I travelled, I didn''t see any change, I wondered if there would finally be something different.


    Theva below was acting stranger the further I went, it was moving like water now, I could see the ripples and waves form above it.


    "Weird ass."


    I muttered as I looked at the water-likeva, ording to my knowledge it should be dense, but here it is...


    ''I can only hope that ''a wave'' won''t appear.''


    I hope I didn''t jinx myself there. Thankfully, that didn''t seem to be the case. I stopped by another cave and went inside, preparing to rest for a while and cover my mana. I did the same once again, covering the entrance of the cave with a wall of ice and spreading my mana all over the cave to cool it down.


    I sat down and began to meditate. The heat outside ripped my ice mana shield apart, and I had to expend most of my mana on it. This kind of environment was the least suited for me. I was an ice dragon stuck in arge cave filled withva and heat. This is the perfect environment for Elijah and other fire element users. The speed of their recovery and advancement would be insanely good here.


    Technically, I am an ice, chaos and space dragon hybrid, But one of the elements I possess and use the most is at a disadvantage here, and that is affected me. The power of my spells is decreased, and the environment is eating me alive.


    I can feel my strength disappearing every second. I fucking hate this.


    "I need...to escape."


    I''m tempted to go back and fight the bats to the death and leave, the only issue is will I be able to do so when I get back. I could be so weakened that they would tear me apart, and there are no caves for quite a distance there, So I don''t have anywhere to rest.


    Sighing inwardly, I got up and unfurled my wings once again. The fire mana here is sickening.


    I took it slow and steady, trying to save my strength for as long as I could.


    I repeated this tiring cycle for a few days, as I was reaching the ends of my wit I finally saw something which filled with me hope. With a smile stered on my face, I flew towards my ''escape''.


    This endless, depressing sea ofva had ended abruptly, and a wall of red rock was in front of me, however, at the top of this wall, hidden in a corner behind multiple stctites, I saw a hole.


    After using my dragon eyes on it, I found out that it led up! I was so d, I almost flew in circles.


    I rushed towards the hole and broke the stctites that hid it, they fell into the Red Sea below and were devoured by it quickly. Theva wasn''t as dense as expected, it was exactly like water at this point, the only difference being it was hot.


    I flew up towards the hole, which looked as if it had been dug by arge drill machine. I ignored the strangeness of it and flew upward. The only thought of my mind being of freedom. I saw a light at the end of this tunnel, and I rejoiced.


    I flew high up, and finally fucking escaped the hell below!


    "Haha!"


    I raised my arms in triumph as I enjoyed the light of the suns. The subtle heat from it was much more appreciated than the hell below! Those two strange suns never seemed so friendly to me before.


    I sat down on the ground, and enjoyed the light breeze. I looked around and found myself to be in a mountainous area. There were small patches of grass here, but most of it was 16:28


    covered in snow.


    "Snow?"


    Although I had an inkling of where I was, I enjoyed the environment benefiting me for once, and recovered my mana in an instant.


    After a while, I stood up and looked at the mountains above. Just as I had predicted, I was in the north of the base, where the mountains were. I could see the city up above, it just seemed as I was on the opposite side of the mountains.


    "This is not good..."


    I muttered to myself, as I felt the energy of multiple monsters in the area, all S-rank. The mammoths, yetis and the ice statues I saw were in an abundant number here.


    Although I was d I had escaped the hell of fire mana below these mountains, I hated that I was thrown into another predicament as soon as I escaped.


    The universe truly hates me, I could feel some of their energies approaching me quickly.


    The earth beneath me shook, and the air trembled as I saw what wasing towards me.


    "...hi."


    I said, to the behemoth of a monster that appeared in front of me, easily towering over my figure. It was a mammoth, having tusks made of crystal and fur as white as snow. The eyes shone with a nk hue as they stared at me with hostility.


    The thing was giant. Before I saw them from the distance so they didn''t look that big but...


    "Holy shit..." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I cursed, as I summoned my spear and donned my armour. Thankfully, the monster appeared to be on the weaker spectrum of S-rank monsters. That didn''t mean I could defeat it, though, The chances of doing that were still slim.


    The best I can do, is run when I can.

 Chapter 525 [525] Mammoth Hunter.

    Chapter 525 [525] Mammoth Hunter.


    ??I swerved to the side to avoid the trunk of the giant beast, It came towards me as fast as lightning, and it was hard to imagine something that big could be so fast.


    But, It wasn''t fast enough. I could still see it''s movements without it being a blur.


    I thought, should I just run away or go into my domain?


    The former should be better, Thetter may get me trapped if I return.


    I unfurled my wings and began to run, as I threw an attack towards it to distract it. My mana enhanced spear unleashed a crescent wave which left a deep cut on the beast.


    My spear was a weapon possessing a ranking that far surpassed the mammoth, so I wasn''tpletely helpless. The attack cut the muscles in its front leg and caused its movement to be dyed.


    But the wound healed up quickly, The mammoth let out a roar and chased after me.


    ''Damn.''


    I take back what I said, that thing is ''fast'' enough for it to be a blur. It was blitzing through the snow fields as it made its way towards me. Even though I was in the air I could feel the tremble of the ground as it strode through.


    The ground caved in where it stepped, and Iunched another strike at its feet to hinder its advance. The mammoth, however, would not fall for the same trick twice.


    Ice materialized a few meters away from its body and acted like a floating shield. The crescent wave shed with the ice and both nullified one another. The mammoth manifested more ice in the form of spikes and sent them towards me.


    ''Swish!''


    I barely managed to dodge the first spike, which came at me at an astonishing speed. The second followed and cut my shoulder, the third one scraped by my chest.


    "Damn..."


    I cursed inwardly, and increased my speed as much as I could, but the mammoth did not relent. I had expected to see ins, or any greenery as I crossed the hill, but to my surprise it was an endless nket of snow.


    The patches of grass I had seen...were strange. They should have meant that there was greenery here, but none was present.


    It seems the world behind the mountains is a frost haven. An eternal field of snow. That was what I could see all the way till the horizon. The solid ground quaked as the mammoth rushed towards me, ready to eat me.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be a herbivore?!"


    I yelled towards it, it answered with a roar!


    Damn it, find some nts to eat! My hair isn''t even green!


    It continued to assault me with spikes of ice, and it was hard to dodge them all. I tried to go higher, but then that made it harder.


    The chase continued for half a day, I had hoped the thing would get tired, but the damn bastard wouldn''t! I can''t afford to go further from the base anymore as well. I tried to turn around but failed miserably, the thing would unleash more spells at me.


    "Fine..."


    As I was getting tired, I sighed and faced the beast and stopped running. It stopped as well, and there seemed to be a smile stered on its face.


    ''Oh, you think you can smile?''


    It was pissing me off, I could feel its arrogance, and oh boy did it make me want to pummel that massive fur ball.


    "Alright... Have it your way."


    Faced with no other options, I roared and charged at it, spear in one hand, a spell in the other.


    I knew ice spells would have little effect on it, so I used the skills of my equipment. I sent a chaos st towards it. The armor of the marquis had been beaten badly during the tower of trials. It cost a lot to restore it, But I was d I paid that cost.


    A chaos st coursed its way through the cold air andnded on the side of the beast, the ice shield it put up failed to block it. However, the st was unable to pierce its skin like my spear. However, it did cause the thing to fall to it''s side.


    It hurried to stand up, But I approached close and stabbed my spear into it''s head. Or at least I tried too, The beast used its trunk to whack me away. The impact surely broke some bones, and I stumbled into the snow.


    The fields of snow were deep. I was buried in it as I was thrown around, The mammoth stood up, and as I flew out of the snow, It raised its legs to the sky.


    I shivered, as I felt the greatest amount of mana I had ever felt in my life gather at its feet. I shuddered, and that was my mistake.


    The mammoth did not wait for me. Of course, it didn''t. Like a mighty king it stomped its feet on the ground and I saw a skill ever greater than [cial Copse] be released.


    A sea of ice, erupting from the ground and reaching for skies...and me.


    I tried to dodge, fly high or to the side, but it was too massive, it crashed into me and the amount of mana that exploded rendered me nearly unconscious. The feeling of ice exploding right in front of me like a nuclear explosion was...painful.


    I coughed up blood that froze immediately when it touched the ground, My chest had caved in, and I could feel my body ''freezing''.


    Fuck.


    I cursed,menting that I thought fighting an S-rank creature was a good idea. I thought I could beat or run away from it, but I was wrong. Left with only choice, I hastened my transfer as I could feel my body dying from the bursts of mana.


    The ice disappeared in front of me, vaporized. And the mammoth slowly approached me, as I readied my mana. It looked at me arrogantly, like staring at a bug it could squash in an instant.


    And I hated the fact that it was true. I loathed it.


    It approached me and just as it was about to devour my immobile body, I transferred myself to my domain and fell unconscious immediately after. I had already ordered the troops to take care of me.


    Oh, how I hoped I saw that thing ugly face contort as I escaped right in fronts of its eyes...


    ***********


    When I woke up in this strange ce, My head was burning, it was in so much pain that I felt as if a sledgehammer was constantly hitting my poor skull.


    I was wet, clearly submerged in water or some other liquid, yet that liquid seemed calm, and warm. It was rxing, far better than the baths back at home, where my servants attended to me. The water here felt so calming...


    It was an exhrating feeling, one that money couldn''t buy, and that was something. The pain in my feeble mind disappeared soon enough, and I awoke.


    My eyes opened, and I saw a ceiling I could never have imagined having seen. One made of crystal, embedded within the ceiling were designs and carvings of multiple snakes, each that had diamonds as lustrous as the stars for eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It reminded me of n''s eyes, They were truly strange, but immensely beautiful at the same time. Perhaps it was a quality of dragons and dragon born. Their unique eyes.


    I wondered how much that ceiling cost, the price of those lustrous, and mana filled diamonds must surely be so extravagant it would be hard for even my family to afford so many. To fill the ceiling like that.


    I sat up, massaging my head which hurt once more, the pain in the form of pangs that I truly loathed. But the water I was submerged in had a healing effect, I could feel the mana within it coursing through me, entering my body through my skin and cleansing me.


    I opened my eyes once more. And the shock that travelled through my body was like lightning through metal. How foolish of me, to think the ceiling was this extravagant.


    The walls, the floor...even the pool I was in had them, those diamonds so luxurious they were the most beautiful of all.... How I yearned for such to adorn my neck and ears in the forms of nes in earrings.


    Yet, even with all the wealth I could muster, I probably will never be able to purchase such exquisite...things.


    The snakes that were embedded into the ground, and some part of it were filled with them.


    Such wealth... I can''t even imagine this. Where am I? Who is the owner of this extravagant room? The ruler of this...wealth?


    I stood up, not minding my wet clothes and the blood that had seeped into them, it was my own blood. I struggled to find a proper footing. Thest thing I remembered was my idiotic act of trying to save the brute that I had a crush on.


    And my mistake of not letting go of the rope...and being catapulted into his chest covered with those scales hard enough to split apart my head. Thankfully, the barrier I had erected saved me.


    "Sigh..."


    As I wondered the origin of this strange ce, I found the door, and walked towards it, intending to open it, but I failed to do so.


    It was too heavy! Which failure designed this horrible thing?!

 Chapter 526 [526] The Palace of wonders.

    Chapter 526 [526] The Pce of wonders.


    ??It was so difficult to move this b of...crystal. I had to enhance my physique with the help of my mana to make this beautiful but stupid piece of crystal move! It was so tiring, I wondered what failure of an architect designed this.


    But eventually, I was able to open it just enough for me to go through, thankfully my slim figure helped me in this regard instead of just garnering looks from people I hated.


    "Finally..."


    I heaved a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off my bro with my napkin, which was still wet. I stepped outside, to be greeted by a view... I didn''t quite expect.


    In front a balcony made of the same material, and beyond it a vast garden, surrounded by walls, and then beyond those, a city iplete yet beautiful, surrounded by walls.


    And there was something beyond even those walls, something that truly, truly grasped her heart and held it close, Her focus entirely on it.


    The sea of stars themselves, a view never to be seen on the of Earth, so filled with people and light, that even the Wellingtons themselves had a hard time managing to see this...view.


    The fight for survival had deprived them of this beauty, a beauty she read about in books in the vast library they possessed, one she had seen illustrations of, one she had even dreamt about as a child who was always alone.


    "..."


    Her mouth agape, her awestruck face absorbed in its beauty. She had seen so many illustrations of this ce, and so many videos, art pieces worth millions... But they did notpete.


    They could not dare topete with the sight in front of her, the vast and collected beauty of the cosmos itself, the realm humans once so desperately tried to reach, but it was...impossible.


    For them to do so when their extinction was next door, at the hands of the demons and monsters.


    No matter how many videos she watched, illustrations she saw, art she admired, it could nevere close to witnessing it in real life, in front of her, the real thing, not a figment of her imagination or an illusion set by something else.


    "... Wow."


    She acted so immature, unlike her previous self, like a little girl again. For a few seconds, which turned to minutes, her eyes still stuck on the scene in front of her, but her body snapped her out of her daze, it sensed danger.


    Not even a second passed for her to enable shields of mana she learned, five skills erupted in an instant, all of her rank. The talent she had for mana and the work ethic with it allowed this.


    The skills were pointed to her sides, where she sensed the ''danger''.


    But to her surprise, the dangers did nothing. They simply watched her, and bowed, Perhaps to show that they were not a threat. Sabrina looked at the odd danger. The monsters she saw were serpent like...what were they called again? She tried to remember, she had read about when she was about four.


    "Lamia."


    But it was somewhat wrong, themia she read about had the features of a woman on their upper body, and a snake on the lower body. Although thetter was correct, the former was the opposite. The heads of these monsters were like snakes themselves, fierce cobras. And they had a muscr body instead of a feminine one. They wielded spears, strikingly simr to a spear she had grown used to seeing in the hands of a specific person.


    ''Ame-No-Sakahoko?''


    She thought, however, the spear she sawcked the ''divine'' and ''authentic'' feeling of the real deal. It was like it was simply a replica, or something designed using that spear as a basis.


    It was also much, much weaker than it.


    "...?"


    She was confused, however she wasn''t dumb. She immediately connected the dots and thought that this strange ce may have something to do with n, the diamonds in the pce that resembled his eyes, the familiar mana abundant in this ce and as well as the weapons of the...


    ''The...''


    She struggled on what to name them, she couldn''t exactly call them monsters, that would be an insult. After thinking for a few seconds, she sighed and just called them soldiers.


    The weapons of the ''soldiers'' were like the spear n wielded, and based on the fact that they showed no aggression or malicious intent, she lowered her guard and disabled her attack skills. She still kept the defensive ones active, however. Using her mana to scan the opponents, she almost jumped back in fright.


    ''A-rank!''


    The strength of these two soldiers was amazing, she was inclined to believe they weren''t simple soldiers at all! The term knights was more fitting.


    "... Will you do anything to me?"


    She muttered, not having anticipated the knight to hear her, much less understand her and even respond!


    It simply shook its head sideways. It could not speak, but it understood her voice.


    "... Ok?"


    She stepped back, and bumped into the other one behind her. Her muscle memory urged her to apologize.


    The knight graciously bowed back, and then went back to stand guard. She stood still for a few moments, unsure of what to do, but then, an idea propped up in her mind. One that urged her to explore the ce.


    Surprisingly, the knights did not stop her attempt, she was free to move wherever she wanted, but they did follow her. They were smarter than the rest of the soldiers and had interpreted the orders they received differently. They needed to do this to prevent their brothers, who were not as gifted, to follow the orders they received without a fault.


    Sabrina toured through the castle, and was shocked to find out how big it was. It was harder for her to traverse the castle. It was expected, considering even n felt tired navigating this ce.


    "Howrge is this ce..."


    She asked, but no one answered, She took a gasp of breath, trying to enliven herself. And then continued. She continued to explore, but she found empty rooms most of the time, The castle appeared extravagant, but it was empty.


    It was strange, she finally found the exit of the castle and entered the gardens, witnessing flowers that defied that hermon sense. But considering all the other things she had seen, she simply dismissed them and took a photo of them.


    She always kept a camera with her in her spatial ring, it was an old camera belonging to her father, he left it with her before he went on his mission.


    Although the quality of it wasn''t on par with the ones in the market today, it was good enough.


    She continued moving forward, and encountered arge fountain, she passed it soon enough...but then she stopped. A certain voice calling out to her.


    "Hello!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Huh?"


    She remembered this voice, it belonged to someone who wasn''t doing so well thest time she saw her. The voice betrayed her memories. She remembered that voice, although in a much worse state than now. It used to a dying voice, but now it was filled with life.


    "Samantha...?"


    She turned around, and a little girl, with hair as ck as hers, directly contrasting her brothers, hugged her.


    She was surprised, but soon a smile appeared on her face as she picked Samantha up by her shoulders.


    "You are okay!"


    Samantha had gotten healthier, but for Sabrina it wasn''t an issue to lift her up. She even pinched her cheeks that were not all bones now!


    "How are you!"


    Samantha said, ted. She remembered the big sister that sometimes appeared when she was alone. During the time, n was filled with guilt and unable to face her dying body.


    Sabrina sometimes went and took care of her. She didn''t know why she did, but she simply went. Perhaps it was because she was bored and missed what it felt like to have a little sister. The one she had and fondly remembered was gone for now, training in her own residence.


    Sabrina put her down and dusted off her clothes, She also saw the cohort of simrly powered of knights that followed her, and shivered slightly. Seeing so many ''knights'' that could tear them to shreds in an instant was a shocking sight.


    The two knights with her were somewhat d, sighing in relief that they were tasked with the more maturedy instead of the rampant, energetic child. Their brothers looked tired, and jealous of them as well.


    Whilst Samantha''s knights were busy every day ensuring not a hair on her body was touched as she yed, And also take care of it in such a manner that she would not cry or resent them. The ones tasked to Sabrina simply stood guard, and even when she awoke she simply explored the pce at a leisurely ce, allowing them to follow her with peace.


    The burden ced on them was much less than the poor group assigned to Samantha. But they still followed obediently.


    Sabrina was led by Sam to arge snake, which looked tired and even somewhat afraid of Sam. The snake lowered its body and allowed her to sit. Sam told Sabrina toe with her, and after a moment of hesitation she agreed and went aboard.

 Chapter 527 [527] The palace of wonders.

    <h4>Chapter 527 [527] The pce of wonders.</h4>


    With Samantha''s help, who had apparently gotten very used to the ''entire'' city that was beyond the castle, Sabrina was able to explore quite a bit and gather a vast amount of information. She shivered at the thought of the fighting power present here. The other monsters she had found here, resembled humans more than snakes, but they were strong.


    The fighting power was akin to the entirety of one of the lower ranking top 10 guilds.


    ''Forget top 10...even top 5''


    But that was just a conclusion she had made from her experience, there was no way to determine whether the forces of this ce could actually topple a guild that had resources and S-rank leaders far beyondprehension.


    Little did she know, had she seen the beasts residing in the throne room, she would be certain that the top 3 guilds or the World Government would be the only ones that could stop this army, and even then they would risk half or more of their forces.


    It was truly an absurd force. And if she knew how ''easily'' n could grow it, she would be shocked to the point her body would be turned to stone, like the men who gazed into the eyes of Medusa.


    The exploration, however, was abruptly stopped. Sabrina was at the edge of the city, on top of the castle walls, as she felt a tremor.


    The soldiers with her, looked towards the castle and bared their fangs, seemingly distraught. The entire city looked towards the castle. And Sabrina caught a hint of worry on their faces.


    "Worry...? For who?"


    She asked herself, and she saw a massive snake in the distance seemingly pop out from the roof of the castle. She didn''t know the castle had changed its shape to allow it to do so, The snake roared in the sky and another one crept up on it, and then they went towards the garden.


    The knights and the beasts, rushed towards the castle, she struggled to hold on and Samantha was trying her best not to fall off. Using her mana, she conjured two straps to help keep both of them on the snake beast.


    The speed at which these monsters travelled was astonishing, Sabrina had a hard time keeping her eyes open, the ''wind'' in this ce striking her face.


    She finally had a moment of relief when they stopped, they approached the garden, and she saw the tworge snakes, there seemed to be a person on one of the snake''s head. However, that person was not riding the snake, yet seemed to be carried by it. Injured.


    The snakes hurried over to the room where she was in, the room that had the healing water. Their menacing figures in the sky painted a dreary sight. Sabrina gulped and focused mana on her eyes to identify the person they carried.


    "... n?"


    She saw him, the owner of this ce. She had already guessed that, and her guess was confirmed to be true by Samantha during their trip, but this wasn''t what she was expecting.


    His face was pale, and his chest seemed to have caved in, blood escaped his mouth as well. She got off the snake she was riding and ran towards the room he was being carried towards. A bad premonition surfacing in her mind.


    She got therete, and was panting heavily, there, she saw his body being submerged in the water, some of his blood having seeped into the pond.


    "..."


    Walking towards him, she examined his injuries.


    ********


    The extent of his injuries was not as bad as she had anticipated, she had seen him survive much, much worse.


    She could see that he was hit by an attack possessing great mana, one with such force that upon collision it had crushed his strong chest and put him unconscious. Thankfully for n''s quick thinking, he had transported himself here before whatever attacked him finished him off.


    He was healing, by the effects of the water and also the bloodline he had. But, Sabrina found the process to be quite slow. The bloodline was working wonders, and so was the water, but they werecking when it came to dispersing the foreign mana guing his body.


    Sighing to herself, she weaved her mana out of her body and guided it towards n, using his skin as an entrance. Then, she had a shocked look on her face as she was able to identify the rank of the foreign mana.


    "S-rank...this idiot was fighting an S-rank beast..."


    Sighing to herself once more, she treated him by taking the mana out and dispersing it into the atmosphere, that action of hers led to his wounds healing faster.


    "Thankfully, it was an Ice-element beast, otherwise this buffoon would be dead already." She scowled, wanting to punch the bastard but restrained herself from attacking a patient.


    His affinity to ice had saved him.


    Soon enough, n woke up. His eyes slowly opened and Sabrina said.


    "Wake up."


    "Huh?"


    His bare upper body exited the pool, and he looked at her. Her clothes had dried now. So there wasn''t much to see.


    "Oh yeah...right."


    n massaged his head as he remembered that he had sent her here prior to escaping the underground area.


    He looked around the room, trying to find Samantha, but he couldn''t. Thinking nothing of it, he turned to her.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Why are you asking me that, did you see the state you arrived in?"


    "I didn''t see it, but I did experience it. I did see your condition, though."


    Sabrina sighed and said.


    "I''m alright now, I would be better if someone hadn''t used such strength to pull me."


    n retorted, trying to defend himself from such an allegation. Which was right in some ways.


    "Hey! It wasn''t my fault some smart ass decided to wrap a whip around me!"


    "Smart ass?! That was to help your idiotic selfe back to safety?"


    "Where is the idiocy in my actions? I was trying to buy time! And that whip was buried in flesh, so I am not to me?"


    "Not to me? You caused my head to split apart! Why do you have such thick scales anyway?!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They bickered like children almost the instant n woke up from his injuries, n stopped after he recognized something.


    "The mammoth''s mana..."


    "Happy? I got rid of it, now treat me to something for it next time."


    Sabrina answered with a pout, she stood up and walked towards the door and struggled to open it.


    "..."


    "Heh."


    "If you were the architect of this ursed door, never even think of designing anything."


    n was confused as to what she meant by her words. He simply thought the door was too heavy for her to open.


    He had no idea who designed this ce as well, and neither did he really care about it. Moving out of the pool with a haughty smile on his face, he opened the door quite easily.


    "Please, Ladies first."


    In a tone clearly meant to annoy thedy in question. She snickered.


    "Please, wear something."


    It was at that point he realized he was shirtless, his snakes had taken it off to make sure it didn''t interfere with his healing. Sabrina didn''t mind it, seeing the muscle and the tattoos was a sight, but to annoy him she clearly needed to say something about it.


    The muscles with the tattoos were sexy, but annoying him was much more fun.


    "Huh?"


    She had a sudden thought about her kind of thoughts but excused herself by coughing. She got serious immediately afterward as n put on a spare shirt from his inventory.


    "What happened outside?"


    He had a grim look on his face as he answered, almost hesitating.


    "It''s bad, we are behind the mountains we saw on the north, The city we saw is right in front of us, and currently we are in an endless snow field...and..."


    "And?"


    She questioned, noticing his sudden pause. She had a bad feeling about this, but she still needed an answer.


    "There may or may not be an S-rank beast camping us the moment we try to leave this ce."


    "..."


    She had a grim look on her face, but suddenly a question appeared in her mind.


    "Wait, did you not say your spatial magic was being interfered with? How were you able to transport us here if that was the case."


    n, already having expected such a question, answered leisurely.


    "That''s because this ce is separate. It''s my domain, I don''t need to expend spatial mana toe here, just normal mana or ice mana is enough."


    "..."


    Her hunch was right, although the domain was vastly different from the one she had read about, but considering it was n, she didn''t think much of it.


    He wasn''t human, so perhaps that was the cause of his domain being so different, she sat down on a bench in the garden, and asked him.


    "So, is there any good news?"


    "..."


    n struggled for a bit, and eventually couldn''t find an answer except.


    "We are alive?"

 Chapter 528 [528] Alive, at least.

    <h4>Chapter 528 [528] Alive, at least.</h4>


    ''We are alive.''


    n said, and Sabrina''s expression contorted. She sighed and looked up towards the sky of the domain.


    Although it was good news, it didn''t mean something worth celebrating. The fact that they were alive, but in a location where death was almost guaranteed.


    Not only were they extremely far from base, they also had no means ofmunication of the moment, nor an immediate means of travel.


    n couldn''t use his teleportation magic, and Sabrina could not use the transmission items in this space, they would have to go outside for that to happen. But outside was not safe. Maybe the Mammoth n ran from was still there, or had even called its herd. That was the worst scenario.


    Their chances were low, and Sabrina hated that. Although she loved to gamble for money, she hated scenarios where she was almost guaranteed to lose. Besides, the thing being gambled here would be their life if they ventured outside.


    They also couldn''t stay here indefinitely, they had limited food. The food in their spatial storage would at mostst a month. And most of all, She didn''t feel right leaving the main group, oblivious about them. n stayed quiet as she pondered about their situation. He mostly checked on the status of the facilities avable in the domain.


    Sabrina, asked him all of a sudden.


    "Can you send one of your...soldiers outside to see whether it is safe or not?"


    It was a good suggestion, sending a soldier to see whether it was safe or not outside, it was much better than going by themselves,pletely unaware of the dangers outside this special ce.


    "Can you?"


    However, n was silent when she asked, thinking he hadn''t heard her, which was absurd considering his hearing, she repeated.


    But he answered with a sigh.


    "No, I can''t send them outside unless I manifest the entire ce into the outside world, And besides that, It''s too dangerous and unpredictable."


    "Unpredictable as in?"


    "I haven''t brought my domain out since I got it, There are too many variables we need to consider with it, and the outside world. Who knows if there is even solid ground outside? It could just be ake that had some dense ice on the top."


    Although hisst worry was purely illogical, or perhaps even unnecessary, He did have a good point.


    "And maybe the mammoth called over its herd, If the initial expansion doesn''t kill them, they would absolutely destroy this city."


    That was a worry. If the mammoth outside truly had called over its herd, even the mighty fighting power of the city would fall. S-rank beasts were truly something else.


    "Sigh..."


    Sabrina sighed once again, a recurring habit when she got here. Sheid down on the bench and n stared at her in confusion, a little shocked she stopped caring about etiquette!


    Sabrina?! Impossible!


    He gazed at her with a look of shock, and sheughed at him.


    "What? I hate it to my core. Acting all ''well-mannered'' all the time."


    "..."


    He was left speechless, and unable to make up a response. Sabrina sighed at him again, and sat up again.


    "Here, Now get that look off your face."


    "..."


    He was still silent, The prolonged silence was making her temper go awry. In an irritated tone, she ''ordered'' him.


    "Transport us both outside for a moment."


    "What?"


    n, taken aback by her words and barely suppressed a shocked cry.


    "You want me to transport outside right now, And take you?"


    "Yes."


    She remained steadfast, unwilling to back down.


    "No way!"


    "Please?"


    She even tried to act cute, to convince him, but he shut it down.


    "Hell no, There are S-rank beasts out there, I am not letting you out of here until its safe."


    "Don''t try to hold me captive."


    He did have a good reason to, however, He couldn''t effectively run with her and protect her in case things went bad. This wasn''t the situation in the underground sea ofva. The bats there were much weaker than the monsters here. He could protect her there, but here? That would be hastening their death.


    "I can handle S-rank monsters better than you."


    She said, a statement very unlike her. Sabrina was not one to be arrogant, she never showed over-confidence in anything. n was bing more inclined to believe her brain had suffered some damage when she collided with his chest.


    Otherwise, he could never imagine she would say something so bizarre. The beast had almost killed him, they would crush her without giving her any chance to fight back. Hell, she couldn''t even find back.


    "... You really underestimate me."


    Annoyed at his facial expressions, she took out her staff from her spatial inventory, and the look on n''s face turned to one of shock, a different one than his previous look.


    "...that energy."


    He muttered, Sabrina answered his qualms.


    "S-rank."


    Her staff looked the same as it did before, just that there was a different crystal on the tip. Previously, it was a crystal as ck as the night and the size of a human palm... But now?


    It was a crystal of pure white, contrasting her gothic staff that shone with an iridescent light. The energy n sensed from the crystal was S-rank! And pretty high in the rank as well.


    "This was my reward for the mess I had to endure in Aror. I can even go against S-rank beasts with this, provided I am careful of course."


    She unted, flicking her hair to the side. n''s mouth was agape as he scanned the crystal. Now he knew where she got that confidence from. Her head was still alright.


    Mages had a different sort of ranking than the rest of the hunters. Those who focused primarily on the casting of skills without improving their physical abilities were not ''shackled''.


    While other hunters had to advance the ranks with the help of the umtive effort of all their stats, Mages were different. They trained only mana and intelligence. The rank of a mage was not determined by their other stats, it was determined only by their mana.


    And this was the ''shackle'' they were free from. Theoretically, the strength and rank of a mage was determined by their knowledge of mana and magical skills, as well as their ability to control it.


    They were not bound by the mana present inside their body, they could utilize mana from outside sources, something that was limited to a few minor boots to the physical attributes.


    A mage at the D-rank, with an item akin to the one Sabrina possessed, could be considered an S-rank mage, as long as they knew how to handle the spells of the S-ss.


    Sabrina, was very well-equipped to handle them, and such could be considered an S-rank mage. However, the items that provided such an overpowered facility to mages were extremely rare, to the point money could not ''afford'' them.


    And...they had to be limited! Restricted!


    "I can cast about 8 S-rank skills with this before I need to recharge it."


    "..."


    n was bbergasted, he quickly asked her.


    "... The chances of failure?"


    "Hohoho..."


    Sheughed coquettishly, the fact he was asking her of all people!


    "0."


    She answered, fully confident. She had studied the form and casting of all the S-rank skills she could find her hands on rted to her elements, she had nothing to fear! She was a smart girl, and would easily be able to cast them without a chance of failure, provided if she had time to cast them.


    Her rank did limit her to the learning of actual skills of the S-


    rank, but with enough mana she could fully replicate them without needing a skill to do it for her.


    "So, Will you?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She moved his chin up with her staff, and smiled at him, almost in a domineering way.


    "It''s still too dangerous..."


    But n was still unwilling to let her go outside. Sabrina was getting irritated at this point, but he simply did not budge.


    "Not until..."


    However, no matter how low he tried to keep his voice, she still heard it, it was unable to escape her.


    "Until? Until?!"


    She grabbed his cor, and the space between their faces was only a few inches. She didn''t even notice the apparent ''forceful'' approach she took and bugged n for an answer.


    "Not until a few days have passed, I don''t want to take any chances."


    It was reasonable, waiting for a few days would be best. Perhaps the mammoth outside would get tired and leave, making the return safe. This could also backfire, but it was the best act in this point of time.


    "Five days, We wait five days, and then we leave, ok?"


    "Alright..."


    He finally relented, he wanted to extend the deadline, but his gut told him to not even utter his thought of doing so. Warning him of something bad happening.


    Happy that her approach worked, she hugged him. n felt weird at the sudden touch, and she realized this soon after as well.


    Quickly backing away, she hid her face and walked off, saying.


    "I will go ex-explore the city."


    She stuttered a little.

 Chapter 529 [529] It wasnt this planet...

    Chapter 529 [529] It wasn''t this...


    ??Just like that, they spent the rest of their days peacefully, Sabrina spent her time ying with Samantha, whilst n did a variety of things.


    He would always go around the city and check multiple structures with a paranoid look on his face. He was very focused on his excursions as well. If he wasn''t doing this, he was mostly meditating in the lotus position in the garden of the castle.


    Sabrina wondered what he was quite doing, she knew he wasn''t practicing his mana breathing technique, but rather something else. Whatever it was, she couldn''t find out, no matter how much she tried to.


    Maybe he was just doing it to calm his mind... Sabrina finally came to that conclusion and waited for the days to pass. The bedding and furniture of this ce was exquisite, although it may not look like it, so she didn''t have a problem in staying.


    n''s actions were mysterious, he had stayed in the same exact spot, in the same exact position for two days, not moving even a single inch. She even started to guess how long it would take him to finally move.


    Her expectations were broken when she witnessed a resilience and patience that was rare for him, finally, on the third day, he twitched and opened his eyes. He possessed a dejected look on his face and stared nkly at the ground. She felt sad for him, but then again she didn''t know the reason he was doing this, so left him alone.


    n, for the past few ''months'' was stuck in this state, trying to meditate and recreate what Alexander and Lucas did on Terra Damnum, the feeling of sensing their aura and cultivating it. The sword saint had taught them this, and n looked listlessly at them when they did this.


    He had tried to replicate the feeling, when he heard the sword saint say that aura always existed, just asleep. He heard those words so many times, yet was unable to find any application of them.


    All he found within himself, was a sea of mana, and nothing else. No matter how hard he tried or how much he tried to he could never find what Lucas and Alex described as a small ball filled with the energy of life, filled with the energy of themselves, their vitality.


    "Sigh..."


    He sighed,y on the crystal floor and looked at the ground. He was incredibly sad that he couldn''t cultivate aura, no matter what he tried.


    Hell, he was on the verge of giving up, having crossed with one foot already. He judged that it was a dragon and perhaps his body was incapable of having aura, since everything of a dragon was based on mana.


    It was just a hunch, however he considered multiple times to stop holding his advance back and advance into the next rank, growing stronger. That decision would also help in getting past this troublesome area. It would be tremendous even.


    But still, he heeded the words of his master, no matter how bleak they seemed and held on.


    "Just a little bit more...maybe."


    But how long would it take until he was forced into such a situation, or perhaps even consider doing it when his patience expired? He had a feeling it wasn''t long.


    He trusted his feelings, his instinct which always seemed to be correct, and had been proven correct many times as well. Holding his advancement for so long, and disobeying his instincts was having an effect on him.


    He decided to sleep, and try another time. He was woken up by Sabrina two days after, Her figure stood by his own, and he looked up at her, having a hard time seeing her face due to two things. She changed her posture and looked at him with expectant eyes.


    Sighing to himself, he rubbed his tired eyes and asked.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?"


    He asked once more, and she simply smiled in response. He knew what the smile meant and got up, after dusting off his clothes, he got his armor out from his inventory.


    It was...in a pitiful state that could not be described in words, Sabrina grimaced as she saw it, even performing a little prayer for it, a prayer that expressed her wish for it to escape from n''s grasp.


    n, saddened by the state of his armor, sighed and caused his scales to appear. He didn''t undergo a full transformation into a Draconian in order to conserve his mana, He wielded the Ame-No-Sakahoko in one hand, and grabbed Sabrina''s shoulder by the other and warned.


    "Get ready."


    She was already in the middle of casting a spell, in case things went awry the moment they exited.


    n''s mana flowed through her, and she could feel her body seemingly lose sensation of touch, and she closed her eyes.


    And then, they were outside.


    *******


    Her feet sank into the snow, and a shield made of n''s mana shielded her from the cold, his eyes were sharp and scanned the surroundings, Sabrina released her mana everywhere and gasped in relief as she found nothing threatening in the area.


    The only anomaly were the huge footsteps of a beast, presumably the mammoth that had left after losing its patience.


    She scanned the area once more, and looked at the endless expanse of white snow. Her breath released cold mist even though she was shielded by n''s mana.


    "I told you, we were safe!"


    She had a proud look on her face as she turned her face, only to have that look turn into something else as she looked at n.


    n, after he activated his mana once again in this area to put a shield on Sabrina, noticed something. Shocked, he raised his hands and ordered a specific type of mana deep in his body to weave a course through his veins and emerge.


    "... What?"


    Sabrina looked at his hands, as a ck mist, that had stars in its midst appeared within his palms, and covered his forearms.


    "Spatial Mana? But you said you couldn''t use it."


    She wasn''t dumb, it didn''t take long for her to notice the look of shock on n''s face and realize this was a sudden urrence. Nheless, she was happy, as she said.


    "We can make a portal now! Hurry!"


    She was anxious to go back, however, n was still stuck in his disarray.


    "But... I couldn''t even feel it... Why do i-"


    But his words were cut off, the sky darkened, and he looked at the far distance, towards the mountains he escaped from. Sabrina noticed it a little bitter than him and a fearful look appeared on her face.


    "That...mana."


    She almost vomited at the sheer release of mana, that threw the snow away and caused a blizzard to ur.


    "No!"


    n screamed, as he realized his control of his mana was disappearing, he hurriedly opened a portal behind Sabrina and pushed her inside. She grabbed his hand instinctively, and n hurried to go inside the portal as well.


    But he couldn''t, with half his right arm already inside, the mana that was the foundation of the portal flickered out into existence. The portal disappeared, taking half his arm with it.


    "Agh!"


    He let out a painful yell, as blood oozed uncontrobly from his severed arm, and with a look of genuine fear saw what had caused everything.


    The surroundings became dark, the sky dark, and it was not the ordinary darkness, it was something else. Something much more profound and without a doubt more sinister.


    His face paled as he saw the ''thing'' emerge from the dark fog, which circled the area like a whirl of wind.


    "It was you..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He remembered what he saw, and also cursed at his stupidity and inability to urately guess it''s strength.


    He cursed, as he regenerated his arm and struggled to get back on his feet, his spear aimed at the demonic creature.


    ********


    The moment the portal was opened, Sabrina felt n push her and instinctively reached out to grab his hand, she saw how he also hurried to get inside the portal, but failed.


    She fell to the ground, her clothes dirtied. She was inside the base camp, where everyone had exited their abodes when they sensed a foreign mana appear. The members of the wellington family quickly realized it was her and rushed over to support her.


    Yet she stood in a daze, as blood leaked out from the severed arm that she held and seeped into her clothing. She was helped by one of her own people, she struggled to get back on her feet.


    Her entire body still trembled, the memory of that burst of mana devouring the endless field of snow was still vivid in her mind, in the end, she couldn''t hold it and vomited whatever was in her stomach.


    It wasn''t much, and only acid escaped. She quickly regained her calm and realized how much of a danger n was in. She grabbed the cor of the Wellington knight near her and asked.


    "Where is grandfather?! And the leader of Twilight?! We need to go now or else he''ll die!"


    The people, confused, told her that both her grandfather and Richard had rushed back to Earth to find more reinforcements for their rescue. A horrified look appeared on her face as she hurriedly dashed inside the portal, going to Earth.

 Chapter 530 [530] It was you!

    Chapter 530 [530] It was you!


    ??The same beast he had met in the desert, the one that had a stronger aura than the rest and was veiled in ck smoke. The one that the ability to kill him easily there but stopped to observe him.


    The only beast he was scared of back in the desert.


    "... It was you..."


    n muttered, as he backed away, his expression contorted, and he tried his best to recollect himself. The sheer pressure it unleashed made it hard for him to even stand, the terrain below wasn''t any help.


    "Ugh..."


    He coughed up a mouthful of blood as he stared at the beast, which had now finally revealed itself.


    Escaping the ck mist it used to hide in, n was finally able to see what exactly had caused his such trouble...and it was a humanoid type.


    It had the curvaceous figure of a human woman, dressed in what appeared to be scales that protruded from its body to cover itself, however the areas it didn''t cover were gray, like dead skin. The face was covered with a helmet that seemed to be carved out of rock, and possessed eight slits, each glowing a blue hue. The legs of the creature seemed to be that of a human too, but upon closer inspection the feet were actually hooves. Like that of a horse.


    It also wielded a bow made of the same material that it''s scales and helmet were made of, the arrows of which were nowhere to be found. A strange, dark mist was released from the bottom of its feet. It appeared to be corporeal. And dyed the snow a ck color as well.


    n coughed up more blood, as he tried to use Dragon eyes to confirm his suspicions, but was shocked to see...


    Dragon eyes did not work, whatever the thing in front of him was, it was far, far above his current level.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Shit..."


    He cursed, one would have expected him to resign to his fate, to die at its hands, but n still held on, despite the tsunami of mana that bashed into him from all sides.


    From the corner of his vision, he saw space itself distort. The air shattered like it was ss and a terrifying, vacuum like sound filled the area, and the snow disappeared into the fissures that had been created by the beast.


    The fissures lead to a realm unknown, and the only thing that seeped out besides the intense suction force was darkness, a corporeal darkness that spread to thend.


    n backed away more. He finally figured out what was wrong with his spatial mana. The, the giant structures, had nothing to do with it... It was this vile thing.


    This thing, which wielded the space element as well, was the one restricting his own. His knees buckled as the intense pressure descended once again, and the beast moved.


    An arrow of blue light formed on it''s bow, cracking the air and sending ripples everywhere. The ripples crashed into n and further injured him.


    "Fuck!"


    He was almost unable to move, and he was also unable to utilize his mana very well. He tried his best to control his mana to weave a path in his body through his veins, trying to stimte it, but the beast was approaching.


    The arrow flickered in and out of existence, as the beast was in front of him, its arrow pointed right at n''s forehead. The thing hadn''t even been fired, but his forehead felt hot as a searing pain coursed his body. His head, the closest to the arrow, was in immense pain. The thing spoke.


    "Die."


    The words, seemed foreign, yet he could understand them. The beast had spoken in anguage he had never even heard of, but the intention behind it was so clear n knew what they meant.


    "Like hell!"


    Just the before the arrow was released, n managed to stimte some of his mana and his body was able to move. Quickly erecting a shield around him, he whacked the arrow away with his spear. He continued to stab the beast where it''s head was.


    The beast stood still, the Ame-No-Sakahoko struck, but it was of no use, the helmet was merely scratched, a minor dent appeared on it as n struck again.


    He quickly tried to attack the areas where the scales were absent, but he was flicked away. The beast flicked its fingers, and didn''t even touch n, but the surrounding mana carried him up and threw him to the side. The beast closed the distance in an instant. n activated his [Draconian form] and soon would go into the full dragon form...


    But the beast simply pped him.


    His lower jaw was sent flying, nowhere to be seen, the intense force probably having vaporized it. The scales did little to protect him. A hollow, cold snicker was heard as n used almost all the mana in his body to transform into a full dragon, and unleash his full might.


    But pressure bore down on him, he was unable to transform as he felt as if a tight box had been constructed around him, seemingly invisible. It closed in, and he felt crushed, his organs, erged by the transformation were beingpressed. Fearing he would be turned into a cube of flesh, he cancelled the transformation.


    His lower jaw had healed, but what good would it do? The ''indescribable'' terror was still in front of him, looking at him coolly.


    In the blink of an eye, the beast pped him again, n was able to raise his arm to block it, but the bones in his arm shattered, the muscles bulged and receded, as it was bombarded by internal shrapnel that originated from his bones... And the cells died. They withered away until his arm turned to dust, and like dust, it flew, carried by the wind.


    The force was simply...astonishing.


    He went to his knees once more, unable to fight back. His bloodline energy had been depleted trying to restore his limbs and make his body capable of fighting back, albeit a little. He summoned the remains of his tattered armor.


    He didn''t summon it to use it as protection, he summoned it and simply used the skills embedded within it...but.


    That did more damage to him than the beast. It was right in front of it, and the chaos st hurt him more.


    "Even immune to chaos..."


    He sighed, but there was still a glint in his eyes, one that shined, waiting for an opportunity to arise. He hadn''t given up yet.


    The beast also noticed this, and began to grow curious, wondering what it was exactly that gave the ant in front of it some hope.


    It yed with him, throwing him around the area enclosed by the darkness, but it always kept a vignt eye.


    n''s body was mangled and torn, parts of his skin had ruptured, letting what remained of his organs to gush out. He was dead, almost.


    ''Now...''


    He spoke to himself, but he was so weak he couldn''t even exim it within his own mind. Hurriedly, he called on thest of his mana as the beast was at a distance.


    The beast rushed at him, sensing the wrathful mana that appeared, but it stopped, afraid.


    "... My turn, bitch."


    He cursed at the beast, as he activated the strongest skill he had. It was not cial Meteor, or cial Copse, not even a space or chaos attribute skill.


    He simply activated...


    [Possession has been activated.]


    His body rose, as someone within him awoke and began to take control. Finally, the beast shivered in fright and tried to run, but...


    ''Swoosh!''


    A whistling sound was heard, and the darkness that surrounded the area disappeared, and crimson blood dyed the ck snow.


    The beast looked back, shocked to find the ant that had be so terrifying in an instant struck in the chest with an arrow the size of a human arm.


    "... What?"


    His own blood escaped from his mouth and the wound, as the skill was cancelled at the most opportune moment. The mana that was used to activate it recoiled, and dealt great damage to his already injured body.


    ''Thud.''


    He fell to his knees, hanging onto thest strings of consciousness he had left, thankfully he still had some mana left, and could do...something. The mana that was supposed to be used for [Possession] came back to him, although not pleasantly. He could still utilize it.


    From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of a chain, wrapped in what appeared to be...a flower? A dandelion.


    The chaintched onto his body, and the dandelions it was covered in made his stomach churn, he lost his senses, and his mana was gone, he could not utilize it. A rain of dandelions filled his dark vision, and with every one... He felt pain. And thest string of consciousness he was holding on too...disappeared, like a fire in rain.


    "We caught it, a dragon."

 Chapter 531 [531] Giants.

    <h4>Chapter 531 [531] Giants.</h4>


    With bodies thrice the size of an average human, they were towering figures that cast menacing silhouettes over in the distance. They were a group of 10, one particr ''giant'' among them wielded a bow, and it was evident that it was the one that shot n.


    They had four eyes, two the same where humans had them, one in their forehead and one, strangely, in the middle of their chests. There was a small opening in their clothing there, which allowed them to see through it. The eyes wererge, and have three pupils, each glowing a different color. Their visual senses...surely they had to be much superior. Or perhaps wed.


    The feet of this bizarre giants was shockingly normal, they wore thick leather boots, but it was clear they were not refined. A human would be disgusted to wear such a thing unless the situation absolutely called for it. They looked like they had skinned a random animal and didn''t even bother to use thread or fabric to sew the leather.


    Instead, used the animal''s own blood and saliva, perhaps even their own, to make it a suitable shape. The durability wasughable.


    They had two arms but four hands. Each with seven fingers the same length as the other except for the thumb and index fingers. They were smaller than the rest.


    The hands were strange, they seemed to be joined together but separate, how they managed to work with them was a miracle.


    They were muscr, and dirty, But they possessed the qualities of a ''human'' or an intelligent life, they had pride on their faces as they scurried forward to meet the prey they had caught. Two of them stayed behind, and held chains made of rootsced with the strange dandelion like flower. They held the chains tightly, unwilling to show even a moment of ease.


    The giant in the lead, the one that wielded a spear of bone sprang forth and looked at the beast of darkness with a cold glint in it''s...four eyes.


    It took out a pendant made from emerald from its crudely made...bag. It appeared to be part of the intestines of arge creature, and one end was burnt shut.


    The pendant glowed a strange, yellow hue as the beast of darkness hissed and fled. The giant smirked with its ugly face. The nose of the thing didn''t exist, but it appeared it could still smell. The mouth of this...anomaly was surprisingly normal.


    It smiled, and the surprisingly normal mouth revealed the odd things about it. The teeth surged out from the lips, and although they were strange, it couldn''tpare to the mix of the strange teeth that were back.


    The teeth of a herbivore, and a carnivore...but in a strange fashion. Unlike the ordinary omnivore, they were crudely put together. The mrs were in front, some in their normal ce, and the others in a simr mismatched fashion.


    Their feet produced a thunderous sound as they ran over to n, who was now unconscious, and truly on the verge of death. A death his bloodline, his lineage and even his own will, no matter how hard it struggled could not save him.


    But they could...but did they want too.


    "We need...alive."


    One of them, struggled to form a sentence with the help of it''s spiked tongue. The life of these creatures must be hell, it was...nearly impossible to think they were giants.


    Clearly, the one that spoke was dumber than the rest, or as dumber than the one who fired the bow and the one that wielded the spear.


    The one with the bow approached the prey he had caught, and with a snicker on it''s face, kicked n''s unconscious body in the face. His kick was so powerful that the force made even the thick snow beneath n fall away. But n''s unconscious body did not move.


    The one with the spear, reprimanded him.


    "What are you doing?!"


    The one with the bow coolly snickered, and backed down.


    "Enjoying some fun...with the catalyst."


    The one with the spear, sighed and approached n, heughed and spat on n, then he took out another pendant from his bag, and after he inputted his mana into it the pendant began to glow a white hue.


    And n''s body recovered, but only a bit. Only to the point where he would not die, but just cling onto life, the best he could.


    The giant felt the urge to kill the prey in front of him, but he didn''t. He simply ordered.


    "Bring him... We will be perfect with him."


    There was a hatred bound deep in his blood, concealed but awakened when he saw n, A dragon. Did he not hear stories from his elders how they were the cause of his deformities, of his imperfection?


    The rage within him was vast, but he was wise. He was able to control. Even the one with the bow seethed with rage, itching to slit the dragon''s throat but a harrumph from the one with the spear stopped him.


    He regained his senses and began to calm down his brothers, who were resisting the desire to slice and dice n to pieces by inflicting themselves with pain.


    The one with the bow managed to calm them down, and he ordered the two that stayed behind.


    "WE BRING THIS HOME."


    They regarded him as an object, the earth quaked as his voice travelled through the air. Yet, he was weak. Even though he could produce such power that the environment trembled...the power was dormant within him. Not even a sliver of what it was originally, a few millennia back.


    The two that held the chains, dragged n crudely through the snow, the one with a spearughed coolly and said.


    "Don''t kill it."


    He followed along, with his brothers as they carried n''s body through the mountains, his body collided with rocks and their sharp edges, but they simply did not care.


    They only made sure he was alive, not how he was dealt. And if n were unconscious, he wouldment at his durability. Before thest wisps of his bloodline energy disappeared, his bloodline acted to heal his body. But it worked in a cruel way. His flesh had merged with the arrow still in his chest.


    Surprisingly...if the arrow was looked at from his back, one would see there was a spherical hole within it, one covered with his flesh. The hole was half the size of a human palm. The giants weren''t so stupid to create such a bad arrow...surely something else must have caused it.


    But they paid it no heed, and continued forth, his body was dragged up the mountain cliffs and even yed with, as the giants yed the game of ''catch'' with it. They threw the rope to the others, and his body suffered against the harsh winds and sharp rocks.


    They finally made it to their home, after a day, to the city that touched the stars.


    ***********


    Sabrina gasped for breath as she mmed the door to Richard''s office open. She caught sight of Richard and her Grandfather, clearly looking like they hadn''t slept for days, their eyes were bloodshot and various papers were strewn about.


    They were both surprised, just now they were filled with endless worry from losing n and Sabrina, and wracked their brains to find them. They had the power of their contracts to sense their location within the, but they did not have sufficient power. They needed more! They hurriedly sent word to their hunters, who were equally skilled to the expedition squad but were away on certain matters.


    They issued an emergency order, to get them both back...but one of the two who had disappeared was in front of them, panting for breath and clearly not in a good state. Logan, rushed over to Sabrina and hugged her tightly. He searched her body for wounds and asked in a haggard voice. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Are you okay?!"


    As he held her face, with worry struck on his face. Richard was too surprised to move. Logan hugged her again, ignoring the blood, vomit, and dirt on her clothes.


    "I thought I lost you..."


    Richard snapped out of his daze, and asked her.


    "n...where is he?!"


    He found it suspicious that he hadn''t returned with her, and his mind was jumping to conclusions he did not dare voice out.


    He feared the worst, and Sabrina''s state, that ruined her beauty made him pray that it was not what he thought.


    The girl shed slight tears, as her voice crumbled, but she managed to say...something...


    "We...need to go."


    Hups appeared, making it harder toplete her sentence.


    "n...he''s going to die."


    And that was it, Richard''s worst fear came to life, and he urged Logan to go to that ursed.


    Sabrina also encouraged him, and it was only because of her he went. He was the strongest one here, even above Richard, his help was needed.

 Chapter 532 [532] And with you, we will...

    <h4>Chapter 532 [532] And with you, we will...</h4>


    It was hot, and it was painful.


    He opened his eyes, and dealt with the struggle to do so. The heat in this room caused the air in front of him to shake. His gaze met a red, hot...piece of metal.


    ''Argh...''


    He groaned inwardly, as a searing pain filled his toes and knees. The pain made him want to jump, but he was unable to do so. And he was unable to speak as well.


    Ominous, red light filled the room...and it was too fucking hot.


    And his mana...was not responding at all! This was a shocking urrence.


    ''Where...am I?''


    He wondered, as he was unable to raise his head, Red, hot metal chains were wrapped around it, and connected to the ground. His neck was burning.


    But that was not the only point, his feet, his hands, chest...every part of his body was bound. A measure like this was inhumane...but understandable.


    Spikes were stabbed into his body, that further stuck to the ground. He could not move, and even if he did, the pain that would follow would be tremendous. It was better to ept his fate.


    The cor, on his neck, wasced with such...an annoying smell! He tried to vomit, but the metal piece covering his mouth didn''t allow him too. The vomit merely went back to where it came from.


    There were spikes on this too, that bore through his cheeks and gums and locked his tongue in ce.


    The pain...and the annoying smell!


    He was going ballistic! He caught sight of a yellow flower slightly in front of him, as well as three bowls filled with a strange liquid, it looked like water, but n was going into a frenzy as he stared at them.


    He didn''t even need to do that...the smell they released entered his body through his pores and his nose, and turned him into an animal!


    "HMPH!"


    A grunt escaped, but it was low. His body moved, and the chains rattled, the spikes already in him bore further, causing more pain.


    "HMPH!"


    But he had lost all reason, and thrashed around, the best he could within these restraints.


    And just when he was about to kill himself, it stopped.


    The bowls were picked up, and then thrown somewhere. A sizzling sound was heard as vapor rose into the air.


    The dandelion in front of him, which wasid t on the floor was picked up by a hand, the hand seemed normal, unlike the hands of the giants. It was...like a human?


    "Woah there."


    n, calmed down and heard the voice, but he couldn''t look up. He was bound. He could only see the knees of the individual. They were skinny, and wore modern human clothing, although it was roughed up a bit.


    A ck trouser...that''s what it was.


    "The dragon is feisty."


    A cackling sound rang out with the voice, as if whoever it belonged to wasughing at him,ughing at the state of the ''proud'' dragon species. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He bent down, and n could finally see the face of this person. Sporting what seemed to be ab coat, a blue shirt, and a ck tie with yellow stripes, the man possessed a rough beard, and sses.


    His face wasn''t that special, and the years of no care being given to it worsened his look...but who cared right now! This wasn''t the time to think about whether he was handsome or not!


    ''Human...?''


    n though inwardly, but he couldn''t confirm his suspicions, his mana was locked away. He couldn''t use his skills to confirm it...and neither could he utilize his mana to at least probe the individual in front of him.


    The state he was in disgusted him so much, he could feel his mana was still within him...but he could not use it. It was so annoying!


    "Where''s all that vigor gone now?"


    The man chucked and waved the flower in front of him, the scent it emitted got into his nose and he began to feel weak, but also frenzied. The mana in his body shuddered and went into disarray.


    "Come on! Show me it! I read so much about you and your kind!"


    The man teased him continuously, without stop.


    "Aww...guess I won''t be able to see it."


    The man seemed to be inquisitive in nature, but nheless, he wasn''t stupid enough to ease n''s restraints just to see something. Based on the knowledge he had required, that would be disastrous for the others.


    "Your connection to the other dragons should be cut off by the artifact...so I don''t have to worry about that fire devil dragon appearing."


    ''Fire Devil Dragon''. It was a story he had heard from the giants here, how their entire civilization was annihted by a single dragon.


    "I wanna experiment on you so...so much," He said, but he reluctantly gave up. He wanted to do it so much...it was like a perpetual itch in his back side.


    But he restrained himself, showing great control.


    The man sat on the red-hot metal floor, the heat nothing to him. Clearly, his appearance betrayed his strength, and was clearly a guise. The man was strong, but n couldn''t determine how strong he was.


    The heat in this environment, was weakening him.


    "I studied the properties of your mana...and specially made you stay here, The heat in this area should suppress you by quite much. Of course, if that failed then no matter the chains and spikes embedded within you are enough."


    The manughed, musing to himself and praising himself. He held out his chin and looked coolly at the ceiling, as if to give off the impression of a great man.


    Heughed once more, a cackling sound that seemed more suited to a deranged individual.


    "Mind telling me about the humans you came along with? Did you take a liking to Earth and settled there, or are you perhaps from a different that also has humans? How advanced is it? How much mana can it control? Wait...since you are a dragon there has to be a reason why you were there. A precious treasure perhaps? Or a girl you took a liking too?"


    The man rambled on and on, n was getting more annoyed at this than anything else.


    "Well, doesn''t really matter. I just need your heart and then kill youter on. We just need your mana to power this city again, and perhaps cure the giants here as well."


    "Did you know the fire devil dragon, the one thatid ruin to this before did so much damage the radiation permanently altered the genes of all living things here? The mutations often resulted in bad...bad oues. The giants you met are one of them."


    "Many species came and went...and the giants would follow...if not for me! Haha!"


    He beamed, n was surprised this ignoramus could mutter a short sentence that was praise for himself.


    "I, Earth''s greatest gicist, made them in the top again! And will do so again! I will make them the strongest on this again! I! I undid the work of a dragon!"


    He looked n straight in the face, and got close.


    "I made the efforts of your ancestor...useless."


    The pride and arrogance in his voice was palpable.


    "And do you know something? I...am the one that will kill you! But first I will study you, your properties...and take your blood! I will be a dragon!"


    "The bloodline of a dragon! ISN''T THAT FANTASTIC?!"


    His voice boomed, and caused tremors.


    "You will be the catalyst...not just for the revival of this ancient weapon of a city...but also for my evolution. I will ascend from a human of Earth to a dragon! And then... I will be king of the dragons, and be the strongest in this universe."


    He had ambition, n had to give him that. He almost wanted tough at him, and would have done so if not for these restraints. Although the words he spoke confirmed one thing.


    He was from the same Earth as n was, and also a human. He wouldn''t have said those things if he wasn''t...right?


    "Oh fuck it... I don''t get opportunities like this often."


    He undid the restraint on n''s mouth, but took out an artifact which weakened him further. n could feel the spikes finally leave his mouth. The state of it afterward was pitiful.


    The man snorted and put his hand inside n''s mouth, a ball-


    shaped artifact was ced inside one of the holes in his tongue.


    "Now, speak. I don''t want to risk using your dragon tongue... Although you are young and shouldn''t have awakened those powers yet... I don''t want to risk it."


    "Tell me...what is your name?"


    The power of the artifact within his mouth made him utter the truth, and he was unable to resist it.


    He had the ability to speak with the help for the artifact, but there was no mana to utilize it. The man excitedly put his own mana in the artifact, and forced n to talk.


    "n...Pator."

 Chapter 533 [533]...achieve our lost glory.

    Chapter 533 [533]...achieve our lost glory.


    "n...Pator."


    His voice was different, sounding more robotic. The artifact that allowed him to speak must have done this, without a doubt. n''s mouth was still in tatters.


    "Pator? That''s a word of Latin origin... Sinner?"


    The man, clearly well-versed in thenguages of Earth and quickly derived the meaning of the word Pator.


    "So you are from Earth...but why do you have such a name? The modern era doesn''t even have Latin as anguage anymore, it''s basically extinct... Perhaps the dragons found it amusing?"


    He still thought that n was a dragon from birth, and this led him to the conclusion:


    "Aha! Probably your parents named you something like that, they took an ordinary name and thenbined it with a word from Latin, it should have some meaning if such beings did it... Were they sinners? Criminals? Did they betray the dragons? Or is it something rted to you? I did read that they did divination...so perhaps that is the reason for your name."


    "Anyway, Beside your name, what affiliation are you of? Tell me about the current affairs of Earth."


    The power of the artifactpelled him to speak. n was helpless against it. Soon, his voice, propagated by the artifact, rang out.


    "I belong to the Twilight guild, and Wellington family. Earth is at war with the demons...who have taken a continent as theirs...the humans..."


    He continued to speak, but there were irregr stops during his sentences, clearly the power of the artifact was weakening as n continued to resist its effects. The man was quick on the uptake and waved the dandelion in front of n again.


    That caused his mana to calm down once more, and go unresponsive. Earlier, he was trying to awaken some of his mana, but that attempt was shot down by that dastardly nt!


    "Do you know what this is? This nt was cultivated by the ancient Terra giants specifically for fighting the dragon race. Unfortunately, the radiation caused by the fire devil dragon made it go through unstable mutations as well. Now, it''s only a fraction of its former prowess... Hehe..."


    A coldugh ensued, and the man looked at n like he was looking at somethingpathetic.


    "Even this...pathetic version is enough for you."


    He continued, not giving n any time to be angry.


    "The nt is enough for you...you should be a young, very young dragon. A baby among them. Otherwise, the giants wouldn''t have been able to catch you. I heard you were having a standoff against the Nightdy."


    The man grabbed n''s chin and raised his head forcefully.


    "But you were going to die to the nightdy...TSK TSK."


    He clicked his tongue, the mockery in his eyes visible. n was burning deep inside, but he knew he could not do anything.


    That fact alone caused the mes of rage within him to surge.


    "Seems you are a disgrace to your race, A dragon only at the level of B+, pathetic. Even the young ones are S-rank."


    In actuality, he wasn''t even born a dragon. He was born a human and became like this. If the man knew that, he wouldn''t have said such words.


    The irony within them wasrge, if other dragons heard it they would cringe, especially the ones of old.


    ... They were the ones who knew...no dragon was to be underestimated like that, even if they were not a dragon from birth.


    It was precisely a dragon like that that brought their entire empire...to ruin.


    And the man, was provoking the vessel of that dragon.


    "Come on! Fight!"


    He kicked n in the face, and pped him continuously. He relished in the ability to cause one of these creatures pain! A pain that was derived from their pathetic state.


    "I read about you all so much in these archives! But look at you now! So weak!"


    He had been influenced by the giants here, and had grown such sentiments. He looked at n with a hateful gaze, but calmed himself down soon.


    "Calm down... Do you know of a man called David Umber back on Earth?"


    He asked n, after having calmed down. Even though he hated the man, he was unable to resist the power of the artifact and answered.


    "No..."


    He didn''t even know most people in his guild or school, how would he know?


    "So they erased me from history, huh..." He seemed to be recalling a memory that was both sweet and bitter, sighing to himself and looking like a philosopher, he looked at n once more.


    "Don''t worry, you will die soon, the moment I figure out a way to extract mana from your dragon heart."


    n had a look of confusion on his face as he heard the man''s words. The man didn''t miss this and asked him.


    "No way...you don''t know?"


    He smiled, and his hand proceeded towards n''s chest. His shoulder was in front of n''s face, but he could not feel the touch of the man''s hand.


    The man smiled...and snickered.


    "You...truly don''t know."


    Shockingly, he felt the hand of the man on his...upper back?


    How?! His shoulder was in front of n, and the other arm was in its ce...how did he feel the hand on his back? Was the man a master of spatial magic? Had he opened a portal?


    The man had a menacing look on his face as he finally realized.


    "You...you are not a born dragon! You became one! TELL ME!"


    There was a look of fervor as he asked, he poured his mana into the artifact, anxious for an answer.


    "I...was blessed by dragons...and they...made me into...one..."


    n found out that he was able to manipte what he spoke. Although the power of the artifactpelled him to tell the truth... He could choose how ''vague'' he told the truth. However, it was limited.


    "More...give me more details."


    And it''s very weakness was this.


    "I was blessed by the dragon supremes of chaos and frost... And they evolved me into a dragon.


    A hint of fear appeared in the eyes of the man as he heard those words.


    "...wait. Say that again."


    n repeated his sentence, and his words cause the man to jump back, away from n. His entire face was stered with fear.


    "Supremes?! Fuck!"


    He cursed, hitting his head with his hands like a madman.


    "The previous dragon that caused the destruction of this world was a supreme! And now two?! The things here aren''t even a fraction of what they were then! We can''t fight back!"


    But, he started tough soon enough.


    "Hahaha!"


    His maniacalughter filled the room, and n''s body trembled. The man was strong, he had to give him that. The mere act ofughing sent mana fluctuations throughout the air.


    "Ha... They shouldn''t be able to sense you here... And even if they did, they wouldn''t care. Supremes wouldn''t mind weak ones like you. They probably turned you into one because they were bored.


    If he knew how much Suleras and Lanesha dotted on n, he would die from shock. Literally. But he was ignorant.


    He pulled out a mirror, and turned it towards n, it was a big mirror, and n could see his chest with its help.


    His eyes widened into horror, and the manughed.


    "See?"


    Now he knew how he felt the man''s hand on his back. There...there was arge hole in his chest!


    "The fact that you are alive is surprising, you know? Probably because you are a dragon! I can''t imagine what kind of power I will have when I get your bloodline."


    He was wrong in this aspect, the reason n survived was because of his Phoenix bloodline. The wound, however...was suspicious. Straining his eyes, n managed to catch something within the wound.


    "Finally caught sight of it?"


    However, he couldn''t see it clearly even with the help of the mirror. The man snorted and held a te in front of him. The te had a gruesome piece of flesh on it.


    "This is your heart."


    n paused, not believing the man''s words. If it really was his heart, then even the bloodline of the Phoenix would not be able to save him! It was simply preposterous.


    This is actually your heart, the arrow destroyed itpletely, and I was only able to collect this mess. The reason you are alive right now is..."


    The man snorted once more, and lowered the mirror. n could see what he noticed back then, now, more clearly. It was a small blue crystal, the size of one''s palm. The crystal was seemingly floating in the cavity in his chest.


    "That thing destroyed the arrow that pierced into you, there was a palm sized hole in the thing! It''s unbreakable!"


    The man enjoyed the shock on n''s face, and he continued.


    "That''s the very reason you are alive, despite your heart having been turned to mesh. It''s because of that very dragon heart!"


    The man touched the crystal, but the mana it unleashed burned the skin off his hand. He cursed, but he had expected this to ur. He simply enjoyed the pain. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The mana that the crystal released went into him, and he was able to benefit from it somewhat. It was pure mana, the purest there could be, and it was very useful to him. Throughout the duration n was unconscious, he had touched it numerous times to benefit from the pure mana.


    "Soon...that will be mine. And with the near infinite mana within it, I will be the king of this city, and this! And soon the universe!"


    The manughed like a mad genius, and he stared at n like he was his key...to a strength unseen!

 Chapter 534 [534] Save Alan Peccator.

    Chapter 534 [534] Save n Pator.


    As soon as Richard and Logan entered the other world, which they had termed Giganta due to the abnormal giant structures around, they rushed towards the main camp and issued an emergency. Everyone gathered in the middle of the camp.


    It took a while for Logan to exin what had happened, and Sabrina herself chimed in and told them about their experience, leaving out n''s domain. She told them about the terrifying monster.


    "If...that''s the case, isn''t he already dead?"


    A member voiced out, Richard noticed that a lot of them hade to that conclusion.


    "No, The contract is still active. I don''t know how he managed to survive, but he is still alive."


    It caused some of them to heave a sigh of relief. If whatever Sabrina had told them was true, then no matter how many of them gathered, they still would be unable to defeat the monster.


    Sabrina suspected the monster was SS rank, or even above. That alone caused them to tremble and think n was guaranteed to be dead, However, if he survived then Sabrina was wrong, dead wrong. A monster of that caliber would kill n in a second, and Sabrina wouldn''t be alive as well. It wouldn''t have let her escape.


    Although they still suspected the monster was strong, they rxed, nheless.


    She continued to check on n''s state with the help of the contract between them. He was weak, and tired, but he was alive, furthermore, he was in a small amount of danger. Either he had escaped the monster and hiding, or was still in the middle of fighting or running from it.


    She knew he had the power of the entire city she had seen, and also a few other trump cards...so he should be able to hold out.


    Logan sighed, and ordered them all.


    "Gear up and get your magic ready, we will depart soon and go rescue the brat."


    One of the hunters voiced a response, one that made them all tremble once more.


    "What if...that thing actually is an SS-rank beast? n could be running from it, but I don''t think us going would help...it probably is ying with him."


    Sabrina felt a rage burn inside her, but Richard stepped in.


    "I know, but we do have to try. Besides, our job is not to beat the thing, only rescue n. Furthermore...if it is as strong as expected. We won''t be the ones taking care of it. Someone else ising."


    They all looked at him with confusion, Logan included. Nheless, he didn''t voice it out and appeared confident, to give the other hunters some hope.


    They all donned their gear and made the necessary preparations, although it was getting dark, they had no choice but to go as quickly as possible. They didn''t know how much more time it would take before n couldn''t fight back any longer. They knew time was of the essence.


    The troupe left quickly, Richard went inside the portal for a bit to take care of something, and then joined them soon.


    Logan begrudgingly agreed Sabrina''s participation in the mission.


    ''So far for a single kid...''


    He sighed, having epted his fate. The group rushed towards the north, all inside vehicles they had transported from Earth to travel in this terrain. Thanks to those, their speed was quite fast.


    "Keep your guards up!"


    The entire troupe was tense, the core strength of the Wellingtons and Twilight were all here on this excursion, and it all to save one person.


    They knew he was important, being the only spatial mage on Earth and also the most talented youth there was. The Wellingtons didn''t want to lose a major source of their money, the sole producer of their spatial equipment industry, and Twilight''s star. Twilight couldn''t afford to lose n at all, he was the major cause behind their rise in recent years.


    The night wasing, and as the sky darkened the members only got more vignt, they knew that a monster could attack at any moment. A majority of them were also unaware of this particr area, and the atmosphere was tense.


    "Shit...shit."


    Sabrina cursed as she kept checking n''s status every minute or so, sometimes she had the thing open all the time. She was relieved to see that he was fine. Richard was also doing the same thing, he was checking the state of the contract that bound n to Twilight. Although it couldn''t tell him more urate details like Sabrina''s. He was just d that n was alive.


    He knew the kid, and knew he could take quite a bit of damage before sumbing. He just prayed that he could hold on a little against the fearsome monster, and they would be there. Although the existence of the city in the mountains and the beasts that inhabited it was a big concern, they had brought priceless stealth items that would help them traverse.


    ording to Sabrina, thend beyond the mountains was just an empty snow field, that gave them some relief. They only needed to cross the mountains, and the journey ahead should be smooth enough.


    After they reached the location of the ravine, Richard and Logan, the two strongest of the group, rushed ahead. Their speed surpassed the vehicles, and they were soon nowhere to be seen. They were going ahead to scout for a bit, and possibly reach n first and help as much as they could


    The group, still within the vehicles, would arriveter and provide as much assistance as they could.


    Although Logan was stronger than Richard by quite a bit, he found that his speed was reallyckingpared to Richards, who was disappearing from his vision.


    "Night Reaper, huh...strange but fitting name."


    It was Richard''s moniker, one he had attained during the brutal struggle for Twilight''s rise to prominence, wielding the elements of darkness and shadow was no easy task. Yet, he made it even more feared than it was within the guilds and major powers.


    The perfect assassin.


    Richard''s body had already melded into the darkness and Logan could no longer see him, he used his own mana to enhance his speed, but it still fell short.


    Sighing to himself, he took out an artifact which greatly enhanced his speed. Being the patriarch of the richest family, he had quite a few of these. Hebined them all and only now did he catch up to Richard, who had stopped in front of the mountains.


    Seeing him stop instead of going forward raised an rm in his mind, and he quickly got close. He was about to ask what was wrong when he saw the veins on Richard''s neck. He peered closer and was chocked to find his entire face was red, and his eyes bloodshot. He was clenching his teeth.


    Logan took out his weapons, in case something attacked.


    The group behind them caught up soon, and all of them were perplexed to see their advance party having stopped beneath the mountains.


    "What are you doing? We need-"


    Sabrina was interrupted in the middle of her sentence by the fluctuations of her mana contract and astral bond, shocked, she looked up towards the city in the mountains. She couldn''t actually see it because of the clouds that blocked her vision but...


    She sensed it, n''s mana and his life force, within the city. At the exact location which should be the center of it. Shocked, she staggered. Richard''s voice was heard soon enough, filled with rage.


    "Alright... That''s how it is."


    It had been a while since he used a priceless artifact to determine whatever was inside the city. There, he saw life signatures of creatures that looked like humans but were not. They ranged from D to A rank, and some were S-rank. But that was not what caught his eye.


    He sensed the signature of a human, but it was not of an ordinary human. A human that held strength equal to Logan...or even slightly above.


    "You..."


    He knew who that aura belonged too, and the owner of it, high in the city, was aware of Richard''s presence. He could imagine the sneer that was already present on that dreadful face.


    "So you didn''t die...fucking bastard."


    The rest of the group, including Logan, was confused. He hadn''t used any artifact to sense what was up there, and thus waited for Richard to inform them.


    The rest of the party waited anxiously, they could hear the curses that flowed out of Richard''s mouth, and even the veins on his neck. He seemed to be in a trance...of full hatred. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "That''s how it is...you ran here? You did all that and now take the rising star of my guild as a hostage?"


    He chuckled, Logan backed away, sensing a murderous aura around Richard.


    Richard took a big breath, and turned around after he calmed himself. Looking towards the rest of the group, he said.


    "Set up camp here, I''ll return to the guild ande back with all the manpower Twilight has to offer... Logan, youe with me and get the Wellingtons on this as well."


    Logan, clearly surprised by Richard''s words, asked.


    "What? Why?"


    "David Umber, he is here."


    Logan stopped, and a serious expression appeared on his face as he and Richard disappeared quickly, going back towards the portal. Some of the older members of the troupe also had a look of disgust and hate on their faces as they began to set up camp.


    Meanwhile, back on Earth.

 Chapter 535 [535] Save Alan Peccator.{2}

    <h4>Chapter 535 [535] Save n Pator.{2}</h4>


    The orders were ryed with quick efficiency, And soon enough all of Twilight''s forces in Askolt city were mobilized. Even the ones that were guarding dungeons and raiding them were called.


    They had to leave their important duties due to the emergency call. Nheless, with such a hugemotion it was impossible to contain the issue.


    The other guilds were notified, and as soon as Twilight''s hunters entered the room where the portal was located in...they all knew.


    That twilight was hiding a portal. It was unknown who leaked it at the moment, but Twilight''s Elders had to deal with a swarm of people outside. The hunters entered the portal under the orders of their superiors and were transported into Giganta.


    They had mixed reactions, most were of shock. Very soon, before an hour could pass they all received a mission on theirmunicators. They all looked at it with shock.


    It was a mission to hunt down David Umber, and also to save the star of their guild. They were given directions to the location, and an advance party had already been sent by Richard to escort them to the north.


    Soon, It wasn''t just the hunters, Vehicles branded b Twilight''s mark appeared as well and the confused hunters boarded them. The older veterans had realized the severity of this situation while the younger ones were still bordering on the line of eptance and confusion, and wonder at the sights of the.


    "We...are really on another?"


    "Hold on...David Umber, isn''t that the bloodline freak?"


    "Didn''t he die?"


    The veterans knew of the man they were ordered to hunt down and had grave expressions on their faces. The younger hunters knew less.


    But the information they needed was transferred to them soon enough, theirmunicators shone with a blue light and disys appeared, which had his face and his details.


    He wasn''t well known, but he wasn''t a nobody as well. The bigshots knew of him well whilst themon popce had forgotten about it.


    David Umber, The Bloodline freak was a supposed dead individual who had died in the coast of Africa. He was a deranged maniac who was obsessed with studying bloodlines and absorbing them. He was the bane of all who possessed a bloodline back in the day due to his unique skill, Blood Absorption.


    The skill, not only gave him arge degree of control with blood, but also allowed him to steal the essence of others bloodlines and absorb them. He had abused this power and was hunted down. Heter joined hands with the demons and did experiments on human and monster subjects alike, even Demons weren''t free.


    Arge scale assault was lead by Twilight, who had suffered dearly at his hands and they thought they had seeded. He was brutal, and had killed many but Twilights forces at that time...Bombed his ce of hiding.


    They were in a deadlock for a while against his monster army, but even with the defensive spells he had set up, the bombs got to him.


    Of course, They searched the entire ce afterwards, and found nothing of him remaining, The decade of silence afterwards led them to think he was dead, blown to smithereens.


    Twilight also had another grudge against him, He...had captured Richard''s wife and Alice''s mother. She was saved but her ability to wield mana was gone forever, and it was suspected the experiments he performed on her led to a gradual weakening of her physical body. It was because of this that...she died whilst giving birth to Alice.


    It may be a wrong conclusion, but Richard was struck with grief at the time and only had him to me. That was the special grudge he held.


    Now, when he saw the man alive... The rage he had suppressed in his heart was lit ame.


    The small army that was Twilights forces in Askolt city, the ce where it''s headquarters were advanced with haste, It was an impressive sight to see countless battle-oriented vehicles and aircraft making their way towards the mountains.


    This was only the first wave as well, This was only what Twilight could immediately get...The forces of the Wellington family wereing as well, as well as Twilight''s remaining force.


    All of it to take down a city could be considered overkill, but Richard wasn''t in the mood to think things through, Logan had just called all able hunters of the Wellington family in the area, along with some other artifacts that he thought would be useful.


    Soon enough, they approached Richards group and took positions, all while the man they had to hunt stared down at them from the city they couldn''t see.


    "Wow, He''s important."


    He had a nonchnt attitude to this situation as he stared down at the small army, he was using mana to peer through the clouds, and after observing the enemy, he sighed and said.


    "Well, Guess I have to be quick about it."


    He said, as countless deformed giants appeared around him, filling up the walls of the giant city.


    "Well, A dragon is a dragon...I will have to exercise more caution." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He went back inside the city, to the room where n was held while his own personal army took up their positions.


    It all happened within a day, but to n it felt like multiple days. He was so weak and deprived of basic necessities that time appeared to move differently for him, or that''s what he thought at least.


    His perception was being messed with, and it ally due to his mana being sucked away. David had connected multiple pipes to his body and the dragon heart he possessed long ago, which slowly sucked his mana and powered up the city''s ancient artifacts.


    He was suffering, his body desperately needed mana but there was none. A dragon without mana...was a dead dragon.


    ****


    A/N: I apologize for the dy in chapters, I am dealing with family issues right now. The upload rate will stabilize soon.

 Chapter 536 [536] A dragon without Mana.

    <h4>Chapter 536 [536] A dragon without Mana.</h4>


    It was a strange silence, one that no reason into his body and gave birth to paranoia. It was deafening even, he thought he could hear but at the same time, he couldn''t.


    Booms rang in his ears, but they were silent. It was as if the source of those booms were his own body, wriggling and struggling.


    The restraints had gotten even tighter, and the spikes embedded within had already given rise to infections.


    His bloodline energy was drained, and this these infections were allowed to wreak havoc, unimpeded.


    His body felt...odd.


    The restraints made sure he was numb to everything, and the environment around him, which weakened him immensely guaranteed that, but he felt odd.


    The man he had met, David Umber hade here a while a earlier and nted strange tubes with metallic, spiky ends into various parts of his body, they sucked him dry of his blood, but most importantly...


    They drained his Mana.


    He could see the tubes slowly glow as they extracted his Mana and input it into a strange cistern.


    Furthermore, there was another strange device on his chest, which was connected straight to his chest... To the dragon heart.


    His eyes felt tired, and bloodied. They would twitch and lose their shine asionally.


    His skin would wither up and die. Only to be reced.


    His Mana was being drained at such a speed that he...was close to death.


    But that fact merely made him resist his fate, he tried to keep his mind sane, to keep himself awake but as the seconds passed he could feel his grip on himself fading away.


    His breaths were cumbersome, and numbered.


    He didn''t know that his body was acting so strangely because... He was a dragon.


    Mana was necessary, fundamental to their existence! Other species could do with no Mana and still live but dragons?


    Each and every cell in their body depended on it, like a newborn child depended on its parents for survival, for food!


    They were programmed to use Mana with every action they did, and to face sucj a prolonged period of no Mana was devastating to them.


    It was instinct to his cells, to use Mana and they were being deprived of it!


    n felt cold, and exhausted... And hurt.


    He felt as if he was a lone man, his bare body exposed to the frigid coldness of a blizzard, his skin reacted to it and went numb, but not before delivering an intense amount of pain.


    His skin was dried up! He looked like a corpse! His muscles had dissapeared and all that was left of his former mighty visage was but a husk...


    Blood leaked out from the gaps or his restraints. Both from his mouth and his wounds... But this blood of his was different.


    It was no longer a proud crimson, but a bleak, faded red. It was almost see through...


    It boiled as soon as it reached the ground he was detained on, and left disgusting stains.


    His eyes seemed like a piece of dried leather.


    The guards that were responsible for him wereughing at his state, enjoying the young of a species that ended them suffering.


    If n was given to grow up, and let his powers actually manifest... Then they wouldn''t dare even be in his presence.


    But fate is cruel, and time waits for none.


    They even started making bets on how long it would take for him to give in and ept the embrace of death!


    He knew what they were doing, the pain in his body made it so that his consciousness was still there. It was helpful even, it was only because of it that he remained conscious. Otherwise, even his strong willpower would be useless and he would fade away.


    He could still think, and he pondered...


    How long has it been? Days? Months?.. Years... ? His perception of time was messed up to a shocking degree.


    Now... So much time had psed in this pathetic state that he... He...couldn''t even hear what the guards were saying.


    All he could hear was incoherent gibberish, mumbles he would never be able to understand.


    But he knew.


    Theyughed at him. They wereughing at him!


    He grit in frustration, the anger that boiled inside reached a point he couldn''t control.


    And a shocking burst of strength, he pounced.


    *Clink*


    But all that moved were hia reatrainta and the spikes bore deeper into him.


    A cornered beast is dangerous, but a chained beast is pitiable. He knew that if no help arrived he would die soon.


    He had tried multiple times to reach Lanesha and Suleras, and even tried to use the reserve Mana left in his cells to activate skills...


    But nothing worked. He knew death was approaching. He had been brought into this state many times, but only now did the approach of death feel so... Vivid. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Like it was a man, walking towards him barefoot. Clothed in a strange butfortable eastern garment. A robe with ck dragons and red snakes enlivening it.


    As he walked his ebony hair struck the darkness around him, like it was on a deeper, more profound level.


    As he walked, the irritable sound that would often be produced when a metallic instrument was being dragged against the ground was produced.


    ''Kill me already... ''


    He pleaded in his mind as his body gave up, no longer struggling for survival.


    And it seemed his wish would he granted.


    He felt a sharp sensation on his neck, one possessed by a de of unparalleled sharpness that made his steel skin feel like butter against a hot knife.


    "Pathetic."


    A voice rang in his ears, it was palpable, like his entire body could hear it!


    Ah, it''s gotten so bad I am hearing things. He mused in his mind,ughing at himself, hating the state he was brought in.


    But there was something about this voice that awakened him...


    He remembered it...


    "... You? "

 Chapter 537 [537]...is a dead dragon.

    Chapter 537 [537]...is a dead dragon.


    ??"... You?"


    He felt nothing in his mouth, nor in the artifact embedded in his tongue. He felt no echo in the air as his voice was heard by both himself and the one who held a de at his neck.


    Furthermore, he didn''t feel...like he had spoken at all, yet he heard his own voice.


    That led him to the conclusion he was talking to himself.


    Haha.


    Theck of mana had driven him insane, and he had figured it out. He was talking to himself, or in his mind.


    But the feeling of the de on his neck was real, he knew that at least. Just as various conjectures appeared in his thoughts, he heard the voice again.


    "A pathetic state you''ve been reduced to."


    He nced at the de on his neck, surprisingly, he no longer felt the restraints that kept his body in ce, but...he still couldn''t move. He felt nothing binding him, but he still was unable to move even the tiniest bit.


    "It is you..."


    He recognized the de, and the voice. The infamous Mohei Jian, that was consumed by his own spear, and it''s owner...


    The man who was the first to witness and fight his full form, and to this date had been the only one.


    The Heavenly Demon, Ma Cheon.


    "How..."


    He remembered he killed this man, and had his corpse buried under the rubble and snow of his own mountain. But here he was, standing right behind him and wielding his malicious de. He felt his proud crimson blood drip down his neck and onto the darkness below. Disappearing into it.


    "Are you proud?"


    He heard Ma Cheon speak, but was unable to put forth a response. He wondered.


    What do you mean?


    What exactly do you mean by that?


    He was still wondering if this was a dream or not, but with each passing second the impossibility that was this situation being real wasing to light.


    "Are you proud, oh dragon?"


    "What do you mean?"


    In the end, he asked the man himself, Not even expecting a response. He begrudgingly stared at the ground.


    "Are you proud that you have been reduced to such a state?"


    "How can I be proud...?"


    He rebuked with ferocity, but all of it was a farce. How could he be proud in such a situation.


    He didn''t expect to be ambushed just when he was about to unleash his most powerful skill, He didn''t expect it! Who could have?!


    He didn''t even think he would meet a human here! What is this turn of events that happened in such an unpredictable and sudden fashion? Bizarre!


    "Your blood is that of something that reduced Murim to ashes!"


    A frustrated yell was heard behind him, one that was expectant and disappointed.


    "Buried under a thousandyers of frigid cold, of snow that would never disappear nor melt under the harsh sun! How could you have been reduced to such a state?!"


    Frustration evolved into anger, rage even. n''s breathing hastened as he looked like he was more haggard than ever.


    "You were valiant! Honorable! Fight back, you fool!"


    "What happened to you?! Have you sumbed to the fickle thing that is fate?"


    The barrage of words continued, and the de snuck deeper into his neck with every sentence that Ma Cheon spoke. It was like he...disappointed. Like, he was unable to ept the fact that n was in such a state.


    "You possess...power... Use it!"


    "What power?"


    Finally, he had enough and spoke back. He looked defiant as he spoke in a loud voice, filled with hesitation and defeat.


    "What power do I have...? I have no mana and the power of my bloodline has been reduced to nothing! What power do I have?!"


    He did not stop, he continued, each word of his carried a weight Ma Cheon struggled to bear, but understood clearly.


    "What power do I have?! Thest vestiges of my strength are being sucked away, and with each passing second...my body is dying. I am a dragon...and I heavily depend on my mana to sustain my life... I can''t do anything without it."


    This wasn''t himself. He would still fight even if the odds were worse than this... It was just. Since his body and cells so desperately needed mana, they had given up.


    And once his mighty body had given up his mind was inclined to follow. He couldn''t even against this depression that was appearing.


    Everything had given up!


    "..."


    For the first time, Ma Cheon fell silent. The defiance in his eyes was still apparent, but there was something else.


    "So is this it?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With a soft voice, he asked.


    "Is this it? Is this how you havee to believe your legacy to end?"


    nughed in his mind, Legacy? What legacy?


    "Do you not seek revenge?"


    Heughed yet again, He knew the moment he died something else, something much more sinister would take hold and would probably get revenge him, whether it was intended or not.


    But...he didn''t want that.


    There was still a fire inside his heart that burned...but it was ever so close to being wiped out.


    "Is this how...the dragon that destroyed the legacy of Murim will die? Imprisoned...weak...and begging for death?"


    Those words of his finally invoked a reaction within him, but how could he use it?


    "Do you not have someone you love? Regret? Why not fight for it like I fought for my world?! For the respect and honor of those that were my equals! For the promise I made?"


    Numerous faces shed in front of his eyes. Sabrina, Samantha, His grandparents, Kazikato, Alexander, Lucas...and a few more.


    "I..."


    He spoke, but this time, he felt as if his tongue had moved!


    He gathered his strength, whatever of it was left in his dying body.


    "I do...have some regrets..."


    "Then why not use them to enliven yourself? To force yourself out of this predicament?!"


    "BUT HOW?!"


    He yelled back, ferociously, like a beast that had enough. He knew he needed to fight back... Likewise, he knew he needed to do something, but how must he do it?!


    Ma Cheon''s de shone with a ck light, an energy n yearned for but knew could never acquire.


    "The blood of a heavenly beast that wielded aura like it was mana to you dragons runs within you...and so does my soul. You are not powerless...you must realize that."


    But before n could ask how, he felt a sharp impact on his chin, and heard the voice of the man who put him here and in this condition.


    "Shut up."

 Chapter 538 [538] But I am not just a dragon.

    <h4>Chapter 538 [538] But I am not just a dragon.</h4>


    "Shut up."


    Apanying those words was a kick that shattered the weak bones that were n''s jaw. David had kicked with such ferocity and annoyance that the weakened n could pose no defense. His steel-like bones, his steel-like skin, was useless.


    The mana that once embodied his cells was on the wisp of extinguishing, and the dragon heart, despite pumping out mana in an attempt to recover the body, was being suppressed as well.


    David bent down, with a snicker on his face. He looked at the shriveled youth in front of him. Once he was a proud, muscr figure but now a husk.


    "Who were you even talking to?"


    He questioned, but knew he would get no answer. He had sensed some fluctuations in n a while back and hade here, he sighed and said.


    "Well, Who cares? You are going to die soon anyway, Besides..."


    There was a cold glint in his eyes as the city rumbled, he had a grimace on his face as he thought.


    ''They started the attack, huh...''


    The forces of the humans outside had already started their attack, and he wasn''t confident that the dumb giants would be able to hold them without him.


    He took out a scepter carved from the bones of an ancient giant. At the top of this scepter was an embedded hole...the exact same size as n''s dragon heart.


    "I made this especially for you."


    There was a sinister passion in his eyes, as he reached out with his hand and directly grabbed n''s dragon heart.


    "Ugh!"


    His skin was burnt away due to the intense mana within it, but he endured and in a sudden fashion...pulled it out!


    n''s body trembled for a moment, and the dragon heart tried it''s very best to return...but David would not let it do so, using his entire mana he embedded the heart into his scepter.


    "Infinite mana...haha..."


    Heughed as he crazily stared at the dragon heart, which was suppressed by the material of the scepter.


    "Haha..."


    Hisugh continued as he gazed at n, his skin was fading away into dust, and soon his entire body would follow. David chuckled and left the room, convinced the dragon was going to die. He read the records...and knew it would be soon.


    "Finally... I have the power to dominates..."


    In one hand he held the scepter, and in the other he held arge jug filled with n''s blood that he had slowly extracted over the course of the days. He told the giants that were guarding this ce to remain, just in case.


    He did trust the records within the city...but he just wanted to be safe. Furthermore, he cackled as he felt the intense mana flow through him from the scepter and left.


    ***** N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He felt nothing when his dragon heart was yanked away, but he felt his body copse after that.


    The shriveled skin began to turn into dust, and his body started to fade away.


    He had given up, the mark of the dragon on his back began to fade, and the one on his left arm had long since disappeared. All defiance that he may have held disappeared.


    His head fell down, and he closed his eyes as thest bit of mana that was within him, disappeared...


    ******


    [Outside.]


    Sabrina was within a small tent set up by the forces of Twilight and Wellingtons, she was not allowed to go outside, and her grandfather had ced special guards outside that kept a strict eye on her.


    She could hear the booms and feel the tremors. Twilight was truly going full out in this battle, her family was also trying...but clearly not to the extent that Twilight was.


    They had mobilized everything they could. All the forces of Twilight in Askolt city were being deployed, and they all boarded vehicles which let them traverse the mountain, either bynd or the sky...


    Furthermore, they also used arge amount of monster repent, and most hunters were covered in a smell so foul the monsters on the top of the mountain didn''t dare to approach.


    The smell was even reaching here...and she had gotten a report that the giants had also descended and started to fight, teams of hunters would surround one and kill them, and Richard was at the front!


    They bombed the city''s wall with bombs and even assaulted it with magic.


    She was worried, but decided that leaving it to them would be for the best. Besides, she had learned that the Sage Oliver was also on his way. He was the trump card Richard had relied on.


    He was an SSS rank hunter, and one of the strongest on Earth, so it calmed her heart down...yet there was an odd feeling inside her chest, one of foreboding.


    She was getting a bad feeling...she decided to dismiss it, but then it happened.


    BOOOOOOOOOMMMM!


    An earth-shattering noise shook thends and skies, the tremors it released were so shocking that she struggled to stay on her feet. In the end, she fell to the ground.


    She could hear blood-curdling screams from outside the tent, and to be honest...she was scared. The battle outside had reached another level! Her tent was far away, but the sounds reached here.


    "Come on...be safe..."


    But then, a strange wave of mana erupted from inside her... And something broke.


    "...huh?"


    The contract that bound n and Sabrina together...shattered like ss. She coughed up a mouthful of blood as the bacsh from it breaking erupted within. Her body was in a mess.


    The guards from outside rushed inside and fed her a potion, and when she finally recovered...she was shocked. Listless even...


    Her eyes widened and she muttered.


    "No way..."


    It wasn''t only her, outside on the front of the battle, Richard was on the walls of the city as he trembled.


    The bacsh he received wasn''t as significant as Sabrina''s...but the contract that bound n to it broke.


    The only way it would ever break is whether n vited the terms...or he died. And it didn''t take a genius to figure out what had happened... His expression darkened.


    "No!"


    He cut the neck of a giant as he prepared to jump down into the city...until.


    A st of concentrated mana hit him, and sent him flying. He coughed up blood as the magical items around him lost their function...and his own mana went wild inside him. He was unable to use it at all!


    "Impossible...!"


    He looked up with a hateful gaze, and saw the man who unleashed that attack.


    "Hello!"


    Davidughed as he unleashed a dozen more sts of concentrated mana, six of them went towards the aerial vehicles that were ruthlessly attacking the city with their weapons...and six went for Richard.


    "You!"


    Richard stood up and red back, he rushed to dodge the sts but...


    A golden shield appeared around him and blocked the mana sts, but was vanquished in the process. Logan appeared in front of him and handed him a potion with a look of urgency on his face.


    "Don''t let those sts hit you! And refrain from using mana as much as you can!"


    He warned, as he jumped ahead to fight David.

 Chapter 539 [539] I am more.

    Chapter 539 [539] I am more.


    ??The battle outside raged on with utter ferocity, Richard and Logan fought David, and although they may have the advantage in numbers, it was clear that they were losing.


    Slowly but surely, they were being pushed back, furthermore, when David mmed his scepter into the ground, the numerous ice giants that were presumed to be statues began to move.


    They began attacking the human forces, and slowly they were being forced down the mountain. Quite a few in a state difficult to describe with mere words.


    However, Richard and Logan still had not ordered a retreat.Whilst Richard was mostly being driven by his emotions, Logan was driven by a certainty.


    He knew the reinforcements wereing, and knew what kind they were as well.


    Therefore, he presses forth with utter ferocity, refusing to back down and tried his best to buy time.


    The reinforcements were none other than the legendary sage and the sword saint! He knew victory would be certain once they got here.


    David was also able to sense that they were trying to buy time, but he simsimply didn''t care. He was of the opinion that no matter what reinforcements came, the defenses of the city would be enough to thwart them.


    In the past, he would have never though this... But now that he had the massive reserves of Mana extracted from n... He was confident.


    "Trying to buy time?! "


    David pressed on. Logan''s chest was caved in and one of Richards arms were in a bad shape.


    David had not even been forced to use the city''s defences at all! He alone was enough to take them on.


    These were the leaders of powerful factions back on Earth and yet here he was, toying with them.


    He unleashed a manager st that blew Logan off the city walls and sent him tumbling down the mountain.


    Richard gasped for breath and asked.


    "What... The hell is that scepter?"


    His voice was a mixture of shock and incredulity, it was as if he refused to believe whatever was happening was real.


    He knew the real strength of this man, and even the long period of his absence wouldn''t have garnered him this much... power.


    He knew the secrety within that specter! But then how could he wield it if it was so powerful...?


    David merelyughed and stretched his hand holding the scepter outward. Richard scanned it with his skills numerous times, but each time nothing was visible.


    It was as if he did not qualify to nce upon its information.


    "See this?"


    David continued, enjoying the state he had brought Richard to, he knew he could kill him easily now.


    "It''s not really the scepter that is special but the crystal... Take a good look at it Richard. Remind you of something?"


    He waited for an answer, even a vague one but none came. Richard didn''t really know what the crystal was.


    He had guessed it was a concentrated mana crystal, like the one Sabrina possessed that was enabling his foe to be capable of these feats but... Never could he have guessed that it was actually n''s heart...


    "Still don''t get it?"


    David, relishing in his confusion, taunted him more and more until he finally revealed the truth.


    "It''s the heart of the one you came to save."


    *******


    Back in the chamber, The two guards were almost sleeping, their time to have fun had passed since the dragon in front of them was dead.


    However, a sudden tremor suddenly woke them up. They pondered whether they should go help their brothers and sisters. Due to their limited intelligence, they were unable to talk andmunicated with one another with the help of gestures.


    In the end, they decided to take a rest and went to sleep. They trusted their brothers and sisters outside and their leader, as well as the weapons that resided within their city. Ancient technology used by their ancestors.


    Therefore, with all those assurances, they simply went to sleep. The giant on the left went to asleep much faster, but the giant on the right had trouble falling asleep.


    And that was when he saw a man dressed in a long ck robe holding a ck de standing behind the corpse of the dragon.


    "Awu?"


    He muttered a weird sound, to disy his confusion. rmed, he rose up. Wielding his weapon in one hand he approached the man and thrust his spear where his heart should be.


    But the man was like mist, and the spear went right through him, not harming him at all.


    The giant heard a voice, and he shivered.


    "The Phoenix of rebirth truly did save your life...and bestow upon you that which you yearned for."


    rmed, he tried to wake up his brother, but the man disappeared...and a blue me erupted forth which turned him to ash in but a second!


    The fire was not without sound, and the giant that was asleep waked up. However, he found that he was alone and no trace of his brother was present. Even the ash that was formed had suddenly disappeared...


    Startled, he stood up and thought that maybe his brother went outside. Walking towards the door, he began to open it until...he froze.


    His heart began to beat with increased speed, and the pores in his body opened, and goosebumps were present throughout. He was shaking, and the reason for it, he was unaware of.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    What was the reason...?


    The giant wondered, but no one was there to answer him. He turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the corpse of the dragony there unmoving.


    And it was exactly at that moment, that his heightened senses heard the sound of breathing.


    He looked back at the dragon, and with a shocked look on his face, went close.


    His ears picked up on the sound of breathing, however...at that point he realized one thing.


    The chains that bound n...were suddenly not on him anymore! It was as if his body had phased through them!


    Afraid, he stabbed his spear towards n''s head...but it phased right through him!


    And he felt a pressure unlike any other all around his body, one thatpressed his body to a small ball of flesh!

 Chapter 540 [540] The power unique... only to me.

    Chapter 540 [540] The power unique... only to me.


    ??I felt weird, to say the least.


    As I resurfaced from the gate of death, I felt nothing but everything at the same time. The heat of the room, and the frigidity in the air as well.


    It was strange... But that was not what was on my mind.


    I could breathe...


    The feeling of air entering my lungs and leaving was exhrating. The hot metal burning my skin was now a blessing... I could finally feel.


    But that was not the limit of what I could feel... No... That was only the tip of the iceberg.


    These feelings... These sensations were not on the outside but inside... I could feel a ''heat'' within me.


    But at the same time I could feel coldness. I could feel that there was no mana left in my body, that was the source of this bitter cold...


    But then! That was also what allowed me to feel the heat within me.


    It did not start from my heart... Or the cavity in my chest but the start was from my right arm. The numbness there disappearead as my breaths increased.


    They were haggered... Just like how a diver that had run out of oxygen in the deep sea would breathe like when he resurfaced.


    Hurried, and precious.


    A biting pain epassed my head, as I could catch a blue light escape my body.


    I heard back voice, the voice of Ma Cheon, but I was unable to discern what he was saying.


    I wondered what the guards are doing, and what they are thinking about this situation.


    How I suddenly came back from the dead...


    Nevertheless, I allowed this heat to flow unperturbed. Regardless of whether I was able to or not.


    Haha.


    Iughed in my mind...  As I regained my strength, I found that... I fell.


    I had fallen to the floor a long time ago...


    This is strange, what about the restraints?


    I questioned, but couldn''t find an answer. It was as if my body had ignored them and went right through them...


    As a result, I had fallen to the floor but now I no longer felt the searing heat from the hot metal.


    Only... The heat within me.


    Like a forest fire, it spread through my veins, through my vessels, muscles, bones... And so many more paths.


    I took another breath, but this one was different. It was apanied not by the usual carbon dioxide... But rather with blue fire.


    A wisp of me, that disappeared instantly but it was me... I was sure of it. I did not imagine it.


    Thest remnants of my consciousness started to disappear, as my bones repaired themselves, my muscles regained their strenght and a new, foreign but familiar energy courses through my cells.


    This energy... Was fucking amazing!!


    I could feel it''s power as I lost my grip on reality, as my body recovered from the husk it was. And waves of power emanated that shook this ursed cell of mine! My tongue... My eyes! They felt alive and powerful!!


    Like I was finally worthy! Like this was my true power! The shackles I imposed on myself...


    These shackles that limited me to the mere rank of B+... Shattered like ss and I ascended!


    The sound of shattering ss erupted all around me!


    And as my mind went nk... I finally realized what was happening to me.


    Oh how I wished to exim this... To proim this achievement of mine but could only wallow in despair as I could not right now...


    And just then...


    My mind went still, disappeared... But my body was different. *********


    His entire body was like a candle, a fire... One that emitted blue me in sudden bursts.


    The blue me possessed not only heat, but also frigidity. They courses through his body in quick session and disappeared in an instant as well.


    Like a flickering light, of freedom and power.


    His right arm glowed with a blue and golden hue, as the markings of a magnificent bird of fire could be seen moving on it.


    He took one final breath which emitted me... But that was the spark.


    It was the spark that ignited his entire body! In an instant it was covered in blue fire that was not harmful to him in any way! The air around him shattered like it was ss...


    It was like... The very fabric of space was being broken apart!!


    And finally... He awoke.


    But it was not like he was truly awake. His mind had gone into slumber... But his body?


    It ascended. It recovered, it pulsed. It trembled.


    IT ROARED! The roar was like the high pitched cry of a majestic bird that was both enraged and enlivened.


    His body, attuned with the new energy had long since phased through the measly restraints and healed itself...


    And now? It was free... To get revenge!


    He stood up, and opened his eyes, even as blue fire pulsed around him.


    His eyes were not the diamonds they were before, one that a certain girl had fallen in love with... But they were like blue magma. That flowed and glowed.


    He stood up, and each step of his caused the air around him to tremble and crack, and shatter as rifts appeared, ones connected to who knows where.


    A power that was unlike Mana coursed both within him and outside him, none other than him possessing dominion over it.


    He stepped forth, unknowingly crushing a ball of flesh. The flesh disappeared into nothingness.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He stretched his right hand, and a spear of unparalleled power in his hands materialized. The power within him epassed the spear as well, and propelled it to unimaginable heights!


    But that was not all, he exhaled again, and yet again it was also apanied by blue fire.


    Astral blue scales appeared all around him, covering his body but not like his draconian transformation. His eyes possessed a power that was strange even to him.


    He spoke, each word carried with it a weight indescribable, but these words were not of the humannguage... They seemed archaic, dragonic!


    The scales on him felt enchanted, enhancing their power...but that was not why he spoke. That was merely a secondary effect.


    He made a grasping motion with his left hand, and then retracted it. He outstretched both hands and left the cavity in his chest open and put his chest forth.

 Chapter 541 [541] Aura.

    Chapter 541 [541] Aura.


    ??As the battle outside raged on, David had pushed Richard to the point of defeat, the giants outside were slowly trampling on the human forces and a few aerial vehicles had already been shot down.


    Logan rushed up the mountain to save Richard, but sadly he would not reach in time. David calmly walked toward the defeated Richard. Earlier, he had unleashed a flurry of attacks that paralyzed Richard''s mana and the muscles in his limbs as well. He was just a man waiting for death.


    With an icy re prominent in his eyes, he looked at David making his way towards him. The scepter he held shone. The light from the crystal embedded within it affected the scepter as well, making it glow, albeit with a weaker light.


    The mana in the environment obeyed and swirled around the crystal, soon it encased David in a protective shield, one that could both attack and defend. The swirling mana coalesced into a sharp edge, much like that of a spear or an arrow, and David aimed it at Richard''s head.


    "Anyst words?"


    In normal, clich?? fashion, he asked. As if he was expectant of something, he even dared to wait, regardless whether Richard could recover in that time or not. However, when he realized that there truly was nothing...he said.


    "Really? Not even going to plead?"


    Richardughed, and rebuked.


    "I''ve never pleaded for my life... I don''t see any reason to do it in front of scum like you."


    David pondered over it for a moment and sighed, however he did agree with what Richard said. Even if the man did plead, he would still kill him.


    "Fair enough."


    However, just as he was about to unleash the attack, A shrill cry was heard, one that was of a bird. It wasn''t just Richard or David that heard it... The entire mountain had as well. All beings, whether alive or not, heard it. It was something that caused goosebumps to appear and a chilly sensation to run down their spines and into their legs, urging them to run.


    The cry, or rather defiant roar, echoed throughout and caused David to stop for a moment. He tried to discern where it came from, but...it seemed like it came from all directions.


    Up, down, right, left... From everywhere! Therefore, it was hard for him to discern the direction of its source.


    Paying it no further heed, he ordered the mana to go forth and kill Richard...but then his eyes shook with fear. The mana within the crystal and around him was no longer under his control! Surprised, he tried to reel it in but could not do so. The crystal in the scepter spun violently, and caused more mana to build up.


    "What?! No!"


    All of a sudden, a massive boom was heard as the crystal used the mana to incite an explosion, one that would allow it lodge itself from the scepter and be free.


    The explosion shattered the scepter...and David''s arm along with it. A part of his face was burnt and blown away as well. He let out a scream of pure agony and crumbled to his knees. Richard was not unscathed...although his injuries were clearly better than Davids.


    Surprised, he took out a potion and doused himself with it. He had no time to drink the thing. Then, he lunged at David and tried to take him down with him. But David repelled his attempt and pushed him off the walls.


    He decided to cast a skill to treat his injuries as giants swarmed around him to protect him, he even used the mana he had to activate one of the treasures within the city as he felt an ill premonition.


    Giants of stone, about 30 meters tall, arose from the ground. They looked more like golems than the giants of ice outside, and they were definitely more powerful than the ice giants outside. They had golden cores in the middle of their chests and rocks flew around them, ready to be catapulted at any enemy that dared to fight them.


    "Buy me some time..."


    He ordered his subordinates, he was shivering all throughout and was getting avery bad feeling.


    And just as he predicted, the crystal shot towards the same room the dragon he captured was in. He was supposed to be dead, but of course things would never go his way.


    "Were...the records wrong? Or have dragons simply evolved...?"


    Numerous thoughts ran in and out of his head, like a tsunami. But they all stopped when a bright light shot out from that room and an illusory bird appeared in the sky.


    All trembled when they saw it, and David stared at the bird of blue fire in the sky with amazement, it cast a weaving shadow on the city and some of the mountain below... However, it disappeared as soon as it came.


    He looked towards the door of the confined cell and shivered. At this point he was shaking uncontrobly, the surrounding giants were the same. Only the stone golems were unaffected.


    But, the shaking stopped all of a sudden, and a pressure unlike any other erupted all around him, forcing his body to kneel, or bepressed into a ball of flesh. Some of the surrounding giants already suffered the fate and were nothing more than balls of flesh.


    He spread out his mana in order tobat the surrounding pressure, and was able to resist it somewhat. He spread it out further to protect the surrounding giants.


    At this point, everyone was feeling the pressure. Although the situation at the base of the mountain was much...much better.


    However, even though he had dispersed the pressure...he still found himself unable to move. As if a heavenlyw had been brought forth, one that bound his movement.


    As he stared at the entrance to the confinement cell he had ced in n in, he saw blue mist, that seemed somewhat like fire and somewhat illusory, seeped out. The giants focused on the mist particrly...but not David.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He saw two glowing eyes, like the stars in the night sky, deep in the darkness of the hallway, slowly inching forward. And then he saw a hand grab the doorway...and crush the strongest of materials to dust effortlessly.


    He gulped.


    "Fuck..."


    And cursed, afraid.

 Chapter 542 [542] Aura.(2)

    Chapter 542 [542] Aura.(2)


    ??The hands that had reduced the doorway to dust were an odd mix. They possessed human skin, dragon scales at the knuckles and the fingers and sharp talons for nails. The talons were perfectly suited, not too long, and not too short as well. A fist could easily be made without injury to the hands themselves. Furthermore, there was a golden string of light that permeated the hands and coursed through them, like a river.


    The ivory mist that possessed the element of space seeped out, and in an instant covered the entire city, ignoring all naturalws. One moment it was in front of you...the other it was everywhere.


    David backed up, and the golems readied their attacks. David had already begun activating the city''s other major weapons as the owner of the hand stepped out.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The same configuration of the hands filled his entire body, It was bizarre, but at the same it was perfect. Talon''s were present at his feet as well, but the rest of the body was mainly dragon and human. The only bird-like feature were the blue wings on his back, with a wingspan of 3 meters.


    But setting all of those aside...was his chest.


    The hole now that had an astral blue crystal in the center of it. Pieces of flesh and blood began to mend and fix the hole, however, it was a slow and tedious process.


    n emerged fully, and his eyes cast a strange glow on all that surrounded him, all of which...were enemies.


    David felt a sense of danger, instantly he ordered the golems to attack, and so they did. They threw the surrounding stones encased with mana towards the intruder. They possessed such great speed and power that even steel would crumble...yet n simply stayed still.


    In a second, they approached him and seemed to crush him... But in the next second they crushed the golems that had thrown them. They were repelled at such a speed and power that the mighty golems were reduced to ash from a single stone.


    "... What?"


    Had his body not been enhanced by the bloodlines he consumed and his own mana coursing through it, he would have thought that the stones simply teleported back...but that was not it.


    The stones didn''t teleport, but changed direction. Just as they were about to enter a small radius around n, they turned. As if they were possessed, they turned around and instead of slowing down gained an increase of speed...as well as another energy that powered them as well.


    "...!"


    David felt like death was looming over him as n slowly turned his head to look towards him. In an instant, he started the activation of all the city''s weapons and functions


    n disappeared, and reappeared right in front of David. The surrounding giants were instantly turned into small pieces ofpressed flesh, and his hand gripped David''s head. His skull fractured, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets before David''s figure disappeared.


    He reappeared in front of the city gate, and clutched his head in pain. His eyes leaked blood and one was almost not in the socket... Casting numerous healing magic on himself in a short time, as well as using the items he had, he regained his former condition and jumped behind the army of giants that hade to save him. The ice giant statues down below also made their way upwards, sensing the threat.


    He jumped towards the city walls and ordered.


    "Buy time!"


    But would they be able to? The giants ran towards n, but all he did was p his wings. A Dozen''s of feathers, each glowing with a golden light, flew out and ripped the army to shreds. In the span of a few seconds, the giants that had remained in the city were reduced to...a gory mess incapable of being described with words. They were already messed up but now? This was a whole new level!


    The feathers flew towards David on the walls, until they shed with an invisible wall.


    Earlier, David''s face paled when he saw the giants be reduced to mince meat, yet it suddenly shed with hope when the city''s ancient defense mechanisms arose. The shield that was created was simply the inner shield, that didn''t allow anything to go outside, nor inside.


    He sighed in relief as therge cannons on the city walls began to charge up, it took a second for them to be bathed in a red light. David took out a medallion from his bag and aimed it towards n, who still ominously stood in the same spot.


    The cannons fired beams of red light, hot enough to melt a human city, towards him. There were four cannons, and their beams converged together...but before they could turn the intruder to ash. They were met with another beam.


    The light pulsed like magma, and an ivory mist surrounded the beam. It instantly beat back the beam of the four cannons and destroyed one.


    "... What the hell?!"


    His face paled once again and the other three remaining cannons on his side of the wall fired once more, the others further away also charged up and did the same.


    In all directions, red beams hot enough to melt steel in seconds appeared and cast the entire city a color of deep, scarlet.


    The beams reached n and a deafening boom quaked out. Shaking the mountain with it. The ice giants finally reached the city and guarded David.


    David waited for the fire to disperse and the smoke to disappear. He knew that although this attack was enough to injure or even kill an S-ranked beast...


    The monster was still alive.


    He just had a feeling, and so he charged up the cannons once more...and then the smoke dispersed. Not like wind had carried it away, but rather it was sucked into something...


    David''s eyes widened as he saw that n...waspletely unharmed! Not a single st had hit him! Scared, he used all the power left in the cannons to make them fire.


    Once!


    Twice!


    Thrice!


    Four times! Each cannon fired four beams in quick session, and even the city was in chaos. The ce where n stood was reduced to smithereens. The ce where he was held captive was destroyed beyond recognition, and the cistern which held his mana had already distributed it to the city.


    That part of the city...was in ruins. Although it was only a meager area...it was still shocking!


    "Haha..."


    With a defiant look on his face, one that also had arrogance and pride mixed in, he yelled in triumph.


    "Haha! That''s what you get, you scaled lizard freak!! This is the power of giants..."


    However, his voice was subdued at the end...for he saw the same man he expected to be reduced to ash still in his original position, unharmed. And a secondter, an unknown force split the cannons into multiple pieces.

 Chapter 543 [543] Aura(3).

    Chapter 543 [543] Aura(3).


    ??Completely unharmed, he stood right in the same spot he was as his energy wrecked the cannons, cutting them into multiple small pieces, his body floated over the massive crater in the middle of the city.


    "... Not even a single scratch?"


    David, incredulous, muttered as he stared at the scene withplete shock. He immediately yelled at the giants, who hade to attack!


    "Everyone at him at once! He can''t keep this up for long! Don''t worry about his attacks!"


    He ordered, and the flesh and ice giants rushed toplete it. They all swarmed n, and used a wide variety of totems and other artifacts they had to unleash a wide array of attacks. David, on the other hand, focused on activating the city''s defense systems, with it, he marked n as an intruder and suddenly...


    The city glowed as a spell formation appeared on the floor, although part of it was damaged due to the cannon sts, it could still activate and immediately, blood-red chains appeared around n which bound him by his legs and hands.


    They exerted a sealing pressure that would bring giants the size of mountains to their knees, and clearly they had an effect on n. The entire city was focused solely on him. The giants to the side unleashed their attacks, but amidst them, he did not show any reaction.


    Looking at the chains, he raised his hands. And then, he closed them.


    And just like that, he was freed from the restraints as they...passed through him. ''n'' sent his mana down to the ground below and disrupted the entire formation. A sizeable chunk of it simply disappeared, and he appeared in front of an ice giant. The giant, although unable to show any facial features or emotions, backed away in fear. But before it could fully retreat, n''s hand was ced on its head.


    But he did not attack, instead his hand seemed to let out a glow of mana that inspected the giant. It was a magical construct, different from the flesh giants that were, although malformed, actual living beings.


    The light covered the giant, and slowly it was turned to dust. ''n'' opened his mouth, but the words that came out were unable to be understood by anyone present...except for one. Who had an inkling of it?


    No, it was not an inkling...seeing what those words did, he was sure of it!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Dragon tongue...! Fuck! You shouldn''t be able to use that!!"


    The words spread out with unprecedented power, and enveloped the ice giants, they lost the fierce glow in their eyes and...began to attack the little flesh giants! In a panic, they attempted to use their special medallions, which would control the ice giants but...


    Apanied by the sound of shattering ss, the medallions crumbled into pieces. A force unlike any other destroyed them, unwilling to ept any disobedience.


    ''n'' looked up at David, who subconsciously backed away...at this point he wanted to run and never look back. He knew the only chance he had would take a while to load up...and thus was afraid!


    He resolved himself to run, thinking that he could always build himself back up if he didn''t lose his life, but...a flicker of hope emerged as he barely dodged ''n''s'' strike. Which was a crescent de of an unknown energy that disappeared and reappeared at random intervals.


    A rift opened in the air, but it was not made of ''n''s'' mana, it was something else, dark mist spewed out like an endless tsunami and David smiled.


    "Nightdy!"


    He took out a certain amulet from his bag, and pointed it at the humanoid that had appeared in the sky.


    "Buy some time!"


    He knew the monster was here for other purposes...and knew the amulet he had in his hands would do little at this moment...so he simply got out of the way and went to make his own preparations. He simply decided...


    Let the two space demons fight it out.


    Just like the monster known as the Night Lady, n also wielded the space element, and it was due to this fact that the Nightdy had restricted his usage of it back when he appeared in this world.


    The nightdy looked down coldly from the skies, and attempted to do so again but failed miserably. How could he let it happen again? This was different! Two vortexes appeared in the sky as spatial energies belonging to the two duked it out. Visceral sounds were released that made the bodies of the giants still in the city explode.


    The vortex of ck was bigger than the vortex of blue, but it was losing! The nightdy looked down, and although no expression could be seen due to the helmet that covered her body...it was definitely a grimace as she could feel her control of the space element being taken away!


    The mountain tops and snow fields crumbled, causing avnches filled with boulders to wreak havoc below, but the two beings still left alive in the city showed no restraints as their energies catapulted towards each other, dying the world ck and blue. The nightdy had her arms stretched out as she fought fiercely.


    ''n'' on the opposing end of such a battle nonchntly flew towards her, he did no exaggerated motion that would propel his energy forward, he looked on towards the Nightdy, and continued to leisurely fly towards her.Taking his time.


    It was as if to mock the monster...and it was working spectacrly. She let out a gut-wrenching scream as her energy went into overdrive.But it was still not enough, the only thing it managed to do was force ''n'' to extend his right arm


    The monster had initially sensed n''s spatial fluctuations and came to end him, a task she failed to do so the previous time, but now...the tables had turned!


    She was being driven into a corner as the vortex of blue began to swallow up her own! And as a result...


    A ''dome'' was set in ce, that covered the entire mountain range, the function of this dome was to restrict any spatial magic that was not ''n''s. It was especially effective against teleportation magic.


    And such, ''n'' had done the same thing the nightdy had done to him, only he had done it openly in front of his opponent who also wielded space...and cut her off.


    She let out a roar and took out her bow, an arrow that seemed illusory at some times and corporeal at the others materialized as she knocked it on her bow.


    And then she fired.

 Chapter 544 [544] Aura(4).

    Chapter 544 [544] Aura(4).


    ??The arrow was released from her bow, and it didn''t take any time for it to reach n, it was as if it ignored the distance and reappeared in front of ''n'', just as it was an inch away from his heart, it...


    Disappeared!


    It appeared once again, this time to the side of ''n''s'' head, but it disappeared this time as well. This happened numerous times, where it would appear at other vital organs of his body, but he would do nothing to stop it...as if he didn''t even recognize it.


    But eventually, it had to stop, he finally had enough as a crack appeared in the surrounding space, the nightdy looked on, curious...


    He thrust his right hand into the crack and grabbed the arrow! He took it out and looked at the Nightdy, who was backing away from the sheer shock. The scene she had just witnessed defied everything she knew about her own fucking element!


    Lightning appeared around him, carrying a deep blue hue as it crackled menacingly. He raised his hand and threw the arrow towards the Nightdy! She harrumphed in response.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But, there was something special about this arrow...and it was that it was nothing! No element, no mana had been used to imbue it was great power...


    It was purely physical strength, and that too was so powerful that the Nightdy was unable to react in time!


    It was just that fast! Furthermore, it raced through the air in less time than it took her own arrow, and took her lower right arm with it! The arm was reduced to bits, and ck blood gushed out like a fountain.


    An ear-piercing scream rang throughout the entire mountain range, as the Nightdy crumbled to her knees from the pain, ''n'' raised his left hand, and from it his index finger. He opened his mouth as the clouds above turned ck and rumbled with lightning, they twisted and churned, ready to unleash a devastating attack.


    "Fulmen, decem."


    A single lightning bold, imbued with a strange power, descended from the skies and attacked the Nightdy. A thunderous noise burst forth as her body was shocked and charged, but nine more appeared.


    The power within them caused her to shiver as she used her mana to form a shield... It cracked and vibrated as the lightning bolts struck it.


    Seven light bolts! Eight!...and finally the ninth, which reduced the shield to ash as the remains made its way to the Nightdy. However, the power behind the blow was significantly less now. Enough that she shrugged it off.


    She struggled to stand to her feet. Just when she was about to unleash another attack on n...her body shivered as it heard two words.


    "Ignis, Magmatis."


    *****


    Beneath the mountain, Oliver and Sword Saint Arken had finally appeared, however, just as they had they were forced to deal with Twilight''s retreating forces as the mountain they were just climbing began to crumble.


    Furthermore, the monsters that once made it their home were running from it like their lives depended on it. The havoc that caused was immense as multiple S-ranked beasts descended onto the Twilight hunters below. It was pure chaos!


    Not only did they have to worry about the avnche, within which were hidden boulders...they also had to worry about the towering beasts that were ready to trample them!


    "Shit!"


    Oliver cursed as he sent out his mana to cover the fleeing hunters with shields, Arken on the other hand simply stared at the mountain...there was a seemingly endless barrier that hovered up above, making him incapable of seeing anything. But that did not mean he couldn''t feel it.


    As Oliver and his spirit owl struggled to keep the hunters safe, he smiled and said.


    "So it finally happened for you, Nice."


    Unlike the panic of the others on the scene, he was all-smile. That smile of his contained pride and happiness. And his eyes contained a crazed look.


    As the hunters were finally safe, Oliver was about to fly towards the mountains when Arken stopped him.


    "Don''t. Now is not the time! Let the kid have some fun."


    Confused, Oliver asked.


    "Did he do it...?"


    In response, Arken only chuckled, which was the confirmation Oliver needed, He hurriedly set up a barrier to protect the others from the avnche and deter the monsters and stood by Arken, who had already taken out a bottle of alcohol and sat on the ground. But his eyes did not leave the mountains above for a second. And neither did Oliver''s. After a while, Logan appeared beside them and offered his greetings.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you two after such a long time."


    Nonchntly, Oliver asked.


    "Where is Richard?"


    "We don''t know."


    A grim expression appeared on his face, but he dismissed it. He knew how hard it was to kill that man. Logan looked at Arken for a moment, before turning to ask Oliver.


    "... What''s going on up there?"


    Although the barrier that was erected prevented him from seeing what was happening, it did nothing to hide the tremors and fluctuations that came down like tidal waves. Oliver''s spirit owl responded for him.


    "Two beings who wield the mysterious element of space are fighting for control."


    It went on to add.


    "And whoever wields the blue colored space...energy, is winning."


    A smile appeared on Arken''s face as he heard, but no one noticed it due to how he was sitting.


    The owl had hesitated to speak about the spatial fluctuations he had felt...they felt like mana but at the same time, vastly different. Therefore, he simply used the word energy, hoping no one would catch on...because if they did, he truly had no exnation. Thankfully, no one questioned him further.


    All was peaceful for a while, if no one ounted to the power and tremors that seeped down from the mountains...until.


    The ground began to shake, at first no one was rmed, thinking it was simply a result from the fight above...until the shaking continued to grow increasingly violent.


    They thought it was an earthquake...until one unfortunate man screamed in pain.


    "Lava! Lava''s rising from below!"

 Chapter 545 [545] Aura(5).

    Chapter 545 [545] Aura(5).


    ??The battle up above was brutal, although only on one side. No matter what the Night Lady tried, ''n'' would always possess a counter to it. Sometimes, her entire arsenal of abilities was used against her!


    The sight of her own special weapon, the arrow, being used against her was harrowing. What added salt to the wound was the fact she was unable to stop it at all! Her vortex was being suppressed by the other vortex belonging to n, and it felt as if her control on reality itself was slipping.


    Such a thing was incredibly dangerous for a being of her caliber, whose senses were much, much greater than the average monster. Furthermore, she was a monster who wielded the element of space and this was her own turf! To be beaten in that regard...and to such an extent was a p across the face!


    It was a humiliation! And yet, despite whatever she tried to do, she could not wrestle for more control at all! The barrier that had been set her surpassed hers by miles, and furthermore...


    She could only try to stall the inevitable. Her grip of the element she had pride was being taken away from her, and she could do nothing to stop it. The vortex up above was like the de of a guillotine, ready to be brought down to her neck.


    The anxiety and fear that it would bring was immense, and now? It was multiplied.


    As she tried her best to regenerate her arm...nothing worked! A surprise look appeared in her eyes as she stared at the remains of her arm, her regenerative capabilities were being suppressed, and this added to her frustration.


    For the first time in the monster''s life, it had been forced into a corner where escape truly seemed impossible.


    In an act of defiance, she hefted the energy she had left and used it to open a portal, but it broke apart into multiple pieces due to the effect of the barrier...but this was actually her n!


    A spatial disturbance was created, and she used the shards of energy that were in the surroundings to attack the monster in front of her. But, the shards simply phased through his body.


    Like it didn''t exist, but was corporeal enough for her to see, and suffer its exact. It was a level of control she couldn''t even fathom, and thus, she subconsciously began to back up.


    Taking steady, but hurried steps. Contemting at...


    What is the best time to run?


    Perhaps it was naive of her to think she could run when the beast in front of her was focused on killing her, but...there should be a chance, right? Her life was more important! Perhaps...if she could escape, then she could have a chance at revenge.


    And thus, with that in mind, she unleashed a massive amount of mana in the surroundings, one that caused the Earth to rise up and create a sort of smokescreen, using that, she ran.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Because the use of space was limited here, she was only able to resort to this. Thankfully, she was a high leveled being, and thus her speed was incredible, furthermore, although her control of space may be limited, her senses of it were not! If the monster behind her decided to teleport to chase after her, she could easily counter that with the help of her senses.


    Or, those were her thoughts before her senses ran wild, sensing multiple portals appearing around her vicinity. A sense of rm appeared from all sides, and her senses were being overwhelmed. She saw a portal open right in front of her, and saw the monster step outside of it.


    She abruptly stopped, and just as she was about to chance direction her neck was grabbed with a fierce grip, enough to hurt but not damage the armor around her neck. Nevertheless, it was shocking.


    The portals were real, but the monster that had stepped out of it was not! Instead, it was an illusion made by space magic...the real one appeared right behind her! Making use of her sharp armor to try to cut the monster, she tried to escape. But at that moment, caught a glimpse of red from the corner of her eyes,ing right at her.


    It took the form of a spear, and pulsed like..va? Her eyes widened into a fearful re as an intense heat appeared around her, cooking her alive.


    But that was not even the worst of it! She could only look on helplessly as the spear ofva, as big as a bus, made its way over to her! The grip on the back of her neck made it impossible for her to escape the monster''s grasps!


    Theva spear mmed right into her, melting the armor on her body and merging the melted pieces of it with her burned skin, some part of theva went as far as inside her body...but her face was the one that was most affected.


    Unlike the armor of the rest of her body, the helmet on her head wasn''t connected to her head...and when it was met with the intense heat of the red, blood-likeva it melted and the molten metal dropped to her face.


    Guttural screams of pain rang out, drowned only by the sound of something burning and melting as the gruesome process continued, where her metallic armor was melded into different parts of her body, which was burned to the extreme. Thankfully, due to the severity of the burns, her nerves had long since died, and she couldn''t feel pain...but that didn''t mean she was alright with it!


    Worse, she could do nothing as death inevitably approached.


    Theva stopped, and the grip on her neck dropped her to the ground. Falling to her knees, her regenerative abilities kicked in and started repairing her body. Unfortunately, whatever power was preventing her from regenerating before was gone...and a gruesome cycle of pain ensued.


    But that was not enough, ''n'' grabbed her head with his two hands and used his strength topress it.


    She couldn''t even scream, as the remains of her helmet werepressed, meeting her bones and cracking them, her skull fractured and brain matter, flesh, and eye fluid escaped the gaps in her helmet as... n sped his hands together. The liquids drooped his hands and onto the ground as a ''thud'' noise was heard.


    The Nightdy was dead, and she died a gruesome death...whether her face was beautiful or not, no one would ever know.

 Chapter 546 [456] Death of The night.

    Chapter 546 [456] Death of The night.


    ??The remains of her body dropped to the ground with a thud, Her head, pulverized.


    The ck vortex in the air, which was already minimal, was nowpletely devoured by the blue vortex, and thus the mountains were dyed blue. There was an odd silence in the area for a bit, as ''n'' watched as the body of the Night Lady turned to dust, his spatial energies devouring her.


    It was...tranquil for a moment, Although the vortex above made for a dreadful sight...it was calm, the floating rocks, the magma around n and even the surrounding lightning produced no sound and peacefully stayed at their positions.


    n took a deep breath, the glow in his eyes fading and his knees crumbling, but there was a strong defiance in his body. As if it didn''t want to exit this state at all, no matter what.


    Thankfully, it was given an excuse to stay. n could support this ''state'' of his for much longer, but there was a strange drain on his reserves of mana and the newfound aura. Although the energy burned bright within him, like a fire, it seemed to be...odd.


    It would flicker in and out of existence, and sometimes re up, as if to fight an invading force.


    However, as his mind was about to awaken and exit this state, the body forced it to sleep once again and relished in the power that was flowing through within it...and it was just at the moment.


    "Get out of here!"


    David''s voice echoed throughout the mountains, ''n'' turned his head to gaze at the direction it came from and he disappeared. He reappeared in front of David, who was at the center of the city, in front of a magic circle.


    However, unlike the previous times, where he would usually scream in fright as n approached, he smiled. It was an odd smile, filled with a coldness like snow and a bitter confidence.


    Shockingly, ''n'' was shoved out of the city! His body collided with an invisible force and surprisingly, even this state of his wasn''t able to fight back as he was pushed towards the sky. He collided with a few buildings as his body was catapulted out of the city.


    He took a moment to regain himself as he floated in the skies, theva rejoined him to offer a protective cover and the rocks as well. Lightning danced around him once more as he stared down at the single alive individual in the city. David Umber, a man that seemed human but was far from it.


    Blood leaked out from all orifices of his face as he put his hands, soaked with his own blood and the blood of giants, on the magic circle.


    "Let''s see you fucking survive this!"


    His crazedughter echoed out as his arms were torn to shreds. The city began to glow as a red mark appeared on n''s chest.


    It was like a hammer, engraved within it was a bolt of lightning and around the hammer were clouds, concealing it from the world. It carved itself into his skin, and although it was annoying, n dismissed it and continued to stare coldly at the city.


    It started to glow a sinister, red hue as an immense wave of mana pulsed out... This was merely the start.


    Tears leaked down David''s cheek as he cried from the pain of activating the city''s true trump card. An ancient spell formation that would use animmense amount of mana to unleash a beam of pure destruction...one that was capable of killing an adult dragon!


    The giants were the enemies of dragons, one of the prominent ones at least...and this was a trump card almost all of their cities had! Unfortunately, the true power of this trump card was unable to be used.


    It could once severely injure several dragons...but now, it had little mana. Of course, even the ''little'' mana it held was enough to power the beam enough to kill a dragon!


    The city began to glow, emit dangerous waves as n, despite being able to disturb the formation, looked on coldly.


    Snorting, he raised his hand and a massive rift opened up in the sky. As the city powered up to unleash it''s attack, he prepared his own.


    David had already expected this, considering the temperament of dragons, he knew that although the formation was easy to disrupt, the monster in the sky wouldn''t do it. Instead, the monster would try to counter it with an attack of his own.


    It was a gamble, which is it failed would be his death, but it worked!


    ''Idiot! The formation is especially effective against all types of dragon magic! Your dead!''


    David was fully convinced this attack would end the monster that had ughtered the Nightdy and his army...and to be fair. He had every right to believe so...because the trump card truly was powerful.


    A ball of red energy materialized above the city, and from the rift in the sky a meteor appeared! The size of a hill or a small mountain, and encased in fire, began to descend.


    However, that was not the end of it! Arge spell formation, in the form of a snowke, appeared right beneath the meteor and covered it in ayer of icy wind and frigid coldness! It extinguished the fire and gave rise to... cial Meteor! The current strongest skill in n''s arsenal, except for Possession.


    It ripped through the air, and produced a sound that would shatter the drums in one''s ears. And at the same time, a beam of red light, half as wide as the meteor, erupted forth from the city and shot upwards.


    The two constructs, each a trump card of their own, collided, and the world below was dyed red, and the world above was dyed blue.


    The spectacle was visible throughout the entire world of Giganta! Where all living beings on the surface looked up to see the spectacle. The ones especially close to it were blinded by the red light, and the barrier n had set up did nothing to conceal the magnificent and deadly splendor.


    The beam of red light melted through the meteor, but the frigid winds and the meteor itself weakened it as it made its way through. Part of the beam went wild in all directions, but it could not sessfully prate the meteor all the way.


    It faded away...but that did not mean the meteor was all right! It cracked to pieces and the pieces, either turned to dust due to the effect of the beam or dropped all around the mountain, but not inside the city.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sweating profusely, Davidughed, but a bitter smile covered his face. He realized he had done enough. An attack like that which n released was sure to have crippled him of his mana reserves, even if he was a dragon!


    With a proud look on his face, he knelt down and began to gasp for breath. He looked up, wanting to see the falling figure of the dragon monster, as...his face paled and lost color.A bitterugh escaped his lips as he resigned himself to his fate, for he...


    "... Haha..."


    He was graced with the sight of three more meteors, descending towards him.

 Chapter 547 [547] Master VS Student.

    Chapter 547 [547] Master VS Student.


    ??Atst, the barrier that spanned the entire mountains disappeared, however the vortex in the sky stayed the same. The people down the mountain had mostly retreated and went back to the base camp on the orders of Oliver and Logan.


    Only a select few were left behind on the mountain, among them, Oliver and Arken stared at the mountain up above.


    Or whatever remained of it at least, Three meteors had crashed into it, ruining the beauty of the mountains but giving it a sense of mysticism. Oliver had his mouth agape, the same with Logan, Only Arken had a cold stare present on his face, one devoid of any surprise.


    "He''s on hisst legs... Perhaps we don''t have to go and can just wait until his body is unable to keep the state active for long."


    Oliver muttered under his breath, but everyone could still hear his words. Part of them were confused, and Logan questioned what he meant. Although he wasn''t that dumb, he already had an idea who he was referring too...but the possibility seemed so impossible he was afraid to ask.


    Sabrina stayed to the side, behind her guards and grandfather, she also looked up at the vortex with an apprehensive look on her face. Only Arken stayed calm. As Oliver continued to mutter and even prepare a few skills, Arken interrupted.


    "No."


    He stopped Oliver, who looked at him with a strange expression.


    "Don''t worry, these skills won''t hurt him. Just put him to sleep."


    He assured, but that was not the cause of Arken''s interruption.


    "He won''t tap out of that state, not for a long while at least."


    Because they were the strongest awakened, their eyes could already see what was happening at the top of the mountain. And they could see a ''weak'' n Pator, struggling to stay on his feet and almost copsing to the ground.


    When Oliver saw that, he was sure that the effects of the aura awakening were wearing off and n was about to wake up soon...but he was wrong.


    "His mind wants to wake up, but his body won''t let it."


    Oliver quickly offered a rebuttal.


    "His body is tired, it can''t possibly fight for long."


    Although he was unparalleled on Earth when it came to mana, Oliver didn''t share the same expertise with aura. Therefore, although he was inclined to believe what Arken was mon sense suggested something else.


    Even with n''s dragon heart to provide mana for the monstrous skills he was using, and his new-found aura. He should be tired. No...N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He must be! His body has to be!


    It wasmon sense! But he chose not to trust it this time and quietly listened to Arken.


    "His body may be tired, but that bloodline of his is an issue. It''s constantly repairing it, and soon it''ll be back at peak condition... The most important thing to it is-"


    "Prioritizing his survival..."


    Sabrina interrupted with a low voice, she was actually mumbling to herself but when she realized she interrupted Arken, she apologized. Arken dismissed it and even smiled.


    "Yep, So...he should be back to peak state right about...now."


    Right on cue, the vortex up in the sky lit up with unprecedented light and increased in size. Likewise, Oliver and Arken could see that n no longer struggled to keep on his feet. His right arm glowing a golden hue. Completely recovered.


    Had Lucas or Alexander awakened their aura in this situation, their bodies would copse halfway through it. Even Arken wouldn''t be able to keep it up as long n had...and the fact that his Phoenix bloodline was persistent in keeping him in that state was an issue. A big one.


    "So, how do we bring him back home?"


    Asked Oliver, having expected an answer...


    Arken smiled, The wrinkles on his face increased, and his bright white teeth were on full disy.


    "Simple, Beat the shit out of him!"


    The rest of the people were a bit confused, and Sabrina''s heart skipped a beat. She med herself for all this mess after all.


    "Sigh..."


    Oliver sighed, and got ready to teleport them both up the mountain but was stopped by Arken.


    "Oh no you don''t. I do this alone. Stay here!"


    "What?! Are you cr-"


    But before he could finish his sentence, Arken disappeared and jumped up the mountain. It took him only three jumps to reach the top. Oliver could only look on silently, sighing.


    Meanwhile, Sabrina reached out of her inventory and donned a big, ck robe.


    On top of the mountain, Arken appeared in front of n, squatting down on a piece of the city as he stared at n, who did the same.


    "Wow."


    There wasplete awe in his voice.


    "Your...using them both. Mana and Aura... Although it ain''t perfect... It''s fucking amazing, brat!"


    He smiled, as his berserker sword rested on his shoulders and a blood-stained armor appeared around his body, incredibly menacing.


    At the same time, A green light appeared around him, and instinctively went out to battle against n''s aura.


    Space turned and churned, as the two energies collided with one another. The smile disappeared from Arken''s face and was reced by a cold, expressionless face.


    "Now... Let''s see what you learned from me..."


    He muttered, as his figure disappeared. Appearing right in front of ''n'' and swinging his sword at such a speed, even ''n'' couldn''t react. Lightning rumbled as Arken''s sword, imbued with it, quaked. He attacked the left side of n''s chest. Aiming at his liver with his...sword.


    However, this time...something else happened. This time, the de didn''t phase through n''s body but struck it! It took even ''n'' by surprise as the sound of metal striking metal was heard, apanied by an electric shock.


    A noticeable cavity appeared on n''s left side as his body was unable to move, itsted only for a second, bute on. It''s the sword saint! He only needed that! With shocking speed, he reached out with his left hand and grabbed n''s face, mming his head down into the mountain.


    "Come on! Show me something."


    He said, with a crazed look.

 Chapter 548 [548] Master VS Student!{2}

    Chapter 548 [548] Master VS Student!{2}


    ??His head was smashed into the ground, and his body was rendered incapable of shock, one from the lightning and another from his blood flow being reversed, travelled through. He was dragged across the ground, his head tearing the rock as the sword saintughed.


    The brutal treatmentsted only for a second before n''s Phoenix bloodline kicked in and healed his body. In an instant, He grabbed the Sword saint''s hand and threw him away with his strength...or that''s what he tried to.


    "Do you think I''m weak?"


    The sword saint''s hand was still on his head, unmoving. His sword was raised high up, and he intended to stab through n like a skewer through a kebab!


    But at that moment, n''s body disappeared. The sword saint chucked as he turned around quickly, his sword still raised up.


    "Predictable!"


    He shouted as he swung down, behind him where ''n'' reappeared. ''n'' caught the sword by sping his hands around the broad part of it. Thankfully, the berserker sword was huge, making such a thing possible. It was quite easy as well, considering the sword was more of a block of metal.


    However, in the next moment, The sword saint extended his left hand, but didn''t attack. His fingers were an inch away from n''s chest. Where he quickly curled them and unleashed a fist.


    A fist strike so powerful it sent an actual wave across n''s body, his muscles were like water as they rose and fell, and his chest caved in. ...his ribs were definitely done for.


    He was sent flying, but even then the Sword saint was unrelenting, jumping towards him, he raised his sword high again, but before he could swing down a word escaped ''n''s'' mouth.


    "TERRA!"


    The earth beneath Arken rose up and covered him in a ball of solid rock. He broke through, but was greeted by a stone pir to the face, followed by more, each the width of a human, striking him at multiple parts of his body. Thankfully, his armor blocked most of the hits.


    He let out an uproariousugh, and yelled.


    "That''s it! That''s how you do it!"


    With a brand-new fervor filling him, he sprinted towards n, brandishing his sword. It glowed with a green and blood-like light, as golden lightning sparked around it. Arken''s eyes also glowed golden, and he seemedpletely absorbed in the fight.


    But it was at that moment, that a spear appeared in n''s hand, Arken''s smile widened as he saw the familiar and in a thrill, he was about to say something when...the spear changed! It was like liquid, and it changed into the form of a ck sword...and Arken saw the figure of a man, d in eastern ck clothing with vibrant, long ck hair appear behind n.


    He abruptly stopped and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them up again, he didn''t see the man and the spear was the same...it hadn''t changed into a sword.


    ''An illusion?''


    He wondered, as he dismissed it soon enough and waited for n toe towards him. Which happened fairly quickly. With a primal roar, he wielded his spear and took the stance of a thrusting movement.


    He appeared right in front of Arken, and unleashed []. A move from the chaotic spear series. Arken sensed the danger within the skill and used his aura to cover his sword, which he used as a shield. The sword was big enough for it anyway.


    The spear collided with the sword, and sent a st of mana so big it reached downwards and caused a rock slide to descend. Furthermore, Arken''s body went numb as the shock travelled through his sword and onto his body.


    "Ugh..."


    He groaned, as his body shook violently, the abundant and terrifying energy releases from the attack attacked him ruthlessly.


    n wasn''t even bothering to use the Spear Saint''s techniques! He went straight to his strongest!


    "Alright... You wanted this."


    Arken said, as he too unleashed an attack from his own five-


    star technique. His sword quaked with otherworldly power as it descended on n, who blocked it with his spear.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The strike was powerful enough to crush the ground beneath him, and the pressure it released caused a massive cut to appear on the ground, one that looked a crevice in the mountain.


    They both moved, and exchanged over a hundred blows in seconds, the blows increased from hundreds to thousands and sparks filled the air.


    n teleported numerous times, but each time he did he would be caught by the sword saint, who would appear in front of him and attack again.


    "You fool! You still have the habit of using your eyes to tell the enemy where you will teleport!"


    Unresponsive to his taunts, ''n'' unleashed a flurry of magic attacks, each of which were precisely aimed at the Sword Saint''s vital organs, however each attack was blocked by a bloody sword that sprouted from the sword saint''s armor.


    Just like that, n and the sword saint reached a standstill, where although each of them attacked with utter ferocity, no one was able to get the upper hand on the other.


    The Sword Saint realized this, and backed up. n followed to unleash [Abyssal Rend] but was stopped by the Sword Saint.


    "Path of Redeemed Steel."


    He said, as the world turned red and a blood moon appeared in the sky, corpses filled the ground as the Sword saint looked coldly at n.


    n, feeling the weight of the domain forcing him to go down, snorted, and rose into the air. With his spear held in front of him, he pointed it down on the ground as an intense amount of mana erupted forth from him. One that caused even the sword saint to gasp in shock.


    A panicked look appeared on his face as he instinctively let out a curse.


    "Ah, shit."


    He braced himself, as the mana that n released was finally given shape.


    [Chaotic Spear(7-Stars)]


    ---Third Movement---


    ///Void Spiral\\\

 Chapter 549 [549] Void Spiral.

    Chapter 549 [549] Void Spiral.


    ??The third technique in the chaotic spear set series. Although it was not an average spear move like a thrust, stab or a cut...it was a unique type of technique.


    A technique more specialized to decimate an army or the poption of a with ease. And Sword Saint Arken was feeling the pressure from it. Up in the skies, a vortex of blue appeared and blotted out the entire sky.


    The clouds, the stars in the sky this high up disappeared and were reced by the blue vortex. Then, from the vortex came spears.


    Countless they were. Each the size of a small building. They wererge enough to impale one of the mammoths found here! And this was merely the beginning stages of the technique. Aranus was able to materialize spears the size of mountains!s even!


    But by no means was this version of it to be underestimated. The pressure those spears indicated, as they took their ce in the skies, was suffocating, the entire world seemed to tremble as n waved his hands. And all hell let loose. The spears descended.


    "..."


    Speechless, the sword saint recollected himself by taking a deep breath, and took a stance of his own. Otherworldly power flowed through him as he snorted.


    "Let''s see whose technique is stronger, brat."


    He jumped up, and cleaved with his sword. Unleashing the third technique of his own martial art, the [Earthly Split].


    The world seemed to tremble even more, as a visible rift opened up that swallowed some of the spears. The ''sh'' continued to go upward, but was stopped by the volley of spears.


    Although it had managed to reduce the number of the spears...more simply took their ces as an endless rain of death descended over the mountains. Clicking his tongue and admitting the inferiority of his technique, Sword Saint Arken jumped up.


    The spears, instead of raining down aimlessly, all converged to meet Arken and stop his ascent. He gritted his teeth and unleashed another Earthly split, followed by another, and another!


    A total of five times! And even that only provided a slight opening which he had a small-time frame to slip through.


    However, even as he was about to approach n, more spears materialized and made their way towards him. Uponying his eyes on the shocking sight, he was baffled and he shouted.


    "Do you have infinite mana or something?!"


    To his surprise, five cial meteors descended immediately after he made that statement. As if his question was met with its answer. A brutal, ''Yeah, what are you going to do about it?.''


    Gritting his teeth and even drawing on his own life force, he hefted his sword once more as he used the fourth technique of his martial art, [Heavenly Split].


    But just like his third technique, he didn''t use it once. He used it five times, each to cut the different meteors.


    The meteor in front of him was cut in half, and ran through the half to reach n, where a chill ran down his spine.


    Trusting his instincts, he forgot all caution and holding back and immediately used the most powerful technique in his arsenal.


    The final movement in his arsenal, and the strongest!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Wordly Split!]


    The technique that almost split a continent in half before! One that caused all demons on Earth to tremble with fear when its name was mentioned.


    A blinding light appeared as a crescent of aura exited the arc produced by Arken''s sword, and headed towards n with a speed incapable of being seen with the naked eye. The world beyond the mountains shook as the intense light became a sort of sun in the dark of the night.


    It cut apart everything that stood in its way, like a hot knife through butter, and reached n...and yet when it was about to unleash its devastating power on him.


    Something opposed it. A crescent arc, like itself. However, it possessed a bright blue hue and shone with the same intense light as the arc that opposed it. Yes, it was Abyssal Rend! The techniques of the Chaotic Spear arts were unleashed one by one, and each possessed enough power to force the sword saint into a corner!


    It happened in the span of a second, the two arcs collided with one another, the energies within them fought like wild beasts, unleashing lightning that rumbled as it reached the world below, as it blew open craters!


    The collision of the arcs forced back all living beings observing the spectacle on the mountains. Oliver hurriedly cast a shield, but even that was cracking apart. Meanwhile, Sabrina held a blue crystal in her hands, hidden with the help of her robe.


    The battle upwards continued...until the blue light disappeared! Vanishing without a single trace, it could not match up to the golden arc. Although it had been weakened significantly, it still hit n, causing a deep gash that revealed his bones to appear on his upper body. Oozing a lot of blood as well.


    The sword saint appeared above him, and mmed him down with the blunt part of his sword. He crashed down to the ground below. Only to be met with Sword Saint''s knee. The sword saint had started to descend the moment n was crashing downwards, with his knee aimed at his student''s face!


    The bone''s in n''s face, as sturdy as they were cracked and his face was disfigured. But even still, the boy was able to throw the sword saint off. The sword saint was unleashing a flurry of blows, leveraging his position until...he saw he was punching a rock! His body had been teleported.


    He began to move, but found that he could no longer lift his feet without the help of aura. A purple field sprang, as multiple pieces of debris began to float.


    But that was not what caught his attention. The increasing gravity was pared to the pressure from above!


    He craned up his neck to see what was the reason...and his face lost color as he saw what appeared to be an eye...blotting the entire sky!


    It was so big that it covered everything! And he was unable to see it all at once. It was illusory...but that did not mean it was an illusion. The pressure it radiated was enough to make him tremble, as if he were in the presence of a beast that must never, ever be provoked. The eye of a beast so iprehensiblyrge, a fucking was smaller than it. If the sword saint was a little bit below, where Oliver and the rest were...he would be able to see that it was not aneye.


    But rather simply the pupil.


    The mountain began to be ttened, as the rock waspressed or simply pushed beneath due to the insane pressure. And The Sword Saint felt...fear.


    The fear of death he hadn''t felt in a long time.


    He saw n appear right in front of him, and even in the presence of the dominating eye, he gritted his teeth and used all the mana and aura he could muster to unleash an attack. Another Worldly Split.


    n reached out with his fist, one that had a small, ck sphere with a golden light around it forming at the front. It was incredibly small, almost invisible, but it was there!


    The sword saint''s sword was slower than the first, and it reached his left abdomen, and began to unleash havoc...until a wave of energy he could not feel spread out, covering n, along with the words the sword saint couldn''t hear.


    "I''m sorry... Sorry!"


    And then, his body stopped moving. His body fell to the ground, unmoving. Barely sparing the sword saint''s life.

 Chapter 550 [550] Calamity has been stopped.

    Chapter 550 [550] Cmity has been stopped.


    ??"Ha..."


    A gasp escaped the mouth of the sword saint, as he stumbled backwards. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A searing pain was felt on his lower abdomen, his armor had evaporated and revealed an injury that seemed like cancer. It was a wound that oozed the color of blue, and spread out in cracks. His blood seeped out.


    He used his sword to bnce himself, wondering how and why n had suddenly fallen unconscious to the ground. However, he was in no state to ponder for long.


    The blow, he failed to block, was devastating...even though it hadn''t even hit himpletely. The ck sphere on the tip of n''s fist filled him with such fear he stopped thinking, and acted on instinct, using whatever time he had to try to block it.


    But he simply wasn''t fast enough...and if n hadn''t fallen unconscious, he would have died. There was no doubt in his mind.


    The missing piece in his armor was proof that the blow would have killed him. His body wasn''t strong enough...but then.


    ''Why did he...fall?''


    The question gued, as he used a valuable potion to get back to his feet, however the wound still remained, and it stung like a bitch.


    He stood up, and went close to n, bent down and examined his body.


    "All his vital signs are okay... So why?"


    He could also sense the seed of aura that had sprouted, therefore...he was led to one conclusion even after examining his body for so long.


    "Perhaps the bloodline ran out of energy..."


    Bloodline energy was different from mana and aura, so perhaps that was the case... Maybe n''s Phoenix bloodline, as overpowered as it was, couldn''t support the state of aura for any longer.


    Perhaps the body had to finally sumb to the power, and copsed.


    But...his current state did not show that that had happened...it was as if he had just gone asleep.


    "..."


    He decided to just forget about it right now. And took care of his injuries and waited for Oliver and the rest toe.


    He couldn''t heal the wound on his abdomen no matter what. All he could do was stop the pain with the help of potions. He figured Oliver would have a better solution to it. He waited for them, but during his wait he looked at the surroundings.


    "Huh?"


    They seemed...weird! The mountain peaks, as destroyed as they were, the meteors that had fallen to the ground, the snow...nothing was there anymore!


    The sky, as odd as it seemed, was farther away, and he soon saw Oliver and the rest rushing towards him, he came to a realization.


    One that sent a shiver down his spine.


    The mountain range had been ttened.


    "Haha..."


    He let out a bitterugh, staring at the sky where therge eye was a few moments.


    Shortly after, Oliver appeared and went towards him.


    "Are you good?"


    He asked, worried about his friend. He looked at the wound on Arken and grimaced. Sabrina bent over towards n, casting a few healing spells with aplicated expression on his face, One that was almost guilty.


    "Take care of him first, He''s more injured than me."


    Arken said to Oliver, worried about n more. Although he spotted no outside injuries, he suspected that his internals were probably a mess.


    "I already checked him with a skill, he''s fine...you however..."


    Like he said, Oliver already used an inspection skill on n when he arrived here, checking to see his condition first. He already knew n was rtively fine, just asleep. Also, he had Sabrina to check on him as well, who was already a great healer.


    Arken''s injuries were more serious. The wound on his abdomen was worrying him. He could feel arge amount of mana within it, that was slowly invading Arken''s body, evident by the fading color of his face.


    He had no time to even argue about what had happened, the mountain range ttening, and the vortex in the sky, as well as Arken being forced to use his strongest techniques...and how n still seemed rtively unharmed.


    He picked Arken up with the help of his magic, and told Logan to pick n up, although he could teleport, his ability to do so wasn''t as powerful as n''s. He could only manage short distances and not do something as reality breaking asary teleportation.


    They both rushed to the portal, along the way they made routine stops to treat Arken, whose wound pulsed. The blue lines spread throughout his body, and Oliver and Sabrina used their entire arsenal to heal him. He was coughing blood more often now.


    "Just...hurry back home."


    However, Arken used a special medicine in his inventory and could finally walk. He urged the rest to go back home to Earth as soon as possible, and despite having their doubts, they obliged.


    They hurried back, meeting no resistance by any monsters or other creatures and finally entered the portal back to Earth.


    Oliver took both n and Arken back to shield, to personally take care of them, Leaving Sabrina and her grandfather behind.


    "Sigh..."


    Logan sighed, feeling the headache that wasing on. Now that everyone knew of the existence of the portal...theplications that would arise would be difficult to deal with. It would be very exhausting.


    "Also, What did you back there?"


    Suddenly, turned around and looked Sabrina right in the eyes. Sabrina, who clearly hadn''t expected this, froze, and stuttered as she spoke.


    "Wh-what do you mean?"


    Logan, a bit surprised at his granddaughter stuttering, said.


    "You''re smart enough to know lying is useless, Sabrina. I saw you hide a blue crystal or something in your robe."


    However, his granddaughter did not respond. As suspicious of the situation as he was, he let it go and told her.


    "We will talk about thister."


    He left, leaving the girl frozen in ce. Unsure of what to do, She sighed and followed her grandfather, preparing to take a while to process what happened and also...how to apologize.

 Chapter 551 [551] Taking A break.

    Chapter 551 [551] Taking A break.


    ??"Ugh..."


    I groaned, and tried to open my eyes.Greeted by a familiar ceiling and unnaturally bright lights, I was temporarily blinded and closed my eyes out of reflex.


    "Why is it so bright..."


    I questioned, massaging my eyes. Snorting, I opened them once again and adjusted to the light. It still stung for some reason. I stood up and examined the room.


    It was my room, back in Shield, The dorm room I had due to my position as a top 10 student... Wait.


    It''s the second year... Am I still in the top 10? I haven''t done anything to keep my position...


    Never mind that, I took a deep breath, my throat was parched.


    ''I need to drink something.''


    The thirst had taken over my mind...


    I got up, walking to the fridge to get something to drink. Along the way, My eyes felt particrly sensitive, as if a new...world had opened. I could see scant particles of mana floating around and about in my room, of different colors.


    Finally getting a bottle of water to drink, I emptied the entire thing, murmuring.


    "A little of salt...and what''s the sweet thing?"


    I could taste minute quantities of salt in it...and something sweet? I don''t know what that is...probably sugar.


    Sitting down on a chair, I massaged my hair as I muttered to myself.


    "So they took me back here, huh..."


    Previously, my sensitive eyes and parched throat had upied my mind, but now that I had drunk something, I could finally think...especially about what had happened.


    Unlike my expectations, I remembered everything that happened back in Giganta to the most minute detail. What I had done to the city, to the giants, to the mountain...and most importantly...


    "To master..."


    Guilt filled me, as well as an unknown fear. I was not conscious during the state in which I was using Aura and Mana together, but when I woke up, everything came to my mind like a tidal wave, vivid memories of what had urred.


    The attacks I had used...and also how I had utilized both energies, but at the same time, that knowledge was muddled.


    I could see that I used both aura and mana together, but...how? I tried to recollect, but the information was removed from my brain. Furthermore, I remembered everything else perfectly, but that was the only thing I couldn''t remember.


    "Ah, whatever."


    After pondering for a while, I finally decided to leave the issue and took to taking care of myself. Getting into the lotus position, I used my mana...as well as my aura to search within my body.


    I used mana first, and the state of the mana inside my body was the same... No.


    It was somewhat enhanced, and seemed to take its own ce instead of roaming freely around my body, It was centered around my heart, And although most of it was there, there was still some everywhere else in my body, although in little amounts...


    However, there was a region where it wasn''t there. In my dantian region. There was not a speck of mana there...and since I was using mana to see inside my body, I could see nothing there.


    Dispelling my body search with mana, I tried to use aura. It seemed familiar to mana, and the usage was almost the same, However...it was slower than my mana. For now, at least. With it, the rest of my body became dark and like an empty vessel, but my dantian was a shining light. Almost blinding.


    I knew that the ''dark'' areas of my body were filled with mana, But I could not see them because I was utilizing aura at the moment. I searched deeper into my dantian.


    The aura here, while a simr color to my blue mana, had a tinge of purple mixed in it, seeming almost astral.


    It stayed still mostly, and I could sense the waves of power rolling out from it. I definitely need to ask Master and the others more about it...


    Deep within, at the center of dantian was a small seed, It was blue, and had a wooden exterior that had spirals all around it.


    I couldn''t approach it further, So I simply left it alone for now. Thinking:


    ''I''ll probably figure out what that is soon...''


    I thought to myself, and left it at that. Taking a deep breath, I tried to move the mana around my body and was relieved to see it flowed normally, then I tried aura.


    "Ugh..."


    Yeah, I expected a problem like this. Just when I had tried to move my aura out of my dantian, I found it shing against the mana in my body, like two armies at war.


    I expected this, So I made the mana move away and let the aura go unhindered to my right hand.


    I raised my hand, which was now encased with a blue fire, that seemed ethereal.


    "It''s got my space element alright."


    I mused, as I waved my hand. The fire behaved like ordinary fire, just it seemed like an illusion. I then tried moving my hand with force, and could see a small rift open up. It consumed some of my aura.


    The rift cracked the air, and although I didn''t know what I could do with it right now, I would figure it out. Perhaps it can be used to divert attacks with the suction force around it.


    Speaking of suction force, I was reminded of the final attack I had used against master.


    I know how I did it...but at the same time I was afraid of using it here, I might destroy the entire building with it...


    Supposedly, I created a gravity fieldrge enough and used the power of gravity to create a strong suction force, then concentrated on my fist, it made a small ck hole, although that was probably fake.


    If it was an actual one, I was dead, Not only me...but the entire was going with me. It was nothingpared to a real one, but it was still formidable.


    Although, it required both mana and aura, so I doubt I can use it to it''s full right now, But I definitely can recreate it with one of the two energies.


    There were also the other attacks, The eye in the sky I was clueless about, as well as the vortex.


    I could see that I made them, and ''how'' I made them, But I couldn''t understand how I did it. Am I perhaps too stupid to get it?


    Leaving it for the moment, I stood up and walked over to my bed, where mymunicator was. I need to talk to some people, However...before I found mymunicator, I found a folded piece of paper beside my drawer.


    I unfolded the piece of paper and read the words written within.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 552 [552] Taking A Break [2]

    Chapter 552 [552] Taking A Break [2]


    ??[I''m sorry, I''ll try my best to make up for it but I hope you understand...]


    I read the words written in fancy ass cursive writing, and sighed. Of course, the letter was from Sabrina, who was apologizing for her actions back on Giganta.


    "So it was you..."


    I muttered to myself, When I was attacking the sword saint with myst attack, which would have killed him, my body felt strange. I could feel it as my fist reached the sword saint, something that surpassed the limits of my mentality and my physique.


    And rendered me incapable of doing anything in a second, like my soul was suppressed.


    I had my doubts...but it actually was her. I had felt the pressure and I knew about Sabrina having my ''soul crystal'' with her. Something that still irked me.


    To this day, I don''t understand why Lanesha or Suleras did that, I can''t even hope to understand it.


    "Sigh..."


    However, I would be a fool if I were to be mad at her for using at that time, I would have killed the Sword Saint if it had not happened. She did a good job, and she doesn''t need to apologize. But I do understand why she feels like it''s necessary.


    Imagine having your entire body, at the peak of its ability, suppressed and forced into unconsciousness.


    ''Well, I don''t have to imagine.''


    I chuckled, as I tossed the note down andid down on my bed, taking mymunicator I was about to call her when I noticed the time.


    "Damn, She should be in ss."


    It''s the middle of ss right now, so I simply left her a message. I called Sir Oliver.


    [You woke up?]


    He picked it up rather quickly, and before I could even say a greeting he asked that...


    "Yes, Can I know how long I was asleep for?"


    I didn''t check the date when I went inside the portal thest time, so I was truly clueless, All I knew was that the second year at shield had begun. So naturally, I was curious.


    [It''s been a month and a half.]


    "¡­!"


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ''Damn.''


    A moment of silence ensued as I processed the time period, and in my shock I muttered.


    "... A month?"


    The response came in quick.


    [A month ''and a half''. You slept like a baby the entire time. You''re way behind on your schedule on both school and guild activities, furthermore, Do you know what rank you are right now? You may still be in the top ten, but you''ve dropped due to 5th due to your poor performance and absence!]


    "..."


    Instead of an exnation of what had happened during the month and a half I was unconscious, I got an earful instead.


    "But it wasn''t my fault..."


    [The period of absence wasn''t. But how could you have such a low score in the academic tests!? You passed the physical and mana tests with flying colors, but do you know of how much of a blow you suffered with the theory?! If not for Sabrina helping you, you would have dropped out of the top 10 already.]


    "... Ok. I''ll improve my scores..."


    [Furthermore, do you know how much trouble your guild mate is causing?! Kazikato is just like you!]


    ''Wait, why is he getting invo-''


    Before I could even pose a retort, I was stopped by Sir Oliver''s words, apanied by a sigh.


    [Sigh...]


    "Sorry..."


    I could do nothing but apologize...but hey this is unfair! In my heart, I was already cursing him at the unfairness of this situation. He''s beingpletely shameless! Did he forget that just before the Academic Convergence, we were at Terra Damnum?! Sure, we teleported to shield to do the tests but...


    Wait, never mind, he did give us sses and kept us on schedule even though we were training.


    Wait! We were training! Of course, my results in theory would be subpar!


    Wait...the numbers for theory are calcted taken every test taken throughout the year into consideration...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But hold on! He is still shameless! I was unconscious for a month! You cannot possibly me me for my absence!


    Wait... Never mind, Sir Oliver did say my absence was excused...but what the fuck is he bringing Kazikato in for?!


    What did he do that caused me trouble? He''s shameless!


    Wait, never mind. Top ten students can issue letters of rmendation...


    ''Fuck.''


    ... That bastard did something wild even though he came here through my rmendation! And that put me in jeopardy!


    ''I''ll skin you alive when I see you!''


    I thought as I gritted my teeth, Although I do not know what he did... It must be bad if the fucking principal brought it up! Shit!


    "Sigh..."


    I think I''m sighing too much...just like Sabrina.


    "Anything else?"


    I cautiously asked, afraid that there would be more. But thankfully, there wasn''t.


    "Can you please exin what happened when I was asleep?"


    I was curious about a lot of things, I know the existence of the portal could not be kept a secret after all that fiasco, I just want to know how far things have progressed...and what kind of situation Twilight is in right now.


    The significance of the portal is simply too grand... Humans are a greedy species by nature, which adds to my worry.


    [It''s at a stalemate. Not long after, the existence of the portal spread to every corner of the world and Askolt is crowded, with officials from every guild and the world government. It''s hard for even shield to handle the pressure, since I was sighteding outside the portal...along with your Master. But the attention isn''t on him. Twilight is having a hard time managing everyone...]


    ''Hmm...as expected.''


    It''s going right as I predicted. Handling the pressure from every guild on the, the association, and also the world government...I don''t even want to think about how the distribution rights will be managed.


    The worst scenario would be the other parties uniting with one another andpletely depriving Twilight of the rights to ess the portal. It sounds absurd...but it is possible.


    However, no matter what I had expected would happen...what Sir Oliver said next was not even in my wildest imaginations.

 Chapter 553 [553] Its not just humans.

    Chapter 553 [553] It''s not just humans.


    ??[It''s not just humans.]


    "Pardon?"


    What do you mean by that? Have the demon''s waged an attack for the portal?


    ''It''s...usible.''


    Getting spatial coordinates is hard even for them, so I understand why they are keen to get the portal.


    [The Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs came to pay a visit.]


    "..."


    ''What?''


    A period of utter silence, one greater than when I was informed of the duration of my sleep. One iprehensiblyrger than that... I couldn''t even find words to think about, let alone speak.


    Sir Oliver expected it, and thus continued, not caring about the state of my mind.


    [Some are currently staying here at Shield, don''t worry about the Elves, at most they will simply offer congrattions. Just don''t piss them off, It''s unlike them to start a fight first. They won''t covet the resources of a single...but be aware of the Dwarves and Orcs, though. Try not to fight them or piss them off in any way.]


    I was still silent, unable to mutter any more words. But thankfully, I was able to calm down.


    "... Am I in a dream?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I asked halfheartedly, it was meant to be a joke to calm myself down. It didn''t work.


    [No, unfortunately this is reality. Twilight isn''t suffering as much due to humanitying together to keep the portal ours. I don''t know of the aftermath.


    Just remember, stay low!]


    With that, the call ended, and I put mymunicator down, unwilling to call anyone else.


    "Haaa...."


    Taking a deep sigh, Iid down on my bed and decided to sleep. Sir Oliver told me to stay low, so I should probably stay inside.


    However, I found it hard to stay asleep...


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha asks if something is disturbing you.]


    Ah, perfect timing.


    "Can you tell me about the other races? I assume you''re aware of the situation."


    Lanesha should be able to give me some information at least, Unlike Sabrina, I haven''t studied extensively about the other species. Lanesha must know of the situation right now, I have some other questions I want to ask her, but they will have to wait for now.


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha tells you not to worry about the Elves, reveal your status as a dragon, and they will serve you.]


    Makes sense, Elves are the servants of dragons, I assume they won''t be ill-mannered or anything like that. Besides, Elves are much, much more proficient in the spatial element. They probably have a dozen or mores under them. They won''t go after ours.


    Orcs and Dwarves should have a few under them as well...but they are different from the elves. They express more greed. I really need to be careful with them...


    [Supreme Dragon of Ice Lanesha suggests you stay away from the dwarves, they are cocky and arrogant, just like fire dragons. Orcs you don''t need to worry about much.]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I sensed some prejudice in her voice when she mentioned the dwarves, especially with the ''fire dragon'' part. She is the supreme of the ice dragons...so there should exist a natural enmity among them.


    I wonder how deep it is, nevertheless, I am just going to sleep.


    I can''t encounter those species if I''m in my room!


    "Haha!"


    Iughed to myself, and closed my eyes. Only to be awakened by a loud sound.


    ''Boom!''


    Like that of an explosion, a heavy metallic door, or whatever remained of it, fell on my face and crushed my bed as I heard voices that didn''t sound human.


    "Human! We''vee to challenge the strongest one here!"


    "Who was the one that crafted this shit of a ring?!"


    I removed the metallic door from my face and stood up, ring at the intruders.


    ''Fucks sake.''


    I cursed, my blood boiling.


    ******


    The sight in front of n was quite peculiar. Three orcs, each taller than him by a head or two, with green skin covered in tattoos and tusks that protruded from their mouths, wearing what appeared to a leather-metallic armor. They all wielded menacing battleaxes. They appear to be at the peak of rank B, and there were also two dwarves.


    The size of a teenager, and they defied the normal expectations of dwarves... Old men with big ass beards. They had luscious hair, but no facial hair at all. Like a peeled potato. One held a spatial ring in his hand, whilst the other a stone hammer.


    "..."


    It was strange, but the anger that was boiling inside him was going to make n do something he knew Oliver was going to beat the shit out of him for.


    He restrained himself...but when he saw the lead orc walk into his room, into his fucking carpet with his dirty feet, leaving marks, his head was as red as a chili!


    Furthermore, when the dwarves walked in with their muddy boots and worsening his carpet! The motherfuckers stepped onto his fucking sofas!


    "...!"


    "Human! I challenge you to rest in this abode!"


    The lead orc said and waited for n to take out his weapon. He appeared to be the strongest of the three of them, and held his head high with confidence. However, it wasmendable he didn''t start the fight immediately and waited for n to respond.


    "... You want to challenge me for what?"


    The orc happily responded.


    "For the right of this abode! I want to stay here until the elders are done with their talks! You were the only one who was at their abode, it would be rude to take over one when there is no one to defend it!"


    "..."


    n sighed, some of his anger dissipated when he saw the orc was at least being respectful and kept his distance.


    "Alright..."


    He braced his fists, and the orc brandished his axe. An orc from behind shouted.


    "Begin!"


    The next moment, the young orc was sent flying outside the building, shattering the ss window outside n''s dorm.


    "Strong!"


    "Strong!"


    The two orcs shouted, and the dwarves had their eyes wide.


    The other two orcs issued simr challenges with a wide smile on their faces...even as they met the same fate as the orc from before.


    The dwarves, tiptoed outside the dorm room and tried to escape when they were grabbed by the neck and lifted in the air.


    "Where the fuck do you think you''re going?"


    "Unhand us filthy human! Do you know who we a-"


    "Shut the fuck up and clean the mess you made with your boots! And what did you say about my rings?"


    He threw them back inside, and basically beat them like dogs until they cleaned his room.

 Chapter 554 [554] Its not just humans.[2]

    Chapter 554 [554] It''s not just humans.[2]


    ??"So, what were you saying about my rings?"


    After the dwarves had cleaned his room, albeit unwillingly. n had decided to ask them about the reason for them barging into his room. He could understand the orcs...but why the dwarves?


    The younger dwarf, stayedpletely silent and didn''t answer at all, whilst the older dwarf was fidgeting.


    n caught sight of it, but simply eyed the dwarf, waiting for him to say something of his own ord. IT was clear that the dwarf was going to say something soon enough, with how much he was shaking.


    It was as if he was fighting a war inside his mind, but eventually, the opposing side that didn''t care for his safety won and he blurted out.


    "Your rings are shit!"


    ''Yeah, I expected that.''


    The dwarf continued.


    "What''s the bullshit with the 64 item things or something? Why is it item-based? Sure, it got some strengths, but it''s simply impractical! The only good thing is how the mana was infused into it! It''s trash!"


    "..."


    n stayed silent, thinking over the dwarf''s words. He wasn''t that wrong, and quite frankly...his words did make some sense.


    Back when he first thought of making spatial equipment, he was simply a novice with the element and therefore had no experience, furthermore, his rings were more or less inspired from the standard inventory of role-ying video games that Jame''s put into his mind.


    He simply had those memories of an inventory or something like that, and thus used that to make his spatial rings.


    It wasn''t that bad of an idea with the resources he had at the time, but he had heard of how the different species, mainly Elves and dwarves, made their spatial equipment. Elves would also do it in the form of rings, but dwarves would rather do it with somethingrger, like a satchel, topensate for theircking mana infusion ability.


    However, they were simr in the way that they made a space to store their items, instead of doing it by the item-standard that n used. He had thought about, but ultimately he didn''t have enough time to do it, so he simply stuck to his own methods.


    The dwarf''s face went pale when he remembered the boy in front of him ad thrown male orcs out of the window with one punch! Yet the artistic side of him still blurted his thoughts out! What a fool he was!


    He was going to meet a fate like them soon! He was a dwarf, although they do have stronger bodies, they didn''tpare to that of the orcs! Likewise, he would suffer severe injuries from a fall of this height!


    "Hmmm..."


    He saw the human in front of him take a deep sigh, and then start to rub his chin. He gulped, fearing the inevitable, but rather something else happened!


    "Alright, what you say does make some sense, How do you do it?"


    ''... What?''


    The dwarf, bbergasted, couldn''t utter anything other than:


    "What?"


    n answered, with a hint of annoyance.


    "How did you do it? How do you create the space within the item to store things in? What are the conditions to make it stable, and what defines the limit of the space inside?"


    He asked. He thought it would be better to hear it from someone who had made it or had experience with them before experimenting on his own.


    It would be great to get some advice...that would save him some money.


    However, when he saw that, the dwarf was still dumbstruck. He noticed the satchel he was wearing and took it. The satchel floated due to being affected by his mana and stopped right in front of him.


    The dwarves were shocked by his expertise in controlling mana, but he couldn''t care less.


    He sent his mana into the satchel, and dismissing the dwarves stuff, he decided to study the satchel and it''s insides.


    He first noticed that it was simr to his ring, where the material mattered most. It depended on how attuned to mana it was, and how well it could handle the changes and properties of spatial mana.


    That wouldn''t be too hard... The dwarves obviously used a satchel because it was a bigger material to hold more mana. They couldn''t manipte mana like the elves, after all. n figured he could do the same with the ring. His control was above that of even elves, after all.


    But...something stumped him.


    "How exactly do you create the space inside?"


    He could see the space inside the bag... the walls were covered with cracks, like the cracks in old and hard leather. Spatial energy seeped out of them and some items went inside those cracks. Where they went he had no idea.


    The space was as big as a standard truck, and it held a lot of stuff.


    "Hmm..."


    No matter how much he studied it, he couldn''t figure out how the space was created. It was like a dimension within the satchel...and it seemed impossible to him. He was about to use his dragon eyes when he caught sight of the dwarves wide eyes, looking at him with rage and fear.


    "How dare you search my satchel?!"


    The short, stumpy dwarf stomped his feet and snatched the satchel from the air. n looked at him curiously. Did he break a rule or something?


    ''Ah, probably shouldn''t have peeked at his personal stuff.''


    "Sorry, Can you tell me how you create a space inside the satchel? It''s got cracked walls, but I can''t figure out how you managed to do it."


    "You thief! I''ll kill you!"


    He tried apologizing, but the dwarf was so angry with him that he forgot about what happened with the orcs. With his face as red as fire, heunched a fist coated in mana towards n...


    Who caught it and threw the dwarf outside, where the orcs were. Whether the bodies of the orcs acted as cushions or not...his luck would decide.


    n eyed the younger dwarf and asked him the same question, however, before he could answer he heard a beep from hismunicator.


    "Hmm?"


    [Warning: Personal Forge has been broken into. Activate defenses?]


    "..."


    Too many things were happening... Especially when he was supposed to keep a low profile. His personal forge in shield was being raided... And he didn''t have to think hard about who it was.


    Students interested in artifact creation could request for their own forges, n, who created spatial rings was also applicable for one with forge...


    But now, the forge that had his rings was being raided!


    Taking another sigh, he grabbed the little dwarf and opened up a portal.


    ''Sir Oliver is gonna beat the shit out of me.''


    He thought, by this point he seemed to have epted the fact that the original n to maintain a low profile had failed spectacrly. Oliver would be pissed...


    He stepped inside the portal and appeared in front of his forge. The door had met a simr fate to his own dorm door. And multiple dwarves were raiding the ce, where he kept some of his dungeon loot and spatial equipment. Rings, bracelets etc...


    "Such trash."


    "Why are there so many? Is he so proud of creating these impractical things?"


    They went on and on, ignoring the fact that the owner had appeared. To get their attention, n cleared his throat.


    However, that did not work. Therefore he resorted to using his mana to get their attention.


    Th dwarves felt the mana and finally turned their heads, staring at the person standing in the door... Who was holding one of them in his hands.


    "Save me!"


    "Would you mins leaving my forge?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    n asked politely, trying to stay as low as possible... However bleak that may be.


    The dwarves clicked their tongues when they saw the little dwarf in his hands. n thought that maybe that would convince them to leave but they simply grunted and went back to raiding his forge.


    "No."


    One of them answered.


    "Fuck off."


    Another added. Visible veins appeared on n''s head as he tried his best to calm down!


    "Such trash."


    ...


    "Let''s melt em!"


    ...


    "What is this? Let''s melt it!"


    ...


    Ah, they fucked up when they threw his rings and bracelets, each worth a fortune on Earth into the furnace. They even threw his old armor sets there! Although they were in a bad conditiom n stilled treasured them!


    "Sigh... "


    He sighed, but this was no ordinary sigh, his frost mana escaped from his mouth and covered the room, stopping the forge and freezing the dwarves inside the forge.


    He eliminated the fire and stopped the melting of his equipmemt. Took the satchels of the dwarves and emptied them.


    He didn''t care about manners or anything now...


    And then, he threw the dwarves, encased in ice outside. The students of shield, who also had their forges in the building sighed in relief when they saw their raiders be frozen and thrown out.


    As for n... He simply resolved himself too ept at punishment given to him by Oliver.

 Chapter 555 [555] So, Things are troublesome.

    Chapter 555 [555] So, Things are troublesome.


    ??The situation within shield was a little bit troublesome for the students. On one hand, they had to deal with the entric first years, who were particrly strange. Furthermore, they also had to deal with all the new species.


    Thankfully, they were children that had prestigious backgrounds, they wouldn''t be able to survive if they were arrogant or idiots. They were, to some extent, but wouldn''t go out of their way to piss off the other species.


    The dwarves had raided the forges and some tried to get in the treasury, but thankfully Oliver wasn''t that lenient.


    He had the strength that the leaders of the three species possessed, he was on equal terms with them.


    Various human officials had also visited the campus, normally they wouldn''t even be able to step foot inside, but...the situation simply called for it.


    The orcs, were busy in the arena, challenging thebat students. Meanwhile, The elves were just doing their own thing.


    Some were at the mall, some were eating human food with expressions of delight on their faces, while some...


    "Sigh..."


    Chose to attend the sses... One such elf, one with luscious blonde hair, was sitting next to Sabrina, sighing and scribbling. That seat usually belonged to n, even despite the ss transfer, but since he was absent for an entire month... It went to the elf.


    Actually, Sabrina preferred it that way. The past month, her ss had changed and although n and her were in the same ss... n wasn''t here. Therefore, she had to deal with boys sitting next to her and trying to get her attention.


    It was annoying, So it was refreshing to have someone that didn''t give a damn, much like n. She wasn''t like most girls who craved attention or anything like that. Peace and quiet were invaluable to her.


    However...that peacested only in the ss. The moment she went outside, she would have to deal with the boys from the other sses. The second and third years didn''t give her much trouble. They still knew of n.


    The problem were the entric first years...this batch was quite strange. Her locker would always be filled with gifts and flowers. And her dorm was the same...every day she had to move a mountain of boxes away.


    She was getting so tired of it, that she treated this small period of silence like it was a godsend!


    She was starting to miss the brute that scared away most people a lot now, but she couldn''t do anything about it. Furthermore, she was the reason he was unconscious after all...


    She med herself too much for it. And she also spent a lot of her free time in thinking about ways to apologize.


    ''I guess I just need to ask them...''


    In the end, she resolved herself to ask her friends, thinking they would have better solutions than anything she came up. Just then, the period bell rang, and she sighed, regretting that her peaceful time ended too quickly.


    And just then! The moment the teacher left, another student burst through the door, shouting!


    "n woke up! And he''s kicking the dwarves assess and going out with the orcs!"


    The news came like a shock to Sabrina, who stood up immediately and asked with a loud voice.


    "Where?!"


    The contract between them had been destroyed because of the events in Giganta, therefore she had a hard time locating his location and state without the usage of the Astral bond. She was reluctant to use that as well after what happened.


    "Ugh...the artifact making build-"


    She pushed the student aside and, very much unlike herself, began to run towards the ce, wanting to confirm with her own eyes. She wasn''t alone, as many second-year students were doing the same.


    The elves, who were mostly bored, had their curiosity peaked and followed the rest. And soon they were at the location where...one single student was being swarmed by dwarves and orcs alike.


    "Fuck off!"


    His voice, seethed with rage and a feeling of being used.


    **********


    After n had thrown the dwarves outside, they slowly used their mana to melt the surrounding ice. Dwarves were more attuned to the elements of fire and thunder. So doing was easy.


    Of course, If n really wanted to restrain them for longer, he could have done it, but he thought that would persuade them to leave him alone. Or at least make them reconsider barging in here again. He did steal their belonging for barging in here, though, and he was prepared to fight to the death to keep them.


    He went to assess the damage they did and sighed in relief. He had stopped them before they did something they would truly regret.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha advises you to calm down.]


    He was still angry at them, but Lanesha, being the ever-caring being she was, managed to pull him back to his senses. He quietly put the items in his inventory, so they wouldn''t be stolen again.


    Most of the items were metals and other alloys, rocks even. As expected of the dwarves. He had thought they would be...richer.


    But this wasn''t a bad harvest.


    [Supreme dragon of frost Lanesha says you should be happy with something than nothing.]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes, I know."


    n agreed with her. She treated him like a child most of the time, and to be fair, she was one of the few beings who could... Tossing around encouragement or guiding him to make the better decision.


    n calmed down, the recent enhancements of his senses he was bing more agitated. The slightest sound would irritate him, and a bright enough light would blind him temporarily.


    He already dulled his senses with the help of mana, he asked Lanesha about this, and she simply responded with that Earthcked mana.


    "Alright...thing''s should be good here."


    n said, as he tidied up his forge and made a new door with ice. This ice would be broken only if Sir Oliverunched an attack at it!


    Satisfied with himself, he exited the facility and...


    "... Of course, thing''s wouldn''t end this easily... Fuck my life."

 Chapter 556 [556] Things are very troublesome.

    Chapter 556 [556] Things are very troublesome.


    ??The students rushed towards the forge facility, and it didn''t take them long to see why they heard the sound of explosions, and also the source of the tremors that littered the campus.


    "..."


    Sabrina was among the first, and when she arrived she sighed, but smiled soon after.


    ''He''s back, and the same as ever.''


    Yes, the ''sight'' was that of n Pator being swarmed by numerous dwarves, whilst the orcs stayed behind to watch the spectacle, some of them awed by n''s performance.


    n was, quite literally, buried beneath multiple dwarves who used either their own skills or the power of numerous artifacts to keep him at bay.


    It was like a hundred midgets trying to drown a fully-grown adult. It resulted in some chuckles from the elves and humans alike, whilst the orcs watched in silence. The orcs n had defeated had woken up, and soon the story of their defeat spread within their ranks.


    They talked in their ownnguage, so it was hard for anyone else to know what they were talking about.


    Of course, one would have questioned where the hell the teachers were during this show, and the answer was they were right there...along with the students, they had also rushed as fast as possible.


    Problem was, they couldn''t think of any way to stop the fight. To jump in the ''war'' of multiple dwarves, who were each sufficiently powerful on their own...and n, who was emitting mana fluctuations that indicated that he was peak of A-rank! No teacher here was at his level in terms ofbat prowess!


    However, it had to end eventually.


    "Huh?"


    n, who was in the middle of punching a dwarf caught between his arms, and kicking another one whilst headbutting another, stopped, sensing mana belonging to strong individuals approaching. He unleashed his mana like an explosion and stopped messing around, sending the dwarves flying, injured but alive.


    He stepped back, only to find a dwarf that had a beard as white as snow, and a face no beautiful than a goblin appear in front of him, floating in the air. Not only that, but he emitted fluctuations that gave away his SS-rank power.


    "Laganu!"


    He muttered something in his ownnguage, and although n couldn''t understand thenguage, he could understand the intent behind it. He teleported besides the dwarf, avoiding the blow.


    But that wasn''t enough, The dwarfunched himself towards n once again, but this time n didn''t run.


    The teachers back there were wrong! He wasn''t at the peak of A-rank...but rather S-rank! He was simply holding back his mana to dull his enhanced senses! And he was a dragon! A minor difference in rank won''t affect him that much.


    Even though the difference between rank S and SS rank was huge...he had his dragon blood, his Phoenix bloodline, his mana heart and also the new addition, aura! Normally it would take ten S ranks to defeat one SS-rank, but he wasn''t normal at all!


    He imbued his fist with mana, and prepared to meet the dwarf head on until...a fistrger than his, and as green as grass, stopped his attack.


    At the same time, a shield of mana erupted in front of the dwarf, stopping his attack as well.


    "Calm down, child."


    The orc who appeared was stronger than even the dwarf, and stopped n''s fist with his aura-imbued hand. Reflexively, n''s aura also escaped his body tobat the aura of the green orc, somethingpletely outside of n''s control.


    His aura jumped out of him so fast he couldn''t even reign it in, and fought against the orc''s aura. The orc was surprised, shocked even, that a human could emit aura. The dwarf, on the other hand was stopped my Sir Oliver.


    "I didn''t do anything wrong! They attacked me first and raided my room and forge!"


    n hurriedly offered an exnation, fearing he wouldn''t get the chance to do so in the future if Sir Oliver was truly pissed. It would be so unfair!


    Hell! This situation was extremely unfair! Not only had his room been broken into by three dirty orcs and dwarves, his carpet ruined and his bed broken...his forge had been raided!


    Was this not unfair? The epitome of shamelessness by these stupid dwarves!


    A seething rage boiled inside him, but his teacher, Elena, appeared behind him and managed to reel him in.


    "Let go, and just stop now. We''ll handle this."


    n reigned his aura back and surrendered, going back. But not before throwing a sharp re towards the dwarves and their leader.


    Sir Oliver looked at him, he was clearly pissed that n did the exact opposite of what he was told to do, but he couldn''t really say anything to him at the moment. Momentster, the dwarves elder was satisfied and the Elven Elder also appeared, taking a leisurely walk whilst enjoying a cup of coffee.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He looked at the sight with an apprehensive gaze, but ultimately turned his attention to the coffee he was drinking. He had golden hair and looked rather young, but it was clear he was the strongest one here.


    The dwarf was SS-rank, Oliver and the orc were SSS-rank and the elf seemed to be beyond SSS-rank. Just his presence was suffocating, although he tried his best to restrain it as well.


    "Are you the one who constructed the portal?"


    He approached n with a curious gaze, his nose perked up. n nodded.


    "Great, Pleasee with us. The creator of the portal should be present for these negotiations to proceed."


    He said with a polite tone that made everyone like him.


    "He''s still a kid, He should not be involved in this."


    Oliver interjected, trying to protect both n and the interest of the humans.The orc stayed quiet, he was busy examining the nature of n''s aura, the bit that remained on his hand. The dwarf however...


    "Why not? He''s the architect of the portal, he should be present. The negotiations can simply never proceed without him."


    Oliver red at him.

 Chapter 557 [557] Ah, Politics it seems?

    Chapter 557 [557] Ah, Politics it seems?


    ??"..."


    And here I was, sitting in a conference room decorated by nothing shy, appealing to the minimalistic standard Sir Oliver possessed. I was already gritting my teeth in frustration. I had intended to simply rest, yet the moment I had awoken I was ''sincerely'' greeted by nuisance after nuisance.


    Furthermore, I had merely wanted to rest, yet I was not even given the opportunity to do so. So why must I entertain such things...


    Ah.


    "So, with the addition of the architect and maintainer of the portal, I believe we can truly begin."


    The dwarf said with a snicker on his face. Ah, it''s fucking you, isn''t it?!


    Among the room were five people, who were the most important, the rest could only be regarded as being there as a formality. Three dwarfs, headed by the bastard that had spoken just now. Three orcs, headed by the same orc that stopped my fist, Three humans, who were Sir Oliver, Harrison Soubuelle and Ragnar Drakmor. A man I hadn''t seen in a while. His aura seemed different, and his attitude made it quite clear he considered being here a waste of time.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As if the portal was not worthy of his attention...


    ''I wonder why...''


    I wanted to know why, but I didn''t have the opportunity to do so right now.


    Oh, I seemed to have missed thest person here. An elf with golden hair that seemed to be drinking an exorbitant amount of coffee...


    There were seven cups already by his side...all empty.


    "He may be the architect of the portal, but he is simply a child with some talent. He has not yet had the opportunity to gather experience that would make him qualified for being here."


    Sir Oliver protested my presence here, and to be honest?


    ''Woo! Go! Go! Yes, more!''


    I supported him fully, I truly did not want to stay here even a second more! I am already being consumed by the pressure of this room.


    Although yes, I admit my recent acquisition of aura had finally made me stop suppressing my rank, and had even given enough of a boost to get to the peak of S-rank... I was still weaker in this form than everybody here, even the dwarf.


    All of them were a rank higher than me, and I would be able to handle one or two, but so many? It was suffocating for me.


    Sir Oliver, gave me a look that screamed.


    ''Stay quiet, we will handle this.''


    I was, honestly, quite relieved to see this. I didn''t want to participate in such useless banter at all! It was tiring.


    ''So I just need to stay silent... I can do that.''


    I think... My experiences at doing so resulted in a horrible conclusion, but none of that was my fault!


    To further my resolve, I kept muttering myself to stay silent in my mind, and the proceedings went as follows.


    "Nonsense, He is a genius of great remarkable ability, to not only have reached his rank at such a young age but also construct a portal by himself and even find the spatial coordinates of a."


    The dwarf pressed on, making a clear stand that I must be involved in the conversation on this table. He sees me as young and hot-blooded despite my achievements...and hopes I can make a mistake. Furthermore... I have a feeling that simply speaking would be what he needs to get an edge.


    I don''t know why, but I just feel it is like such... But he is wrong in some cases. I am a genius only in reaching this rank of mine at my age. The other things? I didn''t have much involvement in them. I was given the guide to spatial magic by Suleras, and Lanesha told me what I needed to construct a portal and how to do it. And the spatial coordinates were calcted by Sabrina.


    I was just there, to simply put...supply the spatial mana and make a connection. It was momentous, but not really at the level of the previous aplishments.


    "Elder Grimbald is correct, He does have a right to be here."


    The orc chimed in. I furrowed my brows at this.


    ''Well, makes sense.''


    The orcs are also interested in gaining another, From what I know, they have a high reproductive rate and thus are slowly getting overpopted at every... Giganta is extremelyrge, it should be the great help to theirrge poption...


    As to why the dwarves covet it so much... I don''t know.


    The elf, here, is simply there to preside over the meeting and make sure the meeting is civil and doesn''t start a war or issue between the three races that could quickly escte into a conflict.


    A conflict with the dwarves and orcs would be bad for humanity right now. We don''t have enough strength to do it, especially since the main world of the humans is at war with the demons...


    ''Sigh...''


    I sighed to myself, and watched the proceedings.


    Oliver and Harrison were the ones being involved in the talks, while Ragnar took a step back.


    Seeing that there was no hope in trying to get me to leave the room in front of all these races, they simply looked at me and told me to be quiet. I could try making an excuse, but that would be seen through quite easily, and would only worsen the situation.


    "We are a new race, and you should already know our main world is currently at a war with the demons, and an entire continent is in their grasps... We discovered this world for ourselves and have every right to explore it!"


    Harrison said, but the dwarf was quick to reply. With a strange look on his face, His bald head reflected the light on the ceiling above. With a shrewd demeanor, he spoke.


    "Of course, it is precisely because you are a new race that the is wasted in your hands! We understand that the human race is at war with demons on theirmain, but it is what it is. We ask for only the coordinates of the and in return, to help you against the demons, we promise our full support!"


    "The orcs, will also support you in exchange for the coordinates."


    "Support? You all promised the minimum of support in terms of artillery and war-items! Not even a single man!"


    "Please, We dwarves and orcs are mighty creatures! We ourselves have a lot of tasks that require our manpower...we simply cannot afford to send some here! But we would be happy to oblige with items and war-machines! Do you not agree, Elder Karack?"


    The dwarf, included the orcs in his words to get the orc leader, Karack on his side. Previously, he was only passive and didn''t outright support the dwarf...but now with the invitation given to him, he needed to take the bait.


    "Elder Grimbald is correct, The orcs and dwarves will send you whatever aid you need."


    ''Bullshit.''


    I cursed in my mind. Of course, the aid they would be sending would be food and weapons. Humanity does notck that at all, I would even say they possess weaponry above the level of the orcs...but below the dwarves.


    But that is not the issue... Even if they were to send the weapons, Orcs have special items that are blessed by their shamans and require their aura to use effectively... On Earth, only two individuals can use it.


    One is someone who wouldn''t be brought into the front lines due to his age and inexperience...which is me. And the other is presumed dead, and also a far too valuable force to just be stationed at a single weapon.


    The dwarves may use mana, but their technology isplicated and can only be used by a dwarf. Humans could get it to study their technology and eventually learn...but that was a trade that no man would ept.


    An entire for a few weapons and some technology? Humans are advancing at a steady rate, it wouldn''t take long for them to be on par with the dwarves, only a few hundred years or so.


    ''Hmmm...''


    Ah, I''m getting so used to a dragon, I just referred a few hundred years as ''merely a long time''. Well, can''t be helped. We don''t die due to age, perhaps my mind is just epting of that fact.


    Anyway, They could send the weapons but with no dwarf or orc to man them, they would be useless.


    No matter what, The spatial coordinates cannot be leaked at all!


    Harrison stayed silent. If he or Oliver suggested that they did not need the aid provided by the orcs, it would be saying the orcs and dwarves are beneath them. It was a p to the face to them...


    It would hardly be considered such, and could be just that we didn''t want their help but right now... Likewise, it could simply give them an upper hand. Humans were already at a disadvantage from the startpared to the rest. I don''t know what happened here before I came, But I realize that the dwarves and orcs suggested some other terms I am unaware of...


    Harrison gritted his teeth, and finally looked to the elf in the room.


    "Elder Gold wood... You should understand our situation. We simply cannot afford to agree to these terms..."


    The elf looked at him, finishing his tenth cup of coffee.

 Chapter 558 [558] You see, I have a trump card!

    Chapter 558 [558] You see, I have a trump card!


    ??The elf, finishing his tenth cup of coffee, looked up at Harrison with a nonchnt gaze, however, traces of scorn could be seen there. The scorn was there because he was disturbed whilst he was enjoying a delicacy of the human world, known as coffee.


    He looked at Harrison first, then shifted his gaze towards Oliver, treating him with much higher respect. He eyed the dwarves and orcs as well.


    He wasn''t stupid, he knew what their goal was, to take advantage of the new race that had entered the alliance and further strengthen their own standings. Unlike the Elves, the dwarves and Orcs didn''t have manys at their disposal.


    The ones they did have were the ones they either came across by chance, or purchased coordinates of by rogue spatial elves. They were not the bests, but they weren''t the worst as well.


    But, a like the one Humans had found? It was simply amazing, it was not a barrennd, but and full of life, of forests, mountains, deserts and seas. It was perfect for life. It was a pretty big as well.


    ''Sigh...''


    He sighed inwardly, he was an old elf, despite his looks, but he was not that talented. Among his generation, he was simply...average. He had long since stagnated and could only watch his colleagues surpass him in almost every way possible. His seven-hundred years of age had given him wisdom, but not enough strength.


    He looked at the three once more, and spared a nce at the young human who was the creator of the portal.


    ''Promising.''


    He thought, his eyes glowing with a light of interest. The human did deserve to be called a genius. Not only was the mana inside him immense and extremely controlled, his physique was also strong.


    ''They are a unique species...''


    The elf thought, unlike the Elves, who had weak physical bodies and strong magical capabilities, or the orcs or dwarves who paled in magical capabilities and had strong physiques instead... Humans had a mix of both.


    ''What was their blood power called? Domain Expansion? I need to study it...''


    A schrly side of him, one that persevered through time was being lit aze, but he stopped it, albeit barely, and spoke.


    "My apologies, But as a neutral party, I have no say in this matter."


    Harrison clicked his tongue, and the elf continued to look at his cup of coffee with a somber expression.


    In truth, he was given full authority on this case, and he could ''choose'' to take sides or not. But he decided against it. He judged this as an obstacle they needed to ovee or else they would be useless. If they couldn''t do this, ward off foreign threats over a precious resource, then they would face a fate many species had faced.


    Extinction. He had seen a few races die out, their history was not asplicated and...intriguing as the Humans, so he thought that they would have the capability of doing it...but he did have to admit the dwarves and orcs being ''stingy''.


    They not only wanted the coordinates of the, but also wanted to force the humans out of it. They would then divide their territories among one another and leave the humans out. They promised to send them ''aid'', but he knew better what aid that would be... The humans didn''t have any reason to ept it but would be pressured to do so. They didn''t want a war with the orcs and dwarves.


    ''How they use their positions...''


    Considering the difference of their military forces, it was easy to do so. Besides, humanity could not put their entire focus there due to their war with the demons. They needed to fully conquer their own first, then worry about another.


    ''Sigh...''


    He sighed once again, and left the discussion take ce. Words were thrown at one another, with hidden threats and implications from the dwarves and orcs, whilst the humans took more of a passive side.


    If a war truly did break out... The Elves would do nothing, not unless if the Dragons wanted them to interfere. The dwarves and orcs were more important to the alliance, after all.


    ''Such a chaos the universe is in.''


    In the upper, greatest echelons, there was war between the two supreme races. The God beasts and the Dragons, although they had reached a truce for quite a while, why they did so he wasn''t qualified to know. He had simply heard the supreme of both had agreed to this... How and why those supreme beings did it was something he didn''t dare imagine.


    But tension between both sides were still there. Small skirmishes between their forces would still ur...only the supreme beings would stay still.


    And it was great, entire clusters would turn to ash if two supremes dueled with their fullest capabilities.


    In the middle echelons, were the war between the High lords of the Celestial realm, and The true forces of the abyss, The 72 demon lords.


    And in the bottom, was the war between the Alliance, the rogue forces of the Abyss, and also the wars of multiple races fornd and resources. The elves were qualified to move into the middle echelons...but they were a peace loving race, and thus stood to the side.


    Besides, they served the dragons, That alone gave them protection that no one else could at all!


    He was tired of being here, and thus took the time to taste many of earth''s delicacies... He had to admit, their food was top-notch! He was also happy that the young elves were enjoying their time here as well. It was like a school-trip for them.


    ''How long will this take.''


    He wondered, as he politely asked a servant to bring more coffee and even the ''infamous'' cheesecake here.


    ******


    [Shield Conference Room, n Pator POV.]


    I am so fucking bored.


    I really am, I can''t believe this would be so boring! I thought at least I would be given some inspiration by gauging the level of the insults, but...they are so fucking in!


    There aren''t any insults at all, Just some hidden threats...and it''s fucking cowardly!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Haaa...."


    I let out a yawn, which attracted the attention of the people in the room. The dwarf ''hissed'' at me like a snake, and I sighed once more.


    I don''t really get it.... I really don''t. Sabrina is much more suited to this than I am, talking and talking for hours and hours on end...


    I have an idea! Why don''t we simply...fight it out?!


    ...


    ...


    ...


    No, wait, that''s bad. Humans can''t win against dwarves or orcs... Perhaps let the youngest ones fight it out? That wouldn''t be too bad...


    No, entrusting an entire in the hands of a few young individuals would be too much for them to bear, and if they lost...well that could cripple them for all their lives.


    I just want to leave this goddamned room. Even though I am uninvolved, I can see that we are being pushed into a corner. Human''s may lose the right to the, or may have to share territory with two forces far above their capabilities. They would slowly be driven back into a corner until eventually they would have to retreat to Earth.


    The thing that I hate is that they can''t really put up a fight against the orcs and the dwarves... Well, I can''t do anything about it...


    Or can I?


    Hmm... If we are talking in bigger terms, I have a status far, far above any person in this room, and could use my position to my advantage and end this boring discussion...


    I am the chosen of Two supreme dragons, that alone would be enough for the orcs and dwarves to shit their pants and the elves to support me with zeal.


    But, I''m perplexed on whether I should do it or not... Because Ragnar is staying quiet. I can sense that his bloodline has evolved into a fire dragon, the elf who is here won''t notice us until we deliberately want to reveal it...


    And that is what disturbs me. I know Agri and Elijah are behind his evolution to aplete fire dragon. Out of everyone here, He is the closest one to reaching the rank of the elf...


    So why has he not revealed himself. Bying out as a fire dragon, he can save us from all this hassle... So why does he not support us?


    I don''t know, and that is what is infuriating me...other than just being in this room.


    ''Maybe I misjudged it...''


    There is also the possibility of that. He may have be a fire dragon, but he is weakpared to most adult fire dragons. Furthermore, Dwarves have many fire dragons on their side...wait.


    Is that why he is silent?


    ''Bastard...''


    I threw the absurd though out of my mind, and finally, I was fed up with all of this. I want to go home and research how to make a space inside my items, I need to explore the city in the desert, I want to talk to Sabrina and I want to eat something!


    I have many things to do, many!


    I have already spent hours here, in this suffocating atmosphere. Talking is not right for me... I much prefer a fight to the death.


    ''Sigh...''


    It''s time to use my position.


    ''Oh greatest, most beautiful and most elegant dragon residing in the home of frost itself, Your beauty knows no bounds and your hair is like frozen silk... Will you help me?''


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha is speechless at your shamelessness.]


    ''Please?''

 Chapter 559 [559] The disciple of a supreme.

    Chapter 559 [559] The disciple of a supreme.


    ??Contrary to my expectations, Lanesha had readily agreed to help me get out of this sickening ce. But just because she agreed didn''t mean she didn''t ask any questions.


    There was concern in her voice, one that showed that she was worried about me.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Well, It''s not like I don''t understand the consequences or weight of what I had asked.


    It''s like proiming my existence, as a disciple of a supreme... That would put a lot of pressure on me, and although no threat to my life, but I would be busy.


    But you see... I have an easy solution to it. We just make the elf stay quiet!


    Lanesha can easily send him a message using her authority over the system, and he should run to my side, or rather the human''s side after that, and finally let me leave this suffocating ce.


    But...


    [Supreme Dragon Of Lanesha asks you if you are ready for the consequences.]


    ''Consequences? Can you tell me what they are?''


    I asked her. I shouldn''t have to deal with many since she is a supreme...just watch my actions to protect her reputation.


    [Supreme Dragon of Lanesha sighs, and says she will take care of it.]


    ''Huh? I don''t want to trouble you a lot. I can take care of whatever it is that you want me to do...''


    Even though I did want to leave this room and try to create a spatial storage different from my own, I didn''t want to burden her with anything just for my own selfish gain...


    Ah shit, I''m starting to regret my decision to ask her for help.


    ''Hey, let''s stop. I can just stay here for a while.''


    Lanesha, don''t do it. I don''t want to deal with another mana storm during my mana breathing sessions...


    But it was toote, I had to reap what I sowed.


    [You have received the title: Disciple of the Frost Supreme.]


    Before I could tell her to stop again, I saw the Elf elder, Goldenwoods eye, open wide.


    ******


    [Elf Elder, Golden Wood, Shield Conference, Earth.]


    As I enjoyed the cheesecake with fervor, I hadpletely forgotten that I was in a conference room, and that the fate of a species was being discussed. With the said species being in the conference as well.


    Well, the cheesecake deserves more attention. I should get a few human chefs and bring them back with me if this species does go extinct... Their food is truly great. Our cuisine cannot match theirs.


    ''The bnce of sweetness, The cheese...it''s perfect!''


    I relished the feeling of it going down my aged throat, and although I was able to keep up a cold expression outside, Inside... I was happy!


    But, a secondter, my happiness had disappeared in an instant, and the cold demeanor I had maintained vanished in seconds as my mend went into turmoil.


    I released my mana for a second, startling everyone present in the room. However, I stayed silent, shocked by the message that appeared in front of me.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost, Lanesha asks of you to take the side of the humans. Grant them full authority over the portal.]


    My mind went nk...honestly.


    It was not after a few seconds had passed that I realized, and I almost went on my knees to offer respect but...


    [Supreme Dragon Of Frost, Lanesha asks you to keep her involvement secret.]


    My mind went into a state of mad stupor, as I began to breathe heavily and ask a multitude of questions in my heart.


    ''The queen of ice, Daughter of Ariel, Lanesha?''


    Ironically, I stood there, frozen as the eyes of everyoney upon me.


    ''The queen of frost... Queen Lanesha herself... Why is she getting involved.''


    My goodness! I have forgotten my manners. Such thinking of mine is simply sphemous.


    I can''t believe I allowed myself to even think of it... Supreme Queen Lanesha must have a reason for doing this. Whatever it is, I don''t qualify to know!


    Using the moment where everyone''s attention was towards me due to my sudden release of mana, I looked at them all, and cleared my throat, making them all even more wary of me.


    "Elder Grimbald."


    I said the name of the dwarf...perhaps Lady Lanesha was offended that they tried to take advantage of a new race, of course, this is only a conclusion. Besides, although I was only absent-minded now, I still had kept a track of the conversation. The dwarves pushed on aggressively, and even the orcs started to do the same...


    Some punishments are in order...


    "And Elder Karack too, I cannot believe you two have stooped down to this level. Whether your species has a need for that as well, I believe the humans, as a new race in the Alliance have a need for it as well, much more than you all do. The dwarves and Orcs have a fews they haven''t fully conquered with them, Why not leave this one to the humans?


    They are a new member, and thus this can be seen as a gift..."


    No, that would be toox. I need to do something more so Lady Lanesha would look at me with goodwill...


    "Why not give them some ''actual aid''. Weaponry from the dwarves and orc soldiers should do. I shall send gifts myself as well."


    Include myself so they are pressured to do the same, and thus give the humans a true advantage over the demons.


    What else can I do? The dwarves and orcs, even humans, are looking at me with shock in their eyes... Well I cannot me them, I was taking a neutral stance and showed no interest in this at all...


    ''Wait... They can link this...''


    Shit, I must have thought of this through more. My sudden entrance would give away the existence of Lady Lanesha... The dwarves and orcs will link the sudden favor to a higher being ordering me to do it... Although it would not directly lead them to Lady Lanesha... An investigation will be done...


    ''Fuck.''


    I used a curse word humans used and sighed... Wondering how I can make them all believe it is me...


    At that moment, my eyes caught sight of the half-eaten cheesecake, and without further ado, I said.


    "Their cuisine is simply too great... You all should try it too!"


    I said as I pushed the cheesecake towards them, acting a little unsightly. With this, I should have made the impression that I am just an old elf infatuated with their food...


    That will put the me on me, Since I have full authority over this it shouldn''t matter much...but my reputation has definitely been destroyed.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha is satisfied with your performance.]


    I gained something even better.

 Chapter 560 [560] The son of a supreme!

    Chapter 560 [560] The son of a supreme!


    ??As the party of dwarves and orcs expressed their confusion and clear contempt...


    "Elder Golden Wood, You can''t do this!"


    Ragnar and Oliver looked at n for a while, but shifted their gazes, merely thinking whatever they had thought of to be impractical. n''s face of astonishment to the Elf Golden wood further strengthened that notion.


    The orcs and Dwarves pestered for him a while longer, But Elder Golden wood expressed his Ultimatum.


    "That is it, I have been given full authority over this matter by both of your superiors, do you dare go against their judgement? And the Elves?"


    The orcs and dwarves relented, fear apparent on their faces as they retreated. Elder Grimbald, even though his face was as hot as molten iron, clicked his tongue and sumbed to Elder Golden Wood''s gaze, and ordered the dwarves to return to their home.


    The Orc Elder, Karack, did the same and left with the orcs. Soon afterward, The entirety of the orcs and the Dwarves left Earth, leaving only the elves behind.


    Elder Golden wood looked at n for a moment. He wasn''t a fool, He had seen the gazes of the two strongest humans in the room shift to n for a bit. That made his curiosity rise, and he used an observation skill on n out of instinct.


    "..."


    And then he saw it. Although his skill was not able to see most of n''s stats, It did make his titles visible to him... Only a few though, however.


    [Title: Son of A Supreme.]


    "..."


    His face lost all color, and he cleaned and tidied his clothing and excused himself, leaving with the elves soon enough. The entire duration, his pale was as white as snow.


    **********


    "... That''s it?"


    Harrison, a little bit confused, slumped back into his seat. Just now he was fighting a brutal war with the dwarves and orcs, But now... Everything was quiet.


    "Yes, that is it."


    Oliver sighed as well, and n took the opportunity to finally leave. He tried to do it stealthily, but was caught.


    "Where are you going?"


    Oliver appeared right behind him, and with a cold, menacing re looked down at him.


    "Ohe on... I wasn''t the one that caused it all."


    However, Oliver''s re did not lessen, and neither did the grip on his shoulder. n was able topete with SS-ranks...but an SSS rank was far too much for him to handle. Even his full dragon form would have difficulty in taking one down... Perhaps even get fully overpowered by one.


    He didn''t want to pick a fight with Sir Oliver at all, He respected him, and feared him at the same time.


    He only wished for some mercy to be given to him...if he was lucky.


    "Haa...."


    A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes when he heard Sir Oliver sigh, but unfortunately that hope was false. He grimaced when he heard his words.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Take your sses diligently from now on. I want you to focus now."


    "...!"


    n grew rmed, and tried to make Sir Oliver reconsider.


    "Sir Oliver! Please! I have so many things I want to do, Just give me one mo-"


    "What?"


    "Yes Sir, I will do as you say!"


    However, he chickened out when Sir Oliver turned around, his eyes as red as blood. Ragnar chuckled from behind. Harrison had already left to deal with other things, like the distribution rights of the portal.


    Now...a hurdle Twilight had to handle hade.


    *********


    [n Pator POV, Shield, Earth.]


    I sighed in defeat as I made my way towards my room...the door of which was yet to be fixed. I heard it would take a few days for them to fix the door... So I begrudgingly made a recement door made out of cloudy ice.


    I looked at the sorry state of my bed andy down on my sofa, turning the television on and watching the news.


    ''...''


    Every channel was about the portal, and how the distribution rights would go as, as well as the recent news on how Humanity had earned all rights to the portal from the dwarves and orcs.


    "That reminds me..."


    I opened my status to look at one of my titles.


    ---Status---


    Name: n Pator(18).


    Race: Dragon. (Ice, Chaos, Space).


    Titles: Son of a supreme, Student of the sword saint....


    Strength: S+


    Speed: S+


    Endurance: S+


    Intelligence: A


    Charm: B


    Mana: SS


    Affinities: Ice (Supreme), Chaos (Supreme), Space(?)


    Skills: Dragon Eyes, Dragon Scales, Dragon transformation, Draconian transformation....


    Martial Techniques...


    ------


    A bunch of information popped up, but out of it all, what caught my attention the most was the title.


    [Son of a Supreme.]


    It wasn''t like this at first, merely Disciple of a Supreme, But then it changed to son of supremeter on. I was wondering what Lanesha was trying to do...


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha says that she already has a disciple, so it is hard for you to be one...]


    "... So you changed it to son?"


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha, nods. She says it will save you from a lot of trouble.]


    "Isn''t proiming me as your son going to cause even more trouble?"


    However, She didn''t answer my question...rather.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, asks if it insulted you to bebelled as her son.]


    "What?! No! No!"


    She got angry...


    "I''m sorry for doubting your actions! I know you...probably have something else nned."


    I tried to act as sincere as possible, but it seemed like I failed somewhat. Of course, I was still skeptical, and it felt a little weird...


    But I was met with no other response other than.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says that you will understand soon.]


    And then, it was all silent... I facepalmed and closed the television, missing an important bit of news that I didn''t expect this soon... And I fell asleep.


    It was the middle of the night, and I needed to attend sses soon, Even though I have so many other things I want to do, like raid the Minotaur Stronghold and figure out how to make spatial equipment like the dwarves...


    "Ha..."


    I guess the good thing is I get to see Sabrina again tomorrow...

 Chapter 561 [561] Date?!

    Chapter 561 [561] Date?!


    ??As usual, I came to shield the very next day and attended the sses like Sir Oliver had told me...or rather ordered me to do so.


    It was boring, to say the very least. Most of the time I would just space out, not bothering to listen to the lectures anyway.


    Of course, There were some troubles... I followed the same routine during the first year when I would have to escort Sabrina. She liked to go as early as possible, which was a pain at first, and I got used to it.


    But surprisingly, although for some reason she was surprised I appeared to pick her up...she requested that we go aste as possible.


    That took me for surprise, it really did. Hell, I even checked if she had a fever or something, but she was alright. She swatted my hand away and yelled at me to just wait.


    I was perplexed, but listened to it. I was suspicious, so I made a sneaky teleportation to the ss before, and I found the reason why...


    ''That''s a lot of first-years...''


    I gulped as I saw a literal army(?) outside the room, and then I understood why. A simr thing had happened when we were first-years as well... A lot of people like her and want to be her boyfriend.


    It annoys me to be honest, but what can I do? Although I like her, I don''t know what she thinks of me...it shouldn''t be too negative...right?


    Anyway, I teleported back and listened to what she said. The rest of the sses were normal... Only that the Elijah and Serena were no longer here. Henry as well, But who cared about him?


    ine was the only one with us, Therefore she and Sabrina were mostly together, while I spaced out around the entire ss.


    To say that I waszy was wrong, while I may not have been paying attention to ss... I was thinking about something else. I had snatched one of the satchels from the dwarves and studied it extensively, I even ''dissected'' the entire thing when I was in ss, although when I did that it lost its spatial powers and everything inside it vanished...


    I studied it a lot, So I was able to have some idea of how the thing worked. I was first confused as to how they managed to create an entire space until I realized...


    There was no need to think of it for long... The dwarves simply used the original space the satchel provided as the basis. The inside of the bag was sued first, and ''the space'' was expanded. Although it was hard to understand fully at first...


    It''s fucking magic.


    However, it didn''t mean their method was correct. It was sessful...but to some extent. What they did was forcefully create a space and thus, it was unstable. That was why when I searched the satchel with my mana I found so many odd cracks inside the space...


    Their satchels had a lifespan. Which was why they were flowed. Brute forcing your way through would be bad...


    I hated that.


    They may have seeded in creating the space, but that space was fucking awful. Therefore, I need to try to do it myselfter when I have the time.


    Of course, when I had the satchel out Sabrina, ine and some other students were looking at me with curiosity and confusion, But I didn''t really care about that. I put the satchel inside my ring, I couldn''t do it previously because the spatial magic inside of it collided with my rings.


    When I was done with that, break had started, and I stood up to go towards the cafeteria when...


    I felt a tug on my sleeve, and when I looked down, I saw Sabrina looking at me with pleading eyes.


    "I know the contract is now void...but please just drive them off?"


    Contract is void? What are you talking about? With a confused look on my face, I continued to look at her...until she pointed towards the door.


    "Please, Drive them away."


    I looked towards where she was pointing, which was the door to the ss, and then everything became clear.


    When a multitude of students, wearing the first-year uniforms, came inside and started heading towards our direction. Some of them stopped when they saw me, I recognized that they were the new batch of Twilight recruits...but most of them still came.


    "..."


    I understood it immediately, and I would be lying if I said I wasn''t angry. Did she have to endure this for a month?


    "Oi."


    If that is the case... I should have to step in. I''m her...bodyguard, after all.


    Therefore, my voice carried a hint of anger, and a sense of danger within it. I reflexively added mana into my voice...and they all trembled.


    They are all first-years, after all. And with my recent advancements, it was easy to make them fear me.


    "Fuck off."


    But of course, no matter how many words I used, would they listen to them? I was a first-year too...and since they are all horny bastards who just came to talk and maybe have a chance with Sabrina...


    I guess I need to use force?


    I expertly weaved my mana out of my body and made it assume a physical form, It was like a guest of wind that threw them all out.


    I made sure that the gust of wind threw them out the entire second-year building. After that was done, I sat down and after a while, when everything had settled and most of the second-year students had left the room...


    I asked her.


    "What did you mean by saying the contract was void?"


    I had tried to initiate a conversation earlier, I don''t know why, though. But it appeared to me that she was avoiding me...and it ticked me off for some reason.


    "..."


    Sabrina closed the book she was reading and gave me a deep stare. She said.


    "Aren''t you...angry?"


    Angry? For what reason would I be angry? I don''t get it. Why would I be angry...


    Ah.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    I think I know what she is getting at, therefore, before she could say anything or offer an exnation, I simply said.


    [No, why would I be angry that used the soul-crystal?]


    Since we weren''tpletely alone in the room, I said it through the spatial bond. There are still some students left here, and ine is sitting right next to her...listening to our conversation.


    [Are you sure?]


    She asked for confirmation, as if she didn''t believe me. I looked at her with a questioning gaze and said.


    [No, Why would I be? I would have seriously injured master, or the people I love, if you hadn''t stopped me.]


    [What about the contract?]


    [Contract? What do you mean?]


    [The contract between the Wellington family, and the Twilight guild. Where you would act as my bodyguard.]


    I stopped for a minute. And only then did I remember that I had...died back there. Or had reached a state where my body was deemed dead by the contracts I was bound too, and thus they broke.


    Ah... So that''s what it is.


    "Ha."


    I let out a chuckle, finding this situation somewhat amusing.


    [Don''t worry, contract or not. I''d still protect you even after our school years ended.]


    "..."


    Wait, what did I just say? I just said it out of impulse!


    I could see a faint reding out on her face and panicked. Fuck, Why did I say something so corny?


    But instead of nagging, or even an earful. I just heardugh a little bit.


    "Right, I suppose I''m the idiot for worrying about this sort of thing."


    "..."


    I''m afraid as to where the conversation is going... But surprisingly enough, it wasn''t ufortable. To the people outside, It seemed weird, since we sometimes talked through the astral bond we both shared due to the crystal.


    "So, you don''t have any regrets about anything?"


    "Nope, I don''t see why I should have them."


    "Kind of like you. Well, you wouldn''t be so cute if you weren''t like that."


    "Yes, I would- what?"


    I paused, did I hear correctly? Or are my enhanced senses ying a trick on me?


    "No, you didn''t hear it wrong."


    She said, as I was still stuck in a small state of shock. She closed her book, and tucked her hair behind her ear as she rested her chin on her hand. She looked straight at me, with a faint blush and a wide smile.


    "Do you want to go on a date, n?"


    My eyes widened, and the small state of shock I was in increased to a ''big'' state of shock. Regardless, I still couldn''t believe my ears.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t expect this?"


    Yes, I did not expect this.


    However, I could not say this, no matter what I tried. Part of me didn''t wanna talk at all, so I wouldn''t mess this up.


    "Will you be my boyfriend, n?"

 Chapter 562 [562] Date?![2]

    Chapter 562 [562] Date?![2]


    ??[Sabrina Wellington, Shield, Earth.]


    ''Was I perhaps too direct?''


    I thought as I stared at the nkness of his face. I continued to look at it for a while, thinking about what to do, and why I did what I did.


    Perhaps... I really was too direct. It couldn''t be helped, This turn of events was shocking even for me. I had consulted some of my friends about how to proceed with this matter and...


    This is what they told me...particrly ine, who was sitting right next to me and keenly listening to the conversation. She was chuckling when she saw n''s face, which was still ''frozen''. As ironic as that was. It annoyed me a little.


    Of course, although this was what they had told me to do... I also had a hand in it. I don''t hate being around him Hell, I''d admit to it. I like him, I like being around him, and I hope that is the case for him as well.


    I was too direct. Tch.


    I didn''t expect the words toe out of my mouth so...smoothly? I had expected myself to hesitate for a bit... But all my expectations were turned to ash when I found out that I...did not hesitate at all. In fact, when I asked him...


    Do you want to go on a date, n?


    My heart thumped. Like a maiden in love...as embarrassing that did sound. It was just like what I had read about in those stories I used to delve in when I was stuck at home. Reading about all those knight in shining armor, or princess in distress stories.


    When I was a child, as intelligent as I was, those stories were cool, fantasy books that I truly, truly wanted to be a part.


    Of course, that notion weakened as I grew, but somehow, a spark of it still remained. And voil¨¤, I was here.


    It irked me, and yet at the same time, filled me with anticipation.


    What will your response be?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    How many emotions will you show as you answer me? What kind of them? Surprise? Lust? Infatuation? Or perhaps the fantasy emotion known as Love?


    I hope it''s not the former ones, and I...also hope it''s not thetter. It''s strange...isn''t it?


    I had lived this meager life of mine, always receiving either those emotions from people.


    In my family, bastards who ''loved'' incestual rtions swarmed me, From the beginning of me hitting puberty. Before that, I was just a cute girl and a child.


    I wanted to be that same cute girl and child again when I saw them all. Hints of lust and infatuation littered the eyes of those mentally ill freaks, who smelt like rotten eggs and looked like eggs too. That wasn''t all of it. I had to deal with political pressure as well...as well as a ''new'' emotion.


    Jealousy. Envy... Is it called by any other name?


    There were those who were jealous of my status, of my wealth, of my beauty.


    The ones who were jealous of my status were those who were always below me, in terms of thinking and in terms of life as well. Poor people, rich people, super-rich people. I was the only true daughter of the Wellington''s after all. One who had the purest blood, the Blood of my mother, The only daughter of my grandfather.


    They were insufferable, they would not only look at me with desire, for my position and status, but also a myriad of other emotions.


    Then, came those jealous of my wealth. They were ones I could understand a bit. Although they were closely linked to those who coveted my status. There were differences.


    With status, came nobility. But wealth can be acquired without sticking to the rules of the nobility... A wicked man can be as rich as me, or my family, but he would not have our status, He would not have the nobility and natural respect it would have garnered. Despite having the money.


    Money is important, But connections and ''an aura'' is more important. A loyalty or fealty bought with money is as fickle as a feather.


    Then, came the people I truly did not fucking understand. The women who coveted my beauty.


    Are you all retarded? Have a screw loose? Or perhaps were you dropped when you were a child when your mother disregarded your beauty? Did you hit yourself really hard in the head?


    Fucking morons.


    I always thought that whenever I met them. I...truly couldn''t understand them. Yes, I am beautiful. Looking at my own mother and the people who looked at me, I can discern that... But to covet my beauty?


    What is the point of it?


    Status? You can achieve it.


    Wealth? You can get that too... But how will you get my beauty? I was born with it. It is not something you can get.


    If it was at only this point, I could have gotten it. But surprisingly, the stares of envy from those who coveted my beauty were always, more obvious, and more vicious than the rest.


    I hated them, and thus, I hated my beauty.


    Wasn''t it the cause of it?


    ''Haha.''


    I suddenly remembered a time when I tried to stab my face with a shard of ss, thankfully, Father was there to stop it.


    Father... I miss you, Where the hell are you?


    Speaking of my father, I never understood why my mother married that man. She was the epitome of nobility, of beauty, and of grace.


    How she married a mercenary with a scarred face, One that may have been a hero in the wars of the past... Was beyond me. I also noticed how my mother acted differently when around him, showing weakness...or rather a side of her that allowed one to take advantage of it.


    But then, I was met with the same feeling...with this dolt. As ashamed as I am to admit it.


    His white hair, as white as the snow of the top of Everest or the K-2, His eyes as beautiful as diamonds that even I could never have in my life, with the entire money of the family. His muscl-


    Ahem.


    Anyway, this dolt was beyond me. Sometimes he would be so smart that it shook me, and sometimes aplete retard. The duality of man, perhaps? I don''t get it. Father had those moments as well.


    At first, I was skeptical of him. I thought it was simply a ploy by my uncle to get me away from the family, and thus weaken my position. I went as far as considering this man an agent sent by him, and let''s say the starting point of this odd rtionship further deepened my notion of this.


    He looked at me with surprise, and some desire when we first met as well. That dropped his likability by about...100% there?


    I can''t also believe the emotionless face he had when we saw the fireworks. I admit I had overreacted there...but his face was so simr to my uncle''s that I loathed that I...almost behaved like an annoying, irritable individual.


    But then... The look of desire was never seen in his eyes. Just a bit of admiration for my beauty. I didn''t hate that... I liked it, actually. Loved it.


    And then, the supposedly useless dolt was more than capable, surprisingly. No matter how dire a situation was, He would always find a way to get out of it. Orpletely overpower the situation. He refused to give up.


    Like a stubborn pride embedded deep in his blood. One of superiority. Furthermore, He was incredibly reliable. He, despite not looking like it, was serious andmitted to his job...to the point it was awe-inspiring and even bothersome for me.


    He had no ulterior motive, just to do what he was asked to do. I guess that part really reached out to me.


    And then, I was met with the standard scenarios of a princess being saved by a knight in shining armor...although the knight in my scenarios was n covered in his own blood and flesh, and brutally injured unlike the ones from the stories. Who were untouched. But that was what attracted me even more, one that actually put in sincere effort to save me...


    Ah, I''m getting shy. I should stop while I am at it.


    I looked at his above average, but loveable face. One that didn''t hide anything at all. Like an inexperienced man, or perhaps an honest man.


    And I liked him, I really did. Perhaps this is the ''puppy'' love that is mentioned when one talks about romance. Although he doesn''t feel like the type to do romantic things, I don''t mind. I suppose I can deal without that... But all of this, my fantasies or not, as crazed as they are, wille to fruition only if he...


    So tell me, n...


    "Do you want to be my boyfriend, n?"


    There was no hidden meaning behind my question, It wasn''t filled with an implication, or anything to discern about him... It was simply filled with a wish.


    Please say yes.

 Chapter 563 [563] Date!

    <h4>Chapter 563 [563] Date!</h4>


    I would be lying if I had said that I was not surprised, rather, it would be correct to even say I was bbergasted...


    "Will you be my boyfriend, n?"


    Those words of hers, which flowed out from her tender lips and slightly red cheeks, rang in my mind, not once, not twice, but thrice.


    "Will you be my boyfriend, n?"


    "Will you be my boyfriend, n?"


    "Will you be my boyfriend, n?"


    And each time they resounded in my mind, they increased in volume and caused an unforeseen, great impact to hit me mentally. They increased in octaves, ringing in my mind.


    I gulped, taking more time to process what had happened.


    As I did so, I struggled to give an answer...as easy as it should be, I still struggled, like a coward of sorts. I struggled.


    And as my mind wandered to think of a response, I began to be reminded of our time together. She was never like this.


    At the start, when it all had started, I was annoyed to serve as her bodyguard. At that point in time, I was stupid and arrogant. I mean, I still am a little, but that''s not the point.


    I was annoyed that I had to take care of someone I considered a cmity ma at that point in time, ''a protagonist''. Furthermore, I went by what James had imprinted onto me, false memories of everyone''s lives here being mere words. Characters in a novel that I had read.


    What a fucking moronic thing to do... I really hate that bastard.


    Anyway, If it wasn''t for the quest Lanesha had given to me, And Suleras...perhaps I would have never even interacted with any of them. Perhaps, I would be ying the incognito role, The role of someone unnoticed. I would just...ignore them all.


    I could understand Suleras, Now that I am a dragon perhaps our dragon pride would be hurt if I ranked lower than first, and thus Suleras gave the quest to me because of that. To protect me as a dragon, and for himself to not be lowered as well.


    Well, our blood is one that has reigned since the beginning...settling for something less than the greatest would be wrong. Ever since I became a pure-blood dragon, I have been getting those feelings.


    But I did not get why Lanesha gave me that quest. To protect this weak little human. A weak human, who although you would be a great magic user in the future...would be nothing in the face of the dragons.


    Then why? I questioned this when I became a full-dragon, But I didn''t understand. Did she, knowing the true reason of my existence, issue the quest, so I would behave and act like a child, Like I was supposed?


    So that I would have a life I would be happy with? Companions I could trust? So, unlike Aranus and James, I would not be alone? That I won''t go down their path?


    Or does she have some other agenda I am unaware of? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Regardless...


    I am thankful. I am happy that I met her, even though it did give me some trouble. Truth be told, I liked her for a while. Hell, I''ll say it.


    I like Sabrina. I have a crush on her.


    And I guess since she said this... I think it''s also the same for her? I hope it is, anyway. She is beautiful, without a doubt. Besides, she has a great personality as well. Unlike most girls her age, she was well-reserved, and not obnoxious.


    Besides, I''ll take anyone that isn''t Serena. Trust me, You don''t want to get involved with women like Serena.


    ''I''m sorry, Elijah, I hope you will find sce.''


    Iughed a little, and then gulped once more. I turned my head to look straight at her, and then...


    I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Sighing at myself. I closed it again and simply continued to stare at her. This garnered a response from her.


    "Come on, was it that shocking?"


    Shocking¡­?


    Yeah, it really was. I wanted to say this to her¡­ But I guess I still couldn''t speak.


    I spent a little bit more time pondering, but thenughed.


    ''What the fuck are you doing?''


    I said to myself, as Iughed at my actions some more. Sabrina, who was looking at me, was probably filled with apprehension.


    At that moment in time, I came to terms with myself.


    ''I''m a dragon for fuck''s sake, Why am I scared of this?''


    I made up my mind, and stered a genuine smile on my face. And I finally opened my mouth.


    "Yeah."


    Perhaps it was too nd, maybe I should have said, ''Yes, it would be my honor''. That should suit her noble tastes.


    And¡­it seems I was correct.


    "Haa? What''s that monotonous tone of voice?"


    Monotonous? Did I really sound like that? Shit, I intended to have more emotion in my voice¡­ But I guess that failed spectacrly.


    [Yes, it would be honor.]


    I hurriedly used the astral bond to convey it once more, in a tone of voice that would make her happy, or at least relieved to hear it.


    "Toote."


    She said as she smacked her book on my shoulder, looking displeased.


    "... Sorry."


    I apologized,menting at the fact that I was clueless about this kind of stuff. Maybe the mental strain was so much my voice was impacted¡­Haa¡­how do I fix this?


    "It''s alright."


    However, It seems that I didn''t really need to do anything. She forgave me on her own. It was something I was grateful for. I really thought I had messed up badly.


    Suddenly, as I sighed in relief. I thought of something. She asked me something else first¡­


    "Where do you want to go on a date?"


    I asked her with a smile on my face, and looked at her with curious eyes. I was expecting something grand, like a renowned restaurant¡­


    "A theme park."

 Chapter 564 [564] Date[2]!

    <h4>Chapter 564 [564] Date[2]!</h4>


    [Askolt City, Eastern side, Avara Theme park, 3:00 PM]


    Surprisingly, there weren''t many theme parks or areas for public entertainment in Askolt city. Well, I guess I shouldn''t be too surprised.


    Although it was a main city, it was located in the middle regions of the human world, where monster attacks weren''t rare, but notmon too. There were still frequent attacks.


    Although the city guard and Association took care of most. It was where Shield, and the headquarters of the Association were situated¡­ So I guess it''s more of a fortress city. That would make sense why theck of public entertainment for normal people is socking here. Considering most of the poption is awakened.


    ''Sigh¡­''


    I sighed as I paid the entrance fee for the theme park and waited for a certain person. I was wearing a ck dress shirt and pants¡­ It should be alright for a date, right? Oh yeah, I also had a cap and a mask on. I was pretty famous out here with the recent events¡­


    I hid my subpar facial features with those and simply waited for Sabrina to arrive. She said she woulde here by herself and at first, I was taken aback by it.


    I thought she enjoyed the fast travel that was my teleportation, nothing could beat it after all. But I guess she needed time to prepare or something¡­or perhaps was it a surprise?


    ''What would she wear to this?'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    I was excited to see what it would be, and to be honest, considering the type of girl she is I fully expected her toe in a full noble dress. I''m not lying.


    ''She should probablye in that¡­''


    Ha¡­that girl ispletely unaware of social customs of themon people. Who would wear a dress to the theme park? Well, I don''t have a right to say since I myself am also not that ustomed to this¡­but it should still be better than Sabrina''s.


    "Damn, he''s tall."


    "Hmm?"


    Despite my best attempts at trying to keep a low profile, there was one thing I couldn''t hide. I could hide my face, my eyes, and hair, but I couldn''t hide my height. To humans, I was very tall, standing at a height of six foot eight inches.


    I was proud of it at one point, but then I realized I wasparing myself to humans. When Ipared myself to members of my own race¡­ I was actually below average. Lanesha was a head and a half taller than me¡­ Well, I am still a baby in dragon years, so I guess I will grow.


    Besides, I can change my height whenever I want using mana and skills like polymorph, so I am not too worried. Too big and it would be a problem for me.


    Although I will say, height among humans is an advantage, I was here for half an hour at most, yet three women had already approached me for my number. I didn''t hate it¡­but the thought of Sabrina identally seeing my like that made me terrified, and I rejected them all.


    I don''t want to ruin this at all!


    "Hmmm~"


    I hummed to myself as I slowly waited, holding the two tickets in my hand, and looked at the children yelling and crying as they went in and out. The ones who yelled in excitement, would sometimes gaze at me and point as they entered the theme park, whilst the crying ones, who were the departing ones couldn''t care less.


    "Annoying little shits."


    Human children are annoying. Thankfully, my efforts were soon rewarded when I heard Sabrina''s voice through the Astral bond.


    [Where are you?]


    [Front entrance.]


    I answered almost immediately, my heart was thumping, and I anxiously waited for her. I had nned a few things¡­ Hopefully everything goes ording to n.


    Soon enough, she appeared. It was hard to not notice her. Although she also had a mask and a cap on, She was tall, taller than most men here and easily dwarfed over them.


    ''Tall women are the best.''


    Nothing beats them. Despite my expectations, she had dressed quite casually. She was wearing a simple ck shirt with a floral design, and blue jeans.


    I took a nce at my own fit, and thought.


    ''Fuck, I overdressed for this.''


    This was more evident by the weird look she gave me when she arrived. She questioned my fit.


    "What is that? Isn''t it more suited for a formal party?"


    Meanwhile, I was entranced by her simple appearance. It couldn''t be helped, I had seen her mostly in either the school uniform, which I give a rank of 10/10. Her battle uniform, which was one used by mages, having loose clothing for who knows what reason, I give it a rating of 10/10, Her expensive dresses, a humble rating of 100/10. And once in a bikini, which I give 1000/10.


    Truly humble.


    "Where do we buy the tickets?"


    She asked, and went ahead to look when I stopped her. I waved the two tickets in front of her face and said.


    "I already got them, Let''s go."


    I said as I gave the tickets to the guard and was allowed inside with her.


    The inside was as what you would expect, numerous stalls lined up to the sides with a big road in the middle. There was also a map given to the visitors which I had, I had already decided what order of rides would be first, as for the carnival games it can be whatever she wants.


    Sabrina was busy taking in the sights, and I quietly bought five sticks of cotton candy. Three for me, one for her and one for emergency.


    What can I do? Being thisrge, I need arge amount of food for my sustenance.


    "What do you want to do first?"


    I asked her, although I had a n, It shouldn''t hurt to ask her, right? I also slid my hand towards hers, sneakily, and coughed.


    She let out augh, held my hand and said.


    "Whatever you want."


    Alright, so my n it is!

 Chapter 565 [565] Sudden request.

    <h4>Chapter 565 [565] Sudden request.</h4>


    My n wasn''t really thatplex. It was simply to follow the map and go on the rides that were closer, asionally stopping by the stalls or carnival games if Sabrina wanted to y, or for food.


    Thinking about food, I am getting more hungry nowadays, my appetite is gettingrger.


    Anyway, I held arge teddy bear as I walked through the streets. As if our heights weren''t enough of an attention ma, all the prizes and rewards I was carrying added fuel to the fire.


    People were already looking at us and it''s really annoying, Like¡­


    ''Mind your own business?''


    I was a bit pissed too, I thought that perhaps I would have to win the prizes in carnival games¡­ Little did I know I was useless, Sabrina did them all of them alone whether it was either catching something or shooting something¡­ Well, As long as she had fun, I didn''t really mind.


    "Meow."


    Ah right, there''s also one more attention ma on my shoulder. As soon as I heard the subtle meow ringing right in my ear. Sabrina also turned her head to look at me, and I showed a proud smile. She sighed.


    Ha! Although the little spirit on my shoulder, which is Sabrina''s is an attention ma, It''s kind of like a saving grace for me. She summoned the spirit because she wanted to cuddle or hold it whilst being here¡­


    But little did she know, as soon as she did, It jumped over to my shoulder and refused to leave! It garnered me a strange look from Sabrina, one of annoyance and jealousy, And I enjoyed it.


    ''Perks of being a dragon!''


    I thought sheepishly, as I continued forth. The voices of the people ringing in my ear. Ever since I awakened aura, all of my senses have gotten enhanced, and if I don''t actively use mana to suppress them at times¡­it results in this.


    "Damn! Look how tall both they are."


    "Is that a cat¡­? Why does it have a horn?"


    "Mommy! Monster!"


    "Why are they wearing masks?"


    They all talked in hushed tones, but that was not where the issuey. I was worried Sabrina would be disturbed¡­and more so for myself.


    If I don''t use mana to suppress my hearing, their voicese at me in waves, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth and a ringing in my ears. Like I can hear them from every direction. Now¡­I could keep using mana to suppress them, but the problem was people would notice it.


    The humans, as poor as their understanding of mana is, are not blind. They can see my mana move to cover my ears, despite my efforts to conceal it.


    And that¡­resulted in this.


    "Is he a rogue awakened?"


    "Shit, he won''t do anything here, would he?"


    Despite Askolt being a city where the majority of the poption was awakened, There were rules and regtions. Awakened weren''t supposed to use mana in any form in the city, if an emergency did not arise, of course. Awakened still used it away from the public, and the city didn''t have any means to enforce it strictly in such a circumstance¡­ But the problem is I''m in the public.


    Awakened don''te to theme parks, only the normal humans do.


    "Haa¡­"


    Honestly, I just hope Sir Oliver doesn''t find out about this. We may have sneaked out of Shield, but I know that wouldn''t get us a severe punishment¡­ But this definitely can.


    ''I wonder if they would all shut up if I killed a few of them.''


    An absurd thought came to my mind, which I hurriedly chased away.


    "Are you okay?"


    Sabrina''s voice rang in my ears, apanied by the asional meowing.


    She approached me and held my hand.


    "Just ignore them."


    ''That is, quite literally, what I have been trying to do for the past few minutes, but thank you.''


    I thought with a hint of sarcasm¡­but¡­


    I didn''t have the balls to say that.


    "Just use these."


    She handed me a pair of earbuds, which I put in my ears. This would make it so I don''t have to use mana, which would save me.


    "You brought these?"


    I asked her, It was quite odd to bring a pack of sound- n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    cancelling earbuds. They were so good I had a hard time hearing my own voice.


    [Yeah, I noticed your weird antics.]


    She said through the spatial bond, as she looked at me in the eyes. I reciprocated, but of course with a hint of confusion. It happened as we got on the roller coaster.


    [Strange antics?]


    [Ever since you woke up and started attending sses again, you acted weird.]


    [How weird?]


    [You would automatically shiver or show a reaction to a ''mildly'' loud noise, and also flinch at any type of light if it was brought in front of you. The ''flinch'' was also greatly exaggerated.]


    Although I could not hear the voices of the humans anymore, I could still feel the ''gaze'' of a couple behind us, looking at us with scorn because of their view being blocked.


    [...]


    Yet, that was not on my mind. I simply looked at Sabrina with the ''standard'' puppy dog look. Even though a cat was on my shoulder. She stared at me with a smirk, as if she thought it was cute or something.


    ¡­ I was touched, she actually noticed and took appropriate measures for it.


    The roller coaster began to move at a high speed, but it wasn''t really high speed for the two of us.


    [Your much faster.]


    She said, as she had an apathetic look on her face, clearly bored by it. It seems she liked the carnival games much more than this.


    [You fly superfast, and the thrill is much greater when I''m in your arms and at the risk of falling.]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    [...hey, even if I did let you go, you seriously think I wouldn''t dive to catch you.]


    I retorted. Of course, I took her in the traditional princess carry and took flight if the situation called for it, But ''even'' if she did fall¡­did she seriously think I wouldn''t dive to catch her.


    Hold on, firstly. She wouldn''t fall! My grip isn''t that weak! I would even crash just so I could make sure she was safe.


    Sheughed and said.


    [Yes, of course, You''d probably crash into the ground just to save me.]


    [Exactly.]


    Something''s wrong, I feel as if she''s dragging this conversation somewhere¡­ Now where she is dragging this, I don''t know.


    And I don''t want to know¡­but at the same time I want to.


    ''Where are you leading this?''


    I thought, as the ride was over, and we dismounted, leaving only the house of horrors or something. Was that what it was called?


    House of horrors, Iughed at it¡­ I''m pretty sure both of us have seen much worse than anything in there.


    "Haha."


    [All the rides here are boring. n, take me to the sea or something by flight.]


    ¡­


    Oh, so that''s where you were going with this conversation.

 Chapter 566 [566] ...Something can scare you?

    <h4>Chapter 566 [566] ...Something can scare you?</h4>


    Like all the other rides in this theme park, the entrance to the horror house seemed¡­overly decorative. The gate was a huge skull, with parts of flesh still lingering on it, there was also an eye-popping out of the socket. There were also horns on the top of the thing, as if to resemble a demon.


    Also, there was blood and flesh on the surroundings, some appearing to be rotten and some still fresh.


    ''Sniff.''


    I took a sniff and sighed, they got the smellpletely wrong. Rotten flesh has a putrid smell, this one has no smell at all¡­ And fresh blood contains the scent of iron, and also a nauseating smell. I have gotten used to that part. I looked and examined them well.


    "The smell is entirely off."


    Imented as we both waited for our turn. I was unaware of how loud my voice was due to the earbuds¡­ Leading to an unexpected pinch from Sabrina, who was behind me. A coughing sound escaped her lips and she shrugged it off.


    "He meant the smell of the cotton candy¡­ Haha."


    [Please be quiet.]


    She said to the people around, who were giving us weird looks, and to me afterward using the spatial bond. I tried to act natural, and took a sniff of the cotton candy I had left, trying to make her words appear to be reality to the people. I am ashamed of myself¡­ I had gotten too used to the silence.


    Also, Is it remarkable that I can differentiate the fake props? Or should I further be ashamed of myself that I could? I remember the scent of fresh and clotted blood very well, also that of rotten and fresh flesh.


    Hmm¡­


    She''s right¡­ I forgot I''m in the presence of humans, I can''t do this type of stuff.


    [Sorry.]


    I apologized to Sabrina, as I hung my head down in shame. She looked at me with a profound gaze before saying.


    [Don''t worry about it, Our turn!]


    Her voice changed into that of an excited child, as she looked up at the sign with an expectant gaze, Both of us entered the horror house.


    "..."


    Contrary to the outside, the inside was much more cramped. I had to lower myself a bit¡­but even then I could feel it on my nape and upper back.


    "I''ll walk ahead¡­"


    She said. I had entered the establishment first but¡­due to these circumstances, Sabrina had to take the lead so she won''t be inconvenienced during the experience this ce would bring.


    "Sorry."


    I apologized yet again as my chin rested on the top of her head. I could smell the type of shampoo she used.


    [Lavender?]


    [Please don''t smell my head that casually¡­]


    Ipletely ignored her plea as the scent naturally entered my nostrils, It smelled ofvender, a calming scent.


    "You aren''t disturbed that much by this, are you?"


    I asked, out of worry, If she wanted I could move a bit back¡­but apparently she didn''t mind.


    We continued on the course, along the way being met with the ''jump scares'' that would frighten normal people to death.


    Well, normal people. I could see those things popping out, even in the darkness, clearly, So I wasn''t afraid¡­ Sabrina should be like that as well, Her reflexes or senses are slower and weaker than mine, but even then¡­


    ''Oh?''


    Despite my predictions, she actually moved back a little, Her hair touched my shirt and her head was soon on my neck.


    "..."


    I won''t lie, I don''t hate it.


    But it dide as a surprise¡­ I didn''t think she would be scared of anything that appeared here¡­ Or should I just call it an instinctive response. Her senses and reflexes are much slower than mine, so should I say that she isn''t afraid, just moving back a little on reflex.


    "¡­!"


    It seemed she realized that she moved back quite a few inches, and that her entire back was now touching my chest.


    "Don''t worry, keep going. I actually enjoy this."


    "..."


    I silenced her with my shamelessness, as we continued, my mind wandered constantly, sometimes thinking about the pleasant smell Sabrina exuded, and the nice feeling of this experience and then to responsibilities.


    ording to Richard, a city will be built on the camp we had set up, with thebined resources and efforts of Earth, in order to make a stable foothold on that city. Considering that we did find traces of a civilization¡­and what had urred at the city, It should be heavily militarized at this point, excessively even.


    Sigh¡­ But because of that, Twilight has lost its foothold, They dug out the ground the portal was on and transported the entire fucking thing to another building, owned by all the guilds in the top 10, the World government and the association. Itpletely took away twilight''s advantage.


    ''How the fuck did they even move the portal?''


    I questioned that many times¡­ But simply left it as is. I don''t have the leisure to think about that¡­ However, it''s not like I don''t have a solution to the problem faced by the guild. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Strictly speaking, all we need is a foothold¡­ Since building an entire city by itself would be tough on Twilight¡­ Why don''t we just take one?


    Now, I acknowledge the fact that I absolutely razed the most desirable candidate for this to the ground, destroying it to such a point it literally does not exist ''at all'' now. The second candidate would be the ruins we found in the jungle¡­ Although, on second thought, scratch that.


    ''It would be too hard¡­''


    Hmm¡­ The only option left is the one I found in the desert, however this is on a different level. Unlike the ruins, this one is popted, and also in a harsh climate. I found an entirely covered structure back in the desert, but didn''t take it on at that time.


    If my mana scans are correct, there are monsters inside, An entire civilization of Minotaur''s, they have houses, and everything else to be honest, just at a more primitive level. About a few hundred to a thousand of them.


    The reason I avoided back then was due to the sheer number there, and the absurdly powerful Minotaur in the lower level¡­


    but with my current strength, I can take that Minotaur on.


    Previously, Twilight''s efforts were mainly on the construction of a base back then¡­ But this time it can raid the entire structure.


    Despite what it is thought of us, We are still the third ranked guild, Our power is not to be underestimated.


    But¡­


    ''I want to do it myself.''


    Or more specifically.


    With the power of my domain.


    I have been itching to try it out, the fact that I have an entire army myself¡­ But the numbers are toocking. I have the corpse of the Nightdy, and some other treasures¡­ Perhaps sacrificing them would give me enough points to increase the number of my troops to a sufficient level.


    Then, all I would need to is to take care of the damage done to the structure, I should be careful not to damage it too much.


    It honestly is more effective if I don''t take part in the raid at all, and let my troops do everything¡­ My techniques are all too destructive. Yeah¡­ I think I should just test my domain only, I can just try taking that monster in the lower levels.


    ''Yeah, that sounds like a good n.''


    Satisfied with myself, I was about to think about ''strategy'' and the like, when suddenly¡­


    "Hiek!"


    I heard a yelp, one that clearly said Sabrina was scared.


    ''Huh? There''s something here that can actually scare her?''

 Chapter 567 [567] Your scared of Vampires?

    Chapter 567 [567] Your scared of Vampires?


    ??"Hiek!"


    The moment I heard that, I felt a sort of pressure on my chest, as if someone had buried their face in it. Disregarding that sort of feeling, I was actually astonished.


    Surprised, I looked up and discarded my thoughts of the raid, and wanted to know what exactly it was.


    I looked up and saw a man, wearing aicallyrge red cape. He looked regal in appearance, with his hair tidy, and wearing the attire of a noble, He had tworge canines, which were obviously fake and fake blood oozed out of them. He was average in appearance other than his attire.


    "..."


    "..."


    Both of us silently looked at one another. I knew he was an employee of this establishment and doing his job but¡­ That was not what took me by surprise.


    What it actually was¡­was the fact that Sabrina was scared, not of unholy abominations of flesh or ghostly entities¡­but something that looked most like a human.


    A vampire.


    "..."


    "..."


    Another bout of silent stares ensued, as I looked down at her. She was actually shaking and had her face buried deep in my chest.


    "..."


    I could tell, even though the contract between us was terminated¡­ I could tell¡­


    This was genuine.


    Sabrina was actually terrified of vampires. Even though she most likely knew it was a fake imitation of one. That¡­ I honestly don''t know how to respond to this.


    Whilst I was surprised by this, The employee coughed, which drew my attention. I looked at him, who was now smiling, and he gave me a thumbs up. I don''t know why, but I reciprocated with the same gesture, a thumbs up.


    With a satisfied and somewhat envious look, he retreated into the air, being lifted by wires. Like a character from aic.


    I did feel disturbed that he kept his eyes on Sabrina for a while, but I let it go when I realized she still had her face buried deep in my chest.


    She stopped shaking, but I didn''t tell her ''the scary monster'' went away. I simply enjoyed the feeling.


    ''It feels nice.''


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha sighs at your youth.]


    ¡­ You were watching? Do you not have some duties to attend to because of your status?


    Surprisingly, this supreme is too free. And bored.


    "He''s gone, isn''t he?"


    I heard Sabrina''s voice, and reflexively answered with a yes.


    "Yes."


    "Ah, let''s continue then.


    Good things neverst, I just noticed how true that was. She relieved herself from the embrace and went forward, acting like nothing happened.


    A little bit taken aback by it, and somewhat still reminiscing about the prior events, I stood in the same spot. I could see her ears and parts of her face turning a little red. Perhaps from embarrassment.


    No, definitely from embarrassment.


    "Cute."


    I muttered, and she seemed to have heard it, since the redness turned a shade deeper.


    "Let''s just go, Okay?!"


    And like that, we hurried out of the horror house, with me constantly suppressing the urge tough.


    But in the end, as we exited the thing I couldn''t hold it in anymore, and let out a chuckle. She looked at me with eyes that could, and would, kill. So I stopped.


    Regardless, I still said.


    "Of all things, The least I expected was for you to be scared of vampires."


    She didn''t respond, instead continued to walk forward, I followed her, and got close. Lowering my head and turning it, so I was at her side, I moved my own teeth, those of a dragon, close to her neck.


    "I wonder what your reaction would be if I bit your neck."


    I said, unting my own canines. But to be honest.


    With the look she gave me, I was scared shitless for a moment and retreated.


    ''Gulp.''


    I took a gulp, and stepped back, massaging her shoulders. I tried my best to make up.


    "Haha, Everyone has their own fea-"


    "Shut up."


    ¡­ Well, at least it was worth a shot.


    I hope the entire date hasn''t been ruined because of this. But surprisingly, she turned to look at me, her face still a bit red.


    "It''s¡­alright to be scared of some things."


    ¡­


    Badump


    ¡­


    ''Ok, that was cute.''


    I admitted once again and confirmed.


    "Totally is."


    Of course, everyone is afraid of something. Sabrina of¡­


    vampires and I am afraid of something else. Something more profound I guess ifpared to her fear.


    "Please forget that ever happened."


    "Ohe on, It wasn''t that bad. You did say that everyone has a fear."


    "Oh, then what''s your fear?"


    There you go, You are back to your original self. The Sabrina I know.


    "Something you won''t understand."


    I said, as I tried tough it off. Of course, she noticed it but didn''t pursue it further, to which I was thankful for her. She led the way and we bought a few drinks.


    She had an obsession for taking pictures of them, and got mad a few times because I finished the drinks too quickly.


    But overall, it was fun. I would say this date was a sess. Now, the only thing left to do would be toplete her request. We went to a secluded area so I could open a portal without anyone noticing¡­


    But something interrupted us. Hermunicator rang, and she looked at it for a moment, a worried look could be seen on her face as she said to me.


    "n, let''s go back. I''m sorry, but I have some family business to attend to. Can you teleport me to my¡­what are you doing?"


    I was in the middle of taking my shirt off. We were going to fly, and that required wings. I don''t want this shirt to be ruined because of my transformation.


    "Doing what you wanted¡­?"


    "If people saw this, You know what they would think."


    ¡­ Can''t argue with that.


    "Anyway, please just open a portal to my room."


    I obliged, although I was still dubious. But she wouldn''t tell me no matter how much I asked. I made a portal to the door of her dorm. Thinking the situation was urgent, I turned to leave. But she stopped me.


    She stretched out her hands, as if attempting to grab something. I remembered her spirit cat was on my shoulder, so I lowered myself so it would be easier for her to grab it when¡­


    She actually grabbed my chin and kissed my cheek.


    "Thank you for the date."


    With a sweet voice.


    Frozen, I didn''t even look at her as I was too shocked, until I heard the sound of her door closing.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost, Lanesha isughing at your frozen state.]


    I touched my cheek, and noticed that some of her lipstick was there, which got on my fingers.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    So that''s how a kiss feels like¡­even though on the cheek instead of the lips.


    ''Honestly¡­''


    I thought to myself¡­


    That made the entire thing worth it.

 Chapter 568 [568] An army of my own.

    Chapter 568 [568] An army of my own.


    ??The smoldering heat, the rough sand beneath my feet and the odd rock formations in the surroundings, coupled with the cry of a vulture or some bird in the far distance.


    "Yeah¡­ I am back."


    I muttered to myself, as I stood in front of thebyrinth-like city. Not only that, but I took a leave for two days and came here, I teleported here and gazed at the towering walls.


    They were made of ck stone, and the depictions of bulls and Minotaur were as vivid as ever.


    "Damn it."


    I cursed as my feet dug into the sand, I wasn''t mad about the sand or something, but rather the heat. Since I am predominantly an ice-dragon, the heat is my worst enemy.


    Although ording to Lanesha, I''m a special kind of dragon that has ess to forms rted to all my affinities, it doesn''t disregard the fact that I have mastery over the ice element the most, therefore my body is filled with more mana rted to the ice element.


    And because of that¡­ I already am at a disadvantage here.


    I remember when that damn bastard at the city of giants trapped me in a room withva¡­the heat there was so immense it was truly hell for me. Since I was weakened at that time as well¡­ It was truly an unforgettable experience.


    "So¡­ I guess I should wait for nighttime."


    I said as I sat down on the rough sand. My domain, The Jade Pce, belongs to my frost element. Therefore, it''s just like me, at a disadvantage in this environment. Using it right now and charging in would akin to suicide.


    Therefore, I decided to wait until nighttime. In direct contrast to daytime, Deserts are cold during the night. It would be the perfect opportunity for me to attack them.


    I took a look at my inventory and examined the items I brought to sacrifice at the altar¡­I had to spend a fortune on this, and borrow some from Richard as well. I had already informed him of my intentions, so a force from twilight would be ready to renovate this entire ce the moment I am done.


    ''Please¡­don''t ruin it too much!''


    I was also met with pleas to preserve this ce as much as possible. Both from Richard and the elders back at home¡­


    ''Who do they think I am?''


    Of course, I would do my best to preserve this ce! They should really put more trust in me.


    [Supreme dragon of frost, Lanesha takes the side of the humans.]


    "...you be quiet¡­"


    Nevertheless, this old and bored dragon still kept a watch over me. I honestly wonder whether she has something to do or not. From Aranus and James'' memories, however vague or faint they may be, Supreme beings are almost always busy.


    I finished my examination and prepared to teleport inside my domain. I covered my face with my hood and eximed.


    "Finally, I am going out of this dirty ce!"


    I came here only to perform an inspection, to check if something had changed or not¡­ With it over, I could finally enter my domain, and deal with the next hurdle.


    [Supreme dragon of frost, Lanesha,ments that it is bold of you to call something dirty.]


    Hmm? What is she getting at now? The desert is not a sanitary ce.


    "As if you would enjoy a desert."


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha mentions that it is not the desert, but the man who didn''t wash his face at all after receiving a kiss.]


    ¡­


    "Hey, That was apl-"


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha asks you if the lipstick does not bother you in any way.]


    "Ok, you win. Can we drop this now?"


    So what if I hadn''t washed my face? I admit it may be a bit dirty or something else, but it''s not that bad¡­ It can''t be that bad.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost, Laneshaments that if other dragons knew the antics of her ''son'' they would beughing at you.]


    "..."


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Laneshaments that her house would be reduced to aughingstock.]


    "..."


    They didn''t stop, she continued to tease me about it until I finally gave up and apologized, throwing a bit of water at my face. I looked to the sky and shouted. Like a madman.


    "Here! Happy?"


    But there was no response, I could vividly imagine the picture of Lanesha stillughing, and enjoying every moment of this. Before she could say anything else, though, I hurriedly entered my domain.


    I spawned right in front of the Altar and took out the items from my inventory, and personally threw the most valuable thing, the corpse of the Nightdy, at the altar. It took a while for it to absorb all the sacrifices, and during that time I cried tears of blood, watching the money disappear.


    "Keugh!"


    I wonder¡­am I really bing too much like Sabrina? Obsessing over money like this.


    After a while, therge sum of points were distributed to me, and the options presented themselves to me once more.


    [Please allocate the distribution of the points.]


    [Troops]


    [Jade City.]


    [Jade Pce]


    [Tower.]


    The same three options, apanied by the fourth that came after I gave it the core of the tower. I ignored all the others and clicked on the [Troops] option.


    The list of my current troops appeared.


    Jade Serpent Beast King: 2.


    Jade Serpent Beast: 100


    Jade Knights: 150.


    Jade Mages(Ice): 25


    Jade Soldiers (Infantry(Spear)): 500.


    Jade Soldiers (Archery):300n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Jade Soldiers (Swordsman): 200


    Jade Workers: 1000.


    Jade Serpents: 5000.


    Along with a few other options for new troops, there wasn''t anything I was interested in except for one, so I only nced over them for a bit. I remember using my pointsst time to purchase more troops, Knights and mages. There weren''t a lot, but it was better than nothing¡­ But now?


    I have enough for an army.


    First, The Jade workers and serpents can be excused, as well as the Serpent kings. The workers and serpents aren''t fit for battle, whilst the Serpent kings can''t leave the premises of the city.


    If I want to increase their range, I need to increase the size of the city. So, excusing them, I''m left with the others.


    Out of them, I''ll excuse the Swordsmen, The Minotaurs would ughter any who got too close. That leaves me with Spacemen, Archers, Mages and Knights, as well as the beasts. If I''m being honest, I''m kind of excited for this.


    I increased the number of Spearman to 2000, and the archers to 800¡­ And the knights to 200, I kept the beasts the same number. They won''t be apanying the army. Based on what I could see with [Dragon Eyes], They would make conquering thebyrinth difficult with theirrge bodies.


    And then¡­ I increased the mages to 100¡­ I wanted to make it 150, but I needed to save points for the other type of troop I was going to buy.


    With the remaining points, I can only afford 5 of these troops. Each one is the cost of 10 mages¡­


    "Why is it so expensive¡­"


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says that it is not easy to raise and maintain an army.]


    "Sigh¡­"


    I grit my teeth and summoned the 5, andmented at the fact that I¡­


    Became dirt poor once more.

 Chapter 569 [569] An army of my own![2]

    Chapter 569 [569] An army of my own![2]


    ??[Jade Serpent Beast King: 2.]


    [Jade Serpent Beast: 100]


    [Jade Knights: 200.]


    [Jade Mages(Ice): 100.]


    [Jade Soldiers (Infantry(Spear)): 2000.]


    [Jade Soldiers (Archery):800]


    [Jade Soldiers (Swordsman): 200]


    [Jade Workers: 1000.]


    [Jade Serpents: 5000.]


    The updated list appeared in front of me...along with a new addition.


    [Jade Serpent Commander:5.]


    The list of my troops appeared in front of me, along with the new addition I spent so much on.


    They were summoned right in front of me, instead of the barracks like the rest. I guess the Altar, or rather this domain, spawned them here because I wanted to check on them.


    They were like the knights, with full serpentine bodies, But instead of the cobra-like heads, they instead had a streamlined shape, with a few scales here and then. Like that of a viper. The eyes didn''t have much of a difference. Their clothing seemed to be made out of cloth, with a few armor tes here and there, and they did not have any weapons at all.


    However, their rank was not low. They were A-rank, just like the knights. However, their main task was not to fight, but to lead.


    I had encountered a problem the first time I awoke in this domain of mine, and that was with the synchronization. To ry any order, I had to link my mind with all my troops. I could ry it to a special group of them, like the knights and the serpentine beasts, like I did previously when Sabrina and Samantha were here. But the problem is the ry time. The knights cannot ry my orders perfectly and in time, and neither are they suited for it. In the middle of a battlefield, I need to be able to ry them perfectly, or have someone to respond to sudden changes in my stead.


    Therefore, I needmanders. I couldn''t even link with the troops I had when I first came here without a major headache and feeling super drained¡­ So naturally, I would not be able to do it now since I literally doubled my forces.


    So, the ones I only have to link too would be these 5, which would be less of a strain on my mind. They can control the army in my stead. They are actually more suited for it as well, ording to their description at least¡­


    They would be the main points of this raid, and honestly save me quite a bit of time and effort.


    Taking a satisfied breath, I made up a n and waited for night toe in the desert. Then, I could finally begin¡­


    ********


    [Giganta, Nighttime, Desert, in front of Minotaur Labyrinths.]


    The sand was actually cool instead of hot this time, and the surrounding rocks and other things as well. The breeze, shockingly in this desert, also carried with it a deep chill, which was simply pleasant for my body. The temperature has dropped massively here¡­and I feel at home.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Alright, I should have quite a bit of time before the sunes up again."


    Nevertheless, I still need to hurry.


    I flew away from thebyrinth city, but not too far¡­enough so that there would be a distance of a few meters if a city was about to prop up right in front of the thing.


    With a smirk on my face, I stimted the mana in my body and sent my mana heart into overdrive, I trapped and restricted my aura to the maximum, and let mana fill almost all of my body, concentrated mana. Unlike going in and out of the ce, which just required mana and some time. To summon the entire domain, I needed a lot of mana.


    A lot of it.


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha is excited!]


    ''I can''t me you!''


    I said to her with my thoughts as even my heart continued to beat in anticipation, and a wild smile appeared on my face. My mana leaked into the surroundings, it was not slow, but rather quick.


    But it still wasn''t as quick as Ezra''s domain, which engulfed it almost instantly. I guess different domains have a different propagation time.


    It was done, and I opened my mouth to activate the mana both in my body and the environment, giving birth to a city.


    "I am the Jade pce¡­"


    Unlike the others, which simply needed the words ''Domain Expansion'' or the thought of it once one got strong enough, mine actually needed this particr statement to be said, or else nothing would happen. Even if I got stronger, I would still need to say this.


    It was a ring weakness¡­but I guess something this overpowered does need it to be bnced in one way or another.


    Regardless, I finished that statement.


    "... And the jade pce is me."


    Ice spread out from beneath my feet, not shoving the sand away, but simply recing it. The grains of sand had their molecr structure changed and turned to small pieces of ice, which joined together. The surrounding area became a frozennd in an instant¡­and on the border of this frozennd.


    Walls emerged, the walls of my Jade City, which held their weapons and all their troops, and then around me, my pce came into being. It wasn''t simply dropped or appeared on the ground, but the foundations that dug deep appeared first, and then it came. Then the city and all my other troops.


    It was a pleasant, yet scary sight¡­ One that made me think of another way to use it.


    ''What would happen if I summoned it right in the middle of a fight? Would it work?''


    I thought to myself, as the two serpent beasts rose out from the castle and roared, as if expressing their joy at finally being brought out onto a world.


    My troops all did the same, either roaring or mming their weapons to the ground.


    But ignoring all of that, I was about to ponder more about using it as a weapon amidst battle, but Lanesha interrupted me.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says it is not ideal to leave an army without a task.]


    I smirked, and summoned my spear, The AME-No-Sakahoko. I was about to summon an armor as well when I realized I didn''t have one¡­ I need to address that issue as well.


    Ignoring everything else, I linked my mind to that of themanders, and ordered them to make the troops I had chosen march forth, outside the city and in front of thebyrinth gate. A towering and powerful structure indeed.


    I jumped towards the castle walls, and took a stance, as my ''army'' rushed forth. Just before they reached the tall and strong gate, they stopped and took a formation.


    No matter how powerful they are, it would be hard to break down that gate quickly¡­but that is not their job.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear(5-Star).]


    ¡ªThird Movement¡ª


    Redemption.


    Breaking that gate down¡­is my job.


    The spear strike went forth undisturbed, and shed with the gate, destroying. Roars of anger emerged from the dark crevice, which was met by a rain of ice bolts from my mages.


    Pointing my spear towards the gate, I ordered with a resolute voice.


    "Advance."


    And my army did just that¡­and to be honest.


    It felt amazing.

 Chapter 570 [570] Raid the Labyrinth.

    Chapter 570 [570] Raid the Labyrinth.


    ??My strategy to clear thisbyrinth was notplicated or anything of the sort. In fact, it could even be said to be extremely simple.


    But sometimes, Simple is best.


    Most of the Minotaurs here, ording to the scan I did with my dragon eyes, said that they were A-rank, with a few a rank above.


    The knights I led, which were all A rank, would be the main fighting force of this mission. Each would iste a Minotaur and fight them alone. Which wasn''t hard because that is how their nature is.


    The Jade Spear men would help and ''poke'' the Minotaur, inducing flesh wounds whilst it was upied by the knight, and 50 of the mages I had brought would do the same, assist the knights in taking the Minotaur''s down as fast as possible.


    The rest of the 50 mages were divided into two groups, each with 25 mages. One group would focus on buffing and healing the injured soldiers, whilst the other would be busy in maintaining arge scale magic¡­ Their own version of my specialty, cial Copse.


    It was for an emergency, where a rabid S-rank Minotaur might appear while I wasn''t here to take care of it. That would decimate my ns. So, I had that spell ready just in case. The group dealing with the buffs and heals would be overworked, but they could deal with it if they were given sufficient breaks.


    My strategy was simple, but it was also time-consuming¡­which was honestly perfect for me. I didn''t mind at all if this took a few days or not. In fact, I weed it.


    The reason for such was¡­


    "Now¡­how did I do that?"


    I muttered to myself as my army advanced forth, I let themanders takeplete control of the situation and stayed behind, pondering.


    I stimted the aura in my body and made it cover each and every inch of it, suppressing my mana as well.


    I had done the first step¡­nowes the second.


    The reason why I didn''t mind if this took some time was because of my desire to learn two abilities I had showcased during my aura awakening.


    The first was topletely vanish. My spatial maniption could manage this with the help of mana, but it was subpar to what I had done with aura. With spatial maniption with mana, I would still be seen easily by beings who were highly sensitive to mana, or had great senses¡­ But with aura, it was different.


    It was as if, instead of manipting the surrounding space, I distorted it,pletely. Distorted it and created a realm of my own, isted from the rest, thus others would have a hard time trying to find me¡­


    ''I know¡­let''s call it spatial distortion!''


    As I toiled around with my aura, trying to perfect, or at least achieve, the ability. I heard the sounds of battle ahead. Curious, I raised my head and smiled proudly.


    It was working, we had encountered the Minotaur that resided in the firstyer, well a group of them anyway. My knights rushed forth first, engaging in solo fights as my spear men and mages took their positions, The knights seeded in pulling the Minotaurs away from one another, thebyrinth was big enough¡­ So it wasn''t too hard.


    And then, my spear men rushed forth as my mages froze their feet, they poked with their little spears and littered the minotaurs with injuries. Ridding them of their vitality.


    It was working, and for that I was thankful. The minotaurs here were different from the Lavataur I had faced back at thebyrinth. Although the Lavataur was a weaker subspecies of these guys¡­if it was here instead my n would be for naught.


    It had the element directly opposing mine, and if it was at a simr strength, my knights wouldn''t be able to hold on without extended support.


    "Phew."


    Breathing a sigh of relief, I went back to my own business, leaving the army to do their own work. I''m still here, if any situation arises I can still deal with it.


    ********


    As we made progress with the raid, liberating about half of the firstyer, I got to work on two things, mastering the skill I named Spatial Distortion, as well as building another portal. Richard had already given me the materials, so I called in a few workers from the city and made them start building it.


    The army continued to advance, and I was ready to go there instantly if a problem urred that mymanders couldn''t handle. Particrly the appearance of multiple S-rank monsters.


    The Labyrinth has a total of 9yers, and the S-rank monsters reside in the 7thyer and below... But one can''t be too careful.


    ''I wonder if I''m being this cautious because of prior experiences...''


    It...was definitely a possibility... Thevataur and I met under such a circumstance...and that experience haunted me. Not because of the foe I had faced, but what I, or rather another individual taking control of my body, had done when facing it. The recordings of my boisterous...''Yeehaw'' were still rampant around shield.


    "Ugh..."


    I shuddered at the thought of it... It was an embarrassment I couldn''t live down, The amount of times Sabrina taunted me with that was too many to count.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Maybe I have a vendetta against the Minotaur race..."


    I stopped thinking about it anymore and focused more on spatial distortion. I followed the same principles as when I used mana to do it, and thankfully it seeded.


    Aura and mana function roughly the same way, but their properties are entirely different. My aura can do this, but my mana cannot. It''s a weird thing.


    As a dragon... I should be able to do it easily, manipting the mana to achieve my desired result...but it seems my aura is more suited for it.


    I was able to do the same thing, taking into ount every angle my body could be viewed from and finally creating my own space. My workers couldn''t notice me anymore...and the little shits even decided to ck off a little.


    "..."


    Ignoring it, I tried to stand up. But the distortion was broken and my workers all looked at me with surprised eyes, hurrying back to work.


    "Go work on building that portal..."


    Well, I was still satisfied with the concealment effects. I should try it out on the Minotaur''s... But the problem is I have to remain stationary for it to work as intended.


    "How do I fix this...?"


    I racked my brains, and did the same thing a couple more times, I found out that the movement of my body destroyed the space I had built around me, and so I thought to expand it, but that didn''t work.


    Then it struck me...


    "Maybe I shouldn''t expand it too much all of a sudden..."


    It would lose control, therefore, I first stood still and cast the distortion once again, This time, prior to moving my feet, I extended only the space there, and when I finished. I moved that extended space to other parts of my body, allowing me to finally move whilst having the skill cast.


    "... It''s good, But I can''t use it efficiently in battle."


    Unlike what I had done during the fight with Night Lady... It would be difficult to use this in an actual battle, although sneaking up on opponents won''t be too hard.


    "I should really learn an aura-breathing technique..."


    I had asked Lanesha for it, but those breathing techniques were practically non-existent in the empire ruled by my kind. We dealt it mana...and besides, the techniques, the good ones, were hard toe by.


    Nheless, I tried practicing it on my own, the skill ''Spatial distortion''. But I wasn''t able to make much progress.


    ''I should ask Master for help when he is free...''


    The man had studied aura a lot longer than me...he should know a thing...or two...


    *Thud*


    My head collided with the floor, the distortion skill was broken, and I struggled to stand up, resisting the urge to vomit, as nauseous as I was...


    "Ugh...what the hell?"


    That day I encountered a problem simr to mana drain, something faced by every species except dragons... just the aura version of it, Aura drain. Where all the aura in my body was used up.


    I puked.

 Chapter 571 [571]What did I do to you?

    Chapter 571 [571]What did I do to you?


    ??The army had conquered the first floor in only a day, I won''t say we didn''t meet any casualties or difficulties, but all in all it was a great oue for us.


    ''Well, only a few soldiers died, so it shouldn''t impact us too gravely.''


    I thought as I sat in ss with my eyes closed. My mind was linked to one of the Jademanders, and thus I was able to see the battle ur in real time. The strategy was still the same. After we had killed a few hundred Minotaur present on the first floor, the rest had retreated to the second floor. Thebyrinth has a total of nine floors¡­


    If my estimates are correct, then it should take the army a month to clear thebyrinth until the fifth floor. It''s a little bad, But I don''t mind.


    There is a lecture on mana theory going on, and I couldn''t care less about it. I don''t need to discuss things like this considering my race, so I just connected my mind to the jademanders to see how things were going. I am just attending, so Sir Oliver doesn''t beat the shit out of me.


    The first floor has been liberated fully, and the workers had built the portal, Richard should have led some personnel through the portal to reconstruct the entire first floor so it''s suitable for humans.


    Furthermore, I also entrusted the handling of the monster carcasses, Twilight has a professional team that deals with it, like many other guilds. The materials should be ready soon. I can sacrifice my share and get more troops, to make up for the loss of the soldiers¡­


    I can slowly build it up more, I just need to continue raiding thebyrinth.


    Speaking of materials, I had an unexpected find on the first floor. Numerous items that minotaur warriors use, and also some other things. However, most of them are unable to be used by me or my troops, so I simply sacrificed them all, increasing the number of my knights by a whopping fifty.


    They didn''t have much value to humans as well, so I judged it would be better to simply sacrifice them to increase my forces.


    "And thus, Mana moves by will, Whatever you will it to do, it will do it. You just¡­"


    The only problem thates is what should I do for the fifth floor and below? The S-ranked Minotaur and reside in the fifth floor and below. It would be hard for the Jade Army to take care of them. If the serpentine beast kings, which mimic my strength, are able toe into thebyrinth¡­ It would be a great help but¡­


    They can''t¡­ Therefore, I need to take care of the higher level monsters by myself. With their number, it will prove to be a challenge¡­


    Sigh¡­ I don''t want to take an extended leave once more¡­ Sir Oliver will chew me out.


    "But despite what our willmands, Mana still follows its ownws that we have yet to find out. We simply know that each element has its ownws, and its own effects."


    I pondered deeply, if I can perhaps find a treasure that will give me enough points to level up the knight ss, or purchase an S-ranked troop¡­that would save me a lot of trouble. But that''s a gamble. It isn''t a guarantee that such an item would appear.


    Should I make them go to the tower? It has the ability to level up troops, but I need a lot of points to buy it¡­


    ''Ha¡­''


    All of my problems alle from one thing¡­and the solution of such problems is also the same thing¡­ Money.


    I need money (points) to buy stronger troops, or the facilities to upgrade my troops. And I can get that money (points) from items that possess worth (money).


    "Haaa¡­"


    I let out an unconscious sigh, with attracted the attention of the teacher, who swooped in to take his chance and ask me.


    "n, repeat what I said."


    "You talked about how mana moves by our will, it will do it what we will, it does. So it matters on our willpower. However, we still have to follow somews it follows, that we don''t know. The only thing we know about thesews is that they differ for every element."


    You would be wrong to think I''m a genius who was paying attention to ss whilst thinking about how to efficiently raid thebyrinth. I was not, my beautiful girlfriend was, who so kindly said all that through the astral bond, so I could repeat it and avoid trouble. I truly love you, Sabrina.


    I raised my thumbs at her from underneath the desk, which she noticed and let out a sigh at. It seems even she hates how nonchnt I am, No matter, though! I have you!


    The teacher is quite frustrated that I got it right, But he can''t really do anything to me. I have a backing that would make him shit his pants. Not only is my master friends with the person who gave him his job, his sry, I am also the brightest prospect of Twilight, and also the student of the vice principal.


    ''Miss Elena¡­''


    I remembered the human who taught me a majority of my ice magic that I know, and also one of my trump cards. [cial Copse] which I used to create one of the strongest skills in my arsenal,bining my space and ice element. [cial Meteor].


    Well, I am stronger than her now, So I need not care for her anymore or something. But that doesn''t mean I won''t use her name for things like these¡­


    It''s a normal reaction, we both are influenced by the frost element, which makes us less vulnerable to emotions. We create walls of steel due to our elemental affinity. Just a side effect. If she truly is a practitioner of the frost element, she wouldn''t care about me now as well.


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha, disagrees.]


    Yes, I know you will always disagree with me¡­even though you are the one person who should understand it best, being the monarch that rules over the element. But I know.


    Just like the teacher said, it isw.


    If we use the element, we are unable to avoid one fate, and that is to have our bodies, our thinking be manipted by it, bing one with it. When one truly bes one with it¡­that is when they achieve supremacy over that element. A true being that is the personification of the element.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Lanesha''s silence proves it. A sense of pride wells up inside me once I realized I was right for once, and a childish like sense of satisfaction.


    Although¡­it''s not that bad if I still have my emotions with me¡­ Without them, I would probably lose all my love for my grandparents, Samantha and Sabrina, I don''t want that.


    But¡­


    "Haaa¡­"


    I let out a sigh of annoyance, not because of what I had thought recently, but because of three gazes that fell on my body¡­ One in particr has been annoying me for a while...

 Chapter 572 [572] What did I do you?[2]

    Chapter 572 [572] What did I do you?[2]


    ??One belonged to that of the teacher, who would stare at me for a while and continue teaching. That gaze was filled with nothing but a sort of admiration, and regret. Emotions typical of an older individual who gazed at a youngster overflowing with such talent that they could never match. It''s pretty standard among the human species.


    The second gaze was one I would never mind. It was Sabrina''s, who was staring at me with a confused, and somewhat bored look on her face. She would sometimes fidget, and write something on her diary, but her eyes never left me. I could sense that even though my eyes were closed.


    The emotions behind Sabrina''s gaze are unknown to me, I am eager to know what they are, what they represent and why they are there. Perhaps it''s boredom? Something moreplex that I cannot understand? I want to know and discover¡­and I would be doing it if not for the third fucking gaze.


    An emotion I know all too well, directed towards me from beyond the room and one that I loathe, but am the most familiar with. And also one I know how to use the best.


    Killing intent,plete, pure killing intent. There is a faint string of mana that I can feel from the wall to my right, outside the ss. A student, most likely, is using a irvoyance skill to look at me.


    It''s so intricate, even Sabrina was unable to notice it. But it would never go unnoticed by a dragon.


    I opened my eyes somewhat, using Dragon eyes to peer through the wall and identify the person who looks at me with such killing intent.


    A girl, wearing the uniform of the first years.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Another troublesome first year¡­''


    I thought. The first years of this batch are fucking annoying. They stille to annoy Sabrina even though I am here, and I even received a lot of duel requests from them, which I promptly ignored. But that is mostly the boys, what did I do to receive that gaze from a girl?


    The boys look at me like that because of Sabrina, and as far as I know, most of the girls from the first years are too obsessed with the handsome ones. Like Elijah or Henry... I am not included in those... So... Why?


    I wonder¡­ It''s not possible that I did something to offend someone, considering I don''t evene to school often.


    The girl possessed bright-emerald green hair, I can conclude she either has the poison or nature element as her affinity¡­ It seems she noticed that I can see her, so she moved a step back reflexively, her wild hair fluttered around and finally left her face, the barrier that prevented me from remembering her face was removed¡­


    ¡­ Ha?


    ''What?''


    Flustered, I rubbed my eyes to see whether I was seeing things or not¡­but the result didn''t change. Her face did not change. I know that face.


    That face of hers¡­is exactly like Sabrina''s¡­ Hold on, She also looks like a younger version of her, just with green hair instead of beautiful obsidian ck¡­and she iscking in two certain areas as well but¡­ She''s like a younger Sabrina.


    Coincidence¡­? No.


    [Do you have any sisters?]


    I asked my girlfriend with the help of the astral bond, only to receive a weird look in return and a shake of the head.


    [Any female rtives, closer to your age. Female, and also a fiery gaze? Attending shield as a first year?]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Ok, perhaps I should not have gone into that much detail, or simply asked her. ''Do you have any female rtives your age?''


    The look she gave me hurt my heart. It''s as if she is looking into a disgrace of a living being. And that look is more frightening than the death stare from beyond the walls of this ss.


    [... Someone is looking at me through the wall with a irvoyance skill, she has bright emerald hair and possesses a stark resemnce to you. So I just asked for rification! I don''t have any ulterior motive or anything like that!]


    I hurriedly exined to her, and thankfully the look that will haunt me for years toe disappeared, and a smile took her ce. She closed the book she was reading and answered.


    [Yes, I do have a niece who is also attending shield as a first year. She is like a sister to me.]


    [Oh¡­alright. Sorry if you thought of something¡­wait, niece?]


    The realization struck me after a while. Niece? Should it not be cousin or something of the sorts? Sabrina is an aunt?


    The confusion was noticed by her, and she responded with a cocky smile.


    [You wouldn''t be able to understand the family trees of rich families. It''splicated for you.]


    She casually flexed her wealth and intelligence. I decided to leave it be and asked her.


    [So¡­have you said anything to her about me? Something bad?]


    It seems my question was misinterpreted, Sabrina looked at me with a re and asked.


    [Why are you asking me something like this? Don''t tell me you really are like Eli-]


    [No! It''s just she''s looking at me with the intent to rip me apart¡­ So I was simply curious as to why she looked at me with such intent.]


    [She¡­is an entric child.]


    I get that, humans have their own tendencies, however weird they may be¡­but what did I do to your niece that garnered such a gaze? One that is so determined to rip me apart, kill me in the most gruesome way possible and relish in my suffering?


    The girl outside, Sabrina''s niece, ran away when she noticed I was now looking at her fully. Perhaps her gaze was met with an instinctive response from my side¡­ I hope it doesn''t impact my rtionship with Sabrina.


    Though I do want to know why she looked at me like that¡­If it was someone else perhaps their corpse would be all that was left, or them being beaten by me so furiously that they wouldn''t even dare look at me again.


    ¡­ But I can''t do that¡­

 Chapter 573 [573] Catherine Wellington.

    Chapter 573 [573] Catherine Wellington.


    ??Sabrina and I had a short discussion about her ''niece'' and although I was ready to let it go, even deal with it atter times with the same stance, She was surprisingly insistent.


    "She''s persistent¡­and awkward. It''s better for us to nip the problem in the bud rather than let it grow."


    She was surprisingly¡­excited?


    "Besides, it''s better if she, of all people, knows about our rtionship."


    The bell rang, and we both exited the ssroom and towards a caf¨¦. She made a quick call on hermunicator, along the way, I asked.


    "I get it if she thinks this rtionship is bad or something¡­ But does that warrant a death stare?"


    I was genuinely curious. If I am understanding this right, Sabrina''s niece probably thinks of me as unsuitable, or a bad match for her aunt. This is something that happens in the most normal families, so a rich family with as much history as theirs would surely have objections¡­


    But my main concern was, I understand a gaze of contempt and even hate¡­ But isn''t staring at me like the only thing that would give you satisfaction in the world is ending me?


    I believe, in my most humble of opinions¡­to be too harsh, even for her stereotypical family.


    "She¡­"


    Sabrina hesitated, biting her lips and said to me with an aura of¡­fear?


    "She is strange."


    "Strange¡­as in?"


    I inquired. What kind of ''strangeness'' is this that even this girl is a little bit afraid to mention.


    One of the few


    "She''s one of the few girls in our family, so naturally¡­we developed a bond with one another. I was her only friend and I treated her like a sister I never had¡­ This led her to depend on me too much."


    That''s it? That isn''t what I was expecting. I was expecting some more depth to this rtionship, but this is surprisingly normal. It''s only natural for something like this to happen, where two girls in a family bond together, treating each other as sisters.


    ''Now I get it.''


    I naively thought, thinking that this was just ''a younger sister'' pissed that her ''older sister'' got a boyfriend and now, it all seems a little simpler. Although the reaction to that information was perhaps a tad bit exaggerated.


    "That''s normal enough."


    I mused, but it seemed Sabrina wasn''t done.


    "She¡­is far from normal."


    The tone of her voice was different, disying difort, and reluctance. All of this intrigued me, and instead of getting angry at her niece, I was amused. I never saw this side of hers before at all!


    "Anyway!"


    Before I could say something, she looked at me with utter ferocity and eximed.


    "Just go with what I say!"


    I quietly nodded my head, wanting to see what she was nning to do. I kept checking the progress of the raid at regr intervals as well. So I wouldn''t miss anything.


    As we were making our way towards the caf¨¦, I noticed a limping first year boy looking at me whilst he walked past.


    ''... He seems familiar.''


    I thought, and did my best to recall, as he turned his gaze away and hurried past us, quickly going out from view.


    I¡­have seen that face before, not in person but rather on a piece of paper¡­


    "Ah!"


    ''He was there on the list of bright prospects of Twilight¡­''


    I only roughly remembered his face, but it matched with what I saw on the paper¡­ My only question was why was he limping? Did he perhaps lose a fight with an opponent during the physical training ss? Or just a duel?


    I looked back for a moment¡­ Using dragon eyes to track him down. The direction he is heading in isn''t towards the infirmary, but rather the dorm buildings¡­


    I also saw something else, bruises on his body. But these bruises were all on ces he would be ashamed to show, or wouldn''t normally be seen. None of them were on his face, neck or hands¡­ But rather his thighs, chest and stomach.


    Ah, that''s it.


    I recognized those bruises and guessed what was happening to him. How did I get it so fast? Alexander was the same, perhaps worse, than the boy. He''s probably being bullied.


    "Come on, We are here."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sabrina said to me, I followed her and entered the caf¨¦.


    ''Well, whatever.''


    I can''t step in for a single person like I did with Alex now. Alex was simply¡­different and the circumstances were different.


    We walked towards a table at the corner¡­where a green haired individual was sitting. The re in her eyes?


    Didn''t lessen a single bit even though I was in front of her this time. I like it.


    *********


    "Sister, I would appreciate it if you didn''t bring this filth here."


    Damn, from the get-go! She takes the lead with a voice filled with contempt and disgust, and eyes filled with bloodlust as I take my seat, particrly close to Sabrina.


    The bloodlust in her eyes increases tenfold, and she is ready to open the vile cave that is her mouth once again, to utter curses with the speed that hungry monsters run out of a gate until¡­


    "How are you doing, Catherine?"


    However, like the entry of an S-ranked hunter, all those monsters (curses) and the bloodlust that permeated the atmosphere that filled the citizens with dread has disappeared, like a ray of hope!


    Catherine Wellington, Sabrina''s dear niece, turns her head to look at her aunt, and this time the look is filled with such love and adoration I wished Sabrina showed at least half of that towards me outwardly. It would be the best gift in the world.


    I am not lying, that girl''s eyes are the perfect depictions of a heart. That red-pinkish one, which you see in cartoons.


    I enjoyed the situation as I ordered a cup of mocha for me, atte for Sabrina and nothing for her. Catherine looked at me, with theplete opposite gaze.


    I chuckled, eagerly watching this all unfolds.

 Chapter 574 [574] Serena 2.0.

    <h4>Chapter 574 [574] Serena 2.0.</h4>


    [Caf¨¦ in Shield, Sabrina Wellington POV.]


    "Catherine, I would appreciate it if you didn''t refer to my boyfriend as filth."


    As soon as I said those words, I could see the goosebumps travel up her body to her face, and her expression changed.


    "Sorry?"


    I sighed inwardly. This is going to be a bigger headache than I had thought it to be. What irritates me is the man I tried to defend is eagerly watching this all unfolds, studying the reactions of my niece with great interest.


    Is it that amusing to you?


    "Please, Don''t refer to him as filth, his name would do."


    Nevertheless, I trust him enough to intervene if things go rough. I also don''t want someone to call him such things. That is a right reserved only for me when he does stupid things. Although, even I wouldn''t go so far as to call him ''filth''. Stupid and idiot were terms that would work fine.


    Catherine, my niece who was only a year younger than me, who I treated as a sister, would be a troublesome ''foe'' to deal with. She is stubborn, and regards me as¡­


    A supreme being that must not be tainted. Yes, that is what she thinks of me. She is obsessive about it as well. Perhaps¡­ I pampered her too much, I suppose.


    The reason why I want her to simply fuck off, and not bother n or me is because I want our rtionship to be a normal rtionship, one that isn''t filled with useless people trying toe between, or obstruct us in any way, I have already experienced much of that. I don''t want it¡­this time.


    I just want to do things a normal couple does. Not bullshit.


    Therefore¡­ I must put a stop to it now.


    "May I ask for what reason you were to look at n with¡­


    I struggled to put urate words on how she was looking at n from how he described it¡­but someone else did it for me.


    "Eyes that could kill. They hurt, you know."


    I sighed inwardly, but smiled outwardly. I knew I could at least trust him to say something when I found it difficult to do so¡­although thatst part was a bit uncalled-for.


    "I''m so sorry, Bri, but I don''t recall ever doing such."


    She called me by my nickname, one that only grandfather, my parents¡­and her were allowed to use. n looked at me with a new look.


    [Can I use it?]


    He asked in a joking manner¡­to do this right now¡­


    [Yes, But I would call you Al. Like how your sister does.]


    [Deal. Bri.]


    He is enjoying this¡­


    "I''m sorry, but I know how you are, Catherine. Please, exin and stop."


    "But Sister! I promise I didn''t do anything of the sorts! This filth is lying!"


    She insisted that she was telling the truth, and also insisted on calling him filth. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "That isn''t what I heard."


    "So you would trust the words of the filth over your own sister?"


    "Niece¡­and stop."


    This time, I added a bit of authority to my tone, which quickly turned her into a sulking puppy that was cute to look at, But I was beyond annoyed by her disregard of n and tantly disrespecting him. In front of both him and me, that is.


    "Catherine."


    I called her name, and she looked at n with a hateful gaze, one that a child would possess if someone stole their toy.


    "Catherine!"


    But my second calling woke her up, and she returned.


    "Bri¡­"


    She said my name with a sulky tone. She continued.


    "You haven''t called me by nickname all this time¡­ How much has he corru-changed you?"


    Ah, I made a mistake. I got too angry and insisted on one thing as well, calling my niece by her name, instead of the loving nickname I gave her.


    "I''m sorry, Cathy, But please understand. How would you feel if you got a boyfriend, and I looked at him like that?"


    "I would feel honored! No such thing would happen, of course because nothing would have that privilege besides you, but it would be the greatest pleasure to be found in the world!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "It would be the most perfect gift!"


    [I get what you meant by strange now.]


    My face turned red from embarrassment, which was misinterpreted by my cousin.


    "You! What are you doing to her?!"


    She screamed. The waiter brought in our coffees and n handed me mine. Just that act infuriated her.


    I put the cup down, as n began to drink it. His face was emotionless, but I knew he was enjoying this.


    "What is it to you?"


    I can''t do this. I can''t take the same approach I did with her since we were young¡­if I need all of this to change¡­I must take a different approach.


    One that directly contradicts our rtionship, and how we dealt with one another.


    "What is it to you whatever he does? Whatever I do?"


    This took not only her by surprise, but even n as well. Although Catherine''s surprise was much, much higher. She looked broken, and looked at me with a gaze filled with an emotion she never showed to me. Disbelief and shock.


    Is this what it means to rule with an iron hand? Or to be a firm enforcer?


    "I''m saying this just once, and only once. Don''t interfere with me and boyfriend. You don''t want me to hate you, now do you?"


    I know¡­what kind of woman she is. So, I resorted to this, using brute force in a way, and also using a weakness of hers.


    ''Her dependency on me, I can¡­''


    I hesitated for a moment, but made my resolve firm. I can use her dependency on me against her¡­ The mere thought of me hating her for something she did is enough to make her¡­


    despair.


    I want this rtionship to be normal. Unlike everything else in my life. And I will, without a hint of hesitation, go to any length.


    She quietened down, and I sipped down on mytte, maintaining my cold look towards her. I turned to look at n, who was simply savoring his own drink, my gaze softened, Perhaps I am feeling guilty of dragging him into this.


    Catherine didn''t miss it. Like a final stand, She made a request.


    "May I talk¡­with him alone for a moment?"


    [It''s ok. I''ll handle it.]


    Before I could ask him, he agreed to it. I stood up and left.


    "Take care, Babe~"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­ I did not mind what he called me, but I knew for a fact he did to get a reaction from Catherine. Sighing, I left the caf¨¦, choosing not to eavesdrop.


    ********


    [n Pator POV]


    ''So she had a nickname of Bri¡­ cute.''


    I thought as I saw Sabrina taking her leave. I watched her back leave and, as I expected, the moment she left¡­


    I felt mana move.


    ''Bold.''


    I thought, Catherine used a skill the moment Sabrina was out of view, I expected this. Vines appeared from thin air and wrapped around my body, tearing up my uniform a bit. I could stop this before it could even happen¡­but why would I?


    This skill can''t do anything to me.


    A vine wrapped itself around me neck, and Catherine moved. She went on top of the table and grabbed my cor with both her hands. And her face was super close.


    ''No, thanks, I want the original this close to my face.''


    But I didn''t turn her away, I want to see how this proceeds.


    "You fuck."


    Quite vulgar, unbefitting of someone that has that face, doesn''t it?


    ''What is that smell, though? It''s not that bad¡­huh?''


    As she moved close to me, I smelled something, one of makeup¡­and one ofvender.


    "You fucking fuck. What did you do to her? Have you two done it? Just how much has this fucking unholy abomination of a rtionship going on for?! HOW DARE YOU?!"


    "You''re too fucking loud."


    I said, as the vine around my neck tightened. I didn''t really feel anything, though.


    "Loud¡­ Ha ha¡­ Remember this, you fucking swine."


    Her lips curled up, and a bright flush appeared on her face¡­ Sweat started to roll down her forehead and¡­ I could finally see what the source of the makeup smell was.


    ''She was wearing actually makeup? Why though? With the fa-''


    I came to the realization as I was thinking¡­ I was wondering why her face was a perfect match of Sabrina''s¡­ This girl used makeup to look exactly like her, on top of that, she used the same products Sabrina used¡­


    "She is mine¡­and mine only¡­you get that?"


    A red flush, and a lewd smile, her eyes are deranged, clearly thinking about something I don''t want to imagine.


    ''Holy fuck.''


    I underestimated how obsessed she was¡­ Forget Sabrina, this girl is more like Serena¡­ A level of obsession to a single individual that¡­terrifies me.

 Chapter 575 [575] Serena 2.0

    Chapter 575 [575] Serena 2.0


    The thorns tightened around me neck and Catherine''s bloodthirsty face was right in front of mine.


    "Poison?"


    I muttered, feeling some weird substance enter my body. The thorns exuded a poison gas that entered my body through my nostrils. "I''m giving you onest chance."


    She said, as the intensity multiplied several folds. Her hair grew shades darker and her eyes were still the same. It wasn''t a pleasing sight. Theyers of makeup she had were blown away by her mana, revealing a beautiful face underneath, but one that wasn''t like Sabrina''s.


    Only minor simrities.


    ''So she has poison as an element as well, huh¡­''


    I thought. I should have used Dragon eyes more thoughtfully, and checked the entirety of this girl''s stats. An honest mistake of mine. Nheless, whatever she was doing was actually fun.


    Most of Earth knows that I have the bloodline of a phoenix or a dragon, perhaps even both. I''m not naive enough to believe that perhaps she was living under a rock this entire time and was unaware¡­ But the fact she used poison on someone like me. Either she was incredibly confident in her own skills, or just stupid.


    "Haha."


    I chuckled, which garnered a weird gaze from Catherine, who continued with her menacing tone.


    "Break up with her¡­and tell her toe to me."


    Ignoring her, I looked around the caf¨¦.


    ''No one here¡­ Damn, she was quick.''


    As expected, not a single soul was present in the caf¨¦. She must have bought them off prior to our arrival. Pretty quick.


    Oh well, whatever poison she has used has no effect on me, at most it possesses an irritating smell. The immune system of dragon''s is quite tough, and even if it failed, I still had the detoxifying powers of my bloodline¡­ The only thing I need to wary of are those weird flowers back at Gigantum.


    "You have one day. Break up with my sister and give her to m-''


    "Sorry, But I have no intention of doing that."


    I interrupted her. It seems the effect of the poison wasn''t paralysis, considering how she didn''t seem surprised that I could speak. I tested her more.


    "She''s quite beautiful, and it''s obvious both of us share the same feelings for one another."


    The thorns tried to tighten themselves. But I quickly overrode her mana control and changed the attribute of the magic that hadtched onto me. Ice covered them, and in a moment they grabbed Catherine instead.


    I massaged my neck, it wasn''t throbbing or anything like that. There wasn''t even a need to do it. I just did it to fuck with her.


    I bound her and ''peacefully'' made her sit again. She opened her mouth, but a quick ball of ice shut her up really quick.


    "You bought the staff here pretty quickly."


    I mused as I tried to pick up my drink n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    It had fallen over and spilled due to the ruckus she had caused. Sighing to myself, I thought.


    ''Now, how do I deal with you¡­''


    The only good and working solution is to kill her. If she''s anything like Serena, that is the way to do it¡­ But the problem is I can''t just kill her. She''s Sabrina''s niece, after all, and this is Shield. I can''t kill her for many reasons.


    It''s the best solution...but sadly I can''t use it. Thinking about it some more, I decided to scare her a little.


    Increasing the mana in the surrounding atmosphere, I pressured her. It was like a massive weight was on her shoulders, dragging her down. Then, I spoke.


    "I''ll do something you don''t ever want to happen to you if you bother us more."


    "You fucker! I knew you were swine."


    "..."


    Well, that failed. She swallowed the ice whole and spat curse after curse. Scaring her didn''t do the trick at all. I didn''t expect it to work as well as I wanted...but this was out of my expectations.


    "Haaa..."


    "You-!"


    "Quiet."


    I quietened her once more, and thought. ''Scaring her doesn''t work... Should I try to reach apromise? No... That wouldn''t work with individuals like her.''


    No matter what I tried to think of, the only logical solution was to kill her and hide her body.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, is startled to think that is the ''logical'' solution.]


    What can I do? She''s fucking crazy over her own aunt. I don''t me her, but still. That''s my girlfriend that is being discussed her. Either, the most I can do is perhaps let Sabrina handle it... Or just deal with her. Considering how freaky she is, I don''t want Sabrina any closer to her than she is already...


    Even though I knew it wouldn''t work, I still tried to reach apromise.


    "Listen, I won''t do anything liker


    Yeah, It was my fault for even trying. I was entertained by the possibility of hope.


    ''Lanesha, is it possible to make Sabrina forget that she ever had a niece? I can kill her off ea-''


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha is sad you would even think of such a thing.]


    The girl did her best to free herself, but it was all to no avail, staring at her desperate and futile efforts, an idea popped up in my mind... One that I didn''t like to use.


    What must be done to take care of individuals who are crazy for another? Like Serena or Catherine are? Scaring them would not work, neither can apromise can be reached. But what if instead of threatening the individual...


    Perhaps...using the individual they cherish would work. But that''s despicable considering the individual in question is Sabrina.


    Do I have to do it? Or must I deal with a lifetime of her bothering me? I don''t want that. And this doesn''t have a high chance of sess as well...


    I guess... I have to take some form of risk here.


    ******


    "Damned bitch."


    I cursed as I looked at my tattered uniform, although the thorns posed no danger to me at all, they ripped my uniform apart at multiple ces, I probably need to get a new one now...


    So bothersome. Well, at least the issue has been temporarily fixed...


    As I took a stroll through shield, going back to ss, I spotted yet a few more students who had difficulty walking. It couldn''t be seen by the average Joe... But my eyes could see it. All first-years and second years.


    "..."


    What really got to me, was all of them were from my guild. Thinking about this situation a little bit more, I decided to make a call using mymunicator.

 Chapter 576 [576] War between guilds.

    Chapter 576 [576] War between guilds.


    "So you know nothing?"


    "Nope."


    I sighed. I was wrong to think this guy even knew something at all. I called Kazikato here in order to get some information...but I should have known better. It is him, after all.


    I facepalmed. This guy was even morezy than me during anything. I could bet that he had done nothing at all, in ss or outside but try to fall asleep. Well...because it''s how he is, I am unable to me him.


    Taking refreshments out of my fridge, I tossed one to him, but it just hit his head. He didn''t even bother to pick it up and justy down on my couch. I stayed silent at it. Sitting down, I took hismunicator and opened his contacts.


    "Huh? Why are there so many girls here?"


    I was stunned to see the majority of the names here being girl names... That was surprising, Kazikato was thest person I expected to be like Elijah or something.


    He respondedzily.


    "They just gave me their contact."


    "What?"


    To him? A dude who looks like a corpse? With sunken eyes and the desire to just sleep? Ignoring it, I scrolled down further but failed to find any numbers rted to the students I just saw. He didn''t have a single contact of the other guild members... I sighed at it once more and threw hismunicator back at him.


    "Why do you have no contacts of your fellow guild members? Don''t you know how irresponsible that is?"


    At this, he raised his head and looked at me for an extended period of time...making me realize I also didn''t have any contacts of fellow guild members... I was in the same boat as him. It was due to this reason why I also checked hismunicator instead of mine.


    "Do you at least know where their dorms are? Their ranks within shield?"


    Thankfully, it seemed he wasn''t that ignorant. He did know about a few people.


    "Yeah...but first."


    "What is it?"


    "Why are you asking me this, boss?"


    "Just a hunch."


    I wasn''t really lying, at this point in time it really was just a hunch. Perhaps they really were injured that way in duels, or it was what I was expecting, but regardless. I wanted to get to the bottom of this hole.


    "Anyway, go get him and all other first year guild members."


    "Huh?"


    At the sudden order, he tried to fall asleep and perhaps get out of it, but one smack to his head woke him up.


    "Go up."


    He tried to put up a final act of resistance as well, but it was for naught, I kicked him out my room and told him he had an hour to do it.


    An hourter, All of them had gathered here in my dorm, all confused and skeptical...and some hopeful? The various emotions in their eyes were...great to see.


    But I should get back to business.


    "Alright, all of you. Strip."


    ********


    Was I perhaps too brazen? I may have worded myself too...openly. What made the situation even worse was that some female twilight members were here as well.


    "Ahem."


    Kazikato, standing behind me with great struggle, coughed, to break the tension... But it didn''t go as nned.They were all looking at me weirdly, about more than 3 dozen students, specially selected by Twilight as talented members, or future pirs of the guild.


    I decided not to wait, I don''t want to waste any more time in exnations and convincing them, so I used dragon eyes immediately. Which allowed me to see their bodies more clearly.


    "Huh?"


    "Kya!"


    The girls shrieked, and the boys gasped in confusion. Calm down, you aren''t that gifted in those areas.


    But, regardless of what they were thinking, It appears I was right.


    "Multiple wounds on all of you, bruises mostly and never anything that would show blood or require you to go to the clinic... And all of them are on ces that you normally wouldn''t show to others... Mainly your body, not the limbs at all... Although there are a few ps marks on your faces as well." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The ps marks were hard to see before, perhaps they happened long ago and faded... There were also instances of uneven hair distribution. Likely their hair had been pulled, and some fibers were ripped from their scalp. But considering how thin hair was, it was literally unnoticeable without dragon eyes.


    I deactivated the skill, and asked.


    "Alright, who is it? Titan or Behemoth? Or are they teaming up on you?"


    If it was the former, where only one of them was doing this, I would just let it be. shes among the top three were really frequent. And it wasn''t a bad thing, to be honest. It would develop a sense a bonding with their own guild, and a sense of revenge for the other ones. Or a drive to be better than them, no matter how short-lived it may be, it was helpful.


    Therefore, if it was just a fight between the top three guilds, I wasn''t interfering. If Behemoth and Titan were teaming up, then I would help somewhat...


    But it was something else entirely.


    "It''s...a coalition to say."


    "Coalition?"


    One of the members said, quite a top ranking shield student, in the top 100s. I was confused by what he meant. "What do you mean?"


    "It''s not just Titan and Behemoth...the other guilds below us in the top 10 are also in on this. We could deal with Titan and Behemoth...even together, but this is just too much."


    Ah, so it was more than just those two, huh... Since things have gotten like this, where more than two guilds are teaming up on us, I guess I have to be serious about this. "Alright, so how many of the top 10?"


    After a moment of hesitation... He shakily said.


    "All of them."


    "... What?"


    "... All of them?"


    "... Yes."

 Chapter 577 [577] War between the guilds.

    Chapter 577 [577] War between the guilds.


    I was a bit taken aback, to be honest. I had expected a coalition of a few guilds to gang up on Twilight... But all of them?


    That was unexpected... Really unexpected. If my knowledge is correct, our rtions with all the other top 10 guilds aren''t so bad.


    The 4th and 5th rank guilds have always been eager to take our spot... They go by the names of the ck Panther and Genesis, respectively... But what about the rest? We have some sort of sour rtionship with the Phoenix guild, which is the eighth ranked guild¡­but with the rest of them, we have good rtions.


    It''s not wise to make so many enemies, so our rtions with all the rest of the guilds are quite good actually, fantastic... So why are they also ganging up on Twilight students? Perhaps the threat of us actually bing the first-ranked guild in a few years was enough for them to make a move?


    No. That''s not right. Although there is a mutual power check between the guilds, It''s not that. It can''t be that. The guilds that aren''t in the top 5 aren''t that strong. Panther and Genesis, as well, can''tpare to the top 3. Despite what is thought, There is a stark difference between the top 10 guilds.


    The top three, namely Titan, Behemoth, and Twilight, have their own league. And due to this they also don''t get involved with the others, outside business rtions. And in Shield? That has no value, They know about Sir Oliver, so they wouldn''t be as brave to do something like this...unless the guild masters get involved... And that is something that shouldn''t ur at all.


    The fourth and fifth ranked guilds are also in conflict with one another, and the rest have their own interests to follow. But...why?


    Why are all of them, that have so many conflicts with one another, getting together? Twilight has promised the ones it has a beneficial rtionship with benefits... So there is no fucking reason for them to do this...


    ''Hmmm...''


    Ugh, this isn''t how I do things...but considering where I am and what kind of situation this is, I can''t do things the usual way... Unless.


    "Well, that isn''t something I need to do... I need to find out the actual cause behind this."


    I muttered, the other students looked at me with hope in their eyes, whilst Kazikato was already dozing off... I excused the rest and simply told them to stick together, and gave them my contact information just in case.


    Reclining on my seat, I pondered. But no matter what, it didn''t make any sense to me. Students, as young as they, that they could easily be influenced by some meager emotions...shouldn''t let the issue escte to this level.


    Some might, but all the guilds have their ''chosen'' who also lead the students sponsored by their guilds. The first years are more prone to make such...decisions based on small issues, But the chosen are not. Although the others may not understand the importance of the rtions between guilds, the chosen are not like those. They should know that this will cause the rtions to strain...and thus would put a stop to it... But they aren''t. They are letting this be... Of course, some of them could be fucking idiots...but all of them? Highly unlikely.


    But then that just brings me to the same question, why are they doing this. And why the guilds behind them are...wait.


    Shield... Shield is an isted institute... The influence of the guilds here is small, due to Sir Oliver... The guilds should be unaware that this is happening... Completely unaware. But even if that is the case it''s impossible for this to be hidden forever, shield is only a part of our lives, Generations carry their grudges. The chosen should know this is simply bad for them. And they would also face repercussions from their own guilds when this matteres to light.


    "But, regardless. At least the guilds aren''t directly involved."


    I took a sip of my drink as I thought about it more. Thankfully, the guilds aren''t involved, and it''s a matter only within shield as of now. So it isn''t reallyplicated. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In fact, I could just go right now and either scare or beat the shit out of the chosen or the other students doing this, making them afraid and reluctant to attempt such. I''ve never been one to care so much about my reputation...but then that would cause the twilight members to build a dependency on me. Not that it''s bad, but too much can take a turn for a worse. I would like to avoid such a scenario.


    But, the solution to this can be thought ofter, there is no outside influence if my assumptions are correct...therefore there is a student or individual within shield that is inciting this. I can rule out the major staff and teachers of the institution. They know who my teacher, Elena Frost, is, and also who her teacher is. If they value their careers and their lives, they wouldn''t mess with me.


    The minor staff don''t have any power to do this as well...which leaves only a student. One that has enough influence to gather all the guilds against one. The one''s in the student council know me, so they can be excused...


    So who is it? The likely one would be someone with a lot of power and money, in the top 10 of the respective years, and one that has a solid reason to do this, and also looking to gain something for this.


    Reason, risk, and reward. But then who? There are many individuals thate to mind, particrly from Behemoth and Titan, the ones who are most threatened by our rise in power...


    But the list is too many, I should consult Maxwell about thister on and get some help from him, He would be able to narrow it down...


    I checked the time, and was surprised to see that it was already nighttime... I scratched my ns of consulting himter, and opted to do it now.


    "Kazikato."


    "Huh...?"


    The sleepy head struggled to respond to my words... I sighed and told him.


    "Keep a watch over the guild members, you''re the top ranked first year student. Use it to help them somewhat, but keep a low profile. And if Sabrina asks...try to just divert her attention. I''ll handle the rest if she consults me."


    Without waiting for a response, I hopped into the portal I made, one that connected me to Maxwell''s office.

 Chapter 578 [578] War between students.

    Chapter 578 [578] War between students.


    I teleported inside Maxwell''s office, it wasn''t thatte, so I assumed that he was still working. Like the workaholic he was. He tended to most of Predator''s funds and also the dungeons we had in our jurisdiction, as well as the management of the portal we made in thebyrinth.


    My assumption was correct, he was still here working...although I didn''t expect him to be sipping coffee in his underwear.


    "..."


    "..."


    I admit I was hasty in opening the portal, and perhaps I should have contacted him first...but this was not what I had expected at all. Hell, having a woman here would be more probable in my mind than this. Suffocated by the silence, and also the curiosity of this, I asked him.


    "Why the underwear?"


    "... Why the sudden appearance?"


    He countered my question with his own. epting that maybe I was in the wrong, I answered.


    "I need your help with something, and since it wasn''tte, I thought it would be okay to just visit."


    "What do you need my help with?"


    He took another sip of his coffee, and cleaned his sses with a napkin he got from who knows where. He did not, however, answer my question on why he was in his underwear in his office. I assumed he was simply working and due to his responsibilities, he didn''t bother changing.


    I exined to him the situation, and it didn''t take long for him to answer.


    "It''s probably either behemoth or twilight." He answered as he finally put on some clothes. I took a look at him and finally found the answer. I was right, this bastard was just too tired or focused on his work to bother putting on proper clothes, probably because he is the only one belonging to Predator still at the guild.


    Alice and Kazikato entered Shield as first-years, and Emma and her lunatic of a brother are mostly busy clearing dungeons for the team.


    "Why do you think so?"


    I asked him for a more ''proper'' exnation.


    "Because ofmon sense, Whatever you said is correct, the possibility of a hidden mastermind behind the students. However, it''s impossible for the mastermind toe from the guilds below twilight, not even the fourth and fifth rank guilds.


    They probably belong to either one of the most influential families, or Titan or Behemoth. It''s highly unlikely for it to be from the families. The Drakmor''s are in the capitol, The Soubuelle''s have only Serena Soubuelle in Shield, and she is a crafty girl, she wouldn''t do this unless..."


    "Unless?"


    "You did something to provoke her... Did you?"


    "No, I didn''t do anything to her."


    "Are you sure? Didn''t you have a conflict at the beginning?"


    "Yeah, but we haven''t really interacted with each other afterward, Neither her and I met at all."


    "... Alright."


    There was some doubt in his voice, one that I didn''t really like. I was being truthful! Serena and I may have had a minor scuffle at the beginning of the first year, and we may still not like each other much... But we, or rather Serena, hasn''t provoked me at all. She''s not the type to do this, as well...unless I mess with Elijah or something.


    On a side note, she should also be busy with the bunch of girls aiming for Elijah, She doesn''t have the time to do this.


    "The Wellington''s are our allies, and considering how close you and Sabrina are to each other. There is no chance it''s her. So that leaves only the first and second ranked guilds, Titan and Behemoth. From that we can..."


    "Umm..."


    I stopped him before he could proceed. I nervously gulped as I came to the realization that perhaps I may have to add another suspect....


    Catherine...


    "What happened... Please tell me you didn''t do something to a girl like Sabrina..."


    He asked me out of worry, with eyes that looked like they were looking at an idiot. I could almost hear his inner voice. Unfortunately, his assumptions were wrong.


    "Her niece just joined, and she is the..."


    I struggled to describe her properly... Maxwell noticed my reluctance and difficulty in attempting this and voiced his own thoughts?


    "Is she power-hungry? A struggle for power in the Wellington family, perhaps?"


    "No... She is the...clingy type. To her aunt. ''That'' type of girl."


    "Oh."


    He coughed and took another sip of his coffee, he reached down and opened a drawer on his desk, taking out a green file. He opened it and stayed silent for a few minutes. He threw the file to me afterward and said.


    "Her influence within the family isn''t much, and even if it was her, she doesn''t have the funds nor the power to do this... Of course, if she was still doing it with the help of some associates of her family, Sabrina would be aware of it and would have put a stop to it. But still, regard her as a suspect."


    I checked the file he had given me, and it contained all kinds of information about Catherine, to an extent I was surprised by...it even contained her ''habits'' I felt ufortable reading.


    "Do you keep files of everyone like this?"


    "Pretty much, This desk of mine is very spacious, you know. Although I only read about her...now. Anyway, It''s most likely Henry Forum, ine Parker, and this Catherine behind the students."


    Yeah, I reached that part too...but how do I prove it? That was what was bugging me about it most.


    "Why are you thinking so hard about it?"


    He reclined in his chair and closed his eyes, lighting up a cigarette and began to smoke. The smell bothered me for a bit. "What do you mean?"


    "To prove it. Go talk to them first, and judge by their actions. Go to either Henry or ine first. Be gentle with ine." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is it because she is your sister?"


    "On second thought, don''t. She isn''t the type to do this, but who knows. People can change, after all. Talk to them about it and decide based on their responses."


    "What about the bacsh from the other guilds? Twilight can''t take on-"


    "Why are you worrying about this?"


    "What?"


    "Didn''t you say it''s something between the students? Shield is an isted environment. What happens there, stays there. Deal with it like you would deal with everything else..."


    He seemed to hesitate for a moment and changed his statement.


    "Deal with it like a normal human would deal with it. Don''t kill any of them, please."


    "..."


    Hey, my heart hurts that you think so little of me, you bastard.


    "Talk with them first, if you think force is necessary, use it to an understandable degree. Remember, even if they are from the other top 10 guilds...with your own background and our recent aplishments..."


    He stopped for a moment, let out a puff of smoke and smiled.


    "We don''t really have to bow down to anyone on Earth, you know?"

 Chapter 579 [579] Deal with it...

    Chapter 579 [579] Deal with it...


    ''Deal with like you want to, huh...''


    I pondered over those words for a while, and finally decided on what to do. I didn''t wait for a long time before springing into action.


    I took it the very next day, Maxwell did say I can deal with it...in any way I like.


    ''Within limits, of course.''


    I spent the first half of the next day attending my sses as usual. One of the two people I needed to talk too was sitting right beside me, That was ine, but considering the rtionship between us, I opted to do itter.


    Henry is less difficult to talk too, and I would appreciate it if I didn''t fail on the first try. I silently waited till break and ignored Sabrina and the rest. When it was finally time, I stood up and said.


    "Go to the cafeteria by yourself, I need to take care of something."


    "Alright." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thankfully, Sabrina didn''t bother me much with it. I walked outside the ssroom and smirked to myself.


    "So it''s going to be her that''s going to be difficult..."


    Just before I left, ine looked at me for a moment. Of course, this gesture had a high chance of meaning nothing... But I had a feeling.


    The instincts of a dragon, ''A gut feeling''.


    ''How urate are our instincts, by the way?''


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha sighs.]


    "Alright, great then."


    Her sigh could only mean one thing, and that was disappointment. Lanesha was disappointed that I even bothered to ask her about this, as if it were useless. That was enough for me to discern that our instincts are almost never wrong.


    Chuckling to myself, I made my towards Elijah and Henry''s ssroom. If they went to the cafeteria, I would still encounter them first. Our sses were simply arranged that way...


    If they took the long and tedious way, for whatever reason, then I may not encounter them at all, however... But looking at themotion in his ss, I assume they are still there.


    It was the same as ours...except there was a peculiar group of people inside. First years, second years...and even third years.


    All girls, as well. About seven of them, all huddled over to Elijah''s table.


    ''Wow.''


    I feel bad for Serena, I really do. But I do wonder...is there really that much of a difference between my face and Elijah''s? A difference of one rank shouldn''t be much, right?


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says that the appearance of an individual is not the deciding factor for attraction.]


    ''Oh really? Are you saying Ick his charisma and personality?''


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha says yes.]


    ''... Heartless.''


    It left a bitter taste in my mouth. I remembered that Elijah''s dragon form was beautiful as well. Mine was great, but the scales I possessed, and the other features couldn''tpare to his... His scales were perfect, his eyes and snout as well.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha say''s it is not right to be jealous of what others have.]


    ''Jealous? Who said I am jealous?''


    I walked over to him, I could see Elijah struggling to keep up with the multitude of girls trying to strike a conversation, Henry enjoying it from the back and Serena...


    ''Gulp.''


    I gulped nervously, Serena was simply sitting there, looking at everyone. That woman is memorizing each face so she can give them a...surprise. I don''t have any intention of finding out what that surprise is.


    The others looked at me, My towering frame already attracted a lot of attention. I ignored Elijah''s curious look, the hateful look of the others, and also Serena''s nk look. Which scared me the most.


    I wonder if I have be sympathetic to the girl... Even I was shaken by Elijah''s memories that the tower showed me. "Henry, can I talk with you for a moment?"


    The gazes of the others rxed, and I thought to myself.


    ''Geez, I won''t take him from you, I don''t swing that way.''


    They were all focused on Elijah, and Henry looked at me with a confused gaze.


    "It''s important, It won''t take long, though."


    He shrugged and got up, somewhat taken aback, but he stillplied with what I said. We both were going to leave when...


    "I''lle too, I needed some fresh hair."


    "No, it''s okay."


    I shut down Elijah''s escape attempt. If hees with us, these girls wouldn''t leave us alone. He looked at me with the eyes of a sad puppy, who had been betrayed, but unfortunately for him, I have built an impressive resistance to such things. Besides, the smell of makeup in this room is atrocious... Sometimes, having a nose this great can be bad...very bad.


    We quickly got out of the room, and I cast a small mana barrier around us in the empty corridor. Henry raised his eyes.


    "Don''t worry, it just cancels noise."


    I didn''t want anyone hearing this, so I had to do it.


    "Alright¡­what was it that you wanted to talk about?"


    He asked me. The curiosity in his eyes was genuine, leading me to believe that perhaps...he truly was unaware of what was going on. Perhaps...


    However, to be sure... I still asked.


    "Do you not know of what is happening? The one rted to my guild and the others."


    "...?"


    Wow, he really doesn''t know... They managed to keep it hidden from him. Well, considering his character, he wouldn''t have bothered to investigate the weird actions of his guild mates. This still doesn''t ruin what I had in mind, even though he doesn''t know about it. He still has the influence and power to do something about it.


    I exined to him the situation, and ''kindly'' asked him to do something about it. He looked at me for a moment or two, and ced his hands on his chin for a while.


    He finally responded, after a long moment of silence.


    "Alright, I''m sorry you had to go through with this. I''ll stop the members of my guild... I don''t know about the others, though."


    I smiled, thinking that this was all worth it, and said.


    "Thanks, I''ll deal with the other guilds."


    Henry felt a chill run up his spine, but concealed it. He didn''t want to know how n would deal with the others. He was just d he saved his own guild members.


    ''I should go meet up with ine now...''


    I hoped it would go as well as it did with Henry... But I can only hope.

 Chapter 580 [580] Ah, Of course.

    Chapter 580 [580] Ah, Of course.


    I met up with ine in the cafeteria, She was sitting along with Sabrina, and as much as I would have preferred to keep her out of this, ine didn''t budge from her spot, clinging to Sabrina.


    She looked at me, or should I say red at me?


    Amused, I thought.


    ''So she is in on this...''


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha advises you not to jump to conclusions.]


    ''Yeah, yeah, I know.''


    I shrugged off Lanesha''s advice, and sat down next to Sabrina, and opposite to ine. The constant looks she has been giving me were noticed by Sabrina long ago, therefore she asked me through the astral bond.


    [Is there something I don''t know about going on?]


    [Nope.]


    I answered with a jovial attitude, I looked ine dead in the eyes, and rested my chin on the back of my hands and asked.


    "So, would you mind giving an exnation?"


    I knew this wouldn''t be enough to force her to say something...but that wasn''t what I was aiming for. Despite me shrugging off Lanesha''s advice, I knew it was still better to trust it. Therefore, what I said was simply to see how she would react.


    And I was right. Although her face didn''t change, many other things. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but retreated to their original position soon after, she kept a poker face and continued to look at me with a confused expression.


    Ha. With my hearing, I could sense her heartbeat going up when I asked her for an exnation, she couldn''t hide it from a dragon, how restless she was on the inside. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha says that something is strange.]


    I stopped for a bit, thinking about what Lanesha said... Strange? Yeah, I guess she is right. ine isn''t the type to partake in these kinds of things. If she was, Sabrina and her would have never gotten along...


    Fuck that, ine is the type to oppose these kinds of things... Therefore, her doing this itself is suspicious... Is there an outside influence like I had expected? Or am I missing something else, something crucial?


    People change, but such a drastic change urs only when one is faced with a certain event... Such a shift in personality. It is...strange.


    "What do you mean?"


    She inquired with her own innocent tone and expression. But I was still stuck in thought. She is Maxwell''s younger sister...and even if there was a part of me that didn''t trust the information he gave me about her... I trust something else.


    Jame''s memories... The scenarios he had yed with the ''protagonists'' he called them, and I trust that, despite my hatred of it. She isn''t the type to do this.


    ''I''ll...investigate thister.'' I thought to myself, perhaps I will sneak into her room to check for more clues. With spatial distortion, such a thing would be easy. [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha begs you not to do so.]


    ''What? I would just be looking for some clues.''


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha says you are a pervert.]


    ''Only for Sabrina.''


    "Are you really going to pretend you don''t know?"


    I looked at her with an annoyed gaze. Sabrina is also giving me weird looks, so I dropped the act of getting information out of her and making her admit it. I exined the entire situation, so that Sabrina wouldn''t suspect me of something else.


    ine listened on with curiosity, and her expression darkened and her eyes twitched. I caught notice of that, and Sabrina did as well.


    When I finished, Surprisingly, she didn''t keep the act going and threw it all aside, asking me with a provocative tone. "And why must I do so? Twilight has been gaining more power recently."


    I smiled, I was d she did this, Now I don''t have to give an exnation to my dear girlfriend about this.


    "Why not?"


    I didn''t put an end to it immediately, I still wanted to confirm something. She was acting way different from usual.


    "What can you even do about it? A second year cannot be involved in the first-year matters. And your littleckey is rank number 1, meaning he can''t do much to people ranked lower than him unless they provoke him first. Besides, I think this is simply a fight between the first years...you know how they ar-"


    "ine


    Sabrina tried to stop her from continuing, but I wanted to see it progress more. So I talked to her through the astral bond.


    [Please, let me handle this...]


    [...be careful.]


    ''Oh yes, I will be.''


    "Well, you are right."


    I agreed with her, there is truly nothing I or Kazikato can do against the others. I am a second year, and Kazikato is the first ranked year, None of us can interfere unless the other students interfere first... But if that is what she is thinking, then she is wrong.


    ine is behind this, with the possibility of it being Henry ruled out, and Catherine being unlikely to do such a thing, with how it would impact her dear auntter on... The only one left is her...


    And with her reactions, it''s clear she is the one behind it. No doubt about that in my mind...although I do wonder why...she is very wrong if she thinks I can''t do anything about it.


    "You are right...but will you remind me what our ranks are? Ussecond-years, of course."


    Her eyes widened, and she red at me, Sabrina''s eyes also widened, and she muttered.


    "Right...you''re not ranked first anymore..."


    Due to my poor performance and atrocious attendance, my rank number 1 did not carry on to the second year... Therefore, I can do something to ine, who is ranked above me right now.


    All those with a higher rank are forbidden to mess with the ones of lower rank...because it is obvious they are weaker than them...haha! But it''s wrong in this scenario! I have every right to challenge her or bother her! Because I am of lower rank...right now.


    "Whatever they are doing to my guild mates... I''ll do it to you."


    She mmed her fist onto the table. And cursed.


    "You wouldn''t dare..."


    I stopped joking, and released the intent to kill and threatened her with a smile on my face.


    "Please be ready for a duel when it''s time...andspecial events until that timees."


    It''s up to you, either you stop them or I stop you.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Laneshaments that this is quite unlike a dragon.]

 Chapter 581 [581] I knew it.

    Chapter 581 [581] I knew it.


    [ine Parker, POV.]


    Why is he getting so involved in this situation? He has never been one to care about small matters like these... Heck, he never gave a damn about his guild mates before. He never cared about anything.


    The n Pator I know is mostly someone who...just did what he liked, and almost never got involved in situations that would give him even the slightest difort... Unless it was absolutely necessary.


    Why...are you getting involved in this... And what is this pressure I am feeling? It''s not the simple killing intent that he subtly releases... I have already taken care of that with a spell. But there is something else, Something other than that, which is prating my defensive skills and artifacts.


    I clicked my tongue, and thought carefully of what to do next.


    I can''t defeat him, No, not even the entire might of Titan in Shieldbined can take this monster on, No matter how much I buff them, Or how much I debuff him... It''s simply impossible.


    With what I have seen, It would be impossible if even the entire top ten guilds members went at him, using all of their abilities.


    The things... I saw him do when in the Tower. We won''t even have a chance against Elijah, let alone n, the one that defeated Elijah.


    What do I do? It''s not like I can just stop... If I want to preserve my position and also deal a blow to Twilight, who have been growing their influence without any signs of stopping... I need to do something. I need to follow...orders...


    ''Ugh.''


    I shook off the headache and took a look at him once more. His eyes are not that of a human, as expected of his bloodline. There is something within them that scans my entire being, yet it shows a hint of curiosity, or rather confusion.


    What is that? I wonder, but I''m not exactly at the leisure to think about it. Regardless... I have to do something.


    "You wouldn''t."


    I decided to probe a little bit more, it is foolish... But I want to see where it would go.


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Because I am still heir to Titan, You cannot just-"


    "I don''t give a fuck who you are."


    ... Yeah, he was always like this. Acting like he is on a pedestal higher than everyone, of a rank higher than everyone.


    Goddammit. Is there nothing I can do to this muscle brain? I should stop...


    [No.]


    Why did I think of stopping? I can''t let him just walk over me like this. I mustered up more courage and nced at Sabrina, She is the only one who can convince, I can leverage our rtionship and her rtionship with him...


    But she closed her eyes, abandoning me.


    ''... Damn it.''


    I cannot fault her, She is rted to this in a matter of her own scale, being the heir to the family that is directly behind Twilight.


    What do I do? What do I do? Fight, and be defeated? Or...make a sacrifice.


    If I can perhaps deal with all the ''special events'' he is mentioning until the time when the ranking duelse up, I can just admit defeat the moment we step on the tform...that will make him lose any leverage he can use against me...


    But my heart is beating, not out of expectation or happiness of my n but fear. I''m afraid...so much, I can''t think right. Ugh... Is this bastard using a spell to make my headaches increase in intensity? Fucking lunatic.


    Alright... I will proceed with my n. If I hire some people, I can hold on...


    [Fight him.]


    "Alright."


    I smiled...wait, why did I say that? And why, with a confident smile? "So it isn''t you, huh..."


    What do you mean? Stop being cryptic...and answer me. No. There is no point in continuing this conversation.


    I will just have to go along with my n. Despite what he may seem like, He is afraid of Sir Oliver to a certain degree, obviously. Within Shield''s campus, he can''t do much to me.


    ''Haha, I was afraid of nothing.''


    I excused myself and exited the cafeteria, but I did not take my eyes off him. There...was something I was wary of. His eyes were still looking at me, looking at me with the same intensity as that of a predator at its prey.


    I was still wary, but I turned my back to the predator in question, I was sweating profusely, and my headaches were clouding my mind. I figured it would be better to go get some rest, so I made my way towards my dorm room. ''Let''s not take any sses, and go to sleep...''


    I thought to myself, and proceeded to do it.


    *******


    "It wasn''t her."


    n said, as he continued to use his dragon eyes on the retreating ine.


    "What do you mean?"


    Sabrina asked him, clearly confused. She herself did a check on her best friend due to the sharp change in her personality and attitude, but figured it was better to ask n himself about it, given his superior skills.


    "There is something influencing her mind."


    "What is it?"


    "I don''t know. But it''s something."


    "...?"


    "There''s like a void gap near her chest, probably a ne type artifact that''s causing it, But I can''t just see it."


    Sabrina found it hard to understand.


    "If it was an artifact, Sir Oliver''s detection would have already activated, Nothing can escape his mana."


    n stopped for a moment, muttering.


    "Yeah...mana."


    He stood up and said to her.


    "Enjoy your break, I''ll be back."


    "Don''t do anything reckless."


    n didn''t respond, and began to go after ine, as his body seemingly ''vanished.'' n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''There''s nothing wrong with Sabrina''s statement.''


    She was actually right, No artifact that would influence the user''s mind with mana would go unnoticed by the dozens of detection spells in ce in shield...


    With mana, of course.

 Chapter 582: [582] An Aura Artifact.

    ?


    ine arrived in her room. Despite being in the safety of her own room, she still looked around for anything suspicious, clearly, she was paranoid. After her inspection was done, she heaved a sigh of relief and took off hermunicator and a ne, then went to sleep after washing her face.


    The lights in her room were off, and she quickly hid her head in her nket to sleep.


    There was silence in her room, an odd one. But about five minutes after she ''went asleep'', she abruptly woke up and scanned her room once more.


    She was, clearly, very paranoid.


    ''... Damn.''


    n was taken aback by her suddenly waking up. He had used his new skill to make himself invisible and entered her room by closely following behind her. Because of the properties of his new skill, he couldn''t interact with anything too much, but it saved him from the numerous detection spells on shield.


    He was just about to turn it off a little bit in order to investigate...but the sudden actions of ine disturbed him.


    ''You''re way too paranoid.''


    Indeed, she was. He continued to stand in her room until the girl went to sleep once more. This time, he waited quite a while and checked whether she was asleep or not multiple times before acting.


    He went close to her bed, and opened her bedside drawer. A hand suddenly materialized in front of her desk drawer, and opened it. Slowly, n''s body also began to materialize.


    "Ugh."


    He groaned, getting out of his skill was definitely a special experience he wasn''t fond of describing, He activated his dragon eyes after he cast a sound barrier on his surroundings, and clicked his tongue.


    Previously, when he was trying to use his dragon eyes to see whether if ine had truly changed or if something truly was affecting her mind. Thetter was proven to be true, but not in the way n had expected.


    "... Aura."


    There was a void near her chest when he used Dragon eyes on her first, a ck space he couldn''t really identify.


    He picked up the medallion and felt the aura it possessed. The medallion was strange, It was made of pure gold, and had the picture of a goat on it. A goat with four eyes, six horns, andically big teeth. Hell, the fact that she was wearing such an outdated piece of jewelry was suspicious in and of itself.


    The aura the artifact exuded was no joke.


    "So this is how they were able to bypass Sir Oliver''s detection... They used aura instead of mana... But that shouldn''t be it."


    Sir Oliver wasn''t unfamiliar with Aura, his best friend and brother in arms, Sword Saint Arken was a user of it. Therefore, when taking into ount the man''s personality... It would be odd if he ''hadn''t'' set any precautions against the power.


    Even besides all of that, his detection spells would have noticed any form of energy used in campus... So he would definitely be alerted.


    ''... What if...it''s because it belonged to a being far above his rank?''


    That was usible, if the creator of this artifact was someone far above Sir Oliver''s rank...then it was possible it passed his detection. The only fact that was concerning n was who, and why? An Epic ranked being wouldn''t be able to escape his detection, not all of it. So it was a being who was above that rank.


    A rank, Earth had only seen in the form of a foreign visitor. But why would someone of that caliber be interested in something like this? All of them should be preupied with their own duties.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, tells the Supreme of Gold to stop hiding.]


    ''Huh?''


    He heard a strange, cacklingughter soon echo from the medallion in his hand.


    [You dragons really are not fun at all.]


    n didn''t let go of the ne, instead he encased it in his own aura, as a form of protection.


    [The young one is brave at the very least.]


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha is ordering the Supreme of Gold to state his reasons.]


    [Wow, strange to see a dragon using the system of all things to convey a message...with how much you all hate it despite its benefits.]


    n''s grip on the medallion was fading, and his head was starting to spin. The voice from the medallion came at him from all directions, and it was if a greater version of his skill, the one he used to get in here, was active.


    [So, Will you continue to burden your ''son'', or would you rather descend yourself so we can talk?]


    n was getting more dizzy, and he couldn''t hear the words as urately as he thought. His organs were failing him, and he was going to pass out soon.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha asks your permission to descend onto your body.]


    ''Yes...''


    He feltpelled to say it, but still felt as if he had a choice. Little did he know if he actually refused it, Lanesha would still defend forcefully, in order to keep his body from exploding.


    [Goodness, you even asked him for permission.]


    Lanesha, now in n''s body, grabbed the Medallion firmly and sighed, she waved her hand and the surroundings changed. They were now in a dark space, where the medallion was now in the hands of golden goat beast man, who conjured up a throne of gold to sit on, Lanesha, appeared as herself instead of n in this space, and also sat on a throne made of ice,


    The golden goat beast man expressed some concern.


    [Are you sure you want to use the body of your kin as a conduit? I can provi-]


    [What is it?]


    Her voice echoed throughout, and the golden goat beast man sighed, He nonchntly tried to start a conversation.


    [So, how is it like to have a child? I''m genuinely curious. I figured I would try something new


    this iteration.]


    [...]


    Lanesha, was speechless.

 Chapter 583: [583] A talk between two supremes.

    ?


    [So, how is it like having a kid? Do you think a son is better, or a daughter?]


    Lanesha was a bit taken aback by this kind of question, she thought this money hungry supreme would be here for profits.


    But then again, she understood him. Although the question was a bit strange, it wasn''t really that out of pocket considering the current situation.


    [It''s been getting boringtely, I wanted to try something different in this iteration, perhaps raise a kid?]


    The goat like man''s form changed, he now had a handsome, middle-aged face with a fine beard, but his horns were still there. He didn''t bother to change them. A cup materialized in his hand, being filled with a mysterious drink.


    Lanesha paid no thought to it, and silently sighed.


    ''I knew someone woulde because of this, but I didn''t expect it to be him, of all people.'' Lanesha thought, as she stared at the man in front of her.


    The Supreme of Gold and Wealth, Lakur, continued to drink his tea, patiently waiting for an answer from Lanesha.


    ''I guess... I have to do it.''


    [It''s quite an exhausting experience, in some cases.]


    Lakur raised an eyebrow at this, but didn''t say anything, prompting Lanesha to say more.


    She wasn''t lying, although she wasn''t really his parent, she did treat him like a son or something along the lines. If she didn''t, why would she give him so many gifts? The breathing technique, the spear she gave him as a gift on his birthday, and also the many times she helped? Although indirectly.


    She hated her limitations, and envied Elijah and the connection he had with his own guardian dragon, Agri. She wished she could do the same for n...but s, it wasn''t that easy. It wasn''t a matter of strength. Agri may have been stronger than Lanesha, but n didn''t just have her as a guardian dragon, Suleras was there as well, Someone stronger than Agri.


    It was...because of the darn system Elijah possessed, which made many things easier for Agri...as well as a shackle he readily embraced.


    [He did have some annoying moments, and tantrums sometimes, but it was still a nice experience. The thrill you get when he surprises you or does something even you won''t expect. Besides, it''s fun to watch over him and his journey. A great escape from...]


    She didn''t finish thest word in her sentence, but Lakur already knew what it would, it is, and he was d she didn''t trigger his PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Amon one most Supreme beings had in these times.


    Lakur moved his eyes down, although he appeared to be staring at an empty abyss, he was actually looking at n, and a hint of surprise took over his eyes.


    But then came suspicion.


    [You can check his soul to confirm. I can tell you it isn''t what you''re thinking.]


    His heart began to beat faster, in fear, and he began to sweat profusely, but it all vanished when he looked at n a bit more deeply.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and slumped back in his throne. Not caring whatever sight of him he was showing to the being of equal status sitting opposite to him.


    [Strange... Because of who is the head of your honorable house... I did not think her Highness Ariel would ever allow you to be...married.]


    [Why? Did you think I gave birth to him using that old method? There was a high chance I would be unable to help him if that was the case.]


    Lakur, however, had other thoughts.


    [Oh please, That kid''s grandmother is one of the few primordial beings that can be counted on one hand, of a species that has seven fingers, he has a special rtionship to the guardian of the World Tree in Elvenheim, His uncles are all supreme beings, and...his father is someone truly special. Not that his mother is any less. With all of this, you could help him, no matter what elemental dragon he was.]


    Lanesha chuckled, but didn''t refute his statement. Certainly, Her, and now n''s background was incredibly special. Dragon''s gave birth in two ways, either by joining their mana with another dragon, their one and only spouse, or give birth by themselves.


    The first method would result in a child that had both elements of his parents, or just one element of their parents. And the other method waspletely random.


    The first was like how many species functioned in reproduction, where the child would get their parent''s gics, but thetter was different. In the other method, the parent dragon would simply condense their mana into an egg, which would hatchter on. The problems with this was that the parent had no blood or direct rtionship with the dragon that was born, or with other dragons born from the same parent dragon through the same method.


    Their elemental affinities would be random, theirposition and the type of dragon would be random. This was perhaps a mechanism to prevent the extinction of their species...not that a species like their could ever be brought to extinction.


    ''Perhaps that went too far,'' She retracted her thoughts, considering the fact that her mighty species had been brought to extinction...along with many others at the same time multiple times. She heaved a dryugh.


    Lakur noticed her smile and was engrossed in his thinking.


    He looked down once more after he inquired some details, looking not at n but at the he was on, Earth. And his body shivered in fright, and he quickly retrieved his gaze. Lanesha felt sorry for him, she herself didn''t look at Earth like that because of...


    [Goddamn, this ursed. So beautiful but gave birth to something...someone so disgusting.]


    Lanesha coughed, and Lakur apologized. She continued to keep a mean eye on him, as if daring him to say something like that again.


    [Ah, I apologize, I forget you and Suleras''s tried so hard to fix those two. On that note, You know who is probably sleeping, What is the Jade Snake doing?]


    His question was something she didn''t like hearing. She snapped back.


    [Mind your own fucking business.]


    [...]


    Lakur was a bit confused, he didn''t know what she really meant because he was unfamiliar with the curse terms of Earth. However, heughed soon enough.


    [Ohe on, you cannot tell me that you still cling to hope? Hope that perhaps things can change? It can''t. Don''t be like the idiot Ardoris is.]


    [You call him an idiot, yet still say his name with utmost respect.]


    [Does he not deserve it?]


    [Funny, the same the cmity is born from...is where he is from as well, the same


    net you were-]


    [Alright, Alright! I get it!]


    He interrupted her and covered his face.


    [It''s good to have hope, I had it during my days as a merchant. But even still... How long can the chalice still work? Perhaps this is thest iteration... So I should hurry with my own child,


    I''d like to have a daughter.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lanesha looked at n, and asked.


    [What will you do with her? Ple-]


    [I will let her live.]


    She heaved a sigh of relief, and of regret at the same time. She knew why he was saying something like this. Something that went against their prideful nature.


    [I will give her whatever I can, I will not bother her to learn about my position, my empire


    that I built with my own hands, one that I did many things to make stable and make it powerful, I will let her live her life like she wants too. Does she want to explore the universe in the limited time she has, I will not put any stress on her. She does not have to seed a


    useless position like mine.]


    Lanesha turned her head down, looking at n with a tinge of sadness in her eyes. Children of Supreme''s lived troubled lives, they always had expectations they needed to meet, and other such burdensome duties. Hearing it from someone who was once obsessed so much about


    wealth...


    [I will...let her do whatever she wants...and when the day draws near, when her time ising


    to an end, with this universe...I will kill her with my own hands.]


    Lanesha raised her head, the same sad expression cemented on her face.


    [I will not let my child, my own blood, experience the hell we could not stop. I will not let her face the fate of the Dragon Emperor''s daughter, to have her soul extinguished. I will kill her in a painless way before something like that happens...I will erase her soul.]


    [Soul...?]


    [Yes, so that even if the chalice has some power left to rewind... I will not spend another century or two wallowing in regret...like you and Suleras do, to this day.]


    She didn''t say anything, but simply stared at n back on Earth, whatever she was thinking...


    Lakur knew.


    [Don''t make the same mistake once more. If he truly is your son, one you love, let him enjoy


    his life...and end it with your own hands before hell rains loose. He has the element of chaos, courtesy of his father... And despite my...suspicions...] He nced at Lanesha, trying to discern something...but then...


    He took a deep breath, inwardlyughed at himself, and continued.


    [End his life before the Abyss gets to him, and tortures his soul like it did to many others.]


    Lanesha grit her teeth, and held the helms of her dress tightly. Lakur did not stop her, but continued to look down at Earth with a nk look, trying to calm the emotions in his heart. He quickly changed the subject.

 Chapter 584: [584] A bet.

    ?


    Lakur changed the direction of this conversation, sensing the tension developing.


    [I apologize for going out of...bounds.]


    [It''s alright, It''s understandable, really.]


    But Lanesha, couldn''t really me him for what he said, it was, as much as he didn''t want to admit it, the truth. She knew he was right.


    [But I have a question... Why this? Why not on the home of the Frost Dragons?]


    Lanesha didn''t have an answer for this. Lakur was right, n would be better off with her, in his own where almost everything would do his bidding, It was a good ce for him. So his confusion to ''her son'' being on Earth, A dreaded by the supreme beings, was...confusing.


    Lakur, asked it as a probing question, He had other suspicions about n''s identity, He had done his own check-up...but the fear in his eyes was still apparent.


    [He''s still a fish.]


    [What?]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That was quite a weird analogy, why was sheparing her own son to a fish? Was it perhaps a joke? Or was she referring to the fact that water dragons considered themselves as whales in the oceanpared to the Ice dragons, who were fish in it. A joke like that?


    Although he didn''t know why that had any rtion to this. Lanesha''s eyes didn''t give him any answers, so he could only wait.


    [Wait...]


    ''You can''t be...''


    Lakur had an absurd thought, but heughed, trying to dismiss it. Lanesha couldn''t truly be...


    [...]


    Her face, which showed a small smirk, rendered his attempts to dismiss it futile.


    [A fish bes a dragon only when it has survived storms?]


    He repeated an old saying of their empire, and sighed.


    [Not exactly how it goes, but you get the point.]


    He heaved a sigh, unable to understand the thoughts of the woman in front of him. She had her eyes on her ''son'', staring at him just like a mother would. Lakur, even though because of his status, didn''t know how to feel. He never experienced such a thing after all.


    [You dragons and your barbaric methods of growth.]


    Lanesha, slightly offended, scoffed.


    [These barbaric methods? Care to exin then why your empire is still below ours?]


    Lakur didn''t answer, and Laneshaughed, satisfied with her victory.


    [I''ll be taking my leave.]


    Lakur stood up, his throne of gold vanished, and he was just about to leave until.


    [What is the meaning of this?]


    Lanesha didn''t permit him to leave, she used her own authority to restrict his exit. She


    decided to give up the act and ordered. Her eyes were cold.


    [Sit. You haven''t told me the reason of you being on Earth, despite how much you''re afraid of this.]


    Lakur, also released some of his authority and dropped his friendly act, He stated.


    [I believe I have no reason to tell you that, Now do I?]


    [Oh, you do, If you value your life.]


    [Threatening me with death? In these times? Haha!]


    Lakurughed, astounded that Lanesha would threaten him in these times, where he already knew he would die in a few hundred years or so.


    A few hundred years passed like a blink of an eye to a supreme normally... But thesest few hundred years were different, where every second was spent in either trying to defeat him, or just epting your fate and wallowing in sorrow. However, Lakur was confident for an entirely different reason.


    [You do not possess the strength to kill me.]


    Yes, that was why he was so confident. Even among supreme beings, there were ranks, ranks that defined their strength... And Lanesha was among the weaker supreme beings. Lanesha knew this herself. But that didn''t mean her confidence was based on her ''won''t strength.


    [I see... Then which one of my brothers should I call? Darkness or Shadow?]


    Her brothers were enough to ughter this goat in front of her. And all Lanesha would need to do was ask.


    However, she wasn''t done.


    [Or perhaps I should call upon the father of the child that drew your curiosity, Suleras. ]


    [Wicked woman.]


    He obediently sat down, but did nothing to hide his disgust and hatred of this situation.


    ''It seems I didn''t need to bring mother into this, or uncle.'' Lanesha mused. She had more ''connections'' to say, but apparently Lakur only needed to hear Suleras''s name.


    ''Well, I cannot me him, More Supremes are scared of Suleras than the inactive primordials.''


    Laughing at the situation, she stated.


    [Connections defeat wealth.]


    Lakur didn''t respond, he stayed silent, knowing full well that was true for the being in front of


    her.


    Her entire family was nuts, and he didn''t want to incur their wrath just because he offended Lanesha. He knew he would die, but he didn''t want to elerate his death.


    Let it be, he thought.


    [For what purpose are you truly here?]


    Lanesha inquired, and it was clear that this time she would ept no excuses.


    [It was odd that an elf who is so righteous and bound to his duties apparently gave the human race some leeway because he was infatuated with the food of this ce. We aren''t afraid of this...it just...gives rise to some unpleasant memories.]


    He quivered, the scenes of a spear going through his chin to his head being reyed in his mind, of how he met a brutal death.


    [We still keep an eye on it, on its developments... I merely used my authority to do my own research...and I found him. His soul...possesses a unique color.]


    He continued.


    [I merely took an interest in him...and that was when I fo-]


    [That he''s under my protection.]


    She cut him off, her tone of voice gradually going angry.


    [How many know?]


    She asked, her fierce eyes locked onto Lakur, who responded.


    [None but me.]


    [Keep it that way!]


    [...]


    The threat in her voice was apparent, Lakur looked at her, his own eyes glowing with a sinister light, but Lanesha didn''t back down.


    [Tsk.]


    He clicked his tongue, afraid of not Lanesha but the dragons behind her. He clicked his tongue once more and agreed, vowing to not let anyone else know about n''s existence...through


    him.


    [And tell me why you bothered to stay as well.]


    [I merely found a human here worth my time, He leads the strongest house in this world, it


    appears.]


    [House?]


    [I believe they call them, guilds.]


    It seems the human that had caught his attention was Daniel Parker, Lanesha didn''t really


    know who he was, but she did recall n mentioning him once, She didn''t pay any mind to it,


    of course.]


    [So, you''ve decided to support them?]


    [Yes, I made a contract with him, albeit only a weak one.]


    [Why?]


    Lakur chuckled, as if finding the question incredibly funny. He would have burst intoughter


    had Lanesha not threatened him while before, he found the question really fun.


    He smiled, it wasn''t pleasant to see.


    [To pass time, of course.]


    But he wasn''t done. He raised his hand and pointed one of his fingers at Lanesha, and said.


    [And because I''m here because of that... Would you like to make a bet, Lanesha?]


    ************


    "What the hell...?"


    n almost fell to the ground as he ''woke'' up. The medallion was no longer in his hands and


    he had difficult standing up. He even wanted to vomit, but he stopped.


    Teleporting to his room out of reflex, he sat down on his couch and waited for his body to


    return to normal, taking deep breaths.


    "What...was that?"


    He inquired. No one was in his room to answer him, however.


    But the question wasn''t directed to any being on Earth.


    [Just some talks.]


    She refused to borate further, even if he pestered her about it, all she gave was.


    [It''s not something for you to know about. Oh, that reminds me. Your birthday passed, but I wasn''t able to give you a gift. I think it''s time you collect that armor of yours. The one whose coordinates I gave you a while back.]


    n noticed her attempt to change the topic, but sighed and let it go, thinking that she must


    have her reasons for her...actions.


    "The armor? Am I...ready for it?"


    He inquired, confused. Although he had prepared to get that armor of his, he didn''t know if he


    could actually equip it right now, which was why he was nning to get itter, when he was


    stronger.


    Lanesha, dismissed his worries.


    [It''s one that adapts to the user and grows with them. The minimum it can lower it''s power is rank SSS, so believe this esteemed one, You are ready.]


    n stayed silent, somewhat happy that he would finally have some armor again. His scales


    were pretty good, but they obstructed some of his ability to wield a spear when he covered himself in them. And besides, they weren''t as strong.


    A dragon''s powers increased with their age, His scales, just like him, were in their infancy stage, therefore much weaker than expectations.


    [On that note, don''t you have something to take care of?]


    n was confused, wondering what she was referring to, He took a while to finally realize as


    his body returned to normal.


    "The raid..."


    He muttered, a look of excitement on his face. His jademanders had sent him a message,


    saying they needed help with the raid on the Minotaur Labyrinth, and n was happy to


    oblige, all this sitting and studying didn''t suit him.


    "Finally... I have something to do."

 Chapter 585: [585] Minotaur.

    ?


    n hurriedly opened a portal to the world of Gigantum, where the Labyrinth like city of the Minotaur''s was. He wasn''t able to go to his army directly, as they were on a floor he hadn''t travelled too. He appeared on the second floor instead, where he took a moment to appreciate what Twilight had done with the ce.


    The second floor, once filled with broken buildings, was now...great. The broken buildings were fixed and roads were present. There wasn''t much here, but it was certainly better. A lighting system had also been installed. n knew the first floor would be so much better if the second floor was like that. He could see some works still going on, so he swiftly left.


    Using his instantaneous teleportation, he teleported to the end of the second floor and descended, using the same mode of teleportation continuously.


    ''They are on the fifth floor...''


    n thought, as he reviewed the mental connection he had with his army. The Jade army, was stationed on the Fifth wave, in front of a sort of gate. They had stopped and requested his aid. ''Did we encounter the higher ranked Minotaur''s?''


    That shouldn''t be possible, that would only happen a floor lower than where they


    were...unless the Minotaur''s, sensing the danger and casualties migrated to the higher floors, to provide a better defense.


    ''Well, they did build a city... as shabby as it was.''


    It wasn''t too far-fetched to believe they didn''t have any sort of intelligence. n was simply wondering something else.


    ''That damn human at the city...as well as the giants all suffered a drop in their intelligence due to Agri wreaking havoc on this a while back... Did the Minotaur''s suffer the same? A drop in intelligence or a weakness?''


    It didn''t seem like it, when he was still with his army and fought the Minotaur''s with them...they appeared normal. Besides, the reports hismanders gave were urate as well, telling him that the Minotaur''s. It seems Agri only had a beef with the giants when he came here...


    n finally reached where his army was. In the back the magicians and some of Twilight''s medical staff, mainly healers sent by Richard to help him out, were busy tending to the injured soldiers, it seems they got used to the appearance of the jade soldiers. On the front, the knights, their mounts and the spear men took up formation, to fend off any sudden attacks. Hismanders noticed him and walked over to him, and n could see what was stopping them.


    A wall, a massive wall and a gate, much like the one at the entrance of thebyrinth city in the desert up above. But that wasn''t the issue. If it was just this, n could simply break it once more... The real issue was what was behind the wall.


    ''They really migrated.''


    He could see them on top of the walls, each one no less than an S-rank monster, and behind the walls? Multiple SS-ranked monsters. n gulped, his knees a bit weak. He would die if he rushed in by himself, no doubt.


    "So that''s the issue, huh..."


    His army could take care of the S-ranked ones, if they weren''t in a big group...but the problem was, they were.


    [Dragon eyes has been used.]


    For a more urate assessment, n used his Dragon eyes, and he had to admit the bitter truth. All the Minotaur had really migrated, in order to provide a final defense. The lower floors were practically empty, with only their children, calves habiting them.


    "We...can''t really break through this, can we?"


    Even if Twilight was involved, it would be impossible to break through this barricade. They would all be ughtered. If he perhaps went into his dragon form...he could break through but without a skilled healer or a buffer behind him, reinforcing him his scales would be ripped apart among all the strong Minotaur''s around. Their brute strength would be able to kill him, even with his Phoenix bloodline.


    ''Well, I got the healing part done... I just need a good buffer.''


    Unfortunately, no troop had been unlocked that could buff him. He wondered if he should call Sabrina and have her fill the role, but decided against it. Opting to not bother her for now.


    "Well, I guess we go with n B."


    Hismanders looked at him with a strange gaze, they turned their heads, confused. Probably thinking, ''There was a n B?''.


    n chuckled, as he ordered.


    "Just stay here, I''ll deal with the boss."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although the Minotaur''s had migrated, not all of them. The ''big bad'' was still in his room, the lowest floor. Perhaps he was arrogant or whatever. n did wonder why they only focused on defense and didn''t think of reiming their city or avenging their fallen brethren. But it made the job easy for them, so he didn''t mind.


    He activated his skill, and his body soon disappeared, hismanders were even more confused, and n reassured them.


    ''Just sacrifice anything we found on these floors to the altar, I''ll summon more troops when I get back.''


    They saluted, and n jumped over the walls, amidst the minotaur''s, he looked around, trying to see if any could sense him, but thankfully he was safe.


    "So even they can''t see me."


    He figured as much, so he proceeded forward, rushing to the lower floors, he had to run because he could not teleport while in this state, which he found annoying.


    As he made his way, he abruptly stopped, looking right into an SS-ranked Minotaur, which was also looking at him. It was aical stop, and n was sweating, thinking.


    ''... He can''t see me...right?''


    The minotaur didn''t change his direction, and n was seriously considering opening a portal, cancelling his skill and running.


    Thankfully, the Minotaur turned it''s head soon, after it smelled something. n heaved a sigh of relief. Thinking that it was just a pure coincidence.


    He continued onwards, The SS-ranked Minotaur sometimes tried to smell something in the air but failed at it. Then went back to their works.


    ''Thankfully, they are bulls and not dogs.''


    His skill was supposed to not leave any scent of his but it appeared that the senses of higher ranked monsters were just different. They could still sense something was wrong, albeit only


    a little.


    n finally reached the lower floor, and ran to meet the Minotaur at the bottom. He could only see calves here, the children of the Minotaur''s.


    They weren''t humanoid, but resembled actual calves one could find back on Earth.


    ''Huh.''


    n didn''t think much of it, and after a while finally reached the lowest floor.


    !...!


    There was a gate and walls here as well, but instead of having an opening like the gate before, it was connected to the ceiling, making it so that n couldn''t jump and enter like before. The gate had the same bull head carvings on it, but it seemed to possess another power as well, n could also feel the mana of the being behind the doors, pulsing through this entire


    floor.


    He undid his disguise, and wielded his spear. He immediately broke the door using the first movement of his chaos spear technique.


    He found himself using this spear art more than the Heavenly Sky spear, despite the danger it


    posed to him.


    The door was broken through quite easily, the shock was great enough that the Minotaur''s above would have noticed it, and n was sure some of them wereing back.


    n cast his skill once more, before the dust settled and entered the room.


    It was filled with decorations of bones, skeletons of monsters the Minotaur''s may have in.


    And right in the middle of it he saw the monster.


    An SSS-ranked monster, equal to his master and Sir Oliver, perhaps even stronger than them


    in some aspects.


    The minotaur was clearly taller than the rest, and had a beard as well a crown on his head, that


    oddly enough, his horns kept it in ce.


    Besides that, unlike the other minotaurs as well, there were proper garments on his body,


    they looked and bent like cloth but had a metallic texture to them, possibly an armor of some


    kind.


    He also had a weapon, not an axe but rather a sword, much like the one his master had but only much, much bigger.


    It probably wasn''t sharp when you looked at its edge, but no one would still want to get hit


    with that monster, no matter what.


    n has activated his spatial disfigurement but even then the monster kept it''s eyes on the


    door, where the dust had settled.


    ''It knows.''


    n thought, noticing the look in its eyes. The monster knew someone was there, someone


    who had entered and was moving around his room.


    It was evident how it always managed to be looking at the same direction where n was, but


    it couldn''t see him.


    It just...knew?


    ''Well, let''s get this done with.''


    He affirmed, as he leapt into action

 Chapter 586: [586] Minotaur[2]

    ?


    He leapt up, right towards the monster''s right eye, he had his famous spear, The AME-No- Sakahoko in his hands but did not imbue mana into it just yet.


    In order to do so, he would have to cancel his skill, and he wasn''t confident in the monster just letting him attack.


    Therefore, he got as close as he could first, and only then would he imbue mana. When a strike was guaranteed.


    The Minotaur kept its eyes on the door, but n still felt wary.


    Finally, he was close, he readied his mana to erupt at any moment and opted to use a strike of the Heavenly Sky Spear technique, the Chaos Spear couldn''t be used in such a quick moment, it needs more time.


    The heavenly Sky spear was not like that, however.


    ''Now!''


    He cancelled his skill, and imbued his mana and used the thrust technique.


    The Minotaur noticed his existence, and stared right at the tip of the spear that would soon prate his eyes, if not for...


    It''s horns.


    It moved it''s head ever so slightly and used its horns to deflect the spear. Sparks flew in the air.


    "What the...!"


    n didn''t expect that...he didn''t expect this thing to be this fast...!


    He felt a chill run down his entire body, and before thinking of anything else, he teleported far away.


    The Minotaur king had attacked with its strange de, Although it had missed, the sheer force it exerted left a deep mark on the wall, a secondter, it carried the momentum of its swing to make another attack on n, who teleported behind it.


    n jumped over the attack, and made some distance.


    "Shouldn''t something as big as you be a little slow?"


    He joked to calm his restless heart, The Minotaur king released some smoke from its nostrils, as if scoffing at the new foe.


    It refused to dilly-dally for any longer, and raised its sword above its head.


    ''That''s...going to wreck the entire floor.''


    n thought, it was easy for that strike to wreck the entire floor if the Minotaur king provided it with the same force as his previous attacks... And it looked like it would be more.


    ''... Thebyrinth won''t copse...right?''


    A dangerous thought appeared in his mind, What if the fight escted to such a level? Would the Labyrinth, now having lost its foundation, copse in on itself?


    "Yeah, I can''t have that."


    n braced himself for the impact, and cast numerous shields, and used the first technique of the Chaotic Spear Technique to parry the blow.


    The collision between the two wrecked the walls a little bit, but it could still stand. n, on the other hand, was already feeling the effect.


    "Ugh..."


    He groaned, because it stung. His arm felt like it was on fire. Sighing to himself, he clicked his tongue and his mana exploded to cover the entire room. The Minotaur king didn''t attack, but instead looked at the mana covering his room, waiting to see a development. It had already deemed n as a bug, something it could kill easily.


    "Sorry, but I don''t want to ruin this ce, It''s going to be useful, you understand?"


    He opened a portal, one big enough to cover the entire floor. The Minotaur king felt it falling to the ground, and grabbed a part of the wall to stop it. He even stabbed the wall with his sword to anchor himself stably. He looked at the ''bug'' that had sprouted bat-like wings, much like a bug hover in front of it.


    "... You had to do that...didn''t you?"


    There was disappointment, but admiration in n''s voice. But there was a smile on his face. "You know, I can move it up."


    The portal beneath them moved up, until it covered the Minotaur king to his waist. The king could feel the lower half of his body dangling in a cold environment.


    "Let me get a few hits first, Ok?"


    n wasn''t stupid enough to let this opportunity go, the Minotaur king was currently upied. Both of his hands couldn''t be used correctly. One was grabbing on the wall, whilst the other grabbing a sword embedded on the wall. It was the perfect time to


    Hot smoke released itself from its nostrils once more, and it looked enraged.


    Heavenly Sky Spear, First movement.


    Heavenly Thrust.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As expected, it retaliated by using the hand that wasn''t grabbing onto the sword, The Minotaur king fell down a bit more, and the portal soon reached his chest. The king blocked the attack using its hand, which bled a bit. But there was more.


    Heavenly Sky Spear, Third movement.


    Heavenly Sky Redemption.


    A crescent sh moved up his arm, cutting his skin, and went on towards his head. He moved his head and the crescent sh crashed into the wall.


    [Fine.]


    "Huh?"


    n heard a voice, manly and deep, but unlike that of a human. It came from the Minotaur King and despite it not being a Human Language, n could understand it, perfectly.


    ''Again...''


    It was just like back on the Desert, with the Nightdy and Giants. Although the giants could be excused as David taught them a humannguage, English but...the others?


    Then, another voice echoed in his mind.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, tells you that it is one of the many gifts a dragon has.]


    ''Make''s sense.''


    He thought, It made a lot of sense, if he was being honest. The race that was the king of monsters was able to understand everynguage there existed, Funnily enough, the onlynguage this species had to spend effort on was its own... Dragon Tongue.


    ''I need to ask Lanesha about that as w-''


    [I''ll y along with your games!]


    Before he couldplete the sentence he had in his mind, and before he couldunch another attack, making use of the Minotaur king''s weakness right now. The king let go, dropping into


    the portal.


    "Tch."


    n clicked his tongue,menting at hisck of action. He could have unleashed more attacks had he not been distracted...but there wasn''t anything he could do now.


    "Fine, let''s go where I''m stronger."


    He didn''t just open a portal to the desert up above... No, that would be disastrous for him, Go to an environment that was severely bad for him, And of intense heat? Hell no. He didn''t want to go where not only he, but even his spells, would be inconvenienced and weakened.


    He, instead, had opened a portal to the snowy expanse in the north, Where n and Sabrina had run from an S-ranked Mammoth type monster. Previously, both he and the mammoth were strong there...but now?


    Only he was, when against this foe. And he needed every advantage he could get!


    He jumped into the portal, weing the cold air that assaulted his body. It didn''t give him shivers, but instead rejuvenated him.


    "Haha!"


    Heughed maniacally, in a state of stupor, as strength filled his bones and took off the garments on his upper body. He had no suitable armor on right now, and the ones in his inventory wouldn''t be able to stop any attack of the Minotaur King, worse, the pieces could get stuck in his own body. His healing won''t work on that.


    Therefore... His own steel like skin, coupled with a few dragon scales, was best. Scales covering the important areas of his body, like the belly and some of the chest, where there were no bones to block an attack. Not that he wanted to get, anyway.


    Even his body won''t be able to shrug off an attack from that monster. Speaking of that


    monster.


    The Minotaur king was falling down with incredible speed, n had teleported high, high up


    in the air, so it would take a while for the king to hit the ground. n stopped his own descent and simply waited for the king to drop.


    With the weight and speed, he would break the ice, and n wanted to see if there was water beneath the sheets of ice, water deep enough to submerge the Minotaur king. If there was...


    It was better for him, as it would save him the hassle. He could stay in the air as the king struggled to be in the water...and if there was enough water...


    He would drown the bastard, by covering the surface with ice thick enough that he wouldn''t


    be able to break through!


    But s, not everything could go his way, would it? The Minotaur kingnded on his feet, and


    not on its back. The snow that covered the ice sheets was sent flying, and the ice cracked...but


    not that deep.


    The ice sheets were strong, and a lot thicker than he expected, Therefore, the King had stable


    footing.


    [You attempted to bring me to this...?]


    The king roared, the roar sent even forced n back in the sky and all the snow flew away,


    piling somewhere he couldn''t see with his scope of vision.


    [Come!]


    The king ordered, raising his sword, to be prepared and n followed.


    "Alright."


    [Skill, cial Meteor, has been used.]

 Chapter 587: [587] Dragon against bull!

    ?


    Did it even need an exnation anymore? The strongest skill that n could use freely? It was the cial Meteor.


    But even it, with the might it descended with, didn''t faze the Minotaur king at all! He simply roared once more, in order to increase his own vigor.


    [A mere rock!]


    The Minotaur king readied his de, and his mana ran flowed within it, and his muscles, enhancing his strength several-fold.


    [Is nothing!]


    He swung once, and a crescent sh was released from his de that went unperturbed towards the meteor, and even beyond it. Towards n, who dodged it by flying to the right. The meteor offered no resistance to stop or even weaken the sh, it was cut in half.


    Those halves began to fall away from their intended target...and the stone was ripped apart. He had only delivered one blow, but it was enough to not only cut it in half, but also blow the meteor apart afterward.


    But that...was exactly what n was hoping for. A confused look appeared on the Minotaur king''s eyes as he did not see white anymore, but a smear of purple in the surroundings.


    [What...is this?]


    He questioned, as his feet dug deeper into the ground, and he saw another meteor, covered in ice,ing towards him. n deployed a gravity field in the Minotaur king''s surroundings, with the help of the destroyed meteor. And sent another one barreling down.


    The king''s feet dug deeper into the ice, and in a fit of rage, he did the same to the second meteor.


    "Idiot."


    And just like that, he increased the burden on him, as well as the range of the gravitational field. n sent another meteor, but even as his continued to dig deeper into the ice and shoulder''s drooped down, he raised his head, staring at the ball of ice in the sky.


    [So...that''s the trick.]


    The king mouthed, as he put his sword on his back and prepared to catch the meteor, widening his stance. And just like that...the meteor was caught.


    [Ugh!]


    The king groaned, even for a monster like him, with his vast strength, it was still a fucking meteor the size of a small mountain.


    n flew down, encasing his body not in mana, but in aura, to protect himself from his gravitational and also increase his strength and attack power several folds.


    He flew down towards the side of the Minotaur king, who had yet to drop the meteor on the ground, and prepared to attack. But the king wasn''t helpless, even if he had his weapon on his back


    [Hmph!]


    He harrumphed, and dropped the meteor where n was, his hands still clinging on to it, to provide greater force. n teleported behind him, and struck the armor behind his back.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear, Third Technique.]


    -Heavenly Sky Redemption-


    A crescent marking appeared on his armor, but it didn''t go deep. It failed to tear the armor apart, but that did not mean it did no damage. The Minotaur was still hurt. He jumped on top of the meteor, ignoring n for a while, and looked at all the floating pieces of rock.


    [So that''s it!]


    He swung his sword, and the force exerted was enough to send a strong enough wind that crumpled the rock down, to a size so small it couldn''t hold mana anymore, and thus... The gravitational field weakened.


    [Hmm?]


    It saw a light from the corner of his eye,ing not from the skies or the sun, but from something below. Instinctively, he used his de to block the ''light''.


    It was a dragon breath, which n had fired. The breath pushed him back a few steps, as it should because n put it all into it, and began to freeze his sword. Small shards of ice still made it through. The shards were sharp, but not enough to damage his skin, which was protected by his armor.


    But it wasn''t the same for its eyes...after all, How ''tough'' could the eyes of a living being be? They were often the softest and weakest, the best spot to target besides the balls, but thetter was only for male creatures.


    The shards would still tear his eyes apart, so he closed them, and his eyelids provided a great defense against the onught of sharp ice. n, using this, teleported above the Minotaur king, and used a skill.


    [Frozen field has been activated.]


    A snowke appeared on his fingertips, and disappeared the moment it touched the Minotaur king''s head, his horns and crown couldn''t stop it.


    [Ugh...]


    He felt himself as if anotherrge burden was ced on his body, but it was different from the gravitational field, it was like his muscles weren''t working properly, they were frozen!


    [Petty tricks!]


    It overpowered the skill with sheer will, and its own monstrous strength, and roared once more. n was sent flying in the air, towards the sky because he was right above the Minotaur.


    [Come, you bug!]


    It taunted, and n wiped the saliva off from his face.


    "This face is precious you fuck!"


    He cursed, wondering if the spit had some bad properties. He didn''t want to wake up to have pimples on his face the next day! Despite his anger, he didn''t respond to the threat and calmly assessed the situation.


    ''Frozen field should be slowing him down, as well as gravitational field...and although he isn''t injured much... The armor he has is weaker than his skin.''


    But that didn''t mean it was ''weak''. n resolved himself to break the armor first, so he did, in fact...respond to the taunt. But it was different from what the Minotaur king expected. The king did not want to waste his mana in a futile attempt to send attacks in the sky...


    But it wasn''t the same for the foe it was fighting.


    [... What in the mother Terra...?]


    The Minotaur king widened his eyes and gulped, as his knees felt weak for the first time, not because of the frozen field and the gravitational field... But because of what he saw.


    The entire sky, as far as he could see was filled with magic circles, it muttered in disbelief.


    [... What kind of being has this much mana?!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He braced himself, for an entirely new experience.


    [Skill: Ice Lance has been used, 200x]


    [Skill: Ice Shard has been used, 200x]


    [Skill: Ice spikes has been used, 1000x] [Skill: Ice bolt has been used, 1000x] [Skill: cier has been used, 50x]

 Chapter 588: [588] The power of a dragon.

    ?


    He couldn''t believe his eyes...in all his life, even during the days when he was but a calf and heard stories of the Giants that once ruled this, and how a great disaster of fire befell it... He couldn''t ever imagine this.


    The sky, was nowhere to be seen. All he could see, werences of ice, bolts of lightning but made of ice, ciers, spears, spikes...all of it. The sky was blotted out! And they came at him with astonishing speed, something that he couldn''t even think of attacking. If it were a singr object, like the meteors, he could cut it apart...but this?


    He couldn''t catch or cut everything... Not this time.


    [You...!]


    In a moment of desperation, he swallowed his pride and ran, towards the meteor that he caught and dropped, and with his strength he dug his hands deep into it, and used it as a shield by cing it over him.


    The attacks rained down, reducing the meteor gradually, and very soon it was reduced to dust and the Minotaur king had to face the onught with his body. He braced himself, protecting his vital organs. He had to bear with the excruciating pain. Just because his skin was strong, did not mean he would not feel pain.


    He could feel it, his armor was gone, under this barrage only his skin offered him somefort,fort of defense.


    [Haaa...]


    He breathed a heavy sigh, after what it seemed like a century...the onught was over. Over in the skies, n took a deep breath, he was sweating profusely and wondered if his attack had done its job. He was tired, this took a toll even on him. His dragon heart quickly worked to rejuvenate his mana and he looked down, the once tranquil ice fields were destroyed, and only destruction was left for him to see.


    "Still alive...huh?"


    n had hoped it would take the king down, but it seems only the armor had been destroyed. Nevertheless, some wounds had been created.


    [You...]


    His voice was filled with rage, and it was quite clear he wanted to rip n apart.


    [You first invade my home...kill the young and weak... And now you do this?]


    [You iste them from their king...from their leader? Will you ughter our children next?]


    n stayed quiet, using the time the Minotaur king was wasting to talk to restore his mana reserves quietly.


    [I''ve...had enough.]


    ''Huh?''


    The Minotaur king took off his armor, or the rag it had been reduced to. The crown on his head was gold as ever, and he took a deep breath.


    [I''VE HAD ENOUGH!]


    He jumped, and in an instant, he was in front of n, who was baffled. The king created a crater on thend below, and jumped to such a height! n was toote, he couldn''t teleport because he was struck, he didn''t expect he could jump this fucking high!


    He tried to teleport, but he waste, just before his mana acted, the Minotaur king swung, his teleportation was cancelled, and he tried to fly upwards, to avoid the attack... But it still hit. It missed the original target, which was n''s waist. The Minotaur king had intended to cut him in half... But it hit his ankle.


    "FUCK!"


    A curse, filled with pain, was let out from his mind, as his ankle was struck by the big, heavy de. Because it was not sharp, he let out a scream as a blunt impact ripped his feet off.


    He flew even higher, but the Minotaur king caught him.


    [Fall!]


    And threw him down, towards the ice fields where he had fallen...but this time, n was in deep trouble.


    He crashed, creating an even bigger crater. His body was in a state of numbness, blood oozed from his nose and his head felt as if it was on fire!


    "Ugh..."


    Before he could even take a breath, the Minotaur king fell on him, using his foot to push n even deeper into the ice. His chest was crushed under the massive weight, and before n could open a portal to escape from this plight, he felt his back...wet?


    ''No way.''


    He was submerged in water, and he was struggling to breathe. All the air in his body had already been thrown out when the Minotaur king destroyed the bones in his chest and his lung.


    Yet he didn''t feel like he was drowning, He still felt as if oxygen was still going in his body. He didn''t ponder about it for long. He heard the Minotaur king''s voice, clearly in his head.


    [Die, you scum!]


    Driven in a corner, or perhaps in the depths of a sea or ake? He did it, He didn''t want to die like this.


    "A bug?! I''m a fucking dragon, you piece of steak!"


    [Full Dragon Transformation(Frost) has been used.]


    The minotaur king felt weird, the thing beneath it''s foot was increasing in size, at first it thought it was the thing using a ski to escape... But it was entirely different.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Steam and a rush of water clouded his vision, but that was not what sent a chill down his spine, from that steam and water... He saw a pair of blue eyes,rger than his own head.


    [What the...!]


    A wide gaping maw, filled with sharp teeth from a monster he heard about only in legends from his ancestors.


    The reason why his species had locked themselves in a city... Away from the world.


    The teeth, as sharp as they were dug into his shoulder and lifted him up, he could see a dragon, and not. a big now.


    He was lifted up above, to the skies as the teeth ravaged his shoulder and was close to rendering it immobile, he tried his best to fight back but he was unable to.


    He had met a monster of the same species that destroyed his world.


    He met a dragon.

 Chapter 589: [589] Might of a Dragon.

    ?


    High, high up into the skies his body was lifted as if it was merely a light weight, the pain on his shoulder intensified as the teeth of the dragon burst into blue mes, a power different from mana.


    The Minotaur king knew, because it hurt much more than mana! The dragon''s already sharp teeth, now encased in blue me, tore his shoulder down, The bones melting.


    [ARGH!]


    But even in this desperate situation, he was able to retaliate! He must! He couldn''t fall like this, not like this! He thought to himself, perhaps tofort his restless mind. The shoulder that the dragon, n, had bitten into was not connected to the arm wielding the sword.


    The Minotaur king turned to look down, and although they were high up, he was confident in surviving the fall! Therefore, He imbued almost all his mana into his sword, as ast desperate struggle to be free of this fiery grasp.


    He stabbed the dragon, the scales, although strong were still pierced through, The grip on his shoulder lessened, but it was not enough.


    The Minotaur king lodged his sword in the Dragon''s side, near his neck. And gritting its teeth and bearing with the pain of the bones of its shoulder being reduced to dust, He kicked his own strong.


    A scream escaped, but it wasn''t from the king, It was from n, the king had opened his wound with his kick, and grabbed the other end of the wound, and using his leg, he positioned his foot on the hilt of the sword, and began to pull and push. Pull with his hand, and push the sword with his foot. He was opening the wound even more! He was sending down a rain of dragon blood to the ice fields below.


    ''ARGH!''


    It was painful, very painful. But n trusted his bloodline and continued to soar upwards, bearing through the searing pain. Just because he could heal didn''t fucking mean he didn''t feel pain!


    He soared higher and higher! Bearing through both the opening of his wound and sharp winds ravaging it apart, he was almost crying as he went above the clouds, and gazed at the stars.


    He reached it, the highest he could on this. He let go of the Minotaur king, who was not so confident in surviving this fall now. The king grabbed onto his tail, one arm of his in n''s stomach. Some of it still being in his mouth.


    n''s blood dripped down his body, down to his tail and onto the minotaur king, and caused his grip to weaken, to slip! The king tried his best, nevertheless. But would n let that happen.


    Looking at the king, he lit his tail with aura. The Blue fire burned through the King''s hands, but he still didn''t let go. Bearing through the pain, he desperately tried to hold on!


    "Fine."


    Wings sprouted from n, wings of blue fire, of a bird, and not the bat-like wings of a dragon. Well, not that his dragon form even had wings! But nevertheless, it was like a sun, A blue sun that shone down on the forgottennds of ice, providing some sort of heat in the cold night.


    Had Philosophers, writers, or anyone with a creative or intuitive mindid their eyes upon it, they would perhaps write poems about it, or even entire books. But there was no one here in the forgottennds. The light shone beautifully, coloring the clouds and thend below.


    It was such an amazing, a great sight. But to the Minotaur king? It was nothing short of tantalizing. A torment.


    The feathers of those magnificent wings, fell down, they were like arrows and littered the king''s body, turning him into steak.


    He finally had to let go, because n threw him off. But he continued the rain of blue fire, which would burn endlessly until he willed it to stop. Or when he ran out of fuel, in this case, Aura.


    It wasn''t infinite like his mana, after all.


    The minotaur king fell into the ice fields, breaking them more, his ming body was drenched in the cold water beneath, which saved him.


    But he would still die. n gathered in his mouth, the mana in all the cold, forgottennds of this ice. But the ice below did not melt. He didn''t want that.


    As the Minotaur king, submerged in the depths finally woke up and tried to swim up, with only one arm, he tried his best. But that was simply it. He could showcase his durability and endurance all he wanted, befitting an SSS rank monster.


    It rose up, in the darkness of the depths but it only saw a light, a blinding light, a blue light that approached quickly.


    [What...is that?]


    His eyes, clouded by the dark abyss struggled to understand his death, but it did happen.


    [No...]


    He cried out, as the breath was not aimed at him. He used his hands to w like a beast, at the ice that was forming above him, trapping him in the depths.


    [NO!]


    He used his sword, slowed down by the water, but it couldn''t do it. It couldn''t shatter the mountain of ice that had been formed up above, from n''s breath.


    He struggled, for who knows how long had passed, but he gave up. No...his body had to give up. His mind could struggle for longer, but could it really? When he had no oxygen? His lungs had lost the air, and now were filled with cold water. Slowly, even though he was defiant, filled with rage.


    He died, a death that didn''t befit him at all. He would have had no qualms had he died fighting the beast up above...but not like this? A king, a monster who reigned over thend was


    drowned.


    His body continued to sink, because it could not struggle anymore.


    A portal opened up beneath him, and his corpse was transported up above, something it craved for in it''sst moments. But now? He got what he wanted, he just wasn''t alive to


    experience.


    "Fucker..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    n cursed, as he held his open wound, which ran down from his neck to his lower abdomen.


    He was struggling to keep his insides inside, not outside. His bloodline, thankfully, was quick to fix him up.


    He sat down, below the ruined corpse of the Minotaur king.


    "Ah..."


    It was hard, beating an SSS-ranked monster.

 Chapter 590: [590] Crown.

    ?


    n took a moment to sit on the cracked ice, waiting for his wounds to heal. The Phoenix bloodline, although powerful, was failing to meet his expectations nowadays, The stronger the creatures he faced, he had trouble healing from the injuries inflicted by them. Perhaps...he was just getting too wild for the bloodline.


    Perhaps.


    Laying down on the cold ice, which felt very nice to him, he looked at the corpse of the Minotaur king.


    "?"


    A confused expression came on his face, he could see the Minotaur King''s body slowly evaporate into light, or perhaps turn to dust. He thought his eyes were ying tricks on him.


    But it was true.


    "Wait... I was going to sacrifice that to the Altar."


    The only reason n went through the hassle of opening a big portal beneath the sea to retrieve the body was for two reasons... Strive fear into the remaining Minotaur''s hearts, and finally sacrifice it to the Altar at the Jade Pce. n was going to use it...


    But s, the body evaporated, turning to dust that would roam around Gigantum for an eternity. However, the light did leave behind something. Straining his pained body to get a good look... n found a small, silver crown in ce of therge body now, it paled inparison to the magnificent body of the Minotaur king... But it was...fitting? n felt that


    way.


    "Huh...?"


    He realized... It all made sense now. Monsters present on the outside, hailing from dungeons


    or nature itself, would leave their bodies behind...but not beasts from Labyrinth.


    Heughed.


    It all made sense now!


    "Labyrinth city... of course it was an actualbyrinth."


    He couldn''t stopughing, He had named it ''Labyrinth city'' on a whim...because it was underground and whatever...he didn''t expect the thing to actually be abyrinth.


    "Shouldn''t there be a core, though?"


    He questioned, and decided to look for itter on. Perhaps the Labyrinths on Gigantum were different? It shouldn''t be like that. He didn''t see any core in the room of the Minotaur king.


    Finally healed to his peak, n stood up from the cold ice, and walked over to the crown, he put a simple ck vest on, disturbed by being half-naked most of the time. Hell, half-naked? Even the garments on his lower body were ripped to shreds. He looked more like a beggar. Putting on a new set of pants, he walked over to the crown picked.


    "Alright...you better be good, or you''re being another sacrifice."


    [Dragon Eyes has been used.]


    Slowly, the information of the crown unraveled before him, in a rain of runes. [Name: False Crown.]


    [Rank:SSS]


    [Description: A crown made by a monster who fell to hubris, believing himself to be a mighty king, but was nothing more than a scared coward. Behind everything. The crown is the opposite, it harbored hatred towards its master. The crown will give you the qualities of a true king, as long as you are in front of your army, leading the charge, they will be bolstered by your might, and vanquish your enemies.]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Quite simple...for an SSS ranked artifact."


    n muttered. Thankfully, the crown didn''t have a long description like many of its rank did, He preferred simpler descriptions, and artifacts that weren''t so confusing to use because they had a myriad of abilities.


    Those descriptions hurt his head. He had heard from somewhere that the simpler the description of an item was, the stronger it was... But that wasn''t always true. Was it? His memory was hazy.


    Throwing those thoughts aside, n put the crown on his head, it was odd, mainly because of two bumps on his head. Those were his horns, still in their infancy stage. n still managed to put the crown stably on his head. He touched the bumps on his head.


    It felt itchy, he left them alone and opened another portal. By this point, after this tantalizing and horrifying fight, all he wished to do was go back to his dorm and sleep for a day or two, but unfortunately, he had some business to attend too...and even more after that.


    He felt incredibly busy nowadays.


    ''So...tiring.''


    He got rid of these thoughts as he stepped into his portal, distracting himself by testing out his new artifact. So what if he couldn''t sacrifice the Minotaur king''s body to the altar? There were plenty of strong Minotaur left.


    *******


    Appearing in front of the army, n looked at therge gate at the front. His army continued to batter it with a myriad of spells, mainly from his mages. They were expensive for a reason. The Jade Army had noticed the number of Minotaur''s decrease on the other side of the wall. It was probably because they went to check on themotion on the lowest floor... n wondered how the morale was doing, with them finding out their king gone, and his throne room, thrashed.


    It shouldn''t be too high...right?


    No matter, the strongest being been dead, and the other side of the gate wasn''t filled with as many Minotaur. He wanted to see the effects of this crown.


    In fact, he could already tell. His army, behind him, was growing more restless, as they couldn''t wait to go to battle, the mana within them was increasing, and their ranks were advancing. They were growing stronger.


    "That''s the power of an SSS-ranked artifact for you..."


    If things really did go rough, n figured Richard would understand if a particr floor...was thrashed by a sudden dragon transformation, he wanted to finish thisbyrinth quickly.


    Without wasting even a second, he transformed himself slightly, to that of a Draconian, resembling his troops more.


    He dashed towards the door, breaking it apart with his spear and body, then as he distracted the stunned Minotaur, his army rushed in, in a bloody rage, bolstered by the False Crown.


    There was a reason his army had managed to conquer these monsters so fast...they were


    simply.


    Simply an army, that did not tire. That did not truly ''feel pain''. A soldier''s head could be ripped off, but the scaly body would still move, trying to kill.


    An army with infinite stamina, and an infinite desire to kill.

 Chapter 591: [591] Labyrinth no more.

    ?


    The raid was sessful, as soon as n broke through the doors, his army swarmed in like a mass of insects. Insects that were incredibly dangerous and didn''t tire. Hemanded them with ease and took care of the stronger Minotaur''s by himself, It didn''t take long.


    About a day? The entirebyrinth was subjugated, the inhabitants of thebyrinth city were all dead, their carcasses being transported back to the first floor, where they would be dismantled for anything useful for the guild, and then given to n so he could sacrifice and gain a meager amount of points.


    Strangely enough, the only artifact he gained was the False Crown, and nothing more, the bodies didn''t disappear as well.


    ''Was the Minotaur king, special?''


    He descended to the ruined floor that was his throne room, and then used all the skills at his disposal to find anything that would resemble a core, but s, there was nothing. He was a bit confused by this.


    "Haa..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He sighed, letting out a cold mist of air, and sat down on the ruined ground.


    ''No core...so why did his body dissolve?''


    He wasmenting at that, although the False Crown did enhance his army to a great degree... He couldn''t sacrifice it! Such a shame! It was so good he didn''t want to! At least if the body was left, he could finally purchase the Tower in his domain...


    The False Crown, also felt weird to wear. He wasn''t so sure about it, but he was disgusted when he wore such a thing. He didn''t know why, though...as if it was never meant for him. He couldn''t describe the feeling properly.


    Nevertheless, as long as it didn''t hinder him in a fight, he would bear with and strengthen his soldiers.


    [Of course, you would feel disgusted by wearing a false crown...]


    ''What?''


    [Nothing.]


    ''Huh?''


    He heard Lanesha''s voice in his mind, he was confused as to why she was putting a burden on herself by talking to him like this. She would often use the system tomunicate, because it ced a lesser burden on her. He had already forgotten her words out of concern.


    ''Is Suleras awake?''


    He asked, out of curiosity, he remembered the damn dragon had fallen asleep after messing with the Tower, he wondered how a ''Supreme'' could fall asleep after dealing with a tower on a it could destroy with a mere nce. Pretty weak for a supreme.


    Lanesha stayed silent, She didn''t bother exining to him, perhaps because of n himself, or something else. n turned around and opened a portal.


    "Ugh."-


    ''Curses.''


    He flung his wild hair back, it was smooth and silky, but long. He hadn''t cut it in a while, and it was reaching his shoulders and below. It wasn''t that much of a problem, but when it got in his eyes, he felt troubled.


    He finally entered his dorm room, took a shower to wipe the blood away and then...hey down on his bed, finally able to get some rest. His body wasn''t sore, because his Bloodline would heal him. But that didn''t mean the same for the mind. The muscr strain may be gone, but that did not mean the mental strain was. As magnificent as his bloodline was, he hadn''t even unlocked half of it''s true powers. He was tired.


    He closed his eyes.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost, Lanesha, tells you to keep your eyes open.]


    He summoned his spear and looked around his room, vigntly. He suspected an enemy was inside, one that could get past his senses but not those of a supreme. He took Lanesha''s warning seriously and slowly spread his mana into the room.


    But then, he realized.


    "... I''m in shield...?"


    Any being that could get past Sir Oliver''s detection wouldn''t be able to even enter Earth due to their power... What kind of enemy could there be? He was perhaps the only exception that


    could, because of his special attribute.


    ''No, I shouldn''t drop my guard.''


    Who knows? There could always be another awakened with a special skill or something, He was confident to take care of someone like that, few on Earth couldpete with him now.


    But... He trusted Lanesha more than anything. So he was still vignt.


    A chuckle was heard in his mind.


    [Supreme Dragon of frost, Lanesha is amused.]


    "... You yed a prank on me? Really?"


    n was even more tired now, He felt betrayed, He didn''t think Lanesha of all would y a prank on him. Did she not have duties to attend too! Perhaps his guardian dragon was a


    freeloader.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, says she is not. She did not mean for you to take it that way.]


    "Then what?!"


    n, tired,y on his bed once more, and asked her.


    "What do you want?"


    He was confused as to why Lanesha suddenly asked him that... He thought it was an intruder before, but apparently not. He wondered what the supreme wanted.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, has given you a gift.]


    He used the system to check what the gift was, and was surprised to see spatial coordinates.


    "Spatial coordinates, to where?"


    Perhaps her own world? The home world of the frost dragons? But he was very wrong, it wasn''t anywhere near the dragons at all. Surprisingly, instead of a request or anything of the


    sort.


    He received an order.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha, Orders you to teleport to those coordinates, this instant.]


    He was perplexed, although the tone of the system was always monotonous, he felt as if Lanesha wasmenting over this. Like it was something she didn''t want to do, but resolved herself to do it.


    He could feel her solemn, serious will.


    A little bit scared of what was toe, he hesitantly used almost ny percent of his mana reserves to open a portal to that far-awaynd. The amount of mana consumed just spoke of the distance of this ce from Earth. It was hard to keep a portal open as well...


    "Uhh..."


    Hesitant, he stepped inside, ready for whatever was toe.

 Chapter 592: [592] Laneshas Trial.

    ?


    Hesitantly, n stepped into the portal, expecting either Lanesha herself or a trial she had prepared for him, He was scared, a little bit.


    Despite it all, he gathered his courage and stepped onto the foreignnd at the other end of the portal, one he could not see but feel.


    He expected something great, terrible, or even horrific... But it was simply a normal forest. Well, Perhaps calling it normal would be...a disgrace?


    The ground was solid, firm, and strangely mncholic, n looked at it first, finding...normal soil. Fertile soil, enriched with mana, He felt strange, It didn''t live up to his expectations. But his caution grew because of it. He looked at the trees, red bark, and blue leaves. They were exceptionally tall, easily at a height of about 30 meters or so, and strangely enough, as the wind travelled past and through them, like a gentle breeze. The trees seemed to whistle.


    The whistle was strange, and normal. It was like the whistle of a normal human being, or perhaps a being even greater, The sound also brought a certain sense of calm strike deep in his mind. He instinctively summoned his weapon.


    But instead of responding to his call normally, The AME-No-Sakahoko vibrated calmly, as if expressing its joy of being here.


    He let his spear...enjoy(?) this ce, and let it rest on his shoulders. He looked at the sky, adorned with not one but three moons, each a different color. Red, Green, and Blue. Staring at the moons hurt his eyes, so he reluctantly looked down and gazed at the shadows around the ce, dancing with the wind. The shadows also seemed to be gleefully listening to the whistling of the trees.


    Unease gripped his heart, and he tried to use Dragon Eyes to get a clearer understanding of this weird ce. But before he could, a voice stopped.


    "Just enjoy it, n."


    A voice he had heard, whilst in the embrace of the stars during his meditation, possessing a stark contrast to the mechanical voice of the system, A voice he heard only a few times, but remembered it clearly.


    He looked up once more, and saw Lanesha, in her human, or rather elven form, sitting on one of the branches of the mighty trees. Her clothing was the same, and she was still as beautiful as he remembered, perhaps even more, her beauty enhanced by the light of the moons, and the song of the trees.


    She began to whistle as well, her voice, a thousand times better than the whistle of the trees. n finally felt at peace.


    "You should have done it a lot quicker."


    She said to him as she stopped, n regretted that she stopped, as he found himself enjoying her voice. Sheughed.


    "Sorry... I just didn''t like the unfamiliar ce."


    "Understandable."


    She looked at the moons once more, and basked in their light. She said, with a soft voice.


    "Look at the moons, n, but not like before."


    n had tried to avoid looking where she was looking, because the moons hurt his eyes. He didn''t understand what she meant, however.


    "Look at it with a different perception, n, like the esteemeddy before you."


    What did she mean? To look at them like she was looking at them? n studied her eyes, as beautiful and boundless they were, and said. He didn''t know if his conjecture was right or not.


    "... To forget my vignce?"


    She chuckled, and affirmed.


    "Yes, do not be wary of the celestial moons, but ept them."


    He did as she asked, although slightly hesitant. This time, he could gaze at them for as long as he liked, but strangely, he didn''t feel anything.


    ''Bummer.''


    He expected something else, not pain, but something else when he looked at moons, perhaps Enlightenment? No, that would be wrong, He already went through it when he unlocked Aura.


    But then... It was a bit saddening to see nothing happen.


    "Something is happening, but unfortunately, your view is so twisted you don''t see it."


    n looked at her, and asked.


    "Then...what is it?"


    Lanesha sighed, and looked straight at him, her boundless, blue eyes piercing right into his soul, seeing something he couldn''t. Instinctively, n stepped back.


    "Beauty."


    "What?"


    "Beauty, n. The beauty of the skies, the stars, and the moons. Not everything has to give you something for you to appreciate it, right?"


    She continued.


    "You felt it when you first stared at the skies of Giganta, the stars that shone so bright. So why do you not feel it now?"


    He stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. Lanesha looked at him once more, sighing, and then smiled.


    "Unfortunately, Fate has not been kind to you, so you forgot to appreciate it."


    n wondered why she suddenly brought fate into this, isn''t it just admiring the beauty of the moons?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What does fate have to do with beauty? Of those moons?"


    He asked, not really hoping for an answer. He knew he wouldn''t understand anything that came from the mouth of a supreme.


    "Fate is beautiful, just like the moons. But when stared at with animosity, it is cruel. But perhaps it is always cruel. A cruel beauty."


    Not even trying to say anything rted to it, n skipped to the point, hoping to avoid this conversation about fate.


    "What did you call me here for?" Lanesha had to have something in mind if she called him here. Something unrted to the topic of fate.


    Instead of answering, she looked at the moons once more and heaved a heavy, long sigh. A sigh filled with...regret?


    Unease gripped n''s heart once more, and he wondered why she was sighing like that, He didn''t like the emotions on her face. The ones he could read, at the very least.


    Anger, regret, sorrow...and love?


    "It''s simply time..."


    Those words flowed out of her mouth. Time? Time for what? n wondered, he was going to


    ask something but judged that it was better to let her finish speaking.


    Something materialized in her hand, and she gritted her teeth, finallypleting her


    sentence.


    "To do what I must."


    She looked at n, who was now sweating profusely.

 Chapter 593 House of Shivakulan.

    Chapter 593 House of Shivakn.


    In her hand,y a single drop of ck water. It was thick and dense, and various energies seemed to be flowing inside of it, rotating.


    The color around her started to fade into that drop of water, and soon enough, n could see nothing but ck and white. The color in the area had been drained.


    However, Lanesha still seemed much the same, unaffected by the presence of the water droplet. She still possessed color, and was unperturbed.


    n however, was already on his knees, almost coughing up blood. The moment that droplet had appeared, he lost all his strength and couldn''t even muster up at any mana.


    ''What the hell is that... '' he thought, his mind a mix of terror and confusion. Sadly, he wanted to use Dragon Eye''s to know what exactly it was, but it sapped him of all means to use mana.


    Surprisinly, even his aura was subdued, not even daring to make it''s presence known.


    "Enough, Mother."


    Lanesha''s voice echoed in his ear, and he heard a low growl, he couldn''t discern who it belonged to, though. The pressure on his body was too much.


    But after a moment, it disappeared.


    "I apologize for that, n. "


    Taking a deep breath, n calmed his body and finally stood up, releshing in the fact that the terror was gone.


    "What is that thing...? "


    He asked, hesitant to even inspect it now. His instincts were telling him not to do it.


    "Use your eyes. Trust this esteemed one, Nothing will happen."


    Reluctant, he used Dragon Eyes to inspect that strange drop of water.


    The moment he did, apart from the description he noticed it had a hint of gold within it.


    [Name: Drop of Ichor.]


    [Rank: Primordial.]


    [Description: A drop of Ichor from the veins of the Primordial Dragon of Death, Ariel. It is of the highest quality.]


    "... "


    He was a bit stunned, to be honest. First of all, not because of what the drop of water was, but because he had already guessed what he was supposed to do it... And wondered.


    How the hell, did Ariel agree to this?


    He already knew that ancient woman disliked him, even if Lanesha was her youngest daughter would she...


    ''Never mind, she would.''


    "I''m of the opinion you know what ising next?"


    "Yes... "


    Most likely, Lanesha wanted him to consume the drop of Ichor. But n was hesitant.


    Not because he didn''t want to, he could already tell how great it was, but it was something else.


    Knowing how and what kind of a dragon Ariel was, his heart was gripped in fear.


    ''... I didn''t mistreat Kazikato recently, Did I?''


    He thought, and sighed in relief realizing he didn''t beat Kazikato I''m either training or for something else in quite a while.


    Knowing how attached she was to her grandaon... n thought that there was a chance something bad would happen.


    Taking a deep breath, he nodded, telling Lanesha he was ready. She smiled, andughed a little at his apprehension and said. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I wonder what Mother did to you that your so afraid... Anyways, devour it."


    The drop of Ichor flew in the air and appeared infront of n''s mouth. Still looking at it with suspicion, he opened his mouth.


    The drop of Ichor flowed down his throat, and n opened his eyes, a bit confused why nothing happened.


    "I can''t stop the pain... So just... Bear with it, ok?"


    ... Ah, there it was. Lanesha warning him of pain...


    He already knew he was going to be in a lot of pain.


    "WHAT THE F*CK!"


    He coughed up a mouthful of ck blood, and fell to his knees. He could see his hands turning to dust and soon his knees followed.


    Soon enough, he couldn''t even see anything as his eyes felt as if they were wed from the inside, turning to dust and bing one with the wind. His muscles, mana, and aura tried to fight with whatever change was urring but they were beat down so bad that they simply let it happen.


    His inside turned out, his organs changed and turned to dust and his muscles twisted and turned, ripping themselves to shreds.


    He couldn''t see anymore at all, but he could still feel. He could still feel the immeasurable pain from devouring the drop of blood.


    He wanted to scream but was deprived of the ability to do so, he could only silently bear the burden. He did curse Ariel a few times. Actually, a lot of times.


    After an eternity passed, the pain subsided and his eyes reformed once more, he could speak and and he could move. ck tears flowed like a river down his face, evidence of the immeasurable pain. He felt a clot in his throat and coughed.


    ck liquid was all that left his throat.


    Lanesha kneeled gracefully, and put her hand on his back with a... Strange face.


    "No...."


    Her face quite literally said. ''I''m sorry, but there''s more.''


    "Not agai-AH!"


    The same process repeated itself.


    Not just one more time.


    Not twice more, not even thrive more.


    But ten times.


    He had to ensure that hellish pain, ten times.


    By the end of it, normal tears flowed from his eyes and hey on the ground, his soul broken.


    His face was devoid of any emotion, and a new set of garments had been put on his body, he didn''t know how or when, nor did he care.


    He was just filled with the agonizing memory.


    However, there was still some... Good things about. A series of notifications appeared in front of him, and n strained his tired and battered body to look at them.


    [You have confused a drop of Ichor belonging to Ariel, The primordial dragon of death.]


    [You have be her descendant.]


    [Your affinity to death has increased.]


    [Your affinity to darkness has increased.]


    [Your affinity to shadows has increased.]


    [Your affinity to frost has be more refined.]


    [You have gained the ability to understand the dead.]


    [You have gained the ability to blend in with shadows and darkness.]


    [You have gained the ability, Frostwalker. ]


    That wasn''t it. Titles also appeared.


    [You have gained the title: Grand child of Ariel, Primordial of Death.]


    [You have gained the title: Forgotten Lineage of Death.]


    [You have gained the title: Member of the Shivakn House.]


    [You have gained the title: Birthright to the throne of death.(This title belongs to 5 beings). ]


    "Rest, n... You have some more to consume."


    He couldn''t even share his joy at seeing them... That joy was quickly reced with horror as he saw another drop materialize in her hands...


    Lanesha would have to shove that one down his throat.

 Chapter 594 House of Shivalkulan.

    Chapter 594 House of Shivalkn.


    In her hand this time was not a drop of ichor(?) as ck as the night sky, and as terrifying as it... But rather a blue drop of water?


    No, it was still Ichor, but the drop resembled water more, provided that there was no golden shine within it as well.


    The drop of Ichor also had an effect on the surroundings, albeit much less than the effect of Ariel''s. Instead of discoloring the surroundings and bringing an insane pressure...it was serene, and cold.


    The temperature dropped immensely, and a normal being would have died already, but due to n being almost immune to the cold...he actually found it to be very nice.


    It was like he was in the middle of summer, his body drenched in sweat, and suddenly entered a room where the air conditioner was at full st. It was very nice, to be honest. He didn''t have to even use Dragon eyes to know whose blood it was.


    "Yours...?"


    He muttered, Lanesha, obviously heard him and said.


    "Of course, Since you are now my ''son'', I have to do this, so that you can fool the other supreme."


    n recoiled a bit, then asked in a confused, and unbelieving tone.


    "Fooling the supreme beings...? Isn''t something like that nearly impossible?"


    He couldn''t understand how one would fool them, provided that Lanesha and Ariel''s specialty wasn''t even in subterfuge and illusions. Supreme beings...were the best of the best of the best, each one had overcame trials so hard and vast he couldn''t even fathom them to get where they were right now, Beings who ruled entire gxies.


    Lanesha, noticing his disbelief and confusion, sighed and looked at the drop of Ichor floating in her hands.


    "Yes, Things are moving a bit too fast...but fret not, My powers may not be in the realm of subterfuge, neither does my mother specialize in it... But you may be underestimating my mother a bit, n... Or should I say your grandmother?"


    She ended her words with a slight smile of amusement on her face.


    n looked at the drop of Ichor warily, he hadn''t underestimated the Supreme beings...he had underestimated a being above them.


    Perhaps he was the only one to do such a thing. The first and thest.


    "n, But...there are some who will still recognize you... or the vessel you''re in, They can peer much deeper than you think, So tobat that I will simply have you look for my brothers and get their lineages as well..."


    "Why would I need theirs...as well?"


    Lanesha didn''t respond for a while, silently looking at the stars and the moons above in the dark sky, It seemed to be part of her character to wait before answering a question.


    "To hide you more...and since you''re part of the house of Shivalkn now, you would have had to do it anyway."


    n grimaced at the fact that he had to absorb three more drops of Ichor, including the one Lanesha held in her hands.


    "No, you don''t need to consume theirs, not right now."


    "Huh?"


    Lanesha winked, and rendered him unable to move, it was so sudden n didn''t even expect it...not that he ever would have thought Lanesha would do this.


    Strangely enough, he could still speak, just not move anything else.


    "NO! Please!"


    And all that came out were pleas, a barrage of pleas that wished for only one thing, to give him some sce, a moment of respite. n truly didn''t want to go to that pain again. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lanesha ignored his cries and shoved the drop of Ichor down his throat, enjoying the pain of her son, or perhaps she enjoyed seeing this side of him.


    Like the previous time, the drop of Ichor slipped down his throat with ease. Lanesha''s voice reached his ears.


    "And don''t worry, This is thest one you need to consume right now, And there are ''three'' more you need to consume, Not including mine."


    n couldn''t wait to know who thest dragon whose ichor he had to consume was, if he was being honest, he didn''t want to know. Hell, he would do all that he could to avoid meeting that damn dragon.


    Little did he know If Suleras heard what he was thinking of, He would probably be sad, if not a little mad.


    ''My Ichor is lesser only to Her highness Ariel, you brat!''


    That would probably be his response, n waspletely unaware of it, right now.


    Surprisingly, as he tried to ready himself to feel pain... Pain so deep he would rather die... But it did note.


    "Eh?"


    He let out a strange sound, and examined himself all over, but felt nothing. He winced, expecting it toe at any moment, like a sudden downpour...but there was none.


    "Ehhh...?"


    "Haha!"


    Lanesha''s boisterousughter echoed throughout the entire forest, She wiped her teary eyes like a child and eximed.


    "I haven''tughed like this in a while!"


    A tinge of red appeared on his face, it was clear he was embarrassed? Who wouldn''t be after they acted like a baby who did not want to eat vegetables? It was shameful.


    Lanesha patted n''s head, her mana wrapped around him and formed loose garments around him. He had just realized he was buck naked, the clothing he wore ripped and torn due to consuming Ariel''s drop of Ichor.


    "I am not as cruel and spartan as my mother. I''m her delicate flower, after all." She gestured him to follow, materializing antern made of obsidian that glowed with a blue light.


    n stood up, his face still a bit red and his mind filled with curses to Ariel, his ''grandmother''.


    He followed Lanesha, who was wandering through the forest, her figure slowly disappeared, the only indication of her being the ominous blue low.


    Along the way, she asked n.


    "n, do you think you can change fate?"


    n stopped, studying her for a while, he could only see her towering figure, not her face so he didn''t know what kind of emotions were apparent on her face, but he had an inkling.


    ''Fate again...huh.''


    "Sure, I guess I can."


    He answered, hoping to just get past this topic.


    Lanesha remained silent, facing something he couldn''t see.


    "Well...let''s see if you can."


    She finally turned to look at him, and a blue box appeared in front of him.


    [You have received a quest from the Supreme of Frost, Lanesha.]

 Chapter 595: [595] House of Shivalkulan. [3]

    Chapter 595: [595] House of Shivalkn. [3]


    ?


    [You have received a question from the Supreme of Frost, Lanesha.]


    The blue box in front of him expanded in an instant, informing him of the details of the quest.


    Strangely enough, it wasn''t written in English, the tongue of humans but rather something else.


    It still didn''t pose a challenge to n, considering that he didn''t even need to bother tranting it, his powers as a dragon were enough.


    The strange figures and carvings, albeit feeling familiar and yet distant at the same time, disregarding that notion, he read the details.


    [Quest, Aplish Lanesha''s task.]


    [Rank:? ----)


    [Failure will result in Lanesha''s -----]


    "...huh?"


    Confused, n let out a murmur, he studied the blue disy greatly, but what irked him was not the vagueness of it... But rather theposition.


    ''Why is it different?''


    He was no stranger to quests from the system, he had received his own share of them, some given by his dragons, and some from the system.


    But because of that, he remembered the pattern. The system always used a specific pattern when sending quests.


    The first would be the name, always, and then the difficulty rank, then the lengthy description, or perhaps a short one depending on the quest, then the rewards would be listed, conditions to pass it... Then what would happen if one were to fail.


    Never had he seen a questposed like this. Sure, he could disregard the vagueness orck of a proper description, but the other things irked him.


    It was all wrong.


    He threw a quick nce at Lanesha, who seemed to looking deep into the darkness, somewhere he couldn''t see. Then, he looked at the quest.


    ''Even Lanesha can''t mess with the system this much without serious repercussions.''


    That thought, and fact,bined with her leisure humming and n failing to sense anything at all relieved him of some of his worries.


    Although he was a bit disturbed by it, he let it go.


    Perhaps Lanesha truly had messed with it, or perhaps the system got tired or was busy...?


    Throwing those thoughts out of his mind, he epted the quest.


    Lanesha took a long and heavy breath, which caused n to raise his eyes and look at her back for a moment.


    She noticed his gaze, but pretended not too and said.


    "It''s rude to keep a being of my stature waiting for long, you know."


    He could do nothing but utter an apology, for reasons unknown.


    Immediately after he did, Lanesha patted his head once again and ruffled his already wild


    hair.


    She stopped, and took a step forward, raising thentern up above her head, her already towering physique made it a unique sight.


    "n."


    She called out, as the blue light from thentern surged forth and illuminated the darkness, vanquishing it.


    And then he saw what he could not before, tilting his head, he asked.


    "... A town?"


    Perhaps he should call it a city, instead.


    Indeed, in the middle of this gargantuan and strange forest in this peculiar world... Was a city made of what appeared to be marble and gold.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The walls towered at a height of 500 metres, and could easily be mistaken for a hill of some sort, or a small mountain at the very least. They were rigid and strong, and even n didn''t think he could break through them without the help of the chaotic spear technique. They seemed to be manifestations of their architects arrogance and confidence, literally being asked to be taken down.


    A vast moat was dug outside the walls, filled with what appeared to be... Milk?


    n sniffed the air, and threw that notion away. The liquid inside felt and seemed to be milk,


    but without a doubt, it was surely something more harrowing.


    There were people on top of the mighty walls, almost every where.


    "No... They aren''t people... All right."


    Lanesha chuckled, as n examined the soldiers on top closely.


    Each wore a cuirass of gold and a helmet of marble. The cuirass had a strange emblem of a star, with many irregr points or tips. They also wore pauldrons that depicted lions with Ruby eyes, ready to devour their foes.


    The marble helmet was akin to the ones used by Spartan warriors. Ironically, they held spears in their hands and a sword beside their waist, ready to unsheathe it to deal with any foe.


    But that was not it, that was not the most peculiar thing about the people standing on those was... It was the fact that they had wless, white wings, and a white hue surrounding them.


    ''Beastman?''


    It was the first thing that came to mind, but unfortunately it didn''t stay for long, Beastmen had other defining traits....


    "Celestials?"


    He muttered, and Lanesha confirmed his suspicions with a nonchnt attitude.


    "Yes,"


    She stood still for a moment, silently admiring the city walls, and the militia that protected it.


    Meanwhile, n used dragon eyes to see the strength of the guards, most of them were B- rank, with a few being A rank.


    He sensed an S-rank presence within as well.


    "What do you think of them, n?"


    She asked all of a sudden, and all n could reply with was:


    "They... are weaker than expected."


    She chuckled.


    For the race that was the natural enemy of the demons, he expected more...


    Of course, he didn''t just think that was all they had, it had to be a miniscule amount of their


    true military might. But they exuded a different presence.


    He couldn''t quite define it, demons forced him to be on guard, but the celestials were different. They felt different... Or would it be right to say he felt different about them?


    It was a subtle feeling, one he didn''t know of, but definitely felt it slowly growing stronger and stronger. Something that was entirely different from what he felt confronting demons.


    "What do I have to do?"


    But no matter what he did, he couldn''t chase it away nor learn of its identity. So he simply


    decided to ask what he was supposed to do.


    "So... What is your task?"


    She didn''t make him wait long, this time.


    "ughter them all."


    He paused.

 Chapter 596: [596] Celestial Slaughter.

    Chapter 596: [596] Celestial ughter.


    ?


    A celestial soldier, a man that had lived not even a fraction of his lifespan, stood guard. He was a good soldier, one that was on his way to a higher position due to his merits. He had been a warrior for five years, and this was hisst assignment.


    A month more, and he would go back to Babylon, the capital of Celestia, and of gold and good fortune, and envied by their enemies, and in the hearts of its people.


    "§¯§Ñ§Ñ§Ñ..."


    He took a deep sigh, and drank a ss of water. Feeling the cold water slide down his throat invigorated him, he ced one foot on the walls and stared at the forest beyond him.


    "One more month...and I will be a centurion."


    In charge of a hundred men, that was nice. It was a dream of hise true, he, who was born into an average family, and did not possess a noble soul. The quality of his soul was subpar by celestial standards, but he was happy, nheless.


    "I do hope the young noble is okay."


    Although his current assignment did not seem important, he knew it was. His legion was not stationed in a city far from the reaches of his home realm, Celestia for no reason. He was not of high rank, but he did know a few things. They were apparently stationed here for the protection of a noble baby, His soul was of great quality and would mature in this forest, gaining a unique aspect.


    The baby belonged to a noble lineage, and thus had an entire legion and the defenses of a city assigned to him, This city was built for the child to prosper. For him to grow his abilities. That was why only a legion popted it, and no citizens.


    The soldier looked down at his scarred, and callous hands. A momentter, he manipted the weak reserves of mana he possessed, and his hands turned into steel. This was his aspect, he was able to turn his body into tempered steel, having the ability to both cut and defend. It wasn''t a marvelous aspect, in fact, it was not even unique, many celestials had aspects like his.


    But nheless, it was his own. And that made him special, that was his beliefs.


    Celestials developed their own abilities based on the pureness and power of their soul, these were called Aspects, they could be simr, but none would be the exact copy of one another, these were the Aspects of the Celestials, A race inferior only to the Dragons and God beasts. They could have elemental affinities along with their aspects as well, turning every celestial into a force to be reckoned with. A race filled with unique individuals who were different from one another.


    No wonder they were the arch-enemies of the demons.


    The man continued to gaze at the lush forest, He was no fool, he knew that thest assignment would always be difficult, many creatures would be attracted by the purity of the baby celestial''s soul, and thus would try to consume it. They had managed to kill the ones that came, but who knew? Maybe a monstrosity so powerful even themander of the legion could not defeat coulde.


    Life was always filled with those possibilities.


    "What...is my name?"


    Suddenly, the man questioned himself, his eyes were filled with confusion as the man forgot something no one should. His own name, He remembered his past, but found it to becking in many areas.


    "... Huh?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What was the name of his father? The name of his mother? His sister? The woman he loved? He remembered them, their figures, but their names...disappeared.


    "What in the name of the Overgod...?"


    But before he could ponder more, his aspect sensed a deing towards him. It was made him a little unique, and his senses, honed by the spartan like training of the Celestials also reacted.


    He turned his hands into metal, and prepared to receive a blow.


    Then the realization came.


    "Ah...my name is Alkalis..."


    His name meant rotation, something that spun. It wasn''t the best of names, but hey, who cared?


    But then, wasn''t the world like his name?


    Something...that spun?


    ''Why...is the world spinning?''


    Had there been a creature who cast a mental hex on him? Or perhaps an impact that stuck him?


    Knowing about the defenses of the city and his own blood, which would be resistant to mind attacks, he concluded it to be thetter. He had sensed somethinging towards him, and thought that maybe a monster had mmed into him.


    That was why he was spinning, perhaps.


    He tried to use his wings, his wings of pale white,cking luster but enough to carry his weight and soar into the boundless sky. He was going to use them to stop his body and get a grip on himself.


    But why did he feel like he was not ascending...but descending?


    Then he saw blood, his own and of hisrades, his mighty forearms of steel, cut and on the


    ground.


    ''What?''


    An impact was felt, as he finally collided with the ground, and then he saw his body in the distance, falling over, and missing a head.


    His head.


    ''Ah, I''m dead.''


    His eyes closed by themselves, as his soul left, to be reincarnated by the Overgod, perhaps for


    a greater purpose. But his ears could still hear.


    A cacophony of steel, a song so harrowing it sent shivers down his distant spine, and screams.


    He heard the voices of hisrades.


    "Attack!"


    "Inform the others, something has breached the walls!"


    "AH!"


    He heard their screams, and struggled to open his eyes once more, As a celestial, he was above almost all species, so even if he had been decapitated in one swift motion, he could still cling


    to some life.


    He saw a spear, a hesitant spear. His years as a warrior told him.


    The creature that had attacked, that who had in him, was hesitating, and his weapon


    followed his master, the creature was reluctant.


    Hissts thoughts were.


    Why do you hesitate, you vile thing?

 Chapter 597: [597] Hypocrite.

    Chapter 597: [597] Hypocrite.


    ?


    Why am I hesitating?


    That question gued his mind, as he, unlike himself, struggled to bring his spear down on the foes on this treacherous walls. Their pure white wings awakened an emotion inside of him, a feeling he was sincerely unaware of right now.


    Something...that forced him to not do it, to do his best to not kill these people.


    Therefore, he asked himself once again.


    "Why am I...hesitating?"


    He muttered in the throes of battle, his spear blocked and destroyed the weapons of the attackers, but it did not pierce them, it did not stab them, it did not cut them.


    n was shaken, he looked at the celestials, their eyes, their bodies, their wings... Something prevented him from reaping their lives.


    They were just like humans, the same height, the same skin color, albeit some things would be different due to their aspects... The only stark andmon difference was the wings that decorated their backs. A symbol of pride among them, and something that sparked something within.


    He finally managed to kill one, and when he did, he stopped to look at the blood that covered his hands, that flowed from the tip of his shaking spear. This moment of reluctance...he had to pay a bitter price to achieve it.


    Spears pierced his steel like body, arrows littered his back, all of them enchanted with terrifying enchantments.


    The roars of a distinct magical cannon could be heard, it''s bullet racing towards him. It hit, but n didn''t sway.


    ''Is it because they resemble...humans?''


    He reached a conclusion, but he knew it was far, far from the truth. If that truly was the case... n would have felt nothing if he killed them. He killed far too many humans to count, some necessary, most unnecessary. He was not a kind man.


    He was the devil himself, when needed to be. He looked at most humans with disdain, as expected of his race, the one that stood at the very top! He wasn''t...like this before, however.


    Excusing the minor incident back at the orphanage where he was suddenly filled with bloodlust towards a young girl... He didn''t really have a desire to kill humans back then, nor did he hold a particr disdain for them. He simply didn''t even care.


    But he wasn''t willing to kill them, for no reason at all, back then... That slowly changed when he evolved. He felt more dragon, than human. Although thetter was his original race... He began to develop a hatred of them, hate because of how weak they were.


    Of how insignificant in the grand scheme of things, At that time, he was also beginning to suffer from his nightmares, or the ''visions'' he saw. They still gued him, leading him to gain no ample rest in a few nights at all...but perhaps the harrowing visions distorted his mind.


    When he saw battles of epic proportions, battles raging from to... Humanity was bound to feel insignificant. When he saw Supreme beings being killed left and right.


    So then why, why did he feel like he didn''t want to kill these Celestials, but be like a hero like Elijah, or Ardoris, and care for them and protect them...


    Why?


    "AGH!"


    A mighty blow stuck him in the chest, it pushed one of the spears already inside his body further, and it exited out of his back, his body acted without the assistance of his mind, and used his spear to cut the attacker down.


    And then he hesitated some more. As his wounds struggled to heal, a testament to the sheer power behind the attacks... The bloodline of the Phoenix, was struggling. Of course, it was, it was assaulted by a thousand different aspects, some of which had to have stopped his healing, and eve debilitate him further. But it was still the bloodline of one of the strongest God beasts that ever existed... It persevered and continued to provide him life.


    He felt...betrayed.


    But he also felt like a traitor.


    The feeling was mutual... It was as if he had not only betrayed these Celestials, but they had also betrayed him.


    How dare they strike him? How dare he strike them? That feeling continued to grow, until the mind was burdened by its weight and gave up. His mind struggled to understand, even peering into the Celestials with the help of dragon eyes did not help...


    Is this...the power of fate? Something thatpelled him to do...this? Celestials did have an affinity for it... Was this what Lanesha meant...? Was something effecting him?


    ''No.''


    It couldn''t be that simple. Could it? He refused to believe that such meager celestials could control something like fate... Even though he didn''t understand it, He still knew something. Based on Lanesha''s reactions...and her words about it, the emotions she tried to hide when mentioning it...meant that it could not be changed, not by a supreme.


    So if a supreme was unable to do it...what could these delicate beings do? What could they possibly do. How was changing fate supposed to even make him hesitate?


    He didn''t know...so he gave up. He gave up trying to understand it and let his mind shut down, a technique taught to him by sword saint Arken.


    ''Sometimes, it''s better not to think too much...and just let your instincts take control.''


    It seemed he still had a lot to learn from his master... He should probably visit when he got back... He ignored the old man for too long.


    He shut his mind down, and let his instincts, his body honed by training so cruel a human couldn''t withstand it. A training that even brought a new meaning to the word tired, to a dragon nheless. His muscles had their own memory, as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He expelled mana from his body, which took all the ''other'' things riddling his body with wounds with it, The phoenix bloodline, finally unperturbed,unched into action and healed


    his wounds.


    And that was thest conscious act he did...


    If the sight of their deaths disturbed him... He would close his eyes.


    If the song of their screams disturbed him, he would tear his eardrums from within.


    If the smell of their blood disturbed him, he would make it so that he would never smell it


    again.


    And thus...


    The true massacre began, and n slowly received a new title, being unaware of.


    [You have received a new title: Traitorous Hypocrite.]

 Chapter 598: [598] Hypocrite.(2)

    Chapter 598: [598] Hypocrite.(2)


    ?


    "Vile...creature."


    A celestial, different from the others of his fallen kin, stood alone in a field filled with their dead bodies, their blood having formed a river of harrowing stench, their limbs decorating it like dead fish rising to the surface.


    The celestial possessed two pairs of wings, different from the lone pair possessed by the others. The celestial also looked to be of age. His appearance was like that of an old man, at least by human standards. He had a beard as old as time and hair as white as milk.


    Aged wrinkles covered his face, evidence of the wisdom he had garnered during his life, but all of it couldn''t help him now.


    He was missing an arm, his cuirass was destroyed beyond recognition, his armor, once woven out of white silk as strong as steel, was reduced to rags.


    He barely managed to stand, and could no longer use most of his abilities. He could not even lift his spear.


    He had to admit, even though he hated every second of it. He had lost in terms of


    spearmanship.


    He could notpete with the being in front of him, His spear wascking. His technique was not enough, it was not enough to vanquish the foe in front of him.


    The foe in question, slowly looked at the surrounding ughter, His eyes slowly gaining rity. The celestial looked at him, wary, but using every second he could get to gain some respite, to get some breath back in his lungs.


    The foe looked at the ughter with widened eyes, which garnered a burning, piercing gaze from the celestial, but the foe did not care. He slumped down, and...vomited. The celestial...was bbergasted.


    "... What?"


    No food or anything like that came out from n''s already empty stomach, only acid. Hey down on the ground, his hands submerged in the rivers of blood.


    The celestial, deemed it to be an attack, a poison of some sort. He had met his fair share of monsters that did something like that... But was confused when he realized that it was actually...harmless.


    "What...have I done?"


    A tongue he did not understand came from the mouth of the foe.


    ''Dwarves... Elvish? None of those... Not even a distant dialect''.


    Thenguage was foreign to him, and worst of all, he did not even have a trantor artifact on him.


    He coughed up blood, it fell to the ground, bing the scarlet river. He gazed at the sight of his fallenrades, and gritted his bloody teeth.


    ''Fine... let this be my death... But I shall take you down with me, you defiled being.''


    He didn''t know what species this being belonged too...perhaps he could even be a monster in disguise.


    Heughed at that... A monster in disguise? The monster was in no disguise... Using the moments given to him by the strange actions of the being, he recited a verse. He made an oath.


    "Oh heavenly father... Bless me with your strength."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His words caused a reaction, and his body seemed to disappear a little, whatever was left of it anyway. His eyes began to glow a golden hue, one like that of a star, the parts of his body disappeared turned into wisps of light.


    "Grant this servant...a final act of faith, Grant thy Child a promise... Thy child makes an oath." His soul burned away, but his strength also increased, a small ball of light formed on the tips of his fingers. His wrinkles aged, turning into glowing dust soon.


    "Noblesse... Oblige."


    The duty of a noble being, a power avable only to the celestials, A power that came with their responsibilities. Unfortunately, he had never gained a duty that could give him a Noblesse Oblige.


    His city, or the camp was empty, it was not burning, nor was there any destruction besides the mangled bodies of his soldiers, The monster was unlike the rest, funnily.


    But fire soon epassed his camp, but the source was not it''s enemy, but it''smander. "I, as feeble as I am, as undeserving I am... Command the me of the heavenly Father..." n finally realized, he was shaken out of from his confusing state, and stared at the ball of light, Strangely enough, he felt cold. Heat covered the entire ce, but he felt cold.


    He tried to move, trying to dodge the ball of light that would soone his way, But he found himself unable to move.


    Surprised, he saw his lower body, covered in ck ice. He couldn''t break it, no matter what. He could also feelnesha''s mana in that ice.


    "What the hell! Lanesha!"


    He called out to her, but no response. He cursed when he realized he couldn''t even teleport! He braced himself for the inevitable attack, thinking Lanesha wanted to test his endurance.


    Soon, his view was filled with blinding golden light.


    "Oh... Magnificent Divine fire..."


    He could still hear the angelic voice of the Celestial though, a hint of regret once again surfaced in his heart, but it was quickly dismissed as the fire grew brighter, hotter.


    He still felt cold though, perhaps due to the fact that entire lower body was frozen. He ced his hands in front of him, dismissing his spear. He didn''t want to damage the Ame-No- Sakahoko, He used ice and his own scales to protect himself from whatever wasing.


    "Burn."


    The long verse, the oath of the Celestial finally ended, and so did his figure, his vessel exploded into bits of light, a smile carved onto his face as it became light. The divine fire raged forth, the small ball of light expanded into a miniature sun, The camp was ruined, and it was still as lively as ever. The rivers of scarlet below evaporated, bing dried blood and one with the divine ball of fire.


    It changed forms, bing like a beam of light that surged up towards the skies, parting the clouds and bringing light into the lush, dark forest.


    "Goddamn it, Lanesha!"


    His voice was drowned by the roars of the fire, as it descended and blinded him, his figure was drowned in blinding light, and furious fire.


    It became a dragon of its own, that flew through the skies and struck him, the intended


    target.


    It drowned him, consumed his figure.


    And it did absolutely nothing to him.

 Chapter 599: [599] Hypocrite.(3)

    Chapter 599: [599] Hypocrite.(3)


    ?


    A moment of fear engulfed n as the fire consumed him like a hungry dragon, his entire body was covered in it, slowly going to be devoured in agonizing pain.


    At least, that was what he thought would happen. The moment of fear went away, like dust on a windy evening.


    "... Eh?"


    A strange sound escaped his mouth, one of relief, confusion, and hidden dread. He was relieved that he wasn''t hurt...confused as to why he wasn''t hurt, and dreaded the fact that maybe this me had other, strange but terrible properties.


    But nothing truly happened to him.


    "...Ehh?"


    The strange sound escaped his lips once more, this time it stretched for a bit, creating aical sight. Unfortunately, no one was here to witness andugh at it, At n''s confused face as he opened his eyes to see vast destruction near him, and then realized that nothing truly happened to him.


    The city...or the camp as the Celestials called it, was burnt to ashes, but he was rtively unharmed.


    ''Crack!''


    He heard a cracking sound, naturally, his eyes darted to where it originated from, and he looked at his lower body. The ck ice that had covered him, or imprisoned him, was starting to crack and fall to the ground.


    "Oh..."


    A hint of guilt appeared in his heart, and an apologetic expression emerged on his face. He realized toote that perhaps the ck ice was not meant to restrain him, but rather protect him from the strange fire. He realized it a bit toote.


    "Sorry... Lanesha."


    He apologized, knowing that the dragon was surely watching him. Just for confirmation, however, he turned around and was relieved when he saw the familiar blue light of the obsidianntern, and Lanesha''s figure, veiled in the darkness but clear for him to see, standing there.


    She wasughing...that was evident.


    In an instant, she appeared in front of him, the mes, still raging around the camp, died down as she appeared, and the air turned colder. Her face, however, was in stark contrast to augh...or any emotion at all. There was nothing on it, leading n to believe that he saw an illusion previously.


    "There is still one more thing for you to do."


    n turned around and stared at a building in the far distance, where the fire did not approach at all. In fact, it even seemed to form a protective barrier around it. The building was like a cube, a cube made with metals of unknown origin to him and other such materials.


    All of them could easily withstand a full power breath from him many times. It was quite shocking, to be honest.


    ''That''s one sturdy block...''


    Although the architectural beauty of that thing was nonexistent, he knew it served a purpose. It blocked out the power of his Dragon Eyes, so n had no choice but to go near it and discover what was hidden inside.


    Lanesha stayed where she was, coldly looking at his back, she turned around to see the devastation, and the cold look on her face deepened, if that was even possible... n couldn''t see it, but she had a look of disappointment on her face. It was hidden behind the cold facade, but clear as day to any sensible viewer.


    n got close to the strange white cube, and when he found something that resembled a door, he pushed it open. A strange fragrance of flowers, multiple of them, struck his nose.


    The most iconic one, to him, was of Lavender, Sabrina mostly smelled like that so he recognized it first. Inside, he found a strange metallic...coffin? No, it was not a coffin but rather a sarcophagus. Although much smaller than those that held the corpses of decaying pharaohs. It also didn''t have a lid, if that was what it was called.


    The floor beneath had lines carved into them, within those lines was a green fluid that flowed into the sarcophagus from somewhere unknown. n walked towards the sarcophagus and peered at what was inside.


    His face fell when he looked at the body of a celestial child, as small as a human baby with six small wings erupting from his back, He appeared to be sleeping, unaware of the massacre and destruction that had happened outside.


    He was absorbing the energy that the green fluid possessed, and a hint of flora also seemed to grow on his body.


    He summoned his spear, and raised it up. But in the end, that same feeling took over. The feeling of regret, disgust over his actions, and sorrow. Like he was a traitor.


    He couldn''t even go to the state where he let his body do the work instead... After all, that one was reactive. It worked previously because there were celestials attacking him and deemed him a threat, to which he subconsciously responded but the child...was no threat.


    Neither did the child consider him a threat. So that couldn''t work. Nevertheless, he


    He dismissed his spear, and raised his hands, he was intending to end it in one simple strike with his own hands. He could feel the Ame-no-Sakahoko resisting his attempts as well, That darn spear refused to speak to him at all, and wouldn''t even listen during this.


    He didn''t me it, though...


    He lowered his hands...but the child woke up, and began to cry. The noise was irritating to his ears, but it awakened something else inside of him. The feeling was intensified and instead of killing the boy, n picked him up and tried to pacify him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''What am I even doing...''


    He questioned as he tried to think of ways to try to calm a baby down... He knew of none.


    But he didn''t need to, as soon as he picked the baby up, he calmed down, and started to smile, as if it was held by its own mother...or father, instead. He tried to poke his chin with his small fingers, and even tried grabbing his face.


    n...felt happy when the baby did that, he didn''t know why, but a part of him was d the baby was happy and not crying now.


    As he was drowned in his thoughts, and avoiding the baby trying to grab his face, Lanesha appeared behind him and said in a somber tone.


    "You can''t bring yourself to do it."


    ...


    He, looking at the emerald eyes of the child, responded and sighed.


    "Yeah... I don''t know what''s wrong with me..."


    He knew he would fail the quest...and as a confirmation, the System spoke in his mind.


    [You have failed Lanesha''s quest.]

 Chapter 600: [600] Hypocrite. Or perhaps something more

    Chapter 600: [600] Hypocrite. Or perhaps something more


    ?


    "He grows up to be a menace, you know?"


    Her voice rang in his ears, and perhaps throughout the entire as well. It was chilliny, but contained warmth. It was as if, instead of being angry that n had failed... She was happy, exhrated even.


    She was not disappointed at him failing her quest, but overjoyed.


    n, however did not catch on to her joy as of this moment, his mind was still preupied.


    Lanesha took the baby from him, and cradled it. The child yed with her fingers, as her voice dictated his cruel future.


    "He bes a fallen angel, a demon of infamous repute, one that brought an end to many, manys. He rose to be one of the 72, those who govern the Abyss, and causes destruction throughout the universe."


    n''s eyes did not leave the baby, who continued to y with Lanesha''s fingers.


    ... Something that cute, that loveable would turn into such a cruel monster?


    He didn''t doubt her words, in fact, he knew they were nothing but the cold, hard truth. Lanesha had lived through the disastrous future where Aranus, under the control of the abyss rampaged.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Not once, not twice, not even thrice, but five hundred and fifty four times.


    So her words, filled with dreadful memories of the chaos that would ensue were nothing but true.


    "But..."


    But did that mean, he would be left speechless, unable to answer of the deeds of that baby?


    No.


    Lanesha did indeed talk of the future, but she talked of an insignificant part of it.


    Or rather, a changeable part of it.


    "But... Won''t thoses still die? When... You know what happens.."


    He was unable to say what it was, he simply couldn''t. Whenever he tried to describe the destruction he saw in his nightmares, the figures of supreme beings falling like dies, The ck dragon wrecking havoc...


    He was always afraid. Fear always gripped his heart whenever he even thought of it.


    Just like the hearts of the Supremes, he felt the same fear.


    But n was different from the Supremes, his thinking was shallow and molded by the vicious sights. He only knew fear and inevitability. He did not know how to fight back, not truly.


    "Yes, but entire generations would still thrive until that ursed future that which is truly inevitablees. Killing him now, will save millions, if not billions."


    She did not stop, she awakened the feelings inside of n with her words and was ruthless in her approach.


    "Millions would cry, billions would die, bing nothing more than a memory." "But..."


    "But? A simple but is all that stops you from stopping it all? Don''t you want to fight back?"


    He paused. He turned his head down in shame. The baby, sensing it, started to cry.


    But Lanesha spared no effort in trying to calm the baby down, she was still ruthless with his words.


    "You are not afraid of the inevitability that we are, that we tried to desperately change. You are not afraid of the Abyss, not of Aranus. You are not afraid of our bane."


    He grit his teeth, and his nails dug into his palms. But he couldn''t say anything, he knew where Lanesha was bringing it.


    "Your afraid of the possibility that your entire life is nned for you. That your not living of your own whims, but because of another. You feel as if the feelings you develop for others, the love for one, and the caring for another are all fake, they are nted in you, for a purpose you fear is so different from what you think, from what you want it to be!"


    He couldn''t respond.


    "See? You can''t even respond because you know it is the truth. For gods sake n! Even if it just became the truth, I always considered you my son, you are grandson of a primordial being! Your destined to be a supreme! Perhaps even above! Yet your afraid of the mere possibility that everything you do is fake, everything you feel is fake!"


    She took a deep breath, her posture rxed a little bit. But her gaze did not recede.


    "Your afraid of a possibility! Not an inevitability you im to be afraid of."


    But then, a sorrowful expression appeared on her face, as she came to the realization that she had been too harsh on him.


    "I... "


    She waited a bit to find the correct words to say, and slowly eased her expression.


    "I know James better than anyone. You may... Have been created by him but I can assure you, what you think of, it does not exist."


    She finally stopped, and ironically, as if the baby sensed the tension, stopped crying and simply looked at n.


    It smiled a little, and it somehow warmed his steel heart.


    "..."


    Finally mustering the courage to speak, he said.


    "I''m not afraid of it. I''m not afraid of what you think I am."


    Lanesha raised her brows, gesturing for him to speak.


    "I know what you said, may be true. But that is not what im afraid of. I let that go a long time ago, I simply don''t care about it."


    It was true, he had let that fear of his go, he was dwelling in his own delusions at that time, fueled by his tired mind, the nightmares had taken a toll on him.


    He didn''t deny that he used to think like that, but he overcame it.


    The fear, that perhaps whatever he thought he did out of his own will wasn''t even his own will. He ''was'' just made to think that way...


    "I won''t deny that you know him well, I also know that bastard, so I know that he... As much


    as I hate to admit it, or even don''t beleive in it much...


    A part of me knows that he isn''t focused on something so yribial."


    Lanesha''s gaze softened, as she heard n dere his own will and thought as something trivial.


    "I... Know when he is manipting me, I have some knowledge of it. So I know I have to face him someday or not... What I am afraid of is not that my every action now is controlled by


    him..."


    Lanesha''s eyes widened, as she finally realized.


    "I''m afraid that when I finally win against him, which I will do, no matter what... That..."


    He stopped for a while, considering his words carefully.


    "That my every action after his death would just be mepleting what he wants... His grand


    fucking scheme."


    He moved a little closer to Lanesha, albeit a bit forcefully. His feet dove into the stone floor,


    shattering it.


    "He called me his masterpiece! What is that supposed to mean?!"


    Frustrated, he called out.


    "What was even the point of this ughter? Why did I hesitate? Why am I called his


    masterpiece? Just what is it that makes me so? Why do I have to be careful not to use my first prowess so that I may not awaken an ancient horror? That''s also being fucking kept at bay by that bastard? Why did he narrate this entire future like a fucking novel? Focusing on Elijah,


    instead of Aranus?


    Why?"


    Questions, he was simply filled with questions. And not enough answers.


    "Why did I even hesitate to even kill these fucking bugs?! I know when it''s him messing with


    me... So what the fuck was it? What was wrong with me?"


    Lanesha spoke.

 Chapter 601: [601] What did I get?

    Chapter 601: [601] What did I get?


    ?


    n stepped out of the portal and sat down on his bed, he was back in his dorm room, and was staring aimlessly at the wall.


    ''I can''t tell you everything...''


    Once again, Lanesha had avoided the questions. Perhaps she really didn''t know, or she didn''t


    tell him due to being bound by some stupidws. How hard could it truly be?


    Nevertheless, He didn''t be too angry. He...somehow epted it.


    "One week..."


    He remembered her words.


    ''But... II know someone who can. Come to the coordinates I gave you back then, bring Kazikato and Sabrina, and your team with you...and then you will embark on a journey to find him, and gain the qualifications of bing the armor''s wielder.''


    In fact, he remembered their entire conversation.


    ''A journey? I''m supposed to go on it to fulfill the requirements? And why should I bring Sabrina and Kazikato?''


    ''It is because...they are necessary, and it will be helpful to them.''


    It was infuriating, to have your attention be drawn back to something else when you nearly lost your mind trying to solve what came before. He had more questions...


    Kazikato? He could understand, He was technically n''s brother now, being grandson of Ariel, just like him now, and son of Shi, The former supreme of Death. He did wonder what their positions were, though...


    Lanesha was the youngest out of all of Ariel''s children, whilst Shi was the oldest... That wouldn''t give Kazikato a sense of superiority, both literally and figuratively...right?


    ''What am I even thinking about...''


    Superiority...? He was dotted on by Ariel herself. Of course, he would be superior...


    Nevertheless, He could still understand why she told him to bring thatzy bum along... But why Sabrina?


    What use did she have? What role? Why would she be necessary, and why would it be useful for her? Was it perhaps strengthening her by fighting an army of dreadful monsters?


    The moment Lanesha mentioned the journey, he knew it would be a perilous one. Exceptionally dangerous.


    But even then... A part of him could still understand, she was one of the best mages on Earth, as long as she had her crystal with her. She knew more spells than n and Kazikatobined, more efficient ways to use them, how to utilize them well, and her knowledge about almost anything...surpassed his own.


    By a big, big gap as well. So then, why did she want him to bring Predator as well? Team obviously meant them, the group he established.


    Maxwell, the oldest one in the group and the one he knew best, was no fighter. He was indispensable...but no fighter! He was mainly the brains of the group, the one who took care of all the members needs and logistics. n would even call him their babysitter.


    Alice remained cooped up in theb her father made for her, studying various things about alchemy. He had heard she had some major sess, but knew she still wished to stay there more, studying and learning.


    Edward and Emma were still new. To be honest, he forgot about them. He took in Emma because she showed great potential as a medic, and the weird feeling he got from her, but she was too weak. She needed time to grow. He took Edward in because of Emma, as well. He could be a good tank, but would they really need one?


    They had two dragons after all, What use did they have for a tank?


    n alone could fill the role of a tank greatly, Hell, he knew he could do everyone''s role in the party except for Maxwell''s. Not only could he fight exceptionally well, he could also heal with the help of the Phoenix bloodline. What use did they have for an alchemist if he could simply take care of their wounds, all by himself, without potions? The bloodline of the Phoenix was more potent than any potion Alice could make.


    Alexander, could be of some help, though.


    The spatial coordinates Lanesha had given him were of the home world of the frost dragons, It could be the safest ce in the Universe for him, or the most dangerous one. There had to be some other monstrosities there, as well.


    [Supreme dragon of Frost, Lanesha feels insulted. She says Lanekia is full of life, and is a thriving world! It will bepletely safe.]


    ''Stop reading my thoughts...''


    Well, it did help somewhat, it told him that Lanekia, The world of the Frost Dragons, wouldn''t be as perilous as he had thought... But it awakened his mind to something else.


    It was really simple... If Lanekia was not dangerous, Wherever this journey would take him to toplete the requirements for the armor was sure to be teeming with treasure.


    n waited for a bit, He wanted to see Lanesha''s thoughts on this. Grimacing at theck of a notification, he knew it was right.


    Her silence was the ominous confirmation!


    "Goddammit... You first summon me on that useless quest, god knows what it did to me, and now this..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He wasn''t a stranger to danger. He was, actually, prepared to take risks to get that armor long, long before. He knew getting it won''t be as easy as taking candy from a baby, or in this case a gift from his Lanesha. His mother...?


    This didn''t distract him from the fact that ''he'' was ready for a dangerous journey filled with life-threatening dangers. ''He'' was!


    Not Sabrina, Not Kazikato, Not Predator! He could trust Alexander and Kazikato to keep their lives... But he didn''t trust Predator. His team was simply too weak! He didn''t want Sabrina to


    get hurt as well!


    ''Just why on Earth would mother want them toe as well?''


    "Huh."


    He didn''t really feel awkward or weird calling Lanesha his mother, Well, she was his guardian dragon and could be considered a motherly figure in his life... With how much she helped him


    and gave him gifts.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha is happy you called her mother. She advises you that you cannot solve everything alone, and it will be a valuable experience for them as well.] "... Alright... I''ll get them all over here, in a week."


    He had no choice but to agree, He knew she was right. Trying to solve everything alone would


    be troublesome.


    But before trying to exin things to everyone, and gather them up, He had something else


    to do... And that was finally knowing what he got for consuming that harrowing drop of Ichor.


    A/N: One more today in a couple of hours, Also, we reached 600 chapters :D

 Chapter 603: [603] Frigid Lineage.

    Chapter 603: [603] Frigid Lineage.


    ?


    Affinities: Frost (SUPREME), Chaos (SUPREME), Space (Exceptional) [Gravity], Shadow(Exceptional), Darkness (Exceptional), Death(?).


    His affinities...not only had they grown, but they also seemed different. Foremost, His frost affinity had gained a different color. Previously, the (SUPREME) part of it was always written in pale white, but now it shone like gold. His chaos and space affinities were the same. There were three new additions, those being darkness, shadow, and death.


    Darkness and Shadow were of the exceptional grade, the same as his spatial affinity, They had no special colors...but death... Death was different.


    Not only was it the only one that no grade, not even primordial. But it was the one that seemed incredibly out of ce in the system window.


    It was not only glitching, expanding and contracting, but it seemed out to be constrained, struggling to break free. It was strange seeing the normally stable status window fail to contain it.


    It seemed...the affinity of death didn''t like how the system portrayed things, or something else entirely.


    He moved on, focusing on the other things. He had gotten two new titles, [Son of Lanesha, Supreme of Frost] and [Prince of Lanekia, Home of frost dragons.]


    They were pretty self-exnatory. n found it nice to be prince of a many timesrger than Earth. It just rang a good bell in his brain.


    Next, he focused on the new abilities he gained. He focused on the [Frost walker] first.


    [Frost Walker]


    [Description: Allows its wielder to traverse any surface as though it were solid ice, regardless of itsposition. The ability coats the ground beneath their feet with a shimmeringyer of frost, rendering it frictionless and enhancing speed and agility. They can effortlessly slide across terrain, scale vertical surfaces, and perform gravity-defying leaps with grace. This power also grants control over cold temperatures, enabling the creation of icy pathways or freezing adversaries on contact. This is the ability that gave Lanesha her name, The Frigid Queen. Your power in a frigid domain is unmatched.]


    "Damn."


    Although it may look simple at a nce, it really wasn''t. The ability to turn the ground beneath you into a frictionless surface, likely ice, was simply the introduction. The ability didn''t just let him do that, he knew it wasn''t. It was the signature ability of Lanesha, a Supreme being. Of course, it would not be as simple as that.


    It granted him authority over a frigid domain, or any cold ce he was in or manifested. The grade of his affinity would increase it. He would have to test out what the authority really entailed, and what he would be able to do with it. Nevertheless, even the introduction was great enough. n didn''t have to focus on turning the surface of the ground into ice to giant speed. It would do it automatically.


    He tested it, and his eyes widened in surprise. The ground beneath his feet wasn''t just covered in ice...it became it. The fabric of his carpet turned into water, which was frozen at a speed he couldn''tprehend.


    "Can I use it to attack?"


    He thought, wondering what the extent of it could be. Simply movement...or something even more? Could he perhaps use it too...attack? What if he activated the ability on top of a huge monster. He would just have to ce his feet on the head of a giant monstrosity, and wait as its brain was turned to ice.


    That was interesting, he had to try it out.


    Humming a sweet tune he often heard Sabrina hum, He turned to see the other abilities.


    The one rted to darkness....was obscured. He couldn''t understand it at all, despite his ability to read anynguage. The entire description was simply... not there.


    [Dark Destitute.]


    [Description: Darkness...]


    There was only that word which he could understand, and what the system could show, as well. The rest was covered in fog.


    Curious, he tried using it. He gathered it in his hand and as soon as he did, his clothes, his skin, his flesh, nails, everything was covered in a ck mantle. It did not absorb the light in his room... It was just there. He didn''t dare swing his hand or anything, afraid that a power that belonged to Ariel would spring forth and destroy the entirety of the Shield! That was something he didn''t want to see... He figured it would be best to study itter.


    ''It''s as mysterious as the Dragon of Darkness, Va...''


    He shivered when he almost muttered the dragon''s name. Cursing to himself, he vowed to never say the Supreme of Darkness''s name at all. He felt terrified, and another unknown feeling emerged in him, closely linked to reluctance, hesitation... But it was not like the one back on the Lanesha invited him too. It was more like...fear or wariness.


    Shaking his head, he inspected the one belonging to shadows. It had a simr name to Frostwalker.


    [Shadow Walker]


    [Description: Grants its possessor the uncanny ability to meld seamlessly with shadows and darkness. By stepping into areas of dim light or darkness, they be virtually invisible and intangible, allowing them to move undetected and bypass physical barriers. This power extends their senses, enabling them to perceive the world through shadows and sense the presence of others nearby. A shadow walker also manipte shadows to obscure or deceive foes, creating illusions or distractions. The Master of this ability, Supreme of Shadows, Kk was adept at infiltration, espionage, and swift, silent strikes from the veil of darkness.]


    The ability was great, but...useless to him. Not only did he have the perfect camouge that was his Spatial Distortion, but he also was not suited for assassination. Or rather didn''t really have as much of an experience with it.


    He preferred to be direct, and the fighting style he was taught was meant to be direct in facing his opponents, not attacking them from behind. Assassination...was simply not his forte.


    He also knew Kazikato had this very ability, he had been told about it before. It suited Kazikato more than n, but it still didn''t mean he would neglect it...


    He would probably find a way or two to make it useful.


    ''I feel like I''m missing something.''


    He felt as if he was missing something when he read the ability, but unable to pinpoint it, he figured better to ask Kazikatoter. He focused on the final ability he had gained...the onen/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    rted to Ariel herself.


    [Death.]


    That was the name...

 Chapter 604: [604] Sorcery of Death.

    Chapter 604: [604] Sorcery of Death.


    ?


    [Death.]


    That was the name of the final ability he had gotten, Ariel''s ability. Before even opening the description for it, n thought.


    ''Can I even use it?''


    That was a good question. If his conclusions were right and the ability was really connected to Ariel herself... High chance it would be near impossible for him to use it. The bacsh from it would be greater than even the Chaotic Spear right now.


    Unlike the other ones he got, which belonged to Supreme beings. He could use them, Although he didn''t understand the ability belonging to the Supreme of Darkness, Valus, He could still use it...


    He could use all of their abilities, but what about their mother? What about Ariel? Considering what and how she was... Would opening the description kill him? Or at least bring him an insurmountable amount of pain?


    ... It was possible...very.


    Bracing himself, he opened the description of the skill. Ready to close it at a moment''s notice. Ariel really had cemented herself as a being he should fear, no matter what in his heart.


    He opened the description.


    [Death.]


    [....]


    ''There is nothing...?''


    At least there was no pain. He expected it to be empty, a little bit. After what had happened with the skill [Dark Destitute], it wasn''t astounding.


    But, n was wrong. The skill did have a description.


    Slowly, the blue system window started to crack. The ce where the description of the skill would be shown was cracking. The empty space shattered like ss, leaving only a small box of blue above.


    [Death.]


    ...?


    ''Was this supposed to mean something?''


    He thought, wondering if this was the description to the skill. Skills rted to Primordial could be like that...


    The death of the system window, it is slowly shattering like ss, leaving only the name behind... Perhaps that was what the skill was? The ability to kill anything?


    No, he was wrong.


    "Woah."


    The blue box which contained the words, [Death], starting to shatter as well. Cracks slowly appeared on it, and soon covered it. But it did not shatter into multiple pieces, instead. The cracks seemed to resemble veins, as a ck material coursed through them, fixing them, and changing the color of the blue system window... To ck.


    The words, [Death] disappeared into the ck window, as if it was submerged in the ck window. White, or a somewhat gray boundary, appeared on the ck window. It was a simple line, nothing too fancy, unlike the original system window.


    Then, the words slowly emerged, [Death] came back, but it was a bright golden color now, not theckluster white before.


    The small box expanded, and the description finallyy before him.


    [Death.]


    [Description: The sorcery of Ariel.]


    Four words... That was it.


    "... I was expecting more...you know."


    Who wouldn''t? After that entire show of destroying the system window and all that. He expected more. A lot, lot more. Not just four simple words.


    "...§¯§Ñ§Ñ§Ñ...''


    Weirdly enough, the description didn''t end there. There was still space for so much more, but they were absent. They were not obscured by ck fog like in the description of the skill [Dark Destitute]. They were just not there.


    "So I have to ask that old dragon more...as well, huh."


    [Who are you calling old?]


    He froze, a familiar voice rang in his head and he felt as if he was going to enter the embrace of death, by the hands of its creator as well. Immediately, as if on instinct. He prostrated. And apologized in the most sincere words he could muster.


    "Oh, the greatest primordial dragon, Head of the Mighty house of Shivalkn, I seek your for-"


    [Shut it, and wait for the process to beplete.]


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    Perplexed, he looked at the description window once more out of instinct, But contrary to his expectations, no words started to emerge. It was still as nk as it was before.


    The four words, were the only things there, in the description of [Death]... However.


    "My system window..."


    Previously, it was just the part where the skill description of [Death] was located, but now... The entire thing seemed to be cracking apart.


    From his name to his titles, from his stats to his affinities, and his numerous skills, his


    martial techniques, his breathing techniques. Everything began to crack.


    n himself felt weaker, as if a crucial part of him was being whisked away.


    "What are you doing?"


    He asked, hesitant.


    [Destroying it.]


    Ariel''s voice...sounded faint. Not like the domineering one he was so used to. Before he could ask another question, he heard a sharp, loud noise. One that made him hiss.


    "Ugh!"


    The system window cracked apart, the ck lines that were like blood flowed from the smalln/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    box, and filled it entirely.


    And then, it disappeared.


    The pieces, like shards of ss, fell to the floor and dissipated. n fell to his knees, feeling


    weak.


    But then, a new window appeared in front of him. Just like the one from before. [Death] disappeared...and his new system window appeared.


    It was not blue, but abyssal ck. The words were notckluster white, but now a lusterful


    gold.


    The white outline emerged, but this time, it had a skull at the very top, the skull of a dragon, with six horns and menacing teeth, and four eye sockets. A dissapointed voice rang out.


    [It''s...passable.]


    ===Status===


    Name: n Pator.(3).


    Race: Dragon.


    Lineage: Death, Primordial Ariel.


    Bloodline: Phoenix.


    Titles: Heir to Death''s throne, Grandson of the Primordial of Death Ariel, Son of Supreme of Frost, Lanesha, Spatial Dragon, Void Predator, Member of Shivalkn....


    Statistics:


    Strength: S


    Mana: S+


    Endurance: SS Intelligence: A


    Charm: A


    Agility: S


    Affinities: Death(?), Frost (Supreme), Chaos (Supreme), Darkness (Exceptional, Shadow


    (Exceptional), Space (Exceptional).


    Skills: Dragon breath, Dragon scales, Dragon Transformation, Dragon Eyes, Frost walker, Dark Destitute, Shadow Walker, Death, Frost w, cier, Frost brigade, cial Copse, cial Meteor, Ice Spike, Blizzard, Teleportation (Portal), Teleportation (Instant)... Breathing Arts: Cosmic Breath(?), Supreme Frost Dragon''s breath (7-star), Whiff of Frost (3-


    star).


    Martial Arts: Chaos Spear (7-star), Heavenly Sky Spear (5-star), Basic Martial Arts (2-star),


    Sword Saint''s Melee style (4-star).


    ---Aura stats----


    Aura level: Low


    Aura breathing technique: None.


    Aura Affinity: Space(?) Aura skills: Spatial Distortion, Vector Maniption(Iplete).


    Bloodline rted skills: -


    ---Domains(Human)---


    Frost: Jade Pce. (Rank: Supreme Grade Domain.)


    Chaos: -


    Space: -


    Darkness: -


    Shadow: -


    Death: -


    ....


    "Wow."


    The ''update'' sure looked nice, even if the creator herself didn''t like it.

 Chapter 605: [605] Sorcery of Death.

    Chapter 605: [605] Sorcery of Death.


    ?


    [It''s...passable. I still need to make some adjustments.]


    Ariel''s voice rang in his head as he continued to study the new system window. He would be lying if he said he didn''t like the changes. He fancied the new style a lot.


    "So... Fancy telling me why this was needed?"


    He asked out of curiosity, after all, there had to be a reason why Ariel would ''destroy'' the original system window.


    There was also the strange feeling of being weaker than before, yet stronger, unhinged. He had to ask about that as well.


    [I simply broke a shackle.]


    "What do you mean?"


    [It''s not time for you to know.]


    Cryptic and secretive as always. Ignoring it, n moved onwards and asked.


    "So, what are the benefits of this new one?"


    That entire show of breaking the original system window, just for this cooler version of it to appear was fantastic, n was already specting the new changes this one brought. It was created by the Primordial being, Ariel. It would have to do with Death, Darkness, Shadow, and frost.


    There was a high chance that the spells and skills he cast with it would enhance the elements listed above to a great degree. Perhaps even some other things he was unaware of. Sadly, It wouldn''t do much to his Chaos and Space affinity. One of which he didn''t mind if it was untouched. He didn''t want to do with anything rted to chaos at all. Though it was still a great pity, space was left untouched.


    Well, Beggars couldn''t be choosers, and neither could a person have everything.


    He was excited to hear the benefits of it...until.


    [None. It''s just a qualitative way to show you your strengths and skills. I designed it this way because you are already used to something like this.]


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    She continued, ignoring him.


    [In fact, It''s even worse. It won''t act as a medium for you to perform skills easily anymore. You''ll have to create your own sorcery. You don''t have that darn thing to quick cast your skills anymore. Good luck.]


    "WHAT?!"


    An enraged shout escaped his lips. For a second, n forgot who he was talking too. He was so angry he forgot it was Ariel!


    [What did you say?]


    Thankfully, not all sense of reason had abandoned him, He regained hisposure a secondter and asked her


    "... Why?"


    His voice was innocent, and immensely filled with guilt and apprehension, as if he truly regretted his previous actions. It was all a facade, though. His acting had really improved. But despite it all, He was still harboring malicious intentions that he could not hide from Ariel.


    The great dragon, was understanding and benevolent to her ''grandson''.


    [Don''t make the same mistake again. You''ll be thanking me for it one day.]


    "But..."


    [Just learn Lanesha''s sorcery, or create your own. Your own sorcery will be more helpful, to you, though.]


    "But...what the heck is sorcery?"


    He was truly, genuinely confused. Modern definition would be the way to use magic... But that was the system. Humans and every species used the system to cast magic! Skills and everything else. The system acted as a medium for it, therefore...wasn''t it sorcery as well? Well, at least every species except the Elves and Dragons. The Elves...he had heard they used a way to cast magic without the help of the system. It was apparently taught to them by an ancient dragon, and thus that was why they were so indebted and devoted to his species.


    [Use your eyes, and study for the skills you received, That should serve as the basis for your sorcery. Try to be inspired from them and create your own.]


    "Your system can do that?"


    [Of course it can! I just removed the other facilities and that darn cage. You can still use mine to do the other things.]


    ''... What other things? Check my stats and descriptions?''


    Well, that was like the most important part of the system removed... The ability to cast magic easily.


    ''Whatever... I''m still a dragon.''


    Indeed! He still belonged to the race that was the epitome of magic. He could figure something out... Right! Even though he had no idea what the fuck Ariel was talking about.


    Sorcery... He had to give the topic some time. But firstly... He needed a good night''s worth of sleep. He had been busy doing so many things!


    First was the raid on the Labyrinth city, led by the Minotaur king! Defeating that damn bastard, then the moment he came back. Before he could get even a minute of rest, Lanesha had summoned him to a strange to ughter random celestials.


    ""


    He plopped down on his bed, and took a deep breath, closed his eyes.


    He slept for an entire four days.


    ************


    [Association, Headquarters in Askolt city.]


    "How is it going?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Harrison asked his secretary as he sipped a cup of unknown liquid. He seemed to enjoy it at times as if it was the sweetest thing in the world, or wince sometimes as if it was incredibly


    sour.


    His secretary...was a robot. A machine closely resembling a human being, but about 2 meters tall, metallic skin and eight arms. It wore a suit, and answered in it''s surprisingly soothing


    voice.


    "The professor has embarked on a journey to Antarctica to retrieve the item. Estimated time of Arrival, 2 Months, estimated time of return, 4 additional months."


    "Six months... Huh."


    He muttered for a bit, looking at a nk screen with an equally nk expression.


    "Reports of Terra Damnum?"


    "The waters around the continent have grown active, Spatial Fluctuations have run wild. Reading cannot be underestimated."


    "Hmmm..."


    He stroked his stubble. He previously had a clean shaven face, but months of working on his secret project had reduced his handsomeness. He now, quite literally looked homeless.


    The Rocky continued to give reports. One about how Serena was doing in shield, one about the recent inventions of the association rted to guns. And one more about its own kind.


    "Increase the coastal and aerial defenses just in case. I''ll have a talk with the red-head."


    Harrison ordered as he stood up, and promptly left.


    All that was left in his room was his trusty secretary, delivering important orders to the entire


    world.

 Chapter 606: [606] War... and a trip!

    Chapter 606: [606] War... and a trip!


    ?


    "What do you want?"


    Ragnar Drakmor, dressed in a simple robe took a sip of red wine, his gaze out towards the sun he could see from his office window, his office was... Dirty.


    Bottles of wine, red scales, and other things littered around it. It was a small garbage dump. There were two horns on Ragnar''s head. Each as red as scarlet, and having a circr pattern. They weren''t pointy, but blunt at the end.


    His eyes also did not seem human.


    "Congrattions."


    Harrison first of all congratted him, before trying to find a ce to sit. Unfortunately for him, he couldn''t. The sofas here were filled with dirty clothes and empty wine bottles.


    He grimaced and decided to simply stand.


    "On what?"


    "On finally being the first human... No, the first being on Earth to reach the Epic rank." A crooked smile appeared on Ragnar''s face, revealing his pointed teeth. A tongue of me escaped from between the gaps of his pristine White teeth, and his eyes began to glow.


    Indeed, Ragnar, after having taken Elijah''s side had been elevated to the level of a true dragon. He was a drake no longer. But a true dragon.


    "How could you tell I''m no longer human?"


    "Oh please, I''m not as ignorant as every body thinks just because I stay cooped up in myb."


    Ragnar chuckled, but then a tired and sad expression appeared on his face, he gloomily turned to Harrison, and imed.


    "Why thank you, but I have not reached that level yet."


    Harrison raised his brows, a curious expression appearing on his face.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ragnar exined, crushing the ss in his hand. The red wine spilled onto his hands and to the floor, being absorbed by the carpet. Which already had it''s fair share.


    "I am still... In the beginning stages of it. No, I''m still reaching it. It isn''t as sudden as other rank changes, I need... Time."


    Harrison grimaced, an annoyed expression surfaced.


    "We don''t have time."


    The dragon stayed silent, pouring an entire bottle of red wine in his mouth.


    "I''m only a pseudo epic."


    "How much time do you need?"


    "I don''t know..."


    Harrison sat down on the dirty sofa, not minding the dirtiness any more. He was too disturbed by this sudden revtion that he didn''t bother about his cleanliness.


    "Shit."


    A curse escaped his mouth, Ragnar was still upied in the pursuit of getting drunk.


    "The martial star ising."


    A grave expression finally appeared on his red face.


    "He can''t enter Earth... this simply can''t hold him."


    "Those restrictions are being removed. We are on a strict time limit."


    He tried to make an excuse, a lie to hide his unease, but when faced with the cold hard truth, he could only have a grave expression on his face. He grit his teeth.


    "How much time do we have?"


    He asked with hesitation, Harrison responded with an equally grim look.


    "At most... A year. At the very least five months. Whatever process you are going through, finish it. We need an epic being against an epic being."


    "You want me to fight a being that''s been in that rank for centuries, whilst I just achieved it?"


    Harrison looked down, unable to meet his eyes. But a shocked look appeared in his eyes when he heard the sound ofughter.


    And the ignition of fire.


    "Good..."


    Ragnar seemed to be smiling, his hand encased in fire. Even at a nce Harrison could tell it was no ordinary me. He didn''t want to get close to it at all!


    "My blood is boiling just at the thought of it."


    Harrison stayed silent, letting the man continue with his ramblings.


    "Ah... To finally let loose as a dragon..."


    "If you can manage to keep him upied for a while, we will win."


    Ragnar raised his brows and looked at Harrison, confused as to what gave the man that much confidence.


    Not can! But will! He said thetter, not the former! He was absolutely certain of victory if the martial star was simply stalled.


    Regardless, Ragnar didn''t ask what the n was. He had learned his lesson to let Harrison do what he wanted to do, and how he wanted to do it. Sometimes ignorance was bliss.


    But... That did not mean he had no concerns.


    "Suppose I can hold him off... What will you do about the other three? The demonic beasts, Behemoth, Leviathan, And gryphon? I don''t want to fight a one versus four, mind you."


    "Those monsters can be contained, they are simply not as intelligent as the martial star. Sir Oliver and the sword saint are enough for them."


    "Oh? But I''m only counting two, how will you take care of the third? Who else is avable?"


    Harrison answered with a troubled expression.


    "I''ll take care of it..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ragnatughed, it was so loud his office shook.


    "Oh please! With that hungry bitch on your ass? If war does break out Morgana will focus only on you, haha!"


    Harrison stayed silent, not having any more words to say. Eventually, he admitted defeat and


    said.


    "I''ll... think of something when the timees. We need to think about what will happen


    after the war.


    Ragnar signed, but he still didn''t doubt Harrison at all.


    ''His confidence is amazing.''


    Ragnar had to admit, he admired this part of Harrison''s character. The man was adamant that


    they would win the war.


    "Exin."


    "After we win the war, the otheryers of the abyss will take notice, the other races as well. The demons will continue their attack, whilst we can''t really depend on the other races in the


    alliance. We need protection. A long war will be our doom."


    Ragnar squinted his eyes, already aware of what Harrison was suggesting.


    "Something that would make thoae unholy scum reconsider before attacking us, a power so great their might seventy two won''t dare make a careless approach."


    Ragnar spoke.


    "Your walking on thin ice..."


    His voice was low, already having been buried by Harrison''s next words.


    "The two apex papers, the God beasts and the Dragons, we need their power."

 Chapter 607: [607] War... and a trip.

    Chapter 607: [607] War... and a trip.


    ?


    "The dragons and the God beasts..."


    Ragnar muttered with a forlorn expression. Indeed, if harrisons confidence bore fruit and they did not lose the war with the demons...


    Humanity would still be annihted.


    Because after all, they were only at war with one out of who knows how manyyers. It was just one.


    If they won the war against it, who said the otheryers won''t take advantage of the weakened state of Earth and attack?


    Ragnar believed in Harrison, but he knew Earth and it''s forces would be exhausted from the initial war. Demons, known for holding grudges would surely attack. The otheryers would swarm them.


    So, to be safe from that and be given time to recover from the war... They needed protection.


    The species alliance, headed by the Elves, Orcs and dwarves that also had a multitude of other races in them wouldn''t work. Each of them were dealing with their own problems and the demons wouldn''t care about their name.


    They could still offer some help, but it wouldn''t be much. Above them were the celestial race. "The celestials..."


    But that was the true enemies of the demons, and also the one species upying their strongest and greatest.


    The otheryers of the abyss were filled with more monsters than demons, the mainyers in the war with the celestials were different...


    Ragnar didn''t know much about the Celestials and the Demons of the seventy twoyers... So he couldn''t be so sure about his thoughts.


    "We have two contacts with both apex forces."


    "Hmm?"


    Intrigued, he looked at Harrison with newfound admiration. He could guess who the contact with the dragons Harrison in mind was... But the man had contacted the God beasts as well?


    "Titan has a rtion with one of their supreme beings... I don''t know what that rank supposedly details, but apparently they are the true rulers. I also don''t know the details of their rtionship as well, but it''s a good bet."


    He continued.


    "You are our connection with the dragons... I hope your existence as one will be enough to gather some protection... Although..."


    Harrison continues on with his ramblings, proposing ideas and thoughts continuously. Ragnar signed, taking back his admiration.


    "Harrison, my bloodline did not evolve, I was given the chance to be a dragon by His Highness, Agri, the Supreme of Fire."


    "?"


    With how Harrison had phrases himself, It was clear to think that he thought Ragnar had be an epic being by his own strength. He was of the opinion that Ragnar''s bloodline, that of the Red Drake, had evolved and he ascended. He was wrong.


    Ragnar had his limit as a drake long ago, The chance encounter with Elijah had given him the hammer he needed to break that wall.


    ''Funny.''


    Although now his loyalty resided with someone else. It was funny! Ragnar and Harrison could be considered equals in terms of status and strength in the past, but now Ragnar was stronger, without a doubt. Both status and strength.


    But the funny thing was! His ''boss'' worked under the man in front of him! Furthermore, the man was oblivious!


    He couldn''t help butugh, Harrison meanwhile had a rxed expression on his face. "So, the dragons are our best bet?"


    Harrison did not mind that he was wrong, in fact, he was d that Ragnar was valued or someone important. To him, it was as if arge burden had been removed from his shoulders.


    "Yeah, we have more connections to the dragons than we have the god beasts. Besides, I don''t trust Daniel Parker, He gives off a wrong feeling."


    "Exin a bit more about connections..."


    "Well, It''s not as if we need to beg them to take us in their wing. We actually have a choice, among the dragons."


    Harrison still could not understand. Ragnar sighed and exined.


    "There are...houses in the Dragon Empire. 5 of them actually, each led by a being we cannot even fathom. Ancients who were there when the very universe we live in was formed. Between these five houses, we have a choice..."


    Harrison''s muscles tensed almost instinctively, He felt an unknown pressure form around him. He was unable to say even a word.


    "The house of War, One which his Highness Agri is part of. And the other is the house of Death. We can choose which house to go into."


    Harrison was still unable to say a word, He could only watch as Ragnar suddenly became serious, hiscent demeanor disappears.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Elijah Ardor, The one who gave me the opportunity to ascend, is the Heir of Fire, Chosen of his Highness Agri himself. Just ask him, and he will talk with his Guardian Dragon, and our entry is smooth into the house of War."


    Harrison trembled, still mute. There was a strange look in his eyes, Ragnar gave him a moment to collect himself.


    "You...mentioned two."


    His voice was hesitant, but excited. Hidden possibilities that he did could not even think of were suddenly open! Suddenly in his prowess to do, to choose!


    "What was the other...?"


    Ragnar looked at him for a moment, and smiled.


    "The house of Death. You already know of n Pator, Don''t you?"


    Harrison stayed silent, waiting for Ragnar to continue. Ragnar understood the gesture and


    obliged.


    "n Pator, and Kazikato Shimoshino, are the chosen of two beings from the House of Death."


    n was Lanesha''s chosen, and Kazikato could said to be Shi, or rather Ariel''s chosen since his mother had died. Ragnar was still unaware that n was now potentially the House of Death''s Sessor, their heir.


    He just knew Lanesha was his guardian dragon. Not more than that. He was oblivious to the


    truth.


    "So two houses, That is our choice."


    Harrison stood up, and after walking back and forth around Ragnar''s office, he turned his back


    towards him, and said.


    "Complete your evolution, or whatever process that is. I have some work to do."


    "Harrison."


    Ragnar called his name, which stopped Harrison''s tracks, who was going towards the door.


    "Do not let your ambition and this information cloud your judgement."


    Harrison opened the door, and before leaving, said.


    "If those things truly did cloud my judgement, I would be dead already."

 Chapter 608: [608] War, And a trip!(3)

    Chapter 608: [608] War, And a trip!(3)


    ?


    My name is Maxwell Parker, I stand at a height of about six feet and three inches. Quite tall, if I must say, but someone I know dwarfs even me. My hair is like golden silk, a characteristic of a man I hate with all the bones in my body, My eyes however, thankfully took the form of my mother. Not to say I like that woman, I just hate her less. They were blue.


    A sharp jawline was present on my face, which was by no means any less deserving of it. I was the man many women would only dream for, or had read about in novels. Unfortunately, my idol like face had been ruined recently because of someone''s antics.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Dark bags had found their way underneath my eyes, and a stubble had formed on my perfect jawline as well. I was also, not in character at all, in my undies. Underwear? I don''t know what the ng the younger generation uses for it.


    This had also been the second time this had happened. n Pator, who was also my boss, or a partner, had visited me in this desperate time, where I was watching a movie.


    Funny, wasn''t it? Most people assumed I was working thiste in the night. Not really, I was simply watching a movie. I''m a diligent man! Iplete all my work in time, regardless of how much it has grown in volume these recent years.


    Speaking of years? How old am I? I should be approaching my mid-twenties, but the bastard in front of me made me feel like I was above thirty. Fuck you, n. Respectfully.


    "So, let me get this straight."


    My voice, tired as I was, and the sore throat I was suffering from, was a burden to hear. I knew from experience. When I get like this, I had almost struck fear into the heart of poor Emma, who thought I was dying. I was not, But I must say, it was amusing to see her like that. At least she has a childhood worth remembering.


    It was also great to receive her healing. I was proud to say I was maybe the first ever patient she treated with such seriousness. My... Or at least n''s party ising along well now. Although the leader has grown so much, he doesn''t require their assistance at all.


    "You want us, to go on a trip, theoretically for a YEAR, on a unknown, multiples, actually. Brimming with dangers that could kill us with but a thought. You not only want to bring your party into it, but dear old me, who is patheticpared to them, who are patheticpared to you. You also want to bring your lover to this dangerous trip?"


    "Yeah?"


    The response came quick, not at all a lengthy charade like his own. Maxwell sighed, and then, despondently, opened his drawer. Within it, was a magical desert eagle given to him by none other than n Pator, a bullet made of gold was present inside as well. Which was strange because the magical item required no ammo, it would make its own with mana.


    That bullet was special, not in the material sense. It was simply ordinary gold mixed with a few other metals to make it work like a bullet. Gold was beautiful, but weak. A great conductor, but weak. Hence, the bullet was impure.


    It was meant to be put in his father''s head, not n''s.


    Speaking of that, he was seriously considering shooting the fucker in the head, he couldnd such a shot with ease. One may have thought Maxwell would use the gun on himself, and to be honest. That was much better than using it on n.


    Not only would n see the movements in his muscles the moment he started such a dangerous action, but he could feel the movement of mana from Maxwell, hurriedly forming a bullet. Before he could aim, His head would be ripped off.


    Not cut, not bruised, but ripped off, his spine would follow, attached to his head but ripped from his body. The man could do it, easily as well.


    But that was when n considered the one in front an enemy, he would be cautious from the start. Maxwell was not an enemy, so n would not be on guard. That could very well allow him a single attack, a single bullet to be fired.


    ''Not that it would do anything to that fucker.''


    Indeed, it would do nothing to n''s steel like skin. Unless the bullet took a time and a lot of time to form.


    "I mean...the beings that can kill us with a thought are...friendly?"


    Ah, the fucker is not even sure himself. Expected, I guess. I already knew there was a power behind him, and since they are behind him, and I am under him, It would be appropriate to say he had that backing as well?


    But he did want to know how big this backing was.


    "It''s my mother, She wants us to go."


    "... What?"


    However, this sudden piece of information was confusing. n''s mother was dead, buried six feet, probably more, in the ground. Maxwell had done his fair research on his friend''s origins, and knew that without a doubt. His mother was dead.


    "My guardian dragon... Ah, it''s a bitplicated!"


    "The fuck you meanplicated? You just mentioned a dead woman wants to meet us!"


    "Not that... Uh... You see, the being that supports me, My guardian dragon, is akin to a mother to me... So I sometimes call her that, you know?"


    "... So uh, can you convince the others and call them to prepare? Also pack a lot of things suitable for a very, very, very cold climate."


    ||||


    Maxwell was left alone as n sheepishly left through his portal. He hated and loved that ability of his so, so much. It was so convenient, but had caught himcking far too many times.


    Of course, who would have thought that a fucking rift in space would appear at the most wrong times? Maxwell hoped n didn''t use that on Sabrina, as many times he used it on him. The former would have a very, very different reaction if she wascking.


    Maxwell looked at his gun once more, seriously considering whether to put a bullet in his head or not.


    "Nah."


    In the end, he decided he would do it after he used the golden bullet, and slowly picked up hismunicator to make preparations for the trip.


    "Cold climate huh...Fuck."


    He hated the cold.


    One moreing :D

 Chapter 609: [609] Trip!

    Chapter 609: [609] Trip!


    ?


    ''Now, how do I convince Sabrina?''


    n wondered as he opened a portal outside of her dorm room, He could talk with the Astral bond but felt this was more appropriate, Despite what Maxwell thought, n only barged into his personal space with the portals.


    He loved to annoy that man, and thus did it frequently. He did it with only him and a few others.


    Before knocking on the door, although it would be useless because the person on the other side was already aware of his presence, he kept thinking.


    ''Just why does she want me to bring her?''


    He was still unable to understand it, he first thought that maybe Sabrina had a connection with Lanesha or a dragon he was supposed to meet, like in the future. The past iterations could have this... But he didn''t recall anything of it. He had his memories, and those dreadful nightmares that informed him, but he never saw her, or anyone that looked like her.


    So to him, It couldn''t be him. He spent some time walking back and forth around her door, still confused.


    In the end, he let out a sigh and figured,


    "I''ll probably find out soon..."


    Either Lanesha would tell him or it woulde to him naturally. He would find out soon enough...right? Yeah, that was right!


    [Will youe inside already?]


    Sabrina''s voice resounded in his mind, n stopped. It must have already been weird for her, She could not only sense his mana but the Astral bond would be telling her as well, of him walking right and left outside her door like a lunatic.


    "Alright..."


    He opened a portal and appeared right in her room, Sabrina was reading a book whilst sitting on a sofa, her hair was covered in a towel, and it appeared she just came out of the shower. A cup of coffee was present on the table.


    "Mind exining?"


    She asked, her eyes not leaving her book at all. n stared at her for a bit, the scent ofvender was thick in her room, She really liked that flower.


    "Stop being a creep, Al."


    Sighing, n finally convinced himself to say it.


    "Will you go on a trip with me?"


    Her eyes stopped reading the book, they froze, actually. She closed the thick book and looked up at n, a small smile on her face, but confusion as well.


    "A trip to where...exactly?"


    She was racking her brains, Earth didn''t have a lot of tourist spots left, with all the dungeons and monster threats. She argued she had probably visited every good one with her family. But perhaps going with n would be different.


    " A potentially dangerous that is very, very cold, filled with dangers."


    "... Quite an unexpected location for a trip."


    n let out a chuckle, Sabrina didn''t share his twisted sense of humor, however. Her eyes were still dubious, and her smile had long faded away. She looked at her boyfriend with aplicated gaze.


    "... Reasons?"


    She, of course, wanted to know why ''a trip'' was scheduled there, on such a dangerous. And why on Earth n wanted to bring her there. She was all there for romance, but this was excessive. She knew he could survive there, but doubted herself.


    "I received a quest, and was thinking maybe you could join me..."


    n made a fatal mistake, which was that Sabrina knew when he was telling the truth or not. The contract between them may have been broken, but the astral bond remained. Well, even without it, she could tell whether he was lying or not.


    n had the strange habit of always fiddling his fingers when he was not honest, and shared themon trait among many humans when lying, to refuse to look into the eyes, with her.


    "..."


    "Actually...it''s not one, we may have to go to multiples."


    "I''m not interested."


    "..."


    Yeah, this was how he expected it to go. He didn''t expect her to go with him at all, the lie he may have told may also have cemented her decision to not go at all.


    "Haaa... Look, I assume you already know what I am, a dragon."


    n decided to be fully honest, he didn''t know why he wasn''t honest at the start, it may have saved him from breaking her trust.


    "I have a guardian dragon, One I call my mother, Ok? She takes care of me, and she wants me to take a trial with my friends. Not alone. It''s all to receive an armor for me. Of course, there will be some benefits to you as well. One of the beings I need to meet in this trial is...the supreme being of Darkness."


    He continued, as Sabrina''s eyes widened.


    "He is her brother...and he may help you?"


    He seemed to be unsure of himself, but that was enough to convince Sabrina. She already struggled with that darn element when she didn''t have the gifts n gave her on. Unlike him, she didn''t have an endless supply of mana to support those two gifts all the time. Her crystal ball was her life-saver.


    "You can also learn a lot about magic."


    Ah, that was it. The main selling point. Hearing that, the light in her eyes sparkled, and she


    excitedly stood up.


    "So when are the two of us leaving?"


    ''I should have said that sooner...''


    Considering how obsessed she was with magic, it was obvious she would be smitten the moment he mentioned she would be able to learn more of it. He should have used this first...


    ''Damn it.''


    Lamenting at the fact that he didn''t use this technique first, he sighed and exined.


    "In a week, the rest have to get ready as well. Bring something to resist the cold."


    Suddenly, she paused.


    "The rest?"


    Noticing her confusion, n exined.


    "I meant my party, Predator. They areing as well."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Huh?''


    Was he wrong? He thought he saw the light in her eyes dim.


    "Right... Of course, it would be like that."


    ''Why do you sound disappointed? The more, the better.''

 Chapter 610: [610] Trip!(3)

    Chapter 610: [610] Trip!(3)


    ?


    "Haaa.."


    The rest of the week went by really quick, tomorrow was the day when they would depart towards Lanekia, the home world of the frost dragons.


    "Hmm..."


    Thinking about that, n fell into thought. He didn''t know what it looked like at all. Well, the name already gave him a lot of hints. Firstly, it was definitely named after Lanesha, The one who ruled over it.


    The second was, since it was the home of the frost dragon''s, it had to be very cold. The mana of the frost element would be dense there, enough to freeze a person many times over. He may not have a hard time, but hispanions would.


    He hoped Lanesha would give them a blessing or an artifact to help resist the cold...because if he was being honest, he didn''t think anything that could resist the cold of that world could be found on Earth. Gigantum, maybe, but never the home of the frost dragons. But that wasn''t the reason why he was thinking so hard on this.


    "Why do I feel like I know what it looks like, have been there...?"


    He was having that strange feeling, like he had been on that world before. But it couldn''t be. He never even had a nightmare about it... So why did he feel as if he had personally visited that? Like he had lived there.


    ''Weird.''


    Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was a frost dragon? But he couldn''t let that upy his mind. He was currently filling in a lot of forms. He was going for a really long trip after all, he thought it would be best to notify Sir Oliver instead of disappearing all of a sudden. Like he had done most of the time.


    Thankfully, after mentioning where and what he was doing, as well as the timely assistance of Sir Oliver''s spirit, he was lucky to have gotten out of it unscathed. Sir Oliver epted it easily. He just had to fill a few forms.


    That didn''t take him too long. He was worried if whether ine would get courageous enough to attack the students of Twilight again, especially more so because n, Kazikato, and Alexander would be gone. Thankfully, he didn''t think she would grow enough of a spine, and Lanesha had already given him her confirmation that nothing like that would happen. "But..."


    Just in case, he left a message to Lucas, who should be able to handle it if he wasn''t goofing off. Of course, his method of handling would be...special. But he was his best bet if something happened. He hadn''t met Master in a while. He was nning to pay a visit, but apparently the man had gone out on a mission.


    "He''s that old and still does that stuff..."


    Remarkable, it really was. Anyway, with most of the stuff done, he opened his desk drawer and took out a notebook, and wrote the following things he needed to achieve during this trip.


    [1: Aura breathing technique.]


    That was his first priority, not only was it one of the main reason''s he was going, but also because he felt himself to have stagnated in his bloodline. The bloodline of the Fire bird, the Phoenix, was much greater than just an overpowered regeneration factor. There were many abilities he could not use because aura limited him. The transformation of the Phoenix was not potent as well due to his aura limitation. He wanted to progress in his bloodline...


    That was merely the first thing.


    [2: Make sure they aren''t useless.]


    The second one was the growth of his party, and whoever was going with him. Out of them all, Alexander and Kazikato weren''t worth his attention, They were good enough as it is. Maxwell as well. He wasn''t a fighter, and that was ok. He handled the other matters of the Guild and the group. This could even be considered a vacation for the man if he liked cold climates. The others however... He wanted to see how good Emma was as a healer, How good had Edward gotten? Those two had a unique scent to them and also because Maxwell spent a lot on them, sending them to a suitable party and dungeons all the time.


    His money(Maxwell''s) better not have gone to waste!


    The other one was about Alice, daughter of the guild master Richard himself.


    To be honest, it was hard knowing how long it had been since they saw one another. n knew she was now a first year in shield... But ording to the rumors, she was always stuck in ab or something that had been made specifically for her. This was actually a privilege most alchemy students enjoyed at Shield. Since it was considered a delicate craft they would have their private work stations.


    They could not even attend sses... All they had to do was submit a report with results every month or so. Sir Oliver wasx on them. n was a bit jealous.


    He didn''t really want to test her fighting capabilities. She was like Maxwell, not really a fighter. He was mostly nning to check how much progress she had made in alchemy.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Last was Sabrina...


    ||


    He didn''t know what to do with her, it would be great to spend some time with her... He didn''t know why she had to be brought along, but was still thankful he got to spend time with her.


    "Lanesha will probably tell."


    She must have had her reasons...


    [4:Create my own sorcery.]


    This one was still vague, he had no idea what he was supposed to do and where to start. He needed someone''s help in this, most likely Lanesha.


    Last but not least.


    [3:Acquire that damn armor.]


    The final and most crucial reason he was doing this. Actually, it was the main reason. It was to acquire a legacy treasure of House Shivalkn, one that Ariel had crafted herself long, long ago. One that was the symbol of... Him.


    n closed his notebook, and closed his eyes as well, intending to take a good nights rest.

 Chapter 611: [611] Trip(4)

    Chapter 611: [611] Trip(4)


    ?


    With my bones aching, my body in pain and my muscles feeling like they had been ripped apart by a furious sh, I woke up, Or rather opened my eyes, tired as they were.


    I gazed at not the ceiling of my room, one that I had memorized even with my bad memory, I stared at a ck sky, starless, lusterless. A disgusting sky, with a cracked sun of ck obsidian.


    Yeah, a sun. A sun that was cracked like a mirror, a part of itpletely broken, raining down a ck liquid along with viscera. Scales, shadows, and the ck eye of a being drifted down the river birthed from that shattered sun.


    "... Timing."


    I muttered, weakly. My body was drained of strength, as usual in these nightmares. Or should I call them ''prophetic visions''? The terminology can be discussedter.


    "... Where am I now?"


    What was this? I looked up, right, down, but all I saw were shattered buildings...on top of a sea of darkness. Surprisingly, there weren''t corpses that could make entire mountain ranges this time. These nightmares of mine, shown to me by James, most likely, always had those. It was a surprise to not see any corpse this time around.


    The scenery was definitely stranger, though. Instead of a concrete surface I appeared to be standing on, there was a ck sea of darkness beneath me. It moved like it was water. Bending down, I ced my hand on it, only for it to be submerged.


    "Ouch!"


    I hurriedly yanked my hand away, the moment it was plunged in that darkness a sharp pain stung me. I looked at my poor hand, the one I mercilessly submerged in the sea of darkness... Or what remained of it.


    |||||


    There was only a wrist now... The sea had eaten my hand! That wasn''t an easy feat, goddammit! The power of the phoenix as well as the fact that I am a dragon made my body strong, very strong. It had an amazing regenerative factor as well.


    "No worries..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    I sighed as I moved my aura, and enhanced the healing effect. I found out I could do this with my aura, producing a blue me that would instantly heal my wounds. It was costly, but effective. Of course, the natural healing factor of my bloodline wasn''t anything to scoff at either.


    "Send me some ce normal, at least once..."


    I bent down and looked at the ck Sea of Darkness, despite me...well standing over it, I wasn''t submerged in it at all, I tried moving my feet forcefully but no luck, at least, I thought of submerging my feet in this ck Sea, and moved my foot.


    ||||


    I regenerated my poor foot a momentter.


    "Ok..."


    So, the sea won''t consume me if I don''t want to be consumed by it, huh... That''s easy to work with. I moved around and touched the ck stone of a building near me, one which also stood on this sea. It wasn''t a sea-faring vessel, from what I could perceive, it looked like an ordinary building with supports that would go beneath the ground. It stood perfectly still on this sea, but unfortunately I was unaware of what original glory and magnificence it may have possessed once.


    It was nothing but ruin now, like most of its kind. After having a few of these Nightmares, at questionable but beneficial times, I figured some things out.


    Firstly, I could interact with the inanimate or dead things in these nightmares. Whatever effect there was supposed to be from touching these strong...but dead beings dissipated. Like it was all an Illusion.


    But I know it wasn''t. It was more of me getting early ess to something that was bound to happen. The ''living'' things in these nightmares weren''t anything to scoff at. Fuck, I am downright terrified of anything ''living'' I see here. Those things, despite being a prophetic vision or whatever bullshit, can sense when I am looking at them.


    Stronger beings can always sense when a gaze is directed at them, always! The even stronger beings know when someone utters their name, no matter where they are, how far they are. The truly strong ones...know when someone is even thinking about them.


    Thankfully, I haven''t met thetter two types...


    "More like I''ve met them, but I''ve met them in situations where they don''t have the leisure to bother with me."


    I''ve had those brushes more times than I would like to count. Fuck you, James, not respectfully at all. Burn in hell, bastard.


    I continued to walk around this strange...ce. The sea of darkness beneath me moved like it


    a normal sea would, which created some difficulty. I identally thought of it as a normal sea sometimes and thought of myself being submerged in it...which led to an outrageous expenditure of aura.


    I got the hang of itter. I moved inside a building, one that was bigger than the rest and appeared to be a church of some sorts, well, I don''t know to be honest, this architecture is way too different. I guess I could say it felt like one...


    The inside sure seemed like a church, I guess. However, whatever deity they worshiped was disfigured now, only a mess of ck stone. I moved closer to the center where a statue was supposed to be, but all I found were writings. My ''gift'' tranted them to me easily.


    [


    O Great Veiled Wyrm of Shadowed Skies,


    Bearer of whispered secrets and veiled truths,


    In the twilight realm where shadows dance,


    We beseech thee, ancient keeper of the unseen paths,


    Grant us sight beyond mortal gaze,


    That we may navigate the abyssal depths,


    And rise as shadows d in your dusk-kissed scales.


    With reverence, we offer our souls to your obsidian maw,


    That we may be cloaked in the umbra of your wisdom,


    And forever dwell in the embrace of your twilight realm.


    O Dragon of Darkness, hear our plea, And let your darkness guide us through eternity.


    May Shivalkn rise forth, brought back it''s former glory! Savior of Dark Elves!]


    A prayer...and a promise? It seemed to be a prayer the Dark Elves made to worship... Valus, the Dragon of Darkness, and house Shivalkn.


    That was fine, I already expected this ''nightmare'' would have something to do with the


    Dragon of Darkness, Valus himself... What irks me is why they treat him like a god... Granted,


    Supreme beings are akin to gods, in a way. The god beasts are even worshiped as gods in their empire. But Dragon''s aren''t like that.


    We...don''t like this kind of treatment, I guess I could say. But, I can let that slide, It''s not


    something much to think about. With how the prayer is written, The dark elves must treat him like one, I don''t think Valus could do much about it, and as long as it gave them happiness, he


    must have let it slide.


    What truly irks me is...thest part of this prayer.


    [May Shivalkn rise forth, brought back to its former glory! Savior of Dark elves!]


    "... What do you mean by brought back to former glory?"

 Chapter 612: [612] Trip!(5)

    Chapter 612: [612] Trip!(5)


    ?


    [May Shivalkn rise forth, brought back to its former glory! Savior of Dark Elves!]


    What exactly do you mean by brought back to its former glory? Did Shivalkn fall in the past?


    ''Hard to believe...''


    Ariel was still there, Her... or rather my house would never fall as long as we had our guardian dragon, a primordial being, Ariel herself. She was our power, more than Valus, Kk, and Lanesha. One of the only seven in this universe. Grandmother...is a frightening being herself. Was it referring to something else... What could it be?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "The death of Shi...?"


    The eldest daughter of Ariel, The supreme of Death, and Kazikato''s mother, my aunt. She was dead, or had been killed. Was that what it referred to? The fall of glory?


    "It can''t be that..."


    I muttered under my breath, although that is most likely the case. Something doesn''t feel right, My gut is telling me that''s not the case.


    I was truly puzzled, if that was not what it meant, that what? How could shivalkn fall in glory, or whatever it was? Why...?


    "In the first ce... How was a Supreme even killed?"


    Well, I had seen it happen a few times, more than any being in this universe besides a supreme I guess, Aranus had in some personally. But that wasn''t the point, Even Aranus failed to truly eradicate one, He couldn''t make it so that they didn''t exist in the other iterations, with or without their memories.


    He couldn''t cause a true death to all...


    ... Most of them. At least...he couldn''t in the Nightmares I saw him ''kill'' one. Disregarding that, the death of Shi took ce at a moment in time where Aranus wasn''t even there! So how could a supreme die?


    I remembered that... I don''t know who it was but that she died to an ambush by the World Serpent, Jormungander, But... I guess I was really naive back then, or ignorant, to have believed that bullshit.


    Was it Lanesha? Or Kazikato? I can''t seem to remember. Who...was it?


    Letting out a sigh, I stopped trying to remember who it was and thought about the death of Shi more.


    I refused to believe that she died due to an ambush. A dragon of death, from what I have seen, always has an army of beings with them, as obscure as they may be, they are a walking army, all in one being. Capable of summoning beings of the same level, or even above them, if given time. Well, I doubt anything is above Ariel. Regardless, Shi should be different.


    Even if I don''t count that, Shi is not alone. She has Shivalkn. She as at a level where she knows when someone is thinking about them, or speaks their name or anything rted to her in any way. Valus, Kk, and Lanesha should be able toe to her aid at any moment.


    So how? How would it be an ambush? I can''t believe that her siblings didn''t help, or even her mother! And her mother is in an entirely different ss! Jormungander or whoever he is, that bastard shouldn''t be able to take down the strongest dragon in the Shivalkn house, second only to Ariel alone! In an ambush!


    Perhaps the pride in my blood refused to believe it, but there had to be some truth to it, if not all!


    "Therefore...it must not have been one. The world serpent must not have been the only one." But then, that is even more suspicious. The movement of a single supreme is too big, so much so that almost all beings of the same level, some even below, would feel it. Someone above it would definitely feel it! If multiple were involved, then it had to be known!


    Ariel, as dotting and caring of a mother and grandmother she is, would definitely have interfered! Valus, Kk, and Lanesha as well! Hell, as strong and close as the dragons are, they must have interfered as well.


    So how did she die, when Aranus wasn''t even born at that time? Any other supreme, I may have considered it...but how do you kill one that has control over death itself? It was the same as asking...


    ''How do you kill a god of death?''


    Maybe I am putting too much thought into this, But I really want to get into the bottom of it. Maybe having taken Ariel and Lanesha''s ichor must have awakened something inside me. A...revenge of sorts. It''s bleak, but it exists.


    "So... From what I know, The World Serpent, Jormungander, a supreme being, had killed Shi, the Supreme of death, in an ambush. That''s not true at all. Jormungander must have had some help, but why didn''t the other supreme stop it. More importantly... Ariel? Why did she not stop it? Her eldest child had died, and she did nothing?


    Not even get revenge? He heard Jormungander had gone into hiding...again from someone he can''t remember. How was that darn snake still alive, after having made an enemy of


    Shivalkn?


    Knowing Ariel''s temper, she would have stopped at nothing until she made sure Jormungander regretted his very existence, his birth, and would beg for death.


    But she hadn''t... He hadn''t seen a skeleton of arge snake in Ariel''s realm. He didn''t think his grandmother was merciful enough to simply kill him after having tortured him for a bit. He would personally torture someone like that for eternity. And Ariel was capable of it.


    So why...didn''t she?


    Questions filled my mind, perhaps of something far, far above me right now. Well, definitely above me, but I had no answers. And that was perhaps the most infuriating thing.


    To have so many questions, yet no answers. I wasn''t the schrly type, but if it bugged me this much, how much would it bug someone like Sabrina or Maxwell? I would definitely pay a lot to see Sabrina''s cute face contorted into a mentally agonizing pain like this, and I would kill to see Maxwell like that.


    But s, I don''t think I''ll ever get that opportunity. My eyes darted all around the ce, from the start of the prayer to the end, trying to get a few clues. But I couldn''t find anything, I stood up, and walked behind the stone where the prayer was written. I had caught a glimpse of writing here as well.


    I found it as well, on one of the broken pieces of the statue of Valus, presumably.


    I didn''t need to trante this writing at all with my ''gift''. Why would I? It was...my mother


    tongue I guess.


    Dragon tongue.

 Chapter 613: [613] Dragon Tongue.

    Chapter 613: [613] Dragon Tongue.


    ?


    The firstnguage to have existed in the universe, as old as time itself. Thenguage of the oldest and first beings of the universe, perhaps, Dragon Tongue. A mystical and ancientnguage, one that was imbued with magic properties that n couldn''t decipher at all. The root of all magic.


    It was changing, despite having been written in ck stone, the letters, or rather runes changed all the time, they were like a liquid, they were like a solid, and sometimes even gas. It changed continuously, the runes would sometimes join together, or be separate. Thenguage was a sorcery of its own.


    It was confusing, very, very confusing, yet I didn''t need to worry about tranting it. It was thenguage of the dragons, and I am a dragon. Only we and some individuals who had devoted their entire life to it, or had a high aptitude to magic, could hope to understand this. My hand, driven by a force not my own, moved up and touched the writings.


    A source of power filled me, I took a deep breath and instantly, I felt refreshed, brimming with power.


    "... Dragon tongue, huh."


    I continued to stare at it with amazement for a moment, my gift did not need to trante this at all. Despite having never seen it before, I knew what it meant. What every word meant, what it could ever mean. All the different meanings of his specie''splexnguage... Its secretid bare.


    "Shape shifter of the divine..."


    He read the text, the words that came out of his mouth weren''t English, nor any Earthennguage. It was anguage that influenced the world around him. It was amazing. n never felt so powerful, and this was simply the result of reciting written words.


    ''Shape shifter of the divine...''


    That was merely the first.


    "Trickster of the Profane..."


    These words, filled him with power and also took something from him, perhaps it was mana, or something else. He ignored the refreshing feeling, apanied by something else and continued.


    "Thoumitted a sin, thou broke the pact, consumed with sinful wrath, you struck the dragon of Shivalkn, The daughter of death."


    n stepped back, not of his own volition, but a force having acted on him. He felt his dragon heart churn out more mana than is body could handle, as if the damn thing was excited.


    "A being of primordial might, you were, yet failed to control your sin. A shame among the mightiest. Thou broke the path, and now, war will follow. One second only to the one waged against the void."


    It was strange, wasn''t it? The writings on the stone weren''t this long at all, they were so short. In English, the space they covered was merely about fifty average sized words. But the meaning they held was much more vast.


    "With your divine and profane children, you struck the daughter of death for reasons unknown, and thus incurred the mighty dragon''s wrath. You brought war."


    "You betrayed us once, and we forgave your transgression. But not now. Death wille. And indeed it came. What did you feel when her majesty, death itself, brought down the crucible of the end to your children? Reaping their lives, of their existences, as her chains held her back, she ughtered your children for your transgression. Forcing upon them a lifetime of endless torment."


    "But what did thou do? How did thou respond? Thou did not apologize, Thou forgot shame once more, Thou forgot guilt once more, Thou became no different from the void we vanquished. Thoumitted the gravest sin once more."


    "Thou betrayed, and thus, for your betrayal, your children shall weep, an endless torment they will be condemned too. Death will erase your bloodline, your legacy, your lineage and will make sure you


    regret. Regret her daughter''s pain.


    "How did thou feel when her majesty ended your existence? Did your forms help you? Did your lies help you? Did they deceive? Or did they seal thy fate?"


    "And thus, you died. Death came, and your primordial might could not stop it. Now, of your children, only the serpent of the World remains, and it shall meet the same fate. Death has now inherited your cursed sin, but it will not stop death from enacting her vengeance."


    That was it, the meaning behind the words ended right then and there. Wisps of mana left n''s nostrils and mouths. n''s heart had gone into overdrive, and produced ungodly amounts of mana in response to its tongue. The entire church was filled with a blue hue.


    That single line, held such a vast meaning. Once, he didn''t know what it could even meanpletely. Yet...it wasn''t it.


    The runes changed once more... No. They rewrote themselves, lower than the first line. On the floor beneath n. The runes this time were much more than the first. n bent down, fell to his knees, still reeling in from the amount of mana that now popted his vessel. Did he break through a minor rank? His aura had shrunk down, and was now afraid. It retreated to the dantian, and did not move a bit. Even trying to circte it didn''t help. It would just not move.


    n''s glowing eyes met the runes, and he began to recite them as well. The line was much longer, but it did not possess a vast meaning.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "The God beasts have been forgiven due to the Fire bird, Shivalkn recognizes the voyage of the fire bird to redeem the sins of the species. And thus, the Blood of Fire bird is granted safety among Draconiannds."


    "The house of Death will not forget the voyage into the unknown taken by the Fire bird."


    This time, it was not just his mana, but his blood also had a strange reaction. His cold body grew hot...and his aura increased. Fighting against his mana, it was finally given the confidence to rage forth, aided by his blood.


    "... This one is even more confusing."


    Even though the previous passage was confusing as well... He could understand it somewhat due to him having some context...and his own mind to draw conclusions... But this?


    He didn''t think he would understand the meaning behind this at all.


    One today, two tomorrow. Also, If the text is in italic, like this, it means dragon tongue is being spoken. See yater :D.

 Chapter 614: [614] Dragon tongue.

    Chapter 614: [614] Dragon tongue.


    ?


    The first part of the scripture that was written in dragon tongue mentioned a singr being, Shape Shifter of the Divine, Trickster of the profane. Although at first nce the titles may seem as if they belong to two different entities, the rest of the paragraph confirmed that it was indeed one.


    What was more... It was that ording to the passages, the Shape Shifter of the Divine, and trickster of the profane was a primordial being, one on the same level as Ariel, and the other heads of the Dragon Houses.


    If he was getting this right, The primordial being had attempted to kill shi whilst being consumed by sinful wrath... Well, attempt was maybe the wrong word, He seeded in it.


    Now it made sense, why a supreme of death could die. And how it happened before Ariel or the other supremes of the Shivalkn house could react. Certainly, if it was a primordial aided by his children, who should be of the supreme rank, then it was entirely possible.


    Shi had died to a primordial, and quickly as well. But he was wrong about one thing. The scripture stated that death hade to enact vengeance. Ariel...had gotten her revenge, and in quite a gruesome way as well.


    Death, or Ariel in this context, had apparently killed the Shape Shifter of the Divine, Trickster of the Profane, and also his entire bloodline. If he was topare ording to the empire of the dragons.


    Ariel had annihted the house of the Shape Shifter of the divine, trickster of the profane. The primordial entity who met his death was a god beast. The words ''Beastly blood'' and the other mentions of the god beasts hinted at that. No, it practically confirmed it. The Shape Shifter of the Divine and Trickster of the Profane was a primordial god beast.


    Who, unsightly and shameful of him and other beings of his rank, had fallen into a wrathful frenzy...and thus this resulted in Shi''s death. He was still confused by this part. How could a primordial be driven to wrath? Beings of his rank shouldn''t have had such a short temper...if they did, they would never reach their rank.


    ""


    ''On second thought...''


    Suddenly, he thought to himself...a certain primordial he knew also had a short temper... And that one was directly involved in the annihtion of the Shape Shifter of the Divine, and Trickster of the Profane.


    "... Maybe their long lives did something to their heads."


    n also noted that divinity and profanity were, once again, used for the same being, something that should be highly unlikely. The Shape Shifter of the Divine...and The trickster of the profane had a simrity to Ariel''s mentioning of having possessed both Divine and Unholy blood. If unholy meant profane in this context, of course.


    Furthermore, it hinted at two wars. One which was waged against the void, or something like that. It seemed that in this one, the God beasts and the dragons were allies of each other... However, that rtionship had soured due to a mistake the god beasts made in that war.


    They had been forgiven for such...but the actions of the Shape Shifter of the Divine and the Trickster of the Profane simultaneously had ruined the rtionship once more...and thus caused the second war.


    The war between the God beasts and the Dragons. He had very little information about this, he only knew that the Shape Shifter of the Divine, Trickster of the Profane and his children, all but Jormungander had died, killed by death itself. Their existences erased.


    He doubted that was thest of it, though, Ariel probably kept their souls to torture to pass time. Knowing her...definitely.


    This was new information, he didn''t know there used to be more than seven Primordials. There were two wars...so how many lives had been reaped in these? If there was something the God beasts and the Dragons had to ally against... it must have been dreadful. Did primordial beings die in that one? And was it just the Shape Shifter of the Divine, Trickster of the Profane, who had died in the war between God beasts and Dragons? Or were there more.


    Had a Primordial Dragon fallen, as well?


    "No, that can''t be right..."


    Aranus''s and Jame''s memory held the memories of the primordials of the Dragon Race, there were five, and they existed since the dawn of time. Now how much of that was true... he had to find that out himself.


    "What about the other one?"


    The first passage... he seemed to understand a little bit or more, but the second one? He waspletely oblivious to it. He could glean some things, though.


    The only being mentioned in this passage was the Phoenix, the fire bird, the progenitor of his bloodline. The one gifted to him by Suleras. Now... What did it mean by voyage into the void?


    He had previously thought it was an entity, due to how the words written in dragon tongue described it... But if the Phoenix has ventured into it, then did it not mean it was an area?


    So was the first war against something that spawned from this area, where the Phoenix took a voyage too... But then why?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The way the Fire bird was described...was like it was also a primordial being. So how did he have that being''s bloodline? Suleras had told him he defeated the Phoenix and acquired his bloodline... But now n learned that that was bullshit.


    Suleras, despite being the strongest, or one of the strongest supremes...could not defeat a Primordial no matter what. So how did he acquire the bloodline? That was not possible!


    He could discover the true origin''s of his bloodler, but what did the passage mean by the Voyage of the Phoenix. It described it having forgiven its species of their sins, and thus saving them from his species wrath. But what were these sins? The mistake that they had made during the first war against the void? Or the mistake of the Shape Shifter of The Divine, Trickster of the profane?


    "No, it''s got to be the first one. The Shape Shifter of the Divine, Trickster of the Profane, already paid for his mistakes..."


    He was still confused about the second passage shown to him by the words... But before he could contemte further, he heard an earth-shattering roar rock his entire body, and make the sea beneath his feet surge forth.


    His body stopped moving, as if he was in a trance. The darkness surrounding the church deepened, and blocked his vision. His vision...which could perfectly see during the night.


    Even dragon eyes couldn''t pierce it''s veil now, the abyssal darkness was frightening, and cold.


    ""


    It seemed the protagonist of this informative Nightmare had finally made his appearance, Valus, the Supreme of Darkness.

 Chapter 615: [615] Dragon of Darkness, Valus.

    Chapter 615: [615] Dragon of Darkness, Valus.


    ?


    The stars in this deste domain extinguished into oblivion itself, the sea of darkness below turned even cker, the darkness held within it''s depths escaping into the world above,


    unrestrained now.


    The dark clouds seemed to spew out ck lightning, but in this lightless world, they were near invisible, only the sound of devastating thunder proved their existence, The world, already dark, seemed to be even darker now, filled with darkness more sinister, and an excruciating cold. The shadow''s popting this world danced, and bowed down to the skies...where he came from, splitting the clouds of ck lightning apart.


    A dragon, wrought not of flesh but of pure darkness, an obsidian maw parted the world, taking it into it''s abyssal depths. The dragon''s body, pure darkness, revealed itself more and


    more.


    Each and every sinuous movement of the ethereal serpent dancing among the clouds sent a shiver down n''s spine, and caused ripples to appear in the world altogether. It''s eyes, twin orbs of the night itself, starless and lusterless, seemed to hold ancient wisdom...along with unbridled rage. The dragon himself was simr to n''s Frost dragon form.


    Or rather... Aranus''s dragon form. n thought he was perhaps looking at Aranus himself...but no, Although that dragon looked simr, it was not. That dragon was something else entirely.


    Just looking at the dragon bled his eyes... He closed them out of fear of being absorbed into the darkness thatposed it''s body, before he heard another roar. A roar he was familiar with all too well.


    The pure, true darkness surrounding this world seemed to be scared, and was driven back, before Valusmanded it and calmed it down, wielding it like his weapon. A portal of ck appeared, ginormous in size, and a dragon he was all too familiar with stepped out.


    The appearance of that dragon finally made it possible for him to see once more, this time even more clearly without the help of [Dragon Eyes].


    "So that''s...the Supreme of Darkness, Valus..."


    Suddenly, n stepped back, and fell on his butt, his face struck with terror. ''Shit...''


    He forgot that the stronger beings of this world could sense when a gaze was directed on them...and know who spoke their name, where and when.


    Thankfully, Valus seemed to be too upied with Aranus, who had spared no effort andunched into a massive frenzy, attacking Valus. Pure rage and sorrow, deeper than even Valus was what Aranus wielded as his weapon.


    The sea beneath him surged forth, bing spears, swords, axes, golems, arrows, ives, spikes, and many more the size of mountains, all that which wereunched at Aranus, the darkness of this world seemed to hold the same hatred for him as it''s master. Who hadmanded it to be an armor around his already, abyssal body.


    "... Alone?"


    n was surprised, seeing no more dragonse to fight. Was Valus...going to duke it out with Aranus alone.


    Only one word filled his mind.


    Suicide.


    ''That''s...suicide.''


    But what did they care? What did the two beings of amazing power in the skies care of an ant watching their struggle? What did they care for its wellbeing, it''s feelings?


    Their battle sent shockwaves devastating enough to injure n, even though he was so, so far away. Only their vague silhouettes could be seen in the clouds above. n hurriedly went back inside the church, avoiding their fight.


    "...I need to run."


    The shockwaves may not be that harmful right now, but he knew that if they moved even a little closer to him, his body would explode into a gory mess.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I need to run!"


    And he was right, the church he was in was disintegrated in a mere second, and his body was flung away. His bone''s broken and his muscles torn. His powers of the Phoenix failed to work, powerless against an onught of this level. It could do nothing.


    Nevertheless, although n was robbed of the ability to walk or run, he could still crawl.


    "shit..."


    He crawled away, unable to use mana because...of the sh of the two titans in the sky above. The mana of this world, did not listen to him at all, working to aid their master, Valus instead against the being that was the end of the universe himself...and the mana inside his body was too scared to even attempt something, for fear of the Supreme''s retaliation.


    The building''s around him evaporated, askes of blood fell from the sky, a rain of a gigantic proportion. ck darkness, and red blood, that is what fell, and wrecked havoc.


    The sea of darkness below, agitated, moved quicker than ever, throwing n around. It gave rise to Tsunamis that carried him away, ones of such power that although they crushed every bone in his body, and rendered his muscles immobile. But...there was some benefit to it. These waves were like a concrete wall that mmed into him and sent him flying far away from the battles.


    n endured it with gritted teeth, and thought to himself.


    ''It''ll be over soon.''


    No matter how strong Valus was, Aranus would still win, and when he did, this Nightmare would be over. If this nightmare was the same as the other ones.


    "Damn it..."


    Finally, he was so far, far away from the sh of the titans... although the journey here wasn''t even worth one star, he had made it far away.


    "Need to get moving again..."


    This was a fight that would epass this entire world, and he had to survive the aftermath of their blows. Although he was far away right now, he knew he only had a limited time to


    rest.


    There was only a raging sea below him, one which he could stand on. n saw ruins further ahead, and crawled over to them with all his might, hoping to survive until Aranus won.


    He could hear their roars, he could hear the wounds being inflicted, he could hear magic of unimaginable power being used like mundane magic, and he could hear the death throes of


    this world.


    Curious, he looked back, at the figures of the two titans duking it out with one another, focused only killing the other, and his heart reeled back in shock.


    "... No way."


    When...had he ever seen Aranus so heavily wounded?

 Chapter 616: [616] The supreme of Darkness, Valus!

    Chapter 616: [616] The supreme of Darkness, Valus!


    ?


    I woke up, my bed drowned in sweat, My cold body felt hot, my dragon heart beating wildly inside my chest, threatening to leave my body. I grabbed my neck to protect it with my hands, and coughed uncontrobly.


    "Oh my god!"


    Whose voice is that? I don''t know, my head is spinning, My body continues to sweat profusely, I can''t think straight, tears are running down my cheek and I struggle to breath.


    Am I...having a panic attack? Well...with what I''ve seen, I can''t really deny this. In fact, I think it''spletely reasonable.


    Thest moments of that abominable nightmare...


    "n, drink water now!"


    "Oi, Are you good?"


    "Boss?"


    Three voices, one female, two male. All of them younger than me. Before I could try to look up, A bottle of water shoved in my mouth, cold water trickled down my throat, and finally I was able to calm down.


    "Lay him down, Now!"


    The two males pushed my body down, and my back met my bed once more, Their hands were rough, filled with calluses.


    "Take a deep breath, twice."


    I did as the female said, and finally, after I had ''calmed'' down, I could figure out who they were. Sabrina, Alexander, and Kazikato stared down at me with concern in their eyes.


    I slowly stood up, and my eyes regained their focus.


    "Don''t just stand up again, rest for a few more minutes."


    Sabrina''s voice pierced my ears, Kazikato agreed with her.


    "Yeah, rest a bit, boss."


    Only Alexander continued to stare at me, however his eyes told me he was also thinking the same. The three of them continued to stare at me, and after regaining myposure once more, I calmed them down.


    "Nothing, just... a bad dream."


    A terrible one...


    "A nightmare?"


    "One that can make you like that? Damn."


    I ignored them and touched my neck once more, covering whatever of I could with my hands, breathing heavily.


    "Cut it out, Al, Can you tell us what happened?"


    I could see Sabrina looking straight at me, it''s a bit embarrassing, considering I don''t have anything to cover my upper body. But I can''t tell her what I saw... I don''t want to bebelled a psychopath, or a schizophrenic patient.


    Who would believe there existed a sea of darkness one could stand upon, but still submerge in it if not careful? That there were cities on this gruesome ce? That there existed a dragon made of pure darkness, battling the dragon that was considered the end...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Dragon of Darkness...


    "§¯§Ñ§Ñ...§¯§Ñ§Ñ§Ñ...."


    "Hey, drink more water."


    There it is again...the panic attack ising back. Thankfully, I was able to shrug it off once more, and looked Sabrina straight in the eyes.


    "... Why are all of you here?"


    I was wondering about this... Why are the three of them in my room? Wearing...a lot of essories, strangely enough. Shouldn''t they all be preparing to embark on the journey? "Shouldn''t you all be getting...ready?"


    They all looked at me with a repressed gaze, Alexander sighed and said.


    "Were already ready. Don''t you see all these essories? Maxwell tried his best to get anything that could resist the cold. We were waiting for you, you''rete."


    "... That man is probably ripping his hair out right now. You know how punctual he likes to be."


    Sabrina stayed quiet, still trying to offer me a bottle of water, but I refused, Kazikato and Alexander meanwhile took jabs at me.


    Alexander...had changed, not only was he taller, but he had gotten rid of his scared look and had undergone a true change in his physique... Even better than when he was training on Terra Damnum, His eyes had grown...deeper. I don''t know how to describe that, His hair also had streaks of silver, like lightning.


    Speaking of lightning...where is that damn dog? Was his name Festival? He stuck to Alexander


    a lot.


    "We should get going, can you stand up?"


    Sabrina asked, her face still tinged with worry, I put on a shirt and asked.


    "Howte am I?"


    "About seven hours?"


    My jaw dropped... I was the one pestering all of them to be ready on time, and here I am, the only one who waste. I sighed and opened a portal to the Predator meeting room.


    Meanwhile, Alexander kept babbling.


    "Finally, I get to see what the outside world is like...seven hourster than nned."


    I knew he was just trying to lighten the mood, since the paleness on my face hadn''t disappeared, but I would like to punch him right now, Kazikato just looked at him awkwardly, failing to understand. Sabrina...sighed.


    The portal was ready, and I said.


    "Alright... let''s go."


    However, they didn''t move."


    "n, rest for a bit."


    "What she said."


    "Boss, are you good?"


    Sabrina continued.


    "If you want to rest a little bit more, We can probably dy it."


    It touched my heart how they truly cared, but I knew I couldn''t just dy it like that. I''m the leader...the one who was also pestering them the entire week. I''m thest one who can afford to bete, to be perfectly honest. Besides, I would like to give Maxwell as less time as he could to devise insults if possible. I already know that man will tear my eyes out from anger. He probably spent many sleepless nights trying to prepare... So when he would probably hear that I spent my time sleeping instead of getting ready...


    "Ugh...."


    I shudder to imagine.


    I urged them all to hurriedly enter the portal, I already have all my stuff in my inventory, I don''t have anything else to pack at all. I was as ready as I could be...except for the sleeping.


    Alexander, Kazikato walked inside the portal, whilst Sabrina looked back at me.


    "Coming or not?"


    I entered together with her...and was met by a face I did not think Maxwell could make.


    I wonder who the real demon is...

 Chapter 617: [617] Preparations!

    Chapter 617: [617] Preparations!


    ?


    "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LIVID I AM RIGHT NOW?!"


    Spit, and a ton of anger were being directed right at n, Maxwell''s face had contorted into that of a ferocious demon lord, one who was the epitome of efficiency and would dere beingte a sin worthy of death.


    Yeah, That was him right now... And n was suffering. Not only did he have to endure the yelling, which was a chore on his enhanced hearing... He also had to block his nose. His face was covered in the Maxwell''s spit, all that came along with his furious screeches.


    "WHO WAS THE BASTARD THAT ALWAYS TOLD US TO NOT BE LATE BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FUCKING EVENT?!"


    The rest watched on as Maxwell continued doing this for thirty minutes, even their ears began to hear a ringing noise...they could only imagine how bad it was for n. Alexander and Kazikato already left the room to spare themselves.


    Sabrina, Alice, and Olivia watched on with both wonder and terror. Edward had long since passed out, and blood was oozing out of Emma''s fox-like ears.


    This was a first for Sabrina and Olivia, they didn''t think someone other than Sir Oliver or Arken had this much gall when dealing with n... No, this was even more surprising, since both of the above were stronger than n, this man, Maxwell was much weaker but had a more devastating effect.


    Alice was used to this, and was already brewing a cup of coffee for everyone, and checking the supplies.


    The girls were finally given a break when Alice handed over coffee to Maxwell, which stopped this punishment.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "... Emma!"


    Edward woke up, and held his weak sister, whose hair was dyed red from her blood. Thankfully, she survived. Alexander and Kazikato entered the room afterward, when they could no longer hear Maxwell screaming.


    n...was in the midst of seeing the others, multiple times. His eyes saw multiple Kazikato''s, Alice''s, Sabrina''s, Olivia''s, Edward''s, Emma''s, Alexander''s...


    His ears were ringing, a lot. His sense of bnce was already thrown under the bridge.


    "Phew, fucking idiot can''t even manage his own time."


    n didn''t bother with the curse. He raised his head with a surprised gaze, he was shocked to see the voice was much smoother! Much calmer!


    "... It stopped?"


    A glimmer of hope appeared on his face, which was distinguished by Maxwell''s bloodthirsty re. n whimpered and remained sitting down on his knees. Sabrina approached and offered him a cup of coffee as well.


    "... Are your ears okay?"


    "I''ve heard worse."


    He hadn''t.


    "Well... I think we should stop dying this and get on with?"


    Alice, the protagonist in this scenario calmed down, or rather defeated the demon king, Maxwell and calmed him down. Although the man was still visibly angry, he still got down to exining things.


    "I''ve bought enough supplies tost for a year, food, medical supplies, entertainment, artifacts, and a lot of other shit because of the generous time this fucker gave me."


    He didn''t forget n''s sin, of course. Not yet, at least.


    "We won''t have to worry about food and health, as long as Emma, Alice, and this cretin are with us. I believe Ms. Wellington also has healing skills? Anyway, even without them, I packed enough medical supplies to go with your barbaric antics. Housing and hygiene have also been prepared. We just need to put them in spatial inventories."


    "Wait, what did you mean by housing?"


    Alexander asked out of curiosity, his imagination did not really run wild like his fighting techniques, the poor soul they would make igloos or live in tents. Hell, even sleeping on the ground would be nice!


    Arken''s training on Terra Damnum had been so hard that he would be d to sleep on ground where nothing would sprout up to eat him whole. Solid, safe ground would be better than even the greatest bed on Earth.


    n was also...thinking the same.


    "Aren''t we living in tents?"


    Evident by his stupid question. Sabrina, Alice, and Olivia looked at him with disgust and disappointment. The poor soul did not even know what he did wrong! He was simply looking at them with confusion. Maxwell enjoyed this greatly.


    "It seems we live among barbarians. I thought it was simply your physiques that resembled one...but it appears the inside of your skull is the same, empty. This is the twenty-first century, idiots. Why live in tents?"


    Maxwell adjusted his sses, and gestured them to follow. He led them to a level even below the Portal where Twilight''s connection to the Labyrinth city in Gigantum was held. He entered a code into a keypad, and a door thick enough that it would take n a few punches or so opened up, revealing an underground warehouse.


    "There was something like this here?"


    n was bbergasted, along with Kazikato. Both of them never knew there was a hidden level down here! The size of a warehouse as well! Edward, Emma, and Alice didn''t seem too surprised. Alexander, Olivia, and Sabrina hadn''t ever visited the Guild building, so it was natural for them to not be surprised.


    Compared to those who had a track record of being here...


    Kazikato and n werepletely unaware of such arge space, they both thought that the level where the Portal was, was the end!


    "Stop gawking."


    Maxwell said as he pointed towards a massive vehicle the size of a house in the middle of the room, besides it was a mountain of wooden crates. The vehicle looked nd from the outside, covered with metallic tes thick enough to withstand a dozen''s of magical attacks. It wasn''t too pleasing to the eye...


    But Maxwell stared at it like it was his own child, like a doting father looking at his prodigy of


    a child.


    "...So beautiful."


    He muttered, his voice filled with awe and satisfaction.


    He then went on to exin the numerous features of the massive, armored steel behemoth, all with a smile of pure satisfaction and glee on his face. The others, particrly those who weren''t interested in it had to bear with the lengthy charade.

 Chapter 618: [618] Behemoth of Steel.

    Chapter 618: [618] Behemoth of Steel.


    ?


    "I present to you, the epitome of versatility and steel, and also my own money... The Arctic Titan!"


    With a face so proud and bright one could mistake it for a sun, Maxwell hurriedly began his lengthy exnation, afraid n and the other blockheads would tell him to stop.


    But no! Not today! He had spent a wide sum of seven million studs on this masterpiece! He was the father of this child! He had to proim his child''s abilities!


    Much to the dismay of the others...


    "Let''s start with the chassis-a masterwork of high-strength aluminum alloy and advanced carbon fiberposites. This isn''t just about looking impressive; it''s engineered to provide a robust, lightweight frame that can handle the rigors of any terrain. The frame''s modr design means it''s not only incredibly strong, but also adaptable and easy to maintain. Even n won''t be able to break this beauty! I also took care of the special needs you all told me too!"


    n probably could, Alexander and Kazikato as well...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All three looked at him with boredom, whilst the girls looked at it with interest. Perhaps he was doing it for them


    "Take a look at the suspension system-it''s like nothing you''ve ever seen. I, along with Twilight''s incredible engineers, incorporated state-of-the-art hydropneumatic suspension with active damping and adjustable ride height. Whether we are navigating through a snowy blizzard or cruising on a smooth highway, this system ensures that we experience unparalleledfort and stability. It wasn''t hard to make all this in a fucking week?!"


    He seemed to be losing himself along the way, either falling into sanity or a perverted form of love for this vehicle. Or rather the money spent into it.


    "Those eight wheels aren''t for show, you know! They can turn into tracks as well! No matter where we are, the Arctic Titan will travel perfectly! Snow? Rocks? Ha!"


    "Is he going crazy?"


    Alexander muttered, Kazikato and n nodded and said.


    "He''s like this, don''t mind it... It should end in about twenty minutes."


    "Make it thirty."


    The only reason n hadn''t knocked Maxwell out and put that thing in his inventory was because Sabrina was enjoying this exnation. Even she looked at the vehicle like it was an engineering wonder.


    "This beauty uses mana as fuel, so we can be sure to never run out of it as long as our two dragons are here, they can serve as the fuel source. In fact, I think n would be enough! He should be the willing generator due to his mistake."


    || ||


    "Not only that, but it has rooms for both men and the women! A kitchen, three bathrooms, and also a remote alchemyb! I tried to get a library but my apologies Mrs. Wellington, that was hard to fit in. The Alchemyb was previously the storage, but since we have spatial rings, we can just store our supplies there."


    Maxwell pointed to the tower of wooden crates.


    "Those are the supplies, now load them up in your spatial rings, and let me admire this beauty..."


    The rest got to work, whilst n looked at Maxwell with a strange gaze.


    "Ah...daddy will take care of you...that brute will not destroy you..."


    He was, kissing and hugging the vehicle. n, was having second thoughts.


    He had thought they would all stay in tents, but realizing that the cold there would be a problem with that. Therefore, he was willing to spend extra mana all the time to send the weaker members of the cohort into his domain to rest in the pce. Which had now been fully furnished with human furniture and other things, courtesy of Richard and the Twilight guild. Looking at Maxwell, engrossed in his perverted form of disying affection to an inanimate object, he suddenly didn''t have the heart to tell him that...


    He went towards the others and put various crates into his inventory, not paying any attention to what was inside. It took about ten minutes for them to load all the boxes, finally, he had to break it down to Maxwell that he would be putting his ''beauty'' in his spatial storage as well.


    "What?!"


    It had to be done, n knew Lanesha well, so he knew that she would just give him the coordinates of some deste ce in Lanekia, but he had to be prepared because of Ariel. Ariel was the barbarian in the Shivalkn house, she loved her spartan ways. There was no way of telling whether she would mess with the portal and drop them in the middle of nowhere.


    His contact being cut with Lanesha filled him with worry, he wasn''t worried about her safety...she was a supreme, after all. He was worried about his.


    "Does everybody have their artifacts equipped?"


    Everyone in the room besides him had an assortment of artifacts equipped, each of them designed to resist the cold as best s they could, furthermore, they were even wearing heavy clothing just in case, n was still wearing a T-shirt. He knew Lanekia''s cold environment would be more beneficial than harmful to him.


    As he heard Maxwell crying and desperately trying to stop him, He ordered Kazikato to carry the man and restrain him, before putting his beauty in his spatial storage, as Maxwell screamed for help.


    "Stop him! My baby must see the purpose it was built for!"


    "... Please calm down."


    Kazikato tried his best, he could restrain the man easily but hearing his cries for help was...hurtful.


    "I''m opening the portal, be ready."


    n warned them, since the portals he opened would have an effect on both worlds, as their atmosphere would invade each other through the portal, he reckoned this room was going to get cold pretty quickly. Earth''s atmosphere wouldn''t faze Lanekia at all... n would be d if the portal didn''t freeze the entire building.


    As a precautionary measure, he set up a barrier made from his own mana and enveloped both the room and his cohort, just to protect them in case things went awry.


    Then, he channeled his remaining mana and forced his dragon heart to generate as much as it could, and began to open the portal to Lanekia, the home of the frost dragons.

 Chapter 619: [619] Home of the frost dragons.

    Chapter 619: [619] Home of the frost dragons.


    ?


    It would not listen, it would not obey. Despite n''s best efforts to keep it restrained, to bend it to his will... It would refuse. Like it had a mind of its own.


    "Hey... aren''t you making it a bit too big...?"


    From the sides, Sabrina''s concerned voice could barely be heard, the torrent of mana that engulfed the warehouse drowned her voice in its furious roars... A chill so ancient and horrifying spread throughout the warehouse. It was not cold, it was something else, something much more profound.


    "I am... trying...!"


    n''s struggle could be visible, despite the blue light that had drowned the area, one could make out his vague silhouette kneeling towards the portal that had opened, obeying its will. Initially, n had wanted to make the portal as small as he could to prevent Lanekia''s atmosphere from entering Earth... but...


    He failed, he realized this toote, and when he tried to close the portal and try again... He could not do it. The portal that was supposed to close only grew in size, it consumed his mana like an endless hole that could not be filled. His dragon heart, both excited and drained, did it''s best to provide that mana.


    The portal to Lanekia, the home of the frost dragons, refused to be reduced to the small size n had originally nned for it. As if it was a sentient being, it thought of it to be a humiliation!


    "n! The entire warehouse is freezing!"


    ''Freezing? The entire ce is already covered in ice!''


    n could see that, and feel that the entire ce was covered in thick sheets of ice, and pretty soon the entire building would be affected, it was a matter of seconds.


    "Enter the damn portal, now!"


    He urged, thinking that he could close this thing if he transported to the other side. One by one, the entire team entered the portal, bearing through the chill with their artifacts and heavy clothing.


    n was thest one to enter, he forced himself through the portal as he heard a strange voice in his mind.


    A voice that was kind, gentle. Like a mother, and it was beckoning him toe over... Toe home.


    He exited the portal, and fell on the solid, cold ground below. His hands touched the hard surface and n took a deep breath, his eyes were closed...and he relished in his actions. That single breath had filled him with so much...energy!


    He took one more... The air was so pure, so clean, so refreshing. The air was filled with mana of a familiar kind, a cold mana that was ruthless to others, but to him? To a frost dragon? It was a gentle wind, a mother''s embrace.


    The others, felt as if their lungs had been pierced by a bunch of small des, each breath wasborious, each breath was torturous. But not to n, who finally opened his eyes, eager to see heaven itself,


    He saw...well, not the pearly gates and and made of clouds filled with trees and greenery. He instead saw a blue, hardened floor beneath him, wless, like marble. It seemed to be a brick of gargantuan size.


    To his side, Maxwell activated an artifact and Sabrina cast a spell, thebined effort made it so that the cohort could finally breathe well. Emma and Olivia heaved a sigh of relief. Kazikato, Alexander and Edward rxed a bit. They weren''t really disturbed by the breathing experience, but even they knew it would be troublesome if left untouched.


    As n continued to relish in the world, taking in deep breaths as if he was in a trance, the rest looked around, all they saw was a...void.


    "... Holy shit."


    Maxwell cursed, he could not see anything in the sky, or around him, only the bluend beneath him.


    "We are on... a bridge."


    Kazikato said, as he used his dragon eyes to pierce even further, but even his dragon eyes could not pierce much into this frozen world. Alexander, likely, was even worse off. The ''spirit'' he had contracted was now present, resting on his shoulder. It appeared to be tense, and stared at the ground for a while before saying.


    "... So this is what happened to you... Pathetic. The Frigid queen truly does take after her mother."


    Alexander spared him a weird nce, and urged him to exin something. He judged the wolf would be more help than the intoxicated n right now.


    "What? We have sessfully stepped foot on the home of not only a supreme being, but one of the majors of house Shivalkn, and also the home to every frost dragon that exists."


    Festul sighed and went back to sleep, or at least he pretended too. Alexander could see that he was wary, his hairs were on end, not due to the cold but because of something else.


    ''... He''s wary, huh.''


    He thought, before looking at Olivia to confirm whether she was ok. Sabrina, meanwhile, broke n out of his trance.


    Emma, and the rest took in the sights with excited eyes, although they could not see anything likend or otherndmarks in this void like area, they could see mana.


    Mana so thick, so dense that it took a corporeal form and floated in the air, in the form of snowkes. Perhaps floating was a wrong term...they were stuck in ce. It was as if...


    "The cold has stopped time itself..."


    Olivia muttered, Festul awoke from ''slumber'' andughed out loud.


    "Cold? This can be considered an oven. The frigid queen does know how to take care of her guests, at least."


    Everybody looked at Alexander with a strange gaze, He coughed and told Festul to calm down...and more importantly keep his mouth shut! n had woken up from his intoxicated state, although he still took in deep breaths with a smile on his face, he had regained rity.


    "Let''s go forward."


    He opened his inventory and took out the Arctic titan 5000, much due to Maxwell''s surprise and glee, who hurriedly got into the cockpit and ordered everyone to get inside. n jumped


    on the roof of the vehicle.


    "Aren''t youing in?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Alexander asked, everyone else had already retreated to the warm interior of the Arctic Titan.


    "No... I wish to enjoy this for a bit."


    "Suit yourself."


    Alexander didn''t bother wasting time trying to convince n, he got inside and embraced the warmth present inside.


    With a low roar, the Arctic Titan began to move, a gleefulughter could also be heard from the driver''spartment.

 Chapter 620: [620] The gate.

    Chapter 620: [620] The gate.


    ?


    The Arctic Titan hummed its mechanical tune, the sound of its gears, as it moved forth, undisturbed by anything in this long stretch of blue ice.


    The ice below them, although a bridge, was like the ground itself. n flew down once, trying to reach the ground below, but the ice was like a partition. It wasn''t like an ordinary bridge.


    Well, it was his fault for expecting the normal in this scenario.


    Relishing in the feeling of his body enjoying the environment, he returned to the top of the Arctic Titan and admired the frozen snowkes.


    Some were asrge as mountains, while the smallest was the size of a five-story building. Each held an absurd amount of Mana within it, as if the Mana around the world wasn''t enough.


    These snowkes were frozen in time, they did not move at all. n also found out that the cold here was much lower than what he had expected, giving worth to Festul''s words.


    "Lanesha must have prepared this."


    Although the others still felt a considerable chill, he found the cold on the home of the frost dragons to be... Lacking.


    He had long since taken his shirt off, and now wore only a simple ck vest. He wanted as much of his skin to be embraced by the world.


    The Arctic Titan moved on for what seemed like an eternity in this cold abyss, as they passed by countless snowkes.


    n soon fell asleep on top of the Arctic Titan, findingfort in this ce. He fell asleep so quick and defenselessly that it was a surprise to everyone inside the vehicle.


    [Leave him be, that kid is probably enjoying this.]


    Festul''s said, as he watched Alexander drink hot chocte with interest. He had already been amazed by the quality of Earth''s food, so his interest had been peaked. Unfortunately for the former supreme Being, Alexander refused to give it to him, afraid that it would poison him. Olivia, Sabrina, Alice and Emma all looked outside the windows to see the spectacle of the snowkes, and Maxwell drove the vehicle with glee.


    Kazikato remained motionless in the corner of the room inside the Arctic Titan, looking aimlessly at the ceiling.


    Edward was doing push-ups, in order to prepare himself. He was feeling ''uneasy'' the entire time.


    Hours passed, and soon everyone got bored, until Festul, Alexander, and Kazikato''s eyes perked up, and they became filled with worry and astonishment.


    Sabrina and the rest noticed, besides Maxwell, who was still in the cockpit.


    [Don''t look outside, close the shutters, and don''t dare to even try understanding the gaze.]


    They listened and closed the shutters, although they still didn''t understand what he meant in thetter parts of his warning.


    Olivia went to warn Maxwell, and Sabrina asked.


    "Alexander, do you mind... Ordering your spirit to exin a bit?"


    She also had her spirit, the dark cat, resting on her shoulder, but unfortunately it couldn''t speak. However, even it was scared.


    [You will feel it soon.]


    Those words made everyone tense, and they understood them soon enough.


    They felt as if they were being watched, by not one, but multiple, countless gazes.


    Each with power, each with authority.


    [They came to meet their prince.]


    Festul remarked, and got close to the heater to take a nap. Unbothered by those gazes. Everyone else knew what they were now.


    "The frost dragons..."


    Alice muttered, and everyone gulped. They could feel the gazes of countless dragons locked onto the vehicle as it continued moving forth.


    It seemed even the machine was tense. n had long since woken up, and although he too could feel the gazes and discern them more urately, he couldn''t see the beings they belonged too.


    The environment around the bridge, disregarding the snowkes, was like a fog that obscured everything. Nevertheless, he could feel their gazes focus on him more than anything else.


    He pretended to pay them no need, even though he was incredibly nervous. Finally, after what it seemed like an eternity of travel, he saw something else...


    The end of this bridge.


    The silhouette of a mountain, so vast and big that it appeared to be a wall, appeared in front of the cohort and the Arctic Titan. Maxwell gulped as he raced forth, and n continues observing the mountain.


    On second thought... It did seem to be a wall, one so big that he could not see the top or the ends, even with the help of his eyes. As they got closer, he could see the slopes of the mountain, once again, they didn''t seem like an ordinary slope.


    ||||


    But as they got closer, n realized that it wasn''t a mountain, and neither did it possess a slope. The ''slope'' was actually a symbol, an engraving. Once, he couldn''t see in full detail due to howrge the wall was.


    The mountain was actually a wall.


    And now, he could hear things.


    [So that is the prince?]


    [He bears the resemnce of her majesty.]


    [Lanekia is listening to him.]


    And more, each discussing only him, The voices were so loud, but also quiet. As if the dragons wanted him to hear them, but not at the same time.


    ''... Each one is above the Epic Rank.''


    All the dragons whose gazes he could feel, each possessed enough strength to decimate Earth


    a hundred times, easily.


    ''Can the others hear them, too?''


    n wondered if the rest could hear the dragon''s as well inside the Arctic titan, It should be the case, but who knew? His kin did possess powers beyond understanding.


    He didn''t know that the ones inside could also hear them, but not all of them. Maxwell, Alice, Edward and Emma couldn''t hear them as well, they could only hear an annoying whistling sound. Sabrina, and Olivia, could only hear a few words. Whilst Alexander and Kazikato could


    hear everything.


    [The son of her deceased highness is also here...]


    [I smell a mut, A godbeast?]


    [Quiet.] One voice made all the other voices disappear. Except a few...younger ones.


    [That''s the prince!]


    [What is that thing he is on? A beast?]


    The voice failed to make these quiet, n could sense that the new entries were of the Epic


    rank, some even SSS, and lower.


    ''Children?''


    These children were dragged away by the other Elder Dragons, although they were not happy


    about it at the least. Only one voice remained.


    [Enter the gate, Prince.]


    They were now in front of the wall, which was actually a gate. This dragon''s voice could be


    heard by everyone clearly, and n couldn''t even try to guess what rank he was. Only that he


    was...ancient.


    Everyone exited the vehicle, not out of their own will. An invisible force acted on them,


    forcing them to leave the Arctic Titan, and stand on the bridge, in front of the ''gate''.


    A deafening sound of ice cracking apart rang out, and a partition, as ck as night, appearedn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    in the middle of the gate, and it opened inward.


    n could only see an abyssal maw, and he would be lying if he said he was not afraid.


    The ancient dragon''s voice resounded once more, forcing everyone besides Kazikato and n


    to kneel.


    [Enter, Prince. The queen awaits.]

 Chapter 621: [621] The castle.

    Chapter 621: [621] The castle.


    ?


    Once again, I was met with a darkness my Dragon eyes couldn''t pierce. I could feel the ground beneath me, but not see it. The vastness of this space was outside my understanding. I felt that, even if I did have the ability to see, I would still not be able to see all of it. I would


    still...be unable to grasp it.


    The moment the Ancient dragon''s voice resounded out, I could feel my body respond. My very blood followed his will out of respect for him. I could feel so many gazes, but his gaze was the most profound, and the most terrifying.


    I could at least take a guess at what rank the others were, and be confident that I was right, But him?


    Never, his voice alone was enough to kill the entire cohort if he wanted too, A single thought of his could kill us.


    And yet, he was still not the strongest one on this. A filled with so many powerful beings I couldn''t even see myselfparing to yet, and in a couple of years.


    I cowered in front of his voice, So what would happen to me once I met Lanesha, in the flesh, and not as a projection this time? All the times she had visited me were in a form insulting to her true power. A humiliation.


    But now, I would be graced by her true body, her true power.


    "Ugh..."


    I felt cold, A chill. As I continued my trek, I could feel her power flow throughout this entire ce, like blood. Through this realm.


    I began to feel cold, a chill run down my body as I felt what the others felt. The cruelty of cold. An icy feeling enveloping my body, breathing air that held small des of coldness that would ravage my lungs, stripping me of my breath and bnce.


    Cold mist escaped my mouth, my dragon heart, excited and afraid, tried to keep my body going. And it was apanied by my will.


    [Fifty more steps, prince.]


    The voice of the dragon... I could hear it once more, as the frost ravaged my body, forgetting that I was its prince. It was like a cruel enemy.


    Nevertheless, I bore through it, as I lost feeling in my toes and my fingers, my nose and ears as well. Numb.


    Numb...


    The numbness expanded, and I could barely make out his words.


    [Ten more steps, prince.]


    ''Am I still moving?''


    I thought, as I lost feeling in my legs and arms, my limbs were all numb, and the jittering of my teeth did not stop, releasing an annoying and embarrassing tune.


    I tried to breathe, but it was painful. I could feel my tongue, throat, and lungs bleed and that blood freeze in a second. Sealing the small wounds, but also inflicting greater pain.


    [One more step, Prince.]


    What are you saying? My mind feels...frozen. No, it is frozen. And just like that, I felt the tether that connected me to the ground disappear and my body hit by biting wind, and I felt the tether once again as I copsed to the ground.


    And the coldness went away, taking the darkness with it. A dim, blue light was now present, showering me and this cold hell with its radiance. It came from blue mes hidden in obsidiannterns in the sky of this...pce.


    I recognized this... The patterns on the wall, although muchrger than the ones I was familiar with, The waterways at the sides, with glowing lights meant to guide one through his way. The floor, the ceiling... Actually, I couldn''t see that yet.


    It was the Jade Pce, the one I had...only much, much bigger and greater. My Jade Pce would be an insult to this hallway...which was it''s size. This hallway was the size of his entire castle.


    The waterways, to the side, glowed with their magical light and beckoned him to follow.


    [Follow the light, the queen awaits.]


    The dragon spoke for thest time, and n could feel his presence, that was like a suffocating noose tied on his neck, as well as a protective armor from the dangers of the world to leave.


    He was now alone, in this gargantuan ce, where his queen was waiting. His mother.


    He took a step, and felt as if the entire area around him warp. He felt as if he traversed the distance of multiple countries with a single step. The surrounding area that changed was proof. He heard cries, the cackling of thunder trapped in icy prisons. The roars of beings that could not be fathomed, all trapped in this...prison.


    The balcony of this pce, the garden, the rooms that popted it. All that were in his own pce as well... He crossed them, until he finally reached.


    A door of a smaller size than the one at the main entrance, but of much more profound power and worth.


    The door to the throne room, and on it, was the engraving of a dragon of frost that tore the skies apart, held thunder in its jaw and brought a giant of lightning down. Standing on top of it''s body, basking in the glory of the frozen hell.


    The diamond like eyes, the fearsome maws and the terrifying maw, the tail that could sever souls.


    The door opened, and when it did, n could only kneel, power left the space behind it that simply forced him too. That forced his blood, his body to kneel and only think of praise.


    ''Tik'' ''Tok''.


    The sounds of footsteps, each with enough magnitude to crushs, resounded, getting closer to him. He could not look up to see who it was that was walking towards him... But did


    he need to?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The queen had descended from her throne, to greet her chosen and her son.


    ''Tik'' Tok''.


    A supreme being, in the flesh, in her home, in her pce surrounded by loyal subjects, each with power. Each that would die for her, do anything she told them too.


    He was included, as well.


    ''Tik'' ''tok''.


    The footsteps, finally stopped. And n could see the ends of her dress, but even so he did not raise his head. It would be discourteous, and it would be a disgrace to her.


    Her soft hands touched his hair, his ears, and flowed down like water to his cheeks.


    Lanesha raised the face of her ''son'', and n could finally see her, in her truest form.

 Chapter 622: [622] Oh Supreme.

    Chapter 622: [622] Oh Supreme.


    ?


    As if the stars themselves had been plucked from their astral thrones to form the threads that made up her dress, an ethereal blue, one that was dark and light itself. Which covered her


    divine body from neck to toe. Her heavenly appearance appeared to be crafted most intricately by god herself, and her hair was like white wool... No, it was like the snow on this. Pure, clean, and mesmerizing.


    Her horns, all eight of them, were made from beautiful white me. The horns were unlike any other he had seen, they seemed to actually function like a fire, that was the manifestation of her bright and pure soul. They would dance, and express their joy of being on top of her head, like the divine crown of a deity.


    Her beauty could not be matched by anyone n had seen, and anyone he would see. Her eyes would scare most, if they looked at them without attention, a simr color to the sclera of her eyes, her pupils were like spotless white diamonds, simr to his own, but magnitudes better.


    The wealth of entires could not get even a nce from those eyes, and he was currently the center of them, he could see himself in that white void, in the diamonds of eternity themselves.


    [Did you have fun?]


    She asked, her voice as sweet as honey, and the smile with which she spoke so heavenly even angels would obey, and demons would revere.


    n could not answer, he was simply mesmerized. Not only his mind, but the very fact that he was a dragon, seeing a being of his species that had reached the top, One that stood at almost the zenith of existence. A supreme being, in the flesh.


    Her very existence demanded authority and loyalty from everything, everyone. Even dragons, Even God beasts.


    ''So...this is a supreme in the flesh.''


    Only that thought surfaced in his mind, and even then, it was for a mere moment. And he found himself responding to her question, as if it was the only natural thing to do.


    "It...was fun."


    He said, his voice didn''t contain any emotion, as if he was simply answering because he was ordered too. Nevertheless, it was true.


    He did have funing here, finally meeting multiple of his own race, of his on type, and being graced by his queen as well.


    n felt her hands leave, and in the blink of a moment, Lanesha sat on her frozen throne, It was also like the throne in the Jade Pce.


    "Does it remind you of something?"


    She asked, her voice did not contain anything ''special'' now. It contained nothing of value, of the sort. It was normal now. n somehow felt sad about that.


    She gestured for him to get closer, and n walked towards the throne.


    "Yeah, bad memories."


    "Bad? Haha."


    Sheughed, her eyes grew wistful for a moment. She looked off to the far distance, looking somewhere beyond the walls of her pce.


    "Yes, He should give you some bad memories..."


    She muttered something, n couldn''t hear it at all, somehow, despite being so close to her. He also couldn''t discern the emotions in her eyes and face, it was all a blur.


    "So... Can I know what I have to do on this? To get the coordinates of the other dragons of House Shivalkn? I don''t suppose you''re just going to give them to me."


    He actually hoped that would be the case. If he was by himself, he wouldn''t mind adhering to the Dragon''s Spartan like mindset and venturing off on an impossible journey, But he was with friends he cared about. He wouldn''t be affected, but they would be. They had not even faced Lanekia''s true cold, and already they were suffering.


    He wouldn''t mind if he was sent to face horrors beyondprehension if he were alone, but the problem is that he was not.


    "Already to the point? You resemble him in many ways."


    n felt irked at this, He hoped that she wasn''tparing to who he thought she was, He knew it probably was, but he still wanted it to not be the case.


    "Do you want to know about fate?"


    ||||


    ''Please no...''


    There she went again, beginning this talk about fate or not. He was tired of this!


    "It''s like an intricate web, one that epasses the entire universe itself, I''m not talking about the element of fate, the one that celestials wield to ward off the powers of chaos. It''s something else."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    n sighed, annoyed by the fact that she started without even waiting for his opinion, He prepared himself to hear a lengthy anecdote.


    "Every being, inanimate or not, living or dead, is within it. In its grasp. Each being serves a purpose, and it willplete that purpose without fail. Many tried to defy it, the blood of the being you possess also tried to do it. But they can''t. What they perceive as trying to do something else hardly changes the oue. Their efforts are useless, because the end result will be as fate intended. Destiny cannot be changed."


    "But... Does a being know what it is supposed to do? What if they perceive their destiny to be something else? A viin believing he is righteous, but he is not. A hero believing himself to be hope, to be a symbol that is incorruptible, indestructible. But he is doomed to fall."


    n finally showed some interest, hearing about the Phoenix once more. The bloodline he didn''t think to be that great had a lot of history, it seemed.


    "But what if they are correct? What if they perceive their destiny just as it was intended to be? And strive to be? Are they not pitiful? They know that something has nned everything for them, they know what they are to do as they are told, and they take pride in it. They take pride in simply following a way something built for them."


    "In the end, perhaps it is reasonable, those who know this also know that it is impossible to change it. So they ept it and continue with life, as the agonizing pain slowly consumes their mind. Some choose to even forget their knowledge of fate, just to do exactly as it intended, but for them to have peace of mind doing it."


    "n, what if something has no fate?"

 Chapter 623: [623] Oh supreme.

    Chapter 623: [623] Oh supreme.


    ?


    <<n, what if something has no fate?>>


    n was a bit taken aback by her question. She looked at him with eyes full of expectation, but unfortunately, she was looking at the wrong person.


    Whenever n met Lanesha these days in a physical or spiritual body, she would always talk about fate, always... He would always feel sick, as she never stopped talking about how marvelous and hideous it was. But then again, because he had been listening to her for so long about ''fate''. He did have a response.


    "Aren''t you contradicting yourself?"


    Her gaze deepened. n felt as if she was simply contradicting herself, all this time she went on and on about how everything, no matter howrge or insignificant, was connected to fate. That everything had a path to be followed, dictated by fate. She also mentioned how the fate she was talking about was different from the element of fate, that the celestials utilized.


    ording to her, everything had a destiny that must be followed, no matter what. Even those who knew their fate and tried to change it, as powerful as they were, were unable to do so. The most they were able to do was change minor things that would not dictate the end result. No matter what, their efforts would be futile to the end result dictated by fate.


    If it was fate, it must happen. It is bound to happen, and that cannot be changed, no matter what.


    "Yes, you''re right. That would be contradicting myself."


    She looked up towards the sky, or at least the ceiling of her colossal pce. n followed her gaze but couldn''t see the ceiling at all, only a mass of imprable darkness. He shivered, the recent nightmares rted to the Supreme of Darkness, Valus, did not help at all.


    She took a deep breath, her eyes, much like his, shone like the diamonds they were, and she looked down once more.


    "Isn''t the sky beautiful, n?"


    "... I don''t know, I can''t see it."


    "Oh."


    She looked once more and let out a chuckle. With a smile on her face, she said.


    "Well, you will be fascinated with the night sky of Lanekia, it''s much greater than that of Earth and...what do you call that other?"


    "Gigantia."


    "Ah, yes, that one!"


    "So...can I know why you called us here? For real now, please don''t talk about fate once more..."


    "Does a mother need a reason to see her son''s face?"


    Thankfully, She didn''t go on another lecture about fate, much to n''s liking. He tried his best to make sure that did not happen.


    "Fair enough, but why have your son be apanied by so many people?"


    Lanesha smiled, and said.


    "It''s because you alone won''t be able to aplish the trials set by mother." "What?"


    "She is so stingy, you know! I already tried my best to avoid this, but I just can''t with her! What more do you need to prove that you are worthy of my legacy? If I say that you are my son, and have shared mine and her ichor with you, epted you into my house as my own flesh and blood, what more do you have to prove?"


    ''Is she talking about... Ariel?''


    n thought, a bit bewildered by her outburst. Lanesha seemed to be displeased about whatever she was talking about. Regardless, n was happy this was not rted to fate.


    "So... I''m guessing Ariel wants me to...prove myself?"


    If that was the case, he was ready to do it, although he still didn''t understand why he had to bring the others here. He could understand Kazikato, since he was the actual son of her eldest child. Not like n.


    "Yes, and I can''t even say no because she is doing out of love and care for you! It''s quite annoying how mother decides to show affection."


    He had to agree with that, Ariel...wasn''t really someone who struck him as someone who could show affection. Especially ever since he had read those texts in his dreams. He didn''t know if they were truly authentic, but the dragon tongue seemed real to him at the very least.


    She was described as the being who created the very concept of death, of an end...so anyone that didn''t have chills whenever she was mentioned had to be insane. Could a being like that truly be capable of showing affection.


    ''... Actually...''


    The texts did also say how crazy she went after she lost her eldest daughter...and how she ripped apart The Shape-shifter of the Divine, Trickster of the Profane, a being who was also of the [Primordial] rank like her. He just didn''t know if he was someone who would actually receive her affection like Kazikato. He was, after all, not truly her blood from birth.


    Although she did go through the effort of creating the new version of the system though, as much as it wascking. n had a though that, if Ariel wanted, she could probably make this new system equal to the original, or even upgrade it in some aspects. That was up to her,


    though.


    ''Love, huh...''


    From Ariel of all dragons...the very dragon that would always try to mess with him whenever he was in her realm, and also made the process of absorbing her drop of ichor absolutely torture. Lanesha did describe her as someone strict or ''spartan'' like, but it was indeed too much. He didn''t have any hope of clearing whatever trials she had nned at his current level of strength.


    "n, as soon as I chose you and decided to give my blessing to you, you were family. Stop thinking about such thoughts."


    He felt as if he was flicked in the head, although Lanesha didn''t move at all, neither did she manipte mana to do it for her. She could always read his thoughts....unpleasant as it was.


    ''Whatever, it''s probably something way above my level.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    n sighed and left those thoughts of his behind, trying to ept it as it was. He asked.


    "So, what are these trials that I have to clear in order to get my... grandmother to approve of me?"


    He was actually going to call her something else, the title used to refer to someone that was the head of a family, but he didn''t quite know what it was. Patriarch? Matriarch? He judged it was probably one of those two and decided to ask the rest about itter.


    Lanesha''s smile vanished from her face, and she said in a somber tone.


    "You should be seeing them in front of you, soon enough?"


    n raised his brows, and looked in front of him, expecting a ck window to appear out of


    this thin-air.


    And soon it did.

 Chapter 624: [624]Trials of Shivalkulan.

    Chapter 624: [624]Trials of Shivalkn.


    ?


    The ck window materialized in front of him, the words upon it, written in the mighty dragon tongue, took some time to materialize and take upon their final shape.


    It read:


    [Trials of Shivalkn.]


    [1: Trial of Frost.]


    -Gain the approval of Lanesha (Completed).


    -Gain the approval of Azmakul.


    -Defeat what lies at the heart of Kizmal.


    Reward: Heart of Winter.


    [2: Trial of Shadows.]


    -Gain the approval of Kk.


    -Gain the approval of Shm.


    -Defeat 7 Shadow Beasts.


    Reward: Mantle of Shadows.


    [3: Trial of Darkness.]


    -Gain the approval of Valus.


    -Unknown.


    -Unknown.


    Reward: Heart of Darkness.


    [4: Trial of Death.]


    -Gain the approval of [Death].


    -Understand [Death.]


    -Use [Death].


    Reward: Panoply of Death.


    "I need to do all of that?"


    n stared at the disy with wide eyes, he looked up to Lanesha for confirmation, she simply nodded her head.


    "... Just a quick question, How long do you think this will take me?"


    She refused to answer, which only gave birth to bad estimates in n''s mind.


    ''Alright... Just try to look at it in a positive light.''


    He looked at all the trials he was given once more, thankfully, each set of trials had a different reward on their own, which was a saving grace if he was being honest. Not only would they be a satisfactory reward, but they would most likely be of help in the next set of trials as well.


    For the trial of frost, he had somehow already done the first one, which was to get his ''mother''s'' approval. That was the easiest of all of them. Now, for the other parts of the trial of frost... He had no idea who Azmakul was, and neither did he know what was meant by the Heart of Kizmal, however, just even thinking about it irked him.


    For the trials of shadows, the first two were the same, gaining the approval of two individuals. One being the Supreme Dragon of Shadows, Kk, and someone called Shm. Whilst thest one being about beating seven shadow beasts...


    If it was the same as in the Tower of Trials, that should be rtively easy... n was quite confident he would defeat that same shadow beast much easily now.


    ''Although I do have to take into ount that the tower''s trials were changed just to fit my level...''


    Once he thought about that, he scratched the idea of thest part of the trial of shadows being easy. The trials in the tower were rigged by the bastard that controlled it, but even then they were still made to be possible. Whatever he had faced there had been severely weakened.


    The trial of Darkness however, although having the same first part as the other two, had two unknown parts.


    "Does it mean that I have to get the approval of Valus first to unlock the rest of the things?" His face paled when he realized. If it truly was true, then he was in deep trouble. He was terrified of the Supreme of Darkness already...! He had hoped to do the other parts of the trial first and work his way up to that part. There was no order of things listed, so he thought that would be possible.


    It was hard for Lanesha to look at the sheer variety of faces n could make, some managed to make her chuckle, while some made her worry.


    "Don''t be discouraged, I know you can do them all easily!"


    She offered her some encouragement. It surprisingly had some effect on n as he, as saddened as he was, to move on to the final trial, the most ambiguous of all the trials.


    This one was different from the rest, it did not want any approval from any individual, but rather from [Death]. The skill he had got after he had absorbed the drop of ichor belonging to Ariel.


    It wanted him to gain the approval of the skill, as weird as that was. Understand it, and use it. It may seem the most simple out of them all, but n knew it was probably the most difficult. He couldn''t use the [Death] skill at all. No matter how much mana he used. Though, this was one he could start working on as soon as possible, since the others were most likely situated on thes of the respective supremes.


    After thinking for a while, he reckoned he should start getting information, he didn''t want to go in blind.


    "Can I know Azmakul is, and where the heart of Kizmal is, and what I have to defeat...in it?"


    Lanesha smiled, and answered. Her smile was enchanting.


    "Azmakul is the one who took care of me from the moment I was born, and is now the grand general of my armies. Someone you must treat with utmost respect. He will meet up with you soon when he is finished with some business. As for where the heart of Kizmal is..."


    She stood up from her grand throne, and waved her hand in the air, a rift appeared, the air broken like ss. n was shocked, everything about his own knowledge of the spatial attribute as well as his instincts told him it was rted to space, but he couldn''t understand how it worked at all.


    She hadn''t simply opened a rift, she did something else that he couldn''t understand yet. "Don''t worry, this is a medium tier space magic at best, I''m sure you would be able to do it


    soon."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One crystal, as smooth as ss and as t as a mirror the size of a palm appeared out of the rift, along with a handful of books, each having a special aura of their own.


    "The crystal will lead you to where you need to go, Azmakul will probably meet you during your journey there. As for the books... remember when I said I would try my best to give you an aura technique? I did my fair bit of research on the tribe of bird men and did a few


    transactions to acquire these..."


    The items floated over to him.

 Chapter 625: 625: Aura techniques.

    Chapter 625: 625: Aura techniques.


    ?


    The items floated over to n, who checked them for a bit before transporting them into his own inventory.


    "Those are aura breathing techniques, the ones I could find and acquire from the God beasts tribes rted to the Phoenix in any way, learn from them and create your own."


    "Create my own? Can''t I just practice the best one here?"


    He already had so many things to do, now he had to create an aura breathing technique as well? Was that not pushing it a little bit?!


    He had lost count of the amount of things he needed to aplish on this trip... and new things were being added by the minute!


    "n, You have the bloodline of a peculiar being. To be honest with you, I don''t know about aura and how it works that much. So..."


    "... So?"


    "I simply bought everything I could find on the market rting to any aura techniques that were practiced by tribes that once followed the Phoenix! I had to do a lot to just get those, you know."


    "What?"


    Were those books truly that valuable that even a supreme had a hard time getting her hands on them? They didn''t really look special at first nce.


    "Each tribe of God beasts practice their own aura breathing techniques that are suited for their blood and flesh. They are taught to their children since birth and highly guarded. Furthermore, Avian Tribes are especially strict with the security of their techniques, and with their scarcity it''s a blessing I could manage to even get those! Do you know how hard it is for dragons to evene across these things?"


    Although she had a valid point, n still couldn''t understand why he couldn''t just practice the best one among the books he had been given.


    Lanesha read his mind like an open book and began to exin.


    "You can try, but the results will be minimal. These were passed down by the Phoenix to his descendants a long time ago, derived from his own so...


    ||


    She went quiet for a bit, n anxiously waited for her next words, anticipating some guidance.


    "I thought that since you have the bloodline of the Phoenix... these techniques would react in some way and that could lead you to new heights. God beasts ce a lot of importance on heritage, after all. And you are also not a bird, n, but a dragon. Therefore, try creating a new one using these as a reference. I think it will be better for you."


    n sighed, Lanesha had made sense with her words, and it was wise to trust her regarding these things. He himself had no idea how the God beasts worked as well, so following Lanesha''s advice would be optimal.


    "So am I done here, now? Can I go?"


    Lanesha had a sad look on her face, as if she was displeased by n''s desire to leave.


    "What a great son I have, He doesn''t even want to see his mother."


    She tried not to, but she couldn''t help but chuckle at her own words. It was refreshing to her.


    ||


    n could only remain silent, not knowing what to say. Thankfully, Lanesha didn''t seem to hold a grudge.


    "No, I have just one thing to give you."


    She raised her hand once more, and another thing appeared from the rift. n would be lying


    if he said he didn''t have some grand expectations. If it was something that would help him, he would dly take it.


    But, even he didn''t expect this.


    ''Chaos...!''


    As soon as he felt it, he took a few steps back out of reflex and conjured four shields out of his own mana to protect himself, and just as he was about to transform into a half-draconian as well, Lanesha stopped him.


    "Be calm."


    Her words brought his instincts down and he rxed a little bit. But he didn''t let down his defenses. Lanesha sighed, seeing this, and began to user her own mana. It flowed out from her body and covered whatever it was that she took out.


    It became a prison for it, a crystal made of dark blue ice encased it and the chaotic mana that it released was destroyed by Lanesha''s own.


    "I even told him to restrict it as much as possible."


    She mumbled, n couldn''t hear at all, despite his heightened senses. Taking a closer look at the crystal, he found a drop of blood trapped within it. The color was hard to discern due to the prison it was bound in, but n didn''t need to see the color.


    The subtle traces of mana that lingered, as well as what he had felt previously, told him that it was an item pertaining to the element of chaos.


    "It''s Suleras''s drop of ichor. Do you know why I talked about fate a while before, n?"


    "Wait! Please, no more talk about fate!"


    All the danger he just felt from that drop of blood, or ichor in this case, disappeared like the drop of a hat as soon as Lanesha mentioned fate, He wanted to avoid this discussion in


    particr.


    "Please, no more talk about fate!"


    He bowed down and mmed his head on the floor of the magnificent throne room, and Lanesha was...frustrated.


    "... Listen to me first! I said it was useless to avoid it, so that''s what I''m doing!"


    She raised her finger, which in turn, raised n off the ground and made him stand, he was powerless against whatever mysterious force was moving him around like this.


    "I''m giving this to you because I judged I should listen to my own ramblings for once! Take


    it!"


    Now, she was furious and a little bit of hurt. The orb floated over to n at a blinding speed and hit him in the stomach, forcing him to keel over. Immediately, he jumped back as far as he


    could.


    "Hey! Isn''t that bad for me?!"


    "It''s your father''s drop of ichor! He is your guardian dragon, too."


    "He hasn''t even shown himself for months! And what do you mean by father?"


    "Be quiet and ce it in your inventory!"


    n did as she asked, but with great caution, he made sure to not touch the crystal at all and moved it with only his mana, But before he could put it in his inventory...


    "Now go!"


    "Wait, at least tell me what you meant by father? You are okay, but him?!"


    Next thing he knew, he was outside the massive gate that he previously entered, and Lanesha was nowhere to be seen. The crystal dropped to the ground with a clink, and rolled over ton/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    him.


    "Hiek!"


    He screamed and jumped, but the damn thing kept making its way towards him!


    "Go into my damn inventory!"


    He used his mana and tried to force the crystal to go inside his inventory but...


    He was rejected! The crystal wouldn''t go into his inventory at all, making him forced to carry


    it with a hand made of mana.


    "..."


    ''Please don''t do anything to me...''


    He stood up and began to make his way back towards the group, taking in the sights of snowkes asrge as buildings. The cold wind here was a bonus as well, it calmed his heart.


    "What do I do with you?"


    He looked at the dark blue crystal, troubled by its very existence. He didn''t even know what Lanesha even wanted him to do with it! Not only that, but he couldn''t even transfer the cursed


    thing into his inventory.


    Eventually, he made it back to the Arctic Titan, He could sense the group inside, and they


    seemed to be safe. Albeit a little bit cold.


    Maxwell, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, noticed him, waved.


    He opened the doors of the Arctic Titan and n jumped into the passenger seat beside him.


    "Close the door, it''s cold out here."


    He said, whilst fully dressed in cold-proof clothing, as well as having multiple thermal artifacts activated...and also with the Arctic Titan''s built-in heating system...


    n didn''t me him though, he wasn''t feeling cold at all, but he knew the group had


    pathetic levels of resistance to the element of frost.


    "What''s that?"


    He asked, pointing towards the crystal floating beside n. n looked at it with a troubled


    gaze, and said.


    "Get me a box, I need to put this thing away as soon as possible."


    "?"


    He refused to borate further, and opened the door leading to the mainpartment of the


    Arctic Titan, where everyone was. Maxwell followed him.


    He saw Kazikato was still sleeping on the couch, Alexander was with his wolf, and Sabrina, Olivia, and Alice were together, enjoying coffee at the table.


    As soon as he entered, Kazikato, Alex, and his wolf had the biggest reaction.


    "What the fuck is that?"


    Alexander questioned, his hand on the hilt of his sword as he looked at the crystal floating


    besides n, Kazikato fell from the couch and retreated as far as he could, whilst Alex''s wolf, Festul appeared to be visibly displeased, as much as he could disy with his face.


    The three human girls, didn''t really have a reaction to the crystal. Sabrina weed him


    back.


    "Wee back."


    Alice and Olivia paid more attention to the reactions of the others, Maxwell as well. He


    hurried to get a box and handed it to n. He judged it should be done as soon as possible, the


    moment he saw the reactions of the rest.


    He could ask all the questions he wantedter.


    n put the crystal into the box, and sighed in relief when he ced it on the table, saying.


    "It''s best not to open this thing again."


    He sat down on the couch, refusing to exin things to the others, and simply looked at the


    ceiling of the arctic titan.


    He sighed once more, this time, it was more out of exhaustion.


    ''I have so much to do...''

 Chapter 626: To the heart of Kizmal!

    Chapter 626: To the heart of Kizmal!


    ?


    After I had been done with my business of looking at the ceiling of the arctic titan and had finally calmed my thoughts, I exined to the rest of the group what we needed to do. Information of all the trials, what I would get from them, and an estimate of how long it would take me to do them.


    I also informed them that they would be able to go to Earth whenever they wanted, courtesy of me, of course. Since I was a spatial mage, trips to Earth or Gigantia were possible whenever we ran low on supplies or needed to refresh our minds.


    They were not obligated to participate in these trials of mine, I would appreciate the help...but how much would they be able to help? Only Kazikato and Alexander would be somewhat useful, I don''t want to involve Sabrina in anything dangerous, and Olivia, Alice, and Maxwell are...well useless.


    "Hey, why do I feel like you''re thinking something bad about me?"


    Alice scratched her ears and pouted.


    ''Can everyone read my thoughts, or something?''


    I thought, looking at her with newfound admiration. I handed over the crystal Lanesha gave me over to Maxwell, and told him how to use it.


    "So we go wherever this thing leads us to, huh, Alright."


    He ced the crystal down on the table after examining it for a bit, and nced at the box that had the ichor of Suleras.


    "Don''t look at it, keep that thing somewhere isted from everyone else."


    I warned him, although only Alexander, his wolf, and Kazikato were able to feel the chaos mana it exuded, I didn''t want anyone else to have any ideas, influenced by it or not.


    "Sure, no problem."


    Maxwell took a seat on the table, and suddenly smiled, I didn''t like that smile of his.


    "Alright! Now that you have exined what the purpose ofing here is, I think I need to ask some questions."


    Without even giving anyone else a chance to say anything, he continued.


    "I think everyone here, well except for Olivia since she isn''t in the guild, has a right to hear this..."


    With that sentence, everyone''s attention was drawn to him, even Kazikato''s. Maxwell''s eyes were shining, and he moved his shoulders in a weird fashion, as if he was excited to ask...


    "So, how great is our backing?"


    ".....?"


    I didn''t quite understand what he meant, and I don''t think anyone else did as well, Alex and Kazikato had the same face as me...


    Maxwell, looking at the reactions of everyone, exined.


    "Sorry, I should have rephrased it better. n, the purpose of youing here, with us, is so you can prove yourself to your house...Shivalkn, right? In order to get some treasures and whatnot."


    I nodded, and waited for him to continue.


    "So, we know what we have to aplish here, but are in the dark everywhere else. Like, How does the Empire of the Dragon''s function? How manys are in their control? 10? 20? What is their inner workings and some information about your house, so I can explo- use them to our advantage if things go rough."


    And to that... I had no idea how to respond.


    How was I supposed to know how the empire functioned? I knew the names and appearances of some of the major dragons involved, some of the houses, however I did not know anything about how many worlds we controlled...I guess I could say something about House Shivalkn though...?


    But before I could say anything, to my and everyone''s shock. Someone else exined things very...well. Surprisingly. Thest person I had expected to bother speaking actually knew more than me!


    "Uhh, I can answer that. Grandma told me that there were like five major houses in the empire, we control about sixty percent of the universe if we don''t count the abyssal realms and the celestial realm... Uhh... We have about... How manys was it?"


    Everyone, except for Festul, was shocked to see Kazikato out of everyone else exining things. Whilst everyone else was still stupefied, only Maxwell encouraged him to go on, a wild thirst visible in his eyes...and with how he was salivating...


    "I think it''s about a few thousands, Most of them aren''t habitable, and only a few have ces where species under us actually live and exist. Though Grandma did say those ces could be turned into habitables easily if the poption demanded it... Umm, there is a dragon king, a queen, a prince, and whatever else an empire has. We have our own home world... I forgot the name though..."


    "Kazikato, how the hell do you know all of this?"


    Before he could continue any further, I stopped him,pletely shocked due to how much he knew. I needed some answers too!


    "Grandma forced me to memorize a lot of stuff when I was with her... It was fun! Though I forgot a lot of stuff."


    "She really does dot on you too much..."


    "Ahem! NO further interruptions, Kazikato, continue, please."


    Maxwell stopped me from interfering with fire in his eyes, but when he looked at Kazikato, they were as gentle as the sea breeze.


    "What else do you want to know?"


    "I think about your house, Shivalkn. Please give us an introduction."


    "Umm, Grandma is the head of the house, although she spends most of her time sleeping... Uncle Valus and Aunty Lanesha are the ones that manage most of the stuff, I think. I don''t know about what Uncle Kk does though, all of them are supreme beings..."


    The glow in Maxwell''s eyes only seemed to grow, but despite what the actions of his body might betray, he never interrupted Kazikato and only focused on what he had to say.


    "We are also called the house of death, We have about...500 or sos within our control, although only 20 of them are where species loyal to us live. I think about 10 are agriculturals, 5 are for minerals, and the rest are housings."


    "Yes, yes, and what about the species loyal to you? How many are there, and what are their names?"


    To that, Kazikato thought for a while until answering.


    "I don''t know, there were way too many when Grandma exined the stuff to me, I think the Dark Elves are the main one though...along with Frost Elves, Dark dwarves...and others I don''tn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    know about..."


    Everyone was startled at all the information... especially when it came from Kazikato out of


    all the people.


    The very next thing I knew, Maxwell appeared in front of me with a speed akin to my teleports. He began to massage my shoulders, with as much strength as he could manage, and


    stared at me with eyes I was afraid of...


    "So, my dear prince of death..."

 Chapter 627: [627] To the heart of Kizmal(2)

    Chapter 627: [627] To the heart of Kizmal(2)


    ?


    "So, my dear prince of death... what must this humble ''friend'' of yours do to make sure weplete these trials."


    At that moment, I was afraid of the sheer greed and excitement disyed in Maxwell''s eyes, He wasn''t even making an effort to hide it anymore.


    He didn''t wait for my answer, instead he jolted his head as if he just remembered something.


    He ran to the table and picked up thepass that would lead us to the heart of Kizmal, and said excitedly.


    "We need to go where this leads us to, right?! Worry not, I''ll have us there as quick as the Arctic Titan can go!"


    He went over to the driver''spartment, jumping and kicking his legs like a little kid with a greedy shine in his eyes, and soon enough, we could hear and feel the roar of the vehicle as it came to life and began to make its way through Lanekia.


    "I think you told him too much, Kazikato..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Alice said, as she finished her coffee and asked me if I wanted some, I nodded. Olivia, on the other hand, as curious as she was, asked me about the box on the table...


    "So, I know we aren''t supposed to touch it or go near it, but what is it though?"


    I didn''t want to answer her question at all, hoping to avoid it, I stayed silent, thinking that maybe she would get the hint.


    She did, but someone else did not.


    "It smells terrible..."


    Alexander mumbled to the side, and Kazikato shared his sentiments...whilst adding the worstment he could ever add.


    "True, it reeks of chaos mana too..."


    As soon as he said that, Olivia jumped back, and looked at the box with fearful eyes. Sabrina continued to stare at it with curious eyes. I couldn''t help but notice those eyes ncing at me too.


    "It''s not harmless."


    Festul, Alexander''s wolf, answered in my stead, looking at the box with peculiar eyes. "It''s a drop of ichor, Supreme beings and other divine entities give it to their sessors, it bestows them with special powers rted to the being it originates from."


    Alexander''s ears perked up from this.


    "Where is mine?"


    I quickly got up and made the box float over to me, and made my way towards the driverpartment, I intended to sit with Maxwell as he drove the arctic titan than stay here and be asked more questions about the damn thing. I didn''t want anyone asking why it contains chaos mana out of everything...


    Not only that, but I could feel Sabrina''s gaze piercing into my back as I closed the door and sat next to Maxwell, I could still hear Alexander and Festul bickering.


    "My dear prince of death, plea-"


    "Stop that, just act normal, man. And stop with the prince of death thing, it''s cringe."


    I stopped Maxwell''s attempt to butter up to me and slowly watched as the Arctic Titan march forward in the bridge, I took out the list I made before departing, and also the books Lanesha had given me.


    With the list, I could make do with the aura rted issue with the help of the books bestowed upon me by Lanesha, creating my own sorcery, whatever that meant was still ambiguous, and as for strengthening my team...


    I only needed to pay attention to Emma and Edward...


    "Wait..."


    I just realized something.


    "Where the hell are Edward and Emma?"


    I turned and asked Maxwell, Ipletely forgot about those two... I didn''t even see them at


    all!


    "Edward is on the roof of the Arctic Titan, apparently he wanted to train himself against the cold, Emma should be sleeping."


    "Oh, Okay."


    "By the way, what are those?"


    Maxwell pointed towards the books and asked with interest in his eyes, I answered his question.


    "Manuals, for aura breathing techniques, I n on studying them and developing my own aura breathing technique."


    He stayed silent for a while, his eyes shifting from and the books. I grew annoyed...because I knew exactly what he was going to ask.


    ''You, study? BWAHAHA.''


    I could even picture the multiple facial expressions this bastard was capable of making, and what he would say! I found it very hard to resist punching him, even though he hadn''t the actual words.


    I ignored his dubious gaze and stopped him before he could say anything and picked up one of the books. Thanks to my ability as a dragon to understand allnguages, I figured I would be done with all of them in about a week.


    Time passed, and it was quite enjoyable. I was surrounding only by the sounds of flipping pages, the hum of the arctic titan as it moved, and sometimes Maxwell humming. He was surprisingly good at it, The chaos at the mainpartment of the Arctic Titan as well.


    Sabrina came in during that time, bringing in two cups of coffee, she stayed for a while, asking me about the book I was reading. I was thankful that at least she didn''t show me the look Maxwell gave.


    She showed great interest in the books, and asked me to trante a few for her when I was done, I found that to be a bit of a useless request. These were useless to her, after all, but I guess I could do it for her.


    Hours passed, Maxwell and I took turns in driving the Arctic Titan whenever he grew tired or sleepy, the surrounding scenery didn''t change much.


    Before I knew, those hours turned into days, with each day I made more progress in learning about the various manuals, and found myself to be enjoying them, there was an incident where Edward fell off the Arctic titan, as a statue of ice and troubled his sister greatly.


    Both Maxwell and I had a goodugh at how we forgot he was still up there, enduring the brutal cold like a maniac.


    And finally, after a week had passed, we finally made it to the end of this absurdly long construct that was the bridge like construct that led to Lanesha''s castle...


    And as soon as left it, the change we could was palpable...to say the least.

 Chapter 628: [628] To the heart of Kizmal(3).

    Chapter 628: [628] To the heart of Kizmal(3).


    ?


    The change was incredible, and mysterious.


    Just before they reached the end of the bridge, Large columns of ice, each adorned with decorations and symbols, rose up from the abyss below the bridge, some to support the bridge, and some to form a massive arch at the end of the bridge.


    To n''s dismay, there was not a statue of arge dragon at the top of the arch, but merely that of a simple snowke. Examining the way the mana moved around the pirs of ice and the arch, n deduced that there was some sort of barrier around the ce. That notion was further strengthened by the fact that he couldn''t see far beyond the arch.


    He noted one more interesting thing though, while most of therge pirs of ice that rose from the abyss were normal and sturdy, one was surprisingly hollow, with small gems that produced light within it. He didn''t know what purpose it served, though, neither did he find an entrance.


    All he knew was that it led to somewhere in the dark abyss, How and why, he didn''t know. Even dragon eyes couldn''t help him see what was hidden below. Either the chasm was extremely massive that even Dragon eyes couldn''t see what was below, or there was something blocking it.


    The arctic titan made its way towards the arch, and as it got closer...the space between started to ripple and twist, the air was torn apart, or rather molded apart like a giant hand was making a hole through it. The hole stopped expanding until it was big enough for the Arctic Titan to pass through.


    n could see the white expanse beyond the hole that was made, as well as everyone else. "Whoa."


    Edward let out a gasp, amazed at the sight, there were still some chunks of ice stuck to his body. Everyone was in the drivers''partment right now, making it a little cramped, but no one really cared. They were simply enjoying the sights of a new world.


    "Is that safe to go through?"


    Maxwell asked, and n merely shrugged his shoulders.


    "Should be."


    With a sigh, he began to move the Arctic Titan through the hole, whilst n and the rest, some happy or not, bid the expanse of dark blue nothingness and snowkes goodbye. n was the first to notice the change as the Arctic Titan made it through the rift, which closed behind it quickly after.


    ''A solid thirty degree drop...''


    To the rest, such a drop in temperature wasn''t really felt...they were still as cold as before, but it was refreshing to n, he would have opened the window beside him to take a deep breath had the rest not been here.


    He didn''t want to use Dragon eyes, even without them, he could see vast particles of cyan light, which were particles of frost mana all around. Courtesy of his race, of course. Using Dragon eyes would probably just block his visionpletely.


    "... It''s surprisingly normal."


    Sabrina said, if she was being honest, she had expected a little more. There was a road of bricks carved into the ground, it was incredibly wide, and on the boundary there was a forest of trees.


    The trees had white bark, and ck leaves, they were at least ten meters tall and each one of them responded to the cold wind equally. The dark veil of clouds above provided quite a refreshing but sharp breeze. Somehow, there was light.


    n felt someone poking his shoulder, he turned his head to find Alice and Sabrina staring at him.


    "What?"


    They pointed to the trees, and the other such vegetation in the forest, as much as they could


    see.


    "Can you bring me a sample of everything? I want to see if I can use anything in alchemy and what it''s properties would be."


    Alice now possessed the same greed he saw in Maxwell''s eyes, a while prior. Sabrina added. "Be gentle with them, please... I want to study and document them too."


    He left the arctic titan to goplete the task, wondering how the Frost dragons would feel, seeing their prince doing tasks like these...


    "... Strange..."


    As n''s silhouette disappeared into the forest, Festul couldn''t help but mutter as he used his own powers to peer as far as he could... and he was shocked.


    "What is it?"


    Alexander asked the wolf pup sitting on his shoulder, but didn''t press Festul any further until he was done with his own investigation. The attention of everyone was on Festul now.


    "... It is strange how barren it is."


    Finally, he said something and slumped down Alexander''s shoulder, forcing Alexander to carry the pup in his arms.


    "I don''t think there are many species that would prefer living in this cold environment..."


    Maxwell said, and Sabrina chimed in.


    "They could have adapted though, look at the road."


    "That''s not it."


    Before they coulde to conclusions on their own, Festul exined.


    "Lanekia is one of the three most popteds of House Shivalkn, No matter how big


    it is, there should be some sign of civilization other than the roads..."


    He continued.


    "The roads were also...carved into the nd'' recently, there aren''t any branching paths... Only this road. No people, No vehicles,ndmarks and neither is there any source of life besides the


    life."


    When they heard his words, they couldn''t help but try their own skills to look as far as they could, Sabrina was the only one who paid more attention to their surroundings.


    Whilst the others tried to look as far as they could, she paid more attention to forest around them and the road.


    !...!


    She couldn''t find anything wrong with the road, it was just filled with frost mana, but she did notice something odd with the trees. While even, they possessed arge amount of frost mana... They also had lightning mana, although in scarce amounts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She found it weird why frost and lightning were together... Those elements had nothing to do


    with each other.


    "What do you know of Lanekia?"


    She asked Festul, thinking that if he knew that much, he should know something else as well.


    "The home of the Frost dragons, what else?"


    "Something more specific? Do you know who Azmakul is, and Kizmal? n mentioned those


    two."


    "Azmakul is the General of one of the armies of her majesty Ariel, one of the few Ancient dragons that still perform their duties, and as for the heart of Kizmal... Haha."


    Heughed, and closed his eyes, muttering a few words before he went to sleep. "You''ll find out what that refers too soon, Alex, this is a very good ce for you, and me too."


    He went to sleep soon, leaving the group in confusion. Alexander was wondering what he could possibly mean by this ce being useful for him. And the rest could only stare at the sleeping wolf, still hungry for more answers.


    Unfortunately, n appeared soon after, and they left for their way, following the road, as


    well as thepass.


    ********


    Samantha had had enough of it, she was tired of it.


    ''Ugh...''


    She was but a girl, and yes, being the little sister of one of the most influential young awakened in the world was a busy and grand duty... She was sick of it!


    One couldn''t me her, she could finally have a normal life, walk like a normal girl, go to the


    top school in the entire world for non-awakened... But life was cruel.


    She had been so excited to finally be a part of society, to meet others of her age that were normal and had parents...but that hope was crushed only a few days into Eden.


    Her friends, her teachers...hell, everyone simple asked one thing.


    ''Are you n Pator''s brother?''


    At first, she was proud of it. Why wouldn''t she be? Her dear brother had done so much to cure


    her illness, and make her have a normal life, so she was excited as one could be! Bute on!


    When one is subjected to the same routine for months on end, one was bound to crack. She couldn''t me her brother at all, she loved him too dearly for that. She could me the others who put on masks to approach her, though.


    At her tender age, Samantha had already been exposed to the masks humans wore to get close


    to others with ulterior motives. Twilight had helped her get into Eden in the Capitol, as well


    as give her grandparents a ratherrge house and a plot for a caf¨¦ in the Capitol so they could


    continue their normal lives...


    Albeit with a lot of security...


    But the caf¨¦ was often so packed her grandparents had no time for her, even hiring more employees didn''t help since it was packed 24/7. Her routine hadn''t changed a lot.


    She missed when she was ying with whatever pets n had in his domain, when Sabrina


    visited her and when n asionally dropped by...but now she didn''t even have that.


    She couldn''t even go to a lot of ces without tight security, she had an entire team assigned


    to her protection, after all. Her routine had grown...nd.


    Until now, that was.


    She was approaching the School gates...when she spotted her grandfather waiting for


    her...along with two other people?


    One was a handsome young youth with long golden hair, that had a tired look on his face.


    Whilst the other was an aged individual who might even be taller than her brother...and that


    was an achievement of itself.


    "Why hello there, You have your brother''s eyes~"


    The tall, old man waved at her. She wondered why he was wearing an overcoat, sunsses and


    a mask in this hot weather...

 Chapter 629: 629: Arkens protection.

    Chapter 629: 629: Arken''s protection.


    ?


    "Why, hello there, You really have your brother''s eyes-"


    Samantha looked at the weird tall man, if her grandfather weren''t here, she would have probably screamed and alerted Eden''s security. But there was something that told her that it wouldn''t really do anything.


    Was it a side effect of being near her brother all the time? Because of him, she met multiple people that could be considered strong, Her brother, the guild master of Twilight, and many of Twilight''s members... Each one of them exuded a certain type of...pressure.


    But this man didn''t. Her grandfather was a normal man, while the boy near him, the one with blond hair and depressed face, exuded pressure. But the man did not.


    "Hmm... Did I do something wrong?"


    Perhaps it was just her... but the fact that she didn''t sense anything from him...made her feel scared. There was always the possibility that he was some ordinary old man like her grandfather, but then...what reason would her grandfather have to bring him here? "Ah!"


    She didn''t know who the youth was as well, and her tensions only grew when her grandfather refrained from speaking.


    She...was getting scared.


    "I know! Here, have some candy! Kids loved these back in my days."


    He took out a candy from his pocket that she didn''t recognize, not at all. And the old man opened it up and said.


    "Here, aaahhh."


    "HE-"


    She tried screaming for help, but the moment she tried to do so the old man put the candy in her mouth, quite happy with himself.


    "I knew kids loved candy."


    She didn''t, not this incredibly sour one that tasted like the ashes of someone''s grandma. She didn''t know what that tasted like, but this was probably a fairparison.


    Unfortunately...due to her shock, she had swallowed the thing.


    "Master... She is about to cry."


    The youthmented, looking at her with sad eyes. Those eyes also seemed to contain a bit of sympathy for her... Could he have been subjected to this horror of a candy too?


    "Come here, Sam..."


    Her grandfather took her hand andforted her.


    "He isn''t a bad man... Master Arken is just... like that."


    "Hmm? What did I do? That candy was the hot stuff back in my days."


    What Arken had just given Samantha was a candy developed during the times of war, one that was specifically made to be sour and nutritious to make a soldier as active as possible. Of course, children of the peaceful age would hate it...when even veteran soldiers detested it.


    "It''s ok, Sam, he is someone your brother sent."


    Samantha was still holding back her vomit until they got into a car, The youth began to drive, and she sat with her grandfather in the back.


    "I''m actually n''s master, you know, the one who taught him a lot of stuff. Haha!"


    The man finally took off the mask, his sses, and his ridiculous hat, finally he seemed like a normal man, one that Samantha wouldn''t be scared of.


    He simply had a fierce look on his face. The man, who her grandfather called Master Arken was peculiar. He was seemingly struggling with trying to put a suitable song on the radio. He kept making small talk with her Grandfather.


    "So, Master Arken, how is n these days?"


    It was mostly her grandfather asking about his grandson...and Master Arkenining.


    "These days? I haven''t seen him in so long, I''m wondering if he thinks he is above me or something! He hasn''t shown up for training at all! Who knows, he might even be dead."


    Thatst sentence worried both her and her grandfather.


    "Lucas, how do I ess ssical music on this thing?"


    She also learned the name of the man who was driving the car... She seemed to recall that


    name.


    Not only that, but she was sure she had heard her brother say it, she was simply having a hard time recalling it.


    "Ah, I was joking, by the way. I don''t even think something can kill him with that stupid regeneration of his."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After finally putting on some song from an era long forgotten, He finally seemed content. Whistling, he began talking on his own.


    "He went on some trip with his girlfriend somewhere, and apparently took his team with him too! Such an ungrateful disciple, forgetting his master behind."


    Lucas sighed, clearly tired of his master''s shenanigans.


    In reality, he was sad that n and Alex left without him...leaving him to handle all the training by himself. He enjoyed the training, but having someone with him sharing the pain of training was a boost!


    ''Bastards... I am going to kill you both.''


    He doubted he could, but I was worth a shot.


    Samantha''s grandfather didn''t really say anything, but Master Arken continued.


    "Ah, I apologize for this, but we may have to stay with you all for a while, your grandson requested it of me, so I could get some fresh air and protect you while I was at it.


    Ungrateful, isn''t he? Always asking me for favors."


    Samantha and her grandfather were impressed, or even d that Arken was there to protect them, even though they were unaware of his real identity... All they knew was he was n''s


    master.


    And if he was n''s master, he had to be strong.


    Lucas, however, knew Arken was lying. He was scared at how adept his master was at lying. In truth, n had merely asked Lucas to keep watch over his sister... The problem was he had texted it at a terrible time. Arken was there with him...and saw it.


    Ever since then... he had to deal with his master''s anger and also with babysitting. Arken had reasoned that n would visit his family first, so he would stay there and teach his disciple a


    lesson!


    ''I, a Hiddlestone, am reduced to a babysitter.''


    This wasn''t the worst part of his life, but it was up there with the most embarrassing. Worse,


    he didn''t even know why Sage Oliver allowed it!


    He was the one supposed to keep his master in check!


    ''Come back quickly...please.''


    He could only wish that n and Alex woulde back soon...


    "Lucas."


    His master called his name.


    "Take them to their home, I''ll join you soon."


    There was a sh of yellow light, and without giving a proper exnation, Arken disappeared


    and left both Samantha and her grandfather awed.


    At that very moment, Samantha finally remembered who Lucas was.


    "Ah, you are the masochistic pervert Al mentioned!"


    "..."


    ******


    Lanekia was dull, or growing dull for the rest of the team. Two weeks had passed since they


    arrived at this, and they were slowly growing...bored.


    The scenery was the same, the sky was the same, the only thing that changed was the


    cold...the cold seemed to get brutal every second. It didn''t bother some of them, n was content with analyzing the manuals he had got and further grasp their meaning. Alice and Sabrina were busy with the materials n had brought them.


    Maxwell didn''t really mind, he was thinking much further ahead than anyone could even imagine. Kazikato would spend his days sleeping, or at try too.


    So, there were very few people who were left bored. Emma, Edward, Olivia and Alexander. Edward didn''t express it much since his main concern was his sister, Emma would sometimes help Alice and Sabrina, Alexander however...


    Suggested a spar, at first, he asked n but was promptly rejected. n had his mind full of the aura breathing manuals... So he then asked Olivia.


    He faced rejection there as well... He then asked Kazikato... only to be refused there as well.


    Edward, however, epted his challenge. Alexander didn''t know how to respond to that, if he was being honest. He had asked, but he didn''t expect a confirmation. He was ready for a


    refusal.


    And to top it off, he didn''t think of Edward as someone that would be a good opponent. But he


    still gave it a chance.


    So, the group stopped for a while, as everyone besides the two gathered in the drivingpartment to watch, whilst they stood some distance beyond the Arctic Titan.


    n had been made a judge, much to his own disappointment. He wanted time toprehend the manuals... but he had to do this, he was interested in Edwards growth as well.


    So he left the Arctic Titan as well.


    "Are both of you ready?"


    n asked, a cup of hot coffee was present in his hand, growing colder with each second.


    Both Alexander and Edward nodded. Alexander opted to go bare-handed, But Edward had a


    unique weapon choice.


    He had two round shields, not too small but not too big to disrupt his vision as well.


    "Alright, begin."


    n announced the beginning of the match... And to his disappointment, Edward rushed


    towards his opponent as soon as he could.

 Chapter 630: 630: Great General.

    Chapter 630: 630: Great General.


    ?


    As soon as the duel had begun, Edward rushed towards Alexander.


    ''Not bad.''


    Although he didn''t know if it was due to Edward''s own ego, or if he actually knew how


    Alexander fought, it was still a good choice on his part. Alexander''s main strength was his speed and fluidity.


    It would not be wise to be a sitting duck to an opponent that moved very fast. Not at all. Had Edward decided to let Alexander attack first, he may have lost the duel in an instant.


    ''But what is going to do with shields?''


    Edward stopped a moment before he reached Alexander. Alex, who was prepared to dodge the moment the shields hit, was a bit surprised. He wondered what Edward was going to do.


    At that moment, Edward jumped, his view was still blocked by his own shields, and his body would soon be covered by them. Alex still stood at the same spot.


    "Take this!"


    ''Why are you announcing it, you fool?''


    Both Alexander and n had the same, though, wondering why Edward would be dumb enough to announce his next attack. They didn''t expect the show afterward.


    No attack was made, Alex was confused. Edward simply shouted it andnded back on the ground, on top of his shields.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hyah!"


    He swung his legs, but they were too far from their opponent, Alex could only stare in disbelief as he saw Edward swinging his legs at him. Was he fighting a clown?


    And it happened at that exact moment, neither n nor Alex expected it.


    Edward threw one of his shields, it slid towards the ground at great speeds but was stopped by Alexander''s own foot, He finally expected an attack toe but instead of lunging towards him, Edward d his hand in mes and fired those mes at the shield he still had.


    ''Why is he doing that...''


    Alex could only draw two conclusions, Either Edward truly was a clown and was useless...or he had something else in mind. With all the information he had at the moment, he judged that it was rted to the equipment he had.


    And he was right. The shield caught between his foot began to light up. From it, a torrent of golden me emerged, but before it could hit their target, the source was kicked away, right at Edwards face.


    Edward ignored it and appeared from the pir of golden fire that his shield exuded, he was close enough for a physical attack to work right now. His limbs d in the same golden me, he kicked towards Alexander''s head.


    Alexander blocked it easily, Edward let loose a flurry of blows, but all were blocked by easily by Alexander. The only damage he suffered being from the mes that still lingered on his clothing.


    Alexander covered himself in ayer of his own special attribute mana, that of the [Null] attribute, and dissipated those mes.


    "The heck is that?"


    Edward asked, a bit shocked. The show he had put on just to distract Alexander had yielded only almost no fruit. He was well aware of Alexander''s abilities and thus devised a good n to make him drop his guard... but it was useless.


    "My specialty."


    Alex said, as he too moved forward. He coated his legs in lightning attribute mana and kicked towards Edward''s knee, intending to make him crumble.


    But Edward blocked it with his shield, that caused Alexander to finally take notice of something.


    ''Huh?''


    He paused for a brief moment.


    ''Where is the other one?''


    He suddenly had a bad feeling, he listened to his instincts and ducked, and a shield spinning at a high speed barely grazed his hair. It was caught by Edward, who didn''t let the chance slip by at all!


    He let down an axe-kick, Alexander blocked it with his elbows and immediately grabbed Edward''s leg, to his shock, it wouldn''t budge at all.


    ''Why is he so heavy?''


    He could easily lift hundreds of kilograms without amplifying his strength with mana, but this was unprecedented. Edward''s shield, the one that grazed him back, then glowed and let down a torrent of Golden me. Alex put up a shield of [Null] attribute to block it.


    The rest of the party could only see two vague silhouettes fighting within the torrent of mes, though it was still easy to figure out who was who.


    ''So one absorbs, and one reflects...''


    He was wondering why Edward decided to use two shields. He noticed that whenever he had to block, he did it with the one in his left hand and used the one in his right to attack.


    The left one absorbed attacks, whilst the right reflected those. An additional ability was that Edward could control the one that reflects with his mind.


    Suddenly, as both of them emerged from the mes, n was a bit surprised to see Alexander having taken the upper hand, he had thought Edward would lead for a little more.


    Edward was filled with bruises, that his golden mes tried to heal, but they weren''t fast enough. Alexander wasnding blow after blow, a few were blocked, a few were not.


    Thankfully, Edward knew where to get hit, and made it so he would receive as less damage as possible. n figured that Alex also realized the ability of Edward''s shields, and made sure to hit the one in the left hand as less as possible.


    The right shield flew back to Edward, who then mmed it into the left one. A shockwave erupted that made Alexander take a few steps back. Edward threw his shields towards Alex.


    "Release!"


    He shouted, and both of his shields emitted mana. The left one released shockwaves that messed with Alexander''s sense of bnce, whilst the right one released a torrent of mes.


    ''Oh, I was wrong.''


    n, though, his initial assessment was wrong. Edward''s shields had different abilities...it would seem. Using Dragon eyes would give him everything he needed to know, but he decided against it. Not wanting to feel the pain that apanied that skill.


    Edward appeared behind Alexander, and intended tond an axe kick to his head to finish the fight, but Alexander turned around, disregarding the golden mes that still stuck to his body, fighting his [Null] attribute mana.


    He caught the kick before it couldnd, spun, and nted Edward right into the ground beneath their feet. The road didn''t appear damaged at all... it was Edward who had been


    knocked out and was bleeding.


    "Damn, the road is tough."


    Alexandermented, going to pick Edwards shields and n went to heal Edward, dousing him in his blue mes. Edward woke up immediately and cried about the pain in his head.


    Despite n''s healing efforts, it still stung.


    "What the hell is this road made out of?!"


    The fight had ended in his defeat, yet he didn''t mind it. n was impressed, Edward held on


    for longer than he expected too.


    He thought the fool would lose in a few seconds, he didn''t think the fool would be able to even hurt Alex at all. He was pleasantly surprised that Edward wasn''t as weak as he had


    thought.


    "Nice fight."


    Alex gave the pair of shields back, and suddenly shivered. He realized that his clothes were about to burn offpletely and headed back inside the Arctic Titan.


    "Edward you pervert!"


    Making his own snide remarks along the way with a happy face. It made everyone inside the


    Titan cringe in disgust. Alexander thought it was funny.


    n helped Edward get up with a satisfied look on his face, he told Edward to wait for a


    minute and went towards the Arctic Titan.


    "You guys go on ahead, I have something to do with Edward."


    All of them were a bit confused, Edward especially so, but they listened and went along their


    way. Edward and n watched the Arctic Titan disappear into the distance. Eventually,


    Edward couldn''t handle his curiosity anymore and finally asked.


    "Why did you do that?"


    n, holding a particr book in his hands, grinned, and instead of answering, he asked his


    own question.


    "So, how much of that golden fire can you produce?"


    Edward was a bit perplexed, considering n hadn''t answered his question. He was also confused as to why n would make a face Maxwell would make when he was talking about the fire Edward could produce. Why would a frost dragon be interested in fire?


    He answered, his voice shaking a bit.


    "A lot?" That was, perhaps, the worst answer he could give right there.


    n took out some wood from his inventory, one he harvested back on Gigantia a while back


    and put it down on the ground, telling Edward to light it on fire with his golden me.


    He did so, still confused... He watched n open the book he had in his hand. He closed it


    after a while and...


    To Edward''s sheer shock, surprise, confusion. n thrust both his hands into the golden fire Edward produced.

 Chapter 631: 631: Great General(2)

    Chapter 631: 631: Great General(2)


    ?


    The reason n had wanted Edward to stay back was simple. He wanted to try out the various methods listed in the manuals that had been given to him. He had studied these damn manuals for two weeks.


    And although he was still a bit confused at some parts, he understood the majority of them.


    The avian tribes, those that descended from the mighty Phoenix, didn''t necessarily all use fire. That was the first surprise to n. He expected every one of them to use fire. This was helpful in some regards.


    n was, before everything else, a frost dragon. One that did not go well with fire at all. Even with the increase in affinities, he had experienced due to absorbing the drop of ichor of Ariel. He didn''t have a single one that was simr to, or even had somepatibility with, fire. Hell, one could even say that with all these attributes he had, his major weakness was fire.


    Frost was the direct opposite to Fire, Shadow and Darkness didn''t blend well with it too, Space was still ambiguous, Chaos may have some affinity to the element of fire as well, but that was out of the question.


    His major weakness was a user of fire, one could say. Vice versa, he was also the nightmare of every user of fire as well.


    His aura, as well, didn''t have the fire attribute despite having the blood of the Phoenix. It had his space element as well.


    A unique thing to note was that, even if they didn''t possess fire, all the tribes rted to the Phoenix worshiped something known as the Eternal me, and their techniques for aura breathing were also derived from these forms of worship. Most of them, anyway.


    Most of the time, they described the Eternal me as an entity of sorts. With all the descriptions provided, n concluded it was another title for the Phoenix. However, what bugged him next was that the Eternal me was something else as well.


    It was a fire, that was well, inherently inside every living being. At first, he thought that was referring to Aura, the power of life, but he was wrong. The eternal me was separate from the aura, but still within every living being.


    The descriptions of this part varied. Most of the tribes described it as the essence of existence, something that was akin to a god that watched over them as part of their very bodies. An omniscient, omnipotent presence.


    That was bullshit, to n.


    Moving on towards the techniques, however, understanding what exactly the Eternal me was important. Because...it was the basis of it all.


    The tribes noted how one must feel their entire bodies with the power of life, and must sense what the Eternal me wanted from them.


    What this ''want'' could be, was different many times. Sometimes, it could want them to be happy, other times, it could want them to be angry.


    Knowing what it wanted all the time, however, was the fundamental key. And how to use the blessing of the Eternal me was the result.


    Something important n found was, that to truly cultivate the Eternal me, one had to have awakened aura. The manuals stated that it would make the process much, much easier and also yield better results. This was the part that made n think that Eternal me and Aura were different.


    Both were defined as the power of life... so it was a bit confusing at first.


    But, it wasn''t really necessary. Aura could alsoe with the Eternal me, some cases had been noted down. Everything else was simply how to use it, ording to their own body types and what the tribe specialized in.


    At first, n had pursued those methods, using his aura as the manuals dictated and trying to feel whatever they meant by the Eternal me, even doing that was difficult.


    He had to restrict all the mana in his body, and store it in his heart. Then, he had to make absolutely sure that no residual mana was left, before finally allowing his aura toe out and find the Eternal me.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But to his dismay, this yielded no results. He did everything as described, but there was nothing.


    He feared that this eternal me was located towards his heart, his dragon heart... If it was, then n could dismiss finding it at all. If he moved his aura towards his dragon heart...even if by ident, he would explode.


    Boom, literally.


    Mana and aura did not go well, especially in his own body. He tried this before, using both of the energies together during battle, but the result was his arms being blown to oblivion. Despite that, he still tried desperately to find the Eternal me, but all efforts were useless. He spent another week trying to discern the meanings more urately, but it was still the same. So he had to opt for another method. Thankfully, the manuals had that too.


    They stated that if the Eternal me could not be found with one''s own strength, then they could borrow the strength of others. One method of this was using the elders of the tribe to help the young, allowing them to locate the Eternal me.


    But such an option wasn''t viable for n... The only other method was to use fire.


    Yes, using fire. Using special types of fire, each that had their own properties, in order to invoke the power of the Eternal me dormant within the individual.


    And that was exactly what he was doing right not.


    "Quiet."


    He shut Edward up, and focused on his hands that were inside the fire. After watching the spar, n had a wild ideae to his mind. Seeing how special Edward''s fire was, in that it could both heal him, and attack the opponent as well. He wanted to try...


    His hands didn''t really feel anything. Edward''s fire was still too weak to do anything to n, this worried him, but he still proceeded with the method.


    He began by taking a deep breath, and opened his hands within the fire, by using his aura, he guided the fire towards his hands, the openings in the skin, especially from the fingernails.


    The manuals had said this would bring about a lot of pain, but n wasn''t really a stranger to


    it.


    Who knew fighting whilst having your literal heart and eyeball hanging from your body, in a terrible state, would increase his pain tolerance? Who knew?!


    Still, he could feel pain. And although he was used to it, it was still unpleasant. But this pain wasn''t all that special.


    n followed all the directions listed in the manual, and finally noticed some result. To his and Edward''s surprise, the tendrils of mes moved and went into his body through his fingernails, in great quantity.


    The pain increased, but he could bear with it. But to his dismay, he felt something wrong. Something besides the golden me was entering too, and his body, his aura and even his mana moved to block it. He hurriedly cut that process off before his mana met his aura.


    He retracted his hands, and kept thinking for a while. Not only that, but he ordered Edward to increase the intensity of the mes and pulled out more wood, in order to keep it going.


    He used his nails to cut his palms, to Edward''s shock. And put them inside the mes once more, following thest and final method in the manuals.


    It hurt his pride to resort to this, but since the previous method showed some progress, he was willing to do it.


    He stopped his regeneration consciously, since it would heal wounds of that magnitude instantly, and allowed the fire to flow into his body through the wounds.


    It worked, brilliantly. The fire started to flow into his body at a greater speed. One could visibly seerge swathes of it being absorbed into his body. n didn''t feel anything strange


    for a while.


    He enjoyed the process, as painful as it was. Because it was progress. n could feel something in his body foreign to both his aura and mana, but it was so, so, so little.


    "Damn it..."


    And with every second, it was diminishing. Before it could fully diminish. n felt the strange thing enter his body once more, and his aura and mana had the same reaction, this


    time more violently and more quickly.


    ''Shit!''


    He was preupied with feeling the Eternal me and was ate to respond to the change. His mana and aura collided, and all n could do was limit the damage to his palms.


    They were in a sorry state, and he didn''t even want to look at them.


    Edward was horrified, and hurriedly took out a healing potion out of his spatial ring, but n


    stopped him.


    He healed his own wounds with the bloodline of the Phoenix, and looked at the pile of burnt wood with a sigh as he moved them back to his inventory.


    But he wasn''t that sad though, although his reserves of wood were running low, he was happy


    that there was some progress, and believed that with time, he could make sure something like


    this wouldn''t happen.


    n took out the remaining wood from his inventory, and worried Edward more by excitedly


    telling him to start another fire.


    But before it could be done, both Edward and n froze.


    Time froze.

 Chapter 632: 632: Great General(3)

    Chapter 632: 632: Great General(3)


    ?


    "Anyone have any idea why n wanted us to go without him?"


    Alex asked, he was sitting in the passenger seat besides Maxwell, who simply shrugged.


    "If he wanted us to know, he would have let us."


    "Make''s sense."


    But he was still curious as to what it was. He had seen the look n had when he told them all to leave... so.


    "But still, have any idea? You are the one that spent most of the time with him ever since we came to this godforsaken."


    He wasn''t going to give up easily, especially since he knew Maxwell had to have some idea. He had agreed easily to it as well, which was unlike him.


    "It''s probably rted to the aura manuals he was reading, something about fire and not."


    Maxwell sighed, and spilled the beans in order to avoid getting harassed by Alexander. He knew he would keep asking until he got the answer. He missed n''spany already. When it was just those two, they would spend their time in silence, something Maxwell greatly


    preferred if he was being honest.


    Alex was too talkative.


    "I wish he would teach me one."


    Alexander said, thankful that Olivia and Emma had kidnapped Festul for the time being, he knew saying it in front of him would get him electrocuted at the very least. He was having fun imagining what kind of torture his poor little former supreme was going through.


    Although the torture was mainly cuddles and whatever girls would do with their pets, it was probably humiliating for him.


    He was chuckling just imagining it!


    "Anyway, this sure is boring. I can''t even see the citadels Festul mentioned. Lanekia is popted, my ass."


    Heined, Maxwell had to agree with him though on this. Though he didn''t have many expectations since he had originally though only Frost Dragon''s would inhabit this world, his expectations had risen once he heard about House Shivalkn in more detail from Kazikato and Festul.


    He had so many ns in order to use it for his and everyone''s benefit, but unfortunately those would have to wait until he gathered more information from more trustworthy sources.


    He didn''t dismiss what hispanions said entirely, though.


    Besides that, he did agree that Lanekia was a little bit boring. It was a lot less exciting than Gigantium. The gravity was simr to that of Earth''s, but that was all. There were only the strange trees that were endless, and this road they ventured on.


    They hadn''t seen the sky clearly too, it was always covered with a veil of clouds. n had mentioned that his ''Mother'' said the sky of Lanekia was extremely beautiful...


    ''... She has peculiar taste, if this is beautiful...''


    Well, at least he knew where n got his sense of aesthetics from. Not minding that, he focused on his job, which was following thepass. So far, they had been travelling on a straight road, with no turns whatsoever.


    He wondered how big Lanekia truly was.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Maxwell."


    Suddenly, Alexander got up, rmed. His nose moved up and down, and Maxwell could see every strand on his body stand up.


    "Something is-"


    But before he could say it, he froze. Everything froze.


    Maxwell, who was just about to activate the defense mechanisms of the Arctic Titan froze, the behemoth of steel froze as well. It stopped moving entirely in an instant, such a feat was impossible for its brakes.


    They couldn''t see what had done, who had done, and they couldn''t even begin to think why they had done.


    ''Didn''t... n say Lanekia would be safe...?''


    The only thing Maxwell could do was think, Alexander''s entire body was covered with a thickyer of ice, but he was spared.


    ''Damn it... it was my fault for trusting him...''


    His thoughts...he felt that they were bing slower. His body had stopped movingpletely, and his thoughts would soon follow, he feared.


    [This is strange.]


    He heard a voice, but he didn''t whom it belonged too, neither did he know where it wasing from. It rang in his mind.


    From the corner of his vision, he could see the world had be darker. Much darker. As if something had blocked whatever meager light rained down from the sky.


    ''... Holy shit.''


    He cursed, although he couldn''t move at all... He could still feel his beauty of a vehicle being picked up! It was nauseating.


    [Oh! You''re inside this...what do they call it? Dwarven machinery? I thought it was a beast...] The Arctic Titan was gently put down, and the voice rang once more.


    [Hmmm...]


    Whoever was humming in his mind had to stop... it felt as if he was going to die!


    ''Stop...''


    But Maxwell couldn''t force him to stop. The darkness all around vanished, and somethingnded in front of the Arctic Titan. Maxwell, of course, couldn''t see it.


    Alexander could... however. Although the surrounding ice was growing thicker and thicker as he was trying to fight it, he could still see the cause of all this.


    It was huge, but a few hundred times smaller than the previous appearance it took on, the one that blocked the sky itself.


    ''Draconian...''


    He was having a hard time forming words in his mind... Everything was getting close as it could to beingpletely frozen.


    A Draconian, very simr to what n transformed into, appeared in front of their vehicle. However, there were major differences.


    First and foremost, it was twice the size n was... It had six horns at the top of it''s head, twisting and coiling like those of a demon.


    It flicked its fingers, and a simple white robe adorned its body. The most unusual thing about this Draconian was its face.


    Instead of a normal...scaled face. It appeared to be wearing the skull of a beast that resembled a goat, one that sent chills down his spine.


    Other than that, there were no other special things to note about his appearance. He didn''t even exude any pressure, all of what he was feeling was from the mask the Draconian wore.


    [My apologies, I have not adorned this form of mine for centuries. Truly, a disgrace to show to the prince on our first meeting.]


    ''Prince...''


    Hearing that, both Alexander and Maxwell had an inkling to the identity of the masked Draconian. Unfortunately... they couldn''t say anything right now.


    [Hmm... I can''t feel the energy of you all inside that thing. What is her majesty''s mana...doing there with that foul chaotic mana? It masks your presence splendidly!]


    All of a sudden, they could move. Maxwell''s face crashed into the defensive mechanisms of the arctic titan, which activated all of a sudden. His face twisted into horror.


    "No!"


    Alexander, still had difficulty in moving due to the ice that had covered his body, but even he shared the same look of absolute horror on his face.


    It was as if he was screaming at Maxwell.


    ''Why did you do that?!''


    The turrets located on the top of the arctic titan, as well as those on its side, activated and let loose a flurry of bullets. What made things worse were that all of those rounds were explosive!


    Their vision was obscured for a moment, and their ears were ringing.


    "... Oh, shit."


    Alexander cursed.


    "... Do you think he is okay?"


    Maxwell asked, but found out a secondter how stupid his question was. Alexander could


    only respond with a dry cough.


    "... You should be asking if we are going to be okay after that..."


    [Ah, worry not. I realized that was my fault. I apologize for having inconvenienced you all in such a way. I have not interacted with anything capable of a conversation for a while.] ...The meaning behind those words were ominous, but regardless, Alex and Maxwell were d that the masked Draconian wouldn''t take things to heart. They were still safe. Gradually, both of them stepped outside the Arctic Titan, not of their own volition, but also not on the orders of the masked Draconian...


    It felt as if their bodies were unconsciously doing whatever would lead them to the best chance of survival against this individual.


    It seemed everyone inside the Arctic Titan had the same idea... as all of them presented themselves towards the Draconian, away from the warmth of their vehicle.


    [...]


    The Draconian was silent for a while.


    [This is a surprise. I have never seen this...type of cohort before.]


    He first showed some mild surprise in his voice, they didn''t know what facial expression he


    was making due to his mask.


    [A species that bears a striking resemnce to elves, but don''t share their blood at all, neither their prowess in magic. Nor can you rival their connection to the spirits.]


    He said, referring to the humans of the group. Sabrina''s spirit, was dancing around the Draconian and had climbed to his head, surprisingly...he let the spirit rest there. That darn cat


    was oblivious to their terror.


    [And then we have royalty of the Divine Heavenly Nine-Tailed Fox n... Although the blood


    of the female is significantly more pure.]


    And then, his seemingly ordinary gaze rested on Alexander and...


    Festul.


    [Oh.]

 Chapter 633: Great General (4)

    Chapter 633: Great General (4)


    ?


    His gaze rested on the little wolf, the only one that could maintain even a semnce of movement in his presence.


    There was no exchange of words, only one of stares. Despite being in front of the Draconian, Festul''s gaze was as fierce as ever. It remained unchanged, unlike his power and status.


    The silence between them was suffocating, they merely scanned one another. It felt as if there were only those two in this expansive world.


    But, that silence had to be broken, either by Festul, the former supreme of storms, or Azmakul, the Great General.


    [You haven''t changed a single fucking bit.]


    And in the end, it was Festul who did it. Unable to handle the suffocating silence anymore.


    Azmakul responded, his voice monotone. As if he didn''t have any emotions behind that vicious mask of his. He was the true representation of a frost dragon.


    [Yes, I did not change. Yet you...]


    He approached Festul, keeping his pace steady and like that of a king.


    [But how unfortunate. Who would have thought the little dog that jumped at the opportunity we provided him wouldn''t even hold onto his title of supremacy for a while.]


    He mocked Festul with no emotion in his voice, as if it was beneath him to show it to the little wolf.


    [Arrogant as all the Ancient Dragons. Do you know who you are speaking to?]


    [Yes, I do.]


    [So can I take it as an invitation to destroy this damned?]


    They heard a sneer behind him, as their bodiesy frozen due to the pressure emitted by the two beings behind them.


    ''What are you doing?! Festul!''


    Alexander wanted to stop that little wolf of his, but he couldn''t move...and neither could he establish a mental connection to Festul. No matter what he tried to do, it was useless.


    [Haha.]


    They heard Azmakul''s voice. He seemed to beughing...but they didn''t hear anyughter. Only the monotonous ''Haha'' a robot would make.


    [You forget whose corpse you stand upon. Although...]


    Then, the surrounding air changed.


    [I wouldn''t mind making my precious home the grave of two idiots who imed to be the supremes of lightning.]


    [You bastard...]


    Festul... was losing the argument pathetically.


    [Even if you were your former self, and not this pathetic version... I would have done the same as my queen, and ended your existence had you tried.]


    Azmakul''s massive body bent down, until he met Festul eye to eye. The darkness behind the empty sockets of the mask were vast, until two blue mes ignited, staring right into Festul''s soul.


    [Try it.]


    His very words dared Festul to make a move, but he didn''t. He wasn''t as ignorant as the lot ahead of him, the cohort of the son of the witch this monster served. He knew Azmakul wasn''t bluffing.


    After all, he was a supreme once too. The supremacy of frost was held by him before Lanesha. And unlike Azmakul...who willingly gave his seat up to Lanesha...


    Festul was humiliated, and defeated by another who stole his throne. He didn''t have any right to challenge Azmakul at this moment, he also couldn''t.


    [Do it, little wolf.]


    He was taunted once more, but he didn''t yield into the provocation, knowing his own limits right now. Azmakul''s cold sigh was felt on his face, freezing the ends of his great fur.


    [Though I do not know what you are doing with my prince. You are guests right now, and I am to oblige. It is my duty to be a good host.]


    He stood up, and put his hands behind his back.


    [Now... While I wait for the prince toe back here. I wonder what that foul energy is...]


    To Maxwell and the group''s pure shock, the Arctic Titan split open, and a peculiar box floated over to Azmakul. The group could suddenly move again. Though, they didn''t dare make any sudden movements...


    ''My...titan...!''


    Regrettably, he couldn''t do anything right now to avenge his beloved Arctic Titan, and although he would deny it till the end of his life, He knew he could never truly take revenge. Not on that, at the very least. Not at all.


    But it still felt as if a knife was being stabbed through his heart when he saw the result of his investments being reduced to scrap metal.


    [Oh my.]


    For the first time, they finally heard some semnce of emotion in the voice the dreaded demon that wore the disguise of a calm person. Sabrina''s cat jumped off from his head and retreated back into the spirit realm, suddenly scared.


    [Now this... is surprising. The taste of mydy is questionable...]


    The blue crystal floated in front of Azmakul, as the headlights of the Arctic Titan vanished. The drop of ichor piqued the interest of the dreaded dragon.


    [So that''s who your father is, Troublesome.]


    He looked to the distant sky, anticipating the arrival of someone, and mumbled. It was in a low voice, but everyone else could still hear it clearly.


    [Although I don''t know why the prince has not absorbed the ichor of his father, I do hope his temperament didn''t rub off on him.]


    A momentter, a portal opened behind Azmakul, and the dragon corrected himself, clicking


    his tongue.


    [I spoke too soon. Look''s like my hopes of a gentle meeting have been ruined.]


    He sighed, just before his body was tackled by someone moving too fast for them to see, and Azmakul disappeared.


    The portal vanished as well.


    *******


    ''What is this damn thing...?''


    I could no longer move, not my body, and not the mana and the aura I held within it. Even my thoughts seemed to be getting slower by the second.


    Naturally, when faced in front of this incredible powerful and weird phenomena... I panicked, though I regained some of myposure once my mana could move, albeit only a little.


    I struggled to move it... It took me so long to finally activate mana sense and get an urate read on my surroundings. Edward was the same as me, frozen. And we were not alone.


    The mana of the frost element surrounding us, the gentle yet sharp breeze that caused the abundant trees to move...also froze.


    Everything, alive or not, froze.


    It was as if somebody had stopped time itself.


    I had just been focusing on my aura breathing technique before this happened, and when I thought about it, I had felt something, but before I could confirm it, time froze.


    ''Damn it...''


    Just then, I realized the flow of mana under the authority of a being much greater than mine all around me, it was oppressive, powerful...but it was gentle. I couldn''t describe why it was


    gentle, but it just felt like it.


    That mana was simply tolerating my use of mana sense, as if it was something amusing to it.


    Just how inferior was I to this?


    Edward couldn''t move at all, ice was starting to gather on his body, and I feared that he would


    be frozen if I took too much time.


    ''Damn it...''


    I kept thinking of ways to escape, and figure out how to beat or at least stall whoever it was that caused this... considering this is Lanekia, whoever he is, he shouldn''t be a major threat.


    Lanesha wouldn''t let that happen...not on her own. But I fear that is restricted only to me, I don''t know whether the others are safe...


    In this cold world, only my safety is guaranteed...and theirs only when I am with them.


    ''Come on... move!''


    Just then, I felt angered, that I, who was supposed to be the prince of this ce was being oppressed like that. It was doing something to my mind.


    But I can''t let myself be chained down by those thoughts, I need to find a way to free myself,


    and so I did.


    I made my aura retreat to it''s core, and forced my mana to fight back, as much as I could.


    Slowly, but surely, I regained control of my fingers, my toes...and finally my mouth.


    ''Nice...''


    I apuded myself, the n was to only regain control of my mouth...and that would be the


    key to free me of this oppressive.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "The Jade pce...is me..."


    ''Sorry Edward...just try not to die.''


    I apologized to Edward, who would be in the center of everything when my domain expanded.


    I could only hope what I was doing would also free him, and from there he could make his own


    effort to live.


    The release of my domain should make this magic take a step back... I hope.


    "And I...am the Jade Pce!"


    From me, as the center of it all, my domain expanded and just as I hoped, the magic was


    stopped...at least in the domain.


    Without a second thought, I ran towards the tall and mighty gates, I wasn''t stupid enough to


    leave the protection of my domain and go into that magic once more... I was simply trying to get as much momentum and speed I could.


    It was just an idea on my part, but I thought that the magic could control me so easily was


    because I was still... So I tried to get as much speed as possible, teleport towards the Arctic


    Titan, carry the momentum that may help me against the source of this magic and deal with


    it.


    I don''t know what this magic is... But I can only hope my idea works!

 Chapter 634: Great General(5)

    Chapter 634: Great General(5)


    ?


    I didn''t have a lot of time to think about what was happening, as soon as I used instant teleportation to go as far as I could, I only saw the entire group still and the Arctic Titan split open like tofu.


    Besides that, there was also this oppressive feeling that was driving me insane, I didn''t know what it was, but it was clearly different from the magic that was used to freeze time earlier.


    I saw somebody I didn''t recognize, but the only thing of his that remained in my vision was his horrific mask. It reminded me of the skull of a sheep, but it was something much more sinister. I couldn''t afford to look at that damn mask for long.


    Heading towards him with great speed, I focused my mana behind him and opened up a portal.


    And then I tackled him, taking him with me to the other side of the portal and closing it behind me afterward.


    I took him to the massive bridge wended on when we first embarked on this cold. I took him there for two reasons.


    First, to be as far away from the group as possible, and second for my own safety. I still didn''t know who this was...although I had an idea.


    Taking him here would guarantee my safety, I had to ce my trust in Lanesha that she would make the worst case scenario, that being my death, impossible to ur. Being this close to her castle is the best ce for me.


    And the dragons whose voices I heard were also bound to step in if things got too serious... I hope.


    Besides all that, I still had hope that was still just...a trial. I don''t know about Lanesha, but maybe some frost dragons still disapprove of me and did this...


    I mmed the Draconian into the bridge, but failed to make a dent. Seeing that he was rtively fine, I let go and flew back.


    ''I... feel nothing.''


    I felt nothing from that damn bastard, no mana, no killing intent, nothing at all. That could only mean two things. Either he was weak, which was close to impossible...or he was many, many levels above me.


    The Draconian stood up and looked at me, awaiting my next move. Now that I take a closer look at the bastard...he sure is big.


    He is simr to me in my Draconian form, but twice as big. He doesn''t have any wings too. Not only that, but he raised his finger and beckoned me toe try again, which prompted me to stop thinking and take action.


    ''Fine, I''m going all out. They can probably repair the bridge...''


    I summoned the Ame-No-Sakahoko, and released the techniques of the Heavenly Sky Splitting spear up to the fourth, enhancing my defense as much as possible and keeping the bastard at bay.


    The golden armor materialized around me, as the attacks poured down at him. No smoke or anything that could obstruct my vision was released...


    That bastard took them all without even moving. He rested his arms behind his back, as if this was nothing.


    ''... Is he provoking me?''


    Well, too bad for him. I won''t be falling for a provocation like that. I should keep my distance until he makes a move, my teleportation should give me an upper hand in speed.


    I tried casting a few of my skills, like Ice Lance, Ice Spike, cier and the like... But I failed to do so.


    ''...fuck.''


    I tried once again, trying to use all the magic skills I previously used inrge number, but I couldn''t.


    ''Damnation.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I can''t even use my magic because the system was destroyed by Ariel...and since I have no idea what sorcery is... I don''t think I may be able use my magic at all.


    ''Damn it, what''s the point of a near infinite mana pool if I couldn''t use magic at all?''


    I cursed, and focused as much of my mana into my own body, reinforcing it to great length. If worsees to shove, I can still use my destructive aura.


    I don''t have an infinite supply of that, so I have to use it sparingly.


    ''Guess I am responding to that provocation after all...''


    I rushed towards him, spear in hand and I stabbed, he moved his body to the side like I predicted. I even used the Heavenly Sky Splitting thrust as well...but he dodged it like it was nothing.


    I continued with my attack and drove the spear downwards towards the bride, using it like a pole, I elevated myself until his and my eyes locked, and kicked him in the face.


    ....!


    The golden armor around my leg shattered like it was ss, and my thick scales crumbled and sunk into my own flesh. I wanted to do damage to him...not myself.


    His defense was much greater than I expected, I kicked him once more with the same leg and lifted my spear upwards to cut him, but he avoided it.


    I flew up, the damage I inflicted upon myself was taking its time to heal since I was using


    mana.


    ''How do I get past that defense?''


    I can use the Chaotic spear, but I have to make sure I hit him... and even if I do, I have to make that hitst.


    A crazy idea appeared in my head, but to make it work, I have to make a wound on that monstrous bastard first.


    p.


    p.


    p.


    "Haha..."


    A dry cough escaped my mouth as the sound of his pping reverberated throughout this


    entire ce. That... pissed me off.


    I wanted to use cial Meteor so bad... But I couldn''t use magic at all...


    Just then, all of a sudden, I looked up to the sky, feeling arge shadow descend upon the


    world.


    "What the hell?"


    I saw my own skill, the one I invented, cial meteor taking form. I was confused... I thought


    I couldn''t use skills of the system?


    No, it''s wrong to say that, I created the cial Meteor skill by myself bybining two


    skills...


    ''So I can use skills I created myself?''


    I thought as I saw my signature skill taking form, and another idea propped up in my head, which would make the chances of the first one increase...if it worked.


    ''If I can use cial meteor, I can use gravity magic as well. I just need the conduits.''


    Instead of attacking him, I flew upwards and used the fifth and final movement of the Heavenly Sky Splitting spear, to break my own meteor into multiple pieces.


    The pieces fell down, somended on the bridge, whilst some descended deeper into the abyss below it. Somehow, they stopped moving entirely after a while, suspended in air.


    I ignored it, and continued summoning as four more meteors, breaking them into pieces with the Heavenly Sky Splitting spear. I think I even confused him.


    Well, who wouldn''t be? I was rendering my biggest magical attack useless after all. But there was still a reason for it.


    As the pieces of the meteors fell down, I cast gravity field. The calm blue of this environment was pushed back by an oppressive purple.


    But I didn''t use it to weigh him down, I knew that would be useless, soaring as high as I could in my gravity field, and used the entirety of it to add weight only to my spear, and I began my


    descent. Summoning the iplete [G¨¢e Bolg], I held the spear in my other hand and channeled my mana into it, having its skill, [Laceration] ready, and I used the second movement of the Chaotic Spear, Oblivion thrust with the Ame-No-Sakahoko.


    I descended with great speed, splitting the air apart and producing a sharp roar. My target was


    clear.


    It was that bastard''s right eye, If I couldn''t pierce his scales, I can go for the weakest body part of every living being, the eyes!


    He didn''t make any effort to dodge, he only stopped pping and waited for my strike tond. His confidence was astounding.


    My initial strikended with a deafening boom, without wasting any more time and without


    knowing if the [Oblivion Thrust] did any damage or not, I stabbed [G¨¢e Bolg] into the same eye, making sure it went as deep as it possibly could, and used Laceration.


    My ears were on fire, and my body was numb. Turn''s out falling with that much weight and stopping suddenly was a bad idea... To my shock, the damn bridge beneath us was okay.


    [That''s good.]


    Am I hearing shit now? Is it Lanesha or somebody else? I can''t make sense of it due to my


    state.


    [Your skill doesn''t fall behind the other heirs, despite therge age gap... That''s amazing,


    prince.]


    [You also used a new kind of mana I haven''t seen in any dragon before... I apud you.


    Though please take notice that I dodged your spear attacks in fear of your beloved weapon breaking apart. I lowered my defenses just for your attack to seed as well. Excellent power


    behind it.]


    Azmakul continued to exin, with [G¨¢e Bolg] still in his eye. It seemed Laceration failed.


    [Now what more surprises do you ho-]


    Before he could continue, his face met a point-nk dragon''s breath.

 Chapter 635: [636] Great General(6)

    Chapter 635: [636] Great General(6)


    ?


    Azmakul was stunned, if he was being honest. He hadn''t expected the prince to still have that much desire to beat him.


    He thought his previous disy was enough to thwart the ambitions of the young dragon before him, but it seems that was not the case.


    ''You need to brush your teeth, young prince.''


    Though, if he was being honest, he didn''t expect to be met with a dragon''s breath at such a close range. Most dragons used it as a long range attack.


    ''Nevertheless, amazing disy of power.''


    Still being bombarded by the dragon''s breath, Azmakul was busy understanding the power n had just showed, thest attack was superb, in his eyes.


    Not only had he used a form of magic he never saw any dragon use, but he also used it to a good advantage. Using the gravity field to restrict his movements would have been a bad call. Had n done that, Azmakul would have had a lesser impression of the dragon. In the eyes of the great general, the young prince was outstanding if they were taking his battle prowess into ount.


    The final attack was truly something, even Azmakul didn''t expect n to be using his main attack as a diversion, and aiming for his eyes was a good choice too.


    [Ah, it stopped.]


    The dragon breath stopped, and Azmakul stared at the dragon above him, still trying to retrieve the spear that was lodged in his eye. Azmakul didn''t let him do that though.


    ''I recognize one of them...''


    Although he had no idea what the name of the spear that n used first was, he did have an idea about the one lodged in his eye.


    ''G¨¢e Bolg, right? The one that was split into two.''


    How did his prince get the other part? That was a mystery on its own. Nheless, Azmakul had seen enough, and wanted to end things now and begin a proper introduction.


    But n had other ns. To Azmakul''s slight shock, n had given up on retrieving G¨¢e Bolg and jumped back, sliding on the bridge. Azmakul felt the gravity field disperse... and to his surprise, the prince pulled back all the mana in his body, concentrating it towards his dragon heart.


    ''Now why would you do that...?''


    And in a moment, he realized why, Right now, he was truly surprised as he saw a familiar power emerge and coalesce into the prince''s ws.


    ''Aura...in a dragon? Impossible.''


    At first, he doubted his eyes. Had his long age finally gotten to him like the other Ancient Dragons? Was he hallucinating?


    But he was not, he truly felt the power of aura, a power exclusive to their enemies emerge from his dear prince, the son of his queen.


    ''... Now, how is that possible?''


    As the prince started to run at him, Azmakul was still stunned, looking at the bright power radiating from n. In that short amount of time, the prince closed the distance and began to sh at Azmakul.


    An invisible shield made his attacks useless, but Azmakul was surprised to see his shield eventually crack, with each attack n made, spatial rifts were created that disced the mana he put in his shield, weakening it.


    ''...''


    Azmakul dodged five w like bursts of energy that rushed towards him, each a spatial rift on their own. And jumped back, n pursued him, using almost all of his aura in the short amount of time he had it active.


    Yet, even that didn''t do much to Azmakul, he knew his reserves of aura were almost finished, and knew he had to do something much more significant.


    His eyes caught sight of G¨¢e Bolg, still stuck in Azmakul''s eye, and he jumped forward, focused all of his aura on his leg and kicked the butt of the spear, hoping to push it deeper inside the bastard.


    But it still didn''t budge an inch. Out of all odds, he decided to release another dragon''s breath and go back to using mana, just as he was about to unleash one, an invisible force grabbed him and closed his mouth shut.


    He tried to teleport to get out of this predicament, but failed to do so. His teleportation was interrupted.


    He tried using full dragon transformation, but failed to do even that. The mana of the Draconian in front him invaded his body and kept his mana at bay. He was rendered helpless.


    A voice rang in his mind.


    [Calm down, young prince. I understand using everything at your disposal to defeat your foes and being determined, but you take things way too far! Though it isn''t a bad quality, please have some mercy on my old bones.]


    The voice belonged to an elderly individual that hadn''t kicked the bucket that was so ready for him.


    [Not that you have calmed down your fighting spirit, I guess introductions are in order. I wanted a good, peaceful one but that has gone down the drain...]


    He heard a sigh escape the fearsome mask, one so cold it sent shivers down his spine. That mask seemed to move and make expressions like it was actual skin, not bone.


    ''Creepy.''


    [I am Azmakul, I suppose you may have heard of me from her highness.]


    n knew who it was, he had known it for a while, he just continued to keep fighting, thinking that maybe this entire charade was part of a trial.


    The trial said to get Azmakul''s approval, not defeat him like the third part of it. He knew he wouldn''t be able to defeat Azmakul at all.


    He simply tried everything at his disposal to get the approval, hoping it would be enough.


    [The Great General of Frost, The Former Supreme of Frost, and from now on, your mentor for all the things you need to know about your lineage, and matters rting to Dragons! It is quite an honor for me, and you as well.]


    ''He sure likes to boast.''


    n got that feeling from the dragon in front of him. He seemed like the one to be happy about his titles and whatnot...


    ''Agh!''


    He was dropped down, whatever force was keeping him suspended in the air disappeared, and he let out a helpless whelp as he fell on his butt. The damn bridge hurt!


    ''What kind of materials are you made out of...''


    He cursed the construct that damaged his fine butt so much. He wondered what would have happened if he fell face-first into it... it would probably wreck his face.


    [Now, Will you tell me how you were able to use aura?]


    The dragon waited for him to answer, n dismissed his Draconian form and massaged his


    ass for a while, and gave an answer.


    "I was able to use it when..."


    Now that he thought about, it was hard to exin the circumstances of his aura awakening. How would he exin being tortured, his dragon heart being ripped out from his chest and used to fuel the ambitions and nefarious intentions of a mad human scientist who was thought to be dead, but was actually nurturing an army of giants with severe gic defects on a that Agri, The supreme of fire burnt down...


    "..."


    [Go on.]


    Once he thought about it, it was kind of hard to exin it. He was sweating just thinking about it all. It was very hard, close to impossible for n to sweat even in a normal environment, and in this cold, it should be impossible...


    As reluctant as he was, he began to exin in detail how he awakened aura, so that Azmakul wouldn''t think he was lying. He would be surprised if all he got was Azmakul thinking he was


    bat-shit crazy.


    [...]


    ''Ahh, disbelief, as expected.''


    He tried to make it as detailed as possible too... He couldn''t see behind the mask, but he was


    pretty sure Azmakul was making an incredulous expression.


    ''But he should be able to tell that I am telling the truth...''


    Dragon eyes would tell him that n was telling the truth... It was just up to Azmakul to


    believe it.


    [Wow, you actually perceive your own words as the truth... That is a surprise.]


    ''Huh?''


    Suddenly, Azmakul put the tip of his finger on his forehead, and said.


    [Children are known to exaggerate things, it would be better to check for myself...]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    n didn''t quite know what Azmakul was trying to do, he didn''t feel anything happening to him, no usage of mana, or any other energies. Azmakul''s left eye glowed, n just realized


    G¨¢e Bolg was still stuck in his eye.


    ''Is he okay?''


    The spear was embedded pretty deep into the eye, he wondered if [Laceration] had activated like he wanted too, from the looks of it, it didn''t seem to have worked. Thankfully. Nheless, whilst Azmakul was busy with whatever he was going to do, n grabbed the tip of the spear and tried to pull it out, but still failed. Even trying to put it in the inventory


    was not working at all.


    ''...Now that is going to be a problem.''

 Chapter 636: Second, or rather the first?

    Chapter 636: Second, or rather the first?


    ?


    ''It''s been a while since I slept so peacefully.''


    After sleeping for a while, Elijah finally woke up in his dorm room at Shield, he just got done with a few missions the association sent him too, He had already gotten an earful from Sir Oliver for his repeated absence.


    ''I should be more punctual.''


    He got up from his bed, almost a bit too quickly. The world wobbled in front of his eyes and he almost fell down, going towards the shower to take a bath, he realized how much of a mess his room was.


    Keep in mind, it was pretty difficult to make an entire floor this messy, especially when one took his nature into ount. He had been so busy as ofte that he was bing less and less of a proper human being, His entire room was also covered in the stench of monster blood and flesh.


    And to top if off, he was feeling strange ever since he lost the duel against n in the tower of trials, although due to the unnatural kindness n disyed at the end, he was still able to heal his brother.


    As the cold water hit his robust skin, he felt weird. He knew he shouldn''t be feeling disappointed, he knew he lost a fair fight, and didn''t lose anything... Yet he couldn''t shake that feeling off.


    Was it the blood of a Fire Dragon, one that never admits defeat? Strange, he never felt this way before when he lost.


    ''Maybe I am... maturing.''


    He thought, perhaps after spending more time as a dragon, he was losing his human side and bing more... Draconian. He hoped he wouldn''t reach the point n had reached, where The ended human lives as if it was nothing.


    ''Cold...''


    A single word rang in his mind, as he rested his head on the wall, embracing the cold droplets of water attack his skin.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Cold...''


    He had been so busy after turning Ragnar into a fire dragon, He had to participate in a special ritual that turned him into one, and had to use a great deal of his own blood.


    The regeneration of a dragon was great, his was especially better than most, but it couldn''tpare to n''s. That monster could regenerate an entire limb in a few seconds. His regeneration was especially annoying. Elijah suffered greatly due to it in their duel.


    ''Cold...?''


    The word stopped ringing in his mind, and he raised his head, towards the shower head. Steam was rampant. The water was near boiling temperature, yet it was as cold as tap water to him.


    ''... I think I need to rest a bit more before going to Gigantia for that special mission...''


    That would prove to be hard, he had already dyed that expedition ever since he found Gary, Harrison wouldn''t let him dy it any longer, and it would affect Serena''s reputation if he dyed it too.


    Serena was already doing a lot for him, he couldn''t afford to bezy when she was doing so much work.


    Exiting the shower, he looked in a mirror, his robust skin, which appeared wless despite its strength hid powerful but lean muscles, which were supplied with fiery blood that was the pride of every Fire Dragon.


    His incredible charm was brought down a bit due to the dark circles underneath his eyes, yet he still looked pristine and proper. Even with a creased uniform.


    He looked at the time, and decided to clean his room upter. He had already missed a lot of sses, he should still be there for the challenge.


    The new first years, which was called the golden age this time...


    ''... Don''t they call us the golden age every time?''


    The popce called the students that were with Him, n, Sabrina, Serena, and the rest the golden age...the students before them were also called the golden age...and the ones before that too.


    ''Every age is the golden age, I guess.''


    He had a bit of a chuckle hearing that, especially since this ''golden'' age had done something no other age had seeded at.


    They issued a request to challenge their senior students, and Elijah didn''t know what the management was thinking when they actually agreed to it. When he was a first year, some students outside the top ten had done the same.


    But they were rejected, It was okay though, since they were most likely doing it so that the top ten of his era could beat the second years of the time, so they could feel a sense of superiority.


    He didn''t understand people who would feel superior to others because of the efforts of another, he didn''t understand them at all.


    After their request was granted, most of the second year top 10 had received multiple letters, each being a duel request. Elijah was the only one to not have received any duel request, it was surprising how barren his mailbox was.


    His friends made a joke out of him for that, saying that he was too weak that the first years didn''t think fighting him was worth it. Everyone knew they were scared shitless, though, because everyone on Earth had seen his prowess during tower of trials.


    Elijah had only lost to n, and that was saying something.


    ''Oh yeah, I wonder why that student didn''t give me one.''


    What was his name?


    He forgot the name of a particr student who was pretty ambitious and arrogant, who made


    a bold im that he would defeat every top ten student of his year.


    ''He was pretty ambitious.''


    Elijah remembered how he stated that the first target would be Henry, his dear friend, then he would move onto Lucas, then to Alex, then to Elijah, and then n himself. One by one, he would defeat them all without losing even once.


    It was kind of bizarre, considering how confident he was, and how he wasn''t even the top student in his year. That spot had been stolen by n''s subordinate, another fellow dragon who had quite the peculiar name.


    ''Kazikato... right? I wish he sent me a duel, though.''


    He thought as he made his way towards the stadium where the duels were to be held, a sandwich was dangling from his mouth, barely able to keep its shape. It was soon devoured in


    a single bite.


    All dragons had voracious appetites.


    He was pretty sad that Kazikato didn''t send him a duel invite, while Elijah was less enthusiastic about fighting the rest, he would have been thrilled to fight Kazikato, someone who almost beat n once ording to the rumors. Besides, his fight with Alexander, which Theter watched as a recording was superb.


    Though neither of them would be able to fight to their full power in Shield, it would still be entertaining. He would have loved to ept Kazikato''s duel request. Sadly, both he and a few


    others from Twilight were missing.


    Apparently on an important mission, the guild leader of Twilight entrusted on them. He was surprised how Sir Oliver gave his permission for that... That man had more influence and might than even the guild leaders of the top three guilds.


    He finally reached the ce where the duels would be held, sometimes he thought of Shield''s titanic size to be a terrible thing sometimes... This ce was so big, he often lost his way.


    He could hear the sounds from outside the ce.


    ''I hope I can meet Henry and Gary before their fights, a shame Gary didn''t make it to the top


    ten though.''


    His entrance was noticed by a lot of people, Henry waved to him from afar, the bastard had saved him a seat in this crowded ce, thankfully. Gary was there too, Elijah remembered he was a bit shy and frail, but he didn''t think he would be this socially awkward.


    "Yourte."


    "Sorry, I slept in."


    "Are you okay these days? Take a rest, man."


    Henry was worried about his health, despite being half the reason why Elijah couldn''t get a


    proper rest. He always called Elijah when he was bored and would waste time in the most useless of activities.


    Elijah was all in for some fun, but too much was too much. He began to worry if his friend was


    alright.


    "Joshua Gutberg wins!"


    The teacher responsible for the duels called out. It was their homeroom teacher. A second year student won and left the first year haggard and out of breath.


    Although Elijah hadn''t seen how the fight progressed due to histe arrival, he had an idea


    that the first year lost a bit pathetically...


    The teacher announced the names of the next students who would be fighting, but Elijah


    didn''t really hear it. He was busy talking to Henry.


    "Where is Serena?"


    "Your girlfriend is busy with some other things, She did some wild shit."


    "What?"


    "She got a lot of duel requests, so she beat the first person so bad the rest just surrendered immediately. The poor dude was humiliated... She is having a private meeting with Sir Oliver


    or Vice Principal Elena."


    "


    That... did seem something Serena would do in order to save herself some time and effort.


    Though, he hardly had an idea how bad she beat the poor guy that challenged her first... he


    still prayed for him.


    Moving on, he turned to Gary, the second human on Earth to have awakened with the extremely rare attribute of... space!

 Chapter 637: [637] Second, or the first?(2)

    Chapter 637: [637] Second, or the first?(2)


    ?


    Gary Adman, The second spatial mage to ever awaken in Earth''s history. At first, Elijah was skeptical on what to call such a man.


    n was officially known as the first spatial awakened in Earth''s history, or he was either known as the first human to awaken a spatial affinity. Elijah knew that really wasn''t the case, since n was a dragon, not a human.


    Though the title of the First Dragon to ever awaken to a spatial affinity was much greater and much rarer than the first human to awaken to a spatial affinity, He couldn''t exactly call him that on Earth.


    Most human''s didn''t know what n actually was, they simply thought he was a rare urrence who was able to use two bloodlines at once.


    They were unaware that n wasn''t human, but actually a dragon, and that he only possessed the bloodline of the Phoenix. That in itself was amazing, however.


    ''Lucky bastard.''


    Elijah envied both n and Gary, not because they had the extremely rare and sought after spatial affinity, but because the bastards could teleport almost anywhere.


    Imagine if he had such an ability! He wouldn''t get lost at all! And what was worse... was that both n and Gary had an absolute atrocious sense of direction.


    It wasn''t a big deal to n, who could fly and also use Mana Sense in order to find out the correct path, but it was absolutely horrendous for Gary, who didn''t have such things.


    Despite also being a spatial mage, he couldn''t utilize a lot of the advantages of the [Space] affinity. All he could do was open a portal that could take you from point a to point b, and some other things.


    He couldn''t use teleportation like n could, and neither could he maintain a portal for very long. [Space] required one to have arge mana pool to use it fully, which Gary sadlycked.


    He wasn''t a dragon like Elijah or n, who had nearly infinite reserves of mana after all. He was also not much of abatant, he preferred using his other affinity of [Electricity] to attack. Though it wasn''t a very high level.


    One major advantage he did have over n was that he was smart, incredibly so. He had actually managed to make a spatial storage like the dwarves! One that n couldn''t do, no matter how hard he tried. To Elijah, that was already extremely impressive.


    The storage space he could make was limited to only two hundred square feet, about the size of an average room, but that was still impressive, there was still some room for improvement on that part.


    Hiscking mana pool could be increased with items and rank increases, so his inventions could still be improved. The association had already tasked him with the invention of other gadgets, and gave him the right to demand anything he may need. If it could be found on Earth, Gigantia, or the dungeons that popte the... They would find it and give it to him.


    Even Elijah didn''t enjoy such a privilege despite having being a dragon, the association''s youngest and most talented member and also having the man...or the dragon who controlled the World Government as a subordinate.


    ''Eh, maybe not thest part...''


    He could if he ordered Ragnar to gather them in his stead, but he felt awkward doing so. The man was probably busy and had a lot of other responsibilities.


    Elijah had actually found Gary, he first thought that he was actually sneaking up on n, but then had wondered what in damnation n was doing in a beginner dungeon managed by the association.


    Why would he even need to go there? He had located Gary by his scent, and was shocked to find that he found an injured Gary, almost dying to a goblin.


    The scent he picked up actually belonged to the element of space, heter found out. It was one of the perks of being a dragon, he guessed.


    Using Dragon Eyes on the injured kid, he found out that he actually had the affinity of space! Had he been a secondter, Humanity would have lost an important asset.


    He swiftly killed the goblin and earned the title of being Gary''s savior...and since the brat was determined to follow him anyway, he thought...


    ''Why not make use of the affinity?''


    He informed Serena about it, and from then on the entire association knew about it, and they quickly made him sign contracts, with parental guidance and supervision of course.


    It wasn''t that hard to convince Gary''s parents... Not only would the youth be getting education at the top institution for awakened in the world, but he would also be a prime member of the organization that oversaw all awakened activities.


    Though his work schedule would be quite rigorous, he had noints whatsoever. He didn''t exactly grow up in poverty, but his family wasn''t rich.


    They were the simply, middle-sized family that wanted the best for their children, like Elijah''s! Maybe that was why they could bond so quickly.


    Gary Adman, was the average height youth who had auburn hair and brown eyes, and big sses too! Most of the girls would find him cute.


    He topped his written exams and was held back only by hisbat ability, though that was something that would rapidly improve under Elijah''s tutge.


    "Catherine Wellington, against Irene Rodriguez!"


    ''Wellington?''


    Did he hear that right? Or was he so sleepy he was hearing things? He opened his eyes and saw who the teacher was referring too, and he would''ve thought that was Sabrina, if he hadn''t seen the vine-green hair.


    ''Ah... A cousin?''


    With how simr they looked and with the same family name, it was probably that.


    "That''s actually Sabrina''s niece. Yeah, she is an aunt."


    He almost jumped from his seat when he heard Henry. Both Elijah and Gary were looking at


    him with strange gazes.


    "... What?"


    "Rich families have confusing family trees."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Both Elijah and Gary gulped, focusing on the fight whilst having their own strange thoughts...


    ''So that''s how it''s like to be rich...''


    ''Weird.''


    "Anyway, When is your fight?"


    Henry took the initiative in starting the conversations, considering that Elijah was fatigued,


    he began to talk to Gary.


    "It''s after the second ranked student, Walter Firkuz."


    "Ah, that was the name!"


    Elijah''s eyes regained focus, He had remembered what Walter had said, but failed to remember his name! He was the kid that boasted so much about defeating everybody!


    "Don''t you have a duel with him, senior?"


    Gary asked, Henry didn''t look too disturbed at being challenged by the rising star of the first years, but he didn''t seem enthusiastic either.


    "Yeah, I guess."


    Gary had interpreted his response as nervousness, considering how he looked when he said it.


    In his perspective, it was only natural that one would be a little nervous when going up


    against someone called a natural star.


    Walter Firkuz was the youngest and most talented son of the Raven guild''s guild leader, it was a guild among the top ten guilds in the entire world.


    While it couldn''tpare to Titan, Behemoth, or Twilight, it was still a force to be reckoned with. Especially when their scion wielded one of the two most dangerous and destructive attributes known to mankind.


    Walter was one of the few humans who awakened with a [Fire] and [Electricity] affinity at the genius level. His attack power was simply monstrous, too much for his age. And he didn''t


    neglect his defense at all.


    He was a greatbatant by Gary''s standards, who had received tutge from renowned awakened belonging to the association and Elijah himself.


    The fight continued in the background, and Gary immersed himself in observing it. Elijah and Henry were doing the same, but they were much harsher on Catherine.


    "Her affinity is to nature and poison, right? Why would she fight against someone who has a


    fire affinity?"


    Elijah had a lot ofints, the first years could choose who to duel against, and they


    weren''t going in blind too. They had heaps of information both online and offline to research about the second years, so they could decide those who they had an advantage against in


    terms of affinities.


    Catherine had done the opposite, she selected someone that would have an advantage against her... Whether it was due to the pride of the Wellington family or something else, he didn''t


    know.


    "Maybe she isn''t as smart as her aunt."


    What he did know, was that she wasn''t strong enough topletely overpower the elemental disadvantage. Though she had won, it hade at a great cost.


    She was gravely injured, and only managed to secure a win due to a mistake on Irene''s part.


    Had that not happened, she would have lost. Her reputation as a top ten student would have


    plummeted.


    Her victory could only be called Pyrrhic at best.


    Elijah yawned as he heard the names of the next participants being called, he fell asleep. Gary had to wake him up when it was Henry''s turn.

 Chapter 638: [638] Henrys own ambitions.

    Chapter 638: [638] Henry''s own ambitions.


    ?


    ''It''s his turn already? Damn...''


    Elijah saw Henry walk towards the stage with light steps, humming a sweet tone, and joking with a few of the students along the way. Most of them cheered him on, those being the second years, of course.


    The first years simply looked at him with interest, some with scorn as well. Elijah didn''t know why that was the case. He knew they came to challenge them, but at least have a good attitude about it!


    Henry didn''t seem nervous in the slightest, though his whistling and casual jokes could be interpreted as a way to conceal or lessen his nervousness, Elijah knew that wasn''t the case.


    Henry was just that type of man. He reached the tform and joked with the teacher on duty as he put on his protective gear.


    "Come on, Sir, I don''t need this. Haha!"


    His jokes didn''t reallynd, but at least the man had a goodugh.


    "Senior, shouldn''t Senior Henry be a little nervous at the very least?"


    Though some, like Gary, had misinterpreted his carefree attitude as a way to conceal his nervousness. Elijah looked at Gary, and shrugged.


    "No."


    "But still, Walter is nothing to you, but I don''t know about Senior Henry."


    Gary had known Henry for a short period of time, but even he had an impression of Henry, though it wasn''t anything like the one he had of Elijah''s of course.


    To Gary, Henry was a simple and funny man, who didn''t take anything seriously. Though such an attitude wasn''t wrong to have as a normal person... As an awakened, it leads to the death''s of many. The lives of awakened and normal people were very different, after all.


    Henry was simply that type of man... despite being an awakened.


    Whilst Gary may be skeptical, he still didn''tpletely believe that Henry would lose, he was Elijah''s friend, someone who still ranked among the top 3... but the biggest factor that supported his belief was simple.


    It was that he was Ezra''s brother, the only person to defeat the monster known as n Pator. If he had even an inkling of his older brother''s talent, he was sure Henry would win.


    ... That was a very big if, however, in Gary''s eyes.


    Elijah focused on Henry a little more, sharing some of the views Gary had. While he did agree that Henry''s attitude was a major issue, he also knew the truth many didn''t.


    Henry walked up to the stage with nothing in his hands, imitating a few martial stances he saw in movies. Elijah cringed when he saw his friend.


    || ||


    A few of the other studentsughed, and Gary was now certain Henry would lose. His opponent, Walter, wielded a Zweih?nder, a fearsome weapon.


    ''That''s unique.''


    Although it was fearsome, one didn''t really see a lot of awakened using such a cumbersome sword. Elijah hadn''t, at the very least.


    Though, he did know it would be terrifying in the hands of someone who wielded the [Fire] and [Electricity] attributes. The attack power would simply be monstrous, and if it was apanied by a good and solid defense...


    The opponent would be in a pickle, indeed.


    Walter was a tall youth with ck hair, and striking blue eyes, and he was well-built as well. Sparks flew around him, and the fire in his eyes was fierce. It seemed he really meant it when The said he would defeat everyone in Elijah''s year.


    "He got this..."


    Elijah said, calming Gary down. It didn''t work, though,


    ||


    Elijah sighed, although he appreciated the vigor Walter had, in his proud act of challenging the strongest people in shield, he had to know his limits. While he may be talented for a first year, he should have only done so if he was to rank first, not rank second. If he was in Kazikato''s ce, he may have taken his challenge seriously.


    But Elijah knew he couldn''t... He had to suppress a chuckle when he even thought about it. He didn''t want to be rude, but isughing at stupidity really rude?


    Walter had imed that he would defeat Henry, Lucas, Alexander, Elijah and n respectively, without any losses at all. That was what made Elijah so sure he wouldn''t be able to do it.


    Had he perhaps imed that he would challenge them as many times it would take to beat them, Elijah would have happily weed it. Hell, he would have even encouraged it.


    There was nothing wrong in wanting to beat someone stronger, but to im you would do it on the first try, was idiotic. In most real-life situations, you only had one chance, after all.


    It was kill or be killed, if Elijah was being honest. To have the luxury to grow in an environment like Shield was amazing. Walter was careless for thinking that he would always have a chance.


    The true essence ofbat... as much as Elijah would have liked to deny it, was murder. It didn''t fit with his views, but even he had to agree it was the truth.


    Therefore, he viewed Walter''s challenge as incredulous, that was it.


    The match was about to begin, and the students couldn''t keep their mouths shut. They were


    all talking about the challenge.


    Elijah couldn''t help but hear them all, given his heightened senses.


    ''Please speak quietly...''


    The main point of their discussion was where Walter would stop, and it seemed most of the students thought Walter would stop at Elijah.


    ''...''


    He was a bit surprised to see that they thought Walter would beat Henry, Lucas, and Alexander. He could understand why they thought he could beat Henry and Lucas, since those


    two didn''t really showcase their strength much.


    They didn''t even have recorded footage about them, so it was understandable... But Alexander? Did none of them see the fight he had with Kazikato at the academic convergence?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Damn.''


    That surprised him a bit, but he knew it wasn''t the case.


    Walter was stopping right at Henry, even an unserious Henry was too much for the kid.


    Elijah knew that even the aloof Henry had a serious side to him, the pressure of beingpared to his genius of a brother had crippled Henry many times, and because of such aparison... he knew the intensity at which Henry trained.


    Until the bowstring would tear into his awakened skin, and sh against the bones of his fingers, he wouldn''t stop. He wouldn''t stop shooting at the same hole in the target that


    moved at a great speed.


    He knew the limits of Henry''s obsession, he knew it all too well. The aloof attitude was just an act in order to hide something.


    It wasn''t to hide how nervous he was, it was to hide how stressed he was whenpared to Ezra. Even with all his training, he wasn''t anythingpared to Ezra after all.


    Elijah himself had been forced to use almost everything he had at his disposal to defeat Henry


    sometimes.


    Henry was as crazy as n, butcked the absurd regenerative factor. Henry would continue going until his bones broke, and his organs failed, but he couldn''t keep it up if it wasn''t for


    Shield''s excellent medical facilities.


    Elijah was terrified of the insane drive Henry possessed at times.


    "Watch closely, Gary, that Walter guy is stopped right at Henry."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, the roar of thunder and fire was heard in unison, rushing towards their enemy. The duel had begun, Walter had rushed in immediately. He knew Henry had the upper hand in speed due to his affinity.


    Elijah looked at the weak fire with tired eyes, whilst everyone else paid rapt attention. Henry, in response to therge attack, simply waved his hand.


    From his fingers, five win bullets were unleashed, and each and every single one of them pierced through the mountains of mes and tendrils of electricity.


    The sound of a whistle was heard as they hit Walter''s unprotected liver one by one, making the student fall to his knees as his body suffered a serious shock, his fire was put out and his electricity was dispelled. Walter was quick to get back on his feet, yet the moment he did, he saw a wind arrow right at his neck, his lungs, his heart, and even one on his ass foredic


    effect.


    He flinched, but the arrows did not move, his shields erected themselves a secondter, but it


    was toote.


    Everybody knew if Henry went forward with his attack, Walter would be dead.


    "Your lightning isn''t as strong as Sabrina''s, and your fire is patheticpared to Elijah''s.


    But..."


    Elijah had a bad feeling creep up when he saw the smile on Henry''s face. He knew his friend


    was nning something.


    "Oh my! So scary! I surrender!"


    Everyone was in shock, only Elijah had a terrified look on his face.


    ''You fool...''


    He knew it! Henry did have some enmity towards Walter for choosing him first on the list! Oh,


    no!


    ''... Well, Walter is pretty much dead.''


    He began to silently pray for Walter. Elijah and Henry both knew... that when Lucas came back and found out that he was ced before Alex on the list... he would be livid.


    Walter would be lucky if he only lost his life, the worst case scenario would be him losing his


    ability of having children.

 Chapter 639: [639] My chest is safe! Yippee!

    Chapter 639: [639] My chest is safe! Yippee!


    ?


    The duels were nearing their end, and Elijah sat through it all, wondering if he should go get something from the canteen. Henry had returned to his seat, bearing an innocent expression.


    ..."


    Elijah didn''t know how his friend could be so heartless, he knew Lucas would not leave Walter alone, he knew that kid was ruined. If he wanted the best oue of his life and his balls being intact, he had to start begging for forgiveness from the moment that duel started.


    Well, he had time to reflect until Lucas was back from his ''business''. Elijah was still curious as to what it was, but he left it alone. He himself had to request a leave for the special mission in Gigantia as well.


    He wondered how the first human city on that looked like, it was a coborative effort of all the top ten guilds, association, and world government, so it had to be a sight for eyes. Well, except for Twilight, he heard that they were making their own base somewhere else. Gigantia, whilst known all throughout Earth as the second home of humanity now, was still a hard ce to get into. Not only could normal humans not enter it without extensive amount of training and gear due to the gravity, but they also couldn''t stay for long without any permanent damages. Even lower ranked awakened couldn''t get near the portal at all.


    That portal was guarded by multiple S-ranked hunters, the best from each organization. That precaution was put in ce because of the demons, humanity could not risk the spatial coordinates of Gigantia being leaked, that would spell disaster.


    Even if a demon managed to get inside the portal, time was required to figure out the spatial coordinates on the other side, and Elijah knew the entire city filled with the best awakened humanity had to offer would not let it happen.


    "Next up, Gary Adman against Eric Lopez!"


    It was finally Gary''s turn to duel, Elijah and Henry could see he was extremely nervous, so they cheered the boy up a bit.


    "Don''t worry, you got this."


    "Space attribute for the win!"


    It did ease his nerves a little, but they were still skeptical if the boy was truly all right. The opponent this time was a second year with the affinity of earth element. Unlike the other first years who were ready to duel against the Second years and had done their extensive research about them before dueling them, Gary was simply caught in the trend and picked a random person.


    He didn''t even want to fight in the first ce, but since he was a spatial mage... the first years wouldn''t let him off if he decided to sit back. To avoid all that, Gary had to participate, albeit reluctantly.


    ''Electricity is at a disadvantage with Earth...but let''s hope for the best.''


    Gary may possess two elemental affinities, but since space was still a rtively new affinity, there wasn''t much to know about what it could do... since the only other person who had it wasn''t the type to share much about his findings.


    Well, even if n did share what the affinity could do, Elijah was sure Gary wouldn''t be able to replicate it. The difference in mana pool was simply too vast. He was sure n wouldn''t have cared for therge mana consumption of his skills since he had a near infinite amount of mana... but Gary was a different story.


    He remembered what happened when the poor kid tried to replicate n once. He was watching the recording of the fight n had with Ezra, and tried to replicate opening dozens of portals at once to both defend and attack... that ended terribly wrong.


    Gary was coughing up blood and was in bed for almost two weeks.


    "Ready?"


    The teacher''s words rang out, and it seemed both Eric and Gary were incredibly nervous. Both of them were sweating buckets, and the audience had a goodugh.


    "Eric shouldn''t be sweating that much, though..."


    Henry was a bit confused, Elijah may not have a lot of knowledge of his ssmates, but Henry did. Although Eric couldn''tpare to the top ten, he was still a greatbatant Gary didn''t have a chance against.


    ... So why was the man that nervous? One would think he had a water affinity instead of an Earth one!


    The stance he had was especially different from his normal ones, he had left his axe and had instead opted for aicallyrge shield... that definitely wasn''t normal.


    Henry was confused as to what had gotten to Eric. Suddenly, his eyes widened at the realization.


    "Begin!"


    The match began, and as Gary started to cast his skill, [Lightning Bolt], the audience was in shock as Eric had immediately cast as many defensive skills he could, and used almost all his mana left to reinforce his body, putting his shield upfront.


    Walls of Earth rose, each a meter thick, and focused solely on protecting Eric at the center from all sides... though the defense from the front was especially rigid.


    Gary''s [Lightning Bolt] struck the first wall of many... but he didn''t cast any more skills, perplexed as to what was happening. The audience was the same.


    Henry knew what Eric was doing...and he sympathized with the poor fellow. Elijah also realized quickly, since he had a certain ''experience''.


    Eric curled up into a ball and let out a whelp, as the sound of the [Lightning Bolt] hitting his [Earth Wall] rang out, he focused all of his mana into erecting more walls.


    "... I don''t even me him."


    Elijah said, his face struck with horror as he protected his chest, an ufortable memory bloomed in his mind. The teacher in charge started tough, he too realized what was going


    on.


    Henry started tough too... He couldn''t help it. The second years followed, nodding in approval and sympathizing with Eric. Only Elijah remained silent, cursing at his fellow


    students.


    "Damn you all!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Haha!"


    The confused first years just looked at the stage, trying to understand what was going on. Gary stood silently, doing the same.


    The sound ofughter reached Eric''s ears, as he opened his eyes and checked on the state of his defenses, and at Gary. He stood up, since he used almost all of his mana, he was shaking a little bit but managed to release a sigh of relief.


    "Haha..."


    The roar ofughter from the second years reached it''s peak, as Eric joined in, raising his


    hands in victory!


    "Haha! You''re not him at all! My chest is still okay!"


    The smile on his face was so vibrant, one wouldn''t believe he was sweating buckets a few moments prior.


    The scene of Elijah and n''s first duel was stuck in the mind of every student who had witnessed it, and they all knew how quick n had ended it by using his teleportation to cave Elijah''s chest in. Eric had thought Gary would do the same, thankfully, his chest was okay.


    || ||


    Elijah could only grimace, as theughter of the students reached its peak. The first years


    screamed at Gary.


    "What are you doing? Finish this!"


    The shout''s knocked Gary out of his confusion, as he began to use another lightning bolt, Eric caught on, and threw his shield aside, rushing in towards Gary as quick as he could.


    He simply tanked the lightning bolt, and closed in on Gary, delivering a punch to his chin, Gary was able to block the punch, all the training he received from the best instructors was put


    to good use.


    But Eric was simply more experienced, and besides all that, he was taller and heavier than Gary. Weight trumped willpower, and skill was often useless in front of long reach.


    Eric managed to throw Gary off the tform, and secured his win with a loud roar, tanking another lightning bolt to the chest, Gary''s final attempt.


    "I win!"


    The smile of relief on his face was as vibrant as ever as the teacher announced his victory. Gary


    stood up from the ground, in shock.


    "... What was I even supposed to do?


    ********


    In the middle of the gigantic bridge that lead to Lanesha''s castle on Lanekia, there stood n


    Pator, facing arge Draconian.


    "Why won''t this damn thinge out?!"


    n was using all of his strength to pull [G¨¢e Bolg] out, to the point his body was as red as


    blood... but the damn spear wouldn''t budge at all. Using all of his strength, reinforced with


    mana brought a bitter


    result.


    Still, he kept trying, refusing to give up as he believed that the spear woulde out eventually! The trust he had in his strength was beyond ordinary.


    Azmakul, meanwhile, was still in the process of doing something n had no idea about,


    undisturbed about the spear lodged in his right eye.


    "How stuck is this damn thing?!"


    If Lanesha was seeing this... which she probably was, she was sure to have a goodugh about


    it.

 Chapter 640: [640] It isnt easy to surprise an Ancient Dragon!

    Chapter 640: [640] It isn''t easy to surprise an Ancient Dragon!


    ?


    Azmakul finally retracted his finger, n had long since given up on trying to get [G¨¢e Bolg] out, he hadn''t felt this useless in a while.


    "So... What were you doing?"


    n asked, collecting his breath. Azmakul looked down at him, and was silent.


    It was kind of hard to maintain eye contact when the butt of his [G¨¢e Bolg] was right in front his face, Azmakul''s unusual appearance didn''t help at all.


    There was a brief period of silence between the two, Azmakul didn''t speak, and n didn''t know what to do, should he talk about the spear he himself lodged in the dragon''s eye? Or bring something else to the table, avoiding it?


    A cold sigh escaped Azmakul''s abhorrent goat like mask, one that made n feel cold, and the dragon turned to face the sky.


    "It... was all true."


    He muttered, looking up to the distant sky as if missing something, he finally took G¨¢e Bolg out of his eye, and gave it back to n,plimenting him.


    "Good work on the final attack, young prince."


    Azmakul gestured for n to follow him, as he leisurely began walking on the bridge, opposite to the pce. He was a bit big, so n had to hurry a little to match his pace.


    n put G¨¢e Bolg in his inventory, a bit sad that there was no blood on the tip of the spear. Azmakul noticed it, and said.


    "Be thankful, young prince. I do not know how you came to possess the other part of that spear, but had it hit me whilst I hadn''t intentionally lowered my defense, it would be in splinters."


    Azmakul was nning to avoid any attacks n used with a weapon, since his natural defenses were so robust, any weapon below his own rank would be turned into dust. He knew that many dragons valued their weapons, though he didn''t if n had the same thoughts, since his upbringing was different.


    He only decided to deal with thest attack since the unique magic n used intrigued him. Not only that, but he had, after all, never ever seen a dragon with the affinity of space after all. Even in his bitter long life.


    "Since you know about G¨¢e Bolg, do you know where the other part of the spear is? I want toplete the spear."


    n asked, expecting a great deal of information. The G¨¢e Bolg he had was subpar, it was apparently a legendary weapon forged with the bones of a titanic monster, but it was only half. The spear was broken into two, and he only had one.


    He wondered how G¨¢e Bolg would look when whole. Well, he was going to feed it to the Ame- No-Sakahoko the moment hepleted it.


    "That spear? It''s a treasure from a world long-lost, it was an interesting case on how such a world disappeared all of a sudden, but I believe it is not yet time for you to go look for the other half of it."


    "Why?"


    "Well, it is in the hands of a God beast, I believe. If you want to take it yourself, you have to grow a bit stronger."


    n had to say he was a bit dejected, if the spear was simply stuck in an asteroid or on another, he hoped he could get it soon and feed it to the Ame-No-Sakahoko. Now that it was in the hands of someone else, he had a feeling it would be especially hard to get it.


    Though he would wee the challenge. He just had to get a ''bit'' stronger after all... though he had no idea what a ''bit'' meant to an Ancient Dragon.


    Azmakul noticed his expression, and asked.


    "If you would like, I can order one of the dragons or our servants to make a request to the n that God Beast belongs too, asking them to give us the other part of the spear."


    The tone with which he spoke those words irked n a bit, he didn''t know why it was, though. "I don''t think they would give it that easily, though?"


    If he was being honest, he didn''t prefer using G¨¢e Bolg as a spear at all. The spear could only pierce, not cut at all. It could only be used for stabbing and was useless for cutting and shing. But the skills it possessed were astounding, and absolutely spine-chilling. It made it extremely valuable.


    He hoped the Ame-No-Sakahoko wouldn''t solely be a spear for piercing if it absorbed G¨¢e Bolg... he liked the design of his unusual spear a lot. It was very versatile too!


    "So what if they don''t just give it to us? Another war wouldn''t hurt. I have been itching to get some action ever since I woke up."


    ''Ah... so that''s why I was beginning to feel irked...''


    Though he wasn''t as kind as Elijah, the man who tried to abstain from killing as much as possible. He wasn''t necessarily keen on starting a war between Shivalkn and the God beasts... and the fact that Azmakul casually mentioned another ''war'' sent chills down his spine.


    "My prince."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Azmakul suddenly stopped, n wondered what the slightly deranged dragon had in mind this time.


    He turned around to face n, and spoke with absolute authority palpable in his voice. "Since I am now charged with your education, I must ask of you something."


    "Which is?"


    "Foremost, I must say, you are an unusual case. Not only have an affinity to an element no dragon has ever had, but you are also the first dragon to possess the power of the God beasts,


    Aura."


    Azmakul paused for a while, took a deep breath and continued.


    "You have, right now, two choices. You can choose to receive the normal education rted


    solely to mana that the heirs of the houses are entitled too, or..."


    n didn''t have a good feeling about this, He thought Azmakul would tell him to stop using aura at all, or propose something entirely preposterous.


    "... you can choose to give my old bones a hard timeing up with a new method to train


    you."


    "Huh?"


    He was... surprised. That waspletely out of his expectations.


    "Did you think I would tell you to stop using that power, despite the absurd difficulties you went to obtain it? Goodness, I am not that cruel."


    He continued.


    "Though, it will be a new experience for me. I have killed enough God beasts to know enough about their strengths, but this is new! I am excited."


    He massaged his cheek, and let out a heartyugh. n gazed at him, a bit shaken. Theugh of this dragon made it hard for him to keep standing.


    "What is the education you were referring too?"


    He did have the right to ask what Azmakul would be teaching him. If one were to ask him, n was pretty much set. He had one of the strongest...and especially the most destructive martial technique, a unique element no one else had, and had a pretty solid foundation.


    Arken''s teachings weren''t that bad, after all.


    "Many things, and allow me to correct myself, but you are quite the unusual dragon, so your training will be different. You are the first in something else too, my prince. The fact that you can transform into different forms. Normally, almost all dragons have only one true form, one that is a mixture of the affinities they are born with. But you are different..."


    "You have the ability to transform into a dragon that is solely one of your elemental affinities. Ice, Chaos, Space, Darkness, Shadow, and Death."


    n flinched at the mention of ''Chaos'' but then realized that it wasn''t that surprising that Azmakul found out all of his affinities.


    He just hoped that ''Chaos'' could be excluded in the education. He had to leave the convincing


    part to Lanesha, though.


    Likewise, he had a feeling that the dragon in front of him only listened to her.


    "Not only that, The queen has not taught you her own sorcery, I wonder why."


    At the mention of sorcery, his ears perked up and he said.


    "It was because of... grandmother, she wanted me to learn my own sorcery."


    Azmakul stopped suddenly, n wondered if he should have addressed Ariel with a title,


    instead of just addressing her as grandmother...


    Then again, he didn''t know what title she really had in the eyes of the dragons. Queen of Death? Or simply Primordial of Death?


    "It seems her highness is as strict as ever. Though I can see why she did that."


    "Why?"


    "Young dragons are very delicate, and must be handled with care. I assumed her highness


    ordered you to learn and create your own sorcery at such an early age so you could develop your unique spatial. That must also be why she stopped the Queen from teaching you her own techniques. Had you learned from her, a whole new set of problems would have been created. In addition to the one you have with your forms.


    "... What kind of issues are you talking about? And what is the problem with my forms?"


    His face paled as Azmakul began to exin.

 Chapter 641: [641] Frost against three others!

    Chapter 641: [641] Frost against three others!


    ?


    "Dragons, especially as young as you, are very delicate."


    Azmakul exined, the mana in the surroundings followed his intent and moved, the snowkes, each aplex mixture of condensed frost mana exploded forth, turning into streams.


    They followed the will of the ancient dragon in front of him, whatever he thought, they became. The streams of pure mana condensed once more, but this time into a delicate flower.


    "Young ones, as much as they are adorable, are very, very delicate."


    The flower rotted away, and turned into the figure of a young dragon, with little limbs, andicallyrge wings and a head that it''s body struggled to support.


    "They are also, very confused, from the beginning. Our very nature demands that we are a supreme race, our race is the most powerful, thus, it bears the most weight."


    The head of the dragon fell to the ground, as its body could no longer support it. It pped it''s little wings, but to no avail. The wings were too small to lift its body.


    "From the moment we are born, we know. We know what we are, yet we don''t at the same time. We know that we are a powerful race, but we don''t know what to do with that power. Our eyes, our scales, our tongue. Each a power unique to us and filled with so much potential. Yet, our power can be poison to us, too."


    The dragon...exploded. It was quite a brutal and gory disy of blue light. From afar, it may be beautiful, but from close, it was hideous.


    "Some dragon''s eyes are too weak at birth, so they are lost. The eyes of some are too


    powerful, and thus overuse causes them to lose them, that explosion was one such incident that happened once."


    ''...''


    n made a mental note to not use his own eyes very often... He was thankful the most damage he had received was being blinded for a while, with a lot of pain... but he would take that over his head exploding. He didn''t know if his regeneration could even save him from that...


    "We know of our tongue, but not know the power the words wield. Young dragons use their words carelessly, and thus cause irreparable damage to their conscious, to their mentality. Our scales, our only form of defense at such a young age, sometimes cannot bear with our powers and fail. They are the one most dependent on our age, after all."


    n listened carefully, making many mental notes to himself. The image of the young dragon exploding was still vivid in his mind.


    "But... in your era, those are only minor problems. In this precious time of peace, young dragons are born with us as their protectors, their teachers. We teach them about their powers, and nurse them until they are deemed worthy enough to venture into the world. They need to make their ''connection'' and pass a series of test."


    He turned around to look at n, the streams of mana formedrge monstrous eyes behind him, many times the size of his figure.


    Azmakul had quite the unique way of exining things.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We had it much rougher in our time, but let''s just keep to the topic. Though you may be an exception, you still have some ring issues."


    "Which are?"


    "First and foremost, is the issue with your forms, young prince. Though I haven''t seen it in person, I have heard from the queen about your peculiar case. You have the ability to transform in many forms, a unique transformation for every element you have affinity towards."


    "But, isn''t that good? The more forms I have, the more versatile I can be."


    "No, it''s an issue we need to solve."


    Azmakul shook his head, and the streams of mana behind him separated from each other and began to form... symbols.


    There were some he recognized, and some he had no idea of. They hovered around the two. "The true form of every dragon, since birth, is a mixture of all the affinities they possess, bringing out the natural strengths of every element. But, yours consists of only one, the forms which you can transform into, have only one element."


    n waited for him to continue, still curious as to why that would be a bad thing. He was having a hard timeprehending why this would still be a problem.


    "Each element has a rtionship with every other element. Some are weak to others, some are strong towards others, these rtionships can change as well."


    The symbols of fire and water shrunk down and floated between n and Azmakul, multiple streams emerged from the symbols, and fought against the others.


    Fire fought water, quite viciously at that. Even though n knew it was all frost mana, it was still a great presentation.


    "But, they can also join together. Fire and water can make steam, and when metal is brought into the question..."


    The streams stopped fighting, and merged together, harmonizing with one another. Another symbol from the numerous above shrunk down and came close, one in the shape of an ingot.


    The symbols suddenly turned brighter, and [Water] and [Fire] joined with [Metal], strengthening it many, many times. The ingot becamerger, more defined, and fire and water followed.


    "Fire and Air can both support one another, or be the end of it. Water can enrich the Earth, but it can also ruin it. Each element is closely tied to another, and these rtions can turn sour or sweet as the user demands...but you are different."


    "The forms of the dragons, are a mixture of the elements they are born with, or have gained an affinity too. Each element strengthens one another, and when this happens... The weaknesses each element possesses also disappear. The hostile rtions cannot pierce through the unity, when the other elements are involved. You, my prince..."


    His voice turned grim, the elements floated to the side, and another one appeared, one of a snowke. Delicate, but powerful.


    "Consider this, how will face against a dragon or any other creature that can use the elements of fire, water, and metal? You only have ice."


    Streams appeared from the symbol of frost, and one singr one emerged from the unity of Fire, Water, and Metal. And that one brutally broke the symbol of frost.


    Despite how much it tried to put up a fight, it crumpled.


    "Your scales possess only frost, your defense is pathetic against these elements. Had fire been alone, you may have stood a chance... But once you get to higher levels, no being will only use fire. You will die a pathetic death, before any of us cane to assist you."


    But, despite the ill intent, his words contained... The mad dragon actually smiled.


    "But what if, you are not alone?"


    The symbol of frost repaired itself, and now two more appeared. Shadow, and darkness.


    Which supported Frost.


    They formed a unity of their own, and then crushed the unity of the other elements, emerging


    victorious.


    "They are like allies, together they are strong, but alone they are weak. Tackle everything by yourself, and you shall only face ruin. But together, you can take on anything."


    n nodded, finally understanding what problem existed with his forms. It made sense to him now, as well. Though there was still something he was curious about.


    "So..."


    "You wonder why only you have it?"


    Azmakul took the words out of his mouth, though there was a slight difference. n was, indeed, going to ask why he had this issue, but he knew he wasn''t the only one with it. Elijah also had this issue, he could only transform into a fire dragon too... n wasn''t going to believe he only had fire, he had that weird sand like mana he used during the duel in the tower


    of trials, too.


    He did have an idea though, Elijah and n both weren''t dragons by birth, but had the ability to turn into one when they received the blessings of their guardian dragons.


    Perhaps that was what caused this major w in his forms.


    "It''s because of two reasons, one is the system, and the other that you weren''t born a


    dragon."


    ''So I was half-right? What does the system have to with this, though?'' "Though it didn''t exist in my time, it appeared suddenly, and new species began to use it as it


    was a very convenient way of getting stronger. But ites with its drawbacks as well. It''s


    very stubborn, too, believing that it knows everything."


    ''... What?''


    "The system has as many ws as it has strengths, it probably tried to interfere in your


    process of evolution, and because it thinks it knows better, created this issue in your forms.


    That is precisely why her highness destroyed the darn thing within you, and is doing the same to the other dragons in Shivalkn. Since you weren''t born a dragon, you used it to your


    convenience and strengthened its interference."


    "Wait, wait, wait."


    n put a stop to the conversation, there was too much in his head. He wanted Azmakul to


    exin some other things too.


    "What do you mean the system wasn''t there during your time? And what the hell could you possibly mean by it being ''stubborn''?"

 Chapter 642: [642] Sorcery!

    Chapter 642: [642] Sorcery!


    ?


    "We don''t know what it was, and who created it. But it randomly appeared in the form most understandable for all the intelligent species that could use mana."


    He continued, the tone of his voice grew more serious.


    "Species as young as the strange ones you came with, find it beneficial, but the older species, that have perfected their craft of mana discard it. Though many individuals still use it because of how convenient it is in exining your strengths."


    "So how is it a bad thing? And what did you mean by stubborn?"


    n continued to pester the ancient dragon. He wanted to know as much as he could.


    "Because it is iplete, it is like a prototype. The system is convenient only for a while. When an individual has reached the rank of [Epic], it bes entirely useless. A dragon reaches the rank of epic when it bes an adult naturally."


    Azmakul stopped once more, the symbols in the air disappeared and the streams of mana returned, they joined into onerge sphere, and some other constructs, that looked simr to a bucket.


    "Though it is easy, it is primitive. Unlike us dragons, who have a near infinite amount of mana at our disposal, the primitive methods with which it casts spells is not really an issue. But that is only for us dragons, that bucket is a spell, let''s say it''s like your meteor spell."


    ''...''


    It really wasn''t a simple spell to be honest, but when n considered it he did think all that he could use would be child''s y in front of this dragon.


    "It''s abination of three spells, The first is the meteor thates out from the sky. You may open a portal to teleport a meteor in because it is convenient, but other species can''t do such a thing. Spatial magic requires ridiculous amounts of mana that others simply don''t have.


    Another way of casting it would be to use Earth magic, either receive the material from the ground, or conjure it yourself. The former is much more efficient in terms of mana usage, since it already exists. The magnitude of the other spells are determined by the size of the meteor.


    A human... I believe that is what they are called, at the same rank as you and with a gifted mana pool among their race would be spent after casting just one, and the size would be even less than half."


    Now that he thought about it, he did have to admit, cial Meteor did consume a lot of mana, even by his standards. Though he may have an infinite amount of mana, it did take a lot of his mental strength to cast the skill.


    One fourth of the bucket was filled, and a small little rock was made.


    "But the skill is still cast, Now, take the same amount of mana, but let''s say an elf is using the same skill. Elves learn about sorcery from us dragons, after all. Their unique circle and runic sorcery originates from ours. An elf, with the same amount of mana in the same rank, would be able to perform the spell much better."


    Though the amount of mana in the bucket was still the same, the size of the rock almost doubled.


    "They could cut corners in unnecessary mana usage, they could even improve the spells greatly. Either creating their own material or using existing material. They could use wind magic to lessen air resistance as much as possible, so the act of freezing the meteor consumes less mana, they could also use metal magic to form constructs within the meteor, making it sturdier, and less likely to shatter when it collides with the ground. With the addition of circle and runic sorcery, a dedicated elf could always improve the spell, making sure it costs less and less.


    However, this would be them using their own knowledge to create the circle required to cast the skill, instead of relying on the one produced by the system. That thing simply doesn''t care about improvement, or additions. It tries its hardest to follow the original design as much as it can. There is no innovation.


    The only thing it''s focused about is making the sure the skill is cast quickly, no matter how much mana it consumes."


    The constructs disappeared, and the streams of mana returned to their original shape, floating around as snowkes in this deste area.


    "..."


    Azmakul sighed, looking at n with a disappointed gaze.


    "How many affinities do elves normally have?"


    "My... it seems your thinking is wed since you lived among humans... Affinities don''t determine whether you can use a certain type of mana or not, they only determine how easily mana of that element bends and listens to your will. Just because a frost mage only has the affinity of frost, doesn''t mean he can''t also cast fire magic! If he is well versed in sorcery, Azmakul sat down, now at eye-level with n, he conjured a circle made of ice. There were a lot of patterns embedded within it, and n didn''t have the slightest clue as to what they contained.


    "This is circle sorcery, the system also uses magic circles to cast skills, but it leaves no room for improvement, like I said, primitive. But innovation always exists! A circle made only for the usage of frost magic can also have elements of metal, fire, and magma too if you can figure it out! Haha!"


    The circle cracked and disappeared into dust, and Azmakul chuckled.


    "But all of this is pretty much useless to us dragons."


    "... So what was the reason for all of that? You talked so much..."


    Azmakulughed boisterously, betraying the image n had of him as the perfect frost dragon, that didn''t show any emotion at all.


    He was a bit of hurt, he thought it was cool to be like that.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Because it''s a w within our species, that we are arrogant, and filled with pride. Our ego is so great that we refuse to listen to others if they aren''t dragons, you know? See how you didn''t even try to enhance your spells with elements other than the ones you have an affinity with, it''s because you simply thought that is how it works, and didn''t try to do anything different.


    You simply thought you knew best, and since you didn''t face any problems, it leads to this. The issue with your forms, and the other issues you have with your magic. You follow the system, young prince. Even if it no longer exists within you. You followed it even when transforming, and such an issue was created. It does not prioritize change, and you did the same."


    He looked towards the skies, breaking eye contact with n, n raised his head too, trying to find whatever Azmakul was looking at, but there was nothing.


    "Every dragon is arrogant. Once you get to my age and the level of experience you have, you throw all those away... but young dragons don''t. Had you learned the sorcery of the supreme, you would have followed them no matter what, and never have deviated.


    The unique thing about you, prince, the affinity of the stars, would have rotted away had you learned about their techniques. Because of the pride, the arrogance that stems in our blood, no matter how cold it is... you would have lost the unique thing about you."


    Azmakul looked down, and put his hand on n''s shoulder... as best as he could if one took


    his size into ount.


    "Do you want to know what sorcery truly means, young prince?"


    n nodded.


    "Nothing, but everything."


    ''Huh?''


    "What fool would say there is only one way to something? The paths to magic are as endless


    as the stars in the universe, infinite amount of rtions! Chaos can be filled with order, Fate can be chaotic! Fire can be as cold as water, and water can be as hot as fire! Earth can be as free as the wind, and wind can be as solid as earth! Innovation always exists, and anything can be


    improved further."


    "Sorcery, is your approach, it can be something you consider as nothing, like most young dragons, or you can make it everything! You can stick to your ways, relying on your infinite mana... or you can make it something else! You can try to think, as stupid as it may sound to others, or even yourself! It doesn''t really matter if it results in a failure.


    The only thing that matters is how you want to do it. That is sorcery. Every sorcery is unique, no two individuals can have the same thoughts all the time, they cannot have the same


    approach to everything all the time."


    His finger pointed towards the young dragon''s heart.


    "Never think you know everything. Always try to improve, even if that improvement is as


    significant as a speck of snow in Lanekia."


    "Sorcery can be simply called casting magic, But it can be so much deeper. Knowledge is


    endless, and sorcery is how you use that knowledge to the best of your ability, perhaps even


    beyond it.


    We dragons would have lost to the God beasts long ago had our horizons not been broadened


    by special individuals. Young prince."


    Azmakul stood up, and said.


    "It seems the queen calls for me. Well, It''s about time you should make your way to your cohort. Just remember this prince. You can learn from everything and anything."


    And then he disappeared, leaving n alone in the bridge.


    He sighed, with a nk look on his face, and silently opened up a portal, scratching his head.

 Chapter 643: Maxwells tears. Edwards echoes.

    Chapter 643: Maxwell''s tears. Edward''s echoes.


    ?


    "Do you think he is going to be okay?"


    Sabrina asked, huddling over a little fire she made on the ground, using whatever mmable material was in her spatial storage. The others were also doing the same, trying to survive the harsh cold.


    They were shaking, the fire wasn''t doing much. They were all low on mana, and thus the effects of their artifacts were lessening.


    "No... NO!"


    The only one away from the feeble warmth of the fire was Maxwell, who bore the cold with his body and the unimaginable weight of his sorrow being greater than whatever Lanekia could throw at him.


    He cried, he cried and cried. His tears froze on his face as soon as they left his eyes, but he didn''t stop. He smashed his fists on the ground, only injuring himself.


    Though, the bastard stopped after it hurt a bit more than expected, and yelled sorrowfully at the sky.


    "MY ARCTIC TITAN! MY MONEY!"


    "Is he going to be okay? I think we should be asking that..."


    Olivia said with gritted teeth, it was taking her all to stop them from cking against one another, Alexander and Festul weren''t doing well.


    "Can we go check on my brother? Where is he?"


    "MY MONEY!"


    As they wept in the cold, Maxwell finally lost it and stood up, heading towards a certain box that released an ominous aura. Huffing and puffing, he kicked it away.


    "It''s because of you, damn it!"


    "Hey! Be careful! What if that thing explodes?!"


    Alexander had to leave the barelyfortable zone, away from the fire''s reach, and hold onto Maxwell. Stopping the man from doing something everybody would regret.


    His actions were not without consequence, however. The group had formed a barrier of sorts around the fire that protected it from the harsh winds...and with Alexander gone, the barrier of bodies was broken, and the fire was extinguished.


    Lanekia won.


    || ||


    Sabrina, Alice, and Olivia looked at with tears in their eyes, coughing and shaking. Sighing, and cursing in her mind, Sabrina took out a crystal like orb from her spatial storage with teary eyes.


    ''... It took so long to get this powered up... and it''s just going to serve a fuel source for fire...'' It truly was a waste to use such a precious artifact, one that could elevate her to the strength of an S-rank mage for a while, as a fuel source for something as insignificant as fire.


    She regrettably used the mana stored within the orb to start another fire, she predicted that this one couldst them a day at the very least, if used sparingly.


    Sparingly on Lanekia was akin to a small forest fire on Earth, that was the sheer difference in the frigidity of the twos. Sabrina was sure she could raze down an entire city or two with the orb if she used it well...


    Well, nothing beats saving their lives, she didn''t want to die from the cold too.


    "Huddle closer together, don''t let the wind eat the fire again!"


    Olivia cursed, and followed. Any closer and they would practically be within the fire. Maxwell''s screams and the chattering of Alexander''s teeth were the only sounds present, excluding the whistle of the winds that threatened to kill them.


    "I''m going to destroy that thing!"


    "Ca-Calm do-do-down!"


    They wouldn''t have been suffering like this if the Arctic Titan was still functional... Sadly, the behemoth of steel crumbled as easily as a sandcastle in front of a wave... the wave being the mysterious individual that stopped them.


    Suddenly, a portal opened through and n walked out of it, surprisingly unharmed. There was not a scratch on his body, he walked out of the portal with a nk look on his face. Everyone turned to look at him, everyone except Maxwell was jealous of the fact that n could wear a single vest and trousers in this kind of weather. Extremely so.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Right now, they would trade everything to have his tolerance to the cold. To hell with that! Forget tolerance, the bastard was enjoying the cold that was threatening to kill them!


    Still, they were d he was okay, although they wouldn''t express it right now.


    Everyone except Maxwell. Alexander could no longer bear with the cold and retreated to the fire, almost diving inside it. Shaking, he mumbled.


    "... He is n''s problem now..."


    A blissful expression appeared on his face as he pushed his hands straight into the fire, ignorant to Olivia''s shock.


    "You bastard! What is this treacherous thing that caused that dude to destroy my entire ride?"


    "What?"


    n was immediately verbally assaulted by a furious Maxwell, the fire inside him burned so bright and hot that the cold of Lanekia was nothing to him. He was truly livid. In a fit of anger, he kicked the box containing Suleras''s ichor towards n.


    n''s eyes widened as he realized what was being kicked towards him, and he ducked, avoiding the box with a frightful look, and ran away on his knees.


    "Don''t throw that shit at me!"


    Maxwell continued to y football with the box, repeatedly kicking it towards n with a fire in his eyes as he cursed at n, who was running away from it with a fearful look in his eyes, desperate to avoid it no matter what.


    During all that ruckus, the group realized n was truly was fine and didn''t seem bothered by the appearance of the Draconian, whilst they huddled close to each other for warmth.


    "What the hell is happening? Why is it so cold? Why is everyone screaming?"


    Kazikato emerged from the ruins of the Arctic Titan, a pillow and bedsheet in his hands, as he stared at them all with a confused look.


    "Guys... My brother is still missing."


    Emma voiced her worries, but everyone was too busy or too cold to spend an effort.


    Meanwhile, Edward was in quite the predicament.


    "Hello! Somebody get me out of here! I-its cold!"


    Edward was squished between two buildings in the city that surrounded the Jade Pce, curled into a ball. He was barely fighting against the cold, wishing for someone to get him


    out.


    "Hey! What''s poking me?"


    A wandering jade soldier curiously poked at him from behind with its spear, while the other inhabitants of the domain danced in the snow.

 Chapter 644: [644] Worries.

    Chapter 644: [644] Worries.


    ?


    "It seems to me you had fun."


    Lanesha''s voice echoed out in the grand hall, she was seated at her throne, which was apparently glowing now.


    Azmakul kneeled before her, close. He did not raise his head as he waited for her to continue.


    "Filling his head with those things will cause it to malfunction."


    She never looked down at her loyal subject, her caretaker. Her gaze was still directed at the empty abyss above her, her castle was so grand the ceiling couldn''t be seen by normal means. "I believe it will be a good experience. And a good lesson."


    Azmakul spoke, his body did not move, neither did the weird mask on his mask, yet his voice resounded from all directions. Every crevice in this forgotten ce.


    "Haha."


    Lanesha let out a chuckle, finally lowering her head, she put her chin on her hands, and stared straight at Azmakul.


    "You are excited, why?"


    "... I did not know."


    "No, you did. borate."


    "I do not know why, my queen."


    "Never would I have thought you would be...like this."


    Lanesha sighed, changing the topic.


    "Disregarding the speech you so eloquently gave, why did you think a confrontation was necessary? He could have gotten hurt."


    "It was not my intention, my queen. The prince jumped to conclusions, I simply took that as a chance to gauge his capabilities."


    Azmakul answered. It was his first time meeting such a ''unique'' cohort, and even he thought that he performed excellently. If not for the drop of ichor, that is...


    "..."


    Lanesha didn''t know what to say, she couldn''t exactly me Azmakul at all. He did have the justification for his actions. Destroying the Arctic Titan may have been too much, but the presence of the drop of ichor garnered it.


    One could say his only fault was leaving n''s team in the cold, defenseless... but then again, why would he care for them?


    n had simply made a decision based on what he saw, and did quite a good job at handling it. Bringing the conflict as close to Lanesha as possible was good, but he kept it a distance, to confirm his suspicions.


    ''Well, he did good, regardless.''


    She thought, turning her head upwards once more. She closed her diamond like eyes, robbing their beauty from the world, albeit for only a short while.


    "Why was it that dragon, my queen?"


    Azmakul asked, his tone turning a bit odd, it could be seen as disrespect, but Lanesha saw it as


    concern.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Suleras, the supreme of chaos. Why bring a ruined household to this?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Ruined? I assure you he alone can be a match for a house. I don''t think any dragon besides mother in Shivalkn can handle him... except for Valus, I suppose."


    Azmakul stood up, and raised his voice.


    "That is not the issue here, my queen. Suleras, out of all? Your personal affairs are not one I have the right to interfere in, but to have a child with the blood of the ruined household? May I remind you what happened?"


    Her expression turned sour, Azmakul was about to continue, but she stopped him.


    "You need not..."


    "..."


    Azmakul kneeled once more, but his tone was still the same.


    "Why does the prince have no safeguarding measures? Disregarding his physical protection, there is nothing to guard his mind, and nothing to protect his soul. His mind is fragile, and his soul is delicate."


    "He possesses the blood of that household, if Suleras truly is his guardian dragon as well. What would you have done had something happened? The prince wouldn''t even be able tost a second against the corruption."


    "He does not need it."


    "He absolutely does, I know you are not so cold-hearted to leave your own son to the same fate as the family of his father? Or was this his idea?"


    Lanesha simply couldn''t give an answer back, she knew doing so would only make things worse.


    "No protection at all! And may I ask where he got the bloodline of one of them? Those traitors?"


    Azmakul, was unrelenting. Pointing out everything Lanesha did wrong, She had to hear hisints for a good while before he finally stopped. Looking at him once more, she said.


    "It was a gift from his father... Suleras gave him that bloodline."


    Azmakul''s eyes narrowed, the bone like masked acted like skin.


    ""


    He sighed, and asked.


    "I shall borrow some treasures, for the protection of his soul and mind. We simply cannot risk


    it."


    Lanesha sighed.


    "The mental protection... just get him that. Make it so he doesn''t know it''s there, if he does, The will grow to rely on it."


    "And of the soul?"


    "Not necessary, I shall personally deal with whatever issue may arise."


    She lied, she knew she wouldn''t have to step in at all. It was a little ironic in her mind... Azmakul was oblivious to the fact that any treasure that could protect n''s soul would be


    useless.


    ''The natural defenses'' already present there would render any attack to his soul useless...and the attacker would be the one in danger.


    "And what about against the forbiddennguage?"


    "''...''


    Now, she knew there would be nopromise, She could make the dragon in front of her change some things... but this would definitely not be one of them.


    Azmakul, would never let this go.


    She remained silent, which only made Azmakul continue the conversation himself.


    "It ruined even a primordial, even if he is Suleras''s son, I believe that some measures should


    be taken care of. Since his useless father isn''t taking it upon himself."


    "That is my husband you are talking about, you know?"


    "It''s precisely because I know." "..."


    She relented, taking a deep sigh.


    "Alright, do whatever you want, but don''t fill his head with things like that. Let him do...


    What was what the people of Earth say? Ah, let him do his own stuff, Alright?"


    Though Azmakul struggled to understand the expression at first, he got the gist of it and


    stood up.


    "I would like fate to decide what path he ta-"


    Though he wanted to discuss a few more things, Azmakul ''booked it'' the moment Lanesha


    said fate. n wasn''t alone, it seemed.


    "..."


    Lanesha silently stared up once more.


    "It''s already time for it to show up? I''ve stayed here for too long..."

 Chapter 645: [645] Gigantia.

    Chapter 645: [645] Gigantia.


    ?


    "Everything is ready, Eli."


    Elijah didn''t hear what Serena said, his mind was aching, and he was far too exhausted to pay any attention to his surroundings.


    "What?"


    He said, his words came out weird, and he massaged his throbbing head. Serena sighed and repeated her words.


    "Everything is ready, we are just waiting for you."


    He stood up, wobbling for a while, and raised his head. Currently, in front of one of the most protected buildings on Earth, and in front of the very thing that humanity could not risk losing.


    The portal that lead to Gigantia, the first human city on Gigantium. Something that everybody fought very hard to keep in human hands.


    He noticed everyone looking at him, the entire building had been reserved for a short while, only to the association. Doing that was an incredible feat, He was sure Harrison had pulled a lot of strings to arrange this.


    His gaze rested on the most important individual in this entire convoy, who was currently mesmerized by the portal and the construct that held it. Studying the runes and symbols with a pounding heart. Gary was upied.


    He then looked at the rest of the convoy, the entire association hade together to arrange this, and it was filled with the most trusted and best awakened they had, but no S-ranks. A little more than half the people in this convoy were normal humans, who had just put on their special suits.


    The association spent a pretty penny in getting all the highest quality magical contracts for these people to sign, and Elijah was surprised many of them did it.


    ''Guess the excitement of being the first is high...''


    They would be the one of the few humans, normal humans, to step onto a new world after all, Elijah could understand that for men of science it would be a great deal.


    He stretched,cking any sort of strictness that the leader of such an expedition would have, given its importance. He had heard a few of them were dissatisfied with him being the leader in this expedition.


    Not only that, but he had also heard of how quickly they were fired by Harrison. Although he was happy that the man trusted him, he had to admit he was too harsh. He knew the association was already short-staffed...


    But to assign no S-rank individual to guard the convoy too? Either Harrison had too much trust in him, which he should be happy for since he was Serena''s father... or the man just couldn''t spare any more personnel. Which was a bit sad.


    ''Hmm.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Elijah raised his head, looking at the few S-ranked awakened that were always stationed in the center, whose primary job was to guard the portal looking at him, and the entire convoy with interest.


    It was a surprise, none of them had an arrogant gaze, merely curious. He guessed that they abandoned looking down on anyone, considering they had to have their own share of experience in reaching their level... or they simply didn''t care and were merely curious.


    Though, when he looked at them, he began to realize why Harrison had assigned none of the association''s S-ranked personnel. Though each of them here was a celebrity, a symbol of strength for humanity in the world. And although each possessed a power that would be considered divine for normal humans...


    Elijah could take half of them on if he went all out, was that simply the difference in species, or was he too talented? He didn''t linger on those notions for long.


    "Alright... I''ll knock Gary out of his trance and let''s get going."


    He slowly walked towards the portal, taking part in a bit of Gary''s awe in its magnificence... He had to admit it was ster. Phenomenal, even.


    ''Who knew that brute could create something so beautiful...''


    Heughed in his mind, knocking Gary out of his trance, he said.


    "Get ready buddy."


    "Yes, senior."


    He turned to look ahead and cast [Dragon Eyes] on each member of the expedition, the information of the high level awakened, the armaments they wore, down to minute detail flooded his mind. And those of the suits worn by the normal ones as well. But that wasn''t what he was looking for.


    Stumbling for a bit after using [Dragon Eyes], he almost fell to the floor but was caught by Serena and Gary, who helped him stand. Serena spat.


    "I knew dad was overworking you..."


    He reassured her, and ordered for the convoy to pass, Serena and Gary had to depart first. Since the association had already made preparations on the other side, he had to be thest


    one to go.


    Gathering his thoughts for a bit, he activated [Dragon Eyes] once more, judging every person in the entire center, it put an incredible strain on his mind.


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire, Agri advises you to stop.]


    ''It''s just a precautionary measure...''


    Everyone was too worried about him. Well... his skill [Dragon eyes] was taking its toll on him these days. He had been using it so much. He had heard that young dragons should abstain from using their eyes as much as possible, after all.


    Agri also told him of the negative effects it would have if one used it with a tired mind. He needed some good sleep after this expedition.


    Therge convoy began to grow smaller by the second, the vehicles carrying important materials, and the personnel needed to handle them left one by one, each having a happy, satisfied, and excited look on their face.


    ''Who wouldn''t...?''


    They were going to see Humanity''s first ever city on another, after all. Who wouldn''t be excited for such a venture. Even he was jealous of the people who got to experience it first.


    And even he was excited to see the new world, hidden behind his tired eyes was a light of expectation. But he had to do his job as well. Earth was already a that had been destroyed by war... They couldn''t let Gigantium suffer the same fate.


    Finally, the convoy was at the other side, in the city of Gigantia, and Elijah turned around, sparing onest look at the S-ranks who were stationed on guard, raising his own opinion a


    bit.


    ''... I could take them all on, I guess.''


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire, Agri says arrogance will lead to your death, but he does agree.]


    ''... What''s the point of the message if you are going to agree with me anyway?''


    Sighing, he entered the portal.

 Chapter 646: [646] Gigantia.(2)

    Chapter 646: [646] Gigantia.(2)


    ?


    Before he even opened his eyes, he could feel it. Disregarding the unfamiliar, and unpleasant feeling of venturing through the portal, Elijah could feel everything be heavier.


    He wondered how such a beautiful thing could be so unpleasant, but shook that thought of, he focused more on the ''weight''. The gravity of the truly... had an effect. He wondered how his flight would be affected in this.


    It would certainly take time to get used to. But he knew it wouldn''t be much of a challenge to him.


    He opened his eyes, and smirked.


    "Hahaha..."


    Before him stood a city still taking shape-a bold, ambitious effort to transform this alien world into a new home for humanity.


    The city wasn''t even a year old, its gleaming structures rising from the ground like the skeleton of something far greater. The sheer size of it, however, left him awestruck. Gigantium, with its intense gravity three times that of Earth, had made this process far from simple. It felt as though the weight of the itself was pressing down on everything. But nheless, humanity took that endeavor head on. It really was surprising what humans could do when they came together.


    Barely a year old, and humanity had transformed this portion of it... into something different. Something ''alien''.


    Elijah gazed at the construction site stretching in every direction, cranes and robotic arms dotting the skyline. Special equipment imported from Earth at huge costs.


    But what struck him most was how everything seemed to be built with careful consideration for the''s crushing gravity. Buildings were thick and strong, their frameworks bracing against the constant pull of the. He could see weaker awakened in heavy exo-suits, moving with slow precision, their every step requiring far more effort than on Earth.


    The air buzzed with a quiet determination as teams of engineers, scientists, and awakened worked tirelessly, every task taking longer and requiring more effort than on any other part of Earth.


    A peculiar scent entered his nose, different from the smell of the dirt, sweat, and other scents present in this foreign. It was of ambition.


    Elijah could sense the weight of humanity''s ambitions, and yet, it was clear that there was still much to do. Some parts of the city were little more than skeletal frames, iplete structures waiting for materials and manpower to fill in the gaps. In the distance, huge piles of resources-metal, concrete, and alien materials-were stacked in anticipation of further


    construction.


    Everything was in its early stages, with foundations beingid for what would one day be a sprawling metropolis.


    He walked on the soil, stopping for a moment to take in the sights once more, more clearly this time. Wondering when the time woulde when the dirt roads would be simr to those of Earth, when they would be filled with people and when this... foreign ce could be called a home. When humans could freely walk on this oppressive world.


    But... As he stood there, Elijah realized that the city wasn''t just a symbol of engineering. It wasn''t a symbol of humanity''s intelligence, it''s determination to ovee all odds Gigantium threw at it... it was a symbol of hope. It was an...escape.


    A testament to humanity''s ability to adapt, to ovee, and to shape the world around them, even in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Even though the city was young and still in development, the wonder of witnessing humanity''s first steps on Gigantium was undeniable. Elijah understood that he was witnessing the beginning of something extraordinary¡ªthe first traces of a new civilization being built from the ground up.


    A civilization that would truly be ''new'' if Earth followed it''s current path, towards ruin. He knew that behind all this wonder was despair and a drive to work harder, for their future. After all... where else would humans run to when Earth was ruined? When Earth fell to the monsters of the abyss?


    The was already ravaged so much. He just wished what he... envisioned would nevere to pass. He hoped that Earth wouldn''t turn into and of death.


    Taking in the fresh air, he gazed up at the sky and noticed therge beams of steel that were still taking shape in the form of a dome. It seemed the end result would be a dome that would lessen the effect of the world''s gravity.


    ''Simr to the one on the moon.''


    It was simr to the city humanity built on the moon before it was destroyed. Just, in this case, the gravity needed to be weakened, not strengthened. Elijah wondered how human engineers would do that. He really wasn''t a man of science.


    Well... it was better to leave it to the experts. He had his own job to do, and experts to lead. "Alright everybody... If everyone is done sightseeing, may we proceed?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Their arrival, while anticipated, still raised some rms. Elijah knew some people were watching them. The association''s ns weren''t really known to most of the popce here on Gigantia. Even though they all belonged to the top organizations back on Earth, they couldn''t know everything.


    The convoy was soon greeted by the personnel of the association already stationed here in Gigantia, and they were ready to depart the newborn city. Gigantia was a joint effort of the top ten guilds besides Twilight, and World Government, and Awakened Association.


    But the goal of this expedition... would belong solely to the World Government and the Association. Elijah spared one more look at the various eyes that gazed at him. He was famous, even here.


    "I wish I could bring some family here..."


    Although his sister and mother were a no-go, his father would probably love this ce, and he had the abilities to survive the gravity here. But he wanted to bring his brother here the


    most.


    Sadly, he couldn''t bring Elton here, though his condition may have improved immensely, Elton''s body was still too weak to bring here, even an exo-suit would be useless. He would have to wait until Elton got better.


    Though... he did have to make some talks to open a fried chicken shop, the family business must continue after all!


    ''Ha! The best fried chicken in two worlds... Dad''s going to love that.''

 Chapter 647: [647] You have got to be kidding me...

    Chapter 647: [647] You have got to be kidding me...


    ?


    n teleported the group into the throne room of the Jade Pce, leisurely taking his seat and allowing them to collect their breaths. Almost all of them fell on the floor.


    After a while, Emma left to go search for her brother as the rest huddled around a fire fueled by his own mana. It was a bit annoying to have a fire in his own throne room, but n relented.


    They were all cold, very. Kazikato didn''t seem to mind, and had fallen asleep in one of the corners of the throne room.


    Maxwell was still staring at him with bloodshot eyes, ready to lunge at him at any moment and get his vengeance. n had to keep an eye out for him.


    Not because he thought Maxwell could do anything, other than throwing the box with the ominous drop of ichor inside it... He was just worried that his sudden actions may trigger the two serpents resting behind his throne.


    He was sure the group wouldn''t appreciate two massive serpents suddenly appearing from behind him and eating one of them. n had to put in some effort to keep those two at bay.


    He had little to no experience in controlling them, unlike the other soldiers of his army. He used the powers of his domain to figure out what they were doing, and found them enjoying the cold weather of Lanekia. It was a pleasant and surprising sight to see.


    ''So they really are like me...''


    He figured he would let them enjoy as much as they liked, He could even ce his domain in Lanekia and call upon it when it was necessary. It wouldn''t do much to his mana reserves anyway.


    ''Then again, it really is an exact copy.''


    Though he hadn''t seen much of Lanesha''s castle, n had to admit the entire throne room was an exact copy of his mother''s. Just on a much smaller scale. The only thing unique would be the two serpents coiled up behind him.


    ''Wait, scratch that.''


    Actually, he didn''t know if Lanesha had her own... he couldn''t sense anything in that throne room anyway. The halls of the castle, along with the water guiding system, was a copy too.


    Whatever he had seen there, was here. He simply wondered if Lanesha had her own garden or altar. The former was likely, though he was inclined to believe thetter would be false.


    It would be pure bullshit if his entire domain, down to it''s every property, was a copy of his mothers... He didn''t think he could stand that, for some reason.


    "Are you all done?"


    He asked, noticing the rxed expressions of the crew. Their body temperature had stabilized, and he was doing his best to make sure the interior of the castle would have a normal temperature as well.


    His knight ss soldiers were the only ones present inside the castle, dutifully guarding it. The mages were present too, but he had close to no idea what they were doing in their own rooms. He didn''t bother checking.


    He dismissed the knights, wanting them to enjoy the weather outside, and told the mages to do the same, they would leave if they wanted to.


    "We really need to get this city''s defensive capabilities back up."


    He heard a voice in the distance, Maxwell had regained hisposure and was mumbling to himself as he gazed at the city from one of the window''s present in the throne room.


    n could hear him perfectly fine, though. He would also like that... but it was incredibly expensive. Besides the army, he only had two cannons that functioned properly, the one''s right above the gate of the castle.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even those required special ammunition to fully realize their potential. Using his own mana as ammunition was simply inferior. The other cannons needed points to operate, and whatever else he could buy was too expensive for him right now.


    !...!


    He was a prince, yet he couldn''t even handle the expenses of his own castle. To be fair, he could probably ask Azmakul or Lanesha for some artifacts they didn''t have a use for and sacrifice them. Though the altar was picky, he was sure sacrificing them would give him a lot of points.


    ''Points...''


    It was all he could think about since Maxwell brought it up.


    Alexander, Olivia, and Alice got up, their condition had stabilized, and they expressed their desire to explore the castle. Though they didn''t really ask for permission.


    !...!


    "The hell kind of domain is this? I wish I had one..."


    The two girls dragged theining Alexander and left the throne room. Sabrina had already explored the castle, so she stayed behind. Maxwell was still mumbling to himself.


    As he sat on the throne, he tried mimicking Lanesha and gazed upwards, but he could only see the ceiling of his throne room. By no means was his throne room small, but it was whenpared to Lanesha''s.


    He wondered if she actually saw something up there, beyond the ceiling of her throne room, or if she just liked staring into a blue abyss. One thing he had to agree on was that her castle needed proper lighting!


    You could barely see in there! How could a supreme being not invested in some proper lighting? Or did she really just love the darkness?


    He was d his own pce didn''t have that problem.


    As he wasparing his castle to hers, a voice rung in his mind.


    [So, what happened?]


    Sabrina used the astral bond tomunicate, still enjoying the warmth of the fire. n remained silent, not answering.


    He didn''t even know what to say, if he was being honest. But he had to say something.


    [Don''t worry about it.]


    [Ah, so you lost badly... Still, it''s good to see you''re okay.]


    [...]


    She interpreted his response as something he didn''t intend. He didn''t even lose to Azmakul! It wasn''t even a fight in the first ce, if it was, he wouldn''t even be here and this ungrateful lot


    would have frozen to death!


    He had just received an interesting... speech.


    n sighed, not bothering to exin. He just let her think what she wanted to think, and teleported towards the altar. Since the Arctic Titan was destroyed, he had to find a


    recement.


    If it existed, of course.

 Chapter 648: [648] You have got to be kidding me...(2)

    Chapter 648: [648] You have got to be kidding me...(2)


    ?


    Unfortunately, the altar didn''t provide any forms of transport that would be suited for their current circumstances, he searched in every category but found nothing, except for a carriage that was far above his budget.


    Their only mode of stable transport was destroyed beyond repair, and there was no


    alternative either. The only avable options would be using the beasts that the knights used as mounts, or walking.


    But both options wouldn''t solve the issue of the cold, n wasn''t too fond of using his mana to provide them warmth the entire way. Would no one let him enjoy the weather of this magnificent ce?


    "Haaa..."


    He heaved a sigh, the only option left was to somehow convince Maxwell to procure another Arctic Titan, or a vehicle that could travel in the brutal world that was Lanekia. It wouldn''t be easy convincing the man, and n would much rather leave it to Sabrina.


    She could talk some sense into him, If he tried, all he was going to get was the damn box thrown at him once more. Maxwell was oblivious to his desperate desire to keep away from anything rted to chaos at all.


    ''Even if he was... he wouldn''t stop.''


    Maxwell would probably use it to his advantage if he knew, so it was in n''s best interests that Maxwell remained oblivious. It was great that all he thought of the drop of ichor right now was that it was a dangerous object containing a lot of chaos mana.


    He used one of his authorities as the owner of the Jade Pce to find where Edward was using the eyes of his soldiers, he teleported there using their vision, and found Emma struggling to get her brother out of his...predicament.


    ''How did he get stuck there?''


    He was confused as to how Edward got stuck in between two buildings, but didn''t bother with it much. Emma jumped back, surprised at his sudden arrival.


    n paid no attention to her as he concentrated, summoning a long, jagged hook of ice. He thrust it toward the frozen beast man wedged between two buildings. The hook caught onto the ice-encrusted form, and without really caring for Edward''s wellbeing, n gave it a sharp pull. The icy grip that had held Edward prisoner between the structures finally loosened, and he was finally freed with a forceful jerk.


    Edward let out a strained whimper as his body, stiff from the cold, was released from the harsh grip of the ice. He seemed disoriented, struggling to regain full control over his limbs. Emma immediately moved to his side, her hands glowing with warm, soothing energy as she worked to thaw him and mend the damage the freezing cold had inflicted.


    n, for his part, did not hurry. He simply stood back, his eyes following the descent of snowkes as they driftedzily to the ground. The quiet, peaceful snowfall felt almost surreal, and it was rxing. To him, at least.


    He also enjoyed the sight of his bloodthirsty soldiers ying like little children in the snow. It was... a heartwarming sight, As unusual as the word would seem in this freezing haven.


    While Emma focused on Edward, n''s thoughts wandered. The issue with the transportation system was still unresolved, and he knew they would have to address that


    soon.


    But for now, he decided to turn his attention to a different matter-the "Eternal me." His method of acquiring it had been painful, but effective. Each attempt brought a sharp sting, but n was determined. He would continue, he was already extremely tolerant to pain.


    ''If it bes too cold, I can just send them back.''


    He thought, if the freezing temperatures became too overwhelming for the others, he could always send them back to Earth. A brief respite, some time to recover, and then they would return to this harshndscape. They weren''t built for it, after all.


    But Edward... Edward was different. He would stay. n had no intention of sending him back, not while the boy still had such a vital role to y as his firece. Where else was he going to get those mes from?


    Emma was an option, but he would rather not burden her too much. She already had a lot on her hands, dealing with her brother and the rest of the group.


    They really did whine a lot, so what if your fingers were getting frostbite, and you urgently needed her to heal you? Just bear with it.


    As soon as Edward was healed, n used his authority to open a portal leading to where Alexander, Alice, and Olivia were. He had a specific n in mind for the girl-he wanted her to explore the castle, take in the sights, and perhaps enjoy herself for a while. Meanwhile, he would take the opportunity to focus on his training with Edward, uninterruptedn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Umm..."


    The girl was hesitant, clearly reluctant to leave her unconscious brother in his...caring hands. n urged her to go on and enjoy herself, while he enjoyed his training with Edward. He kept a cool smile, hoping it would raise her spirits and let her leave with a false sense of security. He didn''t want her to know he was going to work Edward to the bone.


    n was nning to drain every single spark or ember Edward could produce.


    As soon as she entered the portal, still visibly hesitant to leave her unconscious brother alone. But as soon as she was gone... n summoned another portal, one that opened to a vast, open space above the city''s walls.


    He could have easily retreated to a quiet room within the castle, a ce isted from distractions, but there was a particr reason he didn''t. He didn''t want any smoke from his training to ruin the castle''s pristine interiors. It was better to work somewhere open, where the risk of unintended consequences was minimized.


    pping Edward a few times to make the man get up, he whispered in his ears.


    "Come on, get to work."


    "...Uwuh?"


    A strange sound escaped Edward''s mouth, as he struggled to stay conscious. Maybe n hit him a bit too hard...

 Chapter 649: [649] You have got to be kidding me...(3)

    Chapter 649: [649] You have got to be kidding me...(3)


    ?


    Edward was in a bad shape, very bad. Not only had he just been forced awake after enduring the bitter cold of the brutal... He was put to work the moment he woke up, unable to even feel his limbs.


    "How... much longer?"


    He was running out of whatever power he used to fuel his golden mes, and now even his robust physique, second only to n and Alexander''s was as thin as a toothpick. How it could change so suddenly was a mystery.


    The section of the walls upon which they stood had undergone a striking transformation. What was once a pristine, unblemished white was now an unsettling and grotesque sight, resembling nothing less than the chilling remnants of frozen blood and dark, ashen soot.


    n had used everything mmable in his inventory, even going as far as to burn the extra sets of clothing he had. They were a precious resource. Every time he transformed, ordinary clothing would get ripped apart.


    Even the special, stic pieces of clothing he had issued would fail to withstand the attacks of his opponents and be reduced to dust. He was lucky that his fight with Azmakul hadn''t done anything of the sort.


    However, his spending had yielded an investment. First and foremost, Edward''s fire didn''t work anymore, no matter how much he produced or whatever the quality of the me was, it was useless.


    All n felt when he performed the process once more was the biting pain of the process. When he observed it more, he realized that the pain increased when he used materials other than wood.


    Wood was the material that caused him the least pain, other materials like Oil and Gasoline from Earth really did a number on him. The biting pain also started urred much sooner if he used those materials.


    It was more of a gut feeling than anything, but n couldn''t help but suspect that whatever he had tried so far hadn''t been all that effective. He was certain that wood would be the most reliable option. As for his next discovery...


    ''What the hell is this even supposed to do?''


    n muttered to himself, staring at the golden me flickering in his hand. It puzzled him, for he had somehow managed to summon Edward''s me, yet it was entirely useless, just like Edward. Unlike the blue mes that were powered by his own aura, which caused spatial disruptions, this golden me seemed to serve no purpose. Just like Edward.


    It wasn''t useful forbat, nor did it possess any healing properties. Attacking Edward or any other structure with it was useless. It didn''t seem to hurt them at all... The only thing this mysterious fire did was burn him.


    ''Should I ask Emma for help?''


    That thought was quickly dismissed. Asking Emma to replicate the me would be difficult, if not irresponsible. He couldn''t afford to overburden her the way Edward had been. Unlike her brother, Emma was an invaluable asset to the group, her ability to heal others was marvelous. And unlike n, she could spread the effect of her healing to the entire group. That was something n could only do if he assumed the form of his bloodline.


    It had been a while since he did that...


    More importantly, she was the youngest, and the others would never forgive him if he pushed her too hard. She also wasn''t as durable as her brother, his only redeeming quality.


    With a sigh, n continued to juggle the small golden me in his hand, his mind racing as he experimented and tried to make sense of this strange and useless power.


    He could produce this with mana and aura, but mixing the two would only result in an explosion. His blue astral fire wouldpletely extinguish it, no matter how small it was inparison to the golden me.


    "What does your fire normally do?"


    n asked Edward, who was using the time n used to experiment as a precious break, n felt a bit of sympathy towards the poord. He had used most of his strength for his goals. Clicking his tongue, he used the powers of the Phoenix to heal him.


    It was because of sympathy, not because he wanted to avoid any lecturester.


    "What do you mean?"


    "What are its properties?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Edward was a bit taken aback. He answered.


    "It burns... What else? It can also heal my wounds, but it''s patheticpared to Emma''s." "Does it not burn you?"


    "...no?"


    "Tch."


    n clicked his tongue once more, extinguishing the poor little me. It was hard to see it struggle to survive. The biting winds of Lanekia didn''t even have to try to extinguish it. Even with his endless reserves of mana to use as fuel, the me would die in these harsh conditions.


    "That is an unusual fire, prince."


    Both Edward and n jumped, turning around to find Azmakul, only this time he was in a different form. The towering Draconian had disappeared, and was reced by a tall elf with cyan hair and a slim frame, the only thing still intact was the creepy sheep mask.


    He was as tall as n, if not more. He stroked his non-existent beard and walked towards n, putting his cold hand on his shoulder. Edward couldn''t raise his head in Azmakul''s presence. Something kept it down.


    "May we talk in private, young prince?"


    n felt something strange when Azmakul touched his shoulder, it was like a needle pricked his skin, but he hardly noticed it. The pain that the process of acquiring the Eternal me was still vivid in his mind, which caused him to notice it even less.


    He looked at Azmakul, puzzled. He was more focused on the new form Azmakul appeared in, finding the appearance to be a bit odd. He couldn''t exin why, though.


    Noticing Edward''s forced silence and his trembling body, he opened a portal beneath him towards his sister, using his authority as the master of the Jade pce to locate them.


    "What a convenient ability. Interesting."


    Azmakul said, as he turned to face the Jade city. Perhaps he was enjoying the view from the top of the walls.


    n was curious to see what he had to talk about, he only hoped it wasn''t a speech. If it was, he would truly believe that every frost dragon had a habit to start one! Not just Lanesha...

 Chapter 650: [650] You have got to be kidding me...

    Chapter 650: [650] You have got to be kidding me...


    ?


    "How did youe to unlock this ability?"


    Azmakul asked, scratching his chin as observed theyout of the Jade City.


    "It''s a domain, the special ability of the human race."


    n answered, also marvelling at his masterpiece of a city. He had to admit, the Jade Pce was quite...marvelous.


    With the grand pce in the center, there were four main roads that led to it, the city was divided into eight sectors, while most of the buildings in between the roads were empty, or simply nonexistent plots ofnd that n simply used as a space for his soldiers to rest, There was a lot of room for employment.


    Though the city itself may becking, one could not say that about the pce that stood at the very center, made of gleaming white jade. The spires were tall, and carved into them were aesthetically pleasing yet mysterious runes. They glowed in the dark, n only knew that.


    It was exactly that type of castle that existed in fantasy novels and clich¨¦ titles. Except, this castle wasn''t a hub of romance, but of war. The serpents of ss and jade slithering up the spires proved that.


    The army in the city was equally formidable. n knew that even with his regeneration, and infinite mana, he would have an incredibly difficult time in defeating the warriors of the Jade Pce.


    He knew they would be annoying, because they mimicked him. The soldiers of the jade pce would march forward even if they lost parts of their body. Just like n would.


    They may not have his overpowered regeneration, but they simply didn''t care. The soldiers imitated their king''s style of battle. They were just as reckless as him.


    To advance even if you lost half your body.


    To advance even if your head exploded.


    To advance even if you lost all your limbs, using your head to march.


    Worst of all, they could not tire. They were like an undead in that aspect. Infinite stamina. They did not know exhaustion. They acted exactly like n, even if they didn''t have his powers.


    n wasn''tining, however. That army of his was his greatest strength.


    The jade pce may not be a directly offensive domain like that of Sword Saint Arken, Graveyard of Redeemed Steel. Or that of Ezra''s, Mirror world. But it was definitely more versatile.


    It may not give an absolute and sudden boost to power, but if n had topare his domain to theirs, he would choose his own without any bias.


    After all, could his master raise an army of soldiers who did not know exhaustion? Soldier''s filled with blood thirst and power?


    Ezra could do it with the unique properties of his domain, but the Mirror World couldn''t do everything the Jade Pce could, because it was severely limited because of the mana capacity of its user.


    Ezra was human, after all. n would never admit it, but he was so angry at his loss, he was obsessed with Ezra for a while.


    That may be the only time in his life where he researched about his opponent a lot. He could only theorize, with Sabrina''s help.


    Even then, he had to admit he didn''t even know what Mirror World could truly aplish. Graveyard of Redeemed Steel was also an excellent domain. Sword saint Arken had told them about it.


    He knew what the Graveyard of Redeemed Steel could do, but he could only theorize about Mirror World. That irritated him more than anything whenever he thought about it.


    Well, he would know more if he had a chance to fight Ezra again. He would know...


    A bit of sce was that the Jade Pce was a special domain, unlike the others. n would be lying if he said he wasn''t proud of that fact.


    "How unusual."


    After a period that felt like ages, n finally heard Azmakul speak. He was still stroking his chin, or a non-existent beard. His actions were strange, sometimes his hand would be stroking his chin...or simply stroking the air.


    ''Is it a beard I can''t see?''


    How unusual, and concerning. n turned towards the city and asked Azmakul, curious.


    "How is it unusual?"


    Why was his domain unusual? He could only hope Azmakul wouldn''t just turn around and say; ''It''s an issue, young prince! The domain is filled with ws!''


    He hoped not... He had enough on his hands already. He did not want to deal with another thing he had to fix! Like,e on!


    There was the thing with sorcery, the one with his teammates, the one with the aura breathing technique, the one with the Eternal me, linked to his aura breathing techniques...


    He just had too much on his te! His appetite may be voracious, but not this much!


    "The special ability of the human species? How odd."


    Before he could even ask, Azmakul continued.


    "How odd... A species as weak and new as theirs has the requirement of the Legendary rank, How odd indeed."


    "Legendary rank?"


    "The rank after epic, young prince. After that is the Mythical rank, followed by Divine, and then atst, Supreme. An individual earns the title of Legend when they are able to manifest their own world into the universe, a representation of their hardships, journey, ideals, and the


    like."


    Hearing about all that, n wanted to inquire about how an individual reached those ranks. He knew all adult dragons would be epic ranked beings... But if he was being honest.


    ''Fuck that, I am not waiting that long...''


    A dragon took a long time to be an adult... He was not waiting that long.


    He didn''t even think he had enough time, if he was being honest.


    "How does one reach the epic rank, and the ones after? What are the... requirements, I guess?"


    "Hmm."


    Azmakul stroked his chin, and remained silent for a while. Was this a habit of his as well?


    Why did all old people have to force him to wait before answering? So annoying. "Though all dragons reach the epic rank when theye of age, the basic requirement of reaching the rank of epic is the physique. When an individual knows enough of their physique, and how to augment it with mana or any other energies, they undergo a physical transformation. Ites naturally.


    It can be forced, but it is better to progress naturally. Forcing it can lead to... consequences."


    Although he wanted to know it could be forced, He was not ready to know about the consequences that Azmakul mentioned with such a grim expression.


    He asked about the ranks of Legendary and beyond.


    "What about the rest?"


    "As I said, an individual earns the rank of a legend when they are able to influence the world in many ways. The representation of...their mind. The rank of legendary is achieved when the mind is augmented. It is a mental transformation.


    How much you can influence the world is very important, it has a direct link to the rank of Divine. The rank of mythic is achieved with the augmentation, and realization of the soul.


    That is the simplest exnation of achieving the rank of [Mythic]. Elder dragons are at this


    rank..."


    Azmakul stopped, but when he saw n''s look of curiosity, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    "You are too curious about a far future. Advancing is not as easy as you think it is, young


    prince."


    "I know, just tell me about the ranks of Divine and Supreme."


    Azmakulughed at the curiosity of the young dragon, and sat down on the walls of the jade


    city, looking up at the sky.


    It was as dark as ever, the dark clouds above painted an eerie sight. The night sky of Lanekia was as... Creepy yetfortable as always.


    Creepy to the rest,forting to n. If his dignity and the strong winds above weren''t


    stopping him, he would have already found a snowfield and jumped right into it, treating it


    like a pool.


    "Try to think, young prince. How does one reach the divine rank? I will give you a hint, what I


    just mentioned. There are two parts."


    n paused to think, staring at the dark sky.


    The hint was obvious. It had to do something with the ranks of Epic, Legendary, and Mythic.


    It was quite simple, the first part, of course.


    "The physical, mental, and spiritual transformations... I''m guessing it''s a sort of


    combination?"


    He thought it was quite good, and reasonable as well.


    "Yes, one of the prerequisites of reaching the rank of divine is thebination of those three,


    enhancing them to new levels and gaining a deeper understanding of oneself, and thewsn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    that government our universe."


    "And what is the second requirement?


    n asked, Azmakul didn''t move his head to look at him one more time, but continued to


    stare at the sky.


    The dark, dreary sky.


    "Take a look, prince. It''s about time it showed anyways, hastening the process for you


    shouldn''t be too much trouble."


    He said, and raised his hand towards the sky.

 Chapter 651: [651] The source of power.

    Chapter 651: [651] The source of power.


    ?


    "Is it okay for you to be sitting there?"


    In the grand throne room of the Jade Pce, Sabrina extinguished the fire that helped keep her warm. She had regained enough of her mana to activate her artifacts.


    She could keep herself warm for now. She loitered around the throne room of the pce. What caught her attention the most, however, was Maxwell''s reckless bravado.


    "What do you mean?"


    She looked concerned, looking up at the man who so boldly sat on n''s throne. She had to admit she was a bit surprised if she was being serious, she thought with all the magical properties the Jade Pce possessed, the throne wouldn''t let anyone other than the owner sit on it.


    "... Why are you even sitting there, anyway?"


    She asked, curious as to why the ever careful and smart Maxwell would risk doing something like this. What if the throne did have a defense system? What would he do then?


    "It makes me feel special."


    ""


    "What? The least he can do topensate me is let me sit on his throne. The Arctic titan 3000 wasn''t cheap, you know!"


    She stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, was Maxwell really that enraged at the destruction of his vehicle that he did this?


    ''Why are men so obsessed with their PTV''s...''


    Her father and grandfather were the same, obsessing about ''vintage'' models or the various other names they called it. She didn''t think the Arctic Titan ssified as ''vintage'' however. Even worse, it probably didn''t cost much at all. At the very least, a few million studs. It wasn''t a small amount by any means, but when one took into ount the price of the spatial rings... It was cheap. She could buy it with her own pocket money!


    Maxwell was petty over the littlest of things.


    Sighing, she turned around, ready to leave the throne room when she heard Maxwell''s voice. "Wait."


    She turned around, annoyed. What did he have to say this time? Rant about the destroyed vehicle once more?


    If he did, she was seriously going to throw a lightning bolt at him.


    "Help me get up... my ass is stuck to this thing."


    "... What?"


    "It froze my ass, and it is stuck, I need help."


    She couldn''t help but chuckle, barely suppressing a roaringughter, she moved towards him and tried to get the man off the damn throne.


    Until, their eyes widened, and their faces turned nk when they realized, the darkness in the room suddenly receded.


    A strange light hade forth, suddenly.


    "...Shit."


    "It did have a defense system..."


    Both of them cursed, and Sabrina dropped the act of trying to be nice and yanked Maxwell off the throne with her mana enhanced strength.


    "AGH!"


    Ignoring his wails of pain, she moved towards the window, eager to see where the light wasing from.


    *******


    On top of the walls, n looked at the dark sky, Azmakul raised his hand, and said something he didn''t understand.


    He felt a small, subtle vibration ring throughout his body, he ignored it, his gaze fixed on the skies. He didn''t know why, but he couldn''t move his head. It was stuck.


    As if he was meant to gaze at the dark, creepy skies of the coldest.


    Suddenly, the skies weren''t so dark anymore. A rift appeared in the clouds, dark at first, but then a strange blue light descended.


    Many of the dark clouds parted, and these beams of blue light descended. n could see the particles of frost mana move, the particles of lightning mana in the trees receded.


    The frost mana, in a hurry, moved upwards. Towards the beams of blue light that descended from the dark heavens. He felt...cold.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Perhaps he was feeling the brutal temperature of Lanekia for the first time, but this type of feeling was a bit different. It was as if his body was fine, but his mind was cold. There was also another, undescribable feeling.


    The earth quaked, vibrations, much more intense than the first rang out and roars were heard, from everywhere at once.


    "Take a look, prince."


    He already was looking, he couldn''t move his head, after all.


    "The source of power, the truth of supremacy."


    And all of a sudden, the light was blinding. The small specks of light that descended were devoured by a flowing light many times bigger than them. The skies were ripped apart as a strong force descended upon him, almost making him kneel.


    The light was so blinding, it was as if a sun had appeared in the skies above. No matter how odd it was. n had closed his eyes the moment the light became too intense. He was slowly getting used to it and opened them again.


    And he saw a river, unlike any other, both in size and everything else, flowing through the skies. A river of cyan light so wide that it was so, so beautiful. So wide that the sky was smallpared to it, unable to let him witness it''s true, mighty power.


    A river that sent chills down his spine, ethereal cyan light, each speck of it able to reduce his very figure to dust, flew in unison above the skies.


    A celestial phenomenon, that ripped through the expanse of the dark skies and showered the savage of Lanekia with its cold embrace. A heavenly might that none could fight against. Something beyondmon sense.


    Dwarfing even the mountain peaks of this deste, savage, it covered the sky from edge to edge, appearing more like a frozen gxy than any earthly river.


    "Is it not wonderful, prince?"


    n couldn''t say it was, he was feeling...something else. It wasn''t awe, it wasn''t fear. Some other emotion, difficult to put in words.


    Azmakul failed to notice it, his attention enraptured by the source of frost mana, the origin of all that was cold.


    "There lies the second hint, young prince. The path to the divine, profane, and supremacy."


    Despite all that, n could only think of something else...


    ''Something... is wrong with it.''

 Chapter 652: [652] The source of power!(2).

    Chapter 652: [652] The source of power!(2).


    ?


    A river so immense, it spanned the horizon from edge to edge, as if splitting the heavens apart with its titanic size. One that covered the entire sky of Lanekia.


    Savage darkness was vanquished by blinding, soothing light.


    It appeared to be both liquid and vaporous, constantly shifting and curling into borate whorls and spirals with a mesmerizing motion, resembling a slow, graceful dance of frost and energy.


    "What is that...?"


    Olivia asked, touching her shoulders with her hands, her body suddenly growing cold. But this was not the savage, brutal cold Lanekia possessed, but a pleasant chill. Like how one would feel after entering an air-conditioned room in the middle of summer.


    Kazikato appeared to be in a trance, same with Alexander. They were breathing heavily, and were mesmerized by the titanic river in the sky. It seemed to have that sort of effect, but only on higher beings. Edward and Emma were slightly mesmerized, but they shook it off.


    Olivia and Alice weren''t affected at all.


    "Do you hear that... Alice?"


    She asked, shrinking away, a cold mist escaping every pore of her body.


    "Yes..."


    Alice affirmed. A faint, melodic hum apanied the river, a chorus of soft notes like the chime of icicles swaying in the wind. It was pleasant to hear, but as it was with the unknown, it brought fear.


    Olivia and Alice helped Emma get inside a building, while Edward carried the other two. And then, all of a sudden, the melodic hum was gone, reced by roars. Roars belonging to beings of titanic size, and might. They covered their ears, and Lanekia trembled. An earthquake of a magnitude that would ruin Earth.


    One caused by the sudden ascent of hundreds of dragons, frost dragons that ripped the air apart with their mighty breaths, and brought an even colder chill. Beings the size of mountains, the size of hills, and even those the size of cars rose up to the sky, towards the river.


    Their glistening scales, their terrifying maws, dragons resembling those of eastern myths and western stories, and those with humanoid shapes.


    But there was a singr dragon that stood out, one made of pure ethereal, cyan light... One made of the river itself. A dragon of pure light.


    They all fell asleep, unable to handle the sight of the dragon of pure light, unable to handle the sight of n''s ''mother''.


    Lanesha, Queen of the frost dragons, and the youngest child, and only remaining daughter of Ariel.


    Lower beings like them simply couldn''t handle the sight of a supreme being, especially one that was using the river as a conduit to appear. In a pure form.


    "Do you see it, prince?"


    On top of the walls, Azmakul asked the dazed, worried n. Though he was unaware of his worry, he simply took it as awe. He continued.


    "The path to divinity, or profanity, is reached only when one can harness the source of their elements. The rivers of the arcane."


    He stopped for a bit, taking in a deep breath, reminiscing of a time long, long past.


    "And the path to supremacy..."


    "...is to dominate the river."


    npleted his sentence, yet with a different approach. Azmakul looked at the young dragon, hiding many emotions behind his odd mask.


    "Yes, one can also say that."


    His gaze remained on n, examining his expression, as the dragons in the sky received multiple motes of blue, cyan light from the dragon made of pure light.


    They descended soon after receiving them, the children yed with them, whilst the adults took them back to wherever they originated from.


    A small mote of light, an orb of crystalline appearance also descended towards Azmakul, who gave it to n. The mote of light was absorbed by his skin, but the effects were unknown. Azmakul put his hand on n''s back, engraving a certain magical spell on the young prince. One that he was oblivious to, and hopefully would always be oblivious to it. "Lanekia is the home of frost dragons, because it is where the river''s power is most magnificent. And it is here, that two supremes of frost were born."


    One that was him, and one that was Lanesha, though only one remained a supreme now. Azmakul had given up his supremacy long ago.


    The sky was clear now, the massive dragon of pure light disappeared, and the rest followed. But the river still remained.


    "It''ll take a while for the river to disappear, I want you to make the most of it."


    Azmakul said, stroking n''s wild hair, and took both of them down, far away from the jade city to a field of pure, white snow.


    n fell into it, only his head remained on the surface.


    "Eh?"


    "Use frost walker, young prince. That would help."


    n climbed up, and used the skill [Frost Walker] he gained after consuming Lanesha''s drop of ichor. The skill made the snow beneath his feet harden, turn to slippery ice that was hard to stand on, but better than snow.


    "Your first task is this..."


    Azmakul invoked the mana in the atmosphere, and used light from the river itself to create a pir as tall as thirty meters, and as wide as twenty. No runic pattern was engraved on its exterior, yet it glowed with an incandescent light.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Destroy that pir, you may use anything at your disposal. Take as long as you need."


    He was about to leave, but before he could vanish into thin air, n suddenly asked him a


    question.


    "Alright... But can you tell me something?"


    The ancient dragon stopped, and nodded his head.


    "Who is Kizmal, and what is exactly do I have to beat at his heart?"


    He would like to know that, it was a question he had on the back of his head, and nned to


    ask Azmakul whenever he saw him next.


    Of course, not when he was interrupted by a sight like the river, and other things.


    "Kizmal? Ah, Kizmal is a giant, young prince."


    He continued.

 Chapter 653: [653] Kizmal, Supreme of Lightning.

    Chapter 653: [653] Kizmal, Supreme of Lightning.


    ?


    "Kizmal? Ah, Kizmal is a giant, young prince."


    n stopped, wondering if this Kizmal would be like the giants he had faced back then at Gigantia. Though they weren''t really that strongpared to him, n had to admit that they were false giants.


    Giants with gic defects, courtesy of the Supreme dragon of Fire, Agri.


    He always thought of what it would be like to fight a real giant, once considered an enemy of his race.


    "But he died. The queen killed him. He was a supreme of lightning, and in search of more power and a unique elemental rtion, he targeted Lanekia, where the river of frost was most powerful."


    n waited for him toplete his words, digesting bits and pieces of the information.


    "I remember the day he marched on Lanekia with his armies. Ha! I could have ended him right then and there, but the queen-fierce and unyielding-insisted on handling it herself. She was the youngest of Her Majesty''s bloodline, and whispers of nepotism had always shadowed her rise to power.


    They dismissed her, sneered at her, called her a frail supreme unworthy of the title. To them, she was nothing more than a pretender. A false one."


    He chuckled, letting out a joke.


    "Oh, the look on their faces as she killed Kizmal, and used his remains as the foundation of the civilization on Lanekia, and her castle. All those doubts were cleared in an instant."


    n paused, his gaze locked onto Azmakul. His voice trembled slightly as he cautiously asked,


    "... Wait. What do you mean by that? Using his remains...?"


    Azmakul chuckled, almost amused by the question.


    "Ah, well, when the giant fell, your mother removed his flesh and hollowed out his bones. She carved them with her power, shaping them into habitable spaces for the other species under her care."


    He spoke so casually, as though describing a simple construction project, but n''s face turned pale. That was anything but a simple construction project.


    "We dug out his remains," Azmakul continued, "and allowed the species to adapt them as they pleased. Quite resourceful, really! They''ve built a thriving settlement-an architectural marvel. As for Kizmal..."


    His tone turned darker, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. That terrified n even


    more.


    "That old fool still attempts to revive himself, birthing thralls infused with the power of lightning. It''s a convenient source of endless electricity. And a fine hunting ground, wouldn''t you agree?"


    n could only stare, the blood draining from his face as the implications sunk in. His mind reeled, shing back to the odd door he''d passed through on his way to Lanesha''s castle. He had thought it strange at the time, but now he understood.


    It was Kizmal''s teeth...! The gate was carved into his teeth!


    His guardian dragon, the benevolent and kind Lanesha, had built her castle within the hollowed-out skull of a fallen giant. His stomach churned at the realization, and a shudder ran through him.


    ''Oh, gods... That''s horrifying.''


    His horror deepened as another unsettling truth dawned on him. Lanesha, the one he revered, wasn''t just his guardian. Before she bestowed her blessing on him... There was another one she gave her blessing too.


    James. That dragon had given her blessing to James first. n simply thought that was a mistake on her part... but perhaps, there was more to the story. Besides that, the way Lanesha had disposed of Kizmal, and used him, was both monstrous, ingenious...and downright psychopathic.


    No wonder she chose James...


    To have your flesh stripped away, your bones hollowed, your body repurposed to house lesser beings... and still be alive, wing desperately for revival. It was a fate more horrifying than death.


    n swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper as he finally asked that wed at his mind.


    "... So... where is his heart?"


    He asked, since Kizmal... or whatever was left of him was so immense, where could the heart be? Since he was all bone, did he even have a heart?"


    "Do you know the road you were travelling on, with that strange vehicle?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Azmakul asked, his tone disturbingly casual. n nodded, a horrifying thought emerging in his mind.


    He almost didn''t want to hear it...


    "We built it on the surface of his bones shortly before your arrival. That road will lead you directly to his heart."


    n''s stomach churned as the words sank in.


    "You''re currently traversing his vertebrae,"


    Azmakul continued, gesturing with a faint smirk, as though discussing a scenic route. Not the dead body of a supreme...


    "Keep going, and you''ll reach his left scap. There, you''ll find the spear she used to impale him during their battle."


    His insides churned, with each word.


    "Climb on top of it, the spear was hollowed out and there you will find an entrance to the sea in his spine. You can dive in, but I wouldn''t rmend that for the rest of your cohort. It is better to descend carefully, lest they will be nothing but bloody mist the moment they hit the water."


    "Chop chop prince, I''ll have to see what I can do with your cohort, I will not let them be so weak!"


    He disappeared, after saying something that would traumatize most people, so


    nonchntly.


    ''Who...would be okay living in the body of a dead supreme...and one that is vehemently trying to revive itself, filled with vengeance?''


    The citizens of Lanekia were perhaps the only ones who could boast they lived inside a supreme being, and used his body for resources while the supreme they lived inside was doing


    whatever he could to revive himself...


    Filled with vengeance towards them, as well.


    It seemed to him, the citizens of Lanekia were batshit crazy.


    How ironic, considering it was him who was saying that.


    n was left alone in the middle of the vast expanse of white snow, his onlypany being


    the glowing pir of ice.


    ''Wait...''


    Suddenly, a gruesome thought urred in his mind.


    ''Am I... standing on Kizmal right now?''


    If so, what part of his skeleton were these snowy fields? Surely, the entirety of Lanekia wasn''t


    the skeleton... right?


    Azmakul appeared in the Jade pce, in one of the courtyards, like a sh of lightning.


    Humming to himself, he looked up at the river and examined the surroundings of the castle for a while, taking in their beauty, enhanced by the light of the river. The buildings basked in the cyan light, bing a reflected light.


    Like the sun did to the moon.


    "It truly is an exact replica of the queen''s pce, How fascinating. The thickness of blood can''t be underestimated." He mused, stroking his chin.


    n''s castle was an exact replica of the queen''s, however, it missed the amazing quality of being in the skull of a fallen giant, one that was also a supreme being.


    "That said, It is unique in its own ways."


    Azmakul mumbled, staring at the two serpents coiling around tworge spires. Architecturally, The castle of the prince was the same as the castle of the Queen, but it had its


    special functions.


    The two serpents intrigued Azmakul, not only could he sense the soul of the prince clearly in them, but he also realized they were equal to him in strength.


    The only w they possessed besides theirrge bodies may be that they couldn''t use magic,


    the most they could manage a fragile imitation of a dragon''s breath.


    "Hmm?" Azmakul noticed a Jade knight staring at him, pointing his spear towards the Ancient dragon with scared eyes. It didn''t dare attack though, it was as it was petrified by fear.


    "Oh, you possess a fragment of the prince''s soul, too."


    Azmakul moved his fingers and sent him away, careful not to destroy the knight, being careless with his power would destroy the entire pce. He had to exercise caution.


    He was most eager to study them for a while, and explore the other functions of the pce, but he knew he had something else to do. Something more urgent.


    Flicking his fingers, he manipted the mana in the surrounding area and brought everyone belonging to the prince''s cohort in the vast courtyard.


    Kazikato, Sabrina, Alice, Maxwell, Olivia, Alexander, Edward, and Emma were all here,


    assuming a forced upright position except for Kazikato, who was still processing what had


    happened.


    The poor man had tried to sleep in the throne room, but the rest woke him up and forced him


    to travel with them, a river had suddenly appeared, and now he was in a courtyard.


    ''...fuck this.''


    He thought, assuming a fetal position and going back to sleep. Azmakul looked at him, and


    surprisingly let him do as he pleased, shrugging his shoulders.


    He was surprisingly gentle with him.


    Looking at the rest with a somber gaze, he said.


    "Now, I can rest easy knowing why you were all called here, right?"


    They couldn''t speak, his mana forbid them from doing so. All they could do was bear with the


    cold, and look at him with confused, and somewhat terrified faces.

 Chapter 654: [654] Even you need upgrades!

    Chapter 654: [654] Even you need upgrades!


    ?


    "Almost all of you, are pathetically weak."


    Azmakul spoke with a condescending tone, he approached them, taking one small step at a time. But they perceived it differently. Each step of his felt like an earthquake. There wasn''t any, but the mental pressure was intense.


    Even though he seemed different from before, he was easily recognizable by his odd mask, Whether it was his real face, or the skull of an enemy he had in before, no one knew.


    All they knew, was it sent shivers down their spine. It made their chests heavy, and breathing, already a task difficult in the savage of Lanekia, was made evenborious.


    He was finally in front of Emma, who wanted to cower but couldn''t. The pressure he released made her want to kneel, but his oppressive mana kept her in ce.


    "A pure blooded royal of the Nine-tailed fox n, yet your healing ability is subpar."


    His eyes pierced through her very body, every fiber of her body, analyzing everything. Every part of her body screamed under the weight of his eyes.


    "Ah, You are a lost one, no wonder you don''t know your family''s techniques."


    He paused for a moment, releasing the pressure from his [Dragon eyes.] He moved towards Edward, and asked a question.


    "What do you believe you are good at?"


    He was forced to answer, even if he wanted to keep it as a thought, all would be revealed, whether willingly, or unwillingly. [Dragon Eyes] would see through everything.


    Especially those of an Ancient dragon, who had no limit on his usage of [Dragon eyes], unlike those of young dragons like n and Kazikato. Azmakul''s dragon eyes were perfect for him, even disregarding the special powers it possessed, the normal functions of dragon eyes were well within his grasp.


    "... Fighting..."


    Edward said, barely able to make a sound. It even sounded like how a child would say something after being hit, or whilst crying. Azmakulughed.


    "No, you are not."


    He moved to Olivia, and asked the same question. But she couldn''t answer. Stuck on what to answer, and what to truly believe. What was she excellent at? Studying? Fighting? Magic? She was quite the all-rounder.


    She couldn''t muster up any answer, even under the influence of oppressive mana and the weight of Dragon eyes. Even Azmakul''s eyes confirmed it, she didn''t know.


    "Pathetic than most."


    Hemented, moving towards Alice. She had an answer, however, unlike Olivia, and unlike Edward, Azmakul didn''t ridicule it.


    "Alchemy... I''m good at alchemy."


    Azmakul looked down at her with a new, different light in his eyes. She still couldn''t raise her head to see that, though. The mask on his face shifted into a smirk, and he mumbled.


    "Good."


    Alexander and Kazikato were the only ones he didn''t question, as they were next in line. Kazikato was spared for obvious reasons, while Alexander just received a look of approval from Azmakul.


    He reached Sabrina, and asked the same question.


    "What do you believe you are good at?"


    She answered, confidently.


    "Magic."


    Azmakul''s eyes shone, Sabrina almost crumbled under the pressure of the power of [Dragon eyes], and she would have, if the oppressive mana had not helped keep her in ce.


    "To say that in front of a dragon requires grit. Good."


    He spared a nce at Alice, and turned to Maxwell, asking the same question.


    "What do you believe you are good at?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Maxwell stopped to think for a moment, What should he answer?


    Keeping things in order? Keeping things in check? Making sure they had enough supplies? Logistics? The only one withmon sense in the group?


    There were many things he was good at, things he knew that no one besides Sabrina could rece in the group.


    And he hoped to believe that even if she could, she wouldn''t be able to reach his level.


    He listed all the things he did, all the things he believed he was good at. To the shock of the others. Not many could say so many things with confidence to an Ancient Dragon, especially under so much pressure.


    "Hmm."


    Azmakul flicked his fingers and sent him flying, outside the courtyard. Maxwellnded on his already frozen buttocks and suppressed out a scream. He was about to curse the dragon in his mind, but swallowed it down, terrified of the implications it would cause.


    After all, what would he do if the dragon could read minds? It wasn''t that far from a possibility...


    Azmakul sent one more person out of the courtyard, gently. Kazikato was picked up by constructs of mana andy down on a bench nearby, to the envy of Maxwell and everyone else.


    "Now, How do I train you all?"


    The world turned dark all of a sudden, and they felt the cold assaulting them disappear, reced with an eerie warmth.


    n approached the pir of glowing ice, and put his hands on it. He was trying to get a feel of it, but failed. He couldn''t see how the mana in it was structured, how it moved, how it flowed. There was nothing.


    Taking a deep breath, he punched it with all his might, but except for his hand being turned into a sorry sight, the pir was unscathed.


    "Yeah, I knew it wouldn''t be this easy."


    He knew it wouldn''t really work. It was just a test to find out how the pir would react to force. Surprisingly, it responded simrly of how cold metal would react to force.


    ''So is it metal?''


    n jumped back, healing his hand and taking out the Ame-No-Sakahoko, taking a stance. It wasn''t the stance of the Heavenly Sky Spear, he knew that technique wouldn''t do much.


    Taking one more deep breath, he activated his mana and activated the unique flow of the Chaotic Spear art.


    The flow of mana, in which every individual particle flowed in its own course, spinning at a speed, so great, nothing could stop it. Only be destroyed by it. The mana flowed from his body to the spear, and assumed its course before joining his body once again.


    It was like the working of a chainsaw, except the des were small, atomic particles of mana, each one capable of reducing anything that opposed it to dust if performed correctly.


    He raised his spear, and took a deep breath, and unleashed the first step of the chaotic spear art, [Abyssal Rend].


    The world quaked, and his mana was unleashed as a crescent arc, far more powerful than expected. n had released it using normal attribute mana, but frost attribute mana was


    unleashed instead.


    ''It transformed into frost element mana as soon as it left my body...''


    He noticed, perhaps it was Lanekia, or the river above. Whichever one it was, he was pleased


    to see that his attack was much more powerful. Without wasting another breath, he did it


    again.


    [Abyssal Rend]


    And again.


    [Abyssal Rend]


    And again.


    [Abyssal Rend]


    And again.


    [Abyssal Rend]


    "Haa..."


    That was it, he couldn''t do any more lest his arm would explode, or even worse, his entire


    body wouldn''t be able to handle the impact. The strengthening of the attack had its


    drawbacks as well.


    Still, it was a considerable improvement from his first and previous attempts to use Abyssal Rend, n had advanced so much that he could use the move a few more times before


    sumbing to the drawbacks.


    It was a great improvement from his first time, where he had been left at death''s door and almost caused Shield to issue an emergency attack notice.


    He healed his body with the powers of the Phoenix, and went to check in on the pir of glowing ice. The glow dimmed, but the pir was rtively unharmed.


    ''Would the second movement be better? It does focus all the force to a single point...''


    Taking a slight moment of reprieve, n moved back once more and initiated the stance of the second movement of the chaotic spear art, [Oblivion Thrust]


    Despite the odd name, it was still the strongest move in his arsenal for dealing with a singr foe, he just needed to be urate with it. It focused all the destructive force at one point,


    though.


    He repeated the move as many times as he could, shaking in his boots and using the Ame-No- Sakahoko as support when he reached his limit.


    There was slight sess this time, the pir wasn''t unscathed. There was...destruction.


    In the form of a simple, small chip, of course. n sighed when he saw that his most powerful attacks could only cause a small chip, but he wasn''t disheartened.


    He was ready to change his approach, He could try the same move he did with Azmakul, using [cial meteor] to make conduits for his [Gravity Field] spell, and adding more weight to his


    thrust. He was sure that would do some damage.


    He just hoped his spear wouldn''t break.


    Or...he could try another approach, one he was willing to try after listening to Azmakul''s long speech about sorcery and elemental rtions.

 Chapter 655: [655] A new spell!

    Chapter 655: [655] A new spell!


    ?


    n was kind of lost, if he was being honest. Though he may have remembered Azmakul''s speech and the lessons he gave through it, he had a hard time putting everything in his own perspective.


    The scene of symbols of multiple elements reacting to one another was splendid, and a bitplicated.


    Sighing to himself, n decided to take the simpler approach, one that was centered around Azmakul''s advice. He used the Ame-No-Sakahoko to draw symbols of the elements in the snow, those he could remember and wanted to use in his ''experiment''.


    A legendary spear back on Earth, one that brought the end to a demon at the rank of a duke, and single-handedly was the source of an entire nation''s hope, and one of Earth''s most formidable weapons, was currently being used for art. Being treated like a stick a child found on the side of the road in the middle of winter to make drawings on the snow.


    n may not know a lot about the previous owner of the spear, Hiro, but he did know that if Arken saw the beloved weapon of his deceased brother in arms being used like this, the least he was going to get was a few broken bones.


    The worst, a few missing limbs.


    Thankfully, Arken wasn''t here, and neither were any of his teammates who could potentially tattle on him. He knew they were not the type to do that, but his master had his ways of getting people to talk. And they were not pretty.


    Thankfully, his onlypany at the moment was an expanse of pure white, a bit destroyed because of his prior actions, and an odd pir of glowing ice.


    There was nobody to tattle...except.


    ''I hope the spear doesn''t tattle on me, though.''


    The Ame-No-Sakahoko did have an ego, though n guessed he could rest easy that it wouldn''t speak. It didn''t even speak to the person it chose as a sessor, why would it choose to speak to Arken?


    nposed himself, and did the best he could in making ''art''. He recreated the symbols as much as his limited artistic talent allowed. He decided to create the symbols he remembered most clearly first.


    First were the four basic elements of fire, water, air, and earth. The rest were the elements of Death, Life, Shadow, Darkness, Ice, Metal, Magma, Poison, Nature. As a bonus, he even tried drawing the elements of space and gravity.


    Space was rtively easy, he just made an oval shape in the snow to represent a portal, while gravity proved to be a bit tricky? How does one exactly portray gravity?


    Should he draw an apple? Or should he take it a bit further and draw an apple falling from the symbol of Life, a tree, and hitting a skull, the symbol of death?


    Would the esteemed Isaac Newton be proud of such a portrayal of his most prominent discovery?


    "Probably not."


    n chuckled, it was funny to imagine using the symbols of life and death, two elements at the very top of the elementaldder and a fruit from a that could be considered a speck of dust in a gxy barely out of its diapers to draw the symbol of gravity, a sub-element of space?


    n merely settled on using his gravity field as an inspiration, he drew four cubes, representing rocks, the conduit he used for the [Gravity Field] spell, and connected them with the help of strings. Or a line as shown on the snow.


    What mattered most was what he thought about it. n looked at them all from above and thought to himself.


    ''Now how do I make it efficient and upgrade cial meteor with these?''


    How does he exactly do it? n sat down and began to use his artistic talent once more, this time using his finger, sparing the legendary spear from humiliation this time. It rested on the snow beside him.


    He crossed out the symbols of Poison, Nature, Life, and Death. Although Azmakul did enlighten him about elements he didn''t have an affinity to, n thought it would be appropriate to cross out elements he didn''t have a good understanding of.


    Death was something he had an affinity too, but it was ambiguous as the other three, and also out of his understanding. That left fire, water, earth, wind, shadow, darkness, ice, metal, magma, space, gravity.


    He wanted to figure out how to enhance the spell [cial meteor] with the help of these elements. Using a bit ofmon sense, he crossed out fire and water.


    Water wouldn''t be so helpful, ande on, the name of the skill was ''cial'' meteor! He couldn''t use fire. It just didn''t sit right with him to bastardize his own spell like that.


    Firstly, instead of opening a portal in an asteroid belt and yanking an asteroid of ambiguous size and shape from there, he could manifest earth and create a desired shape he wanted.


    ''What would that leave efficiency at?''


    He thought for a while. Naturally, manifesting something out of nothing but pure mana was going to cost him a lot of mana! Though not particrly bothered by it, he would have loved if he actually had earth around him to use! To gain experience!


    Unfortunately, all that was around him was snow, endless amounts of it.


    For convenience''s sake, and for his own mental rity, he decided to discard efficiency for now. He didn''t have to worry about mana because of his nature, after all.


    Manifesting earth out of pure mana may take a bit longer to do instead of just yanking it from an asteroid belt, but the benefit was he could make it any shape he wanted!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He could make it a perfect sphere, devoid of any blemish or imperfections. He could make it a titanic spear, and smite down his foes! Hell, he could even make a spaceship and hurl it towards his enemies, for added cinematic effect!


    He could make it anything he imagined, so what was wrong with going a bit...wild?

 Chapter 656: [656] Metallic, Shadowy, dark, gravitational spatial cubic extra Glacial Meteor!

    Chapter 656: [656] Metallic, Shadowy, dark, gravitational spatial cubic extra cial Meteor!


    ?


    Disregarding the endless array of shapes he could make the meteor assume, n had to consider a crucial question: would the chosen shape survive the descent, or would it disintegrate into a barrage of fragmented rocks before striking the ground?


    The meteor spell, by its very nature, was versatile. It excelled at area damage, raining destruction over wide swaths ofnd, yet it also had potential for precise, focused attacks. While not its primary strength, thetter use was far from ineffective. Still, to truly refine the spell, n knew he needed to address its weaknesses. He wasn''t just taking an asteroid out from space now, after all.


    One way to do so, he reasoned, was by incorporating the element of metal, Like Azmakul had spoken about. Though engineering wasn''t his forte, it didn''t seem overlyplex to form a rigid metallic framework around the meteor. The added structure could ensure it remained intact during its barreling descent. He could ask the otherster for help in making it tougher. ''Would it work, though?''


    He wasn''t certain. He didn''t know much about it. He would just have to experiment...


    The thought crossed his mind to go further, to make the entire meteor out of metal. The idea was tempting, but he dismissed it with a shrug.


    ''I''ll save that forter...''


    There was no urgency, after all. Azmakul had assured him there were no time constraints, so experimentation could take precedence over perfection. For now, he wanted to enjoy the process. He was on a vacation, after all.


    Despite how treacherous it may be, it was still a damn vacation! n sighed.


    Beforeyering in any additional elements, he resolved to test whether his meteor would even remain a meteor by the time it struck. The simplest shape-a sphere-seemed fine for now, though reinforcing it wouldn''t hurt.


    He opened his palm and focused. The mana in his body surged in response to his will, weaving itself into a hollow, metallic sphere. Around this core, heyered earth-fluid like molten y -until it solidified into the desired shape.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The end result was a dense, palm-sized meteor. Heavy and cold to the touch, it exuded an aura of power. n tilted his head, examining his creation with satisfaction.


    ''Not bad for a smaller version of it.''


    How did he do it? It was simple, really. He followed Azmakul''s advice.


    Think it, and it shall be done! He was a dragon, after all!


    He didn''t have to worry about mana consumption, or efficiency, after all... Being a dragon with infinite mana had its advantages!


    Grinning, n tossed the small meteor between his hands, getting a feel for its weight. But he wasn''t done. To make theparison clear, he conjured a second sphere, this one made purely of earth, with no metal reinforcement.


    To test it, he simply threw the spheres at one another with as much of force as he could muster. He wasn''t weak by any means, even a small ball like this would kill most abominations back on earth if he hurled them with all his strength.


    The moment of impact was decisive. The ball with the metallic core held its shape, deflecting shards of earth as they crumbled and scattered. The weaker sphere,cking any internal reinforcement, disintegrated on contact.


    n watched the results, his grin widening. The experiment was a sess. His reinforced meteor design worked. But now, with his confidence growing, he couldn''t help but wonder what the full-scale version would look like in action.


    He would test this new meteor against his former spell, cial meteor. Whoever won that bout would be the spell he would begin to spam on his enemies, simple as that.


    He didn''t have to worry about mana consumption, or efficiency, after all...


    How would he make the two meteors collide against one another with equal force? Gravity magic, or a portal, would do the trick.


    n stepped back, and formed an actual meteor in the air this time, the one with a metallic core. It had no added reinforcements. He expected it to heat up a little, but perhaps that was too much to ask for on Lanekia out of all people.


    The frost mana in the airbined with the meteor without even being given amand... and automatically made the meteor into a cial meteor.


    "That... I should have expected that."


    He should have, really. The mana here was so dense... of course it was going to do something! n stepped back, and watched the strengthened cial meteor collide with the pir. Waiting a while after the initial impact, which was apanied by thundering noise and snow being flung all over, he dismissed his mana, and the structure turned to light and disappeared.


    The pir was rtively okay, the damage was more to the surroundings, but n knew the new spell was greater in power than the ordinary cial meteor.


    Mulling over it a while, n took a deep breath and created another reinforced meteor in the sky. This time, he kept it suspended in the air.


    Casting cial copse over it, he used even more immense amounts of mana to make sure there was no air resistance, and to elerate the fall. He manifested little spheres of rock all around the area, making them act as conduits for the gravity field.


    He didn''t have to worry about mana consumption, or efficiency, after all...


    As the world took on a heavy purple tone, n concentrated and used the Shadow Walker, and Dark Destitute as well on the surface of the meteor, as well as he could with his limited knowledge. Frost walker wouldn''t be helpful here, so he didn''t use it.


    When all was said and done, he took a deep breath and muttered.


    "Here goes nothing...!"


    It was difficult keeping the meteor in the air, so he let go, and watched the process unfold. It hurled towards the ground at frightening speeds, and n promptly ran away as a whistling sound assaulted his ears.


    The frost mana in the surroundings was being ripped apart, and as n continued to gain distance, he heard the fall.


    And it was deadly, just by the sound of it.

 Chapter 657: [657] The training a dragon can give.

    Chapter 657: [657] The training a dragon can give.


    ?


    Whilst n was out in the middle of the frozen desert, reducing it to utter waste as he rained down meteors on a pir, the other''s in the jade pce were struggling.


    Azmakul was brutal with his words, and with his gaze, he was cruel. Before any training could begin at all, he picked up Kazikato and Alexander, and threw them away somewhere in the


    pce. Being especially harsh on Alexander.


    "You don''t need training."


    It was the logical call, Kazikato was a dragon that was especially skilled, even more than n, the only w in his character being his lethargy. He was a genius on Ezra''s level, but the dragon was often too tired to care or try.


    That could be ignored, A dragon grows with age, and because of prior experiences, Azmakul wanted to give the son of the deceased supreme of death some reprieve. He already senses the blessing Ariel had given to the young dragon, trusting her to be in charge of his safety.


    The same went for n as well, He was still a son of Shivalkn, but Azmakul wouldn''t let him off for the simple reason that he was excited. He had served as Lanesha''s caretaker after his service, he couldn''t exactly enforce his beliefs on the youngest daughter of his creator... Now, could he? If he was harsh on her, Ariel would have a word of him.


    The youngest in any family typically garnered the most care, and even in the family of a primordial dragon, this held true. Kazikato''s youth shielded him, but n was not afforded such grace. He would be molded.


    Alexander, on the other hand was not his responsibility, he already had a being who had embarked on the same path he was going to set foot on, Alexander had Festul, who would teach him about all the things that he needed to know. The best teacher for him was already there, sitting on his shoulders most of the time.


    Well, Maxwell was also exempt from the training... but for other reasons from the two.


    That left Edward, Emma, Alice, Sabrina, and Olivia. Olivia herself wasn''t interested in training a lot, but sadly, she couldn''t escape from this using her connections. Being Oliver''s granddaughter would help her with Arken, but not the dragon in front of her.


    Edward and Olivia floated up, unable to control their bodies and separated from the rest. "Meleebatants, separated."


    Alice was also treated the same, flung away to a far corner, Azmakul didn''t have any interest in her. She showed no ability forbat, and if he was being honest, Alchemy was always a field he had no interest in, despite his long life.


    Though, even in a field he had no interest in, he had still done some research on the topic, nothing significant by his standards. But then again, the standards being mentioned were those of an ancient dragon.


    "I haven''t used this spell in a long time..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Azmakul sighed, exerting some effort in a summoning spell, two beings manifested themselves out of a thin air, having quite peculiar experiences.


    One was a knight in blue, cold armor. The helmet of the knight looked eerily simr to the mask Azmakul wore, but instead of bone it was cold iron, he didn''t have any weapons on him, but his height alone made them cower. The knight''s limbs weren''t connected to his body through flesh, however...but strings of mana.


    Why were they meeting so many tall humanoids? It was really doing a number on them. The other was a small...goblin. One that had blue skin, spectacles far toorge for its small eyes and head, and a unique experience. His hair, originally white as dirty as a rag, and in some ces, burnt. He had a variety of artifacts on his body, as small as it was.


    The knight stood in front of Olivia and Edward, and the goblin in front of Alice. They didn''t dare move without permission, unlike the rest, they weren''t being held down by an oppressive force.


    "Your task is to defeat him, And Guld, teach the girl alchemy."


    "Yes sir!"


    The goblin saluted, saying something in anguage foreign to the others, Azmakul gave him


    a look, and he quickly meddled with one of the artifacts on his body and spoke again.


    "It shall be done, my liege!"


    Though a bit raspy, and irregr, his words could be understood by everyone in the courtyard. The knight simply nodded, and gave an Edward and Olivia a deep look.


    Azmakul raised his fingers and transported the little goblin by the name of Guld and Alice to a secluded, empty room in the Jade Pce. They were gone in an instant.


    Edward and Olivia, on the other hand, were physically dragged by the knight to some ce far away, and pretty soon, their screams could be heard, apanied by explosions.


    Azmakul appeared in front of Emma, and stood there for a while. It was nothing but ufortable for Emma, to have the dragon just look at her in silence for what seemed like an eternity to her.


    "To be frank, I am clueless."


    The dragon said, stroking his chin. He continued with a somber tone.


    "Though I have killed those of your n, and many other God beasts, I didn''t really think of ways to replicate their techniques... All I needed to do was find a weakness..."


    He continued muttering to himself, in a voice low enough that Emma couldn''t hear, and if she was being serious, she didn''t want to hear whatever he was muttering at all.


    "... You can rest, for now."


    ''Until I can procure something for you.''


    Azmakul continued in his head, and walked over to Sabrina, this time, he didn''t waste much time idly standing in front of her. The glow in his eyes increased for a bit, whilst Sabrina was still thinking about the two beings he had summoned.


    ''Both were spirits... The night was definitely an advanced spirit.''


    She was unable to judge the level of the goblin, no matter how much she tried. If she had to guess, it was probably above the knight, but it wasn''t abat rted spirit like her own cat. Nheless, an advanced spirit was still something impressive... for her.


    She was sure it was nothing for this dragon, but advanced spirits were usually in the S-SSS ranks, a few special ones could be lower, but that knight definitely wasn''t.


    "You and I... need to have a talk."


    She barely heard him speak before a wave of nausea hit her, suppressing the urge to vomit, she looked around and found herself, along with the dragon, in one of the balconies of the castle, far, far away from the courtyard.


    She could move, no longer bound by any oppressive force. But, she had to admit.


    She would much rather prefer that than to wait in anticipation, and fear. The dragon that brought her here was looking at the river in the sky, far from her. Yet felt ever so close.


    ''... Why am I scared?''


    Surely, he wouldn''t do anything to her... right?

 Chapter 658: [658] The soul.

    Chapter 658: [658] The soul.


    ?


    "Do you know what is so special about this ce?"


    Manifesting a flower made of ice and snow in his hand, Azmakul raised it up to the sky and watched the light of the river in the sky through its petals, Sabrina didn''t know why he was doing it, neither did she know why he asked that question.


    She gulped, finding it hard to even think in his presence. The cold of this savage waspletely overpowered by the oppressive pressure, of the dragon taking the form of a tall elf. She wasn''t even feeling cold anymore, her body was refusing to do so.


    Whether it was the dragon''s doing, or something she was doing out of subconscious reflex, she didn''t know. What she did know, was she had to answer.


    Anything would be fine, she was unable to lie if she wasn''t aware of the ''specialty'' about this ce, the Jade Pce, but then again, she also had to put some thought in her answer.


    What was so special about this ce? That it was n''s domain, one he acquired in the tower of trials through unknown means? The vast number of diamonds embedded in its walls, and in the eyes of its soldiers? Or the defensive armaments situated on top of its walls. Inactive, or perhaps broken, but still worth a pretty fortune.


    Or the mysterious altar in the main garden, one that n stood in front of pondering most of the time? Which n had said was the reason this domain was unique?


    That could be the most likely answer... Sabrina took a deep breath and went with that one.


    ''If it is wrong... it''s not a lie at the very least.''


    Though she only had experience with n''s dragon eyes, she knew what the skill could do, even used by n. She knew what the skill could do. n could barely use it for a short while without straining himself, whilst Kazikato didn''t suffer much even if he used for prolonged periods... but this dragon always had them active, since the start.


    When he ''ambushed'' them, reducing their transport to shreds, or even when he made them all submit to him with his gaze. Dragon eyes were always active... She could feel it.


    Maybe less prominent at times, but always active.


    "The altar in the garden."


    She tried to make sure her voice was filled with confidence, that she couldn''t be wrong, showcasing her belief in herself, but it failed.


    "Hmm."


    Azmakul stopped looking at the river in the sky, turning away from its awe-inspiring visage, his gaze rested on the altar in the main garden, but he shook his head.


    "No. Close, but no."


    The flower in his hand shattered into many pieces, hitting the floor and disappearing without a trace, without a sound. Azmakul turned around, staring right at her.


    ''God...why is that mask so creepy.''


    She didn''t voice out those thoughts, and prayed that the dragon couldn''t read her mind... "The altar is important, it''s a converter of sorts. Converting anything in this world to a form of energy that can be used by the domain to create or repair."


    He exined.


    "But it is merely significant, not special. Not entirely. Look at the soldiers beneath, and the serpents coiled around the spires, look at the entire domain, with a new perspective."


    She was free to move, Azmakul stepped aside, making space for her to look down, at the city below. Anxious, and confused, she moved forward, observing everything he mentioned.


    The soldiers ying in the snow, the knights guarding special locations, patrolling the area, the beasts sleeping peacefully, the entire city. Turning around, she looked at the serpents coiled around the spires. The one of crystal, and the one of mirror.


    When one looked at them from afar, the difference in material could barely be seen, but up close, it was something that could be discerned when one paid attention to it. But, the difference would still only amount to one, insignificant thing. The serpent made of mirrors appeared to be slightly ''duller'' than the one made of crystals.


    She contemted for a while, but still couldn''t figure out what he was talking about.


    Sensing her confusion, Azmakul sighed and started to speak, the serpent made of crystals moved, adjusting its size to something small, but stillrge enough topletely crush her. It moved down towards Azmakul, who ced his hand on it''s head.


    "Every soldier, every brick in the city and the pce, every flower in the gardens, every construct, and even this serpent seekingfort underneath my hand. Each of these have something inmon. Something, that is the very essence of their beings. The... mainponent."


    She listened to him attentively, though she still had no idea where this conversation was headed. She was simply d the oppressive pressure had disappeared.


    "What do you think that is?"


    He asked, and she answered.


    "Mana?" "Wrong."


    "..."


    She wasn''t expecting much...but was she really wrong? The entire domain used explosive amounts of mana every second it was manifested, a dragon was perhaps the only being that could keep it manifested for so long.


    Mana was used to make everything here, she thought, and had confirmed it too previously, but if an ancient dragon said she was wrong, she wrong.


    Simple as that.


    "The soul."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He said, walking closer to her, each step causing a tremor to arise in her body.


    "Each of these constructs, organic or inorganic, living or inanimate, share pieces of the prince''s soul. His soul is the mainponent for their existences. The mainponent is not mana, but the soul."


    ''The soul?''


    "It''s why they resemble him so much, they imitate his style ofbat, and even the childish immaturity and curiosity, even if they aren''t meant for it. Among dragons, the prince is still a baby, so it is understandable, but I believe among your species, he is considered an adult. The behavior the soldiers show in this environment is just a response to what he feels like, in his home, Lanekia."


    "The prince, of course, would never outwardly disy it all, but his soldiers, or rather pieces of his soul, don''t share the same restraint. I can feel his soul everywhere, but what shocks me


    the most is..."


    And then, she finally had an idea where the conversation was headed.


    ''... Soul?''


    "Why do I feel it most in you? An independent existence?"


    He was suddenly in front of her, the creepy mask right in her face, one that wouldn''t tolerate


    any excuse.

 Chapter 659: [659] The tether.

    Chapter 659: [659] The tether.


    ?


    "It''s because of this..."


    Under all the pressure and his terrifying gaze, she manifested the soul crystal and showed it to him, Azmakul looked at it with interest, whichter evolved into a grim expression.


    |||||


    "I don''t know why I have this... I received a quest from..."


    "From the queen..."


    Azmakulpleted her sentence. He kept muttering to himself, fortunately, Sabrina couldn''t understand thenguage of the dragons.


    "Why? Why was such a cursed thing given to a human girl? And why did the queen give it herself?"


    Her ears would have begun to bleed if Azmakul didn''t stop talking, dragon tongue had such an effect on her lesser being. Listening to it for a long period was disastrous for her. Suddenly, Azmakul looked at her, stopped thinking and put his finger on her head, Sabrina felt mana flow, but she didn''t know what was happening.


    She could move, and do everything, but she didn''t dare do it. She could only question whatever it was in her mind.


    ''He isn''t... brainwashing me, right?''


    She got rid of such terrifying thoughts, and simply waited for the dragon to finish. She could ask the questions at ater time.


    "... Oh, my."


    After what seemed like a few minutes, Azmakul retracted his finger and stepped back, muttering.


    "I may need to revise the training schedule..."


    She heard him mutter, her eyes lit up when he manifested the box that held the drop of ichor, but she stayed quiet. Though she was filled with questions, she had a feeling that the dragon would tell her himself.


    The soul crystal in her hands floated up and escaped her grasp, going towards him. Azmakul held it gently with both hands, and examined it for a while, muttering things she still didn''t understand.


    Thankfully, the pain of hearing those words were gone.


    "I suppose you are full of questions, ask away."


    He ordered, turning away and looking at the sky, the crystal gently in his hands.


    Mustering up her courage, she posed one question, the first of many.


    "What... really is that? What is its purpose."


    "It''s a tether, a chain of sorts."


    The reply came surprisingly quick, Sabrina stopped to think for a moment.


    "For n... But why?"


    Azmakul sighed and asked her a question.


    "Take a guess, What is the strongest affinity the prince has?"


    "Ice, or space?"


    "Wrong."


    The box floating in the air opened up, a chilly aura escaped from it as the crystal holding the drop of ichor finally revealed itself, it was then Sabrina realized.


    "Chaos?"


    The crystal did emit a chilly aura, but it was only an attempt to conceal something far more sinister, something she knew about. The feeling chaos mana gave off.


    While she wasn''t an expert in fighting demons who used chaos mana, she knew what it felt like, all heirs of the influential families and guilds were given many lessons about it, and even live demonstrations. All to make sure they learned of the consequences, and stayed away from


    it.


    As far as possible.


    "Yes."


    Azmakul affirmed, taking a bit of time before continuing, something Sabrina was growing tired of. Why did this dragon have to take an unnecessary amount of time between his answers?


    Just answer in one go...


    "The prince was an ordinary human at first, but he was special, in the regard that he could withstand not one, but the blessing of two supreme dragons. One is his mother, Lanesha, while the other, Is the supreme of chaos, Suleras."


    She listened attentively, secretly praying that the dragon wouldn''t take an unusually long time to answer again.


    Thankfully, that was not the case.


    "Both are his guardian dragons, and in turn, his parents you could say. But, there is a distinction. While the prince is greatly attuned to the element of the queen, it pales inparison to his affinity for chaos."


    He turned around, the light of the soul crystal obscured her vision slightly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "But because of reasons I do not know, or am not required to know, she ced a limit on the prince. My guess would be it is because he cannot contain it, using chaos could make him go insane with power. It would make sense why is so reluctant to absorb this drop of ichor."


    She looked at the drop of ichor encased in ice floating in the air, before being interrupted by Azmakul.


    "You already used this once, when the prince achieved Enlightenment. The state of the prince''s mind is fragile... If he uses chaos, he can disy power equal to, or much greater


    than, the state of enlightenment..."


    "But because he isn''t in control... he needs something to wake him up."


    "Precisely. The power is too much for his mental state to clearly control, he will lose sight of


    his actions, so a chain is necessary to keep him in ce."


    "Why me though? I''m sure there were plenty of options..."


    Azmakul thought for a moment, before giving his answer.


    "Perhaps, regrettably, you were the best option avable at the moment... or there is something more to you, which is unlikely."


    ''Regrettably? Unlikely?''


    Though she did ask that led to that answer, it would be a lie if she said she wasn''t hurt. She was talented...but perhaps that talent was nothing in front of this ancient dragon.


    It still hurt, though.


    "... But what if I used for... wrong? What if I used it to make him my ve or used him for my own benefit?"


    It was possible, she could exert a lot of control over n if she used the soul crystal. She had done this back in Gigantia, when n was about to kill Arken. She used it to drain him of his strength, and make him snap out of it, literally.


    Though she had never fully tested it, and hoped she would never have to do it. It was certainly possible for her to make n her puppet.


    In response, Azmakul smiled. That smile of his was creepy enough to send shivers down her spine...suddenly, she didn''t want to hear the response.


    "Had you done that, You would have met a fate far worse than death."


    ''...''

 Chapter 660: [660] Past Memories, Glimpsed Future.

    Chapter 660: [660] Past Memories, Glimpsed Future.


    ?


    ''Since when Askolt have such...fine air?''


    Arken''s thoughts were muddled as he walked through the streets of Askolt, in the city square. It was a weird feeling.


    He was being hit with waves of nostalgia he...honestly would have liked if he had forgotten. Life had changed, but he was still the same man. The ce where he was standing on used to a war zone at first, filled with the macabre sight of corpses and blood, the stench of rotten meat and the asional crows and rats eating dead bodies.


    It was a pleasant change, but to one who remembered the day''s before, it was simply chaotic.


    The war was still fresh in his mind, his horrific youth was gnawing at him as he roamed the streets he used as a ce to dump bodies back in the day, of both demons and humans.


    But now, it was a thriving area, skyscrapers everywhere, and small caf¨¦''s and other shops. It was... unprecedented change to him. It may be memories of a past long forgotten by the city that brought him here, but there was still reason behind it.


    He had left the car because he had sensed the presence of a few demonic humans following them. In reality, it was just gang members that were after n''s family, he got to them before Twilight''s agents did. T


    He hade here to dispose of their bodies, but unfortunately, they had to remain in his spatial storage.


    ''What an idiot I am...''


    He really was, expecting there to be no change for decades. He hit his head and continued his walk, observing the city. Watching couples walking on the street, children holding the hands of their parents, even the teenagers who couldn''t walk without music being sted in their heads all the time.


    It was nauseating, but wee.


    Askolt had changed a lot since the days of the war, it was merely Oliver''s hometown back in the day, but now one could say it was humanity''s second capital city, right behind the fortress that was the Capitol.


    It had the headquarters of the awakened association, twilight, and Shield''s main campus towards the side as well. It was a thriving...metropolis, as weird as the word was to him, it felt right.


    Going over to one of the caf¨¦''s, he ordered a cup of coffee and was almost about to pay with a mana crystal out of habit, but managed to pull out Oliver''s card in time. His unique attire garnered some attention, but most of it was dismissed once they realized how old he was. They thought he was a celebrity.


    Well... he was a celebrity, but not the kind they were expecting to see in this area. Arken left the area quickly, and was nning to take a stroll around the city''s underground public transport system as he enjoyed his coffee.


    His life was strange, he was too old for his own good now. He had witnessed theing of the dungeons, the arrival of the demons, the war, and the current, fragile stalemate. Even before that, the great depression, the world wars, and a lot of other wild stuff.


    The great awakening had given the older awakened their youth back, after all. He had even spent a majority of it ughtering demons on Terra Damnum, consumed by rage.


    ''Ptui!''


    He spat out the expensive cup of coffee he just bought,menting.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Olivia brews much better coffee..."


    He really was missing that annoying squad, Lucas was the only one apanying him, and even thatd was going to go to his family after some time, for business.


    He didn''t mind it, but sensing the tensions of the world right now and the increasing number of wrinkle''s on Oliver''s face, he hoped he would be able to go on a trip with them before hell broke loose.


    Sitting down on a public bench, he clenched his abdomen with gritted teeth and sighed.


    Where would that trip even be? He had just the right idea, on Gigantium, of course! The was still new, and fresh. He would love the idea of him and his students, as rowdy and reckless as they were, going on a little camping trip.


    They could hunt monsters they had never seen before, train, and enjoy. He would even bring Oliver in, even if his old friend had business to take care of, he would drag the man there for the fun of it.


    Oliver had a tendency to go along with whatever he said after Hiro''s death, so he hoped he wouldn''t have to resort to thest measure. Still, he was sure it would be fun.


    "How do people even drink this?"


    He threw the cup of coffee in a waste bin, and continued on, breathing heavily for a moment before regaining hisposure. He toured Askolt, leisurely, at his own pace.


    The fields of flesh, blood, and misery were gone, reced with high rise apartments, parks, and other nice things he didn''t bother listing.


    Slowly and surely, Arken had to realize one thing.


    Maybe he should have taught the rowdy bunch something other than fighting, maybe even handing them over to Oliver and making sure they actually studied. He didn''t have to worry about Olivia, but Alexander, n, and Lucas were different.


    Lucas would survive, his training as a Huddleston and his familial connections would pull through, and n was pretty much the same, his connections to Twilight, and his superb skills would give him a good spot as well. If he got tired of fighting, he could always work at the caf¨¦ managed by his grandparents, or take care of his sister.


    Alexander was the issue, he would have trouble...


    ''Eh, I''m sure something would work out.''


    The world had changed, it didn''t need killers at the moment, but rather people with creative minds to rebuild it, to make something new of the rapid changes and ruins it came from. Alexander wasn''t ipetent, he would find something to do. But Arken? All he knew was how to kill, and he was far too old to learn something new.


    He was useless in the human world, for now.


    ''Ah, here it is.''


    Arken found the entrance to the subway, and just as he was about to walk down, he noticed something in the corner of his eye.

 Chapter 661: [661] Past Memories, Glimpsed Future(2)

    Chapter 661: [661] Past Memories, Glimpsed Future(2)


    ?


    It was in the corner of his eyes, but he noticed it, even if it was there only for a second.


    Arken turned around, his gaze locked onto a particr hover car in the streets that quickly made a turn, along with the dozen others. There wasn''t anything special with the exterior of the hover car.


    "..."


    He sighed, noticing something only he could have noticed, the ck tinted windows of the vehicle and some other attempts at concealing the inside were futile in front of his eyes.


    A normal human wouldn''t be able to see what was going on inside the car, an awakened, one that was focusing on his surroundings would have realized there were two people in the front, but Arken knew there was only one.


    The ''person'' in the passenger seat was only a rotting head, taped to the seat as a joke of some sorts. Perhaps it had an advantage, but Arken didn''t know what it would be, neither did he care about it.


    His nose caught the scent of blood and his body was suddenly rejuvenated, a grim reminder of his nature. He excused all attempts at hiding himself and his body vanished, apanied by arge gust of wind.


    "What was that?!"


    "Kya!"


    The surrounding people fell over, they were ordinary humans after all. And Arken was at the top of the food chain, an SSS-ranked human, at the upper top as well. He wasn''t exerting much effort, but even this much was enough to kill.


    He jumped on top of the hover vehicle. His drastic actions were a response to an ominous feeling he was getting. The hover car tried to keep its bnce, and as soon as it was able to, Arken mmed his hand into it. It pierced the alloy with rtive ease and grabbed the head of the driver.


    Arken realized doing that would just cause disaster to the streets, so he had to do something else. Sighing, he let go of the head of the driver and stopped the car.


    By standing in front of it, of course. Oliver would pay for any damages to the city, of course. All he had to do was keep his identity secret.


    Swiftly sending a wave of his mana to jam any and all electrical devices that could record him in the vicinity, he heaved a sigh of relief as his old bones walked over towards the door,


    ripping it open.


    ''Hmm...''


    On second thought, he also used a skill that would raise a cloud of mist, just to make sure. He had to conceal himself well, after all. If anyone tried to enter it, they would be given a mild shock.


    Arken looked inside the vehicle, and found out the man was about tomit suicide with the help of poison. Snatching it away, Arken paralyzed him and looked towards the back. Just as he did, he was surprised at what he saw.


    It wasn''t a bomb, nor anything dangerous, but a few boxes filled with snacks, electronics, and some research materials.


    "... What the hell?"


    Why would a demonic human be transporting those goods? Was the demon he made a deal with worthless? Arken looked at the shivering man for a moment, before putting the boxes in his spatial ring, courtesy of his student.


    He dragged the man outside and vanished into a secluded alley, he used a plethora of skills in order to make sure no sound would leak outside, and it would be harder to find the ce naturally.


    Throwing the man against a dumpster, lightly, he asked with a calm tone.


    "Exin, everything."


    "I''m not even the main guy! I''m just a grunt for delivery!"


    ''Main guy? There are more? Shit.''


    Just as he was about to ask more, he sensed more chaotic mana at another part of the city, clicking his tongue, he realized this was the main guy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Quickly severing the man''s limbs and cauterizing the wounds with the help of lightning magic. He shoved a piece of a dirty newspaper in the man''s mouth and threw him in a dumpster.


    "I''lle back for you."


    Before vanishing, in an instant, he was at the source of all the chaos energy he felt before. He spread his mana around, intending to see if there were more disturbances, but luckily, there were not.


    It was in the city square, two amalgamations of flesh were rampaging around as people hurried to run away. They had yet to take any innocent life. The only person they killed was the poor fool tricked into bringing them here.


    ''... What was that thing called? I remember it...''


    A look of disgust and pity washed over his face when he realized what those things were, the faces of the dead children were proof enough. While he had forgotten their name, he vividly remembered Oliver and n exining about these things.


    ''Was it Amalgamation? Flesh Golem?''


    Without wasting a single second, he used the same skill he used earlier to create anotheryer of mist around the two creatures. He was like a bolt of lightning, dispatching the two without causing the monster''s any pain.


    He didn''t know if they could feel pain, but he would have liked it if the children that were used to make them did not suffer anymore. Quickly storing their bodies in his spatial ring, he


    disappeared.


    Arken reappeared in the same ce he stored the man, and opening the dumpster, he found


    the demonic human crying tears of blood.


    ''Ah, good to see some things haven''t changed.''


    He had expected to find a dead corpse, but it was nice to see demonic humans were still as resilient as before! He hadn''t grown rusty!


    "Now, Where was I? Exin every-Oh, for fuck''s sake."


    He had to take it back, he was growing rusty... Arken disappeared once more to take care of the


    other disturbances that had risen across the city.


    ''Harrison, what the fuck are you doing with the security?!''


    Was that young man always sox? This was his city, for god''s sake!

 Chapter 662: [662] Thank you.

    Chapter 662: [662] Thank you.


    ?


    "Thank you for taking care of it all quickly, Sir."


    Harrison massaged his temples as he thanked the sudden intruder, Arken. Arken, infuriated with the security of the city, had barged in here unannounced.


    He quite literally snuck into the man''s private office without alerting any security systems, just to nag at a man who was enjoying some coffee. Harrison, understandably, had gotten rmed and was about to blow his entire office up had he not realized who it was.


    It happened all so quick, yet Harrison couldn''t say he was innocent. Not only could he not rebuke a hero of humanity, an elderly person, for barging into his office like this, but he had to admit he was right.


    He should have been more strict with security, especially during these times.


    "What would you like to drink? Any beverage you fancy?"


    "Forget that, Why don''t you have a single couch here? Does no onee here to sit?"


    "It''s a private office, the only things thate here are my passion projects."


    "Passion projects?"


    ''What the fuck does he mean by passion projects?''


    Arken couldn''t get his head around it. What the hell could the man mean by passion projects, and how they were the only ones that came here? What in the world could he mean by that?


    Were they his children? They were a project of passion, but it was strange for one to call them that. Arken had forgotten about how Harrison only had a single child, one he loved dearly.


    Despite not having much time to tend to her these days.


    A secondter, his doubts were removed as one of the ''passion projects'' entered the office, a humanoid robot frantically rushing over to him with a red light shining from its body.


    "Emergency! Emergency! Sectors 1, 3, 8, and 7 received unk-"


    "It''s been taken care of, bring us some wine, would you?"


    "Affirmative."


    To Arken''s bewilderment, the light emitted from the robot turned green, then blue as it silently went outside and reappeared a couple secondster holding a tray filled with wine bottles and drinking sses.


    ''That fast?''


    Harrison raised his finger, and the section of the floor beneath Arken opened up, and a couch propped up, just for him.


    "Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience caused, and am thankful for your service."


    His desk, filled with mountains of paperwork, disappeared into the ground. Arken... was amazed. Why didn''t Oliver think of such an impressive setup? He had to make sure it was in Oliver''s office as well.


    Harrison poured him a ss of wine, and sat down opposite to him, cing the tray on a table that appeared out of the ground as well.


    "You really need to upgrade your security."


    Arken warned, as he enjoyed his cup of wine. If he had his way, he would have drunk straight from the bottle, but a man had to keep his dignity in some ces.


    It had some worth, even to a man like him.


    Harrison poured himself a ss as well, before answering.


    "Yes, I''ll get to it, I was expecting this, but it was too soon."


    "Expecting it?"


    "Yes, standard tactics to make the people afraid and lose morale. It would have an even greater effect if it happened in the city directly under the association. It would have resulted in more humans being tempted into bing demonic humans, and public order would be a mess. Thankfully, you prevented that."


    Arken remained silent, enjoying his beverage before asking.


    "Are things that bad?"


    Harrison was quick with the response.


    "Not necessarily that bad, we have... time. If my predictions are correct. Though the demons


    are mobilizing their armies, it would take them at least a year and some more to begin."


    "What of our response? Please tell me we aren''t just waiting for it to happen?"


    Harrison chuckled, taking a ratherrge sip.


    "You can rest assured. We are also doing our own preparations. We are also ready for attack, And for defense as well. We don''t want another Japan incident."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We don''t."


    Arken affirmed, a big mistake humanity had madest time was that they werex with their overall defense. It was how Japan was destroyed. Suitable measures were being taken in order to prevent that, now.


    "What exactly are these measures, though?"


    Still, Arken wasn''t satisfied with just knowing they were being prepared, he wanted to know what exactly Harrison had in store tobat any surprise attacks.


    "Mostly, it''s upgrades for the previous defense systems already in ce, fairlyrge upgrades..."


    "That can''t possibly be eno-"


    "... We are also going to installing portals in every capital city in the world. For a quick response, expensive, but effective."


    ''Portals? n is away right now, though. Ah...''


    Suddenly, Arken remembered the existence of another youth who had also awakened the element of space. He had heard about the youth from Oliver.


    ''Now... what was his name? Barry? Larry?''


    "Gary is on a mission in Gigantia right now, to establish a branch of the association there. That particr project should be finished in a week. We can move on to the project I just discussed after."


    ''Ah, Gary!''


    That was the brat''s name! Arken really was terrible with names... then again, wasn''t he forgetting something else too? He had a feeling he was.


    ''Argh, probably nothing important...''


    He argued in his mind, and continued enjoying the wine. While he had a lot more questions, he judged it would be best to leave quickly. Harrison already looked exhausted, and Arken knew that every second he was here, more work was piling up for the man to do.


    Therefore, he was about to leave as soon as he finished. But it seemed that Harrison had other ns. He patiently waited for Arken to finish and made a request.


    "While it may be sudden, May I please see the monsters you dispatched? Your student had done quite a number on the one''s he encountered... I''m sure you weren''t the same."


    Arken nodded, and looked around the room, trying to find a suitable ce to take the


    monster''s out of his storage. He didn''t want to ruin the carpet, after all.


    "You can just drop them on the floor."


    "...Alright."

 Chapter 663: [663] Crude.

    Chapter 663: [663] Crude.


    ?


    Arken didn''t have much to do, so he decided to stay and watch as Harrison performed his experiments on the corpses of the amalgamations. He couldn''t figure out what the man was thinking, at all. Sometimes, he would stay in deep thought before dissecting the corpses, meticulously, and sometimes...


    He would rip them apart.


    Blood was getting everywhere in his office, Arken thought he would be a person who prioritized sanitation, or a healthy office space, but he was wrong. Harrison''s office space was neat and tidy because it just fit his mood better that day.


    "It''s crude."


    "Pardon?"


    He heard the man speak, but since he was so preupied with his own thoughts, he failed to catch it. Harrison repeated his words for his sake.


    "It''s crude, I thought it perhaps Morgana that made these with that ursed unique skill of hers, but I was wrong."


    Arken raised his brows, asking.


    "Wasn''t it already confirmed that it wasn''t her work?"


    "Yes, but I wanted to confirm. She doesn''t make things as crude as these."


    Harrison took a deep breath, wiping some blood off his face before continuing.


    "The only impressive part of this imitation was the preparation process."


    Arken remained silent, clearly asking for an exnation with the look on his face, Harrison obliged.


    "The careful selection of orphaned awakened children to make these. My guess is they were trying to make something that had multiple affinities using the attributes of the children, but they failed. Their long scheme was... futile."


    "How can you say that? And what the hell did you mean by ''imitation''?"


    Harrison ordered his assistants to take away the corpses, and turned around.


    "The main ingredient were humans, I''m surprised they even thought it would work. Even the most talented of humans can only have three elemental affinities. What they tried to do was merge as many elements as they could without taking in any... precautions. The result was this... amalgamation.


    Had they tried limiting the number of elements, and used those that had good synergy with one another, then it would have made sense, and it would have had a moderate rate of sess... Which begs the question... Why?"


    "Why?"


    "They aren''t fools, so why are they behaving likeplete idiots and doing stuff like this? My guess would be they are trying to replicate one of Morgana''s chimera''s. The design is simr, but they won''t ever be able to do it."


    Arken stayed silent, listening intently. He had no intention of interrupting the man now, no matter how much his tone got on his nerves. Failed project or not, he was still discussing a grave matter in which many lives, innocent, young lives... had been reaped. The tone Harrison was using was one of contempt.


    Though it may be hypocritical of him of all people to be thinking that... It couldn''t be helped, humans are hypocritical by nature.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "The reason being, the factor known as the absurdly broken unique skill, [Biokinesis] isn''t involved. They... won''t ever be able to replicate something that bitch made. If any of these amalgamations are sessful, though, then it''s highly likely she was bored and decided to upgrade them. And by sessful, I mean the ability to use mana and, in turn, magic." "Won''t that be an issue?"


    Arken asked, curious. If these... things could use mana to augment themselves and even use magic, then it would be pretty bad for lower ranked awakened. It would be like throwing them at a grinder. Awakened of his level and somewhat below his level wouldn''t be bothered... but they were a special case.


    Surprisingly, Harrison was nonchnt. Arken hadn''t expected that at all.


    "Not really, I have suitable measures in ce."


    Arken wasn''t bothered enough to ask what these measures were. Sighing, he got up and nned to leave.


    ''What is it... what did I forget?''


    He thought, as Harrison bade him farewell.


    "Farewell sir, please get ample rest."


    "... Sure."


    And as Arken was leaving, he heard Harrison''s voice, talking to his ''assistants''.


    "Alright, clean up the trash here. I have work to do."


    Arken came to an abrupt stop, his face turning somewhat pale as he realized what he had forgotten.


    ''Shit...''


    He disappeared in a sh, like a bolt of lightning.


    "I hope he is still alive!"


    Highly, highly unlikely.


    ******


    In an underground studio somewhere in Askolt, Lilith was rxing on a tattered couch eating


    a bag of chips, her spirit, the bone w, was nowhere to be seen. It was just her in that studio


    room.


    Which was incredibly dirty. It was filled with dust and wrappers that piled up to be a small mountain, but Lilith was undisturbed. She was more focused on reading whatever it was on her device. But...


    She had an annoyed look on her face, throwing the device down she let out a small shriek.


    "Argh, when is that damn deliverying here?!"


    She had fought so hard to be given some sort of vacation, and while this wasn''t impressive to an ordinary person, it was incredible to her. But then again, she had fought so hard for this all for the time to be wasted on a stupid delivery man that couldn''t deliver things on time!


    He was supposed to be here two hours! Two, whole hours! She didn''t have that much patience and was considering killing the man when he got here. The Obelisk could prepare another


    delivery boy...


    Finally, she heard a knock on the door of the studio and got up, cursing. Her delivery was finally here, but then again. He had taken so long!


    "I''m gonna fucking kill you..."


    She opened the door, and was greeted by a man in suspicious clothes, an aged individual holding what seemed to be the corpse of a man that had all his limbs severed and died in pain. The man''s muscles were still moving due to electricity in his body... Whatever was left of it.


    "Why, hello there!"


    The suspicious individual smiled.

 Chapter 664: [664] He finally did it

    Chapter 664: [664] He finally did it


    ?


    "Haa..."


    A deep breath escaped his lips, forming a fleeting mist in the frigid air. His figure was barely discernible amidst the shattered expanse. What might once have been a pristine whitendscape, nketed in snow and illuminated by the ethereal glow of the majestic river above, had been reduced to ruin. The beauty of the past was now little more than a distant memory.


    The scene before him bore no resemnce to its former self. It was something wholly new- an expanse of destion. Even the grandest mountains and the widest ins couldn''t retain their splendor after enduring the fury of a meteor shower, or rather, the fury of a dragon determined toplete his objective...


    n had unleashed meteor after meteor, each unique and devastating, some small and swift, others enormous and cataclysmic, but none had achieved his goal.


    "That damn pir is still standing..."


    He muttered under his breath, copsing into one of the countless craters. The cratery directly beneath the object of his ire: the pir. The ground beneath it had been utterly annihted, yet the cursed structure persisted, now floating in midair. The damn thing even shone more brightly at certain times, as if to mock him!


    Despite his relentless assaults, n had only managed to chip a fragment off its top. The rest of the damned construct remained intact, impervious to his efforts.


    |||||


    With a weary sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, forcing his body to move once more. Gathering his resolve, he shifted into his Draconian form. He unfurled his wings and took flight, his eyes glowing. In the current environment, he looked menacing.


    For a moment, he hovered there, collecting his thoughts, and his mana.


    The surrounding air darkened to a deep, pulsating purple. Hundreds of solid cubes


    materialized, each the size of a person and equidistant from one another, forming an intricatettice. The conduits for the spell, [Gravity Field] were ready.


    Fixing his gaze on the floating pir, n drew in a long, deliberate breath. Then, he manifested a massive sphere of pure metal high above the battlefield. It was enormous, the size of a house, but it wasn''t the meteor, only the core.


    The core shimmered like liquid, its surface rippling unnaturally. Slowly, six enormous metallic beams emerged from it, expanding outward until they constituted a hollow cube around the core. The transformation wasn''t finished. Solid stone began to fill the hollow structure, and what had started as a simple sphere grew into a meteor of colossal proportions.


    It wasn''t a sphere; it was a cube-one whose sharp edges and imposing mass exuded power. At its corners, slender metallic spikes began to form. They served no practical purpose, but n had added them anyway. There was something satisfying about their ominous aesthetic. It appealed to him.


    He had learned the hard way that bombarding the surface of the meteor with misceneous skills wasn''t effective. His knowledge of the elements was limited, and even the ones he


    understood rarely behaved as expected.


    Instead, simplicity worked best.


    He fortified the meteor with earth and metal, making it impossibly dense. Then, heyered the surface with the skill (Frost Walker], which enhanced its velocity naturally. Adding the effects of [cial Copse] further amplified its destructive potential.


    As for the other skills in his arsenal-[Shadow Walker] and [Destitute of Darkness]-he wasn''t sure what impact they had, if any. Hecked mastery over thetter, so he chose to disregard them altogether. He discarded the use of other elements as well.


    Bigger was better, as it turned out. By increasing the meteor''s size dramatically, he had crafted something truly devastating. Yet, even this simple approach carried a cost. The massive meteor strained him, both physically and mentally, as he struggled to keep it aloft. Infinite mana didn''t mean infinite endurance, and the mental toll was beginning to show. n had been at this for an entire week-without sleep, without food. While his body could endure such deprivation, maintaining such a taxing level of magic for so long was a different matter altogether. Food was rarely an issue, though he may have an enormous appetite, he could sustain himself without for an extremely long period of time. He also had a lot of it in his inventory, he just didn''t feel the need for it.


    Sleep... on the other hand.


    While he could also go without it for a long period of time, the only reason n abstained from it... Frankly, he didn''t want to be in the midst of a battle between two dragons, Valus and Aranus once more in that strange realm of darkness. He could obtain some information about it, but he judged it was better to keep his life...


    He didn''t know if he could die in his dreams...or whatever that ce was, but he wasn''t willing to test it out, if even the smallest bit of stray energy hit him there, he would die, helplessly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Poof, or maybe boom? He didn''t want to know.


    "Almost..."


    He sighed, making space for the meteor to descend, he had created too many conduits, he had to remove some of them to make a clear path of descent towards the damned pir that he was going to obliterate even if it took years...


    And then, he simply let the meteor go, guiding it with the most miniscule amount of mana required, it barreled towards the pir, and just before the moment of impact. n blocked his ears with mana, but intended to bear everything else.


    His ears were sensitive!


    The meteor met the target, and as his vision was blocked by debris, dust, and snow. He wondered if he would be able to use this skill, which he aptly named, [Supreme Meteor] on Earth. Lanekia was a special, that repaired itself with astounding speed and was magical in every other aspect... Gigantia and Earth were not the same.


    Gigantia would probably be able to handle it, but Earth... It was hard to say. He would have to ask the rest to be certain.


    He wondered what the rest were doing, but that curiosity of his was overshadowed by the sheer relief and satisfaction of the pir finally being destroyed, as his meteor exploded from within, a feature he added.

 Chapter 665: [665] Corruption, you say?

    Chapter 665: [665] Corruption, you say?


    ?


    Sabrina knelt down, exhausted, and freezing. Though Azmakul had taken pity on her and regted the temperature in the surrounding area... he had done it only to the point where it would barely befortable for him.


    And barelyfortable for him was still unbearable for Sabrina, One wouldn''t feel the difference in temperature when it was in the negatives. She couldn''t breathe, and Azmakul had to increase it even further.


    "How weak."


    She didn''t have the strength to argue. She had gained some courage during the absurdly long week she had spent with this dragon, in this deste expanse.


    Though she couldn''t prove it, and couldn''t believe it... She was sure this dragon had done something in this particr area. It was just something in the back of her mind, though. She was still uncertain.


    In this week, he had simply observed her, after ordering her to cast as much magic she knew. She hadpletely exhausted herself, casting every spell she could without using darkness. Thankfully, she could eat and sleep during this period, slowly recovering her mana and using them again.


    She had also used her most prized possession, the orb of mana she held. With it, she was able to cast spells ranked S. Though it would be a pain to refill it again. It would probably take her weeks.


    Or she could just ask n to fill it up in one go when she got back. That was definitely the easier option, provided she could find him.


    Azmakul was like an eerie presence behind her, slowly observing her every move, and finally, after an entire week. As shey in the snow and gazed up at the ''river'' in the sky.


    What kind of phenomenon it was... was something she had yet to ask the dragon, she hadn''t found the courage, and neither the time to do it.


    "Why do you abstain from using your main element?"


    He approached and asked, he didn''t converse with her for an entire week after his initial order, and now asked suddenly.


    "Because I... don''t want to be corrupted."


    "Corrupted?"


    Azmakul questioned, curious. His figure cast a shadow over her, blocking the sight of the river up in the sky.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Darkness corrupts... I am unaware of what it''s like for you dragons, but darkness corrupts humans."


    The artifacts n had given her undoubtedly helped if she used darkness mana, but it was still a risk she wasn''t willing to take. They only helped in resisting the corruption, never "... Corrupts?"


    He looked at her with a strange gaze, and said.


    "Chaos is the only element that possesses the ability of corruption of the void, and even then in certain cases."


    She looked at him, even raising her head was a chore in her current state, almostpletely deprived of mana. That was something she didn''t know, based on her knowledge, chaos was an element that corrupted everything, and it wasn''t just humans.


    It was the same for elves and dwarves as well. Everyone who used chaos magic was bound to change.


    "Can you exin?"


    Still, she would much rather hear from an ancient dragon than believe information from Earth. He had to know better than the entirety of her species.


    "Chaos is the only element that possesses a characteristic of the void, the ability to corrupt a being. Assuming our definition of corruption is the same. What is it like to you?"


    He knelt down, staring at her with interest. Tired, she said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If we are talking about chaos, then it changes our entire being, deforming both our physical and mental states into hideous abominations. The corruption of darkness is one that changes the mind mostly, turning it into something else. It affects the physique too, but to a lesser degree.


    The personality, way of thinking...everything bes the opposite."


    "....."


    The dragon looked at her with a deadpan gaze, and sighed. She could feel her body shiver as the cold mist left his mouth, and she instinctively scurried away, ignoring her exhaustion. Azmakul continued to look at her that way, and if she was being honest, it was quiteical with his strange mask, but she didn''t dareugh.


    Sighing to himself once more, he began to exin.


    "Our definition of corruption is different, which was expected... but even then, you are wrong."


    "How so...?"


    She asked, curious and hopeful. Was there a way to ignore it?


    "It is not corruption... It is influence. Every element influences the user differently, like how individuals with an affinity to frost are impervious to the cold, and generally possess a cold, uncaring attitude. Or how individuals with an affinity to fire and impervious to heat, and are hot-tempered.


    What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"


    She didn''t have an answer for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Azmakul continued.


    "You have no idea what corruption truly is, and yet you speak it of like such. Your species is insanely ignorant in the way of the arcane."


    "Excuse me? So you are saying that aplete shift in attitude, sometimes changes in the physical appearance, and bing a ''monster'' is not corruption? I watched my own uncle bepletely desensitized, heartless, and changepletely from his former self! What kind of element causes this kind of ''influence''?"


    Azmakul''s look turned into one of pity, and he covered his face with his hand.


    "..."


    Raising his head and looking at her like... she was stupid, he said.


    "Why me an element for your specie''s inadequacy? It ismon knowledge,mon knowledge that each element influences differently. This influence can also be different for certain individuals."


    Standing up and massaging his temples, he continued to speak, not giving her a moment to


    retort.


    "It is not the fault of the element if your specie''s are more susceptible to change, harmful or not. ming it is entirely nonsensical. This reminds me of the incident with the orcs... where they banned the usage of a particr totem because some insane, inept orcs used it wrongly.


    Please tell me your specie''s...


    Wow."


    His face turned into one ofplete incredulity when he looked at Sabrina, who was trying to avoid his gaze when he mentioned that.

 Chapter 666: [666] The influence of darkness.

    Chapter 666: [666] The influence of darkness.


    ?


    "Each element influences the individual in different ways, you understand this much, right?" Azmakul exined, with an annoyed look on his mask, it was as if he was exining basic addition to a toddler. Sabrina simply nodded, ignoring the way he decided to treat her so suddenly. She was simply d she got to learn new information, and hopeful too.


    "The influence of the element is based on the degree of the affinity you possess, the basic elements bring forth a much simpler change, like I exined previously of how the affinity of fire increases their resistance to heat, and makes them hot-tempered, but this is not absolute. Have you never met a person who uses fire to act calm, and make rational decisions... Please tell me you have."


    "... I have."


    She answered in a low voice. Technically, Elijah was one such person, but he was also a dragon. She had met other fire-awakened who were also simr, but they also tended to act ording emotionally more than logically.


    "The higher elements cause other types of influence. If I had to exin in the simplest form, Darkness causes one to be more bold, or rather, uncaring."


    "Bold?"


    She was confused for a moment, struggling to understand what he could mean. Azmakul expected that, now seeing the human species in a negative light.


    "It simply influences you to be true to yourself, to ignore social and other limitations and act how you want to act. Simply put, it brings out the true you.


    The one that doesn''t wear a mask."


    It was quite something to hear this from someone who always had a mask on his face, whether out of choice or not. But it was still something new. Azmakul wasn''t finished.


    "Darkness and Light influence an individual in the same way, they cause them to be true to themselves. The only difference being that light brings out the true personality in a better light, and sometimes molds it to be ''good''. Darkness takes no such steps. It simply lets you be what you are, and influences you to not hide it.


    I''ll say it again, the only element capable of causing ''corruption'' is chaos, and even then, in special cases."


    He stopped for a moment, before exining what he meant by corruption.


    "And by corruption, I mean the decay of your mental and spiritual self, a change that makes you hollow and, quite frankly, in a state worse than death, where you are a puppet to something else."


    Sitting down on the cold snow, he looked her in the eyes and said.


    "But then again, I can''t me you for thinking that way. Experiences mold a person and their view on everything, your experience with how the element of darkness ''influenced'' your uncle, you had a bad experience with it.


    Still, it doesn''t excuse the fact that you let one bad experiencepletely delude you, but it is understandable because you are young.


    Exin to me what you feel when you use darkness."


    She didn''t respond, taking time to think. Azmakul allowed it, surprisingly, patiently waiting for her to talk.


    To Sabrina, this was entirely new. While she couldn''t help but admit that he was right when the bad experiences had caused her to be deluded... The experience was bad enough to warrant such.


    She was young when everything had happened, so they definitely changed how she looked and understood things.


    After a while, when she had calmed herself down, she began to exin the symptoms that would ur whenever she used [Darkness].


    "I hear a voice in my head, something that tells me to do things I despise, things that are wrong. Other times, it makes me angry and messes with my thinking, and I feel strange when using it."


    If she summed it up, then that was it, but she was seriously downying the effects of the ''voice'' she mentioned. It wasn''t just something that popped up whenever she used darkness, it was always present.


    The artifacts n had given her had changed that, and allowed herself some breathing room, but the voice would always pop up again if she used the element of Darkness. Still, it was a blessing, it was just limited to that.


    She could at least sleep in peace.


    "The things that voice tells you to do, disregard morality or any other social prejudices you humans have and think logically. In that situation, is it wrong?"


    "What?"


    "It''s not wrong, that voice you speak of is simply you, but you which does not care for social prejudices and other such things. It''s you, the truest version of you.


    So tell me, in a situation where you throw away your emotions, morality and social prejudices, everything that makes you human, is what the voice says wrong?"


    "No..."


    She couldn''t deny it when he put it like that.


    "Do you know? The way you epted the situation I presented describes your character. It isn''t easy to simply throw away your emotions, and your sense of morality, even in a


    hypothetical situation. Especially so at a young age.


    You are one to think logically, even if you don''t admit it. What you are afraid of is not the suggestions the voice gives, but rather, you are afraid of losing yourself.


    The irony is, ignoring what it says is actually making you lose your true self."


    "What?"


    "You are running away from what you really want. The voice you hear isn''t some demented demon forcing you to make cruel decisions. It''s the truest version of you."


    But she refused to believe it. If it really was like that, then why was every human on Earth, who used [Darkness] end up the same way? There were reported cases and everything! Surely, if what Azmakul was saying was correct, then at the very least, one had to be different! How was it that all of them became cold-blooded killers? How did every single one turn helpless beyondpare andmit such atrocities... unless.


    She didn''t want to think about it, but she couldn''t ignore it either. Luckily, Azmakul''s words distracted her.


    "But, it isn''t necessarily a bad thing to cling to your emotions, and other trivial things, especially at your age."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 667: [667] The influence of Darkness.(2)

    Chapter 667: [667] The influence of Darkness.(2)


    ?


    "We can work around it, it isn''t an absolutew that the influence of the elements will always work. Your species may be highly susceptible to it, but you can avoid it."


    Azmakul exined. While every element did have a special influence on the user, it also didn''t change thempletely unless in special situations. The ''change'' could be minimized, utilized, and even avoidedpletely. How that would happen, was something only Azmakul knew how to do.


    "The simplest way to do this is to engrave a rune into you, one that heightens your emotions, but not to a degree where it will affect you negatively in serious situations."


    He spoke with ease, as the mana in the surroundings condensed in his hands to perform a peculiar palm sized symbol.


    "... A hashtag?"


    Sabrina looked at the hashtag that manifested itself in Azmakul''s hands with interest, and mild confusion. It looked like a hashtag, but the ends were crooked and pointing inwards.


    "I have no idea what a ''hashtag'' is, but this is a standard rune used to negate the influence of elements, in cases where it is extreme. The artifacts you possess serve a simr function, but at the expense of mana, which can be used somewhere else."


    The symbol floated towards her, Sabrina found herself unable to look at it for a prolonged period, but was drawn to it nheless.


    "And this won''t consume my mana?"


    She asked, raising her hand in an attempt to touch it, but she was unable to do so, the rune evaded her hand.


    She felt a little insulted by that, for some unknown reason.


    "I can engrave it onto you, and we can proceed to our next lesson."


    The rune vanished into thin air, and Azmakul''s weird face caught her attention once more. Spending some time to think, she asked.


    "What would you be teaching, and why personally? Why waste your time with me instead of n?"


    Azmakul tilted his head, and chuckled.


    "You made two mistakes right there.


    One is you think this amount of time is of any significant importance to me, and the other is you think the prince needs my guidance more.


    The prince requires only the minimum amount of guidance, just enough to steer him into the right path, he just has to go forth on his own. I had my concerns about hisbat ability, but he is surprisingly well-versed in the art ofbat.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    His regeneration is also an amazing ability, with all those abilities of his, he is a force to be reckoned with in his own rank..."


    He paused for a bit, stroking his chin, and went deep in thought.


    "If I had to make an assumption, he can hold his own even against SSS-ranked individuals using everything he can at his disposal. An epic being would be too much, though."


    She had to agree, she had witnessed n almost kill the sword saint back in Gigantia, if not for her timely intervention, she feared Sword Saint Arken may have died that day.


    Granted, n was in the form of enlightenment, but she had a hunch he could still ''hold his own'' against individuals of the same rank.


    Killing them may be questionable, but he wouldn''t be pushed around. She was sure of that. "And as pathetic as your cohort is, you are the one who needs my guidance most. I would have opted to just send a spirit to teach you, but the soul crystal you possess makes you... Special. As infuriating as it is."


    Ignoring her, He asked a question.


    "In your cohort, based onbat ability, where do you think you rank?"


    She had to think for a moment, if it was based on purebat ability then n was undoubtedly at the top, the second ce was debatable between Alexander and Kazikato. Though Kazikato may have won their previous bout, it was hard to say who woulde out on top if it was to happen again.


    She would still Kazikato a higher rate of approval, he was a dragon, whilst Alexander was not. Whatever he was, he surely wasn''t equal to a dragon of death, as young as the dragon was.


    Leaving the second and third spots empty... She would be next. She was confident she could defeat Olivia, Emma, and Edward easily. Maxwell wasn''t worth considering.


    "What your thinking is wrong."


    Before she could answer, Azmakul interrupted her thoughts.


    "While you may have an edge on the female fox, her brother will be a tough foe for you. The human girl with silver hair is definitely able to defeat you."


    "That''s impossible."


    She didn''t believe it, she couldn''t imagine losing to them at all! Edward and Olivia would get obliterated before they could even get close to her. She would st them away, in powerful


    lightning!


    "Youck any sort of closebat ability, in a battle where they isn''t anybody to draw attention and allow you to leisurely cast spells, you would most definitely die.


    The fox wouldn''t find it hard to dodge your spells, and his natural resistance and instincts are enough to save him if he makes a mistake, as for the girl, she may look uninterested, but even she is trained, at both long and close rangebat.


    Your edge in long-rangebat over them is insignificant. The moment they close the distance, you die."


    Without giving her a chance to retort, he stood up and caused the mana in the surroundings to move like a storm, and summoned strange crystals in his hand.


    "With this, we have plenty of time. I will teach you four things, The sorcery of names, runes,


    circles, and the knowledge to use the crystal bound to you, for special asions."


    Despite how cold and tired she was, she found herself backing away as the smile on the dragon''s mask irked her.


    "As for physicalbat, just ask the prince for lessons."


    He floated into the sky, and the crystals in his hand shone with incandescent light.

 Chapter 668: [668] Dangerous Knight.

    Chapter 668: [668] Dangerous Knight.


    ?


    The knight was a mysterious existence, he didn''t speak, or even interact with anyone at all. Ignoring his unique appearance, he was... ordinary.


    Or that was what it seemed, Edward seemed to believe he was, but Olivia could not. Although this knight had been sent by the dragon Azmakul to ''train'' them, she didn''t know what kind of.


    So far, they had just had a few duels, where Edward and Olivia both pathetically lost, but were not injured severely. They were... rtively unscathed. Even if they were wounded, it was almost always due to a mistake they made when fighting him.


    The knight had not hurt them at all. At some point, Emma had joined, but even then they couldn''t do much.


    He would always remain at the same position, never deviating from it even if everyone tried their best to apply pressure.


    ''Why have such a pointless training?''


    Olivia thought, eating a sandwich in one of the breaks the knight took. The training was pointless, Edward may not realize it, but she did.


    It had no point, they were going at an opponent that didn''t have the desire to kill them but remained stationary, the opponent, who was also supposed to be the one training them didn''t do much either.


    It was always the same, even with Master Arken most of the time, where the training was to beat a specific individual. Master Arken did it much better than this knight, however.


    While the main point of the sword saint''s training would also revolve around defeating him, or any other opponent, he did it much more effectively. Not only had he taught all his students how to handle almost every weapon with a modicum of skill, but he would also sharpen their specialties.


    He taught n, Alex, Lucas, and her everything aboutbat, and carefully and slowly corrected them, either during battle or after. He even taught them how to think as well, though that teaching was mostly utilized by her.


    Not only that, but he would also pit them up against a variety of different opponents, not just him. So they would learn how to deal with different foes. But the main thing was...


    They all had the desire to murder them, even Arken, who used his mana, aura, and the natural killing intent he had garnered over the years of his ughter to make them actually forget he was their teacher and that he was going to kill them. She was unaware of how he aplished something like that, especially with the trio of n, Lucas, and Alex... But she knew how effective it was.


    His golden rule, after all, was that the essence ofbat is murder, kill or be killed. Even if she had been granted some relief being Oliver''s granddaughter, that teaching was engraved into her.


    Therefore, she had a much different attitude than Edward to this ''training''. The knight would simply wait until they decided to attack, and dispose of them with skill.


    There wasn''t a point to it, there was no desire to kill him in her eyes, precisely because there was no necessity. Why try to kill someone who vastly overpowered you, would dispatch you in mere seconds without injuring you much? Things would be different if he could exude killing intent, or at least make them think that he would kill them if they didn''t do their best, but it was not.


    Furthermore, the knight would not even give any advice, if he did that at the very least, there would be some point to this, but he was as mute as a wall. One could learn without guidance, but she wasn''t that type. Going up against the same opponent as this was not helpful.


    Edward may not have been trained in the same way she had been, so this training may have some merit to him... But it was all useless for her.


    "What''s up with you?"


    Alexander approached from behind, sitting down beside her. Festul was nowhere to be seen, probably sleeping somewhere, just like Kazikato.


    "Nothing."


    "With the look on your face? Not buying it."


    She sighed, but kept silent. Alexander wasn''t a fool, she knew he would realize soon enough.


    If he had been watching for a while, he would already know.


    "Ah."


    She heard it, the indicator that he realized what was wrong. Warming up his hands with his own breath, he said.


    "Well, that dragon probably did this for a reason. Maybe there is something else we aren''t noticing?"


    "If there is, he chose the wrong people to notice it."


    "... You''re the smartest out of all us, you know?"


    "In what? Intelligence is many things. I am also the weakest."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She was weakpared to the rest of Arken''s students, but not when it came to the others. If she had to rank herself in this group, she would be above Sabrina, but below Kazikato and Alex, in the middle.


    It was understandable, whilst Sabrina was enjoying the facilities back at shield, studying, or doing other stuff back at the estate, she was in Terra Damnum, going through Arken''s teachings. She was still below Sabrina in terms of magic, mana utilization and other things, but she could still defeat her.


    Alexander rubbed his chin, unaware of what to say. He looked at Edward charging at the knight with all he had, but the result stayed the same. In the end, Alexander just decided to stay there, offering some silentpany.


    The sound of a few explosions were heard somewhere in the pce, the cause most definitely being Alice, who was dragged by the goblin Azmakul summoned to a secluded room, forced to learn everything about alchemy the goblin had to offer.


    Alex wondered where Maxwell was, but forgot about him soon when Olivia turned and asked.


    "You look troubled."


    "Me?"


    He pointed at himself, scratching his nose, he looked up to the sky and muttered.


    "I don''t know, just feels like everything''s going slow."


    "Slow? It''s that boring, huh..."


    ""


    Suddenly, they heard heavy footsteps. Looking up at the source, they found the strange knight


    walking towards them, or Olivia in particr.

 Chapter 669: [669] Dangerous Knight(2).

    Chapter 669: [669] Dangerous Knight(2).


    ?


    He was dragging Edward along, grabbing him by his hair. Thed was trying his best to escape, but it was useless under that knight''s titanic grip.


    Alexander grew rmed, ready to strike at any moment, as the Knight came to an abrupt stop in front of them.


    He dropped Edward to the ground, who got up almost immediately. He didn''t try attacking, however, having learned a lesson.


    The knight stood in between them all, and reached forward to grab Olivia, but Alexander grabbed his hand first.


    Olivia wondered who would win between the two of them, but the sparks that could be seen between them were not a good sign. She didn''t want him to get hurt for no reason at all, fairly certain the knight wouldn''t kill them.


    Whether those sparks were her own imagination or Alexander preparing an electrical attack was a mystery, she ignored it and stood up, looking at the knight with confusion.


    ''Does it understand us?'' She wondered if it would understand human tongue, unfortunately, she wasn''t a dragon and neither was the knight, and she wasn''t eager enough to learn whatevernguage spirits spoke.


    She could call her own spirit, but her spirit''s rank was too low for it to be capable ofmunication. She hadn''t focused much on it. Arken''s Terra Damnum course didn''t include spiritmancy.


    The knight freed himself by phasing his arm through Alexander''s grip. It caught Alexander by surprise, but the knight raised his hands before he could make a move, indicating he was not here for a fight.


    Picking up Olivia''s rapier at the side, he used it to... draw in the snow beneath their feet. He made two arrows, one pointing at Edward and one towards Olivia. Then, he started to write.


    Alex, Emma, Olivia, and Edward peered in, trying to see what he was trying to write and surprised. It was English, albeit crude and simple.


    The letters were malformed and sometimes disced, but it was not that difficult to understand what they meant.


    [Spirit. Good. More. Aura. Warrior. Bloodline.]


    Those six words were misspelled, and horrible to look at with the knight''s writing, but understandable. The words Spirit, Good, and more were beneath the arrow pointing towards Olivia, while the other''s beneath the one pointing towards Edward.


    The knight continued to write, but this time, he wrote actual sentences instead of words.


    [More spirits, contract them, higher rank.]


    He wrote under Olivia''s arrow. She looked at him with confusion. Contract more spirits? She couldn''t do that, most awakened could only contract one. Was she in the demographic that could contract more than one? That was a surprise.


    ''I guess a spirit would know more...''


    She had never tried it, and wasn''t even interest in spirits all that much. The silver snake she had wasn''t all that useful inbat, so he never paid it much attention.


    [Contract me, and one other.]


    He wrote, and moved towards the arrow pointing towards Edward.


    [Aura, Teach you aura techniques, low, but great. Fighting, too.]


    He was really struggling... but he was also gradually getting better at it.


    [Bloodline, not know. Study yourself.]


    She realized that all this time, the knight was simply trying to gauge out what they would be good at instead of what she was thinking. She felt a little ashamed, jumping to conclusions that the Knight didn''t know how to train them.


    "How exactly do I contract other spirits here? I don''t have the resources to make a spirit summoning circle."


    While, she had been taught how to make one by her grandfather, and the materials required were rtively simple. She didn''t have them right now.


    She doubted if they were avable in this cold, deste that was apparently a metropolis.


    ''Metropolis, and there is nothing in sight for miles...''


    She wondered why that wolf would even say that... Discarding it, she really had no idea how she was going to acquire the materials required to make a summoning circle. She didn''t have enough mana to brute force the process, and neither was n here, who could conveniently make a portal to Earth where she could get what she needed.


    The knight started to write again.


    [Touch. Me.]


    His writing was definitely better, but the usage of his words and vocabry were not. He may not be making any mistakes like before, but he was making other kinds of mistakes now. Wording had to appropriate, lest it be misunderstood.


    He moved his hand towards her, intending to shake her hand, and waited. Olivia sighed, knowing she couldn''t exactly me the knight. She didn''t know how he learned theirnguage and from where, but it required some work.


    Trusting him, she raised her hand as well, interlocking it with the Knight''s. She felt her mana being drained at a rapid pace, and was about to fall over before Alexander supported her. The process was rtively quick.


    The knight had gotten smaller, no longer towering above them, and was now simr to Alexander in height. He also gained a feather made of blue me connected to his helmet. It was a strange me, one that didn''t provide any warmth.


    The sudden depletion of her mana was gone, and she could stand without help again. She actually felt reinvigorated, and less cold. As if her resistance had been upgraded!


    Her snake spirit had been summoned as well, without her volition. It slithered towards the knight and climbed up his body, wrapping around his arm.


    "Ah, I can finally talk now. It was such a pain just writing, you know? But yournguage was surprisingly simple! I''m a master at this kind of thing!"


    They heard the most pleasant voice escape his helmet. It was kind of a shock, considering it contrasted his appearancepletely. Everybody looked at him in shock, and he looked


    around.


    "Well, I admit my body is great but please stop... You are making me blush!"


    They stopped immediately, and their gazes of shock were reced by those of disgust. The


    knight sighed.


    "Huh, not the humorous type, eh? A spirit can''t even crack a joke, tsk tsk."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 670: [670] Alone? Alright.

    Chapter 670: [670] Alone? Alright.


    ?


    n squinted into the blizzard, his hand hovering in the air, ready to open a portal to the Jade Pce. Something flickered at the edge of his vision, pulling his attention away. The source of the disturbance came from the heart of what little remained of his [Supreme Meteor].


    "What is that?"


    He muttered, his voice nearly lost to the howling wind.


    The swirling snowstorm failed to obscure the vibrant light radiating from the crater''s center. n''s body ached with exhaustion, under any other circumstance, he might have ignored it. But this was different. The light called to him, He couldn''t exactly it exin it. It just ''felt'' that way.


    Sighing, n channeled mana to resist the blizzard''s merciless assault. He soared toward the light, the glow intensifying with every passing moment. He knew it wasn''t the pir-the artifact was already shattered, he was certain he had destroyed that abominable thing.


    As he approached, the light''s behavior changed. It surged without warning, a zinget that struck him square in the head. The impact was like a hammer blow, sending him tumbling from the sky. He crashed into the snow below, his body plowing through the dense, icyyers until he came to a halt.


    "What the hell?!"


    n groaned, shaking the snow from his hair as he struggled to stand.


    A voice echoed in his mind.


    [Well done, prince! Take some time to rest, and march towards the entrance to the Thunder Sea. Follow the course of the river, and you shall find the spear!]


    The voice belonged to Azmakul. n grit his teeth.


    [I will take some time to train your cohort. They arecking in many regards. Good luck climbing the spear! And remember, do not attempt to fly to its summit.]


    n groaned again, this time more in frustration than pain.


    "I''m pretty sure there was a better way to tell me this!"


    One that didn''t involve him getting struck in the head... Though the snow may befortable, when he was doing his best to not fall asleep, it was a curse in disguise. He stood up, groaning, and cursing.


    "Damn it..."


    He took a deep breath and sat down in the snowy fields. The destruction he caused had been repaired by this point. [Supreme Meteor], as well as his others, didn''t have anysting effect on the world of an actual Supreme.


    "He wants me to go by myself?"


    He muttered, looking at the river up above, his eyes peering through the blizzard and taking a deep look at it, taking note of its course.


    If he was being honest, it was actually a blessing. The cohort would have impeded him, they were not immune to the cold, after all. It was better for him to rush there as quickly as he could, braving the dangers himself and opening a portal for them when he was there.


    He wanted to train some of them, but since Azmakul was taking that responsibility on himself, he could let it be. An Ancient dragon would be infinitely better than him.


    He was knowledgeable in all kinds of things, unlike n, who was simply going to train the rest inbat. Teaching them what Arken had taught him.


    "I guess I better get to it."


    He said, as he got up and unfurled his wings, maintaining a sort of half-draconian form, one that didn''t change the entire structure of his body by much.


    Only a few scales, ws, and his wings. He took flight, his figure vanishing in the blizzard, towards wherever the river went. n avoided looking at it as much as he could, unable to shake off the dreadful feeling he was getting from it.


    He started to hum, as he flew, intending to pass the time. He hoped Lanesha or any other dragon wasn''t spying on him, it would be a disaster if someone heard him.


    [It''s cute, why are you so afraid of someone hearing it?]


    He stopped immediately, hearing Lanesha''s voiceing from every direction. He heard a subtleugh as well.


    [Oh, you stopped. I guess I should have remained quiet?]


    "... Don''t you have work to do? You''re a supreme being."


    She had to have some work to do... right? Even if she waszy or something, A supreme, one that was the daughter of Death, head of the house Shivalkn, had to have something to do, right?


    Right?! She couldn''t be this free!


    [A perk of being the youngest is that you don''t have much work to do.]


    "Really?"


    He doubted it...


    [Not really, I just messed up on purpose a while back and since then, my brothers do most of


    the work.]


    ""


    ''I knew it.''


    He didn''t know why he was bothering to talk in his mind, considering Lanesha could read his mind freely. It was kind of creepy, but there was honestly nothing he could do to stop it. [You can ask me to stop, you know? Just say, ''Mother, please stop reading my mind whenever you wish, it''s irritating!'' Just like I said to my own mother! Haha!]


    "... I doubt she listened."


    [She did, actually. All I had to do was threaten her that I wasn''t going to visit her for a few hundred years. She gets really lonely there. She won''t ever admit it, of course. My brothers almost never visit her.]


    He remained silent, enjoying the blizzard as Lanesha continued.


    [Kk is onezy bastard, spending most of his time sleeping. He is really an annoying lord for his vassals. He does nothing!]


    "... You are one to talk."


    [That is true, but at least I don''t spend my time sleeping, gazing at the tapestry of fate is


    much more pleasing.]


    "Please... no more talks about fate. Please..."


    He made a sincere plea, from the bottom of his heart. If, Lanesha really did start a long conversation discussing that ursed thing...


    He would open a portal to Gigantia, hiding there for a while until she stopped.


    He was serious about it too.


    [Can''t a mother talk to her son about topics that interest her and would be beneficial to her


    son? Fate is an interesting...]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He opened a portal to Gigantia and flew right into it.


    [Wow. Heartless.]

 Chapter 671: [671] Convoy.

    Chapter 671: [671] Convoy.


    ?


    The convoy was proceeding smoothly, despite Elijah''s expectations.


    "Hmm."


    He hummed a soft tune, sitting on top of one of the vehicles and feeling the wind caress his face. He hadn''t expected such a leisurely journey. He had, at the very least, guessed that there would be one monster attack.


    Either humanity had gotten rid of the monsters in the vicinity of the first city Gigantium, or the monsters were being held at bay by the numerous artifacts and other measures taken by the association.


    It was a wonder how they worked, but also not in his interests to figure them out. Serena was there to take care of all that. He wondered why Harrison even sent him here on a mission like this.


    If it was going to be so peaceful, he wouldn''t havee here. He hadn''t even met the famed mammoths and yeti''s that he was warned about. S-rank monsters that had to migrate because of the destruction of their previous habitat.


    But there hadn''t been anything, the path to the north had been clear, so Elijah just decided to enjoy the scenery. A crude road had already been built towards the location, so they just had to follow it.


    He wasn''t doing this for no reason at all, not only was he allowing his tired mind to rx, but was also actively scanning the surroundings to prevent any mishaps. There was also another reason.


    Previously, whilst they were making their journey towards the designated location, he had encountered a field of flowers that were ruthlessly being harvested by Twilight officials. He thought there was meaning behind it, maybe used for medical purposes, like the creation of potions...


    But he was wrong, they weren''t harvesting those flowers to use them, they were burning them all up. He found this out the hard way when he sneaked towards them and fell t on his face when he got near one of the containers.


    The convoy had to make an entire stop to retrieve him, and he was out for a reasonably long time, too. Apparently, those flowers had a weakening effect on young dragons...


    n and Kazikato had been dealt pretty hard by them when they visited Gigantia, and Elijah was no different. Richard, the guild leader of Twilight, apparently had ns to make those flowers extinct.


    It was an embarrassing moment for him... He had gone there, doing his absolute best to remain hidden to steal, but it backfired.


    ''Karma.''


    He thought, gazing ahead with a mncholic stare. He was getting bored, if he was being honest. Everyone was busy with their own stuff, Henry was busy sleeping, Serena was doing her own work, whilst Gary was getting ready for his job.


    It was going to be difficult when they would reach the area, he hoped something would pop up to entertain him.


    But sadly, as time passed and night turned to day, nothing happened. The convoy continued the march even in the dead of the night, basking in the light of the moon and the stars up above. Which were much clearer and more beautiful than on Earth.


    Nothing happened, and Elijah was on the verge of kicking his feet to alleviate some of it. Thankfully, they reached the location before he had to resort to such.


    ''Oh, I can already feel it.''


    Based on the reports, the convoy was to establish a proper base for the association in front of arge ravine that spat out ridiculous amounts of mana, and figure out a way to mine the precious and mystical materials deep below.


    Harrison was extremely interested in those materials, apparently. He had fought hard with Twilight to get the rights to that location.


    "Whew!"


    Jumping down from the vehicle he was sitting on, he stretched with a smile on his face, happily walking towards the front of the gates. A small base had already been established here, the convoy had brought the supplies they desperately needed as well as more personnel. The association''s workers opened up the gate as soon as they caught sight of him, lowering their weapons and looking rtively relieved.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Is the situation that bad?"


    Just what could be going on that they were that relieved to see them, and opened the gates without even verifying their identities? The soldiers were probably tired, from what, though, piqued his interest.


    Ignoring it all, he performed his duties as the leader of the convoy and joined Serena, going towards the ravine.


    A safe line had been built around the massive crack in the earth, and Serena couldn''t get too close, lest she be blown away by the mana currents. Elijah fared better, but even he couldn''t descend into it.


    "Damn... That''s a lot of mana."


    He whistled, peering deep into the blue abyss. The mana inside was so dense, no wonder nobody could safely make it inside to harvest the materials. The amount of mana was


    blocking all entry.


    Even if a forceful attempt was made, all that awaited was destruction, swallowed up by the dense mana.


    "It''s off the charts."


    He heard Serena''s voice from behind, she was holding a tablet in one of her hands and crouched, examining the soil beneath her.


    "Yeah, I can see that."


    Elijah replied, trying his best not to be swept by the currents as he got closer to the ravine. He had to use his own mana to keep most of it at bay, but he had to be careful, a single mistake would cause the mana to go berserk, or worse.


    ''Boom.''


    He shuddered, and asked Serena.


    "So, do you have a n?"


    She didn''t answer for a while, a grim look apparent on her delicate face.


    "If I''m being honest, we might have to dig around it to get whatever is inside, we did bring every item we had that could help... But the chances are slim."


    Elijah silently listened, using [Dragon Eyes] to spot any unique material he could find beneath, he found a lot, but he had to stop the usage of [Dragon Eyes] before it, quite


    literally, turned him blind.


    He was regretting not taking the chance to sleep, nothing had happened anyway... he probably


    should have slept.


    "I guess you have to go down there yourself, Good Luck!"


    She said, Elijah sighed and opened the [Store] of his system. n and Kazikato may not have


    had a way to get down there due to the harsh conditions... But he did.


    Albeit costly.

 Chapter 672: [672] Mana disperser.

    Chapter 672: [672] Mana disperser.


    ?


    Elijah purchased a special item from the [Store] and equipped it. It was a silver ne with specks of gold embedded into it. The description was rtively simple.


    [Item: Mana Disperser]


    [Grade: A.]


    [Description: The perfect thing for an explorer intending to venture into the chaotic depths of violent mana regions! This Mana disperser will make sure no random outburst of mana will rip you to shreds! Be careful, you can only use it for three hours! Dy, and poof!]


    He decided to ignore thest sentence, and steeled his resolve. Activating the artifact. Immediately, he felt weaker.


    This type of artifact was not good for a dragon to wear, though the decrease inbat ability was negligible, it was ufortable. Elijah recovered rtively quickly and jumped inside the ravine.


    "... He actually jumped in."


    Serena was astonished, she hadn''t expected him to be so quick, and fierce. He jumped in there with no hesitation from her point of view.


    ''I don''t think I should tell him I was joking...''


    She did not think he would actually have a way of going inside, and so quickly at that as well. Sighing, she tried to peer inside, but the sheer currents did not allow her to do so.


    She could only wait for good results, and pray Elijah did not die inside there.


    Elijah ventured inside the ravine, but found himself to be moving upwards, He had jumped down here, but the current was forcing him upwards.


    ''It''s like water.''


    Though it was not as violent as one would have expected, diving in the mana underneath the ravine was like swimming. It was as if he had dived into ake. Ake that would kill him if he lingered for too long.


    Assuming a swimming posture, Elijah made his way towards the walls of the ravine, searching for a proper foothold. If he didn''t find one, he would continue diving by himself.


    He hoped to find an entrance of some sorts, to a cave, one with dungeons and monsters! ''That is what it''s like in games, right?''


    He thought, stabbing his hands into the walls to remain idle for a while. He found it easy to breathe, the mana in the surroundings was enough for him, albeit possessing a sort of mint- like taste.


    That was a new sensation for him, but he liked it. Focusing below, he gathered his mana and activated [Dragon Eyes]. His skill found it difficult to prate through the dense currents of mana above, but the skill was working now.


    To a considerable degree. The ravine was incredibly deep, and he would have to venture even further, bearing the risks.


    ''Found something.''


    His [Dragon eyes] spotted something, hidden behind the veil of dense mana currents, identified it, and described it with the help of the System.


    [Material: Emberium, extremely pure.]


    [Description: Emberium, a vivid red-orange metal streaked with glowing molten veins that pulse in a rhythm akin to a heartbeat. Its surface appears semi-liquid, as though it could melt at any moment, yet it remains solid and durable. A mystical metal that reacts to the emotions. Artifacts made from it can experience sharp increases in power depending on the user''s emotions. It is always warm to the touch, regardless of the external temperature, and is capable of storing heat and releasing it in bursts. It is formed in dormant volcanic craters, where magma has been crystallized due to unique mana conditions.]


    He approached the ''Emberium'' with a strange sparkle in his eyes, he could feel the warmth before even touching it. Arge section of the wall waspletely orange, possessing vein like grooves.


    ''Is this how metals usually form?''


    He asked, he was not really knowledgeable on how metals would usually form, even if [Dragon Eyes] gave him information about it... he was skeptical if it could form like this. "Meh, Magical world, magical materials!"


    He discarded it soon enough, it wasn''t his job to obsess about these type of things, the old men waiting anxiously above would do that, for days.


    He touched the wall of Emberium, and heard a strange, soothing hum. Taking out a few electronic tools from his inventory, hemented at the fact that the mana in the ravine made them useless.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Damn it, I''m not even good at art!''


    He sighed, and used dragon eyes once more, this time in order to see where most of the Emberium was, if it was present only in the walls of this ravine, then it would be a hassle to extract it.


    Thankfully, the vein extended beyond, and it was fairlyrge. He was fairly certain that it was even bigger than what he could see. He drew, to the best of his ability, whatever dragon eyes showed him.


    He didn''t know if it would be helpful, especially with his artistic talent, but knowing the general location would probably help. It would save a lot of manpower on digging!


    He took arge chunk of the wall and stored it in his inventory, wondering what kind of items the people above would make with it, and used [Dragon Eyes] to see the rest. He had to bring more than one thing up above. It would hurt his pride if all he managed to bring was


    Emberium.


    He had to find more...


    He found a lot of other things, but had to take things slow. While the currents above weren''t as strong, they were gradually getting stronger. While it wouldn''t ''make him go poof'' like the description of the disperser said, it was still a hassle to maneuver through. The ''water'' began to feel like sludge at some point, and although breathing wasn''t an issue, moving through it


    was.


    He found himself clinging to the wall and climbing down instead of swimming now. Eventually, he reached a point that if he let go of the wall, the current would send him flying


    up.


    But the deeper he went, the more he found, and the more ecstatic he became.


    His dragon eyes, showed him a multitude of things.

 Chapter 673: [673] Mystical Materials.

    Chapter 673: [673] Mystical Materials.


    ?


    After straining the use of his [Dragon Eyes] the most he could, Elijah found out a lot of things.


    First and foremost, he discovered that the ravine was truly gargantuan, it extended so deep it was almost unfathomable. The crack in thend of Gigantia may even lead to the''s


    core.


    Or something else, that was incredibly hot. While [Dragon Eyes] was a great skill, even it could not see the bottom, all it saw was something incredibly hot.


    Elijah was stumped, he couldn''t even ask Agri what he had done to this, his contact with Agri had been cut off, or the dragon was ignoring his calls.


    Taking into ount the vastness of the ravine, he divided it into three parts, the upper, middle, and loweryers. He was still in the upperyer, unable to venture further into the middle, deeperyers.


    The mana current was elemental, and also much more destructive. When he was approaching, his artifact warned him that it simply wasn''t suited for diving so deep.


    He did not want to think what would have happened if he was even a little faster, and the warning did note in time. He could have really died, gruesomely, at that.


    Discarding all of that, five mineral veins were present in the upperyer, Emberium being the mostmon. Theposition and formation were strange.


    Pyroxium, resteel, Cindersteel, and Ignitium, each one more dangerous than thest. Ignitium had given Elijah a dreadful fright.


    [Material: Pyroxium, pure.]


    [Description: A deep crimson metal interspersed with ember-like flecks that glow as though containing tiny, eternal mes. Its surface is smooth but marked by faint striations, resembling cracks in scorched earth. When exposed to heat, it seems toe alive, with the glowing flecks intensifying and spreading across its body. The durability of Pyroxium increases as it absorbs more heat, making it nearly indestructible in fiery environments.


    It is simr to Emberium, but much more vtile in certain conditions. Dangerous if handled by an amateur.]


    Pyroxium, while cold to the touch, was incredibly hot within. It was like a bomb waiting to explode, [Dragon Eyes] was not lying when it said that the material came alive when exposed to heat, it absorbed Elijah''s mana without consent and would have blown if he hadn''t retracted his hand in time.


    [Material: re steel, Extremely Pure.]


    [Description: re steel is a radiant, golden-red metal with a shimmering surface that appears to ripple like sunlight reflecting on water. Its vibrant glow intensifies in natural light, giving it a near-blinding brilliance. Fine threads of golden light seem to dance across its surface, as if alive with sr energy.]


    resteel possessed the shortest description of them all, and was also the most docile one, harmless, one could say, yet it managed to blind Elijah for a short moment when he came in contact with it.


    However, it had its special properties, ones that he was tired of reading, he knew the old folks above would have a party with it.


    [Material: Cinder Steel, pure.]


    [Description: Cinder steel is a silvery-gray metal threaded with fiery-red veins that crackle faintly, producing tiny sparks when struck or moved. Its polished surface reflects light with a fiery sheen, as if the veins channel a living me. When cold, it appears duller, but when heated, the veins brighten to an intense crimson. It is also a unique metal capable of ''learning''.]


    Thest sentence confused him, how was a metal capable of learning? What the hell did the description even mean by that? Other than that, the only thing notably dangerous about it was that it would sometime release tails of fire, hot enough to burn almost anything organic. Elijah could endure it, and even findfort in it, but it would cause massive fires up above. Pyroxium, re steel, and Cinder steel veins were the same as the Emberium veins, expanding towards the side, it made their extraction easier, and would save a lot of time. Though Elijah would have to warn the workers about it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, one mineral here was incredibly dangerous, and he was d it''s vein actually descended downwards. Ignitium was by far the most dangerous element here. It was present only on the walls, but it was...explosive. It was also the only mineral to receive the ''pristine'' evaluation from the system. Even from Dragon Eyes.


    [Material: Ignitium, Pristine.]


    [Description: Incredibly lethal, Ignitium is a dark, charcoal-ck metal with molten orange streaks flowing across its surface like slow-movingva. It exudes an almost hypnotic, fiery glow that seems to shift and ripple as if the veins are alive. The metal gives off a faint, earthy aroma reminiscent of scorched stone and ash. It creates explosion on contact, however, the metal itself is rarely damaged in such cases, able to make more. The slightest contact can cause an entire vein to explode. Handle with extreme care... or boom.]


    Had Elijah not used his characteristics as a fire dragon to calm the mineral and contain the explosions... He was afraid he would be buried alive. He may be able to withstand the explosion, but withstanding the caving of the ravine? He wasn''t confident in his chances. He couldn''t teleport, after all.


    ''Such a useful skill...''


    Hemented. Ignitium was the only mineral that he didn''t dare get a sample from, the initial encounter had scarred him, and left him extremely wary of the metal.


    ''Just what does Harrison want with these...''


    He wondered why Harrison had insisted he go on this expedition... Did that man know these things were here? How? Questions filled his mind, but he didn''t dare dy and went up when The noticed his time was up.


    He let go of the wall, and allowed the current to take him up, itunched him in the air, and hended in the space in front of the ravine. He took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.


    The ''minty'' air down there got on his nerves after a while, fresh air was much wee after


    that ordeal.


    He went to go find Serena, and check on how things were going. He also made a mental note to himself... to ask Agri every detail about what he had done to this.


    He was definitely going to find out everything about it.

 Chapter 674: [674] Metals!

    Chapter 674: [674] Metals!


    ?


    "So, our predictions were correct. That''s a surprise."


    "Huh? What?"


    Elijah took a step back, confused. He lingered idly for a moment before asking.


    "What do you mean? What predictions?"


    Serena, examining a sample of Emberium, looked up at him and smiled.


    "What else do you think dummy? Father sent us, or more importantly, you here for a reason. He has his ways of knowing things. These materials manifest in dungeons, but none are present on Earth but now? There is plenty to go around... We don''t have to participate absurd amounts to the dwarves anymore.


    He probably sent you here to extract all of these materials yourself. The normal procedures would take far too long."


    Elijah looked at her with disbelief, feeling betrayed, he asked.


    "... So you all knew what kind of minerals would be down there? So why did you even send me down?"


    He couldn''t understand, ignoring Harrison''s strange ways of knowing things, if he did truly know, then what was the need for him to go down?


    He had been ordered by the man to take a closer look himself to find out what he could... But why if Harrison already knew?!


    "I''m asking for a raise..."


    He sighed, massaging his head and sitting down on the ground. Serena chuckled, wishing him luck.


    "Emberium, Pyroxium, re steel, and Cinder steel... While we don''t know about cinder steel, the rest can be worked with. Emberium and Pyroxium can be used for weapons and smithing, whilst re steel for energy..."


    Elijah silently listened to her mumble as she examined small samples. The bigger ones he had excavated were being handled by the other experts, who were all visibly drooling and ignoring all of his warnings.


    Men of science were difficult to understand... But women of science? Another breed. He had no idea what was going on in Serena''s head, where was the cold and terrifying girl he loved?


    She was currently reced by a curious girl who couldn''t help but try to understand everything on this. She wouldn''t ever admit it, but she resembled her father right now.


    Still, he found it nice to see. She was much cuter when she wasn''t insane...


    As he was drowned in his thoughts, he heard her speak.


    "I appreciate the looks, but you have something to do. Something you''ll find fun."


    Elijah listened to her intently, focusing on her face with extreme precision.


    "You need to do three things, first is hunt some monsters so we can start production, with our skills, we would need the help of those mammoths or yetis crawling around here to calm the fiery nature of those metals downs... And secondly, you need to mine ignitium."


    "Absolutely not."


    Elijah declined. He was more than eager to help with the first task of hunting the monsters of the ice element rampant around these areas, but mine Ignitium?


    Absolutely not. Just touching the material once had almost killed him! He had to use almost every thing at his immediate disposal to calm that wretched thing down!


    And now he was supposed to mine it? That was absurd.


    If he made a single mistake down there, it could result in the entire ravine copsing down on him. The ''crack'' in Gigantia would be his tomb!


    "That ravine would copse in on me! I''ll stick to hunting the monsters."


    He would deny it till hisst breath! He was not going anywhere near that material until contact with Agri was not restored.


    "Unfortunately, dad wants it. And he wants it really bad. So you have to get it. I notified him of its existence, so whether you like it or not, you have to get it. Don''t worry, he should send us something soon, something like the method to extract it. In the meantime, you can get to hunting. Please?"


    Okay, maybe he would listen once.


    "It better be safe..."


    The smile on her face immediately brightened when he said he was willing to do it. With a cheeky grin, she said.


    "If it''s possible, take Gary with you, he''s like n, except I can actually bully him! He should be able to open a portal down there and get you out."


    ||||


    Elijah remained silent, not having the heart to tell her she was wrong. Taking Gary with him, despite the cost would be useless.


    He heard it from Gary and Agri themselves, one a user of the space element and the other a supreme dragon. Portals were extremely fragile, opening one fown there would be impossible.


    Even n wouldn''t be able to do it. The mana currents would destroy it before it could evenpletely form.


    "Also, don''t call it ravine, just call it the crack. The term ravine doesn''t fit this thing. Where did you even get it from?"


    "A game..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    Embarrassed, he stood up and left, Serena went on to do her thing, so he thought he would take a look at what Gary was doing before going out to hunt.


    Thed was busy constructing a portal. While it was made with the same materials as the one in Gigantium, it was half the size. The frame had been built, and Gary was busy inscribing various symbols on it.


    Gary was simply copying what n did at the original portal. After all, unlike n, he didn''t have a guide. The youth was trying to construct a portal, improvising with whatever little knowledge he had.


    He watched Gary for a while, making sure not to disturb him. It wouldn''t do good to disturb him and idently cause a big problem


    What if the portal didn''t work because of him? Gary wouldn''t me him... But Harrison would chew him alive. He already knew that man was waiting on the other side, where a simr portal had been built, waiting to step onto this himself.


    Gary finished pretty quickly, and Elijah left as soon as the portal started to work. Gary''s portals were different from n''s, they weren''t blue, but rather a shade of green.


    They were still just as effective, however.


    As he saw the portal materialize, he was about to leave when he suddenly jerked his head


    towards the north.


    ''What is n doing here?''


    He questioned in his mind, feeling the presence of a particr dragon.

 Chapter 675: [675] Mastery.

    Chapter 675: [675] Mastery.


    ?


    ''How long have I been here?''


    I questioned as Iy in the snow, findingfort in it now. Prior to this, I had been so frightened of freezing to death on this, but now? I actually found the cold to be somewhat bearable.


    That damn dragon, Azmakul, really is cruel, and strict. He refused to let me take even a small break, I had been forced to study and learn all throughout my time here, so much so I did not know how much time had passed.


    I simply didn''t bother taking note of it, because I was engrossed. Tossing the final crystal, the one containing knowledge of the sorcery of names, during my time here, I had mastered the basics of Circle Sorcery and Runic Sorcery, yet the sorcery of names was still an enigma, my understanding of it was pathetic, by my standards.


    It was such a weird feeling, that dragon had definitely done something to this ce, I had not required food or water at all throughout the time I was absorbing the knowledge contained within the crystals.


    ''Is it over?''


    I thought to myself, as I threw my gaze at the three crystals sitting beside me, now hollow. Before, they were vibrant with colors, but now, after I had absorbed everything contained inside, they had lost their pristine condition. The crystals containing knowledge of runic and circle sorcery even had cracks in them.


    "It''s astonishing."


    I ignored the words of the dragon standing beside me, and focused on the river above. I would be lying if I said I didn''t enjoy my time studying all those things, besides the sorcery, this dragon had also given me a lot of information. In the form of stories. But the sight of the river was beautiful, it was...nice to see it from time to time.


    Could a girl not enjoy pretty things?


    He was simr to my grandfather, who wouldn''t get tired of telling stories and answering questions. My initial feelings about Azmakul were gone, no longer was I afraid of him anymore, treating him more like my grandfather. Azmakul was kind, surprisingly, but not nice. He would be cruel when needed, but ultimately, whatever action he took or the attitude he enforced it with, was for my benefit.


    Was I missing Grandpa? Probably, I don''t know how long I have been here. I miss my family, the one that cares.


    "What is?"


    I said, my voice bleak as I focused my attention on the river above, manifesting a blue crystal and holding it in my hands. A habit I developed... I was missing the group too.


    "Twelve years, I had thought it would take you twelve years at the least toprehend the knowledge I stored within those crystals, yet..."


    My interest was piqued, I stopped staring at the river and looked at him, raising my head.


    "You managed to do it in merely one."


    ''Ah, so a year passed.''


    I was a bit shocked, I had spent that long up here? In this strange space built by this dragon? I wonder what everyone else has been doing. Surely, they didn''t waste this time, right?


    They may have even reached the ''heart of Kizmal'', the goal of our journey.


    ''I hope I didn''t miss much.''


    "Youck any sense of achievement over this, that is surprising."


    "I do? This face of mine is one that expresses my sheer, utmost happiness. I will have you know."


    "Is it? Then it seems I performed the engraving of the rune wrong, Let me do it again." "... No need."


    With a frightful look on my face, I covered my chest with my hands, looking at the dragon with a look full of scorn. The strange rune, one that looked like a hashtag with curved edges, had been a painful memory.


    This dragon had engraved it right between my breasts, closest to my heart, ording to him. It had worked, but it was incredibly painful! Though the rune had aplished it''s objective and increased my control of the [Darkness] element, it wasn''t a pleasant memory.


    It was weird as well! It may not be a big deal to a dragon, but it was to me, a human, to have it ced there!


    "Haha."


    I stopped, thinking to myself.


    ''When have I ever heard himugh?''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Did I hear that during the time I spent with him? Absolutely not, he would neverugh!


    "You should be proud, you have aplished something great."


    "I still don''t understand the sorcery of names, fully, though."


    "The fact that you managed to understand even some of it is astonishing. I had honestly believed you would have destroyed your mind, and I would have had to fix it. Do you know how much of a hassle it would be to exin to the prince?"


    ''Was it that dangerous? I didn''t know that...''


    "But, it does speak of your talent. If the knowledge had crippled you, you wouldn''t have been able to go far. You are aware of what sorcery of names is, right?"


    "Dragon tongue, you told me many times."


    All the ''sorcery'' she studied was derived directly from Dragon tongue, the sorcery of names being the closest to it. Circle sorcery was the furthest from it, but even it utilized dragon tongue. Runic sorcery had greater applications, but it was nothingpared to the sorcery of names, which actually used dragon tongue.


    "I thought I was supposed to make my own sorcery, though?"


    Azmakul chuckled, turning around to face. She was no longer scared of his mask, She had even tried to take it off at one point... intending to study it.


    She didn''t know what she was on at that time...


    "That is something you will embark on when you reach the [Epic] rank, it''s still far from you. You are not a dragon, so the process of formting your own sorcery will take time, I am eager to see what you will make of it. Your limitations of mana impede you greatly.


    I suppose the basics I have taught you haven''t been forgotten?"


    Sheughed, wishing she could forget things. Even if she didn''t want to, every experience in


    her life was vivid in her memory.


    "I''m an eidetic... I don''t forget anything."


    "Marvelous."


    There was a period of silence between the two, Azmakul had turned around once more, gazing


    beyond the fields of snow, and Sabrinay on the snow, enjoying the blessing to the eyes that was the river, and caressing the crystal in her hands, appreciating it''s smoothness.


    There was a moment of peace...


    "Ah, the prince finally reached the spear."


    "WHAT?!"


    Broken in an instant.

 Chapter 676: [676] Vast.

    Chapter 676: [676] Vast.


    ?


    "Just how big is this damn?"


    She asked, bewildered, she simply could not believe it took n a year to reach that ''spear''. She knew what it was, she also knew who and where Kizmal was.


    The year spent with Azmakul was not just for training, she had also received information, driving it out of the old dragon using tricks. Tricks that the dragon knew of, but didn''t care about.


    She did not really care about it, what and who Kizmal was, and whatever had transpired here ages ago didn''t concern her much. It was simply something she was curious about a while back. Even if she did care, and her ''human morals'' took control, what was she going to do about it? Give a lecture to the dragon that forced a supreme giant into an eternity of torture, the same dragon that was also the mother of her boyfriend?


    But what she could not wrap her head around, no matter what, was... it took n a year to reach that damned spear of the heavens? The one he had to climb?


    A year?


    She knew he was fast, in fact, she experienced it. And she waspletely sure that if he didn''t have someone to carry and take care of, he could go faster. Incredibly fast.


    Yet he took a year to reach there? How long was he going to take to climb it? Then descend? Then reach the chamber of the heart? A decade?


    She didn''t have that time, she was a human, she didn''t have that much time! She had already spent a year here!


    A chill ran down her spine, not from the cold of this savagely vast, but from the realization that the journey may have taken a decade if they went on the Arctic Titan, she was almost thanking Azmakul for destroying it.


    The Arctic Titan wasfortable, but it was not going to rece years of her time!


    "He just reached it now? After a year?"


    She massaged her temples, trying to think. Just as she was about to talk to him with the help of the Astral bond, trying to make sense of things, Azmakul said something that piqued her interest.


    "A year? No, I believe it took the prince a week to get there, I suspect it will take another for him to climb it, descend, and then I have some training for him before he enters the chambers."


    She paused, staring at the dragon with an incredulous look.


    "Wait... What?"


    "What do you mean?"


    A thought appeared in her mind, but it was unbelievable, inconceivable even... if it was her a ''year'' before. After all, she had just learned of the existence of a supreme giant that yearned for revival, trying to revive itself in the form of bloody, thunderous thralls. She had seen a river of pure, incandescent, magical light cover the skies for a year, drowning everything in its light.


    "... You..."


    For a moment, she struggled to formte a sentence, Azmakul smirked.


    "Time... You slowed down time?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She had spent a year here... in this area, but had the rest done the same? While she had been busy, learning for an entire year, were they simply having a pic for a week? However, that was not her main concern.


    "How? What sorcery? Mana? The process behind it?"


    She asked, her questions endless, approaching the dragon assuming the form of a towering elf.


    "It is not thatplicated."


    She disagreed.


    "Notplicated? You dyed time! Slowed it down, and that is notplicated? I am unaware of how dragons operate, but let me tell you, this is not something we humans take lightly. Care to enlighten how you even managed this?


    I need to know, just... something?"


    Was she begging at this point, with the puppy eyes and everything? She didn''t bother to care, her mind focused on a single topic. Azmakul shrugged his shoulders and pointed up.


    "It is not something difficult, for me."


    She chuckled, looking at him with a smug smile.


    "Oh, did this ancient being suddenly developed the need to gloat? That was unexpected?"


    "Unexpected? You try many new things when you get to where I am."


    She looked up, staring at the river, as much as she was eager to learn whatever spell was used to aplish a feat such as slowing down time, she knew pressing him too much would not yield any significant results. Not yet, at the very least, when she didn''t have much knowledge about the river.


    She had tried asking about it many times, but received the same response, every single time. "If I tell you, you will not be you anymore. Just a crazy woman who is unable to stop torturing her vocal cords."


    From that, she realized that there were something''s she simply wasn''t ready to hear, or see even for that matter. Something that was reinforced when she tried using runic sorcery, and focused more on runes that involved Dragon tongue. That was a new... yet troubling experience.


    When she experienced headaches that no amount of paracetamol could make go away, she knew it was something she should not touch.


    That notion was cemented when she started the sorcery of names... and the motivation to fund a new drug was also discovered.


    "So what now?"


    She asked, waiting for the dragon to answer her, raising her neck and putting her hands on her hips, leaning forward a bit.


    "You have a choice."


    "A choice?"


    ''A choice for what?''


    She silently waited for the dragon to continue, instead of jumping to conclusions. Something that had be more frequent ever since the rune was engraved. Impatiently tapping the


    ground with her foot.


    Azmakul refused to speak further for a while, a habit she had grown ustomed to, but it irritated her at the moment.


    ''What pers-dragon says that and doesn''t answer immediately? Leaving me in suspense...''


    Sheined, in her mind, of course. Nothing could make her say that to his face.


    But Azmakul didn''t present the choice, immediately.


    "What are you to the prince?"

 Chapter 677: [677] Choice.

    Chapter 677: [677] Choice.


    ?


    For a brief moment, she was stumped. Spending a year away from everybody had its effects, but it didn''t mean she was oblivious.


    "I... lo-like him."


    While she may not use the word love yet, like was perfectly suitable, and maybe the feelings went above and beyond. She did not know that much yet. While their rtionship had been on hold right now, it was only for her. Only she had been away for a year, for n, it was only a week.


    Before arriving on this, it was good. They had just gone on a date...kissed him on the cheek, and had a great time.


    Though, she would by lying if she said it was not a disappointment when n approached her for a trip. She had the right to think it would be something like the novels she read, right? Of how...


    ''Never mind.''


    Regardless, she was angry when she had heard it would not be just the two of them, but all of [Predator] involved. It was not like what she had expected, but she had not let her mind fester on it for long.


    She always knew he had something going, andter realized it was actually great that he told her everything. It was a sign of trust...


    "Like? Hmmm. How did this feelinge to?"


    He asked, looking at her with a calm gaze. It did anything but keep her calm. Rather, it made her flustered. The effects of the rune also did not help.


    "Ho-how?"


    Taken aback, before trying toe up with an answer, she went into deep thought.


    The first impression, the most important one, had not been great. She had just been informed that somebody would be a bodyguard for her at school! That was incredibly strange, even for someone of her status, especially at an institute of Shield.


    It was displeasure, especially after knowing her uncle had used her to gain a connection with Twilight, with ulterior motives down the line. Her family was the only one that had remained neutral at the time with the guilds, not having any rtionship with them.


    But it was not anything strange, there had to be a foundation of trust, and two young and talented youths, one the daughter of the richest family, and the other the one and only spatial element user at the time.


    While her grandfather may have prevented her uncle from making the rtionship greater than a bodyguard, it was a new experience.


    ''I wouldn''t have minded that, right n- What am I thinking...?''


    Shaking her head, she recounted the other things, the first meeting was ordinary, he did what he was told to do, albeit with a carefree and rxed attitude. That was actually something she preferred.


    He did his job very well, there was only one incident during the time they were getting to know each other. The new year fireworks... one that resulted out of her own immaturity and personal issues.


    ''Why did I even do that...?''


    She cringed just at the thought of it, cursing her photographic memory. It would be great to forget things sometimes...


    Afterward, their days went on good. He had taken care of Lucas pretty well... In fact, he totally reformed the man. Something she was sure was impossible. He wouldn''t necessarily interfere in many things, and was also a great method of transportation.


    The best, actually. There was nothing else more beloved to somebody who loved to be punctual than the ability to teleport, something she envied, even to this day.


    The feelings only...began to take root during the normal days at shield, when both ine and Serena, as well as other friends bothered her, and how her own sense of responsibility, and pride got in the way.


    ''How did Alexander even beat n anyway?''


    That was something that still troubled her. Alexander was strong... but n? Another level entirely. Even back then, she didn''t see how Alexander defeated him.


    Putting that aside, he had made an extreme expression on the Ind, when he had saved her life, against that abominable orc. Then, there was at the incident at Aror, where he solved it, despite how much it had hurt him. n had changed, he had gotten more muscr, and also the tattoos he had.


    He had gone away then, forgetting his duties for half a year, but she understood it. His sister was in a dire state, and she had seen how much he had done for her in the tower of trials.


    He was tenacious, determined, and although not the brightest tool in the shed, he wasn''t the dullest. He was... extremely capable, and could be counted on at times.


    He was the strongest too, even now, she was sure not many could evenpete with him, close or far in age. There was no one, except one, maybe.


    But this was not it, what were the basis of her feelings, of his? The small talks they had, the jokes, the ones she did not enjoy at all? The small banter...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No, that was not how it progressed in those novels... it wasn''t like that. It was more dramatic, or subtle...?


    A chance encounter, eye to eye, falling in love with each other just from the looks of each other, then having the chance to know each other deeply, on another level.


    ''No, that guy can be as cold as ice... literally. And the look department is... perfect.''


    Perfect, that was a strange thing to say. n was definitely not on the level where Elijah and Henry were, but he was not bad...


    ''No... it''s perfect.''


    It was good... Why was she preferring his face over theirs? Wow, she didn''t expect that.


    Regardless, even with her perfect memory, recalling everything between them. She couldn''t


    find it.


    Why did she like him? What was the basis for the infatuation? No... No...


    It can''t be...


    She ducked down, grabbing her head, hiding the blush which was painfully obvious and...


    ''I don''t know?!''

 Chapter 678: [678] A proposal.

    Chapter 678: [678] A proposal.


    ?


    "It is a good start, I may not be well versed I''m romantically rtions but at least I know it is genuine."


    Azmakul, clearly observing her strange actions with a faint smile on his face, said.


    "How... Is it genuine?"


    Unaware of the reason of her fondness, frantically wondering what it was and clearly losing herself, forgetting how to think clearly and trying to hide the blush on her face was genuine? She didn''t understand.


    Fortunately, Azmakul was kinda enough to tell her quickly, instead of dying like usual. A strange habit.


    "When the heart is infatuated, the mind bes muddled. Unable to think, I''ve seen this happen many times in my long life."


    Hearing that, she abruptly raised her head, giving him a look, and asked.


    "What about experienced?"


    "Don''t push your luck."


    "... Alright."


    "My circumstances were not the same as yours. An era of peace has it''s pro''s and con''s. Frankly, I abhore this kind of thing."


    "Did you get rejected?"


    He turned around, startling Sabrina for a bit, and looked at her. The look was clearly saying. ''Are you serious?''


    She quietened down, sticking her finger in the snow and making circles. Something to clear her mind. To calm her down.


    "You show talent, but there is something you must be aware of. Beyond your importance as a romantical partner, you are..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She stopped in her tracks, paying attention to his words. Special attention.


    ''What is beyond that?''


    "A weakness."


    Well, that certainly was not what she was expecting. His words turned the atmosphere a little... Odd, though Sabrina was sure he did not care about it.


    It did turn her mood, incredibly sour.


    ''Darned rune.''


    "The soul crystal you possess, I may have taught you a way to use it, remember it must be something you use when there is nothing else on the table."


    "An ace up my sleeve?"


    "Ast resort. I have no idea what means."


    "Same thing."


    He sighed.


    "Please, do not treat this nonchntly. If any opponent, an enemy finds out about this, they will use it. Trust me, you are strong, I made sure of that.


    But you are not invincible, one way or another, a time wille when someone will capture you, or even out right kill you."


    He emphasized it heavily, Sabrina rolled her eyes, making herself look nonchnt just to get on his nerves, aware it would not be sessful.


    It wasn''t meant to be, it was simply meant to make her believe what she wanted to believe.


    Ever since she had been taught the workings of the soul crystal, on a greater level of depth than whatever she could manage previously.


    With the level of control, the level of danger also increased. She perfectly understood the implications.


    However, understanding them and being made aware of them, especially like this, was getting on her nerves.


    A year may be like a blink to the lifespan of a dragon, it may even be shorter than a blink, but she believed she had made an impression, at the very least.


    An impression that would make this dragon realize she wasn''t stupid enough to not realize.


    She was still unaware why Lanesha, n''s guardian dragon and also ''mother'' had given it to her, but she understood that she will eventually get to it.


    If she was this obstinate dragons superior, she had to be great..


    "What choice were you talking about?"


    She asked, intending to change the topic and make sure she wasn''t reminded she was the precious prince''s weakness, and a method to control him


    "Be a dragon."


    There wasn''t a response, not even a confused ''What?''. Hearing that had shut down her incredible brain for a brief moment.


    "What is exactly the process behind bing a dragon, I am sure it is not easy, and is the choice between bing a dragon or staying a human? Because I believe one side has an overwhelming advantage, wait...


    I won''t grow scales, will I?! If so, I refuse!"


    Azmakul chuckled, hisughter surprisingly loud. She had never heard himugh so loud. Her overreaction at the thought of having scales worked.


    "The chance to be a dragon, the masters of Mana, the apex of the universe and you would decline just because of scales?"


    "Beauty and brain is everything to a woman, I don''t want scales. Frankly, I hate it when n has some scales on his body, what he calls a partial draconian transformation. Worst of all, he


    thinks it looks good!"


    She was honest, the partial draconian transformation was simply horrendous! She was unaware whatever kind of media n had absorbed ande up with it, but it was not appealing to her.


    The scales covered up the tattoos and the muscles, and for little benefit. A full draconian transformation was simply better, in both aesthetics and practicality.


    "You have no idea what people would do this, even a saint would be the devil himself for this, you know?"


    "Just tell me the process, oh dragon of myth."


    "I do not necessarily appreciate sarcasm, but I will let it slide. The process is rtively simple, a dragon with enough authority and power simply decides it, they choose someone who they want, and is capable and grant upon them their blessing, the evolution process may be somewhat painful, but nothingpared to the reward of being a dragon."


    "And who is going to bless me?"


    She asked, standing up and walking over to him, crossing her arms.


    "Me, who else?"


    She was expecting it, but not as well.


    "With how much you emphasize your age, I thought you would have given your blessing


    already.


    Wait, does thing have a limit?"


    Azmakul shook his head, Sabrina''s eyes widened in shock.


    There was no limit on blessings?


    "It depends on the dragon giving the blessing, but I can give it as many times as I want. The


    limit is the capabilities of the one fortunate enough to be blessed.


    Also, I have never given my blessing to anyone, you will be the first."

 Chapter 679: [679] A proposal.

    Chapter 679: [679] A proposal.


    ?


    "It''s an honor, I''ll have you know."


    He approached her with short, measured steps, his figure cast a deep shadow on her figure soon, blocking the light of the river. Sabrina stepped back, but he caught her chin, raising it


    up.


    "A dragon, the apex. I will give you that chance, because you are fit for it."


    || ||


    The skin on her face shivered as his cold breath escaped from his mask. She asked.


    "Why?"


    "I want you to do something."


    "Which is?"


    He smiled, letting out a shortugh, he released her chin, and the smile on his mask widened.


    "Are you aware of the rtionship the prince has with his father, the supreme of chaos?" "... what?"


    "Suleras, the supreme dragon of chaos, is also one who has blessed the prince. The drop of ichor, it is his."


    Her eyesid upon the dark blue crystal in the air, even looking at it strained her eyes, an insidious energy, the mana of chaos could not be contained within the crystal of blue icepletely.


    "I studied the prince, and trust me, he is not even using half of what he is capable of. The first to receive the blessing of two supreme beings, and perhaps the only one who can.


    And do not take these blessings lightly, One belongs to my queen, the youngest daughter of death itself, Lanesha, and the other, to the only dragon equal to the king, Suleras, supreme of chaos, and as much as I hate to admit it, his blessing far surpasses the Queen''s."


    He ordered the mana in the surroundings to bring the crystal forth, he held it in his hands, restraining the mana of chaos with his own power.


    "I had a hope..."


    The tone of his voice turned...sorrowful, Sabrina couldn''t believe her ears for a moment. "I had hoped that the prince would be suited for our house, that his true aptitude wouldy with death, but it does not. His aptitude for chaos is much, much greater. It surpasses affinities, and it is like... he is built solely for chaos.


    He has absorbed the ichor of her highness Lanesha, and her majesty Ariel, yet even then, his aptitude for death is subparpared to his aptitude for chaos.


    I had hoped it would not be, but [Dragon Eyes] caused me to see many things. Many... things. I do not like the prince wasting his potential, if he uses [Chaos], he will be unlike any other.


    But he does not, I want you to convince him, slowly, I do not mind if it takes years, I want you to do it.


    I want him to realize his true potential, and I want you to help me."


    He came close in a second, his hands behind his back, and bent down, his mask right in front of her.


    The fire of his eyes erged, now filling the abyssal hole of his eyes fully. He smiled, revealing teeth for the first time, and proposed.


    "I shall make you a dragon, the apex, masters of mana and magic, and you will make the prince realize his ambitions, fix whatever rtionship he has with Suleras, and make him use [Chaos]. Forcefully, even. With that soul crystal, you can do it. You are the on-" "No."


    "What?"


    The response was quick, it interrupted him, and was thest thing he wanted to hear, in fact, it was the only thing he expected not to hear.


    "No?"


    He questioned, refusing to believe his ears. Had he heard wrong?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His age must be getting to him...right?


    "No. I''m not doing it."


    But it wasn''t. As old, he would get, his senses wouldn''t fail him. He wasn''t a human, or any other species, that could not beat the curse of old age. He was a dragon, the few that would get stronger with it. A strong dragon was an old dragon, after all.


    "Why?"


    His voice turned cold, he had not expected her to reject even for a moment, after all, all she had to do was talk, talk to the prince, ask him what the reasons, and convince him through words. Words!


    The soul crystal was simply something to be used if the prince was obstinate.


    "I offer you the chance to be a dragon, the masters of magic and mana, you know how hard it will be, how difficult it will be to master the sorcery of names, runes being a human. Even with your talents, it will take centuries.


    Humans don''t live that long. He listens to you, I have seen both your memories. So why?


    There was no reason to reject him. None at all, from his perspective. He was basically offering her...everything.


    But she did have a reason to reject him.


    "I have no right to interfere with his rtionship with his... father, that is something he needs to deal with himself."


    |||||


    "I don''t even know why their rtionship is rocky, what if he isn''t at fault? There are times when a parent is a dud, you know? If he has his reasons, then he has his reasons. Even if I am his girlfriend, as someone who also has a rocky rtionship with her family, I know what it


    feels like.


    So no. You can take your blessing up your ass."


    She grabbed his cor and pulled him down, face to face. Something that shocked Azmakul.


    "And I don''t care if you taught me for a year, or even if you are an ancient dragon, it''s rude to read someone else''s memories without permission, got it?"


    She let go, and walked off, extremely pissed. She should be, in fact! Someone had just tried to read her personal memories, it was her right to be pissed, the identity of the criminal didn''t matter at all.


    First and foremost, she was unaware of what both parties had done, but she knew n, and she was quite confident she knew him well. He was not the type to do this, so it was probably the supreme dragon Suleras at fault.


    She had to put herself in his shoes as well, if it was n who butted in her rtionship with her uncle, or even her father, she would despise him. That right was given to him only if the rtionship advanced a stage.


    So what if the reward was being a dragon? She liked working hard, but what she loved was proving others wrong. Would it not be a wonder if she actually mastered the sorcery of runes


    and names in her lifespan?


    That would be a lovely achievement.


    "Where are you going?"


    Azmakul asked, as he watched her leave, heading towards the endless ins of snow, with no


    idea of where she was.


    "Back to the castle!"


    "You don''t even know where it is?"


    "I''ll find my way back!"


    It only took her a while to disappear from his sights, with the help of flight magic, she was


    fast. Azmakul stood there, at a loss.


    "Maybe my age is getting to me..."


    He stroked his chin, his [Dragon Eyes] failed for the first time in his long life.


    "Are humans not inherently greedy?"


    It was unknown how long he stood there, deep in thought.


    ***


    "Damn."


    It was like he was seeing the tower of trials again, only this time, it was far greater in both length and width. From where n was standing, he couldn''t even begin to see the entire spear. It was like a wall.


    It was made out of a pristine, white material. It was not metal, but it was much, much greater than any metal he knew of. The texture of the shaft bore a striking resemnce to the ground he was standing of.


    It was a spear made of bone, simr to G¨¢e Bolg, only he did not know the origin. Gaebolg was a spear made from the bones of an insidious tyrant titan, whilst this one? He had no idea.


    It was not Kizmal, but he could not even begin to imagine what kind of creature was used to make this spear. Whatever it was, it had to be gigantic.


    Unfortunately, he found it hard to grip onto the spear, the material was so robust, his strength was ineffective, it was incredibly slippery too. He was unable to teleport towards the top using [Instantaneous Teleportation] as well, there was an imprable fog halfway up the spear.


    Most likely the reason Azmakul told him to not try the easy way, which was flying, the winds were rough as well up there, he would find it hard to remain in control of his own body.


    "Guess I got to climb it..."


    He transformed into a Draconian, figuring his ws would be able to help his ascent.


    But even his sharp ws did not help, he tried to stab his fingers into the spear, but that only resulted in his them breaking. Healing his fingers, he let out a troubled sigh.


    He put his palm on the surface of the spear, and simply froze it, encasing his hand in ice. It


    allowed him to at least grip onto it.


    He repeated this process, countless times.

 Chapter 680: [680] Climb.

    Chapter 680: [680] Climb.


    ?


    The climb felt simple at first, even achievable. n felt that he would take no longer than a day at most to scale this titanic spear, which was more akin to a monument than a weapon. The cold was beneficial to him, empowering his strength and making the arduous climb


    easier.


    It took him no longer than a few hours to climb the first section of the shaft, the spear, merely inches beneath the fog. His hands were still encased in ice, gluing him to the surface of the spear. The winds here were especially sharp, but durable.


    They would only be a hindrance if his hands were not glued to the spear, and he was climbing it the traditional way, but he had a feeling that was soon about to change.


    All he could hear was the howling of the wind as it desperately tried to make him fall, taking a deep breath, he murmured.


    "Focus..."


    [Dragon Eyes have been activated.]


    Yet, it was futile, dragon eyes failed to pierce through the imprable, mysterious fog. n sighed, cancelling the skill and giving his eyes a moment of rest.


    He was wary of it, if even dragon eyes could not pierce through it had to be exceptionally special, frighteningly so. He simply hoped that it would not have any malicious effects.


    Taking a deep breath once more to calm himself, he continued his climb, venturing into the deep, mysterious fog. Soon, he could not even see a meter in front of him, all he could see was half of his body and the pristine surface of the spear he was glued too.


    He continued climbing, relieved that the fog was simply...fog, for now at least. He was sure it was going to do something to him, but was d it was not now.


    He would rather he made some progress in the foggy area before encountering something and retreating, then encountering it as soon as he entered the fog.


    He lost track of how long he was taking soon enough, the fog was now denser, he could barely see his hands. The winds were especially fierce now. He had almost been thrown off, a fatal mistake. Thankfully, he only fell for a few meters before encasing his hands in ice to a greater degree this time.


    The winds here were harsh, and now posed a significant threat. The fog was unperturbed by them, but he was not. Now, every movement of his was strenuous, struggling against the force of the wind inching to throw him and send him plummeting down.


    ''How long have I been here?''


    He thought, pausing for a moment. He had taken a few hours to climb the first section of the fog, but this? How long was he stuck in this abominable fog? Was he even going in the right direction?


    The fog was finally revealing its true colors, or abilities in this case.


    Nheless, he focused on going forward, slowly but surely.


    It was bing more arduous by the second, not only was the wind rushing to tear him apart, the unknown was tearing at his mind.


    The attributes it may have possessed, were all unknown to him, but he was clearly feeling its effect as he ascended.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Overtime, he knew what was happening to him, he was losing his sense of direction, his sense of touch, his sense of time, and was feeling incredibly nauseous.


    It was doing something to his senses. n stopped for a bit and collected himself, taking deep breaths to deal with the nausea.


    His regeneration was proving useless in treating this nausea.


    "Shit."


    But it did prove useful against the wind, it was now sharp, and made many cuts on his body. His scales had resisted them for a long time, but their resilience fell short.


    Small cuts appeared all over his body, threatening to expand. But his regeneration stopped them in their tracks.


    It was now a battle of attrition. His regeneration against the winds.


    n steeled his resolve, and continued his ascent, this time, at a faster pace. The howling wind tried its best, baring its fang, but his regeneration trumped it. The small cuts were gone as soon as they appeared.


    ''n.''


    He began to hear voices, murmuring his name from all directions, their identity unknown for now. But that was merely the beginning. Soon enough, he recognized the voices.


    ''n, help!''


    "Shut up."


    Maxwell, Alice, Alex, Olivia, his grandparents, Kazikato, Sabrina, even Master Arken, and Sage Oliver.


    Heughed at that, he could never even imagine his master calling for help like that. Whatever effects the fog had achieved prior were all gone due to that mistake.


    Arken would never call out for help, not like that, never. The fog was calling out to him, using the voices of the people he knew, unfortunately, he knew them better.


    ''This won''t work on me.''


    He hurried his pace, achieving almost a blinding speed, draining his muscles that suffered the wrath of the wind again and again.


    The voices did not stop, however. The fog may have realized that using the voices of certain people was having an adverse effect, he didn''t hear them for a while.


    But, eventually, it was going to reach the voice of one person who would definitely have an effect, and it did.


    ''Al, help!''


    n paused, his hand touched the surface of the spear, but he failed to encase it in ice in time, caught off guard by Samantha''s voice calling for help.


    But it was toote, he had made a mistake, and this time, he fell down, descending at blinding speeds.


    The wind finally had its way with him, throwing him around, thrashing his body against the spear, and all of n''s attempts to glue himself off onto the spear proved futile.


    Worst of all, the pristine surface of the spear was resilient, incredibly so. The bones it was made out of may be so, but his was not. Every time the wind threw him against it, he felt his bones fracturing, his injuries were adding on.


    If not for his regeneration, he would have already been in dire straits, thankfully, using aura to enhance it was proving sufficient.


    "Damn it!"


    He cursed, and braced himself for the next time he would crash against the spear, intending to use his ws to burrow into it, or destroy his hands trying.


    He needed only a second, a mere second, in order to use ice magic to stabilize himself.


    The fog was bing clearer, and the voices had long since stopped, only his descent was continued. His painful descent. The wind threw him against the wall once more, and this


    time, he met it dly.


    As he was about to crash into it, he straightened his arms and pushed forth, his ws...enhanced as they were with mana and aura, failed to do anything to the spear and only


    destroyed themselves.


    His ws split apart, dug into his fingers and leaked out blood as n grit his teeth in pain.


    ''Damn it all!''


    He cursed, but he had done it, he had gotten his second of contact with the spear, cold ice encased his hands once more, whatever they were like now.


    He stopped, a small trail of blood and nails above him, unfreezing one of his hands at a time in order to let them heal, he sighed in relief.


    This time, he froze his legs too, as ufortable as it was, and took a moment of reprieve. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he had not fallen deep, he was still in the fog... albeit it was


    much clearer than before.


    The voices, the loss of direction, touch, and disorientated sense of time along with the nausea were all gone, he was alright, for now.


    He knew it wasing, since the voice was using the voices of all the people in his life... he knew Sam''s voice was alsoing. Just... he had not expected it to cause this much disarray.


    His sister calling out to him for help really did a number on his mind for a moment.


    It was expected, yet unexpected at the same time.


    "Alright, so voices, nausea, loss of senses... that''s what it does at that point, and I don''t even


    know how much of it is left..."


    That was the bad thing, he was unaware of how much of the fog he had actually traversed. What if that was just the beginning? What if he wasn''t even halfway there.


    What else would it do? Show him phantoms, illusions of those people asking for help whilst being trapped in harrowing situations... He knew that was going to get to him, and it won''t just be Samantha that would get to him.


    The voices, most of them he could ignore, but actual illusions of them...would prove to be


    difficult.


    The fog was like a mental hex, and n was weak against mental attacks. Very weak against


    them.


    Regardless, he still had to continue.


    ''I''ll build up some sort of resistance after a few more attempts...''

 Chapter 681: [681] Fall.

    Chapter 681: [681] Fall.


    ?


    He ventured into the deep fog once more, this time, aware of its working and how it will do it''s best to make him fall.


    n was hesitant, but prepared this time. It did not take him long to reach the part of the fog where the voices ran rampant, He blocked his ears with mana, reducing the effects of the voices.


    But in turn, the nausea and other losses were amplified. It was as if the fog knew of his efforts, and was responding to them.


    ''Darned thing.''


    He was slow, this time, making sure all of his limbs were glued to the surface of the shaft, encased inyers of thick ice. His regeneration battled against the effects of the sharp wind.


    Soon enough, he was unable to see even his own self, the fog had obscured everything, He did not even know if he was going up.


    ''At least I am not going down...''


    He may not know if he was even going up right now, but he knew for sure he wasn''t falling down. He was pretty sure about that one... Nevertheless, it didn''t take a while for the fog to start performing illusions.


    He saw his friends in impossible situations, at the verge of death, calling for help. He took a deep breath, shaking away the afflictions.


    Suppressing the urge to vomit, he closed his eyes, blindly moving upward, at least he thought he was moving upward.


    The voices were getting louder, and at some points, n even felt physical touch. Various hands, each different from thest, reaching out to him, grasping his body.


    It was hard to shake them off, but he persevered. He could ignore the illusions, the voices, and even disregard physical touch to a great degree, but the nausea and confusion was getting to him.


    His regeneration could deal with the cuts appearing on his body due to the winds, but it was helpless against nausea.


    "I really...fucking hate mind attacks."


    He could not even hear his voice as of this moment, even his own thoughts were a blur. But he was getting used to it, that was a relief.


    He was building up a resistance, ignoring the pleas and the desperate attempts to pull him off. The phantoms were losing their effectiveness every minute.


    ''Krrrk!''


    ''Huh?''


    He stopped for a moment, doubting his ears. The voices had subsided, and so did the physical manifestations...instead he heard something else. Something different.


    ''Thunder?''


    ''Krrk!''


    A thought emerged in his mind, what if he was inside am abomination that emerged from Kizmal? What if he was inside a monster, a type of thrall that Kizmal birthed for revenge. That thought sent shivers down his spine.


    Why else was he hearing the sound of thunder? Azmakul did mention that the thralls birthed from Kizmal''s undying thirst for vengeance possessed the attributes of lightning.


    He may have joked they were an endless source of renewable energy... but right now he was notughing at it. If this fog really was a mystical creature that was birthed from the remains of a supreme giant thirsty for revenge and revival... Wouldn''t its greatest priority be killing the son of the dragon that ended Kizmal, their creator.


    He stopped,pletely, sweat pouring down his chin even in this cold, abominable weather.


    "Haha..."


    Surely not, it was simply his imagination running wild. Those thralls were inside his body, in the hollow regions of his bones... Right?


    "Haha."


    Another awkwardugh escaped as n fearfully opened his eyes, the sound of thunder rampant in his ears. The voices were gone, the illusions were gone, and even the nausea was receding.


    Before, he may have been ecstatic about it, but his instincts were telling him that something wasing.


    He released one hand from the surface of the spear and summoned the Ame-No-Sakahoko,menting at his position, it would be hard to do any battle here, not only was his footing not stable, but the winds were preventing him from using all his strength.


    "Come on..."


    n muttered, anxiously waiting for any creature toe at him from the smoke, he was in a disadvantageous position. He could not even see where the monster would lunge at him, the fog obscured his vision greatly.


    ''Krrk!''


    The sound of the thunder grew more rampant, grew closer, and with each crackle, n tensed up, waiting for the eventual encounter with bated breath.


    ''Krrk!''


    The thunder was heard once more, but this time, it was apanied by lightning. A lightning bolt of immense proportions stuck suddenly from above.


    n withstood the first strike, though it may have taken him by surprise, he was strong enough to withstand it.


    But there were more, a total of seventeen lightning bolts, each greater than thest struck him, one after the other, without dy. The ice encasing his hands disappeared, as n''s muscles failed to work, numb.


    ''Shit...''


    Only the ice on his left foot still remained, n fell down, barely held onto the spear by it. It would take him a moment to regain control of his muscles.


    But the fog would not give him that chance, one final lightning bolt struck him straight in the head, knocking him unconscious.


    And sending his body tumbling down.


    ******


    n woke up, jerking his head up as he let out a scream, his wings unfurled, trying to fly up and avoid the devastating fall.


    "Aghhhh...?"


    The tone of his voice gradually lowered as he realized where he was, there was no monument of a spear in front of him, dwarfing the tallest mountains back on Earth, there was noforting cold, not even a single speck of snow.


    Instead, there was the crackling of thunder, in a realm of darkness, where the floor beneath was like a sea, but not at the same time.


    Gasping for breath, he performed a check on himself, and looked around. He was back in the realm of his dreams, where Valus and Aranus fought, the world of darkness where he learned about the Shape-shifter of the divine, Trickster of the Profane.


    He was back where he had left it, only this time, the fearsome battle between the two dragons had yet to begin. There were no deadly shockwaves or sts of energy threatening to kill him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ||


    He had been avoiding sleep in order to note back here, yet that damn fog had knocked him unconscious. He was expecting a monster toe at him, wielding lightning... Not


    lightning itself.


    He descended to the ground, making sure he thought of it as such, to try not to drown in the endless darkness.


    He seeked refuge in the remains of a building nearby, it was the same church where he had found the information of the Shape shifter of the divine, Trickster of the Profane.


    He walked over to the broken statue, but found nothing there this time. He sighed and sat down on one of the benches, the few that were still intact, and stared at the statue of Valus.


    "Fucking hell..."


    He cursed, distraught by everything.


    "Lanesha, Ariel, Suleras? Anyone there?"


    He called out, hoping for one of them to answer at the very least. They were all dragons, the strongest among them too. He didn''t expect anything from Suleras, or Lanesha either, but


    wanted a response from Ariel.


    He nned to visit her, whenever she would allow him into her realm, and get her to spill everything about Valus. He was certain these dreams were an encounter Aranus had with the dragon, but he was unaware why James wanted him to see this.


    He knew it was definitely James doing this, sending him here or making him have these...


    dreams. He had done it before, n just didn''t know why.


    ''Just what does the bastard want...''


    He hoped his body was okay, back on Lanekia, at least. His regeneration would keep him alive,


    but it would be slower than usual if he was notmanding it. He only hoped that by the time


    he woke up, he wouldn''t be in pain. He hoped his bones and flesh would have recovered


    sufficiently.


    n simply sat at the bench for a while, collecting his thoughts and focusing on the statue of Valus inside the church, waiting for when the fighting was about to begin. Waiting for when it would be time to run for his life. His gaze was focused on his statue, wondering why people prayed to him.


    He had many questions for Ariel, many. But he also had to be careful, lest the old granny would be livid and may kill him. He had no doubt in his mind that her temper would lead


    her to that.


    An hour or two passed, and eventually, the roars of the two colossal dragons threatened to rip


    his ears apart. n stood up from the bench and went outside, looking at their silhouettes ripping each other out above the dark clouds.


    The shockwaves and bursts of energy began to appear, and then he started running.

 Chapter 682: [682] Priestess.

    Chapter 682: [682] Priestess.


    ?


    Ariel, the primordial dragon of Death, and one of the few beings as old as time, had four children. Shi, the supreme dragon of death, Valus, The supreme dragon of Darkness, Kk, The supreme dragon of Shadow, and Lanesha, the supreme dragon of ice. Two daughters, two sons.


    Her children had inherited her attributes, those that resonated with death, and although one may have died, three still existed. Valus, Lanesha, and Kk.


    Lanesha was n''s guardian dragon, as well as Jame''s in the previous iterations, so n knew about her the most, and at the same time, the least. Her rtionship with James irked him, and it was safe to say that was why he was still wary of her from time to time.


    Other than that, she was a great dragon, and the most helpful too. Far more than one he had not even met with in a while. Shi was dead, assassinated by an enraged Primordial being for reasons unknown. The Shape Shifter of the divine, Trickster of the profane had killed her, and thus that sprouted a war where Ariel nearly annihted everything rted to him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Nearly everything. Shi was also Kazikato''s mother, who had given birth to him before meeting her eventual demise. How Kazikato was exactly born was still a mystery.


    "That leaves Valus and Kk."


    Both of them, were dragons n had little to no information about, especially Kk. He had gained some insights about Valus, in light of these recent dreams... or visions. Whatever they were called.


    Valus was worshiped, by the races that House Shivalkn protected, strangely so. This was strange, if his memories served him correct, Dragons hated being worshiped like gods. That was what the God beasts did, and how they derived their powers. Though, every dragon was a bit entric. So it may be his preference.


    They were also devout, incredibly devout to him. n had encountered at least five churches in proximity to him, each that worshiped Valus like a god, with grand statues of him made from obsidian in the center. He had gained some new information about him whilst hiding in these churches as well.


    He did not encounter any dragon tongue scriptures, but something else, his names. Valus went by many names.


    The seeker of truth, the gatekeeper, the herald, the guiding light, The beacon, The guardian, the truthful, The truth keeper, and the list went on and on. Each one a mystery of its own. The most intriguing were the Guiding Light, Beacon, Gatekeeper, and Seeker of Truth.


    Guiding Light and Beacon were odd, why was the dragon of darkness called that? n wondered, but could not find any answers before the churches were destroyed.


    All he found were texts, scattered around the churches. Holy scriptures, he guessed that was they were. They were all almost unrecognizable, burnt and torn.


    He had to piece together the meaning himself, using multiple pages he found in the churches.


    Guiding Light, and Beacon were the most prominent ones he found, as ironic, or strange it was. Guiding light, was apparently a name that was incredibly old, one Valus had gotten in an era long forgotten.


    ''The little one is our guiding light, the lighthouse to rest, to home.'' It was strange, how this passage referred to Vaus as ''little one'' but he disregarded it. Focusing on the others, scavenging for information from the pages whilst on the run. He found one that referred to him as a beacon, this one more detailed.


    ''He is our beacon in our direst times, lead us to the light, oh darkness.''


    ''Guide us...''


    ''Show us the way, oh darkness.''


    He couldn''t decipher any more than that, everything else was burnt beyond saving, nevertheless, he did find out why the supreme of darkness had names the opposite of his elements.


    He was apparently a beacon for the believer, when they were at their lowest points, in dire situations, at the verge of death or the unknown, he was like a light that would show up, and tell them where to go, the path to the light.


    That was probably why they worshiped him, and why they called him the Guiding Light, and Beacon. Beacon was a fairly new name, whilst guiding light had older foundations.


    ''The Dark Elves had great imaginations...''


    n thought, trying to understand an illustration in one of the pages, as broken as it was. Most of the scriptures were written in thenguage of the elves. The Duergar had few literary works pertaining to Valus. The elves were the ones with the most reverence to him.


    For what reason? He probably saved them, or something like that. He was unaware right now what the reason truly was.


    That was the end of the pages n had procured, and stopped running. The two dragons hade to a stalemate, both retreating, Valus was riddled with wounds, whilst Aranus had a few. He had realized that his vision would end with the death of Valus, like it had previously. Until then, he had to use this brief moment of respite to acquire more information, whilst the Supreme of Darkness took his final few breaths.


    He went inside another church, bypassed the statue of Valus, He found out that all churches had a small room behind the statue, where most of their scriptures were stored.


    "Oh. There is... a door on this one."


    n sighed, all the churches previously had no doors to the room, this one did. It was made from Obsidian, a popr material for construction in this realm.


    n opened the door by brute force, he was actually happy that there was one here, it could only mean that the scriptures inside were intact, right? HE was looking at an entire room filled with information.


    Precious information... probably the reason he was having these visions.


    He threw the door to the side, and took a look inside, forcing the dust out of the way with


    mana.


    He stepped inside, yet his foot...slipped? He looked down, and almost jumped back when he realized he had stepped on the foot of a corpse.


    The corpse belonged to a woman, and unfortunately, it was the only thing present in the


    room, unfortunately.


    ''She tried locking herself in to escape the chaos... No that can''t be."


    One might think that the woman had tried to save herself by locking herself in the room until


    the chaos outside subsided, but that could not be the case.


    Her... Condition was not one of a person who died out of starvation, her body was ripped apart. She had been locked in here.


    She was an elf, not a dark elf, but a normal elven woman, her guts were spilling out of her body and her left leg was gone, torn out from her body. Her lower jaw was gone, nowhere to be found. She was also wearing a blindfold.


    She wore rather simple garments, a robe adorned with golden lines. The original color of the robe was obscured by the blood and dirt on it.


    Something that confused him was that the woman had rtively short ears for an elf.


    The elderly elf he had seen in the meeting back at Shield had longer ears.


    "Maybe it''s something to do with age."


    Perhaps the length of an elf''s ears depended on their age. Like how the strength of a dragons


    scales depended on age too.


    The woman also had strange lines on her body, forming all sorts of shapes, n saw one line run straight up her arms. Her clothes covered everything else.


    Her other leg, the only one she had, was in a sorry state due to him stepping on it.


    There were no sights of rot on her body, it was as if she had died just now, moments prior


    before his entry. But that could not be, her blood had dried long ago.


    Her body simply couldn''t be in such a fine state. There was no sign of dposition besides


    the dried blood.


    "Well, magical it is, like everything else."


    It wasn''t that surprising, he had seen worse stuff than this. Moving the corpse aside, n


    searched the room for anything of use.


    But it was empty, besides the corpse.


    He checked everything, but this ce was a dud. Except for the body of the woman.


    He left the room, but stopped abruptly, just behind the statue of Valus.


    He looked behind, at the corpse, sighing.


    "Where am I even going to bury her? The ground is all darkness..."


    He could not ce her in his inventory, but he could not just leave her here.


    He went back, and picked up the body, an odd idea emerging in his head.


    Perhaps stupid as well.


    Leaving the church, he found a spot free of rubble, he ced the body there, on the empty


    ground... Or darkness.


    The woman''s body fell in, like it was water and n only hoped it would be a proper burial in


    this realm.


    Anything that was not an insult would suffice.

 Chapter 683: [683] The top.

    Chapter 683: [683] The top.


    ?


    A hand, ripped and torn but mending itself, grasped onto a rugged, white surface. The sharp winds, imbued with the mana of the ice element, threatened to rip it apart, but it withstood their relentless assault.


    The rugged surface was as wide as a in, yet it had a remarkably unique, harrowing feature, one that looked like the gate to hell itself, the abyss.


    A hole, one so massive and deep one could not even fathom it''s size, n climbed up, using his chin as a support. His hair was long gone, and his face was riddled with hideous scars from the lightning storm he just went through.


    "Ha..."


    He climbed up fully, gasping for breath. Quickly making a wall of thick ice to shield himself, he forced his mana to go to his heart, and cancelled whatever fortifications he had on him, using aura to speed up the regeneration process.


    He let out a sigh of relief when he was done, and began to construct a tunnel in order to get closer to the hole, shards of ice flying past him, into the fog beneath. Back on Earth, Mount Everest was the tallest mountain ever, even after the changes to the due to the mana explosions.


    It stood at a height above eight thousand meters, but this spear? n was sure he had climbed two Mount Everest. And this was merely half of the spear.


    This was just the part of the shaft that failed topletely pierce Kizmal, the spearhead, and the remaining part of the shaft was in his body, and out from the other side, prating deep into the heart of Lanekia.


    n steadily made his way towards the gaping hole in the spear, tired and out of breath. But he could not stop, or else the wind here would send him tumbling down once more.


    His ice was barely keeping up, the tunnel he was constructing to get closer was being destroyed faster than he could repair it. He would take running from the battle between two dragons over this.


    ''Eh...''


    Well, it depends. He had just escaped it and wanted to rest before going back there again to scour for information. It took him half an hour to reach the hole, one he would have reached in seconds if there was nothing obstructing his way.


    Without a moment of dy, he jumped, or rather fell helplessly into the gaping hole, which was akin to the entrance of the abyss. His ears were finally spared from the sound of the howling wind, blessed with a moment of rest.


    n stared into the darkness as his figure fell down, He did not enhance his eyes with mana just yet in order to see in the darkness. He could do it pretty well even without using mana, but true night vision woulde only when he was a little older, or imbued his optics with


    mana.


    He knew it would take him a while to reach the ground, this darned monument was too tall. For now, he just embraced the cool, safe wind. The sound of howling in his ear returned, but this time, there was nothing to cut deep into his skin, and threaten to send him down.


    He was already going down, but at least this time there was not a threat to his life in the form of broken bones, lightning, and sharp wind.


    n descent was quick, but calm, and refreshing, for some odd reason. He imbued mana into his eyes when he thought it would be right, and was a bit shocked to see two peculiar things. "Is that a fucking elevator?"


    He noticed two things, one, an elevator, and adder embedded into the inside of the spear. He was stunned by it.


    ''... Why can''t you install one on the other side too?!''


    He cursed at whoever had designed that damn thing, would it hurt them to make one outside as well? The elevator he could excuse, but adder outside would be helpful!


    Even if one disregarded the purpose of it, if the person that was able to carve adder into the bone inside, he was strong enough to do it on the outside too. It would have been of great help.


    n wondered why one even constructed such things here, even if one climbed thedder or went up the elevator, where would they go? They would still have to withstand the harsh conditions up above and try to go down the spear, that too with no assistance.


    Why would one even think to do that? But who was he to wonder about it. He had just climbed it, perhaps someone else could do the same.


    n sped up, using his wings to increase his speed tenfold, and soon, his sensitive ears heard the sound of water, along with the crackling of electricity.


    He stopped abruptly when he heard the sound of electricity, praying that there was not something like the fog down there, he would dly take something he could fight, like something with a physical form he could kill.


    The humidity seemed to increase, n saw moss soon enough, blue, glowing moss that eliminated the need to imbue mana in his eyes.


    n approached the walls, and ripped some of it, storing it in his inventory for Alice to experiment with. She would probably have a use for it, alchemy used everything.


    Soon enough, he saw a passage into the spear, he could even smell the water now, all of it,ing from that passage.


    n entered the passage, walked the rest of the way in, the sound of electricity grew greater, along with the sound of water.


    It was like there was a storm ahead of him.


    The sea in the spine of Kizmal, a supreme giant of thunder. It was obvious it would be a storm constantly there. He was the previous monarch of storms, after all.


    But, there was nothing. There was no storm, only a paradise.


    "... This is unexpected."


    There was no rampaging lightning, no restless water, no tsunamis, no thunderclouds... Nothing.


    It was just a vast sea, of glowing water. It was as blue as the skies, and exuded a calming effect. But n knew not to trust it, the most beautiful of things were most vile.


    He peered over the edge, and understood quite quickly that he should not be taking a swim in the water below, for there were streaks of lightning, each of different colors within the water, moving like they were alive.


    Even from a nce, he could tell the power within each bolt of lightning within the water. The yellow ones, he could withstand, the green and purple ones would leave him at the brink of death, whilst the red and ck ones would kill him outright, not even giving him a moment to


    regenerate.


    "So where do I go from here?"


    He muttered, activating dragon eyes in order to find the way, but he had no need to.


    "We train here, this is a great ce for both of you."


    "What the hell?!"


    He jumped back in fright, slipped off the edge and barely managed to catch onto it before he


    fellpletely, sweat pouring down his face.


    He looked up, and yelled.


    "Can you not do that?!"


    "Do what, prince?"


    Azmakul inquired, confused as he stared down at n, who climbed back up. As he was about


    to exin the dangers of appearing unannounced and how he almost died of a heart attack, he


    noticed Azmakul carrying someone over his shoulder, which was Kazikato.


    The boy waved at him.


    "Hey boss."


    "... what are you doing here?"


    Azmakul answered in his stead.


    "It is for training, it was quite a chore to separate the young prince from the bench where he


    was resting, too much rest is dangerous."


    "... I tried fighting him, I lost."


    "Indeed he did."


    "..."


    Azmakul dropped Kazikato. The boy almost cried a tear, massaging his butt. Ignoring his


    actions, he asked Azmakul.


    "What kind of training...now?"


    What the hell were they going to do here? Take a swim? Learn how to fight in water? Or


    increase their resistance to electricity? Or even prepare for the fight against whatever was in


    the heart of Kizmal?


    "It''s quite a dilemma, you see. I have to divide my attention because both of you are so


    different."


    n raised his brows, confused by what he meant, he didn''t talk, though, waiting for Azmakul to continue.


    "On one hand, you, my prince, are excellent in meleebat in your humanoid form, to the


    point I cannot even find a fault in it, but you are terrible at using your true, dragon form. On


    the other hand, the young prince is terrible with meleebat, but exceptional in using hisn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    dragon form.


    It is a dilemma, why are you both so different?"


    n gave Kazikato a weird look, who promptly exined.


    "It''s not my fault, Grandma taught me how to fight like a dragon, I guess. She had me go


    against many things, even her... It was hard."


    He seemed to be on the verge of tears, recalling that memory. The mood had turned strange with it, leaving Azmakul and n with no room to speak.

 Chapter 684: [684] The different types of dragons.

    Chapter 684: [684] The different types of dragons.


    ?


    After Kazikato had stopped sulking, he was forced to stay quiet by Azmakul, and sit down. n could not avoid it as well.


    Azmakul stood before them, his back towards the sea, looking down at the two of them. He coughed, before saying.


    "We have three main body types, or forms, as you call them."


    He opened his hand, and from his palms emerged mana, a copious amount of it, slowly rising into the air in order to form three dragons, connected to each other with a string.


    "They are called Adepta, Soara, Warna, respectively."


    He pointed at the first dragon, the ssical one back on Earth, in stories and folk tales of the west, a dragon with four legs, a quadruped, with menacing horns that rose from its skull, menacing eyes, a pair of wings, and a spiked tail.


    "Adepta possess greater dragon breaths than Soara and Warna, the magic they cast also has added bonuses, they also have great strength, butck versatility and mobility. Her majesty Ariel is an Adepta, the greatest of them all. His highness Kk is one, as well."


    The mana establishing the figure of the ssical dragon from western folklore disappeared, being absorbed back into his body. His finger pointed at the one in the middle, the one he termed Soara.


    It was like his own dragon form, and Kazikato''s as well, which resembled dragons from eastern myths, short limbs, but massive, serpent like bodies with great powers.


    "Soara are the most mobile, they possess greater control of their mana than the other parts, but their strengthckspared to the other two. They have the greatest bite out of every dragon, though. His highness Valus is a Soara."


    ''Huh.''


    He was expecting a bit more, he had always thought his dragon form was a bit special, but it seemed like it was not.


    The figure of the eastern dragon disappeared as well, being absorbed back into Azmakul''s body. He wondered why he even felt the need to do that, n would have just dispersed the mana, he had too much of it to even care for such a little amount.


    Azmakul, naturally, had more, but he was more frugal with it, more than expected.


    "Thest and most versatile is the Warna, while they may becking in terms of strength and mana control, they are perfectly capable of using weapons, as well as having the most control of their bodies. Her highness Lanesha is Warna."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The final dragon was akin to Elijah''s dragon form, a bipedal dragon, reminiscent of a humanoid. They possessed short tails, but strong limbs, and the ability to use weapons so casually with their own bodies was great, if n was being honest.


    All the figures of the dragons disappeared, as Amzakul so graciously continued, he seemed to be... enjoying it.


    "These are the three types of bodies we have, specialties form during our growth, dependent on our choices and preferences."


    He pped his hands, attracting their attention. There was no need to do it, they were already listening tentatively, but the old dragon was enjoying it far too much.


    He never really could go as hard as he wanted on Lanesha, but the princes were a different story. He could mold them as he liked, which may be the worst but best blessing for n and Kazikato.


    But Kazikato asked him a question before he could continue.


    "Is any specific type the strongest?"


    n wanted to hear the answer to that too, so silently waited as Azmakul gave his answer.


    "No, each one has their strengths and weakness, it ultimately depends on the dragon. I am an Adepta, yet have trained myself to make up for my weaknesses. Well, more like I had to, but you get the point.


    Adepta, Soara, and Warna each have their strengths, once you learn how to use them, you will understand."


    Kazikato wanted to ask another question, but Azmakul put an end to it before it could even begin.


    "Now then, both of you, fortunately, are Soara. Your speed, mobility, and precise control of mana are your greatest asset, and your adaptability is second only to Warna. I want both of you to transform, right now, and show me your forms."


    He made way for them by walking towards the side. His message was clear, he wanted them to transform above the sea of thunder. Kazikato sighed, and was the first to do it, reluctant, and tired.


    n had not seen him transform in a while, his most vivid memory of Kazikato''s unique transformation was when he had fought him a long time ago. His form was a bit odd, but dangerous.


    The dragon of bone appeared in a sh of ck and green light, and looked at the two of them, creating a creepy smile. It wasn''t meant to be creepy, but it could not be helped. He was a skeletal colossus that was nothing short of an unholybination between elegance and macabre.


    If it could even be called that. He was not vulnerable like one would expect from a bone dragon, his bony structure was akin to a full body armor, protecting his dragon heart. His body was a fortress that could withstand a deadly siege.


    His head was elongated, with thorn like horns that stretched all the way back, that was pretty standard, the unique thing about his form were the midsections of his body that seemed separate from the rest, at regr intervals along his body.


    He knew first hand how malicious and deadly those sections were... those things could spin independently so fast they could shred through his scales in an instant. He had been hit by them once, and vowed to never allow that to happen again. The speed and attack force Kazikato gained by making those sections move was horrendously overpowered.


    ''Does he have more of them than before?''


    Kazikato seemed to be bigger than what he remembered, but hey, it had been a while since he saw him in his dragon form.


    "Aren''t you going to do it, Boss?"


    He asked, his voice painful to hear. How he was even speaking was unknown to n, he shouldn''t have any flesh, yet he could talk like he did.


    Azmakul looked at him, and urged him to do the same. n sighed, and transformed as well.


    [Dragon transformation(Frost) has been used.]


    It had been a while since he assumed his own dragon form, not longer than Kazikato, but long enough. His dragon form rarely made an appearance, more so because n simply thought it was not needed at the time.


    The first time he had done it, it was against Cheon Ma, the heavenly demon, in the Tower of Trials, that was purely on instinct, and he was driven more by rage and despair there. That time, he was simply acting like he wanted to without thinking too much.


    The second time he had assumed his dragon form was against the fight with the Minotaur


    King, whose home was now owned by Twilight. That was a much better fight than with Cheon Ma. n was actually using his head whilst fighting the Minotaur king, and if someone asked him, he would say he did a pretty good job. The time with Elijah didn''t count, he had not used it well then, nor for long.


    He argued, while he may not be the best at using his dragon form, he was still not as worse as one would expect. He used it when it was necessary, and to the best of his ability.


    It was not his fault he did not get many chances to use his Dragon form. Almost everything he fought could be defeated by remaining as a human.


    Nevertheless, it was a fresh feeling, being a dragon once more. Unlike Kazikato''s menacing


    form, n was a little less menacing. His head was narrow and angr, adorned with sharp and ethereal spikes that fanned outward like a frozen diadem. His body was covered in


    ovepping scales that resembled frosted ss or ice.


    While he may not have something as unique as Kazikato''s spinning segments, what he did


    have were spikes, spikes that emerged from his spin and looked purely for defense. His scales were also sharp, razor sharp. His hair did a magnificent job at hiding some of those spikes, making them a deadly surprise.


    He was a bit bigger than Kazikato, but the difference was minimal. Over all, his form was a bit nd, but much more beautiful than Kazikato''s, but it paled whenpared to Elijah''s form. Why was that man so beautiful no matter what he was? The universe really was on his side,


    annoyingly so.


    "Hmmm. The young prince has a unique form."


    Azmakulplimented Kazikato''s form as he stroked his chin. His gaze moved onto n''s,


    and he let out a whistle.


    "My prince, yours is surprisingly cute. Those spikes are adorable."


    "...cute?"


    n stopped, how was he cute? He was not as menacing as Kazikato, but he was stronger, and


    more powerful. How was that cute?


    "Boss is cute?"


    "I Am?"


    "Yes."


    Well, he was an old dragon, so perhaps their forms, especially his, was cute to him.

 Chapter 685: [685] Swim like a fish!

    Chapter 685: [685] Swim like a fish!


    ?


    His training was not soplicated one failed to understand it, he showed them many things, but it was not to say they could not have learned those things on their own.


    Nevertheless, they did learn some new things, ones that would have taken them a long, long time to discover considering how scarcely they used their dragon forms.


    Since n and Kazikato both shared the same body type, despite some differences, they had been taught the same things. Firstly, was how to use their bodies effectively.


    One thing they shared, was that their bodies were a sharp weapon. Kazikato had his bones and the middle segments on his body, and n had his razor sharp scales and spikes.


    The training came in two forms, one on how to fight against someone of equal or greater size, and the other against swarms of enemies. He suggested that using a humanoid form against a single opponent was better.


    He taught them how most Soara used their bodies, like serpents.


    "We have the great strength, yet our usage of it is not like how you expect. Our bodies find it hard to lift things, but we can use our strength in other ways.


    The biggest advantage of your serpentine bodies is your control of it, you can evade attacks easily, get into a variety of positions. You can strangle your enemies with your own bodies, and rip into them with your scales and teeth.


    Soara have the greatest bite force out of every dragon type, keep that in mind. And your serpentine bodies can use it incredibly well.


    Hell, use poison if you want."


    n and Kazikato looked at him, listening to him talk. It was quiteical, they were tworge dragons, the size of buildings to look at him in his humanoid form, akin to ant.


    Moreover, they were looking up at him. Up! Whenever they tried to look down on him from above, their bodies would be thrown downwards, ruthlessly.


    "... Poison? How? I don''t have the affinity for poison?"


    Kazikato inquired, neither he nor n had an affinity to poison, so that begged the question, how would they use poison? Carry it around, that would be a bit inconvenient when they were the size of a house.


    "You are dragons of death, furthermore, you are Soara, all of them can use poison. Fear not, your poison sacs will develop soon. Also, anything that is able to make your opponent''s body function differently is a poison.


    Your mana, just inserting that into your opponent''s body gives you an advantage. Above all, use the mana of the elements of Darkness and Death, that will give whoever you are facing a fright, along with some others.


    And my dear prince, affinities are not everything..."


    n had to sit through the speech about elemental rtions once more, as Kazikato was getting enlightened. He realized something, however.


    Every dragon had something they obsessed over, to the point of insanity. They would talk about it for hours if it was mentioned, even something close towards it would incite the same reaction. The obsession was transcendent.


    For Lanesha, it was fate, and for Azmakul, it appeared to be elemental rtions. n wondered what his obsession would be, if he had any at all, and how hard it would be to resist the urge to talk about them.


    He prayed he would not be like these two. The lecture kept going for a while, at one point, he got so bored he manifest a sheet of ice, that would act as a mirror and checked his fangs.


    He didn''t find any opening from where poison would be excreted, perhaps those openings would alsoe as he got older.


    The lecture finally ended, and before Kazikato could ask another question and prolong his suffering, n quickly reminded Azmakul of the original goal.


    "Ah, yes."


    All in all, it was not a useful lecture, he simply taught them some tricks and told them to take a closer look at their own bodies, and ways to utilize their bodies.


    But he emphasized originality and creativity, always telling them that each dragon was different, and thus there existed an almost uncountable number of ways to use your own body.


    And then, he had them fight against each other. Something both of them were against, for Kazikato, he was against fighting n out of respect and some fear, considering he regarded n as a big brother and his ''boss''.


    n simply did not want to deal with the spinning mid-sections, he had experienced them once, and hoped he would never have to do it again.


    "Fret not, this is simply practicing for a fight against an opponent of the same size and shape. Magic and usage of mana is not allowed, you can only use your bodies against one another."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    n did not like the idea.


    "What? Only our bodies? You just said he knows how to fight better than in his dragon form! This is not a fair matchup."


    A match using only their bodies was simply one not in his favor. All n had were spikes. Kazikato had much more.


    "Nothing is fair, and a duel where both of you are using magic will alsoe. It''s an exercise, young prince. I will also be giving advice if one of you is in difficulty. You are allowed to use your breaths, however."


    Eventually, he had to fight against Kazikato no matter what, and only using his body as well. His greatest strength was taken from him, but he had to agree as well. Nothing was fair. He could not argue against Azmakul. Still, he should be thankful he could use his breath.


    Both of them took flight and went opposite to one another, staring each other down, waiting for the ancient dragon to announce the start of the duel.


    n had been taught to always be serious during a fight of whatever kind by Arken, but Kazikato was not the same, he was still hesitating.


    n was curious to know what the difference between them was, It had been a while since he fought Kazikato, and he had fought his dragon form only once, and that time, he assumed his bloodline form, that of the phoenix.


    He had never used it after that, it was kind of sad. His bloodline powers were great, but he only used the power of regeneration. Most of the Phoenix''s powers were buffs and consumed a tremendous amount of mana for things he could do normally. Except for the buffs, but he did not have much to do with them as well. They worked best when used on others, and he did not have many chances to use them on the Jade Army. They were already empowered if he was close to them, or if they were in the vicinity of the city. Adding to the effects of the False Crown, they were plenty strong and bloodthirsty. He had never been forced to use the powers of the Phoenix on them, not yet at least. ''That reminds me, I need to ask for some things to sacrifice.''


    Points were expensive, after all! He needed artifacts to sacrifice to the altar, the treasury of a supreme was bound to have good things to sacrifice.


    Azmakul announced the start of their duel, and n rushed at Kazikato, ripping through the


    air with immense speed.


    Kazikato stayed idle, waiting for n to approach, the segments of his body began to move, slowly gaining speed.


    n was wary of those the most, and although Kazikato may not look like he wanted to fight seriously, he knew he would still give it his all.


    n flew upwards, just as he was about to collide with Kazikato, which shocked the boy. He hadn''t expected him to do that, he expected a frontal collision the most.


    n would never let that happen, he soared upward used his tail to strike, but Kazikato avoided it, his segments gaining more speed.


    "Tsk."


    n clicked his tongue, and used his dragon breath. The light of his breath was nothingpared to the light emitted by the sea, but it was still a sight to behold.


    It rained down, and Kazikato avoided it, using the added speed he would get using the


    uniqueness of his body.


    ''Is he nning to tire me out? Or does he just want to umte more speed?''


    n thought, it was strange to see Kazikato still on the defensive. He should have begun attacking. There could only be two reasons he was doing it.


    One was to wait for n to tire himself out, which was stupid. The power of the Phoenix made sure he never ran out of stamina. Kazikato was not stupid enough to not realize that even after


    all the time they had spent together...


    Probably.


    There was only one reason why he was doing it, and it was to umte more speed. If the rotating segments could gain enough speed, they would shred his scales and rip his flesh, and


    make Kazikato faster.


    ''It''s probably that.''


    It seemed he would need to be more aggressive.

 Chapter 686: [876] Swim like a fish.

    Chapter 686: [876] Swim like a fish.


    ?


    The fight was taking an unexpected turn. n had tried his best to get close before the segments could gain enough speed, but all his attempts were rendered useless before soon.


    Kazikato was cautious, incredibly cautious when dealing with n, he did his best in trying to dodge everything n threw at him.


    All n could manage wasnd a few breaths, and they failed to do any significant damage. And it was not like Kazikato waspletely defenseless, he would keep n at bay with his breath, using it only when he had to.


    But now, n could not even get close. The segments had gained even more speed, and now they were a force to be reckoned with. The sheer speed at which they rotated made a natural shield for Kazikato.


    One whose outeryer was made up of wind, and beneath it would be razor sharp bone that would shred anyone who got through the firstyer of wind. It was near impossible to get close to him without suffering.


    n retreated, finally on the defensive. Kazikato had stalled enough, and now, it was time to attack. He got on the offensive, his speed blinding as he rushed towards n and started to attack using his body.


    n was busy trying to run away, using his serpentine body to the best of his ability to evade his attacks, and using a breath whenever possible to damage Kazikato.


    Unfortunately, a breath took time to prepare, and the signs of it being prepared were apparent. Kazikato had more than enough time to respond with a breath of his own.


    Though his breaths may not be a match for n''s, it was enough to provide him enough time to get out of the way, and unleash an attack as well.


    ''Damn it...''


    n was at the losing end, only now he realized how much magic assisted him when he was in his dragon form. He found it hard to fight back now, and if he did, he would have to suffer his body being torn to shreds.


    His scales were tough, resilient, sharp, but it would not be enough to withstand Kazikato, worst, it would mess up his own regeneration if they got stuck in his body.


    "Princes."


    As he was busy evading the torrent of sharp bones that was Kazikato, doing his utmost best to avoid being ground into minced meat, he heard a voice.


    Both of them stopped for a moment, focusing on the figure of Azmakul, sitting down on the edge of the cliff in a lotus position.


    "Analyze not only yourselves, but also the environment."


    Both of them heard it, as clear as ever, even despite the sound Kazikato''s segments produced.


    Both of them stopped for a while in the air, forming a strange but intricate sight, one that would definitely be an inspiration for an artist to create a masterpiece.


    But one thing was clear, the advice was meant for n, he was the one in a predicament. n observed everything in his surroundings, and Kazikato pressed on, adding pressure to n, hindering his efforts to find anything to use in the environment.


    What could even be said about it? As much as n tried to analyze his surroundings... He only found the endless darkness above them, and the sea beneath them.


    ''Does he want me to go there?''


    n hesitated, his gaze focusing on streaks of lightning within the strange water, that behaved like normal fish.


    But before he could look for a second more, Kazikato attacked his eyes. A dragon breath hit him right in the eyes, and Kazikato followed it by using his body to cut n''s face.


    With a roar of pain, he fell down, but evaded the water just in time. Regenerating his wounds, n made a decision.


    He dived into the water, he was unaware of how well he could swim in a dragon. Ideally, he should be able too, but he was not exactly sure. He knew how to swim, but that was as a human.


    He made sure to avoid the lightning streaks, and it did not take long for his body to be submerged.


    The water was surprisingly normal, except for one thing. He could breathe.


    He had not even manifested a bubble of air using mana. He wasn''t even breathing using his mouth or nose. Oxygen was being supplied from somewhere else.


    ''Wait...''


    He did not know where it was being supplied from, but it was a strange feeling, his sides felt...ticklish.


    ''I can breathe underwater.''


    Why did he not realize it sooner...? Of course, a damn frost dragon would be able to perform well underwater. Not on the level of a water dragon, probably, but probably second only to it!


    How did he not realize he had gills? That should have been the first thing he should have noticed. Nevertheless, he expected this development. His eyes functioned perfectly underwater as well, and some other thing he did not decipher just yet.


    Kazikato stared at him from above the water, his figure swaying with the waves above. Kazikato let out a roar, nning to hit n with his dragon breathes.


    But n avoided it all easily, finding peace within the water, he still made sure to avoid the streaks of lightning, however. He was actually performing extremely well within the sea.


    Surprisingly so.


    Kazikato lunged at him, intending to continue the battle in the watery depths, n weed the challenge, waiting for him to arrive.


    He realized it would be best, the surrounding water would restrict the movements of his segments somewhat, and his breath could easily freeze the surrounding water, restricting his movements more.


    n went deeper, intending to make the entire fight an underwater battle for supremacy, Kazikato obliged, diving into the water.


    And just as they were about to collide, their dragon breathes ready. Their bodies were flung upwards, above the water, not of their own volition. They could not even move as they


    wanted.


    Only one person could do that, and they were in front of him soon enough. He had a disappointed look on his face. Somewhat angry as well.


    "You took far too long to realize what you should do, Prince. I understand you do not understand your dragon form as well as the young prince, but even so, that was depressing."


    n did not know what to say, how was he able to know he could actually swim so well.


    ''Damn, I want to go back.''


    He tried his best to wiggle free from the control of Azmakul, and go back into the water, it was incrediblyforting there, but his efforts were for naught, and he was flung back to his


    original position.


    "OW!"


    "And you, young prince. You were performing so well, using your body so well, you evaded and defended well until you acquired enough speed. You were excellent on the offense as well, giving the prince no chance to counter-attack... So please, enlighten me.


    Why would you abandon your advantage, one you gained after wasting so much time and jump into the water, where you would be restricted? There was no reason to do so, unless you have absolutely no other choice, or are strong enough to overpower your opponent even when they have the advantage, there is no reason to burden yourself."


    "But... I thought I was supposed to beat him..."


    "Did I tell you there was a time limit? There was none, neither was there a reward. I would have dered you the winner! You were performing so well, yet you threw it away."


    He had no response to that, Kazikato looked down, ashamed of himself, as n tried to get back into the water, not letting whatever Azmakul had to say affect him. He would need to


    make it more


    He had heard worse from Arken, it was a blessing, really.


    Azmakul did not swear as much as Arken. Arken''s insults, or teachings, were more slurs than normal words. It was a refreshing change of pace.


    Azmakul did not stop, continuing to berate them more and more. It was only having an effect on Kazikato, however. n was still busy trying to jump back into the water. Eventually, he had to stop. n was yanked back to his original position once more, and this time, he gave up trying to return to the water. He had to admit defeat.


    "Haaa..."


    Azmakul let out a long, devastated sigh... and stretched his shoulders?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We are moving up a lesson, This was practice against a simr opponent, now, we will be


    doing it against a muchrger, more experienced opponent."


    Both of them turned to look at him, fear apparent in their eyes, along with disbelief.


    "It is time for your lesson against an Adepta Dragon, Me."


    A blinding light appeared, making them almost go blind. A light so bright and powerful it


    pushed them back, throwing them into the water.


    n and Kazikato rose up, their heads drenched as they looked up in horror.


    || ||

 Chapter 687: [687] Giant Dragon.

    Chapter 687: [687] Giant Dragon.


    ?


    He was like a mountain, wrenched free from the tundra. His crystalline scales caught even the tiniest of light and turned it into a prismatic halo. One that overshadowed even the light of the blue sea beneath, and banished the darkness of the hollow spine.


    His body was a fusion of jagged ciers and sinewy muscle, with ridges of frost-crusted spines running down his neck and back. His wings spanned the sky, membranous sheets of translucent ice stretched taut over spiked, silver-white bones, humming with a faint, chilling resonance as they unfurled, reaching the top of the ceiling.


    "Oh no..."


    He was immense, the secondrgest dragon they had seen, smaller only than Ariel. He was the size of one of her ws. She was the size of a continent or so, so it was understandable. He was a mountain, and that mountain portrayed a smile on his immense face.


    "Practice number 2. A fight against an extremely powerful opponent, one that also dwarfs you in size."


    The icicles dangling from his maw, the supposed beard that he loved to stroke, shook, expressing hisughter.


    "Oh no..."


    This time, it was n who let out the ''Oh no''. Both of them were scared, and neither of them wanted to fight.


    But Kazikato still rushed forward, rising from the water and lunging at Azmakul, he was like an antpared to him.


    n used his tail to grab Kazikato''s tail and stopped him before he could do anything rash. "Calm down, what are you even going to do?"


    Azmakul had not yet attacked them, and the safest thing to do was observe for a while, and ask questions.


    Blindly rushing into a dragon the size of a mountain was a bad idea, a very bad idea. They had to think first.


    "Can we use magic?"


    n asked, as Kazikato backed away, his segments gaining enough speed. Azmakul looked down at them, the glow in his eyes a pale blue, as if winter itself was burned into them. The movement of his mouth to speak was enough to make everything tremble.


    "Of course."


    Without even waiting for something else, n tried to open a portal and run away, he knew fighting a divine being, was out of the question. Azmakul may not go all out on them, using everything at his disposal, but he did not need to go all out to kill them. He was simply testing them.


    He wouldn''t kill them, there was not even the slightest chance of that happening. None at all. n had realized Azmakul was a sort of realist. He would be judging them not on their ability to fight, but to make decisions...


    All the bickering he heard was enough for him to realize. And if he was being honest, one should run from a fight he cannot win. If Azmakul did not want them to do this, then he would be willing to exinter, and even justify it.


    But he could not open a portal, and Azmakulughed as beads of sweat trickled down n''s scaly face.


    "Excellent choice. It is better to run than fight an overwhelming opponent, but what if I don''t let you run?"


    His voice was like thunder, and n struggled to open portals, every time he tried, they would vanish in a second, before they could get big enough for him to fit through.


    "A portal is a delicate structure, the slightest change in mana in the area can disrupt it, one big enough can destroy it. All I have to do is release my mana and make it act wildly in the surroundings, young prince.


    Higher beings do this instinctively, though for other reasons."


    "Kazikato, buy me some time."


    "Huh? What?"


    Before he could evenprehend n''s words, n was gone, his figure disappearing from everyone''s sight.


    *****


    It was an impossible task, they could not do it no matter how much they tried. How would they even try to defeat Azmakul? A divine being? He was going easy on them, but it was still absurd.


    They tried for days, n mostly. Kazikato did not have his regeneration, so his breaks were longer. n, on the other hand, was subject to torturous amounts of beatings.


    They spent days trying to simply injure Azmakul, yet they were unable to do even that. Even n''s [Supreme Meteor] failed to leave a scratch. The spell impressed Azmakul, but it was nothing to his titanic size.


    n tried focusing on size only, but his spells were broken before they could even be materialized.


    Eventually, Azmakul gave up on trying to teach them. Well, it was more like he had nothing more to teach them. They had learned everything they could, the rest would depend on their own growth and the unique features that their body would possess.


    The most significant thing that they achieved during the training was fixing what was wrong with Kazikato''s dragon form. Azmakul managed to help Kazikatobine all of his elemental affinities into his dragon form, unlike the one where his original [Death] affinity reigned supreme.


    Azmakul managed to help Kazikato get over his problem, but n was still an enigma. He had done whatever was asked of him, yet he was still unable to merge his elements into one, singr form. His dragon form was still the same.


    Ice reigned supreme, and even Azmakul was confused as to why it was not happening. If it happened with Kazikato, why did it not with n, who did the same thing? Eventually, they left it and stopped the training. n would have to figure out by himself.


    The constantints also helped to end the training, eventually, Azmakul finally brought them to what he called the ''Chamber.''


    It was where Kizmal''s heart was located, the heart of a lightning supreme...and it was pretty


    normal.


    It was just a wall, one that had an array carved into it, one n and Kazikato could not understand, and a hole which led to the inside. Outside, was a tform. One big enough to


    hold a few Arctic Titans.


    "That is it?"


    Kazikato inquired, as he got closer to the hole, he was stopped by Azmakul before he could go


    inside.


    n was far too exhausted, his face was as nk as the snow fields above, and he did not even speak, he simplyy on the ground, looking at the darkness above.


    Azmakul''s training had wrung him dry, he had no strength to even stand at this point. Of course, all of this was simply mental exhaustion, his strength had long since returned.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes, were you expecting something more?"


    "I was expecting something grander..."


    He had a look of disappointment on his face. Azmakul sighed, and Kazikato stared deep into the hole, trying to uncover its secrets, but his Dragon eyes failed to do so.


    He went back and observed the massive array carved into the wall.


    n opened up his system, the one designed by Ariel. It was crudepared to the original, but it got the job done. The original system was organized, but this one? Ariel simply put


    everything together.


    [Trial of Frost.]


    1: Gain the approval of Lanesha, Supreme of Frost.


    - Completed.


    2:Gain the approval of Azmakul.


    - Completed.


    3: Defeat what lies in the heart of Kizmal.


    - Iplete.


    Reward: Winter Heart.


    [Trial of Shadows.]


    ....


    [Trial of Darkness.]


    ...


    [Trial of Death.]


    ...


    The rest were the same as ever. n was curious as to how long it would take him toplete everything. He was just done with the first trial, and he knew the rest would be even more


    difficult, and unknown.


    It had taken him a while just for the Trial of Frost, the one basically handed to him on a silver


    tter... the rest were bound to be devious, and difficult.


    "What is the winter heart?"


    He stood up and asked, Azmakul turned to look at him and asked.


    "Why do you want to know, prince?"


    "It''s the reward I get forpleting the trial of Frost. You didn''t know?"


    He was surprised, he thought Azmakul out of all people would know the reward for


    completing the trials, since he knew about the trials themselves.


    Azmakul''s gaze turned cold, and he answered.


    "It is an artifact. One, her majesty Lanesha developed herself. There are only two in existence,


    one in her own chest, and one that would be your reward.


    She will give you the lesser heart of winter, I suppose."


    "What does it do?"


    "I have no idea, her majesty made it as a passion project when she was bored. I know of the


    original''s abilities, but I do not know what the one given to you would be capable of.


    My guess is, it would be the ability to use her signature skills."


    n raised his brows, curious.


    "What skills?" If they were the signature skills of a supreme, they had to be good. He won''t be able to use


    them at their fullest potential, but it would be great to have them.

 Chapter 688: [688] Heart of Kizmal.

    Chapter 688: [688] Heart of Kizmal.


    ?


    "Ice Age, Absolute Zero, and Freeze."


    Azmakul listed the names of the three skills, and n looked at him with curiosity burning in his cold eyes, it was clear he wanted an exnation, and Azmakul had to oblige.


    "Ice age is a skill that turns the surroundings to ice, and provides you the environmental and elemental advantage. It is her domain of skill."


    "... That is so normal."


    n was disappointed... Although the name was exnatory itself, he would have preferred if one of the three signature skills of a supreme was super overpowered. Lanesha may not be the strongest supreme, but she was supreme!


    He was kind of disappointed that was all [Ice Age] could do.


    "Normal? Well, you would cease calling it normal if you witness it in action. The ability to turn the tides in your favor and keep them that way is essential, prince."


    "Just tell me what the rest do."


    11


    Azmakul let out a heavy sigh, and continued.


    "Absolute Zero is a single target skill which turns the opponent to ice upon contact." "... And?"


    "And what? It turns the opponent into ice, what more could you want?"


    n didn''t know what to think, it could be that Azmakul simply sucked at exining the grandeur of skills, or if the simple exnation was truly it. Well, he had heard that the shorter the description of the skill, the stronger it would be...


    But this was too nd! He understood the use of the skill, the frost element did not have many single target skills, most of them were area of effect, but just turning the opponent into ice?


    What was so special about that? n could do the same by expelling his mana and ordering it to manifest as ice around the opponent. There would be a difference, but the description was just some.


    Even he, with his disinterested mind, coulde up with a better exnation.


    "And what about [Freeze]?"


    He had some hope for that one, at the very least. The very fact that it had a simple name meant it would be special. After all, why would a supreme being name one of their signature skills [Freeze]?


    The word literally meant the same as what the skill [Absolute Zero] did, so it must have some other effect, and... was he right?


    "Freeze deals with time, it can slow or stop it."


    "Yes!"


    Azmakul failed to understand n''s happiness, he was finding the actions of his prince weird. He did not understand the prince''s squeals of happiness when he found out what the least used skill of his queen did.


    It was the only skill he had been able to copy, and in his eyes, the power of stopping time did not equate to the other skills. Among beings of his level, the first two were far more important than the act of stopping time for a while.


    n did not share hisckluster disy of emotion, he was ecstatic that there would be a skill he would learn that could affect time, it gave him all the motivation to defeat whatever was inside Kizmal''s heart.


    He had his experience with time rted abilities, first were his memories of the numerous iterations that appeared in his dreams, an effect of the artifact, the Chalice of Time used by the dragons to turn back time multiple times.


    Although [Freeze] was not capable of such an effect, it would still be an amazing skill to have. Stopping time, no matter how long, would give him an overwhelming edge.


    The second time he had encountered a time rted ability was with Elijah, and although it was simply a hunch, n knew it was rted to time.


    The gold sand like mana he had witnessed and the fact his body slowed down unrealistically proved it. It may not be as strong as turning back time, but it was still a great ability. He knew he would be able to do a lot more than Elijah with such an ability.


    Definitely.


    "Alright, so if I defeat whatever is inside there, I get the skills, right?"


    "I believe so. Don''t take the challenge too lightly, prince."


    n went towards the tunnel, this time with renewed confidence and motivation to clear it. The past week had been devastating for him, training and everything, but now that he heard that there was the ability to stop and freeze time. The skill [Freeze] was the only thing in his mind, and he had already forgotten about [Ice Age] and [Absolute Zero].


    "Good luck prince."


    Azmakul looked at n''s back as he made his way towards the tunnel, Kazikato following him close behind and stroked his chin.


    Soon enough, their figures disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, signifying they had entered the chamber.


    "I give them... about ten minutes."


    He knew they would not survive the chamber for long, it would take them numerous attempts to even understand the basic abilities of the being within the chamber. While the confidence with which they entered was not a bad sight.


    It was always a bad idea to rush at things blindly.


    He turned his gaze upwards, looking at the array carved into the wall. While it was far tooplex for anyone in the prince''s cohort to understand, he knew the function.


    It was a safety feature, as well as a lesson to the prince. An assurance if things went awry within the chamber.


    "I didn''t expect her majesty Ariel to do it herself, however. She really does care."


    He let out a small chuckle, Ariel could appear to be as cruel as she would like, but the soft spot she had for her family was tantly obvious. Lanesha should have asked her to make the array, but he would like to believe she did out of concern, herself.


    Time passed as he was lost in his thoughts, sometimes, he would peer through the bones of the dead giant and gaze at the castle, his princes castle and observe how the cohort was doing. They should have spent a little more than a year there, training.


    If only the lifespan of a human was not so short, he would not be satisfied even if he made them stay and train for a decade. Even a century. But if he did that, they would probably have


    died.


    Nevertheless, he hoped that the spirits he left in charge did their job well, if they didn''t... well drastic measures needed to be taken. Still, from what he observed, they were doing well.


    ''I wonder how Sabrina is doing...''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Then, he decided to search for the girl that left in a fit of rage, only to find her lost in an endless white expanse, cursing. She had managed to keep herself warm, but finding her way back would be a chore.


    He smiled, and teleported her back to the castle in an instant. She would thank himter on. He did not exactly want to leave her there, where she did not even know her way.


    Her mastery over the basic would keep her alive, but if she was left roaming the vast expanse of Lanekia, it would take her months to simply find the road. He was still disappointed that she rejected his offer, but it woulde to her in due time.


    In his short experience with her, he knew the type of person she was. She would ept the offerter on. Even if she didn''t, he would forcibly make her a dragon.


    He began to tap his feet and hum... something Sabrina used to do to pass the time when there was nothing else. He was counting the seconds as they turned into minutes, confident in his


    conjecture.


    Ten minutes, he gave them ten minutes before they would either be running out from fear, or would be thrown out. Ten minutes...


    He enjoyed in the mncholy of the ce for as long as he could, the sound of his tapping, singing, and the rustling of the waves behind him as electricity swam beneath them was an amusing symphony to his ears.


    His gaze locked in on the tunnel, and he yawned. His mana had formed to create a hand, one big enough to catch something... or someone, and soft as well. So it would not add to their


    injuries.


    The hand made from mana caught someone, and he raised his hand to catch something as


    well.


    "Twelve minutes, My, you surprised me!"


    He said as Kazikato''s unconscious and seriously injured body dropped to the tform, the hand turned into a nket of mana. A spell that would mend his injuries in due time.


    He ced the crystal in his hands on the ground as well. He did not think n would need a healing spell. His regeneration was amazing, his body would reform soon enough.


    "I didn''t expect you two to survive for twelve minutes!"


    He was... proud, instead of being disappointed that he was wrong. He truly did not expect them to survive for that long...

 Chapter 689: [688] Heart of Kizmal.(2)

    Chapter 689: [688] Heart of Kizmal.(2)


    ?


    The path in the tunnel was dark, incredibly so. n and Kazikato couldn''t even see what was inside, even with the usage of Dragon eyes, they could still sense danger.


    The tunnel was not wide, but incredibly long. n took the front, while Kazikato walked behind him, checking for anything, and everything.


    Soon enough, they saw a light in front, the entrance to the chamber. The heart.


    "What do you think it''s gonna be?"


    Kazikato asked, his hands behinds his head, he was taking this a lot more casually than n would have preferred.


    "Probably a giant."


    n answered, what else would there be inside the heart of a dead giant? Whatever was residing there, or put there, would be a giant. Most likely, it made sense.


    But regardless, he was ready for anything. Anything he could hit would be great, he did not want to deal with another entity like the fog.


    He would prefer if thews of physics, that is, it could be hit with his fists, applied to it.


    n and Kazikato entered the chamber, and immediately summoned their weapons. Both of them used weapons that were not ideal in a small tunnel.


    The spear de of the Ame-No-Sakahoko shone, its polished surface reflecting the light within the chamber. It was a pale, cold blue.


    The ground beneath them was hidden behind a shallowyer of water. Their ankles were submerged in the water, and the sky above them was endless.


    There was no source of light visible, yet the entire chamber was lit.


    "How big is it?"


    Kazikato murmured, n turned around, looking at the entrance to this vast chamber. His brows furrowed.


    ''It''s... separated.''


    Space here was odd, something he had never seen, nor felt. He had a closer connection to space, and thus was able to realize that this ce was incredibly odd, this was not the heart of Kizmal.


    This was not even inside the body of Kizmal. His gaze focused on the entrance, and he realized.


    "It''s a portal."


    "What?"


    "That tunnel was a portal, we''re in an isted space. A gigantic one."


    He grew anxious for a moment, and tried to open a portal. Thankfully, that ability was not robbed of him this time. He faced no disruptions in the usage of his spatial magic.


    n let out a sigh of relief. He was finding his main strength be cut off from him far too many timestely. It was infuriating.


    "Boss, do we have to explore? I don''t see anything..."


    n shook his head, and took a stance, the ground beneath them quaked, and the water grew restless.


    "It''sing to us."


    Kazikato followed him, transforming into a Draconian. n stayed in his human form, the one most suited for spearmanship. The mana in the surroundings shook, and electrical sparks could be seen... everywhere.


    And in front of them, he rose.


    From the ground itself, a gigantic body arose, like a dead man rising from his grave, and dwarfed their figures soon enough. A tremendous amount of water, electrically charged, fell down from his massive body.


    n stabbed the Ame-No-Sakahoko into the ground, struggling to withstand the wind released from the giants'' appearance. Kazikato was a step toote, and before he could fly away, n grabbed him by the cor.


    "I wish I was wrong..."


    He had expected to see a giant, but not this gigantic... The being standing before them, or over them, was bigger than even Azmakul, and he was not friendly.


    Quite the opposite, his very presence threatened their existence, swathes of electrical mana dared to annihte them, but they stood strong.


    A giant the size of a mountain, his skin as blue as the sea, with streaks of lightning all around his body, releasing pure energy that was lethal to them. Connected to his back was a gray ring made of unknown materials, arge ring with seven drums, each of monumental size, connected to them.


    Unknown, and living symbols were apparent on the drums, each simr but different from thest. His face was like that of a demon, with tusks the size of hills and eyes as menacing as


    they were bloodthirsty.


    [Dragon Eyes has been used!]


    n used Dragon eyes on the giant before them, as the giant let out a roar that defied their wildest expectations.


    [Name: Kizmal, Epic of Lightning.]


    His eyes widened as he read the name, before the description could even appear, chills went down his spine.


    ''Damn it, Lanesha!''


    Of course the trials would be like this, getting her and Azmakul''s approval so easily had toe at a cost. Kizmal himself was before them, albeit in a lesser form.


    [Race: Lightning Giant.]


    [Lineage: Lightning God.]


    [Rank: SSS+]


    [Attributes: Lightning, Wind, Frost.]


    [Description: A mere fragment of the former supreme of Lightning, one of the strongest giants in existence. His supremacy in the element of Lightning, second only to the Supreme Dragon of Lightning. A giant whose birth caused the death of his home, ravaging it in endless storm and torrents of lightnin . He consumed stars for a living, and his hatred for dragons is second to none. in by the Supreme Dragon of Frost, Lanesha when he attempted to steal the river of frost from her, he rises once more, to enact vengeance on her son.]


    [Skills:]


    [Strength: Epic+]


    [Endurance: Epic+]


    [Mana: SSS.]


    [Agility: Epic.]


    [Intelligence: S+]


    [Charm: SS.]


    Before he could process the information present before him, another window popped up in


    front of him, ck as obsidian.


    [You have received a quest!]


    [Quest: Defeat Kizmal''s Fragment.]


    [Giver: Ariel, Primordial of Death.]


    [Quest Details: Defeat the fragment of Kizmal, use whatever, and whoever necessary. Do not


    fear death.


    [Rewards: Ariel''s eptance, Ariel''s praise, Heart of Winter.]


    [Penalties for failure: Ariel''s disappointment. Ariel''s insults.]


    Everything ended, the windows before him vanished, as if they were never there in the first


    ce the moment he was done reading them. Beads of sweat rolled down n''s face, as he looked at the giant in the eyes, both of their eyes may exude a blue glow, but the glow in the giant''s eyes was sinister... and full of rage.


    His titanic arms moved, splitting the air apart as the massive limbs moved with ease, n felt


    an ominous premonition.


    The giant pped his hands, and one of the drums on his back shone with incandescent light, and n''s eyes widened as the amount of mana that was being utilized far surpassed


    anything he had ever done.


    "Fu-Fuck...!"


    He did not hesitate, he did not wish to be annihted in a second, using all his strength, he threw the stunned Kazikato in the opposite direction, as far as he could, for his own safety.


    Not wasting another second, he used [Instantaneous Teleportation] to teleport far from hisn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    original location.


    *CLAP*


    The giant pped his hands, and the shining drum unleashed its force in full, a beam of pure electrical energy shot out,rge enough to level an ind, reached his original position in an


    instant.


    There was no traveling time, it was instantaneous. As soon as it was unleashed, it reached the intended location. Not even his dragon breath was fast.


    The sound produced from the p was enough to rip n and Kazikato''s ears apart, turning their sense of bnce into a shambles. n could regenerate them quickly, but Kazikato was not so lucky, he could not mend his ears so quickly.


    He kneeled over, clutching his ears, blood flowing down, dyeing his ivory bones a shade of malignant red. Even his Draconian form was helpless before the attack.


    "Kato, run!"


    The giant had already chosen its prey, and it was not a patient hunter. Its power dawned on


    the weakened dragon, as n yelled at Kazikato, begging him to run.


    The drum shone once more, and n got up, teleporting to the struggling Kazikato.


    *CLAP*


    He, too, wasted no time in assuming his Draconian form, and picked up Kazikato, moments before the eviscerating beam hit them. Since he could not teleport with him as well, he flew as fast as he could. Opening a portal would consume too much time.


    Enough for the beam to annihte them. n rushed towards the entrance, as the beams followed close behind, throwing him forward with the force they unleashed unto the realm.


    *CLAP*


    He had given up on mending his ears, the giant would effortlessly rip them apart as soon as they would regenerate, his sense of bnce, and perception faltered, but he kept on, advancing towards the entrance.


    A bolt of lightning hit them, weaker than the beams, but still lethal to them. Enough to leave


    them at Death''s door.


    n fell down, barely grabbing Kazikato and throwing him towards the entrance with all the


    force he could muster.


    He struggled to get up, his muscles paralyzed, the power of the giant shed with his regeneration, and the brutal battle left him in tatters. It was taking him all he had to simply prevent the paralysis. He could heal the rest of the woundster...


    But would the giant spare him a second to regenerate? Already enraged at the escape of one


    prey, he rained down his thunderous might onto the remaining one.


    *CLAP*


    n could not even teleport anymore, his eyes rendered blind by the powerful light as the beam of energy hit him, moments before he was about to enter the tunnel himself. Evaporating his body, like it was water, and not the durable flesh of a dragon.

 Chapter 690: [690] Kizmal.

    Chapter 690: [690] Kizmal.


    ?


    It was a strange, new, and disgusting feeling. He had been hurt before, his body had been on the brink of death many times, mutted beyondpare. He had been on the brink of


    turning to dust as well.


    His heart had been dangling out of his body, his eyes, and multiple other organs as well, but he had been able to survive.


    Never before, however, had he beenpletely annihted like that. His entire body gone, evaporated. Not a single drop of blood left behind. Everything was gone, only his heart remained.


    It was a chore to regenerate, n could feel his bodye back, but his senses were gone. It was like he could not breathe, but could... but death would note.


    It was... weird. His entire body regenerating was a sensation he did not want to feel again. It may not be painful, but it was definitely not something he would like to experience once


    more.


    "Are you awake, prince?"


    The first thing he saw was the mask, as he opened his eyes, struggling to make sense of everything. His eyes were blurry, and less than a dragon''s should be.


    Azmakul''s face loomed over him as he let out a chuckle, n struggled to get up, his control over his body a bit... less. He was inferior.


    "What the fuck..."


    He cursed, resisting the urge to vomit. Eventually, he gave up, and released the contents of his stomach in the sea below.


    What even was inside his stomach besides the acid? His body had just been made whole once more... There should not be anything there.


    Azmakul patted n''s back, and when he was finished releasing the contents of his stomach into the sea, he asked.


    "What the hell happened..."


    He clutched his head, and looked at the surroundings. He found Kazikato sitting at the edge of the tform, gazing into the cerulean sea, his face nk.


    "You underestimated the trial, and were defeated."


    n snapped back.


    "Underestimated? That was an epic being? How are we supposed to fight a giant like that?!"


    Azmakul chuckled, his answer clear and simple.


    "You fight. That is how. Don''t fear death, you don''t need to. Just go in as many times as it takes and take that giant down, no matter what."


    Before n could retort, he continued.


    "Whatever you must do, whoever you must use."


    n stayed quiet, and stood up. He stumbled for a while, but regained his sense of bnce fairly quickly.


    "Ah, damn it... I don''t ever want to experience that again."


    "Then make sure your escape is perfect."


    n ignored his words and walked over to Kazikato, and asked.


    "Are you good?"


    The boy turned his head upon hearing his voice, and said.


    "Yeah, how are we supposed to beat that thing..."


    n sighed.


    "We just try again and again. At least we know something about it now. Block your ears with mana, disable them even if you can. Let''s go again."


    Although Kazikato was reluctant, he agreed and followed n.


    "Aren''t you going to wear something first, prince?"


    n made an abrupt stop, and only then realized he waspletely nude. A wave of embarrassment struck, and he hurriedly took out spare clothes from his inventory and put them on.


    "Why didn''t you tell me before...?"


    n and Kazikato were ready to try once more, and as they entered the tunnel, n made an abrupt stop, the cause being Azmakul.


    "Good luck, It is time I bring your cohort here, prince."


    "No."


    n rejected the idea, it was idiotic to bring them here. n himself was not fast enough to survive the beams of pure energy the fragment of Kizmal unleashed, everyone else would die helplessly.


    He also could not even withstand it. His body was far more durable than all of theirsbined. If he was evaporated within seconds, it would take them an instant.


    No amount of defense they could conjure could fight against that devastating beam. They could only avoid it. And n was not confident he could open portals for them all in such a short period of time.


    He could regenerate from nothing but his dragon heart, but they could not. He would rather experience that strange and disgusting feeling than watch them die helplessly.


    Even Alexander would be of no help there, and he was strongest after them.


    "There is no need to bring them here."


    "Then why did you bring them to this? Prince, do whatever is needed to defeat the fragment, and use whoever is needed. Fearing death when facing an opponent of his caliber is


    simply idiotic."


    "Oh, so you mean I let them die, so I have a better chance?"


    "Yes."


    The reply was cold and quick, silencing n. Kazikato remained quiet, unsure of what to say. They knew Azmakul was not one to really care for them, but his words were too harsh.


    n clicked his tongue, and ordered.


    "Don''t bring them here."


    He entered the tunnel, Kazikato following in tow, fidgeting. The atmosphere had suddenly turned bleak, just like their odds of beating the fragment of Kizmal.


    n and Kazikato entered the realm once more, and this time, Kazikato assumed his dragon


    form instead.


    His new form, one a perfectbination of all the elements of house Shivalkn was a sight to look at. No longer was a hollow, ivory dragon of bone.


    Shadows congealed around his body to constitute flesh, an outeryer. The true body was hidden beneath all those shadows, covered by ayer of darkness. His tail was covered in thick ice, and it could act like a club as well as a spear.


    n had originally thought it was darkness that constituted the flesh, but he was wrong. ording to Azmakul, Kazikato''s attributes aligned with the elements of [Shadow] and


    [Death] greatly.


    He was still confused as to what the difference between darkness and shadows was, but let it


    go at the time.


    n transformed as well, to a frost Draconian. He did not transform into a dragon just yet. Summoning the Ame-No-Sakahoko once more, he began to ready a [Supreme Meteor].


    Kazikato''s segments continued to gain speed, at maximum velocity, he would be able to evade those beams of electrical energy easily.


    He, too, was preparing a fearsome dragon breath. Both of them had nned to attack the giant with their strongest skills the moment he appeared.


    And it did not take long, the fragment of Kizmal rose from the ground again, in the same


    manner. n yelled.


    "Buy me a little bit of time!"


    It would still take him some time before he could unleash the full might of [Supreme Meteor] and he needed Kazikato to draw the giant''s attention. As much as he could... so he would not notice the meteor forming in the sky.


    Kazikato obliged, and lunged at the giant. The fragment of Kizmal was met by a devastating breath as soon as he opened his eyes. Kazikato had aimed at the giant''s eyes on purpose. And he did not miss... It was hard to miss when the target was the size of ake. The giant let out a shriek, as it''s flesh rotted.


    Wild shadows appeared, ravaging his face. But they were vanquished by the giant in mere moments, enraged, he moved his titanic arms and pped.


    A drum on his back lit up, and Kazikato evaded the eviscerating beam, barely. He was stunned


    for a moment, and that gave the Giant enough time to notice the meteor hurling at him.


    ''Shit...''


    n did not have enough time to manifest a gravity field, but he was confident the meteor would do some damage to the fragment of Kizmal. It may be inferior to him in size by many


    times, but it would still do damage...


    It had to do damage...


    The fragment of Kizmal was quick, despite its size, and pped his hands once more as both n and Kazikato suffered from the shock. Another drum on his back lit up, and unleashed another beam of annihting prowess.


    Only this time, the target was not so fragile. The meteor withstood the beam, and continued forth, its speed was decreasing, but that did not matter.


    It still continued forth... and that was enough for n. He quickly regenerated his ears.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Blocking them with mana did little to withstand the thunderous sound of the p. Kazikato was paralyzed for a moment, so he had to take matters into his own hands.


    n quickly performed [Abyssal Spiral], the third technique of the [Chaotic Spear] battle art.


    He knew anything less would not damage the giant.


    Gigantic spears, each a perfect replica of the Ame-No-Sakahoko descended from the skies of this seemingly infinite realm, and struck the body of Kizmal.


    The giant screamed in pain, A golden armor engulfed n, as he performed the third movement of the Heavenly Sky Spear, [Heavenly Armament]. He would need as much defense


    as he could get against this foe.


    Flying up, he thought to prepare a breath, but stopped, opting to stab the Giant''s other eye


    instead.


    His breath, while powerful, would be nothing to the massive body of Kizmal in his Draconian form. His dragon breath in his dragon form would suffice.


    He teleported in front of Kizmal''s other eye, and looked at the blue surface of it with contempt, streaks of lightning danced within. He stabbed it, using the second movement of


    the Chaotic Spear Art.


    But things did not go to n...


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