《Adventures Of A Goblin》


 Chapter 1 Day 1 (The Beginning)

    ?Opening my eyes, the first thing i was beholden with, is me being surrounded by a pitch ck darkness.


    Where is this?...., where am I?.....


    what is thest thing I remember?...


    I asked myself, wondering who could have happened to me.


    that is right, I died.


    I remember it now, I was tired of everything and eventually gave up on living and so Imitted suicide by drowning. Those damned loan sharks would probably be crying their eyes out by now.


    eheh....., they thought they will at least get my kidney as payment for my debt but now they get nothing, Ha.., in the end it is my win.


    This darkness that I am surrounded with, is it hell?...., I have heard stories about hell that says the manner of one''s death is the kind of hell that one will be assigned with.


    If I died by drowning does that mean I will continue drowning in hell?. My body does not feel heavy nor is my face concocted with water. If I am not drowning then where am I?.


    My legs?, I can feel it. My arms?, I can also feel it. My eyes?, they are heavy, it feels like it''s sealed shut. I need to open them, it''s the only way I can know where I am and what is going on.


    i focused on the muscles on my brow and slowly lifted it up. what is this on my face?. A blue panel with weird writings on it


    ¡ñName : ?


    ¡ñRace : Goblin Cub


    ¡ñJob : ?


    ¡ñLevel : 1


    ? ¡ñHp : 100


    ¡ñMp : 10


    ¡ñSp : 100


    What is this?, someone get this off of my face. I stretch my hand to shift the panel away from my face and I was shocked to see what had be of my hand.


    Small?, my hand is small, not only is it small but it is also green. What happened to me?, Why is my hand like this?. is this the after effect of soaking in the water for too long?.


    Someone must have saw me drowning and rescued me, if that is so, I should be in the hospital by now. damn it, damn it, what is wrong with people and their notion of good?,


    you saw me jump into the water willingly, doesn''t that tell you enough of what I wanted, so why would you go out of your way to save me. Damn it, just when I thought I finally escaped the loan sharks,


    I will also have to start thinking of how to pay the hospital medical bills, those damned doctors won''t even consider my attempt at suicide and still pester me for bills.


    Thanks to the help of a nonsensical Samaritan, my debt has now gone up a nudge. damn it, damn it, damn it all.


    wait a minute....., before I start panicking, Is an hospital room always this dark?....., am I not in the hospital as I thought I was?, if this isn''t the hospital then where am I?.


    Stones?..., all around me, all I feel is hard ground and rubbles shaped like small stones. I need to get up and look for a way out of here. urguh....., my body really is heavy,<novelnext></novelnext>


    no matter how much I try to move it just won''t budge. I can''t just stayying down like this without knowing what is going on, first I should deal with this annoying panel on my face.


    urghurgh, urghurgh..., This thing is weird,


    why?..., just why the hell is it not fading away?. no matter what I do, it just sticks to my face and even my hand keeps passing through it.


    I need to stay calm, panicking won''t solve anything or get me anywhere In this situation. think..., think....,


    what do I need to do?, what can I do while I am still unable to move?.


    my hand is green and for some reasons unknown, my body is heavy. my surrounding is also pitch ck, That is all I know for now.


    I can''t specte much from just this little information. I need something more, Something that can give me a grasp of what situation I am in.


    what about my speech?, can I talk?


    "gurgur....."


    what the hell was that?, was that me trying to talk?, why in the hell do I sound like a kid?, how is this possible?, what happened to me while I drowned?.


    calm down, calm down me.., nothing will solve itself by just yelling and asking.


    To rephrase the event,


    My surrounding is dark, my hand is green and I seem to have turned into a kid, perhaps that is why my body is heavy rendering me unable to move.


    if my hand is green does that mean my body is also green?....., I was only able to notice the color of my hand thanks to the small light the panel on my face produced,


    there is no way of telling if the rest of my body is just as green as my hand because of the darkness I am in but it is not too far fetched of a theory considering the biggest absurdity just happened to me.


    For now I will assume my whole body is green just like my hand.


    alright, I am in total darkness, in a child''s body and my body is green.


    wow....., some weird ass shit really is going on with me. Even weirder is this panel on my face that refuses to go away no matter what I do.


    It looks like one of those things that shows up in a game setting, especially with the MP and HP stuff. If that is how it is, does that mean I am in a game world?...


    no, no, no...., how did I suddenly go from drowning to being inside a game?, it makes absolutely no sense, but then again none of this makes any sense to begin with.


    Trying to escape from the ridiculous amount of debts owned to the loan sharks, I tookfort in suicide and thrust myself to the deeper ends of the Ocean.


    Thinking I would finally be able to greet my hellish days as a debtor goodbye, not sure of where I am, I opened my eyes only to be surrounded in darkness.


    A green skin in the body of an infant with a game panel on my face,


    Just how the hell did my life take a three sixty degree turn from me wanting tomit suicide,


    Just what the hell is bing of my life?.

 Chapter 2 Day 2 (Eating

    ?"..."


    "..."


    it is too quiet.....


    "..."


    I wonder for how long I have toy on my back like this?.


    "gruuuuu....."


    Not now stomach. Even if I say that, it is not like I have control over it. I should find something to eat, but where can I?, in this pitch darkness and with my body rendered immobile.


    "gruuuuuuu....."


    Damn it, I have to do something or I might end up dying of starvation.


    "gruuuuuuuuu...."


    like it or not, I have to move my body, I have to force it to move. I will muster up whatever power I have in it and forcefully move.


    As an infant, my legs are too small to make any movement, what I can do now is crawl. I will crawl on my four to wherever it is I can find food.


    Move..., move..., move...., Nice...., I managed to roll my face to the ground.


    thanks to the dim lighting from the blue panel, I am able to see a little bit of what is in my front. Who knew it would work pretty well as a torch.


    food, food, food...


    "!!!"


    wh....what is this?, hmm...., this?, It feels squishy..., what is it?... flesh?..., A green flesh to be more precise.


    this is no doubt the flesh of a human, or at least something akin to a human since humans don''t have green flesh. If this is the finger, the head should be at the top.


    I will follow the finger to find the top and use the blue panel light to see what the face looks like.


    eieekkk...


    A....a.....,a monster,


    I....i....I need to run.....


    I struggled on my fours to get as far away from the monster with two sharp canine teeth, two very long ears and a stretched out nose. The speed I was able to achieve despite my attempt is equal to that of a hundred year old turtle.


    Hold on a minute...., Something is wrong?, even though I am moving so slow, the monster has not attacked me when it definitely could have.


    Now that I look at it more closely, it is not moving. A pale green skin, not beautiful pale, it''s more of a famished pale. It''s mouth wide open and it''s eyes closed, did it starve to death?, what a pitiful soul it is.


    I must say though, I have never seen a monster like this before, Is it a deformity or some sort of rare cancer disease that causes the skin to go green and the teeth bing more beast like?.


    "gurghugh..."


    I can''t put my thoughts together....., my mind....., it is going nk.


    Hp > 100-99-98-97-96-95-9


    SP > 100-99-98-97-96-95-94-5.


    "gurghugh...."


    I really need to find something to eat else I might die of hunger. I refuse to die a second time without knowing what is going on. Food..., where can I get one?...., I am ready to eat anything....


    "!!!!"


    yes...., anything..., as long as I can survive, I will eat anything. Think nothing of it, this is for the sake of my survival.


    It is said that in desperate moments, humans are ready to resort to any solution, good or bad to get out of their despair and I am no different.


    Starting from the hand, I dip my teeth into the skin of the monster and managed to tear out a spoonful of flesh. it is softer than I had expected and surprisingly tasty to eat.


    HP > 9-10-11


    SP > 5-6


    hmm....., The more I eat, the more the wordings in the blue panel seems to change. Come to think of it, that time I was starving, the HP and SP started decreasing rapidly.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Is it perhaps reacting to my condition?, that is the only exnation I can think of. When I am hungry the number goes down and when I am eating, the number goes up again.


    It is almost like an health notification app. I wonder what will happen if the number reaches zero, If it does, will I die?. I am curious but I am not ready to risk my life to find out.


    This meat?, I thought I would hate it because I am eating it raw but I don''t. tender, soft, easy to chew and delicious.


    [Ding]


    [kin-eater skill acquired]


    [kin-eater Lv1 > can only be activated when the user is feasting on its blood rtives]


    [effects > experience gained when feasting on its blood rtives will be doubled]


    [Kin-eater activated]


    [100 experience points gained]


    [100 experience points gained]


    [100 experience points gained]


    [total experience points gained will be multiplied by 2]


    [.....]


    [600 experience points gained]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    ¡ñName >?


    ¡ñRace > Goblin Cub


    ¡ñJob >?


    ¡ñLevel > 6


    ¡ñHp > 160


    ¡ñMp > 60


    ¡ñSp > 160


    what is all this?, Messages from nowhere just kept on appearing on the panel board.


    This really feels like a game right now with all the level up notification,


    I can also feel some slight changes in my body,


    It feels less heavy and more sturdy, I feel like I have upgraded from being an hundred year old tortoise to an eighty year old tortoise. As I thought, it seems I am indeed in a game.


    Is this like one of those cases where one is kidnapped and used as guinea pigs by scientists to test their new crazy invention?, why go through those trouble when they could have just met with me and offered to clear off my debts, in return I will dly be their Guinea pig.


    I do wonder what kind of gamepany is able to project this much reality into a game. The hunger experience, the taste of the meat and even the smell in the atmosphere all feels too real to be a game.


    Last I checked, I don''t think technology has advanced up to this stage in the virtual projection.


    What if?... Just what if?.... This isn''t a game and it is in fact reality?.


    "...."


    Hahahah...., who am I kidding..., is my head so messed up that I can no longer differentiate between a game and reality....,


    A reality where I am eating raw green monster flesh and I still find it tasty, A reality where I am a green infant..., Such a thing can never be a reality.

 Chapter 3 Day 3 (First Encounter)

    ?Today marks the third day since I opened my eyes to this game world. I am starting to think that this might not actually be a game anymore.


    I have managed to avoid not dying by feeding on the monsters body. Whoever made this game has some really weird ass fetish.


    Producing a game with this much realism and making the user have to rely on a dead raw monster''s body for food, Furthermore, giving me an infant character...


    Damn, that producer definitely has a screw loose somewhere, People like that belong behind the bars of a psychiatric ward and not as a scientist. I do start to wonder how long they n on having me here for.


    Sigh...., I am bored. Being an infant, I can''t move around much. All I can do is to continuously count the fingers on my hand to whisk away time.


    It is fascinating to see how much efforts the scientists have put into projecting a sense of realism into this virtual world. Even though I was kidnapped against my will, I still feel the need to give them the praise they deserve.


    what should I do..., what should i do..., I am tired of counting my fingers and even going so far as counting the lines in my palm.


    That is right....., The blue panel in my front.


    The level in the blue panel has increased again and also the kin-eater skill. After eating the monster''s body for two days, the level has risen to nine and the kin-eater has gotten to three.


    kin-eater?....,. hmm....., now that I think of it, is kin not another word for family?..., The blue panel showed the kin-eater when I ate a part of the green monster''s body, even if I am an infant, my hand is green.


    assuming that the rest of my body is as green as my hand, when i ate the green monster''s body, the blue panel disyed kin-eater which can also be tranted as family eater...


    hmm... That cannot be it right?... It cannot be what I think it is right?... Yes....., There is definitely no way it is. Even if it is what I think it is, I have nothing to worry about because after all, this is a virtual world.


    "gro....wl"


    "!!"


    what was that?, it sounded like my stomach but I don''t think an infants stomach can sound that coarse.


    "gro...wl....., gro....wl"


    that is definitely not the stomach of an infant. I think it ising from the far end opposite me.


    "gro....wl"


    "!!!!"


    whe..whe, when did it get so near me?.


    "munch, munch, crunch, crunch".


    It is eating my food....., The food I left over is definitely being eaten..., damn it.., damn it... if it finishes it all, what will I rely on to survive?.


    whatever that thing is, I hope it falls into a pit and meet its death. As for me..., I will continue to stayying while pretending to be dead. The sound it made is enough to frieghten me into submission.


    I don''t want to look, I don''t even want to know what it is..., Please just leave after you are done with eating my precious food....,<novelnext></novelnext>


    I willingly surrender it to you. It is better to die of hunger then having your limbs torn apart one by one by whatever is making that sound.


    is it gone yet?


    ha..... My precious food..... my extremely precious food..., How will I live on now that the beast has taken my food?


    "gro....wl"


    what the....., Is it still nearby?.... where...!!, oh my God...., My face..., It is staring right down at my face... It''s saliva has drooled on my face....


    what should I do?..., what should I do?...


    no...., there is nothing much I can do except to y dead. The moment i open my eyes to stare at it is the moment I will meet my doom. If that happens, the operators might not want to reward me with anything.


    I have to survive for as long as I can to get that reward money. Please go away....., Shoo...., there is nothing much to see here but a dead green infant.....,


    ....?, it would not eat an infant would it?, no matter how mindless a beast is, surely it would not do something so cruel as to devour an infant. Even a mindless beast has something called maternal/paternal instinct they show towards a Cub.


    hmm....., thinking of it now, I have watched an episode of animal wildlife where a cheetah captured an imp''s Cub and ate it.


    I should open my eyes a little and take a peek at its movement, I can''t be sure that it won''t eat me just because I am ying de.....


    "!!!!"


    this bastard really wants to eat me!!.., I need to move my body out of its mouth range.., move, move, move....,


    I don''t know how I did it specifically, perhaps it was due to the sense of death dawning on me and the adrenaline rushing all over my body thus granting my infant body unexpected agility.


    I used the momentum to roll my body out of the way and barely avoiding bing the monsters food. I managed to escape death but in doing so I have revealed myself to the monster.


    no matter what I do now, I can no longer escape from it as it has set its eyes on me. uhuh?..., is that blood in its mouth?....


    The green monster did not have any blood in its body when I was eating it so how did this monster get blood in its mouth?, has it killed something else beforeing here or maybe...


    "!!!!"


    blood is dripping down from my body?...


    whi.....which part is it?..., my...my....my left arm..., It''s gone..., my.....my left arm is gone, it ripped it off..., that damned bastard ripped my arm off...


    "whargha....., whargha....., whargha....."


    it hurts...., it hurts so bad...., someone please make it stop....., anyone....., please stop this pain..., I beg of you....., please..., please..., please stop this pain...., I can''t take it anymore....., Please.....


    The pain kept spreading all over my body and all I could do was squirm in extreme pain with the beast watching in excitement.

 Chapter 4 Enlightenment Attained

    ?what kind of a shitty situation is this?, Am I really in a virtual world as I thought I was?....., This intense pain that keeps throbbing on my left arm does not feel virtual..., The red blood that is dripping along with the pain does not look virtual...., Can this really be called a virtual reality?.


    What if?....., Just what if..., What if this isn''t a virtual world and all of this is real?..., I brushed it off earlier as an absurd thought but this pain I am feeling is assuring me otherwise.


    Thinking about it clearly, why would anyone want to put a fellow human in an horrendous situation like this for the sake of collecting data?


    ....?


    Okay...., maybe there are people like that but why would they go so far as doing that in a virtual world and even more in this kind of situation.


    This doesn''t make any sense at all. I can''t ce my hopes on this being a virtual reality..., There is only one thing I have to ept now...., If I die here, I have no idea what awaits me at the end.


    Virtual or not, I have to survive. My first priority right now is surviving against this beast. I refuse to die at the hands of a beast..., I refuse to have my limbs thorn apart by this beast...


    I will survive....., I will survive this God forsaken situation I have been dealt with. No matter what happens, I will definitely survive.


    [Ding]


    [enlightenment attained >  a minimum acknowledgement of the current situation has been attained]


    [enlightenment Lv1 > Human=Goblin Cub, Deathbyrinth, Kin-eater=mother, wild dog=death]


    [reward for achieving enlightenment Lv1 > Racial attribute unlocked]


    [Racial attribute > Dirt ignition > MP > 10]


    [Dirt Ignition > gather dust particles from the surrounding and mold it into a palm sized dirt].


    [Hp > 160-159-158-157-156-155-154-153-152-151-122...]


    [SP > 160-159-158-157-156-155-154-153-152-151-101...].


    damn it...., damn it..., My HP and SP are dropping fast, It feels almost like my life expectancy is being calcted by it.


    What can I do?..., What can I do to get out of this sticky situation?...


    "..."


    That beast is not making any movements at me and is just observing me at a distance. Does it make you feel good seeing an infants struggle for life?, You psychotic bastard, I refuse to give my life to a beast like you.


    Anything....., Anything at all that can help me out of this sticky situation....


    The blue panel, It has been ringing on my head ever since that beast showed up. Perhaps there is something about it that can help me out...


    Anything....., Just anything, I will dly take it....


    "scroll.....".


    This are all just nonsense notifications that will not be helpful for this situ.....


    "?..."


    this is.... This is a skill right?...., I might be old but even I know a game skill when I see one. let me see.....


    Dirt Ignition?....


    How can something like that help me in a situation like this?. This damned world,


    If you are going to make me a baby at least give me a skill to protect myself with. What use does Dirt ignition have in a situation like thi.....


    hmm...., I shouldn''t give up hope just yet. There is a saying that there is no such thing as useless, the right moment is what really matters.


    If I think carefully depending on the situation, Dirt ignition does not seem like a useless skill, I just have to be the one to find the right uses for it.


    Right uses..., Right uses..., ahahah..., What right uses can there be for a skill that only gathers dust particles


    ....?


    Gathers dust particles?....., I can use this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This beast is certainly not willing to take any risks, It knows that my body will eventually copse due to too much blood loss from my left arm and is waiting for that moment.


    Being careful in front of an infant?, Is that it''s intuition as a beast or an arrogance of a superior?. Whatever it is, it worked out well for me.


    First of all, I need to attend to the bleeding situation on my left arm If I don''t want to die of blood loss.


    The solution I have for stopping the bleeding in my arm is both crude and extremely painful but if I want to survive, I have to do it.


    how do I activate the dirt ignition skill?, Do I just think of it or..., it is working.


    now I just need to think of the dust particles gathering in the joint in my left arm and closing up the wound. I sure hope it works after all this pain I have to go throughhhh.....


    "hnhhghg..."


    It....., It is working.., I can feel the bleeding has reduced. My HP has also stopped falling. That is one problem taken care of, next is to deal with this prideful arrogant beast.


    To proceed with my n, I need to be within its range of at least a feet close. With my speed, I will be cut down by its ws before I can even get close to it much less activating my n.


    My only avable choice is to wait for it toe to me but with its nature, it won''t make a move unless it is assured of my death. The only other option I have left is to y dead.


    I will render myselfpletely immobile and wait for it toe to me before I do anything, To deceive the beast, I need to act out the perfect death scene.


    I releases all tension from my hand with my eyes closed and my tongue stuck out. The pose of a dead chicken is the act I went with.


    Now all I need to do is not make a sound until it gets close to me.


    I do hope this is enough to fool it.


    "....."


    *ten minutester


    "....."


    Come on....., You have two choices here, eithere and eat me or leave me be and go your way. Which would you choose?.


    *twenty minuteter


    "...."


    ahhhhhh..., this is so frustrating, Juste eat me already....


    " grraa....."


    that is right.., Come eat your delicious infant meat.


    "grraaa..."


    Almost there...., Almost there.....,


    "grra....."


    Now!..


    skill > Dirt Ignition.


    I concentrated the dust particles gathering on the eyes of the beast to block its vision.


    The usual reaction to having dust invade your eyes is to either continue blinking at a fast pace or to close your eyes and use your hand to scratch the eyes. This beast was no different as it moved ording to my prediction.


    while it is preupied with trying to get the dust out of its eyes, I sprung into action. I mustered up whatever strength was left in me and lept at the beast''s face


    I dug my right hand through its eyes and bit my way through its skull then wrapped my legs around its neck. The beast struggled to keep me off of its face but I strangled its head more and put it in a choke hold with all my body weight.


    I continued to bite my way through its skull and dig my fist into its eyes as it continues to resist me. The Victor of this encounter will be decided by the one who can hold out the longest.

 Chapter 5 First Kill

    ?huff...., huff....., A tenacious bastard it is. I had to strangle it for hours before I could bring it down on its knees, even then it still struggled by scratching its paws on my body.


    It''s aim wasn''t straight because I was on its neck but it seeded on giving me marks on my body. The marks are not fatal so I will survive, but if I had let go just a little bit, I would have died.


    what a stubborn beast it is.


    [ding]


    [you have sessfully killed a Lv1 wild dog]


    [hundred experience point gained]


    [you have leveled up]


    Damn it..., After all that pain I went through, it was only a Lv1 wild dog. On second thought, I should be grateful I managed to survive an encounter with it.


    Even though it was only a Lv1 wild dog, it was still bigger and faster than I was. If I hadn''t made use of my brain, no doubt I would have died.


    After my Lv went up, I felt all my fatigue and pain washed away, At the end of it all, it is a win for me and a loss for it. The body will also stock up my food reserves.


    I now have the time to take a look at the blue panel. Notifications wereing in at the time when I was facing the wild dog so I didn''t have the time to check it all, I only focused on the notification that could keep me alive and that was the Dirt ignition notification.


    hmm...., here it says enlightenment of current situation acquired. Enlightenment means to know, to understand. The enlightenment only appeared after I decided not to assume this world was a virtual world but instead to convince myself that it was indeed a real world.


    Going by such logic and with the appearance of the enlightenment that seems to assure my resolve, This world is no doubt a real word.... It also brought up this weird broken words that looks like a code message.


    Human=goblin Cub...., hmm....,human=goblin Cub?..., hmm..., hmm...


    This blue panel that follows me around says goblin Cub on the race category, Assuming the blue panel is a sort of an health notification app that shows my health status, It wouldn''t be weird if the race category also indicates what I am, A Goblin.


    I don''t know much about the goblins but one distinctive feature used to always describe them is their green skin, there is no doubt about it now, I am a Goblin.


    [ding]


    [racial eptance has been attained]


    [enlightenment Lv2 > human-died-soul transmigration-goblin Cub]


    ....!


    After epting my race, the enlightenment leveled up and I gained new knowledge. I a human who died by drowning and had my soul transmigrated into the body of a goblin Cub.


    I got this much information just from epting what race I am, It seems the more I deduce my situation, the more the enlightenment will level up and the more knowledge of this world I can get.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It will be really helpful if I can level it up quickly so I can know all there is to know about this world, like the saying goes, information is power.


    Time to try out what I had in mind. Yes...., it worked. Just like how I activated the Dirt ignition skill by simply thinking of it, I tried doing the same to the blue panel.


    I thought of the blue panel no longer showing up on my face and boom...., it is gone. This will be helpful for when I face my next opponent.


    It does help me to see in the dark but at the same time, it obstructs my field of vision. I need to get my eyes used to the darkness rather than have a light that incapacitates my sight.


    It is weird though, hearing the word soul transmigration. I thought transmigration were a thing that was only possible in a Fantasy and not a word that should be intertwined with reality, never would I have imagined that I would have my soul transmigrated into another world and in the body of a monster no less.


    ahahhhhah....., This is frustrating. Why couldn''t I have been born as a charming prince or even as the son of a wealthy merchant?


    I will even take being the son of an ordinary human family to go rather than being a monster that has to start killing as an infant


    Hmmm....., Maybe this is God''s way of punishing me for killing myself. I can''t be me for that though, If I had not drowned myself, those loansharks would have eventually catch up with me and sell my body parts, and rather than wait for that, I chose the easier way to go.


    It is not like exining will change anything now. I have to ept what has happened and to only look for ways to ovee it.


    It is high time I get out of wherever this ce is, It is no longer a safe ce for me to stay in and that wild dog....


    On earth, wild dogs are animals that move in packs of twenty, thirty and many more. There is no telling just how many this wild dog''s pack is and there is also no way of knowing if it even has a pack to begin with. Whichever it is, I am not staying to find out.


    Before I go, I should im my trophy and finish up the meat in my front. It is bad manners to leave food unattended to, Especially for an infant like me.


    I don''t know when else I will be this lucky in hunting, that is why I need to eat whatever I get at every opportunity thates my way.


    wow....., Thinking like this, I realize a little bit more of how hard it is for the animals on earth to eat.


    when I was being chased by loan sharks, I still had something to eat even if it is just a little. But animals have to hunt to eat, if the hunt isn''t sessful they might as well forget eating for that day


    there is the energy that is burned away while trying to hunt and also the likelihood of getting injured like me. I already lost an arm when trying to hunt a Lv1 wild dog, I wonder what else I will lose in my next hunt for survival.


    sigh...., This isn''t how things are supposed to be. If I am an infant, shouldn''t there be a mother to do the hunting part for me...


    oops...., I forgot..., Mother died of hunger and I ate her leftover corpse....


    I am sorry mother, This unfilial son of yours did it only for survival. I won''t me you for giving birth to me in this harsh condition so please over look my sins unto you and guide me through this harsh surroundings.


    I have been granted a second chance at life and I intend to live it for a long time. I will live for as long as I can, it doesn''t matter what I have to do to guarantee that but I will do it.


    This world, I will see it through.

 Chapter 6 Out Of The Nest

    ?Time to find my way out of here.


    I munched on as much portion as I could of the wild dog''s body and used the blood as hydration before setting out to leave my nest.


    I have only been in this world for about six days, I think....


    The time process of this ce eludes me as there is no sun nor moon to discern exactly what time it is.


    The point is, I have been here for some time now, and I have already lost an arm while trying to protect myself,


    It is obvious that getting out of my nest will cost me more than just an arm, but staying here for any more minute is a risk of encountering the wild dog''s pack.


    It is obvious which option outweighs which.


    I have a better chance of surviving outside of the nest than staying in the nest and sitting ducks.


    What I need to find now is a way that will lead me out of the nest...


    Hmm....


    If I remember correctly, my head was facing upward when I heard it''s growling from my left. That means he would havee from that direction.


    If I go there, I should be able to see the way out of the nest.


    After disabling the blue panel, my vision has adapted a little more to the darkness.


    Though I still can''t see my full surroundings, I am now able to see three feet away from me.


    That is more than enough achievement for an infant if I do say.


    Now.....


    I am certain it was somewhere around hereee....


    ho....ly.... shit.


    this....


    what the hell is this ce?.....


    It is scary as fuck...


    it is like I am in some kind of horror world.....


    Tunnels in most of the walls, with darkness looming all around, that makes it seem like a ghost could pop out of nowhere,


    how in the hell did I end up in a world like this?....


    Not even a single green can be seen, all covered with rocks and dusts.


    This is the shithole I have to live in from now on?....


    sigh.....


    no use getting agitated now.


    If it think about it well, the dust in this ce can actually work to my advantage with my dust ignition skill.


    The downside to this skill is the range of effect and the power output.


    It has a range of only a feet and I can only gather as much as a handful.


    If I were to ever meet with an opponent the size of mother, the skill would be useless against her.


    Reasons being, I am not tall enough to cover the height range which is her face,


    As for the wild dog, I got lucky with it because it brought it face close to mine thus giving me the opportunity to use the skill.


    Perhaps if I continue to use the skill, it will level up just the enlightenment skill.


    I will try out that theory after I find somewhere safe to stay.


    By the way, where am I even heading to.


    I just keep crawling with no set destination in mind,


    what if end up in the den of a dangerous monster even stronger


    than the wild dog?.....


    This will not do....,<novelnext></novelnext>


    I can''t rely on my skill and I can''t assure myself that I won''t run into another dangerous monster.


    What is it that I can do?.....


    In this world that is unkind to me, what can I rely on as my path of survival?....


    The only thing I can think of, that I have full control over is my body.


    That is right...


    What I have is my body.


    Ever since I have arrived in this world, the only thing I had was my body.


    My body alone can be the deciding factor of if I will get to live another day or if I will end up a monster''s dinner.


    With my body I can decide what my fate will be.


    From now on, I need to train my body.


    I need it to be able to adapt to any situation and be ready to give it a go.


    Is what I would like to do, but I am too tiny to start any muscle training.


    Besides with one of my arm gone, I won''t be able to do any weight training.


    Hmm.....,


    This is a dilemma,


    Crawling with one hand and two legs is already tiring and painful enough, I can''t begin imagine how hard it will be if I try to exercise in my current condition.


    Nheless, I can''t just give up because of pain.


    As long as I still have some parts of my body, I will continue to struggle with it until it ispletely worn out.


    hmm.....


    This tunnel should be good enough for me to stay in.


    The rest of the tunnels I passed through, I felt some dangerous feeling creeping up on my skin,


    It was like they had an invisible warning sign at the entrance indicating not to go in.


    This tunnel however did not feel like that,


    It feels how should I put it, neutral, Even the inside is huge and wide.


    Found it...,


    The perfect corner in the tunnel for me to hide and start training.


    I should start with some press-up....


    I forgot, I can''t do press-up with my one arm condition.


    Hmmm.....


    What then can I do with just an arm.....


    Think...., think.....


    I know....


    Unlile earth, This is a game like world where skills exist,


    If my body is too small and weak to makeplicated moves, all I need to do is create a skill that will support my weak body.


    Before I can create a skill, I first need to understand the nature of what I am dealing with.


    When I say nature, I am referring to Mp.


    The Dirt ignition skill is a skill that runs on Mp, so for now I will assume that all skill runs on Mp.


    I should consider Mp as a sort of ingredients used for preparing food and the skill are the results of mixing different ingredients together.


    I need to know my ingredients before preparing a meal, in this case, know your Mp before making a skill.


    I still don''t know if it will work but I have got nothing to lose except my life, and if I don''t get this right, I would be losing that life to other monsters.

 Chapter 7 Understanding Of The System

    ?To begin with, what is Mp and what are its functions?...


    As far as I know, Mp is what allows me to use the Dirt ignition skill, but is that all there is to it?.


    I noticed the times when I almost died of hunger, the only thing that changed in the blue panel were the numbers on the Hp and Sp.


    It was the same as when I had my left arm ripped off by the wild dog,


    Only the numbers in the Hp and Sp changed.


    The only times that the number in the Mp changed was when I leveled up and when I used the Dirt ignition skill.


    Following this logic, it shows that both Hp and Sp responds mainly to how my physical status is faring,


    If I am sick or have a cut on my body, it goes down, and if my health is normal, it goes back to the number it was initially on.


    Mp however does not respond to my Physical status but to my skill usage status.


    It is not too far fetched to say that Mp, is unbothered about what my health status is.


    There is one thing that Mp has inmon with Hp and Sp,


    They are equally shown on the blue panel.


    The blue panel is sort of an act that reacts to not just my physical condition but to my state of mind entirely,


    It reacts to what I think and shows me the records of it,


    It is like another representation of me but in digital form.


    If my theoretical thinking is correct, the Hp, Mp and Sp are something that stems from within me,


    They are all a part of me and belongs to me, the same applies to the skill Dirt ignition.


    It is like having one body but with different body parts performing different functions,


    At the end of it all, the body parts all strive for the well being of the main body.


    [Ding]


    [understanding of the system Attained]


    [enlightenment has leveled up]


    [enlightenment Lv 3]


    [name > A status bar that indicates the user''s identification]


    [Race > A status bar that rifys to the user, what sort of specie it belongs to]


    [Job >  A status bar that notes the principal activities used for your survival]


    [Level > A status bar that determines your overall capability]


    [Hp > A status bar designated for monitoring your health status]


    [Mp > A status bar designated for monitoring your mental status and mana capacity]


    [Sp > A status bar designated for monitoring your material body status and Aura capacity]


    [Skills > A status bar designated to show the type of ability that awakens depending on the nature and acts of the user]


    hoho.....,


    Lucky me...


    I was only thinking of ways for my survival and I ended up leveling up enlightenment.


    So the blue panel is named system?.....


    It really is like a game.


    The leveling up of Enlightenment has further proved my hypothesis to be right,


    this also means that I can now practicalize my theory.


    I had a thought,


    Back when I was still very young, I was into a lot of cultivation Manhua,


    They were one of the things that made my childhood fun,


    thinking about gaining superpowers by just sitting down and meditating


    It was a mind blowing thing for a child my age.


    I was fascinated by it to the point that I started emting the characters in the manhuas.


    It was not until my teacher exined to me the difference between fiction and reality that I stopped trying.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In this world however, where Hp, Mp, Sp and skills exist, that crazy and fictional thought of mine has a chance of blooming into a reality.


    To begin, I need to take on a meditating stance,


    I have to sit on the floor with my legs folded together and my arms linked together below my abdomen.


    The first and second stance is possible for me but not the third.


    guess I will have to make do with just one arm below my abdomen, I hope it still works the same.


    After I have taken on the meditating stance, the next step is to begin meditating.


    Push out any external disturbance and focus only on the oneing from inside my body.


    Breathe in through the nose while holding my stomach up and breathe out through the mouth while releasing my stomach,


    This actions needs to be carried out as slowly as possible.


    Inhale....


    Exhale.....


    Inhale.....


    Exhale....


    hmm...


    I hear my heartbeat...


    Now I need to feel the yin and yang energy and gather it below my abdomen where a dantian is supposed to be.


    .....


    .....


    Crap.....


    I am not feeling or sensing any yin or yang in the surrounding,


    what I feel is how cold the temperature is and how desperately it needs sanitization.


    Sigh.....,


    And I thought it was going to work if it is this world.


    Still, I shouldn''t give up just yet.


    Even though I can''t sense any yin and yang, I can feel some sort of warmness shaped in a circle and very close to where my heart is.


    That has got to count for something.


    Maybe I am getting it all wrong,


    I am in a different world from earth does not mean it is a world with cultivation.


    There is a saying I made up just now,


    if there is a time for everything, then there has to be a difference in frequency by which such time rotates.


    What it says is what it basically means.


    The people of earth have a frequency they rely on to function, the frequency which is in form of science and technological inventions like cars, mobile phones and the likes.


    The cultivation world I read about also has its own frequency in the form of something called Qi.


    It is that Qi that is absorbed and then used to further their cultivation rank.


    Same goes for this world.....


    I am certain it has a frequency of its own...,


    I only need to tap into its frequency to attain what I seek and I want to believe that the warmth I am feeling in my chest is the source of such frequency.


    Breathe in...


    Breathe out.....


    In.....


    Out.....


    In....


    Out....


    I will concentrate my consciousness in that warmth feeling and see if I can understand or make sense of what it is.

 Chapter 8 Mana Manipulation Skill Acquired

    ?I can feel it..., It is rotating just around my chest....


    hmm....., I feel a thin hosepipe attached to what seems like it''s entrance...


    If there is a hosepipe, there has to be something passing through it, the question is, what is it?.....


    I should trace where the hosepipe connects to if I want to know what substance it is passing.


    hmm...., This hosepipe is longer than I thought....., I think I am getting closer to the end of it....., The deeper down I go, the wider it seems to get...,, I might reach the end at any moment now....


    what....the.....hell, This is impossible....., What end of it am I getting to?...,, I thought I was getting to the end, whereas I was still at the starting line.


    I can only conclude now that this hosepipe, does not have an end.


    What I felt as i traced it further down is the hosepipe getting splitted and spreading like branches across my body.


    It is like a vein that carries blood from the capiries to the heart, except this one''s carries an unknown substance from that circled stuff to its branches that ends up distributing it to God knows where.


    This won''t do....,


    If things keeps up like this, I won''t get tangible information from it. Is there no other way for me to know what it is?...


    think, think, think..., I have to think of various possibilities of what it is..., It is not something I had as a human, but as a goblin...


    hmm....., Is it a characteristics belonging only to the goblin race?....., If so, what is its functions?...


    Think..., Think....,, What can it be used for?....,


    What difference is there in my body as a Goblin and my body when I was a human?.., Even though I am a Goblin infant, I seem to be stronger than an average human child,


    The proof of it is me being able to strangle a wild dog that is three times my size. That is definitely not normal.....


    Plus, I can use skills and have a system that shows me urate assessment of my body. Not to forget, meditation that allows me to know what is going on with my body is also not doable as a human but I did it instantly as a goblin.


    Thus are all feats that cannot be aplished in the body of a human..,, To have done this, my body had to have had some kind of booster that makes it possible....


    Perhaps, that circled warm feeling I am getting in my chest is what is acting as the booster, it also has a hosepipe that spreads all around my body....


    The hosepipe should be the link and the circled feeling the carrier...., Hmm...., If I forcefully activate the carrier, I might be able to figure out what it does.


    Upon activation, the carrier will send out the substance through the hosepipe, and the hosepipe will further spread the substance to every part of its branches,


    At that moment, I am certain that my body will give out some sort of reaction due to being exposed to unknown substance stream.


    But how do I force it to activate?...,


    I should first think of it like I am opening up the lid of a bottle.....


    It worked!...., I think....


    [Ding]


    [core link has been established]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Mana Core Lv 1 has been formed > an object where the users Mp is stored]


    [mana storage limitations > 70]


    i see now, that is where the Mp I use for activating my skill is. just what I was looking for. Mp, I am going to need you to do a lot of things from me starting now.


    I once again forcefully activated the core and concentrated my focus on circting the Mp around my body rather than let it pass through the hosepipe.


    I can feel the struggle of the hosepipe trying to let the Mp pass through the normal route it uses but I wasn''t going to let that happen.


    If it passes through just that route, the Mp will only ever be used for skill activation and that is not what I want,


    Being able to use skills is a good thing but it is not the direction I want to head in,


    I prefer cing my trust on my body rather than the use of skill.


    The hosepipe sure is hanging on tight, In that case, I will have to flood it.


    [Mp > 70-69-68-67-66-65-64-63-62-43-32....]


    almost there....., Almost..., Done...., Damn that hurts like crazy.....


    I sessfully managed to force the Mp to circte to my body parts, but in doing soon so, I overflooded the hosepipe and it burst inside of me.


    When it busted, I felt a chill permeate through every corner of my body, Like pouring water on a burnt feet. I assume that was the Mp raining over my organs.


    This will not do...., Now that I have sessfully disconnect the hosepipe from the core, I need to create a new pipe.


    One that is not just connected to the use of skill but that leads to the other parts of my body that helps in body building.


    A new pipe is also necessary to avoid overflow of the Mp when I want to use a skill.


    Without a pipe, there will be no acting guage for the Mp usage and thus leading to an overutilization or underutilization of Mp whenever I use a skill.


    Since I have no idea how the measurement of the Mp is determined for skill usage, I will have to use the former hosepipe as a reference for the new hosepipe I am about to make.


    Alright, here goes nothing..., I just have to imagine forming the hosepipe that leads to where I want it to lead to.


    "....."


    [Ding]


    [users action has been recorded, a new skill has been formed]


    [skill > Mana Maniption has been awakened]


    [Mana Maniption > A skill that allows the user to freely control the flow of mana in its body, the user now also has control over how much mana can be used in the activation of other skill].


    Ho....ly Shit.

 Chapter 9 Body Strengthening Acquired

    ?I just had one of the luckiest shit happen to me...


    A skill that allows me to control how much mana output I spend on a skill activation...


    Is that not like a super, ultra, duber cheat skill?...., Is it really okay for something like that to just be given to me?....


    Actually, considering all the pain I went through before I got the skill, I can say is, it is totally worth it.


    That is right, I deserve it.., It wasn''t just handed down to me, it was something I had to suffer to gain, it is something I worked for...


    This is the result of my efforts and thus it is only right that I im it as one. It seems from now on, I have to start messing with different parts of my body to see if I can manifest more skill.


    It is nice being able to gain a new skill and all, but I should probably focus more on why I started the Mp process.


    The only reason I went through all that pain was so I could find a way to strengthen my weak body and now I think I might be able to.


    Think of my body as the host, and direct the Mp into it, Since my Mp is low, I should only focus on the parts I will be using more which is my two legs and one remaining arm.


    ...


    ...


    [Ding]


    [due to the user''s actions, body strengthening skill has been acquired]


    [body strengthening Lv1 > increases the physical prowess of the user]


    [Mp consumption > depends on the user''s will. Do take note that the skills effectiveness dependsrgely on the consumption ratio].


    Great, it worked, I knew it was going to work. Now, shall I try it out...., hmmm...., I can feel my legs have be much stronger aspared to before, I should see if I can walk with it now...


    Slowly and gently....., I....,i am walking...., I am really walking....


    ha....., Such bliss...., Is this how all mothers feel when they see their child taking his first step?..., Too bad I have no one to watch me do this.


    I shouldn''t feel rxed yet simply because I can walk.., This is only the first step I take towards my protection. The next step is getting used to this body.


    No matter how strong my body is, it will be useless if I don''t have control over it. I will start with throwing a jab before diving into the other techniques.


    "!!!!"


    "wha...wha...., what is this?....


    This overwhelming feeling that seems like it is swallowing me whole?...


    Dangerous?, is what my instinct is crying out to me right now.


    "hisssssszz...."


    The hell is that sound?...


    "hisssssszz...."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Crap, I thought this was a safe zone...., Guess i thought wrong.


    I will just have to wait in here until whatever that thing is makes its way out....., Hold on...,, Wait in here?....., Last time I encountered that wild dog, I had to y dead, this time, I also have to hide until it is safe?...


    For how long do I have to keep up the hide and seek game?...


    Granted, there is a possibility that I will die if I face whatever it is that is outside but does that mean I have to hide from it?....


    If all I do is hide, then will I not only end up hiding my whole life?....


    This is a dangerous world..,


    It has been less than a week since I have gotten here and my life so far have been threatening,


    If hiding and running is the only thing I am capable of in this world, no doubt I will end up with a gruesome death.


    Back on my previous life, all I did was run from the loan sharks instead of getting a job and gradually pay off my debt,


    At the end I ran to the most deepest abyss with no thoughts of resurfacing, but luckily for me, I have this second life as a do over.


    In this second life I have been given, do I want to take it for granted by only running?....


    No....., This time will be different..., This time, I will fight... I will struggle... And I will never give up even on myst breathe. Monsters or beasts?.. I don''t care which it is. Come have at me ya all motherfuckers.


    With my resolve steeled on standing my grounds, I stood up to take a peek at what I am dealing with.


    Large triangr head with a beak like snout and mandible, twopound eyes and three simple eyes, two front hands held together in an upright position and four legs aiding its bnce with a pair of antennae and colored in brown.


    That is no doubt a praying mantis..., It is a praying mantis but....but...., Why is it so fucking huge?... Are praying mantis supposed to be that big?....


    Were they not the size of a finger so howe this one is different?... It is about sixty inches tall, the size of an adult human.


    I did steel my resolve to confront whatever it is I am faced with, but isn''t this over kill?...


    I would be happy to take a wild dog on over a mantis of this size..


    No matter how much resolve I have, fighting against that big thing is an absurdity surpassing even the biggest of all absurdity.


    I can''t do it..., I won''t... If I go out to face it, I will surely die an even more gruesome death,


    A death I cannot imagine..., I am scared....


    I don''t want to go....., Wait..... The fuck is wrong with me?, Did I not just steel my resolve not too long ago?. Why am I breaking down now?. Is this the pathetic life I want to continue with?...., Because it is huge?....,


    who knows what kind of monster I wille across with tomorrow?...


    Do I want to continue to live in the shadows of my excuses until I can no longer carve a meaning into my existence?.


    Excuses will only bore forth more excuses until I eventually stop trying and lose all free well to make rational choices,


    I have to take a stand, and the when I take that stand will be the most crucial turning point of my life.

 Chapter 10 Against The Mantis

    ?First thing I need to do is look for it''s weak point. What area do I have to punch through in order for me to deal damage to it?...


    Even if I do manage to punch it, is my body strong enough to deal damage to it?.


    A monster the size of an adult human, with I the body of an infant..., I might have Strengthened my body with Mp, but is it enough to aplish killing this monster?.....


    No..., I shouldn''t think of such discouraging thoughts. My goal is to survive this hellish ce, and to do that I need to get even stronger.


    The only way to acquire strength is through leveling up, and I can only level up by killing other monsters. Like it or not, that is what I have to do, It is kill or be killed.


    The moment I hesitate or try to draw back, is the moment I will die. I need to understand that the monster before me is still just another of the many monsters yet toe.


    It is a monster that is no stranger to death, If I can be killed, then so can it.


    With its height, I am sure it will have trouble with speed while I can take advantage of my small body to continue attacking it in various sides.


    The moment I crawl out of this hole, I will be within its range. I have to strike first without giving it time to collect its thoughts during that time.


    Whatever fear I am feeling for it, I need to drop it in this hole and not take it with me.


    Fear solves nothing but will only hinder what needs to be done.


    With my resolve once again steeled, I make my way out of the hole I was in.


    Damn it''s really huge. But no matter, as long as it has a body, I can hurt it.


    I will go for the leg it is using to stand, that will bring down its whole body and give me an advantage to aim my Dirt ignition skill at its eyes, then I will have the time to look for it''s soft spot.


    With my body strengthening skill activated, I crawled out of the hole.


    With its head facing sideways of me, I ran towards its leg and punched it but to my surprise, my attacks had no visible effects except for calling for its attention.


    ho shit....


    With my level up, I am now capable of speech.


    Maybe I canmunicate with it and persuade it to let me go.


    "Mr praying mantis, you don''t suppose we can work this out with words instead of violence?,"


    "I see that even at this moment you are still praying, am I to believe that you are a devote worshipper just like me?, even so I am sure we can work things out ande to a reasonable conclusion if we can jus...."


    It sent its left hand flying my way and I dodged it by jumping further back


    guess that is a no to using non violence?.


    It attacked me again with its hands and I moved away from its range and went after its leg.


    I connected my fist to its leg and again no damage.


    Although I did it no damage, the exchange has given me hope that this monster is not unbeatable.


    In exchange for having such arge body mass, it lost the Agility advantage.


    It is a monster that has prioritized defense and heavy attack output over speed, while I am a monster with speed over heavy attack damage.


    In this face off, the one to deal the first damage is the one that wille out on top and that one will be me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I have speed while it has defense, as long as I can stop its attacks from reaching me, I can win.


    With my speed, I will keep on bombarding it with my fist in every corner of its body,


    Not every part of its body will be as tough as its leg, there has to be a weakness somewhere and I have to find it.


    I keep on delivering attacks on its body while also avoiding its sharp scythe like hands aimed at me.


    If that hand gets me, I am done for. That is why I have to find the weak spot before it does.


    Thanks to the boosting of my physical prowess with the Mp, I am able to keep up with its movement.


    Found it, the weak spot.


    It is just right below its body and between its legs.


    When I punched that part, I felt it was soft and weakerpared to the other part of its body.


    The only problem is, after I punched it, I was immediately sent running with its ws aiming for me.


    It seems to now be aware of my intentions as it has firmly closed off any opening leading to the weak spot.


    A smart one i got here?....


    No matter how wise you are, you cannot bepared to me a former human who managed to escape the ws of the loan sharks, I will outsmart you.


    I circle around it with my speed, looking for ways to go in and also for it to drop its guard,


    It kept on aiming its ws at me while I circle it and I kept on dodging,


    I timed my actions and jumped on the w as I saw ite closer to me.


    It swung the w I was on around as it struggled to get me off of it.


    During its moment of struggle, the w got close to a wall and I took that opportunity to jump off of it and onto the wall.


    I was now high off from the ground and have managed to ovee the height difference between me and the praying mantis.


    With this distance, I can do it.


    I lept off from the wall andtched myself straight unto the praying mantis head


    eheh, now you are done for.


    Skill, Dirt ignition.


    I activated the skill, and as usual, dust particles gathered on the praying mantis face thus rendering it temporarily blind.


    I came down from the head of the praying mantis that was struggling to get the dust off of its eyes and rushed over to its underbelly where the weak spot is.


    Once I get there, I n on pummeling it until my fist gets through it....


    [Ding].

 Chapter 11 Death By Stabbing

    ?[Ding]


    [Mp Guage has been exhausted, all active skill will now undergo deactivation]


    Crap, I forgot the most important thing of all,


    My source of strength for moving my body is with the help of my skill body strengthening which can only be activated with Mp, but I wasted that Mp while I was trying to create the skill.


    At that time, it dropped to around thirty, and the Dirt ignition skill takes around ten Mp for activation.


    If I minus the ten dirt ignition Mp from the thirty Mp I had, I will have twenty, and that twenty is what I used to activate the body strengthening skill in order for me to keep up with the praying mantis.


    Now that I have used up all the Mp I have, I can no longer activate any skill including the body strengthening skill that aides me in walking.


    Shit...


    Is this how it all ends.


    At least I did my best to survive this life...


    No, not yet...


    I haven''t given it my all just yet,


    As long as my body is still moving, I shouldn''t give up hope.


    Even if it is just a leg I have left, as long as that leg retains a consciousness, I will keep on fighting.


    I mustered up the remaining energy I had left in my body and crawled my way with one arm towards the praying mantis weak point.


    The praying mantis was too distracted by the dirt in its eyes to notice that I had already made my way up to its soft area.


    Even still, I no longer have the strength I had with the body strengthening skill, the least my fist could do to it now is call its attention towards me, but I am sure my teeth can do a lot more than that.


    I gwaned my way at the soft spot and as I thought, I was able to bite through it.


    I did bite through the soft spot, but it did it little to no damage whenpared to its actual size.


    It is fine, I am fine.


    I knew it was impossible for me to kill it before I even started, that is why I am not sad nor angry,


    At least, I can say now that I died trying,


    I died giving it my all,


    I did not sumb to fear or fall into despair, but rather I fought to thest of my breathe,


    You damned monster, I admire your strength and envious of your tenacity,


    With strength like yours, you can survive this forsaken world just by feeding on bottom fodders like me.


    Damn it, why wasn''t I born as a stronger monster?...


    Why was I born this way?.....


    Why was I born at all if I was only going to end up dying without reaching adulthood?....


    I hate this....


    I hate it all.....


    During my moments ofmenting my misfortuned luck, I still clenched my teeth tightly unto the praying Mantis''s body,


    It is thest form of struggle I could show and I had made up my mind to die of exhaustion from hanging on.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I chomped as hard as I could and the praying mantis must have also felt the pain as it shifts its attention from its eyes to its upper belly where I was biting through.


    The praying mantis iled its body around trying to get me off of it, but it was useless.


    I chewed harder than I could ever chew and tried desperately to crawl my way through its stomach with just my teeth.


    The praying mantis must have found it annoying to have me clinging on to its body and slowly causing it little damage as it struggled even more to get me off of its under belly.


    Where I am is in an enclosed area where even it''s legs could not reach, the only option for it is to use its ws to get me off of it.


    Perhaps driven by an instinctual urge that warned it of how dangerous my actions could turn out to be, it raised its ws and aimed it at me.


    Unfortunately for me, I was too exhausted to dodge an iing attack and so I got pierced through in the chest with its ws.


    Regrettably for the praying mantis as well, I was not the only one that had its w pierce through.


    The ws pierced through my stomach and came out of the praying mantis''s lower body part,


    White fluid stuff gushed out of where it was pierced, and I was flushed away by the fluid.


    As smart as it was, it forgot that I was clinging to its body and that the w would indefinitely pass through the both of us.


    Maybe it isn''t that it forgot, but it was overwhelmed with the fear of death to the point that it did not think that far ahead.


    I looked up to the ceiling and reached my hand out to it,


    What was I expecting.....


    Is it a miracle to get me out of this shitty pain?....


    naaaaa.....


    I am not one to rely on a thing like miracle when I know that I have the worst possible luck a human can ever be bestowed.


    I coughed out blood from my mouth while still enduring the throbbing in my stomach,


    It hurts like crazy but I am at peace, because I won''t be the only one dying here today.


    The praying mantis just like me was in an extreme pain as its body fell to the ground and kept on shrieking it fear.


    Buddy, it is an honor getting to know you, and I hope you are born in a better circumstance in your second life toe.


    cough!!...


    Sigh....


    Death by stabbing sure is painful...


    [Ding]


    [Hp > 170-169-168-167-165-52-51-50-26-25-21-5-4-3-2....]


    [Sp > 170-169-168-20-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2...]


    [Hp and Sp has fallen below the necessary requirement, death will now take ce]


    [dun dun, dun dun, dun dun.....]


    [The user has die...]


    [Ding]

 Chapter 12 First Evolution

    ?[Ding]


    [you have sessfully killed a Lv 5 w mantis]


    [three hundred experience points gained]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [experience threshold has been met, evolution will now ur]


    [user will now be transitioned into a deep sleep for a sessful evolution].


    wha....


    What is it saying?..


    Deep sleep?..,


    more like an eternal sleep.


    I know I am dying, no need to sugarcoat it..


    haa....,


    My eyes are involuntarily shutting down..


    Goodbye new world...


    Goodbye new goblin body...


    Goodbye you fucking mantis murderer....


    And sorry for being a disappointment to you mother...


    Even after eating you, I could not manage to survive through a week.


    Damn, I have to be the biggest asshole sinner to ever exis.....


    *gasppppp.....


    huff....., huff...


    where.....?


    where am I?.....


    Am I finally in hell?....


    Green?...


    Did I reincarnate as a goblin again?...


    No that is not it....


    [Ding]


    [congrattions user on your first evolution]


    [user has managed to survive a near death experience by undergoing evolution, a reward will be given]


    [the reward will be given based on the nature of the user''s death]


    [skill reward > Thorn of death]


    [Thorn Of Death Lv1 > when activated, minuscule spikes will appear in the body of the user. In return for excruciating pain, the users defence will be heightened].


    [Dust ignition proficiency has been reached]


    [Dust ignition Lv 1 has evolved into Dust ignition Lv 2]


    [Dust ignition Lv 2 > the range of effects has been enhanced by five percent]


    [user''s current status will now be disyed]


    ¡ñName : ?


    ¡ñRace : Goblin kid<novelnext></novelnext>


    ¡ñJob : ?


    ¡ñLevel : 1


    ¡ñHp : 300


    ¡ñMp : 200


    ¡ñSp : 300


    [All Skill Disy]


    [Dirt ignition Lv2, Thorn Of Death Lv1, Body Strengthening Lv1, Kin eater Lv3, Enlightenment Lv3, Mana Maniption Lv1, Mana Core Lv1].


    hmm..., Evolution uhh?..., So I am not dead?...


    I don''t know if I should be sad that I am still stuck in this hellish world or be happy that I managed to keep my life despite that hurdle I just went through?...


    no, no, no...., I shouldn''t be like this. In times like this is when I should be positive and not negative. Even the system said it, I have evolved.... That should be a cause for me to celebrate not dying and rather taking a step to guaranteeing my survival.


    I do feel my body bing lighter and stronger. Not sure how, but that is how I feel. It would be better if my left arm can also be restored like the rest of my body issss....


    It.... It is back, My left arm is back...., Not only that, the hole that the w mantis made in my stomach has also close up. Is this the effect of the evolution stuff?....


    hmm..., I wonder what else has changed with the effect of evolution?.


    My hand seems to have grown longer, and my nails as well, What about my leg?...., they do not feel so babyish anymore, does that mean I can now walk with it?..., I should try it out.


    "..."


    wow....., Guess I can really work now, and I feel my whole body has also gotten bigger. I have to say, evolution sure is amazing.


    Instant Regeneration of lost body parts, Nullification of body fatigue and rapid growth?. Damn, I sure am digging the perks of this so called evolution.


    I am sure something like that will not happen frequently, after all, my luck is never on a positive vibe with me.


    If I remember correctly, i evolved after I leveled up three times... My level was in seven back then, add three more level will bring me to level ten?...., It seems the evolution stuff needs me to level up to ten for it to activate.


    While it is good, I do not necessarily believe my deduction to bepletely on point. The benefits of evolving is too good for it to only require ten level for activation. There has to be some sort of draw backs to every evolution that urs.


    Like the system said earlier, it congratted me on my first evolution,


    that got me thinking...., what is the catch?....


    It sounded exactly like the first time I wanted to have the borrowed debt in someone else''s name transferred to my name. Before I signed the document, I was treatedfortably and was attended to in a nice manner, thinking that I was only going to be filling up the position of a guarantor for my boss.


    After the transference documents were signed, their attitude on me took a three sixty degree.


    Going with such thinking, this evolution stuff seems even more suspicious.


    With the settings of this world that seems to put me in a near death state, and I am supposed to believe a miracle that will whisk away my pain wille for free?..


    Never....., I am not that gullible enough to believe in such nonsense.


    [Ding]


    [understanding of evolution Attained]


    [enlightenment has leveled up]


    [enlightenment Lv4]


    [Evolution > An act that transitions the user into an higher form of the same specie. The needed level requirement is increased after an evolutionary cycle has urred]


    I knew it....., you think you can fool me, but turns out I am smarter than you thought,


    You ever heard of a saying, too good to be true?.., Well that is what you did. You made the evolution too good to be true, and turns out it really was too good to be true.


    I would be a fool to fall for a scam like that. Well I did fall for it when I was with the loan sharks, but the point is,


    Fool me once, shame on you and fool me twice, shame on you again. Or is it shame on me?...


    Great, now I have managed to understand what evolution is and also leveled up enlightenment. It seems my luck is not as bad as I thought it was. Come to think of it, I thought I saw the system made mention of a new skill.


    where....?, found it. Thorn of death?...., A skill that brings out small spikes from my body and in return for pain, I get an higher defense?


    ....?


    how did I get this skill again?....

 Chapter 13 Difference In Evolution Level

    ?I remember now,


    I got the skill after i had a near death experience.


    .....?


    Damn.....


    My luck is really shittier than I had thought.


    It would have been better for me to not have gotten any skill at allpared to me having a skill that will send me to the brink of death.


    Just imagining how the spikes wille out of my body is enough to give me an eternal trauma.


    Sigh....


    I should at least be thankful that my dirt ignition skill has leveled up.


    Skill, Dirt ignition.


    hmm...


    So the range of effectsl has increased by just a feet?...


    What the hell is the point of the level up if it is only going to increase by a measly one feet?..


    There is no difference in it between it being in Lv1 and upgrading to Lv2.


    I thought a Level up meant getting better, but it seems that is not so for this world,


    Or maybe my luck is just one that is too shitty to abide by the rules of this world?...


    Whatever it is, I havee to a conclusion that I am unfavored by the God of luck.


    The same can be said for you, you pitiful little rascal.


    Imagine dying a death by suicide.....


    puhuhwuhau.....


    Sorry, sorry.


    I know I should not beughing at someone else''s death, but damn this is just too funny to forgo.


    I was already out of strength and energy, if you had just been more patient and waited for a little while longer, no doubt I would have died a natural death,


    But no.


    You just had to really stab me with that pointy hand of yours and end up causing your own demise.


    your luck must be even shittier than mine it seems.


    Because of that I managed to survive, so yeah, thanks for being stupid.


    I do have to say though,


    This w mantis is a level five monster while I was a level seven monster, and yet I still had a hard time defeating it,


    Why is that?...


    It is obvious that I am two levels above it so I should have had the upper hand in that fight but instead it was the reverse.


    If I remember correctly, when enlightenment leveled up, the exnation I got for Level was a status bar that determines ones overall capabilities.


    ording to my level, my over all capabilities clearly outmatched the w mantis''s over all capabilities, but yet I was still almost defeated by it.


    There has to be an information I am not getting right.....


    Something I am missing.....


    Something I am sure is what can piece the confusing information back in a direct line.


    Or perhaps, is the system lying to me?.....


    No....,


    No matter how shitty it is, it has no reason to lie to me except of course if it wants me dead.


    But a system that wants me dead would not go so far as giving me skills that will aid in my survival.


    Then just what can it be....


    Wait a minute...,


    I know what it is now.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Evolution differences.


    Back then, I was a goblin Cub, with an height no less than ten inch or so,


    This w mantis before me has an height of close to sixty inch.


    Even though my level is higher, the height difference between us is just too massive to ovee with level.


    Of course there is a possibility that this monster just happens to have an enormous size aspared to the goblins but that is not the case in this situation.


    If it was like that, then I could have ovee the height difference with the level advantage,


    I was not able to do that because it is an evolved form of its specie while I am still at the starting form of my specie.


    In a simpler quote,


    It is like having two pizzas, one without toppings and one with toppings.


    In this case, I am the pizza without toppings and the w mantis is the pizza with toppings.


    Knowing that makes me feel even more shitty so I will no longer pry on that matter.


    hmm.....


    I thought gaining such knowledge will level up enlightenment but I guess that wasn''t enough to do it.


    Alright, time to get moving.


    clearly this cave has proven itself several times over to not be safe for me to stay in,


    I really want to ask my mother why the hell she would think it was a great idea to give birth in this habitat.


    Thinking about it now, how could I have been so stupid as to think that there would be a safe ce in this hell.


    Before I go, i need to feast.


    But eating a mantis would be weird even for me,


    It has got nothing but exoskeleton with no meat, of what use is a monster without a meat,


    No way am I eating something like this.


    Is what I want to say, but before I knew it I had already started munching on it.


    My appetite really is no joke.


    Phew.....


    And that concludes my meal for the day...


    "hisss....."


    Or maybe not,


    It seems you are living with a partner,


    Shucks, good for you.


    Another praying mantis with the same color and body type came barging in with what seems like a fierce look on its face, not that I can tell.


    hmm.....,


    Are all praying mantis bisexual?


    Because i can''t see any sorts of difference to tell them apart.


    Not that it matters to me though,


    Just have to do what I have to do to ensure my survival.


    Skill activate, Body strengthening Lv1.


    I cut of the dead praying mantis''s w, saved it to use it for this purpose.


    With the w in my hand, I charged at the praying mantis in my front,


    I pressed my foot on the floor, used it as a foothold and lept really high.


    Before the praying mantis could even move, I swung the w and dismantled its head from its body.


    Come at me ya bastards.


    [Ding.....]

 Chapter 14 An Encounter With A Founder Race

    ?It has been how many days now since I have gotten to this world?....


    I have lost count after engaging in what seems like an endless struggle for survival against the monsters.


    My daily taskprises of me searching for a suitable hideout while fighting against wild dog''s and praying mantis.


    Yep.....,


    So far so good, I have note across a different specie of monster from the ones I am familiar with.


    For me, this is good news as I already know how to handle them from day one.


    Of course if I was attacked by two monsters at the same time, I will no doubt die,


    Either it is two wild dog''s against me or two praying mantis against me, or a wild dog and a praying mantis against me, or a praying mantis and a wild dog against me.


    The oue will still be the same, equating to my loss.


    luckily for me, I have only been having a one on one encounter with them.


    And Thanks to the daily hunting of wild dogs and praying mantis, I have managed to raise my level to nine.


    As I thought, it was a good idea for me to use the mantis''s w as a weapon against my opponents.


    Using my bare fist against my opponents did little to no damage against them,


    But with the w, I am able to pierce through the tough scales of a w mantis and the fur of the wild dogs, what a smart decision I made.


    It made it rtively easier for me to hunt.


    There is something I have noticed after leveling up nine times,


    when I was still a goblin Cub, I only required a hundred experience point to level up,


    A single level one wild dog was enough to raise me up by a level, while a single level five praying mantis was enough to boost me up by three levels.


    However, the result is no longer the same.


    Now that I am a goblin kid, the experience point needed for leveling up has increased by times two of what is required as a goblin Cub.


    Meaning I have to kill two level one wild dog just to go up another level and one level five praying mantis can only level me up by one.


    I did expect something of this nature to happen,


    With evolution, my overall stats increased by an additional hundred points,


    It is only natural that the difficulty for leveling up will also increase.


    My body''s physical condition did increase with the level up,


    Even without the body strengthening skill being active, I am now able to jump close to fifty seven inch high.


    An impressive feat I must say, considering I was subservient to just crawling on two feet not too long ago.


    The other good thing about this body is its adaptability function.


    I might have lost track of how long I have been here for, I can say for certain that it has not been close to a month.


    Yet after being in this world during that short time frame, I can feel that my body and mind have intertwined to be more adjusted to the living conditions of this world.


    The darkness is now something I no longer fear but rather I embrace it, i have be a part of it.


    I also do not easily umte as much fatigue as I used to as a Cub.


    If there is anyint I am having, it is the intake of only wild dogs and a mantis''s flesh.


    At first it was delicious but now, my taste bud is getting too used to it.


    It would be good if i could get my hands on a better meat but that means I will have to face a new opponent entirely,


    An opponent I have no idea of what their structure is or how they operate?.....


    No way, the danger far outweighs the profit so for now I will stick to my usual dog meat.


    I have been walking for about an hour now and have yet toe across a monster.


    Is this ce perhaps a safezone?....


    Everything here look so familiar to the point that it is hard to tell which cave is which,


    All I rely on to guide me through it is my sense,


    With my senses, i can discern which cave is safe for me to go through and which is not.


    hmm...,


    While it is good that I have yet toe across any monsters, I also need to kill to eat.


    "!!!!"


    Is that...


    That is definitely the sound of something washing off,


    I hope it is what I think it is.


    I rushed over to where the sound wasing from, and behold I found a stream.


    without further thoughts of the stream being poisoned or harmful to me, I dived straight into the water and rolled my body in it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Never in my wildest dreams have I thought I was going to miss to the feel of water on my body this much.


    Oh water, sweet sweet water, thank you so much for all you have done for me, and forgive me for ever disregarding your existence.


    Looking at my reflection in the water, I realized something,


    I am one fucking hell of a scary monster.


    Green bald head, dark eyeballs, with two fangs protruding out of my mouth and curved upwards.


    No wonder i was able to easily chew through bones and raw meat with a cubs teeth.


    I soaked myself and drank as much as my belly could fill before getting ready to depart.


    It is nice that I have water but man shall not live on water alone, or rather Goblin shall not live on water alone.


    I need to go find me some meat to sustain myself with.


    Come to think of it, I have noticed recently that I have be more meat driven,


    Like I am now obsessed to me eating meat.


    Probably has to do with my body as a goblin,


    With this body, I would not survive being a grass eater.


    I should start heading elsewhere to look for food.


    "gulpppp....."


    "gulpppp....."


    uhhh?....


    There is someone else here apart from me?


    Where?


    Where are they?....


    Damn it, my senses did not warn me of this.


    [Ding]


    [you have encountered a specie belonging to the founder race, forced evolution trigger will ur]


    [hundred Mp points have been rewarded]


    [all skill proficiency have been reached]


    [all skill experience threshold have been met, evolution will now ur]


    [Dirt ignition has evolved into Dust Maniption]


    [Thorn Of Death has evolved into Thorn Maniption]


    [Body Strengthening has evolved into Meta Strength]


    [Kin eater has evolved into Cannibalism]


    [Enlightenment has evolved into Known Knowledge]


    [Mana Maniption has evolved into Mana Materialization]


    [Mana Core has evolved into Mana Gathering Core].


    [you have obtained a new skill > Detection]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [experience threshold has been met, evolution will now ur]


    [user will now be transitioned into a deep sleep for a sessful evolution]


    ".....?"

 Chapter 15 Listen To My Story

    ?"deep inhale.....".


    An auroma beautiful enough to captivate and intoxicate any sane man,


    I struggled to open up my tightly closed off lids to see what object was capable of emanating such an appealing auroma.


    When I seeded, behold a dazzling, marvelous, illusionist beauty that puts to shame any other beauty staring face down at me.


    Looking at the face that was staring down at me, I could feel myself being slowly bewitched by it, and strangely enough it felt good.


    Midnight ck shiny long braided hair, with a jade ck eye sclera and dark blue pupil,bined with an oval face and a pointed well structured nose.


    There is only one word that can be used to urately describe the face of the one staring down at me,


    PERFECTION.


    "An angel, I have finally met with an Angel"


    My mind blown away and my consciousness still wandering about, I blurted out my inner thoughts.


    "i am not an angel though"


    A voice filled with elegance and at the same time portraying a sense of authority.


    "then....., then what are you"


    "I am a dragon"


    "...."


    "a dragon?...., I see"


    "that was not the sort of reaction I was expecting"


    "what type of reaction were you expecting"


    "whenever I reveal what I am to people, most of them shriek in fear while the others chose to trap themselves in a cycle of disbelief"


    "ahhhh...."


    "if it was the past me, I would have definitely reacted that way, but with everything that has recently happened to me, it seems I have developed some sort of immunity towards being surprised"


    "oh my..., to have gain something like that, you must have passed through a lot"


    "ah, a lot I tell you, a lot".


    "do you mind telling me your story"


    "no way, I do not want to bore an angel like you with my sob story"


    "not to worry for I am willing to listen, no matter how sobby or boring it is"


    "is that so?.., in that case I will start. do not say I did not warn you"


    Unable to resist her charm, I felt my mouth getting in sych with my mind and the next thing i knew was me spewing out my life''s story.


    "it all started back on my world, Earth. I had this huge debt I was owing to some organizations, to collect their payment, they threatened to sell of parts of my body and if I still do not meet up with the next deadline, I was going to be shipped off to some dark ce with shady agenda in mind".


    "I decided that rather than go through such troubles, I would end it all. The solution I arrived at was memitting suicide, to which I did. I jumped into an ocean to drown myself".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "finally, I was free from the loan sharks, was what I thought until I opened my eyes to find out that I am in a different world, to make things even more crazy, I was a goblin instead of a human"


    "crazy right"


    "yes, it really is interesting".


    "i was not even given enough time to process what had just happened to me because I was just about to die of hunger. To satiate my hunger, I feed on the meat which happened to be just next to me"


    "by the way, Iter found out that meat was actually my dead mother''s body"


    "I see..., go on".


    "after I ate, Iid on my back to gather my thoughts on what was happening, it was during that time that a wild dog came into my nest"


    "I, a goblin who has yet to start walking had to fight off a wild dog that was at least three times my size. I realized at that point, that I had to do something or else I might die in that moment".


    "luckily for me, I killed the wild dog but in the process I lost an arm. how dope is that?"


    "you know, when I think about it now, I think I am actually more lucky than I give myself credit for".


    "I have always taught of myself to be unlucky because of the circumstances I keep falling into, but yet I still keep surviving through those harsh and hellish circumstances".


    "if I was really as unlucky as I imed to be, I would have died on my first encounter with the wild dog. Maybe it is not that I am unlucky, but rather it is theplete opposite"


    "I also remember when I had a face off against the praying mantis, even though it had the upper hand, it still ended up killing itself thus letting me live. If that isn''t luck, I wonder what is".


    "I have been denying it all this time, but deep down I knew, I just did not want to admit it. Me having survived all this time was all thanks to my luck and not just my hard work".


    "did you know, that by cing all your achievements so far on you being lucky, you are undermining the struggles and sweat you have put into surviving"


    "but, but it is the truth, I have only gotten to where I am now thanks to my luck"


    "what is the truth exactly?, you say it is luck but I call it hard work. Luck does not just happen on its own, it takes a certain form of movement to trigger luck itself"


    "those movements we make are the true essence of luck and not the imaginary desire you think it to be. Going by your story so far, you lost your hand while struggling and you almost died countless times. Can you really not call that hard work?....."


    "but....., but...."


    "..."


    "I see...., hard work, so even miss angel recognizes my hard work?...."


    "like I said, I am a dragon not an angel"


    "I heard you before, but the dragons in my image all have wings and they are big and ferocious, while you are just a human with the appearance of an angel"


    "this is my medium body, what you are referring to is my original dragon body"


    "original?....., why are you in a medium form and not in your original body, though I do think your medium body is the best"


    "I have some circumstances that requires me to always stay in my medium form and not my original form"


    "I see"


    "after listening to your story, there Is a question that had me curious".

 Chapter 16 You, Who Are You

    ?"ask away miss dragon, I will answer whatever questions you have"


    "why did you decide to struggle in this life, why did you not just resign yourself to death"


    "...."


    "you said it yourself, in your past life, you ran from a wretched ending by taking your own life"


    "Could you not have done the same for this life, you could have just ended it by killing yourself rather than having to go through all that pain".


    "is it not easier for you tomit yourself to death a second time since you have done so the first time".


    "hmm..., I never really thought to that extent, but I feel you are right".


    "i am someone who hasmitted suicide once, so it should have been easy for me to do it a second time, and yet I decided not to"


    "No, it is not that I decided not to, but rather I never even considered that option to begin with".


    "hmmm, I wonder why that is?....."


    "perhaps, I wanted to live a longer time in this world, or perhaps it was just my human nature of wanting to struggle till the end that surfaced and took over my thinking".


    "this are all just assumptions, but I think the main reason why I never considered suicide is because I do not want to waste this second opportunity I have been bestowed"


    "it might also be due to fear of what might happen next if Imit suicide"


    "the first time Imited suicide to run away from loan sharks, I ended up in the body of a monster who has to spend his every day in high alert of dangers lurking around"


    "I cannot begin to fathom what sort of punishment God will bestow upon me again if I take this second life for granted"


    "That is why in this life, I have decided to fight until myst breath, suicide is no longer an option for me".


    "what admirable resolve you have"


    "eheh, thank you miss angel"


    "how many times do I have to correct you that I am a dragon"


    "but you look more like an angel to me, a peerless beauty angel"


    "the appearance of my medium form is that captivating"


    "you have no idea, with a form like this, men would surely kill themselves over you"


    "such are the predictable actions of Inferior males, driven by their innate urge to satisfy their carnal desires"


    "ahem...., you cannot really me them for that you know"


    "it seems you are no different, I can see right through your acts to attempt a reasonable justification for them"


    "putting that aside, miss angel"


    "I already said I am a dragon"


    "right, miss dragon, are you going to kill me now"


    "why do you assume that"


    "because I am a lowly goblin and you are a dragon, isn''t the rule of the jungle, the elimination of the weak and survival of the strong"


    "but we are not in a jungle now are we"


    "from my point of view, this ce is no different from a jungle, no it is even worse than a jungle".


    "You make a sound point, but I have no such intentions of killing you".


    "if I wanted you dead, would I have carried you away from the water when you fainted, or would I have gone as far as to have you rest your head on myp until you woke up"


    "hmm..., that is true..."


    "besides, spilling your blood will not befit me in any way"


    "what if I end up being hostile towards you, will you still not kill me then"


    "I still would not kill you"


    "why"


    "because you will never be able to pose any threat to me"


    "The notion of the strong killing the weak is because the strong fear that the weak might someday grow enough to stand up to the strong"


    "are you saying that no matter what I do, I will never be strong enough to stand up to you"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "yes"


    "hearing that, I don''t know what to feel"


    "you should be d you get to survive, trust me having me as your enemy is not something you would want for yourself"


    "you are right, i guess I should be d. you would have to be a God or a Goddess for you to not care about any one trying to contend with you"


    "i can''t imagine myself going up against such a being".


    "do not be delusional, even God''s and Goddess''s have their rival to contend with".


    "are you saying you are above the realm of a God"


    "..."


    "that, is not a subject for you to pry on".


    "that is true"


    "I must say though, you are a rare find"


    "rare?"


    "yes, it is not everyday you get to see a human traverser''s soul and in the body of a monster, a goblin no less"


    "traverser?, what is that"


    "a traverser is a being who managed to cross through the bridges of two worlds with its Perdu soul"


    "..."


    "normally, when a soul wants to cross through another world, it has to do it through the cycle of reincarnation".


    "The memories will be wiped clean before the God of reincarnation unleashes it into the reincarnation cycle to be reborn"


    "you however, not only managed to slip from the hands of the God of reincarnation, you also went as far as breaching through the bridges of worlds to reincarnate as a goblin".


    "your case is what we call a Perdue soul, while the one that goes through the normal reincarnation cycle is a naked soul"


    "I see, Perdue uhhh?".


    I stretched my hand and got my head up from herp with my whole body following the motion of standing on its feet.


    Standing on my weight, I realized that something was not right.


    My body?....


    It has gotten even bigger than before.


    I remember now.....,


    The reason I fainted in the first ce was because I was about to undergo an evolution cycle.


    But how?.....


    My level was at nine, so how could I have triggered an evolution at just level nine?....


    I was just about to make my way out of the stream when I noticed that I was not alone,


    And then what happened?.....


    Right,  It was then that the system notification starteding in.


    The first thing the notification said was...


    I have encountered a specie belonging to the founder race, forced evolution trigger will now ur.


    No way....,


    The only person with me here right now is her,


    Does that mean?....


    Is she the one that caused me to undergo a forced evolution.


    "you....., who are you"


    "I told you, I am a dragon".

 Chapter 17 Stats Boost

    ?After our discussion, I continued on my lone journey.


    She did ask me to stay with her but I refused her offer.


    It will be nice to have someone like her around to protect me and all, but what will happen if she is not there?.


    I am happy she considered the thought of sheltering me, but I do not want to rely on someone i know will not be forever there for me.


    If I want to survive, the only person I can rely on in this ce is myself.


    Not only did she spare my life, she even gave me some clothes to cover my nakedness with.


    A brown up and down clothes, a newbie outfit if I must say.


    I am grateful and thankful for the kindness she has shown me, and the encounter with her have also had a great impact on the way I now see things.


    The world sure is wide,


    Is the first thought I had on my mind after I realized that merely meeting with someone stronger was enough to allow me to evolve.


    I felt fear, admiration and jealousy.


    I felt fear knowing that she could kill me at any moment she wants,


    I admired her strength and the ability to remain unshaken during our conversation, I also admired herpassionate heart that decided to save me rather than kill me.


    I was jealous that in this hellish ce where I had to struggle every single day just so I can get to live another day, constantly keeping my guard up in anticipation of what enemy I am going toe across next.


    To see someone like her, unbothered by the happening in her surroundings, and even going as far as to let me go because she believes I will never pose a threat to her.


    I was jealous of that nonchnt attitude.


    How could there be such a big difference gap between us?,


    Why was she born perfect and I imperfect?


    What is my sin to have deserve going through literal hell everyday and someone like her gets to treat my circumstances like it is no big deal?.


    At first it was just about me surviving this hell hole, but now there has been a change of ns,


    I do not just want to survive while still living in fear of when I am going to die,


    I want to be strong, strong enough to be so nonchnt about my surroundings like her,


    Strong enough to take and save a life without fear of being betrayed.


    I am filled with a sense of desperation to survive and grow stronger,


    I want to know what my limits are,


    How far can I strive for in this hell?....


    I am filled with curiosity and at the same time anticipation of what the future holds for me.


    Will I live long enough to achieve my dream or will i end up a monsters dinner?.


    Well, that is the gist of what step I n to walk, but for now I should probably take it slow by focusing only on what I am capable of.


    What I need to do now is check my system status for the changes that urred pending my evolution.


    Status.


    ¡ñName : ?


    ¡ñRacu : Goblin Teen


    ¡ñJob : ?


    ¡ñLevel : 1


    ¡ñHp : 1000


    ¡ñMp : 1000


    ¡ñSp : 1000


    [All Skill Disy]


    [Dust Maniption Lv1, Thorn Maniption Lv1, Meta Strength Lv1, Cannibalism Lv1, Known Knowledge Lv1, Mana Materialization Lv1, Mana Gathering Core Lv1, Detection Lv1]


    ¡ñ[Dust Maniption Lv1 > enables the user to gather dust from the surroundings and alter its shape, the higher the level the moreplex the shapes can be altered to]


    [Mp consumption > depends on the user''s will. Do take note that the skills effectiveness dependsrgely on the consumption ratio].


    ¡ñ[Thorn Maniption Lv1 > the user is now able to manifest thorn from any desired body parts and also alter what form the thorn takes. The higher the level the moreplex the shapes and size can be altered to]


    [Mp consumption > depends on the user''s will. Do take note that the skills effectiveness dependsrgely on the consumption ratio].


    ¡ñ[Meta Strength > when activated, the user''s Sp will rise by 5%]


    [Mp Consumption > does not require Mp]<novelnext></novelnext>


    ¡ñ[Cannibalism Lv1 > when faced against a specie of the same race, the users over all stats will rise by 5%]


    [Mp Consumption > does not require Mp]


    ¡ñ[Known Knowledge > a book containing the knowledge the user has gained since arriving in this world, there are also some passive knowledge unknown to the user but can now be essible]


    [how to use > simply ask]


    ¡ñ[Mana Materialization Lv1 > an ability that allows the user to not only be able to control the flow of mana in the body, but the user can now also let the mana take shape outside of the body]


    [Mp consumption > depends on the user''s will. Do take note that the skills effectiveness dependsrgely on the consumption ratio]


    ¡ñ[Mana Gathering Core Lv1 > when active, the user will be able to gather mana in the surroundings to store in the mana core]


    ¡ñ[Detection Lv1 > an ability that allows the user to sense the presence of another]


    [Range > one hundred inch].


    hmm....,


    Did I just go from like being weakest to being slightly weaker?....


    And to think I Attained all of this with just an encounter with miss dragon...


    What a great turn of blessing this is for me.


    But I am baffled at how my Hp, Mp and Sp points is set that high.


    Laat time I evolved, the additional stat for evolution reward added was only one hundred each.


    When I evolved this time around, I first leveled up to eleven times before the forced evolution was triggered.


    I was in level nine to begin with, with eleven level more I would be in level twenty.


    Each level up rewards me with ten additional stats each.


    Two hundred each for the level up reward with an additional hundred points for the evolution reward.


    with my calction, my Hp should be about six hundred points and the Mp about five hundred points while the Sp will also be six hundred points.


    That is how it is supposed to be, so how am I having one thousand point for each stats?.....


    I do remember getting an additional hundred Mp points for encountering with a founder race, but that is not enough to exin how it all maxed up to one thousand each,


    At most it should all be six hundred points equally.


    Right....,


    For questions like this, I can just ask my upgraded form of enlightenment, Known knowledge.


    It says here in the description that there are some knowledge that are unknown to me but I can still be granted ess to it, so it should probably know why my stats have eached reach one thousand points.


    I should just ask?...


    Do I ask In my head or do I just shout it out?.....


    It is probably in my head right?,


    [Known Knowledge, why did all my stats get an additional four hundred points]


    "....."


    This is cra.....


    [the additional four hundred points for each stats is the reward given for encountering with a founder race]


    "...."


    wow, it really works.


    How dope is this?.


    hmm.....


    So I not only got an evolution of race and skill, but also an additional four hundred each because of miss dragon.


    i am rolling on maxed out luck.


    I hope I get to meet more of this so called founder race.


    No, I shouldn''t get my hopes up on that,


    There is no assurance that this so called founders will be like miss dragon.


    I should just be happy with what I have gotten instead of trying to be even more greedy for more.


    I should be content and work towards getting to a position where I will not have to rely on any one for stat boost.

 Chapter 18 Disappointed With The Outcome

    ?We both engaged in fierce staring contest, with both sides waiting for the other to make its move.


    If I attack first and it seeds in evading my move, I will be in trouble, the same goes for my opponent if it attacks first.


    The both of us, bidding our time and waiting for an opening.


    This monster is much more intelligent than I thought.


    I made a feint move as I stretched my leg forward in pretense of me running towards it, but the monster still stood its ground without changing its stance.


    Seeing that the monster did not take the bait, I stopped in my tracks and retreated back to my position.


    I never knew rats could be this intelligent?,


    Maybe their rate of intelligence has to do with their body structure?,


    The bigger the rat, the more intelligent it will be.


    If that is how their intelligence is operated,


    I should not be surprised if this rat in front of me is as smart as a human or even smarter, considering its size is times two the size of an adult human male.


    Thanks to having the additional four hundred stats each,


    I can nowpete with it in Agility to some extent, and with the effect of meta strength being activated, I caught up to it in physical prowess.


    Currently we are both ying on even grounds with neither of us having the lead.


    I broke the silence as I mustered up my strength and dashed at it with full speed,


    I got to a range where with just a few more steps, and my hand could touch it.


    Before I made my way towards the rat, I had already activated my Thorn Maniption Skill.


    Thorn Maniption is a skill that allows me to produce thorns from my body and change the shape to what I want it to be.


    It is a useful skill in battle that gives me an advantage of making my own weapons with thorns,


    The one disadvantage in it is the slow activation time,


    To produce just one thorn from my body, requires me to wait at least close to a minute to seed.


    To do that, I have to buy some time during that one minute or I constantly keep producing thorns from my body and risk exhausting my Mp.


    That obviously wasn''t going to be enough to up my chances at survival,


    I had to think of an alternative to which I did.


    The moment I encounter an enemy, I activate the Thorn Maniption Skill.


    Although the pain will be even more severe, but I had to train myself to keep moving about instead of staying in one spot while producing the thorn from my body.


    That was the n I came up with and is also what I am going to use against this giant rat.


    Uponing into contact with the giant rat, I activated the thorn Maniption Skill.


    To buy some time for myself, I engaged the giant rat in a staring contest while hiding the hand that the thorn wille out from.


    When I noticed that the thorn is halfway done, I ran over to the giant rat to attack it.


    After getting within its range, I stretch out my hand specifically the palm, that has finished producing the thorn and aimed it at its eyes.


    It would think that I still have a few more steps to make before I got to it,


    but with the length of the thorn, I can cover that distance without having to move.


    A perfect sneak attack i made up.


    With its fast reflexes, the rat managed to evade it and only got lightly scratched in the sides with the thorn.


    Seeing that my attack did no major damage, I shifted back and created some distance between us.


    The giant rat did not relent as it followed my movements and swung its paw at me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I raised my guard up and tanked its paw with my body,


    The recoil of me tanking it''s attack sent my body flying backwards and hitting the wall with a big bang.


    The giant rat did not give me anytime to tend to my body after I fell against the wall,


    It jumped at me, with the intent of crushing my body with its weight.


    I got up on my knee and rolled away from where the giant rat was going to jump to.


    I rolled my body back to where the giant rat was standing and attempted to stab it with the thorn I had produced when my body hit the wall.


    I got a hit in its underbelly but it was not deep enough to cause any fatal damage.


    With the thorn stuck in its underbelly, I shifted further away from the giant rat.


    Its body vibrated for a little while as it let''s out gas from its anus.


    That is one hell of a fart.


    It''s fart is in a purple gaseous form, and it stinks so badly.


    But stinking is not the only thing it does,


    It seems it has some kind of poisonous effect in it,


    proof of that is my Hp dropping without me having any physical wounds.


    I have to end this early before I die of a fart attack.


    Skill activation, Dust Maniption.


    At first, I thought being able to alter the shape of dust is one cheat move, but after using it once, I realized how useless it is in offense.


    I once manipted the dust in my surroundings and changed its form to a dagger, but I was disappointed with the oue.


    I wanted to test out the effects of the dust dagger and stabbed it on a rock I picked up,


    Rather than stab the rock, It ended up returning to a gaseous state after making contact with the rock.


    I then came to a conclusion that the dust maniption is apletely useless skill with no formal usefulness inbat.


    That was my conclusion, until I came up with a more effective way to use it.


    Sure, the dust Maniption is useless but that is if it is used alone.


    To make the dust Maniption Skill more useful, I needed to use it as a supporting type skill to the other skills,


    Dust Maniption, Detection, Metal strength and Thorn Maniption.


    Only by using it this way, can the dust Maniption''s skill true value shine inbat.


    I activate the dust Maniption and gathered the dust around my enemy, rendering it blind to its surroundings outside of the dust,


    Next is the activation of Detection.


    My enemy is not the only one that is going to go blind in the dust,


    I also will if I enter it, but with the detection I won''t be needing my physical sight.


    Metal strength for enhancing my physical ability to carry out the next several consecutive moves I am about to do,


    Thorn Maniption for producing Thorns in both of my hands that will allow me to deal open wounds to the enemy.


    With the thorns in my hand produced and my body enhanced,


    I dashed into the dust filled area and started dealing blows upon blows to my enemy from all sides without stopping for a second.


    Relenting on my attack is the same as giving out my location,


    I need to continue my attacks until I am sure it is dead.

 Chapter 19 Effectiveness Of Known Knowledge

    ?[Ding]


    [you have sessfully killed a Lv7 poison Rat]


    [five hundred experience points given]


    [you have leveled up].


    Dang,


    All that trouble and I only leveled up once?


    Being a Goblin Teen, I will now be needing three hundred experience points in total to level up.


    One of the disadvantages of evolution I guess.


    I do have to say though,


    The advantages of my recent evolution far outweighs the disadvantages.


    A body figure that looks like it has crossed through its fourteenth year age,


    Imbued with Agility, strength and endurance.


    The upgrading of all my skills,


    What more could I ask for.


    I remember now,


    There is only one more thing I could ask for.


    Where the hell did exhaustion Nullification go?.


    back when I was still a goblin Cub and kid, whenever I level up, all my umted fatigue wears off immediately and the Sp and Mp returns to being full


    But now, no matter how much I level up, the exhaustion from the battle does not go away with me.


    The only thing that returns to being full is the Hp that represents my health.


    That is why I am totally exhausted right now.


    I can''t even lift a single muscle of my body to go check my lunch,


    It would have been nice if I could eat it while it is still fresh though.


    This is why I never wanted to use the skillbination.


    One of the side effects of using the diversity of skills inbat is theplete drainage of my Mp and the maximum drainage of Sp.


    My Mp Guage is still too low to enforce the consecutive skills usage for a long duration,


    The most I can keep it up for is one and a half minute, but if I save on Mp, I can extend the usage to two minute,


    Doing that however, will decrease the effectiveness of all the skill and in most case, it will be rendered useless.


    As for why my Sp is down, is because my body is still too weak to support the activation of multiple skills at once.


    By activating multiple skill at once, I am also over working my body''s muscles.


    After I am done using the skills, the umted fatigue catches up to me and in turn renders me temporarily immobile.


    There is also the problem of me not being able to use any skill for some time,


    Not even the Mana gathering core Lv1 skill will work,


    If I try to forcefully activate it, my body will go into a state of extreme shock which might lead to death.


    How did I know you ask?


    Because I have tried it before.


    After I used the multiple skill trick and could no longer move my body,


    I activated the Mana Gathering core skill to absorb the mana in the surroundings while I was too weak to do anything.


    The pain I felt after activating the skill, was a pain I never want to go through again.


    The pain of having my arm severed from my body seemed menialpared to the pain of my body going into extreme shock.


    That is why I promised myself to never ever activate any skill after the multiple skill usage.


    I will wait for both my Mp and Sp to recover before getting back up or even thinking of using a skill.


    There is no other way to counter this side effect except getting my body strong enough to withstand the recoil or I end up not using the multiple skills at once.


    In my current condition, that will be extremely hard for me to do.


    The multiple skill trick is my ace move against an opponent I find very hard to defeat,


    A trick that benefits me in all round situation when I am faced with an equal opponent.


    With the trick by my side, I can have something to rely on whenever I am in a pinch,


    Discarding it off because of the after effects is not an option for me.


    Except of course, I cane up with an even better ace move for finishing up an opponent.


    For the current me, that is an impossible task.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Jusf in case though,


    I asked the known knowledge if there is a way for me to use my multiple skill trick without having the side effects happen to me.


    The answer I got from Known Knowledge was


    "No known information"


    It was a ridiculous answer to the point that even I was confused.


    What does it mean by No Known information?,


    It is because I have no information that I am asking you for information,


    If I had any information, then would I bother asking you for information you dummy.


    I asked it again a second time, but I was still greeted with the same reply.


    That got me thinking,


    Is the skill broken?.....


    If I were to judge the skill''s effectiveness going by the skill''s information settings that says,


    Records of knowledge that I have gained and some other passive knowledge that I do not know of.


    It is understandable that it would have no information on what I asked for,


    But then, what about when I asked for how the additional four hundred points on my stats came to be?


    It answered me with a genuine answer.


    That was a question I do not know or have any information about, so how was it still able to answer me?.


    I carried out some tests to satisfy my curiosity and I found out how the Known Knowledge skill operates.


    Known Knowledge is a skill that stores any information Ie across, regardless of its importance.


    For example...,


    I am walking in a straight line full of sand, and then I see a stone the size of a needle among the vast sand.


    That there, is an insignificant information for me who is walking in a vastnd full entirely of sand, but that won''t stop known knowledge from doing its work.


    It does not matter if I need such an information or not, Known knowledge will immediately store the information of me seeing a stone in a vast portion of sand.


    Now, here is where things gets tricky.


    What Known Knowledge will be storing is not just the information of me walking in a vast portion of sand or me seeing a stone in a vast portion of sand.


    Known Knowledge goes further into the details of the information,


    It first stores the information and breaks it down to itsst pieces by studying theponents of what the sand and stone is made of.


    Known Knowledge strips down any information it acquires to itsst meaning.


    The sand, the amount of collected particles that makes up the sand, the color of the sand, it''s coarseness, how much sunlight it has bathed in.


    All those irrelevant information is stored by Known knowledge.


    That is what it meant by passive information I have no knowledge of.


    Proof of it is it giving me an answer for the stats point addition.


    It has calcted the amounts of stats points I get for each level up and also the bonus stat I get after evolution.


    After that, it deducted what variable could have brought about me having an additional four hundred stats point each.


    To justify its variable, it started from the origin of my first Evolution down to my second evolution,


    It ruled out inconsistent actions leading to my evolution beforeing to the conclusion of me gaining an additional stats because of my encounter with a founder.


    Awesome right?


    I know.


    There is only one draw back to the efficiency and awesomeness known Knowledge,


    Me.


    For Known Knowledge to operate, I have to havee across the information it will operate on.


    My knowledge of this world iscking and even more so of my surroundings, because of that I am holding the skill itself back,


    It is I that is stopping it from realizing it''s full potential.


    When I asked it for an ace move to rece the multiple skill tricks,


    It replied with No Known Information because I have no information on the recing Ace move I asked for.


    For it to have any information on it, I need to work towards creating a foundation to such a skill.


    Complicated?, yes, but that is just how it is.


    A skill with a lot of potentials, but it''s value is being diminished by its owner''s ipetence.

 Chapter 20 Like The Saying Goes

    ?There is this thought that have been bothering me for a while now.


    This is a Dungeon, is it not?.


    If it really is a Dungeon, why am I not seeing any humans?.


    I have been in this dungeon for a long time, and I have yet toe across any humans or even a figure close to that of a human


    It might just be my weird thinking, but are dungeons not created so that they can be challenged by challengers?...


    Contestantse into the Dungeon to challenge it in exchange for a reward.


    At least that is how the Dungeons I see in the games are made.


    From my point of view, I can understand why there would be no challengering into this dungeon.


    Imagine venturing into a Dungeon in hopes of getting a reward after it is cleared, but what you end up getting is a w to the stomach, or an experience of having your life sh before your very eyes.


    A Dungeon that gives you nothing but life threatening opportunities.


    "..."


    Yeah, I don''t think there is anyone stupid enough to go into such a Dungeon.


    Even I am here because I never had a choice to begin with.


    If it was a choice of me being here or having to be a ve to some rich folk,


    I won''t have to think twice to decide which one to go with.


    This is not even a ce I would want my enemy to end up in.


    hmm.....,


    what do we have here?....


    Turns out, my opponent this time is a scorpion shaped monster.


    Except of course, the size being too big for a usual scorpion as usual.


    This just confirms my earlierint about nevering across a human shaped monster.


    not like it matters though,


    Even if I do end up meeting with them, it is kill or be killed.


    A red painted body, Eight legs with two of it being a grasping pincer and a long tail hanging over its body.


    I have a feeling this one is going to be my worst opponent to face.


    First thing I have to worry about is getting stung by its tail,


    Heard that is where their poison is stored in.


    Tho other thing is getting caught with its grasping pincers.


    No doubt I will be squashed to smithereens if that pincers gets me.


    Initiating a close quarterbat with it without knowing the full range or speed of its pincer and stinger is a suicide death.


    This is one hell of a tricky situation I found myself in.


    I produced a thorn from my hand and hurled it at the scorpion.


    It''s stinger response time was so fast that all I could see was the thorn changing directions.


    This is bad....,


    Really bad.


    With a quick reaction speed like that, I will have no chance walking up to it.


    If I can''t even see the movement of the stinger, how can I hope to n my next form of attack.


    A counterattack?.


    I have to think of a counterattack against that stinger.


    hmm.....


    hmmmm....


    Most of the skills I have are only helpful in a closebat range.


    The only long distance range I have, Thorn maniption. Has no explosive power to it and can be easily dodged.


    Damn it,


    This really is an unfavorable situation for me.


    In times like this, the best option for me is to.....


    Get my fucking legs working and make one hell of a run out of here.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Not wasting another seconds on essing my enemy,


    I instantly shifted my body and turned my back on it as I sprinted as far as I could.


    This is not a game.


    That monster is bad news and I am not ready or stupid enough to engage with it.


    This is the best course of action I can think of.


    Like the saying goes,


    He who runs from a battle lives to fight another day.


    That is right,


    I am not being a coward, but rather I am improvising.


    I am doing this so I can live to be stronger and then challenge it then.


    "..."


    "..."


    Oh screw it,


    Who am I kidding.


    I am like totally scared out of my wits right now.


    That monster has got a fucking pincer in its hands,


    Worstes to worst,


    I get caught with the pincer and have my head rolling off of my body.


    I am not ready for that,


    At least not right now.


    My detection skill is not actually picking up any dangerous vibeing from it, but that does not mean it is an easy prey.


    Even if we are both at the same level,


    It''s physical appearance is more battle oriented than I am.


    Exoskeleton scales to protect its body from any stab attacks,


    Two huge front scissors to cut me down from the front, and a tail that moves in any direction it wants it to.


    In what timeline can I even think of taking down something like that?.


    This is not a game where I get to resurrect with infinite lives, one wrong mistake from me and it''s game over.


    "!!!!"


    crap,


    This monster is actually chasing after me.


    For a monster its size, it is unbelievable fast.


    At this rate, it just might catch up to me.


    I need to speed up even faster,


    I need to go faster than my body can allow if I want to escape from its range.


    Skill activation, Meta Strength.


    With my body enhanced with the effect of meta strength, I ran even faster than I ever thought I could.


    If it wasn''t for the monster chasing behind me, I would have loved to concentrate more on the feeling of my feet touching the ground like it is in a liquid form.


    It feels like everything around me is moving in slow motion


    except of course for the big guy.


    Tbat bastard is still able to keep up with me even with Meta strength.


    what kind of cheat is it using to run that fast with a huge body like that?.


    I need to run eve!!


    "!!!!"


    Crap.


    I am doomed.


    Arghrghhhhh......

 Chapter 21 Battle In The Hole

    ?After trying to escape from the scorpion, it ran after me.


    Even with my Meta strength to boost my physical ability, I still was not able to lose its tail.


    Being too distracted by the furious scorpion that was behind me, I did not notice that there was an hole In my front until after I have stepped in it and started falling fast.


    It is as you have guessed,


    I am currently falling deep in a hole wide enough to fit four men at once, and I don''t see an ending to it.


    If I hit the ground at this pace, no doubt I will end up dying, or end up with a lot of broken bones.


    The point is, I need to find a way to stop sinking so rapidly.


    hmm.....


    anything.....


    Anything...


    Great, an idea.


    skill activation, Thorn Maniption.


    I stretch out my hands sideways wide open and produced thorns out of both palm.


    The length of the thorns kept on growing until it was long enough to reach the walls.


    With that, I was able to stop myself from falling even deeper.


    now all I need to do is use the thorn to climb my way back up.....


    "!!!"


    what the helllllll....


    This monster dude literally followed me into this hole.


    Is it that intent on having my neck.


    crap,


    At the rate it is falling, I will get shoved down with it if I do not get out of the way fast.


    I released my left hand from the wall and clung unto my right while pushing myself closer to the wall so I do not get pushed down by the scorpion monster when it reaches me.


    eheh...


    goodbye sucker.


    Our time together was fun while itsted.


    I watch and made fun of the scorpion as it drifts down past me.


    you caused me one hell of a trouble you know that,


    I pray I never get to meet with your specie ever again.


    "!!"


    arghrghhhhh.....


    It hurts like crazy....


    what the hell just happened?....


    I checked my leg where the pain I had felt came from.


    that son of a bitch monster...


    It stabbed its tail deep into my leg and is using it as an hanger to prevent it from falling.


    kurghuku....


    It hurts damn it.


    It would have been better if it was something else, but a fucking tail?....


    Seriously?...


    No way am I going down with you.


    If you want to die then do it alone.


    I reach my left hand down to try and release the tail from my leg, but that bastard did not allow me further movement as it attaches his remaining body to the other side of the wall and started walking upwards.


    gurgurghhh...


    When its body had reached the wall, it removed its tail that had earlier been stuck in my leg and blood gushed out of it.


    If I leave it be like this, it will get to me and knowing it''s relentless personality, I will not be safe.


    I released my right hand that I was using to hang on to the wall and jumped downnding onto the scorpion''s body.


    The first thing I attended to was the wound on my leg.


    To stop it from further bleeding, I activated the dust Maniption Skill and used the dust particles to close off the wound.


    Now, to deal with you.


    "sup buddy"


    "you miss me".


    It''s face has frustration and anger written all over it.


    "you must be very pissed off with me being on your body"


    "I understand how it feels, I mean I would be too".


    "Having someone making ame joke while your life is shing before your very eyes"


    "like what the fuck dude?"


    "but I need you to understand something, it is your fault we are in this shit in the first ce".


    "chasing after me after I decided to spare your life, and even going as far as to fall into the pit just so you can catch me"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "your desperation to have me brought you to this point so you have to take responsibility for it "


    "if you had not being so clingy, maybe then you might have survived".


    With its hands and leg tied to the wall to prevent it from falling, the scorpion resorts to using its tail to attack me.


    It swung its tail at me and I dodged it by jumping off of its body and unto the wall at the side.


    I slide down a little and jumped back to the side of the wall where the scorpion is hanging at.


    Now situated below the scorpion,


    I activated thorn Maniption and shot it at its underbelly but the thorn was bounced off when it touched the scorpion.


    Damn it.


    This is why I did not want to face it in the first ce.


    With all the exoskeleton protecting its body, there is no hole or soft ce for me to prate into.


    After my failed attempt, it was able to grasp my location as it sends its tail down my way.


    I jump back into the side wall but this time, the tail still follows me.


    I produced a thorn from my palm and used it to freely climb around the walls.


    The scorpion having adapted to being on the wall was also now able to walk on it with six of its legs and the pincers ready to attack.


    Damn it.


    You sure are troublesome even till the end.


    A battle in a four male sized tunnel began between I and the scorpion.


    The scorpion keeps on attacking me with its tail and sneaking in the pincers when it gets the opportunity, while I keep making even more distance between us.


    That is what is crucial in this fight.


    Regardless of where we are, I am still not fast enough to take it on in a closeba!!


    wh...wh.....


    What is going on?....


    I feel dizzy all of a sudden.


    Damn,


    What is happening to me?


    I have to get my thoughts together.


    [Ding]


    [you have been poisoned by a level 12  Cobid Scorpion]


    [the poison has spread through your body]


    [the poisons effect will now begin]


    Damn it...


    I totally neglected me being stung by its tail.


    I did not think much of it because I only felt the pain and not a trace of poison going In me.


    to think it woulde back to bite me like this, damn it.


    My Hp and Sp is dropping fast....


    "you are smirking because your poison is working"


    "you think I am going to go down like this?"


    "no way in hell".


    "if I am going down, I will make sure to take you with me".


    I ran towards the scorpion, and it pierced me with its tail at the side of my stomach,


    I did not pay any attention to the hole in my stomach as I focused only on getting to the scorpion.


    It tried to make some distance between us by going backwards


    "I won''t let you"


    Skill activation, Meta Strength.


    I sprinted even faster than I did earlier.


    Being in an enclosed space, the scorpion had little chances to show off its speed thanks to its huge body and because of that, I was able to catch up to it.


    I grabbed the scorpion''s head and put it in a choke hold,


    It fought back by stabbing me with its tail in every part of my body,


    I neglected the pain coursing through my body and put all my attention only on my objective.


    "that hell, we are going in it together".


    I solidified my foot to the wall with my hand still wrapped around the scorpion''s neck,


    I mustered up all the strength I had left in me and managed to flip its body over.


    we were now falling with me being on top of the scorpion and it going down with its underbelly facing upwards.


    It wanted to attack me with its tail, but I grabbed onto it before it could make any move and stabbed its head with it.


    "like I said, that hell, we are going in it together".


    I already resigned myself to dying of its poison but that does not mean I was going to let it go scot free.


    my attacks might not have caused it enough damages, but I am sure even it will not survive falling through this hole that seems like an endless pit.

 Chapter 22 Coming Into Contact With An Intoxicating Fire Energy

    ?cough, cough, cough.....


    That sure was a long fall.


    I would not have survived the fall if I had notnded with me on top of the scorpion.


    As for the scorpion...


    Well, I can expect its soul to already be making its way through another cycle of reincarnation.


    Buf what does it matter now when I will be joining it soon.


    The poison has spread all over my body, and it is only a matter of time before I give up the ghost.


    Phew.....


    Despite my several attempts to live.


    Going by poison is not so bad of an idea, at least I got to kill the one who poisoned me before I go.


    Thanks to the constant leveling up, I have managed to increase my Hp, Mp and Sp by 150 points each.


    Now I have up to 1150 points for each stats.


    It is thanks to that that I am still alive and not yet fallen prey to the poison circting in my body.


    My Hp has dropped down to seven hundred and fifty seven, while my Sp is at five hundred and forty two.


    A considerable amount of time has gone by since we got to the ground and I am still not dead.


    I can feel the pain of my internal organs getting dposed by the poison.


    At this rate, I just might die of pain instead of the poison coursing through my body.


    That scorpion sure did a number on me.


    cough, cough, cough.


    [Ding]


    [user''s actions has been recorded, a new skill has been formed]


    [Pain tolerance acquired]


    [poison tolerance acquired]


    ha.....


    A notification?....


    Is it informing me that my death is near?...


    no, this is...


    New skill update.


    I got a new skill update in this crisis.


    Is this nature''s way of telling me not to give up?


    alright, I won''t.


    I should check what the skill is about and see what usefulness it can provide for me in my current predicament.


    [pain tolerance Lv1 > the user''s body has been adjusted to be sustainable to a certain amount of pain]


    [the higher the level, the higher the level of pain can be bearable to the user''s body]


    [poison tolerance Lv1 > the user''s body has been adjusted to be sustainable to a certain amount of poison]


    [the higher the level, the higher the level of poison can be bearable to the user''s body]


    hoho.....,


    Nice...,


    This is just what I needed.


    A skill that let''s me feel less pain and a skill that slows down the effects of poison in my body.


    Skill, Pain tolerance activate.


    Skill, Poison tolerance activate.


    "...."


    haaa....


    I can certainly feel it''s effect.


    It is not much, but I can feel it to an extent.


    This is not enough to do it,


    I need something even more potent..


    Something or someway to vacuum out the poison...


    That is the only way for me to survive this.


    "...."


    "....."


    "....."


    "!...."


    An idea just popped up in my head.


    Skill, Mana Materialization activate.


    Mana materialization is a skill that allows me to control the Mp that is stored in my mana core and also the ones that flows through the hose pipe and supplies mana for all skill activation.


    What I am going to do now is to destroy the hose pipe that is responsible for transporting mana to every part of my body.


    Why you ask?.....


    Because, once the hose pip is destroyed, there will be an overflow of mana from the mana core and thus leading to it pouring on all my internal organs like it did before.


    This time around, I will use that to my advantage.


    Once the overflow happens, I will use mana materialization to control the flow of mana and use it to rinse my internal organs.


    The poison is in liquid state so it will surely be washed off by the mana, and then I will redirect the flow and pour it all out through the injury I incurred in my leg where the scorpion''s tail stabbed me at.


    The side effects to doing this, is the wastage and drainage of all my mana in the mana core, and also a possible chance of me dying due to absence of mana in my mana core and my body.


    There is also a chance that I might die due to the pain of messing with my internal organs, but hey it is all or nothing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It is a choice of me doing nothing but wait for death or me trying something that guarantees me a fifty percent chance of death and a fifty percent chance of living.


    With that said, Time to get busy.


    Channel out the power.....


    Channel out the power.....


    I can do this.....


    I can do this....


    I absorb my focus into making my thoughts a reality and began the process.


    I concentrated more and sessfully broke the hose pipe that was acting as a lid on the mana core.


    As expected, the mana core became unstable and the next was over flooding but I stopped it before it could even start.


    I controlled the flow of the mana and focused on using it to wash every corner of my internal organ from upwards to downwards.


    When I was done with that, I directed the mana to my leg where the injury was and pushed it all out.


    [Mp > 1150-1020-800-357-154-0]


    [Ding]


    [Mana Materialization Lv1 has leveled up into Mana materialization Lv2]


    huff, huff, huff.....


    It worked.


    And thankfully I did not die.


    I even managed to level up Mana Materialization to Lv2.


    I am eager to see what effects the Lv2 has but I currently have no mana to do so.


    Now all I need to do is get some rest and let my body recover before I can move again.


    *Great.....


    Finally.....


    I can move again.


    Being constrained to lying on my back against my will for that long is really not healthy for me.


    It felt like i was in a tight spot with chains holding me down.


    I never want to be poisoned again.


    Now, to check just where it is I fell into.


    hmm.....


    everywhere is dark,


    Even darker than when I was above.


    I can hardly make out what is what in this darkness


    no problem though, see my eyes are starting to adapt to it.


    I have lived in darkness since I was born,


    a little more dark just means it needs a little more time of me getting used to it.


    Now then,


    Jus....t


    Wher.....e


    Am I.


    "....."


    Wow.....


    Wow, wow, wow.


    That, Is one hell of a gigantic gate.


    I move closer to the massive metallic gate that was in my front.


    Damn it''s really massive.


    Just how did someone manage to erect a gate of this size?...


    I feel like an ant standing in front of it.


    I ce my hand on it to see if, just if I can open it.


    As expected, it does not even budge one bit.


    [error]


    [error]


    [error]


    [error]


    [user level is too low]


    [user not eligible]


    [user not eligible]


    [user not eligible]


    [user not eligible]


    [qualification requirement not met]


    [qualification requirement not met]


    [qualification requirement not met]


    [you havee into contact with an intoxicating Fire energy]


    [you have acquired the Fire tolerance skill Lv1]


    [Fire tolerance skill proficiency have been reached]


    [Fire tolerance skill Lv1 has evolved into Fire resistance Lv1]

 Chapter 23 My Resolve

    ?"....."


    Time to get going I guess..


    It says I can''t go into it, so it will be useless of me to try breaking through.


    Not like I can actually break through it in the first ce.


    Also, whatever or whoever is in there is certainly a dangerous entity.


    The gigantic metallic gate and new skill I just got says it all.


    I am not ready to stick my head around for it to get to me.


    I should start climbing my way back up instead of just standing and staring at the big gate.


    With a conflicted feeling welling up inside me, I turn my back to the giant door and make my way to the wall, ready to begin climbing back up.


    I ced my two palms on the wall and activated the thorn Maniption Skill.


    The thorns came out of my palm but was unable to attach itself to the wall.


    My n was to use the thorn to climb my way up, but now that that is not working, I will have to use my nail ws.


    I ced my ws on the wall, getting ready to climb but I was met with the same oue.


    My ws would not stick to the wall as I wanted it to.


    no matter what I did, I kept falling off of the wall.


    It is too steep and hard for the thorn or my ws to pierce through.


    damn it...


    Nothing is ever going my way today.


    First I met with the scorpion that almost killed me and then I get rejected by a big gate telling me I am not eligible enough


    "....."


    Fuck it...


    Fuck this all....


    You can go suck my ass for all I care.


    Who told you I want to be eligible to begin with.


    You are just a big freaking ass gate and you still dare think you have the gut to tell me if I am eligible or not.


    Fuck, you.


    I ced my five fingers on the wall and produced thorns from all ten fingers.


    I shaped the thorns like a drill to dig my way through the walls.


    Shit...


    Why is it not working damn it.


    I bash my fist against the wall multiple times while knowing that such an action will do nothing to help the situation on ground.


    I continued bashing while screaming at the top of my lungs.


    it is annoying....


    Every damn thing is annoying.....


    why am I like this?....


    I am conflicted as to what this feeling welling inside of me is.


    Why am I being like this?..


    This is so unlike me.


    I cannot seem to calm my mind nor do I have the free will to think rationally like I always do.


    what the fuck is wrong with me?....


    I am annoyed,


    I am pissed off.


    But at who?.....


    Am I pissed off at the giant gate that shunned me saying I am not qualified and eligible?....


    why am I this pissed of?.....


    why is everything around me pissing me off?...


    Damn I wish everything would just end.


    No, no, no.


    I have no time to think such thoughts.


    My priorities right now is getting out of this hole.


    I continued trying to climb back up with no luck whatsoever,


    Before I knew, water was dripping down from somewhere.


    I raised my head upwards to see where the water wasing from but there was no trace of it, and yet it was still dripping.


    what is going on?...<novelnext></novelnext>


    howe there is water dripping on my face and yet I can''t find the source of it?.


    uhhh.....


    No way....


    The water ising from my eyes?...


    how can that be?...


    What is this?.....


    What the hell is this?....


    Am I crying right now?.....


    Wow.....


    This is an awesome discovery.


    Who would have thought that goblins can shed tears.


    But why am I crying?....


    I do not see a reason for me to cry so why is the tears still pouring down.


    My life right now could not be any better.


    At first I was weak, but after going through countless experiences, I became strong enough to assure my tomorrow.


    I have no reason whatsoever to start crying right now.


    This tears are just acting up on their own without my consent.


    Damn it this is embarrassing.


    Even if I look like a green teen, I seem to be forgetting that I was once an adult.


    How can I be sobbing so loud like a child.


    Instead of the tears, what I should be more focused on now is getting out of here.


    "....."


    damn it, damn it....


    This is the second time now,


    The second time I am having to question my struggle after being faced with overwhelming authority.


    First was with miss dragon,


    She did not kill me because I can never pose a threat to her.


    The second is this damned gate.


    It refused me passage because I am not eligible.


    why can''t it be me?....


    I have tried everything possible just so I can stay alive so why do I have to take shit from others.


    I am so frustrated and suffocated.


    I feel like their answers are a denial to the actions I have taken so far.


    I...


    I...


    I want to be stronger.


    I never want to be denied by anyone ever again.


    I never want to be looked down upon by anyone ever again.


    I want power.


    I want to be even stronger than I am now.


    It is not enough for me to just wish for it.


    I want and will do whatever it takes to get it.


    Gate, you reject me today because I am not eligible enough, but I can assure it won''t happen again.


    The next Ie here,


    I will forcibly open you up with my power.


    I will never again let you reject or make me doubt my existence.


    ***


    Sitting on a throne made of skulls and bone, is a green monster.


    Canine teeth, a huge and thick muscles, with a dominating pressure.


    [Ding]


    [A prophecy has been enacted]


    [he has arrived]


    [he who shall question yourmand and renounce your authority has awaken].

 Chapter 24 King Of The Goblins

    ?Warning > Chapter Rated 18


    He grabbed her hair and pushed her onto the bed, went closer to her and turned her butt upwards before shoving it in.


    He did not consider the size difference and kept pouncing and prating as hard as he could.


    "Hngh!!....."


    Not able to contain it any longer, the female made a loud moan that let out of the tent.


    He grabbed her hair and bashed her face on the bed aggressively.


    "Silence. You will moan when I tell you to and you will stay silent when I tell you to. Is that clear".


    The expression of his words was not of someone asking or demanding.


    It was a necessity and an essential phrase that could not be ignored.


    The female knew what he was capable of.


    Her failing to abide by his words could lead to her instant death.


    She had once witnessed a scene where he killed a bear by simply crushing it with his bare hands.


    She did not put it past him to grab unto her head at this moment and just keep on tightening his grip until it bursts.


    She was left with no other choice but to hold in her moan by using her hands to cover her mouth.


    He grabbed her hair and used it to raise her upper body upwards and rested it on his chest.


    He releases his hold on her hair and reaches both his hands to her front to grab her bossoms.


    He foundles the bossoms while licking her neck.


    The female''s body shivered as she releases liquid substances from her underneath.


    The male withdraws his manhood and flung her body against the wall.


    "tch, did i say you could cum"


    "....."


    "answer me..."


    He let''s out an aggressive roar as he punches through the wall beside the female.


    "for...for..., forgive me my king....."


    "begging for forgiveness was not what I asked of you"


    "my..., my..., my king, I will do better so please, please have mercy".


    She began sobbing as she got on her knees with her hands pped together.


    The male with a disgusted look on his face, raised up his leg and marched it on the female''s face.


    The massive leg made contact with the female''s head and smashed it into pieces.


    The particles of the smashed head sshed on his body, he touches it and puts it in his mouth.


    [Ding]


    [you have sessfully killed a Lv32 HoboGoblina]


    [nine thousand experience points gained].


    "my orders are absolute, refusal to abide by them is a denial of my reign and only death shall await such who seek to deny my reign".


    He leaves the female''s headless corpse behind and moved on to the other female who was on her knees and her hands folded on herp.


    During themotion, she was there the entire time as she made sure to conceal her presence as ordered by the male.


    If she attempts to even so much as make a squeak, she knew it was going to be her next.


    That is why, no matter what was going on in the room, she feigned ignorance and blended herself like air.


    The male moves past her and went on to sit on his bone made throne.


    e over here and suck it".


    he widened hisps as an indication to what he was referring to.


    As per his orders, she crawls on her knees and makes her way over to him.


    On getting there, she bent her neck down, opened her mouth wide and dipped it in deep into her throat.


    In and out, in and out, goes her head on hisp.


    "thrust even deeper"


    He says as he pushes her head deep in and gags her full with his semen.


    "ha......, nicely done"


    "than.....than..... thank you my king".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i have no need for your gratitude. I will pump you full with my essence and I want you to return it in the form of a warrior"


    "I shall do so my lord"


    "now, turn your back and sit on it"


    "as youmand my king".


    The female followed the orders of the male as she turned her back and moved her butt towards the male''s.


    Due to the height difference, the female was unable to reach her butt on where the male''s was suitated.


    The Male grabbed the female by the hips, lifted her up and shoved it up her ass.


    The female let out a scream over the sudden massive inches that was stuck up her ass.


    The male took a hold of her neck and moved his face closer to her ear.


    "did I say you could scream"


    "n..... no my king"


    "defy me again and I assure, your fate will be no different from that one over there. You don''t want that now do you"


    "yes my king"


    "great. As long as you are obedient, nothing of such will happen to you".


    He ces his hand on her head and started petting it.


    The gesture portrays an owner rewarding his ve for being obedient.


    "move"


    "as youmand my king"


    "and I want you to moan as loud as you can".


    "I want you to tighten up now"


    "ye..... Yes my king".


    She kept going up and down hisps while pounding as fast as she could with her voice ringing to the outside of the room.


    "turn"


    Without further ado,


    The female while still attached to hisp, turned her body to face the male.


    He grabs her tits and starts sucking on them one at a time.


    "here Ie, ept it all"


    "as youmand my king"


    He squeezed his face as he releases it all in her.


    "nicely done. I shall call for you more often from now on"


    "it is with great pleasure to be able to pleasure you my king. My body and my will are all yours to take".


    "it is as you say. For knowing and abiding by your duties, I henceforth renounce you as my first in line".


    "aide"


    The male called out and another male with green skin and an average body weight and height walks into the room.


    The male upon entering, kneeled on his two feet and buried his head on the ground.


    "you called for me my king"


    "yes I did. Let it be known to the whole of the tribe what position this female Goblina now holds".


    "i shall do so right away my king".


    "what about my earliermand"


    "I have started working on it my king. I have stationed guards at the entrance and also informed them that if any goblin were toe in, they are to apprehend him without any hesitation"


    "that is not good enough. Send guards to also patrol the surrounding areas. For all we know, he might have already made it down there"


    "I shall see that it is done my king".


    "I want you to inform the blood ring organizers that I will being to participate"


    "I shall send immediate word to them"


    "great. Also, you will do well to send me a more obedient female like her next time, lest you want your head flying off of your body"


    "thank you for sparing my lowly life my king".

 Chapter 25 Blood Ring Arena

    ?A circled stageprised only of goblins on the spectators seat.


    At the center of the circled stage is a boxed iron cage the size of a one bedroom apartment.


    "Announcer Job skill activation, sound voice".


    After activating his skill, the Goblin stood up from his seat and began making hand gestures as he started addressing the Goblin crowd.


    "my fellow goblin spectators. I wee you to the blood ring battle match"


    A loud cheer rose up from the spectators seats.


    "a ce where powerful foes sh together, and the winner gets to decide the fate of the other"


    "only the strong shall survive and the weak''s blood shall be the legacy to renounce the winner''s victory".


    The announcer waited for while for the cheering to die down before continuing.


    "Our contestants for today''s match in the blood ring, is the blood ring current reigning champion and an Orc that was captured during the battle with the savage orcs".


    "introducing on the left, is the savage Orc with an height of three average goblins joined together"


    They began booing the orc who had entered the stage with a tattered body.


    Orcs, are monsters with a pinkish color and the nose of a pig.


    "on the right, we have the reigning champion Goblin whose body count is less than times two of his opponent"


    At this point, the Goblins cheered even louder for the champion doned in Grey armor.


    "contestants, select your choice of weapon on the weapon stand before entering the blood ring"


    The two warriors standing opposite to each other, moved simultaneously to the weapon stand located beside them.


    Machetes, bows and arrows, long sword, short sword, great sword, dagger, club, shield, Spear.


    All having a distinctive feature of looking rusty and worn out.


    The Goblin champion picks up a shield and a short sword, while the Orc picked a club.


    "if both contestants are done with picking their weapons, move over to the blood ring arena and go in through the door".


    They both followed the instructions of the announcer and entered the iron cage.


    "you rotten goblins, you think you can face me one on one ande out victorious?"


    "If it was not for your overwhelming numbers and the presence of your king, your kind would not even be able to stand a chance against us".


    "says the Orc that has been captured by a goblin".


    The Orc was angry that a lowly Goblin could speak to him in such a mockery way.


    His eyes filled with blood lust and his clup ready to tear away at flesh.


    He raised his club as he verbally threatens the Goblin.


    "I will make sure to behead you for your mockery"


    "bring it on you savage".


    The two warriors moved at the same time with their weapons taking the lead.


    The Orc swings his club at the Goblin champion who blocked it with his shield and counterattacked with his short sword.


    The Goblin champion aims the short sword at the orc''s thigh.


    "skill, iron body".


    Iron body is a racial skill avable only to the Orc race.


    It turns their skin from head down to the toe into metal that allows them to defend against physical attacks.


    Upon making contact with the orc''s iron body, the short sword bounced off of its body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The orc took advantage of the opportunity and body mmed the Goblin champion.


    The Goblin champion''s reaction was immediate as he used the shield to tank the orc''s iron body.


    "dear Goblin viewers, this is starting to get more intense as each contestants are pulling each other back"


    "I am sure everyone here, me included. Expected the orc with his overwhelming weight to have the advantage against the reigning champion whose weight is lesser than the Orc"


    "however, that does not seem to be the case here. Our reigning champion is standing his own grounds and showing the savage Orc that the Goblins are not to be trifled with".


    "we might be smaller in size does not mean we are weaker than the savages. We will show them the fierceness of the honorable Goblin race".


    The Orc was more furious than ever.


    What the annnoucer said was nothing but the truth, and that pisses him off even more.


    For centuries, Orcs and Goblins have been at war with one another.


    Killing and piging each other was the daily norms for them.


    Going by their long feudal history, the Orcs have always held the advantage over the Goblins.


    In numbers and physical fitness, they overpowered the Goblins by far.


    It would take three to four goblins to kill a single orc with no weapons.


    That was the massive difference between the Orcs and the Goblins until the arrival of the variant.


    Amongst the Goblins was a goblin who was born and raised just like the other goblins were.


    Grew up running and surviving from the Orcs was how the Goblins had all lived.


    But then, he came and overthrew every norms believed about how goblins were supposed to be.


    Strength that surpassed the Orcs, speed that has never been seen before, skill that has yet to be unknown, charisma that boosted the ability of any Goblin under him, birthingrge number of goblins with a single round with another goblina.


    He had it all, and with it, he ced the Goblins at the very top of the food chain.


    The mighty Orcs who were once the superior over the Goblins were now reduced to running from them.


    He assembled all the goblins together under one banner, and used its might to threaten the Orcs to extinction.


    The leader of the Orcs had no other choice but to give out an order for the tribe to evacuate their domain and go into hiding.


    Although defeated, the Orcs never gave up on wanting to regain their lost glory and honor.


    They grouped up in smaller numbers and relied on ambush to slowly wear down the Goblins.


    That is the fate that had befallen the Orcs that once ruled over the Goblins.


    All because of a single entity....


    For the Orcs, that incident was an irreversible thorn on their pride.


    To think that Goblins, the lowest of monsters would get to rule over the Orcs.


    The more they think about it, the more their desire to crush the Goblins raged on.


    This orc was no different.


    Resentment, anger, hate.


    Are the emotions boiling inside of him whenever hees across a goblin.


    That emotions was also what led to him being captured by the Goblins and now being humiliated in the ring.


    His deepest desire, is for the total extinction of the Goblin race.


    A wish that can onlye true if the king of the Goblin dies.

 Chapter 26 The Orc And The Goblin

    ?The Orc charged furiously at the Goblin champion.


    He kept on swinging his club at the Goblin champion left and right, left and right. Without any specific aim.


    His anger had taken over his actions and could no longer allow him to think straight.


    He was being subjected to an open mockery and used as a means of entertainment for the lowly Goblins.


    He now had only one thought in mind.


    To kill this Goblin before him in the most cruelest and painful way ever.


    For this purpose, the Orc swung his club with every strength in his body and relentlessly kept on attacking the Goblin champion giving him no moment of respite.


    The Goblin champion was left with no other choice but to go on defense against the angered Orc''s attacks.


    He blocked the attacks with his shield, and the ones he could not block with his shield, he evades it.


    At this stage, the Goblin spectators were in an uproar as they all got up from their seats and started cheering.


    Their cheers are of negativity for the Orc who seems to be controlling the pace of the Duel and putting their reigning champion in a tough spot.


    "what is this we are witnessing?, the savage Orc is fighting back hard and is looking to put down the champion with one hit, however the champion is skillfully evading the savage Orc''s attack while making the savage Orc look no less than a fool"


    "to entertain us all, the reigning champion is putting up with the weak attacks of the savage Orc and making it look like he is struggling"


    "the oue of this match is as predictable as it first began. The champion is telling the savage Orc to survive andst for as long as he can before he rolls his head off of his body".


    The spectators voice rang out loud in a positive cheer for the reigning champion.


    The announcer had just ignited the mes in the Goblin spectators by telling them exactly what they wanted to hear.


    They are seeing that truly, their champion is having a hard time putting down the Orc but they refused to believe that.


    The Orcs are savages and of lower rank than them.


    Is what their beliefs are now based on and should always happen.


    "you bastards. Do not look down on me. I am a high ranking Orc serving directly under the Orc lord. You think your puny champion is enough to take me down?".


    "if it was not for your king, your kind would have already been wiped out of existence"


    pared to us noble Orcs, you all are nothing but maggots".


    "eh, if your race is as noble as you im it to be, then why do you run from us?"


    "stand and face us you savages. Our king''s influence will continue to grow and devour everything in its path. You Orcs are no exception to that".


    "we will kill your male and feast on your bodies, as for your females. I will leave that up to your imagination".


    "you....., you maggot. I will kill you, I will kill you, I will kill you".


    "Berserker Job Skill activate, Madness Of The Warrior"


    Job skill is a skilled one gets depending on what job one is assigned to.


    For example, if one gets a farming job, the skill rted to said job like crop irrigation and so on. Is what will be assigned under the farming job.


    The same goes for this situation.


    The Orcs job is berserker, and the skill under berserker is madness of the warrior.


    Madness of the warrior is a type of skill that ignores defense and focuses only on high attack power and physical body enhancement.


    The time limit is dependent on the user''s mana count.


    The Orcs body let out a sinister Aura as his eyes turned red with an increase in his body weight.


    The Orc who was already bigger than the Goblin was now even more bigger.


    The scene was now like a four year old standing near a twenty year old.


    The Goblin champion now stood no chance in terms of body weight.


    But, weight is not always the deciding factor of an oue of a Duel, especially when it involves monsters.


    The Orc with his club, lept at the Goblin champion.


    The Goblin champion quickly put his shield up to stop the Orc.


    The shield could not stop the Orc as it shattered into pieces when the Orc came into contact with it.


    The Goblin champion abandoned the shield and rolled out of the way to avoid being crushed by the Orc''s weight.


    "ahah. Is running away all you can do you lowly Goblin. Why do you not stay and fight me head on"


    "sigh...., I did not want to resort to using my job skill to take care of one savage Orc, but it seems that you leave me with no other choice"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "beware of the might of the noble goblins. The moment I use my job skill will be the moment you meet your demise".


    "it is also the moment that you will die if you use your job skill to take out an Orc".


    "!!!"


    "hoo....., dear goblins viewers. An unexpected guest have graced our establishment with his mighty presence".


    "I present to you, the undisputable, undistinguishable, ever reigning undefeated champion".


    "the mighty one who with his power, brought together the Goblins and vanquished our enemies one by one".


    "the very one whose voice echoes out thunder and hismand sends out shivers".


    "the one, and only king of the Goblins".


    He walks into the iron caged ring with an Aura of might and moved over to the Goblin.


    He grabs the Goblin by the neck and lifts him up.


    "did I hear you right earlier?".


    "my....my....my".


    The Goblin champion was bathed in fear as words escaped his mouth.


    "Announcer".


    "yes my king".


    "henceforth, this Goblin is disqualified as a champion of the blood ring".


    "as youmand my king".


    "he who cannot even handle one Orc does not deserve to bear the title of champion".


    "for.....for...forgive me my king..... I was wrong.... I will not do it again".


    "wrong?, What do you think your offense is".


    "failing to kill the Orc in time?, no...."


    "that is not your offense".


    "this is a Duel, there are bound to be difficulties in a Duel regardless of who the opponent is".


    "it would be stupid of me to use you of failure because you were having difficulties against an Orc".


    "your offense, is trying to use your skill to take out a single Orc. That is a dent in the pride of the noble goblins, and I will not allow that".


    "my...my....my".


    He did not wait for the Goblin champion to finish as he squeezed his grip on the neck and crushed it.


    He threw away the body and turned his head over to the orc


    e, I will be your opponent".


    "you....., you bastard. Do not look dow..."


    He did not allow the orc to finish his sentence before killing him off.


    To the Orc and the other goblin spectators, this is what they saw happen.


    He simply appeared in the presence of the Orc, and a hole was formed in his stomach.


    Blood sshed out from the hole, and the Orc fell to his knees before dying.


    What sort of speed that allowed him to breach the distance between he and the Orc, none could tell.


    Just like that, the Duel was over before any of them could begin toprehend what had just happened.


    The spectators were marveled and bewildered at their king''s might.


    His charisma was a perk they all admired.


    At the defeat of the Orc, they all jumped up from their seats and roared in jubtion.


    The king stood still in the cage as he was being bathed in cheers from the spectators.


    The king''s aide came running into the iron ring cage.


    "my king, I have just received word that the Goblin has been captured"


    "is that so?, lead me there".

 Chapter 27 Advantaged Structure

    ?It races towards me with its dangerous looking body, and I ducked out of its way just in time before it got to me.


    Phew,


    That was dangerous.


    It produced out spikes from every parts of its body and fires it all at me.


    Skill activation, Meta Strength.


    With my body physically enhanced, I managed to evade the spikes that were falling like rain.


    Skill activation, thorn Maniption.


    I have been through a lot of hurdles after I got out of that hole.


    I challenged monsters of different species and kept on using my skills against them.


    Thanks to that, almost all of my skill have leveled up beyond Lv5.


    The lowest skill Level I have now is Lv1 and that is cannibalism.


    I have not had much chance to use the skill because it only activates when I am faced against goblins as my opponents.


    Throughout my countless session of killing and hunting, I have yet toe across other goblins like me.


    As for my other skill that have leveled up beyond five,


    They have all be more useful and efficient for me to use in battle.


    Take the thorn Maniption Skill for example.


    Before, I was only able to produce thorn from any parts of my body.


    But now, I can not only just produce thorn, I can now cloak my body with said thorn.


    For now, the only part of my body that I can cloak up to with the thorn Maniption skill is my two fists.


    If I were to go any further than that, I would be overusing my mana guage.


    It is essential that I try to minimize my use of Mana to the lowest input possible.


    If I were to run out of mana during a fight, I would be spelling my own doom.


    No mana equals to no skill activation, and no skill activation equals to having to rely only on my body.


    For lower level monsters, I will have no trouble using just my body.


    But for high level monsters like this porcupine monster, I need my skill to be avable to use at any moment.


    Besides, my fist is what does the job of making contact with my opponents,


    That is why I deemed it the most important ce for me to focus the thorn Maniption Skill on.


    With thorn cloaked to my two fists like a glove, my punching power bes even more destructive unlike when I am bared handed.


    Another reason why I am prioritizing only cloaking my hand is because of this monster.


    Its outer body is made of spikes


    , and I do not mean just its upper body, I mean everyyer of its body isced with spikes.


    I can''t touch it with my ordinary fist without attaining some damage,


    But with thorns cloaked on my two hands, I will have no problem with making contact with it.


    I charged at it, and hit its body with my fist.


    The cloaked fist broke through its porcupines and went further to attack its soft spot way below the spike''s range.


    It immediately curled itself in and rolled its body away from me.


    This is one troublesome monster I am dealing with here.


    Its body shape gives it an advantage of long distance attack and swift evasion.


    I jump to the roof and pressed my legs deep in it to spring me to the monster.


    It reacted by sending the spikes my way.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Skill activation, Dust Maniption.


    I gathered the dust around it to rob it of its vision,


    I then performed a four sixty in mid air and used it to change my tragectory.


    If I had just gone ahead straight, my final destination would have been facing the porcupine monster head on.


    But after the stunt I pulled, I was able to avoid the spikes that was aimed at me and attack it from its side.


    The monster once again coiled itself and ran off a distance from me.


    Whenever I am this close to getting to its soft spot after destroying the spikes, it folds itself like a centipede and runs away from me.


    While it is running away, it also releases spikes aiming at me from its body.


    If it was the me of before, I would be panicking if I am faced with an opponent like this.


    It''s Advantage structure is no different from the scorpion.


    Adept in offense and defense, making it an almost impregnable fortress.


    Well, that is about to change thanks to the new skill I created.


    Once upon a time after my fight with the scorpion,


    I contemted on what I should do if I ever end up meeting with another specie like the scorpion.


    Do I run and risk being chased down?, or do I stand and fight?.


    That was the two choices I had, and it was obvious which one I needed to pick.


    If I n on getting strong enough to not be belittled by anyone, I needed to cross any obstacles thate my way.


    I need to be stronger than I could ever imagine.


    I needed to kill as much monsters as I could.


    For me, running is no longer an option.


    No, it was never an option to begin with.


    It is do or die.


    And I have chosen to do and not die.


    To help me in achieving my resolve of not dying, I produced a skill.


    Yes, yes.


    I know what it is you want to say.


    How did I do it?...


    How do I alwayse up with insane ideas for a new skill creation?


    That is what most of you all must be thinking right.


    Well I have to say, even I am amazed by my awesomeness.


    I must be some kind of skill creator genius in my past life.


    "....."


    Ho wait.


    I was a debtor In my past life.


    "....."


    I do have to say though, one of the tricks to creating a skill is desperation.


    If your life is on the line, then I assure you that the desperation that kicks in will push you to the very limits to thinking of ways to survive.


    That is exactly what happens to me and also made it possible for me to think of creating a skill that will keep me alive.

 Chapter 28 Job Selection

    ?The new skill creation process is something I had a hard time making up.


    First I control the mana in my mana core and materialize it outside.


    The next step is giving shape to the materialized mana.


    This is where things get tough.


    To give shape to mana requires maximum amount of concentration from me.


    I also have to think of what shape to make it in.


    It has to be a shape that can easily pierce through tough scales and armors.


    It also has to be in a shape that can travel long distance.


    I have Meta Strength to help me for closebat, but even that is not enough to pierce through some of the monsters scale.


    What I need is a skill that can deal damage to monsters with high defense and fast offense, while not putting myself in danger.


    Take the scorpion for example.


    It has a tail that can move faster than I can in a close distancebat.


    If the new skill is a closebat kind of skill, my chances of hitting it will reduce drastically and the chances of me getting hurt will increase drastically.


    To take out a monster like that, I need a long distance attack that is faster than even its tail.


    Only with a long distance skill can I increase the chances of dealing damage to it and reducing the chances of me getting hurt.


    This is not as easy as it seems.


    I also need to make sure, the shape is not anything too extravagant to avoid overuse of mana.


    The bigger the shape, the more mana it will require.


    Whatever new skill I am going to be making, theponents has to be from all the stuff I have just mentioned above.


    Now you can see why I said herees the hard part?.


    It took me a rtively amount of time before I could finallye up with the perfect shape to carve the materialized mana into.


    The shape I came up with, is something I emted from a sports game I do enjoy watching back on earth.


    A Javelin sports game.


    I am talking about the sport where they throw a Spear shaped object and see which one goes the farthest..


    Yes, it is that sport game I am referring to.


    I have deemed the game''s background as the perfect concept to center the creation of my new skill on.


    After materializing the mana out of my body, I focus on gathering it on my palm.


    Nextes the desposition stage.


    I put in as much mana as necessary to carve out the shape of the spear.


    Once I am done, I create a distraction with Dust Maniption before hurling it at my opponent.


    You must all be wondering, is that all?...


    What if the Spear does not prate through the tough scale?..


    Well, I don''t need it to.


    The Spear touching the opponent is not what matters.


    What matters is the Spear reaching the opponent before it goes kaboom.


    You heard me right.


    I designed the Spear to umte pressure when it''s thrown and to eventually dissolve into tiny particles.


    After that, it sticks to the enemy and then goes kaboom.


    I call it, Javelin Crater explosive.


    [Ding]


    [you have sessfully killed a Lv19 Rat porcupine]


    [1700 experience points gained]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up].....


    Keep iting.


    [experience threshold has been met, evolution will now ur]


    [user will now be transitioned into a deep sleep for a sessful evolution].


    Finallyyy....


    Hoo..., not again.


    Thud.


    *


    Phew. That sure was a long nap.


    Good thing no other monsters came by.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Status.


    ¡ñName : ?


    ¡ñRace : Adult Goblin


    ¡ñJob : ?


    ¡ñLevel : 1


    ¡ñHp : 4100


    ¡ñMp : 4100


    ¡ñSp : 4100


    Wow.....


    I really am on my way to transitioning into a fearsome opponent.


    [Ding]


    [condition have been met]


    [Job selection is now avable]


    [avable jobs based on users movements]


    [Warrior, Hunter, Scavenger, Dust Conjurer, Thorn Conjurer, Mana User]


    Hmmm...,


    There sure is a lot of ssid out for me to pick.


    Whatever ss I pick now, will seal my fate going forward.


    I have to be really careful to not make any wrong choices here.


    Alright, I have decided.


    I am picking Thorn Conjurer.


    I click on the Thorn Conjurer option and it brought another notification asking me to confirm my choice.


    [Ding]


    [job has been selected]


    [Job > Thorn Conjurer]


    [Thorn Conjurer > a job skill that allows for control over thorn rted objects]


    [Thorn Maniption Lv7 has leveled up to Thorn Maniption Lv8]


    [Skill under Thorn > Thorn Erector]


    [Thorn Erector Lv1 > an ability that allows the user to produce thorn from the surroundings]


    [Range > 100 X 50]


    [the higher the level, the wider the range].


    Nice, I got a new skill.


    It seems mother nature is starting to shine her luck on me.


    Now then. I believe my work here is done, Time to move up to the next level.


    With detection, I have been mapping out which area is safe for me and which area is not.


    I havee to know that almost all the tunnels is safe for me to go into.


    Which means, I no longer have anything to fear from the monsters living in it.


    While it is a good thing, there is also a drawback.


    If I continue to fight the monsters on this floor, my dream to bing stronger will drift farther away from me.


    That is why I have decided to find a more suitable ce for me to continue hunting.


    I used detection to find a ce that ticks my sensors off and what I ended up finding was a staircase.


    A staircase with a divide in between,


    It goes down and the other leads upwards.


    I used the detection to determine which one is more threatening and it turns out, that the one that leads to the lower floor is.


    This dungeon is probably made in a way where the deeper down you go, the stronger the monsters will be.


    The stairway that leads upwards is where the weaker monsters will be.


    If so, my next destination should be downwards.


    I climb my way down the stairs and at the end of the staircase is a door.


    Not as massive as the one I saw before, but still massive in its own way.


    Unlike the other door, this one is an automatic one.


    With just a slight push from me, a new floor opened up to me.


    A floor that....., has managed to put me in shock upon first contact.


    What the hell is this.

 Chapter 29 The Hoard

    ?hmm...


    hmmm....


    Everything is going wrong here.


    I do not understand why monsters having the same appearance as me would be pointing their weapons at me.


    It is like they were expecting me or something.


    After I came down the stairs, the first thing i met with is them.


    All wearing ted armors, putting on an angry face and forming a barricade with no way out.


    They did not even give me the time to bask in the energy of arriving on a new floor.


    Perhaps they are not here because of me?...


    That may be a possibility.


    Them armed with weapons and me arriving on this floor might be just a coincidence.


    "...."


    yeah right, like that makes sense.


    But it also does not make any sense to think they were waiting for my arrival.


    How did they know I was going to be here and especially at this timing.


    "continuous chattering..."


    I wonder what it is they are talking about?..


    Even though I can hear them, I cannot seem to understand them.


    It is like they are speaking gibberish.


    [Ding]


    [Racial Language of the Goblin learned]


    Racialnguage?


    Does that mean they are not speaking the generalnguage of earth?


    If so, how was I able to understand the dragon''snguage, and how was she able to understand me?.


    "kill, kill him"


    "no, no, no. The king said to capture not kill"


    Wow...


    Now I know they were waiting for me here on purpose.


    They are contemting on killing me or capturinge me.


    Either of the choice does not sit right with me, that is why I will be fighting back full force.


    Skill activation, dust Maniption.


    Skill activation, Detection.


    Skill activation, Meta Strength.


    I do not know why they want to capture me, but I am not just going to be standing there like a fool and let them do whatever they want to me.


    [Ding]


    [Goblins registered as an enemy]


    [Cannibalism skill activated]


    [all stats have risen by five percent].


    Nice.


    I charged at the Goblins blinded by the dust and started taking them down one by one.


    They are in disarray at my sudden gust of wind blinding their eyes, so this is the best time for me to act.


    With their vision taken and the confusion settling in, I was able to move closer to a goblin and stabbed it right in its chest with the thorn I produced from my hand.


    I did not waste anytime as I quickly jumped over to the next Goblin and twisted its next with my bare hands.


    I produced a thorn and threw it right at a goblin''s forehead.


    I did a backward flip and caught a goblin with my two legs wrapped around its waist and flipped it over on the ground, then went ahead to stab it with a thorn.


    Damn this is so cool.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I am like a ninja going whoosh, whoosh and the enemy trying to find my location.


    "skill activation, Dust Disperse" (Multiple Goblins talking)


    The dust I worked so hard to gather is starting to fade away because of the skill they used.


    It is obvious they would have a dust Maniption Skill as well since it is a racial skill.


    I have zero knowledge of where I am, and with the dust I used in robbing them of their vision gone, I will lose the only advantage i have on them


    I need to get out of here now.


    ***


    I am only noticing it now, but this floor is a savanna.


    I mean, there is still no sunlight, but after my eyesight got used to its surroundings, all I can see is the green.


    This ce would be the perfect spot for hunting, except I am the one being hunted down right now.


    The Goblins are right on my tail and I can''t shake them off.


    It seems our stats are not that far off from each other.


    No, considering I am getting the buff from the cannibalism skill, It is safe to say they are actually of an higher level than I am.


    Not to talk of thend terrain.


    This is their habitat, they are to know the in and outs of it if they want to survive.


    Fighting them on their turf is a definite red g for me.


    I got to get as far away from here as possi!!.


    Holy crap.


    They are even more of them in my front than at my back.


    Seriously, what is going on for me to have this many goblinsing after me?.


    I jumped off of the ground and took to the trees.


    At least there should be safer than the ground swarming with goblins.


    Is what I thought, who would ever think that goblins can climb.


    Just remembered, I am a goblin and I am climbing.


    I keep on hopping from trees to trees with the Goblins following right behind me.


    I am having the best moments of my life right now.


    Even though I am being chased down by the Goblins, I do not feel scared.


    In fact, I feel the opposite of that.


    I feel so alive, so rxed and so free.


    I just remember that I got a new skill after the ss selection.


    This is the perfect moment to test it out.


    while still jumping about, I turned my body and stretched my hand at the iing goblins.


    It feels weird saying this word, but no time for jokes.


    Skill activation, Thorn....


    pfft.....


    Mother nature, seriously?....


    haa, screw it.


    Skill activation, Thorn Erection.


    The thorns came out from the trees and apprehended the Goblins that were chasing me.


    some of the Goblins were not affected by it though.


    It seems it will only work on the targets I have my sight on, but that is good enough for me.


    I produce two thorns shaped like a Spear from my two palms.


    I ran in between the two goblins and spinned my body to do a double goblin headcut sh with the thorns.


    I made the thorn long enough, and stuck it to the neck of the next in line Goblin.


    Damn I am awesome.

 Chapter 30 Mocking The General

    ?Hi guys, it''s me again.


    Here is a recap of my situation.


    After dominating over the floor I was born in,


    I decided to make a trip to the next toughest floor, to you know, show them who is the boss.


    To my surprise, I already had a hoard of goblins waiting for me on the next floor.


    They attacked me...


    Okay that was a lie.


    I attacked first, and then they attacked me.


    But seriously, you can''t just expect me to stay still until they attacked me right?.


    well, that was a brief summary of what I had been through.


    You are probably wondering...


    What is happening to me now, that I have the leisure of chatting with you.


    Fun fact, I am having the best moments of my life with the Goblins.


    A tree party with an all you can kill buffet of goblins on the menu.


    With the thorns I produced in both of my hands, , I sh and hack away at any Goblin that crosses my path.


    The level up notification is also ringing in my head like crazy, but I paid no attention to that.


    Nothing is going to stop my moment of fun.


    I must be going crazy right now.


    Being a Goblin and enjoying a goblin Massacre is the same thing as a human killing another human and still finding joy in that.


    I do not feel the slightest bit of hesitation or remorse towards this Goblins.


    There is only one thought in me, and that is to kill those who get in my way.


    Crazy right? I know. But it is just too fun to stop now.


    I jumped on a branch and used it to swing myself right at a goblin.


    my legs pped together,nded on the Goblin''s face.


    I used its face as a foothold to propel myself forward.


    I jumped on another goblin and stabbed it''s forehead with my thorn and threw its body at the iing goblins.


    The Goblins on the ground started hurling sharp sticks at me, while some were getting prepared to draw their bows.


    What do you know?, a goblin using a bow.


    Honestly, nothing this ce can offer me that I will surprised by.


    I jumped down from the tree and went after the Goblins with bows.


    I reached them before they could fire the arrow and stuck a thorn in the skull of a goblin, then kicked another Goblin.


    I did not realize how much stronger I have be, but now I do, and i owe it all to the Goblins.


    For helping me realize my true strength, I am giving them all a swift death by only going for their head, neck and heart.


    Skill activation, thorn Maniption.


    I coat my fists in thorn and punched a goblin in the head,


    I turned my leg and my arm backwards, then I used my elbow to hit its chin and used my other fist to punch the side of its head.


    The Goblins started to shift back and make some distance between us.


    It seems my awesomeness was enough to scare them away.


    "that is right, if you know what is best for you all, then you had best stay away from me"


    "p, p, p"


    A Goblin with a physique more broad than the rest of the Goblins, walked out from their midst pping.


    "impressive, I can see why my king ordered for your capture"


    "..."


    "you mind telling me exactly what it is I did to this king of yours, for him to want to capture me"


    "it is not my ce to question the orders of my king"


    "hoo, so you are just a trained dog who runs when told to, and sits when told to"


    "your mockery does nothing to me Goblin"


    "mockery?, hey are you a fool?. How can you call that mockery when it is clearly a question"


    "..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "....."


    "....."


    The staringpetition is starting to get too long.


    "hey, would you mind letting me go, you know".


    "I do not remember doing anything to have you all hunting me down like a prey, so please uhuh"


    "I am afraid I cannot do that. As one of the four Generals of the king, my duty is to obey his everymand without fail"


    A general?...


    No wonder he smells like bad news.


    Crap, I have to find a way out of here now.


    Just what the hell have I gotten myself into?


    I do not suppose that king of theirs is asking for my capture because he wants to give me a gift or a trophy on a job well done for staying alive.


    They are all bad news.


    [Hey Known Knowledge, you wouldn''t happen to know why this king of their''s wants to see me, would you]


    [.....]


    [No Known Knowledge]


    I thought so, you useless robot.


    e Goblin, I the fourth Goblin general will take you on"


    "....."


    "well, what are you all waiting for?".


    "you heard the man, he said toe Goblin, or am I the only Goblin here".


    "..."


    "Goblin, this is no time for a joke"


    "I assure you that is thest thing I am aiming for. It is not like I am the only Goblin here, so do not expect me to know when you are addressing me"


    "you will have to be more specific for me to know it is I you are referring to".


    "you know, like a name or something"


    "impossible, do you bear a name"


    "...."


    I totally forgot, I do not have a name yet.


    Seeing his reaction, that must be the same for the rest of them.


    "no, I have no name"


    "in that case, do not ask the impossible of me".


    "prepare yourself Goblin, I will be apprehending you with force"


    "ho well, thanks for the reminder, but I am not so dignified as to y it safe with you".


    Skill activation, dust Maniption,


    Skill activation, detection,


    Skill activation, thorn Maniption,


    Skill activation, thorn erection.


    He is too dangerous an opponent to allow him to make the first move.


    In cases like this, I have to strike first with everything I have got, hoping that it will take him down.


    I set my hand on a throwing stance and gathered mana in it.


    Javelin Crater Explosives.


    And now for the final touch,


    I run.


    No you read it right,


    I mean I run.


    Remember I said I hoped for the skill to take him down?.


    Well if it does not, I will be done for, hence I run.

 Chapter 31 Captured

    ?"....."


    "...."


    "what the hell happened to me?"


    "..."


    "you are awake"


    "you, are you not that....."


    "what was it again"


    "the fourth general of the king"


    "ho yeah that. What happened to me"


    "you pulled a cheap stunt on me but it did not work as you had expected"


    "and then"


    "I knocked you out"


    "...."


    "I see. What about why I am being dragged on the ground by your underlings"


    "we are in our way to our abode"


    "I am not asking that, I am asking for why I am being dragged on the ground like a rag when I can be carried"


    "because you are our prisoner"


    "so being a prisoner is enough reason to tie me up like a ve and drag me around like useless garbage"


    "yes"


    "wow. Some tough love you got there for your fellow goblin"


    "I watched you enjoy killing the Goblins and you talk of love"


    "..."


    "dude, don''t sweat the small stuff"


    "if we go around shifting mes, we are never going to get anywhere"


    "alright we should do this. You ask your men to beat me into a near death state, I repeat a near death state, then you set me free and we will let bygones be bygones"


    "a wonderful idea don''t you think"


    "...."


    "hey you, I want his mouth sealed shut so he can never utter one more word"


    "hey, hey, hey don''t you....."


    "mmhpphhhhh, mmhpphhhhh, mmhpphhhhh".


    "i should have done that earlier".


    Shit, this Goblin ain''t taking any nonsense.


    I was thinking I could strike a deal with him and persuade him into letting me go, but that n has gone down the drain.


    Sigh, there is nothing else I can do now.


    I attacked him with all my skill, and the next thing I know is me waking up to notice my body being dragged on the ground.


    If I can''t even stand up to a general, I wonder how I am going to face this king of his.


    ***


    While I was being dragged, they got to a point where the direction they where headed in was through a tunnel.


    A dark ominous tunnel.


    I can also feel some faint presence lurking in it.


    They brought me to this ceced with iron bars and took me into it.


    "tie him up on all fours"


    Four goblins came unto me.


    My left hand, my right hand, and my two legs.


    They picked up chains from the floor and getting ready to tie me up with it.


    I drew my right hand closer, and headbutted the Goblin that was holding unto it.


    I used my right hand that was now free to punch the Goblin that was on my left.


    Skill activation, Meta Strength.


    I picked up the two goblins that were on my left and right leg, and smashed their body on the floor.


    No way in hell am I going to wait and be tied down like a ve.


    I was about to run out when a fist came flying my way.


    I raised my guard and tanked the fist, but the impact sent my body hitting the wall hard.


    I fell down on my knees and coughed up blood.


    That was one hell of a punching power.


    "tie him up now, and this time I want you all on it. Also, make sure you tie all five and not four".


    They grabbed me aggressively and spread me out.


    They began tying my two leg and hands with the chain.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After they were done with that, they moved on to tying my neck with a chain.


    I am fucked.


    "this is human, no Goblin right deprivation, I am going to sue you guys for this. Believe me, I will be seeing you all in court"


    The general came close to a tied up me and punched me in the stomach.


    He did not stop there, as he gave me another punch on my cheek.


    "i want his mouth sealed tight"


    The Goblin came and spread my mouth wide open with his hands before sticking a chain in it for me to chew on.


    This guy''s sure are heartless.


    I am really fucked.


    ***


    It seems where I am in is a prison,


    Yeah, took me long enough to figure that out.


    The faint presence I was feeling earlier has be much clearer now.


    They are all prisoners and are in battered up state.


    I am afraid I am going to end up just like them.


    No, that can''t be.


    I can''t not stay in here for long, no I refuse to.


    "!!!!!"


    "!!!!!!"


    What was that?..


    That oppressing pressure that just walked in?


    "my king, you have arrived. I the fourth general have carried out your orders"


    "take me to him"


    "as youmand my king".


    So it is the king that walked in?


    Man, he sure has one hell of a terrifying presence.


    I can hear the footstepsing closer.


    Its like a scene out of one of those suspense movie where they go,


    And the culprit is.......


    You get the gist.


    Damn...


    I thought his presence was terrifying until I saw his face.


    My man needs aplete makeover, and I am talking an extreme one.


    They opened the gate for him and let him in to where I am tied to.


    "so, this is what you look like"


    "...."


    Is he expecting a reply with my mouth glued to a chain?.


    Guess he is as dumb as his looks.


    "unchain his mouth"


    They moved quickly and removed the chain stuck in my mouth.


    "who the hell are you and what do you want from me"


    "a feisty one you are"


    "you kidnapped and harassed me for no reason, and still expect me not to be feisty"


    "no reason you say?, I would not have sent my men, most especially my general to fetch you if I did not have a reason to"


    "then what is it. I have not met you before, so what sort of reason could you have had for sending your men after me and more so aggressively"


    "...."


    "I want all goblins within this vicinity out of here. I desire a private conversation with our feisty Goblin over here"


    "but my king"


    "...."


    "as youmand"


    That was one scary look he gave his general.


    The general almost shat his pants as he answered him with a robotic voice.


    "now Goblin, I have been longing to meet you"


    "..."


    I don''t like the sound of where this is going.

 Chapter 32 Meeting The King

    ?"longing to meet me?, but what to do?, the feeling isn''t mutual at all"


    "I had already presumed it wouldn''t be"


    "enough with the friendly conversation and just cut to the chase. Why are you doing this to me"


    "don''t you think you are asking the wrong question"


    "what do you mean".


    "your curiosity should not be why I am doing this to you"


    "....."


    "are you not one bit curious of how I came to know of your existence".


    "..."


    The guy does make a reasonable point.


    Truth is, I have been wanting to know how he knew that I was going to be where I was at that time.


    I have been on the upper floor since day one, without ever meeting another fellow goblin,


    Except of course for mother.


    The point is, I have not met a single alive Goblin, so how the hell does this Goblin know where to look to find me or wants to find me.


    [Known Knowledge, do you have a clue on this]


    [.....]


    Please do, please do, please do.


    You have leveled up by a lot, so you have to at least have some sort of knowledge on this


    [there is a possible chance that he knew of your existence with the use of a skill]


    A skill?.....


    You mean to tell me that there is a skill that let''s you know the location of a total stranger?.....


    Damn, that is one hell of a cheat skill and this freaking pervert is the one who gets to have it?


    He has a skill like that, and the best way he could think of using it is to stalk me?


    Man needs to get a life.


    "your expression says you have a vague idea of what happened"


    "creep, quit trying to read my face, it is scary as fuck"


    "...."


    "there is only so much nonsense I can tolerate from you"


    "for once we are on the same page. Now, if you can just free me, you won''t have to deal with any more nonsense from me"


    "you don''t get it do you"


    "get what exactly"


    Hees closer to me and moves his mouth beside my ear


    "there is no escaping for you, it is either death or you be mine"


    "e, creepy"


    "for the record, I am a straight gu.."


    He held my mouth and headbutted me with his head.


    "your carefree attitude is starting to really annoy me, and trust me, you do not want to anger me"


    "wow, how corny. That sounds exactly like something a third rate Viin would say".


    He gave me a hit on my stomach and gave me another one on my face.


    "you will talk when I tell you to, and shut up when I tell you to"


    "...."


    "look, I understand you feel the need to boss over people, but I am not one of those"


    "I am the one who killed myself just so I can escape being bossed around, so you better bet I am ready to do anything to escape from you"


    "ah, ah ah, ahhhhhhhhh"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "this is going to be fun".


    "you know, when I first saw you, I was surprised to say the least"


    "...."


    "if there is someone that is really capable of overthrowing me, i expected them to be more warrior like Goblin, but you....."


    "you are nothing like a warrior. Your appearance itself does not evene close to one"


    "I know, my body is just too damn sexy to be of a warrior. One thing you should know though, is that you shouldn''t judge a person by their appearance"


    "that is just going to make you even worse than a third rate".


    "..."


    He looks at me eye to eye and smirked.


    "this is all just a joke to you isn''t it?. Don''t worry, I will be sure to shape you back to reality soon enough"


    "and how are you going to do that?, by haaaaaaaaaaa....."


    A loud cry of agony escaped my mouth, and I had no control over it.


    [Ding]


    [Pain Tolerance Lv4 has Level up to Pain Tolerance Lv5]


    "huff, huff, huff"


    what just happened?.....


    He only wrapped his hand on my forehead, and the next thing I know is me feeling an unending streak of pain coursing through my body.


    It felt like my head shattered into multiple pieces and someone picked up the pieces to start switching it back together.


    All that amount of pain in only a second of him touching me?...


    "how do you feel"


    "I...i....i...."


    "...."


    "good, that is the reaction I expected. From now on, this is what you will have to pass through until you are eventually mine"


    "wha.....what did I do, why are you doing this to me"


    "I told you, you either die, or you be mine"


    "but why?, I do not remember doing anything to you to make you want to kill me or keep me under you"


    "following the normal rules, all Goblins are obligated to serve under me, but your case is different"


    "there is an entirely different reason for why I want you under me"


    "you, Goblin, have the potential to overthrow me from my throne"


    "what....."


    "are you like kidding me right now?, or are you for real, for real"


    "do I look like I have moment to spare joke with me"


    "..."


    "I don''t get it, overthrow you from what?, being the king of the Goblins"


    "..."


    "this is absurdly insane. I have no interest in overthrowing you from anything or even being a king for that matter"


    "I left miss dragon where I could have been safe in because I was a loner, loners move alone and not with a pack, and especially not an army of Goblins"


    "I have no desire to take your throne so please, just let me go"


    "the voice does not tell lies. I am here now because I listened to every word the voice says, and if it says you are going to overthrow me, then it''s right"


    "seriously how many times do I have to tell you that I have no interest in that?"


    "alright, let''s assume it is true that I am going to overthrow you, why are you still keeping me alive"


    "because it would be a waste to kill you".

 Chapter 33 Making Me A Puppet

    ?"are you looking down on me right now?,"


    "are you saying it is a waste of your time to kill someone like me"


    "no, no, no. It is the opposite of what you are thinking"


    "I told you, you are someone with the potential of overthrowing me"


    "for the voice to give such revtion about you, I can only imagine how strong you will be in the future, so why should I have to kill such a promising talent when I can nip it under my wings"


    "I don''t understand what you mean"


    "listen well, there is a reason as to why I am standing here today, reigning over the Goblins and feared by the orcs".


    "I was born ordinary, feared and harbored hate towards the Orcs, but look at me now, being apuded as the king with my then nightmares now running from me".


    "do you not wonder, how that came to be"


    "I am guessing it is because of your scary face"


    "...."


    "close enough, but that is not the only reason".


    "I am here now, because I had the determination to be".


    "i was sick and tired of it all, and I made a vow to myself to put an end to it all"


    "why should I have to leave like this?, why should I have to be scared of the Orcs?, in what way are they so different from us that I have to be ced beneath them?"


    "no more, I was no longer ready to be swayed or controlled by my fear towards the Orcs or any other race for that matter"


    "I stood on my grounds, ready to put to a stop the nonsense rule that says goblins have to be beneath the Orcs"


    "my result firm, and my determination sprouted forth a seed. A seed that allowed my dream to be a reality".


    "that seed was in form of a skill, an ability that gives me glimpses of what is toe in the future"


    "multiple times that my death have been predicted by said ability, and multiple times I have managed to evade dying also thanks to said ability"


    "now, that same ability that has allowed me to get through dangerous times, informs me that there is someone who is going to take away all I have worked and toiled hard for all my life"


    "if you were in my position, what would you do to that person"


    "what else?, I will kill him off before he bes a threat to me, and I suggest you do the same"


    "you do not need to go through the trouble of torturing him, and just give him a swift death".


    "your way of thinking is precisely why I have made it this far and why you are currently where you are".


    "for the sake of survival, you need to learn topromise",


    "Even if, there is a chance of it being a deadly poison to me, as long as there is that slim possibility of it been of use to me, then can I not take that chance"


    "are you saying, you would risk losing everything you have over taking advantage of said person"


    "yes. I have managed to change my predicted death thanks to the voice, so why can''t I do the same now"


    "you are aware that this is a situation involving a second party and not just yourself right?"


    "what make you think I will willingly work for you"


    "I take pride in my ability to utilize every manpower under me in the right direction",


    "I make certain to dispose off useless pawns and keep beside me the useful ones regardless if they are an enemy or a friend".


    "alright, I am in. As long as you spare my life and don''t do what you did earlier, then I am in totally im"


    "no, no, no. Not like this".


    "right now, you are still in your rebellious phase. Before bringing you under me, you will have to go through a training session"


    "there is no need for that. I already told you I have no need for your throne and if being under you is the only way for me to get out of here alive, I don''t see why not"


    "the voice never lies. t''s revtion does not change unless the object of the revtion does, only then will a new revtion be revealed"


    "even if you do agree to working under me now, it is useless as long as the voice says otherwise".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I will agree to join him, and when he let''s his guard down is when i will make my escape or try to kill him. Is probably what you are thinking of doing, am I right"


    "wow...."


    "congrattions to you for achieving the award for the greatest mind ever known, by unplotting such an obvious tactics".


    "...."


    "you are right, that is what I am going to do, because I have no interest in your throne or bing anyone''s puppet especially when it''s for a creep like you"


    "you are wrong, you will eventually sumb and be my puppet, you know why?"


    "because that is how it will be".


    "only by bending your will to never letting you think of betraying me and being forever faithful to me, will the voice revtion change"


    "you think my mind is just some weak stuff you can bend to your will"


    "believe iting from me, my mind will not bend to whatever torture you put me through, now just ept me as I am"


    Please just release me damn it.


    I need to avoid being tortured at all cost.


    "no it will, it most certainly will"


    "don''t be too confident in that ability of yours"


    "the result will speak for itself".


    " you know you are making a big mistake right now"


    "all the people I know that have spoken like you ends up regretting their choices"


    "Not killing me when you have the chance to, is a choice you are deeply going to regret"


    "....."


    "first you agreed to join me, and now you want me to kill you...."


    "I see what''s going on here".


    "you are scared aren''t you....."


    Of course I am scared you dumbass,


    I never want to feel that kind of pain ever again.


    It was on a whole different level from the kind of pain I have been put through.


    I prefer death over having a second time experience of that pain.


    "what I did to you earlier must have frightened you to the point of not wanting to experience it a second time"


    "...."


    "ah, ahahahahahaha. Now this, is disappointing".


    "I can''t have you being scared out of your wits just yet, not when the real pain is yet to be served unto you"


    This guy is a psycho.


    If what he did to me earlier wasn''t something he considered as real pain,


    I don''t even want to start imagining what real pain looks like to him.


    "fourth general"


    He hurried up inside at the voice of his king.


    "I want you to begin your work on him. Break is mind so that I can rebuild it in my desired image"


    "as youmand my king"


    "try to hold on for as long as your body can".

 Chapter 34 Torture

    ?Confined in a solitary cage with both hands, legs and neck tied to bundles of chain linked to the wall.


    No food or water and just the epassment of darkness and loneliness looming within.


    His breathing heavy as he picks up the pace in a rhythm form.


    His thoughts clouded in pain, and his body shrouded in sufferings.


    Soaked in his own blood, with the rest sttered on the floor.


    "you are a resilient one you know that?"


    "majority would have broken at this point, but you are still managing to hang on".


    He grabs his hand andy it on the floor, then he raised the sledge hammer and smashed it on his hand.


    He picks up the torched stick that was beside him and dipped it deep into the open wound caused from the sledge hammer.


    He was unable to vocally express his pain as his voice has been taken away from him,


    The first thing he started with was carving out his tongue and theplete shattering of his vocal cord.


    He was turned into a dumb in less than thirty seconds into the session.


    The skill he was so reliant on had failed him because they had all been forcefully deactivated by a skill used by one of the Goblins before the session began.


    He tried his best to activate it, hoping that it would help him lessen the pain from the torture, but it was a fruitless effort.


    He could do nothing as a constant streak of agony engulfed him whole.


    He squeezed his face as he takes in the never ending agony of having his wounded hand burnt with me.


    "I admire your toughness, but eventually, you will break"


    "they all do. Time is all it takes, and time is what we have. So why don''t you stop making this hard on yourself".


    He ced his hand around his neck, and uses it to raise his head up.


    He picks up a heated dagger and slipped it into his eye to pluck out an eyeball.


    When he was done plucking out the eyeball, he did not give him a moment of respite as he quickly grabs a torchstick raging with fire, forced his eyes open and sticks it straight into it.


    The pain coursed through from his eyes to every nerve in his body,


    He could not scream if he wanted to, and that made the pain even more excruciating.


    Tears started falling from the other eye that was still intact.


    "I would have taken out your two eyes, but that will be no fun".


    "i want you to watch with your remaining eye, the process of my treatment on you".


    He moves on to picking a cuss from the floor,


    He grabbed his hand,yed it on the floor and spread the fingers apart from each other.


    One by one, with the cuss, he started cutting off his fingers.


    A single finger produced five parts, he moves on to the next and does the same, and to the next and next.


    After he was done with that, as usual, he picks up the torch stick and started using it to burn the part of the hand that once had a finger attached to it.


    At this point, one thought was able to sessfully sneak its way into his mind.


    Why is he still conscious?....


    He had been put through several trial that would have made a normal person lose his or her consciousness, so why is he still conscious?.....


    Why does he have to stay awake only to continuously experience hell over and over again?.....


    He pleaded and pleaded in his deepest of hearts for this suffering toe to an end.


    He begged and begged for not mercy, but for death to locate him.


    But his calls and cries were ignored.


    Pain seeped within, then came anger, hatred and the desire for Vengeance.


    Why does he have to put up with this?..


    What did he do to deserve being treated this way?.....


    Whose fault is it that he is in this current situation?....


    He loathed it all,


    Himself, his situation, and the pain being injected into him by an unknown.


    He loathed and hated it all.


    Without doing any wrong, he is being put through an everyday torment.


    Because of an event that might or might not happen in the future, he is being subjected to an hellish torment.


    He now had a new resolve rooting from within him.


    Revenge.


    He wants revenge against those who are putting him through this.


    The Goblin that is currently torturing him,


    The king that wants to control him,


    The kingdom said king rules over.


    He will take it all.


    That prophecy the king had spoken off will note to past, because he will not dethrone the king.


    Screw the throne, and screw being a king.


    He will take it all and burn it all to the ground.


    He will make them all understand, what it means to mess with the wrong person.<novelnext></novelnext>


    If hees out alive from this, he will spare none and Devour all.


    ***


    He walks in with his majestic presence.


    Noticing his presence, he puts down the tools in his hands and went on his two knees.


    "my king"


    "do not mind me and carry on".


    "as youmand my king"


    He gets up on his knees and picks up the tool to continue from where he left off.


    "how far have you gone"


    "forgive me my king. He is more resilient than he looks"


    "is that so. Healer, do your work. Make sure you heal him back to hisplete state"


    "as youmand my king".


    The Goblin stretches his hand, and ces it on the worn out bodyying almost lifeless on the floor.


    "skill, perfect heal".


    His deformed body started to shape itself back to its initial figure.


    Every parts that had been previously cut off, stitched itself back to the body.


    "how do you feel?"


    "...."


    "do you see now, what I meant when I said I would control you?"


    "....."


    "do you have something to say"


    "..."


    "I...."


    "I...."


    "I...wii...."


    "I......"


    "forth general, do something about this"


    "skill, braves heart"


    "I have casted off the sprain of the disheartening experience from his mind, now he should be able to speak freely"


    "you heard him, go ahead and talk, I want to see if you can still risk being carefree as the first time you came in"


    "you...."


    "i will kill you"


    "hoo, I have a lot of enemies with such determination, having one more changes nothing".


    "you said your skill told you I was going to dethrone you?. But I am going to do more than just dethrone you".


    "I will sink you deep into the depths of oblivion"


    "I will see to it that you experience the same thing I am experiencing"


    "Justification be damned"


    "Logic be damned"


    "Reasoning be damned"


    "Emotions be damned"


    "Thest shred of humanity I have from my Otherworld experience be damned"


    "This is war"


    "This is pure malice"


    "This is a cause for Vengeance"


    "with my emotions discarded off, I will not rest until I carve into your deepest of heart the sense of despair".


    "...."


    "ahahahhahahahahah"


    "forgive me my king, I failed in.."


    "it is fine. I like what i am hearing".


    "fourth general"


    "yes me king"


    "patch him up, and prepare him to make an appearance in the blood ring"


    "my king"


    "do as I say. It would be a waste to allow such vigority rot in here"


    "if he doese out alive, you can then continue your session on him"


    "as youmand my king"


    "that determination of yours, I want to know for how long you can hold unto it for".

 Chapter 35 What Kind Of King I Am

    ?An arena filled with an even more chaotic Goblin crowd, brought about due to the presence of their king and the four Generals.


    Two Goblin stationed on both left and right, and the king sitting in between, in a position befitting of a king and watching the doings going on below.


    Beside the king, is his personal Goblin aide, ready to carry out menial tasks for the king when needed.


    "my king, do pardon my rudeness, but I have a question that has been bugging me all this while, do I have permission to ask"


    "go ahead".


    "thank you my king. My question is, why are you letting him participate in the blood ring when he threatened to kill you"


    "the blood ring is a stage where the Victor drenches in the blood of the loser, it is also a ce for someone to be stronger"


    "if he does win against his opponent in the blood ring, will that not make him stronger and putting him closer to being a threat to you"


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "aide"


    "yes, my king"


    "aide"


    "ye..., yes my king"


    "aide"


    "....."


    At this moment, the aide new he had messed up, and somehownded himself in trouble with his own mouth.


    He immediately went on his knees and buried his head beneath the floor.


    "forgive me for my insolence my king"


    "forgiveness?, why do you seek forgiveness when you have done no wrong?"


    "I remember giving you the permission to express yourself, so would it not be hypocritical of me to punish you for what I gave you permission on"


    The king was right,


    He had asked and had been given permission before he started,


    The only problem is, the king was displeased with his question and that was a sin he hadmitted.


    Even though he had no idea what part of the question offended the king,


    there was only one path for him, and that is to beg earnestly for forgiveness like he had done.


    "but my king, I have dared to sin against you"


    "...."


    "in what way"


    "pardon"


    "I am asking, in what way is your question considered a sin"


    What should he say?..


    No, the question is, what is he expecting him to say?.


    Even he does not know In what way his question came across as offending.


    All he knew he had to do was to kneel and beg, nothing else.


    "my.....my...."


    "you don''t know do you?"


    His head still down and his breathing bing abnormal.


    "if you don''t know, then why do you think you have sinned against me. Are you perhaps plotting behind my back to overthrow me"


    "certainly not my king, I would never dare have such thoughts"


    "if that is the case, under what assumptions gave you the impression that you are a sinner"


    "because..., because my words were not interpreted in a way that satisfies you my king"


    "is that your way of telling me I misquote your wording"


    "not so my king, with what voice would I use to speak in such a manner before you".


    "is that so"


    "certainly so my king"


    "....."


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "what sort of king do you think I am"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "the best there is and will ever be, my king"


    "is that your real answer, or the one you think I want to hear"


    "my king, my allegiance to you is unwavering, so please do not doubt me"


    "I really think that you are the best and only king meant for the Goblins. Without you, we would still be spending our lives running from the Orcs"


    "if that is what you really think, then why do youbel me as the kind of king who only fights against the weak"


    "I do not quite understand what you mean my king"


    "tell me aide, you questioned my reasons for letting him participate in the blood ring despite knowing he might one day turn his de on me"


    "what makes you think, I would rather have him weak than him strong?"


    "do you take me for a coward who only dares to bare his fangs on the weak and cowers before the strong"


    "definitely not true my king, i have never once thought of you as a coward, I would never dare think of such"


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "i want you to carve my words into your memories. I will never run from a fight regardless of who my opponent is"


    "be there strong or weak, I will stand before them all and vanquish them with my power"


    "do you not think it would be more fun for me if he bes stronger, rather than just having ame battle with me ending it in a strike"


    "I prefer my opponent putting up more of a fight, only than can I enjoy the satisfaction and thrill of ripping them apart"


    "that, is the kind of king I am. Is that clear"


    "very clear my king, I will be sure to remember your words today"


    "good. Give the signal for them to begin"


    "as youmand my king".


    ***


    "my fellow goblin spectators, I once again wee you all to the blood ring arena Duel"


    "at the most exalted seat is our king who has graced the spectators with his presence"


    "and beside him, are the four Generals who with their presence, he''s imbedded fear into the hearts of our enemies".


    "on the stage today, we are going to be having a contestant personally selected by our king to go up against our newly elected champion"


    ing in from the left, is the Goblin challenger of today, armed with nothing but worn out armor"


    "and from the right, is the current reigning Goblin champion, armed with a Spear".


    "both contestants are to ready yourselves, the Duel will begin on my signal".


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "who do you predict wille out victorious"


    "....."


    "speak your mind"


    "as youmand my king".


    "the reigning champion, fought in a ten man battle against opponents that should not be underestimated, before he was able to obtain his current position"


    "are you saying there is a chance of him winning"


    "not so my king. His contender is not so easy on the eye as well"


    "from the reports I went through, it cost the fourth general a lot of his unit before he was able to apprehend him"


    "certainly, this is an unpredictable match"


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "why do we not indulge ourselves in a bet"


    "a bet my king"


    "yes, my bet will be ced on the contender, while yours will be on the champion"


    "but my king, the Victor of this match is unpredictable, what if I end up winning"


    "then so be it. I will not be so shallow as to deprive you of your win"


    "I will do as youmand my king".


    "contestants, begin, ready, and go".

 Chapter 36 Refusing To Be His Puppet

    ?At the sound of the bell signifying for them to start,


    The Goblin champion moved at a fast pace with his Spear towards the contender.


    He monitored the actions of the contender, and became confused by what he saw.


    The usual reaction made when a person is being attacked, is to run or stand and fight.


    There are also cases where one pretends to let their guard down, only to throw in a surprise attack when the attacker is within range.


    This contender however did none of those.


    He just stood still, with his face devoid of life.


    He looked like a person who has given up trying to put in an effort.


    The Goblin champion was dumbfounded by this.


    Could this be one of his tricks, where he will let down his guard only to end up getting stabbed unexpectedly because it is working quite well.


    The Goblin champion slowed down and instead moved backwards.


    He has no idea what exactly is going on,


    If this is a trick or if his opponent really has no thoughts of fighting him.


    The only thing he can do now is to create some distance and to verify his opponent''s situation.


    The Goblin champion raised his Spear and aimed it at the challenger.


    The Spear flew a long range before finally settling down at the left shoulder of the challenger.


    This made the Goblin champion even more confused.


    A certain amount of time had passed before the Spear reached the challenger,


    During that period, the challenger could easily have evaded the Spear, but instead he stood still until he was hit.


    Is this another one of his tricks or does he really have no intention of moving at all?.


    The Goblin champion, lost his will to fight seeing that his opponent is not as motivated as he his.


    The same goes for the Goblin spectators.


    Their cheers had died down and confusion was all that could be seen on their faces.


    "aide, what is the meaning of this. Why isn''t he moving"


    "I have no idea why my king. I will go inform the announcer to do something about him"


    "no, leave him be".


    The king got up from his seat, and moved closer to the edge.


    "what do you think you are doing"


    "I refuse to be subjected to being an object of entertainment for you lowlives"


    "rebelling till the end, I see?"


    "its not a rebel if I never gave my consent to begin with"


    "......."


    "Goblin, Goblin, Goblin. You are really going to continue behaving this way aren''t you"


    "I told you, you either let me go or kill me. Any other choice partaining to that, I am not interested in"


    "I would rather choke on my own blood than being subservient to you"


    "that wish of yours, I will grant it".


    The king took his attention away from him, and focused it on the champion.


    "here is mymand for you Goblin champion. Ravage him, ravage him as much as your heart desires, and bury him in his own blood, as long as it does not kill him"


    "let him feel you trampling on him, but do not deliver unto him the final blow. Is that clear"


    "i, Goblin champion have listened to and epted the orders of my king. I will see it carried out"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "good".


    ***


    The Goblin champion, moved swiftly to execute the order given to him.


    He made his way up to the contender, and went straight for the Spear stuck in his arm.


    The Goblin champion, took a hold of the Spear handle and removed it from the contender''s arm.


    He spinned the Spear around him and shed the left hand of the contender.


    He turns his body around and tore off another portion of the contender''s skin.


    All the while, the contender did nothing but stood still as he kept on being shed at.


    The Goblin champion, now unbothered by the contender''s reaction, aimed for his knee.


    He stabbed the Spear through his front knee, withdrew it and shed the back of the knee.


    [Ding]


    [pain tolerance Level five has leveled up to pain tolerance level six].


    The Goblin champion, continuously tore off flesh from the contender, and blood started to drip out from his body.


    The contender''s leg bled out, and he could no longer maintain his footing.


    He fell on his knees and eventually on his face.


    "Stop..."


    The king stood up from his seat and gave an order forcing the Goblin champion to halt his assault.


    The Goblin champion stopped and moved away from the contender.


    "healer, do your thing"


    "as youmand my king. Skill, perfect heal".


    "you have a choice Goblin, fight or endure an eternal streak of suffering"


    "I told you, I would rather die than dance to your puppetry tune".


    "why do you defy me so much Goblin?"


    "in here, there is only one rule that governs us, and that rule is the superiority of the strong over the weak".


    "I am strong, and you are weak. It is only right that you follow me, so why do you insist not to"


    The Goblin contender scoffed in a mocking way after the speech delivered by the king ended.


    "strong, weak?. I am surprised you ever considered yourself to be among the strong"


    "I am among the strong. No, I am, the strong"


    "trying to brainwash me into bing your minion because of a future that might or might not be, is not exactly the traits you would see in the strong",


    "so you keep telling yourself that until It bes your reality".


    "I have oncee across a being who decided on a single nce, that I was not worth her time"


    "that, that is the quality befitting of the strong"


    "only someone which such characteristics should be confident enough to refer themselves to as the strong"


    "I do agree that before you, I am weak. But that does not make you any less weaker"


    "if you believe that you are strong, I dare you to take a step away from yourfort, and go on an adventure searching for the truly strong"


    "you will see, ande to know that you are just one of the many fishes in the vast ocean"


    "you are not strong, you are simply a cut above your weaker peers",


    "that is all you are".

 Chapter 37 Oblivious To The Truth

    ?"you denounce my strength, yet you are unable to stand against it".


    "do not be mistaken Goblin"


    "I am not so oblivious to the truth, enough to indulge myself into thinking I am the strongest in the world".


    "the world is vast, and surely there must be someone out there who is far stronger than I am"


    "but that is out there".


    "in here, on this very floor that you stand on, I am the strongest"


    "I reign above all, and my reign will be evesting".


    "your current predicament is a testimony to my words".


    "my situation is not a testimony to your strength, but rather a testimony to how much of a coward you are"


    "first you call me weak, and now you refer to me as a coward"


    "I am really that belittled in your mind, am I not"


    "I am only stating facts, and not belittling you for no reason"


    "facts you say?, can your so called fact exin to me why you are powerless against me, or even against my generals"


    "you call me weak and a coward, yet you stand way below me"


    "are you not the real coward who is unable to measure his strength against a truly strong, and know his own ce"


    "you put on airs about not wanting to serve me, but that is just the ego of the weak speaking"


    "you are one who is unable to bear seeing someone stronger than you",


    "which is why you think it best if you never involve yourself with the truly strong, that way you will not feel less useless about your already pathetic self"


    "do not delude yourself Goblin. You refuse to follow the natural order to make yourself feel special but in here, you are nothing special"


    "you are just one of the many Goblins born and killed on a daily basis"


    "it is you who is a coward and not I".


    I will show you what being a coward is.


    Skill, Meta Strength,


    Skill, thorn Maniption.


    He coats his hand in thorn, and used the explosive strength from Meta Strength tounch himself at the reigning champion.


    The Goblin champion was unable to react properly in time to the attack of the contender, and could only manage to take the grunt of the attack with his body.


    He digs his thorn coated fist into the body of the Goblin champion.


    Having received a high power output, the Goblin champion''s body was sent flying off.


    The Goblin contender, shifted his attention away from the Goblin champion and directed it at the Goblin king.


    The Goblin Contender, used the force in his leg to catapult himself higher to the podium where Goblin king is seated.


    He tore through the cage with brute strength and continued on his path to the king


    The Goblin contender, was just an inch away from reaching the face of the Goblin king before he was stopped by the first general.


    His coated thorn fist, caught and locked on bare handed by the first General Goblin.


    All the while, the Goblin king still seated as he did, with a calm and collected face, unbothered and unsurprised by the actions of the Goblin contender.


    "a bold choice you made, Goblin"


    "I told you did I not, I will do whatever it takes to kill you, even at the expense of my own life"


    "yes you did, and I must say, I am in admiration by your determination to keep to your word".


    "do not be just yet. From now on, every chance I get, Is a chance I will use going after your head"


    "that is a dumb decision, because you will only end up experiencing the same fate over and over again"


    "you and I both know, that in your current state, you will never seed in achieving your determination. That is why, I am trying to help you now".


    "believe me or not, that is what I am trying to do for you"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i am to believe that you are willing to hand over to me, a knife that could be used to slit your throat"


    "no, I am willing to hand you a sword, I believe that is faster and more precise"


    "pick up your weapon and fight against the champion. If you win, you get to level up and at the same time, you are taking a miniscule step closer to achieving your goal of killing me".


    "Goblin, if your resolution about killing me is as strong as you make it out to be, then pick up your weapon".


    "pick it up, and aim it not at me, but at the opponent before you"


    "do not think of the means, all you need to think of is the oue to said means".


    "this is a win for you and a lose for me, so what is stopping you from taking advantage of it".


    "....."


    "do not try to paint yourself as a Saint. If you truly want to help me achieve my determination, then let me go"


    "prove to me that you are not one bit bothered or scared of my existence, you coward".


    "I do not remember me saying I am not bothered by your existence",


    "if I wasn''t, do you think I would have kept you here?",


    "no, because I would have killed you the moment I set my eyes on you".


    "it is because you bother me that I refuse to let you go, and also why I have to have you under me. So do not misunderstand"


    "I am very much bothered by your existence".


    "..."


    "fine, I will take this chance, but that does not mean I am ever going to serve you or obey your orders"


    "this is just a means for me getting closer to drowning you in the abyss"


    "fine by me, I wouldn''t want it any other way".


    "my king"


    The first general who had been holding the Goblin contender''s fist, could no longer keep silent any longer.


    "yes, first general"


    "forgive me, but I can no longer tolerate his abrasive attitude towards you",


    "all this while, I and the other Generals have stood still and only watched him address you rudely. We did nothing because you allowed him to, but not anymore"


    "I can no longer sit idle by and watch his insolence towards you continue to grow. And he has taken it too far by openly baring his fangs against you. My king",


    "yes, first general"


    "I desire your permission to put this measly being in his rightful ce my king"


    "....."


    "hmmm. Okay"


    "thank you my king"


    "don''t thank me yet. You get to have him, only after his fight. And that is, if he doese out victorious".


    Having seen that his toy was going to be taken away from him,


    The fourth general sprang up from his seat to defend his im over him.


    "I beg to differ my king, his treatment session has already been assigned to me"


    "that, is indeed true"....


    "alright, you can both share him"


    "thank you my king".


    Having decided, the first general let go of his grip of the contender''s fist.


    "go now, I do hope you make it out alive, so I can dissect you as I see fit".

 Chapter 38 Against The Champion

    ?The Goblin contender, got down from the podium and went back into the ring through the hole he had made.


    When his feet got to the floor, he immediately went after the Goblin champion.


    [Ding]


    [A Goblin has been registered as an enemy, cannibalism skill activated].


    The Goblin champion, raised his Spear and used it to tank the Goblin contender''s fist.


    The Goblin champion, swung his Spear in a circled form.


    the ded part being on the ground, he used the bottom part of the Spear to attack the head of the Goblin contender.


    The Goblin contender used his two hands to cover his head, at the same time blocking the Spear.


    With his two hands upied by the spear''s bottom part, the Goblin champion took advantage of it and attacked the lower body of the Goblin contender with the ded part of the sword.


    The Goblin contender reacted by using his skill, Thorn erector.


    From the floor of where the ded Spear was going to go through, the Goblin contender sprouted out a thorn and used it to halt the Spear''s movement.


    The two Goblins, moved away from each other and created some distance between them.


    The Goblin contender, once again attacked first, but this time with a long range attack.


    He used his thorn erection skill, to sprout out a thorn on the floor the Goblin champion was standing on.


    The Goblin champion''s reaction speed was immediate, as he jumps off of the floor before the thorn could get to him.


    While in midair, the Goblin champion, aimed his Spear at the head of the Goblin contender.


    He hurled the Spear with an intense force that caught the Goblin contender unaware.


    Thanks to his detection ability, the Goblin contender''s body was able to react faster than his brain could process.


    His body hastily evaded the Spear by only tilting his head to the left.


    The Goblin champion, took advantage of the distraction caused by the Spear.


    Like a slingshot, he propelled himself towards the Goblin contender who is still upied with trying to dodge the Spear.


    The Goblin champion, made a direct hit with his fist, connecting it to the stomach of the Goblin contender.


    The Goblin contender crouched down to cover his stomach from any further attacks, but the next attack wasn''t aimed there.


    The Goblin champion left his stomach and instead went for his head.


    He flips himself up, rolled his legs and used his left leg tond a mighty kick at the head of the Goblin contender.


    The contender raised his left hand and guarded against the kick.


    They stood stagnant in their current pose and clicked eyes.


    "what is this we are seeing my dear viewers?, it seems the two contestants are equal in ability"


    "both trying different tactics and only end up countering each other".


    "what a great pair they make".


    "and the battle carries on with even more intensity and bloodlust involved".


    The Goblin champion, withdrew his leg and instead took a hold of the Spear that was stuck on the wall beside the Goblin contender.


    He grabbed the Spear with his hand and thrusted it at the Goblin contender.


    The Goblin contender, dodged the Spear by jumping over it, and also managing to pull off a counterattack with thorn sprouting from his palm and aiming towards the Goblin champion.


    The Goblin champion saw the thorn and retreated backwards.


    They are now once again at a distance from each other with both entering a stallmate observation process.


    This is the first time the Goblin contender has evere across with an opponent like this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Usually, he is always either involved with an opponent weaker than him, or one stronger than he is.


    But this opponent is neither of the two.


    This is an opponent who is equal to him in all aspects.


    Agility, strength, thought capacity, and reaction timing.


    This, is a new territory for him, and that is why he is having a difficult time against it.


    What should he do?, what sorts of tactics should he bring out next?.


    This is the worst kind of situation for someone like him to be entangled in.


    He is not an official fighter equipped with fighting skills and all that.


    What he has relied on to survive this far, are strategy and techniques he copied out of Comics and movies.


    Any other thing apart from that, he is clueless about it.


    Those moves have managed to take him this far because his opponents so far were not that different from him.


    Beasts that relies on their senses to guide them.


    But this opponent before him, is different from all those.


    This is an opponent who has adopted fighting as a form of show and entertainment for others.


    An opponent with intelligence who relies not only on his senses but also on his skills and grasping the enemys reaction movements.


    The Goblin contender, noticed that as their fight rages on, his opponent is getting better at reading his movements on how he responds to attacks.


    This has given the Goblin champion an upper hand on how and when to attack his opponent.


    This is no doubt a tough situation for the Goblin contender.


    He has to do something other than just leaving it all up to his detection senses, else he might end up losing his life.


    !!!!!!.


    A thought struck the mind of the Goblin contender as he realizes that even at this moment, he is most concerned about not wanting to die.


    Just earlier, he begged for his life to be taken away from him so he can escape from the ws of the Goblin king.


    Now, now he is trying so desperately to fight so he won''t lose that same life he wanted to end.


    What an irony this is for him.


    He looks at himself and he felt more pathetic than he had ever felt, but there was nothing that can be done.


    True, he did want to die, but not anymore.


    Now he wants to survive.


    He has a clear goal ahead of him for why he should survive.


    Just dying while the one that made him this miserable and pathetic is still very much alive would only leave him even more pathetic.


    He has to live and pay back the humiliation,


    That is the only form of constion he can offer himself for now.


    So yes, he has to live, no he needs to live.


    He raises his head up at the Goblin champion before him.


    This is just another hurdle for him to go through.


    A professional or not, he muste out victorious for him to live.

 Chapter 39 He Is Clumsy

    ?"dear viewers, it seems things are about to get even more interesting as the air around the contender bes more ferocious".


    "we should probably be preparing ourselves to wee a new champion in the blood ring arena".


    "hmm...."


    "what is wrong my king"


    "it''s him. I am wondering if he has some sort of n to turn the tides around"


    "I don''t think that is the case my king. Watching their Duel so far, neither of them seem to be faking their reaction"


    "especially the contender. He has mostly been cornered by the champion, and if he is smart, he would know that the champion is not one you should engage in a drawn out battle with"


    "you can see it as well"


    "my king, there is a reason why I am appointed as your first general",


    "even I can see that the champion is abat oriented Goblin. It is like his body was made to forever engage in battle",


    "he gets stronger with every moment that passes, and also bes more inept with his opponentbat style, giving him a chance toe up with all sorts of counterattacks before the opponent''s movement execution"


    "he, is a genius ofbat".


    "exactly, I am surprised I never took notice of such a goblin all this while"


    "my king, you are one who does not bother himself with what sorts of activities the lowly ones are up to",


    "Besides, he might be a genius, but he is still no where near we the four generals specially handpicked by you".


    "i am well aware of that first general. What I am saying is that, he is far too talented to be left alone In a ce like this"


    "my king, it is because he is in a ce like this that he is able to be that talented"


    "you think so"


    "yes my king. Only when a person is in a ce befitting of their talent can it truly blossom"


    "so you are saying his right ce to be is in the blood ring arena"


    "yes my king"


    "..."


    "alright, guess I will have to let him continue being there"


    "However, I should warn you, if I notice that his talent has blossomed even farther than it is now",


    "I will not hesitate to order a match between he and all the generals to see what position of general befits him more".


    "that without a doubt, is the right decision to make my king. But I doubt such a thing will ever happen"


    "no matter how good he is, he will never be able to reach the position of a general".


    "do not be too confident about that first general"


    "I will take your words to heart my king".


    "and what is your opinion on his opponent"


    "too clumsy my king"


    "that was a fast response"


    "yes it is my king".


    "with the stunt he pulled earlier, I was able to briefly analyze him, and clumsy is the best word to describe him with",


    "He had no refined techniques and relies only on his body movement to do the work".


    "I do have to say, that he is also gifted with the ability to analyze his opponents movement and a quick thinking to respond to it".


    "other than those two qualities, he strikes me as a beginner ofbat".


    "as expected of the first general, reading through him after only one exchange".


    "my king, how could I not have noticed when it is so ntly obvious",


    All the techniques he has incorporated so far points to him not having experience with fighting a sane person"


    "it is like has only been fighting with mindless beasts all this while",


    "his movement pattern is all over the ce and has be a habit for him. That is why he will never win against the champion".


    "you know, I and the aide staked a bet on them. My im is on the contender winning",


    "but now that you have given your opinion of him not being able to win, does that mean I should start preparing to grant the wish of an aide".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "....."


    He gave the aide a demanding yetposed nce.


    The aide seeing his king''s face, immediately understood what the face was conveying, and he immediately spoke up.


    "surely you jest my king. I have no wish that needs to be granted, being able to serve as your aide is more than I can already ask for".


    "if there is any other wish I want, it would be for me to forever remain your aide".


    "hahahaha. Alright, I shall grant that wish of yours"


    "your benevolent grace is immeasurable my king".


    ***


    "dear viewers, it has been one hell of a ride so far".


    "the two contestants have ducked it out with everything they have, and yet there is yet to be a victor".


    "the Duel carries on as neither of them are willing to give up".


    The Goblin contender charges head on with his hands spread apart and thornsing out of the two sides.


    The Goblin champion also did not sit still as he runs ahead with his Spear.


    They both sh with their weapons followed by a barrage of exchanging blows.


    After the exchange, they splitted from each other with their weapons stained in each other''s blood.


    The Goblin contender, ignored the wounds made on his body as he lept off the floor.


    He produced multiple thorns from his body and threw it at the Goblin champion.


    The champion spinned his Spear around him and cut down the thorns.


    Although the champion seeded in cutting down all the thorns, he had unknowingly fallen into a trap set by the contender.


    His n was to hover over the champion, but if he did that, he would immediately have been attacked by the champion.


    So he thought of using the thorn to keep the champion busy while he makes his way above him.


    And now, he has done just that.


    Floating above the champion, the contender dived down at him.


    When he was within close proximity, he activated the thorn erection skill to sprout out thorns that surrounded the champion.


    The thorn circled him and kept making its way closer to him.


    The Goblin champion, wielded his Spear and destroyed the thorns that had almost reached him.


    The attack did nothing as the thorns immediately grew back and continued making its way to him like it''s trying to devour him.


    He must be burning a lot of mana to keep the thorn regeneration that fast, thought the champion.


    There was now nowhere for him to go to evade the thorn except jumping up and shing with the contender who is making his way downwards.


    The champion had a vague idea that the contender was up to something, but he still had no other choice but to follow along.


    The Goblin champion, jumped up and used his Spear to lead so he can prepare for any movement made by the contender.


    He watched and monitors every action made by the contender as they get closer to each other.


    The contender raised his hand up, and at that moment, the champion felt a change in the air around him.


    He noticed that the contender was gathering something in his hand, but he could not make out what it was until it took shape.


    It was mana gathered in the form of a Spear.


    How is he doing that?, what exactly is his mana Guage for him to constantly expend mana like that?.


    The champion raised his own Spear and coated it in mana, because he knew that the Spear that the contender had made had enough explosive power to instantly destroy his own physical Spear.


    He coated the Spear in mana to enhance the spear''s durability with hopes that it will be enough to tank the attack.


    The champion was ready to hit the contender''s Spear with his own Spear, but to his surprise, the contender threw the Spear rather than holding unto it.


    The mana made Spear made its way towards the champion with precision and speed.


    The closer it got to the champion, the wider it seems to grow.


    The champion, activated all his defensive type skill and got ready to make a collision against a force he has no specific knowledge of how high its output is.

 Chapter 40 Untouchable

    ?"urghughhhhh"


    "urghughhhhh....".


    He felt a sense of deja-vu as he struggles to keep his eyelids open.


    Thest thing he remembered was facing the Goblin champion head on.


    He had bet his everything, including hisst ounce of mana on making the Javelin Crater explosive skill, hitting and killing the champion.


    After making the throw, he ran out of mana and had copsed.


    What happened after that is unknown to him, but seeing how he is still alive and back to being chained up, he figured he must havee out victorious from the confrontation.


    "It is good to see you have woken up, I was beginning to worry that you might never open your eyes ever again despite all the healing process the Goblin healer had done on you".


    Hearing the word worry in this hell hole, he had a thought.


    Is he dead?, did he not win thepetition against the champion?.


    Because he does not believe that the word worry exists in where he was tortured for the sole purpose of amusement.


    "I was beginning to feel sad about not getting my chance to work my magic on you"


    "but now that you are awake, you cannot begin to imagine how excited I am".


    Now hearing this words, he felt a sense of relief wash over him.


    He is not dead, and his torturer is only worried for him because he was not able to torture him while he was unconscious.


    How great is that?.


    There is a saying that goes, the enemy you know, is better than the enemy you don''t.


    When he first heard that someone was worried about him, he felt like he had died and has once again being transmigrated into another body.


    The idea of being in another world with a new body did not sink so well with him, at least not when he is already starting to adapt to his Goblin body.


    Transmigrating is only fun when it''s done once, any more than that is a recepie for disaster.


    Though in his case, he can''t even call the one time transmigrating fun.


    Being reborn as a monster has no fun in it,


    Only a realization that you are alone, and only by relying on yourself can you make it past teenagehood.


    At first, it started out hard, with trying to get everything under control and figuring out the how''s and do''s.


    Once that stage is over, it flows naturally like he was never a human to begin with.


    Besides, getting another transmigration package without giving the Goblin king a package of his own would haunt him for eternity.


    "what is it you are thinking about that has your face looking so serious"


    "....."


    "ho do not mind me, I am just picturing how excited I will feel when I carve out your heart from your chest"


    "the despair on your face, you all kneeling before me and begging me for mercy and forgiveness"


    "when I think of moments like that, I find the hell you are putting me through very much worth it".


    "hahaha. It is exactly as my king and the fourth general said",<novelnext></novelnext>


    "you really are a very amusing character".


    "I am d you find that amusing, just wait until it bes a reality, then we will see who gets thestugh"


    "how much I yearn for such a time toe".


    "seeing how you talk, you must think of yourself as special and untouchable after getting in the king''s favor".


    "if torturing me is his way of saying he favors me, then I would rather he does not"


    "you know, I might not be able to kill you, but I bet I can make you beg me to kill you"


    "guess you were not informed. Your fourth general already tried it",


    "he made me understand that there was a pain even worse than death, and I have to say, I did beg for death".


    "I meane on, I am not some, I will never beg you kind of guy, well maybe not anymore".


    "but when I was first brought here, I did beg for death, I wanted death to find me just so I can escape this hell I have been ced in"


    "but now, I no longer invite or even want death toe near me"


    "you know why?. Because I have deemed it unfair for me to die while you lowlives get to live on"


    "so go ahead, torture me all you want. Cut off my arm, burn my legs to ashes, pluck my eyes out"


    "do whatever shit you want to me, but remember to always put it at the back of your mind that I will be repaying the debt in double".


    "bold choice of word for someone who could not even win an ordinary arena match"


    "what are you talking about?, I am alive, I won".


    "is that what you think?. Sure your final attempt to win was truly nothing short of magnificent if I must say",


    "that was a skill I had nevere across before, it left even the champion in a battered state, but did not kill him"


    "while you fainted, he survived the sh with your skill and was about to kill you, but was stopped by the king".


    "you know for a second there, I was worried that you and I were never going to get a time to bond because you were about to be killed"


    "but when the king stopped the champion from executing you, I felt a rush of angere over me".


    "it was so unlike my king to spare a pathetic loser like you who could not even win a single duel"


    "I asked myself, why did he shine his grace upon you, what is it about you that makes him tolerate your nonsense"


    "I guess he did not tell you, not that I did not expect that of him considering how much of a coward he is"


    "call him a coward one more time and I"


    "and what?,e on, I want to know, and what?"


    "do not make empty threats with me when you don''t even have the balls to kill me",


    "like I said, the most you are going to do to me is torture, so get right on with it and stop wasting time making baseless threats",


    "you and your king don''t scare me one bit".


    "you are right, I can''t kill you because my king wants you to live"


    "but, what I can do now, is to calm myself with ecstacy derived from your echo of pain and misery".

 Chapter 41 Two Blob

    ?He took a hold of his head and bashed it on the floor.


    He did not stop once as he continued banging the head on the floor with frustration.


    When he finally stopped, the face had already been disfigured, and the two fangs all broken.


    "you think you are hot shit acting all tough don''t you?".


    "I, the first general will make proper corrections to that arrogant attitude of yours".


    "like my king wanted, I will break you into tiny pieces and rebuild you in my kings desired image".


    While the first general was talking to the tied up Goblin, two other goblins with no facial difference or body shape walked in.


    Getting into the cell, the two Goblin spoke in unison with a voice straight out of an horror movie.


    "we were told our presence was need here first general".


    The first general deviated his attention away from his toy and at the voices that had just spoken.


    "yes, I indeed called for you".


    "you see, my toy here was being cocky, so I need your help to get him on the right path".


    "what would you have us do first general"


    "your usual gross stuff that you do to all other prisoners you have attended to".


    "I should warn you though, the king does not want him dead, just enough to reshape him".


    "we understand".


    "what underhanded trick are you going to use on me now"


    "eheh, where is the fun in telling when you will soon experience it with your body".


    After his words, he made a creepy grin with his face.


    "what are yo!!".


    The chained Goblin could notplete his words, not after he noticed the strange phenomenon that was unfolding before him.


    The two Goblin that had been summoned by the first general, started to undergo a body modification.


    their body dissolved, and the armor they were putting on fell to the ground.


    Yes, dissolved.


    They dissolved into a blob like green monster.


    "what the hell are those!?.....".


    The chained Goblin was alerted by the blobs, and the air around him changed.


    "say hello, to the blob Brothers".


    "Goblin species designed to deal mainly with types like you"


    "types like me..."


    He was starting to lose hisposure at this point.


    "you will see what I mean soon enough"


    "blob brothers, carry on".


    The blob goblins with their slippery body, crawled their way over to the chained Goblin who is desperately trying to break free from the chain to get away from the blob.


    With frustration and desperation, the chained Goblin ran back to the wall and ced his feet against the wall,


    He held on to the chain that has one of his hand tied down, and tries to break the chain while bncing himself with his foot on the wall.


    He struggled to uproot the chain from the wall and set himself free but the chain did not budge.


    He even activated his strength based skill and tried again, but the chain did not budge.


    He did everything in his power to get the chains off of him but it was all futile.


    At this point, the blob were starting to get closer to him, and this made him shriek out loud, as loud as his voice could take him".


    The first general could no longer hold himself as he bursts outughter directed at the chained Goblin.


    "hahahaha....",


    "this reaction of yours is more than I expected".


    "what happened to your arrogant self uh?, why so scared".


    If one were to truly observe the chained Goblin''s reaction upon seeing the Goblins turn into a blob,


    It would be an understatement to say he is scared.


    What he felt when heid eyes on the blob goblins was something akin to a trauma awakening.


    Fear gribbed him, his feet got cold, followed by an instinct of running away.


    He was beyond terrified of the blob goblins.<novelnext></novelnext>


    His face no more smiling or being carefree, nor is there an expression that hints to him caring about who was beside him,


    Neither did the mockery made by the first General faze him.


    His whole focus and thoughts was getting as far away from the blob goblins as possible.


    He wanted a way out, and he was ready to do anything to get it.


    The first general, was bewildered by the chained goblins reaction.


    He had expected some sort of opposition towards the blob goblins,


    but this, it is beyond what he ounted for.


    The chained Goblins body was shivering, and his eyes filled with madness.


    It is like he has had his sanity filtered, and only an instinctive urge remains.


    This is not even the urge of a brave or of pride that was to be expected of someone with a personality like his,


    He was being filled the the instinctive urge of a coward.


    His every actions and expression was something only a coward could pull off.


    What had happened, for him to have such a rapid change in personality?.


    How can someone who has fought and seen blood and the body of the dead be so scared at the sight of a blob?.


    While the first general was having this thoughts, the breathing of the chained Goblin became even more unstable, his eyes bloodshot, and his body oozing out sweat.


    Now, the first general was even more bewildered and riddled with even more questions as to why he his like this.


    He knows that the blob Goblins were part of the reason for this change, because it was when they changed into blob that his personality also took a turn.


    What he does not understand is the how and why.


    There is an understandable reason for this three sixty change in the chained Goblin''s reaction towards the blob goblins that even the first general could never have thought of.


    It happened back in the chained Goblin''s past life, a life when he was still a human child.


    ***


    ying with his tiny friends in a sandy area, with them pouring the sand all over each other, while some were trying to build something with the sand.


    The chained Goblin was also a part of the tiny humans in the sandy ying ground.


    He dug a small sized hole on the ground and ced his feet inside said hole,


    he was pouring sand on his feet and trying to build a house made of sand with his feet as the structural reference.


    It happened when he had almost finished building the leg house, he felt a tickle in his feet.


    He thought it was just the sand brushing over his feet, until he felt another tickle.


    He could no longer endure it as the tickling gets merrier.


    In a hurry, he withdrew his feet from the sand covering it down.


    What he saw, shocked not only him but everyone around him.


    As they saw his feet bloated from having too much earthworms making a hole in it, they all screamed and ran away from him.


    As he saw the earthworms covered his feet and squirming to prate into the inneryer of his feet legs, he went into shock and eventually copsed.


    He was rushed to the hospital where he was taken care of, but had to stay bedridden for a whole month, while having a bloated leg and getting injected with needles.


    And that, was what happened.


    ***


    Although this was an incident that urred in his past life when he was still a child, this was an event he would nevere to forget.


    An event that marked the beginning of his phobia for anything that crawls, squirms, and without any legs.


    Being in a new body, that was stronger and faster, was not enough to get him to let go of his phobia.


    The chained Goblin raged even more as he continued his pointless effort to break the chain and get away from the blob monstering at him.


    He lost it even more as he notices that there was nothing he could do to stop the blob from approaching him.


    "there is no need to show so much fear, what the blobs will do is, stick on your skin, before dissolving into your innards, thenes the disruption of your innards by the blobs"


    "it will be a really fun ride".


    The first general''s statement over what the blobs will do to him, heightened his fear over them.


    He screamed at the top of his lungs and drags the chain even harder.


    "ahhhhhhhhhhh..... Ah.. Ah... Ahhhhhhhhhhh".


    Demanding to be set free, and eventually pleading to the first general.


    All this while, the first general stood there watching with a satisfied grin on his face as he turned a deaf hear to his plea.

 Chapter 42 Using Him To Draw Attention

    ?At the prison entrance, a conversation ensued involving three goblins, two of which is equipped with long spears simr to the ones used by gatekeepers,


    While the third Goblin is a robust fellow with a sizerger than the two gatekeeper Goblins.


    The content of the conversation, is the robust Goblin asking the gate keeper goblins to make way for him so he can go into the prison tunnel.


    The gate keeper goblins, clicked the head of their Spear together, and used it to block the way for the robust Goblin.


    At the request of the robust Goblin, the gate keeper goblin at the left spoke up.


    "we apologize, but we cannot allow you go in"


    "and why is that...."


    "because our king has not given the permission to. The only ones he has openly given permission toing here, are the four Goblin generals, and no one else".


    "I understand, but I also understand, that you both know what the rulesid down by our king is".


    The robust Goblin words, jogged their memories, and the rulesid down by their king, appeared vividly in their minds like a cloud forming up words.


    Their earlier arrogance towards the robust Goblin was nowhere to be seen, as they in a panic, hurriedly separated their spears and made way for the robust Goblin to go in through.


    "be thankful you were quick to know your ce. Next time, I will not be so merciful as to remind you".


    Fear gripped them for having almost lost their lives at the hands of the robust Goblin.


    If it was one of the four generals they had acted this way to, their heads would havee rolling off before they can even grasp their situation.


    In a way, this robust Goblin had shown them more mercy than they had ever encountered in their lifetime of being gatekeepers.


    To demonstrate their gratitude towards the robust Goblin, they decided to apologize.


    "we are deeply sorry for our arrogant attitude directed at you".


    They bowed their heads deeply as they apologized to the robust Goblin who had already left their midst to continued on his path.


    The robust Goblin got to his destination, and ced his hand on the iron cage.


    The inside of the cage was dark and very difficult to know if anything living was in there.


    "how are you feeling"


    "....."


    No reply came forth.


    He saw the state the chained Goblin was in before he had asked the question,


    Because his body was untouched, he had assumed that he would be able to speak, but it seems what he was given was not a physical pain, but a psychological one.


    The chained Goblin sat on the floor, with his back rested on the wall and his face looking lifeless.


    One might even mistake him for being dead, since he shows no signs of movement, but the robust Goblin knew that he was still alive since he can still hear a faint breathinging from the chained Goblin.


    "a number has been done on you?",<novelnext></novelnext>


    Said the robust Goblin not expecting a reply.


    "listen, I know you are probably wondering why I am here now?, after we almost had each other killed in the blood ring arena".


    The robust Goblin stopped to see if the chained Goblin would make some kind of movement signifying that he is listening, but no such movements came from him.


    The robust Goblin, continued his monologue, not minding that the chained Goblin isn''t reacting.


    What matters to the robust Goblin, is that the chained Goblin hears and understands his words.


    "what I want to say next, mighte as a shock to you, but it is truly how I feel".


    "I admire my king and his four Generals, when I envision how my future self will be, what I see is me standing at an equal level with the four generals".


    "to achieve this, I joined the battle against the Orcs and leveled up my status, but that was not enough to reach my goal",


    "I decided to train my fighting techniques in the hopes that with a better technique, I might be recognized by one of the four generals, or even by my king himself",


    "turns out, even that was not enough to catch up to the four generals. I tried everything possible I could think of, but nothing worked out for me".


    "myst resort, was fighting in the blood ring tournament. The blood ring is a ce where those with the craving to fight and unleash disaster gather"


    "it is mostly full of goblins who have no self control over their bloodlust. For them, the blood ring is the perfect ce to attain control and at the same time, let loose"


    "I thought, if I fought against goblins like that, I would get a real feel for what danger is, and maybe then I can grow even higher than my current self".


    "It did help me to some extent, but it still was not enough to help me achieve my goal, that is, until you came along".


    "I noticed during our duel, that you and my king had a sort of bad blood between you. I kind of find it surprising that there is a goblin who would openly show such malice and bloodlust towards the king, yet still gets to live on".


    "I was at a loss when my king ordered me to spare you, and the spectators were also unable to believe their eyes".


    "the one rule my king has always emphasized on, is the total submission of the weak to the strong".


    "Being the king, he ces so much into this rule to the point that, the stronger goblins, are allowed to kill the weaker goblins without being questioned"


    "you however, are weak. I do not understand why my king spared you, and that infuriates me".


    "i have spent my life chasing after his attention, yet you get to have it without putting in any effort",


    "that is fine with me, I am pissed to a point, but at the same time, I am also d".


    "for the first time, I felt my kings attention on me, and that happened because I was battling you".


    "on that note, here is what is going to happen".


    "you, are going to get yourself together, and learn to show the ultimate respect towards my king, then, you are going to request for another duel between you and I, with my king present that is".


    "you are useless as a goblin, but as a means to grab my kings attention, you have your uses. And I am going to exploit said uses to the fullest".


    "now, you might want to think of rebelling and not doing what I just told you to, but I will advise you not to, unless you want your life here to be even more miserable than it already is".

 Chapter 43 Protagonist And Antagonist

    ?No more,


    he thought to himself as he still struggles to catch his breathe.


    He has been scarred, belittled and shamed.


    Dignity.....?, he no longer has such a thing.


    Why should dignity have to be of importance in the first ce?, not when a life is at risk.


    ? He thought he could take it all as long as it does not kill him, but he was wrong.


    He has been berated and turned into nothing.


    His pride now more worthless than junk itself.


    He is scared,


    Scared that the Goblin king''s word would soone to pass.


    He said he would surely break with enough time, and surely enough, the chained Goblin''s heart is starting to waver.


    All forms of resistance towards the Goblins treatment on him is starting to feel aodative and eptable.


    Not knowing if days, months, or years have gone by.


    Just sitting in the cell pooping and peeing all over it, and only given a tiny portion of meat that would not even satisfy a kid much less an adult.


    After eating,es the streak of the brutal torture carried out on him by both the first and fourth general.


    He cannot say for certain how much time has passed, but he knows that a lot of time has gone by while he was locked in here.


    He has started cracking and it is only a matter of time before his shell breaks and they grasp full control over him.


    He finds his situation a little bit simr to that of what main characters in a story goes through,


    Being of a lowly born and having someone from a higher position bear animosity towards you.


    He finds it ridiculous and nonsensical because he does not believe in things like a protagonist and an antagonist.


    More often do you see stories involving a peasant climbing his way up to bing a royal, with the other nobles harboring hatred towards him/her.


    Such a person is referred to as a protagonist, while the nobles baring hatred are known as antagonist.


    The protagonist are meant to be liked by the masses because they are pitiful and deserve to have a better life,


    While the antagonist are to be hated because they are an hindrance to the protagonist.


    "....."


    How stupid is that?....


    He does not believe in a logic as dumb as that, and finds it even repulsive that such logic existed to begin with.


    What his believe is centered on, is "choice".


    Both the protagonist and antagonist are both beings born and are destined to one day vacate the world.


    Why should there have to be a difference between the two when it is their choice that guides them to bing what they are.


    Protagonist, antagonist. Are both people with lives to live.


    The protagonist getting maltreated by the antagonist, before eventually getting strong enough to vanquish the antagonist is a porpostrous idea for the chained Goblin.


    One should not be favored more than the other, but rather they should both be portrayed in an equal limelight.


    That is why, the chained Goblin does not think of himself as a protagonist nor does he think of the king Goblin as an antagonist.


    He does hate the king Goblin to the point that he would stab him every chance he gets, but that is not enough to delude himself into thinking he is a bad person.


    The chained Goblin, has taken lives of many while trying to survive,


    So who is he to say the Goblin king is a bad person for trying to protect what is his?.


    He thinks of the king Goblin as just another one trying to protect what he has worked so hard for, from the hands of the one destined to take it away from him.


    He is protecting his prized possession in his very own way that he knows he can.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The same goes for the chained Goblin.


    If he ever finds himself in the same situation as the king Goblin, he would no doubt have taken drastic action to nipping it in the bud.


    With that said, what difference is there between he and the king Goblin?.


    The answer is none. There is no difference.


    what there is, are two different people with a choice of their own, each contradicting the other.


    A protagonist?..,


    A funny joke that should never be rted to a world where survival is all that matters.


    This is the real world, and in it, there are people with different mindset and logic.


    A world filled with arge number of people, so howe just one person can be considered as a protagonist over the others?.


    What about them?, what about the life they have lived?, what about the struggles they have had to put up with all this time?.


    He is no protagonist, neither is the king.


    This, is not a world of a protagonist and an antagonist.


    This is a world of survival, and what they both are,


    Are people doing their best to survive.


    And from now on, he ns to do his very best to survive as well.


    ***


    From his abdomen, he held his breathe in.


    After a while, he releases it heavily.


    He performed this acts a few more times before stopping.


    This was an action meant to prepare his mentality for what he is about to do next.


    He wobbled up and activated his Meta Strength skill.


    With the effect of the skill, he pushed himself forward to try to break free from the chain, but it did not budge.


    He stops and pulled the chain itself, but it still did not budge.


    He already knew it wasn''t going to work, but he had no choice to at least give it a try, because he was scared of using the alternative he had thought of.


    Having no other choice, he proceeded to use hisst hope of getting out of here.


    He grabbed the chain that tied down his left hand, close to the wrist.


    he then activated his thorn maniption skill and sprouted out thorn from his right palm.


    He squeezed his face hard as he aims the thorn on his left wrist.


    The thorn sharply sliced through his wrist in one cut, and blood gushed out fast.


    He squeezed his face harder, and wraps his mouth inward as he painfully endured the throbbing pain from his wrist.


    He activated the thorn Maniption Skill once more, and this time, he sprouted the thorn from the hole of the hand that had just had it wrist cut off.


    He did that to stop the hand from bleeding out.


    He endures another streak of pain, and stood still for some time.


    When the pain had minimized, he continued his actions until he had done his four limbs.


    All reced with thornsing out of them.


    As for the feet, he altered the shape of the thorn to look exactly like the feet he had cut off, while the hands are just in thorn meant to cut through anything.


    He makes his way to the cell gate to begin his escape away from here, while enduring the pain coursing through his body.

 Chapter 44 Open Up To Him

    ?He stood at the entrance with no door and only a curtain blocking the view where a loud moan wasing from.


    Waiting for a while for the moan to die down, he called out.


    "my king, I have an urgent news to ry".


    e on in".


    Having been granted permission, he shifts the curtain and went inside.


    Naked Goblinasid on the floor, and the king sitting on his throne.


    "what is it aide, that had you rushing over to intrude on my pleasure time".


    "do forgive me my king, but Ie bearing terrible news to deliver"


    "enough with the suspense and get on with it"


    "as youmand my king".


    "the Goblin prisoner has escaped from his cell my king".


    "....."


    Without being given a description of what the Goblin looks like, or what kind of prison it was, the king had already known, because there was only one Goblin locked up.


    With an unchanging expression, and only slightly shifting his sitting position to bend his lower body with his hands resting on hisp, he asked.


    "how"


    "when we went into the cell to investigate, we saw pieces of his two palm and feet",


    "we assumed he had cut both of it off to be free from the chains".


    He did not mention the sttered blood because that was a normal thing to find in the cell where blood is constantly shed.


    "that is what I am asking, how is someone with his feet cut off able to walk out of his cell"


    "..."


    "we do not know that much, but we also noticed traces of a blood coated feet walking its way out of the cell".


    "I am to believe that he cut his own feet off, only to regenerate it back in one piece, and so very fast to add"


    The aide could not refute nor make up any excuses to counter the kings question.


    it does not make sense for one to have such an abnormal regenerative speed,


    Even if he did have it, they would have found out during the time the fourth general and first general were carrying out their session on him.


    "what about an aplice?, did you confirm if he had someone else help him?",


    "if so, the traces of blood coated feet could belong to his aplice"


    "about that my king, we matched the blood coated feet with the piece of feet that was in the cell"


    "and....."


    "it was an exact match my king".


    The king sighed deeply as he rests his head on his fist.


    "what is done is done, no use contemting on it now, that will change nothing".


    "and, what sort of action have you taken after you found out he has escaped"


    "my king, I have sent our forces after him, I am sure we will hear some good news soon"


    With only his eyebrow lifted up and the gaze falling on the aide.


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "what do you think a prey can do when it bes too desperate"


    "..."


    What sort of question is this, and what sort of answer should he give now,


    Is what the aide thought as he kept his mouth shut and his lower body bent down deeply.


    "when a prey bes desperate, it bes relentless and uncanny. It would rather die fighting than have itself served willingly",


    "he had his own body parts cut off, despite the amount of pain he would have to go through, is that not supposed to be enough hint for you?"


    "sending third rate forces after him, will only serve to empower him, and nothing more".


    "if you want to catch a desperate prey, you need an experienced predator".


    "call for the four generals, there is an hunt awaiting them".


    "as youmand my king".


    The aide, swiftly went out to go fetch the generals as per the kings orders.


    The king sat there, thinking, with a smirk on his face.


    "so you escaped uhh?.."


    Not long after, the aide came running back with the four general at his back.


    They got to where their king was, and all went on their knees.


    The other generals, had their heads down while the first general had his head up to speak on their behalf.


    " you ordered for us my king"


    "I did. I am sure you have all been notified of the news"


    "yes we have my king, what would you have us do"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "what you do best. I want you to track him down, and bring him in alive".


    "if he resists, break his bones and drag him back to me".


    The second general who had only been listening, raised his head to speak.


    "but my king, he is only one Goblin, having the four of us track him down, is a waste of manpower, if I must say my king"


    "usually, that would be the case, but I can''t take any more chances. He is dangerous, and I will advise you all to be careful around him".


    It was the third general who raised his head next to speak.


    "my king, what about the Orcs, if all four of us were to leave our post, I am afraid the Goblin army will not be enough to keep them at bay".


    "no worries on that, for I will be leading the Goblin army myself",


    "I believe, it is high time I get back to the battlefield".


    they were all mesmerized,


    After the king had unified the scattered goblins and drove out the Orcs,


    He had left the subjugation of the remaining Orcs to the four generals and he retired as a warrior who now only attends to the goblinas.


    If he wasn''t attending to the Goblinas, he would make an appearance to the blood ring.


    That, has been his usual schedule.


    But now, he wants to lead the Goblins in battle against the Orcs.


    It made the four generals curious of what thought runs In the king''s head.


    Regardless of their curiosity, they obliged to the orders of their king, as they exited the tent to go prepare for their hunt.


    The king, watched them go and he shifted his attention back to the aide who was still on his knees.


    "aide"


    "yes my king"


    "while I am out hunting for the orcs, I will leave the running of the kingdom over to you".


    "as youmand my king".


    The king, got up from his throne, stretched his two arms, and tilted his head.


    All in preparation for what is toe.


    ***


    He stood at the giant gate before him with a worn-out body.


    [error]


    [error]


    [error]


    [error]


    [user level is too low]


    [user not eligible]


    [user not eligible]


    [user not eligible]


    [user not eligible]


    [qualification requirement not met]


    [qualification requirement not met]


    [qualification requirement not met].


    Hements over his fate as the gate refuses to open for him.


    He kept on banging it with his thorn made fist.


    "why, why, why?"


    "why am I not qualified enough?"


    "what more do I need to do to be qualified?"


    "what sort of nightmare do I have to experience to have you open up to me?".


    "I have done everything I can, I am ready now, so please, please do not reject me"


    "give me a chance to prove myself before you discard me away"


    "I can do this, I am sure I can"


    "please, please, please",


    "a chance is all I ask".


    He falls to his knees as tears flowed out from his eyes, with his thorned hand still on the massive gate.


    A creak sound was made, followed by more creaking sound, then came a gust of wind that blew him away.


    Hia body fell to the ground, and he covered his face from the tonardo like wind that wasing his way.


    When it was over, he slowly removed his hand to see what had caused the wind to blow that heavily.


    A smileshed itself to his face as he saw that it had opened up to him.


    End Of The Volume 1.

 Chapter 45 Illusion I

    ?"clicking, clicking, clicking".


    Entranced on the scree in front of him with all motions outside of the screen absent to him.


    He clicks on at the keyboard with what could be described as a very fast pace of clicking.


    No mistakes made, or error that needs correcting, and with precision, he continues typing.


    Ady with an appearance putting her in herte twenty, in an official dress code, walks up to the desk of the man typing.


    "team leader, team leader"


    She called out, but was met with no response.


    The man was too focused on what he is typing to the point that any other sound mattered less to him.


    Thedy moved closer and tapped him on his shoulder.


    Unaware of when thedy got to his back, he reacted surprisingly as he shifts his head up very fast to see who it was.


    "ho, it''s you"


    "yes me. What is wrong team leader, I have called out to you several times with no response"


    "don''t mind me, I was busy sorting out this documents to submit to the chief. The deadline is for it is today, that is why I am trying toplete it before the time strikes six".


    "but I thought that particr document was supposed to be submitted next week".


    "well, courtesy of thepany. Our work consistency is not in tally with the regr time. Postponing a project and shifting a deadline forward is not beyond thepany''s doing".


    "that is indeed true. Talking of project, the chief asked for you, he wants to discuss the idol coboration video we are nning on making to help advertise our new products".


    "wasn''t that project already assigned to team two"


    "the team leader of team two said they already have their hands full with handling other multiple projects, that is why it was pushed to our team".


    "do they think we also don''t have projects to attend to?".


    "it''s  a direct order from the higher ups".


    "damn it, those entitled brat. Using their connections to get into thepany wasn''t enough, now they are even using it to evade doing the work their paid to".


    "of what use are they to thepany except leeching off of it and suffocate people like us whose life depends on it?".


    "team leader, you had better keep your voice down unless you want to get on the bad side of the so called they".


    "tch, can''t even express myself openly without the fear of getting fired".


    "if you hate the injustice that much, why don''t you just quit".


    "..."


    He gave her a long hard stare, and she could say nothing but keep her mouth shut.


    "since you are so enthusiastic about your work in thepany, I will hand over sorting out the documents to you while I go attend to the chief"m


    "but team leader, I have my own work to sort out".


    "what is wrong?, if you don''t like it, why don''t you just quit".


    "that is a really cheapeback team leader".


    "now you know how it feels. Just get on with it, and it should be submitted before today ends".


    He got up from his seat, rearranged himself, and got ready to head to the chief''s office.


    "i hope you you trip on your way there".


    "too bad for you, because curses don''t work on me".


    ***


    "knock, knock, knock".


    "who is it".


    "chief, it is I, the team leader of team two".


    "ho, team leader,e on in".


    He opens the door and enters the room.


    A room with a shelf on the right wall filled with documents, and at the center, is a two sitter table meant for the chief and his visitors.


    "have a seat".<novelnext></novelnext>


    The chief pointed to the seat opposite of him.


    The team leader shifted the seat away from the table to have enough space to sit on it and spread his legs.


    The chief shifted theptop that was on his desk over to the team leader, with the images of women disyed on it.


    "those are the potential picks we have thought of, what is your take on them".


    "hmm, I think they are all very good starlet in terms of appearance, but...."


    "but what"


    Asked the chief with a curious expression.


    "the first one is still entangled in a scandal, while the second one is known to be a very cold person with a nasty personality to work with".


    "I also thought of that, which is also why I picked other substitutes with the potential to rece the two scarlet. So what do you think".


    He swiped the on theptop to go to the next page.


    "she is still an uing image. If we were to work with her, it will not get as much poprity as we ounted for with the product".


    "hmm....., so she is no good either".


    "chief, what about choosing male image instead of the females"


    "that will not do, females are more profitable for us in the long run aspared to a male".


    [No].


    "what do you mean no chief".


    "what..."


    "you just said no just now".


    "I didn''t say anything like that".


    "but I just heard you say it".


    [No]


    "you just said it again".


    "team leader, are you alright"


    "..."


    [No, no, no, no, no, no...].


    He became immersed in the voice that is constantly on a repetitive mode.


    "team leader, team leader".


    "!!"


    "ah, yes chief".


    "team leader, are you sure you are alright"


    "I am fine chief, just a minor hallucination from the overload of work I have had to sort through, I think".


    He brushed the voice off as nothing after being distracted by the chief,


    After all, it wasn''t abnormal for a workaholic like him to have a few hallucinations involving an unknown voice.


    "hallucination?, what age are you to have start hallucinating because of work".


    "age has nothing to do with it when we consider the workload chief".


    "hmmm....., alright, I will take some work off your back, so don''t pull a scary stunt like that again".


    "thank you so much chief, the rest of the team will be happy to hear this".


    "just make sure you excellently attend to the projects in your care if you want that workload off your back".


    "you know how diligent andmitted I am to my work".


    "yes I know, that is why I don''t want you getting sick or pulling a sick stunt on me".


    "got it chief".


    "now, let us get to deciding which image we should go with, so we can start work on it".

 Chapter 46 Illusion Ii

    ?"ck".


    He closed the door behind him and breathed an air of relief.


    He has managed to sort through the issue of picking an image to help promote their new product,


    a task that is very demanding and involves a sizeable amount of brain power.


    Picking the wrong image could lead to a huge flop in the product promotion, meaning a loss to thepany, and the one that will be held responsible is the chief, but the chief will eventually direct it back to him, the team leader of the project.


    In apany, the one destined to take the grunt of thepany loss are always the ones at the lowest position, or the ones with less authority and connection.


    He might hate his job where he gets less free time and more overtime, but that does not mean he is ready to quit it when he has a family of two to feed.


    ***


    Thedy noticed the sound of footstepsing closer to her,


    In panic, she hid what she was distracted with at the back of her system and put on a poker face.


    "team leader, you are back"


    "I am, how far are you with arranging the documents"


    "I am almost done with it"


    "you were cking off again by wasting time on your phone weren''t you".


    "you caught me, but I am really almost done with it, that is why I decided to give myself an in between break"


    "be grateful the chief has decided to transfer some of our workload to the other team, else you would have been in big trouble with spending the time you are supposed to use in working on pressing your phone".


    "geez team leader, who uses press word nowadays, how old school are you".


    "I don''t care, just make sure you finish it before today and send it to the chief''s folder".


    "I will, I will. Even my mom does not nag me to this point".


    Having ryed to her what he wanted to, he leaves her alone to continue her work while he went on to his own desk.


    ***


    He stretches his left hand backwards with his right hand ced on his left shoulder to support the stretching.


    "six o clock, just right on time".


    He says, after checking the watch on his wrist.


    "are you done with the document organizing",


    He calls out to the Lady''s desk located opposite his.


    "yes I am, and I have sent it to the chief''s folder. He should have seen it".


    "great, that means we get to clock out early today".


    "yay...., team leader, what do you say we treat ourselves to a little drink before heading home".


    "no thank you, my wife will kill me if she knows I drank outside".


    "then just don''t tell her".


    "no can''t do. Being open minded is an important aspect of our rtionship, keeping things from her is the same as saying I want to crumble said rtionship".


    The man seated beside the team leader pokes his head out to join the conversation.


    "that is too bad, you are the only one in our team that is going to be absent".


    "it''s fine that way, just make sure you all don''t drink yourselves to stupor only toe to the officete or with a puffed face, because I won''t be cleaning up after whatever mess you make".


    "you have nothing to worry about team leader, we are not as irresponsible as you make us out to be"


    "I will believe you on that".


    ***


    "click".


    He pressed the button and the front door of the car opens after which he went inside.


    "those kids, drinking heavily after work has now be an habit of theirs".


    "it is good that they are enjoying their youth, but they are going too far with it".


    "if I put up more resistance, I will only seem like a bad boss to them, I have no choice but to allow them".


    "sigh..."


    "i wish I were young again".


    "thringgg, thringg".


    He rummages through his pocket and brings out his phone.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "hello honey".


    "darling, are you done with work".


    "yes I am, I am on my way home now".


    "is that so?, by the way, junior wants to talk to you".


    "ho, hurry, give it to my cutie little pie, I want to hear his angelic voice soothe away the fatigue from work".


    "darling, are you saying my voice is not enough to help you get rid of your fatigue.."


    "no way, do not misunderstand me honey, yours is also enough, it is just that junior''s voice washes it awaypletely".


    "hmmph"


    e on honey, do not be like that".


    "okay, I will give it to junior now".


    "....."


    "dad"


    "!!!"


    [no, no, no, no].


    [let me out].


    "urghhgh".


    The deep coarse voice once again starts ringing in his head and tormenting him.


    [let me out of here, this isn''t me].


    [none of this is].


    [let me out, let me out].


    The voice kept getting louder in his head giving the man a severe headache.


    "dad, dad...."


    "mom, dad isn''t answering".


    "what do you mean he is not answering, the phone is still connected, and I just finished talking to him now. Give it to me".


    "darling, darling....".


    The man was too preupied with trying to get the voice to go away and could not pay attention to the still connected phone.


    He sped his ears with his hand, while shaking it.


    "go away whoever you are",


    "leave me the heck alone".


    ***


    The man putting on a white gown slides the document over to the man sitting in his front.


    "doc, you sure this is right, this cannot be the full report".


    "yes it is. This is the result of the body examination carried out on you, as it shows, you arepletely fine".


    "this cannot be true doc, I told you I keep hearing this loud voice in my head telling me no, no, no".


    "I have told you already, that is an effect caused from the overuse of your body, you need to learn to give your body some free time".


    "too much work is not advisable to the body, you are not indestructible you know".


    "the voice you say you keep hearing, is simply a mirage brought about as a result of your body being fatigued. With a little bit of rest, you will be back to normal".


    "no doc, this isn''t a mirage, I am telling you, it is real, the voice is real".


    "sigh, I want you take a one week leave from work and use that time to rest. If after your rest, the voice is still there, then we can talk".


    "but for now, give your body the rest it is asking for, is that clear".


    "....."


    "alright doc, I will do as you say".


    ***


    Back in his car, he opens the test result given to him by the doctor to once again verify the content.


    "this result cannot be true".


    "I am sure something is wrong with me, something that even the doctors cannot see".

 Chapter 47 Illusion Iii

    ?He started his car and began to drive his way home.


    He knew he had a problem unknown even to the doctors, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    Only he can hear the voice in his head and no one else,


    How could there be an easy solution to something like that.


    Perhaps like the doctor said, maybe all he really needed to do was rest his body.


    After he is done with all thepany project at hand, he ns to request a five day leave from the chief.


    "Requesting for a leave while I''m the middle of a busy schedule obviously would not work".


    The chief will give him a disdain look before rejecting him,


    but if he asks for a leave after he is done with all the tasks at hand, then the chief might consider giving in to his request.


    That is the best route for him at the moment.


    During the drive to his home, the man had a lot of questions piled up at the back of his mind.


    What sort of event is this?...


    A voice only he can hear, is a tale that will sound to a third person as the ranting of a lunatic.


    He even starts to wonder if he is going insane.


    He has a wife and a five year old child waiting for him,


    Being revered as a madman is not a reputation that will benefit his family in any way.


    He has to keep this a secret until he knows specifically what it is or the doctor finds a medical exnation for it.


    He does not want to needlessly worry his wife by telling her of an illness he does not have proof of.


    Having decided to keep his mouth shut about it, the man concentrated on his driving.


    ***


    He got to the garage, parked in his driveway, came out of the car, and locked it with the button on his hand.


    He went to the elevator and pressed on the fourth number.


    He came out of the elevator, walked through the passage surrounded by doors, and stopped at the door numbering seventy eight.


    He ced his hand on the password device and hesitated on inputting the password.


    He is saddened on having to lie to his wife about something that involves his health.


    A vague memory of he and his wife promising to never keep any secrets from each other after their marriage crossed through his mind.


    Now, he is about to break said promise to her.


    He softly bangs his head on the door as hements over his situation.


    "sigh....".


    ''I am really sorry honey''.


    He inputs the pass, and opens the door.


    "click, click, click".


    Hearing the sound of the password being clicked in, the inhabitants of the apartment, rushed towards it.


    "honey, I am home".


    The man called out, with the woman''s reply picking up her pace towards the door.


    She came out of the door located at the left corner of the room and ran towards her husband.


    "darling....."


    The woman with her two hands stretched, rushed over to her husband and give him a warm hug.


    The husband, wrapped his two hands on her waist in return and also giving her a kiss on the lips.


    "how was your day darling".


    With a tensed tone, the husband answered.


    "it..., it was fine"


    "is there something wrong"


    "no why do you ask"


    "your face, you look very stressed. Also on the phone, what was that about".


    "no..nothing. I just had a slight concussion. I have gone for a checkup and it turned out fine. The doc said all I needed to do was rest".


    "here, this is the result of the medical checkup".


    He puts his hand in the jacket pocket, and brings out the white in paper report to hand over to his wife.


    "hmm....., everything does look fine"


    "I told you, I am fine. Now, where is my little wittle junior".


    "he is having his meal. You know how he does not like to be interrupted during meal time?, an habit he picked up from you".


    She said with a grumpy face.


    "it''s not my fault our child chose to emte my eating style".


    "I am not saying it is wrong for him to want to emte your habit",


    "all I am saying is, he shouldn''t have taken on your worst qualities but should have gone for the good ones".


    "so what qualities of mine should he have emted".


    He said with a grinning face, while groping her.


    "any other qualities but the eating one".


    He pounced on her, and started kissing her face with one of his hand on her bum and the other on her boobs.


    "you know what honey, let''s make another baby today".


    "maybeter, you just got back from work, you need your rest now".


    "no, no, no honey. I am perfectly fine with starti....".


    "daddy...."


    The voice of the child running towards his father with a gleeful face stopped him frompleting his sentence.


    The father''s eyes met with the boy, and right there, the man felt an intense pain course through his head.


    "urghugh....."


    He crouched down and gripped his own head tightly.


    [let me out, let me out].


    [I want out of here, let me out].


    The voice more aggressive than ever before tormented the father heavily.


    "no, stop....",


    "please..., stop",


    "stop it whoever you are...."


    Said the father as he continues to roll on the floor while in pain and agony.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "darling, are you okay, darling".


    The woman, ran to her husband in distress but she could not get close to him because he wasn''t staying still.


    "mommy, what is wrong with daddy".


    "junior, quick, go and bring me my phone now".


    The little boy ran back to the room to go find his mom''s phone while the mom stayed with her husband.


    The man stopped squirming on the floor and stood up straight.


    "darling are you alright now?, you told me the doctor said you were fine, so what was that all about".


    "mom".


    "....."


    "darling, what did you just say".


    The woman asked with a confused expression directed at her husband who just called her mom.


    The man grabbed the woman and embraced her dearly,


    Like someone who is happy to have found the most precious thing he had once lost.


    "mom, you are alive..., how can this be?, how is this possible?".


    "dad, what about dad, where is dad".


    "darling, what are you saying?, why are you calling me mom?, is this a prank or something"


    "mom, what do you mean a prank?, it is me your son, junior".


    "..."


    The mom even more confused than ever at the nonsenseing out of her husband''s mouth.


    He face does not seem like he is telling a lie or joking around, neither is the genuine emotions he is disying.


    She was dumbfounded and dumbstruck at what was happening with her husband.


    Just then, the child came running back with the phone in hand.


    "mom here you go".


    "no....., no way".


    "how?..., how is this possible?".


    "that is me when I was younger, howe I am looking at myself right now".


    "if that is me, then who am I?..."


    "darling..."


    The woman called with a calming tone to her husband who looks like he is about to snap.


    "mom, mirror, where is the mirror".


    The man barged in hastily, looking for any item closer to a mirror.


    The woman still concerned for her husband''s health and actions takes him to the room where the mirror was.


    The man looked in the mirror, at the face he was portrayed in.


    "this, this cannot be".


    "this is dad''s face, why do I have dad''s face".


    like some sort of trigger was pulled after he looked at the mirror, the man broke down in another intense streak of agony and pain.


    This time it wasn''t due to a voice ringing in his head, it was just pure pain coursing through his head.


    He felt like his head was being splitted in half with an hammer.


    The man screamed and yelled, did all sorts of physical stuffmon to when a person is in an unfathomable pain.


    He continued rolling himself on the floor while still holding unto his head.


    The wife extremely worried, started dialing the emergency contact.


    "..."


    "i remember",


    "darling...."


    She stopped dialing when she saw her husband now relieved from the pain and muttering in silence.


    The man got up from the floor and kept repeating the same word.


    "yes, I remember it all now",


    "i remember everything now".


    "darling, what is it, what do you remember".


    "mom and dad, as much as I both miss you, none of this is real".


    "what are you talking about darling"


    "all of this, it must be some kind of an illusion caused by a skill"


    "darling...."


    she kept calling out to her husband in a soft and amodating tone.


    I was six when the ident happened, I lost you and dad then and I had to adapt to living on my own until I also died".


    "but that was not all",


    "I died..., I died and had my soul transmigrated in the body of a goblin".


    "darling, you are scaring me now".


    "no mom, this is not dad, this is me junior".


    "none of this is real, everything, it is all false".


    "it is all a mind game. Someone is ying tricks on me using the memories of my parents".


    "darling.."


    The woman moved closer to he husband to calm him down, but the husband moved away from her.


    "no, whoever you are, this, this is not going to work on me".


    "darling, what are you saying, it is me your wife".


    "no, no you are not. You are not my mother, neither am I your husband".


    "this is all a mind game and someone out there is pulling the strings".


    "I just know it".


    [Ding]


    As the man was assuring himself that all of what he is seeing, is nothing but an illusion, a blue panel appeared in his front.


    [Congrattions],


    [you have passed the screening of the Fire Guardian]


    [you have earned the qualifications to enter the Tomb of the Fire Guardian].

 Chapter 48 Quest Generate

    ?He had seeded in escaping from the clutches of the Goblin king.


    With his transmigration, he understood perfectly what thew was after engaging with the wild dog.


    A ce where only the strong have the right to live.


    He knew very well that is what it was,


    that is why he did his best so he could be counted among the strong.


    He wanted nothing more but to survive.


    to sleep without having to worry about being killed in his sleep.


    Because of that, he put his all into ensuring he could live like that.


    He had battled with the monsters on the floor he was born into and had gotten a little stronger.


    That however was not enough for him.


    His goal had changed after having an encounter with the one he calls miss dragon.


    She was a magnificent being who discarded him as nothing and had proimed that he would never be able to pose a threat to her.


    Those words scarred him and shattered his ego.


    He wanted it,


    he was greedy and thirsty for the kind of authority miss dragon had.


    For that authority, he journeyed to the even more dangerous level in search of power.


    In the end, what he ended up with was despair.


    The kind of despair that almost turned him from a failure topletely having his existence altered and controlled by a third party.


    His Greed for more powernded him in even more of a trouble than he could have imagined.


    Now, he is too scared to do anything.


    He craved power and in return he was given despair.


    The thought of craving for more only to be rewarded negatively terrifies him.


    He is indeed terrified,


    but the thought of doing nothing terrifies him even more.


    If wanting to improve on himself will only end up putting him in an even more trouble,


    he has to be ready to tank it all.


    There is also the thought of the king hunting for him.


    He has to continue pushing forward no matter what.


    To do that, he needs even more power and he found a source that can prove reliable to him in that aspect.


    The giant gate that had rejected him saying he wasn''t qualified enough.


    That was where he went back to after escaping from the Goblins.


    When he first saw the gate,


    he felt an immeasurable amount of power emanating from it and he had a feeling that if he could go in, he would surelye out a different person.


    Different in the aspect of good or bad?, he doesn''t know.


    Besides,


    behind the giant gate is the only ce he knows he will not be found by the king as even he had identally stumbled upon it.


    ***


    He was epted in, but what he was faced with wasn''t at all what he had expected.


    Before he could go in, he had to pass an unexpected test.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was forced to relive his moments of his parents in the body of his own father no less.


    Memories he wished he could bury in the deep depths of his past is what this gate decided to resurface.


    If he had fully immersed himself into the illusion made by the tomb, he wondered what would have happened.


    Would he have been forever trapped in there forgetting that he has his own reality to live in now?.


    He felt a cold chill run through his vein at the unpredictable act of the tomb.


    When the door opened,


    his expectations if he passes through it consisted of him winding up in a battle or something akin to a battle involving the physical use of his body.


    He definitely did not expect nor ount for him to be attacked psychologically.


    He has yet to enter the tomb and has already almost lost himself,


    He has to be up on his feet and prepare his mentality to be ready for whateveres in his way.


    ***


    He gets up on his feet and makes his way to the entrance of the gate emitting a sort of voidness and emptiness.


    He enters the gate and was greeted with a different scenerypared to where he was before.


    When he passed through the gate, it felt like his body had shifted from one hole to another.


    Like this was a separate space from where he came from.


    Mountainsid out all over the terrain.


    Illumination brought not by the effect of the sun, but by the volcanic eruption from the nearby mountains.


    Lava flowing like streams of water as vast as the ocean.


    This is a ce consisting of fourty percent volcanic mountains, fifty nine percentva, and one percent tnd.


    He has managed to escape being roasted alive after setting foot in here thanks to his fire resistance skill being at Lv6.


    He still can feel the tingling on his skin,


    The fire slowly warming itself on his skin, but that is all.


    He looked down from the cliff he was in and saw the bubbling of theva ready to melt whateveres into it.


    [Ding].


    [you have entered the tomb of the Fire guardian].


    [your fire resistance skill has leveled up by two].


    [A quest is being generated].


    [....]


    [he who has reached the pinnacle and controlled the element of fire as its guardian is maligned with worry].


    [he wishes not for the knowledge he has attained through his lifelong journey toe to an end after his death, but for it to continue on without him].


    [he desires for his legacy to be passed down to one who is deemed worthy to wield and tame the fiery fire nature element].


    [to bring an end to his worries, he built himself a vessel that would harbour his entire lifetime worth of affinity towards the fire element].


    [he called it, the temple of sessor].


    [only the one who is courageous enough to throw away a life offort shall be deemed worthy enough to be allowed into the temple of sessor to bing the next Fire Guardian].


    [Main Quest > Find the ce where the temple of sessor is located within the domain of the Fire Guardian Tomb].


    [Quest Completion Reward > Sessor to the legacy of the Fire Guardian].


    [Quest Failed Reward > Death].

 Chapter 49 Going Down

    ?He stared at the quest board shing above him and a feeling of uselessness befall him.


    What he felt, was a sense of inferiority towards the quest board above him.


    For sure he wanted to be stronger and he has made up his mind to do anything to achieve that, but he just couldn''t help feeling this way.


    Here is someone who achieved strength with his own hands, and here is he who hase hoping to be a sessor to a left behind legacy.


    The difference between the two is as clear as day itself.


    He dide here of his own will,


    His resolve was firm and he knew he had to grab at whatever straws came his way if he wanted to survive.


    but this, wasn''t what he truly wanted deep down in his heart.


    What he truly wanted, was to be the giver and not the receiver.


    Through his own efforts, he wanted to attain the right to count himself as a strong.


    But now, if he did be the sessor and indeed attain a strength that can guarantee his survival,


    Can he truly feel proud of his achievement?.


    He felt ashamed of himself, and even more ashamed at the reality that forced him into this position.


    ***


    He raises his head and saw the vast volcanic mountain andva spread out all over.


    Everything looks the same to him, so how in the hell is he expected to find a temple of sessor in this look alike surroundings?.


    Where is he supposed to start from?...


    Below him is theva and in front of him is the rumbling of volcanoes.


    He activates his thorn maniption skill and produces a thorn from the upper part of his hand.


    He would have produced it from his palm like he usually does, but he had cut both of it off to escape and reced it with thorns shaped like des.


    Afte he escaped back to the floor he was from, he hunted for monsters in hopes that he would evolve and have his limbs returned to normal,


    But that did note to be.


    No matter how many monsters he killed, they were no longer enough for him to evolve.


    He could keep on killing them until he eventually evolves, but that will risk him being caught by any pursuers the king has sent after him.


    he had to give up the idea of evolving and moved straight to the gate.


    He grabs the thorn he had produced from the upper part of his hand with his mouth and throws It into theva.


    He did this so he could check how far the distance is from the ground and also how effective theva is in burning stuff up.


    The thorn kept falling for a while and was eventually on fire and burnt away before even getting into theva.


    "that was fast".


    He thought as he retreated his head back.


    He has to find the legacy when he is unable to even so much as go downwards without getting lighted up by the heat.


    He has doubts if his fire resistance is enough to protect him from theva.


    Whatever the case may be, he starts to make his way down theva.


    Staying on the cliff will not get him anywhere or magically bring the temple of sessor to him.


    He knows he has to take risks to get what he wants,


    and this, this is just another risk he needs to go through if he wants a better shot at surviving.


    With his thorn like hands, he starts to crawl on the floor and got to the edge.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He thrust his legs downward first and used his thorned hands to hang on.


    just like that, he starts to slowly climb down the cliff.


    Rather than just sliding down in a fast pace, he chose to take it slowly so he can discern when he reaches the limit of his fire resistance skill against theva.


    His thorn like hands attached to the wall and using it to hang on, he slowly removes the left hand and goes lower to attach it to the wall below as he does the same to the other hand.


    Going at a slow and steady pace.


    He stopped in his tracks as he noticed that there was something blocking his way.


    Poking his head down, he saw that the wall below his feet was an edgy and smooth wall.


    He had a feeling that it would be very sloppy and too thick for his thorn to get attached to it.


    He checks his sideways to see if he could go around it, but there was no way as the edginess is covering the entire space below him.


    He is left with no other choice but to risk going down the edgy wall.


    He changed the shape of his thorned feet smallest toe to be more pointy and poked the smooth wall with it.


    As he thought,


    the thorn did not properly attach to it, instead it bounced off.


    He takes another shot at it but this time, he altered the tip of the thorn to be as thin as it can get.


    The result?, it caught on fire and burned away.


    He tried it once again but with the thorn being as robust as making a fist with his hand.


    The result?,


    the thorn was able to break through the smooth wall.


    He never knew the wall was so weak it could break by just applying that amount of force to it.


    He activated his Meta Strength skill and started making his way down the smooth wall by bashing through it with his thorned feet.


    ***


    A lot of time has passed by since he has started climbing, yet he has not even gotten to half the distance needed to get to theva or an unbearable boiling point.


    Earlier when he looked at theva from the cliff, the distance felt so short.


    now that he has started climbing, there was nothing short about it.


    The more he kept climbing down, the farther he felt the distance between he and theva kept growing.


    There is also the umted physical fatigue starting to slow down his body.


    "kee-eeeee-arr"


    "!!"


    Turning his head in several directions to see what had made that sound.


    left, right. There was nothing.


    He felt a gust of wind blow at him from above,


    he raised his head up and his instincts were right.


    Hovering above him is a winged shape figure simr to hawks and eagles.


    This monster only had the shape of hawks and eagles for its body structure.


    it''s wings however were natural burning fire.

 Chapter 50 Battle With The Bird

    ?"kee-eeeee-arr!!!"


    The bird kept circling above him like it''s monitoring his movement and waiting for him to make a move.


    He stood there hanging on the wall and not making a move but also monitoring the fire bird.


    This is an opponent whose constitution matches the tone of this ce,


    This is basically its territory.


    He needs to know what he is dealing with before doing anything.


    Instigating a fight will not benefit him in any way.


    he would actually prefer it If the bird can finish its circling and went on its way, but he knows faith is not that kind enough to give him such leeway.


    He continues to watch the bird''s movement with a silent approach.


    He noticed that there was a change in the bird''s actions,


    it was circling above him, but now it has its wings clipped behind its back and its head stretched forward.


    What the bird did, was take on a diving stance that allows for an increase in speed when it''s aiming downwards.


    He saw the bird diving towards him and immediately took action.


    He rolled his body to the side and bashed the wall with his thorned hand,


    He repeated this actions a few more times, and was able to avoid the bird''s attack.


    The bird who had dived past the Goblin, started to make its way back up.


    The Goblin stood still and did nothing while the bird was making its way back for him.


    When the bird had almost gotten to the Goblin, it was then that he activated his thorn erection skill.


    He sprouted the thorn out from the wall beneath his feet.


    The bird was quick to react on the thorn as it swings its wings and flew to the side to evade it.


    "tch.."


    The Goblin clicked his tongue in regret as his surprise attack failed.


    He did manage to get a rough estimation on what kind of an opponent he is dealing with, so he wouldn''t call the surprise attack a total waste.


    The bird is an opponent blessed with speed,


    how far its speed is?, he does not know.


    What he does know is that the bird is faster than he is.


    The set of information he needs next is how much power output it is capable of using.


    Mere looking at its body, one would assume that it has less or no power output because it has no arms, meaning there was no way for it to punch.


    Said thinking, is based only on assumption with no proof.


    He saw how the bird had charged at him earlier,


    the bird''s n was to use its entire body to smash him down into the wall.


    Going with such thinking, it would not be so far fetched as to think that the bird relies on its whole body to deliver its own power output.


    Taking a body blow from a monster that is three times his size will be very devastating for the Goblin even with his Meta Strength activated.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He assumed the bird must be confident in being able to put him down with just its body, seeing as how that is what it used as its first attack.


    He activated his thorn erection skill and sprouted out multiple and very long thorns from the wall below his feet to use as a foothold.


    He jumped down on the thorns and prepared himself to properly counter the bird next time it attacks.


    The bird made no further movement and instead resumed its circling over the Goblin.


    He thought of continuing his journey down but bes wary that it might be what the bird is aiming for.


    attacking him while he is distracted and his hands upied with climbing down the wall.


    He thought of using his thorn erection skill to make a stairway downwards like he had done with the one he is standing on,


    But did not do it because of the amount of mana needed to carry it out.


    In a situation like this, he has to save as much of his mana as he can.


    Relying on his mana gathering will not be of help because although it works well duringbat, the recoil once he is done battling is nothing to joke about.


    "here ites".


    The bird had changed directions and was now heading towards the Goblin.


    It was a direct confrontation with the Goblin staring at it face up.


    The Goblin took on a throwing stance and started gathering mana in his hand.


    When the hawk was within his range, he finished gathering the mana on his hand and used his self made skill Javelin Crater Explosion.


    Seeing the iing attack, the bird changes its tragectory and attemptes to go upwards, but the javelin crater explosion was faster than its reaction speed.


    Before the bird could make its turn upwards, it had been hit or rather grazed at the side by the javelin.


    It does not matter if the impact of the javelin was small or big, it will end up with the same result which is to explode into tiny pieces small enough to prate through its skin.


    The javelin crater explosion did explode, but the Goblin was unable to see if it got the job done due to the smoke caused by the explosion blocking the view.


    Regardless, the Goblin still prepared himself for any anomaly that might ur next.


    The smoke slowly dissipated and the Goblin was now able to see more of the view.


    The Goblin hastily jumped out of the way and used his thorn like hands to bash the wall to hold his fall.


    It was a close call for the Goblin,


    if he had not jumped away sooner he would have surely been crushed by the bird.


    Proof of it is where he was standing before,


    it has now beenpletely crushed by the bird''s body blow making a crater in it.


    The Goblin hanging on a thorn, produced another multiple long thorn below his feet to stand on.


    The Goblin sprouted out thorns from the wall and traced it to the wall the hawk hadnded in.


    The bird regained itself and was about to fly away from the wall it had abruptlynded in but the Goblin wouldn''t allow that.


    The Goblin altered the shape of his hand like thorn to look more like a palm,


    He jumped up andtched the palm unto the thorn and like that, he swung himself over to where the bird hadnded on.


    The bird was this close to making the distance between it and the wall when the Goblin who had already reached it jumped on its back.

 Chapter 51 Riding The Bird

    ?The bird pped its wings aggressively trying to get the Goblin off its back.


    It bashed itself on the wall with the thought that the Goblin woulde off but it did not work.


    The Goblintched himself unto the bird''s back as he held its feathers tightly so he would not easily fall off.


    This was the best strategy the Goblin coulde up with.


    When he was clinging to the wall, he had trouble dealing with the bird because his actions and movements were limited unlike the bird who could move around as it sees fit in the sky.


    But now, now it has an advantage over it by being literally on top of it.


    The Goblin sprouted out a thorn from his hand and wanted to use it to stab the hawk at its back but was unable to due to the bird''s next action.


    The bird took to the sky and soared higher into it with swiftness that had the Goblin gasping for air.


    The Goblin held on even tighter than earlier to the feathers of the bird.


    Below him is a pool ofva, if he so much as loosens his grip on the bird, he will surely fall into theva.


    Still not knowing if his fire resistance skill will be enough to shield him from the fire, he cannot take such chances.


    The fire resistance is protecting him from the bird''s ming wings, but that is not enough to conclude that it will surely do the same for theva below.


    The Goblin knew he had to act fast,


    whatever ns he had has to be executed immediately.


    He is starting to lose his vision to the wind blowing immensely and his breathing is also bing more unstable the higher up the bird goes.


    It is only a matter of time before he loses control over his own body and lets go of the bird''s feather.


    He struggled to gather his thoughts amidst the windbing and desperately pushing him backwards,


    He raises his hand holding a thorn in the shape of a spike and manages to stab the bird with it.


    The thorn did prate through its skin, but it burnt off immediately after making contact.


    He made more thorns and kept on stabbing and stabbing aggressively even though it did nothing.


    He did not mind as he just kept on stabbing the bird''s back with his thorns.


    None of it dealt any damage to the bird as they all burned when they came into direct contact with its skin.


    Despite knowing that, he still continued stabbing.


    He has eyes to see and the brain to know that his actions is only causing him to waste mana and umte needless fatigue.


    Yet, why is he still keeping it up?.....


    He is scarred, frustrated and desperate.


    A result brought about from the effect of countless torture at the hands of the Goblins.


    He has sessfully escaped from their clutches but that is only physically.


    He feels mentally tied and bound to them,


    memories of what he was made to go through shaped his thoughts to now fear them.


    His trauma and phobia for anything that crawls has now been overshadowed by the pain he was put through by the Goblins.


    Forced to relive his blissful moments with his family and now struggling hard just so he can live another day,


    he finds it all to be very pointless.


    Despair saddled with even more despair washed over him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He questioned the reasons for his existence.


    He wanted to know why he has to live this way, why is he born miserable?.


    Even if he does miraculously make it through this alive, then what?...


    He will just go back to struggling for his life.


    What is the point of his struggle if the end result will always be death?.


    If he doesn''t die from any of this attacks, surely he will die of old age.


    Regardless of what path he chooses, death will always be the end result.


    why does he even bother trying to live if at the end he is still going to die?...


    He thought of what the reason as to why he does not want to die could be, and revenge was what he thought of.


    He felt even more stupid at that.


    Revenge?, does he really have the right to seek such.


    He already knew that this is a world where endless killing takes ce,


    He was simply one out of the many who get to experience the unfairness of the strong over the weak.


    What makes him think he is any special or different from the rest?.


    The Goblin king was right,


    he refused to join a group because he never wanted to feel Inferior to any.


    He knows howcking he is and if he joins a group, he will only further see the bridge separating him from the truly strong.


    more despair will overwhelm him and eventually he will be rendered a nobody.


    He does not want that, which is why he wanted to be alone, that way he will never see the gap and will never have to worry about his inferiorityplex kicking in.


    He is, a nuisance to himself,


    he doesn''t want to die and yet he is scared to continue living on.


    There is no one more pathetic than he is.


    While the Goblin was deep in his thoughts and the continuous stabbing, the bird was already thinking of ways to shake him off its back.


    While up in the sky, the hawk spread out its wings and gave itself a free fall.


    It dived down fast with the intention of getting consumed inside theva.


    At this point, the Goblin started panicking.


    He still does not know the endurance difference of his fire resistance skill to theva below him.


    He has to do whatever he can to get this bird to change direction.


    He thought of a possible way and moved swiftly to execute it.


    First he  crawled over to the head of the bird, the eyes to be precise, sprouted out a thorn and stabbed the eyes with it.


    The thorns burnt off before it could even touch the bird''s eyeball.


    Now he knew, that he was fucked.

 Chapter 52 Hesitation

    ?It dawned on him how dangerous of a situation he currently is in.


    He has only two choices left to make, both of which could result in his death.


    His first choice is to find a way to kill off the bird, jump off its back and into theva with hopes that his fire resistance skill will save him.


    His second choice, is to try and control the bird into crashing on one of the volcanic mountains below with the hopes that he won''t get burnt alive.


    This two choices are extremely dangerous and rely heavily on how far his fire resistance skill can go.


    He chose to risk it by picking the first option.


    There is a chance that if he seeds in killing the bird, he might level up making his body more sustainable to the heat, and if it doesn''t go as he predicts, then death be it.


    He sat on the neck of the hawk and wrapped his legs around it.


    He activates his thorn maniption skill and sprouts out thorn from his whole leg that was wrapped around the hawk''s neck.


    As expected, the thorn did no damage as it immediately burns away.


    He knew what he was about to do was going to be anything but easy, that is why he did not falter nor waver when the thorn burned away.


    He once again activates his thorn maniption skill around his legs and reinforced the thorns with more mana than usual to make it endurable to the heat.


    Instead of trying to use the thorn to prate through the neck of the bird, he focused ontching it to it''s skin.


    With his legs now tied to the bird''s neck and the thorn further strengthening the bond, he is now free to take his hands off the feathers he used to cling unto the bird and avoid falling off.


    He raised his hand and started gathering mana in it, and in no time his javelin crater explosion wasplete.


    He did not throw the javelin crater explosion which is in form of a Spear, what he did is directly hit the head of the bird with the Spear while he was still holding it.


    The collision of the Spear on the bird''s head had the Goblin flying off the back of the bird.


    The thorn he thought had stick tightly to the bird''s neck failed him as his legs was immediately unwrapped from the bird''s neck.


    The Goblin was falling down and falling very fast.


    as for the bird?, it got a direct hit of the javelin crater explosion but did not die.


    It did take in a lot of damage to the head, but it turns out that was not enough to put it down.


    It regained control of itself after the explosion and pped its wings higher.


    The only upside to this is that it left the Goblin alone and flew far away.


    The Goblin with his head facing upwards looked at the red sky with a dejected face.


    "is this it?...."


    "is this how it is all going to end?....."


    "am I really going to die while drowning inva?...."


    "what an irony this is",


    "in my life as a human, I died by drowning in an ocean and now as a goblin, I am going to die while drowning inva?".


    The Goblin scoffed at his pathetic and degenerate self.


    "this, doesn''t seem so bad after all",


    "he gave it his all, he did his best",


    "in this second chance of a life he has gotten, he can hold his head held high and say, I did everything I coul...."


    He could notplete the sentence,


    The remaining words were unable to flow freely from his mouth as the others did.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "why am I hesitating?..."


    "why can''t I say it?...."


    "I really did give it my all, so why can I not say it out loud and proudly?....."


    "what, is wrong with me?..."


    "my life is messed up, yet I ept it as the norms".


    "I do nothing to try to change it and instead decided to go with the flow".


    "my life is my life, it will spin how I want it to and stop when I want it to".


    "merely sitting down andining about how shitty my life is will change nothing, nor will it solve anything".


    "this, this isn''t a Fairytail where everything gets handed down".


    "if I do nothing, nothing will change".


    "if I attempt to do something but do not put in any effort, nothing will still not change".


    "only when I decide to stand up and work towards doing something will there truly be a change".


    "not an borate and morous change, but a gradual one".


    "this, this is my life now and I am going to live it by my rules and not oneyed out or dictated to for me".


    He took a deep breathe and activated his thorn erection skill and detection skill.


    He changed his falling position from facing the sky to stretching out his hands and standing upright.


    He closed his eyes to ward off the fear of constantly falling and concentrates deeply.


    What he is trying to do, is connect two mountains together with his thorn erection skill.


    This was supposed to be an almost impossible feat for him to achieve.


    There is the distance limit ced on the skill due to its level still being low,


    There is also the distance separating the two volcanic mountains together.


    Neither of the volcanic mountains he ns on connecting together are within his range of sight, that is why he ns on using his detection as his sight.


    While the detection is better than his actual sight, it also has a fixed range due to its low level.


    Thest and toughest obstacle that made his thinking an impossible feat to achieve is his mana capacity.


    He had used two javelin crater skill which takes a lot of mana to activate and also used his thorn Maniption Skill and thorn erection skill multiple times.


    With his remaining mana Guage, he won''t be able to cover a five feet distance much less a distance he cannot see with his own eyes.


    If he somehow manages to by pass through this listed hurdles, there is onest hurdle that serves as an unbreakable iron wall to his thoughts.


    The temperature of his surroundings.


    He has witnessed first hand how easily his thorn burns before theva.


    trying to connect such thorn to a volcanic mountain that is presumably even hotter than theva is a stupid move even for him.


    He knew that, but he still wanted to try.


    He said he was going to give it his all, and his all includes trying out even the most impossible of stunts.


    Even while under the pressure of falling into theva.

 Chapter 53 Connecting Two Volcanic Mountains

    ?He takes a deep breathe and focuses more on his thorn erection skill activation.


    The thorn erection skill can only be activated on an inanimate object.


    It will not just appear from thin air, it has to have something to act as its third personmunicatingwork.


    That is why, what he ns on doing is use the detection skill to connect himself to the nearby volcanic mountains that are sideways and sprout out the thorns from each mountain, he will then trace the thorns down to where he is thereby connecting them.


    Although his thorns has shown to be weak to fire, but that isn''tpletely the case.


    His palm and feet are made of Thorn, yet they did not burn away when he was riding on the bird''s back.


    He contemted on what the reasons could be, and came to a conclusion that it is the difference in mana.


    When he produces out a Thorn from his body, he uses mana and once the Thornes out, it is no longer exposed to mana.


    His body however is always flowing with mana especially during the skill usage.


    Said mana must have been what is keeping his thorned palms and feets from burning off.


    What he needs to do, is continue supplying mana to the produced Thorn to keep it from burning away.


    Aa for the insufficient mana, he ns on using his mana gathering skill to absorb the surrounding mana and use it to empower himself.


    He takes one more deep breathe with his thorned hands still stretched sideways and activates his mana gathering skill.


    He inhales and exhales, inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale.


    He continued said actions for a few more times before drawing his attention to the effect of the mana gathering skill.


    It started with a circle slowly forming itself at the center of his chest,


    The circle keeps coiling around his chest and kept on expanding.


    The mana was now gathering within him and he could feel himself bing more mana full.


    While he was gathering the mana, he shared his other focus to finding a volcanic mountain on both sides and activating his thorn erection skill on it.


    "!!!".


    something went wrong he thought as his detection skill could no longer go further.


    It was as if there was an Invincible wall the detection could not breach through.


    He knew what the reason for this was, the detection skill had reached its limited range of effect.


    He had leveled it up quite a bit and had its maximum range between eighty seven kilometer to ny kilometer.


    Even with said distance covered, he has yet toe across a volcanic mountain.


    Should he give up now?..,


    No, that is no longer an option for him.


    All skills are run by mana, and their efficiency dependsrgely on how much mana one has.


    The detection skill is no different.


    The limitations of its range isrgely due to the low supply of mana it has, if so, all he has to do is supply more mana than needed.


    He reinforces the detection skill with more mana and focused on breaking through its limitation.


    He was too immersed in it to the point that he did not notice that his nose was starting to bleed out.


    He pushed in with even more mana, and the limitations of the detection started to crack.


    He continued and pushed himself even more and eventually, he seeded.


    [Ding].


    [user''s actions have been recorded].


    [you have managed to sessfully break through the shells of the skill detection].


    [Skill detection has evolved into Skill Perception].


    [Perception Lv1 > a skill that works with all sensory organs of the body, giving you a mental image of your surrounding terrain].


    [Range > dependsrgely on the amount of mana supplied].


    [Lv Advantage > the higher the skill, the more details can be covered in the depicted mental image].


    He ignored the massages popping up and focused more on finding the volcanic mountain.


    "cough, cough".


    He coughed out blood from his mouth, and felt his head going dizzy.


    [Ding].<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Pain Tolerance Lv5 has leveled up to Pain Tolerance Lv6].


    [Pain Tolerance Lv6 has leveled up to Pain Tolerance Lv7].


    [Pain Tolerance Lv7 has leveled up to Pain Tolerance Pv8].


    He had to stop and check what was wrong with his body.


    He noticed that his body was already reaching its limit.


    A crack was forming up in his hand and blood was dripping out from said crack.


    His chest were the mana was being gathered into was bing hotter with every passing moment.


    He held unto his chest that was now starting to be heavier.


    He could not keep the mana gathering skill in motion and it halted.


    His eyes starting to cry out blood instead of water.


    He no longer had any sort of control over his body as his arms fell down of their own will and his eyes closing of their own will.


    The cracks that had formed in his hand, extended to other parts of his body with blood flowing out of it all.


    Even with his pain tolerance skill leveling up several times, the effect it had on him was not enough to tell that it was working.


    He wondered what it would have felt like if he did not have the pain tolerance skill?.


    "This time, it truly is the end for me".


    He thought as he felt even his consciousness fading away.


    "at least this time, I can say for sure that I gave it my all".


    "....."


    No, not yet.


    As long as he still retains even a pinch of consciousness, he has to continue fighting.


    That is the only path he can and will take.


    There is no time for making pointlessints.


    Theva is still a bit off from him, what he needs to do now is to at least grab hold of his consciousness.


    No way in hell can he lose his life at this crucial moment.


    He breathes in heavily and reactivated the skills he was working with before.


    With his vision gone, he relied on his perception skill the upgraded version of his detection.


    When the skill was activated, it gave him something akin to virtual disy in his thoughts.


    His eyes was sealed shut and couldn''t see with them, but it felt like he really could see with the perception.


    There was no time to bask in the joy of acquiring an upgraded skill because he is still falling and his body still getting even more worn out.


    With the perception skill, he tries to locate the mountains and this time, he picked up the pace even more because he was soon to fall into theva.


    He knew already that it was an hopeless fight.


    If by chance he finds the two mountains,


    The time needed to connect the mountains together with his thorn is one thing,


    Not knowing if the thorn will hold against the fire even after reinforcing it with more mana is another thing.


    He knew all this, but still decided to fight on because he never wants to bebeled a Loser.


    Doing nothing and relying only on luck is the traits of a loser.


    He was once a loser in his past life, but this life is different.


    In this life, he fought to hisst breathe,


    He fought till his body could no longer keep up with his determination.


    He gave it his all and that alone made him proud.


    With confidence and vigority, he stares at theva face on.


    e have at me".


    [Ding].

 Chapter 54 Going Through The Passage

    ?[Ding].


    [Your determination has been acknowledged].


    [Your cries answered].


    [You have been deemed worthy enough as a possible choice of sessor by the spirit of the guardian].


    [You, have been chosen].


    It wasn''t a message but a voice that rang in his head.


    He could not discern fully what the voice was saying as his consciousness was too far gone.


    He could only feel himself sinking in theva and yet he is not burning nor feeling the heat.


    His body sinking rapidly into the never endingva,


    A bright light shined below his body and consumed him whole.


    ***


    "gaspppp...."


    "I...., I am alive....."


    "I did not die".


    "i made it".


    He did not know how, but he knew he had survived falling into theva.


    A miracle is what he thought of it as, even though he did not want to.


    However, there was no other exnation for this.


    He got up and started inspecting his body to see how far the crack in his body had gone.


    He was caught with surprise at what he saw.


    His body has been restored back to normal.


    Not only is the crack gone, but even the hands and feet that had been reced with thorns have also healed back to being limbs.


    His body, was now in itsplete form.


    "how?...."


    He was bewildered at this oue,


    Not only did he survive falling thousands of feet and directly into an ocean ofva, his body that was on the verge of breaking down now restored back to normal.


    He had thought of himself as being immune to any surprises after being transmigrated into another world, but this incident has rescinded his way of thinking.


    It almost felt like he had a guardian angel protecting him from severe harm.


    "guardian angel?, if such a thing truly existed then I wouldn''t be where I am today".


    "I do wonder though?, where am I?".


    A narrow alley with torches lit on woods and attached to the wall lighting up the way.


    He turned his back and he saw that it was a dead end.


    "an invitation it seems".


    He activates his Meta Strength skill and his Perception skill before making his way through the lit narrow alley.


    Going step by step while essing the surroundings for any unknown danger lurking within.


    The alley is a long way in more like a tunnel, even with his perception skill disying it like a map in his head, he is yet to see an exit out of it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He stopped walking and adjusted his body in abat position.


    While he was walking along, the perception skill picked up an anomaly.


    The floor in front of him is not corrting with the floor of the map disyed on his head with the perception skill.


    He checked the virtual map once again to verify that he had not made a mistake on the location, and surely enough he did not.


    Going by the map, there was supposed to be a pitfall in his front, reality however dipicts a very normal floor.


    He wasn''t going to buy into that.


    He activates his thorn Maniption Skill and makes a thorn ten inches long.


    He bends his body down and held unto the tip of the thorn and uses the lower part to hit the floor.


    Nothing happened.


    He hits it harder and still nothing happened.


    He lets go of the thorn and ced his hand on the floor.


    He activates his thorn erection skill on the floor and continued tracing it forward.


    It did not take long for there to be a response as the floor that had been hit with the thorn started falling apart and sinking all the way to where the trap ended.


    Having seen that it truly was a trap and the range the trap itself covered, he could now think of ways to get across it.


    He gets up and stretches his hand forward.


    With his perception skill activated, he connects his consciousness to the other side of the pitfall floor and activates his thorn erection skill.


    This is a trick he had try to use in saving himself from falling into theva earlier but did not seed due to the object of connection being too far apart and his body in decline.


    This time, he tried it again with a distance he could see with his eyes and feel with his perception skill.


    He imagines a single but thick thorn growing on the other side of the pitfall and stretching all the way to where he is like a tree branch.


    "yes it worked".


    This was originally not a reason enough for him to get excited about because he had done multiple stunts with the thorn erection skill.


    A good example is the rapid regeneration of the thorns when he was up against the champion.


    That was a stunt he never thought he could pull off,


    it looked easy and doable on the outside, but only he knew how hard it was controlling multiple thorns at once and in a corresponding manner no less.


    He had to do with one brain what would require more than four to five brains to carry out.


    That was probably why his body started deteriorating when he wanted to connect mountains together with his thorns.


    His brain was tasked with multiplebor in one go, keeping his skill activated, gathering mana, searching for mountains to connect with, and enduring the heat.


    When he once again thought of all this, he realized how dangerous of a stunt he had tried to pull was.


    If only he had more than one brain, that would make things far easier for him to aplish.


    But he has no such skills, that is why he decided to take it slow and steady while slowly adapting to it.


    What he did now was him taking it slow.


    He tried on long distance with multiple skills active and did not seed, then tried on short distance with two skills in use and seeded.


    This for him, is a slight but surely an act of improvement on his part.


    He grabs unto the thorn that had reached him, hanged unto it, and started pushing himself forward with it.

 Chapter 55 Sound Of A Monster

    ?After having escaped the pitfall, he was met with many other traps along the way.


    There was a trap where daggers wereing out of the walls from each sides,


    ? A trap where the wall started pressing against each other giving him just seconds to run past it before he gets sandwiched between the walls.


    There was another trap with characteristics simr to a puzzle, he steps on the wrong tile and falls into a pit, step on the right tile and nothing happens.


    All sorts of traps he encountered with on his way, but none have proved too difficult for him to ovee, except for the one he is currently faced with.


    Just like when he first entered the gate leading to the sessor world, a world where volcanic mountains constantly erupting, and the ocean ofva bubbling up was the norms,


    He was now in an enclosed ce filled only withva spread all the way to where his sight could not see.


    The only way out is to go across it, but even that is without its own risk.


    Because the ceiling is not that high, there is a chance that theva might bubble up gas reaching the ceiling.


    For now the gases being released are only getting to half the ceiling, knowing his luck however, he did not put it past the gas to reach the ceiling if he starts climbing.


    Whatever the case may be, he still has no other choice but to go through the ceiling if he wants to get past it.


    "skill, thorn erection".


    He sprouted the thorn from atop the ceiling.


    To prevent the thorn from burning away upon activation, he reinforced it with enough mana, enough for it to withstand the heat.


    Seeing that the thorn is strong enough to withstand the heat, he activates his Meta Strength skill, jumps up and grab unto the thorn.


    He sprouts out another thorn in his front, swings himself on the thorn he is hanging unto and jumps over to the thorn in front of him.


    He repeated his actions of sprouting out thorn, grabbing onto it, swinging himself to the next thorn and sprouting out another Thorn in the front.


    It is a slow but sure to get him to the other side safe process.


    "growrrrrr...."


    He heard a growling sounding from inside theva below him and bent his head down but saw that there was nothing.


    "growrrrrr..."


    "this is?"


    He noticed that the sound was indeeding from inside theva.


    His perception skill had not picked up on any sort of anomaly in the surrounding, yet there is something below making such sound.


    He was more alert and vignt than ever.


    Something that his perception close to a well detailed map could not pick up on, clearly it must be something dangerous and powerful enough to have avoided being seen by the perception skill.


    The safest way to handle this is to continue on his journey quietly.


    He has no specific description of what lies below, it qualities and properties.


    Initiating a battle against it will be him going to blindbat, taking such a risk is not worth it.


    But then again, he has no knowledge of the destination he is currently heading to either.


    All he knows is that he desires power, and he had a feeling that what lies ahead of this can grant him his wish.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even though he isn''tfortable with taking power from others, he knows he has no choice but to do so if he wants to live, that is all.


    What kind of monsters are there?, what other quests awaits him there?, how powerful will he be once he gets there?.


    He knows nothing about it.


    He is embarking on a blind journey, yet he tries to make excuses on not wanting to fight a blind battle?.


    Has he not changed?, did he not promise himself he was going to change?, did he not tell himself he was going to do whatever it takes to survive?.


    In a fight for survival, there is no next time orter, there is only now or never.


    With his right hand upied with hanging on the thorn in the ceiling, he stretched out his left thorn and aimed it below.


    He activated his thorn Maniption Skill and started shooting out thorn from his palm and into theva.


    Theva started rumbling, followed by waves upon waves falling on each other.


    Amidst the wave, he noticed a figure shaped almost like an humanoid hand with long nails pop out from theva.


    Although the hand was humanoid, the size wasn''t.


    He sprouted out thorns from all sides in the ceiling so he can make his escape to whichever is favorable whenever it is needed.


    The hand that was raise up, pped theva causing it to ssh away.


    The Goblin quickly changed position as he jumped on another thorn to avoid getting sshed on.


    "!!!"


    He observed something strange was happening inside of theva.


    Theva below him was moving by itself and molding in a constructive manner.


    Wrapping itselfyers uponyers and stitching itself inside and out.


    The Goblin who had already retreated backwards watched from afar as theva continued to forge itself into an appearance he could not make out.


    It kept on stitching itself, and it''s image bing clearer and clearer with every inside and out process.


    "mon..., monster...."


    The Goblin was shocked beyond belief.


    What he is looking at is unlike anything he had ever seen ore across ever before.


    This was a being embodying the very definition of dangerous.


    His whole instincts screamed out to him to make a run for it but he couldn''t do that.


    His legs frozen with fear, and his face captivated with despair.


    He knew there was no escaping for him even if he wanted to.


    He had lost all choices of running away the moment he made up his mind to aim the thorn into theva.


    This is a situation brought about by his actions and its only right that he bear responsibility for it.

 Chapter 56 Like A Puzzle

    ?A four legged colossal monster tall enough to have its head almost hitting the ceiling while it''s body is still dipped inva.


    All It''s set of what can only be described as teeths protruding outside of its mouth together with its tongue stretching all the way to its lower chin.


    Ferocious eyes emitting an Aura of fear and dominion, it''s muscle fibre like skin coveredpletely inva and some drenching off of it.


    It stood on its four legs, two at the back and two at the front with it''s long tail situated at its back pping theva and trashing it.


    "roarrr...."


    The monster opened its mouth and roared wildly.


    Its roar alone was enough to have the whole room tremble and the oceanva he was in disperse.


    Like water poured in a bowl, and having something heavy thrown inside the bowl.


    The way the waters will stter away is exactly what just happened, except this wasn''t a water in a bowl but ava stretching like a river.


    "ha, ha, hahahahahaha......."


    The Goblin still hanging on the ceiling with the thorn witnessed this and burst into an uncontrobleughter.


    "this, this is madness",


    "this is impossible".


    "no, no, no, no. This is beyond me",


    "this is beyond what I can do",


    "there is no way I can fight this".


    "i have unknowingly awakened an horror".


    The Goblin scrambles his head for techniques and moves that can help him against the monster before him, but he could find none.


    The techniques he thought of were techniques withplicated moves for even him to recreate.


    To make matters worse, his only offensive skills are thorn rted skill, one activates on inanimate object while the other only activates on himself.


    He also has the javelin crater explosion with a disadvantage of being too tasky on his body when used for too long.


    Continuous use can lead to his body breaking down like before.


    Same applies to his mana gathering skill.


    One of the reasons why his body broke down faster was partially because he was absorbing mana that is too strong for his body to absorb.


    Evidence of his im is how his body had cracked like some parts were being burnt.


    "haaaa...."


    "hahaha haha"


    "fate, has really been cruel towards me".


    "guess I am going to have to go freestyle and make do with what I can".


    Having steeled his resolve to not make it out of here alive, he activated all his avable skill.


    Despite knowing the side effects that wille from using all the skills at once, he still went ahead with it.


    There was no other choice left for him.


    This was not a fight he can afford beingcent or half hearted on.


    He either has to give it his one hundred percent if he wants to live long enough to entertain the monster before him or just submit himself to the monster before it even starts.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Submitting, is no longer a vocabry in his dictionary.


    "not a bad idea dying to a monster as strong and monstrous as you".


    He activated his thorn Maniption Skill and sprouted out the thorn from his feet,


    While still hanging onto the thorn, he bent his lower body up with his leg facing the ceiling.


    The Goblin sticks the thorn in his feet into the ceiling wall to enable him to stand.


    Now, he was now standing upside down with his legs stuck to the wall and his head facing downwards.


    He began his first attack with multiple thorns fired consecutively at the monster.


    It did nothing as the thorns rained down on it and bounced off of its body.


    "i knew this wasn''t going to be easy, but it''s even more demoralizing to see it tank my thorns like it was nothing".


    The monster retaliated by sending its tail towards the Goblin who ran away from his spot to avoid being crushed.


    After changing his location, he fired off multiple thorns once more, this time more reinforced than the thorns he used for his foothold.


    The thorns once again bounced off of its thick body.


    He continued attacking, with every thorn being more reinforced with every attack.


    He had expected something like this to happen, yet he had no other choice but to use this method.


    Limited long range skills has led him to relying heavily on thorn erection skill.


    Going for a closebat attack is a risky move to make because he has to make contact with the body dripping ofva,


    That is why he made that hisst resort of attack if need be.


    The monster raised one of its front leg up and swung it at the Goblin.


    Despite its size, the movement of the handing at the Goblin was faster than he thought, even faster than its tail attack.


    The Goblin hurriedly detached his leg from the ceiling, sprouted out a thorn in a distanced ceiling and jumps over there with his hand hanging onto it.


    With his left hand upied with holding unto the thorn, he uses his other hand to cast his javelin crater explosion and hurls it at the monster.


    "what the....."


    The Goblin was taken aback to see even his most prized long distance attack bounce off its skin like it was nothing.


    "I am in for one hell of a ride it seems".


    He goes back to his stance of his feet touching the ceiling and his head facing down.


    with his thorn erection skill, he focuses the thorn on the wall above the monster filling it with sprouted out thorns in circle.


    He makes the thorns bigger and bigger.


    The walls started showing signs of cracking which is what he was aiming for.


    When he deemed it fit that it was enough, he stopped expanding the thorns size and aimed it at the monster.


    As expected, the thorns bounced off its body but he had expected that.


    What he was after is the crack in the wall made from expanding the thorns.


    It''s like a puzzle, remove the oneponent keeping the puzzle together and it alles crashing down.


    Just like how the walls in the ceiling started crashing down on the monster.

 Chapter 57 Thinking Outside The Box

    ?With its big body, it was not able to evade the copse of the ceiling and could only watch as it rained on it.


    The Goblin decided to use the falling rocks as a camouge against the monster and using it to get him closer to it.


    The Goblin used the falling walls in form of small rock particles as a foothold as he jumps on it.


    He jumped down on the next rock, following the rocks until he got to the one closest to the monster''s body.


    He had to wait till the rock he was standing on got to the side of the monster where its eyes was located.


    Getting there, the Goblin sprouted out thorns from his palm and aimed it at the monster''s eye.


    The eyes is one of the most vulnerable part of the body, if it''s other parts is tough, what about its eye?.


    He extended the length of the thorn still attached to his palm towards its eyes and took a shot at it.


    "rargrhgrhrrraa"


    the monster roared in pain at the thorn imbedded in its eyes.


    It took a step and iled its body around, with theva sshing all over.


    He did not stop there as he prepared his javelin crater explosion and hurls it at the monster''s eye.


    When he was done, he retreated back to the ceiling where he knew he would feel safer at.


    From there he watched as the monster continue to express its pain by trashing all over the ce.


    A little while after it''s struggle, the monster''s eye had gotten better and now resumed it''s assault on the Goblin.


    "not only does it have an abnormal speed, it also has an ability that allows it to recover faster from any damage taken?"


    ''it is basically a walking cheat character at this point''.


    ''this is bad''.


    He thought as he watched the monster preparing to make its next attack.


    He had pretty much exhausted all thebat ideas he had on the monster, yet it did no permanent damage.


    It''s high time he started thinking out of the box and expanding his train of thoughts.


    ''think outside of the box, think outside of the box''.


    What tactics is there that he hasn''t used against this monster?.


    What sorts of stunt can he pull out next with the skills he has?.


    Long distance tactics will be more advantageous against this monster, but even his thorn skill which happens to be his only long distance range skill does nothing to its body.


    The same goes for the javelin crater explosion.


    It''s eyes is the only body part that is vulnerable, the only problem is getting close enough to it.


    He had done so earlier by using the falling debris to sneak up on it,


    Now, the monster is raging around too ferociously making it hard for him to use such method again.


    To go for its eyes again, he would need a skill that will allow him to aim urately from a long distance while being aware of his own surroundings.


    He has no such skill so therefore, it is impossible for him to ach!!!.


    ''wait a minute.....'',


    ''i don''t have a skill that gives me an urate aim, but I do have an awareness skill that let''s me see through my surroundings like a mirror''.


    He jumped away and avoided the monster''s palm that was about to crush him.


    While evading the monster, he was also calcting his new profound reasoning to know if it will be of help to him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He already has an awareness skill, all that is needed is a skill with an urate aim.


    ''what better way to get an urate aim than using a bow''.


    He thought.


    With the bow, he can pull on the strings and set his aim correctly, and as for how to get a bow?, he can just make one.


    Making a bow shouldn''t be too hard with his thorn erection skill.


    As for the design of the bow, he can ask known knowledge to go through his memory of the bows he has seen in his past life, and design it based on the concept.


    First, to confirm that known knowledge can do it before jumping to conclusions.


    ''Known Knowledge, can you go through my memories and design a bow for me based on the concept you see''


    [....].


    [yes, but to do that, I will have to take control of your hand for the bow crafting].


    ''holy shit you can control my hand''.


    [yes].


    ''how, how will you do that''.


    [with your permission, I will transfer myself as a skill to your hands].


    ''wait, you will transfer yourself as a skill?, like, how does that work exactly''.


    [it works exactly as I have said].


    ''and I am asking how''.


    [like I have said, I will transfer myself as a skill to your hands].


    ''yeah I get that, what I am saying is how. Like when you ask a person, how do you ride a bicycle''.


    ''the answer is, I get on the bike, ce my legs on the pedal and start rolling. Something like that right''.


    ''I want a concrete exnation of how you do it, and don''t just tell me you do it''.


    ''I have given you the detailed exnation. I will transfer myself as a skill to your hands''.


    ''...''


    ''and I am supposed to understand that because I am a fucking robot running on a ten thousand terabyte space with a speed of light calction process?''.


    ''i am the dumb one for asking. Just get on with it''.


    [if Imence now, owner will be unable to make use of his hands during the process].


    [do I still have permission tomence].


    ''sure, go ahae..., wait, will I still be able to move like I am doing now'',


    ''I need to be able to evade the monster''s attack if I want to live to use the bow you are going to make''.


    [yes, control of the body will still be possible].


    ''alright then, go ahead''.


    [asmanded].


    [memory refreshing will begin, hand take overmencing].

 Chapter 58 Owning A Weapon

    ?The Goblin kept jumping side to side, evading the monster''s attack.


    All the while, the known-knowledge skill was at work with creating the bow its owner had told it to.


    It started with going through its owner''s past life memories of bows,


    In its owner''s memory, it saw his owner in a one tiny room fit enough for a five point six,ying on a tattered bed and holding a rectangle shaped object.


    Its owner was scrolling through the rectangle shape showing all sorts of pictures.


    Amongst the pictures was one of a bow he had been looking for.


    He saw another memory of its owner but this time, it''s owner was very much smaller, sitting on a leather ded object and staring at arger rectangr shaped object also showing all sorts of images.


    In there, known knowledge saw another disy of a bow.


    It went through the memories looking for a bow shape best suited for its owner.


    After it was done deciding on which design it was going to use for the bow,


    It sprouted out thorn from the palm he had taken control over and started to craft the thorn into the shape he wanted.


    The Goblin was feeling frustrated with no longer having control over his own hands.


    It felt to him like the nerves connecting the muscles in his hands to his brain had been disconnected.


    Motions were no longer possible with his hands, like he no longer had any to begin with.


    As he kept on dodging and evading the monster''s attack, he saw plenty of opportunities for him to counter attack.


    ''not like counterattacking would do it any damage'',


    still, he felt it better if he had his hands and could move them with his will.


    He wanted to watch the crafting process of his bow but could not because he was preupied with evading the monster''s tail and hand attacks being thrown at him.


    [owner, it is done].


    Known knowledge called out to its owner who was too distracted to have noticed the finishing of the bow in his hand.


    ''ho finally, can I have my hands back now''


    [yes owner].


    It reversed its control over its owner''s hand.


    [master, if I might ask, with what do you intend to attach the bow to].


    While still dodging, the Goblin had an expression of surprise on his face at the question asked by known knowledge.


    ''this is surprising''


    [what is owner].


    ''you talking to me without me initiating the first sentence, I thought you were only question and answer kind of skill and not the other way around''.


    [.....].


    [I am now able to ask a question due to the level up of my constitution].


    ''yet you haven''t asked me any questions or came up with better strategies to set me free from the Goblins back when I was captured''.


    [....].


    ''no reply uhhh?, I thought so''.


    ''as for your question of what I am going to fire with the bow, I intend to use the mana materialization skill''.


    ''you know for a skill whose name is known knowledge, you are supposed to have known this already''.


    ''I am starting to doubt your authenticity as knowledge based skill''.


    [I only know what the owner knows. I have no interaction with the owners personal thought process unless given permission].


    ''is that so?, well, try to prove yourself more useful going forward if you want me to keep relying on you''.


    ''known knowledge will take the owner''s word to mind''.


    ''sure you will''.


    ''sorry for not giving you a hundred percent of my attention monster, you have it now''.


    [Ding].


    [user''s actions have been recorded].


    [A new skill have Awakened].


    [...]


    [A unique Skill have been generated].


    [Skill > Thorn Crafting].


    [Skill type > unique].


    [unique > a skill exclusive only to the user].


    [Thorn Crafting > the user can change the form of the thorn sprouted to whatever shape he sees fit. The more mana supplied, the more sophisticated the shape can be].


    ''wow, I have a new skill, and it is a unique one, cool''<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''not that I actually know what that means, but going by the natural logic anything unique is a good thing. I think....''


    ''perhaps, all isn''t lost just yet''.


    The Goblin looked at the bow in his hands and admired known-knowledge''s artisary crafting on it.


    Having a deep brown color as the thorn it was made from,


    The bow string made from thorn that has been slimmed to its tiniest form.


    ''this is a masterpiece''.


    ''you have really outdone yourself now known knowledge, good job''.


    [thank you owner].


    He pulled the string, and with his mana materialization skill, he formed an arrow with it.


    An arrow made frompressing mana into a shape, he released the string and fired it off at the monster.


    The arrow just like all other attacks bounced off of the monster''s skin.


    He wasn''t taken aback by the oue as his purpose for firing it was only to test the bows aim and efficiency.


    Surely, he was satisfied with what he has gotten.


    ''big monster, let''s dance''.


    ''known knowledge, you wouldn''t happen to be able to y a music off of my memories now would you''.


    ''owner...''


    Known knowledge answered with a cold and disappointed voice.


    ''a simple no would have been sufficient enough''.


    The Goblin stopped evading and prepared himself to start making his counterattack.


    He pulled the strings and fired off three shots aimed at the monster''s left eye.


    Knowing it''s face is vulnerable to the arrow, the monster swung its tail to the front and bashed the arrows with it.


    Immediately the Goblin shot the arrow, he had swiftly switched his location by swinging around with the thorns connected to the ceiling.


    He moved himself over to the second eye of the monster and shot another three arrow at it.


    He continued with the same tactics until he noticed a crack had started to form in his arm.


    ''crap''.


    The after effect of overtasking his body is starting to catch up to him.


    He knows he has to end this fast else he might copse.


    Relying on a miracle he has no knowledge of isn''t on his to do list.


    Trying to end this earlier because of the side effects, he decided to give his newly acquired skill a try to see what its worth.


    ''skill activation, thorn crafting''.


    Drawing the image of what he wants the thorn to be like in his mind, the thorn came out from the ceiling wall and started crafting itself without help from the Goblin.


    The Goblin''s image is all it needed to begin its construction.


    "urghugh...."


    Even though he wasn''t doing anything but evading the monster''s attack,


    The mana used in constructing the image is being drawn from him,


    the caliber of image he had projected in his mind needed a lot of mana to turn it physical.


    expending the mana at a ridiculous rate and absorbing the surrounding mana wore his body down even faster.


    The construction almostplete, with the shape now distinguishable.


    What he had imagined, was a see through cage big enough to epass the monster in front of him.


    "thud".


    With the constructionpleted, the Goblin distracted the monster so the massive cage could fall on it without being torn to shreds before getting to it.


    The lower part of the cage burned off when it entered theva while the upper part was still intact.


    The Goblin not assured that the cage was going to hold it down for long, activated his thorn erection skill as fast he could.


    He sprouted out the thorn from all angles of the cage.


    The thorns broke upon touching the monster''s body, while the thorns aimed at its eyes pierced through it.


    The Goblin did not stop as it made the thorns imbedded in its eyes even longer and longer and longer.


    when it felt the thorns were deep in enough, he created multiple branches on the thorns that was inside of the monster''s eyes.


    "if it''s outer defense is too tough, then I just have to attack it from the inside".


    [Ding].

 Chapter 59 Evolution Once More

    ?"i did it".


    "I finally did it".


    He thrust his hand up in the air in excitement as he continued screaming.


    "I finally did it".


    Following his escape from the Goblins, he  had felt himself diminished.


    The courageous side of him to see the end of a monster he has marked as his prey gone.


    his once cheerful mood turned sorrowful, but now, he has finally in a strong monster and regained his character.


    Killing this monster is a akin to him redeeming his lost enthusiasm,


    Assuring himself that he is not entirely useless.


    Sure he might be among the small fish in the ocean, but there are always even smaller fish.


    If there is an up, there surely will be a down.


    "not like this monster is one of the down".


    ''if it wasn''t for the new skill I gained, off with my head it is''.


    ''that''s right bitch, this Goblin is back in business''.


    ''well there is a possibility it might be a male sooo....''


    ''that''s right you male sh female bitch monster''.


    ''you think you can best me, well guess what I ain''t just going to give in to you''.


    ''Phew, that sure was tough, and honestly speaking, I wouldn''t want to fight it a second time''.


    ''the pressure thates with fighting against a monster of this nature is no joke at all''.


    [Ding]


    [you have sessfully killed a Lv33 fire lizard]


    [twelve thousand experience points gained]


    ''the hell, that thing was a lizard?''.


    ''no, no, no. I shouldn''t be too surprised by the absurdity of this ce''.


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]


    [you have leveled up]!!!!!!!


    [experience threshold has been met]


    [evolution will now ur].


    ''oh crap, not here''.


    ''evolving means  I go into a forced sleep state'',


    ''if I fall asleep now, I will fall directly into theva below''.


    ''skill activation, thorn erection''.


    The thorn that sprouted from the ceiling coiled itself on his body,pletely entangled in it.


    ''great, now I won''t be able to fall down with the thorn grabbing unto meeee....''


    ***


    "gaspppp....."


    "that was a long forced nap".


    "Status"


    ¡ñName : ?


    ¡ñRace : Elder Goblin


    ¡ñJob : Thorn Conjurer


    ¡ñLevel : 1


    ¡ñHp : 16,500


    ¡ñMp : 16,500


    ¡ñSp : 16,500


    [All Skill Disy].


    [Unique Skill > Thorn crafting].


    [Dust Maniption Lv, Thorn Maniption Lv9, Meta Strength Lv9, Cannibalism Lv6, Known Knowledge Lv7, Mana Materialization Lv7, Mana Gathering Core Lv5, Perception Lv1, Pain Tolerance Lv8, Poison Tolerance Lv1, Thorn Erector Lv7, Fire resistance Lv8,].


    ''hmm....''


    ''is it just me or is my stat calction all wrong?''.


    ''I noticed it after I evolved into an adult Goblin'',


    ''my stats then was supposed to be one thousand four hundred each, plus the bonus hundred points for each stats, but then I got four thousand one hundred for each stats'',<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''known knowledge, exin''.


    [....]


    [the stats distribution setting rewards the owner with a X4 for each stats after surviving through the Goblin Teen rank].


    ''yeah I can see that. What I am asking is why?''.


    ''why does it reward me with a X4 only after my evolution from a Goblin Teen?, why can''t it just give me a times four from the very beginning instead of getting me confused with a sudden X4''.


    [....]


    [obviously, it would have been done that way if it was meant to be].


    ''are you trying to tell me I am asking an irrelevant and stupid question''.


    [no owner, that is not what I said].


    ''ho, so now you are telling me I am too dumb to interpret your words in the right way''.


    [...]


    ''what sort of insult are you going to throw at me next uhuh''.


    [...]


    ''so you are ghosting me now is that it?....''


    [....]


    ''the nerve you have got, ghosting your very owner''


    [owner!]


    known knowledge called out with an abrasive tone undeserving for a skill.


    ''now you are even shouting at me uhu?, what next, you are going to curse at me''.


    [owner.....]


    Now with a calming tone.


    [owner, I am skill belonging to you, only with your permission can I do anything].


    [without your say so, I am nothing but an empty tusk of shell].


    [if you want me to talk, all you have do is give themand]


    [if you want me to forever stay quiet, all you have to do is give themand].


    [which is it].


    ''I want you to answer me with a straight forward question to whatever I ask, not a roundabout one''.


    [as the ownermands, so shall I do]


    ''d to know. Now, the stats difference''


    [the stats difference is brought about by the need for a physical difference between a goblin who is just in the early phase of the Goblin cycle and a goblin who has passed the early phase to the middle phase].


    [using your past life as an exnatory term],


    [when you are born, you are born weak. But as you grow, you grow stronger].


    [during the growth process, there is a moment where your growth rate is constant and unchanging],


    [that process is the transition of the toddler to childhood following teenhood].


    [at a certain point however, there will be a distinct rise in your growth rate, both in physical terms and mental terms].


    [that rise is what you refer to as adulthood].


    [although for the mental terms, there are records that shows that majority remain unchanged from the mentality they have of when they are in their childhood to their transition into adulthood].


    [the same process is what happened to you as a goblin].


    [following your journey as a goblin Cub to a goblin Teen, there is no massive difference strength wise and mental wise].


    [it is only after your evolution into an adult Goblin will the difference show, both in body and over all stats difference].


    ''hmmm...''


    ''I think I get it now'',


    ''but I still think the stat difference is still too massive''.


    ''not that I amining or anything''..


    ''without it, my life would have been over''.


    ''thank you overwhelming age difference for being so obviously reflective in this world''.


    ''now I only wish I can take a look at how different my body ispared to when I was an adult''.


    ''beard''


    he raises his hand and brushed his chin with it


    ''ho thank God I don''t have a beard''.


    ''the elder stuff confused me there for a second''.


    ''Time to get out of here and continue on my journey''.

 Chapter 60 Confidence

    ?finishing all I had to do, I made my way out of hanging on the ceiling staring ava face down.


    Using my newly gotten unique skill Thorn crafting to craft adder I could swing myself on and get out of there.


    There were mixed feelings on leaving behind the precious lizard meat I went through hell to put down.


    The only problem is, it''s body is inside theva.


    I had no way of dragging it out of there because my skills don''t work very well withva.


    Sure they do work outside of theva after getting a massive overdose of mana,


    But inside theva, I haven''t tested how much mana overdose will be needed to maintain the skill.


    Frankly speaking, I don''t even want to know.


    Attacking my opponents from the ceiling is one of the best decisions I have evere up with.


    Gives me distance advantage,


    plus with my weapon being a bow, It will be pretty stupid of me to engage in a closebat unless forced to.


    Though I say that, I am well aware that I have to be prepared for basically anything.


    This tomb, no the entire floors including where I was born, the Goblins dungeon, and this tomb,


    Everything is a living hunk of surprise package.


    Popping up like, hey guess what, I got a monster who will take your hand in exchange for the sweet tender monster meat.


    "...."


    That face, is the exact same as the one I made.


    Definitely not interested.


    I finally got to where theva ends, and could see thend below,


    I came down from the ceiling andnded on the tnd.


    how I so missed being a normal Goblin walking onnd than crawling on ceiling atop an hot mingva like a spider.


    Hope I never experience this again.


    Having gotten out of the river ofva, the first thing I did was to check my body out.


    I had evolved into an elder Goblin and did not have the leverage of seeing how far my body had advanced.


    I felt my hand had gotten bigger while I was climbing thedder, and I was right.


    My hand wasn''t the only one, my whole body itself had gotten even bigger than being an adult Goblin, it''s like taking two adult Goblin together andbining it into one.


    That is how big my body is now, though it still doesn''tpare to the body of the Goblin general''s I saw or even the king.


    If I were to find a good match for it, would pale it inparison to the Goblin champion I fought with.


    There is also my abs that makes me appear as a professional weight lifter, I so love it.


    Done admiring my new beautiful but deadly body, I continued on my journey in the passage alley lit up.


    At the end of this passage way,


    I get the feeling that whatever monster I am going to be meeting with, will be an intelligent one.


    Reasons being the lit torches hanging on the walls and arranged in an orderly manner,


    Guiding the way for me.


    Only an intelligent monster or person is capable of doing something like this.


    "sighhh..."


    This is really worrying.


    I am confident?...


    That came out wrong.


    The right word is, I am half confident in being able to go up against non intellectual monsters because, they are non intellectual.


    in battle, I have noticed that what most of them do is react aggressively, and throw around their most dangerous attack at me.


    The same goes for that fire lizard,<novelnext></novelnext>


    If I was the one blessed with its body structure, I will make certain to cover my one weakness I know can bring about my doom.


    The fire lizard however, has no intelligence to think up to that point.


    What interest it, I presume is killing, and even more killing.


    It''s weakness, it leaves it open and only make attempt to cover it when it saw me trying to attack there.


    that is why I had to use the cage to first trap its movement,


    thornsing out from all parts of the cage to misguide its instincts into thinking all parts of its body was in danger,


    the final touch, stabbing a thorn through its eyes and embedding it in, before sprouting thorn branches from the thorn embedded inside of its eyes to take away its fast regeneration and destroy it from the inside out.


    I was able to do all this because I was intelligent enough to have thought of it.


    The fire lizard however, had no intelligence to think that far ahead.


    In a way, I can say the biggest advantage I have over all the monsters I havee across, is being intellectual.


    The result of what will happen if I were to evere across another intelligent monster can be seen during my encounter with the Goblins.


    I am powerless against other intellectual monsters.


    The only saving grace I can have is if my stats are above their''s, then I can be confident in the encounter.


    As for the one that lies ahead at the end of this passage, I am pretty sure they will be levels beyond me.


    But wait...,


    The quest only said to find the temple of sessor located in the fire guardian tomb,


    It never said anything about finding a person, but a temple.


    if the quest is exactly as it says, it would mean that there is no one waiting ahead.


    Then again, it never said anything about me encountering monsters on my way there, yet I havee across monsters I almost lost my life to.


    It''s in obvious that the quest did not dive into details and only gave me the important information neglecting the rest.


    There is also a problem of, if I am really going in the right direction, or if I am just trending on vanity.


    "argrgh...."


    This is all just so frustrating.


    Granted I know nothing about the terrain, but to have still followed the route without considering the possibility of it being a trap.


    How could i have been so foolish.


    This isn''t just me going in blind,


    This is me going in blind and brain dead.


    just when did I start cing so much of my trust in something that I cannot see?.


    No, that isn''t it.


    From the get go, I had resolved myself to bear whatever oue I get after going through the gate.


    This is a gamble,


    A gamble I made after weighing the odds.


    If I had not entered the gate, sooner orter I would have been found by the Goblins.


    I thought of going to miss dragon for safety, but that would just make me even more pathetic.


    I refused to stay with her because I did not want to rely on her,


    Going back to her just so I can rely on her.....


    "yeah, definitely not happening".


    The gate was myst resort, and I grabbed it with the intention of losing my life.


    So yeah, trap or no trap,


    I have to see it through till the end.

 Chapter 61 Succession Or Death

    ?I continued to follow the passage and walked, walked, walked.


    If I were to use the numbers on earth to determine how far I have walked,


    I would say five to six days straight.


    No food, no water, and just an endless continuous walking.


    I give kudos to my body for having endured so much and yet still standing and getting me even stronger, It''s not easy at all.


    When I finally came to, I found myself in the presence of a door.


    A door the size of a fully grown man, colored bright red.


    just in case, i activated my perception skill to see if I can get any sorts of feeling from behind the door.


    I felt nothinging off of the door or behind it.


    Hmmm...,


    I am conflicted.


    I am here now and I feel so scared.


    A part of me wants to turn back and just ignore this door.


    This is a door I know nothing about.


    I do desire power, and I did came here of my own free will.


    the problem is, behind this door is a fate I will have no control over.


    I am left naked of what awaits me beyond this door.


    whether it is true that it is the temple of sessor, or a trapid out, I have no such knowledge.


    "damn..",


    The feeling of being powerless against certain things sure suck.


    Alrighte on, get your acts together me.


    I know what I signed up for when I came in, so no time to waver or feel dejected.


    I p my cheeks multiple times to get my head back on track and in the game.


    when I felt myself back to normal, I ced my hands on the door and pushed it open.


    "creakkk..."


    hmm....


    It opened with a loud creak that made it look like it hasn''t been touched in ages.


    makes me wonder if someone really hasn''t gone through it in ages.


    I breathe in and out, then took my first step in.


    With my leg touching the floor beyond the door, the whole room lit up.


    Starting with the walls by my left and right, the light circled down till it got to a point of conjoining.


    As a former human, this should be one of those moments where I will be freaked out.


    With the room fully lighted, I slowly make my way into it.


    The room''s structure is circled, with four pirs ced in the middle.


    The pirs are arranged in a way that brings out the shape of a box with four corners.


    I move close to the pir closest to me for observation purposes.


    Got to see if there is any trap hidden in it.


    I noticed nothing that could point to a trap hidden within the pir.


    The only thing on it, are drawings of several human shaped with pointy ears surrounding and kneeling before a burning fire.


    A mural painting showing people worshipping a fire?, I think.


    I moved over to the other pirs, and I saw the same thing going on.


    From the painting, it is easy to deduct that the burning fire here is being treated as a God or something akin to a God,


    The point is, it is being treated as an object of faith by the humans kneeling.


    My question is, what kind of species are the worshipers?.


    from the drawings, they look human enough, but their ears is nothing close to being human.


    I would say it is closer to how my ears looks, except theirs is pointed outwards.


    The human ears is shaped like a C, while mine is a C with an A without the - putting the A together.


    The figures in the mural drawing have their ears protruding out of their head like a cone.


    or is it more like a greater than sign?.


    This point is, it is an ear type I have never seen before, and I can say for sure, that I have seen all sorts of shit in this hell hole.


    They are worshipping a burning fire, that should be enough clue for me to know their abnormality is beyond what even this hell hole can describe.


    But then again, who am I to judge?.


    Going for a treasure left behind by a guy who has been dead for hell knows how many years now.


    "sighhh....."


    In between the pirs, is a space I am guessing is where I am expected to be in.<novelnext></novelnext>


    At least for a trap, it sure looks like one.


    i walk over to the space and stood there.


    "what now"


    I said, staring nkly into the air.


    "WELCOME"


    Holy shit!!.


    what the hell?,


    The voice suddenly sprang up from inside the four pirs I am surrounded by, with an heavy tone and its remains echoing out.


    "who is there".


    "Wee To The Temple Of Sessor, Potential Candidate Who Has Earned The Recognition Of The Soul Of The Fire Guardian".


    "You Have Been essed And Deemed Worthy Enough To Inherit The Legacy Of The Fire Guardian".


    "The Sessor Ceremony Will Now Commence".


    "hey, wait, wait, wait".


    "I have a lot of questions I need to asskkkkk".


    after he was done, gaseous substance oozed out of the four pirs.


    The gases moved in an orderly pace, slowly creeping up on me.


    my leg was the first part toe into contact with the gas,


    When it made contact, I felt my body shudder, and my head spinning.


    oh no.....,


    I don''t feel so goodddd....


    This feeling?...,


    It''s just like when I want to evolve.


    crap,


    My eyes are closing alreadyyy.....


    [Ding].


    [foreign energy detected].


    [experience points gained....].


    [you have leveled up].


    [you have leveled up].


    [you have leveled up].


    [you have leveled up].


    [you have leveled up].


    [you have leveled up].


    [warning].


    [experience points gained has exceeded the body''s limit].


    [user will now be transitioned into a forced evolution].


    [failed....].


    [forced evolution impossible].


    [experience points gained not suitable for user''s racial evolution cycle].


    [warning].


    [user''s body durability is deteriorating].


    [user''s body has gone into shock].


    [Hp > 8200-8170-7580-5210-1011-98-32-12-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0].


    [Sp > 8200-8170-7580-5210-1011-98-32-12-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0].


    [User has die.....].


    [Ding].


    [Detecting an outside interference of the system].


    [.......].


    [.......].


    [.......].


    [.......].


    [.......].


    [Known Knowledge has taken over.....].

 Chapter 62 Goblin King Speech

    ?The Goblin king gave out his orders to his four Generals and went ahead to prepare for the hunt of the Orcs.


    dded in ck leather from his neck down to his toes.


    Assembled in the Goblins training grounds is a scene that can best be described as the domain of the reverberation of sound.


    This sound came from the hundreds of goblins that filled the grounds.


    Some were banging their weapons on the ground, while some were shouting and yelling as far as their voices could take them.


    The reasons for their behavior is as a result of their king gracing them with their presence.


    Every Goblin present on the grounds looked forward to only one thing, seeing their king in battle.


    It has been the dream of a goblin who grew up hearing the tales of one Goblin single handedly ending the sufferings of the Goblin race, and bringing them under one banner.


    for such a goblin, the desire to see the performance of such Goblin spiked up, thus causing them to join the Goblin army.


    With the hopes that being in the army, they will one day witness first hand the might of the one who united the Goblins.


    That, is the  wish of every Goblin present on the grounds and also the reason for enrolling in the army.


    Now, that wish of theirs is about toe true.


    They are going to be led by the very warrior they have fantasized about,


    knowing that, they could no longer contain their excitement as they expressed it in the form of sound.


    Making loud sounds with whatever was avable to them.


    ***


    He walks up to the podium, stands firm and majestic on the podium looking down at the Goblin multitudes before him.


    At his side, is another Goblin holding the king''s great sword with great care.


    "skill, voice of the Goblin king".


    He says as he activates his skill and got ready to address the multitude Goblins before him.


    Voice of the Goblin, a skill that exerts dominant authority over the Goblins who are already loyal to the King.


    The skill also works on goblins who bear no loyalty to the King but with low mental fortitude.


    The king had tried using it on the Goblin he wanted but did not seed.


    It was one of the reasons he was highly intrigued by the Goblin.


    Like a baby crying over what he knows he can''t get, he wanted to have him by his side despite the risks.


    He still hasn''t given up on having him, because he knows he still will.


    Once the four Generals he sent after the Goblin brings him back,


    He intends to beat the Goblin to a near death state to give him the idea of what will happen if he ever tries to run away again.


    The Goblin king admitted his mistake of not reinforcing security around the Goblin.


    Even though he did not look down on him, he had greatly underestimated what he was capable of doing to escape.


    Cutting one''s limb off, is something even the king could only imagine.


    For that, the king apuded his resolve and efforts.


    It also strengthened the Goblin king''s desire to want him under hismand more than ever.


    He cannot wait for when such timees, but for now, he has work to do.


    "My fellow goblin subjects".


    with his first words, all mouth went silent and only the breeze blowing by could be heard.


    "today, I have decided that enough is enough".


    ? "generation after generation, our ancestors have suffered at the hands of the Orcs".


    "they held the sword, and with it, they pushed us into submission".


    "each and everyone of you here, were born to fight and kill for survival".


    With every wording out of his mouth, he pauses and takes a deep breath,


    Observing the actions of the Goblins listening to him, he continued.


    "even till now, that still hasn''t changed".


    "if you want to have a ce here, you need to prove yourself strong".


    "if you want a position higher than where you are, you need to prove yourself strong".


    "if you want to have an existence, you need to prove yourself strong".


    "the Orcs, have it. The strength to keep true to what I have mentioned, they have it".


    "or rather, they had it".


    "they were born and blessed with the power to subdue us goblins".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "nature made us Inferior to them in all aspects".


    "nature, rejected our existence and cursed us to forever be a ve to the Orcs".


    "ww are both beings belonging to the monster race, yet we are ranked lower as worthless beings".


    "i however, refuse to believe that".


    "I, am a proud born of the monster race belonging to the Goblin specie".


    "I am born to be a ve to none and a king to all".


    "I renounced the fate that subjected me to being a ve and crowned myself an owner".


    "I picked up my weapon and shed my blood to get my freedom".


    "the Orcs might?",


    "that is all in the past now".


    "I drove them down and burned their might to the ground".


    "I taught them fear and served them despair".


    "for the first time of my life, I saw the specie that I once regarded as my creator run from me in fear".


    "goblins, do you know what I felt when I saw such a thing happen?".


    The Goblins all waited in anticipation of what words wille out next from their king.


    The Goblin king, raised his right hand up and wrapped it around his chest, slowly caressing it with an entric grin on his face.


    "i, fell in love".


    "i fell in love at the sight of my long time oppressors desperately crawling away from me".


    "that sight forever captured in my memories and everyday, I relive it and once again fell in love with it".


    "their body movements, their screams and the despair on their faces?",


    "I could never forget any of those".


    "especially when I slitted their heads and carved out their hearts with my bare hands".


    "I lived for those moments, but not long after, I left it behind".


    "it will be cruel of me to be the only one to enjoy such moments, that is why I handed it down to the four Generals".


    "they led you so that you can all experience what I felt".


    "sadly to say, I have been disappointed with the results".


    "even after multiple encounters with them, you have yet topletely eradicate them".


    "I am disappointed at the fact that you let your oppressors slip from your fingers when you could have had their heads on said finger".


    "not to fret though, for I am here now".


    "i have decided to take it upon myself to lead you all to theplete annihtion of the Orcs".


    "now, I ask you my fellow goblin subjects".


    "What do you wish to be your object of attraction?".


    "what do you wish to be of the Orcs when youe across one".


    all In chorus, they shouted.


    "we wish for the death of the Orcs".


    "great, that is what I want to hear".


    "pick up your arms my fellow goblin subjects, because from now on, only blood shall be shed".


    "mercy will not be tolerated".


    "a goblin whoes out injured in an encounter with an Orc will die by my hands".


    "it is overwhelming destruction or death".


    "any other choice you think is avable, erase it from your mind".


    "you eithere back in one piece or you don''te back at all".


    He thrusts his hand backwards and opened up his palm.


    The Goblin standing at his back with his sword, slowly walks up to him, bows his head and ces the sword on his palm.


    "my fellow goblin subjects, the quest for annihtion begins".


    The Goblins roared in excitement, and more sounds made with their weapons banging on the ground.


    Their voices reaching to the outer ne of the training grounds.

 Chapter 63 The Chase

    ?"click, clomp".


    "click, clomp".


    "click, clomp".


    The sound of the Goblin hoards marching in a straight line of four reverberated through the forest.


    All dded in Iron and heavily armed with all sorts of weapons, an axe, cuss, swords, spears, bows and many more.


    Leading the hordes of goblin is the king at the front seated on his mount having the structure close to that of a rhino with horns at the top of his mouth.


    Walking alongside the king, is the Goblin who had held unto his great sword when he was addressing the Goblin hoards.


    The king''s mount stopped and with that, all the warriors at his back halted.


    The Goblin king got down from his mount and walked further.


    He turned his head several times surveying the surroundings.


    "what is going on here".


    He turned and asked the Goblin that had been walking beside him.


    "did you not say this is where they were all gathered?",


    "well, why is it empty".


    "forgive me my king, the Orcs must have been informed about ouring here and quickly disperse themselves".


    "sighhhh...."


    "this is why I said to make sure no news gets out about our departure, yet the news got to the enemy ears in time".


    "now I can see the ipetence that allowed you to not have eradicated them all this while".


    "forgive us for our ipetence my king!!".


    Says the Goblin hoards at the front in unison as they took to bowing their heads.


    while those at the back who with no knowledge of what was happening at the front still bowed their heads in ordance with the Goblins in front of them.


    "enough".


    he raises his hand up signifying for them to stop. And as ordered, they all immediately stopped their cries for forgiveness.


    "begging does nothing to the situation, you will redeem yourselves when you are faced against the Orcs".


    "as for the Orcs, they are only dying the inevitable".


    The Goblin king crouched down and touched the soil on the ground with his hand.


    He withdrew the hand and ced it on his nose then inhaled it deeply.


    "the scent is still fresh?, it hasn''t been that long since they evacuated".


    He gets back on his mount and leads the Goblin hordes heading north east.


    The Goblin hordes marched on and on until they got to a point where fallen trees wereid down before them.


    ".....?".


    The scene looked more like fallen trees piling up on each other and blocking the way of the Goblins and this made the Goblin king even more suspicious at what he is beholded with.


    On a normal scenario, this would be a normal thing, but when it is a matter of the trees being there when the Goblins are chasing after the Orcs?....


    It''s a coincidence that does not add up at all.


    "my king, I will order the Goblins to swiftly clear the path".


    "do not bother".


    The Goblin king while still mounted on his ride, lifted his great sword with one hand, and swung it down fiercely.


    The gust of wind caused from the sword swinging down blew away the treesyered atop each other, thus freeing up the way.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "they think trees stacked together is enough to stop us?, how pathetic".


    With the trees cleared out of the way, they once again continued their march.


    They had moved a little farther from the tree problem when their king stopped his mount once again.


    As to be expected, the Goblin hordes also stopped with their king.


    The Goblin king raised his chin up and sniffed the air around him multiple times.


    "hmm...."


    "what is it my king".


    "they are near".


    "skill, voice of the Goblin king".


    With his skill activated, the Goblin king began to dish out orders to the Goblin horde.


    "Goblin shielders, round defense formation".


    The Goblins having a shield as their choice of weapon separated themselves from the rest of the Goblins.


    Like a ring, they started rounding the rest of the Goblins putting them at the center.


    When they were done with the rounding, they all knelt down and raised their shield up.


    A barricade formation that requires the opponent having to break through the shields in other to see a single Goblin in sight.


    "It is no use hiding yourselves from me, especially with your stench filling up the air".


    "Goblin archer''s, forward".


    Just like the Goblin shielders, the Goblin archers also moved in unison, each stationing himself right at the back of a goblin shielder.


    The Goblin shielders at the front with their shields, and the Goblin archers standing right behind them with their bows drawn and ready to unleash at the king''s orders.


    Their standing strategic with precise obedience showing that truly, they are trained warriors and not just ordinary mobs.


    The reason for their movement efficiency and in ordance with each other is due to the influence of their king''s skill.


    e on out or I will have toe force you out myself".


    The Goblin king waited for a reply to his words and truly it was met with.


    The Orcsing out from their hiding ces, mostly behind the trees, some buried underneath the ground, and some jumping down from the tree branches.


    Beings with structure no different from the Orc that appeared in the arena.


    All bearing the same resemnce with only the heights and weight setting them apart.


    Armed with clubs, tree branches and some with more weight on them carrying a whole tree on their shoulders.


    In no time, the Orcs that came out had managed to surround the Goblins on all sides.


    "well well. If it isn''t the savages".


    "savages you say?".


    an Orc with a bigger body than the rest came out to stand as a representative of his specie, a being also referred to as the Orc lord by his followers.


    "you bastards barbarians, today is the day you all die".


    "hahaha. Running from us several times, yet you still dare to make ims and threats".


    changing his expression in a split second,


    He covered one eye with his hand and grinned with his left fang.


    "just who the hell do you think you are to dare threaten me".


    "rejoice savages for I havee to bestow unto you all total annihtion".

 Chapter 64 Confrontation

    ?Breaking the stalemate of the Orcs and goblins, is the Orc lord shouting out an order.


    Following the orders of the Orc lord (representative), some of the Orcs raised their hands up and pulled it towards themselves.


    The Goblin king and his Goblin subjects were surprised at the Orcs acts.


    from the Goblins point of view, what the Orcs did was raise their hand and hit their chest with it.


    Why?...


    The Goblin king questioned their reasoning for acting in such a way.


    "have they gone mad?".


    The Goblin king said, but he knew that could not be the case.


    Not too long, they stood courageously before he and his army, boosting of how they were going to be put down by them.


    To say such an army have gone mad is indeed right in the sense of being courageous.


    But mad in the sense of cowardice is what the Goblin king is referring to now, their actions right now is akin to that of a coward.


    The Goblin king knew that could not be the case.


    They must have some sort of n in mind to warrant them acting this way.


    "what?, what is it?".


    He said as he started turning his head around to see if he can find any clue leading him to why they are acting this way.


    He tilted his head sideways severally and stopped for a moment.


    He stopped because he had a thought after seeing the terrain of his surroundings.


    "all goblins disperse".


    The Goblin king yelled out with his voice of the Goblin king skill.


    the effect of the skill was fast paced as all goblinsplied to it, but it was toote for them.


    The trees they were surrounded by started to fall on them as they tried to separate from each other.


    It was a trap set for them by the Orcs.


    All the while, the Goblin king thought the Orcs were running away from them, whereas they were actually being lured into a perfectlyid out trap.


    Pulling their hands close to their chest, is actually the Orcs pulling the rope tied to the trees.


    They had adjusted the rope so that while they were holding unto it, it wouldn''t fall.


    But when pulled towards them, the trees bnce will be off leading to its copse.


    "hahahahaha....."


    the Goblin king burst out into an uncontrobleughter as he watches his Goblin army get crushed by the trees.


    "excellent. I apud yourst form of struggle for life".


    "It truly is nothing short of a splendid effort".


    "sadly to say, that this form of effort will do nothing but buy you only a moment of respite".


    "skill, influence of the Goblin king".


    The air around the Goblins who had been struggling with the trees changed.


    Confidence spiking within them as one of the Goblin thrust his fist and bashed through a tree that was about to fall on him.


    Another Goblin with his two hands caught hold of a tree and threw it right back at the Orcs.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A Goblin jumped up and used his bare head to split a tree in two.


    All the Goblins present started to disy physical prowess unbelonging to their specie.


    What the Goblin horde had gotten is a massive power boost thanks to the effect of the Goblin king''s skill.


    A skill he got after attaining the ss of a goblin King.


    It raises all the stats of the subordinates under him by a hundred percent.


    The Goblins fought off the trees and diminished the numbers as much as they could.


    The Goblin king knew that if things kept going like this, his army will surely be at a disadvantage.


    What the Orcs are aiming for is to have the Goblins exhaust their strength in dealing with the trees,


    then when the trees finally stop falling, only then will the Orcs attack.


    The Goblin king however wouldn''t let that happen, At least not on his watch.


    He intends to give his subject the support they need in taking down the Orcs with their own hands.


    "skill, voice of the Goblin king".


    The Goblin king in aposed manner continues to activate his skill to keep the Goblins together.


    "all goblins reorganize yourselves".


    "Goblin shielders at the front in an aggressive formation".


    The skill effect influence of the king gave the Goblins more strength and the effect of the skill, voice of the Goblin, calmed the Goblins mental state to adapt to the sudden situation brought on them.


    As per the Goblin king''s order, the Goblins with shields as weapons moved forward, while the rest of the Goblins moved themselves into the center of the shielded goblins.


    Unlike earlier where the shielded goblins were set in a circled formation, this time they took on a spiral formation simr to when a snake coils itself in with its head inside and its tail outside.


    In this case, the rest of the Goblins with no shields were the ones representing the head, while the Goblins with shield were the body of the snake protecting the head.


    This formation not only covered the rest of the Goblins, but alsopletely hid them away.


    The only thing that was in sight is the shield of the shielded goblins.


    The trees kept on falling and no longer falling on the goblins but rather on the shields.


    The Orc lord seeing that the trees were no longer doing damage to the Goblins, signaled for a direct charge.


    The Orcs, roared out a war cry as they charged at the Goblins with their weapons in hand.


    When the Orcs got to the shield hiding the Goblins, they banged at it fiercely, hitting the shields with their hands and weapons.


    They hit at the shields with their full strength but the shield did not budge.


    Some of the Orcs took to the air as they jumped up andyed waste to the shields with their enormous weight.


    "goblins spread out".


    The Goblins left thefort of the shield and ran across all directions, or at least they attempted to.


    The Orcs already have them all surrounded and the fight ensued.


    "goblins remember, this is a fight to the death".


    "An Injury will not be tolerated, you either kill your enemy or dying trying to".


    The Goblin king gave out hismand as he still sits on his mount and with a still unbothered expression.

 Chapter 65 Giving Him An Handicap

    ?Sttered blood dying the ground red with dismembered body parts of Orcs and goblinsyed down as decoration.


    Bodies piled up on each other with no form of dignity showed to them as they are being stepped on by the warriors drawing blood from within their own bodies.


    A scenery that captures the feeling of the strongying merciless waste to the weak.


    A bloody, brutal battle.


    Each activating their various skills and using it against one another.


    A Goblin swung his matchete and brought it down on the Orc standing before him.


    The Orc shifted his body to the sides and evaded the matchete before carrying out an attack of his own with the club in his hand.


    He attempted to smash the head of the Goblin with the club but was interrupted by another Goblin jumping on him from the sides.


    The Goblin took him down and without wasting time, smashed the orc''s head to smithereens with his hammer.


    "than...., thank you".


    The Goblin sitting on the orc''s dead body, raised his head up and stared at the Goblin who had just thanked him for saving him from the Orc.


    "don''t thank me, I am only carrying out the orders of our king".


    "I suggest you do the same and stop being a baggage to the rest of us".


    The Goblin done with his words, stood up on his feet and went on to his Orc killing spray.


    A Goblin threw the Spear in his hand and hurled it right through an orc''s head.


    The Goblin, ran towards the Orc before he could fall and took the Spear from his head, then hurled it at another.


    A Goblin and an Orc engaged in a strength type brawl, holding each other''s hand and trying to get themselves to fall.


    The Orcs were at a disadvantage even with their racial skill activated, except for the exception of a few who have shown to be above a normal Orc.


    An Orc caught a goblin with his hand, then head mmed the Goblin to the ground.


    Another Orc grabbed a goblin by the leg and used him as a weapon against the other goblins.


    with the Goblin in his hand, he bashed the head of another Goblin, used it to hit a goblin by the chin, before throwing the goblin''s tattered body away.


    A Orc, caught a goblin and lifted him up then tore his body into two with raw Orc strength.


    The Orc lord did not at all like where this was going.


    "roaroaa....".


    He roared out a war cry to boost the morales of the Orcs and charged into battle with momentum.


    Holding his club with one hand, he bashed a goblin through and caught another Goblin by the neck with the other hand.


    He strangled the Goblin to death and swung his club backwards to hit another Goblin that wasing at him.


    The Goblins rushed at the Orc lord in dozens and one by one, they all got done in.


    Each swinging their weapons at him.


    A Goblin thrust his sword at the Orc who caught it with one hand, and with his other hand he bashed the face of the Goblin.


    Another came from the back while one from the front.


    The Orc lord moved fast as he punched the Goblin that wasing at him from the front in the face, and hit the oneing from his back with his club.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Goblins stood absolutely no chance against the Orc lord who kept trashing and smacking through them while being surrounded by more of them.


    "tch, tch, tch".


    "i did expect this to happen, but I am even more disappointed to see it happening".


    Said the Goblin king watching from the sidelines with no interruption.


    He was disappointed to see his men losing against the Orc lord even with the buff he had provided them with.


    The Orcs knew that if the Goblin king was put down, the power of the Goblins would drastically diminish,


    Yet none was brave enough to go at him, at least not like this.


    They were prepared to lose their lives fighting here today, but they decided to do so strategically.


    Going after the Goblin king when his armies are still around will benefit them in no way, as they will be targeted immediately they take their eyes off of their opponents.


    They n is, or was since they are already losing the battle.


    The n was for them to take down the Goblin army and with their remaining forces, gang up on the Goblin king.


    A ridiculous n indeed since they were forced to run from the Goblin king''s rampage when they faced him for the first time.


    But they considered this n better than a n that involves diminishing their numbers with going against the Goblin king while his army is still active.


    It is also the only n they could think of in their current predicament.


    "It seems I will have to take care of you myself".


    The Goblin king got down from his mount and slowly walked towards the Orc lord with his great sword resting on his shoulder.


    While he was going, the path was being cleared for him by his Goblin subjects stationed beside him.


    The Goblin king got to the front of the Orc lord and stopped.


    All the Goblins that had been on the throat of the Orc lord also ceased their attacks on him.


    It was now the two leaders staring each other eye to eye, all the while the fight around them was still ongoing.


    "i must say Orc lord, you never cease to amaze me".


    "managing to escape from me wasn''t enough, you have also managed to get yourself stronger during that time".


    "even as an enemy, I admire your spirit".


    "cut the bull crap ande at me".


    "no, no, no. That wouldn''t be fair for you".


    "as the leader of your specie, I have a responsibility to give you the chance to prove yourself".


    "if Ie at you now, the fight is going to end before you even know what hit you. Now that wouldn''t speak well for a leader like you now would it?".


    "to solve that, I am going to give you an opportunity to make three attempts on me".


    "after said attempts, only then will I fight back".


    "that, is the only way I can think of to make this a fair fight between us leaders".

 Chapter 66 Not An Empty Threat But A Surety

    ?The words of the Goblin king was nothing but an insult and a ridicule to the Orc lord.


    His arrogance and assurance of being able to dominate over him was beyond imaginable.


    However, the Orc lord knew the arrogance of the Goblin king was not an empty threat but a surety that has been verified.


    He had once faced the Goblin king in a one on one battle.


    The result, was an utter defeat that left him on the brink of death.


    If it wasn''t for the sacrifice made by his subordinates who bought time for the Orc lord to escape by facing off against the Goblin king, he can say for certain that he wouldn''t be here now.


    Things however are different now.


    Sure, he had lost against him without being able to lift even a muscle, but that was before.


    He can''t really expect that things would go the way it did the first time can he?.


    While the Goblin king was spending his time immersing himself with women and fighting entertainment,


    The Orc lord was spending his time fighting in a real battle and getting stronger, with the hopes of reiming the honor his specie once had.


    He did not relent on his battles as he stubbornly challenged his limitations and strived to surpass it.


    He had indulged himself inbat uponbat and battles upon battles.


    Yet, the Goblin king dared to sully his determination with arrogance and understimation.


    The Orc lord was bitter in his mind, but he knew he had to keep a rational mind.


    He hadn''t forgotten the humiliation he was put through the first time.


    He hadn''t forgotten the strength the Goblin king wielded.


    He knew rampaging and losing his mind will change nothing but lead him faster to his defeat at the hands of the Goblin king.


    whatever insult like words came out of the Goblin king''s mouth, he needed to be unaffected by it.


    He will not willingly give control over to the Goblin king and allow himself be mentally manipted by the Goblin king.


    Giving him three chance to make any attack he so desires?, sure he will do it.


    A perfect opportunity he wouldn''t let go to waste.


    The Goblin king although hated by the Orc lord, was regarded as a warrior who keeps to his word.


    Giving him three opportunities to attack is not a bluff, that much the Orc lord is sure of.


    The Orc lord intends on taking the three chances to do some damage to the Goblin king.


    Even though he has doubts abouting out victorious, he did not want to tarnish his reputation before his Orc subordinates by going down easily without a fight or not even getting one clean hit at the Goblin king.


    The Orc lord with confidence and his wits up charged at the Goblin king and swung his club at him fiercely.


    The Goblin king moved his right foot to the sides and evaded the club.


    The club passed by the Goblin king''s side andnded on the ground close to his leg.


    Not making any unnecessary movements and only the one needed to avoid the club withposure simr to a kid entertaining a child.


    "ho....how...."


    The Orc lord was dumbfounded at what just happened.


    He had definitely swung the club with strength and speed, so how?.


    He was sure he did not hold back, he was certain he had given it is all, so how?.


    just how?, how?, how?.


    the Orc lord calmed himself down to not get more agitated.


    He raised his club and withdrew backwards.


    The Orc lord shaked his head several times to get himself back into the game.


    ''that attack was too simple''.


    ''it was just a simple straightforward sh with no otherplicated moves so of course he can easily evade it''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''for my next attack, I will go with a more confusing move''.


    ''that said, his reaction speed still hasn''t changed one bit''.


    The Orc lord managed to convince himself that his attack was too simple which is why the Goblin king had no trouble evading it.


    He assured himself and got ready for his second attack when the Goblin king spoke.


    "one".


    "remember, you have two moves left, I suggest you use it wisely".


    His deep voice had echoed through the forest.


    The warriors who were going at each other, one by one halted any movements and shifted their attention to the Goblin king and the Orc lord.


    It did not take long for all eyes to be on them as any further movement in the surrounding ceased.


    The Orc lord felt overwhelmed as he felt his fellow Orcs eyes on him.


    He most certainly cannot show a pathetic side of himself to his specie counting on him.


    One strike, that is all he needs to prove himself to his subordinate Orcs.


    The Orc lord ran towards the Goblin king and swung his club at him aiming for his head.


    The Goblin king evaded it by bending his upper body backwards.


    The Orc lord did not waver as he had already expected that to happen.


    "job skill, indomitable warrior''s spirit".


    A skill that let''s one ovee their limits granting them immense power.


    One who can run fifty meters will be able to go five hundred meters.


    A broke skill fitting of the Orc lord who has strived to surpass his limits after his defeat.


    The Orc lord moved with more speed than he had the first time and changed the tragectory of his club from sideways to swinging it down at the Goblin king.


    when he saw that he had been trapped, the Goblin king raised one of his hand and used it to guard against the club.


    The club touched the Goblin king''s hand and broke into pieces.


    The Orc lord had lost his club but still has his body.


    He clenched his fist and thrust it at the Goblin king.


    "pow...."


    The fist was easily caught in the middle of the Goblin king''s palm.


    "i believe the grace limit is up. It is my turn now".


    with his right hand holding unto the Orc Lord''s fist, the Goblin king swung his left hand and bashed a hole through the head of the Orc lord.


    "this is exactly why I gave you three tries".


    He said as he withdraws his blood coated hand from the head of the dead Orc lord.


    "what are you all doing?..."


    "did I give any of you an order to stop your attack on the savages?".


    He questioned the Goblins who had abandoned their mission to watch their king in action.


    "resume at once if you do not wish to end up this way".


    "y them all, savour your victory in the incapacitation of their heads".


    The Goblins hastily resumed their fight with the Orcs.


    The Orcs however had now lost all hopes to continue fighting when their leader had been done in.


    They all ran for their lives with screams following behind them.


    "chase them down and live none alive. We will not return until the bodies of all Orcs is ounted for".

 Chapter 67 Search For The Goblin I

    ?Before the Goblin king departed with the Goblin army for the extermination of the Orcs, the four Generals have already began acting on the orders of their king.


    All dressed in leather that covered only their lower body part, and showcasing their thick muscles.


    The first ce they went to, was the prison the Goblin had escaped from.


    The first general entered the cell while the rest of the Generals stayed outside of it.


    The third and fourth general leaned on the cell''s iron bar and the second general leaned on the wall facing the cell.


    The first general got into the cell and sniffed th surroundings.


    He ced his hand on the floor and scraped the left behind blood of the Goblin with his finger.


    The first general brought the finger close to his nose and sniffed it deeply.


    "i have marked him, we can now begin the hunt".


    With the first general taking the lead, they all made their way out of the prison.


    The four Generals walked along the forest with the first general at the front.


    "i still think it is unnecessary for the four of us to go after one Goblin". (second general).


    The second Goblin general broke the silence that had reigned during their walk.


    "are you questioning the orders of our king" (first general).


    "why would I do such a thing?" (second general).


    "I am simply in doubt for all four of us to be chasing after a goblin" (second general).


    "I agree with the second general on this" (third general).


    "we all saw the Goblin''s fight against the blood ring arena champion", (third general).


    "he was pathetic to say the least. Yet all four of us are being dispatched to go after him", (third general).


    "I don''t approve of this at all" (third general).


    "your approval is not needed third general. You are only to do as our king hasmanded" (first general).


    "I know that all too well, all I am saying is....." (third general).


    "like I said, your approval is not necessary here. Do only as you are ordered to" (first general).


    "did I make myself clear enough" (first general).


    Giving the third general an hateful look that was enough to bend his will into submission.


    "yes..., yes first general" (third general).


    "great. Second general, the same also applies to you" (first general).


    "yourment on our king''s orders is not needed nor is questioning his order going to be tolerated, not by you or anyone else" (First general).


    "I understand" (second general).


    The first general having made himself clear, took his focus back to tracking down the Goblin, and silence once again reigned amongst them.


    Following the scent of the Goblin, they eventually arrived at a pathway leading to the upper floor.


    The first general stopped and the other generalsing from the back also did.


    He sniffed the air in the surroundings harder with his head turning sideways.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "his trail leads further up" (first general).


    "up?, isn''t that the ce where the lower lifeforms reside in" (second general).


    "It is" (third general).


    "tsk.." (fourth general).


    They all had the sound that came from the fourth general, and the second general was the quickest to express his curiosity on it.


    "what is it fourth general" (second general).


    "when our king ordered for me to bring him in the first time, it was here that we had to wait for him to arrive in" (fourth general).


    "hmm....., so the upper floor is where he came from?" (first general).


    "that would exin a lot on why he is that way towards our king" (first general).


    "I remember now. Fourth general, is it true you lost a third of your unit trying to capture him" (second general).


    "...." (fourth general).


    "I found it hard to believe when I heard it. You were always the weakest out of us four, but to think you would lose a third of your forces to a single Goblin?" (second general).


    "exactly what were you thinking or doing to have allowed something like that to happen" (second general).


    "It was a direct order from our king, and I needed to be sure of what I was dealing with before jumping into it. That is what led to me losing one third of my men" (fourth general).


    "so you sacrificed your forces in fear of what is going to appear in the lower floor inhabitated only by the weak?" (second general).


    "I must say fourth general, you really do bring shame to the general title by being afraid of a being above ground" (second general).


    "that is enough mockery from you second general" (first general).


    "but I am simply speaking the truth. He has always been undeserving of the general title, and him sacrificing a third of his forces is proof of that" (second general).


    "do not criticize him too much, the fourth general only did what he thought was right" (third general),


    "his strength is nowhere near ours, using low handed tactics is the only way for him to survive" (third general).


    "hahahaha. You speak true third general" (second general).


    "my bad fourth general, I should have known better that you would need to resort to other means to living up to your general title" (second general).


    The fourth Goblin general could do nothing but watch and listen as the second and third general gawn at him.


    Their reasons for being this way towards him was understandable and bearable.


    The general position is one uphelding a high authority second only to the Goblin king.


    The first down to the third General are deserving of their strength and title as Generals.


    Where as he, he was only named the fourth general due to having caught the Goblin king''s attention.


    Another reason was because there was no one else but him that could contend for the foruth general''s position.


    And another reason why he has managed to stay alive until now despite the hate directed at him by the second and third general is because he has the favoritism of the first general.


    Without that, and in a ce where the strong prey on the weak, he would have long been dead and his body decayed.


    He does whatever he could do just so he can keep up with the other generals and maintain his position as the fourth general of the Goblins.

 Chapter 68 Search For The Goblin Ii

    ?"click, clomp"


    "click, clomp".


    The four Generals walked their way up the stairs leading to the upper floor.


    Moving in a straight line with the first Goblin general taking the lead, the second Goblin general following behind and the third Goblin general at the back of the second Goblin general, thenes the fourth Goblin general.


    No other sound was heard except for their footsteps ascending through the stairs.


    With their stamina and body figure, they were able to make a trip that would take an athletic human three hours in thirty minutes, not that they know what time it is.


    Getting out of the stairs, they were faced with multiple tunnels in the walls all around.


    "haaaa....., the air of the upper floor, how very degrading" (second general).


    "we should make haste and find that bastard of a goblin, I don''t want to spend another moment stuck in this lowly ce" (second general).


    "what does it look to you like we are doing?" (first general).


    The second general kept his mouth shut and his head down.


    He did not want to anger the first general any further.


    He knew the first general would not kill him as they are currently on an errand for their king, but that does not stop him from dishing out a trashing that will leave permanent bearings on him.


    The second general did not want that, and so he kept his mouth sealed tight.


    "hmmm....." (first general).


    "what is the matter first general" (fourth general).


    "the trail ends here. I can no longer pinpoint his whereabouts with it because his scent is all over the ce" (first general).


    "what should we do about this first general?, do we split up and search in different areas" (fourth general).


    "that isn''t safe. We are in an unknown territory and don''t know what danger lurks in here" (first general).


    "we have to thread with utmost caution" (first general).


    "surely you gest first general. What sort of danger can lurk in this Inferior floor that will prove dangerous to the likes of us" (third general).


    "third general, shall we make a wager" (first general).


    "what sort of wager is that" (third general).


    "you, if you are not careful, that overconfident attitude of yours is what will lead you to your eventual death" (first general).


    "you can take a separate route if you so wish, no one is stopping you, but know that you will be liable to fending for yourself" (first general).


    The first Goblin general stopped walking and fixated his gaze on the third general, waiting for him to leave but he didn''t.


    "if you do n on staying, then silence yourself and follow my lead like you are supposed to" (first general).


    The first Goblin general sniffed the surrounding to try to get a distinguishing scent of the Goblin from the scent spread all around.


    "I think I got it....., follow me" (first general).


    The first general moved into one of the tunnels with the rest of the Generals following right behind him.


    The four Generals mobiled themselves through the tunnel and got to the end of it, what they were faced with however was another set of tunnels in the walls.


    "first general....." (fourth general).


    "it''s fine, I still have his smell lingering on my nose, I won''t lose him" (first general).


    The fourth general, called out to the first general in confirmation of him still being able to smell the Goblin''s scent they are after and was relieved at the first general''s affirmation.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "it''s right....., this way" (first general).


    The first general contemted, with his eyes over the tunnels until he finally picked one.


    He pointed to a tunnel that was situated on his left.


    "gro....wl....., gro....wl....., gro....wl....."


    They were all about to move into the tunnel when they heard the growling sound and stopped.


    "that was the growling of a beast right?" (first general)


    "it seems so" (fourth general).


    From the tunnel the four Generals had nned to go into, wild dog''s four times the size of the one the Goblin was faced with when he was still a Cub, walked out.


    The wild dog''s came out not alone, but in packs.


    "this lowly beasts do not seem to know the difference between a prey and an owner" (second general).


    "fourth general" (first general).


    "i am on it" (fourth general).


    The fourth Goblin general came out to the front and stood before the wild dog''s, with the intention of taking them on.


    one of the wild dog''s jumped at the fourth Goblin general, but was pushed back with the general''s fistnding on its face.


    It''s body fell on the floor with its face shattered, it did not take long for it to die.


    The wild dog''s seeing what has been done to one of them, growled more aggressively as they moved to surround the fourth Goblin general.


    "I had expected them to take to their heels after what happened to that one, but it seems they are even more stupid than I give them credit for" (second general).


    "considering their overall numbers, this must be their territory. No matter what level of beasts they are, they would not be willing to give up their territory to an intruder without a fight" (first general).


    "fourth general, do away with them all. We have no time to waste on the likes of them" (first general).


    The wild dog''s with a coordinated timing, jumped at the fourth general Goblin from all sides.


    The fourth general Goblin stretched his hands sideways with his double edged axe situated at on his left hand and wide open.


    He started spinning his body, going faster with every spin, all the while cutting down the wild dog''s.


    ***


    In no time, the fourth Goblin general finished dealing with the wild dog''s and resumed their search for the Goblin.


    They thought they were getting closer to the Goblin after going down the hole where the Goblin''s odor reeked out more.


    What they found however was a massive gate sealed tight.


    They did everything to try getting the door open, but it wouldn''t budge at all.


    The second and third general suggested going back to search the other tunnels for where the Goblin might be, but the first general declined.


    He was certain that the Goblin ended up here after his escape from the cell.


    His detection ability was something he had his full trust in,


    Multiple times he has managed to sniff out the Orcs from their hiding ce despite them always changing locations after every discovery.


    With the first Goblin''s disapproval on going to search elsewhere, they had to wait in front of the massive gate for when the Goblin hopefullyes out.


    After waiting for a very long time and still no sign of the Goblining out, the first general ordered the second and third general to carry on with their first suggestion while he and the fourth general wait in front of the gate.

 Chapter 69 Glimpse Of The Past

    ?The reality of life is both cruel and agonizing.


    The phrase vanity upon vanity all is vanity, are words said after much observation on the cycle of life''s operative terms.


    Maturity is not a concept governed on age disparity but a sentence based on circumstantial conditions.


    I matured when I lost my parents to an ident at the age of seven, three in the car and only one survivor.


    Others might have called it a blessing to have survived, but I regarded it as a curse.


    Of what point is it to gain the world but lose your soul in the process?...


    Of what point is there for a nine year old to lose both his parents at once and being the only survivor?.


    To a child, the parents are everything.


    Dream aspiration, affection, attention, unconditional love.


    Only a parent can give a child the above listed.


    Watching said parents take theirst breath before my eyes is the same as having the world crashing down on me.


    At the moment in life, all things felt pointless and useless.


    What happened?.....


    What should I do?....


    what, should I do?....


    Questions rampaging through my head and the one''s who have always provided me an answer are nowhere to be seen.


    I was left all alone with the brutality of the world opening up to me.


    ***


    Opening my eyes, I found myself in a supposedly familiar yet unknown location.


    The moon and stars twinkling up in the sky...,


    Where I was supposed to be in, there is no moon, stars, nor a sky.


    There being one now can only mean I am no longer in my supposed location.


    I turned my head around repetitively to familiarize myself with my surroundings.


    Huge treesced at the side of a fourne expressway with cars moving at a very fast pace, back and forth.


    "what is going on?"...


    The cars have confirmed that I am no longer where I thought I was at.


    If so, where exactly am I?.....


    A shlight pierced into my eyes, I raised my hands and covered my face with it.


    I slightly put down one of my fingers to see what was shining that brightly.


    What I saw, is a truck heading my way, and I instinctively stretched forth my hand to stop it.


    Surprisingly, the truck did not hit me but moved through me.


    I was now more submerged in even more confusion and curiosity at this urrence.


    "Did I die and be a ghost?"...


    Ghosts are the only being known to have no physical body, the truck passing through me, means I have no physical body and have be a ghost.


    Thest thing I remember was me going unconscious after absorbing the weird energy, the next thing I know is opening my eyes to be beholded with this sight.


    while I was questioning my condition, another shlight was shining up ahead indicating that another car wasing my way.


    I had no problems with that whatsoever since the car will just end up passing through me as usual.


    That however did not happen.


    The suv type car had almost gotten to my ce when it changed direction and headed straight for the woods.


    My memory was jogged by the car''s oue, and I now had an understanding of where I am or rather what timeline I am in.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That scene is one I will never forget no matter what happens to me.


    This was the ce I lost both my parents, in a car ident and on this very road.


    We were drivingte in the night when the brakes failed and my dad shifted the car''s destination to the side of the road.


    The collision of the car with the trees had the front of the car splitted apart.


    My parents who were in the front seat, died in a very agonizing way, and I who was slitted at the back, drenched in both I and my parents blood.


    An ident that marked the beginning of my agony as a human.


    After losing both my parents at the age of nine, I had to go live with my uncle from my father''s side.


    Because I was way too young, the inheritance left for me from my father was handed over to my uncle for safe keeping.


    My uncle however, used my naivety against me to hoard the inheritance for himself and kicked me out of his house when I was fourteen.


    Chased out of the house, I had to fend and cater for myself to survive.


    A three day meal was out of the question and I had to survive on only a day meal.


    Even then, a day meal is a meal worth being thankful for.


    Begging and scraping for disposed of substance.


    When I was done with begging, I slept wherever the night met me.


    When I clocked seventh, I managed to get a stable job as a trash picker job that provided me with a guaranteed one meal course a day and a roof toy my body in.


    for me who has lived on probability all this while, the job was a huge turn around in my life.


    Every night when Iy in my sixty inch sized room, I look up into vagueness and feel d that I managed to ovee another hectic day.


    The poor boy who lost his parents, is the boy who with his own hands kept himself alive and going till he entered twenty-one.


    Life was treating me well as I was now capable of three square meals a day with my trash picking job.


    Honestly speaking, I was content with my life as it was.


    As long as it kept my belly filled and a roof to cover myself with, I wanted nothing more.


    Aspiring for more should be the usual reaction of someone in said position, but not me, not when I have seen the vanity of life.


    My father was a man with a profitable job.


    He provided me with everything I ever needed and Icked in no way until he died.


    Even with his job and money, he couldn''t run away from death and I who once had the opportunity to ess whatever it is I needed was reduced to someone having to beg to get.


    I began to question life and reality itself.


    Of what importance will it be if i struggled for money only to end up losing it in the blink of an eye?.....


    Even my uncle who sent me packing away so he can inherit the money will end up dying and leaving it behind.


    I found it funny how easy it was for him to delude himself into chasing after something he is never going to take with him to his grave.


    For the love of money, he betrayed his very own blood.


    Goes to show how easily people can be manipted when money is involved, the same applies to my boos.


    A man in his sixty-three years of age borrowed money from loan sharks.


    Unable to pay it back, he sacrificed I who looked the dumbest and less motivated amongst the other workers.


    His depths willed to me and he took off into hiding.


    With no means of repaying the debt and the threats of wanting to sell my body parts, I chose to kill myself by drowning deep in the ocean.


    Thinking back on it now, my life has always been a mess and I have always been struggling for survival.


    Be it on earth or as a goblin, the only difference in my life is the means with which I use in fighting for my survival.


    How ridiculous.....


    [Ding].

 Chapter 70 Born Again

    ?''I am back.....''


    I said as i feel my body blending to the atmosphere i am ustomed with.


    that was a dreadful memory of mine, but not one I intend on letting it keep me down.


    [wee back master]


    ''this voice?...., Known-knowledge?''


    [I am referred to as Oracle now master]


    ''Ora what now?.....''


    [Oracle master. It is my evolved form from Known-knowledge].


    ''evolved?...., okay now you are getting me really confused''.


    ''when and how did you evolve?....,st time I checked, you were still at Lv7 with three more levels to go before your evolution, so howe?''.


    [a forced evolution was triggered following master''s ascension to an half spiritual entity].


    ''.....?''


    ''hate to break it to you Known-knowledge, but you are losing me here with no exnation of the sorts''.


    [when master absorbed the fire Guardian energy, your body went into a state of shock due to the energy overload and your body being too weak to amodate the fire Guardian''s energy].


    [you were on the verge of dying when I forcefully took control to prevent your death from happening].


    ''wait you what?..., I thought you said you couldn''t take control of my body but only a part of my body, and even for that, you said my consent was needed''.


    [it is as master said, however the situation was dire and you were in no position to give consent].


    [seeing master in a near death state ignited a desire in me, the desire to be of help to master, and that desire is what triggered my forced evolution].


    [with my evolution, I had the awareness that I could help master out of the dire situation you were in].


    [I dispersed the Fire Guardian''s energy that was killing you from the insides and used it to instead rebuild your body''s constitution with it].


    [the only reason why the Fire Guardian''s energy was killing you instead of helping you was because your body wasn''tpatible with it, so I figured why do I not make itpatible by using that very energy itself to rebuild apatible body].


    ''stoppppp....., hold it right there, shush and rewind a little''.


    ''you did what with the what again?''.


    [i rebui..]


    ''enough. That was a rhetorical question. When you said rebuild my body, do you mean rebuild as in rebuild, rebuild, or rebuild as in metaphorically''.


    [no master, i mean rebuilding it realistically.....]


    ''are you making fun of me right now''.


    [I would never dare do that to you master].


    ''sigh. You know what, just continue with your exnation''.


    [yes master. What I rebuilt was the constitution making your body from an ordinary Goblin to an half spiritual Goblin].


    [when I was done with that, I then directed the remaining Fire Guardian''s energy into your mana core that has now be a fire core].


    ''wow...., you really did make a lot of changes to my body I see, and without even consulting me first''.


    ''its a lot of changes to the point that I do not even feel the need to be surprised''.


    ''i wonder what level I am at now after absorbing the Fire Guardian''s energy?...''


    ''status....''


    [one more thing master, I have extended my authority to taking over the system and recing it. Your status disy will now be my doing from now on].


    ''you know what you sound like just now?.....''


    [....]<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''like how does sci-fi robots talk. You earthlings, we havee to take over your world and possess your brain...''


    ''you get what I am saying right?..., and if you don''t, well here is a break down on what I am trying to say. You, sounded real fucking scary and bossy back there, so don''t do it again''.


    [I apologize master, I will change my tone of spe...]


    ''the tone isn''t what I am talking about, I am talking about the words you spilled out, the one about extending your authority,


    It felt like you were trying to slowly take over me''.


    [that will not ever happen master, as I am a part of the master and exist solely because master exists. Taking over you is the same as asking me to kill myself master].


    ''I know all that, it just felt creepy to me is all''.


    [....].


    ''now I have gone and made it even more weird. You know what, just show me my status already''.


    [understood master].


    ¡ñName :?


    ¡ñRace : Infernal Goblin (Half Spiritual Entity)


    ¡ñJob : Inferno Guardian


    ¡ñRank : Disaster


    ¡ñExistential value : 100,000


    [All Skills Disy]


    ? [Alpha Skill > Oracle]


    [Unique Skill > Vine Elemental, soil Elemental, Inferno Elemental].


    [Normal Skill > Specie Devour Lv1, Fire immunity Lv1].


    ''.....?''


    ''okay, is it just me or does it feel like my skills have somehow gotten lower?....''


    [it is as master said].


    [skills like Meta Strength, Mana Materialization, mana gathering core, perception, pain resistance, and poison resistance. Has been integrated into the master''s body as an half spiritual entity].


    ''does that mean I don''t have to say the skill before I can use it''.


    [yes master. The skills I mentioned are a natural ability of all spiritual entity. Master being an half spiritual entity is also subjected to have them].


    ''that is great to hear. What about the side effects thates with using them, especially for the mana gathering core?,


    '' will I still be having it despite not directly having the skill''.


    [there will be no such side effects master. The only reason why master had those side effects to begin with is because master''s body is not built to use them].


    [like I said before master, those skills are the natural abilities of all spiritual lifeforms. Master then wasn''t a spiritual lifeform but an ordinary Goblin, and having ess to them as a ordinary Goblin is something that wasn''t supposed to happen].


    ''i see, I get it now. My body being a goblin was too low for the skills effectiveness and thus the reasons for the side effects''.


    ''lile a two year old putting on a cloth belonging to a twenty year old, even if he can wear it does not necessarily mean it will fit to his body size, isn''t that right known-knowledge, sorry I meant Oracle''.


    [yes master, that is correct].


    ''great, now that I know that now, let''s move on to a question I find very disturbing to ask''.


    [and what would that be master].


    ''one question, just one'',


    ''You mind exining to me why, is my body like this....''

 Chapter 71 Something Bizarre

    ?My skin dded in red wine color, nails longer than what I had as an elder Goblin, palms big enough to have its maximum holding capacity as a water bottle, and I think I also have a long horn on my forehead.


    ''Oracle, you mind exining what it is that is going on with me.....''


    [I told you master, I rebuilt your body in other for it to withstan.....]


    ''no, no, no. You and I both know that isn''t what I am asking''.


    ''why, why is it that my body has returned to being that of a kid....''


    [master.....].


    He called out to me with its usual voice, but to me it felt like it was trying to dodge the question.


    ''don''t master me, just answer me on what you did to my body that reversed my growth to looking like a kid?..., I have basically been reversed to being a five year old''.


    ''while I do appreciate the thought of rebuilding my body to save my life, I don''t get why you had to rebuild me as a five year old''.


    ''do you have any idea how much I suffered being a five year old Goblin?...''.


    [i am aware of that master, but I can assure you that your kid Goblin form is in no waypared to your current form in terms ofbat performance].


    ''that is not the point for me, why am I back to being a kid is what my question is''.


    [master, I had no other choice....].


    ''no choice, how do you not have a choice when there is clearly a choice of rebuilding my body shape to match the shape i had as an elder Goblin or even as an adult Goblin. Why, why a kid Goblin''.


    [master, rebuilding your body is not as easy or simple as you make it out to be].


    [to rebuild master''s body, I used the energy gotten from the fire guardian].


    [while I could use it all in building master''s body back to the shape it was, I did not do that, and instead prioritized using it to making master''s skill to be stronger by evolving them with the fire guardian''s energy].


    ''so that exins why all my skill evolved and some even bing unique''.


    [yes master, the remaining energy that I had set aside was what I used in rebuilding your body. That is why master is in this current body shape].


    ''hmm..., if that is your reason, then I have no room toin. But still, still.......''


    ''my body?....., my once beautiful body is gone....'',


    ''the body I spent so much care and affection on, the body I spent so much time grooming, gone in a blink of an eye''.


    ''ho world...., how very cruel you are to me''.


    [master, stop being too dramatic and overly pretentious, that body wasn''t something you worked for but something you got as a result of evolution].


    ''don''t say what you don''t know alright. A man''s pride lies on how thick his abs are, and you took mine from me without even consulting me first, you destroyed me you monster''.


    [master...].


    ''do not talk to me or even call out to me, I am really mad at you right now''.


    [as the Master wishes].


    ''my beautiful abs, all gone''.


    I said as I kept stroking my t belly repeatedly and expressing my loss over my body.


    ''hey I actually wanted to ask, what does unique skill and the alpha skill means, also about the disaster rank stuff, I am getting a bad vibe on that''.


    [.....].


    ''are you not there.....''.


    [master said not to talk to you, I am onlyplying with the wishes of Master].<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''wait, is this?, you going through a sulking phase right now....''


    [I do not understand what you mean master. I am a skill, I do not and am incapable of expressing any sorts of emotions].


    [I operate only on logic and reasoning].


    ''doesn''t seem that way to me....''


    [....].


    ''alright, enough of this and just cut to the chase of properly exining to me what those things are....''


    [....].


    [unique skill are skills distinctive only to one person and cannot be owned by another. In other words, unique skill are like talents, everyone has it but is manifested in various forms].


    [an example are musicians, there are multiple people with the talent for music, but under said music is a different genre of what they are good at].


    [two musicians under the same genre sing and produce lyrics different from each other while still staying true to the genre they are under].


    [unique skill is also like that. It is exclusive to only one individual, there are however also others who can manifest said skill but their disy of it will not be the same as the master''s].


    ''so what you are trying to say is, unique skill is simr to cooking, even with the same ingredients and different chefs, the final product (taste) ends up not being the same''.


    [exactly so master].


    ''okay I get it now. What about Alpha Skill''.


    [an Alpha skill is the perfection of one''s unique skill to its full potential].


    ''well, you mind borating on that''.


    [if unique is ssified as the talent of an individual under a single genre, Alpha skill can be considered as a skill that covers the entire genre under the talent].


    [once again using the music as an example, there are all sorts of genre under music itself. Unique skill only picks out a single genre for the individual, Alpha skill however does not limit itself only to one genre but to all genres under music].


    ''hmm...., so in short, Alpha skill is more awesome than a unique skill''.


    [yes Master, you can put it that way].


    ''but wait, there is something I don''t get. How did you evolve to bing an Alpha skill when you were just a normal skill, which by the way I know is not as awesome as the unique and Alpha you just mentioned, even though it did save my live multiple times''.


    ''or is it a normal thing for a skill to skip through the unique level from being a normal skill and go straight to an Alpha level skill''.


    [no master, it is not so easy to awaken a unique skill much less an Alpha skill. The ratio of getting a unique skill is one in a million, and an Alpha skill is one in a billion].


    ''so you are telling me I just defied two crazy odds to obtaining skills, with my unique being three not even one or two?..., I believe a proper and thorough exnation is needed''.


    [master, like I said, I used the energy I got from the fire guardian to strengthening the skills you rely on the most].


    ''ho, so energy can be converted to upgrading a skill?..., does that mean if I gather enough mana, you can use it to upgrade my other skills.....''


    [no master, it doesn''t work that way].


    ''do enlighten me, what way does it work in''.


    [to upgrade a normal skill to a Unique skill, the individual had to have used the normal skill for a rtively extended time frame, even then, the chances of it being upgraded are still slim].


    [I was able to increase said chances by taking advantage of master''s soul leaving its physical body...].


    ''stoppp......., hold it right there....''.


    ''right now, I just heard you say something bizarre so nonchntly'',


    ''my soul did what now?....''

 Chapter 72 Rank

    ?''stop right there....'',


    ''my soul did what to the what now....''


    [yes master, your soul left your body after the fire guardian''s energy absorption].


    ''I thought you said I was in a near death state, not a full death state where my soul leaves my body''.


    [that is what being in a near death state means master. Your soul leaves your body but still lingers around your physical form].


    [until your body loses itsst breath, only then will you be in aplete death state].


    ''wow, that, that is kind of messed up in all ways don''t you think''.


    [no master, it is a natural urrence that happens both in your former world and in this world, a phenomenonmon for all regardless of age, gender and race].


    ''i shouldn''t be surprised, really I shouldn''t be, but I still just can''t help but be''.


    ''i mean, who wouldn''t freak out hearing it is a normal thing for a soul to fly out of its body and hang around with it before passing on?''.


    '' as someone who has experienced transmigration, I still find it disturbing''.


    ''wait, does my soul leaving my body have anything to do with the memories of my past life I saw''.


    [yes master. When a soul temporarily leaves the physical body, the soul sometimes sojourn itself to recalling events of the past, that centers mostly on tragic events].


    ''i see...., that exins it now. You can continue with what you were saying''.


    [after master''s soul left its body, I took that moment to create a pseudo memory of master''s experience with using each of the skill that are now Unique].


    [I was sessfully able to do that by using the fire guardian''s energy to create an empty soul to inhibit master''s body so I can form a memory with it].


    [when I was done creating the empty soul and fake memory, I also used the fire guardian''s energy to elerate the timeline of the soul to infinity with countless trial and errors until the necessary skills reached the Unique level].


    [after i got the results I wanted, the empty soul was destroyed and I collected the three Unique Skill, transferring them to your soul and united it with your physical body].


    ''fuck.....''


    [what is wrong master].


    ''you just made me realize how messed up my life really is...''.


    ''i couldn''t follow through with eighty percent of what you just said, but I know none of it was normal or even within the realm of this world''s normal''.


    ''there is, something I find very confusing with your story.....''


    [what is it master].


    ''you said three unique skill right?, wasn''t the Fire Elemental Skill a skill I got from inheriting the fire guardian''s legacy?, because if I remember clearly, I never had a fire type skill before except for the fire resistance skill''.


    [master, a Unique skill cannot be inherited. What you inherited from the fire guardian is the fire guardian job, and the skill under the fire guardian job, is fire manifestor].


    [the job ended up evolving by itself after I rebuilt your body with the fire guardian''s energy, and I evolved the fire manifestor skill rated normal to Inferno Elemental rated unique].


    ''what about you, how did you evolve from a normal skill to an Alpha skill''.


    [i used the same process as I did with the unique skills, except I did mine by inputting and processing all sorts of information within myself and discerning ways to further elerate my growth as a knowledge based skill].


    [the deciding factor of my evolution waz my need to save and be useful to master].<novelnext></novelnext>


    [all of this aplishment together was made possible only because master was in an half death state].


    [an half death state takes a maximum of two minutes of master''s time toplete. Anyter and master would have died for real].


    [master, now you see why I said it wasn''t an easy aplishment].


    ''yeah, I think I kind of get it now, which brings me to my next question, what if I am put in an half death state a second time, can you not do the stuff you did on my remaining skills and upgrade them to the unique level as well''.


    [that is impossible. Firstly, I have no control over death and if master is ever put in an half death state through a natural urrence, master will definitely die].


    [secondly, I will need a massive amount of energy pool for upgrading master''s normal skill to unique grade].


    [the source of energy from the fire guardian''s legacy dates back to thousands of years ago. I will need twice the amount of that energy if I want to create another such miracle].


    [I did it once does not lessen the difficulty''s achievement or improve my chances of doing it again, if anything, it increases the difficulty rate and highers the chances of masters body not epting to it and noting out alive].


    ''thousand years?....., yeah, sorry I ever asked''.


    ''what about the Disaster stuff and that existential number''.


    [the disaster rank is a recement for the level master once had].


    [spiritual entities are not ssified based on levels but on how much impact they can have on the world].


    [the number is a numerical overall measurement on how much influence you have in the world],


    [your physical ability and your mana capacity are mostly what makes up the numerical measurement].


    [the rank for spiritual lifeforms are in this order].


    ¡ñApocalypse > 100,000,000 - 1,000,000,000


    ¡ñArmageddon > 10,000,000 - 99,999,999


    ¡ñCataclysm > 1,000,000 - 9,999,999


    ¡ñDisaster > 100,000 - 999,999


    [with Apocalypse being the highest and Disaster being the lowest].


    ''that is one hell of a crazy order, they all sound freakishly dangerous''.


    ''ho, do you know what rank miss dragon would fit in here''.


    [no, the one master refers to as miss dragon does not constitute with a spiritual lifeform].


    ''what is that supposed to mean''.


    [it means, she is not a spiritual lifeform].


    ''i don''t get it, are spiritual lifeforms not supposed to be stronger than normal people?, if miss dragon isn''t a spiritual lifeform, then how is she so strong to the point of saying I will never be a threat to her...''


    [I have no information on that master].


    [What I am certain of, is that she is not a spiritual lifeform].

 Chapter 73 Now A Certified Monster

    ?I regret ever asking for miss dragon''s rank, because now I have gotten all moody after finding out that she is in a dimension of her own.


    "alright, Time to get going".


    I stood up on my feet and dusted off the dust particles that had gathered on my body fromying down on the bare floor.


    If I want to keep myself still living on, i need to get used to this new body of mine measuring fourty inches tall.


    "..."


    Damn I miss my former body, tall fibre muscles with an outstanding height towering close to a hundred inches, and huge fangs in recement of teeths.


    Now....., now I am reduced to being like this.....


    A forty inches red Goblin, with what I can only describe as a sharpened pencil head for a w.


    The only upside to this, is the clothing.


    Somehow, everytime I evolve and my body gets bigger, the cloth miss dragon gave me always seems to fit just right with my height.


    Even now that I have gone back to being small, the beginner''s cloth on me fits just right.


    Sigh,..., Oracle really did me bad, but I can''t me it for this knowing full well that it did what it did because it wanted the best for me.


    I have also decided to use the time I am going to be wasting ming Oracle, to getting ustomed to my new body.


    I am already too used to my big body for me to easily shift the gears and bing an expert on this new body.


    "one, one, one two, one, one two, one two three".


    I threw a jab, then another jab and followed with two swift jabs then one and two again, then a one two three.


    Throwing the jabs, I felt my body lighter but with much more strength packed in it.


    It''s like punching into air and damaging said air.


    Air is shapeless and sort of cannot be harmed I think..., yet I still feel like I can do so much damage to the air with just my Jab.


    I should give it a try, rather than just jabbing to check my uracy, I will throw a jab with the intention of dealing damage.


    I clenched my fist and shifted the weight of my body, rxing it all on my fist, I thrust forward.


    "boom!!".


    ho...o....ly shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.


    Did I?....., did I just create a crater in the wall with just the air pressure released from me thrusting my fist into the hair?...


    I didn''t even touch the walls so how?....., without even using a skill or reinforcing my body with mana?....


    This is pure brute strength channeled from my forty inches tall body.


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes master].


    ''.....''


    ''thank you.....''


    ''i am soooo, sorry for bitching around about losing my muscr body when in truth you gave me something worth more than my muscr body''.


    ''i am sorry for noy recognizing the efforts and handiwork you put into making sure I survive''.


    [Master, I exist only for the benefit of Master, there is no need for Master to thank me].<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''even still, thank you, really, thank you''.


    ''damn it, I am starting to get all emotional''.


    [master, I detect liquid substance blocking your view].


    ''do not be mistaken, these are not water, I just have something in my eye is all''.


    damn it, I have to stop being a crybaby and man up, but I can''t help it.


    Knowing there is someone out there who cares for my well-being just makes me....., I guess, d.


    Alright, no more tearing up, time to get to work.


    For one, I know that I now have an insane strength level, but what about my speed?.


    I set my body up in a sprinting position, and got ready to circle the room, but...


    "crash!!".


    Yep its official, I, am an official monster with this new body of mine.


    When I tried to sprint away, all it took was a step for me to end up glued to the wall.


    What do I do?, I am really stuck deep in the wall.


    cing my hands on the wall, I try to push myself out of it, but I ended up breaking through the wall my hand was ced in.


    "shit....".


    I applied more force, and waved my hand sideways breaking through the walls that stood in its way.


    with parts of the wall broken through, it did not take long for the side of the wall I was trapped in to crumble.


    "ha, ha, hahaha haha....."


    After freeing myself, Iughed out loud echoing to every corner of the room.


    I thought I was strong enough after having killed the lizard, but this?.., this just proved to me that I am nowhere near strong.


    The word strong can easily be mistaken for when the only obstacles we are faced with are obstacles with lightweight backing.


    Once the obstacle has been breached, one would think, yes I have finally gotten stronger, not knowing that they only just breached through ayer of obstacle and not the full course.


    It is very easy to tell the current me that truly, I am strong. That however, is a lie.


    What I consider strength, to another person might be just a breeze through of what they can do.


    Still, I am happy that I have at least gotten to this stage of strength.


    What I have now, is what some are hoping they could get.


    There is never a truly weak or a truly strong, what one will find on the path of strength, is a mountain higher than the first mountain found.


    And what one will find in the realm of the weak, is someone even weaker than what one already considered the pinnacle of weak.


    The structure of the world is designed in a way that there can never be an end, only an endless cycle of beginnings.


    As for me, this is just another cycle of beginning I am in.


    I am not too dumb to fool myself into thinking I am now unstoppable when I have yet toe across all beings in the world,


    What I can say though, is that I have taken another step towards ensuring my survival.

 Chapter 74 Mana Nature

    ?"rumble..., rumble...."


    I would have loved to continue testing out my powers, but my stomach isn''t agreeing with me on that.


    Going on for seven to eight days of earth''s time without food, is honestly an incredible achievement.


    I make my way out of the sessor room and through the lit passageway to go and get myself something to feast on.


    with the internal strife called hunger, I still had the strength to sprint myself through the passageway.


    My newfound speed allowed me to cover a distance that took me five to six days when I was heading to the sessor room, in just hours now that I am going back.


    Even if I was walking then, it sill doesn''t cover up for the distance I just breached through.


    Now back in the flowing river ofva where I Killed the giant lizard.


    I can resort to using the first method I used to cross it over, but now I want to try something else.


    I traced my steps backwards a little bit, then I focused my eyes on the other side of the flowingva.


    Took a deep breath in and out before sprinting forward.


    When my leg had gotten to the edge of the floor leading into theva, I directed my weight into it and pressed it down on the floor before leaping myself high.


    What I had just done, was jump over the flowingva.


    I wanted to see if it was possible for me to jump across it with this small body of mine, and truly, it was.


    I am going across theva now with my body in the air.


    If it had failed, I would have relied on thorn erection to save me..., ho, I just remembered I no longer have the thorn erection skill.


    When I had almost gotten to the other side of the flowingva, I folded my body and rolled it towards the edge, then I thrusted my leg forward to catch my fall, with my hands opened wide.


    A perfectnding if I must say.


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes master].


    ''I forgot to ask earlier but, what did you do to my thorn rted skills, I do not see them on the skill board and am wondering how I am going to use them if they are not there...''


    ''or is it the same as the Meta Strength skill where it is a necessity for me to physically possess it as a spiritual entity''.


    [no master, your thorn rted skill is not a necessity for spiritual entities].


    [i synchronized all your thorn rted skills into one and evolved it to bing the unique skill Vine Elemental].


    ''that makes more sense. I am guessing the sand Elemental skill must be an upgrade of my dust Maniption skill''.


    [yes it is master].


    ''what about the activation procedure and its effect after using''.


    [the skill can be activated the same way master does it before, or by simply thinking of it].


    [as for the effects, it will be for the best if master tries it out himself, I believe you will understand better than me exining it to you].


    ''alright, if you say so''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Oracle telling me to test the results for myself must mean it''s something awesome?.., can''t wait to see what it looks or feels like.


    I turn my back and faced the flowingva, this is the best ce to try it out because it is an open space, unlike the cramped passageway.


    I held my hand forward, and thought of using the Vine Elemental skill.


    I pictured the vinesing out from my palm and surely, it did.


    The vines that came out, were in the form of woods with little thorns on all its sides.


    It really is beautiful if I must say.


    Seeing the vines stilling out from my palm, an idea surfaced within me.


    I raised my hand up above the ceiling, controlling the length and movement of the vinesing from my palm, getting it longer and spreading it sideways.


    It did not take long for the ceiling to all be covered in vines, starting from where I was down to the other side of the flowingva.


    "this....., this is really amazing".


    I detach the vine from my palm and watched in amazement.


    looking at the vines spread across the ceiling, I raised my two hands up with my palms open wide, then I clenched it fast and brought it down.


    As if it was responding to my actions, the vines on the ceiling abruptly lengthened themselves to inside of the flowingva.


    "astonishing.....".


    I said as I watch the vines going into theva while still maintaining their form.


    I had expected it to burn becausemon knowledge dictates that wood elements are weak against fire elements.


    The thorns I was using before was also an attribute belonging to the wood,


    Against fire it proved to be very weak and useless until I reinforced it with a ton load of mana.


    The vines however were not reinforced with mana and yet did not burn when it made contact with the flowingva.


    I did use mana in sprouting out the vines, but the mana I used was within the average amount of mana needed to create something of this effects.


    ''Oracle, is there a reason why the vines are not burning away when it made contact with the flowingva''.


    for times like this, Oracle my newly evolved skill from known-knowledge is the suitable source of information to ask.


    [the vines are not sumbing to theva due to the nature of mana with which they were made from].


    ''nature of mana?..., is there something wrong with my mana''.


    [master''s manaposition is centered solely on fire attribute].


    [whatever is produced from a manaposition centered on fire attribute will always have the fire immunity attribute].


    ''so the vine isn''t burning because it now has the fire immunity as well''.


    [yes master. If the vine was made from a manaposition of water attribute, it will possess the attributes rting to water, same applies to if it was made with any other manaposition attributes].


    "hmm..., is this supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing?.

 Chapter 75 Fire Attribute Composition

    ?My mana property being of the Fire attribute means I no longer have anything to fear in this inferno like world.


    But, I kind of sense a drawback to a huge advantage like this.


    ''Oracle, if by any chance I happen to run out of mana, how do I refill my mana guage if my manaposition is made entirely of fire attribute''.


    I ask this because, when I used the mana gathering skill to take in mana amidst the rampaging volcanic mountains and bubblingva, there was a side effect brought about because my affinity with fire wasn''t solid enough,


    Now that my manaposition is now dependent on fire, and my affinity with it spiked up than ever, what will happen if I am not in a fire friendly environment and I try to absorb mana from it to fill my mana guage.


    [it is as master has guessed. Master''s mana can mostly only be replenished in an environment filled with fire attribute].


    [there are alternatives to which mana can be absorbed in a non fire attribute environment, however the process will be very much slower whenpared to a fire attribute environment].


    hmm....,


    The disadvantage is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. As long as I can still refill my mana guage regardless of how slow it is, I can still manage.


    For a second there, I thought I was going to be living only in a fire attribute environment and be restricted from moving anywhere out of it because of the repercussions thates with having a fire type mana attribute.


    But it''s a different case if I can still gather mana from a non fire attribute environment and without any side effects to boot.


    Man, I love my new body.


    "rumble..."


    And..., I have to start taking care of it more.


    I neglected any further tests and sprint towards the supposed entrance where I came from.


    I was able to bypass all the trapsid down by simply running past it.


    Finally, I got to the startingne I woke up from after escaping from falling into theva during my encounter with the fire bird.


    Talking about the fire bird, I chose it as the entity to maintaining my hunger level.


    I know what you are thinking, but you couldn''t have been more wrong.


    The only reason why I chose the bird is because that is the only monster I have had an encounter with and deemed good enough to munch on.


    I do not n on going after it for something like revenge for almost killing me, I am going after it because I need it''s meat to survive.


    Before I hunt for food, there is an issue I have to first attend to.


    How did I end up being in this passageway in the first ce?.....


    Thest thing I remember, was me drowning in theva, and then boom, I woke up only to find myself in here.


    I need to find my way back, but how?.....,


    There has to be a trigger or something, anything I can pull to get me out of here?..


    [master, I sense the use of teleportation magic in the surroundings].


    ''teleportation?....., do you mean the one that moves you from one point to another without walking or taking any physical transport, like poof, magic''.


    [yes master, it can best be described that way...].


    hmm..., teleportation magic uhu?.....<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Oracle, is there anything you can do to use the teleportation magic to transfer me back to where I was before I ended up here''.


    [i am currently analyzing the activation process of the teleportation magic, once I am done analyzing, I should be able to use it to send master back].


    ''nice, I will be counting on you for that''.


    ***


    [master, I am done].


    ''that was incredibly fast of you''.


    [the mechanisms for operating the teleportation was within my range of knowledge and not tooplicating, thus my reasons for getting it fast].


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes master].


    ''the new you, rocks.....''


    [that is not all master. I have learned and absorbed the method for drawing the teleportation circle and can now use it whenever the master so desires].


    [the condition for activation is for master to have once been at the ce master wishes to teleport to].


    ''.......''


    ''i don''t even know what to say anymore now.....''


    ''a thank you isn''t enough to express how I feel, nor is a good job enough tomend you for what you have done''.


    [master I....].


    ''I know, I know. You exist only to serve me and are just doing what is necessary to do so. You have said it so many times already''.


    ''it''s just..., thank you''.


    ''alright, get this teleportation stuff in use and swift me out of here''.


    It started with a ray of light emanating from the ground beneath me,


    It shone brightly and circled around me, illuminating all the way into the passageway.


    A weird pattern inscriptions drew itself inside the circle, starting from the inner end of the circle and eventually epassing the whole circle itself.


    All the while, I could feel my mana vacating my body, but not enough to pose any problems for me.


    The mana consumption rate for using the teleportation is not so trifling as it is with using my other skills when I was an ordinary Goblin.


    I don''t know if it has anything to do with me evolving into an half-spiritual entity, but I noticed that so far, my mana consumption on skills has gotten considerably low aspared to when i was just an ordinary Goblin.


    Even though the consumption rate has gotten lower, the effects of the skill wasn''t affected by it.


    If anything, I feel the skill effects to be even more potent whenpared to using them as an ordinary Goblin.


    Damn..., being an half-spiritual entity and an Infernal Goblin race is one of the best thing that could have ever happened to me.


    And none of this will have been made possible without the help of Oracle.

 Chapter 76 First Kill After Succession

    ?I was teleported out of the passageway, only to find myself at the very depths of the oceanicva.


    I am talking about me, literally swimming beneath the ground level of the oceanicva.


    "this is insane".


    Constantly being bathed inva and yet my body shows no sign of burning, nor do I feel the heat. If anything, I feel extremely warm.


    I sped my legs together and swarm to the surface, wondering how I am still fine despite being inside of ava.


    My reasons for being capable of movement in here must be connected to me having a fire attribute mana core, at least that is what I think.


    If that truly is the reason, then boy this core sure is wonderful to have in a fire type environment.


    Days ago I was terrified of theva, but now, I am swimming in it, who would have known such was going to happen.


    "gaspp..."


    I finally reached above theva surface and hastily shook my head out and breathed in the air deeply, that was one hell of a swim.


    Being inside theva to me is no different from swimming inside normal water, except for feeling warm in theva instead of cold like the water.


    Not warm in a dangerous way, but warm in a cool, calm and refreshing way.


    Its like I never want to take another step out of here, but I know that isn''t going to be possible.


    ''Oracle, can you teleport me out of here to floating in midair''.


    [certainly master].


    ''good, get to it''.


    The teleportation circle appeared below my feet, and the lighting from it shone even on theva. In no time, I already found myself floating in midair.


    ''alright now keep on teleporting me in midair until I get to a nearby mountain''.


    I would have actually love to have Oracle teleport me out of this fire like world, but I decided not to because I want to explore the remains of this ce.


    [master].


    ''what is it Oracle''.


    [i have detected life signals about twenty three miles from where you are].


    ''you can sense that far?.....''


    [yes I can master].


    ''wow, when I was using perception, the most I can see is in front of me or two miles away from me''.


    ''can you describe what kind of life form it is...''


    [one hundred and seventy-two inches tall, weighing about five tons, poorly groomed red furs covering its body, two small rounded ears, four legs, capable of standing on two or walking on all fours, with huge paws as a front leg.


    ''o....kay, that kind of sounds dangerous or is it just me?, I am still going to go though. Oracle...''.


    Without ever having toplete my sentence, Oracle had already known what i wanted as it teleports me to the volcanic mountain the monster was on.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Once I got to the mountain, the teleportation cycle stopped and inded on my two feet perfectly.


    ''time to go find me some monster meat''.


    I dashed forward into the cave located within the mountain with speed and Oracle disying the path leading to the monster in my head.


    The route I was running through felt strangely familiar, like I had walked through the path before. The nooks and crannies, none escaped me as I brushed past it all with my speed.


    Oracle informed me that the familiarity I felt towards the route is all an effect caused by my perception of it.


    The moment Iid my eyes on the road, the perception had filled my head with knowledge of it, how many corners I need to take, how far the distance I had to run before getting to the corners.


    Its like my body is moving by itself through the route, with my brain feeding it information that my consciousness has no record of.


    I had almost gotten to the end of the map when I noticed a figure vigorously sprinting towards me.


    strangely enough, or coincidentally enough. This figure took on the shape that Oracle had described for me earlier.


    Although, It was running towards me on its four legs and not two. Oracle did say it could use whichever it wanted to.


    The monster was now within the range of my physical vision, and I saw the aggressiveness with which it''s eyes is filled with.


    I sprung into action as I also dashed at the monster heading towards me.


    Being closer to it, I saw that truly, it was huge, but not the biggest I have encountered with.


    The me of before would have cowered and ran for my dear life before this monster, but now, Instead of running, I chose to stand my grounds against it.


    I and the monster were on the verge of colliding when I jumped up and crossed over its head.


    It''s fast, but not fast enough to catch me. It''s speed is more of something it got from an adrenaline rush when it charged towards me earlier.


    The monster turned around and stood on two of its legs with the two front hands folded up.


    Seeing it standing on two legs, I realized just how bigger it was, it''s like it''s size standing on four multiplied by two standing on its two''s.


    Still, I do not feel threatened nor terrified by its height, if anything, i feel myself getting too rxed before a monster of this height.


    I understood once again how good it felt to see a monster and not feel fear but absolute dominance.


    The monster swung its right paws at me, but with ease and calmness overflowing within me, I stretched out my right hand.


    I imagined vinesing out from the floor beneath the monster, and used the vines to hold it down before its paws got to me.


    The monster with its body all tied down by the vines could do nothing but watch helplessly as I walk towards it.


    "i am not killing you because I want to, nor am I doing it because I enjoy seeing things die",


    "physically, you pose no threat to me, I will be a phoney to take that as the reason for your pre-determined death".


    "I am killing you right now because i need your meat to satiate my hunger".


    "this is just another form of survival in here, and you are just another victim of a being fighting for survival".


    Finishing my words, I brought the monster''s head below with the vines so I could reach it, and slit off its head in one clean strike using my hand.

 Chapter 77 Missing The Taste Of Blood

    ?"alright, Time to feast".


    I ced my hand on the body of the dead monster before me, and with my inferno Elemental skill, in my head I pictured a matchstick lighting up.


    I chose a matchstick as my visualized object because it''s fire is the only thing I can think of that burns the slowest and smallest.


    Don''t want to think of a fire burning in the bush and end up burning the whole meat into ashes.


    My visualization worked as small bits of fire came out from my fingertips and slowly epassing the monster meat.


    It has been long since I havest tasted cooked meat, all I have had the chance to eat, is raw blooded meat, but now, that is about to change.


    Waiting for a while for the monster meat to cook under the effect of my fire.


    It''s fur has been burnt dry and only the outer and inner meat remains, by the way, this monster sure has a lot of hair.


    getting a more observatory look at its appearance, it kind of looks simr to a bear, and I also find it''s head to be kind of cute with its fluffy body.


    Its hairy body would make for a good ce to nap on, except it is dead and that can no longere to be.


    I kind of feel pitiful for the bear for killing it, I wonder if this is how the strong feels when they kill someone weaker than them?.


    I have killed countless monsters since my time as a goblin, yet I did not feel an ounce of pity or remorse towards the monsters,


    If anything, I feel contempt foring out victorious whenever I engage in such battles.


    why is it that it is now that I have managed to secure for myself, power that can guarantee my survival rate, that is when I now start to feel remorseful for killing monsters?..


    This is a trait that doesn''t make any sense and might lead to my doom if I am not careful enough.


    It''s not like I Killed this monster for no reason at all, I did it so I could fill my stomach and not die of hunger.


    I think this monster should be grateful for what I did, in this ce where it is kill or be killed, it should be thankful it got to die at the hands of a stronger enemy.


    I believe, that is the greatest form of honor that can be given to a monster fighting for its survival.


    also, no longer having to level up or gain experience points after killing a monster sure sucks.


    Its like that part of the thrill that reminds me of my achievement has been taken away.


    Now when I kill a monster, I just have to get on with eating it without being rewarded with any experience points?.....


    "sniff, sniff".


    The smell it''s giving out is a sign that it is ready to be munched on.


    I grabbed hold of the monster''s skin and tore out a portion of its body.


    I gazed at the hairy portion on my hand and threw it inside my mouth and started munching on it.


    As expected, the taste of meat burnt with fire is unrivaled, especially with the hair mixed with it.


    I do miss the taste of blood always dripping from the meat, but that is something I can overlook for a meat this tasty.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The more of the meat I ate, the faster my hand grabs the next to munch on. It is too tempting to want to go easy on.


    It did not take me very long to finish the whole thing, and in need for more of it, I went for its head to eat.


    "burbbb...."


    One word..., delicious.


    I want to feast on a meat exactly like this again.


    ''Oracle, see if you can find any more life signals, it will be even better if the signal is the same as the monster meat I just ate''.


    [I have scanned the surroundings as ordered by master, I picked up a life signal simr to the monster master just killed].


    [this monster, although having the same shape as the one master has killed, is smaller in size to it].


    ''lead the way. sometimes, the size isn''t enough to decide a good meat, you have to taste it to know if it''s worth it''.


    Oracle disyed the map for me in my head, and I saw that the distance to getting to the next target was much closer than I thought.


    It took me about twenty leg count to get there and I walked, not run.


    when Iid my eyes on the monster I came here to kill, my resolve to kill it instantly melted away.


    killing this monster before me because I am hungry or because I want to taste good meat is not enough to serve as an excuse or a good reason.


    I havee across and faced some real inhumane level shit, but this one is just taking that shit to another level entirely.


    To bring myself to kill this monster, will derive me of any human emotions I ever once had, fuck emotions, even as a monster myself, I still can''t do it.


    It''s a baby bear monsterying in front of me right now.


    When Oracle said it was much smaller, I thought smaller with fifty inches different, but this is a whole one hundred and sixty something inches difference.


    No matter how cruel this world has turned me into, I just can''t bring myself to killing a baby monster.


    I just can''t force myself to do it, especially when I stare at its cute face.


    It also reminds me of myself when I was born, I had to start struggling for survival since birth and I was lucky enough to have survived because I was intelligent.


    This monster isn''t the same as me, it lost its mother.....,


    I mean, I killed its mother and reduced its chances for survival. Now, the monster like thing for me to do here is to either kill it to save it from whatever struggleys in its path,


    Another monster like thing to do now, is to ignore it, knowing that it has a twenty percent chance of survival, and an eighty percent chance of not making it through being a Cub.


    Another option, which doesn''t tally with my monster like race, is to take it away from here, and try to raise it by myself...,


    I am conflicted on which one I should choose.

 Chapter 78 The Little One

    ?My decision, is something I believe is to be expected.


    I am not a murderer, nor am I a psychopath who derives pleasure off of others pain.


    I understand the rules andws governing the world very well, and I do not think this baby bear before me is an exemption to that rule.


    There is a possibility that it might grow up to hating me and wanting me dead, or a possibility that it mighte to like me and embrace me withpassion.


    Honestly, I have no idea which one it is going to be, what I do know, is that by killing this little one''s mother, I have put its live at risk.


    As a way of paying it back, I decided to bring it under me.


    I am a monster born and raised as one, I kill on a daily basis whatever it is Ie across just so I can survive, and I am ready to do more if it means ensuring my survival.


    Killing a monster baby who poses no threat to my life is not me showing my nature as a monster, it is me being a savage who disregards thew of the jungle simply because I want to flex my power over an insignificant monster.


    I moved closer to it and picked it up, it''s appearance was too appealing for anyone to think it would end up growing as tall as its mother.


    Now I understood why the monster earlier had charged at me that furiously, she was trying to prevent me from getting to its Cub.


    I wonder, if my Goblin mother had lived, would she have protected me the same way as the bear mother did?.....


    No use wondering about such a thing now, the past is the past, and the now is the now.


    If you want to enjoy live, you have to live with the now and not get swayed by the past.


    The baby bear that I presumed was sleeping because it''s eyes were closed, finally opened it.


    It slowly lifts up its eyebrows and showed a glistening golden pupil, with a chubby face, tempting enough for one to want to pinch.


    "beautiful..."


    I felt it magnificent that a new life existed in this forsaken world, and it dawned on me that no matter how hard things are, the birth of a new life is a purpose that needs celebrating.


    I took this little one''s mother from it and ended up putting its life at risk, I want to take responsibility for that.


    Even without being told or ordered to, I feel myself gettingpelled by its chubby face, and felt the need to want to keep it closer to me.


    If I want to keep it near me, I need to have a name to address it by, but first, I have to know if it''s a female or a male to know which name suits it best.


    hmm..., where do I have to look to check its gender?....


    ''Oracle, can you find out what it''s gender is for me''.


    [its a female master].


    for a female, I should name it....,


    "Tarja, that''s your name now little one".


    After I named her, I felt a slight shift in my body, it felt more like something leaving my body.


    ''Oracle, what just happened''.


    [naming a being belonging to the monster race requires the permanent expendable of the namer''s mana].


    [what master just experienced, is your mana leaving your body, and your mana core reshaping itself to adjust to the permanent mana it had lost].


    ''and you didn''t think to tell me this before I named it, because.....''<novelnext></novelnext>


    [I saw that master truly desired a name for it and thought it best for me to not interrupt].


    [what I did do, Is control the flow of mana used in the naming to be as diminished as possible, to the point where it will not prove harmful to master].


    ''hmm...., you did good. Also, find me some other monster to feed on, my stomach is yet to be satisfied''.


    I gently ced Tarja back on the ground and waited for Oracle to finish its search for a new prey.


    I can''t possibly take it with me to avoid it hindering me on my hunt, when I am done, then I cane back for it.


    [master, I have picked up a signal].


    ''lead me there''.


    I followed through the routes Oracle led me in, and came across a four legged monster with stripes on its body.


    Its height and weight is nothingpared to the bear like monster, but it is still big enough for me to not bepared with it.


    I ran towards the monster, and before it could even respond to me, off with its head I had done.


    Creating my matchstick like fire and setting it aze, waiting for it to finish roasting I believe.


    Getting to hunt this easily still feels more like a dream to me, no fatigue, no pain, and just free flow hunting.


    Even my preys do not know what hit them until it hits them.


    Its astonishing and at the same time scary. If I had a power like this back on earth, I ask myself, what will I do with it.


    So far, there are three kinds of people I know.


    People who chooses to do good things, people who chooses to do bad, and people who are just pure scums, who feel the need to exert authority simply because they can.


    Now, with strength like this, I have the freewill to choose to be either of those three, but then, what gain do I derive from it?.


    I have seen enough of this world''s reality to know that it''s every man for himself and I am not so naive as to discard such rule.


    When one sticks their fangs at me, I intend to retaliate, but when one does me no harm, I also have no reason to do harm in return.


    The world is a scummy ce, I am aware of that, but that isn''t a reason enough for me to wish it harm.


    There are hundreds of people in a box, all with a mindset of their own.


    Eighty percent chose to do bad, nine percent chose to remain neutral, and one percent did good.


    Judging the hundred percent based on the actions of the majority, is in immature way to judge.


    I am open minded enough to consider the one percent who chose not to do bad, but good because they want to.


    But then again, what does it mean to be good or bad?.....


    I have killed countless of monsters, does that rule me as a bad person, or as a good person?...


    yeah, I got no reply on that, too much of thinking about stuff like this will only lead me to paths I know nothing about.


    I should get ready to get out of here now, this ce no longer has anything to offer me.


    This meat should be tender enough for Tarja to munch on, i don''t know what baby bears take, but I am sure she should be old enough to take this, I think....

 Chapter 79 Past Fear

    ?For days on end, the four Goblin generals had stayed on the upper floors and refused to leave without having the Goblin with them.


    The first and fourth general stuck themselves to the door, waiting for a movement to be in sight, while the second and third general went around scavenging the tunnels in search of the Goblin''s whereabouts.


    Two Goblins, one with a bow and the other holding a shield and a long sword, walked towards the direction where another two Goblins, one empty handed and the other holding a two edged axe.


    "so, did you find him" (first general).


    when the two Goblin had gotten to where the other two were sitting at, the empty handed Goblin popped up the question to which the two Goblins had no reply to.


    "i still think it''s a waste of effort for us staying here and monitoring a gate we can''t even open" (Second general).


    "apart from your instinctual feeling, there is no other im that can back up your words of the Goblin being behind the gate, so why should we have to stay and watch it" (second general).


    "I have also grown tired of having to fight the lower lifeforms on this floor, they put up less fight and are no fun that way" (Third general).


    "if it is a fight you desire, why don''t you take it up with me" (first general).


    "i quite like my head where it is currently ced" (third general).


    "i don''t think you mean that well enou!" (first general).


    "over there, there is something happening" (fourth general).


    The first general was not allowed toplete his statement when the fourth general had butt in, with his hand pointing towards the gate.


    The four Generals had waited all this while, hoping for the gate to open, and finally, it is finally disying some form of response.


    stormy wind blew, and the gate that had been sealed shut all this while, slowly begins to pull itself backwards.


    The four Generals now on their feet, eagerly awaits what is toe from inside the gates with a wild smile on their faces.


    The wind had dispersed, and the inside of the gate was now within sight.


    What they saw when the gate finally opened, was fire circling in one position, stuck to the door. They could not see what was beyond the door, as the circling firepletely blocked the view.


    The four of them, felt a presence but saw nothing, until they brought their heads downward.


    Standing at the center of the gate they had shifted their heads to, is the Goblin the four Generals had been desperately searching for all this while.


    His figure was hazy, and they could not fully make it out, but the first general was assured it was the Goblin because he had the same smell as the Goblin they were after.


    "I told you, my senses never lies" (first general).


    The first general turned his head towards the second and third general and wordily mocks them.


    "fourth general" (first general).


    "i am on it" (fourth general).


    The fourth general, on his way to go and grab unto the Goblin, suddenly stopped.


    His reasons for stopping was none other than the Goblin.


    The Goblin setting his eyes on the four Goblin generals had took to the floor, folded himself together and holding unto his head with an act of fear emerging from his actions.


    The four Generals seeing what the Goblin was doing, were perplexed by his behavior upon sighting them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first Goblin general and fourth Goblin general were especially more dumbfounded by the Goblin.


    The Goblin the fourth general knew of was a goblin with balls and ego, unwilling to bend and unshaken by the tortures he had been put through.


    The first general wasn''t as much surprised as the fourth general was, because he had seen the Goblin cower in fear of the two Goblin blob monster.


    Although he wasn''t as much surprised, but he was certainly taken aback by what the Goblin is doing.


    As for the other second and third generals, they were just as shocked as the rest of them was.


    Even though they have yet to have personal moments with the Goblin, they have seen him boldly and bravely confront their king with confidence brimming within him.


    They had also watched his fight with the orc champion and his performance, it was not a performance they would rate as a worthy one, it was more of a performance that passed the level of entertaining them.


    That same Goblin, is now cowering in fear of them without being touched or spoken to, a mere sighting with them was enough to leave him so miserable and broken.


    "hahahahaha..." (second general).


    "is this it?...., is this the reason why our king sent all four of us to this floor"..... (second general).


    The second general was quick to make hisment on the Goblin with no grounds to hold back on.


    "looking at him closely, he does not even bear the resemble of the Goblin we are after" (third general).


    The wind had fully dispersed, and not only his figure could be seen, but even the color of his body was now visible to the four Generals.


    They looked and noticed that he indeed looked different from the rest of them.


    As goblins, green skin was amon trait among them, joined with them having huge body figure.


    And even though their body figures is not as huge as the Orcs, it is still huge enough to not beparable to what they are presented with.


    "look, he looks nothing like a goblin especially with that pointy horn on his forehead and his body is so small" (third general).


    "he must be from another specie of monster" (second general).


    "no, his appearance might have changed very much, but he still can''t fool my smelling senses" (first general).


    "he is no doubt, the Goblin we have been looking for all this while" (first general).


    "first general, are you really sure about that?....., look at him, why would our king send out the four of us to capture him, him....." (second general).


    with frustration, the second general kept pointing at the cowering Goblin while also reminding and demanding from the first general, legible reasons as to why the four of them would be needed to catch the coward before them.


    "I am certain he is the one, but I am also confused at what is going on with him right now" (first general).


    "when I yed with him before, I did notice an hint of cowardice within him, but that was when he saw the blob Goblins" (first general).


    "i assumed he felt a sense of terror towards the blob Goblins, so I used that against him. For this case however, I am speechless at what I am beholded with" (first general).


    "you know what will be fun, we taking our time to y with him more, I really want to dissect his body and reassemble it back" (third general).


    "you will do no such thing. Fourth general go fetch him, weak or not, we are taking him straight to our king" (first general).


    "our return to him is overdue" (first general).

 Chapter 80 Sensing Hostility

    ?He had filled his belly and proceeded to wanting to leave the fire guardian''s tomb,


    When he asked Oracle to teleport him straight out of the tomb without having to pass through the gates, Oracle declined, or rather couldn''t.


    His excuse being the space the tomb was located in, was a spacepletely different from the floor the Goblin was born into.


    The teleportation skill the Goblin had was not a skill that allowed him to travel through dimensions or make spatial movements to another realm,


    The teleportation skill he had was one that only gave him the opportunity to breach through ces he has been to before and within the same space.


    Now, if he were to be trapped in a different dimension, or rather a different world, the teleportation skill right there, will be unavable to take him back to his own world, and only limited to working in the world he is in.


    Such, is the effect of the teleportation he acquired.


    With the teleportation skill not being able to get him out of there, he went back to the baby bear and made his way towards the gate.


    When the Goblin arrived at the gate, it automatically opened for him, and he was allowed to go out of it, with the baby bear sitting on his shoulders.


    He had only taken the first step towards exiting the gate, before he had a seizure after making eye contact with the first Goblin general.


    Going down on the ground, folding his body together with his hands on his head like he was about to be beaten.


    Fear washed over him, and in return he cowered for his life.


    he could hear the Goblin general''s chattering, but it did not matter to him one bit.


    The fear he was beguiled with, was far greater on him to have him care about pride.


    [master....., what are you doing].


    Oracle had detected a presence bearing ill-will towards his master, yet his master is making no attempt to return such sensation.


    [Oracle is sensing a disarray in master''s breathing. If leave be, the master will go into a temporary shock].


    his breathing getting heavier with every passing second, his body durability dropping with every air he takes in, amidst all the panic, he tries to squeeze out words.


    "i....i....i.....fi...i..."


    [Oracle calibrating for methods to stable master''s condition].


    [......].


    [......].


    [method found].


    [Oracle requesting for a temporary take over of master''s body].


    "......."


    [Oracle requesting for a temporary take over of master''s body].


    "......."


    The Goblin could not reply as all words have left him, and his mind wandered off.


    [Oracle is met with no reply].


    [Oracle will now proceed to prioritizing master''s safety and activate a forced take over of master''s body].


    [.......]


    [.......]


    [.......]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [forced take overplete. Adjusting body to, and initiatingbat mode].


    ***


    The fourth general, with rxed footsteps kept walking towards the Goblin that was squirming on the ground.


    The fourth Goblin general, stopped to observe the Goblin who had just undergone a drastic shift in his behavior.


    The Goblin, got up on his two feet and stood confidently like him cowering before them had never even happened.


    He grabbed the baby bear that had held the Goblin''s head tightly and walked a little far off where he had stood before gently cing it down.


    After he was done with catering for the baby bear, the Goblin walked elegantly to the ce where he had earlier stood.


    Unwavering eyes brimming with no emotions, a rxed face expression, and an Aura of dignity.


    The Goblin slowly raised his head towards the fourth Goblin general, and asked.


    "what business do you have with my master, fourth Goblin general?....".


    "i sense your hostility towards my master, am I to take it that you wish my Master bad?.....".


    "in that case, I will be forced to react with extreme force to ensure the safety of my master".


    "be warned now and leave or stay to regret your choice".


    A voice leaning more on the feminine side, with a precise and sharp tone.


    the four Goblin generals, gave the Goblin a long cold hard stare, before the second Goblin general broke the silence with hisughter.


    "phuhahahahahah....." (second general).


    "this is beyondughable, are you all seeing what I am seeing?, the littlemb is now trying to invoke fear on us" (second general).


    "leave him to me, i will have him going back to crawling in no time" (third general).


    "no, the fourth general already has a hold on him, let''s go" (first general).


    The first general thinking there was nothing to worry about, turned his body and got ready to leave with the other two generals following behind him, while the fourth general went ahead to pick up the Goblin before following along.


    "nk!!, nk!!".


    The sound of metal reverberated twice, with no more sound being made.


    the three goblins who were already walking away with their heads turned backwards became assured that the fourth general had gotten the job done, and is now following behind them with the Goblin being dragged on the ground.


    "he couldn''t even handle it without his weapon" (second general).


    The second generalined on the fourth general having to use his weapon to take down a weakling,


    every of his actions, each leading the second general to further degrading the fourth general.


    The first Goblin general about to take his next step forward, noticed something was amiss and stopped.


    The first Goblin general turned his head around and saw the fourth general panting, with his double edged axe stuck to the ground, while the Goblin was still as he was, unmoving.


    The first general, directed his gaze to the feet of the Goblin where he saw straight marks on the ground.


    He traced the marks that eventually led him to the axe the fourth general was holding unto.


    "what happened" (first general).


    Taking his eyes off of the axe and directing it at the fourth general and asked, staring at the fourth general with a demanding yet soft tone, with his facial expression looking dead cold.

 Chapter 81 Go Again

    ?"I said, what happened" (first general).


    Finally raising his voice at the fourth Goblin general after he had asked the first time and was met with no reply.


    "I got closer to him and attempted to make him unconscious with my axe, but I was brushed away by his fist, and i had to use the axe to control my fall" (fourth general).


    Answering as meekly and fast as he could, the fourth general ran his mouth.


    "fourth general, don''t tell me you...., you...., you have be so weak you cannot even handle a mere Goblin" (second general).


    The second general said, snickering in moderation.


    "step aside and let the third general take care of this" (second general).


    "No" (first general).


    The first Goblin general raised his hand to stop any interference from the third or second general.


    "go again" (first general).


    harkening to themand of the first general Goblin, the fourth general Goblin stiffened his grip on his axe with the ded part pointed upward.


    One footstep at a time, he slowly makes his way towards the Goblin.


    "I don''t understand why you are so hell bent on having the fourth general do the deed" (second general).


    "i don''t want to hear one more worde out of your mouth" (first general).


    He said so with a sound tone, signifying total obedience to his words.


    The fourth general, got to where the Goblin stood and swung his axe down at him.


    Having the fourth Goblin general up close to him, the height difference was now more visible, to the point where the fourth Goblin general knew he could pick up the Goblin before him with just a thrust of his palm.


    in retaliation to the axeing down on him, the Goblin with a calm demeanor easily jumped up to an height where the fourth Goblin general''s face was within sight.


    He stretched out his hand with his palm wide open, and erected out a thorn from it.


    The thorn lengthened, wanting to stab the fourth Goblin general in the face, but the fourth Goblin general however was quick to react.


    His right hand was what he used to swing the axe down, and with his left hand free, he used it to block his vision and obstruct the Thorn from getting to his eyes.


    In exchange for protecting his eyes, the thorn stabbed through the fourth Goblin general''s hand before halting.


    Having protected his eyes, the fourth Goblin general swung his axe upwards at the Goblin who evaded it by withdrawing the thorn stuck in the fourth Goblin general''s hand, and moving away from the fourth Goblin general.


    "enough, return" (first general).


    the first Goblin general, gave out the order that had been immediately executed by the fourth general.


    "hmm...." (first general).


    The four Goblin generals were no doubt shocked at thebat prowess disyed by the Goblin.


    It was a short exchange that was enough to tell them who had lived their whole lives fighting that the Goblin before them wasn''t the same as the Goblin that faced the Goblin champion.


    "It seems our dear Goblin here has gotten a little stronger, or is it that the fourth general is the one getting weaker" (second general).


    The second Goblin general''s question sounded like a trick question or a mockery but in truth, it was none of those.


    From the first Goblin general''s point of view, this version of the Goblin he is witnessing seemed a lot morebat oriented unlike when he had first seen him fight.


    His analysis on the Duel with the Goblin champion was that the Goblin, although calctive in setting up his next attacks, had a lot of loopholes that can be easily exploited.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This Goblin however, had none of those loopholes he once had.


    Quick thinking and perfect execution of actions are the qualities befitting of a warrior, said qualities are what the Goblin had just shown.


    The first Goblin general started to be wary of the Goblin.


    He had participated in a lot ofbat so far, and has gotten to a position where he is second only to the Goblin king.


    The Goblin before him, isn''t the same Goblin they once knew, or the same Goblin that had just cowered in fear when they made eye contact.


    That is what his urge as a warrior is hinting at him.


    ".....?" (first general).


    The first Goblin general, turned his head to face the second Goblin general standing at his left side.


    "..." (second general).


    The second Goblin general, without being spoken to, and no formal verbalmunication made, perfectly understood what the first Goblin general was saying.


    they are not on friendly terms, but they are both Goblin who have managed to survive their harsh reality by relying on their individuality.


    The first Goblin general would find it absurd for the Goblin who holds the position of second general to not have felt the distinguished difference in the Goblin.


    The first Goblin general having confirmed that he and the second Goblin general were on the same wavelength, he turned his head to observe the third and fourth Goblin general.


    What he saw, was the both of them being wary of the Goblin, especially the fourth general who seems even more on edge.


    The first Goblin general presumed that the fourth Goblin general''s reason for being that on edge is because he had personally exchanged hands with the Goblin and managed to glimpse through what he capable of doing.


    Seeing the expression worn on each of the Goblin generals faces, the first Goblin general felt relieved.


    With the four Generals thought process heading in a singlene, they released their bloodlust and directed it at the Goblin.


    The amount of bloodlust emanating from them, was enough to engulf hundreds of goblins with no possible chance at survival.


    that wasn''t the case with the Goblin as he tanks their bloodlust with an unbothered expression.


    The first Goblin general saw this and became more certain of the spection he had cooked up.


    When their king ordered for the capture of the Goblin, the second and third general were not the only one questioning their king''s decision.


    Deep inside of him, the first general was also questioning why the four of them were needed to search for a single Goblin.


    Now, he felt like he had found the answer to his question.


    Obviously, their king already had the knowledge that the Goblin they were going to capture was obviously going to be an improved version of the Goblin they once knew.


    The more baffling question is, how did their king know that the Goblin was going to improve by this much?....


    could all this have been a stage set up by their king?...


    But for what purpose?, the first Goblin general questioned.


    What if?..., from the beginning, their king knew that the Goblin was going to escape from his cell?,


    Or what if?..., their king actually wanted the Goblin to escape from his prison?....


    The first Goblin general had all this spection going through his mind, and none of them could be confirmed as true because there was no purpose or a connecting dot for it.

 Chapter 82 Push And Pull

    ?"this is your final warning, leave now or stay to regret your actions".


    Said the Goblin with a soulless and lifeless expression.


    The four Goblin generals, had no n of leaving the Goblin alone, they couldn''t.


    Thier king gave them an order, and they are to carry it out regardless of what maye.


    It is a fact that they did feel threatened by the presence of this new Goblin,


    The threat however wasn''t to an extent where they have to take to their heels, it was within the realm ofbatable.


    They had no reason to fear as long as they kept their guard up and are observant to any movements from the Goblin.


    The Second Goblin general made the first move by fixing his bow and releasing the arrow.


    The speed at which he sets the arrow with the bow and letting go of It, was astounding as it was impressive.


    The Goblin was also not dull as he was quick to move out of the way.


    Moving to the sides, he was met with an unexpected anomaly who had followed through with his movements the moment the second Goblin general drew his bow.


    The fourth general from the side, swung his double edge axe at the Goblin.


    The Goblin had no intention of dodging the axe and stopped the axe''s momentum with his palm.


    The Goblin having stopped the axe, immediately shifted his attention to his other side and thrust out his second hand.


    What his palm caught, was the fist of the first Goblin general that was about to pummel him down.


    When the Goblin had stopped all assaults aimed at him, he executed his own counterattack.


    The ded part of the axe of the fourth Goblin general that was stuck between his tiny fingers broke into pieces as the Goblin applied his strength on it.


    He turned his attention to the first Goblin general whose hand is still attached to his fist, and attempted to punch him with his other fist.


    The Goblin about to hit the first Goblin general who had taken to defend using only one hand to raise his guard up, was interrupted by another arrowing from the second general.


    The Goblin halted his attack and moved his head to the side to evade the arrow.


    That wasn''t all he did, as he thrust his hand forward to tank the third general who charged at him like a bull with his shield immediately after the second Goblin general had taken the second shot.


    The Goblin, let go of his hold on the first general''s fist and took on the third Goblin''s shield head on, with his two palms resting on the shield.


    The third Goblin general and the Goblin, engaged in a push and pull fight before the Goblin took control and was able to stop the third Goblin general from pushing him back.


    The third Goblin general swung down his hammer when he saw that he could no longer overwhelm the Goblin with his strength.


    The Goblin, with his tiny body and strength packed in his fist, punched the shield of the third Goblin general before his hammer cound reach him.


    Taking advantage of the third Goblin general''s distraction, is the first Goblin general who aimes for the Goblin by jumping above the third Goblin general.


    The Goblin also jumped up and met with the first Goblin general before he couldnd.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Being right at the top of the first Goblin general''s head, the Goblin twisted his body in midair andnded a direct kick to the head of the first Goblin general.


    The impact of the small leg that did not even take up to a quarter of the first general''s head, had him falling to the ground and on his knee.


    The Goblining down, once again twisted his body before he got to the ground, and thrust it at the first general aiming for his eyes.


    The first general quickly raised his guard up and sessfully protected his eyes from the small but destructive leg.


    The impact however, pushed the first general away from the Goblin.


    Now surrounded on all four sides by the Goblin general waiting for an opportunity to continue their assault on the Goblin.


    "first general, are you really sure we have the right Goblin" (second general).


    The second general with his eyes still focused on the Goblin, asked the first general.


    The first Goblin general was just as shocked as the second Goblin general and the rest of them are.


    The situation had gone beyond the Goblin bing stronger, to the Goblin standing his grounds against the coordinated attack of all four Generals.


    The four Generals were droughted in doubts and refused to believe that they were facing the same Goblin they all knew.


    even the first Goblin general who took extreme pride in his tracking ability started having doubts.


    How is it possible that in such a short period of time, the Goblin that could not even amount to one strike of the fourth Goblin general, is the same Goblin that is now facing all four Goblin generals without battling an eye.


    The four Goblin generals refused to believe it and denied all assumptions rted to it.


    "sniff, sniff" (first general).


    The first Goblin general thinking he might have made a mistake sniffed the air, and inhaled it deeply for traces of the Goblin their king ordered them to capture.


    The result of his inhaling greatly perplexed the first Goblin general, because the scent of the Goblin he had registered and traced all the way down here, is the same scent currently oozing out from the Goblin before him.


    There was no questioning it any longer, it was now obviously confirmed that this is the same Goblin, unless...,


    This Goblin had also escaped from the prison the same Goblin was in, and had also followed that same Goblin up till this point.


    Such assumptions seemed even more far fetcheding from him, he thought.


    On the basis that he is indeed right, and the two Goblins had been locked up together and escaped together, how is he going to exin the scenting off of him, despite there being only one  Goblin before them?...


    Regardless of what he thinks, he needed to ept that somehow and In some way,


    During the time the Goblin had made his escape, he came into something that elevated his strength this far.


    He also has it at the back of his mind, the possibility that his king might know the reason for why and how the Goblin is what he is now.


    "you have disregarded my warnings and openly bared your fangs against my master..."


    "on behalf of Master, Oracle will now begin working towards eliminating all threats in the perimeter".

 Chapter 83 Four/One

    ?The Goblin stretched out his two hands and slowly raised them up, leaving the four Generals wondering what he could be up to.


    The first Goblin general had no n of letting the Goblin seed in whatever it is he wanted to do, as he attacked the Goblin with his fist.


    The first Goblin general hastily attacked the Goblin, but couldn''t get close because of the sudden vine that sprouted out of the ground.


    Vines sprouted out from beneath the ground close to the Goblin''s feet, moving itself to attack the first Goblin general, as he caught it with his hands.


    Wanting to uproot the vines, the first general pulled and pulled it closer to himself.


    The more of the vines he kept on pulling, the more stretched out the vine was.


    realizing that there wasn''t going to be an end to the vine pulling, the fourth general stopped and took the vine off of his hand.


    The Goblin controlled the vines and used it to start attacking the four Generals.


    Sprouting the vines from beneath their feet, and trying to tie them up with it.


    The four Generals moved swiftly with light steps to evade the vines, the ones they could not evade, they cut down.


    "what the hell are all these" (third general).


    "be careful not to get entangled by it, not when we know nothing of whates after that" (second general).


    They did not immerse themselves in their discussions too much, as most of their focus was on evading the vines.


    "enough of this, third general, is there anything you can do to stop the vines" (first general).


    "yes, but I am going to need you guys to clear off from the path so I don''t mistakenly take you out together with the vines" (third general).


    "I will find a way to clear us off, once you are ready to go, just give me the signal" (second general).


    "It will take sometime before I get it ready, I will need you guys to cover for me until then" (third general).


    "I will cover for you, so you can focus on what you want to do" (fourth general).


    "you heard him, get to it and be quick about it" (first general).


    The fourth general, cut down the vines as he makes his way up to the third general. When he got to the third general, he stood in his front and got ready to protect him.


    "you can start now" (fourth general).


    he says as he cuts down a vine that almost touched the third general.


    "tch, I didn''t think a day woulde when I have to rely on you" (third general).


    The fourth Goblin general had expected some sort of criticism from the third general, and he wasn''t one bit hurt by it when the third Goblin general delivered like he had expected.


    they were currently all in the same circumstance, working together was not an option they can bargain with, but a necessity for them to be coordinated with each other.


    While the fourth general is busy cutting off the vines and stopping them from touching both him and the third general at his back,


    The third general prepared himself for the ss skill he is about to use, taking into ount the mana level and amount of damage when used.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "alright, I am ready" (third general).


    The third general informed the other three generals who were busy dealing with the vines.


    "first general" (second general).


    the second general called to the first general with a gesture that hinted that he wanted him close.


    The first general, cutting the vines as he moves towards diminishing the distance between he and the second general.


    The first general got to the second general, and thinnly stretched his hand towards the second general who managed to get hold of a finger of the first general.


    Their hands had made contact, which was what the second general needed.


    "do it now" (second general).


    The second general yelled loudly at the third general to do whatever it is he was going to do.


    getting the go ahead confirmation, the third general moved to the front of the fourth general and crouched on the ground with his two hands touching the ground.


    "skill activation, earth wall, earth rumble" (third general).


    The effects of the third general using his skill, was quick to ur.


    It started with the ground in front of the third generaling to life.


    The ground slowly moved, rising up topletely wanting to cover the view of the fourth general who was standing when the third general was still bent down.


    The ground''s movement was building up a wall, demarcating the third and fourth general from the rest.


    The wall was almostpleted, and by then, the third general and the fourth general who are behind the walls, will soon to not be seen by the Goblin and the first and second general who are on the other side of the wall.


    "skill activation, Shift" (second general).


    Before thepletion of the wall, the second general activated his skill, and was immediately moved from being on the other side of the wall to being within the confines of the wall, with the first general right beside him.


    The second general''s shift skill, is a skill simr to the teleportation, in that they both deal with movements from one ce to another without the user taking a step.


    The difference between the shift skill and teleportation is, while teleportation can move the user to where he has been to before, regardless of the distance,


    Shift can only move the user to where the user''s eyesight ranges to.


    If the destination is not within sight, the shift skill will not be activated no matter what.


    Shift skill also allows the user to move someone else with them, on the condition that they have physical contact with whoever they are nning on shifting with.


    with all the generals now beyond the wall, the other skill the third general had activated started to take effect.


    It started with the ground outside the wall getting wobbly to stand on, then came the sloppy part of the ground changing shape, with bumps appearing on almost all sides, going all ttened and puffed up, constantly changing appearance.

 Chapter 84 Going All Out

    ?The ground shook aggressively, causing the Goblin to want to lose his foothold.


    While the Goblin was trying to maintain his foothold, the four Generals were nning their next form of attack from behind the wall.


    "third general, I need you to make a hole in the wall, big enough for my arrow to go through" (second general).


    "scatter!!" (first general).


    The third general, focusing on making the hole, the second general, preparing his bow for his next aim, the fourth general on standby and high alert for when he might be needed by the other three Generals.


    The three generals in one way or the other, were busy with forming up strategies.


    As for the first general, he was thinking of possibilities, and crafting up ideas, thinking of what the Goblin might and might not be capable of,


    His highest priority during his moment of processing his thoughts, was observing the movements of the Goblin.


    The Goblin is both fast and strong, he witnessed it himself. What is to say the Goblin wouldn''t abandon trying to steel his foothold to the wobbling ground and take to making use of his speed to charge towards the wall and destroying it?.


    This was what the first Goblin general thought, at least it is what he is going to do if he were to ever be in the same situation.


    not minding themotion, he had all his senses focused on keeping watch of the Goblin''s whereabouts.


    he had indeed made the right choice, as he was easily able to detect the Goblin the moment he teleported to where they were.


    immediately the first general noticed that the presence of the Goblin wasing from above them,


    Without looking to confirm that the Goblin is indeed there, he yelled out the order for them to scatter as he himself hurriedly moved out of the way.


    They three Generals did not bother to question or hesitate on the order of the first general and all jumped out of the way simultaneously.


    "boom!!".


    The ce the four Generals had earlier stood on, exploded with the collision of the Fire ball attack from the Goblin.


    The second general did not stay still as he fired off two arrows towards the direction of the Goblin following the first generals yelling.


    Waving his hand on his face, the Goblin smacked off the two arrow headed his way.


    Not wanting the Goblin''s feet to touch the ground, the third general, hurriedly ced his hands on the ground and erected a stone pir stretched all the way to where the Goblin was in midair.


    The Goblin, extended his hand forward and bid his time until the stone pir had gotten to him, with just a step away.


    When the stone pir had gotten close to him, the Goblin unleashed vines from his stretched out hand, and wrapped it around the stone pir.


    The Goblin stopped the stone pir from further extension with his vines, he then torched the vine and set the stone pir on fire.


    The fire burning the stone pir intensified, and did not take long for the stone pir to start melting. What the Goblin intends, is to cause ava flow using the melting of the stone pir to affect the ground.


    "enough of this nonsense" (first general).


    The first Goblin general, red up and closed the distance between he and the Goblin in just a blink of an eye, he clenched his fist hard, and thrust it on the Goblin''s face.


    The Goblin, did what he could to minimize the damage but was still sent flying to the wall.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Phew, that felt really good" (first general).


    "you had your fun rampaging as you see fit, because we went easy on you, well that''s not going to happen anymore" (first general).


    "listen to me general''s, ytime is over, time to take this freak down" (first general).


    "I am all in with going all out against him, but first general, what if we mistakenly kill him" (second general).


    "know that your head will also be flying off with his" (first general).


    "precisely why I can''t take it seriously with him. Our king ordered us to bring him in alive, and in worst case, bring him in half dead" (second general).


    "what will be of him if I take this too seriously and defy our king''s order by mistakenly killing him" (second general).


    "do whatever you can to restrain yourself while also prioritizing his capture" (first general).


    "first general, believe me, I would love nothing more than to do what you have ordered me to, it is just, impossible" (second general).


    "as much as I hate to admit it, this Goblin isn''t someone we can be lenient against. It''s either I have a go at him with the intention of killing him, or i don''t go at him at all, it''s one of the two" (second general).


    what the second general speaks of are facts that even the first general finds very difficult to debate against.


    The four Generals are warriors made in a, to the death battle and not warriors groomed for friendlybat.


    Whatever opponent it is they are up against, their main purpose will be the death of said opponent, or the death of them.


    Whenever they are dueling against the Goblin king in a four to one, they always go with the intention of killing their king.


    That, is how they were groomed, born to kill and not to y.


    The first Goblin general knew this, that is why he couldn''t say anything more to the second general.


    They had given the Goblin a handicap by not fighting against him with the intention of killing him, all so that they wouldn''t fail to fulfill their king''s order.


    They did nothing but debuff themselves to avoid killing the Goblin by mistake.


    The first general gave up on convincing the second general and instead turned his attention over to the other two general''s with an expression in agreement to the second general.


    "sighh..." (first general).


    the first general sighed deeply and totally gave up on the three goblins.


    "it seems I will have to do this myself" (first general).


    The first Goblin general, turned his head and faced the Goblin who patiently waited for them to sort themselves out.


    "alright, so here is how it''s going to be, I, wille at you with the intent of breaking all four limbs. And you, will not be able to act in time to stop me". (first general).


    He said as he pointed his finger in the direction of the Goblin, with a deadly grin on his face.

 Chapter 85 Taking Back The Wheel

    ?''what is wrong with me?......''


    ''why did I shrivel up when I saw the four Goblin generals?...''


    ''fear?.....''


    ''that is what it was'',


    ''that is why I crouched on the ground'',


    ''but why?...''


    ''i had gotten stronger, the past me cannot even hold a candle to the current me''.


    ''i entered the gate and sessfully inherited the fire guardian''s legacy'',


    ''it has made me stronger, amplified my strength to an height I could only dream off''.


    ''I have gotten really stronger...''


    ''hence....''


    ''for what reasons am I still being like this?....''


    ''do I wish to be pitied?....''


    ''i was captured and tortured so what?''.


    ''I Killed Tarja''s mother, doesn''t she deserve to be pitied as well?......''


    ''i do not deserve being pitied by anybody'',


    ''despite having the power to change myself, I let myself be submissive to fear and trauma''.


    ''sure I have been hurt and scarred, but that alone isn''t good enough as a reason for me to remain scared''.


    ''I worked towards inheriting the fire guardian''s legacy, but that wasn''t the only thing I needed''.


    ''what use is a legacy if the mind behind the wheel is weak willed?...''


    ''it doesn''t matter how much stronger I be, so long as my mentality is fragile, I will always remain a nobody''.


    ''it doesn''t take me being born special for me to be special, it takes me working towards being special, to make myself special''.


    ''a genius isn''t made in a day, a genius is groomed into bing a genius''.


    ''no matter how tiny I am in this vast universe, I should never disregard my existence''.


    ''i matter, not to anyone, but to myself''.


    ''i have been traumatized by the Goblin, but I shouldn''t let that define who I am going to be''.


    ''i shouldn''t let one obstacle define me as an entity''.


    ''what I should do is let the obstacle be a demonstration to how strong I am for not getting pulled down by it''.


    ''i, am strong''.


    ''Oracle...''


    [.......].


    [wee back master, you called].


    ''thank you for being there for me, you can switch ces with me now''.


    *** BEFORE


    The first Goblin general, massaged his shoulder by spraining it forward and backward.


    "alright, shall we get started".<novelnext></novelnext>


    He says as he suddenly closed the distance and appeared before the Goblin.


    The Goblin, swung his fist at the first general who easily caught it with his palm wide open.


    "hmmm...., you have got one hell of a punching power despite having a little body" (first general).


    The first Goblin general elongated his hand and jabbed at the Goblin, with his fist covering the whole body of the tiny Goblin.


    The Goblin''s back hit the wall, and dust puffed out from the wall.


    "hmm..." (first general).


    The first Goblin general moved out of the way and in turn, the Goblinnded there with force causing a crater on the ground.


    "first general, it seems you are losing your touch as you have yet to damage any of his limbs" (second general).


    The first general despite hearing the words of the second general,pletely ignored it as he had his hands full with the Goblin.


    The Goblin had erected out thorns from the ground the first general is currently standing on after his evasion from the Goblin.


    The Goblin had used himself as a bait bynding where the first general was standing, knowing fully well that the first general would have no trouble evading him.


    The first general had evaded and in doing so, he had yed into the hands of the Goblin.


    He grabbed hold of the vines crawling up on his body and started tearing it all apart.


    ripping it apart was no use as the vines keep on regenerating fast enough on his body and squeezing the life out of him.


    The first general dawned on his poker face and remained calm the whole time.


    Despite being in danger of being squeezed to death, he showed no hint of uneasiness or nervousness on the situation, if anything, he was too calm and cool about it.


    "your persistence is trulymendable, Goblin" (first general).


    The first general banged his leg on the ground, and roared out gantly.


    His body emitting sparks, as the grounds began to shake.


    The sparksing out from his body got thicker and thicker until it took the form of thunderps raveging through his body.


    His muscles bulged out more and visible veins running through his thick flesh.


    The vines that were wrapping itself around him, died after being exposed to the thunderps emitting from his body.


    he touched the withered vines and crushed it into pieces, then looked at the Goblin with an rming expression.


    "now little one, let''s have some fun with each other now, shall we" (first general).


    The three generals who were at the rear, saw the changes the first general had undergone, and all went ahead to sit on the ground.


    "ho, ho, ho. There he goes, there he goes. He never ceases to amaze me with that form of his" (second general).


    "he isn''t called the second Goblin general for nothing" (third general).


    "guess we can just sit back now and wait for him to get the job done" (second general).


    "I do have to say though, it really sucks not being able to participate, I would have loved to get my hands on the Goblin myself and slowly squeeze the life out of him" (second general).


    With the words he had just uttered, the second Goblin general realized once again how he is not suited for going easy on his opponent.


    "maybe if you get to learn self restraint like the first Goblin general over there, you will get to have your chance" (third general).


    "that looks like too much hard work, I will pass on it. Besides, you are one to talk when you are in the same category as I when ites to not being able to hold back" (second general).


    The first general pointed his big finger at the Goblin in his front and smirked.


    e on Goblin, what''s keeping you" (first general).

 Chapter 86 Out Of His Shell

    ?The Goblin''s dead expression looking lifeless at the first general.


    Not making any gestures, five me energy in the shape of balls appeared in the Goblin''s sides.


    He raised one hand up and pointed it at the first general, the fire balls following his hand gestures began raining itself on the first general.


    The first general stood his grounds, thrusted his handsced with thunderps sparkling every seconds forward and with brute strength, started punching down the fire balls raining on him.


    making contact with the first general''s hand, the fire balls exploded, doing no damage to the first general.


    e on Goblin, this isn''t all you have is it" (first general).


    The Goblin with a still stern face ignored the taunting of the first general and continues his attack on him.


    The Goblin erected out vines from his sides and coated them in his mes,


    Using the vines coated in fire as whip, the Goblin used it to attack the first general.


    The Goblin increased his range of attacks further by producing the same vinesced with fire on the ground situated at the back of the first general.


    "haha, you n on trapping me in a single spot?".


    The first Goblin general stomped his legs on the floor, and static lightning emitted out of his body, blowing away all things within range, including the Goblin and the vines coated with fire.


    "too bad that isn''t going to work on me".


    So far, long distance attacks have proven useless against the first general, and the Goblin knew that, or rather, Oracle knew it would get nowhere going with long distance, so it decided to change to a closebat attack.


    With hands coated in fire from the palm down to the elbow, the Goblinunched at the first general.


    The two Goblins, one with hands coated in fire and the other with his body coated in thunderps, had a collision of fist.


    The first Goblin general, followed up with a kick to the sides, to which the Goblin responded to by blocking it with his hand.


    Despite the weight difference between them, the Goblin wasn''t at all pushed back as he continues exchanging blows with the first general.


    The Goblin swings his fist at the first general''s face who dodged it, the first general did not fall for the rist6 distraction as he looks to his below and saw the vine almost getting to him.


    The first general manifested out his thunder from his finger and used it to blow up the vineing from below.


    The Goblin took advantage of the moment and struck out his leg, but the first general was fast enough to deal with the vine and still have time to respond to the kick from the Goblin.


    The first general caught the Goblin''s leg that headed his way, and with it, he mmed the Goblin down.


    "you did good for a beginner, but you still have much more to learn before you try to win against me",


    "get morebat experience, maybe then we can have a fair Duel".


    the first general said, after sessfully pinning down the Goblin with his leg stuck in his hand.


    The Goblin struggled to let himself free from the grasp of the first general,


    He sprouted out thorns from his leg that was held captive by the first general, the thorns, lengthened from out of the leg and stabbed through the first general''s hand.


    "what the?...."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first general''s reaction to the thorns that had sprouted through his hand was mild as he made a sound no different from when one gets poked with a needle.


    The first general not minding the squabbling of the Goblin, dangled him in his hand as he walked to where the other general''s were at.


    "that sure took you long enough first general" (second general).


    "he is surprisingly more stubborn than he seems" (first general).


    the first general shifted his body coated in thunderps back to his normal form.


    "at least it''s over with, now we can finally go back to our king" (third general).


    The three generals got up, and got ready to go back to the lower floor they came from, with the Goblin with them.


    ***Current


    [master, I do not suggest going out there to fight].


    [master can leave this to me to handle].


    ''i trust you, truly I do, but there are some fights that needs fighting by oneself'',


    ''if I leave it to you, I will never grow out of my shell and will only keep on depending on you forever'',


    ''I don''t want that at all, I have my thought process and methods, resigning myself to fear and trauma is how far I want to stoop, and any further than that, I don''t want to go there''.


    ''the Goblin generals are after me, this is my fight, and I want to fight it my way''.


    [but master, what if you break down like you did earlier].


    ''i am not going to, and if I ever do, I have you to rely on don''t I?.....''


    ''i know you will always have my back, so I have got nothing to worry about''.


    [......]


    [Oracle will proceed as the mastermands].


    ''before you do, brief me on the current situation. I don''t want to go out there with no formal knowledge of what it is like''.


    ''the better knowledgeable informed I am, the more efficient I can be in working my way out of it''.


    [the four Goblin generals openly threatened master with bloodlust, to which I warned them that any further ill will against you will result in their termination].


    [they refused to abide by my warning, and so a fight broke out].


    [I had a brawl with the four Generals, which ended in i having to face off with only the first general].


    ''and the oue''.


    [the situation is dire at the moment now master, but there is no need for master to fear, for I am already opting for ways to get master out of it].


    ''get me out of it?....., exactly how dire of a situation are we talking about here....''

 Chapter 87 Strongest Point

    ?''Oracle, when you said dire, you should have specified more on it''.


    ''this situation to me is beyond dire, this is a kind of situation you refer to as frightening or terrifying''.


    ''how can I be hanging in the hands of one of the Goblin generals and you call it dire like it''s a breeze through kind of situation?....''


    ''i am beginning to doubt your ideology of a bad situation, because this, is a terrible situation and not a dire situation''.


    ''how did I even get to hanging in the hands of the Goblin general?..''


    [the ability of the first general was more than I ounted for, but still within the range of doable].


    [i had gotten too close to him, and caught aware, leading to my capture].


    ''and, is there any way to break out of his hold''.


    [yes there is master, but it is an extreme method that will leave master feeling difort].


    ''i will take that over having to follow this psychopaths anyday, anytime''.


    ''so what do I have to do''.


    [he did not ce master''s body close to himself because he is wary of what master might do then, that is why he is dangling master''s body with a stretched out hand].


    [teleportation is also another effective way of getting free, but for some reasons, I can not teleport master away from his hold].


    [in this case, there is only one thing master can do to get out of his hold].


    [master needs to amputate the leg that is been held captive by the Goblin general].


    ''amputate?, that shouldn''t be too hard, I have amputated all two''s before, so what''s a one that I can''t amputate''.


    ''when you said difort, I thought it was going to be something grandiose, but it''s just amputation, too easy''.


    The four Generals who were making their way back to the lower floor, suddenly stopped.


    Their reasons for stopping was none other than the Goblin the first general was holding unto.


    Through the journey, he kept on squirming and doing whatever he could to take the first general''s hand off of his leg, and now he has stopped resisting.


    He remained docile, and with his lifeless face to add, led the generals under the assumption that he might be dead.


    "first general, it seems he is dead" (second general).


    "he is not, I can still hear his faint breathing" (first general).


    "he is moving again...., but what is he doing" (third general).


    the Goblin who had remain silent, made sudden movements once again. He raised his upper body that was dangling down, and produced out thorn from his palm, using it to cut through his leg.


    He precisely cut through the part of the leg that wasn''t being held by the fourth general.


    When he was done, he jumped away from the Goblin generals andnded only on one feet, theplete one that is.


    ''Oracle, what happened to Tarja''.


    [I ced her somewhere around the gate where she would be safe in].


    ''good. Oracle, is there any chance of winning against all four of them if theye at me together''.


    [I have collected and analyzed the necessary data about their mode ofbat after I took over master''s body].


    ''and...''


    [they are all fairly powerful, but the one that poses the most threat to master, is the first Goblin general].


    ''what are the odds, me on all four of them''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [not good master, but if it''s a one on one showdown, master will surelye out victorious].


    ''so my best chance at survival is reducing their number before engaging them in an openbat?.....''


    [if master can take out the first general, the remaining three will be no problem for master].


    ''except i do not assume the first general will watch as I take out his Comrades?.....''


    [there is a possibility that he will. The bond between the four of them is not to the point of sacrificing their lives for each other].


    [they operate on individual strength, if the first general consider''s the other three general''s as baggage, he would do anything to take them out himself].


    ''someradeship they have going on there''.


    ''my best bet is driving a wedge between them, or somehow create a scenerio where i have to make the first general think of the other three generals as baggage and end up taking them out by himself?...''


    ''hmm....., that sure is a good possibility, but not a very assured one''.


    ''no matter how less he thinks of hisrades, turning on them when you have an enemy against you isn''t really a wise option to go for''.


    ''also, what kind of scenario can I make up that will drive a wedge between them, when I know absolutely nothing about them?''.


    ''this whole situation is even more messed up, I wonder what level they are at now for them to make I, who is no longer bound by level this desperate?..''


    [master, it is not about the level but about the skill. If one has a powerful unique skill, they can surpass their level limits and go up against beings without level].


    ''if you say the first general is a troublesome opponent, am I to assume he has a unique skill''.


    [it appears so master].


    ''and, do you have any idea what it might be''


    [it is a skill rted to lightening. The effect of his lightening can nullify master''s vine Elemental, inferno Elemental unique skill, and even teleportation does not work when in contact with his body].


    [when I checked earlier, he had lighteninging out of the hand he was using to hold unto master''s leg, that is why I couldn''t use the teleportation].


    [it however did not affect master when you produced the vines from your palm, thus my conclusion that physical touch is required on the body parts needed to use the skill].


    [the only option for master going against him is to resort to physical prowess].


    ''closebat fighting?, that''s not really my strongest point''.


    [master, there is also a better choiceid down].


    ''what is it.....''


    [with master''s permission, I can teleport you safely out of here, and won''t have to fight with them].


    ''why should I have to do that?....'',


    ''why should I have to run when I did nothing wrong?...''


    ''this same goblins captured me and treated me as they saw fit, so why should I have to run from the likes of them?...''


    ''i matter just as much as they do, I have a life just as they do'',


    ''if they think they can treat me badly because I am weaker, I won''t be sitting still''.


    ''I will not be taken for granted, nor will I allow anyone walk over me as they see fit, not when I know my worth''.


    ''besides, if I were to run, they would just try to track me down again like they did the first time'',


    ''i have no reason to run from the likes of them, nor do I n to''.


    ''its either I die trying to kill them, or they die trying to kill me''.

 Chapter 88 A Sure Bust

    ?His leg continues to spill out blood, dripping on the floor and spreading.


    Vinesing out from the cut off part of the leg and rebuilding itself with the shape of the leg as reference, It did not take long for him to have gotten his thorn shaped leg back.


    ''it sucks having to go back to using wood for a leg, especially when I have just acquired the body not too long ago..., damn I really suck at maintaining my body''.


    ''this is still better though, because it is only one part of the body''.


    ''also, I don''t know if it''s because I only cut off a leg, the pain I felt wasn''t as much as when I had all four cut off''.


    ''as I thought, being an half spiritual lifeform is the best''.


    "what do you think you are doing...." (first general).


    The Goblin was distracted from his thoughts by the coarse voice of the first general ringing in his ears.


    ''his voice still gives me the shivers, but nothing I cannot handle'',


    ''i am strong, I am strong, I am strong''.


    ''that''s all I need to remember to be able to stand firm and tall''.


    While motivating himself to face off against the generals, another voice with a different tone from the first one sounded in his ears.


    "wow....., is that how you escaped from your prison cell?...." (second general).


    "Cutting off your leg without even battling an eye, all just to escape from the first general. I must say, you are one desperate Goblin" (second general).


    "cutting off his leg and recing it with wood made from his skill?....., he is more crazy than I thought" (third general).


    "crazy or not, what he did is a foolish act. Why escape when he is only going to end up captured again?, does he not know he is only dying our return to the king with his foolish actions?" (second general).


    "I asked, what do you think you are doing" (first general).


    The first general, ignorant to the words of the second general, stared at the Goblin with hatred filled eyes as he pesters with an angry voice.


    e back here right now" (first general).


    Reaching his hand out and making a gesture with the fingers signifying ae sign, like he was giving outmand to a child that had just misbehaved and about to be punished.


    "don''t make me repeat myself ore over there toe and get you myself" (first general).


    "you are not expecting a yes, yes, now are you?. I am not some kind ofpdog that dances to every tune its owner makes" (Goblin).


    "sigh..., Goblin, I don''t know what it is you think you are doing, but whatever it is, believe me now when I tell you it won''t work" (first general).


    "our king, ordered for your capture with an exception of not killing you. Being in one piece or in half piece is not a bother to him" (first general).


    "now you see, the three general''s here do not know what restraint is, and are incapable of bringing you in alive, but not me" (first general).<novelnext></novelnext>


    "me, I very much know how to restrain myself from killing my opponent"(first general).


    "i don''t know how durable or how resistant you think you are to pain, I will break all your limbs, shatter your body into tiny pieces while making sure you don''t die" (first general).


    "that I don''t want to do, because I want you in aplete and sane form when I present you to our king. Now, don''t force my hand to have to resort to that and obediently follow me" (first general).


    "I n on going nowhere with you. Matter of fact, none of you are leaving this ce alive" (Goblin).


    "hahaaha, got to hand it to him, he sure has a way with words and calling it bluff" (second general).


    "the hard way it seems?" (first general).


    The first Goblin general''s body once again emitting out thunderps, with his veins out.


    One step forward was all it took for the first general to get to the Goblin, and swung down his thunderp dded fist at the him.


    He could not get a direct hit in as the Goblin immediately teleported with just a breathe away before the fist could touch him.


    The Goblin arrived in the midst of the three Generals and hastily sprouted out thorns from both his body and the surroundings.


    The three generals responded by wanting to move away from their spot, but they couldn''t go too far as they have been surrounded by vines.


    The Goblin built the vines in a way that closed off the first general''s route toing back,


    Though it won''t stop him, it will stall him for a brief moment, which is what the Goblin wanted.


    The second general used his shift skill to move himself away from the range of the vines, while the third general erected the ground and used it as a cover to surround himself from the vine.


    The fourth Goblin general with only his double edged axe to rely on, swung it around smoothly, cutting all the vines that wereing at him.


    A vine had almost reached the neck of the fourth general when it stopped moving, or rather the Goblin controlling the vine stopped its movement.


    The Goblin stopped attacking as a result of the first general charging at him with furious eyes, after having destroyed the vines that stood in his way.


    The Goblin quickly teleported out of the first general''s way, making a wide distance between them both.


    The first general couldn''t put a fast brake on himself as he ran too fast, and ended up diverting his fist to the ground, blowing it into pieces.


    "that sure was a bust" (Goblin).


    The Goblin''s attack had failed after failing to kill none out of the four Goblin generals.


    He wasn''t too disheartened by this, because he had expected it to not be easy.


    He had failed, but he still has the upper hands thanks to the speed of the teleportation skill, capable of getting him out of harm''s way in time.


    What he needs to do now, is keep on attacking the four Generals with various methods, while also utilizing the teleportation skill to make his escape whenever he needs to.

 Chapter 89 Sacrifice

    ?"you all have no reason to stay idle any longer. He ns on taking out the three of you, so he can fully concentrate on me" (first general).


    "keep your guards up, or you might end up losing your lives" (first general).


    The first Goblin general, warned the other three goblin general''s with an rming tone, on what the Goblin is trying to achieve.


    The Goblin generals, especially the second Goblin general, felt angry that the Goblin would treat him the same as some third rate warrior, thinking he could take him out that easily.


    "I didn''t want to intervene so I won''t have to kill you, but you have just pushed your little luck now Goblin" (second general).


    The Goblin ignored the threat of the second Goblin general and used his soil Elemental to turn the hard walls, slowly dissolving it to bing more sandy like.


    He controlled the sand gotten from the wall, and dispersed it into the atmosphere to block the vision of every Goblin present.


    The sand made of tiny particles of stones will have several effects when released into the surroundings in an aggressive way.


    Like a bee hive swarming a man, the sand hits the body of the Goblins abrasively, causing little damages to them.


    Of course, the outeryer of the Goblin skin is tough, and the damages incurred from the sand is less noticeable, unless of course the sand sticks to and find its way into the inneryer of their skin.


    On a normal note, that should logically be impossible, for sand to somehow prate through the tough skin of the Goblins,


    It''s like stick trying to find a way to go through metal?..., it is both impossible, and an insane idea to think of in the first ce.


    But what if?....., just what if?....., and what if?..., the stick isced with fire?...., what would happen then?...


    When fire is lit on a stick, it burns. And when the stick with fire burning on it is put close to metal, it melts the metal, paving the way for the stick to go through.


    The same method can be applied in this case.


    The Goblin general''s skin can be considered as the metal, and the sand being the stick.


    With the sand alone, it would only give them pain equating to being pped on the face, it is painful, but the pain won''t be forever.


    But if, the sand is infused with fire attribute mana which also happens to be the constitution centered on the Goblin''s core.


    If the sand whose texture is coarse in nature, gets mixed with fire, it burns off before it can even do what the Goblin wants it to.


    But, if the sand gets mixed with fire attributed mana, it bes hotter, simr to when the sun is set to a very high degree and gets exposed to sand, leaving one unable to walk barefoot in it. Except in this case, the sand is far more blistering.


    The Goblin, assimted his fire attribute mana into the sand and used it to attack the Goblin generals.


    The second Goblin general, used his shift skill to move about evading the sand, but there was no where in sight he could shift to that he won''t meet with the sand that dispersed through the surroundings.


    The third Goblin general, erected the ground and once again used it to cover himself from the sand, the sand however, found their way through the cracks and into the space.


    The fourth Goblin general, could do nothing but swing around his double edged axe in vain, slicing through the sands, as they keeping back together and tormenting him once again.


    The first Goblin general, was unaffected by the sand, due to his lightning body, destroying every grain of sand before it could touch his body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first Goblin general unaffected, proceeds to attacking the Goblin thinking that if he distracts him, the sand wave would stop, and the other Goblin generals will be free.


    The Goblin, made use of his teleportation to evade the first Goblin general every time he gets within his range of attack.


    The sand filtered to their body andtched umto their skin. At that moment, the Goblin ignited the sand and it burst up in mes.


    The three goblin generals screeched out in pain as their body was set on fire.


    As for the first Goblin general, the thunderps vibrating on his outer skin wards off the sand, and none of it could get near him as he continues to chase after the Goblin.


    The third Goblin general, broke down the earth defense wall he had earlier erected to avoid being caught in the sand wave. He broke it down, and ran out screaming in pain.


    The fire riling up with every seconds it spends on the Goblins body, and their cry of agony bing even louder.


    Now, they were more vulnerable than ever, and the Goblin could make his attack without them having any means of defending against it as they are too busy dealing with the fire.


    The only problem is, the first general isn''t giving the Goblin any more openings to formte another attack.


    If the Goblin raises his hands in the direction of the three Goblin Generals writhing in anguish, the first general immediately descends on the Goblin, there by incapacitating his focus on the three Generals.


    Despite the first general being on the Goblin''s tail, the Goblin is quick to use his teleportation to outrun the first general.


    He needed to find a way to take down the three Generals while they are still upied with pain.


    The more time passes, the more their body will adapt to the current pain they are going through, and if that happens, the Goblin''s chance of shifting the wave of the fight in his favor by having to deal only with the first general will be extended.


    Another idea once again took shape in the Goblin''s mind, and he worked towards making it a reality.


    The Goblin, teleported himself to another spot away from the first general, and activated his vine Elemental skill by touching the ground.


    He sprang up vines and surrounded himself with it, then sprouted out mes and also surrounded himself with it.


    He lengthened the height of the vines and the fire, shaping it as a fortress.


    The Goblin, from the ground below him sprouted out more vines, and used it to elevate himself upwards.


    The first general tried to get himself into the circle the Goblin was in, but he had already teleported away from there.


    The first general followed through, as he immediately arrives in the destination the Goblin had just teleported to, but the Goblin was quick enough to teleport himself back to the circle that was still growing taller even without the Goblin there.


    When the Goblin got into the circle, it had already grown too tall for the first general to catch up with him.


    He would have to jump to an insane height if he wanted to reach the Goblin.


    Still, he was ready and well prepared to make that jump regardless of how long it was going to take him to get there.


    He did want to jump, but he couldn''t, not u after he saw the actions the Goblin took next.

 Chapter 90 Death By Incineration

    ?The Goblin, standing on the pir burning from all sides that he had made with his vine Elemental skill and fire Elemental skill.


    The pir was carved out like a tree, growing to an insurmountable height that would require the first Goblin general to muster all his feet strength to propell him towards the Goblin.


    The first Goblin general, saw the height distance the Goblin had out between them, and he deduced that the time it would require him to get to the Goblin, will give the Goblin enough time to teleport himself somewhere else.


    If he were to go down that route, they would both end up in a time loop of the Goblin running, and him endlessly chasing after the Goblin.


    The first Goblin general made a decision of not having himself trapped in such a time loop.


    He gave into the Goblin''s demand of wanting to take out the three Goblin Generals first beforeing to face him directly.


    The first Goblin general, knew this wasn''t a choice for him, but something he had to do.


    The Goblin, have proven to be faster than him with the help of the skill that allows him to instant move to another location.


    The first Goblin general, had thought that the skill was in a way simr to the skill of the second Goblin general, if so, he also thought that the two skill''s would share simr disadvantages.


    His thoughts however were discarded when he discovered that the skill the Goblin is using does not share a disadvantage with the second Goblin general''s skill.


    If anything, the movement skill of the Goblin far out advantages the movement skill of the second Goblin general.


    The only way to put an end to this, is the first Goblin general sacrificing the three Goblin Generals in exchange for the full attention of the Goblin.


    "get yourselves together if you don''t want to die".


    the first Goblin general yelled out to the three Goblin Generals who were upied with the torment from the fire burning their bodies.


    He had given up on chasing the Goblin and giving him the time to take them out, but that doesn''t mean he still won''t warn them.


    It is indeed a stain to his reputation if he were to lose the three Goblin Generals under his watch, but the orders of his kinges first.


    The best he can do to help them now, is to warn them of theing danger, and hope that they are able to get themselves together to ward of the dangers.


    The first Goblin general''s yell was able to get through to the second general as he regained himself and struggled to get his body ustomed to the fire burning him.


    The Goblin wasn''t going to give time to any of the Generals to get used to the fire, as he moves to carry out his next n.


    He saw the first Goblin general staying still and no longer chasing him.


    The Goblin''s thought to the actions of the first Goblin general was one of taunting.


    Come on, i won''t move a step so give it your best shot and see what you can aplish with it.


    Is what the Goblin thought the first Goblin general was trying to convey to him.


    Irrespective of what oue the first Goblin general is aiming for, is none of the Goblin''s concern.


    He has only one task to carry out here, secure his path to survival by killing all four Generals that are currently below him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That is the oue he is vying for, and the oue that is bound to be.


    From atop the pir, the Goblin raised his tiny right hand, and from the ground, sprouted out thorns.


    The first Goblin general, jumped up andtched himself unto the side bark''s of the tree like pir the Goblin is standing on.


    The other three goblin Generals were not responsive to the thorns as they are upied with the still burning mes in their body.


    The thorns bruised the four Goblin generals all over their body, making open wounds on their bodies.


    The mes that was burning their bodies, found its way to the open wound caused from the thorn, and this put them in an even more agonizing torment.


    They moved about, running and screaming but they couldn''t go too far because they have been surrounded from all sides by the vines and fire.


    Leaving them alone the way they are, they were sure to die of burning, or procuring of too much stabbing from the thorns, and the pain they were being put through.


    This are things that could do away with the three Generals if left be, but the Goblin wasn''t done with them yet.


    He thrust his hand forward and sprouted out vines from the pir he is standing on.


    The first Goblin general who had taken refuge by sticking himself to the side of the pir, jumped away from it when he felt odd movementsing from within the pir.


    He sprung himself to the wall opposite the pir, and moved further up to avoid getting in the way of the vines that is sprouting out from the pir''s body.


    The vines kept on growing from all sides of the pir, reaching to the walls facing the pir.


    When it had finished growing, it looked like a circle with the pir being at the center and the vines covering the ground below.


    More like a covered pot, the ground being the inside of the pot, and the cover of the pot being the vines, the little round stuff on top of the cover, being the pir the vines came out from.


    Covered by the vines below, is the three Goblin Generals trapped Inside of a raging fire with thorns all around them, cooking them alive.


    The Goblin looked down below, and made a distasteful expression on his face.


    The first Goblin general who istching to the side of wall just above the vines also looked down below at hisrades suffering in the fire pit.


    "incinerate".


    The Goblin said, as he increased the intensity of the Fire burning the three Generals.


    The fire bubbled up more, with some of it escaping the vines with a ssh to the outside.


    The Goblin, raised his head and turned to the first Goblin general who in turned also stared at him with a cold and sensitive re.


    "you are, next" (Goblin).

 Chapter 91 First General / The Goblin 1

    ?The first Goblin general''s face shrouded in hate and vignce directed at the Goblin.


    The event going on below him, are three goblins, though ranked lower than him, are still warriors strong enough to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.


    Those said Goblins are down there, in a sea of fire and getting burnt to the death while being helpless to do anything about it.


    Now he knew more than ever, he had to be on his highest possible alert if he doesn''t want to end up like that.


    The first Goblin general released lightening from his hand and directed it towards the Goblin.


    He had waited for the Goblin to finish killing the other generals so now, the Goblin should be giving him attention instead of just fleeing like he always does.


    The first Goblin general''s thought was right, the Goblin did not run or divert his attention elsewhere but instead confronted the first Goblin general.


    The Goblin, jumped up and evaded the lightening heading his way, and in return, he makes a bow with thorns and fired off three consecutive shots at the first Goblin general.


    He is wary and on edge of what the oue of this battle will be.


    The mission their king had given to all four of them, was to bring back a single Goblin.


    Now three has been lost and he is the only one left still alive and ready to go, but he wasn''t going to go down without a fight.


    A lot things had happened to the Goblin that made him far stronger than the first Goblin general remembered,


    things that made it possible for the Goblin to now be capable of taking out three Goblin Generals in a single run and without much effort.


    The first Goblin general would be telling a tant lie if he were to say he still underestimated and under view the Goblin.


    Its safe to say, that he and the Goblin are either on an equal level, or the Goblin''s level is a notch above his.


    Whichever it is, he needed to take this very seriously if he doesn''t want to betray themand of his king.


    Losing the three Generals is had enough on him, he cannot begin to fathom what it would be like to even lose the trust of his king by failing to capture the Goblin.


    For the first Goblin general, this is a do or die situation where he either captures the Goblin, or he dies trying to.


    The two Goblins, unaware of each other''s intentions, are bothying down their lives for the oue of this battle.


    The first Goblin general hurls three lightening at the arrows to destroy them.


    Stomping his two feet to the wall, he propel''s himself towards the Goblin who hadnded on the wall and shot another arrow at the first general.


    The first general easily destroys the arrow with his fist and continues his path towards the Goblin.


    The Goblin was getting nowhere with his arrows and so he decided to try another form of attack.


    As Oracle had earlier told him that closebat attack is his best bet in taking down the first Goblin general.


    The Goblin, produced out thorns from his hand, and carved the thorns to take the form of a sledgehammer, sizable enough to fit his hand, while the end part is the size of his body multiplied by two.


    The Goblin had no problem with lifting the sledgehammer mostly because his strength far outweighs his body by a long margin.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Goblin swings down the sledgehammer at the first general who had almost gotten to him.


    His actions stopped the first general from approaching him and hastily jumping back to the wall, then make fast movements and opt for going at the Goblin from sideways.


    Despite the size difference, the Goblin was fast enough to raise his sledgehammer and also change directions to the sides, following the first general.


    The first Goblin general was quick enough to move out of the sledgehammer''s path and jumped above it.


    The Goblin''s pursuance on the first Goblin general was relentless and unending. He raises the sledgehammer upwards at the first general who had jumped in avoidance of the same sledgehammer.


    The first Goblin general''s body discharged out lightening that touched the sledgehammer and destroyed it into pieces.


    The range of the lightening expanded, and it made contact with the Goblin, which ended up blowing him away to the wall opposite him.


    He crashed into the wall, with his body pressing into and shattering it.


    The first general gave no time for the Goblin to put himself together.


    taking a step forward and appearing before the Goblin, the first general thrusted out his fist aiming to crush the Goblin between the walls.


    The Goblin, hurriedly got out of the way by moving downward while the fist of the first general rams through the wall.


    He repositioned himself by clinging to the hand of the first general, steeled his footing to the wall with his two hands hanging unto the first general''s hand.


    The Goblin dragged down the first general''s hand, flipping him over and causing his head and the rest of his body to hit the wall, with his head facing downwards and his legs upwards.


    The Goblin locked the first general''s hand in an arm bar and sprained it backwards, thereby dislocating it.


    The first Goblin general did not moan out, nor did he make any diforting sounds like the Goblin had expected him to.


    If anything, the first Goblin general''s reaction to his arm breaking was one of negligence, like he had experienced it multiple times to now want to feel any pain on it.


    With his broken arm, the first general lifted it like it was nothing and mmed it to the wall with the Goblin still hanging unto it.


    The first Goblin general once again mmed his broken hand to the wall, and again, and again, with the Goblin refusing to let go of the hand.


    The thunderps that was being emitted every seconds from the first Goblin general''s body, hit the Goblin multiple times, umting continuous damage on him.


    Knowing that nothing good was going toe off of holding unto his hand, the Goblin let go and jumped to the opposite side of the wall.


    This gave the first Goblin general the opportunity to stand back on his feet in an upright position, with his feet leaned against the wall.


    He grabs unto the hand that had been sprained by the Goblin and twists it around before popping it down, there by setting the bones right.


    He spits out white substance from his mouth, with his face filled with even more hatred, deep enough to crumble one''s resolve.


    The Goblin as well did not back down, nor did he let himself get intimidated by the first general''s stare as he also stares back hard.

 Chapter 92 First General / The Goblin 2

    ?"huff...., huff...., huff....., huff...."


    Pacing his breath with fast demeanor, concentrating on sucking in even the slightest air around him, is the first Goblin general.


    Stuck to the wall, with his head staring right up at the Goblin who is on the opposite side of the wall.


    The first Goblin general fought valiantly, and despite the Goblin having a higher threat level and more skillposition than him, he was still able to equal the Goblin in battle.


    Relying on his only unique skill, call of thunder, that allows him to negate any mana rted attacks, coupled withbat experience gained from battling with the Orcs and dueling with the Goblin king, the first Goblin general did not at all fall short to the Goblin or let himself get overwhelmed.


    The first Goblin general indeed fough bravely, enough to have the Goblin taking him very seriously.


    But, as an entity still bound by the concept of level, going against another entity who has crossed through the boundaries of level and graced the realm of an half spiritual entity,


    the first Goblin general is most certainly intertwined in a disadvantaged fight.


    Beings who are no longer registered by levels, but by rank, are beings who have been proven strong enough to leave their marks on the world.


    The first Goblin general whose level still lingers at seventy-three is undoubtedly one of the strong, but only whenpared to those bound by level.


    But,pared to the Goblin who had gone beyond the level cap, and meeting the requirement to bing an half spiritual entity is no doubt far above the first Goblin general.


    The first Goblin general''s saving grace for being opportuned to go against an half spiritual entity while still being bound by level, is thanks to his awakening to a unique skill.


    Unique skill has the property of not minding what one''s level is, and boosting the user to greater heights.


    The downside to it is, if the user''s level is set very low and they happen to awaken to a unique skill, there is a chance that the unique skill will slowly continue to kill its user because of the lower level difference.


    Unique skill are skills that should only be possible to awaken among few spiritual entities like the Goblin.


    For those who aren''t spiritual entities, and still managed to awaken a unique skill, In exchange for spiking up the user''s level, it continues to damage the user''s physical body by overextending it beyond its capabilities.


    In the case of the first Goblin general, he is a monster bestowed with peak physical prowess allowing him to bear the grunt of using his unique skill.


    However, when put side by side against an half spiritual entity, the duration at which the first Goblin general can continue to withstand the pressure thates from using his unique skill with an unsuitable body will be shorter.


    Fatigue will continue to umte in his body, causing him to be slower the longer he continues to use his unique skill.


    His senses that he takes so much pride in will start to fail him as everything bes all jumpled up.


    The nerves in his body that allows motion be possible will eventually wear out.


    When it all gets down, the first Goblin general will not be able to keep his hold over his unique skill usage and will be left with no other choice but to deactivate it if he wants to continue living.


    The first Goblin general is faced with a choice of continuous usage of his unique skill until his body wears out and ends up killing him, or deactivation of his unique skill and face off against the Goblin without it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The first Goblin general does have a choice to make, but he tore apart said choice with his unwavering decision.


    His life was dedicated to the Goblin king right from the time he decided to serve him.


    Just like the other Goblins serving under the king, he desires only one thing, to always make the wishes of his kinge to pass.


    He grew up dreaming of a position that ces him beside his king, and unlike the other goblins who could only dream about it, he achieved it.


    He struggled and achieved the right deserving him of the seat next to the king, now....., now he is about to lose that seat.


    The first Goblin general could feel it in his body that his time was up.


    His body is already starting to wear out, and he could no longer muster as much speed as he had in the beginning of the fight.


    His body''s durability has rapidly fallen, and even now he is only pushing himself, trying to reach his limits despite knowing the dangers of doing so.


    The truth is, he had an inking he wasn''t going to survive this encounter when he saw how the Goblin had obliterated the three Goblin Generals.


    Still, he just couldn''t go back empty handed to tell his king that he had failed to carry out his orders.


    He couldn''t settle for an option like that, and so he chose to die trying to.


    The first Goblin general hurls lightening from his hands at the Goblin who evaded it and made his way towards the first general.


    The Goblin getting to the first general, thrust his hand at the first general.


    The difference between the two was now more visible as the Goblin was able to get to the first general without even putting in much effort, and the first general too slow to get out of there in time.


    The first general, raised his guard to tank the Goblin''s fist, but his two hands exploded when the Goblin''s fist made contact with it.


    It was a given that the first general''s durability had reached its limit, and only slight touches from the Goblin was enough to cause it tremendous damage.


    The Goblin retreated back to the opposite wall, and from there, he stared at the first general struggling to maintain his hold to the wall without his hands.


    The first general could no longer keep up, and he fell down from the wall and into the pit of fire that had burned the other three Generals alive.


    His body, broke through the vines that had covered the ground, and he continued falling down.


    When he had almost gotten to the ground, the spikes below were now visible to him, as he tries to control his body to not get impaled by it, but it was inevitable.


    He fell down hard and got stabbed to the stomach by the spikes.

 Chapter 93 His Dying Words

    ?The Goblin stretched out his hand to put out the fire that was burning below. He let go of his hold on the wall and fell straight to the ground with perfectnding of his two legs pressing the ground and his body upper body bent down.


    When the Goblin started falling, spikes that had covered the ground immediately withdrew itself back to the ground except for the spike that had impaled the first Goblin general''s body.


    The Goblin getting to the ground, turned his head around to see blood that had turned dark-red, and the bodies of the three Goblin Generals burnt beyond recognition.


    He walked over to the impaled body of the first Goblin general that was still intact, with the exception of the spike protruding from his body.


    he got to the first general''s body set in aying position, and erected out vines carved like a stool from the ground below him.


    Standing on the stool, the Goblin lengthened the height of the stool to be tall enough for him to see the face of the first Goblin general''s body.


    with disdain, the Goblin red hard at the first general whose eyes and mouth were wide open, blood dripping from his nose and eyes, dying his face red.


    This is the one who had put him through misery, tortured him and treated him like he was nothing.


    What a twist of fate this is, the Goblin thought with eyes still glued to the first general''s bloody face.


    When he had first met the four Goblin generals, they seemed to him like an insurmountable mountain, one who wouldn''t budge even with the mightiest push to it.


    Now...., said mountains areid scattered before him, rendered helpless and defenseless.


    This scene made the Goblin understand that there is no such a thing as absolute.


    He who thinks himself a felon should continue being a felon.


    He who prides himself a Saint should continue trending the path of a Saint.


    He who pictures himself mighty should continue to live in the delusion carved out from his innate desires.


    This world is shaky and unstable, and nothing in it stays forever.


    At some point in time, a change is bound to ur, either in small quantity or inrge quantity, favorable or not.


    The enemies he thought were unbreakable are the same enemies with their tattered bodiesyed on the ground, helpless against him.


    One could say, he had seeded in achieving justice on those who oppressed him.


    This is a just cause for him to rejoice on, but rather than rejoice, the Goblin felt fearful.


    This is what became of those who did him bad, thinking there would be no repercussions to their actions.


    The statement, karma is a bitch, is a fact because karma has no respect for levels or rank.


    He asked himself, what fine line is there that differentiates himself from the Goblin generals?....


    Just like they are, he is a monster thorough and thorough, born and grew into the acts defining a monster.


    Despite once having the memories of a human, he did not show or demonstrate the qualities belonging to one.


    He has embodied the nature of a monster and is not ready to let go of it, nor is he going to deny it.


    Denying it is the same thing as denying himself and what he has gone through. He does not deny it, but he fears what the future of it entails for him.


    The life of a monster is not a life one would wish on his or her enemy. A life where one misstep is enough to have him ending up like the four Generals before him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The current Goblin has gotten far stronger, and to some will look even untouchable. But he remembers, that there was once a time when the four Goblin generals also seemed untouchable.


    "sighhhhh......"


    The Goblin raised his head up, with only the top of the pir he made with vines in his view.


    "a pointless journey I walk, yet I can''t desist from it".


    He spouts out with a condensing tone and a longing expression.


    "l.....o...."


    the stuttering voice of the first Goblin general brought the Goblin back from whatever space he had stared off to.


    "you are still alive?....., a tough soul you are".


    "lo...l...."


    The first Goblin general ignoring the Goblin as he continues to try and force out words.


    "don''t strain yourself too much. Even without me doing anything, you are not going to survive this".


    "you have lost too much blood, your body is also in decline. I am surprised you can still move your mouth in your current state".


    "i won''t be killing you, so you can try and rx. It''s thest form of dignity I can give to you as a warrior who put his life on the line for the sake of what he believes in".


    The Goblin said to the first Goblin general who refused to listen and still continued stammering the "l" word.


    The Goblin gave up trying to convince the first general, as he stood beside him, waiting for him to take hisst breath.


    The first Goblin general, doing his hardest to squeeze out the words, and the desperation could be seen on his bloodied face squinting together, with his hand slowly being raised up.


    "you really don''t need to force yourself you know. It doesn''t matter what it is you want to say now, nothing will change".


    "i have won, and you have lost. Now, die in peace".


    "lo.....lo....ng..."


    Turning a deaf ear to the Goblin''s advice, the first general continued.


    It was bing clear to him that no matter how far or how much he forced himself to, the words were unwilling toe out.


    So, he resorted to a more extreme way to speak out hisst words.


    The first Goblin general, while on his dying breath, activated his unique skill, call of thunder.


    His copsing body generated lightening effects that was so weak it was barely visible.


    The Goblin saw what was happening, but did not bother too much, because he knew there was nothing more the first general could do to harm him in his current condition.


    "long love the king of the Goblins, may his reign be eternal, and may he do away with your head!!".


    with hisst streak of energy, the first Goblin general cried out, gratifying his king in all possible before taking his final breath.

 Chapter 94 Unpredictable

    ?"long love the king of the Goblins, may his reign be eternal, and may he do away with your head". (first general).


    The Goblin''s reaction towards the out loud cry of the first general could be summed up as anger and admiration.


    He felt angry hearing the harbinger of his sufferinging out of the first general''s mouth, and he felt admiration towards the first general who with hisst breath, showed his loyalty till the end.


    The Goblin wondered, will there evere a time when he will be just as needed and admired by someone else like the Goblin king was?....


    "it''s no use having such thoughts when there are more important matters to attend to".


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes master].


    ''from the performance of the four Goblin generals in battle, can you deduce what my chances will be if I face off against the Goblin king in my current form''.


    [based on the observation of watching master''s fight against the four Generals, I havee to a conclusion that master will surely have the toughest time going up against the Goblin king].


    ''and the end result...''


    [master should be prepared to lose more limbs, or incure injuries that will take a long time before it heals].


    [when it''s all done, master will be vulnerable to any unexpected threat that might surface].


    ''so you are saying, that I will win the battle but lose the war?..., is that it''.


    [yes it is, master].


    "sigh..."


    He sighed out deeply as he stared deep into the empty space, contemting his choices.


    The Goblin''s wants is actually to postpone a face off with the Goblin king, at least until he has gotten strong enough to not leave himself defenseless after the fight.


    But, he knows very well what sort of ce this is.


    He as an half spiritual entity can no longer get stronger by leveling up, but the same cannot be said for the Goblin king.


    The Goblin king has ess to bing even stronger than his current self by killing stronger monsters and leveling up, but the Goblin....,


    The Goblin''s physique is no longer set in the form of growing stronger through the level up process.


    ''Oracle, as an half spiritual lifeform, do you know of a way for me to bing stronger. Like how others level up to get stronger''.


    [master''s only way of getting stronger is through evolution, and evolution in master''s current form can only be attained with a lot of energy].


    [the energy gotten will in turn be used in the reconstruction and further enhancement of master''s body into achieving evolution].


    ''what about this?, if I kill a monster, can I not just absorb whatever energy they have, and continue umting it until I have enough to evolve''.


    ''or do monsters not have energy within them....''


    [monsters do have energy, and it is an idea that is already being implemented].


    [for every monster master has killed after ascending to an half spiritual entity, Oracle has made sure to store the energying off of the monsters].


    ''great, so that means if I keep up with the killing, I will be able to evolve in no time''.


    [negative master].


    ''..., why.....''


    [master is an half spiritual entity wanting to evolve to an higher realm, the amount of energy needed to aplish that requires times two of the energy used in evolving master to an half spiritual rank].


    ''if I continue umting the energy as I currently am, exactly how long will it take for me to evolve''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [going by the present energy assimtion rate, master''s next evolution is set to be triggered in the next three hundred and twenty-four years or more].


    ''...?''


    ''say what?....''


    [is that another one of master''s rhetoric question to signify your exmatory remark].


    ''yes..., yes it is, thanks for pointing that out''.


    ''now, about the evolving only after three hundred and twenty-four years pass''.


    [no master, I said three hundred and twenty-four years or more. It could be three hundred and twenty-four years or extended even more].


    ''yeah about that, will I not have grown old and weary by the time I reach the seventy year mark?, much less getting to three hundred and twenty-four years, which I must say, sounds cool but at the same time scary''.


    [no, master will not. An average Goblin''s Lifespan is two times the Lifespan of humans].


    [master being a goblin, and an half spiritual lifeform now has a Lifespan extension of a thousand].


    ''a thousand?....., you are telling me I am going to age up to a thousand?..., a thousand?.., as in thousand?.....''


    ''not hundred, not five hundred, but a thousand....., like, seriously''.


    [yes master, a thousand].


    ''how many of a human''s generation will I have to live through to survive being alive for a thousand years?....''


    ''a thousand years, a thousand years?. I am going to live long enough to have close to or if not more than ten greats added to my title....., cool''.


    ''hmm..., three hundred years or so more before I can evolve equates to almost half of my entire Lifespan''.


    ''Oracle, what if after three hundred years have gone by, and I manage to evolve, will my Lifespan get extended as well''.


    [yes it will master].


    ''hmm....., that doesn''t sound too bad''.


    ''bidding my confrontation with the Goblin king until after I evolve in three hundred years time does not sound too bad, If I must say, it is an extremely tempting offer for me''.


    ''but....., life doesn''t work that way''.


    ''i am getting stronger doesn''t mean my enemies are getting weaker''.


    ''just as how hundreds of years is enough for me to trigger an evolution, it is also enough time for the Goblin king toe into contact with an anomaly that will boost his strength''.


    ''just as I became more powerful after absorbing the energy of the Fire guardian, what is to say that there isn''t any more tombying dormant under this massive space, waiting to be unleashed?''.


    ''there is a possibility that the Goblin king in search of power might run into something like that and end up bing even deadlier than he already is''.


    ''the world is unpredictable, with the time waiting for no one''.


    ''this, is my chance to strike. A chance where there is still an assurance ofing out with an iplete body form, but still alive. Besides, I promised myself to never run away from my fears ever again''.


    ''i have to buckle up and own up to whateveres my way''.


    ''Oracle, is Tarja going to be safe while I go down the floors, I can''t possibly take it to go fight the king''.


    [she should be master. I ced her close to the fire guardian''s gate that is not so easy to find].


    ''great, I wille back for her when I am done''.

 Chapter 95 Goblin / Goblin Hoard 1

    ?"you havee Goblin, I have been expecting you".


    "from the moment I was informed that the four Goblin generals were dead, I knew, that it was your doing. And that it wouldn''t be long before you find your way back to me".


    The Goblin king''s voice echoed out through the fields, passing by the hundreds of armed goblins spread out before him, until it got to the Goblin who had the eyes of the Goblin multitudesyed on him.


    "i can see you have been expecting me.., especially with the crowd you have managed to bring together".


    "are you that scared to face me alone..., Goblin king".


    The crowd the Goblin is referring to here, is the other goblins whose expression bares malice and hatred towards him.


    The Goblin king, stationed at the very end of his Goblin army, sitting on his throne that has a podium underneath it, allowing him to tower over the Goblin despite being sitted.


    "don''t mind them too much. They are only here to see if you are qualified enough to go up against their king".


    "prove your worth to them by walking down their cold dead bodies as you finally make your way up to me".


    "your actions disgusts me. I can see that you are even more of a coward than I thought of you as".


    "say that after you have me kneeling on your toes".


    "dont worry, I will grant you your wish soon enough".


    After a long brooding over what he should do, the Goblin finally decided to not wait until he evolved before facing the Goblin king.


    He was ready to risk it all to put an end to the ill rtionship between himself and the Goblin king.


    He climbed down the stairs leading to the lower floor where the Goblin base is. When he got down to the floor, he ran, heading for the location disyed in his head.


    He had not gone too far from the floor''s entrance when Oracle called his awareness to the multiple signatures of lifeforms picked up by the detection. The Goblin stopped running, and instead walked over to where the life signatures wereing from.


    What he saw when he got to the location the life signature had picked up from, he was a little bit appalled by the sight.


    An open field in a ce that was supposed to be filled with trees of tremendous sizes, armed goblins lined up in four rolls, with a podium at the end.


    ? The Goblin king taking on a sitting position of having hisps spread apart, his fist used as an holding stick to rest his chin on, and his great sword ced in between hisps.


    In there, the Goblin looked so out of ce with his insignificant height.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was a surprise to the Goblin on how the Goblin king was not only able to spot him from afar, despite being over shadowed by the Goblin armies in his front, but also how the Goblin king knew it was him despite having a new different body.


    The Goblin''s surprised face was quick to wear off when he remembered that the same thing had happened once before, when he was first captured by the fourth Goblin general.


    Courtesy of the Goblin king''s skill being able to predict glimpses of what is toe, even going as far as informing him of when his four most prized warriors have been killed.


    that is, ording to the information he had gotten directly from the mouth of the Goblin king during his capture.


    What really had him surprised, is the speed with which the Goblin armies were assembled just in time for his arrival.


    ''or have they been here all this while, expectant of when I was going toe?....''


    The Goblin thought, but it did not matter which of the option it is. The essential thing is, the Goblin armies are here, and are not on a friendly note with him.


    Walking over the dead bodies of his Goblin armies?...., the Goblin, scoffs at the gruesome remark of the Goblin king.


    Without any hesitation, the Goblin charges forward at the Goblin king''s armies. The armies are in no wrong as they are only following themand given to them by their ruler.


    He can easily jump over the Goblin armies and head straight for their king, but he doesn''t want to do that.


    The greatest form of disrespect one can show towards a warrior who has resolved himself to die in battle, is ignorance to the resolve of said warrior.


    He knows what it feels like to be ignored because he is weak, the emotional pain and difort thates with it, is nothing to joke with. After having gone through that experience, he has learned and understood from it.


    The Goblin warriors he is about to have a face off with, are all warriors who have resigned themselves to whatever oue they face, he isn''t ready to sully their resolve with his arrogance. He will dly take them on, and kill them all as theye, fulfilling their resolve as warriors.


    As the Goblin continued his hasty march towards the Goblin armies who are also charging at him with their weapons raised up, he sprouts out vines from his sides and aimed them in the direction the Goblin armies wereing from.


    The vines uprooted from the ground like roots growing out, moved past the Goblin and hurriedly covered the distance between it and the Goblin armies.


    The vines getting to the Goblin armies, delved right through the stomach of the Goblin hoard that took the lead. It lifted up the Goblin''s body as if showcasing its might of killing the Goblin in one stroke, despite not having a consciousness.


    The other vines that came next, just like the first vine also started stabbing through the stomach of the Goblins they came across.


    The might and numbers of the Goblin became useless as they all continued to fall victims to the vines.


    Some of the Goblins present there, struggled by fighting back in ways only they could.

 Chapter 96 Goblin / Goblin Hoard 2

    ?The Goblin army proceeded to cut down the vine the minute it was about to get to him, using the de he is equipped with.


    He seeded in cutting down the vines, but was attacked by even more vines that wrapped itself around his body and squeezed the life out of him, exploding his body apart with pieces of his body''s meat fallen to the ground.


    The Goblin armies resisted back hard, but were eventually overwhelmed by the vast numbers of the vines.


    The Goblin who was running over to the Goblin hoard had already been overshadowed and over paced by the vines he had sprouted out.


    Almost getting to the Goblin hoard, he took to the air and dived himself into the midst of the Goblin hoard. The force with which the Goblin used innding, shattered the ground, causing visible cracks to it.


    The Goblin hoard that were within the range of the Goblin were also not left unscathed as the force of the Goblin''snding blew them away, freeing up the space around the Goblin.


    The Goblin''s first step after his abruptnding, took him to the front of another Goblin battling with the vines. The Goblin got hold of the other Goblin''s hand, and bent it down breaking the inner bones, before he buried his tiny foot inside his stomach.


    He moved to the next Goblin in sight, and with a knee strike to his face, he instantly puts the Goblin down.


    The Goblin stopped and stood still, then he sprouted out five vines from his waist, lengthening it towards the Goblin hoards who are still struggling with the first set of vines the Goblin had earlier produced.


    The five vines the Goblin sprouted out from his body, all stabbed through several Goblins at once, killing them before they could even know what hit them. He stopped the movement of the vines he had first sprouted, and focused more on the five vines attached to his waist.


    The vines were no longer rampaging about, and the Goblin hoards now had thefort of shifting their attention over to the Goblin with vinesing out of his body, giving him an appearance of a standing tiny octopus.


    They were all being careful to not charge blindly at the Goblin with his vines ready to attack anyone who is within its range. The Goblin hoards were more cautious than ever due to the vines still having several goblins body in it, with their blood dripping down.


    A Goblin threw his weapon at the Goblin, but it was immediately warded off by the vines surrounding the Goblin.


    "skill activation, Dust Maniption!!!.."


    The rest of the Goblins in chorus activated their racial skill dust maniption, wanting to use it to take away the Goblin''s vision. Dust gathered in the surroundings like rays of cloud, obstructing any physical visual of what dwells in the environment.


    The Goblin hoards and the Goblin were no exception as they had all been swallowed into the humid dusty clouds. The dust spread and reached all the way to where the Goblin king was sitting at.


    Despite the dusty clouds robbing every living thing physically blind to their surroundings, this did not infringe on the Goblin hoards movement coordination.<novelnext></novelnext>


    With their physical sight rendered immobile, they took topensating on relying on their instinctual sight. Goblin hoards armed with bows moved to the front while the other Goblins made way for the Goblins with bows.


    The Goblins with bow taking the lead, arranged themselves in a straight oriented and orderly manner, all drawing their bows and unleashed a fury of arrow aimed at the Goblin.


    The arrows poured down like rain, descending itself on the Goblin who stood still, giving off no reaction or attempt to evade the arrows.


    Due to the dust coverage in the surroundings, they couldn''t see what the Goblin was doing, if he had been gut by the arrows or not.


    What they had relied on as a way of knowing or rather assuming that the Goblin had indeed been hurt by the arrows, is the sound of pain that will echo out from the Goblin''s mouth after having an arrow in his body.


    The Goblin betrayed their expectations by making absolutely no sound, leaving the Goblin hoards in confusion on if he had been hit or not. The Goblin hoards were left with no other choice but to wait and observe whatever movements that was going to ur next.


    After waiting for a while and no response surfaced in the supposed location the Goblin should be in, the Goblin hoards began to move, trying to execute their next attack.


    The bow goblins drew their bows once more and unleashed another fury of arrows in the same location as the first time. And again, they were met with no response.


    The choices of the Goblin hoards narrowed down as they were left with little to no choice of having to disperse the dust if they want to know what really became of the Goblin and why he is making no movements.


    If the arrows had hit him, he would definitely have screamed out loud. And if he managed to evade getting shit by the arrow twice in a row can only mean that he has a way of seeing even in the dust clouded environment.


    With an ability like that, he could surely make his way out of the dust and start picking on the Goblin hoards one by one., is what some of the Goblins are thinking.


    The Goblin however had shown none of said reaction, leaving the smart ones among the Goblin hoards to think if the arrows had impacted the Goblin in ces that could cause him to die without having the opportunity to make so much as a sound or a squeak.


    Whatever the case may be, dispersing the dust effect is the only way for them to find out which of the oue it really is.


    The Goblin hoards prepared themselves for a situation of, just in case. By having the Goblins armed with shield take the lead while the bow goblins and other Goblins not wielding the shield retreat to the back to take cover, as they all got ready to do away with the dust.


    "skill activation, Dust dispersion".


    The Goblin hoards in chorus cleared out the dust with their skill, waiting in anticipation of what is toe.

 Chapter 97 Goblin / Goblin King 1

    ?"woosh!!".


    The sound of the Goblin emerging from the slowly dissipating dust was the only thing that branched through the ears of the shielded Goblins.


    He got to the shielded Goblins and thrust his tiny fist at one of the shield in his front. The force from the fistpletely shattered the shield, and the Goblin behind the shield was not left unattended to as the wind pressure blew a hole right through his stomach.


    All the shielded Goblins panicked as they all rushed themselves backwards, away from the Goblin who is no longer surrounded by vinesing out from his waist.


    "woosh!!".


    The Goblin with his speed once again, overwhelmed the Goblin hoards and starts taking them out one by one.


    The Goblin continued his relentless streak of murdering the Goblin hoards, beheading, incapacitation then beheading, a stab to the heart, left to die of blood loss. The Goblin used all sorts of methods he could think of.


    While the Goblin was swiftly eliminating the Goblin hoards and reducing their numbers, the Goblin king sat still on his throne, watching the scene while exuding an Aura of absolute dominance.


    The expressionced on the face of the Goblin king would make one think, he really enjoys the scene of watching his armies die without struggling at the hands of the Goblin.


    He had his support skill that could help boost the Goblin hoards strength, giving them a better chance against the Goblin, but he refused to use it on them.


    The Goblin alone had faced of against four of the Goblin king''s best warrior, and he not only came out alive, he also killed all four of them.


    Boosting the Goblin hoards strength while be of no use against someone like that, and is something the Goblin king considers as a waste of resources. What he would only be doing by giving them a boost is dying the inevitable.


    He would much rather have them entertain him by facing the Goblin with their own strength, than giving them a boost and then ending up providing the same results.


    "alright, he should be finishing up soon".


    The Goblin king said after he saw how drastically the numbers of his Goblin hoards have diminished.


    "tch, tch. To think those are the kind of goblins recruited in the army?....."


    "who is to me when even their generals are just as weak as they are".


    "sigh...., when I get back, I am going to have all the Goblinas lined up, and prepare to make as much number of goblins as I have lost".


    "and this time, I will make sure to harden up on the new goblins born so they will never have to turn out to be a pain in the neck for me as the Goblins before me are".


    He shakes his head,ining about the uselessness of his armies while not expressing an hint of remorse over his loss but already contemting on how to make even more of them.


    "that took you longer than I expected".


    The Goblin king said to the Goblin who had finished killing the Goblin hoards. Drenched in blood, and on their cold body, he walked his way up to the podium the Goblin king was.


    "that''s because I was being merciful to them by giving them a painless death unlike you who wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice them".


    "so now we are pointing mes and who is more merciful?...., is that it?,ing from a man who never hesitated to slit off an head, and you call that a painless death?..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "woosh".


    The Goblin, wasn''t going to just stand there and listen to the Goblin king yap on like they have been friends for decades.


    He had closed the distance between himself and the Goblin king in half of the time one would use to take a breath in. With thorns produced out of his palm and pointing its way up the Goblin king''s neck.


    The only reason why the thorn had not stabbed through the Goblin king''s neck is because of the hand of the Goblin king wrapped around the thorn, with two of his fingers stationed at the tip of the thorn, stopping it from getting any longer.


    This exchange made it very clear to the Goblin just how fast the Goblin king really is. The minute the Goblin had taken his first step towards the Goblin king, he had raised his hand up immediately, trying to match the pace of the Goblin before he got to him.


    The Goblin felt himself being toyed with by the Goblin king, because the Goblin king had not taken his speed too seriously.


    Still, there was no call for panic as the Goblin had not given it is all in the stunt he pulled off. He was just trying to weigh out the Goblin king to know specifically what he is in for.


    "now, now, I understand that you are in a hurry to have my head in your hands, but why don''t you take it easy a little bit".


    "you just finished fighting with the Goblin army, though weak, I am sure you must have umted some fatigue in that encounter".


    "take some time off, I am generous enough to give you any set amount you request for".


    Talking to the Goblin whose head is only three breath away from him, with a tone that sounds very convincing and surprisingly caring.


    The Goblin withdrew his thorn and retreated to the back, away from the Goblin king before giving him a reply.


    "you know, if others were to hear you speak, they would think you actually do care for my well-being, especially with a tone like that".


    "ho, and what makes you think I don''t care".


    "that''s your business to find out, just never use a tone like that to address me, it is creepy. Now get up and fight, I am ready to face you".


    "....."


    "hahahahaha. An intriguing Goblin you are indeed. Countless Goblins who are ready to sacrifice themselves just so they can be blessed by my cold gaze, and then there is you..."


    "really intriguing. This is exactly why I refused to kill you, and even now that you are still rebelling, I have no intention of killing you, but to capture you alive".


    "sadly for you, your wish will note to be as I will be taking your life in this very ce".


    The Goblin king giving the Goblin a static look that says, really, written all over his face.


    He shakes his hand multiple times and stretched out his finger towards the Goblin while also shaking it before speaking.


    "no, no, no, you won''t. Or rather you can''t, it''s just not possible, not for you at least".

 Chapter 98 Goblin / Goblin King 2

    ?"you have definitely be stronger Goblin, exceeding even my expectations. But I have to break it to you, killing me is one of the things that are impossible to achieve".


    "now, get your rest like I told you to, before I get to drag you back".


    "you seem awfully confident in your ability, and it was the same for your four Goblin Generals".


    "they belittled me first, now where are they?..., all burnt to death. Your fate is not going to be different from their''s goblin King".


    Following the Goblin''s words, the air surrounding the Goblin king became much darker. He calmly ced his hand on the handle of his great sword resting on hisp and picked it up.


    "you dare topare me with the likes of my lowly general''s?".


    The Goblin king retorted to the Goblin as he walks slowly to him with the tip of his great sword scraping the ground along with him.


    "fine, you want an early death?....., an early death you shall get".


    The Goblin did nothing but raise his two hands up in preparation as the Goblin king continues to make his way down to him.


    His great sword being within range of the Goblin, he fiercely swung it down on him. The Goblin intercepted the great sword falling down on him by jumping up and kicking the ded side with his thorned leg.


    ? When he had kicked it, he got back down and made a double flip backwards, away from the Goblin king.


    "do not underestimate me, Goblin king".


    He said as he watches from a distance how the great sword he had kicked went backwards, and the hand holding unto the sword also sprained backwards in a very disturbing position.


    The Goblin king slowly turned his head and looked at his hand bent backwards in an awkward position, and he looked back at the miniscule Goblin standing before him with a confident expression on his face.


    "ha, ha, haha, hahahaha, hahahahahaha......."


    The Goblin king raised his head up, opened his mouth wide, and let out a timelyugh. He turned his head back down and ced his arm on the shoulder of the broken arm.


    Still holding unto the great sword with the dislocated arm, he popped the bones back together in one stroke with a loud crackle sound made.


    When he was done fixing his arm, he turned his head back to the Goblin and pointed at him with a finger.


    "you..., you are funny".


    The Goblin was a bit confused at the Goblin king''s deration, because he called him funny but he wasn''t at all making augh when he said the funny part, if anything, the Goblin king''s face looked more serious.


    Having said his mind, the Goblin king with a mild expression, turned his back on the Goblin and made his way back to his throne. He got to the throne and sat on it like he had done when the Goblin first came in.


    The Goblin was mentally disturbed by the Goblin king''s action. He wondered what it is the Goblin king was trying to do by going back to his seat after he had already gotten up and thrown the first blow.


    The Goblin king fixated his eyes on the Goblin, fixating it very closely on him. Raising his hand up, he broke the silence that had reigned between the two of them.


    "now, shall we start it all over again?....."<novelnext></novelnext>


    He said still pointing at the Goblin and now having a very disturbing smile on his face. As for the Goblin, he did not know what to use to reply to the words of the Goblin king that made absolutely no sense to him.


    Start what again?, is he talking about the interaction?, or is he referring to the light physical exchange they just had?....


    the Goblin repeatedly asked himself for what the Goblin king could be talking about, and at the end of it, words managed to escape his puzzled mind.


    "what are you doing...."


    "to you, what does it look like I am doing".


    "looks to me like you have lost your mind".


    "i am sure I did not make contact with your body part, because then I could have assumed I had blown up a part of your brain with my fist".


    The Goblin king unmindful of the insultive remark made by the Goblin, spoke up.


    "in anger, I showed you a side not befitting for someone of my image".


    "to erase said image, I decided to start our encounter anew with you speaking your words like you had done the first time".


    What the fuck?...., does he have a loose screw somewhere?....., Is what the Goblin thought, but decided against saying it out loud.


    "enough of this. I have no reason or thought to dance to your will".


    The Goblin produced two thorns from his palm and hurls it at the Goblin king who only had to tilt his head sideways to evade the thorns.


    After he evded the thorns, the Goblin king thrust his hand to the side of his head that was bent, and caught the Thorning out from the Goblin''s palm.


    "I should warn you just in case, a distraction like that is the least form of attack that will ever work on me".


    While speaking, he turned his head in the direction he had thrusted his hand out to.


    "yeah, I noticed".


    Giving the Goblin king a reply, is the Goblin who is only several breath away from the face of the Goblin king. The Goblin still near the Goblin king, sprouted out thorn from his other hand, and aimed it at the Goblin king.


    He did not make any extravagant movements as he only steeled his hold on the thorn he was holding unto, and used it to hurl the Goblin away from him before the Goblin''s other hand could get to him.


    "I gave you a chance to rest yourself, but you refused my offer of kindness".


    The Goblin king slowly rises himself up while still speaking to the Goblin in a seldom tone.


    "Goblin, do not me me for what is about to happen to you next".

 Chapter 99 Goblin / Goblin King 3

    ?The Goblin king after throwing the Goblin away, left his great sword behind and hastily went after him with his fist directed on the Goblin.


    The Goblin, clothed his two hands with thorns and raised them up, using it to block the Goblin king''s fist from making contact with his bare body. The Goblin king''s fist brushed through the Goblin''s thorned arms, and had him flying away.


    The Goblin''s body floated backwards uncontrobly, leaving the perimeter where the dead corpses of the Goblins he had killed were scattered, until he entered the forest and bashed through a tree that eventually stopped him from getting pushed back further.


    "urguhrgh....., that was one hell of a punch he packed inside that fist".


    The Goblin said as he got up and arranged his two hands that hand broken and bent backwards, caused from the impact with the Goblin king''s fist. He twisted the two arms back and forth, setting it back to the position it should be in.


    "are you still breathing..."


    Asking with what sounded to the Goblin like a genuinely worried tone, is the Goblin king who had arrived at the ce the Goblin had fallen to, and took to standing at the top of a tree near the Goblin.


    "I don''t need you to care for me".


    The Goblin got up energetically like his tiny body had never rammed itself into a tree to begin with. He got up and picked up arge piece of the broken tree thatyed near him, and threw it at the Goblin king.


    The Goblin king stretched his fist outward and broke the tree into even more tiny pieces. He produced thorns out of the tree the Goblin king was standing on, leaving him with no choice but to jump down or jump to another tree.


    The Goblin king came down from the tree and immediately moved his body in the direction the Goblin was. when the Goblin saw that the Goblin king had almost gotten to him, he crouched his body downward.


    The Goblin king''s fist grazed past the Goblin, and the eyes of the two Goblin met, with the Goblin below the Goblin king. With the Goblin king going over the Goblin, the Goblin lifted his two legs upwards, giving the Goblin king a kick to the stomach.


    With no time to react to the Goblin''s attack, the Goblin king''s body was sent flying upwards. The Goblin did not relent on his attack as he pressed his two foot hard on the ground, with little cracks starting to appear. He gradually built up the pressure in his leg before using it to propell himself upwards.


    The outburst of the pressure, lifted the Goblin high into the sky, easily by passing the Goblin king that he had earlier kicked upwards. The Goblin reached the highest height attainable with the pressure he had built up, and now, he is starting to fall back to the ground.


    His falling stance has his head facing the dark gloomy sky with no clouds but an endless dark sky. He turned his body back to the ground as he continues to fall.


    The Goblin king who is also now diving back to below, saw the Goblin when he overtook him, and now that same Goblin is approaching him from above.


    "ehehe.., this should be fun".


    With momentum, the Goblin reached the Goblin king before they got to the ground level.


    "die!".<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Goblin yelled out as he raised both his hands up, sped them together, and struck it down on the Goblin king.


    The Goblin king in return also did not stay still and watch the Goblin try and hit him, as he also makes his own attack by thrusting his fist at the Goblin''s sped hands.


    The two attacks shed, causing an explosion in midair made from raw explosive physical power from the Goblin king and the Goblin.


    They were not left unscathed in the explosion, with the Goblin king forced to crash on the ground faster, and the Goblin pushed further into the sky.


    The Goblin king''s impact of falling down had an effect that shattered the ground he fell on, and a wind tsunami disturbing the trees he was surrounded by, blowing the leaves back and forth, eventually uprooting the trees and discarding of them aggressively.


    The Goblin king sprang himself back up immediately after his abruptnding. He lifted his head up and looked at the Goblin who is now falling to the ground after being pushed back up earlier.


    The Goblin still falling down, hurls down multiple fireball at the Goblin king. The Goblin king looked to the ground he had fallen on, and he saw his great swordying on the floor.


    He picked it up, and In response to the fireballsing down on him, the Goblin king held unto his great sword with his two hand, lifted it upwards and started shing into thin air.


    He swings the great sword fiercely as if fighting against an imaginary enemy, and with every shes he thrusts out, air pressure continues to build up in his hands, resulting in him emitting out pure mana wave from his sword, taking the form of a sword sh.


    The mana sh from the Goblin king''s sword, intercepted the fire ball that was heading his way, leading to another explosion, this time weaker than when their fist collided.


    The Goblin pushed past the explosion and fell right beside the Goblin king. Immediately after getting to the ground, the Goblin king attacked the Goblin with his great sword aimed at him.


    The Goblin easily kicked the great sword off of the Goblin king by going for the hands holding unto it. When he had done that, he moved himself away from the Goblin king''s range and sprouted out thorns from his side, aiming it at the Goblin king.


    After the vines attack, the Goblin raised one hand up and gathered his mana on it for a while. The Goblin king, battled with the vines while the Goblin continued to gather his mana.


    The vines trying to get itself wrapped around the Goblin king, and the Goblin king resisting it by all means. When the Goblin was done gathering his mana, the javelin crater explosion was alreadypleted on his hand and ready to beunched.


    The Goblin raised his attention to the Goblin king battling with the vines, he stretched out his other hand that was free at the Goblin king, and sprouted out thorns from all sides, trapping him in what looks like a wooden box.


    "this is the end for you, Goblin king".


    The Goblin said as he threw the javelin crater explosion packed with a lot more mana and force radiating off of it, iparable to when he had used it as an elder Goblin.

 Chapter 100 Goblin / Goblin King 4

    ?The javelin crater explosion, made direct contact with the body of the Goblin king and exploded several times over, creating a burst equating to three misslesunched together.


    ''Oracle....''


    [I still sense a living life force in the explosion, master].


    "tch, are you saying you won''t go down so easily?... ''


    With the explosion still ungoing, Oracle had proceeded to use the detection to confirm if the Goblin king had been done with, but contrary to the Goblin''s belief, the Goblin king was still standing strong.


    The Goblin, raised his hand and once again gathered mana in it, making another javelin crater explosion, this time bigger. When he was done gathering the mana, he added his inferno elemental to the outer appearance of the javelin crater explosion, and threw it into the still ungoing explosion.


    The javelin crater explosionnded inside the ungoing explosion, and Ignited a chain of explosive events, devastating enough for the Goblin to move far back and avoid getting caught up in it.


    Even though he was going to be safe if he makes contact with it, he did not want to take any chances.


    ''Oracle...''


    [he is still alive master].


    "what a damn pest he is, just die already damn it".


    "!!!!!!!"


    "I must say Goblin, you really are full of a lot of surprises".


    The Goblin king''s figure lost in the smoke and only his voice letting out.


    "I am impressed by your performance of not failing to entertain me so far".


    "why won''t you just die already and leave me the heck alone".


    "hooo....., if it''s my death you seek, then you are going to have to do more than this, I am not so easy to kill you see".


    "surviving thus far, has made me build up a kind of immunity towards death, although I do believe my immunity can be breached with a little more effort from another".


    "after all, I am notpletely immortal".


    While he was talking, he takes one step forward, and another, slowly making his way out of the smoke until he was now visible to the Goblin.


    "Goblin, you really did a number on my body".


    The Goblin, takes one nce at the body of the Goblin king, and the first word he thought of as a means of expression on his outer appearance is, disgusting.


    His body all fried up and squished together, white substanceing out of every part of his body, with some parts like his stomach dangling down like meats stacked together.


    The worst part of it all, is the horrible stenching off of him, which shouldn''t be weird for the Goblin who hadn''t taken a proper bath since he was born, and now used to smelling horrible.


    However, the stenching off of the Goblin king''s sacked up body, beats all stench the Goblin had evere across in his two lifetimes. His face also wasn''t left out of the disfigurement, making him almost unrecognizable.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "never have I ever been led up to this state by any of my opponents".


    raising his hands up, and shaking it with eyes of observation.


    "well done Goblin. because of you, I have found just how durable this body of mine canst".


    The Goblin king takes a deep breath in and let''s it all out in one go, then he takes another, repeating the same action all over again. The Goblin noticed that the deeper in the Goblin king breathes, the more his bodyposition starts to change.


    The change isn''t morous or fast paced to make a drastic change or something like that, but the Goblin who is more sensitive than a normal person, and with eyes more advanced, he could see the slight changes in the Goblin king.


    It seemed to him, like the Goblin king was starting to recover from the burns with the help of his breathing in and out. It''s an unbelievable scenario to think that a body that had been damaged thur far can still be recovered back to normal.


    The Goblin however, wasn''t going to take any chances of letting the Goblin king do as he wants and letting all his hard work of putting his body in that state go to waste just like that.


    [master, I suspect he is using some sort of skill to elerate his regenerate rate].


    ''i can see that Oracle, I am not blind''.


    The Goblin, used his skill to hastily carve out his bow, and fires out three shots of arrrows with mes burning on the head.


    Due to the burns, the Goblin king''s body was still stiff to make any agile movements like trying to stop the arrows with his brute strength or evading it by moving his body away.


    What he settled for, is a roar from his mouth. A roar shocking enough that it made everything near the Goblin king st away, the arrows included.


    ''a damn monster he really is. Oracle, with his strength, does that not already put him in a league of being a spiritual entity....''


    [no master, his constitution isn''t built on the bases of a spiritual entity, but his skill however takes his physicalposition to a level rivaling a spiritual entity].


    ''that exins where the absurd strength he is disyinges from''.


    ''why do I as a spiritual entity not have a skill that grants me even more strength, and someone who isn''t a spiritual entity, gets a skill that boosts their strengths to the level of a spiritual entity?, just how messed up is all this?''.


    ''no, no, no. I shouldn''t be thinking like that. Rather, I should be thankful I am a spiritual entity''.


    ''i can''t imagine what would have be of me going up against his strength as a normal Goblin with my Meta Strength skill that has a crazy disadvantage on my body after use''.


    ''if that were to be the case, I would have died the moment I faced off against the four Generals, not even getting the chance to go toe to toe with the king''.


    ''being a spiritual entity, is the best thing that could have ever happened to me, and I need to understand that well enough''.


    ''and, I might not have a skill that multiplies my strength, the skills I do have however, are enough topete even with his strength''.


    ''the Goblin king to me, isn''t an unreachable opponent, he is an opponent I can go up against with confidence ofing out victorious''.


    ''I, will surelye out triumphant in this fight, no matter what I have to lose to make that be a reality''.

 Chapter 101 Death And Rebirth 1

    ?''killing him isn''t impossible for me, the fire that burned his body into that disgusting form proved that to me. If his body was indestructible, that would have been a different case entirely''.


    ? ''what I need to do now, is make sure whatever stuff he is using to elerate his regenerative process, I need to keep that in check. for now, the only n I can think of is continuously attacking him, without giving him any moment to catch his breath''.


    The Goblin dashed at the Goblin king who has restarted his breathing technique, and working on healing himselfpletely. The Goblin king''s body had still not healed to the point where he could make free or fast movements, and when the Goblin charged at him, he had no choice but to take it.


    The Goblin, who is very small whenpared to the Goblin king, jumped up when he got to the front of the Goblin king, and from there, he released a barrage of attacks without his feet touching the ground.


    The Goblin, punched the Goblin king''s face upwards, and then he punched it downwards again, then to the left, and then the right. He demonstrated all side directional kind of punching there was using the Goblin king''s face as a reference.


    Releasing his pent up tensions and emotions, while tearing through the burnt face of the Goblin king, making it even more disfigured with the Goblin king''s skull starting to be within view.


    "die, die, die...."


    The Goblin kept on yelling as he continues to tear off more flesh off of the Goblin king''s face.


    He did not allow the Goblin king any respite, nor did he allow him to fall as his fist on the Goblin king''s face continues to push him backwards, and the Goblin following along with his fist on the face.


    The Goblin king, with enough time, improved his body from having to stand still while he keeps on taking consecutive hits from the Goblin, to managing to raise his hand against the Goblin.


    He did raise his hand, however, his reaction was too slow, enough to bore the Goblin to exhaustion. The hand that had almost reached the Goblin, was easily blown away by the Goblin''s fist.


    The durability of the Goblin king''s body had reduced with the burning effect, and the joints connecting the hand to his body, had be considerably weaker.


    because of that, when his hand made contact with the Goblin''s hand, it was easily detached from the Goblin king''s body, now rendering him a one handed Goblin.


    "you think you are some hot shit now uhhh?...."


    Despite his questioning, the Goblin left no sorts of opening for the Goblin king to reply him back as his fist barrage on his face keeps getting faster, and more aggressive.


    When the Goblin saw that he had weaken the Goblin king to stable point, he stopped punching him and finally gave him the chance to fall on his knee in defeat.


    With the Goblin king down, he was still tall enough for the Goblin to not be able to reach his head when his feet had gotten back to the ground. The Goblin, walked up to the kneeling Goblin king and stood in front of him looking very confident in himself.


    "how does it feel Goblin king?..."


    "how does it feel to have the one you have made suffer and looked down on all this while, now looking down on you?..."


    "do you feel horrible?....., dejected?....., miserable?..."


    "whatever it is you are feeling, I hope it is much worse than what you made me go through".


    "this is the end for you now, Goblin king".<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Goblin king could utter not a single word as his whole face had beenpletely disfigured, his Jaws carved out with no more teeth hanging in his mouth, even his nose could no longer be pointed out. He was in aplete mess, with an appearance that looks nothing like his once prideful and domineering self.


    The Goblin with cold unwavering eyes, slowly raised his hand up, and sprouted out thorns from under his feet, stabbing through the Goblin king''s body in multiple ces, with a thorn passing through his neck, chopping the head off.


    With the Goblin king''s head severed from his body, the neck sshed out blood, sttering on the Goblin''s body. And as for the rest of the Goblin king''s body, having lost its head, fell downwards, but was held back by the thorns embedded in his body.


    The Goblin, fell on his butt and looked up to the gloomy, dark, empty sky.


    "i..., I have Won?..."


    "just like that...., all those who oppressed me, I have done away with them all....."


    "I did it..., yes..., I did it".


    [!!!].


    His celebration was cut short with the voice of Oracle chipping in.


    [master, move away from his body immediately].


    The Goblin, saved the question forter as he adhered to Oracle''s warning and hurriedly moved himself away from the body of the Goblin king. He did a ckflip several times, making a sizable amount of distance between he and the Goblin king.


    ''what was that about Oracle''.


    [master, the king Goblin is not dead yet].


    ''what do you mean he is not dead, his head is clearly over there, in a separate space from his body, so how can he not be dead''.


    Pointing over to where the head of the Goblin king is, with a panicking voice questioning Oracle''s words.


    [yes master, I do see his head, but he is not dead yet].


    ''are you telling me he is going to revive back?...., do not tell me?..., is he an immortal?....''


    With the Goblin''s question flooding Oracle, none of it could be answered in time as he was now distracted by the movementsing from the Goblin king''s supposed dead body.


    The Goblin king''s disfigured body that was supposed to be dead with no head attached, and impaled with thorns all over, suddenly made a slight hand movement.


    The Goblin, thought that perhaps, he had seen wrongly. He could be hallucinating, so he payed a more closely attention to the Goblin king''s body, hoping that truly, the scene he had saw earlier was truly nothing but an hallucination.

 Chapter 102 Death And Rebirth 2

    ?It was nothing less of a shocking scene for the Goblin who stood still and rendered speechless.


    he had seen all sorts of stuff in this crazy ce, but this, this takes away the crazy in crazy, and adds in a whole new level of crazy, surpassing any other form of crazy he had evere across.


    A thoroughly deformed headless body, with holes in several parts, and all parts pouring out blood, moved not just a finger, but it''s legs as well, as it walks itself out of the thorn it had been embedded in, and stood still, with its headless body facing the Goblin.


    The Goblin had no time to bask himself in surprise at what the headless body had done. He charged at the body with rage, and sliced of the two legs with the thorning out of his palm, he also went ahead and sliced of the only arm left in the body.


    "I don''t know what in the fucking hell you are, but no way am I going to give you enough time to regenerate yourself back to normal".


    The headless body with its legs cut off, fell on its knees helplessly. Just for insurance, in case the body won''t die with just that, the Goblin ced his hand on the headless body''s chest.


    "this is really the end now, Goblin king. Skill activation, inferno touch".


    The Goblin king''s body, started to boil and bubble up, constantly changing form, with the sides growing bigger, and averting back to the shape its in, then bigger again.


    It went on like that for some time, until the body could no longer handle it, and ended up exploding into tiny portions of meat, and the blood sttering itself on the Goblin''s body.


    What the Goblin had just done, is umte heat pressure in his hand, and transferring it into the body of the Goblin king.


    when the heat pressure had gotten to a stage where it haspletely filled up the body, and with the Goblin not allowing it to spread to other ces other than the Goblin king''s body, it leads to an overheating with the end result being to explode like it had just done.


    He wasn''t done yet, as he went over to the Goblin''s head and marched it with his feet severally, shattering the head into multiple tiny pieces.


    ''Oracle.....''


    The Goblin, wanted to make sure that he had done the deed for sure this time, thereby asking Oracle to confirm that it has been done. He cannot be too sure in a world were the word sure does not connotes its meaning.


    "!!!".


    "Goblin, Goblin, Goblin".


    Before Oracle could give his master a reply, the deste voice barged in, affirming the suspicion of the Goblining to reality.


    "what..., what is it did I ever do to you that you just won''t leave me be?....."


    "why won''t you just die like the rest of them did?...."


    "what will it take, for me to finally send you on your way to the afterlife?..."


    Turning his body to the direction where the voice had sprang up from, the Goblin saw another Goblin. Huge, but not as huge as the Goblin king or the Goblin generals, but far more than what the Goblin amounts to.


    The Goblin, was naked with a cut on his neck. It also seemed like the cut had bleed out a lot, as traces of blood could be seen from his neck down to his lower body.


    "I told you Goblin, I have taken an interest in you, and it is going to take more than this to kill me".


    "i have survived and avoided death multiple times, one Goblin isn''t enough to stop me from continuing my streak".


    "nothing is ever going to stop me from having you Goblin, not even when death evades me".


    The Goblin, fell down with despair in his eyes, bashing the ground with his fist while looking hopeless.


    He had done everything he could think of, destroyed the Goblin king''s body into several pieces, making it impossible for him to ever regenerate with whatever skill he has. But somehow, he is still not dead, and hase back in the form of another Goblin.


    What the Goblin is sure of, is that the Goblin the Goblin king hase back as, is among the Goblin hoards he had killed, and proof of that, is the mark on the neck of the Goblin that looks exactly like the mark gotten from his thorn when he was fighting the hoard.


    The Goblin king now in a new body, moved near the Goblin wallowing in despair, and started patting his head.


    "ept your fate Goblin, the moment I had my attention on you, you had already be mine to own, and nothing is going to change that now".


    The Goblin king is right, no matter what the Goblin does now, he knows it won''t change anything. The body the Goblin king is currently inhabiting, is a body he had killed earlier, meaning it is already dead.


    Even if he does blow the body to pieces like he did the first time, the Goblin king is only going to end up inhabiting another body, and from there, will mark the beginning of a continuous loop, and there is nothing the Goblin can do to stop it. Not even his strength can put an end to the circle.


    ''is this what is meant by, power cannot solve everything?....''


    The Goblin thought, feeling pathetic with himself. He had overpowered the Goblin king, made it out safely, but he still can''t nip it in the bud. There is only so far he can go with his powers alone, now he knows that for a fact.


    If power can''t solve it all, then he has to adjust to making use of his brain. He, is a former human, a race that managed to dominate the world with brains alone, despite living amongst a lot of animals with bigger brawns.


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes master].


    ''do you have any knowledge on how, he is able to shift his consciousness into another body after having his own body destroyed''.


    [what he is transferring, is the soul master].


    [with my observation on him, I havee to several conclusions of what skills he might be using].


    [i had a vague idea after seeing him try to heal with a breathing technique, but now I am more sure than ever after witnessing his transference of soul into a different body].


    [master, the Goblin king, is a soulmancer].


    ''.....''


    [a soulmancer is a job that deals mainly with souls like the name implies].


    [by killing and collecting the souls of another, is the work of a soulmancer. And the Goblin king, judging from what he has done, is no ordinary soulmancer, but an high level one].


    [whenever he is in a battle, he strengthens himself with the souls he has collected, adding their levels to his and with that he is able to increase his power output by several folds, temporarily reaching to the realm of an half spiritual entity].


    [when he was badly wounded, the breathing he was doing, was using the souls to heal his outer appearance, absorbing the souls into his own soul to enhance all his abilities, including the healing ones and physical ones].


    [before bing a soulmancer, one must have total control over one''s soul. So when he died, he transferred his consciousness over to his soul, and directly used it to control his body].


    [when master destroyed his body beyond repair, he was able to easily transfer his soul to another body, dead or alive].


    [soulmancer is a powerful and yet hazardous job, with the only downside being the amount of souls the soulmancer can absorb at once].


    [too much soul absorption will indeed increase the soulmancer''s capability beyond belief, but it will also risk having the soulmancer''s soul getting corrupted by the souls].


    [as a soulmancer, one must watch the amount of soul they can use at once, or they be corrupted and lose themselves in it].


    [so far, the Goblin king had been able to match master''s pace as an half spiritual entity, by infusing himself with souls].


    ''so all in all, you are saying, no matter what I do, he is only going to continue transferring his soul to another body?....., then does that not make him immortal''.


    [no master, he is ose to being immortal with the ability to shift his soul into another physical body, but he is not an immortal, because there is a definite way to kill him].


    ''i an listening....''


    [a soul present in the physical world, can only maintain its position in the physical world through inhabiting a physical body].


    [if it stays too long in the physical world as a soul, it will end up wearing itself out, and die with no chance at rebirth].


    ''destroying all lifeforms nearby and leaving him with no body to take over in time, is that what you are saying?.....''


    [yes master. The conclusion I havee to, is that you need to destroy this dungeon and everything in it if you ever want to stop the Goblin king].


    ''that, that is impossible for me Oracle''.


    ''destroying the Dungeon?, do you have any idea how big it is?.....''


    ''i have been here since day one, and not even I have a perfectyout of the width and length, and I have to tell you, I have walked to all sorts of nooks and crannies of this ce''.


    ''not even a floor, but the whole dungeon?..., it''s like you are telling me to destroy a ce the size of earth''.


    [no master, the Dungeon is not as big as your home, but it is as big as the tworgest continents on your joined together].


    ''see, and that is what you are telling me to destroy''.


    ''its impossible for me Oracle, I...., I can''t do it''.


    [no master, you can].


    [master''s fire attribute is an attribute focused on destruction before anything else].


    [with one st, master can continuously fuel it with your mana attribute, leading to an extensive irregr explosion big enough to engulf the whole dungeon].


    ''and, any side effects''.


    [yes. To destroy the Dungeon, master will need to expend all mana in master''s core].


    ''is that all?...., what about my mana, will I ever get it back, or is it the same as naming a monster''.


    [master will surely get to refill his mana, but it will take a while to make a full recovery, and until then, master will have to be in hybernation].


    ''until when...''<novelnext></novelnext>


    [years master, it will take years for master to refill the inferno core and wake back up].


    ''what...., what about Tarja, will she survive it''.


    [master, every lifeform in here needs to be eliminated if you want to stop the Goblin king from ever getting his soul into another physical body].


    ''and miss dragon.....''


    [she will survive it master. The Goblin king''s soul would know better than to mess with her].


    ''but, what about him extending his range of body take over to outside of this dungeon''.


    [that will not happen master].


    ''how can you be so sure of that''.


    [master, after my observation on this dungeon, I havee to discover that just like the tomb, the Dungeon itself is also in a separate dimension with its entrance linked to another world].


    [the Goblin king''s soul is not at a level where it can breach through dimensions, just like the teleportation skill].


    ''are you sure about this''.


    [i am certain master. Destroying this dungeon, is the way to putting an end to the soul of the Goblin king].


    ''i see''.


    "sigh..."


    The Goblin sighed into the air at the faith he is being dealt with. Oracle did predict he was going to win, but end up being vulnerable, he never thought this was what it meant.


    The Goblin king, picked up the Goblin by the neck with one hand, and turned in the direction of his base.


    "I told you Goblin, I always get what I want. Time is all it takes, and that time is all I have".


    "yes, yes you are right. Your persistence on getting me is enough to tell me that".


    "you were right about having a firm resolve. You resolved your self to getting me, and you walked towards achieving it. Unlike me whose resolve is too weak to decide on a particr thing".


    "but not anymore, not anymore. Because henceforth, I am making a resolve of my own".


    "hey Goblin king....."


    The Goblin had finally put his thoughts together, and be sober enough to talk to the Goblin king.


    "i know your secret, I know how you have kept yourself alive".


    "!!!!!"


    "you would have indeed achieved your resolve, if you hadn''t messed with the wrong person that is".


    "you are right, you are not immortal, at least notpletely".


    "killing you, is surely hard, but not impossible. sacrifices is all it takes to make it a reality".


    The Goblin king stopped walking, and brought the tiny Goblin in his hand closer to his face.


    "it doesn''t matter what it is you think you know, or want to try, but it''s not going to work on me".


    "there is only one way we are going to find that out".


    "Oracle...."


    [yes master].


    The Goblin, hesitated before giving out his nextmand to Oracle.


    "I leave it all up to you".


    He said, with a calming, heartbreaking, sorrowful expression.


    "goodbye dungeon world, I will be leaving you for a little while, and Tarja, forgive me for bringing you with me in hopes of giving you a chance at survival only to end up killing you".


    [With Master''s permission, Oracle will now be taking over].


    Oracle having taken over, ced his hand on the hand the Goblin king was using to hold his neck, broke the inner bones by just pressing his finger through the skin. The Goblin king, couldn''t control the broken arm and had to let go of his hold on the Goblin.


    The Goblin king, moved back ready for a second round with the Goblin.


    "i see you still want to keep on fighting me, but I can assure you, it will always end with m..."


    Oracle, had taken to chopping his head off before the Goblin king could finish his words.


    With the Goblin king done for, he took his next action before the Goblin king revives himself in the body of another dead Goblin Hoard.


    He stretched his two hands forward, slowly seeping out his mana and concentrating on spreading it to all corners and floors of the dungeon.


    " skill activation, inferno Elemental, chain explosion".


    This took it a while to achieve, and when it was done, it started a chain of explosion like the skill had indicated, with the Goblin standing at the center of it all.


    A massive wave of explosion was instantly triggered, taking the shape of a whirlwind ravaging and challenging the ocean''s might, except here it applies to forest full of trees, lit consumed by the fire at an rming speed.


    The explosion spread with the Goblin as its maker, covering the grounds and devouring everything it touches. Animate and inanimate, none were safe in the face of the tempestuous mes that kept on fueling itself with the mana being supplied by the Goblin.


    ***


    "where?....."


    He said out loud, looking all around him for possible clue as to where he might be.


    "stomp!!"


    He heard a footstep behind him, and he turned back with his guard up, ready to fight back.


    "miss dragon, it''s just you".


    He said, looking at the ck haired beauty putting on a ck radiating gown matching with her glowing face.


    "i am d you are here, you know for a second there, I was worried you were going to be caught in the explosion Oracle had made".


    "funny right?...., even though I know how strong you are, I was still helplessly worried about you. I have to be the biggest dumbass in the world for that".


    Not a word from her mouth, she slowly walks up to the Goblin as the Goblin kept on rambling with a low spirited tone and expression.


    "do you by chance know where this is, and why it''s all white?....,"


    "wait don''t tell me..., am I in heaven....., did I die for real this time?....."


    "Oracle never said anything about me dying, it only said I was going to be in hibernation for years".


    "this, this wasn''t a part of our deal".


    She got to the Goblin, and without saying a word, crouched herself down, and brought the Goblin in her arms, embracing him tightly while patting his bald head.


    "my poor child....., I do hope this lifetime will be one that brings you joy and happiness".


    "uhhm..., miss dragon, are you okay".


    The Goblin confused as to what the woman was talking about, asked her with a worried tone.


    She skipped over the exnation course and continued with her words, not minding the confused expression on the Goblin''s face , she rambled on.


    "Orun...., that is your name my child, I want you to treasure it and live up to it".


    "please my dear child, live a more fulfilling life this time. Never seek Vengeance, and only seek the light with which will fill you with happiness".


    "this, is a plea from a mother to her child. Please my dear son".


    With her final words, her body slowly starts to turn into white particles, disappearing into the air.


    "miss dragon..., what are you talking about?..., miss dragon, miss dragon..."


    The Goblin called out, as she left his embrace, wanting to ask what it is she is talking about, but his time was cut short as her body slowly starts to float into the air, breaking into smaller white pieces of dust.


    He reached his hand out futiley to her wanting to grab unto her clothes, but before he could, she had all turned to dust and left him all alone.

 Chapter 103 Dana And Shakir

    ?*** SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS LATER


    EDEVIN CITY


    His Headced in Grey hair with some of it fallen off, rendering him an almost bald old man. Dressed in oversized clothing, he slowly walks out of his room with a stick assisting his sluggish movements.


    He finds his way to the corner of the room facing the path leading to the passage of the room he had came out from, and sat himself down on the single chair with a squeak sounding out of it.


    Stretching out his hand, he reached for the piles of roughly arranged sheets ced on the small sized table beside him.


    When he had gotten hold of the sheets, he squeaked his chair back and forth as he continue to turn the pages in a sluggish way.


    After several pages of read through, a girl measuring six inches, not more than ten years of age, came out of the room facing the one Shakir hade out of.


    "yawnnn...."


    She opened her mouth wide and yawned brightly while scratching her eyes with her hands, and walking down the passage leading to the living room.


    "Dana, do you realize howte you are for school".


    Shakir, deviated his attention away from the sheets he was reading through, and focused it on the little girl that had juste out of the room, dressed in blue pajamas with drawings of bears on it.


    "Grandpa..."


    Dana turned her head to the corner where Shakir''s voice hade from. She called out to him happily, leaving behind her itchy eyes as she ran towards Shakir.


    When Dana got to him, she carried herself up, andnded on Shakir, hugging him as tightly she could.


    "there is my little kitty, how was your night".


    "it was fine grandpa, what about yours".


    "i had a very wonderful night also".


    The two exchanged an heartwarming words, showing their deep care and affection for one another.


    "alright now, go get yourself ready for school, you don''t want to bete now do you".


    "i know grandpa, just a little more cuddling".


    Ignoring the words of Shakir, Dana continued rubbing cheeks with her grandpa.


    She held unto his hands, and shifted it away from the sheets Shakir was holding unto, cing it on her own head.


    "you stubborn girl, do you want to get in trouble with your teachers again...."


    "how many times is it going to be this week?....., five?, six".


    "urguhgh...., grandpa you and your nagging, everything will be fine".


    "no it won''t, I did not raise you to be this troublesome. If you get in trouble today, I won''t be there to beg on your behalf, infact, I will sit and watch them discipline you".


    "I know grandpa won''t do that, you love me too much to abandon me and watch me suffer".


    The grandpa with eyes of admiration, watched as his granddaughter easily unravel his lies.


    "you bratty girl, just who do you take after".


    "who else grandpa?, of course I take after you. Even my teachers said so".


    "those teachers of yours, what do they know. While I was younger, they were still in their diapers being breastfeed by their mother".


    "they said their parents do tell them grandpa''s tales of when you were younger".


    "how you always caused trouble in the town, and wouldn''t let anyone boss you around, but the one I love most, is how you single-handedly saved the town from huge monsters".


    "when I grow up, I want to be just like grandpa".


    "and you will, only if you attend your sses and get there when you are supposed to".


    "really Grandpa?, if I do that, will I be more like you....."


    "no dear, you will be greater than me".


    "but I don''t want to be greater than grandpa, I want to be just like you".


    "You have to, it''s every parents dream to see their offspring grow to be a better version of themselves, and I am no different".


    "the blood of the kemies flows through your veins, it''s a given you have to live up to it".<novelnext></novelnext>


    The old man, pats her hair lightly, in a way that showed his love and tenderness overflowing for her.


    "alright little one, get off me and go get your bath. School time is almost near".


    "if you want to be like me, you have to learn to be punctual and especially disciplined".


    "okay, okay grandpa, I have heard. I will go and get myself ready".


    Dana gets off thep of her grandfather, and makes her way to go and get herself ready like she had promised.


    Shakir left behind, couldn''t concentrate on what he was reading, as memories of how he got to meet Dana flooded his head.


    The Kemies family, are a notable family known for their long streak of adventuring. Their history of being adventurers dates back to when the city was formed, which was about three hundred years ago.


    The kemeis ancestor, were among the party of adventurers who made thend a ce where humans could live in.


    As a wandering party adventurer, they were contracted by the guild they worked under, to do some findings on why the monster attack had increased in recent years.


    The party took on the quest, and after a thorough investigation, it was made known that the reason for the monsters being inrge quantities, is due to the absurd radiation of mana injected in and west of where they are.


    When and is exposed to high fluctuation of mana, it poisons it in different forms, leading to the birth of dungeons and the relocation of monsters to thend.


    Monsters are a race particrly fond of living in ces with high mana concentration, they believe it strengthens their cycle of evolutionpared to when in a ce with low mana density.


    With the mana fluctuations ravaging thend, it became the perfect haven for monsters to move in to. The Dungeons especially made it even more livable for them, as they now had a roof they could inhabit.


    While it was a good idea for the monsters relocating in a ce with no humans for them to kill, it alsoes with a side effect of its own.


    Monsters indeed have a tendency of getting stronger during their evolution if they are in a highly mana environment. However, there is also the dangers of the mana affecting the monsters evolution, like exchanging strength for rationality.


    When a situation like that urs, the ones to bear the full grunts of a berserk monster, are the weaker lifeforms nearby, and in this case, whatever human town that is nearby will be the one facing the wrath of the monsters.


    The possibilities of monsters losing the rationality during evolution is exceptional high when the monster is among an overwhelming number of other monsters nearby.


    When that happens, the monsters that goes berserk will never stay in the samend, as they will wander off to neighboringnds in search of quenching their craziness, unleashing their fury on whatever theye across until they meet their doom.


    The events had happened multiple times, leaving the adventurers in nearby towns no other choice but to investigate the reasons for the attack of monsters being rampant in their surroundings.


    The result of their findings led them to stumbling upon a massive area ofnd corrupted with mana giving birth to dungeons.


    The party of adventurers went back to theirnd to report to their superiors what the oue of their investigation was.


    Getting the terrible news, they all knew something had to be done or they would be no end to the monster attack, if anything, the rate at which the berserk monsters attack will ur, will keep on rising until there is nothing much to do other than evacuating thend entirely.


    News of what could happen to thend, was brought to the ears of the kingdom ruling thend, and immediately, the king ordered for a monster expedition to be carried out, with the guilds participating in it.


    An expedition that resulted in thousands of lives sacrificed before they bring an end to the monsters. It was victory for the humans, but not aplete one.


    To im aplete victory, they had to do something about the corruption of mana on thend, else the formation of dungeons wouldn''t stop, and even more monsters will begin to flood in.


    The solution the kingdom arrived at, is to control the number of monsters relocating, and the management of the dungeons in thend.


    The act to put the n in motion was handed over to the guild as they are known to be the best when ites to dungeon management and monster hunting.


    The guild then handed over the settlement of humans in thend over to the party that had first discovered thend, promising to make it a ce habitable for humans to relocate to.


    With decades of work put in thend, the party seeded in controlling the flow of monsters, managing of dungeons, and the most impressive achievement, was reducing the mana fluctuations, enough for ordinary humans to cope with.


    In no time, humans began moving themselves to the newnd, harvesting its hidden riches and making it the prosperous city it is today.


    The Kemies being one of the party members to have turned thend into a fruitful ce for humans, vowed on their honor as thest surviving party member, to protect thend and whatever is in it.


    Over the generations, it became the sole purpose for the existence of the Kemies who were thest surviving founders of thend, to see to it, that thend is made safe.


    Whatever offspring they produce, is bound to be an adventurer meant to continue on the same path. It wasn''t a choice for them, and more of a family legacy to see through.


    Shakir was no different, as he had walked the path of an adventurer during his youthful days, nicknamed the Twin Sword Wolf.


    He was a very popr adventurer whopleted quests difficult for most adventurers to take on, and in no time, his name became know throughout the city, not because of his family''s lineage, but because of his own achievements.


    His greatest achievement, was single handedly defending a city with a poption of more than one hundred thousand from a cyclops weighing five times his size.


    An A ss monster that needs theing together of five A ss adventurers consisting of one healer, a tanker, a damage dealer, a long range attacker, and a close range attacker. was dealt with, only by a close range attacker wielding dual swords.


    It was a historic moments for him, one that elevated his position in the adventurers guild, and promoted him to bing one of the few S ss adventurers known to humanity.

 Chapter 104 Walking Her

    ?Shakir was a hero amongst the townspeople. But like all heroes, his tale had toe to an end sooner orter.


    No matter how powerful humans be, or how much they level up, they are not and can never bepared to monsters.


    They are both beings that grow stronger with time, but it gets to a certain point for humans where after a certain time, they start to age, and rather than be stronger like monsters, they grow weaker.


    The body they have spent their whole lives building up, wanes with time, while for monsters, it grows stronger with time.


    That is the prime difference with monsters and humans, too much time is advantageous to one side, while too much of the time is disadvantageous to the other.


    There are ways by which the humans can bypass the time disadvantages, but only rarely does such a casees to be, as most already grow too old to attain said opportunity, and so, they be bound by time itself.


    Shakir got old, weary, and unable to keep up adventuring, but his child did not.


    While in his glorious days, he had married and produced an offspring to pass on the family''s tradition to.


    The child took over the father''s position to be the town''s protector, married another fellow adventurer and birthed a bouncing baby girl.


    "It was indeed, a day of celebration for all..."


    Said the old man, as he recalls the dreadful events that took ce shortly after the birth of the child.


    The mother did not survive the birthing process, and the father, absconded to chase his dreams of wanting venturing into the outer ins, leaving behind his newly born motherless child.


    " It is all my fault, I should have been more strict on him to make sure something like that would never havee to be".


    Shakir grieved long and hard on how his parental training on his son was inadequate andcking in so many ways.


    If he had made batter choices and groomed his son in a more appropriate direction, then maybe, maybe his granddaughter would be with a father who loves her, and not one who abandons her for another life.


    What an irresponsible example he is, both he and his son. He could have done better if only he had payed more attention.


    "Grandpa, I am done now".


    She came out of the room all dressed up in her school attire, coloring a cream upper wear, with a green skirt, and a ck average sized bag.


    "there is my little angel. Let''s get you down to school now".


    Shakir gets up from his squeaky chair and moves closer to Dana stretching his hand out to her, to which Dana grabbed unto without hesitation, squeezing it tightly between her palm.


    With Dana holding unto her grandpa''s hand, they both walked themselves to the doorway.


    "Grandpa, what about your walking stick".


    "i don''t need a stick to help me walk my baby girl to school".


    "Grandpa if you are not going to be using your walking stick, then why don''t you carry me on arm".


    "no, no, no. You need to walk yourself to school if you want to grow stronger".


    Talking to her, Shakir grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it, opening it. He allowed Dana to find her way out first and followed behind her to close the door.


    They left the two room cabin, and walked down the streetsced with buildings built with woods and in a well furnished manner.


    The houses, lined up by the sides leaving a path at its center for people to walk through.


    The little girl''s hand tied to her grandpa''s as she swings her legs freely with a gleeful grin on her face, not looking at the road she is trending on but instead fixating her eyes on Shakir.


    "you know angel, a time wille when I won''t be there for you anymore, when that timees, I need you to stay strong and be able to walk yourself to wherever it is you want to go".


    "Grandpa is lying".


    Still walking happily about, she retorts her grandfather''s words with confidence in her tone.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "what, what makes you say that".


    "because grandpa will never leave me no matter what happens".


    "and why are you so sure of that my little angel".


    "because, grandpa loves me".


    Shakir looking at the hairlines on his granddaughter, was shocked to say the least at the kind of unwavering trust his granddaughter has in him.


    He felt himself satisfied with the current oue. Even though her father isn''t here to care for her, he is, and he is going to make sure to be with her until she grows to a stage where she can care for herself, not even death or old age can take that away from him.


    "that''s right my little angel, grandpa is going to be with you for as long as you want".


    Shakir picks her up from the floor and threw her in the air, disregarding her weight.


    She stretches her hands out, gliding herself in the air before shends back on her Shakir''s wrinkled arms.


    e on grandpa, do it again".


    "no, that''s going to have to wait until after you are back from school".


    "....."


    "don''t go sulking up on me now okay, I promise you, when you get back from school, I am going to give you all the jumping and flying I can".


    "promise....."


    "yes, I promise".


    "okay. grandpa. Ho, that is right Grandpa, I forgot to tell you, but today is going to be my first dungeon exploration day".


    Shakir stopped walking and slightly drags Dana''s body back using her hand that was squeezed in between his.


    "what..., why didn''t you tell me that earlier".


    "i forgot".


    She said, with a smile on her face.


    "how can you forget something that important?. It''s the first day you will be entering a Dungeon, and you forgot to tell me".


    "its nothing that big grandpa".


    "no angel. For our family, it is a really big deal. Think of it as you not having your cake ready on your birthday, how would you feel about that".


    Dana did not respond with her words, but the expression she made was enough to tell that she was displeased with thinking of such oue.


    "see, that is exactly how I feel".


    "i am sorry grandpa".


    Shakir let go of Dana''s hand, and ced one of his hand behind him, using it to support himself so he can crouch his upper body down.


    "It is okay angel, it is just, this is an important event for you, one I have to know about days prior to when it is going to happen".


    "do not just spring it on me like that, it is too overwhelming for me. Is that clear".


    He wipes her face with his palm as he continues to enlighten her on how he feels.


    "yes grandpa".

 Chapter 105 Shakirs Worries

    ?The grandfather and granddaughter walked quite the distance before getting to the main entrance of her school. It wasn''t exactly a luxurious school meant for the nobles, nor was it a school meant for the lowborn. The school''s management is owned by the guild, dedicated to teaching children aspiring to one day be an adventurer.


    After going through the not so shy gate is the school itself. Buildings made not with wood, but with concretes and well painted walls.


    The school''s primary purpose, is to groom future adventurers, with its secondary purpose being to inculcate into them, the necessarynguage and tools to survive the world outside adventuring.


    There are other schools in the town that focuses on grooming the kids with knowledge on different upations, but the school that is highly recognized within the town, is the school of adventurers, and the reason is because adventurers are the main source of ie sustaining the city.


    Due to the high mana fluctuations surrounding the town, they are never for once short of dungeons, which in turn attracts outside adventurers who earn their ie through the selling of whatever monster part they do away with.


    For the adventurers, a newly found Dungeon is their best source of ie, and thend surrounding the city is brimming of plenty.


    Every time they think all the Dungeons have been cleared, it doesn''t take much for another one to sprout itself up. That is just how Intoxicating the mana around them is.


    For the city''s continuous survival, they get twenty five percent of whatever the adventurers make. Fifteen percent of the profit is collected by the lord of the city appointed under the rulership of the kingdom the city is located in, while the remaining ten is handed over to the adventurers guild.


    Despite his ancestors being one of those that worked the hardest to turn this town into a liveable ce, the kingdom gets to take more of the credits.


    That is how life is for adventurers. They are belittled by the nobles and treated as insignificant all because they refused to be their puppets.


    Adventurers first code of conduct, is to never interfere in any political strife, and one who goes against such conducts is immediately revoked of his/her ce as an adventurer.


    Their main concern, is the elimination of monsters to prevent an overflow of them which might end up leading to harming the innocent humans.


    In short, an adventurers main duty is to the people before it is to the kingdom or its king.


    The goals of the adventuerers did not sit well with the nobles as they felt their authority being undermined. However, there was nothing much they could do about it, as the adventuerers have proven themselves more useful than even their military who are trained mainly to kill other humans.


    The adventurers organization has spread far wide to more than just a country, bing a body that can stand on its own without interference from any political country.


    That being said, the adventurers guild still has no choice but to give in to the demands of whatever kingdom they are based in, that is, if they want to operate efficiently.


    But, they doe up with a condition of their own, that they will never be forced into a war between kingdoms or used for political purposes.


    With an unsolved dispute between them, they still had less of a choice than toe together with conditions governing their will.


    "old man Shakir, good to see you looking healthy today as well".


    They got to the gate and met with a man in his forties, dressed in grey armor, holding a spear, and a pants on. His colorbination totally betraying the expectations of fashion.


    Dana, raised her hand and waved it at the man with a smile on her face.


    "good morning uncle Loun".


    "there is our angel. How was your night".


    "it was fine uncle".


    "I figured, with that smile on your face. You must be really excited to want to venture into the Dungeon that much. I heard from your teachers that today is the day".


    "is it really that obvious now uncle".


    "extremely. If you don''t tone down your contagiously bright Aura".


    "i can not help it uncle, I am just really that excited".


    "don''t worry, I know exactly how you feel. You know during my time, I was al..."


    "okay, okay. Enough of the story. I made sure she won''t bete to school, we are already at her gate now, so don''t let your story be the element to stop her from getting to sses early".


    e on darling, off to sses now you go".


    "okay grandpa".


    Shakir bent his upper body down, and nted a kiss on her forehead before she dashed off into her school grounds.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "walk slowly so you won''t fall".


    "okay grandpa".


    Dana said, still running hastily with her face in the front and her hand raised up, waving at old man Shakir.


    "old man Shakir, she is not a kid anymore If she is already deemed fit enough to go into a dungeon, I am sure she can watch her steps well while running".


    "easy for you to say when you have no daughter of your own. How will you know how this old man feels".


    "ouch old man. You know your words really gets me where it hurts the most".


    "if it hurts you that much, then go and marry. You are past your forties already, what are you still waiting for....."


    "and if you say a wife that understands you, I will whack your face many times as much as I, understand you. The time for you to be selective has passed already".


    "old man, give it time. I am still in my prime unlike some certain someone who can''t even get It up, if you think I am lying, go ask madam Loraina about the events in her establishmentst night".


    "that is not what I am asking you to do. You know what, just forget it, it''s your problem if you want to die alone".


    "okay old man Shakir, be careful on your way back".


    "before I go. About the kids going into the Dungeon, which group of adventurers are going to be with them. Their rank, job and if possible, their names".


    "old man Shakir, you are panicking too much you know. Everything going to be fine".


    "that is why I am asking, so I will be at ease".


    "if you really want to know that much, The team that will be overseeing the exploration are a very popr bunch. A white mage, a swordsman, and a warrior".


    "the name of their party is Dire Hammer. You should have heard of them".


    "no, it does not ring a bell, and my only concern is if they can do their job right or not".


    "old man, you worry too much. This is not their first time leading a bunch of kids into a Dungeon. And, they will have their teacher with them to guide them right".


    "just go home and rx, alright".


    "i know I worry too much, and I have no intention of stopping her. She is only carrying on the family''s legacy, how can I stop her from doing that".


    "but, i can''t stop her does not mean I wouldn''t worry about her. It is the only thing my wrinkled body is good for".


    "everything is going to be fine old man".


    "do you happen to know the name of the dungeon they are heading to".


    "it''s a beginners dungeon".


    "as long as it is not the Sutgeo dungeon, everything should be fine".


    "why is that".


    "It is not something you need to know, just focus on your guard job, I am heading back home".


    "okay old man, don''t think too much about it, if it''s the Dire Hammer, the kids are definitely in safe hands#.


    Loun said,forting old man Shakir to rest his heart at ease on his grandchild going into a Dungeon.


    It was an event that had to be done if a child ever wants to be an adventurer, and old man Shakir also knows that very much.


    All he could do, is worry for her safety.


    He had taught her everything there is to know about the Dungeon, the rest is all eventually going to be left to her to find her path.

 Chapter 106 Teachers Interference

    ?A chaotic ssroom is the only form of description befitting what the woman walked into.


    A retired adventurer, after her graduation from the Edevin school of adventurer at the age of thirteen, worked as an adventurer for twenty years plus before she retired and took up a job as a teacher in Edevin school of adventure.


    Walking into the ssroom, she is met with kids throwing tantrums about, wailing and make a hell of a noise.


    The way the children were addressing one another, to someone who doesn''t know them very well will think they are in an oral war. But to one who knows them well like the teacher, knows they are simply caught in an argument like they always are.


    "alright guys, what''s the topic of your argument this time".


    The teacher walked up to their midst, disrupting their discussion with her question.


    e on Dana spill it. What has got you all so riled up this early in the morning".


    On her left side, is Dana and those in agreement with her standing behind her, and on her right, is the opposing party to Dana''s.


    "you won''t say?...., you and I both know, that won''t work on me".


    Dana gave no reply to her teacher''s question, and instead resorted to going with the cute face to persuade her teacher to take her side without knowing what the topic itself is about.


    "and you Ruben..., you have something to say?...."


    Turning her attention over to the boy about Dana''s age with silver hair that let''s him stand out in whatever crowd he is ced in, also the one leading the opposition party against her.


    She asked him for what was going on In hopes that he would give a viable response to her question unlike Dana who tried to cute her way out of it.


    "uhmm....., miss Aletta, we are talking about who the best adventurer is, Dana''s grandfather against the Dire Hammer".


    "miss Aletta I told him, my grandfather is the greatest adventurer to ever live, but he refused to believe me and startedparing him to the Dire Hammer".


    "sigh..., you kids are sooo..., you know what, I am speechless".


    e on miss Aletta, you can vouch on my grandfather''s strength right?. He is stronger than the Dire Hammer right".


    "no way. My father told me that the Dire Hammer has killed a dragon before. Has your grandfather done that".


    "no, but my grandfather has fought a cyclops that is even more powerful than a dragon, and he did it alone without any help. Can the Dire Hammer do that".


    "there is no way a cyclops is more powerful than a dragon. A dragon can easily kill a cyclops with a single st from its mouth".


    "that is so not true. A cyclops has a very huge body, it can easily catch the dragon with his giant hand and squash it".


    "The dragon will kill it before the cyclops can even do anything".


    The argument went on for minutes with miss Aletta not wanting to interrupt them anymore.


    As someone who had once lived through childhood, she finds their argument cute and worth arguing over.


    If they don''t share their thoughts, how will they ever learn?.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It''s not everything they are meant to learn about from their teachers, somethings they have to argue about, and end up going back home to do their research, then when the next dayes, they continue their argument where they left off with each having more information to back their im.


    At least, that is how she was during her childhood days, and hopefully the kids arguing before her will be too.


    "miss Aletta, what do you think!!...."


    The both of them, knew neither were ready to give up their im, and so they decided to include their teacher who is more knowledgeable than they are.


    Whatever answer she gives, is what will decide the oue of their argument as none of them can go up against their teacher who knows better than they do.


    Miss Aletta had an idea of what the children''s thought are leaning to.


    She knew they were trying to trap her into picking one favorite out of them all, and that as a teacher, is what she most certainly can not do.


    "you little rascals. If you are so curious on who is better, why don''t you ask the members of the Dire Hammer in person".


    "we would, if they were here that is".


    "who says they aren''t".


    "where...., where....., where are they".


    All the children jumping in excitement of wanting to meet a famous party of adventurers, and one that is going to follow them on their dungeon exploration quest today.


    They bugged their teacher several times for the unveiling, and not even Dana and her group could keep their wits about them as they also joined in on the excitement.


    "alright calm down now everybody, or I won''t be showing you anything".


    Those words were enough to keep them in check and have them properly behave themselves by moving to seat where they were supposed to without even being told to by their teachers.


    The children moved as fast as they could, each finding their way back to their seats, pushing and pulling like it was some kind ofpetition on who could get to his/her seat first.


    In no time, they were all in their appropriate positions, giving the ssroom the student vibe it should have had when their teacher first walked in.


    "wow, we should definitely increase the number of times we hold a Dungeon exploration, if that is what it takes you all to be this obedient, it will definitely make my work easier for me".


    "Miss Aletta, we are being good children now, so can you show us where they are".


    "i will, in just a minute, and I am sure they will be happy to answer whatever questions you might all have for them".


    "students, I want you all to meet, the adventurers party that is going to be escorting you all on your first dungeon exploration".


    "The Dire Hammer".


    She pointed her two hands in the direction of the door as she addressed her students, subconsciously carrying their attention to the door.

 Chapter 107 Dire Hammer Introduction

    ?Three people, two male and a female, all dressed in heavy armors, walked into the ssroom full of wild excitement and anticipation brimming in the air. They stood in front of the students who could no longer bottle up their vigority, and they all flocked themselves over to them.


    "wow guys, it''s a real adventurer..."


    One of the kids spoke up, squeezing himself among his peers just so he could get closer to the adventuerers.


    "I was once an adventurer too you know. Why don''t you ever give me the same treatment as you do them".


    Miss Aletta said suckling to her students who were too preupied with trying to draw to themselves the attention of the Dire Hammer members.


    "you be their teacher, and they forget just how awesome you are, sulking up to outsiders. Some gratitude you have going there my dear students".


    The kids were ignorant to theints of Miss Aletta, at least not with the Dire Hammer''s members in front of them.


    "alright kids enough. Break it up or I will be forced to cancel your dungeon exploration and send your beloved group of adventurers back to wherever they came from".


    "is that what you all want...."


    With no questions asked, they hastily moved themselves back to their seats the same way they had hurriedly rushed the members of the Dire Hammer.


    "much better. Now, if you guys would do the honor of introducing yourselves to my excessively agitated students".


    "i don''t know for how long I can keep them this obedient, so get right to it".


    She moved closer to The Dire Hammer members, and whispered words in their midst, silent enough for the students not to hear.


    "O....., okay Miss Aletta".


    The Dire Hammer members, directed their view over to the students and got ready to introduce themselves starting with the member at the right end.


    "alright guys, I am Louis Riley, but my friends call me Riley and you can too if you want".


    "my choice of weapon as you can see, is a long sword, and my job is a Swordsman with a level of eighty-seven. I am also the party''s leader".


    Riley has a sword hanging on his waist with his hair reaching to his shoulders, and a beautiful looking face to boot, one that would makedies wet their pants at the sight of him.


    Riley draws his sword out of his sheath and shes it around with light demonstrations as he introduces himself to the students.


    The baton was passed over to thedy standing next to Riley, dressed in white garment andced with ornaments in several sides of the clothing, with a scarf worn over her head and a staff held in her hand.


    She has a face that would make one rejoice over meeting with an angel, but a personality that would make one worship the devil as being too meek. Her two teammates know better than to get her angry.


    "my name, is Caren Krige, I am a white mage, and I am Level...".


    Impatient, one of the student raised his hand up, not giving Caren to finish her introduction.


    "yes, you over there".


    "my name is Adam, not you".


    Adam the student who raised his hand up, corrected Caren on how he should be identified.


    "yes Adam, do you have a question to ask".


    "i do. What is a White Mage".


    "that''s a good question. A white mage is a job specification dedicated to a group of mages who have devoted themselves to serving the Gods".


    "it''s an extremely special job, with its primary aim being to cast heal on any wounded members of the party, it''s secondary aim is buffing arade and debuffing an opponent. White mages are essential in a battle, as they are able to turn around a critical situation with simple spoken words".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "the only way to have it, is by receiving the blessings of the Gods. Without that, one cannot be opportuned to bing a White Mage".


    "woww..., that is so cool. So you are like the strongest one right....."


    Caren looked into Adam''s eyes and saw it brimming with the expectancy of being told that she is the strongest. Seeing that, she made up her mind not to betray his expectations.


    "yes....., yes I am the strongest. In fact, without me, this two here will bepletely helpless against any monster. That is how important white mages are in a party".


    "wow..., when I grow up, I am going to be just like you".


    "well good for you kid. But if you want to be just like me, offer an hourly prayer to the Gods, and make sure to show to them your unwavering devotion and faith".


    "the strongest, really?..., you do know that your job being rare does not exactly make it the strongest".


    "hey...., you got to at least give me this moment to savor. It''s not everyday I get to meet with a fanatic you know".


    Moving closer to Caren and whispering in her ears, is the third member of Dire Hammer Party.


    "the kids are waiting for you to introduce yourself to them next".


    "ahem, ahem. Kids, I am Dexter Hob, call me Dexter. I am a Level eighty-four Warrior".


    "kids, the path to bing the strongest is honing your physical prowess through life crushing exercises".


    Dexter''s appearance is one appalling to the eyes, though not as much as Riley''s. His braided hair especially suits well with his well muscr and toned body. His personality is one in line with building up a man''s body through excess training, and also has a very soft spot for women.


    Dexter raised a fist up, unting it to the kids who tantly ignored his disy of strength.


    Their attention have been especially captured by Caren who dered herself a white mage, a job so rare only few get to have it, unlike the swordsman and warrior job that is toomon.


    "miss Caren, you still haven''t told us what your level is".


    "well kids, I am Level eighty-two".


    hearing what level she''s at, the kids turned their heads, looking at each other.


    "why is your level lower than the others, did you not say that your job is the strongest?, if so, are you not supposed to be at a level higher than theirs".


    This time, it was Dana that broke the suspenseful question that had reigned in the minds of the children.


    "kid, having a special job does not exactly make you stronger than the others, if you don''t put any work with what you have, you will fall far behind others, special job or not".


    "so does that mean you don''t put in any work on your job, is that why you arecking behind your friends".


    "why you little....."


    "okay, that''s enough for the introduction".


    Miss Aletta interfered just in time before Caren lost her cool. For one who has chosen a God rted job, the face she made when she felt herself being belittled by Dana, was unholy like of her.


    e on Caren, the kid is speaking the truth you know, no need getting mad at her".


    "is that so?....., guess what, you can go find yourself another healer and one who will buff you whenever you need, because I won''t be wasting an ounce of my mana on you".


    e on, don''t be like that..."


    Dexter begged, knowing how effective and important Caren''s buff is in an adventurers life, he could not afford being arrogant to her.

 Chapter 108 Going Into The Dungeon

    ?"okay kids, here we are".


    After the fairly long introduction, with a little bit of question and answer session, Miss Aletta prepared the students for the Dungeon exploration they were meant to go to.


    With the members of the Dire Hammer with her, she took the kids to the guild''s association where they were assigned temporary passes.


    Only with this passes will they be allowed entrance into the first floors of the dungeon. The pass extension only go as far as the first floor where the danger is within calcble, and the only dungeon essible with the passes, are mostly beginners level dungeon.


    Anything beyond the first floor, will need a guild card to trespass. The condition for getting the temporary pass, is to have an adventurer that will serve as an escort in case of unforeseen dangers.


    When they were done collecting the temporary passes for all fifteen kids, they moved over to their next destination, the Dungeon which is where they currently are.


    "there she is...., one of the oldest dungeon in Edevin, cleared by the first group of adventurers that settled in Edevin".


    Standing not far off from the entrance leading to the Dungeon, Riley spoke up, trying to show off to the kids on how brushed up he is on dungeon history.


    "legends say, there is a floor far beneath the Dungeon itself, with none able to find the passage leading to it. It wasn''t specified on which dungeon, only that one of the very first dungeon that existed during the time the city was built".


    "those are just some weird rumors Riley. The guild wouldn''t be stupid enough to give us a Dungeon pass to an uncleared dungeon especially with kids along".


    "do not be so sure on that Caren. Like I said, none were able to find the door leading to the Dungeon".


    "oh really?..., then that just makes it a false rumor now does it not. Think you blockhead, how can there be a Dungeon door that cannot be found?, how do they even know it existed if there is no door to prove it...."


    "because it is a special kind of dungeon, that''s why...."


    "then it is no longer a Dungeon, you fool. Dungeons are meant to be explored. A ce where one cannot set foot in or even see cannot be regarded as a Dungeon, regardless of what location it''s in".


    "hey that is becau..."


    "enough of your chattering, the kids are more interested in going into the Dungeon than standing outside of it listening to the arguments of you two...., right kids".


    Dexter swoops in at the right moment, stealing the spotlight away from Riley and Caren, and drawing the kids that had earlier ignored him to now being on the same page with him.


    "yes that is right, we want to go in the Dungeon!!!"


    The kids in unison, sprang their voices up and agreeing with Dexter.


    "and you will kids. As long as you stick by the side of this uncle, I will not only take you inside the Dungeon, but I will also show you all sorts of beasts that dwells in it".


    "hey Dana, what kind of beast do you think we wille across in there".


    Dana''s childhood friend Nadea who also happens to be her closest friend, moves closer to her, asking for her opinion.


    "I do not know, but grandpa told me that whatever monster we see, we should never hesitate to kill them. Only a coward fears monsters".


    Holding her fist up, and her lips clipped together.


    "with my two handed sword, I will cut down any monster I see".


    She stretched her hands out to inside her backpack and brought out two wooden sword, showing it to Nadea.


    "and I have my fist with me, I will punch through any monster thates my way, and unleash on them the secret technique taught to me by my father".


    Nadea said, waving her hands in the air, and punching into nothing.


    "hehe, the little ants are also talking. You that will not evenst a minute against even the weakest monster".


    "go on your way Ruben, no one called you here. Always putting your mouth in matters that does not concern you".


    "how dare you, do you know who my father is".


    "Grandpa told me, your father is the city''s lord who steals all the money the adventurers make. Your father is a criminal and an enemy of adventurers, and that so makes you an enemy of the adventurers".


    "why you..."


    "touch me, try it and see how I test the techniques grandfather taught me on you".


    Ruben couldn''t move a muscle after the threat made by Dana, and for good reasons to boot.


    Whenever a sspetition was held, Dana and Ruben who are the top of the ss always end up shing in the final. And the result always ends in Dana''s win.


    Ruben had done everything, and even attending extra fighting lessons after school was over, all so he can catch up to Dana, but whatever he did, he always ends up being second to her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He did not want to mess this up for himself. Getting Into a physical confrontation with Dana, and end up being the loser, all happening in front of his admired adventurers, The Dire Hammer.


    Ruben did not want to be embarrassed with them present, and so he chose to back off in a cool manner.


    "I will forgive you both if you kneel down now and beg me, and I will even protect you from any monsters in there"


    "we don''t need your forgiveness. You should be the one begging Dana for protection, remember that time she beat you up because you took her food from her?...."


    Nadea added more feul to the ongoing fire in Ruben''s heart, taunting him and ying with his conscience button, almost on the verge of snapping.


    "hey...., little dude. You know, with an attitude like that, you will never get the girls on your side".


    Caren butted in at just the right moment, roughing up Ruben''s hair in a caring manner.


    "if you want to get a girl, you have to learn to be polite and not be rude, you have to be especially caring. Girls love a very caring guy".


    "Riley...."


    "what..."


    "I want you to punch me hard, I think I might have lost myself in a dream world".


    Dexter was caught with surprise at Caren''s interference in the kids matter, settling it with a calm mood and even going so far as smiling brightly, none of said descriptions fits well with the Caren he knew.


    "no..., I am very sure you did not".


    "really?....., if that is so, then howe I am seeing Caren calming a boy down and even going so far as giving him rtionship advice".


    "i am just as surprised as you are".


    "okay guys, enough. Let''s get you all in the Dungeon now".


    "line up ording to your height, and march yourselves over to the counter to submit the Dungeon passes in your hands".


    Miss Aletta voiced out, with the students following through with her instructions.


    Riley and Dexter stood at the back of the students, while Caren and Miss Aletta led the students from the front, marching their way to the counter where they would have to go through to get Inside of the dungeon.


    "evening folks, what can I do for you".


    "what kind of a dumb question is that?....., what are you sitting at the counter for if not so you can allow entry into a Dungeon".


    Miss Aletta dragged Caren to the back and took the lead to interact with the man standing at the counter.


    She immediately regretted her choice of letting Caren talk to the man, and wouldn''t have allowed her if she knew the words that were going toe out of her mouth was going to be that unfriendly.


    "sorry for that. We need you to do us a favor of checking the kids dungeon pass and allowing them entrance".


    "how many escorts are they going with".


    "three, an A ss party consisting of three members".


    "what about amunication orb in case of an emergency".


    "we have it here with us..."


    "can I see it".


    Miss Aletta turned her face over to Caren who handed her the round shaped item, which was then handed over to the man.


    He observed the orb for several seconds, and after verifying its authenticity, he handed the orb back to miss Aletta.


    "you are all clear to go in, I just have to check the kids passes is all".


    "sure no problem".


    "Kids, i am going to head on inside first, but I want you all to continue walking straight ahead, and hand over your passes to this man when you get here, okay".


    "yes miss Aletta!!!".


    She instructed the kids after moving out of the way and into the Dungeon with Caren, and they all replied her with excitement, eagerly wanting to go into the Dungeon.

 Chapter 109 Persuasion

    ?Riley held his sword''s handle with one hand, and swung it down with ease, cutting a goblin in half. He swings the sword sideways without even looking, and easily cut off another Goblin''s head.


    "Dexter, I am done here. How are you doing over there".


    "I am almost done as well, just have to take care of thiii......"


    He lengthened his words on purpose, as he was currently dealing with the Goblin. Thrusting his hand out forward, Dexter blew a hole into a Goblin''s head, and used his kick to make another hole into another Goblin.


    "annnnnnnnd done. This goblins definitely need to work on their body more, how can they be so soft, and they call themselves monster".


    He said as he picks up an headless Goblin''s body from the ground filled with even more dead goblins, most of which are headless or having holes in their body.


    "hey cut it out. The kids are here remember".


    Riley stopped Dexter just in time before he did something even more traumatizing to the Goblin''s body while the kids stationed at the back are watching.


    "what?..., they have seen us kill a goblin by sting its head to pieces, how can they be freaked out by l me cutting up its body and taking out the seble parts of it".


    "that''s that, and this is this. We can''t go doing something like that in front of the kids. We will wait for them to finish their exploration ande back for the bodies, it''s not like it is going to go anywhere".


    "hey, does kids have their eyes set on wanting to be an adventurer in the future, they need to learn to get used to seeing stuff like this".


    "this is way too much pacing for them, we have to get them familiarized to it step by step. Also, I am pretty sure the core of a goblin ranked E, is more or less useless to you, so why even bother".


    "money is important, no matter what form or quantity ites in. Treasure it more and I guarantee you, a life full of money wille your way".


    "I will take your word for it only after i see you livingvishly, with your money treasuring belief".


    "you guys break it up over there, the kids are waiting for their time to shine".


    Caren,moved away from the group she was with and walked forward to meet with her teammates. Standing not very far away from them, she reprimanded them on keeping the kids waiting.


    "we areing. And Dexter, don''t do it alright".


    "okay, I hear you. I wille back for itter".


    Dexter listened to Riley, and went with him to meet with Caren who wasn''t that far from the kids.


    "okay kids, we are sorry for keeping you all waiting, but the road is all clear now. We have dealt with the troublesome monsters, now you guys can go deal with the smaller ones. Just make sure you don''t wander off too far from this floor".


    "is that clear".


    "yes, uncle Riley!!".


    "uncle?..., you little rascals, off you go".


    "don''t let it get over your head...., uncle".


    "and you just spoilt my damn mood, damn it Caren".


    "hey why me me, I am just calling you what the kids called you".


    "its creepy hearing you call me uncle, you know that well enough".


    While Riley and Caren were busy with their discussions, Dexter took on the task of escorting the kids to a zone where they can move freely about.


    "here guys, a perfect hunting spot just for you all".


    The kids, all stopped and gave Dexter a disappointing look, enough for him to pray for a miracle to whoosh him away from their midst.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "guys what''s wrong, why the face".


    Miss Aletta who is also with them, noticed the displeased on their faces, and proceeded to asking them why?.....


    "he wants us to hunt rabbits..."


    "so?, what''s wrong with that".


    "they are rabbits".


    "yes I know what they are. I am asking what is wrong with hunting rabbits".


    "Grandpa told me that rabbits are the weakest in the monster category, and that is what you want us to fight".


    "Dana....."


    Calling her name, Miss Aletta bent her body down to match Dana''s size and to also lighten up the gloomy mood.


    "i know you all want to go against monsters stronger than a rabbit, but those are all very dangerous stuff, and you guys aren''t ready for any of that yet".


    "what you need now, is to start with baby steps and gradually blending your strengths to be equal to whatever monsters you fight".


    "but....., if I move like that, when am I ever going to surpass grandpa like I promised him I would".


    "your teacher is right you know".


    When he saw that Dana was unwilling to agree with her teacher, he stepped in to support Miss Aletta.


    "I didn''t just build all this muscles I have now in just a day, it took me years of effort and relentless training to get to having this body the current me has".


    "when I was your age, I had to wake up before anyone else did, all just to start my early routine training, and after that, I had to run to school with my legs going back and forth . I even had a food diet I still follow through till now".


    "that is what it means to want to acquire strength. It''s what you work for by making all kinds of sacrifices, not something that falls on yourp because you want it to".


    "a kind of strength that you don''t work for, but got thanks to the help of another, that is a borrowed strength. It''s not something that will stick with you forever, but something that will eventually disappoint and leave you to fending for yourself".


    "you know why?....., because it''s not your strength but someone else''s. The path to the top, starts with trending from the bottom, because if you get to the top without trying out the bottom, when you end up falling to the bottom then, you will fall hard with no directions of how or where to start".


    "so kids, don''t be too greedy for a position you are not meant for, and rather walk your way up to the position to earn it, is that clear".


    "yes it is!!!".


    "then my job is half done. Now get yourselves going to go fight some hopping rabbits, and be sure to not hurt yourselves alright".


    "thanks for helping me convince them, my words were limited and definitely not enough to have them take it for a yes. But you did a good job there".


    After the kids had run off to go fight the rabbit, Miss Aletta went to meet Dexter who was standing alone with his gaze monitoring the kids.


    "it''s no problem at all. I was once in her shoes too back when I was her age. Looking up to someone and wanting to be like them, the eagerness that follows with it. It wasn''t until I had a talking to, exactly like the one I just gave her, that I came to understand things better".


    "you are right. Even I understand more just from listening to you, and I am not even a kid".


    "d I could be of help, I just hope she will learn to be at ease and not in a hurry to follow in her grandfather''s footsteps".


    "well you can''t me her for that, her grandfather is one hell of a retired veteran adventurer".

 Chapter 110 Chemistry

    ?Dexter turned his head away from the kids and over to Miss Aletta with a curious gaze, he asked?.....


    "is he that famous".


    "I can''t say for sure how famous he is, but I am certain even you and your group would have heard of him from the city you were in".


    "and his name".


    "Shakir, Kemies Shakir. Also known as the twin sword wolf".


    "wait..., do you mean the twin sword wolf that saved a city from a Chimera attack?....., that same twin sword wolf".


    Dexter was caught with surprise to learn that the adventurer he had looked up to, was Dana''s grandfather.


    "yes, it''s that same one alright. And the city he saved, is this city".


    "wow, that''s really incredible. Hey Riley, Caren. I have got big news for you guys....., but on second thought, I will fill you in on itter".


    He attempted to reach out to Riley and Caren, but decided against it after seeing them still entangled in a fierce argument.


    "seriously, I can see why she wants to live up to her grandfather''s expectations. The man is also someone I worshipped during my younger days. He was one of the people I dreamed of growing up to be like".


    "he was like, one of the big ten in the adventurers ranking, until he disappeared that is. Do you by chance have any idea of what happened to him".


    "he got old, and had to retire".


    "i see..., age?...., no one can escape from its ws it seems?.... No one except the monsters that is".


    "and the elves, never forget the elves".


    "right....."


    Miss Aletta added to Dexter''s list of those with a mlong life, and he smirked it off in amusement.


    "so that''s his granddaughter?..., I wonder if she takes after him".


    Dexter said, his gaze falling back on Dana in admiration and curiosity after finding out her origin.


    "ho she does alright. Though still young, she is a feisty one that should not be underestimated. I can''t wait to see how she turns out when she grows up".


    "that much....."


    "it''s much more than that. She is currently at the top of her ss, with none of her ssmates able to hold a candle to her".


    "wow..., like grandfather like granddaughter I guess. But, what about her parents?, I assumed she would want to be more like them. Children tend to want to take after their parents rather than their grandparents".


    "that''s a topic I feel ufortable talking about".


    Dexter''s tone dropped, noticing that he had sullied the calm mood with his sudden his question. He immediately rectified his mistakes by shifting on to another topic.


    "if that''s the case, then we don''t talk about it. Instead, let''s talk about you. Have you always been their teacher, or did you have a job before this".


    "uhmm..... No, I was also an adventurer before taking on the teaching job. No sane adventurer was ready to quit their job just to teach the little monsters".


    "but you were willing..."


    "I am..., yes I am. I love kids. Though they can be very troubling to work with sometimes, but that''s what makes it fun. But it''s partially also because I wasn''t ranked really high as an adventurer".


    "what rank were you at".


    "trust me, you do not want to know. You know, when I walked into the ssroom today, they were debating on who is the strongest, Edevin''s hero the Twin sword wolf, or the Dire Hammer".


    Dexter found it unbelievable that his team would bepared to a legend, but then again, it''s aparison made up by kids who were not around during the age of the Twin Sword wolf, so it was understandable.


    His team, is the new face for younger generation of adventurers to want to emte, and for that, he felt gratified.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "really?...., we are beingpared to the legendary Twin Sword Wolf?..., never thought I would see a day like thate".


    "why not, you guys are legends too you know".


    "yes, but not that kind of legend. Twin Sword Wolf is a legend with a lot of achievements to his name. We are pretty amazing ourselves, butpared to him, we are only beginners".


    "a group of beginners killing a dragon is not exactly beginner like material".


    "maybe that''s because what we killed was a lesser dragon ranked B. That is not something youpare to an A ranked cyclops".


    "but it''s still a monster must adventurers would run from. You should take pride in killing such a monster".


    "and that we do. But using that topare us to the Twin Sword Wolf, is overrating our achievements, and I feel like that''s an insult to the Twin Sword Wolf who single-handedly took down a cyclops six times its body weight".


    "thinking about it now, that is really fierce of him".


    Miss Aletta retorted out, admiring the courage act of the twin sword wolf for standing against a monster many would run from.


    "you know....., I can show you how fierce I am myself if you agree to eating lunch with me, your pick".


    Dexter''s question caught Miss Aletta by surprise, but regardless, she was able topose herself naturally, hesitating with a long pause and a nk face before giving him a reply.


    "okay, I am free on Saturday, around noon".


    "that sounds great. Will definitely be ready by Saturday".


    Dexter also managed to keep his cool, as he was not really expecting a straight yes right off the bat. He twisted his face trying not to show how overly excited he is by her reply.


    "hey Dexter, we have a mission toplete on Saturday".


    Caren shouted out jokingly from where she was standing, wanting to mess with Dexter a little bit.


    "well you are going to have to do the mission without me Caren".


    Dexter shouted out, shunning off Caren.


    "someone sure is feisty".


    "how about not disturbing him when he is trying to score a point, and maybe he won''t be so feisty with you".


    "where is the fun in that".


    ***


    With the elders busy chatting away their time, the kids were having their own fun going at the hopping rabbits.


    "you want to try out something even more fun than this".


    "what''s that".


    "i say we get out of here, and go deeper in where the stronger monsters are".


    "but they said we shouldn''t wander off from here, that it might get too dangerous".


    "my grandfather always said to me, only with danger will an adventurer grow stronger. If this weak monsters are what we are going to be stuck with, there is no way we will ever be stronger in time. And that man is only saying what he said to trick us into staying here".


    "i promise you, nothing is going to happen. We go in, find a stronger monster, fight it, kill it, and bring its body back to them to show them how strong we are. If we do that, they won''t be able to treat us like kids anymore".


    Dana unlike the rest of the kids, wasn''t ready to settle for rabbits, she was desperate for a stronger opponent and was ready to do anything to see her desperatione to life.


    "what do you say Nadea...., will you follow me, or leave me to go in by myself".


    Dana, stretched her hands out to her best friend Nadea hoping in her deepest heart that she would hold unto the hand in return.

 Chapter 111 To Make Him Proud

    ?Dana and Nadea wandered far away from the group they came with, searching for a different monster from the one they were permitted to face.


    They roamed off in search of stronger monsters, finding themselves going deeper and deeper, slowly losing the sight of the group they hade with, but this did not bother them at all.


    Their judgment and thoughts have been clouded with the expectations of wanting to meet with a monster that is not a rabbit, even going so far as to climb down the stairs they had encounterd on their search for monsters, not minding what lies beneath it.


    "Dana, you were right, sneaking out of there really is fun....."


    "you want to know what''s going to be even more fun"


    "what....."


    "fighting a monster. I am going to show you all the moves my grandfather taught me, and how I will use it to bring down a monster".


    "I have seen your moves Dana, remember when you were in a duel with Ruben".


    "ha....., you call that seeing my moves?...., I was going really easy on Ruben you know. If I were to defeat him quickly, that will bruise that ego of his".


    "you just wait till wee into contact with a real monster, and I will show you just how fancy and strong my move is".


    Dana said, bragging heavily to Nadea.


    They were down the stairs after a long walk, and found themselves in a gloomy solemn cave, devoid of light and only being brightened up by the shadows collected from the floor above trailing down the stairs.


    Dana and Nadea walked around, chattering happily with their faces stered with excitement at the thoughts ofing into contact with a monster.


    Dana especially was more eager than any of her ssmates ever were about this dungeon exploration. This is her chance to show her grandfather just how much she has improved, to show him that his teachings on her is being put to a good use.


    Disappointing him wasn''t in her to do list, but rather to make him proud. And she can only do that by killing a monster that is not a rabbit.


    Her reasons for not listening to Dexter''s sermon, is because she wants to present to her grandfather whatever monster she kills. Presenting a rabbit as her first Kill, isn''t exactly praiseworthy material enough for her.


    "!!!"


    "wait".


    Dana stretched out her hand backwards and whispered, signifying for Nadea to stop moving.


    "did you hear that...."


    "hear what....."


    "it sounded like footsteps".


    "I did not hear anything".


    Dana and Nadea halted whatever sounds they were making and paid close listening hears to their surroundings.


    "I still hear nothing Dana".


    Nadea said after listening attentively on behalf of Dana''s.


    "i was sure I heard the sound of the footstep".


    "maybe you heard wrong".


    The girls after paying close attentive earing to their surroundings, heard nothing and so decided to continue on their path.


    "!!!!"


    They had not moved very far when they both heard the stomping sound, this time much louder, enough for even Nadea to pick up on it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "you did hear that right?, I was not the only one right....."


    "yes I did, I heard it. But where do you think it ising from".


    The cave they were in was extremely wide, enough for their vision to not be able to cover the whole distance.


    "do not move and just stay right beside me. First rule of facing a monster in its territory is to stick together with my teammates, so as to not allow ourselves be picked off one at a time by the monsters".


    "that is what grandpa taught me. Nadea, do not move unless I move okay".


    Nadea nodded at the words of Dana and hurriedly positioned herself an inch away from her.


    Nadea''s back meeting with Dana''s back, they each observed for any movements in front of them.


    Dana held unto her wooden double sword, stretched it out in front of her, and ready to strike when needed. As for Nadea, she had her wooden sword held with both hands, also ready to respond to any sudden movements.


    "!!!!".


    The sound of the footstep got louder, spreading in all sides as it approaches the two girls who have themselves on edge.


    Stomping down Like a rock being thrown to a wall, the two girls knew that an ordinary monster could not project out a footstep sound of that caliber, and figured it had to be from something big and hard.


    Dana''s face got wider with excitement at the thought of finally getting the chance to prove herself.


    She know that whatever it was that was making a sound like that, is something that would be worthy enough to show how stronger she had be to her grandfather, but she was wrong.


    Dana''s desire to make her grandfather proud is one deserving of praise, but at the same time can be considered immature and totally irrational.


    She has trained under him ever since she learned to work and understood words, enrolled in the school of adventurer and became the top one student in no time.


    No matter what activities she was ced in, she always shined brightly, showing a side of her that excudes child perfection.


    Despite her young age, she has shown praise worthy talents, and demonstrated a state of mind rationalization unbelonging to a child, to the point that people began to praise her as a genius, and even her ssmates looked up to her highly, with the exception of Ruben who considers her as his rival.


    The pride and praises thates with being regarded as a genius by her grandfather and those around her, has gone too deep into her head to make her realize that training isn''t all there is in abat.


    Going up against a monster who has spent its whole life only knowing struggle, death, survival. With justbat training taught to her by her grandfather in a sheltered home, is nothing but a blissful ignorance.


    An act off ignorance she never thought about or ounted for, has nowe in the form of a monster to bite back at her.


    The monster that was making the footstep sound was now closer to them, enough for them to see what form its in, overshadowing her figure by several folds.


    Dana''s body shivered at the monster that had appeared in her front, her body started producing out sweats lingering from her face down to her toes.


    She had no control over her body as a force that could not be seen with the physical eye pressed her down to the floor kneeling.


    Dana''s body trembling, causes her hold on her wooden sword to falter and drop. She managed to raise her hands up, using it to cover her mouth as she tries to purge out whatever was troubling her stomach.


    Her vision getting all blurry, and her thoughts all scrambled up, not even having the mentality to tell the difference between a what and a why.


    Nadea as well was in no different condition from Dana as she unknowingly found herself crouching on the floor, grasping for air.


    The monster stood tall before Dana and Nadea who were cowering themselves in fear, looking at the reaction of the girls, it swung his hand down at them, wanting to smash their figure in with the ground.


    "pow!!".


    He rushed in ferociously to defend the two kids as he brings down the monster with a single punch


    "sigh...., what the hell are you kids doing down here?".

 Chapter 112 Rescue

    ?"how could you have let this happen Dexter?, I thought you were watching the kids..."


    "me?...., we were all assigned to watch them, so do not put the me on just me".


    "you were closer to them, while we were further away from them. You had a better grasp sight on them, you could have put it to good use".


    "enough the both of you, arguing amongst ourselves won''t solve anything now. What we need to focus on is finding those kids before anything bad happens to them".


    "damn it, and I made sure to warn them enough to not venture out on their own, why won''t they just listen".


    Dexter said, disappointed that the children he thought he had lectured and gave a thorough bearing to, went behind his back and disobeyed his warning.


    Even the date he had sealed with miss Aletta is now on the brink of copsing thanks to their irresponsible actions.


    After discovering that two kids were missing among the kids dealing with the rabbit, the Dire Hammer members quickly sprung into action.


    They decided on going in to find the two missing, but while they were doing that, miss Aletta had to take the remaining children out of the dungeon.


    Reasons for that being, the three members going further into the Dungeon while there would be no one left to watch over the kids except miss Aletta.


    They couldn''t take such chances of leaving miss Aletta alone with the kids knowing fully well how dangerous and unpredictable dungeons could be.


    Thus they came to the decision of miss Aletta taking the kids out of the dungeon, while the three go search for Dana and Nadea.


    Miss Aletta at first was not on board with the decision. She wasn''t ready to leave the kids behind and prioritizing her own safety first. But after much convincing done by Dexter, she had no choice but to give in knowing it wasn''t a decision made especially for her, but to assure the safety of the other kids.


    The Dire Hammer members, left the safety of the students at the hands of miss Aletta with ns of putting an abrupt end to the exploration and immediately evacuating the Dungeon, while the three track down the missing kids.


    Running hastily down the stairs leading to the lower floor with not a minute to be wasted, are the Dire Hammer members.


    "damn it, I can''t believe they came down this far without us noticing anything".


    "its not entirely our fault, children of nowadays are just damn nosy and rebellious, thinking they know better than us when in fact, they know absolutely nothing. They deserve to be whipped till their butt bleeds out, only then will they learn".


    "they can only be punished if they are safe. If something happens to them, the situation will not be aughing matter, especially for us, this could ruin our records".


    "we are not going to take the me for this are we?...., I mean, we did warn them not to stray away from us, but they did not listen, we are not at any fault here".


    "for someone whose beliefs in God is the foundation of your ability, you sure do care an awful lot about yourself more than anyone else".


    "that''s a given. I won''t let some brats drag me down when they refused to listen to simple instructions".


    "!!"


    "what is it Dexter".


    While they were running as fast as they could, Dexter suddenly stopped and stood still, with his face frowned.


    "i can sense them, they are near and are in danger".


    "what, then we have to hurry".


    "It will be toote if we all match our pace, I will be going ahead first".


    "wait....., going alone is not a...."


    Dexter did not allow Riley toplete his words as he took off leaving the two behind.


    "that blockhead, does he not know how dangerous it is to wander alone in a Dungeon".


    "don''t judge him too much. Let''s run along and catch up with him".


    The two continued on their pace with Riley taking the lead, and Caren not too far behind.


    ***<novelnext></novelnext>


    "what the hell do you kids think you are doing?, wandering away from the group anding this deep into the dungeon".


    With his speed, Dexter was fast enough to get to Dana and Nadea in time, saving them from being harmed by the monster by sting its head off with his fist.


    When he had taken care of the monster, he turned to Dana and Nadea who had their body shriveled up in fear.


    "see, this is exactly why we didn''t want you going somewhere else without our supervision".


    Dexter couldn''t bring out the harsh words he had thought of in his mind. When he saw the fear radiating off of the girls body, their face looking very pale and lifeless, covered in sweat that made it look like they had fallen into a stream.


    Seeing them in such condition, Dexter threw away whatever harsh words he had earlier prepared and took to trying to console them.


    "sigh...., kids really are troublesome to deal with".


    Dexter couldn''t move the girls due to the sensitive state they currently are in. The only one who can help them reverse their current state is Caren.


    As a White mage, she can buff their mental strength to a point where they can withstand the bloodlust they had been exposed to.


    He moved away from the kids, and closer to the monster to see what sort of monster it was that had them scared out of their wits.


    "an Orc?".


    Dexter looked at the monster''s figureyed dead on the ground, and it matched the description of an Orc, a monster he was really familiar with during his early days of adventuring.


    "no wonder you were rendered immobile. Orcs are one of the very few among the low ranking monsters with bloodlust toxic enough to render an E rank adventurer dead, and a D rank adventurer immobile".


    "you should all be grateful you met with a kid Orc, if it was an adult Orc or higher, I would have met you both in an irreversible state".


    "Dexter....."


    Riley called out to Dexter from afar after he and Caren had gotten to his range of view.


    "good thing you guys came early. Caren...., cast your buff on them to relieve them of the fear".


    "i am not blind. I know what to do in a situation like this".


    Caren moved towards the kids, ready to take away their fears with her skill, while Riley went ahead to meet with Dexter.


    "what sort of monster is it".


    He asked while walking his way up to where the monsterid.


    "it''s a Teen type Orc, probably around level twenty-three or lower".


    "hmm..., that is close to it evolving to an adult Orc?....., these kids were lucky you came to them in time".


    Riley bent his body down, matching the Orc''s position and checking its body out.


    "exactly what I told them. Caren, how far are you with the buff".


    "i am done, but they won''t be able to speak for a while".


    "that''s good enough. Let''s get of out here".


    "are you not going to dissect the body for its core".


    "I don''t have time for that. Their teacher is probably worried sick about them, I need to get them to her in time to calm her mood".


    "someone is trying really hard".


    "make fun of me all you want. I am just trying to give a presentable result on the job we are assig..."


    The heat barged itself abruptly into the floor, embracing the members of The Dire Hammer. The hair on their skin that had fallen deep into slumber, suddenly arose with an heavy warning, personally dragged up by the bad omen epassing the three adventurers.

 Chapter 113 Preview To His Awakening 1

    ?It started with a tingle curling itself up Shakir''s body, then came a sense of foreshadowing washing over him.


    "something is wrong".


    He said as he hastily got up from his squeaky chair and drops the rough sheets he was reading. Years of working as an adventurer was constantly bugging Shakir''s consciousness, pinching at him that something is wrong somewhere.


    Shakir stretched his hand out to the side of his squeaky chair and took his stick walker to aid him in moving faster. With the help of the stick walker, he was able to get to the door faster than he could have without it.


    When he got to the door and pushed it open, the first thing Shakir felt was that the air was abnormally hot.


    The kind of heat Shakir felt was not one that hovered over his hair lines keeping temperature heated, but an heat that had his body sweating profusely after minutes of being exposed to it.


    Shakir in an effort to know what was going on, moved further out closing the door behind him.


    It wasn''t only Shakir that came out of his house, but every member living in that area were out of their homes. At this point, Shakir was starting to get worried.


    "look...., the....., the sky....., it is red".


    The neighbour standing not too far off from Shakir shouted while pointing upwards at the phenomenon that was happening to Edevin''s sky.


    Crimson red like puff shaped circle appeared above the center of Edevin, and not very much noticeable at first, not until it started getting bigger and spreading itself. The Crimson puff sky slowly extended its hold to every corners of Edevin, sealing the city off by surrounding it from all sides.


    A city housing a poption of one thousand people, was covered in an artificial sky having a bloodied color, it was nothing less of a bad omen of terrible things toe.


    Seeing the sky that was supposed to be bright out, now covered with blood like colour, the whole neighborhood went on an instant disarray.


    Man running for his dear live, mother going back inside their house only toe out with their kids and making a run for it. In no time, like a gue, the chaos had spread itself through the city''s core and all members no longer felt safe in their own homes.


    Shakir was no longer worried but now on high alert. The city covered in a dreary red color is not a sign of a good omen, but a bad one.


    The only thing capable of doing something like this, is SSS rank or above kind of being. But that is impossible, mostly because said beings do not exist.


    The closest anyone has ever gotten toing across an SSS rank being is through ancient legends passed down from generations to generations.


    The rank being mentioned in the adventurers ranking list, is only there to inspire adventurers and make it their goal, working towards bing stronger, but till date, no adventurer had ever breached that gap.


    Their existence has not been verified by the guild, and even those who passed down said myths have be nothing but a pile of bone buried six feet underground.


    Shakir went back inside to put on proper clothes before heading to the guild. If there is anyone that will have a vague idea of what is happening, it is the adventurers guild who are tasked with dealing with stuff like this.


    He walked around the town, that is endowed in total pain and Chaos. People fleeing, and the main streets very disorderly. Even the small time retailers with small shops situated at the streets sidewalk was leftpletely empty with the goods still present.


    On a normal day, Shakir wouldn''t be this diforted. He is an old man with age slowly whisking away his time, there is nothing else for him to fear but to wait for death toe and take him away.


    But, it''s a different case with Dana around. He can''t afford to let anything happen to her, and if he could, he would have ran straight to her school to get her instead of going to the guild for information.


    The only reason he isn''t doing that is because he knows Dana won''t be in school but currently inside of a Dungeon. The worst ce for anyone to be in this current predicament.


    He needs to go to the guild if he wants inquiry on which dungeon Dana went into, and make arrangements on getting her out of it so he could keep her by his side where he will feel somefort knowing where she is.


    Amidst the ongoing chaos with people pushing themselves over who to go first, some even resorting to force to push back the others, is Shakir walking as fast as he can to get himself to the guild''s door.


    Shakir''s mouth gulped when he saw an incident involving a man suddenly catching on fire. The scene took him down memorynes of events he never wanted to remember.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "no...., no..., no...., no. It cannot be?..., it mustn''t be?".


    One could almost smeal the fear and dreadfulness Shakir''s face was with. He wished that he were wrong, he wished that his memories betrayed him, but all the scenes that had yed out before him, pointed to his assumptions being correct.


    Shakir ran even faster than his old body could afford and got to the adventurer guilds building, barging himself in uninvited. The events Shakir was met with in the guild, wazs no different from what he had seen on his way here.


    The major difference, is that the people outside were panicking and running due to fear of being killed, but the adventurers inside the guild''s building, were gearing themselves with weapons and information exchange, panicking so they can be ready to battle whatever it is that had turned their city''s sky red.


    Shakir ignored themotion and disruption, and made his way up to the receptionist''s desk that is just ahead the door. None of the adventurers in the building paid much attention to Shakir as they were too busy preparing themselves.


    Shakir got to the receptionist''s desk and banged his hand on the table, loud enough to call for the attention of the woman behind the desk. She had her body turned opposite to Shakir as she was busy sorting out some stuff on the shelf in front of her.


    The receptionist turned her body towards Shakir, and moved closer to him.


    "we are currently in an emergency old man, you cane backter to deliver whatever quest you have for us".


    The adventurers guild operates in a way that is dependent on the everyday civilian. They open their shop down, recruiting workers (adventurers), and the ordinary citizense into the shop with a request and a set payment amount for the workers to take on.


    The receptionist talking to Shakir, after looking at his figure, instantly thought that he was here to post his request for the guild to take on, which is why she gave him a direct answer as they were indeed too upied to take on any quests.


    "I am not here to post a request, I am here to meet with the guild''s Master in regards to the phenomenon that had clouded our city''s sky".


    Shakir said with a trembling coarse voice.


    "do....., you know why it happened".


    The receptionist asked Shakir in anticipation for a positive response. She was also scavenging for any news on what is happening. Whatever information she gets her hands on will be directly conveyed to the adventurers in preparation for what they might and might note across.


    "no, but that''s why I am here".


    Shakir shut her down bluntly, going straight to the reason that brought him here. He felt she wasn''t of a high level enough to be told his assumptions on the phenomenon, the only one who can possibly understand him currently is the guild master, hence why he requested for him directly.


    "can I see the guild''s master now".


    "look old man, I am sure you can see what''s happening outside. As an organization tasked with dealing with something like that, we are all packed looking for information, and even the guild master is too busy to have time for visitors".


    Shakir had no time to waste, every minute spent arguing with her, is a minute increasing the danger surrounding Dana and putting the town and everyone in it into more risk.


    He reached into his chest pocket and brought out his guild''s identity card.


    "here have this".


    Shakir handed the identity card over to the receptionist who gulped down her saliva when she saw the name written on the card.


    "i am so sorry mister Shakir, the guild master is up in his office, I am sure he would be d to have your presence in our midst during times like this".


    The receptionist knew better than to question an S Rank retired adventurer. A rank so rare only hundreds in the hundreds of thousands of adventurers spread out across the world has it.


    She handed the identity card back to Shakir and hurriedly pointed to the stairway beside the receptionist desk, leading all the way to the upper floor where the guild masters office is.

 Chapter 114 Preview To His Awakening 2

    ?"that is what I keep fucking telling you damn it, the whole damned city is covered in bloodied sky, what part of that don''t you understand".


    <Master Ricus, we all know that is not something that can be made possible, not by monsters or by humans>


    "well I am telling you that it has not only being made possible, it is happening right now, I will show you".


    He picked up the bright orb he was talking into and walked over to the window side. Shifting aside his curtain to see the outside view.


    "see?...., do you believe me now or not".


    The orb remained silent for a little while, unable to give a proper response to Ricus.


    <Master Ricus, can you tell us exactly what time this happened>


    "it was around noon, the sky was sunny but not too sunny, and the weather condition was at a stable pace until suddenly, the air turned blistering, it was to the point where my body started sweating unconditionally".


    Ricus paused, trying to give them time to process what he was saying, and not overwhelm them.


    "the heat passed, and not long after came the bloodied sky we are seeing now. I have had the city''s lord on my throat demanding for an exnation, the city itself has been thrown into chaos as the people are trying to make their escape out".


    <you have to stop them, no one is to be permitted to go out of the city with knowing what it is you are dealing with>


    The voice rang out, showing its urgency to keeping the citizens in the city and not out of it.


    "the city lord has got that under control. The guards have been dispatched to seal off all passageway leading to outside the city, and they are also trying to restore peace and orderliness but I don''t think that is going to do much unless we deal with the red sky hovering above the city".


    The Orb once again went silent, with Ricus not wanting to take his eyes off of it.


    <Master Ricus, what is it do you think you can do>


    "there is nothing else to do but for the guild council to send us reinforcements".


    "we have only six B rank adventurers, twenty-nine C rank adventurers, and forty-three D rank adventurers. We also have four A rank adventurers, me included, with the remaining three currently on an escort mission. I tried calling them back, but theirmunication are cut off".


    "the city also has about fifteen thousand soldiers, all estimated to be within C rank".


    "Now, you and I both know the numbers are not enough. What we have is quantity and not quality. If we are going to be facing the being that is behind this phenomenon, we are going to need more than what I just counted".


    <Master Ricus, do not be so quick as to jumb to conclusions, there is no evidence that says this is the work of a living thing. For all we know, it just might be the work of nature itself>


    "that is easy enough for you all to say when you are not here in person experiencing what I am experiencing. I am a warrior who has fought in a lot of battles, do not underestimate my instincts".


    "this isn''t nature''s work, this is the work of a living dreadful being, I can feel it".


    <even so Master Ricus, we cannot make decisions on your instincts alone. We will need more proof that suggests that what is happening is not the work of nature, but another terrestrial being>


    "where the hell do you want me to get such proof?...., should I go knock on all doors until I find the terristial beings".


    <that is your problem to deal with Master Ricus. The council has made its own decisions, and it stays final>


    "you cannot seriously be..."


    The people speaking through the orb had cut Ricus off before he couldplete his words, shutting it down by dimming the light from the orb.


    "damn it...., fucking damn it all".


    He smashed the orb on the ground, and went to his table to flip it upside down.


    "what the fuck is wrong with them?, why do they not want to understand that we are in a dire situation here".


    The people he had just finished speaking to, are the council of adventurer guild, the very top head of the guilds that all guild leaders must report to.


    For matters concerning an ordinary citizen, the guild is to take care of it by himself, but for matters of this caliber, involving the city itself, the guild council are to be informed before measures are taken.


    He went by the rules and called the attention of the guild council to the events urring in Edevin city before taking any steps. The response he was met with however is one he is not at all pleased with.


    He walked back to the curtain side and looked through it, seeing the sky still dyed in bloodied red.


    "how the hell can you see a phenomenon like this and tell me it is nature''s doing?".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ricus is not at all satisfied with his current predicament. Following the events, The city lord immediately sent a messenger to him, inquiring for information about the blood like cloud covering the city, but Ricus was unable to give a believable exnation as even he does not know anything about it.


    He has also sent out two C rank adventurers, to find out what is going on, but they are yet to return.


    He shifted his gaze downwards, and saw people running helter sketer for their dead lives. Children being stepped on by the adults in an attempt to run as fast as they can.


    He turned his gaze in another direction, and saw a group of people with their faces covered, trying to barge their way into a locked home, taking advantage of the chaos to fulfill their greedy needs.


    He turned his gaze back downwards, and saw a man helping one of the kid that had fallen to the ground to stand back up.


    Such is the ways of humanity. In panic there is evil, but in evil, there  is also a beacon of good, one only has to look beyond the evil to see the good.


    Even if Ricus went down to the crowd, the help he can render them would amount to nothing as they will all still be terrified as long as the city is still being covered in red.


    "the only way to put an end to this, is figuring out who is making the red cloud".


    He said with his gaze up at the sky.


    "!!!"


    Ricus attention was drawn to a man among the crowds who had suddenly caught on fire. It wasn''t like he was lit on fire with an object, he caught on fire while he was on the run just like the rest of them below.


    Ricus thought perhaps he had seen wrong, but he was proven right as the same urrence repeated itself. Another man, in a distance far off from the first man, also caught on fire.


    Now he was beginning to suspect that something else is involved. The third incident of another being burnt alive, is the one that convinced him that something isn''t right.


    Ricus turned away from the window and headed for the door, wanting to go outdoors so he could find out what is really happening.


    His hand had touched the door''s handle, ready to pull it open but was instead almost hit on the head by the door.


    Ricus reflexes was swift, as he had already covered his head with his hand before the door could hit him.


    "damn it, who the hell?..."


    He shut himself up when he saw the figure that had appeared at the door.


    "old man Shakir..., what are you doing here".


    "Ricus...., my granddaughter..., my granddaughter....."


    His voice shaking as he calls out to Ricus, reaching his hand out to him and wanting to tell him about Dana.


    "old man Shakir calm down and tell me what is going on".


    Ricus tried his best to calm Shakir down, helping him over to a seat as he sat him on it and gave him time to slowly pace himself to bring out words.


    "can you tell me why you are here now".


    He had calmed Shakir down, to the point where he could now give a proper speech without too much of stammering involved.


    "Ricus, my granddaughter might be in danger".


    He did not fully understand what Shakir was talking about, with the red cloud hovering above them, no one is exempted from danger, not just his granddaughter.


    "old man Shakir, I understand that you are worried, but you should have stayed at home with your granddaughter instead ofing here by yourself, or did you bring her here so we can protect her".


    "no Ricus, she is not with me. Today is her school''s dungeon exploration day, and is currently in a Dungeon as we speak right now".


    "a Dungeon?....., if she is a student and today is her dungeon exploration day, then she must be with the Dire Hammer members?. They came here earlier in the morning asking for a temporary pass for the kids".


    "Old man Shakir, I believe she is in safe hands if it''s the Dire Hammer. They are a promising A rank party, serving as the guild''s face for uing adventurers to want to follow, whatever mission they take, they will make sure toplete it even with their lives on the line, you have nothing to worry about".


    "you do not get it Ricus. The Dungeon is the problem, The Dungeon is the source creating the red cloud above us, The Dungeon is the most dangerous ce to be In right now, nowhere is safe, no one is safe".


    Shakir burst out in words, not giving Ricus time toprehend as he kept on yapping about the Dungeon and its dangers.

 Chapter 115 Preview To His Awakening 3 (Shakirs Tale I)

    ?"old man Shakir, how is the Dungeon connected to all this".


    Just like how he had an intuition that a terrestrial being is beyond what is happening to their city, Ricus was very quick to believe the intuition of Shakir despite him being retired.


    Shakir''s body had trouble keeping up with his thoughts, he wanted to spill out everything to Ricus as fast as he could, but the pressure of thinking that something might have happened to Dana kept his mind shaking uncontrobly.


    Despite the speech challenges Shakir was facing, he still forced himself to speak to Ricus, telling him everything he knows that could lead to the tribtions they currently are facing. He had to, as long as Dana isn''t back yet, he had to push himself to the limits.


    "Ri... Ricus. This feeling I am having, this tingling feeling crawling on my skin, I have felt it all before. Fear that has you paralyzed, heat that has you sweating without moving. I have felt everything before".


    "where did you experience it?....., tell me, which of the dungeon is it?....."


    Edevin is surrounded by all kinds of dungeon, especially the ones that keep on producing monsters no matter how much it is cleared. As time went on, they began to give the Dungeons names to identify them by.


    "is it the sufmerf dungeon, the weybal dungeon, the cursed dungeon, or the..."


    "no, it is none of those".


    "which is it then, I need you to tell me which dungeon you are talking about".


    "it...., it is the....., the sutgeo dungeon".


    "the sutgeo dungeon?..... Old man Shakir, are you sure about this".


    Ricus asked sounding surprised at the Dungeon Shakir had made mention of.


    The Dungeons he had called were all dungeons with high rank, dating back to the time the city had just been founded.


    The one Shakir said, was also a very old dungeon with its origin made known by the first adventurers who were sent to thend.


    It was old, but there was nothing special about it like the other dungeons.


    The only monsters that ever sprouted out of the dungeons, were Orcs and goblins measuring E, and the highest level of monster found in it is a D rank monster.


    The Dungeon''s rank itself is meant only for beginner level adventurers below F to E rank. Any higher than that, would be them wasting their time.


    The only reason why it was named is because it was one of the oldest dungeon surrounding the city, its rank however is nowhere near its counterparts with the same lifespan.


    "old man Shakir, are you certain you are calling the right dungeon".


    "yes..., that is the Dungeon, it is where I saw it".


    Ricus was starting to wonder if Shakir is bing delusional due to his old age. Because if he wasn''t, why would he mention a Dungeon meant for beginners.


    How can the crisis covering a whole city have its source spawning from a low rank dungeon?. It made no sense to Ricus, that is why he had to once again confirm that Shakir was calling the Dungeon he wanted to, and did not mismatch his words.


    There is also the statement of, where I saw it. Ricus has to put aside his doubts and further pester Shakir for usible answers.


    "old man Shakir, tell me, what did you see in the Dungeon, what".


    "before I answer that, tell me, which Dungeon did Dana and her ssmates go into".


    Ricus knew what dungeon the kids were in because he had personally attended to them, due to them having the presence of three A ranked adventurers around.


    He remained silent and still. What is he supposed to tell him?...., that the Dungeon Shakir fears is the same Dungeon his granddaughter went into?.


    Telling him that would only further heighten Shakir''s worries, making it nearly impossible for Shakir to cooperate with him on the information he has.


    Ricus was right on what state of mind Shakir would be put in if he finds out, what he did not do right however was not saying anything to Shakir. At the very least, he could have lied to him to put his mind at ease.


    "why are you not responding Ricus?...., why is your face like that?...., do not tell me....."


    "old man Shakir, it is not what you think alright, the kids are in safe hands no matter what dungeon they are in. As long as they are with the Dire Hammer members, no harm wille to them".


    "no, no, no they are not. In the face of what is about to befall on us all, no one is in safe hands, no one".


    "you have to tell me for me to know. If you don''t say anything, how am I supposed to know what and who it is you are talking about. Panicking will not save the children nor will it help us in any way".


    "calm yourself down old man Shakir and tell me what i need to know".


    Tired of Shakir throwing his tantrum around and overreacting without releasing any information, Ricus yelled at him to get him to calm down and exin the situation in an understandable way".


    "okay, okay".


    Shakir now calming down, began to tell Ricus his story.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "it happened back when I was only ten, I went into the Dungeon with a party of five. back then, I was an F rank and only served as their resource carrier".


    "the Dungeon you are talking about, is it the sutgeo dungeon".


    "it is. The party consisted of F to D rank members, and were only allowed to go into a low rank dungeon. The party sessfully cleared the upper floor dungeon, moving themselves down to the lower floor. It was then that I saw it".


    "what...., what exactly did you see".


    "we saw, A red cocoon".


    "a cocoon?...., are you sure".


    "i can never forget the events of the day that turned my entire life around. We had climbed down the stairs to venture down into the lower floor, we went as deep in as we could. The stairs we were climbing down on was unstable, leading to its eventual copse and dumping all five of us deeper into the Dungeon".


    "and it was there..., it was there that we saw the red cocoon".


    "is the cocoon the only thing you saw in there, or was there anything else"


    "no, the cocoon was the only thing there. What we fell into, was a deep dark tunnel with no light to shine the way for us. Luckily, we had with us a mage who casted a light type spell to allow us to see in the darkness".


    "when weyed our eyes on the cocoon, we were enshrouded in dreadfulness and our minds clouded in despair".


    Ricus noticed the change in Shakir''s facial expression the further in he went with the story. His already pale face nowcking in sufficient vitality, fear and anguish was all that remained in his drained out eyes.


    It almost felt like Ricus could feel the life draining itself out of Shakir''s body, leaving him in an almost death state.


    Still, Ricus had no thoughts of stopping old man Shakir, not when there are thousands of lives at risk. He had to continue going even at the expense of Shakir''s death.


    "old man Shakir, did you see what was inside the cocoon, did you get a good glimpse of it".


    "it was a monster in the form of a boy, with its body folded together".


    A monster in the form of a boy?..., Ricus thought. Shakir''s description does not really narrow down what sort of being they are dealing with here.


    Granted, they now know what race it belongs to, but what specie of monster exactly. All monsters were once small before they end up growing tall, towering above most humans.


    "old man Shakir, do you have any other form of description that can narrow it down?..., like does it have wings?, horns, or the color of its skin?..., anything at all other than what you just gave".


    "It..., it had a small horn protruding from the center of its head, and it''s skin was red. I couldn''t see its eyes because it was closed".


    "what about wings?...., does it have any of that".


    "no...., no it doesn''t".


    Ricus was adamant on knowing if it had wings, because if it does, then that would ssify it as a winged type monster.


    The only type of winged monster capable of causing a crisis like this, are the dragons or a behemoth. Legendary type monsters with knowledge of them only seen in books, and the Dire Hammering across a lesser ranked dragon.


    There are those who do not believe in the existence of dragons beyond lesser ranked as they have not been seen, but not Ricus. He has seen all sorts of shit during his days of adventuring.


    Not believing in something simply because it hasn''t been seen, is like saying we have no view at the back of our heads when all we needed to do was turn our body around to see what is at the back of it.


    The same thing can be said for monsters written down in books. They cannot be seen, yet records of them exists. It was clear that all that is needed to see them, is search in the right direction.


    Now that Ricus knows that it''s a monster without wings, that rules out the possibilities of it being a dragon.


    "old man Shakir, how did you and your party survive an encounter with this monster".


    Old man Shakir is here with him now telling him the story of what happened, that means they had to have somehow survived an encounter with the monster.


    "not all of us managed to survive the encounter".


    "then how many did".


    "just one, and that was me".


    "how, how did you survive".


    Ricus for sure knew Shakir was strong, but back then he was just a kid with an E rank badge. It does not make sense for only Shakir to have survived when the others present there were stronger than him, his next words however puzzled Ricus even more.


    "by not attacking it".

 Chapter 116 Preview To His Awakening 4 (Shakirs Tale Ii)

    ?"you are telling me, that you alone survived a monster encounter because you did not attack it?, is that correct".


    Ricus found it hard to believe. The natural scenario of a monster and a human meeting, is the death of one race and survival of another, that is how it has always been.


    Telling him he survived because he did not attack, gave Ricus the feeling that Shakir was lying to him, but why?...


    "old man Shakir. I find your answer very hard to believe, I am sure even you know how absurd it sounds as an adventurer who has spent most of his life killing monsters".


    "i know, but it is the truth, that is really how I managed to survive".


    "I was paralyzed after seeing the red cocoon the monster was in, but the rest of the party were not. They were still capable of movement, and made their way closer to it".


    "they did not go too far to the red cocoon before they were burnt alive right on the spot".


    When Ricus had the word burnt alive, memories of what he had witnessed earlier shed through his mind. He felt himself starting to get on the same page with Shakir''s story.


    "I stood still helpless as I watch the group I came with, get burned until there was nothing left of them".


    Shakir said sounding regretful for what had happened to his friends.


    "after that, I got over the fear emanating from the red cocoon and climbed my way up to freedom".


    "Ever since then, my life itself changed. I found myself stronger, my growth getting elerated. It was a miracle that could only be linked to me being exposed to the monster''s Aura".


    "the effect was clearly visible as I felt my body had undergone a drastic change when I woke up the next morning, and my mana level also went up really high".


    "I didn''t know why it happened until muchter when I found out that it was possible for one to ovee their limit when exposed to an higher level of power".


    "the monster in the red cocoon was of a higher level of power capable of elevating my position from an E rank to bing the retired S Rank that I am today".


    "listen to me Ricus, the monster is not something any of us can win against. We have to get Dana out of there as fast as possible and get far away from this city. This is its territory, and we are intruding on it".


    "old man Shakir, why isn''t there a record of this even in the guild''s archive".


    "because I did not tell them. What was I supposed to say?....., that there is a monster below, one that could kill a D rank adventurer without so much as moving?, or one that could raise an F rank adventurer to an S Rank?..."


    "I was overwhelmed by its presence and decided to reveal itter on. As time passed by, I could not bring myself to tell anyone".


    "The monsters effect on me was too positive, allowing I who was a failure to easily surpass my peers. I was afraid that if I were to tell anyone else, the others would also get the advantage I did, and I would no longer be special among the many. I was afraid of being left behind again, and so I hid the truth from everyone".


    "Ricus, you have to send a team of adventurers into the Dungeon to bring back Dana and her ssmates, and whatever they do, they should never show ill will towards it".


    "old man Shakir, I think you and I can agree that it is toote for that now. The so called monster you talked about, is killing people down there already without them offending it. Not fighting back, is not the way we do things, especially when it is against a monster".


    "did you get all that or do you still need more out of him".


    Ricus brought his left hand he had folded at his back, holding the glowing orb, he spoke to it affirming their decision on the matter.


    "is that enough evidence for you?. This man here is a retired S Rank adventurer which I am sure you all already know about".


    "He has given his testimony ofing across a monster, and the effect of it is in line with what is currently happening to Edevin. The city is clouded in red, humans are burning alive without being touched".


    "It is only a matter of time before everyone dies, and we have to take action before that happens. Old man Shakir has affirmed that the monster is defenseless, trapped in a cocoon. We can take advantage of that and kill it before it escapes its cocoon".


    <it is as you say Master Ricus, and the council has made another decision of its own after listening to his testimony>


    <we are hereby rescinding our earlier orders. You are to mobilize every adventurers at your disposal, team up with the city''s troops and march your way down the Dungeon, the council will send words to all guilds to dispatch high ranking adventurers to serve as your reinforcement for whatever you face down there>


    <as for the case of the retired S Rank adventurer Kemies Shakir, you will be stripped of your S Rank title, and your punishment for ignoring a monster, allowing it to continue to grow until it bes a usible threat to humanity will be decidedter on after the crisis is over>


    "no, no you all don''t understand. You must not show hostility towards it, everybody will die. Please, Dana will be in danger if we move like this".


    Shakir said falling to the ground while holding unto Ricus''s hand, begging for them not to put Dana''s life at further risk.


    <The council''s orders are final, and nothing will change that><novelnext></novelnext>


    The orb that had been glowing, turned off when the council made their final remarks.


    "i am highly disappointed in you old man Shakir. You were an adventurer I looked up to while growing up, but you turned out to be a disappointment who only cared for himself and no one else, a fraud".


    Ricus walked out on Shakir and made his way down to the lower building to round up the adventurers and set out on their exploration.


    Ricus hurried himself down the stairs, the adventurers noticing his presence all silenced themselves waiting for Ricus to address them.


    Just about to begin his speech, his attention was taken to the kids who were standing in line with the rest of thep adventurers.


    "whose kids are those".


    He asked while pointing to the direction the kids were in, with his voice echoing to the ears of all present.


    "they are my students".


    Miss Aletta came out amidst the crowd of adventurers to im ownership of the children.


    "you are the teacher who came to collect the temporary passes in the morning, correct".


    "yes I am".


    "what about the Dire Hammer members?, I thought they escorted you all here, but why am I not seeing them".


    Ricus asked, stretching his head around to see if he would spot a member of the Dire Hammer.


    "they had to stay behind in the Dungeon to take care of some issues".


    "what issues?..., when they are urgently needed here".


    "some kids got lost during the exploration, so they went ahead to find them, after asking us to take our leave first".


    "damn kids, do they not know to stay still when told to?".


    Rubbing his hand aggressively on his forehead with his face looking irritated.


    "what about Dana, is there a kid named Dana among the kids you have with you".


    "no, actually, she is among the kids that got lost in the Dungeon".


    "great..., that is just great. You know what, that is your problem to take care of. Her grandfather is upstairs in my office, you can go there to exin yourself to him the disappearance and possibly the death of his granddaughter. Also, take the kids with you, they are not needed here".


    On Ricus''s orders, Miss Aletta arranged the kids in an organized row and led them from the midst of the adventurers to walking up the stairs.


    Ricus waited for Miss Aletta to finish taking the kids upstairs before he started his speech.


    He walked to the center of the crowd, and climbed on the table that was standing there, so that all could see him.


    "I understand that you all are on high alert due to the unfortunate events happening in our city. But fear not, for we have found the cause of it after thorough investigation were carried out".


    "the root of the misfortune happening to our city is caused by a monster".


    When the word monster was mentioned, the air surrounding the adventurers changed. They are a group dedicated to killing monsters, to find out that a monster had the effontary tounch an attack on them in their turf, does not sit well with the adventurers gathered here.


    Their anger riling up, intoxicated their surroundings in a negative way. If the kids were present here, they would be exposed to malice and bloodlust, and that is why Ricus ordered them to be moved away before he gave his speech.


    "now I understand how angry you all are, because I also am. It''s a mockery to our profession for a monster to have the boldness to cause destruction in our city especially with all of us present".


    "that monster will not go scotfree. It''s location have been found, and the guild council has given us the go ahead".


    "we will team up with the city''s guards, and march our way down to the Dungeon where the monster lives".


    "let us set this monster as an example to what happens to any other monster that tries to attack a city filled with adventurers in it".

 Chapter 117 Awakening I

    ?Before the crisis reached the skies of Edevin, the Dungeon the Dire Hammer members were in was the first ce to be graced with the misfortuned presence.


    Riley and Dexter went on to grab the kids, picking them up abruptly and running towards the stairs to make their way out of the dungeon with Caren following behind.


    "Riley..."


    Dexter called out to Riley sounding excessively worried and on edge.


    "yes I know....., something really bad is happening in the Dungeon. We have to get out of here as fast as we can".


    Riley answered hurrying himself up the stairs.


    Being the A rank they are, the three had detected a shift in the Dungeon''s atmosphere, a shift they knew should not be taken lightly.


    They have no idea exactly what was going to happen, but they were not going to stick around in a ce as unpredictable as a Dungeon,  especially not with the kids with them.


    The best they can do for now, is to take the kids back to the city and thene backter to investigate the happenings in the Dungeon.


    The three hot on their heels, ran up the stairs going as fast as their feet could take them. They were only about seventeen stairs short to get to the end of it when the whole stairs started to copse before their very eyes.


    They made made a jump for it wanting to cross over the falling stairs to the other side, but they could not make it like they intended to.


    With the copsing stairs, they continued to fall deep down. Riley and Dexter each wrapped their bodies around the kids they were holding, to prevent them from being harmed when they fall to the ground.


    They continued to fall for a while, and when they were almost to the ground, Dexter stretched out his hand to grab unto Caren. She as a white mage has less durabilitypared to Dexter and Riley.


    The chances of her not surviving the fall is high, and Dexter with the highest durability was the only one with a high chance of surviving a fall this deep while holding unto Dana and Caren.


    Riley and Dexter about to crashnd to the ground, with Dexter using his back to break his fall. Riley drawing out his sword from the sheath and sticking it to the wall to halt his fall just before he got to the ground.


    "are you guys okay".


    Riley asked, removing his sword from the wall and slowly falling to the ground with Nadea in his hand carried like an hand baggage.


    "barely".


    Dexter grunted out, releasing his hold on Dana and Caren so he could rest his body on the ground, to recuperate from the fall.


    "you know you could have done as I did and dip your long pointy nails on the wall, then you wouldn''t have fallen to the ground".


    "I would need one of my hands on the wall to do that, but it was too busy covering for Caren and Dana".


    Dexter grunted out once more, pacing his breath with his face looking above.


    "at least he still survived. I can''t imagine myself falling from an height like that, anding out unscathed".


    "i am notpletely unscathed. Your weight resting on my arm when wended caused the joints in my shoulder to dislocate".


    "you will be fine, you can just pop it back together as you always do".


    "damn I hate you. Talking about reconnecting a broken shoulder like it''s some kids y".


    "exactly. You are not a kid, but a man".


    Dexter did not have the leisure of giving Caren further replies, the pain throbbing in his shoulder was getting worse.


    "ignore her Dexter, you know how she is always like. Come on, let me help you up".


    Riley walked over to where Dexter wasying. He extended his hand out to him, wanting to help him up.


    Dexter without hesitation, stretched out the hand that wasn''t dislocated to grab unto Riley''s.


    "damn it really hurts".


    He says, groaning even more as Riley pulls him up. The bone in the shoulder could be seen stretching his skin outward, a scene that had the kids turning their face away from it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ? Dexter held unto his dislocated shoulder with his other arm and popped the bones back to where it should be. The bones crackled, and Dexter released a long sigh into the air.


    "stop being too dramatic".


    "God I hate you. I save you and this is the thanks I get in return uhuh?".


    Dexter said looking at Caren with ungrateful eyes and regrets for saving her.


    "thank you for saving me uncle".


    "no worries kid. You don''t have to thank me, it''s my duty to not put you in harms way".


    Dana moved over to Dexter, extending towards him her gratitude for saving his life. Part of the reason why she did that, was so Dexter wouldn''t consider her as ungrateful like he did Caren.


    Nadea also followed through with Dana''s gesture and said her thanks to Riley for saving her.


    "you see that Caren..., that is how to say a thank you".


    Dexter pointed at Caren, using the kid to criticize her choice of words after she had just been saved.


    "what in the hell is this?....."


    Dexter''s and Caren''s attention were called over to what Riley was referring to. They moved over to where Riley was, and stared their gaze in the direction he was pointing to.


    The three were speechless in the face of what they were looking at, their expression being one of amusement with a mix of fear in it.


    "do you feel it".


    Riley turned his head, facing Dexter to be sure they are both on the same page concerning what was in front of them.


    "i feel you well enough".


    "what about you Caren".


    "sound and clear".


    The three had confirmed their thoughts to be in the same direction, their next course of action was already clear to them without being told.


    "kids, move back, things are about to get real dangerous from here on out".


    Riley stretched his hand backwards, indicating to the kids to go to the back. He wanted them in a safe distance so they won''t get caught up in what they are about to do.


    "Caren....."


    "already on it. Job Skill activation, Grace of the Gods".


    On Riley''smand, Caren casted her buff type skill on Riley and Dexter. Their bodies started to glow, responding to the buff''s effect.


    "you Ready".


    "you better count on it".


    Riley asked Dexter, raising his sword up and putting it closer to his face as he continues to fixate his gaze on the object before him. Dexter clenched his fist, raising it up while also fixating his gaze on the object.


    Caren moved over to where the kids were standing, to keep them safe from what Riley and Dexter were doing.


    The both of them turned their head to look at each other once more before charging at the object.


    When they got to a suitable range, Riley swung down his weapon with the tip emanating a white bright light as it struck down on the object.


    Dexter''s fist thrusted forward, concentrated force within it resulting in pressure in the form of wind being produced out and banging the object.


    The two with no hesitation, sent their attacks at the red cocoon beating like an heartbeat, with lights blinking rapidly from inside it, with the intention of destroying it, and killing whatever lifeform is inside of it before it hatches.

 Chapter 118 Awakening Ii

    ?The Dire Hammer kills monsters for a living. Old, young, male, and female. Whichever it is, so long as it is not human, they are bound to kill it, and in some cases capture it alive.


    It was clear to them that whatever is in the red cocoon before them isn''t human. Another thing they also got from it is that it is not something they can easily capture.


    As something they knew they couldn''t capture, they resorted to using the first option, to take it out before it poses any threats.


    "is it dead".


    Riley asked, straining his eyes to try and see past the smoke the cocoon had been covered in, a result of their attack.


    "no, it''s still beating, I can hear it".


    Dexter confirmed the cocoon''s condition by paying close listening ears to any sound it could have made, and when he had affirmed that it survived theirbined attack, he responded to Riley.


    "I knew it was dangerous the moment I set my eyes on it, but surviving ourbined attack with Caren''s buff is something I did not expect it to do".


    Riley and Dexter corresponding with each other, backed away from the cocoon, making as much distance between them as they could. Their expression underwent an abrupt change as a drop of sweat fell down from Dexter''s chin.


    "Riley..."


    "I know. Whatever is in that cocoon, is about to make its way outside".


    Although they couldn''t see the cocoon as it was still being covered by the smoke, they felt movements from it.


    The energy they had felt in the cocoon beating so ferociously, was now slowly leaking out, enough to tell them that it''s hatching moments had began.


    "should we attact before itpletes hatching".


    Riley asked, still holding his sword close to him and his gaze not moving an inch away from the smoke.


    "we already did that earlier and it did nothing. If anything, it just made things worse".


    "then should we just watch as itpletes its hatching and puts us all in danger".


    "we can''t do that either. The chances of us surviving a direct contact with it is rtively slim".


    "well then, what should we do".


    "i don''t know Riley. Why do you keep asking me that when you are the supposed leader of the party".


    Dexter snapped at Riley as he was in a tense position to continue upying each and very question from Riley.


    It''s not as if Riley does not have a nid down for this sort of situation. He does, the only problem is that the settings of the ce they are in does not really go well with his n.


    The cocoon managed to take their attack head on, but was not at all affected by it. The next course of action, obviously is to increase the firepower but in doing so, they might bring the walls down on themselves.


    The location they are currently in, is a really enclosed space where they cannot afford the luxury of causing much damage to it unless they are ready to risk the walls copsing on them.


    There is also Dana and Nadea in their care, they cannot let any harme to them no matter the costs.


    If it was only the party here, increasing the firepower is a risk they would be willing to go with. But with Dana and Nadea here?....., it''s too risky an option to abide by.


    "sigh........"


    Riley raised his sword downward, giving himself room to collect his thoughts and think of a more preferable ways to solve the problems before them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Caren, take the kids and get out of here as fast as you can".


    He was done thinking too far on it, and hade up with an appropriate solution for what they are facing.


    He thought of asking Dexter to take care of the kids, but his help would be highly profitable here than escorting the kids out.


    Asking Caren to do the job, was also not something he had an easy time deciding on.


    When facing a monster, unexpected situations are meant to arise, and the white mage who has the ability to heal any wound is needed around to deal with said unexpected situations.


    She is like an extra arm and leg for the Dire Hammer, asking her to leave them is the same as saying they don''t need an extra arm, which in their current situation they are really in need of.


    "how will you guys manage here without me".


    Caren knew how important she is to the team, and how beneficial her staying would greatly help the team, that is why she asked, wanting to make sure Riley is not being too delusional with his decision making.


    "we will make do without you until you get back. The children''s safetyes first".


    "so is getting rid of this monster. Do you guys realize how defenseless you will be putting yourselves into if I were to leave you and go".


    Caren was not convinced with Riley''s decision and was willing to stay even if it meant the kids being in danger.


    Whatever ising out of that cocoon, they have no knowledge of. The only usible thing they know is that it''s dangerous, and must not be allowed toe out.


    If Caren were to leave, Riley''s and Dexter''s chances of killing it would drop drastically, that could mean endangering not just their own lives, but the lives of those in the city, if the monster does get outside.


    She wasn''t ready to let that happen. She as a devote believer of the Gods, was thought to prioritize saving the majority over the minority, sacrifices must be made for the greater good of all, and that good is dependent on the situation.


    "I am staying, and nothing you say can change that".


    "listen to me Caren, this is not the time to be stubborn. Take the kids out of here, ande back for us".


    Riley turned his head towards Caren, and in anger he yelled out at her. She had always proven to be very stubborn and unwilling to listen, but he wasn''t going to tolerate her behavior given the current situation they are entangled in.


    "it will be toote if I leave with the kids. The monster have to be taken down before any of us gets out of here. You can ask Dexter to take them away, because I won''t be doing that".


    "Caren....."


    "guys?...., I think it''s already toote. The monster is already out of its cocoon".


    Dexter broke the hot tension that was erupting between Riley and Caren by giving them the worst possible news they needed to hear at the moment.


    They both turned their gaze over to the cocoon that had already shed out the monster living in it.


    A monster covered in slimy substance, it''s height taller than the kids by only two inches, having a deep red wine color with its red long hair reaching to his feet and covering his face. The visible deadly sharpened ws on its fingers, and the nted crimson pupils that shone brightly beyond the hair covering it.


    This monster stood still, with its head raised up but still covered by hair, making no movements and only emanating an Aura of dominance iming ownership on where they stood.


    The Dire Hammer members being exposed to its Aura, trembled in tremendous fear and could feel a pressure trying to press them down to their knees.


    The Dire Hammer for the first time in their lives, felt the need to want to sumb to the elegant presence of a monster, the one who stood tall with a dignified conduct.

 Chapter 119 First Human Encounter

    ?''hmmm..., hmmm..., hmmm...''


    ''why do I get the feeling that I have been in a situation like this before?...., not just once, but twice".


    Orun says looking bare with his manhood or rather childhood being sheated by his long silky hair.


    He raised his head up, trying to grasp the understanding of his surroundings and why he is being red at with killing intent by three humans.


    Orun widened his left palm and stretched it below his face range. He couldn''t see the palm due to the hair covering his view, but he could still feel it just like how he senses the humans that are in his presence.


    The view of his head still facing the humans, he clenched his palm, widened it, and clenched it again, trying to feel the joints and get himself familiar to the feeling of moving again after being stuck in a cocoon for years.


    "How nostalgic, being able to feel my hand again".


    He said out loud with simplicity, not minding the multiple presence in front of him.


    To the members of the Dire Hammer who watched the monster ignore their presence, what he had said sounded more like.....


    "¡é£¤¡ê€&%?£¤?...."


    They understood nothing of it, as he had spoken in hisnguage, one different from thenguage of the humans in this world.


    "the leg I had cut off during my battle with the first Goblin general, it has healed back to normal".


    He was overjoyed to see that his leg had regenerated, with his body nowplete and having no artificially made thorned limb in any part of it.


    Riley and Dexter still remained highly vignt against him who had treated them like air, it was as if they were not even existing in his eyes.


    Orun''s hair was covering his view, and his hands with no weapon. his stance full of multiple holes they could go in through if they wanted.


    Every of his body disposition points to Orun greatly underestimating the capabilities of the Dire Hammer, and he was right to.


    His presence alone was sending hot shivers down their spine, and their sanity could barely be held unto by their consciousness. Despite not intentionally doing anything to them, he was already affecting them in numerous ways.


    "skill activation, courage of the Gods".


    Caren wasn''t very affected by Orun''s mental attack due to her job''s effect. As one who has devoted her time to the God''s, her mental state is required to be far above the others so she will not be easily swayed by temptations of any kind trying to deviate her from the teachings of the God''s.


    Despite having a nasty personality, she does not at all joke with her faith towards the God''s. She felt her teammates mentality suffering greatly, and she casted her buff type skill that gives them resistance to mental attacks.


    "thanks Caren, that was a lifesaver".


    Riley thanked Caren only after fully regaining himself with the help of her buff.


    "you okay".


    He turned to face Dexter asking if he had also been cured of the mental attack.


    "yes, I am fine now".


    Dexter confirmed with Riley in already regaining his stable state of mind


    While the two were affirming each other''s wellbeing, Caren''s skill activation had caught the attention of Orun who had earlier ignored them, to now fixated on them.


    "¡é£¤¡ê€&%?£¤?...."


    Orun said, asking what it was they had just done, but they couldn''t understand what he said and had nothing to reply him with.


    ''Oracle''.


    [...].


    ''Oracle''.


    [.....].


    He tried calling for Oracle so it could exin to him what was going on, Oracle however did not reply. He finds himself lost without Oracle to exin things to him, especially when he also cannot understand what the humans are saying.


    "what do you think it is saying".


    Riley asked trying toprehend the nonsenseing out of the monster''s mouth.


    "how should I know, or why should it matter. The only thing we know we have to do, is kill it".


    Though Orun couldn''t understand what they were saying, he was unpleased with the sort of death re being directed at him by the humans.


    He knew had done them no wrong, so therefore they have no reason to show such expression filled only with hatred towards him. This might just be him being naive and overthinking things he thought.


    After all its only natural to be weary with someone you are just meeting with, and even he had always admitted that he had a scary face, now imagine other humans seeing his face for the first time.


    He had just woken up after spending a long time in hibernation and he does not want his awakening to be celebrated with the blood of another, not when he had taken too much blood before going into his deep sleep.


    Besides, this are his first human meeting since his transmigration into this world, killing them would favor him in no way whatsoever.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Orun tried to erase the tension between them by raising up his hands, signifying that he hade in peace and meant them no harm. His intentions however was not properly conveyed to the Dire Hammer members.


    Orun''s act of goodwill to them looked more like he was trying to do something harmful, and they weren''t going to give him time to.


    Riley with his sword, charged at the monster with the intention of splitting him apart, he swung it down on his head.


    He stood still and did nothing as Riley charged at him, up until the moment the sword made contact with his head.


    *ng!!*


    Riley with a surprised expression, moved himself back away from the monster. He raised his sword up only to see that it had broken.


    The sword touching the monster, was not able to do him any damage, rather it was the sword itself that was broken apart.


    Not just Riley, but the three members of the Dire Hammer dawned themselves with a surprised expression.


    His sword was by no means weak, and the durability is still of top notch as he made sure to asionally take it to the cksmith shop for refining after his return from a Dungeon.


    As a swordsman, it is of utmost importance that he kept his sword in good condition at all means, because without it, he is nothing.


    The sword he had taken good care of and made sure was always in the best condition it could be in so not as made a dent to the monster before it broke.


    Riley thought....., how tough is the monster''s body for it to have broken his sword through contact?.


    As for Orun, he was displeased with Riley''s unpleasant reply to his gesture of seeking a non bloody pact. The reason he wasn''t able to move away from Riley''s attack wasn''t because he wanted to be hit, but because he couldn''t react in time to it.


    Riley was by no means fast as the Orun had seen through his every move like time had slowed down for him, his body just did not respond in time to his brain''s decision making.


    Being stuck in a single position for hundreds of years had taken a toll on his body, it had temporarily disconnected most of the nerves in his body from his mind, thus making hasty movements nearly impossible for the current him.


    "It appears my body has gotten a little rusty from being cooped up in a single position for a very long time".


    Orun said, slowly raising his hand up and trying to connect his mind back to every nerves in his body.


    The Dire Hammer members still couldn''t understand what the monster was saying, but they could see the strange movement he was making.


    He sped his hands together, and turned it backwards reaching below his waist, stretched his legs and arms several times before starting the jumping session.


    He did all the light body exercises he could think of while the Dire Hammer members were watching.


    They couldn''t attack because they knew resorting to hasty movements would only end up having a bacsh on them, with Riley''s sword already proving that.


    They were not only giving the monster time to do whatever weird movement it was into because they were also making ns of their own.


    Riley''s sword being cut in half, has rendered him half useless to the team, making Dexter the one to spearhead whatever attack formation they were going to use.


    The monster was slightly pissed of by Riley''s action. He offered his hand for a peaceful understanding, but in return he was attacked.


    If his body had not been thick enough to withstand the attack, he would have undoubtedly been killed.


    ''They never wanted a peaceful talk to begin with, what they want is to kill me, but why?....''


    The monster questioned. True he is scary looking, but is that enough of a reason to want to kill an humanoid like being?...,


    He knew the rules of kill or be killed, but he had no intention of killing them because they had done him no wrong at the time, and he had also done them no wrong.


    Orun figured, with it being their first encounter, they could both work something out throughmunication using other means aside fromnguage.


    If monsters were the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes, he would have no doubt killed them on sight, why?...., because that is the rules governing the monster kind.


    As for humanity''s rule, he had once lived as a human and havee to understand that humans are far reasonablepared to monsters.


    He had given humanity the benefit of the doubt, overestimated their thinking process into believing they are a subtle race who would only harm when harm is done to them.


    The rules of adventurers to kill all monsters on sight, was unknown to him, or the hatred humanity bears towards all monster kind, He knew none of those.


    Though he is oblivious to the rules governing the humans of this world, there was one thing that was clear to him in this moment.


    This humans before him are not friendly. They are not the kind of humans who are ready toe to understanding with him, but the kind that wants to see him dead.


    Granted he does not know why he is wanted dead, he just won''t stand by and watch himself get killed.


    He had spent his early days fighting death, went up against a monster he had to sacrifice his time on just so he could beat him.


    Faced with stronger opponents, and none of them were able to see his downfall, not ever, and it isn''t going to start now.


    Orun wasn''t going to watch himself get killed by humans who do not even measure up to the tip of his smallest finger.


    He did not want to celebrate his awakening after years of sleeping with blood, but if blood is what they seek, then blood is what they shall get.

 Chapter 120 First Human Kill

    ?"skill activation, blessing of the Gods. Skill activation, ire of the God''s".


    Caren with her skills, buffed up Riley and Dexter while casting her debuff skill on Orun. How far her debuff skill can work on her opponent solely depends on the level of the opponent she is faced with.


    "Dexter you go first and I wi...."


    Riley turned his head to the sides where Dexter was so he could give him the details of the n, but he was surprised to see that Dexter was no longer by his side.


    He looked to his front thinking Dexter had gone ahead of him to attack the monster, but he wasn''t there as well.


    Riley noticed that Dexter isn''t the only one who had disappeared, the monster also is no longer standing where it was supposed to be.


    Riley is now starting to get real worried. Somehow, in someway, Dexter that should have been by his side disappeared in the blink of an eye, along with the monster. Surely, something must have happened, but what?.


    *smash!!*


    The sound came from the sides and Riley immediately responded by turning his gaze over to it.


    *smash!!, smash!!*.


    What he saw, is Dexter''s bodyying on the ground and his head being aggressively hit through the wall by the monster who had his hand on the back of Dexter''s head.


    How the monster had caught hold of Dexter who was standing next to Riley, and how he had gotten to the wall with Dexter, all happened without Riley or Caren seeing the process.


    It was like the scenes that involved how the monster got hold of Dexter had yed out, and they just stood still lifeless for the scene to unfold to its current state.


    He finally stopped bashing Dexter''s head in the wall only after the final bashing that buried his face into the wall.


    Rilry couldn''t see Dexter''s face, but the droppings could be heard, made from the blood dripping from Dexter''s head.


    "you, you killed him, you monster, how dare you".


    Riley with his broken sword charged at the monster who had taken his attention away from Dexter and now has it on Riley.


    "Riley, control yourself. Do not be consumed by rage".


    Riley did not hear a word Caren had said, as the only thought lingering in his mind, is only to sever the monster into pieces as revenge for taking Dexter''s life.


    "I extend unto you a hand for peacefulmunication, but you replied me with death, then death shall it be".


    He said sounding irritated at Riley whose expression showed how angry he is at him.


    Orun should be the one getting angry, because he had almost been killed by them after letting his guard down.


    He easily intersected Riley, getting to his front with just a blink of an eye and reaching his hand out to his chest.


    "I do not take pleasure in death. More than anything, I treasure all live as equal, but my lifees first".


    Even though Riley could not understand a word out of the monster''s speech, he still felt fear from it. His body shivered when he saw a hande out fr behind his ear, and a tongue so long it started twisting itself andtching unto his cheek.


    The terror that had been conjured up by Riley''s fear of the monster rendered him totally immobile. His sword raised up and being stagnant that way, he watched as his life shed before his own eyes at the hands of the monster before him.


    The monster sprouted out thorns from his hand, stabbing it through Riley''s chest. Riley in no time falls to the ground in pain, with blood flowing down his chest, he let''s go of his sword shortly after struggling for a while.


    "Skill activation, greater heal".


    The open wound on Riley''s chest slowly but surely started closing back up with the effects of Caren''s heal skill.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Regeneration?....."


    The monster said as he saw Riley''s body slowly healing. It brought back to him memories he wished would be buried away in the deepest part of his consciousness never to resurface again.


    Orun crouched his body down, and ced his widened palm on Riley''s head.


    "i wonder?..., will your regenerative ability still work if you lose your head just like he did".


    The monster used his Inferno skill, with the mes set on his palm. Just like he had once did to the Goblin king, exploding him from the inside out by gathering heat pressure inside his body.


    Orun applied this ame process to Riley by gathering heat pressure mainly inside his head and not spreading it to the other parts.


    It took a while, during which Riley''s head started to grow like a tumor, losing the shape he had and disfiguring his beautiful face until it exploded into pieces.


    The meat pieces of what was left of Riley''s head sttered on the monster, along with his blood staining his hair.


    "getting blood on my body moments after my awakening is not what I intended for".


    Orun said looking irritated while still maintaining a poker facr, trying to dust off what was left of Riley''s flesh off of his hair.


    "Riley!!....."


    Caren shouted out after witnessing the death of her Comrades. She is not a battle type adventurer, but a support type. The moment Riley''s sword broke, they knew they had little chance of winning. Now that Riley and Dexter are both dead, Caren knew that her survival rate is zero, but she wasn''t going to let that stop her and go down without putting up a fight.


    "skill activation, chains of the God''s".


    White light came out of Caren''s staff, and when it got to the monster, it turned into chains forcefully and aggressively bonding itself to Orun, wanting to squeeze the life out of him.


    "skill activation, Ire of the God''s, ire of the God''s, Ire of the God''s".


    Caren kept on bombarding the monster with debuff, stacking it and wanting to wear him out, Orun however did not flinch nor show any signs of being weakened.


    The White chains that was binding his body easily let''s loose when he takes a step forward.


    "chains of this caliber won''t hold me human. You will need something more durable than this if your intention is to tie me down".


    Caren just how useless the chain was rendered by the monster making his way up to her. Despite the debuff she had stacked on him, he did not feel worn out nor look like he is.


    Every step Orun takes towards Caren, was like her wall of belief in her God''s was gradually being fallen by the monster. She turned her gaze to his hand and saw two sharpened cuss with blood dripping from it, and when she took her gaze back to the monsters upper body, she saw his shoulders sprouting out the heads of her fallen Comrades.


    "get..., get away from me!!..., get away from me you monster".


    Caren shouted out as she uncontrobly falls to the ground with her staff falling off her hand.


    Seeing him up close, she understood clearly what she was dealing with. Her mentality that was supposed to have been fortified with her belief in the God''s, easily broke apart. Spit drooling out of her mouth, as water flowed out from her lower body part.


    Caren''s body ovee with the monster''s intense bloodlust went numb, staring nkly into the space and her eye duct dimming of the light she once had.


    "you brought this on yourself human".


    Orun finally making his way to Caren, killed her by thrusting his bare hand in her chest and ripping her cold still beating heart out.


    With the adults done with, the monster raised his gaze and fixating it on the kids behind Caren, stomped on the ground and panicking in fear of witnessing people being killed for the first time, and in such a cruel way to boot.

 Chapter 121 Harsh Reality

    ?Dana and Nadea hugged each other with their eyes closed, and their body shaking due to the monster being inches away from them.


    "hmmm....,e on kids, stop overreacting. I am not some bad monster that would kill a bunch of children you know".


    Orun said, tying his long hair dirtied with Riley''s remain backwards so his face could be within view.


    He moved closer to Dana and Nadea, wanting to calm them down by putting on a smile, but he only made things much worse.


    The monster meant every word he said and truly had no intention of killing the children.


    His killing intent was enough to do the job of killing them the minute they are exposed to it, but they weren''t because it was never directed at them for even a second, and they are being sheated from his Aura thanks to the buff skill Caren had used on them before.


    The only one''s bearing the grunt of his bloodlust is the Dire Hammer members, and with them gone, he has no reason to keep it around any longer.


    The only reason why their bodies are shaking uncontrobly, is due to the fear of watching the Dire Hammer''s killed, and not because of the monster.


    "granted I did kill your friends, but that is because they are adults. Most adults are mean and cruel, but kids, kids are pure and clueless. How can I bring myself to kill such clueless creatures?".


    Dana and Nadea understood not a word he said, but they feared even more for their lives due to the entric smile he had on his blood covered face.


    A monster that could so easily kill while smiling would no doubt show them no mercy, Dana especially felt lost at her hopeless situation.


    She med herself for what had just happened. If she had not dragged Nadea with her, if she had not deviated herself away from her group, they would not havee across this monster, and the Dire Hammer members would not have died so gruesomely at its hands.


    Dana let go of Nadea, and slowly rose herself up on her feet. With tears falling from her eyes, and her nose drooling, she charged at the monster.


    She clenched her fist and when she got closer to the monster, she thrusts it out at him.


    With a smile still on his face, he scoffed at Dana''s action as he caught her fist with his palm stretched out.


    Dana tried to pull herself away from the monster''s grip, not even able to shake him up or wobble his stance.


    "you..., you are feisty for a kid, a fighter I presume?..."


    He said, looking at her struggle to get away from his grip, like an owner being amused by his pet.


    "resolving yourself to continue fighting even in the face of overwhelming power is admirable. It is indeed admirable, but at the same time foolish".


    He released his hold on her hand and instead grabbed her by the cor.


    "if you wish to survive in a harsh reality, you have to learn to know when to fight and when to back down".


    Saying that, he lifts her up dangling her in the air, then proceeds to punching her in the stomach.


    He made sure he held back really well on the punch, enough to not kill her but to knock her out.


    "this is reality. I might have shown you mercy because you are a kid, but reality will not. it will shove itself in your face. Age does not restrict reality from doing what he wants, so I suggest you treasure your life more over your pride".<novelnext></novelnext>


    He carried her with his two arms, and gentlyid her down on the ground. When Orunid her down, he felt a weird substance from Dana linking to his body.


    "weird...." he says as he ends up ignoring it since the substance had disappeared shortly after its appearance.


    Orun turned his gaze and scanned his surroundings with his eye, feeling absolutely nothing at the bloodied scene.


    He had just killed the first three humans he met after spending what seemed like an eternity ina, yet he felt no remorse nor guilt for what he had done.


    The monster had thought that there was going to be a difference, a feeling of disgust at himself since he was once a human and understood the repercussions and teachings of how wrong it is to kill a fellow human, but he felt none of those.


    "It seems I have be the natural embodiment of a monster".


    He asked himself with his head raised up, looking at the light permeating from above the tunnel ring.


    "alright, Time to get out of here".


    His mood was quick to change as he starts to scan his surroundings for a way out.


    "I am guessing above is the only way to go?..., but first".


    ''Oracle''


    [...]


    "still no reply?, I guess it must be really busy with whatever it is it''s doing".


    He tried getting in touch with Oracle once more, ending in failure.


    "i have a lot of questions I need to ask it, like whatter happened to the Goblin king, and more importantly, where was I when I encountered with miss dragon?..., also, I think she called me by a name?...., what was it again?, it''s just at the tip of my tongue..."


    "Orun...., I remember it now. Is, is that my name?.., but why would she call me that?".


    The monster kept on asking himself questions, trying to deduce miss dragon''s reasoning for showing up in that white space, and for giving him a name.


    "also, her reaction towards me leaned more on the side of longing. It was like I could feel a part of her seeping into me, a part filled with nothing but remorse and self guilt".


    "sigh....., miss dragon sure does love confusing a person. I have no memories of ever meeting with her in this life or in my past one, her reasons for acting that way towards me, is filling me with nothing but confusion".


    "calling me her son, and to lead a good life in this life?....., way to go miss dragon, thanks for scrambling my thoughts with utter confusion".


    He bursted out, with his outcry echoing through the walls.


    "where is Oracle when I need it. With it here, I am sure it can easily decipher whatever it is miss dragon was talking about".

 Chapter 122 What Does The World Outside Look Like

    ?With a single leap, he covered the distance leading to the top of the tunnel and found his way out of it. As for Dana and Nadea, he left them behind under the excuse of not being their babysitter.


    Having no intention of killing them is not the same thing as sparing their lives. He just doesn''t want to directly have the blood of a child on his hands, even though he did directly kill Tarja, the baby bear he had rescued.


    That was a situation that could not be avoided as it was the only way he could rid himself of the Goblin king. Besides, he was but an infant when he found himself in the Dungeon. As children with looks putting them above the infant range, he is certain they will make it out alive. And if they don''t?...., well, he did the best he could.


    Though he says that, he does not really mean it. Among the three humans he fought, one of them managed to survive after getting hit by him. Even though he was keeping his strength in check, he found it impressive that the human could still live through it, faintly, but definitely still breathing.


    He decided to leave it all to fate. If that human gets himself together in time, he would help the kids get back to wherever they came from, but if the human ends up not getting himself back together in time before monsters find them, the kids are toast. Or if the human eventually ends up dying from the wound sustained, the kids are still toast.


    It all hangs on fate and a little bit of luck from mother nature. He got out of the hole andnded perfectly on his legs.


    "okay, where should I go from here?..."


    Orun felt unfamiliar with the surroundings and was mentally disturbed on where his next destination should be.


    The ce he was once familiar with and called home had undergone a drastic makeover during his seven hundred years of slumber.


    The Dungeon that was covered only inplete bleak darkness now had light finding its way into it through the cracks in the walls. The tunnels that should have been in every wall of the dungeon is no longer there, now filled with clear t walls.


    "am I still in my birthce?...."


    Orun heavily questioned the unfamiliarity he was surrounded by.


    He expected a change during the time he was asleep to when he would wake up, but this was far too much to call it a change. it was like he had been transported to apletely different environment, one that is entirely different from where he was born. Unknown to him how much time has passed during his time of slumber, he continued to question the changes.


    e to think of it, wasn''t this ce supposed to have been destroyed by me?..., how is it still here?".


    "maybe?...., after I destroyed it, the Dungeon rebuilt itself back to normal?..., right, that can happen if I take into consideration the logics of this world".


    He managed to convince himself that anything is within the realm of possible in the world he was in. He has seen a monster rise from the dead without its head, a Dungeon rebuilding itself is not too big a theory for this world to make into a reality.


    "finding miss dragon should be at the top of my to do list but..., she could be anywhere in this newly sprouted up dungeon. I have no idea where to start from".


    He tried using his perception skill to grab an understanding of his terrain. After his evolution, Oracle had taken control of the perception skill, and can only be used by it. Orun thought that it wasn''t going to work for him because Oracle is currently inactive, but he was wrong.


    When he thought of using the perception skill, thendscape surrounding him was immediately projected in his mind. The perception skill did not give him the full view of the dungeon, it did however cover enough distance for him.


    Also, if he walked forward, the view of the direction he is walking towards gets extended.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "its not that I can''t use it, but I have been too reliant on Oracle to using the skill for me. Same goes with teleportation".


    He walked around the Dungeon trying to extend the range of perception and see if he can grasp miss dragon''s location, but he had no luck finding her.


    He did find something else he deemed intriguing enough to warrant his attention.


    Straight ahead is a door, and within that door is light, like pure bright white light, one so white like he had never seen before.


    He had a vague feeling where the path leads to, and because of that, he hesitated on going through it.


    He has spent his whole life living in the Dungeon, the ways and normality of the dungeon is what he had inherited.


    Going to the outside world as a monster who takes the lives of others not very seriously, he could end up being a danger to the world outside.


    He grew up killing, taking lives just so he can get stronger. The world outside is bound to be riddled with all sorts of rules they are governed by, especially ones infringe heavily on the killing part, and he has misconceptions on if he can follow through with their rules.


    There is only one rule he has lived by all this time, and that rule is what has brought him this far.


    Can he because he wants to see the world outside abandon his own rules?....


    How far can he live by on depending on other''s rules before he ends up broken by it?.....


    Clearly, the humans he met have given him a faint idea of how humans view monsters. Are all humans like that?, will all humans detest the sight of him for being a monster?, will he, have a ce to live in when he ventures into the world outside?....


    He has zero answers to all his questions, and that made him even more hesitant.


    But, he is a monster who has lived the ways of a monster, he survived as a monster among his other fellow monsters.


    Sure, the world outside looks scary from inside his dark gloomy cave, but will he let that stop him?..., will he let the hatred humans have towards monsters be the subjective form binding him to fear of going to the outside world?. Will he cower in the face of fear of not being wanted in the outside world?.


    The answer is pretty much obvious at this point. He has feared many things, and he has shown to be full of weaknesses, but never for once has he let that be the harbinger of his downfall.


    He, is a proud monster, raised and lived like one. If the world outside hates him, then he will return the hate back tenfolds. If the world outside rejects him, then he will create his own haven full only of people who wants him.


    Fear isn''t going to bring him down, nor is abandonment by the humans going to bring him down. As a monster, he will walk the path deemed for a monster, if that is what the outside world wants him to.

 Chapter 123 Assembling Of Five Thousand +

    ?Under the orders of the guild''s council, Ricus sent a letter over to the lord of Edevin. Detailed with exnations of what they are faced with, and the countermeasures they had arrived at in taking it down.


    The city lord after going through theyouts of the n submitted by Ricus, saw it good enough to go along with. He released to Ricus five thousand of his troops to follow him into the Dungeon, while the rest stay in the city to continue maintaining its order.


    Despite his greedy acts of wanting to hoard everything for himself, he knew that if he did not take appropriate measures, there would be nothing left for him to hoard.


    The five thousand city guards directly under the captain of the guards appointed by the city lord, joined with the fifty adventurers led by Ricus, they made their way to the Dungeon Shakir had talked about.


    Laid out under the canopy of the bloodied sky, are the five thousand troops spread across the open area with the Dungeon in front of them. The troops were all dressed in matching green clothing with Grey chest te, some of them were holding and waving around a green g with Edevin''s insignia on it.


    "why are we still here and not inside the Dungeon already".


    The captain of the guards named Jack, dded in full body armor and a sword on his waist, barged himself into the midst of adventurers with Ricus at the center.


    "we areing up with strategies before we head on inside".


    Ricus answered proudly with his arms folded.


    "i didn''t know adventurers need a strategy to deal with some barbaric monsters".


    "now you do. And do I have to remind you that we are not dealing with an ordinary monster?. What we are dealing with, is a monster capable of granting power to an E rank adventurer, taking them to heights greater than what they have".


    "i am warning you Jack, let your guard down for even a minute, and you will end up dead".


    "i don''t need you telling me to be careful. Just get right to whatever schemes you are making up and get on with killing the monster".


    Done with conveying his words, Jack exited from the midst of adventurers dded in differing attires and their weapons closed to them.


    "what''s his deal".


    One of the adventurers near Ricus spoke up only after Jack had walked to a distance where he couldn''t hear their voice.


    "don''t let him get to any of you. He is just pissed off that the lord handed over to me exercising right authority for the expenditure of the monster extermination and not him. He believes whatever aplishments made today will automatically be mine and not his".


    The feud between the nobles and adventurers does not limit itself to just their circle. It extends all the way to the adventurers being hated mostly by all personnels under the nobles.


    The current expenditure is a prime example of why there is disputes amongst the adventurers and noble personals.


    The glory thates with leading a sessful expenditure goes to whoever is in charge of said expenditure. Same applies for who gets to take the fall for a failed expenditure.


    For Ricus approved by the guild to lead the expenditure with the help of the city Lord''s troops led by Jack. He has been given a legal entitlement to own up to the after effect achievement of the expenditure, and that made Jack jealous and filled with hatred towards Ricus.


    In a case like this, one should normally be fearful of being put in the position of a leader, with the advantage being just as great as the disadvantages. But Jack isn''t fearful, nor did it ever ur to him that they were going to lose.


    Leading a five thousand troops is a number that hadn''t been revitalized for clearing a Dungeon ever since the formation of the city, there is no way they won''t win with such a number as their leading force. Jack knew that, and it made him even more furious.


    The city lord was no different from Jack. Giving the adventurers guild a glory of this magnitude is sure toe back to bite him where he least expect it to, but he also has no choice as the adventurers guild are the experts in monster extermination.


    If he wants to keep his city under control and in running for more money to fill his pocket, he has to put aside his pride and do what needs to be done.


    "are you done with making your foolish ns".


    Jack said with a sarcastic remark at Ricus who is making his way towards him.


    "yes we are, and I am here to share the details of the n with you".


    Ricus replied him while making an expression that shows how unaffected he is by Jack''s sarcasm.


    "what is the n".


    With in disgust and annoyance written on his face, Jack reluctantly asked Ricus for the details.


    "i will go in to scout the surroundings with six B ranks and ten C ranks. If we don''t make it out in twenty, send in another group of scouts to find out what is going on. And if the second group also does not make it, set up a barricade at the Dungeon entrance and make sure nothing gets in or out of it".


    "why should we have to do that. Splitting our manpower for the sake of scouring isn''t going to help us much in my opinion".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "no. It''s crucial for there to be a scout team. With the phenomenal urrence happening, the Dungeon itself is bound to be affected by it. Going in without knowing in what form it has been affected is like voluntarily leading ourselves to a ughter den. Hence the need for there to be a scout".


    "we will go in, scout the terrain of the first floor, and if we see no disturbances, we will give the signal for you toe in. That''s how we will keep on going till we get to where the monster''s den is".


    "this is foolish. If it as you say and we do set up a barricade, how does that help in solving the tragedy that has befallen the city. The initial n is to storm in, kill the monster, and set the city free. But how are we going to do that if we don''t go in".


    "captain...."


    With his face frowned up, his eyebrows curved to the edges and his nose slightly lifted up, Ricus called out to Jack.


    "why do you think I am cing myself amongst the first group of scout when I should be outside the Dungeon and leading the expedition".


    Jack had no reasonably response to Ricus''s question. Surely, as the one in charge of this expedition, the appropriate cause of action for Ricus to take is to stand guard at the entrance while dishing out orders.


    He is not expected nor obligated to walk into the Dungeon with a group of scouts when he is more needed outside of the dungeon.


    Jack could not make sense of Ricus''s ns or purpose for wanting to go into the Dungeon with the scouts, and so he kept his mouth shut.


    "there is only one reason why the one in charge would volunteer himself to going into a dangerous zone for scouting purposes. It is because in here, I am the strongest".


    Ricus said, pointing his pinky finger at himself with his chest popped out proudly.


    "if I were to let some third rate soldiers go into the Dungeon alone, how will I estimate the dangers lying within if they do not make it out in time?. But, if I were to go in with a group, and being the strongest here I did not make it back, that should give you a clue as to how dangerous the Dungeon currently is".


    "in this case, that is why I said to send two group of scouts before setting up the barricade. If the two scout group do not make it back, the barricade is your way to buying time for the reinforcements the guild''s council will be sending. Among them will be those stronger than me, and they will lead you inside the Dungeon".


    "do you get it now, captain..."


    With a smug expression on his face, with his imagination towering above Jack while unleashing on him his Aura to intimidate him, looking down on him with eyes filled with gant arrogance.


    Jack was rendered speechless, with no excuses to retort to Ricus reasoning. His silence meant he had epted his n and is willing to go through with it.


    "if you get it, then wait for my return, and if I don''t return, you know what to do".


    Ricus left Jack alone and made his way to the Dungeon entrance with four other adventurers behind him.


    "okay folks....., I presume you all are ready to trash the Dungeon with your lives on the line".


    "master Ricus, you need not ask us twice".


    Ricus smugged with his battle axe rested on his shoulders.


    "my dear warriors, let''s show this son of a bitch of a monster the validation of an adventurer, and what happens to any who messes with us on our turf".


    The five of them took their steps, heading for the Dungeon.


    "!!!!!!"


    They hadn''t gone very far from the troops when they simultaneously stopped moving.


    It''s not that they voluntarily stopped their movements because they wanted to, the only reason they stopped was because their legs suddenly became too heavy to move.


    They felt themselves being buried in mud, with their hands struggling to reach the sky so they could get themselves out.


    "wh...what".


    Ricus stammered, asking himself how he got from being in an open area of a Dungeon to being in a dark gloomy space and dragged down by a mud.


    He fixed his gaze on his hands and bit it with his teeth. He wanted to know if he was caught in someone else''s illusion.


    "this..."


    He was surprised to see the ce he had bitten bleeding out blood, assuring him that he wasn''t in any illusion. If he wasn''t in an illusion, then where?...., where is he?, and how did he get here?. He thought.

 Chapter 124 Unwanted Massacre

    ?Orun took his very first step out of the dungeon and stood still at the entrance, admiring the view before him. He raised his head up, wanting to for the first time in a long time, see the rays of the sun washing on him.


    His expectations of the sun brushing on his skin was betrayed when he saw a sky dyed in bloodied red, lingering with ominous feeling in the atmosphere.


    "is it night-time?..., is that why there is no sun. A moonless night it seems".


    Orun questioned, stretching out his hands to feel the outside breeze cuddling up to him.


    He had lived in the darkness for far too long that he had forgotten how a night sky without a moon would look like. Thus confusing the crimson artificially made sky to a moonless sky.


    "haa...., how refreshing".


    He said as he continues to slowly bask himself in the gracious breeze temporarily bloating his body.


    "the world outside...."


    He folded his arms back to his sides and paused his lips, trying to think of descriptive phrase to match the tone of what he was feeling.


    When he was done basking himself in thrill, he came down the two stair tailored to the Dungeon entrance. Squinting his eyes to the far off distance ahead of him, he sees a bunch of humans at the front, all putting on the same attire with a little of them left out.


    "humans?..."


    Orun said as he was easily able to identify them by their physical description. The humans could not see him from the distance separating them, but he could see them due to his vision being enhanced beyond average lifeforms.


    "are they here for me?..., no, I shouldn''t jump to any conclusions on that".


    "there is a possibility that they are here for something else. They haven''t met me before, it would be ridiculous of me to think they are all here because of me, especially with the insane amount of numbers they have with them".


    Orun had no idea the humans were actuallying for him, nor is he aware of the fact that ever since he had woken up, he has unknowingly being letting out his Aura, making it go rampage and affecting all things near him.


    Dana and Nadea were unaffected because of the mental buff casted by Caren, Caren however could not escape from it after she was exposed to not only his Aura, but also to his bloodlust.


    Throughout his time in the Dungeon, he had never once learned to control his Aura because he never needed to.


    In the Dungeon, an Aura is a sign of respect and dignity, much like a charismatic king. Monsters with weaker Aura feel intimidated by monsters with stronger Aura, they literally run at the sight of monsters with stronger Aura.


    Orun''s Aura is what had kept him from meeting with monsters weaker than himself and only meeting with monsters with the same wavelength as his or monsters with higher Aura wavelength than his.


    After his ascension into an half spiritual entity, Oracle had attained an ego, helping Orun to keep his Aura in control. But with Oracle not present during his Awakening, the bottled up Aura let itself out violently.


    When he awakened, the first thing his body did was to spread out his Aura, an act of warning for monsters to show their opponents that they mean business.


    The Aura his body let out, is what made the Dungeon''s mood heavy and tense, and also what dded Edevin''s sky in crimson red.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Currently, he is still radiating the Aura off of his body, traumatizing all those around him with absolute fear and dominance.


    "five of them are heading this way, what should I do?".


    It was at this moment that Ricus and the four adventurers moved away from the remaining troops to go into the Dungeon as scouts.


    "i really don''t want to shed any more blood if i can prevent it..., but how do I go about not doing that?".


    Orun thought of ways he could prevent more bloodshed than there already is. He is a monster and not a killing machine. If there were ways with which he could prevent the spilling of blood with no harm done to him, he certainly will.


    His first rule of survival isn''t to kill, but to survive. Killing is only a tool essential for the sake of his survival. It is not a necessity in which he cannot survive without killing.


    Orun knew he had gotten far stronger, and that the humans before him do not measure up to his current self. If he were topare himself with the weakest human (D rank) among the crowd of humansid ahead of him, he would pick the time he was still in his Goblin Cub form. Meaning, they pose as much threat as he does when he had just been born.


    "It seems humans are far weaker than monsters. Fully grown humansparable only to a goblin that had just been born?....."


    Orun found it questionable at how possible it was. The human he chose as an example to his Goblin Cub self, is a human with thick muscles and abs, yet only as strong as a goblin Cub.


    "the strongest human there is on the same threat level as when I was an adult Goblin. Guess not all of them are weak".


    Orun''s threat estimation is calcted using the amount of energy he felt off of the humans his gaze falls upon, and making aparison to his former forms.


    "all in all, they pose to me no threat, nor are they capable enough to hinder my survival. I see no reason to kill them".


    He arrived at the conclusion of the humans not being harmful to him, and so decided to let them go.


    "letting them go is what I n on doing, but I doubt they have the same intention as I do. Being a monster, they must want to attack me on sight, I have to find ways to prevent that so I can get out of here without dying the floor red".


    As someone who had mostly taken to killing as the first form of solution, he found it hard to think of ways he could get out while avoiding any death, hard, but not impossible.


    The solution he thought of, is doing what he did to Caren. He noticed that when he got angry and closer to Caren, she stumbled on the floor without even being touched.


    He nned on doing the same to the humans here. Showing his disgust and hate towards them, enough to let them copse and immobile so he can pass through without being harmed.


    Orun did as he nned, with his expression gone from being docile to being emotionless. Not knowing that what he was spreading to the humans was his killing intent and not just hate.


    Being exposed to killing intent and toxic amount of his Aura, adventurers under D rank fell and died right on the spot. The ones under C rank fell and went into an instanta with no hope of them waking up. The B ranks were stripped of their strength and they also helplessly fell t on the ground. The adventurers beside Ricus were no different as even them fell to the ground.


    The only ones still standing are Ricus and Jack, but even they are not inplete form. They were paralyzed right on the spot, with their consciousness wallowing in fear and self built illusion.

 Chapter 125 How Do They Do It

    ?In his attempt to leave the Dungeon without shedding blood, he ended up causing an unwanted massacre of three thousand two hundred and sixty nine dead, one thousand two hundred and eighty four ina, four hundred and ny-five rendered unconscious, and two trapped in an illusion conjured up due to the fear experienced by their brains.


    The whole army sent after Orun were all rendered defenseless and immobile by just being exposed to his bloodlust and his Aura.


    Orun was bewildered in confusion at what had just happened. He had the intention of not shedding blood, and he definitely stuck by it by not shedding blood, so howe there are still people that died?.


    "what is done is done. Sorry humans, it was not my intention to take your lives".


    Regardless of the means, he achieved his objective of freeing the pathway for him to pass through, and avoiding any disturbance frt he humans.


    Orun was quick to move on from the shock of unintentionally killing some of the humans, and proceeded to making his way past them.


    Hefortably walks down the aisle of unconscious and dead humans by the sides, feeling no remorse for what he had done.


    "i wonder when Oracle will be avable for questioning?....."


    Orun continued his walk while thinking of Oracle. He had lost connection with it for far too long, and is starting to worry that Oracle might never appear in his thoughts ever again.


    The thought of that happening troubled Orun greatly. Oracle though not a living being, was the first to have ever believed in him and cared for him ever since he had been untimely abandoned by his parents in his past life.


    Living in the Dungeon, Oracle had been the only one he ever made any contact to, chatted withfortable, and revealed to it all his weaknesses.


    Oracle had be more than just another skill to Orun. He has epted it as his own family, a friend. Losing that friend isn''t going to help his mental state in any way.


    The longer he goes on without getting in contact with Oracle, the more agitated he bes, leading him to being unstable and making choices based on his emotional difort and not through rational means.


    e on buddy....., where are you".


    Orun stopped walking, and gazed his eyes above with a sense of longing expression worn on his face.


    "!!!"


    He was forcefully brought out from his state of trance due to the presence of an human he felt hastily making his way towards him.


    "great, more iing trouble".


    Orun swiped his face with one of his hand, slowly getting pissed of by the number of humans that seems endless. The more of them he takes care of, another one just pops itself out of nowhere.


    But, there is no reason for him to panic just yet, because they only think they have to themselves, is the numbers.


    "It seems they prize quantity over quality. With the level of the humans I have encountered so far, none has proven to be off any threat to me".


    Orun released his bloodlust and directed it at the human running towards him. It did not do much, as it temporarily stopped the human''s movement for only a little while before he continued his hasty movements toward him, this time his pacing even faster.


    "hmm..., it seems he is far different from the rest of the humans I have met with so far".


    Orun stopped walking and bid his time waiting for the human to get close enough to him. No doubt the human will definitely go on a rampage when he gets to him.


    First reasons being the humans he had killed, there might be some among the dead who is a familiar of his. The second reason, is the racial difference. Being a monster should be enough to set up a re between he and the human.


    "Monsters and humans must have some sort of racial conflict going on between them, going by the way he had being treated by the humans he saw when he first woke up".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i can see reasons why it is so".


    Having lived two lives, that of a human and a monster. He was able to sort out the preferential differences between the two race.


    Monsters are being who pride physical strength above all. To be a king amongst several other monsters, one needs to have the physical strength to get there.


    As for humans, they pride themselves in choosing their rulers among the intellectual ones and not the physically enhanced ones.


    "that rule must not have changed very much in this world i am in".


    Orun thought, using the weak humans he met as an exemry measure for guiding his hypothetical thought process.


    "what I don''t understand is, howe humans are still yet to be extinct despite demonstrating their ill intentions towards monsters?.."


    From what Orun had experienced after meeting with humans, is that humanity is far too weak whenpared to monsters.


    Back on earth, humans managed to lord over stronger animals through the use of technological arms, but it''s different in this world.


    There is apping gap between human strength and monster strength that cannot be breached with just arms or brains. The humans he had disarmed by simply showing his hatred towards them is prove of how weak humanity really is.


    From the clothing of the humans he met outside of the dungeon, he is able to tell that they belong to a certain group of organization that is meant to be an expert inbat, yet they fell to him so easily.


    When he fought the Goblin king''s army, they put up more of a fight then the humans ever did, and he had to go extra length just to kill the four Goblin generals.


    Orun assumed that the human organization had to have had a leading figure to give the troops under him orders, but he wasn''t able to distinguish the leader from the rest of the troops themselves, that is how weak he thought of them as.


    "with the first Goblin general leading the Goblin hoards, this humans would not stand a chance against them, yet they still are not extinct".


    He couldn''t figure it out. There had to be something that has kept the humans alive all this while, something that could give them the strength to stand up against the overwhelming strength of the monsters, something to give them a fighting chance against the monsters.


    Orun was one hundred percent convinced that humanity alone, could not have lived thus far against the threat monsters pose.


    "what if?..., there are also humans with unique skill just like the first Goblin general?, or a special type job like the Goblin king had?".


    "if humanity have those like that among them, that can exin how they are this persistent towards monsters".


    Orun was on point with his deduction, or at least close to being on point. Oracle had once told him that with unique skill, it is possible for an ordinary being to rival an half spiritual entity. He used said words to deduce why humanitysted this far against monsters, but he had forgotten that Oracle also said, unique skill can be dangerous to the body of an ordinary entity, and using it for far too long will wear the body out eventually leading to their death.


    Humans surviving this far solely with the help of unique skill is impossible.


    One of the reasons being their weak body cannot contain the might of a unique skill, and constant usage of it will result in their death.


    The other reason is, for one to awaken to a unique skill, they had to have lived for a very long time, making use of their normal skill and upgrading it to the unique grade. Humanity as it is known, have shorter lifespanpared to monsters.


    A monster lives two generation of a single human, and the amount of time needed to upgrade a normal skill into the unique entity, is far above the lifespan humans live.


    Thus reasons are what makes it impossible for unique skill to be the reasons why humans are still being persistent against monsters to this day.


    But, if unique skill isn''t the answer, then what is?....

 Chapter 126 Shakirs Regret

    ?On Ricus''s words, miss Aletta lead the children upstairs where his office was. When she got to the front of the office, she pulled the door open for the kids to go in first then followed behind them.


    When she was in, she saw Shakir sitting on the bare floor near the couch, and his pale old body dried out in his thoughts.


    Miss Aletta stood still at the door, not wanting to draw Shakir''s attention to herself. She is swollen with worries on what kind of excuse should be given to Shakir about Dana''s absence.


    She is beguiled with worries on the city sky bing so heavy with hollow''s of death wandering about in their midst. That is why she had the children brought to the adventurers guild where it should be safe from being captured in the dreadful arms of the grim reaper that hase to them in the form of the sky striken with blood, and the atmosphere tensed with misfortune.


    It is during this hazardous times that she lost his granddaughter with no exnation of where she might be in. If her calctions were on point, the Dire Hammer should have been back with the kids in their arms after being notified by the guild of the situation outside through themunication orb.


    Not being back in time, or the guild not able to get in touch with them can only mean two things in general, but in the trying times they are stuck in, the generality that had been splitted in two, has been narrowed down to one, with it being the possible death of the Dire Hammer and the kids.


    Miss Aletta however wanted to have faith in the pridefulness of the Dire Hammer''s strength by believing that the reasons for them not yet arriving and the guilds inability to get in touch with them, can all be faulted to there not being a trustable connection to get through with them.


    "Miss Aletta..."


    She was ridden with anxiety when Shakir''s lifeless voice called out to her. He had been taken out of his brooding with the help of the children''s voices lightning up the room.


    When he came to and saw miss Aletta and the children, the first thing Shakir did was to scan around for Dana''s presence forgetting that she would have ran up to him first immediately she entered and saw his figureying on the floor.


    Not seeing or feeling Dana''s presence among the midst of children he is surrounded by, Shakir began to panic and strained his eyes to look for their teacher instead, to demand where Dana was from her.


    "miss Aletta...."


    Shakir called out again to miss Aletta who had shyed away her eyes in fear of what to tell Shakir. Being called out to twice left her with no choice but to answer.


    "old man Shakir....., what...., what are you doing here".


    She got herself together and turned to Shakir, reluctantly speaking to him.


    "Miss Aletta, where is Dana?..., where is my Dana, why isn''t she here with you...., why can''t I find her here".


    Shakir forced himself up, slowly moving closer to Miss Aletta as he continued to pester her for answers.


    "old man Shakir....., I am sorry".


    Miss Aletta''s words took the life out of Shakir, causing his legs to lose strength and stumbling down. He couldn''t even force out the tears no matter how much he wanted to.


    "she..., she is gone?....., how".<novelnext></novelnext>


    He asked with hesitation and involuntary speech repetition.


    Miss Aletta knew telling Shakir she got lost is simply giving him false hope. Ifter they end up finding only her cold dead body, the effect on him might be even more Catastrophic. So, she ended up telling a lie by not giving him a direct reply.


    "i am sorry old man Shakir..., I am sorry...."


    She said as she crouched down to Shakir''s current size, consoling him, and self ming herself.


    Shakir ignored Miss Aletta''s attempt in consoling him, got up from the floor and began to walk towards the door.


    "old man Shakir....."


    She called out once more, but Shakir did not give her any responsive act.


    Shakir walked out the door, climbed down the stairs and walked his way back to his house all the while remaining silent and lifeless.


    He got to his home and went straight into his room, specifically to his bed. Crouching his lower body down, he dragged out a box that heter ced on the bed.


    "this is my fault, it is all my fault".


    He says as he stares at the box in front of him with eyes filled with regret, sorrow and loneliness.


    "where did it all go wrong?...., I desired to be by your side until you grew to an age where you could live without me, but you ended up living the world before me".


    "i have failed you as a father figure, as a mentor, and as one who has vowed to keep you safe for the rest of my life".


    "if only, if only I had taken better care of you. If only I had done everything in my power to assure your safety, if only I wasn''t so weak, if only I had stopped you from taking the same path our ancestors did...."


    "not knowing your birth father and abandoned by your mother against her will. You poor child, why did you have toe into this world through me?...., why did you have to leave me behind to vacate this world?..."


    "you shouldn''t have been born in this family. If you hadn''t, then you could have lived a more blessed life".


    "every single day, I loathe myself for not being able to give you a better life, one that you truly deserved. I bury myself in anguish and torment, but your smile and assurance kept me going. Despite the rough life, you always showed a beautiful smile, telling me that everything was okay, that everything was going to be fine".


    "now, now you are gone forever. Your smile is something I will never get to see again, and it is all because of that monster".


    "my angel, worry not for grandfather will be with you soon enough. With myst breath, I will make sure to bury into your killer the fear of taking you away from me".

 Chapter 127 Orun / Shakir

    ?"you damned monster, I will kill you, I will definitely kill you. At the expense of my life, I will see to it that I kill you".


    Shakir yelled out, charging fiercely at Orun with his two ded sword in both hands.


    Shakir having heard the dreadful news on Dana, he made a vow to follow right behind her, but he wasn''t going to go empty handed.


    Putting his old wrinkled body back together, Shakir doned on his gear from his days of adventuring and set out to face the monster that took his granddaughter away from him.


    The equipment fitting on him was not as it used to be in his glorious days, but he made do with it all so he could face the monster.


    Shakir''s resolve to note out alive in his encounter with the monster was firm, and his determination to carve into the monster the fear of an old man having nothing to lose but his life was solid.


    "¡ê€£¤¡é¡ê€¡é¡é¡ê€...."


    Those are the words Orun keeps hearing out of Shakir''s mouth. What is clear to him from Shakir''s expression and body movements, is that for some reasons unknown, he is especially hated by Shakir.


    Orun moves aside and easily evades Shakir''s two ded sword that wasing at him from above. He rxes his body and stretches his hand out to grab Shakir by the cor.


    "what is your deal human?. If you want to fight me, then fight me and not make such an irritating expression towards me".


    Orun was slightly pissed off with the face Shakir was using to view him mostly because it reminded him of how he once looked at the Goblin king.


    With a spiteful and disdain gaze tied to determination of self harm all so he could give to the one who hurt him the same amount of pain he endured.


    "human, change your gaze right now, or I will be forced to do the unthinkable to you".


    He warned Shakir with an expressionless face and sounding tone.


    Orun did not value being looked that way. He is a monster and not a mindless beast, whoever he has killed since his Awakening, he has done so only because he was hated at.


    He did not do it with the intention of exerting senseless pain on another. He is not a monster who takes pleasure in the death of another, but finds purpose within it.


    "you look old, too old to be doning an armor on just so you cane after me".


    He says to Shakir, dangling him up using his cor.


    "From your expression, I am assuming that the reasons guiding your irrational behavior stems from a displeasing act I or my kind havemitted towards you".


    "it''s understandable, you were hurt mentally, you do not want to relish the pain alone, you wish to share your pain with the one who hurt you. It is all understandable, at least to me, because i have been in your shoes once".


    "but you know old man, if you want to seek revenge, you should do it only after you are assured of victory or when you know your chances are high".


    "Coming after me with a body that is soon to wear out not only disregards me as a monster, it also nullifies any attempt or chances to see your revenge through till the end".


    Shakir could make out none of what Orun had said, and his focus leaned more on taking him out, wiping off that arrogant look off his and filling it with the same pain that he suffered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It tormented Shakir to see Orun not making any note worthy reaction towards him and treating him as insignificant, even going as far as taking him too lightly.


    He wanted to make the one who took his granddaughter away from him pay dearly, but when he is faced with the monster, agitation is what serves to further quench his thirst for the monster''s blood.


    Shakir raised his two swords up, and from both sides, he thrusts it at Orun. Without so much as flinching or letting go of Shakir''s cor, the sword hit Orun''s neck and broke in pieces.


    "old man, I told you, revenge are only deserving for those with the strength to im it. How can you hope to take your revenge on me when even your weapon does no damage to me?....."


    Orun roughly threw away the tired out body of Shakir on the ground and gazed at him once more.


    "i am a generous monster and will allow you to spend the rest of your remaining life waiting for death so go back to wherever you cane from".


    He was unwilling to kill Shakir because, he is too old to kill. Orun found it to be a hassle to kill a man who is already on the brink of death, and so decided to leave him be for a natural death.


    Shakir however was not willing to back down and ept Orun''s gracious attempt to spare his life. There is only one thing that is ever going to stop him, and that is him dying while trying to kill Orun, ormitting suicide after somehow managing to kill Orun.


    "job skill activation, inferno sword burst....."


    Dashing towards Orun, Shakir activated his skill inferno sword burst. A skill that coats his two broken swords in me to make it longer, and increasing its durability.


    The result of the sword coated in mes upon making contact with another, is creating a burning effect sequence. Like a virus, it continues to slowly scrape off the outer part of the body all the way to the inner part.


    The skill takes a long process to show its true nature, but once it does, it bes a deadly venom that kills the infected from the inside.


    Shakir swings down the me coated sword down at Shakir.


    "die you monster".


    He says, thinking that a part of the me was going totch itself on Orun''s body to begin the process of slowly prating into his inner part, but he was met with disappointment when the me in the sword was being absorbed by Orun''s body.


    Orun as well was also caught with surprise on how his body is able to absorb the me. He was aware that his core is a me attribute type core, but that should not be enough reason for his body to be absorbing the me casted by another.


    There is also something else unusual about the mes he had absorbed that Orun found to be ridiculous. When Shakir activated his me skill, it ticked Orun on in a familiar like setting.


    He felt like a missing part of him was trying to make its way back to him. Like a child begging to be held by its mother in the ce of a stranger.


    The me making contact with his body, continued to suck the life out of Shakir and clings unto Orun, permeating into him. All this while, Orun could feel his inferno core getting extended and being filled with infernal mana.


    He turned to Shakir whose face just like his, is clouded with surprise and bewilderment. Orun walk towards him, smacked away the two sword he was holding unto, and grabs him by the neck.


    "old man, I am only going to ask this once, and I want a direct response from you. How, did my infernal mana finds its way into your hands".


    Orun asked with his expressionless face leaning on the side of curiosity.

 Chapter 128 Oracle Is Back

    ?"old man, I am only going to ask this once, and I want a direct response from you. How, did my infernal mana finds its way into your hands".


    His eagerness to understand why Shakir''s me is a fitting match to his had made him forget thenguage barrier separating them, and no matter how many times he asks, he will never get a clear response from Shakir.


    "answer me human. Why do you have the same me that I do?..."


    He pestered Shakir again this time louder and shaking his body aggressively, wanting a response from him.


    "i repeat!!!!"


    [Master...].


    Orun had to stop his assault on Shakir after hearing the sudden voice he had been waiting to hear since his awakening.


    ''O.... Oracle, is that you...''


    [yes it is master].


    He felt his mind at peace listening to the word of confirmation from Oracle. It was safe and had only temporarily left him. This made Orun from the bottom of his heart, deeply happy.


    ''what happened to you?.., why was I not able to get in touch with you after my awakening''.


    [forgive me for that master. There were someplicating issues that needed my presence. That is what I was dealing with and why I could not congratte master on his Awakening].


    ''you don''t have to apologize Oracle, I am not reprimanding you or anything like that. I was worried and just wanted to know why you were not avable is all''.


    Orun made sure to express that he was only concerned on the absence of Oracle and not annoyed.


    ''so, what were theplicating issues that required your attention''.


    [it involves a certain human master is holding unto].


    ''certain human?..., you mean him...''


    Orun said, dangling Shakir''s body.


    ''what does this wrinkled old man have to do with your absence''.


    [that old man, is the main reason that master was able to awaken in this time period rather thanter].


    ''him?....., are the reasons also tied to why we have the same me constitution".


    [yes it is master].


    [master''s time in hibernation had gone beyond the initial time status limit predicted. If I had left things as they were, it would have taken master thousands of years more to awaken].


    [to prevent such oue, I sketched up a n that would hasten master''s Awakening, and that n needed the presence of a second-party with physical body to put into motion].


    [I forcefully dragged humans to the part of the dungeon master was in, and infused into the human a part of master''s core].


    ''that exins why I felt a sense of familiarity with his me, because it originally belongs to me''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [that is correct master. The human''s task is to continually fill your core with mana and indirectly transferring it to master''s original core. This would speed up the mana gathering process and also increase the chances of master waking up earlier].


    [the human did his part with excellence. Strengthening him and in return he spends his whole life chasing after monsters and unknowingly umting mana for master. With his contributions, the mana guage had surfaced enough to have master awaken in two hundred years toe].


    ''two hundred years?...., but I am awake now?, why is that''.


    [that is true, and my calctions were on point, until an unexpected variant showed up].


    ''hmm...., are you referring to one of the little girls I met in the Dungeon, because I could have sworn I felt a slight spark from her, simr to the one I feel with this old man. I thought of it as nothing because she was small and did not pose any threat whatsoever''.


    [the gene of her grandfather''s temporary inferno core had mutated with her body, giving her potential beyond an ordinary''s thinking and making her the one thing closest to bing a true fire herself].


    ''and all this simply because of my core?..., I know crazy shit happens, but is this crazy shit really possible''.


    [that is what being an half spiritual entity is master. You have the power to influence the growth of another. Mind you, the granddaughter already has enough potential as it is, your influence only made her potential easily essible than normal].


    [her entrance into the Dungeon masteryed dormant in, triggered master''s core and forced open the Awakening process. I did not ount for such an urrence taking ce, and to prevent any damage done to master physically and mentally, I had to excuse myself so I could elerate master''s spiritual body to matching its pace with master''s physical body that had been abruptly awakened].


    Oracle senses that Orun waspletely lost from the expression he was making.


    [as an half spiritual entity, it is important to have the spiritual body and physical body be on the same wavelength and growth process. If the physical body''s growth oveps with the spiritual body''s growth, or vice versa, it could lead to master not having full control over the body, mind and rationality. Master would undoubtedly go on a mindless rampage until you run out of mana].


    ''wow..., that little midget almost has me going on a rampage, how cruel is that?''.


    Orun found it ridiculous that the little girl he had brushed off as nothing, is not only the reason why he is awake now, but is also the reason why he almost lost his rationality.


    ''just to be clear, you have fixed the problem right''.


    [yes I have master].


    ''nice. This is one of the reasons why it is so good having you around. Also, can you help me!!!''.


    Orun was interrupted by the sudden movements from the old body he is holding unto. He let''s go of Shakir who stumbled on the ground and starts to foam out blood from his mouth, ears and eyes.


    ''what''s his deal''.


    Orun asked knowing full well that he had done nothing to put Shakir in such condition.


    [he is dying master, due to the effects of being exposed to your Aura].


    ''my Aura?. You mean that thing where I get temporarily angry and the humans just fall on the ground?. I am pretty sure I did it to him earlier, but he was not affected by it''.


    [that was before master absorbed your infernal core from his body and left him with nothing. Now, he is just like any old man that can be found anywhere].


    ''so it''s the end for him?....''


    Orun said, still looking at the Shakir''s shaking and dying body littering the space around him with his blood.


    "you brought this on yourself human, not me".

 Chapter 129 One Is Alive

    ?"it...., it..., it is okay..., Nadea..., everything is going to be fine".


    Dana said, trying her best to get over her fears so she can have the will to calm Nadea down and relieve her of her own fears.


    When she regained consciousness after the monster had made her temporarily unconscious, what she saw was a crying Nadea and the bodies of the dead Dire Hammer members with their stench starting to fill up the ce.


    She had no idea for how long she had been unconscious for, and when she asked Nadea, all she got from her is continuous water flushing down from her eyes.


    "Da....Da.....,al....ll.....D.....D"


    Nadea embracing Dana, wailed out heavily while trying to force her words out despite the fear tightly gripping her heart.


    "it is okay Nadea, the monster is gone now, it cannot do anything to us anymore".


    Dana and Nadea resorted to consoling each other, to give themselves the sce needed in oveing their fears and getting out of the cave alive.


    "ki...ds".


    "!!!"


    Dana and Nadea''s constion moment is cut short when a voice rang out in their front filled only with the dead bodies of the Dire Hammer members.


    "ki..ds".


    "who...., who is there....."


    Dana mustered out courageously, grabbing her rock from the ground and pointing in the direction the voice came from.


    "kids, it''s me, uncle Dexter".


    "uncle Dexter?...."


    "yes, uncle Dexter".


    "what happened?..., we thought the monster killed you...."


    Dana hesitant to move near the voice, especially with the darkness endowing them.


    From where she was standing, she questioned how Dexter was still alive when the monster had clearly killed him.


    "yeah I thought so too, until I found myself still breathing that is. Come on, i need help getting up. My internal organs are a mess right now".


    Dana decided to go help Dexter. Staying there in fear would do her nothing, she thought.


    She traced his voice over to where he was, and saw his bodyying on the ground with his head buried into the wall. Dexter''s hands were on the wall trying to push his head out of it.


    "uhuhmm...., are you okay".


    "do I look okay to you? Help me get my head out of here will you".


    "Nadea...."


    Dana knew she could not push Dexter''s head out of the wall all by herself, and so she called Nadea for help.


    Nadea heed on Dana''s call for help as she wiped the tears off her face and got up to assist her.


    They each took hold of Dexter''s leg, and in unison they pulled it as hard as they could.


    "you kids are going to have to pull harder if you n on getting me out of here".


    "we are trying our best here uncle Dexter".


    "well your best isn''t good enough, put more backbone into it will you".


    Dexter said with his voice sounding very coarse and unfriendly towards Dana and Nadea. His voice got to them and they pulled even harder, grunting and gritting their teeths until his head was out of the wall.


    "huff, huff. Damn, any minute longer and I would have died of suffocation in there".


    Dexter says, resting his back against the wall and inhaling the air as deep in as he could.


    "mister..., you are hurt".


    Nadea pointed to the side of his stomach with an open wound and blood circted at its sides.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i will be fine. This much injury won''t kill me".


    When he finally took control of his breathing pace, he started to reminisce his engagement with the monster and how he ended up in this state.


    Dexter remembered getting ready to attack the monster together with Riley until he was ambushed without any notice.


    The monster barraged him with a lot of blows in a span of seconds of him just taking the hits and being two slow to fight back.


    He recalled the monster producing out a spike from his palm and stabbing through Dexter''s sides giving him the injury Nadea pointed to.


    When he was done with him, the monster forcefully dragged his body over to the wall and started bashing his head with it.


    All this, with Dexter not being able to move a muscle and only his body feeling the recollection of blows umted in it. After the monster was done with him, Dexter had already lost his consciousness and only just regained it.


    "damned monster. He was toying with me the whole time".


    Dexter says with resentment worn boldly on his face. Being trashed around and toyed with by a monster isn''t something he feels good about.


    "what about my teammates".


    His vision still blurry and hindering him from seeing their bodiesyed on the floor and covered by the darkness not far off from him.


    "the....."


    "its okay kid, you don''t have to force yourself to say it".


    Dana''s hesitation in telling him what happened, was enough to inform Dexter that they had been killed by the monster.


    "things like this are what one must prepare for as an adventurer, losing the partner you had just shared your morning breakfast with".


    His eyes filled with sorrow and pain caused from losing the two members he regards as his family.


    Dexter and Riley were orphans who grew up having to look out for each other''s back. Promising to be an adventurer team with their name known worldwide.


    It was shortly after their debut that they met with Caren and recruited her into their team. Since then, the three duo had walked the vague line between life and death together, shared and fought with each other only to end up reconciling.


    Caren might be a pain in the ass for Dexter, not to the point that she would wish her gone forever, not like this.


    "sorry Riley, Caren. For not protecting you both and for letting you go first before me".


    Dexter took a moment of silence to honor the death of hisrades before getting himself back up.


    "we need to get out of here fast".


    Dexter says, picking up Dana and Nadea and cing them on his back. He attached his hands to the wall so he could use it to climb his way out of the hole.


    "mister, what about your wound?..., they will only get worse if you strain yourself more".


    "like I said kids, an injury like this will not kill me. More importantly, we need to get out of here and warn the guild. To let them know that in this dungeon, lies an existence that poses a considerable threat to humanity".


    "there is one thing I do find disturbing. How did you guys escape not being killed by the monster? I can''t imagine a monster sparing kids simply because they are kids. All monsters are heartless cruel beings with no remorse or thoughts for anyone other than themselves".


    "their main existence, is to trash and wreck as much havoc as they can before they are put down. Sparing a bunch of kids, isn''t what a monster does, because they have never done so before".


    "did it perhaps not see you guys, and hence why you lived".


    Dexter inquired from the kids, still climbing up the walls with them on his back.


    "i don''t think that is it uncle Dexter. The monster came to us after it was done k...."


    Dana having trouble narrating on how the monster had killed Caren before it made his way up to them.


    "so it saw you both".


    "yes mister, it grabbed Dana when she attacked him, and punched her in the stomach before letting her go".


    "hmm..., it saw you both and still spared you?..., how strange".


    Dexter thought, knowing full well what a monster is capable of doing, and the events of not killing the kids being an attribute never once seen in a monster.

 Chapter 130 Out Of The Dungeon

    ?"groan!!!...."


    Dexter''s hand reached the opening of the well, and he strained it down trying to drag himself up.


    "kids, go ahead first. I am losing strength and don''t have much of it to lift all three of us up".


    While Dexter was hanging unto the well''s opening, Dana and Nadea crawled from his back, passing through his head and when they were almost to the top, they stood up and jumped off of his back.


    With Dana and Nadea off him, Dexter now has the strength to pull himself up the outer space of the well. Once he got out, heyed his body down to rest.


    "mister, the wound is bleeding".


    Nadea called Dexter''s attention to the open wound at the side of his stomach that is now bleeding.


    "it must have opened up after the heavy strain I put on it while climbing my way up".


    Dexter drew his attention to the wound to see that its surface had erged than it formerly was, and droplets of blood was nowing out from it.


    He forced himself to get up despite the pain throbbing in his sides.


    "mister, you should rest some more or the wound wil....."


    "i don''t need to repeat myself to you kid, I already said I will live. Warning the city is a much more important job than how I feel right now".


    e on kids, I need your help".


    Dana and Nadea moved over to Dexter and rested his hand on their shoulder to assist him in walking.


    The three sluggishly headed for the Dungeon''s entrance with Dexter hoping to get to the city in time.


    ''The guild has to know about this. Dexter thought, readying to sacrifice his life to the wound as long as it gets him to the city in time for him to exin to them what lies within this dungeon.


    With endurance and dedication, they safely got to the entrance without encountering another monster along the way. Dana and Nadea, still had to help Dexter as he was now unable to walk by himself due to the wound getting worse.


    They helped him walk down the entrance stairs and headed in the direction the city was.


    "mister, I think there is someone at the front".


    Nadea said, pointing in the direction they were walking to, and at the figure that just stood still like a statue.


    Dexter raised his head to where Nadea was pointing to, and truly, he did see a figure.


    ''how weird. Dexter thought after seeing a dummy figure standing in the road leading to a Dungeon.


    A figure that wasn''t there to begin with back when they were headed into the Dungeon.


    e to think of it, where is the man that checked your passes when you all were entering the Dungeon?...."


    Dexter asked, turning his head backwards to look at the building outpost at the side of the dungeon.


    Normally, the man should havee running to him after seeing the condition he is in, but none of such happened.


    "i will go and check".


    Dana, left Dexter alone with Nadea as she ran over to the outpost to confirm if the man was there or not. She went into the one man sized building and came running out not long after.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dexter already got his answer after seeing Dana making her way to them alone.


    "no one is there".


    Dana said, after she had gotten closer to Dexter.


    "It seems so. It looks like everything isn''t right in here".


    Dana took hold of Dexter''s hand, and walked him over to where the dummy was standing.


    "that isn''t a dummy".


    It was not until Dexter had gotten closer to the dummy that he was able to make out the figurine and saw that it was a real life person standing there.


    They got even closer, and this time Dexter could tell that it was the guild leader of Edevin that was standing still, with the body of four other menying on the ground beside him and all cked out.


    "why is the guild leader here?".


    The guild leader has absolutely no reason or cause to be here as a figurine much less the outside of a low level dungeon. If he wanted to go into a Dungeon, Dexter was pretty sure that Edevin city is surrounded by higher level dungeons than the one they entered.


    "unless....., take me closer to the guild leader".


    Dexter urged the kids. There was something he wanted to confirm by having the guild leader in an eye to eye range.


    "as I thought. He is trapped in his subconscious state of mind. That must mean?..., the monster, it has made his way out the Dungeon".


    Being up close the guild leader, Dexter was able to discern what sort of condition he has been put into. He clenched his fist and punched Ricus right in the face.


    Its one of the easiest way to wake up someone trapped in a self made illusion, by making them respond to an external stimulus, much like when one is in a deep sleep.


    Ricus was pushed back by Dexter''s punch, and his eye duct that had gone lifeless was restored back to its color.


    "urghugh....., what happened".


    Putting his hand on his head and trying to recollect his memories of why he was sitting on the ground.


    "we should be the one asking, why are you here and where is the monster".


    "Monster?!!...., that''s right, the monster. We nned on going to scout out the Dungeon when I cked out?., the rest of the troops?...., what happened to them".


    "what troops, you and the four men on the ground are the only people we have seen so far sinceing out of the dungeon".


    "no..., there are more. About five thousand of them, dispatched to stop the monster".


    "five thousand?....., if it''s true, then where are they now?..."


    Ricus turned his head backwards, both straining their eyes to see further in front of them.


    "no...., it cannot be....., that is impossible".


    Where the only words that coulde out of Ricus''s mouth as his gaze wasyed upon theyers of body stacked on each other on the ground.


    "all five thousand of them......, all down".

 Chapter 131 Send Off

    ?*One Week Later*


    "we gather here today in respect to the death of our fallen heroes. Wemend their bravery to not falter in the face of danger, sacrificing their lives so that we all may live".


    "their courageous act is a show of faith that humanity will continue to persist. Today, monsters have taken from us our heroes. Tomorrow, we will take from them, everything they have".


    "by the grace of the Gods, bless thus the souls of thy sons so that they make walk the path of righteousness and join thee in your gracious abode".


    "i guide thee in the sanctification of the Gods so that your journey through the realm of souls will be a peaceful one".


    "your physical body has left us in this world, your spirituality dispersed to whence it came. Your heroic memories however will be forever carved in our hearts, and every day we awake, remembrance of your sacrifice for our lives will be the guiding force for us".


    The priest dressed in all cks, stretched his hand out to the sides, and he was handed over a white bowl filled with water.


    He got the bowl, and dipped his hand into it, taking out the water and spraying it in the tombstone in front of him. He moved over to the sides, and did the same with the tombstone that was there.


    The priest continued this act until he did it to all one thousand two hundred and eighty seven tombstone, soldiers that died facing Orun''s Aura, including old man Shakir, and the fourteen thousand three hundred and fifty nine ordinary citizens that were burned by his mes.


    When he was done, he went back to standing at the forefront of all the tombstones, and said his final farewell prayers to them.


    "Oh brave heroes, as Iy your souls to eternal rest, so may the Gods ept it earnestly".


    The priest finished his final prayers, and together with his entourage, they exited the scene leaving behind the families of the deceased to mourn their loss.


    The monster crisis that had invaded the city of Edevin was finally over with before they knew it. Resorting in the deaths of military men and ordinary citizens alike.


    The bloodied cloud that covered their city dispersed, and shortly after, a burial ceremony was held to honor the lives of those lost in the crisis.


    "how are you feeling".


    Miss Aletta dressed in ck gown, moved over to where Dexter was sitting, staring at the tombstone of Caren and Rileyid down beside each other.


    Worried for Dexter on losing two of his teammates at once, Miss Aletta hoped tofort him one way or another.


    "i am fine. The one I am actually worried about, is her".


    Dexter''s gaze were directed over to Dana who was sitting alone, with the tombstone of Shakir in front of her.


    "she is a tough child you know. I can''t imagine how she must have felt when she saw the body of her grandfatheryed lifeless on the floor".


    He was present when Dana found Shakir''s body among the midst of other dead bodies.


    With the condition the body was, his body covered in blood, with holes on some part of it. Dexter guessed that Shakir must have been killed in one of the most brutal way possible.


    He admired Dana''s strong will topose herself after seeing Shakir dead, she not so much as made a peep, and only moved closer to him to embrace the body.


    Even now, all Dana is doing is staring nkly at where Shakir isid to rest, ignoring any other sound around her, and fixating all her attention on it.


    "i don''t think that is her being strong willed. She is grieving in a silent way, which can be very bad for her health".


    Miss Aletta after observing Dana, figured out she was processing the death of Shakir in the way that she can, and in a way that could end up being of extreme danger to her if she doesn''t get over it in time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "you should go talk to her. As her teacher, I am sure she will wee your constion with open arms".


    "i don''t know, I don''t think I have the right to go talk to her".


    Miss Aletta hesitated on going to be with Dana when in actuality she should have gone to her without being told.


    She feels responsible for what became of Shakir, and shoulders the weight of indirectly killing him.


    If she hadn''t given Shakir the wrong information on his granddaughter''s well-being, perhaps Shakir would not have stormed off by himself in search of her, and he would not havee across the death that found its way over to him.


    "It does not sit right going to meet her. I will feel like an hypocrite and a deceiver if I go over there tofort her. I gave her grandfather the information that misleaded him into thinking his granddaughter was dead, I indirectly killed him by giving him a false purpose for revenge. What can I say to her when infact I am the reason she is grieving her grandfather''s death?... "


    " you shouldn''t think like that. All you wanted was to protect the man by not getting his hopes up too high. You know, if you had told him that there was the slightest possible chance that his granddaughter was alive..., he would still have resorted to going into the Dungeon to find her".


    "if you think of it that way, you will realize that you have no fault in his death. His impulse to have his granddaughter by his side in the midst of all the chaos is what got the best of him and took away his life, not you. You have no reason to me or fault yourself because of a decision brought about due to the love he has for his granddaughter".


    Dexter, trying to bring out Miss Aletta from the self guilt she has decided to trap herself into, gave her reasons as to why Shakir''s death isn''t on her.


    "i understand what you are saying, and I really appreciate you trying to help, but I still don''t feel right going to meet her. But perhaps, you could do the honors".


    "me?....., no way. I am not really the child consoling type, I terribly suck at it too".


    "give it a chance. You both have lost something very precious to you, and can rte your feelings of lost better".


    "it is not as easy as you think it is. Losing Riley and Caren is something I knew would always happen. We are adventurers, everyday we risk our lives venturing into the unknown and fighting against monsters of powerful origin. It is not that hard to know that one day, we will look back only to see that one of us or two of us is gone forever. I just never thought it was going to be those two before me".


    Dexter said sighing in the air, and his muscr face looking deeply sorrowful.


    "that is what I am saying. Your expression shows how pained you are on losing your friends. Perhaps, you can use that pain tofort Dana on her pain".


    Miss Aletta budged Dexter who was still hesitant on going over to Dana.


    "please. Her being alone like that isn''t going to help her in any way, but only to make the pain much more deeper than it already is. What she needs now, is someone to be by her side. Aside from her grandfather, she has no one else, and you are the next one closest to her whose current feelings are in mutual terms with hers".


    Miss Aletta pestered Dexter, begging him to go be with Dana, as she did not want Dana to be left alone.


    If it wasn''t for her feelings of self guilt, she would have gone over to her, but she can''t. The only one she knows can do it next, is one who can rte to her feelings, someone like Dexter.


    Even though he says he had expected something of this nature to happen, the pain carved on his face is still a trait he failed to hide from miss Aletta.


    She saw the pain in him, and wants him to use that pain to heal the pain of Dana''s. Two people with feelings of losting together to fill in for each other''s loss, is what Miss Aletta is aiming for.


    "okay, okay. I will do it. I will go and talk to her".


    Dexter left with no choice, gave in to Miss Aletta''s demands. He did not want to disappoint her by continuing to refuse her, so he decided going over to her and doing the best he can before leaving her be.


    "thank you, thank you very much".

 Chapter 132 Follow Me

    ?"uhuhm...., are you okay...."


    Dexter reluctantly asked after walking up to where Dana is sitting. Dana on the other hand, openly ignored Dexter''s poor attempt in starting a conversation with her.


    His n wasing here to try and console her, and if she doesn''t respond to him, he had made arrangements to leave her be immediately.


    But, seeing her up close in person, Dexter realized how wrong it would be of him to leave her as she is.


    Dexter grabbed the chair beside Dana, and sat on it.


    "you know, your grandfather was a role model not only to me, but to all the adventurers of my generation. His death, affects not only you, but every single adventurer who glorified his courageous act".


    Clenching his fist and raising it up along the glorified part. Dexter turned to look at Dana thinking he was going to get some sort of reaction from her, but he got nothing.


    "listen kid. I understand you are grieving, but this is not the way to do it. Keeping silent and staring at your grandfather''s tombstone all day long isn''t going to change anything. He also wouldn''t be happy wherever he is if he sees that his granddaughter refuses to move on and stuck herself to the past".


    "you need to get your act together and give a reaction, anything".


    Fed up with Dana being mute to his words, Dexter began to spit out the harsh reality, hoping she was going to do respond verbally or physically.


    Any would be better as long as her face isn''t devoid of life like it currently is. His attempt however failed as Dana still continued to ignore him.


    "this is why I told her I wasn''t the consoling type of dude".


    "alright kid, let''s take this again from the beginning, shall we".


    Dexter did not want to give up on her just yet. He once admired Shakir as a role model, and this is Shakir''s granddaughter. The least he can do for the one he once looked up to, is to make sure what he loves stays brightened and not depressed.


    "losing a loved ones, and getting over it, is not as easy as people think it is. It''s like telling one to erase a part of who we are, a part of what shapes us into our current self. That memory, it stays buried within us forever. And knowing that the one''s you made those memories with is someone you will never get to see again, that pain, no matter how many years or lifetime has gone by, it will always hurt the same. Nothing can change that".


    "i have just lost the two people I consider to be my only family. Am I devastated by that?..., definitely. Am I going to miss their presence?...., always. But will I let their memories weigh me down into being my true self?...., the answer is no".


    "my friends, Riley and Caren, they wouldn''t want that for me. They wouldn''t want me to lead a life of a degenerate because they are no longer with me. Knowing them, they would probably me themselves more, and rain abusive words on me for letting myself get tied down by their deaths, Caren especially".


    "that is who my friends are. They want the best for me either dead or living, and I am sure your grandfather is not that far off from them in that he also wants what is best for you. He would want you to get on with your life, and not spend it in his shadows. He would want you to be fierce, to learn from your pain and grow through it, not regress with it".


    "pain, is what separates us from the monsters. We feel pain and sadness whenever our loved ones leave us. But monsters, they feel none of those. They are cold-blooded bastards whose motive is to always cause us pain and despair".


    "ask yourself, do you want them to win? Do you want the monsters to get away with killing your grandfather and rendering your life a deste one? Or, do you want to get back up like humans do and pay back the monsters tenfold what they took away from you? Do you want the monsters to bleed and for once, feel the same agony that you are feeling right now?.... "


    " it''s your choice kid. And whichever it is you choose, I hope it is one you can own up to when you meet your grandfather in your next life".


    Dexter having said what he wanted to say, remained silent and raised his head forward, expecting a reply from Dana.


    "its all my fault".


    She said, with her voice cracking and filled with remorse.


    "if only I was stronger, I could have stopped the monster before it got to grandfather. Grandfather died because of me, he died because I was too weak to do anything".


    All the emotions she had kept bottled up, rushed out instantly in the form of tears. Her eyes sobbing out water profusely with no signs of her stopping anytime soon.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "hey, hey kid. What are you saying? strong enough? who would expect a kid to be strong enough to defeat a monster like that? I and my friends were present when the monster first appeared, now look what became of us".


    Dexter said, with Dana in his embrace sobbing.


    "you are a kid, and only a foolish adult would expect to be protected by a kid. Your grandfather also wouldn''t want or expect you toy down his life so that he can live, he wouldn''t forgive himself if that were to be".


    "you are a kid, and as one, the adults should be the one protecting you and not the other way around. So kid, never me yourself for the choices made by the adults. Your grandfather did his best to save you, the most precious thing in his life. Despite knowing the risks behind it, he still did it. That was his choice to make and not yours. The only choice you should be making now, is the kind of choice that will make your grandfather proud from wherever he is watching you from".


    "is that clear".


    He ced his hands on Dana''s shoulder and slightly pushed her back so he could see her face while she answers him.


    "y....ye...yes...."


    She says with a weakly voice and face gone red and puffy.


    Dexter seeing Dana''s expression could not help but shower her in pity, and a remembrance of how he once was.


    "your teacher miss Aletta, she told me that you don''t have anyone else in this city apart from your grandfather. Now, I am going to make you an offer, and I want you to think carefully about it before deciding if you will ept or not".


    "yes I will".


    Dana did not bother to wait and listen to what sort of offer Dexter was going to propose before she agreed to it.


    "you haven''t even heard what I was going to say. LikeI said, I want you to think carefully about it, don''t just give me a straight up yes wh...."


    "you were going to ask me toe with you, weren''t you".


    Dexter was undoubtedly caught off guard on how she knew what he was going to ask.


    "yes, yes I was. I figured, you have no one here, and I have also recently be a loner. Taking care of kids is not really my forte, but I can''t just sit and watch while thest descendant of my role model gets left behind and unattended to".


    "in this city, the people are good and I am sure they will take care of you well enough, in memorial of your grandfather''s deed to them. But I know, that won''t be enough for the current you".


    "the thing is, just like you, monsters took away everything from me. That''s one of the reasons why I became an adventurer, to protect people like me so they will never have to be hurt by the monsters ever again, and also so I can get my revenge on them".


    "being in that position, I know what sort of mindset is raging through your mind right now, and I am willing to help you on that".


    "staying here will grant you an easy going life, surrounded by the people that care about you. But going with me, will only leave you on a path stained with the blood of the monsters, that''s why I said to take your time before deciding".


    "there is nothing for me to think about. Uncle is right, this ce cannot give me what I want. I don''t want to be surrounded by love, I want revenge on the monster that took grandpa away from me".


    Dexter felt himself amazed and astonished by Dana''s determined mind, and the fortification of resolve glowing through her eyes.


    "that is some great resolve you have there kid. And I promise you, I won''t let you down on it".


    "we will make the monster pay for taking away our loved ones, both you and I".

 Chapter 133 Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation

    ?*Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation*


    *stomp!!, stomp!!*


    "what the hell does that old geezer think he is doing?....., calling for me when he knows perfectly well how busy I am, does he think the whole world revolves around him or what?..."


    Says the man with ck long hair, an average look putting him in his mid-twenty, dressed in all white turtle neck and having a blue thick scarf curved from his right shoulder down to his left waist, with an insignia shaped like a star, tracing the scarf from his shoulder to his waist and ornaments on all sides of the clothing.


    In annoyance, he stomps his feet hard on the ground along the hallway as he continues to grumble.


    "serves you right. Now you know exactly how I feel whenever you summon me without my consent".


    The floating humanoid being with its body made entirely of fire, and its size equal to that of a baseball, spoke up as he moves alongside the man.


    "what are you saying Ignatius?, you always show up by yourself before I even summon you".


    "how can you lie so easily without flinching a muscle on your face".


    "that is because i am not lying. The only times I summon you, are when I need you, and that hasn''t happened since I became a Cardinal".


    ? Cardinals, four group of people also tagged, humanity''s strongest. They shoulder the responsibilities of ensuring the survival of humanity amongst its fellow aggressive neighbors.


    The Cardinals are maintained under the management of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregations, humanity''s most wide spread organization.


    The Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregations is formed from the branches of popes who each ce their beliefs in the existence of different Gods.


    The believers of the different Gods brought themselves together under one banner, with the belief that the Gods they each serve, are of one will, which is the prosperity of humans before any other race.


    They built the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation to connect their God''s together, and appointed the Cardinals who they believed are directly chosen by their Gods to keep humanity safe.


    The Cardinals have shown to be worthy of the humanity''s strongest title by doing their bid and keeping the other race on their toes.


    It could be said, that without the Cardinal''s existence, humanity would have longed perish at the hands of other neighboring race.


    Bearing the title of a Cardinal grants one ess to all and every human kingdoms in the world, and also the authority to mobilize their military.


    The authority of a Cardinal reigns second only to the Emissary of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation. A being appointed after theing together of all Gods believer, as the one who conveys directly to them the will of all Gods.


    Caius being one of the four Cardinals of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation, is on his way to meet with the only individual in the world capable of bossing him around.


    "so you are saying you don''t need me anymore, is that it?...., you ungrateful child. I helped you get to where you are, and you discard me just like that".


    "hey Ignatius, you know that is not what I intended to say".


    "don''t worry, your intentions were pretty clear to me. If you will excuse me now, I will be on my way".


    "Igna....."


    Caius was not allowed to finish as Ignatius had immediately erased itself out of his presence.


    "seriously buddy?. You always do this to me, and then youe running back without being called on".


    "no I don''t".


    It restored itself on Caius''s head to reply to him, then erased itself from his presence, again.


    "fine, just tell me, what is it I can do to stop you from acting like a child".


    "hey....., I will have you know, I have lived enough lifetime to birth a thousand times of your generation".


    "and yet you still continue to be a child".


    "i am not a child...."


    Throwing its soft and cute punches at Caius''s face.


    "stop that will you".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Caius halted its movement and pinned down Ignatius with two fingers.


    "release me this instant".


    Ignatius throwing its punches in the air and struggling to release Caius''s hold on it.


    "we are going to get to the old geezer soon, I want you to behave yourself when we are there, can you do that".


    With his fingers holding unto the struggling Ignatius, he brings it closer to his face.


    "name one time I have never behaved myself".


    "not one, I can give you many instances, one of which is how you are currently acting".


    "hey..., I am only like this because you pissed me off. You should count yourself lucky that you even to get to see me despite the number of people wanting to have me by their side, yet you treat me like I am nothing".


    "buddy....."


    Caius called out as gently as he could after being enticed by Ignatius''s expression of folding its arms and puffing its cheeks out.


    "you of all people should know, that in this world, you matter to me more than anyone else ever can. The only reason I treat you like this, Is because I know I can. You are family, and it''s normal for there to be quarrel among family, the important thing is, family always manages to get back together no matter how much they quarrel".


    "mphhmp....., trying to soothe me with that nonsense speech, definitely not going to work".


    So Ignatius says as it stops its struggle and Caius let''s go of it, only for it to fly itself on Caius head to sit on him.


    "when we are done with this, I want to eat meat".


    It''s voice pompous and his expression normal, he tells Caius of his wants.


    "you are lucky you are a spirit. With all the meat you devour in one sitting, you would have be fat enough to upy this hallway".


    "that''s it, I am done ying nice. You want it rough, I am going to give it to you rough".


    Ignatius on Caius''s head, starts biting his hair aggressively. Caius simply ignored it and continued his walk down the hallway.


    ***


    "Wee Cardinal Caius!!".


    The two men in full body armor standing guard at the door behind them, bowed their heads as they sighted the appearance of Caiusing closer to them.


    "the Emissary".


    "he has been expecting your arrival".


    Caius with a serious tone, different from the one he was using to address Ignatius, asked the guards if the Emissary was in, and he was given a positive response.


    The two guards pushed open the door and made way for Caius to go through.


    "hey, aren''t you boys going to greet me as well, or you blind to the point that you can''t even see me".


    Ignatius stopped pulling Caius''s hair and directed its attention over to the two guards.


    "we apologize for our rude demeanor towards you fire spirit king Ignatius. We are extremely honored to be in your presence".


    So says the two as they bowed their heads even lower than they did for Caius.


    "don''t bother the two gentlemen and let them do their work in peace".


    "what is wrong with wanting to get the respect i deserve? I swear the kids of this generation are just too damn rude towards their elderly".


    Ignatius muttered still sitting on Caius''s head while he made his way into the room, ignoring its murmuring.

 Chapter 134 Caius And The Emissary

    ?"geezer, I will have you know that I am an extremely busy man. You can''t just call on me whenever you want to".


    Walking into the room, the first thing that caught Caius''s gaze are the crystallized windows in front him. Laced with mural painting of a feminine figure with both her hands raised up above her head, putting on an indigo colored dress with a veil covering her head.


    At the woman''s left side, is a painting of an old man with pure white hair and fluffy long bears upying his face, putting on a cream colored robe with cors covering up to his neck and the robe reaching all the way to his feet.


    On the right hand side of the old man, is the painting of a middle aged man, standing with what can only be described as elegant and graceful. Cloaked in refined golden hair and dressed in silver  clothing covering from his right shoulder and tracing it down to his waist, with his other body parts left naked, his pants colored blue with adorning patterns beautifying the sides.


    "that makes the two of us".


    Caius turned his gaze sideways, over to where the deep voice that had just spoken came from.


    An old man with smooth skin, putting on a long box shaped cap, and grey cloths looking like multiple gowns stitched together.


    The old man''s hand were sped together and ced on the long desk in front of him, as he sat on his chair with his gaze fixated on the door like he had expected Caius to arrive at that particr timing.


    "let me be clear on one thing. I don''t care what it is you have for me, I am not interested. That is what I came here to say".


    Caius not even bothering himself with showing respect to the man with age clearly far above his, ryed his words to the Emissary and turned his back getting ready to leave.


    "good. I received a request message from the guild''s council, something about a monster of an unknown rank almost destroying a city, and killing a considerable number of adventurers and ordinary citizensbined".


    The Emissary brushed aside Caius''s words and proceeded to feeding him the information on the mission that was to be given to him.


    Caius was forced to turn back and face the Emissary wondering if the Emissary had not heard what he said.


    "did you not hear what I just said".


    "i did. I just thought your words were not worth adhering to. I want you to get yourself ready and be on the case as soonest as you can".


    The Emissary continued to ignore Caius with his eyes staring directly at his as he gives out orders to him.


    "geezer, I don''t care what it is you say, i, am not going anywhere".


    "is that so...."


    The Emissary released his hands, and rubbed his fingers together, with his eyes still on Caius.


    "i won''t fall for your intimidation this time geezer".


    Caius said with his body starting to falter and his gaze bing unsteady.


    "this is going to be fun".


    When Caius entered, Ignatius had already left his head to go attend to the cookie jar sitting on the shelf behind the Emissary.


    It saw the uprising tension between the Emissary and Caius, and went to sit on the Emissary''s head with its legs crossed while enjoying the tension between the two.


    "king spirit of fire, will you do me the favor of telling your contractor over here to get himself moving to where i sent him, lest he wants to face the ire of the Gods".


    The Emissary, called upon Ignatius to convince Caius into epting the mission, mainly because he does not want to resort to means that would make it look like he was extorting his rights as a human.


    "Ignatius, if you aren''t going to help, then shut up".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ignatius about to open its mouth and intervene, was immediately silenced by Caius.


    "geezer..."


    Caius''s tone this time was different from the demanding one he had been using earlier, almost like he was trying to cuddle up to the Emissary.


    e on geezer, work with me here. I am not the only Cardinal present you know?..., why do you have to call for me everytime when you can just split the work amongst all of us?..., or is it because I am the youngest Cardinal?, is that why you are treating me this badly".


    Caius''s expression looking curious on what the Emissary would say to his outburst, and filled with a sense of being looked down upon by the Emissary.


    "yes. Yes, I did pick you because you are the youngest of the Cardinal''s".


    The Emissary without a change in his cold expression, straightforwardly answered Caius.


    "so you are really looking down on me".


    Caius said with an hint of disbelief.


    "on the contrary, it is the reverse".


    "what do you mean...."


    He was confused with the Emissary''s words. All this while, he has always been the only one called upon by the Emissary to deal with menial stuff, ones that even the Pdin themselves could deal with.


    As someone who is in a group designated as humanity''s strongest, he found it ridiculous that the Emissary stooped his level so low that he is being handed over the works of Pdin who at most are of S ranks.


    The Pdins, are the troops used by the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation  in maintaining order amongst fellow human kingdoms.


    Unlike the Cardinal''s who are only set on protecting humanity from other race, the Pdin''s primary job is seeing to it that the human kingdoms stay loyal to the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation.


    The Pdins are in no way meant to interfere in the internal affairs of a human kingdom, their authority only extends to when its the human kingdom against the religious order led by the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation, the highest religious order of humanity.


    A human kingdom fighting another human kingdom, is none of the Pdin''s concern. They are only active when it has to do the with religious order. There are also other instances where the pdins can be deployed when facing against threats extending to another race.


    The Pdinspared to the Cardinal''s, pale to them in the amount of authority each of them has. Caius being aware of this, felt very hurt every time he is summoned to do the job of a Pdin.


    This time, he has decided to be very blunt with the Emissary by outright refusing him, even though he is aware that terrible repercussions might follow.


    "like you said, you are the youngest amongst the five Cardinals. Being that, youck the necessary experience needed to act as a Cardinal, but what I am doing, is giving you that experience".


    "by having youplete missions here and there, not only will you be more widely recognized, you will also be gaining more followers and solidifying your position as a Cardinal".


    The Emissary was getting through to Caius by showering him with vocal sweetener.


    "now do you see what I mean when I said it''s the reverse?. I am not looking down on you, I just want to make sure you do not fall behind the rest of the Cardinal''s because you are the youngest of them".


    Caius''s eyes lit up after finding out the true intentions the Emissary had towards him. Knowing that he wasn''t being neglected and looked down upon but actually being given a chance to be on equal grounds as the other Cardinal''s, he couldn''t help but to be excited.


    "okay geezer. If that is your intention, then who am I to say no to that. I will take on this mission of yours, no matter how big or small it is, I will take it all on".

 Chapter 135 Caius In Edevin

    ?***One Month Later***


    "so this is the town that was invaded by a monster?....."


    Caius standing outside the gates of Edevin City, with his head raised up and looking at the signboard just above the gate.


    "i believe the Emissary called it a city and not a town".


    Ignatius sitting on the shoulder of Caius corrected his wrong outburst of Edevin being a town instead of a city.


    "town, city. They are all the same".


    "you dummy, how is a town and a city the same?..., the poption of a town is less than the poption of a city itself".


    "i know that, and that is why I called it a town. How can a city be invaded by a single monster, yet none were able to kill it? can you believe that".


    Caius made his way into the city through the widely opened gates, ignoring the line of people waiting for their turn to go in.


    "halt".


    He was stopped at the gates by one of the city guards before he could enter the city. The reason for stopping him, is due to him ignoring the queue and moving on his own.


    "can you not see that there is a queue behind you".


    Caius tilted his head in sideways, wondering if the guard was referring to someone else and not him.


    "why do you keep on turning your head when I am talking to you".


    "you mean me...."


    Caius still looking confused, pointed his finger at himself, trying to identify if the guard was misced or its really him he is talking to.


    "yes you".


    The guard said, pointing his own finger at his face and turning them over to Caius''s face.


    "can you not see the attire I am putting on, or are you just doing this so you can feel special for stopping one of the four Cardinal''s from entering the gate you are securing".


    The guard was befuddled about Caius''s question. What does his wearing have to do with why he was stopped from wanting to walk past a line.


    "listen man, I don''t know who you think you are or where you are from, as long as you don''t have prove of it, you remain in the line and follow it through to enter the city. Is that clear".


    The guard''s decision was firm on not giving Caius special treatment, unless he hands over proof deserving him of it.


    "wow Caius, this guy is no joke, looks like he means every word of it".


    "I know, and it''s starting to get me pretty mad".


    Caius says, using his hand to rub his forehead while closing his eyes.


    "so this is what the Emissary meant by you not being popr to the general public".


    "my poprity is not the problem here Ignatius. This guy just wants to piss me off is all".


    "so...., how is he doing on that".


    Ignatius moved down from Caius''s head to his forehead and bent its upper body downwards, looking through Caius''s right eye.


    "he is doing a very good job on pissing me off".


    "also, no familiars are allowed into the city without having a leash on them".


    "why you....., who do you think you are calling a familiar".


    Ignatius on the verge of jumping at the guard in rage, was immediately caught by Caius.


    "hold on there buddy. Don''t go rage mode on me now".


    "release me this instant Caius. Did you not hear him call the dignified `I`, a familiar".


    Ignatius with his hands stretched out, struggled to set itself free from Caius''s hold.


    "i did buddy, I did. But if I leave you alone tosh at him, you might end up killing him, and I can''t have that. The Emissary will no doubt scold me heavily if such a thing should happen".


    "i promise not to kill him, just enough to have him give us the respect we deserve".


    "no way. I don''t trust you enough to hold back on not killing him".


    "hey...."


    It voiced out, after it stopped struggling and turned his gaze over to Caius.


    "i am an Elemental Spirit King, and as such, my word means everything to me, or do you not know that...."


    "I do, but not every word thates out of your mouth is truthful. For an Elemental Spirit who puts a lot of values in the words spoken, you sure do spout of a lot of falsity".


    "that''s it, Caius...."


    Ignatius''s expression looking serious and fierce.


    "i want to terminate our contract".


    Caius''s expression and the air around him changed from friendly to being docile.


    "NO".


    "it seems you are mistaken, I wasn''t making a demand, I wasmanding".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It doesn''t matt....."


    "WAIIIITTTT........"


    the rising tension between Ignatius and Caius seized to rise thanks to the presence of a robust human figure putting on a very shy robe with expensive jewelries on both hands, legs and neck. Running towards them, with his braided hair dangling behind him like a princess.


    "what the heck is that?..."


    Ignatius''s skin made of fire, slowly bubbled up with his eyes on the man running towards him.


    "you took the words right out of my mouth. What kind of freaks live in this town".


    Caius said, making a nasty face at the man.


    *HUFF, HUFF*


    the man finally got to where Caius and Ignatius were. His breathing was heavy, showing that he wasn''t the athletic type.


    "lord Arnoux, what brings you here...."


    The guard that had kept Caius from entering, called out to the fat man with respect upon spotting him.


    "lord?...., did you just call him a lord"


    Caius found himself getting surprised at the fat man being called a lord by the guard.


    "if you look closely, he does fit the description of a corrupt lord".


    Says Ignatius, not in doubt that the fat man is indeed corrupt.


    "now I get why the town''s defenses was so easily breached".


    "i apologize for noting to wee you on time".


    Arnoux ignored the guard''s question, and turned a deaf ear to Caius''s insultive remarks as he bows his head and greeted him respectfully.


    "lord Arnoux, who are they".


    The guard was troubled by his Lord''s respectful actions towards the individual before him.


    The only personnel the lord has ever shown such acts toward, are the members of the royal family, and the guard is vastly knowledgeable on who the royal families are and what they look like, to know Caius does not belong to one.


    "you insolent bastard, how dare you refer to this very important man as they? Do you wish to have your job taken away from you".


    Arnoux''s voice was loud enough to reach a quarter of the line wanting to enter the gates.


    His threat of getting sacked from his job got to him, and the guard had to kneel before lord Arnoux begging to be spared.


    "forgive me lord, I was only carrying out my duties as a guard and had no idea how important this man is to you".


    "forget It, nothing you say can erase the embarrassing act you havemitted towards his humble self".


    "i am fine though".


    Caius said, drawing Arnoux''s gaze to himself.


    "i mean, let''s be realistic, I am also at fault for wanting to cross through the gates without waiting for the line, and the guard only did the job he is paid to do".


    "imagine if I was someone with bad intentions, and he allowed me in because I threatened him with a background I refused to release to him?...."


    Arnoux at this point, was no doubt in shock.


    He came to the gates to attend to security matters to address future attacks from monsters, anding up with several countermeasures to fight against it.


    Om his way back to his home, one of the guards ran up to him, informing him that there was amotion at the gates.


    Arnoux at first wanted to scold the guards foring to report this to him instead of taking it to the chief of security whose office is located here. But after putting some thoughts into it, he did not scold him and instead allowed him to exin.


    The descriptive attire of the man causing themotion was what caught Arnoux''s attention as he hurried himself to the gates. Arnoux was sure that the person was a member of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation, with the concept of the attire described to him by the guards, is exclusive only to them.


    Getting here, Arnoux saw that the guards had offended the man, and so took actions to defend him rather than ask for reasons that had led to themotion itself.


    "city lord, I understand that you want to please me knowing where I am from, but shouldn''t your priority lean more on assuring that your city is well guarded bypetent allies?....."


    Arnoux found it shameful to himself that he is being scolded by someone who looked way younger than him, but he did not dare to voice out hisints.


    "i apologize Lord....."


    Arnoux stammered at the end of his words so that Caius couldplete it by mentioning his name to him.


    "don''t apologize to me, apologies to the one who tried to do his job but ends up being unappreciated by his boss".


    Caius finished talking and left Arnoux extremely pissed off. He started walking through the gate, with his destination being Edevin''s Guild.


    "you handled that nicely. I thought you were going to be in support of the lord".


    "why should I? I am pissed off at the guard, but that is just on a personal level. He did his job appropriately, and I tried to stop him from doing that because of my ego".


    "if anyone is to apologize, it should be me not him".


    "i am proud of you".


    Ignatius said, gently stroking the lines on Caius''s head.

 Chapter 136 Caius And The Adventurers

    ?"Caius, we shouldn''t rush ourselves to go to the guild, and take some time to enjoy the scene before us".


    Despite the amounts of lives lost during the monster crisis, the people of Edevin were able to get themselves back on their feet and resumed their daily activities.


    The monster not venturing into the city itself, saved them the expenses of having to rubuild destroyed buildings. The only ones that needed rebuilding, are the ones that caught on fire, mostly the ordinary people''s home.


    Retailed shops have been reopened, peddlers and merchants have resumed visitation to the city, businesses are booming, and the daily lives of the citizens have been restored.


    "this is surprising. Are you sure we are still in the same town that was attacked by a monster of an unknown rank".


    "the news must have been exaggerated. There is no way they would have been attacked by an unknown rank monster, and their city is still standing in one piece".


    Caius and Ignatius were reluctant to believe that the city that had been attacked by a monster, is the same as the one they are currently in.


    The city''s structure itself showed no signs of being recently invaded, the mood and expression on everyone''s faces also does not show any signs of grieving.


    Getting over the deaths of people they love in two and a half month is either cruel, or that is just how shallow their love is.


    "why don''t we go over to that store, we can find out why the city is like this and also get ourselves some meat on a stick to feast on".


    Ignatius said, pointing in the direction of a stand where meats are being roasted on a stick.


    "We came here for a mission and not to eat".


    "don''t worry, if you have no ns of eating, I can eat it for you".


    "haha, very funny buddy. Let''s attend to the reasons that brought us here first before you start salivating on meat".


    "what about after we do that".


    Caius''s response was slow as he gave himself time to think beforeing up with a reply.


    Surely, he knew how demanding Ignatius could be especially when ites to the issue of meat. If Caius were to deny it the pleasure of never tasting the meat it is already drooling over, there is bound to be another spark of argument.


    Knowing this, Caius decided to set Ignatius hope in expectant of the meat.


    "sure, if weplete the mission early, we can always have time toe back for some meat, more than you can ever finish eating".


    "yes...., meat, meat, meat".


    Says Ignatius, jumping itself up on Caius''s head in celebration.


    ***


    They walked through the busy city, and eventually found their way to the guild.


    Caius did this without the help of a guide to show him where the guild was located. If one did not know better, one would think that he had been here before, whereas he hasn''t.


    He was able to find his way to the guild by registering the energy signature of the entire city itself.


    He made use of the heat signature radiating to every corners of the city to print into his own head, a map. The shortcuts, the blocked alleyways, the rathole in every building that houses rats, and many more of such things involving the city had all been registered into Caius''s head in the form of a blue print.


    The guild''s building was especially easy for him to find due to the high fluctuations of mana surrounding it,ing specifically from the adventurers staying in.


    "Ignatius, I need you to do a favor for me".


    Still standing at the guild''s door, Caius picked up Ignatius from his head and brought it closer to his face.


    "what is it".


    "you see, adventurers are not like normal people...., they can be extremely violent at times. I know this because I was once one".


    "what is your point Caius".


    Forming signs with its finger and hurrying Caius to get to the point.


    "my point is, when we get inside the guild, can you stay silent the whole time, I mean totally silence like you do not even exist, and just leave it to me to do all the talking, is that fine with you....."


    Ignatius giving Caius a very stale gaze replied him.


    "sure, I can do that".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "really....."


    Caius was taken aback. He expected Ignatius to put up some form of resistance to his plea. Obeying without questioning so easily isn''t one of Ignatius''s strong point.


    "Don''t worry, I get what it is you are trying to convey. You don''t want me saying a word about how a monster attacked them, and they were all too powerless to stop it? Is that it".


    He found himself at peace for having warned Ignatius before going in. Caius knew what Ignatius could do and couldn''t. Not warning him, could have led to it spilling out what it just said in front of the adventurers, and Caius knew how riled up the adventurers can get hearing that.


    "i understand where you areing from, and I promise to not say a single word till wee back out".


    Zipping it''s mouth shut and away the invisible key.


    "wow.....,Ignatius, are you sure you haven''t been reced by someone else".


    "even I can act mature when the time calls for it. Like I told you, I am older than I look".


    "i believe you. I am going to open the door now okay. And remember, silence".


    Caius gently opened the door brimming with adventurers inside of it.


    "hello you bunch of wimpy losers who got their asses handed to them by a single monster".


    Ignatius flew away from Caius''s head, floating right aboove him, it yelled out loud, with the sound carrying his voice to every corner of the room for the adventurers to hear.


    "damn it Ignatius".


    Caius rubbing his head in foolishness for having trusted Ignatius on remaining silent.


    This is exactly why he had told it to remain silent, because he knew that Ignatius would want to tick an already tocking bomb into exploding, and the one to bear the explosion would be him.


    The adventurers in anger, allunched themselves at Caius believing that he was the one who said it, as Ignatius was too tiny to be spotted without having to strain one''s eye.


    Caius without lifting a muscle, covered himself in a ball shaped substance made from his Aura. The adventurers were unable to get to him much less touch him with the orb protecting his body.


    "i shouldn''t have brought you in here".


    Caius said, raising his head in the direction Ignatius is floating at.


    "hey, I would not have done this if you hadn''t told me to shut up".


    "i told you to shut up precisely because I knew you were going to do this".


    "whatever, it''s your problem now and not mine".


    "why you...."


    Ignatius vanished out of there and left Caius alone to deal with the angry adventurers.


    The orb covering Caius started to take form, shaping itself like a hand with its numbers equating to that of the adventurers. The hand picked off the adventurers one by one, and gently cing them in a state away from Caius.


    "now guys, I know you are all mad and such, but I have to tell you, whatever you think I said, I did not say it. It was a tiny creature that said it".


    "hey, who are you calling a tiny creature".


    Ignatius who had the ability to hear its contractor from wherever it was, heard Caius referring to it as tiny, forcing it to teleport back to Caius so it could correct him on being called tiny.


    "got you now".


    Caius jumped up and grabbed Ignatius before it could teleport away again.


    "see guys, this is who said those words and not me".


    Raising Ignatius up and making its me body light up more so the other adventurers could see him.


    "ENOUGH!!!".


    Came the voice from the far end of where Caius was standing.

 Chapter 137 Caius Meeting Ricus

    ?"ENOUGH!!".


    The brassy voice rose up from the far end of the adventurers ganging themselves up on Carius.


    The adventurers all moved aside, paving the way for Ricus to walk through.


    "hmm...., that is no doubt their boss".


    Caius said, as he slowly let''s go of Ignatius who flew itself back to His head.


    "who the hell do you think you are toe into my home and insult my people".


    "yikes Caius, their boss looks really pissed of at you".


    "and whose fault is that exactly".


    Ricus with a frowned face on, makes his way to Caius while exuding out his Aura.


    "easy there big guy. I didn''te here looking for a fight".


    Caius stretched his hands out, making a gesture for Ricus to stop approaching him.


    "then what did youe here for? To make fun of us".


    "no way. Like I said, Ignatius said those words and not me".


    Ricus looked in the direction Caius''s finger had pointed to, and saw Ignatius sitting on his head and waving its hands at Ricus.


    "the hell is that? A spirit".


    "yes it is. A very old one at that, but frankly enough, it doesn''t act it''s age".


    "hey, what do you mean I don''t act my age?".


    "see what I mean? Feasting on my hair while throwing a tantrum like a kid is all its good for".


    "hmm......"


    "you have to believe me big man. I have once worked as an adventurer and know what it feels like losing a crew, there is no way I would ever make fun of that. Seriously guys....."


    Ricus moved his eyes very close to Caius''s face, like he was staring deep into his soul.


    "where are you from, and why are you here".


    He had a feeling that Caius was telling the truth, and so he let down his guard and backed away from him.


    "seriously? I am putting on the Sanctuary''s official wear and you don''t recognize it".


    "Sanctuary? You mean the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation".


    Ricus asked, using his hand to rub his chin.


    "how many other Sanctuary do you know of that dresses like this? Of course I meant the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation".


    "we know of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation, their attire however is what we do not know about, because we have never seen them before".


    "what do you mean never seen. We are everywhere, especially ces where trouble looms in".


    "exactly. We have never had a trouble that needs the help of an outsider to solve".


    What Ricus said is true. One of the major reason why a member of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation woulde to Edevin, is if there is an emergency.


    Edevin being in any emergency is a very hard thing to picture, until now that is. The size of their military, and Including the number of adventurers they have in the city, all this made it near impossible for them to ever lose against any attacks.


    "i have been sent here by the Emissary to investigate the monster that attacked you. It''s race, body description, anything you know, I am going to need all the information".


    Caius''s face changed, and his frowned expression even more serious.


    "follow me. Guys, continue with what you were all doing".


    Ricus took Caius upstairs to his office, leaving behind the angry adventurer''s mob.


    "so, you were sent by the Sanctuary? Why".


    They got inside the office and Ricus sat down at his official seat while Caius was offered the one in front of his.


    "we have the situation under control, and have put out a bounty on the monster, it''s only a matter of time before it is caught".


    "and by what bounty hunter? We are talking of a monster who wiped out more than five thousand of you without even trying to, please, I need to know, what bounty hunter is that powerful enough to hunt such a monster down".


    Ricus''s ego of not wanting to leave the monster extermination to outsiders got the best of him, and stopped him from thinking in the appropriate direction.


    "the guild, has full control over this. It won''t be long before the monster is caught. And if you are asking by who? I can assure you that we have stronger members than you can imagine working under the guild''s council. When they are deployed, it will take them nothing to achieve their objective".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "what''s that your name again".


    Caius stood up from his seat, walked over to where Ricus was sitting and ced his right hand on his shoulder.


    "this is an intolerable behavior, I suggest you take your seat befo...."


    *CRACK*


    Caius without thinking twice, dislocated Ricus''s shoulder joints by pressing down on it hard.


    "hmphmph!!".


    "i asked what your name is, and not what you feel is content with you".


    "Ri.....Ricus....., that''s my name".


    Ricus said, with his voice trembling.


    "Ricus? Believe me, I would rather be anywhere else but here, chasing after a monster some bunch of whims could not handle alone".


    "i heard they were more than five thousand of you all, yet none of you could take it down, do you see just howcking you are?".


    Caius really had no intention of insulting Ricus for his failure against the monster, until his arrogant attitude got to him, and he decided Ricus needed to be put in his ce.


    He is here to help, and not to take nonsense from him.


    "Ricus....."


    With his hand still rested on the dislocated shoulder, he called out.


    "ye.....yes"


    "surely, you have heard of a group called the Cardinal''s, have you not".


    "yes, I have".


    "guess what? I am a member of such group, a group termed humanity''s strongest. And I as one of humanity''s strongest, havee here to help you solve the miserable situation that befell on you, so why don''t you cooperate with me and tell me all that you know about this monster that made a mess out of you".


    *Knock, Knock*.


    Ricus who had felt like his life was being chipped away by Caius''s intimidating self, felt at ease when the door was knocked on.


    e in".


    He said, not even minding who was behind the knocking.


    Dexter opened the door, and the first thing he saw, was Caius''s hand on Ricus''s shoulder.


    "i did not know you had a visitor, I wille backter".


    Dexter said, making his way backward and about to shut the door on himself.


    "you cane in. Mister Ricus and I still have a lot we need to discuss going forward, it will be best if you tell him whatever it is you came for now".


    Caius stopped Dexter from going, as he takes his hand off of Ricus''s shoulder, and made his way back to where he was sitting.


    "Dexter, what brought you here".


    He says, standing on his feet and pointing in the direction of a chair for Dexter to sit on.


    "well, I came to tell you that this is going to be myst day in the city. I am leaving with Dana, the granddaughter of the twin sword wolf tonight".


    "is that so?.... And, did she agree to follow you".


    "yes she did. I have also discussed it with her teacher, and she said I could take her".


    "you know, we at the guild here would like it if you could extend your presence with us a little longer, but we also would not want to keep you from doing what you have to do. Good luck out thererade".


    "i appreciate it. That''s what I came here to say, I will leave you to continue your discussion".


    "wait Dexter".


    Ricus stopped Dexter when he had almost gotten to the door, with a desperate voice to booth, leaving Dexter to wonder exactly what was going on with him.


    "this man here actually came to inquire about the monster attack. As the one who witnessed his rebirth first, can you tell him everything you know and saw that day".


    He pointed to Caius who had kept mute all this while, watching the conversation between Dexter and Ricus.


    "hello, I am Caius, the one who has been put in charge of the monster extermination by the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation".


    He says, standing up and extending his hand out to Dexter for a handshake.

 Chapter 138 Orun Out In The World

    ?*Munch, Munch*


    He tore off a portion of roasted meat, bigger than what his mouth could handle, and forcefully chugged it all down his throat.


    "i have to say, a dear''s meat is the best meat I have ever had the chance of eating so far".


    Orun takes a bite at another portion of meat, munching it all until the bones could be seen.


    "too bad theye in small sizes".


    He says, as he throws away the bone in his hand, in the direction where bones have been stockpiled in.


    "good thing I killed just enough to have me satisfied".


    Orun stretched his left hand out to the sides and brought out a full bodied deer with only its head cut off.


    He turned the deer upside down with its neck facing him, and he squeezed out the blood from the deer, dropping it into his mouth.


    "the blood unlike the meat does not taste very good".


    When he had drank his fill of the deer''s blood, he produced out me from his right palm and ced the deer''s body above it so he could roast it.


    When it was done roasting, Orun fed on it like he did thest sixteen times. He threw the bones in the pile of bones and rested his back on the hard stoned ground with his head facing up the Rocky ceiling.


    After He had involuntarily killed Shakir, Orun found his way out of there and moved far North from Edevin city.


    Taking such a long walk away from the city, seven hundred years of hunger kicked in. To ward of the hunger, Orun attempted to hunt, but couldn''t as he found himself stranded alone in the surrounding.


    He made sure to always go through forest and not an open space so he wouldn''t encounter any human settlement. He had thought that being in the forest would give him the opportunity of encountering beasts to feast on, but his thoughts were wrong.


    Everywhere Orun passed through was empty without any living lifeform inhabiting it. It was leftpletely deserted.


    Orun couldn''t figure out what was wrong until Oracle exined it to him that his Aura, is what was chasing away the lifeforms. They felt threatened by his presence and so fled for their lives before he could get to them.


    Oracle as usual wanted to take control of the Aura and keep it in check, but Orun refused.


    He did not know when next Oracle will be unavable to reach, or hell forbid something happens to Oracle, causing it to be away for a very long time.


    The two scenario are more than likely to happen, and in such cases, Orun will be left stranded and unknowing, due to having relying too heavily on Oracle.


    To prevent a case where Orun cannot do anything without Oracle, He decided to learn the stuff he can learn, adapting himself to it so that he can be prepared for anything.


    Learning how to control his Aura is one of the things Orun decided to learn and not hand over to Oracle. How to operate the map projection is also on the list of things he wanted to learn, and a lot of other couple of stuff.


    With enough hardwork and effort put into it, Orun managed to grasp the control on his Aura. Now, he can bring it out and keep it in whenever he wants.


    Hunting over twenty two deers in minutes was possible thanks to the effective use of his Aura. He shuts it off whenever there is no prey, and turns it on when he is near a prey. Being within close range of Orun''s Aura, weakened the deers, rendering them unable to run away. All he had to do, is walk over to them and slowly sh of their heads.


    Orun used the tactics to hunt as many as his stomach could contain, and also found himself a cozy cave in the forest to lodge in.


    "i need to get some air outside".


    He gets up and made his way out of the cave. When he got out, Orun jumped to the top of the cave andid himself there.


    "the moon sure is beautiful tonight, just like how the sun is in the day. Man, I never thought I would for a second miss the harsh beating of the sun tampering with my skin".


    His eyes full of admiration at the Aurora sky adorned with stars and a moon giving shade in the darkness.


    Spending such a long time in the cage has made him much more appreciative towards the little everyday things like this sun brightening his way during daytime, and the moon giving him a wonderful view of the worlds beauty during the night.


    "Oracle".


    [yes master.....]


    "there is this question that has been bugging me since I Awakened".


    [what is it master].


    "Oracle".


    [yes... Master].


    "when I gave you the go ahead to blow up the Dungeon, I ended up in a weird white space, and in there, I saw miss dragon. Did you also see her, or was I the only one who saw her".


    [anything master sees, I see].


    "so you saw her".


    [yes I did master].


    "did you also hear what she said to me".


    [if master is referring to the name she gave you, then yes I heard it. Orun, she said].


    "no, not the name. I am also curious about that, but its not just that".


    "she said some weird stuff about, please my dear child, I want you to live a more fulfilling life this time. Never seek Vengeance, and only seek the light with which will fill you with happiness".


    "her expression when she said it, it was almost as if I could feel the sadness about to drip down her eyes in the form of tears".


    "i could look past all that, but what I can''t look past, is herst words (this, is a plea from a mother to her child. Please my dear son). Is what she said".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "how am I supposed to look past that. And her emotions then, was like she was talking to a long lost son, and that is where I am lost".


    "in my first and current lives, I have never had an encounter with miss dragon ever before, and if I did, I am sure I will remember someone with astonishing looks like her''s, but the point is, I don''t, which is totally weird and exins nothing of why she said or did what she did".


    "which brings me to my next conclusion. What if, this isn''t the first time I have been in this world? What if in my former life before the one on earth, miss dragon was actually my biological mother, and something happened, an event that leads to someone I trust betraying me, hence the I should never seek Vengeance word that she said".


    "Oracle, what if? This world i am in is not a foreign world to me, but the world I actually originate from?".


    "i mean, if we think about it well, the whole puzzle fits. Miss dragon being my mother, is a member of this world, which will also make me a member as well!!!!"


    "wait? Miss dragon isn''t just a member, she is a founder of this world, then does that make me a royal of this world?".


    [master].


    Oracle called out to him before he lost himself in his hypothetical delusions.


    "what is it Oracle".


    [if master truly is a member of this world, why did master transmigrate as a member of one of the lowest race in the world? Or why would miss dragon go as far as not giving master real facts instead of just spitting up puzzling questions?].


    "what are you saying Oracle? Are you trying to say my assumptions are just merely assumptions".


    [yes I am master. And I am backing it up with evidence that if master truly is an offspring of miss dragon, then there is absolutely no way for master to have ended up in this state].


    "hey, what is wrong with the state I am in? I am doing pretty well so far if you don''t know".


    [that is not what I mean master].


    [if master is an offspring of miss dragon, that would make master a founder as well. I have studied the founder race during master''s time in hibernation, and I havee to acquire the knowledge that says, members of the founder race can never know death].


    "really".


    [if master truly was a founder race, there is no way master could have ended up on earth, because master can never die, and there is absolutely no way master will be in this current situation, because master could never have gotten to earth much less die and transmigrate into this world].


    "hmm...."


    Orun stared off into the sky, gazing through the thoughts of a particr star and thinking thoroughly about what Oracle said.


    "granted, you do have a point, and all your points so far shows that truly, I am not an offspring of miss dragon".


    "but, I am not willing to give up that easily. Miss dragon saying what she said, could not have been just words. Her feelings back then were real, and I know this because I have felt what it was like to lose someone you cared about, like when I lost my parents".


    [master, you are being deceived by her words, and I suggest master shouldn''t take it to heart much less dwell on it further].


    "hmm...."


    Orun felt something within Oracle''s words. Whenever it spoke, it was with confidence and smoothness. But this time, it felt like Oracle was being aggressive on it, desperate for Orun to actually forget miss dragon''s words.


    "Oracle".


    [yes master].


    "Oracle".


    [yes master].


    "Oracle".


    He called out a third time, with a firm voice, enough for Oracle to understand that something was going on with Orun.


    [yes master].


    Irrespective of what was wandering through Orun''s mind, Oracle still answered him, and will continue to do so for as long as he continues to call out.


    "you know I trust you right".


    [yes I do master].


    "you know, in this whole world wide world, you are the only one I trust, and the only one I probably ever will trust. I consider you not as a skill, but as family, a two member family. You do know that right".


    [yes I do master].


    "Oracle".


    [yes master].


    "i will be very devastated and heartbroken If I were ever to find out that the trust I ced in you, is nothing more but an illusion on my part".


    "i don''t want that Oracle, I don''t want to be in a situation where I am forced to find out that you, are infact not family, but someone who is out to harm me".


    He says this with a saddened voice, showing his fear of thinking of Oracle as an enemy of his rather than his family.


    [master, I exist only to serve Master, and I will never do anything to jeopardize master''s safety. If it''s a choice of master being harmed, or me getting destroyed, it''s a choice I will never have to think about before I arrive at a conclusion].


    Oracle''s voice conveyed it''s unwavering loyalty towards Orun with sincerity.


    "i really hope for that to be true buddy, really, I do".


    Orun looks up at the sky still in doubt of Oracle, but tries not to let his doubt cloud over his actions and judgment of it.

 Chapter 139 Peaceful Morning

    ?His red colored eyshes raised itself up, exposing his crimson cold eyes to thefort of the sun brushing over his body.


    "it''s morning already? Man, time sure flies fast".


    When he and Oracle finished their talk, Orun with suspicion wandering through his mind, stared off at the moon until he slept off.


    He lifted his upper body while his lower body was still rested on the ground.


    "i will never get used to sleeping in the night and waking up in the morning without having to worry about getting attacked in my sleep".


    The life of living in the Dungeon is now far behind him, and has now adopted the life of living in the forest. Just in case, he always made sure to release his Aura before sleeping, a safety measure to prevent any monsters froming anywhere near him.


    He values living in a ce where there are no humans to re at him with confound hatred, a ce where he can live in while still being himself, such is the kind of ce Orun seeks to put himself in.


    "having to change my ways because of some nasty human rules or human hatred, is not the way I roll".


    Orun has made his mind up to fullymitting himself to living in an environment without humans, and surrounding himself with races that are more like him, races who are not tied down by human rules.


    He raised his whole body up in one flip, and started stretching it out.


    "a morning exercise is one way to keep a body healthy, not that my body needs it though".


    *Growl, Growl*


    "okay, this is starting to weird me out. I was sure I just finished more than a dozen deers yesterday night, and now my stomach is already asking for more? Seriously?".


    Orun has discovered that his appetite has grown far more since his awakening. He now eats more than a dozen of his weight, and still gets hungry shortly after.


    Catching a prey is not exactly a problem for him, the problem lies in the possibility of his appetite getting even worse than it already is.


    If things keep on going at this rate, he might end up with an appetite that takes feeding over a thousand to quench.


    [there is nothing to fear master. Your appetite''s growth is only going to go this far. And the cause for your overbearing appetite, is as a result of your body wanting to replenish the nutrients it has been deprived of for the past seven hundred years].


    "hey Oracle, morning to you too. What a bright day it is, don''t you agree".


    [yes master, a bright day indeed].


    "okaayy....."


    He felt weird conversing with Oracle after the events that happened yesterday night. Harboring suspicious intent towards it, has made Orun more hesitant and careful around it.


    [master, I sense you trying to keep your distance from me. Did I in any way offend master].


    "no Oracle, you did not. I am just, I don''t know, being paranoid towards you. You know, after what happened yesterday".


    [Master I.....].


    "i get it Oracle. You exist only to serve me, I understand that well. It''s just, I am a being with emotions, and it''s normal for me to have doubts when I get suspicious of someone. Though I guess that shouldn''t apply in this case, especially when you have saved me multiple times over".


    Orun thought it ridiculous that he would ever be suspicious of Oracle. When he absorbed the fire guardian''s energy, Oracle was the one that helped him survive it, or when he faced the Goblin king, it was this same Oracle that gave him a way out of the loophole he should have been trapped in by now.


    Oracle has always been there for him through hard times, since he was born, it was Oracle. And now, to doubt Oracle over the words of miss dragon who has done absolutely nothing for him except for naming him, giving him a boost with her encounter, and the clothing she gave him. Other than those things, miss dragon has done nothing else.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She is aplete stranger and an outsider to Orun, and he so foolishly wanted to believe miss dragon over the same entity that had been with him all this time? The same entity that brought him out of any miserable or hopless situation he finds himself in.


    Orun realizing all this points, felt bad for the way he treated Oracle.


    "Oracle".


    [yes master].


    "i am sorry for ever doubting you, ever".


    [its okay master. I exist only to serve master, and I am certain I amcking in all aspects, putting your live at risk, and not beingpetent enough to serve you. Master has every right to be mad at me, and even to destroy me if master so wishes].


    "it''s not okay Oracle. You don''t have emotions and feelings of the likes, you only have the necessity to serve me, but that''s you. I have feelings, I think, and I have thought of you as family and epted you as one. In your stead, I will decide when I treat you unfairly and when I do justly".


    "what I said to you, was very unfair. In my attempt of wanting to think of myself as the offspring of one big entity, I neglected what was more important to me, and that''s you".


    "you and I, being together like this, is more than I could have asked for. I find myself very lucky to have you with me Oracle, and I must have been so stupid as to take your presence for granted".


    "rted or not, miss dragon means absolutely nothing to me. You on the other hand, mean everything to me. We are like, two peas in a pod if you know what I mean".


    [i do master].


    "there you have it Oracle, forgive this ignorant brother of yours for doubting you for even a second. Can you do that".


    [though I do not understand why master begs for forgiveness from me, I do however want master to not be angry with me, or discard me].


    "see, we are getting somewhere little brother, or little sister? Hmm, there is also the age to consider".


    [i am master''s skill. I do not possess neither a gender nor a specific age, for I have existed since the dawn of master''s existence].


    "i see? Little Sister it is then".


    Oracle was perplexed on why Orun felt the need to apologize to it, but could not question him. As a skill, it is entitled to pleasing Orun in aspect of his life, and that includes epting all sorts of criticism from him.


    Orun being mad at it or not finding it trustworthy enough, are all regarded by Oracle as its own shoring and inability to satisfy all of Orun''s needs.


    "okay Oracle, we have poured our hearts out to each other, so what do you say we go find me some food to eat".


    Orun says, rubbing his stomach and squeezing it in.


    "i have been starving since I woke up. Papa needs to get himself some meat to feast on".


    [master, I sense a lifeform hovering above master].


    "a lifeform? Must be one of those bird species. I just hope they don''t send their poop flying down on me".


    [no master, the body mass of said lifeform is bigger than any bird master has evere across].


    "tbat big? I wonder what is it".


    Orun raised his head up, cing his hand above his eyes to shade it from the sunlight as he gazes up in the sky to see what lifeform Oracle is referring to.

 Chapter 140 Peace Cut Short

    ?"wait, that shape? That form? I have seen that monster before. If I remember clearly, it was back on earth, when I was still very young. I remember seeing it in one of the animated series I do watch".


    Orun''s head still facing upwards, gazing at the flying monster hovering above him.


    "no doubt about it, that is definitely a dragon".


    He says, as he jumps up with excitement.


    "a dragon, I am seeing a real life dragon".


    His enthusiasm on seeing a dragon for the first time got the best of him, as he continues to jump while wearing a very bright expression on his face, causing Oracle to feel perplexed on Orun''s behavior.


    [master, you seem oddly happy].


    "you bet I am. Having an encounter with a dragon is like a dreame true for every fantasy lover, though I will have to omit the part where the dragon is after my life".


    [but miss dragon is also a dragon kind, and master does not seem as happy with miss dragonpared to this].


    "that is because, miss dragon is in her human form, and not the real dragon form like this one is".


    [seeing master happy is my priority, though I must warn you that what is above you, is not a dragon but a wyvern].


    The monster slowly starts to fly its way down to Orun, hovering in a swirling circle taking it down, and giving Oracle the opportunity to discern its shapes clearly.


    "what? Can you not see the wings on its back, and its huge gray colored body".


    [dragons are beings with wings on their back and two four arms, also with several horns on their head, depending on how old they are. This monster, only has two back legs, with front leg being its wings and no horns. That master, is the description fitting for a wyvern and not a dragon].


    Orun''s happiness was cut abruptly short by Oracle''s unneeded information, and what remained in him, is only the desire to feed.


    "a dragon, or a wyvern. All I know is, I am hungry, and that monster is going to be a good source of nourishment for my stomach".


    Orun raised his two arms in the direction of the wyvern, positioning it like he was drawing an arrow with a bow.


    "i wonder what a wyvern meat would taste like?".


    Saying that, a bow began to form in his hand, with the arrow already drawn and ready to be unleashed.


    "up you go".


    He released his hold on the arrow, and hurled it straight at the wyvern''s open belly.


    *nk*.


    The wyvern was hit, but the arrow did no damage to it as it bounced off its body and broke in two.


    "that is one hell of an hard body the wyvern has got going for it there".


    [master, wyvern''s although not rted to dragons, have scales that helps them ward off sharp objects].


    "great, reminds me very much of the w mantis I killed back when I was in the Dungeon".


    [Wyvern''s scale are tougher than what a w mantis''s scale can handle, and this Wyvern in particr looks way older than an average Wyvern, meaning it''s toughness will be doubled if not tripled].


    "you can tell its age from just looking at it? To me, it looks pretty much the same as every other monster I have met. Freakishly scary, unnecessarily big, and always out to kill me".


    [not exactly through its face, but with its body mass].


    "body mass? It does look really big. Can''t really tell much from down here, but it probably is the biggest monster I have evere across, a slightly bit bigger than the lizard I fought in the fire guardian''s tomb".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "not that it''s size matters much to me. No matter how sturdy or durable it''s body is, if I keep on pouncing at it, eventually, there is sure to be a crack".


    [master, herees the Wyvern''s attack].


    "an attack? I see nothing!!!".


    Orun''s body was quick to move away from where he was standing, and avoided the blue ray of blue light that shone his way and blew a hole through the top of the cave he had slept on.


    "what the hell was that?".


    [Wyvern''s breathe. Unlike dragons breathe that focuses only on a single element type attack, Wyvern''s breathe are made of mana condensed in their mouth and released all at once].


    "that was a breathe? Someone needs to start taking better care of their mouth hygiene".


    The Wyvern pped it''s wings and pushed its belly backwards, with its head stretched out forward, it released another of its Wyvern breathe on Orun.


    "herees another one".


    Orun ducks out of the way again, and in return, he hurls a ming arrow at the Wyvern.


    The Wyvern simply ducked to the side and avoided contact with the arrow.


    "okay, this is really not a fair fight. How in the heck am I supposed to kill it if I can''t even get anywhere near it?".


    Orun wielded his bow and kept shooting fire arrows at the Wyvern without stopping, all the while, he continued to move in differentnes.


    All his attempt to hit the Wyvern failed, as it evaded each and everyone of them with smooth diving skill up in the sky.


    "hold still will you".


    Orun on the move, jumped down from the top of the cave and used his soil elemental skill to control the sands that were on the ground.


    He conjured up the soil, giving shape to it and make it run rampage like a sand tornado that keeps on growing with more sand being added to it. The height of the sand got longer, going up in the sky and finally reaching to where the Wyvern was positioned.


    All the while the sand was making its way up to the Wyvern in tornado form, the Wyvern was doing everything it could to fly further above so it won''t get caught by the sand tornado. It''s effort however were in vain as it eventually gets sucked into it, and got pulled down by Orun.


    The Wyvern crashed on the ground abruptly along with the dispersed sand. In a hurry, it tried to fly itself back up, but Orun was quick to clip down its wings using his vine Elemental skill, sprouting out the vines from the ground beneath it and wrapping its body with it.


    "you have been a very naughty folk you know that!? Putting me through all that trouble while up in the sky".


    Orun slowly gets himself closer to the defenseless Wyvern.


    "well guess what? Now, you are on the ground which is my turf. Let''s see just how tough that scale of yours is shall we".


    Orun got to the tied up Wyvern, and raised his right hand upward, coating it with fire before thrusting it at the Wyvern''s head.


    His n, is to blow off the Wyvern''s head with the me so he could feast, but his ns were foiled when the Wyvern attacked him with its breathe.


    Orun just in time, tilted his head to the sides, allowing him to evade the Wyvern''s breathe from making contact with his body.


    "that was close. Was that your intention all along? To get me toe closer to you so you could st my head off without me having the time to evade in time?".


    "It seems we have an intelligent type monster here, too bad you are dealing with someone whose speed even I cannotprehend".


    "and for the stunt you just pulled? You will pay heavily for it".


    Orun clenched his me coated hands, about to give the Wyvern consecutive punches on the face as punishment for what it did, before he kills and feast on it.

 Chapter 141 Easy Win Against The Pack

    ?Orun was done punishing the Wyvern only after he satisfied himself by roughing up and disfiguring its face.


    He raised his hand up ready to plunge it into the eyes of the Wyvern, but was forced to stop by the next speech that came out of its mouth.


    "go ahead, kill me. My pack will not stop until they send you running away from here".


    "you? I understand what you are saying".


    The only people Orun has ever had a proper conversation with, was Miss Dragon, and the Goblin crew. The only reason he could understand the Goblin crew, was because he is a goblin and as such, has the ability to instantly grab thenguage of the Goblin race.


    The Wyvern understanding Orun, already points to the fact that it''s an intelligent monster capable of speech. The question is, whatnguage is Orun currently speaking for the Wyvern to have understood him.


    Speaking the Goblinnguage and the humannguage he learned on earth, to him, there was no such difference.


    When he first met the Goblin, he couldn''t understand them. But when he subconsciously learned the Goblinnguage, it felt the same as thenguage he was speaking back on earth. The wording, and the flow of tongue all felt the same.


    ''Oracle, whatnguage am I speaking right now''.


    [the Goblinnguage master].


    ''if it''s the Goblinnguage, then?''.


    "you speak Goblin? I don''t get it, aren''t you supposed to be a Wyvern? Or do Wyvern and Goblin speak the samenguage? Or maybe the monster race as a whole speak the samenguage".


    [no master, I believe that to be false. Monster''snguage varies. while there are some monsternguage having the same simrities, majority of them have differing pronunciation and word spelling].


    ''what about a Goblin and a Wyvern''.


    [theirnguage are far apart from each other].


    "and yet I have with me here, a Wyvern who speaks thenguage of a goblin".


    He ced his hand on the Wyvern''s chin, and used it to lift its head up.


    "what are you, a goblin, or a Wyvern? Because physically, you do take on the form of a Wyvern, but linguistically, you are a goblin. Confusing isn''t it? That makes two of us".


    The tied up Wyvern said nothing as it continues to give Orun a cold stare.


    "you don''t want to talk? Fine, it''s not like I was curious or anything".


    Its a lie. He, more than anyone, wants to know how the Wyvern could speak the Goblinnguage, to know if there was a way for him to also be able to speak anguage that does not only limit to the Goblins.


    ''Oracle''.


    [if master wants to learn othernguages, there is a need for me to read through the detailing of saidnguage, only then can I input it directly into master''s brain].


    For Orun, learning thenguage of other race does not seem like a waste to him. Clearly, what led to himshing out on the three humans he first saw, was due to thenguage barrier. Though there is a chance that even without thenguage barrier, the events that urred would not have differ that much.


    But going forward, he is bound to encounter all sorts of race, with several othernguage separating them. When such situation arise, in what way will he distinguish friend from foe, a race that wants him dead, and a race that seeks peace with him.


    "It doesn''t matter, I will just have to learn along the line".


    Orun raised his hand, about to thrust it into the chest of the Wyvern before being interrupted by Oracle''s calling.


    ''i am really busy here Oracle''.


    [master, I sense the presence of multiple Wyvern''s making their way toward you].


    ''friends of it, I presume''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i told you beast, there is no escape for you".


    Orun turned his gaze around, in the direction Oracle had signaled to him that the Wyvern''s wereing from. The Wyvern tied to the ground, saw Orun''s expression and knew that he had felt the presence of its packing after him.


    "you big dummy, who said anything about running. I have meat graciously making their way to me, so why in the hell would I want to run from that?".


    Orun walked away from the tied up Wyvern, and over to the iing Wyvern flying above.


    He ced his two hands on the ground and waited for the Wyverns toe close enough to him.


    "you think you can take out a whole pack of Wyvern? You will die before you can even bring down two of them".


    With his hands still ced on the ground, Orun turned only his head toward the tied up Wyvern.


    "you see, since i became an half spiritual entity, I have never once known what my limits are".


    "i have fought with four Goblin generals who I find to be very powerful and scary, yet not even they could show me my limit. I fought with their king, and not even he could breach through my limits".


    "though I did end up in hibernation for hundreds of years, but only after destroying two earth shapedrgest continent. Can that be referred to as my limit?".


    "yes, yes it can. But that was back then. After my Awakening, I have discovered that my power has grown far more than what I used to have seven hundred years ago".


    "what point is there in telling me all this".


    The tied up Wyvern asked, shutting Orun up and struggling to get itself free from the vines.


    "my point is....., how far must I go for me to get to that impossible wall that can never hoped to be breached? Exactly what sorts of limitations are there for me since my Awakening?".


    "these are all questions I must know if I want to keep on growing in the future. And what better way to test my limits by bringing down a pack of Wyvern who are capable of spitting out attack that could blow a hole through the cave?".


    "this is madness. My pack would nevere within your range so you can attack them. They will take you out from the sky where you will be powerless against them".


    "don''t worry. I don''t expect them toe within my range of their own will, at least not when I can do it aggressively".


    Orun turned his head back to the Wyvern who had almost gotten to him, and took a really deep breath in.


    He released his mana into the soil, and activated his vine Elemental skill.


    "whatever it is you are nning against my pack is useless. None of your tricks will work on them".


    "why don''t you sit there obediently and let me be the judge of that".


    In the form of a stick, the vine sprouted out from the ground, then came several of it popping out from the soil uncontrobly.


    The Wyvern pack from the sky, had sighted Orun on the ground. They stopped advancing towards him, and as a pack, they all released their breathe attack on him.


    "Skill activation, Vine me Devourer".


    Like falling starsbined together in lines, the Wyvern''s breathe attack rained on Orun. And he responded by the sudden activation of his skill, the vines gaining a massive growth in sizes and heights, with mesing out of all sides, it twisted itself together in droves like the mouth of a giant opened up and swallowing the rain in one gulp.


    The vine shaped like a mouth with mes all around it, belched out the Wyverns breath it had consumed, turning it into mist and dispersing it in the atmosphere, robbing the Wyverns their sight on Orun.


    The vines went further, using the mist to cover itself from the Wyverns. When it got close to them, It attached itself to the legs of the several Wyverns up in the sky, forcefully dragging them all down.


    "what did I tell you?".


    Orun says confidently, turning his head to face the tied up Wyvern who was shocked beyond imagination.

 Chapter 142 Judgment On The Pack

    ?"I told you I could do it".


    The mist had dispersed, and the captured Wyverns were all tied down to the ground tightly by the vines that continues to squeeze their body down the more they struggle to get free.


    ''that, did not take as much mana out of me as I thought it was going to''.


    "as for you lot, I am going to have a st feasting on you".


    Orun said, walking over to the newly captured Wyverns to rip and roast them before he starts feasting.


    He decided to save the Wyvern he first captured forst. Something about the Wyvern having the highest energy in its body.


    "please wait".


    The Wyvern called out, in fear that it was going to lose all its kin in the blink of an eye, to a monster whose figure befits that of a dwarve.


    "wait? You attacked me with the intention of having me dead and you tell me to wait? For what? To gather your strength and magically set yourself free so you can all gang up on me again? Is that it?".


    "if I wasn''t strong enough to repel you all, I am pretty sure I would have died a very nasty death at your hands, so no, I am not waiting".


    Orun resumed his movement toward the Wyverns.


    "the only reason we attacked you in the first ce, is because you are strong".


    The Wyvern was able to pique Orun''s curiosity with its answer, forcing him to stop and postpone killing the other Wyvern until he is done listening to what the first Wyvern had to say.


    "because I am strong? What are you saying? Are you guys in some sort ofpetition where you hunt for the strongest one you find?".


    "not quite. We attacked you because you not only tresspassed our territory, you also started killing off our prey and pursuing them out of their habitats, giving us a very hard time to feed".


    Orun found no words to defend himself with and refute the allegations ced on him by the Wyvern.


    He knows one or two things about monsters having their own territory, much like the Goblin king iming the lower floor to be his territory, and he knows how much the leaders of the territory value their space and how far they are willing to protect it.


    Stepping into a monster''s territory uninvited, is like going inside a human''s home when the human is not at home. One can only imagine how furious the owner of the home will be when ites back to see a stranger in his house.


    If it was a monster weaker than the Wyvern, they wouldn''t have any problem with it trespassing, because it posed no threat to them. But when ites to a monster as strong as Orun, it no longer bes a trespass, but war itself.


    They see Orun as a threat, a contender that hase to rob them of their home. A rival that needs to be sent out if they want to keep on iming it as their home.


    "in my defense, I had no idea this was your territory. You should have put a signboard on or something to signify to all monster kind that this, is where I stay".


    "we did, but you ignored it and still came in anyway".


    "you have a signboard? I saw nothing when I came in here. As a matter of fact, I have no idea where the boundary of your territory starts from".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i am just a monster with a disturbing appetite, craving for whatever sustenance I could find. That was what brought me into your territory. I have absolutely no intention of challenging you for your territory, nor will I ever do such".


    "then why do you keep taunting us with your Aura by turning it on and off".


    "taunting you? That was me hunting for prey by turning my Aura on to render them immobile, and turning it off after I was done hunting".


    The Wyvern gaze and Orun''s, met each other, both bewildered in confusion and finding their situation a little bit hrious.


    "so your intention wasn''t to kill us and take away our territory".


    The Wyvern wanted to be sure that it got the whole thing right, starting with setting Orun''s intentions clear.


    "i have never met you in my life, why would I want to attack you, much less take your home from you. If there is anything about your race that piques my curiosity, it will be what your body tastes like when it''s roasted with my fire".


    The Wyvern who had started to feel rxed with Orun''s presence, had itself on guard after the spiteful words that rambled out of his mouth.


    Orun might have had no intention of iming the Wyverns territory for himself,  but who is to say that he still does not want to kill them for the purpose of satiating his own pleasure.


    "calm down. I have no desire to eat you anymore, or find out what your meat taste like. As long as you are not trying to kill me, I won''t kill you. The only reason I will ever go against an intelligent monster, is if the monster is after my life, or if our thoughts are not in mutualne".


    "its either of those two. And currently, you and your race fit in none of the category, so you are safe, for now, I think. Unless of course my hunger gets worse and I can no longer contain it, then I insanelysh out at anything with meat for a body".


    The more words keep on flowing out of Orun''s mouth, the more the Wyvern thought of Orun as a dangerous entity that shouldn''t be trusted.


    "you all have absolutely nothing to worry about. That thing about my hunger was just a joke, no one is crazy enough tosh out at its fellow monster because of hunger, are they?"


    "what I can say though, is that I have never kept myself hungry long enough to have me frustrated and acting out on that frustration. So who know, maybe it is true, or maybe it isn''t, there is only way way we are ever going to find that out".


    "we....., we are sorry for attacking you. We knew nothing and jumped into conclusion without even trying to find out. For that, forgive us".


    The Wyvern bowed it''s head, apologizing to Orun for its irrational behavior towards him.


    It feared for the eradication of its entire race at the hands of Orun who kept making rashless threats he thought of as a sense of humor.


    It''s first mistake was attacking Orun without even finding out exactly how strong Orun was. And it''s second mistake, was getting it and it''s entire race involved with Orun in the first ce.


    They could have made a run for it just like the other monsters that had deserted the ce after Orun''s arrival, but they could not bring themselves to forsake their home because of a single monster invading it.


    The Wyvern leader, volunteered itself to face Orun alone while the rest of them find the time to run away as far as possible if it fail to subdue him. The rest of the pack however refused to obey the order from their leader as they could not bring themselves to abandon their leader.


    When they saw that their leader had fallen to Orun and about to be killed, they all rose up against him and were all effortlessly subdued by him.


    The only way out for them now, is to curry his favor by first apologizing, and doing everything they can to show that they mean him no harm even though they did harbor the intent of killing him at first sight.

 Chapter 143 With The Pack

    ?"woohoooo...., I am flying high up in the sky....."


    Orun sitting on top of The Wyvern leader, spreads out his hands on each side with his moth wide open, and takes in the air stretching his face in weird positions.


    After the vocal interaction with the Wyvern leader, Orun decided to spare them since they had done him no wrong to begin with.


    The same way they harbored malicious intent against him at first, he also had the desire to feast on their meat upon first sight. So, that makes them all even.


    In exchange for wanting to kill Orun, they decided, or rather were left with no other choice after being indirectly threatened, to temporarily ept Orun into their territory.


    He also humbly epted their invitation, with a request to add with it. To ride on one of the Wyverns back, which he currently is doing.


    "this is the best. Getting to fly on the back of a Wyvern and feeling the air whooshing my body around, is the best feeling I have ever had".


    Surrounded by Wyverns pping their wings from all sides, Orun on the Wyvern leader''s back, continued to enjoy his moments in the sky, letting himself free of all worries and basking himself in endless joy as the sun washes over him, and the sky gravitating on his body.


    "i can''t believe you guys get to enjoy this whenever you want while some of us are stuck on the ground".


    "flying is not as enjoyable to us as it is to you".


    "really? That must be because you guys are thinking of it as work and not utilizing the fun part of it".


    Orun raised his body up, and stood on his two legs while still on the back of the Wyvern leader.


    "what are you doing? You could fall if you are not careful".


    "that''s the n".


    He jumped off the back of the Wyvern leader and engaged in a free fall gliding.


    "whoooo, whooo".


    Orun continued to fall, with the wind stretching his skin into different forms. He did not at all mind the distance there was between he and the ground or what would happen if he were to end up falling t on the ground.


    Luckily for him, the Wyvern leader was able to swoop in under him, allowing Orun tond on her back instead of continuing to free fall.


    "are you trying to kill yourself".


    The Wyvern leader asked, after seeing the irresponsible act Orun had done, not thinking of what could be of him if his body were to hit the ground at the speed he was falling.


    "rx. I have done this before when I was fighting with a nasty Goblin fellow. But I am surprised you came in to save me. Normally, I expect you to watch me fall to the ground to see if I die or I live on".


    "that would have been fun to watch, but we are of a noble race, and our word is something we see to it that we abide by".


    "wow, shocking. You should be d your words is that precious to you because honestly speaking, I would have gut your throats out the minute I sense any ill intent from you all. I am the kind of a guy who hates it when people hate me, so I make sure to get rid of my enemies fast before they can even try to hurt me".


    "so are you saying you were testing us with the stunt you pulled earlier".


    "why dwell on the past, when we can focus on the present? The point is, you passed with flying colors. Besides, I actually wanted to try doing that for the fun of it".


    Orun tactically snubs the Wyvern leader question, not wanting to answer to avoid sparking up some mistrust between them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She on the other hand was very much aware that Orun''s test is proof of theck of trust he has in them, and that can be very understandable when one takes a very careful look at the kind of life majority of the monster kind lives.


    "lord Orun..."


    "no, just Orun is fine".


    He prefers being referred to by name without a title attached to it. Not once has he ever done anything to ce himself as a lord, so why would anyone think to call him that.


    It should be more suspicious if one calls you a lord title knowing fill well how undeserving of it you are.


    Being referred to with just the name, leaves room for equality to prevail and not a master servant bonding type.


    "okay, Orun. I have been wanting to ask, what specie of monster do you belong to".


    The Wyvern leader had been curious about this since she met Orun. A monster that speaks thenguage of the Goblin, yet does not look very much like the Goblins do. Height closer to the dwarves, yet does not have the dwarves body shape.


    The most convincing part of Orun not being a goblin, is the amount of mana he wields at once.


    Monsters like the Goblins, Orcs, lizardmen. They are all ssified as low level monsters, and although, they do be powerful the more they age, their power is also distributed through their every evolutionary cycle.


    The only way for a goblin to have as much mana as Orun does, is when the Goblin evolves to a racepletely different from a goblin, a race belonging to the higher realm of monsters.


    On a basic note, the evolution cycle of goblin kind of goes like this.


    Goblin Cub, Goblin Kid, Goblin Teen, Adult Goblin, Elder Goblin, Ancient Goblin, and a transition into an entirely different race.


    In this aspect, the race the Ancient Goblin evolves into, is usually an Ogre, then they follow through the Ogre evolutionary line and when they reach the end of the line, they take on a different race again.


    Such, is the evolution cycle of any lower level monsters to bing higher level monsters.


    The Wyvern leader has lived a long lifetime, enough to know what a goblin evolution into an higher level monster looks like, and Orun appearance takes none of those forms she knows of.


    Reasons for that could also be due to Orun being of a different monster that is not of the Goblin kind, a monster that is not so famous within the world and has not being widely recorded.


    There is however, a small mishap with such thinking. If Orun does belong to another monster specie that is not widely known, then why does he speak thenguage of the Goblins and not his own racialnguage.


    Also, the fluency of his speech is far too neat to picture him as a monster belonging to a side branch having slight simrities with the Goblin kind.


    His short red colored body, and the long red hair tied to his back, with the horn protruding from his forehead, hints at him belonging to an higher level of monster referred to as Esu.


    Legendary monster race who are known to be capable of rivaling against demon Lord''s for power, and also the strongest race a lower level monster can have the privilege of evolving into.


    The Wyvern leader does not believe Orun to be an Esu, at least not with the power he wields. It is true that Orun was strong enough to defeat all sixteen members of the Wyvern pack without straining himself too much, but the strength an Esu holds is far morepetent toparing it with sixteen Wyverns.


    It takes a single Esu to bring down a whole kingdom full of humans. Not cities, but a whole kingdom. And that is just the tip of how much power an Esu wields.


    Mere releasing of their Auras will render the Wyvern pack immobile with fear of their lives gripping their hearts. That is what an Esu is, and Orun although strong, those not strike the Wyvern leader as strong enough to be equal to an Esu.

 Chapter 144 Evolution Cycle

    ?"you look at me well, and tell me what specie of monster do you think I belong in".


    "i don''t know, that is why I am asking".


    "hmm....,though I do believe you should already know my race from thenguage I am speaking".


    "yournguage and your body figure, does not match each other. The only race I know of that speaks your kind ofnguage, are the Goblins. And your body figure, does not look anything like the Goblins".


    "yeah I thought so too. You see, my racial feature is something I got thanks to the help of my good friend named Oracle".


    "got?".


    Orun''s word did not make much sense to the Wyvern leader, especially when he said the ''got'' part.


    A race isn''t something that is given or chosen by anyone else. It''s an inner circle you have been binded to by birth, and only through evolution can one''s race be changed. Even then, evolution does not exactly change one''s race, it just elevates one into an upper echelon of the race chain.


    Orun saying he got his race with the help of someone, is the same as saying, keep your mouth shut and don''t ask what does not concern you. Meaning, he has no n of telling her and choose to avoid the question with a confusing answer.


    The Wyvern leader on the other hand, was not going to give up on asking. She was curious on what race Orun really belongs to, and will only stop asking when Orun directly tells her to stop.


    "when you say someone, do you mean like an imaginary type or like a real someone, someone".


    "its not really imaginary, and it''s not realistic either. How do I put this? Just think of it as a skill trying to put its master in a better condition, you get it".


    His words just keeps on pushing the Wyvern leader further down the confusionne.


    The way Orun exined his racial circumstance, was just too casual enough for the Wyvern leader to believe his words to be true.


    It''s like one of your friend who is used to making silly jokes telling you directly to your face, Hey I Killed someone. Who would want to believe that friend especially when that friend puts on a serious face while saying it.


    The part where he mentioned a skill helping its master, like the skill itself was self conscious, is something the Wyvern leader had never heard about since her time of being alive, and it made her doubt that Orun had any n of ever telling her the truth, and so she decided to drop the topic.


    "you know, I am also curious about how you can speak thenguage of the Goblin kind. As a Wyvern, are you not supposed to have anguage of your own".


    "we do have our Wyvernnguage, but I also learned othernguages as well. I find joy in it to be able tomunicate with a race other than where I was born into. Only if we understand each other, can we get to know each other better, Is what I believe".


    Orun in his mind,mended the kind of thought the Wyvern leader has. That phrase is something he understands himself, and has also being affected by it, like in the case of the humans he met.


    "yeah, I understand that part well. You know, due to thenguage barrier, I had to kill a bunch of humans when I woke up. If only we understood each other, I am sure we could have worked things out without having to resort to bloodshed".


    "humans? You want to work things out with humans? Humans?".


    The Wyvern leaders tone sounded cold, asking Orun several times just to be sure he knew what he was talking about.


    "yes humans. What is the matter with that".


    "listen here, I don''t know where you are from, but in this parts, it ismon knowledge that monster kind are the natural enemies of humans, the same goes for them".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i know that much. I have seen the eyes with which they use to look at me, but if I were able tomunicate with them, I can convince them that I am not a bad monster".


    municate with humans? I have to ask, what part exactly are you from? You are the first monster kind I have ever seen that wants tomunicate with humans, much less mingle with them".


    "no, don''t get me wrong. I saidmunicate, I don''t mean live with them. If we canmunicate, we can better understand to leave each other alone and not get on our nerves. If we do that, I believe whatever strife is going on between humans and monsters can be solved".


    "there is no way that is going to happen. Humans have loathed monsters, and monsters have too. They invade our territories to kill us and im our body parts, for their selfish gains".


    "everybody knows that humans are diabolical beings that cannot be reasoned with, and the strife between humans and monsters alike, will never cease to end".


    The Wyvern leader just confirmed to Orun how deep the hatred between humans and monsters run. Now that he has found out, he notes himself strictly on ever trying to go into a human settlement.


    "so, where are we going, I can''t quite make out the map''s direction while up in the air".


    Using his perception skill while flying on the Wyvern leader''s back, the only thing he could make out, are the small birds flying within range of the Wyvern pack. Every other thing, looks nk and empty in his head.


    He is riding along with the Wyverns, sitting on their leader''s back and hitching a ride to who knows where? Orun felt ufortable with that thought.


    Just blindly following them without any specific information on where they are headed to, he doesn''t want that at all.


    "you said you were hungry".


    "and?...."


    He is not nning on bragging or anything, but if food is what they nned on treating him to, Orun was pretty sure he knew how to get himself some decent meat to satiate his hunger with until tomorrowes.


    He is also sure that the Wyverns are aware of this, since the only reason why they came after him in the first ce is because he was stealing and scaring away their food, leaving them with only little to hunt.


    "your method of hunting is excellent, but far too aggressive".


    The Wyvern leader was very much aware of what Orun''s ''and'' were implying, which is why she ns on bringing down his prided act, and show him exactly how real predators hunt down their preys.


    "Aggressive? My method brings me food to the table. Enough food to having me falling asleep on, though I do end up getting even more hungry when I wake up. But still, I am pretty sure my hunting skills are top grade".


    "if you mean against the weaker preys, then yes, your hunting methods are top grade against them. But if you mean against preys that can prove to be very troublesome and feisty to deal with? Then no, your hunting skills are crap against it".


    "is that so? What exactly is this troublesome and feisty prey we are going to be hunting".


    Orun asks with curiosity about the kind of monster that can prove to be feisty against sixteen Wyvern pack all moving together in the air.


    "just wait until you see it".


    The Wyvern leader replied him, with a smirk on her scary looking face.

 Chapter 145 Hunting With The Pack

    ?"here we are".


    "here? Where, I see nothing".


    Orun used his mind map to see theyout of where he was, but the map did not hlep him much as it was still showing empty images.


    He stretched out his head from atop the Wyvern leader back to see if he could get some view of the ground, but he still saw nothing but blue skies hovering below him.


    "we are still far off above, you won''t see anything from this distance".


    The Wyvern leader slowly spiraled down with the rest of the pack following behind her.


    "oh wait, I think I see something".


    Orun''s eyes could see the ground level better after the Wyvern leader had moved further down. Straining it, he saw the greenery shadowing the floor, and when they got lower, he was able to see past the greenery and became closer to seeing the withered trees surrounding the swamp surface area below.


    "what sort of monster would hide itself in a swampy den".


    "the tasty kind of monster".


    The distance separating the Wyvern pack from the ground keeps on shortening until their leader decided that it was enough, and they made their stop, floating in the air.


    "now, we attack".


    "what do you mean attack, there is nothing down there but swamp water".


    "just stand by and watch".


    "escodetuan maudendinis vistoh".


    Orun just sat still at the back of the Wyvern leader, watching her spout out words that sounded like nonsense to him.


    ''i am guessing that is the Wyvernnguage?''.


    The Wyvern pack followed the movement of their leader, staring down at the swamp, and in unison, followed the orders of their leader that says to release their breath attack into the swamp.


    "beautiful".


    He said, as he found himself mesmerized by the sight of sixteen Wyvern pouring out breathe at the same time, giving glow to the deadnd swamp.


    The destruction done by the Wyverns breathe attack on the swamp, could be said to be tragic, resulting in the forestry around the swamp being wiped away, and the swamp itself getting overwhelmed by it.


    "is your n to destroy the forest or to actually find a prey, because I am confused".


    The Wyvern leader was unable to answer Orun''s curiosity due to the breathe stilling out of her mouth. He had no choice but to wait for them to finish their breathe attack before any exnation can be given to him.


    Orun with no other options, could only watch as the Wyvernsced the ground level with their breathe, and eventuallytheir breathe attack caused a chain reaction of explosion, leading to a tree being ignited with fire, spreading over to the other trees surrounding it.


    The Wyvern leader saw that she had achieved her aim, and stopped her breathe attack while the rest of the Wyvern pack still continued.


    "you mind telling me what''s going on now".


    "wait for it".


    The Wyvern leader says, floating in the air while the rest of her pack continued to rain their breathe on the swamp.


    "seriously, what are we waiting for exactly? I need to know what it is we are dealing with here so I can be prepared for anything".


    "don''t worry, your help will not be needed here. I and my pack have the situation under control".


    "by lighting the forest on fire".


    Orun asked with a sarcastic tone, wondering what can be achieved with setting the greenery on fire.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "do you not notice anything odd about the fire''s trajectory".


    "odd?"


    Orun stretched out his head downward to see if he could find anything odd about the fire like the Wyvern leader had pointed out, to see if it caused any other effect apart from the fact that it''s burning the trees to ashes.


    "hmm....."


    "do you see it now".


    "i think I do".


    After a thorough observation on the fire, Orun could see what the Wyvern leader wanted him to see. The fire''s range isn''t getting extended, but rather burning through a particr set of range.


    The only parts that are affected by the fire, are the parts that are near the swamp. Looking at it from above, it''s like using the fire to trap the swamp in a pot, with no way out.


    The pack had stopped with their breathe attack, and like their leader, they waited while the fire they had ignited did its work.


    "you want to tell me exactly what it is you are hunting that needs to be trapped by fire first before engaging".


    From what he had seen, it was obvious that whatever it was the Wyverns n on catching, wasn''t outside of the swamp but inside of it.


    He also knew that whatever was inside that swamp, is an extremely dangerous entity seeing as how the whole pack are putting in a lot of effort just to contain it before they can hunt it.


    "have you ever heard of a monster called swamp snake".


    "pretty sure I know what a snake is. Is that what you are hunting? A snake?".


    Orun found it weird that they would put in so much work in hunting an ordinary snake when he, though with valiant effort put in, fought with a lizard residing in ava ocean, and he did it unprepared.


    Surely, there had to be something different fe the snake the Wyvern leader is talking about, like it''s name just bearing a resemnce to the snakes he knows of, whereas the appearance of this said snake, is very much unlike the actual snake.


    If that wasn''t the case, Orun found it to be very, very disappointing that a whole sixteen of them had to gang up on a single snake before it is taken down.


    "please, don''t tell me all sixteen of you are gathered here to kill a single snake with the same shape as the one I remember on earth".


    "Earth?".


    The Wyvern leader asked, sounding confused by the name Orun had just made mention of.


    "yeah, its the ce I came from, a world far different from this one".


    "you know, you speak such confusing words sometimes".


    "yeah I know. So, how is the hunting going? Will the snake be out soon or do we have to wait for it toe out".


    "what the swamp snake hates more than anything, is being in the presence of heat. They detest being anywhere near heat, that is why they make sure whatever habitat they choose to stay in, it is always near water, or a ce with a cold temperature".


    "knowing what their weakness is, we deliberately lit the trees surrounding the swamp on fire so we can lure them out with it".


    "i don''t get it. They are inside a swamp, will they not just go deeper into it if they notice the upper part is getting hotter".


    The Wyverns logic is great, luring out the swamp snake by turning its habitat into the exact thing it hates, but there is one thing about the Wyverns n that bothered Orun deeply.


    "unless they are stupid and dump, there is no way they would risk going to the swamp surface where the heat will be even worse, if it was me, what I will do is dive further down until the surface cools down".


    Orun after seeing the Wyverns n, takes into consideration what a swamp really is. When one get stuck in a swamp, they just keep going down until their whole body is buried in.


    The swamp snake, hasn''t shown its face since Orun had arrived there, and that was enough to tell him that the swamp snake has a very high tolerance to surviving inside the swamp for a long time beforeing up for air.


    If that is how the snake constitution is built, what is to stop it from going deeper into the swamp where it won''t feel the heat, is what Orun is thinking.

 Chapter 146 Next Destination

    ?"you are right about the swamp snake retreating to the deeper depths of the swamp to escape from the heat. But if it does that, then it no longer is a swamp snake".


    "soooo...., are you going to exin why you said that? Or do you just n on saying it without an exnation as to why it is".


    Orun wasn''t content enough with the Wyvern leader giving him half baked of the story. There had to have been a reason for why a being running for its life make a difference on the name it is known by.


    "swamp snakes are known to be very vicious and aggressive in nature. They don''t run from attacks, they face it head on. And when they feel themselves being threatened in their territory, they do whatever it takes to rid themselves of the intruder, even at the cost of their lives".


    "are they crazy? Why would they do that".


    Orum believed it to be ridiculous that there is a race that would go so far as sacrificing its own life just so it can keep its territory to itself.


    All life is precious, that is what Orun has always based his belief on.


    One should always value one''s life above anything else because when one''s life is taken, that is it, no do over or a miracle falling from the sky anding to their rescue like a damsel in distress.


    When something other than a life is taken, there is always a second chance, a probability. The word opportunityes but once, is a lie because as long as one is still alive, there is always going to be avable opportunities going forward.


    A fact he forgot when he once lived his life as a human back on earth.


    A monster sacrificing its life just so it can protect its territory is nothing but a repulsive and selfish creature to Orun, and he loathe such creatures.


    Why give your life for something so simple as a territory when you can just move out and find yourself another territory to invade and make your own, and if that territory has someone stronger than you, then just find another, that is how wide and vast the world is, a world filled with ces waiting for someone toe and own it.


    Orun will never understand, and frankly, he doesn''t want to understand nor justify the actions of such ignorant beings.


    "they do it because it''s in their nature. That is how they were built".


    "no, they were built wrongly, and they are stupid for ever living such a life".


    Orun says, with a disgusted expression as he stares down at the swamp.


    "How long will it take before the swamp snakees out".


    Hia tone serious, and his gaze still on the swamp.


    "once it feels threatened enough, it wille out of its own ord".


    "and exactly how long is that".


    "It will take a while for the fire topletely heat up the swamp".


    "we don''t have a while to give such foolish beings".


    Orun stood on his two feet, still on the back of the Wyvern leader.


    "what are you doing".


    The Wyvern leader could feel Orun moving on her back, and so she asked out of curiosity for what he is up to.


    "turning your, a while, into right now".


    He stretched out his right hand, cing it directly above the swamp, and raised his head upwards before raising it back down again.


    The swamp started boiling up, with bubbles appearing at its top and bursting up like it''s being cooked. It did not take long for the swamp to start releasing steam into the air, and the Wyvern pack could feel their scaled skin getting slightly scorched by the heat.


    The Wyverns could only watch as Orun set a swamp on fire, like literal fire burning itself at its top.


    "when ites out, will you guys take care of it, or do I have to do it myself".


    "we have it under control, just lure it out with whatever it is you are doing".


    The monster lurking beneath the swamp, like the Wyverns had predicted, got angry that its territory was being invaded by an outsider, and sprang itself out of the swamp.


    A snake long enough to coil its body around a fifty-seven storey building and still have its remains stretching out, jumped out of the swamp, and straight at the Wyvern leader.


    It''s target wasn''t actually the Wyvern leader, but Orun was is responsible for majority of the damage caused, and is taking refuge on the head of the Wyvern leader.


    Before the swamp snake could get to Orun, he had already controlled the trees on the ground, sprouting out vines from them, lengthening them enough to wrap around the swamp snake.


    "what do we do now".


    Orun asked, not sure of what to do with it.


    The Wyvern leader watched as the swamp snake had its body all tied up by the vines, a situation she has once been in, unable to break free with every struggle proving pointless.


    "now, we feast".


    .


    .


    *BURP, BURP!!!!!!!!!!!*


    "hey, will you guys keep it quiet down there. Some of us are trying to think".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Orun''s voice raised high enough for the Wyvern pack who had just finished eating and releasing gas from their stomach through the mouth.


    When he caught the swamp snake, it was handed over to the pack members to carry, and then they all met at the location the pack resides in, which is at the top of the highest hill in the forest, a hill so high one could see theyout of the forest from its peak.


    Together, they feasted with the swamp snakeid t, and the pack standing on each side along with Orun joining them. When they were all done eating the final piece of the swamp snake, theyid down on the ground to rest with their heads facing the sky.


    "wbat are you thinking about".


    The Wyvern leaderid beside Orun, saw that his eyes were fixated on a particr spot, courtesy of him being in a trance.


    "just thinking, what do I do with my life now".


    "i have been in a position simr to being in a cave where my actions are restricted, but now, I am out in the big world with not a clue of what to be".


    He has spent his time growing up and surving through the harsh conditions around him, fighting and killing everything he came across.


    His only leeway out of that life, required him to trap himself in sleep mode for years before he wakes up. Now that he has woken, everything feels so foreign to him.


    With the power Orun is now equipped with, he has no reason to keep fighting and killing just so he can be sure of living through the next day.


    He now considers his life to be without meaning and purpose.


    Waking, feeding, sleeping, waking, feeding, and sleeping is the only thing he does on a daily basis now. The thrill and excitement thates from fighting opponents while risking his life for it, is no longer there.


    The world to him now, seems like a big ball or boredomness.


    "if you don''t have anywhere else to go, you can always stay in our pack".


    Meeting the Wyvern, is one of the fun thing that has happened to him after his awakening, but at the same time, he does not want to make them ufortable by overstaying his wee.


    "i don''t know, we don''t really have the same body constitution to having me living with you all".


    "we are monsters, body constitution does not matter. What matters, is what the other has to offer, and from the looks of it, you have a lot. With your strength, we can solidify our hold on our territory, never having to fear an Invasion from other monsters".


    "so you are saying you want to use me for my powers".


    "in return, you will have a ce to stay, and something to keep your life from being boring".


    The Wyvern leader quickly made it known to him, that she isn''t the only one who is going to benefit from him agreeing to stay with them.


    "that does not sound bad, but I have an even more intriguing idea. I could forcefully have your pack be submissive to me, taking over your territory and iming it as mine".


    The Wyvern leader''s face turned sour when it heard Orun''s word. If Ourn wanted to, he could do what he proposed without any of them having the might to stop him, and that thought, terrified her.


    "rx. You don''t have to look all serious, I was just joking".


    Orun said, easing the mood and putting the Wyvern leader''s mind at peace.


    "i believe this isn''t the first time you will be hearing this, but your jokes are a little too extreme".


    "it''s a good thing I know that now. I haven''t really being surrounded by people I could openly make jokes with".


    Orun scoffed, staring at the stars with hisshes blinking. He raised his hand, reaching out to a nonexistent figure.


    "but, perhaps, staying with your pack is just the right stuff I need to get some fun back into my life".


    "does that mean you are staying".


    "It means, I won''t be going anytime soon".


    "that is good to know. I am sure the rest of the pack will be excited to wee a new member".


    "you can tell themter. They have all passed out from exhaustion caused by overeating. I can see their bellies all pumped up".


    The pack after they were done eating, allid down on their backs with majority of them falling asleep while snoring.


    Orun turned his head back to the Wyvern leader, wanting to ask her a question.


    "i am curious, are you a male or female".


    The Wyvern leader before she could answer him, stared at him with a, why are you asking, expression.


    "what do you think".


    "well, your voice does sound like a female''s, but your appearance and attitude however makes it hard to tell".


    Orun who knows nothing about how to differentiate female monsters and make monsters apart, had a hard time deciding which one the Wyvern leader belonged to.


    "so, which category do you fall under".


    "don''t know. You are going to have to figure that out yourself during your stay with us".


    She said, diverting her gaze away from Orun, and turning it in the direction of the sky.

 Chapter 147 Training With The Pack 1

    ?"are you sure you want to do this".


    "why, are you scared you are going to get your ass whooped".


    "no, I am actually worried for your sake".


    "don''t worry, I will be fine, just bring it on".


    Days have passed since Orun had joined the Wyvern pack. They epted him as one of them, and learned to get along well with him. He had done a lot of activities with them, and with his personality, he had no problems with fitting in. The only issue he has, is thenguage barrier.


    Unlike the Wyvern leader, the rest of the pack do not speak the same Goblinnguage that Orun does, and so limits the possibility of freemunication with them.


    There are times when the Wyvern leader helps him with the trantion, but that still does not solve the whole issue.


    To help solve the problem, Orun decided to takenguage lessons from the Wyvern leader who voluntarily agreed to help him, in exchange for him teaching the Wyvern pack how to fight.


    Orun refused the offer to teach the Wyverns how to fight because he had no fighting technique himself. What he mostly relies on duringbat, every thinking and move he makes, can all be traced back to his instincts.


    Orun''s battle instinct had always been high since birth, and so far, it has helped him survive through the valley of death countless times, resulting in it being thoroughly reformed to getting better, bing his senses and evolving to being a part of him.


    He could now sense if danger is close to him, and if any malicious intention is directed at him from afar.


    Exactly how is he supposed to tell the Wyvern pack that whenever he is inbat, he pushes through it with just his instinctual feelings at work.


    First he relies on it, for reading through his opponents movements, and then, he thinks for himself what sort of movement he can make to counter the opponent with.


    Of course, saying that he survived with instinct alone is wrong. Even with a very high instinct, if he does not have the same agility to work hand in hand with his instincts, he would have died. Or, if his thoughts are not always rationally guided and flexible enough to get himself ready to respond to any sort of attack.


    Orun did expect the Wyverns who are also monsters just like he is, to have their own instinct that they work by.


    Especially when one takes into consideration their size that is enough to intimidate Orun whenever he stands in their midst.


    He feels that the Wyverns have nothing to learn from him when their mere presence alone is enough to show anyone they encounter who the boss is. With their size, they could boast their way through any hurdles without having to resort to physical means.


    What is he to teach monsters who are more than ten times his body weight?


    Despite Orun trying his best to convince the Wyvern leader that he would not be of much help in training them, she still instited on having Orun''s help in their training.


    The Wyvern leader saw how Orun fought, and has decided that the pack must learn from him.


    Having him with them is good and all, but it''s not going to be forever. No one can deny the fact that Orun is not a Wyvern, and one day, he is going to want to journey out in search of anything.


    That is how monsters with long life span act. They don''t stay in one ce, but move around to give their life meaning and purpose.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Wyvern leader knew that a day like that wille, and so she wants to prepare her pack for such a day.


    As long as Orun who has proven to be far stronger than them all, teaches them how to fight, no doubt that their overallbat power will rise drastically.


    They do not just want to rely on Orun to do all the work, they want to share their stances equally with all of them carrying their own personal weights, and dividing the pack''s weight in same sizes for each of them to handle.


    That is the intention of the Wyvern leader, and she has no intention of giving it up.


    Orun had no choice. If he wanted to get along more with the pack, he needs to learn theirnguage, and the only one willing to teach him, demands that in return ofnguage lesson, he needs to teach the pack how tobat.


    Orun eventually gave in, and decided to teach the pack what he knows about fighting. And he is going to do that, by having a friendlybat exercise with them.


    What better way to teach a bunch of huge monsters how to fight if not by honing their skills through physical means.


    "i need to be sure, are you really sure you can take all sixteen of us on your own".


    "i have done it before, what makes you think I can''t do it again".


    Orun at the top of the mountain, is currently being surrounded by all sixteen Wyverns, ready to pounce at him when he gives the go signal.


    After deciding to train them through physical means, he proposed to them a sixteen on onebat, Orun alone facing all sixteen Wyverns.


    Like the Wyvern leader said, Orun had done it before when they first met, and he sessfully beat them all without even having to stress himself too much.


    But it''s different this time. Because this time, he won''t be using any of his skills and will only be taking on sixteen Wyverns with just his physical prowess.


    Orun''s physical prowess since bing an half spiritual entity, is unrivaled to those still bound by the level up process.


    He has noticed that having a high level does not exactly make one stronger than someone with a lower level. The level up traits, only helps one in strengthening the body and not thebat skill.


    There are instances where the level gap is impossible to ovee, and also other times where even with a higher level, one could still lose to someone else with a lower level, if the one with the lower level is morebat oriented than the one with an higher level.


    Like Orun being an half spiritual entity going up against another who is still bound by the level limit, the oue then is already decided.


    In the Wyverns case, they are having a hard time advancing further to the next level, due to already being a high level type monster.


    Being held down by the difficulty of level advancement, the Wyvern leader sought out other ways for her pack to get stronger, and that is when Orunes into y.


    "remember, whatever happens, you asked for this".


    She said, waiting for Orun to give the go ahead for them to attack.

 Chapter 148 Training With The Pack 2

    ?"alright, you can alle at me now".


    On Orun''smand, the Wyvern pack charged at him simultaneously.


    One of the Wyvern got closer to him, and thrusted his wing like hand out from above, but Orun jumped up before the wing could get to him.


    Orun up in the air and falling back down, spinned himself and changed his position to having his head facing down and his legs facing up.


    Just like that, he spinned himself until he got closer to a Wyvern who already has its wings ready to attack.


    Orun let his right fist take the lead, and used it to make contact with the Wyvern wing, shoving it away from him.


    He moved further andnded on the Wyvern face, as he raised his fist up and punched straight at its head.


    "one down, fifteen more to go".


    Orun says, as he had knocked out the Wyvern, causing it to be temporarily unconscious.


    He hurriedly came down from the head of the unconscious Wyvern, and moved further back, running from the other Wyverns that wereing after him.


    Orun as he kept moving forward, had his face turned to the back, monitoring the Wyvern who were chasing after him.


    Without looking in front of him, his instinct was able to warn him in time of an iing attacking from the front.


    He finally turned his head forward just in time, and slide his body down under the wing''s range, moments before it could touch him.


    "you guys are going to have to try better than that".


    Orun says, as he slides past the wing above him.


    "we know, and that is what we did".


    The Wyvern leader had already nned ahead of Orun, as she stationed herself at the back of the Wyvern Orun had evaded by sliding under.


    When he had passed through the Wyvern, he met the Wyvern leader expecting him with a ready made breathe about to st out from her mouth.


    Orun''s reaction to the Wyvern leader waiting for him at the front with a breathe attack in her mouth was quick, as he took to running to the sides.


    "wow, you guys aren''t kidding around, are you".


    He says, after evading the Wyvern leader st that almost made contact with him.


    "i warned you, fighting against all sixteen of us with just your physical prowess isn''t going to be enough".


    The sides he decided to run to, had been blocked by other Wyverns who are also ready to attack with their breathe.


    "seriously?".


    He raised his head, only to see that there are other Wyverns at the top waiting for him as well.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He had beenpletely trapped by them, with no way out except through them.


    Going through them for Orun, isn''t the main problem. With his speed, he could surely make his way past a single Wyvern by shoving it aside with brute strength.


    Where the problem stems from, is getting hit by the Wyverns breathe before he can reach one of the Wyverns.


    If he was up against four of the Wyverns, and he wasn''t surrounded on all sides like he is now, he is certain he could make it to one of them without getting hit by their breathe, but with the way he is surrounded on all sides, there is no chance of making it in time without at least one breathe touching him.


    Orun knows that the moment he attempts to make a move, is when they will release their breathe attack, and he can already envision how it''s going to go.


    The breathe will move towards him, in a ring shaped formation, and having him represent the center where it will all gather in.


    The st will cover all radius as it make its way towards him from above and below. The safe way out of this, is to ept his defeat against the Wyverns, but then that would be a dent on his pride.


    He had boastfully told all sixteen Wyvern toe at him all at once, while showing them that he had what it takes to subdue them all.


    Throwing the towel after emanating that much confidence in his physical prowess and only managing to take down one of them before being defeated.


    "you know what you have to do to put an end to this".


    "yes I do, I do".


    This training exercise was initiated by Orun not only so he could help the Wyverns, but also to test himself.


    He wanted to know just how far he can go using only his physical prowess, and now he knows, sixteen Wyverns all at once, is a number too much for him to handle with only physical prowess.


    Fighting without his inferno skill, his soil skill, and his vine skill, really took a toll on him.


    Maneuvering with just his body and fist against beings that looks like giant to him, is a very hard task to aplish.


    If he was making use of skill, Orun had ways he could have ended the fight in seconds other than using his vines to tie them down.


    He could just as easily release his Inferno ability into the air, making it hotter until it bes unbearable for the Wyverns to handle.


    To make it worse, he would use his soil Maniption Skill to disperse sand Into the surroundings enough dust to blind their vision with.


    Once he is done with that, he could just start picking on them all one by one while they are upied with finding their way out of the sand.


    That is just one of the ways he can use to end this training exercise in an heartbeat. But if he took that way, then it wouldn''t be of any help to the Wyverns, neither will it help him find out what his  aplishments through physical prowess alone can be like.


    "i do wonder, what will it feel like if I were to get hit by your breathe? I have never been hit by a breathe attack before, and the mystery of what effect it will have on me, stays hidden".


    Orun raised his two hands down, cing them at his sides and standing still while making intense eye contact with the Wyvern leader.


    "there is only one way you are going to find that out".


    She says, as she stared back at him, while preparing herself for any move he might make.

 Chapter 149 Wyvern And A Goblin Comparison

    ?*HUFFF..., HUFFF....*


    The Wyvern leader falls her body to the ground with her head facing the blue clear sky, her wings open wide. With an exhausted look on her face, she breathes in an out uncontrobly.


    "are you okay".


    Orun with his roughed up body, moved closer to her and sat himself down, inches away from where sheid.


    "i am fine, my body just aches a bit is all. With a little rest, I will be back in shape".


    She replied, taking onest uncontrobly sip of air before she got her breathing pace under control.


    "didn''t know Wyverns do get a body ache".


    "depends, but with the way you threw us all around, what did you expect".


    "hey, I had it worse from you guys. You all sted me with your breathe, used my body as a batting ram to cause a crater on the ground, then you threw me beyond the mountain cliff, with the intention of having me fall into the forest ground".


    "you know, if I didn''t know better, I would say you were all trying to kill me".


    "you are the one who imposed on yourself the rule of not using anything else other than your physical ability, and also the one who told us toe at you like we meant it".


    "yeah well, I did say that does not mean you should do it. If I were to tell you with a serious face, hey, kill me. Would you do that".


    "you said to, why would I not".


    "wow, I didn''t know you were the type to follow someone else''s other with such detailed execution".


    "you requested, I do. Do you expect me to beg someone who wants to die, to not die".


    Orun looks up at the sky, and for that short moment, his mind wandered off in deep thought before he replied the Wyvern leader.


    "you make a fair point".


    Orun''s oue of the friendlybat he had proposed, ended in his own defeat after managing to take out six among the sixteen Wyverns he had fought against.


    Just like the Wyvern leader whoid herself down due to the body ache she is feeling, so is Orun who wasn''t excused from the presence of fatigue, it is just that he has a tight reign on handling the fatigue he is dealt with.


    The Wyverns did not spare not pity him in their attempt to put him down, which also resulted in them getting tired andying themselves on the ground after the fight was over.


    Most of the ones who triumphed against him dozed off after thebat, while the ones who lost the fight, are still unconscious till date.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i really didn''t think it would take having to sacrifice six members of the pack before we could finally put you down".


    "honestly, I wasn''t expecting it as well. I also thought I was a goner when I got hit by the breathe from all fifteen of you. Though I wouldn''t say I came out of it unscathed".


    "my body just like yours, ache all over, and I can feel my muscle fibers getting drawn out. It will take a while for me to get back in full shape".


    "if you don''t mind me asking, what level are you guys in".


    The Wyvern leader''s hesitancy to answer Orun could be felt from her facial expression, even with her unique face that makes it hard for Orun to discern what she is actually thinking about most of the time.


    "its okay if you don''t want to tell me. It''s just, I have fought with some pretty shitty opponents who are bound by levels,paring their strength to yours, I can see the overwhelming gap, in that they are far stronger than you physically".


    "it made me wonder,paring a Wyvern race and a goblin race, which onees out as the strongest.


    "can''t believe you are even asking that. The Wyvern race takes the lead above the Goblins. If you want a fair racialparison, then you have to pit us against race like Ogres, Cyclops, lesser dragons and so on".


    "those are the kind of race we deserve to be put up against, and not with a goblin race. An average Wyvern would squash an average Goblin without having to put in the effort".


    "hmm....., I am having a very hard time believing that to be true".


    Orun says so casually, warding of the proud look worn by the Wyvern leader as she talked about her race''s might.


    "what makes you say that? If it''s because of how we performed against you, then you are wrong to judge like that. It''s very much obvious that you are a being possessing strength far greater than ours, and though I still don''t know what race you belong to, I am pretty sure it is within the confines of higher, a race exceeding the lesser dragons, probably up to the intermediate dragon level, or highest, the greater dragon level".


    Orun raised his upper body up with his lower body stillyed t on the ground, he slightly lifted up his left knee in a triangle shaped, and ced his left hand on the knee.


    "i don''t know about the dragon level stuff, but I have fought against a goblin who had me wrinkling out everyst drop of idea I had before I could take him down".


    "is that another one of your sour jokes?".


    "does it look like I am joking".


    The Wyvern leader turned her head over to Orun, and saw the expression on his face.


    She hadn''t known him for long, but she could already tell that Orun is the kind of person who has confidence in himself, andes out as not being scared of anything.


    The he look she saw on his face, is one of dreadfulness and fear, it was a look unbefitting for one who had taken down six members of her pack with just his physical strength, and also once defeated them all without much trouble.

 Chapter 150 Pinching Her Ego

    ?Seeing such an expression on his face, came as a shock to the Wyvern leader as she never thought Orun could have ever for once in his lifetime had a difficult time battling an opponent.


    Orun''s presence and actions does not strike the Wyvern leader as the kind of person who has ever known struggle in his life, much less against a member of the Goblin race.


    "are you feeling okay".


    She could not help but ask after seeing the drastic change in his mood.


    "oh no I am fine. It happened like many years ago, and I hardly remember the full events now".


    Orun was quick to answer the Wyvern leader, immediately bringing himself out of his somber mood.


    paring my fight against that Goblin, and my fight against you guys, I would rate the Goblin far above you all, even though I did use my full strength back then".


    "what if a goblin isn''t who you fought with, but an entirely different race who disguised as a goblin to fool you".


    She asked, finding it hard to believe that a goblin would give Orun a hard time inbat.


    "trust me when I say I know, that he belonged to the Goblin race".


    "how can you be so sure of that".


    "because, I was in the same tribe the Goblin was".


    Orun had thought carefully about it beforeing to the conclusion that he and the Goblin king, belonged in the same Goblin tribe.


    In the Dungeon he was born in, the only set of goblin living in it, are those whose habitat is located below the floor he was given birth to.


    During the days of wandering around on the floor he was born into, the set of monsters he had an encounter with, are monsters with appearances putting them closer to the animals he knew on earth.


    When he climbed down the stairs leading to the lower floors, the set of monsters he first came across, was a goblin hoard who were after his life, and the Orcs who the Goblin had made mention of whenever they were praising the deeds of the Goblin king.


    After processing the information he had, he noticed that on the floor he was born into, the monsters there are weaker than the Goblins living in the lower floor, and also their appearance and intellectual properties are far apart from each other.


    The Goblins appearance and intellect, ces them in a category closer to humans, not technically humans, as they have proven to be stronger, faster and more durable than humans.


    The way the monsters are arranged on each floor has made it clear that the one''s above are weaker than the ones below. Having a more human like figure, brings them closer to being on the lower floor.


    Where his logic eventually led him to after his analytic thinking, is that his mother who was found on the floor filled with monsters with appearances far from being human like, wandered off from the lower floor to the upper floor where she gave birth to him and died.


    If his thinking is right, that can only mean that his mother''s origin is tied to the Goblin tribe ruled by the Goblin king who had total control of all Goblin tribe in the lower floors.


    There could also be another possibility that his mother is actually from the floor she had died on, but Orun found the chances of that being true to be very slim, as there are no Goblins on the upper floor to impregnate his mother.


    Thus his reasons for arriving at the assumption that he, is a biological member of the Goblin king''s tribe.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "if you were a member of his tribe, then does that mean you were once a goblin? If so, how did youe about evolving to an unknown form".


    "not once, I still am".


    "what".


    "i mean, I wasn''t once a goblin, I still am a goblin, just another form of goblin".


    "you can''t fool me. A Goblin can''t be as powerful as you are".


    "because I am not an ordinary Goblin kind. You can think of me as the kind that falls under the once in a green moon category kind of goblin. My kind, is one that can never be found, and isn''t supposed to exist, yet still defies all norms to exist".


    Orun''s proverb, once in a green moon, means something that isn''t supposed to be.


    A green moon is an impossible kind of moon to see, because it naturally does not exist. But, there are ways that cane to be. With the help of a phenomenal event taking ce, a moon that shouldn''t be green could instantly turn green.


    In his case, he is a goblin who should have followed through with the naturalw of the Goblin evolution, but with the help of Oracle, he was able to break out of the cycle to bing something that shouldn''t have been.


    "again, you are starting to confuse me with your exnation".


    "not my intention. You don''t have to understand the exnation part, just know that goblins, are not as weak as you think we are. The Goblins living in the cave I came from, will wipe the floor off you lot".


    "i still find that very hard to believe".


    "i am sure you do. But it''s not just the Goblins. I have noticed that every being I havee across outside of the dungeon, are somehow weaker than the beings I have had an encounter with in the Dungeon".


    "i don''t know what your level is, but if I am to pit you against an opponent from the Dungeon I came from, you would be within the range of the Goblin champion I fought against in the arena".


    "i had a hard time defeating him, but that was only because I was weaker back then. If you were to go up against him, you will have to do so with the intention of losing most of your limbs to be assured victory".


    The Wyvern could only stare at Orun who kept telling her that she would never be able to defeat a mere Goblin. It was a fatal blow to her pride, but at the same time, she is forced to want to believe what he says.


    He has no reason to lie to her, or to keep pinching at her ego by telling her she wouldn''t be a match for a goblin.


    "i am curious to know exactly where it is you are from, a ce that seems to harbor such strong beings?".


    "trust me lovely, the Dungeon I came from, isn''t a ce you would wish to be born into".


    "i did gain a lot of things in there, but at the same time, I felt myself always on the brink of copse as well. It''s not a ce one would wish to grow up in".


    Orun says, with the sun shing over his eyes, and he with the remembrance of his life inside of the dungeon. His weak and lonesome life, a life he never wants to go back to.

 Chapter 151 In Khamor

    ?*** LOCATION = KHAMOR CTYY, CAPITAL CITY OF BREGOGON KINGDOM ***


    Dexter and Dana, said their farewells to everyone they knew in Edevin city before they started their journey out of it. Dana especially, found it hard to part ways with the city.


    It is where she grew up in, memories of her and Shakir smeared the ce, saying one final goodbye to such a ce, wasn''t easy for her to do, but she knew she had to do it, if she wants to get out of the shell she has been caged in.


    She said her goodbye to the house she once lived in with Shakir, said her goodbye to her neighbors, and those willing to ept her into their homes after the death of Shakir.


    When she was done, she took Dexter''s hand and said her onest goodbye at the gate of Edevin before venturing to her next destination with him.


    It was a long journey that took them about three months, all the while stopping at inns to rest. Dexter med their slow pace on Dana, as she was too young to keep up with him.


    "finally, home sweet home".


    Dexter standing at the outside gate of Khamor, the capital city of the Bregogon Kingdom, east to the city of Edevin that is also under the Bregogon Kingdom.


    Khamor city is where the members of the Dire Hammer party originate from. Three set out for a quest in Edevin, and only one of them makes it back alive.


    "you will love it here, I promise you that".


    He tilted his head over to his side to look at Dana who just stood still, staring at the gate.


    The journey to getting where they are, had been a rough and awkward one. Dexter along the way, did his best to not be so insensitive toward her by saying the wrong thing.


    She on the other hand, did not talk much, she only asked menial questions whenever she could not contain her curiosity.


    Dexter taught her what he could on their way here, he even carried her in leveling up, and only when they get to the guild to register before she can know what her current level is.


    Dexter is sure that her level would have gone up by a lot because of the amount of monster they killed along the way. He weakened them to a point where they can no longer resist, and after that, Danaes in and ends their life.


    Using that method, they were able to kill a lot, and also secure for themselves, something to feed on.


    "once we are in, we go straight to the guild to register you as an official E rank adventurer, and then I go and report the status condition of my team to the guild leader".


    In the guild''s branch in Khamor city, Dexter and his team are very popr in the guild. Being an A rank, their fame is known across the city itself.


    He is certain that they would have heard the news about Caren and Riley''s death. Knowing that, he is hesitant to go in so he could avoid questions from his peers who have been expecting him to arrive.


    Dexter can only begin to imagine how muchmotion awaits him when he shows his face in the guild. There will be those willing to sympathize with him, and does who will bombard him with questions, and also those who will make fun of him for surviving while his teammates died.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of all those he thought of, the one''s Dexter nned on ignoring, are those who are going to shower him with useless sympathy.


    He has no need to be treated like a fool, or having some idiotse to him with words like, sorry for your loss. As if it''s their fault Riley and Caren died, or there was something they could have done to stop it.


    Dexter is open to criticism from the guild members, and will dly ept such over being pitied by them.


    "okay, let''s go".


    Dexter extended his hand out to Dana, and she grabbed it, walking with him toward the gate.


    They were able to bypass the queue to entering the capital city without any problems after Dexter showed them his guild card ranked A. The respect he got from the guards was enough to tell those on the queue that he was someone of high value.


    Dexter and Dana went in through the gate, and were instantly met with a tiled yet dusty busy street.  The lines from the gate tracing down, was filled with shops and crowded with people all dressed in medieval clothing.


    "yup, this is my home alright. A street so busy one would wonder if there are no homes for them to stay in, air so toxic it could hang in one''s throat if proper caution is not taken".


    Despite his trash talking of the city, it was obvious from the expression he made, how much he dearly misses the ce he called home.


    "whatever you do, stay close to me and never let go my hand. You do not want to get yourself lost in the midst of the crowd we are about to walk into".


    Dexter''s warning to Dana was firm, as he knew what would happen if she were to get lost while walking together.


    The city is a big boisterous one, filled with all sorts of people, some good, and the majority? They do whatever it takes for them to survive life in the big city.


    It would not surprise Dexter if he lost Dana, and a minuteter she ended up in a cage ready to be auctioned of to some rich noble as abour ve, or a sex ve, either of which would not be good.


    The city is clouded in danger, and it lurks in all aspects of it, one wrong step is all it will take for a young child like Dana to end up in the wrong ce.


    "remember, never let go".


    Dexter before going to the crowd, warned Dana again just to be sure that she understands how serious he is.


    She has once neglected his warning and put her and her friend''s life Nadea, in jeopardy, he wasn''t ready to take another chance for her to neglect him once again.


    Dexter secured his hold on Dana''s hand, making sure there were no loose ends for her to easily slip through, and slowly made his way into the crowded area.

 Chapter 152 Guild Mates

    ?Dexter holding unto Dana''s hand, stood in front of the building with a signboard that says, Khamor Adventurers Guild, written boldly on it.


    The size of the building is twice that of the guild''s building located in Edevin, with a well refurbished nk used in the construction. A nce is all it takes for one to tell how much money was used to maintain the guild''s building.


    Surrounding the guild''s building from all sides, are othermercial buildings, and private buildings, with peopleing in and out of it.


    Dexter steeled his heart for any surprise he mighte across when he walks through the guild''s door before going in.


    He opened the door, and with Dana by his side, he walked past the entrance of the guild confidently.


    "i am home ya fucking bastards".


    Going in, those were the words that came out of Dexter''s mouth, directed at the adventurers inside.


    There were those who were drinking, and those who were ying a test of strength game, others were chatting amongst themselves. The inside of the guild was no doubt full of people who were busy with their own stuff.


    They were all distracted by what they were doing, and their attention was instantly swept away by Dexter''s loud voice ringing in their ears.


    The adventurers all left whatever it is they were doing, and rushed themselves over to where Dexter was upon first sighting of him.


    The adventurers with smiles on their faces, flocked themselves to Dexter, barraging him with questions after questions.


    "dude, what happened to you? Look how thin you have be, is it just me or have you lost some of your muscles".


    The adventurer standing beside Dexter and checking out his body, asked jokingly, knowing full well how much Dexter cares about his muscles staying in shape at all times.


    "I heard from a friend on how aggressive the girls in Edevin are. They must have sucked the life out of him, his muscles included. ".


    Another adventurer replied with a joke of his, tapping Dexter on the shoulder.


    "buddy, is that true? Did you really get to nut over there".


    The atmosphere the adventurers gave was joyful, and jubnt, quiet unlike what Dexter had expected it to be like.


    He does not need to be told before he could discern the reasons why they are all giving out such an attitude toward him.


    The adventurers knowing what kind of guy he is, must havee together to make sure they do not give off a brooding feeling in his presence, so he wouldn''t feel awkward.


    Dexter though grateful to them for taking into consideration how he feels, was even more mortified to have them acting like this.


    Sure, he does not want them grieving over the loss of Riley and Caren, showing a sour mood and making the surrounding distasteful to stay in, but he also does not want a celebrating mood like this one.


    The two people he consider as family just died, and this is the best they coulde up with to console him with?<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dexter, found himself short of words on what to tell the adventurers, or how to reply the unending question from them.


    He found it hard to me them for not being considerate enough of his feelings. They are dudes whose jobs require them to be heartless most of the time, surrounded by killings and bloodshed, what more can he expect from them.


    "hey, where did you get this little one from".


    They did not notice Dana''s presence in time, as their whole attention had gone over to Dexter. It wasn''t until one of them saw her and asked, did the rest turn to look at her.


    "Dexter, did you adopt her from somewhere".


    Dexter''s friends making up spections on Dana''s true identity and how she is connected to Dexter, all the while, she just kept mute with a nk face, watching the adventurers say whatever it is they wanted to.


    "no, she is not my adopted daughter".


    Dexter did not know what sort of reaction Dana would make with others calling her his adopted daughter, and so he quickly rejected the idea of it being true.


    "so then what is she, and why did you bring her with you".


    "she..... Isplicated".


    Dexter had no idea of what he could say to satisfy the curiosity of his friends, and so he choose the route that will sum it up, while also giving them a clue to not disturb him on the matter again.


    "the guild master, is he in".


    He wanted as fast as possible to escape from the clutches of his mate and go up the stairs to report the event that took ce in Edevin to the guild master, and also the loss of the two core members of the Dire Hammer.


    There are also some things that needs to be discussed concerning the future of the Dire Hammer party.


    Two members are dead, and he is the only one remaining. Even if it was the party he created together with Riley and Caren, the general ovverseer for adventurers party is managed legally by the guild.


    In the case of Dexter who had lost two members, and is thest one standing, he would butt heads with the guild master of the guild he registered in, to discuss what to do with the party going forward, if it will be officially disbanded, or be reinstated by recruiting other members in it.


    The name Dire Hammer is one that has been spread wide and beyond to the ears of the people from other kingdom outside the Bregogon kingdom with the amount of achievements they managed to umte over the years.


    Disbanding the party itself simply because majority of its members are no longer avable, will only seek to instill panic into the hearts of those who believed in the party''s name.


    Dexter knew the route that the guild master would want him to take from here, is to reinstate the Dire Hammer party by finding worthy adventurers to join him and keep the name alive.


    He wouldn''t have to look far to see members who would be willing to join Dexter''s cause, the issue itself lies in how Dexter feels about letting others keep the name he and his friend had worked hard to build.

 Chapter 153 Flirting

    ?"the guild master has been awaiting your arrival".


    The adventurer who stood very close to Dexter answered his curiosity.


    "okay guys, I appreciate your efforts and all, but I have to go now. You heard the man, the guild master is expecting my arrival".


    "you all know how hot tempered the guild master can be if one does not answer to a summon fast?".


    The adventurers were well aware of what Dexter was talking about, and so they made way for him to pass.


    Dexter with Dana, walked over to the receptionist''s desk.


    "Anna, how have you been".


    He got over to the desk, and called out to thedy dressed in purple colored shirt, with the upper part unbuttoned, revealing her white bra with half the bountiful supplements packaged in the bra.


    "looking sexy as always I see".


    Dexter''s eyes were immediately transferred to her cleavage, his mouth almost drooling.


    "and I see you are as creepy as always".


    Anna replied as she raised her hand and extended her palms to cover her breast with, away from the salivating eyes of Dexter.


    "do you not have to go upstairs to meet with the guild master, instead of wasting your time with me".


    "a time with you, is never a wasted time for me Anna".


    He tried cozying up to her by sending her heart shaped kisses which she ignored.


    "what do you want from me Dexter".


    She asked, knowing Dexter''s reasons for being so loving toward her could be tied to him wanting a favor from her.


    "what makes you think I want something from you? Can''t a man just want to get lovey dovey with a woman as beautiful as you are".


    "did going to Edevin screw with your mind".


    "if you mean, me being more open to the possibility of a date with you? Then sure it did".


    "DEXTERRR...."


    Her loud voice, and her tone strongly rejecting Dexter''s approach.


    "hey Dexter, do not anger our angelic Anna unless you want us toe over there and give you some whooping".


    One of the adventurer spoke up from his seat, jokingly warning Dexter to cease his approach on Anna.


    "got it guys".


    Dexter turned over to the adventurers who had called out to him, and he raised his hand, signifying that he would listen to their words.


    "if you have nothing more to say, you can head upstairs now, the guild master has been expecting you".


    "you sure do want me gone quick, do you not?".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "if it is that obvious, why are you still here".


    "no need to get all grumpy with me. I will be gone in a sec, but first I need your help".


    "i knew this is where your whole charade was going to lead to. So, what do you want from me".


    "i want you, to help me register this little one as an adventurer".


    Dexter pointed to Dana, indicating to Anna who he is referring to.


    "no problem, she just needs to fill out the form and pass some tests, then she will be good to go".


    "except there is one problem with that, she is ten".


    She had her eyes focused on Dexter with not a muscle of her moving.


    "you want me to register a ten year old as an adventurer?".


    Anna said, twitching her eyebrow in disbelief at the request Dexter had just asked of her.


    "have you gone mad".


    "listen to me first before you start concluding. I know how ridiculous my request sounds, but I have a very good reason for making such request in the first ce".


    "ridiculous? This is beyond ridiculous Dexter. Do you have any idea what you are asking of me? Registering a ten year old as an adventurer".


    Dexter more than anyone, knows how insane his request is, and the bacsh thates with it.


    The adventurers age registration limit is fourteen and above, asking Anna for help in registering a ten year old, is telling her to go against the guild''s code of conduct.


    If she were to fulfill his request and ends up getting caught by the guild, not only will she lose her job as a receptionist, she could even go to jail for it, and also be banned from ever getting work in any guild''s branch ever again.


    As an A rank adventurer, Dexter is aware of all the punishment thates with breaking one of the guild''s rule, especially the ones emphasis are ced on the most.


    Despite knowing all that, he still went ahead to make the nonsensical request to Anna, which made her wonder what was going on with him, and what made him desperate enough to want to risk her own source of livelihood for it.


    "believe me Anna, she is not some kind of ten year old you cane across anywhere, she is special".


    "and so are the rules. I don''t know what is going on with you, but you trying to risk my job for the sake of pleasing you, is not something I am ready to do".


    "i am not asking you to please me. All I am asking, is that you register her under a false age, I can assure you that no one will ever find out about it".


    "you are wasting your time trying to convince me Dexter. There is no way I will ever listen to you. What if her arents or any rtive memberes looking for her? Or what if she gets tangled up in a situation with the guild and she is forced to reveal what her age is then? What do you think is going to happen to me if that ever happens".


    "hold on there Anna, you are taking your what if too far and too imaginative. You don''t have to bring up all sorts of what if, when you can just focus only on one".


    "ho yeah, and what''s that?".


    "what if, you register her, and nobody else finds out about it, then she bes a bigshot adventurer in the future and pays you back for the favor you have done for her today? Did you think about that".


    Says Dexter, proudly winking at Anna while exuding out his positivity toward her.

 Chapter 154 She Said Yes

    ?"Dexter, I really admire your nature of always wanting to think positively, but my answer still remains the same. I won''t register an underage as an Adventurer, and there is nothing you can do or say that will change my mind".


    "wow Anna, that''s really cold of you to act".


    "cold, harsh. Say whatever you want about me, and I still won''t grant you your request. If you want something of this magnitude get done, you need to go directly to the guild master and ask for permission before I can fulfill your request".


    Anna''s refusal to carry out Dexter''s will without being told to by the guild master, was strongly conveyed to him.


    If she was unwilling to help him, he knew he had no other choice but to ask the guild master for permission, if he really is desperate enough to want to register Dana as an adventurer.


    "is this really how you want to y? I can''t ask you for a favor anymore, is that it".


    Anna ignored Dexter''s question, feigning ignorance by keeping herself busy with the books on her desk.


    "thanks for nothing, Anna".


    "anytime, Dexter".


    Anna replied Dexter with a sarcastic tone, not even bothering herself to raise her head up to look at him as he exit from her desk.


    Dexter took Dana with him, and climbed up the stairs leading to the upper floor where the guild master''s office is.


    Unlike Edevin that is only two storey tall, this build is three storey. The first floor is meant for adventurers who are under the E rank to B rank. They have their quest board on the floor, with missions suitable for their rank for them to take on.


    The second floor on the other hand, is meant for adventurers starting with an A rank upward. Their mission board is also provided for them on their floor, along with a receptionist of their own to meet their necessary demands regarding quest information.


    The numbers of A rank adventurers and above, in not just the city, but in every human nation itself, is very minimal.


    It''s like trying to find ck stones in sandy type soil. It is present, but can only be seen when searched well.


    There are some adventurers under the A rank position who out of envy,ined about the above A rank adventurers getting a floor all to themselves, when their numbers are never enough to fill said floor.


    Theirints however was not properly adhered to, due to their inability to voice out and standby their words in the face of the A rankers and above.


    What the guild council decided upon after seeing for themselves that making a separate floor for A rank adventurers and above required a lot of expenses, they resorted to only making floors when the numbers of A rank in a particr guild was more than three.


    In the case of Edevin where their A rank is only Ricus, and a retired old man, it was decided that they did not require having a third building and can make do with the current one they have.


    Dexter passed by the floor where A ranks are gathered, and continued walking up the stairs.


    Under normal circumstances, Dexter being an A rank adventurer himself, is expected to drop by on the floor meant for A ranks, to greet his friends or attend to other matters with the receptionist there, but he did none of those.


    Reasons for Dexter''s rude action, is because the higher rank adventurers in Khamor city do not view Dexter and his group in a friendly manner. They like any other normal people, are jealous of the Dire Hammer achievements across the world.


    Dexter could care less what they think of him, and would go to any lengths to ignore them, especially now that his two friends are dead, he can only imagine the sort of horrid words they are talking about behind him.


    "okay Dana, listen here".


    Dexter got to the door leading to the room the guild master is in. He stopped at the door, and turned to Dana who was by his side.


    "when we get inside, I am going to plead to the guild master to allow you to register as an adventurer. I will surely be refused from letting that happen, but before i am, I want you to attack the guild master with the puppy eyes all children have".


    Dexter squinting his eyes and trying to match its shape with what he thought of as cute, only to end up being very weird and scary with the veins popping out on his forehead.


    "do you understand".


    He asks her while still keeping on the weird face. Dana snickering in her mind, nodded as a reply to Dexter''s question.


    "good, here we go".


    Dexter with his hand on the handle, pressed it down slightly and pulled it open.


    "before you ask, my answer is yes, I will help you".<novelnext></novelnext>


    A woman''s voice rang out from the room before Dexter''s leg touched the inside. She had looks putting her in her forties, and her two blessed breasts still standing upright, making one wonder if she really is in her forties or not.


    "guild master, what do you n on helping me with".


    Dexter tried to hide expression like he does not know what the guild master was talking about.


    "i heard you from where I was sitting Dexter. Have you forgotten who I am".


    "how could I".


    Damn it. Is what Dexter thought in his mind. His guild master, isn''t like an other guild master. She is an S ss veteran adventurer who decided to quit not because of old age, but because she enjoyed bossing around the younger one''s.


    Aplete totalitarian guild master who wouldn''t hesitate to send the adventurers under her into the depths of hell back and forth several times.


    "so you heard?".


    Dexter asked, taking his seat in front of the guild master, and shifting the chair beside him for Dana to sit in.


    "i did. And I will ept your request under one condition".


    Dexter need not to be told before he knew what the guild master was about to ask of him. For sure, she wants to talk about bringing alive the Dire Hammer name instead of abandoning it.


    Dexter had earlier expressed his feeling on letting foreign faces take on the name he and his friends worked hard to create, but at the same time, he does not want to bind himself down to the dead, and is willing to overlook it if it meant benefiting those still living.


    "okay guild master, I will dance to your tune, but I also have a condition of my own".


    "yes Dexter, you can continue being the leader of the Dire Hammer".


    The guild master already knew what Dexter''s demand would be, and so she granted it without giving it much thought. She had no reason to decline his offer when Dexter being the leader, is exactly what she also wanted.


    "and also, can she be a member as well".


    He pointed over to Dana who was sitting beside him, taking the guild master''s gaze to her.


    "Dexter, the Dire Hammer party is meant for A rank members alone".


    "i am not asking for her to be a core member, just a side member until she grows up and be officially appointed as a core member".


    Dexter said, conveying his words clearer for the guild master to understand.


    "okay, she is in".


    The guild master took some minute to decide what to do before giving her approval.


    "if that is all, then I will go back down to go and register her".


    "Dexter".


    Getting up from his chair, the guild master called out with a gentle tone.


    "about what happened to Riley and Caren".


    "guild master".


    Dexter turned to look at the guild master, stopping her from talking about his dead party members, and throwing pitiful shades at him.


    "I am fine".


    He assured the guild master he was doing alright, and shed a smile her way before heading for the door with Dana.

 Chapter 155 Murian City

    ?*LOCATION = MURIAN CITY*


    Murian city, is a city located in the territory of the Gucan Empire. A prosperous human nation, also qualifying as one of humanity''s superpowerd nation.


    When Orun left Edevin city that was under the Bregogon kingdom, he walked a far off distance, passing through the borders of the Bregogon kingdom and ending up in a forest bordering the Gucan Empire.


    The city closest to the forest Orun is residing in, is Murian City, functioning under the lordship of Earl Thomas.


    .


    .


    "my lord, may Ie in".


    The man in official wear colored ck both up and down, stood in front of the door and expecting a positive reply to his question.


    e on in".


    The man obeying the voice that answered him, opened the door and went inside.


    "what is it butler Robert? I am busy enough as it is being buried in paperworks, if it''s anything that can wait, then it should".


    Scribbling on the sheet on his table, he monotoned to butler Robert without bothering to raise his head up to look at him.


    "i am afraid it cannot wait, lord Thomas".


    Butler Robert moved closer to the desk as he betrayed the expectation of his lord.


    "sigh... What is it".


    Lord Thomas dropped the paperwork in his hand, and raised his head up to ask what matter required Butler Roberting to disturb him during his working hours.


    "you have a very important visitor waiting for you in the guest lounge. He bears the insignia of The Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation".


    Lord Thomas''s reaction to hearing the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation mentioned was quick, as he got up from his seat and took his jacket from the hanger beside him.


    He hastily wore the blue long jacket, making his way to the door with Butler Robert following behind him.


    "since when".


    He asked, rushing himself down the hallway.


    "he arrived about fifteen minutes ago".


    "and you did not think toe and call for me immediately he arrived".


    "that was my intention my lord, but I was upied with answering his questions so I could note to call you".


    "what sorts of questions did he ask you".


    "he asked for the monster situation in our vicinity, and also asked if we have noticed any odd urrences within the territory".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "and what did you tell him".


    "the truth sir. I told him we have not had such happenings in the territory, and the monsters activities is the same as it always is".


    "good, we shouldn''t bber off too much to him without knowing what reasons brought him here".


    Lord Thomas showed a certain amount of cautiousness with his way of talking, and the way he carried himself.  A representative of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregationing to his territory, does not spell good for him.


    So far, the only reasons he could think of as to why they would ever visit a territory as small as his, it''s either the Holy Congregation has sniffed out trouble within his territory, or they want something he has in his territory.


    Thomas found his first option to be the reason as to why they are here. If they went as far as asking Butler Robert what kind of state the fief is concerning the monsters movements.


    Thomas has ruled his fief well. It isn''t exactly rich, but it is not poor either, he has managed to put it in between, and whatever the Holy Congregation wants with his fief, will ruin the steady pace Thomas had put it in, he is sure of that.


    "Be sure to warn all the staff in the mansion to be careful of what they say".


    "i will do so my lord".


    ***


    "I apologize for keeping you waiting".


    Thomas passing through the wide open entrance leading to the guest lounge to meet with his unexpected visitor.


    When he got in, he saw Caiusid down with his legs on the sofa, his head rested on thep pillow, and the little humanoid fire being on the table in front of the sofa, throwing the cookies set on the table into its mouth.


    Thomas could not help but be dumbfounded at how the representative of the Holy Congregation behaved so irresponsible in his presence.


    This is the first time they are meeting, yet he treats Thomas like his underling. Sitting in a disrespectful position while he is standing.


    "to what do I owe this sudden visit".


    Thomas sat down, and did his best to look past the disrespect he is being showered with in his own home. The messenger must be someone high in the Holy Congregation for him to have the guts to act this way before a noble.


    If he knew exactly what position the representative belonged to, then Thomas can openly criticize him as much as he wants using his authority as a lord. But not knowing, Thoma felt it better to ignore his actions to avoid getting himself in what he will note out from in one piece.


    "i am going to cut straight to the chase. I need full control of your military forces".


    Caius raised his legs down, and sat properly on the sofa, facing Thomas eye to eye. He stretched out his hand and took from the jar Ignatius was feeding from, a cookie that he threw in his mouth.


    "i don''t understand, what did you say you need from me".


    Thomas face was frowning, and the eyebags under his eyes, an effect from overworking himself while getting limited sleep, made his expression much worse.


    Since he entered the guest lounge, Caius had been rude to him all through. He did his best as an adult to overlook his offense actions, but it seems, the more hees off as being tolerant toward Caius, the further he seeks to berate his authority.


    Thomas had no intention of watching while an outsider whose rank or name he does not know,e inside his territory and start dictating to him what he should and shouldn''t do.


    Holy Congregation or not, he won''t just stand by, especially when it has to do with his military forces.

 Chapter 156 Home Of Thomas

    ?"and? Who do you think you are toe into my fief, requesting to be handed over control of my military forces".


    Thomas doning on his serious and intimidating face, which sadly enough, had no effect on Caius like he wanted it to.


    "who am I? That''s a very good question".


    Caius replied back, finding the situation he is entangled in quite amusing for him.


    "i am the guy who was tricked by his boss to go out into the world to help a bunch of humans out of the goodness of my heart. You know why that is? Because it''s my job to do so".


    He stood up from the sofa, and started pacing himself in the room, going back and forth slowly.


    "tell me Lord.....?"


    "Thomas, Lord Thomas".


    "tell me Lord Thomas, what would you do if, in your quest to help someone, that person responds to you with a disgruntled attitude. Lord Thomas, if you were in that person''s position, what would you do? Will you help them, or will you ignore them and watch as they perish before your very eyes".


    While he asks Thomas, Caius made sure his head was within a few breathe away from Thomas''s face.


    e on, answer me and don''t just stare at me like a mad man".


    Thomas sat still, bending his head backward to make some space between he and Caius''s face. He turned his head to Butler Robert who was standing behind him, for a way out of this.


    "Lord Caius, I apologize for my Lord''s way of addressing you, it was not his intention to hurt you with his words. He merely wants to know for what reasons you are demanding full control of Murian city''s military forces, what you n to do with them. And if possible, what is your stand in the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation".


    Butler Robert setting his voice to be as calm, friendly, and pleasing as he could to the ears of Caius.


    Caius raised his head and turned it over to where Butler Robert was standing. He stared at him for a while, before going back to the sofa and sitting on it.


    "apology epted. And so for my position in the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation, I am one of the four Cardinals of the Sanctuary. Cardinal Caius, the fire spirit user".


    "Cardinal? Do you mean".


    "yes, that same Cardinal, humanitys protector, that is what I am".


    Hearing that Caius was a Cardinal, Thomas hastily got up from his seat ready to give him a sincere apology, but he was stopped by Caius widening his palm and stretching it forward.


    "don''t. Don''t do whatever it is you were about to do now. If you understand my position, release control of your military to me, that is all I need from you".


    Caius does not need a face-p apology from Thomas, only trying to apologize to him after he found out what rank he belongs to.


    As someone who had once lived the life of amoner, the noble''s way of life where they only seek to curry favor from those in a position higher than they are, greatly disturbs him, and wants to never live such life.


    "give me control of your military and let me be on my way. I have no desire to punish or scold you for your abrasive act toward me".


    He says a second time, snapping Thomas and Robert from their assumptions of what will befall them after being so rude to a Cardinal.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was certain they did not habor doubts on his word about being a Cardinal. Imitating a Cardinal, is the same as securing yourself a life sentence.


    Caius had Ignatius who only sat down on the table, munching on the cookies to. The fire spirit king was enough to prove that he was telling the truth about his identity.


    "Apologies Cardinal Caius, I will do as youmand right away".


    Thomas decided on doing as Caius has said, and moving past the verbal controversy that had earlier urred between them.


    "Robert".


    "yes lord Thomas".


    "go and summon the head of the knights immediately".


    Butler Robert with fast steps, walked toward the exit with no door, on his way to go and do as his lord has ordered.


    "Cardinal Caius, if I might be so rude to ask, what brought you all the way to Murian city".


    Hesitant, but still curious, Thomas asked.


    "i am sure you have heard of the unexpected event that took ce in Edevin city".


    "Edevin city?".


    It skipped Caius''s mind that Thomas is the lord of a city in the Gucan Empire, and not the Bregogon kingdom. The chances of him getting news of an event that happened in the city of another kingdom, and in a city with a poption of only one hundred thousand.


    Gucan Empire is by farrger than the Bregogon Kingdom. Thend mass of the Gucan Empire, is more than twice that of the Bregogon Kingdom. Their poption also is no joke as it exceeds the Bregogon Kingdom in multiplication form.


    Thomas already has issues to deal with the Lord''s in Gucan Empire, Lord''s that are coveting to have his fief as theirs, why would he bother himself with the lord of another kingdom.


    Internal strife is not a new thing in Gucan Empire, nor is it a forbidden act. The Emperor himself, acknowledged the need for internal strife, and uses it as a way to keep the nobles in check, measuring their military sizes, and mentally exhausting the Lord''s on when they might get attacked by their fellow Lord''s.


    The fear of getting attacked, will discourage them from ever trying to overthrow the Emperor through a coup, because the moment troops are moved out from the fief, the fief with less military guarding it, could be invaded by any neighboring lord.


    Losing their fief for a coup they are not sure they wille out victorious in, is never worth it, and so the reasons for the Emperor being in favor of Lord''s attacking other Lord''s.


    He does find a way to keep the Lord''s who have shown to be greater and capable of swallowing up any Invasion from other Lord''s, theirnd included.


    The Emperor, uses that fear mentality to control them by establishing a royal order on what fief must not be touched and what fief is allowed to be.


    Every lord in the Gucan Empire, seek to be in the confines of the Emperor''s favor, so he can give a royal order protecting their fief from ever being attacked.


    With such matters to brood on, keeping his fief safe from any sudden Invasion, and trying to put himself in the favor of the Emperor, Thomas could care less about what happens to a small city like Edevin, located in a small kingdom that poses no threat to the Gucan Empire.

 Chapter 157 Thomas Wants To Know Why

    "I apologize Cardinal Caius, but I know nothing of this ''Edevin'' you speak of".


    "it''s okay. I was just asking to see if you have heard of it, I never said it was mandatory for you to have heard of it, so you have no reason to apologize to me".


    Caius reached out for the jar with cookies, and tossed it inside his mouth.


    "Edevin is a city in Bregogon Kingdom. Months ago, the city was attacked by a monster of an unknown rank, and I was assigned by the Emissary to handle the case".


    He picked another cookie shaped like a star, and again tossed it inside his mouth.


    "if the Holy Congregation decided to send you a Cardinal, then this monster you speak of must be a force that cannot be underestimated".


    "he is powerful alright. Killed a bunch of thousand in Edevin city without even trying to".


    Caius being so casual with the death of thousands as he chews the cookie in his mouth.


    "you being here and asking for control over my military, am I to assume that the monster is near my territory".


    "right on point. I tracked him or her? Whatever gender it is, I tracked it down from Edevin, all the way to this ce, specifically the thick ominous forest miles away from your city".


    "if I may ask, can you not fight the monster without the need for my military. You said you were dispatched by the Emissary, if so, they must have faith that you would be capable of handling the monster alone".


    Thomas was reluctant to give away his troops to Caius so he can take to go and face off against a monster he does not know what level category it belongs into.


    Depending on the amount of forces Caius takes, there is sure to be casualties resulting from it, thereby diminishing his city''s defenses by several folds.


    Thomas felt the need to know why his forces are being sacrificed, and why his city''s defenses would be put in jeopardy. If there is a way to prevent Caius marching his military into the forest, and at the same time exterminate the monster, Caius is willing to bargain for such opportunity.


    "me wanting your military forces is not so I can make them go against the monster".


    Caius was done chewing the cookie in his mouth. He stretched his hand out to picked up another one to start chewing on.


    "but, you just asked for control of my military".


    "yes  I know what I asked for, I am not dump you know".


    Thomas really wished Caius would stop with the suspense of using the time he is supposed to be using to exin things to him to eat cookies, and get on with what he has to say.


    "then why did you ask for my military".


    "why else? So I can stop the monster".


    Caius eating the cookies while in the middle of a conversation with Thomas, greatly disturbed Thomas''s concentration from being fully immersed in what they were both discussing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Cardinal Caius, if you would please focus on my questions and not care too much for the cookies, I would very much appreciate that".


    "believe me, I will also like to do that, but this cookies of yours are just too mouth watering for me to ignore. I can feel them melting in my mouth all the way down to spreading itself in my insides. How do you make such delicacy".


    Caius crunched on the cookie in a very uncouth way, serving only to further irritate Thomas who sat there, listening to the annoying sounding out of his mouth.


    "if you are that enamored by the cookies, I can have the one that baked it make many more for you to take on your way when youplete your mission here. But first, can you please concentrate more on what we are talking about".


    "what about mine".


    Ignatius who had only sat on the table and eating as much cookies as it could, floated up and went near Thomas''s face, reminding him that it is also present, and also in need of more of the cookies.


    "do not worry, i will make sure to have enough ready to satisfy you both".


    Ignatius flew to Caius''s face with its expression glistened at the sound of them both getting enough to satisfy them withm


    "you heard the man. Caius, do not get yourself distracted by the cookie ever again. Get done with the conversation, finish the mission, and then we can have all the time we want to feast on the sweet, delicious cookie".


    Ignatius moved closer to Caius''s face, telling him of what to do while using body signs as demonstration.


    "i have heard you, just get your tiny self off my face".


    Caius stretched his hand forward and used it to pushed Ignatius aside.


    "like I was saying, I do not need your military forces to help me fight the monster, i need them to stop other monsters from interfering in our fight".


    Thomas gave Caius a look that shows he does not understand the point he was trying to make.


    "the forest the monster has chosen to hide in, I sense a lot of other monsters inside of it. If I were to engage the monster while the others are present, they are sure to interfere and that could tip the bnce of my engagement with the monster. I want a face off uninterrupted fight against it, and that is where your forcese into y".


    "a forest with a lot of monsters? Are you referring to the forest of Anjonu? It is the biggest forest near my territory and also the one having the most inhabitated monsters".


    "i have no idea what it''s name is, but I do sense a lot of monsters in it. I need your forces to keep the monsters in the forest busy, if possible to exterminate them all while I deal with the monster i came for, uninterrupted".


    Thomas thought hard and well of Caius''s n, and saw that it was a good one. Not knowing exactly how powerful the monster is, puts Caius at a disadvantage in a battle.


    By taking with him Thomas forces, he is reducing the risk the monster will pose to him with their presence there. It was a good enough n, but it still worried Thomas nheless.


    "Cardinal Caius, your n is indeed wonderful, but I am not so certain that my!!".


    Thomas about to exin his worries to Caius, was interrupted by the entrance of Butler Robert who had someone else''spany with him.

 Chapter 158 Caius Meets The Captain

    "my lord, as you have ordered, I have brought the captain of the knights".


    Butler Robert walked into the room with another by his side, getting close enough to Thomas, he announced his presence.


    "well done. Captain, I have a mission for you".


    He said, shifting his eyes over to the maiden dded in yellow armor and the side clothings colored ck, covering her body starting from her neck down to the toes and only revealing her face.


    Caius looking at her, had his Jaws dropped down, with her blonde long smooth hair lines, a green eyed gaze with which no man could dare resist the sight of, perfect jawlines like it was drawn just for her face. She is without a doubt a beauty amongst beauties, and this certain beauty caught the interest of Caius in a way he felt an uncontroble craving to.


    "Cardinal Caius, this is Elsa, the captain of Murian City knights. Elsa, this is Cardinal Caius, a representative from the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation".


    Thomas got up from his seat and stood near Elsa while he carried out the introduction.


    "It is an honor to be given the opportunity to meet with one of the four Cardinals".


    "indeed it is".


    Caius stood up from his seat and moved closer, standing in front of her. He extended his hand out to her, and continued staring at her face with a lewd expression.


    Elsa not wanting to be rude, returned Caius''s hand gesture by grabbing unto his hand. He raised her hand up and gave it a peck.


    "i am very happy to meet you, mydy".


    It was official, Caius was starting to creep out Elsa with the way he is acting toward her.


    "Cardinal Caius, I believe there was a reason I called for the captain of the knight".


    Thomas was quick to notice the expression on Elsa''s face, and he found a way to dissolve the situation while making sure to not sound offensive to Caius.


    "yes, that is right. I am tracking down a viinous monster who if not handled well, could very well bring down humanity''s civilization. The Emissary did not give the job to the others because he knew I was the only one worthy enough to battle such a foe".


    Caius kept bragging, exaggerating the matter and trying to be boastfully around Elsa, had his shoulders raised up.


    "Cardinal Caius, I thought you said the monster only attacked a small city? You never told me anything about it threatening mankind''s existence".


    "learn to read the mood old man".


    Caius said to Thomas who found himself asking, ''do I look that old? Enough to be called an old man?''.


    His face did look weary and stressed out, but it wasn''t enough to call him old using that as a reference. He remembered his age and assured himself that he is not at all an old man, and Caius''s word were bitter to him because he had attempted to reveal his lies before Elsa who Caius was trying to impress.


    "don''t take his words to heart too much. He is like that whenever he sees pretty girls".


    Ignatius went over to console Thomas who was feeling down by being called old by Caius.


    "yeah I figured that is what was going on, seeing how his attitude was quick to change when heid his eyes on her".


    "Cardinal Caius...."


    "please, a beautiful maiden like you should refer to me by my name, Caius".


    He corrected E while trying to sound romantic to her, but every word thates out of his mouth only serves to further anger her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Caius. I do not appreciate your way of speaking with me. Cardinal or not, you will treat me like the warrior that I am, and not as a woman you seek to pleasure yourself with".


    Else withdrew her hand from Caius''s hold, with her tone making it firm how inappropriate he is being toward her.


    "well someone sure has an attitude".


    Caius left Elsa and went back to where he had earlier sat on, after being rudely rejected by her.


    Elsa did not mind offending Caius, as she turned her eyes away from him and bowed her head down to Thomas.


    "lord Thomas, butler Robert said my presence was required".


    "yes it is. Cardinal Caius has Informed me of a very disturbing news that could bring harm to our people in the city. I n on handing over to him control of our military forces!".


    "be sure to make her understand that we are not just dealing with any ordinary danger. It''s a monster that can very well destroy your city if care isn''t taken, but you have nothing to worry about as long as I am here".


    "It is as Cardinal Caius has said. The monster had already shown to be dangerous by almost destroying an entire city with a poption of a hundred thousand".


    "not almost, he did destroy the city. That is why they called for me, because the warriors in the city were not strong enough to stop the monster".


    Thomas was fed up with Caius butting his mouth in while he is trying his best to exin the situation to Elsa. He knew that if he said one more word, Caius would surely add more to it, and he can not have that.


    "Cardinal Caius, if you would do the honor of exining to Elsa the current situation".


    "thought you never asked".


    The way Thomas thought of to stop him from ever interrupting, is by leaving the stage open for him to do the exining.


    "so, I was there sitting in my room when the Emissary of the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation came crawling to me, he begged for me to help him y a monster that had wrecked havoc and continued to threaten mankind''s existence, saying I was the only one with the power to do so".


    "being the Heroic figure I was, I could not bear to see the all great Emissary in such a pitiful condition. I epted his offer and began my journey for the search of the monster who has proimed itself enemy of mankind".


    Thomas and Robert could only watch as Caius continued to me the story more and more with events they know did not happen.


    "my journey for the monster lead me here, and I believe it has taken refuge in a forest closest to you, what was it called again lord Thomas".


    "forest of Anjonu".


    "what he said. I prepare myself for the time I face the monster, but not knowing it''s exact level, I decided on taking with me escorts that will keep the other monsters in the forest busy while I fight the monster uninterrupted".


    "and that, is the end of my epic tale".


    Caius closed the scene for his speech by grabbing a cookie he threw in his mouth.


    "you heard what he said Elsa. You are going to lead the forces and venture into the forest of Anjonu with him. Your mission will be to make sure that Cardinal Caius is not interrupted by any other monsters in the vicinity, can you do that".


    "i will assemble the soldiers right away and prepare them for departure".


    Elsa answered with her expression remain unchanged and unwavering.

 Chapter 159 Ignatius On The Move

    ? "soooo..... You single or you are taken? If you ask me, I would say a beautiful girl like you is way too precious to bemitted to only one man".


    "who said anything about me being interested in men".


    She held the reign of her horse and kicked the sides, allowing her to gallop at a speed that slowly overtakes Caius.


    Caius on his horse, sat their speechless as he watches Elsa''s horse pass him by.


    "no way, you are interested in women".


    He asked, chasing after her figure.


    "i am interested in anything that talks less and has it priorities more in taking actions".


    She said her mind and left Caius at the back again.


    "Caius, a word of advice from someone who has lived a lifetime to see various forms of wooing a girl. This girl, is not one bit interested in you".


    Ignatius on Caius''s head, warned him of the failure that lies beyond trying to get with Elsa.


    "answer me this, in all those lifetimes you have lived, how many women have you scored against".


    "You know I am a full spiritual entity, and as such, I have no need to mate with another, nor the desire to do so. If I had a womanizer nature like you, I would have all the girls in the world bowing at my feet and begging to lick my foot. That is how good I am with women".


    Ignatius hovering in Caius''s face and taking on different poses depicting its tiny figure.


    "if you are so sure of yourself, why don''t you go over to her and help me score a point".


    "hmm..., what''s in it for me if I help you out".


    Ignatius was aware that Caius''s dare was so he could trick it into getting the girl on his good side. It for sure is unbothered by that, and would very much love to help him out, with a reward of course.


    The both can be very antagonistic with each other whenever they are not on the same side, this is Ignatius opportunity to use against Caius what he loves the most, and ask for what it wants.


    "what do you want from me".


    "i can''t think of anything for now, so how about I just tell you what I wantter when somethinges to mind".


    Ignatius has a lot of demands to ask of Caius, but it knew Caius will not be willing to go with its demands if it gets too much.


    Ignatius asked for time so that it can narrow down what it will ask, and in case there is an emergency where the demand could prove useful to it.


    "all you have to do, is promise me that you will keep to your word on whatever I ask, and no matter how weird it is alright".


    Caius hesitated on answer Ignatius. He knows how childish Ignatius can be most of the time, and the unreasonable demands it could make on the spur of the moment.


    Promising to bring to reality whatever it wants, is a hard decision for Caius to make, but one he is willing to ept for the sake of the beauty before his eyes.


    "alright Ignatius, you got yourself a deal".


    Caius was desperate to have Elsaid on the bed and him on top of her, he wondered in his mind what sort of moans she will make when he starts ramming into her.


    Its not everyday onees across such a beauty, and he isn''t ready to let such beauty slip away from his tips.


    "okay, here I go".


    Ignatius flew away from Caius and went to meet with Elsa who was at the front.


    "hey".<novelnext></novelnext>


    He called out, floating in front of her, within range of her face.


    "lord spirit king, it is an honor to meet one dignified as you are".


    Elemental Spirits are very well respected in the world, and are even worshipped by other race who considers them as the epitome of all elemental powers.


    Being in contract with an elemental spirit, is akin to being favored by nature itself. Like a chosen one meant to represent the order of nature.


    No matter what sort of rank the elemental is, they will always be given respect for what they are, unlike the demons who are scorned as the opposite of Elemental Spirits, and regarded as a necessary form of evil born only to cause the destruction of the world.


    Elemental Spirits gives power to those who have none, aiding and guiding them to a position where they can stand on their own two feets.


    Contracting with an elemental is nothing hard to do for one who is born into a race favored by Elementals. The hard part, is contracting with an higher level Elementals.


    Their ranks are in this order.


    ======================


    ¡ñKing


    ¡ñHighest tier


    ¡ñHigher tier


    ¡ñHigh tier


    ¡ñIntermediate tier


    ¡ñLow tier


    ¡ñLower tier


    ¡ñLowest tier


    =====================


    Starting from the lowest tier elementals to the low tier elementals, are the easiest and weakest types of Elementals to contract with. Their form are always inhumane, and far off from being animal likes. They take on shapes that describe them as odd and weird.


    The intermediate tier elementals are not hard to contract, but they are also not so easy as the lowest to low tier elementals. They possess enough power to lead their contractors to living a fair good life, cing them amongst the good ss.


    They take on forms mostly akin to animals, ancient beasts passed down as legends from one generation to another.


    High tier elementals to highest tier elementals are the hardest type elementals to contract, and can only be essible mostly by the so called genius, or one who is very much loved by nature itself. Their form are always closer to human like creatures, having two hands and feet and standing on legs.


    King tier elementals. The greatest and apex of all elementals, the creators of the highest, intermediate, and low tier elementals.


    Without them in existence, Elemental creatures would never have existed. Getting into a contract with them is said to be impossible because summoning one requires the summoner having enough mana to rival the kings.


    Any being would die of mana exhaustion from summoning a king tier elementals.  The only condition where one can sessfully summon a king tier elemental, is if the king willingpensate for the mana used in the summoning. And for a king to go that far, would mean the king has taken interest in the summoner.


    King type elementals have different forms and shapes, they have the ability to change into whatever they want to be and however they want it.


    Ignatius being an Elemental already earns it a spot In Elsa''s heart. Not a spot as in a romantic way, but more in terms of a mighty entity deserving of praise and worship.


    The fact that Ignatius isn''t just any kind of Elemental, but the very king of a particr elemental spirit, takes it to the position equalling to the God''s, and grants it the immense privilege ofmanding all those who are in line with the teachings of nature itself, mostly the elves, humans, beastkins and so on.

 Chapter 160 What Is He? A God

    "lord spirit king".


    "ye-yes".


    "is there anything I can help you with".


    "no, nothing, nothing at all".


    Ignatius was deep in thought concerning what to say to Elsa to get her to open up a little to Caius.


    Here it came, wanting to use its authority as an Elemental king to help its contractor score a point with a girl he is infatuated with. The girl addressing Ignatius with respect that even Caius does not give it, makes it think twice on if it should help Caius ask the girl out, only for him to leave her when he is done with her, or if it should do what is considered the right thing and help prevent Elsa from falling prey to Caius?.


    "lord spirit king".


    Elsa called out to Ignatius''s attention, bringing it out of its deep thought.


    "i am curious lord spirit king, why did you choose that person as your contractor? He is rude, unruly and too pompous for any spirit to want to take a liking to him".


    "don''t forget annoying".


    Ignatius added, sitting itself down on Elsa''s right shoulder.


    "exactly my point. If you know that he is that kind of person, why do you still bother staying with him. He sully your name with his unruliness, he is not a good image for you to keep around".


    "you are right. When I think about how mean and disrespectful he always is to me, too boisterous, always acting all high and mighty like the world belongs to him. He also has a really nasty temper, once he shows it, you won''t ever want to be anywhere near him".


    "with all this bad qualities in one man, it is enough for me to want to leave him to cater for himself, and i would have done exactly that, if I did not know the real Caius that is".


    "the real Caius? What other him is there apart from the one he is disying".


    "i am talking about the him before he became a Cardinal".


    "It was about six hundred and sixty eight years ago when he first summoned me, of rather a forced summoning".


    "wait. That long ago? I have heard rumors that the Cardinal''s are long lived unlike we normal humans. I thought there were just that, rumors and nothing more".


    Caius''s childish attitude did not exactly do the rumors enough justice for Elsa to want to believe it is true.


    "trust me darling, It''s not just empty rumors. Amongst the four Cardinals, there is one who had even existed before I and the other spirit king were born".


    Elsa found Ignatius words to be unbelievable in her ears. No one knows for sure how old spirits are, or for how long spirits have been in existence. To say that a man is older than the spirit kings who are the progenitor of all spirits, is the same as saying the man is far stronger than the spirit kings.


    "what is he, a dragon".<novelnext></novelnext>


    She thought the only way for there to have been a being who has lived longer than a spirit king, it had to be a dragon who are hailed as the strongest race in existence.


    Elemental Spirits are not the strongest being in the world, that title belongs to the dragons who still reign dominant. Despite the fact that dragons beyond lesser and greater have not once being spotted in centuries, their legends is already enough to qualify them for the position of strongest.


    Going by passed down myths, if a dragon of the highest rank is pitted against an Elemental Spirit King, it is not too far fetched to hand over the titles to the dragon. That is how exaggerated their stories are.


    "he is one of the four Cardinals, what do you think?".


    Ignatius question was trying to insinuate if Elsa had forgotten what the Cardinal''s stands for.


    They are called humanitys strongest, meaning only humans can be allowed to be Cardinals. Elsa asking if the man Ignatius was talking about is a dragon, is as if she does not know what the Cardinals represents.


    "but, how can a human have lived longer than you a spirit king".


    "i keep asking myself the same question you just did. At first, I also thought he wasn''t human, not until I got close enough to him to know that he is indeed a human".


    "out of curiosity, I once went to him and asked him for his age, but he replied me with, I have lived long enough to stop counting how many years have gone by. Do you have any idea what it means for someone to say such a thing".


    Not just for humans, but for any other race, age is a paramount guide to determining how strong a person is.


    The more long lived one is, the stronger one gets over time. The humans have an exception to that rule, in that, as they age, the more they decline in strength.


    But, there are ways for humans to ovee the age limitations, it is near the realm of impossible, but it does happen.


    If a human can ovee the age limitations, that human is sure to have gone past the realm of ordinary humans, and stepping into the domain of human monster kind.


    For such humans who managed to breach through the age gap, knowing what age they are, is essential as they will be able to easily ssify what their strength is, and know which opponents they should and shouldn''t go up against.


    An human saying he/she had lived far too long to remember what their age is, is the same thing as them dering that their strength had grown far too much to start cing limitations on it.


    Such being, can no longer be considered as an human-monster kind entity. They can only be ced in a position of Demi-Gods, beings surpassing the realm of transcendents to bing a God with a physical body.


    Ignatius did not want to believe that the human has managed to step into the realm of a Demi-God.


    It might also be that it is just over thinking what the human had said when in actuality, he is the forgetful type who actually forgot his age, and so hid it under the words of living far too long to remember what age he is.


    If he was a Demi-God like Ignatius had thought, then the human has no reason to still keep living as one when he could actually ascend to bing a true God whenever he so desires.


    Ignatius did not know what the man really is, nor is he able toprehend the realm of his might, but one thing it knows for certain, is that as a Demi-God, he would not appreciate the thought of being bossed around, much less by the Emissary who is weaker than him.


    The Gods also would not allow for a God like creature to continue residing in the physical world despite having powers putting him in the same category as them.

 Chapter 161 Caius Tale I

    "I couldn''t see the depths of him, and I decided it was best if I did not continue wasting my time trying to. So yes, there are humans like such with ridiculous amount of lifespan".


    Elsa still has doubts about a human living longer than a spirit king. She would not have even considered the idea to be true if she was not hearing it directly from one of the spirit king itself.


    "back on to Caius. I was talking about him before I diverted to talking about the Cardinal who is way older than I am. I don''t want to get too carried away with someone who is not even present at the moment".


    She wasn''t satisfied with just hearing the path Ignatius wanted her to hear. Elsa is desperate to know more about the human Cardinal who is older than an Elemental Spirit king.


    It wasn''t at all fair to her after having her curiosity piqued on the so called Cardinal, only for Ignatius to stop talking about him for the sake of speaking of about the Cardinal she has less interest in.


    She wanted to ask if Ignatius could continue the talk about the Cardinal, but she also did not want to sound rude before Ignatius by cutting it off from its speech.


    Left with not much of a choice, Elsa continued riding on her ck painted horse at a slow pace as she listened to Ignatius who sat on her right shoulder, talk about Caius''s life before bing a Cardinal.


    "back then, he was but a boy with hopes and dreams, chasing after wealth and riches. He was amoner who desired to live like the nobles. Do you have any idea how absurd it is for amoner to even think of bing a noble".


    Elsa was unresponsive to Ignatius''s question. She was born a noble, breed and lived like one, the life of amoner is an experience she is not familiar with, nor does she know how big a dream it is for amoner to want to be a noble breed.


    The rtionship between the nobles and themoners have always been one of a master to a servant type of rtionship.


    The only exception to amoner transitioning into a noble, is under the condition that amoner marries into the home of a noble, which, is an impossible situation to be in.


    The world isn''t a fairytail where a prince would sought out amoner female to marry, life does not work that way. Why should a prince of a kingdom, or a noble male who is set to inherit his father''s wealth, waste their time trying to woe amoner when they can just go to the ve market and get themselves as manymoner females as they want, to do their biddings without any objections.


    The same applies to the female nobles. No female would want to risk marriage with a pauper when whoever they get married to, is the same person they will end up packing their load over to live the rest of their lives with.


    Every noble is aiming to marry their offsprings off into another noble family of equal standing as them, or even greater. This is all so they can solidify their im as nobles and further extend the reach of their noble families.


    There is a distinctive ss separating themoners and noble, a ss that cannot be breached through with just ordinary efforts or determination alone.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "but Caius, he beat all odds, defied all odds and ims to getting to where he is today".


    Caius born to a father whose profession is a hunter, and a mother who sells ornaments in a retail shop, made a choice of his own to not live like his parents did.


    He was talented as a warrior, and he was able to get a chance of going to an institution that could further help his talent as a warrior, Caius however was forced to leave the institution behind to take on an adventurers job.


    He did not leave it of his own will, but did so because of the nobles he had an encounter with in the institute.


    Amoner with extraordinary talent, putting him above his ssmates full mostly of nobles, alwaysing out with excellent grades surpassing the noble kids. That wasn''t sitting right with them at all, it was a blow to their ego as nobles, a blow they were not willing to let roam free in their own turf.


    The noble kids plotted against Caius and had him expelled from the institution. Stranded and rendered homeless in one night, he could not bring himself to go back home to his parents after failing to make them proud, and so he made his journey to a distant town away from where the institute was located in.


    In that town, Caius started his life anew by registering in the guild and bing an adventurer. The town was inhabitated with othermoners like him, and he had no problem fitting in right away.


    "It wasn''t easy for him you know, especially if we take into consideration the depression he suffered through after he was expelled".


    Caius had to find himself after hitting rock bottom for the first time in his life. He watched as the nobles drowned his dreams and hope, flushing it beneath where his hands could not reach.


    It was then that Caius truly understood that talent is nothing but a piece of scraps before the power of the nobles, scraps that can be disposed off into the trash can by simply offending the wrong noble.


    He had almost given up on his situation, no, he had entirely given up on himself. Resigning his fate to spending the rest of his life as an F rank adventurer who only takes on menial quests like cleaning the town sewers for pennies, or climbing mountains just to pick herbs.


    Those are the kind of tasks Caius was subjected to after having his dreams crippled by the nobles.


    "i couldn''t watch as my favorite one ends up living such a pathetic life, and so I helped him out a little".

 Chapter 162 Caius Tale Ii

    "I have had my eyes on Caius since the day he was born. His innate aptitude for the me attracted me to his side".


    Ignatius from the Elemental Spirit realm had always watched over Caius through every of his journey, small or big.


    It all started with Ignatius being curious on how a normal human had such high affinity with fire. Caius''s affinity with the element of fire was enough to have him summon Ignatius, an elemental king.


    It had lived a really long life, yet had never oncee across a material being with an affinity capable of controlling the powers of the Elemental kings.


    Even with Caius''s affinity, Ignatius had no reason to show itself to him. It was a king of all fire Elementals, a mere affinity is not enough to have it running to a mortal as an elemental spirit familiar.


    It was sure that Caius would have no problem with summoning even the highest tier fire Elemental. Ignatius knew that would be enough for Caius to secure himself a position amongst the high echelons.


    "i really thought he was going to contract with the highest tier fire elemental, but he did no such thing".


    Everyday that passes by with Ignatius monitoring Caius''s movement to see if he had contracted with any fire Elemental, it was furious to find out that he had never even once attempted to contract with a spirit, much less seen one, despite his high affinity.


    "you cannot begin to imagine how frustrating it was for me to see such affinity go to waste".


    Caius''s reason for not making a contract with am Elemental Spirit is because he never needed to. Even without the help of Elemental Spirits, he was already physically strong and talented in the arts ofbat.


    With the kind ofbat talent Caius was born with, the thought of increasing his power With the help of a contract with an elemental never once urred to him.


    It was a kind of mental torture for Ignatius watching from its realm and seeing Caius pass through unnecessary stress when he could have simply taken the easy route by summoning an elemental to give him power.


    "you cannit begin to imagine how tough it was for me watching him waste his potential as an elemental user. if only there was someone who could direct him, someone to show him the way of using elemental spirits as a source of power".


    Ignatius was hopeful after Caius got expelled from the institute. It thought that finally, Caius was going to be more desperate than ever, and would want to seek various means with which he can use to increase his power so he could shove it all into the faces of those who looked down on him.


    Ignatius however was very disappointed to discover that even after being treated so poorly by the nobles, it did not serve as enough motivation for Caius to desire more power. Instead, it only degraded and shattered his determination.


    "i was really pissed of by his actions then".


    Ignatius could no longer sit idle by and watch as Caius ruins himself by limiting his potential to only taking on odd jobs.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "it was then I decided, if I wanted his real potential to surface, I needed to be the one to help him out".


    Ignatius resorted to doing the one thing it never wanted to do, and that was it personally intervening in Caius life. It used its power to activate a forced summoning between it and Caius.


    It did not want to let go of someone having such a high affinity towards fire. Caius not also taking notice of his affinity, did not make it any easier on Ignatius. It had to do everything it could to get Caius to understand exactly how special his talent is, and the only way Ignatius was forced into, is showing itself before Caius.


    "if only he had been just a little bit smarter, I would not have had to go to the length of a forced summoning when he could have summoned me himself".


    If Ignatius decided on waiting till it gets summoned by Caius, it would have been far toote with Caius expending his lifespan and only having a few more years to live.


    A forced summoning when Caius is still in his youth is the best way to go for someone as ignorant as Caius, and it is what Ignatius did.


    "i appeared before him with dignity and elegance, doning on a persona that could overwhelm anyone standing within fifty feet of me. But do you know what he said to me after seeing me".


    Ignatius turned its head to the side, looking at Elsa who also had her gaze turned toward it, with her eyes requesting for Ignatius to continue its tale.


    "he said to me, Who Are you. Can you believe that? who are you".


    Elsa did not find it as questioning as Ignatius had framed the whole scene to be like. It is not essential for everyone to recognize what elemental spirits look like, especially for an elemental spirit king who can take on any form it so desires.


    "i mean, I went through so much trouble all so I can make myself presentable to him extravagantly, but what did he pay me with? Who am I? Who am I?"


    Elsa was in no position to retort the words of an angry Elemental Spirit king, all she could do is continue riding on her horse while waiting for Ignatius to calm down.


    "anyway, being the dignified and forgiving kind that I am, I overlooked his rude manner toward me and went ahead to introduce myself to him and why I appeared before him. I promised to grant him strength, the kind that would make those who dared to look down on him eat their words, in return for him worshipping me an!!".


    "i apologize lord Spirit king, but can your story hold? We have got Iing".


    Elsa did not mean to be rude to Ignatius, but she had no choice after detecting the presence of five moving hastily toward her and the army she is on the march with.

 Chapter 163 Vice Captain Blake

    "report".


    Elsa stopped Ignatius from continuing its story further, and hastened the speed of her horse to catch up with the five men that wereing toward her.


    The five men were all dressed in armorpatible with the one Elsa and the group behind her are putting on.


    Her horse was on the verge of having a physical collision with the five men moments before she stopped the horse movement by holding unto the reign and pulling it toward her.


    "captain".


    The man who led the group of five, all on horses, did as Elsa did and stopped their horses movement, then the man ahead of the five, stired up a conversation with Elsa by calling her with her official title.


    "ke, how is the situation".


    The one referred to as ke by Elsa, is the vice Captain of Murian city, second inmand of the city''s forces, and Elsa''s most trusted advisor.


    .


    .


    When the greetings and introductions were over with, Thomas left the room for Caius and Elsa to debate on their n of actions concerning the extermination of the monster that had taken refuge in the forest of Anjonu, a den inhabitated only by the worst kind of monsters.


    The oue of Caius and Elsa''s contemtion regarding how to deal with the circumstances, led to them mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers, not even totalling up to half of what Murian forces are.


    Caius with Elsa leading the forces, marched out of the city gates and made their way toward the forest of Anjonu where the monster is located.


    Before they marched out of the city, Elsa sent out ke and four others ahead of the forces for a reconnaissance mission on the terrain they are about to walk through.


    ? What they are dealing with, is a monster who has demonstrated a certain level of intelligence with its actions so far, especially hiding itself in a forest where dreadful monsters live in, difficult for humans to venture into. A monster that is able to think that far ahead, is a monster they have to be careful against.


    Elsa sent out her vice captain ke to inspect the path leading to the forest of anjonu, to assure that the forces she is marching with, gets to their destination without being ambushed on the way.


    "anything suspicious along the way".


    "so far, we have found on signs of weird activities, everything is as it should be".


    ke had scouted all the way to the entrance of the forest of Ajonu, he made sure to carry out a thorough search of the surroundings beforeing back to Elsa to give her feedback of what he saw.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "good, then we camp here for tonight and move in when it''s dawn".


    Elsa felt there was no reason to hurry in their conquest of the forest. ke might not have seen anything, but one can never be too sure when ites to dealing with the likes of monsters, especially ones with intellectual property like humans.


    Those kinds tend to be more mischievous and cunning than ordinary monsters, going against them requires one to take utmost precautions and be prepared for anything that is toe.


    "is there a problem".


    Caius had sat still on his horse situated in front of the tens of thousands of forces he marched all the way here with. From where he sat still, he observed the ongoing conversation between Elsa and ke, with his lustful eyes focused mostly on Elsa.


    The distance between Caius and Elsa was far apart, enough for whatever she was talking about with ke to not be heard by those surrounding Caius, but it was no problem for him eavesdropping on them.


    He heard Elsa mention the word camping, and that did not sit well with him. Caius wanted to as fast as he can, exterminate the monster he came here for, and get himself back to the Sanctuary Of The Holy Congregation where his house is.


    Or at least, that was his ns until he met Elsa. After meeting her, he changed his ns from defeating the monster and getting back home, to defeating the monster and spending the rest of his time trying to get Elsa on his good side, maybe possibly get a date with her, get her and him together in a room, and, he decided to not think that far ahead, and instead try to get on her good view before he starts fantasizing on whates next.


    Caius on his horse, moved himself closer to where Elsa and the rest of the scout crew were having their discussion, to voice out his ownints.


    "there is no problem so far. The scouts led by my vice captain had just confirmed the road ahead to be safe to walk through".


    Elsa turned away from ke and her attention over to Caius who was slowly making his way toward them with a question that was loud enough for her to hear from where she was.


    "if that is the case, why do we have to camp here when we can just go deal with the monster now".


    Elsa understood clearly the urgency of Caius wanting to deal with the monster. He is a Cardinal, a one man army who can easily raise the whole forest down in one full sweep without so much as getting tired.


    What her and her troops are here for, is not to provide support for Caius, but to prevent any intervention from other monsters. She understood that well enough, Caius on the other hand, understood nothing.


    Elsa and the troops have been marching for hours nonstop, with full body armors and weapons in hand. They have all umted enough fatigue to wear them down and crumble their morals, asking such forces to go into a forest filled with monsters, is the same thing as giving them an early death sentence.


    Caius is a Cardinal with an incredible amount of stamina present in him. Hours of journey on a horse without rest would do nothing to him, but that does not apply to the rest of the troops that have been on the March with their foots.


    Elsa would not stand for Caius disregarding her and her troops, not taking into consideration their well-being, and only ever minding himself.

 Chapter 164 In-Considerate

    "Cardinal Caius, you need to also consider the well-being of the troops, and not think only about yourself".


    Elsa with a daunt expression, drawing up a line by addressing him respectfully and boldly reprimanding him on his selfish attitude. She is like one of those female office workers trying to draw a line between them and their promiscuous boss.


    "hey, how am I considering myself only? And what is with that voice? Did I do something wrong here?".


    The confusion could be seen on Caius''s face when he asked Elsa of his offence. He did not know for what reasons, all he knew is that Elsa''s way of addressing him was different than normal.


    She had always been a stuck up around him, and trying to distance herself far from him, but this time, from her tone, Caius knew that she was beyond mad at him, and he wanted to know why.


    "taking care of the monster now will be beneficial not only to me, but to the rest of the group. The faster we get everything over with, the faster you will all get to go back to your homes to celebrate with songs of jubtion".


    Caius was not trying to be funny with his words, he was being genuine with his thoughts, the only problem is, his thoughts did not take into regard the ability of the human forces.


    A fight with monster hoards, is not a fight one will just march into ande out unscathed with sounds of victory being echoed. That is not it at all.


    For Caius, a Cardinal who has lived for years, has not had a problem facing any difficult opponents, he did not have a reason to work with any human forces, and has never done so in hundred of years.


    He had forgotten the experience and feelings of what moving with an army feels like, or the experience they will face in an encounter with monster hoards.


    Particrly when dealing with monsters of unknown ranks, whose presence are very rare or rather impossible toe across.


    Going up against monsters requires sacrifices made by both parties, it''s not a fun activity full of roses and dandelions being sprinkled in the surroundings, it is a battlefield where lives will be lost, and a lot of blood will be spilled, human and monster parts rolling around, heads being crushed like balls, that is the kind of happenings one will experience in a battle against monsters.


    Caius outburst although trying to be considerate, only make him out as being insensitive to the human forces who marched all the way here to help him.


    "Cardinal Caius!".


    "leave this to me".


    Elsa was about to begin a long lecture detailing every reasons as to why Caius''s way of thinking is wrong and offensive to the forces. Before she could start her speech however, she was stopped by Ignatius who flew away from her shoulder all the way to appearing in front of her.


    "Ignatius, what are you doing? Can''t you see I am in the middle of a conversation".


    "i do, and I am saving you from it, so shut up and just follow me".


    Ignatius flew ahead of Caius, leading him away from Elsa and the group to a distance where they would not be able to hear whatever conversation they n on having.


    "dude, why the hell were you saying something like that".


    "what? What did I say that was wrong".<novelnext></novelnext>


    "everything you said there, was wrong. You know, like I keep on saying, I have lived thousands of years of your lifetime, and even I know when and when not to be so insensitive".


    Caius gave Ignatius the kind of look that says ''?''


    "seriously? Ignatius you? Not being insensitive? Have you forgotten the stunt you pulled with those adventurers? And you say you are not insensitive".


    "that was different. I was trying to cheer them up with my words, to encourage them after their loss. What you are doing is theplete opposite of that. How can you tell a bunch of soldiers that are about to risk their lives fighting to think of going back home to celebrate? Can you not think of those that will lose their lives here".


    Ignatius words were like fire to Caius, melting down his ignorant mind and allowing him to understand the gravity of what he had just said.


    "damn, I really screwed up big time".


    "i don''t me you. You ae too used to working alone that you have forgotten how it feels like to work with others".


    "i should probably go and apologize? Do you think she will forgive me".


    "i really don''t know. She already hated you to begin with, and now you have just made things worse".


    "hey, that is totally not my fault. How was I supposed to know that a lot of them are going to be dying tonig..."


    Caius was getting high pitched, angry on how he was being misunderstood, but he was able to tone it down just in time before his voice became loud enough for all to hear, creating another scenario of them getting even more furious with him for saying such words out loud.


    "damn it, why are everyone so sensitive nowadays? It was not like this in my time. Death was amon urrence, and a warrior dying in battle is something to rejoice about and not brood over".


    Caius says, making sure that his voice wasn''t loud enough for any of them to hear.


    "you can''t really me them, they have been too washed up in an Era of peace unlike back in your days when it''s endless struggling. don''t beat yourself up about it and just apologize when you go back to them".


    Caius adhered to Ignatius solution. With Ignatius on its head, he rides his horse back to where Elsa and the rest where standing.


    "listen guys, I know I said some..... words you all considered to be mean and insultive, i can assure you that it wasn''t my intention to. I was hasty, and did not bother putting you all into thoughts, but that has changed, I have been warned and I have understood".


    Elsa with a stern face, eased up a little after the forced out speech from Caius.


    "so, what''s the n".


    He said, moving closer to them, and showing that he is in support of them waiting till dawnes before they strike.

 Chapter 165 Light Argument With Ignatius

    It was already nighttime when the forces got to the entrance of the forest of Anjonu, a march from morning till night took a lot out of them.


    Elsa thought it best for her forces to get some rest and recuperate themselves for the battle that awaits them when dawnes, and had them set up tent in the open sandy like area bordering the entrance of the forest for them to rest the night in.


    Elsa chose the site specifically because it was open and one could easily spot if anything was heading toward them either from the back, sideways or from the forestry in their front. Anything at all, wouldn''t get past their range of sight.


    She wanted them to catch their breathe, feed their bellies to the brim, and get themselves prepared to lose their lives fighting monster, such is how soldiers must live, they sacrifice their lives for the safety of those at home. An honorable yet dangerous profession.


    "so? What did you tell her about me".


    Caius on his bed with his head facing up, looking at the triangle prism shaped tent. The color of the tent wasn''t white nor ck, it was a kind of color that blends itself with the surroundings, making it hard for anything far from them from easily spotting the tent unless theye closer to it, in which case, they would easily be caught by the guards standing guard in several stations of the campsite.


    Caius was given his own personal tent in respect for his title and high position.


    "were you not listening in with your long ears".


    Ignatius was on the table, situated in the down side of Caius''s range, with his legs facing the direction.


    It was feasting on the meat that was packaged and given to Caius by Elsa''s forces before they left the city.


    "is that supposed to be a trick question? You blocked all means of me eavesdropping after she called you lord spirit king. Why did you do that".


    Ignatius was in distress on what to do after being given respect by Elsa in her form of greeting. Along its line of thinking if it should help Caius, or be against him, Ignatius set up a barrier that wouldn''t allow Caius to use his long distance hearing advantage to know what was going on in its mind ro see that it was wavering.


    "i wanted it to be a surprise for you on what answer she gives me".


    So it says, but it''s true intention is to not let Caius notice its hesitation in carrying out the pact it made with him.


    Cakus also wasn''t quick to believe Ignatius''s word, but he also could not think of any other reasons as to why Ignatius would set up a barrier preventing him from hearing what was going on.


    "and what exactly did you tell her? I want it all in details with nothing left out, also, you have to tell me what her reply was first".


    "can it not wait until I am done eating".


    "no it can''t, the anticipation is killing me. You would have no need to exin it to me if you had not used that stupid barrier to stop me from eavesdropping".


    "i told you, that was for your sake, to make her answer a surprise for you".


    "and I appreciate that, which is why I am asking you to tell me now. We have a mission toplete for tomorrow, I need to know what her reply is now before then. Who knows, if I get a good response, It might encourage me to work even harder tomorrow and end it all before anybody dies".


    With Caius not showing any signs of seizing his pestering on Ignatius, it decided to save the meat forter and give Caius what he wants.


    "she has not exactly replied me yet. Before I started, she asked me why I was with you, calling you all sorts of names and how I was too good for you".


    "seriously? and what did you tell her?".


    "well, I kind of like you know, agreed with her, and I even joined in calling you names as well".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Caius''s response to Ignatius was slow, during which he managed to keep his face calm and cool despite wanting to burst out on the why? And how? he did not.


    "so? What happened next".


    "i told her about you, and the reasons as to why I am still with you".


    Caius sprang his upper body up from the bed as fast as he could.


    "what exactly did you tell her about me".


    "your past before bing a Cardinal".


    "you told her about my past? Why the heck would you do that".


    "rx. Her veiw of you is in the negative minus, as you are, there is absolutely no chance of her ever liking you, and I mean ever. To change that, I decided to talk to her about your past, to get her to sympathize with you, girls love it when they know their man''s weakness, and that is what I did".


    "by telling her about my past?".


    Caius asked again, looking at Ignatius who did not bother turning its attention over to Caius and instead focused on the meat before it".


    "yes. And like I said, it is all part of the sympathy strategy I am cooking up".


    Ignatius answered, stretching its tiny hand out and picking up the meat, about to chomp it into its mouth.


    Caius stood up from his bed, and in no time covered the distance between he and Ignatius before it could throw the meat inside its mouth.


    He took the meat from Ignatius''s hand and threw it back on the te.


    "how could you have done that? I said talk to her to get her to like me, not tell her about how pathetic I was once".


    "did you really have to throw away my meat".


    e on Ignatius, this is important".


    "and so is my meat. Do you realize what you have just done? Now I have to stretch my hand again to pick up the meat that should have already been in my stomach".


    Caius reached out for the meat he had earlier thrown to the te, and forced it into Ignatius mouth.


    "there, are you happy now?".


    "how can I be when the meat I am chewing on is one that should have been buried in me long ago, and me already picking up a second one".


    Says Ignatius, munching on the meat and crunching the bones before gulping it all down.

 Chapter 166 Drawing Up A Plan

    At the center of the camping site where Elsa''s forces rested the night in, is a muchrger tent surrounded by several other small tents.


    Standing at the entrance of the tent, are two guards, a male and a female, dded in full body armor with spears in their hands.


    Inside of the tent, is Elsa having a meeting with three other high members of the forces, with her vice captain ke standing beside her while she and the other two are seated. The seating position goes like this, Elsa at the head, one on her right, another one on her left, then ke standing by her side.


    "okay ke, we are all ears".


    The purpose of Elsa and the two other high military officials not sleeping when they should have, to prepare themselves for what is toe tomorrow, is so that they can listen to the n ke has drawn up for their conquest of the forest of Anjonu.


    ke raised his right hand up, with a stick in his hand. He pointed the stick in the direction of the table in front of Elsa and the rest.


    "i have scouted the perimeters leading to the forest, and so far, there are only two entrance safe enough for our soldiers to march into".


    After checking out the several routes leading into the forest of Anjonu, ke had seen that a lot of dangerous monsters have made it their home, and most of the routes are full of them.


    The forces main goal, is to get to where the monster Caius is chasing after, and all the while, they are to make sure he remains uninterrupted when fighting the monster.


    That is the reason they were dispatched, but that reason would not be able toe to fulfillment if they do not find themselves a safe passage to go through, a passage where they would not have to exhaust their strength before getting to their destination.


    They have to carefully navigate themselves into the forest if they are toplete their mission, and one of ke''s job ising up with a way to make that possible.


    "even the so called safe entrance, isn''tpletely safe. For a sessful passage, we will have to select a group of soldiers to distract the monsters while the main forces march their way in".


    "you mean sacrifice a group of soldiers".


    The man sitting on the right side of Elsa, spoke up, unveiling the true intentions of ke.


    They all kept quiet in the room, none seemingly want to agree to willingly sacrifice soldiers that are ready toy down their lives with a single word from their superior.


    ke was also at a loss, but he also knew that their choices are limited, and this is the best course of action for them to prevent the loss of even more soldiers and left with an ipleted mission.


    "i don''t understand captain, can''t we just leave it up to the Cardinal to clear the path for us? He is the reason why our men are out of their homes and on their way to sacrifice their lives, he should be willing to bear a part of the burden to ease us of any further loss".


    The other man sitting in the left side of Elsa showed his boldness by not being afraid to speak what they were all thinking of.


    "we can''t do that".


    Elsa said, turning over to the man.


    "why can''t we captain? If you are too scared to ask him, I can do it in your stead".


    "scared? When have you ever seen me get so scared before anybody".


    Her face brimming with confidence and her expression firm toward the one who called her scared.


    He couldn''t give a responsible reply to Elsa''s rhetoric question, and could only remain mute with his head slowly going down.


    There is a reason she is the captain of Murian city guards and not him. Elsa is known to be a strong, brave woman who isn''t afraid of anything or anyone. She stares danger in the face andmits her full attention to whatever she pledges to.


    She can be very docile when needed, and especially very strict when ites to training the men under her, she does not take it very likely with them in that aspect.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "i am not against asking for Cardinal Caius''s help in escorting our forces safely to our destination, but we all need to remember why Cardinal Caius came to us in the first ce".


    The two men turned their heads to look at each other, wondering where Elsa is going with her words.


    "he came to us because what he is dealing with, is a monster whose rank is unknown. He has less information on the monster than we do of what is inside the forest. To face a monster of unknown rank, he has to be in his full strength".


    "Cardinal Caius escorting our forces safely, will require him making use of his mana, and for every mana that dispenses out of his body, increases the risk of him facing the unknown rank monster. We are doing this without the help of the Cardinal, and that''s final".


    "ke".


    "yes ma''am".


    "brief them on your findings, and the several tactics you have thought of to getting us safely to where we are supposed to be. Report to me of your conclusion when morninges".


    Elsa was done with what she wanted to say. She got up from her seat and made her way out of the tent, leaving the two men and ke to continue discussing their options.


    "you know, I do appreciate you looking out for me, but I am sure I can take on a couple of monsters for you without any sweat".


    Elsa getting to the outside of the tent, saw Caius who was resting on the tent''s body, beside the guard on the right side.


    She did not bother minding him and went on her way to her own tent to get some rest.


    "no, they are more than capable enough to carry out their duties, no cking for any of them".


    She said, still walking with Caius following right behind her.


    "if you say so".


    "are you not supposed to be getting yourself ready for tomorrow".


    "i was, but then I got pissed off by my roommate, so I came outside for some fresh air".


    "i see".


    Elsa making it obvious with her choice of words that she had absolutely no interest in extending the duration she uses to speak with him.


    "you know, Ignatius told me ab!!".


    Caius was on the verge of talking about Ignatius to Elsa when he felt a tingle in his body".


    "wake your forces up right now".


    He said, with his head looking up at the sky in the direction of the forest of Anjonu.


    "why?".


    "something big ising".


    He said, with his head still turned in the forest direction, and his gaze undisturbed.

 Chapter 167 Unwanted Company

    Orun has blended himself in with the pack, with every of his day riddled with fun activities. He never knew, that the world outside would be so fitting for him after the life he spent inside the Dungeon.


    "what is the n for today".


    Orun all worked up on what the Wyverns were nning on doing, got up from the solid mountain top where he had slept from noon till evening when the sunlight was dim, retreating itself back to its humble abode, with the moon on the verge of taking over.


    Orun now had the luxury of sleeping whenever he wants to, and eat whenever he wants to. His schedule is set to match the pace of the Wyvern pack, in that, once they wake up in the morning, they hunt for food, and when they are done with that, they nap undisturbed in their turf, like the alphas they are.


    The time they wake up, depends mostly on when they get hungry, or when their leader gives themand, and that usually falls under the evening time category.


    He got up from where heid himself on, and walked all the way to the edge of the mountain where the Wyvern leader stood on, where theyout of the forest could be seen.


    "we will have to postpone any ns we have for today".


    "what! Why".


    With a disappointed face on, he got to where the Wyvern leader stood.


    "because we havepany".


    Orun squinted his eyes, shadowing his view along with where the Wyvern leader is looking at.


    "i don''t see anypany".


    "you can''t see them with just your ordinary eyes, they are blending themselves in with the surroundings, use your perceptive skill instead".


    Orun used his perception in the direction the Wyvern leader pointed to.


    "wow, that''s a lot of humans, and they all seem to be fully armed. What the hell are they looking for that needs that many of them in one ce".


    "there is only one reason a fully armed human army woulde here for, and that is trouble".


    The Wyvern leader moved away from the edge of the mountain, and turned over to where the pack were allid in.


    "okay pack, we have got ourselves some nasty intruders to deal with".


    "you know, I don''t think it''s a good idea to go out there looking for a fight".


    The human armies are fully armed, and it''s obvious from their numbers that they are looking for a fight, what isn''t obvious, is who they n on fighting against.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "what are you saying Orun? Are you suggesting we cower back and watch the humans invade our territory".


    Her expression was very serious, and Orun could guess from her tone that she wasn''t willing to calm down nor tolerate the presence of humans in her territory.


    "that is not what I am suggesting. I am saying, we have to be very smart about this".


    Orun''s worries is centered in him not wanting to get too involved with the human race.


    He has fought with humans before, and have annihted a lot of them. From that slight encounter together with the current one he is now faced with, it is enough for Orun to assume that the humans have arge number base on their side.


    If the Wyvern pack were to go out there right now, facing off against the overwhelming number of humans down there, and with luck, they manage to kill them all, what is to stop the humans from rallying up another human forces and march themselves down here, looking for a round two.


    He does not have a specific number tag on how many humans there are, but he can tell from the way they deploy their forces to deal with monsters, that the humans are willing to risk a lot of themselves if it involves the extermination of monster kind.


    The Wyvern showing this particr set of humans how strong they are, will not send shivers down the humans, nor make them cower in fear of ever trying to trespass in their territory ever again.


    If there is anything Orun has learned from the humans back on earth, it is how headstrong they are, and how annoyingly determined most of them can be when they fixate themselves on a particr goal.


    This humans are looking for monster blood, what is to say that they will not be willing to do anything to get it? The Pack going out there and scaring off the human forces, does nothing but to ignite into them the determination to continue sending more forces until the pack are dead.


    "what are you suggesting we do? Willingly hand over our territory to them".


    The Wyvern leader was beginning to get irritated with Orun. Every of his word is trying to lead her into a direction that will prevent a face off between her pack and the invading human army.


    She believes Orun to be strong, but is starting to be really disappointed with the way he thinks, despite the amount of strength he has.


    With her and the pack having wings, they can easily escape the invading human army, but that isn''t how they do things. They don''t just abandon their home out of fear of getting killed, and they won''t start now, especially when it''s against the humans.


    "i am sorry to break it to you, but Orun, I and my pack are going nowhere. This is our home, and we will defend it against the humans, even if it means the end of us all".


    If her pack were faced against another monster from a different specie, they would have no choice but to leave their homes in search of another, that is the rules of the monster kind, the strong rules over the weak.


    But such rules does not apply when dealing with humans. Humans are pathetic beings who have subjected themselves to being ruled over by a weak, depending only on numbers.


    The Wyvern leader is not ready to have the pride of her pack besmirched by running away from such humans.


    "what are you saying? When did I ever suggest running away from the humans".

 Chapter 168 Oruns Plan

    The Wyvern leader is utterly lost and confused. So far, what she managed to understand from how Orun was speaking, is that he wants them to run away, but now he is saying that isn''t his intention.


    "i don''t understand, are you not trying to tell us that we can''t win, and should instead take to running from the humans".


    "why the hell would I suggest us running from the humans?".


    Orun thought hard and long, but he could not figure out why the Wyvern leader would think he wants them all to run from humans.


    "seriously, I said let''s be smart about it, not run away. What part of that do you not understand".


    "stop beating around the bush and tell me what it is you are proposing".


    The Wyvern leader tried as hard as she could, but no matter what she thought of, she could notprehend exactly what Orun is trying to tell her unless he does it directly instead of going about it in a confused way.


    "the humans I know of, are a stubborn bunch who are ready to go through extreme lengths and take drastic measures to get what they want at any means possible".


    After what happened during his awakening, Orun has had enough time to consider what to do if ever he is caught up in a situation like that ever again.


    Aa a goblin who has once lived the life of a human, and has seen how far some humans can go with their obsession, he knows exactly, or rather, he can assume what steps the humans of this world will take concerning the things they loathe.


    It is no secret on the hate that has generated between humans and monster kind, the Wyvern leader has further confirmed that for him.


    The hate between monsters and humans, will not stop until one of them is gone forever, is what he thinks. In this case, the monsters will be on the losing end if a drawn out battle were to ur.


    The one advantage he has seen so far that the humans are blessed with, is their overwhelming number advantage.


    The Wyvern pack consists only of sixteen members, and if one were to put into consideration the amount of monsters inhabiting the forest, it still won''t be enough topare to the number of humans that are situated at the border of the forest, that goes to show how superior the humans are in number advantage.


    But that is okay, even though the humans have numbers on their side, their strength however is not on the same level as the monster kind.


    In a face off involving one average monster kind going up against five average human kind, the monster will no doubte out victorious in that encounter.


    Now, here is when things starts to getplicating and dangerous for the monster kind.


    Every being, regardless of what race they belong to, they all have a set amount of mana they can hold, and mana is what fuels their strengths, giving them the chance to carry out fantasy like activities.


    The monster kind so far, have demonstrated to have more mana than the humans do.


    Herees the assumption phase. Let''s assume there are teb monsters, and ten thousand humans in a box.


    One monster equal five ounce of mana, and a single human equal one ounce of mana. Overall, the ten monsters will have a total of fifty mana to use, and the humans will have a total of ten thousand mana to use.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The statistics above already puts the monster kind in a serious disadvantage because in truth, that is just how popted the humans are over the monster kind.


    With ten monsters, each having five ounce of mana, we should assume that it requires a monster using one mana to deal with a single human having only one ounce of mana in their body.


    Basing our assumptions on that theory, the most a single monster can handle, is five humans, and ten monsters equal to fifty humans in total, leaving behind nine thousand nine hundred and fifty humans left to handle.


    There is a saving grace for the monster kind, and it is that unlike the humans who are born physically weaker than the monsters, and have to rely heavily on mana to strengthen their body with before they can stand against monster kind, the monsters on the other hand are already born with that natural monstrous strength, and will only use mana to strengthen it further by choice and not by necessity.


    The monsters have the physical advantage over the humans, and can use it against them without having to rely on their mana.


    To demonstrate, here is another monster human statistics, putting into consideration the physical advantage the monsters have over the humans.


    Ten monsters with fifty once of mana, can deal damage to only fifty human kind, leaving behind nine thousand nine hundred and fifty humans. With the physical strength an average monster kind possess, they can push beyond the limits of their mana count, going at the humans until their body fails them.


    This might look like the two race are tied up in a draw, but that is not the case at all. Even as monsters, there is only so far they can go with just their physical strength alone.


    Remember, the ten monsters have exhausted their mana, having only their physical prowess left to rely on against nine thousand nine hundred and fifty mana powered humans to go up against.


    The fate of a face off like that, can only be determined on how long the monsters physical prowess can hold on for before they crumble.


    Using the sixteen Wyverns who are ridiculously bigger than the humans, the highest Orun predicts they willst against that kind of numbers, is up to two to three thousand, and that is assuming the humans do not have on their side, soldiers that can contend against a single Wyvern, like Shakir who did not fall so easily to Orun''s Aura.


    In Orun''s case, he predicts that he can wipe out all ten thousand of them without any hassle, but he knows that wouldn''t be the end of it.


    The humans are bound to use their numbers to keep oning, dispatching more numbers until Orun falls, or he abandons the fight and runs away. And that is what Orun is trying to prevent, a situation where the Wyverns will have to choose between continuous fighting until they drop dead, or running for their lives and leaving behind their territory.


    If the Wyverns n on not abandoning their turf to the monsters, they have to do whatever it takes to make sure that the humans will not be able to regroup themselves back to normal to n another attack after they have been taken down once.


    "how do we do that".


    The Wyvern leader rtes well to the point Orun is trying to make. It is true that humans can be very stubborn, and will not easily give up until they see to it that what they want is theirs.


    "that massive group of human soldiers down there, they are nothing but the body. Even if we destroy them, they can heal themselves back one way or another, using magic or other form. What we have to go after, is not the body, but the brain where all information is stored in, or in this case, the ce where the human soldiers came from".


    "are you implying that".


    The Wyvern leader eyes glistened, and for a moment there, one could see the sparkle in her eyes as she understood well what Orun''s n is.


    "yes, we take the fight to them directly by attacking the city where they came from".

 Chapter 169 Orun And Caius Meet

    Caius with his head raised up high, saw the Wyverns pack fly out from the direction of the forest. Their numbers are not muchpared to the forces Caius has with him, their strength however, is nothing to joke about.


    "captain, I suggest you get your forces ready".


    Even as he was talking to Elsa, his gaze wasn''t distracted from the monsters heading their way. Elsa on the other hand could not see nor feel the monsters, as they were still a little far off from their camping site.


    She turned her head away from Caius, and over to the direction Caius was staring at, straining her eyes while relying on all her senses to try and see or feel what Caius is currently feeling.


    "i don''t see or feel anything".


    "you are not supposed to. My guess, they are keeping themselves on a low profile to stage a surprise attack, too bad for them, that you happen to have me on your side".


    It is as Caius had guessed. The Wyverns had their aura cloaked, they made sure to fly above and blend themselves in with the darkness of the night.


    What he did not guess right however, is that the Wyverns are not cloaking themselves so they could attack Elsa''s forces, they did it so they will not be noticed when they fly above Caius and Elsa''s forces, with their destination being Murian City.


    Orun''s n involves the Wyverns flying across the forces stationed at the forest border, and going directly to their city. By doing so, the forces stationed at the forest entrance will have no choice but to retreat and defend their city.


    This will also make them hesitant to attack the forest a second time, with the fear that the Wyverns could get to wherever they want using the air advantage they have over the humans.


    "remember guys, never stoop so low for them to get an attack in. Take them all down while staying in the sky and using your breathe on them".


    Orun on the back of the Wyvern leader, instructed them on their n of action.


    Regardless of how strong the Wyverns are, the human city is sure to have more men on their side. Orun''s n does not involve the total annihtion of the human city, that would have been possible if he knows exactly how much the numbers of the forces guarding the city is.


    Him not knowing the exact amount, stuck to devising a n that would minimize the damage the Wyverns will take, while also maximizing the human losses.


    The Wyverns job, is to attack the human city from the sky, throwing all the breathe they have at them below, exerting their air advantage to the fullest.


    Once they are out of mana, they are to halt all attacks, not retreat, but halt. They will continue hovering in the sky where they are untouchable, and wait until their mana is replenished, once that is done, they will resume their attack on them.


    If the city was a small city, Orun''s n would have worked perfectly in annihting the entire city itself, but from the forces he has seen standing guard at the forest entrance, Orun deduced that they are not dealing with a small sized city, but rather arge one who is willing to send out suchrge numbers for monster extermination.


    Dealing with such a big city, requires the utmost patience one could have.


    While the Wyverns will slowly be dealing damage to the human city, Orun has taken it upon himself to go against the human forces that are stationed at the border separating the forest from the outer ne.


    "are you certain you are going to be okay all by yourself".<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Wyvern leader expressed her worries for Orun who had taken it upon himself to face off alone against the human forces at the border.


    She has already seen him in action, and knows just how capable he is, but she still worries mainly because of the numbers the humans came with.


    He would have to expend a lot of his mana taking care of them, and to top it off, he can''t fly like the Wyverns can, meaning he would have to go down there and engage in a physical altercation against them.


    No matter how powerful he is, going up against such numbers is bound to leave him with some umted fatigue, and possibly leave some scars on his body.


    "you don''t have to worry about me, I will be just fine on my own. What you should concentrate more on, is keeping the pack alive".


    Divide and conquer, is what Orun is aiming for with the n he initiated. It won''t be enough to just attack the human city, they have to show the humans and make them understand that they are an intelligent bunch, capable ofing up with ns and tactics, using the avable resources on themselves.


    He wants to instill into them the fear and superiority of the monster kind over the humans, to make them know, that the days of humans needlessly marching into monster territories and triumphing over monster kind with number advantage is over.


    The forest isn''t home to just the Wyverns alone, it has now be Orun''s safe abode as well. It is the ce that epted him after the times he has spent running and fighting for his life inside the Dungeon.


    He will be damned and have his body stepped over before he allows the humans to tramble on his home like it''s theirs to im.


    ''wow? It seems I am more materialistic than I thought I was''.


    He had once condemned the swamp snake for getting too materialistic and putting its territory first before its own life. Orun did not understand what it felt like back then as he had just met the Wyvern and only started forming a bond with them.


    Now he knows how it feels, the pride of one having a safe personal ce to call home, and how it feels for someone uninvited to think they can trespass on their home like it''s theirs.


    "don''t worry leader, we will do whatever it takes to protect what belongs to us".


    Orun was determined this time, the forest is his home, and the Wyverns pack is the ce he belongs in, he is ready to do anything to keep both as selfish of him as it is.


    "!!!"


    Orun was hurriedly snapped out of his thoughts by the abrupt movement he felt suddenly appeared from his back.


    "found you, monster".


    The voice said, sending a kick in Orun''s direction.

 Chapter 170 Physical Exchange

    Orun instinctively raised his guard up, shielding himself from the kick that came from his back, and aiming for his head. He stopped the kick, and stretched out his hand to grab unto the leg then threw it off of the Wyvern leader''s back.


    "what the hell was that?".


    Orun looking extremely surprised and on edge about what just happened.


    He questioned how the human figure was able to get behind him, all the while he did not notice, what kind of concealment procedure method could he have used to carry it out?.


    Even if Orun had not detected anything, at least Oracle would have, and would also have alerted him just in time, even before the presence got to his back.


    [forgive me master, I was unable to feel his presence in time and almost put master''s life in jeopardy].


    ''there is no need to feel sorry about this. This just mean we are dealing with an opponent who has to be extremely versed in stealth, enough to escape getting sighted by even you''.


    Orun could not put the me on Oracle, not when he or the other Wyverns were also just as useless when it came to sensing the man that appeared before him.


    "what was that about".


    Orun was riding on the Wyvern leader''s back when the incident happened, and the only thing she managed to see, is a human figure being thrown off of her back.


    pany, a really stealthy one, and presumably can jump very high".


    Orun moved himself closer to the ends of the Wyvern leader''s back, to see if he could spot the one that attacked him.


    "i have to say, I wasn''t really expecting you to be fast enough to react to my attack".


    He stood high on the Wyvern leader''s back, and raised his head up to where the voice hade from.


    Orun was taken unaware to see the human man flying above him and the Wyvern pack without the help of wings or any other thing supporting him.


    "hmm..., are you the monster I am hunting for".


    The human male faced Orun when he talked, so for one, he knew it was him the human male is talking to. The only problem with the human male conversing with him, is that he understands nothing of what he is saying.


    "right, I forgot, you can''t understand me, and I also cannot understand you. Guess I will have to find that out from your mana signature".


    Orun had his Aurapletely toned down so he wouldn''t be spotted by the humans below when he is about to attack them.


    That was the idea behind it, but that is now serving as an hindrance for Caius who was only able to track down Orun by following his residue mana fluctuation from Edevin city all the way to this forest.


    The only way for Caius to know if Orun is the monster, is by forcing him to use his mana, and that can only be done when he is attacked and defending with his mana.


    "no matter, monster or not, you look dangerous, and it is my duty to eliminate threats like you".


    Caius from above, stretched out his hand down on Orun and the Wyvern pack. He opened the floor for his attack starting with conjuring up fires, and falling them down like droplets of rain.


    "Wyvern pack, disperse".<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Wyvern leader gave out the order, following Caius''s attack. The Pack splitted themselves, each twisting and turning, performing different diving acts and evading the droplets of fire a out to make contact with their skin.


    "Pack, we will surround the human and release our breathe on him in unison".


    The Wyvern leader says, still free diving to avoid Caius''s attack.


    "no, if we do that, it will screw with the whole n. We stick to the n like we talked about. You guys continue to your destination, and leave this ce for me to take care of".


    "will you be fine by yourself? He can fly, you can''t".


    "i might not be able to fly, but I have attacks with long distance range".


    Orun in retaliation, while still on the back of the Wyvern leader, he sprouted out thorn from his palm, and hurled it at Caius who is above him.


    "be safe".


    The Wyvern leader says, hesitant to leave Orun to fend for himself.


    "i will".


    Orun ran on the Wyvern leader''s back, and when he got to her head, he jumped and hurled himself in the direction Caius is floating in.


    Orun ovepped Caius by jumping above him. He quickly spread his palm out, crafting his thorn in the form of a, then dropped it down on Caius.


    "you are definitely the monster I have been looking for".


    Using his thorn required mana, and Caius was able to discern Orun''s mana fluctuation from the skills he had just used.


    "but you must be more dumb than I had given you credit for if you think a is supposedly going to stop me".


    Caius burned down the made of thorn the moment it made contact with him.


    Orun wasn''t exactly expecting such scenario. If the was made with ordinary materials, then sure it would not do Caius any harm, but the thorn Orun used, was made using the mana from his inferno mana core, meaning the thorn itself has fire type attribute and should be able to withstand others me to a certain degree, is what Orun thought.


    Caius proving him otherwise can only mean that Orun''s me aptitude does not stand a chance against Caius''s aptitude, or the mana in the thorn was just too weak to withstand Caius''s me.


    Orun created his bow, and fired off three shots at Caius, who evaded all three of them by moving steadily to the sides.


    "seriously? Is this really the unknown rank monster I came after?".


    Caius was disappointed with the situation he had found himself. The damage done to Edevin was considerably high, and much more than what the monster before him has to offer.


    When he got to Edevin to investigate, he could still feel the mana residue in the surroundings affecting the other monsters that are exposed to it.


    That was what made Caius be on edge, that the monster he is after, isn''t any kind of monster but an high ranking one. The monster before him however, does not live up to the reputation Caius had painted in his mind.

 Chapter 171 Elsa Needs To Hurry

    "Captain".


    From the tent he was in, ke heard the ruckus going on outside, and hurriedly rushed out with the other two that was in the tent with him.


    Getting outside, he saw the hasty movements of soldiers running out of their tents, trying to get themselves together, and Elsa hastily giving outmands to the soldiers who have managed to bring themselves together amidst the chaos.


    He rushed himself over to his Captain Elsa to ask her what was going on, but he was met with an immediate order from her before he could say more.


    "ke, I need you to gather as many aerialbatant as you can, we have aggressivepanying from the sky".


    Aerialbatants are soldiers capable of attacking in the sky from ground level. Mostly involving mage ss soldiers who canunch attacks like fire balls and so on at enemies spotted in the sky.


    ke did as he was ordered with less questioning, as he swiftly moves himself to go and coordinate the aerialbatants and prepare them for a battle in the sky.


    "captain, the sky".


    With a panicked and worn-out voice, one of the guard closer  to Elsa called out her attention to what was going on in the sky.


    "damn it. It must be Cardinal Caius''s doing. Everybody, take cover right now".


    When she looked up at the sky, what she saw is a rain of fire falling from above and about to collide with them. Elsa guessed that Caius was behind it due to him being a fire spirit contractor, and immediately instructed her men to find something to shade themselves with from the rain.


    "he could have informed us beforehand that he was going to be releasing an attack like that".


    Elsa unlike the rest of her troops, was capable of evading the rain of fire without having a single drop touch her, by using her sleek movements.


    She wasn''t only dodging, but was also looking out for the rest of her troops who haven''t found themselves a good ce to hide.


    "at this rate, we will only be sitting ducks here and never get the chance to attack back".


    Elsa''s concern is on the Wyvern that are on their way to attack. Her men are too busy hiding from the rain of fire to properly make time to counter the Wyverns. At this rate, nothing is going to be stopping them from releasing their breathe on them.


    Caius who they should be counting on, appears to be busy dealing with a problem of his own.


    "all forces are to scatter and rendezvous Northwest from this location".


    She only gave out the order after checking which of the surrounding is rain fire free for her men to be in.


    "Captain".


    "a little busy here ke, and I expect you to be as well".


    "Captain, it''s urgent".


    kees running toward Elsa to deliver to her thetest discovery he has about the Wyverns movement.


    "what is it".


    "we have a problem captain. The Wyverns, they are not attacking us, but moving past us".


    Elsa was too upied with giving out orders, and evading the rain of fire to see what next move the Wyverns are on the verge of making. It wasn''t until ke came running to her that she raised her head up to see he was right.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "isn''t that good news? We will have one less thing to worry about".


    Elsa couldn''t understand why ke would consider them not being attacked by the Wyverns as a problem.


    If anything, the Wyverns not attacking as of current,  will give her troops the time they need to reorganize, and prepare for retaliation against the Wyverns.


    "It should be, but the location they are flying toward, is in the direction the city is in".


    Elsa hearing what ke said, left all that she was busy with, and focused mainly on observing the Wyverns movement.


    She found out that what ke said was true, the Wyverns are not even bothering themselves with her forces, and instead all flocking over to the town''s direction.


    This was bad news for Elsa and her forces. The city does have more men than they do, and Elsa is certain that they can protect themselves from the Wyvern monsters, but it isn''t without them getting any damage.


    Wyverns are monsters adept in airbat, fast and agile in it. And the city itself is equipped with air weapon the city uses to defend itself from sky type monsters, located at the top mostyer of every wall surrounding the city.


    The issue is, that before the weapons can bring down a single Wyvern, there is no doubt that a lot of damage would have been umted from them pouring down their breathe, or worse, they could even destroy the weapons.


    If one also put into consideration the amount of time it will take for the City''s aerial forces to get themselves prepared to defend against the Wyverns attack, too much damage will have been done to the city.


    "we have to do whatever it takes to stop them from getting anywhere near the city".


    Elsa stamps her sword to the ground, and began to take off her heavy armor, revealing only her inner wear.


    When she was done, she picks the sword back up, and ran toward the direction where the horses are situated.


    "but captain, what about Cardinal Caius".


    "i am sure he can fend for himself, we have problems of our own to deal with".


    ke''s intention by calling Caius''s name is to know when he would being to help them, if possible, stop the Wyverns before they can reach the city.


    Elsa knew Caius had no time of his own to spare helping them, she was present when he took off to the sky, going after the monsters.


    Elsa was quick to assume that he was already faced with a different enemy of his own, because his reasons for taking off, was to stop the Wyverns advancement.


    Seeing as how he hadn''t done that, she came to the conclusion that the enemy he is faced with, is not an easy one he could have easily taken down upon contact.


    He had probably made contact with the monster he was after from the start. Is what Elsa decided to conclude her thoughts on.


    "ke, I am giving you full authority here while I go after the Wyverns".


    "but Captain, they are up in the sky, there is not much you can do to stop that".


    "then do you suggest I just sit and wait as they get to the city and wreck as much havoc as they desire?".


    Elsa on her horse, left ke standing there and took off abruptly, going after the Wyvern monsters.

 Chapter 172 Face Off : Orun / Caius I

    Orun is incapable of flight, the stunt he pulled earlier that propelled him toward Caius had done its job. As he now had nothing to hold unto, he began to fall back to the ground.


    To stop himself from further dropping, he sprouted out vines from the ground beneath, making the shape out in the form of a tree, and lengthening the height to be long enough to hold him in the sky, standing straight and taller than all the trees in the forest.


    Orun dropped down on the vine, using it as a foothold to support himself in midair. From the vine, he sprouted out more vines and sent it all after Caius who was floating in midair with nothing to support himself with.


    "ho. You do have some pretty tricks up your sleeves".


    Caius evaded the iing vines, and made his way downward where Orun was standing.


    He also did not back away, as he steeped his legs on the vines, andunched himself at Caius.


    Orun sprouted out the thorn from his palm like a chainsaw, or rather, an handsaw. When he got to where Caius was, he stretched it out, aiming to cut him down with it.


    Caius in response to the thorn shaped vineing at him, used his fire ability and created a sword madepletely with fire. He thrust out the sword and collided it with the saw.


    The both exchanged a few hits with the sword and saw aggressively making contact with each other.


    Orun thrust his thorned free hand out at Caius, intending to attack his eyes, Caius however was quick to dodge as he slightly bent his head backward with Orun''s hand passing above his face.


    He wasn''t at all flustered by Caius evading speed, and simply thrust down the fist that was once hovering in Caius''s face, he abruptly thrusts it down on him, with Caius quick to raise his guard to defend against Orun''s fist.


    The fist made contact with his guard, but contrary to what Caius had expected, he wasn''t able to fully tank Orun''s punch and got sent flying downward.


    The speed with which Caius was falling at, is far too fast for him to control his body so he could fly back to the sky instead of falling.


    His back hit the ground hard, creating a mini sized earthquake in the form of sound, with waves blowing away all that is in the vicinity he fell into.


    The ground that epted Caius''s body, slowly shattered itself with only cracks forming beneath it, and extending itself to sizeable distance before stopping.


    "damn, it seems I have underestimated my opponent!".


    Orun did not allow Caius to finish his speech, as he drops himself down, heavily on his body.


    A wave much greater than when Caius had fallen, swept away all that is in the surroundings, with the forest that were nearby also bearing the grunts of the wave, the trees werepletely uprooted from their roots, and a thunderous echo rang out like it was signifying theing of a catastrophic storm.


    The ground that already had cracks formed at its top, broke downpletely like mud falling into pieces, and Caius that was on top, was being buried in.


    Orun wasted no time at all, as he stands on Caius''s body and uses it as a drilling object, ramming his body into the earth and shattering it further in.


    Caius''s body was being used by Orun to dig out a well in the ground, and showed no signs of stopping as he goes further into the floor beneath.


    "damn you monster".


    One would think that Caius''s body being used to drill a well in the ground, will resort to his body getting damaged or getting bruised, but none of such happened.


    Not even his Cardinal uniform had a dent on it despite being dragged all the way down, and getting rolled up in the dirt the earth has to offer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He wasn''t as affected as Orun thought Caius was going to be when having his body buried in the ground non-stop.


    Orun changed tactics and jumped off of Caius''s body. Even when he was no longer on top of Caius, the force with which he had used in burying his body was still at work, and Caius''s body was still digging downward.


    Orun from above, took a stern look at Caius, and he sprouted out vines from the walls surrounding him, attaching them to Caius''s two hands and legs to incapacitate him.


    He used the vines attached to Caius''s limbs, to stop him from going any deeper into the ground, and halted his movementspletely.


    To support himself in midair, Orun sprouted vines from the walls surrounding him, and made a foothold with it.


    Orun from above, looked down at the incapacitated Caius, wondering exactly what to be done with him. Initially, Orun would have killed Caius without hesitation, but this time, he couldn''t.


    His intuition was telling him that Caiusing into the forest and specifically attacking him when he was on the Wyvern leader''s back, are not mere coincidence.


    There were sixteen Wyverns flying in the sky then, and of those sixteen, it just so happens that Caius went after the one he was on. But, assuming even that was just an ordinary coincidence, what sort of exnation can be given for Caius paying no attention to the Wyverns and onlying after him.


    He put himself in Caius''s shoes, and wondered what he would have done


    Orun in Caius''s position will be capable of flight, the moment he senses sixteen Wyverns hovering above him, he would have flew up, and attacked all fifteen of them at once, using his speed advantage and skills.


    With the slight exchange he had with Caius, Orun deemed him stronger than the Wyverns put together, and also capable of taking them all down, but he did no such thing as he only focused on him.


    ''the problem is, I don''t remember seeing his face ever before".


    Orun thought, wondering from where Caius could have known him from to resort toing after him. He has had less interactions with humans, and even less after what he did in Edevin.


    He does not remember forming any sorts of memorable impression with any human that would require said humans to be targeting him.


    What he is yet to realize, that what he did in Edevin had traces of him lingering in the dungeon, and those traces, are what Caius used in tracking him down to the forest.


    Orun had no more time to think, as he noticed that Caius was about to open his mouth.


    "okay, I admit, you are much more stronger than I give you credit for".


    Caius''s expression showed no traces of him being desperate despite being tied down and rendered immobile by vines controlled by Orun.


    He openly expressed his admiration on Orun''s strength and how he was able to overpower him so easily.


    "you have done your best, I think it''s high time i do mine".


    He says, with mesing out from his body, enveloping him whole like bubbles, bursting and instantly being reced.


    "monster, this is the end for you".

 Chapter 173 Elsa About To Be Launched

    Riding on her horse, she galloped as fast as she can, with only the mediocre scent emanating from her body left lingering behind.


    Ignoring all that is within her range of sight, and only focusing her head up, looking at the Wyverns who continue to fly non-stop toward the direction her city is in.


    With the gaze she uses to look at the Wyverns above, one could easily discern the desperation in her heart, wishing, if only she could fly, she would have raced herself upward and confronted the Wyverns before they get to the city.


    "faster, faster!".


    She says, urging the horse to go even faster than it already is, forcing it to push past its limits.


    Elsa rode for hours before she had the chance to see the doors of her city from a distance away. Unfortunately for her, the horse she was on, wasn''t as fast as the Wyverns soaring in the sky.


    Her relieved face when she had almost gotten to her city gates turned sour after seeing smoke erupting from within the city itself.


    Hot vapor in gaseous state was beingpacted into one, and released into the atmosphere. Getting even closer, she could see the soldiers on the city walls struggling as they released attacks toward the Wyverns, attacks that were unable to reach much less graze the Wyverns in the sky.


    Ballistic missiles that were attached to the walls, used for firing off huge stones, are currently being fired in several dose in the direction of the Wyverns.


    The force behind it was enough to aid it in almost reaching the Wyverns, yet it was easily evaded before it touched them.


    The Wyverns in retaliation, rained down their mana breath inside the city,pletely ignoring the futile attempts of the soldiers situated on the walls.


    They ignored the walls, and only stuck to attacking the city full of houses, with people inhabiting it. It was obvious with the way they were attacking, that the Wyverns n is the destruction and ughter of Murian city and its people, and not the walls surrounding the city.


    "you damned monsters".


    If things continue to go as it is, the city will be engulfed in the mes of utter destruction, and the people she swore to protect will have their lives robbed of them by the despicable monsters.


    Elsa finally got to the gates of the city, and abruptly got off her horse, leaving it to fend for itself.


    She had only gotten to the gates, and from it, she pictured vividly the horrid event that had befell her city.


    Houses destroyed and some burned to ruins, bodies of soldiers on the floor, with deformity from having parts of their head opened up, while some had stones stacked on them, with the atmosphere reeking of the pure smell of blood.


    The people were running helter-skelter with no destination in mind, and only the thought of escaping being incinerated by the breath falling from above, lingered in their thoughts.


    The soldiers who are supposed to be protecting the city from happenings like this, were also lost in confusion on how to attack a monster whose activity is situated above, a ce where they have no power over.


    Even the air weapon they have with them is currently proving useless, and the mages attack also could not get to the Wyverns range.


    It does not take a genius for them to realize that all hope is lost, and their city will fall. But not Elsa, she had no such thoughts in her mind, nor was she willing to amodate it.


    In as much as she still breathes, she is the sort of person who would go to the extreme to see that she protects what she vowed to protect, and destroy what she vows to destroy.


    Elsa hurriedly rushed herself through the city gate, found her way up to the walls where the ballistic missiles were, all the while ignoring all attempts of her soldiers to strike a conversation with her, informing her of how d they are that she is back with them.


    Elsa got to where the ballistic was ced, and the soldier in charge of it moved away from her so he could express himself to her positively.


    "i want you to aim the ballistic with me on top, and shoot me in the direction of the Wyverns".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Elsa wasn''t cking around in any form, wasting on time as she gave out her order, while also adjusting herself to sit on top of the ballisticuncher, ready to be catapulted toward the Wyverns.


    "but captain!".


    The soldier in charge of the ballista Elsa sat herself on, had on him a very worried expression, and all for a good reason.


    The ballista is meant for hurling huge stones, and not a human. Elsa wanting to use it to hurl herself into the sky, could lead to severalplications, most of which the me will be shifted on the one that fired the ballista, orders or not.


    The soldier knows how important Elsa''s presence is to Murian''s military, and the oue of what wille to be if anything dangerous were to befall her.


    He also feared for what will happen to him if Elsa winds up in an ufortable situation after he fires the ballista like she ordered him to.


    "do it right now, it''s an order".


    Elsa said, with amanding tone. Her aim is to use her coarse voice to pester the soldier into submission, and ward off any such hesitation he harbors in his mind.


    Her voice however was not able to do the trick this time. She knows, that what she is asking of the soldier could very well lead to series of trouble for him, especially if he is with a family of his own.


    This is like telling him to willingly gamble away the life of he and his family in the city, simply byunching the ballista with Elsa on it, and waiting to see what oue will be arrived.


    It is a tough decision to make, and the stress of the city being under attack does not make it any less easier to decide on.


    "you are a good soldier, but this is not the time to hesitate. The more you wait, the more damage is being done to our city if you do not hurl me at the Wyverns".


    Says Elsa, resorting to gentle speech after seeing that threats will not work on him.


    "but captain, what can you do even if you do get up there? They are Wyverns, while we..."


    "what? While we are humans? Is that what you were going to say".


    The soldier had his head down, not knowing what to answer Elsa with.


    "It is fine to lose hope soldier, everyone does once in a while. You want to know what isn''t right? It is letting that hope decide your next course of action".


    "as long as you still have life breathing within you, there is still hope. As long as you still have your arms and legs attached to your body, there is still hope".


    "the only situation you are allowed to give up hope, is when you take that onest breath signifying the very end itself".


    "there is not much I can do going up there, but there isn''t much I can do staying down here either. I have the body, all I need is the will to push me forward".


    Elsa clenched her fist, and bumped it on the soldier''s chest, with a face that the soldier could only describe as Elsa asking him how strong is his will.


    All hesitation within him vanished, his resolve steeled like the way a soldier''s resolve should be.


    He moved over to where the rope was, raised his sword and in one full sh, he cut down the rope that would allow Elsa to be catapulted upwards like she wanted.

 Chapter 174 Orun / Caius Ii

    "what the hell, why can''t I set myself free from this damn wood?".


    Caius struggled to get the vines that were restraining his movements off of him, by pulling it toward him and attempting to uproot them from the walls they are attached to.


    He was met with surprise when he noticed that no matter how much he pulled, or the force he exerted in pulling the vines, it did not budge from its position one bit.


    "what are they made of to be this strong?".


    He made onest attempt that proved futile. The meing off of his body also did no damage to the vines. It absorbed the mes from Caius body and sucked it all into itself, using it as nourishment for its growth.


    This came as a shock to Caius. The natural order known to all, is that wood will always be weaker than fire, but this specific wood tying him down, was unbound by the natural order, and refused to sumb itself to its supposed natural elemental adversary.


    Unknown to Caius, that he wasn''t the only one with an affinity to fire in the vicinity, he continued to question why the wood would not burn under the influence of his fire.


    As Orun had suspected, it is not that Caius had an higher affinity with fire than he does, it is just that Caius''s affinity with fire is far too strong to lose to an attack with not enough fire influence in it.


    After his evolution, Orun had been reborn through the tempering of fire, and is also how he got his skin''s color in the form of red, and also his hair color akin to the fire element color.


    His very core, has been influenced to bing a core that portrays fire, and his race, differentiated to be the existence closer to the nature of fire, taking on the worst parts of the element, the Inferno side.


    Unlike Caius who only has a high affinity to the fire element, Orun has been restructured in a way that his body has be amodating to fire, and on the verge of reaching the realm where he can only be described as one true fire.


    "wow Caius, you seem to be in trouble. Why didn''t you call for me".


    In the middle of nowhere, Ignatius''s small figure appeared in front of Caius, seeing him in an unexpected circumstances.


    "i don''t need the help of a traitor, I can handle this myself".


    Caius was still holding a grudge against Ignatius for telling Elsa about his past. He proved stubborn by refusing to receive any help from Ignatius, and insisting that he could get out of his unwanted situation by himself.


    "ho well, suit yourself. When you need me, you know how to call for me".


    Ignatius saw Caius willingness to ovee his situation by himself, and have also made himself clear on not wanting any help from it.


    It decided to abide by his words and to not persuade him in offering its help. It left Caius on his own as it erased itself from his presence and back to the tent to continue feeding on its meat.


    The soldiers outside the tents were all in dissary at their tents being burned by the fire arrow Caius had earlier rained down, but it bothered Ignatius less mostly because it''s tent was unaffected by any of the burningmotion.


    "now monster, where were we?".<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was clear to Caius that him putting up physical struggle would not help him get out of his situation, he needed to start thinking outside the box if he wanted a way out for himself.


    Orun was not in a hurry to kill Caius, he has him pinned down already, and could very much take his life whenever he desires.


    He hasn''t done any of that, because he is still thinking of ways for him tomunicate with Caius, and ask why he is being targeted by him.


    While Orun was busy contemting on his choice, Caius devised a n that could get him out of the confine of the vine, and he immediately began its execution.


    He secreted fire from his body, this time not focusing on burning the vine, but on melting the surroundings covered by earth walls.


    The vines might be immune to his fire, but that does not mean that the hard ground will also be equipped with the same attribute.


    Caius''s n is simple. Melt the ground enough so that the vines attached will have nowhere to solidify its root to, leading to its weakening, and subtle enough for Caius to draw it closer to himself, and start the breaking like he had just done.


    Caius free from his bondage moments, sprung himself into action by jumping up with his fist clenched, and aiming it at Orun who is too distracted in his thoughts.


    "he is free, already?".


    Orun''s reaction to Caius getting free was mild. He thrust his hand forward, and caught Caius''s fist before it could make contact with his skin.


    "okay monster, is this how you want to y? A test of strength, is that it".


    The swiftness with which Orun used in defending himself against Caius''s fist, was shocking enough to make his body get jolted, and in full working conditions.


    With his fist still stuck In Orun''s hand, Caius made use of his leg, stretching it in the direction of Orun, but just like his hand, his fist was easily guarded against by Orun, using his other hand to ward the fist off moments before it got to him.


    Orun threw Caius back to the ground, using his hand that he had held unto.


    "okay monster, I have to hand it to you. You, are one tough monster to fight, probably the toughest I have evere across".


    He says, picking himself up from the ground, and dusting his clothing that showed no signs of damage.


    "can you tell me why you are after me".


    As Orun spoke, he used not just words but also his bodynguage to convey his words to Caius.


    Unfortunately for him, Caius understood nothing about bodynguages, and only mistook Orun''s gesture as a form of taunting.

 Chapter 175 Elsa Was Catapulted

    Elsa was catapulted into the sky by the soldier, and she adjusted her body well so she could maximize the throwing power of the ballista.


    The soldier stood there and watch as Elsa''s body was propelled up into the sky with the force from the ballista.


    "she won''t make it".


    Says the soldier, when he saw that even with the push from the ballista, it still wasn''t enough to help Elsa cover the distance between her and the Wyverns.


    Elsa being the one in a dangerous situation, was not as panicked as the soldier is. She made use of the sword that was in her hand by folding her body, and cing the sword below her feet.


    She steeled her feet on the sword, then used her hand to push the sword upward, pulling her along with it. Doing that, she was able to propel herself further and managed to cover the distance between her and the Wyverns.


    In return for a flight momentum, Elsa was forced to let go of her sword, now having nothing else to rely upon but her bare hands.


    She barely managed to cover the distance and was now on the verge of falling back to the ground. To prevent that, Elsa grabbed unto the leg of the Wyvern she was closest to.


    The Wyvern noticed something had stuck itself to its leg, and it bent its head down to see what it was.


    Elsa on the other hand, was quick to move herself to the back of the Wyvern leg, a ce where it would find very hard to turn its head to.


    She bid her time for the Wyvern to check its body, and when it saw nothing, it turned its head back to where it''s other peers where looking.


    Elsa whenpared to the Wyvern, is very small and could go unnoticeable to others if she sticks herself to the Wyvern. She used her size to her advantage, and was able to hide from the Wyvern eyes.


    When she saw that it was safe for her, Elsa came out of her hiding ce. Hanging on the Wyvern body, she crawled her way up to its upper body, below the waist point.


    Touching the Wyvern body, she could feel how thick its shiny scales were, and how imprable it will be when faced against ordinary metals.


    Touching its scales, she could not brood over the sword she had lost, because even if she has it, it would have been proven useless going up against the sturdy body of the Wyvern.


    Elsa continued to move around with a slow pace, and in a way that the Wyvern will not be rmed of something crawling through its  body part.


    Her goal, is to find a weak spot amidst all the thick scale the Wyvern is covered by, a spot that is not as thick as the rest of its scale, and easily prable.


    The spot she is on the search for does not necessarily have to be as soft as her skin is, just lenient enough for her to be able to use her skill on it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "there are none!".


    No matter how long she searched for, Elsa could not find any spot on the Wyvern body suitable enough for her attack to go through.


    The whole spot she has searched through, were far too tough for her to even think of attacking, and she knows that she only has one chance atunching her first attack before the Wyverns get wind of her presence amidst them.


    Elsa stopped trying to get the Wyvern from its back, and moved herself to the middle of its lower part, a ce where it''s private is located.


    When she got there, Elsa manifested her Aura out of her body, and used it to coat her hands in.


    This is normally a skill she would apply using her sword as the caoted object, but with no sword, she had to improvise to using the next possible thing she could think of.


    The skill name is Aura manifestation, and it''s a skill that can be used only amongst those with a knight job like Elsa.


    It involves manifesting one''s Aura that is usually in gaseous form, and bringing it out in liquid form, that will be applied to any object used by the Aura manifester.


    The purpose of the skill, is meant to give the weapon a more effective advantage when ites to cutting through stuff like its supposed to.


    A trained knight who has unlocked the skill, does not have a need for carrying with them weapons. Thanks to the help of the skill, a broom in the hands of such a knight, could be a lethal weapon, same goes for any other objects.


    The glory of the skill can only shine best at the hands of one who knows the advantages it possess. There are does who consider it as an ordinary job skill with hard steps to learn it.


    The process of turning it from gas into liquid, is as hard as it isplicating.


    Having a knight job is only the first necessary step needed to guarantee one''s chance of developing the Aura manifestation skill.


    The next step is one that requires extreme and thorough practice before one can have ess to making use of the skill. Some with knight job, had to give up learning the skill due to the difficulty level thates with it.


    It took Elsa years before she could grasp the understanding of the skill, and when she did, her usage of it could almost be described as perfection.


    She learned to not only coat the aura on her sword, but also on her body to strengthen herself with. She took it to the extreme by sharpening the aura to be as dense as it can be, for more efficiency when cutting through objects.


    Elsa is still not at a level where she can confidently pierce through the tough scale of a Wyvern with the skill, but she is almost certain that she can deliver unto it, a blow that would weaken it, and possibly fall it down.

 Chapter 176 Orun / Caius Iii

    Caius was pissed off at Orun who he thought was mocking him by performing weird body gesture.


    With obvious rage in his eyes, heunched himself in Orun''s direction.


    Caius knew that Orun was faster than he was, and would easily deflect any direct attack he made toward him, that''s why he resorted to feint moves.


    When he got in front of Orun, he thrust his fist toward him like he was going to aim for his eyes. Orun bought it, as he reflexively responded by stretching out his own hand in an attempt to catch Caius''s fist.


    Before Orun could get hold of Caius''s fist, he immediately increased his speed and moved his hand backward from Orun, and disappeared in front of him, with only his shadow left behind.


    In a blink of an eye, Caius reappeared again, but this time at Orun''s back. He made his move again, coating his hand in me and thrusting it in Orun''s direction.


    The hole they were both in, was very cramped, as it was made by Orun using Caius''s body to dig through.


    A spot is enough for only one man to fit in, and they had to choose between staying up or down.


    Caius however, was able to ignore the tightness, despite how cramped it was, he was still able to use his skill to move at a rate that would almost be impossible for any to see through.


    "no way!".


    It came as an utter shock to Caius when his fist that was only a hair pinch away from Orun''s face was evaded by Orun slightly moving his head backward, and thrusting out his hand to get a hold of Caius''s fist.


    He could not understand what had just happened, it all happened in a split of a second, and his eyes was able to follow through with the events, his body however was left hanging as it could not respond in time to any of Orun''s action.


    For a moment there, Caius was certain that Orun had stopped time to carry out the acts he just did. There was no other exnation he could think of except Orun capable of stopping time to surpass his own already amazing speed.


    He was assured that was the only logical exnation, because if it wasn''t, Caius was sure that he would have been able to move as well. Since he couldn''t, he stuck to the stopping time logic.


    "no Caius, you are thinking it all wrong!".


    Ignatius was watching every of Caius''s move from the tent it was in. Even though Caius refused to ept its help, does not mean it enjoys Caius being in danger.


    It only left Caius alone before because it taught Caius could handle the situation alone, but the power gap that Orun had demonstrated, is far too wide for Caius alone to ovee in his current state.


    So far, Orun had only been ying with Caius without even trying to take him seriously. All he had done, is catch his fist before it gets to him, or incapacitate Caius to stop him from making any further movements.


    Ignatius watching the fight, and listening to Caius''s thoughts, knew that Caius cannot win without it, and so it decided toe back, not to help, but to brag of its knowledge and show off a little so that Caius would beg it for its help.


    "believe me Caius, he isn''t using any skill, that is just his raw physical speed like yours".


    Caius still has his hand held by Orun, and could not break free of his hold.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He wondered why Orun isn''t going in for the finishing kill. His hand has been rendered immobile, and even if he attempts to moves his other hand, he knew that Orun would only end up catching it as well.


    Any movements he can think of making right now, will all be proved useless with Orun''s speed that far surpasses the rate at which he can move.


    With him on the losing side, Orun is still making no attempts or showing any signs of wanting to end his life soon, it was like he was too deep in his thoughts on something to even think of taking Caius''s life.


    Unbeknownst to him, Orun is only thinking of ways he canmunicate with Caius, to ask why he is being targeted by him, and also how he ended up finding him here.


    He needs those questions answered, and when they are, it is only then that Orun will feelfortable with eliminating Caius.


    Orun got distracted from his thoughts with the appearance of Ignatius, a being with mes as a body.


    The undaunted expression on Ignatius''s face bothered Orun deeply, even more than Caius not getting a single Injury despite all he had been put through by Orun.


    There was also an indescribable feeling of distaste Orun felt when his eyes spotted the presence of Ignatius.


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes master, it is as you guessed. That is no ordinary fire, but one from an elemental. That, is the king of all fire spirit Elemental].


    ''no wonder I felt irk when I noticed it''s presence around''.


    Ignatius was not even trying, but Orun was already feeling threatened by its presence. It isn''t the fear type of threatened, but the type that felt like his authority of the element was being challenged by another.


    Orun''s job, Inferno guardian, is originally a fire guardian job. As a fire guardian, it embodied all the known fire attributes, but as an inferno guardian, his job specification became more strict, rting only to the destructive side of fire.


    Being an inferno guardian does not mean that his affinity with fire will be any less weaker than another with a fire type job specialization.


    His job, throws down all advantages of fire, and only selects for itself a few, most of which are thebination of destruction.


    Ignatius on the other hand, embraces every aspect rting to fire, and that is what gives it the authority over all that is fire.


    A much more precise perspective, are two religious people standing together. Both are walking the same religious path, and one is an unfillial devoter to the religion, while the other, only walks that path because the rules of the religion benefits it, not because it is a devout follower of the religion.


    They both might be in the same religion practice, their feelings however will not be mutual, as one only does it to benefit itself, while the other did it because it deemed it necessary to do so.


    The two can be regarded as one under the same umbre, while being treated as opposites contradicting one another, such is the feeling between Ignatius and Orun.


    e on Caius, just say the word, and I can get you out of the mess you are in before you even know what hits you".

 Chapter 177 Elsa Making The Jump

    Using her left hand to hang into the Wyvern body, Elsa stuck the fingers on her right hand very close to each other, and making her palm as a whole to be in a t shape.


    "SHIERRRRKKKKK!".


    Thrusting her tted palm into the behind of the Wyvern, had it releasing a sound justifying the unpleasant situation it currently is in.


    The other Wyverns that were by it side, had their attention fixated on it due to the difort sound it made in the middle of a battle.


    Four of them turned in its direction while the rest concentrated on the ongoing battle in front of them. They turned and asked it in theirnguage why it made such a sound during a moment of war.


    "SHIERRRRKKKKK!".


    The Wyvern about to answer them, was met with yet another thrust into its behind, this time going deeper than the first one did.


    The four Wyvern dropped the time for asking questions, and moved themselves closer to the Wyvern to inspect its body and see if there is anything wrong with it.


    While the four Wyverns were searching, Elsa still underneath, performed the same act several times, putting the Wyvern through pleasure mixed with an hint of agony.


    She carefully hid herself underneath, away from the eyes of the four Wyverns who were still searching, while listening to the ufortable sound the Wyvern kept making.


    They had done a thorough search on the upper and sides of the Wyvern, and they found nothing. The only ce that the four Wyverns eyes had not gone through, is its below.


    One of the Wyvern took it upon itself to search the below. It flew itself down, hovering below the behind of the Wyvern and raising its head up to see if it will find anything.


    What the Wyvern was met with, is an Elsa who had abandoned tormenting the Wyvern she first jumped on, and now about to move on to the Wyvern below the Wyvern she is on.


    _____________________________________


    ONLY FOR THOSE WHO STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND. IF YOU UNDERSTAND ME SO FAR, SKIP THE AUTHOR NOTE AND MOVE ON TO AFTER THE DASH SIGN BELOW.


    AN | I Apologize for the sudden interruption during your immersion process, but here is a detailed information for a better grasp of the situation.


    Now imagine, there are two Wyverns flying in the sky. The position they are situated in, has one Wyvern flying above the other Wyvern.


    Elsa''s position, is clinging herself on the body of the Wyvern that is above the Wyvern that is below it (?????)


    Now, she decided on changing her position by releasing the hand she was using to cling herself on the Wyvern.


    What happened next, is that Elsa started to fall down. She would have actually fallen to the ground straight, but she did not, and instead fell on the head of the Wyvern that is below the Wyvern she was clinging unto and is also the Wyvern above the Wyvern she had justnded on(?????)


    No, it is not confusing if you take your time to think about it very well, and visualize the image ording to the words I have written above.


    _____________________________________<novelnext></novelnext>


    Elsa got down on the Wyvern below, falling directly on its eyeball. She adjusted her fingers, and coated her palm in her Aura, and heartlessly inserted the palm straight into the Wyvern eyeball.


    Her actions of coating her palm with her Aura and thrusting it into the eyeball of the Wyvern, were carried out immediately shended, not even giving the Wyvern a chance to react to its sighting of Elsa.


    The aggression was shown on her face, as she dug her finger into the eyeball of the Wyvern. With three digs in, she broke through the protectiveyer of the eyeball, with her finger now directly in contact with the eyeball.


    "you think you cane into my city and do as you see fit?".


    Elsa filled with intense rage, plunged her fingers into the eyeball that has started to splurt out white fluid substance.


    "SHIERRRRKKKKK!!!!".


    The Wyvern voice was louder than the first Wyvern, it''s agony expressed outloud for as long as it''s voice could take it.


    It''s voice alerted the attention of every Wyvern up in the sky, and it''s actions drew their gaze closer to it.


    The Wyvern iled it''s body around, with its hand scratching its eyes so it could get Elsa off of its head. Elsa ignored the sound the Wyvern was making, and continued to plunge her hand through its eyeballs, producing more of the white substance dripping from its eyes down to its body.


    The Wyvern could no longer bear the agony of having Elsa''s finger go through its eyeball. It turned itself downward, and prepared to make an hastynding.


    With the Wyvern on the verge of going down, Elsa decided she had done enough damage to the Wyvern, and it was now time for her to move on to pestering another Wyvern.


    She stood herself up from the Wyvern she had tormented, and prepared herself to make a jump unto another Wyvern body before the one she is on widens the distance from it to the rest of its pack.


    She already has her next target in mind, and made her careful jump that would take her unto the next Wyvern body.


    Unfortunately for Elsa, the sound the Wyvern had make, drew the attention of the other Wyverns to it, and no matter how small she was amidst the Wyvern pack, she could still be noticed the moment she jumps off of the Wyvern, aiming for her next target.


    Elsa was aware of the risk behind the Wyvern scream and yet was left with no choice but to still make the jump. It was either she jumps off of the Wyvern, or crashnd with it while the rest of the pack continues their attack on her city.


    Elsa''s aim was already achieved the moment she had the attention of all the Wyvern on herself. She knew from the beginning, that it was impossible for her to beat the whole pack. Even taking down a single Wyvern, wasn''t exactly going to be easy for her to aplish.


    Knowing that, she did not make taking down a Wyvern as her purpose, but having the attention of all the Wyvern on her, as her true purpose.


    Having their attention fixated on her, will have them distracted from destroying the city any further, and also buy enough time for the mages adept in aerial attacks, and those in setting up defensive barriers to make their way to the city gates, to protect it from any further attacks from the Wyvern.


    Her aim has been achieved, but she wasn''t willing to go down with just that. She will continue to do all that is within her power until she ends up being caught in one of the Wyvern ws, and gets herself killed.


    That is how far she is willing to go.

 Chapter 178 Orun / Caius IV

    e on Caius. All I need from you, is for you to say the; I need your help Ignatius, words. That is all I require for me to help you bring down this monster".


    Caius was hesitant on what to do. On one hand, he knows that he can''t take on Orun without the help of Ignatius. But on the other, Caius is still pissed off at Ignatius for telling Elsa about his past as a pathetic loser.


    They are memories that Caius wish to not ever remember, yet Ignatius surfaced it, and to the woman he is trying to get with no less.


    "you and I both know this is not the time for you to let your ego make decisions on your behalf. That monster so far, has not once taken you seriously, and has only been toying with you as he sees fit".


    "clearly, the physical prowess difference has made it obvious that it is a monster that is far older than you are, and no matter what you do, the difference will not be so easily breached, unless you ept my help that is".


    Caius knew the rules of physical prowess applying to how far one ages. This rule enforces itself more thoroughly when ites to the monster kind.


    Orun as a monster and an half spiritual lifeform, is blessed with strength surpassing ordinary monster kind, and passing his age inside a cocoon, has toned his body to bing as sturdy as it can get in terms of speed and strength.


    Caius who is six hundred plus, going up against Orun who has the mana level of a thousand year old, plus the seven hundred year old of his life in a cocoon, and a body that has been refined under the influence of harsh conditions.


    The odds are stacked negatively against Caius in all forms and way, but such odds could easily be bypassed with Ignatius lending him a hand.


    "alright, I am sorry. That is what you want to hear isn''t it? Well, I am saying it now. I am sorry for telling Elsa about your past, I shouldn''t have done that, but I did it anyway, so here I am apologizing to you, sorry, sorry, sorry".


    Ignatius was aware of how immensely huge Caius''s ego can be, especially when he sets his mind to something.


    It knew that Caius is entangled in a fight he stands no chance against, and even though the monster isn''t showing any signs of wanting to kill him now, the end result is inevitably going to be his death.


    With him not standing a chance, and him only being pushed around, time is the only figure measuring the moment Caius gets to lose his life to the monster.


    Ignatius can''t have that happening. No matter how annoying he could be sometimes, Caius is still its contractor, and it has formed with him, a bond that goes far beyond being a contractor and contractee.


    It can no longer imagine a world without Caius in it. Who is going to be doing the nagging, and who is it going to get in an argument with whenever it wants?


    Only Caius can feel a spot like that, and no one else. Finding someone with a greater affinity like Caius, is almost impossible toe across, and forming the kind of bond it has with Caius, is also something almost, if not, impossible toe across.


    If Caius had no n on asking Ignatius for help, it decided to be the bigger man or woman, by doing what is right to appease Caius''s anger toward it, and get him to want its help.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "alright, fine. You don''t have to beg me that much. I am willing to ept any help you want to render".


    WHY YOU..... Is how Ignatius wanted tosh out at Caius for being so arrogant, despite knowing he can''t do it by himself. But, if Ignatius were tosh out now, Caius will react negatively to it, and might even reject its help.


    Ignatius does not want that to happen, so it held itself back, and decided on saving it forter, after the monster is done with, then it can go on a rampage with Caius as much as it wants.


    "monster. I admit, you are strong. If I were to continue fighting you by myself, it will take me a long while, but at the end, I am certain I wille out victorious".


    Orun released Caius''s hand, throwing him back to the ground, and allowed him the time to converse with Ignatius for as long as he wanted.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to put an end to Caius, and would love to take it slow.


    If anything Orun has missed during his days in the Dungeon, it''s the feeling of fighting for one''s life. As crazy as that sounds, it''s is his genuine feeling.


    So far so good, no one has been able to give him the pleasure of fighting against a strong, testing his powers and fighting to his body''s limits.


    The one person who has managed to keep up with him so far, is Caius, and the only reason why that is, is because Caius is putting on the kind of clothing that can withstand getting dragged down and still not get destroyed, or tank Orun''s punch and still remain intact.


    If it wasn''t for Caius''s equipment, his body would have been full of scars gotten from getting dragged down into the earth, or a hole would have formed itself in Caius''s body, gotten from Orun punching his fist through it.


    ? So far, none of that has taken ce, and that gives Caius a certified pass to helping Orun relish himself in the thrill of, a to the death battle, the kind of battle that he grew up fighting.


    "who knew, that I actually am abat maniac who takes pride in ducking it out with another strong opponent?".


    This is yet another side of himself that not even Orun knows that he has.


    He left Caius and Ignatius to discuss whatever they were saying, and even when he started to notice changes in Ignatius and Caius, Orun did not interfere, nor break their concentration apart.


    "show me, Let me feel, the pleasure that I had once lived with everyday of my life".


    Orun, getting himself ready to go up against the oue of the changes about to ur in Ignatius and Caius.

 Chapter 179 Elsa Falling Down

    Elsa had already jumped off of the Wyvern body, and on the brink ofnding on another nearby Wyvern.


    She was so close tonding on the Wyvern, but was abruptly cut off in her track, with a Wyvern hand wing her down from her side.


    There was nothing she could do to stop the w from touching her. It smacked her down, with her body taking the full force of the grunt, dropping downward.


    Elsa as she was falling, managed to turn her face sideways, to see the Wyvern that had stopped her from jumping unto any other Wyvern.


    She saw, a Wyvern slightly bigger than the others, and with a menacing look coupled with irritation, all directed toward Elsa.


    She watched herself continue to fall to her impending doom, and powerless to do anything to stop it.


    The height she started falling from, was far too great for an average human to survive it, not even Elsa is certain that she will live to tell any sorts of tale when her bodynds.


    She closed her eyes, indicating her giving up, knowing that she had done the best she could to give her people a fighting chance against the Wyverns.


    She has bought them enough time for the mages to get to the gate and start defending it.


    Elsa let out a smile from her face, broadening her lips a little with her eyes still closed off, sending herself off by resigning all the burdens she had carried so far into the smile.


    *Bounce!*.


    Elsa''s body fell to the ground, yet surprisingly enough, she wasn''t unconscious and could feel every part of her bone still moving and intact.


    With her head facing upward, she thought the question, how and why? In her mind.


    She turned her face sideways and in several directions afterwards, trying to find out in what direction she hadnded in.


    When she spread her feet apart, she could see the city gates, from a distance away, and that was enough to tell her that she wasn''t inside the city.


    Elsa rubbed her elbows to the ground, trying to see if it was still the same hard ground that it was supposed to be, and to understand how her bones were still intact during her fall.


    The ground that she felt, wasn''t hard but soft, it was like sheid herself down on a cozy bed, except this was the ground and not a cozy bed.


    Without putting much thought into it, she arrived at the conclusion that the one''s responsible for making the ground she fell on to be soft, is the handiwork of the mages.


    "they must have gotten to the city gate already".


    Elsa once again spread her legs apart, and saw that the figures standing at the wall on the gates had multiplied, and they also had several attacks poured out from them, aiming in the direction of the Wyvern.


    She felt relieved knowing that she was able to buy enough time for the mages to get to the gate and start their counter attack.


    Elsa closed her two eyes as sheid her body on the ground, releasing all tension in it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She wanted to rest her body a little, to catch her breath before she got up and move over to the city gates to join her soldier in attacking the Wyverns.


    Regrettably for Elsa, she was only allowed a moment of respite before she forced her body to get back into action.


    Coming at her from above, is an angry Wyvern with descriptive features simr to the one that stopped her from jumping earlier, and cruelly wed her down to falling on the ground.


    The Wyvern leader, was making her way down to Elsa with intense speed, the kind that had her scales igniting sparkles of fire around.


    Her intent, is to crush down Elsa with her body weight, not decreasing the speed so she can further pummel her down.


    The Wyvern leader''s thought did not seed, as Elsa spotted her drastically dropping down from above, and proceeded to get herself up, rolling herself out of the way in time before being squashed down by her body weight.


    Like a mini earthquake, the body of the Wyvern leader crashed into the ground, causing a crater deep enough to have water poured into it without spilling, and wide enough to be used as a stream.


    The soldiers at the gate were also affected by the Wyvern leader''s body dropping, as they lost their bnce for a moment, though they were able to gain it back instantly.


    "you came into my territory unweed, blinded the eye of my pack member. To what extent do you humans draw a line on your cruelty".


    The Wyvern leader picked herself up from the ground, standing with her two legs down, and her chest wide open, with her head facing Elsa.


    It came as an honest surprising moment for Elsa to find out that the Wyvern before her was capable of speaking humannguage.


    She knew of the existence of monsters with intelligence, but not one versed in thenguage of the humans.


    "cruel? You attack a city full of ordinary humans, children who know nothing ofbat, mothers who are only trying to provide for their children, yet you call us cruel?".


    Elsa shakes off her surprise, answering the question asked by the Wyvern.


    "flying above us, and raining your breath down on us like Gods, while we humans have to stand and watch defenseless as everything we spend our whole lives building up, fall to ruins".


    It ismon knowledge that monsters are born naturally stronger than humans. Referring to the teachings of human adults to the uing humans offsprings, they are thought to harbor malice toward the monster kind, and to kill them upon sight.


    The intelligent nature of humans, have caused them to fear that which is naturally superior to them. They have always liked to pride themselves as the apex of all beings, and are not willing to tolerate the presence of such monsters whose natural existence proves their logic to be wrong.


    Tbat said, humans are not the only beings who harbor such intent.


    Amongst intellectual monster kind, there are also those who view humans as disposable objects, meant only to serve and do their will, and when their demands are not properly met with, such humans are no longer of no use.


    There is never a good or a bad side, just sides with differing opinions, letting their fear be that with which their judgment is centered on.

 Chapter 180 Orun / Caius V

    Ignatius''s presence dissolved into gaseous state, and slowly seeped itself into Caius''s body, permeating through every parts of him.


    In the eyes of another, it would look as if Caius was inhaling a red gas into his body, but to Orun, he felt and saw something entirely different from norms.


    When Ignatius fire body turned gaseous, Orun saw the immense energy surrounding it, he felt an indescribable fire type Aura trying to overwhelm and Devour him whole.


    Orun could have sworn, that he had forgotten what it felt like to face death, staring at it straight with his eyes bare naked.


    His heart thumbed severally, with memories of his life in the Dungeon ying before his eyes. Ignited in him, is the dreadful feelings he had always carried with him everyday of his life inside of the dungeon.


    [Master, I suggest taking him down now before your opponentpletes his transformation process with the Fire Elemental Spirit king].


    ''if even you are this panicked, it seems I should be expecting this to not end anytime soon''.


    Orun was not shaken nor afraid of Caius and Ignatius joining themselves together, despite the warning he got from Oracle.


    Orun''s goal when he met miss dragon and saw how powerful she was, he vowed in his mind to chase after such power.


    The kind of power that will allow him to save whoever he wants, and kill whoever he wants.


    So far through his journey, Orun has done everything possible to achieve his dream, even going as far as bending his morals of epting help from another by absorbing the energy of a dead entity.


    After bing an half spiritual entity, Orun could feel his goal slipping further away from him, as he found out that his strength had gotten stalled, and has yet to progress even after he awakened from his slumber.


    It is no secret that Orun has actually gotten stronger than he ever imagined himself getting after he ascended to be an half spiritual entity.


    The problem about him getting stronger, is that he has be more rxed and too full of himself.


    With no one to challenge his strength, he became stagnant, and too reliant, unconsciously believing that he was unstoppable.


    He could not find that perfect person who can help him rekindle the moments when he was rendered powerless, shaken, and afraid to do anything in the presence of overwhelming power.


    He did not stop Caius and Ignatius from merging for one good reason, and that is to help him remember why he had vowed to purse unlimited strength.


    He would be telling a lie to say he is not the least bit afraid of facing off against a full fledged spiritual lifeform, one with age that makes Orun''s age as a grandchild, and is also the Ruler of everything fire.


    He is scared to cinders, but he is also not nning on letting that fear take over his judgment.


    Orum has been faced with obstacles in his path, some small, some mighty, and others? Looking very intimidating and almost impossible to ovee.


    Those are obstacles he has been faced with, and also obstacles he has conquerd and ovee.<novelnext></novelnext>


    If there is anything he learned from it all, it''s that he has no say in choosing who or what his opponents will be.


    That is how obstacles are meant to be like, unpredictable and mostly unpleasant. They are weights that will try to do whatever they can to push you down into depths you cannot hope to survive through.


    It is his job to not be shaken by such, but rather to face it head on, learn and grow from it like he had done.


    Another reason why he is calm about it, is that Oracle''s warning does not include him running away, but hastily killing Caius.


    If Caius and Ignatius merging together will prove impossible for him to stop, Oracle would have added that along with its warning, but it did not.


    Orun took its light warning as a way for him to escape getting into a difficult fight, not the kind that will cost him his life, but the kind that will require him throwing everything he has in his arsenal before hees out victorious.


    From where he stood, he could feel Caius''s aura amodating a different sensation from the one he had before. It felt massive and oppressive, dominating over all that is within sight.


    His body slowly took on a different form, as his skin color that was porcin white, started turning red, extending to every part of him.


    Thick, densed red aura oozed out of his body, epassing him, changing its form to match with Caius''s description. The Aura cloaked itself around him like ayer of fibre muscles.


    From his right hand, is the aura manipting it''s shape taking the form of a sword. In his left hand, he has with him a fire Spear Lancer, well crafted with glowing inscriptions on its body.


    Even though his weapons were made out of pure fire aura, the quality and physical property it possesses, already puts it as a Mythical Grade weapon.


    There are eight grades of Weapons, Artifacts, and elixirs in the world.


    Ordinary, Rare, Epic, Unique, Legendary, Holy, Mythical and Sovereign.


    Ordinary grade are themon one that can be found anywhere in the vicinity.


    Rare and Epic grades like the name suggests, are not somon, but they are not so hard either, it only takes enough time for one toe across a rare grade.


    Unique grades? Are very hard to possess. One would have to journey miles, spend time and efforts, yet, the chances ofing into contact with it is very slim. Only at the hands of an extraordinary cksmith working with superior items, and spending a massive amount of time on the refining process, can one up their chances of getting a unique grade.


    Legendary grade? Two words, almost impossible. If Unique grade requires an extraordinary cksmith, a legendary grade requires talent to the extreme, extraordinary cksmith, time, time, time, effort, effort, time, time, and even more time, patience, time, despair of never finding it, time again. The line goes on until by with some miracle, one happens to stumble upon it.


    Mythical Grade weapon? Can only be attained with the help of an higher authority like Ignatius who is an elemental king, or a dragon who is at the ancient rank, and a  demon who is also at the ancient rank.


    Holy Grade weapons, just like Mythical grades, are weapons attainable only with the help of an higher entity, but the entity here, requires the assistance of a being at the God level.


    Sovereign Grade? This is impossible to get, because it goes against the naturalws of all things. This grade, is capable of killing even the higher existence like the Gods, and thus it was banned and forbidden for anyone to possess such.

 Chapter 181 Elsa Against The Wyvern Leader

    "if you humans had note into our territory unannounced, we would never have had any need to barge into your territory and rain our breath on you".


    "the thousands that will die today, is as a result of your foolishness of not recognizing who your opponents are. You brought this on yourselves, not us".


    The Wyvern leader, with her head raised down in Elsa''s direction, she aggressively snarled at her, showing her an expression filled with hate, before reaching out her w toward her, to squash her body into the ground.


    Elsa reflexively moved herself out of the way, just in time before the w could get to her. She moved her body In retaliation to the Wyvern leader''s attack by going for her huge body.


    Elsa made use of the strength from her feet tounch her body as high as it can go, coating her hand in her Aura to use against the Wyvern leader''s body.


    The moment she jumped, Elsa instinctively raised her guard up to her sides, covering as much body parts as she can with her hands.


    Elsa''s frail body jumping up, was met with a w from the Wyvern leader. Her guard was raised just in time to defend her body against the impact of the Wyvern leader''s w on her.


    Though she managed to defend herself, the recoil of colliding with the w sent her body flying away in shambles, hitting the ground with force that had her body rolling on the ground several time before she came to an halt.


    "you measly human. You think you alone can take me on?".


    Elsa unsteadily lifted her body up from the ground, and discovered that her forehead has started bleeding, with the blood flowing down to her face, extending to a part of her right eye, and rendering her vision unclear.


    " i won''t know for sure if I don''t try".


    Elsa held herself together, despite the throbbing pain coursing through her muscle fibers, and the strong will from her body, begging to get some rest.


    She warded off all distractions that will stop her from doing her job as a soldier, and focused on the Wyvern leader, spouting out strong words that her copsing body cannot live up to.


    She took one look at her right hand, the one that helped her tank the Wyvern w, and protected the rest of her body.


    The hand had almost gone numb, to the point that she had to struggle before she could lift one of the fingers. The hand has been rendered useless as it can no longer wield a sword unless she gets it treated, but that isn''t going to be happening anytime soon, not with the Wyvern leader''s attention on her.


    Elsa raised her left hand and examined it, to see if it can still function in battle unlike her right hand. She is not a left handed person, but this is not the time for her to be picky on what hand she can use. It is what she has, that she needs to make use of to ensure the survival of their city against the Wyverns.


    She covered her left hand in Aura, and charged head on at the Wyvern leader, this time making sure she is on full alert.<novelnext></novelnext>


    With every step she forces her exhausted body to take, is a step that gets her closer to the Wyvern leader.


    Elsa on her way, opened up her thoughts and assumptions to ways the Wyvern leader will take to stop her in her tracks. She did that, so she could think of ways to evade her before the attack gets to her.


    She knows full well what sort of condition her body is in, and how easily it is prone to breaking down with another attack from the Wyvern leader.


    Elsa had to prevent that from happening, no matter what it is she did, she has to make sure that she does not let in any attack from the Wyvern leadere into contact with her body.


    As much as she would love to, she cannot risk passing out in the middle of a battle, not when the ray of hope is within sight. Thanks to the appearance of the mages in the gates who are currently battling with the Wyverns above by using their long distance spell against them.


    As she gets closer to the Wyvern leader, Elsa observed her for any sudden movements she might want to take against her. She stopped running when she saw that the Wyvern leader had raised one of her arm in her direction.


    Elsa thought the Wyvern leader was going to strike down her palm on her. Contrary to her believe, the Wyvern leader struck her palm down in front of Elsa, and not directly on top of her.


    The ground rumbled as dust particles were blown up and washed itself over Elsa, the wind forcibly pushing her away from where she stood.


    The Wyvern leader took her hand off of the ground, and behold, her massive thumbprint was carved on the ground, with uracy in how her fingers are shaped.


    "you are weak human. Further resistance is futile against me".


    When Elsa was blown away by the wind, she had less strength over her body, and was unable to control the flow or pace of her being blown away.


    Before she knew what was happening when the wind subsided, her body had fallen itself to the ground, and she on a whim, and uncontrobly, rxed her muscles for only a brief moment.


    That brief moment for Elsa, was enough to sign her death sentence. The fatigue she had kept under wrap through her battle with the Wyverns, noticeably surged itself up in her, causing her extreme pain and difort in all her muscle fibers.


    Her body turned stiff like dried up leaves, and any such control she once had over it, was forcibly taken away from her, leaving her with only the will to want to continue fighting, and the endless pain her body kept delivering into her mind.


    The kind of pain that would have instantly put a normal person into a vegetative state, is what Elsa had to endure while still conscious of her surroundings.

 Chapter 182 The Stare Before The Big Fight

    ''first things first, I need to get out of here and find myself a better terrain for a more effective confrontation with him''.


    His current surrounding is very shallow, like a tunnel with only one passageway out of it, and he, is at that passageway.


    He had Caius below him, while he is above him. Such settings will not benefit Orun going up against the current Caius.


    He knew he was going to be faster, stronger, fiercer, and he is at risk by being in a space so tight, not knowing how much distance the current Caius can cover, or how explosive his current power output is set at.


    By finding himself an open area to stay in and prepare for his to the death fight against Caius, Orun would be giving himself enough space to make decisions, and multiple choices to reside in, while also giving himself the chance to have a better read on Caius''s current power output.


    Orun got out of the tunnel, staying in the open ground surrounded by trees, where he awaits Caius toe and meet him at.


    Caius merged with Ignatius, took on a formidable form capable of sending shivers down the spines of nearby monsters, leading them to flee for their lives not even daring to look back to see what or who was exuding such vigorous Aura.


    The forest of Anjonu trembled at the presence of Caius, and the trees bowed in submission to his will. The sky that was cloudy and puffy with only shadows washing down from it, turned bright with the sun finding its way out of the darkness and shining itself below.


    Caius, the embodiment of a human and an Elemental spirit king, received thunderous echoes and apud from the very world itself, with all that was near his presence, inpliance with him.


    For the short moment he is fused with Ignatius, Caius had exceeded the limits of a human, and temporarily ascended to an half spiritual lifeform at the Heroic realm.


    "It has been so long since I have taken this form, I have forgotten what it felt like to wield such might".


    ''save the admiration forter, we have work to do''.


    Caius in his current form, is connected to Ignatius both physically and mentally. Whatever emotions Caius is going through, Ignatius can feel it even if it does not want to. Nothing is kept secret form them, they are in alignment with each other, and are forced to share the sentiments belonging to their other half.


    They are, two minds inhabiting one body, and the only means ofmunication they have with them, is through telepathic means.


    "i know what I need to do".


    It took Caius half of the time it takes for one''s heart to beat once, for him to get out of the tunnel and end up at where Orun was waiting for him.


    "i apologize for keeping you waiting".


    They still do not understand each other, but Caius at least understood that Orun did not attack him during his fusion with Ignatius, and even went as far as relocating to a more suitable ce to wait for him while hepletes his merging.


    He knew, that Orun wasn''t aiming for an half assed fight with him, or a one sided fight like earlier. What he wanted, is a battle with great difficulty, one that requires blood being spilled, sweat dripping down their cheekbones, and the anticipation of who wille out victorious.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Hemends Orun for wanting to have a battle of that caliber against him, but also admonishes his stupidity for not understanding that once he fuses with Ignatius an Elemental spirit king, whatever chance or opportunity Orun had against him, has been nullified.


    [Master, whatever you do, do not get cut by his great Sword and Spear!].


    ''your worries are duly noted Oracle''.


    Oracle warned Orun of the danger potential that the two Mythical grade weapons that Caius was holding unto had.


    This isn''tmon knowledge for Orun, but the kind of body that he has, is not one that can be easily damaged by ordinary arms.


    His tough refined skin harnessed under the influence of inferno, has made him immune to being hurt by random weapons, and only from a select grades of arms, can damage be done to him.


    He had once used his own thorns to cut his leg off, so he could escape from the hold of the first Goblin general.


    The reason why he seeded in cutting it off using his thorns, is because just like his body, his thorned made skill has also been influenced by the elements of inferno, hence the reason why it was able to deal damage to Orun''s body.


    The weapons made by Caius using the Aura from his fusion with Ignatius, is greater and more influenced than the thorns Orun produces out of his body.


    cing it under a particr ranking, would take it above the unique set of weapons, and a little below the legendary rank weapons, while Caius''s weapons are of the Mythical grade ranking, cing it one and a half grade above Orun''s.


    Orun''s thorn grade is set at that level, due to his racial characteristics.


    He, is an half spiritual entity who has yet to cross to the realm of a spiritual entity, putting him just at the doorstep of spiritual entities.


    If he was a full fledged spiritual entity, the sorts of weapons his Aura could produce, will increase the rank to legendary, and with more Aura poured into it, could luckily increase the rank to Mythical.


    Orun has yet to earn the full qualifications and merits that all spiritual entity has, because he is yet to be one himself.


    He took Oracle''s advise to heart, and dded his fist in thorns, making them sleek and as durable as they can be.


    When he was done with that, he turned his gaze over to Caius who had appeared in front of him, and started off with a staring contest, both of them not moving and doing battle with only their eyes ring at each other.


    The pace of their breathing, shifted to a rhythmical form, and the surroundings in an instant, turned deaf silent with their heartbeats echoing out noise from their chest.

 Chapter 183 Blake To The Rescue

    Elsa''s vision turned blurry, her strength dwindled, and her body secreting out sweat. The kind that was enough to wash off the blood on her face, reced with the pain of having liquidposed mostly of salt mixed with the open wound on her forehead.


    Her body had lost its weight, and her mind getting foggy. She could no longer think straight, with riddled questions forming up in her mind.


    Elsa held unto one single thought and concentrated very hard on it, to make sure her mind does not end up shattered or in a vegetated state as a result of the pain she is currently experiencing, and her thoughts not in order.


    "i.....i....sav....ci..."


    Her mouth kept mumbling out broken words, pieces of it scattered around, but when put together, reads; I must save the city.


    Her body had broken beyond believe, and her mind wasn''t as intact as it once was when she started, but her resolve still remained the same, and her determination to stop the Wyverns was still her priority, despite her body''s condition.


    "It is your loss human. You were never a match for me to begin with".


    The Wyvern leader''s word toward Elsa was not one of mockery, but a genuine advice, seeing the sort of condition she has been put in.


    She decided to spare her the time she would use enduring the pain by killing her right now.


    The Wyvern leader opened up her mouth, preparing to fire her mana breath that would incinerate Elsa''s body to thest drop, leaving nothing behind.


    "FIRE!"


    A coarse male voice rang out in the opposite direction leading to the gate.


    The Wyvern leader turned only her head to where the voice hade from, and she, unexpectedly, was barraged with a series of attacks, some made of fire shaped like a ball, some water, also shaped like a ball,  several gust of winds shaped like two des crossed together with curves separating them at the top and bottom.


    The attacks, though different, came in multiple forms, all assigned with onemand; tond itself aggressively on the body of the Wyvern leader.


    She automatically responded to the iing attacks by flexing her wings forward, and using it to cover her body.


    The attacks got to her, with the wind pushing her back a little, the water ball getting her wet and sting her further back, the fire attack, stuck to her wings and set a part of it ame.


    "DO NOT RELENT YOUR ATTACK. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THE MONSTER FAR AWAY FROM OUR CAPTAIN".


    He yelled out his orders once more, making sure that it got to those that were behind him as well.


    When Elsa had left the forces she marched with to the border of the forest of Anjonu, she left control over to ke, her vice captain.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After she left, ke had gathered the forces amidst the turbulence, and marched them all down to the city to defend it.


    Even though they were all in a hurry, their pace could still notpare to Elsa who took to traveling alone, with her armors off, giving her an increase in speed, and also pushing her horse to its highest speed limit.


    ke did his best to hasten the steps of the forces as much as he could. Though they were not able to get to the city in time to stop the destruction that has already been unleashed by the Wyverns, he wasn''t at all washed down by it, because he still got here in time to prevent Elsa from getting killed by the Wyverns.


    He rode along, while the mage amongst the forces support him with their spells, keeping the Wyvern leader too upied with dodging so she won''t have the time to go after ke who is on his way to Elsa.


    The earth mages used the ground that the Wyvern leader was standing on, manipting it to move and forming itself in the shape of an arm, intending to wrap it around the Wyvern leader''s leg, to trap it down.


    The Wyvern leader had already took notice of the change that was ongoing with where she stood on, and so she took to the air to avoid whatever it is that is happening below her.


    The earth made hands sprouted out from the ground, chasing after the Wyvern leader who has flown herself upward.


    She dived freely, moving ambiguously so as to not get caught by the hands until she gets to an higher ground where the hand couldn''t reach her.


    When the Wyvern was assured that she was safe at the distance she is currently floating at, she pushed her stomach in, then from her mouth, she poured out her breath at the human forces that had attacked her.


    A massacre is what her breath did when it touched the ground, wiping out all that is within the range, with the ground heated up from making contact with her breath.


    The mage soldiers were quick to cast a defensive spell when they saw that the Wyvern leader was about to use her breath.


    They were met with disappointment when their prided defensive spell was shattered into multiple fragments, seconds after the breath made contact with it.


    They were quick to move themselves away after they saw that the barrier could not hold down her breath. Scattering in various directions, in an attempt to get as far away from her breath as they could.


    The screams of theirrade getting caught in the breath was all that could be heard, but none of them were bold enough to turn around and go back to help theirrade in need, it was every man for himself.


    She rained down more of her breath in several directions, blocking off their exit route and trying to trap them down in circle.


    "Captain! Captain wake up! Captain! Captain!".


    ke had in his arms, the motionless and tattered body of Elsa, beseeching her to make any movements, signs that could show that she was still with them.

 Chapter 184 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius I

    Caius made the first move, dashing at Orun with the sword in his right hand.


    When he saw that Caius was already making his way toward him, Orun also dashed ahead, using his thorned coated fist to sh against Caius''s great sword.


    The recoil of their sh reverberated through the forest, a bright light shining from Orun''s hand and Caius''s great sword. The light engulfed them whole, reaching to the ground beneath them and swallowing up a portion of it, with the trees uprooted.


    "CLANG! CLANG!".


    They went at it a few more times, with their presence unseen, and only the sparks caused from the sh visible to the eye.


    The two of them, moved at an unprecedented speed, the kind of speed that puts even lightening strikes to shame.


    Sounds were emitted, and sparks continued to fly around, with the two changing locations from down to sides, bottom to upward. There was no ce too far or too wide for them to get into.


    Orun blocked the great sword with his thorned fist, and hurriedly moved his body to the side to escape being grazed by the Spear.


    He jumped backward, setting up a distance between he had Caius before he made his next attack.


    Orun stretched out his palm toward him, and fired off countless thorns shaped like daggers in Caius''s direction.


    Caius brought the Spear forward, he swings it in a circr form, in a spiral shaped form that warded off the thorns that came his way.


    Orun stomped his feet on the ground, instantly sprouting out vines from it, and sending it toward Caius.


    The vines speed had increased greatly, unlike how they are sprouted before where they bloom out of the ground before going after their targets.


    Their speed now, is instant, with Orun''s feet sending the message to the ground, and the vines hurriedly pushed out, in chase of their target.


    Caius flew himself upward, evading the vines that were relentlessly chasing after him.


    Regardless of what height he has flown to, or how fast he is to change his direction, the vines did not fall behind, and are desperately on his tail.


    Caius was too focused on the vines chasing after him, that he could not properly respond in time to Orun''s fist who had already blinked himself to his back.


    He took advantage of Caius''s distraction, and was easily able to jump to his back without being noticed.


    Orun clenched his thorn coated fist, and hurled it at Caius from his back.


    The least Caius could do in retaliation to the fist that wasing at him, is to hurriedly turn his back, and meet it with a fist of his own after he let go of the great sword on his right hand.


    "BANG!"


    Orun''s thorned fist made direct contact with Caius''s fist dded in red dense Aura, and the oue, was one that favored neither of them.


    Caius was sent flying uncontrobly back to the ground, while Orun was pushed back, with his body smashing itself to the ground.


    The battle was yet to be over for Orun who hurriedly rolled himself to the sides, away from where he hadnded in.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Seconds after Orun had rolled away, the great sword Caius had earlier let go off,nded on the same spot Orun had fell on.


    A moment of breath, was all it took for the great sword to have been imnted into Orun''s body if he had not moved out of the way in time.


    Orun had only just managed to evade the great sword, when he had another iing attack from his back.


    Caius had thrown the Spear at him, destroying all that stood in its path as it made its way over to where Orun was.


    Orun turned his body in the direction the Spear wasing from, and sprouted out vines, making their shape out in the form of walls, like a defensive structure to stop the Spear from approaching further.


    His expectations fell short as the vine wall was unable to affect the speed the Spear was traveling at, much less stop it in its tracks.


    Orun sprouted out more of the vine walls, forming them inyers to stop the Spears, but none were able to aplish his intention.


    The Spear bulldozed through the obstacles in its path, and eventually found its way to where Orun was.


    He slightly jumped up, evading the Spear, while making sure that the distance between he and it was only an arms reach away.


    The Spear passed Orun by, going under him, and he instantly jumped back down, followed the Spear before itnds, and grabbed unto the handle.


    Orun saw the effectiveness of the Spear, and how unstoppable it is when thrown. His intention, is to grab the Spear and use it against Caius, but he failed to do that.


    No matter how much force Orun puts into it, he was unable to control the Spear, nor stop its advancement.


    Caius from where he stood, saw that Orun had grabbed the Spear and is having trouble controlling it.


    He stretched his hand forward,manding the Spear toe back to him, with Orun still attached to it.


    It was clear to Orun that the Spear is not something he can control, and that only Caius could control and use it.


    He still did not let go of the Spear even after it has been called back by Caius.


    Orun bid his time until the Spear was about to reach Caius''s grip, it was then that he decided to make his attack.


    When he was ten feet closer to Caius, Orun sprouted out vines from Caius''s back and sides, he then jumped on the Spear''s body to spring himself up with the recoil.


    While up in the air, he reached out his arm toward Caius and sprouted out thorns from it.


    An attacking from above him, and one from below him, is what Orun was aiming for.


    Caius would have undoubtedly been in a difficult situation if it was the him before his fusion with Ignatius, but not now.


    He took a stance with the sword, aiming it at Orun who is above him, and shed it down.

 Chapter 185 Elsas Fate

    "bl...l...."


    Elsa''s eyshes twitched severally before stammering words were forced out of her mouth.


    "it is okay Captain, you don''t have to force yourself to talk. Hearing your voice is enough".


    Her body was greatly damaged internally, with some mild cut on her face that had turned white pale.


    ke could not stand to look at his captain who had always had around her, a strong form. He did not want to believe that it is the same captain he thought of as untouchable, now reduced to this form.


    "HEALER MAGES, ANYONE!".


    ke turned his head in the direction where his forces are, calling for the healer type mages toe and cast their heal on Elsa.


    He however, could not continue to call out to them after he turned his head in their direction, and saw what predicament they were in.


    The Wyvern leader was mercilessly raining down her breath on them, sowing the seed of confusion in their midst.


    ke gave up on calling out to them, and carried Elsa on his back, making his was in the direction the city is located.


    The one''s dealing with the Wyvern leader might not be able to do much help in their current condition, but there has to be healer type mages currently at work inside the city.


    Is ke''s thought as he ran his way to the city with the unconscious Elsa on his back, held tightly so she won''t fall down.


    "hang in there Captain, I will get you the help you need in time".


    ke legs were going as fast as it could with Elsa on his back. He controlled his breathing pace so he won''t get easily exhausted.


    He got to the city gate, and rushed past it, ignoring the ongoingmotion happening in his surroundings.


    His destination is going to the shelter, a ce built not too far from the city walls, in case of emergence of this magnitude.


    After a long streak of running without stopping, ke finally made his abrupt stop in front of a four storey stone block carved building.


    The outside of the building is upied with people with slight injury on their bodies, while there are those without any harm on their bodies,id down t on the ground, looking lifeless.


    ke ignored them all and hastily made his way through the entrance of the building, with his head turning around desperately in search of something.


    The inside of the building ke went into, was even more chaotic than the outside he wasing from.


    Humans with much worse Injuries than what those outside were affected with, their cry of agony filled the air, and blood decorated the taste with its odor.


    A lot of healer mages were running around, attending to as much of the injured as they can, but there was so little they can do by themselves, with the endless supply of injured people that keeps oning through the door.


    The healing process the healer mages perform is done by mana, and no matter how extraordinary a mage is, running out of mana for them, is the same thing as having all ess to their healing skills gets cut off.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The amount of healer mages in the building is not enough to handle the bodily harmed numbers that keep pouring themselves into the building.


    They cannot just stop treating the injured that are counting on them, but there is also not much they can do to stop themselves from running out of mana as along as they still keep on healing the injured.


    Just as the people outside, getting chased around and some getting incinerated by the Wyverns, and the humans running for their lives in panic, so are the healer mages inside the building, also in panic of how to break the news to the people in need of a healing hand, that they are running low on mana, and will soon be drained of it to theirst drop.


    "ANY HEALER MAGE? I NEED YOU HERE RGHT NOW".


    The ce was extremely crowded with the Injured, and ke squeezing himself through the crowd, yelled out for the presence of an healer mage.


    The first floor was far toopacted for ke to see a ce where he can rest Elsa''s body down while he hurriedly runs through the building to bring a healer mage that will start immediate treatment on her.


    With Elsa still on his back, ke started his climb up the stairs to the upper floor in search of a mage.


    His thoughts were based under the assumption that the upper floor won''t be as crowded as the lower floor, but he thought wrong.


    The second floor he got on, was just as crowded and disoriented as the first floor he wasing from.


    ke did not bother stopping by to search for any healer mages, and he instead continued on his path to the stairs leading to the next floor above.


    He got to the third floor, and felt a little relieved seeing that there were not as much crowd as the first and second floor.


    In exchange for there being less crowd, the amount of healers avable on the third floor are also limited, and just as upied.


    Reasons for there being less crowd, is because a lot of the people have trouble moving through the stairs while harboring an injury that proves fatal to their health. The highest many of them could get to, is the second floor.


    Majority of the healers on the third floor had to move themselves to the lower floors to fill in for the urgent need of healers, to handle the swarm of injured that keeps on pouring in.


    "Vice captain ke".


    One of the female healer who is slightly acquainted with ke, saw him when he took thest step on the stair leading to the floor.


    She hurriedly treated the patient she was working on before she ran toward ke.


    "Vice Captain, are you hurt anywhere".


    She got to ke in time, using her eyes to observe his body parts to see if he was hurt anywhere.


    "i am fine, but the Captain!".


    ke said, with a worried and fearful tone, In deep thought if Elsa was going to be alright.

 Chapter 186 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius Ii

    Caius casually swung down the me coated sword toward Orun who ising at him from above.


    The sword on its way down, had its me amplified, and the further down it goes, the rapid its intensity and its area of effect magnified.


    Orun was not confident enough in changing his path in time before the med sword gets to him. .


    He is currently in midair, jumping down above Caius. It would require extra movements from Orun if he wanted to change what direction he is going to be falling at.


    Caius is just as fast, if not faster than Orun is. The time it would take for Orun to change his path, is more than enough time for Caius to follow through, and also change the direction his great sword is going to be heading to.


    Well aware of the indisputable fact, Orun made a choice of not evading the great sword, but instead taking the full grunt of it head on.


    He positioned his hand well enough to withstand a collision with the great sword, dding it all the way to his elbow in really thick and tough thorns with enough mana to regenerate itself with when destroyed.


    Orun carved out the thorns attached to his hands, making them long and pointy, with edges all around it.


    He has learned from trying to stop the advancement of the Spear, that his thorns are weakpared to the weapons Caius has with him.


    If he ns on taking the great sword head on with his thorn dded arm, he knew he needed to improvise on that so he cane out unscathed.


    Orun had fallen further down, and is now within the range of Caius''s great sword.


    He stretched out his hand to the front, making it take the lead in the collision with the great sword.


    *CLANG!*


    The collision of Caius''s great sword and Orun thorned arms, resounded in the air, temporarily giving rise to the sand in the ground, and awakening the trees in their slumber.


    *CRACK!!!*


    Orun''s thorned arms could not bear the grunt of the sword''s on it. The thorns that were protecting his arms, shattered little by little, with its remain slowly crumbling to the ground.


    It''s regeneration kicked up with immediate effect after being destroyed.


    He used the force of the sword pressing him back, to change his trajectory, bypassing the sides of the great sword, and spreading his palm toward Caius before he even got to him.


    His intention to sprout out thorns from his palm, and lengthen the range to where Caius stood, but he could not aplish his goal in time.


    The thorn had sprouted out from his palm, and on its way to Caius before Orun was forced to once again change his path due to the Spear that wasing for him from behind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was a mistake on his part. He did not notice in time that Caius no longer had with him, the Spear when he raised his sword at him.


    He was too distracted with trying to contend against the might of the great sword that he for a moment there, had forgotten that the Spear could move around with Caius controlling it through telepathic means.


    Orun in deep thought on how to outpace the Spear with the sizable distance between them, came up with an idea, one that would help increase his evading speed whenever he is stranded in midair.


    He sprouted out vines from his sides and wrapped them around his body, then used it to hurl his body out of the Spear''s range just in the nick of time.


    The vines worked exactly as Orun had pictured it to go, granting him easy mobility in midair.


    The Spear stopped before it got buried in the ground. It stopped at an arm''s reach away from where Caius stood.


    He grabbed unto the Spear with his left hand, and the great sword in his right hand, he started his hot chase after Orun.


    Orun had gotten off from the Vines, and his feet was now in direct contact with the ground.


    Seeing that Caius was making his approach toward him, Orun sprouted out vines, growing them like corn fields, to stop or better still, stall Caius in his tracks.


    He knew very well that as long as Caius still has his weapons with him, a direct contact with his thorns and vines would have no effect on him.


    Orun has to make use of his thorns in ways that will catch Caius unaware, ways that only he could think of.


    Like he had expected, Caius was easily able to cut down the vines no matter how many stood in his path until he got to the supposed ce Orun had earlier stood.


    Orun knew the vines would not be able to stop Caius no matter how much mana he uses in their creation.


    To begin with, his intention was not to stop Caius, but to stall and distract his vision for just the few seconds it would take for him to get closer to where he is.


    When he was making the vines that stood in his path, he made sure to make them tall enough to keep him out of Caius''s range of sight, so he could carry out his well thought out n.


    After Orun had sprouted out the vines to distract Caius, he immediately began work on his next n of action by cloaking his presence from Caius, and hiding underneath the ground beneath him.


    He had used his vines to carefully make a path in the ground for him to go in through, and when he was in, he used the vines to close it back up, and used his soil elemental skill to make the sand above as natural as it can get, so Caius would suspect nothing when his feet touches the ground.


    "Skill activation; Soil Grand Mausoleum".


    Orun from the ground he was in, whispered out his skills even though he had no reason to, but still did it out of the thrill he gets from saying something amazing, and so it turns out to be.

 Chapter 187 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius Iii

    Caius noticed something slightly different in the ground he is currently standing on. It felt as if the coarse texture of the sand had been reced with a slimy texture.


    His response time to the strange effect beneath him, was instant. Caius immediate thought, was to fly himself above, but he was a tad toote to avoid what Orun had done.


    The sand beneath his ground held his leg down, rendering him unable to move properly or to fly above like he had nned.


    Following Orun''s skill word outburst, the ground shuddered in response to hismand.


    The coarse sand turned moist and stuck itself to Caius''s sole like hard gum staying glued shut and turned deaf to any of his resistance at trying to get the sand off of him.


    He increased the intensity of the Aura he is covered with below his feet, with the intent of burning the sand off of his sole.


    If physical strength is not enough to get it off of him, perhaps burning it to smithereens will do the job, but he was wrong.


    Caius could feel the sand beneath him absorbing his me essence and using it as nourishment to strengthen itself.


    "you are feeling it aren''t you!".


    Orun used the sand as a lift to slowly elevate himself out of the ground, with some distance between him and where Caius is standing.


    "that is one of my specialty, changing the properties of whatever soil I make physical contact with".


    It took Orun some time before he was able to discover the full potential of his soil Elemental Skill.


    His first thought when he saw the soil elemental skill, he thought, it was a skill that helped him manipte the shapes of sand.


    Using the sand in the ground to cause sand tornado, or to easily dig through the ground by breaking down the earthposed of sand, and creating a space for him to pass through.


    Those are the things he thought the soil elemental skill was good for, but it''s effect, is more than what Orun could ever have imagined it to be.


    The qualities behind Soil Elemental, goes beyond just manipting the shape of whatever soil he touches.


    It grants him, the power to change the texture of whatever soil he touches; a sandy soil in his hand, can turn y, and a y soil, can turn silt, or loamy. It all depends on what preferences he decides to go with.


    "is this it? Is this all you can do? Temporarily stopping my movement with your soil skill is not going to stop me from attacking you, it will only dy the inevitable".


    Certainly, him being tied to the ground is not off his own will, nor is it going to be easy for him to get out. But, not going to be easy to get out, is not the same thing as impossible to get out.


    Caius is sure that with enough time on his hand, he can find his way out of the ground he is tied to.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even under the assumption that he is unable to get out, there is only so little Orun can do against him so long as he still has his hands, and his weapons with him.


    "i know, I know. Even without you telling me, I am well aware of how sturdy your body is, and how it won''t be so easily influenced by my thorned fist".


    It goes without saying that Caius''s current body, is an imprable fortress, one capable of tanking a weight of having a mountain measuring more than a thousand feet fall on him and he will stille out unscathed, or having a weight measuring four thousand plus tonnes fall on him, and he stilles out of it alive.


    Such is the kind of body the current Caius possess, and he has yet to see the limits to where his durability will be in defiance of his will.


    Orun also knew that if he wanted to do any damage to Caius, he has to pick a particr spot in his body, and keep on aiming for it, ignoring the other parts while being specific to that one part.


    This tactic is one with a very high probability of taking effect on Caius, but only in the long run, and a lot of patience required.


    Sadly for Orun, Time is the one thing he is limited on when going up against Caius fused with Ignatius.


    The energy that radiated off of Caius''s body during his fusion with Ignatius, hinted at Orun that he is equipped with mana pool on the same or greater level than what he currently has.


    If they are both with mana pool on the same wavelength, is already enough to put Orun at a disadvantage, when also taking into consideration the effectiveness of the weapon Caius haspared to the thorns Orun make use of.


    He enjoys the thrill of a battle to the death, but he also enjoys the victory thates with engaging in such battles.


    Orun has to do whatever is needed of him to make sure that this battle, does not draw itself out to the point where he ends uppletely out of mana, leaving him with only his physical abilities to go up against Caius''s deadly weapons.


    "surely you don''t think me so stupid that I would resort to using my precious skill only as a means to render you immobile!".


    Caius had his eyebrow twitch, indicating that something that would not favor him so much was about to happen to him.


    "let me show you, a part of the powers I possess as an infernal Goblin with an inferno guardian ss!".


    Orun slowly raised his left hand up, with his fingers separated.


    "Grand Mausoleum In Effect!".


    The soil that had stuck itself to Caius''s sole, dissolved into liquid form, with Caius unintentionally falling through it.


    It happened so suddenly and especially unnoticed, as he had never expected the ground to dissolve into liquid form.


    It caught him unaware, and he still managed to hastily move his body to act upon the sudden anomaly that had befallen him.

 Chapter 188 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius Iv

    "why the hurry? You need to stick around to find out what more I have to offer with my Soil elemental ability".


    Caius intended to fly himself out of the hole he had abruptly fallen into as a result of the ground turning liquid.


    He reached to the entrance, with his hand taking the lead, and on the verge of having his whole body out as well, until another unexpected anomaly came his way.


    His hand that had gotten out of the hole, was swallowed back into it with heaps of sanding from the sides, and gathering above the hole, rising itself like a deste mountain of despair standing tall as a great form of obstacle to reaching his goal.


    The heap of sand, like rain thates and goes unnoticed, poured down on Caius without any warning.


    "you think this will stop me!".


    Caius struggled, using the great sword and Spear in his hands to release all sorts of fire attack above, to get the sand to disperse before it gets to him, but his efforts were rendered futile against the raging heap of sand that continues to pour itself on Caius until none of his parts could be seen hovering above it.


    "i knew it wasn''t going to be enough to do the trick, and that is why I did not just stop at trying to bury you in sand".


    Orun replied to Caius''s earlier outburst even though he had already been buried deep into the ground with none of him remaining above.


    The sand that had rested on the ground with Caius underneath it, rised up in ways that when visualized, sends cold sweat running down one''s back.


    The amount of what had now risen up was more than the quantity of what buried Caius down.


    The sand started a weaving process, moving in a random yet well patterned form, going inside itself and stretching back out, then in again.


    The action continued for a while, and the sand was starting to take its desired shape of what it was aiming for by carrying out the weird movements.


    "what do you think? I thought of it after my misfortuned encounter with an enemy that just won''t die no matter how much pain I give him".


    Orun is a goblin who makes certain that before anything else, he has to continue to evolve when ites tobat.


    What he does when hees out of a battle alive, Orun makes sure that he improves himself well on it.


    He sits down and starts to revise the outflow of the battle, making himself aware of the mistakes he has made and how toter improve on it if he ever finds himself in the same situation again.


    It is the same thought reasoning that he applied after his battle with the Goblin king.


    Orun can say for sure, that the Goblin king is the most troublesome opponent he has been faced with so far.


    Not the strongest, but the most troublesome opponent. The strongest opponent title goes to Caius, the ones he is currently doing battle with, and the runner-up on that position, deserves to the handed over to the first Goblin general.


    The Goblin king was indeed a strong and fearsome opponent, but whenpared to the first Goblin general, he has a lot of ws.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Goblin king relies on the souls of the dead to strengthen himself further before he served as a worthy opponent to contend against Orun.


    The first Goblin general on the other hand, had a unique skill that nullifies any mana based attack, and also enhanced his body to the point where he could go toe to toe against Orun without being pushed back.


    If the first Goblin general had the appropriate body to help him use the skill to its full potential, no doubt the oue of Orun and the first Goblin general''s sh would have turned out differently, with the odds favorable to the first Goblin general.


    Till today, Orun is still in search of ways to contend against an opponent with the ability to nullify mana based attacks.


    He has also extended his scope of thinking to taking into consideration, him meeting with an opponent with the ability to nullify both physical and mana based attacks.


    He has yet toe across an opponent like that, and is not even sure if there really is someone like that, but what is to say there won''t be? especially when there is already someone with the ability to nullify mana based attacks?


    Orun has to be prepared and ready for anything that mighte his way, even the most absurd of things.


    His end goal, is to be strong enough that he will not have to worry about sparing or killing another. To do that, he has to familiarize himself with things known and things unknown.


    Even the most absurd thoughts could be made a reality in this insane world, hence why he always makes sure to revise his battles and think of ways to better himself through them.


    If Orun was forced into a situation where he has to choose between battling the Goblin king or the First Goblin general, he will without hesitation, pick the Goblin king.


    He considers the Goblin king to be weak whenpared to the first Goblin general. The only thing he has going for him, is the immortality through transference of soul into another body.


    If it wasn''t because of that, the first Goblin general should have been the one in the position of a king.


    Another reason why Orun would not hesitate to pick the Goblin king, is because he has found a way to fight against the Goblin king''s soul transference skill without the need for him exhausting his mana to destroy the surroundings.


    What Orun thought of using to counter the Goblin king''s skill, is a skill that would seal the Goblin king in his own private cell.


    A cellposed of sand trapping all exit and blocking off all vision to prevent the Goblin king from seeing his environment and finding another dead prey totch his soul on.


    Once he has been trapped in the sand, Orun will then strengthen the sand, changing the physical properties of the sand into hard steeled gold for enhanced durability.


    To make sure that the Goblin king would not easily break out of the seal with brute force, Orun made the inside of the sand prison asyers stacked unto each other.


    He also sacrificed a portion of his mana to give the golden sand a permanent regenerative ability.


    No matter how much of the sand is damaged from the inside or outside, the regenerative ability will kick in before it is destroyed beyond repair, restoring it back to its shape.


    He named the self made skill; Soil Grand Mausoleum.

 Chapter 189 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius V

    He stood in front of the golden sand mausoleum shaped in a pyramid form, and it''s height equal to a mountain towering above the forestry.


    The Sun shined at the pointy top of the golden sand mausoleum, until it got to the rest of its body, sparkling out the golden sand it isced with, and blinding the naked eyes that gaze upon it.


    Orun is seventy-five percent certain that the deed has been done, Caius has been sealed by his altra regenerative Grand Mausoleum skill.


    But then again, he can never be too sure it worked exactly as he wanted it to. This is after all, his first time fighting against an elemental king, and also his first time using the skill on another.


    He had little information on what skills elementals use, or how far they can go when fused with their contractor.


    ''Oracle''.


    [on it master].


    Orun wanted to fill in the remaining twenty-five percent doubt he has, by making Oracle scan the Mausoleum for any odd energy signatures.


    ''how is it Oracle? Is he staying silent still in there''.


    It took a while for Oracle to respond to Orun''s first question which he found to be weird.


    Oracle was always quick on the notice and especially on things like this. It not answering as Orun wanted, can only mean that it sensed something that is not supposed to be.


    [it is odd master].


    ''Odd! Do you mean In a good way or a bad way''.


    [I am not certain enough to give a direct answer to the question]


    ''why? What is happening in there''.


    [he is increasing his mana output at a formidable rate].


    Caius trapped inside of the Grand Mausoleum, continued to leak out his mana to the surroundings, injecting it into the sand he is covered by.


    This action of his at first thought, would lead one to believe that Caius''s n is to overfeed the sand, giving it more mana than its capacity can carry, and eventually leading it to explode due to too much of mana consumption.


    Oracle however, does not believe that to be the case.


    It does not matter how much mana is injested into the sand. Once it bes aware that it''s mana capacity is reaching its limits, most of the mana will be redirect and transferred into the ground.


    Caius should also be aware of this fact. No matter how dump one is, Oracle wants to believe that one cannot be dump to the point where they do not understand the natural properties of soil.


    Soil absorbes whatever is thrown at it, and in turn, it uses it as a means of fertilizer for itself, giving it effects simr to what was absorbed.


    In the case of it absorbing nutrients, the soil will direct the nutrients back to mother earth to nourish its state, so the ground bes more fertile and conducive enough for farming processes.


    If mana is what the soil absorbs, it does the same action of giving it back to the earth and in return, the Earth bes intoxicated with mana, corrupting it and making it an uninhabitable ce for beings with less affinity toward mana.


    Caius should also be aware of this, yet he still resorts to corrupting the earth with his mana; for what reasons.


    "the fight is not over yet? I wouldn''t want it any other way".<novelnext></novelnext>


    All this while, Orun had only been testing the waters against Caius, going at him with only his physical strength, measuring what limitations he has.


    Caius had also stood his ground against him, not getting pushed back, and has shown Orun how strong he has be.


    He has collected as much information as he can. His weapons are deadly when used on him, and his Spear also has an effect where it moves by itself without any physical control over it.


    Orun has to assume that the same rule applies to his sword; example is when he was almost cut down by the sword. The precision of when it was above to targeting him who is on the ground, was far too urate to think of it as an extraordinary throwing skill.


    Caius''s body is exceptionally sturdy, so he will need more than the normal power output he is used to if he wants to crack through his tough armor.


    Speed; his speed is not one that should be underestimated. So far, Caius has proven to be on equal speed length to Orun. He has being able to keep up with him, and sometimes even outpacing him.


    Orun has collected as much data on Caius as needed, it is now time for him to shift his gear to a more serious mode.


    "the time for ying around is over".


    If Caius wasn''t staying still inside of the seal, then he is up to something, probably something that would ensure his escape out of the Grand Mausoleum seal.


    ''Oracle''.


    [Yes, master].


    ''how much mana do I have left''.


    [so far, master has used twenty-two percent of your total mana, most of which was spent in the construction of the Grand Mausoleum Seal].


    "so I still have a total of seventy-eight percent mana left?".


    He thought his mana guage would have decreased more than what Oracle mentioned.


    The Grand Mausoleum skill took a lot of mana out of him, for the creation process, and also for the regenerative process.


    Orun had estimated his mana usage to be around half of his total mana guage, or even more than.


    He remembered correctly that when he was an elder Goblin, his overall mana was around sixteen thousand, and that was only sixteen percent of the total mana he had now.


    The skill he used, is leaps above the realm of what an Elder Goblin can even dream of using.


    He only used twenty-two percent of his total mana, in numbers, that would be twenty-two thousand out of hundred thousand mana guage, six thousand difference from that of an Elder Goblin?


    "that wasn''t as much as I thought it would be".


    Orun wondered if the overall efficiency of the skill is due to the fact that it came with such little mana cost.


    He believes, the more mana is used in the creation of a skill, the more effective the skill will be when active.


    "no matter. From now henceforth, I will be staking all my mana into taking him down".

 Chapter 190 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius Vi

    [Master, I have reassess the situation, and I now understand what it is he is trying to achieve by infusing his mana into surroundings].


    Oracle analyzed the situation thoroughly before it came to a conclusion, so as not to give Orun the wrong information.


    "a little toote for that. I am about to havepany, the jail breaker kind!"


    Orun moved further back, creating some distance between he and the Mausoleum that is showing signs of aggressive movements going on deep inside of it.


    The Sand Mausoleum colored gold, had its color gradually changing and turning into brown gold, before it got to the dark gold stage, a stage that shows its burning side.


    ''is that what you wanted to tell me''.


    Orun had guessed what happened after seeing the noticeable changes in the golden pyramid made of sand, getting hotter and emitting out smoke before the gold color started fading and reced with a burnt color.


    "i should have taken that into consideration".


    Orun did not take into thoughts the prospect that Caius could actually burn down the pyramid.


    It isn''t just sand, but sand turned gold, and a lot of them stacked on him from different directions and angles, forming a shape as tall as a mountain.


    The chances that something of such scale could get burned down skipped Orun''s mind.


    What Caius did to the sand to make it get burnt, is that he dispersed his mana into the sand, filling a pinch full of sand with his mana until he was done doing the same to the rest.


    he awakened his mana on the fire attribute it was made out of, burning the sand in atomic size until it eventually spread to the whole sand itself, creating one massive fire outage from one tiny fire.


    Orun had no choice but to give Caius the credit he deserves for thinking of something thatplicating and hard to put into practice, yet he was able to aplish it.


    Now that he has seen it happen, that is another lesson for him to learn, and also find other ways to prevent such from happening again, if ever, he gets to use the skill another time.


    The sand shaped like pyramid had been burnt to a point where it could no longer maintain its shape, and eventually burst itself apart in pieces.


    Caius at the center of the pyramid with his attire in perfect shape, except for the dent caused by the sand umted on him.


    "was that your best?".


    Caius dusted off the remains of the sand from his body, and slowly levitates himself from the ground like a messiah about to pass out judgment to Orun.


    "let me show you, the abilities thates with fusing with the king of all fire type elementals".


    His hands stretched outward, and his head slowly raised up, Caius voiced out.


    "Absolute Skill; Sovereign Awaken, Highest Tier Fire Elemental Spirit Creation, Efreet, Smander".


    The bright sun, apanied Caius in his wordings, shining brightly on him as he activates his skill, temporarily granting him the presence of an untouchable most high.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Orun turned his attention from Caius who continued to radiate the alluring presence of an almighty, and turned it over to his sides.


    "Fuck! The hell is that?!"


    The clouds above cracked in multiple pieces, with rays of light finding its way through the cracks, and raining itself down on Caius''s left and right, shining down on Caius.


    The rays dissipated with time, but something much worse followed suite shortly after the disappearance of the rays.


    A carving was being formed above, much like an Invincible hand was inscribing the shape in the air.


    A circr shape to be precise, withplicated stuff drawn inside of the circle.


    It was a drawing that Orun would recognize from anywhere, as he had once used it before, to teleport himself out of the Fire guardian''s tomb.


    The shapes and carvings had a lot of simrities in them, the size however, was far apart from what Orun used in teleporting himself.


    The size of the circle was enough to have a significant impact in the forest of Anjonu, shadowing some parts of the forest and preventing sunlight from getting to it.


    "Monster, I want you to tremble at the presence of my Creation".


    Caius had both his hand raised to the sides, with a smirk on his face.


    The circle that had finished drawing itself, shone brightly before having some odd figures slowly descending out of it.


    The first thing that came out of the circle on the right side of Caius, are two really, really massive deep red painted feet.


    The feet is so massive, it could crush a forty-three feet building with one stomp of its feet down.


    It abided by thews of gravity, uncontrobly falling out of the circle above, with its whole body out of it, and abruptly dropping down into the forest with force that had the forest rumble, and the trees itnded on, mashed into foldable forms.


    Orun in his entire life had seen a lot of crazy shit that he is no longer amazed by something knew, but this, had him having his Jaws dropped in amazement.


    He had never seen an humanoid figure as tall as the red bare skinned figure currently in front of him.


    The figure had on it, an underwear that covered only his crouch, revealing the other parts of its body including his muscled toned body with its veins visible.


    From its elbow to its shoulders, were covered in burning fire, and it''s face also has fireing out of its eyes, while having its fangs out of its mouth.


    The height of the humanoid figure, is like having three Wyvern type monsters stacked on each other.


    Orun for a second there, was lost in his thoughts. He did not know what sort of appropriate reaction to give to what he is faced with.


    The appearance of the next monster who appeared on the left side of Caius, left him even more lost in thoughts.

 Chapter 191 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius Vii

    The magic circle on Caius''s right hand side, the ce where the red freakishlyrge humanoid being hade out from, was facing downward, and when it came out, it fell directly to the ground.


    As for the other magic circle on his left hand side, the direction it is positioned in, is forward.


    It came out from the magic circle on the left side, flying itself out in one p, and soaring above the sky beforeing back down to situate itself on Caius left side.


    It''s red wine color stacked with thick muscled meat as it''s body, long wings weaved out of fire at its back while it stood on all four legs.


    A terrifying face that would make a child scream, andatose a deranged adult, making them unresponsive to external stimulus.


    It had on its lower part, a tail stretching out from its butt as a separate entity of its own.


    "Efreet, Smander. You have just one order, I want him dead".


    Caius standing in between the two ridiculouslyrge highest tier spirits, gave out hismand to them while pointing his hand in Orun''s direction.


    "Damn, I am going to need a bigger bow to take them down!".


    Orun said so casually, preparing himself for the two titan spirits that are about to make their way toward him.


    Smander pped its fiery wings and took to the sky, while Efreet with one step at a time, marched his way toward Orun, crushing the forestry down like a human does to an ant, and shaking the ground with its step, making Orun wobble on his feet.


    Orun used his vines, sprouting them out from the ground beneath that Efreet was walking on.


    He tied the vines around its legs, and made it continue growing until it reached to its head.


    "ROAR!!!!!!".


    Efreet''s body was being buried with vines, and all it took for it to halt the process, is a majestic roar out of its giant mouth, the kind of roar that resounded within all kilometers of the forest, and had Orun covering his ears from.


    Smander carried out its own attack from the sky, flying itself above Orun, and spitting out skin crawling fire, the kind that could burn down the forestry surrounding Orun once ites into contact with it.


    "honestly, this damned spirits have no courtesy to their actions. Coming into my home and destroying it as they see fit".


    With the way things were going, Orun was not sure if he would still have a ce to call home once his fight with the two colossal spirits are over.


    Every move they make, is a move that seeks to destroy a part of the forest they touch. They, are natural born disaster meant to cause destruction in their wake.


    Orun also was not just any kind of monster himself, he also happens to be a disaster just like them, but even he does not do this much damage to his surroundings, except that one time he was pushed to the extreme by the Goblin king.


    "their ridiculously huge size must be the reasons why they are able to cause so much destruction with so little force".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Orun activated his vines, sprouting them out from the ground and carving out the shape in form of two massive hand conjoining at the wrist side.


    He coated the palms of the vines shaped like hands in fire, and extends it to the sky, making it collide with the meteor in the form of fire that wasing down on him.


    The meteor like fire was caused from the Smander releasing its first breath at Orun from above.


    Orun''s vine made hands caught the Smander''s meteor breath before it got to the ground, and he used it to hurl it at Efreet that was still making his way toward him after it had set itself free from the vines.


    He purposely dded the palm of his vine made hand in fire because he was not sure using it without the fire would be enough for it to withstand Smander''s meteor breath, despite his vines having a resistance to fire.


    By adding his own fire to the palm, he has increased the chances of the vines withstanding Smander''s breath by creating a situation where his fire on the palm, would cancel the effect of its meteor breath when theye into physical contact with each other.


    The meteor fire sshed on Efreet, but it did less to no damage at all to it, and certainly was not enough to stop it from moving closer to Orun.


    He sprouted out the vines from his feet, and grew it long enough to have him standing on it and watching the forest from above while standing on equal heights with Efreet.


    He created a massive chunk of fireball attacks, and hurled it at Efreet. When he was done, he immediately proceeded to making his arrow made out of thorns, and fired it consecutively at Smander who is above.


    Orun dropped all he is doing, and dded his hands in thorns, then he moved it to his sides, raising it up to guard himself from the great sword that was about to touch his shoulders.


    "surely, you haven''t forgotten that you are fighting against three, or have you?".


    Caius had appeared at Orun''s back, about to sh him with his great sword.


    Fortunately for Orun, he sensed him in time to defend against the great sword with his thorned fist.


    Hs had hurriedly made the thorned fist, and so it was not able to stand up to the great sword''s durability.


    It did help him withstand the great sword when it mattered the most, but it''s durability fell drastically shortly after that, and it''s remains is now shedding off of his hand.


    "how could I have?!"


    Orun pushed away the great sword resting on his thorned hand that had parts of it now shedding off.


    He thrust out his other hand toward Caius, but it was easily deflected using the handle of his Spear.


    Orun was not taken aback by Caius easily deflecting his fist, and instead, he slightly jumped up, and gave Caius a flying kick aiming for his neck.

 Chapter 192 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius Viii

    Caius thought Orun was going to use his fist to hit his neck, and he hastily raised his hand up to protect his neck with.


    He was left dumbstruck when Orun changed the position his leg was going tond on, from his neck, to the legnding on his stomach.


    Orun pushed away Caius using his leg on his stomach, and also used the force from it to propel himself in the direction of Efreet.


    He clenched his fist hard during his flight moments that would get him to where Efreet is, and when he did, he thrust the fist out with a heavy bang and shoved it on his face.


    *BANG!!!!!!*


    Was the sound that collided with Efreet face, unable to defend against the fast yet heavily influenced punch thatnded on its face.


    *THUD!!!!!!*


    That was the next sound that rang out as Efreet''s gigantic figure falls to the ground, sweeping dust across the forest and temporarily shaking the ground to its core when his massive size collided with it.


    "hmm..... I was certain my fist would blow a hole right through its skull?".


    He was surprised to find out that Efreet''s body is tougher than he had calcted.


    His goal delivering that punch to its head, was so he could blow a hole through its skull, but the most his fist did was make it lose its foothold and fall helplessly to the ground.


    "well, guess I will just have to punch it harder next time".


    Orun fell himself to the ground, andnded on the chest of Efreet who had his huge bodyid down after being punched.


    Efreet had regained control of its body, but it could not get up in time to avoid being fell on by Orun.


    "the bigger they are, the slower they get".


    He knows well that the rules does not apply to all gigantic type beings, but only for a select few of them, and Efreet also happens to be among the few.


    It''s body is undoubtedly big and blessed with extraordinarily tough muscles, its agility on the other hand, has some improvements of its own to make.


    "let''s find out just how heavy you really are with such a ridiculous body weight".


    Orun came down from Efreet''s chest, and moved over to where his right hand was.


    With Efreet''s body size, Orun was only able to barely fit his two hands on the upper part of Efreet''s smallest finger.


    "up you go".


    Orun tightened his grip on Efreet smallest fingertip, and he used it to lift its whole body off of the ground.


    He spinned the body in circle nonstop, using it to bash the trees, clearing them off the ground.


    With his continuous spin, a wind like tornado started to form with Orun at its center being the source of it, and Efreet''s body as the destructive body of the tornado.


    He had spinned its body to his satisfaction, and then he tossed it above, aiming it in the direction that the Smander was hovering at.


    He carried out the acts of carrying Efreetrge body that far overwhelms his by several bounds without so much as having any difficulty, or even showing signs of struggle when he lifted the body up.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Though he has a very tiny statue, his physical abilities however, are monstrous enough to having him not losing out to Efreet in a weight carrypetition.


    Orun had his hand on his forehead, slightly above where his eyes are located.


    He used it to shade his eyes from the harsh effect of the sunlight, so he could see if his target it bullseye; namely Efreet gigantic body hitting Smander up in the sky.


    Orun reflexively reacted, but was a little too slow with his response, and ended up being unable to avoid getting kicked from his side by Caius''s foot.


    "monster, I have to admit, you are strong. Even matching my pace after my fusion with Ignatius. It is too bad that today will be yourst day in this world, with a little more time, you could have actually grown to bing unstoppable".


    It felt as if he was hit by a storm, and had his body tumbling far away, crashing into trees before he finally came to an halt with his back rested on a branch.


    "i honestly cannot picture the leader with a happy face when theye back to see the damage that has been done to the territory".


    Orun with his body on the ground, raised his head forward and saw the damage done from having his body crash through the trees.


    The pathway leading to him had been cleared, only the roots of the trees remained, and by the sides, are broken trees shattered in pieces.


    "i can''t even have a breather around here, having to deal with three enemies at once".


    He has his hands full with thinking of ways to contend with two majestic presence, and Caius who is also on the same level as he is, is not making things any easier for him.


    Caius came rushing in with his fist taking the lead. Orun did a backflip, evading getting pummeled down by Caius''s fist.


    Vines were sprouted out from the ground Caius''s leg was about to step on next, but he was quick to move away before the vines touched him.


    Just in, Smander had recovered from having Efreet thrown on it, and it retaliated by firing off multiple meteor like fireballs down on Orun.


    He raised his head up to the sky, looking at the iing meteor like fireball, and thinking of ways to counterattack against it.


    Orum noticed that the fireball were not the only thinging at him from the sky.


    He fixated his gaze very carefully on the figure that was apanying the fireball, positioned at the side.


    "this world will never cease to amaze me".


    Orun said, surprised to see a pissed off Efreet falling drastically in the direction he was at.


    He got himself ready to fight back, and somehow repel the might of a giant falling straight down at him.


    .


    .


    AN : I just want to say, thank you all so far for the support, and for our MVPs


    Derius Williams 4733 and Darksiidde. Thank you both for the ice c, I will be sure to drink it well and use it to refresh my thoughts in releasing even more entertaining chapters

 Chapter 193 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius IX

    Orun had prepared himself on how to repel Efreet falling down above him, and at the same time, he would deal with the meteor fireball apanying it.


    He had thought it all through,id out a n for everything, but his n was disrupted by Caius who is already three feet away from him, and his sword taking the lead, ready to sh Orun down.


    ''Oracle!''.


    Orun''s inner voice calling to Oracle, sounded urgent, yet calm at the same time.


    [yes master].


    ''will it work''.


    As he asked, Orun was already deep in his imagination, with Oracle also permitted to walk down his imagination along with him.


    Oracle searched for what Orun requested from it, and when it saw the prototype of what Orun had shaped out in his imagination, Oracle started all procedures meant to confirm if it could make his imagination a reality.


    While Oracle continued its analysis on what Orun had requested, he was responding to Caius and Efreet attack.


    Orun''s movement was slow, a moment of inhale was all the time he had to evade the sword, but for some reasons, he did not evade it, nor even tried to.


    Caius was just as fast as he is, therefore, he would be pursued if he takes that chance, and he still has Efreet to worry about.


    Another thing that bothered him, is that he did not see Caius holding unto the Spear.


    Orun is working under the assumption that Caius already predicted he was going to move away in time to avoid getting stabbed by the great sword, and must have had the Spear somewhere to make its movement on Orun the moment he evades the great sword.


    He did not want to do that. The air is heavily surrounded by Caius''s presence, and he must have done that to cover up the trail the Spear will being from.


    If he does end up evading the great sword, he would only be moving as Caius had predicted him to, and not knowing from which direction his Spear will being from, makes Orun hesitant to do his bidding.


    "chuck!!".


    The part of him that the great sword was going to touch, Orun dded it in thorns he had hastily made.


    The great sword made contact with his left shoulder, hitting the thorn that was carved there, and bashing through the thorn to prate through his skin, ande out from the other end.


    *humph!*.


    Orun let out a little grunt for a moment and shortly after, he recovered from the pain of being stabbed in the shoulder.


    "for a monster, you are smarter than I thought, but still not smart enough!".


    He turned his head in several directions, looking for where the Spear will being from. He had a difficult time finding it, when everywhere he turned to, had beenpletely covered in Caius''s presence.


    The tip of the spear grazed him from below, notifying Orun of its location.


    He had his head down, to see that the spear hade out from the ground, and went in through the space between his cloth and his body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Orun moved his body backward, forcefully drawing out the great sword embedded in his shoulder, and ran his body out of the clothing by bending his head down, turning it to the side to avoid being grazed further by the spear that was already in.


    He managed to bring himself out in time before being stabbed by the spear in a ce that would cause fatal damage to him.


    Orun slightly bent his head down, and noticed that where he was grazed by the spear had already started bleeding.


    "Sighhhh....!".


    His upper body is now naked after taking off the clothing, revealing his slim well thinned out red wined colored muscles, only having on his lower part, the pants that was given to him by miss dragon.


    He noticed that the ground he is stepping on, has now been shadowed, while outside of the shadowed range, is light breezing through the ground.


    It did not take long for him to remember that he still had Efreet to deal with, the same Efreet that has gotten within his range, and his almost below him.


    ''damn it. Oracle, how much longer do you still need? I don''t have all the time in the world at my hands you know".


    Orun hurried Oracle in its analytical processing, after he got fed up with trying to fend off against three of them by himself.


    When it was just he and Caius, Orun still had the leisure of fighting toe to toe with him.


    But now that Efreet and Smander has been called into the fight, he could feel the gap getting wider with every step they take.


    The minute he is done fending off one, another just rushes in, giving him no time to catch his breath.


    As hard as it is for him to admit it, Orun could feel himself slowly being pushed back by the three duo.


    If Oracle gives the go ahead on the idea Orun has proposed, assuring him that it is possible to put it into practice rather than just theories about it, he is sure that he can use it to turn the situation around.


    [master, I have calibrated through all existent possibilities, and now arrived at a conclusion regarding your theory].


    ''enough of the long speech, and just skip to the yes or no part''.


    [yes master. It is possible to put it into practice. It will however, require you to exhaust a lot on your total mana Guage].


    ''that is a small price to pay. If it means I have a chance at victory, Mana exhaustion is nothing''.


    Orun breathed his signature breath before he whips out something creative and yet mind blowing.


    He released his mana out into the surroundings, and directed them to the ground beneath him.


    [Oracle, it is left to you now].


    He is still not at the stage where he can craft a masterpiece art by himself, for that, he needs Oracle''s help.


    His med pupils turned gold, with the white part taking on a dark color, a sign that Oracle had temporarily taken over Orun''s body.

 Chapter 194 Orun Against A Fused Ignatius/Caius X

    His gold colored eyes with the innards painted dark, gazed coldly at Caius.


    Orun had packed his long hair neatly tied to the back, but it all came falling down, with parts of it covering his view.


    Caius from where he was, could feel that something was different about Orun.


    It is the same person he had been fighting with all this while, but the air he is now surrounded by, felt more aggressive than before.


    It felt like Orun had changed to a raging beast, all the anger within him, was being let out along with his crimson Aura epassing the surroundings.


    *THUD!!!*


    Orun has yet to move out of the way, and had his body crushed down by Efreet''s weight falling on him.


    The meteor fireball that Smander had fired off, reached the ground, and torched the trees, setting it aze with the eruption of smoke rising up into the sky.


    Beneath the ground that Efreetnded on, vines shoot out of it in multiple numbers, wrapping itself around Efreet.


    Caius traced his steps back as he noticed the vinesing from below him in hot pursuit.


    "Skill activation; Vine Golem".


    Orun''s voice rang out from underneath Efreet, in mention of his skill.


    It looked as if the ground had moved on its own, like a tsunami washing the ocean waters to its shores, or a piece of clothing being pped around.


    Like birds pping their wings outwardly and inwardly, such is the way the ground had moved.


    With Efreet standing on the ground, it was pped along with it, and was washed away by the continuous pping.


    It took a while before the pping stopped, only for the ground to start rising up.


    The sand was standing up, and when it was high enough, one could easily discern the shape it was in.


    The back was what was taking the lead as it rises, with arms on both side, then came it''s head newly sprouting out from the neck after the whole body was up.


    The golem, came out from the ground, but it''s constitution was not made out of sand, and so when it''s shape was done forming, the sand on its body started to rain down, revealing its true body and shape.


    It''s body was made from wood, hard dried woods forming up its body constitution and giving it a shape closer to Orun''s body description, with the horns at the center of its forehead neatly carved out.


    Orun stood on the shoulder of the vine golem that was as tall and  bulky as Efreet even though it was made entirely out of vines.


    [Vine Golem carvingplete, I will now be shifting control back to master''s consciousness].


    Oracle done with the carving Orun had requested from it, handed over control back to Orun, with his eye colors reverting back to the red pupil and white balls.


    *ROARRRRRRRR!!!*


    The Vine golem roared out, staring at Efreet who was in front of it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was the beginning of a showdown between two colossus type beings, capable of destruction with only the movements from their feet.


    The creation of the Vine golem, is an idea brought about by Orun wanting to even the ying field by facing off against two giants and one average sized human.


    He was not even sure the creation of it was going to be possible, a giant made only out of vines and capable of movements.


    It was an entirely different situation from him controlling the vines using only his thoughts.


    He has to be cordial, like being in a virtual reality game, having your own humanoid avatar who takes orders from you by using your mental strength to control it.


    Luckily for him, he has with him, the brains of Oracle who made the building part possible, and also found a way to perfectly control it.


    The vine golem is built in a way that it has no brains, nor is it capable of movements of any such.


    One can think of it as an ordinary collectable figurine, except this figurine in particr, is connected to another entity who has thoughts and reasoning processes.


    Alone, the Vine golem is an empty shell. But, what separates it from being ordinary, is Orun.


    Oracle designed the golem as a recement of Orun''s body. Everything about its body parts is connected deeply to Orun''s mental state, it is, another separate body of Orun, moving only by his will.


    Like the earlier example states, it is a virtual entity with a physical bodyposition, who carries out its actions with Orun as its brain.


    All Orun has to do, is think ofmands with his thoughts, and the vine golem puts it into action.


    It is, a kind of figurine that is alive, and at the same time is not, do you get it?


    The vine golem does have its own disadvantages, and that is how tasking it is on mana.


    It requires an enormous amount of mana in its creation, and also requires mana in maintaining its shape.


    There is also the regenerative properties that it is equipped with. If a part of it gets destroyed, it regenerates back before more damage is done, using mana taken from Orun.


    Oracle has done its best to minimize the amount of mana it requires in its management, but even that was not enough to have Orun not feel anything.


    He brought this on himself by making a choice of not killing Caius when he had the chance to, so who is he toin about the mana spent on trying to keep his life ande out victorious in a fight.


    Orun jumped down from the shoulder of the Vine golem, and jumped over to where Caius was.


    "now I can fight you properly while my golem deal with your summoned spirits".


    By creating the vine golem by his side, Orun has aplished his goal of having a colossal type monster to go up against Efreet and Smander while he has a face off with Caius without being interrupted.


    "i apud you monster. In this form of mine, you are the first opponent other than my peers to havested this long against me, but it is over for you".


    "ever heard of the saying; don''t count your eggs before they hatch? I have no ns of losing this battle to you".


    Orin says, reading Caius''s rxed facial expression to try and understand what he is trying to convey in words.

 Chapter 195 In Distress

    Orun moved toward Caius, and when he got to him, he unleashed an upward kick with his leg raised hastily facing the sky.


    The kick had almost gotten to Caius''s head when it abruptly changed its course and went downwards.


    Caius moved to defend against the kick, was lost in confusion when the kick again changed course, this time heading for the downward center, aka; you know where.


    *POW!!!!!*


    "hmm... I really thought I could get you there of all ces".


    Caius''s whole body is hard steeled imprable and unresponsive to Orun''s punches. He thought of going for a neutral ce like the downward part, thinking he could get in from there, but even that is as hard as steel.


    He moved back from Caius and positioned himself well before charging at him again, this time with an hammer made out of thorn, and a battle axe also made out of thorn.


    Orun dashed at Caius, swinging the axe in his right down on him, and at the same time, he swung the hammer that was in his left hand sideways, bashing away the Spear before it got to him.


    The hammer made out of thorns was able to hit the axe, but not without its own side effects. The part of it that touched the Spear shattered into pieces.


    Orun was not flustered by this, because he had expected it to happen. His thorn is much weaker than Caius''s equipment, it is a given that once they make contact, the one that will get destroyed first is pretty much obvious.


    All he has to do in a situation like that, is use the thorn to carry out what it is intended to do. When it is done, and is on the verge of getting destroyed, he will use his mana to repair it back to normal, and once again swing it for a different purpose.


    Orun thrust his axe out at Caius, and it made contact with his great sword, cutting deep into the axe.


    Orun hastily regenerated the thorn, making it form back into the shape of an axe.


    He extended some parts of the thorn resting on the great sword, wrapping his thorns around it, and making the shape long enough to reach Caius.


    Caius had to let go of the great sword so he could avoid the thorns touching him, but he was able to retrieve his great sword back in a span of a short while after just letting go of it, mentallymanding it to cut through the thorns ande back into his hand.


    Orun pursued Caius, giving him no time to recuperate. He relentlessly unleashed series of attacks on Caius, like how you handle that remote of yours when it refuses to listen to you.


    He released all his stress on him, attacking from all sides and different angles.


    Immediately regenerating his thorned weapons the moment it makes contact with Caius''s weapon and it shows any signs of cracking.


    Caius had the speed to follow through with every attack Orun vents out on him, and even the weapon to tank it all.


    He did not fall short, and stood his grounds gantly, regardless of where Orun appears from, Caius is always ready to fight back.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Orun picked up the pace and further increased the speed with which he used to attack.


    He became so fast that only the bright light from his red gleaming eyes could be seen. He did not stop there, nor epted that to be the limit of how fast he could go.


    Orun went even faster, enhancing his body with mana and channeling most of it in his feet to propel him faster.


    Not even his gleaming eyes were visible to the naked eyes, nor the red aura he is surrounded by. The only noticeable thing, is the whirlwind like breeze that follows through with his movements, ravaging on every ground he steps on, using his footsteps to craft out potholes with cracks by the sides.


    Despite the overwhelming increase in Orun''s speed, Caius was not overpowered by it.


    He was able to precisely follow through, returning back every hits he takes from Orun.


    ''Caius!".


    Ignatius who had kept mute all this while, watching the exchange between Caius and Orun, finally spoke up, silently calling out to Caius and projecting its thoughts into his, but the thoughts that was passed down to Caius, was not the kind he is pleased with.


    Observing Orun and Caius going at it, the odds are obviously stacked in Caius''s favor, having an elemental king by his side, together with two highest tier elemental spirits, he ispletely and utterly above Orun''s level.


    With the overpowered cards that he has in his hands, Caius should have obviously being done with Orun by now. No, he shouldn''t have even had any trouble putting Orun down the moment he Fused himself with Ignatius.


    Caius has the upper hand in the fight, yet he has not been able to deliver the final deciding blow on him.


    He has injured Orun, stabbing him in the shoulder, with a slight cut on his stomach, but not even that was enough to put Orun down or slow down his momentum.


    He should be leading this fight as the head, but why does it feel like he is the actual tail of the fight?


    With every passing moments he uses to ponder on such question, his agitation level continues to rise.


    He has been going at it for hours now, but to him, it felt like he had been at it forever.


    The passage of time has deluded his thinking with every of his senses concentrated on tanking Orun''s hits and returning it with an attack of his own.


    Caius should be winning, he should have won this fight, he should have retired and be back at the town with echoes of victory gracing his ears.


    But for some reasons unknown to him, he hasn''t. This fight is taking much longer than he had ounted for, and the strikes he is being delivered with does not look like it is going to be stopping anytime soon.

 Chapter 196 Colossal Battle

    While Orun and Caius were immersing themselves in a speed and destruction typebat, the Vine golem and Efreet with Smander, were also fighting it out, but theirs is on a natural disaster type level.


    The vine golem took one step forward, running in the direction of Efreet who has also took to going after the Vine golem.


    The both of them running toward each other, had the whole forest trembling in fear, shaking leaves off the tree branches, and creating tremors of echoes.


    They got closer to each other, and thrusted their hands out in unison.


    Their fists collided, creating an air pressure that instantly cleared all traces of any existencial life in their perimeter.


    It''s fist shattered inwardly after the sh with Efreet''s fist, but it quickly healed itself back before it got too deep.


    The vine golem headbutted Efreet, slightly pushing it back, then it hurriedly moved to its back before Efreet could regain its posture.


    It wrapped its vined arms around Efreet, and grew it out from each fingertips, conjoining the arms together and tightening it around Efreet''s waist.


    The vine golem with its arms still wrapped tight around Efreet, used it to sweep Efreet off of its feet, and delivered unto it, a power bomb German suplex.


    Efreet''s bodynding directly to the ground with a thud that shaked the ground tremendously.


    The vine golem let go of Efreet who is nowid down on the floor. It got up, and set its next target as Smander, the huge aerial highest tier spirit who refused to make its way down, and would rather continue attacking from the sky.


    It detached a part of its body, and hurls it at Smander in the sky. Of course, this was something that is easy for Smander to evade by simply changing its course in the sky.


    The vine throwing was not effective against Smander, mostly because the distance between them, and the time it would take for the vines to get there, Smander would have used that same time to move to a different location.


    Another problem is that, the Vine throwing was far too predictable.


    Once it is thrown, it heads in the same direction, and is not able to change its course, making it a waste of both time and mana to use against Smander.


    The vine golem changed its tactics of attacking, and switched to using a fast pace thorn shooter.


    Reaching out its hand with its palm wide open in the direction Smander is flying at.


    The vine golem fired off thorns from its palm consecutively, following through with Smander''s movement in the sky.


    By attacking like this, it would give the vine golem the mobility to chase after Smander from where it is standing, by using the thorns fired to follow through.


    While the vine golem was throwing thorns at Smander, Efreet that was on the ground, was recuperating itself.


    Efreet stretched out its hand at the vine golem that was close to it, and is too busy firing away its thorns at Smander in the air.


    With its hand touching the ankle of the vine golem, Efreet pulled it toward itself, dragging down the vine golem along with it.


    The vine golem was about to fall to the ground like Efreet wanted it to, but it stopped its fall by sprouting out vines from the ground and using it to hold its fall like an hanger.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When it had stabilized itself, it turned its front to Efreet who is still on the ground with its hand still attached to the vine golem''s ankle.


    Distracted by Efreet, the Vine golem had its left arm set on fire caused by Smander pouring its breath down on it.


    The vine golem tore its left arm off, starting from where the fire was burning from.


    It did this to prevent the fire from spreading to the other parts of its vine made body, and it worked.


    After it had torn its left arm off, the Vine golem''s arm regenerated, and was immediately reced like it had never happened.


    Efreet took advantage of the opening, and got its upper body up, then raised its two feet as well, positioning itself for a tackle.


    It rushed at the vine golem, tackling it with its strength and pushing it back before felling it down.


    When it had sessfully fell down the vine golem, Efreet pounced its weight on it, and started tearing of parts of it in pieces.


    It sat on the upper body of the vine golem, and it began to deal damage to its body by punching through it with its fist, or tearing some parts of it away from its body.


    .


    .


    "what is wrong? You are not as agile as you were when we first started".


    Orun noticed that the attack pattern of Caius was not as it was when they first began. He stopped his assault and moved himself back before asking.


    He knew it could not have been Caius getting tired. He still had a lot of mana reserve left, so that could not have been the case.


    "you are starting to show several ws here and there, and I can almost start to predict your moves".


    Orun was no longer feeling it, the thrill of fighting a to the death with the dangerous Caius, it was no longer there for him.


    It felt to him like Caius had soften up, he had be weaker and predictable, which should not be so with all the powers he possess.


    "i don''t know what it is you are saying monster, but I am going to be ending this now".


    Caius ignored Orun''s attempt to a conversation, and attacked him from behind with the Spear.


    "you see what I mean? Too predictable".


    Orun jumped up and evaded the Spear before it could touch him, proving to Caius what he meant by him being too predictable.


    "what is the matter with you human? Where is that energy of yours? The one you had during the opening page of the battle? Where did it all go".

 Chapter 197 The True Cardinal

    Orun is getting disappointed the longer the fight rages on against Caius.


    He had lost the charm that made him Orun be interested in a to the death battle with him.


    His strength has not dwindled one bit since they started, nor has there being a decrease in the speed he started with, or his mana depleted.


    Neither of those things are not what made Orun be less interested in his battle with Caius, but something else entirely.


    It took a while for Orun to discern what was different from the Caius of now, and the Caius of when they first met.


    When he discovered it, he was met with an even greater streak of disappointment.


    Orun found out, how weak minded Caius really is. He saw the vast difference between he and Caius in terms ofbat abilities, and shamed his head in utter disappointment.


    He does not know what sort of life Caius has lived that brought him up to being who he currently is, but he could guess that his current life, has not been filled with enough difficulties.


    Caius, utterly sucks when ites to pure physicalbat with the involvement of physical skills and thinking process in y.


    It is like he does not even want to think up strategies to counter the enemies with, and just forces his way in, delivering blow in the same way it has been given to him.


    There might have been a moment where he had constantly faced all sorts of challenges in battles, but those times are far behind him now.


    He had fought and fought to climb up thedder and sit himself down amongst those harboring the title of greatest. But in doing so, he had be too rxed.


    Comcent that he had reached the top, and no longer had anything to worry about from those below.


    Caius was able to be a Cardinal by honing and developing his strength inbat, further enhancing himself, and also with the help of Ignatius being by his side.


    He became a Cardinal by showing that he was worthy of one through his own strength, but he never stopped to think, that being referred to as one of humanity''s strongest, does not exactly make him one of the strongest in the world.


    You see, physical strength is a very dubious fellow, and if one is not very cautious around it, you will end up being fooled into thinking that you are unstoppable.


    The world is splitted into five great continents, and the humans, are just one out of the very five in existence.


    Being called a Cardinal and titled as humanity''s strongest by humanity, does not mean they are the strongest in the world.


    The problem stems from the fact that the Cardinal of the past that originally owns the strongest title, does notprise of four, but one.


    It was originally given to the being who is human and yet has far surpassed the realm of humanity, the one who stood still at the forefront while the rest of the humans cowered in fear during the Great War.


    He was the one, who wiped the floor off of the race who are viewed as being untouchable by others.


    Without that one human, humanity would have stood no chance, and would have been wiped off the map after the great war was over.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That one human, is who was actually named and feared by the other race as a Cardinal as a result of his achievements during the great War.


    Humanity''s leaders, brought themselves together and seeked to expand the realm by which the other race would fear them.


    They wanted to sow the seeds of fear in them and remind them that humanity, is not as weak as it seems.


    The way they thought of achieving that, is by making the Cardinal title extensive, opening up an application process that screens humanity''s warriors, and end up picking among them, the one that triumphs the end of the screening.


    That one, is given the opportunity to enter the ranks of Cardinal''s, thereby increasing the numbers while making it indirectly known to other race that humanity''s forces are bing more formidable.


    There is, a boundary set in motion to make their n a perfect one.


    If the numbers of the Cardinal''s bes extensively wider, they will not be taken too seriously by the other race.


    It would only seem to the outside eyes, as an organization that could easily be assessed by possessing a certain amount of strength.


    But by only limiting the range of Cardinals to four numbers, they have set the impression of how high, difficult, and powerful the Cardinal''s really are.


    Despite how populous humanity is, there are only four of such with formidable power.


    That thinking, has set into motion, a sense of understanding that not just anyone can be a Cardinal.


    Caius being a Cardinal, meant he has earned the right to be among a group titled as humanity''s strongest, but that alone, does not make him the true humanity''s strongest.


    His strength, speed and mana that allowed him to be a Cardinal, were gotten thanks to his contract with Ignatius.


    With it, he is formidable, mostly destructive, and partially unstoppable. However, it does not make him undefeatable.


    After he became a Cardinal, Caius has forgotten how important the basics of things are, and moved on from them.


    Orun spent his life in a Dungeon where everyday, is like war for him, the kind where he had to always be on his toes if he still wanted to live.


    There are lots of monsters in the Dungeon with him, most of which are far more powerful than Orun was at the beginning.


    To contend against the likes of such monsters, Orun knew being reliant only on increasing his level would do him no good.


    He had to start thinking, expanding the range of his thoughts and maximizing the full use of every ability in his possession, all so he could keep himself alive.


    Such way of life, had help Orun to evolve more than just his physical appearance, but also hisbat mentality.

 Chapter 198 Colossal Outcome

    The vine golem forcefullyid on the ground, had Efreet sitting on it and barraging its non-existent face with its fist.


    Efreet relentlessly released its fist on the vine golem, tearing through its wood like body that is quick to regenerate back to its initial form when one part of it is cut off.


    The vine golem sprouted the vines from its legs and made it longer, then it used it to grab unto Efreet''s neck from its blind spot, and dragged it off of its body.


    After it got Efreet off its body, the Vine golem hurried itself up before Efreet could get itself back in position.


    It ran its way to Efreet, but was abruptly stopped in its track by Smander who breathed fire down the path leading to Efreet.


    The vine golem raised its head up to look at Smander, taunting it while flying above, knowing fully well that there was only so little that the vine golem can do to it in the sky.


    Efreet was able to get up uninterrupted thanks to being covered for by Smander.


    It got up, and attacked the vine golem, Thrusting its fist out toward its supposed face, and bashing through the vines with its fist going through the vines anding out from the other side.


    It forcefully withdrew its hand out of the vine golem''s face, and delivered series of fists at its face, pushing it back while not giving it the chance to deliver an attack of its own.


    Amidst the fisting at it, the Vine golem tried its hardest and clenched its fist, then thrust it out at Efreet, going at it from below as the upper part was too preupied with Efreet throwing its jab in its direction.


    The vine golem, putting all its might into its fist, delivered a body blow to Efreet.


    Efreet''s body shuddered as it got slightly brushed back, with mist released from its back showing that it was affected by the blow if only a little.


    The vine golem was aiming to get another body blow in, but was intercepted by Efreet who had recuperated from the first body blow in time.


    It caught the vine golem''s fist, and used it to pick its whole body up from the ground, then tumbled it upside down before falling it down back to the ground aggressively.


    Efreet let go of the vine golem''s hand, and it pped its own two fist together and very tightly.


    It raised its joint hands up, while it''s head was staring down at the vine golem''s body on the ground.


    Efreet without warning, brought down its sped fist on the head of the vine golem, deeply shattering its head into pieces.


    It''s shattered head was about to regenerate when Efreet carried its whole body and threw it up in the air, specifically in Smander''s direction.


    Its purpose for doing that, is so Smander can use its fire to incinerate the body of the vine golem with none of its part left behind to regenerate.


    The vine golem thrown in the sky, had temporarily lost control of its own body while still in the sky, and was unable to evade theing fire breath from Smander.


    Smander held its own breath, and released out its fire with even more force and intensity taking the lead.


    It got torched alive while being unable to do anything to stop its whole body from getting incinerated.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The vine golem fought a good battle, and did even better than Orun had expected it to, considering this was the first time he would be using the skill.


    The reason for its immediate loss, is because of who it is pitted against.


    Efreet is an highest tier elemental spirit, second only to the spirit kings. The same goes for Smander.


    They are the kind of spirit capable of empowering an average being and turning them into someone important in the society.


    Efreet is an embodiment of the destructive properties of fire turned physical. It specializes in the destruction using only its superior physical prowess.


    Smander on the other hand, is an embodiment akin to a fire dragon. It''s speciality, is causing destruction from the sky using its fire attribute spilled out from its mouth.


    Having to face off against two of such beings at once, andsting for as long as the vine golem did, is already a notable achievement of its own.


    If the vine golem was only faced against one of them at a time and not two at once, it still won''t end uping out as the winner, but it sure as hell would give its opponent a hard time.


    Sadly for it, it''s opponents are not the kind to be underestimated under any circumstances.


    Smander and Efreet had won their battle against the vine golem. It was a short battle, but it was one with difficulty.


    Regardless, they did win, and now they are on their way to Orun, to finalize the orders of their master, and carry out their purpose for being created.


    Efreet marched it''s way to Orun, while Smander flew in the sky, surveying the ground below.


    *SCREECH!!!!!*


    Efreet''s and Smander''s victory over the vine golem was cut short with the appearance of a new enemy hastily flying their way towards them.


    ***


    The Wyvern pack as nned by Orun and their leader, did as much damage as the can to the city, and when they were done, they made their way back to their territory.


    The purpose of them flying to the city and causing temporary havoc, was so they could send a message to the city''s lord, that they are not to be trifled with, and their territory, is not a yground for humans toe and go as they see fit.


    With the destruction they brought to the city, the Wyvern leader deemed it enough to convey their intentions to the city lord, and hopefully, he is smart enough to realize their message and put it into practice.


    And if he does not, they will be back, and with even more destruction than the one they had done.


    They will leave behind their markings as a reminder to the humans to stay away from their territory.

 Chapter 199 Oracle Has A Plan

    The Wyvern leader floated still, pping her wings to keep her bnce in one stance.


    From where she hovered on in the sky, the Wyvern leader watched as her pack rushed Smander and Efreet, bombarding them with their breath while some of them were flying over Efreet''s face, getting close to it to scratch its face, and then they retreat back to the sky before Efreet could touch them.


    Hovering above ground level, she saw the clear view of the forest and what has be of the ce she calls home.


    The Wyvern leader was not pissed, nor was she delighted to see such a scene.


    What she is feeling, is relief that despite the damage done, she did not lose any member of her pack to the humans.


    This thought ddened her heart, and she intends to keep it that way by finding Orun and helping him out with whatever kept him froming to them when the human army situated in the forest had already retreated back to their homes.


    She figured, the reason why Orun did note to them after the humans were no longer staying in the forest border, must mean he is being kept busy against his will.


    "it must be that human that attacked him when he was riding on my back".


    Her pack fights against Efreet and Smander, contesting against Smander in a flying speed contest and unleashing their breath when they get the chance to. Using the long distance strategy against Efreet who could not fly in the sky.


    The Wyvern leader on the other hand, kept herself busy with looking for traces of where Orun is doing battle against Caius.


    Flying high in the sky, she had her head faced downward, scanning for Orun''s appearance, or a ce with an ongoing destruction in its surroundings.


    After searching within the perimeters of where Efreet and Smander were, the Wyvern leader was still not able to find Orun.


    What she saw, is the aftermath traces of a battle that happened below the ground level with the earth highly disheveled.


    The Wyvern leader took notice of a trace caused by trees brought down with holes of something having passed through them before they were destroyed.


    The trace leads all the way to outside the perimeter of where Efreet and Smander were, leading all the way to the northern side of the forest, a ce very far from where they started from.


    After several minutes of intense flying and covering grounds that would have taken hours to cover if one were to walk, she finally found Orun.


    The Wyvern leader from the sky, rained down her breath on Orun''s opponent, using it to create a demarcation between Orun and Caius.


    Orun about to move to Caius, saw the breatheing down and halted, thinking it was an attack from Smander until he saw the color of the breath and the direction it headed in.


    "you are back? That did not take you as long as I thought it would".


    Orun raised his head in the direction that the breath hade from, and he saw the Wyvern leader slowly making her way down to him.


    "we have been gone for hours, almost getting to a full day".


    The Wyvern leader''s word, questioned Orun''s sense of time and forgetfulness.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "if you are dealing with an opponent as tough as mine is, Time will be the least of your worries".


    Orun says, hastily moving his body to repel Caius''s attack while the Wyvern leader took to the sky.


    He repelled Caius''s attacks and jumped back several times, sporting out vines from where he was going tond on.


    "now you are just tantly annoying me".


    Orun says, as he lengthened the height of the vine he was standing on to be longer than the trees in the forest.


    "i can see why you still haven''t ended this. Your opponent is a tough one".


    Orun had gotten away from Caius using the vines, and only then did the Wyvern leadere back to him.


    "he is tough alright, but that is all. Hecks the skills and imagination to support his toughness with, I am assuming he had never been face against an opponent who prides in using physicalbat skills rather than depending only on brute skills to carry him through".


    To stop Caius from interrupting in their conversation, the Wyvern leader breathed down on him as he makes his way to Orun, causing a drastic shift in his path.


    He did not avoid the breath because he thought he was going to be harmed by it, but because the force propelling the breath toward him, was enough to push him backwards with his body unharmed.


    Caius wanted to avoid getting pushed back by the breath, and so he chose to avoid it.


    "if I had a weapon that could tear through his toughyers and get to his skin, I am one hundred percent certain that I can put an end to this".


    Orun says with certainty, jumping off of the vine before Caius''s great sword could reach him.


    He continued to treat Caius like a child, moving steadily and evading every attempt of his to get to him.


    [Master, I have figured out a way for you toe out victorious in this battle].


    The Wyvern leader was aiding Orun from the sky, using her breath to follow Caius''s movements as he chases after Orun.


    ''Oracle, my buddy, what did you just say?''.


    Orun find''s Oracle''s word very hard to believe. Sure Oracle has demonstrated to be a very capable skill in terms of creation and skill management, but this situation is quite different from Oracle''s area of expertise.


    Oracle functions better using the tools at Orun''s disposal to their maximum effect. If he does not have it, then there is nothing Oracle can work on to help him out.


    Orun highly doubts that he has on him, a skill that is capable of prating Caius''s body and dealing damage to him.

 Chapter 200 Orun Has Doubts

    [Master is right. There is no tool or skills at your disposal that is capable of dealing damage to your opponent].


    Oracle affirms Orun''s suspicion which only leads to further confusion for him.


    ''is this the part where I ask how and you start exining because frankly, I don''t have all day you know''.


    Orun does not entertain being put in suspense by Oracle, at least not when he is currently fighting for his life.


    [like it is earlier stated, Master is incapable of dealing damage to your opponent with the current tools at your disposal. To remedy that, I will craft out a weapon that will aide master in aplishing your end goal].


    Orun was paying attentive ears to Oracle''s words as he was also busy with evading Caius and making sure he is not bruised by his deadly weapons.


    He wasn''t exactly in a position to mentally reply to everything Oracle says, but he did manage to show his curiosity through his facial expression.


    [i will make use of your opponent''s mana in the creation of the weapon that will be used against him].


    Orun''s facial expression had a question mark written all over it, with a push for Oracle to continue its exnation.


    [my n involves channeling your opponent''s mana, and directing the flow into your mana core before I can use it in creating the weapon].


    ''and you did not tell me this was possible becauseee.....''.


    Orun figured there must be something wrong with Oracle''s n, a w that might end up backfiring at Orun in an uneptable way.


    If that was not the case, then surely, Oracle would have informed Orun of this n right from the moment it saw Caius and Ignatius fusing, it would have alerted Orun and gave him a better fighting chance with the weapon it spoke of.


    Seeing as how Oracle did not do so, and only waited until Orun started having a hard time putting an end to the fight, must mean Orun''s assumption is on point.


    [I did not inform Master of this method because of the requirement thates with it].


    ''here ites''.


    Orun said in his mind, so sure of himself that he really was on point with his assumption.


    ''what is the so called requirement''.


    In all honesty, there is a part of him that does not want to know about the so called requirement.


    To defeat the goblin king, he had to spend seven hundred years in istion, oblivious to the passage of time and the activities that continues to flow by in his absence.


    That time was endurable because he was all alone, and had no one expecting him to awaken, but this time Is different.


    He has the Wyvern pack with him now, and most especially the Wyvern leader.


    Orun is not ready to risk having himself in slumber unsure of how time will unfold for the wyvern pack.


    [not to worry master. The requirement is not what you think it is].


    Oracle was able to see from the expression Orun was making, that he was not ready to spend another of his lifetime in absence.


    ''really, if that is not it, then what is it''.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [total depletion of master''s mana core].


    ''what!''.


    Orun wanted to scream the words ''you lied to me'' at Oracle, but he did not, because after thinking about it for a little while, he felt he understood where Oracle was heading to with its words.


    To end his fight with the Goblin king, Orun had to sacrifice all the mana he had just so he could blow the dungeon in pieces, with the Goblin king in it.


    After he had done that, he spent seven hundred years of his life in istion, waiting for his mana core to be filled to the brim again so he could awaken.


    If he resorted to depleting his entire mana core just so he can put Caius down, Orun would have to go into a deep sleep after his victory, but that can be avoided.


    The only reason why he went into a deep sleep during the goblin King moment, was so he could refill his mana core, a core with innate attribute to the fire element.


    But what if, just what if, there is really no need for him to go into that deep sleep?


    Relentlessly attacking him right now, is Caius who is fused with a fire elemental spirit king, and is showing off that vast mana Guage in him, intoxicating the surroundings with it.


    He is in Orun''s word term; a walking powerbank.


    There is no need for Orun to go into a deep sleep when he can just tap into Caius''s mana and sap out of it to refill himself with.


    ''are you sure this is going to work?''.


    Orun''s concern, is centered on the difference in attributes.


    Even though they are both making use of the same fire attribute, Orun''s attribute seems more lean and focuses on a particr side rather than the whole thing.


    He worries that it will not make him apatible fit to absorb Caius and Ignatius fire attribute.


    [Master has nothing to worry about because Master is innatelypatible with all fire type attributes].


    ''hmm.... Even though my race is infernal and not fire''.


    Orun still questioned, using the establishment of his race as the foundation for the question; Infernal and Fire, are they the same thing?


    He decided to drop his question and curiosity. Oracle is the one that thought of the idea, and knowing the kind of skill Oracle is, it must have tested its theory through the use of deep mental imagination before it presented it to him.


    ''Okay Oracle, this is on you now''.


    Orun says, giving the go ahead for Oracle to proceed with its n on making Orun a weapon.


    [To begin, I want master to make use of all mana still lingering in the mana core].


    Orun sighed internally following Oracle''s go ahead. This is a risky n, one that if it does not seed, could lead to Orun having to face off against Caius without any mana.


    The only reason he ever agreed to a n this risky, is because Oracle is the one that proposed it.


    If it was someone else, Orun would have brushed it aside and taking his chances as he is.

 Chapter 201 Oruns Demolition Bomb Attack

    Orun following Oracle''s words, let out all his mana at once, and went on a rampage to his heart desire.


    He put up a distance between he and Caius, and bent his body down with his two hands touching the ground.


    "Skill activation; vine forest bloom".


    Caius on his way to Orun, stopped and hastily moved far away from him when he saw him activate a skill.


    He had made a good call because the skill Orun had just unleashed, is a skill with a wide area of effect.


    From both sides of Orun, vines were sprouted out, arranging itself like walls protecting an imprable fortress.


    The vines in unison, all shoot out from the ground and stretching all the way forward, it covered the forest whole, moving like a cheetah chasing after its prey.


    Vine forest bloom, is a skill created by Orun, and it''s effect involves the imitation of a forest.


    It starts with showing its tiny body outside of the ground level, and suddenly getting a ridiculous growth sprout like trees found in the forest, except darker and looking more ominous with only the vines and no leaves or fruits on it.


    Being the creator of the skill gave Orun the ability to decide what direction it is going to grow in, and what length it is going to be extending up to.


    He jumped up above the vines that are still growing and extending all the way to the deeper parts of the forest, devouring it whole while making its own establishment as the new form of forestry.


    From above, he spotted Caius who is trying to find his way around the vine, moving backward the closer the vines got to him.


    He had gotten to the highest point that his legs could propel him up to, and he was now falling back down to the ground.


    Orunmanded a part of the vines that were still growing wider, to lengthen its height below Orun''s falling range so he would not reach the ground.


    The vines moved as Orun hadmanded it to, and a part of it grew below Orun''s falling range and acted as a ground level for him to fall on.


    "Skill activation; infernal demolition bomb".


    Orun had his two hands stretched wide, apart from each other, and he raised them above his head before activating his next skill.


    At the center of the separated hand, is a spark apanied under the influence of fire, going on and off, with every moment it gets turned back on, it''s differentiated effect being that it gets slightly bigger than when it was first turned off.


    "are you trying to destroy the forest!".


    The wyvern leader hurried herself over to where Orun was standing, and questioned his sanity on why he is making attacks that only seeks to further destroy what they are trying to protect.


    "there is no reason to fear, for I have everything under control".


    So he says, but the fearsome size of the skill he had just unleashed, does not help in believing his words to be true.


    The spark continued to grow, reaching outside the range of his stretched out hand and hovering above Orun''s entire body, going beyond even the Wyvern leader''s range.


    The wyvern leader''s concern, is that the spark that came out of Orun''s widened arms has gotten so big, that it left its shadow trail down on the forest.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She wondered what would be of the Forest if it made contact with it, and to make it worse, it is basically made out of destructive fire.


    "more importantly, take the pack and get out of here as fast as you can!".


    He warned the Wyvern leader, pushing her to act fast because not even he knows what would be of the surroundings once he unleashes the demolition bomb.


    Despite the curiosity in her, she did not question his words and only moved as fast as she could to do as he had asked.


    He is the kind of monster that makes dangerous and threatening jokes with a straight face on, but his face this time was very serious, and that further frightened her.


    He bid his time monitoring the Wyvern pack to see if they have gotten far away from him enough before he fully unleashed the skill.


    Orun with haste, brought his two stretched out hands forward, and hurls the spark that had grown to the size of multiple fireballs fused together in one.


    He observed Caius''s position before hurling the demolition bomb his way.


    The demolition bomb on its way to Caius, burned down all that stood within its path, be it trees or living beings that had taken cover in a ce they thought of as safe from Caius and Orun''s fight, they were all instantly torched and burned into nothingness.


    Even those that were not directly in its path, were still razed down and burned to ashes with their remains ascending to the skies.


    The vines Orun had sprouted out like a whole forest, it was also not left unscathed as it got demolished when the demolition bomb got to the ground.


    Its effect when itnded, could be calcted when put together the oue of making use of three nuclear in one strike, a disastrous, unrivaled destructive force created only for the purpose ofplete annihtion, and has yet to be tested for fear of what would happen when set free.


    In the presence of an ordinary, this skill would have wiped them out before they see iting.


    And in the face of an elite, it would bestow upon them, agonizing pain before putting an end to their life by setting their body aze, leaving nothing behind.


    [Master has seeded in drawing out all mana stored in your mana core].


    [Absorption of mana from external force, willmence when master is within the target''s range].


    Orun had used up all the mana left in his body to create the demolition bomb that worked even better than he thought.


    He has had the idea with him for a very long time, a skill he thought of to rece his javelin crater explosion with after his evolution.


    He considered the javelin crater explosion as a skill deserving of him when he was still a normal Goblin.


    While the demolition bomb, is an upgrade of the skill to after he had evolved beyond the realm of an ordinary Goblin.


    Orun has never once thought or have the opportunity to try it out because he knew how much mana would be required to do so.


    This situation however, gave him the chance to do so, to see first hand, the effect of his javelin crater explosion upgrade mode named, Infernal Demolition Bomb.

 Chapter 202 Summoned By The Pillars

    The vine Orun was standing on, had also being devoured by the aftermath of the demolition bomb, and he was now falling down, also getting assimted into the still expanding explosion.


    Orun was consumed by the expansion, and found himself inside of it, surrounded by the sound of continuous destruction while he is unarmed.


    His feet touched the ground, unaffected by the devastating conditions, he focused on his goal of finding out Caius''s whereabouts and going to meet with him so Oracle can begin the absorption process.


    Using his perception ability, he was able to spot Caius amidst the ongoing destruction filled withmotion.


    He made his way toward him in a hurry, attempting to sprout out thorns so he could craft them in the form of weapons to use against Caius''s weapons, but his attempt failed.


    "this is worse than I thought".


    He had forgotten for a moment there, that he currently is devoid of any traces of mana in his mana core, the same energy he needs in the activation of all hisbat skills.


    "seems I have to do this raw".


    Orun clenched his fist when he had almost gotten to Caius, and he thrust them out, with the great sword set to counter him.


    He made sure to position his fist so it will touch the smooth side of the sword and not the ded side.


    Despite being estranged in darkness and destruction, Caius also managed to fight back, warding off Orun with his great sword.


    He did, sustain some slight mishaps from the effect of the demolition bomb.


    His cloths that had proven to be sturdy with every tribtions it has been faced with so far, could not escape destruction at the hands of the demolition bomb.


    His cloths from top to bottom, was burnt off by the demolition bomb, but he was able to create new pants for himself using his aura, while he left the upper part of his body bare.


    ''is this close enough!''.


    [yes master. Absorption process will nowmence].


    Orun made sure to close off any distance, and as risky as it looks, he has no choice but to engage against Caius in a close quarterbat while being empty handed, and Caius equipped with two weapons that could kill him upon contact.


    ''Caius, move away from him, now!''.


    Ignatius urgently warned Caius, giving him a sternmand with immediacy backing it up.


    It had perceived what Orun was trying to do by taking the risk of being so close to them despite having no weapons with him.


    The energy that is being stolen from Caius''s body, and slipping itself into Orun''s body, that was his n, and Ignatius was not very well pleased with an outsider stealing its mana or tapping into it without permission.


    Caius ran backwards and still could not lose Orun who refused to let go of him.


    He took to the sky, knowing that Orun is incapable of flight, and is the one ce he can only temporarily get to.


    He could use the vine to lift himself up, and that is why Caius ns on flying so high that even the vines would not be able to reach.


    Orun could not pursue Caius to the sky because he had no mana to use in the creation of the vines, but there is no cause for panic.


    His goal of absorbing enough mana for Oracle to use in the creation of a weapon has seeded, and as such, he has no reason to chase after him.


    "why did you have me move away from him when I almost had him".


    Caius was so sure of himself that victory was within his grasp if only he had not being interrupted by Ignatius''s tone that sounded very urgent to his ears.


    ''that, that is the reason why I stopped you''.


    Caius had his head turned down in Orun''s direction, to see what it is that had even Ignatius on edge.


    He saw Orun standing still, and in his right hand, is the movement of mana in construction just like how he had done when he made the great sword and spear.


    Orun from below, raised his head upward in Caius''s direction, looking at him with a serious gaze while the weapons were being crafted in his hands.


    Once the weapon construction is done, he will have with him, a weapon capable of causing damage and even killing Caius fused with Ignatius.


    Finally, he would be fighting a fair fight against them, one where they both have something that is capable of killing the other, a true to the death battle.


    .


    ***


    "who are you all!".


    He kept his expression calm, and showed no traces of fear on him, so they would not take him for granted.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "we are the pirs".


    The one with the boned figured was the first to talk, and then the baton was handed over to the one with an unusual hairy face and having the statue of an hardcore body builder.


    "the one''s responsible for keeping the bnce of the world".


    "in our hands, is the power to crush the world into multiple fragments".


    The humongous figure said, stretching his right hand big enough to fold Orun in it. He stretched it forward with his palm wide open, then he abruptly crushed it, squeezing it deep in.


    "we are also bestowed upon, the power to alter the direction of all inhabitants of the world".


    The long haired one with a humanoid figure is the one that spokest, using a friendly soul warming tone.


    Thest thing he remembered, was him going up against Caius after he had absorbed a part of his mana to use in the creation of the sword that will end up bringing about his downfall.


    That was thest thought on his mind before he ended up finding himself in here.


    A ce with continuous darkness, gazing deep into it only to find out that within the darkness, are four figures sitting down in a square shaped position, and each with a differing appearance, all exuding out frightful and threatening aura, the kind that made Caius''s threat pale inparison to theirs, like a cub trying to brag in the presence of their elders.


    He somehow finds himself in the midst of this ridiculous folks, but he did not panic, nor show any traces of such in him.


    Orun kept a straight face and a cool head before them, because he had no reason to panic.


    If they wanted to, they could have easily done whatever they wanted with him helpless to do anything against it, seeing as how they somehow were able to bring him into this domain without his consent.


    "why am I here!".


    The best he is capable of when faced against such beings, is to question their purpose. If it is not so they could kill him, then why else would they have him here for.


    "we brought you here because you, are on the verge of tipping over, the bnce we have kept in ce for thousands of years".


    The one that spoke up, is the boned figure manpletely devoid of any flesh with a spark of crimson as eyeballs.


    "bnce? Bnce".


    Orun asked, lost in thought on what it meant by him destroying their bnce.


    Tracing his current actions, Orun has so far not done anything on the scale of influencing the world, a world he was reincarnated into against his will as a monster.


    Fought for his life to have a chance to be counted amongst those that will live to see the dawn of a new day.


    That is what he has done all this while, he fought, and fought without giving up nor show any signs that he was going to.


    Hiw has him wanting to live and enjoy the pleasure thates from waking up and realizing that he is still alive, influence the world in any way?


    .


    .


    This chapter brings us to the end of the Caius and Orun''s Volume.


    Now I know some of you are not satisfied with how it ended and for that, I apologize.


    We all know who the eventual winner is going to be, and that is why I thought of a way to make it more eventful, you know, more fun for you readers who don''t want to see the main character always winning.


    By ending it this way, I created a chance for you all to decide for yourselves what the oue of the fight is, paint it in your own desired image who the winner and loser is.


    Of course, if you are still not satisfied with that, then I suggest a powerstone vote.


    If at the end of this month, the book''s powerstone is not beyond hundred, I will assume that you are all satisfied with this ending and leave it at that.


    But, if it goes beyond hundred, I will take it as petition for me to release the full episode of the fight scene which I will.


    Remember, it is your choice to make.


    OH and, this is not the end of the series, but just the beginning.


    The next volume will dive into the world and kingdom building aspect so be sure to stick around for that as well.


    Thank you all for reading my book Adventures Of A Goblin

 Chapter 203 Hunting With Dana

    ***  FOUR MONTHS LATER ***


    *** LOCATION = OUTSKIRTS OF KHAMOR CTYY, CAPITAL OF BREGOGON KINGDOM ***


    Staring at the short green skin monster with her sword in hand, she moved hastily in its direction, ready to swing her weapon down on it.


    "you need to go even faster than you currently are".


    Dexter stood behind her with his arms folded, and watched her charge at the Goblin monster with speed that he is not pleased with.


    He probed her to challenge herself beyond what she thinks her limits are.


    Dana took his words to heart, and put it into practice, going even faster than she currently is, but he still was not pleased with the performance.


    She got to the Goblin who had nothing on it except for its tattered body, and swung down her sword on it, going after it''s left arm.


    Dana''s sword tore through the right shoulder of the Goblin, and she traced her sword down, cutting down the whole arm.


    Her sword drenched in the blood that spurted out of the Goblin''s cut off arm, she moved it away from the left arm, and over to the right arm, doing the same act she had carried out on its left arm.


    The Goblin with no arms to fight back with, turned around in another direction to run for its dear life.


    Dana slowly walked toward the Goblin who kept falling down in its track and still moving, making attempts to run away from her, using its legs to support the body to crawl.


    She got to the Goblin, and stared down at it, watching it attempt to get away from her in its pitiful state.


    *SCREECH!!!!!!!*


    Using her sword, Dana stabbed the Goblin by the right thighs stopping it from crawling any further.


    The Goblin was unable to do anything, and could only express its agony and difort through its vocal cries.


    Dana withdrew her sword from its right thigh and moved over to its left, doing the same thing over again.


    Dexter watched from the rear as Dana inflicted pain and misery to the Goblin in the best way that she can.


    When he took her away from Edevin city, he made her register as an adventurer, and since then, he has been teaching her everything she has to know about being an adventurer.


    During those months, he has seen a side of her he never thought a girl of her age could have.


    A cold cruel side filled with immense hate, the hate that she ends up directing to the monster kind.


    Whatever monster shees across, before she delivers the final blow to them, Dana makes certain that they go through agony and pain, only then will she relieve them of the suffering she put them through.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dana has inflicted enough damage to the Goblin''s body, leaving it in a state that has one pondering; what the hell is this.


    When she was done, she delivered the final blow by cutting off its head with little flow of blood rushing out, coupled with the amount of blood it had earlier lost.


    "that was still not good enough".


    Dexter said, making his way toward her while slowly unfolding his arms.


    "I could have done it better if I was faced against an higher level monster".


    Dana''sint is due to the fact that Dexter, does not give her the opportunity to fight against monsters that has gone above the strength of what a normal Goblin has.


    During the times she has spent with him, he has only ever permitted her to hunt lower level monsters to raise her level, and also teaching her basicbat techniques.


    Unknown to her, that Dexter has his own reasons for only allowing her to hunt a particr set of monsters and not expand her hunting range.


    "if the only way for you to bring out your true skills is by hunting monsters with higher level than what you are currently dealing with, then we still have a long way to go to get you in perfect shape".


    Over the months they have been together, he has taught her a lot of things mostly involving how to hunt monsters, and being the bright student that she is, Dana was able to easily assimte into her, everything she has been taught.


    Surely, having a bright and talented student is a good thing for the teacher as it will reduce the time they need in exining things to them.


    It is a good thing, and Dexter can testify to that, but it is not without its own downside.


    The problem Dexter has with her, is that she is far too stubborn and over confident in herself.


    He knows how talented she is, and how adaptive she is to whates her way, and he also knows how much she looks down on the strength of her opponent, believing that she, is unstoppable.


    Dexter is lost on how she came about such personality. With all he had taught her, he made sure to always remember her that not all monsters are the same in terms of strength, there are some stronger than the other even with the same level.


    Making her believe that level is not the only thing that should be taken into consideration when against a monster.


    There are all sorts of monster kind on the same level, but with different body constitution, with some stronger, bigger, or more durable than the other.


    Dana however, refused to listen to Dexter''s, and carried on with her belief that as long as the monster''s level is within the confines of levels she hase across before, then she is certain that she can go against the monster as well.


    Dexter has seen that mere words will not be enough to convince her otherwise, so he decided to go with a direct approach, letting her understand by experiencing it for herself.


    Only by experiencing defeat, will she truly understand his exnations and the reasons for putting a limit on the varieties of monsters she can hunt.

 Chapter 204 How To Correct A Genius

    With the intention of letting her learn first hand how tricky things can be when fighting against monsters, Dexter had Dana follow him through the confines of the forest in search of something.


    "what monster am I going to be fighting with now? Let me guess; another Goblin? Or is it an horned rabbit".


    "you wanted to fight against monsters higher than goblins, or do you not".


    "i do, yes I do".


    Dana was so excited and in high spirits that finally, Dexter was willing to listen to her about upgrading the kind of monsters she challenges.


    They walked for a while and having no encounter with another lifeform until they got to their initial destination.


    "this is a kobold dungeon. The name is derived from the monsters that are inhabiting it".


    Kobolds; a race simr to the Goblins in most aspects, but having a slightly higherbat level than the Goblins do.


    Their appearance is simr to that of dogs, but they stand on two feet unlike the dogs do.


    Their body is also exceptionally more durable than the Goblins, helping them to absorb light impacts while minimizing the damage from heavy impacts as much as it can.


    "i said I wanted to face a monster higher than a goblin, and you bring me to face a monster simr to a goblin? What is the difference in that and fighting with a goblin".


    The disappointment on Dana''s face was bluntly obvious with an hint of annoyance mixed with it.


    She has never faced a kobold before, but she has seen the quest board posted in the adventurers guild.


    From the details posted on the guild''s board, Dana had seen the reward money for taking down a goblin, and the reward money for taking out a Kobold.


    From the two rewards, there was hardly any noticeable difference in their worth.


    "sigh..."


    Dexter could understand her reasons for being so disappointed, and that goes to show the problem about her that he has been talking about, and looking to reform.


    He did not say anything to correct, nor have any intention of refuting her dissatisfaction. He has done more than enough of that, and so far, it hasn''t blossom into a positive result, but further leads to amplifying her confident personality.


    It is time to do things in practical form, the kind that will stick close to her in ways she would not be expecting.


    Ignoring her disappointed expression, Dexter walked into the dungeon with her reluctantly following behind him.


    Before going into the dungeon, Dexter had produced light using the avable resources at his disposal.


    Normally, Caren was in charge of lighting up the path with her skill, but since she is no longer with him, Dexter had learned to adapt and always be prepared by carrying several items with him, storing them in the dimensional storage ring.


    The dimensional storage ring is a tool used for storing any items, in a location outside of their axis.


    Where or how exactly it works is something he has no idea of, but as long as it is able to do what he wants it to, then he is satisfied with just that.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He torched the light wood in his hand, and used it to light the path through the dungeon.


    They have only walked for a little while into the dungeon when they heard sounds of growling.


    Dexter stretched his hand out backward to stop Dana from going forward while he stopped as well.


    So that whatever was growling would not see them, he moved the hand that was holding unto the torch to the back.


    He would have turned it off, but then there is no way they will be able to see clearly in the dark, and that will put them in a lot of  disadvantages because unlike them, the monsters have adapted to seeing well in the dark.


    ? "alright listen, here is is th!"


    Dana did not allow him to finish talking before she went ahead of him, charging at what was growling in the dark with her sword taking the lead.


    "this stubborn girl! Her actions will one day lead her to doing something she will end up getting regrets out of it".


    Dexter in a hurry, followed right behind her and made sure he did not lose her trail.


    He stretched out his hand holding the torch and light the way forward, for both he and Dana to see with the distance still separating them.


    She is on her way to the monster with a dog like face and a body covered by brown furs all over.


    Dexter stopped and maintained a distance from Dana who is about to confront the first kobold she came across.


    He made sure the distance between he and her, was one that did not hinder her sight with the help of the torch in his hand.


    Dana ignored Dexter''s attempt at giving her tips on how to face a kobold, she turned a deaf ear to it with the kobold being the only thing in her path.


    Her sword hit the shoulder side of the kobold, but did not go deep enough as the kobold was quick to react.


    Dexter thought for sure that Dana was going to be flustered and lose her timing of attacks.


    He was ready to go in and help her before he scolds her to make her see the point he is trying to make.


    Dexter''s expectation was betrayed when Dana did better than she had expected by hurriedly moving herself out of the kobold''s way in time.


    She was not taken aback by her weapon unable to prate the kobold''s skin in one strike, but instead demonstrated her expectancy on any anomaly.


    Dana with light steps, hurriedly moved to the kobold''s back and thrusted her sword out from there, aiming for its blind spot.


    She once again failed to deal any critical damage to the kobold''s body, and only managed to attracts its attention to her.


    Dana was not shaken up by this, and instead adapted to a strategy that involves wearing it out by using her superior speed to her advantage until it eventually gets taken down.

 Chapter 205 Her Strategy

    Dana delivered the blow that eventually marked the end of her brawl with the Kobold.


    When she was done, she turned her head over to Dexter who was in a daze while staring at her with unbelievable eyes.


    "is that all? Or are we still venturing further in".


    She asked, wiping off the trail of the kobold''s blood on her face.


    Dexter could not give her an immediate reply, how could he? This was not the oue nor the thoughts he had in mind when he brought her here.


    His n was to teach her the value of not underestimating her opponents, but he was unable to do that, because she had performed better than he thought, going beyond his expectations of her.


    ''this is how you want to y it? I will show you, what differentiates an elderly from a kid''.


    Dexter made up his mind to thoroughly teach her a lesson, he was done ying nice with her.


    Little examples will not matter at this point, he has to keep pushing further ahead until she breaks and realizes the point he has been trying to get her to know all this while.


    "no, we are not done. Like I said earlier, this is a kobold''s dungeon, and deeper in, are a lot of kobolds waiting to be exterminated by you".


    Dexter says, with Dana replying with a grin on her face.


    They passed by the kobold''s corpse and went further into the dungeon looking for more of its kind to hunt down.


    It did not take them too long to sight what it is they were after.


    This time around, they did not meet with one kobold, but four of them, each with slightly differing heights from the other.


    Dana as usual was quick to move on her feet, leaving Dexter behind to act as an overseer to her aplishments.


    She has learned from her earlier encounter with the Kobold, that killing them in one strike was not going to be possible with the weapon in her hand, and what she needs to do, is improvise, leaning on a long-termbat that will slowly drain them of their stamina.


    Dana has analyzed the kobold''s constitution using the former kobold as the base for her assumptions.


    For one, she knows their speed does notpare to her''s, and the only advantage they have over her, is their tough skin covered by hair, and also, their reflexes is quick to react to any attack from any direction, so she knows she won''t be aiming for the same spot, nor relying too much on sneak attacks.


    Besides, there are four of them now, she has to put into consideration, the thought on how coordinated they will be, and also time her attacks to not match with theirs.


    ? Dana with such thinking process going through her mind, she ran towards the four kobold who had already noticed her, and on their way to her.


    Almost getting to their midst, she slightly lept her feet off of the ground, and thrusted it forward, bashing through a kobold''s face with it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    With Dana''s foot on the kobold''s face, it lost its footing and fell right to the ground.


    Dana now in the midst of the other three kobold''s, hurriedly moved her leg away from the kobold''s face, and went after another one on her right side.


    She swung her right hand that was holding her sword, and aimed it at the Kobold.


    Dana made sure it was not the ded side of the sword that made contact with the Kobold, but the t side of it.


    Her goal, was not to sh the kobold, but to push it away using the force of swinging her sword.


    Using the t surface of the sword, she seeded in her aim and the kobold, was pushed to the back with its body hitting the wall.


    Daba ran after the Kobold she had just pushed back, and pierced its left shoulder with her sword.


    She has once tried piercing the first Kobold she fought with by the shoulder, but it did not work as intended, Dexter wondered why she would try it a second time knowing that the result would still be the same, and this time, the oue could prove to be even more disadvantageous for her seeing as how she is faced against four kobolds and not one.


    He wondered and pondered, but could note to a reasonable conclusion on why she made such a dumb move.


    "am I starting to get too old that I can''t even read the thoughts of a kid?".


    He said to himself, still questioning the rationality guiding Dana''s thoughts.


    Dana on the other hand, had a very good reason for why she made an attack she had tried the first time, and ended up in disappointment for her.


    During the time she tried the attack o the first kobold, the cut did not prate deep thanks to its fur repelling it from going in deeper, and only ended up pushing away the kobold while giving it a slight wound.


    Back then, she did not know that is what the oue was going to be.


    When Dexter told her that they were still going to go hunt for more Kobolds, Dana already made up her mind to think of ways that she can swiftly kill them, and more importantly, how to make her sword prate through their skin without being repelled by their fur.


    The idea she came up with, was simple and could be thought of by anyone who focuses well, paying close attention to what they are surrounded by.


    The strategy Dana settled for in helping her achieve maximum efficiency with the minimum amount of time spent on killing a kobold, is by using her surroundings to her advantage.


    They are surrounded by the dungeon walls, and fighting in a tunnel like settings, only having more space than an average tunnel does.


    She took notice of what happened when she stabbed the first kobold, and did the same thing to this very kobold, with the difference being that, she rectified the position the Kobold is ced in.

 Chapter 206 A Genius? Is What She Is

    Dana is aware that if she just stabs the kobold''s, the same oue as the first one, is what will end up happening.


    But, if the Kobold has nowhere to get pushed back to once it''s body makes contact with the sword, it will be forced in a standstill position while the sword has no choice but to get through its body.


    She had pushed the kobold to the wall earlier so she could put her thoughts into demonstration, to see what results it will bear, and she was right.


    It happened exactly as she had pictured it would. The kobold with its back rested against the wall, could not get pushed back any further, giving the sword the opportunity to go deeper than it normally would on its body.


    Dexter was left speechless when he saw the oue her thinking process led to.


    He was amazed that in such a short span of time, facing a kobold for the very first time, she was able to collect information from it, and put it into practice within minutes of just gaining the intellect.


    "is this, what they call a genius?".


    ? He was fascinated by her brilliant mind that was able to deduct and analyze her opponent within minutes.


    Dexter feared that he might have been wrong about her train of thoughts.


    She was not just being boastful for no reason, she was being overconfident in herself because she knows what she is capable of, and what her limits are.


    It is he who is in the wrong, he who is thinking of her as just an ordinary ten year old child, when in fact, she is more than that.


    Dexter now understands that he has actually being the one holding her back all this while, and he needs to start loosening his reign on her.


    She is a brilliant ten year old girl who has shown to be able to amodate and adapt to strict circumstances.


    What he needs to do now, is not to put limits on her, but to let her free, and see just how far she can go, to know, where her limits stops at.


    Dexter rxed himself and watched Dana''s fight against the four kobold''s, knowing his presence would not be necessary.


    Dana had incapacitated one kobold with her sword stuck in its shoulder, and its body rested against the wall.


    She left her sword still hanging in its shoulder, and she stretched out her hands toward the kobold.


    When her hands had gotten to its face, Dana singled out two fingers, one from her right hand, and one from her left hand.


    She singled them out, and used it to poke the two eyes of the Kobold, sinking it deep into its eyeballs and made sure she bursted it before withdrawing her fingers.


    When she had confirmed that the deed has been done on the Kobold, Dana pulled her hand out of its eyes and took a hold of her sword, withdrawing it from its shoulder.


    The kobold''s eyes bleed out blood, it''s eyeballspletely smashed in and now unrecognizable as an eyeball.


    The three kobolds were alreadying after Dana the moment she had pushed that one kobold to the wall, and carried out her brutal attacks on it.


    She left that one kobold alone in its state of agony, a state where it was no longer a threat to her, and she went ahead to focus on the other three kobold running toward her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dana bent her upper body downward to evade the Kobold that had swung its hand with the intention of hitting her with.


    Sliding past the Kobold who had its hand stretched out at her, she was met with the two other kobold''sing from its back.


    She did not bother picking herself off the ground, and instead, she positioned her legs in a way that would allow her to roll the rest of her body while still kneeling on the ground.


    With her body still spinning, Dana rolled all the way to the middle of the two kobold, and she reached out her sword that also partook in the rolling process.


    She used the sword to cut the two kobolds leg consecutively, until she rolled passed them.


    The sword did not go in deep enough, but it did manage to give them some slight cut in their legs.


    Dana hastily got herself up with her sword supporting her, and she turned over to the Kobolds who are still in distress with the wound she had caused.


    She did not think too much, nor give the kobolds anytime to recollect themselves over the wound, as she lunged at them, throwing her sword at the Kobold that came at her with its hand, then kicked the Kobold that was on her left side in its knee, and with the right one, she gave it a jab on its neck.


    Her movements were fast with none of them wasted on unnecessary stress, only going after the parts she had her eyes on.


    With her fast reflexes, Dana managed to put the three kobold in a frenzy, but even she knew that it was only temporarily, and they would soon regain themselves in a while.


    That while however, is not something they are opportuned to have. It was more than enough time for Dana to carry on with her next course of theorized action.


    Dana hastily ced her two hands on the head of the kobold that was on her right side, and in one go, she twisted the neck at an angle that a neck should not be capable of turning over to.


    She moved on to the next kobold that was on her left side, and punched its stomach, before jumping on its head and also doing the same thing to its head.


    The two kobolds dropped down to the ground sounding lifeless with their heads turned in a very disturbing position.


    She carried on, going after the kobold she had thrown her sword over to before facing the two.


    The sword had hit the kobold and gotten stuck by the stomach side, with the Kobold about to draw out the sword from its stomach when it noticed that something was shadowing its view.


    Dana had her hands on the kobold''s hand holding unto the handle of her sword that is embedded in its stomach.


    She with a cunning and merciless expression, pushed the kobold''s hand, and the kobold''s hand in turn, pushed the handle of the sword further into its stomach.


    The horror and torment that the kobold went through in that moment, was very well visible on its face.


    It opened its mouth and about to scream out loud, but Dana did not give it the opportunity to.


    With her other hand that was free, she clenched her fist, and buried it into the kobold''s face, withdrawing it and pushing it in further.


    Every thrust of her fist to its face, left its face in shambles, and her hand getting dirtied with its blood and saliva.

 Chapter 207 Something Is Wrong!!

    Dexter could not contain nor control his amazement, as he stretched his face widely in smiles of what Dana had done.


    Her brilliancy and adaption onbat activities exceeded his by several bounds, and he felt very proud of that for having the opportunity to have met with someone like her.


    "she, is a girl that will surpass even the legacy of her grandfather".


    He said, looking at her in awe and admiration of her presence.


    "okay little one. You were right, and I was wrong about you. You, deserve more than just hunting for measly Goblins. With your kind of talent, you are ready to move on to the next level".


    Dexter was quick to admit his earlier actions, iming it as the moments of his unknown, when he had yet to realize what she was truly capable of.


    He showered her with praises befitting of her talent, with promises of giving her permission to go after monsters higher than goblins.


    "no. I want toplete this dungeon before we move on to another one".


    Dexter had a question mark look on his face at her words that sounded like she had just refused his offer.


    Dana was the one whoined that she was not getting any challenge from facing a goblin kind, now it is this same her, that wants to continue her battle against a monster with strength simr to a goblin.


    His expression, questiond the reasons for her abrupt change in choices.


    "i am not saying I want to keep fighting with Goblin like monsters. I would love nothing more than to get out of here and hurry myself to facing an higher level monster, but I can''t stand the thought of living a dungeon unfinished with the monsters still roaming inside of it".


    Dexter could not have been more proud of Dana''s way of thinking than he is now.


    He never really understood her to begin with, he only thought he did.


    Her hate for monsters did not blind her to being too arrogant or overconfident, it amplifies and rationalize the way she thinks, making her more dangerous to any monster kind that appears before her.


    "alright. We will do it your way. First we take down the monsters in this dungeon, then we go over your graduation to fighting monsters beyond Goblin kind".


    Dexter concorded with her n, and they both proceeded to further themselves inside the dungeon, with the intention of conquering it.


    Venturing through the tunnel with the only source of light being the torch stick Dexter is holding unto, Dana who was following behind him, had her sword and body ready to move upon spotting the presence of another kobold pack.


    "hmm...."


    "what is it".


    Dana asked, with thoughts on why Dexter made a sound like that, while on him, a worried expression.


    "no its just, despite walking so far in, we have yet to encounter other Kobolds, and that can only mean one thing".<novelnext></novelnext>


    Fortunately, or unfortunately for them, they have yet to meet with other kobolds apart from the five they met with earlier.


    Dana thought that was supposed to be a good think, but Dexter thought otherwise.


    Monsters are a race who pride themselves in rule of the strongest, and the kobolds are no exception to this rule.


    For monsters in a dungeon to not be moving around in separate directions, can only mean that they are well coordinated, and for them to be well coordinated, there had to have been a strong one to bring about the coordination.


    "is that not a good thing? We can just wipe them all out at once".


    "spoken like a true beginner I see".


    Dana could not understand the point Dexter was trying to make, or why he would feel worried to be facing a pack of kobolds.


    Ecen if they do have a leader now, they are still kobolds, still the weak monsters she easily killed like it was nothing, so what is there for him who is an A rank adventurer to worry about when facing monsters who barely qualify as F ranks.


    "you are right. They are just ordinary kobolds, but it is a different case when ordinary kobolds have someone giving themmands".


    This is an F rank kobold dungeon, and in F ranks dungeon, there isn''t supposed to be a leader, that is the part of what makes it an F rank.


    Awless dungeon full of mindless monsters whose only desire is to kill and rampage, that is what an F rank dungeon is.


    The same rules applies for an E rank dungeon, and a D rank dungeon, neither of them should be with a leader.


    The only sets of dungeons where leaders are present in, are from C rank dungeon upwards.


    If this Kobold dungeon that is supposedly an F rank dungeon has a leading figure coordinating the kobolds in it, that can only mean that the dungeon''s level has insanely spiked up, a case that should never have to be.


    "i think you are overreacting. The four kobolds I fought with earlier were weak, and not much different from the goblins I am used to".


    Dana refuted Dexter''s assumption to be false, using her earlier battle as a prime reason for why that is.


    She is an F rank adventurer who will soon be promoted to an E rank, and if what he is saying is true, then she would not have been able to face a single kobold whose rank has gone up to C, much less going against four of them and stilling out victorious.


    Dexter also thought about it well, and he saw some sense in her words, but he was not so quick to have a hundred percent believe about everything she said.


    Her reasons; thoughced with some truths in it, are still notpletely valid enough for him to rule out his own possibilities.


    Although Dana might be right in her assumption of using the five Kobolds she met with earlier as credible reasons to back up her im, Dexter was not so fast to take her word at face value, because he believes that she only said what she said because she is not well familiar with the activities of the dungeon.

 Chapter 208 Forgotten A Ranker

    "listen kid. When ites to dealing with a dungeon, there is never a moment of being too careful, there is only you not being careful enough".


    There is no one that knows, or cane out in public and boastfully admit to knowing how a dungeon fully operates or the exact process it goes through before finally bing a dungeon.


    The only thing they know of, is that dungeons are mostly formed in and corrupted by mana, and what determines their level, is how high thend is corrupted by the mana; that is all.


    Why is mana the thing that brings about the form of a dungeon? No one knows. Or how there are some monsters in a dungeon that no matter how many of them is killed, when onees back the second day, the dungeon is still filled with the same monster types that were killed yesterday? No one knows.


    Dungeons have been considered a force of nature, and like any other force of nature, they work in ways that one can only assume on, not be assured of.


    "what you said might have some sense in it, but you should never be too sure of it, especially if dungeon is what we are talking about".


    Dexter was being extremely cautious than normal, mostly because of what he has been through. The experience has carved him into someone who has be much more assertive than normal to unexpected circumstances.


    "we should go back to the city and inform the guild about this urrence".


    Dexter was feeling very ufortable about the sudden change in the dungeon.


    It is not frequent that an F rank dungeon upgrades to an E rank dungeon. It does happen, but not very often.


    The same can be said for an E rank dungeon going to D rank dungeon, those are well beyond normal in dungeon activities.


    What isn''t normal, is an F rank dungeon, skipping through the E, D and going straight to being a C rank dungeon, that is not normal, and it rarely happens, with every cases on it leading to endings that results in multiple loss of lives.


    Dexter has made the decision based on an assumption that if an F rank dungeon can go directly to a C rank dungeon, what is to stop it from moving to being a B rank dungeon?


    This dungeon has fallen under the abnormal kind of dungeon, one that it''s activities is no longer predictable. There is no telling what could happen next, and he has to be careful of that.


    He is an A rank adventurer, and he has with him, a kid who is on the verge of being an E rank adventurer.


    It is no longer within the bounds of what he can handle by himself, or with a kid by his side. He needs to call on the assistance of other veteran type adventurers with ranks under the B or C level.


    "we go back and call for other adventurers, and then what happens next? Theye in here, only to see that we..... That you, an A rank adventurer, ran away from clearing a C rank dungeon. What do you think they will say behind your back if that were toe true".


    Dexter wanted to get out of the dungeon as fast as he can, to go back to the guild and report to them so immediate action could be taken against it, but Dana has other thoughts of her own.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "kid, I get what it is you want to say, but this is not the time to put my pride first. You throw such things far away, and focus only on what is important. This dungeon''s level has gone beyond the predicted form, we have to do what is right to stop it from going any further than it already is, and that involves going back to the guild to inform them about it, so necessary measures can be taken to counter it".


    Dexter''s image amongst the adventurers has not exactly been a good one after the events that transpired in Edevin city.


    The A ranks adventurer who have always been jealous of his party the Dire hammer, have been acting up against Dexter after what happened.


    Majority of them call him weak, look down on him for losing two of his members, and being the only one to have made it out alive.


    A waste, is what they referred to him as, and some even went as far as using him of sacrificing his two members just so he could keep his own life.


    A lot of such allegations have been directed his way, and it would be a lie to say he was not the least bit affected by it.


    He does not want to admit it, nor does he expresses it openly, but Dexter''s state of mind, was very affected after his loss in Edevin city.


    It was not a drastic thing, but something that manifested with time, slowly eating away at his mind until he ended up in this state.


    It became more obvious when he stopped going to high level dungeons and only aiming for dungeons from D rank to below, just so he could earn his keep while living a slow, steady life.


    The best thing for him in his current state, is to retire as an adventurer and move to the country side to raise a family of his own, but thoughts like that never once crossed his mind.


    He and the guild leader had made ns to recruit adventurers to rekindle the Dire hammer name and put them back into action, but Dexter has been pushing the dates of recruitment aside, with excuses here and there.


    All this together, had fallen Dexter''s reputation in the guild to the extreme, and is now on the verge of losing his importance, or being remembered as an A rank.


    Dexter knew what Dana was trying to say, what she wants them to do, and the disgrace that will apany him along when people find out he is too scared to clear a C rank dungeon.


    He knew all that, but he was still willing to risk it, if it means he gets to keep his life.


    "listen here kid. Your pride will be nothing if you don''t have your life to show for it. I treasure my life more than proving some ridiculous things to people, so what we are going to do is!".


    Dana was through hearing more of his opposition to her ideas, as she left him behind and ran further into the dungeon.

 Chapter 209 She Is Awake

    "okay kid. Where do you think you are running off to?"


    Before Dana could move past Dexter''s range, he had stretched out his hand to grab her by the cor, and stop her from going further.


    For a moment there, she forgot that Dexter is still an A ranker, with reflexes faster than her''s.


    "let go of me. I am on my way to finish the job you are too scared to do".


    She answered, struggling to set herself free from his hold.


    "listen kid. I took you in, and as such, I am responsible for your well being. You have to take a moment and think for yourself. What would happen if you barge in there, and I end up losing you".


    She could not find a proper word to refute him, how could she, when everything he said is right.


    Dana has the privilege of renouncing his im over her, but she can''t do that, because there was a reason she decided to abandon the people in her town, and follow Dexter''s to his.


    "it is not about who kills the monster, it is about how safe ourmunity has be after killing the monster".


    She had no words to use against Dexter''s im, and so she obediently tagged along with what he said, going back to the city so they can find a solution for the dungeon.


    .


    .


    *** LOCATION = Murian City Under The Gucan Empire ***


    Standing on the balcony of his mansion that gave him the spectacr view of the sun''s ray gleaming down on the city.


    The aftermath of the damage done to the city by the Wyverns was still very much visible from where he stood.


    The passage of time, three months specifically, was not enough to wash away the fear that has been enacted in the hearts of the citizens.


    There are some soldiers, the strong headed ones who are screaming for vengeance, for the opportunity to pay back the Wyverns, their sin ofing into their city to wreck havoc and rain destruction down on them.


    There are indeed those like that, but none of them have been bold enough to act on their words, reasons being that their captain, has yet to fully recover from her battle.


    Despite her physical scars already healed up, she has yet to wake up, and that left most of them in a worried state.


    Another reason why they have yet to move, is because their lord, the one that is currently watching the pitiful state that his city has been left in, has yet to give them the go ahead orders.


    "sighhhh...."


    Thomas stared off at the sky with a deep solemn sigh, his expression looking saddened at the state his city has been put in.


    He is lost on who to me for what has be of city, the damage lost, lives thrown away, and expenses he has had to lose because of a foolish decision made.


    Thomas shifted the me over to Caius, because he knew that if he had note along to request for his troops, then this would not have happened.


    After having a second thought, he med the Wyverns under the impression that if only they had not existed, then Caius would not have had a cause toe to him in the first ce, and none of this would have happened.


    He continued to shift on the me, looking for who to dump the responsibility of the poor choices he had made on.


    When he was done passing mes, and there was no one left to put the fault on, he realized that he, made the choice.


    He was the one who called over Elsa and ordered her to abide by Caius''smand. In fear of losing Caius''s favor, he sacrificed his troops and brought about this cmity on his city.


    The city that has been left in a vulnerable and defenseless state, and could be attacked at any time by other lords with them not being able to do anything to stop it.


    "sighhhhh....."


    The light in his eyes had dimmed down, and almost lost all colors in it, showing how close he is to giving it all up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Calcting the expenses needed to bring his city back on its feet, is already enough to have him break down, and he still has to worry about not being attacked by other neighboring lords.


    He already thought of a situation where a lord coulde in at any moment to threaten him, in return for protection against any outside attacks, he gets topensate the lord with something of high value to him.


    If such a situation were toe to be, Thomas would readily ept regardless of what is asked of him. In his current state, he is no position to make demands, and needs all the help he can get.


    "Lord Thomas! Lord Thomas!!".


    "sighhhhh....."


    "watch where you are stepping Robert. We don''t want you tripping now do we?"


    Thomas rested his hands on the stone pir of the balcony, with his head faced forward, he called out to Robert without bothering to turn his head to know if it was really him.


    " Lord Thomas! I havee bearing news!".


    It was in obvious from the expression Thomas was making, howpletely disinterested he is in whatever news Robert brought him.


    He would be lucky to not receive even more devastating news that will further worsen the current condition of things.


    At this point, he has ruled out any news as no good news.


    "Lord Thomas!".


    Robert stopped at Thomas''s left side, and bent his upper body down so he could catch his breath from the running.


    "what is it Robert. What has you running until you were so out of breath".


    "she....she is awake. She is awake Lord Thomas!".


    "she? Who is!!".


    Thomas swiftly turned his body and faced Robert with an expression that shows how delighted he is by the news.


    "lead me to her".


    He says, with his face brimming with anticipation.


    Robert took the lead as they both hurried themselves out the balcony through the door that lead them to Thomas''s office.


    They got past his office by using the door to get out, and rushed through the passageway with doors on each side.


    It is true that with the city''s current circumstances, no news is good or bad.


    They are all just in news that would do nothing to help lift the spirits of the people who have been tormented and scarred both physically and mentally.


    There is no news that would be able to help change people like that, turning their sorrows into joy, and suddenly going back to living like they used to.


    It was not a pleasant experience, and what made it even more tormenting and traumatizing for them, is that they have never once had such an experience before.


    Unluke the people of Edevin who are used to dealing with attacks from monsters, and also a ce known for its dungeons and adventurers.


    The people of Murian city, are not the kind who are familiar with monsters attacking their city, they have the knights to deal with such situations before it gets to their city doors.


    Hence, reasons for why they are more affected by it than the people of Edevin who were quick to get over the experience and return to their daily lives.


    "ELSA!".


    Thomas barged into the room upied with men and women in armor, all gathered around a single individualying on the bed with bandages tied around her head and her wrist.

 Chapter 210 The City On Its Feet

    "ELSA!".


    He stood at the door and called out to her who isyed on the bed and surrounded by men and women in armor, all with cheerful expressions on their faces.


    Hearing the voice that came from the door, the armored men and women made way for the figure to pass through, leading directly to Elsa who is still on the bed.


    "my lord".


    She heard the voice and turned her head to where it came from.


    Elsa called him by his title, while attempting to stand up on her feet and greet him like a proper knight would his lord.


    Thomas realized what she was about to do, and he hurriedly ran toward her to stop her.


    She has just woken up, and needs time to connect with her body. Putting it under further stress could lead to moreplications for her, and he does not want that.


    The knights who were closer to her, they wanted to stop her, but they could not. Getting in the way of their captain fulfilling her duty, is not their call to make, but that of their lord.


    Thomas got to her in time before she could get up from the bed, and he positioned her body back to resting on the bedfortably.


    "do not trouble yourself with greeting me when your body is not in perfect condition".


    Elsa was far too sluggish in her attempt to get up and greet Thomas, and that alone, showed that she had not fully regained the strength she once had.


    No matter how desperate she is to show her loyalty to him by acting ordingly, it would not be proper of him to allow such in her state.


    "you should let your body get all the rest it can, and not overwork it".


    Thomas saw the expression on Elsa''s face, and knowing the kind of personality she has, he knew she wasn''t going to do as he says simply because he requested her to.


    "that is an order not a request okay".


    He knew how highly Elsa regards his orders, and also aware that it was the only way he could get her to bepliant to his wishes.


    Elsa who could not go against the orders of her lord, bowed her head in submission to following his will.


    Elsa''s news of awakening was not one that would help console the lost citizens, and Thomas''s reasons for being d that she was awake, is not because she could restore immediate bnce to the city as the captain of the guards.


    That, was not the reason at all. Being the captain for years now, she has demonstrated and emancipated the activities tied to her post.


    She has stood on the front lines against the attempts of other lords to take over Murian city, warded off low level monsters before they breach through the walls of the city.


    Every action she has taken under the influence of the captain rank, are actions that has seemed to ensuring the safety of the citizens atrge.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As it is earlier stated, she might not have the power to skyrocket the city''s economy and bring it back to how it was before the Wyverns attack, or the power to instantly heal those who have been mentally bruised under the effect of the Wyverns attack.


    She has no such powers to bring the above mentioned to a positive reality, but she does have something that can be offered to the people of the city, something that won''t take an instant effect, but will make certain that a gradual healing process will be enacted.


    She has within her, hope; the hope that irrespective of what happens or what tribtions they have been through, in as much as they are still alive and breathing well, then there is still a way out.


    Elsa can offer to the people what they think is lost, that unwavering hope she has always had with her, she can share it to the multitude.


    "where is ke? I expected him to have been the first one to get here, considering how worried he was when you were asleep".


    Thomas scanned the room for the one person he knows should have been here, but to his surprise, he did not see him anywhere.


    When Elsa ended up in aatose state, ke as the vice captain has taken over the knights and the military, doing his best to see that order is maintained amongst them.


    Only if there is regtions ofmand in check in the military, can there be a systematic function set in making sure that the city stays safe despite what it has been through.


    ke has been doing his best to see that it happens, trying to make sure that what his captain fought for, does not end up in shambles.


    "he is currently not in the city. About four day ago, he came to inform me that he was going to take with him, a sizable units to scout the surrounding area of the city for any suspicious moves".


    Murian City in its current state, is as vulnerable to the onught of outside forces as it can get.


    ke as the one in charge of the military, is doing whatever he can to keep the city safe regardless of what condition it is.


    The news of what happened to the city, surely would have gotten to the ears of the neighboring lords by now, and there is no telling when their greed might cause them to make a move on the city.


    ke has to be on alert, and fully ready to drive them back if they do decide to invade, and what better way to do that than knowing when the enemy decides to make their move.


    For the past three months, he has made scouting the outside of the city, is primary goal, and restoring the city walls to how it was once, his next primary goal.


    "I see".


    Thomas understood clearly the intentions of ke, and he was fully in agreement with it.


    "uhmmm.... How long, have I been asleep for".


    Elsa has yet to be informed of how much time had passed since she has been asleep.


    When she first woke up, she thought it was just a day that had gone by, but Robert mentioning four days, had her in a dazed on exactly how much time had passed her by.

 Chapter 211 First Impression With The Emissary

    The Emissary sat on his chair in his office with a worried expression, slowly pacing down his fingers on the table before him.


    Three months had gone by in a sh, and he has yet to hear from Caius concerning the progress of the mission assigned to him.


    A detailed report was sent to him from a city called Murian, under the leadership of an Earl ranked noble serving under the Gucan Empire.


    The report, spoke of Caiusing down to their fief to request the assistance of their troops to which it was assigned to him immediately.


    It also talked on the difficulties they faced, and how the tides were easily turned against them, following the invasion of the Wyverns on their territory, causing an havoc that resulted in countless lives lost.


    That was mostly the important points the Emissary got out of the report, and he found it shocking, especially the part where it spoke of them never hearing from Caius again after the Wyvern attack.


    What has the Emissary really concerned, is the fact that Caius, one of the four Cardinal, was present when the Wyverns attacked a city and killed the human kinds, all happened under his nose.


    That was enough to tell the Emissary that something was not right with Caius''s condition. He has also never being the type to stay away for too long, or take this long toplete a mission, irrespective of what it was about.


    "he has never gone missing for the long, at least not without reporting back to me first. perhaps I should send Kang Ru to go and investigate the matter? Or would ra be a better fit for the job?"


    The Emissary called out two names belonging to the Cardinal group, contemting on which of them would do better when ites to investigating quest.


    "i suggest calling on both. That is, if you don''t want the same tragedy that befell the first one to happen to the other two when they are separate!".


    Deep in his thoughts, an unfamiliar voice woke him up from his slumber,ing from behind him.


    "wh.....who..."


    The Emissary was bewildered with surprise, and thoughts on how someone managed to make it to his back without him noticing anything.


    The only way to his office, is through the door, and that is still left unopened, with guards at the entrance, so he could not havee in through there.


    The other ce, is through the windows, but even those are left untouched, so it could not have been through there either.


    What has him even more disturbed, is that, the abode of the sanctuary of the holy congregation, is tightly and securely protected by high level barriers put up by those with the Arch Mage job, the highest ranking job for those involved with magic casting.


    It is sealed shut, and can only be assessed by outsiders under the mandatoryw that they must be permitted by the Emissary or any other high ranking members of the order before they can be allowed ess through the barrier.


    ''is this the doing of one of the congregation high ranking members?''.


    The Emissary questioned in his thoughts, with curiosity on how an outsider was able to bypass the security walls of the congregation, and get into his office unnoticed.


    The Emissary did not have the guts it takes to turn his head to see who was speaking to him.


    Sweat dripped down from his chin to below, at the cold, stiff yet warming and assuring voice that sounded from his back.


    Never has he been faced with a situation where he had an intruder sneak into his office unnoticed, because it was supposedly an impossible scenario, until now that is.


    "you are scared, curious, and most of all, furious!".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The voice says, slowly pacing his words with dignity and pride with a sense of rxationposed in his tone.


    The Emissary''s body hair rose itself up in fright that the intrude is also capable of mind reading coupled with burry.


    "rx Emissary, I am not reading your mind, nor am I capable of such feat.


    "I just have this really extraordinary hearing senses that allows me to hear the heartbeat of another, and through monitoring their heart rate, I can use it to predict what they are feeling".


    "that is also how I know how anxious you currently are, but I can assure you, that you have no reason to be. If I wanted you dead, I would have done it already".


    He said so reassuringly, manipting his voice to make him out as someone who is trying to put the Emissary''s worried heart at ease.


    "who are you, and why are you here!".


    The Emissary put himself together, sounding tough and unwavering before the intruder whose presence he still has not seen, but have only heard his voice so far.


    He was hoping he would at least get a name, or something else to identify him by.


    From the tone the intruder was using to speak, he sounded proud and confident, like someone who has nothing to lose, yet has the power to give out unprecedented catastrophe.


    People like that are always bragging and showing off. For some reason, they all feel the need to be acknowledged, worshipped and feared.


    "my apologies. I have been a monster for far too long that I have forgotten how valuable mannerism is to you humans".


    "my name, is Orun, a monster by birth, and a monster by livelihood, a goblin kind monster to be precise!".


    When he introduced himself, he did it so elegantly, almost like he was whispering, but still loud enough for the Emissary to hear from where he sat down.


    The Emissary found it hard to believe that the identity of the intruder is a monster like he had imed himself to be.


    Everyone knows how weak Goblins are, and he is expected to believe that a goblin, one of the lowest and weakest species of the monster kind is the one responsible for the infiltration of the Sanctuary of the holy congregation''s abode?


    More over, if there is one thing that the Sanctuary of the holy congregation is known for, it is how strict they are on anything concerning the monster kind in general.


    The congregation is an organization that preaches the superiority of human kind over all, with contempt for any race outside of humanity''s banner.


    They are especially strict when ites to monsters, a raceprised mostly of animalistic beings whock any basic thoughts, with only their craving as a means that drives them to act.


    Such a race, is one that had shown to pose a lot of threats to their livelihood. Surely, drastic overly excessive means are expected to be taken when dealing with them.


    It does not take a genius to understand how tight their security will be when ites to warding off any monster kind that seeks to evade their humble abode.


    The Emissary believes that whoever the intruder is, he is using the monster identity as a means to cover up for his true identity.


    But what the Emissary found very hard toe to terms with, is why would he call himself a goblin when he knows that no one is going to believe that.

 Chapter 212 Sight Of A Monster

    ''he must be trying to use the Goblin as a cover up for his real race, to prevent a war between the sanctuary of the holy congregation, and his race as a whole''.


    It goes without saying that whoever could manage to break into a supposedly imprable fortress, had to be someone belonging to the upper echelon ranks, in other words, it had to be someone that the sanctuary of the holy congregation is knowledgeable about.


    A person like that, has every reasons to camouge their identity so as to prevent the sanctuary of the holy congregation from knowing, because if they knew, no doubt that the Emissary who holds the authority of an entire race in his grasp, would give an immediate order for the sanctions of whoever did this.


    "hmm..... Your heart rate says you don''t believe what I said. I am lost on what part of it do you find hard to believe".


    "do you seriously expect me to believe that a goblin has the necessary manpower to infiltrate the abode of the sanctuary of the holy congregationced with all sorts of multiple barriers, including holy type barriers, that is known to be the natural enemies of all monster kind?"


    "hmm...."


    Holy elemental, is the attribute given by the God''s to the humans for the sole purpose of aiding them in their conquest against monster kind and other race, but especially dangerous against the monster kind.


    It is sort of like an allergy, like how some of you are allergic to peanut butter? Yes like that.


    If scratching and body coloring is what one gets froming into contact with their allergies, you can think of the holy elemental effect on monster kinds as a more extreme side effects.


    It not only destroys their skin beyond repair, it also cleanses their soul, totally disintegrating it into absolutely nothing.


    What it means in ay man''s word, is that a monster that gets exposed to holy elemental, will forever seize to exist even after death, there will be no cycle of reincarnation to return to, because they have no soul to reincarnate.


    There is, a plus to using holy elemental. The kind that wipes a monster clean of even their soul, can only be essed by high level apostles of the Gods.


    "i see. I must not be affected by this holy elemental because I am? Well... Different from other monster kind. But I am still a monster nheless".


    His voice sounded sincere, like he was thrown off about the Emissary''s confession on the holy elemental effect, making the Emissary wonder what sort of being would in his right state of mind, infiltrate a ce without knowing what sorts of barrier has been ced in it.


    It was nighttime, and the only source of illumination in the Emissary''s office, is through the candle stick that was ced on the left side of his table.


    From the back of where the Emissary was seated, he slowly made his way toward him, until his shadow could be carved out by the candle stick.


    The Emissary, saw the shadow dipicting a humanoid shape, but with the exception of two horns protruding from his forehead, and his fangs reaching to his nose, with lots of hair tracing his bodyflow downward, totally disqualifying him as a human.


    He briefly showed the Emissary a glimpse of his figure before he retreated back into the darkness, conveying his words through his solemn, rxed vocal tone.


    "now do you believe me".


    The Emissary, gulped down a spoonful of his own saliva, at the thought that the Intruder was indeed a monster kind, and not just any monster, but a monster kind capable of infiltrating the sanctuary of the holy congregation, passing through the enormous amount of holy energy that the abode is surrounded by without being unscathed, or feeling any sorts of difort that could show his hastiness of wanting to leave early.


    The monster, was far too rxed andposed, that one could not detect if he was indeed suffering or not, and that thought, scared the hell out of the Emissary.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "monster or not, that is not why I am here. Or wait, it actually is why I am here".


    He moved on from trying to prove to the Emissary what he was, and jumped right into what brought him to the Emissary.


    "why are you here".


    The Emissary had no choice but to dance to the monster''s tune, to try and squeeze out what his endgame his.


    "i am here regarding the human you sent after me and my kind".


    "human?...."


    The Emissary questioned, in deep thought on what the monster is saying.


    He does not remember sending out any human to capture this monster, but he does remember giving Caius an investigative mission on finding what caused the destruction that happened in Edevin city.


    "are you the one? The one that caused the destruction in Edevin city".


    He kept quiet for a while, like he was thinking about something, or he does not understand the Emissary''s question.


    Orun knows that so far, he has only had two encounters with human kind, and neither of the two had anything to do with a town getting destroyed, at least from his own point of view.


    The first encounter, was about killing two humans in a dungeon, sparing two kids and one adult, then when he went outside of the dungeon, he remembered identally killing more humans by only releasing his aura.


    He was not there, nor was he aware of the disastrous moments his awakening caused, and the impact it had on Edevin city.


    "i have no knowledge of this Edevin city that you speak of".


    And herees the seed of confusion sowing amongst the two of them.


    The only human that the grand Emissary has sent out, is Caius, and the reason why he sent out Caius, is because of what happened in Edevin city.


    If the monster ims that he has no knowledge of a city named Edevin, nor has he destroyed a city, then the Emissary, has no link to connect himself with the monster, which could in turn mean that the monster has him confused for someone else.


    "if you had no business with Edevin, then you must have me mistaken for someone else".


    The Emissary answered with certainty, after sorting out his thoughts to make sure nothing was left out.

 Chapter 213 Who Is Caius?

    "no.....that can''t be. I was told of your presence by the Pirs, and I doubt they are the kind of people who would make any mistakes".


    The Emissary''s eyebrows twitched at the mention of the Pirs, and his body movements became partially unstable.


    "you know of the Pirs".


    The Emissary''s voice was ufortable, with signs of a shaken resolve mixed in it.


    "yes. After my battle with the underling that you sent after me, the Pirs summoned me against my will, to revealed to me the order in which the world has been arranged".


    "they also told me of how my actions so far, have been to bend the rules, infringing on those set orders".


    "if truly you have met with the Pirs, then surely you must have been fighting with Caius during that moment".


    The Emissary put the puzzles together, and brought himself under an assumption, using the Pirs as a case study on why they would move because of an ordinary being.


    The Pirs, are not some average beings that would decide to take an interest in someone else ordinary. Like the Emissary, they y a major rule in the decision making of the world, and if such beings were to move, it would have been because of a reason that threatened the bnce of the world.


    Caius, is an important member of the human race, and anyone that seeks to pick a fight with him, is the same as signing themselves up to go against the entire human race.


    He and the other three Cardinals, are an important asset that could help in making a dent on the world''s bnce. And Caius specifically, is one of said members who have gone missing for three months so....?


    "Caius? That is a name I have never heard of before".


    The word Caius, is a foreign word to Orun because, when he fought with Caius, he did not get his name, and he also could not speak the humannguage back then.


    "he is a human with an elemental spirit by his side. A fire Elemental spirit to be precise".


    "ohhhh.... You mean the walking powerbank guy".


    "power what!".


    Orun was quick to answer the Emissary''s question, with words that does not sound familiar to him.


    "you are talking about the man with a fire spirit as apanion right".


    "yes him".


    The Emissary answered, still wondering what a powerbank really is.


    "that is the man I am talking about. The same man that you sent after me".


    He did not know who Caius is by name, but he sure as hell would remember the elemental that gave him the fun of his life inbat activities.


    "what happened to him".


    The Emissary asked with a worried voice, disturbed to know what had became of Caius when his opponent is still standing, and in good health.


    "i..... don''t know!".


    He thought that the monster was going to lie to him about Caius''s condition, but was appalled to hear him sound unknowing.


    "how can you not know? did you not fight with him".


    The Emissary was dismayed, troubled if he was being toyed with by the monster by pretending not to know, of if he really meant what he said.


    "i really don''t know. What I do know for sure, is that his partner, the fire spirit king, is no more".


    The Emissary was left speechless, dumbfounded, and unsure of what sort of reaction he should give upon hearing that an elemental spirit king is dead, killed by a goblin no less?


    It was supposed to be unbelievable to his ears, but the way he said it, made the Emissary have concerns on the verification.


    Elemental spirit kings do die, it is not like they don''t, they do, but just not in the truest sense.


    When an elemental spirit king dies, they are reborn, but with their memories all wiped out, making them a kind of new entity but with the same title and purpose.


    The purpose behind not retaining their memories after their rebirth, is so they can be free from whatever contract they have had prior to their deaths.


    ''If Ignatius is dead, that would mean Caius is?!''


    The realization that Caius is no longer contracted with Ignatius, worried the Emissary, in fear that something bad had happened to him.


    The Emissary''s concern, is that would Caius without Ignatius by his side, have been strong enough to fend off this monster?


    "if you were to achieve separating Caius and Ignatius, and attract the attention of the Pirs, means you are someone with great powers".


    "i start to wonder, why one such as yourself woulde to an old man like me, or are you here to gloat about Caius".


    The Emissary still did not get the purpose of the monster''s unwanted visit into his house, and he summed it up as the monstering in to brag about what happened to Caius.


    "i am not so petty that I would rejoice over the death of another. You see, my belief, is that all life are sacred, and important to the continuous existence of our legacy. The only problem with my belief, is that I happen to always put my life first at all times".


    "even though I treasure all lives as equal, I can''t help but put the safety of my life above all else".


    "tell me, does that make me selfish or selfless?"


    "I am not interested in what you are, or what you think you are. I just want to know, what is it that you want from me".


    "that is..... Disappointing, but understandable".


    He cod not see his face, but he could feel it from his voice, how disappointed he really is.


    "well anyway. The Pirs, told me about you, and the vast authority you have over all human kind. A dictator to humans, viewed as the direct messenger to the three Gods".


    "you have made... Quite a reputation for yourself".


    "your point being?"


    The Emissary was notfortable with the monster calling the Gods using a defiance tone.


    "you are responsible for what happened to Caius, so if you are not here to kill me, is your aim to seek my grace through ttering".


    He was silent for a while, not because he found the Emissary''s question to be confusing, but actually because it was funny, and he, was trying to hold himself back fromughing.


    He is on a role y, taking the personality of an overconfident monster, and hisughter, will blow that personality up.


    "you would pass for a jester Emissary. Sadly for you, that is not what brought me here".


    "my race, are a bunch who believe in subservient of the weak to the strong. And you? Well.... Let''s just say, you are not in the condition to lord yourself over me, or have me seeking your grace".


    He said it in a way that mocked the Emissary''s words, making it clear to him, that his kind, do not decide who their masters will he based on who has more followers, but rather on whose individual authority is higher.


    The monster standing at the Emissary''s back, looked at him with a gaze that diminished his authority, an old man that he could easily end his career with just a flick of his finger on his forehead.

 Chapter 214 Coming To An Agreement

    "if your intention is not to seek my favor, then what do you want from me".


    The Emissary was running out of patience, reaching the limits of how long he could tolerate having the presence of a monster within a close proximity, and without any guards to watch his back.


    "i am here to draw up a proposition concerning the monster kind and the humans atrge".


    "i have been told by the Pirs, that the Caius you speak of, will not be thest of the humans that wille after me, and that is why I decided to make the trip here myself, with the intention of avoiding a lengthened conflict between us".


    "i have drafted out a proposal that will hopefully put an end to the rift between us".


    The Emissary thought for a while before deciding to speak up.


    "what sort of proposal".


    "i am d you have taken an interest in it".


    "ny proposal, is for us both toe to a truce. I won''t make any further attacks on any human kind as long as they do not invade my territory".


    "your territory? You monster kind have no territory to im as yours. Everything belongs to us, and our rule over it, is unquestionable".


    He corrected the Monster, making it known to him that whatever ce he is referring to as his territory, is and that belongs to them, and as such, that proposal of his, will not work because the humans are not to be restricted in their movements to whatever ce they desire to venture into, with the exception of ces that have been restricted by other high ranking humans, and not by monsters.


    "i have also been informed of that, which is why I came up with a perfect n to demarcate the human territory from the monster territory".


    "did you not hear what I said? Monsters have no territory to im. Whatever territory you think you have, belongs to us humans".


    "i know. What I also know, is where your territory stops at, and where an uninhabited territory begins".


    Orun saw that he caught the Emissary by surprise, judging from the way his heart rate was beating after he heard that Orun was aware of the territorial boundary.


    "they told you that as well".


    "yes they did. That is how I was able toe up with a proposal that will not infringe on your territory, nor restrict the movement of your kind on yournd".


    "i will move out of your territory, and willing to forever stay away, nor have any contact with human kinds. You and your kind will honor the proposal by noting down to my territory or continue to pursue me with more forces".


    "what makes you think I will ept such an absurd proposal. You killed Caius, and now youe to me to call a truce on his death".


    "not killed. Like I said, I do not know what became of him".


    "he has not been heard from for months, we can as well assume that he is gone, and it happened when he had an encounter with you".


    He can''t exactly refute the Emissary''s logic knowing that there Is some sense in what he has said.


    "is bloodshed the thing that you desire? Because I can assure you, that I have a lot of blood to shed, but it won''t be my blood pouring down. It will be the blood of your faithful, loyal subjects, so think twice before refusing my proposal".


    His word sounded coarse and deadly, but the tone he used to deliver it, was gentle, humble, slow paced and too dignified enough for the message he is trying to convey.


    Even though his tone sounded meek, the Emissary knew better than to take his words at face value.


    "to help make the decision process easier for you, I will give you an alternative. In three days time, if you refuse to give me the reply I want to hear, I will unleash my monsters to your prized territory, and you can mark my words, for I will turn it into and drenched in the cold, rotten body of your kind, and fill the air with the scent of their dried up blood".


    "i do hope that for both our sakes, you make the right decision!".


    His voice blended in with the room''s background, slowly fading away into the darkness as he gave hisst set of warning to the Emissary.


    The Emissary was still not aware that the monster intruder had already left him be.


    He waited for a while, with thoughts that the monster was still going to say more, and when he saw that there was no sounding from behind him, the Emissary turned his head, only to see that whatever was making the voice was no longer there.


    He hurriedly got up from his seat and turned his head severally, observing every nooks and crannies of the room to know if the monster''s presence was no longer in the room.


    The Emissary hastily made his way to the door, and abrashly opened it up, running out of it in a hurry without the need to look back.


    "Emissary!! Emissary!!".


    The two men that had stood guard at the door, called out to the Emissary in shock at how he moved himself out the door, and also how profusely fluid substance was dripping down from his heavily sweaty concocted face.


    "raise the rms. There is an intruder in here, and also call on the Cardinals, I want every ce ransacked".


    The Emissary standing at a distance away from the door, gave out his order to the men who were doing the best they could to calm him down.


    ( Rx old man! He is no longer within the range of where the soldiers hand can reach! )


    The familiar, coarse, manly voice reached out only to the Emissary, reverberating in his mind, while keeping the two guards, clueless on what was going on.


    "Dan! Is that you".


    The two guards looked at each other, wondering what was wrong with the Emissary, and why he was talking to himself.


    "Dan. Did you see what happened? Did you witness it as well".


    His words showed that he was aware of the intruder''s presence, and of what he was told. The Emissary asked so he could confirm if truly he did, and if he did, why did he not do anything about it.


    He wanted to know, why he had stayed still and watched as the Emissary was being put under pressure by the monster.


    ( i didn''t do anything because he showed no signs of harboring any intention to harm you).


    ( he came here to talk, and I was curious on what he had to say).


    "so you heard everything he said".


    ( yes I did. And I am also in agreement with his proposed truce ).


    "have you gone mad Dan? You want me to ept a proposal from a monster".


    ( old man, it is your choice to make. But if you ask me, yes is the answer I am going to give you ).


    ( think about it, if you refuse his proposal, and everything does escte, leading to a bloody war like he said, think of the sacrifice, and meaningless ughter that will be caught in the middle of it all ).


    The way he spoke, made him out as someone who cares for the safety of the people, but the Emissary knows that behind all that, is a man who is toozy to want to do anything, hence his reasons for wanting the Emissary to ept the monster''s deal.

 Chapter 215 Relocation

    "are you okay".


    He moved closer to her, to see that she had on her face, a gaze longing for the scene before her. He could also see how sorrowful she feels with the thoughts of leaving such a scene to forever not return to it again.


    "this is for the best. Ensuring the safety of our packes first".


    Her words were not enough to hide from Orun, how hesitant and reluctant she felt.


    The view before her is not exactly a beautiful one, nor is it pleasing to the eyes, to have one want to continue staring at it for a long while.


    It still carries with it, the aftermath of what can only be described as disastersing together to imprint their legacy on it.


    The once dense trees that toiled thend was no more, and only the remnants of burnt trees could be seen, with craters on certain areas of the ground.


    The toxicity of mana that lingered after the battle, gave the worn outnd a dark ominous view, with the ck poisonous gas roaming around the air above it.


    "you know, I really thought you were not going to ept the proposal".


    "there is no way I could have refused, not after what you told me about the world".


    Orun''s reluctant trip to the leader of humanity, during which he extended a proposal that would stop the trifle between he and humanity, turned out to be positive.


    It took the Emissary two days to send over a message that conveyed his reply, using an hawk as a form of delivery.


    In the reply that was sent over, it contained his positive answer to what Orun had suggested, to be left alone by the humans, and in return, he and the kind that are with him, would leave, which also means, he would have to keep his end of the bargain by moving out of humanity''s territory, together with the Wyverns.


    "we should go now".


    The Wyvern leader turned her body around to meet with her pack, forsaking the ce she once called home.


    "okay".


    Orun stretched out his body that had grown taller from how he wasst time, and took one good look at the destroyed forest, the ce he had met with the Wyvern and joined their pack, reminiscing about his time here.


    He had not spent that long of a time, but every moment he spent, was a memorable one for him.


    Orun done admiring the view, followed the Wyvern leader to where the rest of the pack was.


    "are you not going to get on".


    The Wyvern pack prepared themselves for lift off, while the Wyvern leader had her body bent down for Orun to climb on, so she could carry him along with them as she always does.


    "no, I am fine".


    Orun said, politely refusing to climb on the Wyvern leader''s back for lift off.


    "but you can''t fly? How are you going to catch up with us".


    "like this".


    me was emitting out of Orun''s body, gathering itself at his back, and shaping out like two wings attached to his spine.


    The two med wings pped out to the surroundings, releasing heat wave before taking Orun''s leg off of the ground, and carrying him above sky level.


    "you can fly? Since when".


    Not just the Wyvern leader, but the rest of the pack were surprised to see Orun growing out wings from his back, and using it to fly above.


    "after I awakened from the evolution".


    Orun answered, gliding above the Wyverns with his wings.


    "do you guys n on standing there forever to admire my wings? Or are you going to get yourself up from the ground to start our journey to our new territory".


    On Orun''s word, the Wyvern leader pped her wings and met with him in the sky, with the rest of the pack following behind them one at a time.


    The pack as a whole, while pping their wings in the sky, took onest look at the ce that was once considered home to them, then they turned their back and flew south, with Orun and the Wyvern leader guiding them at the front.


    Three months ago, Orun was in a battle with a formidable opponent, a human that was sent after him by the one who controls the human race.


    He was in the middle of leveling the ying field by obtaining for himself, a weapon that he could use against his opponent, a weapon he had gotten by absorbing his opponent''s mana.


    Orun had prepared himself to go at it with Caius onest time when he found himself in a strange, unfamiliar habitat.


    He found himself amongst the midst of what can only be described as, a four majestic entities, who came at him with ims that his actions were not conducive enough for them to continue watching.


    They revealed to him, the secrets of the world, the rulers behind it, and why the order of things should be maintained at whatever costs.


    Orun was not about to argue with them on that, no he wasn''t. If anything, he was in full agreement with everything they said, but with a few conditions of his own.


    The way the world''s settings was arranged, was set in a way that had no benefit to the existence of monster kinds atrge. If anything, the so called Order, only seeks to diminish the value of monsters, reducing them to being cannon fooders for the rest of the race that sits at the hierarchy of the world.


    Orun''s condition to the majestic beings, involved giving the monster kind a ce in the world''s settings, to change their position as cannon fodders to bing owners themselves.


    The majestic beings contemted on the decision for a while,ing together toe to an agreement on their choices, before giving Orun their final answer.


    They approved of his own condition, but under the impression that he was going to fulfill a condition of theirs if he wanted the monster kind to be opportuned to bing owners, and more than just fodders.


    Their condition, has to do with Orun fixing the mess he had made, the dispute that had ensued between he and humanity.


    Orun as to be expected, was not aware that he had a personal dispute with the human race, until the majestic entities exined to him how he came across the dispute, and the origin of his opponent, who Caius is, who sent him, why he was sent to pursue Orun, and the authority backing up the one that sent Caius toe after him.


    Orun was shocked and baffled to find out that he had an history like that with the human kind, and he was also at a loss to find out that the reasons for the forest of the Wyverns getting destroyed, is because of his earlier actions.


    Without furtherints, Orun agreed to fix his errors, and that was what led him to visiting the Emissary at his house, uninvited.


    He thought, he was going to fix things after he got out of the midst of the four majestic presence, but was surprised to find out what had happened during the time he spent among the four majestic beings.

 Chapter 216 Succession

    He was sure he did not spend up to a day in the presence of the majestic entities, yet when he opened his eyes to the world outside, he discovered that three months had gone by, that he had spent a whooping three months in a ce he only stayed in for what seemed like hours.


    The Wyvern leader was the first being he opened his eyes to see, resting his body on her hands.


    She was the one that told him for how long he had been gone for, and also made it known to him that during those months, he had actually been unconscious after his sessful evolution.


    Orun unsure of what the Wyvern leader was talking about, called on Oracle to provide an understandable exnation for what the Wyvern leader was saying.


    Oracle did asmanded, and opened up to Orun about the activities that happened prior to his fight, and the events that transpired in the past three months that he had been asleep for.


    His first concern was on what happened to Caius, the opponent that he had been battling with, to which Oracle gave a thorough exnation on that as well.


    Turns out, a sacrifice was made regarding Caius and Ignatius, with the oue being of great benefit to Orun.


    A lot of things transpired between them, and Ignatius, was gone, like forever gone. It carried out an act that caused its eternal disappearance.


    It was only right that after the disappearance of Ignatius, a new fire Elemental king would be born to take its ce, so as to maintain the natural order of things amongst the four elemental kings.


    The process of an Elemental kings birth, is an event that happens with nature giving birth to a new elemental king to ascend and take over the previous one.


    Elemental kings as mentioned, are a force of nature, they represent the natural order of the four greatest elements; the elements of fire, the elements of water, the elements of wind, and the element of earth.


    This four elements, work together in maintaining bnce in the world, not just one world, but across gxies, universe, dimensions, and many more of such unprecedented locations.


    Their movements to worlds are not restricted, but epted, as they are born of nature, and are the representation of the very nature that gives life to all things, gives purpose to the existence of beings.


    They have an immense connection with nature, the kind of connection that most can only dream to attain.


    Unlike an average being, or a powerful being, or an immortal being; elementals are..... Mass of energye together to birth a physical demonstration of elements, signifying the reign of nature itself.


    What this means, is that Elementals as earlier said, are not restricted in their movements, and are free to visit wherever it is they wish, be it a journey to the very end of the world, the underworld where the souls of the dead are said to be kept in, the abyss where it is said that one would only meet with eternal darkness inside of it, the Gods domain that is said to be practical only for the purpose of amodating the presence of the Gods.


    There is no such ce as a ce that the elementals cannot breach through, wherever nature lingers in, is a ce they can be in, and nature as we know it, is everywhere, and as such, there is no suchnguage that is beyond the scope of the elementals understanding, or an energy level that is too great or powerful for the elementals to attain.


    Take for example the energy that the people of this world make use of, the same energy that is referred to as Mana?


    Mana is but one of the many sources of energy to have existed, with branches of such energy spread out, but called on in different names, depending on what world they are being used in.


    A particr world might refer Mana to as spiritual energy, while another, would refer to it as internal energy, and another would call it Ki.


    Many of such names avable in different worlds, but it alles back to being a source of energy derived from nature itself. And as elemental kings who are the natural embodiment of nature, they have an unlimited ess to whatever energy source they desire, and in whatever quantity they desire it in.


    They reside in the ne of the divide between nature and creation.


    It is only natural that such beings should be referred to as the true creators of worlds, the givers of life and the reapers of it? They are..... Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnifarious.


    Yes, they have four of such powers that are mentioned above, and it is more than enough to qualify them as the most powerful, but at the same time, they are not.


    Elemental kings, just like any other being that has proven to be too powerful, reaching beyond the realm of having the capability to bring an end to billions of years of history, have a restriction ced on them by the very nature that birthed them, to prevent them from going rogue, or missing with natural order of the ne of existence with the powers they possess.


    There are severalws passed down by nature, meant to infringe on powers of the Elemental kings, and one of such rules, is that they are not allowed to use their powers outside the scope of their realm, the divide between nature and creation.


    The true purpose of the elemental kings, is to create elemental spirits that will aid the average being, guiding them on the path to bing formidable beings.


    Elemental kings are not expected to contract with the mortals, or be involved in the political affairs of whatever world they have been summoned into.


    The scope of their duties does not extend that far. Their reasons for existing, is not to unt their powers or dere themselves rulers of all, but to sit in their realm, and to continue the creation of elemental spirits. That, is the primary duty hnaded over to them by nature.


    When an elemental king decides to go beyond natures task, and is contracted by an average being, they do not rescind their powers to their contractor, nor will they still have it with them.


    What happens when an elemental king forms a contract with another, is that, nature deprives them of all powers and their identity as what truly makes them kings during the course of the summoning.


    The powers they lend to their summoners after the contract, is the power they got from amassing the natural energy from the world they have been summoned into, and not the power they had during their moments of creation by nature.


    Even without their powers, they are still connected to nature, and as such, they can amass more energy from it than a million men put together can aplish.


    Thew is an essential reason for why elemental kings are hard to summon, because they do not wish to lose what makes them who they are, for the purpose of serving under another.


    With the exception of Ignatius who had taken interest Caius, and also wanted to explore the world beyond the elemental spirit realm.


    Another reason is because they be vulnerable to the threat of higher existence once they are out of the elemental ins; meaning they can be killed by beings who sits at the pinnacle of strength.


    Reasons for giving a too detailed exnation of what elemental kings are? Is because, after he awakened from his three months slumber, he discovered that he had been chosen by nature to be the next fire Elemental king after the disappearance of Ignatius.

 Chapter 217 A New Territory Acquired

    The birth of an elemental king, is a process that is left entirely in natures care, and is not to be interrupted by a third party.


    Not once during an elemental kings birth, has there ever been a case where an elemental king is not naturally born from scratch, but chosen from an already existing being residing in the material world.


    Orun''s case, is the first of its kind, and as such, it is very disturbing and confusing to determine what his true nature is.


    "here we are, our new home".


    The Wyvern pack flew for days just to get across the human''s territory and over to where Orun was leading them to.


    Orun and the Wyvern leader on the other hand, had to keep their speed in check, to match the pace of the Wyvern pack.


    "it is... A desert! Our new home, is a desert".


    The Wyvern leader said, with her and her pack hovering over a sandy fillednd, stretching across like an ocean with no end.


    She turned her back, and saw the richnd that was the human territory, filled with trees and fruits, just a couple of miles away from where they are, and turned over to the harshnd filled with nothing but sand, and the pressuring heat wave that filled thend, along with a fact that it ispletely devoid of life and water.


    "now I understand why thisnd was made a no man''s territory".


    There is no one that would be willing to live in and filled with nothing but desert sand, and a coarsh heatwave striking down on it, especially when there is nothing to feed on or drink from thend.


    "you seem to be forgetting something".


    Orun broke the ice that had swollen itself on the Wyvern pack with disappointment on the ce that is to be their new habitat.


    His enthusiasm made them wonder if there was a justified cause to which they could base their happiness on foring across this barrennd.


    "what exactly do you think we forgot".


    The Wyvern leader tried to be optimistic, to search for the probably non-existent positive side to their new habitat.


    "me. You are all forgetting you have me!".


    Orun dissipated his fire made wings, and fell down to the ground, with his feet touching the harsh sandy soil that made up the deserts properties.


    "a ce to call my home?"


    Orun had on his face, an esthetic smile on his face, radiating his expression, making the Wyvern leader and the rest of the pack that are still hovering above, wonder what has him all happy about them ending up in a desert.


    The pack kept pping their wings up in the sky, while the Wyvern leader directed her''s down, andnded herself beside Orun.


    "what has you gleeming with happiness".


    The Wyvern leader still did not get why Orun was overly happy about ending up in a wastnd where they will encounter all sorts of problems, mostly leaning on how to feed themselves when there are no prey to hunt.


    The desert is so dry, that they have not heard a single sound made, apart from the intense breeze that has the sand iling here and there.


    She has concerns on, if this would be a good ce for them to set up camp in as their territory.


    "tell me leader, is this a good moment for me to cry my eyes out".


    "what!".


    She was.... Confused, on why Orun would want to cry or why he would ask her, and she was not sure if he was trying to be funny, or if he really meant it.


    "it is just.... The thought of having a legit ce to consider as mine, a ce free of any oppressors, a ce where I can establish myself as being me. Thinking of it that way, just brings tears to my eyes".


    The Wyvern leader really does not understand a word he is saying. It''s like he is not even thinking of the disadvantages thates with having a ce like this as their habitat, but she is not one to rain on his fun moment.


    She watched him continue to silently immerse himself with the surroundings, closing his eyes with his hand stretched out by the sides, and slowly turning his body in circles.


    "my home".


    Orun says, admiring the thought that he now has a permanent ce to call a home.


    The deal he made with the majestic beings, was that in return for patching things up with the humans, he and his race would be granted a ce in the world asnd owners, and not as tenants.


    The ce they gave him, is this so called desert. This desert, is a ce that he and monster kind atrge would thrive at.


    They will live here going by their believes and the rules theye up with for themselves.


    They will not have to worry about the invasion of humans, and can live their lives the way they want to.


    Orun is not so naive to think that all monster kinds are non threatening, and would prefer to stray away from humans, or entertain the idea of staying here.


    He is aware that there are some monsters who enjoy taking the lives of other humans, and for monsters like that, who are not willing to stray from the humans, but derives pleasure from killing them, he will give such kind a chance to make their own choice.


    They have the choice of leaving the human territory anding over to the newly established monster territory, to live amongst their fellow kind and forget whatever craving they have about the humans.


    For those who make the choice of leaving, Orun will wee them into the new territory, and for those who prefer to continue hunting humans, he will abandon them, to face whatever fate has in store for them.


    "i have decided leader".


    Orun opened his eyes and turned to look at the Wyvern leader who was still standing by his side in a daze at his reaction.


    "wbat have you decided on".


    She asked, curious about the sort of thought that had popped into his head.


    "in this new territory of ours, let us create a monster empire. A ce where all monster kind can live in under the rules made by monsters".

 Chapter 218 My Goal

    "what did you just say!".


    "you heard me right the first time leader".


    The Wyvern leader has a hearing ability that could spot any sounding from miles away, so there is no way she would not have heard Orun who is only a one and a half feet away from her.


    "do you know what you are thinking of doing".


    "uniting all monster kind under one umbre? Why, what is wrong with having an idea like that".


    "because it is absurd, that''s why".


    Monster kind are...... Unique is the word for it.


    They are not like the other race that emphasis on order through crowning a ruler to lord over the entire race.


    They believe solemnly in the survival of the fittest, and they take theur believe to terrifying lengths.


    Having a monster from a specie, lord over his own specie, is no problem in as much as his individual power has been proven to be above the other monsters in that same specie category.


    Where the real problem stems from, is having a monster from a particr specie, attempting to lord over another monster specie that is not the same as his.


    Like having a goblin king, vying to rule over an orc specie, that is abination that can note to be, and would end in the death of one or either of them before there can be a stop to it.


    They do belong to the same race, but not just the same specie, and that, is what makes things hard for them.


    More than the race, the monster kind put more value on what specie one belongs to, mostly because it also acts as a deciding factor for the monster''s strength.


    Orun''s case is a prime example of what is being talked about. He is a monster who ims to be of the Goblin specie, but his appearance says otherwise.


    His recent evolution has had him undergoing a physical difference from how he was when they first met, but even the change still does not bring him any further to looking like a goblin.


    His hair had be even longer than before, now reaching beyond his waist. If he had not braided it, he would have made a good fit as a ghost.


    His fangs had gone in, only slightly bigger than the rest of his teeth, his crimson eyes had gone thick red, with the white part now turned ck.


    His skin, taking on a deep red color with parts of his body tattooed with ck colors, like his arms, from his shoulders down to his palm.


    His height had grown a little from before, now measuring within the range of five and a half. His horn that was only one, had grown a second pair, now having two horns positioned at each side of his forehead, protruding out slightly longer than before.


    He had changed his clothing as well, with the help of Oracle and his evolution, he can now make his own attire using his aura.


    He has on him, an armless revealing the tattoo on his shoulder, with a ck arm band covering from his elbow down to his wrists.


    The upper part of his clothing colored ck, and covered to his neck, rounded in gold clothing, and from there, the gold stretched out to his waist like a button, but in a straight line shaped.


    Tied to his waist like a belt, is a golden colored clothing, with the material looking thicker from the rest of the clothing his body is covered in.


    At the center of his waist, is a design colored red, and in the shape of a being with his fangs out like a lion, but more sinister, with its hair flowing down.


    The shape, is an expression of how he was during his first evolution Into an half spiritual lifeform.


    From his waist down, he has a ck robe on, iling around and revealing his pant colored red, with footwear colored dark gold.


    His overall dressing, is one that would trend with the fashion side of the world, and his appearance in general, could be considered hot amongst monster kind, but it still does not put him as a goblin. Rather, it takes him far away from being described as a goblin.


    "there is no monster that would be willing to follow a being outside the existence of their specie. And even if you force them to with your strength, there wille a time when they can no longer tolerate it, and end up rebelling".


    The Wyvern leader wanted Orun to understand how the monster race is different from another when ites to the word harmony.


    To make him understand that what he wants, is a dream that cannot be attained.


    "leader. Do you know what went through my mind when the Pirs told me of the world''s order, and how the monsters were neglected from the order".


    The Wyvern leader tried to think of what would go through the mind of Orun at that time, but she was not able to picture a thing.


    "i thought to myself, monsters are inferior creatures".


    Individually, monsters have demonstrated that they are stronger than humans, and some other race, but even then, the monsters are still looked down upon by the other race.


    "do you know why that is".


    Orun has thought it through, the reasons for why beings like monsters are neglected by other race, and he came to a single conclusion, which is;ck of coordination.


    For humans, they have the Emissary to represent them, and the so called Pirs, they are all representatives of their own race.


    Monsters, do not have someone like that. They are a selfish bunch who cares only for the existence of their own specie, and not the continuity of their race alike.


    Back on earth, Orun understood that as much as there was hate amongst the humans of several continents, they also are capable of bringing themselves together when faced with amon enemy.


    Tbey understand when to put aside their hate for each other, their differences to work together in ensuring the continuous existence of their race.


    The monsters however, are unwilling to emte such actions, regardless of what position they find themselves in.


    "there are as much weak monsters as there are strong monsters out in the world, and I will create a ce for those weak monsters to strive in. I will create, an haven where monsters will not be looked down upon as inferiors ever again".


    Orun slowly turned his body and faced the Wyvern leader with his head raised up to look her in the eye.


    "this dream of mine, is something I cannot achieve alone".


    He said to her, not taking his eyes off of her in expectant of a reply from her.


    "what do you need from us".


    The rest of the pack flew themselves down abruptly,nding behind the Wyvern leader and positioning themselves in a well arranged order.


    It was as if they were all listening to Orun and the Wyvern leader''s discussion, and came down together to show that they were with him.


    "you helped us protect our home when you could have fled all by yourself, you have proven to be more than just an outsider, and now be one of us".


    The Wyvern leader said, raising her body in a dignified pose.


    "even though I still believe your n to be an insane one, it is a n worth trying".


    She said, bringing her head down to his face level.


    "we will, help you in turning your dream into a reality".

 Chapter 219 Territory Demarcation

    "you have no idea how d I am to here you say that".


    It was visible from Orun''s expression, how content he is with the choice made by the Wyverns.


    They disyed to him, their loyalty and eptance, and he, will gracefully amodate their feelings by reciprocating it.


    "so, what is the n".


    "well first, we have to make it so that our territory cannot be invaded by just anyone".


    Orun in a split second, left the Wyvern leader in dust and covered a distance of more than three-hundred miles, and got to the border separating the human territory from the desert that is now his territory.


    He breathed in and out slowly, then ced his hand on the sandy ground, with the sand following through with his movements.


    In correspondence to Orun cing his two hands down, the sand bordering the human territory rose up ferociously, like a wave about to swallow and whole.


    "Sand Desert Wall".


    The sand surged up overwhelmingly, washing itself in the direction of the border, and when it got there, it towered above the trees, with pieces rain down like grains.


    The way the sand were moving, was simr to how waves rises in an ocean, as onees down, another one immediately follows, with every waves that follows bing more massive than thest.


    When it had gotten to a length that Orun considered tall enough, he took his palm off the ground, and folded it tightly in, and the sand waves in response to his actions, hardened itself.


    The countless sand that were in splited grains, steeled into one hardened form, like bricks but stronger and smoother looking, taking on the color of the coarsh sand, and standing as a demarcation, separating the desert from the human territory.


    The size of the sand wall was massive, and it''s height reaching above the sky, causing an illusion that would make one think the tip of the wall is in direct contact with the cloud.


    The wall was made using the sand from the desert, and its durability is strong enough to withstand an attack capable of leveling a city with one-hundred thousand poption, not that he has tried it to confirm, only basing it on Oracle''s confirmation.


    "this should do it".


    Orun was satisfied with the wall he had crafted out to prevent any human from aimlessly wandering into their territory.


    He made sure the whole of the desert was covered by the wall, from both south, east, north, and west, of the desert, none of it was left untouched.


    This was made possible with Oracle acting as a measuring tool to discern the distance that the desert extends all the way to, and transporting that information into Orun, to evaluate the distance he would need to cover during the wall building.


    He saw, that the overall desert territory, was four and a half times the size of the dungeon that he was born in.


    "covering such a distance took nothing out of me".


    The amount of mana he had used in the construction of the wall, was an unnoticeable amountpared to his total mana after his evolution.


    Orun turned against the wall, and made his way back to the Wyvern pack who were waiting for him.


    "did I keep you guys waiting long".


    Orun with the same speed that he used to move away from their midst, used it to get back to them.


    "that is your doing is it not".


    She said, pointing to the sand wall that had been erected from out of nowhere.


    "yes. I did it to avoid having any uninvited guest barge into our territory".


    "but, isn''t that a little too extreme".


    The Wyvern leader had her head raised up in the direction of the wall, trying to see if she could get to the very top of it from where she stood.


    She wondered if there is any amongst the human kind with the ability to breach through the distance from the wall to the ground.


    "i made it that tall because I don''t fully trust the human leader just yet".


    Last time Orun talked to the Emissary, he seemed hesitant to ept his proposal, and definitely does not strike Orun as the sort of man who would be willing to see the monster kind thrive.


    "on to the next thing on the list to prepare for when setting up an empire".


    "food, water, shade. There is a lot of things to prepare for in a ce like this".


    "those are all important necessities, but not what I was going to say".


    "what were you going to say".


    She wondered what could be more important than securing for themselves, the basic necessities that will ensure their survival in this barrennd.


    Unless they find a way to secure food for themselves, the pack would notst long in the desert, especially when there is no source of water around.


    They also like to inhabit high grounds due to the nature of their specie, but the desert, has no high ground to provide them with, a tnd filled entirely with sand.


    She could not think of anything more important in ensuring their survival rate than the list she had just given to him.


    "manpower. That is what we need now".


    The Wyvern leader thought for a while before replying.


    "you have a point. Our numbers are not enough to cover the vast area of the territory, we will need more. But if we n on recruiting more numbers to what we already have, we have to think of how they will survive".


    The Wyvern leader agreed with Orun''s n about the need for more manpower, but she also made it clear that to carry it out, they have to first solve the basic necessity they are in need of.


    The pack is yet to figure out what to feed on, already contemting about bringing in more people without having a way to feed those that are still present, is not the way to go.


    "we do need that, but that is not the kind of manpower I am referring to".


    "if it''s not, then what is".


    "you guys. I am talking about evolving you all first".

 Chapter 220 Suggestion About Evolution

    "hmm..... Evolution; believe me, we would also like to evolve as soon as possible, but that is just not possible. It is not something we can rush".


    Without even being told, the Wyvern pack also desired for evolution, but it is not an event that they have control over.


    They had all gone far on their racial evolution path, and now reached a threshold where going any further would prove very difficult for them to aplish.


    Each of them are in need of a certain amount of kill count, a ridiculous number at that, if they want to evolve into an higher form under their racial specie.


    They have been trying all this while to achieve that threshold, but so far, none of them have been able to get there.


    "i am well aware of that, and that is why, I am going to help you all evolve".


    If Orun wants to create the monster empire like he had imed, he needs to have by his side, allies with strong roots as its foundation.


    Monsters pride themselves heavily on strength, and would not be willing toe under beings who are any weaker than they are.


    Orun on one side, is currently a being whose match is hard toe by, but the the same cannot be said for the Wyvern pack.


    They are the first monster kind he met with aftering out from the dungeon, he wants them to be the foundation with which the empire will be built upon, that is how he feels about them.


    If that is to be so, he needs them stronger than their current self, strong enough to not fall back when faced against another monster kind.


    Strong enough to show any monster with interest on joining him, that they have enough manpower to bring their im to life.


    "we really do appreciate the thought Orun, but how do you n on helping us evolve at a faster pace? What methods do you have in mind".


    The Wyvern leader has concerns on the way Orun has been processing his thoughtstely.


    He is always taking things too extreme, going into things that are supposed to be impossible, and setting them as his end goal to ce in the realm of possible.


    There is only one way for one to raise their level, and that is through killing other race, or monster kind alike. It could be any race as long as it has life in it.


    There is no known method that the Wyvern pack have not tried to make sure that they evolve, but so far, they have not had much luck on that.


    The only method they have yet to give a trial chance to, is going up against monsters higher than them.


    This will enable them to umte experience faster than hunting normal monsters, but the risk involved is far too great for them to even consider trying it.


    Besides, stronger monsters do not just sprout out from nowhere. The Wyvern pack are already strong enough for them to have a hard time finding other monsters stronger than they are.


    "through naming. I am going to evolve you all by giving you a name".


    The Wyvern leader''s expression carried a lot of mixed feelings, with most of it being hesitation.


    "Orun, do you know what it means for a monster to be named".


    Orun is a monster who already has a name, so surely, he is aware of what it means for monsters to be named.


    The Wyvern leader is aware of this, but she still asked him nheless, because she wanted to be sure he knew what he was talking about.


    "i do. By naming you, I will relinquish a part of my mana core, transferring it to you for the naming process".


    "then do you know what will happen if the core of a monster is transferred into the core of another monster".


    Orun could not understand what the Wyvern leader was asking. He wanted to say; you get named, but he couldn''t, because he knew that wasn''t the answer she wanted to hear.


    When he was named by miss dragon, his body was partly unconscious with Oracle taking over it.


    His consciousness was trapped in a white space where miss dragon did the naming on him, or rather, she said a name, saying it was his real name, so that was sort of a reminder for what his name was, and not her naming him.


    Realizing this, Orun figured, that he was never named by miss dragon, but reminded him of what his name was.


    He had never really gone through a naming ritual, and does not know what it entails, or how it is done.


    ''wait, I named that bear I found in the cave''.


    Orun remembering that he had once given a name to a baby monster, reyed the scene of what happened after the naming.


    He tried, but could not remember anything significantly different from what he had just told the Wyvern leader.


    He lost a small part of his mana core after the naming, resulting in the total amount of mana he could store in his core being diminished.


    ''Oracle, is there something I am missing''.


    Orun thoroughly thought it through, but there was nothing he coulde up with.


    The reaction of the Wyvern leader, suggested that there was something important that he was not getting.


    He asked Oracle for help, to rify things for him, and make him aware of what he is not getting right.


    [when a monster is named, a part of the namer''s core is used to constitute the name into the named''s core].


    [in return for absorbing the core of another, the named monster will be psychologically linked to their namer].


    [psychologically in this term, does not only refer to mental state, it means that Master will be able to view the status of whatever monster you name, and they will also be bound to you in a form of half-very contract].


    Hearing what Oracle had said, Orun now finally understood what the look on the Wyvern leader''s face meant.

 Chapter 221 His Status

    "tell me, what part of it are you notfortable with".


    "what are you talking about Orun".


    The Wyvern leader asked, not sure what brought about his questioning, and his sudden change of mood.


    "is it the part where I am able to see your status, or the half-very thing? Is that it? Do you all not trust me enough to understand that I mean you no harm".


    His actions and words, showed how disappointed he was with the Wyvern, about the way they view him.


    He considers them as family, but it appears they do not feel the same. Even if they do, the trust thates with it, is not unconditionally stable.


    "it is not as easy as you make it out to be Orun. Naming us will indeed make us stronger, but only at the cost of our freedom".


    "we are monsters, and we have kept our freedom for hundreds of years. What you are asking of us, is to relinquish that freedom. You should not expect that to be so easy to do".


    Orun was angry with the Wyvern leader, but at the same time, he understood their point and where they areing from.


    Not even he was willing to give up his freedom to serve the Goblin king, even at the expense of his life, so why should he have expected them to be any different.


    He understood that well, but could not help feeling disappointed about the fact that the Wyverns do not trust him enough.


    ''Oracle''.


    [yes Master].


    ''is there any way for you to project my status out for the Wyvern pack to see''.


    [yes Master it is possible, but I do not reckon it a good idea].


    ''I n on creating an empire Oracle. What good would it do if the foundation to my empire is not trustingly strong enough? The foundation will crumble with a little shake from the outside, thus bringing down the whole empire itself''.


    ''and I don''t want that to be the fate of the empire that is toe''.


    [ I understand Master ].


    Asmanded by Orun, Oracle proceeded to disying his status for the Wyvern pack to see.


    Like a t seventy-two inch TV screen, his status was brought out, openly with the words boldly written out for the pack to see.


    ___________________________________


    ¡ñName : Orun


    ¡ñRace : Fire Goblin Spirit King (Deity)


    ¡ñJob : Fire Elemental King


    ¡ñRank : Apocalypse


    ¡ñExistential value : 100,000,000


    [ All Skills Disy ]


    [ Absolute Skill : Forest King Elemental, Soil King Elemental, Fire King Elemental, Elemental Creation, All Of Immunity ].


    [ Racial Form : Spirit King Mode ].


    ____________________________________


    "wh.....wha...!!"


    The Wyvern leader and her pack, marveled at the sight of the statue they were beholden with.


    It was beyond iprehensible, and vastly unbelievable to their understanding, even though they can see it.


    "this is my status".


    The Wyvern leader was rendered speechless, unable to find proper words to address Orun with.


    What he had just sprung on her, is far different from the phenomenon she is used to seeing.


    Orun''s status does not put him in the league of monsters, but rather, it turned him into a myth that should have only been spoken about in words, and remembered in memories, not present in the flesh.


    "i did not show you this to brag about myself, or make you all dumbfounded and helpless".


    "i showed you my status, because I want to renew the bond between us. I want to strengthen our trust so that it will never be used against us".


    "this is who I am, and this is what I have. Even I have yet to grasp the true potential of what my status is capable of, but I am aware of how terrifying the numbers are to show it to just anyone".


    His words is a way of telling them that he would not show his status to just anyone, even at the expense of his life.


    Making it known to them, that he wants to link his life to theirs, unbiased about revealing to them his capabilities and strength, showing how far his trust on them reaches to.


    The Wyvern leader looked at Orun with a gloomy expression, finding her earlier actions to be stupid.


    Orun''s status, indicates that they are nothing before him, a being who could easily take them all down by just tapping down his leg.


    They did not trust him enough to share their status with him, but he did it without so much as hesitating.


    "i....i apologize Orun. On behalf of I and my pack, we apologize for not trusting you enough".


    She was ashamed of herself at that moment. Them being subservient under Orun, does nothing but bring to them, several meritorious gains.


    He is only doing it to help them get stronger, and not to have them under his control.


    If that was his intention, he could have done it forcefully, without the need for consulting with them first.


    "it is fine. I am cool with it".


    Orun was quick to ept the Wyvern leader''s apology, realizing where she wasing from, and being able to rte to it.


    "i should start thinking up a name for all sixteen of you".


    Orun says, already finding it difficult toe up with a name.


    "Orun, will you be fine naming all sixteen of us? Our numbers aside, our race is not exactly belonging to the lower realm".


    His status is leaps above their imagination, and has be a realm they can only fantasize about, but that could change with Orun granting them a name.


    The Wyvern specie, though not in the category of high level monsters, still fall under the middle ss monsters, and can be counted as one of the strongest type specie amongst other middle ss monsters.


    If one were to also put into consideration, the fact that the pack, are at a stage where advancing further down the evolution line has be a difficult task to aplish.


    Orun would need a massive amount of mana just so he can trigger an evolution stage for one Wyvern, while the pack, are sixteen in numbers.


    If Orun were to use his mana core on all sixteen Wyverns, with his aim being to trigger their evolution, he would need much more mana than normal to carry it out, and that will in turn, lead to Orun forever losing a part of his mana core, which will be shown on his existential value that will end up drastically decreasing.


    To what digits the numbers will stop at, is unknown, and that makes it all the more dangerous for him.

 Chapter 222 Naming The Whole Pack

    "it is going to be okay. I have a n to stop that from happening".


    Orun booming with confidence, reassured the Wyvern leader on the issue of permanent mana consumption for the naming process.


    "you have a way? What is it"


    Orun was not the one that came up with the idea, Oracle did. Only after several evaluation on how much mana it would cost for naming the Wyvern pack.


    Oracle''s task, is to make sure that Orun continues to grow uninterrupted, and what he is about to do, could lead to a decrease in the growth he has umted over the years.


    "by putting my racial characteristics to use".


    Orun''s newly acquired skill, Elemental creation, as its name implies, is a skill that grants Orun the power naturally gifted to all elemental kings.


    The skill, is the purpose for the existence of all elemental kings, and Oracle, has found a way to use that purpose to benefit Orun.


    When he was fighting with Caius, he used an absolute type skill to create Smander and Efreet, two high tier elemental spirits.


    The created elementals, could be said to be in their iplete form, as a result of theposition they were made from, the merging of a human with an elemental king.


    Even in their iplete form, they had within them, a core that generates energy to their bodies that makes movement possible, breathing out fire, and exerting disaster like physical ability.


    The core, is what differentiates them from a lifeless doll, and it is also what Orun is going to use as a loophole in the naming process of the Wyvern.


    The requirement for naming a monster, is determined based on the core, not exactly on the mana.


    Only a muchrger core that houses more mana, can be privileged enough to name a monster of weaker rank than the namer.


    Oracle''s n, is to use the Elemental creation skill to create an elemental, then the core from that elemental will be extracted, and used in the naming of the Wyverns.


    It is sort of an addition process. Giving the Wyverns the core of the created elemental, through the process of naming.


    What Orun will be losing in this process, is the amount of mana that will be needed to use the skill.


    Mana used in the activation of a skill, would eventually be gotten back. But mana used in naming a monster will not be gotten back.


    In his current condition, he has a limit to the amount of elemental spirits that he can create at a time, but the numbers should be more than enough to reach all sixteen.


    Oracle has discerned that it takes a maximum amount of ten million mana to use in the creation of an highest tier elemental spirit, a creation having its own mana core with the help of the elemental creation skill.


    "will that work".


    The idea sounds nice to the ears of the Wyvern leader, but the logic behind it, sounds confusing.


    "it will work. I have given it a theoretical test, and verified its result. The only thing I have to watch out for, is the usage of mana. I don''t want to run out of it when there is still much left to do".


    "all I need from you all now, is what name you prefer to go by".


    "it does not work that way Orun. You are the namer, so you get to choose the name you think is appropriate for us to go by".


    "i see....."


    Orun feels attacked. His naming sense is not top tier, and wonders if the Wyvern will be pleased with the name he gives to them.


    ''a name.....? Oracle, can you help me out here''.


    [ yes Master, I can, but it would be more symbolic if Master ends uping up with the name ].


    Orun decided to take Oracle''s and the Wyvern leader''s advice into action. If the two of them are simultaneously suggesting that he be the one to choose the name, must mean it is just that important, so why not.


    "okay, to start the naming, I am going to need you guys to queue in a straight line, males on the right, and females on the left. The order should be in historic selection. The youngest at the front, all the way to the oldest at the back".


    The Wyvern leader followed through with Orun''smand, starting with the Wyvern leader who flew herself to the back while the rest of the Wyvern were arranging themselves ording to their age difference, and gender.


    Orun stood at the center of the gender splitted race, and thought deeply before he started the naming.


    On the right side of the line, there are six males, and on the left side, there are ten females.


    He checked their numbers first before starting to walk in their midst while giving out the names he had carefully thought through.


    Orun continued to walk, touching them and giving out a name, then going unto the next one, from right to left.


    For the first male down to the sixth male, he named them;


    _________________________


    ¡öMale Wyverns, youngest to oldest


    ¡ñWolfram


    ¡ñWaldek


    ¡ñWarzecha


    ¡ñWanj


    ¡ñWinslow


    ¡ñWotan


    ___________________________


    For the Female Wyvern, their name is as follows.


    _____________________________


    ¡öFemale Wyverns, youngest to oldest


    ¡ñWrena


    ¡ñWillerian


    ¡ñWhitney


    ¡ñWanessa


    ¡ñWayana


    ¡ñWashtria


    ¡ñWendy


    ¡ñWei


    ¡ñWilma


    _____________________________


    Those were the names he gave to all fifteen Wyverns, and got to thest Wyvern, the oldest of them all; the Wyvern leader.


    "Wildria. That is your name from now henceforth".


    Orun says, touching her wing like hand.


    When he was finally done naming them all, he turned back, and walked to where he had earlier stood, at the center where he was facing them all.


    ''Oracle, you canmence the evolution process now''.


    [ as youmand, master ].


    On hismand, Oracle began the process, starting with taking over Orun''s body.


    He had his two hands extended to the sides, and slowly raised up.


    Unlike Orun who enjoyed the thrill of mentioning what sort of skill he would be using, Oracle was not like that.


    The moment it took over Orun''s body, Oracle had activated the Elemental Creation Skill, and started carrying out its task.


    A bright orb formed itself above Orun''s head, cumting more orbs into it, and turning it one massive orb.


    The orb had reached its climax form, and was now shadowing the entire Wyvern pack.


    He abruptly fell his hand, with the orb in response to his action, hastily dropped down on the Wyvern pack, shattering in their midst and splitting into sixteen pieces.


    The shattered pieces, some bigger than the rest, found their way to the Wyverns, slowly prating into their scale, until it was no longer in sight.

 Chapter 223 Re-Creating A Forest

    "alright, time to get to work".


    After Oracle finished the process of the naming ceremony, the Wyvern pack as a whole, went into slumber, so their evolution process couldmence.


    Their time of awakening is unknown, but Oracle predicted that it was going to take them a while due to the nature of their race.


    Orun had used the desert sand to mould a shade that would house the Wyvern pack, keeping them in until their awakening was over.


    He also decided to use that time to get things ready, and he is going to start by reforming the desert, putting it in a shape that would be more conducive for the pack to live in.


    The first issue he ns on solving, is the construction of an high ground for the Wyvern pack to reside in.


    He had exhausted approximately twenty percent of his total mana in the naming ceremony of the Wyvern, and will now be using the rest to construct where they will all be residing in.


    [ Master ].


    ''a little busy here Oracle''.


    Orun was about to start the construction process when Oracle rang its voice in his head.


    [ I apologize for the intrusion master ].


    ''what is it you have to say''.


    Orun knew Oracle would not just call out to him for no good reason, so he prompted the hesitant Oracle who had given up, to say what was on its mind.


    [ if Master wants to reconstruct the desert into a more conducive form, then I suggest starting with growing the forest, to imitate how their previous habitat looked like ].


    Orun went into a stalemate for a moment, considering what Oracle had just said.


    ''I would also love to make that a reality. But as you know, my vine skill cannot recreate the feeling of a real forest. The result it will end up bringing, is a gloomy dark woond''.


    [ Master, have you forgotten that your vine skill had evolved into a forest type skill ].


    He had been too preupied with evolving the Wyvern, thinking of what next step to head in, and a lot of other stuff, enough to have him forget the changes that had happened to his skill.


    "alright then. I will use the forest skill. I also need to know what it''s effect is, to know in what area I will be making use of it".


    Orun took a deep breath in, ced his two hands on the ground, and activated his Forest King Elemental Skill.


    What came out of the sandy ground, Is a single flower that sprouted out in front of Orun.


    The flower''s color was vibrant green, and it contained a massive dose of vitality, shown from how rich its body is on the outside.


    The flower extended upwards, with its root taking it high, and when it had reached a certain height where it''s top was no longer within Orun''s normal range of sight, it slowly opened up, spreading its leaf apart in four forms, and taking the shape of a four leaf clover.


    Along with its leaf spreading apart and revealing the four clover pattern, it''s spore was also released into the atmosphere, falling on the ground like grains of petals.


    "beautiful".


    Orun was captivated by the breath taking view of the spores falling down to the ground.


    The beautiful view in a sh, turned violent as massive trees were abruptly grown out of the ground like thrusting out a fist.


    The pace of the trees growing was astounding. It was as if they were in a growth sproutpetition, with one surpassing the other.


    It did not take long for the trees to form itself into a forest, and when that was done, the green grew from the branches of the trees, bringing out the forestry like nature.


    "wow!".


    [ The forest''s life-force is being supplied by master, and would immediately wither if anything bad were to happen to master ].


    Orun was amazed. What he had just done is not like his other vine skill that only seeks to imitate a forest.


    This skill has allowed him to create a real forest, he had brought about the birth of trees, the same trees that grows, bear fruits, grow old, and die, with an offspring taking its ce.


    His skill, had allowed him to start a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, bringing about the start of a new generation.


    Orun does not realize it, but he was already getting closer to his goal of being strong enough to save and kill whenever he wishes.


    The size of the forest was not extended to the whole of the desert. Only about thirty percent of the desert was turned into a forest, leaving the remaining seventy percent as it is.


    Orun took his hand off of the ground, and made his way into the newly created forest, leaving behind the Wyvern pack who areid down at the dootstep of the forest.


    Orun was daunted to see how the trees made way for him the moment his feet touched the forest.


    It looked like they had a mind of their own, and were paying respect to him by paving open a path for him to go through.


    [ this is happening because the forest are connected to master. From their root down to their whole body. That in turn gives master the ability to make psychicmands to them ].


    ''i figured it was something like that''.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® The forest, has be linked to Orun''s, given him the ability to mentally give them orders, either in separate forms, or as a single entity.


    It is like his area of territory where all he needs to do, is think of what he wants, and so it is, as long as it is within the capability of what the forest can aplish.


    Walking along the paved path of the forest, Orun stretched only his right hand to the sides. Secondster, one of the tree branches with fruits on it, bended itself to Orun''s side, and fell into his hand, one juicy looking fruit.


    "it is... Mouth watering".


    Hemented, mouthing off another mouthful off of the fruit that was big enough to have him holding it with two hands.

 Chapter 224 First Specie To Be Recruited

    From above, Orun stared down at the dense, thick forest, shadowed by its bushy leaves, leaving no space in sight for the ground to be watered by the nutrients provided for by the sun, that will in turn strengthen the root of the trees making up the forest.


    He wandered his eyes around, beyond the range of what normal eyesights where capable of, fidgeting it hastily like he was searching for something within the forest.


    Orun had gone out of his newly acquired territory, making his way to the human territory.


    The Wyvern pack were still in slumber, unknown to him when they were going to wake up, he took it upon himself to get busy rather than just staying idle.


    There was currently nothing more for him to do in the sand desert. The high ground he had made ns on making, will be done when the pack awakens.


    He wants to consult with the leader first, to see if she would have any other suggestions to add to it.


    With that In mind, he set a temporary destination for himself, to work toward realizing his new found goal.


    Orun''s intention foring to the human territory was simply so he could recruit other monster kind, persuade them into following him to his territory.


    The forest he is hovering above now, is one of the belongings of the human territories, infested with monster kind.


    He had Oracle make a sweep of all the forest within his proximity, with the intention of searching for stronger monster kind to recruit, and this forest, is his first step toward that goal.


    The forest housed a considerable number of monsters, most of which were weak, crazed minded monsters.


    He has no ns on recruiting weak monsters first, those one''s are on the least of monsters he is going to be recruitingst.


    His intent for going after the strong monsters first, is because they can be very troublesome to deal with.


    He will familiarize himself with the strong monsters, bond with them and understand more from their perspective.


    Once he had done that, with their help, he will establish an hierarchy that will help maintain order, so that when the weak monsters ends up joining them, they will not be pushed around by the bigger monsters.


    "found one".


    Orun''s eyes were quick to spot a monster specie below, with the required amount of strength he wanted in a monster.


    He made his way down, and pulled off a perfectnding at the very center of the specie''s inhabitat.


    The ground was pressed down when Orun fell on it creating a crater. The trees responding in unstable bows, and the wind announced his arrival by increasing its current, enough to blow off light weighted equipment present in the surrounding area.


    Poorly made huts built with woods and straws, were present in where Orun hadnded himself in, along with breathing monsters with the head and tail of a bull, and the brownish muscled body of a human on hard-core steroids.


    The first specie Orun has sought to recruit, are a monster kind poprly referred to as Minotaur, with two pair of stretched out horns present at each side of their head.


    The Minotaurs were half naked, with the only clothing on them, being the rag used in covering their crotch.


    The sudden disruption caused by Orun, was enough to attract the attention of the Minotaurs that were around, and soon enough, they gathered around him, each towering an height that made Orun out as a being shorter than a dwarf, even though he had recently just increased in height, now measuring in the confines of five, almost reaching a six.


    Majority of the Minotaurs were armed with primitive tools with no ded side nor having any metallic parts, making it harmless looking to the eye.


    The rest of the Minotaur were empty handed, and Orun, could discern the fear radiating off of the body of those who were with no weapon.


    Without any questions asked, the Minotaurs who were armed, aggressively ran toward Orun with the intention of killing him.


    A monster fallen from the sky andnding directly in the center of their home, is not a good sign for them, and they were not willing to risk standing around to let it continue to tick until it eventually bursts.


    ''Oracle''.


    [ yes Master ].


    ''i want you to tone down my strength to be slightly above the Minotaurs''.


    [ as Mastermands ].


    Orun is yet to understand how far his current physical ability goes, or what he could do with just a thrust of his fist.


    He does not n on finding that out by testing it against the specie that he is trying to recruit.


    Going up against them while he is at full strength, will cause serious damage to them, and in the worst case scenario, could lead to the death of many.


    If that were to happen, no doubt his n would be thwarted, leading to a situation whereing to an amicable resolve would be impossible.


    Right now, they fear him as an unknown enemy, not as the killer of their specie.


    What he has to do, is gently subdue them without killing, then he can carry on with trying to convince them.


    One of the Minotaur swung it''s crude weapon down on Orun, while the rest also came at him from every corner, putting him in their midst, in a scene of a trapped mouse surrounded by cats with all escape routes blocked off.


    Orun stood still, and bared the grunts of their crude weapon raining down on him.


    Like pieces of scraps that it is, their weapons shattered into multiple splinters upon making contact with Orun.


    The Minotaurs were shocked, and taken aback for a split second, disturbed on how their weapons could break down only by touching the tiny being before them.


    There were other Minotaurs who were able to quickly recollect themselves from the shock, and made another attack using only their bare hands as weapons.


    *BANG!!!*


    It swung its hand down at Orun who was quick to raise his hand up to defend against the extremely big fist, that could easily pick him up from the ground. That is, if his body weight is the same as his natural physical ability.

 Chapter 225 Facing The Leader

    He found himself in a situation that had him outnumbered but not outssed.


    Orun reached out his palm, and stopped the fist that was about to pummel him down.


    It came as a shock to the Minotaur seeing as how Orun stopped his fist with moving a spot or stressing himself over it.


    The streak of shock did not end there for the Minatour, as Orun decided to extend it further by doing something really absurd.


    With the Minotaur''s fist resting on Orun''s palm, he withdrew his palm, and straightened it out like paper, before sliding it through the Minotaur''s clenched fist.


    Against the Minotaur''s will, Orun forcefully spread apart his clenched fist using the slided palm.


    He grabbed unto a finger, being the only part of the Minotaur that his hand can fit in. Orun wrapped his palm around the finger, and used it to tumble the Minotaur upside down, with his bodynding abruptly on the ground.


    The Minotaur''s body fell t to the ground with his head facing the sky in submission of the power he knew he could not stand against.


    The rest of the Minotaurs watched as one of their one was toppled down by a being not even half his size.


    They retreated their trembling body to the back, in fear of what would be of them if they were to charge at him.


    ''hmm..... They are scared, weak minded, but understandable''.


    Who would not despair in the face of power that was mighty enough to casually fall their champion to the ground without any effort, and with a face that wasn''t even taking things seriously with them.


    "you dare trespass into my abode and wreck havoc as you see fit!".


    The Minotaurs who were scared of Orun, paved the path for the one who had just spoken, the great leader of the Minotaurs.


    He slowly walked along the path opened up by his herd leading him directly to where Orun was.


    The distinctive feature separating the leader from the rest of the Minotaurs, is the extraordinary long horns on his head, and his oversized body.


    Orun from where he stood, had to go through the trouble of bending his head backward, and raising it higher than normal, just so he could look their leader in the eye.


    "a monster? Your kind is one I have nevere across before".


    Staring down at Orun, the Minotaur leader observed him, with his physical description that fits with a monster, and his specie remained unaffiliated.


    Orun would have been deaf to thenguage of the Minotaur, but after achieving deity hood, allnguages seem to flow in an understanding way to his ears.


    "do not let yourself be bothered by my appearance. I am what you would refer to as...... An hybrid, but my root stems from the Goblin kind. In four words; I, Am A Goblin".


    Orun slowly and calmly gave a brief summary of his identity, putting an end to the short introduction by addressing himself as a goblin".


    "a goblin?"


    The Minotaur leader once again looked at him from head to toe, then questioned what side of him is simr to that of a goblin.


    He turned, with eyes of observation on the surrounding, and on each of the Minotaur present, to see how much damage the so called Goblin had caused them.


    He saw that there was no damage done, other than the Minotaur who had passed out after being tumbled on the ground.


    The Minotaur leader could see that Orun is leagues above the other Minatours, and would have done them harm the minute they attacked him. But he did not, which means that he isn''t here just to pick a fight what them.


    "what do you want from us".


    The Minotaur leader calmed his nerves, his anger caved in jsut so he could understand why the monster had attacked them if it was not for the purpose of killing them.


    "i am on a journey to create an empire, and I want you and your kind to be one of its inhabitants. Minotaur leader, I need you and your kind to pack up your things, and follow right behind me to the new monster habitat I have acquired".


    He knew he sounded weird the first time, so he tried saying it out again, but no matter how many times he did it, it does nothing to offset how weird he sounded.


    The Minotaur leader stayed silent, doning on a face that makes it hard for Orun to discern what he is thinking about.


    ''he is...... Excited!".


    Orun listened to the heartbeat of the Minotaur leader, to understand what he was feeling.


    He was dumbfounded to hear the heartbeat of the Minotaur leader pounding violently like a ticking time bomb ready to explode.


    ''this sort of excitement is not gotten because he is happy about joining me like I asked''.


    Orun once again payed attentive ears to his heartbeat, thinking he might have guessed it wrongly, but the result was the same.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® He felt the air surrounding the Minotaur leader undergo a sinister change, with his bloodlust pouring out from his body.


    Orun moved out of the way in time before the Minotaur leader''s fist could reach him.


    It touched the ground he had moved away from, then followed with a devastating shock to the ground.


    "youe into my territory, rough handle my kind, and still have the effontary tomand me to be submissive to you".


    The Minotaur leader slowly took his hand off the ground, revealing the damage his fist had done to it.


    "goblin or whatever you are, you will not be getting out of here alive".


    He said in a threatening voice, with his hand pointed at Orun.


    "a duel is it?".


    Orun pressed his knuckles against each other, with cracking sounding out from it.


    "as I thought, being a monster is the best".


    He said, making his way toward the Minotaur leader, and eventually getting to his front without any signs of being intimidated by the oversized Minotaur.


    "we settle this monster to monster kind. If I win, you submit to me, and if you win, I will submit to you".


    Orun did not expect it to be easy, nor did he for once think that the Minotaurs would be willing to follow him after talking to them.


    They are monsters, and the way they settle their disbutes, is through the use of brute force.


    He as a monster, is not exempted from the rules, and he intends to abide the naturalws of his kind.

 Chapter 226 One-Sided BeatDown

    "this isn''t right".


    The Minotaur leader turned a deaf ear to Orun''s duel proposal, and immediately attacked him with his fist aimed at Orun from the side.


    Orun on the other hand, leisurely reached out his palm and stopped the fist before it could touch him.


    "you have to make a decision first before the start of the duel".


    Orun was not willing to fight a fruitless battle against the Minotaur leader unless he stakes his and the rest of the Minotaurs freedom on the line.


    "i will not sacrifice the lives of my men for your amusement".


    The Minotaur leader, withdrew his left hand, and took several steps away from Orun before giving him a reply.


    "an exemry leader you are. But you see, I am not exactly doing this for my own amusement".


    With a blink of the Minotaur leader''s eye, he had lost traces of Orun''s figure, absent in their eyes of not only the leader, but also the rest of the Minotaurs that were present.


    *BOOM*


    Was the next sound that reverberated in their ears, except for that of the Minotaur leader who was sent flying several miles away, crashing into a couple of trees before making an abrupt stop.


    The body of the Minotaur leader came to a stop only after smashing through several trees, and forming a path from where it got punched to where it ended up stopping.


    "Berserker Job Skill, Madness Of The Warrior!".


    The Minotaur leader after activating his job skill, was quick to recover from the experience of having his body bashing and smashing into trees.


    He picked himself up from the ground, and got ready to make his attack on Orun who had already closed the several distance, and was now within ten feet away from him.


    "i admire a leader who thinks of his subordinates first. Such a leader is the kind I hope to have in my empire".


    He said, slowly making his way toward the Minotaur leader who was on edge, and on alert for any sudden attack.


    "what I will not tolerate however, is a leader who is too ignorant to look at things with a bigger frame".


    Orun''s slow step, abruptly got faster, and was able to reach the Minotaur leader with only two steps forward, a distance that would have taken him ten steps if he were going at a normal pace.


    The Minotaur leader was also quick to react to Oruning toward him, by reaching out his fist to stop Orun.


    Orun effortlessly deflected his fist by pping it to the side, then he went after the Minotaur leader, head on.


    He got to the Minotaur leader, with only a distance of one feet apart from each other.


    Orun clenched his fist, and punched through his stomach, sending him flying further away, and colliding with more trees than the first time he was sent flying.


    "this is the problem with us monster kind".


    Orun went after the Minotaur leader who had lost control of his body, and was still consecutively smashing through trees.


    "our pride has limited our thought process, leading to our downfall at the hands of race weaker than we are".


    He said, as he smashed the body of the Minotaur leader in, sending him even further and faster than before.


    In the process of it all, the adversary of Orunshing out at the Minotaur leader, was the forest that was slowly getting destroyed, losing its shape with the straight line that was being drawn using the Minotaur leader''s body.


    "but there is still hope for us monsters".


    Orun once again, caught up with the Minotaur leader, and ced his palm on his face, then aggressively smashed it into the ground, putting an end to his uncontroble flying, and the trees being destroyed any further, for now.


    "with the powers I possess, I have decided to not use it as a form of individual representation, but to extend it to my racial characteristics as a whole".


    The Minotaur leader slowly stood up from the ground, struggling to get himself together.


    His body was in better condition than one would have imagined for someone who went through such hurdle, tanking several punches from Orun, and the trees that his body had smashed into.


    The saving grace for the Minotaur leader''s body still In good condition, is due to the effect of two things.


    The first one, is the job skill that the Minotaur leader possess.


    Madness of the warrior, is a skill that strengthens one''s physical ability, in return for the high consumption of mana, followed by an excruciating life threatening pain after the usage of the skill is over.


    The other reason, is because Orun was not taking things seriously with the Minotaur leader, and was pulling his punches to avoid causing irreparable damage to his body.


    In this case, there is no such a thing as irreparable, since the Minotaur leader''s body will end up healing from whatever injury sustained after undergoing an evolution.


    That is right. Despite what he had done to the Minotaur leader, and the one sided beating he has been delivering, Orun still has intentions of having him and his peers follow him to the desert, their new habitat.


    This ce might seem like home to them, but it isn''t. The real owners, are the humans, not the monsters.


    Whatever lingering feelings or attachment that they have toward this forest, Orun will crush it all.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® His purpose of beating up the Minotaur leader, is to make him realize how weak and defenseless he really is.


    All it would require the humans to take over this forest, and sending the Minotaurs packing, is arge amount of human soldiers, and they have that at their disposal.


    As long as they are in humanity''s territory, they will never be safe nor free to wander around, or be privileged to call a particr ce as their own habitat.


    "you have a resilient body, and that makes you a good fit as a general to the new monster empire that is toe".


    The Minotaur leader had yet to give up, or shown any signs of being in despair before Orun''s might.


    His skill, continues to provide strength for him the longer the one sided battle rages on, and he could feel his blood boiling vigorously, at the thought of taking down Orun.

 Chapter 227 A Lesson

    "your determination to continue fighting me is admirable as it ismendable. However, your stupidity to discern the power level between you and I, is iprehensible!".


    Orun''s figure that the Minotaur leader was staring at, vanished, and only the mirage of him once being there was all that remained.


    He appeared from above the head of the Minotaur leader, and swung down his sped fist on his head.


    "i admonish a leader who does not know when to fold in the face of an almighty!".


    With his sped palms together, Orun bashed the head of the Minotaur leader downward, burying it into the ground, and forcing his knees to bend in submission.


    "i came here offering a hand that will save your kind and mine in general!".


    Orun''s feet touched the ground, and he slowly walked over to the back of the Minotaur leader.


    Hr got to his back, and grabbed unto his pinky toe, stretching it out andying the body of the Minotaur leader t on the ground.


    "instead of epting my offer, you discarded it under the excuse that you do not want to serve under another".


    With the pinky toe of the Minotaur leader held unto by Orun, he used it to lift the leader''s body up, then started rotating it in circle, while he maintained his posture with not a step made by him.


    Swinging it in circle, caused the Minotaur leader''s body to collide with the trees, bashing his body with it, and forming a spiral in the forest, one that uprooted every trees the body came across.


    "i struggle to understand when you willprehend that this is all for your sake, and not mine alone!".


    When Orun was done swinging the body around, he directed his aim above, and threw the Minotaur leader upward, going beyond the height of the trees.


    Orun had moved away from the ground, and appeared in the sky, standing at an height where the thrown Minotaur leader has yet to reach.


    "you would think, you are strong, you are unstoppable. Believe me, you are nothing but one of the fishes present in an ocean. You are yet to be a whale, so why force yourself to act as one?!"


    The Minotaur leader, finally got to the part of the sky where Orun was waiting for him at.


    "all it takes, is having the number advantage to have the predator be the prey".


    Orun reached out his hand, stretching it downward, and held the Minotaur leader by his toe before he started falling back down.


    "you see this leader? This is what happens when you refuse to listen to reasoning!".


    His hand held unto one of the Minotaur leader''s toe, and left the rest of his body dangling with hie head facing down and staring directly at the top of the forests below.


    The rag clothing that was used to cover the crotch of the Minotaur leader, came off, revealing his huge bull like dick that Orun did not even bother himself staring at.


    "do you get my point now leader".


    The Minotaur leader raised his head up to look at Orun with eyes full of hatred and disdain toward him.


    "why......why are you doing this? If you are not here to kill us, why do you keep torturing us!".<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    The Minotaur leader was fed up, fed up of being Orun''s punching bag, getting tossed around by him for no reason.


    "it appears you still do not understand the point I am trying to convey! Very well then!".


    Orun slowly removed his fingers that was hanging unto the Minotaur leader''s toe and stopping him from falling to the ground, starting with one finger at a time until they were all let loose.


    He set the Minotaur leader free from his hold and gave gravity a chance to carry out its duties on the Minotaur leader''s rapidly dropping body.


    The Minotaur leader dropped to the ground, sending shivers to the ground that epted his fall, creating cracks that ended up being a crater with the Minotaur leader''s body at the source of it all.


    "do you understand now!".


    Orun swiftlynded, following after the Minotaur leader, and moved closer to his body thatid on the ground.


    "crap! He passed out!".


    When he got to the upper side of the Minotaur leader, and directed his nce on his face to look him in the eyes, he saw that the Minotaur leader had passed out with his eyes closed, and his tongue out.


    "i must have taken things too far!".


    Orun got..... A little carried away, and did not it earlier himself until the Minotaur leader had passed out.


    He took a look around his surroundings, and saw the devastating damage he had caused from just wanting to teach the Minotaur leader a lesson.


    "this is crazy".


    Orun was speechless at the amount of destruction he had caused to the surroundings from just making use of his physical ability, despite the fact that he held himself back by a lot.


    It was not intended, but the forest that was in a shape that wouldn''t exactly be described as conducive for a normal being, has now being destroyed and reshaped by Orun mildlyshing out at the Minotaur leader.


    "i need to wrap this up quickly. If there are any human settlement around, they could start making their way over at any time".


    He was wary and on edge about having an encounter with any human, big or small.


    His deal with the Emissary, was solidified under the condition that Orun would have nothing to do with the humans, and he intends to uphold the end of his bargain.


    There is no human settlement that will stand idle by with how the forest has been damaged, followed by the destructive sound that wasing from the forest.


    The birds that once inhabitated the trees of the forest did not make it any easier for him, as they all flew out of their homes and took to the sky in flocks, for fear of the destruction that had happened in the forest.


    There is a chance that any human could see the birds, and from their movement and numbers, discern that something isn''t right.


    That could in turn lead to them making their way to this forest for investigative procedure.

 Chapter 228 Lord Orun

    Orun held the unconscious Minotaur leader''s body by the toe, and dragged him from their position, all the way to where their base was.


    Their physical exchange, had taken them far from where their base was, but he was easily able to cover the distance with his speed, not diminishing even with the Minotaur leader''s body tagging along like rag cleaning up the forest ground.


    When he got to their base, he called upon the attention of the Minotaurs due to the way he came unto them.


    They saw Orun, and were immediately frightened by the sight he disyed before them.


    Having their leaderid on the ground unconscious, was enough to convince them that he was dead, and Orun was responsible for it.


    They held unto their crude weapons, despite their hands and body trembling in fear of Orun.


    "dont worry, he is not dead. Just asleep is all".


    Orun said, casually tossing their leader in their midst for one of them to confirm his condition.


    One of the Minotaur was brave enough to move closer to their leader, and ascertain his body to know what condition he was, if Orun was lying or telling the truth.


    "he is telling the truth. The Leader is still alive".


    The Minotaur assured the other Minotaurs that their leader was still alive, by cing his head on his chest to hear his heartbeat.


    "what do you want with us? Why are you doing this to us!".


    After they were assured of their leader''s survival, they turned their attention over to Orun and started questioning him, while maintaining an amicable distance between he and them.


    "i really am not asking for much from you guys. All I want, is for you all to abandon your current homes, and follow me to a new one!".


    "!!!!!!!!!"


    Orun did not need to be told to understand what their expression meant.


    It was only after he said it, that he himself realized that what he was asking of them, was far too much to make an hasty judgment on, or be considered as ''not much''.


    .


    .


    "Lord Orun, is there anything more you need? We will provide whatever it is you want".


    "i would appreciate it if you can provide more meat for me".


    He said, stuffing his mouth full with the meat that was in his hand.


    In front of Orun, is a stake where the meat of what looked like a giant snake being roasted in the fire.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Evident of it being a snake, could be seenying beside the roasted meat,posing of the rest of the skin and innards that had been washed out, before being ced on the stake to roast.


    Orun was disturbed, perplexed even, to find out that the Minotaur race does not eat meat.


    He thought only their outer appearance was simr to that of a bull, and not their food preferences also the same as a bull who belongs in the vegetarian category.


    Although they are not into meat, does not mean they have a phobia for killing, or would hesitate to kill a creatureposed of meat.


    It is confusing how the scene went from them being fearful of Orun, to them buttering up to him? Well, here is an exnation below.


    Orun, realizing that what he was asking of them was plenty enough, forcefully sat the Minotaurs down, and thoroughly gave them a convincing exnation on why they shoulde with him.


    He made certain to not leave anything out, warning them of the danger that could befall them at any moment, and why following him would guarantee them freedom, a safe haven, a ce where they can be themselves without fear of being discriminated against due to how they look.


    Orun told them everything, and to make sure they would not have doubts, he opened up a chance for them to ask him whatever question they had or were curious about.


    It took a lot of words and bubble speech I would not want to bore you with, but eventually, the Minotaur came to reason with Orun''s way of thinking, and his proposal to them.


    Hence, the reasons as to why he is being guestly entertained by the Minotaur, asking him for what he should be offered, and he, immediately voicing out his craving for meat.


    He caught them unaware, and had them once again shaking in their boots, due to the fact that their body wasposed of meat.


    Orun was quick to rify to them that what he wanted, was not their meat but a different one.


    Without hesitation, a group of Minotaur came together and went out to hunt. In less than an hour, they came back with a snake, not as big as the one he hunted with the Wyverns, but still big enough to be considered as trouble.


    It was apparently no problem for the Minotaurs to hunt down the snake, one of the reasons being that they are just that strong, and the other being that they outnumbered the snake both in shape, and in size five to one.


    When they brought the snake to him, Orun used his forest skill to make a long stick, and dipped the stick into the snake''s body before using his fire to start roasting it.


    The kind gesture they were showering Orun with, and the way their attitude underwent a drastic change, should have him being on edge, and suspicious for any ulterior motive, but he wasn''t at all bothered by it.


    When he was exining to them, he listened in on their heartbeat to know what they were feeling, and from it, he could tell that majority of them was in support of his ways, while they were those that were skeptical about it.


    The minority had doubts in their mind, because they wanted their leader to wake up before they make any grandiose decision.


    Even if they do agree with Orun, the final decision still rests entirely on what their leader chooses to do.


    "oh.... Your leader is about to wake up from his slumber".


    As Orun was feasting on the meat, he had his ears listening attentively to the heartbeat of the Minotaurs, and that was when he picked up the faint heartbeating from their leader, showing signs that he is soon to wake.

 Chapter 229 Have You Gone Mad

    His eyelids were sluggishly forced open, with the first thing within his range of sight, being the clear blue sky, and the rays of the sun falling upon him.


    "oh, you are awake!".


    His bright, refreshed face turned sour when he heard the voice that had just spoken, coupled with the face that had just appeared above his eyes, blocking a miniscule part of his view directed at the sun.


    The Minotaur leader abruptly sprang his upper body up, and used his legs that was on the ground to propel himself backward, away from the being who had brought him down to the state he was in.


    "wow... Never thought you were going to be that terrified of me when I am only trying to help you out".


    Orun found the Minotaur leader''s attitude to be funny, especially how tense his face looked when he saw Orun, acting like the grim reaper hade to take his soul.


    He could not help himself, and let out a sarcastic remark while keeping a straight face on, and extending his tiny hand toward the Minotaur leader.


    "what do you want with me you vile demon!".


    Says the Minotaur leader, slowly moving himself back, increasing the distance between he and Orun.


    "not a demon, a monster. I am a monster just like you are, and I am here to liberate you from the captivity of the humans".


    Orun withdrew his stretched out arm, and took on the pose of a messiah, raising both his arms up with his fingers reaching slightly above his head.


    "what are you!..."


    The Minotaur leader, still in panic and in a daze, had recuperated his mentality. He looked past Orun, saw how the surroundings were, then it dawned on him, that something wasn''t right.


    "why are you all acting like that? Why are you all looking that way?....."


    He saw the expression that his subordinates had on them, and questioned their reasons for being so friendly with the monster that had almost killed him.


    "i know you must be confused, but there is no reason for you to be".


    Orun moved closer to the Minotaur leader who started dragging himself further away from him, by using his leg to push the ground against his body.


    He sprouted out vines at the back of the Minotaur leader, to serve as a wall that stopped him from being pushed back.


    "i need you to listen to me first before you start panicking".


    Orun crafted out a chair for himself to sit on, while he exined everything to the Minotaur leader, with hopes that he would be able to convince him.


    "i agree that I was rough on you, but that was a necessary cause in convincing you to see things from my point of view".


    "almost killing me is your way of convincing?".


    Says the Minotaur leader, still on edge against him.


    "that phrase almost killing me, is not the same as killing you. The difference in the two, is that one of them will see to it that you are dead, and never have the privilege of uttering the words you just said. The other, it grants you the leniency to open your eyes and think; almost?"


    Orun''s words to the ears of the Minotaur leader, were interpreted in the form of him granting him the mercy of choice.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    His trantion is; if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already, but I did not, and you are still alive, so why don''t you thank me for that rather than sulking about almost killing you.


    "what is it you want from us? From my kind, that made you resort to such extreme method".


    The Minotaur leader resigned his fate in submission, knowing that there was nothing he could do to hurt Orun.


    He had nothing on him that could go against his ridiculously overpowered yet tiny like body.


    "how many times do I have to repeat myself to you? What I want, is for your kind to follow me, toe and be a part of my empire".


    Orun said with a serious face, showing that he wasn''t kidding around.


    "but why?..... You have all the power there is, and easily outweigh my kind. Even if wee with you, we will be of no use to you in our state".


    The Minotaur leader could not understand how Orun was thinking.


    Why would someone as strong as he is, go through the trouble of recruiting under him, those weaker than him, the kind that will only serve as baggage to his strength.


    "because I cherish all life".


    His words made no sense to the Minotaur leader, leading him to have even more questions for Orun.


    "answer me this leader. Bring two monster kind together, a goblin and an orc. Have those two stage an attack on a human settlement. When asked by another human, what attacked you? What do you think the reply would be".


    The Minotaur leader had his mind deep in thought, seemingly thinking of what the answer is, or rather, what sort of answer is Orun expecting from him.


    "Monsters, the monsters are attacking. Is what they would say".


    Orun saw that the Minotaur leader was getting nowhere in his thoughts, and decided to give him the answer.


    "the only instance where a clear distinction would be made, is if they are asked what kind of monsters? That is when they will reply with, a goblin and an orc".


    He pretty much understood what it was that Orun was trying to convey through the question he asked and the answer he gave.


    In the eyes of others, all monster specie are registered as one, and it is the same treatment given to a specie that will be directed to another.


    "i with the power I possess, am no exception to that rule, and neither are you. Then it got me thinking? If we are treated the same despite the physical differences, what is to stop us froming together and indulging ourselves in our ways, helping ourselves for the survival of our race against those who look down on us".


    "have you gone mad? You wish to have different species living together?".


    Orun had already been warned by the Wyvern leader, about how far-fetched his goal is, and the difficulty thates with it.


    He wasn''t surprised to hear the Minotaur leader refer to him as mad, nor was he offended by it. If anything, he was delighted, because it shows that the Minotaur leader was paying attention to what he was saying.


    "mad? Perhaps I am, but it is only natural that I am. I would have to be mad to think of surviving as a child who woke up to nothing but the dead cold corpse of his motheryed by his side".


    "i would have to be mad to wander through the dangers inhabiting the dungeon alone, I would have to be mad to dream of getting to a point where there will be nothing for me to fear, I would have to be mad to have survived thus far, and now reached a certain point where even I do not understand to what extent my powers reach, what my limits are".

 Chapter 230 You Are Nothing

    His voice sounded calm, conveying through it a strong sense of emotion with an unchanging expression.


    "honestly, I can go on and on about a lot of things that drove me to this point, a point where you refer to me as mad, but I won''t, because that is not why I am here".


    "my goal might make me out as a mad man, but you are forgetting something. We are monsters, we have all gone mad right from the moment we were given birth to".


    Orun got up from the thorned chair he had created, and slowly started pacing himself left and right before the Minotaur leader.


    "do you not ever wonder, why were we all born with instinctual intelligence right from when we were still an infant?"


    "there are race who were not born that way, so why us? The same race condemned and belittled before the other race, are the ones with an instinctual intelligence. Do you not ever question that?"


    The Minotaur leader had not seen a human Infant, nor does he know how the humans are like when they are small. Not just him, but the other Minotaurs that were present, were all lost on Orun''s question.


    "it was made that way, so that we can learn to survive by ourselves. Our fate, was handed over to us to decide its course right from the minute we were born, not like the humans who had to survive under the umbre of the one''s they refer to as parents".


    There is noplicating factor in Orun''s words, what he said, and how he said it, is exactly what it means.


    When a human is born, they are born weak, defenseless to the onught of external party.


    Luckily for them, they have with them parents who are imbued with the so called maternal instinct, to look after their offspring, cater for them until they are big enough to cater for themselves. The monster kind, were not blessed with such privilege.


    Unlike humans, the natural order of monsters, is to abandon their children after their birth, making their safety the number one priority over their offspring , and only a few out of the many will go through the trouble of taking it upon themselves to look after their children.


    There are also some monster parents who keep their children under theirps so they could use them as vanguard, raise them as warriors with the intent of giving up their lives so that the parents can continue living.


    Such is the cruel reality in the world of monsters, and what Orun seeks to put an end to with his proposition.


    As monsters, it was their duty right from birth to decide for themselves how they are going to live, if they would rather die on that spot, or take it upon them to stand up and fight.


    If they wanted to eat, it was their duty to go out, and hunt. They only get minutes of headstart before they are blessed with the ability to crawl, and soon walk, in search of nutrition for survival.


    "do not be mistaken though. My words do not seek to overlook how humanity came to be what it is, how the children came to rely on their parents for survival".


    Orun is not a fool who looks at things from only one angle. He understands that there are two sides to a coin, and makes certain to view both sides beforeing to a conclusion.


    "humanity just like us, they were once a race who would abandon their offspring to guarantee their own survival".


    From what he has been told by the Pirs, humanity were once at the bottom of the food chain, and although they were not blessed with innate physical strength like the monster kind, they still managed to survive and thrive, raising themselves up to be one of the most formidable race, all aplished with the help of one human.


    Orun seeks to be that kind of human for the monster kind. He wants to bring them out of their misery, and raise them up into one formidable race that will be feared across the world.


    "the human kingdom and systematic settings that you see today, did not juste to be in a day. No, no, no. It all started from somewhere, a root if I must say".<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "that root, is what I strive for you all to be for your fellow monster kind. It is okay to kill each other, harbor hate for one another. Everything is eptable. What isn''t eptable, is being killed and looked down upon by an outsider race".


    "i still kill my fellow monster kind till this day, and I want to believe I will still continue doing so going forward, and it is natural that things are that way. Why? Because we are monsters. It is not all of us that can be reasoned with".


    "i believe there are dozens of monsters out there who seek only to cause endless destruction, for no reasonable purpose other than to unt their power like kids who had just gotten their hands on a new toy, and feel the need to show off with it".


    "i am not like that. My strength, is something I n to use for two things. The first is to protect myself, and the other, is to make it so that I can pave the way for those whoe under me to also have the powers to protect themselves with".


    The Minotaur leader raised his head up in slight admiration, with thoughts on how a monster could have such thoughts despite the horrendous environment they grew up in.


    "surely you were not expecting me to say to protect those under me as the second thing I will use my strength for?"


    It was true that the Minotaur leader had expected that. He has the strength, as the leader, it is only appropriate that he use it to cater for this under him.


    "I am not stupid. I want to believe that there are no monsters here who will seek to rely on their leader to do all the heavy lifting for them while they ck off?"


    Orun turned his back at the Minotaur leader, and directed it to the Minotaur masses who were all listening attentively to his conversation with their leader.


    "as monsters, we take pride in our strength is what I believe. Everyone of you here should be ready to sacrifice, it is okay for you to be weak, it is. What isn''t okay as a monster, is to want to remain weak while relying on another. I will not tolerate that, neither will the empire I hope to build have its foundation constructed under weak minded monsters".


    Orun turned his attention back to the Minotaur leader, and casted his gaze on him for a while before opening his mouth to speak to him.


    "tell me leader? What sort of future do you desire for your specie? It is fine if you think you have what it takes to protect what is yours, but I have proved to you that you don''t".


    "the strength I used in fighting against you, is the same amount of strength that was exerted by a human opponent I had the opportunity of battling with".


    Orun''sbat level, was brought down to Caius''s level, not the Caius that fused with Ignatius, but the Caius from before that.


    "there are still three of those humans left, and you can be sure that they wille for you whenever they feel like it. Why they haven''t done so, is because they do not perceive you as a threat worth their time".


    Orun moved closer to him, standing beside him, and sprouting out thorns from the ground beneath him to use a stool so he could reach the Minotaur leader''s left ear.


    "do you understand leader? The humans that you must have been looking down on for being weak, are actually the ones looking down on you as a monster not worth a dime of their time".


    He said, leaning his mouth closer to the Minotaur leader''s ear and whispering into it.


    "but I can help you change all that. Mad? I am, and you can be too, but we won''t be just mad. We will be mad and unstoppable".


    "what do you say Minotaur leader? Are you with me, or are you still nning on being adamant".


    Orun got down from the stool, and made his way to the front, looking at the Minotaur leader as he once again extend his hand toward him.

 Chapter 231 Who, Is She?

    Orun has a hard time believing what his eyes was seeing at the moment. He clearly saw it, and felt it, but at the same time, it all seems so unreal to him.


    He reckoned that if it was anybody else, they will be just as shocked as he currently is.


    After he had the talk with the Minotaur leader and the rest of his crew, Orun was sessfully able to persuade them into joining him and abandoning their current habitat toe with him to his own habitat.


    The Minotaur leader agreed, not because he trusted Orun or because he was in support of what Orun wanted to create.


    He joined Orun out of fear. He feared that which had him helplessly on his knees and sent him unconscious.


    The Minotaur leader, was under the impression that if he did not do as Orun asked, he would be killed by him, and he did not want that for himself nor for the rest of his kind.


    Orun was aware of where the Minotaur leader''s thoughts leaned on and he, decided to leave it that way.


    The Minotaur leader''s reasons for not trusting him and only fearing him, is due to Orun ridiculous strength, he understands that.


    He also understood that the Minotaur leader is yet to believe that what Orun is trying to aplish, could really be a thing molded into reality.


    Orun knows all that from reading the heartbeat of the Minotaur leader while he was exining it all to him.


    Orun''s innate ability to discern how one is thinking through reading their heartbeat, has not extended so far to the point where he is capable of seeing throughplicated thoughts like the one''s listed above.


    What he did to get all that, is use Oracle as an heartbeat trantor, to get him through the thoughts of the Minotaur leader.


    Now aware of his thoughts, Orun did nothing to change it, and does not me it on the Minotaur leader either.


    It is all as a result of the Minotaur leader not knowing his personality and how he thinks, or believing tat what he said can trulye to pass.


    He intends to change the Minotaur leader''s suspicion on him, not through talking, but by proving to him, that when he sets his mind on something, he will see to it that it is done.


    A Monster empire, is a goal with less weight whenpared to the first goal he made for himself; the power that will not make him cower in fear of any opponent!


    That is Orun''s first primary goal, so what is creating a monster empire inparison to aiming for an height where he truly will be untouchable?


    Such is Orun''s thought on the suspicious mind of the Minotaur leader.


    Orun was in a hurry to lead them out of their old habitat and into their new one, mostly because ofing into contact with any human.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Minotaurs numbers, were in the hundreds, making it hard for them to move bynd, as it would seem to any external figure, that the Minotaurs were nning on attacking, due to theirrge numbers and domineering presence.


    Since marching was not an option for them, Orun used his teleportation ability to whisk them all to the sand desert, and all it costed him, was the use of more mana in the crafting of the teleportation circle.


    The scene he was met with when he and the Minotaurs teleported to the desert where the Wyvern pack wereid to slumber, was something he wasn''t expecting, or ever thought to expect.


    When Orun arrived, he saw that the Wyvern pack had woken up from their slumber, and their bodies, have undergone a drastic change.


    They were all slightly bigger than before, now having hints of red on their scaled dark skin, with some of them having two long horns on their forehead, while the others had one long horn at the center of their forehead.


    Their wings that was once acting as their upper hand, had now gained its own independence by moving to being at their back, and the front hand now a part of its own self.


    They were no longer standing on one leg, but now on two, simr to how lizards do stand, but in their case, their presence portrayed them more as a dragon like entity.


    Not only their physical appearance that had changed, Orun could feel the aura surging out of their body had also increased by several shocking fold.


    It was fine, things were still within the realm of believable for Orun. He had expected that they were not going to remain the same after their evolution, so he wasn''t too shocked by their appearance.


    What really had Orun gasping his mouth for breath, is the appearance of a maiden..... Yes, a maiden.


    A dark smooth skin colored maiden with silky ck and red colored hair, the left side ck, and the right side is red. Her eyes glistened like the sun itself, with her pupils taking on the form of her hair in the order it is arranged in.


    Het nakedness, showed her womanly like figure matching with her oval shaped face with noticeable dimples pressing down her smooth soft skin.


    Her stunning, dashing, alluring appearance would have had Orun thinking of her as a human if it wasn''t for the three horns protruding out of her forehead.


    That was enough to tell him that the adult human sized figure before him, was not a human, but a different monster specie.


    Before asking or doing anything, Orun moved appropriately like a gentleman would, by using his aura to create a nket and approaching the woman to cover her naked body with.


    He was bothered by her nakedness not because he was moved by it, but because he felt it was uncalled for.


    He was on edge, but at the same time wasn''t. And that was because the Wyvern pack were calm before the woman, indicating that she was not an enemy.


    "who are you".

 Chapter 232 She Is........?

    Orun moved back after he was done covering the woman with the nket, before proceeding to ask for her identity.


    He wondered, if a different monster specie have heard of his goal and came here to ask if they could be epted.


    He thought of the woman, as the leading figure of the specie that is aiming to join them.


    That was his first thought, until he realized that he had yet to make his goal public to the entire monster specie.


    But then he thought to himself ''perhaps they were informed by the Wyvern pack who knew them''.


    Was his next thought after taking into consideration that he had been gone for days now, during his recruitment mission of the Minotaurs.


    It could be possible that the Wyvern pack had awaken a day earlier, and went out to invite another race toe and join them.


    ''yes, that is possibly what happened".


    Orun''s assumption was further strengthened by the sight of the Wyverns being at peace with the monster woman before them.


    He noticed that something was amiss with the Wyvern pack. He turned his head in several directions, looking for the Wyvern leader whose name is now Wildria.


    "where is she? Where is Wildria".


    He asked, after not seeing her around, or have here to him the minute he got back.


    No matter how much her appearance had changed, Orun would have still recognized the Wyvern leader nheless.


    Of the twenty percent of his total mana that he used in naming the Wyverns, half of it was used in the naming of the Wyvern leader alone.


    He did it like that so that there would be a clear hierarchy between the leader and the rest of the Wyvern pack.


    Orun knows how high the monster kind values the strength hierarchy, and what could be of the Wyvern leader if her strength diminished, putting her in the same league as the rest of the Wyverns.


    It might just be him being sentimental about it, but the Wyvern leader was the first monster kind that he came across, the first he was able toe to reason with, that is why he wanted her to be among the leaders of the empire, and to be that, she had to be distinguishable from the rest.


    She slowly raised her brows up, then stared at Orun with her gaze fixated on him, conveying an expression that had Orun confused.


    "Orun!".


    The voice that called out to him sounded sweet, soft and excessively womanly.


    In between all those, is a sound that echoed in a very familiar tone in Orun''s ears.


    Perhaps he was already aware of it from the moment heid his eyes on her, and was simply trying to convince himself otherwise.


    Or he did not really know who she was, and only just realized it after listening to her voice.


    Whichever one it was, it all came down to one single question; how?


    "Wildria! Is that really you".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The tone he used, appropriately conveyed how shocked he was to see the Wyvern leader, whose height and appearance, was formidable, and scary, now turned into a human like figure with dark soft like skin.


    "have my appearance really changed that much? Enough to have you confusing me with another".


    Orun knew she was being sarcastic with her words, but he just couldn''t get around how she said it. Listening to the voice of the Wyvern leader with a human like expression, is........ Troubling to Orun.


    He was aware of what evolution does to a monster, and how it grants them a new evolved form, stronger than what they had in the past.


    Orun knew about all that, as he had been a part of its changes. What he did not know about, is that evolution itself, was capable of changing one''s appearance from a four legged being with wings, to being a humanoid sized figure without wings and three horns on the forehead.


    He has yet toe across such changes before, until now that is.


    ''Oracle, can you confirm if she is really Wildria''.


    She had confirmed it herself, Orun has also confirmed after listening to her voice, but doubts, still lingered within him.


    When he evolved from an ancient Goblin to an infernal Goblin, the changes that happened to his body, were due to Oracle''s reconstruction of his body using the mana from the fire guardian tomb.


    It was done that way so that his new body would be able to withstand the absorption of the fire guardian''s inheritance.


    Wildria''s case however, is different from his. She evolved, not had her body reconstructed, but evolved. Those are two different situations, and have dissimr conditions applying to them.


    Her evolution process, picked her out as an odd amongst the other Wyverns whose evolution physical reward, was growing bigger, with red patterns on their body, and a few other changes applied.


    Apart from those changes, they still maintained their form as a winged type monster specie, unlike Wildria whose evolution only seeks to erase any traces of her past self as a winged type monster.


    He wanted to confirm with Oracle that nothing was wrong with her, and she is really the Wyvern leader with a humanoid figure, and not another separate entity of its own.


    [ Master, her aura signature matches with the Wyvern leader, the one named by master as Wildria ].


    "you are really the Wyvern leader Wildria? But how? How did you evolve into a form like this".


    Orun still could not make sense of how her appearance came to be. She is a winged specie who should have evolved into an higher tier winged tier specie.


    Her current situation, is the same thing as having a human suddenly be a goat, not by nature or characteristics, but in terms of physical appearance.


    "what happened to you? I expected your appearance to be more.... Intimidating after the evolution, not you having a cute, fluffy appearance".


    Orun was displeased with the appearance that Wildria had be after her evolution.


    She is a monster who is set to be one of the core leaders in the foundation of the monster empire.


    Most monster kind will have a hard time taking her very seriously with the appearance she had now doned on, unlike her former appearance that was enough to silence any mouth just from spotting her presence from miles away.


    His appearance, simr to that of a teenager, was still usable because his face still embodies the monster like feature, and with a stern face, he could prove to be very intimidating monster unlike Wildria who is less scary and more cute..... A characteristic that could get one in trouble in the world of monsters.

 Chapter 233 Medium Form

    [ Master, that is not her evolution form ].


    ''it isn''t''.


    Orun felt.....relieved by what Oracle had just said. But then, his relieve turned into a question on how she came about her current form if it isn''t the one she got after her evolution.


    ''could it be?''.


    Orun remembered something he heard while he was still in the dungeon, what miss dragon told him about a medium form.


    He had asked her then why her appearance was not simr to that of a dragon as she imed herself to be, miss dragon then answered him by telling him about her being in her medium form, a form that dipicted her as an ordinary entityfortable for conversing with those outside her race, without being portrayed as an entity to fear.


    Her form was even more ordinary than Wildria who has three horns on her forehead.


    "i realized I could change into this form after my evolution, so I did, to surprise you".


    She did manage to surprise Orun with her appearance. The reaction he gave however, was not what she expected from him.


    "i believe you seeded in surprising me".


    "then why do you not look surprised".


    Even after what he said, Orun''s physical reaction wascking, when taking into consideration how his face did not undergo that much changes.


    "i have seen lots of things so far, to the point that I am already bing immune to any form of surprise".


    She was disappointed, as was the rest of the Wyverns who had already pictured Orun''s expression when he sees the Wyvern leader''s medium form.


    "who are they".


    She asked, shifting the topic that was about her, to focusing on the Minotaur group who were silently staying behind Orun, watching his exchange with them.


    The Minotaur kind were troubled, disturbed and frightened by the dominating presence possessed by the Wyverns.


    The expression carved out by the Minotaurs, based on how they view the Wyverns, is the same thing as how a mentally depressed man would stare at his mountain like obstacle and shiver in fear, hopeless that all is lost.


    The only one amongst them with the mind to maintain their rationality, is the Minotaur leader who was baffled on why such terrifying beings are gathered in one ce.


    Each of them, had more than enough power to put an end to his race. Seeing them, the Minotaur leader questioned in his mind, what gave him the courage to confront Orun?


    In the face of multiple dominating presence that was before him, the Minotaur leader was lost. Finding out where he stood, his ce, really brought down and shattered whatever ego of the strong that he once had.


    He realized, that not only was he nothing before this presence, but also that his very existence, does not matter to the world, nor would anyone notice if he was gone.


    Amidst his fallen ego, is a question that wandered deep in his mind. The multiple presence before him, was enough for Orun to establish himself as a member of the strong, and have a massive number of beings fearing an encounter with him.


    The presence of the Minotaur kind, was not needed here at all, nor would they be of help in any aspect.


    They are....far too weak to prove themselves as being significant to Orun''s end goal. Such, is the Minotaur leader''s thought with his eyes not straying away from the presence of the strong that he is surrounded by.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "they are our new recruits, the Minotaur race".


    Orun replied to Wildria, moving away from the Minotaur, and stretching out both of his hand to introduce their presence to the Wyverns.


    "hmm......"


    Wildria with the clothing still covering her body, made attempt to move closer to the Minotaurs, but fell on her way after taking four steps forward.


    "curse this tiny legs".


    She said, raising her head up, and pouring out the sand that had gathered in her mouth after her fall.


    It was obvious from her body gesture that she has yet to get used to being a human sized monster.


    "why don''t you turn back to your Giant form instead ofining".


    Her struggling presence in front of Orun, made her feel pity for her. He hasn''t seen her like that before, a state that has her struggling over something she could just as easily put an end to by changing back.


    He also, has a hard time thinking of the human sized figure as the Wyvern leader that he once knew, and so he advised her to change back to her form for both their sakes.


    "no. My current form is far too big for me to make use of at all times. Besides, if I am in that form, I won''t be able to talk to you closely".


    Orun remembered that when the Wyvern leader was still in her Wyvern form, he had to stretch his head upward just so he could see her face when talking, and she, had to bend her head really low whenever she was conversing with him.


    It was an ufortable situation for them both, but Orun was willing to pick those times over who she is now.


    "whatever it takes, or however it takes, I will master this body. I will get used to it in no time, and will have no trouble moving around".


    Wildria was adamant, insistent on maintaining her medium form despite having the choice of being able to shift to her Wyvern form whenever she feels like it.


    "say that after you pick yourself up from the ground first".


    Orun got closer to her, and extended his hand out, so he could help her get up.


    She stretched her hand out, catching Orun''s, then he pulled her body up from the ground in one full swoop.


    The clothing covering her front, had been stained with sand all over, with her face not left out of it.


    "this is what you get for rushing yourself over something you are not used to yet".


    She stood still while Orun helped her to dust of the sand from the clothing.


    Dusting it off her body like a mother would do to her four year old who had just finished ying in the sand.


    "is she your partner".


    The Minotaur leader''s question, caught both Orun and Wildria unaware.

 Chapter 234 What She Is To Orun

    The Minotaur leader, had observed Orun and Wildria, the way theymunicate with each other, in terms of speech and physical activities, convinced the Minotaur leader that Orun and Wildria were partners.


    Partners in this term, means being a couple, but the monsters do not use the word couple because..... They are not exactly the loving kind of race.


    They pair with each other for one reason, to sire an offspring that will continue their legacy, not so that they will live the rest of their lives together, with promises of till death do them apart.


    Orun and Wildria, looked at each other, then at the Minotaur leader who had asked them, then looked back at each other.


    The both of them were confused, not knowing what sort of reply should be given to the Minotaur leader, and even curious on what had him assuming them as partners.


    "what is this? Do both of you not know what being a partner is".


    The reaction they gave the Minotaur leader, had him questioning if they have never had a partner, and are foreign to the word.


    They knew what a partner was, or at least one of them does, while the other, is still not sure of what definition of partner the Minotaur leader is referring to.


    "when you say partner, do you mean physically intimate with each other, or partner as in a pair with amon goal".


    Orun asked, wanting to be sure of what the Minotaur leader was talking about before giving him a reply.


    "i mean the one with physical intimacy".


    Orun was not quick to answer, turning his head toward Wildria before turning it over to the Minotaur leader to finally reply him.


    "we are partners who are well on our way to being like family, tied together by the same goal, the desire to survive".


    Orun does not believe that there is more to his rtionship with Wildria, other than just being the first monster kind he met.


    He has bonded with her through the times they spent together, and havee to greatly care for her and her well-being, but that is all there is to their rtionship.


    Things like love, of sexual affection, are thoughts he never had whenever he thinks of her, not because her true form is simr to that of a big scary monster, or because her current appearance looks womanly and matured, that is not it at all.


    He never had such feelings because..... He does not understand what it meant to harbor such feelings.


    Orun has.....had a rough and tough time growing up alone, having to think of nothing else other than where he would get his next meal from back when he was on earth.


    He lost his parents at an early age, and has since being alone, having to scavenge for his survival through the efforts he put in.


    Coming to this world, there have not been that much changes to Orun''s life, except on this world, he is fighting for his survival on a muchrger scale.


    Those are his experiences so far, from earth to him getting into this world, with his life in the dungeon.


    The idea of a feeling that binds one to another, with oaths of evesting and eternity together is...... Unknown to Orun.


    Perhaps in the near future, Orun might understand what it means to be attracted to someone in a way that one who is in love does, but for now, he has other important matters to attend to, matters that requires the persistence of his race.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "why then are you both acting like you are partners? Do not confuse me".


    The Minotaur leader felt that Orun''s and Wildria''s way ofmunicating with each other, was unnatural.


    No matter what angle or in what form he looks at it from, a proimed Goblin, and a Wyvern being friendly...... Not only does it not sound natural, it also sums up as unbelievable, if he had not witnessed it himself that is.


    "because we understand each other well enough to actfortably around each other. Is that supposed to be a problem".


    Orun was not demanding a reply from the Minotaur leader, nor was he making itpulsory that he be answered, but the way he asked, made the Minotaur leader think otherwise.


    "n.....no......it...it.....it is not".


    The Minotaur leader brokenly answered, making Orun wonder why he was speaking like that.


    "can you assist me over to him".


    Wildria has realized how tough it was for her to move with human like feet in her current condition, and so she asked for Orun who is currently holding her hand, to help her walk to where the Minotaur leader stood.


    That was also where she was heading to when she fell t on her face the first time.


    The Minotaur leader stood his ground as he watched Orun assist Wildria in walking over to where he was standing.


    On the outside, he looked confident and firm, but on the inside, he was beguiled with curiosity.


    Why would she want to face him head on after Orun had introduced them as the new recruit?


    There is a chance that she wanted to intimidate him and his kind into submission, forcing them to leave of their own will.


    The Minotaur leader would love more than anything for himself to be rid of Orun, and to never have an encounter with him ever again.


    With the help of Orun, Wildria managed to get to the Minotaur leader without tripping on her feet.


    She got to where he stood, and raised her head up to look him in the eye, or at least she wanted to look him in the eye.


    The distance between the Minotaur leader''s eyes, and Wildria''s eye range, were far apart, and not even her stretching her head up could resolve it.


    "can you, look down here so I can see your eyes".


    He shrugged his tense body, tilting his head downward as Wildria had told him to.


    "what do you think of his dreams!".


    Her face indicated how serious she was about her question, and her tone, conveyed to the Minotaur leader, that what Wildria wanted to hear, is not an answer coated in lies or fear, but a genuine answer on how the Minotaur leader really feels about the question she just asked him.

 Chapter 235 A Surrel Scene

    Orun walked down the forest path, finding his way through the path sided by Wyverns and Minotaurs alike.


    About a week and a half has passed when Orun had epted the Minotaur race in, and erected a tent big and tall enough to house them in.


    It wasn''t their permanent residence, but temporary, at least until they have gotten themselves all together.


    Before the building of the empire can proceed, Orun ns on recruiting seven to eight different monster species, that would help solidify the Empire''s foundation.


    It is only after the recruitment process is done, that Orun will start the building process, starting with assigning suitable location for each specie to inhabit.


    He is currently at the site where the Minotaurs tents are erected, and on his way to meet with the Minotaur leader, to bring him over to their tent, and discuss with Wildria how the condition of things will be like going forward, and also the recruitment of more monster specie.


    He is not yet used to using the messenger trope to help him call on the presence of the Minotaur leader, because, he is not the kind to boss others around.


    Though, he is aware that he needs to change that aspect about him, if he ns on ruling over different monster specie, he has to be able to take on multiple personalities when the situation calls for it.


    Orun got to the tent where the Minotaur leaderid rest to, and proceeded to go in without asking for permission first.


    "How do you like that, you filthy bull!".


    "Yes Master, I Love It Very Much, More! Please, Choke Me To Death, Master!!".


    When Orun got inside the tent, he was........ Troubled by the scene that was disyed before him.


    "ahem!! ahem!!"


    He really just wanted to turn back and go out of the tent without having to disrupt what he saw, but he could not do that.


    Time is of the essence for Orun and the monster kind, and he, wants to put everything in ce as fast as he can.


    The Minotaur leadering with him, is very important, hence why he had to make his presence known by mimicking the sound of a cough, with his voice loud enough to shadow the disturbing voiceing from the Minotaur leader.


    The atmosphere that reigned after Orun''s imitated the cough sound was uhmm.......... Think of that moment when you were still very young, and you had this desire to take what doesn''t belong to you.


    The feeling thates with being caught by a third party at that moment, is how the current atmosphere looks like.


    For those of you who are too righteous to even think about taking what doesn''t belong to you, I want you to imagine you being in a conversation with your loved one.


    During the conversing moment, you mistakenly blurted out a very ufortable statement.


    Another example is when you are in a confined ce with your friends, and then a sound silently and softly rang out, apanied by the smell of what can only be described as dead for three days straight.


    That tense mood, that suspicious face on who is right and who is wrong? That is simr to what Orun is currently experiencing.


    That mood that follows after the statement, is exactly what happened in this case.


    I would have used the word awkward to sum it up, but that is an understatement to how they currently feel.


    "i and Wildria are about tomence on the meeting about what to do going forward. We thought itpulsory that you be present as the leader of your specie".


    Orun managed to keep a straight face on, with his body movements portraying that he did not see anything, and could care less about what they were doing.


    When he was done telling the Minotaur leader what he wanted to, Orun swiftly turned his body, and made his way out of the tent, leaving the Minotaur leader and his partner in a daze.


    "it appears their physical description is not the only thing that is animal like".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ actually master, that is not true. Minotaurs are! ].


    ''Oracle!''.


    Orun knew what Oracle was going to say, and so, he stopped it just in time.


    ''some words are best left unspoken!''.


    He said, making his way back to the tent where Wildria was waiting for him at.


    .


    .


    "and the Minotaur leader".


    Orun got to the tent where Wildria was waiting in. He went inside, and took a seat on one of the three wooden chairs set down in a round formation.


    Wildria saw the look on his face when he came in, and knew that something was wrong.


    She waited a while for the Minotaur leader toe in, and when she could not perceive any sight of him shortly after Orun had entered the tent, she proceeded to ask him why the reason is.


    "the Minotaur leader will be joining us shortly".


    Orun''s voice sounded hesitant, assuring Wildria that there really is something going on with him.


    "is there something going on with you? Something you feel you need to tell me".


    "no, everything is fine".


    Orun says, with his head down, and his thoughts still on what he had earlier seen.


    "Orun, you do know you can be honest with me right? Whatever it is that is troubling you, I am all ears to it".


    "you don''t have to tell me Wildria. I am well aware of it. It is just....."


    He was confused on what to do. Orun would love nothing more than to forget and erase the memories of what he saw in the Minotaur leader''s tent.


    His mind however, is not in agreement with his thoughts. The scene of what happened, kept rewinding itself in Orun''s head, and repeating itself over and over again.


    Frankly, it was disturbing and traumatizing for Orun who thought that he had be immune to most surprises.


    ''just when I thought I have seen it all, the world springs forth another weird event for me to experience!".


    He had his head raised up, looking at the wood carved roof of the tent.


    "it is really nothing you need to concern yourself with".


    There was no way he could tell Wildria that he saw the Minotaur leader with a female Minotaur, carrying out a very, very dangerous forey in an ufortable position.


    Who in their right minds will blurt that out? To a female no less.

 Chapter 236 Naming The Minotaur Leader

    The inside of the tent was quiet. Wildria had her eyes on Orun who has his thoughts deep in reying the Minotaur leader''s scene that he saw.


    The quietness was disrupted by the Minotaur leader hastily barging into the tent in a hurry.


    "i am sorry I amte".


    Their eyes were on the Minotaur leader who had just walked in, looking even more tense than when Orun had walked in.


    "leader, did something happen between you and Orun".


    Observing the way the Minotaur leader came in, and his body gesture when his eyesnded on Orun, Wildria was sure that something had really happened between Orun and the Minotaur leader.


    "the.....there is nothing wrong Lord Wildria. Right, Lord Orun!".


    His voice trembled, and his tone uneven, only making Wildria to have further doubts about what the both of them are saying.


    Through the week that had passed, the Minotaur leader has learned to address Orun and Wildria with appropriate respect because, he has discovered that he is not at all in their league.


    Just like any other monsters, he also believes in the supremacy of the strong, and is willing to stand by it.


    Even if Orun is not exactly the kind of monster he would wish to have anything to do with, he knows he still has to give him the respect he deserves as someone stronger than he is.


    The same applies to the way he thinks of Wildria.


    "the......the leader is right. There is nothing wrong, nothing at all....ha....hah...hahaha".


    Orun''s awkwardugh was what nipped things in the bud, totally confirming her assumption to be right..


    "leader, you can take your seat".


    Although she knew that something wasn''t right, there was nothing much she could do to have them spill up what was wrong, especially Orun who has taken to acting so out of character.


    Besides, if it was something endangering to the pack or to her, she trusted Orun to be able to open up to her on that.


    The Minotaur leader, went ahead to sit down on the chair that was facing Orun on the right, and Wildria on the left.


    He felt constricted with their gaze falling on him. It was as if they were staring through his soul, and about to bring down judgment upon him.


    "did I do something wrong!".


    The Minotaur leader was nervous on the inside and on the outside. He did not remember doing anything that would have Orun and Wildria calling for his attention, and sitting him down like a kid who had refused to obey the word of their parents.


    "Leader".


    The tone Orun used in calling out his title, was rming to his ears.


    "we need you to do a favor for us".


    The Minotaur leader gupled down a arge size spoonful of spit when Orun moved his face closer to him, requesting for a favor.


    The Minotaur leader thought it through, but was not able to pick out anything akin to a favor that he would be able to render Orun.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "what can I help you with, Lord Orun!".


    His reply was firm, and even though he was still on edge about what the favor is, he managed to hide his fear behind his sound voice.


    "you have spent a rtive amount of time in the human''s habitat, have you not".


    The Minotaur leader did not know what it is all about, or why Wildria and Orun would want to know about his time with the humans.


    When talking about the time he had spent in the forest that Orun came to recruit him from, the Minotaur leader has indeed been there for so long.


    Exactly for how long is a question he cannot answer, but he can at least narrow that thought down with two to three hundred years since he has started living there.


    "if that is the case, as someone who has been present for a long time in a single location, you must know about the other monsters inhabiting that forest, right".


    Now he knew where Orun and Wildria were leading to with the question he is being asked.


    Orun is about tomence his recruitment on monsters Into the desert, and his opinion is being asked of so they could select the monster kind with strength that is on par with his or even higher than his.


    He wanted to ask, if Orun could not utilize the method he used in searching for them, but he decided against it.


    They must have their own reason for not making use of that method and insteading directly to him for information.


    "yes, I know of a few monster kind like that. We once ruled the forest together".


    "i see. Would you be so kind as to give us all the details you have about the monsters, what specie they are, and most importantly, what do you think their reply will be when asked toe and join us".


    Orun appeared in thought as he asked the Minotaur leader more questions.


    "they willugh at you like I first did, but after some........persuasive action, they should be able toe to reason with you".


    The persuasive action he meant, was Orun making use of his strength to force them into submission like he did with him.


    "persuasive actions? Well noted. Thank you for your help Minotaur leader, and now, for what you and your kind should have gotten the moment you came into my territory, I will bestow it upon you now".


    The Minotaur leader did not understand what Orun meant about bestowing something upon them.


    The information he gave, wasmon knowledge that could be known if Orun had done more research, and so, there was no need for him to be thanked.


    Orun got up from his seat, and made his way closer to the Minotaur leader. When he got to his front, he sprouted out thorns from the ground to lift him up so his hand could reach the head of the Minotaur leader.


    "from now henceforth, I name you the leader of your specie, Monryck!".


    "wha....."


    The Minotaur leader was not given the opportunity to express his surprise at what Orun had just done, as the evolutionary sleep kicked in earlier than expected, whisking away his consciousness.


    "rest well leader".


    Orun disassembled the thorns, andnded on his feet then made his way out the tent so he could go and name the rest of the Minotaurs outside.

 Chapter 237 Plans To Recruit The Trolls

    Taken to the sky and flying at a speed that puts even the fastest bird to shame by having it gasp for air, is Orun.


    Tagging a ride along, hanging on Orun''s left hand, is the Minotaur leader who has been named Monryck about five days ago.


    He and his race have undergone the evolution process after being named, and only just woken up about two days ago.


    The changes that appeared in the Minotaur leader''s body, is his towering height diminishing, now measuring close to how an adult gori is.


    His body mass, had also diminished, but not as much as his height. his muscle fibers even more than before, are now well fledged out, with veins appearing on almost all sides.


    His horn in terms of physical changes, is the only thing that seems to have gotten longer than before.


    All in all, his total strength, has increased by folds he would never have dreamed of aplishing by himself.


    "Monryck".


    Still moving, Orun had his head down and turned to Monryck to call for him.


    "ye.....yes Lord Orun".


    He was hesitant, and ufortable, after guessing what it was that Orun wanted to ask him, from his tone and his facial expression.


    "i really wasn''t nning on asking you about it. If anything, I actually wanted to forget about it. It was then that I discovered, I am only a monster with a curious mind of his own, so yeah, I am going to ask".


    Monryck gulped down, already thinking of how to answer Orun''s yet to be asked question.


    "what I saw you doing inside the tent, is that amon trait of your race, or is it just an individual thing applied only to you".


    Monryck felt ashamed and exposed. He is an adult, a leader who is free to make his choices on his likes and dislike, but something about the way Orun asked him, made him feel....embarrassed.


    "it is not something extended to my kind as a whole. It applies only to me, and I do it to relieve myself whenever I am stressed and tensed".


    "relieving stress!".


    Orun was shocked to say the least. Performing such act for the sake of relieving stress? He wondered how far the stress would have to be to have one submitting their body to go through such acts guised under the banner of sexual intercourse with their opposite sex.


    "yes. Lately, I have been going through more stress than usual, with everyday bringing on things that my mind could not keep up with. That is why I had her resort to even more extreme means, to get my mind off of it".


    "wow. That is some hard-core level stress right there".


    He could understand a bit of what kind of stress Monryck was referring to.


    Monryck has a responsibility to shoulder, being the leader of a monster specie, he had to keep up appearances to meet the needs of those under him.


    It was only natural that someone such as that, would be under a lot of pressure, and require ways to take themselves out of it if only for a little while.


    He understood all that, but a part of him still questioned why he chose such means as a way of relieving himself of whatever pressure he is going through.


    "Lord Orun, we are here".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun was brought out of his thoughts by Monryck calling out to him.


    "oh we are?".


    He put an abrupt stop on his flying speed, and floated his body above ground, with his hand still holding unto Monryck by his right horn.


    "What was the name of the race you said are inhabiting this ce again".


    With his other hand, Orun scratched his head, trying to remember the name of the race he had been told about five days ago, before Monryck''s evolution.


    "they are called trolls Lord Orun".


    The trolls in appearance, are simr in size to the Minotaurs, their body mass, is simr to bears or goris.


    Their facial features is simr to how Goblins look like, with the exception of the horns that they have, and having four eyes on their face with no nose?


    You know what? After describing their facial features, I realize how far apart they are from looking like the Goblin kind.


    Their skin is an important factor in what helps separate them from other monster species, making them a unique monster specie.


    Unlike the Smooth or coarse skin like texture, well mostly coarse and less smooth like texture that monsters have, the Trolls do not have any of those.


    Thier skin, is hard rock solid, like stone except having it as a skin and not on the ground.


    "i can see them from up here".


    Orun with his eyes facing the ground, had his gaze on the settlement of the Trolls.


    Theirs was not in the open area like the Minotaurs, but in a cave, with some of them out of the cave, standing at the entrance, probably standing guard to repel any intruders.


    From where Orun was, he activated his perception ability, granting him the opportunity to see through the inner part of the cave and how the Trolls are settled in it.


    "hmm...... that myth about the trolls being afraid of the sun must be true".


    Orun does not know the full details of what troll kinds are like, but he also does not, not have absolutely no knowledge on their kind.


    Back when he was very young and on earth, still living with his parents, he was just like any other kid who made watching animes and fantasy troupe his calling.


    From what he remembered about the Troll kind in those stories, is their fear of the sunlight.


    "something about turning them rock solid or so?".


    He observed the trolls that were standing guard at the entrance of the cave, and saw that their body, was being covered from the sunlight, with the shadow of the cave drawing down on them.


    It was all an assumption on his part, but the way each of them made sure to position themselves in a way that their bodies will not make contact with the sunlight, proved to Orun that his assumption might be on point.

 Chapter 238 Coming Up With A Theory

    hmm.... This could end up being a problem".


    If the Trolls are truly a specie that are afraid of the sunlight like Orun had assumed, they will have a hard time living in the desertposed of sand and the harsh raining down of the sun.


    Even if he did manage to build a shelter for them, it will not solve the entire problem, but only serve to set a restriction on how far, and which ce they can go within the desert range.


    "is there something troubling you Lord Orun".


    Orun had stayed quiet for too long, with his eyes still in the direction of the Trolls cave, looking at it like something was going on there.


    "the Trolls. Do you know if they are a specie that reacts negatively to the effect of sunlight".


    Orun did not want to jump to conclusions on his assumptions, not when he had someone to confirm from at least.


    "yes, they are. That is why you can only see them all copped up in caves. I thought this wasmon knowledge to all monsters, so even Lord Orun should have known about it".


    "this really is going to be a problem".


    Orun thought twice on what to do. The presence of the Trolls that he is feeling from where he stood, are roughly on the level of how the Minotaurs were once like.


    He is certain that with just the right amount of mana used to name them, they can rise up to be formidable monsters.


    But what good will it do him if they be formidable and also ends up being restricted in their range of actions and movement.


    An idea popped up in Orun''s head during his dilemma moment on what to do about the Trolls.


    The reason why the Trolls are afraid of the sunlight, is because it will make their body solid, turning them into an immovable, lifeless stone, or at least that is what he heard.


    Once he names them, they are bound to undergo an evolution mutation like the Minotaurs and the Wyverns did, an evolution that will grant them a certain amount of resistance toward the fire attribute, due to the nature of the core that is used to name them.


    The heat from the sun, is what changes the Trolls constitution from living rock to a non-living rock.


    If Orun''s theory is correct, the Trolls should be able to avoid turning to stones once they are named by him, and acquire the fire resistance ability.


    Fire is the means through which heat is generated, and the sun, is just one massive rays of fire, burning at a degree thatpacts its form as something distinguishable from fire.


    Nheless, the sun can still be considered as a form of fire, with the origin of fire itself, being the sun.


    "okay, I am going to risk it".


    Orun still does not know what the result is going to end up as, but he was willing to give it a chance.


    Like the saying goes; no risk, no gain. With the goal he is aiming toward, he has to be ready to take risks no matter how big or small it is.


    "Monryck, be prepared for an emergencynding".


    "what!".


    Orun was close to letting go of Monryck''s horn when he was stopped by his surprised tone.


    "what is it".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "are you not going down with me".


    "why should I".


    Monryck had no words to reply him with. In the first instance, what does he mean by why should I?


    Everything from how he joined Orun to him being here, is all because of Orun''s n. If so, is it not only right that he take the responsibility of recruiting the other race like he had done to him.


    "i brought you because I was going to assign the task of recruiting the Trolls over to you".


    "what about you? Why did youe with me if you are not going to do anything".


    "who said I wasn''t going to do anything? My reason foring here, is so I can name them, and also transport them all using the mass teleportation".


    "but...what am I supposed to do down there? They are Trolls, they will attack me upon setting their eyes on me".


    "do the same thing I did to you, and make sure you don''t kill any of them. Now, off you go".


    "WAITTTTTtttttttt....."


    His voice got more silent the father down he goes, until nothing could be heard within the normal hearing range.


    *THUD!!*


    Monryck managed to pull off a safending after being thrown down by Orun.


    ''what the hell? Do what he did to me? What the hell does he mean by that?''


    Monryck getting down, was lost on what to do next. ording to Orun, he is to fight off the Trolls guarding the entrance and make his way deeper into the cave, but then what next after that?


    For one, he is not even sure of himself that he has the power to repel a group of Trolls, and still have the stamina left to fight off their leader.


    The Trolls, are a specie born with natural strength on the same length as the Minotaur specie.


    Even if he has evolved, he does not know how far his evolution has taken him, because he did not have the time to test himself out.


    After his evolution, Monryck could remember that things only got more busy for him with Orun by his side, and having to attend regr meetings to discuss what they are going to do going forward.


    Never in Monryck''s life would he have dreamed or imagined that a time woulde when he will be seated down in the midst of two outrageously powerful monster kind, all just so they can talk aboutnd reformation, and how to acquire sustainable products for the race.


    Most of what was being talked about by Orun and Wildria, was foreign to him, and all he could do to contribute to what they were saying, is watch as they ramble on.


    Monryck raised his head up, and saw that the Trolls who were guarding the entrance to the cave, already has their eyes on him.


    "screw this!".


    Monryck decided to leave logic behind and go in all out. Surely, Orun would not stand by and let anything happen to him if he fails.

 Chapter 239 Monryck The Minotaur Leader Against The Trolls

    The Trolls who were standing at the entrance of the cave, watched Monrycknd on his feet, and stood still watching him with their arms aimed at him.


    They could not move closer to him, due to his body being within the range of the sun, and had no other option but to bid their time, waiting for him toe to the shadows where the sun isn''t touching.


    Monryck who was all fired up, turned over to the Trolls who were weary of his actions.


    Like a bull with no brakes, Monryck charged at the Trolls who were standing in front of him, flipping them on their feet, and delivering a body blow that sent them crashing into the walls.


    As per Orun''s order, Monryck made sure to not overdo things, and saw to it that they were alive regardless of how he attacks them.


    Another two Trolls came running at him from both sides. They got to him and swung their weapons down on him.


    Monryck hastily moved his body, incapacitating the two Trolls before their weapons could touch him.


    They could not react in time to his speed, and simply got pushed around by him without being able to put up much of a fight.


    Monryck was surprised at what had just happened. His performance against the Trolls, wasn''t at all what he was expecting.


    He knew he had gotten stronger after his evolution, but the current power surge he could feel growing inside him, was something he did not ount for.


    Monryck wasn''t going to waste this profound feeling he had swelling up inside of him, and used the momentum building up within him to storm the inner part of the cave, bringing down everything and anything that stood in his path. He was, a raging bull in human like figure.


    There was nothing he could not shove aside with his physical strength alone, and with every pushing, Monryck continued to be amazed at himself, and at what he hase to have.


    Monryck was able to clear the cave at a fast pace, and in no time, he found himself already in the room where the leader of the Trolls is, along with other Trolls by his side.


    There are seven Trolls apart from their leader, each of them exuding out aura that is slightly on par with how Monryck was in the past.


    The seven of them came to the front, shielding their leader who is sittingfortably at the back.


    "what is a Minotaur doing in the cave of the Trolls".


    The seven Trolls were slowly surrounding Monryck when the Troll leader asked him a question.


    Monryck had his eyes on the movement of the seven Trolls, monitoring their actions and timing when they will strike at him.


    He made sure not to relent his eyes on the seven Trolls while he answers the Troll leader''s question.


    "i was sent here on behalf of my lord to ask for you to join forces with us".


    In his inner self, Monryck questioned himself, if he did well with the way he replied the Troll king.


    He hasn''t done this before, and does not have any experience on it, concerning being lord over by another monster, or being sent alone to go and face an entire monster specie.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "hmm....."


    The Leader of the Trolls stared down at Monryck with eyes that were looking down on him, and essing his strength level.


    "your body''s figure, makes you out as the leader of your specie. So tell me, howe a leader is being bossed around by another".


    The leaders of the Minotaur specie, are identified based on how long their horns are.


    ording to their beliefs, the longer one''s horn is, the more power they can wield, and as we all know, that monsters in particr value anything that has to do with individual power.


    Monryck''s horn had grown even more than when he was just an ordinary Minotaur, making him look undisputed as the leader of his race.


    "there are circumstances that led me to being here, and soon, you will be too".


    Monryck''s word sounded like he was insulting the leader of the Trolls, inciting his fury toward him by saying he, a leader, will bow to the orders of another.


    The seven other Trolls that have Monryck surrounded, they could not bear listening to him continue to insult their leader any longer.


    The seven of them charged at him simultaneously, each taking on different forms with their hands, and feet.


    Monryck did not wait for them to get to him while he was standing.


    He hurried his feet and moved himself to the one closest to him, catching the troll by the neck and mming its body down hard on the floor.


    Monryck stretched out his hand and caught hold of the hand of a troll that wasing at him from the sides.


    He sprained the wrist before shoving the troll aside with his leg hitting it by the stomach side.


    Monryck was quick to pay attention to the next troll that wasing at him also from the sides.


    He dodged the fist that the troll had thrust in his way and returned it with a fist of his own, connecting to the troll''s cheek, and sending it crashing to the wall from the force caused by Monryck''s fist.


    Monryck''s reaction time and movements made were not wasted, making every single step he takes counts, and every action to bring down one troll at a time.


    His amazement meter continued to rise up drastically with every thrust of his fist that puts the trolls down, making them unable to get up for a round two.


    In no time, Monryck had managed to take down three trolls, remaining four of them, making five if one were to add in their leader.


    At first, Monryck did not understand why Orun would send him alone to go and face against not just one, but trolls having their numbers in the hundreds.


    However, after facing them head on, Monryck finally understood better, what Orun''s intentions are.

 Chapter 240 The Troll Leaders Thought

    AN ; I understand that some of you are eager to see the status of the Wyverns, and the Minotaur leader? I will be sure to post it in due time, but only after the recruitment process has been done with.


    I don''t just want to post it one by one, that would be too tasking and especially stressful for you.


    My n, is to reveal their status when they have all been named, so you will know which one is in an higher position than the other, and stuff like that.


    So therefore my adorable readers, I urge you all to bear with me until then.


    *********


    "hmm.... He is doing better than I expected him to".


    Floating above, Orun followed the movement of Monryck from when he was outside the cave, to him entering, and his encounter with the Troll leader.


    "i also used about twenty percent of my Mana to evolve the Minotaurs, but because of their numbers, I had to further divide the mana into smaller parts unlike the Wyverns who are only sixteen in numbers".


    Orun was worried that the amount of mana used in evolving the Minotaur leader, Monryck, might not be enough to have him standing amongst the upper tier rankings.


    He could not draw out half of the twenty percent of mana used like he did to the Wyvern leader, Wildria. Because unlike Wildria and her pack, the Minotaurs number was very extended, and It would only diminish their evolution if he gives half out of the twenty percent over to the Minotaur leader alone.


    He wanted to keep the hierarchy going by having the Wyverns be superior to the Minotaurs, while the Minotaur leader would be superior to every Wyverns with the exception of Wildria.


    The leaders of each species, are the pirs holding down the foundation, it was only right that they are powerful than the foundation itself.


    Of the twenty percent that he used for the Minotaur specie, five percent of the total mana was used to name the Minotaur leader.


    That meant that the Minotaur leader''s current mana count, is in the million, making him stronger than the Wyverns whose mana count are in the hundreds of thousands, and the highest not going past the one million count.


    The only one in Orun''s rank that is currently stronger than Monryck, is the Wyvern leader, Wildria. And she is stronger than him in terms of mana count, by at least five million difference.


    "he really did exceed my expectations of him".


    Orun sent Monryck out to face the Trolls for two reasons;


    He wanted Monryck to have a part in the recruitment process, make him understand that he has be one of them, and now has a role to y just like Orun and Wildria does.


    Another reason, is so that he can verify how strong Monryck has be after his evolution.


    Orun has not witnessed the strength of someone who evolved with five million mana and above.


    Thest time he evolved and fought, was when he had one hundred thousand mana. And even then, he had a ridiculous amount of physical ability joined with devastating skills making use of his mana.


    He wanted to see what would be of a race that was born naturally stronger than his race, and the result he was given, is a thing that he is proud of.


    .


    .


    The four Trolls were wary of Monryck now that he has effortlessly taken down three of them.


    The power he disyed, was out of the norms for one belonging to the Minotaur race.


    The strength they are born with, is slightly on par with the Trolls, and as they grow older with evolution, so those their strength.


    No matter how far Monryck has gone with his evolution, it should not be to the point where three Minotaur elder would easily fall to him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''unless!''.


    It wasn''t normal to the Troll leader. Monryck barging into his cave without a care in the world, and doing away with his subordinates without even taking them seriously.


    Im the eyes of the Troll leader, there was nothing normal about any of those, and he, had assumed what the reason for that can be.


    Monryck''s current appearance, dipicts him as fearsome and Minotaur like kind of being, but there are some traits like the red drawings on his body, tracing from his neck to his legs.


    He could not see the crotch because it was covered by the rag Monryck was putting on.


    At first, none of the rags fit with the Minotaurs body, due to their body size decreasing after their evolution, but they were able to adjust it, bringing it down to their body size and tying it around their waist to cover just the private part alone, leaving the other parts made public for both the male and the female Minotaurs.


    Orun and Wildria are still working on getting proper clothing for the Minotaurs, and having a supply of them for any other race that joins them.


    So far, they have not had much luck on that, but does not mean they are going to give it up just yet.


    Wildria suggested Orun using his mana to make outfits for them, but Orun declined using such ways, as it involves him expending his mana.


    He wouldn''t want them to rely on such ways, because there is no telling exactly what their numbers will turn out to be after the recruitment process is done.


    The race will just have to make do with using the rags for the main time, at least until Orun and Wildria think of a sustainable way to procure proper clothing for them.


    In the face of the Troll leader, the red markings on Monryck''s body, disqualified him as being a full Minotaur, rting only to half Minotaur kind.


    The red drawings on his body, is not in any way simr to how a real Minotaurs who have a firm body free of any drawings, and filled only with the scars of war.


    Associated with the amount of strength that Monryck has disyed before him, the Troll leader''s instinct hinted at him that something was wrong.


    "stopppp!".


    He immediately got up from his seat, and gave out the order for his subordinate to stop before they got to Monryck.


    Monryck who had prepared himself for battle, was just as surprised as the four Trolls are on why they were stopped from going after Monryck.


    Even if victory was not assured for them, they still had to do whatever it takes to fight off Monryck who had barged into their territory against their will.


    "did you say that you want us to join forces with you".


    The Troll leader got up from his seat, and moved himself closer to Monryck before asking.


    The four Trolls situated themselves at the back of their leader, getting themselves ready to protect him in the face of any anomaly.


    "yes I di!".


    Monryck, the Troll leader, and the four Trolls that are still standing, were all shocked at what had just fallen from above.


    The top of the cave that was shielded with walls, broke down with the debris falling to the ground, and a small human like figure fallen along with it.


    "Troll leader was it? You are smarter than given credit for!".


    The four trolls were quick to move to the front of their leader, with their fist and body positioned inbat mode at the figure that had just broke through the roof and invaded their home.

 Chapter 241 The Troll Chief And Orun

    "is it you? Are you the one who named the Minotaur and made him into what he is now!".


    The Troll leader was calm, unlike the four Trolls who were standing at his front, with their bodies stationed inbat mode toward Orun.


    "how did you know he has been named".


    Orun''s voice was noting from the ce he fell to, nor could traces of his presence be seen there.


    While the four Trolls were turning their heads around, trying to locate Orun. Monryck and the Troll leader, shifted their gaze to where they felt his presenceing from.


    Monryck simply had to change the direction his head was facing, while the Troll leader had to turn his body to where he had earlier sat in.


    The two of them saw Orun, sittedfortably on the Troll Leader''s supposed throne like it''s his.


    "it was not that hard to figure out. A single Minotaur storming so confidently into a Trolls territory? Who wouldn''t be able to figure that out!".


    "i see".


    Orun crossed his legs, putting the right leg on top of the left leg, and cing his hand on his chin like he was in deep thought.


    "i would have been mistaken into thinking that all Trolls are as smart as you are, but it appears that is not the case".


    His gaze fell on the four Trolls who were still showing their bloodlusted side directed at him.


    "stand down".


    The Troll leadermanded the four Trolls, with hand gesture indicating for them to keep themselves in check.


    "but chief!".


    Ome of the Troll spoke up against the Troll leader known as chief to the Trolls.


    The Troll was not in eptance on putting their guard down before an entity that broke down the roof of their cave, and disappeared before their eyes without being noticed.


    "tell me Troll".


    Orun had surprisingly appeared in front of the Troll that was against the idea of letting their guard down against him.


    The Troll was quick to move his body back, and reposition his stance against Orun.


    "seriously, do you really think you have what it takes to fight me".


    The Troll hurriedly moved his body to the side, and turned his head over to where Orun had appeared from next.


    "do you not understand Troll? You don''t have what it takes to stop Monryck, so what delusioned you into thinking that you have what it takes to stop me!".


    Orun was toying with the Troll, disappearing and appearing in a different location to speak to him.


    He was ying a mind game with him, making it known to the Troll that if he wanted, he could end him before the Troll''s reflexes kicks in to stop him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The three Trolls and the Troll chief could not interfere even if they wanted to, as not even they could follow through with Orun''s movement.


    Monryck just stayed silent, and watched as the Troll pace around his body trying to keep up with Orun''s movement.


    "i apologize on his behalf oh great one".


    The Troll chief had his head slightly bowed down, knowing full well that trying to use force against Orun would only disadvantage he and his group.


    The three Trolls wanted to speak against their chief bowing his head to another, but they couldn''t, not when they knew why he resorted to doing that.


    Orun adhered to the troll chief''s apology and stopped ying around with the Troll.


    He went back to his position of sitting down on the throne of the Troll chief.


    "it is okay chief, I was never angry at him to begin with. I just wanted to see, how sharp the senses of my soon to be subordinate would be like".


    Orun had no intention of doing harm to any of the Trolls. From his point of view, all he wanted was to teach the Troll how to make better decisions, and know what sort of opponent he should and shouldn''t speak against.


    You could say, that the troll was being lectured on how to be reliant on his instincts to guide him in battle, rather than just focusing on is ego.


    The Troll could not speak back on what Orun had said, not after the leader already stooped himself so low before him by bowing his head.


    "and, you don''t have to call me great one. I am not some kind of a mystic being, or some big shot like that. I am a monster just like you are".


    The way the Troll chief referred to Orun, had his head swelling with pride, and he wasn''tfortable with that.


    It is good to be proud, but he does not desire for a situation where the pride gets too deep into his head.


    Being called to as a lord by Monryck was sound hearing to his ears due to his goal, and what he wille to be in the future.


    But being referred to as a great one, is like saying Orun is some high being like a God, and he, believes himself to not be a God.


    "the only difference between the two of us as monsters, is that I seek for the glorification of all monster kind in general, while you only chase after the exaltation of your kind".


    At Orun''s words, the Troll chief had an excited grin on his face, one showing that he was happy with what Orun had just said.


    "in that case, then surely, you must be nning on naming us just like you did for the Minotaur".


    Orun looked at the Troll chief, and released a smile on his face, slightly shifting his left cheekbones to the sides and revealing his fangs.


    "Troll chief, you amaze me with how quick you are to pick up on details. Your bright mind will serve the monster empire well, and every monster that resides within it as well".


    "certainly, j will do my best to see to it that I please you. But first, I besiege you to listen to I and my tribe''s worries".


    The Troll chief once again bowed down his head to Orun, and this time, the four Trolls yed along with him after being instructed to.

 Chapter 242 Risk It All For Your Tribe

    "if the dilemma that is troubling you rted to your adverse effect when exposed to sunlight, then I have a way to fix that for you, or at least, I think I have a way".


    The four Trolls including their leader were filled with surprised, and an expression that I am not able to properly convey as it is one I have yet to feel.


    They were astonished and short of words for what Orun just said.


    Their inability to reside in the sunlight, is a problem that has been troubling their specie for as long as they can remember.


    They were forced to live underneath the ground, and to never be able to soak in the natural pleasure provided for by the sunlight.


    The Trolls had to watch as every other race gets a choice on what habitat they want to choose, while they were forced in a single file decision, a decision that has them dying beneath the earth surface.


    Orun nonchntly voicing out that he has a remedy for their long-time problem, is a statement that they find very hard to believe.


    And if truly he does have the cure for their problem. Before them, Orun will no longer be viewed as just an ordinary monster, but as a savior to their specie, an entity that has taken it upon himself to help them break the curse that have been ced upon their ancestors since the beginning of time.


    Orun will be a being to be worshipped and praised by them.


    "this matter is a very important subject to I and my people. I plead you to not get our hopes up for no reason".


    The Troll chief still found it very hard to believe, and harbors doubt about what Orun has said.


    Over the years, their ancestors have tried all that they know, just to see to it that their curse is broken, but their efforts have proven to get them nowhere.


    Orun justing out from nowhere, with promises of curing their long-term worries like it was nothing. And in return that they join him on their mission.


    Orun''s words, portrays him as how the politicians of earth act. During campaign, they sugarcoat their words, making all sorts of promises to the people, but once they get what they want, they forget they ever uttered out a promise, neglecting the same people that brought them to the position they are.


    The Troll chief was not going to let himself be blind folded by Orun''s sweet mouth and promises that have yet toe to pass.


    "i understand how hard it is for you all to believe me, but I can assure you that what I speak of, is nothing but the truth".


    Orun''s words shined a ray of hope within the Troll chief, and he was forced to want to believe his words as the truth.


    "do forgive me for my rudeness, but how do you intend to break this curse that have been inflicted on my kind".


    The Troll leader wanted to hear what Orun has to say, to know if the method he has in mind is one that his ancestors have once tried before and ended in failure.


    "i am going to help you out of it by bestowing upon you a name".


    The Troll chief was partially disappointed and half excited by what Orun said.


    Sure through naming, they will evolve to be a better version of their old self, but that is all evolution does.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It grants them ess to being an higher specie but still under the evolution tree of their original specie.


    In other words, if they were to evolve, they will evolve into another higher form of Trolls, but they will still be the same troll kinds who are affected by the effect of the sun turning them into solid rocks.


    Orun''s n does not help in curing them, but only in helping them get stronger, and that aspect, is what made the Troll chief get more excited.


    "you sound disappointed. Do you not believe I can cure you of the ailment that has been troubling your kind all this while".


    Without even trying much, Orun could already hear the doubting heart of the Troll chief.


    "i believe what you are proposing, is not enough to help change our reaction to the sun. All it does, is get us stronger than our current self".


    Orun stared silently for a while, unable toe up with a word to counter the Troll chief with.


    What he said is true, and not even he knows if his theory will turn out sessful or end up in failure.


    If the heat from the sun is what is causing the Trolls to turn to hard stone when exposed to it. Then surely, his theory is bound to work.


    But, if it is not the heat that is turning them into stone, but just the sun itself that is against their nature, then his theory would not work, and that could end up endangering the life of whatever troll is bold enough to allow Orun to test his assumptions on him.


    "okay Troll chief, you speak the truth, so here is an offer for you. I need only one of you, the bravest of you toe out, and prove me right or wrong".


    The four Trolls looked at each other, contemting on which of them will willingly sacrifice their body for Orun.


    Surely, they were not going to let their chief be the object of sacrifice, it had to be one of the seven that guarded the chief.


    Three are currently unconscious, and it is left to the four that are still conscious to pick which one of them will go.


    "just one is all I require, the bravest one among you".


    Orun had his hand up, with the four fingers rested down, and only one finger standing, indicating what he meant.


    "i will do it. I will risk it!".


    "hooo..."


    The Troll that singled himself out, is the same Troll that beared animosity toward Orun after his abrupt appearance.


    Orun wasn''t too shocked by his action, as he already had an idea of how reckless he could be from his earlier reaction.


    "okay brave one, ready to risk it all for your race?".

 Chapter 243 Observation On The Named Troll

    "I hereby name you Theron".


    Orun had his right hand ced on the head of the Troll who knelt down before him.


    With the vocal naming, came the transference of a mana core that will seal the name, stamping it on his core and making the name validable for use.


    "what happens next"


    The Troll Chief watches with enthusiasm as Orun named his subordinate, his eyes gaze upon it in anticipation of how the process works.


    "now, he goes into a deep slumber".


    Just as Orun had finished talking, the Troll subordinate that has just been named, falls to the ground with his eyes still open, but his mind wandered off elsewhere.


    "when will he wake up".


    "probably about two or three days".


    The Troll Chief moved closer to the named troll that was sleeping on the floor.


    He looked at him, and observed every part of his body like he was carrying out research purposes on him.


    "do you have any idea of what he might be after he wakes up".


    Orun gave the Troll leader a look that says; how am I supposed to know what racial path lies under your evolutionary tree?


    It is not like he was expecting the Troll Chief to know what a Troll that has been named will evolve into next, but he also was not expecting the Troll Chief to ask him who is an outsider to their specie, filled only with the mythic knowledge he has heard about from others, and not one he has seen with his eyes.


    "i don''t know. He is a member of your specie, so shouldn''t that be your area of expertise".


    Orun was indeed in support of the Troll chief''s enthusiasm, but he also wished that the Troll Chief would learn self control and not be too overly fired up about it.


    "is this how we wait for him till two days clock".


    Now, that is the question Orun expected him to ask, not the kind that involves knowledge that is not in his possession.


    "while we are busy waiting for him, i should carry on with naming your group".


    The Troll Chief already agreed to join Orun, so there was no need for a lengthy conversation or exnation to convince him with.


    The test they are about to carry out, is to see if naming will break the sun''s effect on them, and even if it does not, Orun will have to stick to making an underground cave in the desert for the Trolls to inhabit.


    Regardless of what oue the result of the naming experience bears, they will still be following Orun.


    "you can name my subordinates in the main time. As for me, I will wait to see what bes of him after the naming. To witness, if truly our curse can be broken after the naming or not".


    The Troll Chief does not have any n on missing out on what bes of the Troll.


    He wants to be among those that will witness an Era that finally puts to rest the lifelong troubles of their specie.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He also has the desire to see how the changes happens in one''s body during the naming process.


    Every details is what he ns on assimting inside him to never be forgotten.


    If he ends up getting named along with the group, the Troll Chief would miss those events he desperately wants to bear witness to, hence his proposal for Orun to postpone his naming toter.


    "i can wait for you all to wake up before asking him to go into the sun for the test".


    Orun sees no reason in postponing the Troll Chief''s naming for the sake of watching an evolution unfold.


    Doing it at ater time for him, is a waste of time as evolution requires one to be in deep sleep mode during the process.


    He ns on putting them all to work once they are transported to the desert after their evolution, but that will not be possible if their leader is not avable to coordinate them.


    "no. I really would like to postpone my naming until after his evolution is done, and the test has been carried out".


    The Troll Chief was adamant about staying awake throughout the process, and Orun......gave up trying to convince him.


    "fine, I will grant you this desire of yours. Monryck, can you wake up all the Trolls you made unconscious?"


    The way Orun said it, made it sound as if Monryck purposely made the Trolls unconscious, when he is in fact the one who gave him the responsibility of going down to the Trolls cave.


    "i will need the three of you to follow him and help him calm the Trolls".


    If Monryck was to awaken the Trolls all by himself, the Trolls are sure to attack him after what he had done to them the first time, and Monryck in an attempt to defend himself, might end up making them unconscious once again.


    With the three Trolls who are closest to their chief following behind Monryck, they will be able to calm the Trolls and stop them from attacking him. Is what he expected, and also why he sent them along with Monryck.


    As ordered by Orun, Monryck and the three Trolls moved out of the cave in search of the Trolls, so they can bring them back to Orun for naming.


    Only Orun and the Troll Chief remained in the room, with the Troll Chief too busy getting himself fascinated with the trollid down on the floor.


    "that reminds me, what do you Trolls eat to sustain yourselves".


    The operations going on in the desert as of current, is really messy with Orun and Wildria struggling to put things together.


    They have not had much luck nor gone very far on their endeavors, with much still left to attend to.


    One of the major crisis they are currently suffering through in the desert, has to do with the issue of food.


    The Minotaurs are safe as they can just pluck from any trees that Orun had erected in the middle of the desert, with fruits growing at the top of the trees.


    The Minotaurs, have the opportunity to feed on that for survival, so they are not scrounging for sustainable product for survival.


    The Wyverns on the other hand, are not in good condition in terms of food procurement.

 Chapter 244 Forgotten Trolls

    The Wyverns are carnivores, with their only source of survival is through feeding on meat.


    The scarcity of meat produce in the desert has be a problem that needs immediate addressing for the Wyverns and Orun.


    So far, they have relied on Orun to use his teleportation to whisk himself into human territory, hunt for food, and teleport both he and the food back to the desert.


    The Wyverns would have gone to the human territory by themselves to hunt, but their size makes that hard to aplish.


    They would be spotted a mile away before they can even have the glory of attending to what they came for.


    While they have been able to survive thus far thanks to Orun, it is not exactly the best option for them to hang unto, or decide to rely on forever.


    It is an immediate issue that needs to be attended to at the moment, and Orun will do so, only after his recruitment process is done.


    For some reason unknown to Wildria, Orun has been pushing the recruiting process too far, making it at the top of the list of his priorities when in actual fact, he is supposed to be paying more attention to what is already on ground.


    It has now be almost like an obsession for Orun to see to it that hepletes recruiting monster specie into the desert, filling it up with variable monsters.


    While it is good that Orun is that motivated, Wildria worries that if the problems on ground are not attended to as early as possible, it could end up into something more catastrophic after he is done recruiting.


    Imagine having a hoard of monsters filling the desert but with no way to feed each and every one of them?


    If that were to happen, Orun and Wildria will have on their hands, a major monster outbreak full of hungry monsters. And that, is what Wildria is trying to avoid.


    She has been trying, doing her best to convince Orun to focus less on recruiting other monsters into the desert, and more on advancing the desert and make it a ce that monsters can thrive in without difficulties.


    Orun''s insistence to have his focus based only on the recrution, is frightening to Wildria and no matter what she says to try and change his mind, he still remains adamant on it.


    She knew that Orun knows what he is doing, and that he is also aware of the problems thatyed dormant without being told.


    What she could not understand, is what sort of reason can be great enough to have Orun abandoning such problems and only drawing his attention over to recruiting all sorts of monster specie from the human territory?


    Wildria at least wished for Orun to make her understand and see things from his point of view. Maybe then, she cane to reason with why he is basing his obsession in that direction.


    "my kind feed on meat, and we are also adaptable to feeding on green".


    The Troll Chief replied to Orun''s question with his eyes still on the Troll that is currently undergoing his evolution.


    "hmm...... So you are an omnivore specie?"


    It was a relieve for Orun that the Trolls are not a specie dependent only on meat.


    He could already start to visualize the kind of expression Wildria will have on her human like face when they get back home and tell her that the Trolls he recruited are interested in meat.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now that he knows that meat is not the only thing they eat, he won''t have to worry about the Trolls feeding condition as they can feast on any amount of forestry they want from the forest Orun created.


    Orun went back to the Troll chief''s seat to rest his body on, and wait for Monryck and the three Trolls to arrive with the other Trolls so he can start the naming process on them.


    It took a long while after Orun had sat himself down on the chair before Monryck appeared from the entrance with the three Trolls and the others following right behind him.


    "finally. I was starting to think you guys had forgotten what you were sent to get".


    Orun got up from his seat and went ahead to meet with Monryck in his path.


    "chief, I need your presence here".


    He called out to the Troll Chief who did not even bother himself with his subordinates that had just arrived.


    The chief in reply to Orun, had to move away from the Troll on the floor, and go over to where Orun stood.


    "i need you to confirm with your subordinates about what they are going to go through".


    The other Trolls have not been informed of why Orun and Monryck are here, or why they have been gathered.


    Orun does not want a situation where they will be left in the dark of what is going on, that is why he opened up the floor for the Troll Chief to carry out with the exnation.


    The Troll Chief, stood in front of the group and only said a few words concerning why Orun was here.


    "they are ready. You can start naming them now".


    When the Troll Chief finished with his words, he vacated the front and left it vacant for Orun while he makes his way back to the Trollid on the ground, staring at him like he had beenpelled by the sight.


    Orun did not even want to ask if that was all he was going to say, and simply proceeded to the naming process.


    "i want you all to arrange yourselves in an order, the males to the right, the females to the left, all lined ording to your age, starting with the youngest at the front, and the oldest at the back".


    The Trolls did not question Orun''smand, and immediately moved themselves to do as he had ordered them to.


    Just like the scene with the Wyverns, Orun moved in their midst, naming them one at a time until he got to the three Trolls that were close to the chief.


    "i almost forgot. Can you wake those three up as well, they need to be named".


    Orun, the three Trolls, Monryck, and the Troll Chief who could not be bothered with the affairs of his subordinates, had all forgotten about the existence of the three Trolls that Monryck had made unconscious when he first came in.


    He moved his body, and hurriedly went closer to them, tapping their heads to wake them up.

 Chapter 245 The Named Troll Has Woken

    Orun sat on the chair with his body fully rxed in it, and his head facing above at the concrete ceiling.


    He has finished naming all the Trolls with the exception of their leader. And now, they are all taking a long nap in front of him.


    Just like he did to the other monster specie he has named so far, Orun used the first letter from their specie name ''T'' as the starting letter for their names.


    Orun has already named one out of the seven Trolls that were close to the chief, and as for the rest of the six, their names are as follows;


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


    ¡ñThiago


    ¡ñTatum


    ¡ñThadeo


    ¡ñTzvi


    ¡ñTobin


    ¡ñTigan


    ¡ñTheron ( first named Troll )


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


    That is how their name is lined, with Thiago being the youngest amongst the seven, and Theron being the oldest of the seven.


    About a day and a half has passed since the naming. And Orun, is mentally exhausted from having to wait for the Trolls to awaken.


    He is surprised at how relentless the Troll Chief is concerning the observation of the first named Troll and the changes that is to appear within him.


    "Master, there is something happening to the Troll''s body!".


    The Troll Chief called Orun''s attention to the weird happenings that was urring in the first named Troll, Theron.


    Orun hastily got up from where he rested his body on, and hurriedly made his way to where the Troll was, covering the distance within a sh of air wooshed around.


    The body of the Troll that wasid down, was undergoing some physical body changes.


    His stoned body was moving around like an stic material, stretching and squeezing itself about all over the Troll body.


    Orun and the Troll leader were fascinated by what was happening to the Troll, and Monryck who came to join them at ater time was also amazed at what was happening.


    The Troll''s skin was moving about, detaching itself from the Troll''s body in a sublime way, while still maintaining a distance that would not reveal the insides of the Troll.


    Soon, bright light shined across the room, and the Troll Chief and Monryck were forced to have their eyes shielded from the light.


    The Troll Chief really tried as much as he could to have his eyes awake and watch the transformation that is about to unfold, but his body''s instinct could not keep up with his determined mind.


    He just like Monryck, was forced to have his eyes closed and his head turned away from the sunlight.


    Orun on the other hand witnessed everything that was happening, unaffected by the bright light that continued to expand its range to the whole room itself, glimmering through the entrance of the cave.


    The Troll''s body was reforming itself, trying to adapt to its new found features and carve out an origin for the Troll to solidify his evolution and name on his soul, reborning him as a new entity drawn out of the Trolls lineage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun was mesmerized by the scene, astonished at the urrence, and in admiration of bearing witness to how evolution takes ce.


    He was a fool to have disregarded the thoughts of the Troll Chief who nned to not take his eyes away from the scene and bear witness to it.


    Orun moved closer to the Troll Chief and ced his hand on his eyes.


    "what are yo...."


    "shut up and watch".


    He used his aura to cloak the vision of the Troll Chief, enhancing it so that he can see what Orun is seeing.


    "you can open them now".


    When Orun had finished his cloaking on the Troll Chief, he slowly raised his hand down and told him to have his vision open.


    He did not want to deprive the Troll Chief who was so desperate to witness the evolution of his kind but couldn''t, due to the bright light thatpelled his vision to be closed off.


    On Orun''smand, the Troll Chief slowly had his eyes open, with the view of the bright lighting within y, and him surprisingly not getting affected by it.


    He watched the reformation process on the Troll''s body, how it''s size keeps getting tucked in, and the body reconfiguring itself.


    "a....amazing".


    The Troll Chief short of words, could only ry a single word to express his fascination on the evolution process.


    "how I wish Wildria was also here to bear witness to it".


    It was a beautiful, colorful and delightful scene that Orun for some reason unknown to him, wished to capture and reveal to Wildria the Wyvern leader, but he had no tricks up his sleeve that can give him the chance to.


    "it is about to end!".


    The bright light that came off of the Troll was slowly dissipating, it''s range getting smaller and also losing its effect on the surrounding.


    The body of the Troll was now visible outside the light and even Monryck who now has his eyes open can also see it.


    His physical features had taken a rigorous change from his earlier self.


    Just like the other specie that were named by Orun, his skin had gone dark with drawn out markings on his body.


    His size, has also decreased by a considerable lot, with a moderate size as his body mass.


    His skin that was once made of stone, was now looking soft, dark soft, blessed with a warrior like presence with two straight looking horns on both the end side of his forehead.


    It was hard to distinguish if he was still the same Troll that Orun had earlier named, but the expression on his face, convinced Orun otherwise.


    "Magnificent! This is truly magnificent!".


    Theron stood up with his hands stretched out, admiring the changes that has happened with his body, while the Troll Chief circled him also in admiration of the changes while yelling out the magnificent word multiple times.


    "you can admire his featureter. For now, we have to see if it worked".


    Orun and the Troll Chief escorted Theron out of the cave while Monryck stayed behind to look after the other Trolls that were still undergoing their own evolution.

 Chapter 246 Pledging His Loyalty

    They got to the entrance of the cave, and Orun went out of it, leaving Theron and the Troll Chief behind to take cover in the cave while staring at the shadow of the sun on the ground outside the cave.


    "you cane out now".


    Orun turned to where Theron and the Troll Chief stood at, Inside the shades of the cave where the sun wasn''t touching.


    He signaled for Theron toe out of the shadows and into the light, to see if his hypothesis about the Trolls will work or not.


    Theron inhaled heavily before taking his first step past the cave''s door path leading into the light that has rejected he and his kind for as long as they can remember.


    He took a step that could either signify the end of his life or bring about new changes for he and his race alike.


    Theron''s first step into the sunlight with his leg making contact with it, did nothing to affect his body or show any signs of physical difort on his leg that is being showered by the sun.


    He took the second step, a step that fully brought his whole body out of the cave and into the sunlight, basking himself in it with no signs of being harmed or his body turning to stone from being exposed to the sunlight.


    The Troll Chief from the edge of the entrance, watched the courageous Theron sacrifice his life so that his specie can have the joy of looking up and seeing not a dark earth made roof, but a real roof provided for by the sky where the sun and the moon makes their appearance.


    The expression on Theron changed when he saw himself not burning in the presence of the sun.


    He ran further out, away from the cave''s extrance and with enthusiasm, stormed into the sun with both his hands stretched out and his face raised up in the sky.


    For the first time in Theron''s life, he is able to see how bright the sun shines in the day, and the illumination of light that it brings to the surroundings with its brightness.


    He saw the white clouds and not the dark one''s he is used to seeing during night time.


    A cloud surrounded by the sun with the puffy white on it bringing out all sorts of imaginations drawn on it.


    Theron gazed upon it well with all his eyes opened toward it, admiring thefort that washes over his skin.


    A captivating sight that he never wants to take his eyes off of for even a minute.


    This was a moment in Theron''s life that he would never forget no matter what circumstances he finds himself in the future.


    He, is the first Troll in the monster specie, the first Troll specie to confidently gaze at the sun without fear of getting turned to stone by its effect.


    He took the first step to oveing the fear that has overwhelmed and troubled his Troll ancestors for many years.


    Theron turned his body and faced Orun who was looking at him all the while he was celebrating his moment in the sun.


    He made his way toward Orun with an intimidating movement that had his step leaving behind his footprints on where he stepped on.


    He got closer to him, and did something that caught Orun and the Troll Chief by surprise.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Theron went on his two knees before Orun, and bowed his head to the ground, making sure that his forehead kissed the ground.


    "I belong to the Troll kind who have been granted a name by the almighty, now known as Theron".


    Theron had his head raised back up with his knees still stuck to the ground as he talks to Orun with a loud voice.


    "i hereby pledge my undying loyalty and fealty to my one true king who was kind enough to end the misery of my kind. My king, would you be so willing as to ept this useless warrior as one of your many aids".


    Theron as he announced for Orun to ept him, had his right hand stretched out. He brought the palm close to his mouth and bit a part of it to have blood slowly flowing out from it in small quantity.


    When he saw the bloode out from his hand, Theron stretched out the palm back to Orun and had his head bent down before him.


    His head was bent slightly below Orun''s face with his palm raised above his bent position, like someone extending an offering in a kneeling position and with respect imbued in it.


    Orun was really taken aback by Theron''s action of bowing before him and announcing his loyalty to him when his chief is right behind him in the cave, with his eyes on him.


    No matter how joyful he is about getting to see the sun for the first time, it is still too much for him to act in this manner.


    Orun stood there, speechless on Theron''s action and what sort of reply should be delivered to him.


    "ept it".


    The Troll Chief standing at the edge of the entrance, yelled out loud for Orun to hear.


    "i too would like to pledge my fealty to you my king".


    The Troll Chief, emted Theron''s action and also went on his knee with his bleeding palm stretched out in Orun''s direction.


    "you are the one who cured our kind of an ailment we thought would continue to torment our future generations toe. You brought an end to that, gave us who had given up hope, a chance to gaze upon the sunlight".


    "there is no words that is enough to express our appreciation on this, and not even our lives can be enough as payment for what you have done for us".


    "in return, we offer you our lives andmitment to your will, so please, do not deny us of our chance at gratitude for what you have done for us".


    Orun really was not expecting any of this to happen, especially not with Theron who had shown to hate him on their first time meeting.


    He does not understand what he had given them, the extent of what he has done for them, and the weight he has lifted off of them.


    Orun did not understand any of those, but he does know that with this, he is one step closer to creating his monster empire.

 Chapter 247 An Underground Cave

    "I hereby bestow upon you the name Travon".


    Orun with his hand ced on the Troll Chief kneeled before him, named him and he instantly fell asleep right on the spot with his body tumbling down.


    "that is all of them".


    Orun breathed a sigh of relief after he finally got to name the Troll Chief who was thest remaining Troll.


    He epted Theron''s and the Troll Chief''s oath to serve him as their master by licking the blood on their palm as a sign of eptance.


    An ancestoral tradition of the Trolls when they want tomit themselves to a master, or so he is told.


    When he was done epting their oath, they all went back Inside the cave where Orun finally got to name the Troll Chief by the name Travon.


    "Monryck, Theron. I need you guys to stick closer to the sleeping Trolls".


    Orun was about to activate the teleportation magic that would transport them all to the desert.


    He instructed Monryck and Theron to stand close to the sleeping Trolls so he would not have to create a separate circle for them when activated.


    Monryck and Theron did as Orun had instructed and moved themselves closer, standing at the edge of the sleeping Trolls.


    Orun stood in front of them all and had his eyes closed with his two hands stretched out in their direction.


    "instant teleportation!".


    Orun casted the skill''s name and below the ground they were all stepping on, came a bright light circling around the path that was upied by all things living.


    The light shined brighter and swallowed them all into its belly, removing any traces of them away from the cave.


    When they came to, Monryck, Theron and Orun who were the only ones still awake, found themselves inside another cave, a cave built with sand unlike the one they had teleported away from that was built with the earth.


    The sand slowly dropping down in small quantities like a low budget waterfall, made it obvious that they were below a quicklime kind of sand with an unstable roof that could copse at any moment.


    "where is this".


    Monryck expected Orun to teleport them to the desert, but the cave they are in, is one he has never seen before in the desert, granted he has yet to explore the desert as a whole.


    "we are at the entrance of the forest desert, below it actually".


    Orun answered him while keeping his hands busy with movements that could show that he was instructing a construction site.


    "i am using the sand above to create an underground cave so the Trolls can continue their evolutionary sleep without being interrupted".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    If Orun had made the mistake of teleporting the sleeping Trolls directly above the desert ground, no doubt they would have been instantly turned to stone when exposed to the high temperature of the sun raining down on the desert.


    To prevent that from happening, Orun made the choice of building an underground cave during the activation moment of the teleportation circle.


    He activated the circle first, and made their destination below the desert ground.


    How did he do that when he has yet to see below the desert ground which condescends the rules of teleportation that states and I quote; teleportation circle can only be activated or used under the condition that the user has a mental imagery of where they are going to teleport to.


    Orun depended on his speed and Oracle''s processing.


    When the teleportation circle had gotten them to the desert, he was quick to dive into the ground by himself to craft an image of it in his head, all the while he still kept the circle activated by moving it with him.


    It was a process that would not have been possible without Orun''s speed and Oracle''s ability to keep up with his speed and time the teleportation circle process.


    He had to roughly build up the cave due to the time limit on when the teleportation circle can be maintained.


    The circle should have carried out its effect of teleporting them all and dissipated when it got to the destination, but Oracle was able to shift the time limit a little, to buy Orun enough time to roughly make out the shape of a cave underneath the desert.


    If the time limit had not been shifted, the sleeping Trolls would have all been teleported and scattered inside the sand.


    Orun''s mistake, was that he hurried the process when he should have first teleported to the desert to build the cave below the desert, then use the teleportation toe back for the sleeping Trolls to teleport them all into the cave.


    His hastiness to have the Trolls in the desert so he can go out to recruit more monster specie got the best of him.


    Orun moved his hand around building the cave in a more appropriate position and making sure the sand are well stabled to avoid a sudden case of cave copse.


    He solidified the sand acting as the ground, turning the sand into hard stoned sand and the roof that is still leaking was immediately patched up by modifying the sand''s constitution into y and cementing it.


    When Orun was done with that, he seemed to further the extension of the cave by making it wider andrger to act as the temporary settlement for the Troll kind and if possible as a permanent resident, depending on what choice the Trolls decide to go with.


    They can either choose to live above ground in the desert or continue their lifestyle inside the cave with a choice to go above it whenever they feel like.


    Orun stretched his two hands sideways and in response to his actions, the sand that were acting as walls were pushed further in, freeing up space and extending their distance from Orun.


    From the hands being sideways, Orun slowly raised them up, while still keeping the hands apart.


    The sand responded to Orun''s actions by having some of the already solidified sand acting as the ground to change back to its sand watery state.


    Not all areas of the solidified sand turned back into sand, but only some parts of it.


    Orun controlled the parts that changed back into its initial form, raising it up and using it to build several Pirs that held the roof to stop it from copsing.

 Chapter 248 A Letter For Orun

    "Orun!".


    After erecting the sand pirs that reached to the roof, Orun was about to move on to the next stage that involves building cabin like apartment for the Trolls to stay in.


    He unfortunately could not continue after his concentration was broken by Wildria who barged in from above, by punching through the sand above and forcefully making her way below.


    She cracked through the roof that Orun had taken his time making, andnded with her feet on the ground.


    "i knew I sensed your presence in here".


    From where she was inside the desert forest, Wildria was able to sense Orun''s presence the moment he teleported himself underneath the desert.


    She hurried herself out of the forest and made her way into the desert sand to look for him.


    Wildria turned her body around to view the scene that Orun was on the verge of creating.


    Orun sealed up the side of the roof that Wildria had just barged in from by reconstructing the sand around it to patch it up.


    "what are you doing looking for me when you could have just waited for me toe".


    Orun did not understand for what reason Wildria acted so unlike herself. The speed she used to rush herself over, and the way she bashed through the desert was......too aggressive for Orun to write it off as her acting normal.


    There was absolutely nothing stopping her from waiting for Orun in the forest for him toe back after he is done fixing up the Trolls underground cave.


    "i came looking for you because you have a message from an anonymous person".


    Wildira was not able to take in the view for a long time ass Orun''s voice reminded her of why she was looking for him to begin with.


    She was not even given the chance to ask Orun why he built an underground cave and why he has stoned like creatures sleeping in it.


    Wildria also wanted to know who Theron is. His current appearance is much different from how the Trolls sleeping on the floor looks like, and that had her confused on why a single different specie was mixed in, and also why he isn''t asleep.


    She was putting on a well fitted red robe made from Orun''s aura, with her shoulders exposed and the rest of her body enclosed.


    Wildria moved herself closer to Orun and stretched out her hand that was holding into a scroll tied with an emerald colored knot in the middle.


    He collected the scroll from her with an expression that was asking from who the scroll came from.


    Orun does not remember having any long distance rtionship with anybody, much less with someone who would know of his movements and where he was at without being told.


    He wondered if the message was not really for him but from another, perhaps someone with the same name as his.


    It could not have been from the Emissary because Orun could have sworn that the Emissary did not strike him as someone who would deliver a not to a monster, much less to one who came into his home uninvited.


    "i haven''t opened it yet. This is an enchanted type scroll that can only be opened by the one the content in it is meant for".


    Orun with a troubled mind brought the scroll closer to his face and started inspecting the outer part of it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He is reluctant to open it as he does not know what the contents in it entails or if it is just a trap meant to go off the moment he opens it.


    One can never be too careful around a scroll that will only open at the hands of the one it is directed to.


    "aren''t you going to open it".


    She was just as curious as Orun is to know what contents the scroll carried and from who sent it to him.


    Her curiosity to learn about the scroll''s content exceeded her ability to think about what dangers the unknown scroll could pose when opened without caution.


    "how did you know it was meant for me".


    Orun looked at the outer part of the scroll and he saw nowhere on it that indicated that the scroll was intended for him like she had said.


    "it was sent over by a parrot who came directly to me and called out your name several times with the scroll on its back".


    "i figured it was trying to tell me to get the scroll from its back and when I did that, the parrot flew back into the sky. I tried opening the scroll to see what it''s content were but I saw that i could not open it, so I stopped trying to and kept it safe until you arrived".


    "sigh......"


    Orun looked at Wildria feeling a little bit disappointed at how she can just ept a scroll from an unknown parrot without at least making sure that it was safe to.


    She even went as far as trying to open it despite not knowing what could be inside.


    Orin does not know if her reason for being so careless is due to her evolution getting her stronger and seemingly bing unstoppable, or if she was just that careless to begin with.


    "you are not going to get anything out of it that way unless you open it".


    Wildria was getting tired of Orun''s observation on the scroll by flicking it around in his eyes.


    "believe me, I would also like to open it and check who it is from and what it says, but we have to be careful around things like this".


    Orun took onest look at the scroll to see if he missed anything on it.


    ''Oracle, is there a way for me open it without me being present''.


    Orun is really sceptical about opening a scroll sent for him by an anonymous person who made it so that he is the only one that can open it.


    His encounter in this world has not been mostly friendly, so it would not hurt much for him to be careful no matter how strong he has be.


    [ yes Master, there is a way to open it without Master being present ].


    Oracle''s confirmation puts Orun''s heart at ease, as he just like Wildria is also curious about the content of the scroll and especially who it is from.


    At least now he is going to find that out without the need to put himself at risk.

 Chapter 249 Never Met Her Before

    "hmm........ And you are sure you haven''t meet her from somewhere before".


    There were four sitted in the one room building created using the sand on the ground and molding it into bricks stacked on top themselves to give out its shape.


    The tables and chair they sat on was made using Orun''s forest skill to carve out the shape and form.


    Orun sat at the head with Wildria sitting opposite him on the far end of the table. Theron the newly named Troll sat on the left side, and Monryck the Minotaur leader sat on the right side.


    On the table itself is the scroll that was meant for Orun, openlyid down with ck ink used to write in the contents.


    All four of them had their eyes fixated on the scroll on the table, Monryck and Theron having an expression that shows that they have no idea of what is going on.


    Orun and Wildria had on them, a questioning expression with Wildria directing her''s at Orun, and Orun directing his on the scrollid on the table.


    "if I had met someone of this caliber, don''t you think I would have memories of it happening?".


    Orun sounded believable, but Wildria has a hard time finding it to be true, especially with what the scroll contained.


    "do you think any of that makes sense? How can you tell me you haven''t met with her before yet she knows of your identity and even where to find you. Going as far as even sending you an invitation letter. Tell me, does that sound like someone you haven''t met with before".


    Wildria isn''t wrong to think that there is something Orun is not telling her about the identity of the scroll''s owner.


    All evidence so far shows that Orun has had at least one meeting with the sender of the letter.


    It might have been short, but it surely was a memorable one for the owner to have gone so far as keeping tracks of Orun, and even inviting him to her abode.


    "believe me, I have been trying as hard as I can to figure it out, but I really do not remember having met with the queen of the elvens before. Never In my life".


    For reasons both confusing and unknown to Orun, the Elven queen, ruler of the elves, a certain race he has never had an encounter with in his life.


    The leader of that particr race sent him an invitation letter for him to make his way down to where the elves live in, with a map to direct him on his journey written inside the scroll.


    Orun''s confusion is boundless at how that came to be, with questions of how the Elven queen knows of his existence.


    Somehow, Orun''s identity is bing more exposed than even he himself could handle.


    He would have thought the letter was from miss dragon if it wasn''t for the queen directives and identity stated on it.


    "sigh.... There is no used arguing about it with you".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun''s expression was convincing enough that he really had no idea who the queen is or why she would have sent an invitation letter to him.


    Wildria was will to believe him because she thought and knew that Orun has no reason keeping it a secret from her.


    "so, what are you going to do about it? Do you n on going or forfeiting. I am all for you going by the way".


    Despite knowing the risks involved in having Orun visit a ce he had never been to, ording to him that is, Wildra still wanted him to go.


    The Elves are a race who do not allow just anyone toe into their settlement, nor will they just hand out an invitation letter on a whim, especially oneing directly from the Elven queen who happens to be their highest monarch of the Elven noble hierarchy.


    If Orun was invited by her, there needs to be a credible reason as to why that is, and Orun isn''t going to find that out if he ends up rejecting the invitation.


    If there was an alternative way on ground for Orun to not attend and still get to know why the queen invited him, she would have told him not to go and risk his life, but there isn''t.


    Orun is the one that was invited. In this case, if someone else were to substitute for him and go in his ce, the elves might not ept the substitute considering how strict they can be when ites to involving with those outside of their race.


    "what do you both think I should do".


    He asked Monryck and Theron to hear what they have to say, and make it known to them that they also have a chance to make decisions, voice out their opinions as representatives of their race.


    Theron isn''t actually the representative of his race, but he is currently substituting for the Troll Chief as he is still asleep beneath the sand cave that Orun is yet toplete.


    The Minotaurs and the Trolls are no longer savages whose purpose is only to kill and think of how to survive the next day.


    They are now in a group that is aiming to be amongst one of the world''s superpowers by banding together species belonging to a particr race, the monster race.


    They need to learn that fast, and the better they do, the faster they will be able to adapt to speaking out their thoughts in a gathering where the leader of each monster specie is present in.


    As Wildria had already expressed her opinion concerning the case, it is also their turn to vote on what they want done.


    "i am in support of Lord Orun going to the Elven kingdom. It would be rude of us to decline their invitation without knowing what they want. And rejecting it would make us look like cowards before them".


    Like Monryck had said, Orun hastily jumping to the conclusion that the elves or whoever sent the invitation did it so they could lure him into a trap, and because of that, he decided to not go.


    At that moment, Orun would only be portraying himself as a coward type monster who is too scared to take risks before the Elven nation.


    It would not look good for Orun if truly it is the Elven queen who sent him the invitation, and her purpose isn''t to harm him.

 Chapter 250 What You Are

    Orun''s profile before the Elves will surely go down, and they will start to look down on him as well.


    Orun whose dream is to build an empire full of monsters, will be demonstrated as a leader who is too cowardly to take risks, and the empire that he is struggling to build, will never be taken seriously before them.


    A race that considers strength as the supreme rule, having a monster who is a coward as their leader will be nothing more than an amusing joke before the elves.


    "Monryck has a point. Not going will only give whoever sent this enough reasons to look down on us monsters".


    Without a need to think twice about it, Orun agreed with the way Monryck was thinking, and was even surprised that Monryck could have thought that far ahead.


    "Theron, what is your take on this".


    Orun looked to Theron after listening to Monryck''s opinion. His face seemed reluctant like he was scared to speak.


    What got to him is the shock of being seated along with monsters like Wildria who he felt an overwhelming aura from, and Monryck who had effortlessly defeated hisrades.


    "i will go with whatever my lord decides to do".


    Theron spoke out with his voice sounding tense and a little off the chart for the distance between them all.


    Orun looked at Theron for a while before taking his eyes off of him. He should have expected something like that from him.


    After his evolution, he has been too obsessively loyal to Orun that it is starting to creep even him out.


    "since all three of you have spoken and came to the same conclusion, I have decided that I will go as you all wanted. But, not now".


    The invitation letter that was sent over by the Elven queen does not contain an expiry date on it, meaning it is avable till when Orun decides to make use of it, that is how he tranted it to.


    Orun also feels the need to go and see what the Elven queen has to say. How she knows about him, and the reason for being invited by her.


    He more than anyone is very curious to know all that. But as curious as he is, Orun has to be careful with how he threads his path that has so far have been full of thorns all over.


    Even if he ends up being branded as a coward, he has to put some precautions in ce that would allow him be more open minded to anything and not flinch in the face of a surprise attack.


    Orun is going to take his time preparing for any counterattacks before setting off on his journey to the Elven nation.


    "if you have decided to go, then you have to take along guards of your own".


    Orun turned his head to look at Wildria to know if he heard her clearly.


    "guards? Me?"


    He is in no way trying to mock or look down on Wildria''s advice about him going with guards, but it just sounded odd to Orun.


    In the monster camp and amongst the monster specie that he has managed to recruit so far, Orun still stands at the apex and the strongest out of them all.


    Where he is going to, if he were to go with guards like Wildria had suggested, he questioned of what help they will be to him there that he cannot do by himself?


    If the threat that he will end up facing concerning where he is about to head to is something that is beyond even Orun''s caliber, of what help would the guards who he is stronger than by a far margin be able to render or do against such a threat that not even Orun has power over?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His thought is not intended to look down on the monster specie he has recruited, rather it is so they would not be in danger.


    If Orun is going to face trouble where he is going to, he would rather he faces it alone instead of going along with baggage that would only slow him down and prevent him from going full force when he needs to.


    His duel with Caius where he unleashed an explosion that changed thendscape of the forest and turned it into a barrennd has taught Orun a Lesson about having hisrades around when he is fighting.


    His attacks are not only deadly to his opponents, but also to hisrades who will not be able to withstand him going full force.


    "i know what you are thinking about, and no, that is not why I told you to take guards along".


    Wildria did not need to think twice to realize that Orun was against taking guards with him because he felt they would be of no help to him along the way.


    "i am talking about them acting as your entourage".


    "what do I need something like that for? I am a monster well capable of protecting myself. Not a human who feels the need to hide behind others before being proven as a member of the strong".


    "that is not what this is about Orun".


    Wildria had her finger on her forehead to rub it with.


    "you are a monster who is on the path to create a monster empire, do you know what that makes you".


    Orun looked at Wildria in her eyes, trying to discern what answer she expected from him.


    "you are a monster who is on his way to bing a monster emperor, a monarch who rules over a vast monster specie".


    "as one who is set to be an emperor in the future, this is your first delegation to another racial kingdom. You have to be dignified as one who would be representing the monster kind atrge".


    Wildria asked Orun to take the guards along not so they can protect him, but to elevate his status as a soon to be emperor of monsters who seeks to build an empire for all monster kind to live in harmony.


    Orun does not see himself as an emperor like Wildria does. He only sees himself as a monster who is trying to level the ying field for the monster kind by building them a ce where they will have nothing to fear from those outside of their race, a ce that would give them a spot as one of the strongest in the world.


    Him being an emperor or not is a decision that will be made after his goal is aplished.


    He has no right to force himself on the monster kind and name himself their monarch, that is their decision to make, not his.


    What Orun''s perspective of an emperor is, is someone chosen by the masses to represent the masses, not a being who chose himself to act on their behalf.


    No, a king is the manifestation of the thoughts of his subject and not of himself.


    It is a position of a leader and the duties of a leader is not to themselves but to the people.


    A leader has to be selfless and also put those he is leading over as first before anything else.


    Orun is not sure he is capable of doing that. He does believe all life to be precious, but he treasures his life first before the life of another. And that, that is not an example of what a perfect leader is.

 Chapter 251 Orun And Wildria Moment I

    When they were done with the meeting consisting only of the high members in the specie, they arrived at a conclusion that involves Orun going to the Elven nation along with an entourage of his own.


    It was decided that he would start his journey there only after he was done witnessing the evolution of the Troll Chief and the rest of the Trolls with Wildria by his side.


    Wirh that said, Orun and Wildria made their way to the sand cave that is still under construction, halted for now, but will continue once the Trolls are done evolving.


    Orun and Wildria have been staying in the cave since the meeting was done with, so they could be there when the Trolls start their evolution.


    As for Theron and Monryck, they are above ground, in the forest specifically to coordinate the group living above.


    Monryck was tasked with introducing Theron to the rest of the monster kin that has been recruited so far, while Orun and Wildria will watch over the Trolls evolution.


    "Wildria, when I am gone, I want you to continue the monster recruitment into the desert".


    From the sand acting as the solid ground, Orun formed out a stool from it, for he and Wildria to sit on while they monitor the Trolls.


    Unlike Orun, Wildria is not as enthusiastic when ites to recruiting the monster species.


    She is leaning more on them taking care of the forest first and providing the basic amenities for survival that is guaranteed to rely on, not the scavenging they are currently into.


    They still do not have a reliable source to get water from, and only rely on Orun to use his teleportation as he does for the food, to procure water into several jar for them to drink on whenever they are thirsty.


    Everything is all a mess from Wildria''s point of view, a mess that Orun though very much aware of it, seeks to ignore it for the sake of having more monsters in the habitat.


    It is as if he does not know that if all this conditions are not met with in time, it could blow up in his face in a not so good way.


    While Orun goes out to recruit, Wildria is the one who have been putting everything together by passing down rules that will help maintain the water they have, rationing it so it willst them a long time.


    If she is not present as the alpha in their midst, to guide them in those aspects, there is no way the monsters will be coordinated amongst themselves, especially with most of them being equal in strength.


    It is not too far fetched to consider Wildria as the mother of the desert whose position is to see to it that order reigns and it is maintained at all times.


    "listen Orun. You should assign Theron or Monryck or any other member to do that. I have a lot to deal with already".


    It is not an Underestimated statement to say that all the inhabitant of the desert are stronger than eighty percent of monsters out there.


    Even the lowest amongst them has an existential value of one hundred thousand, putting them all as disaster ss monsters capable of featsmitted by Orun when he was once a disaster ss.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Giving them the task of recruiting newbie monster specie would do the job as they can easily overpower most of the monsters they wille by.


    Orun also knew that and what they are capable of, but he still insists on having Wildria to be the one to go.


    "don''t you think the leaders of the specie will find it offensive when they discover that the one''s who bested them is one of the subordinate and not a leading figure".


    Orun''s reasons for not wanting to send anyone other than Wildria alles down to maintaining the hierarchy.


    Whatever monster specie that is recruited, the leader of the specie will have a table amongst the decision makers of the soon toe empire.


    But, what will be of the reputation of a leader who got beaten up by a subordinate with no seat at the high table (short for where the leaders of each monster species gather to make decisions).


    Orun wants to maintain the hierarchy and he can only do that by preventing a scenario like that from taking ce.


    Even if the leader ends up getting evolved and be stronger than the subordinate that bested him inbat, it still doesn''t wash away the fact that he has been bested.


    The respect in that situation will be questioned by the subordinate who has once won against the leader.


    Of course, this is just an hypothesis that Orun cannot be sure would happen in the long run. But as the saying goes; prevention is better than cure.


    "as for Theron or Monryck, they will not be avable to go".


    In Monryck''s case, he is eligible to go out and recruit because he is a leader of a specie, so there will be no hierarchy lost, and might even lead to the beginning of a rivalry.


    He would have sent Monryck to go in ce of Wildria. However, he can''t do that for two good reasons.


    The first is that Monryck is still not fullymitted to Orun''s cause. The reason why Monryck is with Orun, is because he fears him not because he is unconditionally loyal to him unlike the Trolls who have pledged their loyalty to him, or the Wyverns who also pledged their loyalty to him.


    Majority of the Minotaurs respect Orun and are willing to follow him, but their leader is not the case.


    If Monryck who is not one hundred percentmitted to his cause was tasked with recruiting members for his cause, he won''t take it as seriously as Wildria or the Troll leader will.


    "the other reason why Monryck will not be avable is because I n on having him and Theron escort me to the Elven nation".

 Chapter 252 Orun And Wildria Moment Ij

    Orun has decided to listen to Wildria''s suggestion about him representing the monster kind on his visit to the Elven nation.


    Then he thought to himself, if he was going to go there with escorts, it is only right that he takes along with him the best of the best.


    Not only will they not hold him back if trouble ends up brewing, they will also be able to intimidate whatever enemy they end up making there, not that he ns on making any enemies, but like the saying also goes; nobody knows tomorrow.


    "with them apanying me, we will be sending an indirect message to the elves or whoever it is that really sent the letter to not mess with the monster kind, as we are not a race to be taken so lightly".


    Wildria turned her head to look at Orun with an expression that says; I am proud of you.


    "remember, you will also need a change of outfit for you and the others if you want to match the tone of the event".


    There is nothing wrong with Orun''s dressing as he covers most part of him except for revealing his arms.


    He feels that is dressing his appropriate enough to make his journey to the Elven nation. Wildria however does not agree with him on that.


    His current appearance protrays him as a warrior type monster who is ready to face whatever dangeres his way.


    That sort of dressing code is not exactly appropriate for attending to an asion regarding people of high ss aristocrats who will mostly likely be dressing formally and not as warriors intending to do battle.


    "the letter never said anything about them inviting you over for a war".


    If Orun was going over to the Elven nation to participate inbat activities, then sure he has the best outfit doned on at the moment.


    The reason for his invitation however was not conveyed in the letter. It would be inappropriate of Orun to assume that they want to harm him or called him over forbat purposes.


    "in situations like this where we don''t know why you were invited, you have to show them respect by going with a formal yet ceremonial attire".


    The way for Orun to honor the Elven queen''s invitation is not only by attending, but by making sure that he attends it in a stylish manner.


    "sigh... I am starting to regret agreeing to go to the Elven nation and guess what? I haven''t even started the journey".


    With the rules and demands that Wildria is asking from Orun, it is making him have second thoughts on his decision.


    How an ordinary visitation letter could lead into him taking along entourages, or dressing morously is a mystery to Orun, one that he fails to understand.


    "you know, if it was possible to do, you would be a better fit to go than I am".


    Orun was not saying it as a joke to tter Wildria. If it was really possible for him, he would switch the role and have Wildria who is so knowledgeable in that aspect be the one to go in his ce.


    "what about you tagging along".


    "no way!".


    Wildria was quick to reject Orun''s offer about her following him to the Elven nation.


    "like I said, I have far too much on my te already. Besides, if I were to follow you, who will maintain order among the monsters".


    Orun knew what she was saying, and why it would be trouble if he or Wildria was not around the base.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Putting Travon the Troll Chief to be in charge was not an option to be considered for both of them.


    What they need, is an already known face with clear superiority to maintain peace in the base. Wildria by far has the highest authority after Orun as she not only has an individual power beyond every monster in the camp, but she also has the Wyverns who are also by far currently the strongest monster specie in the base under her directmand.


    With a force like that, there is nobody in the base who can oppose hermand, nobody expect for the one who brought them all together.


    Unlike the Troll Chief who is sure to be stronger after his evolution, he is bound to stillck behind in terms of militaristic power.


    The Wyverns might not have a problem with following Travon''s order, but the same cannot be said for the Minotaurs.


    After his evolution, his rank will ce him as an equal to the Minotaur leader, and that can lead to them having an issue with following orders from someone whose rank is the same as their leader.


    Wildria''s presence, is meant to stop that from ever happening.


    "thinking about it now, there is still a lot of work to be done".


    Orunmented on how to maintain the hierarchy to prevent any case rting to a civil conflict among two monster specie living in the desert.


    The fact that he brought them together does not mean they will stay together and not quarrel from time to time.


    There are times like this when he will be absent, and the same could be said for when Wildria will not be around to coordinate them.


    In such situations, Orun has to think of a way to make them all be able to work together without the presence of he or Wildria.


    "something is happening".


    Wildria got up from where she sat as she saw the light glowing from the bodies of theid down Trolls.


    Orun hurriedly got up as well and ced his hand on Wildria''s eyes to make it so she will not be blinded by the light.


    [ Master, she has no need for it. Her eyes are already enhanced enough to not be blinded by the light ]


    ''ohhh!''.


    "what are you doing".


    Wildria asked with Orun''s hand covering her face.


    "i...i am..."


    Orun hesitated in his words, looking for what to say to clear off the awkward mood.


    "nothing".


    With a straight and serious face on, he retracted his hand and turned his head to the Trolls who are glowing and are about to undergo their evolution, with the effects simr to when Theron had done his.


    Travon afterpleting the evolution process, opened his eyes and picked himself up from the ground to check out the changes that appeared in his physical features.

 Chapter 253 Bellrath Forest

    *** Location = Bellrath Forest ***


    Bellrath Forest? A wide woond filled with trees of all kinds, shapes, colors andes in variable sizes.


    A ce for mystical creatures only talked about in legends passed down through ancient texts, stories, and imaginal fantasies.


    The size of Bellrath forest whenpared to the size of the world, is taking up at least neen percent of the world''s totalnd mass.


    This holy ce is ruled over by a race known to all to have an akin rtionship with nature, and are even said to have been an existence born out of nature itself.


    Their love for the natural habitat represented in the form of forest can be traced back to their root of existence.


    The race mentioned is none other than the Elven race, with a poption of millions that made Bellrath forest their home.


    There are four heads generally referred to as ns amongst the Elves. This ns represents the first elements of nature and are arranged in this order.


    Inanin n bearing the surname Alluin and representing the elements of fire.


    Onmin n with a surname Rofir and its elemental representative is the water elemental.


    Afefin n having the surname Kafir and its the elemental representative for Wind element.


    Ilenon n have a surname of Torsys and the elemental it represents is the element of Earth.


    As a member of the Elven nation, one must belong to any of the four ns listed above, and their surname serves as the representation of what n they belong to within the nation.


    The leaders of each n make up the body known as the council of elders, responsible for the decision contemtion of the kingdom.


    The end result of their contemtion is to be tendered before the one with the highest authority, their queen, Dilya Etoris, first name as Dilya and Etoris being the royal name bestowed upon members of the Elven royal family.


    Dilya is the eight queen of the Elven Royals to have ruled over the Bellrath Forest, and as short as the number might sound for a powerful race as the Elven, it isn''t.


    The Elves as it is generally known, are blessed with extraordinary long lifespan that not even the oldest animal on earth can hope to contend against.


    The lowest rated Elf can live for as long as five hundred years, and the most durable amongst them is capable of going through two thousand years or more.


    As for the Elven Royals, they are capable of living through two generations of the most durable elves in the nation.


    .


    .


    He ced his hand around her waist and used it to draw her body closer to himself.


    "we shouldn''t be doing this".


    She said as she slightly let her lips open for his mouth toe in. They both clocked lips together, engaging in a steamy hot kiss that involves the exchange of saliva.


    He slowly traces his hand above, putting it on her cheek as he pressed his mouth deeper into her''s.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They continued to exchange breath and taking a step back from the door way, with their steps leading them to the bed located at a small distance away from the door.


    The size of the room was only big enough to fit in the basic amenities of living with a bed big enough for an adult toy on.


    When they got to the edge of the bed, the man slowly pushed her down with his mouth still in her''s and his hand on her face.


    The girl sat on the bed while still exchanging saliva with him, making him have to bend his body downward.


    "we really should not be doing this, Elmon".


    She withdrew her lips from his and called out to the guy who already has his hand traced down into her clothing to where her bosom was.


    He ignored her words and groped her bosom, squishing it while massaging the pointy nipple as he pushes the rest of her body on the bed.


    She om the other hand gracefully epted his body into her embrace with her mouth opened wide for him toe into.


    Her eyes stammered like she had been heavily intoxicated as Elmon started kissing her face all over, pushing his limits to below.


    He got to her chest and swiped open her cloth only to reveal her blue bra with a thin handle attached to her shoulder.


    He shifted the bra to the side and opened up her plump, fresh looking breast crowned with a pink fully erected nipple.


    With a glitter in his eyes, he digged his mouth into her nipple, sucking down on it like a starving dog.


    Elmon kept his other hand busy by having it fondle her other nipple, grabbing a hold of it with his palm wide open and stroking the nipple with a finger, pressing it in and out.


    "haaaaa".


    She released a soft seductive moan that only serves to sexually arouse Elmon.


    Elmon teased her breast by using his tongue to p it. He fiddled with it, pushing it in and pushing it back out.


    She couldn''t resist the urge to drag Elmon''s face back up so she could give him a deep kiss that once again involves the heavy sharing of saliva.


    He moved the hand that was fiddling with her nipple and brought it down to her privates, very close to breaching through her pants and getting in when his hand was stopped.


    "that is enough Elmon!".


    She was able to get herself together and not get carried away by the pleasure just so she could stop Elmon in time before he got to her underpant.


    She pushed him away and got her upper body up from the bed, then she redressed herself by tucking in her fleshed out breasts that was out of her cloth.


    "what is the matter with you Leena".


    Elmon with a disgruntled expression called out to thedy sitting on the bed with her bra still open for him to see.


    "me? You are the one going too far. I told you to stop it already but you wouldn''t listen".

 Chapter 254 Forbidden Relationship

    "seriously Leena, I don''t understand why you have to be this way all the time. We have been together for how many years now, and yet we still have not once copted".


    "you speak as though we have legally been bonded together by our parents".


    Leena''s face expressed how angry she was starting to get at the words spoken by Elmon.


    When Elmon saw that she was starting to get agitated, he calmed himself down and sat next to her on the bed to calm her down.


    "i am sorry, I got too heated for no reason. I shouldn''t have done that".


    He ced his head on her emerald colored hair and started patting it as he conveyed his apology to her.


    "no, I am also at fault for getting angry".


    She jumped herself into his embrace, putting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his body.


    "this must be difficult for you, but we have no choice. It is the way it has always been, and there is nothing we can do to change that".


    She positioned her head on his chest while he gave her a peck on her forehead with his hand still striking down her hair.


    They showed their affection by maintaining their love pose for a while with both of them remaining silent.


    "Leena, we should make a run for it. Leave everything behind and just get ourselves out of here".


    Elmon broke the silence with words that were displeasing to the ears of Leena.


    She moved out of his warm embrace and stood up from the bed to pace her steps a little before replying him.


    "you know perfectly well why that is not possible for me".


    "why not? You are only saying it is not possible because you don''t believe in it or work towards making it possible".


    "what about my obligations? You want me to abandon everything? Leave it all behind to run? My mother would not tolerate that, nor will she be happy about it when she finds out".


    Leena, with her full name being Leena Etoris, daughter of the current Elven queen, Dilya Etoris, and the next in line to inherit the throne as the monarch of the elves nation.


    Elmon belongs to the nin n of the Elven nation with his surname as Alluin.


    He got up from the bed and moved closer to her. Grabbing unto her shoulder to stop her moving about and look her in the eyes with an affectionate gaze.


    "no Leena. I don''t want you to abandon everything, what I want is for you to choose what will make you happy, not what will make the others happy. Your happiness shoulde first before anyone else".


    The rtionship between the two has been kept a secret from others, especially her mother the queen for credible reasons.


    Leena is a royal who is next in line to the throne. For someone of such status, her betrothed one will be chosen based on qualifications and not on affection.


    Elmon by standard does not fit the requirements or qualification needed to be Lenna''s betrothed one in terms of heritage status or physical status.


    His case is no different from the story of a royal prince falling in love with amoner female except the reverse is the case here.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Elmon is well aware that if Leena ends up seeding her mother, he will never be able to stand by her side as an equal but rather as one of her subjects who would only be able to gaze at her shadow from below the podium.


    He doesn''t want that to be his fate, to be how his love for her ends, as a fragment of the memories made in the past.


    "i don''t have a choice or a say in this matter Elmon. My path has been decided for me already the moment I was born as a royal. I am set to inherit the throne and there is nothing that can change that".


    ording to the marital rituals of the Elves born to the royal bloodline, the bride must stay pure until the night of her marriage, is a tradition they hold very dear.


    For rification, this tradition does not apply to non-royal members. They elves have very extended lifespan, so holding on to their chastity till then can be very difficult to aplish for most.


    It only applies to the Royals who are meant to set an appropriate example for the people they rule over.


    No matter how deep the love between Leena and Elmon is, they are forbidden from ever engaging in sexual intercourse because Elmon has yet to be dered as her legal partner.


    If this tradition were to be shamed on, the one to bear the consequences will be the both of them, resulting in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives, and for an easy punishment, the result will be lessened and death will be swiftly granted.


    "don''t let yourself be tied down by responsibilities you never chose for yourself. Please Leena, don''t do this to me. Do not let our separation be as a result of you bing queen".


    Elmon got on his knees and held unto Leena''s two hands with his head rested on her thighs.


    "please, it is not toote for you, for us".


    Elmon turns her palm over, showering it with kisses on all sides as he stared passionately at her.


    Leena returned his loving gaze with a loving gaze of her own, eyes filled only with affection directed at him.


    She loves Elmon just as much as he loves her, if not higher than that, but there are certain things that love cannot ovee.


    What Elmon is asking of her is too much for her to make a reality, or even consider it as an option.


    "i am sorry Elmon, but we have to end this now".


    Leena with a dejected expression, let go of Elmon''s hand and made her way out of his apartment in rejection of his proposal.


    She left him on his knees feeling lost, rejected and unwanted by her as she puts an end to years of their being together with a short sentence.


    "damn it!!!!!"


    In anger, Elmon banged his fist on the floor several times, cracking open a part of the poorly made wooden floor.


    [ I told you, she was never going to ept you. There is only one way to make her ept, and we both know what you need to do ]


    The thick ominous voice rose up from Elmon''s shadow in the form of cold dark fog that carries with it, a sense of pure malice.


    [ Open the gates, and free her of the responsibilities ]


    The voice silently whispered alluring words with a caring tone that would make one believe that truly, it cares.

 Chapter 255 Waiting For The Guest

    Her feet hurried itself on the ground, wasting no time hopping on it as she hoped to breach the distance between her and the majestic figure whose back was turned toward her.


    The multitude that stood in her path made way for her so she could go through and arrive at her destination in time.


    Leena sessfully crossed through the door and arrived at her location, moving sneakily to stand beside a presence whose appearance proved very difficult to not mistake her as Leena''s twin sister.


    For those who do not know them and are just seeing them for the first time, they would go to lengths to argue about her and Leena been of the same age and given birth to at the same time.


    "you arete".


    The distinguishable factor between her and Leena is that, unlike Leena who is capable of making different expressions with her facial features, she only had on her a cold stern expression even when speaking to the one considered as her daughter.


    "i apologize mother, I was held up".


    Leena stood beside her mother dressed in a morous gown adorned with shiny emerald ornaments with diamondsced on her waist, and a tiara made out of diamonds shaped like flowers was crowned on her head.


    She had the allure of a mystical beauty as was her mother who was dressed simr to her, but with a more beautifully made crown.


    Both their emerald colored eyes glowed as the rays of the sun fell on them, brightening up the atmosphere surrounding them both.


    "i am sure you were instructed to wake up early as we would be having guests over".


    The events that happened yesterday between Leena and Elmon got to her so badly that when she got back to the Elven pce, she went straight to bed to cry her eyes out knowing that she would never see him again.


    Her love for him still remains, but her desire to note short of her mother''s expectations got the best of her.


    Going back to see Elmon would only dissolve her resolve on her already made decisions, and would also only lead to fill Elmon with fruitless expectations that will nevere to pass.


    "i am here now aren''t I?"


    She replied her mother with her face directed at the front in expectant of who woulde through the barrier epassing the whole of Bellrath Forest.


    Bellrath Forest is an habitat exclusive only to the Elves. To ensure their safety in it and to protect the forest, some certain precautions were put in ce.


    The forest is covered in a camouge barrier to hide its whereabouts and prevent any intruder froming in.


    For those who are outside the barrier, all they will see from there are heaps of mountains lined up in uneven locations.


    While from the inside, the Elves vision on what the outside world looks like are blurred to them, covered in mists for the average citizens, while the higher ups have the leverage of seeing the outside world through the use of an orb projection.


    A parade was lined up on the well kempt streets with elves standing on each side, waiting for their honorable visitor.


    Three of the Elven that make up the council of elders are standing next to Dilya and Leena.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Alluin Elder elf representing the Inanin n with the element of fire stood beside Dilya, while the Kyfir Elder elf representing the Afefin n, the element of Wind stood near the Alluin Elder.


    The Rofir Elder elf of the Onmin n and a representation of the Water element was positioned beside Leena.


    There are two males and two females represented as the council. The females are the Onmin Elder and the Afefin Elder whose facial features does not in any way match with their titles as elders, and instead depicts them as elves in theirte thirties.


    The same applies to the Inanin and the Ilenon elder, the two males who look nothing at all as elders, and rather as young hot males still active in their youthful days.


    The only elder missing from the group, is the Torsys Elder of the Ilenon n representing the Earth element.


    Behind Dilya, Leena, and the three council of elders, are a multitude of elves belonging to a high ranking position, all waiting out in the sun for their invited guest to arrive.


    The three council elders are dressed in matching attires. A white attire as the outer part, with the inner wear represented by the color form of the elements they are addressed by.


    .


    .


    Orun had got himself ready to make his journey down to the Elven nation, to honor the invitation sent to him by their queen, or at least that is ording to what the letter says.


    He considered what Wildria told him about his choice of outfit to the Elven nation and opted to creating a new form of outfit that matched well with the asion.


    Using his mana as the material, he made a new clothing for himself, Theron, and Monryck.


    For Monryck and Theron, he dressed them up as warriors, the fierce kind that shows how diligent they are about their job, covering their chest with tight fitting clothing while letting open their shoulders to reveal the artistic drawings carved from their shoulders down to their wrist.


    Orun wore a ck long sleeved coat reaching to his legs with gold ted buttons on it, revealing his inner wear that consisted of his actual wear from when he evolved.


    He let the thick fluffy cor of his coat fly free while he had his long braided hair untied and washed down, with some parts of it brushed to the front, covering half of his face on the left side and on the right side, is his crimson pupil surrounded by the ck eyeballs.


    "this should be good enough, right".


    He asked, waiting for a reply from Wildria who is before him in observation mode.


    "yes it is".


    She moved closer to him, closing in on whatever gap that was supposed to demarcate them, and brought him into her embrace like a mother cuddling her child.


    "be careful out there".


    She said with Orun wrapped tightly into her embrace.

 Chapter 256 Your Loyalty Is Appreciated

    He is about to venture into thend of the unknown, with no knowledge of what awaits him, or if he is being led right into a trap.


    To keep up the dignity of his race and show to whoever invited him that he is not a coward, he has to leave his home and journey there.


    He also wants to know, what the sender wants with him, how they know about his existence and where he lives.


    For this reasons, Orun has to go. He has no choice or ways to stop himself from not going.


    The sender is a ticking time bomb who knows of his whereabouts while he knows nothing about theirs. There is no telling what could be done with such information at their disposal.


    At the very least, he has to know the identity of the sender, if truly it is a human, or one of the schemes plotted for by the humans.


    Wildria is aware that Orun has a teleportation ability and could easily transport himself away from danger. She also knows how strong he is, and how nearly impossible it is for him toe across an opponent worthy enough to face off against his likes.


    She is aware about it all, but a part of her still worries for his well being.


    "you have nothing to worry about mydy. I will be sure to protect my lord with my life".


    Theron standing at the right side of Orun raised his right hand up and beat his chest with it, assuring Wildria that he is ready to risk his life at the expense of Orun getting to live.


    "sa.....same here".


    Monryck standing on the left side of Orun, hesitantly dered himself as such to not feel left out. After all, he and Theron are the ones escorting him all the way.


    The rest of the desert dwellers, the Trolls, the Wyverns, and the Minotaurs were all out of their roof to say their farewells to Orun.


    They bowed to Orun who got himself out of Wildria''s embrace and got ready to start his journey.


    For the travel, Orun used his forest skill to build a carriage, an air carriage driven by two Wyverns at the front.


    Orun at first suggested them riding on the Wyverns back, but Wildria once again shuts it down under the excuse that he has to look as dignified as possible during his meeting with the monarch of a different race.


    Hence his reasons for sacrificing maximum speed efficiency for the sake of showing the Elves how dignified monsters can be when they put their hearts to it.


    He made the carriage fancy looking with the same symbol on his waist ced at the center of the carriage for anyone who encounters it to know, that its a ride meant for monsters, not like the Wyverns are not enough to hint one to such conclusions, or what are the chances of him evering across passersby in the sky?


    Theron and Monryck had no problems fitting into the carriage because it is big enough to fit in three Wyverns who are huge lookingpared to the Minotaurs and the Trolls.


    "my lord, have a safe journey ahead. I and mydy will see to it that youe back and meet us all in one piece".


    Travon the Troll Chief, saw Orun off with words meant to put his heart at ease and not worry about the situations in the desert.


    Orun nodded and got into the carriage with Monryck and Theron following behind him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The inner workings of the carriage is made of wood as is the outer parts. The woods are finely decorated by Oracle that made it difficult to discern if it was really made of wood or expensive ck diamonds used to carve it out.


    There are approximately four windows in the carriage. One on the left, one on the right, one at the back, and one at the front.


    The size of each window is big enough to have Orun fit himself through if he ever has the intention of getting into the carriage by using the window path.


    Orun sat inside the carriage, in a position where the window situated at the front was facing him, while Theron sat on the right side where the right window was faced. Monryck took the left side of the window and together, the three made a triangle sitting position.


    When they were all well sitted Inside the carriage, the door closed by itself and the two Wyverns prepared to make their liftoff into the sky.


    Orun has shown them the map leading to their destination and since they are mounts with reasoning, there is no need for someone to sit outside the carriage to control their actions.


    The moment that the Wyverns flew off the ground could be felt from inside the carriage as Orun had this feeling of his inner parts souring up before being brought back down when the Wyverns steadied their flight.


    While they were making their air journey, Orun was in deep thoughts regarding what to expect where he is going, and sorting out the actions he should take for whatever circumstances he ends up in when he gets to his destination.


    "my lord, you have nothing to fear. I will see to it that my life is taken from me before any danger gets to you".


    Theron saw the expression that Orun was making, and he from his own point of view thought that Orun was scared about where they are going.


    A part of him is indeed scared, but not for himself. He is scared for what will be of the loyal Theron and the hesitantly loyal Monryck when theye across a danger that not even his teleportation ability can save them from.


    He is strong enough to protect himself and so are they. Assuming by a streak of bad luck, they got into a trouble that ended up with all three or five plus the two Wyverns riding the carriage.


    A trouble that takes the life of all five of them. Orun has nothing to worry about as he can be reborn due to being an elemental spirit king.


    The part where Orun loses his memory after being reborn has been patched up by Oracle who came up with an idea to have Orun''s memory stored away and ends up resurfacing after his death.


    It has not been verified yet if it will work as intended or not, but this is Oracle we are talking about here.


    The same skill that when it was still just Known Knowledge, it sessfully rebuilt Orun''s body thereby turning him into an half spiritual entity, with another achievement of rebuilding his skill into a supposedly hard to get rank.


    After all it has done, the thought that Oracle can store away his memory for use in case he dies no longer sounds funny or false to his ears.


    As he can resurrect with no qualms even with memory loss, the same cannot be said for the four of them.


    "your loyalty is appreciated Theron".


    Orun felt there was no reason to correct him as to why he had the look on his face or what kind of look it really meant.


    Theron taking advantage of the opportunity to once again convey his loyalty to him is more than weed.

 Chapter 257 Blocked!

    After a long hours of what seemed like a flight with no end, Orun''s carriage finally arrived at the destination that marked the end on the map given.


    "it appears we have arrived at our destination".


    The Wyverns smoothnding was felt from inside the carriage, giving Orun the impression that they have gotten to where the map ended.


    Orun and Monryck followed by Theron got out of the carriage and out into the light to see how their surrounding is.


    "we apologize lord Orun. We were just as surprised as you are when we saw that this is where the map stopped at".


    One of the Wyvern turned his head toward Orun after he came out of the carriage and saw his location.


    Where the Wyvernsnded on is a grasnd area, while before them is a mountain range area, the kind that has grass growing on it.


    The mountain from where he looked seemed endless as the farther the range of his eyes goes, the taller the mountains gets.


    "there is no reason for you to be sorry".


    Orun could sense the mana fluctuations in the mountains going about in the form of a fog flowing through every nooks and crannies of the mountains.


    [ Master, there is a barrier ced before you ].


    Oracle informed Orun of what he is already assuming after seeing the weird fluctuations of mana, and how it seemed to only be entrapped in a particr spot.


    Sort of like a demarcated site and not an ounce of mana dropped to the other side. The mana was too concentrated on the demarcation to buy it off as a natural urrence.


    "My lord, this really must be a trap as you have feared".


    Theron was quick to move into defensive mode, standing in front of Orun as he surveys his surroundings for any unexpected movements.


    Monryck also hastily responded by moving to Orun''s back with his hand thrusted out ready to respond to whateveres his way.


    "the both of you need to rx".


    Orun assumed they were at the right ce, and the credibility of the letter belonging to the Elves proven to be right.


    His reasons for jumping into this conclusion is due to the kind of barrier formed around the mountain.


    It is not an offense type barrier but a defense type barrier, a camouge barrier if you well, meant to keep something hidden.


    One would not go as far as casting such a barrier unless they have something important to keep hidden, and the range that the barrier extends to is also prove that whatever they want hidden, is massive.


    Inviting him to a ce where they had to use a barrier to cover their prized belongings in arge scope ofnd, and wide enough to have an entire racial poption to live in.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That doesn''t sound like he was being led into a trap in his ears. But then again, he can never be too sure of what has yet to be affirmed.


    Orun snuck his way past the hole in Monryck''s and Theron''s body shield and moved himself closer to where he felt the mana radiation starting from.


    "this is more than just a barrier! The realism projected through it is..... magnificent".


    Orun had his hand touching the barrier, but he felt nothing that seemed out of ce.


    It was the same as when he thrusts out his hand to thin air, the feeling that its a stand alone with nothing but the connection to the shoulder supporting its ability to keep standing.


    He proceeded to move closer in, and to his surprise, he was able to get in and still felt nothing out of ce.


    Orun had thought that the barrier was going to reject him by bouncing him back, or that if he did sessfully get in, the Elven nation that is covered by the barrier will be projected to him.


    Contrary to his thinking, he was able to get into the barriers range, but what he saw was not what he thought he would see.


    It all felt too natural, like he was staring at the first mountain making up the several mountains lined up behind and beside it.


    He ced his hand on the mountain and once again, Orun was astonished by the perfect realism and sensation ofing into contact with a real mountain.


    With this much realistic feeling, even he would have been confused about how true the mountain is if Oracle had not told him otherwise.


    "what should we do my lord".


    I''m the eyes of Monryck and Theron, the ce they got invited to is a deserted location, an end in the form of mountains blocking their path ahead.


    Looking at it from the sky also does not assure that there is an end to the mountain so obviously, there is a pathway through that involves going past the mountains to get to their real destination.


    Unfortunately for them, there is no noticeable route to act as a sign that this is where they need to go if they want to get past the mountains, unless forcing their way through by bringing down the mountains that stands in their path.


    In other words, they are stranded with no way in to their real destination, and the supposed Elves who invited them here did not make things any easier for them.


    The least they could have done is put up a signboard Indicating that this is where they need to go through to get to their real destination.


    Or better still, they could have people standing guards outside the barrier to give people directions and also inform those inside of the barrier for any trespassers.


    There are lots of ways Orun thought about that would make things easier for them and the Elves.


    He would have informed them that he was going toe early, but there is no way for him to do that. Why? Because all they sent him was a letter leading to here, a ce covered in barrier with no way in.

 Chapter 258 A Vortex

    Perhaps they forgot to add in a way for Orun tomunicate with them so he could inform them of hising beforehand and give them time to prepare to deal with situations like this.


    Or the Elves did not forget and only just decided to not add it in. Orun couldn''t tell which one it was.


    He could try asking Oracle if there was a way to break through the barrier, but that doesn''t sound user friendly in his ears, and he doubts that the Elves will think otherwise about it.


    Orun is yet to discover what kind of people the Elves really are, so doing things too rashly could end up leading to severalplications for him, and he doesn''t want that.


    "from where I see things, we have two choices on our hands. We can either go back home or stay long enough for anyone toe through the barrier and hopefully get us into it".


    Orun suggested them heading back because now that he knows what the terrain of the map looks like in person, he will now be able to use the teleportation ability to get himself here in no time.


    He proposed the idea of waiting it out because he considerd it improper for them to teleport back to the desert empty handed, no knowledge or even a tiny bit of information gained other than the fact that the Elven nation is surrounded by a barrier.


    After the ceremonial farewell done to see them all off, and they just appear back hours after they left? That isn''t cool.


    It would look like a joke, and also give the idea that the journey to the Elven nation from the desert is a short distanced one, but it isn''t.


    The only reason why they got here in hours is all due to the flight speed of the Wyverns. They however would not understand when told that.


    Orun looked to his side in caution of the movements felt from it. The fluctuations around it dispersed, and it felt like the space was being ripped open.


    Monryck and Theron who were observing Orun turned their heads to where his eyes were focused on, and they saw what was happening.


    They hurried themselves to his side, standing in front of him with their bodies positioned to counter what wasing out from the ripped up space.


    "stand down".


    Orun sensed on form off ill will from where the space had being ripped open like a ck hole inside of the mountain.


    The leg came out of the space followed by a slim body measuring around a six and a half with really long pointy ears on each side.


    It was a man that came out, and he was putting on a full white attire with hints of green as the inner wear, on his wrist and on his cor.


    He was young as he was handsome, unting his dashing face with his short haircut.


    The man got closer and slightly bowed his head to Orun who is being shielded by Monryck and Theron.


    "i apologize for the dy. I had to wait to see if you were being trailed before I could reveal myself".


    His voice was filled with unconditional respect toward Orun, the kind that he had never been treated with by an outsider ever before, except for Theron who he helped break his tribe''s curse.


    It had Orun on edge concerning why an outsider would treat him with such respect, and even going so far as bowing to him before apologizing.


    "your apology is epted".


    Orun though still surprised knew he had to keep up appearances as one who is set to lead a race.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He spoke to the elf with dignity befitting a leader, and had an expression that brought out his charismatic side.


    "i am the elder of the Ilenon n with the name of Torsys, and I shall be your escort that will lead you to the nation of the elves".


    Torsys once again bowed his head before Orun, putting even Theron and Monryck in confusion at his excess disy of respect toward him.


    Orun on the other hand was unshaken by it. He has programmed his mind to he ready for anything and even though he was caught unaware the first time Torsys bowed to him, he does not n on letting it repeat itself.


    "i am Orun, leader of the monster kind and ruler of...."


    Orun stopped himself for a second to think about what should be used to introduce the area that he rules over.


    Calling it a desert does not exactly bring out its appeal. If anything, it does the opposite of that.


    The desert is well on its way to bing a ce where monster kind can be free, but it isn''t there yet, and does he really n on having his nation be referred to as a nation of monsters?


    "I am Orun, ruler of the monster kind. On my left side is Monryck, leader of the Minotaur specie and on my right side is Theron, a member of the Trolls specie".


    Orun could not find the perfect word to describe thend he rules over just yet, so he changed his whole form of introduction as ruler of monsters rather than a leader.


    Even though they both have the same meaning, the weight they carry when spoken shows how different the two words can be.


    He introduced Monryck and Theron by having his hand point out which one was which as he mentioned their names.


    "very well then Lord Orun, I shall now bring you and your subordinates through the barrier".


    Torsys bowed his head before getting it back up and turning his body toward the barrier.


    He reached out his hand on the barrier and created a vortex, the kind that he hade out from.


    "please, you can all go in now".


    He said, moving aside with his hand honorable stretched out like he was leading the way for Orun to pass through.


    "i don''t think that is going to be big enough to fit them in".


    Orun has no n om leaving the Wyverns outside here while they go in. The vortex was only big enough to fit in Monryck, so he was quick to point to the Wyverns, making it known to Torsys.


    "you have nothing to worry about. As long as they go in, the barrier will open up for them to fit their bodies in".


    "i see!".


    Orun having heard that, made his first step through the barrier while getting himself for anything.


    The excess respect he was given was not enough to let his guard down around him.

 Chapter 259 Orun In The Elven Nation

    Orun''s step through the vortex brought him into what seemed like a new world with a different form of sensation from the outside world.


    Where he was looked very colorful and vibrant, an effect brought about by the variable colors from the sun''s ray, and the birds flying up in the sky.


    To him, the ce felt like paradise. The sort of ce that one would sleep in and pray to never be woken up from their slumber.


    In front of him, is a parade beautified with flowers on the ground, leading all the way to the multiple figures standing at the end of the flowers stop.


    On each side of the parade are the multitude of elves with a line also reaching to the end of the flowers ced on the ground.


    Theie eyes were glued specifically on Orun, like they were all waiting for him to start walking down the aisle.


    Orun did not know what to make of this phenomenon, a situation were the elves are all looking at him with eyes of admiration.


    It was as if he was being revered to as a God and they are his loyal humble subjects meant to always demonstrate before him their sense of humility.


    Orun walked down the isle with Torsys by his side acting as a guide, while he had Theron and Monryck stand behind him. Standing behind Theron and Monryck, are the two Wyverns who followed them in.


    The atmosphere was silent with Orun gently cing down his steps, and the Elves bowing to him as he walked past them.


    Orum questioned the meaning of what was going on. If this was natural tradition for the Elves when they Invite someone over on the orders of their queen.


    He also questioned how they knew of his arrival when he had yet to Inform them, but that side of his question was answered when he thought of the map he was given.


    The map''s only function might not have been to use as a location sensor but also as a movement sensor that would allow them to detect when it is on the move.


    He was too shot minded to have thought of that possibility. Without knowing, Orun had risked giving out his movement to an unknown person.


    Knowing this, Orun got himself on alert mode and making sure to not dull his body movements when the timees for it to act.


    Their friendliness act toward him is not only too excessive, it is also uncalled for seeing as how they are just meeting him for the first time.


    Their aim might be to let his guard down, but he won''t fall for that. His body is well protected by the cloth he is putting on.


    As it is made out of Orun''s mana, the rank of the clothing puts it in the same rank as the weapon Caius had made during their battle.


    If they want to pull anything up their sleeve, they are going to have to first go through his clothing before they can get to him.


    He would also be quick to react before they can even think of breaching through his clothing.


    "Wee lord Orun, we have been expecting you".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While he was in his thoughts, Orun made sure to have his eyes faced forward to when he got to the end of the isle.


    The first thing he noticed at the end of it is the presence of two dignified presence outshining the several figures that stood beside and behind them.


    The one that stood out at the center greeted Orun with her head still up while the rest of the elves including the one with a simr facial features to her also bowed her head.


    Torsys joined the rest of the elves in bowing. Before he did that, he changed his stand by moving to position himself beside another elve on the same attire as him but with a different inner color wear.


    Orun had his right hand raised up with his palm all open wide. He controlled the palm, putting it down as a way to indicate for Theron and Monryck to bow their heads like the Elves had done.


    His hand gesture got to Monryck and Theron, swiftly bowing down their heads in the same length that the elves did.


    Orun on the other hand, kept his head up like the one who he thought of as the Elven queen did.


    He figured the subordinates bowing their heads was a way to show respects to each monarch and it was improper for the monarchs themselves to bow to another monarch.


    A monarch bowing their head to another monarch could indicate that they sumb to the power of the monarch, admitting to them that they are of the lesser power and hereby submit their loyalty to the one with the higher power.


    That is how Orun managed to interpret the situation from his own point of view. He could see that the Elven leader had no problems with him not bowing his head to her.


    "I hope the journey here was not too stressful".


    "it wasn''t".


    Following the Queen''s next question, all the subordinates had returned the position of their heads to where it once was.


    Orun wanted to skip to asking the main question that brought him here, which is how the Elven queen got to know about him and his location.


    Why she sent the invitation is on the second line of what to ask. That could be answered once he is clear of the first question.


    He wanted to ask, but the mood did not permit him to, nor did the Elven queen''s way of acting toward him.


    "we have prepared a weing ceremony for you. But before that, the maids will have you escorted to where you will be staying to freshen up and wash away the difort of the journey".


    Her facial expression when she was taking to Orun was unexpressive enough for the words she was saying, but he understood her intent behind such words.


    "yes, I would appreciate that".

 Chapter 260 A Symbol

    Orun from where he stood, could see the vibrant colors of the trees and how they are orderly arranged.


    There was a center to the trees and that center had a road leading all the way to the Elven castle that was constructed with a well defined material, bringing out the emerald colored castle and adding vor to its shape.


    The center of the trees is also the ce where the elves had earlier lined up on each sides in respect to wee Orun''s presence.


    Thend from atop where Orun viewed it, looks very peaceful and unchaotic. Never would he have thought that a ce like this could ever exist in this world.


    After the morous entry and the honorary weing mood staged by the elves, Orun was escorted to the pce and given a room of his own to reside in.


    He is to be taken care of before being brought over to the celebrating mood that have been prepared to officially wee him, that is ording to what was said by the Elven queen.


    Orun still has doubts in his mind and is making sure to thread his path as carefully as it gets.


    Thrown in a fancyrge sized room full of diamond decorations, a bed that would be enough to fit in two Monryck sized, it''s own personal toilet, washing room and a balcony where he can see how the outside world looks like.


    It all sure looks tempting, sounds tempting, and definitely is tempting enough to have Orun ward off any doubts he has about the elves, but he is not buying any of that, nor is he going to fall for it so easily.


    Until he gets to know the how, he is not going to fall for any of the charade, get too attached orfortable with it.


    "Lord Orun, may wee in".


    Orun turned his attention over to the voice that came from behind the door asking him for permission.


    "you maye in".


    He said, getting himself up and walked his way out the balcony and into the room to sit on the couch.


    "we have prepared the bath for you Lord Orun".


    Two elf dressed in lemon and blue colored maid outfit pushed the door open and walked into the room.


    They made certain to bow their heads to Orun before telling him of what brought them to him.


    They said they have a bath prepared, but he wondered about the washing room that is just in the corner of the room, while they came from outside the room, still yet to go into the washing room.


    Exactly what sort of bath or where he would be taking the bath is unknown since they are not referring to the washing room located in the corner of the room.


    He was starting to get mentally stressed even though that is not possible. The thought of how this so called rich do their things is way too tiring for Orun to cope with.


    "lead me there".


    He reluctantly got up from his seat and got ready to follow them to where this so called bath is.


    "what about my subordinates".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They had gone out of the room and are now walking in the hallway with Orun standing in between the two maids.


    "you need not worry much Lord Orun. They are in safe hands, and are getting ready for the ball as you are".


    They sound convincing, act convincing and even look convincing when talking about them.


    Orun sensed no form of malice in their words spoken and was even beginning to think that he might have jumped too far in his denial of their nice act.


    "why are you both so nice to me? You haven''t met me before nor do you know me from somewhere, so why are you acting like this towards me? Or is this how all elfs are? Being so nice all the time".


    It was starting to really bother Orun greatly. The elves are living inside of a barrier, isting themselves from the outside world and the events going on in it.


    He thought for a second that it might be the reason why the elves are being so nice, because they have yet to experience the harsh reality of life after being trapped in a fairy-tale world all their life.


    "no Lord Orun. We are not just nice to everybody we meet for the first time".


    "then why are you being nice to me".


    "because Lord Orun is more than just anybody to us elves. You are a symbol, one we never thought we would get the chance of meeting in the flesh".


    Honestly, the way the two maids were acting was starting to creep Orun out. They are like those stalkers who you have never met before, but they just so love you to the point where they start sending you creepy messages of how the inside of your apartment looks like or what color of underwear you are putting on.


    It is all fun and games until they take it to the extreme of keeping a close eye on you, breathing down your neck and dictating everymand like they own you, and you owe them.


    He also has trouble understanding what they meant by him being a symbol, a symbol of what exactly? He has never met an elf before in his life, so how can he be a symbol for a race he has never met with.


    "we are here".


    One of the maid opened the door and got into the room then Orun went in, followed by thest maid before the door was shut back in.


    "behind there is where you will take your bath Lord Orun".


    The two maids had their hands stretched out after they pointed to where Orun needed to go to have his bath taken.


    "no, my cloth stays with me".


    Orun figured they were asking for him to take his clothing off so it can be hanged while he is taking his bath.


    His clothing was made from his mana and not only does the job of covering up his nakedness, it also helps protect him from dangers.


    There is no way he is just going to ever hand it over to them when he does not fully trust them just yet.

 Chapter 261 Orun Being Introduced Into The Hall

    He had his clothes hanged by his side when he got into the bathing water, and when he was done, he came out of the room with his clothes back on him.


    Unknowingly to Orun, the miads had prepared a different outfit for him to change Into when he got out of the bath, and he was only able to see them holding unto it after he was out.


    He was adamant about taking off his clothes to change Into the one prepared for him. His cloth is like the first line of defense one would need to get to before reaching his body that is also as durable as his clothing, if not more durable.


    Why would he risk taking it off and exposing himself to danger with only his bare body as a defensive measure?


    He did settle for putting on only the outeryer of the clothing they offered him, he didn''t want to act too rude by rejecting their kindness based on an assumption he has yet to confirm.


    For safety measures, he had Oracle observe the clothing for any anomaly that might prove dangerous to him, and when Oracle found nothing, Orun was able to put on the Dark red gown with emerald colored buttons on it.


    They sprayed all sorts of deodorant on his body then saw him off to where the celebratory party is to take ce.


    "Announcing, the Ruler of monster kind, Lord Orun, King Of All Fire Elemental Spirits".


    Orun stood at the closed off door and was told to wait there until his name was called out beforeing in.


    The mystery surrounding the elves just keeps on getting bigger seeing as how they are also aware that he is an elemental spirit king without even being told about it.


    The massive door opened on each side after Orun''s announcement was made.


    Like his title suggested, Orun majestically walked into the hall like the king he was referred to as.


    Ahead of his path, is the queen who stood up from her throne to ept Orun, and below the queen''s throne, is the other elf who looks very much like her, with her own throne situated below the queen''s throne.


    Orun figured she must be the next of kin, seeing as how she got her seat situated on the podium as well.


    Below Leena''s throne, at each side is where the Elven council of elders have their own seat situated.


    The podium is set with four steps to climp upward. There is the Elven queen''s step which is the highest of the step and also where her throne is, and the step that followed is where Leena the Elven princess''s throne is.


    The third step, on the left and right side of Leena is where the council of elders are seated, having two of each elder on each side.


    The fourth step which is also thest step, that is where the elves who look like they belong to the high rank ss have their seat ced in.


    After that fourth step, is an hall full of elves in festive attires and celebrative moods with their attention all turned to Orun who walked in through the door located at the far end on the first step.


    With the presence of all elves standing upright and their eyes glued to him, Orun majestically walked his way to where the Elven Queen was waiting for him at.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "wee Lord Orun, you can have your seat".


    She pointed over to a throne ced beside the Elven queen''s throne.


    Orun went ahead to take his seat as the queen had directed him to. It wasn''t until after Orun had sat down before the Elven queen also sat herself down then the princess sat down followed by the four councils.


    When all the high members had taken their seats, the orchestral music started ying from the left side where the four step podium ended at.


    A ssical music was being yed and the elves that were not on their sits were dancing joyfully to the tune, with their steps matching the flow of the music.


    Orun had his eyes surveying around in search for Theron and Monryck. It did not take long for his eyes to sight them both, sitting on thest podium where the noble looking elves sat on.


    Their body mass also helped him in locating them faster as they were able to stand out amongst the elves with smaller body figure than theirs.


    Orun thought they were not going to get along well, but he was proven wrong when he saw Monryck and Theron chatting so cheerfully with the noble elves, discussing only they know what.


    It was odd for him to see them like that, Monryck especially being so chatty! The same goes for Theron that was just as on edge as he was, it is that same Troll that is now without a care in the world being so interactive with the elves?


    Orun wondered what sort of spell the elves had casted on them both to have them so open minded and so care free around them.


    "is this to your satisfaction".


    The queen tilted her head to ask Orun who was still fascinated on Monryck and Theron''s odd behavior.


    "I am actually grateful for what you have prepared to impress me with. But you can''t expect me to remain calm or too immersive with it when I have yet to know who I am dealing with and how the knowledge of my existence got to be in your palm".


    Orun did not want to waste anymore of his time thinking about it or going about it in a roundabout manner.


    Without being told, the Elven queen must also be aware that how she knew about him and where he lived is a question that would be troubling him greatly.


    Despite knowing that, she has so far not shown any attempt or intention to tell Orun anything about his troubles.


    Herposure is way too calm, as if she has no n on revealing anything to him.


    Orin then decided to take the leisure of asking. At least if he blurts it out, there is no way she would avoid telling him.

 Chapter 262 Cant Be Right

    "I understand you must have a lot of questions you want to ask me".


    "yes I do, and I was hoping we can start with how you know my name, where I live. And most of all, my identity as an elemental spirit king. I would also like to know why you are all being so nice to me".


    Orun was quick to cut off the Elven queen''s word by stating demands of his own, asking for his curiosity to be satisfied.


    "why are you looking at me like that".


    Dilya the Elven queen refused to answer Orun and gazed her eyes on him like she was observing his face.


    Orun also had to keep his face straight and steady with his eyes looking back at her and making sure to not show any signs of getting intimidated by her gaze.


    "do you really not know why".


    Orun did not understand what Dilya meant by what she just said. How is he supposed to understand anything if he has no source material to draw out from.


    He has never seen them before in his life, yet she already expects him to understand? Dilya might have thought too highly of Orun when ites to understanding people he has never met with.


    "i have never met any of you in my entire life, so what exactly do you expect me to understand".


    Orun was hoping Dilya would broaden her statement, give him a clue to base his assumptions on and hopefully he will be able to understand what her words indicated.


    "that can''t be right".


    Dilya turned her head away from Orun and straightened it to the front with an expression that conveyed her confusion.


    "you are the sessor of the Fire Guardian are you not".


    She took her time recollecting her thoughts before she turned her head back to Orun to ask him.


    Orun was shocked, surprised and speechless but he made sure to not make it physically noticeable.


    He still puts on his brave face, a face that shows how unsurprising he is about Dilya finding out his second greatest secret, second only to him being a reincarnator.


    He was now certain that Dilya has long since been stalking him since he was in the cage. He never told anyone about him being a sessor or ever going into the fire guardian tomb to be a sessor.


    Yet Dy managed to somehow find that out, which only assures him that she has been on his tail for a long time now.


    What he does not know is exactly how long she has been watching over him, or if she is also aware that he is a reincarnator.


    "how do you know about my connection to the Fire Guardian".


    She already knows so it was no use denying it before her anymore. The best he can do now is find out more by admitting and asking questions of his own.


    "The Fire guardian was originally a member of the Elven race belonging to the council of Elven elders".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She pointed to where the council of elders were sitted, watching over the elves who were in celebration mood with their dance steps.


    "that still does not answer my question of how you came to know about my rtion to the fire guardian".


    "it is simple really. When you inherited the ability of the fire guardian, it was made known to I who rule over the council of elders".


    Long long ago, there existed four Elven council of elders like the ones present in the current ages.


    The council of those ages were far more powerful than the ones of this current age. And the one who stood out amongst all four of the council, was the elder council representing the fire.


    His glory days shined above the three other council of elders, and his form with the fire was magnificent, making him unparalleled when it came to the control of the fire element.


    Hispatibility with the fire was so high that it was dered that he had reached the pinnacle of fire and has be the embodiment of fire himself.


    "do you know why I am telling you this story".


    She had her head observing the dancing elves while she was telling Orun the story.


    "to link it to how you got to know about my identity".


    There was nothing else Orun could think of as to why he would be told of a story that happened years before he even knew he existed.


    He wasn''t really interested in knowing about the tale of thest fire guardian. Why? Because said fire guardian is no longer here, Orun is, and he has gone beyond the realm of a fire guardian to be an elemental spirit king, a rank greater than the fire guardian rank.


    That is not to say that Orun is not the least bit grateful for what the fire guardian had done in his life.


    He understood that and appreciates it dearly. Because if it wasn''t for him absorbing the energy of the fire guardian, Orun would not have been strong enough to face off against the Goblin kind.


    If it wasn''t for the energy of the fire guardian, Orun does not know where he would have ended up in by now.


    His path to strength started with the fire guardian all the way to be an elemental king, and for that, he is grateful.


    That is all he is, grateful, not curious. Dilya telling him tales about the fire guardian is like saying she wants Orun to know of the fire guardian''s legacy so he could begin where he ended.


    Orun has no such intention of walking down the shadows of another entity. He is not the fire guardian, and he has a path of his own to walk on.


    Whatever reasons Dilya might have for telling him the story, it won''t be enough to change his mind concerning the path he threads on.


    He is who he is, and inheriting the energy of the fire guardian is not going to change that about him.


    All he wants to know and is curious about, is how Dilya came to know about him and about his connection to the fire guardian.


    Any other thing apart from that is nothing but a fairy tale to him, a tale about the events of the past.

 Chapter 263 A Blast

    Yesterday was a st in ways that most would consider as fun and exciting while the minority were left with more riddles and mystery to unravel.


    Orun was one of those people who was left hanging with his question unanswered and postponed under an excuse that the party was an event brought together to wee his arrival.


    He was to enjoy the event as much as he can rather than bore himself with stories of the past. Is what the Elven queen told him as she left his question on hold.


    Contrary to what Dilya wanted, Orun did not get to enjoy himself at the ball. The festive mood was locked away from his mind as he only had his reasoning focused on what Dilya had to say.


    It shouldn''t be that difficult for Dilya to exin it all to him at once, but for some reasons unknown to him, she is not only keeping him in the dark, she is also ying around with him by not giving him the information he wanted.


    It is like she wants Orun''s mind to be disheveled about the information she isn''t releasing to him.


    Orun has no intention of letting her take the win on this. If what she wants is to make him confused by thinking about it all day long, then he just will make sure to not think about it.


    Is what Orun decided to do, but it is proving more difficult than he thought when ites to making himself not think about it.


    He couldn''t even get himself to sleep all night long, not like he really needed the sleep anyway.


    But still, the feeling of having his eyes closed for brief moments and making his mind wander off to his imagination is an experience that Orun takes very seriously, and such experience is one he can only get during night time.


    Thanks to Dilya''s stunt however, Orun was not able to get that feelingst night.


    Not even the cushy, soft, cozy bed was able to remedy the sickness of not brooding over it.


    "Come on in".


    She only just got to the door and was on the verge of knocking on it to request for permission toe in when Orun''s voice rang out from inside the room asking her toe in.


    He had already sensed her presence while she was on her way down the hallway heading directly to the guest room he was in.


    "What is it this time? Another ball to attend I suppose".


    The maid walked into the room and did her usual routine of bowing her head to Orun.


    He did not even give her the time to talk or extend her morning greeting his way before she was interrupted with a question.


    "The queen requested for your presence".


    Orun abruptly got himself up from his seat at the mention of the queen wanting to see him.


    ''Is she finally going to tell me what I want to know now?''.


    Orun thought to himself as he got prepared to walk out the entrance and have the maid escort him to Dilya.


    "What are you waiting for".


    He was already ready to leave and is at the door waiting for the maid to lead the way instead of just standing still and looking at him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The bath has been prepared for you".


    "I have taken my bath already, there is no need for a second bath".


    The maid wanted to direct Orun to where he was taken to yesterday to dress up for the ball, but he wasn''t going to do that.


    There is a washing room just at the corner of the room he was ced in, and he had taken his bath there when he woke up in the morning, also not that he actually needed to as a spiritual entity.


    The washing room was just as nice as where he was taken to before and he saw no difference in the effect of taking a bath here or there.


    Bath is bath, where it is taken is not what matters, but how it is taken is what really counts.


    "just lead me to where the Queen is".


    Dilya had already done enough postponing when she could have just told him yesterday.


    Orun does not want to waste another second and would prefer hurrying up to where she is.


    There is still a lot that is left to attend to back home. Leaving it all up to Wildria was not in Orun''s n, and he isn''t going to do that.


    Once he finds out what he needs to, he is getting himself out of here and straight back home.


    The Elven queen is probably aware of this as well, and might be the reason for her stalling the information from Orun.


    It does not really matter much to Orun. Either the queen tells him what he wants to know or not, he is getting himself out of here today.


    There is no use staying in a ce without any reasonable cause to justify his presence.


    All he has done so far in here, is eat, get invited to stuff, presented with all sorts of delicacies that Orun finds to be very tasty but not tempting enough to change his mind about leaving as early as possible.


    The maid could not go against Orun''s decision and simply epted it to be so.


    She went in front of him and like he requested, led the way to where the Elven queen was expecting him.


    It was a long walkpared to the distance from his room to the ball room of yesterday.


    He was escorted out of the building Orun was residing in, and further escorted out of the gate leading him to inside the building he just came out from.


    They were still within the pce grounds, but in a different sector. Each sector of the pce is separated with gates at the front.


    There is a sector meant for epting guests, a sector in charge ofying down regtions that guides the kingdoms. There is also a sector that houses the Elven royals, and one where the abode of the Elven council are located.


    The sector he was taken to yesterday was where ceremonial events are carried out.


    They had just passed through the gate leading to that sector and have now found himself at the gate of another sector with its own purpose designated to it.

 Chapter 264 An Ideal Life

    "It appears that you enjoy being thest one to get to the room".


    When Orun was brought in through the gate, he was escorted further into an establishment with a building far different from what Orun was used to seeing.


    A building shaped in the form of a ring, a reallyrge ring and he was taken to the top mostyer of that ring.


    "How do you expect me toe early if all you do is inform me of the asion at ate hour?".


    Orun took his seat right next to the Elven queen as always. With his eyes faced to the front, he was able to see the inner part of the ring shaped building.


    It was not just a ring building, it is an arena and he is sitting at the highest position where he could see the other spectators from all sides.


    The settings of the arena is the same way the podium in the ball room was set, but this one has five steps and is wayrger than where the queen, the princess, the council of elves and the high ranking elves sat on.


    The fifth step is where the seat of the average spectators are, and there are a whole lot of them present.


    Even with his eyes, Orun could not see a seat that was not already upied.


    "You brought me to an arena, I want to know why".


    Orun was ufortable with the mood brought about by the arena ground.


    It reminded him of the moments he spent being locked up in a cage and forced to fight for the amusement of others.


    The arena grounds of the elves has a more subtle mood and the ground is not dyed in blood nor is the air surrounding it stinking with the smell of rotten corpse.


    There is no steeled rusty cage covering the above of the arena grounds, giving the air free passage toe and go as it sees fit.


    The mood the arena gave off was equal to how friendly tournament matches are conducted, without the blood or the shadows of death looming around.


    It wasn''t that bad for a beginner to see, but for Orun who has experienced the dreadfulness of being locked up in a cage and forced to fight for his life, with every of his movements acting as  a measurement tool for if he will live or die in there.


    For the man who has such experiences, the subtle mood of the Elven arena made him feel nauseous when he first set his eyes on it.


    "I am familiar with the belief of your race, so I had this prepared just for your amusement".


    Dilya was referring to how Monsters belief in the survival of the strong and the envement of the weak.


    She figured a tournament fight is one of the ways to keep Orun amused and entertained ording to his racial preferences.


    He is grateful that she is going that far to impress him for reasons he still does not know about, but he wished she wouldn''t have resorted to conducting an arena tournament.


    "What about your people, do they find this as a source of entertainment as well".


    The Elves are living in a ce that can only be described to as a paradise, a ce where their is harmony as a single racial entity.


    It was unknown if such race will take pleasure in an aggressive brawl between two contestants.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "They do enjoy the disy of two warriors brawling it out".


    The Arena is the only way they can get to see whatbat between two opposing forces feels like.


    It is their ticket out of the boredomness of living their daily lives repeatedly in a circle.


    "If that is the case, then yes. I believe I will also enjoy the spectacle of watching a friendly brawl I presume is a match without blood being spilled or flesh chipped away from their bodies".


    The Elves are going to be fighting with protective gears on and the officials will see to it that whatever weapon they will be making use of will not be able to prate their armor.


    Orun questioned what sort of entertainment could be found in a staged match where there is no bloodshed or an expressive agony on the faces of the contestants.


    "That is right. This is a bloodless match, a peaceful one that will only involve the contestants exchanging their arms in a friendly manner".


    Orun could already feel his brain on the verge of shutting itself down at the thought of watching the kind of fight that the Elven queen had just described to him.


    "you don''t look too happy about that idea".


    Dilya caught a glimpse of Orun''s expression when she told him what kind of match they would be having.


    He had a bored expression on his face that indicated how displeased he was by the idea.


    "I do apologize greatly. The kind of match you seek goes against the conduct of my people. I ask you to bear with me by opening your mind to the sheer possibility of you enjoying the oue of the match".


    A bloodless match with no cutting of flesh? He doubts if there is any satisfaction to be derived in a match like that.


    The oue of whoever wins is already so predictable in that they both go home safe and sound with not a care as to how to treat their Injuries.


    Being stuck inside a barrier might be a safefort from any outside intruders, but it also brings with it sourness in taste.


    Orun''s advice for any elves that is capable of watching a duel without blood being spilled is to get themselves up and find their way out of the barrier and into the real world.


    Its okay to get yourself trapped in your fantasy where all you wish for is immediately done with just a thought.


    It is okay to live that kind of life, but it is not okay to continue living it while neglecting the realism that the real life has to offer.


    There can never be an ideal real life that will meet the needs of every single person living in it. The elves needs to so badly know that.


    That is, if they do not already know that.


    They need to get themselves out of their shell and into the real world. They need the experience to help in their growth.


    Are what Orun is thinking about them, but telling that to the queen who is being so nice to him is not a way to return the kind gesture of another.

 Chapter 265 Respect Is Given

    "We should pay attention, the duel could begin anytime soon".


    Dilya had her eyes on the front with Orun doing the exact same thing, gazing his eyes on the door located at the far end of the left.


    "BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ALL, OUR VERY OWN QUEEN. PLEASE RISE UP ON YOUR FEETS AND PAY YOUR RESPECTS".


    The tone of his sound was enhanced with the use of a skill that carried the voice to every corner of the arena building.


    The spectators with the council of elders included, rose up on their feet and did as the Arena announcer had asked them to.


    They all turned their attention over to the queen and bowed their heads before her.


    She on her sit, responded to their gesture by waving her hand out at them.


    "AND SITTING NEXT TO THE QUEEN IS OUR HONORED, TREASURED GUEST. NONE OTHER THAN THE RULER OF MONSTERS AND THE KING OF ALL FIRE ELEMENTAL SPIRIT".


    Orun also did as the Elven queen did by sitting down and waving his hand in a dignified manner to greet the elves bowing to him.


    "NOW THEN, TO GET ON TO THE MAIN EVENT OF THE DAY".


    The announcer guy turned his attention back to the spectators with his hand directed at the left entrance in the arena ground.


    "FROM THE LEFT, IS OUR WARRIOR BELONGING TO THE ONMIN CLAN, GOING BY THE NAME, HAERA"


    Shortly after the announcer mentioned the name, a female elf dressed like a diator walked into the arena through the left doorway.


    Her entrance had the elves acting as spectators rise up in cheerful mood, throwing celebrating shades her way.


    "AND ON OUR RIGHT, IS A WARRIOR BELONGING TO THE INANIN CLAN, ADDRESSED AS ELMON".


    The right door arena opened and paved the way for Elmon to confidently walk in also dressed like a warrior prepared for extremebat.


    The cheer he got from the spectators was not as much as the one they gave Haera when she made her appearance.


    It was a way to show who was more recognized in the arena groundspared to the beginner just having his first time present in the arena.


    Orun observed the dressing of them both and he noticed that there was something odd about it.


    Their bodies were not fully covered with most of the sensitive parts of their bodies exposed unlike what the Elven queen had told him.


    "I don''t see the armor on any of them".


    When the Elven queen had earlier told him was that the contestants were going to be dded in armor to prevent them from getting hurt.


    From the looks of the two warriors inside the arena ground, neither of them are putting on armor and even revealing a lot of skin, the female especially.


    "I never said anything about it being a visible armor. To see it, you have to use your inner eyes".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun understood what she meant and tried doing exactly that.


    Rather than use his natural eyes to view them, he used his senses that would allow him to feel their mana.


    What he saw is their body being cloaked in fully ted transparent armor, from their head down to their toes.


    He did not understand how it was possible to have them wearing armors yet does not look as if they are actually putting on armor.


    "it is a defensive gear, an armor worn by our kingdom''s military".


    Dilya exined to him what he was seeing, and how it''s usefulness is so highly regarded in the kingdom.


    The armor is a mana defensive gear which like it name implies, is made from pure condensed mana.


    It is invisible to the ordinary eyes, but visible to a certain number of people who have attained an innate eyesight capable of seeing through dangers or things that could not be seen and felt by the ordinary norms.


    The process involved in the creation of the armor is simr to how the barrier surrounding the Bellrath Forest was made.


    The only exception is that the barrier contained a lot more mana and has a way higher durability than what the armor has to offer.


    "Is it okay to tell me something that crucial to your nation''s defense".


    He figured that the barrier is an important aspect to the elves since they have themselves trapped inside it.


    The elf that also came out of the barrier to escort Orun and his crew in, said he was surveying the area to know if he was being followed before he could reveal himself to Orun.


    That just goes to show how important the barrier is to them, yet she is about give out that information like it''s no big deal.


    Giving it out to Orun, the current leader of the desert that is on its way to bing an empire is not an ideal thing to do as a ruler of a nation herself.


    Nobody knows what tomorrow could bring about. He might beughing and being entertained by the elves as of current, but that is not enough to believe that the future will be the same.


    Who knows what could happen in the span of a month time, totally changing the course of their current rtionship and making them antagonistic toward each other.


    He expects her as the ruler of her race to also be able to think of the possibility of such an oueing to pass.


    "It is fine, there is nothing in our abode that should be kept a secret from you".


    Is it an unfilial trust he is sensing in her or just pure naivety about the actions of the world?


    Orun could not tell which one it was, and if it is an unfilial trust, he wondered what brought about her having that much confidence in him.


    "I must warn you, I am a very selfish monster. At whatever costs, I always make sure to put my life first before others".

 Chapter 266 Begin

    Orun''s word was meant to serve as a reminder to the Elven queen, to make her aware of what he is and what he can do.


    "You should also be aware that I am Orun, a monster. I am not the fire guardian who was an elf".


    If the foundation of her trust is because of him inheriting the fire guardian''s energy, Orun wanted to remind her that he is not the fire guardian.


    What he inherited is the energy of the fire guardian, not his will. He has no desire to be of help to the Elven nation, nor does he feel any attachment to their cause.


    What they are to him, is aplete stranger who are weirdly acting too nice for a reason that he is still blind to.


    "I am well aware of what you are. Believe me, I know you more than you think you know yourself".


    "What is that supposed to....."


    "We should focus now, the duel is about to begin".


    Orun wanted to ask the Elven queen what she meant by the words she just spoke out.


    Her expression and bodynguage when she talked about Orun, was as if she was talking to an old acquaintance of hers.


    The way she has been acting toward him ever since he came to the nation. Her gesture, her way of speech and the way she looks at him, none of it makes any sense to Orun.


    He could have sworn that he hasn''t met her before, nor does he have any memories of her to warrant her acting this way toward him.


    "You and thest fire guardian, were you both together".


    Orun is sure that he does not know her from somewhere, and his memory also serves him right as there is no record of her.


    If that is the case, the only reason Orun could link her friendly behavior to is the existence of thest fire guardian.


    She said thest fire guardian was an elf, that would mean that she knows him, very close even as he was a member of the council of elders.


    He is a monster that inherited the energy of the fire guardian. From Dilya''s point of view, it could be that she believes the fire guardian still lives on in Orun.


    He can''t properly exin how he came up with that notion, but seeing as how monsters believe in strength as a way to show superiority.


    The same could apply to the elves, but in a different view like the elves also might believe in a dead being living on in the body of their sessor if that makes any sense.


    "When the duel is over, I will tell you what you want to know".


    This is another way for her to discard Orun''s question and not give him the answer he wants to know.


    Pointlessly keeping him on hold by using the current circumstances that was only able toe about due to the mood she set.


    If she really wanted to tell him, she would have requested for him toe to her office or a private ce, not an arena that she knows is a public ce and would have a public activity being carried out as of current.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "If you say so. For the record, I will be making my leave back to my home in the evening with or without getting an answer from you".


    Orun wanted her to know that he has no n to extend his stay.


    What she has been doing all this while his stall down Orun with events that he could care less about, and that ends today.


    If she isn''t going to tell him anything, then why bother inviting him over?


    And if her goal all this while is just so she could take an upclose look at the sessor to the former fire guardian, her goal has already been aplished.


    If there is an alternative goal attached to the one he just mentioned, like having the intention to forever keep him here because he is the sessor of the fire guardian who is originally an elf that originated from their nation.


    If that is her goal all along, then she is in for a big set of trouble. She had better believe that Orun would not be going down that easy.


    "Not to worry spirit king, I will be sure to tell you all that you want to know in due time".


    She answered while having her face glued in the direction at the contestants that are about to have a go at each other.


    It was easy to spot out which one was which due to the color the two contestants were putting on.


    Haera belonging to the Onmin n was putting on a blue colored diator clothing while Elmon, a member of the Inanin n had on him a red colored clothing.


    The color of their clothing also serves as a representation to what tribe they are from, the color of water and fire.


    They both had a stare off contest, waiting for the announcer to ring the go bell for them to start fighting.


    "BEGIN!!"


    Elmon made the first movement the very second that the signal was given to them.


    He ran in the direction of Haera and when he had almost gotten to where she was standing, Elmon took to the sky.


    Elmon had both his fist coated in mes as he makes his way down.


    Haera had her head raised up, waiting for Elmon toe closer down to her before she started attacking.


    When he got within her desired range, Haera unleashed her attack by moving her body around in weird forms.


    As she was moving, the presence of water slowly making its way to bing more visible and following through with her movements could be seen.


    Haera continued the movement for a while and then put a stop on it with her final pose as her raising up her two hands.


    In response to her body gesture, the water that was coiling itself around Haera also did as Haera did and moved its way up in the direction that Elmon wasing from.

 Chapter 267 Elemental Melody

    The water headed upwards like a rising storm with the intention to ravage about before it calms.


    The one that was affected by the storming water that is making its way up, is Elmon who was stilling down from above with a fire coated fist.


    The water had gotten to him before he could get to the ground and make his attack on Haera.


    He was devoured whole into the water and washed away by it, sending him crashing to the ground like a stone thrown aggressively.


    Just like that, the anticipated match between the two was over before it even fully began.


    The spectators in the arena rose up in loud cheers for the winner of the contest and how she won it so wlessly.


    The contestant from the Onmin n dominated the flow of the duel by cashing out with a huge loos from the contestant from the Inanin n.


    "I apologize for the shameful scene brought about by the contestantck of indepthbat activities".


    The Elven queen apologized to Orun for showing him a battle that wasn''t even worth referring to as a battle.


    She brought him here in an attempt to entertain him by disying a duel before him.


    The disy he got however was a despairing loss, and a duel that he should never have had to see.


    "It is okay.... I think".


    Orun does not know what sort ofment should be given in a situation like this.


    This is no doubt an arena meant forbat purposes. How could they have allowed someone who sucks so terribly at it enroll as a fighter?


    It was as if whoever was in charge of selecting who to fight purposely chose the guy all so that he can end up bringing shame to himself.


    He wasn''t even worth being put on disy, much less against Haera the Onmin contestant.


    She demonstrated her calmness and the ability to read the flow ofbat before deciding how to respond to it.


    Haera in the eyes of Orun demonstrated what it felt like to use the minimum amount of power possible in defeating her opponent.


    She utilized her every movements, making each of them count before she delivered the final blow.


    His interest was also piqued at the technique she used in defeating her opponent.


    It was like a dancing movement, with the water element dancing along to her tune and body motions.


    The technique was weird, not too shy and especially unnecessary but it still was able to draw Orun''s attention to it.


    What he saw her doing was not just dancing. He saw her bending the element to her will, being the one taking the steering wheel on it and giving itmand.


    He was mesmerized by the scene and wanted to know more about it.


    "That move she just used, is there anything you can tell me about it".


    Orun wasn''t sure if the Elven queen would have any information about the move, but he still had to ask either way, to satisfy his curiosity.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, it is a move utilized by my people. We call it the elemental melody".


    As it was stated, the elves are a race who believe heavily in nature and worship it as well.


    They believe that the four elements are the first of nature''s birth, the foundation that out of it, was carved out the creation of the world.


    "It is a technique passed down through generation".


    Their deep connection with nature has given them the understanding to better use nature''s power in their everyday activities.


    They strive to be one with nature, to drown themselves in what it has to offer, and surface out of it with deeper knowledge concerning it.


    Such ways and thinking is what led them to discovering the elemental melody.


    It is the way theymunicate with nature, connect their spirituality to it and in return, draw out a part of its powers.


    "I figured it was something you would know when you see it based on your origin".


    The elemental melody in a way is simr to making a contract with an elemental spirit.


    When a contract with an elemental spirit is formed, it grants the contractor the opportunity to use the power of the elemental, the same power that is drawn from nature.


    The elemental melody however does not require the forming of a contract with an elemental spirit to be able to use the power of nature.


    The elemental melody gives the elves a direct connection to nature, and allows them to draw out its raw power without having to go through a third party ( the elemental spirit ).


    "Drawing out nature''s power without the need of an elemental? Does that not make you an elemental yourselves".


    What makes an elemental spirit different from the normal people is because of their connection to nature.


    If the elves are able to bypass the elemental and secure a direct connection with nature, that could also make them an elemental, is what Orun thinks.


    "You are not exactly correct".


    Even though they do have a direct way to connect themselves with nature, that does not make them the same as elemental spirits.


    What it makes them, is a race with extreme affinity to nature.


    Elemental spirits are natural born nature forces meant to serve as a representation to nature.


    Unlike the elemental who are capable of lending their powers to another being, the elves are not capable of such a feat.


    "The extent of our connection only extends so far with empowering ourselves. We cannot transfer whatever power we tap from nature to another being".


    Orun got what the Elven queen just exined to him. No matter how deep of a connection the elves form with nature, it can never be deep as elemental spirits who are representative of nature themselves.


    What the Elven technique, the elemental melody is doing is the same as drawing their powers from the elemental spirits who represents nature to use without the need for a contract.


    It is a technique to be fascinated about, and Orun is definitely interested in it, but learning it will do him no good.

 Chapter 268 Do You Know Of Its Origin?

    The purpose of the technique is to connect the elves directly to nature thereby drawing power from it.


    Orun does not need that because he already has a connection to nature and is able to draw out power whenever he wants, even going as far as amassing the power in him.


    "Would you like to learn our technique".


    Dy saw the curiosity on Orun''s face and his desire to see the technique up close was also made visible.


    "There is no reason to. I am already a force of nature and do not need a technique to connect with it".


    Orun was still fascinated by the technique, but his interest had dropped down drastically when he learnt of its purpose.


    "What about helping you to have precise control on your elemental powers".


    Orun turned his head to look at her with an expression that was meant to ask if she knew what she had just asked him to do?


    Orun is an elemental spirit king, a fire elemental with peak affinity with the element.


    His control over it will be just as perfect as his title that announces him as the ruler of the element.


    "Let me ask you, do you know what the real source of fire is".


    The Elven queen felt Orun''s gaze on her, and without having to look back at him, she could already tell what it is that was going through his mind.


    "The sun. Was that supposed to be a trick question".


    Ir was no secret where the originality of fire came from, and what the brightest and most deadly form of fire was.


    Everything that has to do with fire can be traced back to the sun. Without it, there would be no day.


    Only the harsh cold would rule over the world as one spends their everyday experiencing the same weather condition all over again.


    While the sun might have its rebellious moments once in a while, like getting too hot that it starts sun-burning the skin of the extremely fair, and even making those in the dark skin category run back into their abode in fear of it being too hot.


    It also has it own good moments and a lot of advantages that one cannot do without.


    "What about the origin of the sun? Do you know where it came from".


    Now this was a question that was hard for Orun to answer. It had him going mute and deep in his thoughts.


    How was he supposed to know how the existence of something that has always been theree to be?


    For as long as anyone can remember, the sun has always been there watching and making the world brighter for us to live in.


    There have been several spection concerning its origin, most of iting out from religious context.


    But so far, there is none of those spections that have been proven to be true.


    They are just what they make it sound, spections.


    "I assume you know what it is".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun has no idea what it is, and he isn''t going to lie about that or put up a fake story to save his face.


    He says it as he knows it, that is not going to kill him nor do anything to harm him.


    Also, the Elven queen asking could mean that she knows something about it, or perhaps she is just asking for the sake of it.


    He won''t know which of them it is until he asks her directly.


    "Actually, I do".


    Orun did not expect her to know anything concerning that. He might have asked her, but he did it under the presumption of hoping she would know, not that she actually knows anything about it.


    "The sun''s existence could be traced back to the beginning of the world. Born out of the creator''s and ended up with a name...... Oh my, I seem to have said too much".


    The Elven queen put an abrupt stop on her sentence when she was about to call out the name.


    She left Orun hanging once more, looking at her with eyes demanding that he not be put in suspense.


    "It seems you are very fond on leaving someone in suspense".


    "Is that so?"


    Dilya the Elven queen, lightly giggled after she answered him, revealing her bright smile.


    It was the first time Orun had seen a change in her stern looking expression.


    "It is. And I have to tell you, it is not very polite or healthy to do so".


    Orun''s word told her clearly what she has been doing to him all this while and how he does not find it very funny or eptable.


    "I told you. In due time, I will tell you whatever it is you want to know. Now however is not the time".


    "If now isn''t the time, then why did you invite me toe at this moment?"


    All she would have done is push it forward to when she was ready to tell him what he wants to know before sending him the invitation.


    "If your n is to keep me here as a result of me being the sessor of the fire guardian..."


    "I can assure you Fire king that I have intention of forcing you to stay here with us. Everything will all be decided by you".


    Dilya cut him off before he could threaten her, making it known to him that what he is thinking of is not what she ns on doing.


    "Enough about us. What about going down to the arena grounds to contest? What better way to enjoy an arena grounds than taking in the view in person rather than as a spectator".


    Dilya had her gaze turned back in the direction of the arena, her eyes on Haera who was still receiving the cheers of the spectators.


    "Was this your n? Pick someone who is weak to go against someone stronger than them. Have them lose and apologize for the boring show then bring up an excuse to have me go down there in person to fight".


    It all fits perfectly in the puzzle, but the real question is why? Does she want to watch how strong he is or is she just interested in watching him fight?

 Chapter 269 Her Ability

    "Participating in a duel sounds nice, but I really don''t think there is any opponent here who can contend against me".


    Orun was not bragging but simply stating a fact to the Elven queen.


    Since bing an elemental king, he has yet to meet his mtach, a rival to help him measure his strength and has never once being forced to have to go full mode on his opponent.


    Orun is not saying that he has achieved his dream of being so strong that he will have nothing to worry about.


    No, he never said such a thing because he knows that he is still nowhere near the strength that miss dragon exude out with only her presence.


    There is also the Pirs who he met with while he was still an Infernal Goblin race.


    Back then, their presence overwhelmed him greatly that he questioned how they achieved their strength.


    For the Pirs however, things are very different now because Orun has evolved since theirst meeting and have now be an elemental king.


    It is not a hundred percent certain as he has yet to test it out, but Orun is half sure that he won''t becking before the Pirs.


    With that said, the elves are powerful and their technique that grants them direct connection to nature is also of high value, but that will not be enough if they are faced against Orun.


    He has a speed that puts the speed of light to shame and a body durability that would require a weapon on the mythic grade to do him any harm.


    He also has a power output that can bring about an earthquake, causing a volcano eruption with just a fist to the ground.


    With those things listed, who among the elves will be strong enough to give him a satisfied duel?


    A duel that does not require him having to drop down his base power level just so he can match with the opponent''s pace.


    As for Dilya, Orun is not sure what the oue of a duel with her will end up like.


    Unlike the rest of the elves, Orun is not able to see through the Elven queen nor discern how strong she is from reading her mana level.


    Everytime he tries, he feels this blockade standing in his path and pushing him back before he gets any reading.


    That was a message telling Orun that she is strong enough to resist his reading on her and even going as far as pushing him away.


    He won''t because of that assume that she is stronger than he is, but he sure as hell can confidently say that if a duel between he and her breaks out, he would have to give it everything he has got in him.


    That is what Orun thinks from not being able to get a reading on her.


    "I don''t suppose you will be my opponent".


    Orun jokingly asked her, knowing fully well that she would not ept his proposal.


    If she wanted a fight with Orun, she would have directly asked him, but she did not.


    Meaning she has no intention of dueling with Orun in the arena ground.


    "I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am not a perfect match to go up against you".


    Orun did not understand what she meant by what she said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What is that supposed to mean".


    Not being a perfect match for him? The same person whosebat level he could not discern due to the blockade stopping him from getting a proper reading on her?


    How can that same person tell him she will not be a perfect match for him?


    Is she overestimating him or is she underestimating herself? Orun could not tell which one it was.


    "My specialty does not categorize me as physical typebatant. Therefore making me not up to your standard in physical terms".


    Orun assumed what she meant was she is not the type to be physical with others.


    Orun for example is purely physical based, charging in at his enemies by making use of his body''s physique.


    The skills he makes use of does not exempt him from being a physical type. It only further pushes him into the category of a physical typebatant.


    It deals physical damage to his enemies and can also be used physically on Orun to strengthen him with.


    What the Elven queen might be referring to is the kind of attacks that deals mental damage to their opponents rather than physical damage like Orun''s.


    Mental damages like casting an illusion on their opponents or putting a heavy strain on their mental state, stretching it out to exhaust them at a faster pace.


    Orun has not been faced with a mental damage before so he does not know the specifics of how high its damage can be or how catastrophic it is when in use.


    "You have my curiosity piqued".


    Orun''s interest to learn more about the Elven queen''s ability surfaced.


    He wants to see for himself up close how effective it is when used on an opponent and in what way does it affect those who are exposed to it.


    He has no idea of what the future holds for him, but he does know that if he keeps on threading the current path he is on, Orun knows he is bound to meet with some pretty deadly opponents.


    He can''t say or predict what sorts of opponents they will be or what kind of skill they will be equipped with.


    But for a future like that, there is no harm for Orun to start preparing himself as of current, starting with his familiarity and exposure to the variety of ability he has ess to.


    He still does not know what sort of skill Dilya has with her, but her statement already tells him that it is a kind he has never seen before.


    Seeing her skill in use and discerning its effect on the one it is used on? Orun considers it the same as killing two birds with one stone.


    "I beg to differ. My ability will do no good in the entertainment sector".


    Dilya showed her adamant side using the tone of her speech as a way to convey what she feels.


    Her being so insistent got Orun even more fired up to see what it is she has hiding in her cupboard.


    "Instead of fighting against I who would not be able to properly entertain you, I propose going up against the council of elders. I am sure together, they can give you the satisfaction ofbat that you desire".

 Chapter 270 Weighing His Options

    Before Orun could pester Dilya and verbally force her to doing his will, she was quick to give him a counter by bringing up the council of elders as his opponents.


    Certainly, if it were to be a one on one duel against one council member, Orun is assured of his victory in a short span of time.


    But that changes if it were to be all four of the council members versus him.


    He is sure that he can win even if all four of the council of elders were to gang up on him. The only question is how long will it take before Orun takes the win?


    "What do you say".


    Orun took his time to think more about it. It''s a tempting offer that was brought before his table, and his reason for not grabbing unto it as fast as he can, is because he still desires to see what ability the queen has.


    His urge to fight with a foreign ability and familiarize himself with it was strong, and he wanted to so badly experience it.


    On the other hand, Orun wants to see how long the four council of elders wouldst against him in his base form.


    He wanted to know how high abat level his opponent has to have before he is forced into using his elemental king skill.


    "Fine, you have yourself a deal".


    Orun''s desire to fight the four council of elders outweighed his desire to see the Elven queen''s ability on disy.


    While knowing what sort of ability she has is a good thing for Orun if he gets to fight her, it won''t bring anything vor to the match if what she said about her being a non-physical typebatant is true.


    The four council of elders on the other hand, looks like they are based on physicalbat rather than mental.


    The Elven queen also being the one to suggest them fighting means that she believes that they will be able to entertain him.


    "So, how do we do this".


    Orun got up from his seat already prepared to dive straight intobat.


    "Alluin, Rofir, Kyfir and Torsys".


    Dilya called out to the for council of elders using their surname and in this order.


    ¡ñInanin n ( fire Elemental )  Alluin


    ¡ñOnmin n (water elemental) Rofir


    ¡ñAfefin n ( Wind elemental) Kyfir


    ¡ñIlenon n ( Earth elemental) Torsys


    All four of them got up from their seats and had their head turned towards their queen.


    "Wouuld all four of you do Lord Orun the honor of having a light duel with him as a means of entertainment".


    Dilya could easily give them themand to do so without the need to ask them for their opinion.


    Her reasons for asking their opinion is to show Orun that they were not being forced to, but a thing that they willingly desired to do.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It would be an honor for me as the n head of the Inanin n to fight against the fire Elemental king".


    Alluin sounded enthusiastic at the thought of fighting against Orun. His n name represents the fire, and Orun happens to be the elemental king of fire.


    The chances of one meeting with an elemental king was already slim enough to have it as non-existent, yet he not only met with, but will also be exchanging blows with an elemental king.


    For someone who does not know the value of elemental kings, the thoughts of having a duel with one would sound normal and uninspiring to them.


    For the elves however, who are adept in the ways of the elementals and even cultivating their path to draw out strength from their origin.


    The thoughts of those kind of people having a duel with the elemental king ruling over the element that they are cultivating is a dreame through.


    There are a ton of benefits that could be reaped out of such an aplishment, with one of them acting as a boost to the elf if they are acknowledged by the elemental king.


    A better example is when one has an exam to write with a one week deadline before the day of the exam.


    During that time, there are lot of materials that needs to be looked through, with so little time to look through them all.


    A miracle then appeared in the form of the lecturer giving a particr material as the source that the exam questions will be set out from.


    What the lecturer had just done, is slim down what would have taken the student several hours of sleepless nights to learn, and turning it into several hours of study time with enough time to sleep.


    That is the kind of significance that the elemental spirit kings have on the Elven race.


    "What about the rest of you".


    Dilya turned and asked the remaining three council of elders for their opinion after Alluin had expressed his.


    They each gave a reply to Dilya, affirming their support and interest to do battle with Orun.


    "It is as you have heard Lord Orun".


    Dilya had her head turned toward Orun who was gleeming with excitement on his face.


    The three elders have a very strong presence to them, and Orun could see that as well.


    Their presence was not the only thing that got Orun excited about the idea of a duel with them.


    He knows that apart from the presence they have, they will also be equipped with years of experience training in the art ofbat.


    Notbat on how to kill their opponent. They live in a barrier, the idea of them killing one another under a monarchy does not sound about right.


    Orun is talking about the years of experience they have honed trying to contend against one another.


    Exchanging blows and sizing each other up, thus leading to an increase inbat growth rate and the ability to make hasty judgment in the midst of a battle.


    This are the things that got Orun fired up when he thinks about fighting all four council of elders at once.

 Chapter 271 Half Immobile

    Orun stood in the arena ground faced with the four Elven council who are standing opposite him.


    The four council of elders have had a change of attire, now putting on pants reaching to their knees with an armless top.


    The colors of their clothing on the other hand still represents the elemental they each stand for.


    Orun had dropped down the topyer of his clothing, revealing the inner path that he had always worn around after his evolution.


    "Please Spirit King, do not go easy on us".


    Alluin of the Inanin n ( fire Elemental representative ) admonished any actions of Orun partainig to him trying to go easy on them.


    What he wants is to test his true strength against Orun, to see how far he could go against an elemental king.


    Just like how Orun also wants to test the extent of power he can draw out in his base form, so does the four council of elders who are curious as to know how strong they are together against an elemental king.


    "You got it. I will definitely give it my all".


    Orun assured the four council of elders because he also had no n on going easy on them.


    How else would he be able to know how strong his base form is if all he does is go easy on them?


    "Alright, who is going toe first".


    Orun breathed in before asking for who was going to face him first. If they were all going toe together at once or if one of them was going to volunteer first, to test Orun''s before the rest of them make their move on him.


    "We areing together".


    The four council of elders simultaneously moved together, going after Orun at the front.


    They had almost gotten to him when all four of them splitted, eaching from the sides.


    The fire elder wasing from the front, the water elder somehow managed to get herself behind Orun, changing her position from being in front of him to be at his back.


    The wind elder took her feet off the ground and propelled herself upward so she could fall back down, but in Orun''s direction.


    While the other elders were moving themselves and going about in several ways, the earth elder stayed behind the others.


    He started the movement with them but eventually stopped when they all splitted, focusing his attention only on Orun.


    The actions of the earth elder bothered Orun greatly, but he could not invest too much of his time on it due to the other elders that were still making their way toward him.


    The fire elder came at Orun from the front, thrusting out his fist in Orun''s direction.


    From above also came the water elder, using her movements as she had her body dropping down on Orun.


    The wind elder did not leave herself out of thebo as she came charging from the back with her destination being where Orun was.


    "We have only just started, yet you guys are already so worked up".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Theirbo against Orun was definite. Moving themselves in different direction and eaching at him from three sides.


    It was a means of distraction and a way to trouble the mind, making it hard for one to decide who to attack first.


    Orun does not know how fast they are or if their speed is the same as his own in his base form, so he has to be careful in deciding on what to do.


    He got himself ready to fight back, waiting for the moment when they will move closer to him before choosing who to attack first.


    Orun as he had prepared himself before they got closer, noticed the weird shift in his leg muscle.


    The muscle was responding as he wanted it to, but there was something that kept changing the path the muscle moves in.


    The change cannot be noticeable for some, but for Orun who is connected to every part of his senses and muscle fiber, he can tell when something is not where it is supposed to be in his internal organ.


    It is simr to how a needle is standing upright with half of its body buried to the ground and the other half facing the sky.


    "So that was your n".


    Orun tried to move his leg to the back but it was misdirected and slipped to the front, making Orun lose his footing.


    He was however quick to have his footing solid back to the ground to avoid himself from falling.


    Orun tried to get his two feet off the ground so he could jump above, but he could not pull it off.


    He stopped trying and turned his gaze to the front, not to look at the fire elder, but at the one standing behind the fire elder.


    "I should have known. As the elder for the earth element, you would surely have at your disposal a skill that connects you to the earth".


    Orun said with his eyes fixated on the earth elder who only stood still and had his eyes in one direction like he was in a trance.


    He had somehow trapped Orun''s feet on the ground and rendered him half immobile.


    It wasn''t that Orun could not move his feet. The problem lies in the motion carried out by the feet once he decides to move it.


    Orun sending a message to the feet to go left would have the feet attempting to go left like the message had said, but ends up performing an action opposite to the instruction Orun had given it.


    His legs is not what is being controlled by the earth elder, but rather it is the ground that Orun is standing on, changing the movements of his feet.


    Just like how the other elders have a connection to their element representative, so does the earth elder.


    He is using that connection to control the earth beneath Orun''s feet to stop it from making the precise message given to it from the brain.


    The other three elders have all gotten within Orun''s range and would have their attack touching him with seconds more.


    "A fine skill, but you made one mistake, and that is forgetting what I am".


    Orun''s movement have been temporarily taken by the earth elder, but he is not without his own ability.

 Chapter 272 Making It One

    The three Elven elders had gotten so close to Orun with only inches away from where he stood.


    Orum on the other hand was left stranded. He could not get his leg up and is not even able to move it sideways as he wants to.


    All he had with him now, is his hands that is still able to respond to immediate actions sent from the brain.


    Orun with his hands, stopped the fist of the fire elder that had almost reached his face.


    He steeled his hold on the fire elder''s fist and used it to carry the rest of his body off the ground.


    By holding unto his fist, Orun used the fire elder''s body to repel the water elder that wasing for him from above.


    Lile doing a backflip, he raised the body up using the fist and swung it above to tank the water elder''s attack.


    The water elder could not attack the fire elder who was her ally, and so she withdrew her attack and also retraced her body from Orun''s direction.


    Just like that, Orun had managed to stop the attack of two of the elders without making use of his legs and only relying on his hand.


    The only one remaining was the wind elder who was on her way to Orun from behind him.


    Orun with his eyes still faced to the front, threw the body of the fire elder to the back, aiming it at the wind elder.


    After he had thrown the body, Orun was quick to move his hand to the side to stop the water elder''s fist from getting to him.


    The wind elder jumped up and sessfully evaded the body of the fire elder. After hed evasion, she moved back on course still charging toward Orun.


    The fire elder also took control of his body before he could crash to the ground, twisting it up in midair and pulling off anding to the ground.


    Having regained hisposure, the fire elder resumed his attack on Orun by pushing himself faster in his direction.


    Orun threw the body of the water elder in the opposite direction from where the wind elder and the fire elder areing from.


    He knew trying to use her as a distraction by throwing her in their direction was not going to work, nor is him holding unto her and using her body as a weapon the moment the other elder gets to him going to work against them.


    He had done it once on the fire elder, and that has lessened the probability of it working again if he attempts to use it on him or on the wind elder who captured the scene as well.


    Orun also did not throw the wind elder''s body in their direction because he did not want them all moving together.


    If he were to threw her in the direction they wereing from, she is bound to take back control of her body like the fire elder had done.


    If that were to happen, she would end up joining the gang and all three of them would being at him from the same direction.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That doesn''t sound good in the ears of Orun. Having them in the same angle increases the chance of Orun getting hit by one of them.


    If all three came at him from a particr spot, they would all aim for different parts of his body but still within the reach of where they areing from.


    If that were to happen, Orun''s response time would dwindle with trying to figure out which attack he should stop first before moving to the next.


    It is a different case however if all three wereing at him from different angles.


    They would all have to pick an angle opposite to where they areing from to meet their reach and range condition.


    Think of it like this; there are five of you, and all five of you are given a single four inch brick to break.


    There is a condition set in motion that it has to require all five of you simultaneously working together to break the brick.


    Five people simultaneously working to break down a four inch brick would need you all to hit it at the same point or deviate slightly away from the other point, but still within close proximity because that is all that can be done with how wide the brick is.


    Now, putting that example as the scene between Orun and the three elders.


    Coming at him in the same direction and simultaneously, would require each of them taking a chunk out of a part of him that they are faced with.


    Either going for the face, the private, the stomach. Any angle at all is what they can aim for, and Orun does not know exactly which one it is.


    He also won''t be able to find that out until they are in the motion of carrying out their attacks on him.


    When that happens, Orun will be forced to have to respond to three simultaneous attacksing at him from the same position.


    He is fast alright, fast enough to give light a run for his money. But in his base form, the three elder''s speed is almost the same as his.


    Not equal, but almost the same. When faced with a single one of the elder, Orun is sure to have the speed advantage.


    But when faced with three of them at the same time, Orun would have to deal with three speed that is almost the same as his.


    Sure, he might pull in one punch or two, taking out two elders before they touch him, but not the third.


    The certainty of that third elder getting to him is a sure thing, and Orun can''t have that.


    This is a sacred duel that he wants to win without him getting pushed around not even once.


    In his base form, that is not an assurance but he wants to work toward making it one.

 Chapter 273 Orun And The Four Elders I

    All three of the Elven elders once again made their way toward Orun from different angle.


    The water elder wasing at him from the front, with the fire elder and the wind eldering from the back.


    When they had gotten to him, Orun did something that had them all in awe and disbelief.


    He abruptly moved his legs off the ground, lifting himself above ground and hastily making his attack on all three elders.


    Orun first used his hand to fend off the water eldering at him from the front, blocking her attack and getting a blow straight in to her chest.


    When he was done, he lifted his body off the ground and turned his attention to the fire and wind elder.


    Orun came down on them,nding in between them and before they could react to him, he had already reached out both of his hands, simultaneously attacking them both by pushing them away from each other.


    When he had separated them, Orun first went after the fire elder, getting to him and delivering several punches to his chest.


    He made his way back to the wind elder and did the exact same thing he did to the fire elder.


    "Torsys, what happened? Were you not supposed to keep him from moving".


    After Orun''s attack on them, the three elders were forced to make their retreat and give themselves enough time to take it all in, both the surprise of Orun having control of his legs and his painful fist thattched on their bodies with remains of the pain still lingering around.


    Rofir the water elder turned her head toward the earth elder Torsys to ask him why Orun''s feet was not incapacitated as it should have been.


    "I couldn''t concentrate because I was also attacked".


    It was an hypothesis Orun came up with. When he saw that his leg had been glued to the earth, Orun was able to understand the reason for that has to do with the earth Elven elder.


    He was standing still and looking in Orun''s direction. His pose that made no movements as if he was plugged in to the earth beneath his feet.


    An idea then came to Orun. If he was indeed plugged in and not moving, it could be because he was connecting the earth beneath him to the earth beneath Orun''s feet.


    That would exin his reasons for not moving his body, so he could focus it all on giving a direct message to the earth the minute Orun starts moving.


    If that was the case, what if Orun found a way to disconnect the earth elder from the ground and have him in the air if only for a moment?


    Using his vine skill to set up an underground attack was not going to work because he might be able to sense it before it gets to him.


    What Orun resorted to using, is creating a needle so thin that it would be blind to the eyes of others.


    He created five of them and hurled it at the earth elder the moment he threw away the body of the water elder.


    Orun slipped the five needle past the water elder and aimed it at the earth elder who hastily moved himself to evade after only seeing it when it was about two breath away from his eyes.


    That gave Orun the time to test if it worked and to his astonishment, it did.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He finally took control of his legs with urate movements sent from the brain directly carried out.


    To prevent the same thing from repeating itself, Orun hurriedly took to the sky the minute hepleted his attacks on the elders.


    "Now the show really begins".


    Orun had his right hand stretched out, and from the ground hemanded the trees to grow.


    It came in the form of a rope with pointy edges and ran itself to all three elders, attacking them like it was trying to wrap its body around them.


    The four Elven elders also fought back hard, preventing the vines from getting to them.


    The fire elder activated his fire ability and started burning down the vines before it could get to him.


    Orun was amazed to see that the fire from the fire Elven elder was enough to do damage to his vines despite it having the properties of fire and a certain level of immunity against it.


    The earth elder had both his hands on the ground, using it to transmit a message to the earth.


    The earth adhered to his calls by shooting out earth carved like spears in Orun''s direction.


    Orun conjured up his vines to stand in front of him so it would stop the spears from getting to him.


    Busy with fighting the spearsing for him at the front, from his back came an arrow moldedpletely out of wind.


    Orun stretched out his other hand to create a wall made of vines to stop the arrow with.


    He was however a tad bit too slow on the uptake as the arrow was able to get to him faster than he could bring up the vine wall.


    It touched Orun and sted him further back with no physical damage done to his body.


    Orun was quick to recover from the st and take back control of his body before it could reach the ground and once again get under the control of the earth elder.


    "Well, there goes my chance of not letting a single attack from them reach my body".


    Orun had decided to set a record for himself, a record that says that through the event of this duel, he is not to get touched or have his body receive a single attack from all four elders.


    The wind elder however has made that record an impossible thing for him to set after getting sted away by her wind arrow.


    He was greatly disappointed in himself for not trying harder to make that record a reality by allowing an attack to get in.


    But he also understood how high thedder he is aiming to climb is, and how there are some still hoping that they have the chance to get to the range ofdder that Orun has reached.

 Chapter 274 Disperse Into The Atmosphere

    The wind elder fired two more shots of her wind arrow in Orun''s direction.


    Orun moved himself while in the sky to evade the arrow''s trajectory.


    He did not resort to using the vine as a shield because it slows him down and only creates room for the other elders to take advantage of.


    The wind arrow he thought he had evaded was not actually gone as it still followed Orun.


    As the representative of the wind, it wasn''t hard for the Elven wind elder to control the wind and also the trajectory of whatever she sets free to the air.


    Using the five wind arrow to trace Orun''s tracks wherever he goes, the wind elder released even more wind arrows to block off Orun''s path.


    Orun with his two hands raised up on each side of him, leading to his creation of arrows made out of me with the numbers enough to match with the wind arrow heading his way.


    Orun gave the me arrows their orders to intercept the wind arrow while he moved to attack the Elven elders.


    The me arrows made their movement along with Orun who vanished from where he was floating and in the next instant, he had appeared in front of the earth elder.


    "You ability is really troubling, therefore I will be incapacitating you first".


    Orun said after he grabbed the earth elder by the neck and using it to raise his feet off the ground so he won''t use the same ability he used earlier on Orun.


    He crafted the vines out from the ground and made each of them grab a hold of the earth elder''s four limbs.


    One vine on his right hand, another on his left hand, his right and left leg was also made the same.


    While he was doing this, the fire elder had made his way to Orun, attacking him from above.


    Orun from his own spinal cord, sprouted out wings made out of fire, four fire made wings like the one he had made the first time he wanted to fly.


    He never had a need for the fire made wings to aid him in his flight, but rather he did it out of fascination and a need to show off before Wildria and the rest of the Wyvern pack.


    When he had sprouted out the four fire wings from his back, Orun changed their design from wings to the shape of arms with wide palms.


    He now had four wide palms protruding from his spinal cord like a spider with several legs except he does not have the need to walk on that extra legs.


    Orun used two of those hands to prevent the fire elder from disturbing or interrupting what he is about to do to the earth elder.


    He had all four of his artificially made fire hands to keep the fire elder and the rest of the elders who would try to stop him at bay.


    The earth elder was now dangling above ground with all four of his limbs stretched out by the vines attached to them.


    Even though the fire arms were attached to Orun''s back, their movement was as if they had a mind of their own, intercepting the Elven elders that tries to get closer to Orun while he focuses on the earth elder.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This will keep you from disrupting me when I get to the ground".


    Orun said, turning his attention away from the earth elder that has been tied down by the vines.


    Orun had finished his business with the earth elder and now turned over to the rest of the Elven elders who were still battling the fire arms.


    With the earth elder all tied up and his feet not on the ground, Orun was no longer restricted from having his feet on the ground.


    He got down and immediately went after the three elders, but did not just charge at them directly.


    He first used his forest ability to grow up tall trees in the arena, robbing the Elven elders of their physical vision.


    What Orun did next was to release his mana into the atmosphere, making it look like he is everywhere at once and messing with their inner senses.


    Doing that deprives them of both their physical and inner senses to rely on.


    Where is he going to being from? How is he going to make his attack? And when does he n to attack?


    Are the questions Orun assumed is going on in the minds of the three Elven elder who have been deprived of the two ways meant to aid them in discerning anything.


    "I should put an end to this now".


    Orun has taken control of the duel''s flow by having the elves stranded inside the mini forest he made in the arena grounds.


    He has their location mapped out in his head unlike how they cannot physically see him or pinpoint his presence due to how he spread his aura in the surroundings.


    Orun moved from where he was and headed toward the water elder. When he got there, all Orun saw was the mirage of the water elder and not the real deal.


    Just like how he hid his presence from them by dispersing his aura into the atmosphere, so can they hide their presence from him through other means.


    Orun looked around to see if he could see the real image of the water elder.


    The trees were standing in the way and blocking his view from getting any real image.


    He did not bother himself with going after the other elders because he suspected that they might also not be there just like the water elder.


    To confirm if he was right or not, Orun controlled the trees, sprouting out branches from the trees bark, and in the location where he sensed the presence of the wind and fire elder.


    Orun used the tip of the branches he had sprouted out from the trees bark to pierce through the bodies he sensed from where he was.


    As he thought, the moment the branches got into them, their presence was quick to disperse into the atmosphere like the water elder''s body had done.

 Chapter 275 Balance

    Both party have be physically and mentally blinded to their surrounding and what location they are in.


    Orun finds it hard to trace the three Elven elders, likewise they also find it hard to trace down Orun.


    He had now reached a point where he has to decide if he is going to leave the forest be or take it down to pinpoint the location of all three Elven elders.


    Orun though could not see the three elders, decided to focus on predicting their moves.


    What would they do after getting stranded in a forest with no sign of their opponent in in sight?


    Answer; they would go for the one thing capable of making their opponent submissive and leading to the created forest getting canceled.


    And who is the elder capable of achieving that goal? The same elder that Orun had tied up so he could have his feet on the ground.


    Orun turned his body and hastily moved himself back to where he got the earth elder trapped in.


    Like he had suspected, he saw the three elders close to the earth elder and ready to set him free.


    He would not make it there in time to stop them from releasing the earth elder, but there are other ways to stop them without him getting close to them.


    From the vines that tied down the earth elder, Orun sprouted out thorns from it and used it to dy the three elders if only for a little while.


    The thorns were able to achieve Orun''s aim of keeping them busy long enough for him to get to them.


    Getting to them, Orun chose to first go after the wind elder. He was however confronted by the fire elder who stopped him from getting any further than he already is.


    The fire elder from a distance, sted several fireballs in Orun''s direction.


    Orun had his right hand forward and dispersed the fireball when it got to him and made contact with his hand.


    "As one who draws their power from nature, tou should know what it means to be an elemental king".


    The fire elder draws out his fire from nature, the same properties that Orun represents as the fire Elemental king.


    The act of attacking him with that same elemental property was insane and totally a dense move to make.


    It should also be obvious to the fire elder that no matter how hot or how explosive he makes his fire, it will never be able to withstand going against its creator.


    That is exactly the same thing that happened with the fire balls that the fire elder hurled at Orun.


    It hearkened to its creator''smand by bing a part of him rather than attack him ording to themand giving by the fire elder.


    The fire elder did not panic when he saw how Orun was able to easily disperse his fire ball.


    It was almost as if he had expected something like that to happen, yet he still did it out of the need to satisfy his curiosity.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The water elder joined in as well, to help the fire elder distract Orun while the wind elder work on getting the earth elder out of the vines hold.


    Her wind based attack had shown to be useful when ites to cutting down the vines.


    She waved her hand about four times like she was doing a sh sign in the air.


    After what she did, from her hand came four sh waves in the form of wind and shaped like the edge of a scythe meant for cutting.


    The wind sh waves got to the vines that held down the earth elder, each wave cutting through each of the vines responsible for holding down his two legs and two feet.


    It did not cut deep enough to have it shed itself off the earth elder''s four limbs, but it went in deep enough to achieve its aim with a few more tries.


    The wind elder kept on it while the fire elder and the water elder kept Orun busy.


    The fire elder decided it was best for him to face Orun in a close typebat since his elemental ability had no effect on him.


    He made his way toward Orun while the water elder toosed him a sword made out of her water elemental powers.


    His fist will not be able to do much to any damage to Orun with his body durability, but the same cannot be said with using an elemental opposite that of what Orun has.


    Is what the water elder was thinking when she made the sword and threw it to the fire elder.


    The sword made out of water is still in its liquid water like state, butpacted together like rubber able to draw out and undraw.


    Orun is a fire Elemental spirit king, meaning he has max level affinity toward the element of fire, hence why the Elven fire elder''s attack will do nothing to him.


    Being a fire Elemental king has its own advantages with a short list of disadvantages, that involves himing into contact with an element opposite to what he rules over.


    As an elemental king, there is a chance that his tolerance to an elemental opposite that of his would be high and barely be enough to do damage to him if it wasing from someone else that is not an elemental king as he is.


    It won''t do much damage, but it might still be enough to keep up with him when used as a weapon.


    What the water elder did not understand is that the authority possessed by an elemental king is greater than what any other elemental user who is not a king has.


    Just as how fire is the adversary and enemy of water, so is water the adversary and enemy of fire.


    If water is capable of putting a lit fire off, the same thing can happen to water getting boiled up by fire until it ends up evaporating then fades into existence.


    The two elemental bnce each other. One does not rule or have the absolute authority over the other.


    All that is required for bnce to be in ce, is that whoever is making use of the elemental both have an equal status to it.


    And the Elven water elder does not meet the condition necessary to have her water go up against Orun''s fire.

 Chapter 276 Stopping The Beam

    Orun is an elemental spirit king drawing his fire from a natural force. The only one whose elemental powers can stand against Orun''s elemental powers are the other three elemental kings, not the elves.


    The fire elder thrust out the water made sword at Orun, and he seeded in catching it with one hand.


    Orun had his hand heated up enough to start boiling the sword and eventually making it lose its rubber like liquified state, evaporating whatever was left of it.


    He released his hand on the already evaporated sword and kicked the fire elder in the ribs.


    The water elder after seeing the fire elder fall so easily, started hurling down massive chunks of water balls down on Orun.


    Orun ignored the water ball and took to the sky after seeing that the wind elder had seeded in setting the earth elder free.


    With the earth elder now back on the ground, Orun''s actions will once again be limited to the sky alone.


    He still does not have a specific grasp on how the earth elder''s ability works.


    If he did, Orun might be able toe up with a way to prevent it from taking effect even after he has his legs connected to the ground.


    Orun also had to disabled the forest he had sprouted out to cover the arena grounds with.


    If he is to continue his attack in mid air, there is a need for him to be able to see below, and having the forest present would only rob him of his vision.


    The elders had that ability they used on Orun to hide themselves from his sight and his senses, so he won''t be able to rely on that as a means to track their whereabouts.


    Attacking them with the forest as well will also do no good mostly because of the earth elder and how fast the other elders are.


    They are fast enough to evade the thorns from getting to them and wrapping itself around their bodies, and the earth elder could also just conjure up an earth wall to stop the movement of the trees in the forest from getting any closer to him.


    The earth elder ced his two hands on the ground and resumed his attack by sending out spears made from the earth in Orun''s direction.


    Orun blocked as much of the spears as he could by swiftly moving around in the sky.


    While he was blocking, he noticed that there was something weird happening below.


    Two of the elders, the wind elder and the fire elder came together while the earth elder and the water elder were attacking Orun.


    Their actions looked as if they were trying to buy more time, but for what is the question on Orun''s mind.


    The wind elder and the fire elder stood side by side, with the both of them reaching out their hand to grab at each other.


    Orun''s first thought was that they were flirting with each other from the way they clocked palms and held on to it tightly.


    He was however proven wrong when he saw a bright light emanating from the hand they had psed together.


    The color of the lighting out was abination of wind and fire put together, and it''s range was slowly extending out of their psed palm all the way to their hands that was in contact with each other.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun did not know what it is they were nning on doing, but it does not look that good looking at them from above.


    "Wind, me Elemental resonance".


    The wind and fire elder both yelled out at the same time, causing the lighting from their psed hands to grow even brighter.


    With the bright light still shining, they had their psed hand raised up and directed at Orun.


    The moment the hands faced Orun, a beam was projected out of it and headed in his direction.


    In retaliation to the beam, Orun had both his hand stretched out and shaped like he was drawing an arrow already strung on a bow.


    He pulled the arrow toward him, and the shape hastily made itself in physical appearance crafted using mes.


    Orun released the arrow, and it burned its way to the beaming at him.


    When both attacks came into close proximity of each other, they battled it out with neither showing any signs of giving up anytime soon.


    The beam was still connected to the psed hand of the wind elder and the fire elder, giving them the chance to send in more of their powers into the beam to strengthen it with so it can withstand the force of the arrow fired by Orun and not get pushed back by it.


    It was a drawn out battle with the attention of the elders concentrated on it, waiting for the beam toe out victorious.


    Orun on the other hand, fired another me arrow after he saw that the first one was losing the battle of wits against the beam.


    The arrow went in, joining in with the first arrow and causing devastating damage to the beam.


    When the second arrow collided, it shattered the beam like a gunshot fired to a ss.


    It broke the beam downyer byyer and made its way to the wind elder and the fire elder.


    The earth elder was quick to respond by conjuring up an earth wall to stand in the way of the arrow and prevent it from reaching the fire and wind elder.


    The arrow broke through the earth wall, piercing a hole through it like it was nothing and its momentum still did not decrease by a bit as it continued its journey to the fire elder and the wind elder.


    The arrow had gotten to them, and has also broken through the barrier they set up to protect themselves with.


    It was now within a hair breath away from them when it was stopped by a hand that came from the fire elder''s side.


    "I apologize, I got too carried away in the moment".


    Orun said, holding unto the arrow''s body that had its tip pointing to the fire elder''s eyeball.

 Chapter 277 Announcing The Winner

    "AND THAT MY FELLOW SPECTATORS, IS THE CONCLUDING SCENE BETWEEN THE DUEL WITH THE FOUR ELDERS AGAINST THE FIRE SPIRIT KING".


    The bell was rang and the announcer guy dered it as the end of the match prior to when Orun had caught the fire arrow that he set loose toward the wind elder and the fire elder.


    "Are you both okay".


    Orun dispersed the fire arrow in his hand before turning his head to ask for the health of the wind elder and the fire elder.


    "Yes, we are fine. You arrived just in time before we got hurt".


    The fire elder answered Orun''s question, affirming their safe health.


    If Orun hade in anyter, the fire elder and the wind elder would have been Injured really badly, with the worst case leading to the death of them both.


    The fire arrow he threw in their direction was not one they could have stopped going from how much force was packed into it before being thrown.


    Orun did not intentionally do it, but did it as a result of getting too deep into the moment.


    The beam that came out from the wind elder and the fire elder psed hand was what made Orun absorbed in the moment.


    He wanted to know what it was and just how much it could resist Orun''s arrow, what definite amount of force was needed to match the wavelength of the beam.


    In his haste to find that out, Orun projected the fire arrow and imbued it with more force than necessary, thus bringing them to this moment.


    The water elder and the earth elder halted whatever attacks they were nning to throw at Orun.


    They stopped when the announcer dered that the duel was over, and found their way to where Orun was standing with the wind and fire elder.


    "THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AFTER THE DUEL''S CONCLUSION, AND THE WINNER OF THIS DUEL IS!!".


    The announcer was not quick to reveal the winner of the duel, purposely building up the anticipation in the minds of the spectators and the Elven elders.


    Orun actually did not care if he came out victorious against the four Elven elders, or if he lost woefully against them.


    His intention all along was to have fun and see how far he could go against the four elders in his base form, not to win or lose the duel.


    Though to be fair, if the match was not stopped by the announcer, the earth elder would have gotten his chance to use his earth bind skill on Orun, thereby making him unable to use his legs.


    It would increase the probability of the three elders, giving them a wide range and aspect to attack Orun from while he is limited to staying as he is on the ground.


    They would also have made certain that Orun never seeds a second time in breaking free from the earth leader''s earth bind.


    But looking at things from another angle, Orun would not have had the need to get his feet to touch the ground if the other elders were able to stop the fire arrow in time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    If that were to happen, he would have still been floating in the sky and attacking from there, at a range where he cannot be touched by the effect of the earth elder''s ability.


    "AND THE WINNER IS...........THE FIRE SPIRIT KING".


    The announcer dered followed by a loud cheer from the spectators, all going wide and voiceful over Orun emerging as the winner.


    "As we thought, defeating an elemental king was an impossible mission to begin with".


    The water elder was the one who spoke up shortly after getting to where Orun was and him being announced as the winner.


    The winner was concluded by the votes from from the spectators and the announcer.


    As it was not a match with a definite winner, they decided to pick by judging them based on the ability disyed and on who has the upper hand the entire time of the duel.


    Since Orun was the only one matched up against four Elven elders, there was a bit of favoritism and prejudice involved in he voting section.


    It also has to do with Orun''s background as the fire Elemental king, a background that all elves think highly of.


    That is not to say that Orun does not actually deserve the win, but it also does not say that the Elven elders did not make any aplishment or put up any notable fight against Orun.


    "That is not true, you guys fought a good fight. I was able to win by only a slight margin".


    Orun wasn''t lying with what he said nor was he trying to tter them and boost their morale by making them think that he was only lucky to have won.


    For the most part of the duel, they controlled the flow of the battle by having Orun in a position they want him to be, which is above ground level in fear of getting to the ground and have his actions restricted.


    They had him in a spot where he had to keep on making choices on what should be done to ensure his win and what shouldn''t.


    The most impressive aspect in all this, is making it so that Orun would have to break his goal of not getting hit but ended up being hit by the wind elder.


    "You don''t have to tter us Spirit king. We are all aware that you went easy on us, yet you still won".


    The wind elder responded by disagreeing with what Orun said.


    It is true that he wasn''t going at them with all he has, but the same can be said for them as well.


    "The way I see it, you guys were also not taking me very seriously".


    They looked and acted like they were fighting in full power, but it did not strike Orun as entirely true.


    When he was exchanging blows with them, he could feel from how they responded that they were not giving it all that they had.

 Chapter 278 A Question For All

    There was a part of them that was ying things steady like a rhythm trying to y along to Orun''s tune.


    Is he to believe that all the fire elder had as a means of attack is using his element against him?


    Or should he believe that the Elven nation, a nation consisting of one race namely the elves, and the four elders standing at the pinnacle of that race as the strongest after the queen that is?


    Is he also to believe that them being regarded to as the strongest, that capacity of power is all that they amounted to, that it was the highest sense of power they could draw out from nature?


    "Spirit King, we really took it seriously and came at you with the intention of winning".


    The wind elder was the one to answer Orun, trying to make it known to him what their intentions were.


    "I know you did, but I could still feel how you all were holding back against me, even though you did n on winning".


    They had their goal on winning and Orun could see that from how they attacked him. What he could also see, is them not resorting to theirst option as a way to win.


    They did not risk all they had on Orun and only worked on the set limit their bodies can currently go through.


    The only time that Orun felt them going at him with risk involved, is when the wind elder and the fire elder had their hands together and released that beam at him.


    "There is a question I need to ask you both".


    Orun was still curious about the beam that came out from their hands.


    He knew it had to do with the wind elder and the fire elderbining their powers together, what he does not understand is the specific of how it is done.


    Do they just need to have their hands joined together, or do they need to have their hands joined together and then have their mana directed into the joined hands?


    There is a lot of theories surrounding the mystery of how the beam came to be.


    The problem with Orun''s theory is that none of them was sufficient enough to give him a logical exnation as to how that beam was more powerful than any other attack made by the Elven elders.


    If it is two of the elders just having their palm touch each other and have them direct their mana into the palm before releasing it into the atmosphere.


    The result of that should be of two effects, and those two effects are to be drawn out from what elemental Affinity the two elders have.


    Like how the wind elder and the fire elder had their hands psed and a beam was released, the result of that beam should be of fire and of wind, but that wasn''t so.


    There was no burning effect from the beam or wind blowing about from the beam.


    It was just a pure destructive force released out of their psed hands and headed toward Orun.


    If there was a fire effect in the beam, Orun would have let it get closer to him without having to use his arrow to stop its approach.


    He also would not have been so worked up or curious about how it came to be.


    "it is called resonance, an ability that relies onpatibility of two different individuals".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Elven fire elder answered Orun''s question without pondering too much on it.


    As stated by the fire elder, Resonance requires thepatibility of two different individuals expressing theirpatibility through physical contact.


    Once they join their hands together, they have to make sure that their mana wavelength and Affinity guage to the elemental they have is adjusted to be the same in every possible way.


    Any slight misconception that leads to their wavelength and Affinity guage not the same, would result in a failure to activate resonance.


    However, if the conditions are met with and both of them hold hands with the same Affinity and wavelength, they are to channel their mana wavelength to the palm they have conjoined.


    Once the two mana meets at the conjoined palm, it will result in the creation of a new force being released, a force that is dependent on the Affinity they both have to aid in its creation of a new type of elemental.


    "The birth of a new type of elemental?".


    The fire elder''s word had Orun lost and especially confused.


    He thought elemental powers came from the four elemental kings, and they are the only ones capable of birthing elemental spirits under the same elemental Affinity that they rule over.


    How could it be possible that the creation of another elemental was possible through theing together of two different elements?


    "Do not be misguided by what Alluin said Spirit king".


    The wind elder brought Orun out of his confusion by bringing up a better form of exnation unlike the one given by Alluin the fire elder.


    It is not a secret or a new thing to note that there are all sorts of elemental outside of the four elemental in existence.


    Those elementals are referred to as secondary elementals, while the four known elementals are referred to as the primary elementals.


    What the resonance skill does is not to create a new form of elemental, but to generate an elemental belonging to the secondary range of elemental bybining two primary elemental to bring about one form of secondary elemental.


    "Take for example your forest ability".


    Orun had not thought that far about the elements and their categories because he never needed to.


    The forest ability he has now was gotten from his ability to use thorns, and he got that as a reward for surviving death.


    That is all it was for him, and the same applies to his use of the soil elemental.


    That was gotten from him having a racial ability called dirt ignition, an ability that allows him to manipte the dust in the atmosphere.


    To him, they are what it is, skills that he picked up along the way until he got to where he is.


    Orun never really took his time to understand them, but now he has a feeling that he is about to.

 Chapter 279 Primary And Secondary Elements

    Orun has a problem that he finds very disturbing concerning what he is going to do going forward.


    His problem has to do with the fact that he is starting to enjoy thefort of the elves.


    The duel has made him get toofortable with the elves, and the way they have treated him so far has made him about to lose any suspicious gaze he has on them.


    "This must be their intention all along, I most certainly cannot fall for it".


    Orun etched into himself the remembrance that he knows nothing about the elves.


    Their kindness toward him for all he knows, might be a way to let him have his guard down, and he can''t give them what they want.


    He can''t let himself get fooled by them, not now not ever. Orun has to be on alert at all times and stay vignt to any move made by them.


    Right, vignt is what he has to be, but only after he is done eating the food he never took his time to observe and immediately went at it the moment it was brought into his room.


    "This people sure know how to get others to trust them. Exactly as the saying goes, the way to a man''s heart is through their stomach".


    Orun said, tossing inside his mouth a spoonful of the dessert ced on the table that was in front of him.


    A colorful dessert filled with all sorts of delicacies, that is what was brought over to Orun''s room shortly after the duel was over and he retired into his designated room.


    While he was eating the desert, Orun took a walk down memoryne on the topic that was discussed after the end of the duel.


    His discussion with the four Elven elders has further enlightened Orun about the topic on elements, their forms and how they are ced.


    His element is grouped under the primary sector and the same goes for the wind, water and earth type elemental.


    The four elements are the beginning of nature, the start and the witness of how the world came into being.


    It was after the world has been created is when the secondary type elements came into being.


    The process is a little bitplicating but the wind elder was able to exin it clearly for Orun to understand better.


    ording to the mythical tale passed down by the elves ancestors through generation to the current one.


    They believed that the creation of the world was carried out by the one regarded to as the creator.


    But before the creation of the world, there was an existing force thatyed dormant and was able to witness not only the birth of the creator, but also the birth of creation.


    That existing force is referred to as nature, and nature was represented in the form of the four elements known to all as fire, water, earth and wind/air.


    It was after the creation of the world has been created by the creator is when a new form of elements came into existence.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That new form of elements was brought about by the form the world was created in.


    The sky, light, darkness, shadow, lightening, sound, wood, sand, time, space, and many more of such elements were brought about by theposition that came into existence along with the creation of the world.


    That is why they are referred to as the secondary elements, to distinguish them from the original elements that has been in existence since before the beginning of creation.


    As secondary elements that was not drawn out from nature but from aposition of the world''s creation, they do not possess a representative of sorts like the elemental kings.


    There are no kings ruling under the secondary elements vested with the power to recreate secondary elemental spirits to connect with other people.


    Unlike the four primary element king who have the power to create elemental spirits to have them connect to mortals with ranks ranging from highest to lowest, the secondary elements does not have that kind of support or representative capable of doing that.


    All it has, is a set of people who have mastered the secondary elements and are able to use it as an extension of themselves.


    It should be taken into consideration that while the primary elements are representatives of nature and have since been existing before the creation of the world, that does not make them stronger than the secondary elements, nor does it make them any weaker.


    The use of both secondary and primary element is dependent on who is behind the wheel of the element.


    The primary element does have an advantage when ites to learning the process of elemental control.


    Reasons is because whoever wants to control one of the four primary element, can do it by making a contract with any elemental spirit affiliated under the four primary element.


    The secondary element however does not have that kind of benefit, the kind that allows them to ess a second party with a connection to the element and can guide them on how to use it, and even going so far as lending it to them.


    "You cane on in. There is no need for the owner of the building to have to ask for permission beforeing into their own building".


    Orun stopped thinking and eating all together then had his face turned toward the door way.


    He sensed the figure that just came to the door with her hand raised up, ready to knock beforeing in.


    She ced her hand on the door''s handle and pushed it open to bring herself into the room.


    "This is your building for as long as you are here, and I just like anyone else am a guest who is intruding on your private moment. It is appropriate that I knock beforeing in".


    She said, walking herself over to where Orun was sitting with a table lined with dessert in front of him.


    When she got there, she sat herself down on the chair that was opposite Orun and had her legs crossed together with her gaze on Orun.


    When Orun saw she had sat down, he ignored her and picked up the gold spoon to feed himself full with what was in front of him.

 Chapter 280 Her Gaze

    "So you do know what is and what isn''t appropriate yet you still have the heart and mind to keep me waiting all this while".


    Dilya has shown Orun the utmost courtesy in every way necessary, except the part that has to do with her exining to Orun why he is here and how she knows about him.


    The how she knows about his identity is something that Orun has figured out by himself.


    He learned the connection the elves had with nature and their respect for the elemental kings.


    Orun learned it all after listening to their solid exnation on what elementals are, and from where their powers are gotten.


    With that much connection to nature and that much knowledge about elements and elementals, it won''t be too shocking for them to realize who the current elemental kings are and how to get to them.


    He is not a one hundred percent sure of it, but has the idea it is what really happened.


    All he needs is the confirmation from Dilya to be aware that what he thinks is right.


    The only thing needed for Dilya to exin to him now is the why she wants to meet with him.


    If her intention is not to have Orun join the Elven nation, then what is her aim? What purpose does she have for having hime here.


    "I am aware of how I have been so inappropriate to you all this while, and that is why I came here. To rectify my inappropriate attitude toward you".


    After he heard what she said, Orun took down the spoon that he was about to shove into his mouth and had his attention focused on her.


    "Is this another trick of yours? A means to get my hopes up only to end up postponing it again".


    Orun found it hard to believe that she would be that willing to talk to him about what he wants to know now.


    Coming into his room just so she could exin what he has been trying so hard to get her to do all this while?


    What exactly is her angle? What sort of game is she trying to y with him now?


    "There is no tricks this time. Whatever it is you want to ask me, you can do it now. I will be sure to assist you in the best way I can".


    Dilya assured Orun that she wasn''t ying around, opening the floor for him to ask his questions so she can satisfy his curiosity.


    Orun looked at her with a stern expression, gazing his eyes into hers like he was trying topel and intimidate her through his gaze.


    He did it so he would be sure that she meant every word she said and none of it was a lie.


    "Alright. My first question has to do with why you sent me the invitation letter".


    After looking into her eyes and saw that she did not flinch one bit, Orun took the bait and asked his first question that is also the question thatpelled him toe here.


    "I thought your first question was going to be how I knew of your existence".


    He was curious about that at the beginning, but not after he knew about the Elven believe and have heard tale of the past and their connection to nature.


    That doesn''t mean that he thinks he is certain on his assumption and as such that he is no longer curious about it.


    He still is, but he figured that knowing the why takes precision over the how.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I am more interested in knowing why you sent the invitation letter to me".


    Dilya''s gaze for a brief moment, deviated away from Orun but was brought back shortly after.


    "I invited you here to warn you about your ill-fated rtionship with the humans".


    At this point, Orun was not even surprised about how Dilya got to know that he and the humans have not exactly being trending on a friendly path.


    "I thought you would recognize me sooner orter. That is why I gave you some time if you would remember me or not before I could tell you why I called for your presence".


    She said, looking at Orun with eyes of disappointment at him.


    He on the other hand does not understand what she meant by him recognizing her.


    This is not the first time he is iming to not have met her before and has no rtion with her, and it won''t be thest.


    With a godly appearance like hers, there is no way Orun would not remember meeting with her no matter how brief it was.


    But he does not have such memories with him. Her face in his mind does not ring any bell nor does it see any theory of them meeting to draw out from and possibly think on the where.


    He would have said she has him mistaken for someone else, but that couldn''t have been the case.


    Orun''s appearance is quite unique and it is all thanks to Oracle changing his evolution path from a goblin to an entity categorized under the Goblin specie yet has no physical features to count him as one.


    His evolutionary tree under the Goblin specie that Orun is in, is a private one, and only he has the ess to the evolution options under his evolution tree.


    With such a private and unique trait, how could she have mistaken him for someone else?


    Regardless, Orun tried to look into his memory log once more to see if he could find anything he had missed.


    Her im is pretty solid and she also appears to be sure of herself. So perhaps, he is the one who has met her but does not remember the when and the how.


    Even though he knew that could not have been the case, Orun still had to take onest journey down memoryne.


    Thinking back on the list of people Orun has met with during his time in the dungeon and after that?


    The list can actually be counted using both his palm, and looking back on the memorable ones!!


    "Don''t tel me you ar!!!!!!!"


    Orun had remembered something or rather assumed on something and was about to call it out when Dilya in agitation got up from her seat with her expression looking upheaval.


    "No! The sealed gated has been opened, how?!!!!!!"


    She said, looking across the window that was in front of her.


    It was the first time Orun had seen such an expression on her face, getting all worked up.

 Chapter 281 Temptation

    Prior To Orun''s And The Four Elven Elders Duel, Shortly After Elmon''s Defeat At The Hands Of The Female Warrior Known As Haera.


    [ I told you, you were never going to be a match for her. But you went against my words and ended up branding yourself as a loser before the masses ].


    Its words were spoken under the intention that it would hurt the one listening to it, the only one whose ear could discern the sound spoken by the being with no physical form.


    "Shut up!".


    Elmon''s voice was loud as it was filled with anger and hatred directed at himself, his foolishness that gave him the courage to do what he has never done before.


    In an attempt to prove himself as a worthy partner to the Elven princess and the Elven spectators, Elmon with enthusiasm marched himself to the arena grounds for that purpose.


    When he got to the arena grounds however, the eyes that greeted him were unfriendly toward him.


    They all looked at him with gaze that showed that they expected nothing from him.


    Elmon was furious and especially discouraged. Whatever vigor or courage he once had that allowed him to prepare himself toe out and fight in the arena was gone.


    He wished that the ground would open up and swallow him whole, but his love for the Elven princess Leena was what kept him going.


    He had to prove his love for her in front of everybody and get the acknowledgement that is deserving as one who would stand beside the Elven princess not as a guard or as someone lower in status, but as an equal.


    Elmon''s n was to announce his love for Leena after he won the duel, but he couldn''t do that as a result of losing the duel.


    When he lost, he felt everything he had held unto for so long alle crashing down in one go.


    He questioned how it came to be and why he had to be treated this way.


    Elmon had to win, he needed to win, it was important and mandatory to him that he wins the duel.


    That was the only legal way he could confess his love for Leena and be acknowledged by his tribesmen alike.


    What is he to do if he ended up losing to his opponent in the most embarrassing way possible?


    How could he have lost with just one move from his opponent? One move that did not even require her to give it all that she had?


    The cheer that followed after his loss was the deciding factor for the mental breakdown of Elmon.


    He got out of the arena grounds for the next opponent to contest, the spirit king and the four elders.


    Elmon could not stomach watching the duelprising of the fire spirit king and the four elders.


    It would only serve as a reminder of how weak and useless he is when he sees them doing things that he could only fantasize about.


    [ You know what to do to put an end to your misery, shun down all who look at you with eyes of a failure ].<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The voice continued to project its thought into the mind of the dejected Elmon.


    It''s goal is to seep itself into Elmon''s mind and take control of the wheel, acting as his brain.


    And it is working, slowly but surely showing positive results.


    Elmon who is on the verge of losing everything he has left. Following the generic story of a male lead done bad to.


    Lost his parents at a very tender age. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father? He died upholding his duty as a force of the Elven military.


    Raised as an orphan, ran away from the orphanage home at a young age, ended up having to survive alone in an alleyway, looked down upon by others for being an orphan.


    He has it all, the cruel generic storyline that tells the tale of a pitiful main character from sufferness to greatness.


    From having nothing to having all there is for one to have. Loved by a woman who is way above his ss but still fell in love with him because the plot demands it.


    The only difference between those main characters and Elmon, is that he has yet to get himself to greatness, to reach that top where he would be feared by many, hated by many and adored by many.


    [ Do it! Set me free and I will give you whatever it is you desire ].


    The reason as to why Elmon has yet to be great or start walking the path to greatness, is because the cheat he got like most main characters do, is a cheat that is forbidden amongst his race.


    That cheat is the main reason why his race has been forced to live in the confines of the barrier, and also made it their duty to give their life to when necessary.


    That is how forbidden it is, and that same cheat is pleading to Elmon, spitting out tempting words into his ears like a conman does when they are trying to rob you of your possession.


    It gave Elmon a sweetener, promises to grant him his desperate wish and desire if only, he can do one thing for him.


    It is a bargain that would seem to one like they are losing nothing and yet still gaining more than they ounted for.


    Elmon in his right state of mind would not have taken this deal, but he has had enough of it.


    There is only so much he can take, and yet only so little that he has to call his own.


    The little that he has and considers eternal is now on the brink of leaving him, abandoning him to his own fate.


    He wouldn''t have that, over his dead body before he let''s that be his fate.


    A desperate man with needs and desire is a man that would resort to any means and go to any lengths to see that their desire is fulfilled, and their needs met with.


    Elmon is no different. He is no exception to the rule of desperation and needs, and the means through which his needs are granted is by no means his concern as long as he gets what he wants.

 Chapter 282 His Plea

    Elmon with a frowned face, got up from where he sat, finding his way out of the room through the door located opposite him.


    "You want to be free? I will do it. I will free you, and in exchange you grant me the power to make Leena mine to im".


    He said, walking down the road and talking to himself like a man gone mad.


    [ A woman is all that you desire? Child, I could give you the world if that was your wish ].


    The voice sounded so confident and sure of itself, whispering into his ears what it was capable of, and the extent of the wishes it could grant.


    "The world be damned. Leena is my world, and she is all that I desire".


    Elmon''s refusal to have the world in literal sense was not shocking to the voice has it had expected such to happen.


    For as long as the voice had known Elmon, and it has known Elmon since the time of his birth.


    It had never seen Elmon desire for much or crave for more than he can have.


    He has always lived within his limits and has never dreamed or hoped to do things that would put him way above what he is capable of.


    This is the first time that Elmon would be taking a stand for himself, and his reason for doing this is for love.


    Since meeting with Leena, the voice had observed Elmon''s attitude taking a change, a turn from a boy who had no ambition to a boy who started getting greedy so as to satisfy the one he loves.


    Getting so bold enough to suggest he and Leena running away from the Elven nation.


    That was a thought the former Elmon would never havee up with, or even stray close to it as an option.


    Attempting to run away with the princess of the nation is a suggestion too crazy to even think of applying it in realistic terms.


    [ The things you mortals do for love? Kekeke!! ].


    The voice let out a weird snicker, mocking Elmon''s dedicated love for Leena, a love that has blinded him into doing his will.


    The voice has so far being projecting itself into Elmon, to persuade him into doing his will, but not once has Elmon broken or hearken to the voice.


    Now Elmon in his desperation, shut his eyes and ears open to let in the voice as much as it wanted to.


    It scoffed at Elmon''s foolishness and was no longer surprised by it.


    Where his walk ended up taking him to, is inside of a cave with a wide opening, the entrance carved in the shape of a lion roaring as loud as it could, with a mouth volume wide enough to size in ten elephants in one sitting.


    Elmon with fear etched in his heart, resolved himself to take the risk and going into the dark ominous looking cave, making his way through the lion''s roar.


    "What are you doing here!".


    Elmon was stopped in his tracks by a deep man''s voice that came from afar warning him to stay back.


    "I came here in search of something".


    Elmon''s voice panicked as he responded back to the man.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He has never tried doing something that goes against the rules and regtions of the elves.


    This was beyond what he was used to, way beyond it and that terrified him greatly.


    In his mind is a massive amount of questions raging about, wondering what to do if his intention was found out even before he seeds in doing it.


    He troubled his brain in search of an answer that would not make him look suspicious before the two men standing guard with a gigantic two sides gate located behind them.


    The two men looked at each other like they were contemting on his choice of statement to reply with.


    They have been standing guard all day long and have yet to see anyonee around here to y much less lose something only toe back in search for it.


    Elmon''s excuse to them did not add up at all, and that made them ufortable around him.


    Why would he chose to lie to them? For what reasons brought him here other than the lie he just told them?


    They knew he was up to something, but they just could not pinpoint their finger on what it was.


    The two guard never for a brief second thought to themselves that what he was up to, had something to do with the gigantic gate that was standing behind them.


    How could they? Big or small, as long as they are elves, they would have heard of what the gate they are keeping watch on represents, and why it needs to stay locked till eternity.


    They would never have thought of a possibility where one of them who knows of the tale still decides to take the risk to get the gate open.


    "Whatever it is you are looking for, it is not here, now scram".


    The two men were not epting of Elmon''s presence in the cave, that made it very quick and easy for them to shun him down and send him out, giving him no time to find whatever it is he imed he was looking for.


    "I promise I won''t take much of your time. I just need about a minute, that is all".


    Elmon was not willing to give in that easily. He knew what he was signing up for when he decided to take his chances with the voice.


    If he turns back now, he will no longer have a ray of hope of getting Leena back.


    This was the only chance he had, and he was willing to do whatever it took to see that it worked.


    "Did you not hear what we just said? Go back and nevere here again. It is not meant for the likes of you to trespass as you see fit".


    The man rejected Elmon''s plea, sending him back with a much harsher tone than the one he used the first time.


    "Ple!"


    Elmon again wanted to beg for sometime, but he couldn''t because he was stopped by the voice.


    [ They won''t let you in just like that. For now, turn back ].


    The voice although was in a hurry to have Elmon standing in front of that gate, understood that it wasn''t going to be that easy and could even prove almost impossible as long as the two men are standing guard at the entrance of the gate.

 Chapter 283 I Summon Thee

    Drawn on the floor is an ominous pattern dyed in deep dried red and carefully made out as a triangle ced inside a circle.


    At the center of the ominous pattern is a teenager standing inside the triangle with a pale face that looked like his health was slowly being sucked out of him.


    "Are you sure this is going to work".


    Elmon said with a weakly tone, speaking like he was on life support.


    "If this does not work, I will die of blood loss".


    He had his head slowly raised down and turned to look at his right arm then to his left.


    On the wrist of both arm is the remnant of blood in dried form, stuck to his palms and stretched to the fingertips.


    [ It will work. All you have to do is say the incantation right and we will have no problem ].


    The voice assured Elmon of the validation of what it asked him to do.


    Elmon had both his hands raised up on each side and then he closed his eyes.


    "I am ready".


    He said with his eyes tightly closed off, his head faced to the front and his two hands raised up.


    [ Repeat after me ].


    The voice crawled it''s way from Elmon''s feet to his ear, wrapping itself around the ear as Elmon got himself ready to repeat the next statement thates out from its mouth.


    [ I. After that, you call out your full name ].


    "I. After that, you call out you!"


    [ No, no no. That is not what I meant ].


    Elmon had said the exact same words that came out from the voice, but the manner it was said in was not what the voice expected from him.


    [ After you say the "I" I want you to say out your full name along with it ].


    It took its time to properly exin how it is done to Elmon before he was allowed to continued.


    [ Do you get it ].


    Elmon nodded his head twice in response to the question asked by the voice.


    [ Then say it ].


    Elmon hesitated before he started to speak, thinking the words in his mind before saying it out loud.


    "I Elmon of the nin n, a representative of the fire element belonging to the Elven nation ].


    When he was done, he tilted his head to the side to look at the dark ominous hazy form of the voice resting on his left shoulder.


    He turned his head toward it in a way verify if he had said te right thing or not.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [ I call upon the shadow form of the Demon Mammon to heed to my summon and rise forth from the underworld to the material world ].


    Elmon waited for the voice to finish speaking it word, and when he saw that it was done, Elmon picked it up from the beginning, reciting it the exact same way that the voice had done.


    When Elmon finished his recitation, the voice let out a wild disturbing snicker going "kekeke!!!"


    Elmon''s body dropped to the ground the moment he finished his recitation.


    He had already lost too much of his strength, most of it being the result of using the blood in him to draw down the circle used in the ritual.


    His eyes wandered in a particr spot, looking at the under of his bed while he saw a strange light shine his way.


    The strange light was the reminisce of his past, his beginning all shing before his very eyes.


    He saw himself stranded in an alleyway, tailing an Elven couple and observing their actions to know what he could take from them.


    His struggle as he finds himself pulling through difficulties by making use of his determination and resilience nature.


    Tears rolled down Elmon''s eyes as he now knows that any chance he might have with Leena is now gone.


    His body had lose out in physical terms and in mental terms. His resolve that he clung so desperately to is now seeping out of his palm.


    Either he likes it or not, he was going to die and the only question is when.


    While Elmon was convulsing on the floor of his apartment, the circle that he had drawn on the floor using his blood was starting to give out a reaction.


    It happened shortly after he recited the quote and fell down, that was when the circle responded to his quotes.


    A dark colored smoke gave out from the circle, slowly rising out and dispersing itself into the atmosphere like smoke emitted out of something burning.


    The room was totally blinded with the effect of the ck smoke, reaching to every corner of it and rendering the process blind.


    It took a while for the ck hazy smoke to dial down, alling together and gathering itself at the very center of the circle drawn on the ground.


    The ck smokepacted together,pressing itself and stretching it out.


    The result of thepression led to the ck smoke forming out an exinable shape.


    A figure dipicting a naked being with a gold ted skin, spikeing out from each of his elbow, and having another set of spikesing from his shoulder, tracing all the way to his neck like a cor that was let loose.


    Its feet was of a wolf, so was his head showing his visible fangs stretched all the way to his nose with no upper lips in sight.


    It had long ws that seemed artificial based on how long it was, as it was long enough to create a two and a half inches mark by just using it to scratch the wall.


    It pped out its two golden wings, letting it il freely, tasting the sensation of being exposed to the world above ground after a long time in istion.


    Along with its wing still pping about, it''s gold ted long tail joined the process by wagging upward, downward and side ways.


    It tasted the air by stretching out its coily unnecessarily long tongue.

 Chapter 284 Not Let You Die So Easily

    "Finally, I am free".


    It said, raising its two gold ted hands above, rising them up in jubtion and revealing a cold entric smirk on its bitter fearful face.


    When it was done relishing itself in its freedom, it had its head faced to the front and its eyes staring down on Elmon who had copsed on the floor.


    Elmon was no longer making any visible movements that could point to him still being alive, but the being was sure that he wasn''t dead because it could still hear the faint breathinging from him.


    "Do not worry child. You still have a purpose you need to fulfill. For that reason, I will not let you die so easily".


    The being got closer to Elmon and had its body crouched down with its eyes staring directly at Elmon''s eyes.


    It reached out its hand and used it to cloud over Elmon''s vision, like it was rinsing off the dust particles on his face.


    "Gasppp!!!!!"


    Elmon abruptly had his upper body raised off the ground with a long deep gasp released into the air.


    He had his heartbeat in a marathon racing, so unstable and so aggressive in the mannerism it was beating at.


    Elmon after managing to stable his breathing pace and get it in a rhythm form, he looked around his room and then he saw it!


    When he had his eyes fall on it, Elmon in fear was quick to drag his body away from the being.


    "Why so scared".


    It got closer to Elmon, stretching out his hand toward him before asking for the why.


    "You".


    Elmon responded in slow motion, picking out his words as he tries to recollect from where he knew the sound of the voice.


    "Yes, it is me".


    The being answered as it stopped trying to get Elmon to hold unto its hand.


    "Now get up, we have work to do".


    It got up from his crouching position and walked all the way to the exit, turning its back as it waited for Elmon to catch up to it.


    "I....i don''t understand. How is this possible, how are you here in physical form right now".


    So far, Elmon has only had the grace of speaking with the voice through its hazy smoke like ominous form.


    He had never had the privilege of seeing it in physical form, and he most certainly did not n on seeing it now as well.


    Elmon was confused at how things turned out the way they were.


    This wasn''t the oue that he expected would happen when he recited the words that the voice told him to.


    Elmon promised the voice that he would do as it says, and the content of that promise had to do with Elmon opening the gate.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There was never a mention in the promise that was made about him summoning what he is currently faced with.


    Granted that when he went to the gate to attempt to open it, he was pursued by the Elven men standing guard at the entrance.


    There was nothing that Elmon could have done to move toward the gate and attempt to open it without having the guards easily pinning him down before he got anywhere near it.


    His strength would not get him anywhere near the gate if it was only guarded by one Elven, much less two elves standing guard.


    If he could not get near the gate, there is no way he will be able to open it. And if he can''t do that, he won''t have the means to fulfill the promise he made to the voice in exchange for what he would be granted.


    The voice was also aware that Elmon was far too weak to disobey the orders of the guards, so it decided to help him out on that.


    It told Elmon to go back to his home and gave him strict instructions that he is to abide by when he got there.


    The instructions involved the recitation of words and the drawing of the spell circle on the floor.


    Elmon did as the voice had told it to, moving every step ording to the way the voice directed, and the result that he ended up with, is this.


    "Hurry. I am still in my weakened state right now. For that reason, I will not be able to maintain my form for long until the gate is opened".


    This wasn''t a part of what the voice had carefully nned out.


    It''s body as of current is far too weak for it to aid in carrying out its initial intentions.


    Reasons for its weakness majorly has to do with using Elmon as the link connecting its current form to the material world.


    Just like Orun, the voice or rather the being known as Mammon is an entity that is not permitted to stay in the material world in its full fledged out form.


    To aplish that, it needed a link in the material world that would serve as a guide and messenger of its essence, temporarily bringing it out from the realm it was in, and transporting it over to the material world.


    Due to its origin, there are several conditions that has to be met with for a link to establish itself.


    And once that condition has been verified, the link will be established and directly connected to the realm the being resided in.


    The connection is what will then lead to the link getting mental information from the being and carrying out its will through it.


    Elmon did not have to go too far in establishing the connection because he had already been connected to the being right from the moment he was born.


    That was what gave him the chance to be able to see and hear what others cannot, the hazy figure of the being always hovering around him.


    "What are you waiting for".


    Elmon was reluctant to move directly to meet with the being.


    Its appearance terrified him greatly, and so does the energy surrounding it.


    It was unlike anything he had ever felt in his entire life.

 Chapter 285 Disrespect

    "Hey kid, why did youe back? Were you not listening when we said this was a restricted area".


    He payed deaf ears to the warning from the guard who slowly walked up to him.


    "Can''t you hear what I just said".


    The guard got to where he was and stretched out his hand, cing it on his shoulder to stop him from moving any closer.


    "Thou shan''t touch thy anointed one".


    So says the voice as it reached out its hand, spreading out its palm wide,ing out from the shadow that corroded itself behind Elmon''s back.


    The guard instantly froze up, with a massive dose of fear sipping into him and mentally gripping a hold on his heart.


    The palm covered his face before he could even get his leg to go backward, away from the palm.


    "Thou shall bow before darkness itself".


    The five fingers weretched onto the guard''s face, partly covering his vision with his two eyes finding their way to see through the fingers.


    The being pressed the five fingers to his face until marks started to show and gradually, the fingers found its way into the inner part of his skin.


    Blood was slowly dripping down from the five fingers that has mashed itself into his face.


    The process was sluggish, the being taking his time to make the guard feel every stimtion of his finger making a hole through his face.


    The being withdrew its five fingers when it was done imnting its palm mark on the guard face, totally disfiguring it and making it unrecognizable.


    The other guard that was present, watched the whole process and how his ally was too powerless to do anything to stop it from happening.


    The driving force that awakened within the guard was only the instinct to run and find a way to keep himself alive, far away from the same grip that killed his partner.


    There is just one problem with the guard''s thought, and that involved the path for him to run to.


    He is in a cave, with his behind blocked by the gate taking up the whole space.


    On his left and right are walls with no way of prating through them.


    The only entrance and exit is located in a single position, and for the guard to get there, he would have to first go through the same being that killed his partner.


    He wants to live, and his instinct is still moring at him to get out of there, but running toward that being in an attempt to escape from it would be impossible.


    The guard''s strength level is roughly the same as that of his partner that was killed.


    If he tries to even get himself anywhere near the being, he would end up dead before he realized what really struck him.


    The guard is now at a cross road where he is forced to chose how he wants to die.


    If he wants to die struggling against the being, or like how his partner did, standing still and waiting for death toe to him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Plea!!"


    The guard was just about to get on his knees and plead the being to spare his life.


    He was on the verge of doing that when he remembered what it is that he stood for, why he was appointed as the guardian of the gate.


    His duty as a guard is to prepare him for situations such as this.


    He would be a disappointment to all Elven kind if he were to back away now just because he is scared.


    "Come at me you freak. My job is to stop forbidden being like you soe on, bring it on".


    The guard yelled out as he took on a stance that showed he meant every word he had just said.


    His pose was firm, decisive and ready to take down any who had the intention to walk over him and get themselves to the gate.


    "Death you seek? Death you shall find".


    He was rendered speechless when the voice that was supposed to havee from afar was heard right next to his ear.


    The guard moved his body, turning his upper body backward in an aggressive response to the presence he had felt.


    When he turned back however, he was left disappointed as a result of seeing no one lingering behind him.


    At this point, the guard was starting to panic, shifting his body in several direction as fast as he could.


    He has absolutely no idea what exactly it is that he is faced with, and even though he had made that threat, there is a part of him that fears for his life.


    This is someone who took down his partner with just a palm pressed to the face and squashed the skull with its thumbprint left on the disfigured face as a sort of memorial of how he died.


    That is the same being that he had the effontary to make baseless threats to.


    "You speak with such boldness in your tone. Your mind however is far too timid to keep up with your heart".


    It came at him from the back, grabbing unto his neck with the same bloodied palm that had killed his partner.


    "I despise those who refuse to see the obvious difference in strength between they and their opponents".


    The palm grabbing unto his neck, used it to lift his body off the ground, making his leg slightly above ground level.


    "For the disrespect you have demonstrated before me, I will make certain to give you a slow, cruel death".


    As it said, the being slowly applied more pressure to the grip on his neck, pressing it in but doing it in a very slow paced turtle like motion.


    It promised to make the guard feel pain, and it never failed to deliver on that promise.


    The guard whose neck was slowly being squeezed to death, gasped for air with his hands all stretched out and his body struggling to get itself away from the being''s grip.

 Chapter 286 Just In Time

    All attempts of the guard to get out of the grip proved futile except to serve as a form of amusement to the being who found the guard''s struggling body very entertaining to watch.


    "You can end it now".


    Elmon was ufortable watching the being torment the guard as slowly as it can.


    He wanted it to be over with as quickly as possible, so as to put the guard out of his own misery.


    "Oh, Elmon, Elmon? You take the fun out of everything with your Saint like attitude. Just when are you ever going to learn that to truly survive, you have to be as merciless as possible".


    It crushed the neck of the guard, snapping it in two and detaching the upper half from the rest of the body.


    The being tossed aside the head as it made its way down to where Elmon was standing.


    "I don''t need you telling me what I should and shouldn''t think like. Remember, we had a deal, and that is the only reason why I am working with you".


    Elmon was very much still scared of the being, but he hid his fear deep within himself and managed to demonstrate on the outside his fierce self.


    He reminded it that he was not working together with it because he wanted to, but rather it is because he is left with no other choice.


    In exchange for what he was promised by the being, that is the only reason that Elmon is willing to work with it.


    "Kekeke".


    The bring took light of what Elmon had just said, throwing in the weirdugh all over again.


    "Get to work".


    So says the being in amusement like it was enjoying Elmon trying to hide away his fear from him.


    Elmon made his way past the being and headed straight for the gate, to act on what really brought him here.


    "Stoppppp!!!".


    The feminine loud voice that sounded next was what stopped Elmon who had just gotten to the gate and was about to be instructed by the being on how to open it.


    "What do you think you are doing right now, young one".


    The voice belonged to Dilya, she stood at the entrance with Orun by her side, wondering what was going on.


    He and Dilya were in a discussion concerning her identity and from where Orun had met her before.


    It was when he had a thought concerning who she might be, Orun was about to verify his thoughts when she abruptly got up from her seat and started running like there was no tomorrow.


    He contemted on leaving her be since she might have some important matters to attend to, but he couldn''t do that.


    Not long after Dilya got up from her seat and made her way outside, Orun felt this ominous intoxicated aura that was badly corrupting the atmosphere.


    When he traced down the aura, Orun noticed that it wasing from the direction that Dilya had run to.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There is no way it was just a mere coincidence. Him suddenly feeling disgusted by the same air he has had no problem breathing in before, and Dilya showing an expression he had never seen her disy before.


    There was no way all of it was just a mere coincidence is what Orun thought.


    It was easy to see that something was happening in the Elven nation, something that not even the Elven queen Dilya approves of.


    He ran after Dilya, following her closely in hopes that he would be able to find that something.


    She was a fast runner, faster than what Orun had imagined her to be like, but he was not so slow either.


    Orun got on Dilya''s tail, caught up with her and made sure to not lose any sight of her until they got to their destination.


    The destination was indeed farther than Orun''s expectation, leading them to climb over several tall walls before getting to their intended.


    "Kid, back away from the gate right now".


    Dilya''s voice sounded soothing, and Orun could see how hesitant she was about moving closer to the guy she was talking to.


    She probably did not want to scare him into doing what she does not want him to do.


    Her hastily making her way toward him was only going to push him to do that which she had considered forbidden.


    "Why should I have to do that".


    The young boy asked Dilya with such confidence, yet such low self esteem carrying the weight of his voice.


    Orun did not need to be told or have to look twice to see a broken guy in the boy.


    He saw the boys through self, looked past the tone of his voice by listening to the sound of his heartbeat.


    The boy was extremely sad and in desperation filled only with pain within him.


    There is only one kind of person that Orun had met with who looked very familiar to the current situation of the boy.


    "Because doing it is dangerous. Opening that gate would not only lead to our deaths, but also the death of millions outside of the Elven nation. The world itself will be in jeopardy if it is open".


    Orun stopped listening to the heartbeat of the boy and payed attention to what Dilya had just said.


    The death of not only the Elven nation but also the world being in jeopardy? That statement sounded to Orun like whatever was in the gate was an entity that shouldn''t be let out.


    Orun has yet to seen theplete scope of the world''s settings, to explore how vast the world really is.


    He has yet to see that, but he already has an idea of how big it is from the little amount of time that he spent in it.


    Talking about destroying the world is like saying whatever was in that gate, is an entity that is as deadly as climate change, faster than the destruction that could be brought about due to the effect of climate change.


    This wasn''t any kind of good news for Orun who is about to embark on a goal, to build a ce where he fits in as himself and not as another.

 Chapter 287 An Oddity

    "No. The world will not be destroyed".


    Elmon replied to Dilya''s worry, assuring her that there will be no destruction involved when the gate is opened.


    "Whatever is in there just wants to get free, that is all".


    He wasn''t told the full story of whatyed dormant beyond the gate.


    Elmon''s thought process was far too shallow,paring what is beyond the gate as a being simr other beings with emotions.


    To be locked up for a long time is bound to make one feel very lonely, and in their loneliness they start to realize their right and wrong.


    That is how Elmon understood the situation to the best of his knowledge, but he was wrong.


    "That is not true kid. What is beyond that door has only one purpose in mind, and that is toy waste to everything in its path".


    Dilya told Elmon otherwise. The being does not feel regret, remorse or even have a notion of redemption.


    It''s purpose when it was locked up has not changed and it never will, not in a million years toe.


    Orun kept himself busy with something else while Dilya and Elmon were arguing, passing words and trying to make themselves see the point they are both trying to make.


    His focus was on finding out from where the ominous aura he felt came from.


    That is why he followed Dilya all the way here. The kid does pique his interest a little, but that is not enough to distract him from what really brought him here.


    He felt the presence when he got very close to the entrance and after that?


    After his entrance into the cave, the presence was quick to vanish from the air like it was never even there to begin with.


    That however was not going to fool Orun into believing that the presence is truly no longer here.


    It could be from the effect of cloaking, disguising the aura from Orun''s senses, but herees the part that feels very confusing to Orun.


    Whoever owned that disturbing aura that he sensed earlier, what was stopping that person from concealing the aura before Orun could even sense it.


    It is definitely not because it could not conceal it from Orun like it is doing now, so why didn''t it do it in the first instance?


    [ Do not listen to her. She doesn''t understand you like I do. She just like everyone else mocks you behind your back, looking down on you like you are noth!!! ].


    The voice was wrapped in Elmon''s ear, whispering distorted words into his ears.


    A me arrow came flying its way, and before it couldplete its sentence, the arrow pierced through its mouth and took it along with it, pinning it down on the gate that was behind Elmon.


    "I knew I smelled something ominous".


    Orun said, putting down the right hand he had used to make the arrow and threw it at the voice.


    "I am assuming that is not an associate of yours? Is it".


    He turned his head to Dilya while the associate he was referring to is the Dark hazy figure with no solid form, stuck on the gate with the me arrow holding it down.


    Orun''s search would have brought him nowhere if the being had not shown itself only to Elmon, unaware that it was within a close proximity to Orun, an elemental spirit king.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No it isn''t".


    Dilya answered Orun with her attention still turned toward Elmon.


    "I see. So you won''t have any problem with me finishing it off".


    Orun questioned her as he made his way to the dark hazy figure struggling to get free from the fire arrow.


    "There is no problem at all".


    Dilya sounded angry, and most of that anger was directed to Elmon.


    His actions almost cost her everything she and her people stands for.


    She could not evenprehend what led him into thinking of opening the gate, and she was not ready to.


    Dilya was not going to let this go, not without a punishment to set an example to every other elves that might have the same thought as he does.


    "Lord Orun, is there a problem".


    Orun was on his way to retrieve and observe the dark haze before killing it when he stopped in his tracks.


    He found something very odd about the scene the further in he walked into it.


    The first oddity that caught his attention is the two deformed bodies that were cruelly murdered.


    It did not make any sense that the kid before him is the same kid that took down the two guards.


    A head that was severed from the rest of its body, and another body that was apparently strangled to death.


    The nature of their death and the way they were killed was not aligning with the overall capability of the kid.


    To aplish that two feat, there is a need for a certain degree of raw physical strength being exerted, and Elmon is......not the appropriate guy for that.


    "Did you do this".


    Orun wanted to be sure. Judging a book by its cover should not be the way for him to go.


    Even if Elmon does not strike him as someone who was capable of this much cruelty done on the guards, he shouldn''t be too quick to judge on that.


    Elmon had his head turned downward with no reply to Orun''s question.


    He figured he wasn''t going to get any answer from him with the way he was unless he decided to go the hard route by torturing him.


    That however would take too much of his time, and it is totally unnecessary as Orun could resort to making use of a more subtle way to get what he wants.


    Instead of getting him to talk to him, Orun made use of his ability to hear well by listening to the sound of Elmon''s heartbeat.


    Through it, he can derive whatever information he wants using a trantion means to convert the beating of the heart into emotions and emotions are a very good way of knowing what someone is thinking about.

 Chapter 288 Slight Movement

    The beating pace of Elmon''s heart dictated to Orun that he was hesitant, afraid and desperate.


    He had a lot of messed up emotions going through him, thus making it hard for Orun to get what he wants.


    Orun filtered off the beating pace that was useless to him, and listened further in to know what it all meant.


    Like bringing all those emotions together into one and making sense of it by tracing it to a particr source.


    That is what Orun intended by focusing more on the beating pace of Elmon''s heart.


    "I will ask you again, did you do this".


    Orun asked him a second time because he was finding it difficult to discern Elmon''s thought through reading his heartbeat alone.


    His heartbeat was expressing a lot of emotions at once and that did not make it any easier for Orun.


    By being direct with his question will have Elmon focusing his attention on said question.


    If he answers it or not is not what really matters because Orun already has him where he wants him to be.


    The moment he thinks about that question, his heartbeat will flow in a way simr way to the emotion he felt when he heard the question.


    It is through that emotion that Orun will be able to get the results that he needs from Elmon.


    Elmon could not answer as he still had his head facing the floor, unable to look at Orun or Dilya the Elven queen.


    "Just as I thought".


    There was no need for Orun to hear it from his mouth himself, the way his heartbeat fluctuated when Orun asked the question had done the job on telling him exactly what he wants to know.


    "We are not alone".


    Orun said, turning his head in several direction like he was in search of something.


    "Lord Orun".


    Orun''s behavior drew the attention of the Elven queen who was questioning his actions.


    Like a dog, he was sniffing the atmosphere with a trace in sight, at least that is what it looked like to Dilya.


    Orun left the ck haze still hanging on the wall and he traced the scent of what he really wanted to catch back to Elmon.


    Having his nose close to Elmon''s body, Orun intensively sniffed all around him before sniffing Elmon himself.


    "Lord Orun I really don''t thi!".


    His actions were getting more indecent before Dilya who was present, and there was only so much of it she could stomach.


    She was about to caution Orun for His actions when from behind him, came a hand with a widened palm aiming for the back of Orun''s head.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before the hand could touch Orun''s backside, he was quick to change location from standing in front of the hand to having what owned the hand stand in front of Orun.


    An ominous looking being that does not even ssify itself as a breed belonging to the monster kind.


    He questioned if the gold tes on its body was fixed in or if it was just the skin color that looked so expensive.


    The hazy aura radiating out of his body did not do it any help in making Orun have a positive view of it.


    That wasn''t all Orun did when he positioned himself to stand at the back of the hand''s owner.


    Orun had his hand coated in mes and pointed directly at the neck of the creature.


    A slight movement from the creature was all the justification that Orun requires to be able to do real damage to it.


    "I am going to ask you just once. Your answer will be the deciding factor on what to do with my hand".


    Orun said, cing the me hand further and seeing to it that it touched the gold ted skin of the being he could not call a monster nor a beast.


    "Who the hell are you".


    It most certainly was not an elf because it''s appearance does not fit with the memo of an elf.


    And Orun is also aware that it was not a friend of the elves because if it was, Dilya would have said something the minute sheid her eyes on it.


    Not a friend of the elves, appeared at a ce where two elves were killed and one other was about tomit sphemy to the Elven kind?


    An awful lot of coincidence mixed in to portray a conclusion that is not looking too good for whoever the being before him is.


    Orun asked him the who it was question so he could have it''s attention on it, and from there Orun will use his heart sensor to get a read on it.


    The who are you? Is a question with branches attached to it. A friend, an enemy, an ally, a person on the neutral side?


    It brings about such questions in one''s mind when they are asked who they are.


    Depending on what their answer is, it is bound to portray itself through the pace of the heartbeat based on what choices is made.


    That is Orun''s aim, but it appears that said n is not going as well as he sketched it out in his mind.


    After he asked the question, Orun tried to get a read on the heartbeat of the being.


    Weirdly enough for him, Orun was unable to get anything out of it as far as reading the heart rate goes.


    It was as if the being had no heart so to speak of, and it''s current body is only but a replica of its true embodiment.


    Orun to confirm if his suspicion was right or not, Orun proceeded to shing the being on the shoulder by bringing down the palm that was aimed on its neck and directing it to the left shoulder that was the easiest for Orun''s palm to get to.


    His palm prated into the gold skin of the being, and Orun retracted it before making his way back to where Dilya was.

 Chapter 289 The Demon Of Greed

    "Hmm...."


    Orun looked at his hand, the same hand he had used to sh through the being''s shoulder.


    What he saw was not what he expected to see. His hand was clean, free of the blood he expected to draw out of the being''s shoulder.


    Orun was sure that his palm did damage to the being, and even cut its skin, yet there is no blood to show for it.


    He already knew that it wasn''t his real body from not hearing any sound of its heartbeat, but he did not ount for the fake body to not have any blood in its physical body, or any liquid for that matter.


    "You won''t get any blood from its body. That is but a mirage of its true creation".


    Dilya saw the confusion on Orun''s face, and she guided him by telling him what the true essence of the body is, an emptiness made out of its horrendous mana.


    An object made out of mana or aura can be turned physical in that it has the ability to cause damage or pain.


    The physical form can do practically the same thing that other physical objects that are not made out of mana or aura are capable of.


    Its only limitations lies in not being able to replicate the flow of blood or heart, basically anything that has to do with the inner organs of a body.


    Other than that, there are no restrictions ced on its usefulness and effectiveness.


    "You mind keeping me in on the details of what we are dealing with here".


    Orun was skeptical about facing an opponent he has no information on.


    The haze was enough to have him on edge, and now he finds out that the being was capable of making a full fledged body using its mana.


    The only kind of people that Orun has seen demonstrate such a high level of mana usage is the fire spirit king.


    When Caius fused with the fire Elemental king, that was when Orun saw him summon two elementals, Smander and Efreet.


    When he thinks of it now, what Caius did was summon the elementals not create.


    Orun had also done something simr to what the being did. But what he actually did was create the elemental core to name the Wyverns, not the full body itself.


    What this being did was create a real body using its mana alone, a body that can move and do things realistically, even turn back into its mana form when it sees fit.


    Those qualities are not what can be achieved by just any kind of being, it has to be a being on the level of an elemental king or perhaps even higher than that.


    Orun expected Dilya to know about the being judging from how emotional she was when she tried to stop Elmon from going near the gate.


    His guess; the being he is currently faced with definitely has something to do with the gate.


    What that something is, is what Orun wants to get out of Dilya in the form of an exnation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That is a Demon. And it is not just any kind of Demon. One of the seven Lord''s of hell, Demon Lord Mammon, the Demon that preys and feasts on Greed".


    Orun was surprised, shocked even, to discover that what he is faced with is a demon.


    Of course he knows that this is a fantasy world where the likes of dragons, Wyverns, elves and other monster kind exists in.


    In a world like that, there definitely has to be the presence of a demon, else it cannot be concluded as a full fledged fantasy world.


    He knows that, but it is just still shocking for him to hear and witness the experience in person.


    Standing before him is a demon, the same being that is often depicted back on earth as the ultimate incarnation of evil, whose only goal is to prey on negative emotions and see the end of humanity atrge.


    That same entity that a lot of stories are told about, books written on and ys acted upon.


    That same being that is represented in those franchise is the one standing before him right now.


    Orun honestly does not know what sort of emotions he should be feeling as of right now.


    There is a part of him that is on edge because the demon does not look friendly, and there is also another part of him that is thrilled to have the pleasure of meeting with an historical figure.


    Mammon is without a doubt among the famous group of demon known to the world.


    A Demon who is the representation of one of the seven deadly sins, Greed, the same as what Dilya had just said.


    It is a demon of wealth and greed to be precise, but wealth can also be personified as a form of greed hence why it is mostly only referred to as the demon of greed from the seven deadly sins.


    Orun right now, feels like a fan happy to have the opportunity to meet with one of his idol Mammon.


    If it wasn''t for the circumstances of things, Orun would have most certainly ran his way to Mammon just to shake his hand and perhaps get a bonding time into it.


    The situations of things however would not permit him to do as he intends.


    Mammon''s presence is one that is not approved of by the Elven queen, and he is a guest of the Elven queen so?......


    "Mammon?"


    Orun said outloud for Dilya to hear, and making sure he makes an expression that conveyed how shocked he was about the discovery.


    He did that to avoid Dilya asking questions about why he is not surprised to hear the name.


    He hasn''t been in this world for that long excluding the time he spent dosing off, and Dilya apparently knows of his movements, probably not of the time he spent in the dungeon but he can''t be too sure of that.


    The best way to go about situations like this is to y along with it. That way he would be able to avoid any suspicion being raised and also sparing himself from any further questions.

 Chapter 290 Sorted That Out

    ?


    "Would you also happen to know the reason why it is here".


    Orun understood the basis that Mammon was not here in ord to the will of the Elven queen.


    He also got from the aura flying around, and the malice filling the atmosphere that Mammon''s presence in here is not for any good.


    What is next on the list for him to understand is the motive, the purpose that brought Mammon all the way to the Elven nation.


    Surely it did not just intrude on the Elven nation for the sole purpose of intruding.


    There has to be a purpose for its unwanted visit, and in what way does that purpose link to the massive gate that is behind Elmon.


    Orun also has a question on how Mammon was able to breach through the barrier that was supposedly covering the entire Elven nation, but he decided to leave that question on pending and instead attend to the serious ones.


    "It is here for the gate".


    He got that the gate has something to do with why Mammon intruded on the Elven nation.


    It was made pretty clear when it made its goal toing all the way to here, starting from where Orun first picked up its ominous presence.


    "And why the gate?".


    The gate must pose as a very significant object if Mammon the demon depicted as an all powerful, one of the seven rulers of sins decided to make its way to the Elven nation despite knowing that risks will be involved.


    What Orun wants to know is how high of a significant the gate is worth, and how it just so happens to be an object capable of causing world destruction.


    "The gate is a pathway connecting the underworld to the material world. Mammon seeks to open the gate so that its army of demons cane through to conquer the world".


    He was too taken aback to controlling the falling of his Jaws with his mouth wide open.


    Orun was too hasty in his judgment making. Believing that there is nothing in this world that can surprise him was a mistake on his part.


    A gate leading to the underworld, that same underworld where only the souls of the dead wanders in.


    The fact that there is a physical part in the form of a gate to get there is already insane enough.


    Realistically speaking, why would there be a need for a physical gate leading to the underworld when in actuality, weather one likes it or not, there is still a chance of ending up there after death.


    Such a ce is really not deserving of its own physical gate, is what Orun thought.


    Also, without that gate in existence, the chances of Mammoning here is very slim because it has no reason to.


    If the gate is what brought Mammon here, it is only right that it is destroyed to stop Mammon from achieving its goal.


    That was his other mind suggestion on how to deal with the prevention of Mammon in the elven nation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun retracted his thinking steps and decided to dial it down so as not to get too ahead of himself.


    What are the chances that the Elves have not thought as far as he did on how to deal with the gate?


    They could havee up with a conclusion like that, but are unable to put it into practice for reasons best known to them.


    If that is the case, the gate has to stay intact without getting destroyed.


    If the gate was off limits, then what is preventing any of those with the intention of opening the gate to get anywhere near it?


    That is where the barrier thenes into y. It is made to prevent those who might have the intention of getting to the gate.


    The barrier casted over the Elven nation Is not just acting as a shield to keep the gate in, it is also acting as a shield to stop those with ill intentions from attacking them and freeing the gates.


    The Elves did not just on their own choice decide to trap themselves in a cage, they did it to keep the world safe, very much like what the so called Pirs do, maintaining order.


    "To be sure that we are on the same page here. That demon must not be allowed to open the gate right".


    Orun was justing up with spections of his own, and has yet to verify or rather to assuredly verify from the one who knows the best how dire their situation is as of current.


    "That is right. It is a being that should never even be allowed near the gateway".


    Dilya not only responded to Orun''s question using her words, she also did so by nodding her head in confirmation.


    "Good. d we have sorted that out".


    Orun says, stretching out his right hand moments after he replied to Dilya.


    In front of his stretched out palm came the existence of five fireballs, each being in the form of a size big enough to be held in Orun''s palm one at a time.


    Orun opens the room for aggressive means by sending out the five fireballs to attack the demon Mammon all at once.


    It was a form of test to Orun, to get details on how strong the enemy he is dealing with is before charging at him physically.


    The fireballs are a good way of measuring his opponents capabilities due to how much force and destruction is packed into one fireball.


    A single fireball casted on a whim by a fire type elemental king has a damage capability of bringing down a fifteen story building or more.


    With five of them in y, the destruction that would be caused from them exploding together side by side would prove to be more effective.


    Like adding fuel to a burning fire, the explosion of one fireball would aide in expanding the range of the fireball that is next in line to explode.


    It would help each other out, thereby doing more harm than what it would be capable of when used one at a time.

 Chapter 291 I Fear No One.

    ?


    With a flick of its right hand, Mammon dispersed the five fireball that wasing its way.


    ''So it is stronger than five fireball put together? Duly noted".


    Orun said, already devising other ns to use against Mammon after the first one did not seed as he expected it to.


    "Be careful Lord Orun. Even if that is only a mirage of its true body, it is still as dangerous as it can get".


    The current form of Mammon is only one that was brought about by weaving its mana into physicality.


    Although it does not one hundred percent represents Mammon''s full essence, the form still carries Mammon''s mana and can hurt Orun when the need arises.


    "Thanks for the inform!".


    Before Orun couldplete his sentence, Mammon had appeared in front of him with its hand stretched out to Orun''s face.


    Without moving the rest of his body, Orun tilted his head to the left and was able to evade Mammon''s hand by having it go past the sideline of his face.


    "Do not be so hasty demon. I will get to you in time".


    Orun says, wrapping his hand on Mammon''s stretched out hand and holding unto it tight so it won''t be able to get free.


    On the outside, Orun expressed his fierce state by showing no hesitation or any sort of expression that shows what he really feels on the inside.


    Orun on the inside was really thrilled to have his hand touching the hand of an historical figure.


    Even though it is an historical figure that is aiming to have him dead, it just does not matter when it is taken into consideration who he is in the presence of.


    "An elemental spirit king is it?"


    Mammon stopped struggling to get its hand off of Orun''s grip, and simply resorted to turning its own hand into an hazy smoke.


    When the hand was turned into an hazy smoke, Orun was unable to keep holding unto it as it was no longer in a physical form.


    Mammon moved two steps backward after setting itself free from Orun''s grip.


    "In all the lifetime I have lived, I have yet toe across an elemental spirit king with a form like yours".


    Orun''s case is an anomaly amongst his peers. A monster chosen as an elemental spirit king, that was a case that has never been heard of before, making Orun the very first of his kind.


    Mammon interest went up by several meters on how Orun''s existence came into being.


    "Tell me? How possible is it that an ordinary person, a mortal for that matter would be privileged enough to hold the power of a spirit elemental king".


    As he asked the question from Orun, Mammon''s hand that had turned into an hazy smoke retained its physical form once again.


    "I really don''t think it''s a story that is going to interest you much".


    Orun answered Mammon and a secondter, he already made his movement on it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun moved away from where he stood and in the blink of an eye, he reappeared above Mammon''s head with his leg stretched down at it.


    Mammon hurriedly lifted its right hand up as a defensive guide against Orun''s leg that wasing down on it.


    Before Orun''s leg could touch Mammon, his presence once again disappeared from above Mammon''s head.


    Mammon turned its head sideways in a hurry to where Orun might being from next.


    Turning it to the left, and then almost to the right when it felt a presenceing at it from below.


    Mammon turned its head to look down and there, it saw Orun''s feet pressed to the ground with both of his hands clenched into a fist.


    Before Mammon could make proper response to Orun''s form, it already had Orun moving away from the floor where a cracked was formed shortly after he took his legs off of it.


    Orun moved away from the floor, and in the next instant he had covered the distance between he and Mammon.


    With his fist stretched out and from the direction he wasing from, Orun gave Mammon a punch to the jaw, smashing it upward.


    He was quick to change his stance once again as he found himself back on the ground shortly after punching Mammon on the jaw.


    Orun did not give the demon any time to catch its breath as he made another attack on it, this time going for its stomach.


    With his right feet on the floor, Orun raised his left feet off the floor and twisted his body in one spin before burying his raised up left feet into Mammon''s stomach.


    Again, Orun''s presence that was in front of Mammon was nowhere to be found immediately he made his attack on Mammon''s stomach.


    Appearing at the back of Mammon is Orun with another attack form ready to be made on Mammon''s body.


    From its back, Orun used his right feet to kick Mammon''s right knee, bringing it down on its knee.


    With his left feet, Orun once again kicked Mammon''s left knee, also bringing it down to its knee.


    He now had both of Mammon''s leg kneeling on the ground with its front faced toward Dilya, and it back facing Orun.


    "Demon or not, as long as you have a physical body, you are no different from a punching bag to me".


    Orun reached out his two hands, and respectively grabbed unto both of Mammon''s hand with his own two hand.


    "I am Orun, an elemental spirit king. I fear no one, not even an historical figure like you are".


    Orun said, while holding unto both of Mammon''s hand, stretching it backward and pulling it toward him.


    Orun raised up his own right leg and rested it on Mammon''s back with the hand still stretched.


    He used his leg as a force to push Mammon''s body forward while pulling its hand toward him.


    Orun by applying enough force into it, sessfully detached Mammon''s two hands from the rest of its body.

 Chapter 292 Relentless

    ?


    Orun threw away the detached arms and focused on dealing more damage to the body that was still on its two knees.


    After he had ripped off the two arms from the rest of its body, Orun proceeded to attack what was left of the body, but was unable to.


    Before he could do any more damage, the body of Mammon that was on its knee turned back into its hazy smoke form, and dispersed itself away from where Orun was.


    "You are a bit abrasive for a spirit elemental king, don''t you think".


    It''s mouth was the first organ to form before the rest of its body followed after its escape from Orun.


    All the damage it had taken from Orun, even the two hands that were detached. Everything had been reinstalled the moment it turned back to its physical form.


    It was as if Orun had never even attacked it to begin with.


    Orun ignored the fact that there was no damage done to Mammon, and instead proceeded to make his attack on it again.


    He closed the gap between the two of them, and thrusted out his leg to the left side of Mammon''s body.


    Orun''s leg had almost made contact with Mammon when it''s body turned back into an hazy smoke.


    It wasn''t all its body that turned into hazy smoke, but just the side that Orun nned to deal damage to.


    He slightly lifted his body off the ground, with an height that had his upper body on the same height with Mammon''s head.


    From that position, Orun reached out his leg, with the intention of delivering a kick to Mammon''s head.


    And again, the part of its head where Orun aimed his attack on turned back into an hazy ck smoke just before his leg could reach it.


    Mammon without making any unnecessary movement, from where it stood, stretched out its right hand toward Orun''s face with the intention to cover his face using its palm.


    Orun raised his right hand upward, and in response to his action came a fire arrow floating above and pointing down on the hand that Mammon had stretched out.


    Mammon was forced to have the hand disperse into an hazy smoke due to the fire arrowing down on it.


    It does not want toe into direct contact with Orun''s attacks, so it takes the chances it gets to change its body into a state that will have Orun''s attack prove useless against it.


    Orun made use of the opportunity to make some distance between he and Mammon.


    "You are not a very bright spirit elemental king, are you".


    Mammon fixed up its body, turning its arm back into physical form.


    Orun did not respond to Mammon form of sarcasm, and instead continued his relentless assault on it.


    He charged at Mammon head on, this time not resorting to any trickery or making use of his speed that allowed him the moment to disappear from a spot and instantly reappear miles away in another spot.


    What he did was a normal charging attack with Orun moving at a pace that even Elmon''s eyes could follow through.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun got to Mammon and threw a right hand jab toward Mammon. It fended of the jab by countering Orun''s jab with a jab of its own.


    Their hands collided resulting in Mammon''s fist getting crushed and turned back into its hazy form.


    From its left came another jab from Orun, and this time around, he sessfullynded his fist on Mammon''s left cheek.


    The force from Orun''s attack sent Mammon''s body crashing to the gate.


    "You are right about me not being a very bright elemental spirit king".


    The crash on the gate led Mammon''s body to be disfigured, but it hastily recovered by having it turn into an hazy smoke and shortly after into its physical form.


    "But then I realized something amazing".


    Orun resumed his attack on Mammon when he saw that it had fully recovered to its physical form.


    He went after Mammon by going at it from the side, it''s left side of the skull to be precise.


    Coming from the left, Orun reached out his right palm and connected it to Mammon''s left skull.


    When the connection was made, he pushed Mammon further until its other skull which is the right skull crashed through the wall.


    Orun did not stop and instead continued to push Mammon in with his palm still connected to its left skull.


    "My opponent is a demon lord with an iplete form that has to constantly regenerate by making use of your mana whenever it''s physical body is damaged".


    To stop itself from being buried into the wall, Mammon turned its whole body into an hazy ck smoke, and then it seeped it past Orun to escape from the hole that was caused by using its body to crash through the walls.


    There was nothing Orun could have done to prevent Mammon from escaping the hole.


    Its body had turned to its usual ck haze smoke, and Orun against that form could not do anything.


    Whatever attacks are made will just make it seem like he was punching through air, and air does not take any damage.


    The physical form of Mammon however cannot be said to be the same as theck hazy smoke like form.


    Whenever Orun attacks Mammon''s physical form, it is always quick to take advantage of turning into its hazy smoke form because it knows that Orun cannot do anything to hurt it in that form.


    And it is right to think like that, because truly, there is less for Orun to do when up against air.


    It is a different case however when that air is capable of turning into a physical body.


    And how does it do that? By expending mana in the creation of a physical form.


    Surely, the ability to create a solid form from a gaseous form by making use of mana cannot be an easy process to aplish, or a low count mana to make possible.

 Chapter 293 Expectation

    ?


    What Orun is counting on by relentlessly attacking Mammon is to get it to exhaust its mana.


    Of course he does not expect it to be easy when he considers that what he is dealing with is a Demon lord.


    Mammon is sure to have a lot of mana, an almost seemingly supply of it in fact if ording to its title as a Demon lord is indeed true.


    Hecks the ability to calcte the specific amount of mana or threat that the current Mammon poses, but the fact that this is not its real body is a plus one for Orun.


    In exchange for not knowing the original threat level of Mammon, Orun decided to believe in his own threat level.


    He is strong, and has proven that to be true on several asions. So long as he knows what his strength and weakness is, he should have no problem confronting any enemy.


    Besides, as Dilya had earlier stated, the current form of Mammon is not its real form.


    It is a form manifested through the use of the mana that it has to spare from its essence.


    As it is not its real form, the amount of mana that can be stored in its temporary body is extremely limited.


    It is simr to how Orun creates his core that represents his elemental spirits like ifreet, smander and the likes.


    They are never created using the full essence of Orun''s mana but only a partial part of his mana.


    The same case is what applies to Mammon''s current form. There is only so much mana that can be stored inside its body.


    Orun ns to exhaust its mana by destroying its body and forcing it into a situation where it has to repair its body to maintain its form.


    It''s hazy form takes mana to maintain, and it''s physical form takes even more mana to maintain, and that is the advantage that Orun has.


    Orun does not know exactly how much mana that even this current body has, but that is not going to hinder his ns.


    With Orun''s physical strength alone, he will continue to exhaust Mammon, luring it into his desired situation.


    Only by using his physical strength alone to go up against Mammon, Orun will be keeping his mana level as full as it can for in case of any unexpected situation uprising.


    That is the n Orun came up with to use against the demon lord Mammon, and surprisingly for Orun, it is working all too well.


    Either Mammon sucks at anything physical or Orun is just that superior against it in physicalbat because the way things have been going with purely physical means at work, Orun has been dominating the flow of things.


    He actually was not expecting that to be the case against a Demon lord, an historical figure for that matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mammon is sure to have lived far longer than Orun has. Through those years, it should have umted a sizable amount ofbat experience no matter how big or small it was.


    Even if it''s mana level is not full to the brim, it should still be able to make use of itsbat experience to stand against Orun, not to even the ying field but to give Orun a battle for purely physical supremacy.


    Orun finds it weird that Mammon is not proving to be that much of a trouble in purely physical basedbat.


    The amount of mana one has does not limit the physicalbat experience one has umted over the years.


    What it does is to only put a break on how much shy ability or magic cast can be use.


    The mana is what decides the destruction ratio of magic when in use, and the same goes for ability, but not experience.


    Mammon as of current is not making use of any shy moves probably because it also knows that it can''t go wasting the limited amount of mana that it''s form has to survive on.


    If that was to be the case, and the mana does not serve as a physicalbat experience disruption, then what is to exin the reasons why Mammon sucks so terribly at pure physicalbat?


    Is it perhaps trying to achieve something by not giving it all It has to stop Orun through the use of physicalbat as well?


    There are questions that kept popping up in Orun''s mind, yet with no suitable answer to satisfy his curiosity with.


    Orun has the tendency for thinking too highly of people, and Mammon being a Demon lord only makes the expectation that he has of it ced at a range very high.


    Whichever case it is, Orun has had no problem dealing with Mammon by using his physical strength alone.


    "As you are, you are not a match for me. An iplete form maintained through the use of mana going up against a king with ess to a massive dose of mana and strength capable of bringing down mountains".


    Orun said, twisting his own arms like he was rxing the muscle joints in it.


    "As much as you hate to admit, in your current form, you are no match for me".


    Orun was by no way making  empty threats or bluffing about what he just said, either as a way to scare Mammon or for Orun to satisfy his ego.


    He epts that Mammon will be no doubt a terrifying being to have as an enemy, but only if it was in its original demon lordplete state.


    The current Mammon who is forced into a state where it has to continue expending the limited supply of mana it has just to maintain its form, that Mammon is no threat for Orun who can keep on going for as long as it takes using just his physical threat alone.


    Also put into consideration that Mammon unexpectedly sucks at physicalbat activities, Orun does not see it a a threat unless it pulls out an unexpected trick from its years of knowledge and experience gained.

 Chapter 294 Hate To Admit It

    ?


    "Kekeke. You overestimate yourself too much spirit king. I am a being who has existed in the realm of time, and have lived by defying the odds of time. What makes you think that you have an opportunity against me?"


    Mammon said, putting on airs and letting out its aura as a form of intimidation, and to also serve as a testimony to its might.


    "You still don''t get it do you?"


    Orun covered the distance and appeared before Mammon with his palm stretched forward, in the direction of its face.


    "This you, stands no chance against the current me".


    He covered Mammon''s face with his palm, and before Mammon could respond by turning its body into an hazy smoke, Orun made a movement with a timing beyond Mammon''s set time to turn its body into an hazy smoke.


    He used his palm on Mammon''s face to push its body backwards and crash it to the gate.


    The event appeared before the eyes of Elmon as though Orun had teleported himself and Mammon from where they stood, to having Mammon''s face pressed to the wall.


    Contrary to Elmon''s belief that it was a teleportation attack, it wasn''t. All Orun did was increase the output of his speed on a wavelength simr to a sh of the bright light that emanates before theing of lightening.


    Once Orun was done with his attack, Mammon set its face that was pressed to the gate free by turning his whole body into an hazy smoke and moving it away from where Orun stood.


    The part of the gate that epted the crash of Mammon''s face on its body, was left undented with no signs of having something crash into it.


    "Tell me demon, how exactly are you feeling right now".


    Orun''s action has once again forced Mammon into a situation where it was left with no other choice but to use its mana to repair its damaged body using the mana stored in its body.


    If things keeps on going at this pace, Orun is going to achieve his goal by having Mammon make use of all its mana on a continuous body regeneration process.


    As difficult as it was for Mammon to admit it on the outside, it knew deep down that Orun''s n had a very high possibility ofing to pass.


    If something is not done to prevent Orun from damaging Mammon''s body, it will eventually run out of mana and will be unable to retain its form.


    When that happens, all the time that Mammon had spent making its ns to get the gate open would have all been for nothing.


    ''That must nevere to be. I cannot wait another millennia hoping for the perfect host toe by once more. I need to do whatever it takes now to stop the elemental king from disrupting my ns any further".


    Orun was starting to be a thorn to Mammon''s n, and it also admitted that to be true in its thought.


    It knew that it had to do something to stop Orun from making his way toward him.


    Distancing itself further from Orun was not going to work, as Orun has demonstrated that no amount of gap was too wide for him to ovee within the blink of an eye.


    Besides, there is only so limited of a gap that can be present in a cave with so little space to offer.


    Orun has proved to be a threat to Mammon, and it has also acknowledged him as one.


    Mammon as of current is weak and not able to properly keep up with Orun''s speed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The body it has now was initially not meant to engage in long termbat or abrasive typebat like the one Orun is doing.


    The body was only meant to aide Elmon in killing the two guards who Mammon had measured their strength and be assured that they pose no problem.


    That is what the body was meant for. To participate in a short term dominating battle. And once that was done, Mammon would have Elmon open the gate.


    Once the gate was opened, it can then restore its full form and not have to rely on the empty tusk it is currently in.


    That was Mammon''s goall all along, but said goal has been proving too difficult to achieve at the moment.


    The major reason for the decline in strength in its current body, is because of the third party that was used as a means to have its presence summoned into the material world.


    Elmon is that third party serving as the bridge that connected the underworld where Mammon is located in to the material world.


    The amount of strength in total that can be carried when crossing through the bridge is heavily reliant on how strong the host representing the bridge is.


    Elmon is far too weak to be a suitable source of host to have Mammon cross the bridge with fifty percent of its totalbat capacity.


    It tried bringing ten percent when crossing the bridge but even that was impossible to do.


    Mammon had to settle for relying on only an half of one percent of its total strength capacity if it truly wanted to cross the bridge.


    It was worrying, but also a good deal for Mammon who believed that it would not stay too long in its one percent form.


    Once it is summoned, it will go to where the gate is located, kill off anyone that tries to stop it, and have Elmon open the gate the moment they get to it.


    That was the hasty n crafted in Mammon''s imaginative mind, but said n is now being foiled by an anomaly it did not ount for.


    With only one percent of its totalbat capacity in use, Mammon does not stand a chance against Orun.


    Orun far surpasses the current Mammon strength wise, Agility wise, durability, attack timing and any other thing that has to do with surviving through the art ofbat.


    If something is not done soon enough, Mammon might never get to open the gate or even get anywhere near having its original bodye into the material realm.


    It priority now should not be to fight Orun, but to find a way to have Elmon open the gate.


    It is the key to solving every problem that Mammon is faced with right now. With the gate open, it''s original body will cross through, and with ites the full force of what it is capable of.


    When that happens, Orun will stand no chance against a full force Demon lord.


    ''That is it. I just need to get the gate opened".


    Mammon once again assured itself, believing that all would go as nned as long as it is able to keep the gate opened.

 Chapter 295 Five Times The Trouble

    ?


    Mammon turned its head over to where Elmon was standing. His expression looked totally nked out as a result of bearing witness to the duel between Orun and Mammon.


    It wasn''t a fight that could be thought of as a respectable matchup. For the entire time of the battle, Orun had heavily dominated the flow of it, and also steering the oue to be in his favor.


    All Mammon was doing is take continuous hit from all sides and resort to make empty threats at Orun.


    He did not understand how Mammon who is in a difficult spot could still have the time to make threats on someone who is undaunted by its presence.


    Elmon did not think that it was possible to see Mammon be rendered so helpless at the hands of another.


    He also was not expecting Orun to be powerful enough to have the advantage over Mammon.


    Elmon was in the resting area when Orun was fighting against the four Elven elders.


    Even though he did not directly watch the duel, Elmon was still able to hear when Orun was announced the winner.


    From there, he knew Orun had to be very powerful to have won against the four elders.


    What he did not expect, is for him to be powerful enough to treat Mammon as a beginner.


    It was as if he was seeing himself in Mammon, while Orun represented the female opponent that bested him in the arena duel.


    Mammon from where he stood, wanted to shout at Elmon to get his body moving to open the gate instead of just standing still and doing nothing to help the situation.


    It tried to signal to Elmon by making use of its eye gestures. Elmon was not paying attention to Mammon''s gesture as he was too busy with getting himself surprised and fascinated by Orun.


    Seeing that Elmon was not getting any of its signal, Mammon stretched out its hand In Elmon''s direction.


    The stretched out hand turned into its hazy form and made its way to Elmon.


    The hazy form got to Elmon and then immediately wrapped itself around his body.


    "What are you doing!".


    Elmon in a panic mode, recovered from his shock and hurriedly asked Mammon in its hazy form.


    It was as if Mammon was trying to strangle Elmon''s body by wrapping its hazy form around him.


    That however was not Mammon''s intention. It needs Elmon to open the gate, so why the hell would it kill him when his task has yet to be fulfilled.


    Elmon tried his best to resist Mammon''s hazy form on its body, but all resistance from him proved futile.


    "And where do you think you are going".


    Orun had moved himself to the gate and stood in the way before Mammon could get to the gate with Elmon''s body.


    "I will not let you hinder my path".


    Mammon splitted the hazy form on Elmon''s body. It turned the splitted form into a physical Mammon and hurried it to attack Orun.


    To prevent any interruption, it made another physical form from its hazy body and sent it to attack Dilya.


    The two hazy form is to keep the both of them busy and buy it enough time to have Elmon open the gate.


    With two physical form drawn out of the hazy smoke that was stuck on Elmon, the mass of the smoke had grown considerably smaller.


    The smoke was not the only thing affected from the creation of two Mammon clone made out of the hazy form.


    It also took a massive toll on the total amount of mana that Mammon now has left in its body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    At its current pace, it would notst minutes before its hazy form disappears and goes back to where it came from.


    But that is okay. Mammon was not worried about the amount of mana spent because it will restore it all once the gate has been opened by Elmon.


    Orun was caught up in fending off the clone made out of the hazy form of Mammon on Elmon''s body.


    He was put off guard by a slight margin. Orun did not expect Mammon to still have mana reserve enough to make two of it and not disappear forever.


    Orun now understood that he had greatly Underestimated what the hazy figure of Mammon was capable of.


    Even if it is not the true form, it is still a form created by an entity backed up by a long year of history and legends about it.


    He should have expected more from such a being with years of history to its name.


    The Clone attacked him by thrusting out its fist in Orun''s direction. Orun shifted his body to the back and was able to escape being caught by the Clone.


    He made his counter attack on it by thrusting out his right leg and using it to kick the clone''s jaw.


    He took his other leg off the ground, bringing about him raising his body above the ground.


    Orun brought his body back down, andnded it on the clone to pummel it to the ground.


    The Clone was pushed to the ground, but did not get destroyed as Orun had intended it to.


    It turned into its hazy form and escaped from Orun. Gathering at Orun''s side, it turned back to its physical form then proceeded to attack Orun.


    Orun caught its hand before it got to him. Holding unto the hand, Orun flipped the Clone off the ground and mmed the body back to the ground.


    The Clone dispersed it''s hazy body off the ground and turned back into a physical form.


    ''This is getting no where''.


    Fighting the Clone any further was a pointless action for Orun to resort to.


    Whatever it is that he did to it, the Clone just ends up regenerating its body by turning it into a hazy smoke.


    It is the same as his fight with the other Mammon, except this one had no thought and looked lifeless. Whereas, the other Mammon could still make speeches and use bodynguage to express itself.


    Even if Orun could eventually wear down this clone through continuous attack to make it exhaust its mana, it still won''t be worth it.


    The only reason he resorted to such method was so he could use it on the Mammon with emotions, to have it make use of all its mana and end up disappearing without achieving the goal of getting the gate open.


    That was Orun''s intention, and that intention is not going to be fulfilled by defeating the Clone who is only a means of distraction for the other Mammon to carry out its goal.


    Orun left the Clone alone and decided to aim for the hazy figure of Mammon that is with Elmon.


    His path was blocked by the Clone turning into its hazy figure and drifting to Orun''s front before turning back into a solid form.


    As if it knew that one of it would be no problem for Orun to handle, the clone splitted its body into several Mammon clone, leaving at least five of them to go up against Orun.


    Orun did not stop in his tracks, going ahead to face all five of them head on.


    They attacked him when he got to them, with one of theming toward Orun from the side.


    Orun wanted to ignore them and push his way through toward the Mammon that was with Elmon.


    His n however could not be achieved as a result of the tenacity of the five clone to see to it that Orun does not get anywhere near Elmon.

 Chapter 296 A Terrible Option

    ?


    ''Oracle, is there a way for me to put an end to this as swiftly as possible''.


    Orun is having a hard time thinking of ways to put down an enemy that turns into smoke to recover itself after being hit.


    The n he came up with, to have it exhaust its mana. That was a well thought out n that is only useful in long term battle.


    It requires time and patience to aplish, and time happens to be the one thing that Orun is short of at the moment.


    A gate leading to world destruction is a development that has to be avoided at whatever cost possible.


    Orun thought of using his wood skill to trap it once it turns into an hazy smoke, but he realized that there is a lot of w in that n.


    No matter how confined and sealed he makes the wood like, there is still a chance for the hazy smoke toe out by merging itself into the wood and flowing out through it.


    Like how breeze blows into a tightly sealed object, starting with entering the object anding out from the other side of it.


    The pores that are present in the wood will be its path out. It''s a pore that cannot be seen with the naked eye, or pass through by something tiny.


    The size of the pore is only as big as the molecules making up the air, and that goes to show just how microscopic it really is.


    By asking Oracle for help, Orun is hoping that it would have a way to handle the Clone better than what he can think of..


    [ Negative. The only way for Master to destroy the demon in its hazy form is by having it exhaust its mana ].


    [ Another option is to release your fire and increase its intensity to a state where it is capable of evaporating even the air, turning it into nothingness ].


    [Under the influence of such fire intensity, the hazy smoke will surely be burnt ].


    ''I am assuming there is a condition thates with that n''.


    The ''negative'' that Oracle used to start its sentence with, was what gave Orun the idea that whatever n was going toe out from it, is a n that cannot be put to use for good reasons.


    [ Raising the intensity of the fire to such an height will result in everything that it touches getting burnt. The same applies to the gate ].


    That was a big negative sign that Oracle just dropped down on Orun.


    It would make no sense to increase the intensity of the fire, thereby producing a result that ends up in the destruction of the gate, the same gate that he is trying to prevent from letting anything happen to it.


    Orun tilted his head backward to evade the attack from one of the clones.


    He stretched out both his hand to each side, and from it he created the fire on his palm.


    "me burst".


    The two clone that had the intention of attacking Orun from each side were stopped by Orun casting out his me.


    The fire shaped in the size of an orb came out from Orun''s palm and sshed on both their bodies.


    The body of the two clone tumbled aggressively to the back, an effect caused from the burst of the me.


    Another two clone stood in Orun''s way, but he easily bypassed them by using his speed to run by their side instead of going through the center.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun got to the Mammon that was with Elmon, and he attempted to free Elmon by using the same me trick he had used on the other two.


    His n was set-back by two of the clone pulling on Orun''s leg and preventing him from reaching Elmon.


    With the two of the Clone holding unto both of Orun''s leg, they used it to throw away his body, sending it crashing into the wall and simultaneously expanding the distance between he and Elmon.


    ''Damn it''. He said in disgust.


    Orun had almost gotten to Elmon. All that was remaining for him to do, is have his hand touch Elmon''s body.


    Once he does that, he will be able to free Elmon from the captivity of the Hazy figure of Mammon.


    ''This is what I am talking about''.


    Orun''s irritation toward the clone was starting to reach a level where he can barely tolerate their presence.


    Theirbat ability is far different from the Mammon that Orun fought with in the beginning.


    The Clone were able to keep up with him, and even though he was faster than they are, they made use of their ability to turn into an hazy form as a means to get even with Orun.


    The first Mammon was only using the hazy form as a way to escape Orun and regenerate its body.


    The Clone on the other hand, are using it to enhance the response time of their attack on Orun.


    They do not run from him or waste any time with giving speeches. The moment they turn themselves back into their physical form, they attack Orun irrespective of what he is doing.


    Orun got out from the wall he crashed into. He turned his head to the direction where Dilya was.


    He saw her fighting with the Clone, and struggling to put it down the same way that he is.


    Dilya was obviously stronger than the Clone, but what is the use of strength if it is not able to kill your opponent?


    "At longst. My will shall cloud the sky of the physical world".


    Mammon had brought Elmon to the gate. It brought it hazy form to Elmon''s right hand, and forcefully stretched it toward the gate.


    In the same time, Orun was attacked by the five clone who had gotten themselves together.


    "I won''t let you".


    While he was busy dealing with the five clone, Orun decided to let go of his body, creating many openings for the clones to attack.


    He did so in order to get a shot at preventing Elmon''s palm from touching the gate.


    Orun sprouted out spikes from the floor in front of Elmon, and he lengthened the height of the spikes to reach the ceiling.


    Orun used the spike as a barricade to keep out Elmon. In an attempt to touch it, what Elmon will end up touching is the spike.

 Chapter 297 It Is Open

    ?


    "You are toote".


    The five Mammon clone conjoined themselves back into one, and gave Orun the disappointing news.


    They wearily made their sinister smile before breaking the news to him and turning into their hazy form.


    The same thing happened to the Clone that Dilya was fighting with. The Clone turned hazy and went back to join with the hazy form of Mammon that was with Elmon.


    "Nooooooo!!!!!"


    Dilya yelled out after seeing that the gate has been slightly unlocked. The way it was opened is simr to how one opens a gate enough to have their body squeeze through.


    The disappointment and fear from Dilya''s tone was well conveyed to Orun.


    He was a bit toote in the construction of the spikes that was meant to block Elmon from touching the gate.


    "Lord Orun, we need to get out of here right now".


    Dilya quickly came to Orun''s side and rmingly warned him.


    "No. We can still close the gate before anything happens".


    Orun does not know the mechanics of how the gate works, but he does know that if all it takes to open it is a touch from Elmon, there is still bound to be a set amount of time for the gate itself to open up.


    Considering how big it is, it will not just go ''wam'' I am open in one hurriedly wide setting.


    Orun could get himself there with his speed and shut the door close using his strength before it fully opens and makes way for whatever is lurking behind it toe out.


    "No. Once it is open, it can not be closed through normal means!".


    The gate requires the use of a special lock to seal it, not the kind that involves brute forcing its way back to being closed.


    If Orun were to close the gate using just his strength, the door will just go back to being open by itself.


    "Seriously? All one has to do to open it is through physical contact, but to close it bes difficult? Seriously?".


    Orun found the logic guiding the gate to be preposterous. Isn''t getting the gate open the dangerous part of the mission?


    If that is so, why is it that all that is required to aplish a a task that could inevitably lead to the end of the world, is only by making physical contact with it?


    It does not necessarily have to be one hell of an extravagant touch. Just the kind where the palm touches the gate like Elmon did.


    Why should such azy move have to be the condition for letting open a gate that could mark the very end of the world?


    While to close it back and prevent the destruction of the world, there is this ridiculous rules or ways that has to be followed?


    Shouldn''t it be the other way around? Hard to open, and easy to close? For convenience sake.


    Or perhaps the one that designed the gate did that because they are on the side of world destruction?


    "It is not exactly physical contact. It requiresing into contact with someone from the physical world that has an innate connection to the underworld".


    Orun did not fully get what Dilya said. Her exnation was vague and full of holes.


    He was however able to pick up the plot points to draw up a clear exnation on it by himself.


    What Dilya meant is that Elmon, as elf as he looks, has some sort of connection that links him to the underworld, in other words, he has something in him to partially identify him as a Demon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It''s absurd really. Considering Orun felt no ominous energying off of Elmon. No. Strangely enough, he did not feel any sort of energying off of Elmon. Its like he has no mana at all which in Orun''s case, found it weird.


    The gate was let open with steaming out from it as it slowly widens its range.


    The spikes that Orun had created, melted as a result of the steaming into contact with it.


    "Kekekeke. Finally, the world will fall beneath mymand".


    Mammon separated itself from Elmon''s body, and turned its hazy form into a physical shape.


    "What you promised me. When will you fulfill your promise to me".


    Elmon has kept to his path of the deal and made sure that Mammon got what it wanted.


    It was now time for Mammon to fulfill his deal to Elmon, his wish to have the necessary strength that would allow him be beside the Elven princess, Leena as her equal partner.


    "Yes. Not to worry young elf. Without you, none of this would have been made possible".


    Mammon had both hands raised down and turned its head over to Elmon standing beside him.


    It revealed a sinister smile to Elmon, a smile that had him extremely worried.


    Elmon took one step backward, in fear of the smile shown by Mammon.


    "Where do you think you are going? Young elf".


    Mammon took its own step, matching with Elmon''s slow backward step.


    "Stay away from me!".


    Elmon''s heart was getting restless with the way that Mammon was looking at him.


    It was just now that he realized the truth about Mammon from its expression. It was never going to fulfill his wish.


    Mammon''s goal was only using Elmon as a means to achieve its objectives.


    That realization made Elmon fearful for his life. And with the fear, Elmon turned his attention away from Mammon, to get as far away from it as possible.


    Before Elmon could get himself far away, Mammon reached out both its hand and wrapped it around Elmon''s neck to prevent him from going any farther.


    Orun lunged himself toward Elmon, to rescue him from the ws of Mammon.


    "Begone, Spirit king".


    With its left hand stretched in Orun''s direction, Mammon made it so that Orun would uncontrobly fall to the back and crash into the wall.


    Orun crashed into the wall, and through it, going further in until he found himself out of the cave and now in the open world.


    When he came out into the open world, he fell to the ground and rolled over several times beforeing to an halt.


    He did not suffer any damage from the crash, but the way he was pushed back got him amazed.


    The only exnation Orun had for how he was pushed away several miles, crashing through thick stoned walls at a pace that did not slow down, is through telekinesis.


    An ability that allows one to defy thews of gravitation in exchange for moving an object without the need for a physical contact to be made.

 Chapter 298 Her Declaration

    ?


    He never expected such an ability to be in use at the hands of the demon lord Mammon.


    But then again, he is dealing with a being that he has no information about. It would not hurt him to expect the worse out of it.


    He also knows better than to be extra careful. Since the gate opened, Mammon''s presence have gotten more intense.


    "That must be why he is able to use Telekinesis as well".


    Before the gate opened, Mammon did not show any traces of being able to use telekinesis power. All that changed after the gate opened.


    "The opening of the gate must have amplified not only his presence, but also allowed him ess to powers he could not use prior to the opening of the gate!".


    Orun got himself up and ready to dive back into the cave. He was however interrupted by having his body move without him giving it anymands.


    Like he was being attracted by a ma type object, Orun''s body was forced through the walls and into the cave, crashing through it until he found himself at the hands of Mammon, wrapping its fingers around his neck.


    "We are not done yet spirit king".


    In Mammon''s other hand, is Elmon who had copsed, as a result of fear, Orun presumed.


    "You almost foiled my ns. My sixty-five years n was this close to ruination with your presence".


    Mammon applied pressure to the hand that was wrapped around Orun. Not enough to sever his head, but enough to supposedly cause him pain. Which in Orun''s defense is not working as Mammon expected it to.


    "Don''t get too ahead of yourself there Demon".


    Orun from his back, sprouted out four arms made using his me, the same way as when he faced the Elven elders.


    He had both of his real arm on Mammon''s hand that was holding unto his neck, and he used the four fire arms to attack Mammon head on.


    Orun applied force on his palm, and broke Mammon''s hand in two, causing its hold on his neck to be free.


    The four fire arms grabbed unto Mammon''s body from the waist. They shaked its body up and down, smashing it on the roof and bringing it back to the ground to bury it in.


    The action continued for a while before the four fire arms let go of it body by tossing it into the wall.


    Orun hastily grabbed the passed out body of Elmon, and then made his way back to Dilya.


    "Take him out of here and get him the help he needs. I will hold off the demon and do something about the gate. In the main time, I want you to gather your forces and prepare them for the danger you dered is going toe out from the gate".


    Orun gave out orders to Dilya, not minding her status or position as a queen.


    If what Dilya said about the world destruction is true, the idea of using honorifics or following hierarchy under such dire circumstances is but a foolish attempt to Orun.


    Hierarchy and respect can only be maintained when there is a world full of people to gain the des from.


    Dilya also did not seem to mind the way Orun gave hermand. She understood even more so than Orun just what kind of situation they are in.


    Dilya with Elmon in her hand, turned to the entrance and made her way toward it.


    "Who said you could all leave of your own ord?".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mammon''s cloned hazy form was faster than Dilya. It got to the entrance and transformed into a physical form before she could pass through.


    Dilya had to stop in her track, knowing it was pointless to go up against a form that takes no damage when hit.


    " I want you both to bear witness to the Advent of I, the Demon lord Mammon".


    The Mammon that was crashed into the wall by Orun, came out from the wall and dusted its body before professing its glorious self to Orun and Dilya.


    "And, I will be taking that back".


    Mammon reached its long pointy figure to Elmon. Dilya that was holding unto Elmon was forced to have her body move closer to Mammon.


    For some reason unknown to Orun, Mammon seems so adamant to have Elmon by its side.


    If truly it wanted to, Mammon could have killed Elmon the moment his hand touched the gate.


    At that point, Elmon had lost his leverage and usefulness to Mammon.


    There was no need keeping by its side something that is of no use.


    Yet, it did not kill Elmon when it had every chance to. Orun does not want to believe that the so called Dmon lord who dered destruction of the world, would grow a liking to keep Elmon by its side for the sake of keeping him.


    That? That does not sit right with Orun. What does, is Mammon keeping Elmon alive because he is still of use to him.


    For that reason, Orun was not going to wait and let Elmon fall to Mammon''s hand.


    As long as Mammon wants him, there are two choices for Orun to make.


    One is to make certain that he does everything necessary to see to it that Elmon does not fall into Mammon''s hand.


    If Orun is not able to aplish that, the next best result is to make sure that Elmon is renderedpletely useless before Mammon, even if it means having to kill him.


    Orun lept toward Dilya, to stop Mammon from using its telekinesis to draw her closer to it.


    Before Orun could get to Dilya, he was confronted by the Clone Mammon had earlier created to stand In Dilya''s path.


    The Clone had also be faster, matching its speed with that of Orun.


    When Dilya had almost gotten to Mammon, she threw away Elmon''s body so she can confront it alone.


    She thrust out her hand, and pped Mammon on the chest. It was supposed to be an ordinary p to the chest, yet the force behind the p pushed back Mammon in a way that an ordinary p would not.


    Mammon''s body was sent flying and fell to the ground.


    "You forbidden being! My life will be used as a means to put you back where you belong!".


    Dilya dered, raising both her hands up, and taking on a fighting stance.

 Chapter 299 Retreat

    ?


    "A fine deration and determination you have there Elven queen. It is however toote for that now".


    Mammon got itself up from the ground and spewed out a ck substance from its mouth.


    "You should have been this determined before I opened the gate. Now, it is far toote to get any struggle from you".


    Mammon used its telekinesis ability to draw in Elmon. There was no struggle from Elmon who had already passed out.


    It caught Elmon''s body with its right hand, wrapping the finger around his neck.


    It opened up Elmon''s mouth and turned its own body back into a hazy form, except for the hand that was keeping Elmon''s mouth open.


    Mammon poured in its hazy form inside Elmon''s mouth, making sure everything is in, including the hands.


    Orun was too preupied to prevent it from happening, and Dilya was not able to get anywhere near Mammon who made certain that she was kept at arm''s length by using its telekinesis ability.


    The hazy form fused itself with Elmon, discarding his original shape and bringing about him having dark eyeballs, with multiple crack marks on the face.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom It was no longer Elmon that had control of the body. The one steering the wheel is Mammon.


    "Finally. Nothing can stop me now".


    AN: I will be using him to address Mammon now that it is inside the body of Elmon.


    Mammon dispersed the clone that was fighting with Orun. He reached out both hands and called forth Orun and Dilya with his telekinesis.


    Orun sprouted out spikes from the ground to stop himself from getting pushed toward Mammon.


    The spikes were not of much help as Orun had expected them to be. From his stomach, Orun created two fire arms. He sent the arms to hold unto both of Mammon''s palms.


    Now instead of Orun and Dilya getting captured by Mammon, the fire arms got in the way of that.


    The fire arms also acted as a means to temporarily disrupt Mammon''s telekinesis ability, thereby setting Orun and Dilya free.


    "Run!". Orun instructed.


    He detached the fire arm from his body and made his way to the entrance.


    Dilya did not understand why Orun would choose to run away from an event that can bring about the end of the world.


    From the little she knows about him, Dilya thought of Orun as someone who does not back away from a fight and dies everything necessary to protect what is his.


    Even if he has no desire to protect the world or the elven nation from the ws of Mammon, he should understand that Mammon will not stick to going after a single nation.


    So long as Mammon is free from his cage, there is no ce under the face of the world that is safe from his reach.


    Dilya expected Orun to be aware of that, which is why she decided to trust his judgment and go along with his n of running out of the cave.


    "What is your n? You do have a n right".


    "I do. Me".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She admired his valiant confidence side to casually nominate himself. That is all the more reason she has a hard time informing Orun just how much his n sucks.


    "I am afraid that is not a very good n under these circumstances. Once the gate is opened, Mammon has be a force that cannot be put down through ordinary means".


    "I know. But the same applies to me. I have a mode that allows me to connect to nature and draw out power beyond the imagination of one".


    "You have such a thing and you never considered using it before the gate was opened? Why".


    It was confusing really. If Orun had an ability capable of killing even smoke itself. The rational thing to do was for him to use it before Mammon got even stronger.


    Before the gate could open, and sessfully prevent the end of the world.


    "That is the problem. If I were to use it around that gate, it will burn it to nothingness, together with Mammon".


    Orun did not resort to using the ability earlier because he did not want to take that chance with the gate.


    Now that the gate is open, and Mammon is out of it. Orun is free to run as wild as he wants.


    He on the other hand does not want to do that in a cave with so little space to spare.


    Orun prefers choosing an open area as the location. In an open area, he would be able to throw as many destructive attacks as he wants on Mammon without the need to care about his surroundings.


    He would also have lots of space to attack from, expanding his range of attack and defense.


    "I need him outside. The best geographical point to fight a being like Mammon".


    Orun dered, his eyes focused on the cave''s entrance and waiting for Mammon toe out of it.


    "I see. You have my permission to go as rampant as you want. I will take charge and see to it that any attacks from the both of you do not get to the nation or the people".


    "Ye-yes. That''s a good n. You do just that, and I will be able to give it my all without the need to worry about the people''s safety. Ha, ha!".


    His voice was awkward, barely fitting it together and making out a sentence with it.


    "Please tell me you were thinking of the nation''s condition when you decided to bring the fight out in the open".


    "Sure I was. What made you think I would not have thought of that".


    "Great. I was fearful that you didn''t, judging from how you found it difficult toplete your sentence".


    "Ha, ha, ha. I am not that stupid you know".


    The atmosphere got tense with the awkwardness that reigned.


    "My Lord! You are safe".


    The awkward mood was done away with thanks to the voice of Theron that came running toward Orun, along with the four elven elders, as well as Monryck.


    Orun deep in his heart, was thankful for their timed arrival, saving him from the awkwardness.

 Chapter 300 The Odds

    ?


    "My Lord. We came here as fast as we could when we had the feeling that you might be in danger".


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom Theron said, rushing himself over to Orun, to check his condition and disy his excessive loyalty.


    Orun wanted to ask what they felt, but then he remembered that when the gate was open, the ominous energy wave that rushed out of it must have been what alerted their attention.


    "Queen Dilya!".


    The Alluin elder (Fire elder) moved closer to Dilya, calling out to her as a way to ask for her health.


    "I failed. I let down my ancestors, Alluin".


    Orun could have sworn about him mistaking Dilya as the crybaby kind of woman from the way she just spoke.


    He found his thoughts to be very absurd and untrue. She is a woman who has so far shown only her strong side,ing out as the kind of queen who does not remorse, norment.


    Why would such a strong feminist subdue herself to a level where tears will flow down her cheeks?


    "It is not your fault my queen".


    Rofir elder (Water elder) made her way to Dilya, to draw her out of any attempt to wallow herself in self-pity.


    "You did the best you could".


    Kyfir elder (Wind elder) also joined in to console Dilya.


    "It is our turn to do the best that we can".


    Torsys elder (Earth elder) stood at the front, facing the entrance to the cave with his fist bumped together.


    "I should warn you both. What we are dealing with here is a demon lord. I have no idea how strong he is, and what your chances of survival are". Orun said.


    "If you want, you can both go back to the desert and see to it that your tribe is safe from harm. I won''t judge you all if that is your decision". He added.


    He gave Theron and Monryck a choice because they had one. What he signed them up for is the creation of a habitat where monster kind can live in peace.


    It was never included in their agreement that they would be sticking their necks out for a race that is not of the monster kind.


    "My lord, why would you even propose such an idea? We are your loyal servants ready to answer to your will at any moment. If you ask us to go, we go. All that is needed is for you to give us themand". Theron said.


    Orun already expected Theron to say something like that. His pledged loyalty towards Orun has been demonstrated on multiple asions.


    The case however cannot be said for Monryck. He is a subordinate that is with Orun because he fears him, not out of loyalty or gratification.


    In a position where Orun is faced with Mammon, anything can happen, even leading to a situation where Orun will end up defenseless.


    He cannot say that when that momentes, he is hundred percent definite about leaving his back to Monryck.


    His actions are unpredictable, and that is not the kind Orun would like to have by his side in a dire situation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun raised his head, and turn his gaze to stare at Monryck.


    "What about you, what will you do".


    He hoped that Monryck would make his decision based on what he wanted to do, instead of the fear he had toward Orun, or because he has to keep up his appearance.


    "I will stay and fight. If I end up going back alone, thedy would kill me, physically and mentally".


    Monryck body shivered at the thought of what Wildria would do to him if he ends up going home alone.


    Bearing news that he ran away from a fight, and left behind Orun and Theron to handle it alone.


    "Thank you. Both of you".


    Orun was grateful for the fact that Monryck did not make attempts to lie to him. He said it based on how he felt, and Orun can testify to that from the result gotten when he read the flow of his heartbeat.


    Just year''s ago, he was alone in a cave where he is forced to fight for his survival.


    But now? Now he has those he can call allies. Even if Monryck does not fully trust him, Orun feels safer knowing that he isn''t going to abandon him amid battle.


    "Okay. We do this together".


    Orun turned to Dilya and the four elven elders.


    "Brief warning. Our opponent has telekinesis ability, as well as the ability to clone itself into an indefinite number that we have yet to get a grasp on".


    Orun continued his detailed exnation of the ability that is in Mammon''s control.


    While he exined to them, Theron, Monryck, and the four elven elders paid close ears to everything he said.


    "The troublesome ability that you all have to be wary of the most, is his ability to turn into smoke. He can blend in with the air present in the atmosphere, and use it toe at you from any angle".


    Orun''s exnation was cut short due to the rumbling sound that wasing from inside the cave.


    They all assumed it was Mammon making his way toward them. In response, they prepared themselves by focusing their attention on the entrance, intending to give Mammon the biggest surprise he had ever seen.


    Orun signaled the n to them by making use of body gestures. It was simple, they were to attack Mammon on sight with everything they have, no holding back.


    "I see some rats have decided to join in on the fun? A good thing I called in servants of my own. To even the odds, or in this case, overwhelmingly stack it against you".


    The voice came from the entrance that was covered by darkness, thus blending Mammon''s presence with it.


    The voice had stopped moving. The rumbling sound, however, did not. If anything, it only got louder, more aggressive, and closer to them.


    "Let the fun begin!!". Mammon dered, releasing his usual sinisterugh.

 Chapter 301 The Gatekeeper

    ?


    The outside wall was busted through, shattered with piles of the cave walls falling to the ground.


    From the entrance, was carved out an ark, restructuring the door to fit in the shape of what can only be described as ''Monstrously huge''.


    What was responsible for removing a heavy chunk of the entrance wall soon revealed itself.


    A three-headed dog on one body with fourrge canines protruding at the edge of his mouth.


    "Cerberus!" Dilya eximed with a surprised tone.


    There is no way Orun would not know who Cerberus is. He already had the feeling when he saw the figure. The mention of its name by Dilya is what brushed up his memory about the true identity of the being.


    "What is the gatekeeper of hell doing in the physical world". Orun asked.


    He was not as surprised as when he first saw Mammon. The tale about Cerberus is about it acting as the gatekeeper of hell. It has no business meddling in the affairs that have to do with humans.


    "To bring back the Demon that has escaped hell". Dilya replied, urging the elders to be on their highest alert.


    Cerberus''s job has always been to see to it that no demon crosses over to the physical world in its truest form.


    Demons are allowed to get to the physical world, but only as summoned creatures.


    Someone can summon a demon to carry out their will. Doing that will allow the demon temporary ess to the physical realm.


    Once the demons have carried out their summoner''s will, what will happen next is for them to return to the underworld where they are expected to be.


    Mammon bying to the physical realm through the gate, has broken the naturalws that state, that a demon must not be allowed to permanently reside in the physical realm.


    By passing through the gate in its full form, it has the legality to reside in the physical realm, just like any other being does.


    To counter a situation where a demon gets to permanently reside in the physical realm, Cerberus came into y.


    The duty of Cerberus was extended from just guarding the gate of hell, to venturing into the physical realm to drag back any demon that has passed through the gate and intends to permanently stay in the physical realm.


    A crazy counter was put in ce, right? Well, it gets even better from here on out.


    Mammon being the demon lord of greed has always had the insatiable desire to hoard for himself all the riches that reside in the physical realm.


    It has tried several times to take over the demon realm, but there are forces strong enough, if not stronger than Mammon who made his dream an unrealistic one.


    Because it could not take over the demon realm, Mammon settled for the physical realm.


    He has once seeded in breaching through the gate and storming down his army of demons to invade the physical realm.


    Mammon was this close to realizing his dreams until Cerberus appeared before him.


    Cerberus came out of the gate and personally dragged Mammon back to the demon realm.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The gate was sealed shut after that, and the Elves were put in charge of guarding the gate, to see to it that no other demon ever finds their way out of it.


    That is also why the barrier surrounding the elven nation was made. To serve as a countermeasure for a case when a demon finally walks through the gate.


    "I don''t understand. If Cerberus aims to drag Mammon back to the underworld, why isn''t it doing that instead of just standing still and ring at us with those menacing eyes".


    Orun got the full gist of what Cerberus''s task is, and what Mammon''s end goal is.


    What he does not understand, is why Cerberus is looking at his group with such an observant, threatening gaze when the one that it should be looking at is standing right next to it, like they are some sort of allies.


    "I am just as lost as you are". Dilya answered with confusion packed in her tone.


    She also wanted answers on why Cerberus is not doing the job it is assigned to, leaving Mammon to stay beside it without any form of retaliation to it.


    It was unlike the gatekeeper of hell to act like that against the demon who has broken the rules.


    "You look surprised, Elven queen? I would expect no less, considering how long it took for me to figure out Cerberus and how to avoid getting dragged to hell at the ws of the mighty gatekeeper". Mammon said, resorting to his usual intimidating posture.


    Confusion was written all over Dilya''s face, with questions and curiosity beckoning at her.


    Thest time he was stopped was also because Cerberus interfered and kept things from escting.


    Without Cerberus''s help, nothing is stopping Mammon from achieving his will.


    [ Master! ].


    ''This is not a good time for a chat Oracle''.


    The circumstances do not permit Orun to have any time to make idle talks. Standing in front of him is a one hundred and ny-something feet tall three-headed monster feasting his gaze on him.


    Beside the three-headed monster (Cerberus) is a demon lord with a terrifying presence to his name.


    The situation has gone beyond what should be referred to as dire and has entered the realm of world destruction-level entities.


    What had Orun even more worried, is the four elven elders, Dilya, Theron, and Monryck.


    He is sure of his capabilities and knows that once he goes into a serious mode, he won''t lose out in a face-off against Mammon.


    The same however cannot be said for Dilya, the four elven elders, Theron, and Monryck.


    He has a vague idea of what Cerberus is from ancient knowledge passed down in the form of myths, just like how he knows what Mammon is capable of.


    That knowledge made Orun doubt the capability of his subordinate against the mighty gatekeeper of hell.

 Chapter 302 Oruns Declaration

    ?


    Dilya has told him that her ability is notbat oriented. Orun assumed it to be some sort of psychic ability, and wonders if such an ability would work against Mammon.


    He has also seen the four elders in battle, and even though they did not go full mode on him, Orun estimated their full mode to not be greater than Cerberus.


    There is also Theron and Monryck. He knows very well what those two are capable of. Orun can confidently say with his chest puffed out, that they are not at a stage to go up against Cerberus.


    ''I have to think of something to give them an advantage over''.


    Orun rummaged through his memories for ways he can resort to, to prevent sending out Monryck and Theron on a suicide mission.


    ''Hmm.... I can create Efreet and smander. If the two elemental spirits team up with Theron, Monryck, and the four elders, they should have a chance at taking down Cerberus".


    Orun had both of his hands stretched forward, to create the barrier that Efreet and Smander woulde out from, the same way that Caius had done.


    [ Master, I have crucial information that will be of help to you, so please, hear me out instead of shunning me without listening to what I have to say ].


    Orun was not surprised. Mostly because he remembered Oracle to have once acted out ofmand like it just did.


    ''Okay, what do you have to say''.


    He resigned his fate to listen to Oracle. It acting out of order must mean that the information it wants to deliver is just that important.


    [ I have reasons to believe that the reason why Cerberus is not going after Mammon, is because it can''t ].


    ''You mind expatiating on that''.


    He was beginning to get what Oracle was trying to convey, but could not quite make it all out with only the limited information it released.


    [ Mammon was able to bypass getting dragged back to hell, by transferring its body into a human''s body and creating the illusion that it never left hell ].


    ''What?''.


    Orun thought he was on the path toprehending what Oracle was telling him, but he could not have been more wrong about that.


    Oracle''sst statement only seeks to confuse him, leaving him to fend for himself by trying to understand what Oracle meant.


    ''Oracle what do you me!''.


    Orun was interrupted from any further mental conversation with Oracle, as a result of Cerberus finally making a move.


    It raised all three heads in the direction that Orun and the rest are standing. Cerberus held down its breath like it was trying so hard not to inhale the air in the atmosphere.


    It brought down its head, along with releasing its breath and ck me from all three mouths, simr to a scene showing how water is passed out through a pipe.


    Orun hurriedly got himself to the front and reached out his hand at the iing ck mes about to rain on them.


    [ Master has absorbed the purgatory ck mes of hell''s gatekeeper].


    [ Master has assimted the constitution building up the ck mes of hell ].


    [ Master''s Job effect has been activated. purgatory ck me has be a part of Master''s me ]


    [ Purgatory ck me:  An eternal me that renders eternal pain, torment, and suffering to those exposed to its influence ]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun ignored the message that keeps flooding in from Oracle, and he kept his focus on dealing with the me in front of him, to make sure none of it slips past him.


    When he was done absorbing the ck mes, he turned his head to ask if they were okay.


    Unfortunately for him, he was attacked within the slight minute that he had his head turned opposite Mammon and Cerberus.


    "You are mine, Fire King".


    His body was grabbed by Mammon and pushed far away from where the others stood.


    "I will leave you guys to handle Cerberus, while I go and help Lord Orun".


    Theron was about to follow Orun in the direction that he was carried to by Mammon. He was however stopped by Dilya who promised to go after them by herself while Theron focuses on providing help to the Elven elders in their battle against Cerberus.


    "You are doomed now Spirit King. With my full strength regained, you stand no chance of winning against me".


    Mammon dered, with his fingers wrapped around Orun, while they keep moving at hyperspeed.


    "How many times do you want me to repeat myself? Never count your eggs before they hatch".


    Orun did not make any attempt to struggle on taking Mammon''s finger off his neck.


    With a smile, he diabolically smirked at Mammon, revealing only his upper teeth.


    "Racial Skill Activation; Spirit King Mode".


    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® With Orun''s promation came about fireing out of his body, and enveloping him like a bubble wrap shield.


    Orun did not wait for the fire to finish constructing itself, as hemanded a part of it to wrap around Mammon''s leg.


    With his hand gesture, hemanded the fire that was around Mammon''s leg, to yank him away from Orun, which surely happened.


    Mammon was forcefully separated from Orun, and then thrown down on the ground.


    "You are not the only one restricted from using their full strength Mammon".


    Orun said, hovering himself above Mammon while the fire on his body continues to move constructively.


    "As much as I respect and think highly of you as a historical figure, the same way I will not hesitate to put you down the moment you show that you are an enemy set to prevent my goals from being achieved".


    Orun''s expression had changed from his normal self he always made sure to make certain expressions depending on his mood.


    Now, he had a stoic cold expression on his face, bringing out his figure as an absolute heartless monarch.


    His body also changed along with his expression. dded in well-fitted full body armor, colored crimson with hints of gold on some parts of it.


    The only part of his body that was left exposed, is his face, with his long hair freely flowing down.


    "Let us put an end to this".


    He said, staring intently at Mammon who was also quick to recover from the crash.

 Chapter 303 Rules

    ?


    Orun stretched out both his hand forward and posed it as him drawing an arrow. From the pose came fire arrows fired off consecutively at Mammon.


    Mammon evaded the arrows, using his hand to bounce off the ones he could not evade.


    He took both his feet off the ground and lept upward in Orun''s direction.


    He had his long ws set out tosh at him. Orun did not move away from his position and instead faced Mammon''s w head-on.


    He caught the w with his left hand, and then he used his right hand to deliver a body blow to Mammon.


    Mammon simply ignored the body blow and moved his body in a twisted way, exchanging the stand his body was facing to the opposite.


    Doing that, allowed him to gain control of his hand that was earlier held down by Orun.


    Mammon from both of his hands cast a ck sinister-looking aura. He coated his palm with the aura and clenched his fist before using it to punch Orun in the face.


    The fist connected to Orun''s face, sending him crashing to the ground, a long mile away from where he started.


    "What was that". Orun asked, getting himself up from the ground and going after Mammon.


    The impact of the ck aura on his face was not physically painful, but more of a gut feeling that something in him was slowly being chipped away.


    Orun brushed the feeling aside as he had no time to invest in thoughts and assumptions.


    Almost getting to Mammon, Orun sped both of his palms together, and from it he fired off rays of deep red energy from his sped hands, directing it at Mammon.


    Mammon instead of evading the iing energy, firmly stood his ground with both of his hands stretched forward.


    The deep red energy got to Mammon, and it all got sucked inside his hand, with no damage dealt to any of his body parts.


    "Let me guess, Demon Of Greed, ability to invoke greed through the absorption of what is not yours. The same way a part of my mana was chipped off using the greed ability".


    Orun seeing Mammon absorb the ray attack he just fired, was quick to assume the kind of power he is using.


    The feeling he felt when Mammon hit him with the ck aura, and what he just did now. Everything points to his ability to have some sort of connection to the definition of greed.


    "Yes, you are right. But no mistake, for that, is not all I am capable of doing".


    Mammon abruptly reached out his hand toward Orun, and he then fired off a ck sinister ray in his direction, the same kind that Orun fired at him.


    The difference between the two rays lies in their size and color. Mammon''s ray was twice the size of what Orun fired.


    When the ck ray was about to touch Orun, he had his hand raised, with his palm made t.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun used the side of the palm, abruptly bringing it down on the ck ray, and splitting it in two.


    The ck ray got split and got sent off in two directions, with Orun''s palm and his body at the center of it.


    "My ability also allows me to multiply anything I absorb from my enemy by two. Greed, that is what it is". Mammon boasted, going after Orun when the ck ray had dissipated.


    "I see. Thank you for the information". Orun said, also making his way toward Mammon.


    Even if Mammon did not reveal the effect of his ability to Orun, he was eventually going to find that out, but only in the long run, through tests and verification.


    Mammon telling him, saved Orun the time that he would have wasted on it.


    Though, one might question what Mammon was thinking about, to have revealed such an important message to his enemy.


    This was Mammon''s way of saying he is not afraid of Orun, nor does he feel threatened by him or anything he does.


    They both went at each other, with the scene looking as if they were going to sh at the center.


    Orun offset the scene by hastily moving himself behind Mammon and delivering a kick to his side.


    Mammon was sent flying away ording to the angle the kick came from.


    He did not want to risk a direct confrontation against Mammon, only to have the mana sucked out of him.


    It is not that he was worried about his own mana draining. In his Spirit King form, Orun is directly connected to nature, and as such is able to use an infinite amount of mana.


    He also gets stronger with every second that passes with him in his spirit king form.


    There is a catch to having such extraordinary powers, and mana level. The catch has to do with the time limit set on the skill.


    If he uses it for too long, nature will take its effect on Orun and enact the rulesid down on all spirit kings that say; a spirit king is not to wield their power for their personal use".


    What Orun is doing as of right now, is going against that rule. He has the privilege to do so due to the fact that he was a being that resided in the physical realm before he became an elemental spirit king.


    That is why he is able to wield the powers of a spirit king in the physical realm.


    But, his wielding the power only goes as far as the time limit set for when nature catches wind of his presence in the physical realm.


    Using the spirit king mode for an extended period of time will alert the other spirit king of Orun''s presence, and then nature itself will be aware.


    When that happens, Orun will be involuntarily dragged back to the spiritual realm where he would be forced to resign himself to the rules guiding all elemental spirits.

 Chapter 304 Distraction

    ?


    His goal as of current, is to prevent a case like that from evering to be.


    That''s why he needs to end the fight between him and Mammon as fast as he can before his presence gets discovered by nature and then sent to the spirit realm.


    Spoon-feeding Mammon with more Mana is not going to help Orun avoid the oue he is so desperately trying to prevent.


    ''From here on, I have to make it a physically oriented battle while making sure to prevent excessive contact with him" Orun thought, bringing his thoughts together and making his way toward Mammon whonded on the ground.


    From how Mammon scrapped off Orun''s mana with the ck aura, and also how Mammon absorbed Orun''s ray, it shows that the condition for Mammon using his ability has to do with touch.


    He might be wrong, but there is no way he is going to neglect the first possible option.


    Orun got down to Mammon before he could fly back up. He grabbed onto a nearby fallen tree and used it to whack Mammon''s body.


    The tree made contact and tossed Mammon''s body into a situation where he crashed on the ground, away from Orun.


    Situations like this can prove to be very tricky. Not being able to use mana based attacks to directly attack Mammon, and limiting physical contact to its lowest point possible.


    Those are dangerous conditions ced on Orun, but he is trying to find his way around them.


    Like for example, the tree that was used to hit Mammon''s body. If it was a normal tree, the expected result would be the tree shattering into pieces once it made contact with Mammon''s body.


    But that did not happen, and for a good reason at that. Once Orun grabbed the tree, he was quick to coat the whole body of the tree with his mana, to strengthen the base of it, and turn it into more than just a tree.


    Orun was very discreet about it because there is a chance that Mammon would suck the mana out of the tree once it touches him.


    However, without him knowing the truth, Mammon would expect the tree to crash into him, under the assumption that it would do no damage to his body.


    His expectation however was betrayed when the tree seeded in moving his body from the spot he was standing on, all the way to a spot he did not expect he was going to find himself in.


    Orun threw away the tree and started devising other means to attack Mammon with.


    The tree attack is a one-time means that will have its secret exposed to Mammon once it has been used.


    Orun heard a sting from opposite his direction, at a far distance to add. He assumed it to be the ce where Theron, Monryck, the four elven elders, and Dilya are fighting with Cerberus.


    He had both of his hands raised in that direction and cast a circle that enveloped the sky where they were.


    "Highest tier elemental creation. Efreet, Smander!".


    Orun called out his skill, bringing out the same form of Efreet and Smander from the circle, and descending their presence in the midst of the ongoing battle against Cerberus.


    "That should help them even the ying field"


    Orun said, about to turn his attention over to his opponent.


    An abrasive kick cane from the side, and bashed Orun through the woods for as long as possible.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The kick came to a halt, and Mammon, the controller of the kick, distanced himself from Orun.


    "Distracting yourself from your opponent is not a wise choice to make".


    Mammon said, with his eyes on Orun who was picking up his body from the aftermath of the kick.


    "Why should I have to worry? When I have someone like you as my opponent".


    Orun got up and dusted his body, before dissing Mammon with a downgraded remark.


    ''Damn it. I let him absorb another part of my mana''.


    He felt that same tingling sensation of his mana drained out of him when Mammon''s kick touched his armor.


    Apparently, the ability does not involve skin to skin touch alone. His armor also carries mana in it, so it shouldn''t be too surprising to see that the greed ability would work on it as well.


    Mammon with his speed, made his way down and appeared before Orun with his clenched fist aimed at his face.


    Orun bent his body to the back and thrust out his right leg to kick the direction of Mammon''s fist away from his face.


    He turned his body and made another attack on Mammon. He used his leg as a feint by making it seem like he was going for his leg.


    Mammon bought the bait by moving to protect the part of his body where Orun''s leg was aiming for.


    When he saw that Mammon had bought the bait, Orun changed his motion of attack by using his hand to jab Mammon in the neck, the Adam''s apple to be exact.


    With his hand on Mammon''s Adam''s apple, Orun wrapped the rest of it tightly on his neck then went ahead to deliver a powerbomb choke m thatnded him back on the ground.


    "Never underestimate a spirit king".


    Orun warned with his hand still wrapped around Mammon''s neck, even after he fell him to the ground.


    Orun dragged Mammon''s body to the ground, making sure that his body scratches through the hard parts of the surface area before letting it go.


    He released his hold on Mammon''s neck and set his eyes on the arm. Orun used his speed to move himself to the ce where Mammon''s army.


    He grabbed it with his right hand and yanked the arm right off the rest of the body. Detaching it from the shoulder down.


    He did not wait to hear the echoes of cries that he knew Mammon would not make, as he could feel no pain, or so Orun guessed.


    Orun raised his right hand and sprouted out vines from underneath the ground Mammon wasid on.


    He made sure the vine prated through every joint in Mammon''s body, sparing not a single one of them.

 Chapter 305 Show Of Strength

    ?


    The wind elder attracted its attention by attacking it from the front and firing off strong gusts of wind at its face.


    Meanwhile, the fire elder took to making his attack from above. With his hand coated in me, he descended it down on Cerberus''s back.


    The mighty Cerberus felt nothing from the attack made by the wind and fire elder.


    Cerberuspensated their attack with an attack of its own, by going after the one closest. Cerberus spewed out mes at the wind elder from one of its heads on the left side.


    The wind elder hurried out of the fire''s range. The earth elder took advantage of the timing and moved herself to stand below the head of Cerberus that had just spewed the fame.


    From the ground beneath Cerberus''s head, the earth elder manipted the earth and sprouted it out in the form of spears.


    The spears lengthened until they got to the neck of Cerberus. It was thrust in and went through the neck toe out from the other side.


    Cerberus screamed in agony as a result of what had just happened, but that wasn''t the end of it all.


    The earth leader manipted the spear that was embedded in Cerberus''s neck. From the body of the spear, he sprouted out branches.


    The branches came out from the part of the spear''s body that was inside Cerberus''s skin. The branches were able to prate even deeper into its body, tearing through the veins and muscles located in the inner part of its body.


    It is like having a needle injected into your skin and from the part of the needle that is inside the skin, edges were formed.


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Not only would it be agonizing, but it will also be very ufortable to feel several hard-like substances in the inner part of your body.


    That was the kind of torment that Cerberus had to go through at the hands of the earth elder''s earth ability.


    Theron and Monryck also did not stand idle by when the four elven elders are at work.


    Just like how the elven elders had their elemental powers as a means of fighting, Theron and Monryck also made use of what they were good at to go up against Cerberus.


    The both of them moved to its back while the elven elders were dealing damage to it from the front and sides.


    Getting to its behind, Monryck and Theron simultaneously grabbed a part of its tail from each side.


    "Are you ready". Monryck asked, looking at Theron with his hand on Cerberus''s tail.


    "For our lord". Theron replied, also having his eyes on Monryck while he had his hands on the tail.


    Monryck was not shocked by Theron''s reply. He had expected him to say something of praise to Orun, considering the kind of person he is.


    Standing opposite each other, at the same time, they both applied strength on their arms holding Cerberus''s tail.


    They lifted the tail and used it to carry the rest of Cerberus''s body off the ground. That also resulted in drawing out Cerberus''s neck from the spear cast by the earth elder.


    Monryck and Theron were overwhelmingly outmatched in terms of size whenpared to Cerberus.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It is as if one was looking at a house cat trying topare to an elephant in terms of size.


    But despite that size difference, Monryck and Theron did not allow it to stop them from doing the unthinkable.


    Unthinkable as in a house cat lifting a grown elephant''s body off the ground, spinning the body, smashing it on the ground with different means, then returning its body to the ground by having its belly face to the sky.


    The four elders watched as Theron and Monryck unted their show of strength by toying with Cerberus''s body.


    It was amazing, to say the least, and they were very much fascinated by the scene.


    Though to be fair, even if there is such arge existential gap in the size of Theron and Monryckpared to Cerberus.


    There is still a role of power y within Monryck and Theron, the kind of power that elevates their strength status to be greater than the form their physical body is presented in.


    The earth elder had both hands on the ground and from it, he manipted the earth, conjuring chains out of it.


    The chain all came from different angles and strangled Cerberus''s body, very tightly to the ground.


    The wind elder jumped above Cerberus''s body and fired off consecutive wind arrows at the tied-up Cerberus.


    The water elder was also quick to join in on the attack against the tied-up Cerberus.


    She covered all three of Cerberus''s heads in a water ball, starting from the neck up until the head was submerged in it.


    The water elder did that in hopes that she would kill Cerberus by drowning it in water.


    Her actions, however, only proved to agitate Cerberus who had gotten pissed off at how it is being treated.


    With its head still drowning inside the water ball, Cerberus roared out from all three heads and broke apart the water ball. The water fell on Cerberus''s body and drenched it.


    The four elders, Theron and Monyrck. They all moved away from Cerberus.


    The sudden burst of vigor from its roar was a way of saying that Cerberus nned on taking things seriously with them.


    It forcefully broke the chains and got its body free of its hold. Cerberus picked itself off the ground and stood on all four.


    It had its gaze staring down at the six of them with an expression that showed it was not kidding around.


    The earth elder attempted to trap Cerberus by using the same ability that was used to incapacitate Orun.


    He had both of his palms touching the ground and made an effort to connect the ground he was touching, to the ground that Cerberus was standing on.


    Luckily for him, Cerberus only stared at them with disdain. It showed no signs of making hasty attacks on them.

 Chapter 306 Stopping The Black Flame

    ?


    The earth elder traced down the connection from his palm, all the way to the ground that had all four of Cerberus''s legs imprinted on it.


    When the tracing waspleted, it was now time for him to invoke the connection that would lead to Cerberus''s incapacitation.


    With the sess of the ability, it would give the elven elders, Theron, and Monryck more time to make their attacks on it without fear of being counter-attacked by its dangerous w, its head, or the fire-breathing ability from its mouth.


    There are a lot of possibilities that will be opened with its incapacitation.


    On the other hand, there is but only one possibility for the failure of the incapacitation ability not working on Cerberus.


    That one possibility is what they are about to find out soon enough. The earth elder''s attack bounced off of Cerberus when he tried using it on him.


    Cerberus as an existence, is a being that is far greater than what the earth elder could hope toprehend.


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Trying to incapacitate such a being, is the same thing as searching for light brown sand on a ground filled with beach sand. In other ways, a stupid idea and a waste of both time and effort.


    Cerberus was done with its intimidating stare. From all three mouths, it released its ck me down on the four elders, with Theron and Monryck by their side.


    They dispersed in different directions so they could avoid the ck me, all except for the water elder that is.


    She could not risk evading the ck mes only to have it destroy the geographical settings of the elven nation.


    Or even worse, it continues to make its way down, burning everything that stands in its path, reaching an elven settlement.


    The water elder was not the type to sit idly by and watch that happen.


    By now, the elven forces will notice the ongoing battle, and then they will move ording to the drill set in ce for when situations like this ur.


    That drill involves the evacuation of any elven residents far away from where the battle is taking ce.


    That is the drill set in ce, and knowing how hard-working the elven forces are, they must be working effortlessly to keep the nonbatant elves away from here.


    The water elder knew that, but she just could not risk the gamble of letting Cerberus''s ck me run wild, not when she had no idea how far the residents have gone away from the battlefield.


    With that thought in mind, she waited until the ck me was close to her before she could make her move.


    The water elder swirled both of her arms by using them to draw an invisible circle in front of her.


    What was to be considered invisible soon turned visible after repeating her actions about two times.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In front of her is a blue circle drawn. The water elder singled out two fingers, the middle finger and the one closest to the pinky finger.


    She tapped the two fingers on the circle drawn. The circle glowed when the two-finger made contact with it, and then it released a massive wave of water that washed away the iing ck me.


    The rage of the water was more than the rage projected by the ck me spewed by Cerberus.


    Like a tsunami, it swallowed the ck me whole. The water did not stop its reign of destruction by just taking out the ck me.


    It went as far as attacking Cerberus after it had taken out the ck me. The water got to where it was standing, and washed his body whole, away from its position to crashing through the cave wall that was behind it.


    When she was done, the water elder felt a little bit nauseous as she went on one of her knees and held her head with her right hand.


    She had to use a massive amount of mana in releasing the water-based attack that overwhelmed the ck me.


    Although in her defense, it was worth every ounce of mana if it meant having a chance to protect the elves she swore an oath to protect.


    Monryck who saw the action done by the water elder, and the aftermath of her losing her footing, did not have the same thought as she did.


    What she had just done is an action that is going to cost them one less manpower and that is a liability they cannot afford to shoulder at the moment.


    They need all hands on deck if they are to have a chance against Cerberus. Short of one hand, is a risk that is not just going to work on probability and assumption like the water elder did.


    It is a fact that could very well end up leading to the destruction of the elves, and in the worst-case scenario, put the fate of the world in jeopardy.


    From his point of view, losing the lives of a few is better than losing the lives of all. While it might look like a cruel option, it should be taken note that there are times when hard choices are meant to be made by leaders.


    That is what makes them leaders. They make sacrifices that do not just benefit half of the group they lead, but decisions that will advantage the future well-being of the entire group.


    The earth elder went to the water elder and helped her get on her feet.


    "Are you okay". He asked, putting her arm on his shoulder to aid her in standing.


    "I am fine. I just need a little bit of time to recuperate is all. I will be back in shape once I have rested for a minute".


    They are both aware that they do not have a minute to spare, but neither of them can say it out.


    Better to have her temporarily exit the battle than end up a liability that the team has to cater for.

 Chapter 307 Damp Earth

    ?


    The earth elder manipted the earth, molding out a hand that he used to pick up the water elder.


    She was still in a weak state, and unable to make any long-distance movements. The molded hand was used to carry the water elder away from where the battle was ongoing.


    He watched the hand take the water elder away, and when he saw that they had gone a considerable distance away from them, he turned his head back to Cerberus who was already starting to recover from the attack.


    Cerberus got its body off the ground and continued its attack on them.


    The earth elder moved before Cerberus could release its fire attack. He sprouted out spikes from the earth and stabbed the part of Cerberus''s body that was exposed to the ground.


    Unlike before when the spikes had no problem going through Cerberus, the oue this time was unexpected for the earth elder.


    When the earth spikes made contact with Cerberus''s body, it shattered starting from the tip that touched its body, down to thest part of it connected to the earth.


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel The earth elder''s molded spike came crashing down before his eyes. The first thing he did when he saw the oue, was to move away from Cerberus, and at the same time issue a warning to the others.


    "Be careful. Its defense has been fortified". The earth elder yelled out, warning the others about Cerberus''s body modification, and its attribute to bounce off spikes made out of the earth.


    They heed the warning of the earth elder, and they all made some distance between themselves and Cerberus.


    They gathered in one ce to discuss their mode of attack, and ways they can coordinate their movements and produce maximum damage with efficient movements.


    Cerberus did not give them any time to spend on their discussion, as it hurried its attack once more.


    It charged at them with its hefty body and at a terrifying pace. They dispersed themselves, each taking a different turn to confuse Cerberus.


    Cerberus on the other hand, kept it cool and went after the one that was in front of it.


    It was Monryck. Cerberus went after him, hot on his heels and not losing a distance away from him. Its heavy body does nothing to slow down its speed as it continues to ovep the distance between it and Monryck.


    If things were left be as it is, Cerberus would eventually catch up to Monryck. The oue of that happening is a scene that should be left in his imagination.


    Theron turned around and ran in the direction of Cerberus and Monryck, to help him out against the gatekeeper that is going after him.


    Meanwhile, Cerberus was close to covering the full gap separating it and Monryck.


    It decided to forgo trying to catch up to Monryck and instead opted for burning Monryck alive by raining down its fire on him.


    From all three mouths, it rained down its fire on Monryck. With the distance between the both of them, the fire would undoubtedly get to Monryck faster than he can run out of its range.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It will happen, unless, there is a foreign elerating force that adds to Monryck''s speed and temporarily raises his agility.


    That elerating force did happen. Shortly after Cerberus rained down its fire from all three mouths, The wind elder who saw that he was in danger, positioned herself to Monryck''s left-hand side, and from there, she released a st of wind in the form of a ball tornado in Monryck''s direction.


    The ball of wind straight up sted through any obstacles that stood in its way until it got to Monryck.


    Fortunately for Monryck, the ball of wind was able to get to him faster than the fire rained itself down on him.


    The ball of wind grabbed Monryck and took him away from the range of the fire and along with its momentum of crashing through obstacles beforeing to a halt.


    When the ball of wind dispersed, Monryck was left with outer physical damage as a result of the ball of wind scooping him along. Even if it was a means to save his life, it wasn''t a friendly way of doing so.


    Monryck however was not about toin. It was either he gets physically assaulted by the ball of wind, or he dies as a result of burning to death by the fire unleashed from Cerberus''s mouth.


    Monryck got up and looked in the direction of the wind elder that was far opposite to where he was.


    He made an eye gesture as a way of thanking her for saving his life. Monryck was not the only one who looked in the wind elder''s direction.


    Cerberus who had its attack interfered with was mad, really annoyed at the one responsible for it.


    It turned its attention to the wind elder and ran in her direction. The earth elder intercepted Cerberus in its haste by manipting the ground beneath Cerberus''s feet.


    He figured, if his attack won''t have any direct effect on its body, then the best good thing is to attack the source holding down its footing.


    The earth elder used his ability to turn the constitution of the earth beneath Cerberus from stoned earth to a damp moldy earth.


    A weak earth constitution plus an oversized dog standing on it would result in the oversized dog getting swallowed into the moldy earth.


    His n worked, and Cerberus was slowly going deeper into the earth, but not without putting up a fight of its own.


    Cerberus breathed out fire from its mouth and set it in the direction of the Earth elder.


    To avoid the ball of fire, the earth elder had to temporarily halt what he was doing to the earth beneath Cerberus.


    Even though he was interrupted and prevented from sinking Cerberus further into the earth, the earth elder was not disappointed with what he has managed to aplish.


    Half of Cerberus''s body was already buried beneath the ground. All that remains is getting the other half in.

 Chapter 308 Plan Formulation

    ?


    Cerberus''s struggle to get its body out of the mud was made null. What it got itself trapped in, is a sticky wet mud that will just keep dragging its body down into the ground, the further it struggles to want to go up.


    Monryck and Theron moved at the same time, eaching from a different direction. When they had almost gotten to Cerberus, they jumped up before their legs could touch the muddy ground and aimed for its head, Monryck taking the left head, and Theron going for the right.


    They firstnded on the nose, and from there, they walked to where the eyes were located. When they got there, they started throwing their fist in different forms, dealing damage to its eyes.


    It had six eyeballs, two on each head. Monryck who is on top of its left head, aimed for both eyes, dealing damage to it one at a time. The same applies to Theron who is pummeling both eyeballs with his fist.


    The fire elder was not going to let himself get left out, neither was the wind elder going to watch and wait for Monryck and Theron to do the heavy lifting.


    The fire elder and the wind elder simultaneously jumped up, targeting the head of Cerberus located at its center.


    When they got down on it, they went for the eyes. One head, two eyeballs split between the two of them.


    They attacked it with their elemental powers, the fire elder unleashing all sorts of fire based attacks, and the wind elder mostly making use of her ball of wind attack.


    Cerberus was getting attacked on all three heads, and it was helpless to fight against it, with the mud pinning down its body and forcing it to start put.


    The gatekeeper of hell got mad, real mad about what it considered as insignificant beings toying around on its head.


    In anger, it started releasing its fire from all three heads. Cerberus''s aim was off by a long shot due to not having full ess to all the limbs on its body, but it did not mind that at all.


    As long as it keeps on moving, the foothold of those attacking its eyes will be unstable, and that will not make them make proper attacks as they wanted.


    Thend was getting burnt, destroyed by the mes of Cerberus raining down on it.


    They thought of getting off of its head and looking for a way to stop it from the continuous downpour of fire. Doing that, however, would only be giving Cerberus what it wants.


    They also do not consider it a good idea to move off of its head, knowing fully well that the gatekeeper of hell is a beast that evolves with every tribtion it is faced with.


    The earth elder who is the only one on the ground did something to stop not all, but some of Cerberus''s attacks.


    He manipted the earth that the fire was falling on and turned its texture moist and soaked like the ground beneath Cerberus.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Doing that would notpletely put off the me, but it would be able to keep it under wrap and stop it from spreading any further.


    "I sure wish the Rofir elder was here. With her by my side, we could get the fire fully under control". The earth elder grumbled internally, making sure to not lose focus of what is in sight.


    His wish for the water elder to be by his side is associated with her ability to manipte the element of water.


    Bybining their earth element and water element, there is much that could be done by them, so much power to be exerted, giving them a chance to stand up to Cerberus''s me.


    The earth elder knows better than to continue to brood and fantasize over his assumptions. Merely taking away his focus concerning how he is dealing with the rain of fire, could lead to catastrophic oues for the nation.


    "We can''t just keep punching at it, we have to do something to stop it from breathing out its fire". The fire elder suggested out loud.


    His palm clenched on the curve part of Cerberus''s nostril, and he did that to prevent his body from falling over the unstable Cerberus''s head.


    The fire elder was not the only one that resorted to such actions. The same thing applies to Monryck, Theron, and the wind elder.


    "There is not much else we can do against it. Not only is its skin too tough to have our attacks go through, but it is also a beast that adapts well to an attack it is exposed to once". The wind elder replied to the fire elder.


    The content of her reply was carried to where Monryck and Theron were. They are all in this together, it is only right that they formte their ns under the influence of what they can each offer.


    "The only part of it that can be considered a weak spot is its eyes. That is why we have to hold on tight and wait for it to calm down". She added, applying more force to her hold on its nostril.


    All of Cerberus''s skin before the naked eye is presented as a tough-skinned body, hardened to even the tiniest needle that seeks to prate through it.


    All, except for its eyes. Not that it is presented as soft and easy to prate, no, that is not the case. The fact that their attacks have so far not been able to deal real damage to its eyes, is a sign of how tough it is.


    However, inparison to any other parts of its body, it would be a fool''s errand to not go for its eyes. They believe that as long as the damage is continuously dealt to the eyesight, they will eventually crack all its defenses and gain ess to the inner part of its eyes.


    "What is that". While he was holding on tight to Cerberus''s skin, Theron''s head tilted upward, and there he saw it.

 Chapter 309 I Can Feel It

    ?


    When Theron saw the magic circle appear above them, he thought he was hallucinating. And when he saw the lower body parts of two massive figures making their way out of the magic circle, he thought he had finally lost it.


    It wasn''t until the three elders and Monryck raised their heads and saw the same thing he did, that was when he knew that he wasn''t hallucinating nor had he lost it.


    This happened around the time Orun saw the explosion caused by Cerberus mindlessly rampaging about with its fire breath.


    The two circles hovering above them are from Orun activating his elemental creation ability to bring about Efreet and Smander''s descension.


    Their heavy bodies fell out of the magic circle and crashed down to the ground, releasing a temporary shockwave.


    "What the hell are those now". Monryck asked with a panicked voice.


    Despite their working together, they have yet to have the necessary capacity to contend against Cerberus.


    The thought of two monstrous figures with the same size and majestic presence as Cerberus, joining in on the fight does not bode well for them.


    "Do not fret. They are from Lord Orun. And they are here to help us". Theron announced after he had calmed his nerves.


    Monryck wanted to shout and ask him how he came about that information from just looking at the two beings that descended, a dragon-like being and a humanoid being.


    He remembered that Theron all along was with them fighting against Cerberus, so how could he have known of what Orun was doing, or if Orun was even minding them when he probably has his hands full with Mammon?


    "I can feel my Lord''s mana emanating from their body".


    Theron dered, letting go of his hold on Cerberus''s skin and jumping down to the ground, away from the moldy side of the ground.


    "You should all get off as well. Us staying on top of the beast would prevent them from doing anything to it".


    When Theron got down, he turned his head in their direction and warned them to do the same thing.


    If three gigantic figures were to collide, the oue would prove to be devastating to everything in their surroundings.


    The fire elder, the wind elder, and Monryck would be putting their lives at risk by standing on Cerberus''s head.


    They will also be holding back Efreet and Smander who will not want to give it their all, because they do not want the fire elder, the wind elder, and Monryck to get hurt, or so Theron thought.


    The three of them had doubts about trusting Efreet and Smander to be on their side. Theron''s positivity and how he looked so sure of himself, was what made them start considering the possibility that he just might be right.


    But, if it turns out that he was wrong all along, their necks will not be the only thing on the line here.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We should do what he says". Monryck reluctantly shouted out.


    "Why? Do you also sense something in those beast''s that tells you they were summoned by the fire spirit king". The wind elder asked.


    Monryck unlike Theron was not getting the feeling, nor does he feel a connection between him and the two beasts (Efreet and Smanader).


    What he has, is more of an instinctual feeling, the thought that the beasts are on his side merely by looking at their demeanor.


    "Are you guys, not the expert at dealing with elemental spirits? Should you not know best if they are on our side or not". Monryck asked, unable to defend his gut feeling before the wind elder.


    As he said, the elven elders are people who found a way to draw power andmunicate directly with nature. If Efreet and Smander are beasts called upon by Orun, surely they would know since Orun is an elemental being who is using elemental type magic and mana.


    They should be able to feel the elemental mana from Efreet and Smander just like how Theron was quick to sense Orun''s presence in them.


    "It does not work that way". The wind elder said. "A summoned creature by an elemental king is an urrence that has yet to be witnessed by us. Besides, the fire elemental King of now is an entity that has never been seen before. It makes it hard to distinguish his summon by only basing it on his mana fluctuations". She added.


    "We should not also forget that Mammon and Cerberus are also a force of nature, though not birthed by nature, they are still spiritual entities with connection to nature". The wind elder concluded.


    "We should do as they say". The fire elder chipped in, with an expression that has him half-in-believe about Efreet and Smander.


    "Do you sense something from them"? The wind elder asked.


    "The me on their body. I am getting the same feeling as when we faced the fire spirit king in a duel". The fire leader answered.


    When he finished talking, he freed his hold on Cerberus and also jumped down to the ground, at a ce close to where Theron hadnded.


    Monryck as well followed the fire elder shortly after,nding at a spot close to the fire elder and Theron.


    When they both jumped, the wind elder was still hanging on tight, contemting her choices and deciding if it was a good idea to let go of the one chance they had at hurting Cerberus.


    She had her eyes turned in the direction of Efreet and Smander who strangely enough have made no movements whatsoever since their arrival.


    It was as if they were waiting for someone, or rather for something to get out of their way before they start attacking.


    Then, it dawned on the wind elder that Theron just might be telling the truth after all.


    "Take any longer and there will be nond left to save". The earth elder warned the wind elder, while still doing everything in his power to contain Cerberus mes that is still raining down from all three heads.

 Chapter 310 Helping Out

    ?


    With the pressure from the earth elder, and the actions of Efreet and Smander, the wind elder took their advice and came down from Cerberus''s head, leaving the rampaging beast free of anything living standing on its body.


    Like a timer that had run out of ticking moments, Efreet and Smander started their movements toward Cerberus the moment the wind elder got off its body.


    The ground trembled and rumbled at the might of every footstep taken by Efreet running toward Cerberus.


    The air became hotter with every p of the Smander''s burning wings released into the atmosphere.


    Disaster-like moments were happening, and it was all gotten from Smander and Efreet moving their heavy tusked body.


    All of them getting off of Cerberus''s body gave the gatekeeper room to think, to strategize a way out of its current predicament.


    And like they all feared Cerberus for being a vest with an adaptive sense, It stuck through to that heritage bying up with a way out of the moldy, sticky ground holding down its body.


    Cerberus concentrated all three of its mouth to the ground holding down its body. In other words, it nned on setting ame the ground that its body was stuck in.


    In one breath, it poured out its fire breath attack and down on the muddy ground. Its purpose for doing this is to solidify the muddy ground.


    Heat and mud resulted in the solidification of said mud, and that was Cerberu''s intention.


    The earth elder tried to hold on for as long as he could, or at least until the two monstrous figures got to Cerberus.


    He continued to turn the ground muddy and tried to keep it wet even in the face of the me pouring down on it.


    He however could not seed in that task. Cerberus''s me was far too powerful for him to keep up with.


    Cerberus seeded in heating the ground to a degree where all that needs to be done, is for it to force its body out by breaking through the solid brick-like ground.


    When it finally broke itself free from the muddy ground, the gatekeeper of hell turned its attention over to the iing Efreet and Smander.


    Cerberus made the first attack by spilling out mes from all three of its mouth, two of the mouth targeting Efreet and the third mouth aiming at Smander who is making its journey from the sky.


    Before the me breath got to Efreet, it clenched its fist and punched the ground with it.


    The sound of the punch reverberated on the ground, with a vibration signal sent to everything standing within the range of the ground that was affected by the punch.


    The ground that took the punch of Efreet was shattered intorge fragments.


    Efreet picked up one of the fragments and hurled it at one of Cerberus''s heads aiming at it. The earth fragment heavily collided with the head, and although it did no noticeable damage to Cerberus, it did aplish the goal of temporarily putting to a halt the fire breathing out of its mouth.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    To evade the second fire breath, Efreet lept its body off the ground, jumping to an insane height. The fire breath passed by under Efreet''s leg a few moments after it made the jump.


    If Efreet were to get back down in that condition, its body would undoubtedly be caught in Cerberus''s fire. That was prevented by Smander who flew itself above Efreet, allowing the humanoid giant to grab unto one of its legs.


    It carried Efreet in the sky and pped its wings to cover the distance between them and Cerberus. All the while, the gatekeeper of hell had also recovered from the earth fragment thrown to its face.


    As they were moving toward it, Cerberus was sending waves of hot me shaped like a ball, hurling it at the sky to stop them from getting any closer.


    Once in a while, Cerberus added a ray of fire breath to its attacks and then switches back to consecutive ball of fire.


    Smander with Efreet grabbing onto its leg, maneuvered through the sky, tilting and evading Cerberus''s me from touching or stopping them.


    "We have to help them". The earth elder voiced out.


    He knew how deadly Cerberus me was when ites into contact with anything showing animosity toward the gatekeeper.


    Although he has not had a personal experience with it having ite into contact with his skin. The earth elder has felt it from his connection with the earth that the mes have so far touched.


    Never in a lifetime will the earth that made contact with Cerberus''s skin ever be able to be fruitful. Cerberus me has killed its vitality and rendered the earth a barrennd till eternity.


    That is what the me is capable of doing to anything it touches. Making contact with Efreet and Smander would resort in the two highest-tier spirits having their physical form turn back into nothingness.


    The earth elder could not risk that happening. The two fire elemental spirits were summoned by Orun to aid them in their battle against Cerberus.


    The fire spirit king knew they were going to have trouble contending against the might of Cerberus alone, that is why he sent Efreet and Smander.


    Staying still and watching the two elemental spirits get corroded by Cerberus''s me and having their body dissipate from existence would put them all back to square one.


    To stop that from happening, the earth elder hurried to help out in seeing to it that none of Cerberus''s me gets to the two elemental spirits until they get to Cerberus.


    He manipted the earth, forming out a wall that was able to block one of the fireball from getting to the elemental spirits.


    The rest of them could not stand by and watch the earth elder carry the weight alone in helping out the elemental spirits.


    They decided to out in their effort in ensuring that Smander and Efreet make their way to Cerberus without do much as getting scratched by the fire attack.

 Chapter 311 Combined Force

    ?


    The wind elder directed a st of wind and used it to intercept the path of the ball of fire that was spat out by Cerberus.


    With help from the three elven elders joined by Moneyck and Theron, the two elemental spirits were able to get to Cerberus without any of its attacks touching them.


    Efreet let go of Smander''s leg, and then it started to fall downward at an rming speed.


    It clenched its fist and took advantage of its fall momentum to dive its body at an angle where Cerberus would be the stool for it to fall on.


    With both of its legs tightly ced together, Efreetnded its heavy body down on Cerberus''s upper body.


    The pressure pushed down Cerberus''s backbone, causing all four of its legs to go down on its knees with Efreet standing on top of it.


    Standing on top of the kneeling Cerberus, Efreet grabbed the head on the left side and stretched it back really hard.


    Efreet pulled it as hard as it could until it was able to sever the head from the neck by drawing it out like meat.


    From the ripped neck, blood was not the substance that came out of it. It was magma, hot watery magma.


    Efreet threw the ripped head off and clenched both its fist, then started pummeling Cerberus with it. Cerberus ignored the fist punching down on its body and turned its right head toward Efreet.


    Efreet gave the head that was about to spew out fire an uppercut, sending the direction of the fire upward, away from it.


    The other head of Cerberus also turned to look at it the same way that the first head did.


    Efreet made a jump for it just in time before its body was drenched in Cerberus''s me.


    It jumped off its back andnded in front of the gatekeeper with two heads and a detached neck.


    After Efreet got off Cerberus''s back, something happened that made Efreet understand that it wasn''t just dealing with any kind of opponent.


    The head that Efreet had gone through the trouble of severing from the neck, regrew itself, starting from the limb wiggling and stretching out more limbs from the rest of the body until a canine head came into shape.


    The process it took for it all to happen was but seconds in the eyes of Efreet.


    Cerberus with all three of its heads, spat out its me breath at Efreet. To evade it, the colossal humanoid being jumped away from where the fire was aiming at.


    Cerberus followed Efreet with the fire stilling out of its mouth. The distance was slowly closed, and the fire almost got to Efreet when an earth wall shielded its body.


    There was no need for Efreet to turn its body to have to know that the earth wall is an ability that was made by the earth-elven elder.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not only the earth elder. The fire elder, the wind elder, Theron, and Monryck. From time to time, they are also helping out Efreet in the best way that they can.


    By maintaining a certain distance so as not to get in the way of two colossal entities brawling it out, and from there, they release their long-range attack that is at their disposal against Cerberus.


    While Efreet was doing its best to not get into contact with the mes from Cerberus, Smander was also making its attack on Cerberus from above, raining down its fire breath on the gatekeeper.


    Efreet widened the distance between it and Cerberus. With both of its hands stretched forward and the palms facing opposite each other.


    It aggressively jammed its palm together, sending out echoes and shockwaves, tremors with stormy winds released into the atmosphere.


    From the range of the palm down to everything that was in its sight were sent crashing and flying, forcefully uprooted from their position, and sharply pushed as far back as they can get.


    Cerberus the gatekeeper was also not spared from the effect of Efreet''s palm attack. Its massive body was thrown off its footing and left rolling about as it continues to get pushed backward.


    From above, Smander dived down to the ground and stood beside Efreet. With its mouth wide open, Smander released its fire breath, adding the effect of high-degree burning to an ongoing storm.


    The result was catastrophic, leading to the formation of a ruinednd dreaded with shadows of what was once lively.


    The ground was burned out, the trees were gone and the thought that life once thrived in thend was no more.


    The breath reached where the cave was and it destroyed the walls of the cave, shattering through it until there was nothing left to cover the gate.


    Now, the gate leading to the demon realm was the only thing standing, the only object that withstood thebined attack of Efreet and Smander without getting destroyed or having a dent in it.


    The appearance of the gate did not make it seem like it was capable of withstanding an attack that decimated everything in its path.


    Although it is huge and space-taking, it was only a one-sided gate with nothing behind it except for the view of the surrounding that the gate is located.


    The three elven elders, Monryck and Theron. They marveled at the witness of the two elemental spiritsbined attack and thanked their grace that they were located outside the range of the attack and not in.


    "It is a good thing we followed your words, Theron. I cannot imagine what would have be of us if we did not do that". Moneyck confessed.


    He could feel his skin tingling at the aftereffect of the attack, and his thoughts deep in concern of what would havee to be if he did not listen to Theron on time.


    While they were questioning the sanity of the attack, not only is Cerberus who survived the attack already getting back on its feet and ready to continue from where they stopped, but there is also a new phenomenon that is ongoing with the gates leading to the underworld.

 Chapter 312 Enticing Offer

    ?


    ''How much longer''. Orun internally asked with a stern tone while keeping his body busy.


    [ Not much master. It needs a few adjustments is all ].


    ''I am going to need you to work faster on it. We don''t have much time left. Orun instructed to which Oracle did not respond in words, but with immediate actions to hasten its pace.


    "I admit Fire spirit king. You are an opponent that is worth going all out for".


    Mammon confessed with his body held down by vines protruding from every part of his body.


    His voice was what interrupted Orun''s private conversation with Oracle, forced to cut it short so he could bring his focus back on the demon lord


    Orun is well aware that Mammon is only staying tied down by the vines of his own will. Not because Orun''s vine skill was impossible to get out of, but because the demon lord ns to entertain Orun, or rather break his resolve by showing that no matter what is done, no pain, fear, or hesitation could truly hold him down.


    Whatever it is that the demon lord Mammon is thinking by not getting himself out of the vine sooner, Orun does not feel the need to know, nor does he want to think about it.


    His mission is to get the demon back to where he belongs, or somehow find a way to put an end to him right here.


    "I want to extend an offer to you. Join me on my mission, and I will appoint you as my second inmand. You will have authority over the world that I rule, and will answer only to me".


    Mammon proposed an offer that he believes Orun would not be able to refuse. Second inmand of the world, a position where he will be able to do as he sees fit while answering only to a single person.


    That is a position that many would kill themselves over, a chance to get a real taste of true power.


    "I hate to disappoint your expectation, but I will have to decline your offer".


    Orun without giving it any thought was quick to refuse the offer. His demeanor showed how he was not even moved by the thought of having a second inmand control over the world.


    "I believe all life to be precious and of value. Though I treasure and put my life first above all else, it still does not change what I believe in". Orun said, tightening and squeezing the vines in Mammon''s body through telepathic means.


    "Your goal contradicts and goes against everything I believe in, that is why I cannot work with you. Not now, not ever".


    Orun has always been a devout follower of equality, and although his actions so far had portrayed him as someone self-centered, he remains with his belief knowing full well that the world he is in requires him to put himself first before others.


    It is only when he is living and breathing can he get the chance to think about what he believes in and try to stick with it.


    Mammon''s goal would not only portray him as being self-centered, but it will also have him betraying everything he believes in for no justifiable cause.


    Orun could not have that happening. It is one thing to go against his beliefs for a good, logical reason, and it is another thing to do so for a reason as childish as wanting to rule over the world.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Another important factor to note is that Mammon is the demon of greed. As an entity that rules over greed, will it be so willing as to have by his side another entity that he knows he cannot overpower?


    If Mammon is to stick to his role, what he would do is turn Orun into a puppet form, making him very easy to control and not ever seek to go against Mammon''s will.


    At least that is what Orun would do if he were the one in that position.


    "That is too bad spirit king, for I desire to have your power by my side".


    When Mammon dered, the vines that were holding down his body were weakening, and Orun was losing control over it.


    He tried to regain control of the vines by increasing the amount of mana spent on them, but Orun stopped himself from doing that.


    "He is absorbing the mana from the vines?".


    Orun saw what was happening with the vines that were embedded in Mammon''s body. The once healthy and vital vines withered into dry lifeless sticks.


    The vines lost the life present in them because Mammon was sucking out the mana that was used in their making.


    If Orun tries to redirect more mana into the vines, he would only be serving Mammon an extra te of free mana for the demon lord to absorb.


    "I am unstoppable. Whatever attack is thrown at me, be it in physical form or not, I absorb it all. So long as it is an attack guided by energy, it is all mine to have".


    Mammon passionately dered out loud, crushing the dried vines embedded in his body by literally walking through them.


    "Do you understand it now spirit king? There is nothing you can do to stop me. I only offered you a chance by my side as a form of redemption, but you rejected it".


    While he was talking, Mammon slowly lifted his body off the ground with both arms proudly stretched out.


    "In here, you will meet your end. You and everyone you have ever cared about will die by my hands. I will make you regret refusing the will of I, Mammon, the Demon Lord of greed".


    Mammon dered, sending shivers to the atmosphere, bending the will of everything present to his submission.


    "Don''t think you can get away from me that easily!".


    During his pose, from the back came a fist that disrupted Mammon''s elegant posture and deration time.

 Chapter 313 A Little Too Late

    "Don''t think you can get away from me that easily!".


    She dered, interrupting his pose from the back came a fist that disrupted Mammon''s elegant posture and deration time.


    "Queen, what are you doing". Orun asked, talking to Dilya who had kicked Mammon from the back.


    Her feet got back to the ground and then she made her way to where Orun was.


    "I am here to help". She responded, turning to face Mammon.


    After the kick, Mammon got his body off the ground and showed no signs of damage taken.


    It was to be expected. What Dilya did was kick him from the back. The kick carried no other effect except for acting as a means of Dilya orienting entrance.


    "What about the gatekeeper".


    Orun expected Dilya to join with the others to contend against Cerberus. He knew he was capable of fending off Mammon by himself without the need for external interference.


    "They can take care of Cerberus by themselves. Defeating Mammon is more important. With him gone, Cerberus will also return to the underworld".


    The only reason why Cerberus is present in the material world is because of Mammon. Dilya believes that once Mammon is gone, Cerberus will be too.


    She trusts Orun to be able to go up against Cerberus, what she does not believe is that Orun alone could handle Cerberus by himself.


    "I have the situation here all handled. It will be better for you to go and help them out against Cerberus".


    Orun has a n set in motion that is guaranteed to take down Mammon, and not just Mammon. It is a n that will work against any opponent hees across.


    All that is required for the n to be activated is time, and Orun can stall for that time by drawing out the battle with Mammon.


    "Believe me Sp,irit King, I do trust you, but I am also well aware of the dangers posed by the demon lord. You and I working together is for the best".


    Dilya does not doubt Orun but believes it is a better idea for her and Orun to work together.


    With Orun''s ability and Dilya''s powers, Mammon would certainly get pushed back by them.


    "Alright".


    While Orun knows that he can handle Mammon alone, refusing further help from Dilya will just be making things weird.


    He created Efreet and Smander to help contend with Cerberus, so he could have his mind at peace with Theron, Moneyck, and the elven elders.


    "It does not matter. Five of you joining together will not change what is to befall you, nor will anything change if there are ten of you".


    Mammon watched them bicker between them, arguing about who gets to stay and who does not.


    To him, none of them mattered for he was sure that regardless of what is done, there is no stopping what is about to be unleashed.


    Done with the argument that ended in Dilya''s favor, she sprang her body into action and began her attack on Mammon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dilya stretched out her hand in Mammom''s direction and used her ability on her.


    "Stop!!".


    Orun yelled out a little toote with his warning as Dilya had already activated her ability.


    Mammom''a body was trapped in a transparent rectangr shape. It was fitting for his body, not too big and not too tight.


    With Dilya mentally controlling the box, it started squeezing itself in, taking up the space that was in it.


    She had to stop the movement of the box when she heard Orun''s voice requesting for her to halt her activity.


    "What is it".


    Dilya asked, with her head faced to Mammon and her hand still stretched outward, ready to control the box when she sees fit.


    "Whatever it is you are doing to him, as long as it involves using mana or any sort of energy, I need you to put an end to it now before it is toote".


    Dilya''s ability looked dangerous before the eyes of Orun. Trapping one''s body in a box that gets smaller or bigger depending on what the user wants it to be.


    That does not look or sound like an ability that one can easily escape from. Orun also had a feeling that getting bigger or smaller is not the only thing it is capable of doing.


    If Mammon were to use his ability to absorb that ability and ends up releasing it at Orun and Dilya, the difficulty rate of getting out of it, at least by Orun''s calction shows that it is going to take a long time to aplish.


    With the questions saved forter, Dilya tried to disperse the box surrounding Mammon, but she couldn''t. She had lost control over the activity of the box since the moment she thought it was a good idea to use it on Mammon.


    "Hmm? I see".


    Mammon proudly hummed as he had his hand on the box. When he touched it, what was forming the box was absorbed into his palm, until there was nothing left behind.


    "What just happened".


    Dilya saw the event that happened but could not quite make sense of what it was.


    The effect of her ability was to keep Mammon locked in and have his body squeezed tight, diminishing his shape and form until only an atom of him remains.


    She wasn''t expecting her ability to kill Mammon, nor did she expect it to keep him locked up forever.


    What she also did not ount for, is Mammon easily breaking through her ability like it was nothing to him.


    Without further ado, Orun grabbed Dilya''s hand and made a run for it. Now that Mammon had copied the ability, no doubt he will be able to use it on them.


    Orun has no n on waiting behind for him to get an up-close experience of what it feels like to get trapped in a box that gets smaller until one is turned into a microscopic organism.


    Especially if that box is going to be amplified by two times the force it was released in.

 Chapter 314 Out Of The Box And Into A Bigger Box Of Trouble

    ?


    "And where exactly do you think you are running off to?".


    Mammon had already activated the boxing skill and used it to incapacitate Orun before he could move any further.


    Orun and Dilya were now stuck together in the box with their cheeks rubbing against each other.


    ''Damn it''. Orun cursed internally.


    He increased the intensity of the me but was still not able to burn down the box.


    If he were to take the hotness of the me any higher, there is a chance that Dilya who is stuck in the same space as him will not survive the burn.


    "What just happened".


    Dilya was lost in thoughts, wondering why the ability that she had used on Mammon is now working against her.


    "His ability allows him to absorb any energy-based ability directed at him. When he absorbs, he can return the ability with twice its effect".


    Stuck in a box, Orun had the time to give Dilya an exnation while he think of ways to get them out of there without the need to burn Dilya alive.


    While he was speaking, the box was closing in on them faster than the rate when it was done to Mammon.


    "And you did not think to tell me this sooner because?......"


    She asked with her eyes on Orun, not minding that she is about to get squashed with him.


    He on the other hand was wondering how he is at fault. He did make an attempt to inform her, but she was the one who did not listen and went ahead to use her ability without even questioning what information he has on the opponent.


    "It is your skill, is there a way you can get us out of it".


    Orun ignored her and instead asked her a question that will solve their solution. This is neither the time nor the ce to start pointing fingers.


    She owns the skill and possibly knows his best just as he does his fire ability. If there is anyone suited enough to get them out, it should be her.


    "Hold on".


    Dilya gently ced her hand on the box and stayed silent for only a short while with her eyes closed.


    Orun wanted to hurry her as the box was start to squeeze his body tighter than he wanted it to. He however did not do that, as to not interfere with her immersion.


    A cracking sound was emitted from the ce Dilya had her hand on. Not too long, the box crashed down like a rock thrown into a ss.


    Orun was curious about what her ability was. It''s effect and it''s true manifestation point.


    "What was that?".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dilya and Orun both turned their head at the same time, in the direction that the rumbling sound came from.


    It was at this time that Efreet and Smander released theirbined attacks that took down everything in their trajectory.


    Even Mammon had to turn his head to look at the phenomenal event. The st grew several miles with destruction tagging along.


    "They have arrived". Mammon dered, levitating himself off the ground.


    What caught Mammon''s attention was not exactly thebined attack of Efreet and Smander. While it does look shy and domineering, there is something much worse than that and it is set to unleash after their attack.


    The gate of the underworld that was closed after Mammon came out, was once again let open for the army of the demon lord Mammon to match their way out.


    Along with the opening of the gate, ominous energy was spread into the atmosphere, turning everything it touches into ash and dust until there was nothing left of it.


    "Now you understand what I mean? The end of your world is at hand and there is nothing that can be done to stop it". Mammon once again dered while going up higher.


    He continued to levitate above, going higher and further away from the ground and Orun.


    Mammon was retreating from the battle, not because he was scared of Orun or because he feared that he would lose against Orun and Dilya joining hands together.


    That was not the reason. Mammon retreated from the battlefield because there was no need for him to fight against Orun and Dilya.


    The size of the armying out of the gate as at the moment, cannot be estimated in numbers.


    Along with the ominous aura, are cloudsing out from the gate. Those clouds in actuality, are demons of different kinds with terrifying body shapes, some with wings and others without wings.


    They were rushing out through the gates like bees when they have their hives broken. The difference between that and bees is that the number of the demons is overwhelming, spreading across the terrain while more of them are still making their way out of the gate.


    "There has to be like ten million? No, make that two million of them".


    Orun said, talking to himself with his eyes on the cloud of demons shadowing thend.


    [ There are eighty-nine million four hundred and thirty-two thousand three hundred and sixty-five demons as of current. The estimated number is unknown as more demons are still making their way out ].


    At Oracle''s correction of their current figure, Orun revealed a resigned smile.


    It is one thing going up against one demon, and another thing going up against millions of demons.


    He never understood what Mammon or Dilya meant, but now he did. A war isn''t just fought with words or a one-man battle. War is the definition of every form of despair colliding together like an obstacle but in the form of an army.


    Mammon is a demon lord, one of the seven rulers of the demon realm, a historical figure known and feared back on earth, with a bad image of him also present in the fantasy world.


    Despite knowing all that, how could he have believed that a war with such an entity will be so quick to end in his indisputable win?

 Chapter 315 In Mutual Agreement

    ?


    Orun in shock, deactivated his spirit king mode, not taking his eyes off of the cloud that was slowly but surely making their way toward him.


    His armor dissipated and the clothing he earlier had on came into view.


    "As he said, the world is doomed," Orun said, in agreement with Mammon.


    What can be done against demon kinds numbering in the millions? He does not have that amount of force at his disposal, and he sure as hell is certain that the elven kind does not have that kind of number.


    Sure their kingdom isrge as it is wide, big enough to be the size of three if not four continents on earth joined together.


    However, that is all there is to them. Their number is sure as hell not that overwhelming, and he can also argue that theirbat power, does not stand a chance against that.


    The numbers of the demons are not the only thing they have to worry about. There is also the ominous aura that is wiping out everything that stands in its way as it continues to slowly moves toward Orun.


    Whatever lifeform of the elven family that once lived in those parts of the kingdom will surely be no more.


    "What do we do". Dilya asked, turning to face Orun.


    She just as much as he is, is taken aback by the appearance of the demon army. She knows her duty as a queen and has been told what to expect when the gate to the underworld is opened.


    What Dilya was not prepared for, is seeing it in person. The numbers of the demon army. The feeling got from seeing such numbers, the dreadful truth about what kinds of demons are packed in that numbers.


    Everything suddenly came crashing down on her like an unwee, unexpected stormy day.


    Demon rankings start from low, to greater to arch, and then to a demon lord.


    The rankings have them all bowing to the demon lords as the supreme overlords. A demon lord without an archdemon among his army of demons is not a certified demon lord.


    Just like monsters, the demon kinds pride themselves when ites to individual strength.


    And in a way, they take it more seriously than monsters themselves, due to the harsh survival environment they are born into.


    ording to the rankings, a low-level demon has strength that is in the same ranking as a low-tier spirit. A greater demon is equivalent to an intermediate-level spirit.


    An archdemon is roughly on the same ranking as the highest-tier spiritual life form. In other news, there have to be thousands if not tens of thousands of arch demons.


    This trantes to the fact that there are a massive number of archdemons that are on the same level as Efreet and Smander present in the demon army.


    The archdemons going by experience could even be stronger than Efreet and Smander. Not only do they have experience surviving the demon world, but they have also lived a lengthened lifestyle fighting and conquering their way through until they got from a low-level demon to an archdemon.


    The odds are heavy against Orun and Dilya, and the chances of theming out victorious had just gone from great, to nearly impossible.


    Orun did not have to ask Oracle before he knows that he has gotten himself into a deep messy situation.


    "We have to stop the ominous aura from getting any closer". Dilya suggested, looking at Orun in case he might have an idea.


    She had a point, and Orun reasoned well with her point. The only problem about that point is that he does not know how to stop an aura from corroding over everything, how to stop an army of demons from marching down and taking over the world.


    At this stage, Orun was lost as he was confused about everything. There was nothing he can do to stop what is about to be unleashed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His power is not enough to stop it, and not even his spirit king mode can do so.


    As powerful and overpowered as that mode is, it has one terrible side effect which has to do with the time limit.


    Taking down millions of demons in his spirit king form will take days to aplish, and he does not have that much time on his hands.


    Before he can aplish that, nature will sense him and thus return him to the spiritual realm. His presence is needed here more than it is in the spiritual realm.


    [ Master, I have a way to stop the corrosion aura and the army of demons from spreading any further ].


    While Orun was in dismay about what to do, Oracle''s voice rang in his head with a solution to his problems.


    ''I am all ears''.


    Without any questions asked, Orun was willing to do whatever n Oraclees up with. It is a skill simr to an intelligent ai. Saying it has a way to end this, means that it has a way to end this.


    [ A barrier. That is the way to keep them temporarily trapped in ].


    ''A barrier? I am sure the elven queen with a barrier covering her city would have suggested that if she thought it was going to stop them.


    [ That is correct, but things are different ].


    [ The corrosive aura and the army of demons, are spiritual entities with energy opposite to what you represent. When I proposed a barrier, I meant using your spiritual energy which can also be tranted to as a positive energy, to counter their negative energy ].


    It was a good n, one that Orun was able to understand without further exnation needed.


    He morphed himself into his spirit king form and had both of his hands pressed to the ground with his thoughts in deep concentration.


    Orun effortlessly connected himself to the ground and drew up a line that reached up until where the elven border.


    From his left side down to the elven border, and his right side also down to the elven border.


    The connection was established and the bridge had already surfaced from the ground. All Orun had to do now, is cast it to the roof and use it to cloud over where the demons are, to prevent them from getting closer and going out of the elven nation through the back.


    "What is that".


    Orun during his moment of concentration was interrupted by the sighting of a med beast chased down by the cloud of demons.


    He rxed his pace and concentrated on the me beast. Through that, Orun was able to discover that it was Smander, and on its back is the four elven leaders, Monryck and Theron.


    He thought their bodies has been lost and forgone from making contact with the ominous aura, but they safely got out of it by riding on Smander''s back and using it as their ticket out of there.


    Even though they were being chased down by Demons, he could not just raise the barrier and abandon them in there.


    Orun timed their arrival and bid himself until they had made it through the range of the barrier before he fully erect it.


    Luckily for them, they had a massive gap of headstart from the demons, and Smander''s flying ability was nothing to joke about.

 Chapter 316 A Suggestion For Assistance

    ?


    In a hall meant for the elven leading figures to gather and make decisions, are as of current the four elders, Dilya, Monryck, Theron, and Orun.


    Situated in the order of their rankings, they all had a solemn look on their faces.


    "Does anybody have any suggestions"? Dilya questioned with her head facing to the front, giving her the full view of everybody present in the room, including Orun who is sitting opposite her.


    "Anything at all, we are all ears". She repeated after she was met with no response on her first attempt.


    The room was quiet with eye movement going about, the elders looking at each other for suggestions.


    Orun was no exception to the solemn mood present in the room. He had his head straightened, and his mind elsewhere.


    He seeded in casting the barrier and for now, has trapped Mammon and his army of demons in it.


    There is however a time limit to the effect of the barrier, and it is all dependent on how much Mammon tries to force it open.


    With Orun''s calction, he estimated the barrier tost for three days as the highest and two days as the earliest.


    But then again, that is just spection on his part, not a fact that has been verified.


    "Mammon''s threat level has gone beyond what we ounted for. The soldiers surely are prepared to die, but what is the use of all of us dying when eventually, the battle is going to be lost".


    Dilya was not lying or exaggerating what she said. The elven forces have prepared hard for a day like this.


    The whole point of them living inside the barrier is to prevent Mammon from being exposed to the world.


    That is their goal and their mission. Thus, they have taken measures to see to it that their goal is aplished.


    Sadly for them, Mammon is too big a threatpared to their expectations.


    His forces not counted, Mammon himself has posed greater damage to the world. And with his forces added into it, Mammon poses as an unstoppable existence to the world.


    "That is not exactly true". Orun said his consciousness back to the present.


    "Do you have any suggestions for us Lord Orun". Dilya asked.


    "Not an idea, a question". Orun replied with his hands on the table.


    "Why are we not informing the pirs about this matter? Or an even better solution, why not call upon the Gods?". Orun said with a stern expression.


    Orun''s suggestion came with a lot of thinking and brooding before he decided to express it to those present in the room.


    He has thought it through and concluded that he cannot do this alone. As much as he hates to admit it, that is the truth.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mammon is a demon with years of experience ahead of him. What is to say that all this while, he has not been going easy on Orun?


    When he thought he had the upper hand and only needed some time, turns out Mammon was the one in need of time for his army to arrive.


    At this point, Orun does not know what to expect of Mammon, hence his reasons for his question about the pirs and the Gods.


    "Is it not the duty of the pirs to maintain order? And the Gods, of what benefit will it be for them if the humans they so much treasure all end up perishing at the hands of Mammon?".


    Orun is just a monster struggling to contend against Mammon as a means to protect his newly acquired territory.


    He is under no obligation, nor is it to be expected of him to make protecting the world from Mammon his primary duty.


    The same thing however cannot be said for the so-called pirs who he had only met once.


    Despite them having only one encounter, they have made it very clear to Orun what their duties are, and to what length they will go to ensure that nothing interferes with it.


    The presence of Mammom is going against that duty, defying the very norms that they stand to protect.


    When it came to him, they were quick to act by summoning his consciousness amid battle. Why can''t they do the same thing for Mammon?


    The moment Mammon was awakened, the pirs should be expected to have been present to put an end to him.


    Orun shouldn''t have to be the one to spring up the topic about calling for those who are tasked with maintaining the order of the world from those who seek to disorient it.


    And as for the Gods, they are the keepers of humanity, the watcher, and the insurer that humanity gets to thrive through thick and thin.


    If Mammon were to escape from the elven nation, his territory will not be the only ce that will be doomed to Mammon''s presence, it is the whole world.


    Last time he checked, he remembered humans as a race that is part of the world, living and residing in it.


    Sure, with the help of the Gods, they can im themselves as a superior race to any other and all that bull crap.


    But, there will not be a world left for them to live in when Mammon unleashes his army of demons on it.


    They also will not have the justification to im superiority over the other race because? There won''t be another race topete for superiority over when the whole world is at the hands of a demon lord.


    Taking all this into consideration and thoughts, Orun realized that the ones who should be taking hasty actions against Mammon are the same set of people who are sittingid back, watching it all unfold like a movie created for the sole purpose of entertaining them.


    In that case, why should he have to bother himself with worrisome thoughts? Pacing about in an unstable manner, trying to stop Mammon when in reality, he has no obligation to.

 Chapter 317 Him Is Present

    ?


    He is in no position to start worrying about a world that not only he lives in. About a world where other powerful entities reside in.


    "Pirs? Gods?". Monryck retorted in confusion.


    Theron also backed Monryck up with a look of confusion set on his face. He and Monryck are the only ones in the room who did not understand the two words, pirs, and Gods.


    Before Orun came along and brought himself into their lives, the only thing that a member of the monster race like Theron and Monryck ever cared about, is how to survive the next day.


    An event or activity extending to disturbing the bnce of the world itself was beyond their reach or imagination.


    They never thought that a day woulde when they will get to sit with big shots like an elven queen or the elven elders.


    That is why they know nothing about the existence of the pirs or the Gods that Orun made mentioned.


    "It''s a long story, but for now just imagine the two figures as I and Wildria, but on arger scale like the very world we are in".


    By asking them to imagine the pirs and the Gods as himself and Wildria, Orun is making it known to them what the duties of the pirs and the Gods are.


    And by specifying therger scale on a world level, he is making it understandable to them exactly what it is that they rule over.


    "That is a good suggestion Lord Orun. The pirs will be willing to help, but the same cannot be said for the Gods or the humans joining forces with other race that is not of the human race".


    Dilya agreed with Orun''s suggestion and even thinks very highly of it.


    "And the reason for that will be..." Orun asked in expectant of an exnation from Dilya.


    No matter how prideful they are about the whole racial superiority, Orun believes that there has to be a point where they will draw the line on that.


    Look past the racial difference and be willing to join hands with other races, to work together to keep their world safe from an impending doom that seeks to destroy it.


    "The human or the Gods do not require the help of other races because they have him".


    "Him?..." He repeated after Dilya, thinking about what she meant by him. Orun''s memory was jogged, and the mention of what ''him'' was, became clear to him.


    "Yes, him. He alone will have no trouble going up against Mammon, that is why they have nothing to fear from his army or him".


    Orun has been briefed on who they are, and in actuality, he never thought that he was that powerful enough to face Mammon and his armies of demons.


    He has no trouble believing it is possible but only questions the possibility of it. That is how he feels, and he finds it very confusing.


    "There is also the three other cardinals? Pardon me. I meant the two other cardinals, the pdins, and the entire human army to back them up".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun understood why Dilya was quick to change the three to two. There were once four, reduced to three with caius out of the number. She already mentioned that ''him''who was also a cardinal, leaving behind two cardinals to make mention of.


    "As for the Pirs, the only reason why they have so far not interfered or done anything against Mammon is that they need permission to venture into the territory of another Pir".


    After her sentence, Orun''s eyebrow slightly twitched.


    He already had a feeling that she was one of them after she kept asking how he did not remember her.


    That was also what prompted him to mention calling upon the pirs, because he assumed she would have an idea of how to, as the leader of a race like the elves.


    There is a set rule between the pirs, to prevent one pir from getting covetous of the territory owned by another pir.


    To stop that from happening, the pirs all decided on a rule that states; to be granted entry into the territory of a pir member by another pir member, there is need for the pir member to acquire permission from the pir member whose territory the pir member desires to enter.


    This rule also helps to prevent a case of two pirs fighting amongst themselves.


    A situation like that happening will turn out worse for both sides, that is why the rule is strictly enforced regardless of the circumstances.


    "If you call for them and they do agree toe, is there any chance they will being with an army of their own? Or will it be just the remaining three of them".


    Orun wants to know what he is getting himself into, and what help exactly will being to their aide, if it is a three-man help or an army type help.


    He can only assume how strong the pirs are, putting them to be three times what he is capable of, or even five.


    Orun has nothing to base his assumptions on, and can only make spections based on what they stand for.


    Regardless, he decided to set his expectations of them very high for no other reason except for them being older than he is.


    He understands that with folks like that, their true battle strength is dependent on their age and experience, and in most cases, age equals experience.


    He does hope that if it is just going to be the three of them, they should have the strength to make up for the numbers.


    And, a part of him desperately hopes that it is not just going to be the three of them, but with a whole army behind them.


    "Not to worry. For a threat like this, they are going to being with their army". Dilya dered.


    While her words do help to put a part of Orun at ease, it does notpletely negate the threat Mammon poses.


    He is being very cautious right now, and that has led him to question if the pirs will be enough to handle the situation.

 Chapter 318 Plan To Go Back

    ?


    When they were done with the urgent meeting, they all decided on an oue that would ease their burden when confronting Mammon.


    As to be expected, going forward, the pirs will be included in the battle, and so will all the elven warriors who have been prepared specifically for a day like this.


    Orun has decided to tender his arsenal to the war front, and that includes his uing forces in the desert.


    The ovepping distance was not a problem for Orun who has the teleportation ability at his disposal.


    "Thank you..... Elder Rof!". Orun said, pausing to see the reaction on the elven elder, to know if he got the name right.


    "It is Elder Torsys, Spirit King". The elven elder corrected him, not minding the mistaken identity.


    "Yes, Elder Torsys. I apologize, your names are too confusing for me to get a firm grasp on them all". Orun replied, expressing his fault for mistaking him for someone else.


    "It is okay Spirit King". The earth-elven elder answered.


    After they were through with the meeting, Orun voiced out his intention to have his forces join in the campaign meant to bring down the demon lord Mammon.


    It was of course epted without any hesitation. Only with Dilya''s permission could he have his forces on the elven nation''s soil.


    With his background as an elemental spirit king, and his aide in temporarily sealing Mammom and his army of demons, the four elven elders and Dilya had no trouble giving Orun the permission he needs to have his forces join them.


    With that said, Orun could not open up his teleportation ability inside the elven nation because of the barrier.


    The barrier''s effect negates any instant movement skill from outside to inside, or inside to outside.


    He had to go out of the barrier to open up his teleportation ability.


    With the help of the earth-elven elder who is in charge of the teleportation, Orun was able to get out of it along with the earth-elven elder and is now outside the range of the barrier.


    "Will this ce be conducive enough to do what you want"? The earth-elven elder inquired.


    "I don''t think the location will matter much to them". Orun responded.


    The earth-elven elder''s worry is about making those that Orun will be summoning feelfortable with their surroundings.


    He believes that as the subordinates of the spirit King, they should be offered the best amodation possible by the elven nation.


    If it wasn''t for the dilemma that the nation is currently in, a parade is what would have been set up to wee the subordinates.


    Whereas, Orun finds stuff like that as pointless, a shy way of expressing their warm wee when it could have been done in other ways.


    If it was left to him, he would have preferred to be consulted before setting up the parade during Orun''s arrival at the elven nation.


    "What matters is that I get them down here, and we begin nning the phase of taking down Mammon".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Orun stretched out his hand to the open grasnd and opened up a portal leading directly to the desert, the settlement where the monsters are in.


    "Shall we". He politely asked, turning to the earth-elven elder with his hand directed to the portal.


    "We are going in". The earth-elven elder asked, puzzled on why there is a need for that.


    He thought that all Orun was going to do, is use his ability and bring them all over here. The earth elder was not ounting for them going all the way to Orun''s territory through the portal.


    "Don''t you think there is a need to brief them on what is going on before I just whisk them all here? ".


    "Besides, you are not thinking that everyone in my territory is abatant now are you?".


    Orun ns to go back to the territory, and inform Wildria of the situation, and why he is back without Theron and Monryck.


    Granted there is not enough time for a full-length exnation, he ns on making it a very short one with a skip to a question on how many forces will be ready for immediatebat.


    Orun took his step gently and elegantly, making his way to the portal and going through it.


    The earth-elven elder hesitated about going through the portal. He is a guard of the elven nation, and his duties rest with keeping the barrier in safe conditions.


    The farthest he had gone from the elven nation and the barrier, could be measured in minutes.


    Even if Orun is the elemental spirit king, and the earth elven elder trusts him, he still considers it as a stretch and a big step to make, from the elven nation to a location far off from where the elven nation is.


    Traveling through the portal might make it seek like a short-distance journey, but that isn''t going to fool him.


    Knowing that there was no time for mind debate, the earth elven elder steeled his resolve and ran after Orun to cross through the portal.


    When the both of them were in, the portal closed behind them and its remains dissipated into the atmosphere.


    Getting to the other side of the portal, the earth-elven elder felt a massive surge of heat suddenly swell up in his body.


    He also felt a sense of difort brought about by the heat turning his skin coarse and the feeling of it brushing with his clothing.


    Like a man gone mad, he wanted to have all his clothes taken off and then start running about, trying to generate a chill feeling in his body.


    With the difort going on, the earth-elven elder barely managed to hang on to his sanity and not follow through with the wishes growing in his thought.


    "Are you feeling alright"? Orun inquired with his gaze on the earth-elven elder.


    Even though he had controlled himself well, there was nothing he could do to change his expression from revealing how he feels about the heat.

 Chapter 319 Back Home

    ?


    "I am fine. Just a little...."


    The earth-elven elder did not want to just spurt out any kind of words that will make him sound inconsiderate to Orun''s territory.


    "It is okay. You don''t have to hide how you feel from me". Orun assured.


    He could see the expression on the earth elder''s face, and also tell that the desert weather is not something he is ustomed to.


    Orun does not understand how hot the earth elven elder is because? He is always hot. And the other monster kind that Orun has so far recruited are also not affected because they evolved with a fire core and have grown to have a fire resistance skill.


    Needless to say, the earth elder is not used to the heat. As a person who controls the earth element, it is normal to not be fire oriented.


    If it was the fire-elven elder that came with him, Orun is sure to question why if he ever shows any signs of feeling the desert heat on his body.


    "Don''t worry. We won''t take long". Orun said, trying tofort the earth-elven elder to bear the heat for a while longer.


    "Or if you like, I can open up a portal back to where we came from. You will wait there for me until I am back". He suggested an alternative, in case the earth-elven elder cannot withstand the heat until they are done.


    "No, I will persist". The elven earth elder responded, trying to sound as tough as he could.


    He does not want to look weak or docile in the presence of the elemental spirit king.


    The earth-elven elder was willing to endure the heat to portray a strong image of himself in the mind of Orun.


    Unbeknownst to him that Orun would not mind him expressing his true self and being open about the difort.


    "If you insist".


    Orun adhered to the earth-elven elder and stopped pestering him about how he felt.


    He turned and got ready to go to the main settlement where the monsters are all located in.


    Orun did not teleport directly to the settlement to avoid causing panic. The sudden appearance of a portal is sure to stir up some ruckus.


    To avoid that, Orun teleported them to a ce that requires a ten-minute fast pace walking to get to the settlement.


    Getting to the settlement, Orun was taken aback to see the changes that has appeared in the settlement.


    Tall walls made of forest wood have been arranged as a barricade covering the entire settlement all around.


    Orun did tell Wildria to not halt the construction of the settlement into a fortress after he was gone, he just did not expect her to havee this far on that.


    There is also a gate on the walls, and on both sides of the gate, there is a watchtower with two monsters situated on it.


    "They have gone far with the improvements of the settlement".


    Orun was impressed with what they have managed to aplish in the short time that he was gone.


    "Wait here". Orun instructed while he moved forward, leaving behind the earth-elven elder.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The watchtower that the two monsters are staying in, has a height that might make it hard for them to distinguish the appearance from where Orun was.


    Going closer, there is a chance that he might even be attacked by them due to a case of mistaking his identity.


    Asking the earth-elven elder to stay behind is his way of saying he will handle this alone and prevent the both of them from getting attacked.


    Orun took his feet step by step, slowly making his way to the gate and the range of the monsters.


    As he had guessed, the monsters already have their arms up, a bow with a drawn sharp arrowhead.


    The monster on the left side lowered his weapon. He turned over to the monster on the right side and yelled at him to do the same.


    "That did not take long".


    Orun seeing that they were no longer bearing hostile intention, hastened his steps to them.


    The monster on the left that was the first to notice Orun, came down from the watchtower and ran his way up to him, while the monster on the right dropped to the inner part of the gate where the settlement is.


    "Lord Orun, wee".


    The Minotaur monster greeted with his head bowed before Orun.


    "Y-yes. I have arrived". Orun awkwardly answered, still not used to being greeted in such a docile manner.


    "You can raise your head now". Orun instructed to which the Minotaur obeyed by having his head up.


    He turned his back to where the earth-elven elder was standing and gestured for him toe closer by waving his hand.


    The earth-elven elder got the message and hurriedly made his way to where Orun was standing.


    "What about Wildria". Orun asked, turning his attention back to the Minotaur.


    "Taimat has gone to the vige to inform them of your arrival. In the meantime, I shall escort you down the road". The Minotaur responded.


    Orun did not have to think too far to know that Taimat is the name of the other monster that was guarding the gate.


    To prevent himself from forgetting their names or identity, Orun made sure to name the monsters using the first letter of their specie as the first letter for their name.


    That way, if a name is mentioned, all he had to do was pick out the first letter of that name to know what species the monster in question belongs to.


    "Alright then, lead the way". Orunmanded.


    The Minotaur monster led the way, taking the lead as Orun''s shield. Before they got to the gate, it wasid wide open for Orun to walk in.


    When he got inside, it was as if he was not where he is supposed to be. The scenery down to the arrangement of the huts has taken a new change.


    Everything was not as he had left it during his departure for the elven nation.

 Chapter 320 Argument

    ?


    "I see you have made a lot of changes to the ce". Orunmented, his body resting down on a wooden chair.


    "I had to do so. I took to your warning and saw to it that improvements are made before your return". Wildria responded, sitting next to Orun.


    "I suppose that improvement also has to do with that". Orun said, his gaze on the monster kind sitting beside Wildria.


    Okay, not necessarily sitting as the body structure could not fit in the chairs that they were sitting on.


    An eight-legged monster with six eyes, arge body frame, and egg-shaped skin sticking out from its butt.


    It was a spider, a freaking huge spider, and Orun was this close to blurting out inughter at the appearance of a giant freaking spider.


    He kept hisposure and did not do such a thing, merely looking at the spider with eloquence.


    "Yes. This is the queen taratect of the spider monster species. I recruited her not long after you were gone". Wildria said, introducing the monster sitting beside her.


    "I see. Excellent work". Orun remarked.


    He was d that Wildria did not neglect his warnings about the need to urgently recruit as many monster species as possible.


    Even though he did tell her to before he left, and was exclusively adamant about it, Orun did not think that Wildria was going to push through with it seeing as how she was after the proper establishment of the settlement before the recruitment.


    "My lord, it is truly an honor to have you back with us, but I fear that it may not be all that there is to it". Travon the Troll chief spoke up, after letting Wildria introduce the Queen taratect.


    What Travon was indirectly referring to, is the presence of a being not of the monster race, sitting with them in a ce where only the highest members of the monster kind conduct their meetings.


    He analyzed the sudden appearance of Orun apanied by an elf, along with the fact that Orun is not with the two Wyverns that he departed with.


    Monryck and Theron are also nowhere to be found, which led to Travon believing that Orun is not here because he is done with the business he has with the elves.


    With all the facts coupled together, Travon believes that Oruning back to the settlement is because something is troubling him, an encounter that forced him into making a hasty return.


    "It is as you assume Travon. With me here, is an elder of the elven nation, the head of the Torsys n".


    In response to Orun''s introduction, the earth elven elder stood up from his seat and paid respect to Orun''s subordinates by slightly bowing his head.


    Wildria acted with courtesy and released a bow of her own, her head at the same height as that of the earth-elven elder.


    Travon and the newly recruited spider monster who did not know ofmon courtesy, imitated Wildria''s bowing stance.


    It was particrly hard to tell if the spider monster was bowing, but the change in its stance was what gave it out.


    When they were all done exchanging pleasantries, the earth-elven elder brought his body back to the seat, and Wildria also returned her head''s positioning to its normal stance.


    Travon and the spider monster also returned their bodies to normal and continued the meeting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "My return was hastened because there is a problem back at the elven nation that requires the urgent gathering of every force at my disposal".


    "What" Wildria retorted, despite hearing what he said clearly.


    "You heard me, Wildria". Orun said, not wanting to repeat himself.


    Time is of the essence, and he cannot afford to lose it by repeating what is already said.


    "Can everybody give us the room?". She inquired, her voice making it clear that she was not asking, she was demanding.


    Without further ado, they all got up from their seats and vacated the building, leaving behind Orun and her.


    "What do you think you are doing".


    She kept silent and only spoke up when they have all left the room.


    "What does it look like I am doing".


    Orun saw the expression on Wildria''s face, and he knew that she was not ying around.


    "It sounds to me like you have ns on moving the monsters out of the settlement and into a foreignnd, for what".


    The monsters are still getting acquainted with their habitat, and Orun is already nning on having them inbat, in another person''s territory for that matter.


    "You don''t understand Wildria. There is an impending danger that is soon to befall the world. If we don''t work together with the elves, the world as we know it will be over".


    "So? And your decision on how to face that doom is by sacrificing the monsters you brought here under the promise that they will have a ce to belong to, a ce where they will never have to be scared for their lives". She questioned.


    Orun was short of words, at a loss for why Wildria is speaking the way that she is.


    Why would she be defying him so heavily, with questions that a suitable answer cannot be provided for?


    He did make those promises and intends to keep them, but he also expects the monsters he recruited to be able to pull their weight and not just rely on his protection.


    Orun clearly remembered saying that to them, and that moment is now. If something is not done soon enough, the territory will be destroyed and they will have no ce to call home.


    What he is asking of them is simple. He wants them to pull their weight by defending their home against the impending doom.


    "Sacrificing your kind for the sake of another race is not the way we do things, and you of all people should know that better".


    Orun sighed deeply with his head raised upward. An argument is thest thing he was hoping for when he decided on enlisting the monsters in the fight against Mammon.


    Yet, somehow, what he least expected is what he ends up having to face.

 Chapter 321 Weigh The Options

    ?


    "Remember what you told me before you left for the elven nation?".


    Orun for sure remembered what he said, and that has also enlightened him as to why Wildria is against the idea of mobilizing the monsters into battle.


    "We should be wary of the humans, sooner orter, they wille to know how heavily it will affect their level-up program if they no longer have monsters to kill in their territory".


    "That is what you told me, and also why you were so adamant about bringing the monsters over to the desert. I havee to an understanding that you were making a point. That is why I also saw to it that the monster recruitment process did not stop even after you were gone".


    "Tell me Orun, if we are to do as you say and mobilize the monsters, how many do you think will die, and how many do you think will survive? And as for those that survive, do you think they will be able to protect the desert if the humans decide to march down their armies".


    Orun understood it all very well. The point she is trying to make, and where her worries are based on. He understands it all and is also aware of the dangers thate with losing the already small number of monsters they have on their side.


    Orun has thought about it well. There is a level-up program where people kill to ascend to higher heights, that is the next level.


    With a rule set in ce by the humans that prevent humans from legally killing each other, they turned to killing monster kind to level up.


    If Orun carries out his n and ends up bringing eighty percent of the monsters from the human territory over to the monster''s territory, it is bound to affect the level-up procedure of the humans.


    While the monsters will also be affected in that they will no longer be able to kill other monsters as they see fit, Orun has found a way to remedy that problem and prevent the monster''s level from remaining stagnant.


    The humans however do not have a way to fix it, not when they never even considered the possibility of monster scarcity.


    It has always been bnced. Monsters breed offspring to carry on their legacy, and humans kill the monsters to prevent an overflow of them.


    That is how it has always been, and such methods have been maintained and thrived for a long time, up until this very moment.


    Now, Orun''s n is sure to weaken the method, putting a dent in the number of monsters that will be avable.


    When the monsters flock over to his territory, there will be a reduction in the amount of monster birthing process that will ur in the human territory.


    There will still be monsters, and for sure, monster birth will still carry on in human territory.


    But, the amount of monster birth that will happen in the human territory, will not be as much as when the monsters left for the desert, Orun''s territory.


    It is a case of addition and subtraction. Five plus five equals ten. Assuming there are five monsters in the human territory, and all five of them gave birth to another five monsters, that is ten monsters altogether.


    The humans, to prevent the number of monsters from exceeding their capacity, will move to diminish their numbers, killing off the five monsters, or even six or seven monsters.


    In an assumption that five monsters are killed, the remaining five monster offspring will carry on the legacy, bringing about another five monsters of their own.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That right there, is a loop, and the same case applies to the humans taking out seven or eight monsters.


    Regardless of how many monsters are killed, as long as one survives, the legacy carries on.


    With Orun''s interference, here is where things start to get messy.


    Of the initial five monsters that are assumed to be present in the human continent, Orun drafts out two of them, thereby resulting in a loss of monster poption.


    With two gone, the amount of monsters that will remain is three. In this case, the poption of the monsters in the human settlement has already been reduced.


    The three monsters birthing their offspring will result in the production of three other offspring, based on assumption.


    Irrespective of what is done, the monster''s number will continue to dwindle with humans hunting them down, and Orun recruiting some of them to his territory.


    Orun has thought of that early on and has realized that the level-up will affect not just the humans, but also the monsters.


    While he has discovered a way to have the monsters not be affected by it, the humans have yet to even think that far ahead.


    However, it was only a matter of time before they realize how devastating it would be for them, and what Orun''s intentions are.


    The ones who will be affected first are the stronger humans who have to kill stronger monsters to get enough points to level up.


    With Orun bringing in the stronger monsters, the stronger humans will realize that there is a shortage of stronger monsters, and will, in turn, alert the other humans to the urrence.


    That is why Orun was in a hurry to bring the monsters in before the humans discover the side effects thate with having no or fewer monsters in their territory.


    When he exined it to Wildria, she was totally in agreement with him, and this is also the reason why she is working so hard in his stead.


    If Orun is to go along with drafting monsters for a fight, it will put a dent in their total fighting power and will render the desert open to invasions from the humans when they understand the devastating oue Orun''s territory could bring to them in the future.


    "I get your point Wildria. And believe me, I would love nothing more than to have the monsters stay in the territory and get themselves ready to face any attack on her, but I can''t do that".


    "What ising is bigger than both of us, bigger than the territory itself. If I don''t mobilize the monsters to join forces with the elves, there might not be a territory left for us to protect".


    "I am not enforcing mymand on you, I am simply asking you to weigh the options at our disposal". Orun said, his back restingfortably on the chair

 Chapter 322 End That Is Only The Beginning

    ?


    Wildria was at a loss. Laid before her, is a hard choice to make with Orun making it even harder.


    If what he says about the demon is true, then no ce is going to be safe for them. But then again, once the monsters are mobilized, the desert will be left vulnerable, and there is no telling when the humans will be enlightened about the future danger of monsters migrating out of their territory.


    Orun could have made it easier for her by simply enforcing his authority as their leader, leaving Wildria with no chance to make a choice or express her position.


    But, he did not do that. Rather, he made her understand the serenity of the choice and allowed her to decide for herself which one she thought should be acted on.


    He made it so that he was not the only one ruling, and showed her that they are in this together and not individually.


    "Okay. We will do as you say". She replied after thoroughly thinking about it.


    Wildria weighed the options by putting them both on a scale. From there, she got to understand which one was dire and close.


    Mammom''s problem is now, while the human problem is based on a possibility. Going by that, it was obvious which one she would pick.


    "Excellent. I will leave it to you to round up the monsters that are ready to go into immediate battle. When you are done, you can call for me to give the speech". Orun said.


    "Just know that I will only be picking those that can fend for themselves in a tough situation, regardless of how scanty they are".


    Even though she agrees with Orun, Wildria was not going to recruit monsters with lessbat powers.


    Granted the monsters have all be stronger after being named by Orun, but there are still some of them that are just starting to get used to their newfound powers.


    Some are showing signs of leaving behind the life of a warrior and sticking to other means. This happened because their surroundings have be safer, and more conducive.


    They no longer have to worry about how to survive the next day, or what to munch on to sustain their bodies.


    For those, Orun n on having a separate meeting after everything has died down, to discuss the path they want to walk on.


    "Okay, you do just that".


    Orun was not going to argue about it with Wildria, nor was he going to refute her.


    What she said made absolute sense. They need to minimize the casualty that will be incurred when the monsters are sent out to battle.


    Her idea of only picking the ones capable of fending for themselves is possibly one of the best ways to achieve the minimization process.


    Having gotten Orun''s say-so, Wildria made her way out of the tent, leaving him behind.


    Not long after Wildria was gone, Travon and the earth-elven elder made their way back inside the tent.


    They both sat down where they were sitting earlier before they were told to go outside.


    "You have no reason to worry elder Torsys. I have talked to her, and have convinced her to view things from my perspective". Orun reassuringly said, turning to the earth-elven elder.


    He noticed the worried look that the earth-elven elder came in with, and made sure to make him know about Wildria''s decision the moment he sat down.


    "Where is the spider monster? Queen taratect, is that what she called it?" Orun inquired, wondering if he got the name right.


    "Yes, it is my Lord. The queen taratect had gone off with Lady Wildria, to carry out your orders I presume". Travon answered.


    "I see".


    It was a relief to Orun that the queen taratect was not back in. Her presence to him is something that is going to take time to get used to.


    "My Lord, I wish to know what exactly is going on here". Travon expressed.


    Travon has so far been kept in the dark about the recent activities. It is frustrating that words are flying about, and he has no clue what they are talking about.


    Orun did the honour of exining it to him, picking up the pace and roughly keeping him up to date on current affairs.


    He hurried his exnation because Wildria coulde barging through that door at any time, iming that she is done.


    Orun will not want to be dyed in exining things to Travon, which is why he only went straight to the important aspects, and within minutes, he was done.


    "You made the right decision Lord Orun. If such a threat does exist, we need all the forces we can throw at it".


    After listening to Orun''s exnation, Travon was in full support of his decision toe back to the territory and recruit the monsters in the battle.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The way Orun described Mammon gave the impression that they are not just dealing with any kind of entity here, what they are dealing with is a terrifying existence that seeks to plunge the world into chaos.


    It is an existence far worse than what the humans represent to the monster kind, and it was only right that immediate action be taken against him.


    While they were debating on who is right and who is wrong, Wildria came in with the queen taratect to break the news to Orun.


    "I am done. All that is needed now, is your presence". She said, walking in and taking a stand at the entrance, with the queen taratect standing beside her.


    "Alright, take me there". Orun said, picking himself up and walking out of the tent, along with his subordinates following right behind him.


    While he was making his way to where his armies were waiting for him, Orun had a lot of time to think about the things he had to go through all this while.


    He was but a human in his past life, with a wretched life, a condemned life of pain and struggle.


    Then, a miracle happened to him. He died and got transmigrated as a goblin in a fantasy world.


    It was not an easy experience for him. Growing up in the dungeon, he had to go through a lot, from being a cub to getting tortured at the hands of the king of his race.


    He escaped that life, but somehow ended up making an enemy of the humans. Had to fight with one of humanity''s strongest, he survived and came out of it alive.


    He experienced hardship upon hardship, but he has managed to live through them all without threading on a path leading to endless bloodshed.


    Blood was drawn from his body, and he has also drawn the blood of others, stained his hand with bodies.


    Orun does not regret what he has done. Every step he has taken to get here, he has done so under the premise of trying to survive.


    And that is what he will keep on doing. Come what may, he will survive it all and see to it that his unwavering goal is aplished.


    He strived, he conquered, and he prevailed. He is Orun, the king of all monster kind, the king of all fire elemental spirits.


    He is, a goblin, and this is but the first phase of his adventurous tale as a goblin.


    ________________________________________


    Adventures Of A Goblin Ending Of First Sequel.


    Why you ask? Why can''t I just continue from here? Why is there a need for a sequel?


    This is truly the end of the first sequel to the adventures of a Goblin.


    I decided to end it on this note because I realized how messed up the earlier chapter is in terms of story writing and grammar.


    This is my very first novel and more than anything, I wish to see the end of it.


    To make that dream a reality, I decided to make it a sequel, with a well-nned and well-arranged next sequel with top-notch grammar that will not scare potential readers away.


    I need a lot of preparation done and also attend to my already hectic schedule before I resume writing.


    Just know that this is not the end but only the beginning. Orun still has a lot of adventure ahead of him, obstacles to cross, andrades to meet.


    If you are still interested in how the rest of his journey will unfold, then search for Ascension Of A Goblin and add it to your library right now.


    Once again, for all the readers that have seen this story through with me up until this moment, I want to say a very big thank you to you all.


    There is nothing that can be said, no words that can describe how appreciative I am of your support.


    You are the best readers on this tform so for that, thank you all very much.


    I will make certain to meet up to your expectations in the next sequel of Ascension Of A Goblin, so be sure to tag along on the fun ride.


    The next sequel will start after I have sorted out all that I need to do and see to it that I am in a stable state of mind to continue writing.


    Just know that it will be released, so be sure to add the Ascension Of A Goblin to your library to follow up on the updates.


    That is, for those still interested in following Orun''s journey.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!